CHAPTER-3 TYPES OF JANAM SAKHI The Sakhis (stories) in Janam Sakhi Manuscripts were like an artistic instrument to spread and share the teachings of the Gurus more effectively with the help of visuals as these facilitated the understanding of thought and helped the people to relate to the age and the legend. They gained momentum after the establishment of the Khalsa Panth and became extremely popular thereafter. The visual impact of the painted Janam Sakhis was instant in comparison to the written and oral Janam Sakhis. This factor accounts for their immense appeal and status. These stories related to Guru Nanak Dev were put in writing after his demise (1539 C.A.D.) with a motive to immortalize his philosophy and to reach out to people in the world besides the localized masses. These manuscripts were illustrated with fine paintings which embodied the basic Doctrines 1 of Sikhism. These paintings upheld the Sikh aesthetics to reinforce spirit of the Janam Sakhi tradition. The purpose of the Janam Sakhis was to establish the spiritual sovereignty of Guru Nanak Dev but the Janam Sakhis were neither factual nor historically correct. The mythic flavor in these Sakhis never stands as contradict, rather serves as a rhetoric and literary ornamentation. There have been four dominant traditions of Punjabi Sikh literature. Janam Sakhis and Gurbilas have been recognized as the main parts of the first tradition. Under the second tradition the Vedantic literature is included in Gurumukhi script. Scholastic poetry (Riti literature) in Braj language is under the third tradition. The fourth tradition is related to Kissa poetry which to a large extent contains secular subject matter dealing 1 (Conception of God, God is one, God is formless, God is omnipresent and transcendent, God is merciful, God realization through self surrende 2. Nanak conception of Karma. 3. Worship of the true name. 4.Creation of Univerese. 5. Doctrine of love and brotherhood of man. 6. Divine grace. 7. Emphasis on good actions 8. Condemnation of caste and stress on equality. 9. Family life 10. Condemnation of idol worship. 11. Disbelief in sacrifices and rituals. 12. Attainment of supreme bliss, Heaven and Hell 13. Upliftment of women. 14. Sachkhand.), Gupta, Hari Ram, (2008), History of the Sikhs, The Sikh Gurus,1469-1708, Munshiram Manoharlal publishers, New Delhi, Pvt. Ltd., P.71-81. 89
mainly with Muslim theory. The Kissa literature was not part of religious education. 2 Of these four literary traditions, the one which became the most famous in the Sikh faith was the Janam Sakhi genre. The Sikh followers strived hard to propagate Janam Sakhis amongst the people and were also successful. In fact, the Janam Sakhis provided a desirably simple method to guide people to a religious path by sermonizing religious teachings through stories connected with the birth of Guru Nanak, and his magical feats or miraculous deeds. The people were able to comprehend them with ease. The Janam Sakhis have been divided in four main traditions. These are: Puratan, Miharban, Bala or Bhai Bala, Gyan Ratnavali or Mani Singh Janam Sakhi. Of these, the least reliable is Bala Janam Sakhi. 3 The most exquisite and the significant Janam Sakhi is B40, which comes under Puratan tradition. This Janam Sakhi is preserved in India Office Library in London. These different types of Janam Sakhis have evolved from the diversity of the original sources. The reason as to why there are different Janam Sakhi traditions is that their authors (composers) belonged to different groups. They penned in their own way, the important parts of old sources or even the whole of original source. 4 As a result, some traditions of that particular group of the time got added to the later Janam Sakhis. There is another religious script which does not come under Janam Sakhi classification. However, it is as important as Janam Sakhi. This important work is the Var-I by Bhai Gurdas. The sole motive of this Var is the description of the magnanimity of the first six Sikh Gurus. This Var contains some information about each guru. This Var contains quite important information about Guru Nanak, though in a nutshell. This Var is particularly very important because it is the first document closely linked to the time of Guru Nanak. Without reference to this Var, any Janam Sakhi tradition would be 2 Sagar,Sabinderjit Singh.,(1993), Historical Analysis of Nanak Prakash by Bhai Santokh Singh, Guru nanak Dev University, Amritsar, P.13. 3 Mecleod,W.H.,(1968), Guru Nanak And Sikh Religion, Oxford University Press, Delhi, Bombay, Calcutta, Madras, P.13. 4 Mcleod, W.H., (1980), Early Sikh Tradition- A Study of Janamsakhi, Oxford, University Press Oxford,.P.15 90
