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{{Short description|Founder and first guru of Sikhism (1469–1539)}}
{{Infobox ReligiousBio
{{pp-semi-indef|small=yes}}
| background = #FFA600
{{EngvarB|date=November 2015}}
| name = Guru Nanak Dev
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2019}}
| image = ]<BR>Guru Nanak Dev
{{Infobox religious biography
| religion = ]
| period = {{circa|1500}}–1539
| alias = {{lang-pa|ਗੁਰੂ ਨਾਨਕ ਦੇਵ}}<BR>{{IAST|Gurū Nānak Dēv}}'' (by Sikh & Hindu Worshippers)''<BR>Baba Nanak ''(by Muslim Worshippers)''<BR>Nanak Shah ''(by Muslim Worshippers)''
| location = | name = Guru Nanak
| Title = Founder of ] | image = Mural painting of Guru Nanak from Gurdwara Baba Atal Rai.jpg
| alt = Mural painting of Guru Nanak from Gurdwara Baba Atal Rai
| Period = ] - ]
| caption = 19th-century ] painting from ] depicting Nanak
| Predecessor =
| birth_name = Nanak
| Successor = Guru Angad Dev 2<sup>nd</sup> of the ]
| birth_date = 15 April 1469 (], according to Sikh tradition){{sfn|Gupta|1984|p=49}}
| ordination =
| birth_place = Rāi Bhoi Kī Talvaṇḍī, ], ] <br> {{small|(present-day ], ], ])}}
| post = ]
| death_date = {{Death-date and age|22 September 1539|15 April 1469}}
| date of birth = ] ]
| place of birth = {{flagicon|Pakistan}} ], ], (now ]) | death_place = ], ] <br> {{small|(present-day ])}}
| resting_place = ], Kartarpur, Punjab, Pakistan
| date of death = {{death date and age|1539|05|07|1469|10|24}}
| known_for = * Founder of ]
| place of death = {{flagicon|India}} - ], (now ])
* Writing ]
| website =
* Writing ]
| successor = ]
| parents = ] and ]
| spouse = ]
| children = ]<br>]
| religion = ]
| location = ]
| other_name = First Master<br>''Peer Balagdaan'' (])<ref>{{cite news |last1=Service |first1=Tribune News |title=Booklet on Guru Nanak Dev's teachings released |url=https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/archive/ludhiana/booklet-on-guru-nanak-dev%E2%80%99s-teachings-released-859755 |work=Tribuneindia News Service |language=en |quote=Rare is a saint who has travelled and preached as widely as Guru Nanak Dev. He was known as Nanakachraya in Sri Lanka, Nanak Lama in Tibet, Guru Rimpochea in Sikkim, Nanak Rishi in Nepal, Nanak Peer in Baghdad, Wali Hind in Mecca, Nanak Vali in Misar, Nanak Kadamdar in Russia, Baba Nanak in Iraq, Peer Balagdaan in Mazahar Sharif and Baba Foosa in China, said Dr S S Sibia, director of Sibia Medical Centre.}}</ref><br>''Nanakachryaya'' (in Sri Lanka)<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Baker |first1=Janet |title=Guru Nanak: 550th birth anniversary of Sikhism's founder: Phoenix Art Museum, The Khanuja Family Sikh Art Gallery, 17 August 2019–29 March 2020 |journal=Sikh Formations |date=2 October 2019 |volume=15 |issue=3–4 |pages=499 |doi=10.1080/17448727.2019.1685641|s2cid=210494526 }}</ref><br>''Nanak Lama'' (in Tibet)<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Baker |first1=Janet |title=Guru Nanak: 550th birth anniversary of Sikhism's founder: Phoenix Art Museum, The Khanuja Family Sikh Art Gallery, 17 August 2019–29 March 2020 |journal=Sikh Formations |date=2 October 2019 |volume=15 |issue=3–4 |pages=499 |doi=10.1080/17448727.2019.1685641|s2cid=210494526 }}</ref><br>''Guru Rinpoche'' (in Sikkim and Bhutan)<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Baker |first1=Janet |title=Guru Nanak: 550th birth anniversary of Sikhism's founder: Phoenix Art Museum, The Khanuja Family Sikh Art Gallery, 17 August 2019–29 March 2020 |journal=Sikh Formations |date=2 October 2019 |volume=15 |issue=3–4 |pages=499 |doi=10.1080/17448727.2019.1685641|s2cid=210494526 }}</ref><br>''Nanak Rishi'' (])<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Baker |first1=Janet |title=Guru Nanak: 550th birth anniversary of Sikhism's founder: Phoenix Art Museum, The Khanuja Family Sikh Art Gallery, 17 August 2019–29 March 2020 |journal=Sikh Formations |date=2 October 2019 |volume=15 |issue=3–4 |pages=499 |doi=10.1080/17448727.2019.1685641|s2cid=210494526 }}</ref><br>''Nanak Peer'' (])<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Baker |first1=Janet |title=Guru Nanak: 550th birth anniversary of Sikhism's founder: Phoenix Art Museum, The Khanuja Family Sikh Art Gallery, 17 August 2019–29 March 2020 |journal=Sikh Formations |date=2 October 2019 |volume=15 |issue=3–4 |pages=499 |doi=10.1080/17448727.2019.1685641|s2cid=210494526 }}</ref><br>''Vali Hindi'' (in Saudi Arabia)<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Baker |first1=Janet |title=Guru Nanak: 550th birth anniversary of Sikhism's founder: Phoenix Art Museum, The Khanuja Family Sikh Art Gallery, 17 August 2019–29 March 2020 |journal=Sikh Formations |date=2 October 2019 |volume=15 |issue=3–4 |pages=499 |doi=10.1080/17448727.2019.1685641|s2cid=210494526 }}</ref><br>''Nanak Vali'' (in Egypt)<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Baker |first1=Janet |title=Guru Nanak: 550th birth anniversary of Sikhism's founder: Phoenix Art Museum, The Khanuja Family Sikh Art Gallery, 17 August 2019–29 March 2020 |journal=Sikh Formations |date=2 October 2019 |volume=15 |issue=3–4 |pages=499 |doi=10.1080/17448727.2019.1685641|s2cid=210494526 }}</ref><br>''Nanak Kadamdar'' (])<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Baker |first1=Janet |title=Guru Nanak: 550th birth anniversary of Sikhism's founder: Phoenix Art Museum, The Khanuja Family Sikh Art Gallery, 17 August 2019–29 March 2020 |journal=Sikh Formations |date=2 October 2019 |volume=15 |issue=3–4 |pages=499 |doi=10.1080/17448727.2019.1685641|s2cid=210494526 }}</ref><br>''Baba Foosa'' (])<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Baker |first1=Janet |title=Guru Nanak: 550th birth anniversary of Sikhism's founder: Phoenix Art Museum, The Khanuja Family Sikh Art Gallery, 17 August 2019–29 March 2020 |journal=Sikh Formations |date=2 October 2019 |volume=15 |issue=3–4 |pages=499 |doi=10.1080/17448727.2019.1685641|s2cid=210494526 }}</ref>
| signature = Pothi written by Guru Nanak.jpg
}} }}
{{Sikhi}} {{Sikhism sidebar}}
'''Guru Nanak Dev'''<ref>Nanak may be referred to by many names and titles such as Baba Nanak or Nanak Shah.</ref> ({{lang-pa|ਗੁਰੂ ਨਾਨਕ ਦੇਵ}}, ''{{IAST|Gurū Nānak Dēv}}'') (Born in ], ], (now ]) on ] ] &ndash; ] ], ], ], ]), was the founder of ], and the first of the ten ].


'''Gurū Nānak''' (15 April 1469 – 22 September 1539; ]: ਗੁਰੂ ਨਾਨਕ; pronunciation: {{IPA-pa|gʊɾuː naːnəkᵊ|}}, {{audio|Guru Nanak Dev.ogg|pronunciation|help=no}}), also known as '''{{Langx|pa|Bābā Nānak|label=none}}''' ('Father Nānak'),{{sfn|Macauliffe|1909|p=]}} was an Indian spiritual teacher, mystic and poet, who is regarded as the founder of ] and is the first of the ten ].
Beside followers of ]''' Guru Nanak Dev''' is revered by ] and ] across the ].<ref>{{cite book | last=Duggal | first=Kartar Singh | year=1988 | title=Philosophy and Faith of Sikhism | publisher=Himalayan Institute Press | id = ISBN 0-89389-109-6 | pages=xxii}}</ref> His primary message to society was recorded to be "devotion of thought and excellence of conduct as the first of duties".<ref>{{cite book | last=Cunningham | first=Joseph Davey | authorlink=Joseph Cunningham | year=2006 | origyear=1853 | title=History of the Sikhs | publisher=John Murray | location=Albemarle Street. London | id = ISBN | pages= 43}}</ref>


Nanak is said to have travelled far and wide across ] teaching people the message of '']'' ({{Langx|pa|ੴ|lit=One God|label=none}}), who dwells in every one of his creations and constitutes the eternal Truth.{{sfn|Hayer|1988|p=14}} With this concept, he would set up a unique ], social, and political platform based on equality, fraternal love, goodness, and virtue.{{sfn|Sidhu|2009|p=26}}{{sfn|Khorana|1991|p=214}}{{sfn|Prasoon|2007}}


Nanak's words are registered in the form of 974 poetic ]s, or '']'', in the holy religious scripture of Sikhism, the ], with some of the major prayers being the '']'' ({{Langx|pa|jap|lit=to recite|label=none|italic=yes}}; ''ji'' and ''sahib'' are suffixes signifying respect); the '']'' ('Ballad of Hope'); and the '']'' ('Discussion with the ]'). It is part of ] religious belief that the spirit of Nanak's {{Wikt-lang|en|sanctity|i=no}}, divinity, and religious authority had descended upon each of the nine subsequent Gurus when the Guruship was devolved on to them. His birthday is celebrated as ], annually across India.


