Sadhsangat jeeo, please find below the article written by Bhai Kaur Singh jee. The Punjabi version is much better and I already know that I have not been able to do justice while translating it. Nevertheless, I have done the translation and hopefully some gursikhs out there will become more determined than ever in bringing back our real Guru on the throne of Guruship.

Daas,
Kulbir Singh

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Is Laridaar Baani (words are joined) Saroop Siri Guru Granth Sahib jee the current Guru being made to disappear?

The supporters of Padd-chhed (writing baani in non-joint form) use the following 3 arguments in favour of doing Padd-chhed of Siri Guru Granth Sahib jee:

1) It is easier to do paath from Padd-chhed Saroop.

2) Paath done from Padd-chhed saroop is more correct and pure in terms of pronounciation (shudh paath).

3) By doing padd-chhed of Siri Guru Granth Sahib jee, it becomes easier to translate the baani of Siri Guru Granth Sahib jee in other languages, thereby making it possible to spread the mission of Siri Guru Nanak Dev jee at a very large scale.

Answer to Question 1: If you are so worried about easiness and hardness of doing paath, then you might as well not do it. Why not do idol worshipping? The reality is that in love, there is no concept of easiness and hardness. Guru jee warns the seekers of Vaheguru in his baani saying that if you wish to play the game of love with Vaheguru, then place your head on your palm and come the court of the true Guru. In ardaas, we remember those great pains and atrocities that our fellow gursikhs suffered for this game of love with Vaheguru. At the least, can’t we even spend some time and do some effort to learn paath from laridaar saroop of Siri Guru Granth Sahib jee?

Answer to Question 2: This argument that paath done from padd-chhed is clearer and correct does not have any weight. Check out the different padd-chhed saroops for yourself. Paath in one saroop does not match the paath in other saroop. Paath in one translation book does not match with the other translation book. Only one out of them can be correct. All cannot be correct. Others, except one are incorrect. Paath done from such incorrect saroops will always be incorrect because it is written incorrectly. Mistakes from reading incorrect versions of padd-chhed would be considered deliberate mistakes because we have deliberately done the padd-chhed of baani. Both the readers and ones who have done the padd-chhed will have to bear the weight of the sin of doing incorrect paath.

Let all the scholars of panth sit together but they still will not be able to do correct padd-chhed of Siri Guru Granth Sahib jee. There are hundreds of words that they will separate based on their own intelligence. Which one out of them is the correct one, only Satguru jee knows or Vaheguru jee knows. What can we mortal beings know. We mortal beings can never claim that the padd-chhed paath that we have done is the correct one. Here are some such shabads which we cannot separate properly or unanimously:


1. ਸਗਲਤਜੀਨੁਗਗਨਦਉਰਾਵਉ ॥੧॥ (329)

2 ਬਿਰਖਇਕਤਰੀਆ ॥ (537)

3. ਅਨਕਉਮੇਰੀਆ ॥ (537)

4. ਏਤੇਕੂਕਰਹਉ ॥ (795)

5. ਪੰਚਾਹਰੁਨਿਦਲਿਅਉ (1408)

6. ਦੇਹੀਗਿਰਝਨਖਾਈ ॥੨॥ (693)

7. ਸਬਦਸੁਰਤਿਕੀਨੀਵਰਖਾਈ ॥ (1406)

8. ਮਾਨਵਹਿਲਹਿ ॥ (1395)

In the light of the above, it is proven beyond doubt that paath done from laridaar saroop alone is the correct and pure paath. Paath should be done after getting santhiya from a good paathi. The supporters of padd-chhed raise a question at this, saying that if shabads in Siri Guru Granth Sahib jee cannot be separated adequately, then how can paathi teaching new students teach correct paath. The answer to this question is that the one teaching paath does not lay any claim that the paath he is teaching is the correct one. Whatever he knew he taught. But when you print or write Siri Guru Granth Sahib jee’s saroop with separated words, you are laying a sure claim that what you have done is the correct way. This way you also try to claim that you have therefore found the end of Guru Sahib i.e. you know everything. This in itself is a great crime.


Answer to Question 3: Gurbani is not a subject of intelligence alone. Gurbani is the support of our aatma (soul). Gurbani helps aatma to meet Parmaatma (Vaheguru). By doing paath from Laridaar Baani, the mind comes under control. Paath from Padd-chhed baani leaves the mind open to wander out of baani. Mind does not have to worry about trying to separate the words as in the case of paath from laridaar baani (where the words are not separated). So the mind finds escape and wanders out, resulting in less concentration of the mind. Our concentration (surtee) does not get the required focus and as a result it is unable to enter the Dasam Duaar. Unless our surtee, our mind, enters Dasam Duaar, we don’t get free of the cycle of life and death. This is what the main mission of Guru Nanak Dev jee is i.e. to free us from the cycle of life and death. If we don’t do paath from Laridaar baani, how can we free ourselves from the cycle of life and death? If you think deeply, this way we don’t do proper preaching of the mission of Guru Nanak Dev jee. Along with the paath of laridaar baani it is also important to adopt the rehit (code of conduct) given to us by Guru Gobind Singh jee.

