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Sikhism
Sikhism, today, is the fth largest religion in the world with
some twenty-three million adherents. It emerged only about fve
hundred years ago; and, so, is the youngest o the largest
religions o the world.
The Foundations of Sikhism:
Guru Nanak (1469-1539)
Guru Nanak (. !"#$-!%&$' may be regarded as the ounder
o Sikhism, but there were reormers beore Nanak who
rolaimed a similar message, most notably a man named )abir(!""*-!%!+', who undoubtedly inuened Nanak. Nanaks title,
Guru,/ in other Indian religions has more the onnotation o
teaher/ or sage,/ but in Sikhism, the title also means leader./
Guru Nanaks ollows were alled Sikhs (the 0un1ab word or
disiles/'.
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Nanak was born at village o 2alwandi (west India', about
thirty miles rom 3ahore (in resent-day 0akistan'. 2he area was
art o the 0un1ab region o India, an area now divided by the
border between India and 0akistan. 2he area had been ruled by4uslim leaders sine the eleventh entury. In the early si5teenth
entury, the 4ongols established an Islami emire known as the
4ughal 6mire. 7nder the 4ughal emerors many Indians
onverted to Islam; the greater ma1ority, however, remained
8indu or ratied another religion, suh as 9ainism.
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Nanaks arents were 8indus o a merantile aste loally
known as )hatri ()shatriya'. Nanaks ather was a village
aountant and armer, ranking omaratively low on theeonomi sale. Nanak is ortrayed as a reoious youth, a
oet, given so to religious seulation that he was worthless as a
herdsman or a store-keeer. 8e was married at the age o twelve
and would eventually have two sons. Nanak:s brother-in-law
roured Nanak a government aounting 1ob at the distrit
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aital o Sultanur. Nanak sent the evenings engaged in
religious disussion and singing with a grou o riends who
inluded 4ardana, a 4uslim musiian who beame an insearable
omanion.
ne day, when he was about thirty years old, Nanak went to
bathe in a river and disaeared. 8e reaeared three days later,
and ater one additional day o silene, Nanak rolaimed that he
had e5eriened a theohany, a vision o God ( ?rink this bowl,: 8e
ommanded. :It is not milk as it may seem; this is
netar. It will give thee ower o rayer, love o
worshi, truth and ontentment.: Nanak drank the
netar and was overome. 8e made another
obeisane. 2he =lmighty then blessed him. :I release
thee rom the yle o birth, death and rebirth; he that
sets his eyes on you with aith will be saved. 8e thathears your words with onvition will be saved; he that
alls on you or suour will be heled by 4e; he that
you orgive will be orgiven by 4e. I grant thee
salvation. Nanak, go bak to the evil world and teah
men and women to ray, to give in harity and live
leanly. ?o good to the world and redeem it in the age
o sin.
Nanak delared, 2here is neither 8indu nor 4uslim, so whose
ath shall I ollow@ I shall ollow Gods ath. God is neither 8indu
nor 4uslim, and the ath whih I ollow is Gods./ Aith the
omany o 4ardana, Guru Nanak embarked uon a missionary
1ourney, reahing urity and advoating the reoniliation o
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religious aiths. =s 4ardana layed a rebe (a stringed
instrument that looks something like a violin', Nanak would also
sing.
Bor his dress Nanak devised a ombination o 8indu and
4uslim garb. 8e wore a 8indu lower garment (dhoti', and bore a
saCron mark on his orehead (in the manner o 8indus'. Dut he
hose the kind o head overing assoiated with 4uslim hermits.
Nanak and 4ardana traveled to the hie laes o 8induilgrimage, inluding 8ardwar, ?elhi, Denares, the 2emle o
9aganatha, and holy laes in the 8imalaya 4ountains. 2hey
traveled to Sri 3anka, 2ibet, )abul, Daghdad, 4edina, and 4ea.
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Dak in the 0un1ab, Nanak established a new town, )artarur
(
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as one is absorbed into 2rue Name. 2hrough living ones lie in
devotion to 2rue Name, one may merge with 2rue Name and end
all suCering. 2he soul 1oins with God like a dro o water merges
with the oean, realiing God and obtaining eternal eae.
Guru Nanak:s Japji (
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8ow shall man beome true beore God@ 8ow shall the
veil o alsehood be rent@
Dy walking, Nanak, aording to the will o the
Eommander as reordained.
