400th Prakash Utsav of Sri Guru Granth Sahib
World joins the faithful in celebrating the canonical spirit,
even as another scripture divides the Sikh community bitterly
S P Singh
Chandigarh:
PEOPLE of the Ahle-e-Kitab is how Sikhs are often referred to. Followers of one of the youngest religions in the world are united by their scriptures. But as the community gets drenched in the holy fervour of celebrating 400th year of installation of Adi Granth at Golden Temple Amritsar, it is ironic that one of the deepest divisions that bitterly divide Sikhs is over scriptures.
United by their faith in the Adi Granth, reverentially termed Sri Guru Granth Sahib, the Sikhs are today a divided lot over Dasam Granth.
Scholars are bitterly clashing over the issue of authorship of many hymns in Dasam Granth and its status vis-à-vis the Adi Granth, while top clergy has repeatedly embroiled itself in the divisive debate, excommunicating many but with little success in resolving the issue.
As Government joins religious fora, including the SGPC, in celebrating the event connected with prime canonical scripture of the Sikhs, and even the President and Prime Minister of the country join in the fervour of religiosity and piety, it is ironical that the Dasam Granth scriptures have even divided the clergy itself.
At Takht Huzoor Sahib in Patna, one of the top five Sikh temporal institutions, the Dasam Granth is accorded equal reverence to Adi Granth, a fact which has often led to bitter debates.
Leading scholars and community journals are currently involved in shrill debates about Dasam Granth and clergy is under immense pressure facing even public opprobrium and watching Sikh scholars as well known as Khushwant Singh openly announcing that they take little notice of its diktats.
Except for certain fringe sects, Sikhs across the board believe in guruship of the Adi Granth, but Dasam Granth has sparked off a debate in recent times which has seen a major section of Sikh scholars taking upon another institution, the conflict-resolving Akal Takht itself. Sikh Diaspora is currently grappling with the fallout even more than the Sikhs in Punjab.
People of the Ahle-e-Kitab are now digging out books penned by their incumbent clerics, and scholars ranged against the Dasam Granth have fished out the work edited by incumbent top Sikh cleric Joginder Singh Vedanti, jathedar of Akal Takht, to castigate it as anti-Sikh. Not to be outdone, work on yoga penned by Iqbal Singh, jathedar of Takht Patna Sahib, was slammed by other clerics.
Led by controversial Sikh preacher Gurbaksh Singh Kala Afghana, an influential section of the scholars are pressing the debate rather vociferously.
Ironically, even in case of Adi Granth, the debate over its various versions, the authenticity of Kartarpuri Bir besides the Kartarpuri-Banno bir arguments have continuously kept the community scholars in a tizzy.
KEEPING pace with the quadri-centennial celebrations is the renewed focus on the original volume of Adi Granth which fifth Sikh master, Guru Arjun Dev, is believed to have compiled and which was then installed at the Golden Temple. This volume is now widely believed to be in the custody of Sodhi Dhirmalias of Kartarpur who were excommunicated from the Pannth.
But is Kartarpuri Bir the original volume? How did it land in the hands of Sodhi Dhirmalias? Search has often been a thrilling scholarly activity, and at times feverish religious debate. Untiring efforts of scholars like G.B.Singh, Bhai Jodh Singh, Sahib Singh, Piara Singh Padam, Piar Singh, Pashaura Singh, Gurinder Singh Mann and W.H.Mcleod have kept the debate alive.
As renowned Sikhism scholar W.H.Mcleod, foremost among those who have advanced the field of modern Sikh studies, noted, the Kartarpuri bir is one of the principal versions but access to it is near-impossible as the family possessing it only allows darshan from a distance.
Only three people who were able to examine it in contemporary history were able to do so as a result of an ongoing litigation between SGPC and Sodhi family when they received permission from Jullundur [then spelling] Division Commissioner during 1940s. The three were Dr Jodh Singh, Dr J.C.Archer and Dr C.H.Loehlin. Singh's Sri Kartarpuri Bir De Darshan remains a major reference point along with G.B.Singh's work. Banno version also has a hymn by Meera Bai and one by Sur Das.
Oral history has it that Kartarpuri bir was taken away by Dhirmal, grandson of sixth Guru, from his house to buttress his claims for succession. Thirty years later, ninth Guru's followers retrieved it, but were instructed to return it. “This was done by placing it in the Beas river, from where Dhirmal recovered it miraculously unharmed,” McLeod quotes tradition. But from this point on, even tradition fails to fill the gaps in bir's movements.
Obvious conclusion is that it remained with the Sodhi family. In 1849, reliable accounts appear. Following Punjab’s annexation, the volume together with its golden stand was discovered by British in Lahore court. An application was received by Sodhi Sadhu Singh of Kartarpur and in 1850 the volume was restored to him.
Sodhi Sadhu Singh, as an act of gratefulness, got a copy made and presented it to Queen Victoria as per Nahar Singh's Documents relating to Guru Gobind Singh's Swords and Sacred Books of Sikhs in England (1967). The copy presented to Queen is now in India Office Library as MSS.Panj.E2.
(August 29, 2004)