incomplete. 5 Because like the other Janam Sakhis, we can read Guru Nanak s Goshts, Sakhis (stories) in this version. This is a different matter that it was not composed as Janam Sakhi, but it fulfills the requirements of Janam Sakhi scriptures. So it is apparent that it is equivalent to Janam Sakhi. Without mentioning Bhai Gurdas s Var I, It would be unfair to discuss the types of Janam Sakhis. Bhai Gurdas Var I: Bhai Gurdas has been an important person in early Sikh history. His exact date of birth is not known. However, it is said that he was the nephew of the third guru, Guru Amar Das. It is said that he joined the Sikh community in 1579 C.A.D. (1636 S.) He worked as a missionary for many years in Agra. Thereafter, he was asked to come back to the Punjab by Guru Arjan. He was assigned as his amanuensis at the time of the compilation of Adi Granth. 6 Bhai Gurdas devoted himself completely to the propagation of the Sikh faith. He played an important role as a Sikh preacher during the time of Guru Ram Das, Guru Arjan Dev and Guru Hargobind Singh. 7 Bhai Gurdas was a great scholar of Persian and Sanskrit languages. He used to write beautiful poetry. Vars are the best of his creation. Guru Arjan wanted to include some of his (Bhai Gurdas ) poetry in Adi Granth. However, due to his (Bhai Gurdas ) modesty, he refused to accept this honour, Guru Arjan then blessed him saying that his work would be the main factor in the understanding of Sikh scriptures. Bhai Gurdas was a Bhalla Khatri, who was a relative of the third guru. He had converted to Sikhism in 1519 C.A.D. under the tutelage of the fourth Guru Ram Das. 8 5 Mecleod,W.H.,(1968), Guru Nanak And Sikh Religion, Oxford University Press, Delhi, Bombay, Calcutta, Madras, P.14. 6 Mecleod,W.H.,(1968), Guru Nanak And Sikh Religion, Oxford University Press, Delhi, Bombay, Calcutta, Madras, P.14. 7 Singh,Kirpal., ed by Kapur,Prithipal singh.,(2004), Janamsakhi Tradition, An Analytical Study, Published by Singh Brothers, Amritsar, P.33. 8 Singh, Gopal., (1979), A History of Sikh People (1469-1988), World Sikh University Press, New Delhi, P.209. 91
Bhai Gurdas was closely associated with the house of Guru Nanak as he knew so many traditions related to Guru Nanak. During his time, it is said that there were so many Sikhs who had met Guru Nanak, and Baba Budda was one of them. Bhai Gurdas and Baba Budda were closely associated with each other. Baba Budda had also met Guru Nanak, therefore he knew so many incidents of his life. So whatever Bhai Gurdas wrote about Guru Nanak that all was according to the information provided by Baba Budda and famous legends and traditions. Therefore Bhai Gurdas Var 1 was the first writing related to Guru Nanak s biography. If the writings of Bhai Gurdas are not considered contemporary then it would be at least considered a partially contemporary because it was written after the demise of Guru Nanak. The first Var of Bhai Gurdas established a written proof of Guru Nanak s traditions. Although this Var is not counted as a historical document one yet there are so many important historical aspects, from which one can take help to write Guru Nanak s biography. 9 The writings of Bhai Gurdas might not have been the part of any important scripture, but Bhai Gurdas Var I is a landmark writing for the Sikh community. It is clear from the above paragraph that it is historically an authentic proof that Bhai Gurdas has observed traditions of Guru Nanak being followed during Guru Nanak s times and even afterwards. Therefore it is not important that the scripture, Bhai Gurdas Var 1 was not considered as Janam Sakhi rather it is placed above all the Janam Sakhis because the basic of Sakhis or Goshts were collected by Bhai Gurdas in this book. So the difference is that it is not called Janam Sakhi, but Var by Bhai Gurdas. This Var also remained a source for other Janam Sakhis. It provided exact information about Guru Nanak s life span, his miracles, udasis. So this Var is an important part of this chapter while discussing the different types of Janam Sakhis. This Var is considered to be authentic due to many other reasons too. No doubt this Var contains very little information about Guru Nanak, but it presents the itinerary of Guru Nanak in a coherent manner. Apart from this, the Var contains some incredible 9 Singh,Kirpal.,(1969), Janamsakhi Parmpara, Itihasik Drishtikon ton, Punjabi University, Patiala, P.x,xi,xii. 92
