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Guru Granth Sahib
Composition, Arrangement & Layout
ਜਪੁ | Jup
ਸੋ ਦਰੁ | So Dar
ਸੋਹਿਲਾ | Sohilaa
ਰਾਗੁ ਸਿਰੀਰਾਗੁ | Raag Siree-Raag
Gurbani (14-53)
Ashtpadiyan (53-71)
Gurbani (71-74)
Pahre (74-78)
Chhant (78-81)
Vanjara (81-82)
Vaar Siri Raag (83-91)
Bhagat Bani (91-93)
ਰਾਗੁ ਮਾਝ | Raag Maajh
Gurbani (94-109)
Ashtpadi (109)
Ashtpadiyan (110-129)
Ashtpadi (129-130)
Ashtpadiyan (130-133)
Bara Maha (133-136)
Din Raen (136-137)
Vaar Maajh Ki (137-150)
ਰਾਗੁ ਗਉੜੀ | Raag Gauree
Gurbani (151-185)
Quartets/Couplets (185-220)
Ashtpadiyan (220-234)
Karhalei (234-235)
Ashtpadiyan (235-242)
Chhant (242-249)
Baavan Akhari (250-262)
Sukhmani (262-296)
Thittee (296-300)
Gauree kii Vaar (300-323)
Gurbani (323-330)
Ashtpadiyan (330-340)
Baavan Akhari (340-343)
Thintteen (343-344)
Vaar Kabir (344-345)
Bhagat Bani (345-346)
ਰਾਗੁ ਆਸਾ | Raag Aasaa
Gurbani (347-348)
Chaupaday (348-364)
Panchpadde (364-365)
Kaafee (365-409)
Aasaavaree (409-411)
Ashtpadiyan (411-432)
Patee (432-435)
Chhant (435-462)
Vaar Aasaa (462-475)
Bhagat Bani (475-488)
ਰਾਗੁ ਗੂਜਰੀ | Raag Goojaree
Gurbani (489-503)
Ashtpadiyan (503-508)
Vaar Gujari (508-517)
Vaar Gujari (517-526)
ਰਾਗੁ ਦੇਵਗੰਧਾਰੀ | Raag Dayv-Gandhaaree
Gurbani (527-536)
ਰਾਗੁ ਬਿਹਾਗੜਾ | Raag Bihaagraa
Gurbani (537-556)
Chhant (538-548)
Vaar Bihaagraa (548-556)
ਰਾਗੁ ਵਡਹੰਸ | Raag Wadhans
Gurbani (557-564)
Ashtpadiyan (564-565)
Chhant (565-575)
Ghoriaan (575-578)
Alaahaniiaa (578-582)
Vaar Wadhans (582-594)
ਰਾਗੁ ਸੋਰਠਿ | Raag Sorath
Gurbani (595-634)
Asatpadhiya (634-642)
Vaar Sorath (642-659)
ਰਾਗੁ ਧਨਾਸਰੀ | Raag Dhanasaree
Gurbani (660-685)
Astpadhiya (685-687)
Chhant (687-691)
Bhagat Bani (691-695)
ਰਾਗੁ ਜੈਤਸਰੀ | Raag Jaitsree
Gurbani (696-703)
Chhant (703-705)
Vaar Jaitsaree (705-710)
Bhagat Bani (710)
ਰਾਗੁ ਟੋਡੀ | Raag Todee
ਰਾਗੁ ਬੈਰਾੜੀ | Raag Bairaaree
ਰਾਗੁ ਤਿਲੰਗ | Raag Tilang
Gurbani (721-727)
Bhagat Bani (727)
ਰਾਗੁ ਸੂਹੀ | Raag Suhi
Gurbani (728-750)
Ashtpadiyan (750-761)
Kaafee (761-762)
Suchajee (762)
Gunvantee (763)
Chhant (763-785)
Vaar Soohee (785-792)
Bhagat Bani (792-794)
ਰਾਗੁ ਬਿਲਾਵਲੁ | Raag Bilaaval
Gurbani (795-831)
Ashtpadiyan (831-838)
Thitteen (838-840)
Vaar Sat (841-843)
Chhant (843-848)
Vaar Bilaaval (849-855)
Bhagat Bani (855-858)
ਰਾਗੁ ਗੋਂਡ | Raag Gond
Gurbani (859-869)
Ashtpadiyan (869)
Bhagat Bani (870-875)
ਰਾਗੁ ਰਾਮਕਲੀ | Raag Ramkalee
Ashtpadiyan (902-916)
Gurbani (876-902)
Anand (917-922)
Sadd (923-924)
Chhant (924-929)
Dakhnee (929-938)
Sidh Gosat (938-946)
Vaar Ramkalee (947-968)
ਰਾਗੁ ਨਟ ਨਾਰਾਇਨ | Raag Nat Narayan
Gurbani (975-980)
Ashtpadiyan (980-983)
ਰਾਗੁ ਮਾਲੀ ਗਉੜਾ | Raag Maalee Gauraa
Gurbani (984-988)
Bhagat Bani (988)
ਰਾਗੁ ਮਾਰੂ | Raag Maaroo
Gurbani (889-1008)
Ashtpadiyan (1008-1014)
Kaafee (1014-1016)
Ashtpadiyan (1016-1019)
Anjulian (1019-1020)
Solhe (1020-1033)
Dakhni (1033-1043)
ਰਾਗੁ ਤੁਖਾਰੀ | Raag Tukhaari
Bara Maha (1107-1110)
Chhant (1110-1117)
ਰਾਗੁ ਕੇਦਾਰਾ | Raag Kedara
Gurbani (1118-1123)
Bhagat Bani (1123-1124)
ਰਾਗੁ ਭੈਰਉ | Raag Bhairo
Gurbani (1125-1152)
Partaal (1153)
Ashtpadiyan (1153-1167)
ਰਾਗੁ ਬਸੰਤੁ | Raag Basant
Gurbani (1168-1187)
Ashtpadiyan (1187-1193)
Vaar Basant (1193-1196)
ਰਾਗੁ ਸਾਰਗ | Raag Saarag
Gurbani (1197-1200)
Partaal (1200-1231)
Ashtpadiyan (1232-1236)
Chhant (1236-1237)
Vaar Saarang (1237-1253)
ਰਾਗੁ ਮਲਾਰ | Raag Malaar
Gurbani (1254-1293)
Partaal (1265-1273)
Ashtpadiyan (1273-1278)
Chhant (1278)
Vaar Malaar (1278-91)
Bhagat Bani (1292-93)
ਰਾਗੁ ਕਾਨੜਾ | Raag Kaanraa
Gurbani (1294-96)
Partaal (1296-1318)
Ashtpadiyan (1308-1312)
Chhant (1312)
Vaar Kaanraa
Bhagat Bani (1318)
ਰਾਗੁ ਕਲਿਆਨ | Raag Kalyaan
Gurbani (1319-23)
Ashtpadiyan (1323-26)
ਰਾਗੁ ਪ੍ਰਭਾਤੀ | Raag Prabhaatee
Gurbani (1327-1341)
Ashtpadiyan (1342-51)
ਰਾਗੁ ਜੈਜਾਵੰਤੀ | Raag Jaijaiwanti
Gurbani (1352-53)
Salok | Gatha | Phunahe | Chaubole | Swayiye
Sehskritee Mahala 1
Sehskritee Mahala 5
Gaathaa Mahala 5
Phunhay Mahala 5
Chaubolae Mahala 5
Shaloks Bhagat Kabir
Shaloks Sheikh Farid
Swaiyyae Mahala 5
Swaiyyae in Praise of Gurus
Shaloks in Addition To Vaars
Shalok Ninth Mehl
Mundavanee Mehl 5
ਰਾਗ ਮਾਲਾ, Raag Maalaa
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Unity In Diversity
