The story of Sri Hemkunt Sahib

[Nek]

hey peeps,

i know dis is sooooooooooooo long but it is totally worth the read.trust me... you'll love it!!!! ....

There is a place high in the snow capped mountains of the Himalayas that was hidden from sight for eons. For thousands of years this place has remained unknown to humans, a place of utter beauty and peaceful serenity. Here a natural lake lies on a plateau at a height of 15,000 feet surrounded by seven white clad peaks. To the Sikhs this place is known a Hemkunt Sahib.

Hemkunt Sahib is associated with the tenth Guru, Guru Gobind Singh Ji, but what distinguishes it from other historical sites to the great Guru is that it is linked to Guru Sahib Ji’s previous incarnation as the mighty warrior Dusht Daman. Guru Sahib Ji mentions this place in his composition Bachittar Natak. But it was not until the twentieth century after many long years of searching that Hemkunt Sahib was finally discovered.

Before this site was discovered by the Sikhs it was known locally as Lokpal, which translates to ‘protector of the world’. It was a place of worship and pilgrimage by the local population, a place linked to the hindu trinity of the creator – Brahma, the sustainer – Vishnu, and the destroyer – Shiv Ji. The Vedas and Purana text of ancient India mention the Himalayas as the abode of the gods and goddesses, the locals tell tales of Lakshman, Vishu and Hanuman.

The deity Lakshman who was mortally wounded in battle against the demons, was brought to the shores of the lake by his wife. She prayed to Hanuman the monkey god to save his life. Hanuman heard her prayers and found the life giving herb called Sanjivani Bhutti, this was given to Lakshman and he was revived. The gods were overjoyed and went to Lord Bramha to give thanks, seek his blessing and to protect them from the demons who ravaged the world. Lord Brahma told them that only Nanak the saviour of the universe can assist them in his tenth incarnation, that he will destroy evil and tyranny and will become the protector of the holy people. Lord Brahma recounts the following tale.

Dusht Daman

During the age of truth – Sat Yuga, gods and mortals will face the tyranny of the fierce demons known as Dhents. The gods will call upon Durga Devi to assist them and she will do battle against the dhents. The onslaught will be too much even for her and she will flee to the mountains. Here she will approach a holy man called Samaundh Rikhi who will be seated upon a lions skin. She will ask for his help. The pursuing demons will also reach his abode and demand that the rishi tell them where she is. The rikhi says that since the devi has sought his protection he is duty bound to assist her. The demons are enraged by this and draw their swords. The rishi addresses them " I am a Brahmin and will therefore not take up arms against you, but I will create a Khattri (warrior class) who will be known as Dusht Daman (destroyer of evil) who will destroy you and your kin". He then rises and shakes the lion skin, from this emerges shakti (power) in the form of a Khattri warrior carrying a sword. The warrior asks permission to engage in battle with the dhents. When this is given the battle ensues. The battles last for many years and in the end all the dhents are destroyed by Dusht Daman. The warrior then returns to the riski and says "what are your orders now ?" The riski tells the youth that he is to go to the mountains and perform intense penance and austerities. Dusht Daman sets of and reaches the lake of Hemkunt Sahib and spends many many years meditating on the name of the one true God. So much tapasia (meditation on Gods name) is done that the two – Dusht Daman and God – become one.

Guru Gobind Singh Ji in his composition Bachittar Natak, which is written in beautiful poetry form, describes the lineage of Guru Nanak Dev Ji and how they were blessed to come to this world to put mankind on the path of righteousness.

Guru Ji writes that Ram Chander son of Raja Dasrath had two sons Lava and Kushu. Lava and Kushu together ruled over Northern India for many years. They remained good friends during their rule and they colonized two important cities, Lahore and Kasur. But when after many long years of reign they passed away their sons could not tolerate each other. They became great enemies. One grand son of Lava named Sodhi won the battle and became the king of Punjab. The grandsons of Kushu were defeated and they made there way to the city of Banaras. Here they settled down and learnt the Vedas, the ancient scriptures. Due to their knowledge of the Vedas, they became known as the Vedees (or Bedies).

One day king Sodhi remembered that his relatives lived in Banaras. He decided to meet them after all these years. He sent a messenger and invited them to Lahore, they all came at once and reached the Darbar of King Sodhi.

King Sodhi was very impressed by their wisdom and knowledge and asked them to recite the four Vedas. When the Bedies recited three of the four Veda, King Sodhi was moved, he got up from his throne and asked the leader of the Bedies to take his royal seat. He offered his kingdom to the Bedies with great honor. He himself decided to leave behind his reign and riches and went off into the forests in order to contemplate the Name of God.

When king Sodhi got prepared for his new abode, the newly crowned king Bedie said, "As you have gifted us this worldly kingdom after hearing three Vedas, similarly in the age of Kalyug we would offer you the Divine Kingdom in our third incarnation." So it came to pass that in the age of Kalyug in the house of Bedie, Guru Nanak was born as first Divine master, he was called the true Patshah. After reigning as the Divine King in the form of Guru Nanak Dev, Guru Angad Dev and Guru Amar Dass, he offered his Divine kingdom to the house of Sodhi , to Sodhi Patshah Guru Ram Dass Ji. The guruship then remained in the Sodhi house where it passed to Guru Arjun Dev Ji, Guru Hargobind Sahib Ji, Guru Har Rai Ji, Guru Harkrishan Sahib Ji and then to Guru Tegh Bahadur Sahib Ji. Not only was the nineth Guru the father of the tenth Guru, Guru Gobind Singh Ji in this life but also in the previous, for Guru Tegh Bahadur Sahib Ji was the Samaundh Rikhi that created the Dusht Daman shakti

Guru Gobind Singh Ji then continues with his own story (apni katha) :

Now I narrate my story,how from meditation and austerities I came to this world. At that place where Hemkunt Mountain is adorned by seven peaks, the place named Sapatsring where King Pandu did yoga. There I did intense meditation and austerities and contemplated God. In this way I meditated until, from duality, two forms (God and myself) became one. My father and mother also contemplated the Formless One through several kinds of yoga and austere discipline. They served the Formless One and God was pleased with them. So God gave a command to me, and then I took birth in Kal Yug. I did not desire to come, as I was absorbed in devotion at God's feet. Somehow God made me understand His purpose, and saying thus sent me into this world.

From meditation and austerities God called me, and saying thus sent me into this world. God speaks: "I acknowledge and bless you as my son. I have created you to teach the true path.

Wherever in the world you go, spread righteousness, and remove ignorance from the world. "

The poet speaks: "I stood, folded my hands, and spoke this promise with head bowed: 'With You as the supporter Your path will be established in the world.'" For this work God sent me, and then I was born into the world.

beautiful hunna :wink:

[Nek]

website...

http://www.info-sikh.com/HemPage1.html (better read and nice illustrations)

[SUKHBIR]

More sites, more claims. Ask yourselves why? The extract below should send you in the right direction.

...After Buddhism rose to ascendancy in India, the brahmins (Hindu priests) worked for its elimination through massacres of monks, conversion of Buddhist meditation centres into temples, claiming that Buddha was an incarnation of the god Vishnu with the implication that to revere Buddha one must also revere Vishnu, adoption of some of its teachings such as vegetarianism (unknown to the Hindus who composed the Rig Veda which mentions the sacrifices and eating of horses), and corruption of its techniques such as tantra.

Similar patterns may be seen today with regard to the Sikhs. Attacks on Golden Temple, genocide of Sikhs, targeting of amridharis, creation of myth of Dusht Daman and Hemkunt Sahib (the alleged Hindu rishi who was reborn as Guru Gobind Singh), adoption of principles such as the removal of caste restrictions and, in particular, langar the Sikh communal kitchen, and continual claim that Sikhs are hair-keeping Hindus established to protect Hinduism from Islam through military means which is a distortion of the purpose of the revelation of Khalsa as vanguard of new world order (Akaal Purkh Ki Fauj). At best, the Sikh may be an individual seeker for escape from the world or mukti in which case Khalsa is interpreted as ‘pure’ – Khalis. This, of course, destroys the raj of the Khalsa, the world-transformation which is integral to the Sikh unity of Meeri-Peeri, universal spirituality and spiritual revolution. The present attacks on the Sikh faith shed light on the elimination of Buddhism from Indian soil, and equally the history of Buddhism provides a warning to Sikhs about the techniques which may be marshalled against them.

The destruction of Buddhism in India means that many of the obvious and interesting parallels such as use of terms like “sunnya” (the Void), “nirvana”, “nau nidhs” (nine jewels) have not been explored by the Sikh scholars whose lens are coloured by the jaundiced eye in which the Dhamma was misrepresented in India. There may be even more not so obvious parallels. For instance verses of Gurbani state, “The responsibility of humankind is to walk along the Royal Road of the Law – this message is sent with His sacred horse and proclaimed as the Guru’s Word by beat of drum” (Guru Granth Sahib Ji: 142)......

Dr Kanwar Ranvir Singh

[girlUK]

i dont know if this is true, but i was told that some one had a dream that the Guru in his previous life meditated there. However, there are some Sikhs that dont pay much attention to Hemkunt Sahib because they feel that maybe 'it was just a dream' and that this person either wanted to make something out of it or assumed so as it were a dream.

Any one know any more info on this?

[Guest]

Guru ji himself disccused about his previous life in bachitar natak(dasam granth sahib ji) ...

i ll see if i can post the whole apne katha-bachitar natak on here..

[Guest]

Here you go guys..

Chapter 6: Apnee Kathaa Bichitra Naatak

CHAPTER 6: APNEE KATHA

(SELF NARRATIVE, SRI GURU GOBIND SINGH)

CHAUPAVEE

Now I am going to narrate my own story;

I got to know the technique through hard meditation.

Where lies the snow covered Hem Kunt in Himalayas,

Where seven peaks are gracing near to each other. (1)

That location is called ‘Seven Peaks’;

Where the father of five Pandavas, second son of Shaantnoo Raja,

meditated*;

There I resolved to do excessively and extremely hard penance,

And I worshipped the Supreme-death, God, Kalka. (2)

This way my disposition had become such

That from two, God and myself, we had merged into just one.

I worshipped the Formless, who is above any worldly elements,

And I adopted many ways to hard penance. (3)

I did so much and such a service to the Lord

That He became extremely pleased with me.

Then, He gave me a command, and

Only then I took birth in this world (in Kalyug). (4)

I didn’t want to come down to the earth

Because my internal vision was fixed in the feet of the Waheguru;

The Lord gradually counseled with me, and

Finally, sent me to this world. (5)

DESCRIPTION OF AKAAL PURKH

THROUGH THIS LOWLY CREATURE, SRI GURU GOBIND SINGH

CHAUPAYEE

When I, the Akaalpurakh, first created the universe,

Amongst my creations turned out to be miserly-inflicting-demons;

They became mad with their mystical and muscular powers, and

They would not worship the adorable Creator. (6)

*Yaadovanshi Raja Shaantnoo’s second son who was the father of Yudhishtar, Bheem, and

Arjan, etc, the five pandvaas

Then, out of anger, I destroyed them all in a short time;

And, instead, I created gods and angels.

