(Unfortunately, many Sikhs still discriminate against the lower castes, and fail their faith and their Gurus.)Ī feature of the Sikh religion which is particularly striking is its emphasis on prayer. Among the first five Sikhs to be chosen as the Khalsa (the Pure) by the last Sikh Guru, Gobind Singh, was a Dalit, Bhai Dharam Singh. Nanak's teachings and verses abound with passages that describe as ungodly the conduct of those who treat anyone as untouchable.
The Sikh religion does not recognize the caste system.
There are, now, professional scripture readers (granthis) and musicians (ragis), but in fact, irrespective of status, all Sikhs are competent to perform religious ceremonies. Sikhs do not believe in sacred rivers or mountains, nor do they worship idols: 'To be saved, worship only the Truth,' said Nanak. Sikhism preaches belief in the unity of God (Ek Omkar: God is One) and equates God with truth (Sat Naam: His Name is Truth). Nanak was followed by nine Gurus, who carried forward his legacy and consolidated the Sikh faith. To the Hindu a Guru, to the Muslim a Pir) Even today, he is remembered as the king of holy men:īaba Nanak shah fakir Hindu ka guru musalman ka pir (Baba Nanak, the King of Fakirs, His teachings fired the imagination of the peasants of Punjab, and he became the beloved saint of both Hindus and Muslims. Guru Nanak (I469-I539)-the founder of the Sikh religion-drew upon Hindu Bhakta and Islamic Sufi philosophy to spread a message of love and universal brotherhood, and of simple worship beyond dogma and empty ritual. Sikhism was born of and influenced by the two dominant faiths of Punjab, Hinduism and Islam. In its essence, Sikhism remains a great religion that teaches all that I value: tolerance, simplicity, equality, service to the community and to all humanity. As with every religion, Sikhism has been misinterpreted by bigoted and cynical people, but that is a failure of men, not of the faith. I am not a religious man, but I call myself a Sikh and am proud to be one. He was also honoured with the Punjab Rattan Awarded by the government of Punjab in 2006. In 2007 he was awarded India's second highest civilian honour, the Padma Vibhusan. He was awarded the Padma Bhushan in 1974, which he returned in 1984 to protest the siege of the Golden Temple by the Indian Army. Khushwant Singh was member of the Rajya Sabha from 1980 to 1986.
He has also translated the work of major Punjabi and urdu poets, novelists and short-story writers. His several acclaimed and bestselling books include the novels Train to Pakistan, I shall Not Hear the Nightingale and Delhi his autobiography, Truth, love and a Little Malice and the two-volume A History of the Sikhs. He was founder-editor of Yojna, and editor of The Illustrated Weekly of India and the Hindustan Times. Beautifully illustrated, this is a collector' edition for anyone interested not only in the Sikh faith but also in great sacred literature.īorn in Punjab's Hadali village (now in Pakistan) in 1915, Khushwant Singh is one of India's best known and most widely, read authors and columnists. This volume brings together Khushwant Singh's classic English translations of the two best known and, in many ways, defining sacred compositions of the Sikhs. It comprises hymns by fiver of the ten Sikh Gurus: Guru Nanak, Guru Amar Das, Guru Ram Das, Guru Arjun and Guru Gobind Singh. The Rehras is a prayer of thanksgiving, recited at the end of the day in gratitude and also for inspiration.
Comprising a series of hymns in praise of the one God who is Truth, it opens the sacred book of the Sikhs, the Guru Granth Sahib, and is recited every morning by all practicing Sikhs. The Japji, composed by Guru Nanak, the founder of the Sikh faith, is the most important prayer of the Sikhs, and one of the most sublime and majestic examples of sacred poetry in any language.