BACK
The
Value System in the Adi Guru Granth
Dr Kirpal Singh*
The
Adi Guru Granth, the Sikh scripture has got a unique position.
The Bible, one of the most important scriptures of the world
was written much later after Christ. The holy Quran, the
scripture of the Muslims, was compiled after the death of
Prophet Mohammad. The Adi Guru Granth is, perhaps the only
scripture in the world which was written by the Sikh Gurus,
compiled and edited by the Sikh Gurus. The Adi Guru Granth
includes the value system which is valid for all times –
past, present and future. One of its important features
is that it has no sectarian approach and has been addressed
to the entire mankind. Moreover, its valuation covers all
the spheres of life.
Religious Domain
Religion has been the cause of conflict since times immemorial.
In the sixteenth century, in the history of England, Queen
Mary of Scotland ordered to be burned alive four missionaries
calling them heretic.1 The ruler of Iraq Shah Mohammad Ismail
who was himself Shia burned the Sunni mosques.2 In Ceylon,
according to Sir William Jones, founder of the Asiatic Society,
Calcutta, the misguided religious zeal of Portugese destroyed
an ancient big Hindu temple at Trincomali.3 In India, the
situation was no better. It is well known that Sikandar
Lodhi (1488-1517 AD) and the Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb (1658-1703
AD) destroyed a number of Hindu temples. In this atmosphere
of religious antagonism, the Adi Guru Granth gave the message
a new dimension by combining inner unity amid apparent diversity
of different religions. According to the Holy Granth all
the religions have different ways to attain spirituality.
The Adi Guru Granth ushered in a new era of religious understanding
by defining religion in the simplest possible terms, viz.,
religion consisted of only two things – love of name
of God and purity of conduct. It has never been challenged
by follower of any religion so far. He wrote in a hymn:
Of all religions, the best is the practice of
Name with purity of conduct.
Off all rites the best in to purge one’s heart of
filth
and evil tendencies by associations
with those who have disciplined themselves.
Of all devotional practices,
the best is the constant application of heart of home.
Of all sacred text and most sacred is that
which one hears the praise of beloved utters it to others.
Of all holy places, the holiest is where one feels
the stir of the Name of one’s heart.4
This was a new orientation of religions, which revolutionized
the old conception that one’s own doxy was orthodoxy
and everybody else’s was heterodoxy. The Sikh scripture
does not approve the mass of formalities and extraneous
observances and emphasizes that the real spirit of religion
is hidden beneath these conventions The true religion only
consists of love of God and good conduct. It exhorted:
One God is father, we all human beings are his children.5
Toleration is the key of the teachings of the Adi Guru Granth.
Usually no religion considers other religions equal to itself.
It is only the Adi Guru Granth, which recognises that all
religious dispensations are capable of elevating the human
soul. It has been stated in a hymn:
The world is burning, save it O God out of Thy Mercy
Save it through whichever dispensation it can be saved.6
Morality cannot be separated from religion. Remembering
God or meditation of God requires an ethical life. An immoral
person is neither worthy of nor attains the love of God.
In this way the ethical life and belief in the reality of
loving God go together. Guru Nanak, the founder of Sikhism
stated that realisation of God as truth ought to be an indication
in the conduct (achaar) of a person. When we realise God
that implies that we imbibe the virtues of God, viz., kindness,
forgiveness, service, etc. The holy man realises God in
this way:
r[ow[fy j't? ;'Jh p{M? r[D efj r[Dh ;wktfDnk..7
Social
Values
The Adi Guru Granth advocates shunning of class, caste and
creed and vehemently stressed the equality of mankind. It
gives highest respect to the divinity of man – ‘man
tu jot saroop hai’8 Man is the embodiment of God.
The caste system has been described as the ‘steel
frame’ of Hindu society. Guru Granth Sahib exhorted
to defy the rules of caste exclusiveness. “phakkar
jati phakar nao” preposterous is caste and vain is
the glory.9
Positive steps were taken in this direction. The Holy Granth
exhorted his followers to meet in congregation and take
meals in the common kitchen, viz., ‘Langar’
where they were to sit together, worship together and eat
together irrespective of the fact whether they belonged
to the higher or low castes. In this way Adi Guru Granth
inculcates the spirit of equality and brotherhood.
