M.A. ( SIKH STUDIES) PART-I PAPER-VI SIKH SCRIPTURE AND LITERATURE II LESSON NO. 2 AUTHOR : DR. DHARM SINGH

DASAM GRANTH : INTRODUCTION, AUTHENTICITY OF AUTHORSHIP AND CONTENTS (a) Introduction : The is an anthology of verses generally attributed to Gobind Singh. Though attributed to the Guru and some of its compositions are part of the daily Sikh regimen of prayers, yet its authorship has been a subject of controversy. Dasam Granth does not enjoy the scriptural status like the as all its verses are not believed to be revelatory in character. The different compositions in Dasam Granth were composed by the Guru at different times and places, but most of them were written before 1704 when he had to evacuate Anandpur, with the exception of Zafarnamah which he composed and despatched to Emperor Aurangzib from Dina Kangar (in the modern-day Faridkot district of the ) in AD 1705 and a few other smaller compositions which he might have composed after the evacuation of Anandpur or during the breathing spell at Damdama Sahib (Talwandi Sabo) in the present-day Bathinda district, during the fall and winter of AD 1705-06. Tradition holds that many manuscript copies of these compositions were current during the Guru’s own lifetime. It is also believed that the Guru himself got same manuscripts prepared. Some devotees also made copies for their personal use. However, the number of compositions and their order were not identical in these anthologies. The original manuscripts were possibly lost in the aftermath of evacuation. The first authentic and comprehensive volume was compiled by (d. AD 1737), a devoted follower of the Guru, sometime between 1716 and 1737 by tracing and collecting whatever could be salvaged or whatever had been preserved with certain who had retained copies of some of the banis with them. He is believed to have undertaken and completed the job under instruction of , wife of . However, there is uncertainty about the present location of this recension. In its absence, the discrepancies in the text of the extant recensions have continued to cause many a misgiving. An effort was made by the Gurmat Granth Pracharak Sabha, Amritsar, in order to remove these misgivings. The work was entrusted to this Sabha (established in 1885) by the Diwan, Amritsar. The Sodhak Committee appointed by this Sabha collected thirty-two different recensions which were studied by prominent scholars and the ologians. Formal discussions were held at the , Amritsar, for eight months during June 1895-February 1896, and a Report based on these deliberations was prepared. The Report, published in AD 1 M.A. (Sikh Studies) Part-I 2 Paper-VI 1897, prepared a standardized text of the Granth and also stated that the entire volume was the work of the Guru. As a result of the deliberations of the Committee, a recension of the Dasam Granth was brought out in 1902 by the Wazir Hind Press, Amritsar, which is generally believed to comprise as authentic version of the text as possible. The entire Dasam Granth is rhymed poetry consisting of prayers, psalms eulogising Akal, autobiography, heroic tales from the Puranic mythology and epic literature of India with an obvious emphasis on their reorientation and reinterpretation, an Epistle of Victory addressed to Emperor Aurangzib, moralistic stories and so on. The script used throughout is , though the language for the most part is medieval Hindi of the Eastern Gangetic plains, also known as Braj, with the exception of Var Sri Bhagauti Ji Ki (popularly known as di Var) and a hymn in Ramkali raga or measure (mitra piare nun...... )which are in , and the Zofarnamah, along with the following Hikayats, which is in Persian. The following is the list of compositions included in the Dasam Granth : 1. Japu 2. Akal Ustati (In fact, there is no such title at the head of this bani which ends with the words” ustat sampuranan” or the eulogy concludes. Since the entire composition is a eulogy of the Akal, or the Ultimate Reality, it has come to be called as Akal Usati 3. Bachitra Natak 4. Chandi Charitra Ukti Bilas 5. Chandi Charitra 6. Var Sri Bhagouti Ji Ki 7. 8. Avtar 9. Rudra Avtar 10. Gian Prabodh 11. Ramakli hymns 12. Swaiyye 13. Sastra Nam Mala 14. Pakhyan Charitra 15. Zofarnama 16. Hikayat Of these the Chandi Charitras, Chaubis Avtar, Brahma Avrtar and Rudra Avtar are sometimes counted part of the Bachitra Natak, as Hikayats are that of Zafarnamah, thus reducing the total number of compositions in Dasam Granth from sixteen to ten. (b) Authenticity of Authorship Of the compositions included in the Dasam Granth, a few bear the authentic phrase “sri mukhvak patshahi ( also written as patisahi) 10” or the holy Word from the mouth of the Tenth Master. These are Japu, Bachitra Natak, Swaiyye and Zafarnamah. Some other compositions have only “patsahi 10” or the Tenth Master at their head. M.A. (Sikh Studies) Part-I 3 Paper-VI

These are Akal Ustati, Var Sri Bhagauti Ji Ki, Gian Prabodh, Chaubis Avtar, sabdas or hymns in Ramkali measure, Sastra Nam Mala and Pakhyan Charitra, Brahma Avtar, Rudra Avtar and Hikayats fall in this category. This difference has been one of the reasons which have led many scholars to conclude that not all of these compositions are Guru’s own. Dharam Pal Ashta has given some very cogent and convincing arguments to infer that “all the parts of the Dasam Granth were composed by Guru Gobind Singh himself...... If at all, any of the court-poets had any hand in the composition of the Granth, it was purely of the nature of an amanuensis. It is quite possible that the Guru dictated his poems to any of his court poets. This does not necessarily mean that they had composed any part of the Granth...... It may, therefore, in the end, he said with confidence that the Dasam Granth is the work of Guru Gobind Singh’s own.” Earlier, the Sodhak committee, comprising the known Sikh scholars and theologians of the day, had also given a similar opinion: their argument, as has later on been taken up by Taran Singh in his famous treatise on different exegetical schools ( dian Viakhia Pranalian) given here is that just as bani or hymns of the following have been elucidation and explanation of what the latter had written, the verses of Guru Gobind Singh should also be read in the same context. The Report specifically refers to his compositions with Puranic background as exegetical of the Puranic and other mythological references in the hymns of Guru Granth Sahib. Maybe the Guru also wanted that the Sikhs should not have to seek guidance and help of Hindu scholars to fully comprehend the connotations of mythological allusions in the Scripture. He retold such stories to bring out their meaning in the Sikh context. Thereafter, scholars like Giani Bishan Singh, Trilochan Singh, Piara Singh Padam, et al.also opined