The Sikhs and the Hindu gods

Statutory warning to the readers: This article may invoke some strong emotions among the non-Sikhs. It’s advisable to read it from the perspective of Sikhs, not as the votaries of the gods. I tried my best not to write anything to degrade the Hindu gods in terms of their status or their lives on the earth and heaven. I hope the purpose of this article will be well-served.

I

always think I will not write something like this which looks provocative to non-Sikhs. But the thing is there’s been so much litter spread against the Sikhs on the social media platforms with deceitful examples that I’ve to clear some things. And this attempt of the anti-Sikh people is so deliberate. Like in the earlier centuries, before the beginning of the Sikh Religion, they’d been controlling the societies and making the rules to show their superiority because of the caste that they’re born in, in the same way they’re doing it in the 21^st century. They want to be at the top now. To reach at the top, they have to make the others look fool, and antagonize the people of other faiths with their limited understanding of other religions.

Before I move on with this post, I want to clarify a thing here. I didn’t want to put the ‘Hindu gods’ in the header. I thought of having it as ‘deities’, because it will not look pejorative (if it looks like that anyway.) But I want to have a clear message, which is the Sikhs have nothing to do with the worshipping of the deities, which’re Hindu gods in other words. If I’d put ‘deities’ in the subject, the message might not have been clear because there’re many civilizations that’ve different deities to worship. In this case, my point is always of the Hindu gods, the gods that Hindu worship; and they’ve been associating their gods to Sikhs.

The hateful writing of the BHs and SSs have covered up some space on the Internet that shows the Sikh Gurus and the holy scripture of Sikhs as the worshipper of some teeny-tiny gods.

Hinduism is claimed to be very open for the other cultures and religions, it talks about the inclusiveness, adopting a wide range of philosophies and religious doctrines however they’re contradictory to each other, etc. In truth, it’s become a total opposite of what’s been said. Hinduism in these days, especially in the hands of the fringe elements, who can be the BHs, and some brainwashed Sikhs who claim to be SSs, is nothing of that sort that’s been perpetuated by many. It’s a religion of exclusiveness, sucking everything in without adopting the second thoughts or measures to make itself an inclusive set of groups. BHs have played a paramount role to shift this old religion into this (or it has been like this for centuries?)

My thoughts of calling it exclusive-set-of-rules religion is because the BHs have not even comprehended the vast rules of the Sikh religion but masking the religion according to their own holy scriptures. They are either goaded by fanatics or they’re completely changing their assertions into balderdash. It’s very impertinent of them to link their gods to the Sikh Gurus, making it not less than a blasphemy.

The Nirmal Religion of Guru Nanak Dev ji has been smeared by these people with their writings and lectures. Some say it’s during the time of Maharaja Ranjit Singh or Singh Sabha Movements or Operation Bluestar when the BHs stood against the Sikhs’ beliefs. No. They’re always like that. From the beginning of the Sikh religion, they felt like it’s a giant force which will destroy their ritualistic religion with the sermons of the Sikh Gurus. During the travelling of the first guru, he met many of the Hindu priests who’re worshipper of the gods or indulged in the worldly matters and did everything which’s not taking them near the Almighty.

You can see HBHs on Quora who’ll show open repugnant towards the Sikh religion because of its core fundamental values destroying their rituals. During the ceremony of the sacred thread of Guru Nanak Dev ji, his actions affirmed that why he’s not a Hindu and stood against the core principle of the Hindu religion. The pandit as well as the parents were shocked to see the child going against the holy ceremony. This confirmed the guru not being a Hindu because a Hindu would never have said that.

As this incident at the time of Guru Nanak Dev ji showed us the Sikh religion not following the Hindu religion, and created a line in the beginning of the first guru’s time, the BHs and SSs alike talk that the guru didn’t say he didn’t want to wear the janeu, he talked about this in a spiritualistic way, or other mumbo jumbo that they want to choose, to give a clear message to the bystanders. In the words of a SS, ‘In an atmosphere when Brahmins were highly persecuted by the Muslim rulers, their sacred threads burnt by them, it would seem more sensible to assume that what Nanakji actually could have been referring to here is that a Janeu which can never be destroyed by the Maleshas [filthy barbarians].’ Now what does it even mean? So the janeu will be made of tungsten? Or tantalum? Will it not go against the principles of the Hindu religion because there’re clear ways mentioned in their scriptures to tell how a janeu should be made?

Then during the time of the third guru, the casteist Hindus went to Emperor Akbar to complain against the guru because the guru had shattered the core rules of the Hindu religion where it stood. Another reason of the Hindus to go to the emperor was because if the people started adopting the teachings of the Sikh Gurus, then nobody’d follow what the Brahmins were preaching. Like I said in the beginning: the religion of exclusiveness.

ਸੁਨਿ ਖੱਤ੍ਰੀ ਦਿਜ ਗਨ ਅੱਗ੍ਯਾਨੀ । ਪਰਮ ਅਭਗਤ ਜਾਤਿ ਅਭਿਮਾਨੀ ।
ਜਰਹਿਂ ਨ ਗੁਰ ਕੀ ਸਿਫਤਿ ਉਦਾਰਾ । ਕਹੈਂ ਸੁ 'ਕ੍ਯਾ ਪਰਪੰਚ ਪਸਾਰਾ?' ॥੩੦॥
ਇਕ ਦਿਨ ਮਿਲਿ ਸਭਿ ਮਸਲਤ ਕਰੀ । 'ਇਹ ਤੋ ਰੀਤਿ ਬੁਰੀ ਜਗ ਪਰੀ ।
ਅਬਿ ਦਿਜ ਕੋ ਨਹਿਂ ਮਾਨਹਿ ਕੋਇ । ਖੱਤ੍ਰੀ ਧਰਮ ਨਸ਼ਟ ਸਭਿ ਹੋਇ ॥੩੧॥
ਚਤੁਰ ਬਰਨ ਕੋ ਇਕ ਮਤ ਕਰਯੋ । ਭ੍ਰਿਸ਼ਟ ਹੋਇ ਜਗ ਧਰਮ ਪ੍ਰਹਰਯੋ ।
ਇਕ ਥਲ ਭੋਜਨ ਸਭਿ ਕੋ ਖਈ । ਸ਼ੰਕਰਿ ਬਰਨ ਪ੍ਰਜਾ ਅਬਿ ਭਈ ॥੩੨॥
ਦੇਵ ਪਿਤਰ ਕੀ ਮਨਤਾ ਛੋਰੀ । ਸਭਿ ਮਿਰਯਾਦ ਜਗਤ ਕੀ ਤੋਰੀ ।
ਅਬਿ ਉਪਾਇ ਇਕ ਕਰਨ ਪੁਕਾਰ । ਬਰਜਹਿ ਪਾਤਸਾਹਿ ਇਸ ਢਾਰ' ॥੩੩॥ – ਸੂਰਜ ਪ੍ਰਕਾਸ਼, ਰਾਸ ੧ ਅਧਿਆਇ ੪੩

I will not go in details of every incident. My point is this antagonistic behaviour of the BHs is not something new. It’s been going on in parallel since the beginning of the Sikh religion. Walking on a totally opposite path and shifting the burden of blame to others, the BHs also suggest that it’s the Sikhs who were against the Hindus; in their words, the Sikhs started the new religion, not the Sikh Gurus, and drew a line between Sikhs and Hindus. By talking with the BHs it will be evidently clear that they focus on the blame-shifting. I’ve had some great Hindu friends, having cordial relationships with them. But these sets of fanatics I’d never met in my life. On the Internet, they’ve been popping up every now and then.

As we’re still in the beginning of this article, I want to answer this question first: Do Sikhs hate the Hindu gods?

Some of you might be thinking about it that if I’m writing this post about the Sikhs and Hindu gods and mentioned clearly in the beginning that the Sikhs don’t worship them, then it means I hate them, right? Let’s clear this thing. All those who’re not brainwashed yet by BHs and SSs, I want you to read this with your open eyes and perceive the truth that I am presenting here.

You can find some Sikhs commenting on the different social media sites about the Hindu gods in a bad manner. There is no doubt in that. No denying in that. It’s the truth that some certain Sikhs are degrading the Hindu gods, not out of the hate of those deities but because of a visceral response to the Hindus. Hindus have written so much against the Sikh religion in different books and websites, including the blogs. Instead of replying to the allegations of the BHs and SSs, those Sikhs have adopted a different way of showing their anger towards the Hindus. They do not have anything against the Hindu gods, but you might be amazed to see what they’re carrying against the Hindu fringe groups.

Out of frustration, you can say, they started writing against the Hindu gods. I have seen that myself on Facebook. And I blame BHs for that. Had they not picked their pens (in this century, laptops) to write against the Sikhs and the Sikh Gurus, the Sikhs wouldn’t have shown the insolence against them. Give me one reason why a Sikh would be writing against the Hindu gods. I really can’t think of anything. Many of them wouldn’t be even knowing the complete stories behind the deities. On the other hand, the BHs have an agenda to write against the Sikhs. To tell the young Sikhs that they’re Hindus and their gurus were Hindus. For us Sikhs, it’s an insult. Will not be wrong if I say it’s a derogatory remark for me. Not because the Hindus are bad, but because we are not someone that we’ve been labelled with.

Like there’re many people in the world, especially in India, who’d make jokes on Sikhs. Following the same pattern, the Sikhs have opened the FB pages to write jokes on pandits and Hindus. It’s a simple thumb rule. Don’t provoke the group if you do not want to be provoked. And, trust me, this whole thing creates so much of hatred in the world. People live hating others that they do not even know of. The Sikhs and Hindus both should realize this thing. I don’t speak for Hindus, but at least I would like the Sikhs reading the Sikh literature to understand the religion better and debunk the claims of many Google-search-expert Hindus. Writing against the Hindu gods will not serve any purpose.

So whenever you’re writing against the Hindu gods, think of this: have the Hindu gods said anywhere that they don’t like the Sikhs or the Sikh Gurus? They have huge respect for the Sikh Gurus. Sikhs like me won’t be on par with the Hindu gods when it comes to the respect for the Sikh Gurus. You’re hating those who love and show reverence to the Sikh Gurus? Your anger against the BHs is getting wasted in all these matters. You should curb that anger first, and if you want to be furious about the writings of the BHs and explode into a volcano in the form of words, then transform that anger into the literature-loving group that has knowledge as well as calmness and then show the mirror to the BHs.

