Most existing translations of the Sikh scripture are defective and transmit distorted messages of what the Sikh Gurus had actually conveyed through the Sri Guru Granth Sahib (SGGS), says a Sikh writer and speaker Karminder Singh Dhillon.
“The term lost in translation would have to would have to be modified to drowned in distortions and destroyed in corruption if we are even to begin to understand the whole scale hijacking of Gurbani messages that resulted from this Fareeedkoti translation,” he argues in the seventh video in the Hijacking of Sikhi series.
This video series takes after the name of the author’s book, The Hijacking of Sikhi, released last year. The 420-page book containing 17 chapters that stitches together the author’s more recent writings, fortified further with argument as to what has gone wrong in transmitting Sikhi for so long now.
In this video, he adds: “The point worth noting is that almost every other translation of the Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji – Punjabi and English – that came after the Fareeedkoti translation has used this distorted and corrupted translation as its primary source of reference, thus making sure that the seed of Gurbani distortion and corruption that the Nirmalas planted within the Fareeedkoti translation would germinate, grow and flourish into a giant creeper through subsequent translations. The creeper of Gurbani distorted understanding would engulf the psyche of Sikhs so completely that it is difficult to imagine being free from it.
“The Singh Sabha reform movement of the 1900s led by Professor Gurmukh Singh alerted the Sikh world towards the defectiveness of the Fareeedkoti translation. The professor argued that the Fareeedkoti translation was a conspiracy that was spawned in Benares to subjugate Gurbani and the Sri Guru Granth Sahib within the fold of the Sanatan belief system. Such a devious agenda was achieved through the presentation of the Gurbani concepts and beliefs as being exactly those advocated in the old Sanatan texts such as the Puranas and Simritis.
“Prof Gurmukh demanded that the Fareeedkoti royal house explain why no Sikh scholars could be found to do the translation. He further demanded that the Sikh institutions declare the Fareeedkoti translation as defective. The Nirmalas joined by Nirmala-inspired outfits – namely the deras, the sants and the babas – were able to convince the Nirmala-infiltrated clergy at the Akal Takht in 1887 to excommunicate Prof Gurmukh Singh in order to silence him forever.”
(Below are some excerpts from The Hijacking of Sikhi related to the issues touched in the video above)
THE EPITOME OF NIRMLA DISTORTION —THE TRANSLATIONS OF THE SGGS.
The nirmlas were not content on distorting the history of the Sikh Gurus and Bhagats. They ventured into providing translations of Gurbani by giving it Vedic and brahmanical interpretations.
Nirmla Kavi Santokh Singh was amongst the first to provide a translation of Guru Nanak’s Jup Banee. His Garab-Ganjnee Teeka set the tone for Sikh clergy to interpret Gurbani as an extension of Vedic, Puranic and brahmanical beliefs. This Teeka was financed by the Maharaja of Kaithalpatee Udey Singh.
It is ironic that Udey Singh would select nirmla Santokh Singh to translate Guru Nanak’s seminal bani after being impressed with Santokh Singh’s two major works — The Balmiki Ramayan and Atum Puran. It is equally ironic that a scholar of Vedic and Puranic Texts names his Teeka of Jup Bani as Garab-Ganjnee. He explains his choice on page 184 as containing an understanding of Jup Banee to the extent that it will “break the ego of anyone who thinks he or she knows the meanings of Jup bani.” It is most ironic that Sikhs have regarded this epitome of ego that is Garab-Ganjnee to be considered authentic and reliable. [Footnote: Kavi Santokh Singh, Garab Ganjnee Teeka, Kavi Santokh Singh Memorial Society, 1986, page 184].
In 1883, a group of nirmlas would come together to provide a translation of the entire Sri Guru Granth Sahib ji. The outcome would be the Fareedkoti Teeka — known after the rulers of Faridkot state who financed the venture. The first copy would be printed in 1906 at Wazir Hind Press Amritsar; which was owned by nirmla Bhai Vir Singh.
[Footnote: The Fareedkot Teeka project began with Maharaja Bikram Singh of Faridkot employing Nirmla Giani Badan Singh of Dera Sekhwan to do the task. It took him six and a half years to complete it the first draft in 1883. This Teeka was reviewed by a committee appointed by Mahant Shamer Singh of Patna. After incorporating the comments of this committee, the first edition of this Teeka was published using funding provided by Maharaja Balvir Singh of Faridkot. It was printed in 1906 by the Wazir Hind Press, Amritsar owned by Nirmla Bhai Vir Singh. The second edition of this Teeka was published by Maharaja Harinder Singh of Faridkot in 1928.]
Though this teeka, the nirmlas succeeded in turning the SGGS into the fifth vedas. For all future attempts in translating the SGGS, the Fareedkoti Teeka would became the standard reference. The result would be that Sikhs would never be able to shed the Vedantic slant towards Gurbani.
Gyani Gurmukh Singh of the Singh Sabha Movement —a reform initiative aimed at cleansing Sikhi of udasi, nirmla and Vedic influences — stood in opposition to the Fareedkoti Teeka. The Movement’s position was that the translation ought to be done by eminent and learned Gursikhs who could provide an authentic (Tatt Gurmat) translation of the SGGS.
Gyani Gurmukh Singh was in turn excommunicated by the Akal Takhat clergy who had — together with a majority of the clergy — been un-moved by the infusion of Vedic stuff into Sikhi.
RELEGATING SHABD GURU TO GRANTH GURU.
The notion of enlightenment of the Shabd as Guru is the core foundation of the uniqueness of Sikh spirituality of Guru Nanak. Guru Nanak made this clear in his seminal bani Sidh Goshat as follows:
Question:
ਤੇਰਾ ਕਵਣੁ ਗੁਰੂ ਜਿਸ ਕਾ ਤੂ ਚੇਲਾ ॥
Tera Kavan Guru Jis Ka Tu Chela. SGGS 942.
Meaning: What Is the Source of Your Enlightenment (Guru) That You Are the Disciple of?
Answer:
ਸਬਦੁ ਗੁਰੂ ਸੁਰਤਿ ਧੁਨਿ ਚੇਲਾ ॥
Shabd Guru Surt Dhun Chela. SGGS 943.
Meaning: The Source of My Enlightenment (Guru) Is the Shabd, My Conscience is the Disciple of the Instruction Within.
The hijackers of Sikhi were aware that so long as the Sikhs accepted the Shabd as their Guru and source of spiritual enlightenment in the real sense, they would not be susceptible to the corruption and distortion that was being ingrained. Given their Benares backgrounds, the nirmlas understood the corrupting nature of idol and object worship. The task before them was thus on how to smuggle this idol worship model into Sikhi. Creating idols of Sikh Gurus would work, but what would work best was if the Shabd itself could be transformed into an object worthy of worship.
The objectification of Shabd Guru thus became the goal. The object of choice that presented itself to the hijackers was the Granth itself. Weaning away the Sikh from Shabd Guru to Granth Guru became the objective. It would result in dissuading the Sikh from enlightenment and pushing him into the abyss of pooja or worshipping of the Granth as an object of piety. This was accomplished through the following incremental manner.
1. Objectifying Pothi Sahib. The nirmlas were aware that planting the concept of the entity of Granth as Guru would have to be rooted in Pothi Sahib. The Pothi Sahib had to be objectified first. This was achieved by the nirmlas who authored the Fareedkoti Teeka. They mistranslated the verse of Guru Arjun pertaining to the Pothi Sahib to plant the seed of objectification.
2. Objectifying the Darshan of the Shabad Guru.
3. Transferring the Responsibility to Guru Gobind Singh.
[The three points above are elaborated in the book at pages 82-88]
The combined effort of the nirmlas in hijacking the concept of Shabd Guru from the Sikhs has paid off in the most destructive of ways for the spirituality of Sikhs of today. The acceptance of Granth Guru at the expense of Shabd Guru has essentially resulted in the relegation of enlightenment as Guru at the expense of a Guru worthy of idol worship. Sikhs have accepted the Granth Guru as the living body of ten Gurus and thus considered it their religious dogma to treat and worship the Granth as a deity. The dera and taksali sants and babas have taken this dogma of worship of the Granth to new lows. Deras offering the Granth three meals a day, dressing it in rumalas in accordance with the weather of the day, and placing bath and shower materials in the Sukhasan rooms of the Granth — are seen by Sikhs as being truly considering the Granth as a living Guru.
Sikhs who invest their spirituality in the Shabd Guru know that the Shabd is a Living Guru. It lives within the Sikh. To live the Shabd is to live its messages, commands and dictates within our daily lives. A Sikh brings the Shabd Guru to life within his daily living. The life of a Sikh is such that he is a living Shabd. This is the divine living that the hijackers of Sikhi have robbed us of in their corruption of our most basic tenets pertaining to the Shabd Guru.
[Footnote: For an excellent and in-depth understanding pertaining to the issue of Shabad Guru and Granth Guru readers are requested to read Chahal, D. S. (2015) Sabd (ਸਬਦ): The Guru of Nanak, Understanding Sikhism Res. J., 17 (1), p ,37. Link: click here]
THE NIRMLA INFLUENCE ON SIKHI TODAY.
The nirmla influence on Sikhi today is deeply rooted, intensive and clearly observable. The nirmlas and their thought systems have especially infiltrated the deras, Taksals, Gurdwaras, Sikh institutions, Sikh clergy, Gurbani understanding and the Sikh psyche. More on this in Chapters Four and Five.
It can thus be argued that the average Sikh individual and institution today is deeply permeated in nirmla thought. Such profound and widespread is the nirmla inculcated Vedic / brahmanical influence on Sikhi that it is difficult to imagine Sikhi being freed from the shackles of this virus.
While efforts to take Sikhi back to its original and unique self (Tatt Gurmat) are being undertaken by groups (such as missionary parcharaks and modern day Singh Sabha movements) who are passionate about ridding Sikhi of the nirmla and udasi influence, there has been a backlash from the Taksali and dera groups under the auspices of the Sant Samaj to promote the nirmla influence with even more vigor and fervor. The next chapter traces the role of this group in the Hijacking of Sikhi.
LINKS TO VIDEOS AND LECTURE NOTES FOR ‘THE HIJACKING OF SIKHI’
Hijacking of Sikhi – Part 1 (The Plot): Video | Notes
Hijacking of Sikhi – Part 2 (Udasis): Video | Notes
Hijacking of Sikhi – Part 3 (Udasis): Video | Notes
Hijacking of Sikhi – Part 4 (Nirmlas): Video | Notes
Hijacking of Sikhi – Part 5 (Nirmlas): Video | Notes
Hijacking of Sikhi – Part 6 (Nirmlas – Sooraj Parkash): Video | Notes
Hijacking of Sikhi – Part 7 (Distorting Gurbani: The Nirmalas): Video | Notes
RELATED STORY:
Hijacking Sikhi (Asia Samachar, 19 Dec 2020)
Sikhi Concepts: Complete links to videos and lecture notes (Asia Samachar, 3 July 2021)
The Hijacking of Sikhi: After releasing book, Dr Karminder starts 12-part video series (Asia Samachar, 18 July 2021)
ASIA SAMACHAR is an online newspaper for Sikhs / Punjabis in Southeast Asia and beyond.Facebook | WhatsApp +6017-335-1399 | Email: editor@asiasamachar.com | Twitter | Instagram | Obituary announcements, click here |
Excellent
Comments are closed.