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<blockquote data-quote="humanist" data-source="post: 3860" data-attributes="member: 502"><p><strong><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-family: 'Arial'">UNITY IN DIVERSITY</span></span></span></strong></p><p></p><p> </p><p></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"><span style="font-family: 'Arial'">Here are a few extracts from the Civil Writ Petition titled Cpl. Rohtash S. Sehrawat (Retd.) vs. Ministry of Human Resource Development & Others, filed in the High Court of Delhi; the Holy Scriptures cited therein clearly show the Oneness of God:-</span></span></p><p></p><p> </p><p></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"><span style="font-family: 'Arial'">“3. That the Petitioner is also aggrieved by the unfair trade-practice of selling disinformation to the Petitioner and the public at large— surprisingly the said disinformation is being sold to the gullible public in the name of ‘faith’ by certain private Publishers and Trusts. Hence, the public & the petitioner are not only being deceived but are also being exploited and misled. To cite just two instances:-</span></span></p><p></p><p> </p><p></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"><span style="font-family: 'Arial'">A) Whereas Bhagvad Gita says:</span></span></p><p></p><p> </p><p></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"><span style="font-family: 'Arial'">a) Chapter IV, Verses 6-9 and Chapter VII, Verses 23 & 24: </span></span></p><p></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"> I, the Lord of all beings (though <em>birthless, deathless & formless</em> by my unsurpassable and undecaying Supreme nature) bring my these very attributes {properties} under my control through my Divine potency {‘yogmaya’} and, thus, I manifest myself into a bodily form {the form of homo sapiens or other creatures like ‘mats’ or ‘narsinh’} whenever on this earth the righteousness is on the decline and evil is on the ascendant. He who knows this, achieves ‘Moksha’ {by the path of ‘gyana’}. </span></span></p><p></p><p> </p><p></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"> I am the Supreme Spirit which is incomprehensible to a human mind & to his five senses, and I am the embodiment of all Truth, Bliss & Consciousness {sublime knowledge which can discern between the Eternal Truth and the ‘momentary’ Truth—a truth bound by a time-dimension, in other words the ‘maya’}. But by my being “born”—as aforesaid, the <strong><em>ignorant </em></strong>believes that I have assumed a <em>finite</em> ‘human form’. And he/she worships the said form as a demi-god but the fruit he/she derives from such worship is short-lived because the “worshippers of the gods attain the gods, <em>whereas</em> my devotees shall eventually come to Me, and Me alone, howsoever they may worship Me”.]</span></span></p><p></p><p> </p><p></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"><span style="font-family: 'Arial'">Yet the Respondent No.10, amongst others, unfortunately preaches otherwise through the books printed, published & sold by it, viz.</span></span></p><p></p><p> </p><p></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"><span style="font-family: 'Arial'">i) Vide the first picture-plate in its book titled “Shrimadbhagvadgita” [(ISBN No.81-293-0104-0) 89th Edition] a demi-god in a finite human form, namely Lord Krishna, is described as “Bhagwan” (the Supreme Spirit)—an act which the Gita itself describes as an act of worshipping a finite human form, i.e. “<em>an act of ignorance”</em>.</span></span></p><p></p><p> </p><p></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"><span style="font-family: 'Arial'">This blemish has probably crept in because of that portion in the ‘Upanishad’, not the Gita proper, wherein Sanjay describes Lord Krishna as “Bhagwan”—vide Chapter XVIII, Verse 74.</span></span></p><p></p><p> </p><p></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"><span style="font-family: 'Arial'">The ignorant may ask, “How can I worship without having a form or image of God in my mind?” To this, Chapter-II, Verse 4 of hadith titled ‘Sahih Muslim’ [ISBN No.81-7151-042-6 (Vol-I) authored by Imam Muslim, Revised Edition 2004, published by Kitab Bhawan, New Delhi] beautifully replies, in effect:</span></span></p><p></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"> …you worship Allah as if you are seeing Him; and in case you fail to see Him, then perform your prayer with this belief in mind that at least He can see you. </span></span></p><p></p><p> </p><p></p><p> </p><p></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"><span style="font-family: 'Arial'">ii) Through ignorant mis-transliterations of the Holy Gita by some self-styled ‘pandits’, several wrong signals have unfortunately been already sent about us to the world at large over the past few centuries. As a result, eminent thinkers abroad (like Max Weber) have <em>looked down upon us</em> as passive appendages to the dame luck or ‘karmfal’, i.e. people who are lethargic because they by their religion are taught to resign to luck instead of being full of action.