General Re: Slander Of Dasam Granth At Sikh Philosophy Network
- Status
The Khalsa Fauj
SPNer
- Dec 1, 2006
- 315
- 186
Inder Singh you are over 82, who knows how many years you have left to jup naam. Why are you wasting your time promoting sexual stories from Dasam Granth? You won't achieve mukat by promoting sexual stories from Dasam Granth. Let me give you another sample:
mn Bwvq ko Bog kmwey[ idn bjwr mih iknUM n pwey[ Ast khwrn ky kMD aUpr[ jWGY leI mIq Buj dUpr[ 17[ jXo jXo clI pwlkI jwvY[ qXo pRIqm ctky ctkwvY[ lhY khwr pwlkI cir kY[ qXo qXo ghY kMD idRV kir kY[ 18[ {cirqr 119, 4.4, 95}
Mun Bhaavat Ko Bhoag Kmaaye| Din Bjaar Mahe Kinoo Na Paaye| Aasat Khaaran Kay Kundh Oupar| Jaangai Laeee Meet Bhuj Doupar| 17| Jayo Jayo Chalee Paalkee Jaavai| Tayo Preetam Chatkau Chatkaavai| Lhai Khaar Paalkee Char Kai| Tayo Tayo Ghai Kandh Darirh Kar Kai| 18|
They had desirable sexual intercourse. Even in the day time, no one was looking towards them in the bazaar. Eight men were carrying the palanquin with boyfriend and princess inside. Boyfriend was holding both legs of princess in his arms. 17. As the palanquin moved, both were pushing and banging. When there were shrieks coming from the palanquin, carriers held the palanquin even tighter. 18.
Kyon Inder Singh?? Eh Naam Rass jaa Kaam Rass?
mn Bwvq ko Bog kmwey[ idn bjwr mih iknUM n pwey[ Ast khwrn ky kMD aUpr[ jWGY leI mIq Buj dUpr[ 17[ jXo jXo clI pwlkI jwvY[ qXo pRIqm ctky ctkwvY[ lhY khwr pwlkI cir kY[ qXo qXo ghY kMD idRV kir kY[ 18[ {cirqr 119, 4.4, 95}
Mun Bhaavat Ko Bhoag Kmaaye| Din Bjaar Mahe Kinoo Na Paaye| Aasat Khaaran Kay Kundh Oupar| Jaangai Laeee Meet Bhuj Doupar| 17| Jayo Jayo Chalee Paalkee Jaavai| Tayo Preetam Chatkau Chatkaavai| Lhai Khaar Paalkee Char Kai| Tayo Tayo Ghai Kandh Darirh Kar Kai| 18|
They had desirable sexual intercourse. Even in the day time, no one was looking towards them in the bazaar. Eight men were carrying the palanquin with boyfriend and princess inside. Boyfriend was holding both legs of princess in his arms. 17. As the palanquin moved, both were pushing and banging. When there were shrieks coming from the palanquin, carriers held the palanquin even tighter. 18.
Kyon Inder Singh?? Eh Naam Rass jaa Kaam Rass?
Inder ji
It is true that Khalsa Fauj was warned but it is not clear to me that the translation of that line was the reason. Could you please tell me what you understand the line to mean so I can get to the bottom of any misunderstanding of Khalsa ji's intentions.
One can see clearly why Guru Gobind Singh named Sri Guru Granth Sahib as the eternal guru, instead of another human being.
It is true that Khalsa Fauj was warned but it is not clear to me that the translation of that line was the reason. Could you please tell me what you understand the line to mean so I can get to the bottom of any misunderstanding of Khalsa ji's intentions.
One can see clearly why Guru Gobind Singh named Sri Guru Granth Sahib as the eternal guru, instead of another human being.
Very well I have waited for a while for an answer. The thread will be closed until another moderator can take over. We can return to the translation later.
Sorry to have to do this.
P/S I have some recollection of the warning from Aman Singh ji that you refer to. It is my recollection that the warning occurred in a different thread on a different subject. It did not have relevance to the verse that you object to.
When the thread re-opens we can return to this matter.
Sorry to have to do this.
P/S I have some recollection of the warning from Aman Singh ji that you refer to. It is my recollection that the warning occurred in a different thread on a different subject. It did not have relevance to the verse that you object to.
When the thread re-opens we can return to this matter.
NOt Slander an Opinion.
Try Again
Not Slander
Another opnion
Not Slander
An Opinion
Try Again
No Slander
An Opinion
Try Again
No Slander
He is expressing an opinion. It maybe a direct insult on you however.
No Slander
An Opinion
Try Again.
VERDICT
No evidence of slander anywhere just differences of opinion.
Several people have called this so called letter of Bhai mani Singh a FAKE. Inder himself debated about it on other Forums...Dr Jaggi has also said it is a Fake because of language/padchhed wordings etc....
AM i supposed to be "slandering" Bhai mani Singh or the FAKE Letter writer ??
The letter is not only FAKE but also insults Bhai mani Singh by saying he has GAS problems...gas problems are for Dhotee wearing PANDITS who eat free RICH food by the Greatest Quantity...HOW COULD a NAAM SIMRAN 24/7 type of JINDA SHAHEED like Bhai Mani Singh have GAS Problems ?? He was NOT a POT BELLIED Brahmin Priest gorging himself on Sharadh foods..he was ahardworking Living Shaheed who stood by and cut limb by limb even without a single gasp of pain...just WAHEGURU...Waheguru.. THIS letter INSULTS him...BUT then INSULTS come easily to some...:shy::crazy:
AM i supposed to be "slandering" Bhai mani Singh or the FAKE Letter writer ??
The letter is not only FAKE but also insults Bhai mani Singh by saying he has GAS problems...gas problems are for Dhotee wearing PANDITS who eat free RICH food by the Greatest Quantity...HOW COULD a NAAM SIMRAN 24/7 type of JINDA SHAHEED like Bhai Mani Singh have GAS Problems ?? He was NOT a POT BELLIED Brahmin Priest gorging himself on Sharadh foods..he was ahardworking Living Shaheed who stood by and cut limb by limb even without a single gasp of pain...just WAHEGURU...Waheguru.. THIS letter INSULTS him...BUT then INSULTS come easily to some...:shy::crazy:
HERE IS WHAT PROF HARINDER SINGH MEHBOOB..AUTHOR OF SEHAJ RACHIO KHALSA HAS TO SAY ABOUT DG:
INTERNET LINK:
DOC] DASAM GRANTH: THE QUESTION OF AUTHENTICITY By Prof. Harinder Singh ...
File Format: Microsoft Word - View as HTML
So the said - Bir is spurious, and it looks more spurious after emergence of the forged letter of Bhai Mani Singh. The disclosure of fake Khas Dastkhati ...
www.globalsikhstudies.net/.../Dasam Granth Authenticity-Harinder Singh%20Mehboob.doc - Similar
DASAM GRANTH[/FONT]:[/FONT]
[/FONT]THE QUESTION OF AUTHENTICITY[/FONT]
[/FONT]
When the earthly sojourn of the 10th Master was nearing its end at Nanded, he gathered the small bunch of his devout followers around him, and declared in an emphatic but revelational tone, “I am soon leaving my visible abode of divine law ( Drmswl-jpujI ), but I will not leave you in utter loneliness. I entrust to the ambrosial reservoir of immortal Word“ the finality of which is preserved by my super insight in the Damdami Bir. I bestow the divine gift of Gurgaddi upon Guru Granth Sahib ----“an everlasting spirit of the Ten Guru-Prophets." These echoes of divine Faith made a powerful tradition which had appeared in all channels of history of the Khalsa, facing no obstruction in its continuity. The Sikhs have been making solutions to their great Scripture, and thus paying their obeisance to no other Scripture as their Guru, since the physical departure of the 10th Master. No student of history witnesses any gap, any contradiction and any obstruction in the endless flow of this divine practice. Thus the prophetic faith of Guru Gobind Singh, transcending all illusory forms of knowledge and rejecting all false masks of poesy, but embracing none but the Supreme Word revealed his final commitment to Guru Granth Sahib as the only eternal Guru of the Khalsa.
Guru Gobind Singh never mentioned existential validity as well as the historic whereabouts of Dasam Granth anywhere. The tenth Guru didn't give any clue of a single volume of Dasam Granth as revealed or compiled by him. Sainapat (another of "Sri Gur Sobha") and Koer Singh (author of "Gur Bilas Patshahi Das") were, undoubtedly, influenced by some unauthentic but contemporary poetic compositions such as "Bachitar Natak" (the fabulous autobiography of the 10th Guru) and 'Chandi Charitars' (I & II) which were incorporated in one of the so called Dasa Granths (actually voluminous collections of different "Bachitar Nataks") near the first half of the 18th century, but these two famous poets didn't give any trace of the existence of a single volume of Dasam Granth in their epics. So I conclude, in all humility, that the title of Dasam Granth is a misnomer.
Guru Gobind Singh was not the author of the bulky part of Dasam Granth. I ascribe only a slim part of it to his genuine authorship. Even this slim part, which includes Gap, Akal Ustat,
Shabad Hazare, Swayyas and Zafarnama, does not become a single whole, displaying and contemplating its structural beauty. The arrangement of compiling of these highly socio-metaphysical compositions of the master is arbitrary. Therefore, we see that these true Dasam Guru-Banis are scattered in a haphazard manner in Dasam Granth. There is an exception also. We witness an absurd intrusion of Brahamanical reflexes in Akal Ustat. The devotee finds 20 Kiratas (numbers 210 to 230) eulogizing Chandi (other names Durga, Bhagwati and Siva). Thus even here the purity of genuine text is impaired by the false compilers.
I divide this paper in the following sections to justify my analytical conclusions, long cherished poetic experiences and meditations on the metaphysical sikh literature.
1) DASAM GRANTH VERSUS GURU GRANTH SAHIB
The blessed status of an eternal spiritual preceptor granted to Guru Granth Sahib in his final meeting with the Khalsa shows that Guru Gobind Singh's contemplative understanding of Gurgaddi to his scripture was perfect. It proves that he was in an absolute command of plunging deeply into the far reaching mysteries of Guru Granth Sahib. It means the tenth master would never betray his distinct religious cause as envisioned in Guru Granth Sahib like Minerva - insights awakening the age-long human ordeals of truthful struggles. How could he contradict the unique transmutation of rare Guru inspiration of his Guru Scripture by incorporating in Dasam Granth the stale, stereotyped and static descriptions of mythological characters of feeble symbolical significance and artificial combinations of explosive sounds?
(a) GOD, GODDESSES & AVTARS IN DASAM GRANTH:
The authors of Dasam Granth in 'Chandi Charitars' (Parts I, II) shower praises on the Chandi and her other manifestations in profusion, bring forth twenty four incarnation of Vishnu in "Chaubis Avtar, give seven mythological descriptions of Brahma in 'Brahma Avtar' and describe two forms of Rudra (Siva) in 'Rudra Avtar' in such a manner that these Brahamanical Gods, Goddesses and Avtars inevitably tend to become the center of worship for the devotees of other religions. Thus these heroes of Hindu Mythology create a hotchpotch situation in the pure conceptual centers of Sikhism also.
Dasam Granth concludes in some scattered lines that the purpose of these poetical narrations of mythological gods/goddesses is to intensify the religious felicity in the hearts of devotees (i.e. the Khalsa) to escalate lawful battles against the opponents of God. In my humble opinion this statement should would prove to be a wrong hypothesis as the bulky size of the descriptions of Brahamanical Gods doesn't justify their declared purposes of holy war. The reader is caught in the meshes of ritualistic worship of these Hindu Gods, and as a result of the dense mythological atmosphere will never allow the devotees to realize the sanctity, faith and fervor of the religious mission as propounded in the concluding sections of these gods and goddesses. The declared pious mission becomes meaningless and stands isolated. It is in reality a misguiding hallucination. The poetical presentation of the fables of gods, goddesses and Avtars are a shrewd device to prepare the Khalsa - consciousness to surrender itself to the mythological heroes and heroines of the Brahamanical Cult. Thus the declared missionary slogans in the poetical compositions of Dasam Granth are false temptations. The dominating Brahamanical atmosphere in these fables becomes an arbitrary movement which ensnares ultimately the natural freedom of Khalsa-Mind. The pious manifests of religious battles as mentioned in Bachitar-Natak and other poetical compositions of Dasam Granth becomes null and void when it is followed by the paraphernalia of inert tales. The brief but sacred claims made in these pansanic Kathas find themselves enveloped in the superstitions contents, false assumptions and disconnected visions.
The gods, goddesses and Avtars of Indian Mythology along with ancient Hindu Scriptures are not used in Guru Granth Sahib as full fledged, exuberant and self-dependent personalities of super-status transmitting themselves into independent worship centers. They are merely used in Adi Granth as literary illustrations of some higher truth, symbols, metaphors, similes or sole references. Their role doesn't move beyond the main/dominating contents of Guru Granth Sahib. They never aspire to establish the limited sovereignty of their divinity over the vast devotional system of Guru Granth Sahib. Their existence serve the solitary purpose of enhancing their literary genres. Vishnu, Shiva, Ram, Krishan and devis and so many other manifestations in their line never transcend the spiritual fabric of Guru Granth Sahib, posing themselves as free spiritual preceptors.
As far as vision of God is concerned, Dasam Granth, with the exception of five Banis, presents a perspective which is contrary to the vision and total sensibility of Guru Granth Sahib. Leaving aside the question of Supreme Reality without any substitute, it gives priority to the worship of countless godly existences. In human thought and imagination they move freely in their supernatural realms, but practically they descend on earth in their solid, stagnant and shrunk forms as idols for worship. The flat and single layered consciousness of mythological forms doesn't make proper harmony with abstract realms of divinity of Guru Granth Sahib. The result is that anthropomorphic existences in their super frenzy dominate the bulky sections of Dasam Granth. The dense and nebulous pageants of the haphazard dramas ( nwtk ) of Indian Mythology-cum-history do not allow a free entry into the spheres of divine realization of one God of Guru Granth Sahib. With the exception of five Banis Dasam Granth doesn't present a harmonious vision that leads the prayers of Man to the Region of eternal Truth ( sc KMf-jpujI ) when only the bliss of One God burgeons forth. In Dasam Granth, the isolated poetic sensibilities of heterogeneous contents, structural deformity and hotchpotch compilations dominate. The unbalanced literary genres of Dasam Granth do no prove the credibility of their declared purposes and unified vision. The bulky size of its dominating material convinces the reader definitely of its original impulse relating to Avtar-worship. It shows a world of difference between Guru Granth Sahib and Dasam Granth.
(b) RELIGIOUS BATTLES; EXPLOSIVE SOUNDS; WORSHIP OF WEAPONS:
According to numerous religious commentators of Sikhism, the battles, described in the different poetical compositions of Dasam Granth are not flat descriptions of fabulous turmoils that are supposed to be enacted in the supernatural world of gods and goddesses. So many Sikh commentators believe that those battles being fought between Good and Evil on the different planes of universal Existence are symbolical, justifying the radiant struggles of divine forces and their final victory against the intriguing arrogance of super devilish agencies.
Now I take liberty to disagree with the learned scholars on this point. The holy battles envisioned in the contents of Bachitar Natak, Chaubis Avtar and other stories of Avtars do not transcend hegemony of Brahamanical reflexes, pretensions of human pride, pettiness of mundane interests of man, exaggerative heroism, and above all the boastful attitude of godly /religious crusaders. Therefore, holy battles being sung in poetic compositions of Dasam Granth seldom qualify to plunge deeply into blissful experience of oceanic depths of one God, enjoying eternally his absolute freedom in Guru Granth Sahib. The holy battles belong to the limited but repeated exercises of Brahamanical instincts which enjoy the dominance of their priest-savagery, freely enacted and highlighted in these dramatic battles of Dasam Granth. If the reader tries to enhance other meanings of the said battles, the results will be forced interpretation of the text. For example, Dr. Gurbhagat Singh, without giving any satisfactory perspective of "religio-martial texts" explains in his "Sikhism And Postmodern Thought". The purpose of using "the explosive language" full of "binaric tensions" in the following words:
1) The sharpened binaric sounds arranged in their fierceness to clank like swords, to twang like arrows or to pierce like bullets were intended to shatter the decadent environment and
at the same time create a new person of a different bio-
consciousness. (Page 134).
2) The meta-intention behind this was to affect the biology of the reader, to give a new nervous system.
3) By creating his martial infra-structure of language, the Guru was certainly trying to reverse the bio-functioning of his reader, who was obviously either the decadent Muslim or the exhausted Hindu of his times.......(Page 135). do not believe with the learned scholar's viewpoint on the following logical grounds:
a) The texts upon which the learned Doctor draws his formulations are unable to produce sufficiently the thematic integrity of their literary visions, the harmonious wholeness of their cosmic logic, the creative continuity of their intrinsic virtues and the invisible profundity of a balanced universal Truth.
b) The learned doctor totally insolates his main ideas, speculations and philosophic flights from the intrinsic experience of those texts upon which he seems to concentrate his theory. A thinker cannot create "a new person of a different bio-consciousness" in the absence of proper context of life-material and without the multifarious support of the complete and flawless cosmic vision. The visionary attempts to create the "binaric tensions", "explosive sound-combinations" and "a new nervous system" would lead the human consciousness to a blind alley without the timely help of proper material and without the participations of a same guiding spirit.
c) There is no possibility in the 'mortal structure of language' of Dasam Granth to infuse an inspired collection courage or an enlightened spiritual bliss into the minds of oppressed classes (both Muslims and Hindus). in the absence of an idea text fulfilling the cosmic needs of a multi-layered lyrical genius of Guru Granth Sahib. Otherwise the attempt to create the collective fervor of social victory would prove to be an artificial assumption or the short-lived mirage of intellect.
Sensing the futility of his unpracticable ideology and unconsciously building up its defence Dr. Gurbhagat Singh says:
"If these explosive sound-combinations are flaming red without the context, they are blind; but within the context they are directed". In my opinion, the context is very much there, but its poor structure is without the breath of creativity. Its lethargic body (form) never throbs with vibrant intensity. So this theory that shows "how the martial sound becomes haloed and telic" is baseless and doesn't give any definite clue or creative proof of the authenticity of Dasam Granth to the seekers.
d) It is an irony of uncreative/mechanical knowledge that the "martial infra-structure of long age" (Page 135), eulogized profusely by the author of "Sikhism And Postmodern Thought" ultimately degenerates into the ritualistic worship of lifeless arms in Shastra Nam Mala. These arms producing the artificial music of chanting swords, flaming flashes of dazzling speed and the boisterous joy of fighters are related to the celebrated characters of Hindu Mythology such as Ravana, Karan, Krishan, MeghNad, Bali, and Arjana in the rhymed composition of Shastra Nam Mala. The divine arms in Dasam Granth, producing light and speed and looking haloed and sanctified, become dead objects of mechanical worship in their ending point. They deteriorate themselves into the absurd petrifactions of human consciousness. We cannot claim these static arms to be the symbols of some higher life. The manifestation of great truths need also a vast perspective of universal dimensions. "The martial red poem" (Page 140) envisioned by Dr. Gurbhagat Singh in Dasam Granth, is without proper context and no multi-dimensional artistic harmony supports its intrinsic hypothesis. The arms of Dasam Granth take the devotees to a stagnant point of idol-worship. This process negates mercurial human consciousness and meditative joy of Guru Granth Sahib.
2) THE QUESTION OF SCRIPTUAL AUTHENTICITY OF WOMAN IMAGE IN DASAM GRANTH
The texts of Charitrapakhyan and Hakayats incorporated in Dasam Granth remain at a far-off distance from the sublimest point of scriptural experience of Guru Granth Sahib. The vast vision of Damdami Bir which encompasses the metaphysical dimensions of timeless bliss, apical grandeur of multifarious truth, mystical nuances of divine thrill, handsome proportions of universal life and a serene union of visible-invisible spiritual perspectives is absent from the enormous text of Charitrapakhyan. The experience of Charitrapakhyan and Hakayats is shallow, disproportionate and extravagant. It doesn't add any aesthetic serenity to the mystical/spiritual existence of woman-image of Guru Granth Sahib. The descriptions of Charitropakhyan bring out the lewdness of a corrupt society. These compositions are unable to explore any deep psychology. Charitropakhyan versifies particularly in an immoral vein the fantastic manners of unchaste woman. When the reader applies literary canons to valuate Chartiropakhyan, its text remains below the mediocre genres of fine literature. The reader finds no visionary quest of Guru Granth Sahib in the pages of Charitropakhyan which present an obscene drama of monstrous libidinous containing more than four hundred pageants of degenerate humanity. There are, undoubtedly, the lyrical illustrations of the role of unchaste woman in Guru Granth Sahib, but these literary genres never break the sanctity of its supreme woman-image. The uncontrollable and intriguing sexual impulses of women in Charitropakhyan shatter the scriptural balance /harmony and natural poise of sublime aspects of woman-image of Guru Granth Sahib which give her a permanent place or existential naturalness in the spiritual fabrics of society. So I conclude that the contents of
Charitropakhyan are anti-Guru Granth Sahib. The tenth Guru would never disown his final commitment by creating such a mundane and inartistic voice against the metaphysical canons of Guru Granth Sahib ------ the everlasting spiritual light of the Khalsa.
3) AUTHORSHIP OF BACHITAR NANAK ASCRIBED WRONGFULLY TO GURU GOBIND SINGH
After probing into the multiplicity of historical facts of Guru-Times and studying the profound socio-spiritual values of Guru Granth Sahib I formulated this firm opinion in Sehje Rachio Khalsa that a man fo true Sikh psyche cannot ascribe the authorship of Bachitar Natak to the 10th Guru. I cite some cardinal points of my logical conviction regarding the authorship of Bachitar Natak below:
a) Ignorance of the most conspicuous fact of Guru Arjan's martyrdom:
Guru Arjan's martyrdom was not known to the unknown author of Bachitar-Natak. While composing his poetic narrative the poet got an appropriate opportunity to grasp the most significant moment of history, but the ignorance of 5th Guru's martyrdom failed him. His mind was too blank to mention it.
I admit that the poets often take liberty with their subject matter or contents in the form of so many poetic licenses and artistic devices in the process of their creations. While creating poetic signs, symbols, metaphors, similes and above all multi-layered socio-cultural semitic, the art of poetry enjoys enough freedom transmitting its raw material into fresh myriad forms. I admit that in the process of poetic creation the given objective reality offers a vast scope of change and there remains every possibility that the given contents may blossom forth into new metamorphic spectrums of life. If the essential material of poetic compositions contains the distinct features of history, geography and the presence of heroic person in the center of historic happenings, the art of poesy in spite of its generous acceptance and flexibility cannot avoid the basic and most representative feature of a particular historic fact.
In canto V of Bachitar-Natak the poet mentions the pious row of first nine Gurus. There is only a brief space of four lines between the names of Guru Arjan Sahib and Guru Tegh Bahadur Sahib. The poet devotes twelve lines to the nostalgic description of Guru Tegh Bahadur's martyrdom. He highlights, though purely in his Brahamanical way, this marvelous sacrifice in a nostalgic vein and lavishes praises in profusion on the exemplary perseverance of the 9th Guru. It seems unnatural that Bachitar Natak does not bring even a far-fetched hint to recollect the martyrdom of the fifth Guru. When there exists a short span of four lines between the two names of said Gurus, such a lapse on the part of the poet shows that there shimmers no glorious sign of intense past in his memory. The poet of Bachitar-Natak treats the physical disappearance of the fifth Master like the general demise of human beings. Had Guru Gobind Singh been the author of Bachitar-Natak, he would have, in the present context, given at least a reverential hint of his great grandfather's splendid sacrifice.
b) Absence of Pir Budhu Shah's role in the Battle of Bhangani:
All the historical details and collective oral traditions are of the opinion that Pir Budhu Shah was the most prominent character of Bhangani Battle. Even the naive poetic logic of Bachitar Natak cannot ignore the blessed presence of the Sufi Saint-Soldier who stands inevitably in the very center of the famous historic battle of Bhangani. Defending the noble cause of the 10th Master, he sacrificed his two sons and many pious followers in the ****** battle which was fought against the mountainous chiefs by the 10th Master. Pir Budhu Shah received abundant blessings, deep affection and personal relics from Guru Gobind Singh. Thus he became a forerunner, signalling beforehand the heroic martyrdom of Guru's four sons and great sacrifices of innumerable Sikhs. Only an immature author would forget to mention the conspicuous role played by a man of destiny like Budhu Shah in a very crucial battle of Guru's life. The obscure author of Bachitar Natak had not the least inkling of the solitary existence of Pir Budhu Shah, otherwise, he would have mentioned his role in the poetic annals of Bhangani battle. Guru Gobind Singh would never envision the battle of Bhangani without referring to the immortal role of Pir Ji. So, Bachitar-Natak is not authorized by him.
c) Dull Approach towards the Family History of Gurus:
The author of Bachitar-Natak exhibits gross ignorance regarding the family histories of second Guru and third Guru respectively. He was nourishing this mistaken idea that first three Gurus belong to the Bedi Sub-Caste, because his ignorance supported his stupid hypothesis declaring that Bedis would hand over Guruship to Sodhis in their next birth. The author didn't know that the sub-castes of Guru Angad and Guru Amar Das were Tehan and Bhalla respectively. (The words 'Bhalla' and 'Sodhi' are used in Guru Granth Sahib to hint at worldly identity of the Gurus. These words signifying the sub-castes of Gurus also serve the purpose of establishing the distinctive features of their family histories by having no spiritual context). The word 'Bhalla' is used in connection with the sub-caste of Guru Amar Das in Bhatt Swayas. The final version of Guru Granth Sahib was prepared under the supervision of Guru Gobind Singh who bestowed eternal Guruship upon it at his eleventh hour. So, I bring this fact to the kind notice of my readers, if the author of Bachitar-Natak is Guru Gobind Singh he must have known at least the exact sub-caste of the third Guru, because the word Bhalla, with its elaborative context, exists in the Sikh Scripture. (The knowledge of the work Tehan, the sub-caste of the 2nd Guru before Gurgaddi, would also not betray the memory of the Master).
d) Wrong Chronological Order of Relating to the Spiritual Preceptors:
In the 6th canto of Bachitar Natak the poet presents a rhymed list of religious seekers along with some vague comments, but he disobeys the right historic sequence concerning the advent of two religious personalities. According to the chronological or of Bachitar-Natak prophet Muhammad (Mahan Din) appears on the canvas of history after Ramanand. There arises no inevitable need of literary form, no creative demand of symbolism, no powerful momentum of life experience, no irresistible call of the mysterious circles of Time and no exuberant movement of visionary semiotics, which might dictate the essential poetic logic to change the normal course of objective history. In spite of that all the authors of Bhachitar-Natak create wrong chronological order placing Mohammad after Ramanand out of his blind ignorance. Guru Gobind Singh who was well versant scholar of Islamic History. There was not the least possibility on his part to commit such a gross error.
e) An Estranged Image of Anandpur Without the Full-Fledged Historic Presence of the 10th Master.
