Interaction:
One of our long times listeners recently had a very intriguing interaction, to say the least, with an Islamist Da’wah giver. Observing our listener to be a Sikh, the proselytizer attempted to corner her on some crucial religious distinctions. After a few minutes of back-and-forth, the frustrated Islamist cried (bitterly so) that the Guru Granth emphasizes that true Muslims are those who believe in Muhammad and this was evidence enough of Guru Nanak’s inferiority and belief in Islam. Of course, as usual, a seeming coup de grace was delivered in the McLeodian style that the progenitor Guru’s successors and subsequent generations of Sikhs altered the original Nanakian message. And as if to augment his words, he delivered the below verse from the Guru Granth:
ਮੁਸਲਮਾਣੁ ਕਹਾਵਣੁ ਮੁਸਕਲੁ ਜਾ ਹੋਇ ਤਾ ਮੁਸਲਮਾਣੁ ਕਹਾਵੈ ॥
ਅਵਲਿ ਅਉਲਿ ਦੀਨੁ ਕਰਿ ਮਿਠਾ ਮਸਕਲ ਮਾਨਾ ਮਾਲੁ ਮੁਸਾਵੈ ॥
ਹੋਇ ਮੁਸਲਿਮੁ ਦੀਨ ਮੁਹਾਣੈ ਮਰਣ ਜੀਵਣ ਕਾ ਭਰਮੁ ਚੁਕਾਵੈ ॥
ਰਬ ਕੀ ਰਜਾਇ ਮੰਨੇ ਸਿਰ ਉਪਰਿ ਕਰਤਾ ਮੰਨੇ ਆਪੁ ਗਵਾਵੈ ॥
ਤਉ ਨਾਨਕ ਸਰਬ ਜੀਆ ਮਿਹਰੰਮਤਿ ਹੋਇ ਤ ਮੁਸਲਮਾਣੁ ਕਹਾਵੈ ॥੧॥
“It is difficult to be called a Muslim; if one is truly a Muslim then he may be called one. First, let him savor the religion of the Prophet as sweet; then, let his pride of his possessions be scraped away. Becoming a true Muslim, a disciple of the faith of Muhammad, let him put aside the delusion of life and death. As he submits to God’s will, and surrenders to the Creator, he is rid of selfishness and conceit. And when, Oh Nanak, he is merciful to all Beings, only then shall he be called a Muslim.”
-Guru Granth, 141.
Retort:
As it was, our listener inquired whether the Islamist could specifically pinpoint where it mentioned the below lines in the Gurmukhi:
‘First, let him savor the religion of the Prophet as sweet…’
‘Becoming a true Muslim, a disciple of the faith of Muhammad…’
Naturally there was no reply. After screeching he would rely on the anglophonic translation more than he would on the Gurmukhi (the Guru Granth’s original script), the much humiliated and enraged proselytizer stalked off taking his inapt Da’wah with him.
Quandary:
After a mirthful phone call in which our listener related the entire incident to us and even sent us a video showcasing the proselytizer’s utter failure, we felt compelled to write this article. Since 1951, Sikh intellectual stalwarts like Professors Jodh Singh and Sahib Singh have continually demanded a much more refined and relevant simplification of the Guru Granth for non-Gurmukhi audiences. Professor Sahib Singh went so far as to create an alternative to the archaic Faridkot Teeka which the contemporary ruler of Faridkot wanted redone to erase a plethora of mistakes (incidental and wilful) found within its pages. Age and colossal debt disallowed Professor Sahib Singh from effectively concluding his work and the Sikh world was presented with a partially accurate though woefully shortened effort. This sad state of affairs continues even until today.
The Illusion Of Rectification:
Of course the Sikh powers that be could not conceal their apathy on this most critical of matters without resorting to cloaking maneuvers. Some factions boldly articulated Dr. Gopal Singh’s antiquated simplification; others brought forward Manmohan Singh’s (and we do not say this lightly) incoherent wordplays declared as translations. The cusp, however, was broached by the plagiarist Sant Singh Khalsa who under the auspices of Yogi Harbhajan plagiarized earlier translations and then epitheted his work as a consensus based translation. Who provided the consensus or how it was provided is never revealed. Whatever one opts to believe, either way the grim reality is today’s simplifications of the Guru Granth are highly deviant in nature with most bordering on the ludicrous.