In the case of woman, Guru Granth grants equal status to
woman. Before the advent of Sikhism, woman was considered
impure. Sati was prevalent among the Hindu women. Guru Nanak,
the founder of Sikhism stated that ‘All creatures
were equal before God and that to make distinction among
them on the grounds of birth or sex, was sinful.10 In Asa
di Vaar, Guru Nanak has stated:
From woman is man born, inside her is he conceived
To woman is man engaged, and woman he marries
With woman is man’s companionship
From woman originates new generation
Should woman die, another is sought
By woman’s help man is kept restrained
Why revile her of whom are born great ones of the earth
From woman is born woman, no human being without woman
is born.
Only the True One is outside this circle of birth.11
In another stanza in Asa Di Vaar, Guru Nanak rejects the
prevalent superstition of impurity (sootak). According to
it a woman giving birth to a child remains in pollution
for a given number of days depending upon the caste to which
she belonged. The Guru Granth redefined the concept of impurity
and states that pollution is not in childbirth. Greed is
pollution of mind, lying the pollution of the tongue, looking
with covetousness upon another’s wealth and wife the
pollution of eye, and listening to slander the pollution
of ears.12
wB ek ;{se[ b'G[ j? fijtk ;{se[ e{V[ ..
nyh ;{se[ t/yDk go fsqn go XB o{g[ ..
ezBh ;{se[ ezfB g? bkfJspkoh ykfj ..
BkBe jz;k nkdwh pX/ iw g[fo ikfj ..2..
As against celibacy, which was considered essential for
spiritual uplift in ancient times, the Guru Granth recommended
householder’s life in which husband and wife were
equal partners. Fidelity was enjoined upon both as it has
been stated:
Not those be the true wedded couple that with each other
sit together,
Truly wedded are those in two frames are as one light.13
Political Field
The Sikh scriptures have condemned political tyranny. The
atrocities committed by the soldiers of Babar, the Mughal
emperor, have been described in detail in four hymns of
Guru Nanak. The corruption in the administration has been
mentioned in the Asa di Vaar. I am not evaluating the working
of various political elites and various Afghan-Mughal political
institutions which have been given in my book entitled Guru
Granth as source of history. It is a lengthy subject therefore
only mention has been made here. Corruption was rampant,
as has been described in the following stanza:
Both avarice and sin are the king and minister
And falsehood is the Master of mints.
Lust, the assistant official is summoned and consulted
And they all sit together and chalk out evil plan.
The subjects are blind and without wisdom.
They satisfy the official fire with bribes.14
Economic Sphere
Guru Granth exhorts that the economy should be need-based.
Nobody should be extremely rich to dominate over others,
nor there should be poor people who cannot make both ends
meet and always hanker after money. Guru Arjun Dev says
in the holy Granth:
Anxiety abides in the home wherein lies much pelf
Where it is lacking, man wander about in search after
it.
Happy is one that from either is free.15
In the economic system advocated by the Sikh scriptures
there should be no poverty. The lowly and the poor should
be properly looked after as Guru Nanak says:
Lord thy Grace falls on the land where the poor are cherished.16
Guru Granth emphasises the life of contentment and high
thinking, viz., Sat, Santokh, Vichare. In such a state of
affairs there could not be any corruption in any form, Guru
Granth has described such society in one of the hymns:
Coarse food grains coming from the holy is equal to all
treasures
Thirty six viands from the reprobate home are poison.17
The Sikh scripture lays stress on hard work and sharing
of one's earnings with others. It has been clearly stated:
Those who eat the bread of their labour and give away
something in charity,
Said Nanak truly recognise the way.18
Living by alms as a recluse is prohibited. It also forbids
withdrawal from society and leading the life of recluse.
Education System And Technology
The Sikh Gurus are in favour of high learning and adopting
science and technology for the benefit of society . ‘Gurparsadi
vidya vichari parh parh pawe maan’19 Vidya vichari
taan parupkari.20 It implies that our education system should
be focused on wellfare of the society . This aim has become
universal now. Guru Granth is against destructive weapons
like atom bombs etc. which aim at destruction. In the Guru
Granth, it has been clearly stated that advancement in science
and technology which leads to destruction of mankind is
not desirable:
Better than waking is the dream state
Where with Lord we may abide.21
In order to save mankind from moral and spiritual degradation
resulting in the mad race of materialism, splitting of family
ties, and destructive weapons, the Adi Guru Granth exhorts
mankind to bring under control the five evil tendencies
inherent in man, viz., lust, rage, greed, attachment and
ego. According to the holy Granth, these evils can be tamed
by repetition of the name of God in holy congregation and
with the grace of the Guru:
May lust, wrath, avarices, attachment and egoism be eliminated
Nanak has sought shelter with the Lord
Master show Thy Grace.22
Some important quotes:
The following quotes of the Adi Guru Granth are significant
for understanding the value system of Sikh scripture.
