Sorry Folks dont know if this was brought to this SPN, as I have had no time to access for sometime.
In his Zafernama written from Dina,Guru Gobind Singh Ji says
"when the affairs were past any other remedy,I thought it righteous to unsheath the sword"
I think that is exactly the position we have come to over this gross abuse of the Guru Granth Sahib in Malaysia by Awtar Singh, his advisors Sarban Singh Ghali and Dr Daljit Singh.At least this how it will go down on record in history and that toothless Sikh institutions were involved in this.
We have covered earlier that Guru Granth sahib is the embodiment of Guru sahibaans- One Jot.It is further strengthened that it is the only scripture written often[ & Bhai Gurdas Ji] and compiled by the founders of the Sikh faith,instructing Bhai Gurdas Ji; thus its authencity can NEVER be questioned.Even Akbar came to visit it and after having listened to its random chosen pages five times...declared that he is convinced Guru Granth sahib carries the message of Allah, Ram & rahim and all goodness of humanity.He bowed down to it & went happily from Baba Bakala.
The Granth is arranged not subject wise, but according to the musical measure in which a hymn-shabad or shaloks are meant to be sung. There are 31 raags or measures in all.They are ...Sri,majh',gauri,asa,Gujri, devgandhari,bihagra,Vadhans, sorath, dhnasri, jaitsri,todi, bairari,tilang,suhi,bilawal,go<WBR>und,ramkali,natnarain,mali gaura,maru, tukhari,kedara,bhairo,basant,s<WBR>arang,malhar,kanra,kalyan,parb<WBR>hati,and finally jaijaivanti.from the catalouge of the above it appears the Guru Shaibaan rejected measure which were expressive of excessive exuberance or analloyed sdaness.Most of the Gurus themselves were great musicians and masters of the classical styles.
Besides the writings of the Sikh Gurus, the Granth contains compositions of almost all the medieval hindu bhagats like Kabir,Ramanand,Ravidas,Surdas,<WBR> Sain,and Bhikhan from Uttra Pradesh;Jaidev from Bengal,Namdev, Tirlochan aand parmanand from Maharashtra;Dhanna & Pippa from Rajasthan & Beni, who was then popular all over Northern India.It also contains the writings of five muslims --Baba Farid;Bhikhan;Satta;Balwand;an<WBR>d Mardana.Baba Farid,[Sheik Farid} whose proper name was 'Fareed-Ud-Deen-Mas oud', Ganj-e-Shakar was his Takhallus, which people gave him.Ganj i Shaker, was a great muslim Divine, whose works in Punjabi are considered to be the first literary compilation in Punjabi.
Despite all these people's involvement not a single sri, maajh or word has ever been changed since Guru Nanak Ji started writing his records in his pothi sahib , and the later compilation of Aad Granth by Guru Arjan Sahib in1604 circa and finally it's inception by Guru Gobind Singh Ji in 1708.
But during the later years when Sikhs were hunted like animals and killing Sikhs was made legal officially between 1715- 1762 by the mughals, who wanted to obliterate the Sikhs, many of the books written by Sikhs and collections of the Gurus was lost or fell into the hands of the enemy who took great pride in making certain changes and distorting Sikh ideology, history and Sikh ethos.While others attempted to dilute much of it.But the precious Guru Granth sahib survived as a number of original Birs survived.There is some controversy about the layout of content in two of them[Kartarpur wali bir & Dam dama wali bir] but that is settled by the Khalsa panth in the roop we see today of the Guru Granth sahib. Both these birs are present till today, despite heavy loss of Sikh life in the ghllughara of 5th february 1762, and earlir losses when crossing the river sirsa.
[[Khalsa Ji what painfully must be remebered is that during the periods of Sikh obliteration acccording to reliable one record there was only 2000 Sikhs left at one point in the whole of the Punjab that stretched from Afghanistan in the North west to just south of Delhi, while in the west from the Iranian border west of Baluchistan to the borders of Tibet in the east.An area about 400,000 ssquare miles ..imagine simply 2000 Sikhs!But thanks to the belief and guidance of the Guru Granth sahib the Sikhs rose to become 30 million today in a matter of 200 years.]]
According to Sikh history the first Hukamnama taken by Bhai Buddha ji "Santa ke karaj aap khaloa, har kam kraven aya raam...."- meaning His devotees' task has the Lord himself undertaken to fulfil.
According to Bhai Nand Lal's rehatnama who recorded Guru Gobind Singh Ji's words..HE WHO WOULD WISH TO SEE THE GURU < LET HIM COME AND SEE THE GURU GRANTH SAHIB>HE WHO WOULD WISH TO SPEAK TO HIM< LET HIM REFLECT UPON WHAT SAYS THE GURU GRANTH>HE WOULD WITH ALL HIS HEART READ THE GURU GRANTH SAHIB.