that the entire text in the Granth is from the Guru’s pen. Harbhajan Singh (Gurmukhi Lipi men Uplabdh Hindi kavya Ka Alochanatamak Adhyan) and Mahip Singh ( Guru Gobind Singh aur Unki Hindi Kavita) also accept the entire given text as genuine and authentic. There are, however, certain scholars who question the authenticity and authorship of some of the compositions. The Bhasaur school (for example, see Ran Singh, Dasam Granth Nirnaya) was the most vocal in this category. Loehlin also feels that “the writings included in the granth of the Tenth Guru were composed at different times by Guru Gobind Singh and his band of fifty-two poets and translators.” Similarly, Mohan Singh Diwana (History of Panjabi Literature) and Khushwant Singh (A History of the Sikhs) hold that certain compositions in the Dasam Granth are not the Guru’s own but of his court poets. Of them, Mohan Singh Diwana simply passes his judgment without giving any arguments in support of his contention, and that is perhaps why he later on changed his stance. Ratan Singh Jaggi was also one with this school of thought and once expressed his doubts about the authorship of some of the compositions as included in the Dasam Granth. His Dasam Granth da Kartritav holds this view. Dr Jaggi seems to have erred in his interpretation of certain M.A. (Sikh Studies) Part-I 4 Paper-VI compositions of the Dasam Granth from the Puranic perspective because these compositions are not mere adaptations from the Puranic literature but its reinterpretation in the broader framework of Sikh metaphysical thought. However, the learned scholar himself seemed on unsure ground because he accepted the same compositions as Guru’s own in his Guru Gobind Singh di Bani Vich Sutantarta di Bhavana (1967). His Dasam Granth Parichaya (1991) simply glosses over the controversy and discusses the given text. His recent exegetical study of the Granth implicitly accepts the entire text as the Guru’s work. The SGPC has also tried to resolve the issue. It once deputed by Randhir Singh to study the issue of authorship in detail and come out with his conclusions. His findings were then published by the SGPC in book form. Bhai Randhir Singh’s Shabad-Murati makes a cogent argument against those who question the authenticity of authorship of certain compositions. Although the Akal Takht has not so far issued any edict as regards this controversy yet its involvement in the decision of the Sodhak Committee is obvious since all the deliberations were held at the Akal Takht. However, this confirmation of the authenticity of the authorship is only an academic issue, and it has nothing to do with determining its status vis-a-vis the Guru Granth Sahib: whereas the latter enjoys the unique position of the Guru-Eternal (Sabda-Guru), the former is only the Guru’s ‘poetic pastime’ though it has the doctrinal identity with the former. (c) Contents : Japu is the opening composition of the Dasam Granth and is part of the daily regimen of Sikh prayers. It is also one of the banis recited at the time of the Khalsa initiation ceremony. This indicates towards the fact that it might have not only been composed before AD 1699 but also become by then popular among the Sikhs as a hymn of prayer: it was on the Baisakhi day (30 March) of AD 1699 that Guru Gobind Singh created that Khalsa-Panth by making his followers take the baptism (amrit) of the double-edged sword. The view that it was composed during the breathing spell at Damdama Sahib in 1705-06 stands contradicted by tradition itself. The Japu is an introductory invocation in the Dasam Granth. In fact the word ‘Japu’ is the noun form of the Sanskrit Jap which means ‘to utter in low voice, whisper, mutter (especially prayer or incantation), to invoke or call upon in a low voice. Thus, the Japu is the prayer of the Sikhs meant to be recited in the ambrosial hour of the morning. It comprises 199 verses of which 78 are in the vocative mood invoking the Akal and saluting Him overtly or covertly whereas the remaining 121 are descriptive in nature and describe the Ultimate Reality. All these 199 verses, comprising about 950 names of the Real One, are in the form of rhymed couplets. Sometimes both the lines in the couplet describe Reality in negative terms but at times the non-qualified aspect is fully balanced with the positive attributes of the One. This turns the composition into a beautiful necklace in which the beads of positive and negative attributes of Reality have been so intimately and artistically joined together that as M.A. (Sikh Studies) Part-I 5 Paper-VI a work of art it becomes a rare specimen of the Guru’s vocabulary and poetic ingenuity. While describing the Reality, the Japu lays stress on its unitary character (namastan su ekai).This idea of the oneness of Reality is the basic and essential precept of Guru Gobind Singh’s metaphysical system. However, this Real One is a dynamic spiritual continuum and not a static reality like that of Sankara’s conception. It manifests, qua Spirit, of its own free will in the world of phenomena. Thus, on the one hand, the entire phenomenal world becomes spiritualized, and, on the other, the transcendent Reality becomes immanent and gets socialized. The Real One has been given names taken from the empirical world. These are the attributive names indicating the attributes latent in it, and not imposing these attributes on it. Let it be made clear here that it does not at all imply the anthropomorphic view of Reality. On the contrary, these attributes are theomorphic because these are nothing but the personified manifestation of the Real One. Akal Ustati is a bani (composition) following the Japu in the Dasam Granth It is not so named in any of the recensions of the Granlh. The composition is, in fact, untitled, but it carries at its end the words “ustati sampuranan” (ustati or eulogy concludes). Since the text is a eulogy of the Ultimate Reality, referred to here as at many places in other works of Guru Gobind Singh as Akal, the composition has come to be known as Akal Ustati. There is no internal or external evidence to determine the date and place of its composition. However, the fact that a certain section of it, i.e. ten swaiyyas comprising verses 21-30, is traditionally recited at the time of the Sikh baptismal (amrit) ceremony leads us to believe that the text or at least this part of it was composed before AD 1699, the year when the Sikh baptism of the sword was initiated. Some scholars also hold that the Akal Ustati was composed not at one time: its different parts were rather composed at different times and were later on compiled together.” The Akal Ustati comprises 272 verses, the last verse being incomplete. This could also mean that the composition in its present form is perhaps incomplete. Like the