sabat soorat dastar sira

[SikhKhoj]

Does this tuk on panna 1084 really mean what some people say (i.e. keeping body intact and keeping kesh)?

Some people reject this simply because it was adressed to Muslims but Shabads in GGS are directed towards all of humanity not just the siddhs, yogis, muslims etc so thats not a valid argument in my opinion.

 ਨਾਪਾਕ ਪਾਕੁ ਕਰਿ ਹਦੂਰਿ ਹਦੀਸਾ ਸਾਬਤ ਸੂਰਤਿ ਦਸਤਾਰ ਸਿਰਾ ॥੧੨॥

Nāpāk pāk kar haḏūr haḏīsā sābaṯ sūraṯ ḏasṯār sirā. ||12||  

Purify what is impure, and let the Lord's Presence be your religious tradition. Let your total awareness be the turban on your head. ||12||  

ਨਾਪਾਕ = ਅਪਵਿੱਤਰ। ਪਾਕੁ = ਪਵਿੱਤਰ। ਹਦੀਸ = ਪੈਗ਼ੰਬਰੀ ਪੁਸਤਕ ਜਿਸ ਨੂੰ ਕੁਰਾਨ ਤੋਂ ਦੂਜਾ ਦਰਜਾ ਦਿੱਤਾ ਜਾਂਦਾ ਹੈ, ਇਸ ਵਿਚ ਮੁਸਲਮਾਨੀ ਸ਼ਰਹ ਦੀ ਹਿਦਾਇਤ ਹੈ। ਹਦੂਰਿ ਹਦੀਸਾ = ਹਜ਼ੂਰੀ ਹਦੀਸ, ਰੱਬੀ ਸ਼ਰਹ ਦੀ ਪੁਸਤਕ। ਸਾਬਤ ਸੂਰਤਿ = (ਸੁੰਨਤਿ, ਲਬਾਂ ਕੱਟਣ ਆਦਿਕ ਦੀ ਸ਼ਰਹ ਨਾਹ ਕਰ ਕੇ) ਸਰੀਰ ਨੂੰ ਜਿਉਂ ਕਾ ਤਿਉਂ ਰੱਖਣਾ। ਦਸਤਾਰ ਸਿਰਾ = ਸਿਰ ਉਤੇ ਦਸਤਾਰ (ਦਾ ਕਾਰਨ ਬਣਦੀ ਹੈ), ਇੱਜ਼ਤ-ਆਦਰ ਦਾ ਵਸੀਲਾ ਹੈ ॥੧੨॥
ਹੇ ਅੱਲਾ ਦੇ ਬੰਦੇ! (ਵਿਕਾਰਾਂ ਵਿਚ) ਮਲੀਨ ਹੋ ਰਹੇ ਮਨ ਨੂੰ ਪਵਿੱਤਰ ਕਰਨ ਦਾ ਜਤਨ ਕਰ-ਇਹੀ ਹੈ ਰੱਬੀ ਮਿਲਾਪ ਪੈਦਾ ਕਰਨ ਵਾਲੀ ਸ਼ਰਹ ਦੀ ਕਿਤਾਬ। (ਸੁੰਨਤਿ, ਲਬਾਂ ਕਟਾਣ ਆਦਿਕ ਸ਼ਰਹ ਨੂੰ ਛੱਡ ਕੇ) ਆਪਣੀ ਸ਼ਕਲ ਨੂੰ ਜਿਉਂ ਕਾ ਤਿਉਂ ਰੱਖ-ਇਹ (ਲੋਕ ਪਰਲੋਕ ਵਿਚ) ਇੱਜ਼ਤ-ਆਦਰ ਪ੍ਰਾਪਤ ਕਰਨ ਦਾ ਵਸੀਲਾ ਬਣ ਜਾਂਦਾ ਹੈ ॥੧੨॥

 

The translation fits in if we interpret it in this way, awaiting for other interpretations:

Guru Ji is redefining key concepts of Muslims in the shabad. Instead of going on Hajj; purify your heart, instead of praying 5 times a day without changing your personality; embrace 5 virtues etc.

