Guru Nanak, a great spiritual leader and founder of Sikhism, was born on April 15, 1469, at Rai Bhoi di Talvandi, now known as Nankana Sahib, near Lahore. Nanak’s father Mehta Kalu Chand was a farmer, and was the village accountant. Nanak’s mother was Tripta. Even in his childhood, Nanak showed a mystic disposition. He was contemplative and pious. To the great surprise of his
teachers, he would ask them questions on spiritual topics. His father tried hard to divert Nanak’s mind towards worldly affairs. He entrusted Nanak with cultivation of the land. But Nanak paid little attention to his work. He meditated even in the fields. His father attempted to interest him with other avocations, but to no avail.
Guru Nanak had only one sister named Nanaki. She was married to Jai Ram, a Dewan in the service of NawabDaulatKhan Lodiwho had an extensive Jagir in Sultanpur nearKapurthala.Nanak also married soon after his sister’s marriage. His wife was Sulakhani. But marriage and the birth of two children did not hinder Guru Nanak’s spiritual pursuits. He would go even then to forests and lonely places for meditation.
Nanaki and Jai Ram had great love and respect for Nanak Rai Bular, the Zamindar of Talvandi, who respected Nanak greatly and secured for him a job in Sultanpur as in–charge of nawab’s storehouse.
After some years, Nanak left the job and went on a spiritual search. In the manner of Indian saints, he went on a lengthy journey, travelling to various Muslim and Hindu religious centres of India. Nanak’s quest perhaps led him to travels outside India. Nanak returned from his journeys in 1520.
The remaining years of his life were spent in Kartarpur, another village of central Punjab. It was most probably during this final period that the foundations of the new Sikh community were laid. Guru Nanak began to be revered as a spiritual master. Many people from different strata of society thronged to hear the message of Guru Nanak. They were greatly attracted to the moral teachings of Guru Nanak expressed in numerous devotional hymns sung by congregations of devotees. These continue to be a part of the vibrant Indian religious traditions.
Nanak spent the final years of his life with his family in Kartarpur. Guru Nanak died in the year 1538 A.D. at the age of sixty-nine. Guru Angad succeeded Guru Nanak. The other Gurus are: Guru Amardas, Guru Ramdas, Guru Arjan Dev, Guru Hargovind, Guru Har Rai, Guru Har Krishan, Guru Teg Bahadur and Guru Govind Singh.
WilliamHewat McLeod (in an article in EncyclopaediaBritannica) observes that Sikhism is monotheistic and shows both Hindu and Islamic influences. It rejects idol worship and ritualism. But it shows deep influence of Hindu mystical and devotional beliefs. According to William McLeod, Nanak’s message can be briefly summarized as a doctrine of salvation through disciplined meditation on the divine name. Salvation is understood in terms of escape from the transmigratory round of death and rebirth to a mystical union with God. The divine name signifies the total manifestation of God, who is a single Being, immanent both in the created world and within the human spirit. Meditation must be strictly inward, and all external aids such as idols, temples, mosques, scriptures, and set prayers are rejected.
Guru Nanak preached that not a single breath should be spent without Nama Smarana or remembering the Name of the Lord. For no one could tell whether the breath that had gone in would come out or not. Nanak says, “We are men of one breath. I know not a longer time-limit”. According to Guru Nanak, he alone is a true saint who remembers the Name of the Lord with every incoming and outgoing breath. He tells people not to lose any time but to begin prayers at once.
Guru Nanak was a reformer who condemned the corruptions in society. He rejected formalism and ritualism in religion. He tried to infuse real spirit in the worship of God and true faith in religion and God. His outlook was liberal. He carried the message of peace and of love for everybody. Nanak opposed distinctions among men based on caste, creed, race or social hierarchy. To quote his words, “There is neither Hindu nor Mussulman (Muslim) so whose path shall I follow? I shall follow God’s path. God is neither Hindu nor Mussulman and the path which I follow is God’s.”