Japu, a part of the Akal Ustati, i.e. ten verses (21-30) which are in swaiyya metre, is traditionally recited at the Sikh baptismal ceremony. Unlike the Japu, however, the Aka! Ustati deals with more than one theme such as the nature of Reality, meaning of religion, futility of formalism and rituals, spiritual unity and social equality of mankind, and validity of all religious traditions. Of course, these themes overlap one another, especially the theme of the nature of Reality is found almost in every part of the composition. According to the Akal Ustati, the Reality is adi ekankara, i.e. the Primal One. Such a unity of Reality, in its unmanifest and transcendent form, is a!akh or indescribable (3) and abigat or avigati, i.e. incomprehensible or inexpressible (9). It is triguna atit or free from three gunas or attributes (14). However, this adi ekankara also called adi purakh (Primal Being)wills itself to manifestation and becomes M.A. (Sikh Studies) Part-I 6 Paper-VI immanent in all places and beings-Iok chatur das joti prakasi (1) and sarah joti ke bich samana (8). Thus the trigunatit (Nirgun) Reality becomes sargun samet or with attributes (14). Thus, the unity of Reality and essential spirituality of the phenomenal reality serve as the vis-a-tergo for the development of a social philosophy. Ethnic equality of man is derived from the spiritual unity of mankind. Love, justice, equality, philanthrophy, self-respect, peaceful coexistence, etc. are some of the social values which follow from this spiritual precept: these social values are latent in and are not imposed on the metaphysical thought. Bachitra Natak is an incomplete autobiography of Guru Gobind Singh: in fact “Bachitra Natak Granth” is the title which has been given to a group of compsoitions which includes Bachitra Natak (the autobiography proper) Chaubis Avtar, Brahma Avtar and Rudra Avtar (stories of the twenty-four incarnates of and those of Brahma and Rudra )and the Chandi Chritras. This is suggested by the endorsement made at the conclusion of almost all these compositions. The word ‘natak’ in the Bachitra Natak Granth does not stand for drama as the word is generally taken to mean in its modern usage. The Guru seems to have used it as a synonym of the term lila or the wonderful performance. The first narrative composition in this section is the autobiography of the Guru (Bachitra Natak). It comprises a total of 471 verses in fourteen cantos. Like any other autobiography, this is also an incomplete life story going as far as the advent of Mua’ zzam(later Emperor Bahadur Sahah) on the scene at the head of a large armed contingent (canto 13). There is no external or internal evidence available to determine the date of the composition. It is generally believed to have been composed at Anandpur some time before the day (30 March) of AD 1699 when the Khalsa-Panth was created by the Guru because this event and the events thereafter are not mentioned in the text. It must be some time after Prince Mua’zzam moved with his army on 13 July 1696, to attack the Guru at Anandpur because this is, in historical chronology, the last event dealt with in the text. Description of battle-scenes, which constitute eight of the total fourteen cantos, is just superb. The onomatopoeic words resound the clatter of swords and spears. The composition can broadly be divided into three parts, i.e. invocation to the Almightly (cantos 1 and 4), genealogy of the Guru beginning with the mythical past of the Sodhi clan and terminating with the martyrdom of , his father and the ninth spiritual successor of Guru Nanak (cantos 2-5) and the Guru’s birth in this world with a special mission assigned to him by the Akalpurakh and his several encounters with the hill chiefs (cantos 6-13). Chandi Chritira Ukti Bilas, also known as Chandi Chritra I, and Chandi Chritra, also known as Chandi Chritra II, are also part of the “Bachitra Natak Granth.” The story of Chandi in both these versions has been taken from the Markandeya Puran. So is the story of Var Sri Bhagauti Ji Ki, popularly known as , M.A. (Sikh Studies) Part-I 7 Paper-VI another composition of the Guru. They are the renderings, with variations in emphasis and interpretations, in Braj (Punjabi in the case of Chandi di Var) by Guru Gobind Singh, in different poetic metres, of the war fought by Chandi, also named Bhagauti, Kalika, , and Chandika against the demons who had routed and virtually dispossessed the godly powers. Let one point be made clear here lest the Guru’s choce of this literary resurrection of the Chandi myth should be misunderstood: the Guru, in these compositions, recalls Chandi and does not invoke her: the invocation to Siva, in Chandi Chritra Ukti Bilas, must not be misunderstood as invocation of the goddess (Siva is also the name given to the wife of god Siva) but there Siva has been used as an attributive name of the Real One. Guru Gobind Singh does not postulate any avtar or incarnation being equal to the Real One. In fact, all the invocation to the goddess by various gods in the Puranic account are absent from the Guru’s considerably condensed version.The Guru’s choice of Chandi vis-a-vis other goddesses and gods in the Puranic accounts seems quite conscious. The Guru might have thought the role played in Puranic tales by the goddess fitted in well with his own design to renovate and regenerate an effete society. He made her into a paradigm to overcome weakness and cowardice and to abolish unjust political authority and social inequalities and to forge a new structure based on the values of egalitarianism, justice and freedom. Of these, the Chandi Chritra Ukti Bilas is divided into eight chapters and comprises 233 verses. The opening section, comprising only twelve verses, is an invocation to the Divine and a brief introduction to the context of the events to follow. The second section deals with Chandi’s battle with the final victory over Mahkhasur demon. The following five sections are the narrative of several battles Chandi had to fight with commanders of Sumbh and Nisumbh, two brothers, and finally with them. Chandi comes out victorious in all these battles and the last section declares the re-establishment of the sway of gods. Chandi Charitra, another composition about the exploits of Chandi, comprises eight sections and 262 verses. The Guru does not begin this composition, as in the case of almost all of his other works, with an invocation to the Divine, but he takes the reader direct to the field of action. As in the preceding Charitra, the Guru here also tells the story of Chandi and her battles, describing in detail all the incidents with similes and metaphors interspersed here and there. Of course, the details here do not strictly conform to the Markandya Puran which forms the source of this