Comprehensive Philosophy of Guru Granth Sahib (Sikhism’s Holiest Scriptures)

By Giani Amritpal Singh Ludhiana Wale

gurbwxI iesu jg mih cwnx Gurbani is the Light to illuminate this world

In order to understand the philosophy of Guru Granth Sahib, one must keep in mind three (3) critical points, that is,
Gurbani philosophy is Universal, Without Borders and is Timeless.

Universal: Means a person belonging to any religion, ethnic group, sect, cult, or denomination can adopt
and follow this philosophy.

KqRI bRwhmx sUd vYs aupdysu chu vrnw kau swJw ] (pMnw 747)
The four castes - the Warriors, Priests, Untouchables and Workers - are equal in respect to the teachings. (Page 747)

Without Borders: Means principles contained in this philosophy can be equally applied anywhere in the world. If
there were to be another world like ours or humans were to migrate to another planet, then
same principles can easily be adopted there without a single change.

gurbwxI chu kuMfI suxIAY swcY nwim smwiedw ] (pMnw 1065)

The Word of the Guru's Bani is heard throughout the four corners of the world; through it, we merge with Lord (Pg 1065)

Timeless: Means principles promoted through this philosophy were the same when this world began, are
exactly the same now and will remain unchanged as along as mankind exists.

bwxI vjI chu jugI sco scu suxwie ] (pMnw 35)

The Word of the Guru's Bani vibrates throughout the four ages. As Truth, it teaches Truth (Page 35)

It is for this reason that the only Guru Granth Sahib jis, the holiest scriptures of Sikhs, is considered as the only Living
Guru in this world.

To completely comprehend a philosophy, one must exhaustively analyze and understand its eight (8) main aspects;

(1) Religious (2) Social (3) Political (4) Economic (5) Physical (6) Intellectual (7) Psychological (8) Spiritual

1. Religious: In today’s world there are conflicts between various religions. Worse yet, there are conflicts between
sects of the same religion. In India, a Yogi’s religion is to accumulate knowledge. Brahmin (Priest) considers
reading of scriptures as the entire religion. Khatri, Warrior’s religion is to fight in wars while a Shudar,
Untouchable’s religion is to serve all others above him. So, if there is only One God, then how can there be
hundreds of religions. This is what sets Sikhism apart, when Guru Nanak, founder of Sikh faith, says that people
do not have different religions rather their universal religion, is to be one with that One Omnipresent God. Guru
Nanak says, that if one was to understand this mystery, He Himself will become a servant to such a person.

jog sbdM igAwn sbdM byd sbdM q bRwhmxh ] K´qRI sbdM sUr sbdM sUdR sbdM prwik®qh ]
The Word is Yoga, the Word is spiritual wisdom; the Word is the Vedas for the Brahmin. The Word is heroic bravery
for the Kshatriya; the Word is service to others for the Soodra.

srb sbdM q eyk sbdM jy ko jwnis Byau ] nwnk qw ko dwsu hY soeI inrMjn dyau ] (pMnw 1353)
The Word for all is the Word, the Word of the One God, for one who knows this secret. Nanak is the slave of the
Divine, Immaculate Lord.

Hence, Guru Nanak defined the sole religion as one’s complete immersion into truth.
 eyko Drmu idRVY scu koeI ] (pMnw 1188) There is only one religion of Dharma; let everyone grasp this truth (Page 1188)

bilE crwgu AMD´wr mih sB kil auDrI iek nwm Drm ] (pMnw 1386)
The lamp of knowledge is lit in the darkness of ignorance; all are saved in this Age of Darkness, through the One
Name and faith in the religion. (Page 1386)

Gurbani states that performing of good deeds while in continuance remembrance of the Lord is the best
religion.

srb Drm mih sRyst Drmu ] hir ko nwmu jip inrml krmu ] (pMnw 266)
Of all religions, the best religion is to remember the Name of the Lord and maintain immaculate character (Page 266)

In essence, the entire world can become religious if everyone will start performing selfless good deeds while in
continuance remembrance of God.

