Jewel in the Crown - Japji Sahib and Aykaa Mayee

shaheediyan · July 20, 2007

Girl Power!

Japji Sahib

â€œWhen Namadeva went to Punjab, Guru Nanak Sahib respected him. Not only that, but He told him that you write now in Punjabi language also. Iâ€™ve seen such a big book written by Namadeva. Can you imagine? He included all the great saints of Maharashtra in His Granth Sahib because he knew that these are Realized souls, theyâ€™re higher souls. But the Sikhs are only reading it. Nothing goes into their heads. What can you do?â€

Shri Mataji Nirmala Devi

Kalwe, India -- December 30, 1992

The Japji Sahib is the crowning jewel of the Sri Guru Granth Sahib (Adi Granth). Early every morning millions of Sikhs across the world read these revered salutations to the Universal Soul. But for some reason these millions have missed this priceless pearl of Aykaa Mayee daily â€” for more than five centuries! By instinct the entire religious herd stampedes through the Japji Sahib without even pausing to admire or inquire who is this Aykaa Mayee â€” day after day, month after month, year after year, decade after decade, century after century! One wonders why are so many so blind for so long? One wonders why are so many so blind for so

long? I have not heard of any Sikh talking about Her. So why are

Sikhs putting their heads in the sand and denying the Devi?

We will take a single example of the few who mislead the vast majority. Dr. Santokh Singh is a prominent and well-known Punjabi translator, writer and defender of the faith. We will see how he has managed to mutilate this critical part of the Japji Sahib concerning the Aykaa Mayee according to his biased religious inclination. He had to do so in order to destroy evidence confirming the presence of Adi Shakti as the feminine half of God Almighty, just as male Christian priests and pastors have done to the Holy Ghost and Muslim mullahs and muftis to Allahâ€™s Ruh (turned into Angel Gabriel).

"Aadays, tisai aadays. Aad aneel anaad anaahat, jug jug ayko vays.

Obeisance, obeisance to Him, the Primal, the Immaculate, without beginning, without end, Immutable through all ages.

Aykaa maa-ee, jugat viaaee, tin chalay parvaan.

(O Yogi, this thought is prevalent that) the mother (Mayaa) was conceived alone in some mysterious way and she procreated three deities.

Ik sansaaree, ik bhandaaree, ik laa-ay deeban.

(Of the Three deities) one was creator (Barmaa), one sustainer (Vishnoo), and one destroyer (Shiva) of the world.

Jiv tis bhaavai, tivai chalaavai, jiv havai phurmaan.

(But in actual fact) the world moves as He ordains and as He pleases.

Oh vaykahi, onaa nadar na aavai, buhutaa ayho vidaan.

He sees all, but no one sees Him: this is a great wonder."

Dr. Santokh Singh, Nitnaym Banees

(Dr. S. Singh, Nitnaam Baanees, Sikh Resource Centre, Canada, 1992, p. 44.)

â€œIn the symbolism of trimurti, the gods Brahma, Visnu, and Siva coalesce into one form with three faces. The concept is sometimes interpreted to imply a polytheism of the Hindu people, with a believe in Brahma as creator, Visnu as preserver, and Siva as destroyer. This interpretation has a grain of truth, for the concept does try to bring together the three great functions of a supreme god and divide them among known deities."

Professsor Vashuda Narayanam

World Religions: The Hindu Tradition

It is without question that this stanza proclaims that the One Mother existed all Alone before Creation. Although written down with absolutely no room for error or ambiguity, Dr. Santokh has added his biased opinion that "this thought is prevalent." He believes that this is just a mere thought, albeit wrongly understood, that the One Mother created Shri Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva. In other words he implies that it is not the Truth even if the Guru Granth Sahib says so! He does not believe, and neither wants anyone to believe, that the Mother "was conceived alone." Since only God Almighty was conceived alone any suggestion that the Aykaa Mayee was also conceived alone pitted his patriarchal pride against a feminine Supreme Creator.