story. The Guru has tried to retell and reinterpret the events so as to renovate and regenerate the society. Similarly, Var Sri Bhagauti Ji Ki deals with the exploits of Chandi or Bhagauti, but this composition is in var literary genre and is the only longer composition by the Guru in Punjabi language. As in the case of other literary vars, both martial and spiritual in content, this one is also in pauri poetic metre, with only a few dohiras. M.A. (Sikh Studies) Part-I 8 Paper-VI The Var comprises a total of fifty-five pauris, or stanzas, the first also serving as a prelude to the ardas or the Sikh prayer. The composition is quite popular among the who recite it daily. The Chaubis Avtar which follows the Chandi Charitras is a group of three works about the different incarnations of Vishnu, Brahma and Rudra - Chaubis Avtar,Brahma Avtar and Rudra Avtar. The tradition to write in regional languages and in Puranic style about the avtars of Visnu had set in much before Guru Gobind Singh. The Guru might also have felt the popular interest in the avtar literature, but his narrative is marked with a difference. The Chaubis Avtar, the longest of the trio, is about the 24 incarnations of Vishnu Among them the story of is the longest (2492 verses) followed by that of (864 verses). The prologue in the beginning of this composition contains the Guru’s views on incarnation. God is the sole creator of the entire manifest phenomena, including humans, gods and these incarnations. This prelude is a kind of warning to the reader that it is not the work of a devotee of any of these incarnations but his aim is just to inspire the mankind to fight, as did the Puranic personages, for a righteons cause- dharam yudh ke chai. The following Brahma Avtar and Rudra Avtar give the life-stories of 7 incarnations of Brahma and two of Rudra, respectively. The former begins with the proclamation that Kal (God) is omnipotent and even Brahma is subject to him: here Brahma is shown to have been punished to take seven births in human form for having fallen a victim to ego. In the beginning of Rudra Avtar also, the Absolute One directs Rudra to take birth in human form as a punishment for having taken pride in his meditation on God. In this way these three Puranic gods and their incarnations have been shown as creations of and subject to God: they are not His co-equal and they all perform under His will. Gian Prabodh, i.e. the book of excellence of wisdom is also a longish composition following the Bachitra Natak Granth compositions. It comprises two parts (336 stanzas), each part having its own theme. The first part is the eulogy of the Real One, singing His attributes and excellence. The conception of God herein is the same as in other compositions like the Akal Ustati. This part is in the form of a dialogue between the individual soul and the supreme Soul, and in this dialogue the individual soul seeks from God knowledge about the four padaraths, i.e. dharam, arath, kama and moksa, which have herein been referred to as raj dharam (politics), dan dharam ( charity) bhog dharam (household life) and mokh dharam (liberation/ salavation). The soul also demands that first of all dan dharam should be explained. The second part discusses only the dan dharam: either the Guru somehow could not complete the composition which should have included others also, or part of it has gone missing. As it is, no other dharam or padarath is found discussed in this composition. In ancient times, charity or dan dharam was observed only by performing . Herein is elaborated the futility of the Puranic way of performing M.A. (Sikh Studies) Part-I 9 Paper-VI yajnas in helping man on way to his spiritual progression. The composition refers to the rajsuya performed by Yudhishtra (one of the Pandva brothers), the gajmedh yajna by Prikshit (a descendant of the Pandvas), the sarapmedh and ashvmedh yajnas by King Janmeja and so on. With the help of these instances the Guru has tried to tell us that such yajnas only added to the egoistic tendencies in these kings, rather than helping them on way to spirituality/self-realization. Sastra Nam Mala, literally a string of the names of weapons, is a composition giving an exhaustive catalogue of weapons used in warfare during the days of Guru Gobind Singh. In fact, it aims at eulogizing the brave deeds of the wielders of these weapons. The poem begins with the personification of each of the weapons and concludes with worship of God through the medium of these weapons. Pakhyan Charitra, also known as Charitro Pakhyan and Triya Charitra, is a collection of 404 tales. These tales are mostly of women (there are some about men also), explaining therein that a woman (or man also) who plays infidel to his/her spouse through wiles results in dangerous consequences in the end. The aim obviously is ethical. The stories intend raising the moral standards of the readers by examples of both good and bad. These tales taken from several different sources fall, broadly speaking, in three groups: tales of brave deeds perfomed in war, tales of self- sacrifice for honour’s sake, and tales of amorous adventures. This is a very long composition and comprises almost half of the Dasam Granth. The aim obviously seems to raise the morals of the readers as is suggested by a couplet saying that ‘one should love his spouse deeply but must not think of the other woman even in a dream.’ Zafarnamah, or an epistle of victory, is a letter, written in Persian, to Emperor Aurangzib by Guru Gobind Singh. The Zafarnamah, comprising two parts and III couplets, enumerates, in the first part, the attributes of God, eulogizes Him and seeks His to resolve his difficulties. This is followed by, in the second part, an address to the Emperor who is praised for some of his good qualities, but at the same time he is condemned for breach of faith and perjury. The Guru also declines his invitation because of the treachery committed by him and his commanders. This letter was written by the Guru from Dina, a village in the Faridkot district of the Punjab, and was sent through two of his Sikhs to be delivered to the Emperor who then happened to be in Aurangabad. Hikayats, also in Persian, comprise eleven tales. Some scholars take them as part of the Zafarnamah, but they are a different composition. This confusion arose because in the Dasam Granth the composition bears no separate title and they are placed immediately after the Zafarnamah. Two of these tales have a political theme whereas the remaining nine again illustrate the deceit of women and as such they could not have been part of the Zafarnamah. Some of these tales are translations of the tales already included in the Pakhyan Charitra. There are some other smaller compositions which are included in the Dasam M.A. (Sikh