(Aad Granth Sahib - Page 982)
Bani, a Word.
Though Bani is a means of communication and exchanging information, ordinary bani spoken by ordinary people, is not as much regarded as The Bani Spoken by The Guru.
Every Word Spoken by Guru Sahib, is always regarded as The Most Truthful Saying - Gurbani.
The following are a few popular Forms in which The Akal Purakh Satguru's Divine GurVaak(Guru's Words) are preserved:
Since The Time of Sri Satguru Nanak Dev Ji, Gurbani was Composed and Sung in Ragas as Ordered by SatGuruji. However, no proper record of The Guru's Holy Bani was kept and no proper Granth was compiled. This continued until Sri Satguru Arjan Dev Ji Maharaj Ascended The Gurgaddi.
At that time many people had composed their own banis and used The Signature of 'Nanak' at the end misleading the listeners into thinking those banis to be Gurbani. Sri Satguruji therefore Began Collecting all of The Aad Guru's Gurbani and The Task of Compiling an Aad Granth Sahib was officially started.
Knowing that Sri Satguru AmarDas Ji's Son, Baba Mohanji, had the Pothi(Manuscript) of The Aad(Previous/First) Sri Gurus, Satguruji therefore Sent Bhai Gurdasji and Baba Buddaji to bring back The Volume.
When both of them were unable to bring back The Sacred Volume, Satguruji Himself went to Baba Mohanji's residence and with His Voice, Brought Babaji out of his deep Meditation and Guruji were respectfully presented with The Volume.
After Retreiving The Gurbani from Babaji, Sri Satguruji also Added many of His Gurbanis to The Aad Granth and at this time His Holiness were also approached by the Bhagats who requested Him to add their Compositions into The Aad Granth Sahib. Satguruji Approved their request when they agreed to compose Gurbani that Praises The Aad Gurus.
Thus The Aad Granth Sahib was successfully Compile and for the very first time, Satguruji had Blessed The Sikhs with An Official Religious Scripture. Satguruji Gave It Utmost Respect and Gave The Hukam for His Sikhs to live their lives in accordance to The Hukams written inside The Granth.
Complying to Sri Satguru RamDas Ji's Hukam of:
His Holiness Sri Satguru Arjan Dev Ji Transferred The Gurgaddi to Akal Purakh Sri Satguru HarGobind Sahib Ji Maharaj.
At the specific time, the mughals were forcefully converting a large number of Hindus into muslims and committing all sorts of crimes they claimed to be justified according to their religion. Infact Sri Satguru Arjan Dev Ji Maharaj also Sacrificed His Divine Body due to the actions of Chandu, a mughal official, who threatened to cover His Body with the skin of a cow that would be specially butchered.
The Order of becoming ShasterDhari was therefore Given by Satguru HarGobind Sahib Ji and His Sikhs' rebellion against the mughal-reign began resulting in 4 battles against the muslim government. Needless to say, The Sikhs, Blessed by Satguruji, were always Victorious.
Due to Satguruji's Involvements in Warfare, The Volume of Aad Granth Sahib was consequently neglected. His grandson, Dheermal, was therefore able to take The Volume away from Sri Amritsar.
-*It is unclear whether Dheermal stole The Volume or that It was loaned to him.*-
Dheermal had taken The Volume with him in the hope that if The Religion's Sacred Scripture was with him, The Gurgaddi(Seat of The Guru) would surely be given to him. The Guru, however, Proved him wrong and The Gurgaddi remained far away from Dheermal.
How was The Volume Treated by Dheermal? Did he give It utmost respect as The Gurus did? These questions may never be answered though it is quite clear that The Volume was surely a Treasured Item to him.
When Sri Satguru TeghBahader Sahib Ji Tried to Enter into Sri HariMandir Sahib, Dheermal ordered his servants to fire a cannon at Him! The Lord of Peace SatGuru, however, did not show any sign of anger but rather Walked away Happily. The Guru's Faithful Sikhs, however, could not stand such an act of ego shown by Dheermal. They, including Makhan Shah Lubhana, looted the residence of Dheermal and The Volume of Aad Granth Sahib was also respectfully carried back.
On the way back from Amritsar, Satguruji Noticed The Sikhs carrying something and Asked them what it was. The Sikhs replied that It was The Aad Granth that they took from the residence of Dheermal and did not return It since It Belonged to The Guru.