ਸਤਿਗੁਰ ਨਾਨਕ ਦੇਵ, ਦੇਵ ਦੇਵੀ ਸਭ ਧਿਆਵਹਿ ॥ – ਭਾਈ ਗੁਰਦਾਸ ਜੀ, ਕਬਿੱਤ ੬

ਅਨਕ ਬ੍ਰਹਮਾ ਬਿਸ਼ਨ ਮਹੇਸ਼ਨੰ, ਅਨਕ ਦੇਵੀ ਦੁਰਗਾ ਵੈਸ਼ਨੰ ॥੩੨॥
ਅਨਕ ਰਾਮ ਕਿਸ਼ਨ ਅਵਤਾਰਨੰ, ਅਨਕ ਨਰਸਿੰਘ ਹਰਨਾਕਸ਼ ਮਾਰਨੰ ॥੩੩॥
ਅਨਕ ਧਰੂਹ ਪ੍ਰਹਿਲਾਦਨੰ, ਅਨਕ ਗੋਰਖ ਸਿੱਧ ਸਾਧਨੰ ॥੩੪॥
ਅਨਕ ਅਕਾਸ਼ ਪਾਤਾਲਨੰ, ਅਨਕ ਇੰਦਰ ਧਰਮ ਰਾਇ ਜਮਕਾਲਨੰ ॥੩੫॥
ਅਨਕ ਸਿੱਧ ਨਾਥ ਤਪੀਸਰੰ, ਅਨਕ ਜੋਗੀ ਜੋਗ ਜੋਗੀਸਰ ॥੩੬॥
ਅਨਕ ਅਨਹਦ ਧੁਨ ਨਾਦਨੰ, ਅਨਕ ਬੈਕੁੰਠ ਸਿੱਧ ਸਮਾਧਨੰ ॥੩੭॥
ਅਨਕ ਖਾਣੀ ਬਾਣੀ ਬ੍ਰਹਿਮੰਡਨੰ, ਅਨਕ ਦੀਪ ਲੋ ਨਵ ਖੰਡਨੰ ॥੩੮॥
ਅਨਕ ਸੂਰ ਅਰ ਬੀਰਨੰ, ਅਨਕ ਪੈਗੰਬਰ ਅਰ ਪੀਰਨੰ ॥੩੯॥
ਅਨਕ ਤੇਤੀਸ ਕਰੋੜਨੰ, ਅਨਕ ਚੰਦ ਅਰ ਸੂਰਨੰ ॥੪੦॥
ਸਭ ਦੀਨ ਗੁਰੂ ਘਰ ਵਾਰਨੰ, ਸਭਨ ਸਿਰ ਗੁਰ ਅਵਤਾਰਨੰ ॥੪੧॥ – ਭਾਈ ਨੰਦ ਲਾਲ ਜੀ, ਜੋਤਿ ਬਿਗਾਸ

It’s not only after the message was spread by the Sikh Gurus when the Hindu gods revered the Sikh Gurus. No. At the birth of Guru Nanak Dev ji, all the heavenly beings paid their respect to the guru.

ਤੇਤੀਸ ਕਰੋੜੀ ਦੇਵਤਿਆਂ ਨਮਸਕਾਰ ਕੀਆ ਚਉਸਠ ਜੋਗਣੀ ਬਵਜਾਹ ਬੀਰ, ਛਿਆਂ ਜਤੀਆਂ, ਚੋਰਾਸੀਆਂ ਸਿਧਾਂ, ਨਵਾਂ ਨਾਥਾਂ ਨਮਸਕਾਰ ਕੀਆ, ਜੋ ਵਡਾ ਭਗਤ ਜਗਤ ਨਿਸਤਾਰਣ ਕਉ ਆਇਆ: "ਇਸ ਕਉ ਨਮਸਕਾਰ ਕੀਜੀਐ ਜੀ" ॥ – ਪੁਰਾਤਨ ਜਨਮ ਸਾਖੀ

At the time of the birth of the tenth guru, the gods came again to pay their respects.

ਗੁਰੂ ਤੇਗ ਬਹਾਦਰ ਤੇ ਗੁਰੂ ਗੋਬਿੰਦ ਸਿੰਘ ਭਯੋ ਤਾਰਣ ਤਰਣੰ ।
ਤ੍ਰਈ ਲੋਕ ਬਿਖੈ ਜੈਕਾਰ ਭਯੋ ਪ੍ਰਗਟਿਓ ਗੁਰੂ ਆਦਿ ਕ੍ਰਿਆ ਕਰਣੰ ।
ਦੁਸ਼ਟ ਬਿਡਾਰਣ ਸੰਤ ਉਬਾਰਣ ਸਬ ਜਗ ਤਾਰਣ ਭਵ ਹਰਣੰ ।
ਜੈ ਜੈ ਜੈ ਦੇਵ ਕਰੈ ਸਭ ਹੀ ਤਿਨ ਆਨ ਪਰੇ ਗੁਰ ਦੀ ਸਰਣੰ ॥੧੭॥ – ਗੁਰ ਸੋਭਾ ਗ੍ਰੰਥ, ਪ੍ਰਿਥਮ ਧਿਆਉ

It doesn’t just end here. Throughout the period of the Sikh Gurus, you’ll see the history voicing that the gods were so happy to see Waheguru on earth. I will urge the Sikhs not to mouth bad words for the Hindus gods or any gods of any culture or religion for that matter.

OK, if we do not hate the Hindu gods, then why don’t we worship them? This is the major question for which this article is getting written. There’re multiple aspects in which I want to answer this question, not in one statement, because the BHs and SSs have so many arguments to make the Sikh Gurus look like deity-worshippers. And many of the arguments, which’re clichés for me, have been debunked in our series.

Waheguru, the name of God in Sikhism, is above all. All the demigods, humans, animals, birds, etc., are under the command of Waheguru. In the Hindu religion, the incarnations of the deities, or deities alone, have been elevated to the level of Waheguru, who’s All-powerful and Omnipresent. Even in today’s world, India is filled with bogus saints who’d show some fake miracles to amuse the people and claim that they’re God-like beings. Or gods. I’m not trying to lower the image of the incarnations of the different gods in any way. They’re, of course, better than the humans like me. They’ve done so much so far under the command of Waheguru. They chant the name of Waheguru. Far, far better than me. But one thing has to be understood i.e. they’re not on par with Waheguru. Their base is not nothingness, but Maaya, which created everything, including them.

ਦੇਵੀ ਦੇਵਾ ਮੂਲੁ ਹੈ ਮਾਇਆ ॥ - ਅੰਗ ੧੨੯

Whatever is created under Maaya will be destroyed at the end, even the deities. All the gods are under karma. Their actions have to be answered by them. Being heavenly being will not be enough; what good and bad they did would be questioned.

ਬ੍ਰਹਮ ਮਹੇਸਰ ਬਿਸਨ ਸਚੀਪਤ ਅੰਤ ਫਸੇ ਜਮ ਫਾਸ ਪਰੈਗੇ ॥ – ਅਕਾਲ ਉਸਤਤ

Many Hindus associate themselves majorly with Ramchandra and Krishna. And for obvious reasons they stand distinct too among the other incarnations of Vishnu. Ramchandra is said to be 14-kala sampooran, and Krishna 16-kala sampooran. The votaries of these two incarnations do not much care about what they taught or what could be learned from their lives, but they find themselves associating to these incarnations just because of Vishnu.

I was in discussion with a SS who happened to be a worshipper of Krishna. He represented the fact that Krishna was so powerful that he picked the whole mountain on his small finger, and other miracles or powerful-nature of Krishna was also told to me. This should never be the deciding factor of worshipping someone. Going with the same worshipping-someone guideline, the Prophet Mohammad should be revered too, no? Because he’d split the moon into two.

In the case of Krishna, the Holy Gita should be the reason for someone to worship him, if he wants to do, because this scripture is said to be uttered by Krishna. Although the worshipping of Prophet Mohammed is not allowed in Islam, but someone can respect him for the teachings of the Holy Quran. (I’ve read none of the books, so don’t jump on me with the verses from these two scriptures that you do not like.)

All these miracles of different personalities in the past are irrevocable for the votaries. In Sikhism too, there’re many miraculous stories in the lives of the Sikh Gurus. But I haven’t found a single Sikh saying he follows Sikhism because the gurus performed the miracles. Eventually the beginning of the attachment to the guru will not come out of the miracles but their teachings. A non-Sikh sent me a message on Quora that he liked the Sikh Gurus because they lived their lives according to what they preached.

BHs as well as SSs give no reason for their worshipping of these deities. They say that Vishnu is the Supreme God in their religion, so they worship his incarnations. As Vishnu came out of Sato Gunn, he’s always shown as a calm guy.

Once Gurpreet Singh California said that the Sikh Gurus’ talks were mainly with the Shaivism sect of Hinduism than Vaishnavism. The reason behind is the talks of the first guru with the Sidhs. There’re few occasions when the guru talked to them. Guru’s wisdom and sermons made the Sidhs lose the discussion with him. According to Bhai Gurdas ji, Guru Nanak Dev ji came out as a winner.

ਸਬਦਿ ਜਿਤੀ ਸਿਧਿ ਮੰਡਲੀ ਕੀਤੋਸੁ ਅਪਣਾ ਪੰਥੁ ਨਿਰਾਲਾ । - ਵਾਰ ਪਹਿਲੀ, ਪਉੜੀ ੩੧, ਭਾਈ ਗੁਰਦਾਸ ਜੀ ਵਾਰਾਂ

Look in the Shiv Purana, you will find a pile of evidence to support that Shivji is the beginning of all; and in some other Purana, Vishnu will be at the top of the hierarchy. There’re many contradictions in the Hindu scriptures. Like I’ve said it earlier also that a priest on Quora wrote about the supremacy of Vishnu, someone commented saying the other Purana will say Shivji is supreme. How to decide then?

In Sikhism, we do not go in that direction. We believe in the existence of all these demigods. Gurbani talks about them at some places, showing them singing the praises of Waheguru. In so dar, we read two times, once in Jap Ji Sahib and secondly in Rehraas Sahib, about these deities showing their devotion by chanting the praises of Waheguru. Also, the gurbani shows these beings indulging in the Maaya. So the direction that the Sikhs have taken is going directly to Waheguru. We’ve overlooked all these deities in terms of the devotion. We do not see anything but Waheguru.

ਞੰਞੈ ਨਦਰਿ ਕਰੇ ਜਾ ਦੇਖਾ ਦੂਜਾ ਕੋਈ ਨਾਹੀ ॥ ਏਕੋ ਰਵਿ ਰਹਿਆ ਸਭ ਥਾਈ ਏਕੁ ਵਸਿਆ ਮਨ ਮਾਹੀ ॥੧੩॥ - ਅੰਗ ੪੩੩

There’s worshipping of only One in Sikhism. There’s no chance whatsoever to prove thoroughly without irrefutable evidence in any manner that the Sikhs worship the demigods. This assumption of the BHs and SSs has been confusing the naïve Sikhs who’re not reading either gurbani or history. In the past century too, the shrewdness of the BHs played its role to show not only the Sikhs but Sikh Gurus too worshipping the gods.

Let’s think about it in this way. I’m a Sikh; I worship only One. I do not go to Muslims saying that your Prophet worshipped Waheguru, who’s omnipresent. Neither do I go to Christians suggesting them that you’ve wholly mistranslated your Holy Bible because in your book Jesus is not God, Waheguru is. Nor I go to Jains to talk of their Tirthankaras to misguide them. I do not do that. I never did. And I will never do.

Then what illness has covered the BHs to do this to Sikhs?

