# Should Sikhs Who Have Only One Guru Visit Hazur Sahib



## roab1 (Dec 23, 2009)

So now the cat is out of the bag. On another forum Dasam Granth is openly being addressed as sri Guru Dasam Granth Sahib. The admin is openly supporting Dasam Granth as Guru of Sikhs (although they themselves might be just a jatha). And another member is talking about having a discussion with Hazuri Sikhs to know their history in right perspective. In my opinion, a taliban type group is gonna form soon although it may take years or decades to show any strains in present Sikhism and for majority of Sikhs Gurdware are going to lose any importance. 

My question is

1. i have been wanting to visit Hazur sahib for a long time. But now i dont feel like going and being part of this stupid cult like practises. I don't even feel like reciting chaupai sahib now which i have done for years. I won't support Panthic Jathebandis anymore. and wait till our enemies get their hands on charitars and start publishing garbage about Guru Gobind Singh like anti-muslims do on Muhammed.

I am afriad my children when i have them will see Guru Gobind Singh in totally different perspective than how i see him unless ofcourse i brainwash them right from the beginning.


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## harbansj24 (Dec 23, 2009)

roab1 ji,

Anti Muslims started talking against Mohammad only when they perceived a threat to world peace from Islamic fundamentalist and it was only Muslims fundamentalist who started quoting Mohammad out of context to justify their nefarious activities.

All Hindu Gods and Goddesses are openly promiscuous but that does not bother the Hindus  a bit.

So much literature is being published   about Jesus's affair with Magdalene and her offspring or the hoax about virgin birth of Christ or the hoax of Shroud of Turin but that has not affected Christians.

So as long as Sikhs do not behave like Muslim fundamentalist, they have nothing to fear.

Such controversies abound in every religion and their is nothing to fear as long as we behave sensibly.


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## spnadmin (Dec 23, 2009)

I actually agree with both of you -- strange though, but you are not really on opposite sides of this question.

There is a growing attachment to Brahminism within Sikhi -- e.g., doing tilak with goat's blood of Sri Guru Granth Sahib in Darshan or on weapons, and all of that. It is upsetting given Guru Nanak's message of liberation from these things. And roab1 ji I am with you on this point -- much of this fanfare is purely historical nostalgia "for the good old days" and it completely distorts the message of Guru Gobind Singh, and does an injustice.  

But has harbhansj24 made an excellent point? These things cannot really alter your understanding, and therefore cannot really affect someone in any significant way, if the mind is clear to begin with. That is my view too. I share it.

It is of course more difficult explaining this to children. roab1 ji as a parent does not want to see his/her children being drawn mindlessly into ritualistic worlds of religious experience, or sangats with talibanistic mindsets. That is the more difficult problem -- how to help children understand that although others are easily influenced, they can make better choices.


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## Tejwant Singh (Dec 23, 2009)

raob1 ji,

Guru Fateh.

Hazur Sahib is a historical Gurdwara. It has Sikh history that goes with it. So, there is nothing wrong in visiting historical Gurdwaras with your family so they can also learn about Sikh history and the interesting part is that Sikh historical Gurdwaras are all over India and beyond.

I remember when I was in my early teens and a bit before that, our parents used to load us in a car and we used to visit the historical Gurdwaras during every summer. It used  to be a blast.

I personally have never been to Hazur Sahib but if you can separate the non- Gurmat rituals  which are many, from its history, I am sure it will be a learning experience and a wonderful adventure for you and your family.

Let me share with you one non Gurmat ritual as it was told by my cousin who is a physician and a very devout Sikh. She said that some Sikhs go around a roundabout on  horses but there is one horse that has only a saddle on it and it is believed to be from the same family ( breed) of the blue stallion - Neela Ghorah- of Guru Gobind Singh ji. This horse while running around sweats the most and people claim the reason of its sweating is because Guru Gobind Singh ji is riding it.

When my cousin told me this, she was very serious and believed in it and every time she has the chance, she repeats the story. This is what blind faith does. It makes people blind.

I am all for visiting historical Gurdwaras, but I vehemently oppose going to Hem Kunt because its " history" is all cooked up by some so called Sikh Scholars, perhaps more for the reason of Me-ism than about One-ism which is taught to us in SGGS, our only Guru.

So, enjoy your journey.

