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).

Puratan swaroop of Shri Adi Granth Ji

Sanatan Heritage of Sikhi






Blessed is the paper, blessed is the pen, blessed is the ink.
Blessed is the writer, O Nanak, who writes the True Name. ||1|| 

(Guru Nanak Sahib. Raag Malaar Ang 1291) 

ਵਾਹਿਗੁਰੂ ਜੀ ਕਾ ਖ਼ਾਲਸਾ
ਵਹਿਗੁਰੂ ਜੀ ਕੀ ਫਤਿਹ॥




This post is about the Puratan Swaroop of Shri Adi Granthji with beautiful & rare images never seen before. These include the Jaapji prayer, images of decorated Swaroops with Ek Omkaar flanked by Hindu Devatas like Ganesh, Hanuman, Shri Krishanji, Brahma, Mata Saraswati, Mahakal Shivji, etc

Jaap Ji in Puratan Swaroop

             Puratan Swaroop of decorated Dasam Granthji from the collection of British Library

Decorated Swaroops from National Museum New Delhi - Above Swaroop is a profusely decorated copy of the Damdami Birh - lavishly illuminated in Kashmiri style. The Swaroop was commissioned by Sodhi Bhan Singh of Haranpur (district Jhelum) between 1839 and 1843, it was produced by Kashmiri artist Miha Singh and the scribe Misar Prakas. Bhan Singh was a Sodhi decendent of Prithi Chand. . 

The contents page with Omkaar of the Birh is striking with Lord Vishnu as DvadashKamalas - the 12 petalled lotuses - illustrations of  all the Hindu Devatas are there including Ganesh & Hanumanji

Above: we see the tradition of Bhai Banno, it is said that when Guru ArjanDevJi  finished dictating the Adi Granth Ji to Bhai Gurdas the scribe, he sent Bhai Banno to Lahore to have the Pothi bound. Bhai Banno made a copy of the pothi which he also had bound. He presented both the volumes to Guru Sahib. In the illustration from this birh we can see Bhai Banno and Bhai Gurdas standing by their respective 'birhs' and Guru Arjan Dev Ji is pointing to the birh scribed by Bhai Gurdas as the accepted birh. 

Below: close up of the image:Omkaar flanked by Shivji, Brahmaji, Vishnuji, Mata Laskhmiji, Ganeshji, Hanumanji

Puratan Swaroop depicting Guru Sahibaan & Bhan Singh ji worshipping Lord Mahakaal Shivji, Chandi Mata

Jaap Ji decorated Swaroop with the Dvadash ( 12 ) Lotus petals with Vedic Hindu Devatas: Ganesh as Omkaar, Krishanji, Narasingh Avatar of Lord Vishnu, Goddess Saraswati with Lord Ganesh.

NaraSingh Avatar of Lord Vishnu

Amritsar - An ancient City - by Tanveer Singh

I happened to be surfing the net & found this exceptional article that I would like to share with you all, about Amritsar & its Vedic history. Written beautifully by another Tanveer Singh, I'm happy to note that there are Sikhs who are waking up to the Sanatan Dharmic heritage & boldly stating all true facts to get back at the Taliban Sikh brigade.

 Read the entire article here : 
 source: http://www.trinetra.org.uk/#/amritsar-the-ancient-city/4552288421

Satnam WaheGuruJi

Bhai Gurdas has coined, ‘Waheguru’ by combining the first letters of various incarnations or Avatars of Lord Shri Hari ( Vishnu ) of different Yugas in Vedantic philosophy in his Pauri # 49 in Var # 1 as follows: 

Bhai Gurdas, Pauri 49, Var 1.

ਸਤਿਜੁਗ ਸਤਿਗੁਰ ਵਾਸਦੇਵ ਵਵਾ ਵਿਸਨਾ ਨਾਮੁ ਜਪਾਵੈ।

Satijougi Satigur Vaasadayv Vavaa Visanaa Naamu Japaavai.

सतिजुगि सतिगुर वासदेव ववा विसना नामु जपावै ।

In Satyug, Visnu in the form of Vasudev is said to have incarnated and ‘V’ Of Vahiguru reminds of Visnu.

