~Endless Treasure~

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source: www.sikhe.com

Endless Treasure

By Bahadar Singh

Friday, March 12, 2004 - 10:06 AM EST

Interpreting what comes from the One who cannot be interpreted is indeed a difficult task. No honest religious scholar can pretend to have the whole truth about Gurbani but may, instead, want to share the pearls that they have been able to discover in the deep ocean of Gurbani.

Some people pretend that religious scholarship is needed; others pretend that there is no need of scholarly interpretation and that Gurbani reveals itself. Both are right because they are talking about two different levels of understanding.

From a historical point of view, the four sumprdaayas - Nihung, Udaasi, Sevapunthi, and Nirmalaas - have their legitimacy and foundation. The question is: Do I as a Sikh have to go through them to understand Gurbani?

To clarify this point, one has to be aware of the fact that in Gurbani there are different levels of interpretations. McAuliffe calls Sikh theology irfan, a term used in the Islamic world for theosophical hermeneutics.

It is generally accepted that there are three basic levels of interpretations in hermeneutics: Zahir (exoteric), Batin (esoteric) and Haq (mystical).

Zahir refers to the outer meaning of Gurbani.

First of all it is necessary to understand that the languages used in Gurbani are not as simple as many people pretend. The need of classical philology is absolutely necessary so that the meaning(s) of words may be given. It is necessary to keep in mind the etymology of a word as it gives the basic idea of the word. By discovering the original meanings of words and their grammatical root one can find indescribable treasures.

From the philological point of view, Gurbani is truly paradise. It has many languages with many archaisms and imports form Sanskrit, Arabic and Persian. Relying on interpretations alone may be misleading as some interpreters don't have the necessary skills or try to be apologetic. It is, therefore, necessary for a scholar to master Sanskrit (the root of most languages of Gurbani), Bruj, Sunt Bhaasha, Persian and Punjabi. Poetics are also necessary.

One cannot forget that Gurbani is also sacred literature. One needs to keep in mind the function of a sloak, of a svaiyya, of a kubbit, etc., the place of words, the repetition of word patterns, and so on, to understand the function of the form. We must ask ourselves questions, like "Why did the Gurus compose this shabd in this meter and not in another?"

In Gurbani, the exterior is as important as the interior.

Batin, or the esoteric level, is the inner meaning(s) of Gurbani. It refers to the levels of meaning that are beyond the outer from of Gurbani. For this one needs to take into account several parameters. First of all, one needs to take into account the raag which gives the rus (or aesthetic emotion) of a shabd. The raag indicates the spirit of the shabd. Further, the position of the shabd within the whole corpus of the Guru Granth Sahib needs to be taken into account. Then there is the mystical-theological meaning(s) of certain terms that need to be clarified. Mythological references need to be read in that context as well.

For Zahir and Batin the Gurus gave certain institutions to the Punth - like the Nirmalaas, for example. It has to be clear, though, that these sumprdaayas are there to serve the Punth.

Haq is the mystical level of Gurbani. Here the Sikh does not interpret Gurbani but experiences Gurbani. Gurbani becomes a mystical reality for the Sikh. It is an experience that can't be described and, in fact, no theologian should try to define it.

Zahir and Batin are certainly helpful guides for the Sikh who searches for Haq but they remain helpful and necessary guides. They are not the truth themselves. Yet, they remain necessary so that the intellect may be a help and not a hindrance in the mystical experience of the Divine.

The Gurus instituted the sumprdaayas for the following purposes:

Udaasis to propagate Sikhi, Nihungs to protect the Punth, Nirmalaas to spread knowledge and interpret Gurbani, Sevapunthi for the welfare of the Punth and all. One should not fall into the easy trap of cheap populism and pretend that these sumprdaayas are like mullahs and Brahmins as the comparison is inappropriate. Nirmalaas don't give fatwas and they teach everyone - irrelevant of caste, religion or sex.

Gurbani can be interpreted at the level of Zahir and Batin but it can be only experienced at the Haq level. So, do I as a Sikh need the sumprdaayas? Yes, for Zahir and Batin. And categorically not for Haq!

A religious scholar's aim is to help the sungut at the levels of Zahir and Batin but for Haq they are like all other Sikhs - beggars at the court of Akaal Purakh.