Studies) Part-I 10 Paper-VI Granth prior to the Sastra Nam Mala. More important among them are the Shabad Hazare, comprising 38 couplets, which discourages asceticism as well as worldly attachment, idolatry and belief in gods/goddesses and incarnations. It enjoins man to imbibe continence, detachment, and avoid lust, anger, pride, greed and obstinacy. The second such composition is Sri Mukhbak Swaiyye, or simply called Swaiyye, which comprises thirty three stanzas. The theme of these swaiyyias is divinity. The first eleven of the stanzas deal with the nature and attributes of God as in the Shabad Hazare or Akal Ustati. The next eleven tell us that Rama, Krishna, Brahma, Vishnu, Siva and such other names in Hindu pantheon of gods and incarnations cannot be equated with God: they are mortals. The following stanzas are about the futility of pilgrimages (24-25), the and sannyasis and masands who are called looters and who fail to uplift man spiritually(26-30) and that man should not lose himself in vain deeds, not be attached to friends and property as none of these will help him in the end (31-32). In sum, these stanzas talk about God, religious practices and admonition of man against worldly attachment. There is another composition popularly known as Khalsa Mahima: these are also swaiyyas. These are generally believed to have been addressed by the Guru to Pandit Kesho Dutt who had come to see the Guru at Anandpur and was against the Guru giving alms to low-caste Sikhs and not to Brahmins. These show the Guru’s immense humility and intense consciousness of the vitality of his Khalsa, and his love and regard for the so called low-caste people. M.A. (SIKH STUDIES) PART I PAPER-VI SIKH SCRIPTURE AND LITERATURE II LESSON NO. 3 AUTHOR : PROF. DHARAM SINGH

A CONCEPTUAL STUDY OF THE JAPU Introductory: The Dasam Granth is an anthology of verses generally attributed to Guru Gobind Singh. Though some scholars question the authenticity of authorship of some of the compositions included in the Dasam Granth, but this also remains a fact that some of its compositions form part of the daily Sikh regimen of prayers - in part or in their entirety. Thus, they are generally accepted to be the work of the Guru. However, the Dasam Granth does not enjoy, among the Sikhs, the scriptural status like the Guru Granth Sahib: the latter is the living Guru for the Sikhs whereas the former is just a piece of literature. The entire Dasam Granth is rhymed poetry consisting of prayers, psalms eulogising God, autobiography, heroic tales from the Puranic mythology and epic literature of India with an obvious emphasis on their re-orientation and re-interpretation, an Epistle of Victory addressed to Emperor Aurangzib, moralistic stories, and so on. The script used through- out is Gurmukhi, though the language for the most part is Braj, with the exception of Var Sri Bhagauti Ji Ki (popularly known as Chandi di Var) and a hymn in Ramkali raga or measure (mitra piare nun ...) which are in Punjabi language, and the Zafarnamah, along with the following Hikayats, which are in Persian. Japu : an introduction : The Japu is the opening composition of the Dasam Granth and is part of the daily regimen of Sikh prayers. It is also one of the banis recited at the time of the Khalsa initiation ceremony. This indicates towards the fact that it might have not only been composed before the creation of the Khalsa, it might also become by then popular among the Sikhs as a hymn of prayer. It was on the Vaisakhi day (30 March) of AD 1699 that Guru Gobind Singh created Khalsa-Panth by making his followers take the baptism (amrit) of the double-edged sword. Thus, it might have been composed sometime before 1699. The view that it was composed during the breathing spell at Damdama Sahib (Talwandi Sabo, in modern-day Bathinda district) in 1705-06 stands contradicted by tradition itself. The Japu is an introductory invocation in the Dasam Granth. In fact, the word ‘japu’ is the noun form of the Sanskrit jaap which means ‘to utter in low voice, whisper, mutter (especially prayer or incantation), to invoke or call upon in a low voice. Thus, the Japu is the prayer of the Sikhs meant to be recited in the ambrosial hour of the morning. It comprises 199 verses (there are also scholars who hold the number of verses to be 196 and 198) of which 78 are in the vocative mood invoking 11 M.A. (Sikh Studies) Part-I 12 Paper-VI the Akal and saluting Him overtly or covertly whereas the remaining 121 are descriptive in nature and describe the ultimate Reality. All these 199 verses, comprising about 950 names of the Real One and are in the form of rhymed couplets. Sometimes both the lines in the couplet describe Reality in negative terms but at times the non-qualified aspect is fully balanced with the positive attributes of the One. This turns the composition into a beautiful necklace in which the beads of positive and negative attributes to the ultimate Reality have been so intimately and artistically joined together that as a work of art it becomes a rare specimen of the Guru’s vocabulary and poetic ingenuity. The Japu can be put in the poetic form. The origin of such eulogistic incantations can be traced back to the Rig Veda. The tradition of this poetic form developed further in the Puranic and other religious literature, and we have today several such independent available with us. Such stotras contain a eulogistic description of the attributive qualities of the deity. One famous composition in this genre is the Visnu Sahansarnama, in imitation of which the Japu has also sometimes been referred to as Akal Sahansarnama though there are several basic differences between the two. Conceptual Analysis : Japu Generally speaking, religion provides us a vision of God, man and world. Each such vision differs from the other because each religion looks at these from a localized, historical perspective. We shall in the following pages discusses the concepts of God, Man and World as they have first been articulted by Guru Nanak, the founder of the Sikh faith, in his hymns and as they came out from our study of Guru Gobind Singh’s Japu and other hymns also. A. Concept of God : Guru Nanak is believed to have been such a blessed being who had the mystic vision of God. He made an attempt at comprehending the Real One and then explaining to others whatever he understood of Him. He travelled far and wide to explain his vision of God to individuals in their homes, to groups in their hermitages and to crowds gathered at pilgrimage centres. His utterances, in the form of hymns, try to explain that vision. Guru Nanak’s successors who inherited his spiritual light also made their contribution in this direction. Their perception of the Divine is not different from one another, though there is change in emphasis