- Sep 24, 2004
- 139
- 395
Days & Dates: Their weirdness continues to haunt us. Forget the exact date, we are not even sure when Founder of the Sikh faith, Guru Nanak, was born – around April or months later in September. The year may not be quite so much in doubt. Similar questions surface about the date ascribed to Guru Gobind Singh’s birth. The absence of equally hard lines drawn about birth dates of the eight intervening Gurus is cold comfort; it does not reflect any better precision and accuracy
This year, 2019, is indeed special. It notes 550 years since his birth. And Guru Nanak was indeed special. Just reflect how most of us, mortals all, come and go. Truly, here today, gone tomorrow. How long are we remembered? Perhaps for a few days or yearly on anniversaries for a generation or two. Better yet, look at departing colleagues or press notices and obituary columns of the rich and famous who depart – noted possibly for moments measured in minutes or inch or two of print.
Guru Nanak left his mortal coil half a millennium ago. Why remember him today? This has engaged scholars of the time and will engage others for as long as time exists. I have a longer engagement with that issue elsewhere. In this brief Editorial I want to bring to you a matter that has become controversial and raises expectations of definite answers about some historical queries about Guru Nanak’s birth. My purpose is not at all to resolve matters either for now, or forever but to view issues through a different lens.
When was Guru Nanak born? Around April or perhaps around November? I have heard other times of the year as well. Every year a war of words erupts on the issue and the brightest Sikhs engage in almost death- defying maneuvers. Reputable scholars engage in unprecedented literary duels. True that such precision about dates, remains the bread and butter of professional historians. More important is how ordinary people – Sikhs and non-Sikhs -- deal with such ambiguity.
I was often tempted to enter the fray like any 10 O’clock scholar but deferred the opportunities hoping for a more peaceful moment and a more apt time. But recently an essay by a reputable Sikh scholar waylaid me and others like me with the rhetorical challenge “With such ignorance about when Guru Nanak and Guru Gobind Singh were born how can we ever stand as a great religion?”
So, let’s take the bull by the horns but first a tangential but pertinent sidebar.
For most people, the simplest historical narrative of their immediate family is the most valued and a fundamental element of their existence. But even this track is rarely linear; many awkward kinks shape the journey.
About 40 years ago I sponsored my parents’ migration to America. Keep in mind, born in the early years of the 20th century, they were products of a different – pre-digital age. In India of that time, there were no marriage licenses or marital registration documents, no birth certificates for themselves or for their four adult children (including me) and, to top it, they did not use the same last name. My father used Singh, my mother Kour with an “o” instead of the traditional “a.” Any witnesses to their premarital existence were long deceased. India had gone through a uniquely traumatic fragmentation into the two nations of India and Pakistan in 1947. So, there were no property records either. The questioning by American immigration personnel almost framed my parents as the super-liberated couple of the last century. Yet, good sense prevailed and they were allowed to enter the United States on my sponsorship.
Then time came to sponsor my siblings. I discovered that my brother’s records were even hazier. Was he born the year recorded at his school or one year later? Even our mother was not so sure. Some years later when I married a young lady from India, we discovered that my wife’s actual birth day might differ from her grade school’s official record by one day. I assure you our kinship was not altered by the ambiguity. But as T. S. Eliot opined, such are the “cunning passages and contrived corridors of history, that drive us by vanities.
I am sure the situation is not so different in families from old cultures or with war-torn histories from anywhere. Look at European nations of not so long ago, for example. How about movers and shakers of dynasties, nations and religions?
Some ancient but formidable documents suggest (but do not insist) that Jesus was likely born between 6 and 4 BC, perhaps around the end of March. (There lies a good two centuries of ambiguity.) Other writings indicate that his birth coincided with the appearance of the Star of Bethlehem. December 25 as Christmas Day may have no rational basis except that it coincided with popular pagan holidays. Orthodox Christians -- Greeks and Russians -- celebrate Christmas, but not on December 25th.
And some Christian sects celebrate the birth of Jesus 13 times a year; I guess to underline his uniqueness. So, when exactly is Guru Nanak’s birthday or shall we celebrate him more than once a year because he was so special?
Similar conflicts arise when we look at the life of Mohammed. We know a fair bit of his stay in Mecca and move to Medina, and of his wife, but nary a birth date.
Moses seems to have been literally picked up by Pharaoh’s daughter while he was floating on the Nile River as a newborn baby. He was raised in Egypt. It was in his adult years that he became the preeminent Jewish prophet. The basic chronology of the events of his known life could be simply but effectively summarized as: Pharaoh/Egypt/Shepherd/Burning Bush/Israel/Prophethood. with absolutely nothing on date or place of birth.
No one knows exactly when and where Ram, Krishna or the countless gods and goddesses of the Hindu pantheon materialized or under what circumstances they left this earth. Old and revered documents provide emphatic suggestions but they are not evidentiary history nor do they constitute proof beyond doubt or credibly alternative hypotheses.