The only explanation that I can think of is that the Sikh Gurus have shown the True Path to the people of this world after shunning the shallow rituals of the Brahminic religion that they now have come up to swallow us like a cobra. Perfect term for these BHs is boa constrictor, which gets them highly agitated. Some even suggest that the Sikh Gurus shouldn’t have shunned the rituals of the Hindus because they’re doing every day activities according to their own religion. See a) the gurus didn’t just say the words to belittle their rituals, there’re always long talks with them, in which they failed to answer the questions or didn’t meet the arguments of the gurus, b) in many cases the gurus quoted from their scriptures to show the correct path to them, c) the Hindus as well as Muslims had involved in the bigotry, and the people of the world should be guided at any cost, d) the discriminator factor was so high among the Hindus that the equality was nowhere to be seen, although some Hindus who want to come clean these days suggest that the discrimination, or varna system, was introduced by the British, or highly misunderstood by the non-Hindus, e) Guru Nanak Dev ji was Waheguru Himself, who’d all the power and the wisdom and His unfearful actions have changed the whole world, not only did He go to the Hindu places but also to the centre place of the worshipping of the Muslims where He challenged their rules. Before the birth of the first guru, the time was very hard on the people. In the words of Bhai Gurdas ji, Hindus and Muslims were blind guided by blind.

ਡਿਠੇ ਹਿੰਦੂ ਤੁਰਕਿ ਸਭਿ ਪੀਰ ਪੈਕੰਬਰਿ ਕਉਮਿ ਕਤੇਲੇ ।
ਅੰਧੀ ਅੰਧੇ ਖੂਹੇ ਠੇਲੇ ॥੨੬॥ – ਵਾਰ ੧, ਪਉੜੀ ੨੬, ਵਾਰਾਂ ਭਾਈ ਗੁਰਦਾਸ ਜੀ

I believe that this time is also the same. These days too the Hindus and Muslims know nothing of the Sikh religion, but they’re teaching us about Sikhi. Hindus asserting the Sikh Gurus worshippers of Vishnu, and Muslims suggesting the first guru changing his religion to Islam in Mecca. Both’re blind, and those blind Sikhs who’re not well-read will be throwed into the well by the Hindus and the Muslims together.

 Let’s talk a little about the incarnations and how the Sikhs look at them. The incarnations of the gods came on this earth for different purposes. Waheguru sent the different beings on earth for various reasons associated with the people living on Earth. Gurbani says that the kings of different times (Ramchandra, etc.) were sung by the people as the avatars.

ਜੁਗਹ ਜੁਗਹ ਕੇ ਰਾਜੇ ਕੀਏ ਗਾਵਹਿ ਕਰਿ ਅਵਤਾਰੀ ॥ - ਅੰਗ ੪੨੩

They’re, no doubt, great people with so much power and wisdom. People started calling them incarnation of God. Even in these days, you’ll find them saying Vishnu is Supreme and his incarnations are also supreme. A SS told that they’re the avatars of God. No. They’re not the avatars of God. They’re avatars of Vishnu, who’s a deity. Those who understood that there’s Someone beyond Vishnu and other deities adopted Sikhism. Not only from Hinduism, but from other religions too people were mesmerised by the religion of Sikhs. In today’s world, people all over the world, from different cultures and religions, are adopting the religion. Those who couldn’t see beyond Vishnu are still stuck at the same place where they’re thousands of years ago.

Advaita is one of the things which’ve to be understood because it’s been taken by many as the devotion to the deities. The truth is the namaskars are always to the jot of Waheguru which’s residing in everyone. My discussions with the BHs reveal that they know of Advaita. And they’re said to be following it. The issue is if they really believe in Advaita, omnipresence of Waheguru, nothing else is there but Him, then they wouldn’t have been lying to their teeth that the gurus worshipped Vishnu. If only and only Waheguru is there, why would they worship the deity? Maybe they know the Advaita word, but has not implemented it in their lives. Because if they say Brahman, a name of Waheguru I guess in Hinduism, is everywhere, then 95% of the Hindus’ devotion will go in vain. They’ve been taught of worshipping only these deities, nothing else. Although they’d say Waheguru is in everyone, so they worship the deities. ‘Worshipping the deities’ is enough to conclude they do not believe in Advaita, because according to Advaita there’s nothing but Waheguru. And if in future, and to counter the argument, they suggest they’re not worshipping the deities but Waheguru, like we Sikhs say the jot of Waheguru is present everywhere, then a) why they’re hellbent to prove the Sikh Gurus worshipper of Vishnu, not Waheguru, b) if you’re worshipping only One, then you shouldn’t have a personal preference of any god because everywhere is Waheguru.

The Hindus who I’ve talked to only know the meaning of Advaita, but they’ve not adopted this in their lives. In the case of the Sikh Gurus, they saw only Waheguru during devotion.

ਪ੍ਰਿਥਮ ਉਪਾਵਹੁ ਜਗਤ ਤੁਮ ਤੁਮਹੀਂ ਪੰਥ ਬਨਾਇ ॥
ਆਪ ਤੁਹੀ ਝਗਰਾ ਕਰੋ ਤੁਮਹੀ ਕਰੋ ਸਹਾਇ ॥੧੫॥
ਮੱਛ ਕੱਛ ਬਾਰਾਹ ਤੁਮ ਤੁਮ ਬਾਵਨ ਅਵਤਾਰ ॥
ਨਾਰਸਿੰਘ ਬਊਧਾ ਤੁਹੀਂ ਤੁਹੀਂ ਜਗਤ ਕੋ ਸਾਰ ॥੧੬॥
ਤੁਹੀਂ ਰਾਮ ਸ੍ਰੀ ਕ੍ਰਿਸਨ ਤੁਮ ਤੁਹੀਂ ਬਿਸਨ ਕੋ ਰੂਪ ॥
ਤੁਹੀਂ ਪ੍ਰਜਾ ਸਭ ਜਗਤ ਕੀ ਤੁਹੀ ਆਪ ਹੀ ਭੂਪ ॥੧੭॥
ਤੁਹੀਂ ਬਿਪ੍ਰ ਛਤ੍ਰੀ ਤੁਹੀਂ ਤੁਹੀਂ ਰੰਕ ਅਰੁ ਰਾਉ ॥
ਸਾਮ ਦਾਮ ਅਰੁ ਡੰਡ ਤੂੰ ਤੁਮਹੀ ਭੇਦ ਉਪਾਉ ॥੧੮॥ - ਸ੍ਰੀ ਸ਼ਸ਼ਤਰ ਨਾਮ ਮਾਲਾ

ਕਤਹੂੰ ਸੁਚੇਤ ਹੁਇਕੈ ਚੇਤਨਾ ਕੋ ਚਾਰ ਕੀਓ ਕਤਹੂੰ ਅਚਿੰਤ ਹੁਇਕੈ ਸੋਵਤ ਅਚੇਤ ਹੋ ॥
ਕਤਹੂੰ ਭਿਖਾਰੀ ਹੁਇਕੈ ਮਾਂਗਤ ਫਿਰਤ ਭੀਖ ਕਹੂੰ ਮਹਾ ਦਾਨ ਹੁਇਕੈ ਮਾਂਗਿਓ ਧਨ ਦੇਤ ਹੋ ॥
ਕਹੂੰ ਮਹਾਂ ਰਾਜਨ ਕੋ ਦੀਜਤ ਅਨੰਤ ਦਾਨ ਕਹੂੰ ਮਹਾਂ ਰਾਜਨ ਤੇ ਛੀਨ ਛਿਤ ਲੇਤ ਹੋ ॥
ਕਹੂੰ ਬੇਦ ਰੀਤ ਕਹੂੰ ਤਾ ਸਿਉ ਬਿਪਰੀਤ ਕਹੂੰ ਤ੍ਰਿਗੁਨ ਅਤੀਤ ਕਹੂੰ ਸੁਰਗੁਨ ਸਮੇਤ ਹੋ ॥੧॥੧੧॥
ਕਹੂੰ ਜੱਛ ਗੰਧ੍ਰਬ ਉਰਗ ਕਹੂੰ ਬਿਦਿਆਧਰ ਕਹੂੰ ਭਏ ਕਿੰਨਰ ਪਿਸਾਚ ਕਹੂੰ ਪ੍ਰੇਤ ਹੋ ॥
ਕਹੂੰ ਹੁਇਕੈ ਹਿੰਦੂਆ ਗਾਇਤ੍ਰੀ ਕੋ ਗੁਪਤ ਜਪਿਓ ਕਹੂੰ ਹੁਇਕੈ ਤੁਰਕਾ ਪੁਕਾਰੇ ਬਾਂਗ ਦੇਤ ਹੋ ॥
ਕਹੂੰ ਕੋਕ ਕਾਬ ਹੁਇਕੈ ਪੁਰਾਨ ਕੋ ਪੜਤ ਮਤ ਕਤਹੂੰ ਕੁਰਾਨ ਕੋ ਨਿਦਾਨ ਜਾਨ ਲੇਤ ਹੋ ॥
ਕਹੂੰ ਬੇਦ ਰੀਤ ਕਹੂੰ ਤਾ ਸਿਉ ਬਿਪਰੀਤ ਕਹੂੰ ਤ੍ਰਿਗੁਨ ਅਤੀਤ ਕਹੂੰ ਸੁਰਗੁਨ ਸਮੇਤ ਹੋ ॥੨॥੧੨॥
ਕਹੂੰ ਦੇਵਤਾਨ ਕੇ ਦਿਵਾਨ ਮੈ ਬਿਰਾਜਮਾਨ ਕਹੂੰ ਦਾਨਵਾਨ ਕੋ ਗੁਮਾਨ ਮਤ ਦੇਤ ਹੋ ॥
ਕਹੂੰ ਇੰਦ੍ਰ ਰਾਜਾ ਕੋ ਮਿਲਤ ਇੰਦ੍ਰ ਪਦਵੀ ਸੀ ਕਹੂੰ ਇੰਦ੍ਰ ਪਦਵੀ ਛਿਪਾਇ ਛੀਨ ਲੇਤ ਹੋ ॥
ਕਤਹੂੰ ਬਿਚਾਰ ਅਬਿਚਾਰ ਕੋ ਬਿਚਾਰਤ ਹੋ ਕਹੂੰ ਨਿਜ ਨਾਰ ਪਰ ਨਾਰ ਕੇ ਨਿਕੇਤ ਹੋ ॥
ਕਹੂੰ ਬੇਦ ਰੀਤ ਕਹੂੰ ਤਾ ਸਿਉ ਬਿਪਰੀਤ ਕਹੂੰ ਤ੍ਰਿਗੁਨ ਅਤੀਤ ਕਹੂੰ ਸਰਗੁਨ ਸਮੇਤ ਹੋ ॥੩॥੧੩॥ - ਅਕਾਲ ਉਸਤਤ

This is real knowing of the omnipresence of Waheguru. Guru Gobind Singh ji not only said that Waheguru is present in demigods, but also that He’s a king in the world, a beggar, a Hindu, a Muslim, a eunuch, a soul, a reader of Purana and Quran, etc. If the worshipping of the Hindu gods by the BHs is because they’re part of Waheguru, then how many are ready to worship the beggars? Or Muslims? Their conceptual understanding is not even clear, I think, because their boastful reasoning gives no way to prove their points and they end up being just a fool.

