tbutalia@hpuxa.ircc.ohio-state.edu (Tarunjit S. Butalia) (11/14/90)
GURU NANAK DEV JI'S MISSION
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Before embarking on the topic, let us see what the word GURU means
in Sikhism. The word GURU is so popular in India that in order to
understand the fundamental concept of GURU in Sikhism, one must
first drive out of one's mind the prevelant popular Hindu notion
of a Guru. The popular term GURU often used in Hinduism for a
Brahmin, a yogic teacher or a guide or even a school teacher, has
made the concept of Guruship so cheap that a scholar describes
these guru's as "wicks that smell foul after the lamps are
extinguised". The term GURU in SIKHISM is not used for a teacher
or a guide or an expert or even a human body. The word GURU in
Sikhism is composed of two terms -
GU - means darkness and
RU - means light.
In Sikhism, the word GURU is thus defined as the light that
dispels all darkness and that is called JOT (Divine Light). Guru
Nanak was, thus the embodiment of the Divine light. In Basant
Mohalla 5, pp 1192 of Guru Granth Sahib, it is written -
"GURU NANAK DEV GOVIND ROOP"
ie Guru Nanak is the embodiment of the light of God.
Literally speaking, Guru Nanak's body was a platform from which
God himself spoke and delvered his message - GURBANI (Divine
Message). God manifested himself through Nanak -
"Gur Meh Aap Samoai Sabad Vartaya"
- Var Makar ki Mohalla 1 ,
pp 1279 of Guru Granth Sahib.
ie In the true Guru (Nanak) He installed his own spirit,
through him God speaks himself.
In Maru Mohalla 1, pp 1024 of Guru Granth Sahib -
"Gur Meh Aap Rakhaya Kartare"
ie In the body of Guru (Nanak), God revealth himself.
God is in the Guru and Guru is in the God. In Gaund Mohalla 5, pp
865 of Guru Granth Sahib -
"Gur Nanak, Nanak Har Soai"
ie O, Nanak, Jot of Nanak and God are one.
The objective of Guru Nanak's Guruship was to give instructions in
the true name, to save humanity from immersing in the ocean of
distress and misery arising out of worldly life. It has always
been believed that whenever the righteousness vanishes from this
world and falsehood takes it place, there has been a call from the
Heaven to restore peace and justice on earth. Out of the dark
clouds of falsehood, hypocrisy, injustice, cruelty and bigotry,
there came a ray of sunshine from the Heaven as described by Bhai
Gurdas Ji in Var 1, pauri 23 -
"Suni Pukar Datar Prabh, Gur Nanak Jag Mahi Pathaya,
Charan Dhoai Rahiras Kar, Charnamat Sikha Pilaya "
This pauri ends with
"Kaljug Babae Tariya, Satnam Parh Mantra Sunaya,
Kal Taran Guru Nanak Aaya "
ie The Guru has brought salvation in this wretched world,
His song of Nam gives us new life,
Guru Nanak came as saviour of this age of materialism.
Again in Var 1, pauri 27, Bhai Gurdas writes -
"Satguru Nanak Pragtaya, Miti Dhund Jag Chanan Hoya"
ie Nanak came, the world was lighted, the sun rose and
darkness disappeared.
Haeven atlast had heard the cries and prayers of the opressed and
there appeared the Saviour of Humanity, Prophet of Peace, Fountain
of Love and Ocean of Virtue in the name of Guru Nanak, the founder
of Sikh Religion.
Sikhism is not a blend or a reproduction of earlier religions but
is a new reveleation alteogther. The teachings that the Gurus
gave to this world came direct to them from God. It seems that
all scholars like Malcom, Cunningham, Trumpp of the past and the
McLoed's and Khushwant Singh's of today have not grasped the basic
fundamental concept about the divinty of Guru Nanak. These
writers seem to be very much ignorant about the fact that Guru
Nanak was an Embodiment of the Divine Light. He was a celestial
being and his divine attributes put him above mankind and its
schools.
Guru Nanak's divinity is above all earthly institutions and their
teachings. The message that Guru Nanak gave to this world came to
him direct rom God as Nanak himself confirms in Tilag Mohalla 1,
pp-722 of Guru Granth Sahib -
"Jaisi Mai Avaa Khasam Ki Bani, Taisra Kari Gyan Va Lalo"
ie O Lalo, as comes the divine word from God, So do I
narrate it
Again in Wadhans Mohalla 1, pp-566 of Guru Granth Sahib, Guru
Sahib says -
"I am saying what he commands me to say"
Inspite of repeating the above mentioned shabads so many times,
some of us still believe that Sikhism arose out of Hinduism.
Those who say so are thus contradicting their own Guru. And
any person who claims to be a Sikh, cannot and will not defy his
Guru. Thus, Sikhism is infact a new reveleation and religion in
itself.
Thus, the seed for reformation of humanity which was sown by Guru
Nanak and was watered by his successors, ripened in the time of
Guru Gobind Singh and culminated in creation of the Khalsa. The
sword that carved the Khalsa's way to sublim glory was undoubtedly
forged by Guru Gobind Singh, but its steel was provided by Guru
Nanak. The whole program of Guru Nanak's initiation reached its
exalted state of finality when the Tenth Nanak (Guru Gobind Singh)
passed on "GURU NANAK JOT" to the Adi Granth, Holy Scripture - par
excellence, and proclaimed it as GURU GRANTH SAHIB - the last GURU
for ever.
References -
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1. Sri Guru Granth Sahib.
2. Amrit Kirtan.
3. Sikh Religion by Sikh Mission. Centre, Michigan,1989.
4. The Sikh Religion by Max Arthur Macauliffe, 1909.
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Tarunjit Singh