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M.A. (S IKH STUDIES ) PART -I PAPER -VI SIKH SCRIPTURE AND LITERATURE II LESSON NO. : 4 WRITER : DR. SHAMSHER

THIRTY THREE SWAIYYAS OUTLINE • Introduction • Importance and purpose of Swaiyyas • Religious aspect • Social aspect • Image of an Ideal • system abolition • Condemnation of practices of priests • Conclusion The theme of the swaiyyas is to create awareness among the Sikh followers about the divine and social concepts i.e. One , one kind of one mankind and Satire on asectic practices and supersititions which were practiced during those days. We also see the other corrupt system of worship, and poses of piety of yogi's and Sanyasis. For then says: Yoga lies not in rubbing ashes over the limbs, lies neither in earrings nor in close cropping the head. At an other place says O, Yogi yoga lies not in matted hair Why do you wander from place to place Reflect ye seriously on your inner state. And visualise Reality with in your self. (). This composition of thirty-three stanzas of four lines each comes in the Dasam Granth at the end under the heading of miscellaneous writings, the other two collections are Shabad Hazare and Khalsa Mahima . It is said to be the work of Guru Gobind Singh the tenth sikh Guru. These swaiyyas give the gist of Guru Gobind Singh’s teachings in religious, social, and other fields of life. These thirty-three swaiyyas written by the Guru's own pen comprising the theme of teachings of the tenth master and are in continuation of his predecessors i.e. the earlier nine . The main teachings of swaiyyas may be mentioned as under: 1. The charactristics of Khalsa. 2. Condemnation of idol worship. 3. Denounciation of the Incarnation theory. 4. Condemnation of futile rituals 5. Rebutted the plurality of God and . 6. Condemnation of – pilgrimage and bathing. 7. Criticism of the religious garbs and dresses. 8. Asceticism and sanyasa . 9. Abolition of Masand system.

22 M.A. (Sikh Studies) Part-I 23 Paper-VI

10. Worship of One Almighty God. J.D. Cunningham says: “Gobind took away from his followers each ancient solace of superstition”. All rituals or ceremonies that implied the recognition of anything but the One True Lord were categorically rejected. Guru Gobind Singh defines the spiritual and ethical characteristics of the Khalsa in the first swaiyya. Macauliffe translate it as under (Vol.V. p.314, 315): “He who repeateth night and day the name of Him whose enduring light is unquenchable, who bestoweth not a thought on any but the one god. Who halh full love and confidence in God who putteth not even by mistake in fasting or worshipping cemeteries, places of cremations or jogis places of sepulture, who only recognizeth the One God and not pilgrimages, alms, the non destruction of life, Hindu penance or austerities. And in whose heart the light of the perfect one shineth. He is recognized as a pure member of the Khalsa. Along with the previous verse relating to Khalsa image there is an other swaiyya, popularly known as Khalsa Di Mahima , According to Dharam Pal Ashta “This is believed to have been addressed by Guru Gobind Singh to Pandit Kesho Dutt a great scholar, who on the completion of the hom yagya protested against his giving alms to the low caste and not to brahman, in reply to this question Guru ji defended his action by exalting the Sikhs to the rank of Brahmans. The Brahman became angry and his heart began to fry and burn like dry grass. He wept for the custom (of donation to Sikhs), which had been established for the future.” In the next swaiyyas Guru ji desribed the attributes of One God. The God beyond time and space, the cause of causes, of no beginning no end. As already said that Guru ji rejected the worship of man-made and goddesses they all are not incarnations of God. Ram, Krishna, Shiva and Brahman and cannot be identified with Timeless God. These Gods and goddesses are mortals; they therefore cannot be worshipped. In the main compositions of Dasam Ganth we see Guru Gobind Singh's three phases (i) a tone of lofty serenity and sweetness born of a spiritual conviction, (ii) the importance of mutual tolerance and (iii) refutation of the false modes of worship and prevalent superstitions Guru ji’s this attitude towards contemporary was based on the of teachings of his predecessors i.e. nine Gurus. In the swaiyya number twenty we find that Guru ji condemned the idol worship. Idol worship is strictly prohibited in . Guru Gobind's God is Purakh, neither born nor dies man made Gods and goddesses born like ordinary men and dies. The incarnation theory is condemned in Sikh philosophy. All avtars are subject to death like an other ordinary mens. Guru says why call Shiva God and why speak of Brahma as God, Ram Chander, Krishna and Vishnu are not Gods. Shukdev, Prashar and Vyas erred in abandoning the one God. I verily believe that there is but one God. (Swaiyya, 19). At an other swaiyya no. 10 Guru ji teaches his Sikhs that the study of religious (scriptures) cannot fully explain the Akal Purakh, the Transcendent aspect of God is beyond the limitation of sensory knowledge of the mortal man. The mortal man or Avtars are not capable to explain the immortal God. At many places Guru ji presented himself and Son