Dy 8is order bodies are rodued; 8is order annot be
desribed.
Dy 8is order souls are inused into them; by 8is order
greatness is obtained.
Dy 8is order men are high or low; by 8is order they
obtain reordained ain or leasure.
Dy 8is order some obtain their reward; by 8is order
others must ever wander in transmigration.=ll are sub1et to 8is order; none is e5emt rom it.
8e who understandeth God:s order, Nanak, is never
guilty o egoism.
Aho an sing 8is ower@ Aho hath ower to sing it@
Aho an sing 8is gits or know his signs@ Aho an sing
8is attributes, 8is greatness and 8is deeds@
Aho an sing 8is knowledge whose study is arduous@Aho an sing 8im, who ashioneth the body and again
destroyeth it@
Aho an sing 8im, who taketh away lie and again
restoreth it@
Aho an sing 8im, who aeareth to be ar, but is
known to be near@
Aho an sing 8im, who is all-seeing and omniresent.
In desribing 8im there would be never end.4illions o men give millions uon millions o
desritions o 8im, but they ail to desribe 8im.
2he Giver giveth; the reeiver groweth weary o
reeiving.
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In every age man subsisteth by 8is bounty.
2he Eommander by 8is order hath laid out the way o
the world.
Nanak, God the unonerned is hay.
2rue is the 3ord, true is 8is name; it is uttered withendless love.
0eole ray and beg, :Give us, give us:; the Giver giveth
8is gits.
2hen what an we oCer 8im whereby his ourt may be
seen@
Ahat words shall we utter with our lis, on hearing
whih 8e may love us@
=t the ambrosial hour o morning meditate on the trueName and God:s greatness.
2he )ind ne will give us a robe o honour, and by 8is
avour we shall reah the gate o salvation.
Nanak, we shall thus know that God is altogether true.
8e is not established, nor is 8e reated.
2he ure one e5isteth by 8imsel.2hey who worshied 8im have obtained honour.
Nanak, sing 8is raises who is the 2reasury o
e5ellenes.
Sing and hear and ut 8is love into your hearts.
2hus shall your sorrows be removed, and you shall be
absorbed in 8im who is the abode o hainess.
7nder the Guru:s instrution God:s word is heard; under
the Guru:s instrution knowledge is aOuired;under the Guru:s instrution man learns that God
is everywhere ontained.
2he Guru is Siv; the Guru is Kisnu and Drahma; the
Guru is 0arvatl, 3aksmi and Saraswati.
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I I knew 8im, should I not desribe 8im@ 8e annot be
desribed by words.
4y Guru hath e5lained one thing to me, that there is
but one Destower on all living beings; may I not
orget 8im>
The !a"or #i$isions of Sikhism
2oday, Sikhism may be divided into three divisions. 2he best
known and most oulous o these three divisions is the Singhs or
3ions./ In addition to the Singhs, there are the 7dasis and the
Saha1dharis.
The Sinhs
Nanak taught aifsm or non-violent resistane. 7on the
death o Nanak, the leadershi o the new movement was taken
over by =ngad, who served as Guru until E.6. !%%H. Nanak and
=ngad were the frst two in a series o ten gurus who led Sikhism
until the eighteenth entury. 2he frst our o the ten gurus o
Sikhism tended to ollow the aif teahings o Nanak. Aith thedemise o the fth guru, =r1an ?ev (!%+!-!#*#', Sikhism
underwent signifant hanges.
Guru =r1an is resonsible or omiling a signifant ortion
o the sriture o Sikhism, the =di Granth, and he is also
resonsible or introduing militany within Sikhism. Detween the
time o Nanak and that o =r1an, Sikhism had e5anded to the
oint that it was reognied as a threat by 4uslim authorities.
2he ormer 4uslim 4ughal emeror, =kbar, had been
tolerant, i not riendly, toward Sikhism, but =kbars son, 9ahangir
(r. !#*%-!#H' insisted that Sikhism be inororated into Islam or
terminated. 9ahangir instruted Guru =r1an to remove rom the
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=di Granth anything that onited with the teahings o Islam.
Ahen Guru =r1an reused, 9ahangir had =r1an imrisoned and
gave him to hoie o death or onversion to Islam. 9ahangir
tortured =r1an, ouring burning sand on him while he was seated
on a hot iron late and immersing him in simmering hot water.=r1an held frm and, fnally, was drowned in the Favi Fiver.