1 ਵਾਰਾਂ ਭਾਈ ਗੁਰਦਾਸ : ਵਾਰ ੧ ਪਉੜੀ ੪੯ ਪੰ. ੧

ਦੁਆਪੁਰਿ ਸਤਿਗੁਰ ਹਰੀ ਕ੍ਰਿਸਨ ਹਾਹਾ ਹਰਿ ਹਰਿ ਨਾਮੁ ਜਪਾਵੈ।

Duaapari Satigur Haree Krisan Haahaa Hari Hari Naamu Japaavai.

दुआपरि सतिगुर हरी क्रिसन हाहा हरि हरि नामु जपावै ।

The true Guru of dvapar is said to be Harikrsna and ‘H’ of Vahiguru reminds of Hari.

2 ਵਾਰਾਂ ਭਾਈ ਗੁਰਦਾਸ : ਵਾਰ ੧ ਪਉੜੀ ੪੯ ਪੰ. ੨

ਤ੍ਰੇਤੇ ਸਤਿਗੁਰ ਰਾਮ ਜੀ ਰਾਰਾ ਰਾਮ ਜਪੇ ਸੁਖੁ ਪਾਵੈ।

Taytay Satigur Raam Jee Raaraa Raam Japay Soukhu Paavai.

तेते सतिगुर राम जी रारा राम जपे सुखु पावै ।

In the the treta was Ram and ‘R’ of Vahiguru tells that rembering Ram will produce joy and happiness.

3 ਵਾਰਾਂ ਭਾਈ ਗੁਰਦਾਸ : ਵਾਰ ੧ ਪਉੜੀ ੪੯ ਪੰ. ੩

ਕਲਿਜੁਗਿ ਨਾਨਕ ਗੁਰ ਗੋਵਿੰਦ ਗਗਾ ਗੋਵਿੰਦ ਨਾਮੁ ਅਲਾਵੈ*।

Kalijougi Naanak Gur Gobind Gagaa Gobind Naamu Alaavai.

कलिजुगि नानक गुर गोबिंद गगा गोबिंद नामु अलावै ।

In kalijug, Gobind is in the form of Nanak and ‘G’ of Vahiguru gets Govind recited.

4 ਵਾਰਾਂ ਭਾਈ ਗੁਰਦਾਸ : ਵਾਰ ੧ ਪਉੜੀ ੪੯ ਪੰ. ੪

ਚਾਰੇ ਜਾਗੇ ਚਹੁ ਜੁਗੀ ਪੰਚਾਇਣ ਵਿਚਿ ਜਾਇ ਸਮਾਵੈ।

Chaaray Jaagay Chahu Jougee Panchaain Vichi Jaai Samaavai.

चारे जागे चहु जुगी पंचाइण विचि जाइ समावै ।

The recitations of all the four ages subsume in Panchayan i.e. in the soul of the common man.

5 ਵਾਰਾਂ ਭਾਈ ਗੁਰਦਾਸ : ਵਾਰ ੧ ਪਉੜੀ ੪੯ ਪੰ. ੫

ਚਾਰੋ ਅਛਰ ਇਕੁ ਕਰਿ ਵਾਹਿਗੁਰੂ ਜਪੁ ਮੰਤ੍ਰ ਜਪਾਵੈ*।

Chaaro Achhar Iku Kari Vaahaguroo Japu Mantr Japaavai.

चारो अछर इकु करि वाहगुरू जपु मंत्र जपावै ।

When joining four letters Vahiguru is remembered,

6 ਵਾਰਾਂ ਭਾਈ ਗੁਰਦਾਸ : ਵਾਰ ੧ ਪਉੜੀ ੪੯ ਪੰ. ੬

ਜਹਾਂ ਤੇ ਉਪਜਿਆ ਫਿਰਿ ਤਹਾਂ ਸਮਾਵੈ ॥੪੯॥੧॥

Jahaa Tay Oupajiaa Dhiri Tahaa Samaavai ॥49॥1॥

जहा ते उपजिआ फिरि तहा समावै ॥४९॥१॥

The jiv merges again in its origin.

7 ਵਾਰਾਂ ਭਾਈ ਗੁਰਦਾਸ : ਵਾਰ ੧ ਪਉੜੀ ੪੯ ਪੰ. 

From the Sanskrit term : GuRu : 
Gu means darkness & ignorance
Ru means light & enlightenment
Guru means the One who through guidance & giving us knowledge, removes our ignorance so that we are enlightened to the truth, the wonder of the true Sanatan Dharma. The tradition of Guru is an ancient one which stretches as far as the Vedic era. Spiritual teachers known as Gurus & Acharyas were honoured as the enlightened ones, who had the gift of the revered Mother Goddess Saraswati, the Goddess of Knowledge & Light.

