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Above: Detail from Kanwar Singh's painting of Guru Gobind Singh on the First Vaisakhi Day [Courtesy: ArtofPunjab.com]. Below: Detail from artist Kirpal Singh's rendition of Bhai Nand Lal ji.

Poetry

Bhai Nand Lal Goya's Songs of Guru Gobind Singh

by HARINDER SINGH

 

 

 

How does one capture the life and legacy of Guru Gobind Singh, the "Sovereign of Sovereigns"? How do I even attempt to praise the jumlā faiz-e-nūr - the “Splendor of Immortal Compassion” - who inaugurated the Guru Khalsa Panth and asked it to submit to the Guru Granth Sahib.

I am not capable of describing him as magnificently as Bhai Vir Singh dreamt him, Prof. Puran Singh captured his spirit, Bhai Randhir Singh visualized him, Jathedar Jarnail Singh was inspired by him, or Bibi Balbir Kaur invoked him.

But I do know that Guru Gobind Singh's life cannot be grasped through a study of chronological historical events, popular philosophical insights, standards of art or aesthetics, or contemporary psychology. It would be a grave mistake to do so for the directions his life took are beyond intellectual and mystical comprehension.

The work of Bhai Nand Lal ‘Goya’ dances constantly around the joy of seeing the Sovereign at certain levels of mind and heart. By developing the capacity to see His journey in his very being, Nand Lal was able to finally see Him. 

It is love-born: “The road to love is too long to go on foot / Turn head into feet to walk on the road to your lover.”

Nand Lal's words transcend time and space to touch His splendor; they describe the aesthetic beauty of the Guru in its multiple dimensions of perfection; they capture the One Force reverberating through the Guru’s existence. These words are not borne simply of a poet’s knowledge, but from the grace of the Guru working through the poet's thoughts and feelings.

Nand Lal went to Anandpur - the City of Joy - to meet the Sovereign: “One glance from the Guru was enough. The bee went deep and slept in the rare fragrance of the white lotus. Bhai Nand Lal never left the presence after.”

The Sovereign opened his ambrosial lips and declared: “Delighted Nand Lal, now you have the power to endure and are Goya (the one who expresses) to have dialogue.”

Nand Lal presents to us the divine vibrations in his Zindaginama, Joti Bigaas, and Ganjnama originally all written in Persian. He helps us develop a common fervor of various spiritual dimensions through his words - words which are worship itself as they become bani (revealed infinite wisdom), and Sikhs for generations have revered them as such.

These are the underpinings of the vision: the Sovereign’s bani, the Khalsa (the archetype), Guru Granth Sahib (scriptural canon), journeys of martyrdom (multi-generational, torture, and imprisonments), worldly engagements and divine intensity.

Here are a few readings and reflections from Nand Lal's renderings which salute the Sovereign.

To begin with - here's how he presents the Sikh doctrine of “all Gurus are Nanaks”:

Nanak is same as Angad,
Gracious and famous Amardas is same.
Same is Ramdas as is Arjan,
Supreme and kind Hargobind is same.
Same is Har Rai the creator Guru,
to whom everyone’s reality is evident.
Same is the elevated Harkishan,
Who fulfills everyone’s wishes.
Same is Guru Tegh Bahadar,
His radiance blessed Gobind Singh.
Guru Gobind Singh is same as Guru Nanak,
His words are like pearls and diamonds.

In Ganj Nama, I am awed by the emphasis on each Guru as possessing the grand beauty of all the Ten. The fifth Nanak illuminates the first four torches with the Light of Truth. Guru Hargobind's elegance adds to the pleasing beauty of the five torches ... And so on, until we see the first Nine Gurus through the eyes of the Tenth.

Thus, while doctrinally the Ten Gurus reveal themselves as the same Guru Nanak, poetically, the Ten unfold themselves as the ten images of the Tenth Guru.

Guru Gobind Singh is beyond the Aryan and Semitic prophets. Guru Nanak came to shower the divine blessings amidst mystical silence when the religions of the time had become preoccupied with superstition and magic, cult and personality, monopoly and exclusivity. And it was in this historical moment that Guru Gobind Singh, flowing with the Creator’s Voice, completes the formulation of the alternative lifestyle of the Khalsa.

Nand Lal presents him thus:

All godly-persons, all prophets,
All sufis and all prohibitionists,
Bow heads in humility at his portal,
Lie with their heads on his feet …
What are Arjun, Bhim, Rustam or Shyam?
What are Asfand Yaar or Ram and Lakhshman?
There are thousands of Shivas and Ganeshas,
Paying obeisance at his feet in humility.

Guru Granth Sahib is inseparable from the life-work of Guru Gobind Singh. Both Ganj Nama and Joti Bigaas pre-date the Guruship of the Adi Granth. Consequently, Nand Lal does not refer to gurbani using the “Guru” title, but still considers it to be superior to other religious texts and revelations. He describes it as integral to understanding the Sovereign:

“Purer than the purest sacred words.
Beyond the four Vedas and six Philosophies.”

In other words, he shows the grandeur of gurbani in the Sovereign’s consciousness which pervades the whole humanity: “His words are aromatic for the Arabs and the Iranians. The West and the East sparkle from his Light.”

Before Guru Gobind departed this Earth, Gurbani was established as the perpetual Guru for the Sikhs in 1708. No scriptural tradition has been elevated to the same level of perfection; it includes the vision of the One common to all ecumenical traditions. 

Qaum-i-Mardan-i-Khuda was established as the Khalsa, where Guru Gobind Singh’s moral and ethical beauty is revealed:

Their realm is the Nation of the humble ones,
And both the domains are their adherents.
Nation of the submissive-ones, and the children of God,
All is perishable except God who is stable forever.

In Zindagi Nama (couplets 86-118), the imagery of the Khalsa portrays the Ideal Person who transcends this world, like Nietzsche’s Superman. The Khalsa is touched by the elegance  of morality and ethics, education and spiritual experience - all colored by “Garments of Divinity” (libaas-e-bandagī) and are connected with “Assets of Life” (daulat-e-jāvīd).

“Every one of them is a pious person / Beautiful, kind-hearted and of amiable-nature. Do not relish anything except the Remembrance / No codes of conduct except the Divine Words.”

The Khalsa are guided by the Sovereign: 

Guru Gobind Singh is clean-hearted and above malice.
Guru Gobind Singh is the truth and the mirror of truthfulness.
Guru Gobind Singh is the Truth’s true existence.
Guru Gobind Singh is the dervish and the sovereign.

The Rehat Nama and the Tankhah Nama - both written in Punjabi - guide the Sikhs how to live.

“The body of the Guru’s Sikh becomes auspicious when it is primarily and diligently engaged in the service of the Perfection.”

And how to deal with tyranny and oppression:

“One who becomes subservient to the tyrant and surrenders the sword, dies endlessly.”

When a lifestyle lived with an attitude of fearless service becomes the norm, “the Khalsa will rule, there will be no non-believers. After utter frustration, all will unite and the ones in Divine refuge will survive.”

This remains the promise of the Sovereign.

Poets will continue to write about the Tenth, as will historians. None, however, compare with Bhai Nand Lal Goya.

He sings: “Guru Gobind Singh is capable of all pursuits and is the asylum for the downtrodden.”

Today is the Illumination Day (parkash purab) of the Warrior Poet, Just Spiritualist, Revolutionary Prophet, Divine Human, and Perfect Light. And so I ask the ‘Rider of the Blue Steed’:

“O Cup-bearer! Grace me a shot to intoxicate my heart,
To see the Divine for addressing all my challenges.”

 

The author is co-founder of The Sikh Research Institute and the Panjab Digital Library. 

[Edited for sikhchic.com]

January 5, 2012

Conversation about this article

1: Baldev Singh (Bradford, Great Britain), January 05, 2012, 9:21 AM.

The simple truth is that the whole world needs to know this extraordinary Guru. Bhai Nand Lal's introduction of him is indeed breathtaking!

2: Avtar Singh (Delhi, India), January 05, 2012, 9:25 AM.

Very informative article.

3: Kirpal Singh (Daytona Beach, Florida, U.S.A.), January 05, 2012, 1:57 PM.

Magnificient article about Bhai Nand Lal's vision and extraordinary perception of the Tenth Master's impact on humanity.

4: Mahanjot Singh (Mississauga, Ontario, Canada), January 05, 2012, 3:17 PM.

The sacrifices made by our Tenth Master are indeed exemplary and unmatched in the history of the world! Sadly though, not only we as a community have failed to showcase this extraordinary teacher to the outside world but on the other hand are also busy quareling with each other even over his actual date of birth and when we should be celebrating it!

5: Amardeep  (U.S.A.), January 05, 2012, 3:25 PM.

Happy gurpurab to all!

6: Bibek Singh (Jersey City, New Jersey, U.S.A.), January 06, 2012, 9:04 AM.

Muhammed, Christ, Buddha, Mahavir, Confucius and the list goes on ... all appear in 'The 100 Most Influential Persons in History' (1992). It is sad that we are still "keeping secret" the lives of our Gurus from the world. We need more such good articles and books.

7: Harpreet Singh (Delhi, India), January 06, 2012, 2:33 PM.

I would love to have sikhchic.com publish more articles on Bhai Nand Lal ji ... especially of his various poetry compositions and their translations. And the many stories from his extraordinary life. Wish there was a course or workshop where we could learn the language (Persian, etc.) of his beautiful poetry.

8: Gurjender Singh (Maryland, U.S.A.), January 07, 2012, 8:02 AM.

I agree with Bibek Sigh ji's comment (#6). Besides, we even failed to tell the world about Guru Granth Sahib and its teachings. This is the only scripture which embraces respect for people of all faiths and beliefs.

9: Inderjeet Kaur (U.S.A.), January 23, 2012, 7:27 PM.

Yes, why are we not sharing Guru Gobind Singh ji and all of Sikhi with the world? The world badly needs what we have. Why are we not making what we know accessible to anyone who wants it? I am not suggesting that we proselytize; I am suggesting that we be welcoming to all who come to the gurdwara, projecting the proper translations of shabads, and be willing to explain Sikhi in simple terms whenever necessary. I am often taken for a Muslim and I always say, "It's good to be a Muslim, but I'm a Sikh." Very often the other person has questions. We need to be sure we can answer them.

10: Mandip Kaur Sandher (Guelph, Ontario, Canada), February 06, 2012, 8:46 AM.

He sings: "Guru Gobind Singh is capable of all pursuits and is the asylum for the downtrodden." Everyday our Guru "speaks to us" through gurbani but, more importantly, through people and media channels! Right here and right now. Strangers we assume to be of another "clan" are positioned in the perfect place for each of us to converse with if we "choose". Tuning into this realm of living is seeing the Guru in all Creation and the true power of the eternal Sovereign cleverly poking at our hearts for inspired actions. The only thing that will matter in the end is how much we all love each other, i.e., all of humanity, meaning every colour and flavor. This is collective energy or mass consciousness tuned into One heart and mind. When we are empowered by the Guru, then without exception know that each of us has a role to play in bringing the message of our spiritual teacher to the world. The message should be brought through sharing our own story of "personal experiences" by living the teachings to fellow brothers and sisters. When we share, there is no need to prostate about religions that are superior (which are all subtly interwoven, if we care to discover) but simply share the love of the Creator whose "hand steadily paints the picture in the creation with love and sense of comedy everyday." Be empowered to speak to strangers and let the Guru unfold his mystery for each of you. Then please share your story.

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