</span></span></p><p></p><p> </p><p></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"><span style="font-family: 'Arial'">Whereas the fact is that <em>Gita exhorts us to action, excellence</em> <em>and ‘karmyoi’</em>, i.e. to achieve excellence in the discharge of our worldly duties and perform the acts so enjoined regardless of their effect upon us as individuals—vide Chapter VIII, verses 48,56,66 Gita enjoins:-</span></span></p><p></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"> By offering the fruit of all your worldly duties to me you are, thus, taking refuge in me and, therefore, in your performance of such duties I shall absolve you of all such fruit as you [out of your ignorance of the meaning of ‘karmyoga’] regard as a sin. And the karmyogi who, thus, depends upon me, attains by My Grace the eternal & imperishable state of ‘Moksha’ even while performing <em>all </em>actions. Arjuna, therefore, one should not abandon one’s worldly (innate) duty—even though it may seem to be tainted with blemish, because just as the {all-purifying} fire is itself enveloped in smoke, almost all the worldly undertakings are also clouded with demerit {e.g. the Surgeon cuts in order to heal— even as the desired result of such a painful cut may fail to materialise}.</span></span></p><p></p><p> </p><p></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"> Man attains the highest perfection by performing his <em>own</em>natural duties as if the same were a worship in itself to Him—from whom the spring of creation has streamed forth and by whom all this Universe is pervaded.</span></span></p><p></p><p> </p><p></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"> The secret of ‘nishkam karma’ is revealed in Chapter XI, Verses 32 & 33:</span></span></p><p></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"> … Even without you all those warriors arrayed in the enemy’s camp must die…These warriors <em>stand already slain by me</em>; be you only an <em>instrument</em>, Arjuna. </span></span></p><p></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"> </span></span></p><p></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"> Gita further clarifies and cautions in Chapter XVIII, Verse 47:</span></span></p><p></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"> It is better to perform one’s own duty—{though seemingly devoid of applause}, than to do the duty of another-- howsoever well performed, <em>because it is only by performing the duty ordained by one’s own nature that man does not incur any sin</em>. </span></span></p><p></p><p> </p><p></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"> iii) The mis-transliterations by which the humble petitioner is aggrieved, have been caused by the <em>commercially minded</em> respondent’s violation of the sacred rider enshrined in Chapter XVIII, Verse 67, viz.</span></span></p><p></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"> The ‘gyana’ encapsulated in Gita, this <strong><em>secret</em></strong> Gospel, should never be imparted to a man who undermines penance (chastisement), nor to him who is wanting in devotion, nor even to him who does not lend a willing ear—and in no case to him who finds fault with Me.</span></span></p><p></p><p> </p><p></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"><span style="font-family: 'Arial'">iv) Further that Respondent No.12, and the adherents of its line of thought, attribute a <em>form</em> (‘akaar’) to the Supreme Being when they say that God is like a “bindu” (point) while surprisingly in the same breath relying upon the Holy Gita—whereas Gita itself says that God is “formless”. It is pertinent to mention that even a point has a form, and a line is defined as the loci of such points.