with Guru Gobind Singh as we see in his compositions included in the Dasam Granth. (i) Unity of Reality : Guru Gobind Singh, like his predecessors, takes the existence of the su- preme Reality for granted : he makes no effort whatsoever to prove its existence. The ultimate Reality is obviously apparent (jahra jahur and hajra hajur) to him. The M.A. (Sikh Studies) Part-I 13 Paper-VI Japu also begin with the premise that the ultimate Reality exists, and that this Reality is one. All the compositions in the Dasam Granth invariably begin with the term ikoankar which also happens to be the opening term of the Mul in the Guru Granth Sahib and which also stands for the unity of Reality and Its creative aspect. There are numerous verses in the Japu which bring out and emphasize the oneness of God : namastan su ekai/namastan anekai (9). Similarly, it is the Real One who is invoked in the opening stanza of the Akal Ustati: pranvo adi ekankara/ jalthal mahial kio pasara (1 ). The Gian Prabodh also refers to the unity of Reality as it says: namo ek rupan/ anekan sarupan. This idea of the oneness of Reality is the basic and essential precept of Guru Gobind Singh’s metaphysical system. This view of the oneness of God was against the prevalent view of the plurality of Godhead i.e. polytheism. The idea of God descending in human or any other form (divine incarantion) has been outrightly rejected. Belief in the multiplicity of deity results in human attention shifting from nam (inner essence) to rup (outer form). As our study of medieval religious history of mankind would reveal, this shift from nam to rup had resulted in the trend towards formalism: bhekh had become more important and the spirit of religion had got completely lost. This atomization of reality had also led to the atomization of society: people had loyalty neither to one Reality nor to one nation, rather they were associated with different duties, different communities - thus falling prey to political slavery of the worst kind. (ii) Dynamic Spiritual Continuum : Guru Gobind Singh envisions God as one supreme Reality, but this Real One is neither a static reality like that of Sankara’s Brahman nor is He passive like the Purusha of Sankhya- . He is, on the other hand, a dynamic spiritual continuum. The Guru believes in both the transcendent and immanent aspects of God and also stresses the equality of both the aspects : neither is superior to nor more important than the other. In His transcendent (impersonal) aspect, God is formless : He has no form, no name, no place, no caste, no features, no complexion, etc. The Japu begins with the description of this transcendent aspect of God as it says: No specific appearance nor any varna or caste has He; His features, complexion, outlines or garb none can describe; Eternal being, self-effulgent, possessor of powers infinite; Considered the supreme among millions of lndras and emperors.. ... The Guru also calls him adi purakhu (primordial eternal consciousness), abiyakt rup (unmanifest) abiyakt tel (unmanifest effulgence), abigat abinasi (unmanifest and beyond death. Lest this emphasis should be misunderstood as the Reality being an entity entirely different from or unrelated to the immanent world, the Guru has perfectly M.A. (Sikh Studies) Part-I 14 Paper-VI balanced the transcendent with the immanent aspect. There have been several verses, in the Japu wherein we find both the aspects of the ultimately Reality alternating regu- larly. For example, the Japu goes on to say : Salutation to the One beyond time; Salutation to the One Mercy-incarnate. Salutation to the Formless One; Salutation to the Incomparable One. He is immanent in the sea (jale hari); He is immanent on the earth (thale hari); He is present in the heart (ure hari); He is present in the forests (bane hari). However, the fact that the Reality is immanent in all beings and things and places of the material world does not affect or change its unitary character. Rather it only implies the socialization of the Divine and spiritualization of the manifest phenomena. The unity of Reality remains infact, and the Guru makes very explicit remarks to this effect. The Reality is One (ek) but it becomes manifest in the variety of material forms (anek), but inspite of this mani- festation in the multiplicity of forms. It retains Its Oneness - ek hain anek hain/anek hain phiri ek hain (43). As it is, God’s creative aspect implies His immanent aspect: He creates all beings, things and places, and He makes Himself immanent (spiritually present) in all the creation. The God of the Sikh conception is the creator of all that exists in the mundane world : He creates everything out of His own will (hukam) and needs no extraneous material to create rather creates everything out of Himself. He is the sole creator of all that exists. He has created the entire world from His own self, and He is the creator as well as destroyer of this material world, says the Japu - sarab bisav rachio suyambhav garan bhanjanhar (83). Similarly the same is repeated in other banis also. The biggest as well as the smallest things in this world are all his creation or spiritual manifestation - hast kit ke bich samana: Akal Ustati, 2. In fact, The divine spirit is present in each being and His presence is acknowledged at all places : sarab joti ke bich samana/sabhahun sarab thaur pahichana : Akal Ustati, 8. All outward differentiations notwithstanding, all human beings are the spiritual manifestation of the same Divine. In Guru Gobind Singh’s vision, the creative aspect of God is all-inclusive. All beings including gods and demons are His creation. He rejects the idea of Brahma, Visnu and Siva being independent creator, sustainer and destroyer, respectively, rather He considers this Hindu trinity, including all other gods such Indra who is believed to be the king of gods all are His creation. All prophets, spiritual preceptors and other enlightened beings have also been His creation. He creates all beings and sustains them also. He is full of love and compassion, is benevolent and giver : He is not jealous and intolerant like Yahowa of Moses’ vision. However, these created beings are sub- ject to kal (death) and they are finally reabsorbed back in Himself. Guru Gobind Singh M.A. (Sikh Studies) Part-I 15 Paper-VI has used a beautiful extended metaphor, in his Akal Ustati (87) also, to explain that the entire manifest phenomena is created by Him and is finally reabsorbed unto Himself : As out of a single fire Millions of sparks arise; Arise in separation But come together again When they fall back in fire.

As from a heap of dust Grains of dust swept up Fill the air, and filling it Fall in the heap of dust.

As from a single stream Countless waves rise up; And, being water, fall Back in water again.

