(Audio is abstract of the article)
by Harnaak Singh
Abstract
This is an analysis of the article by Dr Karminder “Dr Anurag’s claims on Ek Granth defective to the core, says Dr Karminder” posted on Asia Samachar 11-Dec-2016.
The analysis reveals the following main findings.
- Dr Karminder Singh’s statement that what Dr Anurag Singh says, regarding the CANONISED Sikh scriptures is defective to the core, is FALSE.
- By espousing the Ek Granth Ek Panth concept Dr Karminder shows DISRESPECT TO GURU ARJAN DEV.
- Dr Karminder’s Ek Granth Ek Panth concept, hinged on a single verse in the SGGS, is the concept that has NO SUBSTANCE. This Ek Granth Ek Panth concept has been shown to be ROTTEN TO THE CORE using Dr Karminder’s OWN HYPOTHESES.
- Dr Karminders comments are made to suit his own agenda which is aligned to the Kala Afghana Ideology.
- Dr Karminder is fooling everybody with his flowery scientific type language espousing concepts to suit each situation based on his agenda but not realising the contradiction of his hypotheses between different situations.
- The Sangat must be wary of such practices.
Analysis of the Article
Anurag’s Statement defective to the Core
We will start analysis with the Dr Karminder’s CLAIM that Dr Anurag Singh’s statement
“There is no Concept of Ek Granth Ek Panth in Sikhism. It is disrespect to Guru Arjan Dev Ji, who blessed Works of Bhai Gurdas as Parmanic Bani: Canonised Scripture and to Guru Gobind Singh who composed Dasam Granth and blessed the Works of Bhai Nand Lal Ji as Parmanic Bani.”
is DEFECTIVE TO THE CORE. We wish to emphasise that Dr Karminder provides no evidence for his claim.
Practice is that a CLAIM IS FALSE if ANY PART OF THE CLAIM is NOT TRUE. Let us just test Dr Karminder’s claim on the “Works of Bhai Gurdas”.
Regarding Vaaran Bhai Gurdas, The Encyclopaedia of Sikhism (Ed: Harbans Singh Vol 2, 1996) states that “Guru Arjan put his seal of approval on it by designating it as the KEY to the Holy Scripture” and that the this composition “forms part of accepted SIKH CANON and is SUNG ALONG WITH GURBANI, the Guru’s word, at holy congregations”. CANON means “a collection of sacred books accepted as genuine”. Therefore, as DECREED BY GURU ARJUN DEV JI, Vaaran Bhai Gurdas is a SIKH CANON i.e. a GENUINE SACRED BOOK (GRANTH) OF THE SIKHS. A Sacred Book is also called a GRANTH in Indic languages.
By virtue of this alone it is obvious that Dr Karminder’s statement “…defective to the core…” is FALSE. Therefore the statement by Dr Anurag’s (who is a well know authority on Sikh History as also indicated by Mohan Singh and Jasmail Singh) statement above cannot be any other than the accepted fact. This means that Dr Karminder not only has made a FALSE statement but has displayed DISRESPECT TO GURU ARJAN DEV JI.
Point 1: Dr Karminder’s claim: The concept of Ek Granth Ek Panth is rooted philosophically in the SGGS on page 646 “Eka Banee Ek Gur Eko Shabad Vichaar”.
Now we analyse Dr Karminder’s point (1). Dr Karminder, by virture of a single verse from the SGGS “Eka Banee Ek Gur Eko Shabad Vichaar” has declared his Ek Granth Ek Panth concept.
