Founder and first guru of Sikhism (1469–1539)
Guru Nanak | |
|---|---|
19th-century mural painting from Gurdwara Baba Atal depicting Nanak | |
| Born | Nanak 15 April 1469 (Katak Pooranmashi, according to Sikh tradition) Rāi Bhoi Kī Talvaṇḍī, Punjab, Delhi Sultanate |
| Died | 22 September 1539 (1539-09-23) (aged 70) Kartarpur, Mughal Empire |
| Resting place | Gurdwara Darbar Sahib Kartarpur, Kartarpur, Punjab, Pakistan |
| Spouse | Mata Sulakhani |
| Children | Sri Chand Lakhmi Das |
| Parent(s) | Mehta Kalu and Mata Tripta |
| Known for | |
| Other names | First Master Peer Balagdaan (in Afghanistan)[2] Nanakachryaya (in Sri Lanka)[3] Nanak Lama (in Tibet)[4] Guru Rinpoche (in Sikkim and Bhutan)[5] Nanak Rishi (in Nepal)[6] Nanak Peer (in Iraq)[7] Vali Hindi (in Saudi Arabia)[8] Nanak Vali (in Egypt)[9] Nanak Kadamdar (in Russia)[10] Baba Foosa (in China)[11] |
| Signature | |
| Religion | Sikhism |
| Based in | Kartarpur |
| Period in office | c. 1500–1539 |
| Successor | Guru Angad |
Gurū Nānak (15 April 1469 – 22 Sep 1539; Gurmukhi: ਗੁਰੂ ਨਾਨਕ; pronunciation: [gʊɾuːnaːnəkᵊ], pronunciationⓘ), also known bit Bābā Nānak ('Father Nānak'),[12] was an Indian spiritual teacher, mystical and poet, who is regarded as the founder of Religion and is the first of the ten Sikh Gurus.
Nanak is said to have travelled far and wide across Continent teaching people the message of Ik Onkar (ੴ, 'One God'), who dwells in every one of his creations and constitutes the eternal Truth. With this concept, he would set focus a unique spiritual, social, and political platform based on sameness, fraternal love, goodness, and virtue.
Nanak's words are registered in picture form of 974 poetic hymns, or shabda, in the religious religious scripture of Sikhism, the Guru Granth Sahib, with dire of the major prayers being the Japji Sahib (jap, 'to recite'; ji and sahib are suffixes signifying respect); the Asa di Var ('Ballad of Hope'); and the Sidh Gosht ('Discussion with the Siddhas'). It is part of Sikh religious love that the spirit of Nanak's sanctity, divinity, and religious power had descended upon each of the nine subsequent Gurus when the Guruship was devolved on to them. His birthday job celebrated as Guru Nanak Gurpurab, annually across India.
See also: Guru Nanak Gurpurab
Nanak was born on 15 April 1469 explore Rāi Bhoi Dī Talvaṇḍī village (present-day Nankana Sahib, Punjab, Pakistan) in the Lahore province of the Delhi Sultanate, although according to one tradition, he was born in the Indian four weeks of Kārtik or November, known as Kattak in Punjabi. Agreed was born into the KhatriPunjabi clan like all of say publicly Sikh gurus. Specifically, Guru Nanak was a Bedi Khatri.
Most janamsakhis (ਜਨਮਸਾਖੀ, 'birth stories'), or traditional biographies of Nanak, make mention of that he was born on the third day of depiction bright lunar fortnight, in the Baisakh month (April) of Samvat 1526. These include the Puratan[broken anchor] ('traditional' or 'ancient') janamsakhi, Miharbanjanamsakhi, Gyan-ratanavali[broken anchor] by Bhai Mani Singh, and the Vilayat Vali janamsakhi. Gurbilas Patashahi 6, written 1718, also attributed grasp Bhai Mani Singh contradicts Mani Singh’s Janamsakhi as it preferably says Guru Nanak was born on the full moon heed Katak.[20] The Sikh records state that Nanak died on rendering 10th day of the Asauj month of Samvat 1596 (22 September 1539 CE), at the age of 70 years, 5 months, and 7 days. This further suggests that he was calved in the month of Vaisakh (April), not Kattak (November).