According to the Hadith Muslims are told to remove their pubic and armpit hair in order to keep their body clean. Guru Sahib is saying the true Hadith should be to purify the mind (and not the body) and keeping the body intact.

Edited July 21, 2015 by SikhKhoj

[CdnSikhGirl]

Its also saying - let our total awareness be the turban on your head - meaning turban is advocated. And it doesn't specify to only males.  This is one reason why I tie a dastar... Other is Guru Jis 52 hukams also says for all Sikhs to tie turbans.

 

 

[ibrute]

This is the translation given by Giani Harbans Singh Patiala. SGGS 1084

ਕਾਇਆ ਕਿਰਦਾਰ ਅਉਰਤ ਯਕੀਨਾ ॥

ਰੰਗ ਤਮਾਸੇ ਮਾਣਿ ਹਕੀਨਾ ॥

ਨਾਪਾਕ ਪਾਕੁ ਕਰਿ ਹਦੂਰਿ ਹਦੀਸਾ ਸਾਬਤ ਸੂਰਤਿ ਦਸਤਾਰ ਸਿਰਾ ॥੧੨॥

 

[SikhKhoj]

Almost the same as Prof Sahib Singh (in my initial post) ^

[amardeep]

Satkirin:

Does'nt it say the opposite? Instead of wearing a turban, have pure awareness instead.

Like other places the verses says to have humility instead of circumsission.  Basically the Whole tuk talks about internalising outer symbols as Sikhkhoj also wrote.

 

 

[CdnSikhGirl]

Yes its using a physical references allegory to shift our focus... but the assumption made is that the subject is already tying a turban. 
Purify what is impure (thoughts), focus on God and not useless rituals, let your awareness be the turban on your head (turban = what is above you - this is the allegory = God)  And why do we tie a turban, aside from the obvious to keep our kesh neat and protected? To cover our head because we believe God is everywhere, not just in the Gurdwara.  So by wearing a turban we are always reminded of this fact and to let our awareness of God be always in our mind at all times. The turban reminds us to focus on "what is really above our head"...Waheguru)

Edit: even if that was not the intended meaning, it still does that for me, which can only bring me closer to Waheguru Ji.  Because I always feel it on my head I am always reminded to keep my awareness on the fact that Waheguru is all around me at all times. No matter how you look at it, that can not be a bad thing...

 

Edited July 21, 2015 by Satkirin_Kaur

[amardeep]

Your reasoning is fair and in line with Sikhi however I doubt the above verse can be used to justify the wearing of turbans.

The injunction to Wear turbans comes from the Rahitname. Not the Guru Granth Sahib

[CdnSikhGirl]

Your reasoning is fair and in line with Sikhi however I doubt the above verse can be used to justify the wearing of turbans.

The injunction to Wear turbans comes from the Rahitname. Not the Guru Granth Sahib

I wouln't say it could be used to force anyone to either... it's just how I view it personally and part of why I made the decision.  The other was Guru Gobind Singh Jis 52 Hukams which says for all sikhs to tie one. According to Sikh Rehet Maryada it's optional for women but I have heard mixed stories about times prior to 1900s that women actually did require them to be baptized at harmandir sahib the same as men... but I am not sure.  For me it's a personal decision.  But I link it also with the allegory... you know some fraternities use heavy allegory to convery the message (freemasons) of the initiation ritual.  They use the King Solomon story to convey the message and they actually act it out to impart the message into the neophyte. So allegory does work...

[SikhKhoj]

Satkirins interpretation (to wear a turban) is echoed by the likes of Prof Sahib Singh and Gyani Harbans Singh. Have other teekakaars interpreted it in other ways?

[BhagatSingh]

I agree. That tuk isn't telling you to keep hair and wear a turban.

However Guru sahib isn't telling them to do something else either.
 

 

Guru Ji is redefining key concepts of Muslims in the shabad. Instead of going on Hajj; purify your heart, instead of praying 5 times a day without changing your personality; embrace 5 virtues etc.

 

Guru Sahib isn't redefining anything. He isn't telling them to stop doing what they are doing - hajj, praying, etc. He isn't saying stop wearing janeu, mala, turban, circumsizing, etc and stop doing your religious rituals. He is instead explaining spiritual concepts to people and loading these concepts to what they already do. Guru Sahib is telling them to do it in a way that will make them attractive to God.

Guru Sahib isn't concerned with what you wear.

I repeat Guru Sahib isn't concerned with what you wear, he is concerned only with your spirituality and he is trying to uplift it!

Like in his shabad about Janeu, he isn't telling Pandit Hari Das to not put the janeu on him, as it is often interpreted. Instead he is explaining what the symbols mean. He is explaining to the Pandit Hari Das what janeu actually means ie it is an entry into a spiritual school and then further explains spirituality to him.

So here he is explaining to muslims that their Soorat, their face should look good...to who? to sikhs? to each other? NO -  to Allah!


ਸਭਿ ਅਵਗਣ ਮੈ ਗੁਣੁ ਨਹੀ ਕੋਈ ॥
I have all the bad qualities and no good ones.

ਕਿਉ ਕਰਿ ਕੰਤ ਮਿਲਾਵਾ ਹੋਈ ॥੧॥
How can I meet with my Husband?

ਨਾ ਮੈ ਰੂਪੁ ਨ ਬੰਕੇ ਨੈਣਾ ॥
I  have no beauty and my eyes are not beautiful either.

ਨਾ ਕੁਲ ਢੰਗੁ ਨ ਮੀਠੇ ਬੈਣਾ ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥
My family/tribe is not proper either and I do not have a sweet voice.

Note Guru Sahib is not talking about superficial traits. He is talking about something DEEPER.

ਸਭਿ ਅਵਗਣ ਮੈ ਗੁਣੁ ਨਹੀ ਕੋਈ ॥
I have all the bad qualities and no good ones.

ਕਿਉ ਕਰਿ ਕੰਤ ਮਿਲਾਵਾ ਹੋਈ ॥੧॥
How can I meet with my Husband (God)?

ਨਾ ਮੈ ਰੂਪੁ ਨ ਬੰਕੇ ਨੈਣਾ ॥
I have no beauty and my eyes are not beautiful either

My heart is not beautiful (pure) and I  don't have spiritual eyes to be able to see my Husband God.

ਨਾ ਕੁਲ ਢੰਗੁ ਨ ਮੀਠੇ ਬੈਣਾ ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥
My family/tribe is not proper either and I do not have a sweet voice.

I do not hang out with the right crowd and I don't participate in sat sang or kirtan, etc.


This shabad goes and Guru Nanak Dev ji goes onto explain attractive traits, which have everything to do with spirituality, and nothing to do with how you look or what you wear.

Guru Sahib is telling us how we can appear attractive to God! Instead of focusing on that people start focusing on janeu, bana, kirpan, kesh, mala, pagg, .. the list goes on.

 

Satkirin:

Does'nt it say the opposite? Instead of wearing a turban, have pure awareness instead.

Like other places the verses says to have humility instead of circumsission.  Basically the Whole tuk talks about internalising outer symbols as Sikhkhoj also wrote.

This is true of every such shabad in Guru Granth Sahib.

In all these cases, Guru Sahibs could care less about whether or not they were wearing janeu or turban or not. They want people to do Bandagi.

 

Sant Kabir Das ji says
ਬੰਦੇ ਬੰਦਗੀ ਇਕਤੀਆਰ ॥
ਸਾਹਿਬੁ ਰੋਸੁ ਧਰਉ ਕਿ ਪਿਆਰੁ ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥
Bande, servant of Allah, do bandagi, meditate. Whether your Master is happy or angry with you. (ie no matter what happens, do bandagi)

Edited July 21, 2015 by BhagatSingh

[CdnSikhGirl]

I think I clarified the allegory... I was jsut explaining that myself wearing a turban helps me to be aware of Waheguru Ji at all times... by putting the allegory into practice it gives me something to focus on so that I focus on the nonphysical... the real message.