Regards

Tejwant Singh


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## Randip Singh (Dec 23, 2009)

roab1 said:


> So now the cat is out of the bag. On another forum Dasam Granth is openly being addressed as sri Guru Dasam Granth Sahib. The admin is openly supporting Dasam Granth as Guru of Sikhs (although they themselves might be just a jatha). And another member is talking about having a discussion with Hazuri Sikhs to know their history in right perspective. In my opinion, a taliban type group is gonna form soon although it may take years or decades to show any strains in present Sikhism and for majority of Sikhs Gurdware are going to lose any importance.
> 
> My question is
> 
> ...




The Dasam Granth issue is a seperate issue from the Hazuri Sikh issue.

*Dasam Granth*

The Dasam Granth is a valuable document in terms of setting the scene and historical context the Khalsa was created. It gives us an insight into the lore, literature and prose of the time. The problem is cults/sect/jathas like AKJ, Namdhari etc elevating it to the same level as Bani.
*
Hazoori Sikhs*

The Hazoori Sikhs are probably the closest thing we have to what Sikhi was like 300 years ago. They have remained unpolluted from the Vaishno-Sect-Jatha influences in Punjab. They are the direct descendants of warriors who accompanied Guru Gobind Singh Ji.


They do not have Punjabi hangups on caste, they maintain a VERY strong martial tradition, they know how to fight, they do not argue over the meat/vege issue and do Jhatka routinely, the 5k's are honoured and seen as a sign of manliness, they are gentle yet ferocious. They even maintain tradition like Shastar Tilak of that time.


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## roab1 (Dec 23, 2009)

i have no words right now.


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## Randip Singh (Dec 23, 2009)

roab1 said:


> i have no words right now.



You had some words because you wrote "i have no words right now."


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## spnadmin (Dec 23, 2009)

Randip ji

I don't agree, but perhaps I don't understand what you mean when you say, 

"*Dasam Granth*
The Dasam Granth is a valuable document in terms of setting the scene and historical context the Khalsa was created. It gives us an insight into the lore, literature and prose of the time."

Would you elaborate? The historical value of Dasam Granth seems painfully compromised in terms of the provenance of the texts within it. Though each individual  text may have some historical merit, together as a granth they represent the work of a committee that gave itself permission to create a Dasam Granth from a variety of 4 parallel granths, none of which matched, and 3 of which did not even include the Zafaranama. The committee, Sodhak committee, conducted its work between 1900 and 1903. Maybe if you provide more detail I will get it.


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## roab1 (Dec 23, 2009)

If the granth was compiled by Guru Gobind Singh then there would be no question about raising any issue about it. The fact is there is no source which points to another granth besides the Guru Granth being given any 'status' to be worshipped or any injuction by Guru Gobind Singh about it. Let us assume that Bhai Mani Singh compiled it. Was he acting alone or with assistence? Who gave him that authority to compile a granth to be elevated to the level of Guru Granth? Now if we assume that 'Khalsa' acting as 'Guru' compiled and decided to elevate it to highest position then where is the 'Gurmata' or 'hukamnana' regarding that? And ceratinly Bhai Mani was a Sikh of the highest order but he had no authority to make any binding decision about Sikhi, which he never did. If some Jatha wants to show utmost respect to anything connected with Guru Gobind Singh than i think we would fall short of space if every group of determined individual started behaving in same manner. Lets say me and my family want to 'elevate' our Hukamname of Gurus and start doing parkash of them. They are from the mouth of guru and in their own hand so why not? If Bhai Randhir Singh had no faith in raagmala and questioned long held and cherished traditions of the Khalsa, then why are his followers name calling those who follow same path that their founder followed, albeit on a larger scale?


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## spnadmin (Dec 24, 2009)

Actually a better  name for Dasam Granth would be "Sodhak Granth." The Sodhak Committee named the granth "Dasam" once its work was done. The birs which preceded it in history went by different names.


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## Hardip Singh (Dec 24, 2009)

Tejwant Singh said:


> raob1 ji,
> 
> 
> I am all for visiting historical Gurdwaras, but I vehemently oppose going to Hem Kunt because its " history" is all cooked up by some so called Sikh Scholars, perhaps more for the reason of Me-ism than about One-ism which is taught to us in SGGS, our only Guru.
> ...


 
I request the admin to start a new thread regarding Hemkunt's history. It will be highly educational step by letting the sangat know the truth.