Satguruji at once Ordered It to be returned. His Holiness Placed It in the river Beas and Sent a Sikh to inform Dheermal that The Volume was left for him in the river.
According to Suraj Parkash, After many unsuccessful attempts Dheermal finally gave up his ego and performed Ardas by taking The Names of all Aad Gurus; from Sri Satguru Nanak Dev Ji to Sri Satguru TeghBahader Sahib Ji. Only then was The Granth found and with The Grace of Satguruji, the water could not penetrate its cover nor do any damage to the Sacred Verses It Contained even though It was submerged under water along with a Manji(Bed) for 13 days!
After Sri Satguru TeghBahader Sahib Ji Sacrificed His Divine Body to Save Hindustan, Sri Satguru Gobind Rai Ji Transformed His Sikhs into AmritDhari Singhs and His Holiness Himself became known as Satguru Gobind Singh ever since.
During the Time when Satguruji were at Sri Anandpur Sahib, many Volumes of Aad Granth Sahib were compiled by The Sikhs and The Granth Sahibs were taken to Sri Satguru Gobind Singh Ji to Obtain His Holy Signature on Them.
-*No specific Aad Granth Sahib is recorded to have been Recited from in The Diwans(Congregations) of Guru Gobind Singh Ji and the fact that whether or not The Parkash of The Aad Granth Sahib was ever made in His Diwans is also not recorded in any Historical Literature.*-
According to BansavliNama by Kesar Singh Chibbar, Satguruji, while at Sri Anandpur Sahib once Sent His Sikh to retreive The Original Aad Granth Sahib from Dheermal that was taken away since The Time of Sri Satguru HarGobind Sahib Ji. Dheermal, however, refused to hand over The Volume saying that if Guru Gobind Singh Ji were The Real Guru, His Holiness should be Able to Compile His Own Granth Sahib! Satguruji, at Sri Anandpur Sahib, therefore Compiled a Granth Sahib Himself and The Granth was later Given to The Sangat of Patna that went to seek The Guru's Darshan at Sri Anandpur Sahib.
When Guruji Left Anandpur Sahib, there was therefore no Volume of Aad Granth Sahib with Him. His Holiness didnot Stay anywhere for any long period of time other than Damdama Sahib(Sabo Ki Talvandi) where He Stayed for a few months.
-*Many writers have mistakenly written that Satguru Gobind
Singh Ji Compiled An Entire Aad Granth at
Damdama Sahib(Sabo Ki Talvandi) instead of
Sri Anandpur Sahib. This may have been the result of confusion since there is
also a Gurdwara called 'Damdama' at Sri Anandpur Sahib.
Other singh sabha writers, however, have even written that Guruji Dictated The Entire Volume Verbally
which was recorded by Bhai Mani Singhji. They also claim the volume to have been
the one given The Gurgaddi. This claim, however, is not found in
neither Suraj Parkash, nor the original Panth Parkash(by Rattan Singh Bhangoo), nor GurBilas
Patshahi Dasvi(by Sukha Singh). Even the first edition of Gianni Gian Singhji's
Panth Parkash does not contain any such claim.
According to GurBilas Patshahi Dasvi by Koer Singh, who has written the GurBilas from what he directly heard from Bhai Mani Singhji, there is no mention of this claim at all. This very clearly shows that Guruji didnot Dictate any Volume of Aad Granth Sahib at Damdama Sahib since such an important event, for which it is claimed by the singh sabha writers that the honor of writing the granth was given to Bhai Mani Singhji, must have definitely been mentioned by Bhai Mani Singhji when he dictated The Sakhis of Guru Gobind Singh Ji Maharaj to Koer Singh.*-
Since The Time when Satguru Gobind Singh Ji Left Anandpur Sahib to the days He Spent under The Name of Baba Ajapal Singh Ji, The Sikhs were heavily persecuted and The Volumes of Aad and Dasam Granth Sahibs were consequently not able to obtain the kind of Respect They deserved.
-*By this time, Daswen Guru Ka Granth(Later became known as Dasam Guru Granth Sahibji) was also already compiled by Bhai Mani Singhji who was appointed as Granthi(Head/Leader) of Sri Harimandir Sahib by Mata Sundriji.*-
Only during the very end of mughal rule in Punjab did The Granth Sahibs attain some of the much deserved respect.