== Epiphany == == Biography ==
Sikh tradition states that at the age of thirty, Guru Nanak Dev ji went missing, and was presumed to have drowned after going for one of his morning baths to a local stream called the ''Kali Bein'' or the ''Humber Bain''. Three days later he reappeared and would give the same answer to any question posed to him: "There is no Hindu, there is no Muslim" (in Punjabi, "''nā kōi hindū nā kōi musalmān''"). It was from this moment that Sri Guru Nanak Dev ji would begin to spread the teachings of what was then the beginning of Sikhism.<ref>{{cite book | last=Shackle | first=Christopher | coauthors= Mandair, Arvind-Pal Singh | year=2005 | title=Teachings of the Sikh Gurus: Selections from the Sikh Scriptures | publisher=Routledge | location=United Kingdom | id = ISBN 0-415-26604-1 | pages=xiii-xiv}}</ref> Although the exact account of his itinerary is disputed, he is widely acknowledged to have made four major journeys, spanning thousands of kilometers. The first tour was east towards ] and ], the second south towards ] via ], the third north towards ], ] and ], and the final tour west towards ] and ].<ref>{{cite book | last=Singh | first=Khushwant | authorlink=Khushwant Singh | year=2006 | title=The Illustrated History of the Sikhs | publisher=Oxford University Press | location=India | id = ISBN 0-19-567747-1 | pages=14}}</ref>


=== Birth ===
Sri Guru Nanak Dev ji was married to Sulakhni, the daughter of Moolchand Chona, a rice trader from the town of ]. They had two sons. The elder son, ], was an ascetic and he came to have a considerable following of his own, known as the ]s. The younger son, Lakshmi Das, on the other hand was totally immersed in worldly life. To Nanak, who believed in the ideal of ''{{unicode|rāj maiṁ jōg}}'' (detachment in civic life), both his sons were unfit to carry on the Guruship.
] in ], Pakistan, commemorates the site where Nanak is believed to have been born.]]{{See also|Guru Nanak Gurpurab}}
Nanak was born on 15 April 1469 at Rāi Bhoi Dī Talvaṇḍī village (present-day ], ], Pakistan) in the ] province of the ],{{sfn|Singh|2006|pp=12–13}}{{sfn|Grewal|1998|p=6}} although according to one tradition, he was born in the Indian month of ] or November, known as ] in ].{{sfn|Gupta|1984|p=49}} He was born into the ] ] clan like all of the ]. Specifically, Guru Nanak was a Bedi ].


Most '']'' ({{Langx|pa|ਜਨਮਸਾਖੀ|lit=birth stories|label=none}}), or traditional biographies of Nanak, mention that he was born on the third day of the ], in the ] month (April) of ] 1526.{{sfn|Gupta|1984|p=49}} These include the '']{{Broken anchor|date=2024-07-18|bot=User:Cewbot/log/20201008/configuration|target_link=Janamsakhis#Editions|reason= The anchor (Editions) ].}}'' ('traditional' or 'ancient') ''janamsakhi'', ], '']{{Broken anchor|date=2024-07-18|bot=User:Cewbot/log/20201008/configuration|target_link=Janamsakhis#Bhai Mani Singh’s Janamsakhi|reason= The anchor (Bhai Mani Singh’s Janamsakhi) ].}}'' by ], and the ''Vilayat Vali janamsakhi''.{{sfn|Gupta|1984|p=50}} Gurbilas Patashahi 6, written 1718, also attributed to Bhai Mani Singh contradicts Mani Singh’s Janamsakhi as it instead says Guru Nanak was born on the full moon of Katak.<ref name=":1">{{Cite book |last=Singh |first=Dr. Trilochan |url=http://ignca.nic.in/Asi_data/48740.pdf |title=Guru Nanak: Founder of Sikhism: A Biography |pages=489–491}}</ref> The Sikh records state that Nanak died on the 10th day of the ] month of Samvat 1596 (22 September 1539&nbsp;CE), at the age of 70 years, 5 months, and 7 days. This further suggests that he was born in the month of ] (April), not ] (November).{{sfn|Gupta|1984|p=54}}
'''The Three Pillars of Sikhism'''


==== Kattak birthdate ====
It was in Sultanpur that Guru Nanak Dev formalised the three important pillars of Sikhism:
].]]
In as late as 1815, during the reign of ], the festival commemorating Nanak's birthday was held in April at the place of his birth, known by then as ].{{sfn|Gupta|1984|p=50}} However, the anniversary of Nanak's birth—the ] ('']'' + {{Langx|pa|purab|lit=celebration|label=none|italic=yes}})—subsequently came to be celebrated on the full moon day of the Kattak month in November. The earliest record of such a celebration in Nankana Sahib is from 1868&nbsp;CE.{{sfn|Gupta|1984|p=52}}


There may be several reasons for the adoption of the Kattak birthdate by the Sikh community. For one, it may have been the date of Nanak's enlightenment or "spiritual birth" in 1496, as suggested by the '']''.{{Citation needed|date=May 2023}}
Naam Japna: Chanting God's name in a meditative manner.
Kirat Karō: Earning an honest living.


Some of the sources that support the Katak birthday incident:
Vaṇḍ Chakkō: Sharing with others.


The Bala Janamasakhi supports the Kattak birth tradition. It is the only Janamsakhi that does. ] is said to have obtained Nanak's horoscope from Nanak's uncle Lalu, according to which, Nanak was born on a date corresponding to 20 October 1469&nbsp;CE. However, this janamsakhi was written by Handalis—a sect of Sikhs who followed a Sikh-convert known as Handal—attempting to depict the founder as superior to Nanak.{{sfn|Gupta|1984|pp=50–51}} According to a superstition prevailing in contemporary ], a child born in the Kattak month was believed to be weak and unlucky, hence why the work states that Nanak was born in that month.{{sfn|Gupta|1984|pp=50–51}}


], having written on a full-moon-day of the Kattak month several decades after Nanak's death, mentions that Nanak had "obtained omniscience" on the same day, and it was now the author's turn to "get divine light."{{sfn|Gupta|1984|pp=53–54}}


According to eyewitness Sikh chronicles, known as ], Guru Nanak was born on the full moon of Katak.<ref name=":0">{{Cite book |last=Bindra |first=Pritpal Singh |title=Guru Kian Sakhian Tales of the Sikh Gurus |pages=78}}</ref>


Gurbilas Patashahi 6 written 1718<ref>{{Cite web |title=Gurbilas Chhevian Patashahi |date=19 December 2000 |url=https://www.thesikhencyclopedia.com/sikh-scriptures-and-literature/eighteenth-century-literature/gukbilas-chhevin-patshahi/}}</ref> attributed to Bhai Mani Singh says Guru Nanak was born on the full moon of Katak.<ref name=":1" />


Meham Parkash written in 1776 also says Guru Nanak was born on the full moon of Katak.<ref name=":1" />
==See also==
{{portal|Sikhism}}
*]
*]
*]
*]
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Kesar Singh Chibber’s Bansavalinama Dasan Patashahia Ka meaning genealogy of the ten emperors, written in 1769,<ref>{{Cite web |date=2000-12-19 |title=BANSAVALINAMA DASAN PATSHAHIAN KA - The Sikh Encyclopedia |url=https://www.thesikhencyclopedia.com/sikh-scriptures-and-literature/eighteenth-century-literature/bansavalinama-dasan-patshahian-ka/ |access-date=2023-04-01 |language=en-US}}</ref> says Guru Nanak was born on the full moon of Katak as well.<ref name=":1" />
==Notes==
{{reflist}}


Gurpurnali written in 1727 and Guru Tegh Bahadur Malwe da Safar written in 1716 both mention Guru Nanank being born on the full moon of Katak.<ref name=":1" />
==External links==


Nanak Chandrodaya Sanskrit Janamsakhi from 1797 and Janam Sakhi Baba Nanak by Sant Das Chibber from the 18th century both mention Guru Nanak being born on the full moon of katak.<ref name=":1" />
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Gurpur Parkash Granth written by Sant Ren Singh based on a granth written by ] states Guru Nanak was born on the full moon of Katak.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Singh |first=Ren |url=https://sikhbookclub.com/Book/Sri-Gur-Pur-Prakash-Part-1 |title=Gurpur Parkash}}</ref>
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According to ] (1909), a Hindu festival held in the 19th century on ] in ] attracted a large number of Sikhs. The Sikh community leader ] Sant Singh did not like this, thus starting a festival at the Sikh shrine of the ] on the same day, presenting it as the birth anniversary celebration of Guru Nanak.{{sfn|Macauliffe|1909|p=]}}
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Macauliffe also notes that Vaisakh (March–April) already saw a number of important festivals—such as ], ], and ]—therefore people would be busy in agricultural activities after the ] of Baisakhi. Therefore, holding Nanak's birth anniversary celebrations immediately after Vaisakhi would have resulted in thin attendance, and therefore, smaller donations for the Sikh shrines. On the other hand, by the Kattak full moon day, the major Hindu festival of ] was already over, and the peasants—who had surplus cash from crop sales—were able to donate generously.{{sfn|Gupta|1984|pp=51–52}}


=== Family and early life ===
Nanak's parents, father Kalyan Chand Das Bedi (commonly shortened to ]{{Efn|Various appellations are connected to Nanak's father, some of them are: 'Mehta Kalu', 'Kalu Rai', 'Kalu Chand', 'Kalian Rai', and 'Kalian Chand'.|group=note}}<ref name=":2">{{Cite journal |last=Singh |first=Bhupinder |date=October–December 2019 |title=Genealogy of Guru Nanak |url=https://sikhinstitute.org/oc_2019/colbhupindersingh.html |journal=Abstracts of Sikh Studies |publisher=Institute of Sikh Studies, Chandigarh |volume=21 |issue=4 |access-date=7 September 2023 |archive-date=2 June 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230602073320/https://sikhinstitute.org/oc_2019/colbhupindersingh.html |url-status=dead }}</ref>) and mother ],{{sfn|SGPC: Guru Nanak Sahib}} were both ] and employed as merchants.{{sfn|Singha|2009a|p=125}}{{sfn|McLeod|2009|p=86}} His father, in particular, was the local ] (accountant) for crop revenue in the village of ].{{sfn|Nankana: Rai Bular Bhatti}} Nanak's paternal grandfather was named Shiv Ram Bedi and his great-grandfather was Ram Narayan Bedi.<ref name=":8">{{Cite book |last=Jain |first=Harish C. |title=The Making of Punjab |publisher=Unistar Books |year=2003 |pages=268}}</ref><ref name=":2" />

