Gurbani-Da-Saral-Viakaran-Bodh- Part 2 by Joginder Singh Talwara
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A Few Words
Writing on Guru Nanak’s life based on the stories woven out of fantasies is doing injustice to him. As a matter of fact, he was bigger than life, vaster than time and taller than History; writing about him to the satisfaction is just not possible. So far, the writers have just tried to word his life in a very limited manner. When I thought of writing about him, I was overwhelmed with the feelings of insufficiency I had; nonetheless, my urge to see him in his own words started blooming in me slowly. Finally I have felt to share with my readers how always I perceive him in his compositions. Most of the people, regardless of religion or faith, admire Guru Nanak; nonetheless, some people, being biased and narrow minded, screwed up some courage to slander him based on their limited knowledge about his philosophy though it is expressed in his bani explicitly. I have nothing against them; therefore, I wouldn’t name them here; however, their words they used for him prove that people having special interests never get open up for that phenomenon that doesn’t fit in their agenda conceived in their innate nature. Doubtless, such people, being in denial, can never try to comprehend the magnitude of revolution Guru Nanak has brought to the Indian society and beyond. What civility we advocate today, Guru Nanak promoted it with audacity five centuries ago. Pointing a finger at such a spiritual seer with prodigious talent is nothing but a display of boorishness.
In this book, I have tried to build Guru Nanak’s personality based on his own words along with the help of those who were very much familiar with his new venturous mission in support of equality and justice supported by his logic and personal divine experience well stated in his bani; it is fascinating to see how it tears down the veils of hypocrisy, manipulations, suppression, and exploitation of the humanity at large scale. If we study his entire bani, it becomes very clear that all his descendants, Second Nanak, Third Nanak, Fourth Nanak, Fifth Nanak, Ninth Nanak, and Tenth Nanak simply interpreted his philosophy without adding anything new; therefore, only they become the real witnesses of his life and his contribution to the society and beyond. His courageous approach of questioning the religious people in power is itself a revolutionary venture he persuaded with all zest and commitment. A very rare example we can found of a seer of his caliber who ever walked to various directions in and outside India. The lamp he lit in the darkness still luminosities incessantly to date.
Here is the essence of his philosophy: there is only one unborn and eternal Creator, who is all in all regardless the names different cultures or societies have given to Him; He is beyond animosity or fear and He is from Himself; there is no difference between the unborn and eternal Creator and His creation as it is His own part; thus He permeates it. It is His eternal laws that control the entire universe and beyond. Going against His creation is going against Him. Guru Nanak’s concept of the Creator differs from all Abrahamic religions and Hinduism at large. To realize the Creator one needs to have a true Guru, who has already realized Him and who could make others realize Him; however, to tread on this path, one needs to live detached in the Maya enveloped world by following the Guru impeccably.
I have divided the book into eight parts with separate headings so that I can construct his magnificent and darling personality issue-wise with references to the reactions we see recorded in the history of India.
I have done my best to quote him more than anyone in this book; however, I have avoided adding the most of his major banis in this book fearing it will turn out to be very big book. To know him best way, I urge the readers to read his banis known as “Japji”, “Maajh Kee Vaar”, “Patti”, “Dakhni Onkar”, “Sidhgost”, “Asa Dee Vaar” “Tithee” and his bani in Raag Asa, Parbhati, Dhanasri and Maroo.
I entreat forgiveness if unknowing I have made any mistake in this book, and I make no claim what so ever. I want to thank S. Gurdeep Singh, the Treasurer, S. Navtej Singh, the Secretary; S. Harvinder Singh, the C0-ordinator and S. Sital Singh, the Manager of the Gurudwara Parbandhak Committee Srinagar (J&K), for their kind co-operation.
I hope, the readers will enjoy this book and feel Guru Nanak’s message inspiring, as it has changed me drastically.
Last but not least, for enabling me to present this book to my readers, I am heartily thankful to Manjeet, a hard working person (for giving this book a final shape for printing), Dr Bhagwan Singh, a great listener and intellectual (for his precious opinions), and my publisher Mr. Harish Jain, whom I have found to be a wonderful person.
