So Why Kesari & No other colour?

Saffron known as Kesari 

If there is any colour that can symbolize all aspects of Dharm, it's Saffron - known as Kesari in Punjabi,  the colour of Agni or fire, which reflects the Supreme Being Parabrahma. As such, the fire alter where yagnas are performed is regarded as a distinct symbol of ancient Vedic rites. The saffron colour, also auspicious to the Sikhs, the Buddhists and the Jains, seems to have obtained religious significance much before these Panths came into being. All Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains and Hindus regard Saffron as their symbolic colour.

Fire worship had its origin in the Vedic age. The foremost hymn in the Rig Veda glorifies fire: 

"Agnimile purohitam yagnasya devam rtvijam, hotaram ratna dhatamam." 

When sages moved from one ashram to another, it was customary to carry fire along. The inconvenience to carry a burning substance over long distances may have given rise to the symbol of a saffron flag. Triangular and often forked saffron flags are seen fluttering atop most Sikh and Hindu temples. While we Sikhs and even Hindus regard it as our martial and militant colour, Buddhist monks and Hindu sants wear robes of this colour as a mark of renunciation of material life. 

Kesari Jhanda is what we refer to as our national pride of Punjab - the colour Kesari adorns all our great holy Gurdwaras flying high atop our shrines, they are hoisted with great pride and worship. The mast that bears the flag is always covered in saffron. The Kesari Jhanda ( saffron flag ) has the Khanda which represents the weapons of Shiva Shakti, the Ardh Chand ( half moon ) and Khadga of Durga Mata. This is symbolic representation of Lord Shiva and Shakti Mata as Ardh-Narishwara. Both divine powers are manifested within the Khadga and Ardh Chand. 

More recently the Neo Sikh brigade has been trying to replace the Kesari with some blue colour and propagating falsely that Saffron is not our colour but that Blue is. How much  more will you want to destroy of what is left of our great tradition given to us by our Guru Sahibaans by forcing upon the younger generation your own vested interests which are politically manipulated? Do you seriously want to destroy Sikhi for good? How much of the pages of the Shri Adi Granthji will you tear out just because Hindu Gods have been praised and 99.99% of the philosophical writings contained within the Granth ji are from Hindu sages? Think about it - the more you destroy, the more you will be left with nothing and the more you fools will destroy the generations to come.

Long live Kesari Jhanda, Long Live Sanatan Sikhi !

Guru Nanak Devji Was a Hindu

The controversial painting that dates back to the early-mid 19th century showing Guru Nanak Devji wearing a Seli Topi, has a Tilak & is shown praying to Lord Vishnu. The painting, like all the Puraatan ones of Guruji, truly shows & proves how Sikhism is a part of the whole Hindu family and is a Panth ( Path ) of this great Sanatan heritage. SGPC, the Singh Sabha, including the Taliban brigade of Canadian Sikhs, have tried suppressing facts & have lived in denial of their Hindu roots of Sikhi, but the above rare Puraatan painting, which is stored in the Shimla museum, says more then a thousand words.


Neo-Sikhs, I certainly hope you all  enjoy looking at this beautiful painting of Guru Nanak Devji with none other than the 'Brahminical God' known as Lord Vishnu.

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.

The Other side of the Story

Sant Jarnail Singh Bhindrawale

I was a baby when Punjab was going through great turmoil. Upto this day, I believe along with many fellow Punjabis, whether Hindus or Sikhs, that Indira Gandhi was to blame for placing Sant Bhindrawale against the Akalis. Congress has been wrongly believed to be a Hindu Government by many gullible Sikhs & I reckon also Sant Bhindrawale himself believed the same. He later on found out himself that he had been placed at the Akal Takht for the sole destruction of the Sikh political body - the main player of this game was Indira herself who wanted a puppet ( Sant Bhindrawale ) to control Punjab for the benefit of Congress & its dirty political games. 

