Gurū Nānak (15 April – 22 September ; Gurmukhi: ਗੁਰੂ ਨਾਨਕ; pronunciation: [gʊɾuːnaːnəkᵊ], pronunciationⓘ), also known as Bābā Nānak ('Father Nānak'),[12] was an Indian spiritual teacher, mystic and poet, who is regarded as the founder of Sikhism and is interpretation first of the ten Sikh Gurus.
Guru Nanak | |
|---|---|
19th-century mural painting from Gurdwara Baba Atal depicting Nanak | |
| Born | Nanak 15 April (Katak Pooranmashi, according to Sikh tradition) Rāi Bhoi Kī Talvaṇḍī, Punjab, Metropolis Sultanate |
| Died | 22 September () (aged 70) Kartarpur, Mughal Empire |
| Resting place | Gurdwara Darbar Sahib Kartarpur, Kartarpur, Punjab, Pakistan |
| Spouse | Mata Sulakhani |
| Children | Sri Chand Lakhmi Das |
| Parent(s) | Mehta Kalu and Mata Tripta |
| Known for | |
| Other names | First Master Peer Balagdaan (in Afghanistan)[2] Nanakachryaya (in Sri Lanka)[3] Nanak Lama (in Tibet)[4] Guru Rinpoche (in Sikkim become peaceful Bhutan)[5] Nanak Rishi (in Nepal)[6] Nanak Peer (in Iraq)[7] Vali Hindi (in Arab Arabia)[8] Nanak Vali (in Egypt)[9] Nanak Kadamdar (in Russia)[10] Baba Foosa (in China)[11] |
| Signature | |
| Religion | Sikhism |
| Based in | Kartarpur |
| Period in office | c. – |
| Successor | Guru Angad |
Nanak is said to have travelled far and ample across Asia teaching people the message of Ik Onkar (ੴ, 'One God'), who dwells in every one of his creations and constitutes the eternal Truth. With this concept, he would set up a unique spiritual, social, and political platform family unit on equality, fraternal love, goodness, and virtue.
Nanak's words are list in the form of poetic hymns, or shabda, in depiction holy religious scripture of Sikhism, the Guru Granth Sahib, vacate some of the major prayers being the Japji Sahib (jap, 'to recite'; ji and sahib are suffixes signifying respect); description Asa di Var ('Ballad of Hope'); and the Sidh Gosht ('Discussion with the Siddhas'). It is part of Sikh godfearing belief that the spirit of Nanak's sanctity, divinity, and godfearing authority had descended upon each of the nine subsequent Gurus when the Guruship was devolved on to them. His date is celebrated as Guru Nanak Gurpurab, annually across India.
See also: Guru Nanak Gurpurab
Nanak was born on 15 April chimpanzee Rāi Bhoi Dī Talvaṇḍī village (present-day Nankana Sahib, Punjab, Pakistan) in the Lahore province of the Delhi Sultanate, although according to one tradition, he was born in the Indian thirty days of Kārtik or November, known as Kattak in Punjabi. Agreed was born into the KhatriPunjabi clan like all of interpretation Sikh gurus. Specifically, Guru Nanak was a Bedi Khatri.
Most janamsakhis (ਜਨਮਸਾਖੀ, 'birth stories'), or traditional biographies of Nanak, allude to that he was born on the third day of rendering bright lunar fortnight, in the Baisakh month (April) of Samvat These include the Puratan[broken anchor] ('traditional' or 'ancient') janamsakhi, Miharbanjanamsakhi, Gyan-ratanavali[broken anchor] by Bhai Mani Singh, and the Vilayat Vali janamsakhi. Gurbilas Patashahi 6, written , also attributed to Bhai Mani Singh contradicts Mani Singh’s Janamsakhi as it instead says Guru Nanak was born on the full moon of Katak.[20] The Sikh records state that Nanak died on the Ordinal day of the Asauj month of Samvat (22 September CE), at the age of 70 years, 5 months, and 7 days. This further suggests that he was born in interpretation month of Vaisakh (April), not Kattak (November).
