Birth Date of Nanak Sahib (Pal Singh Purewal)

Over the past one hundred years a lot The next pooranmasi occurs on 19 Asu sudi 10, 1596 BK has been written about the birth date November, 1469 CE; 22 Maghar = 22 Sep, 1539 CE of Guru Nanak Dev Ji. Perhaps it 1526 BK, the day being Sunday. That (Monday) might be thought that the issue has pooranmasi is Maghar sudi 15 and = 23 Asu, 1596 BK been discussed 'ad nauseum'. But not Katik sudi 15. Guru Ji's age: there is one aspect which has been d). Vaisakh sudi 3, 1526 to Asu sudi overlooked by all researchers so far. I Asu vadi 10, 1596 BK 10, 1596 BK = 70y 5m 7d endeavour to discuss that in this = 7 Sep, 1539 CE article. = 8 Asu, 1596 BK e). 20 Vaisakh 1526 to 23 Asu1596 Let me first summarise the views of = Sunday BK = 70y 5m 3d two opposing schools of thought. Guru Ji's age: f). 15 Apr 1469 to 22 Sep 1539 CE Traditional View = 70y 5m 7d Traditionalists maintain that Guru Ji a). Katik sudi 15, 1526 to Asu vadi was born on Kartik sudi pooranmasi, 10, 1596 BK= 69y 10m 10d Age in number of days = 25727 1526 Bikrami. They also adhere to = 3675 wks 2d the view that Guru Ji's Jyoti Jot date b). 21 Katik 1526 to 8 As 1596 BK was Asu vadi 10, 1596 BK, quoting = 69y 10m 17d* Let us ignore the CE dates for our from Bhai Bala's Janam Sakhi and discussion from now onwards, since mentioning entries made in various c). 20 Oct 1469 CE to 7 Sep 1539 CE this era came into use in India only very old hand-written copies of the = 69y 10m 17d* after the advent of the English into Adi Granth Sahib. Since, the older India. Dates in items (a) and (d) are texts give Guru Ji's age as 70 years, * May differ by 1 day by using given in sudi and vadi system of the 5 and 7 days, they are unable different methods of subtraction luni-solar calendar of Bikrami era to reconcile the birth date, the Jyoti while the dates in items (b) and (e) Jot date, and the age. So they believe Age in number of days = 25524 are according to the solar calendar of that the figure of 70 years, 5 months = 3646 wks 2d the Bikrami era. In north India lunar and 7 days is incorrect and calculate starts with vadi 1, which is the the age as less than 70 years. Modern View next day after pooranmasi of the The champion of this school has been Modern researchers believe that the previous month, and ends on Giani Ishar Singh Nara who in his Jyoti Jot date is Asu sudi 10, 1596 pooranmasi the full moon day. The book "Vaisakh Nahi Katik" (Punjabi) BK which is 15 days later than that solar months of the same era start on has tried to prove that the horoscope which the traditionalists believe. the 'sankranti' day. which S. Karam Singh Historian has They accept 70 years, 5 months and 7 tried to prove incorrect, is in fact days as the correct age of Guru Ji. The lunar year is shorter than the correct. Giani Ishar Singh Nara Calculating backwards, and citing solar year by about 11 days. To keep shows total lack of knowledge of from various Janamsakhis they arrive this year in step with the solar year calendars, which we shall go into in at the date of Vaisakh sudi 3, 1526 an extra lunar month is added to the detail a little later. BK as the birth date, rejecting Katik lunar year every 2 or 3 years. This pooranmasi. makes 13 lunar months in that lunar Converting the above dates into the year. This additional month is known corresponding dates of the Common Converting these dates into the as malmas or adhika mas or Era (CE) and the Bikrami solar year corresponding dates of the Common intercalary month. There are 7 we get: Era (CE) and the Bikrami solar year intercalary months in a cycle of 19 we get: solar years. In 2056 BK (1999-2000 Katik sudi pooranmasi 1526 BK CE) there were 2 lunar months by = 20 Oct, 1469 CE Vaisakh sudi 3, 1526 BK the name , one being the adhika = 21 Katik, 1526 BK = 15 Apr, 1469 CE or mal. = Friday (Saturday) = 20 Vaisakh, 1526 BK