Gurdeep Singh
Guru Nanak In His Own Words by Gurdeep Singh
In essentials of Sikhism: The predominant idea that prevails is that the world had two Streams of religious thoughts prior to the advent of Guru Nanak, but Both the Streams had gone muddy. It is evident from the historical record that the later on religious masters of the both streams had gone corrupt. The humanity had lost hope for good in their teachings. The religious teachers of Semitic religions namely Islam, Judaism and Christianity and those of the Aryan religions namely Hinduism, Jainism, Buddhism had also lost their way. Spirituality was replaced with corruption and the society became rotten under their off track evil influences.
Guru Nanak travelled far and wide in order to bring the wrong doers to the right path. The way He chose was the intellectual discourse. He took with him Bhai Mardana, the rebeck player, who would supplement him by playing it. Guru Nanak met Muslim and other prominent religious leaders and also siddhas, yogis and pundits (as it is testified in his hymns complied in Sri Guru Granth Sahib). His hymns cover philosophical, social, religious, and political aspects of the human life. He undertook his mission to bridge the gap of thoughts between the two streams of religious thoughts, and He succeeded in bridging them. His well known bani Japji, sets up the foundation of his process of thoughts in which He preaches the unity of God (as we see in Mool Mantra) that brings him closer to Judaism and Islam though he also differs from both of them; his concept of God is opposite to the idea of trinity: Father, son and holy spirit, and the trinity of Hinduism: Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva. The discourses he had with Pundits, Yogis, Siddhas, Muslim religious leaders took him far away from their path of hypocrisy, as Mr. Gurdeep Singh shows in his book “Guru Nanak in His own Words”. The Guru condemns the hypocritical way of life along with the renunciation of the world, and he recommends instead the right way of truthful living. The way of miracles of those religious leaders does not affect him; rather he teaches them to adopt the rightful worldly path instead of running away from it by dissuading them from their chosen way of life. He teaches the Pundits to control themselves to channelize through a right path so that the exploitation of the naive public can be stopped. He advises them to love the world of God while proceeding on His realization as we see in His following words:
ਏਤੁ ਰਾਹਿ ਪਤਿ ਪਵੜੀਆ ਚੜੀਐ ਹੋਇ ਇਕੀਸ
Ėṯ rāhi paṯ pavṛī-ā cẖaṛī-ai ho-e ikīs. (7, SGGS)
Further he explores the five realms of evaluations of the spirit through Dharam Khand, Gyan Khand Karam Khand, Sarm Khand, Sach Khand that pave a way to reach to the peak of spirituality; however for that a rigorous training and efforts are required as explained by Mr. Singh in his book with examples in every sphere of life of a human being. Mr. Singh’s efforts in this regard are very much praise worthy. I think he doesn’t leave anything that is required for a person to follow the divine path expressed by the Guru. What Guru Nanak has discussed in Japji in Macro form, Mr. Singh has explained it in a micro form.
Dr. Bhagwan Singh
Gursoch is a nonprofit society dedicated to spread the message conveyed in Sri Guru Granth Sahib. Its members are not interested to promote their own agenda at all. While doing so, if any reader feels disagreeing with the way we understand the Gurbani, it is our pleasure to respect his/her views. We strongly believe that late Dr. Sahib Singh, Late Manmohan Singh, late Bhai Veer Singh and Dr.Taran Singh have done tremendous job in interpreting the Gurbani though about some verses we have different views. As inspired by the Gurbani, we don’t want to indulge in any kind of debate about it; therefore, we entreat forgiveness from those, who think they know better than the rest of the people and who have tried to understand the Gurbani to share with others. Those who are interested to get published on this site, must send their articles through email to gursoch@yahoo.com. There will be a provision in future for such writers to post their articles directly but under supervision.
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We are not here to influence anyone or convert anyone; our entire goal is to share what we have learned from the Gurbani and how we got improved by merely trying to put it in practice slowly. The Gurbani is not written to control people to bow to certain dogmatic restrictions, but it is an expression of its writers’ authentic and righteous experience. Comprehending completely the subtle ideas expressed in the Gurbani, certainly requires the same state of mind of those who penned down it: Bhagatas and the Gurus. Merely weaving anecdotes around any shabda is not fair. We verify that the Gurbani does miracles indeed; we have seen some people, having no merit, turning into virtuous ones through the Gurbani. As Harpreet Singh from Ludhiana says,” If a few get changed through the Guru’s message, the aim of introducing the Gurbani in detail is fulfilled”.
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