Chapter 2
Guru Nanak Dev ji – the founder of Sikhism, the first Sikh Guru, Waheguru Himself, Complete Guru, the True Guru – was born in 1526 bikarmi (B.C.: Bikarmi Calendar), 1469 A.D. (A.D.: Anno Domini.)
In the Twarikh Khalsa, it’s written that Ram Narain was the great-grandfather of Guru Nanak Dev ji. Shivram Bedi was the son of Ram Narain. In 1497 bikarmi (1440 A.D.), Bebe Banarsi, grandmother of Guru Nanak Dev ji, gave birth to Baba Kalyan Chand ji (Baba Mehta Kaalu ji), Father of Guru Nanak Dev ji; and in 1501 bikarmi (1444 A.D.), Baba Lal Chand ji (Baba Laalu ji), uncle of Guru Nanak Dev ji, was born. Guru Nanak Dev ji’s mother was Tripta. ‘Mata’ is usually used before the names of the mothers and wives of the Sikh Gurus. And among Sikhs, Mata Tripta is the common name.
Baba is a common word used in Punjabi to show respect to the people. Many times it’s used for old people, but not necessarily true.
The undenied fact that’s utmost important in religion is the beginning of the religion, and the date of birth of the person who founded the religion. Without having a correct date, the pillars of the religions can’t be built to have everything on them. A debate was started by some scholars in the early 20th century to shake the beliefs of many.
It all started around the year 1900 A.D. Before that, in the 18th century and 19th century (most of it), there’s no doubt among the Sikhs about the date of birth of Guru Nanak Dev ji. Later, during the Singh Sabha Movement, some scholars had their opinion on the basis of the scriptures they found. Karam Singh Historian and Max Arthur Macauliffe were the authors that I read and they’d a detailed view about how the different Janamsakhis were created and maligned with.
Janamsakhis are made up of two words: Janam and Sakhi. Literal translation is: Janam means birth, and Sakhi(s) means story(s). Janamsakhis are linked to the life of Guru Nanak Dev ji. With the passage of time, Janamsakhis are described as hagiologies by, usually, many non-Sikh scholars who searched about the religion and its gurus and the followers in general.
Bhai Baala ji, a close companion of Guru Nanak Dev ji, came to Khadoor Sahib to meet Guru Angad Dev ji, the second Sikh Guru, after the joti jot (joti jot is in Punjabi, which’s used to say the demise of the Sikh Gurus. Sikhs do not use the word ‘death’ or ‘expiration’. We say joti jot, meaning the light of Guru Sahib is merged into the Divine after leaving this world) of Guru Nanak Dev ji. This was the first time when Bhai Baala ji was meeting Guru Angad Dev ji. There the first Janamsakhi was written by the scribe Pairha Mokha. This is famously known as Bhai Baale wali Janamsakhi, as Bhai Baala described everything about the life of Guru Nanak Dev ji when asked by Guru Angad Dev ji.
In Bhai Baale wali Janamsakhi, the date of birth of Guru Nanak Dev ji mentioned kattak di puranmashi (full moon of the month Kattak), 1526 B.C. (1469 A.D.) It’s the earliest record of the life about the first Sikh Guru.
This Janamsakhi was altered by the descendant of Hindal, a Sikh at the time of Guru Ramdas ji, the fourth Sikh Guru. Many derogatory remarks are made regarding Guru Nanak Dev ji and unnecessarily and unoriginal details were added to popularize his ancestors.
There is another Janamsakhi which is known to only the scholars, not to the masses, is known as Meharban wali Janamsakhi. It’s the first Janamsakhi where the date of the birth was changed. Dr. Tirlochan Singh in his book Guru Nanak: Founder of Sikhism writes, ‘Most of the legends and stories denigrating Nanak for which the Hindalyas are accused later on were introduced by Meharban.’ There’re many verses which were written down and are against gurmat. Here the date of birth is written as Vaisakh sudi 3.
The third Janamsakhi is written by Bhai Mani Singh, a Sikh at the time of Guru Gobind Singh ji, the tenth Sikh Guru. There also Vaisakh sudi 3 is mentioned as the birthdate.
