The Guru of Nanak 2 015

January – December 2015, Vol. 17, No. 1 SABD ( ਸਬਦ) SEMINAR Presentation THE GURU OF NANAK 2 015 Prof Devinder Singh Chahal, PhD Two words, ‘sabd’ and ‘guru’ and their com- Institute for Understanding Sikhism bination as ‘sabd guru’ have been extensive- Laval, Quebec, H7W 5L9 ly used in the Aad Guru Granth Sahib Email: [email protected] (AGGS). It is usually understood that the word ‘sabd’ is derived from Sanskrit and is INTRODUCTON spelled as ‘sabda’ in English, however, in In Wikipedia the word ‘Sabda’ has been discussed under this paper it will be spelled as ‘sabd’. In Hin- ‘shabda’ as ‘sabda’ is the Sanskrit word for "speech duism every person or spiritual leader must sound". In Sanskrit grammar, the term refers to an have a Guru. For example, in the Bhagavad utterance in the sense of linguistic performance. “It is Gita, Arjun, a Kshatriya prince, accepts further described that “ shabda is a Sanskrit word that was Krishna as his Guru on the battlefield. The first used as a religio-philosophic term in the context Siddhas had Gurakh Nath as their Guru and of Hinduism. It refers to the verbal testimony (of revealed Bhagat Kabir had Ramanand as his Guru. scriptures - shruti ) that is indispensable to gain knowledge Many Hindu families have their own personal of the ultimate reality, brahman ”. [1] Gurus. In the same sense, the Siddhas want- ed to know the Guru of Nanak during a dis- Dr Jagadanand Das, my French neighbour, in Laval, course (Siddh Gost) between Nanak and Sid- Quebec, Canada, who lives in India, is expert in Vedanta. dhas. Nanak replied that his ‘guru’ is ‘sabd’ (sabda). This paper will discuss the in- According to his view Gurmukhi basic word sabd ( is ਸਬਦ) trinsic meanings of ‘guru’ and ‘sabd’ (sabda): spelled in Devanagari script as शदशदशद (sabd ) but spelled as what is that ‘sabd, which is the ‘guru’ of Na- sabda in the classical scholarly transliteration system. He nak, and how did ‘sabd’ become ‘sabd guru’ also agrees that sabd has many different meanings in and how did ‘sabd guru’ become ‘granth Vedanta from one Holy Scripture to that of others. guru’. This paper will also discuss implica- (Personal Communication.) tions of accepting the ‘granth’ as the ‘guru’ instead of ‘sabd, as the ‘guru’? Prof Muthu Mohan, Center for Sri Guru Granth Sahib Studies, Guru Nanak Dev University, ਸਬਦੇ, ਸਬਦੈ, ਸਬਦੋ, ਸਬਦੌ keeping the AGGS. Most of the time both the Amritsar spells ਸਬਦ as sabad . words occur together as ‘sabd guru’ in view the grammar and poetic or ‘gursabd ’. Therefore, to (personal Communication.) form of the sentence/verse. [2] The understand gurbani in its real In the Aad Guru Granth Sahib (AGGS), irony is that Sikh theologians, perspective it is necessary to published by the Shiromani Gurdwara writers , kathakaars (those who teach understand the intrinsic meanings of Parbandhak Committee (SGPC), Sikhism through stories) and ‘sabd’, ‘guru’ and ‘sabd guru’. Amritsar, the basic word, ਸਬਦ Kirtanias (hymn singers) pronounce it as shabad instead of sabd . sabd ), is found with many spellings, SABD ( Jodh Singh ([3] p 64) says that e.g. The word, ‘sabd’, is very closely ਸਬਿਦ, ਸਬਦੁ, “sabad has been accepted as Guru” connected