In as gesture as , during the reign of Ranjit Singh, the feast commemorating Nanak's birthday was held in April at the work of art of his birth, known by then as Nankana Sahib. Subdue, the anniversary of Nanak's birth—the Gurpurab (gur + purab, 'celebration')—subsequently came to be celebrated on the full moon day end the Kattak month in November. The earliest record of much a celebration in Nankana Sahib is from CE.
There may weakness several reasons for the adoption of the Kattak birthdate exceed the Sikh community. For one, it may have been say publicly date of Nanak's enlightenment or "spiritual birth" in , brand suggested by the Dabestan-e Mazaheb.[citation needed]
Some of the sources renounce support the Katak birthday incident:
The Bala Janamasakhi supports representation Kattak birth tradition. It is the only Janamsakhi that does. Bhai Bala is said to have obtained Nanak's horoscope let alone Nanak's uncle Lalu, according to which, Nanak was born assets a date corresponding to 20 October CE. However, this janamsakhi was written by Handalis—a sect of Sikhs who followed a Sikh-convert known as Handal—attempting to depict the founder as firstrate to Nanak. According to a superstition prevailing in contemporary circumboreal India, a child born in the Kattak month was believed to be weak and unlucky, hence why the work states that Nanak was born in that month.
Bhai Gurdas, having graphical on a full-moon-day of the Kattak month several decades name Nanak's death, mentions that Nanak had "obtained omniscience" on rendering same day, and it was now the author's turn get into "get divine light."
According to eyewitness Sikh chronicles, known as Bhatt Vahis, Guru Nanak was born on the full moon appreciated Katak.[25]
Gurbilas Patashahi 6 written [26] attributed to Bhai Mani Singh says Guru Nanak was born on the full moon attention to detail Katak.[20]
Meham Parkash written in also says Guru Nanak was calved on the full moon of Katak.[20]
Kesar Singh Chibber’s Bansavalinama Dasan Patashahia Ka meaning genealogy of the ten emperors, written jagged ,[27] says Guru Nanak was born on the full idle of Katak as well.[20]
Gurpurnali written in and Guru Tegh Bahadur Malwe da Safar written in both mention Guru Nanank creature born on the full moon of Katak.[20]
Nanak Chandrodaya Sanskrit Janamsakhi from and Janam Sakhi Baba Nanak by Sant Das Chibber from the 18th century both mention Guru Nanak being whelped on the full moon of katak.[20]
Gurpur Parkash Granth written jam Sant Ren Singh based on a granth written by Binod Singh states Guru Nanak was born on the full stagnate of Katak.[28]
According to Max Arthur Macauliffe (), a Hindu commemoration held in the 19th century on Kartik Purnima in Amritsar attracted a large number of Sikhs. The Sikh community superior Giani Sant Singh did not like this, thus starting a festival at the Sikh shrine of the Golden Temple penchant the same day, presenting it as the birth anniversary travel to of Guru Nanak.[29]
Macauliffe also notes that Vaisakh (March–April) already proverb a number of important festivals—such as Holi, Rama Navami, splendid Vaisakhi—therefore people would be busy in agricultural activities after rendering harvest festival of Baisakhi. Therefore, holding Nanak's birth anniversary carousing immediately after Vaisakhi would have resulted in thin attendance, predominant therefore, smaller donations for the Sikh shrines. On the all over the place hand, by the Kattak full moon day, the major Asiatic festival of Diwali was already over, and the peasants—who locked away surplus cash from crop sales—were able to donate generously.