The 7th canto of Bachitar-Natak mentions that the 10th Master was brought to the Punjab from Patna in his childhood, but in this context the author didn't allude to the existence of Aandpur. After the martyrdom of his father he spent many meditative years there. The prophetic experience of the 10th Master passed through many phases of divine enlightenment at Anandpur, but the poet didn't reveal the name of the town even and remained silent about its existence in the 7th canto of Bachitar Natak. In canto VIII the author informs the reader that the 10th Prophet proceeded to Patna, won the battle of Bhangani after some years, visited Kahloor and established a town called Anandpur. This brief statement is a self-evident proof that the author has misplaced all significant historical situations associated with Guru Gobind Singh. Even a common reader of history knows that Guru Tegh Bahadur laid the foundation stone of Anandpur and Guru Gobind Singh received the divine status of Gurgaddi there. By releasing such a distorted image of Anandpur that annihilates the right perspective of Gurus presence related to it, the author of Bachitar-Natak cannot claim himself to be Guru Gobind Singh.
f) The Immature Vision of Religious Crises and Unjustifiable Criticism of Islam:
The author of Bachitar-Natak is too immature to judge the historical processes of religious crises. He is unable to understand the subtle wholeness of a particular religion which distinguishes it from its small sects. When the decline of Hinduism appears on its historical surface, he passes harshly the sweeping judgements on its disruptive segments. The author is ignorant of the fact that in spite of the ritualistic tendencies leaving behind the perfection of its moral values, those Hindu Sects have positively many divine element also. An adamant egoistical tone of Bachitar-Natak is not justified to brush aside the importance of those Sects by making their followers look like atheistic nincompoops. Again, such a harshness rooted in illogical prejudices builds up no justification of the advent of the 10th Master. India had been creating the subtlest patterns of religious thoughts of infinite variety since the birth of the Vedas. The vast vision of history and a true realization of abstract channels of life make this natural demand from a serious poet of prophetic consciousness to present wonderful realistic pageants of the rise and fall of the universal religions manifesting the logical culmination of the Khalsa. In Canto VI the poet of Bachitar-Natak gives some common place illustrations of religiously misguided characters of mythology basing his analysis on false assumptions. He creates a mazy narration of Mahander, Bisham, Brahma and general category of idolaters who alienated themselves from the true path of God in remote past. His declarations regarding the betrayal of the Gods are based on common hearsay without any authentic scholarly information. As the author doesn't understand the difference of mythology and the history of concrete facts, he fails to draw a convincing line of the different evolutions of the subtlest branches o f religious ideologies. Again, he makes a poor choice of the Theological characters to delineate his point of view. For example, Datta-Tray and Gorakh look like insignificant dim dots of meditative reflections of spiritual journey amidst the vast panorama of varied religious paths of ancient times. The religious experience of the author of Bachitar-Natak is too shallow to deserve its comparison with the poetical/philosophic analysis of varied religious branches, revealed specially in the first Var of Bhai Gardas. We find no justification to place the fresh manifestation of the Khalsa at the end of that line of immature presentations of spiritual preceptors as visualized by the author of Bachitar-Natak.
The obscure author of Bachitar-Natak gives a shocking treatment to the Prophet of Islam when he reaches the ending point of his tizada of condemnation against the certain religious paths and their crises. He underestimates the Prophet Muhammad in a disrespectful manner by declaring him simply the King of Arabia. Then he denies him indirectly the elevated status of Prophet and openly condemns him in an obscene language for circumcising all the kings.
Mahadin tab prabhu upraja ||
Arab des ko kino raja ||26||
Tin bhi ek panth upraja ||
Ling bina kiney sabh raja ||
Sabh te apna naam japao ||
Satnam kahoon na dhirao ||27||
(How ridiculous! What an absurdity! What an insulting manner to denounce a fellow religion! Is circumcision meant for Kings only? Did the common folks of Islam not adopt this symbolic ritual? Does circumcision mean for the Muslim Kings to be without copulative organs?)
The author of Bachitar Natak is bereft of the knowledge that the ritual of circumcision was in vogue in the Jewish world before the advent of Islam. Again he is too naive to understand the spiritual meaning of circumcision suggested by Guru Nanak in his Majh Ki Var. The version of zafarnama, the historic epistle addressed to Aurangzeb and his highly metaphysical composition entitled Japu, prove that Guru Gobind Singh respected the Holy Quran, understood the value of faith and accepted the prophetic magnanimity of Muhammad. Had the 10th Guru been the author of Bachitar Natak, he would not have contradicted his own message, conveyed so beautifully in his Japu Sahib, the most musical poem of metaphysical dimensions.
The collective genius of Sikhism in her powerful faith, encompassing the living memories of Time and her undisputed historical traditions bows to this general agreement that Guru Gobind Singh established Guru Granth Sahib on the eternal throne of socio-spiritual values belonging to the ten Gurus.
Again, it is a fact that Guru Granth Sahib accords the reverential serenity to the Holy Quran and Islamic prayer in its contents, but the tone of Bachitar Natak is totally different in this context. So its authorship will remain alien to Guru Gobind Singh.
CONCLUSION: The commentators who claim that Guru Gobind Singh is the author of entire Dasam Granth base their belief on two false assumptions which are as follows:
A) The believe that it was the prophetic mission of Dasam Guru to create in the Khalsa consciousness an invincible euphoria of religious battles against the contemporary Hindu feudal systems and mainly against the despotic Mughal Empire. Dr. Gurbhagat Singh develops a modern philosophic viewpoint of transcendental fervor of Guru's battles as manifested in his "religio-martial texts". The radiant enthusiasm "was meant as a cultural weapon to transform and restore the needed vitality".
I object to the above mentioned "notion of battle" which according to the zealous supporters of Dasam Granth functions as a pivotal force in its Chandi Charitars (including Chandi Di Yar) and Chaubis-Avtar. The said battles of gods, goddesses and demons are not symbolical in a profound creative sense, because they do not lead us to a new plane of reality higher than the visible surface of this life. Those battles simply place the reader (or the devotee) amidst the crude turmoils of the gods and demons. The flat and single layered descriptions of battles follow the slavish imitation of the bombastic style of Pirthvi Raj Raso in Bachitar-Natak. It is sufficient to prove that the said battles contain no "talic semiotic" as envisioned by Dr. Gurbhagat Singh. The idealism regarding the fights between good and evil is relegated to a stale moral precept of secondary place, but the supreme purpose of Dasam Granth remains to highlight the Brahamanical Guru-Status of gods and goddesses. The concluding two lines of Chandi Di Var invite the attention of the devotees to worship Durga:
Durga path banaya sabhey paurian ||
Fer na juuni aya jin eh gaya ||õõ||
(The goddess Durga has composed the recitation of
all the stanzas (of Chandi Di Var).
Every worshipper who recites it will attain
freedom from the cycles of birth and death). ||õõ||
I conclude that all the battles of gods and goddesses leave us with no other choice except tilting to the message of worshipping them. So it is impossible to associate the authorship of the complete text of Dasam Granth with the 10th Master.
B) The commentators who believe Guru Gobind Singh to be the sole creator of entire Dasam Granth delineate its second purpose saying that the 10th Prophet wanted to acquaint his Sikhs with the colorful religio-cultural heritage of India through his manifold poetic compositions compiled in Dasam Granth.
I think the above mentioned viewpoint is not valid enough in deciding the authenticity of authorship of Dasam Granth. I reject this clumsy idea of the impassioned votaries of Dasam Granth by advancing the following five arguments:
1) It has never been the role of any prophet before Guru Gobind Singh to educate his followers in such a mechanical sense like an educational plan of prosaic times. The blessed movement of a prophetic genius is more awe-inspiring, creative and winning than offering the sluggish genre of degenerating literary forms, such as Charitropakhyan and Hakayats.
2) Suppose it was the thoughtful scheme of the 10th Guru to instruct his followers by producing various poetic compositions of Dasam Granth, but in no case he would make a wrong choice of literary specimens. The bulky size of literature contained in Dasam Granth is not even a dim shadow of those Sublime, pure and aesthetic dimensions of literature which belong to the real and first rate heritage of India. Here we see that Chandi Charitars are brimming with bombastic verbosity, mechanical devices of revibrating word, pictures and conventional expressions of heroic feats.
Chaubis Avtar and other stories of gods/avtars present the grotesque pictures of mythological heroes with a mixture of heretics of shallow nature without origins.
.........The contents of Charitropakhyan are pregnant with obscene details of neurotic minds reflecting the one-sided, anti-aesthetic, degenerate activities and vices of sexually *******ed women of Vam Marag. Will the 10th Prophet impose on the consciousness of the Khalsa this superfluous and thoroughly anti-Gurmat material of disintegrated spirit to undo those healthy traditions of Gurmat balanced poise of Sehaj and majestic victories of spirit which were
brought about and then established by the previous nine Gurus and finally by the undisputed Scripture of the Khalsa?
3) With the exception of Japu, Akal Ustat (excluding 20 Kabits) and Swayyas the reader (devotee) observes that Dasam Granth changes its stand again and again in relation to the worship of One God. In the ending Swaya of Ramavatar the author declares in somewhat rude tone that being a votary of One God, he would not assign any divine status to Ram along with the religious ideas contained in the Shastras and Simarats. In Krishanavatar Dasam Granth asserts rather in an unsophisticated idiom of language that the stories of Ganesh, Krishan and Bishan are known to the poet in a mechanical sense only, but in reality those characters stand alien to his unshakable faith in one God (stanza-434).
Again in the first canto of Bachitar-Natak the author asserting as the champion worshipper of the Timeless Being, denies Ram, Krishan, Brahma, Shiv and Muhammad as the saviours of mankind. In spite of these denials and emphatic declarations the fundamental faith of the author expressed in the said poetic texts of Dasam Granth tilts towards the worship of Avtars, goddesses (specially Durga, Parvati, (Siva) and Chandi) and gods. Even part of Gyan Prdodh after revealing a dim reflection of the spiritual image of one eternal Being of Guru Granth Sahib shifts his visionary ground in part II by adding to it a stereotyped Maha Bharat-based history of religions to confuse the spotless wholeness and originality of the Khalsa. Here in Dasam Granth the devotee witnesses a faithless drama of the divided loyalties of the fickle-minded author (or authors) who fluctuates from the worshipping point of Timeless God to the obeisance of the secondary functioning agents of this mysterious universe.
I say that amidst this chaos created by the chameleon-like nature of the worshippers, Guru Gobind Singh cannot be imagined to be the solitary author of entire Dasan Granth.
4) The author of Bachitar-Natak in canto XIV declares in an artificial humility like a telepathist that he had seen all the wonderful feats of Avtars and Chandi (Kalka) performed by them in the previous ages. Again he claims (boasts?) that being a divine witness he has revealed all their miraculous deeds in his Granths. In other words he states that he is the author of Chandi Charitars (Part I & Part II) and Chaubis Avtar along with the pageants of other incarnations of the gods. Now, here arises a significant point, as already argued by me, Guru Gobind Singh is not the author of Bachitar-Natak so the statement of the author in canto XIV emerges as an ample proof in favor of our transparent view assessing that Chandi Charitars and Chaubi Avtar are also not authored by Guru Gobind Singh.
5) Dasam Granth in one volume was an outcome of post-Guru period. It didn't exist in the period of 10th Guru. The Master under his benign supervision prepared the authentic version of Guru Granth Sahib and at the last h our of his physical departure he conferred on it the honor of Guru-Scripture of the Khalsa, but in his apical span of life he never thought for a moment to get his Bani compiled in a single volume. Even Bhai Mani Singh, the last scribe of the authentic Damdami Bir did not make any suggestion to the Guru to compile his Bani in one volume. It is equally important that he didn't receive even any direction in this matter from the Master. This fact of creative history is known to the common Sikhs of today that members of the Khalsa-brotherhood of Guru-period generally committed to their memory the Banis of Dasam Guru entitled Japu Sahib, Akal Ustat and Sawayyas. It was easy to preserve them in their written form on loose sheets or in their bound copies, and therefore, the Sikhs faced no indispensability to incorporate them in a bulky volume such as Dasam Granth. Then why did this passionate desire to create Dasam Granth out of the mass of anti-Gurmat literature enter Bhai Mani Singh's brain at Amritsar after 1725 A.D.?
I do not recognize the authenticity of the Bir associated with the name of the Bhai Mani Singh because of the obscure history of its coming to light 83 years after the martyrdom of Bhai Mani Singh in 1818 A.D., its unmarked travels from Amritsar to Multan, its usurpation in mysterious circumstances from the concealed center of its origin, its respectful preservation in the house of an unknown Pathan at Multan, the secret of it name and mystery of its first location at Amritsar or near Amritsar.
Again, Dasam Granth associated with the name of Bhai Mani Singh, includes in it the voluminous contents of Adi Granth in addition to the supposed Bani of Dasam Guru. Now, Bhai Mani Singh could never commit such an act of betrayal by desecrating the original form of the undisputed Scripture of Khalsa Panth after it was installed as their ageless Guru. How could Bhai Mani Singh play such a faithless role against the intense friendly dictates of his beloved Master after being constantly submerged into the enlightened experience of Guru Granth Sahib in his presence for nine months? So the said - Bir is spurious, and it looks more spurious after emergence of the forged letter of Bhai Mani Singh. The disclosure of fake Khas Dastkhati Patre in Gyan Singh's Panth Parkash and the logical conclusion of spurious Hukamnamas in my book Sehje Rachio Khalsa put a question mark against the genuineness of Dasam Granth. The unsymmetrical body of Dasam Granth enveloped in unbalanced superstitious beliefs, repulsive camouflages, hearsays and boastful utterances during numerous encounters is not acceptable to me as the real world of Guru Gobind Singh's luminous Gurmat vision.
REFERENCES
1) Sri Dasam Guru Granth Sahib (Part I & Part II; Pages 716+712=1428; Gurmukhi Script).
Bhai Jawahar Singh, Bhai Kirpal Singh and Sons. Mai Sewan Bazar, Amritsar - 1967 A.D.
2) [/FONT]Gurbhagat Singh, Dr. ----- “Sikhism and Postmodern Thought”
Ajanta Publications
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So the said - Bir is spurious, and it looks more spurious after emergence of the forged letter of Bhai Mani Singh. The disclosure of fake Khas Dastkhati ...
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DASAM GRANTH[/FONT]:[/FONT]
[/FONT]THE QUESTION OF AUTHENTICITY[/FONT]
[/FONT]
By Prof. Harinder Singh Mehboob[/FONT]
When the earthly sojourn of the 10th Master was nearing its end at Nanded, he gathered the small bunch of his devout followers around him, and declared in an emphatic but revelational tone, “I am soon leaving my visible abode of divine law ( Drmswl-jpujI ), but I will not leave you in utter loneliness. I entrust to the ambrosial reservoir of immortal Word“ the finality of which is preserved by my super insight in the Damdami Bir. I bestow the divine gift of Gurgaddi upon Guru Granth Sahib ----“an everlasting spirit of the Ten Guru-Prophets." These echoes of divine Faith made a powerful tradition which had appeared in all channels of history of the Khalsa, facing no obstruction in its continuity. The Sikhs have been making solutions to their great Scripture, and thus paying their obeisance to no other Scripture as their Guru, since the physical departure of the 10th Master. No student of history witnesses any gap, any contradiction and any obstruction in the endless flow of this divine practice. Thus the prophetic faith of Guru Gobind Singh, transcending all illusory forms of knowledge and rejecting all false masks of poesy, but embracing none but the Supreme Word revealed his final commitment to Guru Granth Sahib as the only eternal Guru of the Khalsa.
Guru Gobind Singh never mentioned existential validity as well as the historic whereabouts of Dasam Granth anywhere. The tenth Guru didn't give any clue of a single volume of Dasam Granth as revealed or compiled by him. Sainapat (another of "Sri Gur Sobha") and Koer Singh (author of "Gur Bilas Patshahi Das") were, undoubtedly, influenced by some unauthentic but contemporary poetic compositions such as "Bachitar Natak" (the fabulous autobiography of the 10th Guru) and 'Chandi Charitars' (I & II) which were incorporated in one of the so called Dasa Granths (actually voluminous collections of different "Bachitar Nataks") near the first half of the 18th century, but these two famous poets didn't give any trace of the existence of a single volume of Dasam Granth in their epics. So I conclude, in all humility, that the title of Dasam Granth is a misnomer.
Guru Gobind Singh was not the author of the bulky part of Dasam Granth. I ascribe only a slim part of it to his genuine authorship. Even this slim part, which includes Gap, Akal Ustat,
Shabad Hazare, Swayyas and Zafarnama, does not become a single whole, displaying and contemplating its structural beauty. The arrangement of compiling of these highly socio-metaphysical compositions of the master is arbitrary. Therefore, we see that these true Dasam Guru-Banis are scattered in a haphazard manner in Dasam Granth. There is an exception also. We witness an absurd intrusion of Brahamanical reflexes in Akal Ustat. The devotee finds 20 Kiratas (numbers 210 to 230) eulogizing Chandi (other names Durga, Bhagwati and Siva). Thus even here the purity of genuine text is impaired by the false compilers.
I divide this paper in the following sections to justify my analytical conclusions, long cherished poetic experiences and meditations on the metaphysical sikh literature.
1) DASAM GRANTH VERSUS GURU GRANTH SAHIB
The blessed status of an eternal spiritual preceptor granted to Guru Granth Sahib in his final meeting with the Khalsa shows that Guru Gobind Singh's contemplative understanding of Gurgaddi to his scripture was perfect. It proves that he was in an absolute command of plunging deeply into the far reaching mysteries of Guru Granth Sahib. It means the tenth master would never betray his distinct religious cause as envisioned in Guru Granth Sahib like Minerva - insights awakening the age-long human ordeals of truthful struggles. How could he contradict the unique transmutation of rare Guru inspiration of his Guru Scripture by incorporating in Dasam Granth the stale, stereotyped and static descriptions of mythological characters of feeble symbolical significance and artificial combinations of explosive sounds?
(a) GOD, GODDESSES & AVTARS IN DASAM GRANTH:
The authors of Dasam Granth in 'Chandi Charitars' (Parts I, II) shower praises on the Chandi and her other manifestations in profusion, bring forth twenty four incarnation of Vishnu in "Chaubis Avtar, give seven mythological descriptions of Brahma in 'Brahma Avtar' and describe two forms of Rudra (Siva) in 'Rudra Avtar' in such a manner that these Brahamanical Gods, Goddesses and Avtars inevitably tend to become the center of worship for the devotees of other religions. Thus these heroes of Hindu Mythology create a hotchpotch situation in the pure conceptual centers of Sikhism also.
Dasam Granth concludes in some scattered lines that the purpose of these poetical narrations of mythological gods/goddesses is to intensify the religious felicity in the hearts of devotees (i.e. the Khalsa) to escalate lawful battles against the opponents of God. In my humble opinion this statement should would prove to be a wrong hypothesis as the bulky size of the descriptions of Brahamanical Gods doesn't justify their declared purposes of holy war. The reader is caught in the meshes of ritualistic worship of these Hindu Gods, and as a result of the dense mythological atmosphere will never allow the devotees to realize the sanctity, faith and fervor of the religious mission as propounded in the concluding sections of these gods and goddesses. The declared pious mission becomes meaningless and stands isolated. It is in reality a misguiding hallucination. The poetical presentation of the fables of gods, goddesses and Avtars are a shrewd device to prepare the Khalsa - consciousness to surrender itself to the mythological heroes and heroines of the Brahamanical Cult. Thus the declared missionary slogans in the poetical compositions of Dasam Granth are false temptations. The dominating Brahamanical atmosphere in these fables becomes an arbitrary movement which ensnares ultimately the natural freedom of Khalsa-Mind. The pious manifests of religious battles as mentioned in Bachitar-Natak and other poetical compositions of Dasam Granth becomes null and void when it is followed by the paraphernalia of inert tales. The brief but sacred claims made in these pansanic Kathas find themselves enveloped in the superstitions contents, false assumptions and disconnected visions.
The gods, goddesses and Avtars of Indian Mythology along with ancient Hindu Scriptures are not used in Guru Granth Sahib as full fledged, exuberant and self-dependent personalities of super-status transmitting themselves into independent worship centers. They are merely used in Adi Granth as literary illustrations of some higher truth, symbols, metaphors, similes or sole references. Their role doesn't move beyond the main/dominating contents of Guru Granth Sahib. They never aspire to establish the limited sovereignty of their divinity over the vast devotional system of Guru Granth Sahib. Their existence serve the solitary purpose of enhancing their literary genres. Vishnu, Shiva, Ram, Krishan and devis and so many other manifestations in their line never transcend the spiritual fabric of Guru Granth Sahib, posing themselves as free spiritual preceptors.
As far as vision of God is concerned, Dasam Granth, with the exception of five Banis, presents a perspective which is contrary to the vision and total sensibility of Guru Granth Sahib. Leaving aside the question of Supreme Reality without any substitute, it gives priority to the worship of countless godly existences. In human thought and imagination they move freely in their supernatural realms, but practically they descend on earth in their solid, stagnant and shrunk forms as idols for worship. The flat and single layered consciousness of mythological forms doesn't make proper harmony with abstract realms of divinity of Guru Granth Sahib. The result is that anthropomorphic existences in their super frenzy dominate the bulky sections of Dasam Granth. The dense and nebulous pageants of the haphazard dramas ( nwtk ) of Indian Mythology-cum-history do not allow a free entry into the spheres of divine realization of one God of Guru Granth Sahib. With the exception of five Banis Dasam Granth doesn't present a harmonious vision that leads the prayers of Man to the Region of eternal Truth ( sc KMf-jpujI ) when only the bliss of One God burgeons forth. In Dasam Granth, the isolated poetic sensibilities of heterogeneous contents, structural deformity and hotchpotch compilations dominate. The unbalanced literary genres of Dasam Granth do no prove the credibility of their declared purposes and unified vision. The bulky size of its dominating material convinces the reader definitely of its original impulse relating to Avtar-worship. It shows a world of difference between Guru Granth Sahib and Dasam Granth.
(b) RELIGIOUS BATTLES; EXPLOSIVE SOUNDS; WORSHIP OF WEAPONS:
According to numerous religious commentators of Sikhism, the battles, described in the different poetical compositions of Dasam Granth are not flat descriptions of fabulous turmoils that are supposed to be enacted in the supernatural world of gods and goddesses. So many Sikh commentators believe that those battles being fought between Good and Evil on the different planes of universal Existence are symbolical, justifying the radiant struggles of divine forces and their final victory against the intriguing arrogance of super devilish agencies.
Now I take liberty to disagree with the learned scholars on this point. The holy battles envisioned in the contents of Bachitar Natak, Chaubis Avtar and other stories of Avtars do not transcend hegemony of Brahamanical reflexes, pretensions of human pride, pettiness of mundane interests of man, exaggerative heroism, and above all the boastful attitude of godly /religious crusaders. Therefore, holy battles being sung in poetic compositions of Dasam Granth seldom qualify to plunge deeply into blissful experience of oceanic depths of one God, enjoying eternally his absolute freedom in Guru Granth Sahib. The holy battles belong to the limited but repeated exercises of Brahamanical instincts which enjoy the dominance of their priest-savagery, freely enacted and highlighted in these dramatic battles of Dasam Granth. If the reader tries to enhance other meanings of the said battles, the results will be forced interpretation of the text. For example, Dr. Gurbhagat Singh, without giving any satisfactory perspective of "religio-martial texts" explains in his "Sikhism And Postmodern Thought". The purpose of using "the explosive language" full of "binaric tensions" in the following words:
1) The sharpened binaric sounds arranged in their fierceness to clank like swords, to twang like arrows or to pierce like bullets were intended to shatter the decadent environment and
at the same time create a new person of a different bio-
consciousness. (Page 134).
2) The meta-intention behind this was to affect the biology of the reader, to give a new nervous system.
3) By creating his martial infra-structure of language, the Guru was certainly trying to reverse the bio-functioning of his reader, who was obviously either the decadent Muslim or the exhausted Hindu of his times.......(Page 135). do not believe with the learned scholar's viewpoint on the following logical grounds:
a) The texts upon which the learned Doctor draws his formulations are unable to produce sufficiently the thematic integrity of their literary visions, the harmonious wholeness of their cosmic logic, the creative continuity of their intrinsic virtues and the invisible profundity of a balanced universal Truth.
b) The learned doctor totally insolates his main ideas, speculations and philosophic flights from the intrinsic experience of those texts upon which he seems to concentrate his theory. A thinker cannot create "a new person of a different bio-consciousness" in the absence of proper context of life-material and without the multifarious support of the complete and flawless cosmic vision. The visionary attempts to create the "binaric tensions", "explosive sound-combinations" and "a new nervous system" would lead the human consciousness to a blind alley without the timely help of proper material and without the participations of a same guiding spirit.
c) There is no possibility in the 'mortal structure of language' of Dasam Granth to infuse an inspired collection courage or an enlightened spiritual bliss into the minds of oppressed classes (both Muslims and Hindus). in the absence of an idea text fulfilling the cosmic needs of a multi-layered lyrical genius of Guru Granth Sahib. Otherwise the attempt to create the collective fervor of social victory would prove to be an artificial assumption or the short-lived mirage of intellect.
Sensing the futility of his unpracticable ideology and unconsciously building up its defence Dr. Gurbhagat Singh says:
"If these explosive sound-combinations are flaming red without the context, they are blind; but within the context they are directed". In my opinion, the context is very much there, but its poor structure is without the breath of creativity. Its lethargic body (form) never throbs with vibrant intensity. So this theory that shows "how the martial sound becomes haloed and telic" is baseless and doesn't give any definite clue or creative proof of the authenticity of Dasam Granth to the seekers.
d) It is an irony of uncreative/mechanical knowledge that the "martial infra-structure of long age" (Page 135), eulogized profusely by the author of "Sikhism And Postmodern Thought" ultimately degenerates into the ritualistic worship of lifeless arms in Shastra Nam Mala. These arms producing the artificial music of chanting swords, flaming flashes of dazzling speed and the boisterous joy of fighters are related to the celebrated characters of Hindu Mythology such as Ravana, Karan, Krishan, MeghNad, Bali, and Arjana in the rhymed composition of Shastra Nam Mala. The divine arms in Dasam Granth, producing light and speed and looking haloed and sanctified, become dead objects of mechanical worship in their ending point. They deteriorate themselves into the absurd petrifactions of human consciousness. We cannot claim these static arms to be the symbols of some higher life. The manifestation of great truths need also a vast perspective of universal dimensions. "The martial red poem" (Page 140) envisioned by Dr. Gurbhagat Singh in Dasam Granth, is without proper context and no multi-dimensional artistic harmony supports its intrinsic hypothesis. The arms of Dasam Granth take the devotees to a stagnant point of idol-worship. This process negates mercurial human consciousness and meditative joy of Guru Granth Sahib.