The religious commentary of the Sikh scriptures has been fallen into the hands of BHs and SSs who don’t have either a practical life or the understanding of what the Sikh religion preaches. They only know their gods, and how to worship them, and they want the whole world doing the same.

In Bhai Bale wali Janamsakhi, Guru Nanak Dev ji said that a person who worships the avatars would never be liberated and come in the cycles of birth and death, even if he has no desires. Only the selflessness while worshipping the One could liberate you from the cycles of birth and death.

ਜੋ ਅਵਤਾਰ ਦੀ ਪੂਜਾ ਕਰਦੇ ਹਨ ਸੋ ਭਾਵੇ ਕੇਹਾ ਭਗਤ ਹੋਵੈ ਅਤੇ ਬਾਛਨਾ ਕਾਈ ਨਹੀ ਉਠਦੀ ਤਾ ਭੀ ਫੇਰ ਜਨਮ ਆਵਦਾ ਹੈ ਅਤੇ ਨਿਰਗੁਣੀ ਭਗਤ ਹੋਵੈ ਅਤੇ ਬਾਛਨਾ ਕਾਈ ਉਠਦੀ ਪਰਮੇਸ਼ਰ ਬਿਨਾ ਤਾਂ ਭੀ ਜਨਮ ਲਜਾਵਦੀ ਹੈ ਅਤੇ ਜੋ ਇਕ ਨਿਰੰਕਾਰ ਦੀ ਬਾਛਨਾ ਕਰਦਾ ਹੈ ਓਹ ਨਿਰੰਕਾਰ ਹੀ ਬਾਸਨਾ ਸਮਾਵਦੀ ਹੈ ਨਿਰੰਕਾਰੀ ਜੋ ਹੈਨ ਨਿਰੰਕਾਰ ਹੀ ਦੀ ਬਾਛਨਾ ਕਰਦੇ ਹੈਨ ਉਨਾ ਅਤੇ ਨਿਰੰਕਾਰ ਵਿਚ ਭੇਦ ਕੁਝ ਨਾਂਹੀ ਅਤੇ ਅਵਤਾਰਾਂ ਦਾ ਸਿਮਰਨ ਕਰੇ ਅਤੇ ਬਾਛਨਾ ਕਾਈ ਨਾਂ ਕਰੇ ਤਾ ਭੀ ਚੌਰਾਸੀ ਭੋਗੇਗਾ – ਭਾਈ ਬਾਲੇ ਵਾਲੀ ਜਨਮਸਾਖੀ

There’s a pile of evidence available to debunk the claims of BHs and SSs who’re linking the gurus to these demigods. Don’t the above verses clearly state not to worship the demigods? See, BHs and SSs brothers, we Sikhs do not have a thing against your religion, although there’re tremendous amounts of things that we do not agree with your religion, but we do not really have enough time to waste to go through your religious scriptures to degrade you or your gods. Like in the aforementioned paragraphs, if the Sikh Gurus didn’t agree with your priestly bigotry then they’d the reasons and the arguments. In your case, in the 21^st century, you’re just wasting your time especially when all the arguments which’re made to counter yours are enough to convince you that you’re wrong. But you guys are so adamantly foolish that you don’t want to change your mind because all the work of your forefathers to merge the Sikhism into Hinduism would get wasted, so you stand firmed on your position, even when it’s making you a fool of the highest order. Secondly, the arguments produced by the Sikhs over a period of century aren’t countered by you. All of your bullshits have been explained in the books. But our arguments you haven’t met so far. You’re still circling around Ram-Ramchandra theory, which I’ve explained in the clichéd argument series but will talk here also at the end.

Not only in Bhai Bale wali Janamsakhi, but Bhai Mani Singh wali Janamsakhi states the same that the Sikhs meditate on the name of Sattnaam (True Naam) – Waheguru. The other people worship Ganesh, Shiva, or other demigods.

ਨਾਮ ਸਭ ਦੇਵਾਂ ਦਾ ਦੇਵ ਹੈ ॥ ਕੋਈ ਦੇਵੀ ਨੂੰ ਮਨਾਉਂਦਾ ਹੈ ॥ ਕੋਈ ਸਿਵ ਨੂੰ ਕੋਈ ਗਣੇਸ ਨੂੰ ॥ ਕੋਈ ਹੋਰ ਦੇਵਤਿਆਂ ਨੂੰ ॥ ਗੁਰੂ ਕੇ ਸਿਖ ਸਤਿਨਾਮ ਨੂੰ ਅਰਾਧਤੇ ਹੈ ਜਿਸ ਕਰਕੇ ਸਭ ਵਿਘਨ ਨਾਸ ਹੋਂਦੇ ਹਨ ॥

Give some time to the BHs and you’ll see them wailing that these Janamsakhis were altered by the British or the Singh Sabha Movement people. (You’ll find the verses in these scriptures which’re diluted by some anti-Sikh people in the 16^th century as described by Bhai Santokh Singh, but as we’ve the gurbani to check everything, it’s easy for us to decide. It’s not true in the case of BHs.) These are not arguments, guys. I’ve said it several times, you’ve to raise the bar of the arguments. Your flailing attempts to make the young Sikhs ignorant of the Sikhism is so wrong at all the levels of the righteous acts. You happen to be believing in the righteousness, but this’s again in the books like at the time of the Sikh Gurus you used to do, in reality you’re not only the demons in the form of human beings, but also the termites that’ve been sticking to the roots of the Sikh religion.

 I remember a foolish BH saying that the first nine gurus were the worshipper of Vishnu, and the tenth guru worshipped Shakti. Let me tell you the reason behind that. BHs have seen the Sikhs educing the facts from the writing of Guru Gobind Singh ji that the Sikhs do not believe in teeny-tiny gods of Hindus. This not only hurt them badly but also brought a sense of inferiority. As the BHs have the task in their hands to plummet the Nirmal Religion of the Sikhs to theirs, they started using these new theories to convince the Sikhs. By going with their assumptions, how can we Sikhs choose if to worship the deities or not? Because according to them the writings of the gurus before Guru Gobind Singh ji show the worshipping of the demigods, but the tenth guru didn’t worship any of these gods but the Shakti. What should the Sikhs do in that case: worship them or not? Isn’t it what the Hindus are doing? Those who want to worship Shivji would point to Shiv Purana or Ling Purana, and the votaries of Vishnu would point to Vishnu Purana or other scriptures where Vishnu’s worshipped.

But Sikhs are not like you.

For us Sikhs, the writings of all the gurus are same and there’s no contradiction in their writings. E.g. you can’t say the first nine gurus preached the supremacy of Vishnu, and the last didn’t. It doesn’t work like that in Sikhism. It’s not like Hinduism where you have an option to choose which deity you want to worship. Sorry, the Sikhs don’t have the options but the rules of the gurus, and we can’t change them.

In some pseudo terms, the BHs imply that the demigods and Waheguru are same. Levelling the demigods to Waheguru is, I think, a cardinal sin. Firstly, they’re created by Maaya, indulged in Maaya; secondly, Guru Gobind Singh clearly wrote that these demigods called themselves God, and forgot the One.

ਮਹਾਦੇਵ ਅਚੁੱਤ ਕਹਵਾਯੋ ॥ ਬਿਸਨ ਆਪ ਹੀ ਕੋ ਠਹਿਰਾਯੋ ॥

ਬ੍ਰਹਮਾ ਆਪ ਪਾਰਬ੍ਰਹਮ ਬਖਾਨਾ ॥ ਪ੍ਰਭ ਕੋ ਪ੍ਰਭੂ ਨ ਕਿਨਹੂੰ ਜਾਨਾ ॥੮॥ - ਬਚਿਤ੍ਰ ਨਾਟਕ

The fourth verse clearly states the disparity between the One and the trinity of demigods. Another clear indication which’s not seen by the BHs and SSs.

The Hindus asked Naarad Muni about the worshipping. He said to have the image of the deities in your minds; if you still can’t concentrate, then create the idols and have those images in your minds; if you still can’t focus then have the vehicle of the gods and have the images in your minds. So by doing all these, the Hindus forgot the centre of everything – Waheguru. They focused only on the demigods. And it is still continuing in the world.

ਹਿੰਦੂ ਮੂਲੇ ਭੂਲੇ ਅਖੁਟੀ ਜਾਂਹੀ ॥ ਨਾਰਦਿ ਕਹਿਆ ਸਿ ਪੂਜ ਕਰਾਂਹੀ ॥

ਅੰਧੇ ਗੁੰਗੇ ਅੰਧ ਅੰਧਾਰੁ ॥ ਪਾਥਰੁ ਲੇ ਪੂਜਹਿ ਮੁਗਧ ਗਵਾਰ ॥

ਓਹਿ ਜਾ ਆਪਿ ਡੁਬੇ ਤੁਮ ਕਹਾ ਤਰਣਹਾਰੁ ॥੨॥ - ਅੰਗ ੫੫੬

Guru Nanak Dev ji says that the demigods can’t give you anything to liberate from the cycles of birth and death.

ਦੇਵੀ ਦੇਵਾ ਪੂਜੀਐ ਭਾਈ ਕਿਆ ਮਾਗਉ ਕਿਆ ਦੇਹਿ ॥

ਪਾਹਣੁ ਨੀਰਿ ਪਖਾਲੀਐ ਭਾਈ ਜਲ ਮਹਿ ਬੂਡਹਿ ਤੇਹਿ ॥੬॥ - ਅੰਗ ੬੩੭

It’s only the One who can free you from the cycles of birth and death. Bhagat Peepa ji was a worshipper of a deity earlier. When she appeared, he asked her to give him mukti, she said she could give him the materialistic things in the life, liberation was out of her hands. Bhagat Naamdev ji wrote it in his words.

ਤੂ ਕਹੀਅਤ ਹੀ ਆਦਿ ਭਵਾਨੀ ॥ ਮੁਕਤਿ ਕੀ ਬਰੀਆ ਕਹਾ ਛਪਾਨੀ ॥੪॥ - ਅੰਗ ੮੭੪

The people who’ve not been enlightened still can’t see beyond the trinity of the demigods. This is where Hinduism and Sikhism diverge; but because of the Internet and the connectedness of the world using the social media platforms, people are changing that also, so that the Sikhism can be merged into Hinduism. Things which’re sunned by the Sikh Gurus are said to be right, and using some pseudo explanations people are showing their ritualistic lives to be the base of the Sikh religion, and all of those rituals are said to be followed by the Sikh Gurus.

A vast majority of people have raised the flags to condemn the actions of the BHs who’re changing the definition of the Sikhism. Few who’re either living under the influence of the BHs, or purposefully doing the mistranslation of the Sikh scriptures, have been brainwashed to believe that the correct translation to be flawed and is an attempt of the Khalistanis to create a line between the Hindus and Sikhs. Just imagine if there’s no mistranslation of the Sikh scriptures and the Sikh history, why would the Sikhs be bashing the BHs? They do not have a reason. Some might bring 1984 pogrom, but even in that not all the Hindus can be put in.