The above means that every Sikh is expected to sell his mind [self surrender ]to the GURU GRANTH sahib, not sell the Guru Granth sahib for a price.Is it not a shame some people do not understand that.
The very word Sikh is from the apbhransa language of the sanskritic word shishya.This clearly indicates there must be a GURU if there is a shishya.Therefore the position of the Guru Granth sahib is very unique and unparalled by any.The Guru Granth sahib infuses spiritual life, inspires devotion, enforces unity and impresses and prepares a conduct for individuality as well as coporate responsibilty in the form of sadh sangat and panth, and identity and a code- that of the khalsa in this instance.
Unfortunately many Sikhs are in confusion over the interepretation and thus some think it is only a book and can be made larger and that will offer glory!Often in my observations such people have never read nor attempted to read the Guru granth sahib, but they think making it larger will make them special somehow.
For historical,educational and monetry reasons the Sikhs themselves comming from a mainly rural peasantry background and in their attempt to recover from the confusion of Nirmalaa, saddh and sants whoowe much allegiance to brahmni mentality have never understood the importance nor seriously explored a scientific and cogent exposition of the Sikh faith to share with the world at large.This has until recent year been excerbated by the wide despensation of the Sikh community where living as minorities they have to face all new challenges towards their faith, identity, language etc and in making people understand simple basics that they are Sikhs.Due to recent events they have been often labled and percieved wrongly and "developed" a mistaken id syndrome inadvertently, through no fault of their own.
As the Guru Granth sahib is written in a style and script that few Panjabi speaking sikhs take to learning abroad; its contents are often being grossly misinterprated and understood and greater mysteries develop around its contents among the Sikhs , let alone sharing it with others.The few that understand have sadly reverted to gaining a monetry reward to share what they know often infleunced by brahminism with the masses.sadly no juctice has been done at all to the Guru Granth sahib by Sikhs themselves.
In all this dilemna, opportunists have come up with practices and rituals which are severely anti gurmat and against what the Guru granth sahib says.But as the knoweldge is limited to few, few take to challenge when misinformation is spread.
This lead to a time, when without fear and respect the Guru Granth was dragged often to bars , pubs and hotels.But given the relative recent rise of academically minded Sikhs who speak their own language fluently , movemenst to challenge such bad practices have produced a positive result.However pockets of people still feel that they can get away with manmat, because a similar event happned twenty years ago.But such needs to be challenged and the real essence of Gurbani understood.
Gurcharan Singh Kulim
Kamuning Hills, Kota Kamuning.
In his Zafernama written from Dina,Guru Gobind Singh Ji says
"when the affairs were past any other remedy,I thought it righteous to unsheath the sword"
I think that is exactly the position we have come to over this gross abuse of the Guru Granth Sahib in Malaysia by Awtar Singh, his advisors Sarban Singh Ghali and Dr Daljit Singh.At least this how it will go down on record in history and that toothless Sikh institutions were involved in this.
We have covered earlier that Guru Granth sahib is the embodiment of Guru sahibaans- One Jot.It is further strengthened that it is the only scripture written often[ & Bhai Gurdas Ji] and compiled by the founders of the Sikh faith,instructing Bhai Gurdas Ji; thus its authencity can NEVER be questioned.Even Akbar came to visit it and after having listened to its random chosen pages five times...declared that he is convinced Guru Granth sahib carries the message of Allah, Ram & rahim and all goodness of humanity.He bowed down to it & went happily from Baba Bakala.
The Granth is arranged not subject wise, but according to the musical measure in which a hymn-shabad or shaloks are meant to be sung. There are 31 raags or measures in all.They are ...Sri,majh',gauri,asa,Gujri, devgandhari,bihagra,Vadhans, sorath, dhnasri, jaitsri,todi, bairari,tilang,suhi,bilawal,go<WBR>und,ramkali,natnarain,mali gaura,maru, tukhari,kedara,bhairo,basant,s<WBR>arang,malhar,kanra,kalyan,parb<WBR>hati,and finally jaijaivanti.from the catalouge of the above it appears the Guru Shaibaan rejected measure which were expressive of excessive exuberance or analloyed sdaness.Most of the Gurus themselves were great musicians and masters of the classical styles.
Besides the writings of the Sikh Gurus, the Granth contains compositions of almost all the medieval hindu bhagats like Kabir,Ramanand,Ravidas,Surdas,<WBR> Sain,and Bhikhan from Uttra Pradesh;Jaidev from Bengal,Namdev, Tirlochan aand parmanand from Maharashtra;Dhanna & Pippa from Rajasthan & Beni, who was then popular all over Northern India.It also contains the writings of five muslims --Baba Farid;Bhikhan;Satta;Balwand;an<WBR>d Mardana.Baba Farid,[Sheik Farid} whose proper name was 'Fareed-Ud-Deen-Mas oud', Ganj-e-Shakar was his Takhallus, which people gave him.Ganj i Shaker, was a great muslim Divine, whose works in Punjabi are considered to be the first literary compilation in Punjabi.