2) THE QUESTION OF SCRIPTUAL AUTHENTICITY OF WOMAN IMAGE IN DASAM GRANTH
The texts of Charitrapakhyan and Hakayats incorporated in Dasam Granth remain at a far-off distance from the sublimest point of scriptural experience of Guru Granth Sahib. The vast vision of Damdami Bir which encompasses the metaphysical dimensions of timeless bliss, apical grandeur of multifarious truth, mystical nuances of divine thrill, handsome proportions of universal life and a serene union of visible-invisible spiritual perspectives is absent from the enormous text of Charitrapakhyan. The experience of Charitrapakhyan and Hakayats is shallow, disproportionate and extravagant. It doesn't add any aesthetic serenity to the mystical/spiritual existence of woman-image of Guru Granth Sahib. The descriptions of Charitropakhyan bring out the lewdness of a corrupt society. These compositions are unable to explore any deep psychology. Charitropakhyan versifies particularly in an immoral vein the fantastic manners of unchaste woman. When the reader applies literary canons to valuate Chartiropakhyan, its text remains below the mediocre genres of fine literature. The reader finds no visionary quest of Guru Granth Sahib in the pages of Charitropakhyan which present an obscene drama of monstrous libidinous containing more than four hundred pageants of degenerate humanity. There are, undoubtedly, the lyrical illustrations of the role of unchaste woman in Guru Granth Sahib, but these literary genres never break the sanctity of its supreme woman-image. The uncontrollable and intriguing sexual impulses of women in Charitropakhyan shatter the scriptural balance /harmony and natural poise of sublime aspects of woman-image of Guru Granth Sahib which give her a permanent place or existential naturalness in the spiritual fabrics of society. So I conclude that the contents of
Charitropakhyan are anti-Guru Granth Sahib. The tenth Guru would never disown his final commitment by creating such a mundane and inartistic voice against the metaphysical canons of Guru Granth Sahib ------ the everlasting spiritual light of the Khalsa.
3) AUTHORSHIP OF BACHITAR NANAK ASCRIBED WRONGFULLY TO GURU GOBIND SINGH
After probing into the multiplicity of historical facts of Guru-Times and studying the profound socio-spiritual values of Guru Granth Sahib I formulated this firm opinion in Sehje Rachio Khalsa that a man fo true Sikh psyche cannot ascribe the authorship of Bachitar Natak to the 10th Guru. I cite some cardinal points of my logical conviction regarding the authorship of Bachitar Natak below:
a) Ignorance of the most conspicuous fact of Guru Arjan's martyrdom:
Guru Arjan's martyrdom was not known to the unknown author of Bachitar-Natak. While composing his poetic narrative the poet got an appropriate opportunity to grasp the most significant moment of history, but the ignorance of 5th Guru's martyrdom failed him. His mind was too blank to mention it.
I admit that the poets often take liberty with their subject matter or contents in the form of so many poetic licenses and artistic devices in the process of their creations. While creating poetic signs, symbols, metaphors, similes and above all multi-layered socio-cultural semitic, the art of poetry enjoys enough freedom transmitting its raw material into fresh myriad forms. I admit that in the process of poetic creation the given objective reality offers a vast scope of change and there remains every possibility that the given contents may blossom forth into new metamorphic spectrums of life. If the essential material of poetic compositions contains the distinct features of history, geography and the presence of heroic person in the center of historic happenings, the art of poesy in spite of its generous acceptance and flexibility cannot avoid the basic and most representative feature of a particular historic fact.
In canto V of Bachitar-Natak the poet mentions the pious row of first nine Gurus. There is only a brief space of four lines between the names of Guru Arjan Sahib and Guru Tegh Bahadur Sahib. The poet devotes twelve lines to the nostalgic description of Guru Tegh Bahadur's martyrdom. He highlights, though purely in his Brahamanical way, this marvelous sacrifice in a nostalgic vein and lavishes praises in profusion on the exemplary perseverance of the 9th Guru. It seems unnatural that Bachitar Natak does not bring even a far-fetched hint to recollect the martyrdom of the fifth Guru. When there exists a short span of four lines between the two names of said Gurus, such a lapse on the part of the poet shows that there shimmers no glorious sign of intense past in his memory. The poet of Bachitar-Natak treats the physical disappearance of the fifth Master like the general demise of human beings. Had Guru Gobind Singh been the author of Bachitar-Natak, he would have, in the present context, given at least a reverential hint of his great grandfather's splendid sacrifice.
b) Absence of Pir Budhu Shah's role in the Battle of Bhangani:
All the historical details and collective oral traditions are of the opinion that Pir Budhu Shah was the most prominent character of Bhangani Battle. Even the naive poetic logic of Bachitar Natak cannot ignore the blessed presence of the Sufi Saint-Soldier who stands inevitably in the very center of the famous historic battle of Bhangani. Defending the noble cause of the 10th Master, he sacrificed his two sons and many pious followers in the ****** battle which was fought against the mountainous chiefs by the 10th Master. Pir Budhu Shah received abundant blessings, deep affection and personal relics from Guru Gobind Singh. Thus he became a forerunner, signalling beforehand the heroic martyrdom of Guru's four sons and great sacrifices of innumerable Sikhs. Only an immature author would forget to mention the conspicuous role played by a man of destiny like Budhu Shah in a very crucial battle of Guru's life. The obscure author of Bachitar Natak had not the least inkling of the solitary existence of Pir Budhu Shah, otherwise, he would have mentioned his role in the poetic annals of Bhangani battle. Guru Gobind Singh would never envision the battle of Bhangani without referring to the immortal role of Pir Ji. So, Bachitar-Natak is not authorized by him.
c) Dull Approach towards the Family History of Gurus:
The author of Bachitar-Natak exhibits gross ignorance regarding the family histories of second Guru and third Guru respectively. He was nourishing this mistaken idea that first three Gurus belong to the Bedi Sub-Caste, because his ignorance supported his stupid hypothesis declaring that Bedis would hand over Guruship to Sodhis in their next birth. The author didn't know that the sub-castes of Guru Angad and Guru Amar Das were Tehan and Bhalla respectively. (The words 'Bhalla' and 'Sodhi' are used in Guru Granth Sahib to hint at worldly identity of the Gurus. These words signifying the sub-castes of Gurus also serve the purpose of establishing the distinctive features of their family histories by having no spiritual context). The word 'Bhalla' is used in connection with the sub-caste of Guru Amar Das in Bhatt Swayas. The final version of Guru Granth Sahib was prepared under the supervision of Guru Gobind Singh who bestowed eternal Guruship upon it at his eleventh hour. So, I bring this fact to the kind notice of my readers, if the author of Bachitar-Natak is Guru Gobind Singh he must have known at least the exact sub-caste of the third Guru, because the word Bhalla, with its elaborative context, exists in the Sikh Scripture. (The knowledge of the work Tehan, the sub-caste of the 2nd Guru before Gurgaddi, would also not betray the memory of the Master).
d) Wrong Chronological Order of Relating to the Spiritual Preceptors:
In the 6th canto of Bachitar Natak the poet presents a rhymed list of religious seekers along with some vague comments, but he disobeys the right historic sequence concerning the advent of two religious personalities. According to the chronological or of Bachitar-Natak prophet Muhammad (Mahan Din) appears on the canvas of history after Ramanand. There arises no inevitable need of literary form, no creative demand of symbolism, no powerful momentum of life experience, no irresistible call of the mysterious circles of Time and no exuberant movement of visionary semiotics, which might dictate the essential poetic logic to change the normal course of objective history. In spite of that all the authors of Bhachitar-Natak create wrong chronological order placing Mohammad after Ramanand out of his blind ignorance. Guru Gobind Singh who was well versant scholar of Islamic History. There was not the least possibility on his part to commit such a gross error.
e) An Estranged Image of Anandpur Without the Full-Fledged Historic Presence of the 10th Master.
The 7th canto of Bachitar-Natak mentions that the 10th Master was brought to the Punjab from Patna in his childhood, but in this context the author didn't allude to the existence of Aandpur. After the martyrdom of his father he spent many meditative years there. The prophetic experience of the 10th Master passed through many phases of divine enlightenment at Anandpur, but the poet didn't reveal the name of the town even and remained silent about its existence in the 7th canto of Bachitar Natak. In canto VIII the author informs the reader that the 10th Prophet proceeded to Patna, won the battle of Bhangani after some years, visited Kahloor and established a town called Anandpur. This brief statement is a self-evident proof that the author has misplaced all significant historical situations associated with Guru Gobind Singh. Even a common reader of history knows that Guru Tegh Bahadur laid the foundation stone of Anandpur and Guru Gobind Singh received the divine status of Gurgaddi there. By releasing such a distorted image of Anandpur that annihilates the right perspective of Gurus presence related to it, the author of Bachitar-Natak cannot claim himself to be Guru Gobind Singh.
f) The Immature Vision of Religious Crises and Unjustifiable Criticism of Islam:
The author of Bachitar-Natak is too immature to judge the historical processes of religious crises. He is unable to understand the subtle wholeness of a particular religion which distinguishes it from its small sects. When the decline of Hinduism appears on its historical surface, he passes harshly the sweeping judgements on its disruptive segments. The author is ignorant of the fact that in spite of the ritualistic tendencies leaving behind the perfection of its moral values, those Hindu Sects have positively many divine element also. An adamant egoistical tone of Bachitar-Natak is not justified to brush aside the importance of those Sects by making their followers look like atheistic nincompoops. Again, such a harshness rooted in illogical prejudices builds up no justification of the advent of the 10th Master. India had been creating the subtlest patterns of religious thoughts of infinite variety since the birth of the Vedas. The vast vision of history and a true realization of abstract channels of life make this natural demand from a serious poet of prophetic consciousness to present wonderful realistic pageants of the rise and fall of the universal religions manifesting the logical culmination of the Khalsa. In Canto VI the poet of Bachitar-Natak gives some common place illustrations of religiously misguided characters of mythology basing his analysis on false assumptions. He creates a mazy narration of Mahander, Bisham, Brahma and general category of idolaters who alienated themselves from the true path of God in remote past. His declarations regarding the betrayal of the Gods are based on common hearsay without any authentic scholarly information. As the author doesn't understand the difference of mythology and the history of concrete facts, he fails to draw a convincing line of the different evolutions of the subtlest branches o f religious ideologies. Again, he makes a poor choice of the Theological characters to delineate his point of view. For example, Datta-Tray and Gorakh look like insignificant dim dots of meditative reflections of spiritual journey amidst the vast panorama of varied religious paths of ancient times. The religious experience of the author of Bachitar-Natak is too shallow to deserve its comparison with the poetical/philosophic analysis of varied religious branches, revealed specially in the first Var of Bhai Gardas. We find no justification to place the fresh manifestation of the Khalsa at the end of that line of immature presentations of spiritual preceptors as visualized by the author of Bachitar-Natak.
The obscure author of Bachitar-Natak gives a shocking treatment to the Prophet of Islam when he reaches the ending point of his tizada of condemnation against the certain religious paths and their crises. He underestimates the Prophet Muhammad in a disrespectful manner by declaring him simply the King of Arabia. Then he denies him indirectly the elevated status of Prophet and openly condemns him in an obscene language for circumcising all the kings.
Mahadin tab prabhu upraja ||
Arab des ko kino raja ||26||
Tin bhi ek panth upraja ||
Ling bina kiney sabh raja ||
Sabh te apna naam japao ||
Satnam kahoon na dhirao ||27||
(How ridiculous! What an absurdity! What an insulting manner to denounce a fellow religion! Is circumcision meant for Kings only? Did the common folks of Islam not adopt this symbolic ritual? Does circumcision mean for the Muslim Kings to be without copulative organs?)
The author of Bachitar Natak is bereft of the knowledge that the ritual of circumcision was in vogue in the Jewish world before the advent of Islam. Again he is too naive to understand the spiritual meaning of circumcision suggested by Guru Nanak in his Majh Ki Var. The version of zafarnama, the historic epistle addressed to Aurangzeb and his highly metaphysical composition entitled Japu, prove that Guru Gobind Singh respected the Holy Quran, understood the value of faith and accepted the prophetic magnanimity of Muhammad. Had the 10th Guru been the author of Bachitar Natak, he would not have contradicted his own message, conveyed so beautifully in his Japu Sahib, the most musical poem of metaphysical dimensions.
The collective genius of Sikhism in her powerful faith, encompassing the living memories of Time and her undisputed historical traditions bows to this general agreement that Guru Gobind Singh established Guru Granth Sahib on the eternal throne of socio-spiritual values belonging to the ten Gurus.
Again, it is a fact that Guru Granth Sahib accords the reverential serenity to the Holy Quran and Islamic prayer in its contents, but the tone of Bachitar Natak is totally different in this context. So its authorship will remain alien to Guru Gobind Singh.
CONCLUSION: The commentators who claim that Guru Gobind Singh is the author of entire Dasam Granth base their belief on two false assumptions which are as follows:
A) The believe that it was the prophetic mission of Dasam Guru to create in the Khalsa consciousness an invincible euphoria of religious battles against the contemporary Hindu feudal systems and mainly against the despotic Mughal Empire. Dr. Gurbhagat Singh develops a modern philosophic viewpoint of transcendental fervor of Guru's battles as manifested in his "religio-martial texts". The radiant enthusiasm "was meant as a cultural weapon to transform and restore the needed vitality".
I object to the above mentioned "notion of battle" which according to the zealous supporters of Dasam Granth functions as a pivotal force in its Chandi Charitars (including Chandi Di Yar) and Chaubis-Avtar. The said battles of gods, goddesses and demons are not symbolical in a profound creative sense, because they do not lead us to a new plane of reality higher than the visible surface of this life. Those battles simply place the reader (or the devotee) amidst the crude turmoils of the gods and demons. The flat and single layered descriptions of battles follow the slavish imitation of the bombastic style of Pirthvi Raj Raso in Bachitar-Natak. It is sufficient to prove that the said battles contain no "talic semiotic" as envisioned by Dr. Gurbhagat Singh. The idealism regarding the fights between good and evil is relegated to a stale moral precept of secondary place, but the supreme purpose of Dasam Granth remains to highlight the Brahamanical Guru-Status of gods and goddesses. The concluding two lines of Chandi Di Var invite the attention of the devotees to worship Durga:
Durga path banaya sabhey paurian ||
Fer na juuni aya jin eh gaya ||õõ||
(The goddess Durga has composed the recitation of
all the stanzas (of Chandi Di Var).
Every worshipper who recites it will attain
freedom from the cycles of birth and death). ||õõ||
I conclude that all the battles of gods and goddesses leave us with no other choice except tilting to the message of worshipping them. So it is impossible to associate the authorship of the complete text of Dasam Granth with the 10th Master.
B) The commentators who believe Guru Gobind Singh to be the sole creator of entire Dasam Granth delineate its second purpose saying that the 10th Prophet wanted to acquaint his Sikhs with the colorful religio-cultural heritage of India through his manifold poetic compositions compiled in Dasam Granth.
I think the above mentioned viewpoint is not valid enough in deciding the authenticity of authorship of Dasam Granth. I reject this clumsy idea of the impassioned votaries of Dasam Granth by advancing the following five arguments:
1) It has never been the role of any prophet before Guru Gobind Singh to educate his followers in such a mechanical sense like an educational plan of prosaic times. The blessed movement of a prophetic genius is more awe-inspiring, creative and winning than offering the sluggish genre of degenerating literary forms, such as Charitropakhyan and Hakayats.
2) Suppose it was the thoughtful scheme of the 10th Guru to instruct his followers by producing various poetic compositions of Dasam Granth, but in no case he would make a wrong choice of literary specimens. The bulky size of literature contained in Dasam Granth is not even a dim shadow of those Sublime, pure and aesthetic dimensions of literature which belong to the real and first rate heritage of India. Here we see that Chandi Charitars are brimming with bombastic verbosity, mechanical devices of revibrating word, pictures and conventional expressions of heroic feats.
Chaubis Avtar and other stories of gods/avtars present the grotesque pictures of mythological heroes with a mixture of heretics of shallow nature without origins.
.........The contents of Charitropakhyan are pregnant with obscene details of neurotic minds reflecting the one-sided, anti-aesthetic, degenerate activities and vices of sexually *******ed women of Vam Marag. Will the 10th Prophet impose on the consciousness of the Khalsa this superfluous and thoroughly anti-Gurmat material of disintegrated spirit to undo those healthy traditions of Gurmat balanced poise of Sehaj and majestic victories of spirit which were
brought about and then established by the previous nine Gurus and finally by the undisputed Scripture of the Khalsa?
3) With the exception of Japu, Akal Ustat (excluding 20 Kabits) and Swayyas the reader (devotee) observes that Dasam Granth changes its stand again and again in relation to the worship of One God. In the ending Swaya of Ramavatar the author declares in somewhat rude tone that being a votary of One God, he would not assign any divine status to Ram along with the religious ideas contained in the Shastras and Simarats. In Krishanavatar Dasam Granth asserts rather in an unsophisticated idiom of language that the stories of Ganesh, Krishan and Bishan are known to the poet in a mechanical sense only, but in reality those characters stand alien to his unshakable faith in one God (stanza-434).
Again in the first canto of Bachitar-Natak the author asserting as the champion worshipper of the Timeless Being, denies Ram, Krishan, Brahma, Shiv and Muhammad as the saviours of mankind. In spite of these denials and emphatic declarations the fundamental faith of the author expressed in the said poetic texts of Dasam Granth tilts towards the worship of Avtars, goddesses (specially Durga, Parvati, (Siva) and Chandi) and gods. Even part of Gyan Prdodh after revealing a dim reflection of the spiritual image of one eternal Being of Guru Granth Sahib shifts his visionary ground in part II by adding to it a stereotyped Maha Bharat-based history of religions to confuse the spotless wholeness and originality of the Khalsa. Here in Dasam Granth the devotee witnesses a faithless drama of the divided loyalties of the fickle-minded author (or authors) who fluctuates from the worshipping point of Timeless God to the obeisance of the secondary functioning agents of this mysterious universe.
I say that amidst this chaos created by the chameleon-like nature of the worshippers, Guru Gobind Singh cannot be imagined to be the solitary author of entire Dasan Granth.
4) The author of Bachitar-Natak in canto XIV declares in an artificial humility like a telepathist that he had seen all the wonderful feats of Avtars and Chandi (Kalka) performed by them in the previous ages. Again he claims (boasts?) that being a divine witness he has revealed all their miraculous deeds in his Granths. In other words he states that he is the author of Chandi Charitars (Part I & Part II) and Chaubis Avtar along with the pageants of other incarnations of the gods. Now, here arises a significant point, as already argued by me, Guru Gobind Singh is not the author of Bachitar-Natak so the statement of the author in canto XIV emerges as an ample proof in favor of our transparent view assessing that Chandi Charitars and Chaubi Avtar are also not authored by Guru Gobind Singh.
5) Dasam Granth in one volume was an outcome of post-Guru period. It didn't exist in the period of 10th Guru. The Master under his benign supervision prepared the authentic version of Guru Granth Sahib and at the last h our of his physical departure he conferred on it the honor of Guru-Scripture of the Khalsa, but in his apical span of life he never thought for a moment to get his Bani compiled in a single volume. Even Bhai Mani Singh, the last scribe of the authentic Damdami Bir did not make any suggestion to the Guru to compile his Bani in one volume. It is equally important that he didn't receive even any direction in this matter from the Master. This fact of creative history is known to the common Sikhs of today that members of the Khalsa-brotherhood of Guru-period generally committed to their memory the Banis of Dasam Guru entitled Japu Sahib, Akal Ustat and Sawayyas. It was easy to preserve them in their written form on loose sheets or in their bound copies, and therefore, the Sikhs faced no indispensability to incorporate them in a bulky volume such as Dasam Granth. Then why did this passionate desire to create Dasam Granth out of the mass of anti-Gurmat literature enter Bhai Mani Singh's brain at Amritsar after 1725 A.D.?
I do not recognize the authenticity of the Bir associated with the name of the Bhai Mani Singh because of the obscure history of its coming to light 83 years after the martyrdom of Bhai Mani Singh in 1818 A.D., its unmarked travels from Amritsar to Multan, its usurpation in mysterious circumstances from the concealed center of its origin, its respectful preservation in the house of an unknown Pathan at Multan, the secret of it name and mystery of its first location at Amritsar or near Amritsar.
Again, Dasam Granth associated with the name of Bhai Mani Singh, includes in it the voluminous contents of Adi Granth in addition to the supposed Bani of Dasam Guru. Now, Bhai Mani Singh could never commit such an act of betrayal by desecrating the original form of the undisputed Scripture of Khalsa Panth after it was installed as their ageless Guru. How could Bhai Mani Singh play such a faithless role against the intense friendly dictates of his beloved Master after being constantly submerged into the enlightened experience of Guru Granth Sahib in his presence for nine months? So the said - Bir is spurious, and it looks more spurious after emergence of the forged letter of Bhai Mani Singh. The disclosure of fake Khas Dastkhati Patre in Gyan Singh's Panth Parkash and the logical conclusion of spurious Hukamnamas in my book Sehje Rachio Khalsa put a question mark against the genuineness of Dasam Granth. The unsymmetrical body of Dasam Granth enveloped in unbalanced superstitious beliefs, repulsive camouflages, hearsays and boastful utterances during numerous encounters is not acceptable to me as the real world of Guru Gobind Singh's luminous Gurmat vision.
REFERENCES
1) Sri Dasam Guru Granth Sahib (Part I & Part II; Pages 716+712=1428; Gurmukhi Script).
Bhai Jawahar Singh, Bhai Kirpal Singh and Sons. Mai Sewan Bazar, Amritsar - 1967 A.D.
2) [/FONT]Gurbhagat Singh, Dr. ----- “Sikhism and Postmodern Thought”
Ajanta Publications
HERE IS WHAT PROF HARINDER SINGH MEHBOOB..AUTHOR OF SEHAJ RACHIO KHALSA HAS TO SAY ABOUT DG:
INTERNET LINK:
DOC] DASAM GRANTH: THE QUESTION OF AUTHENTICITY By Prof. Harinder Singh ...
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So the said - Bir is spurious, and it looks more spurious after emergence of the forged letter of Bhai Mani Singh. The disclosure of fake Khas Dastkhati ...
www.globalsikhstudies.net/.../Dasam Granth Authenticity-Harinder Singh%20Mehboob.doc - Similar
DASAM GRANTH[/FONT]:[/FONT]
[/FONT]THE QUESTION OF AUTHENTICITY[/FONT]
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When the earthly sojourn of the 10th Master was nearing its end at Nanded, he gathered the small bunch of his devout followers around him, and declared in an emphatic but revelational tone, “I am soon leaving my visible abode of divine law ( Drmswl-jpujI ), but I will not leave you in utter loneliness. I entrust to the ambrosial reservoir of immortal Word“ the finality of which is preserved by my super insight in the Damdami Bir. I bestow the divine gift of Gurgaddi upon Guru Granth Sahib ----“an everlasting spirit of the Ten Guru-Prophets." These echoes of divine Faith made a powerful tradition which had appeared in all channels of history of the Khalsa, facing no obstruction in its continuity. The Sikhs have been making solutions to their great Scripture, and thus paying their obeisance to no other Scripture as their Guru, since the physical departure of the 10th Master. No student of history witnesses any gap, any contradiction and any obstruction in the endless flow of this divine practice. Thus the prophetic faith of Guru Gobind Singh, transcending all illusory forms of knowledge and rejecting all false masks of poesy, but embracing none but the Supreme Word revealed his final commitment to Guru Granth Sahib as the only eternal Guru of the Khalsa.
Guru Gobind Singh never mentioned existential validity as well as the historic whereabouts of Dasam Granth anywhere. The tenth Guru didn't give any clue of a single volume of Dasam Granth as revealed or compiled by him. Sainapat (another of "Sri Gur Sobha") and Koer Singh (author of "Gur Bilas Patshahi Das") were, undoubtedly, influenced by some unauthentic but contemporary poetic compositions such as "Bachitar Natak" (the fabulous autobiography of the 10th Guru) and 'Chandi Charitars' (I & II) which were incorporated in one of the so called Dasa Granths (actually voluminous collections of different "Bachitar Nataks") near the first half of the 18th century, but these two famous poets didn't give any trace of the existence of a single volume of Dasam Granth in their epics. So I conclude, in all humility, that the title of Dasam Granth is a misnomer.
Guru Gobind Singh was not the author of the bulky part of Dasam Granth. I ascribe only a slim part of it to his genuine authorship. Even this slim part, which includes Gap, Akal Ustat,
Shabad Hazare, Swayyas and Zafarnama, does not become a single whole, displaying and contemplating its structural beauty. The arrangement of compiling of these highly socio-metaphysical compositions of the master is arbitrary. Therefore, we see that these true Dasam Guru-Banis are scattered in a haphazard manner in Dasam Granth. There is an exception also. We witness an absurd intrusion of Brahamanical reflexes in Akal Ustat. The devotee finds 20 Kiratas (numbers 210 to 230) eulogizing Chandi (other names Durga, Bhagwati and Siva). Thus even here the purity of genuine text is impaired by the false compilers.
I divide this paper in the following sections to justify my analytical conclusions, long cherished poetic experiences and meditations on the metaphysical sikh literature.
1) DASAM GRANTH VERSUS GURU GRANTH SAHIB
The blessed status of an eternal spiritual preceptor granted to Guru Granth Sahib in his final meeting with the Khalsa shows that Guru Gobind Singh's contemplative understanding of Gurgaddi to his scripture was perfect. It proves that he was in an absolute command of plunging deeply into the far reaching mysteries of Guru Granth Sahib. It means the tenth master would never betray his distinct religious cause as envisioned in Guru Granth Sahib like Minerva - insights awakening the age-long human ordeals of truthful struggles. How could he contradict the unique transmutation of rare Guru inspiration of his Guru Scripture by incorporating in Dasam Granth the stale, stereotyped and static descriptions of mythological characters of feeble symbolical significance and artificial combinations of explosive sounds?
(a) GOD, GODDESSES & AVTARS IN DASAM GRANTH:
The authors of Dasam Granth in 'Chandi Charitars' (Parts I, II) shower praises on the Chandi and her other manifestations in profusion, bring forth twenty four incarnation of Vishnu in "Chaubis Avtar, give seven mythological descriptions of Brahma in 'Brahma Avtar' and describe two forms of Rudra (Siva) in 'Rudra Avtar' in such a manner that these Brahamanical Gods, Goddesses and Avtars inevitably tend to become the center of worship for the devotees of other religions. Thus these heroes of Hindu Mythology create a hotchpotch situation in the pure conceptual centers of Sikhism also.
Dasam Granth concludes in some scattered lines that the purpose of these poetical narrations of mythological gods/goddesses is to intensify the religious felicity in the hearts of devotees (i.e. the Khalsa) to escalate lawful battles against the opponents of God. In my humble opinion this statement should would prove to be a wrong hypothesis as the bulky size of the descriptions of Brahamanical Gods doesn't justify their declared purposes of holy war. The reader is caught in the meshes of ritualistic worship of these Hindu Gods, and as a result of the dense mythological atmosphere will never allow the devotees to realize the sanctity, faith and fervor of the religious mission as propounded in the concluding sections of these gods and goddesses. The declared pious mission becomes meaningless and stands isolated. It is in reality a misguiding hallucination. The poetical presentation of the fables of gods, goddesses and Avtars are a shrewd device to prepare the Khalsa - consciousness to surrender itself to the mythological heroes and heroines of the Brahamanical Cult. Thus the declared missionary slogans in the poetical compositions of Dasam Granth are false temptations. The dominating Brahamanical atmosphere in these fables becomes an arbitrary movement which ensnares ultimately the natural freedom of Khalsa-Mind. The pious manifests of religious battles as mentioned in Bachitar-Natak and other poetical compositions of Dasam Granth becomes null and void when it is followed by the paraphernalia of inert tales. The brief but sacred claims made in these pansanic Kathas find themselves enveloped in the superstitions contents, false assumptions and disconnected visions.
