Transcript Slide 1
The advent of Guru Nanak Dev Ji in 1469
came at a time of socio-political necessity.
India had fallen on evil days. There was no
security of life and property
Guru Nanak:
The Prophet of the Poor and the Deprived
Jeeu Kar suraj nikaleya, taare chhipe andher paloa.
(Bhai Gurdas Var 1/27)
15th April, 1469
Baisakh sudi 3, Samwat 1526
Mata Tripta Ji and Mehta Kalu Ji
Raipur (Rai-Bhoi-di-Talwandi)
Nankana Sahib (now in Pakistan)
30 miles southwest of Lahore
Sister - Nanki Ji (Jairam)
Rai Bular
15th century India
A Land divided by Religion ….
Where the poor were exploited by the rich ….
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sloku mÚ 1 ]
Shalok, First Mehl:
kil kwqI rwjy kwsweI Drmu pMK kir aufirAw ]
The Age is like a drawn knife,
the Kings are butchers,
The law hath taken wings and flown away,
kUVu Amwvs scu cMdRmw dIsY nwhI kh ciVAw ]
In the dark night of falsehood,
I can nowhere see the rising of the moon of Truth.
Guru Granth Sahib, Majh 145
Guru Nanak Dev Ji rang the alarm-bell
and saved masses from fake religions.
Religion then was either by form of ritual or
hypocrisy.
He released people from the rut of formalism
and the parrot-like repetition of scriptures.
Rigid in Religious Practices
Strict Rituals
Untouchables – Poor and Low Caste Hindus
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sloku mÚ 1 ]
Shalok, First Mehl:
imhr msIiq isdku muslw hku hlwlu kurwxu ]
Let mercy be your mosque, faith your prayer-mat, and honest living your Koran.
srm suMniq sIlu rojw hohu muslmwxu ]
Make modesty your circumcision, and good conduct your fast. In this way, you shall be a true Muslim.
krxI kwbw scu pIru klmw krm invwj ]
Let good conduct be your Kaabaa, Truth your spiritual guide,
and the karma of good deeds your prayer and chant.
qsbI sw iqsu BwvsI nwnk rKY lwj ]1]
Let your rosary be that which is pleasing to His Will. O Nanak, God shall preserve your honor. ||1||
Guru Nanak Dev Ji challenged
•Division of men into classes,
castes and communities.
• For him, all men were equally
worthy of respect
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slok mÚ 1 ]
Shalok, First Mehl:
PkV jwqI PkVu nwau ]
Pride in social status is empty; pride in personal glory is useless.
sBnw jIAw iekw Cwau ]
The One Lord gives shade to all beings.
Awphu jy ko Blw khwey ]
You may call yourself good;
nwnk qw pru jwpY jw piq lyKY pwey ]1]
O Nanak, this will only be known when your honor is approved in God's Account. ||1||
Sri, pg 83
jwxhu joiq n pUChu jwqI AwgY jwiq n hy ]1] rhwau ]
Recognize the Lord's Light within all, and do not consider social class or status;
there are no classes or castes in the world hereafter. ||1||Pause||
Asa, pg 349
He did not distance himself from ordinary people by staying in
the houses of the rich. (Bhai Lalo and Malik Bhago)
“One receives in accordance to what one does. As one sows so one eats"
The cornerstone of his teachings was equality. He said in the eyes of God
Everyone is born equal . In a society deeply divided by religion and caste,
where the common people faced exploitation and intolerance, his message
gave them strength.
“Sabh meh jot, jot hai so-e’.
Guru Nanak Dev Ji stressed the uniqueness of
each individual and wanted him to progress through a
process of self-discipline.
The discipline was three-fold: physical, moral and
spiritual.
The physical discipline included acts of service and
charity, while leading a householder's life;
At Sultanpur ( Nawab Daultat Khan)
Storekeeper and Accountant
Work, Prayer and Helping the needy
Tera-Tera (Number 13 – I am thine)
First words after enlightenment
“There is no Hindu and No Musalman”
Four Udassis (40 years)
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Sacha Sauda (Profitable “True” Bargain)
What better bargain than to feed the poor and the hungry
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•Moral discipline included righteous living and rising
above selfish desires;
•Spiritual discipline included the belief in only the One
Supreme Being, (the Timeless Almighty) and the
exclusion of the Pantheon of gods and goddesses, in
whom they had formerly believed.