Despite all these people's involvement not a single sri, maajh or word has ever been changed since Guru Nanak Ji started writing his records in his pothi sahib , and the later compilation of Aad Granth by Guru Arjan Sahib in1604 circa and finally it's inception by Guru Gobind Singh Ji in 1708.
But during the later years when Sikhs were hunted like animals and killing Sikhs was made legal officially between 1715- 1762 by the mughals, who wanted to obliterate the Sikhs, many of the books written by Sikhs and collections of the Gurus was lost or fell into the hands of the enemy who took great pride in making certain changes and distorting Sikh ideology, history and Sikh ethos.While others attempted to dilute much of it.But the precious Guru Granth sahib survived as a number of original Birs survived.There is some controversy about the layout of content in two of them[Kartarpur wali bir & Dam dama wali bir] but that is settled by the Khalsa panth in the roop we see today of the Guru Granth sahib. Both these birs are present till today, despite heavy loss of Sikh life in the ghllughara of 5th february 1762, and earlir losses when crossing the river sirsa.
[[Khalsa Ji what painfully must be remebered is that during the periods of Sikh obliteration acccording to reliable one record there was only 2000 Sikhs left at one point in the whole of the Punjab that stretched from Afghanistan in the North west to just south of Delhi, while in the west from the Iranian border west of Baluchistan to the borders of Tibet in the east.An area about 400,000 ssquare miles ..imagine simply 2000 Sikhs!But thanks to the belief and guidance of the Guru Granth sahib the Sikhs rose to become 30 million today in a matter of 200 years.]]
According to Sikh history the first Hukamnama taken by Bhai Buddha ji "Santa ke karaj aap khaloa, har kam kraven aya raam...."- meaning His devotees' task has the Lord himself undertaken to fulfil.
According to Bhai Nand Lal's rehatnama who recorded Guru Gobind Singh Ji's words..HE WHO WOULD WISH TO SEE THE GURU < LET HIM COME AND SEE THE GURU GRANTH SAHIB>HE WHO WOULD WISH TO SPEAK TO HIM< LET HIM REFLECT UPON WHAT SAYS THE GURU GRANTH>HE WOULD WITH ALL HIS HEART READ THE GURU GRANTH SAHIB.
The above means that every Sikh is expected to sell his mind [self surrender ]to the GURU GRANTH sahib, not sell the Guru Granth sahib for a price.Is it not a shame some people do not understand that.
The very word Sikh is from the apbhransa language of the sanskritic word shishya.This clearly indicates there must be a GURU if there is a shishya.Therefore the position of the Guru Granth sahib is very unique and unparalled by any.The Guru Granth sahib infuses spiritual life, inspires devotion, enforces unity and impresses and prepares a conduct for individuality as well as coporate responsibilty in the form of sadh sangat and panth, and identity and a code- that of the khalsa in this instance.
Unfortunately many Sikhs are in confusion over the interepretation and thus some think it is only a book and can be made larger and that will offer glory!Often in my observations such people have never read nor attempted to read the Guru granth sahib, but they think making it larger will make them special somehow.
For historical,educational and monetry reasons the Sikhs themselves comming from a mainly rural peasantry background and in their attempt to recover from the confusion of Nirmalaa, saddh and sants whoowe much allegiance to brahmni mentality have never understood the importance nor seriously explored a scientific and cogent exposition of the Sikh faith to share with the world at large.This has until recent year been excerbated by the wide despensation of the Sikh community where living as minorities they have to face all new challenges towards their faith, identity, language etc and in making people understand simple basics that they are Sikhs.Due to recent events they have been often labled and percieved wrongly and "developed" a mistaken id syndrome inadvertently, through no fault of their own.
As the Guru Granth sahib is written in a style and script that few Panjabi speaking sikhs take to learning abroad; its contents are often being grossly misinterprated and understood and greater mysteries develop around its contents among the Sikhs , let alone sharing it with others.The few that understand have sadly reverted to gaining a monetry reward to share what they know often infleunced by brahminism with the masses.sadly no juctice has been done at all to the Guru Granth sahib by Sikhs themselves.
In all this dilemna, opportunists have come up with practices and rituals which are severely anti gurmat and against what the Guru granth sahib says.But as the knoweldge is limited to few, few take to challenge when misinformation is spread.
This lead to a time, when without fear and respect the Guru Granth was dragged often to bars , pubs and hotels.But given the relative recent rise of academically minded Sikhs who speak their own language fluently , movemenst to challenge such bad practices have produced a positive result.However pockets of people still feel that they can get away with manmat, because a similar event happned twenty years ago.But such needs to be challenged and the real essence of Gurbani understood.
Gurcharan Singh Kulim
Kamuning Hills, Kota Kamuning.
