UDAY KUMAR explores how a simple word of respect reveals the deeper mysteries of spiritual authority and humility.
During this morning’s Dil Se with Daaji online session, something profound unfolded within what seemed like a simple conversation. An MLA (Member of the Legislative Assembly) from Rajasthan addressed Daaji as hukum. Daaji, in his characteristic humility, addressed him back with the same word. The exchange was brief, yet its sound lingered. The syllables rolled out softly, like a bell tone that continues to vibrate long after the bell itself is still. The word hukum carried a reverence that resonated beyond language.
This feeling compelled me to explore what hukum truly meant. I looked it up and found that in Rajasthan, saying “Tharo hukum” signifies deep respect, not a mere submission to power. It means “Your wish carries weight because I honor you.” As I would learn, the word “hukum” has traveled across lands and cultures, bearing the fragrance of authority blended with blessing.
A few weeks ago, in his write-up Guardians of the Sacred, Daaji reminded us that the path to the Divine requires both authenticity and etiquette. The smallest gestures of reverence prepare the heart. How we sit, how we greet, and how we speak to one another all reveal the sincerity of our approach. This refinement of conduct, our akhlaaq, is not formality. It is the language of love, the way we create space for the sacred both outside and inside. Without akhlaaq, hukum can feel like a command imposed upon us. With akhlaaq, it becomes a blessing received with grace.
In the spiritual sense, hukum has always carried this deeper resonance. In Sufi traditions, hukm-i-ilahi is the divine decree, the will of God that guides creation. In the Heartfulness tradition, the ajna chakra is known as the seat of power distribution, and above it begins the vast para-cosmic region, the first glimmer of the divine realm. In such higher realms, command is no longer an external order. It is a light that guides the soul toward higher regions, like a halo from within that shows us the way.
When Daaji was addressed as “hukum” and he returned the word, I felt that something greater was revealed. It was not one submitting to another's authority. It was a circle of honor, an exchange where humility and dignity met in perfect balance and proportion. True authority is rooted in humility, and true humility carries an authority that needs no assertion.
Guardians of the Sacred reminds us that every gesture in the Master’s presence, every act of self-restraint and courtesy, helps keep the inner shrine pure. Etiquette in sacred space is not an outer show but a way of guarding the atmosphere of the heart, where the true Master dwells. Hukum then is not fulfilled through blind obedience, but through conduct that honors this sacred atmosphere within and around us.
It is a sound that holds both command and blessing, both authority and surrender—a word that reminds us that when wisdom speaks, the heart listens, and when the heart listens, life takes its proper course. In that listening, we discover not only the decree of the Divine, but also the deep assurance that we belong to Him.
In the end, hukum is less about command and more about remembrance. It is a reminder that the heart opens most when it bows to wisdom and belongs to love. And when that bowing is clothed in akhlaaq, it becomes our way of guarding the sacred, keeping the heart as a holy place where the Beloved feels at home.
It is a reminder that the heart
opens most when it bows to
wisdom and belongs to love.
UDAY KUMAR
Uday Kumar is an entrepreneur, writer, and Heartfulness practitioner passionate about integrating modern life with inner balance. He leads technology and AI initiatives at work while contributing essays on con... Read More
