The Bhat Brahmins

Kashmiri Pandits and their contributions to Sikhism

The fact that the Sikh Gurus always surrounded themselves with Kashmiri Pandits has been suppressed as well as distorted by the so called 'historians' funded by the British to manipulate Sikh history. Instead, a deep contempt and hatred of Brahmins was encouraged in Punjab through various interpolations and canards spread by the British Christian missionaries. One of the main culprits is the Irish Christian missionary known as Max Arthur Macauliffe, who was funded by the British East India Company to further weaken Hindu society by establishing the Tat Khalsa Singh Sabha, the SGPC, AKJ, Nirankaris ( modern day Sikhs ) etc These prophets of doom nurtured a narrow minded puritanical Victorian ideals established by the British Raj, began to label Guru ordained Sanatan Sikhi as being false. They were financed heavily to set up their own printing presses and conversion schools, to carry out distortions of Punjab history by going as far as spreading canards that Jatt Sikhs were not of Indian or Hindu origin but were from Syria, Jordan and Greece or were Sythians - the agenda to give the notion that the Sikhs constitute one Race and Nation,and are not a part of Mother India at all. By specifically picking and choosing what should be a part of the Sikh holy scriptures, by erasing or manipulating the Banis such as the Kartarpur Banis, which are in Braj Bhasha, these stooges of the British re-wrote the Shri Adi Granth ji, renamed it the Guru Granth sahib and made it the main scripture to be followed by all Sikhs. The Tat Khalsa began to radically alter Sanatan Sikhism as it had been preached by all the Gurus, so to ensure it conformed to their new British Raj accommodating perception.
Facts ignored and distorted by Tat Khalsa & SGPC

Contempt of Brahmins was the main goal of the Jaichand stooges such as Kahn Singh of Nabha and Teja Singh Bhasuria. Myths were created about how the 9th Guru Tegh Bahadurji sacrificed his own life for some Kashmiri Brahmins who had allegedly run to him for protection. The accounts of the numbers of Kashmiri Pandits seeking protection from Guruji have been mentioned as : 500,600, 1000, 16, 25 etc with inconsistencies in the story from one sikh writer to another. But having done painstaking research on the various circumstances surrounding the beheading of Guru Tegh Bahadurji, one cannot stop taking into account the fact that guruji was initially summoned by Aurangzeb to accompany Raja Ram Singh ( commander of Mughal army ) to invade Assam in 1667. The war had continued for at least 3-4 years after which both Guruji and Ram Singh returned to Delhi defeated by the Ahom Hindu Kings. Accompanying Guru Tegh Bahadurji for the Assam mission were two other Kashmiri Pandits - Bhai Mati dass and Dayal Dass, who were brothers, but this has been conveniently ignored by the Tat Khalsa stooges. In 1675, Guru Tegh Bahadurji and the two Kashmiri Pandits were summoned by Aurangzeb and were mercilessly tortured to death. The sacrifice of the Kashmiri Pandits has been written as 'brave Sikh sacrifices' in Tat Khalsa chronicles, blatantly leaving out the facts. 

Eleven Bhats who contributed Swayyas to Shri Adi Granth were all Brahmans. There are 123 compositions in holy book. The Bhat Brahmins all originally from Kashmir, were Saraswat Brahmins, who wrote the Bhat Vahi Talauda Parganah Jind, which has the genealogy of the Gurus, in a script called Bhatakshri. These Bhats were Bhat Kalsahar, Bhat Jalap, Bhat Kirat, Bhat Bhlkha, Bhat Salya, Bhat Bhalya, Bhat Nalya, Bhat Gayana, Bhat Mathura, Bhat Harshas, and Bhat Bhalya. Of these, Bhikha Bhat was of Sultanpur Lodhi whose family had escaped the tyrannical Islamic reign in Kashmir and given initiation as a shishya by Guru Amardas at Gobindwal. He lived upto the time of Guru Arjan Dev to whom he introduced seventeen other Brahmin scholars - Santokh Singh (Sri Gur Pratap Suraj Granth), Bhai Vir (Guru Granth Kosh) and some others among the traditional scholars count 17, and Pandit Kartar Dakha puts the figure at 19.This variation in numbers is owed to the fact that the Bhats used to sing the Gurubanis in chorus of traditional Ragas taken from the Sama Veda.

The works of these intellectual Brahmins are known as Bhat Banis. According to Bhai Santokh Singh, Sri Gur Pratap Suraj Granth, `They were the Ved`as incarnate" (p. 2121).

Sikhs do not believe in CASTE - Tat Khalsa Rumour

Let us begin with all the MYTHS propagated by Tat Khalsa stooges & the popular one that we all have been following blindly for the past 60 odd years. I've spoken about the first 2 Myths - now here is the third one: 


MYTH No 3 :
Sikhs do not believe in CASTE & the Facts are :


To be honest, this is the best lie which is used for Hindu bashing. All of us Sikhs do know which 'caste' we are descended from. I fully know I am a Tarkhaan with my roots in Kshatriya ancestry, which is mentioned in the Manu Smriti. Up to my great great grandfather we were ( and are still Sanatan Hindus of heritage ) until we became Keshdhari Singhs. That is 5 generations ago. My great great grandfather did not have the middle name Singh. He was a Hindu.


Let us take a good look at all the lies that have been spread by Tat Khalsa British puppets in the last couple of centuries to divide the Hindu & Sikh brothers. Punjab caste system was initially established by the British to keep their firm grip on Punjab which is a great agricultural area serving most parts of North India. 


The word CASTE is not rooted in Hindu thought but it is a Portuguese word 'CASTO'. There used to be only four VARNAS or groups in Vedic India - Brahmins ( teachers & priests & even warriors), Kshatriyas ( warriors & ruling class ), Vaishyas ( trading class, craftsmen etc ) & Shudras ( those who lived unclean lives of hunting, consuming meat & alcohol & cremating corpses ). All of these Varnas were ensured employment & livelihood through their various skills. 


