10-20-2004, 02:09 AM
Title: Philosophy of Shri Guru Granth Sahibji
Author: Malhar Krishna Gokhale
Publication: 'Vivek' weekly (Marathi) - Free translation
Date: October 17, 2004
Review of a Book with the same title
Author: Dr Arvind Godbole
Distributor: Sahitya Sindhu Publication, Bangalore
Pages: 160
Price: Rs.100
Guru Nanak is called the original founder and first Guru of Sikh sect. His period is 1469 to 1539 A.D. ADIGRANTH is considered to be their sacred religious book. It is also considered to their Guru. Tenth Guru Gobindsinha declared before his death i.e. 1708 that there would not be any Guru after him. His followers should consider Adigranth as their Guru. Hence thereafter, Adigranth was called "Adi Shri Gurugranthsahibji". What does it exactly contain? Mainly Gurugranth is a collection of a number of songs by various sages and saints from North India, Shlokas (stanzas?) and Savaya (a kind of poetic rendition). Sadhubhasha or Sadhukkadi is a mixture of many dialects in vogue in North India. During the time of 5th Guru, Arjundeo for the first time, the Gurugranth was neatly edited in 1603-04 and at that time, it was written in Gurumukhi script.
Gurugranth is written on 1430 large pages. The songs of various saints are not in regular groups. Overall, the structure of the book is not for reading but singing it aloud or singing in Raagas. Hence the order of the songs is based on Choupadi, Ashtapadi, Chanta etc. according to the Raagas or meters. This collection of songs is woven in different 31 Raagas.
This is about the outer structure of the Gurugranth. What does it contain inside? What is narrated through the songs of various sages? Have Guru Nanak or the following Gurus stated some different thoughts?
Dr Arvind Godbole, the author the book Philosophy of Shri Guru Granth Sahibji,has taken the pen in hand to have an insight on it. His earlier book "Guru Nanak to Guru Gobindsinha" which had traced the history of 'Guru Tradition (Parampara)' was praised even by Sikh readers and critics. Recently, an improved edition of this book has been published. British went on conquering small and large powers in India one by one and in the end swallowed the entire country. The last state they conquered was that of Khalsa State Raja Ranjitsinha i.e Sikh State. This took place in about 1847 A.D.
Hence, the Sikhs remained aloof from the wildfire of 1857 Independence War between Hindus and Muslims against British. Because, their experience of British rule and slavery was of only 10 years. Just as British systematically effected a divide between Muslims and Hindus, in the same way they started to separate Sikhs from Hindus. The Sikhs in English army were being told on the basis of some lines in Gurugranth that to remain loyal with British Government was their religious duty.
This was the beginning. British writers started writing that Guru Nanak has propounded some philosophy different from Vedic or traditional Hindu religion. His thoughts are influenced by pre-Aryan Indian Philosophy, Jain thinking, Bouddha thinking, Judaism, Christianity, Sufi sect etc. He tried to achieve a religious harmony among Hindus and Muslims. On the whole, Sikh is not a sect in the Hindu traditions or community but it is a separate religion. British carried out the Census of India 1911. In it, they unhesitatingly registered Sikh as separate religion. Then this divisive religious politics went on worsening. After freedom, this should have been corrected. But the new people in power did not know anything about National identity and hence this divisive politics went on worsening further.
Some Malcolm says, Nanak endeavoured to create religious harmony among Hindus and Muslims. Some Harbansingh says, Nanak's efforts were to find out an alternative to Hindu and Muslim religions. Some Kohli says, Nanak's philosophy was influenced by Bouddha thoughts; what is the truth in all these writings?
After a deep study of Gurugranth for answers to these issues, the writer found that there is no influence of philosophy of Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Sufi Sect, Jain Bouddha etc. whatsoever on the thoughts of Guru Nanak. On the contrary, Guru Nanak has based his philosophy on Vedas, Upnishadas, Ramayan, Bhagvadgita and Naradbhaktisutra. It is not true that Sikh thinking believes not only Nirgunopasana (worship without Idols i.e. God without a Guna -shape), but Sagunopasana (worship of Idols is God with shape) is also acceptable to it.
Basically, Nanak has nowhere said that he was starting a separate sect or community. On the contrary, all his thoughts are just like the Devotion Sect (Bhaktipanth) in vogue everywhere in the contemporary India. Nanak was contemporary of Mogul Emperor Babar and hence the descriptions made by Guru
Nanak of the calamity, which had befallen on Hindus, and how Hindus had become
weak and lost inherent strength and similar descriptions of conditi! on of Hindu society made by Saint Ramdas are very similar.
The writer has given an exact table of the words, which are written in the Gurugranth while addressing God. According to it, Hari has occurred in highest number of places, i.e. 8344, Ram occurs in 3533. Other words like Prabhu, Gopal,
Govind, Parabrahma, Thakur, Karta, Data, Parmeshwar, Murari, Narayan, Antaryami, Jagdish, Satnaam, Mohan have also occurred. Non-Hindu word 'Allah' has occurred at 46 times. There are some Shlokas addressed to Muslims warning strongly about what is the true Masjid, what is the true Namaaz, true Kaaba and true Roza by Guru Nanak himself. Kabir was a devotee of Ram. Hence Muslims do not consider him as theirs. But Baba Fareed was a Sufi. In his songs included in Gurugranth contains no Islamic Philosophy but it deals with the extremely difficult
position of human being during old age. In short, Sikhism is not not only a separate religion but it is not a separate community also. At least it was not at the time of Nanak. Guru Nanak was an outstanding saint in the tradition in vogue in India in his times and even afterwards. This is the conclusion presented by the author before the readers with exact evidence from Gurugranth. Congratulations to the author for producing an extremely important reference book.