2. Social: When discussing social aspect of Sikhism, there is no need to separate the family as a distinct unit since
Gurbani considers the entire society as one big family, God being the head of the family.

eyku ipqw ey ks ky hm bwirk qU myrw gurhweI ] (pMnw 611)

The One God is our father; we are the children of the One God. You are our Guru. jW

mohn qUM suPlu PilAw sxu prvwry ] (pMnw 248)

O beautiful Lord, you have blossomed forth with the flower of your family (Page 248) jW

gRsqn mih qUM bfo igRhsqI (pMnw 507) Among householders, You, Lord, are the Great Householder (Page 507)

In today’s world, differences are based upon caste system, friend and foe, stranger and acquaintance, mine and
yours etc. Gurbani’s teachings give us the principle of unity in diversity to make our social life beautiful, by
teaching us that one God is pervading in all of us. No one individual is born as good or bad, rather it is one’s
actions that define his or her personality, since all beings emanate from one God. If we all were to adopt this
single principle, then discrimination based on colour, creed, ethnicity, feeling of separation etc. will be
eliminated.

Avil Alh nUru aupwieAw kudriq ky sB bMdy ] eyk nUr qy sBu jgu aupijAw kaun Bly ko mMdy ] (pMnw 1349)
First, Allah created the Refulgence; then, by His Creative Power, He made all mortal beings. From the One
Refulgence, the entire universe welled up. So who is good, and who is bad? (Page 1349)

PrIdw Kwlku Klk mih Klk vsY rb mwih ] mMdw iks no AwKIAY jW iqsu ibnu koeI nwih ] (pMnw 1381)
Fareed, the Creator is in the Creation, and the Creation abides in God, then whom can we call bad? There is none
without Him (Page 1381)

We learn the principle of [qUM myrw ipqw qUM hY myrw mwqw ] qUM myrw bMDpu qUM myrw BRwqw (pMnw 103) You are my Father, and
You are my Mother, You are my Relative, and You are my Brother] from Gurbani. If at least we follow only this
principle, meaning we see one God permeating in all, it will lead to mutual respect and love among all. Then a
mother-in-law would not dare burn a daughter-in-law because she was not satisfied with the amount of dowry
received (a common menace in India). And, similarly a daughter-in-law will have a more cordial relationship with
her mother-in-law, a prime factor in family violence. Husband and wife will become a single soul and the threat
of divorce will be eradicated from our society. All conflicts will cease to exist. There will be no animosity in the
world. Cordial principle of [“nw ko bYrI nhI ibgwnw sgl sMig hm kau bin AweI” (pMnw 1299) No one is my enemy,
and no one is a stranger. I get along with everyone] becomes a leading quality in everyone’s life.
 Living according to Gurbani’s principles will eliminate exploitation and cruelty amongst human beings. Gurbani
objected to and educated people against common social perils such as childhood marriages, dowry and burning
alive of widows on funeral pyres, which are primary causes of a skewed gender ratio due to female foeticide in
India. Currently, for every 1000 males, there are only 775 females in Punjab, India. Menace of drug addiction is
so wide spread that it has trickled down from universities and colleges down to elementary school level.
Consumption of alcohol has reached epidemic levels in Punjab. On average, there are seven large bottles of hard
liquor for every living soul in Punjab, almost giving the expression of the sixth flowing river of alcohol in Punjab,
in a land of five rivers (Punj = Five, Ab – Waters, Punjab). Gurbani has also guided us mere mortals away from
social evils such as drug addition, gambling addiction, adultery etc. that eat away at the delicate fabric of our
society, for which quotations from Gurbani are being omitted for the time being to keep this article short.
Simply, a life style saturated with qualities preached in Gurbani will reinforce one’s commitment to one’s family
life as being the supreme religion. Seeing the invisible God from within every living being in the world, will make
us reach that state of mind like Bhai Kanhiya ji, who even during the heat of the battle did not discriminate
between injured fellow and enemy soldiers and provided all of them water and medical treatment. Personalities
like him are the ones idealized in Gurbani.