During the early days of Sikh Raj, The GurMattas(Form of Congregation) were formed by The Sikhs when any important step was to be taken. In these GurMattas, as recorded in 'The Sketch of The Sikhs' by John Malcolm, a british writer who was present at the time, The Sikhs were said to have bowed down before both Sri Aad Granth Sahibji and 'Daswen Guru Ka Granth' i.e. Dasam Guru Granth Sahibji, and only then would they continue to discuss their issues.
-*When the famous diamond Koh-i-Noor was obtained from
ShahShuja of Kabul by Maharaja Ranjeet Singh on 9th of June 1813 A.D.
ShahShuja, who was kept imprisoned until he surrendered the diamond, was
promised freedom from persecution by the Maharaja who swore on Both The Granth Sahibs when
he made the promise.*-
As it may be noticed, both The Granths were respected as Transcendental Objects and very much held in high regard by the Sikhs. At the end of the 'Sikh Raj' however, it would turn out to be a completely different story.
The end of Sikh-Raj unfortunately also brought the end of 'Sikhi' in Punjab with it. Within 10 years after the british gained complete control of Punjab, Sikhi Itself was hardly present in any corner of Punjab, let alone any respect for Gurbani.
As recorded by Gianni Gian Singhji and many other Sikh writers of the time, the so called sikhs were not the Sikhs(Disciples) of The SatGurus anymore. They were loyal to no one but the britishers who provided them with temporary earthly wealth that they seek. The Gurdwaras and Dharamsalas that once served as places of worship were either abandoned or unfortunately used by the greedy mahants as a breeding ground of english-devouted-sikhs(slaves) and to loot the offerings intended to be given to The Gurdwaras by the faithful.
-*It is also a fact that
when
Satguru Ram Singh Ji
Revived Sikhism in 1857, there were only 2 and a 'half' Sikhs(Those who
remained within The Khalsa Rahet) in the entire Punjab:
1) Baba Lehna Singh of Gujrawala (Son in law of Sardar Hari Singh Nalwa) - Full
Sikh
2) Baba Jameet Singh of Kahna Kacha - Full Sikh
3) Baba Jameet Singh of Gila - Half Sikh*-
Only after The Revival of The Khalsa by Satguru Ram Singh Ji were the people of punjab exposed once again to The Khalsa Dharam(Religion) and Maryada(Rules/Principles).
Satguru Ram Singh Ji Traveled from village to village and after opening the abandoned Dharamsalas, Cleaned The Volumes of Granth Sahibs that were forgotten and damaged by lack of care with His Dastaar(Turban) and Ordered the people to read Gurbani and commit It to memory.
The very existence of Sri Aad and Dasam Granth Sahibs today, as The Khalsa's Dharam Granths(Religious Scriptures), are Truly The Mahan(Great) Kirpa(Blessings) of Sri Satguru Ram Singh Ji Maharaj.
His Holiness Taught The Maryada of How Granth Sahibs were to be placed on Manji Sahib and how were They to be properly cared for and wrapped in a clean cloth. Satguruji also Gave The Hukam that no Sikh shall sit behind The Granth Sahibs without taking an Ishnan(Bath) and wearing clean, washed clothes and that the Sikh who reads The Granth Sahibs must do so with his hands respectfully folded.
In His Divine Presence, it was normal for 25 Darbars(Volumes) of Granth Sahibs to be Given Parkash(Taken out of protective cover/cloth) and read from by His Subas and other Prominent Figures in The Khalsa Panth.
Sri Satguruji Encourages The Reading of Gurbani very much. It cannot be justly stressed how important, and what position, Gurbani is, and holds, in Namdhari Khalsa Panth. Even in His Hukamnamas from Burma, Satguruji repeatedly Ordered The Sikhs to commit Gurbani to memory and to always perform Path(Prayers written in Granth Sahibs) especially that of Chandi Di Vaar.
With The Order of Satguru Ram Singh Ji, the first Copy of Sri Aad Granth Sahib was printed by the printing press ran by divan Buta Singh, a Namdhari Sikh who was the divan of Maharani Chand Kaur(wife of Maharaja Kharhrak Singh - mother of Kanwar Naunihal Singh).