</span></span></p><p></p><p> </p><p></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"><span style="font-family: 'Arial'">It is respectfully submitted that the belief in Quran and the Guru Granth sahib is no different than what Gita, in essence, says, viz.:</span></span></p><p></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"> I) Holy Quran says in Chapter 112: Purity of Faith (Al-Ikhlas):</span></span></p><p></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"> 1. Say: He is Allah, <em>the one</em>;</span></span></p><p></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"> 2. Allah—the Eternal & Absolute;</span></span></p><p></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"> 3. He <em>begetteth not, nor is He begotten</em>; </span></span></p><p></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"> 4. There is <em>none like Him—{since he neither sires nor is sired}.</em></span></span></p><p></p><p> </p><p></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"> II) Holy <em>(& Guru)</em> Granth sahib says in ‘Japuji sahib’:</span></span></p><p></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"> Ek Omkar’: God is <em>one</em>;</span></span></p><p></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"> ‘Nirakar’: He is <em>formless</em>;</span></span></p><p></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"> ‘Nirwair’: He is free of ill-will, i.e. he does not even consciously punish—{‘karmfal’ being the result of the ‘Circle of Karma’}. </span></span></p><p></p><p> </p><p></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"> III) Holy Gita says in Chapter VIII, Verse 9:</span></span></p><p></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"> I am subtler than the subtle, i.e. I am <em>formless and indefinable [in terms of the vocabulary at the command of man]</em>.</span></span></p><p></p><p> </p><p></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"><span style="font-size: 12px">B) That with great respect to all gods, it is submitted that the said respondents are, thus, not only misleading the masses but are also <em>trading in faith</em> <em>(i.e.</em> <em>selling for a price</em> <em>their own personal beliefs under the guise of the “teachings of Gita” or of religion)</em>. So much so that respondent No.11 is selling faith itself under the guise of donations for building a particular shrine solely on the assurance that Lord Rama was born at the place specified by it—while, on the other hand, issuing a disclaimer to the effect that it is the mere faith of the said respondent that a particular spot in Ayodhaya was the actual birth-place of Lord Rama (a god in finite human form). </span></span></p><p></p><p> </p><p></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"><span style="font-size: 12px">It is pertinent to mention here that because of such conflicting statements, the unfortunate incidents-- like the one at Godhra, have taken place which certainly call for the intervention of the State to find the pure truth and inform the general public about it, especially every such issue as is the root-cause of communal disharmony.</span></span></p><p></p><p> </p><p></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"><span style="font-size: 12px">It is pertinent to mention here that Holy</span><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'">Quran teaches confluence (although not convergence) and accommodation when it says:-</span></span></p><p></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"> Chapter 109: Those who reject faith (Al-Kafirun):</span></span></p><p></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"> 1. Say: O ye that reject Faith [as taught by Prophet Mohammed]!</span></span></p><p></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"> 2. I worship not that which ye worship. </span></span></p><p></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"> 3. Nor may ye worship that which I worship.</span></span></p><p></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"> 4. And I shall not worship that which ye have been wont to worship. </span></span></p><p></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"> 5. Nor will ye worship that which I worship. </span></span></p><p></p><p><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"> 6. <em>To you be your Way, and to me mine</em>.