The fourth Janamsakhi is Puratan Janam Sakhi, it’s published by Bhai Vir Singh ji. But there’s no name who wrote this. With little changes and missing verses/words, copies of this Janamsakhi were present at many places of India. Might be copied by the Sikhs at the earlier times from some source. Karam Singh Historian saw a copy in Lahore, another one in Firozpur, Hyderabad and Bahawalpur. The alterations of this Janamsakhi created more names for the almost same Janamsakhi as Macauliffe wali Janamsakhi, Hafjabaad wali Janamsakhi, Kolbroak wali Janamsakhi. This Janamsakhi also has the date as Vaisakh sudi 3.
To deny the date of the full moon of the month Kattak, Karam Singh Historian and Macauliffe totally denied the existence of Bhai Baala ji, the earliest record of the life of Guru Nanak Dev ji. They said he’s a fictional character created by the Hindaliye with whose efforts the Janamsakhi came into picture. By examining it further with care analysis, a question can arise that why they needed to create a fictional character for it? If somehow this story is true, then Bhai Mardana ji, another companion of Guru Nanak Dev ji, was surely they believed to be present at the time of the first Sikh Guru, then why on his name this Janamsakhi wasn’t created? It would have been more believable to have the name of Bhai Mardana ji writing a Janamsakhi. That’s not the case. Making a non-existing character and popularising a Janamsakhi is a tough task. So regulating the biography of the first Sikh Guru would cause a severe hindrance in the process. However, it won’t be hard to add or make some changes in the original script or make a copy of it with some changes and throw the original one away.
Bhai Santokh Singh ji, who wrote the tomes Suraj Parkash and Nanak Parkash, having the details of the lives of Sikh Gurus, wrote that there’s only one copy of Bhai Baale wali Janamsakhi at the earlier time. The original one. This copy was thrown into a river by the Hindaliye and their edited version was disseminated. The same edited versions are brought by some scholars to deny the existence of Bhai Baala because the disparaging stories to claim their ancestors to be better than the guru weren’t accepted by the Sikhs. So it becomes very easy and convincing to disregard the whole of the Janamsakhi for them.
Bhai Kahn Singh Nabha, a Sikh scholar, and authors like Ratan Singh Bhanggu, Bhai Santokh Singh, Dr Tirlochan Singh had the opinion that the Janamsakhi of Bhai Baala wasn’t created by the Hindaliye, but altered by them. At the time of Guru Arjan Dev ji, he asked Bhai Gurdas ji, the scribe who’s writing Guru Granth Sahib ji and Guru Arjan Dev ji was uttering the verses, to write a vaar about the life of Guru Nanak Dev ji because the original Janamsakhi had been diluted.
Dr Tirlochan Singh ji gave many sources where the birthdate is written as the full moon of Kattak month. We will cover them in the following points, please note I will add the sources from other authors too. It will be evident from the names who have given which source.
1. Bhai Gurdas ji’s writing. I think this’s the best evidence produced by Dr Tirlochan Singh. Bhai Gurdas ji was present at the time of Guru Arjan Dev ji, his writing is most important than the other scholars who wrote the lives of the Sikh Gurus. Not only the vaars, but he wrote kabit too. And in 345 kabit, following verses are written.
ਕਾਰਤਕ ਮਾਸ ਰੁਤਿ ਸਰਦ ਪੂਰਨਮਾਸੀ
ਆਠ ਜਾਮ ਸਾਠਿ ਘਰੀ ਆਜੁ ਤੇਰੀ ਬਾਰੀ ਹੈ ।
ਆਠ ਜਾਮ ਸਾਠਿ ਘਰੀ ਆਜੁ ਤੇਰੀ ਬਾਰੀ ਹੈ ।
On the other hand, Hari Ram Gupta in his History of Sikhs brings a new theory about the verses that they are for the ‘spiritual regeneration’ of Guru Nanak Dev ji. It’s not the birthdate of Guru Sahib. He mentioned the incident of Guru Nanak Dev ji going into the Veyi River and disappearing in a totally and unjustifiable way. According to him, after bathing in the Veyi River, Guru Nanak Dev ji went into a trance in a cave. ‘On the third day holy light suddenly flashed into his mind.’
