Dedicated to the preservation & promotion of pure Sanatan Hindu Sikhi heritage which the great Gurus strived to uphold.Today it is systematically being Talibanised by Neo-Sikhs,who are painting an Abrahamic picture of pure Sikhi traditions and brainwashing the Sikh youth into accepting a Sikh history which the Shiromani Guru Prabandhak Committee (SGPC), Tat Khalsa Singh Sabha & Akhand Kirtani Jatha (AKJ) have edited & rewritten shamelessly.
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.
Continuing with my last post on the Hindu-Khalsa flags & how the final 'Sikh' flag evolved under the SGPC. Today it is unimaginable that there was a time when a traditional Saffron flag with the motif of Durga Mata flew above the Shri Harimandirji, thanks to the fraud of Tat Khalsa. As is seen in most of the earlier paintings that the Khanda was not the emblem at all of the 'Sikhs' during the time of the Gurus - upto the 10th Guru in fact - until the SGPC decided to give Sanatan Sikhi a different colour set apart from its Hindu heritage that had continued during the time of all the Gurus. Though, however, Khanda is the assortment of the various weapons of Hindu Goddess Shakti Durga & still the present 'Sikh' emblem is very much a part of Hindu tradition that was prevalent several centuries ago.
Painting circa : 18th century - of a Hindu Khalsa army
Khalsa flags bearing the Hindu Goddesses of war
Sketch of Shri Harimandirji ca 19th century ( 1874 AD). The flags hoisted at the top have the tulwar, kattar & dhal
Close up of the above image
A clearly visible Saffron flag carried by the Hindu Khalsa of Guru Gobindji's army
Wall painting. Temple of Bairagis, Hoshiarpur circa:19th century- 10th Guruji with the Hindu Khalsa holding a simple flag
circa: 18th century - 10th Guruji with his Khalsa army & a red-saffron flag
circa: end 17th century-early 18th century - a very simple flag
circa: 18th century - 10th Guruji with the Khalsa carrying a saffron flag that has the symbols of dagger, sword & dhal
circa : 18th century - the 4 Sahibzadas - the flag is yellow & simple background
circa: 18th century - 10th Guruji with his army- a simple yellow flag with sword, dagger & dhal
A close up of the flag
Painting circa: 19th century - Baba Deep Singhji - the Khanda symbol is visible at the top of his turban but in the background the old styl of flag is visible also.
Closer view of the flag in the background
Guru Gobind Singhji inspiring the Hindu Khalsa army at Anandpur Sahib. Painting : 1930s
A close up of the flag carried by the Khalsa & the dhal shield & tulwar sword is visible behind the bird.
A very ancient Khanda belonging to the Chola tradition of India
circa: late 19th- early 20th century Khalsa military turban badge. The emblem consists of a khanda sword above a chakra, two crossed curved swords, two axes within the chakra.
circa: 19th century - Maharaja Ranjit Singhji with Hari Singhji. Behind is the shield, two tulwars & a bow across
Closer view
circa: late 19th - early 20th century - the 10 Gurujis. Emblem at the top of the painting has two tulwars, a bow, a dhal & a trishul at the centre. While both the emblems at the bottom of the painting have two axes, two tulwars & trishul at the centre of the dhal.
Closer view of the emblem at the top of the painting
Closer view of the emblem at the bottom of the painting
Painting circa: late 19th - early 20th century - all ten Gurujis. The emblem at the top has two swords, a bow, a Chakra & trishul, while the two emblems at the bottom of the painting have two battle axes, a bow, two swords, a Chakra & trishul spear at the centre.
Shiv Swaroopi Hindu Sant with the Addh Chand.
Shiv Swaroopi Akali Nihang
Shiv Swaroopi Akali Nihang
Closer view of the painting with a Nihang & all the Hindu weapon symbols
1912 - Vancouver, British Columbia. The emblem is part of a letterhead of a mining company run by Sikh immigrants in Canada. Visible in the emblem is a large Khanda, two banners, two curved tulwar swords & a Chakra.
1904 : Golden Temple- The Photo shows schoolboys at Shri Harimandirji . They are wearing turbans which were of a common style all over Northern India. There are Hindus as well standing in the background, one is a Brahmin teacher while there are some who haven't covered their heads. It seems like all Gurudvaras of the time, the Shri Harimandirji was also a great centre of learning, where there were Brahmin teachers & Hindu murtis also were inside the HariMandirji before the Christian Missionaries under the British threw them out to make the complex a Christian centre in 1906. In the far background, the Miri Piri flags are visible - having the Dhal, Kattar & Khanda.
A close up where the symbols are very visible. Flags bear the shield, tulwar & dagger.
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:
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.
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.
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.
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Khalsa Armies with Banner displaying motif of Goddess Varahi,the Hindu Goddess of War.
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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.