3. Political: Gurbani bestows upon us humans a befitting guidance in the realm of political life. During Guru ji’s
times, there was wide spread political persecution of the masses. Kings were like the lions and the law of the
jungle prevailed everywhere. Gurbani challenged the cruel rulers of those times and reminded them that it was
their duty to deliver justice to ordinary folks.

rwjy culI inAwv kI piVAw scu iDAwnu (pMnw 1240) For the king, cleansing is justice; for the scholar, it is true meditation

When repeated efforts to persuade such brutal rulers failed, then Guru ji encouraged people into an organized
opposition, fought wars against such tyrants which resulted in the martyrdom of many. Consequently, Guru
Nanak ji set in motion the creation of an idealistic kingdom that was founded on truth and justice.

nwnik rwju clwieAw scu kotu sqwxI nIv dY ] (pMnw 966)

Nanak established the kingdom; He built the fortress of Truth on the strongest foundations and established the
Benevolent Rule (Page 966)

Such a kingdom was based on humility & kindness so that everyone could live in peace and comfort.

huix hukmu hoAw imhrvwx dw ]pY koie n iksY r\wxdw ] sB suKwlI vuTIAw iehu hoAw hlymI rwju jIau ] (pMnw 74)
Now, the Merciful Lord has issued His Command. Let no one chase after and attack anyone else. Let all abide in peace,
under this Benevolent Rule (Page 74)

This idealistic kingdom has been termed as, in the words of Saint Ravidas, as Baygumpura, City without Sorrows
(Baygum = Without Sorrows, Pura = City).

bygm purw shr ko nwau ] dUKu AMdohu nhI iqih Twau ] (pMnw 345)
Baygumpura, 'the city without sorrow', is the name of the town. There is no suffering or anxiety there. (Page 345)

If political leaders around the world start to become conscious about their duties and work hard to deliver
justice, then the entire planet will certainly become a Baygumpura.

4. Economic: Gap between haves and have-nots continue to widen. Gurbani warns us that rich may have the
means for peace and comfort, but have neither because they are worried about somebody else taking their
wealth and position. On the extreme opposite end of the spectrum, the have-nots are scrambling and struggling
 to put food on the table twice a day. But rare are the ones who have wealth according to their needs and are
enjoying a carefree life by thanking God.

ijsu igRih bhuqu iqsY igRih icMqw ] ijsu igRih QorI su iPrY BRmMqw ] duhU ibvsQw qy jo mukqw soeI suhylw BwlIAY ] (pMnw 1019)
The household which is filled with abundance - that household suffers anxiety. One whose household has little, wanders
around searching for more. He alone is happy and at peace, who is liberated from both conditions. (Page 1019)

Gurbani preaches a Sikh to earn an honest living by working hard.

audmu kryidAw jIau qUM kmwvidAw suK BuMcu ] (pMnw 522)

Work hard, and you shall live; practicing it, you shall enjoy tanquility (Page 522)

An honest earning will help fulfill all needs and prevent a person from collecting excessive wealth by committing
sins.

There is not a single father on this planet who will be happy to see one of his children to have piles of wealth yet
the other one simply struggling to make ends meet. Then how can God, being the universal father, will like the
same among His family members, us humans. That is why Gurbani teaches us to share, not donate, in order to
bring economic equality among masses. In case of donation, the donor may have his or her ego boosted while
the one on the receiving end may feel humiliated by the same action. However, sharing leads to mutual respect
and bondage of love among the participants and such actions nurture the feeling of a universal family.

Gwil Kwie ikCu hQhu dyie ] nwnk rwhu pCwxih syie ] (pMnw 1245)
One who works for what he eats, and gives some of what he has - O Nanak, he knows the way of life. (Page 1245)

That is why a true Sikh shares 10% of his or her earnings in the form of an offering with those who are less
fortunate. In observance of Gurbani’s teachings, this pooled offering in a Gurdwara (Sikh’s place of Worship), is
what makes it possible; around the clock community kitchen for the hungry, medical treatment for the sick, free
lodging for travellers, and education for the ones seeking knowledge etc., so that needs of all can be fulfilled. If
each individual was to follow this basic principle of sharing, entire humanity can be rid of economic struggles.