The Sikhs believe that Guru Nanak Dev ji was guru since his birth. There’s no spiritual enlightenment year. And most importantly, Hari Ram Gupta ignored the verses said by the guru to the pandits and mullahs in the early age. The ‘flashed’ light has no significance in the life of Guru Nanak Dev ji because he’d been in discussion before the year 1496 A.D. (as Hari Ram Gupta mentioned it to be the year of the enlightenment.) Also, Hari Ram Gupta didn’t add much about the early life of Guru Nanak Dev ji. In chapter 4, he started explaining the time of his young age, in one page he covered everything, and in the second page he moved directly to the marriage of Guru Sahib.
That much information is not sufficient to conclude enlightenment. Of course, the incidents and the discourses of the guru not mentioning might lead him to conclude it.
Can it be Twarikh Khalsa, Nanak Parkash, Puratan Janam Sakhi, or Bhai Baale wali Janamsakhi, none of them had the verses to support the claims of Hari Ram Gupta. All of them mentioned the guru going to Sachkhand and meeting Waheguru.
Although Dr Tirlochan Singh had somewhat the same theory where he raised a question where the body of Guru Sahib would have been after he dived into the river and went to Sachkhand. But he didn’t chase the wild stories but gave the references about the incident of Sachkhand. On the other hand, Hari Ram Gupta was blank.
2. Today I watched a video where a Sikh gave another view of the vaar of Bhai Gurdas ji (please note, the first point was from the kabit.)
ਸਤਿਗੁਰੁ ਨਾਨਕੁ ਪ੍ਰਗਟਿਆ ਮਿਟੀ ਧੁੰਧੁ ਜਗਿ ਚਾਨਣੁ ਹੋਆ॥
ਜਿਉ ਕਰਿ ਸੂਰਜੁ ਨਿਕਲਿਆ ਤਾਰੇ ਛਪਿ ਅੰਧੇਰੁ ਪਲੋਆ॥
ਜਿਉ ਕਰਿ ਸੂਰਜੁ ਨਿਕਲਿਆ ਤਾਰੇ ਛਪਿ ਅੰਧੇਰੁ ਪਲੋਆ॥
He analysed the above verses in a different way. He said the words dhund (fog) also signifies the time of the birth. As in the month of Kattak, the fog will be engulfing the major part of the northern India, so it implies the month was not Vaisakh because at that time there might not be much of winter.
3. Kesar Singh Chibber who wrote the lives of the Sikh Gurus in his Bansavlinama writes the month as Kattak. (Dr Tirlochan Singh)
ਸੰਮਤ ਪੰਦ੍ਰਾਂ ਸੈ ਛਬੀ ਭਏ । ਤਬ ਬਾਬਾ ਨਾਨਕ ਸਾਹਿਬ ਜੀ ਜਨਮ ਲੈ ਲਏ ।
ਮਾਹ ਕਾਤਕ ਦਿਨ ਚਉਦਾਂ ਚਾਰ । ਪੁੰਨਿਆ ਰਾਤਿ ਗੁਰੂ ਨਾਨਕ ਜੀ ਲੀਨਾ ਅਵਤਾਰ ।੧੨੦।
ਮਾਹ ਕਾਤਕ ਦਿਨ ਚਉਦਾਂ ਚਾਰ । ਪੁੰਨਿਆ ਰਾਤਿ ਗੁਰੂ ਨਾਨਕ ਜੀ ਲੀਨਾ ਅਵਤਾਰ ।੧੨੦।
4. Gurbilas Patshahi Chevi is a big tome circling around the life of the sixth guru, Guru Hargobind Sahib ji. The edition that I’ve its prologue was written by Gurmukh Singh. It states that there might be additions happened over the period of time but initially it’s written in 1775 B.C. (1718 A.D.) It’s about how the author, Bhagat Singh, is asking questions to Bhai Mani Singh ji Shaheed, or in general Bhai Mani Singh ji Shaheed talking about the life of Guru Hargobind Sahib ji in Nanaksar gurudwara. Bhagat Singh and his poetry teacher Dharam Singh were listening to the discourse. And then Dharam Singh asked Bhagat Singh to write it in poetry.
It’s just a very brief about the tome. Here also the month Kattak is given as the birthdate of Guru Nanak Dev ji.