The Vedic philosophy behind this Varna system was : A human being belongs to ALL these four Varnas - He becomes a Brahmin whenever he goes to offer Pujas ( prayers ) at the temple, does Jaap & recites the sacred Name of the Supreme Being; He becomes a Kshatriya when he stands up & takes up arms against enemies of the country, to protect his family from danger, to be loyal to the King & to protect the weak;  He becomes a Vaishya when he goes into business, buying & selling, engages in building work etc and finally the human also becomes a Shudra whenever he cleans his house, forgets to recite the sacred Name of Paramatma, engages in bad repulsive behaviour, such as consuming meat, alcohol, drugs etc which is contradictory to the laws of the Vedas.


It is believed that Vedic India thrived under this great philosophy of Varna system. Shudras were constantly encouraged by the Brahmins & Khsatriyas to elevate themselves & were treated equally so to encourage them into the Vedic fold. One classic example is that of Rishi Valmiki, who was born a Shudra & was a hunter. A Brahmin Rishi pointed out to Valmiki one day that the bad Karma he was accumulating, through hunting innocent animals to feed himself as well as his family, he would never become free from the bondage of sin accumulated through his actions. The Rishi told Valmiki of how he was sinning by killing innocent souls just to feed his family, who would not be the ones answerable in their after lives & that he was making a graveyard out of his stomach. The words of the Rishi made Valmiki think deeply & he renounced all his bad karma & joined a group of Brahmin sadhus. Valmiki, though born a Shudra, became to be honoured not only by all the other 3 Varnas but also the Vedic Gods fell at his feet. Lord Rama is is said to have honoured Valmiki by giving him the Divya Dhrishti ( Divine Eye ).


The message is deeply philosophical in Vedic thought in that  it is up to a person, whether he is a Brahmin or Shudra, to elevate his thoughts, actions, speech, behaviour, dress, etiquette etc to a Spiritual level that is pleasing to  human society as well as to the Devatas. 


The story of Shabri Bheel is also another beautiful episode in the Ramayana that was composed by Valmiki. Shabri, born a tribal, yearned for her Lord Hari all her life to come in person & bless her. Rama, the incarnation of Lord Hari ( Vishnu ) not only paid the aged Shabri a visit, the Supreme Lord also fell at her feet, touching them, revering her as His mother, but also ate all the sweet berries which Shabri gave to Him after having tasted them herself to make sure they were not bitter. Shabri had lived her life as a Sadhvi in the Sangat of Brahmin Sadhus. She had ran away from her wedding where the tribals were doing mass slaughter of innocent animals to feed the guests. Angry & dismayed at the mass slaughter & sad plight of animals, Shabri Bheel refused to marry & instead renounced the material world.


Both these instances mentioned in the epic Ramayana, indicate that the tribals, lower ranks, Shudras etc were highly encouraged by Brahmin Rishis to live a spiritual life free from bad karma, conducive to Vedic society as well as in harmony with the Earth & be honoured & be equal as one of them. The choice was left up to an individual whether to remain uncivilised or to be part of the highly spiritual Vedic brotherhood.


When ManMohan Singh became the Prime Minister of India, the media was rife with stories of his background with brothers' photos & write ups about their professions etc. His surname was mentioned as Kohli which is a Hindu Kshatriya name. So this in fact means that ManMohan Singh Kohli hails from a Hindu family whose ancestors probably gave their first son to join the Khalsa panth of Sanatan Sikhi to fight against the Islamic barbarians.


The bare truth is Sikhs are more divided into caste than Hindus, though we are always told that Sikhism was created to rid Punjab of caste systems & that only Hindus practise this, But it is only a lie created by the NEO Sikhs. Nowhere do any of the Gurus mention in their banis that they are creating a new religion called Sikhism because of the Hindu caste system, or any so called 'malpractices' in Hindu Dharam. These are blatant suppression of true facts of our Puraatan Sanatan Sikh heritage by the Tat Khalsa. 

For example, a Jatt will always marry a Jatt, a Ramgarhia will always marry a Ramgarhia, a Chamar will always marry a Chamar, the other two, Jatt & Ramgarhia will never marry into each other - I have seen a Ramgarhia friend of mine thrashed badly when he asked for the hand of his Jatt girlfriend from her father & brothers - these two groups will never marry into Chamars either. Further, the Naamdharis will never marry Jatts nor the Ramgarhias - then we have the Aroras, Khatri, Saini, Mohyal ( Brahmins Sikhs), Chibber ( Brahmin Sikhs), Bhatias, Kamboh,Mahton, Kalal, Ahluvaliyas, Soniyares & Chchimbas to mention a few. Of all these, the Jatts form the majority in terms of numbers in Sikh society with agriculture as their signature trade. Illiterate & mostly farmers from the beginning, Jatts had been given a special recognition by the British satans who brainwashed them into believing that the Jatt 'race' comes from Greece & that they were outsiders, ensuring that Jatts will forever be loyal puppets of the British Raj. Though now, they are educated & hold various professions, the politics of Punjab & the running of all Sikh institutions have gone to Jatts, since the time of the British. This also includes the Tat Khalsa, SGPC & Akaal Takht.  Jatts form 68% of Sikh society today. 

Brahmin Sikhs - believed to have originated from Gandhaar( Afghanistan) as well as Kashmir & also from Punjab region, are today found in rural Punjab. They are cooks, farmers & shop keepers. During the Islamic invasions of Afghanistan, Kashmir & Punjab, the Brahmins had been forced into giving up their livelihoods as priests & teachers. All landmark ancient Hindu temples had been destroyed by the Islamic Maleshas & Punjab was targeted for a campaign of loot, arson, desecration, plunder & rape of Hindu sacred places & of Hindu women - the Brahmins were the most highly persecuted. With no Hindu temples left in Punjab, the Brahmins almost were forced to stop Vedic rituals, which was blasphemy for the Islamic tyrants & the Hindus of Punjab were under warnings not to continue with Vedic worship. If caught, the repercussions were death through torturous means. 