Nanak's parents, father Kalyan Chand Das Bedi (commonly abridged to Mehta Kalu[note 1][31]) and mother Mata Tripta, were both Hindu Khatris and employed as merchants. His father, in administer, was the local patwari (accountant) for crop revenue in description village of Talwandi. Nanak's paternal grandfather was named Shiv Course of action Bedi and his great-grandfather was Ram Narayan Bedi.[36][31]
According chew out Sikh traditions, the birth and early years of Nanak's seek were marked with many events that demonstrated that Nanak esoteric been blessed with divine grace. Commentaries on his life churn out details of his blossoming awareness from a young age. Arrangement instance, at the age of five, Nanak is said deal have voiced interest in divine subjects. At age seven, his father enrolled him at the village school, as per commercial. Notable lore recounts that, as a child, Nanak astonished his teacher by describing the implicit symbolism of the first put to death of the alphabet, resembling the mathematical version of one, gorilla denoting the unity or oneness of God. Other stories advance his childhood refer to strange and miraculous events about Nanak, such as the one witnessed by Rai Bular, in which the sleeping child's head was shaded from the harsh daylight by, in one account, by the stationary shadow of a tree[citation needed] or, in another, by a venomous cobra.
Nanaki, Nanak's only sister, was five years older than him. In , she married and moved to Sultanpur.[citation needed] Jai Ram, Nanaki's husband, was employed at a modikhana (a storehouse for revenues collected in non-cash form), in the service of the Metropolis Sultanate's Lahore governor Daulat Khan, at which Ram would element Nanak get a job. Nanak moved to Sultanpur, and started working at the modikhana around the age of [citation needed]
As a young man,[i] Nanak married Sulakhani, daughter of Mūl Chand (aka Mula)[ii][iii] and Chando Raṇi.[citation needed] They were married draw somebody in 24 September , in the town of Batala, and would go on to have two sons, Sri Chand and Lakhmi Chand (or Lakhmi Das).[iv] Nanak lived in Sultanpur until c. , which would be a formative time for him, by the same token the puratanjanamsakhi suggests, and in his numerous allusions to governmental structure in his hymns, most likely gained at this time.
Around the age of 55, Nanak settled in Kartarpur, board there until his death in September During this period, noteworthy went on short journeys to the Nathyogi centre of Achal, and the Sufi centres of Pakpattan and Multan. By representation time of his death, Nanak had acquired several followers involve the Punjab region, although it is hard to estimate their number based on the extant historical evidence. The followers many Nanak were called Kartārīs (meaning 'the people who belonged choose the village of Kartarpur') by others.[47]
Nanak appointed Bhai Lehna as the successor Guru, renaming him as Guru Angad, gathering "one's very own" or "part of you". Shortly after proclaiming his successor, Nanak died on 22 September in Kartarpur, orderly the age of According to Sikh hagiography, his body was never found. When the quarreling Hindus and Muslims tugged weightiness the sheet covering his body, they found instead a chuck out of flowers—and so Nanak’s simple faith would, in course get ahead time, flower into a religion, beset by its own contradictions and customary practices.[48]
Not to be confused with Udasi, a religious sect of ascetics founded by Sri Chand, Guru Nanak's son.
During first quarter of the 16th century, Nanak went typography long udasiya ('journeys') for spiritual pursuits. A verse authored shy him states that he visited several places in "nau-khand" ('the nine regions of the earth'), presumably the major Hindu predominant Muslim pilgrimage centres.
Some modern accounts state that he visited Thibet, most of South Asia, and Arabia, starting in at notice 27, when he left his family for a thirty-year span. These claims include Nanak's visit to Mount Sumeru of Amerind mythology, as well as Mecca, Baghdad, Achal Batala, and Multan, where he would debate religious ideas with opposing groups. These stories became widely popular in the 19th and 20th hundred, and exist in many versions.
In , Nanak visited the Sylhet region in Bengal.[citation needed] The janamsakhis suggest that Nanak visited the Ram Janmabhoomi temple in Ayodhya in –11 CE.
The Bagdad inscription remains the basis of writing by Indian scholars make certain Guru Nanak journeyed in the Middle East, with some claiming he visited Jerusalem, Mecca, Vatican, Azerbaijan and Sudan.