So much happened in Punjab prior to Bhindrawale becoming a 'Sant' - many murders of innocent Punjabis - both Hindus & Sikhs - countrysides saw massacres of Hindus being singled out on buses by goons posing as 'Sikhs' & vice verse - goons who would pose as Hindus would single out innocent Sikhs & murder them. The Congress Government & its media would blame both the Sikhs as well as the Hindus of Punjab for these gruesome murders & killings. Over 20,000 men & boys - Sikhs & Hindus - disappeared through the many police swipes which were made under the orders of Indira Gandhi. 

This would remain as one of the ugliest chapters of Indian political history - the other is the genocide of Kashmiri Hindus - again orchestrated by Congress in 1990. Both occurred under the Congress only.

Sant Bhindrawale was no doubt the 'Frankestein' placed at the heart of Punjab politics by Indira Gandhi as her agent at Amritsar. Later on, it seems Bhindrawale while studying all the Guru Banis at Shri Harmandirji  (Golden temple) actually grew enlightened about the bad karma he had accumulated by wanting to destroy the sanctity of Shri Harimandirji. And he truly did become a Sant. He certainly had some role or hand behind several shootings as well as murders of a few well known names in the Police & army prior to entering the Darbar Sahib. The only problem with Santji was that he played straight into the 'minority card' of Them & Us - Sikhs & Hindus. The divide between two brothers born of the same mother was to begin through Sant Bhindrawale's speeches. He was wrongly portrayed as the 'Ayatollah of India' by the Pseudo-secular media of India, which is by the way, no friend of the Hindus either. I believe there is another side to the story of this episode, despite many rumours & claims about Bhindrawale being a terrorist. I have always believed that Sant Bhindrawale's side of story is far far more nearer the truth than the version given to us by the anti-Sikh/ anti-Hindu Congress which is in fact a Muslim appeasing party - one that has successfully planted the seeds of hatred between Sikhs & Hindus - or lets just put it simply shall we?  - between the two brothers belonging to the same Sanatan heritage. 

I have never supported a Khalistan to be made out of Indian soil & somehow some of Sant Bhindrawale's views are also very extremist by setting Sikhs apart from Hindus. His many followers are actually going against the teachings of our great Gurus - were they to come back to Earth to witness the present Khalistani set up & the SGPC which is totally anti Gurmat I'm absolutely sure they would be so shocked as well as disappointed the way in which Sanatan Sikhi has become so polluted. The Gurus were pro-Bharat Mata & never spoke of starting up a new 'religion' called Sikhism - nor did they advocate a Khalistan. They fought for Hindu Dharam which they too belonged to & so strongly believed in.

Always referring to Sikhs being 'slaves' & wanting to end 'Sikh slavery', this was an obvious ploy of Bhindrawale to separate Sikhs from their Hindu brothers. Not a genuine campaign on his part, but Sant Bhindrawale saw to it that Sikhi became a minority religion of India & gave it the minority politics. He truly allowed himself to be used in the Congress political game & his hatred for Hindus was also very obvious from his many speeches. It may be he considered Indira a devout Hindu which she truly wasn't - and that gave him a reason to hate all Hindus of India. The truth is which many Sikhs do not understand is that Indira never was a Hindu - not in her lifestyle, her upbringing, her married life & not to forget her anti-India & anti-Hindu poilitics.

Khalistan was a British separatist plan which was later on nurtured by Pakistan, who has never forgiven its defeat in Bangladesh thanks to the Sikhs in the Indian army. But there was some sincerity in the man Bhindrawale himself which has never stopped me from questioning about this whole Punjab episode. No doubts that Bhindrawale & his men were fully armed with weapons smuggled in from across the borders from Pakistan - they were a bunch of anti-nationals & anti-Sanatan Dharmis but the term terrorist is bit too harsh compared to the Islamic terror outfits of Lashkar - e - Toyabaan or Mujahedeen. 

Here are some videos of Santji speaking openly to Swami Vishnu & a very rare dialogue. I will let you readers decide for yourselves after watching these videos - was Santji really a terrorist? Or was it that he became a pawn for Indira through her dictatorial political games? And yes, there is no doubt, Bhindrawale too became hungry for power at the Akal Takht as time progressed. 

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

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

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.