If the story of Gurbilas Patshahi Chevi is coming from Bhai Mani Singh ji, then how come in his Janamsakhi the month is not mentioned as Kattak? To that, Dr Tirlochan Singh says, ‘The author of Gurbilas Patshahi Chevin claims to be the student of Bhai Mani Singh, through one of the great companions of the apostle. It gives Kartika Puran Mashi as the date of birth of Guru Nanak and mentions Bhai Mani Singh as the source of information. The fact that someone has introduced Baisakh Sudi 3 in Bhai Mani Singh’s Janam Sakhi shows that it is an interpolation and not Bhai Mani Singh’s date.’
5. Sikhan de raj di vithia. This book was written by Sharda Ram Phillauri. I have the English version of this book, translated by Major Henry Court. ‘In a village, called Ráibliondí Talwandí, which is now known as Nankáná, situated in the district of the Tasíl of Sarakpur, and the division of Láhaur, in the house of a Khatrí Vedí, named Kálu, who, at that time, was the Patwárí (land steward), in the year 1526 B.B. i.e., the year 1469 A.D., on the day of the full moon of the bright half of the month Káttak, at midnight, a son was born.’ (Dr Tirlochan Singh.)
6. In Sahejo Racheo Khalsa, Harinder Singh Mehboob gave the example from the writing of Baba Binod Singh. Baba Binod Singh ji was among those Sikhs who came in Punjab from Hazoor Sahib with Baba Banda Singh Bahadur.
ਊਰਜ ਮਾਸ ਕੀ ਪੂਰਨਮਾਸ਼ੀ … ਭੈ ਅਵਤਾਰ ਪ੍ਰਗਟ ਜਗਦੀਸਾ ।
7. Guru Nanak Parkash by Bhai Santokh Singh ji. (Dr Tirlochan Singh)
ਨਿਰਸ ਮੇਘ ਹੁਇ ਗੇ ਨਿਜ ਦੇਸ਼ੂ । ਜਿਮ ਸਤਿਸੰਗਤਿ ਮਿਟਹਿਂ ਕਲੇਸ਼ੂ ।
ਉਰਜ ਮਾਸ ਕੀ ਪੂਰਨਮਾਸ਼ੀ । ਹਰਿ ਕੀਰਤਿ ਸੋ ਜੌਨ੍ਹ ਪ੍ਰਕਾਸ਼ੀ ॥੭੦॥
ਉਰਜ ਮਾਸ ਕੀ ਪੂਰਨਮਾਸ਼ੀ । ਹਰਿ ਕੀਰਤਿ ਸੋ ਜੌਨ੍ਹ ਪ੍ਰਕਾਸ਼ੀ ॥੭੦॥
8. Panth Parkash by Giani Gian Singh ji. (Dr. Tirlochan Singh)
ਹਰਿ ਰੂਪ ਸ੍ਰੀ ਗੁਰੁ ਨਾਨਕ ਤਿਨ ਕੇ ਘਰ ਅਵਤਾਰ ਲੀਯ ।
ਸੁਭ ਪੁਨਯੋ ਕਾਤਕ ਬਿਕ੍ਰਮੀ ਪੰਦ੍ਰਾਂ ਸੈ ਛਬੀਸ ਥਿਯ ।੩।
ਸੁਭ ਪੁਨਯੋ ਕਾਤਕ ਬਿਕ੍ਰਮੀ ਪੰਦ੍ਰਾਂ ਸੈ ਛਬੀਸ ਥਿਯ ।੩।
There’re other sources too which will be added when I’ve the original source or the verses to write.
Many so-called ‘scholars’ these days use Karam Singh Historian’s name to disregard the Janamsakhi of Bhai Baala ji. The reason behind is to deny all the stories written in there. Even if we want to believe that Bhai Baala didn’t exist, then the historian whose claims are used to do the propaganda definitely believed in other Janamsakhis which are present.
The main motive of the new scholars is to ignore the whole history which’s penned down hundreds of years ago. And these paid scholars have been trying it for decades now, be it about the Janamsakhis or history or Dasam Guru Granth Sahib ji. So far they’ve attracted those who’re not related to the field of history or education and have very little knowledge of both gurbani and history; they do not have any way to teach the young Sikhs about their real history. So the money was poured into the pens to write how ‘they’ want it to be written.
Bhai Baale wali Janamsakhi is the oldest book to have a detailed account about the life of Guru Nanak Dev ji. Although it should be noted that many mainstream historians believe it’s not correct. They’d their own reasons, which many point to what has been noted in kattak ke vaisakh by Karam Singh Historian. Apart from that, the other reason is the unavailability of the original source of the book. There’re many scribes who copied from some other reference, but the origin of the Bhai Baale wali Janamsakhi is still unknown to the mainstream historians.
