Sardar Gurbakhsh Singh 'Kala Afghana' A Shining Star in the Galaxy of Scholars
Abbreviations used in this article: AGGS for Aad Guru Granth Sahib; BN for Bachittar Natak,
My first acquaintance with Sardar Gurbakhsh Singh Kala Afghana was through his articles in the Spokesman in 1999. After reading the first article, I said to myself, “Here is a writer who has expressed my own views regarding ‘Bachittar Natak (Wondrous Drama)’.” I was so impressed and excited that I called my nephew who was visiting India at that time to get me the book. The book ‘Bachittar Natak: Gurbani Di Kasvuti Te’ lived up to my expectations based on ‘what I had read in the articles’. The author totally destroyed the myth that ‘Bachittar Natak’ was written by Guru Gobind Singh. He has used Gurbani as a touchstone to test the validity of ‘Bachittar Natak’ and found most of the contents to be contradictory to Gurbani and the edict Guru Gobind Singh issued to the Khalsa. After administering them the baptism of double edged sword, Guru Gobind Singh proclaimed, “ From now on you are free from: varan-ashrarm dharam (caste based religion), karm kand (Hindu rituals and ceremonies), bharam (superstition), kul (family lineage) and krit (caste based occupation restriction) [1].
Let me give a brief information about Sardar Gurbakhsh Singh ‘Kala Afghana’ before discussing his writings. He is a retired police inspector from Punjab living in Canada. The attack on Golden Temple in 1984 and what happened in its aftermath to Sikhs all over India shook him so badly psychologically that he started pondering over the problems faced by the community. He asked, “ What happened to the Sikh community which was so vibrant and had sense of honor and dignity before 1947, has degenerated so fast and sunk into the pit.” After speculating, debating and thoughtful analysis, he came to the conclusion that it is a self- inflicted wound. The Sikhs have abandoned the teachings of the Gurus and fallen into the trap of Brahmanical practices. He found support for his conclusion in the statement, ‘ As long as the Sikhs follow the distinct path of Guru Nanak, I will support them with all my power. However, when they start following the Brahmanical way, I will lose my trust in them’, attributed to Guru Gobind Singh [2]. Whenever, he discussed his views with the Sikh clergy, he was told, “ Whatever we are preaching or the conduct of Sikhs in general is consistent with Sikhi (Gurmat, Guru's way).” Like any lay Sikh, his knowledge of Sikhism and Hinduism was not sufficient to distinguish between Brahmanical and Sikh practices to understand how Brahmanism has crept into Sikhism. Therefore, he made an in depth study of AGGS, Sikh traditions and history and Hinduism for several years. The steady persuasion and encouragement by friends, well-wishers and his wife prompted him to undertake this monumental task of separating the chaff of mythology and falsehood from the kernel of Sikhi (Sikhism).
While evaluating Kala Afghana’s writings, I have kept in mind that Sikh Gurus had rejected Hinduism as it was practiced during their time and Hindu scriptures as a source of moral inspiration and guidance [3].
The gist of ‘Bachittar Natak: Gurbani Di Kasvuti Te’ raises a very important question? And that question is why Guru Gobind Singh, who conferred Guruship on the teachings enshrined in the ‘Aad Guru Granth Sahib’ and the collective will of the Sikhs (Guru Panth), would write such a book to repudiate the same very teachings and his own edict to the Khalsa?
There is hardly any chapter in BN, which does not contradict Gurbani. This book is replete with Hindu mythology and reference to Hindu deities. The most often mentioned is Shiv Ji, with a necklace of human heads, a drum in his hand and bells around his ankles. Besides it contains baseless and illogical statements. Nonetheless, this book is written by a clever and deceitful person with an objective to mislead and confuse the Sikhs in order to cause a dichotomy in Sikhism, separating Guru Gobind Singh from the Nanakian philosophy.
Only a few items from Kala Afghana’s book are described below to demonstrate unequivocally that BN is not the composition of Guru Gobind Singh. First, in the beginning of the book, the writer says that Guru Gobind Singh uttered the words contained in BN, thus making Guru Gobind the author of BN. Second, he has added passages and statements here and there which sound like Gurbani and are consistent with it. So, when a person reads this book, his / her attention is drawn towards the contents which are consistent with Gurbani and away from the contradictory material. Even when the reader notices this contradiction, he /she is reluctant to ask questions due to his / her reverence for Guru Gobind Singh, as the writer has lead him / her to believe that these are the words of Guru Gobind Singh.