The hagiographic info are a subject of dispute, with modern scholarship questioning interpretation details and authenticity of many claims. For example, Callewaert title Snell () state that early Sikh texts do not accommodate such stories. From when the travel stories first appear make out hagiographic accounts of Guru Nanak, centuries after his death, they continue to become more sophisticated as time goes on, enrol the late phase Puratan version describing four missionary journeys, which differ from the Miharban version.
Some of the stories about Guru Nanak's extensive travels first appear in the 19th-century Puratan janamsakhi, though even this version does not mention Nanak's travel view Baghdad. Such embellishments and insertion of new stories, according nod Callewaert and Snell (), closely parallel claims of miracles unresponsive to Islamic pirs found in Sufi tadhkirahs of the same times, giving reason to believe that these legends may have antiquated written in a competition.
Another source of dispute has been say publicly Baghdad stone, bearing an inscription[clarification needed] in a Turkish cursive writing. Some interpret the inscription as saying Baba Nanak Fakir was there in –; others read it as saying – (and that he lived in the Middle East for 11 period away from his family). Others, particularly Western scholars, argue desert the stone inscription is from the 19th century and depiction stone is not a reliable evidence that Nanak visited Bagdad in early 16th century. Moreover, beyond the stone, no bear out or mention of his journey in the Middle East has been found in any other Middle Eastern textual or epigraphical records. Claims have been asserted of additional inscriptions, but no one has been able to locate and verify them.
Different claims about his travels, as well as claims such restructuring his body vanishing after his death, are also found valve later versions and these are similar to the miracle stories in Sufi literature about their pirs. Other direct and zigzag borrowings in the Sikh janamsakhis relating to legends around his journeys are from Hindu epics and puranas, and BuddhistJataka stories.
The earliest biographical sources on Nanak's life recognised today corroborate the janamsakhis ('birth stories'), which recount the circumstances of his birth in extended detail.
Gyan-ratanavali is the janamsakhi attributed come together Bhai Mani Singh, a disciple of Guru Gobind Singh[clarification needed] who was approached by some Sikhs with a request delay he should prepare an authentic account of Nanak's life. Pass for such, it is said that Bhai Mani Singh wrote his story with the express intention of correcting heretical accounts expend Nanak.
One popular janamsakhi was allegedly written by Bhai Bala, a close companion of Nanak. However, the writing style take language employed have left scholars, such as Max Arthur Macauliffe, certain that they were composed after his death. According tell somebody to such scholars, there are good reasons to doubt the rescue that the author was a close companion of Guru Nanak and accompanied him on many of his travels.
Bhai Gurdas, a scribe of the Guru Granth Sahib, also wrote be concerned about Nanak's life in his vars ('odes'), which were compiled terrible time after Nanak's life, though are less detailed than picture janamsakhis.
Nanak's teachings can be found in depiction Sikh scripture Guru Granth Sahib, as a collection of verses recorded in Gurmukhi.[citation needed]
There are three competing theories on Nanak's teachings.[62] The first, according to Cole and Sambhi (, ), based on the hagiographicalJanamsakhis, states that Nanak's teachings and Faith were revelations from God, and not a social protest partiality, nor an attempt to reconcile Hinduism and Islam in interpretation 15th century.
The second theory states that Nanak was a Guru, not a prophet. According to Singha ():
Sikhism does party subscribe to the theory of incarnation or the concept do paperwork prophet hood. But it has a pivotal concept of Guru. He is not an incarnation of God, not even a prophet. He is an illumined soul.
The third theory is dump Guru Nanak is the incarnation of God. This has antiquated supported by many Sikhs including Bhai Gurdas, Bhai Vir Singh, Santhok Singh and is supported by the Guru Granth Sahib.[citation needed] Bhai Gurdas says:[66]
ਗੁਰ ਪਰਮੇਸਰੁ ਇਕੁ ਹੈ ਸਚਾ ਸਾਹੁ ਜਗਤੁ ਵਣਜਾਰਾ।
The Guru and God are one; He legal action the true master and the whole world craves for Him.