</span></span></p><p></p><p> </p><p></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"><span style="font-family: 'Arial'">Chapter CXCIV, Verse 1057 of the same hadith (supra) says:</span></span></p><p></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"> The Messenger of Allah said: <em>The earth is a mosque for you</em>, so wherever you are at the time of prayer, pray there. [Though the Hindus, too, believe that God is omnipresent, yet in the Muslim religion-- unlike the practice amongst the Hindus & Jains, there is no ‘pratishthapan’ of God in a particular place of worship.] </span></span></p><p></p><p> </p><p></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"><span style="font-family: 'Arial'">Chapter CXCV, Verse 1968 of this hadith further says:</span></span></p><p></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"> The Holy Prophet sent for the chiefs of banu al-Najjar and said to them: O Banu al-Najjar, <strong><em>sell</em></strong>these lands of yours to me. [Hence, the lands for a mosque cannot be acquired by force, although many a temples have been built on grabbed public lands.]</span></span></p><p></p><p> </p><p></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Verdana'"><span style="font-family: 'Arial'">In the aforementioned circumstances, the balance of convenience—though not the right beyond doubt, is in favour of the construction of a Hindu temple at that spot. </span></span></p><p></p><p> </p><p></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"><span style="font-size: 12px">However, the following is apparently true:</span></span></p><p></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"><span style="font-size: 12px">“Es pak zamin pe</span></span></p><p></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"><span style="font-size: 12px">Hindu ne kiya hai</span></span></p><p></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"><span style="font-size: 12px">Ya Musalman ne kiya hai;</span></span></p><p></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"><span style="font-size: 12px">Jisne bhi kiya hai,</span></span></p><p></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"><span style="font-size: 12px">Sajjda hi kiya hai.</span></span></p><p></p><p> </p><p></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"><span style="font-size: 12px">Is sar-zamin ko </span></span></p><p></p><p><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-family: 'Arial'">‘Gar Khuda ne niwaja hai,</span></span></p><p></p><p><span style="font-size: 12px"><span style="font-family: 'Arial'">Ye zamin bant nahin sakti--</span></span></p><p></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"><span style="font-size: 12px">Waqt ka takaza hai.”</span></span></p><p></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"><span style="font-size: 12px">(All heads—be it a Hindu’s or a Musalman’s, have bowed at this place.</span></span></p><p></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"><span style="font-size: 12px">The soil which God has Himself hallowed, cannot divide communities—it’s merely a</span></span></p><p></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"><span style="font-size: 12px">matter of time.) </span></span></p><p></p><p> </p><p></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"><span style="font-size: 12px">It is respectfully submitted that one of the original ‘ahadith’ forbids the construction of a mosque at a place at which another one has been pulled down—vide …”</span></span></p><p></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"><span style="font-size: 12px">Author: Prof. Gulshan Bajwa</span></span></p><p></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"><span style="font-size: 12px">Advocate-on-Record (Supreme Court of India)</span></span></p><p></p><p><span style="font-family: 'Arial'"><span style="font-size: 12px">e-mail: <a href="mailto:Themissociijuris@yahoo.com">Themissociijuris@yahoo.com</a></span></span></p><p></p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="humanist, post: 3860, member: 502"] [b][font=Verdana][size=3][font=Arial]UNITY IN DIVERSITY[/font][/size][/font][/b] [font=Verdana][font=Arial] [/font][/font] [font=Verdana][font=Arial]Here are a few extracts from the Civil Writ Petition titled Cpl. Rohtash S. Sehrawat (Retd.) vs. Ministry of Human Resource Development & Others, filed in the High Court of Delhi; the Holy Scriptures cited therein clearly show the Oneness of God:-[/font][/font] [font=Verdana][font=Arial] [/font][/font] [font=Verdana][font=Arial]“3. That the Petitioner is also aggrieved by the unfair trade-practice of selling disinformation to the Petitioner and the public at large— surprisingly the said disinformation is being sold to the gullible public in the name of ‘faith’ by certain private