They, too, mustered considerable power and glorification;

And, started assuming to be God themselves. (7)

Shiva started to call himself Immortal;

Vishnu also equated himself to the Creator;

Brahma called himself the Supreme, and

No one considered the Lord as the Lord. (8)

Then, I (Waheguru) created eight witnesses, the sun, moon, fire, wind,

Yamma, element, axis and Dhruv,

To certify the existence of the Lord;

And ordered them to worship the Akaalpurakh, and declared

That there was no one else worshippable. (9)

Those who didn’t, or couldn’t, recognize the Supreme;

Started calling themselves as the Ultimate.

Many started worshipping the Sun and the Moon,

And many accepted the powers of fire and the wind. (10)

Some called the stone, the Saligram, the Waheguru;

Some, taking the baths regularly started calling the water, the

Supreme.

Many got scared indulging in various forms of acts and imitations,

But Dharamraaj recognized and accepted only the Infinite. (ii)

When the Omnipotent could produce witnesses for His cause;

When they came to this world, they would start calling themselves the

Divinity;

The real meaning of the Immortal would be forgotten;

They all got worried about their own glory and splendor. (12)

When none of them accepted the existence of the Eternal,

The Lord created the progeny of the mind, the human beings;

They, too, got under the influence of worldly attachments,

And started assuming the statues, and idols of stone as the Providence.

(13)

Then the Lord created the saints and seers;

They, too, didn’t acknowledge the All-powerful.

If someone was made intelligent and wise enough,

He/she, too, started his/her own sect or religion. (14)

No one recognized or attained the Supreme Being;

In fact, they all increased the divisions and ambiguities;

They would promulgate their own traditions and rules,

And, no one would, after having been indoctrinated by the cult leaders,

follow Akaalpurakh’s commands.

(15)

Whosoever attained even an iota of ‘powers’,

Would initiate their own religious divisions;

No one gave cognizance to the Creator;

Rather, became mad and insane by continuously indulging in covetedness

(ego, I am).(16)

Chapter 6: Apnee Kathaa Bichitra Naatak

The principal essence was not recognized nor appreciated by any one;

Each one was involved in a variety of vanities;

Again, when He created kings and ascetics;

They, too, initiated actions in favor of their own memories - Simritis.

(17)

As they became devotees of these memorial descriptions,

They went farther and farther away from the tradition of the

Omniscient;

Those who concentrated in the feet (humility) of the Benefactor,

They did not come even near the tracks of the Simritis. (18)

Brahma created four Vedas,

And preached only the actions and deeds prescribed/described therein

and made them prevalent amongst the people;

Those whose concentration was confined to the love of His feet,

Would have abnegated themselves from the Vedas. (19)

Those who relinquished their dependence on books and Vedas,

They became the true adherents of the Preserver;

Their advice was based on true sermons,

Many miseries of various kinds were ground and destroyed under them.

(20)

Those who even bore tortures over their bodies, (to be able to attain

Him)

They would not give up their adoration for the Lord; (this is a strange

paradox)

They would gradually move towards the land of Waheguru;

And, then, there remained no difference between them and the Absolute.

(21)

Those who were terrified by the books, the Vedas,

They would abandon His path, and acquiesce to their commands;

They would, ultimately, go to the hell, inferno region, and

Would continue to be revolving in the cycles of births and deaths. (22)

Then the Lord created Duttatrey, the founder of ascetics (jogis);

He, too, started his own religion;

He decorated his hands and nails, and locks of his hair,

But did not follow the teachings and the advice of the Preserver. (23)

With Akaalpurakh’s blessings was created the Gorakh,

His disciples considered him, the Gorakh, the loftiest king;

Piercing their ears, they wore earrings, and

Did not pay attention to either the love of God or the modes of

meditation. (24)

The Lord, then, blessed Ramanand;

He clad himself like a recluse;

He started wearing and playing with a necklace of wood;

No one ever thought about the practices and the traditions of the

Absolute. (25)

If God created saintly persons,

They, too, directed people towards their own self styled paths;

God, then, created Mohammed, and

Bestowed upon him the kingship of Arabia. (26)

He, too, created another religion, and

Produced princes without the religious symbols, hair, sacred thread,

and their complete form;

He made everyone to meditate on his own name, and

He never preached nor confirmed the name of the Truth, the Waheguru.

(27)

Everyone pushed his own concepts, and

No one gave recognition to the Infinite Spirit;

Then, the Gum says, “The Lord called me while I was meditating; and

He said the following and sent me to this world”. (28)

AKAALPURAKH BAACH

CHAUPAYEE

I am designating you as my son;

I am extending the privilege to you of being my son)

I am creating you to spread my message;

You organize a true religion down there in the world,

And prevent the worldly people from falling into the practice of fake

actions (in stead of remembering Waheguru). (29)

DOHRAA

I, (Gobind Singh), then stood up with folded hands,

And said some words with a bowed head.

The path of ‘truth’ can prosper in this world only

If You, the Waheguru, are by my side. (30)

CHAUPAYEE

For this mission, I was sent to the earth;

Then, I took birth in this materialistic world.

I am relating to you, the worldly people, exactly the way, Akaalpurakh

told me;

I will not invite animosity from any one else. (31)

Those people who would call me (Gobind Singh) the Immortal Waheguru

Would be thrown into deep hellish infernos;

Consider me the servant of the Infinite; but

There is not even an iota of a difference bewteen Him and me. (32)

I am the servitor of the Supreme Being;

I have come to observe the worldly drama;

I am saying whatever the great Master of the universe has asked me to

say;

I will not remain quiet for the mortal world. (33)

NARAAJ CHHAND

I am conveying exactly whatever the Lord said;

I am saying it all without any bias or favor to anyone;

I will not blend with anyone’s fakery;

Rather, I will sow the seeds for the unaccountable Waheguru’s Naam.

(34)

I do not worship the statues of stone (or the stone):

Nor do I get impressed with anyone’s guise;

I sing the praises of the Naam of the Endless;

And I have attained the Ultimate, the Waheguru. (35)

I will not acquire the matted hair (tresses);

Nor will I wear big earrings;

I will not favor anyone;

And will do only whatever the Everlasting dictates me to do. (36)

I will worship only One’s Naam, and only one Naam;

That can be employed and be useful under all circumstances;

I will not worship anyone else

Nor will I seek anyone else’s support and protection. (37)

I have meditated only on the Naam of the Infinity;

Have attained the Supreme Flame, the Immortal Lord;

I do not meditate on any other’s name

Nor will I ever utter anyone else’s name. (38)

I am engrossed only in One’s Naam,

And am not involved nor interested with egotistic or vane thoughts;

I am contemplating on the Supreme Waheguru;

Thus, am able to wipe off endless sins. (39)

I am permeating only Your shape and form, 0 Waheguru!

I will not be happy in someone’s donations nor will I be contended in

someone’s giving any kind of alms; neither of these activities will

give me pleasure.

I will repeat only His Naam,

Which will erase countless misdeeds. (40)

[jas_singh_bal]

wow!!! do u know of any websites that have more translations of the dasam granth?

Or maybe u can send/post it, if u got some urself

[Mugermach Singh]

Go to gobind Sadan.

There is a good panjabi translation there.

[jas_singh_bal]

lol my punjabi aint the best when it comes to reading! (however i am learning) anything in english???? or even some parts of it

[r k]

It's so amazing because Guru Gobind Singh never even went there in his life but that's WHERE he was praying in his past life, when Vaheguroo actually SPOKE to him and told him the mission of his soul...

And you know how Guru Gobind Singh Jee is always regarded as "baajaa vale, fauja vaale, kalgiyan vaale" ?? Well those were the 3 things Aurangzeb condemned at the time, and Guru Jee adopted all 3 to prove that the Sikh Kingdom was anokha, unique and different... Guru Jee had the fauja, baajaa, and the kalgi..

The *baaj* part of this is most interesting because baajaa are black hawk-like birds which are considered the finest specimen of birds altogether. They are warrior birds and it was said that Guru Gobind Singh had a special relationship with them, in that they would always help Guru Jee and stuff...

the weird thing is that they say that when you go to hemkunt sahib, you get the darshan of those birds... even though guru jee never went there in his life.. its just another spiritual beauty about sikhi that no one can explain..

dhan guru gobind singh sahibbbbbbbb

[Niranjana]

Gur Fateh to All!

Great artcles thus far, however I'd like to share the following with you written by Dalip Singh, who has done much in the way of Dasam Granth analysis to answer the doubts of the IOSS and Kala Afghana. (All references are posted at the end of the article).

I'm not claiming this work to be coinciding with my personal opinion but rather post it here for your information, after all, we need to have all available information from all sides from which to draw our conclusions...I'd be grateful for any feedback on this inl ight of the foregoing posts.

Please forgive me for any foolish comments on my part...

GUR BAR AKAAAAAL!!!

Hem Kunt

We are unable to reprint G.S.Kala Afghana's objections on this web site due to the recent ban on publishing his works, our reply is below:

There are first five verses in Chapter 6 of Bichitar Natak, to be discussed below, which are of metaphorical and symbolic nature, and cannot be translated casually and literally. In these five verses, Guru Gobind Singh Jee has referred to the lengthy tale of King Pandu’s last part of life, conveying symbolically his birth process, and he took birth in Patna City, on December 18, 1661 in just five verses. Every one born of a woman. spends about eight to nine months as his foetal life in mother’s womb just like an ascetic in deep meditations, in upside down posture, head downward and legs clung to the belly upward. The Guru states that he was in deep meditations in love of the Divine, when he saw the light of the day in Patna City.

Sanyasis and other ascetics go to jungles, and find a suitable place there for their abode and meditations. Generally they find such a place, which should be in the jungle, vegetation bearing produce to live on, and also near some source of water supply for their daily use to sustain themselves; generally we find ascetic abodes near a stream or river. There they build a hut to live in. The Yogis on the other hand go to high mountaneous areas, there they search for a suitable cave to live in, and the place should be near some water spring, to meet with their water needs. They also search for such places where they find the jungle produce to satisfy their hunger. Both ascetics and Yogis select their respective places, which are near to some inhabitation – they expect that the neighbouring inhabitation will serve them with meals, or they would visit the inhabitations and beg for their meals.

Hem Kunt Mountain is situated North of Hardwar – Rikhikesh in Utar Pradesh State at a height of more than 14,000 feet above sea level. The area remains snow bound for more than eight months in a year. Nothing grows there and no one ever lived there. The habitations are found 30 to 40 miles, down these hills. Raja Pandu did not meditate on God there, but lived in the jungle and had sexual union (yog) with his wife, which the Guru referred. Raja Pandu was not a saint, who ever meditated on God in these mountaneous area. The Guru metaphorically described his foetal life in his mother’s womb, which is misinterpreted. Mahabhartta largely is a classical world famous book of Mythology, description of which is for the scholars to unfold in plain words. All the World Cultures are based on Mythological stories, Mahabhartta is one of such books depicting Indian Culture.

It is a matter of great regret and humiliation to write that for past about 300 years we have not produced a single scholar to have thought deeply over the metaphors and the similes the Guru gave in just five verses, to have arrived at the correct conclusion. One wonders that Kala Afghana, Gurtej Singh and other IOSS zealots how shamelessly and dare devilishly not realizing their own insignificance, they not only challenge the corerectness of the text, but also mock and ridicule at every bit of the Divine Writings? Let us examine the text of the Divine Writings, with due reverence and dispassionately -

Return to the top of the page.

Facts about Guru Gobind Singh’s Previous Life as given by the Guru in his composition‘Bichitar Natak’

It is generally believed that Guru Gobind Singh, in life immediately preceding his birth at Patna (December 18, 1661) was leading the life of an ascetic, doing penance and meditation at the Hem Hunt Mountain. It was while the Guru was performing these penance that God summoned him to His presence and told him, to take birth and become the successor Guru to Guru Tegh Bahadur. The interpretation of the Guru’s writings , that in his previous life he was leading life of an ascetic, is not correct. Below we give excerpts from the Guru’s writings as in ‘Bichitar Natak’ (A Wonderful Drama):

“I shall now tell my own story. How God sent me into the world, while I was doing penance. There is mountain called ‘Hem Kunt’ (a cave surrounded by ice), which has seven conspicuous peaks in the area of the garden of Sapat Sring. It was here that king Pandu practiced jog (union). There I too performed my austerities and remembered God. As a result of my remembrance of God, I attained complete union with Him. My father and mother also, worshipped God and strove hard to remember Him. The Great Guru (God) was so pleased with their complete devotion to Him, that He asked me, to take birth in this Kal Yuga (Age of sin). Being fully absorbed in my love of God, I did not desire to come to this world. God, not accepting my representations for not coming to the world, made me understand its necessity. Saying: ‘I have cherished you as My Son and am sending you in the world to extend My Religion. Go and spread My Religion there. Restrain the people from their senseless acts’. I stood up, folded my hands, bowed my head and replied, “Your Religion will prevail in all the world, when it has Your support.”

Guru Gobind Singh’s writings are full of similes and symbolism. The paragraph od the Guru’s writings mentioned above cannot be literally translated. There are two statements made by the Guru in the above mentioned composition. Firstly that he was a recluse or hermit doing penance at a place where King Pandu practiced jog (union). Secondly, commanded by God, he took birth in this Age of Sin (Kali Yuga).

As we have seen from the lives of Guru Nanak Dev and the succeeding Gurus, the Sikh Teachings are averse to such type asceticism. The human mind is cultivated to its maturity by association with saintly society and by confronting evil situations. By associating with evil, one becomes evil minded. Those who flee from their hoomes to live in forests or climb high mountains to live in isolated caves, gain nothing and become perverted. Guru Gobind singh teaches us -

“O man, practice asceticism in this way. Consider your house as a forest, and remain an anchorite at heart. Make continence your matted hair, union with God your ablutions. Make your religious duties as the growth of your nails and Divine Knowledge your spiritual guide. Admonish your heart and apply God’s Name as ashes to your body. Eat little, sleep little, love mercy and forbearance. Always practice mildness and patience, then you may be freed from ‘Maya’ (Illusion) and the effect of Matter of Three Qualities. In this way you may behold the Reality in this world and obtain to the Supreme Being”.

The belief that Guru Gobind Singh in his previous life was leading a life of an ascetic, doing penance at Hem Kunt Mountain is based on a faulty interpretation of the above mentioned Guru’s writings. The Guru states that he did penance and meditate in the garden of Sapat Sring, where King Pandu also was engaged in yogic meditation. If we are to interpret this verse correctly, we will have to study the Hindu epic known as the ‘Mahabhartta.’

The ‘Mahabhartta’ is an epic poem, which gives in detail, the political, social and religious life of the antiquities of the Hindu world. History’s men of great culture have displayed their creative nature by their capacity to speculate and imagine. Guru Gobind Singh’s works exist in this sphere. An account of king Pandu’s life is given in the ‘Sambhava Purva’ of the Mahabhartta. Vyasa, the celebrated author of the Vedas, is also the author of this great epic. He was the son of the great sage Parasara and was connected with the families of Kaurvas and Pandvas.

King Santanu is said to have married the goddess Ganga. She gave birth to seven children and every time, she took the child and cast it into the river Ganga. The king could not raise any objection to her doing this, as he had pledged to her, before their marriage, that he would never stand in her way. When her eighth child was born and she was about to throw it into the river, the king could not bear it any longer and told her not to murder her innocent children. This time she did not kill the child but disappeared herself. The child became known as Bhishma. Years went by until one day, as the king was wandering on the banks of river Yamuna, he saw a lovely maiden and wanted to marry her, She was the river Yamuna, in the form of fisher-woman. Her father, a fisher-man, laid down the condition that the king could only marry her if any child of this marriage succeeded as the king. The king could not fulfill this condition, as he already had a son, Bhishma. However, then Bishma observed his father’s dejection, he went to see the fisher-man and pledged to him that he would never become king and would never marry, so that now there would be no question of any one else succeeding the king save any off-spring of the fisher-man’s daughter. In this way, Yamuna (Satyavati), married king Santanu. Before her marriage to the king, Satyavati, in an earlier union with Rishi Parasara had had a son named Vyasa, the composer of the epic Mahabharta. She now bore king Santanu a son named Vichitravirya, who ascended the throne of his father at his death. Vichitravirya in turn married the two daughters of king of Kasi, who were named Amvika and Amvalika. After seven years of married life, king Vichitravirya died, leaving his two queens childless. Satyavati, now begged her step son, Bhishma to marry her two daughters-in-law and raise children for his dead step brother. But Bhishma could not agree to the proposal on account of his vow of celebacy. Satyavati then thought of her son Vyasa and asked him to meet the two widowed queens, in order to continue the line of his deceased step brother. Soon after a monthly period of Princess Amvalika was over, Satyavati purified her with baths, led her to her inner apartments, seated her on a luxurious bed and said: “Your husband had an elder brother. It is he who to-night will enter your womb. Do not go to sleep but wait for him.” Amvika thought that she would be visited by Bhishma, but on seeing Vyasa, the ugliest of men, closed her eyes in fear. He embraced her, but not once during the embracing did she open her eyes and look at him. Amvika gave birth to a blind son, who became known as Dhritarashtra.

Similarly, Vyasa visited the second widowed queen Amvalika. When Vyasa came to her bed room, she turned pale with fear. She gave birth to a son named Pandu. - The Pale. Satyavati then told Amvika to have another child by Vyasa but she refused. She then sent a maid servant in her place. When Vyasa went into the room, the maid showed no fear. She pleased Vyasa in all respects. She was blessed in every way and bore a most intelligent son, named Vidura. The story now continues round these three brothers, Dhritarashtra, Pandu, Vidura and their descendents.

Dhritarashtra was married to Gandhari, who bore to him one hundred sons, the oldest was Daryodhana - Hard to Conquer (the evil in human nature).

Pandu became the king and married Kunti. Kunti was daughter of King Sura, who was Yadava by caste. Kunti was also known as Pritha, pleased Rishi Durvasa, who gave her a magical prescription “Mantra”. Through this Mantra she could summon whatever god she wished to give her sons. The Rishi had also fore-knowledge of her future husband, Pandu’s immature death. Kunti while she was still a virgin, out of a curiosity, to test the validity of the Mantra invoked “Arka Vivswat”, the sun god, who at once appeared before her. She became totally confused but the sun god, not leaving her, embraced her. The union gave birth to a son named Karna, from one of her ears. Her marriage to king Pandu took place later. In due course, king Pandu married a second wife, named Madri, the daughter of king Madra.

Vidura married the daughter of king Devaha, born of a Sudra (low caste) wife of the king. Vidura himself was also born of a Sudra mother.

One day, King Pandu went to jungle for hunting. He saw a huge stag coupling with a doe. The king discharged five arrows from his bow and mortally wounded both the deer. As they fell to the ground, the stag wept bitterly like a man. Actually the stag was not a deer but the son of a great Rishi, who had been enjoying his wife in the form of a deer. He told Pandu that he was a wicked man. Pandu replied, “When kings go out to hunt deer, they kill them as do their enemies, when chasing them. Even Rishis hunt deer and sacrifice them to their gods. Why do you reproach me?” The stag then replied, “Virtuous kings do not attack their enemies, when they are unprepared, but first declare war. I do not blame you for killing deer, but to kill any creature, in the act of copulation is a great sin. When male and female join together, it is agreeable to every creature; it is ordained by gods, and it is good for all. You should have waited until the act was completed. For this sin I curse you. When you join your wives, you will be deemed killed along with your wife. As you have brought grief to me, while I was enjoying happiness, so shall the same happen to you.” (This is the symbolic meaning of sexual intercourse, i.e. to be killed). So saying the deer died.

King Pandu was very much shocked and dejected. He told his wives to go to his people and tell them that he would become an ascetic, even though they begged to stay with him. Pandu then became an ascetic and disciple of the Sidhas, who resided in the forests. The Sidhas and Rishis of the forests then arranged to go on a mountaneous pilgrimage. Pandu wanted to accompany them with his wives but the Rishis said: “On our way are heights and regions of perpetual snow, where neither animals, birds or even trees can live; only the winds and Sidhas are there, so how can your princesses exist there?” As his wives could not copulate with him, Pandu replied, “I have no sons, nor am I in a position to create them. I owe a debt to my ancestors. I wish to know if my wives can have children by another man?” The Rishis gave the assent and foretold the birth of wonderful children for him, from other men. Kunti remembering her Mantra invoked the god of justice. Through him she had a son named Yudhishtra. After some time, Kunti invoked the god of wind and through him had a son named Bhima. Later again she invoked Indira and gave birth to a son named Arjuna.

Madri, the second wife of king Pandu now expressed her desire to bear children. Pandu asked Kunti to help Madri in this respect. Kunti told Madri to think of the gods with whom she wanted to have children and she would arrange it. Madri thought of the twin Aswins. They were invoked by Kunti and they came to Madri. By then she had twin sons, Nakula and Sahadeva. In this way, five sons (Pandu Brothers) were born to king Pandu.

When Pandu actually saw his five handsome sons growing up in the forest of the slopes of the mountain, he felt his sexual power returning. One day, accompanied by Madri, he went out to wander in the woods of the garden of Sapat Sringa. It was spring time, the season that causes unrest in all creatures. Flowers bloomed everywhere filling the woods with their gentle perfume, all the pools were full of lotus blossoms. King Pandu in the midst of all this, sat down to rest with a youthful mortal. His desire for her flared, like a forest fire. Unable to restrain himself, he put his arms around her, while she, knowing that his death would result , endeavored to restrain him. Intoxicated with desire and as if wishing to end his life, he united himself with her. No sooner was this done then life left him, in accordance with the Rishi’s curse. When the body of king Pandu was cremeated, Madri jumped into the fire to be with him.

