ARRIVAL OF GURU NANAK
Several religions existed before Guru Nanak arrived on our mortal earth in the 15th Century. However, not many people practised true religion. Religious leaders had become very arrogant and greedy whilst the political leaders craved only for power. No one gave a thought for the poor. The followers of the two main religions Hinduism and Islam argued amongst themselves and did not follow the true principles of their own faith. The common man suffered endlessly.
It was in these times that Guru Nanak arrived. The world was very troubled and its people very oppressed. It is the Law of God that whenever cruelty and injustice crosses its limits He sends an Avtaar (messiah, prophet, spiritual saviour) to our troubled Earth. An Avtaar of Guru Nanak’s calibre only comes once in a Yuga (Yug or Yuga is an era, cycle of age). The Earth has existed for millions of years and according to Hindu scriptures its time has been divided into Four Yugas (Four Ages):
- Sat Yug or Satyug (the age of complete truth – duration 1,728,000 years)
- Treta Yug (the age of 75% truth – duration 1,296,000 years)
- Duaper Yug (the age of 50% truth – duration 864,000 years)
- Kal Yug or Kalyug (the age of spiritual darkness and ignorance – duration 432,000 years)
Although the Yugas are mentioned in Guru Granth Sahib as folklore had it at the time, Gurmat does not subscribe to the idea that Yugas are time bound or existed separately in isolation. According to Sikh beliefs they exist simultaneously and the dominance of one over the other changes from time to time. Currently the world is increasingly under the influence of greed and spiritual darkness, The others too run as secondary influences, the permutation and combination changes according to time and region.
Guru Nanak was ‘sarab kalaa smapooran’, meaning he was complete in every art and science of the spiritual world. God sent him as His emissary, a saviour in human form, to deliver mankind of its misery and suffering. He championed the interests of Hindus and Muslims alike.
Although the nine successor Gurus came in separate human forms, the Spiritual Light which glowed in them was the same as that of Nanak. In fact we also refer to each of them as Nanak, Guru Gobind Singh the tenth Guru being the Tenth Nanak. Just before Guru Gobind Singh departed from this earth he installed Adi Granth (literally meaning the First Book) as the Final Guru of the Sikhs in the form of Guru Granth Sahib. Sikhs give Guru Granth Sahib the same respect as they gave to the living Gurus. In our daily prayer (ardaas) we refer to Guru Granth Sahib as the Spiritual Light of the Ten Gurus (dasaan Guruaan di Jyot).
In this Dark Age Guru Granth Sahib is our Guru, our Saviour and our Guide. A Sikh must not look to any other spiritual source other than Guru Granth Sahib and Sikh Scriptures. A Sikh whilst respecting other religions and their figure heads must only pay homage to the Sikh Gurus, the current one being Guru Granth Sahib, He must not worship anyone else, living or dead. Guru Granth Sahib has all the answers to our troubles.
Guru Granth Sahib (Adi Granth) commences with Japji Sahib, the Morning Prayer, composed by Guru Nanak Dev. Japji Sahib is the summary of the rest of the Adi Granth.
The successors Gurus expanded on this theme. They did not alter Guru Nanak’s spiritual policy or philosophy in any way. They merely expanded his message and explained it in greater detail. Apart from Guru Nanak, Guru Granth sahib contains the hymns of five other Gurus and all of them signed off their compositions as Nanak, signifying that it comes from the same source, the House of Nanak. Guru Granth Sahib will be discussed in more detail in the forthcoming articles.
Note:
The author respects other peoples’ beliefs. No part of this article is, therefore, intended as a criticism of other creeds or faiths.
Rajinder Singh ‘Arshi’
September 2008