These people who’re chanting the names of the avatars of Vishnu or other demigods and use the terms ‘Khalistanis’ or ‘Pakistanis’ are actually fearful people. Their attempts to change the masses of the Sikh religion to their faith have been failed drastically. Now, they’ve coined this term. Actually, I believe, the argument should be met with an argument. If I am giving the verses and the explanation of something which’s been highly misunderstood by the BHs, then I will expect them to give me flawless arguments. Something new. Something fresh. But the clever BHs do not do that; and if they do, they fail at every attempt, so the arguments which I brought are met with people allegedly calling me a Khalistani or anti-Indian. That is not the argument.

I think like the label of RSS is very common among the Sikhs; they would put the label of RSS on all the Sikhs who’re actually preaching against the Sikh religion. Likewise, the BHs have picked the word Khalistani. The conspicuous disparity in both the cases is that the Sikhs would first make the argument on the basis of the Sikh scriptures, and then label the person as an RSSist. In the case of BHs, they don’t do it. Their argument against yours will be ‘Khalistani.’ Like a person on our YouTube channel have started name-calling rather than meeting the expectations of my arguments. The Sikh Gurus won the arguments that the BHs had at that period of time. Nowadays, we, the followers of the Sikh Gurus, are doing the same thing; we know what’s taught to us by the gurus and we’re using that to show the mirror to the BHs i.e. the alleged ritualistic lives, following the deities, etc., are not who we Sikhs are but the same people that you’re seeing in the mirror – you.

The BHs have divided the main religions in two categories. In one, they have the religions which’re started on the land of India – Sikhism, Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism – on the other hand, they have the Abrahamic religions – Islam, Christianity, and Judaism. This is also becoming the most popularly held argument that the religions born in India are actually the same. Like if we say Sikhism has the worshipping of only One, then the BHs would say you’re doing the Islamization of the Sikh religion, because according to them like the Hindus worship the 330mn deities, which’s been turned into 33 types, the same way the Sikhs follow the pattern. They do not want to worship the One because it hurts the sentiments of millions of the Hindu votaries, but at least they shouldn’t cloak the Sikh religion with their views. Worshipping the One is not the Islamization of the Sikh Faith but the truth which’s not acceptable to the BHs. For this reason, they sometimes bring Islam to talk about the atrocities during the period of the Mughals to have an impact on the minds of the Sikhs to stay away from ‘their’ ideology of worshipping the One and adopt the Brahmic religion of worshipping millions.

Gurbani says the Hindus are blind and Muslims are one-eyed.

ਹਿੰਦੂ ਅੰn@w ਤੁਰਕੂ ਕਾਣਾ ॥ - ਅੰਗ ੮੭੫

Why are Hindus blind? We need to understand this. Some people suggest that here only for those people the blind word is used who’re living a ritualistic life. I find it hard to believe. If you read the whole shabad of Bhagat Namdev ji, you will see before this verse few people that the Hindus worship are mentioned, like Ramchandra and Shivji. It’s become the habit of BHs to spread the message that in the verses of the Bhagats present in Guru Granth Sahib ji praise Vishnu. But the truth is it’s actually the totally opposite of what they’re claiming. If in their verses even a little hint of worshipping of the demigods was visible, the verses wouldn’t have been included in Guru Granth Sahib ji, because it’s against the Sikh religion.

It’s not just the ritualistic life, thing that’s not going to get you close to Waheguru, which’s condemned by the Sikh Gurus. It’s the adaptation of the worshipping of the demigods too. Mentioning of it in Bhai Baale’s Janamsakhi makes it evidently clear. The whole of the things got corrupted. According to Bhai Gurdas ji’s vaar, Hindus started fighting with each other, different groups of Sanyasis and Jogis emerged, Brahmins started quarrelling over the religious scriptures, religious books filled with the pakhand, and people had indulged in the materialistic world.

ਭਈ ਗਿਲਾਨਿ ਜਗਤ ਵਿਚਿ ਚਾਰਿ ਵਰਨ ਆਸ੍ਰਮ ਉਪਾਏ ।
ਦਸ ਨਾਮਿ ਸੰਨਿਆਸੀਆ ਜੋਗੀ ਬਾਰਹ ਪੰਥਿ ਚਲਾਏ ।
ਜੰਗਮ ਅਤੇ ਸਰੇਵੜੇ ਦਗੇ ਦਿਗੰਬਰਿ ਵਾਦਿ ਕਰਾਏ ।
ਬ੍ਰਹਮਣਿ ਬਹੁ ਪਰਕਾਰਿ ਕਰਿ ਸਾਸਤ੍ਰਿ ਵੇਦ ਪੁਰਾਣਿ ਲੜਾਏ ।
ਖਟਿ ਦਰਸਨ ਬਹੁ ਵੈਰਿ ਕਰਿ ਨਾਲਿ ਛਤੀਸਿ ਪਖੰਡ ਰਲਾਏ ।
ਤੰਤ ਮੰਤ ਰਾਸਾਇਣਾ ਕਰਾਮਾਤਿ ਕਾਲਖਿ ਲਪਟਾਏ ।
ਇਕਸਿ ਤੇ ਬਹੁ ਰੂਪਿ ਕਰਿ ਰੂਪ ਕੁਰੂਪੀ ਘਣੇ ਦਿਖਾਏ ।
ਕਲਿਜੁਗਿ ਅੰਦਰਿ ਭਰਮਿ ਭੁਲਾਏ ॥੧੯॥ ਵਾਰ ੧, ਪਉੜੀ ੧੯, ਭਾਈ ਗੁਰਦਾਸ ਜੀ ਦੀਆਂ ਵਾਰਾਂ

Bhai Gurdas II used the strongest word for the religions of Hindus and Muslims that how their pretence made them foolish.

ਲਖ ਪੰਡਿਤ ਬ੍ਰਹਮਨ ਜੋਤਕੀ ਬਿਖਰਸ ਉਰਝਾਨਾ ।
ਫੁਨ ਪਾਥਰ ਦੇਵਲ ਪੂਜਿਕੈ ਅਤਿਹੀ ਭਖਲਾਨਾ ।
ਇਉਂ ਦੋਨੋ ਫ਼ਿਰਕੇ ਕਪਟ ਮੈਜ ਰਚ ਰਹ ਨਿਦਾਨਾ ।
ਇਹ ਤੀਸਰ ਮਜ਼ਹਬ ਖ਼ਾਲਸਾ ਉਪਜਿਓ ਪਰਧਾਨਾ ।

So it’s more than that. There’re opinions on the Internet that the first guru could have removed the unneeded rules from Hinduism rather than starting a new religion. I think it wouldn’t have been possible to do when the whole thing has been diluted. Answering to the ‘why’ of Sikhism would require more of the time, and it’s currently out of the scope of the current topic. Will write on this in future.

One point should be noted that not all the Hindus were shunned in the aforementioned verses. But there’s a huge number of people who’d gone astray from the Right Path and had started indulging themselves in everything that’s taking them away from Waheguru. There’s no doubt there’re other people too who were worshipping the One. Guru Gobind Singh ji said those whose minds were absorbed in the Naam of Waheguru, they’d forgotten the Vedas. Those who’d forgotten the Vedas and Kateba, they started walking on the path of Waheguru.

ਬ੍ਰਹਮਾ ਚਾਰ ਹੀ ਬੇਦ ਬਨਾਏ ॥ ਸਰਬ ਲੋਕ ਤਿਹ ਕਰਮ ਚਲਾਏ ॥
ਜਿਨ ਕੀ ਲਿਵ ਹਰਿ ਚਰਨਨ ਲਾਗੀ ॥ ਤੇ ਬੇਦਨ ਤੇ ਭਏ ਤਿਆਗੀ ੧੯॥
ਜਿਨ ਮਤ ਬੇਦ ਕਤੇਬਨ ਤਿਯਾਗੀ ॥ ਪਾਰਬ੍ਰਹਮ ਕੇ ਭਏ ਅਨੁਰਾਗੀ ॥ – ਬਚਿਤ੍ਰ ਨਾਟਕ

Please note the Vedas are the most revered books in Hinduism. People do not care much about the Puranas, but the Vedas are at the top of the hierarchy of the holy books of Hindus.

Now why the guru said the above verses? You can find BHs using the verses from Guru Granth Sahib ji that the Vedas are the best. If it’s supposed to be true, why the tenth guru said otherwise? See, Vedas have so much information to give, but much part of the books revolve around the rituals than the Naam of Waheguru. Although there’re some glimpses of the Naam too in Vedas, but that is very, very much limited. Like Rigveda has the worshipping of the deities. The beginning of Rigveda is from the worshipping of Agni Dev. From the fundamental books of the Hindus, they learned the praises of the demigods. Their base is that. And they do not want to change it, so they’re convincing the young Sikhs to make them blindly aware of the non-existing verses in the praises of demigods in the Sikh scriptures.

For these reasons, the Hindus were called blind.

Let’s discuss the stories from the historical Sikh scriptures about the goddesses and gods that how they put the people on the path to the Sikh Gurus and advised them to follow the Sikh Gurus, not them. The very first story is from the time of Guru Nanak Dev ji.

Bhagirath was a Sikh of the first guru. Before he came in the refuge of the first guru, he’s a devotee of Kaali. One day in his dream came Kaali and told him to go to Guru Nanak Dev ji because he’s Waheguru Himself. In Bhagatmaala, Bhai Mani Singh ji mentioned Bhagirath woke up very early in the morning to bathe and saw a woman sweeping the floor. He asked her who she was and why she’s out of her house at that early time. She said she’s the devi. He told her that she gives everything to the gods, kills the demons, why she’s sweeping the floor? She said she gets the power by doing these things.

During the time of the Sikh Gurus, you can see the gods and goddesses’ status in front of them. They themselves tell their devotees to go and do the seva of the guru and walk on the path of the guru. With clever misinterpretations, the BHs are suggesting the gurus praising these gods and goddesses. When it comes to the words in the Sikh Holy Scriptures, they interpolate them to justify their claims. What are they going to do with these stories when the indications of the stories are very clear that the gods and goddesses are not praised by the Sikh Gurus?

At the time of the ninth guru, there’s a person named Bishan Singh who asked the help from Guru Teg Bahadur ji. The story circles around Kamakhya Devi. The king had served the goddess so well, and she’s very happy on him. Bishan Singh was advised by the guru to remember Guru Nanak Dev ji and chant Satnam that will help him and overrun the boon of Kamakhya Devi. The king slept one night and changed into night gown. The guru ordered to take away the clothes. In the morning the king was shocked to see the clothes not present where he left them. The goddess had protected him and his place for long, how someone could have taken the clothes from there? And why the goddess didn’t stop him? He’d all these questions in the morning when his mother arrived and told him not to worry.

She sat in the temple and started chanting the mantras and heard the voice of goddess that Bishan Singh had Guru Teg Bahadur ji on his side, who’s on the ninth place of Guru Nanak Dev ji. She advised them to go take refuge at the guru’s place.

One incident also comes in the life of Guru Angad Dev ji. Feru Mall, Father of Guru Angad Dev ji, used to go to the goddess (Vaishno Devi) with the people. After the demise of Father, the guru is said to be leading the group of people to visit the goddess. He’d heard about Guru Nanak Dev ji in Khadoor Singh where he heard the verses of gurbani sung by a Sikh named Jodha. In one of his visits to the goddess, he thought of meeting the guru on the way. He stayed with the other people at Kartarpur. He’s so impressed by the message of the guru that he made his mind not to go to the temple of goddess. The group of people who were with him didn’t agree with him, and said if Guru Nanak Dev ji was the Complete Guru then they should be able to see the goddess here with his power.

