Guru Nanak

Guru Nanak was the founder of Sikhism religion . Guru Nanak Jayanti is celebrated on full moon night of Hindu lunar month of Kartik. In this article, you will get information on Guru Nanak, his teachings and legacy, providing key insights for GS Paper-I Art and Culture section of UPSC IAS Exam.

Table of Content

• Guru Nanak       
• Teachings of Guru Nanak dev ji
• Sikhism after Shri Guru Nanak dev ji        
• Conclusion         
• Frequently Asked Questions       
• Reference           

Guru Nanak:

• Baba Guru Nanak was the founder of Sikhism religion.
• Guru Nanak was born in 1469 on full moon night of Hindu lunar month of Kartik.
  • Guru Nanakbirthday orJayanti is celebrated each year on this day as Gurpurab or Guru Nanak’s Prakash Utsav.
• Guru Nanak’s birth place was Talwandi or Nankana Sahib in present-day Pakistan.
• His father was Mehta Kalu, mother was Mata Tripta and grandfather was Baba Shiv Ram.
• Guru Nanak dev ji travelled extensively before establishing a centre– Dera Baba Nanak in Kartarpur along the River Ravi.
  • Dera Baba Nanak or Dharmsal is now recognized as Gurdwara.
• In Kartarpur, he composed his own 974 hymns or Shabad in the praise of God and wisdom such as Asa di Var, Japji Sahib, Sidh Gosht.
• He and his disciple Mardana were responsible for the development and popularity of Shabad.
• Son of Guru Nanak dev ji was Sri Chand and daughter Lakhmi Das.
• Guru Nanak dev ji died in 22 September 1539 in Kartarpur.

Kartarpur Corridor:

Teachings of Guru Nanak dev ji:

• Guru had emphasised in promotion of unity among his followers, regardless of their previous religious affiliation, caste, or gender.
• Guru had emphasised more on householders and encouraged their engagement in productive and meaningful occupations.
  • This has led to large followers of his teachings specially among the Khattari traders.
• He stressed the worship of a singular God or “Ik Onkar” and rejected the significance of caste, creed, or gender in attaining liberation.
  • Guru belonged to Nirguna school that emphasised that God has no shape or form.
• His concept of liberation extended beyond a state of passive bliss but rather, he emphasized an active life dedicated to social responsibility.
• According to him, liberation cannot be achieved by worshipping idols or the books or following life of ascetism.
• He used terms such as nam, dan, and isnan to convey the essence of his teachings, which meant right worship, the welfare of others, and proper moral conduct.
• These teachings are now remembered as nam-japna (meditation on the divine), kirt-karna (honest labor), and vand-chhakna (sharing with others).
• Sri Guru Nanak dev ji quotes that ‘they who eat the fruit of their labour, Nanak, recognise the right way.’
• His followers used to assemble and share meals together in the langar, the common kitchen.

Sikhism after Shri Guru Nanak dev ji:

• Before his passing in 1539, Guru had appointed one of his devoted followers Lehna as his successor.
  • Lehna later came to be known as Guru Angad, symbolizing his connection to his Guru.
• Guru Angad had compiled the compositions of Baba Guru Nanak while adding his own writings in a new script called Gurmukhi.
  • The subsequent three successors of Guru Angad also wrote under the name of “Guru Nanak“.
  • These all were together complied into the Guru Granth Sahib.
• Janamsakhis or Sakhis were the set of books that contained the mythological stories of the Guru Nanak.

Conclusion

The founder of Sikhism Guru Nanak was a visionary spiritual leader. His teachings had emphasized the importance of equality, compassion, and selfless service to humanity. He has promoted the idea of living a truthful and righteous life while also serving the humanity.

Ref: Source-1

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