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## spnadmin (Dec 24, 2009)

I would be glad to start a thread Hardip ji. However, someone has to provide some content to get started. If you send me a url, I will post the article and we will have a new thread.


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## harbansj24 (Dec 24, 2009)

Narayanjot ji,

In my IMHO it will be a great tragedy if "DG" which you rightly say is a compilation of different sets of poetry is dumped just on the ground of it not being a document which reflects history or it not being authored or approved by Dasam Pita. There is little doubt that it is not a document that reflects rational history but it cannot be authoritatively ruled  that Guruji had nothing to do with it or had no knowledge about it. Whatever it may not be, it definitely is agreat piece of poetry that deserves to be treasured for its shear artistic value.
But obviously it cannot be elevated to the status of a Guru. Instead of just sticking to this narrow and simple point of difference, we Sikhs have unnecessarrily complicated the it by bringing in all sorts of extraneous issues.

Every great civilization has brought forth its own epics which have nothing to do with actual history but they are treasured since besides being a great piece of art they point to how a culture evolved, their folklore etc.

Hemkunt Sahib may not be a place which reflects true History, but coincidently it matches exactly with description given in Bachittar Natak. Whoever has visited it cannot fail to be just overwhelmed by fabulous sight that he beholds. Can it not be taken as a celebration of the work of art of Bachittar Natak? 
Have not the Greek epics produced monuments in celebration of their great epics? Have not the epics of Mahabharat and Ramayan produced great awe inspiring works of art especially in South India?

Yes, there can be no compromise on the issue that only SGGS is our Guru and DG cannot be equal to it. 
Other issues can easily be settled if approached sensibly.


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## spnadmin (Dec 24, 2009)

harbansj24 said:


> Narayanjot ji,
> 
> There is little doubt that it is not a document that reflects rational history but it cannot be authoritatively ruled  that Guruji had nothing to do with it or had no knowledge about it.
> 
> ...



The title of the thread is *Should Sikhs Who Have Only One Guru Visit Hazur Sahib. *I for one see no problem with visiting Hazur Sahib. Why not? 

The poetic force of Dasam Granth is unmistakable. But that wasn't the point of the thread-starter.


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## Gyani Jarnail Singh (Dec 24, 2009)

the crux of the problem is a SIKH only bows to ONE...His GURU..and that is SGGS.
Now if there happens to be another book so placed that a SIKH 'bowing" to His One and Only GURU also inadvertently has to bow to the book so placed..is that RIGHT ?? Sometimes there are FAKE PICTURES of Guru Sahibs also placed so that a person bowing to SGGS also bows to them..and THAT is IDOL WORSHIP.
AS Long as another book/picture is so placed that I have to bow to it when I ONLY want to Bow to SGGS..I will avoid that situation. Strictly my own private view...so no squabbling necessary.:happysingh:


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## Tejwant Singh (Dec 24, 2009)

Harbans ji,

Guru Fateh.

You write:



> Hemkunt Sahib may not be a place which reflects true History, but coincidently it *matches exactly *with description given in Bachittar Natak.
> 
> Whoever has visited it cannot fail to be just overwhelmed by fabulous sight that he beholds. Can it not be taken as a celebration of the work of art of Bachittar Natak?
> Have not the Greek epics produced monuments in celebration of their great epics? Have not the epics of Mahabharat and Ramayan produced great awe inspiring works of art especially in South India?


I agree with your first part of the statement but I am puzzled about your claim of the latter in the first paragraph above.

Do you mean Guru Gobind Singh ji was there- the place called Hemkunt- in his previous reincarnation,  (that is what Bachitar Natak claims and it also claims that Guru Gobind Singh penned that himself), which is neither a Gurmat tenet nor is it a Sikhi ideal but a Hindu philosophy based on mythology?

It seems  a bit far fetched and quite insulting to Guru Gobind Singh ji -who finalised Khalsa Panth - that he would utter these words about himself which are full of Me-ism and  are totally based on Hindu mythology.

We all very well know that Sikhi was founded on One-ism.

Yes, the WOW! factor of Ik Ong Kaar is omnipresent and is manifested all over and around us on this little speck of sand called the Earth and beyond. Guru Nanak himself was awestruck when He explained this AWE! & WOW! factor in a very poetic and precise manner.

In Jap ji- Pataalan pataal lakh,Agaasan agaas-. There are innummerous planets and many many Milky ways. Coincidentally, we found another Milky Way  through the telescope named Indira in 1992.