Next day they saw a woman sweeping the floor. When asked, she said she’s the one for whose darshan they’re going for. This story is same as it happened in the life of Bhai Bhagirath. The only difference is the audience.

Few points should be cleared here. Firstly, some people believe the second guru didn’t go for the darshan of the goddess, but to give darshan to her, before he met Guru Nanak Dev ji. Secondly, it’s also said the father of the guru used to go to goddess, and after the demise, he went there just as a guide, not as a devotee. Thirdly, some people believe that guru went for the darshan of the goddess. This last set of people clear many things related to the current topic.

Before he met the first guru, he adored the goddess. What happened later? Why he stopped visiting the temple? People who’re saying the gurus worshipped the gods and goddesses of the Hindus in their verses since the first guru, then the second guru shouldn’t have stopped visiting the place, no? He must have known that the guru was a devotee of the gods and goddesses. But history doesn’t tell us that. Bhai Lehna ji stopped going there. Simple. End. Why? Because the path of the guru and the teachings of the guru aren’t related to the ways of the worshipping of the gods and goddesses. Bhai Lehna ji understood this after meeting the guru and staying with him. Same set of people also say in the last days of the third guru he said to pour the ashes in the Ganges. Here also the same story is there. Before meeting the second guru, the third guru was going to the Ganges, later he stopped that. If he’d stopped going in there, then why he would order the Sikhs to pour his ashes in the Ganges? Here also the guru went to the Ganges to give darshan to the river. It’s written in Suraj Parkash that the rivers were calling the third guru to dip his feet in the water to purify the rivers again. How the guru, who the rivers, including the Ganges, beseeched and implored to visit them and relieve them, would have asked the Sikhs to go there which’re not above the guru and had no importance in the Sikhs? I cleared this misconception in the Clichéd Argument Series.

The last example is related to the worshipping of the big incarnation Vishnu. Krishna. There’s a person named Mayi Das at the time of the third guru. He’s the worshipper of Krishna. From the Sikhs, he’d heard the name of the third guru, so he thought of visiting him at Goindwal Sahib. He was asked to go and eat first with the other Sikhs in the langar and then come to see the guru. Mayi Das thought about it that the food might not have been prepared according to what he believed in, and all the people are eating together, it would go against his religious beliefs. He didn’t eat there and left.

Then he thought of going to Dwarka. On the way some festival came where the Hindus have to fast. He started his fast when he’s passing through the jungle. He couldn’t get anything to eat during the end (start?) of the fast. He started chanting the name of Krishna. Fierce wind was blowing, and it’s raining continuously and heavily. Seeing him struggling, Krishan put the food in front of him but didn’t show himself. Mayi Das was shocked to see that. It’s daal and rice, but he didn’t eat them. (Only the fried food is eaten during those fasts?) By seeing him rejecting the food, another meal was given to him. He’s happy to see that.

Krishna told him you made a mistake by rejecting the food at Goindwal Sahib. You should go and visit the guru. Mayi Das made his mind and went back to Goindwal Sahib without going to Dwarka.

Now, why’d Krishna send him to the guru when the gurus were supposed to be worshipping him? Doesn’t it clearly say that the gurus were not worshipping the deities? Why Mayi Das stopped worshipping Krishan and adopted Sikhi?

The story of Mayi Das is written differently in Twarikh Khalsa. The above-mentioned part is written in Suraj Parkash. Some people also have the doubts that the Sikh Gurus were the incarnation of Vishnu because there’re few stories in the lives of the gurus where they’re shown as the incarnations of Vishnu when devotees thought to check if they’re all-knowing or not. The explanation behind that is the gurus were Waheguru Himself, they could have taken any form because all the forms are of Waheguru. And gurbani states clearly the deities, including Vishnu, making the mistakes and indulging in Maaya, but the gurus didn’t do that. So there’s a clear difference between Vishnu and the Sikh Gurus and they can’t be put at the same level. Sikh Gurus were Waheguru themselves.

Let me bring you the verses from the book which’s not known to the common Sikhs. The scholars like Bhai Vir Singh and Bhai Kahn Singh Nabha had used the verses from this book. Dabestan-e-Mazaheb is the name of the book. It’s also known as ‘School of Manners.’ This book was written in the 17^th century by Muhsin Fani (claimed.) Famous translation of this Persian source was done by David Shea and Anthony Troyer.

As to the rest, Nanac's followers condemn idolatry, and believe that all their Gurus are Nanacs, as was said before. They do not recite the mantras of the Hindus, they do not venerate their temples, nor do they esteem their Avatars. The Sanscrit language, which according to the Hindus is the language of the gods, is not held in such great estimation by the Sikhs. – page 269

The inhabitants of this country adore idols. Upon the summit of a fortified mountain, they raised an image of the Deva, named Naina (Narayana). Rajas and other eminent persons made pilgrimages to this place. At the time when the Guru came there, one of the Sikhs, called Bhairo, who accompanied him, entered the temple and struck off the nose of the idol. The rajas, having been informed of it, came to the Guru to complain of the act, and named the man who did it. The Guru called Bhairo before him. The Sikh denied the deed. The servants of the rajas declared: “We know the man.” He replied: “O rajas, ask you the god: if he tells you my name, kill me.” The rajas said : : “You blockhead! how shall the god speak?” Bhairo laughed and answered: “Now it is clear who is the blockhead: if the god cannot defend his head, nor point out the man who struck him, what benefit do you expect from him, and why do you venerate his strength?” The rajas remained silent and confounded. – page 276

BHs who’ve one-digit IQ and use almost non-existing brain bend the meanings of the verses from gurbani. What’re they going to do about the above-mentioned paragraphs? Also, for their rescue they call the British, especially Macauliffe because of his work that how, according to them, he’s changing the history of the Sikhs and creating a line between Sikhs and Hindus. What about the 17^th century book, before the British conquered the land of Punjab? What excuse will you have? That the British added new lines in the original book? You know what, AV and his brainless followers won’t even hesitate to say that because he’d already said the holy scriptures of the Sikhs were changed by the British. This’s the stupidity of the people who do not know anything about Sikhi, as well as about their own religions, but spend so much time on the Internet to show how foolish they are.

This also proves that the tenth guru didn’t worship any goddess because the story in School of Manners is related to Naina Devi. If Naina Devi has any significance in Sikhism, the Sikh wouldn’t have cut the nose off of the idol. It should not be taken as the Sikhs should go and destroy the idols. It’s just to give a message that the idols can’t do anything.

Bhai Gurdas ji wrote it very beautifully that a loyal wife will not look at the other men; a papeeha doesn’t want to go near a water source but always seeks rain; likewise, the Sikhs are without the worshipping of the gods and goddesses but also don’t go disparaging them or boasting about themselves. If you put the two mirrors facing each other and look into one, you will see so many images; if you put one foot in two parallel boats you can’t reach the destination; if there’re two kings of one place, then the hoi polloi wouldn’t be happy; likewise, the Sikhs who worship the gods and goddesses, Jams would catch them, and those Sikhs’ living is worthless.

ਜੈਸੇ ਪਤਿਬ੍ਰਤਾ ਪਰ ਪੁਰਖੈ ਨ ਦੇਖਿਓ ਚਾਹੈ, ਪੂਰਨ ਪਤਿਬ੍ਰਤਾ ਕੈ ਪਤਿ ਹੀ ਕੈ ਧਿਆਨ ਹੈ ॥
ਸਰ ਸਰਿਤਾ ਸਮੁੰਦ੍ਰ ਚਾਤ੍ਰਿਕ ਨ ਚਾਹੈ ਕਾਹੂ, ਆਸ ਘਨ ਬੂੰਦ ਪ੍ਰਿਅ ਪ੍ਰਿਅ ਗੁਨ ਗਿਆਨ ਹੈ ॥
ਦਿਨਕਰ ਓਰ ਭੋਰ ਚਾਹਤ ਨਹੀ ਚਕੋਰ, ਮਨ ਬਚ ਕ੍ਰਮ ਹਿਮਕਰ ਪ੍ਰਿਅ ਪ੍ਰਾਨ ਹੈ ॥
ਤੈਸੇ ਗੁਰਸਿਖ ਆਨ ਦੇਵ ਸੇਵ ਰਹਿਤ ਪੈ, ਸਹਜ ਸੁਭਾਵ ਨ ਅਵਗਿਆ ਅਭਿਮਾਨ ਹੈ ॥੪੬੬॥
ਦੋਇ ਦਰਪਨ ਦੇਖੈ ਏਕ ਸੈ ਅਨੇਕ ਰੂਪ, ਦੋਇ ਨਾਵ ਪਾਵ ਧਰੈ ਪਹੁਚੈ ਨ ਪਾਰਿ ਹੈ ॥
ਦੋਇ ਦਿਸਾ ਗਹੇ ਗਹਾਏ ਸੈ ਹਾਥ ਪਾਉ ਟੂਟੈ, ਦੁਰਾਹੇ ਦੁਚਿਤ ਹੋਇ ਭੂਲਿ ਪਗੁ ਧਾਰਿ ਹੈ ॥
ਦੋਇ ਭੂਪ ਤਾ ਕੋ ਗਾਉ ਪਰਜਾ ਨ ਸੁਖੀ ਹੋਤ, ਦੋਇ ਪੁਰਖਨ ਕੀ ਨ ਕੁਲਾ ਬਧੂ ਨਾਰਿ ਹੈ ॥
ਗੁਰਸਿਖ ਹੋਇ ਆਨ ਦੇਵ ਸੇਵ ਟੇਵ ਗਹੈ, ਸਹੈ ਜਮ ਡੰਡੁ ਧ੍ਰਿਗ ਜੀਵਨੁ ਸੰਸਾਰ ਹੈ ॥੪੬੭॥ – ਕਬਿੱਤ ਭਾਈ ਗੁਰਦਾਸ ਜੀ

These are the strong words of the Sikh who was a scribe to write Guru Granth Sahib ji. Not only this, Bhai Gurdas ji also writes about the difference between the worshippers of deities and Gurdev/Waheguru. He writes that like there’s a difference between the trees of mango and sambal, one gives fruit, the other doesn’t; like there’s a difference between the trees of sandal and bamboo; likewise there’s a difference between the worshippers of deities and Gurdev – the worshipper of gods and goddesses are egotistical people, but the followers of Gurdev are without ego.