M.A. (Sikh Studies) Part-I 24 Paper-VI of God. He has come to establish the on earth and to save the meak, weak holy persons and to punish the wicked. Guru Gobind Singh heard complaints against , who are misusing daswandh and other offerings which were given by the devotees. There was decline in the offerings, But when masands were asked they pleaded that most of the old rich Sikhs were dead. Guru ji flatly told them that they dishonestly kept a large part of the offerings for their private use. Chetu Masand was one of them who failed to hand over the gold bracelets, which were donated by a devotee for the Guru. The conduct of the Masands was not good with the Sikh devotees. Guru Gobind Singh knew that the Masand system had become corrupt. He therefore abolished the Masand Institution altogether and made it known to the Sikhs everywhere that hence forward the sikhs were to bring their daswand and offerings personally to the Guru. In the swaiyya twenty-nineth Guru ji said about the greediness of Masands who had forget their real purpose to preach the message of Gurubani . According to Macauliffe: “The Guru decided to rid his disciples of the Masand's tyranny and villainy. He punsihed the guilty and abolished Masand system altogether. He ordered that in future all the offereings should be made to him directly, and no Sikh should pay any thing to a Masand. This was a great deed and sent a wave of happiness among the Sikhs.” In these swaiyyas Guru teaches about the true faith, free from rituals and hypocrisy. Matted hair, long nails will not make a true yogi. Coloured holy dress, Living in the forests will not help the man to liberate from birth and death circle. God can not be realised by bathing in sacred rivers. Guru ji repeatedly emphasised on the worship of true One God with divine love, devotion and self-surrender. The glorification of name is also made important at many places in the swaiyyas. In these swaiyyas we see that Guru ji condemned the yogi’s, sanyasa who had renunciate the home, family life and other household responsibilities. Guru ji preached truthfulness, sincerity and humility and faught against , caste distinction and supersitious believes. Guru Gobind Singh preached the gospel of firm in one living, qualified monotheistic God who is Immanent and Transcendent, Omnipotent, Omniscient and Omnispresent. On the other side he condemned superstitious, baseless ritualism and worship of idols, and exhorted people to strive for achieving well being in this world as well as in the hereafter. Guru says: The name of God was still to remain the chief object of adoration but blest are in this world who repeateth God's name with his lips and think war in his mind. At the end we can say that through these 33 swaiyyas Guru ji awakened his followers to a new living faith new practices and a new life in which he exhorted them to uphold the righteousness and condemn evil, tyranny, opression. In the present day we have need of the such doctrines to practice. We still must have faith and courage to regulate our lives, and message for our fellow men.

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Guru ji set a noble example not only for his own Khalsa, but for all mankind. Guru's valour, devotion to One Transencendent God and loyality are well known. BOOKS SUGGESTED 1. Indu Bhushan Banerjee, Evolution of Khalsa , Vol.II. 2. Hari Ram Gupta, History of . 3. Gopal Singh, History of Sikh People . 4. The Sikh Review, Third Birth Centenary Number . QUESTIONS 1. Discuss the main teachings of Swaiyyas. 2. The contemporary situation of Guru Gobind Singh's life is reflected in the swaiyyas. Explain.