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Revision as of 04:06, 25 November 2007
| Guru Nanak Dev | |
|---|---|
| File:Guru nanak.jpg Guru Nanak Dev | |
| Personal life | |
| Other names | Template:Lang-pa Gurū Nānak Dēv (by Sikh & Hindu Worshippers) Baba Nanak (by Muslim Worshippers) Nanak Shah (by Muslim Worshippers) |
| Religious life | |
| Religion | Sikhism |
| Religious career | |
| Post | Guru |
| Period in office | 1499 - 1539 |
| Successor | Guru Angad Dev 2 of the Eleven Gurus of Sikhism |
Guru Nanak Dev (Template:Lang-pa, Gurū Nānak Dēv) (Born in Nankana Sahib, Punjab, (now Pakistan) on 20th October 1469 – 7 May 1539, Kartarpur, Punjab, India), was the founder of Sikhism, and the first of the ten Sikh Gurus.
Beside followers of Sikhism, Guru Nanak Dev is revered by Hindus and Muslim Sufis across the Indian subcontinent. His primary message to society was recorded to be "devotion of thought and excellence of conduct as the first of duties".
Stories of Guru Nanak Dev Ji's life
The stories of Guru Nanak's life are collected in writings known as the 'Janamsākhīs'. The most popular Janamsākhī purports to have been written by Bhai Bala a close companion, before Nanak died. However, the writing style and language employed have left scholars such as Max Arthur Macauliffe certain that they were composed after his death.
Bhai Gurdas, the scribe of the Gurū Granth Sāhib, also wrote about Nanak's life in his vārs. However, these too were compiled after Guru Nanak's demise, and are less detailed than the Janamsākhīs. Sikhs tend to hold Gurdas's accounts in higher esteem because of the author's generally perceived trustworthiness.
Guru Nanak was born on 20 October 1469 in a Hindu family of the Bedi Khatri clan, in the village of Rāi Bhōi dī Talvaṇḍī, now called Nankana Sahib (after the Guru), near Lahore, Pakistan. Today, his birth place is marked by Gurdwara Janam Asthan. His father, Mehta Kalyan Das Bedi, also known as Mehta Kalu, was the patwari (accountant) of crop revenue for the village of Talwandi under the Muslim landlord of the village, Rai Bular, who was responsible for collecting taxes. Guru Nanak's mother was Tripta Devi and he had one older sister, Nanaki.
The Janamsākhīs recount in minute detail all the circumstances of the birth of the guru. They claim that at his birth, an astrologer who came to write his horoscope insisted on seeing the child. On seeing the infant, he is said to have worshipped him with clasped hands. The astrologer then remarked that he regretted that he should never live to see young Guru Nanak's eminence, worshipped as he should be, not only by Sikhs, but Hindus and Muslims as well.
At the age of five years Nanak is said to have begun to discuss spiritual and divine subjects. At age seven, his father Mehta Kalu enrolled him at the village school. Nanak left school early after he had shown his scholastic proficiency. He then took to private study and meditation.
All the Janamsākhīs are unanimous in stating that Nanak courted the retirement of the local forest and the society of the religious men who frequented it. Several of them were profoundly versed in the Indian religious literature of the age. They had also travelled far and wide within the limits of ancient India, and met its renowned religious teachers. Nanak thus became acquainted with the latest teachings of Indian philosophers and reformers.
Epiphany
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. 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 Bengal and Assam, the second south towards Ceylon via Tamil Nadu, the third north towards Kashmir, Ladakh and Tibet, and the final tour west towards Baghdad and Mecca.
Sri Guru Nanak Dev ji was married to Sulakhni, the daughter of Moolchand Chona, a rice trader from the town of Batala. They had two sons. The elder son, Sri Chand, was an ascetic and he came to have a considerable following of his own, known as the Udasis. The younger son, Lakshmi Das, on the other hand was totally immersed in worldly life. To Nanak, who believed in the ideal of rāj maiṁ jōg (detachment in civic life), both his sons were unfit to carry on the Guruship.
The Three Pillars of Sikhism
It was in Sultanpur that Guru Nanak Dev formalised the three important pillars of Sikhism:
Naam Japna: Chanting God's name in a meditative manner.
Kirat Karō: Earning an honest living.
Vaṇḍ Chakkō: Sharing with others.
Other beliefs and contributions
Guru Nanak had many beliefs which were not popular at the time but are now widespread.
- Equality of Humans: When throughout the East and West Slavery and race discrimination was rife, and disrespect amongst the different classes and castes was at its peak, Nanak preached against discrimination and prejudices due to race, caste, status, etc. He said: "See the brotherhood of all mankind as the highest order of Yogis; conquer your own mind, and conquer the world." (SGGS page 6); also "There is one awareness among all created beings." (Page 24) and finally "One who recognizes the One Lord among all beings does not talk of ego. ||4||" (page 432). He urges all the peoples of the world to "conquer" their minds to these evil practises. All human beings had the light of the Lord and were the same – only by subduing one's pride and ego could one see this light in all.
- Equality of Women: In about 1499 when society offered little status or respect to women, Nanak Dev sought to elevat the position of women by spreading this message: "From woman, man is born; within woman, man is conceived; to woman he is engaged and married. Woman becomes his friend; through woman, the future generations come. When his woman dies, he seeks another woman; to woman he is bound. So why call her bad? From her, kings are born. From woman, woman is born; without woman, there would be no one at all. O Nanak, only the True Lord is without a woman." (Page 473). In so doing he promoted the equality of women in the 15th century. Nanak Dev also condemned the ritual of Sati some 300 years prior to the British doing so.