The Gurus brought a course of discipline to
their Sikhs that lasted for a period of nearly
230 years till the creation of the Khalsa SIKH,
the ideal man of Tenth Guru.
• Guru Nanak Dev Ji opposed political
tyranny and subjugation.
• He raised his voice against Babar's
invasion and the tyrannical deeds
perpetrated by his army in India.
Lord, You took Khurasan under Thy wing,
But yeildest India to the invaders’ wrath.
Yet Thou takest no blame;
And sent the Mughal as the messenger of death.
Where there was such suffering,
killing, such shrieking in pain,
Did you not, O God, feel pity ?
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rwgu Awsw mhlw 1 AstpdIAw Gru 3
Raag Aasaa, First Mehl, Ashtapadees, Third House:
<> siqgur pRswid ]
One Universal Creator God. By The Grace Of The True Guru:
ijn isir sohin ptIAw mWgI pwie sMDUru ]
Those heads adorned with braided hair, with their parts painted with vermillion
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sy isr kwqI muMnIAin@ gl ivic AwvY DUiV ]
those heads were shaved with scissors, and their throats were choked with dust.
mhlw AMdir hodIAw huix bhix n imlin@ hdUir ]1]
They lived in palatial mansions, but now, they cannot even sit near the palaces. ||1||
Awdysu bwbw Awdysu ]
Hail to You, O Father Lord, Hail to You!
Awid purK qyrw AMqu n pwieAw kir kir dyKih vys ]1] rhwau ]
O Primal Lord. Your limits are not known; You create, and create, and behold the scenes. ||1||Pause||
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jdhu sIAw vIAwhIAw lwVy sohin pwis ]
When they were married, their husbands looked so handsome beside them.
hIfolI ciV AweIAw dMd KMf kIqy rwis ]
They came in palanquins, decorated with ivory;
auprhu pwxI vwrIAY Jly iJmkin pwis ]2]
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water was sprinkled over their heads, and glittering fans were waved above them. ||2||
ieku lKu lhin@ bihTIAw lKu lhin@ KVIAw ]
They were given hundreds of thousands of coins when they sat,
and hundreds of thousands of coins when they stood.
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grI Cuhwry KWdIAw mwxin@ syjVIAw ]
They ate coconuts and dates, and rested comfortably upon their beds.
iqn@ gil islkw pweIAw qutin@ moqsrIAw ]3]
But ropes were put around their necks, and their strings of pearls were broken. ||3||
Dnu jobnu duie vYrI hoey ijn@I rKy rMgu lwie ]
Their wealth and youthful beauty, which gave them so much pleasure, have now become their enemies.
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dUqw no PurmwieAw lY cly piq gvwie ]
The order was given to the soldiers, who dishonored them, and carried them away.
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However, the imprisonment of Guru Nanak Dev Ji
and the wonderful way in which he conducted
himself and performed the tasks assigned to him in
the camp awakened the soul of the the Mughal
invader
• The Guru emphasized the dignity of the
individual and his right to oppose
injustice and oppression.
• His main task, however, was to turn
men's minds to God.
•Guru Nanak Dev Ji opposed mere ceremony and
ritualism as dead wood.
•True religion is purposeful and extols
conscientious living, and not the tread-mill of
ritual.
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Other than for Guru Nanak Dev Ji, the
lamp of spiritualism would have been
extinguished
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Salvation could not be attained by
practicing rituals, idol worship or by going
on a pilgrimage. It can achieved by reciting
the God’s name and by leading a simple, just
and truthful life of a householder and carry
out all social responsibilities. In the eyes of
God, all human beings are equal. All
religions how the path to discover the Truth.
The right way to live life was put in very
simple words:
Kirt Karni (Do Good Work )
Vand Chako (Share what you earn with
the poor)
Naam Japo (Recite the name of the God)
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