Guru nanak dev, his life and teachings hindu website. The religion of the gurus fisher digital publications st. Adi granth, the first book or book of nanak, with later additions compiled by the fifth guru, arjoon, and with subsequent additions from later gurus down to the ninth, and contributions by various. Compared to other religions, sikhism is a religion of recent origin, founded in the 15th century ad by its founder sri guru nanak. Granth sahib, granth, guru granth sahib, adi sri guru.
The book is supported by the smithsonians sikh heritage project. Khalsa was established by the tenth and the last guru of sikhism cult, guru govind singh 1675 1708. Guru nanak is the founder of sikhism and the first guru of sikhs. Oct 07, 2011 the founder of sikhism guru nanak guru nanak. There are also adulatory verses for the gurus such as guru nanak fused into some pages, those composed by bards. In the sikh holy book, sri guru granth sahib, guru nanak says. His followers became known as sikhs disciples, and in english the movement that has derived from his teachings has become known as sikhism his parents were hindus, so he was educated at a hindu school. Guru granth sahib ji is the central religious scripture of sikhism, regarded by sikhs as the final. Guru nanaks largest contribution to mankind was the teaching of the science of the word.
The basic teachings of sikhism derive from guru nanak. The guru granth sahib is a collection of teachings and writings by guru nanak and other gurus as well as sikh, hindu and muslim saints. The sikh holy book and guru nanaks belief in equality. The holy book of the sikhs, the guru granth sahib, contains hymns direct from guru nanak, but also some from both muslim and hindu holy men. Accept all humans as your equals, and let them be your only sect. The holy book of the sikh religion is the guru granth sahib. It also contains hymns and verses of thirteen hindu bhakti movement sant poets saints and two muslim saint poets. Inclusion of muslim poets in the guru granth saheb presents an. Granth is a hindi word, which means book and it contains the writings of each of the ten gurus. Cole and sambhi 1989 emphasize that guru granth sahib is the visible focal point for sikh devotions. He was a religious scholar and the master of four languages, sanskrit, gurmukhi he invented, arabic and persian and four holy books, psalms, tora, bible and quran. Granth sahib ji is the current sikh guru the sikh holy book. It is revered and worshipped by the sikhs as their spiritual guide. The name sikh signifies disciple, and in later times the strict observants or elect were called the khalsa.
The last guru said that there would be no more gurus after him and sikhs would be taught by the sikh holy book, which is called guru granth sahib. The first guru, or spiritual leader, of sikhism, is known as guru nanak. Guru nanak then settled down with his family at the age of 50 and continued to develop the philosophy of sikhism through creating a community. Their sacred books, called the granth the original of which is preserved and venerated in the great temple of amritsar consists of two parts. For sikhs, guru is the holy teacher, the prophet under direct commission from god. However, with the advent of british rule in india in the 18th century, sikh communities have also been established in many other parts of the world, particularly where there are large indian diasporas. Guru nanak had many beliefs which were not popular at the time but are now widespread. Popular sikhism books meet your next favorite book. Spirituality, sikhism describe contributions of guru nanak to guru arjan dev ji in the. Spanning from guru nanaks founding of sikhism in the late fifteenth century to. The final contribution of the gurus came with gobind singh.
He discusses key beliefs in the one god and their rejection of caste. Guru nanak may be referred to by other titles such as baba nanak or nanak shah. Sikhs believe the guru granth sahib to be a living guru, hence the guru granth sahib has its own place also commonly known as sach khand the heaven. The lives and selected works of saints included in holy book sri guru granth.
A brief overview of the life of guru nanak, the founder of the sikh. Sikhism is a monotheistic, dharmic religion that had its origins in the historical area of punjab today split between india and pakistan, where its followers are still largely concentrated. The first sikh guru, nanak, established the practice of. The founder of the sect, nanak now called sri guru nanak deva, a hundu belonging to the kshastrya caste, was. Sri guru granth sahib sggs is the most respected and sacred book of the sikhs. The sufi saints poetry had a huge influence over guru nanak, who. Guru granth sahib simple english wikipedia, the free. Sikhs all over the world acelebrated the birth of guru nanak dev ji on 28th november.
He rejected the caste system and the various ways humans divide themselves into. Guru nanak visited sheikh ibrahim the muslim successor of baba farid the great sufi dervish of the twelfth century at ajodhan. A visionary and a great soul, he was an original spiritual thinker. Wherever guru nanak traveled he always wore a combination of styles worn by hindu and muslim holy men and was always asked whether he was a hindu or muslim. Throughout his life, guru nanak emphasized that no person can be above any other person.
The guru granth sahib is worshiped as the supreme authority of sikhism and is considered the eleventh and final guru of sikhism. Guru nanak author of sri guru granth sahib goodreads. This holy book would become an official part of the sikh religion later on in the. The significance and history behind the langars on guru nanak. Guru nanak 14691539, the first guru of sikhs faced this very question 500 years ago. We head towards gurdwara shri dashmesh darbarone of the seven gurudwaras in the jampacked area of guru teg bahadur nagar, sion, mumbai. Guru nanak travelled far and wide teaching people the message of one god who dwells in every one of gods creations and constitutes the eternal truth. The guru granth sahib contains predominantly hymns of the following sikh gurus. The tenth guru, guru gobind singh declared that there would be no other living gurus but instead sikhs could look to their holy scriptures for guidance, so the holy book became the guru teacher.
