About

1. About author

Author – T. Singh – updates and maintains this Gurbani.org website since 1993.

Now retired Engineer in the U.S.A., the author is just an ordinary being who is trying to see the world the way Gur-Shabad (SGGS) does!

The author is neither a scholar, nor a philosopher, nor a writer, nor interested in being one. He does not claim to understand fully.

Although the author was born in a Sikh family but – according to Gurmat Wisdom of SGGS – to be a True Sikh or Khalsaa is not a question of family of birth, heredity, ancestry, religion, race, social status, caste (Jaat Paat), education, titles, robes, region, etc., it is a question of mind abiding in its Jot Saroop or True Nature (Mool) through Shabad-Vichaar!. Hence, “Sikh” and “Khalsa” words do not represent a physical state, but a unique Way of life based on the Wisdom or Bibek of the Sri Guru Granth Sahib, SGGS!

  • ਕਹੁ ਕਬੀਰ ਜਨ ਭਏ ਖਾਲਸੇ ਪ੍ਰੇਮ ਭਗਤਿ ਜਿਹ ਜਾਨੀ ॥: O Kabeer! Those persons become “Khaalsae” (ਖਾਲਸੇ) who have realized the Prem Bhagti (ਗੁਰਮਤ ਦਾ ਗਿਆਨ, Understanding of the Gur-Shabad, Gur-Giaan, or Wisdom of the Gurbani…). (sggs 655).
  • ਸਤਿਗੁਰ ਮਿਲਿਐ ਉਲਟੀ ਭਈ ਭਾਈ ਜੀਵਤ ਮਰੈ ਤਾ ਬੂਝ ਪਾਇ ॥ ਸੋ ਗੁਰੂ ਸੋ ਸਿਖੁ ਹੈ ਭਾਈ ਜਿਸੁ ਜੋਤੀ ਜੋਤਿ ਮਿਲਾਇ ॥: O brother! Meeting the Satgur (True Wisdom, ਸਚਾ ਗਿਆਨ), one understands (true Way of living – ਆਤਮਕ ਜੀਵਨ), and then turns away (from Bikaar, demerits, falsehood…), and remains living dead. O Brother! He is the Guroo (Giaan, Bibek, Wisdom…) and he is the Sikh (learner), who has merged (his individual consciousness or) light in the Universal Light (i.e.,  Universal Consciousness or Energy…). (sggs 602).
“Why do you write?”

In nutshell:

  • To instruct and persuade his own mind, the author does this website to understand the deeper meaning or jist (ਭਾਵ ਅਰਥ) of the Gurbani (SGGS) from the Gurbani.
  • While reading the Gurbani (SGGS) and reflecting on it, he writes it down so that he can remember or refer back to later.
  • Some seekers may also find all this of some value; in that spirit he shares on this website (“Vand Shaknaa“). Specifically, he knows some will come and correct him!
No guarantee or claim (ਦਾਵਾ)
  • ਭੁਲਣ ਅੰਦਰਿ ਸਭੁ ਕੋ ਅਭੁਲੁ ਗੁਰੂ ਕਰਤਾਰੁ ॥: Everyone makes mistakes; the “Guroo Karataar” (i.e., Rabb) is infallible. (sggs 61).

So, nothing is perfect, including this.

Hence, NO guarantee or claim (ਦਾਵਾ) of accuracy or perfection of the interpretation of the Gurbani. If you don’t agree then just ignore, and find an answer you want to hear somewhere else.

However, if you know how to say the Gurbani’s meaning more clearer or accurate, please enhance our understanding by sharing (“Vand Shaknaa“) your thoughts in the comment section of the posts.

2. About this Site

First off, this is not a commercial website:

  • We decided to keep this entire website non-commercial since its inception in 1993. For we are not interested in commercializing Gurmat Wisdom of SGGS and using it as a mundane business (“ਰੋਟੀਆ ਕਾਰਣਿ”, ਧੰਧਾ, ਦੁਕਾਨਦਾਰੀ) as many are doing just that in the guise of Sikhi.
  • This website is not meant to make presentation of corrupt politics, rituals (Karamakaand), dogmas, robes, religious paraphernalia, etc., which have no place in the Wisdom of the SGGS.
  • Hence, this website is  not for those who use the SGGS, Dharma, or religion as a mundane business, or who like their understanding of the SGGS watered down.
  • This website is for those who have become aware that there is more to the Gurmat (Wisdom, Upadesh or Way of the SGGS…) than the routine, ritualistic, and robotic reading or hearing of the Gurbani from the illiterate and fraud Pujaaree groups.
Gurbani can only be understood from gurbani

The Wisdom of Sri Guru Granth Sahib (SGGS) asserts that Gurbani can ONLY be understood FROM Gurbani!