According to ] traditions, the birth and early years of Nanak's life were marked with many events that demonstrated that Nanak had been blessed with divine grace.{{sfn|BBC: Religions|2011}} Commentaries on his life give details of his blossoming awareness from a young age. For instance, at the age of five, Nanak is said to have voiced interest in divine subjects. At age seven, his father enrolled him at the village school, as per custom.{{sfn|Macauliffe|2004}} Notable lore recounts that, as a child, Nanak astonished his teacher by describing the implicit symbolism of the ], resembling the mathematical version of one, as denoting the unity or oneness of God.{{sfn|Cunningham|1853|pp=37–38}} Other stories of his childhood refer to strange and miraculous events about Nanak, such as the one witnessed by ], in which the sleeping child's head was shaded from the harsh sunlight by, in one account, by the stationary shadow of a tree{{citation needed|date=July 2020}} or, in another, by a venomous cobra.{{sfn|Singh|1984|p=18}} ] in ], Pakistan, marks the site where Guru Nanak is said to have died.{{sfn|Singh|2000}} ]]

], Nanak's only sister, was five years older than him. In 1475, she married and moved to ].{{citation needed|date=July 2020}} Jai Ram, Nanaki's husband, was employed at a ''modikhana'' (a storehouse for revenues collected in non-cash form), in the service of the ]'s ] governor ], at which Ram would help Nanak get a job.{{sfn|Grewal|1998|p=7}} Nanak moved to Sultanpur, and started working at the modikhana around the age of 16.{{citation needed|date=July 2020}}

As a young man,{{efn-lr|name=Macauliffe-marriage|Macauliffe (1909) notes that, according to the ]{{Broken anchor|date=2024-07-18|bot=User:Cewbot/log/20201008/configuration|target_link=Janamsakhis#Bhai Mani Singh’s Janamsakhi|reason= The anchor (Bhai Mani Singh’s Janamsakhi) ].}}, Nanak was married at the age of 14, not 18. "It is related in the Janamsakhi which bears the name of Mani Singh, that Nanak was married at the age of fourteen" (]) Subsequent janamsakhis, however, claim that Nanak was married later, after he moved to Sultanpur (]).}} Nanak married ], daughter of Mūl Chand (aka Mula){{efn-lr|name=Macauliffe-marriage2|"He was betrothed to Sulakhani, daughter of Mula, a resident of Batala in the present district of Gurdaspur." (Macauliffe 1909, ]).}}{{efn-lr|name=Grewal-p6|"As a young man Nanak was married to Sulakhni, a daughter of Mula, a native of the newly founded town of ] who had come there from his village, Pakho dī Randhawi, on the left bank of the river ]. Mula belonged to the subcaste ] which was less important than even the subcaste ].". {{harv|Grewal|1998|p=6}}}} and Chando Raṇi.{{citation needed|date=July 2020}} They were married on 24 September 1487, in the town of ],{{sfn|Macauliffe|2004|p=19}} and would go on to have two sons, ] and ]{{sfn|Grewal|1998|p=7}} (or Lakhmi Das).{{efn-lr|Trumpp (1877) transliterates the names of Nanak's children from the ]{{Broken anchor|date=2024-07-18|bot=User:Cewbot/log/20201008/configuration|target_link=Janamsakhis#Editions|reason= The anchor (Editions) ].}} as "''Sirī-čand''" and "''Lakhmī-dās''", rather than "''Lakhmī-čand''" (pp. ], ]). Macauliffe (1909, ]) also gives their names as Sri Chand and Lakhmi Das.}}{{sfn|Trumpp|1877}} Nanak lived in Sultanpur until c. 1500,{{sfn|Grewal|1998|p=7}} which would be a formative time for him, as the ''puratan'' ] suggests, and in his numerous allusions to governmental structure in his hymns, most likely gained at this time.{{sfn|Cole|Sambhi|1978|p=}}

=== Final years ===
], ].]]
Around the age of 55, Nanak settled in ], living there until his death in September 1539. During this period, he went on short journeys to the ] ] centre of Achal, and the Sufi centres of ] and ]. By the time of his death, Nanak had acquired several followers in the ], although it is hard to estimate their number based on the extant historical evidence.{{sfn|Grewal|1998|p=8}} The followers of Nanak were called ''Kartārīs'' (meaning 'the people who belonged to the village of Kartarpur') by others.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Singh |first=Pashaura |date=2021-04-03 |title=Ideological basis in the formation of the Shiromani Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee and the Shiromani Akali Dal: exploring the concept of Guru-Panth |url=https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/17448727.2021.1873656 |journal=Sikh Formations |language=en |volume=17 |issue=1–2 |pages=16–33 |doi=10.1080/17448727.2021.1873656 |s2cid=234146387 |issn=1744-8727 |quote=Unsurprisingly, Guru Nanak’s followers were frequently referred to as Kartārīs, the people who belonged to the village of Kartarpur (Singh 2006, 106 & 129, n. 4).}}</ref>

Nanak appointed Bhai Lehna as the successor ], renaming him as ], meaning "one's very own" or "part of you". Shortly after proclaiming his successor, Nanak died on 22 September 1539 in ], at the age of 70. According to Sikh ], his body was never found. When the quarreling Hindus and Muslims tugged at the sheet covering his body, they found instead a heap of flowers—and so Nanak’s simple faith would, in course of time, flower into a religion, beset by its own contradictions and customary practices.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://southasia.ucla.edu/religions/gurus-saints/guru-nanak/|title=Guru Nanak|website=MANAS}}</ref>]
], located near the ] in ], commemorates the site where Guru Nanak is popularly believed to have created a water-spring during one of his ''udasis.''{{sfn|Singh|Kapur|2004|p=174}} ]]
] in ], Pakistan.]]
] and Bhai Bala waving a ''chaur'' (fly-whisk) as a mark of respect.]]

== Odysseys (''Udasis'') ==
{{Not to be confused with|Udasi|text=], a religious sect of ascetics founded by ], Guru Nanak's son}}
During first quarter of the 16th century, Nanak went on long ''udasiya'' ('journeys') for spiritual pursuits. A verse authored by him states that he visited several places in "''nau-khand''" ('the nine regions of the earth'), presumably the major Hindu and Muslim pilgrimage centres.{{sfn|Grewal|1998|p=7}}

Some modern accounts state that he visited ], most of ], and ], starting in 1496 at age 27, when he left his family for a thirty-year period.{{sfn|BBC: Religions|2011}}{{sfn|Dilgeer|2008}}{{sfn|Johal|2011|pp=125, note 1}} These claims include Nanak's visit to ] of ], as well as ], ], ], and ], where he would debate religious ideas with opposing groups.{{sfn|Callewaert|Snell|1994|pp=26–7}} These stories became widely popular in the 19th and 20th century, and exist in many versions.{{sfn|Lorenzen|1995}}{{sfn|Callewaert|Snell|1994|pp=26–7}}

In 1508, Nanak visited the ] in ].{{cn|date=January 2021}} The ''janamsakhis'' suggest that Nanak visited the ] temple in ] in 1510–11 CE.{{sfn|Garg|2019}}

The Baghdad inscription remains the basis of writing by Indian scholars that Guru Nanak journeyed in the Middle East, with some claiming he visited ], ], ], ] and ].{{sfn|Gulati|2008|pp=316–319}}

=== Disputes ===
The ] details are a subject of dispute, with modern scholarship questioning the details and authenticity of many claims. For example, Callewaert and Snell (1994) state that early Sikh texts do not contain such stories.{{sfn|Callewaert|Snell|1994|pp=26–7}} From when the travel stories first appear in hagiographic accounts of Guru Nanak, centuries after his death, they continue to become more sophisticated as time goes on, with the late phase ''Puratan'' version describing four missionary journeys, which differ from the ''Miharban'' version.{{sfn|Callewaert|Snell|1994|pp=26–7}}{{sfn|Lorenzen|1995|pp=41–2}}

Some of the stories about Guru Nanak's extensive travels first appear in the 19th-century ''Puratan'' janamsakhi, though even this version does not mention Nanak's travel to Baghdad.{{sfn|Callewaert|Snell|1994|pp=26–7}} Such embellishments and insertion of new stories, according to Callewaert and Snell (1993), closely parallel claims of miracles by ] found in Sufi '']s'' of the same era, giving reason to believe that these legends may have been written in a competition.{{sfn|McLeod|2007|pp=42–44}}{{sfn|Callewaert|Snell|1994|pp=26–7}}

Another source of dispute has been the Baghdad stone, bearing an inscription{{clarify|date=January 2021}} in a Turkish script. Some interpret the inscription as saying ''Baba Nanak Fakir'' was there in 1511–1512; others read it as saying 1521–1522 (and that he lived in the Middle East for 11 years away from his family). Others, particularly Western scholars, argue that the stone inscription is from the 19th century and the stone is not a reliable evidence that Nanak visited Baghdad in early 16th century.{{sfn|Ménage|1979|pp=16–21}} Moreover, beyond the stone, no evidence or mention of his journey in the Middle East has been found in any other Middle Eastern textual or ] records. Claims have been asserted of additional inscriptions, but no one has been able to locate and verify them.{{sfn|McLeod|2004|pp=127–31}}

Novel claims about his travels, as well as claims such as his body vanishing after his death, are also found in later versions and these are similar to the miracle stories in Sufi literature about their ''pirs''. Other direct and indirect borrowings in the Sikh ''janamsakhis'' relating to legends around his journeys are from ] and ''],'' and ] ].{{sfn|Lorenzen|1995}}{{sfn|Oberoi|1994|p=55}}{{sfn|Callewaert|Snell|1994|pp=27–30}} ]'s ''Janamsakhi'']]

== Posthumous biographies ==
{{more citations needed section|date=April 2017}}
The earliest biographical sources on Nanak's life recognised today are the '']'' ('birth stories'), which recount the circumstances of his birth in extended detail.

''Gyan-ratanavali'' is the janamsakhi attributed to ], a disciple of ]{{Clarify|reason=Is a comma missing here?|date=May 2023}} who was approached by some Sikhs with a request that he should prepare an authentic account of Nanak's life. As such, it is said that Bhai Mani Singh wrote his story with the express intention of correcting ] accounts of Nanak.

One popular janamsakhi was allegedly written by ], a close companion of Nanak. However, the writing style and language employed have left scholars, such as ], certain that they were composed after his death.{{sfn|Macauliffe|2004}} According to such scholars, there are good reasons to doubt the claim that the author was a close companion of Guru Nanak and accompanied him on many of his travels.