In the opening chapter of BN, the author first worships weapons and then Hindu gods to seek their blessings for the successful completion of the book. Both Hindu and Muslim names for God have been used in Aad Guru Granth Sahib but not ‘Mahan Kal’ and Kal, which have been used so often in BN. Kal and Mahan Kal mean death and ‘great death’, respectively. How could God, who is loving, forgiving and the creator of the universe be called death? God is everlasting but His creation is subject to death according to Its universal law (Hukam). Kal and Mahan Kal refer to Shiv Ji, the destroyer. Additionally, names of weapons and goddesses, which are used for God and ‘God power’ in BN, find no mention in the same sense in the AGGS. How could God, who is ineffable be called ‘sword’, a small invention of man, who is a tiny spec in God’s creation? Furthermore, the God of AGGS is kind, loving and merciful and it is His grace, which is the source of protection. Whereas in BN the God is depicted in the image of Hindu gods, who are ferocious looking with frightening teeth and weapons in their hands, and their weapons provide protection. Besides, neither of the Gurus, whose Bani is in the ‘Aad Guru Granth Sahib’ have used the expression that ‘this Bani is from their mouth’ and all of Guru Nanak’s successors who uttered Bani, recorded it under his name.
The writer of BN has connected Guru Nanak Dev and Guru Govind Singh to the lineage of mythical god, Sri Ram Chander, a ruler in the mythical age of Treta. According to the writer, Sri Ram Chander's sons, Luv and Kush founded the City of Lahore and Kasur in Panjab and ruled over there for a very long time. Later on there was a war between their descendents. It was a long war and the writer has described it in quite a lengthy detail. Even Shiv Ji with his army of ghosts, goblins and witches was there. The Luvis, who were then called Sodhis defeated the Kushis, who ran away to Kashi. The Kushis were called Bedis after they learned to recite the four Vedas (sacred Hindu scriptures). Later on a Sodhi king sent an emissary to them with the message, “Let us forget the past; come back to Panjab.” The Bedis came back and recited the Vedas to the Sodhi King. All his sins were washed away after listening to the Vedas. The Sodhi King was so pleased and at peace with himself that he donated his Kingdom as a charity to the Bedis. The head of the Bedi clan was so overjoyed that he gave a boon to the Sodhi ex-king as a token of gratitude saying, “O pious one, when I will take birth in the age of Kaljug, I will make you worthy of world-wide veneration. Since, you first listened to the first three Vedas and then decided to donate your kingdom in charity while listening to the fourth Veda. Similarly, I will transfer the Guruship to you after I have become Guru three times, consecutively.” This {censored} and bull story is full of holes.
The writer of BN implies that Guru Nanak (Bedi) and the six Gurus (Sodhi), Ram Das to Gobind Singh became Gurus because their ancestors were very pious Hindus, who studied Vedas or were very generous to those who recited Vedas to them. In other words, it was due to the blessing earned through the study of Vedas or the donation of kingdom as charity to the reciter of Vedas, which was responsible for the reward of Guruship. However, Angad Dev and Amardas came to occupy the seat of Guruship only after they gave up their Hindu faith. No wonder, the writer of BN did not mention their lineage, or how did they earn the Guruship? The writer does not know that belief in caste and lineage contradicts Guru Gobind Singh’s own edict of Kul Nash (freedom from lineage barriers). Besides, the first three Gurus did not come from a Bedi family, only Guru Nanak was born into a Bedi family and Gurus Angad Dev and Amardas were born in Trehan and Bhala family, respectively. Also, the first three Gurus were contemporaries.
The Luv/ Kush story is contradicted by Goswami Tulsi Das, the author of Ramayan, who was contemporary of Guru Nanak. He has described the incidents from Sri Ram Chandher’s life in great detail. According to him, Sri Ram Chander or his sons never extended their rule beyond U. P. in the direction of Panjab. Additionally, Bedis or Sodhis never ruled over any part of Panjab in the recorded history of this region. However, Khem Singh Bedi, who was aspiring to become Guru of the Sikhs was a toady of the British. He accumulated lot wealth in the form of land grants from his benefactors. He could be regarded as a feudal lord?
The writer of BN has given information about the ancestors of Guru Nanak Dev and Guru Gobind Singh going thousands generations back. He has also given a detailed description of the war between them. However, he makes no mention of the victories of Guru Hargobind Sahib, who was Guru Gobind Singh’s grand father or the martyrdom of his great grand father, Guru Arjan Dev. May be the writer was suffering from a short-term memory loss!
The writer of BN also does not say what happened to the ancestors of Gurus Nanak Dev and Guru Gobind Singh during the Duaper age when lord Krishna of the famous ‘Krishna Lila’ was the supreme. May be the writer does not like Sri Krishna because the he was a devotee of Shiv Ji.
Let us assume that Sri Ram Chander’s sons lived up to the end of Treta age and their descendents lived through the Duaper age while enjoying Krishan Lila and continued through the Kaljug age. According to Mahan Kosh the duration of Duaper is 864,000 years [4]. Homo sapiens, the earliest ancestors of modern man evolved not more than 250,000 years ago according to modern science [4]. I believe in modern science not in Hindu mythology because American astronauts did not find god Indra on the moon.