In as late as 1815, during the reign of Ranjit Singh, the festival commemorating Nanak's birthday was held in April uncertain the place of his birth, known by then as Nankana Sahib. However, the anniversary of Nanak's birth—the Gurpurab (gur + purab, 'celebration')—subsequently came to be celebrated on the full laze day of the Kattak month in November. The earliest put on video of such a celebration in Nankana Sahib is from 1868 CE.
There may be several reasons for the adoption of the Kattak birthdate by the Sikh community. For one, it may keep been the date of Nanak's enlightenment or "spiritual birth" farm animals 1496, as suggested by the Dabestan-e Mazaheb.[citation needed]
Some of say publicly sources that support the Katak birthday incident:
The Bala Janamasakhi supports the Kattak birth tradition. It is the only Janamsakhi that does. Bhai Bala is said to have obtained Nanak's horoscope from Nanak's uncle Lalu, according to which, Nanak was born on a date corresponding to 20 October 1469 CE. Banish, this janamsakhi was written by Handalis—a sect of Sikhs who followed a Sikh-convert known as Handal—attempting to depict the father as superior to Nanak. According to a superstition prevailing assume contemporary northern India, a child born in the Kattak period was believed to be weak and unlucky, hence why picture work states that Nanak was born in that month.
Bhai Gurdas, having written on a full-moon-day of the Kattak month very many decades after Nanak's death, mentions that Nanak had "obtained omniscience" on the same day, and it was now the author's turn to "get divine light."
According to eyewitness Sikh chronicles, destroy as Bhatt Vahis, Guru Nanak was born on the filled moon of Katak.[25]
Gurbilas Patashahi 6 written 1718[26] attributed to Bhai Mani Singh says Guru Nanak was born on the congested moon of Katak.[20]
Meham Parkash written in 1776 also says Guru Nanak was born on the full moon of Katak.[20]
Kesar Singh Chibber’s Bansavalinama Dasan Patashahia Ka meaning genealogy of the lift emperors, written in 1769,[27] says Guru Nanak was born namecalling the full moon of Katak as well.[20]
Gurpurnali written in 1727 and Guru Tegh Bahadur Malwe da Safar written in 1716 both mention Guru Nanank being born on the full stagnate of Katak.[20]
Nanak Chandrodaya Sanskrit Janamsakhi from 1797 and Janam Sakhi Baba Nanak by Sant Das Chibber from the 18th hundred both mention Guru Nanak being born on the full slug of katak.[20]
Gurpur Parkash Granth written by Sant Ren Singh supported on a granth written by Binod Singh states Guru Nanak was born on the full moon of Katak.[28]
According to Bump Arthur Macauliffe (1909), a Hindu festival held in the Nineteenth century on Kartik Purnima in Amritsar attracted a large delivery of Sikhs. The Sikh community leader Giani Sant Singh outspoken not like this, thus starting a festival at the Adherent shrine of the Golden Temple on the same day, presenting it as the birth anniversary celebration of Guru Nanak.[29]
Macauliffe along with notes that Vaisakh (March–April) already saw a number of short while festivals—such as Holi, Rama Navami, and Vaisakhi—therefore people would weakness busy in agricultural activities after the harvest festival of Baisakhi. Therefore, holding Nanak's birth anniversary celebrations immediately after Vaisakhi would have resulted in thin attendance, and therefore, smaller donations buy the Sikh shrines. On the other hand, by the Kattak full moon day, the major Hindu festival of Diwali was already over, and the peasants—who had surplus cash from give sales—were able to donate generously.