Exactly on what date were Pythagoras, Socrates or Plato born? Or, for that matter Newton, Pasteur or even many giants of modern science? Your guess may be as good as mine.
Sikhi is a comparatively young faith but presents many of the same caveats noted in the others. Mind you, I deliberately focused only on Christianity, Hinduism and Judaism with a touch of Islam, intentionally leaving out Mankind’s many other faiths.
The lesson, as I see it is that biographical minutiae neither enhance a life nor diminish any faith discipline. Religions serve to connect us to timeless values, and teachings that define a purposeful life for us here on this mother earth.
Over the eons many people (including Hindus, Jews, Christians, Muslims and Sikhs, among others) have evolved an endless variety of calendars to track their journey. For instance, the present year 2019 is year 5779 to the Jews; it is Bikrami year 2076 as Hindus keep track of time; Hijri year 1440 for Muslims, and year 551 in Sikh reckoning (Nanakshahi calendar). Such are the vagaries of our calendar systems. Interestingly Hindus even today recognize more than one calendar with differences in authenticity, application and historical narrative.
I am not aiming to demolish the significance of historical nuggets -- details of time and circumstance about iconic Masters of humanity. Conversations on calendars and the events therein should continue to develop clarification as needed or as possible – this is how our historical knowledge grows. But keep in mind that a tempest in a teapot is not an existential threat. History and historians teach us that historical narratives are rarely etched in stone. Continue the research; please spare us the accompanying vitriol, it only diminishes the cause.
Even though I am not his fan, for once, we would all benefit from a recommendation by an Indian politician – the Congress Chief Minister of Punjab, Captain Amarinder Singh, -- to designate Guru Nanak’s birth celebration as World Peace Day. It pulls no punches and creates no further divisions in our fragile humanity
The variety of the existing calendar-systems are a testament to the richness of the human journey My plea is to keep a healthy perspective on our views. Are my reflections today a futile exercise in the tyranny of exactitude, or a potpourri of trivia? I leave that to you, dear reader. Tempus fugit, or as they say time flies
Yes, Guru Nanak’s mortal trek finished half a millennium ago but his message is timeless and everlasting. In any path where are we at any given point? Even more meaningful, however, is the trajectory of the path; then the journey becomes the destination. The journey started with Guru Nanak. It does not end with his mortal life or with ours. This is our onus.
Finally, I submit to you one line from Guru Granth reminding us that “My Lord is forever new, He is the Giver, forever (“Sahib mera neet navaaN sadaa sadaa dataar” p. 660). Instead of haggling over a prophet’s birthdate why not spend some time and energy exploring the meaning and application of a prophet’s message, perhaps we can then, in T.S. Eliot’s wish “apprehend the point of intersection of the timeless with time.”
1591 words
This year, 2019, is indeed special. It notes 550 years since his birth. And Guru Nanak was indeed special. Just reflect how most of us, mortals all, come and go. Truly, here today, gone tomorrow. How long are we remembered? Perhaps for a few days or yearly on anniversaries for a generation or two. Better yet, look at departing colleagues or press notices and obituary columns of the rich and famous who depart – noted possibly for moments measured in minutes or inch or two of print.
Guru Nanak left his mortal coil half a millennium ago. Why remember him today? This has engaged scholars of the time and will engage others for as long as time exists. I have a longer engagement with that issue elsewhere. In this brief Editorial I want to bring to you a matter that has become controversial and raises expectations of definite answers about some historical queries about Guru Nanak’s birth. My purpose is not at all to resolve matters either for now, or forever but to view issues through a different lens.
When was Guru Nanak born? Around April or perhaps around November? I have heard other times of the year as well. Every year a war of words erupts on the issue and the brightest Sikhs engage in almost death- defying maneuvers. Reputable scholars engage in unprecedented literary duels. True that such precision about dates, remains the bread and butter of professional historians. More important is how ordinary people – Sikhs and non-Sikhs -- deal with such ambiguity.
I was often tempted to enter the fray like any 10 O’clock scholar but deferred the opportunities hoping for a more peaceful moment and a more apt time. But recently an essay by a reputable Sikh scholar waylaid me and others like me with the rhetorical challenge “With such ignorance about when Guru Nanak and Guru Gobind Singh were born how can we ever stand as a great religion?”
So, let’s take the bull by the horns but first a tangential but pertinent sidebar.
For most people, the simplest historical narrative of their immediate family is the most valued and a fundamental element of their existence. But even this track is rarely linear; many awkward kinks shape the journey.
About 40 years ago I sponsored my parents’ migration to America. Keep in mind, born in the early years of the 20th century, they were products of a different – pre-digital age. In India of that time, there were no marriage licenses or marital registration documents, no birth certificates for themselves or for their four adult children (including me) and, to top it, they did not use the same last name. My father used Singh, my mother Kour with an “o” instead of the traditional “a.” Any witnesses to their premarital existence were long deceased. India had gone through a uniquely traumatic fragmentation into the two nations of India and Pakistan in 1947. So, there were no property records either. The questioning by American immigration personnel almost framed my parents as the super-liberated couple of the last century. Yet, good sense prevailed and they were allowed to enter the United States on my sponsorship.
