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Guru Nanak

Guru Nanak Dev (Punjabi: ਗੁਰੂ ਨਾਨਕ ਦੇਵ) (15 April 1469 – 22 September 1539), was the founder of Sikhism and the first of the ten Gurus of the Sikhs.

Background

Guru Nanak hailed from a village named after him as Nanakana Sahib, located near the modern Pakistani City of Lahore.

His father, Mehta Kalu, also known as Kalayan Das Mehta was from a tribe called Bedi Khatri, was a village record keeper.His mother was Mata Tripat. His parents were Brahmin Hindus. The Guru had an older sister called Bibi Nanki, who was the first to recognise Nanak as an enlightened Soul. Guru Nanak from an early age seemed to have acquired a questioning and enquiring mind and refused as a child to wear the ritualistic “sacred” thread called a Janeu and instead said that he would wear the true name of God in his heart for his protection, as the thread which could be broken, be soiled, burnt or lost could not offer any security at all.

As a householder, Guru Nanak continued to carry out the mission of his life – To lead people to the true path of God; to dispel superstition; to bring people out of ritualistic practises; to lead them directly to follow Gurbani – without the need for priests and clergy; restrain and guard against the five thieves within – Pride, Anger, Greed, Attachment and Lust.

Guru Nanak Dev continued his religious pursuits as always. Nanak married Sulkhni, of Batala, and they had two sons, Sri Chand and Lakhmi Das. His brother-in-law, the husband of his sister Nanki, obtained a job for him in Sultanpur as the manager of the government granary. One morning, when he was twenty-eight, Guru Nanak Dev went as usual down to the river to bathe and meditate. It was said that he was gone for three days. When he reappeared, it is said he was "filled with the spirit of God" (the precise nature of this is open to personal interpretation: is it a mythical divinity or is it an intimate understanding?). His first words after his re-emergence were: "there is no Hindu, there is no Muslim". It is this secularist, humanitarian principle that governed his thought. It was then that he began his missionary work.

Early Sikh Guru's Perception of the Mughal Empire

Babur's reign was witnessed by the first sikh guru Nanak Dev. His Raag Asa Guru records Nanak's observations and thoughts in his poems. It says:

"Having attacked Khuraasaan, Babar terrified Hindustan. The Creator Himself does not take the blame, but has sent the Mugal as the messenger of death. There was so much slaughter that the people screamed. Didn't You feel compassion, Lord?" pg (360)

On the condition of Hindu women in Babur's rule:

"Those heads adorned with braided hair, with their parts painted with vermilion - those heads were shaved with scissors, and their throats were choked with dust.They lived in palatial mansions, but now, they cannot even sit near the palaces.... ropes were put around their necks, and their strings of pearls were broken. Their wealth and youthful beauty, which gave them so much pleasure, have now become their enemies. The order was given to the soldiers, who dishonored them, and carried them away. If it is pleasing to God's Will, He bestows greatness; if is pleases His Will, He bestows punishment" pg(417-18)

On the nature of Mughal rule under Babur:

"First, the tree puts down its roots, and then it spreads out its shade above. The kings are tigers, and their officials are dogs; they go out and awaken the sleeping people to harass them. The public servants inflict wounds with their nails. The dogs lick up the blood that is spilled." Source: Rag Malar, (pg.1288)

File:Guru nanak.jpg

Guru Nanak Dev

Travels

Tradition states that Guru Nanak Dev made four great journeys, traveling to all parts of India, and into Tibet and Arabia and visiting Mecca and Baghdad. He spoke before Buddhists, Hindus, Jains, Muslims, and Zoroastrians. He spoke in the temples and at various pilgrimage sites. It was during this period that Guru Nanak Dev met Kabir (1441-1518), a saint revered by followers of many faiths. Wherever he went, Guru Nanak Dev spoke out against empty religious rituals; pilgrimages; the caste system; the practise of Sati, wherein a widow immolates herself on their husband's funeral pyre; of depending on books to learn the true religion; and of all the other tenets that were to define his teachings. Guru Nanak never asked anyone to follow him. He asked that people remain true to their beliefs.

After the last of his great journeys, Guru Nanak Dev settled in the town of Kartarpur, in Punjab on the banks of the Ravi where he taught for another fifteen years. Followers from all over came to settle in Kartarpur to listen, and sing, and be with him. During this time, although his followers still remained Hindu, or of the religion to which they were born, they became known as the Guru's disciples, or sikhs. It was here that his followers began to refer to him as teacher, or guru. It was here that the Guru told his followers that they were to be householders and could not live apart from the world—there were to be no priests or hermits. Here is where the Guru instituted the common meal, requiring the rich and poor, high caste and low caste, and various faiths to sit together while eating. Here is where Lehna, renamed as Guru Angad, came to be with Guru Nanak Dev. Guru Nanak's days before his passing away, installed Guru Angad as the second Guru of Sikhs.

Death

The last part of his worldly life, Guru Nanak spent in Kartarpur. The Great Guru would wake at dawn and recite his daily prayers. At daybreak, he would address his followers. He worked in his free kitchen, which even today is popularly known as 'langar'. This food would be partaken by Hindus, Muslims, rich, poor, high or/and so called low castes. Guru Nanak worked in the field and earned his livelihood.

On 22 September of the year 1539 , at the age of 70 years, Guru Nanak gave up his body after he had requested his disciples to sing the Sohila (the praise of God).

Once when Guru Nanak was asked which religion, Hinduism or Islam was the true path to God, Guru Nanak replied that the true way to attain God was to worship Him who is eternal and contained in the whole Universe.

When Guru Nanak merged into the eternal light, the Hindus wanted to cremate him while the Muslims wanted to bury the body. However on raising the sheet under which the Great Guru's body lay, both found nothing but fresh flowers which were divided between themselves. The Hindus cremated the flowers whereas the Muslims buried theirs.

Preceded by: Sikh Bhagats (1100 - 1469)	Guru Nanak	Followed by: Guru Angad Dev (31 March 1504 - 29 March 1552)

These are the Ten Gurus of Sikhism
Guru Nanak Dev \| Guru Angad Dev \| Guru Amar Das \| Guru Ram Das \| Guru Arjan Dev \| Guru Har Gobind \| Guru Har Rai \| Guru Har Krishan \| Guru Teg Bahadur \| Guru Gobind Singh \| (Followed by Guru Granth Sahib, Perpetual Guru of the Sikhs)

External links

Audio:

Sikhism.com

Topics in Sikhism

Gurus:	Guru Nanak Dev \| Guru Angad Dev \| Guru Amar Das \| Guru Ram Das \| Guru Arjan Dev \| Guru Har Gobind \| Guru Har Rai \| Guru Har Krishan \| Guru Teg Bahadur \| Guru Gobind Singh \| Sikh Bhagats
Philosophy:	Beliefs and principles \| Underlying values \| Prohibitions \| Technique and methods \| Other observations
Practices:	Ardās \| Amrit \| Chaṛdī Kalā \| Dasvand \| Five Ks \| Kirat Karō \| Kirtan \| Langar \| Nām Japō \| Simran \| Three Pillars \| Vaṇḍ Chakkō
Scripture:	Guru Granth Sahib \| Dasam Granth \| Sarab Loh Granth \| Bani \| Chaupai \| Jaap Sahib \| Japji Sahib \| Mool Mantar \| Rehras \| Sukhmani \| Tav-Prasad Savaiye
More:	Ek Onkar \| Gurdwara \| History \| Khalsa \| Khanda \| Literature \| Music \| Names \| Places \| Politics \| Satguru \| Sikhs \| Waheguru

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@@ Line 3: / Line 3: @@
 == Background ==
-Guru Nanak Dev was born at [[Nankana Sahib|Talwandi]], now called [[Nankana Sahib]], a village located near the city of [[Lahore]] in present-day Pakistan.
 Guru Nanak hailed from a village named after him as Nanakana Sahib, located near the modern Pakistani City of Lahore.
-His father was Kalayan Das Mehta also known as [[Kalu Mehta]] and mother was Mata [[Trivedi|Tripat]]. His parents were [[Brahmin]] [[Hindu]]s. The Guru had an older sister called [[Bibi Nanki]], who was the first to recognise Nanak as an [[enlightened]] [[Soul]]. Guru Nanak from an early age seemed to have acquired a questioning and enquiring mind and refused as a child to wear the ritualistic [[Guru Nanak and the Sacred Thread|“sacred” thread]] called a [[Janeu]] and instead said that he would wear the true name of God in his heart for his protection, as the thread which could be broken, be soiled, burnt or lost could not offer any security at all.
+His father, Mehta Kalu, also known as Kalayan Das Mehta was from a tribe called Bedi Khatri, was a village record keeper.His mother was Mata [[Trivedi|Tripat]]. His parents were [[Brahmin]] [[Hindu]]s. The Guru had an older sister called [[Bibi Nanki]], who was the first to recognise Nanak as an [[enlightened]] [[Soul]]. Guru Nanak from an early age seemed to have acquired a questioning and enquiring mind and refused as a child to wear the ritualistic [[Guru Nanak and the Sacred Thread|“sacred” thread]] called a [[Janeu]] and instead said that he would wear the true name of God in his heart for his protection, as the thread which could be broken, be soiled, burnt or lost could not offer any security at all.
 As a householder, Guru Nanak continued to carry out the mission of his life – To lead people to the [[true]] [[path]] of [[God]]; to dispel [[superstition]]; to bring people out of ritualistic practises; to lead them directly to follow [[Gurbani]] – without the need for [[priests]] and [[clergy]]; restrain and guard against the five thieves within – Pride, Anger, Greed, Attachment and Lust.