Before we study this verse we have to point out what Dr Karminder espouses and also PREACHES. For example in his article “The Rahao Principle – Part 2 Asia Samachar 13-Nov-2016 Dr Karminder states we quote
“Many a time our Ragis, Kathakaars, and Kirtanias take a SINGLE VERSE AND MAKE JUST ABOUT ANYTHING OUT OF IT TO ESTABLISH A POINT OF THEIR PERSONAL CHOOSING”
and adds
“Which is why we should never attempt to use single verses from Gurbani. We SHOULD BE SUSPICIOUS ON THOSE WHO INSIST ON TAKING JUST ONE OR TWO VERSES AND TRY TO EXPLAIN MAJOR SPIRITUAL PRINCIPLES to us based on that one or two single verses. More often than not, people who do so are USING GURBANI AS A TOOL TO ESTABLISH THEIR OWN PERSONAL POINTS.”
Based on HIS OWN PREACHING should we TRUST Dr Karminder’s CONCEPT OF EK GRANTH EK PANTH since it is hinged on ONE VERSE. Going by what he preaches we SHOULD BE SUSPICIOUS on this concept which he is espousing. We believe, HE IS, in his own words USING GURBANI AS A TOOL TO ESTABLISH HIS OWN PERSONAL POINTS. There is nothing there for the Sangat, the Panth or any Sikh for that matter. We are all being made FOOLS by this concept of his.
Analysing further, The SINGLE VERSE on which Ek Granth Ek Panth is hinged is a verse in the second stanza (or slok) of Paurdi 10 of Vaar of Fourth Guru in Raag Soorath. Dr Karminder in his Rahao Principle Part 4 audio (available on YouTube; hear part from time 9:30 seconds onwards) states the Paurdi has the core message and the Slok should be interpreted based on this core message in the Paurdi. The Paurdi 10 has no reference to Ek Granth or Ek Panth. The gist of the Paurdi is
THOSE WHO ARE PERMEATED BY FALSEHOOD DO NOT SPEAK THE TRUTH. ONLY FALSEHOOD SATISFIES THEM. THEY ARE LIKE CROWS WHO EAT MANURE. ONLY BY MEDITATION ON NAAM AND BY THE GRACE OF GOD WILL THE FRAUD AND SIN IN THEM DISAPPEAR.
BASED ON Dr Karminder’s own hypotheses (RAHAO PRINCIPLE) the verse “Eka Banee Ek Gur Eko Shabad Vichaar”, therefore CANNOT IMPLY EK GRANTH AND/ OR EK PANTH. According to Dr Karminder’s RAHAO PRINCIPLE, it must relate to FALSEHOOD, FRAUD and SIN and that NAAM can eradicate this. Again, Dr Karminder by HIS OWN HYPOTHESIS is PROVEN WRONG and is making A FALSE CLAIM.
Dr Karminder is fooling everybody with his flowery scientific type language espousing concepts to suit each situation based on his agenda but not realising the contradiction of his hypotheses between different situations
In summary Dr Karminder’s concept of EK GRANTH EK PANTH, based on his own PREACHING and HYPOTHESIS, IS FALSE and if I may add ROTTEN TO THE CORE.
Point 2: Dr Karminder’s claim: Our Guru is Shabad. There is ONLY ONE Granth in the entire spiritual universe that has SHABAD located within it, and that is the SGGS. This is precisely what is meant by EK GRANTH of Sikhi.
Sri Guru Granth Sahib is about INCLUSIVENESS and Ek is only used to refer to creator God. SGGS does not promulgate SELFISH, SELF-CENTERED DIVISIVE IDEOLOGY of the EK GRANTH ideology. See https://gurvichar.com/2016/12/03/ek-the-divisive-ideology/ for the analysis.
Dr Karminder Singh makes a blanket statement that Ek Granth is the only Granth in the entire SPIRITUAL UNIVERSE.
What about those who accept and follow the teachings of the four Canons of Sikh faith, what about people of other faiths? Are they doomed to oblivion?
If the EK GRANTH ideology is NOT DIVISIVE then what else can it be?
Even SGGS states inclusivity not divisiveness
ਆਈ ਪੰਥੀ ਸਗਲ ਜਮਾਤੀ ਮਿਨ ਜੀਤੈ ਜਗੁ ਜੀਤੁ ॥ SGGS P6 L17 Japji Sahib
See the brotherhood of all mankind as the highest order of Yogis; conquer your own mind, and, conquer the world
So this idea of Ek Granth is definitely NOT derived from SGGS. It is based on the Kala Afghana Ideology.