], a scribe of the ], also wrote about Nanak's life in his ''vars'' ('odes'), which were compiled some time after Nanak's life, though are less detailed than the janamsakhis.

== Teachings and legacy ==
] of Guru Nanak from Baoli Sahib, ]]]
Nanak's teachings can be found in the Sikh scripture ], as a collection of verses recorded in ].{{Citation needed|date=May 2023}}

There are three competing theories on Nanak's teachings.{{sfn|Mandair|2013|pp=131–34}} The first, according to Cole and Sambhi (1995, 1997), based on the ] '']'',{{sfn|Cole|Sambhi|1995|pp=9–12}} states that Nanak's teachings and ] were revelations from God, and not a social protest movement, nor an attempt to reconcile ] and ] in the 15th century.{{sfn|Cole|Sambhi|1997|p=71}}

The second theory states that Nanak was a ], not a prophet. According to Singha (2009):{{sfn|Singha|2009a|p=104}} <blockquote>Sikhism does not subscribe to the theory of ] or the concept of ] hood. But it has a pivotal concept of Guru. He is not an incarnation of God, not even a prophet. He is an illumined soul.</blockquote>
The third theory is that Guru Nanak is the incarnation of God. This has been supported by many Sikhs including ], ], ] and is supported by the Guru Granth Sahib.{{Citation needed|date=May 2023}} Bhai Gurdas says:<ref>{{Cite web |title=Vaaran Bhai Gurdas:- Vaar1-Pauri17-ਜੁਗ ਗਰਦੀ-Anachy of the agesਵਾਰਾਂ ਭਾਈ ਗੁਰਦਾਸ; :-SearchGurbani.com |url=http://www.searchgurbani.com/bhai-gurdas-vaaran/vaar/1/pauri/17/line/1 |access-date=2022-03-24 |website=www.searchgurbani.com |language=en}}</ref>
<blockquote>

ਗੁਰ ਪਰਮੇਸਰੁ ਇਕੁ ਹੈ ਸਚਾ ਸਾਹੁ ਜਗਤੁ ਵਣਜਾਰਾ।

The Guru and God are one; He is the true master and the whole world craves for Him.</blockquote>
Additionally, in the Guru Granth Sahib, it is stated:<ref>{{Cite web |title=Ang 306 of Guru Granth Sahib Ji - SikhiToTheMax |url=https://www.sikhitothemax.org/ang?ang=306&source=G |access-date=2022-03-24 |website=www.sikhitothemax.org |language=en}}</ref>
<blockquote>

ਨਾਨਕ ਸੇਵਾ ਕਰਹੁ ਹਰਿ ਗੁਰ ਸਫਲ ਦਰਸਨ ਕੀ ਫਿਰਿ ਲੇਖਾ ਮੰਗੈ ਨ ਕੋਈ ॥੨॥

O Nanak, serve the Guru, the Lord Incarnate; the Blessed Vision of His Darshan is profitable, and in the end, you shall not be called to account. ||2||</blockquote>

] says:<ref>{{Cite web |title=Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji -: Ang : 442 -: ਸ਼੍ਰੀ ਗੁਰੂ ਗ੍ਰੰਥ ਸਾਹਿਬ ਜੀ :- SearchGurbani.com |url=http://www.searchgurbani.com/guru-granth-sahib/ang/442 |access-date=2022-03-24 |website=www.searchgurbani.com |language=en}}</ref>
<blockquote>

ਗੁਰ ਗੋਵਿੰਦੁ ਗੋੁਵਿੰਦੁ ਗੁਰੂ ਹੈ ਨਾਨਕ ਭੇਦੁ ਨ ਭਾਈ ॥੪॥੧॥੮॥

The Guru is God, and God is the Guru, O Nanak; there is no difference between the two, O Siblings of Destiny. ||4||1||8||</blockquote>

The hagiographical ''Janamsakhis'' were not written by Nanak, but by later followers without regard for historical accuracy, containing numerous legends and myths created to show respect for Nanak.{{sfn|Singh|2011|pp=2–8}} In Sikhism, the term ''revelation'', as Cole and Sambhi clarify, is not limited to the teachings of Nanak. Rather, they include all ], as well as the words of men and women from Nanak's past, present, and future, who possess divine knowledge intuitively through meditation. The Sikh revelations include the words of non-Sikh ] (Hindu & Muslim devotees), some who lived and died before the birth of Nanak, and whose teachings are part of the Sikh scriptures.{{sfn|Cole|Sambhi|1995|pp=46, 52–3, 95–6, 159}}

The ] and successive Sikh Gurus repeatedly emphasised, suggests Mandair (2013), that Sikhism is "not about hearing voices from God, but it is about changing the nature of the human mind, and anyone can achieve direct experience and spiritual perfection at any time."{{sfn|Mandair|2013|pp=131–34}} Nanak emphasised that all human beings can have direct access to God without rituals or priests.{{sfn|BBC: Religions|2011}}

The concept of man as elaborated by Nanak, states Mandair (2009), refines and negates the "] concept of self/God," where "monotheism becomes almost redundant in the movement and crossings of love."{{sfn|Mandair|2009|pp=372–73}} The goal of man, taught the Sikh Gurus, is to end all dualities of "self and other, I and not-I," attaining the "attendant balance of separation-fusion, self-other, action-inaction, attachment-detachment, in the course of daily life."{{sfn|Mandair|2009|pp=372–73}}

Nanak, and other Sikh Gurus emphasised '']'' ('love', 'devotion', or 'worship'), and taught that the spiritual life and secular householder life are intertwined.{{sfn|Nayar|Sandhu|2007|p=106}} In the Sikh perspective, the everyday world is part of an infinite reality, where increased spiritual awareness leads to increased and vibrant participation in the everyday world.{{sfn|Kaur|2004|p=530}} Nanak described living an "active, creative, and practical life" of "truthfulness, fidelity, self-control and purity" as being higher than the ] truth.{{sfn|Marwha|2006|p=205}}

Through popular tradition, Nanak's teaching is understood to be practised in three ways:{{sfn|McLeod|2009|pp=139–40}}

* '']'' ({{Langx|pa|ਵੰਡ ਛਕੋ|lit=share & consume|label=none}}): Share with others, help those who are in need, so you may eat together;
* '']'' ('work honestly'): Earn an honest living, without exploitation or fraud; and
* '']'' ({{Langx|pa|ਨਾਮ ਜਪੋ|lit=recite His name|label=none}}): Meditate on God's name, so to feel His presence and control the ] of the human personality.

=== Legacy ===
Nanak is the founder of ].{{sfn|Cole|Sambhi|1978|pp=}}{{sfn|Moreno|Colino|2010|p=207}} The fundamental beliefs of Sikhism, articulated in the sacred scripture ], include faith and meditation on the name of the one creator; unity of all humankind; engaging in ], striving for social justice for the ]; and honest conduct and livelihood while living a householder's life.{{sfn|Kalsi|2007|pp=41–50}}{{sfn|Cole|Sambhi|1995|p=200}}{{sfn|Teece|2004|p=4}}

The Guru Granth Sahib is worshipped as the supreme authority of ] and is considered the final and perpetual guru of Sikhism. As the first guru of Sikhism, Nanak contributed a total of 974 ] to the book.{{sfn|Shackle|Mandair|2013|pp=xviii–xix}}

== Influences ==
]
Many Sikhs believe that Nanak's message was divinely revealed, as his own words in ] state that his teachings are as he has received them from the Creator Himself. The critical event of his life in ], in which he returned after three days with enlightenment, also supports this belief.{{sfn|Singh|1982|pp=12, 18}}{{failed verification|date=July 2020}}

Many modern historians give weight to his teachings' linkage with the pre-existing '']'',{{sfn|Lorenzen|1995|pp=1–2}} ],{{efn-lr|"In its earliest stage Sikhism was clearly a movement within the Hindu tradition; Nanak was raised a Hindu and eventually belonged to the Sant tradition of northern India." {{harv|McLeod|2019}}}} and '']'' of Hindu/Islamic tradition.{{sfn|Fenech|2014}} Scholars state that in its origins, Nanak and Sikhism were influenced by the ''nirguni'' ('formless God') tradition of the ] in medieval India.{{efn-lr|name=David Lorenzen 1995 pages 1–2|"Historically, Sikh religion derives from this ] current of bhakti religion." {{harv|Lorenzen|1995|pp=1–2}}}} However, some historians do not see evidence of Sikhism as simply an extension of the Bhakti movement.{{sfn|Singha|2009b|p=8}}{{sfn|Grewal|1998|pp=28–}} Sikhism, for instance, disagreed with some views of Bhakti saints ] and ].{{sfn|Singha|2009b|p=8}}{{sfn|Pruthi|2004|pp=202–03}}

The roots of the Sikh tradition are perhaps in the ]-tradition of India whose ideology grew to become the Bhakti tradition.{{efn-lr|name=Louis Fenech 2014 page 35|"Technically this would place the Sikh community's origins at a much further remove than 1469, perhaps to the dawning of the Sant movement, which possesses clear affinities to Guru Nanak's thought sometime in the tenth century. The predominant ideology of the Sant '']'' in turn corresponds in many respects to the much wider devotional Bhakti tradition in northern India." {{harv|Fenech|2014|p=35}}}} Fenech (2014) suggests that:{{sfn|Fenech|2014}} <blockquote>Indic mythology permeates the Sikh sacred canon, the ''Guru Granth Sahib'' and the secondary canon, the '']'' and adds delicate nuance and substance to the sacred symbolic universe of the Sikhs of today and of their past ancestors.{{efn-lr|"Few Sikhs would mention these Indic texts and ideologies in the same breadth as the Sikh tradition, let alone trace elements of their tradition to this chronological and ideological point, '''despite the fact''' that the Indic mythology permeates the Sikh sacred canon, the ''Guru Granth Sahib'' and the secondary canon, the ''Dasam Granth'',<ref>Rinehart 2011</ref> and adds delicate nuance and substance to the sacred symbolic universe of the Sikhs of today and of their past ancestors." {{harv|Fenech|2014|p=36}}}}
</blockquote>