I personally believe the discussion about the existence of Bhai Baala has nothing to do with the Janamsakhi on his name. The real reason behind the denying of his presence is to deny the stories written in there. Much part of the book covers the miracles performed by the guru. And in the 21st century, it becomes hard for the people to agree on those. Especially the Upgraded Preachers in Sikhism have the most problems with miracles. They can’t make the congregation understand or justify the unfathomable incidents, so the easy way is to deny them all. That’s the only reason. And it’s not limited to Bhai Baala, no … they’ve covered almost everything from Kavi Sainapat to Giani Gian Singh, whichever tome they got their hands on they said them to be incorrect because the reasoning can’t explain the incidents.
When Waheguru has come into the picture, then miracles have to be there. There’s no chance whatsoever that in day, when the sun is up in the sky, there will be no light. Sun and sunlight can’t be separated. Likewise, are the miracles and Waheguru.
But it can’t be that someone writes about the changing of the birthdate and all the other scholars start believing in that. It doesn’t happen this way. So this’s where the stories come to play their part.
A story was claimed by Max Arthur Macauliffe in his six-book series about the life of Sikh Gurus that how the date was changed from Vaisakh to Kattak. He said in the earlier times the gurpurb (the celebration of the birth of the guru) of Guru Nanak Dev ji was celebrated in Vaisakh. But at the time of Maharaja Ranjit Singh, a Sikh named Bhai Sant Singh ji (who was the Jathedar of Damdami Taksaal) changed the month because at the month of Kattak so many Hindus were celebrating a festival near Amritsar. He thought to have a parallel gathering of Sikhs in Amritsar against the festival of Hindus. The story seems unrealistic; and no information other than the claim of Macauliffe I found while reading the other books on it, and Jathedar of Damdami Taksaal changing the historical dates is wrong.
It might be the first time when this story was talked about to avow the change of the month of Guru Nanak Dev ji’s birth. Although there had been many granths which talk differently about the birthdate of Guru Nanak Dev ji, but none of them claimed the reason could be to ‘gather’ Sikhs in Amritsar. Moreover, Bhai Sant Singh ji was held in such a high esteem – Bhai Santokh Singh ji got his education from him – that it seems impossible and quixotic to think he could make this decision by his own and the whole Khalsa Panth would have followed it. He’s living in Amritsar, how about the gurudwaras in the south and east of India, did they change the date too without asking why? And if the story is true then the gathering was not happening in the south and east, why they changed it?
It can be that the Sikhs who were helping him to write the books on Sikhism might have heard it somewhere or made it up and Macauliffe wrote the same. Bhai Kahn Singh Nabha was one of those people who were helping him out in his research and he accompanied him to Europe to publish his work (according to Macauliffe’s book.) Mahan Kosh by Bhai Kahn Singh ji doesn’t include this story and he mentioned about Bhai Baala ji who was with Guru Nanak Dev ji. On the other hand, Macauliffe didn’t believe in the existence of Baala. But it can’t just make us ignore all the efforts that Macauliffe put in to complete the historical books on the lives of Sikh Gurus. No historical granth written in the eighteenth or nineteenth or twentieth century might have all the correct details, there might be some incidents which are not correct according to gurmat. Writer of Suraj Parkash said it himself if there’s something which’s been written incorrectly, the Sikhs can ignore/change it.
The gurpurab of Guru Nanak Dev ji has been getting celebrated in Kattak and the whole Khalsa Panth stands together on it. The debates in the early 20th century were just to create a commotion in Sikhism, nothing more.
There’s a background story in Dasam Guru Granth Sahib about the birth of Guru Nanak Dev ji. In the first chapter, we discussed the battles between the families of Luv and Kush. The fourth adhyai of Bachitar Natak talks about the battle where the family of Luv won, and Kush’s lost. After losing, they went to Kanshi and read the Vedas; and stayed there for years. Then the king who was ruling in the north thought one day to forget all the bitterness that they’d and sit together like brothers. So he sent an envoy to call the family of Kush to his place.