Mohyal Brahmins are a warrior class of Brahmins who are also traditionally teachers or Gurus & priests & all our Gurus maintained their company throughout for guidance & education. Famous Brahmins who were martyred for Punjab & along side of Gurus were : Bhai Mati Das, Bhai Sati Das, Bhai Dayal Das, Bhai Chaupa, Bhai Buddh, Bhai Birham, Bhai Kripa Ram Dutt ( teacher to Guru Gobind Singhji & Khalsa warrior ) etc. Many had served as Brahmins under all our Gurus - especially during the building of Sri HariMandirji where the Praan Pratishtha ( sacred ceremony ) of laying the foundation stone & sanctum was done by the Brahmins of Punjab.  Many Brahmins served inside the Langar house at Amritsar. The Brahmins helped the Gurus to compile the entire Sri Adi Granthji & gave the entire works of the Guru 31 or so different Shastriya Ragas to be sung in. It is a well known fact that these Bhatts played a major role during the formation of a different form of Hindu Dharma known as  Nirguna Bhakti ( Vedic philosophy of where the Supreme Being can be worshipped formless ) giving Sanatan Sikhi its birth on Punjab soil. Since Hindus were banned from worshipping at Hindu temples which were already demolished in their thousands by the Malesha Muslims, the Nirguna Niraakar form of Vedic worship where no temple was required, nor any Murtis of Vedic Gods were required, but only the Naam Simran was the predominant way of worship. 

This Nirgun Niraakar philosophy was nothing new during the time of our Gurus, but goes back to 5,000 BC, in the time of the great Saint from Kerala - Adi Shankaracharya - who composed many scriptures honouring Lord Shiva as the Formless Niraakar Akaal Purusha ( sanskrit  for the Formless, Timeless Supreme Being ). The Upanishads, compiled millions of years prior to our Gurus,  too claim the Supreme Being as Niraakar ( formless), Nirbhaya ( fearless) , Ajam ( birthless) etc. 

Guru Nanak Dev ji having witnessed himself the barbaric rape of Punjab & its Hindus by the Malesha Babur, saw the sad plight of an otherwise progressive Hindu society, whose ancient traditions & heritage were being destroyed by the outsiders. By surrounding himself constantly with great Sadhus, Guruji realised that the Advaita philosophy of worshipping Paramatma was the only way out of keeping Vedic traditions from being destroyed & therefore kept Sanatan Dharam alive in the hearts of the oppressed Hindus.The continuous Islamic invasions into India had actually caused an upheaval of Hindu society & several sub-castes came about due to the imbalance caused by Islam. So, instead of the original four Varnas of Hindu society, India had thousands of sub-tribes & 'castes' as a result of Islamic tyranny.


Tat Khalsa Myth : 'Guru NanakDevji eradicated the Hindu Caste system'.


Well this is absolutely for the gullible & ridiculous. Though Nanak Devji longed to unite all the Hindus of Punjab at a time of great scale of genocides being carried out by Babur & his Islamic tyrants, it is a fact that ALL the Guru Sahibaans themselves kept to their own 'Castes' & married within their own Varnas. NanakDevji's message was more to do with One human brotherhood on Earth - similar to the ancient Hindu belief of 'Sarva Dharma Sama Bhava' : All beliefs are One & 'Vasudaiva Kutumbakam' : Entire Cosmos is One family. The concept originates in the Maha Upanishad (Chapter 6, Verse 72):

” अयं बन्धुरयं नेति गणना लघुचेतसां उदारचरितानां तु वसुधैव कुटुम्बकं ”
ayam bandhurayam neti ganana laghuchetasam udaracharitanam tu vasudhaiva kutumbakam

Only small men discriminate saying: One is a relative; the other is a stranger. For those who live magnanimously the entire world constitutes but a family.

So according to NanakDevji, he was only reminding the downtrodden Hindus of Punjab of this ancient Upanishadic philosophy while at the same time appeasing the Islamic tyrants, hoping to bring the message of peace as well as unity - something that unfortunately did not work when dealing with the fascist ideology of Islam. But at the same time, the Neo-Sikhs fail to comprehend the message of Guru NanakDevji & instead in their eagerness to break away from the Hindu system of Varna, they are quick to overlook the fact that whatever Guruji mentioned about the oneness of creation on Earth, the whole concept is in fact an ancient Hindu one.


Today, on Baisakhi Day, in 1699, Guru Gobind Singhji initiated the five Hindus who were from different 'castes' to form the Brotherhood of Khalsa - to bring unity of Hindu society, which he was also a part of & he gave them the name 'Paanch Piyaare' - the chosen 5. Guruji wanted unity within all the Varnas, regions & wanted equality, so to make a uniting force against the Islamic tyrants & throw them out of Punjab as well as India. His was a noble thought which had its roots in Vedic philosophy where all humans were equal. Though today, Sikhs fail to follow Guruji's words & are even more divided than before.

Copyright©Arjan Singh Virdi 2012

Baisakhi Divas

Baisakhi de Is Paawan Purv diyan sabhi nu Hardeek Badhaiyaan!

WaheGuru Ji Ka Khalsa
WaheGuru Ji Ki Fateh

Copyright©ArjanSinghVirdi 2012

Sanatan Hindu Gurus of Sikhism

      Guru Nanak Devji - His Life in Brief


Guru Nanakji sporting a Chandan Tilak -Circa 1800



ਗੁਰਮੁਖਿ ਨਾਦੰ ਗੁਰਮੁਖਿ ਵੇਦੰ ਗੁਰਮੁਖਿ ਰਹਿਆ ਸਮਾਈ ॥ गुरमुखि नादं गुरमुखि वेदं गुरमुखि रहिआ समाई ॥ Gurmukh nāḏaʼn gurmukh veḏaʼn gurmukh rahi▫ā samā▫ī. The Guru's Word is the Sound-current of the Naad; the Guru's Word is the Wisdom of the Vedas; the Guru's Word is all-pervading.

 ਗੁਰੁ ਈਸਰੁ ਗੁਰੁ ਗੋਰਖੁ ਬਰਮਾ ਗੁਰੁ ਪਾਰਬਤੀ ਮਾਈ ॥
गुरु ईसरु गुरु गोरखु बरमा गुरु पारबती माई ॥
Gur īsar gur gorakẖ barmā gur pārbaṯī mā▫ī.
The Guru is Shiva, the Guru is Vishnu and Brahma; the Guru is Paarvati and Lakhshmi.

Historic portrait of Guru Nanak Devji with red tilak, with Brahmin yogis
Circa:1600



The first Guru Shri Guru Nanak Devji was born in April 1469 in Rae Bhoi di Talwandi, now known as Nankana Sahib in Pakistan, during the time of the Lodi Empire. His parents were Kalyan Das Mehta & Mata Tripta Deviji, who were Hindus belonging to the Vedic Brahmin varna [caste]. Guruji also had an elder sister Devi Nanaki, who was 5 years older than Guruji. Nanak Devji mastered the Vedas and the sacred language of Sanskrit under prominent Brahmin teachers of the time. He even studied Persian under Kashmiri Pandit teachers later on during his lifetime.





                                                                                                                  Janam Sakhis & Myths
                                                        
                                                                                        


Nanak Devji & Brahmin priests

 Now a lot has been misinterpreted about Guru Nanak Devji's earlier life which has been written in the form of a collection of books known as Janam Sakhis which are short narratives of his birth & life. Janam Sakhis meaning 'Birth evidence/ stories'.The first set of Janam Sakhis was put into written form a hundred years after Guru Nanakji's death & cannot be considered as totally accurate since they were re-edited shamelessly by the Tat Khalsa to take out that which they disagreed with & whatever pleased them was re-written.The Sakhi tradition had existed & based an oral traditions which may have started during Nanakji's lifetime. These have changed over time as they passed from one person to another. Most of its content was put into written form during the 17th century upto the end of the 18th century, one transformed into the Puraatan Janam Sakhis (orthodox) while the other heterodox Janam Sakhis came into view upto the early 19th century. Many are full of mythological stories of miracles performed by Nanak Devji, such as the one found in Mirharban Janam Sakhi, of his travel to Mecca where he moves the mirhab or stone with his feet, which hardly lets one understand as to when he went to Mecca & for how long.

                                                  Guru Nanak Devji born a Brahmin

While some authors/ scholars of the Singh Sabha have mentioned his father's name as Kalu Mehta Bedi, others have mentioned his name as Mehta Kalu Sodhi, exposing the amount of inconsistencies to distort the truth about the fact that Guru Nanak Devji was indeed born a Brahmin. The controversy about Nanak Devji's rejection of the Janeu or sacred thread of Brahmins, again there are discrepancies & plenty of inconsistencies. One story mentions how the Guru's father had arranged for the family priest Haridayal Purohit to initiate a 9 yr old Nanak Devji into wearing the sacred thread when the latter rejected the thread by throwing it at the priest, therefore causing great anger to the priest, while W.H. McLeod claims :

  

Later, when Babaji turned seven, all preparations had been made by his father & Sloka :
 

(From the) cotton (of) compassion (spin the) thread (of) tranquillity, knotting (it with) continence (and) twisting (it with) truth.

Babaji was bathed and robed, and (then the priest) invested (him) with the sacred thread. (As he did so) Babaji said (to him), "O Brahman, give me that indestructible sacred thread which never breaks and which retains its purity both in this world and the next." Then Babaji recited a Sloka:

If this is the thread which you have, O pandit, then bestow it (upon me).

(Such a thread) neither breaks nor becomes soiled ; neither burns nor goes astray.

Blessed is the man, O Nanak, upon whose neck (this spiritual thread) is laid.

The priest was speechless with delight. "Kalu," he cried, "your son is a mighty ascetic, the solace of the afflicted!



Historic portrait of Nanak Dev receiving Janeu -Circa :1600

Now all this seems absolutely confusing since different versions of the Janamsakhis narated by different authors, contain various accounts of this controversy. But the so called 'rejection' of the sacred thread by a 7yr old or 9 yr old Nanak Devji belonging to a Khatri or Jatt family has actually been used throughout as a stick for Hindu bashing of the highest level in the history of India. One minute the family priest is angry at Nanakji & the next he is delighted & speechless. So why so many contradictions to something that Nanakji may have or may NOT have said?

Looking closely at the Sloka sung by Guruji, it has a great philosophical meaning which has been mostly manipulated to make it appear as a rejection rather than an acception of the spiritual kind. Nowhere in the Sloka does Nanakji mention to the family priest to stop with the ceremony but instead Guruji is requesting the Purohit gives him a sacred thread in the form of deep spiritual enlightenment that can never be broken nor tarnished - one that will remain forever in life as well as in the world after i.e. spiritual enlightenment that will transpass the material worlds of life & death. In an atmosphere when Brahmins were highly persecuted by the Muslim rulers, their sacred threads burnt by them, it would seem more sensible to assume that what Nanakji actually could have been referring to here is that a Janeu which can never be destroyed by the Maleshas [filthy barbarians] and one that would stay with him in this life as well as the next. So it is possible that NanakDevji indeed wore the Janeu. It also appears that this particular episode has been added in to further the anti Brahmin stance of neo Sikhs & a way forward to ridicule all Hindu practices which are millions of years older than even Guru Nanakji himself. So as a matter of arguement, Nanakji at the age of 7yrs would be ignorant of the ancient ways of Dharma & how on Earth can anyone believe how a 7yr old child would be in a position to ridicule this ancient sacred philosophy is truly beyond me. But to the more grown up neo Sikhs it is acceptable just because it represents their anti Hindu cause which I believe actually exposes them & their discrepancies in re-writing history by suppressing facts at the same time.

                                                  
                                             Twisting of facts by Neo Sikhs

Neo Sikhs led by Kahn Singh Nabha & Macauliffe, have used this particular Sloka of Guruji & turned it into some type of anti Brahmin statement & given a handy tool to the Sikhs to outwardly reject Hindu spiritual concepts just because according to them 'Nanakji rejected everything that was sacred to the Hindus'. Again they forgot that while twisting the facts of Nanak Devji who was a Brahmin boy at the time, they have painted a very arrogant child who takes great joy in insulting the family purohit who is many years wiser than him & his elder. In those days it was unheard of to insult one's parents & elders. This episode makes it difficult for one to understand how a 'great soul & saint' like Nanak Devji was indeed an arrogant & ill mannered 7yr/ 9 yr old child who lacked respect for his teachers & gurus. After all he required the help of these very Brahmin gurus to teach him the spiritual Dharmic values which he later on would promote in his life as well as his Banis.


                     'I am Not a Hindu - Not a Muslim' but did Nanakji say ' I am a Sikh'?

This is usually pushed in front of most of us who believe that we belong to our original Sanatan Hindu Sikh heritage when confronting the Talibani neo Sikhs. They love this particular incident in Guruji's life, which is

A disciple of Guru Nanak Dev : 1800

an episode of a Janam Sakhi & one I want to refer to is well known to all of us. The editor of Puraatan Janam Sakhi has named this incident Vehin Parves. According to this Sakhi, after his spiritual experience for some days Guru Nanakji had disappeared into a lake while bathing & doing his prayers, similar to the Brahmin yogis,but then finally on one day, he emerged & declared the essence of his new experiences in these words:
Jo Na Koi hindu hai, Na Koi Mussalman,
verily meaning: 'There is no Hindu nor Muslim'.  What he actually meant was :
Do not compare/label your material body with your religion, You are the Self & Soul only which is not affected by the colours of race nor creed.

It is in confines of the Vedic philosophy of Bhagavad Gita where Krishna says to Arjuna not to grieve nor identify with the material body but it is the soul which is free from all such bondages of 'Aham' or ego.This simple phrase which is at the same time highly spiritual has become twisted around to be magnified by neo-Sikhs in an attempt to declare the Guru as having said
' I am not a Hindu, nor a Musim' - giving a colour of rejection for Sanatan Hindu Sikh Dharma in order to support their separatist agendas. Had that been the case, then Guru Nanakji would have added : But I am a Sikh only! If he did say that, then it is certainly not found within any of his writings.Neo Sikhs always use this incident as an arguement when portraying a different image of our Gurus & Sikhism through twisting words & Banis of the Gurus. They have succeeded in conspiring & twisting the fact that the whole identity business of dividing mankind into Hindus/Muslims is actually a spiritual message of the Upanishads where the trap of human identity is rejected & is originally a Hindu one in the first place, which can be found severally in various Sanatan Dharmic scriptures.

                          Guru Nanak's message & Vedic philosophy

'I will not pray to Idols & will not say the Muslim prayer' is another favourite of Talibani Sikhs of today when quoting the Gurus. Well let us go deeper into this : For Hindus there are 2 forms of Vedic philosophies where one suggests it is NOT important & a must to worship idols; in other words the Nirguna Nirankar form of Paramatma is worshipped while the other Vedantic thought allows idol worship or murti puja to fix the mind on a subtle form basically representing Symbolism. Whilst it is a MUST to pray 5 times for Muslims, this statement is actually anti Islamic rather than anti Hindu.

Nanak Devji was a mystic & saint who didn't differentiate between different types of people & aimed at creating a spiritual movement for the unity of Mankind. Again, as it is a well known fact that most of Guru Nanakji’s life was spent on travels known as Udasi. It is during these Udasi one finds in real sense ‘dialogue in action’ where he visited many ashrams of Hindu saints from North to South India. He merely expressed himself through poetry to enlighten those around him on spiritual realisation through Jaap & Simran, a concept which had begun earlier than his birth during the Bhakti movement from South India spreading into the North. His thoughts were strongly influenced by the Hindu concept of Sant & Nirguna tradition of North India, though some neo Sikhs like to include the Sufi traditions also. The Sant traditions were a combination of pure Vaishnava philosophies which provided the basis of Guruji's thoughts, such as Karma, Dharma, Kaam, Lobh, Moha,Maya, Moksh, Bhakti & rebirth of the soul - all are Vedic concepts to be found within Sanatan Sikhi traditions. Jaap of name as well as Simran is mentioned in several chapters under Kaliyug in Veda Vyas' Shrimad Bhagavatam which Nanakji also took up to remind his people of the sage's message to counter the evils of Kaliyug. Everything which is found in Sikhism is actually sourced out from all Hindu scriptures.

Guru Nanakji makes specific references to Lord Rama and wrote several hymns about Lord Krishna. All throughout the Granth, praises are specifically addressed to the avatars of Vishnu, particularly to Rama and Krishna. A very interesting observation of the literature is the occurence and reference to the name "Bithal", which is found throughout the Adi Granth. Bithal is the Punjabi version of the Marathi name "Vithal" which is another name for Lord Krishna. Hardyal Singh M.A., a famous Punjabi revolutionary during the time of the British Raj, said that "if you were to remove every page that contained the name of Bithal or Ram from the Granth, you will be left with nothing more than a few pages and the book case." Shri Adi Granth clearly states that Bithal is the Lord.


Below: Shri Adi Granth sloka which is similar to the Sloka taken from the Bhagavad Gita where Krishna tells Arjun in the 15th Chapter, verses 1 & 2 the secrets of the Peepal Tree whose branches are below while roots face upwards:

This Tree has its roots above, and its branches below; the four Vedas
are attached to it. He alone realizes this tree with ease, O Nanak, who
remains awake in the Love of the Supreme Being ||2||. This Tree of the
Divine is inside me; in it are the flowers, leaves, elements, and branches.
Meditate on the self-existent, Pure Being, whose Light is pervading
everywhere; renounce all your worldly entanglements (Shri Guru Granthji 503)
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                                  Vedic Gods of Shri Adi Granth

Neo-sikhs also argue that Guru Nanak Devji didn't worship Hindu Gods & make us believe that Sikhism is a monotheistic religion, to further their separatist agendas. Let us take a closer look at the Banis which are in the traditional Braj Bhasha with sanskrit words all dedicated to Shri Krishna, Lord NaraSimha ( Vishnu Avatar of half-man half lion), Lord Rama, Vamana Avtar of Vishnu, incarnated avatars of Vishnu etc:

ਅਚੁਤ ਪਾਰਬ੍ਰਹਮ ਪਰਮੇਸੁਰ ਅੰਤਰਜਾਮੀ ॥ अचुत पारब्रहम परमेसुर अंतरजामी ॥ Acẖuṯ pārbarahm parmesur anṯarjāmī. The Supreme Lord God is imperishable, the Transcendent Lord, the Inner-knower, the Searcher of hearts. (Similar sloka to be found in Bhagavad Gita when decribing Lord Hari/Vishnu)

ਮਧੁਸੂਦਨ ਦਾਮੋਦਰ ਸੁਆਮੀ ॥ मधुसूदन दामोदर सुआमी ॥ Maḏẖusūḏan ḏāmoḏar su▫āmī. He is the Slayer of demons, our Supreme Lord and Master. (Krishna is destroyer of the demon Madhu)

ਰਿਖੀਕੇਸ ਗੋਵਰਧਨ ਧਾਰੀ ਮੁਰਲੀ ਮਨੋਹਰ ਹਰਿ ਰੰਗਾ ॥੧॥ रिखीकेस गोवरधन धारी मुरली मनोहर हरि रंगा ॥१॥ Rikẖīkes govarḏẖan ḏẖārī murlī manohar har rangā. ||1|| The Supreme Rishi, the Master of the sensory organs, the uplifter of mountains, the joyful Lord playing His enticing flute. ||1|| (Krishna who lifted the Govardhan & one who plays the flute)

ਮੋਹਨ ਮਾਧਵ ਕ੍ਰਿਸ੍ਨ ਮੁਰਾਰੇ ॥ मोहन माधव क्रिस्न मुरारे ॥ Mohan māḏẖav krisan murāre. The Enticer of Hearts, the Lord of wealth, Krishna, the Enemy of ego.

ਜਗਦੀਸੁਰ ਹਰਿ ਜੀਉ ਅਸੁਰ ਸੰਘਾਰੇ ॥ जगदीसुर हरि जीउ असुर संघारे ॥ Jagḏīsur har jī▫o asur sangẖāre. The Lord of the Universe, the Dear Lord, the Destroyer of demons.

ਜਗਜੀਵਨ ਅਬਿਨਾਸੀ ਠਾਕੁਰ ਘਟ ਘਟ ਵਾਸੀ ਹੈ ਸੰਗਾ ॥੨॥ जगजीवन अबिनासी ठाकुर घट घट वासी है संगा ॥२॥ Jagjīvan abẖināsī ṯẖākur gẖat gẖat vāsī hai sangā. ||2|| The Life of the World, our eternal and ever-stable Lord and Master dwells within each and every heart, and is always with us. ||2||  ਧਰਣੀਧਰ ਈਸ ਨਰਸਿੰਘ ਨਾਰਾਇਣ ॥ धरणीधर ईस नरसिंघ नाराइण ॥ Ḏẖarṇīḏẖar īs narsingẖ nārā▫iṇ. The Support of the Earth, the man-lion, the Supreme Lord God (Narasimha the half man - half lion avatar of Vishnu)   ਦਾੜਾ ਅਗ੍ਰੇ ਪ੍ਰਿਥਮਿ ਧਰਾਇਣ ॥ दाड़ा अग्रे प्रिथमि धराइण ॥ Ḏāṛā agre paritham ḏẖarā▫iṇ. The Protector who tears apart demons with His teeth, the Upholder of the earth. ਬਾਵਨ ਰੂਪੁ ਕੀਆ ਤੁਧੁ ਕਰਤੇ ਸਭ ਹੀ ਸੇਤੀ ਹੈ ਚੰਗਾ ॥੩॥ बावन रूपु कीआ तुधु करते सभ ही सेती है चंगा ॥३॥ Bāvan rūp kī▫ā ṯuḏẖ karṯe sabẖ hī seṯī hai cẖanga. ||3|| O Creator, You assumed the form of the pygmy to humble the demons; You are the Lord God of all. ||3|| ਸ੍ਰੀ ਰਾਮਚੰਦ ਜਿਸੁ ਰੂਪੁ ਨ ਰੇਖਿਆ ॥ स्री रामचंद जिसु रूपु न रेखिआ ॥ Sarī rāmcẖanḏ jis rūp na rekẖ▫i▫ā. You are the Great Raam Chand, who has no form or feature. ( Lord Raam, the son of King Dasharath) ਬਨਵਾਲੀ ਚਕ੍ਰਪਾਣਿ ਦਰਸਿ ਅਨੂਪਿਆ ॥ बनवाली चक्रपाणि दरसि अनूपिआ ॥ Banvālī cẖakarpāṇ ḏaras anūpi▫ā. Adorned with flowers, holding the chakra in Your hand, Your form is incomparably beautiful. (Traditional form of Lord Vishnu) ਸਹਸ ਨੇਤ੍ਰ ਮੂਰਤਿ ਹੈ ਸਹਸਾ ਇਕੁ ਦਾਤਾ ਸਭ ਹੈ ਮੰਗਾ ॥੪॥ सहस नेत्र मूरति है सहसा इकु दाता सभ है मंगा ॥४॥ Sahas neṯar mūraṯ hai sahsā ik ḏāṯā sabẖ hai mangā. ||4|| You have thousands of eyes, and thousands of forms. You alone are the Giver, and all are beggars of You. ||4|| ( Again reference to Krishna) ਭਗਤਿ ਵਛਲੁ ਅਨਾਥਹ ਨਾਥੇ ॥ भगति वछलु अनाथह नाथे ॥ Bẖagaṯ vacẖẖal anāthah nāthe. You are the Lover of Your devotees, the Master of the masterless. ਗੋਪੀ ਨਾਥੁ ਸਗਲ ਹੈ ਸਾਥੇ ॥ गोपी नाथु सगल है साथे ॥ Gopī nāth sagal hai sāthe. The Lord and Master of the milk-maids, You are the companion of all. ( Gopi Nath is Krishna) ਬਾਸੁਦੇਵ ਨਿਰੰਜਨ ਦਾਤੇ ਬਰਨਿ ਨ ਸਾਕਉ ਗੁਣ ਅੰਗਾ ॥੫॥ बासुदेव निरंजन दाते बरनि न साकउ गुण अंगा ॥५॥ Bāsuḏev niranjan ḏāṯe baran na sāka▫o guṇ angā. ||5|| O Lord, Immaculate Great Giver, I cannot describe even an iota of Your Glorious Virtues. ||5|| (Basudeva - name of Krishna) ਮੁਕੰਦ ਮਨੋਹਰ ਲਖਮੀ ਨਾਰਾਇਣ ॥ मुकंद मनोहर लखमी नाराइण ॥ Mukanḏ manohar lakẖmī nārā▫iṇ. Liberator, Enticing Lord, Lord of Lakshmi, Supreme Lord God. ਦ੍ਰੋਪਤੀ ਲਜਾ ਨਿਵਾਰਿ ਉਧਾਰਣ ॥ द्रोपती लजा निवारि उधारण ॥ Ḏaropaṯī lajā nivār uḏẖāraṇ. Savior of Dropadi's honor. (Draupadi of Mahabharat epic) ਕਮਲਾਕੰਤ ਕਰਹਿ ਕੰਤੂਹਲ ਅਨਦ ਬਿਨੋਦੀ ਨਿਹਸੰਗਾ ॥੬॥ कमलाकंत करहि कंतूहल अनद बिनोदी निहसंगा ॥६॥ Kamlākanṯ karahi kanṯūhal anaḏ binoḏī nihsangā. ||6|| Lord of Maya, miracle-worker, absorbed in delightful play, unattached. ||6|| ਅਮੋਘ ਦਰਸਨ ਆਜੂਨੀ ਸੰਭਉ ॥ अमोघ दरसन आजूनी स्मभउ ॥ Amogẖ ḏarsan ājūnī sambẖa▫o. The Blessed Vision of His Darshan is fruitful and rewarding; He is not born, He is self-existent. ਅਕਾਲ ਮੂਰਤਿ ਜਿਸੁ ਕਦੇ ਨਾਹੀ ਖਉ ॥ अकाल मूरति जिसु कदे नाही खउ ॥ Akāl mūraṯ jis kaḏe nāhī kẖa▫o. His form is undying; it is never destroyed. ਅਬਿਨਾਸੀ ਅਬਿਗਤ ਅਗੋਚਰ ਸਭੁ ਕਿਛੁ ਤੁਝ ਹੀ ਹੈ ਲਗਾ ॥੭॥ अबिनासी अबिगत अगोचर सभु किछु तुझ ही है लगा ॥७॥ Abẖināsī abigaṯ agocẖar sabẖ kicẖẖ ṯujẖ hī hai lagā. ||7|| O imperishable, eternal, unfathomable Lord, everything is attached to You. ||7|| ਸ੍ਰੀਰੰਗ ਬੈਕੁੰਠ ਕੇ ਵਾਸੀ ॥ स्रीरंग बैकुंठ के वासी ॥ Sarīrang baikunṯẖ ke vāsī. The Lover of greatness, who dwells in heaven. (Baikunth the highest heaven is where Krishna dwells) ਮਛੁ ਕਛੁ ਕੂਰਮੁ ਆਗਿਆ ਅਉਤਰਾਸੀ ॥ मछु कछु कूरमु आगिआ अउतरासी ॥ Macẖẖ kacẖẖ kūram āgi▫ā a▫uṯrāsī. By the Pleasure of His Will, He took incarnation as the great fish and the tortoise. ( Vishnu avatars of Matsya the fish & Kurma the tortoise) ਕੇਸਵ ਚਲਤ ਕਰਹਿ ਨਿਰਾਲੇ ਕੀਤਾ ਲੋੜਹਿ ਸੋ ਹੋਇਗਾ ॥੮॥ केसव चलत करहि निराले कीता लोड़हि सो होइगा ॥८॥ Kesav cẖalaṯ karahi nirāle kīṯā loṛėh so ho▫igā. ||8|| The Lord of beauteous hair, the Worker of miraculous deeds, whatever He wishes, comes to pass. ||8|| (Keshava, the one with beautiful dark locks of hair) ਨਿਰਾਹਾਰੀ ਨਿਰਵੈਰੁ ਸਮਾਇਆ ॥ निराहारी निरवैरु समाइआ ॥ Nirāhārī nirvair samā▫i▫ā. He is beyond need of any sustenance, free of hate and all-pervading. ਧਾਰਿ ਖੇਲੁ ਚਤੁਰਭੁਜੁ ਕਹਾਇਆ ॥ धारि खेलु चतुरभुजु कहाइआ ॥ Ḏẖār kẖel cẖaṯurbẖuj kahā▫i▫ā. He has staged His play; He is called the four-armed Lord. ( Vishnu has 4 arms & known as Chaturbhuj) ਸਾਵਲ ਸੁੰਦਰ ਰੂਪ ਬਣਾਵਹਿ ਬੇਣੁ ਸੁਨਤ ਸਭ ਮੋਹੈਗਾ ॥੯॥ सावल सुंदर रूप बणावहि बेणु सुनत सभ मोहैगा ॥९॥ Sāval sunḏar rūp baṇāvėh beṇ sunaṯ sabẖ mohaigā. ||9|| He assumed the beautiful form of the blue-skinned Krishna; hearing His flute, all are fascinated and enticed. ||9|| ਬਨਮਾਲਾ ਬਿਭੂਖਨ ਕਮਲ ਨੈਨ ॥ बनमाला बिभूखन कमल नैन ॥ Banmālā bibẖūkẖan kamal nain. He is adorned with garlands of flowers, with lotus eyes. (Krishna as described in all Hindu scriptures) ਸੁੰਦਰ ਕੁੰਡਲ ਮੁਕਟ ਬੈਨ ॥ सुंदर कुंडल मुकट बैन ॥ Sunḏar kundal mukat bain. His ear-rings, crown and flute are so beautiful. ( Shri Krishna's attire & flute) ਸੰਖ ਚਕ੍ਰ ਗਦਾ ਹੈ ਧਾਰੀ ਮਹਾ ਸਾਰਥੀ ਸਤਸੰਗਾ ॥੧੦॥ संख चक्र गदा है धारी महा सारथी सतसंगा ॥१०॥ Sankẖ cẖakar gaḏā hai ḏẖārī mahā sārthī saṯsangā. ||10|| He carries the conch, the chakra and the war club; He is the Great Charioteer, who stays with His Saints. ||10|| (Shankh, Chakra, gada are the weapons of Lord Vishnu) ਪੀਤ ਪੀਤੰਬਰ ਤ੍ਰਿਭਵਣ ਧਣੀ ॥ पीत पीत्मबर त्रिभवण धणी ॥ Pīṯ pīṯambar ṯaribẖavaṇ ḏẖaṇī. The Lord of yellow robes, the Master of the three worlds. ( Lord Vishnu who wears Pitambara or saffron Yellow robes) ਜਗੰਨਾਥੁ ਗੋਪਾਲੁ ਮੁਖਿ ਭਣੀ ॥ जगंनाथु गोपालु मुखि भणी ॥ Jagannāth gopāl mukẖ bẖaṇī. The Lord of the Universe, the Lord of the world; with my mouth, I chant His Name. (Here JaganNath Gopal is none other than Shri Krishna) ਸਾਰਿੰਗਧਰ ਭਗਵਾਨ ਬੀਠੁਲਾ ਮੈ ਗਣਤ ਨ ਆਵੈ ਸਰਬੰਗਾ ॥੧੧॥ सारिंगधर भगवान बीठुला मै गणत न आवै सरबंगा ॥११॥ Sāringḏẖar bẖagvān bīṯẖulā mai gaṇaṯ na āvai sarbangā. ||11|| The Archer who draws the bow, the Beloved Lord God; I cannot count all His limbs. ||11|| ਨਿਹਕੰਟਕੁ ਨਿਹਕੇਵਲੁ ਕਹੀਐ ॥ निहकंटकु निहकेवलु कहीऐ ॥ Nihkantak nihkeval kahī▫ai. He is said to be free of anguish, and absolutely immaculate. ਧਨੰਜੈ ਜਲਿ ਥਲਿ ਹੈ ਮਹੀਐ ॥ धनंजै जलि थलि है महीऐ ॥ Ḏẖananjai jal thal hai mahī▫ai. The Lord of prosperity, pervading the water, the land and the sky.

(Shri Guru Granthji pg1082)

                                            Modern day Sikhs are victims of fraud

Guru Nanakji has beautifully described the forms & avatars of Lord Vishnu in these verses which the neo Sikhs refer to as some other Ram or other Krishna when confronted with these facts...it couldn't get any worse when it comes to the logic of the neo Sikhs. I suggest they study Sanskrit first in order to understand fully the great Banis of our Gurus which were mostly in Braj Bhasha rich with Sanskritic thoughts- a dialect of North India at the time mainly for Vaishnava scriptures, kirtans & bhajans. Through twisting of the real facts, neo Sikh Talibanis have thrown out Sanskrit, Braj Bhasha, Sanatan Dharma , suppressed historical facts & the truth of what the Gurus all preached during their time - in a nutshell we have been made to blindly follow their version of the new Talibani Sikhism which was set up by Gorres ( British ) and their puppets of Tat Khalsa, to further weaken our original Hindu society, where we must not dare even ask any questions from them. Are we people who have become reduced to belonging to only 500 years of history or are we the proud inheritors of a great heritage that spans back milions of years way back to Shri Ram Chandra the Surya Vanshi King? They have managed to flood the internet with anti Brahminical & anti Hindu venom, with anti Brahmin myths such as the famous 'Gangu Brahman' myth which appeared during the 19th century. Shame on them!

Copyright©Arjan Singh Virdi 2012.