Friday, October 19, 2007

Gurgaddi Diwas of Sri Guru Granth Sahib Jee


ਏਕੋ ਸਬਦੁ ਏਕੋ ਪ੍ਰਭੁ ਵਰਤੈ ਸਭ ਏਕਸੁ ਤੇ ਉਤਪਤਿ ਚਲੈ ॥
Ėko sabaḏ ėko parabẖ varṯai sabẖ ėkas ṯė uṯpaṯ cẖalai.
The One Shabad, the Word of the One God, is prevailing everywhere. All the creation came from the One Lord.
(Ang 1334)

October 20th marks the Gurgaddi diwas of Sri Guru Granth Sahib jee, when the Tenth Nanak, Guru Gobind Singh jee Maharaaj rested Guru-ship in the eternal Guru of the Sikhs, Sri Guru Granth Sahib jee. Saariaa nu Gurpurb di Vaadhaayee Hove!


A BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE PASSING OF GURUSHIP
TO SRI GURU GRANTH SAHIB JEE



Kartarpur Bir
During Guru Gobind Singh Sahib jee's Guru-ship, Baba Deep Singh along with 24 other Singhs went to Dheer Mal (the grandson of the Sixth Guru) to ask him to return the Kartarpur Bir (the original Aad Granth Sahib jee that Guru Arjan Sahib jee compiled) that he had forcibly taken during the time of Guru Hargobind Sahib jee. Dheer Mal refused and replied, "If your Guru is the same 'Roop' (form) as the first and fifth Guru Sahibs, then why doesn't he fashion Gurbaani from memory?"


Damdami Bir
Guru Gobind Singh Sahib jee stayed Talwandi Sabo (known as Sri Damdama Sahib today) for 9 months and 9 days in 1706 and dictated the entire Aad Granth Sahib jee with the addition of the Ninth Nanak, Guru Teg Bahadar Sahib jee's revealed Bani (sacred hymns), whilst Bhai Mani Singh jee undertook the task of scribing under Guru Sahib's supervision. Undoubtedly, Guru Sahib got rid of certain unauthorised writings which had crept into some pirated copies and gave the Granth (Scripture) it's final form. As this Bir (Volume) was compiled by Guru Sahib at Sri Damdama Sahib, in Southern Panjab, this final form of the Granth Sahib jee became known as the 'Damdami Bir'.


Resting Guru-ship in the Guru Granth-Guru Panth
This Bir was then taken to Sri Hazoor Sahib, NandeR, in 1708 by Guru Gobind Singh jee. In an old text called 'Nanak Chandr Udai Mahaa-kavyan' (ਨਾਨਕ ਚੰਦ੍ਰ ਉਦੈ ਮਹਾਕਵਯੰ) written by Pandit Raaj Sharma, it says that Sikhs asked Guru Gobind Singh Sahib jee Maharaaj before he physically left his body, "Who is Guru now? To whom should we bow? Whom should we have Darshan of and of whom should we contemplate?" Guru Gobind Singh Jee Mahaaraaj replied that "the Granth is the Guru. Do it's Darshan. Bow your head before it and do contemplation of it to illuminate the path."

'Gurū Kīān Sākhīān' describes Guru Gobind Singh Sahib jee conferring Guru-ship to the Sri Guru Granth Sahib jee:
“Guru Jee asked Daya Singh, “Bhai Sikha, go and fetch Sri Granth Jee, we have to endow Guruship.” On getting the command, Bhai Daya Singh brought Sri Granth Jee and auspiciously opened and displayed it. One Sikh prepared the parshaad and placed it on a stool nearby. After the supplication, Satguru Jee prepared to pass on Guruship. Guru Sahib took five paise, the coins and a coconut in his hand. Sat on the bedstead and asked Daya Singh, “Place them in front of Sri Granth Jee” and expounded:
“With the directive of the Almighty, initiated is the Panth,
All the Sikhs are decreed to acknowledge Granth as Guru,
Believing in Khalsa, epitomises the Guru as corporeal.
Sikhs desirous to achieve me, (may) search in them.”
(p. 220-221)


Guru Sahib's instruction was:
ਆਤਮਾ ਗੁਰੂ ਗ੍ਰੰਥ ਵਿ
ਸਰੀਰ ਪੰਤ ਵਿਚ
ਪਰਚਾ ਸ਼ਬਦ ਦਾ
ਦੀਦਾਰ ਖਾਲਸੇ ਦਾ
ਓਟ ਅਕਾਲ ਕੀ
"The Spirit is in the Guru Granth,
The body in the (Khalsa) Panth,
Understand the Shabad,
Seek the glorious sight of the Khalsa,
Take support from the Immortal (God)."

Happy Gurpurb to everyone.

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

Baba Deep Singh Ji wrote five granths and sent them to all thakts and sent one to iraq which was in arabic.

The bir of Baba Ji is with taksal and it has raagmala sahib.

Also at hazur sahib baba deep singh ji and baba gurbaskh singh ji was present as pany pyarai.

thank you for this post it is good.

Manvir Singh (UK) said...

Thank you Guru Pyaari'o for the info.

From what I have read and heard the 4 Saroops written by Baba Deep Singh jee at Sri Damdama Sahib were taken to the 4 Takht Sahibs (Sri Akaal Takht Sahib (Amritsar), Sri Keshgharh Sahib (Anandpur Sahib), Sri Patna Sahib (Bihar) and Sri Hazoor Sahib (Nander)). Which of these Saroops is present at the Gurdwara Sahib in Mehta.