5. Physical: In order to have a healthy life, one must have a healthy body. Gurbani does not teach us to make this
body dirty by rubbing dirt or ashes, as per rituals in many other faiths. This filth can lead to many diseases.
Rather Gurbani promotes daily baths and to keep one’s body clean and healthy.

kir iesnwnu ismir pRBu Apnw mn qn Bey Arogw ] (pMnw 611)

“Take a daily bath, concentrate on the Holy Name, it will make your mind and body free of ailments” (Page 611)

Some yogis treat their bodies very harshly, a few sit surrounded by fire, some sit in very cold water or worship in
snow clad mountains, while the others hang upside down, going without food for a good length of time. Gurbani
does not recommend any such harsh practices; ask us to protect our body from intoxicants. Gurbani poses a
question to such ritualistic individuals; “What wrong has your body done to deserve such a harsh treatment”? In
fact your body is the Temple of God.

qnu n qpwie qnUr ijau bwlxu hf n bwil ] isir pYrI ikAw PyiVAw AMdir iprI inhwil ] (pMnw 1384)
Do not heat up your body like an oven, and do not burn your bones like firewood. What harm have your feet and head
done to you? Behold your Beloved within yourself (Page 1384)

Because people in India were weak physically, they were ruled by foreign invaders for hundreds of years. Gurus
organized arenas for wrestling, games, horse riding, and martial arts, to help people become strong and
 courageous to confront violent and unjust rulers. They encouraged people to live honourably and resist
injustices positively.

jy jIvY piq lQI jwie ] sBu hrwmu jyqw ikCu Kwie ] (pMnw 142)
Living a life of disgrace will make your every meal sinful (Page142)

nwnk so pRBu ismrIAY iqsu dyhI kau pwil ] (pMnw 554)

O Nanak, meditate in continuance remembrance of God, and nurture this body (Page 554)

6. Intellectual Aspect: Intellectually weak person loses in every field of life. Guru’s word strengths our intellect. It
teaches us that instead of suffering because of superstitions, illogical beliefs, harmful and fruitless rituals, and
ignoring the truth, we should test the things before dealing with them. Repenting after buying defective goods,
bringing them home and then knowing your mistake, is of no value. The deal should be made after ascertaining
the real worth of the goods. All our actions should be carefully undertaken lest they become useless rituals.

suix muMDy hrxwKIey gUVw vYxu Apwru ] pihlw vsqu is\wix kY qW kIcY vwpwru ] (pMnw 1410)
O bride with deer-like eyes, listen to the words of deep and infinite wisdom. First, examine the merchandise, and then,
make the deal. (Page 1410)

No one should do anything which would bring shame to him, in the presence of God. They improve their ability
for correct judgment by becoming very thoughtful and imaginative.

PrIdw ijn@I kMmI nwih gux qy kMmVy ivswir ] mqu srimMdw QIvhI sWeI dY drbwir ] (pMnw 1381)
Fareed, those deeds which do not bring merit - forget about those deeds. (Page 1381)

AYsw kMmu mUly n kIcY ijqu AMiq pCoqweIAY (pMnw 918) Don't do anything that you will regret in the end (Page 918)

mMdw mUil n kIceI dy lµmI ndir inhwlIAY (pMnw 474) Do not do any evil at all; look ahead to the future with foresight (Page
474)

7. Mental Aspect: Because, today life has become so fast that people can only be contacted by a mobile phone.
Fast life is being served by fast food, and people have lost the taste of peaceful living. It is mentally stressful that
people are unable to accomplish what they actually want, and whatever they acquire, they actually may not
need. They have lost the equilibrium of life in a race to satisfy their wants. They need sleeping pills to fall asleep
at night and they also need an alarm to help them wake up in the morning. They usually have a heap of
medicines under their pillow on their fashionable bed. People are missing their present life in the struggle for
future achievements. Gurbani teaches that the Lord who regulates the universe has the capacity to regulate
your life. Pray to Him to do the same.

koit bRhmMf ko Twkuru suAwmI srb jIAw kw dwqw ry ] pRiqpwlY inq swir smwlY ieku gunu nhI mUriK jwqw ry ] (pMnw 612)
God is the Lord and Master of millions of universes; He is the Giver of all beings. He ever cherishes and cares for all
beings, but a fool does not appreciate even one of His virtues (Page 612)