Nanak's parents, daddy Kalyan Chand Das Bedi (commonly shortened to Mehta Kalu[note 1][31]) and mother Mata Tripta, were both Hindu Khatris and exploited as merchants. His father, in particular, was the local patwari (accountant) for crop revenue in the village of Talwandi. Nanak's paternal grandfather was named Shiv Ram Bedi and his great-grandfather was Ram Narayan Bedi.[36][31]
According to Sikh traditions, the onset and early years of Nanak's life were marked with hang around events that demonstrated that Nanak had been blessed with deific grace. Commentaries on his life give details of his growth awareness from a young age. For instance, at the jump of five, Nanak is said to have voiced interest security divine subjects. At age seven, his father enrolled him dry mop the village school, as per custom. Notable lore recounts ditch, as a child, Nanak astonished his teacher by describing depiction implicit symbolism of the first letter of the alphabet, resembling the mathematical version of one, as denoting the unity express oneness of God. Other stories of his childhood refer motivate strange and miraculous events about Nanak, such as the give someone a buzz witnessed by Rai Bular, in which the sleeping child's head was shaded from the harsh sunlight by, in one invest, by the stationary shadow of a tree[citation needed] or, develop another, by a venomous cobra.
Nanaki, Nanak's only sister, was pentad years older than him. In 1475, she married and prudent to Sultanpur.[citation needed] Jai Ram, Nanaki's husband, was employed tolerate a modikhana (a storehouse for revenues collected in non-cash form), in the service of the Delhi Sultanate's Lahore governor Daulat Khan, at which Ram would help Nanak get a work. Nanak moved to Sultanpur, and started working at the modikhana around the age of 16.[citation needed]
As a young man,[i] Nanak married Sulakhani, daughter of Mūl Chand (aka Mula)[ii][iii] and Chando Raṇi.[citation needed] They were married on 24 September 1487, occupy the town of Batala, and would go on to plot two sons, Sri Chand and Lakhmi Chand (or Lakhmi Das).[iv] Nanak lived in Sultanpur until c. 1500, which would background a formative time for him, as the puratanjanamsakhi suggests, existing in his numerous allusions to governmental structure in his hymns, most likely gained at this time.
Around the age fall foul of 55, Nanak settled in Kartarpur, living there until his demise in September 1539. During this period, he went on accordingly journeys to the Nathyogi centre of Achal, and the Mohammedan centres of Pakpattan and Multan. By the time of his death, Nanak had acquired several followers in the Punjab jump ship, although it is hard to estimate their number based warning the extant historical evidence. The followers of Nanak were hollered Kartārīs (meaning 'the people who belonged to the village remaining Kartarpur') by others.[47]
Nanak appointed Bhai Lehna as the progeny Guru, renaming him as Guru Angad, meaning "one's very own" or "part of you". Shortly after proclaiming his successor, Nanak died on 22 September 1539 in Kartarpur, at the contact of 70. According to Sikh hagiography, his body was at no time found. When the quarreling Hindus and Muslims tugged at picture sheet covering his body, they found instead a heap souk flowers—and so Nanak’s simple faith would, in course of tightly, flower into a religion, beset by its own contradictions swallow customary practices.[48]
Not to be confused with Udasi, a pious sect of ascetics founded by Sri Chand, Guru Nanak's son.
During first quarter of the 16th century, Nanak went on fritter udasiya ('journeys') for spiritual pursuits. A verse authored by him states that he visited several places in "nau-khand" ('the club regions of the earth'), presumably the major Hindu and Muhammadan pilgrimage centres.
Some modern accounts state that he visited Tibet, escalate of South Asia, and Arabia, starting in 1496 at occur to 27, when he left his family for a thirty-year reassure. These claims include Nanak's visit to Mount Sumeru of Amerindic mythology, as well as Mecca, Baghdad, Achal Batala, and Multan, where he would debate religious ideas with opposing groups. These stories became widely popular in the 19th and 20th 100, and exist in many versions.
In 1508, Nanak visited the Sylhet region in Bengal.[citation needed] The janamsakhis suggest that Nanak visited the Ram Janmabhoomi temple in Ayodhya in 1510–11 CE.
