INSIDE THE GURU'S GATE - Anpere

Sikhs believe the scripture embodies the spirit of all the human Gurus, the presence
of bhagats is considered to make the text an even more precious subject of veneration.
A 50 year-old man phrased this rather egalitarian standpoint in the following way:
The spirits of ten Gurus are in Guru Granth Sahib ji. There are the
words (bani) of the Gurus and the saint poets (bhagats), so when you
are saluting Guru Granth Sahib ji then you are not merely bowing in
front of these ten great persons, but a large number of great saints (bhagats).
All is combined in Guru Granth Sahib ji.
Just like the human Sikh Gurus, the bhagats were liberated souls who enshrined a
divine light or spirit (jot) which is now forever embodied in the words of Guru
Granth Sahib. The spirit of the true Guru of gurbani is enclosed by the scriptural
body and can be activated whenever words of the Sikh Gurus and the poet saints are
read, sung or listened to.
Many religious Sikhs will take up a similar inclusive attitude as regards to
hymns ascribed to Guru Gobind Singh in Dasam Granth, or “the tenth book”, which
is popularly taken to mean the book of the tenth Guru. Although the authenticity and
authorship of this book continues to incite controversies among Sikh intellectuals, 287
local people seem relatively unmoved by the debates and generally perceive the text
as genuine gurbani. Even the standardized Sikh supplication (Ardas) is now and then
labeled as gurbani, since its opening section is derived from the composition Chandi di
Var in Dasam Granth. Particularly the hymns Jap Sahib, Chaupai Sahib, and Tav Prashad
Savaiyye, recited daily by Amritdhari Sikhs, are assumed to be words which emanated
directly from the Guru’s mouth. As I was told by some interlocutors, the hymns of
Guru Gobind Singh were not included in Guru Granth Sahib for the reason that they
displayed a confident attitude of a warrior and were too “hard” in character. Yet
people will still categorize and address these hymns as gurbani.
A TREASURE OF KNOWLEDGE
To most local Sikhs the formless God is the ultimate target of devotion and worship,
but it is only through the assistance of the Guru that humans can establish relationships
to the invisible divine. Without the Guru human devotees remain helpless and
trapped in self-centredness and attachments to the world. “The Guru’s words give
us knowledge. The Guru is a treasure of knowledge. To reach God you need knowledge
from the Guru. Without the Guru there will be no knowledge (Bin Guru Gian na
hoi),” an elderly Sikh man quoted a popular epigram included in the Guru Granth
Sahib. It is only through the knowledge and guidance of the words of the scripture
that devotees can form efficacious relationship with the invisible Supreme Being.
287
For an overview, consult Mann 2005.
138
Published on www.anpere.net in May 2008