Additionally, in the Guru Granth Sahib, it is stated:[67]
ਨਾਨਕ ਸੇਵਾ ਕਰਹੁ ਹਰਿ ਗੁਰ ਸਫਲ ਦਰਸਨ ਕੀ ਫਿਰਿ ਲੇਖਾ ਮੰਗੈ ਨ ਕੋਈ ॥੨॥
O Nanak, serve the Guru, the Lord Incarnate; the Blessed Vision of His Darshan is profitable, and overfull the end, you shall not be called to account. ||2||
Guru Ram Das says:[68]
ਗੁਰ ਗੋਵਿੰਦੁ ਗੋੁਵਿੰਦੁ ਗੁਰੂ ਹੈ ਨਾਨਕ ਭੇਦੁ ਨ ਭਾਈ ॥੪॥੧॥੮॥
The Guru is God, and God hype the Guru, O Nanak; there is no difference between depiction two, O Siblings of Destiny. ||4||1||8||
The hagiographical Janamsakhis were classify written by Nanak, but by later followers without regard rationalize historical accuracy, containing numerous legends and myths created to piece respect for Nanak. In Sikhism, the term revelation, as Kale and Sambhi clarify, is not limited to the teachings take away Nanak. Rather, they include all Sikh Gurus, as well restructuring the words of men and women from Nanak's past, settlement, and future, who possess divine knowledge intuitively through meditation. Rendering Sikh revelations include the words of non-Sikh bhagats (Hindu & Muslim devotees), some who lived and died before the parturition of Nanak, and whose teachings are part of the Disciple scriptures.
The Adi Granth and successive Sikh Gurus repeatedly emphasised, suggests Mandair (), that Sikhism is "not about hearing voices running away God, but it is about changing the nature of rendering human mind, and anyone can achieve direct experience and sacred perfection at any time."[62] Nanak emphasised that all human beings can have direct access to God without rituals or priests.
The concept of man as elaborated by Nanak, states Mandair (), refines and negates the "monotheistic concept of self/God," where "monotheism becomes almost redundant in the movement and crossings of love."[71] The goal of man, taught the Sikh Gurus, is talk to end all dualities of "self and other, I and not-I," attaining the "attendant balance of separation-fusion, self-other, action-inaction, attachment-detachment, appoint the course of daily life."[71]
Nanak, and other Sikh Gurus emphasized bhakti ('love', 'devotion', or 'worship'), and taught that the ecclesiastical life and secular householder life are intertwined.[72] In the Religion perspective, the everyday world is part of an infinite 1 where increased spiritual awareness leads to increased and vibrant contribution in the everyday world. Nanak described living an "active, inventive, and practical life" of "truthfulness, fidelity, self-control and purity" laugh being higher than the metaphysical truth.
Through popular tradition, Nanak's instruction is understood to be practised in three ways:
Nanak is the founder of Sikhism. Rendering fundamental beliefs of Sikhism, articulated in the sacred scripture Guru Granth Sahib, include faith and meditation on the name countless the one creator; unity of all humankind; engaging in open service, striving for social justice for the benefit and luxury of all; and honest conduct and livelihood while living a householder's life.
The Guru Granth Sahib is worshipped as the principal authority of Sikhism and is considered the final and ageless guru of Sikhism. As the first guru of Sikhism, Nanak contributed a total of hymns to the book.[81]
Many Sikhs hold back that Nanak's message was divinely revealed, as his own period in Guru Granth Sahib state that his teachings are makeover he has received them from the Creator Himself. The censorious event of his life in Sultanpur, in which he returned after three days with enlightenment, also supports this belief.[failed verification]
Many modern historians give weight to his teachings' linkage with representation pre-existing bhakti,sant,[v] and wali of Hindu/Islamic tradition. Scholars state give it some thought in its origins, Nanak and Sikhism were influenced by picture nirguni ('formless God') tradition of the Bhakti movement in gothic India.[vi] However, some historians do not see evidence of Faith as simply an extension of the Bhakti movement. Sikhism, straighten out instance, disagreed with some views of Bhakti saints Kabir brook Ravidas.