==In the Bahá'í Faith==
{{See also|Baháʼí Faith in India}}
In a letter, dated 27 October 1985, to the ], the ] stated that Nanak was endowed with a "saintly character" and that he was:{{sfn|Sarwal|1996}} <blockquote>...inspired to reconcile the religions of Hinduism and Islám, the followers of which religions had been in violent conflict.... The Bahá'ís thus view Guru Nanak as a 'saint of the highest order'.</blockquote>

==In Hinduism==
] in ]]]
Nanak is highly influential amongst ] and ], the majority of whom follow ] teachings. <ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.thefridaytimes.com/2018/04/13/nanakpanthi-saints-of-sindh/|title=Nanakpanthi Saints of Sindh|first=Zulfiqar Ali|last=Kalhoro|date=13 April 2018}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal|url=https://www.academia.edu/41323099|title=Inderjeet Singh (2017). Sindhi Hindus & Nanakpanthis in Pakistan. Abstracts of Sikh Studies, Vol. XIX, No.4. p35-43|first=Inderjeet|last=Singh|date=1 October 2017|journal=Abstracts of Sikh Studies|via=www.academia.edu}}</ref>

== In Tibetan Buddhism and Bon ==
Trilochan Singh claims that, for centuries, ] have been making pilgrimages to the Golden Temple shrine in Amritsar to pay homage to Guru Nanak's memory.<ref name=":02">{{Cite book |last=Singh |first=Trilochan |title=Guru Nanak: Founder of Sikhism: A Biography |publisher=Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee |year=1969}}</ref>{{Rp|page=338}} However, Tibetans seem to have confused Nanak with the visit of ] centuries earlier, and have superimposed details of Padmasambhava onto Nanak out of reverence (believing the essence of both figures is one and the same) or mistaken chronology.{{Efn|Padmasambhava is alternatively known as 'Guru Rinpoche'.|group=note}}<ref name=":12">{{Cite book |last1=Gill |first1=Savinder Kaur |title=Two Gurus One Message: The Buddha and Guru Nanak: Legacy of Liberation, Egalitarianism and Social Justice |last2=Wangmo |first2=Sonam |publisher=Library of Tibetan Works and Archives |year=2019 |pages=302–304}}</ref> According to Tibetan scholar ], many Tibetans believe Guru Nanak was an incarnation of Padmasambhava.<ref name=":22">{{Cite book |last1=Chauhan |first1=G. S. |title=Shri Guru Nanak Dev: Life, Travels and Teachings |last2=Rajan |first2=Meenakshi |date=January 2019 |publisher=All India Pingalwara Charitable Society Amritsar |edition=2nd |pages=176–178}}</ref> Both ] and ] made pilgrimages to the Golden Temple in Amritsar, however they revered the site for different reasons.<ref name=":10">Lucia Galli, “Next stop, Nirvana. When Tibetan pilgrims turn into leisure seekers”, Mongolian and Siberian, Central Asian and Tibetan Studies , 51 | 2020, posted online on December 9, 2020, accessed on May 21, 2024. URL: <nowiki>http://journals.openedition.org/emscat/4697</nowiki>; DOI: <nowiki>https://doi.org/10.4000/emscat.4697</nowiki></ref>

Between 1930 and 1935, the Tibetan spiritual leader, Khyungtrül Rinpoche (Khyung-sprul Rinpoche), travelled to India for a second time, visiting the ] in ] during this visit.<ref name=":9">{{Cite book |last=McKay |first=Alex |title=Pilgrimage in Tibet |publisher=Routledge |year=2013 |isbn=9781136807169}}</ref>{{Rp|page=78}}<ref name=":10" /> Whilst visiting Amritsar in 1930 or 1931, Khyung-sprul and his Tibetan entourage walked around the Golden Temple while making offerings.<ref name=":9" />{{Rp|page=78}} Khyung-sprul referred to the Golden Temple as "Guru Nanak's Palace" (]: ''Guru Na-nig-gi pho-brang'').<ref name=":9" />{{Rp|page=78}} Khyung-sprul returned to the Golden Temple in Amritsar for another time during his third and final visit to India in 1948.<ref name=":9" />{{Rp|page=80}}

Several years later after the 1930–31 visit of Khyung-sprul, a Tibetan ] monk by the name of Kyangtsün Sherab Namgyel (''rKyang-btsun Shes-rab-rnam rgyal'') visited the Golden Temple at Amritsar and offered the following description:<ref name=":9" />{{Rp|page=78}}
{{Blockquote|text="Their principal ''gshen'' is the Subduing ''gshen'' with the 'bird-horns'. His secret name is Guru Nanak. His teachings were the Bon of Relative and Absolute Truth. He holds in his hand the Sword of Wisdom . . . At this holy place the oceanic assembly of the tutelary gods and buddhas . . . gather like clouds"|author=Kyangtsün Sherab Namgyel}}

== In Islam ==

=== Ahmadiyya ===
]'' (robe) with Perso-Arabic inscriptions]]
The ] consider Guru Nanak to have been a ] saint and that Sikhism derived from Sufism.<ref name=":3">{{Cite web |last=Raza |first=Ansar |title=Baba Guru Nanak – A Muslim Saint |url=https://www.alislam.org/articles/baba-guru-nanak-muslim-saint/ |access-date=6 July 2024 |website=Al Islam}}</ref> They believe Guru Nanak sought to educate Muslims about the "real teachings" of Islam.<ref name=":3" /> Writing in 1895, ] defended Nanak from the accusations that had been made by the ] ], and asserted that Nanak was a Muslim.<ref name=":3" /> According to Abdul Jaleel, Nanak being a Muslim is supported by a '']'' inscribed with ] that is attributed to having been belonging to him.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Jaleel |first=Abdul |date=March 1993 |title=Birth of Sikhism - The Review of Religions |url=https://www.alislam.org/articles/birth-of-sikhism/ |access-date=6 July 2024 |website=Al Islam}}</ref>

==In popular culture==
* A ] movie was released in 2015 named '']'', which is based on the life of Nanak, directed by Sartaj Singh Pannu{{Citation needed|date=May 2023}}
* '']'' is a 2021–22 docuseries about Nanak's travels in nine different countries{{Citation needed|date=May 2023}}

==Places visited==
{{More citations needed|section|date=May 2023}}

===Uttarakhand===
* ], ]
* ]

===Andhra Pradesh===
* Gurudwara Pehli Patshahi ]

===Bihar===
* Gurdwara Sri Guru Nanak Sheetal Kund – ]
* ]

===Delhi===
* ], ]
* Gurudwara Majnu Ka Tila, ]<ref>{{cite news |title=A Gurdwara steeped in history |url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/life-style/A-Gurdwara-steeped-in-history/articleshow/10552745.cms |work=The Times of India |date=25 Mar 2012}}</ref>{{Better source needed|reason=The current source is insufficiently reliable (]).|date=May 2023}}

===Gujarat===
* Gurdwara Pehli Patshahi, ]

===Haryana===
* ]

===Jammu and Kashmir===
* ], ]

===Punjab===
* Gurudwara Shri Ber Sahib, ]
* Gurudwara Shri Hatt Sahib, ]
* Gurudwara Shri Kothri Sahib, ]
* Gurudwara Shri Guru Ka Bagh, ]
* Gurudwara Shri Sant Ghat, ]
* Gurudwara Shri Antaryamta, ]
* ]
* Gurudwara Manji Sahib, ]
* ]<ref>{{cite book |date=1993 |title=The Sikh Review, Volume 41, Issues 469–480 |publisher=Sikh Cultural Centre |page=14 }}</ref>

===Sikkim===
* Gurudwara Nanak Lama, ]
* ]

===Odisha===
* Gurdwara Guru Nanak Datan Sahib, ]
* Gurdwara Bauli Math Sahib, ]

===Pakistan===
* ]
* ], ]
* Gurdwara Sacha Sauda, ]
* ]
* ], ]
* ], ]
* ], ]
* ], ]
* ]
* ]

===Bangladesh===
* ], ]

===Afghanistan===
* Gurduara Baba Nanak Dev Ji, ]
* Chashma Sahib Patshahi Pahili, ]

===Iran===
* Gurudwara Pehli Patshahi, ]

===Iraq===
* ], ]

===Sri Lanka===
* Gurudwara Pehli Patshahi ]
* Koti, now known as ]

===Saudi Arabia===
] manuscript painting with the caption "Guru Nanak in Mecca - 'Turn my feet in the direction where God is not.' "]]
* ]
* ]

== See also ==
{{Portal|Sikhism|India|Biography|Punjab}}
* ]
* ]
* ]

== Notes ==
{{notelist-lr}}
{{reflist|group=note}}

== References ==
{{Reflist|22em}}

=== Bibliography ===
{{refbegin|30em}}
*{{cite web| title = Bhai Gurdas Vaaran
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| access-date = 1 December 2012
| ref = {{harvid|Search Gurbani}}
}}
*{{cite book| title = According to Tradition: Hagiographical Writing in India
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| last2 = Snell | first2 = Rupert
| year = 1994
| publisher = Otto Harrassowitz Verlag
| url = https://books.google.com/books?id=GrMwdEqHLzEC
| isbn = 978-3-447-03524-8
}}
*{{cite book| title = The Sikhs: Their Religious Beliefs and Practices
| last1 = Cole | first1 = William Owen
| last2 = Sambhi | first2 = Piara Singh
| year = 1978
| publisher = Routledge & Kegan Paul | location = London
| url = https://archive.org/details/sikhs00cole | url-access = registration
| pages =
| isbn = 0-7100-8842-6
}}
*{{Cite book| title = The Sikhs: Their Religious Beliefs and Practices
| last1 = Cole | first1 = William Owen
| last2 = Sambhi | first2 = Piara Singh
| year = 1995 | orig-year = First published 1978
| publisher = Sussex Academic Press
| isbn = 978-189872313-4
}}
*{{cite book| title = A Popular Dictionary of Sikhism: Sikh Religion and Philosophy)
| last1 = Cole | first1 = William Owen
| last2 = Sambhi | first2 = Piara Singh
| year = 1997
| publisher = Taylor & Francis
| page = 71
| isbn = 0-203-98609-1
}}
*{{cite book| title = A History of the Sikhs
| last = Cunningham | first = Joseph Davey | year = 1853
| publisher = John Murray | location = London
| pages = 37–38
}}
*{{cite book| title = Sikh Twareekh
| last = Dilgeer | first = Harjinder Singh | year = 2008
| publisher = The Sikh University Press | location = Belgium
}}
*{{Cite book| title = The Oxford Handbook of Sikh Studies
| last = Fenech | first = Louise E. | year = 2014
| editor1-last = Singh | editor1-first = P.
| editor2-last = Fenech | editor2-first = L. E.
| publisher = ]
| isbn = 978-019969930-8
}}
*{{cite web| title = The First Master Guru Nanak (1469 - 1539)
| publisher = Sikhs.org
| url = http://www.sikhs.org/guru1.htm
| access-date = 9 August 2009
| ref = {{harvid|Sikhs.org: First Master}}
}}
*{{Cite news| title = How Guru Nanak played a 'role' in Ayodhya verdict
| last = Garg | first = Abhinav
| newspaper = ]
| url = https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/how-guru-nanak-played-a-role-in-ayodhya-verdict/articleshow/71999559.cms?from=mdr
| date = 12 November 2019
}}
*{{Cite book| chapter = The Sikhs of the Punjab
| last = Grewal | first = J. S.
| author-link = J. S. Grewal
| orig-year = First published 1990
| title = The New Cambridge History of India | edition = pbk
| editor1-last = Johnson | editor1-first = Gordon
| editor2-last = Bayly | editor2-first = C. A.
| editor3-last = Richards | editor3-first = John F.
| publisher = ] | location = Cambridge
| chapter-url = https://archive.org/details/sikhsofpunjab0000grew/page/6/mode/2up
| url = https://archive.org/details/sikhsofpunjab0000grew | url-access = limited
| date = 1998
| isbn = 978-0-521-63764-0
}}
*{{cite book| title = Comparative Religious And Philosophies: Anthropomorphlsm And Divinity
| last = Gulati | first = Mahinder N. | year = 2008
| publisher = Atlantic Publishers
| url = https://books.google.com/books?id=yivKuDmDYksC
| pages = 316–319
| isbn = 978-81-269-0902-5
}}
*{{cite book| title = History of the Sikhs: The Sikh Gurus, 1469-1708
| last = Gupta | first = Hari Ram | year = 1984
| publisher = Munshiram Manoharlal
| url = https://books.google.com/books?id=lm0wAQAAIAAJ
| isbn = 978-81-215-0276-4
}}
*{{cite web| title = Guru Nanak Sahib {{!}} Ten Gurus
| publisher = ] | location = Amritsar
| url = http://www.sgpc.net/gurus/gurunanak.asp | url-status = dead
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{{refend}}

== Further reading ==
* ]. ''Guru Nanak Dev and His Teachings''.
* {{Cite book|last1=Singh|first1=Shamsher|title=]|last2=Virdi|first2=Narendra Singh|publisher=Modern Sahit Academy|others=]|year=1969}}

== External links ==
* {{Wikiquote-inline}}

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Latest revision as of 17:08, 16 December 2024

Founder and first guru of Sikhism (1469–1539)

Guru Nanak
Mural painting of Guru Nanak from Gurdwara Baba Atal Rai19th-century mural painting from Gurdwara Baba Atal depicting Nanak
Personal life
BornNanak
15 April 1469 (Katak Pooranmashi, according to Sikh tradition)
Rāi Bhoi Kī Talvaṇḍī, Punjab, Delhi Sultanate
(present-day Nankana Sahib, Punjab, Pakistan)
Died22 September 1539 (1539-09-23) (aged 70)
Kartarpur, Mughal Empire
(present-day Punjab, Pakistan)
Resting placeGurdwara Darbar Sahib Kartarpur, Kartarpur, Punjab, Pakistan
SpouseMata Sulakhani
ChildrenSri Chand
Lakhmi Das
Parent(s)Mehta Kalu and Mata Tripta
Known for
Other namesFirst Master
Peer Balagdaan (in Afghanistan)
Nanakachryaya (in Sri Lanka)
Nanak Lama (in Tibet)
Guru Rinpoche (in Sikkim and Bhutan)
Nanak Rishi (in Nepal)
Nanak Peer (in Iraq)
Vali Hindi (in Saudi Arabia)
Nanak Vali (in Egypt)
Nanak Kadamdar (in Russia)
Baba Foosa (in China)
Signature
Religious life
ReligionSikhism
Religious career
Based inKartarpur
Period in officec. 1500–1539
SuccessorGuru Angad
Part of a series on
Sikhism
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Sikhism and other religions

Gurū Nānak (15 April 1469 – 22 September 1539; Gurmukhi: ਗੁਰੂ ਨਾਨਕ; pronunciation: [gʊɾuː naːnəkᵊ], pronunciation), also known as Bābā Nānak ('Father Nānak'), was an Indian spiritual teacher, mystic and poet, who is regarded as the founder of Sikhism and is the first of the ten Sikh Gurus.

Nanak is said to have travelled far and wide across Asia teaching people the message of Ik Onkar (ੴ, 'One God'), who dwells in every one of his creations and constitutes the eternal Truth. With this concept, he would set up a unique spiritual, social, and political platform based on equality, fraternal love, goodness, and virtue.

Nanak's words are registered in the form of 974 poetic hymns, or shabda, in the holy religious scripture of Sikhism, the Guru Granth Sahib, with some of the major prayers being the Japji Sahib (jap, 'to recite'; ji and sahib are suffixes signifying respect); the Asa di Var ('Ballad of Hope'); and the Sidh Gosht ('Discussion with the Siddhas'). It is part of Sikh religious belief that the spirit of Nanak's sanctity, divinity, and religious authority had descended upon each of the nine subsequent Gurus when the Guruship was devolved on to them. His birthday is celebrated as Guru Nanak Gurpurab, annually across India.

Biography

Birth

The Gurdwara Janam Asthan in Nankana Sahib, Pakistan, commemorates the site where Nanak is believed to have been born.
See also: Guru Nanak Gurpurab

Nanak was born on 15 April 1469 at Rāi Bhoi Dī Talvaṇḍī village (present-day Nankana Sahib, Punjab, Pakistan) in the Lahore province of the Delhi Sultanate, although according to one tradition, he was born in the Indian month of Kārtik or November, known as Kattak in Punjabi. He was born into the Khatri Punjabi clan like all of the Sikh gurus. Specifically, Guru Nanak was a Bedi Khatri.

Most janamsakhis (ਜਨਮਸਾਖੀ, 'birth stories'), or traditional biographies of Nanak, mention that he was born on the third day of the bright lunar fortnight, in the Baisakh month (April) of Samvat 1526. These include the Puratan ('traditional' or 'ancient') janamsakhi, Miharban janamsakhi, Gyan-ratanavali by Bhai Mani Singh, and the Vilayat Vali janamsakhi. Gurbilas Patashahi 6, written 1718, also attributed to Bhai Mani Singh contradicts Mani Singh’s Janamsakhi as it instead says Guru Nanak was born on the full moon of Katak. The Sikh records state that Nanak died on the 10th day of the Asauj month of Samvat 1596 (22 September 1539 CE), at the age of 70 years, 5 months, and 7 days. This further suggests that he was born in the month of Vaisakh (April), not Kattak (November).

Kattak birthdate

Birth of Guru Nanak, painting from an 1830's Janamsakhi.

In as late as 1815, during the reign of Ranjit Singh, the festival commemorating Nanak's birthday was held in April at the place of his birth, known by then as Nankana Sahib. However, the anniversary of Nanak's birth—the Gurpurab (gur + purab, 'celebration')—subsequently came to be celebrated on the full moon day of the Kattak month in November. The earliest record of such a celebration in Nankana Sahib is from 1868 CE.

There may be several reasons for the adoption of the Kattak birthdate by the Sikh community. For one, it may have been the date of Nanak's enlightenment or "spiritual birth" in 1496, as suggested by the Dabestan-e Mazaheb.

Some of the sources that support the Katak birthday incident:

The Bala Janamasakhi supports the Kattak birth tradition. It is the only Janamsakhi that does. Bhai Bala is said to have obtained Nanak's horoscope from Nanak's uncle Lalu, according to which, Nanak was born on a date corresponding to 20 October 1469 CE. However, this janamsakhi was written by Handalis—a sect of Sikhs who followed a Sikh-convert known as Handal—attempting to depict the founder as superior to Nanak. According to a superstition prevailing in contemporary northern India, a child born in the Kattak month was believed to be weak and unlucky, hence why the work states that Nanak was born in that month.

Bhai Gurdas, having written on a full-moon-day of the Kattak month several decades after Nanak's death, mentions that Nanak had "obtained omniscience" on the same day, and it was now the author's turn to "get divine light."

According to eyewitness Sikh chronicles, known as Bhatt Vahis, Guru Nanak was born on the full moon of Katak.

Gurbilas Patashahi 6 written 1718 attributed to Bhai Mani Singh says Guru Nanak was born on the full moon of Katak.

Meham Parkash written in 1776 also says Guru Nanak was born on the full moon of Katak.

Kesar Singh Chibber’s Bansavalinama Dasan Patashahia Ka meaning genealogy of the ten emperors, written in 1769, says Guru Nanak was born on the full moon of Katak as well.

Gurpurnali written in 1727 and Guru Tegh Bahadur Malwe da Safar written in 1716 both mention Guru Nanank being born on the full moon of Katak.

Nanak Chandrodaya Sanskrit Janamsakhi from 1797 and Janam Sakhi Baba Nanak by Sant Das Chibber from the 18th century both mention Guru Nanak being born on the full moon of katak.

Gurpur Parkash Granth written by Sant Ren Singh based on a granth written by Binod Singh states Guru Nanak was born on the full moon of Katak.

According to Max Arthur Macauliffe (1909), a Hindu festival held in the 19th century on Kartik Purnima in Amritsar attracted a large number of Sikhs. The Sikh community leader Giani Sant Singh did not like this, thus starting a festival at the Sikh shrine of the Golden Temple on the same day, presenting it as the birth anniversary celebration of Guru Nanak.

Macauliffe also notes that Vaisakh (March–April) already saw a number of important festivals—such as Holi, Rama Navami, and Vaisakhi—therefore people would be busy in agricultural activities after the harvest festival of Baisakhi. Therefore, holding Nanak's birth anniversary celebrations immediately after Vaisakhi would have resulted in thin attendance, and therefore, smaller donations for the Sikh shrines. On the other hand, by the Kattak full moon day, the major Hindu festival of Diwali was already over, and the peasants—who had surplus cash from crop sales—were able to donate generously.