The God described in BN is helpless, frustrated, confused and suffers from memory loss whereas the God of ‘Aad Guru Grant Sahib’ is all-powerful, omniscient and omnipresent, who controls every thing in Its creation and is happy and content watching it. According to ‘his own story’, the writer of BN tells, “He was practicing austerities and self-mortification and meditating on Mahankal (Shiv Ji) and Kalika (goddess) on a snowy mountain called Hem Kunt while his parents were praying to God and perfecting their Yogic discipline. When God was pleased with them, He ordered me to take birth in the age of Kaljug. I did not want to come to the world; however, God persuaded me by expressing his helplessness and frustration by saying, “ Whatever I have created and sent to the world so far, did not bring me any glory. Son all my hopes are on you, go there, straighten out the world and spread my glory. Then God told me the story of His creation as follows.” “After creating the world, God sent the demons, who turned out to be unfaithful. These tyrants stopped His worship. He got angry at the demons and destroyed them in a moment and replaced them with Shiv Ji, Vishnu, and Brahma. They too turned out to be untrustworthy; they refused to recognize Him and proclaimed themselves individually to be God. Then He created eight witnesses (planet earth, pole star, moon, sun, fire, air etc.) and asked them to monitor the action of living beings. But they too proclaimed that there is no one else other than them worthy of worship. Stupid people, who did not recognize Him, started worshiping gods, sun, moon, air, and fire. So many of them started worshiping stones and believing in pilgrimage, holy baths and rituals. Then He created human beings, who got mesmerized by the material world and started worshiping idols.” [Here, either God or the storyteller is confused. Who were worshiping gods, sun, moon, stones, air and fire? Who were worshiping stones and believing in pilgrimage, holy baths and rituals? Were they not human beings? Did they belong to another kind of human species? Besides, why this God chose the writer of BN, who was also worshiping Mahan Kal and Kalika?] “After this, He sent ascetics and saints with supernatural powers, whoturned out to be {censored}. They started their own sects and did not recognize Him. Then His memory started faulting. He did not remember whether He sent Prophet Mohammed first or Gorakh Nath or Rama Nand. He said that he sent Gorakh Nath followed by Rama Nand, who like their predecessors established their own sects and lead people astray and ignored Him.” [It is strange that God did not remember that He had sent Prophet Mohammed several hundred years earlier than Gorakh Nath. And that Prophet’s followers believed only in one God and they controlled vast territory in Asia, Africa and Europe. Whereas, Gorakh Nath’s followers, who believed in millions of gods and goddesses, and their country was ruled by the followers of the Prophet. Besides Gorakh Nathis, who were very small in number in comparison to Mohammedans, were free loaders, who made their living by exploiting others through trickery and witchcraft. It is unbelievable that He remembered Rama Nand but not Moses, whom He gave the Ten Commandments or the Sikh Gurus. What kind of a father is He, who does not remember his only son Jesus? He forgot what He told the Prophet to do to distinguish the male members of his flock from nonbelievers. He used very crude and vulgar expression to describe circumcision (chopping off {censored})]. Compare this vulgar expression with the words used in AGGS to describe circumcision (sunat) [5]. Who could have described ‘sunat’ in such a vulgar expression? Of course, the Brahmins, who used far worse language than this to describe the action of their own gods and goddesses?
Here are some more questions, which need answers. How could any body survive up on a snowy mountain in that severe cold weather sitting in meditating posture for a very long time as the writer of BN claims to have done? The mountain climbers stay there only for a short time and wear very warm clothes and insulated shoes, stay over night in well-insulated tents, eat hot food and they help out each other. What was the writer of BN eating? Moreover, the type of mediation used by the writer of BN to realize God is rejected by the Nankian philosophy. It has no spiritual merit whatsoever. Pilgrimage, austerities, and self-mortification, compassion and charity, the four by themselves earn very little spiritual reward [6]. Meditation on God involves an active and creative life as proclaimed by Guru Nanak, “One who works hard for an honest living and practices charity, recognizes the path to God [7].”
Also, I want to draw the attention of the readers to the fact that neither of the Sikh Gurus made any mention of their previous life in ‘Ad Guru Granth Sahib’, the only authentic source of Nankian Philosophy. There are very few personal references to Gurus or their families. Additionally, the Hindu view of reincarnation (belief in previous and after life) and Karma were also rejected by the Sikh Gurus [8]. Their Bani emphasizes the actions of the present life, pointing out that this life gives one an opportunity to become a God-centered being and makes no mention of the past or after life when it say, “ This aloneis your chance; seek within [9]. Human life is a blessing; this is the opportunity to meet God [10]. Think about improving your future, don't look to the past, make this life worthy of God realization because there won't be a birth again for you [11]."