The king listened to the Vedas (the Bedi dynasty came from the Kush family) vocalized by the Kush family. By listening to the Vedas, the king’s mind changed and got ready to leave the kingdom and stay away from people, in forest. People pleaded to the king not to leave, but he’d already made up his mind. The kingdom that he’d gotten by spilling so much blood, he left to the Kush family.
Not many examples can be there when a king would have given his kingdom to others and left the place just because of a feeling of detachment from this materialistic world. On the other hand, the rulers also battled to the last breath to stay in power. And both types of people are there in the world and both are good in their own ways. If we go through the history of Sikhs, we have martyrs who fought till the last breath, and also those who got ready to give their lives in peace, like Bhai Mani Singh ji, Bhai Dayala ji, Bhai Mati Das ji, Bhai Sati Das ji, and many more.
The king from the Kush family said to the king of Luv family that he heard the three Vedas from them, and when the fourth Veda got completed he gave the kingdom to them. In the same way, when in our family someone (Guru Nanak Dev ji) would be born, we would rule till the three bodies and then would give you the rule back. Guru Nanak Dev ji was born in a Bedi family. From the fourth guru, Guru Ram Das ji, the Sodhi family started till Guru Gobind Singh ji.
ਬੇਦੀ ਭਯੋ ਪ੍ਰਸੰਨ ਰਾਜ ਕਹ ਪਾਇ ਕੈ ॥ ਦੇਤ ਭਯੋ ਬਰਦਾਨ ਹੀਐ ਹੁਲਸਾਇਕੈ ॥
ਜਬ ਨਾਨਕ ਕਲ ਮੈ ਹਮ ਆਨ ਕਹਾਇ ਹੈ ॥ ਹੋ ਜਗਤ ਪੂਜ ਕਰਿ ਤੋਹਿ ਪਰਮ ਪਦ ਪਾਇ ਹੈ ॥੭॥
ਜਬ ਨਾਨਕ ਕਲ ਮੈ ਹਮ ਆਨ ਕਹਾਇ ਹੈ ॥ ਹੋ ਜਗਤ ਪੂਜ ਕਰਿ ਤੋਹਿ ਪਰਮ ਪਦ ਪਾਇ ਹੈ ॥੭॥
ਦੋਹਰਾ ॥
ਲਵੀ ਰਾਜ ਦੇ ਬਨ ਗਏ ਬੇਦੀਅਨ ਕੀਨੋ ਰਾਜ ॥
ਭਾਂਤਿ ਭਾਂਤਿ ਤਿਨਿ ਭੋਗੀਯੰ ਭੂਅ ਕਾ ਸਕਲ ਸਮਾਜ ॥੮॥
ਚਉਪਈ ॥
ਤ੍ਰਿਤਿਯ ਬੇਦ ਸੁਨਬੋ ਤੁਮ ਕੀਆ ॥ ਚਤੁਰ ਬੇਦ ਸੁਨਿ ਭੂਅ ਕੋ ਦੀਆ ॥
ਤੀਨ ਜਨਮ ਹਮਹੂੰ ਜਬ ਧਰਿ ਹੈਂ ॥ ਚੌਥੇ ਜਨਮ ਗੁਰੂ ਤੁਹਿ ਕਰਿ ਹੈਂ ॥੯॥
ਉਤ ਰਾਜਾ ਕਾਨਨਹਿ ਸਿਧਾਯੋ ॥ ਇਤ ਇਨ ਰਾਜ ਕਰਤ ਸੁਖ ਪਾਯੋ ॥
ਕਹਾ ਲਗੇ ਕਰਿ ਕਥਾ ਸੁਨਾਊ ॥ ਗ੍ਰੰਥ ਬਢਨ ਤੇ ਅਧਿਕ ਡਰਾਊ ॥੧੦॥
ਲਵੀ ਰਾਜ ਦੇ ਬਨ ਗਏ ਬੇਦੀਅਨ ਕੀਨੋ ਰਾਜ ॥
ਭਾਂਤਿ ਭਾਂਤਿ ਤਿਨਿ ਭੋਗੀਯੰ ਭੂਅ ਕਾ ਸਕਲ ਸਮਾਜ ॥੮॥
ਚਉਪਈ ॥
ਤ੍ਰਿਤਿਯ ਬੇਦ ਸੁਨਬੋ ਤੁਮ ਕੀਆ ॥ ਚਤੁਰ ਬੇਦ ਸੁਨਿ ਭੂਅ ਕੋ ਦੀਆ ॥
ਤੀਨ ਜਨਮ ਹਮਹੂੰ ਜਬ ਧਰਿ ਹੈਂ ॥ ਚੌਥੇ ਜਨਮ ਗੁਰੂ ਤੁਹਿ ਕਰਿ ਹੈਂ ॥੯॥
ਉਤ ਰਾਜਾ ਕਾਨਨਹਿ ਸਿਧਾਯੋ ॥ ਇਤ ਇਨ ਰਾਜ ਕਰਤ ਸੁਖ ਪਾਯੋ ॥
ਕਹਾ ਲਗੇ ਕਰਿ ਕਥਾ ਸੁਨਾਊ ॥ ਗ੍ਰੰਥ ਬਢਨ ਤੇ ਅਧਿਕ ਡਰਾਊ ॥੧੦॥
People like Kaala Afghana, and his followers, says that it’s wrong to say Guru Nanak Dev ji’s birth was decided thousands of years ago. Just to remind you that Kaala Afghana wrote so many articles and books which are not according to Sikhism. He’s excommunicated from Sikhi because of his anti-gurmat writings. Many scholars have answered his doubts raised in his writings (and we are doing too), but the paid agents will never learn from anything.