To grab what is another’s is evil,
it’s as pork to Muslims and beef to the Hindus.23
Let such be seated on the throne as are fit.
Those alone are true kings.24
The true khatri is one who in heroic action engages
And in charitable action passes his life.25
Learned scholar, warrior hero, and king with umbrella,
none equals the devotees of God.26
Jog consists not in patched coat or in a Jogi’s
staff nor ashes smeared over the body. Jog consists not
in earrings worn or shaven head or blowing of horns. Abide
pure amid the impurities of the world, thus you find the
way of Jogis.27
~~~
Footnotes
1. Ramsay Muir, British Commonwealth da sankhep Itihas (Punjabi
translation) Punjabi University , Patiala, 1950, Vol. I,
p. 332.
2. Encyclopedia of Islam, Vol. II, p. 568.
3. Ceylon Literary Registrar, 1884, p. 63.
4. The Adi Guru Granth, p. 266.
5. Ibid., p. 611, J/e[ fgsk J/e; e/
jw pkfoe ..
6. Ibid., p. 853, irs[ ibzdk ofy b?
nkgDh feogk Xkfo .. fis[ d[nko? T[po? fss? b/j[ T[pkfo ..
7. Ibid., p. 110.
8. Ibid., p. 441.
9. Ibid., p. 83.
10. Encyclopaedia of Sikhism, Vol. 4. p. 442.
11. The Adi Guru Granth, p. 473, Gzfv
izwhn? Gzfv fBzwhn? Gzfv wzrD[ thnkj[.. Gzvj[ j't? d';sh
Gzvj[ ub? okj[ .. Gzv[ w[nk Gzv[ Gkbhn? Gzfv j't? pzXkB[
.. ;' feT[ wzdk nkyhn? fis[ izwfj okikB .. Gzvj[ jh Gzv
T{gi/ Gzv? pkM[ Bk e'fJ .. BkBe Gzv? pkjok J/e' ;uk ;'fJ
..
12. Ibid., p. 472.
13. Ibid., p. 288, XB fgo[ J/j B nkyhnfB
pjfB fJem/ j'fJ .. J/e i'fs d[fJ w{osh XB fgo[ ejhn? ;'fJ
..
14. Ibid., p. 469, b[p[ gkg[ d[fJ okik
wjsk e{V[ j'nk f;edko .. ekw[ B/p[ ;fd g[Shn? pfj pfj eo/
ftuko[ .. nzXh o:fs frnkB ftj{Dh Gkfj Go/ w[odko[ ..
15. Ibid., p. 1019, fi;[ frqfj pj[s
fs;? frqfj fuzsk .. fi;[ frqfj E'oh ;[ fco? Gqwzsk .. d[j{
fpt;Ek s/ i' w[esk ;'Jh ;[j/bk Gkbhn? ..1..
16. Ibid., p. 15, fiE/ Bhu ;wkbh nfs
fsE/ Bdo s/oh pyFhF ..
17. Ibid., p. 811, ;zsB ek dkBk o{yk
;' ;op fBXkB.. frqfj ;kes Sshj gqeko s/ fpy{ ;wkB ..
18. Ibid., p. 1245. Gwil
Kwie ikCu hQhu dyie ] nwnk rwhu pCwxih syie ]
19. Ibid., p. 1324.
20. Ibid., p. 356.
21. Ibid., p. 816, ikrB s/ ;[cBk Gbk
p;hn? gqG ;zfr ..
22. Ibid., p. 269. ekw e'qX no[ b'G
w'j fpBf; ikfJ njzw/t.. BkBe gqG ;oBkrsh efo gq;kfd r[od/t
..
23. Ibid., p. 141.je[ gokfJnk BkBek
T[;{ ;{no T[;[ rkfJ ..
24. Ibid., p. 1088, syfs okik ;' pj?
fi sys? bkfJe j'Jh ..
25. Ibid., p.1411, ysqh ;' i[ eowk
ek ;{o[ .. gz[zB dkB ek eo? ;oho[ ..
26. Ibid., p. 858, gzvs ;{o Ssqgs okik
Grs pokpo nto B e'fJ ..
27. Ibid., p. 730, i'r[ B fyzEk i'r[
B vzv? i'r[ B G;w uVkJhn?/ .. i'r[ B wz[dh w{zfv w[vkfJn?
i'r[ B f;zCh tkJhn? .. nziB wkfj fBoziB ojhn? i'r i[rfs
fJt gkJhn? ..
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