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Why did Guru Gobind Singh have more than one wife?


Harjinder

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It doesn't even say it 4 guys. But I wouldnt get married wid 2 women, no way! In my mind its not right, i've been feeling dis since i was in 1st skool, wen a muslim told me bout der heaven, i den said 2 him, "nah, i would only need 1 woman.

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Guest Javanmard

polygamy (one man marrying more than one wife) and polyandry (one woman marrying more than one man) were not rare in Panjab especially amongst Jatts. Our Gurus having many wives was as such not exceptional in the society in which they lived. To make a fuss about is illogical because who do that apply late 19th-20th century values to Indian medieval realities. Judge a society with its own criteria not your own.

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Polygamy or polyandry was a part of the punjabi culture a few hundred years ago and not of sikhism, sikhism doenst impose polygamy or polyandry on anyone but it expects its followers to do the right thing and which would be marrying only once,, (exception to the rule: widow re-marriage and divorce)....multiple marriages will defy one of the fundamental teachings of sikhism i.e; "Equality* .......

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Guest Javanmard

jogi wrote

Polygamy or polyandry was a part of the punjabi culture a few hundred years ago and not of sikhism, sikhism doenst impose polygamy or polyandry on anyone but it expects its followers to do the right thing and which would be marrying only once,, (exception to the rule: widow re-marriage and divorce)....multiple marriages will defy one of the fundamental teachings of sikhism i.e; "Equality* .......

How? Do you think there is equality in monogamy specially as it is practiced nowadays by us SIkhs?

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I don't know if Any of the Guru ji's did have more than one wife but If anyone here wants more than one wife then Sacrifice your entire family for Sikhi, See ur Loved ones getting boiled alive, cut to pieces then You can have more than one wife if u wish :)

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Guest Javanmard

I don't know if Any of the Guru ji's did have more than one wife but If anyone here wants more than one wife then Sacrifice your entire family for Sikhi, See ur Loved ones getting boiled alive, cut to pieces then You can have more than one wife if u wish

why? Polygamy or polyandry never was a special priviledge!

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Guest Javanmard

You don't need to be like Maharaj to be polygamous or polyandrous...

I fail to see the link between both... Of course I think any Sikh should strive to imitate his Guru but he/she can never equal Maharaj.

Maharaj is the sun, we are the moons reflecting his light.

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what would be the function of an additional wife?

could women have additional husbands?

considering how much everyone puts down punjabi culture for infanticide, sexism, bhangra etc...........culture and society are not valid explanations. if the gurus wives did infanticide would you just say "its the society at the time"??? there is a more logical explanation, im sure of it :) . the ideas of society are not always rational.

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Guest Javanmard

what would be the function of an additional wife?

Human beings are not objects, they don't have functions per se but I guess that companionship, care and tenderness are good reasons...

could women have additional husbands?
In the Panjab, specially amongst the Jatts it was not rare to see a set of brothers getting married to one woman.

if the gurus wives did infanticide would you just say "its the society at the time"???

Well they didn't do that's not the issue here. infanticide and polygamy are two different issues.

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what you are saying is we must judge polygamy by 18th century punjab standards. i disagree because i believe the gurus and their actions were divinely inspired and not just due to the society at the time.

if we were to judge sexism by 17th century punjab is wud be seen as ok. people like to emphasise how modern sikhi is and how it threw off the shackles of the backwards punjabi society.......but we have found 1 point that so far no one has been able to tackle very well.......and we are saying its ok because other people did it at the time.......

the gurus didnt really require companionship as such. they were too engrossed in their connection with waheguru. emotional bonds for the gurus were non existent. i would see no reason for saints such as bhai randhir singh, baba gurbachan singh, etc to have multiple wives.

come on....someone knows the answer :evil:

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if we were to judge sexism by 17th century punjab is wud be seen as ok. people like to emphasise how modern sikhi is and how it threw off the shackles of the backwards punjabi society.......but we have found 1 point that so far no one has been able to tackle very well.......and we are saying its ok because other people did it at the time.......

is polygamy backward? :roll: that's a bit of an Orientalist statement!

Sant Gurbachan SIngh was a jewel of Sikhi. Don't tarnish his name by naming the other heretic bloke :evil:

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Guest Javanmard

Move to threads on AKJ and Ragmala if you want to talk about Randhir Singh and his jatha.

Fact remains: Guru Harigobind and Guru Gobind SIngh had three wives and Guru Hari Rai eight wives (don't mention Taksali website I'll refer you to Gurmat Rahit Maryada of Sant Gurbachan SIngh: his real writings not a website).

Not everything has a reason...

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in the end it does not make a difference to me if our guru ji had one wife or 3. I still feel the same way.

There are many things that were done by our Guru's that we do not and could not understand.

We can all Assume and hope the HIstorians are not wrong in their findings.

I don't think the real question is being answered here.

Well first of all DID OUR GURU HAVE MORE THAN ONE WIFE?????????? Some say yes some say no? so what is the truth? NOw when someone says wife, does it means that he actually had gone infront of our SGGS and gotten married??

If it is true that he actually married these women then the question remains, Why? What purpose was it for our guru to have 3 wives??

It could not be KAAM.

It could not be Companionship.

So what is left, nothing but Compassion and Love, i don't think it was any different than the other Kaurs and Singhs who lived in the Presence of OUR guru.

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Well first of all DID OUR GURU HAVE MORE THAN ONE WIFE?????????? Some say yes some say no?

Those who say no base their argumentation on ideology.

Those who say yes base it on facts which have already been presented by jtsingh in the firtst page of this thread.

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How? Do you think there is equality in monogamy specially as it is practiced nowadays by us SIkhs?

So you think there is more equality in polygamy? I would say polygamy does not allow women the equality which is gifted to them by Vaheguru, and reiterated by the Gurus.

I can personally say I would feel very inadequate and inferior if I was part of a marriage based on polygamy. It just doesn't make sense, why would there be different rules for Guru Ji? I mean, I am not saying there shouldn't be, they were our Gurus, they should. However, Guru Gobind Singh Ji has said Khalsa Mero Roop Hai Khaas, Khalse Main Ho Karo Niwas, meaning the Khalsa and he is one and the same. Then, does that mean Khalsa's can have multiple wives?! :shock:

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So you think there is more equality in polygamy? I would say polygamy does not allow women the equality which is gifted to them by Vaheguru, and reiterated by the Gurus.

I can personally say I would feel very inadequate and inferior if I was part of a marriage based on polygamy. It just doesn't make sense, why would there be different rules for Guru Ji? I mean, I am not saying there shouldn't be, they were our Gurus, they should. However, Guru Gobind Singh Ji has said Khalsa Mero Roop Hai Khaas, Khalse Main Ho Karo Niwas, meaning the Khalsa and he is one and the same. Then, does that mean Khalsa's can have multiple wives?! :shock:

exactly what i was thinking, i mean Whos to say that people will not follow this and who knows maybe the SGPC will implement this in the Rehat maryada that hey if our 10th guru had more than 1 wife, so can you.

The reason behind the doings of our guru needs Explanation for there to be an end to this topic. So far that has not yet been provided.

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Move to threads on AKJ and Ragmala if you want to talk about Randhir Singh and his jatha.

Fact remains: Guru Harigobind and Guru Gobind SIngh had three wives and Guru Hari Rai eight wives (don't mention Taksali website I'll refer you to Gurmat Rahit Maryada of Sant Gurbachan SIngh: his real writings not a website).

Not everything has a reason...

i must have asked you 20-odd times if you believe in the rattan malla or not which is important if you want to discuss the rag malla and you never replied :LOL::LOL::LOL:

the taksali website has been officialled OKed by baba takhur singh, present jathedar (acting jathedar !?!?!) of the damdami taksal.

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Guest Javanmard

Polygamy is not necesserally the same thing as gender discrimination. In fact if you read anthropological writings on polygamy as practiced in different societies you see that it creates a space for women where men have little to say. This feminine sphere that men can't enter has always threatened the insecure white heterosexual male and his colonial insecure disciples. Victorian monogamy enabled men to actually control their household by just having one wife they could control more closely whereas polygamy would put him in a situation where his wives could unite to gain control over the household.

I am not saying polygamy or monogamy is better: it all depends on who practices it! :wink:

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polygamy is perfectly acceptable in Kyshatriya maryada. All the Gurus after and including Akali Guru Hargobind Sahib ji were practitioners of Kyshatriya maryada...

(...before the accusations of being RSS start arriving, "Kyshatriya" refers to code of conduct of Indian warriors...not to the Hindu caste per se) :roll:

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