Publishers and Trusts. Hence, the public & the petitioner are not only being deceived but are also being exploited and misled. To cite just two instances:-[/font][/font] [font=Verdana][font=Arial] [/font][/font] [font=Verdana][font=Arial]A) Whereas Bhagvad Gita says:[/font][/font] [font=Verdana][font=Arial] [/font][/font] [font=Verdana][font=Arial]a) Chapter IV, Verses 6-9 and Chapter VII, Verses 23 & 24: [/font][/font] [font=Verdana][font=Arial] I, the Lord of all beings (though [i]birthless, deathless & formless[/i] by my unsurpassable and undecaying Supreme nature) bring my these very attributes {properties} under my control through my Divine potency {‘yogmaya’} and, thus, I manifest myself into a bodily form {the form of homo sapiens or other creatures like ‘mats’ or ‘narsinh’} whenever on this earth the righteousness is on the decline and evil is on the ascendant. He who knows this, achieves ‘Moksha’ {by the path of ‘gyana’}. [/font][/font] [font=Verdana][font=Arial] [/font][/font] [font=Verdana][font=Arial] I am the Supreme Spirit which is incomprehensible to a human mind & to his five senses, and I am the embodiment of all Truth, Bliss & Consciousness {sublime knowledge which can discern between the Eternal Truth and the ‘momentary’ Truth—a truth bound by a time-dimension, in other words the ‘maya’}. But by my being “born”—as aforesaid, the [b][i]ignorant [/i][/b]believes that I have assumed a [i]finite[/i] ‘human form’. And he/she worships the said form as a demi-god but the fruit he/she derives from such worship is short-lived because the “worshippers of the gods attain the gods, [i]whereas[/i] my devotees shall eventually come to Me, and Me alone, howsoever they may worship Me”.][/font][/font] [font=Verdana][font=Arial] [/font][/font] [font=Verdana][font=Arial]Yet the Respondent No.10, amongst others, unfortunately preaches otherwise through the books printed, published & sold by it, viz.[/font][/font] [font=Verdana][font=Arial] [/font][/font] [font=Verdana][font=Arial]i) Vide the first picture-plate in its book titled “Shrimadbhagvadgita” [(ISBN No.81-293-0104-0) 89th Edition] a demi-god in a finite human form, namely Lord Krishna, is described as “Bhagwan” (the Supreme Spirit)—an act which the Gita itself describes as an act of worshipping a finite human form, i.e. “[i]an act of ignorance”[/i].[/font][/font] [font=Verdana][font=Arial] [/font][/font] [font=Verdana][font=Arial]This blemish has probably crept in because of that portion in the ‘Upanishad’, not the Gita proper, wherein Sanjay describes Lord Krishna as “Bhagwan”—vide Chapter XVIII, Verse 74.[/font][/font] [font=Verdana][font=Arial] [/font][/font] [font=Verdana][font=Arial]The ignorant may ask, “How can I worship without having a form or image of God in my mind?” To this, Chapter-II, Verse 4 of hadith titled ‘Sahih Muslim’ [ISBN No.81-7151-042-6 (Vol-I) authored by Imam Muslim, Revised Edition 2004, published by Kitab Bhawan, New Delhi] beautifully replies, in effect:[/font][/font] [font=Verdana][font=Arial] …you worship Allah as if you are seeing Him; and in case you fail to see Him, then perform your prayer with this belief in mind that at least He can see you. [/font][/font] [font=Verdana][font=Arial] [/font][/font] [font=Verdana][font=Arial] [/font][/font] [font=Verdana][font=Arial]ii) Through ignorant mis-transliterations of the Holy Gita by some self-styled ‘pandits’, several wrong signals have unfortunately been already sent about us to the world at large over the past few centuries. As a result, eminent thinkers abroad (like Max Weber) have [i]looked down upon us[/i] as passive appendages to the dame luck or ‘karmfal’, i.e. people who are lethargic because they by their religion are taught to resign to luck instead of being full of action.[/font][/font] [font=Verdana][font=Arial] [/font][/font] [font=Verdana][font=Arial]Whereas the fact is that [i]Gita exhorts us to action, excellence[/i] [i]and ‘karmyoi’[/i], i.e. to achieve excellence in the discharge of our worldly duties and perform the acts so enjoined regardless of their effect upon us as individuals—vide Chapter VIII, verses 48,56,66 Gita enjoins:-[/font][/font] [font=Verdana][font=Arial] By offering the fruit of all your worldly duties to me you are, thus, taking refuge in me and, therefore, in your performance of such duties I shall absolve you of all such fruit as you [out of your ignorance of the meaning of ‘karmyoga’] regard as a sin. And the karmyogi who, thus, depends upon me, attains by My Grace the eternal & imperishable state of ‘Moksha’ even while performing [i]all [/i]actions. Arjuna, therefore, one should not abandon one’s worldly (innate) duty—even though it may seem to be tainted with blemish, because just as the {all-purifying} fire is itself enveloped in smoke, almost all the worldly undertakings are also clouded with demerit {e.g. the Surgeon cuts in order to heal— even as the desired result of such a painful cut may fail to materialise}.