â€œFor Hindus the concept of Trimurti, three gods in one image, illustrates the continuity and change which is an important feature of their religion. Reflecting elements of the Aryan and Indus traditions, the Trimurti consists of three gods â€” Brahma, the creator, Vishnu, the preserver, and Siva, the destroyer and regenerator â€” who are considered aspects of Brahman, the one God or universal soul described in the Upanishads. In practice, the Trimurti has always appealed more to the intellect than to the hearts of the Indian people."

Peter B. Clarke, The World's Religions

To circumvent this written Truth he suggests that it is just a speculation, not an established fact. Put simply, he is plainly telling Sikhs to just disregard it. He refuses to believe that the One Mother could create the most mighty Deities of the Hindu pantheon Shri Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva. He blatantly disagrees with Guru Nanak that the Great Adi Shakti had the Power to bring into being Creation, Sustenance and Destruction.

As far as Dr. Santokh (and other Sikh scholars) is concerned only God (the Father) has that Power.

Therefore, in order to mutilate this indelible Truth entrenched at the very beginning of the Sri Guru Granth Sahib, he assassinates the character of the Aykaa Mayee by deliberately mistranslating Mother into mayaa (matter or Illusion.) But Maa-ee and mayaa are two distinct words with different meanings. There is no room for error as the Sikh Holy Scripture clearly says Aykaa Maa-ee (One Mother) and leaves no room for any ambiguity. Therefore, Dr. Santokh should have translated that as One mayaa, but that would have made no sense as there is no such thing as Aykaa Mayaa (One Illusion). Moreover, how does illusion create mighty deities?

â€œWherever I look, I see the Lord pervading there, in the union of Shiva and Shakti, of consciousness and matter.

The three qualities hold the body in bondage; Whoever comes into the world is subject to their play."

Sri Guru Granth Sahib (p. 21, verse 3.)

But he had to destroy this critical Truth embedded at a very beginning of the Sri Guru Granth Sahib. Foreseeing the immense danger of the feminine Hindu Shakti he intentionally mistranslated it, assured from ancestral experience that Sikhs have more brawn than brains to discover, question and reject falsehood, especially one that suits their version of God Almighty. Only a small proportion of Sikhs, like the vast majority of Muslims, read in the language of their ancient Holy Scriptures and even less understand their deep spiritual parables. So Dr. santokh Singh just left it as mayaa. That was the only possible way to slither away from Truth.

It is hard to believe that this old theologian trick still works after five centuries. It must be the work of mayaa.

This is his interpretation:

"In the 29th to 31st stanzas, Guru Saaheeb tells us that God creates Maayaa, the trinity of Rajas-Sattva-Tamas (Activity- Rhythm-Passivity); these three qualities symbolize Barmaa- Vishnoo-Shiva (Creator-Sustainer-Annihilator.) People believe that this trinity of gods run the show of this world, but in actual fact, the Sole Supreme Being, who is above and beyond all, rules the world as He wills. He is Immanent in all His worlds and fills them with inexhaustible treasures; He, the Creator, is everywhere ceaselessly at work, watching all that He has created. True is the True Oneâ€™s Creation; therefore adore Him, who is the Source, Immaculate, Beginningless, Endless, forever alike."

Dr. Santokh Singh, Nitnaym Banees

(Dr. S. Singh, Nitnaam Baanees, Sikh Resource Centre, Canada, 1992, p. 7.)

We would like to ask Dr. Santokh about 'facts' in stanza 29-31 that only he seems to see and understand:

Where between the 29th and 31st stanzas is it ever mentioned that "Guru Saaheeb tells us that God creates Maayaa"?

How is that God Almighty, even after creating Mayaa, regards it as mysterious beyond His Knowledge?

Where is it ever written that Rajas-Sattva-Tamas mean Activity-Rhythm-Passivity?

Where does it state, and who told him, that "these three qualities symbolize Barmaa-Vishnoo-Shiva"?