So from God’s form emerge Alive and inanimate things; And since they rise from Him, They shall fall in Him again. Since the Creator-God is present, as spirit, in the entire creation, the latter becomes spiritually one with the former. There is co-essential oneness between the two, but still they do not become equal or identical. The creation (because God permeates through it) is not maya or mithia, rather it is real, but it is relatively real. It is relatively real because it is subject to kal. The Creator and the creation, in the vision of Guru Gobind Singh, are internally related like the Sun and its rays and the Sea and its waves. The creation, even in its entirety, fails to exhaust the Creator. We can also say that the created phenomena, being Divine emanation, is a concrete determination of Reality as spirit in historical time. The ultimate Reality, in Its unmanifest aspect, subsume all the diversity of manifest forms, and when these manifest forms become explicit, they still retain their ontological unity with the supreme Reality. All this diversity of creation is the Creator’s sport, and will finally be subsumed within the Real One. To sum up, the ultimate Reality is One. It was unmanifest before creation but then it started manifested itself in diverse forms as a result of its dynamic, all-inclusived nature, this selfmanifestation took place under the self-regulative principle, and in the M.A. (Sikh Studies) Part-I 16 Paper-VI end the created phenomena will once again become one with the Creator. iii) Synthesis : This essential unity between the creation and its Creator leads to another postulate, i.e. the reconciliation or synthesis of the transcendent and the immanent aspects of Reality. The ultimate Reality in its unmanifest state (nirankar, nirgun) is transcendent, but It becomes immanent in the material reality as a result of Its self-manifestation in the forms multiplicity of creation. At many places in the compositions of the Dasam Granth, a single verse and sometimes a single term contains both the personal and impersonal, immanent and transcendent aspects of Reality. For example, in the Japu, he calls Reality adi purakh or primordial being which refers to the transcendent/impersonal aspect of Reality, but the term adi purakh is followed immediately by udar murati or the Benevolent Being which refers to Reality’s immanent/personal aspect. This transcendent/impersonal/unmanifest aspect of Reality is always presented as nirgun (without attributes) and nirankar (with- out form), thus being unintelligible or incomprehensible to the rational human fac- ulties. The immanent/personal/manifest aspect of Reality has been addressed with various attributes taken from our social, religious and political life. It is this aspect of Reality which we are try to understand and explain. Thus this reconciliation or synthesis of transcendent and immanent aspects of Reality was an ontological necessity with Guru Gobind Singh. Reality in Its transcendent aspect remains abstract and thus remains beyond human comprehension. Man can look at, analyse and comprehend the semblance of the manifest form, but he will not, with all his knowledge of the world, be able to comprehend its inner essence. That is perhaps why Guru Gobind Singh has expressed this aspect of Reality in negative terms, but he has used only those negative terms which imply positive assertion of Reality. For example, he calls Reality alakh (invisible), akath (indescribable), agochar (suprasensuous), akhand and anakhand and anangi (indivisible) and so on. To make Reality comprehensible to man and to make Reality an object of man’s worship and love, Guru Gobind Singh uses various attributes for It. However, this personal Deity is in no way a social and political being. These attributes do not, and cannot comprehend it in its totality but only symbolize some aspects of the immanent nature of Reality. (iv) God in History : God of Guru Gobind Singh’s conception is not only the creator of this manifest material world, but is also interested in its spiritual and moral well-being. As says the Guru in his autobiographical Bachitra Natak, God created a wide variety of persons in the past ages, and these include the demons, gods, humans and various enlightened beings known to mankind as prophets and spiritual preceptors. Unfortunately, all these in their M.A. (Sikh Studies) Part-I 17 Paper-VI ignorance became forgetful of God and rather began attracting people to themselves. God sent Guru Gobind Singh into this world so that people could be persuaded to attach themselves to God, be stopped from going the way of evil, and put on the proper path of righteousness. Guru Gobind Singh does not consider himself God or God’s incarnate, rather calls himself the slave of God. When he calls himself the son of God, the meaning is entirely different from the context in which Jesus considers himself the son of God. The idea of divine incarnation is rejected in , rather Guru Gobind Singh holds that whenever evil tends to dominate the good in this world, God sends some enlightened being into this world and uses him as His instrument for the eradication of evil and the spread of righteousness. Guru Gobind Singh’s compositions with the Puranic background need to be studied from this perspective only. B. Concept of Man and World: During the medieval times when Sikhism came into being, most of the prevalent religions in India considered the created phenomena as unreal, maya or mithia. This created phenomena was also considered a hindrance on the way to man’s spiritual progress. Thus some traditions recommended renunciation of the world and others favoured austerities as the only way to the ultimate ideal. Thus, the social life got neglected and gradually got degenerated. The spiritually enlightened beings who could work for the society’s regeneration felt unconcerned about it and preferred to live away from it. Bhai Gurdas also refers to this very situation when he says that the siddhas or the enlightened beings have hidden themselves in the mountains and there is none to take care and work for society’s amelioration. But sikhism has rejected all these ways and hammered time and again on the need of being in the world but not to be worldly. (i) Created Phenomenon - Relatively Real : As against this prevalent notion, the Sikh Gurus believed that Reality manifests itself, as spirit, in the entire created phenomena. That is why all the world, all the realms have been called true : Sache tere khand sache brahmand. This mundane world has also, in the Guru Granth Sahib, been called the abode of the True Lord who lives therein. Reality manifests itself in history. Thus, this mundane world, all those who inhabit it, and all the events taking place in historical time are real : they are real because God is Himself present therein, though they are only relatively real because they are not co-eternal with the creator, rather they are subject to kal. Of course, this worldly shift in emphasis as suggested above does not deny Sikhism its spiritual and mystical meaning. Only the metaphysical doctrine of Sikh theology is made to form the vis-a-tergo of the Sikh social thought. This creative-immanent nature of Reality leads us to two very important postulates. One, the nature of Reality is non-dual and transcendent on the one hand and dynamic, creative and immanent on the other. Two, the manifest material things are M.A. (Sikh Studies) Part-I 18 Paper-VI essentially one with the creator-reality, but not identical, essentially one but not coeternal. This essential oneness provides reality, relative reality to the manifest material things. (ii) Universal Fatherhood to Universal Brotherhood : Unity of God is central to the Sikh metaphysical thought, but the dynamic nature of this non-dual Reality leads to the spiritual oneness and ethnic equality of entire mankind. There are hymns in the Guru Granth Sahib which suggest that first God made this human body of five perishable elements and then placed within it the sixth element, i.e. soul which is a particle of the Divine. There are also hymns which specifically refer to soul as part of the Divine. Guru Gobind Singh also reiterates the same as he refers to the param joti (supreme Spirit or Light) becoming sarab joti (universal spirit or light), and paramatam (supreme Soul) becoming the sarabatam (universal soul). Since the same Divine light (call it param joti or paramatam) permeates all human beings, they are spiritually one with God and ethnically equal among themselves. Guru Gobind Singh put this precept into practice with the creation of the Khalsa Panth. The event of the creation of khalsa is important in more ways than one. One, it put into practice what Guru Nanak had only said - follow my path of love only if you are willing to lay down your head. Guru Gobind Singh practically gave the call and selected five Beloved Ones who were ready to die for the Guru’s cause, for the cause of righteous- ness. Two, these five Beloved Ones belonged to different regions, castes and economic classes, but the Guru put them on the same pedestal. Three, the Guru made them drink amrit from the same vessal, thus annihilating all symptoms of caste. The Guru gave them (and thereafter to the entire Khalsa) one outer form which stands for belongingness and equality. Four, the Guru turned the mythical time into a living reality. The creation of the Khalsa is also attributed to the Divine will.

