Gems of Gurbani

Guru Granth Sahib

Oneness and Universality of God

 Week days (waar), lunar days, auspiciousness and omens   1

In my childhood my mother never allowed us to wash hair on Thursdays as we had one brother and Thursday being brother’s day Veerwaar in Punjabi belief. If sister’s washed hair on that day something inauspicious might happen to the brother. As a child I never understood the auspiciousness of days and their association with deities and other sacred rituals. Even in college days many of my friends fasted on certain days and associated this ritual of fasting with deities who act in your favour if you perform certain rituals. We didn’t have any fasting rituals or any special acts associated with deities in our home because my grandfather who was a staunch Sikh never allowed such futile traditions. As I started learning Gurbani I started to understand my grandfather and Sikh belief in truth of Oneness of God and that He is Universal. Guru Nanak’s belief that all such traditions and religious rituals created to create fear and doubt in the minds of people are to fulfill the vested interests of a particular class of priests is relevant even in the present times. Just look around how religion is commercialized and so many rituals are performed. These all deviate the mortals from meditating on the Name of True Lord and following His Ordinance to act humanly and work towards welfare of humanity.

The third Guru Amardasji has deliberated on Guru Nanak ji’s Sikh concept of Oneness of God and His Universal character in Raag Bilawal Mahala 3 ang 841 in Guru Granth Sahib ; Seven days.

There is but One God by the grace of True Guru He is obtained.

Adit waar (Sunday): He alone is the primordial Lord. He Himself is the doer of everything. There is none other like Him. Since He established Himself there was no warp and woof and He has woven Himself in the World.

Whatever the Creator does that alone happens. Imbued with His Name one is ever in peace. By Guru’s grace only rare ones understand this II 1 II

Within my mind I take every bead of a rosary of His Name and fill the treasure with His virtues. My Lord is Unintelligible, Imperceptible and Infinite. I sit and pray at His feet and become His slave II 2 II Rahao II