TENACITY
The Khalsa Spirit Of Dogged Resistance
Introduction:
In his Naveen Panth Prakash, Giani Gian Singh recounts a detailed conversation between Iranian marauder Nadir Shah (c.1688-c.1747) and Islamofascist Zakariya Khan (d. 1747), in which Zakariya traces the genesis of the Khalsa spirit to none other than Guru Nanak - who, he claimed, made Guru Gobind Singh the immortal emperor of the Sikhs, thereby paving the way for dogged Sikh resistance against the ways of the world. Writing earlier, Ratan Singh Bhangu in his Sri Gur Panth Prakash narrates how Sanataani marauder Lakhpat Rai (d.1746) vowed to annihilate the Khalsa which he derisively described as the mischievous creation of Nanak, whom he mockingly disparaged as the addled Khatri. A striking theme underlying both accounts is the identification of Guru Nanak -not Guru Gobind Singh- as the initial architect of the Khalsa and its tenacity, in sharp contrast to the assertions of modern secularists who seek to sever this sacred continuity.
Denial:
As discussed in our prior article the ancient Khalsa engraved a highly conspicuous adage on its coins signifying its ability to defend and sustain itself. This was further reinforced by another complementary adage in Persian on the same coins,
سکا زد بر هر دو عالم فضل سچا صاحب است فتح تیغ گورگوبند سنگ شاه نانک وهب است
“This coin is struck in both the temporal and and non-temporal worlds through the grace of the only true Master. The sword of (Guru Nanak) furnishes (Guru) Gobind Singh, emperor of all emperors, with his triumphs.”
A plethora of similar material abounds among the various collections of Sikh artifacts and heritage. Guru Nanak is identified as the holder of the sword of the Khalsa, the father of the Khalsa, the original archetype for the Khalsa and so forth. This reality significantly conflicts with modernist secular interpretations that hold Guru Nanak’s successors to have deviated from his original secularist teachings for personal glory and political domination. Such slander was rarely tolerated in the days of the ancient Khalsa; it has become catastrophically mainstream today. The resulting outcome is a wholescale dismissal of the Khalsa as some temporary resolution to a political exigency or a fraternity of Guru Gobind Singh’s own making with no relation to Guru Nanak’s original principles. This cowardly denial of the sacred continuity between Guru Nanak and his successors is intended to obviate the Khalsa’s mission of rebuilding society on its own terms.
Hypocrisy:
The imposition of this artificial rupture between Guru Nanak and his successors serves to diminish the radical implications of Guru Nanak’s precepts - allowing self-declared Sikhs to advertise their adoption of Sikhi’s comforting philosophical aspects while avoiding the more challenging calls to active resistance and sacrifice that wholly define the Khalsa identity emanating from a total adherence to Nanakian principles. The reality is that while such individuals may argue they are on a journey, this so-called journey is nothing but a facade to have others massage their egos while they themselves refrain from committing wholly to Guru Nanak’s ideals. In short, they treat Sikhi as a buffet of consumer spirituality. The stereotypical portrayals of Guru Nanak as a saintly figure plays into their hands well allowing them to portray themselves as saintly individuals while the militaristic portrayals of later Gurus underscore their cowardly hypocrisy.
Reality:
In our previous articles we have substantiated, beyond doubt, how Guru Nanak’s teachings from the Guru Granth itself allow the use of force - contrary to the usual proclamation that the sixth Guru -Guru Hargobind- was the first to justify force in the Sikh praxis. This divorce between Sikh philosophy and praxis does not stand the test of authenticity when one reads the canonical Guru Granth. Gurmat, the Sikh lifestyle, anchors itself on producing the ideal enlightened being: self-reliant and warring with both their own base selves and the external world. This reality is not to the liking of many who would rather treat Sikhi as some validatory cliched religion where selfish prayers miraculously net results. Thus, they rely on erroneous translations of the Guru Granth to reinforce their invalid presumptions. What inspires Khalsa tenacity? They have no answer. Ironic? Maybe. Expected? Definitely.
Guru Granth:
Current readings of the Guru Granth are derived from mistranslated simplifications that utilize secularistic frameworks for conveying the Gurus’ message rather than Gurmat frameworks. Thus even the reading methodology imparted by the Gurus in their writings is easily overlooked. A prime example is that of Ghar. Dr. Charan Kamal Singh explains that Ghar denotes a continuity of pronunciation (how the verse is to be pronounced), recital (how the verse is to be musically recited), and meaning (how it is to be understood in relation to preceding and succeeding verses). A prime example from Guru Nanak’s writings is reproduced below,
ਆਸਾ ਘਰੁ ੬ ਮਹਲਾ ੧ ॥
ਮਨੁ ਮੋਤੀ ਜੇ ਗਹਣਾ ਹੋਵੈ ਪਉਣੁ ਹੋਵੈ ਸੂਤ ਧਾਰੀ ॥
ਖਿਮਾ ਸੀਗਾਰੁ ਕਾਮਣਿ ਤਨਿ ਪਹਿਰੈ ਰਾਵੈ ਲਾਲ ਪਿਆਰੀ ॥੧॥
“In Raag (style) Asa (associated with balladeering) Ghar 6th (in continuity) by the first Guru (Guru Nanak).