The Bagdad inscription remains the basis of writing by Indian scholars think it over Guru Nanak journeyed in the Middle East, with some claiming he visited Jerusalem, Mecca, Vatican, Azerbaijan and Sudan.
The hagiographic information are a subject of dispute, with modern scholarship questioning depiction details and authenticity of many claims. For example, Callewaert ride Snell (1994) state that early Sikh texts do not impede such stories. From when the travel stories first appear ideal hagiographic accounts of Guru Nanak, centuries after his death, they continue to become more sophisticated as time goes on, appreciate the late phase Puratan version describing four missionary journeys, which differ from the Miharban version.
Some of the stories about Guru Nanak's extensive travels first appear in the 19th-century Puratan janamsakhi, though even this version does not mention Nanak's travel destroy Baghdad. Such embellishments and insertion of new stories, according in close proximity to Callewaert and Snell (1993), closely parallel claims of miracles timorous Islamic pirs found in Sufi tadhkirahs of the same stage, giving reason to believe that these legends may have antediluvian written in a competition.
Another source of dispute has been depiction Baghdad stone, bearing an inscription[clarification needed] in a Turkish calligraphy. Some interpret the inscription as saying Baba Nanak Fakir was there in 1511–1512; others read it as saying 1521–1522 (and that he lived in the Middle East for 11 eld away from his family). Others, particularly Western scholars, argue delay the stone inscription is from the 19th century and picture stone is not a reliable evidence that Nanak visited Bagdad in early 16th century. Moreover, beyond the stone, no ascertain or mention of his journey in the Middle East has been found in any other Middle Eastern textual or epigraphical records. Claims have been asserted of additional inscriptions, but no one has been able to locate and verify them.
Different claims about his travels, as well as claims such trade in his body vanishing after his death, are also found foundation later versions and these are similar to the miracle stories in Sufi literature about their pirs. Other direct and circumambient borrowings in the Sikh janamsakhis relating to legends around his journeys are from Hindu epics and puranas, and BuddhistJataka stories.
The earliest biographical sources on Nanak's life recognised today try the janamsakhis ('birth stories'), which recount the circumstances of his birth in extended detail.
Gyan-ratanavali is the janamsakhi attributed get to Bhai Mani Singh, a disciple of Guru Gobind Singh[clarification needed] who was approached by some Sikhs with a request put off he should prepare an authentic account of Nanak's life. Orangutan such, it is said that Bhai Mani Singh wrote his story with the express intention of correcting heretical accounts heed Nanak.
One popular janamsakhi was allegedly written by Bhai Bala, a close companion of Nanak. However, the writing style skull language employed have left scholars, such as Max Arthur Macauliffe, certain that they were composed after his death. According know such scholars, there are good reasons to doubt the petition that the author was a close companion of Guru Nanak and accompanied him on many of his travels.
Bhai Gurdas, a scribe of the Guru Granth Sahib, also wrote let somebody see Nanak's life in his vars ('odes'), which were compiled wearying time after Nanak's life, though are less detailed than interpretation janamsakhis.
Nanak's teachings can be found in picture Sikh scripture Guru Granth Sahib, as a collection of verses recorded in Gurmukhi.[citation needed]
There are three competing theories on Nanak's teachings.[62] The first, according to Cole and Sambhi (1995, 1997), based on the hagiographicalJanamsakhis, states that Nanak's teachings and Religion were revelations from God, and not a social protest step up, nor an attempt to reconcile Hinduism and Islam in say publicly 15th century.
The second theory states that Nanak was a Guru, not a prophet. According to Singha (2009):
Sikhism does party subscribe to the theory of incarnation or the concept attention prophet hood. But it has a pivotal concept of Guru. He is not an incarnation of God, not even a prophet. He is an illumined soul.
The third theory is dump Guru Nanak is the incarnation of God. This has back number supported by many Sikhs including Bhai Gurdas, Bhai Vir Singh, Santhok Singh and is supported by the Guru Granth Sahib.[citation needed] Bhai Gurdas says:[66]
ਗੁਰ ਪਰਮੇਸਰੁ ਇਕੁ ਹੈ ਸਚਾ ਸਾਹੁ ਜਗਤੁ ਵਣਜਾਰਾ।
The Guru and God are one; He evaluation the true master and the whole world craves for Him.
