Warning about Misleading Propaganda...

Some time ago, someone at the Gurdwara Sahib passed a book to a close relative of mine which they intended for me to read. When I was given the book I was told "The person giving this book said that you must read it and that as a Parchaarik you should have this knowledge." Looking at the cover of the book it looked like bad news so I refused to read it.

Front cover of book

Sadly the effect of the book had reached the person who was delivering the book to me. The person said "The book is quite interesting. The person seems to have done a lot of research suggesting that most things in Dasam Granth are not by Guru Gobind Singh Jee. I didn't know these things." The book is authored by someone called Daljeet Singh. I left the book and didn't read it for a few weeks, thinking that I didn't want to to waste filling my mind with useless thoughts and cynical views. I was planning to give the book back to this elderly person at the Gurdwara, who at one point has served as a Granthi Singh at a Gurdwara. Before I returned it, I decided to skim read through the book and see what the exact contents of the book were. I was shocked and disgusted that the book was not merely useless debate which is fruitless for the common sangat like myself, but it attacked the fundamentals of Sikhi!

Back cover of book.

The book claimed that Jaap Sahib came from a Hindu scripture named 'Maarkunde Puraan' and that it was not a divine prayer revealed by Guru Gobind Singh jee and instead it was suggested that it was authored by a Hindu poet. Then it was claimed in this book that Chaupai Sahib is not authored by Guru Gobind Singh jee but a Hindu poet, and to add further salt to the wounds it was stated that the first section of Ardaas that the Panth reads is not authored by Guru Gobind Singh jee and is claimed to be against Gurmat because it allegedly invokes Durga, a Hindu goddess, instead of Waheguru. Having skimmed over these pages I closed the book and didn't want to read any more nonsense. The book had a clear agenda and was a direct attack on Sikhi rather than a Gurmat orientated scholarly discussion or historical analysis of Dasam Granth.

Inside page - which seems to suggest Bhai Sahib Bhai Gurdaas Jee's Vaars, Bhai Nand Laal Jee's Baani, and Guru Gobind Singh Jee's Baani and literature have no room in Sikhi.

For some time I have been waiting to meet the person who sent me the book to ask him with which intention he sent me such a book. Recently, I met the elderly Singh who sent me the book at the Gurdwara Sahib. I stopped him and politely asked, "Giani jee, you sent me a book through someone." He got happy and said, "Do you still have the book?" I told him that I don't have the book with me and asked the question, "Baba jee, are you Amritdhari?" He looked puzzle and confirmed that he was Amritdhari. Then I asked, "When you took Amrit, which Banis were recited?" He grinned and said, "I know." I replied, "If you know, then can you please tell me." I then asked, "Do you recite the Panj Banian da Nitnem in the morning?" He said, "Yes... I have all the Panj Banian memorised since I was young." I said, "Then why did you give a book which insults Guru Gobind Singh jee by saying the Amrit-filled Banian which is used to make Amrit and give life to the Khalsa are not authored by Guru Gobind Singh Jee, and furthermore authored by Hindus!" I was disappointed that he said, "O that is the author's personal opinion, you should look further to that and read about the Tria Chritars." I replied, "I am not a scholar and nor do I have any knowledge on the topic. If someone has any issue then they should discuss with the scholars at Sri Akaal Takht Sahib. Please don't share these issues with the normal Sangat who haven't even taken Amrit, don't do Nitnem or grasped Japji Sahib. I humbly request you never give any such book again to anyone in the Sangat." The person tried to justify his views claiming that he was only stating what Sri Akaal Takht Sahib says. Below is the actual Hukamnama on Dasam Granth issued by Sri Akaal Takht Sahib jee:

Translation of Gurmatta:
Today, date 23 Jeth Nanakshahi 540 (6th June 2008), the Five Singh Sahibaan have gathered at Sri Akaal Takht Sahib and passed the following. The 300th anniversary of the Gurgaddi diwas of Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji is an opportunity to highlight the concept and authority of "Guru Granth-Guru Panth". The last order of Sri Guru Gobind Singh Ji was "Sabh Sikhan Ko Hukam Hai, Guru Maaniyo Granth" and that the Panth accept Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji as his Living Light and stand strong on this. To overcome all challenges, the Sikh Panth has sought guidance from Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji. Debates presented in relation to Sri Dasam Granth are totally needless. No one has the right to present a questionable debate on the writings from Dasam Granth which the Panth has accepted and uses for the Sikh Rehit Maryada, Nitnem and Amrit Sanchaar. The whole Panth should be reminded that Sri Dasam Granth is an inseparable part of Sikh history, but Guru Gobind Singh Ji did not give it equal status to Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji, and for this reason no other Granth can be installed (prakaash) equal to Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji. Joginder Singh Jathedaar

With Guru jee's kirpaa, the Gurdwara management committee was notified about the elderly man who had given me the book and was warned that he is not allowed to give any literature on the issue nor discuss the matter with anyone in the Gurdwara Sahib. It is important that we are all aware of attempts to attack the Khalsa nation in different ways. The modern attack is aiming to attack those Banian which give life and create the Khalsa. Without these Banis there would be no Khalsa. Below is a video from a Singh in India who thought he was going to an Amrit Sanchaar but later discovered that the people doing seva in the apparent Amrit Sanchaar didn't recite Jaap Sahib, Svaiyye, and Chaupai Sahib. Further to this, they didn't recite the first section of Ardaas either. The man in the video claims he came out of the apparent Amrit Sanchaar filling empty, confused and as if he had not taken Amrit.

There are many issues in the Panth, however any discussion or veechar must always be within the confines of Gurmat and full faith in Guru Sahib jee. The Sri Akaal Takht Sahib has declared that debate on Dasam Granth should be avoided in the normal Sangat and any issues or claims of authenticity or adulteration of any part of Dasam Granth should be discussed with respect and humility with the intellectual scholars of the Panth at Sri Akaal Takht Sahib. There are two extremes, one extreme is those who claim that Dasam Granth has Guru status and that Guru Gobind Singh jee conferred Guruship to several Granths, and some would go even as far as saying that any Amrit Sanchaar without Dasam Granth is invalid. The other extreme is that Guru Gobind Singh jee never wrote any Baani or literature at all, to the extent that they would deny the Amrit Baanis revealed by Guru Gobind Singh jee used for Amrit Sanchaar. Sri Akaal Takht Sahib has clearly stated that Dasam Granth is "an inseparable part of Sikh history" and all debates on Dasam Granth are indeed "needless". May Guru Sahib jee bless us all with the wisdom of becoming closer to Akaal Purakh through Naam, Baani and Rehat and avoid reading, hearing or seeing anything which takes us further away from Guru Sahib jee.