[/font][/font] [font=Verdana][font=Arial] [/font][/font] [font=Verdana][font=Arial] Man attains the highest perfection by performing his [i]own[/i]natural duties as if the same were a worship in itself to Him—from whom the spring of creation has streamed forth and by whom all this Universe is pervaded.[/font][/font] [font=Verdana][font=Arial] [/font][/font] [font=Verdana][font=Arial] The secret of ‘nishkam karma’ is revealed in Chapter XI, Verses 32 & 33:[/font][/font] [font=Verdana][font=Arial] … Even without you all those warriors arrayed in the enemy’s camp must die…These warriors [i]stand already slain by me[/i]; be you only an [i]instrument[/i], Arjuna. [/font][/font] [font=Verdana][font=Arial] [/font][/font] [font=Verdana][font=Arial] Gita further clarifies and cautions in Chapter XVIII, Verse 47:[/font][/font] [font=Verdana][font=Arial] It is better to perform one’s own duty—{though seemingly devoid of applause}, than to do the duty of another-- howsoever well performed, [i]because it is only by performing the duty ordained by one’s own nature that man does not incur any sin[/i]. [/font][/font] [font=Verdana][font=Arial] [/font][/font] [font=Verdana][font=Arial] iii) The mis-transliterations by which the humble petitioner is aggrieved, have been caused by the [i]commercially minded[/i] respondent’s violation of the sacred rider enshrined in Chapter XVIII, Verse 67, viz.[/font][/font] [font=Verdana][font=Arial] The ‘gyana’ encapsulated in Gita, this [b][i]secret[/i][/b] Gospel, should never be imparted to a man who undermines penance (chastisement), nor to him who is wanting in devotion, nor even to him who does not lend a willing ear—and in no case to him who finds fault with Me.[/font][/font] [font=Verdana][font=Arial] [/font][/font] [font=Verdana][font=Arial]iv) Further that Respondent No.12, and the adherents of its line of thought, attribute a [i]form[/i] (‘akaar’) to the Supreme Being when they say that God is like a “bindu” (point) while surprisingly in the same breath relying upon the Holy Gita—whereas Gita itself says that God is “formless”. It is pertinent to mention that even a point has a form, and a line is defined as the loci of such points.[/font][/font] [font=Verdana][font=Arial] [/font][/font] [font=Verdana][font=Arial]It is respectfully submitted that the belief in Quran and the Guru Granth sahib is no different than what Gita, in essence, says, viz.:[/font][/font] [font=Verdana][font=Arial] I) Holy Quran says in Chapter 112: Purity of Faith (Al-Ikhlas):[/font][/font] [font=Verdana][font=Arial] 1. Say: He is Allah, [i]the one[/i];[/font][/font] [font=Verdana][font=Arial] 2. Allah—the Eternal & Absolute;[/font][/font] [font=Verdana][font=Arial] 3. He [i]begetteth not, nor is He begotten[/i]; [/font][/font] [font=Verdana][font=Arial] 4. There is [i]none like Him—{since he neither sires nor is sired}.[/i][/font][/font] [font=Verdana][font=Arial] [/font][/font] [font=Verdana][font=Arial] II) Holy [i](& Guru)[/i] Granth sahib says in ‘Japuji sahib’:[/font][/font] [font=Verdana][font=Arial] Ek Omkar’: God is [i]one[/i];[/font][/font] [font=Verdana][font=Arial] ‘Nirakar’: He is [i]formless[/i];[/font][/font] [font=Verdana][font=Arial] ‘Nirwair’: He is free of ill-will, i.e. he does not even consciously punish—{‘karmfal’ being the result of the ‘Circle of Karma’}. [/font][/font] [font=Verdana][font=Arial] [/font][/font] [font=Verdana][font=Arial] III) Holy Gita says in Chapter VIII, Verse 9:[/font][/font] [font=Verdana][font=Arial] I am subtler than the subtle, i.e. I am [i]formless and indefinable [in terms of the vocabulary at the command of man][/i].[/font][/font] [font=Verdana][font=Arial] [/font][/font] [font=Arial][size=3]B) That with great respect to all gods, it is submitted that the said respondents are, thus, not only misleading the masses but are also [i]trading in faith[/i] [i](i.e.