He preached purity, justice, goodness and the love of God. He said, “Serve God. Serve humanity. Only service to humanity shall secure for us a place in heaven”. Guru Nanak had great respect for women, allowed them to participate fully in all religious gatherings and accorded them full share in religious functions.
Guru Nanak clearly says: “The road to the abode of God is long andarduous. There are no short cutsfor rich people. Everyone must undergo the same discipline. Everyone must purify his mind through service of humanity and Nama Smarana. Everyone must live accordingto thewill of the Lordwithout grumblingor murmuring. Howto find Him? There is one way. Make His will your own. Be in tune with the Infinite. There is no otherway”.
The first stage in making the divine will one’s own is attained through prayer for divine grace or favour—Ardas for Guru Prasad. He says that nothing can be achieved by man without divine favour. He says: “Approach God with perfect humility. Throw yourself on His mercy. Give up pride, show and egoism. Beg for Hiskindness and favour. Do not think of your own merits, abilities, facultiesand capacities. Be prepared todie in the pursuit of Hislove and union with Him. Love God as awoman loves her husband. Make absolute unreserved self-surrender. You can getdivine favour and love”.
Guru Nanak again and again insists thus: “Realise your unity with all. Love God. Love God in man. Sing the loveof God.RepeatGod’sName.SingHisglory.LoveGod asthelotusloveswater, asthe birdChataklovesrain, asthe wifelovesherhusband. Makedivinelovethy penandthy heartthe writer.If yourepeatthe Name,you live; if youforget it, youdie. Openyourheartto Him.EnterintocommunionwithHim.SinkintoHisarmsand feelthe divineembrace”.
Guru Nanak has given a beautiful summary of his teachings in one of his hymns:
Love the saints of every faith: Put away thy pride.
Remember the essence of religion Is meekness and sympathy,
Not fine clothes,
Not the Yogi’s garb and ashes, Not the blowing of the horns, Not the shaven head,
Not long prayers,
Not recitations and torturings, Not the ascetic way,
But a life of goodnessandpurity, Amid the world’s temptations.
In Guru Nanak’s conception, “Godisbutone,HisName is true, He istheCreator, He pervadesthewhole universe, He is without fear, He iswithout enmity, He is immortal, He isbirthless, He is self-born and self-existent, He is the remover of the darkness (of ignorance) and He is merciful”. The Lord is eternal. He has no beginning and no end.
Guru Nanak created the Gurumukhi script by simplifying the Sanskrit characters. The holy Granth of the Sikhs is in Gurumukhi. Every Gurudwara has a Granth Sahib. The holy Granth, popularly known as Adi Granth, contains the hymns of the first five Gurus. They were all collected, arranged and formed into one volume called Guru Granth Sahib by the fifth Guru. It contains a few selections from the hymns of Kabir and other contemporary Vaishnavite saints. Later on, the hymns of the ninth Guru were incorporated in the holy Granth by the tenth Guru. The compositions of Guru Nanak are veryextensive.
The Granth Sahib begins with the following: “There is but one God whose name is true—the Creator”. It contains a code of high morals. Purity of life, obedience to Guru, mercy, charity, temperance, justice, straightforwardness, truthfulness, sacrifice, service, love and abstinence from animal food are among the virtues on which great emphasis is laid; while lust, anger, pride, hatred, egoism, greed, selfishness, cruelty, backbiting and falsehood are strongly condemned.
According to popular tradition, Nanak’s teaching needs to be practised in three ways:
¤ Vag Chakk : Sharing with others, helping those with less who are in need
¤ ftirat ftar : Earning/making a living honestly, without exploitation or fraud
¤ Naam Japna : Meditating on God’s name to control evil thoughts, to eliminate suffering and to live a happy life.
Besides moral earnestness and simplicity, syncretism, catholicism and liberalism are the other admirable attributes of Guru Nanak’s teaching. These aspects of Guru Nanak’s teaching have great contemporary relevance. They preach tolerance and amity between religions. Although persecution at one time in its history led Sikhism to acquire heroic military virtues, it has a strong mystical and devotional strain. In a historical period marked by political turmoil, Sikhism stood as a sentinel guarding the other faiths in India.