Anyways, he quoted from the vaars of Bhai Gurdas ji.
ਸੁਣੀ ਪੁਕਾਰਿ ਦਾਤਾਰ ਪ੍ਰਭੁ ਗੁਰੁ ਨਾਨਕ ਜਗ ਮਾਹਿ ਪਠਾਇਆ ॥
His argument was that by listening to the cries of people and the injustice in the world, Guru Nanak Dev ji was born, not because of some words said thousands of years back.
Before we go ahead, let’s first understand that Kaala Afghana is one of those irresponsible, sham, unintelligent, woolhead, old men who’s wasted many years working for the police. He’s nothing more than a mole in Sikhs whose work was to write anti-Sikh books to create confusion among Sikhs so that they would challenge every single sakhi and granth that they read. Thanks to the Singhs who’ve exposed him so vehemently that the words can’t describe it. Their seminars, articles and books show how little Kaala Afghana knows about Sikhism. On his footsteps, Darshu walked, and then their blind followers, some those who just thought that the reasoning makes sense to them, others those who were getting a small share of money given to these anti-panthic people for their service to the agencies.
If Kaala Afghana had read Jap ji Sahib, he wouldn’t have had this doubt.
ਹੁਕਮੈ ਅੰਦਰਿ ਸਭੁ ਕੋ ਬਾਹਰਿ ਹੁਕਮ ਨ ਕੋਇ ॥
Was it possible that the king had said those words without His intervention? The next question is, doesn’t Waheguru know what is going to happen in His universe? If not, why He’s called all-knowing? If He knows, why He couldn’t have influenced the king to utter the words before Guru Nanak Dev ji’s birth?
The other argument that he made was that the writing of Bachitar Natak talks about the Vedas in a way which describes as if the Vedas were the Truth and there was no need of gurbani. He wrote the same story as mentioned above that the king left everything. Why there’s a need to write gurbani in this Age?
ਚਹੁ ਜੁਗਾ ਕਾ ਹੁਣਿ ਨਿਬੇੜਾ ਨਰ ਮਨੁਖਾ ਨੋ ਏਕੁ ਨਿਧਾਨਾ ॥
ਜਤੁ ਸੰਜਮ ਤੀਰਥ ਓਨਾ ਜੁਗਾ ਕਾ ਧਰਮੁ ਹੈ ਕਲਿ ਮਹਿ ਕੀਰਤਿ ਹਰਿ ਨਾਮਾ ॥੨॥
ਜੁਗਿ ਜੁਗਿ ਆਪੋ ਆਪਣਾ ਧਰਮੁ ਹੈ ਸੋਧਿ ਦੇਖਹੁ ਬੇਦ ਪੁਰਾਨਾ ॥
ਗੁਰਮੁਖਿ ਜਿਨੀ ਧਿਆਇਆ ਹਰਿ ਹਰਿ ਜਗਿ ਤੇ ਪੂਰੇ ਪਰਵਾਨਾ ॥੩॥
ਜਤੁ ਸੰਜਮ ਤੀਰਥ ਓਨਾ ਜੁਗਾ ਕਾ ਧਰਮੁ ਹੈ ਕਲਿ ਮਹਿ ਕੀਰਤਿ ਹਰਿ ਨਾਮਾ ॥੨॥
ਜੁਗਿ ਜੁਗਿ ਆਪੋ ਆਪਣਾ ਧਰਮੁ ਹੈ ਸੋਧਿ ਦੇਖਹੁ ਬੇਦ ਪੁਰਾਨਾ ॥
ਗੁਰਮੁਖਿ ਜਿਨੀ ਧਿਆਇਆ ਹਰਿ ਹਰਿ ਜਗਿ ਤੇ ਪੂਰੇ ਪਰਵਾਨਾ ॥੩॥
If the Vedas were read in the earlier Ages and bathing at religious places were said to be the prime way of liberation, then it’s for the earlier times, not now. In this Age, Waheguru’s name is the way to have liberation from birth and death.