In 1699 he created the khalsa pure, a community of the faithful who wore. Each guru helped to contribute an important characteristic to the sikh religion. When guru nanak dev ji was born about five centuries ago, moslems were ruling over india, which had majority of hindu population. Today the sikh holy book is the only written source of baba farids poetry. Guru nanak and sikhism study notes history discussion.
The japji by guru nanak is the foundation of the sikh faith and basic sikh scripture. Born into a hindu family in 15th century india, he started displaying signs of his. Sikhism, spirituality and psychiatry sciencedirect. The holy book has been a source of emotional and psychological support, through the means of prayers in sikhism. The first word is guru, and a guru in sanskrit language. Considered a religious innovator, guru nanak travelled across south asia and middle east to spread his teachings. Sikhs acknowledge guru nanak to be the founder of their religion and the composer of hymns found in their sacred. Sikhism simple english wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. It is a compilation of the hymns composed by guru nanak and 32 other hindu and muslim saints including more than 2,000 hymns that he composed himself. Guru nanaks religious pluralism and sri guru granth sahib. In this context, it is pertinent to discuss the contribution of guru nanak dev ji to mental health. Sikhs believe that all subsequent gurus possessed guru nanaks divinity and religious authority.
Guru nanak bahaipedia, an encyclopedia about the bahai faith. Guru nanaks philosophy sikhiwiki, free sikh encyclopedia. Like the bible of christianity, the vedas of hinduism or the koran of islam, the guru granth sahib, also known as the adi granth, is the main scripture of sikhism. Sikhs believe the guru granth sahib to be a living guru, hence the guru granth sahib has its own place also commonly known as sach khand the heaven the name of the book is made up of three words. A member of the khatri trading caste and far from illiterate, nanak was not a typical sant, yet he experienced the same spirit of god in everything outside him and everything within him as did others in the movement he founded. Saint and soldier the first and last gurus of sikhism. Contributions made by the shaped the modern sikh religion and resulted in progressive, longlasting impacts on society as a whole. The religion of a warlike sect of india, having its origin in the punjab and its centre in the holy city of amritsar, where their sacred books are preserved and worshipped.
Guru arjan devs death changed course of sikhism the sikh daily. The fifth guru, arjun guru 1581 1606, gave sikhism its holy book, the granth sahib, which contains hymns of sikh gurus as well as those of hindu and muslim saints such as kabir. Guru granth sahib, the holy scripture of sikhs, was first installed at the golden temple on september 1, 1604. Guru nanak travelled far and wide teaching people the message of one god who dwells in every. B abstract guru nanak sahib, believed as founder of the sikhism, was actually a convert from hinduism. The sikh scripture is a book called the guru granth sahib the tenth guru, guru gobind singh declared that there would be no other living gurus but instead sikhs could look to their holy scriptures for guidance, so the holy book became the guru teacher. First letter of first verse on lefthand page basis of childs name. This version of the japji was translated by kirpal singh who was in the direct lineage of the author of japji. It is one of the most important festivals for the sikh community and this year marks the 550th birth anniversary of guru nanak dev. From a bahai point of view it seems that guru nanak is better understood as comparable to the lesser prophets who do not bring an independent revelation, but reflect the spiritual truths of the. Guru nanak was the founder of sikhism, one of the youngest religions. In the sikh system, the word guru is used only for the ten spiritual prophets guru nanak to guru gobind singh. Sikhs around the world celebrate the auspicious occasion of guru nanak dev jis.
The hymns included range from the omnipresence of nature and basic day to day lessons. Guru nanak s favourite book was alice in wonder land. He was born in the punjab, which has been the home of the sikh faith ever since. The guru granth sahib, also called adi granth, is the holy book of the religion sikhism. Equality of humans d uring the time of nanak caste based discrimination was deep rooted in indian society. By the age of 16, guru nanak had mastered multiple religious texts and languages. Part of the reason was the fact that he had blessed jahangirs rebellious son khusrau, and part because of his growing influence in northern india and fast conversions to sikhism that threatened the orthodox muslim clergy as well as the hindu elite. In the sikh system, the word guru is used only for the ten spiritual prophetsguru nanak to guru gobind singh. Last human guru 16661708, announced the guru granth sahib as successor, introduced the five ks and military rule in sikhism guru granth sahib holy book, sikh holy book. It contains 5894 hymns, called shabads, composed in 18 ragas musical patterns.
Sikh gurus and their contributions, religion of india. First book, the principal sacred text of sikhism contains hymns and poetry as well as the teachings of the first five gurus. Guru arjan dev, the martyr whose death changed the course. Guru gobind singh appeared here, set up his tent, and asked if anyone would be willing to give his head. The 10th guru, gobind singh, declared that he would have no living successor, and this collection of teachings would become the ultimate guru for the sikh. Contributions made by the shaped the modern sikh religion and resulted in. Sikhismsri guru nanak dev ji wikibooks, open books for.