The gods, goddesses and Avtars of Indian Mythology along with ancient Hindu Scriptures are not used in Guru Granth Sahib as full fledged, exuberant and self-dependent personalities of super-status transmitting themselves into independent worship centers. They are merely used in Adi Granth as literary illustrations of some higher truth, symbols, metaphors, similes or sole references. Their role doesn't move beyond the main/dominating contents of Guru Granth Sahib. They never aspire to establish the limited sovereignty of their divinity over the vast devotional system of Guru Granth Sahib. Their existence serve the solitary purpose of enhancing their literary genres. Vishnu, Shiva, Ram, Krishan and devis and so many other manifestations in their line never transcend the spiritual fabric of Guru Granth Sahib, posing themselves as free spiritual preceptors.
As far as vision of God is concerned, Dasam Granth, with the exception of five Banis, presents a perspective which is contrary to the vision and total sensibility of Guru Granth Sahib. Leaving aside the question of Supreme Reality without any substitute, it gives priority to the worship of countless godly existences. In human thought and imagination they move freely in their supernatural realms, but practically they descend on earth in their solid, stagnant and shrunk forms as idols for worship. The flat and single layered consciousness of mythological forms doesn't make proper harmony with abstract realms of divinity of Guru Granth Sahib. The result is that anthropomorphic existences in their super frenzy dominate the bulky sections of Dasam Granth. The dense and nebulous pageants of the haphazard dramas ( nwtk ) of Indian Mythology-cum-history do not allow a free entry into the spheres of divine realization of one God of Guru Granth Sahib. With the exception of five Banis Dasam Granth doesn't present a harmonious vision that leads the prayers of Man to the Region of eternal Truth ( sc KMf-jpujI ) when only the bliss of One God burgeons forth. In Dasam Granth, the isolated poetic sensibilities of heterogeneous contents, structural deformity and hotchpotch compilations dominate. The unbalanced literary genres of Dasam Granth do no prove the credibility of their declared purposes and unified vision. The bulky size of its dominating material convinces the reader definitely of its original impulse relating to Avtar-worship. It shows a world of difference between Guru Granth Sahib and Dasam Granth.
(b) RELIGIOUS BATTLES; EXPLOSIVE SOUNDS; WORSHIP OF WEAPONS:
According to numerous religious commentators of Sikhism, the battles, described in the different poetical compositions of Dasam Granth are not flat descriptions of fabulous turmoils that are supposed to be enacted in the supernatural world of gods and goddesses. So many Sikh commentators believe that those battles being fought between Good and Evil on the different planes of universal Existence are symbolical, justifying the radiant struggles of divine forces and their final victory against the intriguing arrogance of super devilish agencies.
Now I take liberty to disagree with the learned scholars on this point. The holy battles envisioned in the contents of Bachitar Natak, Chaubis Avtar and other stories of Avtars do not transcend hegemony of Brahamanical reflexes, pretensions of human pride, pettiness of mundane interests of man, exaggerative heroism, and above all the boastful attitude of godly /religious crusaders. Therefore, holy battles being sung in poetic compositions of Dasam Granth seldom qualify to plunge deeply into blissful experience of oceanic depths of one God, enjoying eternally his absolute freedom in Guru Granth Sahib. The holy battles belong to the limited but repeated exercises of Brahamanical instincts which enjoy the dominance of their priest-savagery, freely enacted and highlighted in these dramatic battles of Dasam Granth. If the reader tries to enhance other meanings of the said battles, the results will be forced interpretation of the text. For example, Dr. Gurbhagat Singh, without giving any satisfactory perspective of "religio-martial texts" explains in his "Sikhism And Postmodern Thought". The purpose of using "the explosive language" full of "binaric tensions" in the following words:
1) The sharpened binaric sounds arranged in their fierceness to clank like swords, to twang like arrows or to pierce like bullets were intended to shatter the decadent environment and
at the same time create a new person of a different bio-
consciousness. (Page 134).
2) The meta-intention behind this was to affect the biology of the reader, to give a new nervous system.
3) By creating his martial infra-structure of language, the Guru was certainly trying to reverse the bio-functioning of his reader, who was obviously either the decadent Muslim or the exhausted Hindu of his times.......(Page 135). do not believe with the learned scholar's viewpoint on the following logical grounds:
a) The texts upon which the learned Doctor draws his formulations are unable to produce sufficiently the thematic integrity of their literary visions, the harmonious wholeness of their cosmic logic, the creative continuity of their intrinsic virtues and the invisible profundity of a balanced universal Truth.
b) The learned doctor totally insolates his main ideas, speculations and philosophic flights from the intrinsic experience of those texts upon which he seems to concentrate his theory. A thinker cannot create "a new person of a different bio-consciousness" in the absence of proper context of life-material and without the multifarious support of the complete and flawless cosmic vision. The visionary attempts to create the "binaric tensions", "explosive sound-combinations" and "a new nervous system" would lead the human consciousness to a blind alley without the timely help of proper material and without the participations of a same guiding spirit.
c) There is no possibility in the 'mortal structure of language' of Dasam Granth to infuse an inspired collection courage or an enlightened spiritual bliss into the minds of oppressed classes (both Muslims and Hindus). in the absence of an idea text fulfilling the cosmic needs of a multi-layered lyrical genius of Guru Granth Sahib. Otherwise the attempt to create the collective fervor of social victory would prove to be an artificial assumption or the short-lived mirage of intellect.
Sensing the futility of his unpracticable ideology and unconsciously building up its defence Dr. Gurbhagat Singh says:
"If these explosive sound-combinations are flaming red without the context, they are blind; but within the context they are directed". In my opinion, the context is very much there, but its poor structure is without the breath of creativity. Its lethargic body (form) never throbs with vibrant intensity. So this theory that shows "how the martial sound becomes haloed and telic" is baseless and doesn't give any definite clue or creative proof of the authenticity of Dasam Granth to the seekers.
d) It is an irony of uncreative/mechanical knowledge that the "martial infra-structure of long age" (Page 135), eulogized profusely by the author of "Sikhism And Postmodern Thought" ultimately degenerates into the ritualistic worship of lifeless arms in Shastra Nam Mala. These arms producing the artificial music of chanting swords, flaming flashes of dazzling speed and the boisterous joy of fighters are related to the celebrated characters of Hindu Mythology such as Ravana, Karan, Krishan, MeghNad, Bali, and Arjana in the rhymed composition of Shastra Nam Mala. The divine arms in Dasam Granth, producing light and speed and looking haloed and sanctified, become dead objects of mechanical worship in their ending point. They deteriorate themselves into the absurd petrifactions of human consciousness. We cannot claim these static arms to be the symbols of some higher life. The manifestation of great truths need also a vast perspective of universal dimensions. "The martial red poem" (Page 140) envisioned by Dr. Gurbhagat Singh in Dasam Granth, is without proper context and no multi-dimensional artistic harmony supports its intrinsic hypothesis. The arms of Dasam Granth take the devotees to a stagnant point of idol-worship. This process negates mercurial human consciousness and meditative joy of Guru Granth Sahib.
2) THE QUESTION OF SCRIPTUAL AUTHENTICITY OF WOMAN IMAGE IN DASAM GRANTH
The texts of Charitrapakhyan and Hakayats incorporated in Dasam Granth remain at a far-off distance from the sublimest point of scriptural experience of Guru Granth Sahib. The vast vision of Damdami Bir which encompasses the metaphysical dimensions of timeless bliss, apical grandeur of multifarious truth, mystical nuances of divine thrill, handsome proportions of universal life and a serene union of visible-invisible spiritual perspectives is absent from the enormous text of Charitrapakhyan. The experience of Charitrapakhyan and Hakayats is shallow, disproportionate and extravagant. It doesn't add any aesthetic serenity to the mystical/spiritual existence of woman-image of Guru Granth Sahib. The descriptions of Charitropakhyan bring out the lewdness of a corrupt society. These compositions are unable to explore any deep psychology. Charitropakhyan versifies particularly in an immoral vein the fantastic manners of unchaste woman. When the reader applies literary canons to valuate Chartiropakhyan, its text remains below the mediocre genres of fine literature. The reader finds no visionary quest of Guru Granth Sahib in the pages of Charitropakhyan which present an obscene drama of monstrous libidinous containing more than four hundred pageants of degenerate humanity. There are, undoubtedly, the lyrical illustrations of the role of unchaste woman in Guru Granth Sahib, but these literary genres never break the sanctity of its supreme woman-image. The uncontrollable and intriguing sexual impulses of women in Charitropakhyan shatter the scriptural balance /harmony and natural poise of sublime aspects of woman-image of Guru Granth Sahib which give her a permanent place or existential naturalness in the spiritual fabrics of society. So I conclude that the contents of
Charitropakhyan are anti-Guru Granth Sahib. The tenth Guru would never disown his final commitment by creating such a mundane and inartistic voice against the metaphysical canons of Guru Granth Sahib ------ the everlasting spiritual light of the Khalsa.
3) AUTHORSHIP OF BACHITAR NANAK ASCRIBED WRONGFULLY TO GURU GOBIND SINGH
After probing into the multiplicity of historical facts of Guru-Times and studying the profound socio-spiritual values of Guru Granth Sahib I formulated this firm opinion in Sehje Rachio Khalsa that a man fo true Sikh psyche cannot ascribe the authorship of Bachitar Natak to the 10th Guru. I cite some cardinal points of my logical conviction regarding the authorship of Bachitar Natak below:
a) Ignorance of the most conspicuous fact of Guru Arjan's martyrdom:
Guru Arjan's martyrdom was not known to the unknown author of Bachitar-Natak. While composing his poetic narrative the poet got an appropriate opportunity to grasp the most significant moment of history, but the ignorance of 5th Guru's martyrdom failed him. His mind was too blank to mention it.
I admit that the poets often take liberty with their subject matter or contents in the form of so many poetic licenses and artistic devices in the process of their creations. While creating poetic signs, symbols, metaphors, similes and above all multi-layered socio-cultural semitic, the art of poetry enjoys enough freedom transmitting its raw material into fresh myriad forms. I admit that in the process of poetic creation the given objective reality offers a vast scope of change and there remains every possibility that the given contents may blossom forth into new metamorphic spectrums of life. If the essential material of poetic compositions contains the distinct features of history, geography and the presence of heroic person in the center of historic happenings, the art of poesy in spite of its generous acceptance and flexibility cannot avoid the basic and most representative feature of a particular historic fact.
In canto V of Bachitar-Natak the poet mentions the pious row of first nine Gurus. There is only a brief space of four lines between the names of Guru Arjan Sahib and Guru Tegh Bahadur Sahib. The poet devotes twelve lines to the nostalgic description of Guru Tegh Bahadur's martyrdom. He highlights, though purely in his Brahamanical way, this marvelous sacrifice in a nostalgic vein and lavishes praises in profusion on the exemplary perseverance of the 9th Guru. It seems unnatural that Bachitar Natak does not bring even a far-fetched hint to recollect the martyrdom of the fifth Guru. When there exists a short span of four lines between the two names of said Gurus, such a lapse on the part of the poet shows that there shimmers no glorious sign of intense past in his memory. The poet of Bachitar-Natak treats the physical disappearance of the fifth Master like the general demise of human beings. Had Guru Gobind Singh been the author of Bachitar-Natak, he would have, in the present context, given at least a reverential hint of his great grandfather's splendid sacrifice.
b) Absence of Pir Budhu Shah's role in the Battle of Bhangani:
All the historical details and collective oral traditions are of the opinion that Pir Budhu Shah was the most prominent character of Bhangani Battle. Even the naive poetic logic of Bachitar Natak cannot ignore the blessed presence of the Sufi Saint-Soldier who stands inevitably in the very center of the famous historic battle of Bhangani. Defending the noble cause of the 10th Master, he sacrificed his two sons and many pious followers in the ****** battle which was fought against the mountainous chiefs by the 10th Master. Pir Budhu Shah received abundant blessings, deep affection and personal relics from Guru Gobind Singh. Thus he became a forerunner, signalling beforehand the heroic martyrdom of Guru's four sons and great sacrifices of innumerable Sikhs. Only an immature author would forget to mention the conspicuous role played by a man of destiny like Budhu Shah in a very crucial battle of Guru's life. The obscure author of Bachitar Natak had not the least inkling of the solitary existence of Pir Budhu Shah, otherwise, he would have mentioned his role in the poetic annals of Bhangani battle. Guru Gobind Singh would never envision the battle of Bhangani without referring to the immortal role of Pir Ji. So, Bachitar-Natak is not authorized by him.
c) Dull Approach towards the Family History of Gurus:
The author of Bachitar-Natak exhibits gross ignorance regarding the family histories of second Guru and third Guru respectively. He was nourishing this mistaken idea that first three Gurus belong to the Bedi Sub-Caste, because his ignorance supported his stupid hypothesis declaring that Bedis would hand over Guruship to Sodhis in their next birth. The author didn't know that the sub-castes of Guru Angad and Guru Amar Das were Tehan and Bhalla respectively. (The words 'Bhalla' and 'Sodhi' are used in Guru Granth Sahib to hint at worldly identity of the Gurus. These words signifying the sub-castes of Gurus also serve the purpose of establishing the distinctive features of their family histories by having no spiritual context). The word 'Bhalla' is used in connection with the sub-caste of Guru Amar Das in Bhatt Swayas. The final version of Guru Granth Sahib was prepared under the supervision of Guru Gobind Singh who bestowed eternal Guruship upon it at his eleventh hour. So, I bring this fact to the kind notice of my readers, if the author of Bachitar-Natak is Guru Gobind Singh he must have known at least the exact sub-caste of the third Guru, because the word Bhalla, with its elaborative context, exists in the Sikh Scripture. (The knowledge of the work Tehan, the sub-caste of the 2nd Guru before Gurgaddi, would also not betray the memory of the Master).
d) Wrong Chronological Order of Relating to the Spiritual Preceptors:
In the 6th canto of Bachitar Natak the poet presents a rhymed list of religious seekers along with some vague comments, but he disobeys the right historic sequence concerning the advent of two religious personalities. According to the chronological or of Bachitar-Natak prophet Muhammad (Mahan Din) appears on the canvas of history after Ramanand. There arises no inevitable need of literary form, no creative demand of symbolism, no powerful momentum of life experience, no irresistible call of the mysterious circles of Time and no exuberant movement of visionary semiotics, which might dictate the essential poetic logic to change the normal course of objective history. In spite of that all the authors of Bhachitar-Natak create wrong chronological order placing Mohammad after Ramanand out of his blind ignorance. Guru Gobind Singh who was well versant scholar of Islamic History. There was not the least possibility on his part to commit such a gross error.
e) An Estranged Image of Anandpur Without the Full-Fledged Historic Presence of the 10th Master.
The 7th canto of Bachitar-Natak mentions that the 10th Master was brought to the Punjab from Patna in his childhood, but in this context the author didn't allude to the existence of Aandpur. After the martyrdom of his father he spent many meditative years there. The prophetic experience of the 10th Master passed through many phases of divine enlightenment at Anandpur, but the poet didn't reveal the name of the town even and remained silent about its existence in the 7th canto of Bachitar Natak. In canto VIII the author informs the reader that the 10th Prophet proceeded to Patna, won the battle of Bhangani after some years, visited Kahloor and established a town called Anandpur. This brief statement is a self-evident proof that the author has misplaced all significant historical situations associated with Guru Gobind Singh. Even a common reader of history knows that Guru Tegh Bahadur laid the foundation stone of Anandpur and Guru Gobind Singh received the divine status of Gurgaddi there. By releasing such a distorted image of Anandpur that annihilates the right perspective of Gurus presence related to it, the author of Bachitar-Natak cannot claim himself to be Guru Gobind Singh.
f) The Immature Vision of Religious Crises and Unjustifiable Criticism of Islam:
The author of Bachitar-Natak is too immature to judge the historical processes of religious crises. He is unable to understand the subtle wholeness of a particular religion which distinguishes it from its small sects. When the decline of Hinduism appears on its historical surface, he passes harshly the sweeping judgements on its disruptive segments. The author is ignorant of the fact that in spite of the ritualistic tendencies leaving behind the perfection of its moral values, those Hindu Sects have positively many divine element also. An adamant egoistical tone of Bachitar-Natak is not justified to brush aside the importance of those Sects by making their followers look like atheistic nincompoops. Again, such a harshness rooted in illogical prejudices builds up no justification of the advent of the 10th Master. India had been creating the subtlest patterns of religious thoughts of infinite variety since the birth of the Vedas. The vast vision of history and a true realization of abstract channels of life make this natural demand from a serious poet of prophetic consciousness to present wonderful realistic pageants of the rise and fall of the universal religions manifesting the logical culmination of the Khalsa. In Canto VI the poet of Bachitar-Natak gives some common place illustrations of religiously misguided characters of mythology basing his analysis on false assumptions. He creates a mazy narration of Mahander, Bisham, Brahma and general category of idolaters who alienated themselves from the true path of God in remote past. His declarations regarding the betrayal of the Gods are based on common hearsay without any authentic scholarly information. As the author doesn't understand the difference of mythology and the history of concrete facts, he fails to draw a convincing line of the different evolutions of the subtlest branches o f religious ideologies. Again, he makes a poor choice of the Theological characters to delineate his point of view. For example, Datta-Tray and Gorakh look like insignificant dim dots of meditative reflections of spiritual journey amidst the vast panorama of varied religious paths of ancient times. The religious experience of the author of Bachitar-Natak is too shallow to deserve its comparison with the poetical/philosophic analysis of varied religious branches, revealed specially in the first Var of Bhai Gardas. We find no justification to place the fresh manifestation of the Khalsa at the end of that line of immature presentations of spiritual preceptors as visualized by the author of Bachitar-Natak.
The obscure author of Bachitar-Natak gives a shocking treatment to the Prophet of Islam when he reaches the ending point of his tizada of condemnation against the certain religious paths and their crises. He underestimates the Prophet Muhammad in a disrespectful manner by declaring him simply the King of Arabia. Then he denies him indirectly the elevated status of Prophet and openly condemns him in an obscene language for circumcising all the kings.
Mahadin tab prabhu upraja ||
Arab des ko kino raja ||26||
Tin bhi ek panth upraja ||
Ling bina kiney sabh raja ||
Sabh te apna naam japao ||
Satnam kahoon na dhirao ||27||
(How ridiculous! What an absurdity! What an insulting manner to denounce a fellow religion! Is circumcision meant for Kings only? Did the common folks of Islam not adopt this symbolic ritual? Does circumcision mean for the Muslim Kings to be without copulative organs?)
The author of Bachitar Natak is bereft of the knowledge that the ritual of circumcision was in vogue in the Jewish world before the advent of Islam. Again he is too naive to understand the spiritual meaning of circumcision suggested by Guru Nanak in his Majh Ki Var. The version of zafarnama, the historic epistle addressed to Aurangzeb and his highly metaphysical composition entitled Japu, prove that Guru Gobind Singh respected the Holy Quran, understood the value of faith and accepted the prophetic magnanimity of Muhammad. Had the 10th Guru been the author of Bachitar Natak, he would not have contradicted his own message, conveyed so beautifully in his Japu Sahib, the most musical poem of metaphysical dimensions.
The collective genius of Sikhism in her powerful faith, encompassing the living memories of Time and her undisputed historical traditions bows to this general agreement that Guru Gobind Singh established Guru Granth Sahib on the eternal throne of socio-spiritual values belonging to the ten Gurus.
Again, it is a fact that Guru Granth Sahib accords the reverential serenity to the Holy Quran and Islamic prayer in its contents, but the tone of Bachitar Natak is totally different in this context. So its authorship will remain alien to Guru Gobind Singh.
CONCLUSION: The commentators who claim that Guru Gobind Singh is the author of entire Dasam Granth base their belief on two false assumptions which are as follows:
A) The believe that it was the prophetic mission of Dasam Guru to create in the Khalsa consciousness an invincible euphoria of religious battles against the contemporary Hindu feudal systems and mainly against the despotic Mughal Empire. Dr. Gurbhagat Singh develops a modern philosophic viewpoint of transcendental fervor of Guru's battles as manifested in his "religio-martial texts". The radiant enthusiasm "was meant as a cultural weapon to transform and restore the needed vitality".
I object to the above mentioned "notion of battle" which according to the zealous supporters of Dasam Granth functions as a pivotal force in its Chandi Charitars (including Chandi Di Yar) and Chaubis-Avtar. The said battles of gods, goddesses and demons are not symbolical in a profound creative sense, because they do not lead us to a new plane of reality higher than the visible surface of this life. Those battles simply place the reader (or the devotee) amidst the crude turmoils of the gods and demons. The flat and single layered descriptions of battles follow the slavish imitation of the bombastic style of Pirthvi Raj Raso in Bachitar-Natak. It is sufficient to prove that the said battles contain no "talic semiotic" as envisioned by Dr. Gurbhagat Singh. The idealism regarding the fights between good and evil is relegated to a stale moral precept of secondary place, but the supreme purpose of Dasam Granth remains to highlight the Brahamanical Guru-Status of gods and goddesses. The concluding two lines of Chandi Di Var invite the attention of the devotees to worship Durga:
Durga path banaya sabhey paurian ||
Fer na juuni aya jin eh gaya ||õõ||
(The goddess Durga has composed the recitation of
all the stanzas (of Chandi Di Var).
Every worshipper who recites it will attain
freedom from the cycles of birth and death). ||õõ||
I conclude that all the battles of gods and goddesses leave us with no other choice except tilting to the message of worshipping them. So it is impossible to associate the authorship of the complete text of Dasam Granth with the 10th Master.
B) The commentators who believe Guru Gobind Singh to be the sole creator of entire Dasam Granth delineate its second purpose saying that the 10th Prophet wanted to acquaint his Sikhs with the colorful religio-cultural heritage of India through his manifold poetic compositions compiled in Dasam Granth.
I think the above mentioned viewpoint is not valid enough in deciding the authenticity of authorship of Dasam Granth. I reject this clumsy idea of the impassioned votaries of Dasam Granth by advancing the following five arguments:
1) It has never been the role of any prophet before Guru Gobind Singh to educate his followers in such a mechanical sense like an educational plan of prosaic times. The blessed movement of a prophetic genius is more awe-inspiring, creative and winning than offering the sluggish genre of degenerating literary forms, such as Charitropakhyan and Hakayats.
2) Suppose it was the thoughtful scheme of the 10th Guru to instruct his followers by producing various poetic compositions of Dasam Granth, but in no case he would make a wrong choice of literary specimens. The bulky size of literature contained in Dasam Granth is not even a dim shadow of those Sublime, pure and aesthetic dimensions of literature which belong to the real and first rate heritage of India. Here we see that Chandi Charitars are brimming with bombastic verbosity, mechanical devices of revibrating word, pictures and conventional expressions of heroic feats.
Chaubis Avtar and other stories of gods/avtars present the grotesque pictures of mythological heroes with a mixture of heretics of shallow nature without origins.
.........The contents of Charitropakhyan are pregnant with obscene details of neurotic minds reflecting the one-sided, anti-aesthetic, degenerate activities and vices of sexually *******ed women of Vam Marag. Will the 10th Prophet impose on the consciousness of the Khalsa this superfluous and thoroughly anti-Gurmat material of disintegrated spirit to undo those healthy traditions of Gurmat balanced poise of Sehaj and majestic victories of spirit which were
brought about and then established by the previous nine Gurus and finally by the undisputed Scripture of the Khalsa?
3) With the exception of Japu, Akal Ustat (excluding 20 Kabits) and Swayyas the reader (devotee) observes that Dasam Granth changes its stand again and again in relation to the worship of One God. In the ending Swaya of Ramavatar the author declares in somewhat rude tone that being a votary of One God, he would not assign any divine status to Ram along with the religious ideas contained in the Shastras and Simarats. In Krishanavatar Dasam Granth asserts rather in an unsophisticated idiom of language that the stories of Ganesh, Krishan and Bishan are known to the poet in a mechanical sense only, but in reality those characters stand alien to his unshakable faith in one God (stanza-434).
Again in the first canto of Bachitar-Natak the author asserting as the champion worshipper of the Timeless Being, denies Ram, Krishan, Brahma, Shiv and Muhammad as the saviours of mankind. In spite of these denials and emphatic declarations the fundamental faith of the author expressed in the said poetic texts of Dasam Granth tilts towards the worship of Avtars, goddesses (specially Durga, Parvati, (Siva) and Chandi) and gods. Even part of Gyan Prdodh after revealing a dim reflection of the spiritual image of one eternal Being of Guru Granth Sahib shifts his visionary ground in part II by adding to it a stereotyped Maha Bharat-based history of religions to confuse the spotless wholeness and originality of the Khalsa. Here in Dasam Granth the devotee witnesses a faithless drama of the divided loyalties of the fickle-minded author (or authors) who fluctuates from the worshipping point of Timeless God to the obeisance of the secondary functioning agents of this mysterious universe.
I say that amidst this chaos created by the chameleon-like nature of the worshippers, Guru Gobind Singh cannot be imagined to be the solitary author of entire Dasan Granth.
4) The author of Bachitar-Natak in canto XIV declares in an artificial humility like a telepathist that he had seen all the wonderful feats of Avtars and Chandi (Kalka) performed by them in the previous ages. Again he claims (boasts?) that being a divine witness he has revealed all their miraculous deeds in his Granths. In other words he states that he is the author of Chandi Charitars (Part I & Part II) and Chaubis Avtar along with the pageants of other incarnations of the gods. Now, here arises a significant point, as already argued by me, Guru Gobind Singh is not the author of Bachitar-Natak so the statement of the author in canto XIV emerges as an ample proof in favor of our transparent view assessing that Chandi Charitars and Chaubi Avtar are also not authored by Guru Gobind Singh.
5) Dasam Granth in one volume was an outcome of post-Guru period. It didn't exist in the period of 10th Guru. The Master under his benign supervision prepared the authentic version of Guru Granth Sahib and at the last h our of his physical departure he conferred on it the honor of Guru-Scripture of the Khalsa, but in his apical span of life he never thought for a moment to get his Bani compiled in a single volume. Even Bhai Mani Singh, the last scribe of the authentic Damdami Bir did not make any suggestion to the Guru to compile his Bani in one volume. It is equally important that he didn't receive even any direction in this matter from the Master. This fact of creative history is known to the common Sikhs of today that members of the Khalsa-brotherhood of Guru-period generally committed to their memory the Banis of Dasam Guru entitled Japu Sahib, Akal Ustat and Sawayyas. It was easy to preserve them in their written form on loose sheets or in their bound copies, and therefore, the Sikhs faced no indispensability to incorporate them in a bulky volume such as Dasam Granth. Then why did this passionate desire to create Dasam Granth out of the mass of anti-Gurmat literature enter Bhai Mani Singh's brain at Amritsar after 1725 A.D.?