  • ਗੁਰ ਕੀ ਬਾਣੀ ਗੁਰ ਤੇ ਜਾਤੀ ਜਿ ਸਬਦਿ ਰਤੇ ਰੰਗੁ ਲਾਇ ॥: Gurbani is understood from the Gurbani by those who are lovingly attuned to the Shabad (-Vichaar). (sggs 1346).
  • ਪੋਥੀ ਪਰਮੇਸਰ ਕਾ ਥਾਨੁ ॥ ਸਾਧਸੰਗਿ ਗਾਵਹਿ ਗੁਣ ਗੋਬਿੰਦ ਪੂਰਨਬ੍ਰਹਮ ਗਿਆਨੁ ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥: “Pothee” (SGGS) is the Place to realize the Divine (Wisdom or Giaan, Naam, Virtues, Hukam or Law of Nature, Universal Energy…). By understanding the Giaan (spiritual Knowledge of the “Pothee”), Aatmaa is strengthened and begins to live by Virtues (Giaan…). (sggs 1226).
Crafty Pujaaree-Vaad is hostile to Sikh Gurus and Gurmat

Following Gurmat Wisdom of the SGGS, our attempt (ਛੋਟਾ ਜਿਹਾ ਉਪਰਾਲਾ, ਯਤਨ) here at his website is to understand the Way of the SGGS directly from the Gurbani, NOT from the illiterate and corrupt Pujaaree system (Pujaaree-Vaad, Bipar-Vaad, Pakhand-Vaad, priest) or the Pujaaree groups (ਠੱਗ, ਮੰਗਖਾਣਾਂ ਪੁਜਾਰੀ ਲਾਣਾਂ — Raagees, Bhais, Granthi, Kathaakaar, preachers, Deraav-Vad or Sant-Vaad, Baabaa-Vaad, Jathedar-Vaadetc, foolish so called scholars…).

To put it otherwise, our little attempt is to remove to some extent the superstition (ਅੰਧ ਵਿਸਵਾਸ) and ignorance that has spread nowadays in the name of Gurmat by the Pujaaree-Vaad.

  • ਪੰਡਿਤ ਮੁਲਾਂ ਜੋ ਲਿਖਿ ਦੀਆ ॥ ਛਾਡਿ ਚਲੇ ਹਮ ਕਛੂ ਨ ਲੀਆ ॥੩॥: Whatever the Pandit and the Mullaan have written (the path of Karamkaand, Shariyat…), I have abandoned (all of that); I have not taken any of it ||3||. (sggs 1159).

For more discussion on Pujaaree-Vaad and Gurmat, see our following posts:

Who is the true Guru or Satiguru in Sikhi?

Also, the SGGS affirms: (1) Bibek or Giaan (Wisdom) is the Guru, (2) it’s the consciousness (Surat-ਸੁਰਤ) or the mind (Soch-ਸੋਚ) that needs to become a Sikh (ਸਿਖਿਆਰਥੀ, or a learner, or a student) of the Wisdom of the Shabad-Guru.

For more discussion, see our post titled “Who is the True Guru in Sikhi?“!

SGGS proclaims Shabad-Vichaar is above all

Understandably, SGGS gives the utmost importance to Shabad-Vichaar (Reflections On the Gurbani — churning the Gurbani for extracting the Butter of Wisdom…).

  • ਸਭਸੈ ਊਪਰਿ ਗੁਰ ਸਬਦੁ ਬੀਚਾਰੁ ॥: Reflection on the Gur-Shabad is above all (other notions, speculations, calculations…). (sggs 904).

Hence, the SGGS provides us with the Giaan (Wisdom, or Knowledge) to become better human beings and community (ਵਧੀਆ ਇਨਸਾਨ ਤੇ ਵਧੀਆ ਸਮਾਜ).

Note on gender

It’s only for the ease of writing we use a pronoun “He”. Also, the term “Man” is to be understood in its generic sense, including both woman and man, unless the context indicates otherwise.