Now, claiming  " but coincidentally it *matches exactly *with description given in Bachittar Natak." is taking a bit too far in one's imagination. 

Don't you think so?

I am sure many places in this world can be described and may look "exactly the same" as the place where Hemkunt is located. But it will not happen because the objective here was to make the ends justify the means. Any mythology can be proven to the ones who believe in it, because of the blinders it demands from the believers and the parochial mindedness to justify the means as they have the ends in their hands from some mythological story which is totally against the Gurmat ideals given to us in SGGS, our Only Guru.

If one visits the alps, the Scandanvian countries with fjords, Bariloche and other  beautiful mountains in Chile and in other parts of South America, Africa and even in other corners of India, I am sure one can find "exactly the same" places as mentioned in the Bachiter Natak.

This is my personal opinion about why this mythology became famous, and I may be wrong. 

It is because of the Hindu concept that all the sages went to the snowy mountains to "find" God and meditated there although India is considererd a tropical country. If these so called sages had gone to the areas where the temperature is pleasant, hence enjoyable all year around, where fauna and flora is abundant, where the Sangam of the AWE & WOW factor is nitidly shown and hence is shone with many waterfalls and other things, and  if that had become the part of Bachitar Natak, I am sure people would have gone to other places in the southern or many other parts  of India which offer the same scenario and would have found the " exact" place. As they would   in many more parts of the world because there are more tropical forests left than the glacier mountains.

Foz de Iguacu- water falls which are part of Brasil, Argentina and Paraguay in the southern part of the continent are amazingly awe inspiring and the same goes for the Amazon basin  up north ( I was fortunate enough to visit the both and many glacier countries both in Europe and in South America), and  I am sure there are many, many other places which still exist and no man has ventured in them yet. National Geographic channel may be of a great help to see the places with flora and fauna which were recently discovered and may look " exactly the same" as mentioned in the Bachitar Natak.

So, the AWE & the WOW factor  of Ik Ong Kaar is omnipresent and is all around us. 

But, Gurbani teaches us in many places that as we have seen this AWE & WOW factor on the outside, let us discover the same within and we are fortunate enough to have the Blue print, the Road Map and the GPS in SGGS, our only Guru. 

Many who visit Hemkunt, pridefully and I am sure with total sincerity utter the  verse,

" Jithe jai bhayei, merah Satguru, sou thaan suhavah Ram Rajaehey".

But the sad part is that the meaning of the above verse is not about the book called SGGS at Hem Kunt but about ITS teachings. It has to be a  part of all us so that our own inner space can breed goodness within so that it can be shared with others.

This is the way I see the meaning of the verse:

"Whichever place my Satguru- the True Teacher - Ik Ong Kaar- dwells at, that place becomes blessed, divine, awesome, motivating, marching ahead, doing good abode."

The only THAAN SUHAVAH can be built, erected, cultivated is within with the help of SGGS, our only Guru- our only Blue Print, our only Road Map and last but not the least, our only GPS.

So, let us make use of this. Our Gurus demand that from us. 

The survival of Khalsa Panth which was started by Guru Nanak and  the finishing touches were put by Guru Gobind Singh depends on this. 

It does not depend on any meaningless slogans or on any man made myths.

Tejwant Singh


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## Uniqsha (Dec 25, 2009)

Wahe guru JI ka khalsa,
Wahe guru ji ki fateh,

Hazur Sahib is a historical Gurdwara. It has Sikh history that goes with it. So, there is nothing wrong in visiting historical Gurdwaras with your family so they can also learn about Sikh history and the interesting part is that Sikh historical Gurdwaras are all over India and beyond.
So we should visit
Uniqsha:yes:


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## roab1 (Dec 27, 2009)

www(put DOT here)flickr.com/photos/ramansingh/4203367228/

isn't the jathedar a heretic? and all his followers? they are not sikhs but a sect like ravidasi namdhari etc. Ravidasi see Ravidas as Guru which he is not, Namdharis have a living Guru which he is not, and the present jathedar of hazur sahib and all his followers hold DG as Guru which it is not. Now i am also waiting for die hard supporter of this new sect and his group who all along have screamed that 'Nobody is elevating DG to status of Guru' to respond as they have mysteriously kept quiet on this. Consider the recent attempts to tamper with Nanakshahi calendar and events surrounding prof. Darshan Singh and recent disturbances in Punjab led by followers of Guru DG leads to something very fishy in my opinion. Sikhs need to be beware. The cat is out of the bag. Don't follow heretics as even ashutosh professess that only he is true Khalsa.