ਜੈਸੇ ਉਪਬਨ ਆਂਬ ਸੇਂਬਲ ਹੈ ਊਚ ਨੁਚ, ਨਿਹਫਲ ਸਫਲ ਪ੍ਰਗਟ ਪਹਿਚਾਨੀਐ ॥
ਚੰਦਨ ਸਮੀਪ ਜੈਸੇ ਬਾਂਸ ਅਉ ਬਨਾਸਪਤੀ, ਗੰਧ ਨਿਰਗੰਧ ਸਿਵ ਸਕਤਿ ਕੈ ਜਾਨੀਐ ॥
ਸੀਪ ਸੰਖ ਦੋਊ ਜੈਸੇ ਰਹਿਤ ਸਮੁੰਦ੍ਰ ਬਿਖੈ, ਸ੍ਵਾਂਤਿ ਬੂੰਦ ਸੰਤਤਿ ਨ ਸਮਤ ਬਿਧਾਨੀਐ ॥
ਤੈਸੇ ਗੁਰਦੇਵ ਆਨ ਦੇਵ ਸੇਵਕਨ ਭੇਦ, ਅਹੰ ਬੁਧਿ ਨਿਮ੍ਰਤਾ ਅਮਾਨ ਜਗ ਮਾਨੀਐ ॥੪੬੫॥ – ਕਬਿੱਤ ਭਾਈ ਗੁਰਦਾਸ ਜੀ

Guru Arjan Dev ji talks about the same thing. See, many Sikhs of the guru period learned many things not from the common people but the Sikh Gurus. You can see so many things clearly mentioned in the writing of Bhai Gurdas ji. For this reason, people say that the writing of Bhai Gurdas ji is the commentary of the gurbani. And the direct conclusions by Bhai Gurdas ji shed light to clear the message which’s been smudged by the BHs and SSs.

The message of Bhai Gurdas ji might be the commentary on the similar verses of Guru Arjan Dev ji below. Those who worship someone else apart from Waheguru, they’re doing suicide. Those who worship someone else apart from Waheguru, they’re foolish and are like donkeys. Shivji, Brahma, demons and gods and all die at last.

ਮਲਾਰ ਮਹਲਾ ੫ ॥ ਰਾਜ ਤੇ ਕੀਟ ਕੀਟ ਤੇ ਸੁਰਪਤਿ ਕਰਿ ਦੋਖ ਜਠਰ ਕਉ ਭਰਤੇ ॥

ਕ੍ਰਿਪਾ ਨਿਧਿ ਛੋਡਿ ਆਨ ਕਉ ਪੂਜਹਿ ਆਤਮਘਾਤੀ ਹਰਤੇ ॥੧॥

ਹਰਿ ਬਿਸਰਤ ਤੇ ਦੁਖਿ ਦੁਖਿ ਮਰਤੇ ॥

ਅਨਿਕ ਬਾਰ ਭ੍ਰਮਹਿ ਬਹੁ ਜੋਨੀ ਟੇਕ ਨ ਕਾਹੂ ਧਰਤੇ ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥

ਤਿਆਗਿ ਸੁਆਮੀ ਆਨ ਕਉ ਚਿਤਵਤ ਮੂੜ ਮੁਗਧ ਖਲ ਖਰ ਤੇ ॥

ਕਾਗਰ ਨਾਵ ਲੰਘਹਿ ਕਤ ਸਾਗਰੁ ਬ੍ਰਿਥਾ ਕਥਤ ਹਮ ਤਰਤੇ ॥੨॥

ਸਿਵ ਬਿਰੰਚਿ ਅਸੁਰ ਸੁਰ ਜੇਤੇ ਕਾਲ ਅਗਨਿ ਮਹਿ ਜਰਤੇ ॥

ਨਾਨਕ ਸਰਨਿ ਚਰਨ ਕਮਲਨ ਕੀ ਤੁਮ੍ ਨ ਡਾਰਹੁ ਪ੍ਰਭ ਕਰਤੇ ॥੩॥੪॥ - ਅੰਗ ੧੨੬੭

When this shabad was used by Bhai Kahn Singh Nabha in his book ‘Hum Hindu Nahi’, he showed some humour and mentioned at the bottom of the page that the foolish Sikhs who worship Pirs and others should read this shabad five times a day. I don’t think there should be any clearer message than what we’ve seen so far to conclude that the Sikhs do not worship the gods and goddesses.

Another moot point to discuss is the name of Waheguru. Many people are still struggling to accept that God has numerous names. You might complete counting the hair, but you can’t summarize all the names of Waheguru. One BH mentioned on Quora that the Sikh scriptures try to elevate the image of Akaal Purakh, Sikh God, than the gods of Hindus. This is very vital to remember that the Sikhism has accepted many names of Waheguru. Akaal Purakh is not some Sikh God, you can say. Akaal Purakh is God. Like Allah is God. Ram is God. Similarly, Akaal Purakh is the name of God. It will be foolish if we go talking about the Hindu God or Sikh God or Muslim God. We don’t do that. Yes, I used the words ‘Hindu gods’ for the article, but it’s not for some Supreme Being of the Hindus but the devis and devtas.

People have forgotten that Ram and Rahim both are the names of Waheguru. They’re just struggling with the different names. This’s why we’ve left the commentary of both the religions.

ਰਾਮ ਰਹੀਮ ਕਹਾਇਦੇ ਇਕੁ ਨਾਮੁ ਦੁਇ ਰਾਹ ਭੁਲਾਣੇ । - ਵਾਰ ੧, ਪਉੜੀ ੨੧, ਭਾਈ ਗੁਰਦਾਸ ਜੀ

If we’re also going to debate about the Hindu God or Muslim God, then we’re wasting the time like them. We believe Ram be the name of God, Allah be the name of God and Waheguru be the name of God. Although Allah word in Muslim is used for God who’s not omnipresent. But in Sikhism, we use the word Allah for the One who’s omnipresent. Similarly, Ram word in Hindus is used for Ramchandra, an incarnation of Vishnu, but in Sikhism we use Ram word for God.

After explaining everything above, can we describe in simple words that why the Sikhs don’t worship the gods and goddesses?

Gurbani starts with ੧, we believe in only One. For us, there’s no worshipping of the deities. The reason behind is not the hatred or disgust for them, but because we Sikhs do not believe them to be on par with Waheguru. Someone who’s not on par with Waheguru, there’s no purpose of worshipping him or her. Some people definitely believe them to be God, that is their perception of the reality according to what’s been fed to them or what they’ve read in their holy scriptures. They can believe in One or Many, it’s their ways of worshipping someone. But from the perspective of the Sikhs, it’s very clear that the Sikhs and Sikh Guru never worshipped the gods and goddesses.

Then on what basis people claim the Sikh scriptures talking about the worshipping of the deities? I am coming to that because there has to be something which’s misunderstood by people and then proclaimed their theories as facts. Like it’s been stated that Waheguru has so many names. And many names of Waheguru come in gurbani. Those names are same as the names of the gods that Hindus worship, so they propagate these theories. For example, Ram word is for Ramchandra for a Hindu, but it’s not entirely true for Sikhs, because the word Ram is used for Waheguru multiple times in gurbani. People even tell the masses the Sikhs not chanting the name of Ram or Hari but Waheguru, then what’s the purpose of having all those names in the SHSs? I am planning to write a separate post on this, but in few words I can say the Sikhs chant the name of Waheguru because this’s the gurmantar given by the guru. They didn’t reject the other names of Waheguru. Waheguru name is made up of the four names of Waheguru so it’s more power than the other names. Then why the other words were used at the first place? To tell the attributes of Waheguru, because the Sikhs don’t just read the names of Waheguru, they know their meanings too.

The BHs failed to understand the meanings of the words which come in SHSs. That is the only point. Let me give you one example from one answer by the BH on Quora.

ਬਿਨੁ ਗੁਰ ਸਬਦ ਨ ਗਤਿ ਪਤਿ ਪਾਵਹਿ ਰਾਮ ਨਾਮ ਬਿਨੁ ਨਰਕਿ ਗਇਆ ॥੪॥

Using the above verse, the BH propagates that those who don’t chant the name of Ramchandra will go to hell. But does the verse imply to chant the name of Ramchandra? No. They just associate the words with their deities without knowing the meanings. You must have encountered the BHs suggesting that Sikh means a learner, it’s not a religion. When it comes to the different and distinct identity of Sikhs, they go to the meaning of the word Sikh; on the other hand, during the translation of the verses of the Sikh scriptures, they don’t translate the words. What is the meaning of Ram? That is very much important. Without that, you’re just showing your buffoonery.

I also like the understanding of some Hindus who’re questioning on Quora that the Hindus call the trinity of gods as creators, but the gurbani says they’re created by Waheguru. I really am amazed to see this because it shows that they’re learning about the Sikh scriptures. But as there are not many Sikhs on Quora who truly spend their time to debunk the claims of BHs, the BHs answer them according to their twisted meaning. Like one BH has written in many answers that those who don’t chant the name of Ramchandra will go to hell.

So Waheguru was always there, is always there, and will always be there. The gods and goddesses were created by Him to serve Him and the universe. This is their purpose. They’re not the kings but the servants of the One. These deities are in time, and one day they all will die. What is the purpose of chanting their names when they will not even survive the Kaal? We see this clearly in the life of Guru Nanak Dev ji and Guru Gobind Singh ji that how Waheguru said the incarnations or other godly beings started their own paths without putting the people on the Right Path – His Path. For this reason, the Sikhism came into picture because people’d forgotten the One because of the worshipping of the deities and other people with powers. The verses from the conversation between Guru Gobind Singh ji and Waheguru are already mentioned. Let me give you the picture of what’s there when Guru Nanak Dev ji went to Sachkhand.

Before Guru Nanak Dev ji entered, there’re many avatars and deities who’re standing at the door, with their heads down. They couldn’t enter the place. After meeting Waheguru, someone asked Guru Sahib why these deities (including Brahma, Vishnu and Shivji) can’t go inside? Guru Sahib said they’re sent on earth to connect the people to Waheguru, but they started connecting them to their own names, shown miracles to people to make them their servants, so that’s why they’re punished like this. The foolish people start calling avatars as Waheguru.