[/i] [i]selling for a price[/i] [i]their own personal beliefs under the guise of the “teachings of Gita” or of religion)[/i]. So much so that respondent No.11 is selling faith itself under the guise of donations for building a particular shrine solely on the assurance that Lord Rama was born at the place specified by it—while, on the other hand, issuing a disclaimer to the effect that it is the mere faith of the said respondent that a particular spot in Ayodhaya was the actual birth-place of Lord Rama (a god in finite human form). [/size][/font] [font=Arial][size=3] [/size][/font] [font=Arial][size=3]It is pertinent to mention here that because of such conflicting statements, the unfortunate incidents-- like the one at Godhra, have taken place which certainly call for the intervention of the State to find the pure truth and inform the general public about it, especially every such issue as is the root-cause of communal disharmony.[/size][/font] [font=Arial][size=3] [/size][/font] [font=Arial][size=3]It is pertinent to mention here that Holy[/size][font=Verdana]Quran teaches confluence (although not convergence) and accommodation when it says:-[/font][/font] [font=Verdana][font=Arial] Chapter 109: Those who reject faith (Al-Kafirun):[/font][/font] [font=Verdana][font=Arial] 1. Say: O ye that reject Faith [as taught by Prophet Mohammed]![/font][/font] [font=Verdana][font=Arial] 2. I worship not that which ye worship. [/font][/font] [font=Verdana][font=Arial] 3. Nor may ye worship that which I worship.[/font][/font] [font=Verdana][font=Arial] 4. And I shall not worship that which ye have been wont to worship. [/font][/font] [font=Verdana][font=Arial] 5. Nor will ye worship that which I worship. [/font][/font] [size=3][font=Arial] 6. [i]To you be your Way, and to me mine[/i].[/font][/size] [font=Arial][size=3] [/size][/font] [font=Verdana][font=Arial]Chapter CXCIV, Verse 1057 of the same hadith (supra) says:[/font][/font] [font=Verdana][font=Arial] The Messenger of Allah said: [i]The earth is a mosque for you[/i], so wherever you are at the time of prayer, pray there. [Though the Hindus, too, believe that God is omnipresent, yet in the Muslim religion-- unlike the practice amongst the Hindus & Jains, there is no ‘pratishthapan’ of God in a particular place of worship.] [/font][/font] [font=Verdana][font=Arial] [/font][/font] [font=Verdana][font=Arial]Chapter CXCV, Verse 1968 of this hadith further says:[/font][/font] [font=Verdana][font=Arial] The Holy Prophet sent for the chiefs of banu al-Najjar and said to them: O Banu al-Najjar, [b][i]sell[/i][/b]these lands of yours to me. [Hence, the lands for a mosque cannot be acquired by force, although many a temples have been built on grabbed public lands.][/font][/font] [font=Verdana][font=Arial] [/font][/font] [font=Verdana][font=Arial]In the aforementioned circumstances, the balance of convenience—though not the right beyond doubt, is in favour of the construction of a Hindu temple at that spot. [/font][/font] [font=Verdana][font=Arial] [/font][/font] [font=Arial][size=3]However, the following is apparently true:[/size][/font] [font=Arial][size=3]“Es pak zamin pe[/size][/font] [font=Arial][size=3]Hindu ne kiya hai[/size][/font] [font=Arial][size=3]Ya Musalman ne kiya hai;[/size][/font] [font=Arial][size=3]Jisne bhi kiya hai,[/size][/font] [font=Arial][size=3]Sajjda hi kiya hai.[/size][/font] [font=Arial][size=3] [/size][/font] [font=Arial][size=3]Is sar-zamin ko [/size][/font] [size=3][font=Arial]‘Gar Khuda ne niwaja hai,[/font][/size] [size=3][font=Arial]Ye zamin bant nahin sakti--[/font][/size] [font=Arial][size=3]Waqt ka takaza hai.”[/size][/font] [font=Arial][size=3](All heads—be it a Hindu’s or a Musalman’s, have bowed at this place.[/size][/font] [font=Arial][size=3]The soil which God has Himself hallowed, cannot divide communities—it’s merely a[/size][/font] [font=Arial][size=3]matter of time.) [/size][/font] [font=Arial][size=3] [/size][/font] [font=Arial][size=3]It is respectfully submitted that one of the original ‘ahadith’ forbids the construction of a mosque at a place at which another one has been pulled down—vide …”[/size][/font] [font=Arial][size=3]Author: Prof. Gulshan Bajwa[/size][/font] [font=Arial][size=3]Advocate-on-Record (Supreme Court of India)[/size][/font] [font=Arial][size=3]e-mail: [email]Themissociijuris@yahoo.com[/email][/size][/font] [font=Times New Roman][size=3] [/size][/font] [/QUOTE]
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