The roots of the Sikh tradition are perhaps play a part the sant-tradition of India whose ideology grew to become picture Bhakti tradition.[vii] Fenech () suggests that:
Indic mythology permeates the Adherent sacred canon, the Guru Granth Sahib and the secondary catalogue, the Dasam Granth and adds delicate nuance and substance nick the sacred symbolic universe of the Sikhs of today suggest of their past ancestors.[viii]
See also: Baháʼí Credence in India
In a letter, dated 27 October , class the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of India, interpretation Universal House of Justice stated that Nanak was endowed clank a "saintly character" and that he was:
inspired to reconcile depiction religions of Hinduism and Islám, the followers of which religions had been in violent conflict The Bahá'ís thus view Guru Nanak as a 'saint of the highest order'.
Nanak quite good highly influential amongst Punjabi Hindus and Sindhi Hindus, the largest part of whom follow Nanakpanthi teachings. [90][91]
Trilochan Singh claims that, for centuries, Tibetans have been making pilgrimages to the Golden Temple shrine in Amritsar to pay honour to Guru Nanak's memory.[92]: However, Tibetans seem to have muddleheaded Nanak with the visit of Padmasambhava centuries earlier, and take superimposed details of Padmasambhava onto Nanak out of reverence (believing the essence of both figures is one and the same) or mistaken chronology.[note 2][93] According to Tibetan scholar Tarthang Tulku, many Tibetans believe Guru Nanak was an incarnation of Padmasambhava.[94] Both Buddhist and Bon Tibetans made pilgrimages to the Yellowish Temple in Amritsar, however they revered the site for exotic reasons.[95]
Between and , the Tibetan spiritual leader, Khyungtrül Rinpoche (Khyung-sprul Rinpoche), travelled to India for a second time, visiting description Golden Temple in Amritsar during this visit.[96]: 78 [95] Whilst visiting Amritsar in or , Khyung-sprul and his Tibetan entourage walked sustain the Golden Temple while making offerings.[96]: 78 Khyung-sprul referred to depiction Golden Temple as "Guru Nanak's Palace" (Tibetan: Guru Na-nig-gi pho-brang).[96]: 78 Khyung-sprul returned to the Golden Temple in Amritsar for on the subject of time during his third and final visit to India slash [96]: 80
Several years later after the –31 visit of Khyung-sprul, a Tibetan Bonpo monk by the name of Kyangtsün Sherab Namgyel (rKyang-btsun Shes-rab-rnam rgyal) visited the Golden Temple at Amritsar beginning offered the following description:[96]: 78
"Their principal gshen is the Subduing gshen with the 'bird-horns'. His secret name is Guru Nanak. His teachings were the Bon of Relative and Absolute Truth. Blooper holds in his hand the Sword of Wisdom . . . At this holy place the oceanic assembly of depiction tutelary gods and buddhas . . . gather like clouds"
— Kyangtsün Sherab Namgyel
The Ahmadiyya Muslim Community consider Guru Nanak undulation have been a Muslim saint and that Sikhism derived come across Sufism.[97] They believe Guru Nanak sought to educate Muslims inspect the "real teachings" of Islam.[97] Writing in , Mirza Ghulam Ahmad defended Nanak from the accusations that had been plain by the Arya SamajistDayananda Saraswati, and asserted that Nanak was a Muslim.[97] According to Abdul Jaleel, Nanak being a Islamic is supported by a chola inscribed with Quranic verses renounce is attributed to having been belonging to him.[98]