ਏਥੇ ਅਨੇਕ ਅਵਤਾਰ, ਪੈਗੰਬਰ, ਬ੍ਰਹਮਾਂ, ਵਿਸ਼ਨੂੰ, ਸ਼ਿਵ, ਕ੍ਰਿਸ਼ਨ ਆਦਿਕ ਦੇਵਤਾ ਸਿਰ ਝੁਕਾਏ ਹੋਏ ਅਤੀ ਨਿਮ੍ਰ ਖੜੇ ਦੇਖੇ ।

ਏਹ ਸ਼ਬਦ ਸੁਣ ਕੇ ਓਹਨਾਂ ਪੁਛਿਆ ਕਿ ਇਨ੍ਹਾਂ ਅਵਤਾਰਾਂ ਨੂੰ ਅੰਦਰ ਜਾਣ ਦਾ ਹੁਕਮ ਕਿਉਂ ਨਹੀਂ ? ਤਾਂ ਬਾਬਾ ਆਖਿਆ, "ਓਨ੍ਹਾਂ ਨੂੰ ਨਿਰਾਦਰੀ ਨਾਲ ਦਰਵਾਜੇ ਅੱਗੇ ਖੜੇ ਰਹਿਣ ਦੀ ਸਜਾ ਏਸ ਵਾਸਤੇ ਮਿਲੀ ਹੈ ਕਿ ਈਸ਼੍ਵਰ ਨੇ ਤਾਂ ਓਨ੍ਹਾਂ ਨੂੰ ਭਗਤੀ ਭਜਨ ਦ੍ਰਿੜ੍ਹਾਉਣ ਲਈ ਭੇਜਿਆ ਸੀ ਪਰ ਓਨ੍ਹਾਂ ਆਪਣੇ ਆਪਣੇ ਨਾਮ ਜਤਾਏ, ਪੰਥ ਚਲਾਏ ਤੇ ਲੋਗਾਂ ਨੂੰ ਕਰਾਮਾਤਾਂ ਦਿਖਾ ਦਿਖਾ ਆਪਣੇ ਸੇਵਕ ਬਣਾਯਾ । ਪਰਮੇਸ਼ਰ ਪ੍ਰਾਇਣ ਨਾ ਕੀਤਾ । ਏਸ ਬੇਮੁਖਤਾ ਦੀ ਸਜ਼ਾ ਓਹਨਾਂ ਨੂੰ ਮਿਲ ਰਹੀ ਹੈ । - ਤਵਾਰੀਖ਼ ਖ਼ਾਲਸਾ

ਅਸਾਂ ਉੱਪਰ ਏਡੀ ਮੇਹਰਬਾਨੀ ਕਰਤੇ ਪੁਰਖ ਕੀ ਹੈ ਜੋ ਅਸੀਂ ਏਥੇ ਆਇ ਪਹੁੰਚੇ ਹਾਂ ਉਸਦੇ ਪਸਾਰੇ ਦਾ ਕੁਛ ਅੰਤ ਸ਼ੁਮਾਰ ਨਹੀਂ ਉਹ ਕਰਤਾਰ ਆਪ ਹੀ ਜਾਣਤਾ ਹੈ ਅਤੇ ਸ੍ਰਿਸ਼ਟੀ ਦੇ ਕਰਤਾ ਬ੍ਰਹਮ ਬਿਸ਼ਨ ਮਹੇਸ਼ ਉਹ ਭੀ ਅੰਤ ਨਹੀਂ ਪਾਇ ਥੱਕੇ । ਕਿਸੇ ਨੂੰ ਅੰਤ ਨਹੀਂ ਆਇਆ ਓਹ ਆਪਣੀ ਕੁਦਰਤ ਨੂੰ ਆਪ ਹੀ ਜਾਣੇ ਕਮਲਾ ਸੰਸਾਰ ਅਵਤਾਰਾਂ ਨੂੰ ਪ੍ਰਮੇਸ਼ਰ ਜਾਣ ਬੈਠਾ ਹੈ – ਜਨਮਸਾਖੀ ਭਾਈ ਬਾਲਾ

Those who’re standing at the door, those who’d made mistakes, those who’re not called God by the Sikh Gurus, those who indulged in Maaya, those who failed to spread the message … those were worshipped by the Sikh Gurus? Come on, guys, they might be Supreme for you people, not for the Sikh Gurus and us Sikhs. We respect them for many reasons, but we don’t worship them for any reasons.

Waheguru is so powerful and great that the deities are just insects in front of Him. In Akaal Ustat, Guru Gobind Singh ji compared the greatest incarnation ever known among Hindus to an insect. Guru Sahib says numerous Krishna-like insects were created and killed by Waheguru. Why’d Guru Sahib use that type of words? Because it’s the truth. You’re comparing the Omnipresent Force to someone who’s just a small being. No doubt, Krishna is so powerful and all, but without the jot of Waheguru, he’s nothing.

ਕਿਤੇ ਕ੍ਰਿਸਨ ਸੇ ਕੀਟ ਕੋਟੈ ਉਪਾਏ ॥ – ਅਕਾਲ ਉਸਤਤ

This is how low they’re in the hierarchy.

So the BHs do not want to move to the meanings of the words but the deities associated with them. This’s the reason why they’re stooping so low to prove their points. They’ll quote from the different verses of gurbani, but will not tell the meanings of words. They can’t be progressive in the matter of the Sikh religion and its scriptures if they stand at the same point. They’re not ready to accept that one word can have multiple meanings. I even read on Quora one BH saying the contradiction in Dasam Guru Granth Sahib because at one place Har is said to be nothing, on the other it’s said Har is so powerful. They do not even know the different meanings of Har word. Har word is used for so many things in gurbani. Padmapat has also multiple meanings: one is for Vishnu; the other is for Waheguru. As the Singhs often say the translation of the verses is based on the context of the shabad. Where Padmapat is said to be not able to fully understand the One can’t be translated as Waheguru. Where the worshiping of Padmapat is shown can’t be taken as Vishnu. It’s a simple thumb rule. Now if a person says there’s a contradiction in the verses, then he’s a fool.

ਪਾਰ ਨ ਪਾਇ ਸਕੈ ਪਦਮਾਪਤਿ ਬੇਦ ਕਤੇਬ ਅਭੇਦ ਉਚਾਰੈ ॥ – ਅਕਾਲ ਉਸਤਤ
ਪੂਰਨ ਪ੍ਰੇਮ ਪ੍ਰਭਾਉ ਬਿਨਾ ਪਤਿ ਸਿਉ ਕਿਨ ਸ੍ਰੀ ਪਦਮਾ ਪਤਿ ਪਾਏ ॥੩॥੨੪੫॥ – ਅਕਾਲ ਉਸਤਤ

Likewise, let’s have the translation of the word Har in the below verses. I’ve written them so many times in different articles. If I want to associate the word Har to Vishnu, my translation will be flawed. If I use the meaning of Har according to the context, then the meaning will be right.

ਸ੍ਵੈਯਾ ॥ ਹਰਿ ਸੋ ਮੁਖ ਹੈ ਹਰਿਤੀ ਦੁਖ ਹੈ ਅਲਿਕੈ ਹਰਿ ਹਾਰ ਪ੍ਰਭਾ ਹਰਨੀ ਹੈ ॥

Real meaning: Sumbh tells his brother, Nisumbh, about her that her face glows like Moon, by seeing it laziness goes away, and her hair is more beautiful than the snake around the neck of Shiv ji.

Wrong meaning: Sumbh tells his brother, Nisumbh, about her that her face glows like Vishnu, Vishnu takes away laziness, and Vishnu’s hair is more beautiful than Vishnu around the neck of Vishnu.

ਲੋਚਨ ਹੈ ਹਰਿ ਸੇ ਸਰਸੇ ਹਰਿ ਸੇ ਭਰੁਟੇ ਹਰਿ ਸੀ ਬਰੁਨੀ ਹੈ ॥

Real meaning: Her eyes are like flowers, and eyebrows are curly like a bow, and sight is like an arrow.

Wrong meaning: Her eyes are like Vishnu, eyebrows are curly like Vishnu, and sight is like Vishnu.

ਕੇਹਰਿ ਸੋ ਕਰਹਾ ਚਲਬੋ ਹਰਿ ਪੈ ਹਰਿ ਕੀ ਹਰਿਨੀ ਤਰਨੀ ਹੈ ॥

Real meaning: Her waist is like a lion, her gait like an elephant’s.

Wrong meaning: Her waist is like Vishnu, her gait like an elephant’s.

ਹੈ ਕਰ ਮੈ ਹਰਿ ਪੈ ਹਰਿ ਸੋਂ ਹਰਿ ਰੂਪ ਕੀਏ ਹਰਿ ਕੀ ਧਰਨੀ ਹੈ ॥

Real meaning: She has a sword in her hand, has a lion to ride, she is glowing like the sun, she is wife of Shiv ji.

Wrong meaning: She has Vishnu in her hand, has Vishnu to ride, she is glowing like Vishnu, she is wife of Vishnu.

In very strict words, the tenth guru says that you’ve worshipped Krishna, Bishan, Ram, etc.; spend so much time worshipping them, but it’ll not be of any use; they can’t even save themselves, how can they save you anyway?

ਕ੍ਰਿਸਨ ਅਉ ਬਿਸਨ ਜਪੇ ਤੁਹਿ ਕੋਟਿਕ ਰਾਮ ਰਹੀਮ ਭਲੀ ਬਿਧਿ ਧਿਆਯੋ ॥
ਬ੍ਰਹਮ ਜਪਿਓ ਅਰੁ ਸੰਭ ਥਪਿਓ ਤਿਹਤੇ ਤੁਹਿ ਕੋ ਕਿਨਹੂੰ ਨਾ ਬਚਾਯੋ ॥
ਕੋਟ ਕਰੀ ਤਪਸਾ ਦਿਨ ਕੋਟਿਕ ਕਾਹੂ ਨ ਕੌਡੀ ਕੋ ਕਾਮ ਕਢਾਯੋ ॥
ਕਾਮਕਾ ਮੰਤ੍ਰ ਕਸੀਰੇ ਕੇ ਕਾਮ ਨ ਕਾਲ ਕੋ ਘਾਉ ਕਿਨਹੂੰ ਨ ਬਚਾਯੋ ॥੯੭॥
ਕਾਹੇ ਕੋ ਕੂਰ ਕਰੇ ਤਪਸਾ ਇਨਕੀ ਕੋਊ ਕੌਡੀ ਕੇ ਕਾਮ ਨ ਐਹੈ ॥
ਤੋਹਿ ਬਚਾਇ ਸਕੈ ਕਹੁ ਕੈਸੇ ਕੈ ਆਪਨ ਘਾਵ ਬਚਾਇ ਨ ਐਹੈ ॥
ਕੋਪ ਕਰਾਲ ਕੀ ਪਾਵਕ ਕੁੰਡ ਮੈ ਆਪ ਟੰਗਿਓ ਤਿਮ ਤੋਹਿ ਟੰਗੈ ਹੈ ॥
ਚੇਤ ਰੇ ਚੇਤ ਅਜੋ ਜੀਅ ਮੈ ਜੜ ਕਾਲ ਕ੍ਰਿਪਾ ਬਿਨੁ ਕਾਮ ਨ ਐਹੈ ॥੯੮॥ – ਬਚਿਤ੍ਰ ਨਾਟਕ

At the end of this article, I want to say it again that my intention was not to hurt the sentiments of any religious person, and I quoted as many verses as possible from the SHSs and other books to make sure people shouldn’t think everything’s coming out of my imagination, or I am showing disgust towards the Hindu gods or Hindus.

I request the BHs to keep their worshipping to themselves, and stay away from the misinterpretations of the Sikh scriptures because it’s created so much of hatred on the Internet, which then goes to the hearts of some Sikhs who use bad words for you and your gods. Don’t be foolish like your ancestors. Be good to others.

Also, I want to request the Sikhs to stop hating the Hindus unnecessarily. I know history has so much that shows the anti-Sikh activities in which the Hindus were involved. But you have to understand that you can’t hate all the Hindus. There’re particular groups of Hindus that do all these things, not all. For this reason, we’ve categorically defined the people on our blog. We don’t hate all the Hindus. We don’t hate all the Muslims. We don’t have time to hate the religions. But we definitely resent those who’re maligning our religion with their misinterpretations of the SHSs.

I really hope this will set a new bar for the BHs and SSs, who’re hellbent to prove the devotion of the Sikh Gurus to the gods and goddesses. And they will match the arguments of ours in their debates rather than misinterpreting our holy scriptures.