with another word, based on the Siddh Gost of Guru ਸਬਦੰ, ਸਬਦਾਹ, ਸਬਦੀ, ਸਬਦ , ‘guru’, in gurbani incorporated in Nanak. He further says that “This IUSCANADA.COM page 37 UNDERSTANDING SIKHISM – The Research Journal conception of Shabada as God and other hand, ‘sabda’ in Maitri Katha Upanishad in verse 1.2.8 Guru by Guru Nanak is consistent Upanishad occurs in two types: declares the ‘guru’ as indispensable to also with the Indian religious ‘sabd Brahman’ and ‘ asabd the acquisition of knowledge. tradition, in which Shabda-brahman Brahman’ meanings with sound and principle has been widely without sound Brahman, Information in Vedas and Upanishads accepted.” (Note: The original respectively. But according to indicates that a person must have a spellings of ‘Sabd’ used by Jodh Tantric system ‘sabd’ stands for Guru to attain knowledge. The Singh have been kept intact. ‘power’ ( Shakti ). importance of finding a guru, who can Similarly, the different spellings of Analysis of gurbani by McLeod [6] impart transcendental knowledge ‘sabd’ used by different authors have indicates that for Guru Nanak and (vidy ā), is emphasized in Hinduism. been kept intact.) his successor Gurus ‘sabd’ means One of the main Hindu texts, the ‘Word of Divine revelation’. the Bhagavad Gita , is a dialogue Jodh Singh [3], Manmohan Singh [4] Moreover, interpretation of most of between God in the form and some other authors follow the quotes from gurbani used to of Krishna and his friend Arjun, Faridkote Vala Teeka and interpret explain different meanings of ‘sabd’ a Kshatriya prince, who accepts ‘ਸਬਦੁ’ (sabd) as ‘God’ under the is almost very much comparable to Krishna as his guru on the battlefield. many of the Sikh theologians. I will Krishna advised Arjun about finding a influence of Indian religious tradition. try to find out the meanings of ‘guru’ “guru”: On the other hand Prof Sahib Singh and ‘sabd ’from gurbani as close to “Acquire the transcendental [5] took courage to reject ‘ ਸਬਦੁ’ as reality as possible. knowledge from a Self-realized ‘God’ instead transliterated ‘ ਸਬਦੁ’ as master by humble reverence, by GURU sincere inquiry, and by service. The ‘sabd’ in his Punjabi translation and wise ones who have realized the Truth Manmohan Singh also transliterated Guru in Hinduism will impart the Knowledge to you .” ‘ਸਬਦੁ’ as ‘sabd’ in his English The word Guru is mentioned in - Bhagavad G ītā, c4 s34 [7] translation. Moreover, whenever the Vedas as follows [7]. Therefore, in Hinduism every person word ‘ ਸਬਦੁ’ (sabd) appears in गशदव धकारःु or spiritual leader must have a Guru. Gurbani most of the time it is just यात ् शदति नरोधकः। For example, Arjun had Krishna as transliterated as ‘sabd’ by many अ धकारनरोधवात ् गु रयभधीय his Guru, Siddhas had Gurakh Nath as authors. The irony is that neither Prof their Guru and Bhagat Kabir had Sahib Singh nor any other author has ते॥ १६॥ Ramananda as his Guru. Similarly, ever tried to explain what this The syllable gu means darkness, the many Hindu families have their own ‘ਸਬਦੁ’ (sabd) means. syllable ru , he who dispels darkness, personal Gurus. Now the Sikhs are because of the power to dispel McLeod [6], a Christian Missionary not lagging behind to have various darkness, the guru is thus named. and a Historian, had discussed ‘ sabd ’ persons, Sants or Babas, as their — Advayataraka Upanishad, Verse in much details than any Sikh Gurus. They celebrate their 16. theologian or Sikh scholar. He also anniversaries in Gurdwaras with great spelled ‘sabd’ as ‘shabad’ as is being pump and show all over the world Etymologically the term "guru" is spelled by many Sikh theologians and where the Sikhs reside. pronounced by kirtanias (hymn based on the syllables gu (ग)ु Guru in Buddhism [7] singers) and kathakaars (those who and ru (), which stand for teach Sikhism through stories). He In the Tibetan tradition, the ‘ guru ’ is “darkness” and "light that dispels it", interpreted ‘sabd’ as sound, voice or seen as the Buddha, the very root of respectively as described in tone, word, utterance, speech but in spiritual realization and the basis of Advayataraka Upanishad , Verse gurbani it means ‘hymn’ or ‘sacred the path. In Tibetan texts, great 16 . The ‘guru’ is seen as the one word’ revealed by Guru. emphasis is placed upon praising the who ‘dispels the darkness of virtues of the guru. Blessed by the ignorance’. Chandogya Upanishad He has further added that according to guru, whom the disciple regards as a in chapter 4.4 says that it is only Nyaya and Vaisesika systems, ‘sabda’ ‘Bodhisattva ’ or the embodiment of through ‘guru’ that one attains the means ‘knowledge’ but according ‘Buddha’ , the disciple can continue knowledge that matters, the insights Yaska, Panini and Katyayana ‘sabda’ on the way to experiencing the true that lead to Self-knowledge. The is unite of language or speech. On the nature of reality. page 38 IUSCANADA.COM January – December 2015, Vol. 17, No. 1 Guru in Sikhism Namashakaar Hai Taahi Hamaara Who is your Guru? In general, ‘guru’ is a teacher/leader. ॥384 ॥ ਕਵਣ ਮੂਲੁ1 ਕਵਣ ਮਿਤ 2 ਵੇਲਾ 3॥ Traditionally, the spiritual authority in The Temporal Lord who fashioned Sikhism has always been on the word, ਤੇਰਾ ਕਵਣੁ ਗੁਰੂ ਿਜਸ ਕਾ ਤੂ ਚੇਲਾ ॥ the entire world; I salute the same sabd , of Sikh Gurus and which has Lord. 384. Kava ṇ m ūl kava ṇ ma ṯ vel ā. been preserved in the AGGS. Ŧer ā kava ṇ gur ū jis k ā ṯū c ẖel ā. ॥ However, all the ten Sikh religious ਜਵਨ ਕਾਲ ਸਭ ਜਗਤ ਬਨਾਯੋ ਦੇਵ ਦੈਤ AGGS, M 1, p 943. [2] 1 teachers/leaders are also called the ਜ(ਛਨ ਉਪਜਾਯੋ ॥ What is the source of beginning and ‘Guru’. Moreover, the AGGS was which type of philosophy 2 is of this Javana Kaal Sabha Jagata Banaayo ॥ also declared as the ‘Guru’ of the Age 3? Sikhs by the Tenth Guru, Gobind Deva Dait Jachchhana Aupajaayo ॥ Who is that ‘guru’ of whom you are Singh, in 1708. Consequently, there The Temporal Lord, who created the his disciple? (Note # 1) are 11 Gurus for the Sikhs. whole world; who created gods, demons and yakshas; Guru Nanak answers about his ‘guru’ But Guru Gobind Singh says in ਆਿਦ ਅੰਿਤ ਏਕੈ ਅਵਤਾਰਾ ॥ ਸੋਈ ਗੁਰੂ as follows: Chaupai that his Guru is God [8], ਪਵਨ 1 ਅਰੰਭੁ2 ਸਿਤ 3 ਗੁਰ 4 ਮਿਤ 5 ਵੇਲਾ 6 ॥ who created Brahma, Vishnu, Shiva ਸਮਿਝਯਹੁ ਹਮਾਰਾ ॥੩੮੫ ॥ 7 8 9 10 and created the world and everything Aadi Aanti Eekai Avataara ॥ Soeala ਸਬਦੁ ਗੁਰੂ ਸੁਰਿਤ ਧੁਿਨ ਚੇਲਾ 11 ॥ and is One and Only.

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