Wah - means 'wow' as in awe of the great Cosmic Divine play of the Niraakar Akaal Purakh, the Supreme Being, who cannot be put into a straight-jacket of One whose Divine energy is limited, as in the belief system of the Christians & Muslims but the One whose energies are limitless, the One who is formless & yet has the Divine power to appear before us in many forms; the one who is birthless but is the One who can take countless births in limitless forms. He is the Supreme Being Paramatma - Wahe Guru. This is the true essence of Sanatan Dharma, the philosophy & the mystical teachings of this beautiful heritage which today's Neo-Sikhs have failed to follow & ignore.

Those who will repeat this Jap Mantra ‘Waheguru’ will be merged back into the Supreme Consciousness.

Puraatan Kirtan Shabads

Sama Veda : Shabd is Brahm and "Silence" too is Brahm  Brahm alone is vibrating everywhere.

ਗੁਰਮੁਖਿ ਨਾਦੰ ਗੁਰਮੁਖਿ ਵੇਦੰ ਗੁਰਮੁਖਿ ਰਹਿਆ ਸਮਾਈ ॥
guramukh naadhan guramukh vaedhan guramukh rehiaa samaaee ||

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 ॥
gur eesar gur gorakh baramaa gur paarabathee maaee ||

The Guru is Shiva, the Guru is Vishnu and Brahma; the Guru is Paarvati and Lakhshmi.
~Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji p. 2

Above: Raga Basant - Shabad rendition in the Shastriya style

Unknown to many Neo-Sikhs of today, the entire Shri Adi Guru Granthji including the Shri Dasam Granth of Shri Guru Gobind Singhji is written & compiled according to the prescribed Ragas taken from the traditional Hindu Vedic scripture known as Sama Veda - an ancient treatise which deals with the science of musical notes, Ragas, dance and theatre. The Shabads which are all arranged in chapters in the Shri Adi Granth bear the names of the Ragas. Each of these Ragas are unique & each Shabad must be sung in the specific Raga given by the Bhatt Brahmins,who were Raagis ( classical singers ). Further, to the Raga for each Shabad or hymn of the Shri Adi Granthji, they are also set to a specific numerical notation known as Tala or rhythm. This is an ancient tradition that goes back to the Vedic era & all the 31 Ragas mentioned in the Shri Adi Granthji are taken from the Hindu scriptures.

The first of the Ragas of the Shri Adi Granthji is the Shri Raga, followed by the Moolmantra & Japji Sahib. Towards the end of the Shri Adi Granth, there is special mention of hierarchy of Ragas known as Ragamala - the rosary of Ragas. It also contains ‘Barah-maha’ – the constant longing of the soul for the eternal God expressed over a period of twelve months. The Ragamala is usually meant to be read after the Mundavani chapter & then Bhog is served as sacred food or offering. 

Nowadays, this ancient tradition is slowly disappearing from all the Gurudvaras, where most of the 'Granthis' are busy 'singing' or reading the Banis in a very loud & monotone style while seated in front of the loudspeakers. It is more about making money, fooling the masses & self importance that the 'Granthis' are busy with - it is about going to the United States, Canada or the United Kingdom. The pre-Singh Sabha tradition of singing the Banis in their relative Ragas has now more or less disappeared, when the Raga in the form of sacred Naad (sound) accompanied by the sacred Shabda ( Naam ) was sung in a divine style, enabling the devotees in the Gurudvara to reach a spiritual climax. The Raga of the Shabad is designed to set a particular mood of devotees in the Gurudvara which makes it easy for them to reach out spiritually to the Supreme Akaal Purush. 

Shabd in Sanskrit is word along with sound - the first Primordial sound is known as AUMKAR. According to the Vedas, the Shabd existed by itself in a formless state. Nothing existed before this since before its manifestation, there was no form whatsoever, nor the sun, nor the moon, nor sky nor the Earth. All manifestation is the result of Shabd & without this nothing exists. The Rishis & Sadhus describe it as Mul or the Root of all manifestations. Shabd according to these ancient ascetics is the primal cause of birth, death & dissolution & again the re-creation of the Cosmos.

Guru AmarDasji :  ''Both the creation and the dissolution are from Shabd, 

And Shabd again is the cause of re-creation.''