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## harbansj24 (Dec 27, 2009)

Tejwant ji and Narayanjot ji,

I agree with much of what both of you say.

It has however never been my contention that just because Hemkunt Sahib matches with the description in Bachittar natak, it automatically gets authenticated as place where Guru ji did penance in his previous birth. All I said was that it can be taken as celebration of great piece of poetry of Bachittar Natak.
No one has got evidence either way if Guruji had knowledge of it. It is quite likely that he did have and that is why he very consciously and deliberately left it out of  SGGS. As I have repeated a number of times that quite possibly he would have considered it as top class piece of art with its own use but not fit enough to be put in SGGS and considered as our spiritual Guru.  It is as simple as that.
All the great epics of the world depict life as it existed in those times with all its goodness, ugliness, manipulations, deviousness, scandalous behaviour etc and all of them have inspired great work of art. _*AND NONE OF THEM DEPICT ACTUAL HISTORY.
*INMO IF WE TOO START THINKING IN THE DIRECTION THAT DG NEED NOT REPRESENT ACTUAL EVENTS AND IS AS JUST AN ARTISTIC DEPICTION OF COMPLEXITIES IN THE LIFE OF AN ORDINARY MORTAL, then maybe we can make beginning in resolving this complex problem which Sikhs find themselves in.  

_BTW, I am just back from Amritsar, and much of the even educated junta does not understand what the fuss is all about and even those who have been following it, say that it is an entirely avoidable controversy. Everyone seemed to be absolutely certain that SGGS is our only Guru and that Guruji would have had very valid reasons not to include the bani of DG in SGGS.

Gurfateh

Harbans Singh


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## spnadmin (Dec 27, 2009)

harbhansj ji


We seem closer in perspective on more points than we have had in recent times. I just want to make 2 remarks. 


I cannot think of one example of "goodness" bestowed by Greek gods that you mention in an earlier post. Their effect was to exact tribute from humans and not bestow mercy. Durga and her affiliate devtas in the contested books of DG behave themselves imho a notch better actually. The great temples and literature created in their praise, as you also pointed out a few posts back, were completed by peoples who were in their own minds re-telling their ancestral histories and passing them down one generation to the next.  I see this as a form of ancestor worship from which our Gurus freed us. 

As for the unnecessary controversy over Professor Darshan Singh -- it is unnecessary. But at what point did a doctrinal difference of opinion rise to this controversy so full of hatred? Who fanned the flames? Why did the jathedars allow themselves to be sucked into it? And what btw did the Amaritsar intellectuals do to help resolve matters?


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## harbansj24 (Dec 27, 2009)

Narayanjot ji,

I have no answer to your first point. This point of ancestral worship which runs counter to Sikhi needs to be looked into.

On the second point, I think Prof darshan Singh ji, catalyzed the issue with his opinion that Dasam pita had nothing whatsoever to do with DG. Because of his standing and because of his well known opposite stand earlier, it sent shock waves in the community. Now this could have been used as an opportunity to resolve the long standing lingering doubts in the mind of Sikhs by a sensible and mature leadership.
But sadly we do not have anyone who is upto the task and they just managed to create a mess.


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## spnadmin (Dec 27, 2009)

harbansj24 said:


> Narayanjot ji,
> 
> I have no answer to your first point. This point of ancestral worship which runs counter to Sikhi needs to be looked into.
> 
> ...




harbhans ji

Professor Darshan Singh is not the first person to question the authenticity of DG. This matter was taken up officially in the 1970's by Sikh Scholars, and then again 3 years ago by the Akal Takht. Buddha Dal does not consider the entire so called Dasam Granth to be by Sri Guru Gobind Singh. Nor was there something called a "Dasam Granth " prior to 1903.

Mature leadership lacking, the panth itself may need to engage in a panthic-wide debate to clearly grasp what all the areas of  difference in perspective.


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## Tejwant Singh (Dec 27, 2009)

Harbans ji,

Guru fateh.

Thanks for the response.

This forum is a great place because it allows us to share ideas, interact, even though, at times we disagree. For me, disagreements are part of any learning process, so I welcome them. And, please do not take my disagreements personally. 