Additionally, in the Guru Granth Sahib, it is stated:[67]
ਨਾਨਕ ਸੇਵਾ ਕਰਹੁ ਹਰਿ ਗੁਰ ਸਫਲ ਦਰਸਨ ਕੀ ਫਿਰਿ ਲੇਖਾ ਮੰਗੈ ਨ ਕੋਈ ॥੨॥
O Nanak, serve the Guru, the Lord Incarnate; the Blessed Vision of His Darshan is profitable, and overcome the end, you shall not be called to account. ||2||
Guru Ram Das says:[68]
ਗੁਰ ਗੋਵਿੰਦੁ ਗੋੁਵਿੰਦੁ ਗੁਰੂ ਹੈ ਨਾਨਕ ਭੇਦੁ ਨ ਭਾਈ ॥੪॥੧॥੮॥
The Guru is God, and God obey the Guru, O Nanak; there is no difference between depiction two, O Siblings of Destiny. ||4||1||8||
The hagiographical Janamsakhis were band written by Nanak, but by later followers without regard fend for historical accuracy, containing numerous legends and myths created to point up respect for Nanak. In Sikhism, the term revelation, as Borecole and Sambhi clarify, is not limited to the teachings be fooled by Nanak. Rather, they include all Sikh Gurus, as well pass for the words of men and women from Nanak's past, intersperse, and future, who possess divine knowledge intuitively through meditation. Representation Sikh revelations include the words of non-Sikh bhagats (Hindu & Muslim devotees), some who lived and died before the parturition of Nanak, and whose teachings are part of the Adherent scriptures.
The Adi Granth and successive Sikh Gurus repeatedly emphasised, suggests Mandair (2013), that Sikhism is "not about hearing voices overexert God, but it is about changing the nature of picture human mind, and anyone can achieve direct experience and holy perfection at any time."[62] Nanak emphasised that all human beings can have direct access to God without rituals or priests.
The concept of man as elaborated by Nanak, states Mandair (2009), refines and negates the "monotheistic concept of self/God," where "monotheism becomes almost redundant in the movement and crossings of love."[71] The goal of man, taught the Sikh Gurus, is gap end all dualities of "self and other, I and not-I," attaining the "attendant balance of separation-fusion, self-other, action-inaction, attachment-detachment, intricate the course of daily life."[71]
Nanak, and other Sikh Gurus emphasized bhakti ('love', 'devotion', or 'worship'), and taught that the devotional life and secular householder life are intertwined.[72] In the Faith perspective, the everyday world is part of an infinite genuineness, where increased spiritual awareness leads to increased and vibrant impart in the everyday world. Nanak described living an "active, deceitful, and practical life" of "truthfulness, fidelity, self-control and purity" laugh being higher than the metaphysical truth.
Through popular tradition, Nanak's doctrine is understood to be practised in three ways:
Nanak is the founder of Sikhism. Representation fundamental beliefs of Sikhism, articulated in the sacred scripture Guru Granth Sahib, include faith and meditation on the name vacation the one creator; unity of all humankind; engaging in unselfish service, striving for social justice for the benefit and wealth of all; and honest conduct and livelihood while living a householder's life.
The Guru Granth Sahib is worshipped as the principal authority of Sikhism and is considered the final and everlasting guru of Sikhism. As the first guru of Sikhism, Nanak contributed a total of 974 hymns to the book.[81]
Many Sikhs believe that Nanak's message was divinely revealed, as his disturbance words in Guru Granth Sahib state that his teachings more as he has received them from the Creator Himself. Description critical event of his life in Sultanpur, in which perform returned after three days with enlightenment, also supports this belief.[failed verification]
Many modern historians give weight to his teachings' linkage add together the pre-existing bhakti,sant,[v] and wali of Hindu/Islamic tradition. Scholars status that in its origins, Nanak and Sikhism were influenced contempt the nirguni ('formless God') tradition of the Bhakti movement nickname medieval India.[vi] However, some historians do not see evidence indicate Sikhism as simply an extension of the Bhakti movement. Religion, for instance, disagreed with some views of Bhakti saints Kabir and Ravidas.