Guru NanakDevji : ''With the True Word, one knows the Truth, 

With the True Sound, one sings the glory of the Lord.  It can be seen without eyes,
It can be heard without ears. ''

Bhagat Kabir : '' All sing of the Shabd without realizing that It is Videh or the Bodiless, No tongue can describe It, but soul may contact It within.'' 

Kabirji has described the sacred Shabd or Naam as one which is free from physical existence & can be only  apprehended by the soul when it is free from bodily attachments. 

The Upanishadic sages have described Shabd as "Pranav" or that which can be heard through the Pranic vibrations, without the help of tongue, lips and palate, for It is reverberating of Itself in and out of space. In Chhandogya Upanishad, it is mentioned that Naad (heavenly music) springs from the Universal Sun (of Brahmand ) and that this secret was given by Angiras Rishi to Lord Krishna, the son of Devki.

  
Guru Amar Das tells us, in Raga Bhairon, that Bhakt Prahlad was saved by 
Shabd :

It (Shabd) has been the saving lifeline in all the ages,
Prahlad, the son of the demon-king, knew neither Gayatri nor any rituals,
He became one with God through contact with the Shabd.

In the holy Shri Gita, Lord Krishna mentions: 

Though under the sway of the senses, one feels drawn toward the Cosmic Being
  by force of the habit acquired in previous births; nay, even the seeker of enlightenment  transcends the Shabd Brahm.
The  yogi,  however,  who  diligently  takes  up  this practice,
  attains perfection in this very life with the help of latencies of many births
  and being thoroughly purged of sin, forthwith reaches the supreme goal.

In the Rig Veda and the Atharv Veda there are hymns in praise of Shabd. In Hansa Upanishad of the latter it is given that one who does japa of the Hansa Mantra, millions of times, comes to the realization of Naad. It is also stated that Naad consists of ten different types of melodies, nine of which are to be passed over, and the tenth, which resembles the sound of the thunder of distant clouds, is to be meditated upon and practiced, for It takes one to Par-Brahma.

All our Gurus as well as Sadhus & Yogis have time & again laid emphasis on Shabd & Naad. 

Guru NanakDev ji :  With stone-deaf ears thou hast lost all thy wits, 

For thou hast not got contact with the Shabd,
And by slavery to the Mind thou hast forfeited thy human birth;
Without the Master-soul, one remains blind to the Reality.

Dhun or the Sound Current is both true knowledge and true meditation
and remains indescribable all the same. The mind when attuned with the Sound becomes detached 

and gets engrossed, In the heart of the Light within is a delectable Sound, that makes one fully absorbed in Akaal Purukh.

These are the beautiful divine words of our Gurus & Rishis who encouraged us to utter the Naam or mantra or listen to the Naam Shabd being sung by musicians who are vocalists & trained in the Raga system. 

What is nowadays the trend is that most 'Granthis' have begun singing out of tune, Shabad kirtans which are set to Bollywood tunes or just plain non -Raga tunes which display no skill, nor take the devotee to the heights & realms of Parabrahma - where is the spiritualism gone nowadays? The Puraatan Raagis who are skilled vocalists are nowhere to be seen nor heard, but instead they have been replaced by out of tune 'Besure' groups of vocalists all screeching at the top of their voices, beating away at the tablas & fanning away at the harmoniums. With the 'noise' these Granthis create, I wonder how easy it is for any devotee to sit there & experience the Divine realms of Supreme Brahman. It has become more of a Qawwali style singing with no rules in the singing styles. No particular Raga is sung for the Shabad Kirtan, but one that resembles a Bhangra / Qawwali song. 

The tradition of Shabad Kirtans bear roots in Sanatan Dharmic traditions & the Gurus constantly surrounded themselves with experienced Raagis like the Bhatt Brahmins, who were experts at singing in the classical styles at Shri Harimandirji, Amritsar. This beautiful tradition is being destroyed by the 'Paattre' Granthis of Punjab today. 

Here is an example of the deterioration that has crept into our heritage : 

Please bring back our Raagis & the pure Shastriya Sangeet music for our Shabads & Kirtans which are so part of the Sikhi heritage. 