events connected with Guru Nanak. Later on, such events embellished the Janam Sakhis with a detailed description. 10 3.1 Puratan Janam Sakhi : In the first half of the 17 th C.A.D., we got sensitize of another Janam Sakhi. Dr. Vir Singh got published this Janam Sakhi under the name of Puratan Janam Sakhi. Under this Puratan Janam Sakhi tradition, two main manuscripts were discovered. These were Colebrooke manuscript and Hafizabad manuscript. Henry Thomas Colebrooke was a scholar of Sanskrit. He was also a member of East India Council in England. He took the manuscript of Puratan Janam Sakhi with him from Punjab to England. 11 After this, in 1872 C.A.D., during examining the Gurumukhi language, Dr. Trumpp focused his attention on this manuscript. This Janam Sakhi is also known as Vilait-Wali Janam Sakhi or the Janam Sakhi from overseas. Dr. Trumpp got published his work related to this Janam Sakhi in 1877 C.A.D. and this Janam Sakhi drew attention of other Sikh scholars of the Punjab. In 1883 C.A.D., the Sikhs of Amritsar sent a petition to Sir Charles Aitcheson, the lieutenant general of Punjab, to bring this Janam Sakhi to the Punjab for inspection. Soon, the manuscript reached Punjab. Thereafter, in deference to the wishes of some learned Sikhs, Sir Charles, at government expense, got the photographs and prints of this manuscript published in 1885 C.A.D., using zincographic process. 12 In that very year when the Colebrooke Janam Sakhi was published, another Janam Sakhi of Puratan tradition was published by Macauliffe. This manuscript was procured by Bhai Gurmukh Singh, a professor in Oriental college Lahore, from Hafizabad. (The town of Hafizabad is in distt. Gujranwala, now in Pakistan.) As this Janam Sakhi was published by Macauliffe, it came to be known as Macauliffe- Wali 10 Gandhi,Surjit Singh(1978), History of the Sikh Gurus: A Comprehensive Study, Guru Das Kapur and Sons (P) Ltd. Delhi, Jullundur, Ghaziabad, P.581. 11 Singh,Kirpal.,(1969), Janamsakhi Parmpara, Itihasik Drishtikon ton, Punjabi University, Patiala, P.xiv. 12 Mecleod,W.H.,(1968), Guru Nanak And Sikh Religion, Oxford University Press, Delhi, Bombay, Calcutta, Madras, P.16. 93
Janam Sakhi. (This Janam Sakhi is not traceable now.) Gurmukh Singh has written in the introduction of its lithographed edition that a few concluding pages were missing in the manuscript. Due to this reason, Macauliffe made use of Colebrooke Janam Sakhi to complete it. 13 Many scholars are of the view that Valait-Wali Janam Sakhi was written by Bhai Sewa Das in 1588 C.A.D. and it is the oldest version. However, its time, date and writer s name have not been found, 14 One can agree with this that it s the oldest version, however, what is not worthy of acceptance is that this Janam Sakhi of Puratan tradition was the original Janam Sakhi. This Janam Sakhi, too, had been written based on many old sources. 15 Many other Janam Sakhis have been discovered under Puratan tradition, along with Colebrooke and Hafizabad Janam Sakhis. Of these, the one which deserves the main position is MSS Punjabi B40, which was placed under the custody of India office library, London, in 1907 C.A.D. This manuscript is significant also because from the point of view of collection and language, it is more rudimentary than Colebrooke and Hafizabad Janam Sakhis. 16 As a matter of fact, this Puratan Janam Sakhi is considered to be more important because in this, the life of Guru Nanak has been presented in a more sensible way, specifically; more so than in Bala Janam Sakhi. The miraculous deeds have been shown with much less exaggeration. Also, it presents a more coherent account of itinerary of Guru Nanak. 17 In the Puratan tradition, too, Guru Nanak is accepted as a special messenger sent by god. The same is proved in the main Sikh literature. 18 94 After the Var of Bhai Gurdas, if any Janam Sakhi is recognized as the authentic source of Guru Nanak s biography, it 13 Singh,Kirpal.,(1969), Janamsakhi Parmpara, Itihasik Drishtikon ton, Punjabi University, Patiala, P.xv., Mecleod,W.H.,(1968), Guru Nanak And Sikh Religion, Oxford University Press, Delhi, Bombay, Calcutta, Madras, P.16. 14 Singh,Kirpal.,(1969), Janamsakhi Parmpara, Itihasik Drishtikon ton, Punjabi University., Patiala, P.xv. 15 Mcleod, W.H., (1980), Early Sikh Tradition- A Study of Janamsakhi, Oxford University Press, Oxford, P.22. 16 Mecleod,W.H.,(1968), Guru Nanak And Sikh Religion, Oxford University Press, Delhi, Bombay, Calcutta, Madras, P.18. 17 Mecleod,W.H.,(2007), Essay in Sikh History, Tradition and Society, Oxford University, New Delhi, P.40. 18 Sagar,Sabinderjit Singh.,(1993), Historical Analysis of Nanak Prakash by Bhai Santokh Singh, Guru nanak Dev University, Amritsar, P.43.