- Universal message for all People It had been a custom at the time for religious leaders to address only their own congregation, and for segregation of the different religions – but Nanak Dev broke with tradition, and spoke to all of humanity. To the Muslim he said: "And when, O Nanak, he is merciful to all beings, only then shall he be called a Muslim. ||1||" (page 141"; to the Hindu, he said "O Nanak, without the True Name, of what use is the frontal mark of the Hindus, or their sacred thread? ||1||" (page 467); and to all he preached: "To take what rightfully belongs to another is like a Muslim eating pork, or a Hindu eating beef." (Page 141).
Upon being asked which religion, Hinduism or Islam, was the true path to God, he replied that the true way to attain God was to worship Him who is eternal and contained in the whole Universe.
Folklore
According to Sikh history it says that when it became clear that the death of Guru Nanak Dev was near, a dispute arose. His Hindu followers wanted to cremate the remains while the Muslim followers wanted to bury the body following Islamic tradition. Nanak brokered a compromise by suggesting that each group should place a garland of flowers beside his body, and whoever's garland remained unwilted after three days could dispose of his body according to their tradition. However, the next morniing, upon raising the cloth under which the Guru's body lay, only the flowers shared between his followers were found. The Hindus cremated their flowers whereas the Muslims buried theirs.
Please also look at Kabir - as such is also said about the time of his death. Possibly the stories have cross pollenated from on another?
See also
Notes
- Nanak may be referred to by many names and titles such as Baba Nanak or Nanak Shah.
- Duggal, Kartar Singh (1988). Philosophy and Faith of Sikhism. Himalayan Institute Press. pp. xxii. ISBN 0-89389-109-6.
- Cunningham, Joseph Davey (2006) . History of the Sikhs. Albemarle Street. London: John Murray. p. 43. ISBN.
- Macauliffe, Max Arthur (2004) . The Sikh Religion - Its Gurus, Sacred Writings and Authors. India: Low Price Publications. pp. lxxix. ISBN 81-86142-31-2.
- Macauliffe, Max Arthur (2004) . The Sikh Religion - Its Gurus, Sacred Writings and Authors. India: Low Price Publications. p. 1. ISBN 81-86142-31-2.
The third day of the light-half of the month of Baisakh (April-May) in the year AD 1469, but, some historians believe that the Guru was born on April 15th, 1469 A.D.
. Generally thought to be the third day of Baisakh (or Vaisakh) of Vikram Samvat 1526. - Singh, Khushwant (2006). The Illustrated History of the Sikhs. India: Oxford University Press. pp. 12–13. ISBN 0-19-567747-1. Also, as according to the Purātan Janamsākhī (the birth stories of Nanak).
- Macauliffe, Max Arthur (2004) . The Sikh Religion - Its Gurus, Sacred Writings and Authors. India: Low Price Publications. p. 1. ISBN 81-86142-31-2.
- Macauliffe, Max Arthur (2004) . The Sikh Religion - Its Gurus, Sacred Writings and Authors. India: Low Price Publications. p. 2. ISBN 81-86142-31-2.
- Macauliffe, Max Arthur (2004) . The Sikh Religion - Its Gurus, Sacred Writings and Authors. India: Low Price Publications. pp. 8–9. ISBN 81-86142-31-2.
- Macauliffe, Max Arthur (2004) . The Sikh Religion - Its Gurus, Sacred Writings and Authors. India: Low Price Publications. p. 10. ISBN 81-86142-31-2.
- Shackle, Christopher (2005). Teachings of the Sikh Gurus: Selections from the Sikh Scriptures. United Kingdom: Routledge. pp. xiii–xiv. ISBN 0-415-26604-1.
{{cite book}}: Unknown parameter|coauthors=ignored (|author=suggested) (help) - Singh, Khushwant (2006). The Illustrated History of the Sikhs. India: Oxford University Press. p. 14. ISBN 0-19-567747-1.
- http://wps.prenhall.com/wps/media/objects/252/258184/im_ch11_1.pdf
External links
- Guru Nanak Dev Ji - Sikh Zone
- Eternal Glory of Sri Guru Nanak Dev Ji
- Max Arthur MacAuliff, The Sikh Religion, Vol 1, (The Life of Guru Nanak Dev Ji), Oxford University Press, 1909.
- Allaboutsikhs.com
- Sikh-History.com
- Satguru Nanak Dev Ji In Baghdad
- Satguru Nanak Dev Ji Biography
- Learn more about the founder of Sikhism, Sri Guru Nanak Dev Ji
- Biography of Satguru Nanak Dev Ji, with Pictures
- Satguru Nanak Dev Ji (for Children) - eBook
- JargSahib.com
- Sufis, Philosophers, and Nanak
- Nanak and the Sikhs
- Guru Nanak orkut graphics
- Dhan Guru Nanak!
Video
Audio
- Sikhism.com
- Guriqbal Singh (Gurdwara Mata Kaulan Amritsar Wale) - Kal Taran Guru Nanak Aya
- Surinder Singh Jodhpuri - Pekh Darshan Nanak Jeeva
- Harjinder Singh (Sri Nagar Wale) - Nanak Dukhia Sabh Sansar
- Lal Chand Yamla Jatt - Satguru Nanak Teri Leela Neyari
- OST - Nanak Naam Jahaaz Hai
- All Audio Media Related to Guru Nanak Dev Ji