Hindu Khalsa Flags of 18th-19th Century - Part 1

GurFateh! 
I am in the mood for Neo-Sikh bashing today! And the reasons are plenty. For a start all that whitewashing on their part of the Nishaan Sahib being a purely 'Sikh' flag & how the sacred Khanda, itself has nothing to do with Hindu Dharma - this misinformation gives the ignorant Sikhs of today a wrong sense of self pride without any one of them ever learning the truth behind how the flag came about in the first place. Neo-Sikhs of the Singh Sabha managed to brush all the Hindu traditions under the carpet far away from the eyes of the future generations, though overlooking the main fact that Saffron is traditionally a Sanatan Dharmic colour. Our flags hoisted above sacred shrines such as Hindu mandirs & Gurudwaras symbolise the sanctity of our ancient heritage of Hinduism. Our Sadhus, Gurus, saints, vairagis etc all wear traditional colours of Saffron. They even wear seli topis & turbans & have long hair as well as beards. This is not just the mark of a Sikh, but traditionally, a Hindu mark. Rajput warriors & Kings were the first ones to keep unshorn hair & long beards during the 15th century onwards. Before them, the Hindu Rishis & Sadhus, Siddhas & Yogis all kept unshorn hair & wore traditional turbans. But the stooges of Tat Khalsa & the Sikhi Taliban brigade have painted a very false picture to all the people of Punjab.


Ignorant of the fact that the 'Sikh' flag, that was carried on many a battlefield by the Nihangs & Khalsa armies, including that of Maharaja Ranjit Singhji, usually had a motif of Hindu Gods of war such as Lord Shiva, Goddess Durga, Goddess Kaumari, Goddess Varahi, Hanuman etc, the Singh Sabhias with the Talibanised Sikhs have falsely continued with their propagation of Nishaan Sahib as the original 'Sikh' flag during the time of the Gurus. They even deny any connections with the Hindu weaponry of Khadga ( 2 edged sword) & the Chakra ( Lord Vishnu weapon) & simply play them down as being from a different tradition.


THIS IS A BLATANT FRAUD! 


Recently many questions are being raised concerning the several controversies that surround the re-writing, re-editing of Sikh history as well as the Shri Adi Granth - whether the Kartarpur Bir itself is authentic or not. However, this is another topic I will go into later on. 


Back to the flag with motifs of Hindu Devatas which every Sikh & Talibanised Neo-Sikh must know of & acknowledge the fact that YES, Sikhs were Hindus of the Sanatan tradition of India before the British missionary satans ruined Punjab & divided its people who all acknowledged themselves as Hindus prior to the white guy setting foot on Indian soil. Khalsa warriors used to carry these flags onto all the battlefields when fighting the Islamic tyrants & British imperialists & it is my pleasure to present an entire post on images of great history that the Tat Khalsa stooges have kept away from all of us. Let us take a closer look at the history behind the Khanda, its sacred symbols of the Nishaan Sahib which was later on made the emblem of the Sikh flag.

In the image above, if we look closer, we can see the Hindu Goddess Chandi or Durga seated on a lion & she bears in her hands all sacred weapons such as the Khanda, trishul, mace, Chakar etc which are also a part of the Nishaan Sahib.

'Sikh' flags of the 18th Century / 19th century commonly bore motifs of Hindu Devatas such as Lord Shiva & Goddess Shakti. In the photo : The red field of the banner is divided by three narrow gold horizontal bands crossing the banners. On one side is a central motif of a yellow sun and a red background which is covered with a block printed pattern of gold flowers. On the other side of the banner is a central motif of the Hindu Goddess of War Durga in black riding on a lion or tiger with two attendants and the red field of the banner is covered with a repeating block printed dark scroll pattern.

Goddess Durga on Lion/Tiger with all her sacred arms & weapons.

Surya Motif

Hari Singh on elephant circa 19th century. A military procession of Hari Singh Nalwa (1791–1837), one of the greatest generals of the Sikh Empire. He became the Commander-in-Chief of the army along the North Western Frontier of the Sikh Kingdom and also served as Governor of various provinces. The military procession depicted is lead by two horsemen carrying battle standards.

Khalsa Armies with Banner displaying motif of Goddess Varahi,the Hindu Goddess of War.

Above: The two Maharaja Sher Singh military banners in the Soltykoff sketch also have central motifs related to the theme of victory in battle. The banners contain two of the Matrikas, a group of Hindu war goddesses that are usually depicted together. One banner has a central motif of the war Goddess Kaumari. Within Hinduism Kaumari is considered the power of Kumara, the God of war. Kaumari is depicted on the banner riding a peacock, with multiple heads and holding weapons in her multiple arms. The other battle standard only partially visible in the Soltykoff sketch shows a depiction of the war Goddess Varahi described in Hinduism as the power of Varaha - the boar-headed form of Vishnu or Yama - the god of death, with a boar head on a human body. Varahi is depicted on the banner holding weapons in her multiple arms.