is the Puratan tradition only. Macauliffe sourced much material from this Janam Sakhi for his creation Sikh Religion. Even the book Wahe Guru ji ki Fateh written by Guru Gobind Singh is inspired to a large extent by this Janam Sakhi. In spite of this, many of the events mentioned in it are unreliable. 19 3.2 Miharban Janam Sakhi: Manohar Das Miharban (1581-1640 C.A.D.) was the son of Prithvi Chand, the elder brother of Guru Arjan Dev, and the grandson of Guru Amar Das. He received his education from Guru Arjan Dev. He was a good writer and kirtania (musician of guru s verses). (He was the first to make an attempt at exegesis of hymns of Guru Nanak and explain their religious significance in a dialogue form). 20 Being connected to the guru s family, he was well informed about the traditions regarding Guru Nanak. For this reason, the Miharban Janam Sakhi is very important from the viewpoint of history. 21 But of the four Janam Sakhi traditions, the Miharban Janam Sakhi has been the most neglected because it had earned a bad reputation. The main reason for this was Sodhi Miharban himself, to whom this Janam Sakhi is attributed. This person was connected to Mina sect (scoundrels) of that time. The people of Mina sect had started opposing the Gurus right from the time of Guru Arjan Dev. The people of mina sect were misrepresenting Guru Nanak s traditions with evil intentions. Due to this, Guru Arjan Dev encouraged Bhai Gurdas to write a truthful account. 22 According to one tradition, the Miharban Janam Sakhi had already come into existence before Bhai Gurdas had written his first Var which was written under the name of Goshtan Miharban. In the Janam Sakhi of Bhai Mani Singh, also known by the name of Gyan 19 Gandhi,Surjit Singh(1978), History of the Sikh Gurus: A Comprehensive Study, Guru Das Kapur and Sons (P) Ltd., Delhi, Jullundur, Ghaziabad, P.580. 20 Singh,Kirpal., ed by Kapur,Prithipal singh.,(2004), Janamsakhi Tradition, An Analytical Study, Published by Singh Brothers, Amritsar, P.35. 21 Singh,Kirpal.,(1969), Janamsakhi Parmpara, Itihasik Drishtikon ton, Punjabi University, Patiala, P.xii. 22 Mecleod,W.H.,(1968), Guru Nanak And Sikh Religion, Oxford University Press, Delhi, Bombay, Calcutta, Madras, P.18,19.. 95
Ratnavali, it is clearly mentioned that Goshtan Miharban was in existence before Bhai Gurdas wrote his first Var. 23 Miharban did not christen his writing as Janam Sakhi. In his manuscript, he has used the word goshtis (literary discourses) in place of stories of Guru Nanak. In this manuscript, there are 153 goshtis which mainly contain stories describing Guru Nanak as the reincarnation of King Janak in Kalyug, the childhood of Guru Nanak, his marriage, miracles, enlightenment, service, dip in the river and his proclamation he would neither follow Islam nor Hinduism, but would rather follow a path revealed to him by God. He also mentioned his Udasis and the discovery of Kartarpur. 24 In this Janam Sakhi, the teachings and spirituality of Guru Nanak have not been depicted as a story (Sakhi) but as lengthy discourse of hymns. That is why the same have been called goshti or discourse rather than Sakhis. 25 Therefore, it has been given the name of Goshtan Miharban instead of Miharban Janam Sakhi. This very peculiarity makes it different from other traditions of Janam Sakhis. 26 Generally the word Janam Sakhi has originated from the writings of Puratan Janam Sakhi. It is very clear that Miharban had less concern with the term Sakhi. Actually the term Sakhi means story. So Miharban s main preference was to present the Goshts or discourses of Guru Nanak. So the scripture which attributed to Miharban was regarded as Pothi. In the term Pothi, there are many types of Pothis in which the scriptures are divided in to different numbers. This so-called Janam Sakhi has been divided into six parts. The first three parts have been named Pothi Sach Khand, Pothi Harji and Pothi Chaturbhuj respectively. The later three parts are named as Keso Rai Pothi, Abhai Pad Pothi and Prem Pad Pothi respectively. Its first part or volume Poth Sach Khand is attributed wholly to Miharban 23 Singh,Kirpal.,(1969), Janamsakhi Parmpara, Itihasik Drishtikon ton, Punjabi University, Patiala, P.xii. 24 Hans,Surjit.,(1988), A reconstruction of Sikh History From Sikh Literature, ABC Publication, Modern Market, Jalandhar, P.199. 25 Mecleod,W.H.,(2007), Essay in Sikh History, Tradition and Society, Oxford University, New Delhi, P.41 26 Mecleod,W.H.,(1968), Guru Nanak And Sikh Religion, Oxford University Press, Delhi, Bombay, Calcutta, Madras, P.19.20 96