The word “jog” means union. What type of yog did king Pandu have? It was a sexual union with his wife - a union in the womb of his wife. During the gestation period, the baby grows in the womb, where prior to his existence its father had had the union.

Guru Gobind Singh in his composition ‘Bichitar Natak’ refers to King Pandu’s place of union (at Sapat Sringa) and states that there (in his mother’s womb) he had his union with God in the company of his Holy Mother.

It will be observed that in the above account the womb has been described as “a place”, where on its heights, are regions of perpetual snow, where neither animals and birds nor even trees can live; only the winds, the Sidhas and the great Rishis are there.” The Guru also described it as the “Hem Kunt Mountain” (A cave, in a snow covered Mountain). Dr Nandor in his book ‘New Approaches to Dream Interpretation’ (page 116) has given the following dream in respect of “The Mountain of Birth”.

“I talk to a friend in a boastful way of former feats. ‘Do you see that mountain there? We used to climb to its top and hike around up there, where the clouds are.’ Then we coasted down on a sleigh and had difficulties, because the snow did not cover the road completely. There were stretches of road bare of snow. Suddenly a great, lumbering grizzly bear came from the left towards me. I was very frightened, as I felt I could not pass it with the sleigh owing to the poor snow conditions. I start over the slope to my left, willing to risk my limbs in a steep ride that could land me in a gully. Anything to get away from the bear. I did not have enough time to move in either direction, I ended in a tree.

Climbing to the top of a mountain and enjoying his stay high up in the clouds” was a recurrent dream with this patient. He did not realize that the the dream was a fantasy of returning into the uterus (womb). The mountain top in a sea of clouds is an island. An island like a mountain submerged in the sea. An island, is a universal symbool of an unborn child, in its amniotic fluid. The foetus is a living island. The dreamer’s boast of former feats (not based on actual experience), is his way of basking in the glory of his past, in the memory of parental Bliss. The sleigh ride down hill, is a dynamic representation of the journey down the uterine canal, the danger of the fall in birth being represented by the gully, its difficulties by insufficient snow on the ground and its terror by the bear. The snow, because of his coldness, is often used in dreams for discomfort or fear. Its insufficiency over part of the road, is a cumulative emphasis on the danger of descent.”

It is abundantly clear from the above account that Guru Gobind Singh, in his composition, gave a beautiful description of his foetal life, in his mother’s womb. All human beings have to do penance and live an isolated life in their mother’s womb. A baby in the womb, float head down, knees pulled upwards, just as ascetics do.

The Guru in his composition states that he attained complete union with God and that God told him, to take birth in this Kal Yuga (Age of Sin). This clearly means that the Guru was not physically in existence in this world in Kal Yuga, and that his birth at Patna, was his first, in the Kal Yuga. Hindu sacred books divide Time into Four Yugas, each one of thousands of years. Kal Yuga is the Fourth and the Last Yuga.

Hem Kunt Mountain is situated North of Hardwar – Rikhikesh in Utar Pradesh State at a height of more than 14,000 feet above sea level. The area remains snow bound for more than eight months in a year. Nothing grows there and no one ever lived there. Raja Pandu did not meditate on God there, but lived in the jungle and had sexual union (yog) with his wife, which the Guru referred. Raja Pandu was not a saint, who meditated on God in these mountaneous area. The Guru metaphorically described his foetal life in his mother’s womb, which is misinterpreted. Mahabharta largely is a classical world famous book of Mythology, description of which is for the scholars to unfold in plain words. All the World Cultures are based on Mythological stories, Mahabhartta is one of such books depicting Indian Culture.

It is rather strange that Sikhs built a shrine in the memory of Guru Gobind Singh’s alleged previous life as an ascetic meditating in the mountaneous region north of Hardwar and Rikhikesh! The prevalent mis-interpretation of the Guru’s myth in Bichittar Natak, is not only means lack of lack of our scholarship, but also in haste total nullification of the Truth as preached by the Guru himself. We do not yet understand that the myths cannot be literally interpreted.

http://srec.gurmat.info/srecarticles/srida...html#Hem%20Kunt

Dalip Singh and Amarpreet Singh Munde

[Guest Javanmard]

hi everyone, can I cut and paste as well, I love this forum!! It's like the SIkh version of Blue Peter

[Amrikingh]

hi everyone, can I cut and paste as well, I love this forum!! It's like the SIkh version of Blue Peter

Blupreet Petinder, say that next time

Jeah minno paata, too much copy and pasting, just leave the source instead of pasting all that info

[Mr §ingh]

i'm not to sure about this

but i heard that from one katha Proffeser DArshan Singh ji tsaid

that that is not a "holy spot"

cause EVEN IF HE DID MEDITATE before his life

he wasn't Guru at thaytt time

i think he sais something like that

any1 else heard this???

[Guest]

Umm, How could Guru Ji have done 'hard penance' when Guru Nanak Dev Ji condemned that practise and other austerities as futile?

:shock: Just wondered, it's been bugging me for a while :?

[Hari]

Umm, How could Guru Ji have done 'hard penance' when Guru Nanak Dev Ji condemned that practise and other austerities as futile?

:shock: Just wondered, it's been bugging me for a while :?

Satguru Gobind Singh Ji wasn't Guru Gobind Singh in His previous existence was he?He was someone else, yet still the same.Just like you and I were someone or something else in our previous existence, yet still the same.Understand?