The Current Scenario:
There is now a critical diagnosis of this issue being done by a newer generation of Sikhs based abroad and on the subcontinent. Within the Guru Granth are housed translative principles which allow one to readily comprehend its message without resorting to Pujari oriented mental acrobatics. Obviously this journey of rediscovery is problematic for non-Sikh proselytizers aiming to convert Sikhs away from the faith of their forefathers; politically correct brigades whose bread and butter are earned by misinterpreting the Guru Granth and of course the normal lay Sikh who conflates translation with essence and vice versa. Is it possible to produce a Panth accredited universal simplification of the Sikh canon in non-Gurmukhi languages which corresponds to Sikh canonical translative principles? Only time will tell though with each passing day the demand for it increases multifold.
Examples:
The primary translative emphasis with regards to Sikh doctrines is summarized as:
ਗੁਰ ਕੀ ਬਾਣੀ ਗੁਰ ਤੇ ਜਾਤੀ ਜਿ ਸਬਦਿ ਰਤੇ ਰੰਗੁ ਲਾਇ ॥
“The Guru’s Bani (teachings) can only be comprehended through the Bani itself and put into play when its words are accepted and lived by.”
-Guru Granth, 1346.
This begs the question, why are we Sikhs so over-reliant on exterior texts to comprehend our Guru’s Bani when the Bani itself is self-explanatory on all crucial points? This same emphasis was articulated by Professor Sahib Singh who meticulously pored over multiple Guru Granth manuscripts to decode and organize a grammatical key which allowed him to simplify the Gurmukhi while preserving the originality and context laid down by the canon’s authors. Ang. 141 of the Guru Granth seemingly describes and deals with the Islamist credo. However, as noted by the good Professor, some etymological distinctions need to be kept in mind when reading it. Below is his simplification of the so-called Muhammad verse:
ਸਲੋਕੁ ਮਃ ੧ ॥ ਮੁਸਲਮਾਣੁ ਕਹਾਵਣੁ ਮੁਸਕਲੁ ਜਾ ਹੋਇ ਤਾ ਮੁਸਲਮਾਣੁ ਕਹਾਵੈ ॥ ਅਵਲਿ ਅਉਲਿ ਦੀਨੁ ਕਰਿ ਮਿਠਾ ਮਸਕਲ ਮਾਨਾ ਮਾਲੁ ਮੁਸਾਵੈ ॥ ਹੋਇ ਮੁਸਲਿਮੁ ਦੀਨ ਮੁਹਾਣੈ ਮਰਣ ਜੀਵਣ ਕਾ ਭਰਮੁ ਚੁਕਾਵੈ ॥ ਰਬ ਕੀ ਰਜਾਇ ਮੰਨੇ ਸਿਰ ਉਪਰਿ ਕਰਤਾ ਮੰਨੇ ਆਪੁ ਗਵਾਵੈ ॥ ਤਉ ਨਾਨਕ ਸਰਬ ਜੀਆ ਮਿਹਰੰਮਤਿ ਹੋਇ ਤ ਮੁਸਲਮਾਣੁ ਕਹਾਵੈ ॥੧॥ {ਪੰਨਾ 141}
The Verse in Question.