â€œUnreal starts soon after birth in this world. Your name, village, country, horoscope, forecasts, many such things get attached to you or others attach them to you. Once Brahmarandhara is closed many types of illusory ideas become a part of your mind. False thoughts like "It's mine", or "They are mine", identify with outside ideas. Besides, man-made bindings such as, "My body should be healthy and beautiful" are inculcated. Then unreal relationships like, "He is my father." "He is my brother." "She is my mother", are on your head. As ego develops, foolish ideas such as, "I am rich." "I am poor." "I am helpless" or "I belong to high family", ecetera come in your head. Many officials and politicians become egoists.

Then there are anger, hatred, forbearance, separation, sorrow, attachment, under the cover of love, and temptations in the guise of social status. Man with great affection keep clinging to this unreal way of life.â€

Shri Tri-nayana Shri Nirmala Devi

But the primary question: How is it possible that Waheguru (God Almighty) doesnâ€™t even know how this Eykaa Mayee came into being? Is it possible that Waheguru is less than perfect, as this is the impression any intelligent reader will understand from the translations of Sikh theologians? So who created the Eykaa Mayee since even God Almighty does not know? Or is it that the Eykaa Mayee is the feminine half of God Almighty as the Mother, the Active Power (Adi Shakti) of the Supreme Creator that begun creation by first creating the three mighty Deities Shri Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva?

It is also clear that the Sri Guru Granth Sahib states that "the world moves as She ordains and as She pleases" as it is within the same stanza describing the One Mother. Dr. Santokh had to again alter the Written Word and replace it with the masculine He. Though Dr. Santokh knows that Waheguru (God Almighty) is in neutral gender, he had to

make it into the patriarchal He, even if it is the Mother!

He then reinforces this deception by claiming that "(But in actual fact) the world moves as He ordains and as He pleases." What he is telling naive Sikhs is that even if the One Mother was Unborn, Uncreated, is the Primal Being, and created the Three Mighty Deities of Hinduism, the world still does not move as She ordains, but only as He ordains. Dr. Santokh resents this One Divine Mother and implies that it is all a figment of peopleâ€™s imagination!

Hundreds of millions of Hindus worship these Three Mighty Gods. If the One Mother created them, then who is She? Who is the One who has this Sole Power? Who is the One who is above All? Who is the One who was first All Alone?

To avoid providing answering these enlightening questions, Dr. Santokh found it easier to deceive his own mind and his people â€” a highly effective modus operandi favored by patriarchal shepherds employed by religious regimes to keep their herd together â€” lest they stray and are lost to rivals.

But there is a more profound and camouflaged reason for this deliberate deception of the Written Word. The Sri Guru Adi Granth begins with the Japji Sahib, the fundamental doctrine of the Sikh faith revealing the nature of God Almighty. The Japji Sahib begins with the Mool Mantr, the essence of the Sikh faith describing the Creatorâ€™s character and distinguishing personality: Ik Onkar (One God); Satnaam (True Divine Essence); Kartaa Purakh (Supreme Being); Nirbhao (Fearless); Nirvair (Love); Akaal Moorat (Beyond Time); Ajoonee (Unborn); Saibhang (Self-Illumined) and Gur Prasaad (attained by Grace of Enlightener.)

God is genderless in Sikhism and all masculine interpretations may also be substituted with feminine pronouns to effect the same meaning. But if a clear indication is given, such as Aykaa Mayee (One Mother), then patriarchal theologians fear such specific gender. Since this Written Word of the One Mother comes right in the beginning of the Sri Guru Granth Sahib, to recognize Her existence would mean to allow Her Supreme Presence, Power and Will to run through the entire course of this voluminous Holy Book. It is already stated in the Granth Sahib that She was Alone at the Beginning and was Self-Conceived (Ajoonee.) No Power created Her. No Force created Her. No One created Her. She was Unborn. She was Uncreated. She was Unconceived. Then She created the Three Mightiest Gods. She created the Creator (Brahma.) She created the Sustainer (Vishnu.) She created the Destroyer (Shiva.) She was the Origin of All.

