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.

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

Anniversary of Jallianwala Bagh Massacre -13 April 1919

                                             

The Jallianwala Bagh Massacre also known as the Amritsar Massacre, was named after the Jallianwala Bagh (Garden) in Amritsar where, on April 13, 1919, 90 British Indian Army soldiers under the command of Brigadier-General Reginald Dyer opened fire on an unarmed gathering of men, women and children. Civil Surgeon Dr. Smith indicated that there were 1,526 casualties.On April 13, thousands of people gathered in the Jallianwala Bagh (garden) near the Golden Temple in Amritsar, on Baisakhi, both a harvest festival and the Sikh religious New Year. It was in 1699 during this festival that the tenth Sikh Guru, Guru Gobind Singh created the Khalsa adding the name Singh or Kaur to every Sikh's name. For more than two hundred years, this annual festival had drawn thousands from all over India. 


The Jallianwala Bagh was bounded on all sides by houses and buildings and had few narrow entrances, most of which were kept permanently locked. Apart from the many deaths directly from the firing, a number of deaths were caused by stampedes at the narrow gates as also people who sought shelter from the firing by jumping into the solitary well inside the compound.

Below: 

A memorial to all those men, women & children who were massacred in cold blood by General Dyer

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