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Because the lunar months differ from Before we try to 'establish' a more the solar months in number of days rational and convincing birth date of Was it a miracle after 500 years? in the month, and since the lunar Guru Ji, let us first dispose of some of Giani Ji makes much of the 'fact' years frequently contain intercalary the inconsistencies of the birth chart (according to him) that exactly after months, the age of a person reckoned (horoscope or 'teva') which Giani 500 years Katik pooranmasi occurred in the two system will rarely be Ishar Singh Nara believed to be 'again' on 9 Maghar 2026 BK, just to exactly the same. This can be accurate: show that the earlier date was correct. confirmed comparing item (a) with But it is not a fact, as very simple (b), and (d) with (e). Therefore, it arithmetic will show precisely the may be easily seen that if along with opposite i.e. pooranmasi cannot the age it is not mentioned whether it Teva ‘Katik Pooranmashi, Samvat 1526, occur on the same Bikrami solar date is according to luni-solar calendar or Maghar 9, Thursday, birth time 41 ghari, 18 after exactly 500 BK years . It solar calendar one may arrive at pala occurred on 9 Maghar 2026 BK erroneous conclusions. The following because it was Maghar sudi 2, not example will make it more clear: 7 6 5 4 Rahu pooranmasi, on 9 Maghar 1526 BK: Shukra Mangal 3 1. sudi 1, 2049 BK occurred on Shani 8 2 9 Maghar 1526 BK = 6 Nov 1469 CE 22 Chet Suraj (Julian calendar) Budha Chandarma 2. Chet sudi 1, 2050 BK occurred on 9 11 1 9 Maghar 2026 BK = 23 Nov 1969 11 Chet Brahspat CE(Gregorian 3. Chet sudi 1, 2051 BK occurred on 10 12 calendar) 29 Chet Ketu Number of days between these 2 Although lunar dates in 1 and 2 1. Katik sudi pooranmasi is shown on dates may be worked out as follows: differ exactly by one year, and lunar 9 Maghar, 1526 BK in the horoscope. 6 Nov 1469 to 6 Nov 1569 = 36525 dates 2 and 3 also differ exactly by As mentioned earlier Katik sudi days one year yet according to the solar pooranmasi was on 21 Katik. The 6 Nov 1569 to 6 Nov 1669 = 36525 calendar (using sankrantis) the same next pooranmasi was on 22 Maghar. days dates differ by 11 days less than a So the date of 9 Maghar is totally 6 Nov 1669 to 6 Nov 1769 = 36514 year in one case, and by 18 days more wrong. In fact on 9 Maghar the lunar days (11 days dropped in 1752 CE) than a year in the other. Also lunar date was Maghar sudi 2. 6 Nov 1769 to 6 Nov 1869 = 36524 dates in 1 and 3 differ by 2 complete days (1800 not leap yr) years but the same according to solar 2. The week day given in the 6 Nov 1869 to 6 Nov 1969 = 36524 calendar differ by 2 years and 7 days. horoscope is Thursday. This is days (1900 not leap yr) also wrong. Katik pooranmasi 6 Nov 1969 to 23Nov 1969 = 17 Proponents of Vaisakh sudi 3 as the was on Friday and the next days birth date should bear in mind that it pooranmasi on Sunday. ------is not the originally recorded date. It 3. The time given in the teva is Total number of days = 182629 is a 'calculated' date using the luni- 41gharis and 18pala which days = 26089 weeks 6 days solar calendar. It has been arrived at works to about half an hour by a simple subtraction of 70 years 5 before midnight. But all agree one lunar month = 29.530589 days months and 7 days from the assumed that the birth-time of Guru Sahib 182629 days =6184 lunar months date of Jyoti Jot viz: Asu sudi 10. It is was after midnight. So the time and 12 days immaterial for our discussion given is also wrong. whether this subtraction was 4. The positions (Rasis) of most of Therefore, the tithi on 9 Maghar performed by Bhai Mani Singh or by the ‘grahas’ is wrong. The moon 1526 BK would be less by 12 days any other earlier Janam Sakhi writer. and the sun have been placed than that on 9 Maghar 2026 BK. The date is not original but opposite to each other (in the Since we know that the tithi on 9 calculated. Citing an earlier writing seventh house from each other), Maghar 2026 BK is pooranmasi, is more meaningful in the case of an which is the ‘pooranmashi’ therefore according to the above actually recorded date than of a configuration. Placing these two calculation it should be sudi 3 on that calculated one. opposite each other does not day. Actually the tithi is sudi 2. This require any calculation. difference of 1 tithi is because we The Spurious Tevas have used the average value for 2 calculations. The true tithi may differ used in support of his Vaisakh Sudi 3 the book "Ma'asre Alamgiri" by from the average tithi by 1. Also from date, proves him to be wrong, Must'ad Khan in which he gives the the above calculation we can see that because it is not a Sudi ‘teva’. This age of Aurangzeb according to lunar the week day would be 6 days earlier ‘teva’ at least corroborates, indirectly as well as solar calendars. But more than that on 9 Maghar, 2026 BK. It and independently, that the Jyoti-Jot importantly, he does not fail to was Sunday on that date. Therefore, date of Guru Sahib was Asu Vadi 10, mention the calendar used in each the week day on 9 Maghar 1526 BK and not Asu Sudi 10 as the modern case. It must also be borne