but other parts describe the discourses of Guru Nanak. Its script is Gurumukhi but the language, basically, is Braj but which is also a mixture of words of eastern, western, Punjabi and Multani languages. The last mentioned three Pothis are not available now. 27 One thing which is different in this Janam Sakhi, in comparison to other Janam Sakhis, Guru Nanak is elevated to the pedestal of gurudom only after he had attained enlightenment. However, in other Janam Sakhi traditions, Guru Nanak was reincarnation of god from his very birth. 28 Prithi Mal, the father of Miharban declared himself to be the fifth guru. However, after the martyrdom of Guru Arjan Dev, he announced that he was the sixth guru. Later on, he declared Harji, the son of Miharban as the eighth guru. Gradually, with the passage of time, the effect of this fake guru ship on the people waned and then came to an end. 29 As a matter of fact, Miharban displayed his cunningness and tried to mislead people that like Guru Nanak, he too was a guru. 30 Until the 17 th C.A.D., the mina sect opposed the orthodox guru stream and when Guru Gobind Singh established khalsa Panth in 1699 C.A.D., it was announced that mina sect should be completely avoided by Khalsa Sikhs. As Miharban was supportive of the Mina sect, the Miharban Janam Sakhi was regarded as heretical. 31 Miharban had actually prepared Janam Sakhi for his own motive as he wanted to be regarded as Guru, because he was badly obsessed to present himself as a Guru. But the fact is that he got bad reputation due to his selfishness. His deeds were not positive and that is why Guru Gobind Singh denoted belonging to a spoiled group of society, so people could not be influenced by him to follow wrong path of religion. Though he was responsible for creating a new Janam Sakhi but his purpose was not 27 Mecleod,W.H.,(1968), Guru Nanak And Sikh Religion, Oxford University Press, Delhi, Bombay, Calcutta, Madras, P.19.20. 28 Hans,Surjit.,(1980), Historical Analysis of Sikh Literature;1500-1850 (Ph.D Thesis), Guru nanak Dev University, Amritsar, P.308,309. 29 Gandhi,Surjit Singh(1978), History of the Sikh Gurus: A Comprehensive Study, Guru Das Kapur and Sons (P) Ltd., Delhi, Jullundur, Ghaziabad, P.575,576. 30 Hans,Surjit.,(1988), A reconstruction of Sikh History From Sikh Literature, ABC Publication, Modern Market, Jalandhar, P.203. 31 Mecleod,W.H.,(2007), Essay in Sikh History, Tradition and Society, Oxford University, New Delhi, P.41. 97
pious and he was not at all involved in spreading the authentic teachings of Guru Nanak. This was the reason that his Janam Sakhi was ignored by the society. It is true that many things in Miharban Janam Sakhi are offensive. For example, Miharban s claim that he had the same status as that of Guru Nanak, that Guru Nanak was a reincarnation of Raja Janak, and that Guru Nanak undertook his journey so that he could find a guru. However, due to the above reasons, the Miharban Janam Sakhi cannot be ignored completely because it has some good aspects too. For example, the chronology of itinerary of Guru Nanak has been dealt with in a more satisfactory manner. The stories of miracles have not been highly exaggerated and have been dealt with in a subdued manner. 32 Also, the magnanimity of the first five gurus has been greatly applauded. 33 3.3 The Bala Janam Sakhi : It is said about Bhai Bala that he was Sandhu by his caste and he was the companion of Guru Nanak since his the childhood. But no any other Janam Sakhi considers this is to be true. Bhai Gurdas mentioned Mardana as the companion of Guru Nanak in his First Var but Bala exists nowhere. In eleventh Var of Bhai Gurdas he mentioned the famous Sikhs of the time of first six Gurus. And among the Sikhs of Guru Nanak there is no one by the name of Bhai Bala. Bhai Bala also does not exist In Walaiat Wali Janam Sakhi and Miharban Janam Sakhi. So we cannot find out about the existence of Bhai Bala in any older source. 34 As a matter of fact, the origin of Bala Janam Sakhi is shrouded in mystery. Bala claims that he was a life-long companion of Guru Nanak and talks of being three years younger than him. He also claims that he dictated the Janam Sakhi during the time of Guru Angad (1537-1552 C.A.D.), the second Sikh guru. He also claims that the Janam Sakhi was written in 1534 C.A.D., when Guru Nanak was still alive. However, no other 32 Gandhi,Surjit Singh(1978), History of the Sikh Gurus: A Comprehensive Study, Guru Das Kapur and Sons (P) Ltd., Delhi, Jullundur, Ghaziabad, P.276,277. 33 Hans,Surjit.,(1988), A reconstruction of Sikh History From Sikh Literature,, ABC Publication, Modern Market., Jalandhar P.203. 34,Kirpal.,(1969), Janamsakhi Parmpara, Itihasik Drishtikon ton, Punjabi University, Patiala, P.xvii. 98
