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Revision as of 17:30, 29 November 2007 by 78.149.177.133 (talk) (→Epiphany)(diff) ← Previous revision | Latest revision (diff) | Newer revision → (diff)| 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".
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. Just before he died, he placed 2 different flowers on either side of him, one representing the Sikh religion and one representing the Muslim religion, he said "the one to stay fresh until tomorrow is the true religion" Both flowers stayed fresh and the people suddenly realised the Guru had planned to show them both religions were true.
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.
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.
- 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.
External links
- 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
- Nanak and the Sikhs
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