If the mind can be imagined as a pearl that is strung on a thread of cotton, then the damsel can also adorn her body in the cloak of forbearance and bask in the love she receives…”
-Guru Granth, 359.
In line with established trends in previous Ghars, Guru Nanak metaphorizes the soul as a damsel enjoining it to cultivate forbearance as a means of receiving divine blessings. However, to truly achieve this, the soul-damsel is first tasked with mastering the mind to the extent it becomes as controllable as a jewel on a string. Ghar 6th has already established in its opening lines that forbearance is the foremost concept being discussed with the Sikh’s mind being the main addressee. It is in the same Ghar that Guru Nanak proclaims his famous Babur Vani urging the victims of religiopolitical tyranny to arise and visit retribution upon their tormentors. Again, the central theme is forbearance but on the path of pursuing justice while the addressee remains unchanged.
ਖੁਰਾਸਾਨ ਖਸਮਾਨਾ ਕੀਆ ਹਿੰਦੁਸਤਾਨੁ ਡਰਾਇਆ ॥
ਆਪੈ ਦੋਸੁ ਨ ਦੇਈ ਕਰਤਾ ਜਮੁ ਕਰਿ ਮੁਗਲੁ ਚੜਾਇਆ ॥
ਏਤੀ ਮਾਰ ਪਈ ਕਰਲਾਣੇ ਤੈਂ ਕੀ ਦਰਦੁ ਨ ਆਇਆ ॥੧॥
ਕਰਤਾ ਤੂੰ ਸਭਨਾ ਕਾ ਸੋਈ ॥
ਜੇ ਸਕਤਾ ਸਕਤੇ ਕਉ ਮਾਰੇ ਤਾ ਮਨਿ ਰੋਸੁ ਨ ਹੋਈ ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥
ਸਕਤਾ ਸੀਹੁ ਮਾਰੇ ਪੈ ਵਗੈ ਖਸਮੈ ਸਾ ਪੁਰਸਾਈ ॥
ਰਤਨ ਵਿਗਾੜਿ ਵਿਗੋਏ ਕੁਤੀ ਮੁਇਆ ਸਾਰ ਨ ਕਾਈ ॥
ਆਪੇ ਜੋੜਿ ਵਿਛੋੜੇ ਆਪੇ ਵੇਖੁ ਤੇਰੀ ਵਡਿਆਈ ॥੨॥
ਜੇ ਕੋ ਨਾਉ ਧਰਾਏ ਵਡਾ ਸਾਦ ਕਰੇ ਮਨਿ ਭਾਣੇ ॥
ਖਸਮੈ ਨਦਰੀ ਕੀੜਾ ਆਵੈ ਜੇਤੇ ਚੁਗੈ ਦਾਣੇ ॥
ਮਰਿ ਮਰਿ ਜੀਵੈ ਤਾ ਕਿਛੁ ਪਾਏ ਨਾਨਕ ਨਾਮੁ ਵਖਾਣੇ ॥੩॥੫॥੩੯॥
“The one Maker has formed both Khurasan (Persia) and Hindustan (the subcontinent) alongside the rest of Creation. The residents of Hindustan fear those of Khurasan. The cowards have no one to blame but their own insipid selves for their fear. Yet they cast around to pin the blame on another and this is why the Mughal (tyrant) crushes them underfoot.
The cowards make their Conscience the first casualty of conflict. They feel no grief at the calamity befalling them and their fellows. You, the true Maker, are the Providence which provides for all. When one comprehends this fact, they become powerful. When another power attacks such a powerful individual, then the target does not fear the aggressor in their minds for they have become as equally powerful.
But the cowards? They die a conscientious death and have only themselves to blame for their lot in life; they moan about like weak herdsmen. The jewel-like Conscience is silenced by obsession with illusory pursuits. Once silenced, then one becomes a dead-dog while living. Unable to express concern at anything. The mind attaches, the mind separates; this is its greatness.
But if one uses such a miraculous mind to claim virtue yet indulge in hypocrisy, then they are nothing but insects in their Maker’s gaze. Die and die again to acquire something in life. This is the glory of true wisdom.”
-Guru Granth, 360.