This part was necessary to discuss to clear some doubts. Now let’s get back to the life of Guru Nanak Dev ji.
The bate of birth of Guru Nanak Dev ji was full moon of Kattak month. And he was born in Rai Bhoye di Talwandi.
In History of the Sikhs, Joseph Davey Cunningham wrote that one manuscript said Guru Nanak Dev ji was born in Kanakatch, at the place of Mata Tripta ji’s parents. (This most probably will be Meharban wali Janamsakhi.) The scripture that he referred seems to have incorrect information as almost all the Sikh chronicles say that Guru Nanak Dev ji was born in Rai Bhoye di Talwandi. And there’s a gurudwara too to commemorate the birthplace of Guru Nanak Dev ji. And all the rituals of that time were performed soon after the birth of Guru Nanak Dev ji. It should also be mentioned that not everything that Cunningham wrote about the Sikh Gurus could be taken as a source of truth.
Not only the birthplace he mentioned differently in a note, but also the naming of Guru Nanak Dev ji. Mainly the first child in the Punjabi culture is born at the house of mother’s parents, so according to him the name might have come from the word ‘Naanke’ – a place commonly known where the parents of the bride live.
Khushwant Singh made the same mistake in his History of the Sikhs vol I. ‘The choice of the name confirms the fact of the birth taking place in the mother’s parental home, which was in the village of Kahna Katcha.’
Guru Nanak Dev ji had one sister with the name Nanaki, who was born in 1521 B.C. (1464 A.D.) In Sikhism, she’s famously known as Bebe Nanaki. Like Baba word is used for the men, Bebe word is used for women. For respect. Her birth might have been at Mata Tripta ji’s parental house. And then the name might be derived from Naanke.
The place where Guru Nanak Dev ji was born was initially called Talwandi (there is another Talwandi, which is known as Sabho ki Talwandi.) This place was said to be built by a king named Vairat. This town, among the other cities in Punjab, was destroyed and looted multiple times due to the invasions by the rulers of other lands. Punjab was the first land that they’d to invade as it’s at the border to enter India. All the invasions from the west left Punjab bloodier than before. Houses were torched down, temples were destroyed, men were killed and taken as slaves, women were raped and sold in the bazaars of Ghazni; and that left the deprived people to adopt the rituals and rules which were not according to the religions that they were following.
Bhai Kahn Singh Nabha gave examples in ‘Hum Hindu Nahi’ that in the Hindu scriptures it’s written not to read/learn malesh language, nor to talk with them. But when the invasions occurred, they learned the languages to have a livelihood.
A chief named Rai Bhoye restored the city and made a place for living. After his death, Rai Bular became the chief of the town. He’s directly opposite of most of the rulers of that time. According to Max Arthur Macauliffe, the descendants of Rai Bular were still living in there. I don’t know if they’re still (writing this in Aug, 2018) there in Pakistan or not, but if they are there and they’re as good as their ancestor Rai Bular was, then so much information can be taken from them related to the life of Guru Nanak Dev ji. Any memoirs of Rai Bular can be a great help to know more of that time.
When Guru Nanak Dev ji was born, all the deities, sidhs, and heavenly beings bowed to him as Waheguru Himself came on the earth. Many times, when we think about it, it seems as if we are exaggerating, but gurbani says the same thing. There’s no difference between the Sikh Gurus and Waheguru.