I do not recognize the authenticity of the Bir associated with the name of the Bhai Mani Singh because of the obscure history of its coming to light 83 years after the martyrdom of Bhai Mani Singh in 1818 A.D., its unmarked travels from Amritsar to Multan, its usurpation in mysterious circumstances from the concealed center of its origin, its respectful preservation in the house of an unknown Pathan at Multan, the secret of it name and mystery of its first location at Amritsar or near Amritsar.
Again, Dasam Granth associated with the name of Bhai Mani Singh, includes in it the voluminous contents of Adi Granth in addition to the supposed Bani of Dasam Guru. Now, Bhai Mani Singh could never commit such an act of betrayal by desecrating the original form of the undisputed Scripture of Khalsa Panth after it was installed as their ageless Guru. How could Bhai Mani Singh play such a faithless role against the intense friendly dictates of his beloved Master after being constantly submerged into the enlightened experience of Guru Granth Sahib in his presence for nine months? So the said - Bir is spurious, and it looks more spurious after emergence of the forged letter of Bhai Mani Singh. The disclosure of fake Khas Dastkhati Patre in Gyan Singh's Panth Parkash and the logical conclusion of spurious Hukamnamas in my book Sehje Rachio Khalsa put a question mark against the genuineness of Dasam Granth. The unsymmetrical body of Dasam Granth enveloped in unbalanced superstitious beliefs, repulsive camouflages, hearsays and boastful utterances during numerous encounters is not acceptable to me as the real world of Guru Gobind Singh's luminous Gurmat vision.
REFERENCES
1) Sri Dasam Guru Granth Sahib (Part I & Part II; Pages 716+712=1428; Gurmukhi Script).
Bhai Jawahar Singh, Bhai Kirpal Singh and Sons. Mai Sewan Bazar, Amritsar - 1967 A.D.
2) [/FONT]Gurbhagat Singh, Dr. ----- “Sikhism and Postmodern Thought”
Ajanta Publications
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DASAM GRANTH[/FONT]:[/FONT]
[/FONT]THE QUESTION OF AUTHENTICITY[/FONT]
[/FONT]
By Prof. Harinder Singh Mehboob[/FONT]
When the earthly sojourn of the 10th Master was nearing its end at Nanded, he gathered the small bunch of his devout followers around him, and declared in an emphatic but revelational tone, “I am soon leaving my visible abode of divine law ( Drmswl-jpujI ), but I will not leave you in utter loneliness. I entrust to the ambrosial reservoir of immortal Word“ the finality of which is preserved by my super insight in the Damdami Bir. I bestow the divine gift of Gurgaddi upon Guru Granth Sahib ----“an everlasting spirit of the Ten Guru-Prophets." These echoes of divine Faith made a powerful tradition which had appeared in all channels of history of the Khalsa, facing no obstruction in its continuity. The Sikhs have been making solutions to their great Scripture, and thus paying their obeisance to no other Scripture as their Guru, since the physical departure of the 10th Master. No student of history witnesses any gap, any contradiction and any obstruction in the endless flow of this divine practice. Thus the prophetic faith of Guru Gobind Singh, transcending all illusory forms of knowledge and rejecting all false masks of poesy, but embracing none but the Supreme Word revealed his final commitment to Guru Granth Sahib as the only eternal Guru of the Khalsa.
Guru Gobind Singh never mentioned existential validity as well as the historic whereabouts of Dasam Granth anywhere. The tenth Guru didn't give any clue of a single volume of Dasam Granth as revealed or compiled by him. Sainapat (another of "Sri Gur Sobha") and Koer Singh (author of "Gur Bilas Patshahi Das") were, undoubtedly, influenced by some unauthentic but contemporary poetic compositions such as "Bachitar Natak" (the fabulous autobiography of the 10th Guru) and 'Chandi Charitars' (I & II) which were incorporated in one of the so called Dasa Granths (actually voluminous collections of different "Bachitar Nataks") near the first half of the 18th century, but these two famous poets didn't give any trace of the existence of a single volume of Dasam Granth in their epics. So I conclude, in all humility, that the title of Dasam Granth is a misnomer.
Guru Gobind Singh was not the author of the bulky part of Dasam Granth. I ascribe only a slim part of it to his genuine authorship. Even this slim part, which includes Gap, Akal Ustat,
Shabad Hazare, Swayyas and Zafarnama, does not become a single whole, displaying and contemplating its structural beauty. The arrangement of compiling of these highly socio-metaphysical compositions of the master is arbitrary. Therefore, we see that these true Dasam Guru-Banis are scattered in a haphazard manner in Dasam Granth. There is an exception also. We witness an absurd intrusion of Brahamanical reflexes in Akal Ustat. The devotee finds 20 Kiratas (numbers 210 to 230) eulogizing Chandi (other names Durga, Bhagwati and Siva). Thus even here the purity of genuine text is impaired by the false compilers.
I divide this paper in the following sections to justify my analytical conclusions, long cherished poetic experiences and meditations on the metaphysical sikh literature.
1) DASAM GRANTH VERSUS GURU GRANTH SAHIB
The blessed status of an eternal spiritual preceptor granted to Guru Granth Sahib in his final meeting with the Khalsa shows that Guru Gobind Singh's contemplative understanding of Gurgaddi to his scripture was perfect. It proves that he was in an absolute command of plunging deeply into the far reaching mysteries of Guru Granth Sahib. It means the tenth master would never betray his distinct religious cause as envisioned in Guru Granth Sahib like Minerva - insights awakening the age-long human ordeals of truthful struggles. How could he contradict the unique transmutation of rare Guru inspiration of his Guru Scripture by incorporating in Dasam Granth the stale, stereotyped and static descriptions of mythological characters of feeble symbolical significance and artificial combinations of explosive sounds?
(a) GOD, GODDESSES & AVTARS IN DASAM GRANTH:
The authors of Dasam Granth in 'Chandi Charitars' (Parts I, II) shower praises on the Chandi and her other manifestations in profusion, bring forth twenty four incarnation of Vishnu in "Chaubis Avtar, give seven mythological descriptions of Brahma in 'Brahma Avtar' and describe two forms of Rudra (Siva) in 'Rudra Avtar' in such a manner that these Brahamanical Gods, Goddesses and Avtars inevitably tend to become the center of worship for the devotees of other religions. Thus these heroes of Hindu Mythology create a hotchpotch situation in the pure conceptual centers of Sikhism also.
Dasam Granth concludes in some scattered lines that the purpose of these poetical narrations of mythological gods/goddesses is to intensify the religious felicity in the hearts of devotees (i.e. the Khalsa) to escalate lawful battles against the opponents of God. In my humble opinion this statement should would prove to be a wrong hypothesis as the bulky size of the descriptions of Brahamanical Gods doesn't justify their declared purposes of holy war. The reader is caught in the meshes of ritualistic worship of these Hindu Gods, and as a result of the dense mythological atmosphere will never allow the devotees to realize the sanctity, faith and fervor of the religious mission as propounded in the concluding sections of these gods and goddesses. The declared pious mission becomes meaningless and stands isolated. It is in reality a misguiding hallucination. The poetical presentation of the fables of gods, goddesses and Avtars are a shrewd device to prepare the Khalsa - consciousness to surrender itself to the mythological heroes and heroines of the Brahamanical Cult. Thus the declared missionary slogans in the poetical compositions of Dasam Granth are false temptations. The dominating Brahamanical atmosphere in these fables becomes an arbitrary movement which ensnares ultimately the natural freedom of Khalsa-Mind. The pious manifests of religious battles as mentioned in Bachitar-Natak and other poetical compositions of Dasam Granth becomes null and void when it is followed by the paraphernalia of inert tales. The brief but sacred claims made in these pansanic Kathas find themselves enveloped in the superstitions contents, false assumptions and disconnected visions.
The gods, goddesses and Avtars of Indian Mythology along with ancient Hindu Scriptures are not used in Guru Granth Sahib as full fledged, exuberant and self-dependent personalities of super-status transmitting themselves into independent worship centers. They are merely used in Adi Granth as literary illustrations of some higher truth, symbols, metaphors, similes or sole references. Their role doesn't move beyond the main/dominating contents of Guru Granth Sahib. They never aspire to establish the limited sovereignty of their divinity over the vast devotional system of Guru Granth Sahib. Their existence serve the solitary purpose of enhancing their literary genres. Vishnu, Shiva, Ram, Krishan and devis and so many other manifestations in their line never transcend the spiritual fabric of Guru Granth Sahib, posing themselves as free spiritual preceptors.
As far as vision of God is concerned, Dasam Granth, with the exception of five Banis, presents a perspective which is contrary to the vision and total sensibility of Guru Granth Sahib. Leaving aside the question of Supreme Reality without any substitute, it gives priority to the worship of countless godly existences. In human thought and imagination they move freely in their supernatural realms, but practically they descend on earth in their solid, stagnant and shrunk forms as idols for worship. The flat and single layered consciousness of mythological forms doesn't make proper harmony with abstract realms of divinity of Guru Granth Sahib. The result is that anthropomorphic existences in their super frenzy dominate the bulky sections of Dasam Granth. The dense and nebulous pageants of the haphazard dramas ( nwtk ) of Indian Mythology-cum-history do not allow a free entry into the spheres of divine realization of one God of Guru Granth Sahib. With the exception of five Banis Dasam Granth doesn't present a harmonious vision that leads the prayers of Man to the Region of eternal Truth ( sc KMf-jpujI ) when only the bliss of One God burgeons forth. In Dasam Granth, the isolated poetic sensibilities of heterogeneous contents, structural deformity and hotchpotch compilations dominate. The unbalanced literary genres of Dasam Granth do no prove the credibility of their declared purposes and unified vision. The bulky size of its dominating material convinces the reader definitely of its original impulse relating to Avtar-worship. It shows a world of difference between Guru Granth Sahib and Dasam Granth.
(b) RELIGIOUS BATTLES; EXPLOSIVE SOUNDS; WORSHIP OF WEAPONS:
According to numerous religious commentators of Sikhism, the battles, described in the different poetical compositions of Dasam Granth are not flat descriptions of fabulous turmoils that are supposed to be enacted in the supernatural world of gods and goddesses. So many Sikh commentators believe that those battles being fought between Good and Evil on the different planes of universal Existence are symbolical, justifying the radiant struggles of divine forces and their final victory against the intriguing arrogance of super devilish agencies.
Now I take liberty to disagree with the learned scholars on this point. The holy battles envisioned in the contents of Bachitar Natak, Chaubis Avtar and other stories of Avtars do not transcend hegemony of Brahamanical reflexes, pretensions of human pride, pettiness of mundane interests of man, exaggerative heroism, and above all the boastful attitude of godly /religious crusaders. Therefore, holy battles being sung in poetic compositions of Dasam Granth seldom qualify to plunge deeply into blissful experience of oceanic depths of one God, enjoying eternally his absolute freedom in Guru Granth Sahib. The holy battles belong to the limited but repeated exercises of Brahamanical instincts which enjoy the dominance of their priest-savagery, freely enacted and highlighted in these dramatic battles of Dasam Granth. If the reader tries to enhance other meanings of the said battles, the results will be forced interpretation of the text. For example, Dr. Gurbhagat Singh, without giving any satisfactory perspective of "religio-martial texts" explains in his "Sikhism And Postmodern Thought". The purpose of using "the explosive language" full of "binaric tensions" in the following words:
1) The sharpened binaric sounds arranged in their fierceness to clank like swords, to twang like arrows or to pierce like bullets were intended to shatter the decadent environment and
at the same time create a new person of a different bio-
consciousness. (Page 134).
2) The meta-intention behind this was to affect the biology of the reader, to give a new nervous system.
3) By creating his martial infra-structure of language, the Guru was certainly trying to reverse the bio-functioning of his reader, who was obviously either the decadent Muslim or the exhausted Hindu of his times.......(Page 135). do not believe with the learned scholar's viewpoint on the following logical grounds:
a) The texts upon which the learned Doctor draws his formulations are unable to produce sufficiently the thematic integrity of their literary visions, the harmonious wholeness of their cosmic logic, the creative continuity of their intrinsic virtues and the invisible profundity of a balanced universal Truth.
b) The learned doctor totally insolates his main ideas, speculations and philosophic flights from the intrinsic experience of those texts upon which he seems to concentrate his theory. A thinker cannot create "a new person of a different bio-consciousness" in the absence of proper context of life-material and without the multifarious support of the complete and flawless cosmic vision. The visionary attempts to create the "binaric tensions", "explosive sound-combinations" and "a new nervous system" would lead the human consciousness to a blind alley without the timely help of proper material and without the participations of a same guiding spirit.
c) There is no possibility in the 'mortal structure of language' of Dasam Granth to infuse an inspired collection courage or an enlightened spiritual bliss into the minds of oppressed classes (both Muslims and Hindus). in the absence of an idea text fulfilling the cosmic needs of a multi-layered lyrical genius of Guru Granth Sahib. Otherwise the attempt to create the collective fervor of social victory would prove to be an artificial assumption or the short-lived mirage of intellect.
Sensing the futility of his unpracticable ideology and unconsciously building up its defence Dr. Gurbhagat Singh says:
"If these explosive sound-combinations are flaming red without the context, they are blind; but within the context they are directed". In my opinion, the context is very much there, but its poor structure is without the breath of creativity. Its lethargic body (form) never throbs with vibrant intensity. So this theory that shows "how the martial sound becomes haloed and telic" is baseless and doesn't give any definite clue or creative proof of the authenticity of Dasam Granth to the seekers.
d) It is an irony of uncreative/mechanical knowledge that the "martial infra-structure of long age" (Page 135), eulogized profusely by the author of "Sikhism And Postmodern Thought" ultimately degenerates into the ritualistic worship of lifeless arms in Shastra Nam Mala. These arms producing the artificial music of chanting swords, flaming flashes of dazzling speed and the boisterous joy of fighters are related to the celebrated characters of Hindu Mythology such as Ravana, Karan, Krishan, MeghNad, Bali, and Arjana in the rhymed composition of Shastra Nam Mala. The divine arms in Dasam Granth, producing light and speed and looking haloed and sanctified, become dead objects of mechanical worship in their ending point. They deteriorate themselves into the absurd petrifactions of human consciousness. We cannot claim these static arms to be the symbols of some higher life. The manifestation of great truths need also a vast perspective of universal dimensions. "The martial red poem" (Page 140) envisioned by Dr. Gurbhagat Singh in Dasam Granth, is without proper context and no multi-dimensional artistic harmony supports its intrinsic hypothesis. The arms of Dasam Granth take the devotees to a stagnant point of idol-worship. This process negates mercurial human consciousness and meditative joy of Guru Granth Sahib.
2) THE QUESTION OF SCRIPTUAL AUTHENTICITY OF WOMAN IMAGE IN DASAM GRANTH
The texts of Charitrapakhyan and Hakayats incorporated in Dasam Granth remain at a far-off distance from the sublimest point of scriptural experience of Guru Granth Sahib. The vast vision of Damdami Bir which encompasses the metaphysical dimensions of timeless bliss, apical grandeur of multifarious truth, mystical nuances of divine thrill, handsome proportions of universal life and a serene union of visible-invisible spiritual perspectives is absent from the enormous text of Charitrapakhyan. The experience of Charitrapakhyan and Hakayats is shallow, disproportionate and extravagant. It doesn't add any aesthetic serenity to the mystical/spiritual existence of woman-image of Guru Granth Sahib. The descriptions of Charitropakhyan bring out the lewdness of a corrupt society. These compositions are unable to explore any deep psychology. Charitropakhyan versifies particularly in an immoral vein the fantastic manners of unchaste woman. When the reader applies literary canons to valuate Chartiropakhyan, its text remains below the mediocre genres of fine literature. The reader finds no visionary quest of Guru Granth Sahib in the pages of Charitropakhyan which present an obscene drama of monstrous libidinous containing more than four hundred pageants of degenerate humanity. There are, undoubtedly, the lyrical illustrations of the role of unchaste woman in Guru Granth Sahib, but these literary genres never break the sanctity of its supreme woman-image. The uncontrollable and intriguing sexual impulses of women in Charitropakhyan shatter the scriptural balance /harmony and natural poise of sublime aspects of woman-image of Guru Granth Sahib which give her a permanent place or existential naturalness in the spiritual fabrics of society. So I conclude that the contents of
Charitropakhyan are anti-Guru Granth Sahib. The tenth Guru would never disown his final commitment by creating such a mundane and inartistic voice against the metaphysical canons of Guru Granth Sahib ------ the everlasting spiritual light of the Khalsa.
3) AUTHORSHIP OF BACHITAR NANAK ASCRIBED WRONGFULLY TO GURU GOBIND SINGH
After probing into the multiplicity of historical facts of Guru-Times and studying the profound socio-spiritual values of Guru Granth Sahib I formulated this firm opinion in Sehje Rachio Khalsa that a man fo true Sikh psyche cannot ascribe the authorship of Bachitar Natak to the 10th Guru. I cite some cardinal points of my logical conviction regarding the authorship of Bachitar Natak below:
a) Ignorance of the most conspicuous fact of Guru Arjan's martyrdom:
Guru Arjan's martyrdom was not known to the unknown author of Bachitar-Natak. While composing his poetic narrative the poet got an appropriate opportunity to grasp the most significant moment of history, but the ignorance of 5th Guru's martyrdom failed him. His mind was too blank to mention it.
I admit that the poets often take liberty with their subject matter or contents in the form of so many poetic licenses and artistic devices in the process of their creations. While creating poetic signs, symbols, metaphors, similes and above all multi-layered socio-cultural semitic, the art of poetry enjoys enough freedom transmitting its raw material into fresh myriad forms. I admit that in the process of poetic creation the given objective reality offers a vast scope of change and there remains every possibility that the given contents may blossom forth into new metamorphic spectrums of life. If the essential material of poetic compositions contains the distinct features of history, geography and the presence of heroic person in the center of historic happenings, the art of poesy in spite of its generous acceptance and flexibility cannot avoid the basic and most representative feature of a particular historic fact.
In canto V of Bachitar-Natak the poet mentions the pious row of first nine Gurus. There is only a brief space of four lines between the names of Guru Arjan Sahib and Guru Tegh Bahadur Sahib. The poet devotes twelve lines to the nostalgic description of Guru Tegh Bahadur's martyrdom. He highlights, though purely in his Brahamanical way, this marvelous sacrifice in a nostalgic vein and lavishes praises in profusion on the exemplary perseverance of the 9th Guru. It seems unnatural that Bachitar Natak does not bring even a far-fetched hint to recollect the martyrdom of the fifth Guru. When there exists a short span of four lines between the two names of said Gurus, such a lapse on the part of the poet shows that there shimmers no glorious sign of intense past in his memory. The poet of Bachitar-Natak treats the physical disappearance of the fifth Master like the general demise of human beings. Had Guru Gobind Singh been the author of Bachitar-Natak, he would have, in the present context, given at least a reverential hint of his great grandfather's splendid sacrifice.
b) Absence of Pir Budhu Shah's role in the Battle of Bhangani:
All the historical details and collective oral traditions are of the opinion that Pir Budhu Shah was the most prominent character of Bhangani Battle. Even the naive poetic logic of Bachitar Natak cannot ignore the blessed presence of the Sufi Saint-Soldier who stands inevitably in the very center of the famous historic battle of Bhangani. Defending the noble cause of the 10th Master, he sacrificed his two sons and many pious followers in the ****** battle which was fought against the mountainous chiefs by the 10th Master. Pir Budhu Shah received abundant blessings, deep affection and personal relics from Guru Gobind Singh. Thus he became a forerunner, signalling beforehand the heroic martyrdom of Guru's four sons and great sacrifices of innumerable Sikhs. Only an immature author would forget to mention the conspicuous role played by a man of destiny like Budhu Shah in a very crucial battle of Guru's life. The obscure author of Bachitar Natak had not the least inkling of the solitary existence of Pir Budhu Shah, otherwise, he would have mentioned his role in the poetic annals of Bhangani battle. Guru Gobind Singh would never envision the battle of Bhangani without referring to the immortal role of Pir Ji. So, Bachitar-Natak is not authorized by him.
c) Dull Approach towards the Family History of Gurus:
The author of Bachitar-Natak exhibits gross ignorance regarding the family histories of second Guru and third Guru respectively. He was nourishing this mistaken idea that first three Gurus belong to the Bedi Sub-Caste, because his ignorance supported his stupid hypothesis declaring that Bedis would hand over Guruship to Sodhis in their next birth. The author didn't know that the sub-castes of Guru Angad and Guru Amar Das were Tehan and Bhalla respectively. (The words 'Bhalla' and 'Sodhi' are used in Guru Granth Sahib to hint at worldly identity of the Gurus. These words signifying the sub-castes of Gurus also serve the purpose of establishing the distinctive features of their family histories by having no spiritual context). The word 'Bhalla' is used in connection with the sub-caste of Guru Amar Das in Bhatt Swayas. The final version of Guru Granth Sahib was prepared under the supervision of Guru Gobind Singh who bestowed eternal Guruship upon it at his eleventh hour. So, I bring this fact to the kind notice of my readers, if the author of Bachitar-Natak is Guru Gobind Singh he must have known at least the exact sub-caste of the third Guru, because the word Bhalla, with its elaborative context, exists in the Sikh Scripture. (The knowledge of the work Tehan, the sub-caste of the 2nd Guru before Gurgaddi, would also not betray the memory of the Master).
d) Wrong Chronological Order of Relating to the Spiritual Preceptors:
In the 6th canto of Bachitar Natak the poet presents a rhymed list of religious seekers along with some vague comments, but he disobeys the right historic sequence concerning the advent of two religious personalities. According to the chronological or of Bachitar-Natak prophet Muhammad (Mahan Din) appears on the canvas of history after Ramanand. There arises no inevitable need of literary form, no creative demand of symbolism, no powerful momentum of life experience, no irresistible call of the mysterious circles of Time and no exuberant movement of visionary semiotics, which might dictate the essential poetic logic to change the normal course of objective history. In spite of that all the authors of Bhachitar-Natak create wrong chronological order placing Mohammad after Ramanand out of his blind ignorance. Guru Gobind Singh who was well versant scholar of Islamic History. There was not the least possibility on his part to commit such a gross error.
e) An Estranged Image of Anandpur Without the Full-Fledged Historic Presence of the 10th Master.
The 7th canto of Bachitar-Natak mentions that the 10th Master was brought to the Punjab from Patna in his childhood, but in this context the author didn't allude to the existence of Aandpur. After the martyrdom of his father he spent many meditative years there. The prophetic experience of the 10th Master passed through many phases of divine enlightenment at Anandpur, but the poet didn't reveal the name of the town even and remained silent about its existence in the 7th canto of Bachitar Natak. In canto VIII the author informs the reader that the 10th Prophet proceeded to Patna, won the battle of Bhangani after some years, visited Kahloor and established a town called Anandpur. This brief statement is a self-evident proof that the author has misplaced all significant historical situations associated with Guru Gobind Singh. Even a common reader of history knows that Guru Tegh Bahadur laid the foundation stone of Anandpur and Guru Gobind Singh received the divine status of Gurgaddi there. By releasing such a distorted image of Anandpur that annihilates the right perspective of Gurus presence related to it, the author of Bachitar-Natak cannot claim himself to be Guru Gobind Singh.
f) The Immature Vision of Religious Crises and Unjustifiable Criticism of Islam:
The author of Bachitar-Natak is too immature to judge the historical processes of religious crises. He is unable to understand the subtle wholeness of a particular religion which distinguishes it from its small sects. When the decline of Hinduism appears on its historical surface, he passes harshly the sweeping judgements on its disruptive segments. The author is ignorant of the fact that in spite of the ritualistic tendencies leaving behind the perfection of its moral values, those Hindu Sects have positively many divine element also. An adamant egoistical tone of Bachitar-Natak is not justified to brush aside the importance of those Sects by making their followers look like atheistic nincompoops. Again, such a harshness rooted in illogical prejudices builds up no justification of the advent of the 10th Master. India had been creating the subtlest patterns of religious thoughts of infinite variety since the birth of the Vedas. The vast vision of history and a true realization of abstract channels of life make this natural demand from a serious poet of prophetic consciousness to present wonderful realistic pageants of the rise and fall of the universal religions manifesting the logical culmination of the Khalsa. In Canto VI the poet of Bachitar-Natak gives some common place illustrations of religiously misguided characters of mythology basing his analysis on false assumptions. He creates a mazy narration of Mahander, Bisham, Brahma and general category of idolaters who alienated themselves from the true path of God in remote past. His declarations regarding the betrayal of the Gods are based on common hearsay without any authentic scholarly information. As the author doesn't understand the difference of mythology and the history of concrete facts, he fails to draw a convincing line of the different evolutions of the subtlest branches o f religious ideologies. Again, he makes a poor choice of the Theological characters to delineate his point of view. For example, Datta-Tray and Gorakh look like insignificant dim dots of meditative reflections of spiritual journey amidst the vast panorama of varied religious paths of ancient times. The religious experience of the author of Bachitar-Natak is too shallow to deserve its comparison with the poetical/philosophic analysis of varied religious branches, revealed specially in the first Var of Bhai Gardas. We find no justification to place the fresh manifestation of the Khalsa at the end of that line of immature presentations of spiritual preceptors as visualized by the author of Bachitar-Natak.
The obscure author of Bachitar-Natak gives a shocking treatment to the Prophet of Islam when he reaches the ending point of his tizada of condemnation against the certain religious paths and their crises. He underestimates the Prophet Muhammad in a disrespectful manner by declaring him simply the King of Arabia. Then he denies him indirectly the elevated status of Prophet and openly condemns him in an obscene language for circumcising all the kings.
Mahadin tab prabhu upraja ||
Arab des ko kino raja ||26||
Tin bhi ek panth upraja ||
Ling bina kiney sabh raja ||
Sabh te apna naam japao ||
Satnam kahoon na dhirao ||27||
(How ridiculous! What an absurdity! What an insulting manner to denounce a fellow religion! Is circumcision meant for Kings only? Did the common folks of Islam not adopt this symbolic ritual? Does circumcision mean for the Muslim Kings to be without copulative organs?)
The author of Bachitar Natak is bereft of the knowledge that the ritual of circumcision was in vogue in the Jewish world before the advent of Islam. Again he is too naive to understand the spiritual meaning of circumcision suggested by Guru Nanak in his Majh Ki Var. The version of zafarnama, the historic epistle addressed to Aurangzeb and his highly metaphysical composition entitled Japu, prove that Guru Gobind Singh respected the Holy Quran, understood the value of faith and accepted the prophetic magnanimity of Muhammad. Had the 10th Guru been the author of Bachitar Natak, he would not have contradicted his own message, conveyed so beautifully in his Japu Sahib, the most musical poem of metaphysical dimensions.
The collective genius of Sikhism in her powerful faith, encompassing the living memories of Time and her undisputed historical traditions bows to this general agreement that Guru Gobind Singh established Guru Granth Sahib on the eternal throne of socio-spiritual values belonging to the ten Gurus.
Again, it is a fact that Guru Granth Sahib accords the reverential serenity to the Holy Quran and Islamic prayer in its contents, but the tone of Bachitar Natak is totally different in this context. So its authorship will remain alien to Guru Gobind Singh.