in mind should be 6 days earlier than Sunday. scholars, including Karam Singh that the Hijri calendar used by We find from Jantri 500 that it was Historian, believe. Muslims is a purely lunar one. indeed Monday on 9 Maghar 1526 This ‘teva’ has also many errors. If BK, which is correct according to the we compare the position of Brahspati The author believes that 70 years, above calculation. Determination of (Jupiter) in the two ‘tevas’ there is a 5months and 7 days is the correct age the name of the lunar month is a little difference of ‘Rasis’ between them. of Guru Ji as mentioned in earliest more involved and will not be given Jupiter stays in one ‘Rasi’ for records, and also that Asu vadi 10, here. approximately one year. Therefore 1596 BK is the correct Jyoti Jot date, the two ‘tevas’ cannot be of the same since this date has been found In stead of giving all the above year. Looking at one configuration, recorded in very old handwritten calculation, we could have simply the difference in Jupiter’s position recensions of Adi Granth Sahib Ji, looked into Jantri 500, page 1, and means that the ‘tevas’ differ by six to and according to Dr Piar Singh the found that it was Maghar sudi 2 on eight years. 'story' about this date got 'established' Maghar 9, 1526 BK, and also got the even before the time of dates in the other calendars along In fact, both the ‘tevas’ seem to be Dev Ji. If the date were spurious and with the day of the week. handiwork of persons trying to prove it were a story only, surely Guru one or the other date, by making Arjan Dev Ji would have taken steps The following ‘teva’ is given by spurious ‘tevas’, without having any to rectify it. With these values let us Karam Singh Historian in his book knowledge of the mathematics of do the calculation in a different Katik ke Vaisakh, in support of the ‘teva’ making. manner, the way neither of the two date of Vaisakh sudi 3. schools have done before:

Teva of Vaisakh 8, Samvat 1526, The New Date Asu vadi 10,1596BK=1596 Asu 8 Wednesday, birth time 51 ghari, 30 pala Now let us try to determine the (Sunday) 'correct' birth date of Guru Ji. It is subtract age 70y 5m 7d 12 11 10 9Ketu 8 common knowledge that the age of a ______Shukra Mangal Cha person is reckoned by solar calendar Birth Date =1526 Vaisakh 1 1 7 -ndr Suraj and not by lunar calendar. This can (Monday) Budha Shani be easily confirmed by going to a *** It was also pooranmasi on that 2 4 6 village and asking an elderly illiterate date *** Brahspat person his date of birth. If he knows, 3 5 he shall tell the date by solar Bikrami Why no one arrived at this result Rahu calendar saying 'so many days the before was due to two reasons. First, month of Chet or Vaisakh etc had researchers consistently ignored the gone' when he was born. He shall not calculation by solar calendar. Second, Any person who has even some answer in vadis and sudis. Why the even if they had done the calculation knowledge of ‘tevas’, can see from Sikh writers have been using sudis as above they would have arrived at the position of the sun and that of the and vadis to calculate the ages and the wrong conclusion because Dr moon that this teva cannot be of Sudi the periods of guruship of the Ganda Singh erroneously gave 1596 paksha. If anything, it could be of is not known. It may be surmised, Asu 7 BK as the equivalent of Asu Vadi 3. It looks like that some one however, that since the sudis and vadi 10., when actually it was Asu 8, has tried to work out the date of birth vadis are used for fixing most according to usage of the of Guru Sahib from the Jyoti-Jot date religious festivals, the Sikh writers Bikrami Calendar. of Asu Vadi 10, and subtracting the used them for calculation of periods age has arrived at the birthdate as between dates also. However, an The calculation given above shows Vaisakh Vadi 3. The very ‘teva’ instance of lunar calendar being used that both schools are partly right and which Karam Singh Historian has for calculating age may be found in partly wrong. From Katik 3 pooranmasi the pooranmasi portion is Canada, T6L 5B3 month: right and from Vaisakh sudi 3 the Tel: (780) 463-2306 There lived in the time of Vaisakh portion is correct. **This paper was written a few years Maharaja Ranjit Singh, at Amritsar, ago and its Punjabi version was Bhai Sant Singh Gyani, who was Guru Ji's correct birth date is accepted by SGPC for the history held in high estimation by that Vaisakh 1, 1526 BK ( seminar at the World Sikh Sammelan monarch. Some five miles from