You write:



> It has however never been my contention that just because Hemkunt Sahib matches with the description in Bachittar natak, it automatically gets authenticated as place where Guru ji did penance in his previous birth. All I said was that it can be taken as celebration of great piece of poetry of Bachittar Natak.


From your above statement, one can gather that you believe and have faith in reincarnation and there is such thing as previous birth when our Dasam Pita did penance there.

This is a Hindu concept and belief. Our visionary Gurus acknowledged the fact that Hinduism believed in the belief called reincarnation.
  <o> </o>
   SGGS, is full of verses that acknowledge this belief but in every verse it is repeated by our visionary Gurus that if one follows the Sikhi path, then this belief of death and rebirth ceases to exist. 

If it were something tangibly true and hence would be the part and parcel of nature, then our Gurus would not have said that at the end of every Shabad regarding the _“death”_ of reincarnation because Ik Ong Kaar _is_ the Energy that creates nature.

 Rather than declaring this as false and meaningless belief which for sure might have created a rebellion against our Gurus because reincarnation is one of the main cornerstones of Hinduism, they used the reverse psychology in my opinion in order to avoid any rebellion  because most of the people who embraced this novel school of thought called Sikhi, which is idea based were Hindus. And, hence our Gurus tried to steer them towards SAT by explaining through Gurbani the true meaning of_ life_.

We know that beliefs require blind faith hence there is lack of logic and reasoning and also, they can not be combated by them either.
  <o> </o>
   Satnaam, the second word in SGGS, our only Guru, requires no belief but cultivates thinking and reasoning. Truth is a standalone entity. It needs no crutches of belief.
  <o> </o>
  The first Pauri of Jap ji is the solid proof for all of us to see that.
  <o> </o>
  One more important thing to notice and it is a fact that our Gurus never talked or praised about themselves or about each other. They only talked and praised The ONE- Ik Ong Kaar. One can verify that in SGGS.
  <o> </o>
  Keeping the above in my mind, allow me to get back to your post regarding Bachiter Natak.
  <o> </o>
  We all know the meaning of Natak- which means a play, a fiction, something that is untrue. Something that is a make believe, imaginary.
  <o> </o>
  Now the question arises why would a Natak be the manifestation of the truth so that Sikh Scholars would go to great lengths to make it the truth by discovering something which is tangible , and hence decide that this is  the physical place where our Dasam Pita did Bhagti in his last life? ( I think by penance you mean Bhagti because the meaning of penance is not what is said in Bachiter Natak). 
  <o> </o>
  Penance according to dictionary is:

*pen·ance* 

*NOUN:*because 


An act of self-mortification      or devotion performed voluntarily to show sorrow for a sin or other      wrongdoing.
A sacrament in some Christian      churches that includes contrition, confession to a priest, acceptance of      punishment, and absolution. Also called _reconciliation_*.*
 penance - Dictionary definition and pronunciation - Yahoo! Education
  <o> </o>
1.Why      would these "discoverers" believe in Hindu concept of reincarnation to      concoct a place like Hemkunt?

2.Why      would they undermine Guru Gobind Singh by deciding that he wrote this about      himself hence dwelled into Me-ism, not taking into consideration about the true meaning of Sikhi from our only benchmark- the SGGS? 

This I think is the      biggest insult to our only Guru- the SGGS and also to our Dasam Pita.

You yourself have said:
  <o> </o>





> Can it not be taken as a celebration of the work of art of Bachittar Natak?


<o> </o>
  Yes it can, but the fact is that Hem Kunt is not taken as a work of art, a fiction. It is not built on some stage where it can be dismantled. It is a real place where thousands of Sikhs throng to every summer, where art is trying to imitate SAT, which is one more non-trait of Sikhi.
  <o> </o>
  Wikipedia explains Hemkunt like this:
Sri Hemkunt Sahib - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
  <o> </o>


