Serjinder Singh

"Deh Siva bar mohe ihai.... Nischai kar apni jeet karon" is a very popular set of lines attributed to Guru Gobind Singh ji and form the last stanza of the composition "Chandi Charitar Ukat Bilas" that is one of the three similar compositions on the battles of Chandi or Durga with various demons. It is often said that Siva here represents Akal purkh, or some aspect of Akal Purkh or the feminine aspect of Akal Purkh. All these are to stretch the imagination too far for the following reasons: In the composition itself the word Siva refers not to Akal Purkh on any of its socalled aspects but to the wife of Siv or Shiv who lives on the mountain Kailash. Wife of Shiv or Siv is Devi in its various forms ie Durga, Parbati, Chandi, etc. Here in Chandi Charitar it is Chandi or Durga with the name Siva to emphasise her being wife of Shiv. The evidence that Siva is indeed Devi Durga living with her husband Shiv at Mt Kailash comes from the occurance of this word in the text of this composition itself. Thus word "Siva" appears in stanza 19. The backgroud to this stanza is that the gods in heaven were defeated by the Mahishasur demon and large number of warriors in the army of gods were killed and thus frightened the gods head for the Mt Kailash to seek help from Siva the goddess. Thus, Agnat mare gane ko bhaje ju sur kar tras Enumerable number (of gods) were killed, who could count them, the gods ran in fear. Dhar dhian man Siva ko takee puri Kailas (stanza 19, Chandi Charitar Ukat Bilas, Dasam Granth) Concentrating on Siva in their mind (as the possible source of help) they headed for the abode on Kailash (of Shiv and his wife Shiva). Thus in these lines Siva clearly refers to the Hindu godess living with her husband Shiv on Mt. Kailash. Further, in the thick of the battle Durga fights a close hand to hand battle with a mace in hand. Describing the scene another line refers to Durga as Siva. Thus, Dhaay gada gah, phor ke fauj ko, ghaao Siva sir dait ke mario. Dashing with the mace in hand, disrupting the army ranks, Siva hit the demon on the head. Here, Siva clearly means Durga the Hindu goddess in battle and nothing to do with Akal Purkh who is formless (Nirgun) ie without any qualities or aspects. Saying that Siva is the feminine aspect of Akal Purkh is going against the very definition of Godhead in Mool Mantar wher He is Nirvair and does not have to fight anybody. The fact of the matter is that all these ideas sneaked into Sikhism immediately after tenth Guruji because the legacy of the Shakat past of the Sikhs prior to baptism in 1699 did not disappear. For instance many writers such as Koer Singh, Rattan Singh Bhangoo, and even Bhai Daya Singh in his Rahitnama mention that Guru ji was blessed by Devi. It is no wonder therefore, that Nihangs adopted the patently Shakat ideas as if these were approved by Guruji. The problem has been that many Sikh scholars had rarely studied the secretive Shakat literature. It is only during the last century that the Shakat scriptures became easily available with the efforts of western scholars. Despite this the Shakat influence in Sikh psyche is so entrenched that it will take a long time to put it in perspective. As far as Shastar Puja is concerned, in Shakat practices this is also known by the term Ayudh Puja, Ayudh here also means Shastar. Ayudh puja is done not for worshipping the weapons per se. But in Shakat practices and ideology, the metallic, especially iron weapons are another form of goddess Kali. Iron itself is worshipped as godess Kali by ironsmiths in India as well as by iron-ore miners. Any weapon that is made entirely from iron for instance Kharag or Khanda and has no wooden parts to pollute it with wood is of special reverence because it is all-iron or Sarabloh. Thus, an axe with wooden handle does not command much respect but Kharag, Khanda, Kirpan is revered as goddess. Iron is also known among Shakats as Asi. Hence Asipan another name for Kali is worshiped. Similarly, Durga has a Khanda atop her flag and hence Durga is Asiket or Sri Asiket (Sri for goddess) and this is the reason that Sikhs also began to use the Nishan Sahib with a Khanda or bhala on top. Shastar Puja is a charachteristic practice of Rajputs who worship Durga and Kali. Two days before Dussehra Rajputs carry out Ayudh Puja or Shastar Puja where they worship weapons especially the swords of various kinds. Hindus have three main sects viz, Vaishanavs the followers of Vishnu, Shaivs the followers of Shivji, and Shakats the followers of Devi or goddess in her various forms. Most of the artisans such as metal workers, ironsmiths, goldsmiths, stone masons, as also the Rajput warriors, bania traders are Shakat and worship Devi. To try to justify the worship of Shakti in Sikhism is like saying that Guruji sanctioned the worship of Maya which also is the Shakati of Waheguru. And worshiping the weapons is worshiping material objects that are not Akal because these rust and are subject to Kaal and would disappear and cannot be Adi Sach, Jugadi Sach .... Hosi bhi Sach. Humbly Serjinder Singh

"Deh Siva bar mohe ihai.... Nischai kar apni jeet karon" is a very popular set of lines attributed to Guru Gobind Singh ji and form the last stanza of the composition "Chandi Charitar Ukat Bilas" that is one of the three similar compositions on the battles of Chandi or Durga with various demons. It is often said that Siva here represents Akal purkh, or some aspect of Akal Purkh or the feminine aspect of Akal Purkh. All these are to stretch the imagination too far for the following reasons: In the composition itself the word Siva refers not to Akal Purkh on any of its socalled aspects but to the wife of Siv or Shiv who lives on the mountain Kailash. Wife of Shiv or Siv is Devi in its various forms ie Durga, Parbati, Chandi, etc. Here in Chandi Charitar it is Chandi or Durga with the name Siva to emphasise her being wife of Shiv. The evidence that Siva is indeed Devi Durga living with her husband Shiv at Mt Kailash comes from the occurance of this word in the text of this composition itself. Thus word "Siva" appears in stanza 19. The backgroud to this stanza is that the gods in heaven were defeated by the Mahishasur demon and large number of warriors in the army of gods were killed and thus frightened the gods head for the Mt Kailash to seek help from Siva the goddess. Thus, Agnat mare gane ko bhaje ju sur kar tras Enumerable number (of gods) were killed, who could count them, the gods ran in fear. Dhar dhian man Siva ko takee puri Kailas (stanza 19, Chandi Charitar Ukat Bilas, Dasam Granth) Concentrating on Siva in their mind (as the possible source of help) they headed for the abode on Kailash (of Shiv and his wife Shiva). Thus in these lines Siva clearly refers to the Hindu godess living with her husband Shiv on Mt. Kailash. Further, in the thick of the battle Durga fights a close hand to hand battle with a mace in hand. Describing the scene another line refers to Durga as Siva. Thus, Dhaay gada gah, phor ke fauj ko, ghaao Siva sir dait ke mario. Dashing with the mace in hand, disrupting the army ranks, Siva hit the demon on the head. Here, Siva clearly means Durga the Hindu goddess in battle and nothing to do with Akal Purkh who is formless (Nirgun) ie without any qualities or aspects. Saying that Siva is the feminine aspect of Akal Purkh is going against the very definition of Godhead in Mool Mantar wher He is Nirvair and does not have to fight anybody. The fact of the matter is that all these ideas sneaked into Sikhism immediately after tenth Guruji because the legacy of the Shakat past of the Sikhs prior to baptism in 1699 did not disappear. For instance many writers such as Koer Singh, Rattan Singh Bhangoo, and even Bhai Daya Singh in his Rahitnama mention that Guru ji was blessed by Devi. It is no wonder therefore, that Nihangs adopted the patently Shakat ideas as if these were approved by Guruji. The problem has been that many Sikh scholars had rarely studied the secretive Shakat literature. It is only during the last century that the Shakat scriptures became easily available with the efforts of western scholars. Despite this the Shakat influence in Sikh psyche is so entrenched that it will take a long time to put it in perspective. As far as Shastar Puja is concerned, in Shakat practices this is also known by the term Ayudh Puja, Ayudh here also means Shastar. Ayudh puja is done not for worshipping the weapons per se. But in Shakat practices and ideology, the metallic, especially iron weapons are another form of goddess Kali. Iron itself is worshipped as godess Kali by ironsmiths in India as well as by iron-ore miners. Any weapon that is made entirely from iron for instance Kharag or Khanda and has no wooden parts to pollute it with wood is of special reverence because it is all-iron or Sarabloh. Thus, an axe with wooden handle does not command much respect but Kharag, Khanda, Kirpan is revered as goddess. Iron is also known among Shakats as Asi. Hence Asipan another name for Kali is worshiped. Similarly, Durga has a Khanda atop her flag and hence Durga is Asiket or Sri Asiket (Sri for goddess) and this is the reason that Sikhs also began to use the Nishan Sahib with a Khanda or bhala on top. Shastar Puja is a charachteristic practice of Rajputs who worship Durga and Kali. Two days before Dussehra Rajputs carry out Ayudh Puja or Shastar Puja where they worship weapons especially the swords of various kinds. Hindus have three main sects viz, Vaishanavs the followers of Vishnu, Shaivs the followers of Shivji, and Shakats the followers of Devi or goddess in her various forms. Most of the artisans such as metal workers, ironsmiths, goldsmiths, stone masons, as also the Rajput warriors, bania traders are Shakat and worship Devi. To try to justify the worship of Shakti in Sikhism is like saying that Guruji sanctioned the worship of Maya which also is the Shakati of Waheguru. And worshiping the weapons is worshiping material objects that are not Akal because these rust and are subject to Kaal and would disappear and cannot be Adi Sach, Jugadi Sach .... Hosi bhi Sach. Humbly Serjinder Singh