Father’s Day and Dasam Granth

| Opinion | 12 June 2016 | Asia Samachar |

By Karminder Singh Dhillon

What do the two have in common? Nothing of course. But some people have a way of creating connections where none exist. Hence this commentary.

I am referring to the following Father’s Day message that found its way into my mail box Sunday.

The couplet comes from the Dasam Granth (DG), and appears on page 842.

Nowhere is it stated that it was composed by Guru Gobind Singh Ji. There is no “Salok M: 10” or “Patshahi 10” on this composition which begins on page 838 and ends on 843.

Nowhere in the wording of the couplet does it say who is giving this advice to whom. But the translators take it upon themselves to insert the names of “Guru Teg Bahadur Ji as uttering the advice to Gobind Rai (later Guru Gobind Singh Ji)

There is perhaps a reason why an English transliteration of the Punjabi words in original is NOT provided. And this reason can only be that the translator wants leeway in adding stuff that is NOT there in the Punjabi version. And in so doing hope the readers who are unable to read Gurumukhi would not realize the trickery that is added into the English “translation”.

SEE ALSO: Guru Granth and Dasam Granth: A comparison

SEE ALSO: Dasam Granth again

Four words in the first line “Bachan Gur Daye Hamare” are being artistically extrapolated as “my Guru and my father Guru Teg Bahadur Sahib ji advised me that.” The word “father” does not exist in the Punjabi version. And Guru Teg Bahadur Ji’s name is also nowhere to be found. Yet the translator finds it fit to add them all in. What a con!

The same artistic talent is being applied to the word “Putar” in the second verse. This one word is being extrapolated as “My son Gobind Rai.”

The above creative, artistic and extrapolative talent is of course necessary to make three connections that don’t exist.

The first is to falsely connect the couplet to having been composed by Guru Gobind Singh Ji. The second fake connection attempts to sully Guru Teg Bahadur Ji’s image by dragging the ninth Guru into the picture. And the third is to make this couplet into a “virtuous” Father’s Day message.

What a feat!

WERE OUR GURUS OBSESSED WITH WOMEN?

Young Gobind Rai was eight years and a half when his father Guru Teg Bahadur Ji left for Delhi for his impending execution by Aurangzeb.

The purveyors of the above couplet want us to believe that the lines narrate Guru Teg Bahadur’s parting advice to his child. They also want us to believe that the couplet reflects the state of mind of the ninth Guru and his son.

Which father tells his nine year old to “never dream of other women”?

The correct translation of the words “Par Naree Kee Sej Bhool Supney Bhee Na Jioyeo” is “never bed other women, NOT even in your dreams!”

The word SEJ means bed. But it is conveniently left out by the very artistic translators and peddlers of this couplet.

So the question is: Which father tells his NINE year old, YES a NINE year old, to “never BED other women.”?

The writer of the couplet says the “advise” was given “ever since I attained my consciousness.”

So what age are we supposed to assume is the age of “having attained consciousness”? Three years? Two? One? Does any father talk to his child about bedding other women at any of these ages?

For Gobind Rai ji the “age of consciousness” cannot be any more than 8.5 years because that is the age at which Guru Teg Bahadur Ji would leave for Delhi never to see or advise him again.

Were our Gurus so obsessed with the notion of “bedding other” women that the ninth Guru had to make this the subject of his parting advise to his son who was to sit on the spiritual gaddee (throne) of Guru Nanak ?

Of course NOT. Certainly NOT.

BUT THE CHITROPAKHIYAN OF THE DG IS INDEED OBSESSED WITH WOMEN.

The composition titled Chirtro Pakhyan, where this couplet comes from, is indeed obsessed with bedding other woman.

Chitro Pakhyaan means stories of women; and indeed it contains 460 stories of sexual exploits of other women.

The author(s) of Chirtro Pakhyan are thus as obsessed with the issue of bedding other women as one could ever be.

It is hence likely or even natural that in such obsession, the “advise” they give out to their offspring would focus on this matter.

The Chitro Pakhyan occupies two thirds of DG (page 809 till 1,386) and has been declared by the Akaal Takhat Managing SGPC vide its letter no. 36672 dated 3.8.1972, to be ”a composition from Hindu mythology and not by Guru Gobind Singh,” presumably due to the fact that the subject matter of its obsession is nothing but the sexual escapades of debauched women.

THE HEIGHT OF DEPRAVITY THAT IS THE CHRITRO PAKHYAN

That the 400 odd narratives of sexual misconduct of women that fill the 577 pages of the DG are the epitome of depravity goes without saying.

What is worse is the attempt to suggest that these narratives were composed by Guru Gobind Singh Ji and are to be read by Sikhs as “banee” as spiritual guidance.

What is even worse is the notion that young Gohind Rai at a tender age of 8 and half required to be counseled about “NOT bedding other woman in his dreams.”

What is worst of all is the suggestion that Guru Tegh Bahadur Ji would have found it necessary –  just as he was about to give his head for truth, justice and the freedom of religion –  to counsel his child Gobind Rai about the subject of “bedding other women.”

BUT IT FALLS INTO THE AGENDA OF THOSE WHO WANTED TO MALIGN DASAM PITA

For the group of sinister people who set out to malign the Godly character of Guru Gobind Singh Ji by attributing the authorship of Chritro Pakyan to him, the above couplet makes perfect sense.

To them, it makes sense to mischievously imply that “other women” were already on the mind of young Gobind Rai Ji even at a tender age of “attaining consciousness”.  And thus he had to be counseled.

To these sinister folk, it makes sense to dishonestly imply that Guru Tegh Bahadur Ji possessed the same mental make-up and hence had to warn his son about “other woman.”

What DOESN’T MAKE ANY SENSE AT ALL is why an organization named Sri Guru Granth Sahib Academy decides to actively propagate stuff that degrades both Gurus.

HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY AND DG

I got a HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY message based on another DG couplet that was created by this same Sri Guru Granth Sahib Academy. But that will be commentary PART TWO.

In the meantime, readers who wish to know and understand the Godly charisma of Guru Tegh Bahadur ji are advised to read any of the 115 spiritually brilliant shabads and heavenly saloks of the ninth master that are contained within the Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji. Happy Fathers Day.

Karminder Singh Dhillon, PhD (Boston) writes on Gurbani and Gurmat issues in The Sikh Bulletin, USA. He also conducts Gurbani Katha in local Gurdwaras. He is based in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

• This is the personal opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of the Asia Samachar.

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