CONCLUSION: The commentators who claim that Guru Gobind Singh is the author of entire Dasam Granth base their belief on two false assumptions which are as follows:
A) The believe that it was the prophetic mission of Dasam Guru to create in the Khalsa consciousness an invincible euphoria of religious battles against the contemporary Hindu feudal systems and mainly against the despotic Mughal Empire. Dr. Gurbhagat Singh develops a modern philosophic viewpoint of transcendental fervor of Guru's battles as manifested in his "religio-martial texts". The radiant enthusiasm "was meant as a cultural weapon to transform and restore the needed vitality".
I object to the above mentioned "notion of battle" which according to the zealous supporters of Dasam Granth functions as a pivotal force in its Chandi Charitars (including Chandi Di Yar) and Chaubis-Avtar. The said battles of gods, goddesses and demons are not symbolical in a profound creative sense, because they do not lead us to a new plane of reality higher than the visible surface of this life. Those battles simply place the reader (or the devotee) amidst the crude turmoils of the gods and demons. The flat and single layered descriptions of battles follow the slavish imitation of the bombastic style of Pirthvi Raj Raso in Bachitar-Natak. It is sufficient to prove that the said battles contain no "talic semiotic" as envisioned by Dr. Gurbhagat Singh. The idealism regarding the fights between good and evil is relegated to a stale moral precept of secondary place, but the supreme purpose of Dasam Granth remains to highlight the Brahamanical Guru-Status of gods and goddesses. The concluding two lines of Chandi Di Var invite the attention of the devotees to worship Durga:
Durga path banaya sabhey paurian ||
Fer na juuni aya jin eh gaya ||õõ||
(The goddess Durga has composed the recitation of
all the stanzas (of Chandi Di Var).
Every worshipper who recites it will attain
freedom from the cycles of birth and death). ||õõ||
I conclude that all the battles of gods and goddesses leave us with no other choice except tilting to the message of worshipping them. So it is impossible to associate the authorship of the complete text of Dasam Granth with the 10th Master.
B) The commentators who believe Guru Gobind Singh to be the sole creator of entire Dasam Granth delineate its second purpose saying that the 10th Prophet wanted to acquaint his Sikhs with the colorful religio-cultural heritage of India through his manifold poetic compositions compiled in Dasam Granth.
I think the above mentioned viewpoint is not valid enough in deciding the authenticity of authorship of Dasam Granth. I reject this clumsy idea of the impassioned votaries of Dasam Granth by advancing the following five arguments:
1) It has never been the role of any prophet before Guru Gobind Singh to educate his followers in such a mechanical sense like an educational plan of prosaic times. The blessed movement of a prophetic genius is more awe-inspiring, creative and winning than offering the sluggish genre of degenerating literary forms, such as Charitropakhyan and Hakayats.
2) Suppose it was the thoughtful scheme of the 10th Guru to instruct his followers by producing various poetic compositions of Dasam Granth, but in no case he would make a wrong choice of literary specimens. The bulky size of literature contained in Dasam Granth is not even a dim shadow of those Sublime, pure and aesthetic dimensions of literature which belong to the real and first rate heritage of India. Here we see that Chandi Charitars are brimming with bombastic verbosity, mechanical devices of revibrating word, pictures and conventional expressions of heroic feats.
Chaubis Avtar and other stories of gods/avtars present the grotesque pictures of mythological heroes with a mixture of heretics of shallow nature without origins.
.........The contents of Charitropakhyan are pregnant with obscene details of neurotic minds reflecting the one-sided, anti-aesthetic, degenerate activities and vices of sexually *******ed women of Vam Marag. Will the 10th Prophet impose on the consciousness of the Khalsa this superfluous and thoroughly anti-Gurmat material of disintegrated spirit to undo those healthy traditions of Gurmat balanced poise of Sehaj and majestic victories of spirit which were
brought about and then established by the previous nine Gurus and finally by the undisputed Scripture of the Khalsa?
3) With the exception of Japu, Akal Ustat (excluding 20 Kabits) and Swayyas the reader (devotee) observes that Dasam Granth changes its stand again and again in relation to the worship of One God. In the ending Swaya of Ramavatar the author declares in somewhat rude tone that being a votary of One God, he would not assign any divine status to Ram along with the religious ideas contained in the Shastras and Simarats. In Krishanavatar Dasam Granth asserts rather in an unsophisticated idiom of language that the stories of Ganesh, Krishan and Bishan are known to the poet in a mechanical sense only, but in reality those characters stand alien to his unshakable faith in one God (stanza-434).
Again in the first canto of Bachitar-Natak the author asserting as the champion worshipper of the Timeless Being, denies Ram, Krishan, Brahma, Shiv and Muhammad as the saviours of mankind. In spite of these denials and emphatic declarations the fundamental faith of the author expressed in the said poetic texts of Dasam Granth tilts towards the worship of Avtars, goddesses (specially Durga, Parvati, (Siva) and Chandi) and gods. Even part of Gyan Prdodh after revealing a dim reflection of the spiritual image of one eternal Being of Guru Granth Sahib shifts his visionary ground in part II by adding to it a stereotyped Maha Bharat-based history of religions to confuse the spotless wholeness and originality of the Khalsa. Here in Dasam Granth the devotee witnesses a faithless drama of the divided loyalties of the fickle-minded author (or authors) who fluctuates from the worshipping point of Timeless God to the obeisance of the secondary functioning agents of this mysterious universe.
I say that amidst this chaos created by the chameleon-like nature of the worshippers, Guru Gobind Singh cannot be imagined to be the solitary author of entire Dasan Granth.
4) The author of Bachitar-Natak in canto XIV declares in an artificial humility like a telepathist that he had seen all the wonderful feats of Avtars and Chandi (Kalka) performed by them in the previous ages. Again he claims (boasts?) that being a divine witness he has revealed all their miraculous deeds in his Granths. In other words he states that he is the author of Chandi Charitars (Part I & Part II) and Chaubis Avtar along with the pageants of other incarnations of the gods. Now, here arises a significant point, as already argued by me, Guru Gobind Singh is not the author of Bachitar-Natak so the statement of the author in canto XIV emerges as an ample proof in favor of our transparent view assessing that Chandi Charitars and Chaubi Avtar are also not authored by Guru Gobind Singh.
5) Dasam Granth in one volume was an outcome of post-Guru period. It didn't exist in the period of 10th Guru. The Master under his benign supervision prepared the authentic version of Guru Granth Sahib and at the last h our of his physical departure he conferred on it the honor of Guru-Scripture of the Khalsa, but in his apical span of life he never thought for a moment to get his Bani compiled in a single volume. Even Bhai Mani Singh, the last scribe of the authentic Damdami Bir did not make any suggestion to the Guru to compile his Bani in one volume. It is equally important that he didn't receive even any direction in this matter from the Master. This fact of creative history is known to the common Sikhs of today that members of the Khalsa-brotherhood of Guru-period generally committed to their memory the Banis of Dasam Guru entitled Japu Sahib, Akal Ustat and Sawayyas. It was easy to preserve them in their written form on loose sheets or in their bound copies, and therefore, the Sikhs faced no indispensability to incorporate them in a bulky volume such as Dasam Granth. Then why did this passionate desire to create Dasam Granth out of the mass of anti-Gurmat literature enter Bhai Mani Singh's brain at Amritsar after 1725 A.D.?
I do not recognize the authenticity of the Bir associated with the name of the Bhai Mani Singh because of the obscure history of its coming to light 83 years after the martyrdom of Bhai Mani Singh in 1818 A.D., its unmarked travels from Amritsar to Multan, its usurpation in mysterious circumstances from the concealed center of its origin, its respectful preservation in the house of an unknown Pathan at Multan, the secret of it name and mystery of its first location at Amritsar or near Amritsar.
Again, Dasam Granth associated with the name of Bhai Mani Singh, includes in it the voluminous contents of Adi Granth in addition to the supposed Bani of Dasam Guru. Now, Bhai Mani Singh could never commit such an act of betrayal by desecrating the original form of the undisputed Scripture of Khalsa Panth after it was installed as their ageless Guru. How could Bhai Mani Singh play such a faithless role against the intense friendly dictates of his beloved Master after being constantly submerged into the enlightened experience of Guru Granth Sahib in his presence for nine months? So the said - Bir is spurious, and it looks more spurious after emergence of the forged letter of Bhai Mani Singh. The disclosure of fake Khas Dastkhati Patre in Gyan Singh's Panth Parkash and the logical conclusion of spurious Hukamnamas in my book Sehje Rachio Khalsa put a question mark against the genuineness of Dasam Granth. The unsymmetrical body of Dasam Granth enveloped in unbalanced superstitious beliefs, repulsive camouflages, hearsays and boastful utterances during numerous encounters is not acceptable to me as the real world of Guru Gobind Singh's luminous Gurmat vision.
REFERENCES
1) Sri Dasam Guru Granth Sahib (Part I & Part II; Pages 716+712=1428; Gurmukhi Script).
Bhai Jawahar Singh, Bhai Kirpal Singh and Sons. Mai Sewan Bazar, Amritsar - 1967 A.D.
2) [/FONT]Gurbhagat Singh, Dr. ----- “Sikhism and Postmodern Thought”
Ajanta Publications
HERE IS ANOTHER SCHOLARLY ARTICLE AT THE BLOG..
Article on “Dasam Granth” by Late Principal Harbhajan Singh Sikh Centre’s Weblog[/FONT]
Article on “Dasam Granth” by Late Principal Harbhajan Singh[/FONT]
Posted on January 29, 2008. Filed under: Dasam Granth | Tags: Bachittar Natak, Dasam Granth, Dharam Parchar Committee, Guru Gobind Singh, Mahan Kosh, Principal Harbhajan Singh, Punjab, Rattan Singh Jaggi, SGPC, Sikh, Sikhi | [/FONT]
Dasam Granth — A Historical Perspective[/FONT]
by Late Principal Harbhajan Singh[/FONT]
[Reproduced from [/FONT]Abstracts of Sikh Studies, Jan-Mar 1999][/FONT][/FONT]
Introductory[/FONT]
It is admitted by all historians that in the lifetime of Guru Gobind Singh, there existed no such manuscript, now known as Dasam Granth. However, there is a mention of a granth named Vidya Sagar, which is supposed to have been a compilation of some writings of the Guru and the poets at his court. This granth is said to have been lost at the battle of Anandpur Sahib in the year 1704 CE. Therefore, to understand the issue of the Dasam Granth, one has to fall back on the writings of the Guru’s near contemporaries and above all, on the irrefutable criterion of the ideology of Guru Granth Sahib. It is an established fact that Guru Gobind Singh, at the time of his demise, bestowed guruship on Adi Granth Sahib.[1] What is even more significant is that the Guru neither prepared any granth of his own, equivalent in holy status to Adi Granth, nor thought it fit to include any composition of his own in the same.[2][/FONT]
How the Title Changed[/FONT]
The granth was given different names at different times in the following order :[/FONT]
a) Bachittar Natak
b) Daswen Patshah ka Granth
c) Dasam Granth
d) Sri Dasam Granth
e) Sri Dasam Granth Sahib
f) Sri Dasam Guru Granth Sahib[/FONT]
These names are very misleading, and the pity is that these have not been given by any responsible and representative body, society, or the Panth as a whole, but just by individuals, small organizations or publishers. According to Dr Rattan Singh Jaggi, “There is no unanimity among the historians regarding the date of compilation of this granth, but according to Sikh tradition the decision to compile it in one volume was made conditional on the success of the mission of Bhai Sukha Singh and Bhai Mehtab Singh. Later, it is said Baba Deep Singh and Bhai Sukha Singh of Patna prepared their own Birs (volumes) by adding more material to it. Uptil then, the granth was named as Bachittar Natak, which later came to be named as the granth of the Tenth Guru.”[3][/FONT]
As Bachittar Natak[/FONT]
Bachittar or Vachittar Natak, according to Mahan Kosh of Bhai Kahan Singh, denotes one of the following :[/FONT]
a) Wonderful or strange drama;
b) That part of Dasam Granth which pertains to the stories of Avtars (incarnations) and other historical narratives, written in dramatic style;
c) Part of the granth comprising fourteen chapters, wherein some happenings of the life of Guru Gobind Singh have been incorporated.[/FONT]
A careful analysis of the inner evidence of the granth helps us to find out which meaning of Bachittar Natak, given in Mahan Kosh, is appropriate or inappropriate for different parts of the granth. In the first place, those portions of the granth about the authorship of which there are no two opinions among Sikh scholars, do not have any internal indication anywhere, showing them as Bachittar Natak.[4][/FONT]
Secondly, fourteen chapters, wherein some happenings of the life of Guru Gobind Singh have been incorporated, are clearly marked as Bachittar Natak, both as a sub-heading and at the end of each chapter.[/FONT]
Thirdly, Charitro Pakhyan and Hakayats (stories in Persian) are so obscene that they are not worthy of even being spoken of as Bachittar Natak, which has not been done in the granth either.[/FONT]
Fourthly, the rest of the writings can be called Bachittar Natak, and they have been so indicated at the end of most of the writings in the sense that these are mythical and dramatic narratives.[/FONT]
As Dasam Granth[/FONT]
The contents of the so-called Dasam Granth may be divided broadly into the following categories for the purpose of our study :
i) Hymns, considered by all to be compositions of Guru Gobind Singh — 50 pages
ii) Bachittar Natak (14 Chapters) — 36 pages
iii) Both of the Chandi Charittras and Chandi Di Var — 53 pages
iv) Chaubis Avtars, etc. — 674 pages
v) Charittro Pakhyan and Hakayats in Persian — 615[/FONT]
[Note : The total number of pages indicated in this article are taken from the published volume of Dasam Granth as available in 1428 pages.][/FONT]
Out of 1428 pages, the Guru’s hymns occupy only 50 pages and Charittro Pakhyan and Hakayats (which neither claim to be Bachittar Natak, nor can their contents entitle them to be so), cover 615 pages. The composition that has been given the heading of Bachittar Natak comprises only 14 chapters and each chapter ends with the remark, “Iti Bachittar Natak Granthe ….” (lit. “Here ends the Bachittar Natak Granth”). In the rest of the writings, Bachittar Natak is not given as a heading of any composition, but “Iti Bachittar Natak Granth…” occurs at the end of most of the chapters related to Avtar stories.[/FONT]
The picture that emerges clearly is that, whereas Bachittar Natak Granth is referred to many times within the so-called Dasam Granth, there is not a single instance where Dasam Granth, as such, is mentioned within its text. It is an established part of Sikh tradition that the different portions of this granth lay scattered at different places, and were collected together to form one volume[5] some decades after the demise of the Tenth Master and consequent to the success of the mission of Bhai Sukha Singh and Bhai Mehtab Singh. It did not end here. To the first collection were added, later on, more writings, and it is these collections which came to be named first as Bachittar Natak then as Daswen Patshah ka Granth[6] still later as Dasam Granth, and recently by some publisher as Sri Dasam Guru Granth Sahib.[/FONT]
Decision for Compilation[/FONT]
What is an even more significant part of the established Sikh tradition is that when the decision to compile the different pothis or writings for the first time into one volume was made, there was a serious debate at Damdama (Bathinda), as to whether the different parts of this granth merited at all to be joined together in a single volume.[7] The overwhelming opinion in this debate even at that time was not in favour of compiling the different pothis or writings in a single volume; only the minority opinion favoured different pothis to be compiled toghether.[8] Hence, there is not even a prima facie case for assuming this granth to be an integrated, single, one-piece work, much less that it be regarded as the composition of a single author. A summary reference to the analysis of the contents of the granth by Dr Jaggi confirms this conclusion.[/FONT]
Here it is relevant to state that Dr Ashta has attributed the collection of the granth to Bhai Mani Singh. This he bases primarily on a letter purported to have been written by Bhai Sahib to Mata Sundri. Dr Jaggi, whose thesis Dasam Granth ka Kartritva, which has been commended by Dr H.P. Dwivedi, has examined this issue in detail and comes to the conclusion that the letter is fake.[/FONT]
Internal Evidence[/FONT]
a) There are only four extant manuscripts of the granth which are recognized by scholars. All these differ materially even as regards the subject matter, number of pages, the headings of the chapters, the number of verses in them, and their sequences and arrangements, etc. There are too many variations to be recounted here. [9]
b) Pen-names of Ram, Sham, Kali and Gobind are found in different compositions indicating them to be the poet-authors of these.[10][/FONT]
Ideological Contradictions[/FONT]
a) Within the granth:- There are glaring contradictions within the text itself on ideological issues which are fundamental to Sikhism. For example, Sikhism stands for unalloyed monotheism:
“O man, worship none but God, not a thing made by Him.
Know that He Who was in the beginning,
Unborn, Invincible, and Indestructible is God.
What if Vishnu, coming into this world killed some of the demons,
And exercising great deceit induced every one to call him God.
Hear, O fool !
How can he who was drowned in the ocean of the world save thee?”[11][/FONT]
“One Shiv was born, one died, and one was born again;
There have also been many incarnations of Ram Chander and Krishan.
How many Brahmas and Vishnus there have been !
How many Veds and Puranas !
How many collections of Simritis there have been and passed away!…”[12][/FONT]
“Some fasten an idol firmly to their breasts;
Some say that Shiv is God; …
Some say that Ram is God; some say Krishan;
Some in their hearts accept the incarnations as God;
But I have forgotten all vain religions and know in my heart
That the Creator is the only God.”[13][/FONT]
As against this clear-cut ideology of Guru Gobind Singh himself, 455 pages have been devoted in the granth to idolise Chaubis Avtaars and 99 pages to idolise the Avtaars of Brahma, Rudra, and other.[/FONT]
One item that requires particular notice relates to the worship of gods and goddesses, particularly that of Durga, Bhawani, Kali, Shiva, Sitla, etc., which are all supposed to be the incarnation of Parbati Devi, or Shiva, meaning the spouse of Shivji and not Shivji himself.[/FONT]
What has been said about the condemnation of the Avtaars of Vishnu and the Devi, applies equally to the mythical incarnation of other gods and goddesses. In addition, we have the hymn clearly condemning the worship of Devi by name, “Boundless is His Form, and boundless His Voice; in the shelter of His Feet dwelleth Bhavani.”[14][/FONT]
b) With the hymns of Guru Granth Sahib:-
i) Whereas in Guru Granth Sahib the invocation is invariably to God alone, here the invocations are to Bhagauti, Durga, etc.
ii) By far the strongest objection for not considering this granth to be a unified work, is ideological. For the largest portion of it cuts across the fundamentals of the Sikh ideology, as enshrined in Guru Granth Sahib. The Gurus are categorical on this point.[/FONT]
“May that mouth burn, which says that God incarnates.”[15][/FONT]
“O Brother, fools worship gods and goddesses. They know not that these mythical deities can give them nothing. To beg anything from them is just like putting stone idols in water, where they only sink. How can they enable anyone else to swim across the water ?”[16][/FONT]
Bhagat Namdev in Guru Granth Sahib also says, “They who worship Bhairav, shall become sprites; they who worship Sitla, ride donkeys and scatter dust. For myself I take the name of One God.”[17][/FONT]
Except for 50 pages, the granth contradicts the ideology of Guru Granth Sahib. As 674 pages are devoted to extolling Avtaars, etc. and 53 pages praise Chandi and Durga (Chandi Chritras and Var Durga ki). While 615 pages relate to the utterly obscene Charittro Pakhyan.[/FONT]
The conclusive evidence is that whereas the 50 pages in every way synchronise with the bani of Guru Granth Sahib, the main body of the granth relating to Devis and Avtaars and Charittro Pakhyan are evidently in contradiction to that ideology. Hence, when the acid test is applied, except the 50 pages of the bani, the writings in the granth are difficult to accept as creations of the Tenth Master.[/FONT]
Conclusion[/FONT]
First, this is a granth which never existed as such in the time of the Tenth Master, nor is there any verifiable injunction by the Master in this regard. Second, it was decades after the demise of Guru Gobind Singh that it was joined together in one volume, just because of a chance development. Third, the very naming of the granth has been varying, and the first name, Bachittar Natak, supported by internal evidence, hardly suggests that the granth has a religious import. These names have been changed from time to time.[/FONT]
Fourth, the different parts of it, especially the 50 pages and the bulk of the granth relating to Avtaars, Devis and the Charittro Pakhyan are entirely contradictory in content. In fact, about the Charittro Pakhyan, the S.G.P.C. has conveyed that it is not the writing of Guru Gobind Singh, but is a reproduction of some mythical stories.[18] According to known tradition, even originally the majority opinion was against the different pothis being compiled into one volume. Hence, it passes one’s comprehension how this granth can logically be regarded as a single piece of work or the composition of a single author, much less of Guru Gobind Singh Sahib.[/FONT]
It is obvious that the material of the granth needs to be sifted in order to separate the grain from the chaff, and the only criterion for that is the bani of Guru Granth Sahib. But this sifting should not be left to the judgement of an individual or an organisation, howsoever respected and highly placed it may be. It is a matter of vital importance, and a decision on it should be the responsibility of the Panth.[/FONT]
Notes & References[/FONT]
1. Wahi (Record) of Narbudh Bhatt; Koer Singh, Gurbilas Patshahi Das (1745 CE), Chapter 21; Kesar Singh Chhiber, Bansawlinama, (1769 CE), Chapter 10; Sarup Das Bhalla, Mehma Parkash (1776 CE), p. 459
2. Dr Rattan Singh Jaggi in his scholarly thesis Dasam Granth ka Kartritva, (i.e., Authorship of Dasam Granth) has conclusively shown that Guru Gobind Singh did not give an equal status to his own writings with that of the Adi Granth. He described his composition as a play.
3. Rattan Singh Jaggi: Dasam Granth ka Kartritva, p. 13
4. Jap, Akal Ustat (minus 20 stanzas from 211 to 230 in the praise of Devi Durga); Swayyas; Shabads, and Zaffarnama.
5. Bhai Kahn Singh: Mahan Kosh, p. 616
6. Dr Rattan Singh Jaggi: op. cit., p. 13
7. Bhai Kahn Singh: op. cit., p. 616
8. Ibid.
9. Dr Rattan Singh Jaggi: op. cit., Chapter 4 and Appendix, Pp.100-101
10. Ibid., Pp. 49-66
11. Macauliffe, M.A.: The Sikh Religion, Vol. V., Shabad Hazare Pp.325-326.
12. Ibid., Akal Ustat, p. 272
13. Ibid., Swayyas, Pp. 318
14. Ibid., Akal Ustat, p. 262
15. Guru Granth Sahib, p. 1136
16. Ibid., p. 637
17. Ibid., p. 874; Macauliffe, Vol. VI., p. 57
18. Letter No. 36672, dated 3.8.1973, from the Dharam Parchar Committee of the S.G.P.C., Amritsar.[/FONT]
A QUERY/COMMENT BY READER:
[/FONT]
Very interesting article, but still leaves a few open questions. I think these are out of scope of this article, but it will be worthwhile trying to answer them or link to some already done research.
If we leave out the undisputed part of the Dasam Granth, then what is the origin of the other compositions?
As they seem to be present in the volumes compiled by Baba Deep Singh ji, they seem to have been in existence at that time. Some of the poets in 10th Guru’s Darbar might be the most obvious answer. (I have read at few places, British being blamed for this, but that seems too far fetched). What are your views on this?[/FONT]
Also if we can make it out that, the majority of contents are out of whack with Sikh ideology, Sikhs of that era (when it was compiled) should have been able to realize this. Then why was this content still added to the compilation? Or might be intention was not to attribute all this to 10th Guru, but somehow with passage of time, the authorship of entire granth was attributed to him.[/FONT]
navee[/FONT]
January 29, 2008[/FONT]
[/FONT]
The point you raise is quite valid and research should be directed towards it. [/FONT]I think part of the answer lies in the fact that the compilation attributed to Shaheed Bhai Mani Singh has no internal evidence that says it was indeed compiled by him. When compared with the Kartarpuri Bir, and the fact that Bhai Mani Singh may have been (and definitely Baba Deep Singh was) involved in copying and producing Birs of Guru Granth Sahib, it is to be expected that they would have followed the established system of compiler’s/copyist’s “nishaan” on the compilation/copy, along with such details as when and where the compilation/copy was made.
Principal Harbhajan Singh also points out the many differences in content and the order in which it is compiled in the original four versions of “Dasam Granth”. Logical conclusion would be that the compilations were spurious and kept on expanding.
As to the mention of Tenth Nanak’s name, we may also need to keep in mind that the “kachi[/FONT] [/FONT]bani” that Guru Amardas warned us against, also used the “Nanak nishaan”. Some lines using “Nanak nishaan” are still popular amongst Sikhs without we realising that they are not part of Gurbani.