The Khalsa’s Tenacity:
As a continuum of Guru Nanak’s above exhortation to resist tyranny, Guru Arjan the fifth Sikh Guru penned his own emphatic injunction that informed the ancient Khalsa’s legendary tenacity. Guru Nanak advised that the Sikh die first in the Shabad or the injunctions of the Guru Granth to reform themselves and then die physically in the pursuit of rebuilding the world irrespective of what exact form this death took. His words underscore that the path to eternal glory is hard and not full of pleasureful comforts. The tradeoff is the ability to impart a legacy inspiring countless others after one’s demise. This is the exact principle we see in the lives of his successors who established the Sikh hero archetype - individuals performing herculean sacrifices to dominate their society in order to change it. Guru Arjan’s words conform to the first Guru’s precepts.
In Raag Asa, Ghar 2nd, Mahalla 5th (Guru Arjan), the fifth Guru commences his address forewarning Sikhs against the power of desire. Progressing onwards, he details how it can be overcome concluding that now it has become his servant through Guru Nanak’s revelation of Naam or the divine wisdom in action. The addressee is the Sikh, as established by the Ghar, while the theme under discussion is that of desire. It is in the subsequent verse that Guru Arjan reinforces the notion of Khalsa tenacity enunciated by Guru Nanak in his aforementioned verses:
ਪ੍ਰਥਮੇ ਮਤਾ ਜਿ ਪਤ੍ਰੀ ਚਲਾਵਉ ॥
ਦੁਤੀਏ ਮਤਾ ਦੁਇ ਮਾਨੁਖ ਪਹੁਚਾਵਉ ॥
ਤ੍ਰਿਤੀਏ ਮਤਾ ਕਿਛੁ ਕਰਉ ਉਪਾਇਆ ॥
ਮੈ ਸਭੁ ਕਿਛੁ ਛੋਡਿ ਪ੍ਰਭ ਤੁਹੀ ਧਿਆਇਆ ॥੧॥
ਮਹਾ ਅਨੰਦ ਅਚਿੰਤ ਸਹਜਾਇਆ ॥
ਦੁਸਮਨ ਦੂਤ ਮੁਏ ਸੁਖੁ ਪਾਇਆ ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥
ਸਤਿਗੁਰਿ ਮੋ ਕਉ ਦੀਆ ਉਪਦੇਸੁ ॥
ਜੀਉ ਪਿੰਡੁ ਸਭੁ ਹਰਿ ਕਾ ਦੇਸੁ ॥
ਜੋ ਕਿਛੁ ਕਰੀ ਸੁ ਤੇਰਾ ਤਾਣੁ ॥
ਤੂੰ ਮੇਰੀ ਓਟ ਤੂੰਹੈ ਦੀਬਾਣੁ ॥੨॥
“I was firstly advised to dispatch a letter. Secondly, I was advised to dispatch two men. Thirdly, I was advised to make efforts on my own behest. I ignored everything and professed my dedication to you alone. I am now in unfathomable bliss and at untouchable ease. By finishing off my foes I am at ease. The divine truth has imparted these precepts to me. My very existence and physical being are infused with the divine power. Whatever I do is by your power alone. You are my refuge and yours is the only court that can judge me.”
-Guru Granth, 371.
While some historians and Sikh theologians have argued this verse refers to Guru Arjan’s conflict with Islamofascist Sulhi Khan who died in a freak accident while enroute to slay the Guru, its positioning according to Ghar rubbishes this assumption. Neither is this verse solely strategic (dispatch communication etc.). It does not delineate what to do versus what not to do in any circumstance. What it instead clarifies is that the Gursikh, the Khalsa, never concedes on vital principles and remains dogged in its commitment to their victory. The Khalsa does not fight for personal self-aggrandizing desires (as illustrated in the Ghar’s opening). Rather, it fights for the upkeep of its sacred ideals. It does not concede any ground to the foe (though it may strategically feign this occasionally).
The Guru was advised to placate his foes by offering his apologies and surrendering to them. He was initially advised to send a letter of surrender. he refused. Then he was requested to send two envoys. He refused. Then he was told to approach his foes in person. He again refused. Rather, he (in his own testimony) planned out his own strategy for the triumph of Nanakian precepts. There is no question here of Akal interfering to protect the Guru from harm as many charlatans claim. Rather, it is the Guru exhibiting the dogged tenacity expected by Guru Nanak from his Sikhs.
Conclusion:
There are certain procedures to reading the Guru Granth that reveal its insightful and valid imperatives for Sikhs today. They substantiate Guru Nanak’s seeding of the Khalsa ethos both philosophically as Sikhi and in the form of the Sikh praxis as Gurmat. The Khalsa is not some brainchild of Guru Gobind Singh alone. The Guru acted as its catalyst, but it was Guru Nanak who was its genesis. Both Lakhpat Rai and Zakariya knew this ergo their caustic insults against the progenitor Guru. The ancient Khalsa was also conversant with this reality ergo the maxims of Guru Nanak handing Guru Gobind Singh the sword of triumph it inscribed on its coins. This was no poetic gaffe or creative liberty. It was reality.