Also I have heard two stories about the the Saroop in Arabic. One is that the Saroop is now at Baghdad (Iraq) in a museum. The other story is that Ahmed Shah Abdali (Afghan invader) took the Saroop by force from Sri Damdama Sahib when he attacked and it is speculated that he must have desecrated the Saroop in fear of the Power of Gurbani had on the Sikhs.

If anyone has any info that would be great.

Guru Raakhaa.

Anonymous said...

i have herd it is in a museum. . .i can confirm the saroop at sri damdama sahib has raagmala in as we did darshan of the saroop. . . sant jarnail singh jee states in katha that independent shcolars examined the 4 saroops and stated that its the same ink, paper etc stating that baba deep singh jee wrote them. . .thats good enuf for me

Anonymous said...

This may not be the correct post to ask this but i have a query. Can you please explain why girls need to tie dastaars on their heads?

Would appreciate a logical reasoning for this. Thanks a lot.

Manvir Singh (UK) said...

The Dastaar (turban) of a Sikh is a gift given by the Tenth Master, Guru Gobind Singh Sahib jee. When giving Amrit to the Panj Pyaare Five Beloved Ones in 1699, he gave us bana, the distinctive dress that includes the turban.


ਕੰਘਾ ਦੋਨੋ ਵਕਤ ਕਰ ਪਾਗ ਚੁਨੈ ਕਰ ਬਾਂਧਈ ॥
"Comb your hair twice a daily and retie your turban each time your wear it."
(Rehatnama Bhai Nand Lal Jee)

ਨਾਪਾਕ ਪਾਕੁ ਕਰਿ ਹਦੂਰਿ ਹਦੀਸਾ ਸਾਬਤ ਸੂਰਤਿ ਦਸਤਾਰ ਸਿਰਾ ॥ 12 ॥
O person of God! Purify the mind what is impure (with bad thoughts) “this is the religious tradition through which you can experience the Lord's Presence. (Abandoning circumcision, mutilation and deferment of the body etc) preserve a complete appearance with a turban on your head" this becomes the way to maintain respect and honour. ||12||
(Ang 1084, SGGS)


The Guru has given an "order" to his Sikhs to tie a turban which is clear in Rehatnamas also Guru Granth Sahib jee tells us that a perfect human being ties a dastaar on their head. Is an order to the Khalsa or a Sikh only for men or for both men & women? If Guru Sahib told Sikhs to wear 5Ks, it was same for men and women. If Guru Sahib told Sikhs to do Nitnem, it was same for men and women.

The Dastaar is Guru Sahib's gift to us. It is how we crown ourselves as the Singhs and Kaurs who sit on the throne of commitment to our own higher consciousness. For men AND women alike, this projective identity conveys royalty, grace, and uniqueness. It is a signal to others that we live in the image of Infinity and are dedicated to serving all. The Dastaar doesn't represent anything except complete commitment. When you choose to stand out by tying your Dastaar, you stand fearlessly as one single person standing out from six billion people. It is a most outstanding act.

With a Dastaar covering the Kesh and the hair-knot tied on top on the dasam duar (tenth spiritual energy gate of the body) a Sikh man AND woman are saved from the entanglements and vanity of worldly fashions. It is more unlikely that a woman wearing a Dastaar would wear jewellery and other ornaments on the body as the Dastaar is a royal crown bestowed upon us by our Father. Looking in the mirror one sees the "Khalsa". When others look at us they see "the Khalsa". The image we project is important. According to the image we project to others society will also react to us. Our image is a physical manifestation of our beliefs. Our outer appearance guides and influences our behaviour to an extent. A lady wearing a Dastaar can be easily distinguished from a Hindu, Muslim or non-Sikh just as a Sikh man can be distinguished by his turban.

The Dastaar tells others that we are different. By having a distinct appearance, Sikhs become accountable for their actions. Our distinct Sikh appearance not only makes us think more often about our conduct and its reflection upon a wider society, it also makes us reflect upon our own ideals and how they reflect the teachings of the Sri Guru Granth Sahib jee.

The Dastaar is there to remind us of our connection to Waheguru. It frames us as devotees of Waheguru and gives us a way to live in gratitude for this gift of recognition. This responsibility of being recognised is also a way of keeping ourselves from Kurehats (self-destructive habits), such as smoking, drinking, being in the wrong places, being in the company of wrong people, etc.

In Sikhi, our identity goes hand in hand with the Dastaar. The Dastaar of a Sikh is his or her primary identifying feature. It is a statement of belonging to the Guru, and it is a statement of the inner commitment of the one who wears it. The Kesh and Dastaar are a declaration to live in accordance with, and if necessary die in support of, the Teachings of the Sikh Gurus and the Sri Guru Granth Sahib.


ਖਾਲਸਾ ਮੇਰੋ ਰੂਪ ਹੈ ਖਾਸ ॥ ਖਾਲਸੇ ਮਹਿ ਹੌ ਕਰੋ ਨਿਵਾਸ ॥
"The Khalsa is my image. Within the Khalsa I reside."
(Guru Gobind Singh Ji)


Please read this Article below for more info:

PART 1
http://www.panthic.org/news/132/ARTICLE/2143/2006-01-08.html

PART 2
http://www.panthic.org/news/132/ARTICLE/2166/2006-01-15.html


Guru Raakhaa

Anonymous said...

hmmm....thanks a lot for the links veerji....Dasam Paatshah tuhadde te meher karanh...:)