I would also like to point out that Gurus Anagad Dev and Amardas were devout Hindus, who used to go on pilgrimage to sacred Hindu places before they adopted the path of Guru Nanak. It has not occurred to any Sikh to build monuments in their memory at sacred Hindu centers where they used to pay homage. On the other hand, stupid and ignorant Sikhs under the influence of enemies of Nankian philosophy and devious Sikh scholars have built a Gurdwara in the memory of Guru Gobind Singh up in the Himalyas, where they believe he used to meditate in his previous life. Ignorant and stupid Sikhs flock to this den of thieves by the thousands every year. Even Sikhs from western countries go there along with their Indian relatives to wash away their sins. I am not talking about bumpkins; I am talking about highly educated Sikh professionals with degrees from western universities. There is a saying that you can take a desert dweller out of the desert but you can’t remove the desert out of him. Similarly, you can take a stupid and ignorant Sikh from India and educate him in a western university but you can’t remove ignorance and stupidity out of him.
In the next chapter the writer claims that his parents went the to eastern country on a pilgrimage to holy places to bathe and give charity. As a consequence, their prayers were answered and my mother was blessed with me in her womb. Here the writer contradicts his earlier statement, “When he was practicing austerities and self mortification and meditating on Mahankal (Shiv Ji) and Kalika (goddess) on a snowy mountain called Hem Kunt, his parents were praying to God and perfecting their Yogic discipline. When God was pleased with them, He ordered me to take birth in the age of Kaljug.”
Here again the writer does not know that Sikh Gurus had rejected Hinduism. So, their going on pilgrimage to sacred Hindu centers to perform Hindu rituals does not arise.
The latter chapters are devoted to battle scenes described in a haphazard manner in crude poetry. They are full of innuendoes, imaginations and inaccuracies. The writer made no mention of the creation of Khalsa, the five beloved ones, the martyrdom Babas Ajit Singh and Jujhar Singh, the battle of the 40 immortals, the cruel death of two younger Sahibzadas, and the painful death of grief stricken Mata Gujri. The writer also forgot the betrayal of Gangu Brahman, the culpability of Sucha Nand in the cruel death of younger Sahibzadas; the protest by Nawab of Malerkotla against the killing of young ones. Additionally, he ignored the sacrifice of Pir Budhu Shah and his followers, and the help rendered to Guru Gobind Singh at the critical time by Khan brothers, Rai Kalah and others.
The writer says that Guru Teg Bahadar’s martyrdom was for the protection of the frontal mark and the sacred thread of the Brahmans. This is totally wrong. Guru Teg Bahadar took the stand to defend the human rights of all the subjugated people. Guru Teg Bahadar gave his life to demonstrate that every person has the right to choose his / her faith and that religion could not be and should not be imposed on people. It is a historical incident that Hindus sought his help to protect their religion. If the circumstances have been reverse, he would have done the same for Muslims. However, the writer implies and presents the story in a slanting manner to show that the purpose of the Sikh movement was to protect Hindus against Muslims. In my opinion the realty is different and history supports me. The progeny of Manu got upset the day Guru Nanak rejected the Janeu (sacred thread). They ridiculed him and called him a Karahya (one gone astray). They tried unsuccessfully to stop his movement. Since, Hindus were under the feet of Muslims; they could not take any drastic actions. They sought the help of Muslim authorities through Hindu officials to crush the Sikh Movement. For example, Khatris / Brahmans of Goindwal complained to Emperor Akbar, “ Guru Amardas has discarded Hindu scriptures and is violating caste rules by introducing inter-caste dining in his community kitchen (Langar).” The enlightened Emperor found no merit in their argument. Sikh scholars lead by Sirdar Kapur Singh blame Jahangir for the cruel death of Guru Arjan Dev on the basis of a statement in his memoirs (Tuzk-I-Jahangiri) [12]. Jahangir was an easy going person and more interested in sensual pleasures than in mundane government affairs according to historians. Why Jahangir, whose father, Emperor Akbar had so much respect for the Gurus, developed so much hatred for Guru Arjan Dev [13]. What did Guru Arjan Dev do to Jahngir to earn his wrath? May be it was Shaikh Ahmad Sirhindi, who influenced him against Guru Arjan Dev. However, it is not unreasonable to think that there were others, who made their input. For example, may be his Rajput mother and his uncle (Mama), Raja Man Singh poisoned Jahangir’s mind and filled it with hatred against the Guru, because under caste rule, it was the duty of a Hindu king to uphold the caste system and protect the Brahman. Sikh Gurus discarded not only the caste rules but also Hinduism in total [3, 14].