> In the Indian epic and Puranic literature, Himalayan landscapes are described as the dwelling places of gods and goddesses. Pilgrimage shrines mark the places where the landforms themselves - mountains, rivers, forests, and lakes - are said to have acquired sacred qualities. High above the tree line, in the midst of a natural rock garden of moss, ferns, and flowers, is one such sacred place: a small, blue-green lake fed by water which cascades down from the surrounding mountain walls. Located in the Uttarkhand Himalayas bordering Tibet and Nepal, it is accessible for only four months of the year. Between June and October, sun and monsoon rains melt the ice and snow that are its namesake. Then, the steep stone footpath that leads to the lake is crowded with pilgrims and tourists. They journey to the base of the route on foot from neighbouring mountain valleys, or from the plains in buses, cars, and trucks, on scooters and bicycles, even by foot. Then for two days they climb upward. Some walk, some ride mules, and some are carried by porters. Finally, at the top of more than a thousand stone steps, the holy lake, the *Sri Hemkunt Sahib Gurdwara*, and the Sri Lakshman Mandir come into view.<o>
> Sikhs believe that this holy place, known as Hemkunt (lake of ice), is the tap asthan (place of meditation and prayer) at which the tenth and final living Guru of the Sikhs *Sri Guru Gobind Singh* achieved union with God in his previous incarnation. From there, the Guru was summoned by God to be reborn into the world to teach the people the true path. The temple built on the shore of the lake commemorates his mission. It also shelters the Guru Granth Sahib, the eternal scriptural Guru for the Sikh community. The community is itself recognized as a collective Guru, and pilgrims, as they walk the path toward Hemkunt, share the sacred journey with its members. In this way, all three forms of the Guru - the source of spiritual guidance - are understood to be present at Hemkunt. Sikh pilgrims go there to be inspired to walk the same difficult path that the Guru walked, both in body and in spirit, and to, through the Guru's grace, realize their connection with God in the same place where the Guru realized his. At Hemkunt Sahib, Sikhs feel closer to the Guru and, through the Guru, closer to God.<o>
> This 'lake of ice' is also sacred to the hill people who live in the valley below. They tell of the gods Lakshman, Hanuman, Shiva, and Vishnu, the tales of their deeds woven together with images from local landscapes. Long before the Sikhs knew the lake as the Guru's tap asthan, these people knew it as Lokpal, and made annual pilgrimages to its shore. For them, as for Sikhs, the journey continues to be an act of devotion, and the holy lake itself is a place for prayer and worship - a place where wishes can be fulfilled.<o>


</o></o></o>

 You also said:
  <o> </o>


> All I said was that it can be taken as celebration of All I said was that it can be taken as celebration of great piece of poetry of Bachittar Natak


  <o> </o>

1. Harbans ji, how can one celebrate “a great piece of poetry of Bachittar Natak” when it contradicts the True Poetry which is SGGS?

Isn’t this self contradictory?


2. Who has the proof but our Dasam Pita himself that if he wrote Bachitar Natak?

3. So, isn't this all speculation and taking decisions and making judgements on his behalf undermine our Dasam Pita, his vision, sacrifices and his own decision not to add anything of his to SGGS  as many of us are trying to play him? 

  <o> </o>
Regards

Tejwant Singh

  <o> </o>


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## harbansj24 (Dec 27, 2009)

Narayanjot ji,

I have only said that Prof Sahib catalyzed the issue. Of co{censored} it was going on earlier but came much more into limelight because of Prof sahib.


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## harbansj24 (Dec 28, 2009)

Tejwant ji,

I do not know how you have come to the conclusion that I firmly believe in reincarnation. I think that language of the text quoted by you is quite clear:
*It has however NEVER been my contention that just because Hemkunt Sahib matches with the description in Bachittar natak, it automatically gets authenticated as place where Guru ji did penance in his previous birth. All I said was that it can be taken as celebration of great piece of poetry of Bachittar Natak*.

As far as reincarnation is concerned, I have no opinion on it. Maybe if a person is unable to achieve complete purity of soul during his lifetime which should be the aim of this life and requires additional journey in some other vehicle then by the grace of Akal Purakh, so be it!

I do not think any of our Gurus have expressed any clear emphatic opinion for or against it. All they have repeatedly said that this birth is a Golden opportunity for a person to do Kamai of Naam Jap and merge into Ik Onkar.

No one has incontrovertible proof either way regarding the authorship of Bachittar Natak or for that matter entire DG _OR_ even if Dasam Pita did not personally pen it, if he had any knowledge about it. He had 52 distinguished poets in his court so it is plausible he did have knowledge about their work. He could have seen them as an artistic depiction of human nature and behaviour. Most of the great poets when giving effect to their art take the help of fantasy and the prevalent beliefs for their expression and very few reflect actual History.
So taking an overall view,  Guru ji _MAY_ have thought though it may have its use, it would not be fit to be included in SGGS since its spiritual content was no match for SGGS.