Deore his demise, =r1an instruted his young son, 8ar
Gobind, who would beome the si5th guru (!#*#-!#"%', to sit
ully armed on the throne./ 2he Sikhs were heneorth more
aggressive and militant in the maintenane o their aith.
In !#%, the 4ughal 4uslim emeror, =urangeb (r. !#%+-!*', beheaded the ninth Sikh Guru, 2egh Dahadur, in ront o
thousands o setators. 6meror =urangebs goal was to
eliminate both Sikhs and 8indus.
Guru 2egh Dahadurs young son, Gobind, beame the tenth
guru. Gobind reared the Sikhs or sel-deense and war. In
!#$$, at a New Pears estival (Daisakhi', Guru Gobind ounded a
Sikh military brotherhood alled the )halsa. Guru Gobind alledor men who were willing to die or the Sikh ause. ne man
ame orward, and Gobind esorted him into his tent. Gobind
soon emerged rom his tent with a bloody sword and asked or
another man o onvition. =ter the fth man roved his aith,
Gobind emerged rom the tent with all fve men, still alive.
Gobind had aarently sarifed a goat rather than the men. In a
ritual that ame to be known as batism by the sword,/ Gobind
added netar to water in a steel bowl and mi5ed the twoingredients with a double-edged sword (kirpan'. 8e invited the
fve men to drink the water, and he then srinkled the water over
the hair and eyes. Gobind then asked the fve men to batie him
in the same manner and invited all those resent to 1oin this
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olletive o )halsa (ure/ ones o God'. Gobind onerred uon
all the initiates a new surname, Singh or 3ion./
2he Singhs beame an elite lass o adet warriors who were
distinguished by the fve )s/Q (!. kes, (H. kangha, (&. kachk, (".kara, and (%. kirpan. 2he kesreers to the long hair they wear on
their heads and aes. 2he kanghareers to the omb they wear
in their hair. 2he kachkreers to the short trousers they wear.
2he karareers to a steel braelet they wear on their wrists. 2he
kirpanreers to a short steel sword or dagger with whih they are
armed. 2hese members o the )halsa may stem rom any aste
or soial level. 2hey must abstain rom wine, tobao, or any
other stimulant, and they must adhere to other rules o ondutthat are selled out in a ode alled the Fahit (a defnitive edition
o whih, the Sikh Fahit 4aryada, was ublished in !$%*'.
2he urose o the )halsa was to end the erseution o the
4uslim 4ughal government and establish an arm o Sikhism to
e5eute divine 1ustie on earth./ 4embers o the )halsa
believed they would fnd immediate esae rom samsara i they
were to die while fghting in a 1ust ause. Guru Gobind, who nowarries the surname o Singh, led the Sikhs in a series o battles
against the 4ughal 6mire. = 4ughal governor had Guru Gobind
Singh assassinated in !*+. Deore he died, Gobind Singh
instruted the Sikhs that the =di Granth should be regarded as
their Guru rom that time orward.
In !+*, under the leadershi o Fan1it Singh, the Singhs
established Sikh rule over the 0un1ab, setting u the aital at3ahore. In the early nineteenth entury, Dritish olonialists,
having already onOuered most o the old 4ughal 6mire, turned
their attention to the 0un1ab. 2he Dritish met stubborn resistane
and aOuired great reset or the Sikh military, but the Sikhs
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were eventually overome (!+"#' and inororated into the
Dritish 6mire in !+"$.
2he Sikhs 1oined the Indian fght or indeendene, hoing
that when the Dritish let, they would be able to reate a searatenation or themselves, a nation to be alled )halistan. Ahen the
Dritish dearted, however, the 7nited Nations, in !$", eleted to
artition India into 8indu (India' and 4uslim sates (0akistan and
Dangladesh'. 2he artition between India and 0akistan ran
through the histori 0un1ab region. 2he larger ortion o the
0un1ab, inluding several imortant Sikh sites, was loated in the
new nation o 0akistan, but most Sikhs reloated to the 0un1ab in
India.
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Sikh searatists still hoe or the reation o )halistan. In
!$+", Sikh searatists took ontrol o the entral Sikh shrine, the
Golden 2emle o =mritsar, with aarent designs to fght or
indeendene. 2he 0rime 4inister o India, a woman namedIndira Gandhi, sent in the Indian military (eration Dlue Star' to
sOuelh the searatists. ver fve-hundred Sikhs were killed.
Shortly ater, Indira Gandhis Sikh body guards assassinated her.
2he assassination led to many rerisals in whih thousands o
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Sikhs lost their lives. 7nderstandably, tensions between Sikhs
and 8indus ontinue to e5ist.
2oday, many Sikhs never 1oin the )halsa. 4embershi is
stritly voluntary, and being a Sikh is not deendent uon it.2hose who worshi the ne 2rue God, reset the ten gurus, and
honor the Guru Granth are Sikhs. Singh is a ommon name in
India, and not everyone who bears the name o Singh is Sikh.
?ue to the tradition o the )halsa, however, the vast ma1ority o
Sikhs will arry the surname or middle name o Singh.
The %dasis
2he 7dasis omrise a seond division o Sikhism. =s
distinguished rom mainstream Sikhism, the 7dasis onsist o
renuniants or asetis, holy men who ratie elibay, wear
yellow ourse garments (like Duddhist monks', or go naked (like
9ain monks'. 2heir only ossession is a begging bowl, and they
reer to shave their heads and beards. 2his division o Sikhism
has been traed to Srihand, Guru Nanaks older son. 6ven
though Nanak had hosen =ngad as his suessor, Srihandhallenged =ngads osition and reated a rit in the Sikh
ommunity.
The Saha"dharis
2he third division o Sikhism is reresented by the
Saha1dharis (
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Father than siding with either 8induism or Islam regarding
the neessity or validity o eremonialism, Nanak re1eted the
rituals o both religions. In the words o Guru Nanak,
2he 4usalmans raise the Sharia, read it, andreet on itQ Dut God:s servants are they who emloy
themselves in 8is servie in order to behold him. 2he
8indus raise the 0raised ne whose aearane and
orm are inomarable; 2hey bathe in holy streams,
erorm idol-worshi and adoration, use oious
inense o sandal. 2he 9ogis meditate on God the
Ereator, whom they all the 7nseen, Ahose orm is
minute, whose name is the Dright ne, and who is theimage o their bodies. (=sa )i Aar, Slok 4KI, 2he
Sared Aritings o the Aorld:s Great Feligions, ed. S.6.
Brost (New PorkQ 4Graw-8ill, !$"&, . H'
2o be in Gods servie, in other words, is better than engaging in
ritual.
=ording to a story, Nanak was one e1eted rom a 4uslimworshi servie beause he laughed aloud during an imams
sermon. Ahen asked why he was so disresetul, Nanak relied
that he ound the imam to be more onerned with the well being
o his horse than with God. 2his eretion aused Nanak to
burst out with laughter.
Sikhism, then, does not suort an elaborate alendar or lots
o estivals. 2hey may well elebrate 8oli and ?ivali with their8indu neighbors, and they do ommemorate a ew notable events
in their history. Guru Nanaks birthday is elebrated in the all
(November'. Guru =r1ans birthday is elebrated in the winter
(?eember or 9anuary'. 2he ormation o the )halsa under Guru
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Gobind Singh is elebrated on Daisakhi (=ril', and the martyrdom
o Guru =r1an is ommemorated in the summer (9une'.
&ite of assae: ife *+c'e u,ert+ or Status 'e$ation
2he ritual desribed above as batism by the sword,/ is still
ratied by Sikhs. Ahen one beomes mature enough to
omrehend hisJher ommitment, a bowl o sweet water is stirred
by a kiran and srinkled over the initiate as heJshe is instruted
in the truths o ode o the aith. 2he ritual marks one as a
member o the Sikh ommunity. 4ales reeive the name Singh,
and emales reeive the name )aur (riness/'.
&ite of assae: ife *+c'e &itua': #eath
I one remembers that Guru Nanaks lieless body was
resumably assumed into the heavens uon his death, one may
wonder how the Sikhs disose o the dead today. Sikhs, like
8indus and unlike 4uslims, remate their deeased. = lose
relative will light the uneral yre.
*a'endrica' eriodic: .orshi/
2he most ommon orm o worshi among the Sikhs is a
daily ratie that onsists o ritual bathing, rayer, and the
reitation o seif hymns rom the =di Granth and the ?asam
Granth. 2he ?asam Granth is a sulemental Sikh sriture
whih onsists o the writings o Guru Gobind Singh and someother oets. Gobind Singh did not add his own writings to the
Granth when he elevated the Granth to the status o absolute
Guru, but later ollowers omiled this material and granted it
anonial status. Some orm o bathing, rayer, and reitation is
e5euted by Sikhs in the morning, at sunset, and beore retiring to
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bed in the evening. 2he 9a1i (one o Nanaks hymns' is among
the morning reitations. =s one may gather rom what is merely
an e5ert o the 9a1i inluded above, the daily raties reOuire
a lot o time (about two hours', and only the most devout arry
out the ull routine on a daily basis.
Sikhs do gather or ongregational worshi. 2hey meet in
temles alled gurdwaras. 2he gurdwaras ontain, as the entral
ob1et o reverene, the =di Granth. Ahen the holy book is
arried, it is arried above the head. =t rest in the gurdwara, it is
laed high uon a ushioned altar and overed by a anoy.
Ahen oened, Guru Granth is anned with a ywhisk. Sikh
devotees will over their heads beore the Granth and never turntheir baks toward it. Inside the gurdwara Sikhs will ray, sing
hymns, and hear sermons. In aord with the Sikh re1etion o
ritualism, there are no riests. 2he servies are led by members
o the ommunity. Burther, there are no aste or se5ual
distintions. 4en and woman o all bakgrounds worshi side by
side. Servies onlude with all those resent ingesting karah
prasad, a mi5ture o our, sugar, and ghee (larifed butter'.
2he ollowing rayer is uttered at the onlusion o Sikh
worshi. 2he rayer, asribed largely to Guru Gobind Singh,
honors the lineage o the gurus (in the frst several lines' and
elebrates the )halsa or the Sikh ommunity.
8aving frst remembered 3ord thy God, all on Guru
Nanak
=nd then on Guru =ngad, =mar ?as and Fam ?asQ4ay they ever rotet us.
2hen all on =r1un and 8ari Gobind and the holy 8ari
Fai,
=nd then on 8ari )rishna, who an disel all one:s
sorrows.
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2hen remember 2egh Dahadur, the ninth Guru, that the
nine treasures may hasten to thy home.
masters be ye ever with us.
4ay the tenth king Guru Gobind Singh be ever on our
side.=nd now turn your thoughts to the Guru Granth Sahib,
the visible embodiment o the Gurus, and say
:Glory be to God.:
MEongregation resondsQ :Aonderul 3ord.:
2he our sons, the fve beloved ones, the orty
saved ones, the martyrs, the true disiles, the
ontemlators o God, and those who remainedsteadast in the 0athQ remember their glorious deeds
and say :Glory be to God.:
MEongregation resondsQ :Aonderul 3ord.:
2hose who onstantly remembered God:s Name,
shared their earnings, wielded the sword on the
battlefeld, and shared ood in omanionshi, oCered
their heads at the altar o the holy 3aw, were ut ulimb rom limb, were skinned or boiled or sawn alive but
uttered not a sign and did not alter in their aith L
remember their glorious deeds and say :Glory be to
God.:
MEongregation resondsQ :Aonderul 3ord.:
great )ing, save us rom the fves sins o lust,
wrath, greed, attahment and egoism. God, let usall on 2hee alone, yea, 2hee alone, and let the
remembrane be hainess o all kinds. God,
wherever the members o the holy )halsa are, e5tend
2hy rotetion and mery to them. 3et the Aay be ever
vitoriousQ let the sword be orever our rotetorQ let
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the war-ry o the )halsa resound aross the worldQ
:Glory be to God.:
MEongregation resondsQ :Aonderul 3ord.:
God, may 2hy Sikhs M
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o the Golden 2emle will insire visits rom most all Sikhs, at
least one during their lietimes.
8armandir Sahib or 2he Golden 2emle is onneted, via a
auseway over the ool, to =kal 2akht (2he 2imeless nes
2hrone/', one o fve thrones/ o authority in Sikhism where Sikh
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leaders made deisions related to aith and ratie. 6very day
Guru Granth is transorted, high above the head on a alanOuin,
bak and orth between 2he Golden 2emle and =kal 2akht. 2he
Granth is arried rom the Golden 2emle to =kal 2akht around ten
olok in the evening and, then, arried bak to the Golden2emle around fve olok in the morning.
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