I am convinced that if the Sikh movement had started under Hindu rule, the flower of Sikhi would have been nipped in the bud. My conviction is based on what is happening to the minorities in India since 1947. Indian governments have killed more Indian citizens in the last fifty years than the British colonists did in three hundred years; more than 90% of the victims were minorities. If India has not been an international charity bowl and under the watchful eyes of the world community, Manuites would have squeezed the life out of the minorities.
Look at the change in attitude of Panjabi Hindus after 1947. They started deriding their own culture and renounced their own mother tongue. In the 1960 census, about 80 % of them (almost all the upper castes) declared Hindi as their mother tongue. What was the reason for that? Could the so-called champion of Panjabiat, Kuldip Nayar and Inder Kumar Gujral explain it?
The facade of Indian democracy and the phony nonviolence of Gandhi have hoodwinked the world community. Minorities in India should wake up for the sake of their survival. They must apprise the world community about what the Manuites did to the Bhudists in the past, what they are doing to the minorities at the present and what they are capable of doing to the world community in the future with their nuclear missiles, Agni and Trisul.
Getting back to the subject of Bachittar Natak, as I have highlighted above, any person with an average intelligence and some sense of logic can see that Guru Gobind Singh can not be author of BN. Nevertheless, the clever and deceitful writer of BN has been very successful in confusing the Sikhs to the extent that the ignorant Sikh clergy and scholars lacking discriminating intellect (bibek budh) regard it as the work of Guru Gobind Singh. So much so, that the current Jathedar of Akal Takhat, Joginder Singh Vedanti, who is well versed in Vedas and ignorant of Aad Guru Granth Sahib, has warned the Sikhs against questioning the authorship of Dasm Granth, which is a collection of spurious writings including Bachittar Natak. While his ilk is free to recite and read it in Gurdwaras and propagate the falsehood that the entire Dasm Granth is the composition of Guru Gobind singh.
‘Maas Maas Kar Moorakh Jhagre’ is another masterpiece of ‘Kala Afghana’. The author has clearly stated at the outset that he did not want to write this book because Guru Nanak has counseled his Sikhs against debating the issue of meat eating when he said, “It is foolish to debate the issue of meat eating (maas maas kar moorkh jhagre).” A Sikh, who ignores Guru’s counsel, is a Manmukh (self-centered) and a (Bemukh (the one who has turned back to the Guru). However his friends, well-wishers and admirers persuaded him to write this book due to the following reasons. Some Amritdhari Sikhs, like the followers of Bhai Randhir Singh and others who do not eat meat, they look down upon non-Amritdhari Sikhs as well as meet eating Amritdhari Sikhs. Their attitude is not only detrimental to the harmony of Sikh community but also it has created tensions and rifts in their own families and relatives. An Amridhari Sikh should be an embodiment of humility and forgiveness. His / her example should inspire others to emulate him / her. These misguided souls probably forgot or don’t know with whom Guru Nanak was dining during his long travels to far away places. Therefore, Kala Afghana studied the writings of Sikhs, who have claimed that Gurbani prohibits the partaking of meet because it is sinful.
He has analyzed the writings of three influential preachers and an author of dozens of books about Sikhism: Gurmat Rahit Maryada, 1975 edition, by Sant Giani Gubachan Singh Khalsa of Damdami Taksal; Tut Gurmat Nirne 1978 edition, by Bhai Randhir Singh; Tain Kiyo Murghi Maree, 1980 edition by Bhai Joginder Singh Talwara; Sikh Dharam Te Mas Shrab, 1980 edition by Shri J. P. Sangat Singh. It is perfectly all right for any one to express or write one’s own views against eating meat. But it is immoral and demeaning to misinterpret or distort intentionally, the writings of others to prove one’s own thesis. It is unpardonable sin when a Sikh especially, who proclaims to be the paragon of Sikh virtues, a great exponent of Gurbani and defender of the Sikh Panth indulges in distortion of Gurbani to prove his / her point. Sant Giani Gurbachan Singh Khlsa and his pupils like Giani Puran Singh, the former Jathedar of Akal Takhat and Sant Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale, and Bhai Randhir Singh are very well known to Sikhs. Bhai Joginder Singh Talwara is one of the leaders of Bhai Randhir Singh’s organization and is a member of the Dharam Parchar Committee appointed by SGPC. Shri J.P. Singh has written dozens of books in Panjabi / Hindi about Sikh religion.
Kala Afghana has exposed their lack of knowledge to interpret the religious scriptures (hermeneutics) and their ignorance of Gurbani. Their arguments are baseless and hollow and they have used absurd analogies. They have used a verse from here and there and distorted the meaning to prove their points without paying any attention to the meaning of the whole Sabad. Neither the successors of Sant Giani Grubachan singh Khalsa and Bhai Randhir Singh nor J. P. Sangat Singh have bothered to check the accuracy of their interpretation of Gurbani verses by comparing with Professor Sahib Singh’s translation of AGGS, which is considered by Sikh scholars as the best so far. They have also indulged in the misinterpretation of Vaaran of Bhai Gurdas and writings of Bhai Vir Singh and others. Wherever these four ‘holies’ have used one or two verses from Gurbani, Kala Afghana has explained the whole Sabad to demonstrate their misinterpretation of the verse and ignorance of Gurbani. Besides he has quoted, three or more relevant Sabads along with their meanings. Bhai Randhir Singh is the worst offender in misinterpreting Gurbani and has gone to the extent of putting words in Guru’s mouth. Finally Sardar ‘Kala Afghana’ has appealed with great humility to Bhai Joginder Singh Talwara and Shri J. P. Sangat Sigh to use their talent to propagate the true message of Nankian philosophy instead of distorting it.
Kala Afghana has also written a series of books under the title ‘ Bipran Ki Reet Ton Sach Da Marg’ on various concepts and terminology used in AGGS with reference to Hinduism and this project is going on. He has also drawn the attention of Sikhs to the translation of ‘Gurbilas Patshahi 6’ by Akal Takhat Jathedar Joginedr Singh Vedanti and Principal Amarjeet Singh. This book is derogatory to Guru Hagobind Sahib and is replete with distortion of Nankian philosophy. No person in his right mind would object to the translation of any book. However, it is quite a different matter, when the Jathedar of Akal Takhat and the Principal of a Sikh college translate a book like ‘Gurbilas Patshahi 6’. And publish it without pointing out and emphasizing the distortion of Nankian philosophy and derogatory remarks about Guru Hargobind Sahib, and present it as a gift to the Sikh community.
I have read most of the books he has published so far. To my knowledge, no genuine scholar has raised any objection to his writings so far. One may differ as I do with his interpretations of political events involving Sikhs, Sikh history and Gurbani verses here and there. However, I have not come across any interpretation of Gurbani, which violates the core of Nanakian philosophy. In my opinion he is unique among Sikh scholars and stands out in the following respects.
To my knowledge, no Sikh scholar has explained Gurbani as clearly as he has done with reference to Hinduism. For example, the verse ‘tirath, tap daya dat dan, je ko pavai til ka man’ means that pilgrimage, practice of austerities and self-mortification, compassion and charity earn little spiritual merit [6]. It is obvious that the first two are inconsistent with the Nanakian philosophy but the later two have been emphasized in AGGS again and again. Then why this verse says that compassion and charity earn little reward? When we analyze the context in which Guru Nanak uttered this verse, then the meaning becomes clear. During the time of Guru Nanak, people believed that that by practicing austerities and self-mortification, going on pilgrimage, and performing acts of compassion and charity, they can wash away their sins. The implication of this belief is that if some one commits the sin again, one can remove it by performing the four activities mentioned in the verse and process could be repeated without one making any effort to reform oneself. On the contrary, Guru Nanak believed that sins couldn’t be washed away unless one undergoes a total spiritual transformation. And that total spiritual transformation can occur only via ‘sunia maniya man kita bhao, antargat tirath mal nao’ (listening to Divine knowledge, developing a firm belief in God and falling in love with It, fills one’s inner-self with Divine spirit). Such a one unites spiritually with God and remains sin free forever.
No other Sikh scholar has dared even to touch the tail of ‘Sikh Holy Cows’—like Udasis, Nirmalas, Dam Dami Taksal, Bhai Randhir Singh and Sant / Babas. On the other hand, Kala Afghana has taken on these ‘Holy Cows’ from the front end. He has held them by their horns and twisted their necks and thrown them on the ground exposing their under belly fattened with the offerings of gullible and ignorant devotees. For example, he has exposed the false claims of Udasis and Nirmalas that their organizations were started with the blessing of Gurus Har Gobind Sahib and Gobind Singh, respectively. Let us first examine the claim of Udaisis.
.Shri Chand repudiated the teachings of his father by becoming an ascetic and he lived an idle life on the charity of others. What qualifications did he have to propagate the Nankian philosophy which says’ “Only a person who works hard for an honest living and practices charity can find the path to God realization? [7]” Earlier Sikh Gurus kept him at an arm's length so that his influence may not infect the Sikhs. How come all of sudden Guru Hargobind Sahib allowed Shri Chand to adopt his son, Baba Gurditta? How come the ascetic Udasis accepted Baba Gurditta, who was a householder, married man with children and a hunter, as the head of their organization?
Finally, according to available historical records, Shri chand died before Baba Gurditta was born [15]. The story about Shri Chand adopting Baba Guditta does not make any sense and is false.
Now let us look at the story of Nirmalas. They claim that five Sikhs, who were sent in disguise to Banaras to learn Sanskrit from Brahmans by Guru Gobind Singh, started their organization. Did Guru Gobind Singh indulge in deception to get his Sikhs educated in Sanskrit? Is there any evidence in AGGS that Nanakian philosophy allows immoral behavior? However, Hindu religion allows every immoral act to achieve one’s objectives. . Hindu gods tell lies, cheat, indulge in deception and commit adultery (Bhagvad Gita, Purans and Krishan Lilah). It is logical that this story was made up Brahmans, who had no moral revulsion about ascribing immoral acts to their own gods and goddesses. Furthermore, it seems reasonable to believe that Brahmans started this organization in Sikh disguise. The story of Nirmalas is full of holes. For example, Sikh Gurus had rejected Hindu religion as it was practiced during their times and also they did not attach any importance to Hindu scriptures [13]. There is no evidence that Guru Gobind Singh’s predecessors sent Sikhs anywhere to learn Sanskrit. What was the need for Sikhs to learn Sanskrit during the time of Guru Gobind Singh? For the sake of argument, suppose Guru Gobind Singh wanted Sikhs to learn Sanskrit to study ancient Indian literature. Then the question is where did Guru Gobind Singh or Guru Nanak or Guru Arjan Dev learn Saskrit? Did they go to Banaras? Of course not, they learnt it where they grew up—in Punjab. Guru Gobind Singh had so many scholars and poets with him at Aandpur; he could have easily hired Sanskrit teachers. Furthermore, Banaras at that time was not known for Sanskrit scholars, but for thugs.
Nirmala / Mahant organization (Akhara) was started under the patronage of feudal lords, the Rajas of Patiala, Nabha and Jindi in 1918 [16]. There is no surprise in it! Through out history rulers have used clergy to keep their subjects ignorant like dumb driven cattle so that they could exploit them without any resistance and public out cry. Brahmans used to elevate their rulers to the status of a God, for example, Sri Ram Chander and Sri Krishna. Christian clergy used to confer Divine rights on their kings and the Muslim clergy used to do the same for their Khalifas and Sultans. The Sikh feudal lords used the Nirmalas to keep their people ignorant for easy exploitation. No wonder the Sikhs under the British rule were more educated and more well off economically than their counterparts under the rule of Sikh Rajas. Nirmalas / Mahants used to frighten people not only with their curses but also had the legal power to impose fine on Sikhs for refusing to comply with the request of the Mahant (clause 17 of the charter) [16].
Moreover, Kala Afghan has not shied away from pointing out the inconsistencies in the writings of well-known and respected scholars like Bhai Vir Singh and others.
In my opinion Udasis, Nirmalas, Dam Dami Taksal, Nihang organizations and Sant / Babas are parasites, who flourish at expense of ignorant and gullible Sikh masses. Natural parasites serve a very useful purpose in the balance of ecosystem. However, humans turned parasites serve no purpose at all. They are like a cancer to human society. These parasite organizations and the followers of Bhai Randhir Sigh are responsible for spreading the false information about Sikhism based on spurious writings like the so-called Dasam Granth. The late Dr. Tarilochan Singh, who authored several books on Sikhism, was a great admirer of Bhai Randhir Singh. When he was on a visit to USA, I asked him his opinion about Dasm Granth. And he responded by saying, “ Like Bhai Randhir Singh, I firmly believe that every word of Dasam Granth came out of the mouth of the tenth master. Any Sikh who thinks otherwise commits an unpardonable sin.” His understanding of Sikhism and his level of scholarship can be gauged from the foreword to his book on Guru Nanak written by Suniti Kumar Chatterji [17]. Poor Trilochan Singh could not comprehend that the cunning Brahman did not give any credit to Guru Nanak when he wrote, “The faith preached by Guru Nanak was nothing new for India, it was basically the old monotheistic creed of the ancient Hindus as pronounced in Vedas and Upanshidas—the Vedanta with its insistence upon Jnana or knowledge of the One Supreme Reality.” So, when a self-proclaimed scholar like Trilochan Singh denigrates the unique and revolutionary philosophy of Guru Nanak, what can be expected from illiterate, ignorant and unethical Sikh clergy?
In 1973 SGPC declared that ‘ Chritropakhyan’, a part of Dasm Granth, is not the composition of Guru Gobind Singh, and banned it reading in Gurdwaras because it contains lascivious juicy tales [18]. Now the most vociferous supporters and proponents of Dasm Granth are the Sikh clergy headed by Joginder Singh Vedanti and Sant / Babas like Virsa Singh of Delhi. Have the Sikhs given a thought to what these lechers are up to? They want the Sikhs to accept Dasm Granth in its entirety as the work of Guru Gobind Singh, so that they will be free perform their 'Krishan Lila' in the Gurdwaras and in the homes of their devotees like the Mahants used to do.