Janam Sakhi recognizes the existence of Bhai Bala, leaving aside mention of the above events. Therefore, the very existence of Bhai Bala seems to be doubtful. 35 This Janam Sakhi has been written in such a manner that any reader would presume that Bhai Bala was really a character close to Guru Nanak. Even though the Bala Janam Sakhi does not speak about the good will of Guru Nanak but still it earned good reputation. Therefore, it is surprising that in spite of these shortcomings it was able to command considerable influence over the society till the 19 th C.A.D. Its influence on the people, however, waned after the discovery of Puratan Janam Sakhi. 36 Bala Janam Sakhi has been known for presenting the sequence of travels of Guru Nanak in a haphazard way, and also describing his miraculous deeds in a highly exaggerated manner. In spite of all this, its success has been unchallenged in Punjab 37 In fact, regarding the origin of Bala Janam Sakhi, it is still questionable whether Bhai Bala himself was its author or was there someone else? There are two kinds of theories on the subject. According to one, the original Jaman Sakhi was composed by a heretical sect called Hindali in the first half of the 17 th C.A.D. The second theory is that the original early version was interpolated by the Hindali sect. This Hindali sect or Niranjanis was the contemporary of Guru Hargobind (1595-1644 C.A.D.) and (Baba Hindal) was an opponent of the main guru community. 38 Hindals are recognized to be the author of this Janam Sakhi also because they wanted to distort the image of Guru Nanak. The reason for this was that Baba Hindal 35 Kirpal, Singh (Dr.)., (1970), A study of a Manuscript Janamsakhi In the Old India Office Library, Papers On Guru Nanak, Punjab History conference Proceedings, (ed by Singh, Fauja and Arora A.C), Punjabi University. Patiala, P.90 36 Mecleod,W.H.,(1968), Guru Nanak And Sikh Religion, Oxford University Press. Delhi, Bombay, Calcutta, Madras, P.21. 37 Mecleod,W.H.,(2007), Essay in Sikh History, Tradition and Society, Oxford University, New Delhi, P.39. 38 Mecleod,W.H.,(1968), Guru Nanak And Sikh Religion, Oxford University Press, Delhi, Bombay, Calcutta, Madras, P.23. 99
considered himself to be much superior to Guru Nanak. 39 The elements or stories interpolated in this Janam Sakhi are such that they make the personality of Guru Nanak questionable. If Bala was such a close companion of Guru Nanak, then how could he write uncomplimentary things about Guru Nanak? For example: (1) Kalu who was the father of Guru Nanak has been made out to be not only nasty, but also avaricious, in his manners. (2) Also, it is mentioned that Mardana was ruining the character of Guru Nanak. (3) Guru Nanak did not have good relations with his wife. Moreover, the fatherin-law and mother-in-law of the Guru were resentful that they had such a son-in-law. (4) Mardana was always hungry, etc. 40 The image of Guru Nanak was spoiled by stories such as given above and not describing anything good about him. In this Janam Sakhi, his phrase that he was neither a Hindu nor a Muslim has not been properly explained, because his spirituality has been shown in low profile and his doctrinal merit has been shown to be completely negative. In a way, the genre of this Janam Sakhi depicts a distorted version of Guru Nanak and his religion. In fact, this famous Janam Sakhi has not benefited the people in the way of religion nor in historically. It will not be of any benefit in future as well. 41 Some Sakhis have gone to the extent of saying that Guru Nanak had committed misdeeds in his previous incarnations and had to undergo many birth/death cycles to get rid of the bad effects of those misdeeds. This view is completely contrary to Sikh ideas. The orthodox Sikhs, on the other hand, believed that Guru Nanak was sent by god to free the people of this world from birth/death cycle and also to educate them. If this Janam Sakhi was dictated by Bhai Bala in the presence of Guru Angad, it is unlikely that, being the followers of Guru Nanak, they would be so disrespectful to him. Looking at the above logic one can say with certainty that it is unlikely that this Janam Sakhi 39 Kirpal, Singh (Dr.)., (1970), A study of a Manuscript Janamsakhi In the Old India Office Library, Papers On Guru Nanak, Punjab History conference Proceedings, (ed by Singh, Fauja and Arora A.C), Punjabi University. Patiala, P.90. 40 Singh,Kirpal.,(1969), Janamsakhi Parmpara, Itihasik Drishtikon ton, Punjabi University. Patiala, P.227,232, 288,317,328. 41 Singh,Kirpal.,(1969), Janamsakhi Parmpara, Itihasik Drishtikon ton, Punjabi University. Patiala, P.227,232, 288,317,328. 100
could have been authored by Bhai Bala. This Janam Sakhi is not useful for the Sikh faith as, Hindals had promoted false legends. 42 Whether Bhai Bala was a fictional character or a real Sikh close to Guru Nanak is out sure, but the fact remains that this Janam Sakhi reveals some early traditions of Guru Nanak. This tradition may have been largely distorted but still the information provided by it about Guru Nanak is their valuable contribution. Some traditions seem to have been written from social points of view. For example, the mutual love and affection of Guru Nanak for his elder sister is found in only this Janam Sakhi and not in any other. 43 It is transpired that all Janam Sakhis were approximately written after the demise of Guru Nanak. So there is no authentic proof to prove the teachings or miraculous exploits of Guru Nanak exactly. In every type of Janam Sakhi, the stories of Guru Nanak are interpreted by the previous sources, so the source is always doubtful and lacking in authenticity, but the important fact is that, as compared to Bala Janam Sakhi, other Janam Sakhis have tried to present the teachings of Guru Nanak positively. 3.4 Gyan Ratnavali or Bhai Mani Singh Janam Sakhi : This Janam Sakhi has been considered to be more significant in comparison to other traditions. But in spite of the fact that it had much merit, it remained somewhat ignored, but not as much as the Miharban Janam Sakhi. It even earned a respectful place for itself. The reason for its somewhat low popularity could be that this Janam Sakhi was written at a time when the Punjab was going through a period of political disturbance. Due to a good deal of Hindali influence, the Bala Janam Sakhi continued to remain popular until the first half of the 18 th C.A.D. 44 101 But nobody recognized the consequences of the wrong path of teachings of Bala version. At last, it spoiled the vision of Sikh people about the Sikh establishment and even the respect for Guru 42 Hans,Surjit.,(1988), A reconstruction of Sikh History From Sikh Literature, ABC Publication, Modern Market, Jalandhar, P.272,275 43 Singh,Kirpal.,(1969), Janamsakhi Parmpara, Itihasik Drishtikon ton, Punjabi University, Patiala, P.xxii. 44 Mecleod,W.H.,(1968), Guru Nanak And Sikh Religion, Oxford University Press, Delhi, Bombay, Calcutta, Madras,P.24.
Nanak. Of course, the dignity or status and authenticity of main Janam Sakhi were higher than Bala version, but it took time to make the people aware about the Gyan Ratanavali Janam Sakhi. Some leading orthodox Sikhs of that time felt that the masses of the Punjab, at the time, needed an authentic version of Janam Sakhi. For this, they approached Bhai Mani Singh who was the leading light amongst the Sikhs during the time of Guru Gobind Singh. He conveyed to those Sikhs, his inability to undertake such a task, and guided them towards to the Var of Bhai Gurdas. It was countered by those Sikhs that the Var provided only a small amount of information about Guru Nanak. They tried to convince him by saying that the Minas in their Janam Sakhi had lowered Guru Nanak s respect by giving an exaggerated account of events in a way that suited them (Minas). As a result of all this, the member of followers of Sikh faith dwindled. 45 Therefore Guru Gobind Singh took responsibility to make the faith of people in Sikhism strong. So that importance of true teaching could be understood by the people. It was the time when Khalsa Panth was about to be established. So for the sake of this unity, it was essential to strengthen the belief of Sikhism in the hearts of people. Gradually Mani Singh understood the real status of current religious period and began to do efforts for the most required religious scripture or Janam Sakhi. Bhai Mani Singh agreed with those Sikhs and authored a new Janam Sakhi. For this work, he sourced material from Var-I of Bhai Gurdas and the Janam Sakhi of Bhai Bala. Material from Asa di Var, Guru Nanak s Japji and his Siddha Gosht were also liberally used. 46 It has been put on record in the epilogue of this Janam Sakhi that after writing of this Janam Sakhi, it was shown to Guru Gobind Singh who appended his signatures as a mark of his approval. He proclaimed it as an important scripture for gaining knowledge about Sikh faith. This Janam Sakhi shows the glimpses of the recognized traditions of Guru Nanak after the establishment of the Khalsa by Guru 45 Mecleod,W.H.,(1968), Guru Nanak And Sikh Religion, Oxford University Press, Delhi, Bombay, Calcutta, Madras, P.24. 46 Mcleod, W.H., (1980), Early Sikh Tradition- A Study of Janamsakhi, Oxford University Press, Oxford,P.38. 102
Gobind Singh. The influence, form and content of the period are clearly seen in this Janam Sakhi. 47 Although popularity of Bala Janam Sakhi influenced the people but consequences of its popularity were bad for Sikh religion. On the other hand Minas who were the corrupted or bad aspect of the society were mainly associated with Miharban. Therefore Mina s main motive was destructive not a constructive one. It was certainly essential for the Sikh community that an authentic and religiously favourable Janam Sakhi should be launched so the bad impact of Bala Janam Sakhi and Miharban Janam Sakhi could be eradicated. In this Janam Sakhi, it has been mentioned about Guru Nanak that he had a great respect for the holy books. He made Pothis in his own house and kept them wrapped in a cloth. When other children called him for play, he replied that he was busy in reading Pothis. This shows that Bhai Mani Singh used at least some material both from Vilayat- Wali Janam Sakhi and Bala Janam Sakhi, because such particulars about Guru Nanak are also mentioned in these Janam Sakhis. However, the author made no mention of the negative aspect of Bala Janam Sakhi or even of Bala himself in the new Janam Sakhi. 48 However, there exists sufficient uncertainty about the authorship of this Janam Sakhi, as it remains hidden if it was scripted by Bhai Mani or someone else had made the efforts. If this Janam Sakhi is studied carefully, it becomes clear that some person amongst the audience of Bhai Mani Singh was the real author of the Janam Sakhi. That person was greatly impressed by the work of Bhai Mani Singh. It appears that when Bhai Mani Singh recited the Var-I of Bhai Gurdas to his audience, one of his special disciples in the audience was greatly impressed. He added to this the matter from other famous Sakhis and created a new Janam Sakhi. 49 The language of the Janam Sakhi and its relation with Bala Janam Sakhi indicates that it was written in the late 18 th C.A.D. or 47 Singh,Kirpal.,(1969), Janamsakhi Parmpara, Itihasik Drishtikon ton, Punjabi University, Patiala, P.xxv. 48 Singh,Kirpal., ed by Kapur,Prithipal singh.,(2004), Janamsakhi Tradition, An Analytical Study, Published by Singh Brothers, Amritsar, P.45. 49 Singh,Kirpal.,(1969), Janamsakhi Parmpara, Itihasik Drishtikon ton, Punjabi University, Patiala, P.xxiv. 103
the early 19 th C.A.D. Some Sakhis may also have been added later on. The value of this Janam Sakhi can be gauged mainly from its content and matter. This is so because this version is more satisfactory as compared to Bala Janam Sakhi. Also, the mistakes are very few. 50 In addition, the teachings of Guru Nanak have been shown in a more positive manner. There is a mention of ending differences between Hindus and Muslims and belief in one god. Even the Muslim faith has been regarded as a mainstream sect of the Sikh Rule. 51 One reason of authenticity of this Janam Sakhi was that Bhai Mani Singh had based his Janam Sakhi mainly on the Var-I of Bhai Gurdas. Bhai Mani Singh made this version distinct and unique by using a style of his own which was different from others. Bhai Mani Singh has not mentioned any Puranic stories in his Janam Sakhi. 52 For this reason, this Janam Sakhi proved to be highly influential and made a great impact on the Sikhs of that time. In spite of the effort and authenticity of this Janam Sakhi, it did not prove to be so useful in the construction of the biography of Guru Nanak. After studying all the Janam Sakhis, it can be conjectured that every Janam Sakhi was written in a different environment or under different religious impact. These were written during different periods and each had a different point of view. Vilayat- Wali Janam Sakhi was written in a terse or compact style in a Muslim environment. Miharban Janam Sakhi had an analytical style. Bala Janam Sakhi adopted a style typical of a socio-psychological approach due to which it was liked more by common Sikhs. Mani Singh Janam Sakhi is based on a classical Vedantic pattern and with this view put forth the objective of each anecdote. For this reason, it could not become popular with the masses. The Janam Sakhi of Bhai Mani Singh was published only once in 1892 C.A.D. It has never been published again. Due to the fact that all the Janam Sakhis were 50 Mecleod,W.H.,(1968), Guru Nanak And Sikh Religion, Oxford University Press, Delhi, Bombay, Calcutta, Madras, P.27. 51 Hans,Surjit.,(1988), A reconstruction of Sikh History From Sikh Literature, ABC Publication, Modern Market, Jalandhar, P.208. 52 Gandhi,Surjit Singh(1978), History of the Sikh Gurus: A Comprehensive Study, Guru Das Kapur and Sons (P), Delhi, Jullundur, Ghaziabad, Ltd. P.578,579. 104
written with different connotations, there is a lot of difference in their analysis. For this reason, it became difficult to find the true life sketch of Guru Nanak. 53 53 Singh,Kirpal.,(1969), Janamsakhi Parmpara, Itihasik Drishtikon ton, Punjabi University, Patiala,P.xxv. 105