Aad Sakhia

Aad Sakhia

Aad Sakhia (the Earlier Stories) talks about the life of the first Sikh Guru. The other name of this book is Shambu Naath wali Janam Patri Babe Nanak ji ki. But it’s mainly known as Aad Sakhia (AS) among the scholars. From the name of the book it shouldn’t be taken as the first book on the life of the first Sikh Guru.

Background

This book was edited by Dr Pyaar Singh (not to be confused with Pyaara Singh Padam) and was published back in 1969, the 400^th year of the Parkash Purabh of Guru Nanak Dev ji. It’s the time when many scholars, both Punjabi and English, introduced new books to the readers. The universities and the individual writers contributed and cleared many doubts regarding the life of Guru Nanak Dev ji, the Sikh Religion, existence of Bhai Baala, and many more.

In the preface, Dr Pyaar Sigh mentioned how Dr Mohan Singh Diwana said this book and the translation of Jap Ji Sahib should be brought from Lahore. Although the other copies of this scripture were present in the Indian side too, and by analysing the multiple copies Dr Pyaar Singh published this book.

At the end of this book, the year 1758 BC (1701 AD) is mentioned. The editor put this scripture at the second place: Puratan Janamsakhi – Aad Sakhia – Meharban’s Janamsakhi. It should also be noted the editor argued the existence of Bhai Baala and tried to prove he never existed. Although it’s rightly put, and is written in the scripture too, that a third person was present with Guru Nanak Dev ji. It’s similar to what’s been written in the Mehma Parkash Vartak as well as in the Mehma Parkash Kaav, where we see the story (sacha sauda) of Guru Nanak Dev ji giving food to sadhus. Although the name is omitted in there but the sign might have been towards Bhai Baala because other JS do not mention this incident. In Mehma Parkash Kaav, we do not see the name of Bhai Baala explicitly mentioned in the first part, although on few occasions the indication is towards Bhai Baala, but in the second part Bhai Baala comes to the second guru.

So, arguing that Bhai Baala never existed because it’s not mentioned in Mehma Parkash is very objectionable. Anyway, the existence of Bhai Baala is wholly a different topic. I will leave it here and discuss it in another post in detail.

Aad Sakhia is not put in the known four traditions of the JS namely Puratan, Baala, and Meharban. It’s wholly a new tradition but it’s not categorized in the JS as the fifth one. The reason might have been the common name among the scholars – Aad Sakhia. However, it would be right to have it place among the different traditions and called as a JS. The writers majorly rely on the JSs to write about the life of the first Sikh Guru. But the addition of this ‘JS’ might bring new era of taking the help of this scripture to write on the life of the Guru, although many stories are common among other traditions, which’re in other JSs also.

Editor’s work

I like the preface written by the editor to much extent. The ending part of the preface needs more of our attention. In some books, it’s claimed that the first guru did the shraddha of his father. Pyaar Singh was of the opinion that to authenticate this story the Joti Jot of the Guru was preponed. There’s one more copy of AS where the date of the Joti Jot was Asu sudi 10 strikethrough and a new date was mentioned as Asu vadi 10. The date of the shraddha, if believed to be, was Asu vadi 9. So to show the shraddha was done, the date was changed.

Now, sudi comes after vadi. Why was the date changed then? It could’ve been possibly said the Guru did the shraddha on vadi 9 and then had Jot Joti on sudi 10. Dr Pyaar Singh answers this question as the shraddha is usually done without moonlight, so the Joti Jot had to be changed to vadi instead of sudi. And it’s not just a one-day process to complete the shraddha.

One thing is cent percent true i.e. there’s no shraddha of the Guru’s father irrespective of the Joti Jot of the first Sikh Guru. The reason being in the writing of the first guru, and as well as of the fifth guru, also including numerous books, show the Sikh Gurus didn’t believe in the shraddha, or any other Hindu rites including, pittal, pind, reading the Purana.

The editor wrote there might have been a long tradition of AS which couldn’t reach us. Although he showed the dependency of AS on other JS. Overall the tone of the preface was neutral; he didn’t reach to the extreme ends like S. S. Padam.

Last statements

This can be called a new JS and should be read by the Sikhs. But like other JSs, this one also has the drawbacks. One has to understand the time in which these JSs (apart from Bhai Baala’s; but the alternations were made later) are written. They wrote what they learned. Their purpose was to keep the stories in a book. Perhaps for the future generations, so that they could learn about the Guru. Sometimes they wanted to write the life of the Sikh Gurus and show the reverence that they had for them.

AS has some stories which’re not according to the other JS. So the writer must have learned them orally from others before writing them. Some of them are, without any doubt, against the ethos of the Sikh Religion. Like, in the first story the writer mentions Waheguru bestowed the Guru with the powers/love to guide the people on the Earth. But, ignoring that, the writer mentioned couple of times the Guru saying he’s looking for a guru. Now, in his own words, the Guru is present in the presence of Waheguru, so there’s no need to write the Guru seeking a guru, especially when the opening story of the book says otherwise.

During his travelling, he went on a sacred place of Hindus (Hardwar) where he guided the egotistical people who’re following the shallow rituals. Once they learned how they were wrong and their rituals were of no use, they removed their sacred threads (janeu) and became Sikhs. Those who call the first guru was wearing a janeu will be baffled to know this, because it goes directly against their propaganda. The followers are removing the sacred threads, but the Guru would wear it!?

Bhai Mardana, a companion of the Guru, is said to be met the second guru. I never read it happening in other books. Bhai Mardana’s demised happened before the second guru came in contact with the first guru. Not only Bhai Mardana is said to be met with the second guru, but, also, he was alive after the Joti Jot of the first guru.

AS is a new addition to the earlier historical scriptures, but stories and the structure mean the writer must have older JSs or he’d heard from the people who’d them.