Then time came to sponsor my siblings. I discovered that my brother’s records were even hazier. Was he born the year recorded at his school or one year later? Even our mother was not so sure. Some years later when I married a young lady from India, we discovered that my wife’s actual birth day might differ from her grade school’s official record by one day. I assure you our kinship was not altered by the ambiguity. But as T. S. Eliot opined, such are the “cunning passages and contrived corridors of history, that drive us by vanities.
I am sure the situation is not so different in families from old cultures or with war-torn histories from anywhere. Look at European nations of not so long ago, for example. How about movers and shakers of dynasties, nations and religions?
Some ancient but formidable documents suggest (but do not insist) that Jesus was likely born between 6 and 4 BC, perhaps around the end of March. (There lies a good two centuries of ambiguity.) Other writings indicate that his birth coincided with the appearance of the Star of Bethlehem. December 25 as Christmas Day may have no rational basis except that it coincided with popular pagan holidays. Orthodox Christians -- Greeks and Russians -- celebrate Christmas, but not on December 25th.
And some Christian sects celebrate the birth of Jesus 13 times a year; I guess to underline his uniqueness. So, when exactly is Guru Nanak’s birthday or shall we celebrate him more than once a year because he was so special?
Similar conflicts arise when we look at the life of Mohammed. We know a fair bit of his stay in Mecca and move to Medina, and of his wife, but nary a birth date.
Moses seems to have been literally picked up by Pharaoh’s daughter while he was floating on the Nile River as a newborn baby. He was raised in Egypt. It was in his adult years that he became the preeminent Jewish prophet. The basic chronology of the events of his known life could be simply but effectively summarized as: Pharaoh/Egypt/Shepherd/Burning Bush/Israel/Prophethood. with absolutely nothing on date or place of birth.
No one knows exactly when and where Ram, Krishna or the countless gods and goddesses of the Hindu pantheon materialized or under what circumstances they left this earth. Old and revered documents provide emphatic suggestions but they are not evidentiary history nor do they constitute proof beyond doubt or credibly alternative hypotheses.
Exactly on what date were Pythagoras, Socrates or Plato born? Or, for that matter Newton, Pasteur or even many giants of modern science? Your guess may be as good as mine.
Sikhi is a comparatively young faith but presents many of the same caveats noted in the others. Mind you, I deliberately focused only on Christianity, Hinduism and Judaism with a touch of Islam, intentionally leaving out Mankind’s many other faiths.
The lesson, as I see it is that biographical minutiae neither enhance a life nor diminish any faith discipline. Religions serve to connect us to timeless values, and teachings that define a purposeful life for us here on this mother earth.
Over the eons many people (including Hindus, Jews, Christians, Muslims and Sikhs, among others) have evolved an endless variety of calendars to track their journey. For instance, the present year 2019 is year 5779 to the Jews; it is Bikrami year 2076 as Hindus keep track of time; Hijri year 1440 for Muslims, and year 551 in Sikh reckoning (Nanakshahi calendar). Such are the vagaries of our calendar systems. Interestingly Hindus even today recognize more than one calendar with differences in authenticity, application and historical narrative.
I am not aiming to demolish the significance of historical nuggets -- details of time and circumstance about iconic Masters of humanity. Conversations on calendars and the events therein should continue to develop clarification as needed or as possible – this is how our historical knowledge grows. But keep in mind that a tempest in a teapot is not an existential threat. History and historians teach us that historical narratives are rarely etched in stone. Continue the research; please spare us the accompanying vitriol, it only diminishes the cause.
Even though I am not his fan, for once, we would all benefit from a recommendation by an Indian politician – the Congress Chief Minister of Punjab, Captain Amarinder Singh, -- to designate Guru Nanak’s birth celebration as World Peace Day. It pulls no punches and creates no further divisions in our fragile humanity
The variety of the existing calendar-systems are a testament to the richness of the human journey My plea is to keep a healthy perspective on our views. Are my reflections today a futile exercise in the tyranny of exactitude, or a potpourri of trivia? I leave that to you, dear reader. Tempus fugit, or as they say time flies
Yes, Guru Nanak’s mortal trek finished half a millennium ago but his message is timeless and everlasting. In any path where are we at any given point? Even more meaningful, however, is the trajectory of the path; then the journey becomes the destination. The journey started with Guru Nanak. It does not end with his mortal life or with ours. This is our onus.
Finally, I submit to you one line from Guru Granth reminding us that “My Lord is forever new, He is the Giver, forever (“Sahib mera neet navaaN sadaa sadaa dataar” p. 660). Instead of haggling over a prophet’s birthdate why not spend some time and energy exploring the meaning and application of a prophet’s message, perhaps we can then, in T.S. Eliot’s wish “apprehend the point of intersection of the timeless with time.”
1591 words