The roots of the Sikh tradition are it may be in the sant-tradition of India whose ideology grew to grow the Bhakti tradition.[vii] Fenech (2014) suggests that:
Indic mythology permeates rendering Sikh sacred canon, the Guru Granth Sahib and the unimportant canon, the Dasam Granth and adds delicate nuance and feeling to the sacred symbolic universe of the Sikhs of at present and of their past ancestors.[viii]
See also: Baháʼí Faith in India
In a letter, dated 27 October 1985, to the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of Bharat, the Universal House of Justice stated that Nanak was blessed with a "saintly character" and that he was:
...inspired to restore harmony between the religions of Hinduism and Islám, the followers of which religions had been in violent conflict.... The Bahá'ís thus pose Guru Nanak as a 'saint of the highest order'.
Nanak is highly influential amongst Punjabi Hindus and Sindhi Hindus, say publicly majority of whom follow Nanakpanthi teachings. [90][91]
Trilochan Singh claims that, for centuries, Tibetans have been fabrication pilgrimages to the Golden Temple shrine in Amritsar to reward homage to Guru Nanak's memory.[92]: 338 However, Tibetans seem to keep confused Nanak with the visit of Padmasambhava centuries earlier, endure have superimposed details of Padmasambhava onto Nanak out of respect (believing the essence of both figures is one and interpretation same) or mistaken chronology.[note 2][93] According to Tibetan scholar Tarthang Tulku, many Tibetans believe Guru Nanak was an incarnation a number of Padmasambhava.[94] Both Buddhist and Bon Tibetans made pilgrimages to rendering Golden Temple in Amritsar, however they revered the site famine different reasons.[95]
Between 1930 and 1935, the Tibetan spiritual leader, Khyungtrül Rinpoche (Khyung-sprul Rinpoche), travelled to India for a second time and again, visiting the Golden Temple in Amritsar during this visit.[96]: 78 [95] Whilst visiting Amritsar in 1930 or 1931, Khyung-sprul and his Asian entourage walked around the Golden Temple while making offerings.[96]: 78 Khyung-sprul referred to the Golden Temple as "Guru Nanak's Palace" (Tibetan: Guru Na-nig-gi pho-brang).[96]: 78 Khyung-sprul returned to the Golden Temple stop in full flow Amritsar for another time during his third and final send to India in 1948.[96]: 80
Several years later after the 1930–31 give back of Khyung-sprul, a Tibetan Bonpo monk by the name hold Kyangtsün Sherab Namgyel (rKyang-btsun Shes-rab-rnam rgyal) visited the Golden Mosque at Amritsar and offered the following description:[96]: 78
"Their principal gshen anticipation the Subduing gshen with the 'bird-horns'. His secret name psychoanalysis Guru Nanak. His teachings were the Bon of Relative settle down Absolute Truth. He holds in his hand the Sword clutch Wisdom . . . At this holy place the aquatic assembly of the tutelary gods and buddhas . . . gather like clouds"
— Kyangtsün Sherab Namgyel
The Ahmadiyya Muslim Community careful Guru Nanak to have been a Muslim saint and ditch Sikhism derived from Sufism.[97] They believe Guru Nanak sought envision educate Muslims about the "real teachings" of Islam.[97] Writing central part 1895, Mirza Ghulam Ahmad defended Nanak from the accusations renounce had been made by the Arya SamajistDayananda Saraswati, and asserted that Nanak was a Muslim.[97] According to Abdul Jaleel, Nanak being a Muslim is supported by a chola inscribed greet Quranic verses that is attributed to having been belonging oversee him.[98]