ਪਦ ਅਰਥ: ਅਵਲਿ ਅਉਲਿ = ਅਵਲਿ ਅਉਲਿ, ਪਹਿਲਾਂ ਪਹਿਲ, ਸਭ ਤੋਂ ਪਹਿਲਾਂ {ਨੋਟ: ਅੱਖਰ 'ੳ' ਤੇ 'ਵ' ਆਪੋ ਵਿਚ ਬਦਲ ਜਾਂਦੇ ਹਨ ਕਿਉਂਕਿ ਦੋਹਾਂ ਦਾ ਉਚਾਰਨ-ਅਸਥਾਨ ਇਹੋ ਹੀ ਹੈ। ਇਸੇ ਹੀ 'ਵਾਰ' ਵਿਚ ਲਫ਼ਜ਼ 'ਪਉੜੀ' ਤੇ 'ਪਵੜੀ' ਵਰਤੇ ਜਾ ਰਹੇ ਹਨ, ਵੇਖੋ ਨੰ: 9, 10, 11}। ਮਸਕਲ = ਮਿਸਕਲਾ, ਜੰਗਾਲੁ ਲਾਹੁਣ ਵਾਲਾ ਹਥਿਆਰ। ਮਾਨਾ = ਮਾਨਿੰਦ, ਵਾਂਗ। ਮੁਸਾਵੈ = ਠਗਾਵੈ, ਲੁਟਾਏ, ਵੰਡੇ। ਦੀਨ ਮੁਹਾਣੈ = ਦੀਨ ਦੀ ਅਗਵਾਈ ਵਿਚ, ਦੀਨ ਦੇ ਸਨਮੁਖ, ਧਰਮ ਦੇ ਅਨੁਸਾਰ। ਮਰਣ ਜੀਵਣ = ਸਾਰੀ ਉਮਰ। ਆਪੁ = ਆਪਾ-ਭਾਵ, ਹਉਮੈ, ਖ਼ੁਦੀ। ਮਿਹਰੰਮਤਿ = ਮਿਹਰ, ਤਰਸ।
Definitions: ਅਵਲਿ ਅਉਲਿ- Primal, in the beginning; ਮਸਕਲ- File, instrument used to file off rust built up on metal; ਮਾਨਾ- Like, akin to; ਮੁਸਾਵੈ- Distributes, Shares; ਦੀਨ ਮੁਹਾਣੈ- As commanded by faith, by righteousness; ਮਰਣ ਜੀਵਣ- One’s whole life; ਆਪੁ- Ego, hubris; ਮਿਹਰੰਮਤਿ- Mercy, piety.
ਅਰਥ: (ਅਸਲ) ਮੁਸਲਮਾਨ ਅਖਵਾਣਾ ਬੜਾ ਔਖਾ ਹੈ ਜੇ (ਉਹੋ ਜਿਹਾ) ਬਣੇ ਤਾਂ ਮਨੁੱਖ ਆਪਣੇ ਆਪ ਨੂੰ ਮੁਸਲਮਾਨ ਅਖਾਏ। (ਅਸਲੀ ਮੁਸਲਮਾਨ ਬਣਨ ਲਈ) ਸਭ ਤੋਂ ਪਹਿਲਾਂ (ਇਹ ਜ਼ਰੂਰੀ ਹੈ ਕਿ) ਮਜ਼ਹਬ ਪਿਆਰਾ ਲੱਗੇ, (ਫਿਰ) ਜਿਵੇਂ ਮਿਸਕਲੇ ਨਾਲ ਜੰਗਾਲ ਲਾਹੀਦਾ ਹੈ ਤਿਵੇਂ (ਆਪਣੀ ਕਮਾਈ ਦਾ) ਧਨ (ਲੋੜਵੰਦਿਆਂ ਨਾਲ) ਵੰਡ ਕੇ ਵਰਤੇ (ਤੇ ਇਸ ਤਰ੍ਹਾਂ ਦੌਲਤ ਦਾ ਅਹੰਕਾਰ ਦੂਰ ਕਰੇ) । ਮਜ਼ਹਬ ਦੀ ਅਗਵਾਈ ਵਿਚ ਤੁਰ ਕੇ ਮੁਸਲਮਾਨ ਬਣੇ, ਤੇ ਸਾਰੀ ਉਮਰ ਦੀ ਭਟਕਣਾ ਮੁਕਾ ਦੇਵੇ (ਭਾਵ, ਸਾਰੀ ਉਮਰ ਕਦੇ ਮਜ਼ਹਬ ਦੇ ਦੱਸੇ ਰਾਹ ਤੋਂ ਲਾਂਭੇ ਨਾਹ ਜਾਏ) । ਰੱਬ ਦੇ ਕੀਤੇ ਨੂੰ ਸਿਰ ਮੱਥੇ ਤੇ ਮੰਨੇ, ਕਾਦਰ ਨੂੰ ਹੀ (ਸਭ ਕੁਝ ਕਰਨ ਵਾਲਾ) ਮੰਨੇ ਤੇ ਖ਼ੁਦੀ ਮਿਟਾ ਦੇਵੇ। ਇਸ ਤਰ੍ਹਾਂ, ਹੇ ਨਾਨਕ! (ਰੱਬ ਦੇ ਪੈਦਾ ਕੀਤੇ) ਸਾਰੇ ਬੰਦਿਆਂ ਨਾਲ ਪਿਆਰ ਕਰੇ, ਇਹੋ ਜਿਹਾ ਬਣੇ, ਤਾਂ ਮੁਸਲਮਾਨ ਅਖਵਾਏ।1।
‘Translation-To acknowledge oneself or be acknowledged by others as a true Muslim is neigh impossible. Only one who becomes such a Muslim can acknowledge oneself as such. To be a true Muslim one must first of all love the path of righteousness and then like the file debilitating rust spread one’s possessions all around among the needy. When one walks in such a path of righteousness can one become a true Muslim who effaces their doubts of life and death. Such a Being joyously accepts whatever befalls their lot as their Maker’s blessings and destroys their hubris. In this way Nanak one learns how to love all that is created by the Creator and earns the honorific of Muslim.’
Given the Professor’s unparalleled linguistic acumen and his prodigal mastery of Gurmukhi, is it not discernible that he makes no mention of either Muhammad or Islam as is commonly inserted by force in current simplifications? There is, in reality, no mention of either other than in the over active imaginations of some Sikh intellectuals who envision a prosaic Utopia in which the Guru Granth guides everyone Orwellian Big Brother style.
The Ang. 141 Gamut:
The whole of Ang. 141 is a critique of Islamic philosophy. Contrary to the misleading simplifications expounded by Politically Correct (or realistically speaking: Politically Inapt) individuals, it does not describe and emphasize Islamic practices. The reader, prior to reading the passages in question, is encouraged to understand the etymological definitions of Islam and Muslim: submission and submissive. Keeping these in mind it becomes transparent that Guru Nanak is criticizing the Islamic credo but in Arabic terminology:
ਹਕੁ ਪਰਾਇਆ ਨਾਨਕਾ ਉਸੁ ਸੂਅਰ ਉਸੁ ਗਾਇ ॥
ਗੁਰੁ ਪੀਰੁ ਹਾਮਾ ਤਾ ਭਰੇ ਜਾ ਮੁਰਦਾਰੁ ਨ ਖਾਇ ॥
ਗਲੀ ਭਿਸਤਿ ਨ ਜਾਈਐ ਛੁਟੈ ਸਚੁ ਕਮਾਇ ॥
ਮਾਰਣ ਪਾਹਿ ਹਰਾਮ ਮਹਿ ਹੋਇ ਹਲਾਲੁ ਨ ਜਾਇ ॥
ਨਾਨਕ ਗਲੀ ਕੂੜੀਈ ਕੂੜੋ ਪਲੈ ਪਾਇ ॥੨॥
“Snatching away another’s right is akin to consuming (forbidden) pork for some and (forbidden) beef for others. The Guru (wisdom) is our guide and only stands alongside us if we refrain from consuming such carrion. But mere speech benefits no one unless one practices what they preach. By making what is transgressive more palatable reality is not changed. Nanak, falsity begets falsity.”
The above is denunciative of forced conversions and deprivation of the rights of non-conformists on sacerdotal grounds as practised by both Hindus and Muslims. Their detraction of the common rights of others is labelled by the Guru as being akin to the consumption of beef which is anathema for Hindus and swine which offends Islamic religiosity. However, mere religious rhetoric on what is forbidden and what is rightful as per religious scriptures does not alter reality and what is already false breeds more falsity rather than reveal the truth.
ਪੰਜਿ ਨਿਵਾਜਾ ਵਖਤ ਪੰਜਿ ਪੰਜਾ ਪੰਜੇ ਨਾਉ ॥
ਪਹਿਲਾ ਸਚੁ ਹਲਾਲ ਦੁਇ ਤੀਜਾ ਖੈਰ ਖੁਦਾਇ ॥
ਚਉਥੀ ਨੀਅਤਿ ਰਾਸਿ ਮਨੁ ਪੰਜਵੀ ਸਿਫਤਿ ਸਨਾਇ ॥
ਕਰਣੀ ਕਲਮਾ ਆਖਿ ਕੈ ਤਾ ਮੁਸਲਮਾਣੁ ਸਦਾਇ ॥
ਨਾਨਕ ਜੇਤੇ ਕੂੜਿਆਰ ਕੂੜੈ ਕੂੜੀ ਪਾਇ ॥੩॥
“There are five (ritualistic) prayers at five different times of the day with five different names. (But) make your first prayer for truthfulness; your second for honesty and the third for piety. Let the fourth be of goodwill for all and the fifth in acceptance and praise of whatever befalls you. When you will live out such prayers then you will become a true Muslim. (But) Nanak the false are obtaining falsehood by spreading falsity.”
The concept of Salat is dismissed by the Guru here. Prayers while performed should also be lived with the seeker offering up a vice and exchanging it for a virtue and then fighting to preserve that virtue. The first virtue to be lived is of truthfulness which is greater than the first prayer. The second virtue to be lived is of honesty which is greater than the second prayer. The third virtue to be lived is of altruism which is greater than the third prayer. The fourth virtue to be imbibed is of goodwill to all and harm to none without cause while the final virtue is of acceptance and soldiering on irrespective of whatever befalls one in life. These five virtues are to be lived by and prayers should be directed towards preserving them in one’s life. Only when they are successfully lived can one be declared as being truly submissive. But counterproductively, falsity is rife and producing more falsity.
ਮੁਸਲਮਾਣੁ ਕਹਾਵਣੁ ਮੁਸਕਲੁ ਜਾ ਹੋਇ ਤਾ ਮੁਸਲਮਾਣੁ ਕਹਾਵੈ ॥
ਅਵਲਿ ਅਉਲਿ ਦੀਨੁ ਕਰਿ ਮਿਠਾ ਮਸਕਲ ਮਾਨਾ ਮਾਲੁ ਮੁਸਾਵੈ ॥
ਹੋਇ ਮੁਸਲਿਮੁ ਦੀਨ ਮੁਹਾਣੈ ਮਰਣ ਜੀਵਣ ਕਾ ਭਰਮੁ ਚੁਕਾਵੈ ॥
ਰਬ ਕੀ ਰਜਾਇ ਮੰਨੇ ਸਿਰ ਉਪਰਿ ਕਰਤਾ ਮੰਨੇ ਆਪੁ ਗਵਾਵੈ ॥
ਤਉ ਨਾਨਕ ਸਰਬ ਜੀਆ ਮਿਹਰੰਮਤਿ ਹੋਇ ਤ ਮੁਸਲਮਾਣੁ ਕਹਾਵੈ ॥੧॥
How then does one translate the above verse? By now it should be clear that the Muslim of the Guru Granth is not the Muslim of Islam. The Sikh canon, in this verse, is referring to a submissive Seeker who has obliterated their hubris in lieu of some Mohammadean. They are submissive to Hukam (reality) which is the primal faith of all Creation as it is the oldest of principles (ਦੀਨੁ -belief, principle, religion). The true textual simplification of this verse then, according to us, is the following:
“To declare yourself truly submissive is well impossible unless you are truly submissive indeed. Accept the earliest and most primal of Principles as being sweet and then efface your hubris, your illusory love of possessions, like the file removes rust. Being submissive as such, tread the path of this belief and efface all your doubts about living and dying. Accepting whatever your Maker wills upon you, destroy your conceited self. Nanak says that after this you truly learn to be merciful to all the Creator has Created and you become submissive.”
The above, essentially, preserve the essence of the original Gurmukhi while keeping context in mind.
But Wait! There’s More:
Ang. 141 is not the only misinterpreted and mistranslated passage in the Guru Granth. As T. Singh of the much famed Gurbani Blog evinces, another thorny stumbling block is encountered when ਗਰੁੜ is encountered. On Angs 1165-1166 a lengthy verse of the reformer Namdev is often mistranslated to imply that some deity came to his rescue riding atop a colossal avian bird. The deciding factor for why this verse is translated like it is, according to T. Singh, is owing to ਗਰੁੜ. He coherently argues that ਗਰੁੜ is not the Garud of Hindu mythology, the deity Vishnu’s beloved avian steed. Rather, the term in the Guru Granth defines enlightenment or wisdom. T Singh’s translations:
ਮਾਇਆ ਭੁਇਅੰਗਮੁ ਸਰਪੁ ਹੈ ਜਗੁ ਘੇਰਿਆ ਬਿਖੁ ਮਾਇ ॥ ਬਿਖੁ ਕਾ ਮਾਰਣੁ ਹਰਿ ਨਾਮੁ ਹੈ ਗੁਰ ਗਰੁੜ ਸਬਦੁ ਮੁਖਿ ਪਾਇ ॥: Maya-snake is the big snake (i.e. lures or temptations of the world…) and has surrounded the world with its coils. Filled with the poison that brings spiritual death, this Maya-snake surrounds the world. Antidote to this poisonous venom is Awareness of the divine Naam; the Gur-Shabad is the ‘Gaarurr’ Mantra, keep it in your mouth. (sggs 1415).
ਬਿਸੀਅਰ ਬਿਸੂ ਭਰੇ ਹੈ ਪੂਰਨ ਗੁਰੁ ਗਰੁੜ ਸਬਦੁ ਮੁਖਿ ਪਾਵੈਗੋ ॥ ਮਾਇਆ ਭੁਇਅੰਗ ਤਿਸੁ ਨੇੜਿ ਨ ਆਵੈ ਬਿਖੁ ਝਾਰਿ ਝਾਰਿ ਲਿਵ ਲਾਵੈਗੋ ॥੨॥: The snakes are filled with poisonous venom; the Guru’s Shabad is the ‘Garurr’ Mantra (antidote that neutralize the poison) – place it in your mouth. Maya- serpent (i.e. lures or temptations of the world…), does not affect that person who is rid of the poison by fixing attention on Naam. ||2|| (sggs 1310).
And there are countless more such relevant examples. Another recent example we encountered:
ਜਸਰਥ ਰਾਇ ਨੰਦੁ ਰਾਜਾ ਮੇਰਾ ਰਾਮ ਚੰਦੁ ਪ੍ਰਣਵੈ ਨਾਮਾ ਤਤੁ ਰਸੁ ਅੰਮ੍ਰਿਤੁ ਪੀਜੈ ॥੪॥੪॥
“My Sovereign Lord King is Raam Chandra, the Son of the King Dasrathh; prays Namdev, I drink in the Ambrosial Nectar.”
-Guru Granth, 973.
Yet Namdev and other writers whose verses are housed in the Guru Granth leave no stone unturned in distinguishing their Raam from Raam Chandar.
ਸੁਲਤਾਨੁ ਪੂਛੈ ਸੁਨੁ ਬੇ ਨਾਮਾ ॥
ਦੇਖਉ ਰਾਮ ਤੁਮ੍ਹ੍ਹਾਰੇ ਕਾਮਾ ॥੧॥
ਨਾਮਾ ਸੁਲਤਾਨੇ ਬਾਧਿਲਾ ॥
ਦੇਖਉ ਤੇਰਾ ਹਰਿ ਬੀਠੁਲਾ ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥
“The Sultan demanded that I (Namdev) heed his command and show him the feats of the one I call Raam (in opposition to the Hindu clergy’s Raam). He further demanded that I show this Raam as well to prove his existence and then he arrested me.”
-Guru Granth, 1165.
The key to comprehending this verse lies in the fact that Dasrath was never Raam Chandar’s father’s name. His true name was Nemi and Dasrath or the one who runs his chariot in ten directions was an epithet bestowed upon him in acknowledgement of his charioteering skills. So what is Namdev essentially saying?
ਜਸਰਥ ਰਾਇ ਨੰਦੁ ਰਾਜਾ ਮੇਰਾ ਰਾਮ ਚੰਦੁ ਪ੍ਰਣਵੈ ਨਾਮਾ ਤਤੁ ਰਸੁ ਅੰਮ੍ਰਿਤੁ ਪੀਜੈ ॥੪॥੪॥
“The divine King who rules in ten directions (is present in ten directions, ਜਸਰਥ ) is my Raam Chand who I have accepted and from whom I obtain the true ambrosia.”
Solutions?
The only practical solution, at this stage, is for Sikh intellectuals to congregate and create an authentic and easy to comprehend simplification of the Guru Granth which can act as a template for multiple translations across multiple languages while also preserving the originality of the Guru’s message. Such an endeavor will not only arm Sikhs with the knowledge required to defend their beliefs but also spread the Khalsa gospel far and wide. For all our talk of ruling the world and being divinely ordained, we can barely provide a coherent explanation for why 300 years after its inception we are still unable to comprehend the Guru Granth.
Beautiful
Where might I find the incomplete, but authentic, English translations by Professor Sahib Singh?