day), Monday, it also being Chet in 1995. Also it has been published in Amritsar is an ancient tank called sudi 15 (pooranmasi). The Common the research journals of the GNDU Ram Tirath or place of pilgrimage of Era date is 27 March, 1469. This and Panjabi University. This version the Hindu God Ram. At that place a date may help reconcile the two contains some additional matter and Hindu fair was and is still held at the opposing schools. If the highest minor updates. time of the full moon in the month of religious authority accepts this Kartik. The spot is essentially date, then it would have to decide The following prominent authors and Hindu, and it had the further demerit whether to celebrate Birth day scholars have given the Vaisakh date as in the eyes of the Bhai of having been Gurpurab of Guru Ji on Vaisakhi the Parkash date of Guru Nanak repaired by Lakhpat, the prime or on pooranmasi. Sahib: minister of Zakaria Khan Bahadur, the inhuman prosecutor of the . With this date one does not have to 1. S. Karm Singh Historian Bhai Sant Singh desired to establish stretch one's imagination to interpret 2. Bhai Kahn Singh Nabha an opposition fair in Amritsar on the the word ' vasoaa ' in Bhai Gurdas's 3. Dr Ganda Singh same date, and thus prevent the Sikhs famous line ' Ghar ghar andar 4. Principal Satbir Singh from making the Hindu pilgrimage to dharamsaal hovai keertan sadaa 5. Prof Sahib Singh Ram Tirath. He gravely adopted the vasoaa' ! 'Vasoaa' means 'Vaisakhi' or 6. Dr. Hari Ram Gupta Handali date of Guru Nanak's birth, Vaisakh 1, and nothing else. 7. Mr. M.A. Macauliffe and proclaimed that his new fair at Amritsar at the full moon in the The author of this article is Janam Sakhis giving Vaisakh Date: month of Kartik was in honour of the convinced in his mind that the nativity of the founder of the religion. starting of Vaisakhi celebrations by 1. By Mehrban There is no doubt that Guru Nanak Ji, and picking of 2. Gian Ratnavli - Bhai Mani Singh was born in Baisakh. All the older this day for creation of the by 3. B-40 Janam Sakhi Janamsakhis give that as Guru Guru Gobind Singh Sahib was not 4. Puratan Janam Sakhi Nanak's natal month. As late as the coincidental, but because it was Guru 5. Lithographically printed Janam Sambat 1872 it was in Baisakh that Nanak Dev Sahib's birthday. Sakhi - copy in Archives the anniversary fair of Guru Department Khalsa College, Nanak's Note: CE designates Common Era Amritsar. birth was always celebrated at which is the same as AD but is more Nankana. And finally the Nanak commonly used now because of its How Parkash Gurpurb was shifted Parkash, which gives the full moon adoption by non Christian countries from Vaisakhi to Katik Puranmashi in Kartik Sambat 1526, as the time of the world as well. : of Guru Nanak's birth and the tenth ______According to Mr. Macauliffe, of the dark half of Assu, Sambat originally the Gurpurb was celebrated 1596, as the date of his death, states in Vaisakh, in Nankana Sahib. This with strange inconsistency that he Pal Singh Purewal was changed to Katik pooranmashi in lived seventy years five months and 1816 CE during Maharaja Ranjit seven days, a total which is (Author of ‘Jantri 500 Years’, Singh 's reign. irreconcilable with these dates, but it showing on daily basis week day, Mr. Macauliffe -writes: is very nearly reconcilable with the Bikrami date, sudi and vadi tithis, "All the Handali and modern date of the Guru’s birth given in the Hijri dates and Common Era (CE) Janamsakhis give Kartik as the old Janamsakhi. " dates for 532 years - from 1469 CE to month in which Baba Nanak was - Max Arthur Macauliffe, The 2000 CE). born. In Mani Singh's and all the old Sikh Religion, first edition 1909CE, Janamsakhis the Guru's natal month reprinted by Low Price Publications. Address: is given as Baisakh. The following is Delhi 1996 p.lxxxiv. 3855 - 47 Street the manner in which Kartik began to Edmonton, Alberta be considered as the Guru’s natal 4 1BNS / 1 NS 1469 CE 1525-26 Bikrami (CE dates are of Julian Calendar)

Sangrand Puranmashi Amavasya

Phagun - 25 January 27 January 13 January Chet - 24 February 26 February 12 February Vaisakh - 27 March 27 March 13 March Jeth - 27 April 26 April 12 April - 28 May 25 May 11 May - 29 June 24 June 9 June - 30 July 24 July 9July Assu - 30 August 22 August 7 August Katik - 30 September 21 September 5 September Maghar - 29 October 20 October 5 October - 28 November 19 November 3 November - 27 December 18 December 3 December

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