The Gurbani manifested from the Divine Hukam. Accordingly, it soars to the vivid heights of subtlety. When the Divine Hukam expresses through the true and the wise ones (God-Realized Beings), it becomes Bani or Gurbani.

The Gurbani (Sri Guru Granth Sahib, SGGS) makes it very clear that Hukam, Shabad, Guru, God, Naam (Lord's Name), Divine Light, Word,  etc., are virtually synonymous. Further, the Gurbani makes it very clear that Hukam, Shabad, or Naam pervades the entire creation. It permeates the universe as butter in the milk, and fire in the wood. It is the unstruck celestial sound current that vibrates, creates, guides, controls, directs, sustains, and animates every particle of the cosmos.

The Gurbani declares that everything and everybody in the universe is controlled by God's Hukam or Eternal Law. None can escape it. What it means is that to be in His Hukam is the same as to be connected to His Shabad or Naam. To put it otherwise, the intuitive understanding of God's Hukam is the realization of His Shabad or Naam. Therefore, the Shabad is Hukam and the Hukam is Shabad (or Naam).

As such, each and every word of the Gurbani is Waheguru's Hukam, otherwise it would not have been included in the SGGS. If a particular Shabad is called Hukamnama - pronounced Hukamnaamaa - of the day, does it mean that rest of the Gurbani is not Hukamnaamaa for that day?

Hence, as we can see, to call a particular Shabad selected by randomly opening a page a "Hukamnaamaa" is a fallacy. This is how the simpletons are led by the Pujaaree group (priests) to perform rituals and cermonies from which Baabaa Nanak tried to free us. The fact is that each and every Word or Shabad of SGGS is Hukamanaamaa; for it is given to all of us to hear and read, to perceive and believe, and than contemplate and become one with it.

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What is Hukamnama?

There are two parts to this word, Hukam, and Nama. The former, Hukam, is a Persian word for a divine order, command, direction, etc. The latter part, Nama, is also Persian and is added to some other words to signify the communication of the word that preceded it. For example, Thankhahnama is the document that outlines Thankhah (spiritual discipline) for the Sikhs as written by Bhai Nand Lal Ji. Zafarnama is the letter of declaration of Victory from Guru Gobind Singh Ji to Aurangzeb. Along those lines, Hukamnama is the communication or the decree of a divine order.

What is Hukam, according to Gurbani?

Hukam is referred to in Gurbani as the divine order, divine will, or command of God and Guru. There is no hukam higher than God and Guru’s hukam. No king, ruler, statesperson, or any worldly authority can have a hukam superior to God and Guru. Whatever the Creator God wishes to have done in the universe is supreme, and true, and worldly powers cannot be exerted over God.

In Gurbani, Guru ji says:

jo this bhaavai soee karasee fir hukam n karanaa jaaee ||
He does whatever He pleases. No one can issue any order to Him.