Author: Malhar Krishna Gokhale
Publication: 'Vivek' weekly (Marathi) - Free translation
Date: October 17, 2004
Review of a Book with the same title
Author: Dr Arvind Godbole
Distributor: Sahitya Sindhu Publication, Bangalore
Pages: 160
Price: Rs.100
Guru Nanak is called the original founder and first Guru of Sikh sect. His period is 1469 to 1539 A.D. ADIGRANTH is considered to be their sacred religious book. It is also considered to their Guru. Tenth Guru Gobindsinha declared before his death i.e. 1708 that there would not be any Guru after him. His followers should consider Adigranth as their Guru. Hence thereafter, Adigranth was called "Adi Shri Gurugranthsahibji". What does it exactly contain? Mainly Gurugranth is a collection of a number of songs by various sages and saints from North India, Shlokas (stanzas?) and Savaya (a kind of poetic rendition). Sadhubhasha or Sadhukkadi is a mixture of many dialects in vogue in North India. During the time of 5th Guru, Arjundeo for the first time, the Gurugranth was neatly edited in 1603-04 and at that time, it was written in Gurumukhi script.
Gurugranth is written on 1430 large pages. The songs of various saints are not in regular groups. Overall, the structure of the book is not for reading but singing it aloud or singing in Raagas. Hence the order of the songs is based on Choupadi, Ashtapadi, Chanta etc. according to the Raagas or meters. This collection of songs is woven in different 31 Raagas.
This is about the outer structure of the Gurugranth. What does it contain inside? What is narrated through the songs of various sages? Have Guru Nanak or the following Gurus stated some different thoughts?
Dr Arvind Godbole, the author the book Philosophy of Shri Guru Granth Sahibji,has taken the pen in hand to have an insight on it. His earlier book "Guru Nanak to Guru Gobindsinha" which had traced the history of 'Guru Tradition (Parampara)' was praised even by Sikh readers and critics. Recently, an improved edition of this book has been published. British went on conquering small and large powers in India one by one and in the end swallowed the entire country. The last state they conquered was that of Khalsa State Raja Ranjitsinha i.e Sikh State. This took place in about 1847 A.D.
Hence, the Sikhs remained aloof from the wildfire of 1857 Independence War between Hindus and Muslims against British. Because, their experience of British rule and slavery was of only 10 years. Just as British systematically effected a divide between Muslims and Hindus, in the same way they started to separate Sikhs from Hindus. The Sikhs in English army were being told on the basis of some lines in Gurugranth that to remain loyal with British Government was their religious duty.
This was the beginning. British writers started writing that Guru Nanak has propounded some philosophy different from Vedic or traditional Hindu religion. His thoughts are influenced by pre-Aryan Indian Philosophy, Jain thinking, Bouddha thinking, Judaism, Christianity, Sufi sect etc. He tried to achieve a religious harmony among Hindus and Muslims. On the whole, Sikh is not a sect in the Hindu traditions or community but it is a separate religion. British carried out the Census of India 1911. In it, they unhesitatingly registered Sikh as separate religion. Then this divisive religious politics went on worsening. After freedom, this should have been corrected. But the new people in power did not know anything about National identity and hence this divisive politics went on worsening further.
Some Malcolm says, Nanak endeavoured to create religious harmony among Hindus and Muslims. Some Harbansingh says, Nanak's efforts were to find out an alternative to Hindu and Muslim religions. Some Kohli says, Nanak's philosophy was influenced by Bouddha thoughts; what is the truth in all these writings?
After a deep study of Gurugranth for answers to these issues, the writer found that there is no influence of philosophy of Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Sufi Sect, Jain Bouddha etc. whatsoever on the thoughts of Guru Nanak. On the contrary, Guru Nanak has based his philosophy on Vedas, Upnishadas, Ramayan, Bhagvadgita and Naradbhaktisutra. It is not true that Sikh thinking believes not only Nirgunopasana (worship without Idols i.e. God without a Guna -shape), but Sagunopasana (worship of Idols is God with shape) is also acceptable to it.
Basically, Nanak has nowhere said that he was starting a separate sect or community. On the contrary, all his thoughts are just like the Devotion Sect (Bhaktipanth) in vogue everywhere in the contemporary India. Nanak was contemporary of Mogul Emperor Babar and hence the descriptions made by Guru
Nanak of the calamity, which had befallen on Hindus, and how Hindus had become
weak and lost inherent strength and similar descriptions of conditi! on of Hindu society made by Saint Ramdas are very similar.
The writer has given an exact table of the words, which are written in the Gurugranth while addressing God. According to it, Hari has occurred in highest number of places, i.e. 8344, Ram occurs in 3533. Other words like Prabhu, Gopal,
Govind, Parabrahma, Thakur, Karta, Data, Parmeshwar, Murari, Narayan, Antaryami, Jagdish, Satnaam, Mohan have also occurred. Non-Hindu word 'Allah' has occurred at 46 times. There are some Shlokas addressed to Muslims warning strongly about what is the true Masjid, what is the true Namaaz, true Kaaba and true Roza by Guru Nanak himself. Kabir was a devotee of Ram. Hence Muslims do not consider him as theirs. But Baba Fareed was a Sufi. In his songs included in Gurugranth contains no Islamic Philosophy but it deals with the extremely difficult
position of human being during old age. In short, Sikhism is not not only a separate religion but it is not a separate community also. At least it was not at the time of Nanak. Guru Nanak was an outstanding saint in the tradition in vogue in India in his times and even afterwards. This is the conclusion presented by the author before the readers with exact evidence from Gurugranth. Congratulations to the author for producing an extremely important reference book.