A lot of research is needed to find the truth. It will happen when Waheguru wants it to.(end of quote.)[/FONT]
Article on “Dasam Granth” by Late Principal Harbhajan Singh Sikh Centre’s Weblog[/FONT]
Article on “Dasam Granth” by Late Principal Harbhajan Singh[/FONT]
Posted on January 29, 2008. Filed under: Dasam Granth | Tags: Bachittar Natak, Dasam Granth, Dharam Parchar Committee, Guru Gobind Singh, Mahan Kosh, Principal Harbhajan Singh, Punjab, Rattan Singh Jaggi, SGPC, Sikh, Sikhi | [/FONT]
Dasam Granth — A Historical Perspective[/FONT]
by Late Principal Harbhajan Singh[/FONT]
[Reproduced from [/FONT]Abstracts of Sikh Studies, Jan-Mar 1999][/FONT][/FONT]
Introductory[/FONT]
It is admitted by all historians that in the lifetime of Guru Gobind Singh, there existed no such manuscript, now known as Dasam Granth. However, there is a mention of a granth named Vidya Sagar, which is supposed to have been a compilation of some writings of the Guru and the poets at his court. This granth is said to have been lost at the battle of Anandpur Sahib in the year 1704 CE. Therefore, to understand the issue of the Dasam Granth, one has to fall back on the writings of the Guru’s near contemporaries and above all, on the irrefutable criterion of the ideology of Guru Granth Sahib. It is an established fact that Guru Gobind Singh, at the time of his demise, bestowed guruship on Adi Granth Sahib.[1] What is even more significant is that the Guru neither prepared any granth of his own, equivalent in holy status to Adi Granth, nor thought it fit to include any composition of his own in the same.[2][/FONT]
How the Title Changed[/FONT]
The granth was given different names at different times in the following order :[/FONT]
a) Bachittar Natak
b) Daswen Patshah ka Granth
c) Dasam Granth
d) Sri Dasam Granth
e) Sri Dasam Granth Sahib
f) Sri Dasam Guru Granth Sahib[/FONT]
These names are very misleading, and the pity is that these have not been given by any responsible and representative body, society, or the Panth as a whole, but just by individuals, small organizations or publishers. According to Dr Rattan Singh Jaggi, “There is no unanimity among the historians regarding the date of compilation of this granth, but according to Sikh tradition the decision to compile it in one volume was made conditional on the success of the mission of Bhai Sukha Singh and Bhai Mehtab Singh. Later, it is said Baba Deep Singh and Bhai Sukha Singh of Patna prepared their own Birs (volumes) by adding more material to it. Uptil then, the granth was named as Bachittar Natak, which later came to be named as the granth of the Tenth Guru.”[3][/FONT]
As Bachittar Natak[/FONT]
Bachittar or Vachittar Natak, according to Mahan Kosh of Bhai Kahan Singh, denotes one of the following :[/FONT]
a) Wonderful or strange drama;
b) That part of Dasam Granth which pertains to the stories of Avtars (incarnations) and other historical narratives, written in dramatic style;
c) Part of the granth comprising fourteen chapters, wherein some happenings of the life of Guru Gobind Singh have been incorporated.[/FONT]
A careful analysis of the inner evidence of the granth helps us to find out which meaning of Bachittar Natak, given in Mahan Kosh, is appropriate or inappropriate for different parts of the granth. In the first place, those portions of the granth about the authorship of which there are no two opinions among Sikh scholars, do not have any internal indication anywhere, showing them as Bachittar Natak.[4][/FONT]
Secondly, fourteen chapters, wherein some happenings of the life of Guru Gobind Singh have been incorporated, are clearly marked as Bachittar Natak, both as a sub-heading and at the end of each chapter.[/FONT]
Thirdly, Charitro Pakhyan and Hakayats (stories in Persian) are so obscene that they are not worthy of even being spoken of as Bachittar Natak, which has not been done in the granth either.[/FONT]
Fourthly, the rest of the writings can be called Bachittar Natak, and they have been so indicated at the end of most of the writings in the sense that these are mythical and dramatic narratives.[/FONT]
As Dasam Granth[/FONT]
The contents of the so-called Dasam Granth may be divided broadly into the following categories for the purpose of our study :
i) Hymns, considered by all to be compositions of Guru Gobind Singh — 50 pages
ii) Bachittar Natak (14 Chapters) — 36 pages
iii) Both of the Chandi Charittras and Chandi Di Var — 53 pages
iv) Chaubis Avtars, etc. — 674 pages
v) Charittro Pakhyan and Hakayats in Persian — 615[/FONT]
[Note : The total number of pages indicated in this article are taken from the published volume of Dasam Granth as available in 1428 pages.][/FONT]
Out of 1428 pages, the Guru’s hymns occupy only 50 pages and Charittro Pakhyan and Hakayats (which neither claim to be Bachittar Natak, nor can their contents entitle them to be so), cover 615 pages. The composition that has been given the heading of Bachittar Natak comprises only 14 chapters and each chapter ends with the remark, “Iti Bachittar Natak Granthe ….” (lit. “Here ends the Bachittar Natak Granth”). In the rest of the writings, Bachittar Natak is not given as a heading of any composition, but “Iti Bachittar Natak Granth…” occurs at the end of most of the chapters related to Avtar stories.[/FONT]
The picture that emerges clearly is that, whereas Bachittar Natak Granth is referred to many times within the so-called Dasam Granth, there is not a single instance where Dasam Granth, as such, is mentioned within its text. It is an established part of Sikh tradition that the different portions of this granth lay scattered at different places, and were collected together to form one volume[5] some decades after the demise of the Tenth Master and consequent to the success of the mission of Bhai Sukha Singh and Bhai Mehtab Singh. It did not end here. To the first collection were added, later on, more writings, and it is these collections which came to be named first as Bachittar Natak then as Daswen Patshah ka Granth[6] still later as Dasam Granth, and recently by some publisher as Sri Dasam Guru Granth Sahib.[/FONT]
Decision for Compilation[/FONT]
What is an even more significant part of the established Sikh tradition is that when the decision to compile the different pothis or writings for the first time into one volume was made, there was a serious debate at Damdama (Bathinda), as to whether the different parts of this granth merited at all to be joined together in a single volume.[7] The overwhelming opinion in this debate even at that time was not in favour of compiling the different pothis or writings in a single volume; only the minority opinion favoured different pothis to be compiled toghether.[8] Hence, there is not even a prima facie case for assuming this granth to be an integrated, single, one-piece work, much less that it be regarded as the composition of a single author. A summary reference to the analysis of the contents of the granth by Dr Jaggi confirms this conclusion.[/FONT]
Here it is relevant to state that Dr Ashta has attributed the collection of the granth to Bhai Mani Singh. This he bases primarily on a letter purported to have been written by Bhai Sahib to Mata Sundri. Dr Jaggi, whose thesis Dasam Granth ka Kartritva, which has been commended by Dr H.P. Dwivedi, has examined this issue in detail and comes to the conclusion that the letter is fake.[/FONT]
Internal Evidence[/FONT]
a) There are only four extant manuscripts of the granth which are recognized by scholars. All these differ materially even as regards the subject matter, number of pages, the headings of the chapters, the number of verses in them, and their sequences and arrangements, etc. There are too many variations to be recounted here. [9]
b) Pen-names of Ram, Sham, Kali and Gobind are found in different compositions indicating them to be the poet-authors of these.[10][/FONT]
Ideological Contradictions[/FONT]
a) Within the granth:- There are glaring contradictions within the text itself on ideological issues which are fundamental to Sikhism. For example, Sikhism stands for unalloyed monotheism:
“O man, worship none but God, not a thing made by Him.
Know that He Who was in the beginning,
Unborn, Invincible, and Indestructible is God.
What if Vishnu, coming into this world killed some of the demons,
And exercising great deceit induced every one to call him God.
Hear, O fool !
How can he who was drowned in the ocean of the world save thee?”[11][/FONT]
“One Shiv was born, one died, and one was born again;
There have also been many incarnations of Ram Chander and Krishan.
How many Brahmas and Vishnus there have been !
How many Veds and Puranas !
How many collections of Simritis there have been and passed away!…”[12][/FONT]
“Some fasten an idol firmly to their breasts;
Some say that Shiv is God; …
Some say that Ram is God; some say Krishan;
Some in their hearts accept the incarnations as God;
But I have forgotten all vain religions and know in my heart
That the Creator is the only God.”[13][/FONT]
As against this clear-cut ideology of Guru Gobind Singh himself, 455 pages have been devoted in the granth to idolise Chaubis Avtaars and 99 pages to idolise the Avtaars of Brahma, Rudra, and other.[/FONT]
One item that requires particular notice relates to the worship of gods and goddesses, particularly that of Durga, Bhawani, Kali, Shiva, Sitla, etc., which are all supposed to be the incarnation of Parbati Devi, or Shiva, meaning the spouse of Shivji and not Shivji himself.[/FONT]
What has been said about the condemnation of the Avtaars of Vishnu and the Devi, applies equally to the mythical incarnation of other gods and goddesses. In addition, we have the hymn clearly condemning the worship of Devi by name, “Boundless is His Form, and boundless His Voice; in the shelter of His Feet dwelleth Bhavani.”[14][/FONT]
b) With the hymns of Guru Granth Sahib:-
i) Whereas in Guru Granth Sahib the invocation is invariably to God alone, here the invocations are to Bhagauti, Durga, etc.
ii) By far the strongest objection for not considering this granth to be a unified work, is ideological. For the largest portion of it cuts across the fundamentals of the Sikh ideology, as enshrined in Guru Granth Sahib. The Gurus are categorical on this point.[/FONT]
“May that mouth burn, which says that God incarnates.”[15][/FONT]
“O Brother, fools worship gods and goddesses. They know not that these mythical deities can give them nothing. To beg anything from them is just like putting stone idols in water, where they only sink. How can they enable anyone else to swim across the water ?”[16][/FONT]
Bhagat Namdev in Guru Granth Sahib also says, “They who worship Bhairav, shall become sprites; they who worship Sitla, ride donkeys and scatter dust. For myself I take the name of One God.”[17][/FONT]
Except for 50 pages, the granth contradicts the ideology of Guru Granth Sahib. As 674 pages are devoted to extolling Avtaars, etc. and 53 pages praise Chandi and Durga (Chandi Chritras and Var Durga ki). While 615 pages relate to the utterly obscene Charittro Pakhyan.[/FONT]
The conclusive evidence is that whereas the 50 pages in every way synchronise with the bani of Guru Granth Sahib, the main body of the granth relating to Devis and Avtaars and Charittro Pakhyan are evidently in contradiction to that ideology. Hence, when the acid test is applied, except the 50 pages of the bani, the writings in the granth are difficult to accept as creations of the Tenth Master.[/FONT]
Conclusion[/FONT]
First, this is a granth which never existed as such in the time of the Tenth Master, nor is there any verifiable injunction by the Master in this regard. Second, it was decades after the demise of Guru Gobind Singh that it was joined together in one volume, just because of a chance development. Third, the very naming of the granth has been varying, and the first name, Bachittar Natak, supported by internal evidence, hardly suggests that the granth has a religious import. These names have been changed from time to time.[/FONT]
Fourth, the different parts of it, especially the 50 pages and the bulk of the granth relating to Avtaars, Devis and the Charittro Pakhyan are entirely contradictory in content. In fact, about the Charittro Pakhyan, the S.G.P.C. has conveyed that it is not the writing of Guru Gobind Singh, but is a reproduction of some mythical stories.[18] According to known tradition, even originally the majority opinion was against the different pothis being compiled into one volume. Hence, it passes one’s comprehension how this granth can logically be regarded as a single piece of work or the composition of a single author, much less of Guru Gobind Singh Sahib.[/FONT]
It is obvious that the material of the granth needs to be sifted in order to separate the grain from the chaff, and the only criterion for that is the bani of Guru Granth Sahib. But this sifting should not be left to the judgement of an individual or an organisation, howsoever respected and highly placed it may be. It is a matter of vital importance, and a decision on it should be the responsibility of the Panth.[/FONT]
Notes & References[/FONT]
1. Wahi (Record) of Narbudh Bhatt; Koer Singh, Gurbilas Patshahi Das (1745 CE), Chapter 21; Kesar Singh Chhiber, Bansawlinama, (1769 CE), Chapter 10; Sarup Das Bhalla, Mehma Parkash (1776 CE), p. 459
2. Dr Rattan Singh Jaggi in his scholarly thesis Dasam Granth ka Kartritva, (i.e., Authorship of Dasam Granth) has conclusively shown that Guru Gobind Singh did not give an equal status to his own writings with that of the Adi Granth. He described his composition as a play.
3. Rattan Singh Jaggi: Dasam Granth ka Kartritva, p. 13
4. Jap, Akal Ustat (minus 20 stanzas from 211 to 230 in the praise of Devi Durga); Swayyas; Shabads, and Zaffarnama.
5. Bhai Kahn Singh: Mahan Kosh, p. 616
6. Dr Rattan Singh Jaggi: op. cit., p. 13
7. Bhai Kahn Singh: op. cit., p. 616
8. Ibid.
9. Dr Rattan Singh Jaggi: op. cit., Chapter 4 and Appendix, Pp.100-101
10. Ibid., Pp. 49-66
11. Macauliffe, M.A.: The Sikh Religion, Vol. V., Shabad Hazare Pp.325-326.
12. Ibid., Akal Ustat, p. 272
13. Ibid., Swayyas, Pp. 318
14. Ibid., Akal Ustat, p. 262
15. Guru Granth Sahib, p. 1136
16. Ibid., p. 637
17. Ibid., p. 874; Macauliffe, Vol. VI., p. 57
18. Letter No. 36672, dated 3.8.1973, from the Dharam Parchar Committee of the S.G.P.C., Amritsar.[/FONT]
A QUERY/COMMENT BY READER:
[/FONT]
Very interesting article, but still leaves a few open questions. I think these are out of scope of this article, but it will be worthwhile trying to answer them or link to some already done research.
If we leave out the undisputed part of the Dasam Granth, then what is the origin of the other compositions?
As they seem to be present in the volumes compiled by Baba Deep Singh ji, they seem to have been in existence at that time. Some of the poets in 10th Guru’s Darbar might be the most obvious answer. (I have read at few places, British being blamed for this, but that seems too far fetched). What are your views on this?[/FONT]
Also if we can make it out that, the majority of contents are out of whack with Sikh ideology, Sikhs of that era (when it was compiled) should have been able to realize this. Then why was this content still added to the compilation? Or might be intention was not to attribute all this to 10th Guru, but somehow with passage of time, the authorship of entire granth was attributed to him.[/FONT]
navee[/FONT]
January 29, 2008[/FONT]
[/FONT]
The point you raise is quite valid and research should be directed towards it. [/FONT]I think part of the answer lies in the fact that the compilation attributed to Shaheed Bhai Mani Singh has no internal evidence that says it was indeed compiled by him. When compared with the Kartarpuri Bir, and the fact that Bhai Mani Singh may have been (and definitely Baba Deep Singh was) involved in copying and producing Birs of Guru Granth Sahib, it is to be expected that they would have followed the established system of compiler’s/copyist’s “nishaan” on the compilation/copy, along with such details as when and where the compilation/copy was made.
Principal Harbhajan Singh also points out the many differences in content and the order in which it is compiled in the original four versions of “Dasam Granth”. Logical conclusion would be that the compilations were spurious and kept on expanding.
As to the mention of Tenth Nanak’s name, we may also need to keep in mind that the “kachi[/FONT] [/FONT]bani” that Guru Amardas warned us against, also used the “Nanak nishaan”. Some lines using “Nanak nishaan” are still popular amongst Sikhs without we realising that they are not part of Gurbani.
A lot of research is needed to find the truth. It will happen when Waheguru wants it to.(end of quote.)[/FONT]
HERE IS ANOTHER SCHOLARLY ARTICLE AT THE BLOG..
Article on “Dasam Granth” by Late Principal Harbhajan Singh Sikh Centre’s Weblog[/FONT]
Article on “Dasam Granth” by Late Principal Harbhajan Singh[/FONT]
Posted on January 29, 2008. Filed under: Dasam Granth | Tags: Bachittar Natak, Dasam Granth, Dharam Parchar Committee, Guru Gobind Singh, Mahan Kosh, Principal Harbhajan Singh, Punjab, Rattan Singh Jaggi, SGPC, Sikh, Sikhi | [/FONT]
Dasam Granth — A Historical Perspective[/FONT]
by Late Principal Harbhajan Singh[/FONT]
[Reproduced from [/FONT]Abstracts of Sikh Studies, Jan-Mar 1999][/FONT][/FONT]
Introductory[/FONT]
It is admitted by all historians that in the lifetime of Guru Gobind Singh, there existed no such manuscript, now known as Dasam Granth. However, there is a mention of a granth named Vidya Sagar, which is supposed to have been a compilation of some writings of the Guru and the poets at his court. This granth is said to have been lost at the battle of Anandpur Sahib in the year 1704 CE. Therefore, to understand the issue of the Dasam Granth, one has to fall back on the writings of the Guru’s near contemporaries and above all, on the irrefutable criterion of the ideology of Guru Granth Sahib. It is an established fact that Guru Gobind Singh, at the time of his demise, bestowed guruship on Adi Granth Sahib.[1] What is even more significant is that the Guru neither prepared any granth of his own, equivalent in holy status to Adi Granth, nor thought it fit to include any composition of his own in the same.[2][/FONT]
How the Title Changed[/FONT]
The granth was given different names at different times in the following order :[/FONT]
a) Bachittar Natak
b) Daswen Patshah ka Granth
c) Dasam Granth
d) Sri Dasam Granth
e) Sri Dasam Granth Sahib
f) Sri Dasam Guru Granth Sahib[/FONT]
These names are very misleading, and the pity is that these have not been given by any responsible and representative body, society, or the Panth as a whole, but just by individuals, small organizations or publishers. According to Dr Rattan Singh Jaggi, “There is no unanimity among the historians regarding the date of compilation of this granth, but according to Sikh tradition the decision to compile it in one volume was made conditional on the success of the mission of Bhai Sukha Singh and Bhai Mehtab Singh. Later, it is said Baba Deep Singh and Bhai Sukha Singh of Patna prepared their own Birs (volumes) by adding more material to it. Uptil then, the granth was named as Bachittar Natak, which later came to be named as the granth of the Tenth Guru.”[3][/FONT]
As Bachittar Natak[/FONT]
Bachittar or Vachittar Natak, according to Mahan Kosh of Bhai Kahan Singh, denotes one of the following :[/FONT]
a) Wonderful or strange drama;
b) That part of Dasam Granth which pertains to the stories of Avtars (incarnations) and other historical narratives, written in dramatic style;
c) Part of the granth comprising fourteen chapters, wherein some happenings of the life of Guru Gobind Singh have been incorporated.[/FONT]
A careful analysis of the inner evidence of the granth helps us to find out which meaning of Bachittar Natak, given in Mahan Kosh, is appropriate or inappropriate for different parts of the granth. In the first place, those portions of the granth about the authorship of which there are no two opinions among Sikh scholars, do not have any internal indication anywhere, showing them as Bachittar Natak.[4][/FONT]
Secondly, fourteen chapters, wherein some happenings of the life of Guru Gobind Singh have been incorporated, are clearly marked as Bachittar Natak, both as a sub-heading and at the end of each chapter.[/FONT]
Thirdly, Charitro Pakhyan and Hakayats (stories in Persian) are so obscene that they are not worthy of even being spoken of as Bachittar Natak, which has not been done in the granth either.[/FONT]
Fourthly, the rest of the writings can be called Bachittar Natak, and they have been so indicated at the end of most of the writings in the sense that these are mythical and dramatic narratives.[/FONT]
As Dasam Granth[/FONT]
The contents of the so-called Dasam Granth may be divided broadly into the following categories for the purpose of our study :
i) Hymns, considered by all to be compositions of Guru Gobind Singh — 50 pages
ii) Bachittar Natak (14 Chapters) — 36 pages
iii) Both of the Chandi Charittras and Chandi Di Var — 53 pages
iv) Chaubis Avtars, etc. — 674 pages
v) Charittro Pakhyan and Hakayats in Persian — 615[/FONT]
[Note : The total number of pages indicated in this article are taken from the published volume of Dasam Granth as available in 1428 pages.][/FONT]
Out of 1428 pages, the Guru’s hymns occupy only 50 pages and Charittro Pakhyan and Hakayats (which neither claim to be Bachittar Natak, nor can their contents entitle them to be so), cover 615 pages. The composition that has been given the heading of Bachittar Natak comprises only 14 chapters and each chapter ends with the remark, “Iti Bachittar Natak Granthe ….” (lit. “Here ends the Bachittar Natak Granth”). In the rest of the writings, Bachittar Natak is not given as a heading of any composition, but “Iti Bachittar Natak Granth…” occurs at the end of most of the chapters related to Avtar stories.[/FONT]
The picture that emerges clearly is that, whereas Bachittar Natak Granth is referred to many times within the so-called Dasam Granth, there is not a single instance where Dasam Granth, as such, is mentioned within its text. It is an established part of Sikh tradition that the different portions of this granth lay scattered at different places, and were collected together to form one volume[5] some decades after the demise of the Tenth Master and consequent to the success of the mission of Bhai Sukha Singh and Bhai Mehtab Singh. It did not end here. To the first collection were added, later on, more writings, and it is these collections which came to be named first as Bachittar Natak then as Daswen Patshah ka Granth[6] still later as Dasam Granth, and recently by some publisher as Sri Dasam Guru Granth Sahib.[/FONT]
Decision for Compilation[/FONT]
What is an even more significant part of the established Sikh tradition is that when the decision to compile the different pothis or writings for the first time into one volume was made, there was a serious debate at Damdama (Bathinda), as to whether the different parts of this granth merited at all to be joined together in a single volume.[7] The overwhelming opinion in this debate even at that time was not in favour of compiling the different pothis or writings in a single volume; only the minority opinion favoured different pothis to be compiled toghether.[8] Hence, there is not even a prima facie case for assuming this granth to be an integrated, single, one-piece work, much less that it be regarded as the composition of a single author. A summary reference to the analysis of the contents of the granth by Dr Jaggi confirms this conclusion.[/FONT]
Here it is relevant to state that Dr Ashta has attributed the collection of the granth to Bhai Mani Singh. This he bases primarily on a letter purported to have been written by Bhai Sahib to Mata Sundri. Dr Jaggi, whose thesis Dasam Granth ka Kartritva, which has been commended by Dr H.P. Dwivedi, has examined this issue in detail and comes to the conclusion that the letter is fake.[/FONT]
Internal Evidence[/FONT]
a) There are only four extant manuscripts of the granth which are recognized by scholars. All these differ materially even as regards the subject matter, number of pages, the headings of the chapters, the number of verses in them, and their sequences and arrangements, etc. There are too many variations to be recounted here. [9]
b) Pen-names of Ram, Sham, Kali and Gobind are found in different compositions indicating them to be the poet-authors of these.[10][/FONT]
Ideological Contradictions[/FONT]
a) Within the granth:- There are glaring contradictions within the text itself on ideological issues which are fundamental to Sikhism. For example, Sikhism stands for unalloyed monotheism:
“O man, worship none but God, not a thing made by Him.
Know that He Who was in the beginning,
Unborn, Invincible, and Indestructible is God.
What if Vishnu, coming into this world killed some of the demons,
And exercising great deceit induced every one to call him God.
Hear, O fool !
How can he who was drowned in the ocean of the world save thee?”[11][/FONT]
“One Shiv was born, one died, and one was born again;
There have also been many incarnations of Ram Chander and Krishan.
How many Brahmas and Vishnus there have been !
How many Veds and Puranas !
How many collections of Simritis there have been and passed away!…”[12][/FONT]
“Some fasten an idol firmly to their breasts;
Some say that Shiv is God; …
Some say that Ram is God; some say Krishan;
Some in their hearts accept the incarnations as God;
But I have forgotten all vain religions and know in my heart
That the Creator is the only God.”[13][/FONT]
As against this clear-cut ideology of Guru Gobind Singh himself, 455 pages have been devoted in the granth to idolise Chaubis Avtaars and 99 pages to idolise the Avtaars of Brahma, Rudra, and other.[/FONT]
One item that requires particular notice relates to the worship of gods and goddesses, particularly that of Durga, Bhawani, Kali, Shiva, Sitla, etc., which are all supposed to be the incarnation of Parbati Devi, or Shiva, meaning the spouse of Shivji and not Shivji himself.[/FONT]
What has been said about the condemnation of the Avtaars of Vishnu and the Devi, applies equally to the mythical incarnation of other gods and goddesses. In addition, we have the hymn clearly condemning the worship of Devi by name, “Boundless is His Form, and boundless His Voice; in the shelter of His Feet dwelleth Bhavani.”[14][/FONT]
b) With the hymns of Guru Granth Sahib:-
i) Whereas in Guru Granth Sahib the invocation is invariably to God alone, here the invocations are to Bhagauti, Durga, etc.
ii) By far the strongest objection for not considering this granth to be a unified work, is ideological. For the largest portion of it cuts across the fundamentals of the Sikh ideology, as enshrined in Guru Granth Sahib. The Gurus are categorical on this point.[/FONT]
“May that mouth burn, which says that God incarnates.”[15][/FONT]
“O Brother, fools worship gods and goddesses. They know not that these mythical deities can give them nothing. To beg anything from them is just like putting stone idols in water, where they only sink. How can they enable anyone else to swim across the water ?”[16][/FONT]
Bhagat Namdev in Guru Granth Sahib also says, “They who worship Bhairav, shall become sprites; they who worship Sitla, ride donkeys and scatter dust. For myself I take the name of One God.”[17][/FONT]
Except for 50 pages, the granth contradicts the ideology of Guru Granth Sahib. As 674 pages are devoted to extolling Avtaars, etc. and 53 pages praise Chandi and Durga (Chandi Chritras and Var Durga ki). While 615 pages relate to the utterly obscene Charittro Pakhyan.[/FONT]
The conclusive evidence is that whereas the 50 pages in every way synchronise with the bani of Guru Granth Sahib, the main body of the granth relating to Devis and Avtaars and Charittro Pakhyan are evidently in contradiction to that ideology. Hence, when the acid test is applied, except the 50 pages of the bani, the writings in the granth are difficult to accept as creations of the Tenth Master.[/FONT]
Conclusion[/FONT]
First, this is a granth which never existed as such in the time of the Tenth Master, nor is there any verifiable injunction by the Master in this regard. Second, it was decades after the demise of Guru Gobind Singh that it was joined together in one volume, just because of a chance development. Third, the very naming of the granth has been varying, and the first name, Bachittar Natak, supported by internal evidence, hardly suggests that the granth has a religious import. These names have been changed from time to time.[/FONT]
Fourth, the different parts of it, especially the 50 pages and the bulk of the granth relating to Avtaars, Devis and the Charittro Pakhyan are entirely contradictory in content. In fact, about the Charittro Pakhyan, the S.G.P.C. has conveyed that it is not the writing of Guru Gobind Singh, but is a reproduction of some mythical stories.[18] According to known tradition, even originally the majority opinion was against the different pothis being compiled into one volume. Hence, it passes one’s comprehension how this granth can logically be regarded as a single piece of work or the composition of a single author, much less of Guru Gobind Singh Sahib.[/FONT]
It is obvious that the material of the granth needs to be sifted in order to separate the grain from the chaff, and the only criterion for that is the bani of Guru Granth Sahib. But this sifting should not be left to the judgement of an individual or an organisation, howsoever respected and highly placed it may be. It is a matter of vital importance, and a decision on it should be the responsibility of the Panth.[/FONT]
Notes & References[/FONT]
1. Wahi (Record) of Narbudh Bhatt; Koer Singh, Gurbilas Patshahi Das (1745 CE), Chapter 21; Kesar Singh Chhiber, Bansawlinama, (1769 CE), Chapter 10; Sarup Das Bhalla, Mehma Parkash (1776 CE), p. 459
2. Dr Rattan Singh Jaggi in his scholarly thesis Dasam Granth ka Kartritva, (i.e., Authorship of Dasam Granth) has conclusively shown that Guru Gobind Singh did not give an equal status to his own writings with that of the Adi Granth. He described his composition as a play.
3. Rattan Singh Jaggi: Dasam Granth ka Kartritva, p. 13
4. Jap, Akal Ustat (minus 20 stanzas from 211 to 230 in the praise of Devi Durga); Swayyas; Shabads, and Zaffarnama.
5. Bhai Kahn Singh: Mahan Kosh, p. 616
6. Dr Rattan Singh Jaggi: op. cit., p. 13
7. Bhai Kahn Singh: op. cit., p. 616
8. Ibid.
9. Dr Rattan Singh Jaggi: op. cit., Chapter 4 and Appendix, Pp.100-101
10. Ibid., Pp. 49-66
11. Macauliffe, M.A.: The Sikh Religion, Vol. V., Shabad Hazare Pp.325-326.
12. Ibid., Akal Ustat, p. 272
13. Ibid., Swayyas, Pp. 318
14. Ibid., Akal Ustat, p. 262
15. Guru Granth Sahib, p. 1136
16. Ibid., p. 637
17. Ibid., p. 874; Macauliffe, Vol. VI., p. 57
18. Letter No. 36672, dated 3.8.1973, from the Dharam Parchar Committee of the S.G.P.C., Amritsar.[/FONT]
A QUERY/COMMENT BY READER:
[/FONT]
Very interesting article, but still leaves a few open questions. I think these are out of scope of this article, but it will be worthwhile trying to answer them or link to some already done research.
If we leave out the undisputed part of the Dasam Granth, then what is the origin of the other compositions?