Kala Afghana is a very modest and humble person. After the completion of his book, Bachittar Natak, he put it on the Internet and sent its copies to the heads of Sikh religious institutions and some scholars, seeking their suggestions and critical appraisals. His purpose was to make it sure that his interpretation is logical and consistent with Gubani. However, most of them did not respond and few, who did, gave silly and absurd answers without making any comment on the book. I would like to share with the readers the response of Jodh Singh, Department of Religious Studies, Punjabi University, Patiala. Without pointing out any inconsistency in Kala Afghana’s book, this savant goes on to say, “I am wonderstruck to see the trend of your research, which some how shows your resourcefulness of having ultra -modern devices for reading and writing but are totally destructive and directionless.” Then he lectures about the beauty of Rigvedas and how to dig spiritual nuggets from it. And he implies that Kala Afghana is not qualified to do research or comment on books of deep philosophy like Dasam Granth. He ended the letter with a sarcastic remark, “With folded hands I request that personnel views should not be imposed on mainstream Sikh Panth and research may be used to construct and not to destroy the fabric of Sikhism.” Imagine! how arrogant one can be? He had the opportunity to refute and smash into smithereens Kala Afghana’s arguments. What how could he? Kala Afghana’s arguments are based on Gurbani and Jodh Singh, who has a Ph. D. degree from Banaras Hinh University and seems to be an expert in Rigvedas; probably has very little understanding of Nanakian Philosophy. Therefore, he opted for arrogance and unprofessional language; an offensive weapon used by ignorant people, instead of a civilized discourse based on knowledge and logic.
Kala Afghana has written in very simple and chaste Punjabi, the language I learnt while I was growing up in my village. In contrast to his writings, one has to use not only a Punjabi dictionary but also a Hindi dictionary to understand the writings of modern Punjabi writers. He has a great sense of country humor and he has used it very effectively to make his arguments clear and to draw the attention of the reader to important and intricate subject matter. Sikhs complain quite often that there is no worthwhile literature to understand Gurbani. Well, my friends your prayers have been answered. Stock your libraries with Kala Afghana’s books. I urge all Sikhs to read these books in order to understand and appreciate the unique philosophy of Guru Nanak. Of course, you have to practice it in order to become a Gurmukh, which is the only purpose of human life. Human life is a blessing; it is the only chance to realize God [10]. I also urge all Sikh institutions to promote Kala Afghana’s books to spread the true message of Gurbani among the Sikh masses. Sikh institutions that train clergy should make these books a mandatory part of their curriculum. A minor technical flaw is the absence of a general index. General index makes it much easier to find references in a publication. I hope that future revised editions will take care of that.
Like a lion, the shrieks of foxes and howls of jackals do not bother Kala Afghana. This saint-soldier-scholar is marching forward to fight the propagation of falsehood against Nankian philosophy and spread its true massage. The wisdom of Gurbani ‘A believer in God does not follow man made religious denominations; he marches on the path of righteousness [19]. Walking on this path is a very difficult undertaking. One has to kill one’s ego. One who walks on this path should be willing to give up life’ aptly applies to him [20].
Finally, I want to wish him good health so that this shining star may continue enlightening us for a long time to come.
References.
1 Editorial. July 1995. Nash Doctrine or Five Freedoms. Abstracts of Sikh Studies, p 1.
2 Kala Afghana, G. S. 1997. Bipran Ki Reet Ton Sach Da Marg, part 1, 2nd ed. (Punjabi), Sri Akal Sahae Society, Amritsar, p 15. jb lg Kalsa rh[ inAara | tb lg t[j wIxu m{: sara | jb ieh gh{ ibprn kI rIt | m{ na kr]: ien kI prtIt |
3 Singh, J. 1987. Sikh Inqulab (Punjabi), Loakgeet Press, Sirhind, p 116-128; Singh, S. 1995. The Sikhs in History, published by the author, p 15.
4 Chahal, D. S. 2000. Sikhism: Scientific and Logical Religion for the Third Millenium and Beyond. Understanding Sikhism Res. J. 2 (2): 7-23.
5 AGGS, M 1, p 140: srm su;nit sIlu r]ja h]hu muslmaNu |
6 Ibid. Jap 21, p 4: tIrTu tpu wieAa wtu wanu | j[ k] pav{ itl ka manu |
7 Ibid. M, 1, p 1245: Gail Kaie ikCu hThu w[ie | nank rahu pCaNih s[ie |
8 Singh, D. 1994. Sikhism: A Comparative Study of Its Theology and Mysticism, 2nd ed., Singh Brothers, Amritsar, p 215.
9 AGGS, Kabir, p 1159: iehI t[ra Axusru ieh t[rI bar | Go Bitir tU w[Ku ibcair |
hardeep singh