(iii) Well-Being of the World :

We have discussed that this manifest world and whatever happens herein is real, but God does not remain indifferent to what happens herein. This concern of the Divine for our material existence and its well being is brought out by Guru Gobind Singh in his Bachitra Natak as he refers to the purpose of his birth in this world. Before asking the Guru to agree to come into this world and serve as an instrument of His will, the Divine voice is made to tell us about what happened in the past and why God wanted the Guru to come into this world : M.A. (Sikh Studies) Part-I 19 Paper-VI As We created this world in the beginning, We created evil demons who caused suffering to all; Soon they got crazy of their physical prowess, And they gave up worship of the Absolute One. We annihilated them in a matter of moment, And created gods in their stead; They also got entangled in their own prowess, And began calling themselves the Real Lord. And, the Guru goes on to describe in this vein many prophets and spiritual pre- ceptors belonging to different traditions. Beginning with Brahma, Visnu and Siva, he goes on to name Dattatreya, Gorakh, Ramanand and others. Towards the end, he refers to Prophet Mohammad and says : Whosoever such personages were created by the Lord, They all initiated their own traditions; Then the Lord caused the birth of Mohammad And made him the leader of the Arabs.26. He also established one undergo circumscision; He made everybody repeat his name, And impressed on none the need to repeat the Name True.27. They all got indulged in their own sects, None recognized the Transcendent Lord. The Lord called me as I meditated Ane He sent me on to this world with these words.28 These above quotations go to suggest that the Lord Almighty wants that the mankind should be attached to His Name, human beings should be dissuaded from the path of evil and be made to tread the path of righteousness. In this fight of the Good against the domination of the Evil, Divine is always on the side of the Good. All the compositions in the Dasam Granth with the Puranic background delineate such a struggle and the ultimate victory of Good. The Divine favouring the Good in the struggle against Evil only makes clear the Divine concern for human affairs in this world. However, God does not incarnate himself in human or any other form to help man in such a situation, rather he chooses an enlightened being to serve as an instrument of His will. Guru Gobind Singh also considers himself such an instrument: he is strongly against considering him God or Godincarnate. He is also of the view that such divinely selected beings (not even prophet or god/goddess or incarnation) acts as intermediary in favour of man or struggle on behalf of man, they lead the man on way to struggle, spiritual development, but man himself must struggle and strive. In the Dasam Granth compositions, Chandi as Puranic goddess has no reality, rather she is the symbol of Divine Power which acts as moral agent in the M.A. (Sikh Studies) Part-I 20 Paper-VI struggle between good and evil as in chandi di vaar. She became helping hand to Indra Guru Gobind Singh also held that the spiritual preceptors only show the way, and man has himself to tread the path. This thought of the Guru was aimed at inspiring man to struggle for his own amelioration. So the prophet's importance is only to show the right path to the seeker and strick not to be God himself. (iv) Khalsa : the ideal man and the ideal social structure : Khalsa as an individual is a truly and socially realized self, committed to moral responsible action. He has been the Sikh ideal of man who has realized his pristine nature and is mystically one with God - hari harijan dui ek hai : Bachitra Natak, VI.60. Etymologically also, Khalsa is a word of Arabic origin and was in medieval times used for crown land: in the Sikh context, Khalsa as an individual came to stand for a person who was directly related to God/Guru, without the help of any intermediary. He is personally a pious person who is internally a hermitage and outwardly a hero, a warrior. He is defender of the righteousness and is ever ready to suffer and sacrifice for its sake. He is against all kinds of injustice and oppression. He is not an ascetic, rather he leads a virtuous and morally responsible life. He lives the virtues his symbols (five kakars) stand for. In personal life, he is free from ego and ignorance, never indulges in rancour and hatred, and is each minute to the Divine will. In his social life, he is ever against those who violate the values of equality, justice, love, dignity and fights against oppression and injustice. In collective form, Khalsa represents the model of the ideal socio-political structure envisioned by Guru Gobind Singh. It is a kind of set up wherein we find the sacred (spiritual) and the secular (social and political) synthesized. The creation of the Khalsa-Panth over and above the existing Hindu and Muslim social orders was aimed at eradicating the drawbacks inherent in the existing systems. Caste ideology was completely rejected, rather spiritual unity and ethnic equality of mankind was made the basis of this new social setup. Mutual love, altruism and human dignity were to be the fundamental values determining human social behaviour and institutions. The Hikayats in the Dasam Granth are a homily on the integrity and morality of the institution of kingship, though as an institution it is neither favoured nor rejected. In a way, Khalsa Panth tends towards democratic republicanism, and posits its faith in the inherent capacity of the populace instead of the supposed God-given right of one man/family/ caste/class to rule. However, the democratic essence and orientation of the Khalsa Panth is different from the modern political democracy: one, the latter is essentially numerical or quantitative whereas the democracy of Guru Gobind Singh’s vision is qualitative in na- ture. Second, the dimension of spiritual love is the basis of Khalsa Panth. It is this love of the Guru for his Sikhs which makes him exalt them to his own status (ape gur chela), and M.A. (Sikh Studies) Part-I 21 Paper-VI the love of a Sikh for the Khalsa Panth and for the entire mankind which exhorts him to struggle and suffer in order to relieve others of their suffering. This mystical standpoint is peculiar to Guru Gobind Singh’s thought which helps creating a situation when the Guru lives and dies for the devotee Sikhs exactly as the devotee Sikh in dying for the Guru (for the Guru’s cause, for the righteous cause) and attains the supreme bliss. Japu being a strand of diverse names of God, tends to explain the nature of supreme reality, the trascendent aspects of God. His immanent aspects, His Sarguna Nirguna form as well as Unity of God.