As they seem to be present in the volumes compiled by Baba Deep Singh ji, they seem to have been in existence at that time. Some of the poets in 10th Guru’s Darbar might be the most obvious answer. (I have read at few places, British being blamed for this, but that seems too far fetched). What are your views on this?[/FONT]
Also if we can make it out that, the majority of contents are out of whack with Sikh ideology, Sikhs of that era (when it was compiled) should have been able to realize this. Then why was this content still added to the compilation? Or might be intention was not to attribute all this to 10th Guru, but somehow with passage of time, the authorship of entire granth was attributed to him.[/FONT]
navee[/FONT]
January 29, 2008[/FONT]
[/FONT]
The point you raise is quite valid and research should be directed towards it. [/FONT]I think part of the answer lies in the fact that the compilation attributed to Shaheed Bhai Mani Singh has no internal evidence that says it was indeed compiled by him. When compared with the Kartarpuri Bir, and the fact that Bhai Mani Singh may have been (and definitely Baba Deep Singh was) involved in copying and producing Birs of Guru Granth Sahib, it is to be expected that they would have followed the established system of compiler’s/copyist’s “nishaan” on the compilation/copy, along with such details as when and where the compilation/copy was made.
Principal Harbhajan Singh also points out the many differences in content and the order in which it is compiled in the original four versions of “Dasam Granth”. Logical conclusion would be that the compilations were spurious and kept on expanding.
As to the mention of Tenth Nanak’s name, we may also need to keep in mind that the “kachi[/FONT] [/FONT]bani” that Guru Amardas warned us against, also used the “Nanak nishaan”. Some lines using “Nanak nishaan” are still popular amongst Sikhs without we realising that they are not part of Gurbani.
A lot of research is needed to find the truth. It will happen when Waheguru wants it to.(end of quote.)[/FONT]
Article on “Dasam Granth” by Late Principal Harbhajan Singh Sikh Centre’s Weblog[/FONT]
Article on “Dasam Granth” by Late Principal Harbhajan Singh[/FONT]
Posted on January 29, 2008. Filed under: Dasam Granth | Tags: Bachittar Natak, Dasam Granth, Dharam Parchar Committee, Guru Gobind Singh, Mahan Kosh, Principal Harbhajan Singh, Punjab, Rattan Singh Jaggi, SGPC, Sikh, Sikhi | [/FONT]
Dasam Granth — A Historical Perspective[/FONT]
by Late Principal Harbhajan Singh[/FONT]
[Reproduced from [/FONT]Abstracts of Sikh Studies, Jan-Mar 1999][/FONT][/FONT]
Introductory[/FONT]
It is admitted by all historians that in the lifetime of Guru Gobind Singh, there existed no such manuscript, now known as Dasam Granth. However, there is a mention of a granth named Vidya Sagar, which is supposed to have been a compilation of some writings of the Guru and the poets at his court. This granth is said to have been lost at the battle of Anandpur Sahib in the year 1704 CE. Therefore, to understand the issue of the Dasam Granth, one has to fall back on the writings of the Guru’s near contemporaries and above all, on the irrefutable criterion of the ideology of Guru Granth Sahib. It is an established fact that Guru Gobind Singh, at the time of his demise, bestowed guruship on Adi Granth Sahib.[1] What is even more significant is that the Guru neither prepared any granth of his own, equivalent in holy status to Adi Granth, nor thought it fit to include any composition of his own in the same.[2][/FONT]
How the Title Changed[/FONT]
The granth was given different names at different times in the following order :[/FONT]
a) Bachittar Natak
b) Daswen Patshah ka Granth
c) Dasam Granth
d) Sri Dasam Granth
e) Sri Dasam Granth Sahib
f) Sri Dasam Guru Granth Sahib[/FONT]
These names are very misleading, and the pity is that these have not been given by any responsible and representative body, society, or the Panth as a whole, but just by individuals, small organizations or publishers. According to Dr Rattan Singh Jaggi, “There is no unanimity among the historians regarding the date of compilation of this granth, but according to Sikh tradition the decision to compile it in one volume was made conditional on the success of the mission of Bhai Sukha Singh and Bhai Mehtab Singh. Later, it is said Baba Deep Singh and Bhai Sukha Singh of Patna prepared their own Birs (volumes) by adding more material to it. Uptil then, the granth was named as Bachittar Natak, which later came to be named as the granth of the Tenth Guru.”[3][/FONT]
As Bachittar Natak[/FONT]
Bachittar or Vachittar Natak, according to Mahan Kosh of Bhai Kahan Singh, denotes one of the following :[/FONT]
a) Wonderful or strange drama;
b) That part of Dasam Granth which pertains to the stories of Avtars (incarnations) and other historical narratives, written in dramatic style;
c) Part of the granth comprising fourteen chapters, wherein some happenings of the life of Guru Gobind Singh have been incorporated.[/FONT]
A careful analysis of the inner evidence of the granth helps us to find out which meaning of Bachittar Natak, given in Mahan Kosh, is appropriate or inappropriate for different parts of the granth. In the first place, those portions of the granth about the authorship of which there are no two opinions among Sikh scholars, do not have any internal indication anywhere, showing them as Bachittar Natak.[4][/FONT]
Secondly, fourteen chapters, wherein some happenings of the life of Guru Gobind Singh have been incorporated, are clearly marked as Bachittar Natak, both as a sub-heading and at the end of each chapter.[/FONT]
Thirdly, Charitro Pakhyan and Hakayats (stories in Persian) are so obscene that they are not worthy of even being spoken of as Bachittar Natak, which has not been done in the granth either.[/FONT]
Fourthly, the rest of the writings can be called Bachittar Natak, and they have been so indicated at the end of most of the writings in the sense that these are mythical and dramatic narratives.[/FONT]
As Dasam Granth[/FONT]
The contents of the so-called Dasam Granth may be divided broadly into the following categories for the purpose of our study :
i) Hymns, considered by all to be compositions of Guru Gobind Singh — 50 pages
ii) Bachittar Natak (14 Chapters) — 36 pages
iii) Both of the Chandi Charittras and Chandi Di Var — 53 pages
iv) Chaubis Avtars, etc. — 674 pages
v) Charittro Pakhyan and Hakayats in Persian — 615[/FONT]
[Note : The total number of pages indicated in this article are taken from the published volume of Dasam Granth as available in 1428 pages.][/FONT]
Out of 1428 pages, the Guru’s hymns occupy only 50 pages and Charittro Pakhyan and Hakayats (which neither claim to be Bachittar Natak, nor can their contents entitle them to be so), cover 615 pages. The composition that has been given the heading of Bachittar Natak comprises only 14 chapters and each chapter ends with the remark, “Iti Bachittar Natak Granthe ….” (lit. “Here ends the Bachittar Natak Granth”). In the rest of the writings, Bachittar Natak is not given as a heading of any composition, but “Iti Bachittar Natak Granth…” occurs at the end of most of the chapters related to Avtar stories.[/FONT]
The picture that emerges clearly is that, whereas Bachittar Natak Granth is referred to many times within the so-called Dasam Granth, there is not a single instance where Dasam Granth, as such, is mentioned within its text. It is an established part of Sikh tradition that the different portions of this granth lay scattered at different places, and were collected together to form one volume[5] some decades after the demise of the Tenth Master and consequent to the success of the mission of Bhai Sukha Singh and Bhai Mehtab Singh. It did not end here. To the first collection were added, later on, more writings, and it is these collections which came to be named first as Bachittar Natak then as Daswen Patshah ka Granth[6] still later as Dasam Granth, and recently by some publisher as Sri Dasam Guru Granth Sahib.[/FONT]
Decision for Compilation[/FONT]
What is an even more significant part of the established Sikh tradition is that when the decision to compile the different pothis or writings for the first time into one volume was made, there was a serious debate at Damdama (Bathinda), as to whether the different parts of this granth merited at all to be joined together in a single volume.[7] The overwhelming opinion in this debate even at that time was not in favour of compiling the different pothis or writings in a single volume; only the minority opinion favoured different pothis to be compiled toghether.[8] Hence, there is not even a prima facie case for assuming this granth to be an integrated, single, one-piece work, much less that it be regarded as the composition of a single author. A summary reference to the analysis of the contents of the granth by Dr Jaggi confirms this conclusion.[/FONT]
Here it is relevant to state that Dr Ashta has attributed the collection of the granth to Bhai Mani Singh. This he bases primarily on a letter purported to have been written by Bhai Sahib to Mata Sundri. Dr Jaggi, whose thesis Dasam Granth ka Kartritva, which has been commended by Dr H.P. Dwivedi, has examined this issue in detail and comes to the conclusion that the letter is fake.[/FONT]
Internal Evidence[/FONT]
a) There are only four extant manuscripts of the granth which are recognized by scholars. All these differ materially even as regards the subject matter, number of pages, the headings of the chapters, the number of verses in them, and their sequences and arrangements, etc. There are too many variations to be recounted here. [9]
b) Pen-names of Ram, Sham, Kali and Gobind are found in different compositions indicating them to be the poet-authors of these.[10][/FONT]
Ideological Contradictions[/FONT]
a) Within the granth:- There are glaring contradictions within the text itself on ideological issues which are fundamental to Sikhism. For example, Sikhism stands for unalloyed monotheism:
“O man, worship none but God, not a thing made by Him.
Know that He Who was in the beginning,
Unborn, Invincible, and Indestructible is God.
What if Vishnu, coming into this world killed some of the demons,
And exercising great deceit induced every one to call him God.
Hear, O fool !
How can he who was drowned in the ocean of the world save thee?”[11][/FONT]
“One Shiv was born, one died, and one was born again;
There have also been many incarnations of Ram Chander and Krishan.
How many Brahmas and Vishnus there have been !
How many Veds and Puranas !
How many collections of Simritis there have been and passed away!…”[12][/FONT]
“Some fasten an idol firmly to their breasts;
Some say that Shiv is God; …
Some say that Ram is God; some say Krishan;
Some in their hearts accept the incarnations as God;
But I have forgotten all vain religions and know in my heart
That the Creator is the only God.”[13][/FONT]
As against this clear-cut ideology of Guru Gobind Singh himself, 455 pages have been devoted in the granth to idolise Chaubis Avtaars and 99 pages to idolise the Avtaars of Brahma, Rudra, and other.[/FONT]
One item that requires particular notice relates to the worship of gods and goddesses, particularly that of Durga, Bhawani, Kali, Shiva, Sitla, etc., which are all supposed to be the incarnation of Parbati Devi, or Shiva, meaning the spouse of Shivji and not Shivji himself.[/FONT]
What has been said about the condemnation of the Avtaars of Vishnu and the Devi, applies equally to the mythical incarnation of other gods and goddesses. In addition, we have the hymn clearly condemning the worship of Devi by name, “Boundless is His Form, and boundless His Voice; in the shelter of His Feet dwelleth Bhavani.”[14][/FONT]
b) With the hymns of Guru Granth Sahib:-
i) Whereas in Guru Granth Sahib the invocation is invariably to God alone, here the invocations are to Bhagauti, Durga, etc.
ii) By far the strongest objection for not considering this granth to be a unified work, is ideological. For the largest portion of it cuts across the fundamentals of the Sikh ideology, as enshrined in Guru Granth Sahib. The Gurus are categorical on this point.[/FONT]
“May that mouth burn, which says that God incarnates.”[15][/FONT]
“O Brother, fools worship gods and goddesses. They know not that these mythical deities can give them nothing. To beg anything from them is just like putting stone idols in water, where they only sink. How can they enable anyone else to swim across the water ?”[16][/FONT]
Bhagat Namdev in Guru Granth Sahib also says, “They who worship Bhairav, shall become sprites; they who worship Sitla, ride donkeys and scatter dust. For myself I take the name of One God.”[17][/FONT]
Except for 50 pages, the granth contradicts the ideology of Guru Granth Sahib. As 674 pages are devoted to extolling Avtaars, etc. and 53 pages praise Chandi and Durga (Chandi Chritras and Var Durga ki). While 615 pages relate to the utterly obscene Charittro Pakhyan.[/FONT]
The conclusive evidence is that whereas the 50 pages in every way synchronise with the bani of Guru Granth Sahib, the main body of the granth relating to Devis and Avtaars and Charittro Pakhyan are evidently in contradiction to that ideology. Hence, when the acid test is applied, except the 50 pages of the bani, the writings in the granth are difficult to accept as creations of the Tenth Master.[/FONT]
Conclusion[/FONT]
First, this is a granth which never existed as such in the time of the Tenth Master, nor is there any verifiable injunction by the Master in this regard. Second, it was decades after the demise of Guru Gobind Singh that it was joined together in one volume, just because of a chance development. Third, the very naming of the granth has been varying, and the first name, Bachittar Natak, supported by internal evidence, hardly suggests that the granth has a religious import. These names have been changed from time to time.[/FONT]
Fourth, the different parts of it, especially the 50 pages and the bulk of the granth relating to Avtaars, Devis and the Charittro Pakhyan are entirely contradictory in content. In fact, about the Charittro Pakhyan, the S.G.P.C. has conveyed that it is not the writing of Guru Gobind Singh, but is a reproduction of some mythical stories.[18] According to known tradition, even originally the majority opinion was against the different pothis being compiled into one volume. Hence, it passes one’s comprehension how this granth can logically be regarded as a single piece of work or the composition of a single author, much less of Guru Gobind Singh Sahib.[/FONT]
It is obvious that the material of the granth needs to be sifted in order to separate the grain from the chaff, and the only criterion for that is the bani of Guru Granth Sahib. But this sifting should not be left to the judgement of an individual or an organisation, howsoever respected and highly placed it may be. It is a matter of vital importance, and a decision on it should be the responsibility of the Panth.[/FONT]
Notes & References[/FONT]
1. Wahi (Record) of Narbudh Bhatt; Koer Singh, Gurbilas Patshahi Das (1745 CE), Chapter 21; Kesar Singh Chhiber, Bansawlinama, (1769 CE), Chapter 10; Sarup Das Bhalla, Mehma Parkash (1776 CE), p. 459
2. Dr Rattan Singh Jaggi in his scholarly thesis Dasam Granth ka Kartritva, (i.e., Authorship of Dasam Granth) has conclusively shown that Guru Gobind Singh did not give an equal status to his own writings with that of the Adi Granth. He described his composition as a play.
3. Rattan Singh Jaggi: Dasam Granth ka Kartritva, p. 13
4. Jap, Akal Ustat (minus 20 stanzas from 211 to 230 in the praise of Devi Durga); Swayyas; Shabads, and Zaffarnama.
5. Bhai Kahn Singh: Mahan Kosh, p. 616
6. Dr Rattan Singh Jaggi: op. cit., p. 13
7. Bhai Kahn Singh: op. cit., p. 616
8. Ibid.
9. Dr Rattan Singh Jaggi: op. cit., Chapter 4 and Appendix, Pp.100-101
10. Ibid., Pp. 49-66
11. Macauliffe, M.A.: The Sikh Religion, Vol. V., Shabad Hazare Pp.325-326.
12. Ibid., Akal Ustat, p. 272
13. Ibid., Swayyas, Pp. 318
14. Ibid., Akal Ustat, p. 262
15. Guru Granth Sahib, p. 1136
16. Ibid., p. 637
17. Ibid., p. 874; Macauliffe, Vol. VI., p. 57
18. Letter No. 36672, dated 3.8.1973, from the Dharam Parchar Committee of the S.G.P.C., Amritsar.[/FONT]
A QUERY/COMMENT BY READER:
[/FONT]
Very interesting article, but still leaves a few open questions. I think these are out of scope of this article, but it will be worthwhile trying to answer them or link to some already done research.
If we leave out the undisputed part of the Dasam Granth, then what is the origin of the other compositions?
As they seem to be present in the volumes compiled by Baba Deep Singh ji, they seem to have been in existence at that time. Some of the poets in 10th Guru’s Darbar might be the most obvious answer. (I have read at few places, British being blamed for this, but that seems too far fetched). What are your views on this?[/FONT]
Also if we can make it out that, the majority of contents are out of whack with Sikh ideology, Sikhs of that era (when it was compiled) should have been able to realize this. Then why was this content still added to the compilation? Or might be intention was not to attribute all this to 10th Guru, but somehow with passage of time, the authorship of entire granth was attributed to him.[/FONT]
navee[/FONT]
January 29, 2008[/FONT]
[/FONT]
The point you raise is quite valid and research should be directed towards it. [/FONT]I think part of the answer lies in the fact that the compilation attributed to Shaheed Bhai Mani Singh has no internal evidence that says it was indeed compiled by him. When compared with the Kartarpuri Bir, and the fact that Bhai Mani Singh may have been (and definitely Baba Deep Singh was) involved in copying and producing Birs of Guru Granth Sahib, it is to be expected that they would have followed the established system of compiler’s/copyist’s “nishaan” on the compilation/copy, along with such details as when and where the compilation/copy was made.
Principal Harbhajan Singh also points out the many differences in content and the order in which it is compiled in the original four versions of “Dasam Granth”. Logical conclusion would be that the compilations were spurious and kept on expanding.
As to the mention of Tenth Nanak’s name, we may also need to keep in mind that the “kachi[/FONT] [/FONT]bani” that Guru Amardas warned us against, also used the “Nanak nishaan”. Some lines using “Nanak nishaan” are still popular amongst Sikhs without we realising that they are not part of Gurbani.
A lot of research is needed to find the truth. It will happen when Waheguru wants it to.(end of quote.)[/FONT]
HOW EASY TO CUT AND PASTE...I COULD POST A HUNDRED PAGES DAILY....:inca::inca::inca:
Here is another article declaring the bhai mani singh letter a complete fake.
Waheguru Ji Ka Khalsa! Waheguru Ji Ki Fateh!
Forgive my intrusion in your fight, as I am only a new member.
Everyone of us should accept that people have different opinions and beliefs, even within Sikhi. I've been lucky enough to study some of the languages used in Sri Dasam Granth and Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji and my opinion is that Sri Dasam Granth was compiled by Guru Gobind Singh Ji and there is nothing contradicting the teachings of Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji. (Before anyone starts, note there are sexual references in both Granths, since that seems to be the main problem for some).
Some of my friends have different views - but I don't start calling them names and vice-versa. Life is too short to be lost in endless arguments which just serve to boost our ego.
People come to fora like this for inspiration and to find like minded Sangat to improve our lives and get closer to Waheguru through Guru Ji's teachings. What do threads like this one and others which have degenerated into personal, petty arguments, portray to people who come to find out about Sikhi?
Visit shiachat.com and note how they speak to each other, even if they completely disagree with one another.
Where are our manners?
Forgive me for hurting any feelings, the above is said with humility.
Guru Rakha.
Forgive my intrusion in your fight, as I am only a new member.
Everyone of us should accept that people have different opinions and beliefs, even within Sikhi. I've been lucky enough to study some of the languages used in Sri Dasam Granth and Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji and my opinion is that Sri Dasam Granth was compiled by Guru Gobind Singh Ji and there is nothing contradicting the teachings of Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji. (Before anyone starts, note there are sexual references in both Granths, since that seems to be the main problem for some).
Some of my friends have different views - but I don't start calling them names and vice-versa. Life is too short to be lost in endless arguments which just serve to boost our ego.
People come to fora like this for inspiration and to find like minded Sangat to improve our lives and get closer to Waheguru through Guru Ji's teachings. What do threads like this one and others which have degenerated into personal, petty arguments, portray to people who come to find out about Sikhi?
Visit shiachat.com and note how they speak to each other, even if they completely disagree with one another.
Where are our manners?
Forgive me for hurting any feelings, the above is said with humility.
Guru Rakha.
Waheguru Ji Ka Khalsa! Waheguru Ji Ki Fateh!
(I don't think this thread is the right place for this, so mods can move it if the want)
Khalsa Fauj Ji, can you please post the original verse in Gurmukhi, then I'll give my opinion on this story, it will also show the mistakes in the translation.
Kind regards.
The Khalsa Fauj
SPNer
- Dec 1, 2006
- 315
- 186
Looks like you haven't read Dasam Granth then. Read it yourself and you will know. By the way, I don't make mistakes like that in translations. I do my own translations and don't rely on copy paste. If you read a few threads back, you will know the story #. I don't have time to type up all the stories here. There could be no mistakes in translations.
1) Anandpur = Anandpur
2) Beneath Kahloor = Beneath Kahloor
3) Guru of Sikhs = Guru of Sikhs
4) Gives boons = gives boons
5) Holds divaans = holds divaans
6) King is labelled Raaye
Go read it yourself. 21-23.
Also, I don't want opinion. I want truth based on Gurbani. You said there are similar quotes in Guru Granth Sahib Ji. Please show me a quote from Guru Granth Sahib Ji where it says:
pRQm jwr jb Dkw lgwXo[ qb rwnI lY Fol bjwXo[ jb iqh ilMg su Bg qy kwFw[ iqRX idX Fol Fmwkw gwFw[ 10[ {cirqr 387, 5.6, 51}
Pratham Yaar Jub Dhakka Lgaayo|| Tub Ranee Lai Dhol Bjaaayo| Jub The Ling Su Bhug Tay Kaadaa| Triyeh Diyeh Dhol Dhamakaa Gaadaa| 10| {Chariter 387, 4.6, 51}
When the lover first pushed it in, the queen took the drum and pounded it. When (the king) took out the ***** from the vagina, woman started beating the drum. 10.
Since you are going to be showing mistakes in translation, you should be really skilled to do so. Please use your skill and also post aarths of shabad below:
nwmw qqu rsu AMimRqu pIjY ]4]4] {pMnw 973, gurU gRMQ swihb jI}
1) Anandpur = Anandpur
2) Beneath Kahloor = Beneath Kahloor
3) Guru of Sikhs = Guru of Sikhs
4) Gives boons = gives boons
5) Holds divaans = holds divaans
6) King is labelled Raaye
Go read it yourself. 21-23.
Also, I don't want opinion. I want truth based on Gurbani. You said there are similar quotes in Guru Granth Sahib Ji. Please show me a quote from Guru Granth Sahib Ji where it says:
pRQm jwr jb Dkw lgwXo[ qb rwnI lY Fol bjwXo[ jb iqh ilMg su Bg qy kwFw[ iqRX idX Fol Fmwkw gwFw[ 10[ {cirqr 387, 5.6, 51}
Pratham Yaar Jub Dhakka Lgaayo|| Tub Ranee Lai Dhol Bjaaayo| Jub The Ling Su Bhug Tay Kaadaa| Triyeh Diyeh Dhol Dhamakaa Gaadaa| 10| {Chariter 387, 4.6, 51}
When the lover first pushed it in, the queen took the drum and pounded it. When (the king) took out the ***** from the vagina, woman started beating the drum. 10.
Since you are going to be showing mistakes in translation, you should be really skilled to do so. Please use your skill and also post aarths of shabad below:
mnih n kIjY rosu jmih n dIjY dosu inrml inrbwx pdu cIin@ lIjY ] jsrQ rwie nMdu rwjw myrw rwm cMdu pRxvY
nwmw qqu rsu AMimRqu pIjY ]4]4] {pMnw 973, gurU gRMQ swihb jI}
Simba ji
All of the moderators and mentors have had the same questions about lack of ego and humility on our part by opening this thread. After discussion we decided it was needed. To keep the talk of slander of Dasam Granth from spinning on endlessly - as is the case on two other sites where the rhetoric began. But at this site, the thread will be closed down at midnight tonight.
At shiachat a different philosophy may be true. At SPN we permit liberal expression and that can sometime backfire into some hot language. There is almost never pre-moderation of posting. So you see that leads to some different results.
The reasoning that went into this thread has been explained in another thread which you can read. http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/hard-talk/25684-slander-of-dasam-granth-religious-fanaticism.html
Appearances can sometimes be deceiving. There is merit to having all 3 sangats knowing that there another agenda at work that has little or nothing to do with Dasam Granth.
All of the moderators and mentors have had the same questions about lack of ego and humility on our part by opening this thread. After discussion we decided it was needed. To keep the talk of slander of Dasam Granth from spinning on endlessly - as is the case on two other sites where the rhetoric began. But at this site, the thread will be closed down at midnight tonight.
At shiachat a different philosophy may be true. At SPN we permit liberal expression and that can sometime backfire into some hot language. There is almost never pre-moderation of posting. So you see that leads to some different results.
The reasoning that went into this thread has been explained in another thread which you can read. http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/hard-talk/25684-slander-of-dasam-granth-religious-fanaticism.html
Appearances can sometimes be deceiving. There is merit to having all 3 sangats knowing that there another agenda at work that has little or nothing to do with Dasam Granth.
Guru Piayre Simba Ji,
Gurfateh.
Its NOT what is implied at all.
Would it be possible to Interchange...say all BIOLOGY TEXT BOOKS and use Lady Cahterly's Lover as the Main Text to teach Human Reproduction ?
There is a VAST DIFFERENCE between HUMAN REPRODUCTION - diagrams and all of human body, sexual organs and all..AND SEXUALLY EXPLICIT DESCRIPTIONS of the SEXUAL ACT ( between two consenting adults.... who are NOT MARRIED..and what MORAL GROUNDS this relationship promotes is another facet to this). Could a Biology teacher simply resort to WEB BASED PORNOGRAPHY/Blue Films to back up his/her argument that she is simply teaching BIOLOGY and this "stuff" is also in the Biology books !!! Some one from Canada..a mangat fellow did actually SUGGEST that the Chiratropkhyans could be used for sexual Education in CANADIAN SCHOOLS..i dont know if he has succeeded in getting this done.( and he was waxing and vaning about How Advanced DG actually was in Giivng Sikhs a JUMP on Sex Education/women viles etc...)
There is a limit to human intelligence...it cant be insulted that far.
Every SINGLE instance of any sexual word/mention in SGGS has a moral value and its equivalent to a "biology text type" mention. Every SINGLE mention of the sex in DG is a VIVID and GRAPHIC sexually explicit description of the SEX ACT between a man and woman.
SGGS is our Spiritual Father..and as a Family Man I also have the responsibility to warn my female students of the dangers of indulging in immoral acts....BUT I wouldnt go so far as to Graphically describe what happens in a sex orgy...simply so that she can be warned to stay away...even as an "imaginary scenario" involving King Midas and Queen Guevera, Emperor Nero and his Roman Senate !! etc
Inder Ji, In order to avoid this art of story telling or singing the Gur sabd in glamorous filmy tune, Guru Nanak has taken the pains to set the invaluable sabd to the perfect raag. So that when we sing in that raag, and veecharao (contemplate and note debate) it, in due course we are taken to the spiritual world of the Akal Purakh from where it originally emanated and NOT TO BED ROOM PLEASE. Instead of wasting so much energy and time in linking and proving DG with our Gurus, when our Guru Gobind Singh Ji himself discarded anything other than Guru Granth Sahib, let us start a thread when will we realize or which will set a age limit for us to marry or merge with our beloved husband. The other day I met a worried father who was complaining about his daughter marriage and stated that after certain age 'dheeyan sohrai ghar hi achian laghdian han'. We all are females for our beloved husband. Despite clear direction, 'man tu jyot saroop hai aapna mool pachhaan -when will we take effort and recognize our place or set age limit for merging with our beloved husband' or wait till the game is over and lose golden chance and as kabir ji says, ' chala juari duie hath jhar.'
Best regards
Mohinder Singh Sahni
Kuwait
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