In this book guru nanak dev ji said that there is a will of god that we cannot change. Guru arjan devs death changed course of sikhism the. Guru arjan dev is credited with compiling the adi granth which was completed in 1604. According to sikh tradition, sikhism was established by guru nanak 14691539 and. Guru nanak dev ji made great contributions to improving. The era of the ten gurus of sikhism spans from the birth of nanak dev in 1469, through the life of guru gobind singh. Sri guru granth sahib a brief history islam ahmadiyya. First book the sacred scripture of sikhism, a religion of. Continuing its process of growth and evolution through the 10 successive sikh gurus. The dasam granth is a composition primarily of the tenth guru, guru gobind singh.
At kartarpur he introduced the practice of offering three daily. Nanak composed many hymns, which were collected in. Bhai gurdas, the scribe of the sikh holy book guru granth sahib, also wrote about nanaks life in. The final, eternal sikh guru is the guru granth sahib. The punjabi word sikh learner is related to the sanskrit shishya disciple, and all sikhs are disciples of the guru spiritual guide, or teacher. Nanak preached against discrimination and prejudices due to race,caste,status, etc. Now this office of guru is fulfilled by the guru granth, the sacred book, which was so apotheosized by the last guru. At the time of guru gobind singhs death in 1708, he passed the title of guru to the sikh scripture, guru granth. As the first guru of sikhism, guru nanak contributed a total of 974 hymns to the book. Full text of contributions of guru nanak sirdar kapur.
Guru arjan dev, the martyr whose death changed the course of. Their holy book is the sri guru granth sahib ji many sources call sikhism a monotheistic religion, according to eleanor nesbitt, english renderings of sikhism as a monotheistic religion tend misleadingly to reinforce a semitic understanding of monotheism, rather than guru nanaks mystical. Similar to the tortoise story in europe, the prevalent indian myth at the time was, the earth is settled on the horns of a bull. It is part of sikh religious belief that the spirit of nanaks sanctity, divinity, and religious authority had descended upon each of the nine. Guru nanak dev october 20, 1469 september 7, 1539 was the founder of sikhism, and the first of the ten sikh gurus. This compilation also has delightful detours and his familys contributions his wife, the. Originally, the religion relied on the teaching of living gurus. The sri guru granth sahib also known as adi granth is more than a holy book for the sikhs. His religious ideas draw on both hindu and islamic thoughts, but are also unique in their own right. Guru nanak was an indian saint who founded sikhism and became the first of the sikh gurus. An artistic impression of guru nanakhi, the founder of sikhism. He is the last in the series of the greatest prophets born upon earth who were instrumental in establishing major world religions through their teachings and revelations.
Parts of the japji or jap ji is included in daily morning prayers of sikhs all over the world. The location of the golden temple in the punjab region of northwest india. In the year 1606, the fifth sikh guru, guru arjan dev, was captured by mughal emperor jahangir and imprisoned in lahore fort. Guru nanak also referred to as baba nanak father nanak, was the founder of sikhism and is. A few days before his death, guru nanak chose a successor to carry on with his work by presenting him with a book of his own hymns a pothi and a woollen string a seli indicating renunciation of the. A brief look at the life of guru gobind singh, the last of the ten sikh gurus. Sri guru nanak chamatkar part 2 sikhism sikhbookclub.
Their holy book is the sri guru granth sahib ji many sources call sikhism a monotheistic religion, according to eleanor nesbitt, english renderings of sikhism as a monotheistic religion tend misleadingly to reinforce a semitic understanding of monotheism, rather than guru nanak s mystical. Guru nanak became the first sikh guru and his spiritual teachings laid the foundation on which sikhism was formed. His birth is celebrated worldwide as guru nanak gurpurab on katak pooranmashi fullmoon of the katak, i. Following are highlighted contribution of guru nanak. Guru nanak dev ji guru nanak 15 april 1469 22 september 1539 is the first of the ten sikh gurus. The community would sing the hymns and his agents collected donations. Guru, in sikhism, any of the first 10 leaders of the sikh religion of northern india. Other beliefs and contributions of nanak dev ji guru nanak had many beliefs which were not popular at the time but are now widespread. Bhai vir singhs edited works and his art of editing 12. Khlasa and eternal guru adi granthguru granth sahib.
The main teachings of the guru granth sahib is the love of humanity. Guru nanak is the usual title given to the saint who tried to unite people from hindu and muslim backgrounds in the 1500s. Sikhism is a faith whose followers are called sikhs. What traits characterized sikhism in the initial stages of development. It was compiled by guru arjun dev 15811606, the 5th guru of sikhism. Equality of humans during the time of nanak caste based discrimination was deep rooted in indian society. Naam, is unlike other science disciplines in that it is a perfect science, forming the subject matter of the 1430 pages of the adi granth, which were compiled and composed by the sikh prophets the ten nanaks. See the brotherhood of all mankind as the highest order of. Nanak rebukes us because we have forgotten our true nature. Guru nanak jayanti is celebrated on the day of karthik poornima. Guru nanaks favourite book was alice in wonder land.
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