-*The name of the printing company was 'Aftabay Punjab'(The Sun of Punjab). Many Pro-Namdhari and anti-british literature were also printed by the press.*-
Sri Satguru Ram Singh Ji Revived not only the Maryada of Khalsa by sending Bhai Rai Singhji to Gurdwara Sri Hazoor Sahib to retreive The Dasam Guru's Maryada, but also The Very Appearance of a Khalsa as is also recorded in Panth Parkash.
However, Satguruji DIDNOT Give any Order to wrap The Granth Sahibs in any expensive or colorful cloth. Nor did His Holiness Give any Order to simply place Them on a high place and worship Them as Transcendental Objects. The Guru's Hukam was Clear and Firm that a Sikh must live his life by following The Teachings of The Satgurus as contained within The Aad and Dasam Granth Sahibs.
In fact the level of Commitment and Respect
given by Namdhari Sikhs to The Granth Sahibs and Gurbani in particular can be found even from liberal singh sabhia sources such as:
'Ethics of Sikhs' - by Avtar Singh, Punjab University, Patiala.
'Punjab under the british rule' - by B.S. Nijjhar. etc.
Sri Satguruji, as mentioned as The
Charasteristic of The Satguru in The Gurbani,
also Blessed The Sikhs with The Gurmantar
that was given in The Sikhs' ears since The Time of Sri Satguru Nanak Dev Ji:
(Aad Granth Sahib - Page 1302)
And hence The Sikhs were Ordered to become immersed
in Naam and Bani and live the Life of a Sant Khalsa.
Chandi Di Vaar, The Holy Gurbani of Sri Satguru Gobind Singh Ji, was Ordered by Satguru Ram Singh Ji to be Recited each day and Its Prayer must be concluded just before sunrise.
-*Other than The Namdhari Sikhs very few religious groups, perhaps only the nihangs, show any respect towards The Holy Gurbani of The Dasam Guru.*-
Sri Satguru Ram Singh Ji were also The First to have Ordered for Gurbani to be Recited from The Aad Granth Sahib during Anand Karaj(Khalsa Marriage Ceremony). The Granth Sahibs were especially cared for and a Bedi(Canopy) was, and is, always positioned above Them.
The Hola Mahalla Festivals that were never the same again for The Sikhs since the time when Satguru Gobind Singh Ji Decided to Remain Incognito were once again Revived by Satguruji and Celebrated by explodingly huge congregation that made the english as well as their devouted sikhs tremble. Needless to say, Recitation of Nam and Gurbani played a major role in all of The Khalsa's Glorious Celebrations.
In The Love of Gurbani and The Ecstasy of Naam, The Sikhs would reach The State of Mast.
This Mast Birti is also something very unique to The House of The Gurus. In Their Gurbani, The Gurus have Expressed The Vast Love and Affection They Felt towards Akal/Nirankar. Guru Nanak Dev Ji Himself, being in The State of Mast was sometimes criticized by the foolish onlookers. His Holiness also Expressed the situation in His Gurbani recorded in Aad Granth Sahib on page 991:
Sri Satguru RamDas Ji also Expressed similar Emotions in Bilaval Raag recorded on page 836 of Aad Granth Sahib:
Infact so many Verses are present in Aad Granth Sahib in support of this Mast Birti that one would probably be able to compile a small granth with Them.
Even in Sri Dasam Guru Granth Sahib there is an apparent Evidence of The 10th Master's Mast Birti. After Satguruji wrote:
His Holiness Reached The State of Mast Himself and like
Guru Nanak Dev Ji Who did not continue after reaching 13(
Pronounced 'Tay-Ra' - meaning 'Yours') when His Holiness Worked as a Shop-Keeper, Sri Guru Gobind Singh Ji also
seemed to have Reached The Mast Birti and kept on Writing:
Similar writings about Mast Birti can also be
found in The Vaars of Bhai Gurdasji such as:
Even today, so long after Satguru Ram Singh Ji Departed from Bharat, The Recitation of Gurbani as well as The Love and Respect towards The Granth Sahibs in the hearts of The Sikhs remains, with His Kirpa(Blessings), Unchanged.
With The Orders of Sri Satguru Jagjit Singh Ji Maharaj, even on continents as far away from India as Africa, North-America, Europe and Australia, The Recitation of The Gurbani by The Namdhari Sikhs can be heard loud and clear. Hundreds of Thousands, if not millions, of Sadharan Path and Akhand Path have been performed even on the remotest corners of the World by The Sant Khalsa.