Point 3: Dr Karminder’s claim: Pothi Parmeshar Ka Thaan is in support of EK GRANTH. The ONE Pothi is indeed the precursor to the ONE GRANTH which is the SGGS now. The Shabd of the Parmesar that was located within the ONE POTHI during Guru Arjun Ji’s time was affirmed by Guru Gobind Singh Ji in the ONE GRANTH which is the SGGS
Kulwant Kanta Singh rightly so states “Pothi Parmeshar ka thaan does not automatically mean that no other Granth can be read”.
Notwithstanding this Dr Karminder is going against his own principles of NOT USING A SINGLE VERSE TO MAKE JUDGEMENTS and he has done exactly this. Secondly the shabad referred to is the first verse in Shabad Sarang M: 5 SGGS 1226. The other verses of the Shabad, without doubt refer, to those who have the essence of God in their inner self and include people of any denomination (Siddhas and seekers etc in Verse 3 of the shabad). The shabad actually teaches INCLUSIVENESS.
Dr Karminder is misleading the Sangat by using this verse to imply Ek Granth again professing DIVISIVENESS as shown in point 2.
Point 4: Dr Karminder’s claim: The commandment of Guru Arjun ji POTHI PARMESAR KA THAAN was is essence the ONE and same philosophically and spiritually with the one given by Guru Gobind Singh ji in the form GURU MANIYO GRANTH. In this sense then, the commandment of the fifth guru too is a precursor to the one issued by Guru Gobind Singh in 1708.
For “Pothi Parmesar Ka Thaan” refer to the response point 3 above.
We have shown in our article Ek Granth? at https://gurvichar.com/2016/12/02/ek-granth/ that Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji is the embodiment of our Gurus and is our living Guru today. We do not believe that any Sikh denies this. But this statement is not mutually exclusive of any other Granth. In this article we go on to show that the way our Gurus ware inherently inclusive. Their thought was to LEARN THE TEACHINGS OF THE OTHER GRANTHS and INDICATE ANY DIFFERENCE based on their inspiration. There was NO REJECTION OF THE TEACHING OF THE OTHER GRANTHS.
Also refer to our response to Point 5 below.
Point 5: Dr Karminder’s claim: There is no concept of the so called “parmanic banee” within the SGGS. It may exist outside the SGGS. Within the SGGS, there is mention only of SACHEE Banee which is contrasted with Kachee Banee. All banee not contained within our Satgur SGGS is Kachee Banee as stated by Guru Amardas ji. Satgur Bina Hor Kachee Hai Banee.
There IS REFERENCE to Parmanic in the SGGS.
Mahan Kosh gives the meaning of ਪ੍ਰਮਾਣ as ਪ੍ਰਾਮਾਣਿਕ ਧਰਮਗ੍ਰੰਥ meaning authentic spiritual writing with teachings of the faith.
In SGGS Sawayay M:1 Kay SGGS Stanza 7 “Kaljug Parman Nanak Gur …”, SGGS 1390 states Guru Nanak who is also Angad and Amar; is the True Guru according to God (God authenticated Guru Nanak i.e. Guru Nanak is Parmanic Guru). Guru Nanak brought forth the message from God as Guru Nanak proclaimed in SGGS722 “Jaysee Maiy Away Khasam Kee Banee..”. Further Guru Nanak is also Angad and Amar and i.e. Jot of Guru Nanak is Jot of Guru Angad Dev Ji and also the Jot of Guru Amar Das and so until the Jot of Guru Gobind Singh and then Guru Gobind authenticated Guru Granth Sahib Ji as our eternal living Guru. This means each Guru authenticated the next Guru. Guru Arjan Dev Ji authenticated Vaaran Bhai Gurdas and Guru Gobind authenticated Bhai Nand Lal compositions as Parmanic. Another IMPORTANT POINT TO NOTE IS THAT for example Guru Arjan compiled the Adi Granth (Sikhiwiki.org), he was the living Guru but he gave reverence to the Guru Granth thus delineating that there is a distinction between living Guru and Adi Granth as the Shabad Guru. There were two Gurus, Guru Arjan Dev Ji as the living Guru and Adi Granth. Vaaran Bhai Gurdas were also canonised by Guru Arjan and were recited along with the compositions of Guru Granth. Therefore Vaaran Bhai Gurdas are also our spiritual compositions. Vaaran Bhai Gurdas are another of the Sikh Canons that Dr Anurag states. So at this time there were two Sikh Canons, Adi Granth and Vaaran Bhai Gurdas and Guru Arjan Dev Ji was our living Guru. This carried on until the tenth Guru who wrote the compositions of Dasam Granth (this is without doubt the case and Dr Anurag has provided evidence to this extent: refer Anurag’s FB and Journal Keepers’s Diary). There, Dasam Granth being the work of Guru Gobind is another Canon of the Sikhs. As indicated above Guru Gobind Singh authenticated the composition of Bhai Nand Lal and this is the another Canon of the Sikhs. Therefore these are the four Canons of the Sikh faith. These four Canons, Sri Guru Granth Sahib, Dasam Granth, Vaaran Bhai Gurdas and Bhai Nand Lal’s composition are our authenticated (by our Gurus) and our spiritual composition to be recited. They have been recited for more than 300 years.
Therefore there is no question of Ek Granth; this being a FALSE and DIVISIVE ideology. Essentially tody we have ONE LIVING GURU and FOUR SIKH CANONS. This is sort of akin to Guru Arjan Dev Ji’s time when there was ONE LIVING GURU ONE SHABAD GURU Adi Granth which was also a CANON and VAARAN BHAI GURDAS another CANON. Note that Guru Gobind also drew the distinction between Shabad Guru Sri Guru Granth and Living Guru Sri Guru Granth as Kavi Santokh writes in Gur Partap Suraj Granth Rut 5 Chapter 15, Verse 4 states what Guru Gobind said. English translation from “An Introduction to Sri Guru Granth Sahib” by Gurbachan Singh Talib.
ਦਸ ਅਵਤਾਰ ਗੁਰ ਏਕ ਸਮ, ਜਯੋਂ ਜਾਨੈਂ ਜੋ ਮੇਰ।
ਇਕ ਦਸ਼ਮੋ ਗੁਰ ਗ੍ਰੰਥ ਜੀ, ਬਾਣੀ ਸਤਿਗੁਰ ਹੇਰਿ ॥੪॥
Whoever holds, belief in the ten Gurus as one in spirit, is, my true disciple.
Behold ye the Guru Granth as the eleventh Guru, Its Bani, too as the holy Preceptor.
Guru Granth Sahib is a LIVING GURU as well as a CANON of the Sikhs.
As far as the single verse “Satgur Bina Hor Kachee Hai Banee” is concerned, again Dr Karminder is going against his own principles of interpretations based on single verse. See discussion under Point 1 above.
Anyway Professor Sahib Singh’s translation gives the meaning of this verse as “Bani which is going against the teaching of our Gurus, that is Bani that will cause us to fall into the trap of MAYA”. This shows the even at verse level, the interpretation by Dr Karminder is incorrect.
Point 6: Dr Karminder’s claim: The only people who oppose the ONE GRANTH position is those who want to smuggle in a second or perhaps third Granth into the Sikh psyche. These granths are full of charitars and Nataks, but NO SHABD GURU in it at all. The SHABAD is ONLY in the SGGS.
Kulwant Kanta Singh wrote Bachitar Natak as a text was never under any contention. It was never disputed by the Panth whether it was Guru Sahib’s creation. No older texts cast any doubts on Dasam Granth, rather they all support the fact that Guru Sahib wrote it.
Further Dr Karminder is ill informed. Response to point 5 above clearly refutes his understanding. His words are PROPAGATING FALSEHOOD based on the Kala Afghana Ideology.
Point 7: Dr Karminder’s claim: To contend that “there is no concept of Ek Granth” as related to the SGGS because it was referred to as POTHI Sahib but that “on the contrary the word Granth is used in all the manuscripts of Dasam Granth” is to stretch the imagination into non-existent concepts. The rest of this dot point, not reproduced here, is whingeing about Dasam Granth which is all FALSE.
The argument by Dr Karminder does not hold water as shown in the above response to points. All this whingeing is based on the Kala Afghana Ideology.
Point 8: Dr Karminder’s claim: To argue that Ragis have been singing Bhai Gurdas and Bhai Nand Lal ji as evidence of the existence of a second or third Granth in Sikhi is fallacious. It is the SRM that allows the singing of these two compositions – as EXPLANATORY compositions of SGGS ji. The Granth for SIkhs still remains ONE. The explanatory rachnas recognized by the SRM for Kirtan purposes are two – Bhai Gurdas and Bhai Nand Lal. None of them wrote any Granth of their own. So stop using their Kabits and Ghazals to fool Sikhs that they have composed Granths.
These were authenticated by our Gurus and are the two CANONS of Sikhs. Refer to response to point 5 above. Also these compositions were being recited/ sung from the Gurus times well before the SRM came about around 1930s.
Dr Karminder is ill informed and should make a proper attempt using credible sources (not using excommunicated Kala Afghana sources) for his learning.
Point 9: Dr Karminder’s claim: The verse of Guru Ramdas ji quoted by Anurag: “Bani Guru, Guru Hai Bani, Vich Bani Amrit Sarey” is clear evidence that ONLY the Bani of SGGS is the spiritual be all and end all (SAREY) for a Sikh.
Our response to this is included in article at LINK https://gurvichar.com/2016/12/02/ek-granth/.
Point 10: Dr Karminder’s claim: To say that the “Four Vedas of the Sanatan Dharma were replaced by the Sikh Gurus with four Canonised Scriptures of the Sikhs: Guru Granth Sahib, Dasam Granth, Works of Bhai Gurdas and Works of Bhai Nand Lal, “ is utter nonsense. Which Guru said this and where? The SGGS is a ONE and ONLY novel, innovative, new, original scripture that is DHUR KEE BANEE or JAISEE MEIN AVEY KHASAM KEE BANEE. The SGGS has nothing whatsoever to do with any vedas – they are rejected by our Gurus. The writings of Bhai Nand Lal or Bhai Gurdas Ji are in similar vein.
Please refer response to point 5 above as well as LINK https://gurvichar.com/2016/12/02/ek-granth/.
We do note deem fit to respond to Point 11 of Dr Karminder which is merely a whinge of the comments by Anurag regarding the espousers of Ek Granth. On his comments on SGGS is the ONE and ONLY scripture the response lies in the points above.
Summary
Dr Karminder Singh’s statement that what Dr Anurag Singh says, regarding the CANONISED Sikh scriptures is defective to the core, is FALSE. Further by espousing the Ek Granth Ek Panth concept Dr Karminder shows DISRESPECT TO GURU ARJAN DEV.
Dr Karminder’s Ek Granth Ek Panth concept, hinged on a single verse in the SGGS, is the concept that has NO SUBSTANCE. This Ek Granth Ek Panth concept has been shown to be ROTTEN TO THE CORE using Dr Karminder’s OWN HYPOTHESES. His comments and preachings are made to suit his own agenda which is aligned to the Kala Afghana Ideology.
Dr Karminder is fooling everybody with his flowery scientific type language espousing concepts to suit each situation based on his agenda but not realising the contradiction of his hypotheses between different situations.
THE SANGAT MUST BE WARY OF SUCH PRACTICES.
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