You need to look at Gurbani more.In Guru Granth Sahib the Satguru and Bhagats have written about their previous births.Read Onkaar (Dakhni Onkaar) by Satguru Nanak, He talks about how He wasted many lives with false (kacche) Guru etc.

Don't assume things without reading up on Gurbani properly.

[jjj]

Gurpreet Kaur if you think that you can attain God by doing hard penance then that is completey wrong, but if someone is so busy doing naam simran or someone is soo devoted to God that he forgets his food eating, he keeps himself in the cold .. and out of love he is enduring everything then that is not ascetiscm.. it is devotion.

You can not attain God by going to hunger strikes, but God will come to you if out of love you are not willing to partake in the food like Bhagat Dhanna and just like a indian wife may refuse to eat food until her husband comes home.

It is a state of Love. Even Guru Nanak did hard penance after he left home, but what the Yogis were doing were completely different, there philosophy was based on the fact that you could get to God by fasting, sitting for long hours and by doing all sorts of tapsya. So they made tapsya the means... and not Love

and some people make Love the means and out of love they have to endure the tapsya or the ascetic life, like Bhagat Dhanna.

So people get really confused over all of these things and they are not able to understand, actually only a person who *Really* Wants to meet God can understand and he has true devotional love. Love can make u do all sorts of things, like in the case of summan and mussan where the father cut the head of the son and the son willingly offered it while they were stealing to do seva for Guru Arjun Dev, because they were poor and Guru Arjun Dev who was pleased then restored the son back to life upon seeing the love and devotion of this.

Love can make a Madho Das Bairagi to Banda Singh Bahadur and crack the nutts out of Sarhand and Wazir Khan. So it is Guru Kirpa that drives everything.

But most poeple like me are not doing any tapsya, but just increasing there stomach by eating lots of food and that is wrong too.

[Guest BikramjitSingh]

Satguru Gobind Singh Ji wasn't Guru Gobind Singh in His previous existence was he?He was someone else, yet still the same.Just like you and I were someone or something else in our previous existence, yet still the same.Understand?

You need to look at Gurbani more.In Guru Granth Sahib the Satguru and Bhagats have written about their previous births.Read Onkaar (Dakhni Onkaar) by Satguru Nanak, He talks about how He wasted many lives with false (kacche) Guru etc.

Don't assume things without reading up on Gurbani properly.

Hari

As far as I know Gurpreet Kaur enquired about the Guru doing austerities and not that fact that he had a previous life. Maybe you should read the question first before assuming things yourself. If as you seem to be implying that the Guru in his previous life did austerities because he didn't know of their futility because he was not a Guru then, the question then has to be how did he gain union with Waheguru when he was doing austerities which Gurbani teaches us is futile ??

GurFateh

Bikramjit

[Hari]

In response to Bikramjit singh's post:

I think you are reading too much into my reply.I refer you to jjj's post above, his is a better answer than mine.Tapasya (austerities) can be committed in the rememberance of Vahiguru.Tapasya for the sake of Tapasya or occult powers is futile...

You know Ardaas right?In Ardaas, you come across:

Panjan Pyaarian, Chauhan Sahibzaadian, Chalyaan Muktian, Hathian, Japian, Tapian, Jinaa Naam Japia...

Can you tell me what your view is of Tapian in Ardaas?I'd like to know your view, as I am not certain to what it means.Perhaps you know? :stupid:

[Guest]

if someone is so busy doing naam simran or someone is soo devoted to God that he forgets his food eating, he keeps himself in the cold .. and out of love he is enduring everything then that is not ascetiscm.. it is devotion.

Thanks JJJ! That answers my question and more, I see your point, makes sense. I think this is why Baba Nand Singh Ji was said to have done a lot of hard 'tapasaya', obviously not trying to achieve something, but due to so much love for Vaheguru I was always confused about this until now, so thanks for clearing that up for me Ji

Hari, I am still learning so forgive my ignorance. In response to your post, are you saying that Guru Gobind Singh Ji were not a Guru in their previous life and practised austerities with the aim of attaining salvation? If so, and echoing Bik's post, how did they attain union with Vaheguru whilst performing austerities which Guru Nanak Dev Ji deemed as futile?

Gurfateh

[Hari]

In response to your post, are you saying that Guru Gobind Singh Ji were not a Guru in their previous life and practised austerities with the aim of attaining salvation?

Yes.Just like you weren't Gurpreet Kaur in your previous existence.He was not Satguru Gobind Singh, in his previous life, just like Satguru Nanak.Let me give you example of Satguru Nanak, from Onkaar:

Ghar Dar Phir Thaaki Bahutere.

To many houses and doorsteps have I wandered and grown tired.(Satguru Nanak isn't alluding to His Udasi's, but the many wanderings of His soul, before His mukati, just like us)

Jaat Asankh Ant Nahi Mere.

My births have been countless, there has been no end to my incarnations.

Kete Maat Pita Sut Dhee-aa.

Many have been my mothers, fathers, sons and daughters.

Kete Gur Chele Phun Hoo-aa.

Many have been my Guru's and disciples.

Kaache Gur Te Mukat Na Hoo-aa.

A false Guru does not grant liberation. (Dakhni Onkaar, Satguru Nanak, p.929 - 938)

So it is obvious from the above that Satguru Nanak had many previous lives.He had many Guru's and indeed was also a Guru/Acharya(?) Himself, in His previous existences.

Satguru Nanak went through the same process as we are going through aswell. :cry: