Did Guru Gobind Singh ji worship a deity?

Mahakaal Kaalka Aradhi

(Did Guru Gobind Singh ji worship a deity?)

Gurbani is brahm-gyaan. Due to a very little understanding of gurbani, some fringe groups justify the meaning of gurbani according to what they have been told or said to propagate to make us lose the trust in gurbani.

Back in 1920s, Bhasaurriye were at the top to spread bogus information among Sikhs. They started from a very small matter and led to the conclusions that Raagmaala is not gurbani, Bhatt bani is not gurbnai, Dasam Bani is not gurbani. So many mouths and so much information. We had some very good scholars at that time to answer their questions. The problem comes when they start asking the same questions again even after getting the answers.

Money is something that makes you do everything. Those who are calling themselves Sikhs but don’t follow gurmat are mischievously changing the minds of young Sikhs.

In the earlier days, young Sikhs used to get their vidya from gianis. These days it’s easy to get misled because of the Internet. Sometimes we question our own beliefs when we can’t find answers, and the reasoning and sometimes the wrong conclusions on the web seem correct to us. Time is hard for us Sikhs.

But it will pass.

We’ve already started the blog where we are discussing the different names of Waheguru in gurbani and updating it regularly. Apart from that, some questions are there on the Internet which have been circling for some time that need a clarification, especially to those young Sikhs who have been targeted and don’t have much knowledge of history and gurbani.

The question is: Did Guru Gobind Singh ji worship a goddess?

Many sects – mainly non-Sikh sects – are using some verses in Dasam Guru Granth Sahib ji to prove that Guru Gobind Singh ji worshipped a goddess. It’s not just they will come to us and tell this directly. No. They have stories readied and sometimes we find it like a labyrinth. Going out is impossible, so we get stuck in the world that they’ve built for us – a world built on lies and deceits.

I remember reading one of the articles on some Sikh-site that goes like this: We were going to Hemkunt Sahib, thinking how Guru Gobind Singh ji would have meditated at this low temperature and was praising Guru Sahib ji throughout the way. At Gobindghat, we stopped to take some break. We were practising gatka and talking when a person came to meet us. He started talking to us and said that Guru Gobind Singh ji worshipped a goddess on Hemkunt. We were shocked. It’s disrespectful. He even said that it’s mentioned in Guru Gobind Singh ji’s writing Bachitar Natak.

ਤਹ ਹਮ ਅਧਿਕ ਤਪੱਸਿਆ ਸਾਧੀ ॥ ਮਹਾਕਾਲ ਕਾਲਿਕਾ ਅਰਾਧੀ ॥੨॥

We started fighting with him. We went to Hemkunt Sahib and returned back to our home later. And we checked in Bachitar Natak what he said to confirm if it’s correct or not. We found the line written there. It’s real what he was saying.

They’ve got the story ready for you. Are you going to believe it?

And the truth is that the line is there, but their interpretation is wrong.

We have a name of Waheguru – Ram. Many Hindus say it’s for Ramchandra ji. That is what got them stuck on the line which allegedly says that Guru ji worshipped a goddess.

The very basic difference between Hindus and Sikhs is that Sikhs don’t worship any deities or goddesses. But we don’t hate those who do. Every religion has its own way of worshipping God or gods.

I remember reading a book named Durga Parbodh by Giani Ditt Singh ji (it’s a very good book if you want to read about if Guru ji worshipped a goddess or Waheguru.) there he mentioned a story like this: Some Englishman said that every person draws a picture of god according to his beliefs. Ask different people to draw a picture of god, and their pictures will be different. We believe that God has two arms/or many and two legs because we have that. We think up to that level and imagine God to be the same like us. If an ox thinks about God, he would think that God is like a black mammal with four legs who eats grass and enjoys sunlight at noon and drinks water and ploughs fields.

I really like this story. This is somewhat same what many people are doing these days. We as humans with no spiritual thinking have a very less understanding of God, we represent Him according to our own thinking.

Many fake scholars have misjudged the verse of Bachitar Natak and come to an anti-gurmat conclusion. The lines which are there after the given line wouldn’t be talked about because it’ll expose them badly.

I don’t blame others but us Sikhs, who don’t read gurbani, but listen/read what bloggers and YouTubers are saying. Sometimes it becomes so hard to know who is telling the truth. These days you will find the people with long beards and turbans but will be talking against gurbani. Few names like Kaala Afghana, Darshu, Dhunda, Jeonwala, etc.

Professor Anurag Singh once said that in the earlier times thieves were captured while they were stealing something. These days they would start shouting ‘Thief, thief!’, when people come out of the houses, those thieves would get inside the house to steal. The gangs of Kaala Afghana and Darshu, they are the real thieves that we should be looking at.

Before we go into more details, let’s have the verses from Bachitar Natak.

ਚੌਪਈ ॥
ਅਬ ਮੈ ਅਪਨੀ ਕਥਾ ਬਖਾਨੋ ॥ ਤਪ ਸਾਧਤ ਜਿਹ ਬਿਧਿ ਮੁਹਿ ਆਨੋ ॥
ਹੇਮਕੁੰਟ ਪਰਬਤ ਹੈ ਜਹਾਂ ॥ ਸਪਤ ਸ੍ਰਿੰਗ ਸੋਭਿਤ ਹੈ ਤਹਾਂ ॥੧॥
ਸਪਤ ਸ੍ਰਿੰਗ ਤਿਹ ਨਾਮੁ ਕਹਾਵਾ ॥ ਪੰਡ ਰਾਜ ਜਹ ਜੋਗੁ ਕਮਾਵਾ ॥
ਤਹ ਹਮ ਅਧਿਕ ਤਪੱਸਿਆ ਸਾਧੀ ॥ ਮਹਾਕਾਲ ਕਾਲਿਕਾ ਅਰਾਧੀ ॥੨॥
ਇਹ ਬਿਧਿ ਕਰਤ ਤਪੱਸਿਆ ਭਯੋ ॥ ਦ੍ਵੈ ਤੇ ਏਕ ਰੂਪ ਹ੍ਵੈ ਗਯੋ ॥
ਤਾਤ ਮਾਤ ਮੁਰ ਅਲਖ ਅਰਾਧਾ ॥ ਬਹੁ ਬਿਧਿ ਜੋਗ ਸਾਧਨਾ ਸਾਧਾ ॥੩॥
ਤਿਨ ਜੋ ਕਰੀ ਅਲਖ ਕੀ ਸੇਵਾ ॥ ਤਾ ਤੇ ਭਏ ਪ੍ਰਸੰਨਿ ਗੁਰਦੇਵਾ ॥
ਤਿਨ ਪ੍ਰਭ ਜਬ ਆਇਸ ਮੁਹਿ ਦੀਆ ॥ ਤਬ ਹਮ ਜਨਮ ਕਲੂ ਮਹਿ ਲੀਆ ॥੪॥
ਚਿਤ ਨ ਭਯੋ ਹਮਰੋ ਆਵਨ ਕਹਿ ॥ ਚੁਭੀ ਰਹੀ ਸ੍ਰੁਤ ਪ੍ਰਭੁ ਚਰਨਨ ਮਹਿ ॥

Chopayi.

Now I will tell my story. How I was called while meditating on Waheguru’s name.

Where the Hemkunt Mountain is. There seven big cliffs are alluring the place. 1

It’s known as Sapat Sring (because of seven cliffs). Where Pandu did Yoga.

There I meditated on God’s name. And worshipped Mahakaal, who is kaal of kaal. 2

By doing this so much time was passed. And two forms became one (means Oneness was achieved by meditating on God’s name.)

Even my parents worshipped that Alakh (Waheguru). And did so much of saadhna. 3

As they worshipped that Alakh. Waheguru was happy on them.

Then Prabh (Waheguru) asked me to go to the earth. I was born in the Kalyug then. 4

My mind was not agreeing to come here. My mind was at the feet of Prabh (Waheguru), remembering Him through meditation.

These are the verses that we are going to discuss. The truth lies in these lines, if someone sees it with open eyes.

Bachitar Natak is an auto-biography of Guru Gobind Singh ji. In the given verses, Guru Gobind Singh ji talks about the time before coming to this world. Some people say that Guru ji talked about coming to this world even when he was already there when he was meditating on the Hemkunt Parbhat. How is that possible? It’s contradictory! And a handful of Sikhs believe that the Hemkunt that Guru ji has written in the writing, it’s not in this world, but in Heaven.

1.      When Guru Sahib ji talks about coming to this world that was in the form of body, and Guru ji himself said that he’s present in this world at the Hemkunt, that’s in the form of spirit we can say.

2.      Those who claim that the Hemkunt is in some other world, not in India, are the ones who have no understanding of gurbani.

Saying these two points, let’s move our focus to the wrong meanings which are spread by few people, and answer those questions.

Question 1: In Bachitar Natak, it’s written that Guru ji worshipped Mahakaal, which is Shiv ji, and Kaalka, which is Parbhati. This can’t be the writing of Guru Gobind Singh ji.

(Some of those who are not Sikhs, use this line to say that Guru Gobind Singh ji worshipped some goddess to prove that Sikh Gurus were Hindu. Stupid logic with zero level of understanding.)

Answer: There is only one word to represent Waheguru (Mahakaal) and the second one (Kaalka) is to tell the meaning of the first word (Mahakaal). Mahakaal – who is Mahakaal? The next word tells us that. Kaalka. It’s made of two words, Kaal + Ka. Means Mahakaal is someone who is kaal of kaal. Waheguru is the One, Who kills death at last after merging everything into Him. At that time there is no one to die, means the end of the death. This is one of the names of Waheguru, an attribute of Waheguru in other words.

Question 2: Aaradhi (ਅਰਾਧੀ) is a feminine word, representing a woman. So the worshipper is worshipping a woman, a goddess.

Answer: This is other question of someone who has no knowledge of gurbani. Let’s understand it with logic.

If a person who gives so many things to the people who are in need will be called daani (ਦਾਨੀ), despite the gender of the giver. We don’t have two words for different genders: daani (ਦਾਨੀ) for a woman, daana (ਦਾਨਾ) for a man. No. We use the same word for both of them.

Even in Guru Granth Sahib ji the word ‘Aaradhi’ is used to say that Waheguru will be worshipped.

ਜੇ ਸੁਖੁ ਦੇਹਿ ਤ ਤੁਝਹਿ ਅਰਾਧੀ ਦੁਖਿ ਭੀ ਤੁਝੈ ਧਿਆਈ ॥੨॥ – ਅੰਗ ੭੫੭

These were the two basic questions that are asked to trick Sikhs to believe that Guru ji worshipped some goddess. Let’s go in more details even if some readers have doubts about it.

Guru Gobind Singh ji uses the line ਦ੍ਵੈ ਤੇ ਏਕ ਰੂਪ ਹ੍ਵੈ ਗਯੋ (two forms become one). Before explaining this line, we need to go through once again the meaning of Mahakaal and Kaalka. First is, there are no two different persons there; second, it’s not used for a woman.

Even if, let’s say for the sake of the argument that people make, that there are three entities: Mahakaal, Kaalka and Guru Sahib ji. Then the line should be ਤ੍ਰੈ ਤੇ ਏਕ ਰੂਪ ਹ੍ਵੈ ਗਯੋ, (three forms become one, means Mahakaal, Kaalka, and Guru Sahib ji), not ਦ੍ਵੈ ਤੇ ਏਕ ਰੂਪ ਹ੍ਵੈ ਗਯੋ (two forms become one: Guru Sahib ji and Mahakaal (Waheguru.))

More on Mahakaal. Mahakaal can never be translated to a goddess. Mahakaal can never be translated to Shiv ji. Those who try to translate it to Parbati or Durga have not read Chandi di Vaar. Although they will use this argument too that Chandi di Vaar was written because Guru Sahib was a follower of a goddess. The problem is that they haven’t even read it properly. Let’s see the following verse from Chandi di Vaar.

ਤੈ ਹੀ ਦੁਰਗਾ ਸਾਜਿ ਕੈ ਦੈਤਾ ਦਾ ਨਾਸੁ ਕਰਾਇਆ ॥

You created Durga to destroy the daintts (demons.)

Durga is not from the beginning. She was created by Waheguru for a particular purpose. If she is not permanent, how could Guru Sahib ji worship her?

Although there are some devotees who worship Durga or Parbati. It’s their beliefs. Anyone can worship or believe anything. But humans are so ignorant sometimes that they try to link the beliefs of others to theirs and justify it with some wrong conclusions.

We know how Parbati was burned in the yajna of her father’s place when her father didn’t ask Shiv ji to come to the puja. And how Parbati spent so much time by eating leaves and did so much of tapasea to please Shiv ji to marry her.

In Sikhism, Shiv ji and Parbati are not above Waheguru, but the ones who sing the praises of Waheguru. In Jap ji sahib, we read it every day.

ਗਾਵਹਿ ਈਸਰੁ ਬਰਮਾ ਦੇਵੀ ਸੋਹਨਿ ਸਦਾ ਸਵਾਰੇ ॥

Shiv ji, Brahma, and Devis, they sing the praise of Waheguru, and Waheguru created them all and they all are adorned at their places.

So, someone is there above Shiv ji and all the Devis? Yes. This is where we are getting at.

All the deities of all the civilizations that ever existed or exist were created by Waheguru/God/Allah/Ram. They are in time, after that they won’t exist anymore. (Sorry, if someone who is not a Sikh is reading this and the article is hurting his/her feelings.)

One of the granths of history is Panth Parkash by Giani Gian Singh. In that, he writes the following lines to debunk the claims of those people who say that Guru Sahib ji was a follower of some Hindu deity because Guru Sahib wrote Chandi Charitar and Chandir di Vaar.

ਗੁਰੂ ਉਚਾਰੀ ਜੇਤਕ ਬਾਨੀ ।
ਨਾਹਿ ਮਨਾਈ ਕਿਤੈ ਭਵਾਨੀ ।
ਮੰਗਲਚਾਰ ਉਚਾਰਯੋ ਜਹਾਂ ।
ਪੁਰਖ ਅਕਾਲ ਧ੍ਯਾਯੋ ਤਹਾਂ ।

Banis that Guru Sahib ji wrote.

Nowhere he worshipped any deity.

Wherever the maglacharan (beginning of a prayer) is written.

Akaal Purakh is worshipped there.

ਚੰਡੀ ਚਰਿਤ੍ਰ ਚੰਡੀ ਵਾਰ ।
ਜੋਊ ਗੁਰੂ ਨੇ ਕਰੀ ਉਚਾਰ ।
ਸੋ ਜੈਸੇ ਔਰਨ ਕੇ ਜੰਗ ।
ਵਰਨੈ ਗੁਰੂ ਅਨੇਕੈ ਢੰਗ ।
ਤੈਸੇ ਦੇਵੀ ਕੇ ਜੰਗ ਵਰਨੇ ।
ਸਿੱਖਨ ਮਾਂਹਿ ਬੀਰ ਰਸ ਭਰਨੇ ।

Chadi Charitar and Chadi di Vaar.

That Guru Sahib ji wrote.

Whatever the wars were there.

Guru Sahib ji wrote in different ways.

The same way the war of the devi was written.

To fill Sikhs with bir-ras.

ਦੋਹਿਰਾ
ਦੇਵੀ ਇਸ਼ਟ ਨ ਗੁਰੂ ਕਾ ਬਨਤ ਕਿਸੇ ਪਰਕਾਰ ।
ਪੂਜੀ ਮਾਨੀ ਨਾ ਕਬੀ ਕਿਸੀ ਗੁਰੂ ਨੇ ਢਾਰ ॥੧੧॥
ਗੁਰੁ ਘਰ ਮਾਂਹਿ ਉਪਾਸਨਾ ਇਕ ਅਕਾਲ ਕੀ ਆਹਿ ।
ਮਾਨਤ ਪੂਜਤ ਤਿਸੀ ਕੋ ਹੇ ਦਸੋ ਗੁਰੁ ਚਾਹਿ ॥੧੨॥

Dohra

There is no way that Guru Sahib was a devotee of a goddess.

No Sikh Guru followed the tradition of that.

In Guru Ghar (Sikhism) there is worship of only One.

All the Sikh Gurus believed in Him and worshipped Him only.

Further to that, we have the 266^th charitar from Dasam Guru Granth Sahib ji to have a clear difference between Shiv ji and Mahakaal (Waheguru.)

This Charitar revolves around a princess who goes to a pandit to learn with her brothers. One day, she reaches early to his place and finds him worshipping a ling (a symbolic representation of, as people say, Shiv ji). He is a devotee of Shiv ji. She tries to tell him that worshipping any deities will not give him any liberation and eventually he will be guilty in the Court of God.

He tries to convince her with all the knowledge that he has and calls her an idiot as she is disobeying what is written in the holy books. She gives so many examples to tell him that God doesn’t have any image and can’t be put inside a stone. He doesn’t agree. She further says:

ਕਹੋ ਮਿਸ੍ਰ ਆਗੇ ਕਹਾਂ ਜ੍ਵਾਬ ਦੈਹੋ ॥
ਜਬੈ ਕਾਲ ਕੇ ਜਾਲ ਮੈ ਫਾਂਸਿ ਜੈਹੋ ॥
ਕਹੋ ਕੌਨ ਸੋ ਪਾਠ ਕੈਹੋ ਤਹਾ ਹੀ ॥
ਤਊ ਲਿੰਗ ਪੂਜਾ ਕਰੌਗੇ ਉਹਾ ਹੀ ॥੮੪॥
ਤਹਾ ਰੁਦ੍ਰ ਐ ਹੈ ਕਿ ਸ੍ਰੀ ਕ੍ਰਿਸਨ ਐ ਹੈ ॥
ਜਹਾ ਬਾਧਿ ਸ੍ਰੀ ਕਾਲ ਤੋ ਕੌ ਚਲੇ ਹੈ ॥
ਕਿਧੌ ਆਨਿ ਕੈ ਰਾਮ ਹ੍ਵੈ ਹੈ ਸਹਾਈ ॥
ਜਹਾ ਪੁਤ੍ਰ ਮਾਤਾ ਨ ਤਾਤਾ ਨ ਭਾਈ ॥੮੫॥
ਮਹਾ ਕਾਲ ਜੂ ਕੋ ਸਦਾ ਸੀਸ ਨ੍ਯਾਯੈ ॥
ਪੁਰੀ ਚੌਦਹੂੰ ਤ੍ਰਾਸ ਜਾ ਕੋ ਤ੍ਰਸੈਯੈ ॥
ਸਦਾ ਆਨਿ ਜਾ ਕੀ ਸਭੈ ਜੀਵ ਮਾਨੈ ॥
ਸਭੈ ਲੋਕ ਖ੍ਯਾਤਾ ਬਿਧਾਤਾ ਪਛਾਨੈ ॥੮੬॥

Tell me, pandit, what will you say?

When the death comes to trap you in its web.

What holy prayer will you speak?

Will you worship a ling there too? 84

Will Shiv ji come there or Krishan ji?

Where the kaal (death) takes you.

Will Ram Chandra will save you there?

Where there is no son, mother, father and brother can reach. 85

Mahakaal is someone you should bow your head to.

Everyone is afraid of Him.

His power is above all.

All of them see Him as Creator. 86

After reading this Charitar, questions that come in mind are the following:

1.      If the pandit was worshipping Shiv ji, he should be able to save him after he dies. Why it’s said that ‘Will Shiv ji come there or Krishan ji’ then?

2.      If apart from Mahakaal no-one can save you, how will people explain their claims that Sikh Gurus worshipped deities (as they interpret from the meanings of Ram, Har and other words that come in gurbani)?

Reading gurbani can clear so many doubts that people put in our heads. No deities Sikhs believe in. Mahakaal is not Shiv ji. Our own intelligence can be used rather than relying on someone. Read gurbani. Read gur-itehaas.

Last example that can be given to prove that Guru Sahib didn’t worship any deity (and ‘Mahakaal Kaalka’ doesn’t mean either Shiv ji or goddess Parbati or Durga) is the line in Bachitar Natak.

ਚਿਤ ਨ ਭਯੋ ਹਮਰੋ ਆਵਨ ਕਹਿ ॥ ਚੁਭੀ ਰਹੀ ਸ੍ਰੁਤ ਪ੍ਰਭੁ ਚਰਨਨ ਮਹਿ ॥ (My mind was not agreeing to come here. My mind was at the feet of Prabh (Waheguru), remembering Him through meditation.) Guru Sahib’s mind was at the feet of Waheguru, not any deity. Prabh means Waheguru, not Shiv ji or Parbati or Durga.

We have also made videos on this topic and can be found on YouTube.

Durga Parbodh book can be read here: