Sikhism, born in India, about six centuries ago, is not a religion that has travelled far and wide the way Buddhism did in ancient times, and Hinduism continues to do even today through concepts of yoga, karma and so on. As the Sikh diaspora in the West struggles with its identity in contemporary times, there has been a deep interest in revisiting the roots of the community through pursuits in history and fiction. In The Sacred Hymns of Guru Nanak, Nirmal Gill approaches the subject of Sikh ethos and heritage through translation.
The Guru Granth Sahib, scripture of the Sikhs, has many creators and contributors. Of these, the first Sikh Guru, Guru Nanak, the mystic who lived six centuries ago, is hailed as the founder of Sikhism. With his slim volume of translation, Gill brings together some of Nanak’s simple poetry to connect the present generations with the first words about divinity in Sikhism:
It is becoming an immense challenge to keep Sikh literature and religious philosophy alive and thriving in the twenty-first century. For a large percentage of young, urban Sikhs, especially in the diaspora spread over continents, Punjabi is a dying language. The best among them may speak the language, but very few can read or write it. The least that we can do, then, is to offer them translations in accessible, contemporary English. This selection is an effort in that direction.
Gill chooses five themes to organize his selection: the creation of the universe according to Nanak, his concept of One God or Ek Aunkar, his belief in “taking the Name” of God, living with a sense of truth and without discrimination, and a rejection of rituals. Together, the poems around these themes introduce the reader to the Sikh flavor of devotion. The first three themes deserve mention of examples as these might be of interest to those whose primary frame of reference to religion is Christianity.
Unlike the story of the Genesis, Nanak’s account is that the origins of creation cannot be known:
What part of the day, what hour was it,
What date, what day?
What season, what month was it
When everything was created?
If it is revealed in the Puranas,
Pundits don’t know the secret;
If it is written in the Quran,
Kazis don’t have the time for it.
Godmen don’t know the date,
Teh day, the month or season.
Only the Creator
Who gave form to the universe–
He alone knows.
The idea of One God, Ek Aunkar, is the most well known prayer recognized by the non-Sikhs as well, worth juxtaposing the original:
Ek Aunkar
Sat Naam
Kartaa Purakh
Nirbhau Nirvaer
Akaal Murat
Ajuni
Saibhann
Gurparsaad.
Aad sach
jugaad sach.
Hai bhee sachi, Naanak
hosi bhee sach.
God is One.
Truth His name.
Creator of Everything [caring Father to everything].
Fearless, without enmity.
Deathless Image.
Never born. Never dies.
Self-created. Self-existent.
By His Grace is gifted His worship.
Before the start of time: True.
When time started rolling: True.
Today: True.
Nanak, for ever shall He be True.
Taking the name of God, remembering Him always, is an integral part of devotion, not to be conflated with taking His name in vain, Nanak teaches that remembering, calling out the name of the divine is fundamental to devotion:
I searched in all four directions, I found none who is mine;
If it pleases you, O Master, I shall be Thine.
Your refulgent portal, none other, I salute;
You are my only Master, your True Name my tongue repeated.
Ascetics worship siddhas and pirs, to gain occult powers;
I ask only the favour of never forgetting the Name.
Understanding Sikhism through Nanak’s words constitutes an interesting project not just for the followers of the religion but also for the case study it becomes in connecting scripture to a specific person and poet. With most religions, the attribution of sections of the scripture cannot be made with such certainty. So when Nanak speaks, it is interesting to listen and make note of how an entire religion came to be birthed out of poetry.