Family and early life

Nanak's parents, father Kalyan Chand Das Bedi (commonly shortened to Mehta Kalu) and mother Mata Tripta, were both Hindu Khatris and employed as merchants. His father, in particular, was the local patwari (accountant) for crop revenue in the village of Talwandi. Nanak's paternal grandfather was named Shiv Ram Bedi and his great-grandfather was Ram Narayan Bedi.

According to Sikh traditions, the birth and early years of Nanak's life were marked with many events that demonstrated that Nanak had been blessed with divine grace. Commentaries on his life give details of his blossoming awareness from a young age. For instance, at the age of five, Nanak is said to have voiced interest in divine subjects. At age seven, his father enrolled him at the village school, as per custom. Notable lore recounts that, as a child, Nanak astonished his teacher by describing the implicit symbolism of the first letter of the alphabet, resembling the mathematical version of one, as denoting the unity or oneness of God. Other stories of his childhood refer to strange and miraculous events about Nanak, such as the one witnessed by Rai Bular, in which the sleeping child's head was shaded from the harsh sunlight by, in one account, by the stationary shadow of a tree or, in another, by a venomous cobra.

Gurdwara Darbar Sahib Kartar Pur in Narowal, Pakistan, marks the site where Guru Nanak is said to have died.

Nanaki, Nanak's only sister, was five years older than him. In 1475, she married and moved to Sultanpur. Jai Ram, Nanaki's husband, was employed at a modikhana (a storehouse for revenues collected in non-cash form), in the service of the Delhi Sultanate's Lahore governor Daulat Khan, at which Ram would help Nanak get a job. Nanak moved to Sultanpur, and started working at the modikhana around the age of 16.

As a young man, Nanak married Sulakhani, daughter of Mūl Chand (aka Mula) and Chando Raṇi. They were married on 24 September 1487, in the town of Batala, and would go on to have two sons, Sri Chand and Lakhmi Chand (or Lakhmi Das). Nanak lived in Sultanpur until c. 1500, which would be a formative time for him, as the puratan janamsakhi suggests, and in his numerous allusions to governmental structure in his hymns, most likely gained at this time.

Final years

Hindus and Muslims disputing over the final rites of Guru Nanak. 19th century fresco from Gurdwara Baba Atal, Amritsar.

Around the age of 55, Nanak settled in Kartarpur, living there until his death in September 1539. During this period, he went on short journeys to the Nath yogi centre of Achal, and the Sufi centres of Pakpattan and Multan. By the time of his death, Nanak had acquired several followers in the Punjab region, although it is hard to estimate their number based on the extant historical evidence. The followers of Nanak were called Kartārīs (meaning 'the people who belonged to the village of Kartarpur') by others.

Nanak appointed Bhai Lehna as the successor Guru, renaming him as Guru Angad, meaning "one's very own" or "part of you". Shortly after proclaiming his successor, Nanak died on 22 September 1539 in Kartarpur, at the age of 70. According to Sikh hagiography, his body was never found. When the quarreling Hindus and Muslims tugged at the sheet covering his body, they found instead a heap of flowers—and so Nanak’s simple faith would, in course of time, flower into a religion, beset by its own contradictions and customary practices.

The four Udasis and other locations visited by Guru Nanak
The abandoned Gurudwara Chowa Sahib, located near the Rohtas Fort in Pakistan, commemorates the site where Guru Nanak is popularly believed to have created a water-spring during one of his udasis.
Guru Nanak's handprint is believed to be preserved on a boulder at the Gurdwara Panja Sahib in Hasan Abdal, Pakistan.
Coin from 1747 CE depicting Guru Nanak
Coin from 1747 CE depicting Guru Nanak with his two disciples, Bhai Mardana and Bhai Bala waving a chaur (fly-whisk) as a mark of respect.

Odysseys (Udasis)

Not to be confused with Udasi, a religious sect of ascetics founded by Sri Chand, Guru Nanak's son.

During first quarter of the 16th century, Nanak went on long udasiya ('journeys') for spiritual pursuits. A verse authored by him states that he visited several places in "nau-khand" ('the nine regions of the earth'), presumably the major Hindu and Muslim pilgrimage centres.

Some modern accounts state that he visited Tibet, most of South Asia, and Arabia, starting in 1496 at age 27, when he left his family for a thirty-year period. These claims include Nanak's visit to Mount Sumeru of Indian mythology, as well as Mecca, Baghdad, Achal Batala, and Multan, where he would debate religious ideas with opposing groups. These stories became widely popular in the 19th and 20th century, and exist in many versions.

In 1508, Nanak visited the Sylhet region in Bengal. The janamsakhis suggest that Nanak visited the Ram Janmabhoomi temple in Ayodhya in 1510–11 CE.

The Baghdad inscription remains the basis of writing by Indian scholars that Guru Nanak journeyed in the Middle East, with some claiming he visited Jerusalem, Mecca, Vatican, Azerbaijan and Sudan.

Disputes

The hagiographic details are a subject of dispute, with modern scholarship questioning the details and authenticity of many claims. For example, Callewaert and Snell (1994) state that early Sikh texts do not contain such stories. From when the travel stories first appear in hagiographic accounts of Guru Nanak, centuries after his death, they continue to become more sophisticated as time goes on, with the late phase Puratan version describing four missionary journeys, which differ from the Miharban version.

Some of the stories about Guru Nanak's extensive travels first appear in the 19th-century Puratan janamsakhi, though even this version does not mention Nanak's travel to Baghdad. Such embellishments and insertion of new stories, according to Callewaert and Snell (1993), closely parallel claims of miracles by Islamic pirs found in Sufi tadhkirahs of the same era, giving reason to believe that these legends may have been written in a competition.

Another source of dispute has been the Baghdad stone, bearing an inscription in a Turkish script. Some interpret the inscription as saying Baba Nanak Fakir was there in 1511–1512; others read it as saying 1521–1522 (and that he lived in the Middle East for 11 years away from his family). Others, particularly Western scholars, argue that the stone inscription is from the 19th century and the stone is not a reliable evidence that Nanak visited Baghdad in early 16th century. Moreover, beyond the stone, no evidence or mention of his journey in the Middle East has been found in any other Middle Eastern textual or epigraphical records. Claims have been asserted of additional inscriptions, but no one has been able to locate and verify them.

Novel claims about his travels, as well as claims such as his body vanishing after his death, are also found in later versions and these are similar to the miracle stories in Sufi literature about their pirs. Other direct and indirect borrowings in the Sikh janamsakhis relating to legends around his journeys are from Hindu epics and puranas, and Buddhist Jataka stories.

Bhai Mani Singh's Janamsakhi

Posthumous biographies

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The earliest biographical sources on Nanak's life recognised today are the janamsakhis ('birth stories'), which recount the circumstances of his birth in extended detail.

Gyan-ratanavali is the janamsakhi attributed to Bhai Mani Singh, a disciple of Guru Gobind Singh who was approached by some Sikhs with a request that he should prepare an authentic account of Nanak's life. As such, it is said that Bhai Mani Singh wrote his story with the express intention of correcting heretical accounts of Nanak.

One popular janamsakhi was allegedly written by Bhai Bala, a close companion of Nanak. However, the writing style and language employed have left scholars, such as Max Arthur Macauliffe, certain that they were composed after his death. According to such scholars, there are good reasons to doubt the claim that the author was a close companion of Guru Nanak and accompanied him on many of his travels.

Bhai Gurdas, a scribe of the Guru Granth Sahib, also wrote about Nanak's life in his vars ('odes'), which were compiled some time after Nanak's life, though are less detailed than the janamsakhis.

Teachings and legacy

Fresco of Guru Nanak from Baoli Sahib, Goindwal

Nanak's teachings can be found in the Sikh scripture Guru Granth Sahib, as a collection of verses recorded in Gurmukhi.

There are three competing theories on Nanak's teachings. The first, according to Cole and Sambhi (1995, 1997), based on the hagiographical Janamsakhis, states that Nanak's teachings and Sikhism were revelations from God, and not a social protest movement, nor an attempt to reconcile Hinduism and Islam in the 15th century.

The second theory states that Nanak was a Guru, not a prophet. According to Singha (2009):

Sikhism does not subscribe to the theory of incarnation or the concept of prophet hood. But it has a pivotal concept of Guru. He is not an incarnation of God, not even a prophet. He is an illumined soul.

The third theory is that Guru Nanak is the incarnation of God. This has been supported by many Sikhs including Bhai Gurdas, Bhai Vir Singh, Santhok Singh and is supported by the Guru Granth Sahib. Bhai Gurdas says:

ਗੁਰ ਪਰਮੇਸਰੁ ਇਕੁ ਹੈ ਸਚਾ ਸਾਹੁ ਜਗਤੁ ਵਣਜਾਰਾ।

The Guru and God are one; He is the true master and the whole world craves for Him.

Additionally, in the Guru Granth Sahib, it is stated:

ਨਾਨਕ ਸੇਵਾ ਕਰਹੁ ਹਰਿ ਗੁਰ ਸਫਲ ਦਰਸਨ ਕੀ ਫਿਰਿ ਲੇਖਾ ਮੰਗੈ ਨ ਕੋਈ ॥੨॥

O Nanak, serve the Guru, the Lord Incarnate; the Blessed Vision of His Darshan is profitable, and in the end, you shall not be called to account. ||2||

Guru Ram Das says:

ਗੁਰ ਗੋਵਿੰਦੁ ਗੋੁਵਿੰਦੁ ਗੁਰੂ ਹੈ ਨਾਨਕ ਭੇਦੁ ਨ ਭਾਈ ॥੪॥੧॥੮॥

The Guru is God, and God is the Guru, O Nanak; there is no difference between the two, O Siblings of Destiny. ||4||1||8||

The hagiographical Janamsakhis were not written by Nanak, but by later followers without regard for historical accuracy, containing numerous legends and myths created to show respect for Nanak. In Sikhism, the term revelation, as Cole and Sambhi clarify, is not limited to the teachings of Nanak. Rather, they include all Sikh Gurus, as well as the words of men and women from Nanak's past, present, and future, who possess divine knowledge intuitively through meditation. The Sikh revelations include the words of non-Sikh bhagats (Hindu & Muslim devotees), some who lived and died before the birth of Nanak, and whose teachings are part of the Sikh scriptures.

The Adi Granth and successive Sikh Gurus repeatedly emphasised, suggests Mandair (2013), that Sikhism is "not about hearing voices from God, but it is about changing the nature of the human mind, and anyone can achieve direct experience and spiritual perfection at any time." Nanak emphasised that all human beings can have direct access to God without rituals or priests.

The concept of man as elaborated by Nanak, states Mandair (2009), refines and negates the "monotheistic concept of self/God," where "monotheism becomes almost redundant in the movement and crossings of love." The goal of man, taught the Sikh Gurus, is to end all dualities of "self and other, I and not-I," attaining the "attendant balance of separation-fusion, self-other, action-inaction, attachment-detachment, in the course of daily life."

Nanak, and other Sikh Gurus emphasised bhakti ('love', 'devotion', or 'worship'), and taught that the spiritual life and secular householder life are intertwined. In the Sikh perspective, the everyday world is part of an infinite reality, where increased spiritual awareness leads to increased and vibrant participation in the everyday world. Nanak described living an "active, creative, and practical life" of "truthfulness, fidelity, self-control and purity" as being higher than the metaphysical truth.

Through popular tradition, Nanak's teaching is understood to be practised in three ways:

  • Vand Shhako (ਵੰਡ ਛਕੋ, 'share & consume'): Share with others, help those who are in need, so you may eat together;
  • Kirat Karo ('work honestly'): Earn an honest living, without exploitation or fraud; and
  • Naam Japo (ਨਾਮ ਜਪੋ, 'recite His name'): Meditate on God's name, so to feel His presence and control the five thieves of the human personality.

Legacy

Nanak is the founder of Sikhism. The fundamental beliefs of Sikhism, articulated in the sacred scripture Guru Granth Sahib, include faith and meditation on the name of the one creator; unity of all humankind; engaging in selfless service, striving for social justice for the benefit and prosperity of all; and honest conduct and livelihood while living a householder's life.

The Guru Granth Sahib is worshipped as the supreme authority of Sikhism and is considered the final and perpetual guru of Sikhism. As the first guru of Sikhism, Nanak contributed a total of 974 hymns to the book.

Influences

Miniature painting of Guru Nanak listening to musicians, circa 1680

Many Sikhs believe that Nanak's message was divinely revealed, as his own words in Guru Granth Sahib state that his teachings are as he has received them from the Creator Himself. The critical event of his life in Sultanpur, in which he returned after three days with enlightenment, also supports this belief.

Many modern historians give weight to his teachings' linkage with the pre-existing bhakti, sant, and wali of Hindu/Islamic tradition. Scholars state that in its origins, Nanak and Sikhism were influenced by the nirguni ('formless God') tradition of the Bhakti movement in medieval India. However, some historians do not see evidence of Sikhism as simply an extension of the Bhakti movement. Sikhism, for instance, disagreed with some views of Bhakti saints Kabir and Ravidas.

The roots of the Sikh tradition are perhaps in the sant-tradition of India whose ideology grew to become the Bhakti tradition. Fenech (2014) suggests that:

Indic mythology permeates the Sikh sacred canon, the Guru Granth Sahib and the secondary canon, the Dasam Granth and adds delicate nuance and substance to the sacred symbolic universe of the Sikhs of today and of their past ancestors.

In the Bahá'í Faith

See also: Baháʼí Faith in India

In a letter, dated 27 October 1985, to the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of India, the Universal House of Justice stated that Nanak was endowed with a "saintly character" and that he was:

...inspired to reconcile the religions of Hinduism and Islám, the followers of which religions had been in violent conflict.... The Bahá'ís thus view Guru Nanak as a 'saint of the highest order'.

In Hinduism

Mural of Guru Nanak from a Hindu temple in Jammu

Nanak is highly influential amongst Punjabi Hindus and Sindhi Hindus, the majority of whom follow Nanakpanthi teachings.

In Tibetan Buddhism and Bon

Trilochan Singh claims that, for centuries, Tibetans have been making pilgrimages to the Golden Temple shrine in Amritsar to pay homage to Guru Nanak's memory. However, Tibetans seem to have confused Nanak with the visit of Padmasambhava centuries earlier, and have superimposed details of Padmasambhava onto Nanak out of reverence (believing the essence of both figures is one and the same) or mistaken chronology. According to Tibetan scholar Tarthang Tulku, many Tibetans believe Guru Nanak was an incarnation of Padmasambhava. Both Buddhist and Bon Tibetans made pilgrimages to the Golden Temple in Amritsar, however they revered the site for different reasons.

Between 1930 and 1935, the Tibetan spiritual leader, Khyungtrül Rinpoche (Khyung-sprul Rinpoche), travelled to India for a second time, visiting the Golden Temple in Amritsar during this visit. Whilst visiting Amritsar in 1930 or 1931, Khyung-sprul and his Tibetan entourage walked around the Golden Temple while making offerings. Khyung-sprul referred to the Golden Temple as "Guru Nanak's Palace" (Tibetan: Guru Na-nig-gi pho-brang). Khyung-sprul returned to the Golden Temple in Amritsar for another time during his third and final visit to India in 1948.

Several years later after the 1930–31 visit of Khyung-sprul, a Tibetan Bonpo monk by the name of Kyangtsün Sherab Namgyel (rKyang-btsun Shes-rab-rnam rgyal) visited the Golden Temple at Amritsar and offered the following description:

"Their principal gshen is the Subduing gshen with the 'bird-horns'. His secret name is Guru Nanak. His teachings were the Bon of Relative and Absolute Truth. He holds in his hand the Sword of Wisdom . . . At this holy place the oceanic assembly of the tutelary gods and buddhas . . . gather like clouds"

— Kyangtsün Sherab Namgyel

In Islam

Ahmadiyya

19th century painting depicting Guru Nanak wearing a chola (robe) with Perso-Arabic inscriptions

The Ahmadiyya Muslim Community consider Guru Nanak to have been a Muslim saint and that Sikhism derived from Sufism. They believe Guru Nanak sought to educate Muslims about the "real teachings" of Islam. Writing in 1895, Mirza Ghulam Ahmad defended Nanak from the accusations that had been made by the Arya Samajist Dayananda Saraswati, and asserted that Nanak was a Muslim. According to Abdul Jaleel, Nanak being a Muslim is supported by a chola inscribed with Quranic verses that is attributed to having been belonging to him.

In popular culture

Places visited

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Janamsakhi manuscript painting with the caption "Guru Nanak in Mecca - 'Turn my feet in the direction where God is not.' "

See also

Notes

  1. Macauliffe (1909) notes that, according to the janamsakhi of Mani Singh, Nanak was married at the age of 14, not 18. "It is related in the Janamsakhi which bears the name of Mani Singh, that Nanak was married at the age of fourteen" (p. 18) Subsequent janamsakhis, however, claim that Nanak was married later, after he moved to Sultanpur (p. 29).
  2. "He was betrothed to Sulakhani, daughter of Mula, a resident of Batala in the present district of Gurdaspur." (Macauliffe 1909, p.19).
  3. "As a young man Nanak was married to Sulakhni, a daughter of Mula, a native of the newly founded town of Batala who had come there from his village, Pakho dī Randhawi, on the left bank of the river Ravi. Mula belonged to the subcaste Chona which was less important than even the subcaste Bedi.". (Grewal 1998, p. 6)
  4. Trumpp (1877) transliterates the names of Nanak's children from the Colebrooke janamsakhi as "Sirī-čand" and "Lakhmī-dās", rather than "Lakhmī-čand" (pp. iii, viii). Macauliffe (1909, p. 29) also gives their names as Sri Chand and Lakhmi Das.
  5. "In its earliest stage Sikhism was clearly a movement within the Hindu tradition; Nanak was raised a Hindu and eventually belonged to the Sant tradition of northern India." (McLeod 2019)
  6. "Historically, Sikh religion derives from this nirguni current of bhakti religion." (Lorenzen 1995, pp. 1–2)
  7. "Technically this would place the Sikh community's origins at a much further remove than 1469, perhaps to the dawning of the Sant movement, which possesses clear affinities to Guru Nanak's thought sometime in the tenth century. The predominant ideology of the Sant parampara in turn corresponds in many respects to the much wider devotional Bhakti tradition in northern India." (Fenech 2014, p. 35)
  8. "Few Sikhs would mention these Indic texts and ideologies in the same breadth as the Sikh tradition, let alone trace elements of their tradition to this chronological and ideological point, despite the fact that the Indic mythology permeates the Sikh sacred canon, the Guru Granth Sahib and the secondary canon, the Dasam Granth, and adds delicate nuance and substance to the sacred symbolic universe of the Sikhs of today and of their past ancestors." (Fenech 2014, p. 36)
  1. Various appellations are connected to Nanak's father, some of them are: 'Mehta Kalu', 'Kalu Rai', 'Kalu Chand', 'Kalian Rai', and 'Kalian Chand'.
  2. Padmasambhava is alternatively known as 'Guru Rinpoche'.

References

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  2. Service, Tribune News. "Booklet on Guru Nanak Dev's teachings released". Tribuneindia News Service. Rare is a saint who has travelled and preached as widely as Guru Nanak Dev. He was known as Nanakachraya in Sri Lanka, Nanak Lama in Tibet, Guru Rimpochea in Sikkim, Nanak Rishi in Nepal, Nanak Peer in Baghdad, Wali Hind in Mecca, Nanak Vali in Misar, Nanak Kadamdar in Russia, Baba Nanak in Iraq, Peer Balagdaan in Mazahar Sharif and Baba Foosa in China, said Dr S S Sibia, director of Sibia Medical Centre.
  3. Baker, Janet (2 October 2019). "Guru Nanak: 550th birth anniversary of Sikhism's founder: Phoenix Art Museum, The Khanuja Family Sikh Art Gallery, 17 August 2019–29 March 2020". Sikh Formations. 15 (3–4): 499. doi:10.1080/17448727.2019.1685641. S2CID 210494526.
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Bibliography

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Preceded by— Sikh Guru
20 August 1507 – 7 September 1539
Succeeded byGuru Angad
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