The conclusion is that whatever the Perfect One (Vaheguru) does is perfect. Whatever Guru does is complete and perfect. Guru Sahib in his first form to his tenth form, compiled and created baani in laridaar form and finally in his tenth form, Guru Gobind Singh jee, gave the guruship to Laridaar form of baani of Guru Granth Sahib jee. It is pure Manmatt to publish padd-chhed saroop and do parkash of these padd-chhed saroops in place of laridaar saroop of Siri Guru Granth Sahib jee.

The way the trend of publishing and preaching the Padd-chhed saroop is going on, it is feared that in the coming future, the real Guru – Guru Granth Sahib jee (laridaar saroop), will be eliminated from this world and replaced with padd-chhed saroop.

Is the aim of Panth today, to eliminate the Laridaar Saroop that is the real Guru on the throne of Guru Nanak Dev jee? The answer is no, as it is evident from the following resolutions passed by Panthik organizations:

1) Gurmata (holy resolution) Number 7, Date – 1-5-1950; Dharmik Committee, Shiromini Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee: So long as a unanimous consensus is reached at the Panthik level, no person or organization should publish the Bir (Saroop, copy) by doing Padd-chhed (separating words) and neither should anyone install Padd-chhed Bir in the congregation.

2) Karaj Sadhak Committee’s (Chief Khalsa Diwan) resolution number 2682, dated 21-1-1945: The issue of doing Akhand Paath from the padd-chhed Bir of Sirui Guru Granth Sahib jee was brought to the attention of the advisory committee. It was concluded that no such Bir (padd-chhed) should be installed in the congregation and Akhand Paath should not be done from such bir either. It is inappropriate to publish the padd-chhed Bir of Siri Guru Granth Sahib jee and is detrimental for the Panth. Let Shiromini Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee receive a copy of this resolution and a copy should be released to the press.

In the light of the above two resolutions, it can be rightly concluded that Panth as a whole is not in favour of publishing Padd-chhed and eliminating Laridaar Saroop. Later when the committee members got replaced, Shiromini Committee, without any input from the panth, started publishing padd-chhed saroops. Who could have then stopped the booksellers and private publishers? Now Shiromini Committee has started publishing their name on each ang of Siri Guru Granth Sahib jee. The private publishers too will start doing this. Then Siri Guru Granth Sahib jee will look more like a book than our Guru.

Siri Guru Arjun Dev jee had to sacrifice his life and attain martyrdom to preserve the sanctity of Dhur kee Baani – Gurbani. Famous Historian Professor Satbir Singh, writes about the main reasons for the shahidi of Guru Arjun Dev jee and writes that Emperor Jahangir had asked Guru Sahib to write in Gurbani something in praise of Islam and Guru Sahib’s refusal became the reason of his martyrdom. It seems that Jahangir too had asked Guru Sahib to take out baani like “Mittee Mussalmaan kee” and add something in praise of Islam. Ram Rai had changed the word “Mussalmaan” to “Beyeemaan”.

Bhai Sahib Randhir Singh jee the leader of Akhand Kirtani Jatha confirms the above stated reason for shahidi of Siri Guru Arjun Dev jee, in his great book Jot Vigaas, Para 183:

SIRI GURU ARJUN SAHIB DEH TIYAAGI, SAKA VARTIYA BIKAT KASHTOLIYAAN DA||
IK AKHAR BHEE BADALDAY KADHIYA NA, KEETA ADAB BAANI AKHAROLIYAAN DA||
SIRI GURU DEE DEH DEY ANG AKHAR, KEETA ANG NA BHANG DEHOLIYAAN DA||
NIJ DEH DE ANG SARBANG HAVNAY, BHANA MANN SACHAY BHAAVNOLIYAAN DA||

Giani Gurbachan Singh jee Khalsa, chief of Damdami Taksal, practically served as a guard in favour of Laridaar saroop. While teaching students paath, he would give santhiya, only from laridaar pothis. Whenever he used to meet Bhai Sahib Randhir Singh jee, he used to hug him and embrace him. Both leaders were followers of same rehit of Guru Gobind Singh jee Maharaaj.

At this time too, both organizations (Taksal and Akhand Kirtani Jatha) should work on this very important project as a team. They should help pass resolutions in favour of Laridaar saroop and then send copies to the jathedar of Siri Akal Takhat Sahib. This is the biggest issue for Panth today and we should raise our voice in form of sangat.

If no result comes out of our efforts, then we should be willing and ready to take other measures e.g. when the British Government had demolished the wall of Gurdwara Rakabganj and had tried to take out the road to the Secretariat, the Singhs from all over, placed their heads on their palms and were ready to do anything to protect the sanctity of the Gurdwara Sahib.

When Sardar Kartar Singh Jhabbar along with his jatha had moved forward in full force, ready to die, the British had backed off and handed over the keys of Gurdwara Nanakana Sahib to the Panth.

Please remember that in the above stated two instances, the aggressors were trying to insult the house of Guru (Gurdwara) but in the case of laridaar saroop, THEY ARE INSULTING OUR GURU . What are we going to do about it?

Published by: Tatt Gurmat Literature Trust
Bhai Kaur Singh
541 East Mohan Nagar, Amritsar.

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