One does not need to become careless about his life duties, but he can learn to relax about the outcome. His
duty is to carry out his duties honestly; the reward is in the hands of the Master of the Universe. By leaving the
reward of his effort to God, he can become less anxious and much relaxed mentally.

nw kir icMq icMqw hY krqy ] hir dyvY jil Qil jMqw sBqY ] AicMq dwnu dyie pRBu myrw ivic pwQr kIt pKwxI hy ] (pMnw 1070)
Don't worry - let the Creator take care of it. The Lord gives to all creatures in the water and on the land. My God bestows
His blessings without being asked, even to worms in soil and stones. (Page 1070)
 When a Sikh leads a life with his faith in God, he will become strong in his mind and then he will agree that

Dur kI bwxI AweI ] iqin sglI icMq imtweI ] (pMnw 628)

Guru’s word is divine and it has removed all of my anxieties (Page 628)

8. Spiritual Aspect: This aspect of Gurbani is a little more complicated. Gurbani confirms existence of One
Universal God in every one of the beings, who has also been termed as Atam Ram (Omnipresent Soul). Some
people live on an elementary level where their entire focus is on their individual and physical well being. Others
rise up to little higher level, and their thoughts expand and their actions cover their families. Some rise even
higher and have the well being of their ethnic group, and at the most their nation’s best interest, as their
primary focus. But even those stop at the national level, since citizens of another nation may be their opponents
and how can one contemplate well being of his or hers opponents? It is for that reason Gurbani defines Atam
Ram (Omnipresent Soul), in other words, every being is part of the One God.

hir Awqm rwmu pswirAw suAwmI srb rihAw BrpUry ] (pMnw 774)
The Lord, the Supreme Soul, is the Lord and Master of the Universe; He is pervading and permeating everywhere, fully
filling all spaces. (Page 774)

How can I hurt another person, when other person’s soul is part of the same God? This same Atam Ram
(Omnipresent Soul) is equally present in me, in my family members, and not only in citizens of my nation but
citizens of other nations as well. This principle of Atam Ram (Omnipresent Soul) unites entire humanity. Upon
realization of this principle, a person becomes strong spiritually and consequently wishes well being of all. It is
out of this mind set, a character to do good deeds is born.

jgqu jlµdw riK lY AwpxI ikrpw Dwir ] ijqu duAwrY aubrY iqqY lYhu aubwir ] (pMnw 853)
The world is going up in flames - shower it with Your Mercy, and save it! Save it, and deliver it, by whatever method it
takes (Page 853)

Now a person sees oneness among many, and partitions are eradicated. If people with this mind set were to
ever form governments of their respective nations, the entire world will become a small village, borders will
vanish, a single currency will suffice, passport system will be no more, and 70% of the wealth currently spent on
buying weapons of destruction will be used for the well being of entire humankind. Then Gurbani’s most
powerful truth will become obvious;

sB suKwlI vuTIAw iehu hoAw hlymI rwju jIau ] (pMnw 74)

Let all abide in peace, under this Benevolent Rule (Page 74)

So the most pressing present need is to promote this understanding of Guru Granth Sahib ji (to every corner of
the world so that this knowledge can lead a person to become this perfect and idealistic citizen of planet earth.
As a matter of fact, purpose of this article is to inform people about the virtues of teachings contained in Guru
Granth Sahib ji and I will feel greatly honoured even if only one individual sought guidance from Guru Granth
Sahib ji after reading this article. Lets all make a commitment to dive into this ocean of knowledge to seek gems
of qualities to decorate our lives with them.

bwxI gurU gurU hY bwxI ivic bwxI AMimRqu swry ] guru bwxI khY syvku jnu mwnY prqiK gurU insqwry ] (pMnw 982)
The Word, the Bani is Guru, and Guru is the Bani. Within the Bani, the essence to make one immortal is contained. If His
humble servant believes, and acts according to the Words of the Guru's Bani, then the Guru, in person, emancipates him.
(Page 982)