Regards


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## roab1 (Dec 28, 2009)

Is Hukamname of Guru Gobind Singh bani? and they are not even adapted from any hindu scriptures. they are as original as they can get. Also there are a lot of things connected with Gurus. For example strands of hair of Guru Gobind Singh. Should 'parkash' be started for them too as they are from the 'body' of the guru? We can bow to them as we do to Guru Granth Sahib. Gurujis bodily ornaments such as his warrior weapons and armours can also 'compliment' Guru Granth Sahib as Guru Granth Sahib guides our 'soul' and hair, weapons, armours of Guru Gobind Singh will guide our 'bodies'. Come to think of it. Sounds good.


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## ballym (Jan 12, 2010)

Narayanjot Kaur said:


> harbhans ji
> 
> Nor was there something called a "Dasam Granth " prior to 1903.


I see a trend in sikh history from 1850-60 onwards. Many sects started or blossomed during late 19th century. It culimanted in sikhs demanding their own gurudawara act and getting it by 1925.I had that feeling in my mind and ...... Could it be associated with rise of Arya Samaaj: 
Here is some lines at Wikipedia....
*Relations with Sikhs*
In 1875, the Arya Samaj established itself in Punjab, and some of its members began stating publicly that Sikhism should be considered a branch of Hinduism using what was seen as derogatory language in reference to Sikh Gurus and their writings.Leaders in the Sikh community, however, showed resolve in maintaining the status of their religion as independentand unique, and the statements of the Arya Samaj activists were summarily denounced as acts of aggression with the intent of destroying Sikh religious identity. It was also alleged that the Arya Samaj, which had taken an increasingly active role in certain Sikh Gurdwaras, was introducing practices that were contrary to Sikh principlesand behaving in ways which would prove detrimental to the Sikh faith. In response, organizational efforts such as Singh Sabha and Gurdwara Sudhar Movement were launched for countering Arya Samaj influence and peacefully reclaiming control of Sikh Gurdwaras.

It should be a good topic for Doctrate degree thesis. As I said elsewhere, we need more educated people to guide us.Why a bunch of unauthenticated persons deciding about DG and imposing it on whole religion all of a sudden.


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## Randip Singh (Jan 12, 2010)

Narayanjot Kaur said:


> Randip ji<?"urn:fficeffice" />





Narayanjot Kaur said:


> I don't agree, but perhaps I don't understand what you mean when you say,
> 
> "*Dasam Granth*
> The Dasam Granth is a valuable document in terms of setting the scene and historical context the Khalsa was created. It gives us an insight into the lore, literature and prose of the time."
> ...



<o> </o>
<o> </o>
Ok let me elaborate.
<o> </o>
The Dasam Granth is not one continuous document and should not be treated as such ( a massive mistake most people make).
<o> </o>
It is a collection of documents put together that were found after the sacking of Anandpur Sahib, so one cannot be certain about authorship. Zafarnama looks most likely to have been written by the 10<SUP>th</SUP> Master.
<o> </o>
There are certain things that are valuable:
<o> </o>
1)       It tells us about the fledgling Sikh community, who still needed Hindu Mythological concepts in order to explain Sikh concepts.
2)       Some of the fledgling Sikh community still needed examples of the miraculous and divine in order to understand what the 10<SUP>th</SUP> Master was about.
3)       It gives us insights into how men and women can be easily distracted from that path “The Charitars”
4)       It used Hindu God metaphors to explain the concept of One God to the still very Hindu influenced Sikh community (Shiva etc).
5)       It had heroic tales to inspire followers.
<o> </o>
Furthermore it should not be treated the same alongside the Sri Guru Granth Sahib ji, but rather like an Appendix. Much like Varan Bhai Gurdas and other documents.


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## spnadmin (Jan 12, 2010)

Randip Singh said:


> <o> </o>
> <o> </o>
> Ok let me elaborate.
> <o> </o>
> ...




LoL Randip Singh ji

I do thank you for your clarification. However, I think we are 180 degrees apart on nearly every point.  But because I have typed my fingers to the bone on scores of threads about Dasam Granth in the past 2 months, I ask you to give me a sabbatical from a more elaborate response to you. Let other members have their turn.


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