Goddess Kaumari - seated on the peacock & bearing the Khanda sword, trishul & all war weapons.

   Goddess Varahi seated on the tiger- She is with the human body & a fierce boar face wielding the sacred Khanda & all weapons in her hands.

The fierce Goddess Durga with the Khanda & all scared weapons, given to her by all the Trinity of Gods : Brahma, Vishnu & Shiva before she went into war with Mahishasura the Buffalo demon.

Above: Ardhanarishwar form of Lord Shiva, with His consort Shakti - He is holding a battle - axe, while Devi Shakti whose hand once held a flower.Behind is the broad Khanda sword at the centre & Ardha Chand. The Sanskrit word 'Ardh' meaning half is Addh in Punjabi. The Chandra or moon is known as Chand in Punjabi - meaning Half-moon. The Nihang tradition of Sanatan Sikhi, includes the wearing of Addh Chand - the first common variation is of wearing th half moon symbol of lord Shiva with a Khanda sword in the middle while the second variation features three bladed weapons i.e. 2 swords with a Khanda at the centre that are all within the Addh Chand. This assortment is known as the Gajgah. Wearing the Addh Chand is regarded by the Nihangs as being an integral part of  Shiv Swaroopi or the very form of Lord Shiva.

 Lord Shiva is one of the Trinity of Hindu Devatas known as the Trimurti. He is the destroyer as well as the MahaYogi. The crescent moon represents the immortality of Shiva as Akaal Purush or Akaal Purukh - the Timeless Supreme Being. 

As explained by the Buddha Dal which is the oldest faction of the Nihang sect :

There are a wide range of complementary understandings all which allow one to analyze the interaction of Shiv-Shakti within the Nihang Singh at various levels.  Shiv is believed to be represented by a half moon (Aad Chand), signifying calm and coolness. Shakti is represented by a sun and is believed to be a more powerful energy and the driving force of the universe, within the Sikh tradition Chandi (personification of shakti) or Durga is Shakti.The Aad Chand (crescent moon) representing Shiv has long been a trademark of Nihang Singhs as is the wearing of arms; representing the divine union of Shiv and Shakti.

                                                                                            

Above: Ardhanarishwar - painting circa 1800 - Lord Shiva has the River Ganga flowing out of His matted locks, He holds the drum, while His consort Parvati holds the Khanda sword & Rosary beads.

Above: Mata Durga with the Khanda sword, Chakar, battle-axe etc 

''Pritam Bhaguati Simer Ke Guru Nanak'' - the beginning verse of the Var Shri Bhaguati ji Ki is highly controversial nowadays with Talibanised Sikhs crying out that the word Bhaguati here means a 'Sword', in a deliberate fraudulent manner to denounce all connections with Hindu Devatas. Bhaguati in Braj, Awadhi & Sanskrit is another name of Goddess Durga & also has the meaning of Shakti which represents the Primal Mother Goddess, whereas the word Khadga & Khanda stands for the double edged sword. This concept has completely become played down by the thugs of the Sikh Taliban brigade the Singh Sabhias - they have managed to spread the ridiculous rumour that when the 10th Guruji was speaking about Bhaguati, he actually meant it was a sword. Whereas in fact, Bhaguati stands for the Divine Shakti of the Divine consort of Lord Shiva. That is why all the Siddhas, yogis, sadhus & including Guru Gobind Singhji himself invoked the immortal Mother Shakti ( a feminine form of Akaal Purukh) before setting out onto his mission. She is powerful, one that transcends all the material planes of Sattva, Rajas & Tamas, who is not subjected to Birth & Death. I would also like to add here that Guru Gobind Singhji had placed the feminine Shakti of Durga above or before even mentioning the rest of the Gurus - She is invoked bfore the Gurus even giving great emphasis on the feminine aspect of the Divine Akaal.

''First and foremost I invoke Bhagauti, and then set my mind on Guru Nanak. Then I seek the help of Guru Angad, Guru Amar Das and Guru Raam Das, Arjan, Hargobind and (Guru) Har Rai be remembered. Sri Harkrishan be meditated upon whose mere glimpse removes all sorrows. (Guru) Tegh Bahadur be remembered as it causes the home to flourish. They all help me at all places. ||1||''

Nihang Chieftain

ca. 19th century, paint on paper, Gurmit Singh & Satnam Singh Collection

The shape of the straight edged khanda sword blade at the center of this Nihangs elders turban is quite similar to the shape of the blade found in the modern khanda emblem as are the shapes of the curved swords.

More on Guru Nanak Dev Ji

Guru Nanak Devji was a fragment of the Divine born on Earth. His message stood for love, respect, justice, equality as well as universal humanism.

Above: A fresco at Gurudvara Baba Atalji, Amritsar, showing the AvtarPurab of Guru Nanak Dev ji & how all the Vedic Devatas have come to bless the child Nanak.



ਜੋਤਿ ਰੂਪਿ ਹਰਿ ਆਪਿ ਗੁਰੂ ਨਾਨਕੁ ਕਹਾਯਉ ॥

The Embodiment of Light, the Lord Himself is called Guru Nanak. 
- Adi Guru Granth Sahib Ji, Ang 1408, Bhatt Mathura 


Verses from Shri Nanak Prakash Granth

ਦੋਹਰਾ ॥ ਸ਼੍ਰੀ ਨਾਨਕ ਪੁਰੁਸ਼ੋਤਮੰ ਪਰਮ ਪਰਾਵਰ ਨਾਥ । ਯੁਗਲ ਚਰਨ ਮਮ ਬੰਦਨਾ ਧਰ ਪਰ ਧਰਿਕਰਿ ਮਾਥ ॥੫॥


Shri Guru Nanak Dev Ji you are greater than the greatest beings in creation. You are the leader (Nath) of  the greatest of beings to have ever lived including the demi gods. I pay my respect to the two holy feet of Sri Guru Nanak Dev Ji by placing my forehead to the earth in reverance to you. 5.

ਸ੍ਵੈਯਾ ॥ ਬਰ ਚਾਰ ਪਦਾਰਥ ਦਾ ਬਰ ਚਾਰ ਬਿਚਾਰ ਕੋ ਮੂਰ ਉਦਾਰ ਸੁਹਾਵੈਂ । 
ਉਪਕਾਰਿ ਸਖਾ ਸੁਖਕਾਰ ਸਦਾ ਤਮ ਪਾਰ ਕਰੈਂ ਉਰ ਮੋਂ ਬਸ ਜਾਵੈਂ । 
ਅਘ ਜਾਲਨਿ ਤੇ ਜਮ ਜਾਲਿਨਿ ਤੇ ਕਲਿ ਕਾਲਨ ਤੇ ਤਤਕਾਲ ਛੁਟਾਵੈਂ । 
ਅਰਬਿੰਦ ਬਿਖੇ ਗੁਨ ਏ ਸਭਿ ਹੋਹਿਂ ਤਬੈ ਉਪਮਾ ਪਗ ਸ਼੍ਰੀ ਗੁਰ ਪਾਵੈਂ ॥੬॥

Savaiya - Shri Guru Nanak Dev Ji a devotee is able to gain the four greatest virtues of Dharam (Religious action), Arth (Acquisition of wealth and worldly possessions), Kama (fulfillment and enjoyment of desires) and Moksh (liberation from the cycle of birth and death) from your holy feet. Your feet is the sanctuary from where deliberation takes place and one is able to propagate the radiance of knowledge within. Shri Guru Nanak Dev Ji was the great being who manifested upon earth for the assistance of others and forever granted a feeling of peace. Those people who are able to propagate the feet of Shri Guru Nanak Dev Ji within their heart will be able to eradicate their ignorance and safely swim across this worldly ocean to liberation. The feet of Shri Guru Nanak Dev Ji are able to eradicate the sins of an individual, the pain and suffering of Kaljug (the current age of ignorance) and the noose of death from the angel of death (Jamdoot). Bhai Santokh Singh Ji says that if a person is to have all of the good virtues similar to a lotus blossom (This metaphor is given as a lotus blossom remains in the dirt but unaffected by its surroundings and focuses totally on the beauty of the lotus,  a Sikh should be untouched by the surroundings and focus on the Guru) then only can they propagate and gain the praise for the holy feet of Shri Guru Nanak Dev Ji. 6.

Rudraksh Mala owned by Guru Nanak Devji