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Message: <blockquote data-quote="P J Singh" data-source="post: 225516" data-attributes="member: 25524">It is an interesting article -- a research article -- as some one remarked, it is very long and should be read bit by bit.  However, reading is not enough, its understanding must be carried out by asking questions.Often we blame Sikh clergy ( ragi, parcharks, kathavachaks etc.) for misinterpreting Gurbani which may be true to some degree but it will be wrong to paint the entire Sikh Clergy with the same brush  -- there are some well-informed and diligent parcharks and kathaavachaks as well.On the other hand, SOME of our intellectuals are equally responsible, if not more, for injecting confusion in Sikh minds. It is fundamentally wrong to select and quote single pankits OUT OF CONTEXT from Gurbani and make your point .  This is often the case in such long research articles, which is very troubling.No doubt there are (and there have been) many intellectuals that have made tremendous contributions to Sikhi and Gurmat through their academic work, writings, books, lectures and presentations. Most of these intellectuals have spent almost all of their professional life in researching Gurbani and reflecting on its divine wisdom ifrom a broader context of the principles, customs and rituals of other world religions.But then we have another breed of intellectuals, many of whom have spent almost all of their professional careers in physical, biological and medical sciences and other related academic and professional pursuits and in later part of their lives have turned to Gurmat as a new vocation or retirement hobby ( A noble pursuit). Most often the approach they use is: Define a hypothesis and then scan AGGS and seek out panktis/verses that support their stated (hypothesized) belief.Gurmat demands holistic understanding of Gurbani not selective or fractured understanding.  In pharmaceutical and clinical research, therapies and drug formularies are developed and tested for their efficacy and effectiveness in treating a certain disease.  The key component of this clinical research is to test the drug for contraindications – the conditions under which the proposed medication should not be prescribed. In the same manner, in Gurmat, we should not be using only those Gurbani verses that support our presumed personal belief (hypothesis); we must also peruse those verses in AGGS that seem to refute our presumed belief and reflect on it.  We should not use Gurbani to say what we think Gurbani should say rather we should use Gurbani to learn from Gurbani what we should think and say!WAHEGURU AND GURBANIIt is true that the word "Waheguru" does not appear any where in AGGS.  Bhatts have used the word like "Vah Guru" and "Sri Guru"  etc in praise of the Guru as the "Wonderous Guru"However it has become a standard practice in Sikhi to refer to Akal Purkh as WaheGuru and Sikhs who engage in Naam Simran ( in the form of repetitive recitation) and even otherwise use the word "WaheGuru" to refer to Akalpurkh.But why this extension in reference from "Wonderous Guru" to "Wonderous Akal Purkh".<a href="https://www.srigranth.org/servlet/gurbani.dictionary?Param=%E0%A8%9C%E0%A8%BF%E0%A8%A8%E0%A8%BF" target="_blank">ਜਿਨਿ </a><a href="https://www.srigranth.org/servlet/gurbani.dictionary?Param=%E0%A8%97%E0%A9%81%E0%A8%B0%E0%A9%81" target="_blank">ਗੁਰੁ </a><a href="https://www.srigranth.org/servlet/gurbani.dictionary?Param=%E0%A8%B8%E0%A9%87%E0%A8%B5%E0%A8%BF%E0%A8%86" target="_blank">ਸੇਵਿਆ </a><a href="https://www.srigranth.org/servlet/gurbani.dictionary?Param=%E0%A8%A4%E0%A8%BF%E0%A8%B8%E0%A9%81" target="_blank">ਤਿਸੁ </a><a href="https://www.srigranth.org/servlet/gurbani.dictionary?Param=%E0%A8%AD%E0%A8%89" target="_blank">ਭਉ </a><a href="https://www.srigranth.org/servlet/gurbani.dictionary?Param=%E0%A8%A8" target="_blank">ਨ </a><a href="https://www.srigranth.org/servlet/gurbani.dictionary?Param=%E0%A8%AC%E0%A8%BF%E0%A8%86%E0%A8%AA%E0%A9%88" target="_blank">ਬਿਆਪੈ </a>॥<a href="https://www.srigranth.org/servlet/gurbani.dictionary?Param=%E0%A8%9C%E0%A8%BF%E0%A8%A8%E0%A8%BF" target="_blank">ਜਿਨਿ </a><a href="https://www.srigranth.org/servlet/gurbani.dictionary?Param=%E0%A8%97%E0%A9%81%E0%A8%B0%E0%A9%81" target="_blank">ਗੁਰੁ </a><a href="https://www.srigranth.org/servlet/gurbani.dictionary?Param=%E0%A8%B8%E0%A9%87%E0%A8%B5%E0%A8%BF%E0%A8%86" target="_blank">ਸੇਵਿਆ </a><a href="https://www.srigranth.org/servlet/gurbani.dictionary?Param=%E0%A8%A4%E0%A8%BF%E0%A8%B8%E0%A9%81" target="_blank">ਤਿਸੁ </a><a href="https://www.srigranth.org/servlet/gurbani.dictionary?Param=%E0%A8%A6%E0%A9%81%E0%A8%96%E0%A9%81" target="_blank">ਦੁਖੁ </a><a href="https://www.srigranth.org/servlet/gurbani.dictionary?Param=%E0%A8%A8" target="_blank">ਨ </a><a href="https://www.srigranth.org/servlet/gurbani.dictionary?Param=%E0%A8%B8%E0%A9%B0%E0%A8%A4%E0%A8%BE%E0%A8%AA%E0%A9%88" target="_blank">ਸੰਤਾਪੈ </a>॥<a href="https://www.srigranth.org/servlet/gurbani.dictionary?Param=%E0%A8%A8%E0%A8%BE%E0%A8%A8%E0%A8%95" target="_blank">ਨਾਨਕ </a><a href="https://www.srigranth.org/servlet/gurbani.dictionary?Param=%E0%A8%B8%E0%A9%8B%E0%A8%A7%E0%A9%87" target="_blank">ਸੋਧੇ </a><a href="https://www.srigranth.org/servlet/gurbani.dictionary?Param=%E0%A8%B8%E0%A8%BF%E0%A9%B0%E0%A8%AE%E0%A9%8D%E0%A8%B0%E0%A8%BF%E0%A8%A4%E0%A8%BF" target="_blank">ਸਿੰਮ੍ਰਿਤਿ </a><a href="https://www.srigranth.org/servlet/gurbani.dictionary?Param=%E0%A8%AC%E0%A9%87%E0%A8%A6" target="_blank">ਬੇਦ </a>॥<a href="https://www.srigranth.org/servlet/gurbani.dictionary?Param=%E0%A8%AA%E0%A8%BE%E0%A8%B0%E0%A8%AC%E0%A9%8D%E0%A8%B0%E0%A8%B9%E0%A8%AE" target="_blank">ਪਾਰਬ੍ਰਹਮ </a><a href="https://www.srigranth.org/servlet/gurbani.dictionary?Param=%E0%A8%97%E0%A9%81%E0%A8%B0" target="_blank">ਗੁਰ </a><a href="https://www.srigranth.org/servlet/gurbani.dictionary?Param=%E0%A8%A8%E0%A8%BE%E0%A8%B9%E0%A9%80" target="_blank">ਨਾਹੀ</a><a href="https://www.srigranth.org/servlet/gurbani.dictionary?Param=%E0%A8%AD%E0%A9%87%E0%A8%A6" target="_blank">ਭੇਦ </a>॥੪॥੧੧॥੨੪॥ (AGGS 1142)<a href="https://www.srigranth.org/servlet/gurbani.dictionary?Param=%E0%A8%97%E0%A9%81%E0%A8%B0%E0%A9%81" target="_blank">ਗੁਰੁ </a><a href="https://www.srigranth.org/servlet/gurbani.dictionary?Param=%E0%A8%AA%E0%A8%B0%E0%A8%AE%E0%A9%87%E0%A8%B8%E0%A8%B0%E0%A9%81" target="_blank">ਪਰਮੇਸਰੁ </a><a href="https://www.srigranth.org/servlet/gurbani.dictionary?Param=%E0%A8%8F%E0%A8%95%E0%A9%8B" target="_blank">ਏਕੋ</a><a href="https://www.srigranth.org/servlet/gurbani.dictionary?Param=%E0%A8%9C%E0%A8%BE%E0%A8%A3%E0%A9%81" target="_blank">ਜਾਣੁ </a>॥<a href="https://www.srigranth.org/servlet/gurbani.dictionary?Param=%E0%A8%97%E0%A9%81%E0%A8%B0" target="_blank">ਗੁਰ </a><a href="https://www.srigranth.org/servlet/gurbani.dictionary?Param=%E0%A8%9A%E0%A8%B0%E0%A8%A3%E0%A9%80" target="_blank">ਚਰਣੀ </a><a href="https://www.srigranth.org/servlet/gurbani.dictionary?Param=%E0%A8%9C%E0%A8%BE" target="_blank">ਜਾ </a><a href="https://www.srigranth.org/servlet/gurbani.dictionary?Param=%E0%A8%95%E0%A8%BE" target="_blank">ਕਾ </a><a href="https://www.srigranth.org/servlet/gurbani.dictionary?Param=%E0%A8%AE%E0%A8%A8%E0%A9%81" target="_blank">ਮਨੁ </a><a href="https://www.srigranth.org/servlet/gurbani.dictionary?Param=%E0%A8%B2%E0%A8%BE%E0%A8%97%E0%A9%88" target="_blank">ਲਾਗੈ </a>॥<a href="https://www.srigranth.org/servlet/gurbani.dictionary?Param=%E0%A8%A6%E0%A9%82%E0%A8%96%E0%A9%81" target="_blank">ਦੂਖੁ </a><a href="https://www.srigranth.org/servlet/gurbani.dictionary?Param=%E0%A8%A6%E0%A8%B0%E0%A8%A6%E0%A9%81" target="_blank">ਦਰਦੁ </a><a href="https://www.srigranth.org/servlet/gurbani.dictionary?Param=%E0%A8%AD%E0%A9%8D%E0%A8%B0%E0%A8%AE%E0%A9%81" target="_blank">ਭ੍ਰਮੁ </a><a href="https://www.srigranth.org/servlet/gurbani.dictionary?Param=%E0%A8%A4%E0%A8%BE" target="_blank">ਤਾ </a><a href="https://www.srigranth.org/servlet/gurbani.dictionary?Param=%E0%A8%95%E0%A8%BE" target="_blank">ਕਾ </a><a href="https://www.srigranth.org/servlet/gurbani.dictionary?Param=%E0%A8%AD%E0%A8%BE%E0%A8%97%E0%A9%88" target="_blank">ਭਾਗੈ </a>॥<a href="https://www.srigranth.org/servlet/gurbani.dictionary?Param=%E0%A8%97%E0%A9%81%E0%A8%B0" target="_blank">ਗੁਰ </a><a href="https://www.srigranth.org/servlet/gurbani.dictionary?Param=%E0%A8%95%E0%A9%80" target="_blank">ਕੀ </a><a href="https://www.srigranth.org/servlet/gurbani.dictionary?Param=%E0%A8%B8%E0%A9%87%E0%A8%B5%E0%A8%BE" target="_blank">ਸੇਵਾ </a><a href="https://www.srigranth.org/servlet/gurbani.dictionary?Param=%E0%A8%AA%E0%A8%BE%E0%A8%8F" target="_blank">ਪਾਏ </a><a href="https://www.srigranth.org/servlet/gurbani.dictionary?Param=%E0%A8%AE%E0%A8%BE%E0%A8%A8%E0%A9%81" target="_blank">ਮਾਨੁ </a>॥<a href="https://www.srigranth.org/servlet/gurbani.dictionary?Param=%E0%A8%97%E0%A9%81%E0%A8%B0" target="_blank">ਗੁਰ </a><a href="https://www.srigranth.org/servlet/gurbani.dictionary?Param=%E0%A8%8A%E0%A8%AA%E0%A8%B0%E0%A8%BF" target="_blank">ਊਪਰਿ </a><a href="https://www.srigranth.org/servlet/gurbani.dictionary?Param=%E0%A8%B8%E0%A8%A6%E0%A8%BE" target="_blank">ਸਦਾ </a><a href="https://www.srigranth.org/servlet/gurbani.dictionary?Param=%E0%A8%95%E0%A9%81%E0%A8%B0%E0%A8%AC%E0%A8%BE%E0%A8%A8%E0%A9%81" target="_blank">ਕੁਰਬਾਨੁ </a>॥੨॥ (AGGS 864)There and many other verses and sabads in Gurbani that underscore the equivalency and interchangeable usage of  "Guru" and "Akalpurkh" in Gurbani albeit based on the context.If this is the case then I wonder why some of our intellectual minds are not able to accept that the word "WaheGuru" is a valid reference to Akalpurkh as "Wonderous Almighty Creator".There is another objection that is commonly raised by some ill-informed minds that the word "WaheGuru" does not appear as one of the names of Akalpurkh anywhere in AGGS. Thus implying that "WaheGuru" can not be a name of Akal Purkh.I have seen some individuals who come to Gurudawara stages or appear on TV Talk shows or other online platforms, they start their Gurmat Vichar with the words "WaheGuru Ji ka Khalsa, WhaeGuru Ji Ki Fateh" and then also publicly argue that Waheguru is not a word in AGGS. Quite amusing, confusing and distressing, no wonder innocent minds get confused.Here is one of the fundamental questions in this discussion:  Should "WaheGuru" be used as a name of Akalpurkh even when it does not appear anywhere in AGGS?My answer is an irrevocable "Yes"  and I challenge anyone whether he is a graduate of Princeton, Boston or Cambridge to dis-prove me that a creator who has ਅਸੰਖ (uncountable) names such as  ਅਨੁਪ, ਪੁਨੀਤ and many other similar names as per Gurbani,  can not have a name such as "Wonderous Guru" - WAHEGURU.NAAM SIMRANNext will talk about the issue of recitation -- Naam Simran....Guru Fetah!</blockquote>

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