Polygamy In The Case Of Jathedar Of Patna Sahib

[Tejwant Singh]

This matter needs a deeper reflection from all of us. Polygamy was very common when Nanak was born. I used the word Nanak on purpose because we are using about the time not about His vision at the moment.

Polygamy was practiced both in Hinduism and Islam openly. Even the ascetic kinds or claimed to be so in Hinduism had sex because it is a natural thing.

Having a group of concubines was not uncommon in the Mughal era.

We are all aware of this in the Catholic Church for this kind of " exercise".

Mormon Church known as LDS encouraged polygamy which claimed that it was "God sanctioned" practice till they got their own state Utah and had to stop the practice.

When Guru Nanak asked us to live the life of a house holder by making its foundation on the three pillars - Naam Japnah, Kirat Karni and Vand kei Chaknah, he made us become responsible people. He taught us how to cultivate love and harmony in the family and this can not happen when there is polygamy.

Sikhi is a unique way of life unlike any other religion. Our Gurus gave us the foundation to be good and productive human beings, to conduct our lives with dignity and fight for injustice.

The interesting part about polygamy is that it is only discussed about Guru Gobind Singh ji. No one else. This sounds as fishy as DG.

But as they say in one of my many countries I call home, when one is a headache, who needs more?!!

Tejwant Singh

 

[kds1980]

I don't understand what is the purpose of bumping 5 year old threads and then replying to posts of people which are not even on SPN now.

 

[spnadmin]

The interesting part about polygamy is that it is only discussed about Guru Gobind Singh ji. No one else. This sounds as fishy as DG.


Tejwant Singh

Tejwant ji

I have also read insinuations that Guru Arjan Dev, Guru Har Rai, and Guru Hargobind also had more than one wife. "Insinuations" is chosen deliberately because there is never any effort to explain this except to say it was common in those days. These were also remarks made in passing in larger paragraphs. The pattern of insinuation seems to start with those Sikh Gurus who were an overt threat to the power of influential Muslims and Brahmins. Yes "fishy."

See the post of "Punjabi G" of May 12 at this link http://www.sikhnet.com/discussion/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=2026 He expresses similar astonishment and offers an interesting explanation of the "fishiness."

I have also just located several "fishy" sites where the exact number of wives is listed for our 4 Gurus in question.

 

[roopsidhu]

The thread has reached to a point where extra care has be taken by the administraters. Some matters are very senstive to touch, but still the silence ( no answer) is not the solution. The wise heads should decide, which direction the thread should move
roopsidhu

 

[Gyani Jarnail Singh]

I don't understand what is the purpose of bumping 5 year old threads and then replying to posts of people which are not even on SPN now.

1. Not everyone has read all the posts..bumping is one way of .."turning over the soil"....so new ideas can sprout !! Farmers do that regularly...and Guru nanak ji was a "farmer".....of ..... "souls"...."manns"...aatmas..and sreers....and we do the same at SPN...

2. the person/poster may have left...BUT the replies are NOT for Him/Her..they are for EVERYONE..guests, casual visitors, walk in browsers..regulars...ALL are welcome.

3. Further to point 1 above. The one other great soul i admire is said to be a "Shepherd"...and his followers are "sheep..or his flock"...and His job is to GUARD his flock/sheep from Harm (wolves and thieves)
GURU NANAK JI on the otherhand is a FARMER...a HOUSEHOLDER...who ploughed the EARTH to produce food for his HOUSEHOLD..and Guru Ka Langgar to FEED the WORLD. SPN is like that..we plough the "threads and posts"..to "feed" the world that comes knocking at our doors..

 

[kds1980]

1. Not everyone has read all the posts..bumping is one way of .."turning over the soil"....so new ideas can sprout !! Farmers do that regularly...and Guru nanak ji was a "farmer".....of ..... "souls"...."manns"...aatmas..and sreers....and we do the same at SPN...

2. the person/poster may have left...BUT the replies are NOT for Him/Her..they are for EVERYONE..guests, casual visitors, walk in browsers..regulars...ALL are welcome.

3. Further to point 1 above. The one other great soul i admire is said to be a "Shepherd"...and his followers are "sheep..or his flock"...and His job is to GUARD his flock/sheep from Harm (wolves and thieves)
GURU NANAK JI on the otherhand is a FARMER...a HOUSEHOLDER...who ploughed the EARTH to produce food for his HOUSEHOLD..and Guru Ka Langgar to FEED the WORLD. SPN is like that..we plough the "threads and posts"..to "feed" the world that comes knocking at our doors..

Well ITs O.K To read old threads.But the people who write posts atleast expect reply from posters or the one who have participated in discussion.This thread was active till 15 july 2005 and posters like vijaydeep,Dr.khalsa,hukam kaur are no longer here.So what's the point to replying to their posts

 

[Gyani Jarnail Singh]

well..polygamist iqbal is still around...as jathedar of the same patna sahib...so the TOPIC is relevant....and begs answers and feedback. Even IF Iqbal kicks the bucket tomorrow or the day after.....his actions will still be a TOPIC of discussion- right or wrong !! SO i humbly submit that we are discussing TOPICS..not individual posters..becasue this is a PUBLIC FORUM for PUBLIC INFORMATION.....always relevant....

 

[spnadmin]

Yes this is an old story! But it is also like an old wound that has not healed and has become a chronic affliction.

The subject of Iqbal Singh, in his post as jathedar, and as a polygamist, was still relevant in 2008 when he excommunicated Professor Darshan Singh, via the power of his Takht at Patna. The story continued to be relevant throughout 2009 during SGPC proceedings against Professor Darshan Singh. Iqbal Singh was not included among the 5 who signed the edict. He was deliberately excluded in large part because of controversies, some of which he himself instigated with other jathedars, that sprang out of unresolved charges of bigamy. Which by the way he still disputes and his wife still protests. This has actually been covered in other threads in the past year at SPN.

The character of Iqbal Singh remains current issue for those who follow the politics of the Takhts.

 

[spnadmin]

On the subject of polygamy and our Gurus. These allegations have been promoted time and again by diverse parties with the one and only objective of undermining Sikhism. Main perpetrators are islamists, sympathizers of sant samaj, western scholars who persist in planting Sikhism in a Hindu garden, and members of the panth who are obsessed with documents of questionable historical value (such as the Bansavalinama) that paint the life sketch of Guru Gobind Singh with a saffron palette. These parties go as far as to say that Guru Har Rai had 7 wives. Anyone whose is unaware of the controversy needs as much information as possible. In other words -- we cannot just leave that hanging out there without comment. It may hurt and we might want to sweep this under the rug. But is that the right thing to do?