The Japji Sahib immediately continues the Revelation of the One Mother by stating that;

Jiv tis bhaavai, tivai chalaavai, jiv havai phurmaan.

The world moves as She ordains and as She pleases.

She sees all, but no one sees Her: this is a great wonder.

Oh vaykahi, onaa nadar na aavai, buhutaa ayho vidaan.

Obeisance, obeisance to Her, who is the Primal Being, the Pure Light, Eternal, Immortal and Forever alike.

Sri Guru Granth Sahib (Jap Jee Sahib)

To allow this Truth to continue would have meant that the entire Guru Granth Sahib be dedicated to Her. Even before stanza 29 of the Japji Sahib, as early as the fourth stanza, there is clear evidence of this Aykaa Mayee:

Gurmukh naadang, gumukh vaydang, gurmukh rahe-aa samaa-ee. (stanza 4)

Through the Enlightenerâ€™s Word is attained the Mystic Sound; Through the Enlightenerâ€™s Word, the Divine Knowledge; And through the Enlightenerâ€™s Word is realized the All-Pervasiveness of God.

Gur eesar, gur gorakh barmaa, gur paarbatee maa-ee.

The Enlightener Himself is Shiv, Vishnoo, Barmaa; The Enlightener Himself is Paarvati, the Mother-Goddess. . . .

Su-ast aath, baanee barmaa-o. Sat suhaan sadaa man chaa-o. (stanza 20)

Obeisance to Him, who is Himself the Creator of Maayaa, the Primal Word and Barmaa. He is the Truth, Beauty, and Bliss. . . .

Aakhaih barmay, aakhaih ind. Aakhaih, gopee tai govind. (stanza 25)

The Barmaa and Indr utter His Greatness, so also the Gopees and Krishna.

Aakhaih eesar, aakhaih sidh. Aaakhaih, kaytay keetay budh.

Shiv and Sidh speak of His Glories, so also many gnostics created by Him."

Dr. Santokh Singh, Nitnaym Banees

(Dr. Santokh Singh, Nitnaam Baanees, Sikh Resource Centre, 1992, p. 20-40.)

To render the above two translation without the anti-Mother bias of Dr. Santokh it would have read:

"Aadays, tisai aadays. Aad aneel anaad anaahat, jug jug ayko vays.

Obeisance, obeisance to Her, the Primal, the Immaculate, without beginning, without end, Immutable through all ages.

Aykaa maa-ee, jugat viaaee, tin chalay parvaan.

The Mother was conceived alone in some mysterious way and She procreated three deities.

Ik sansaaree, ik bhandaaree, ik laa-ay deeban.

One was Creator, one Sustainer, and one Destroyer of the world.

Jiv tis bhaavai, tivai chalaavai, jiv havai phurmaan.

The world moves as She ordains and as She pleases.

Oh vaykahi, onaa nadar na aavai, buhutaa ayho vidaan.

She sees all, but no one sees Her: this is a great wonder."

"Gurmukh naadang, gumukh vaydang, gurmukh rahe-aa samaa-ee. (stanza 4)

Through the Enlightenerâ€™s Word is attained the Mystic Sound; Through the Enlightenerâ€™s Word, the Divine Knowledge; And through the Enlightenerâ€™s Word is realized the All-Pervasiveness of God.

Gur eesar, gur gorakh barmaa, gur paarbatee maa-ee.

The Enlightener Herself is Shiv, Vishnoo, Barmaa; The Enlightener Herself is Paarvati, the Mother-Goddess. . . .

Su-ast aath, baanee barmaa-o. Sat suhaan sadaa man chaa-o. (stanza 20)

Obeisance to Her, who is Herself Mahamaya, the Primal Word and Barmaa. She is Truth, Consciousness, and Bliss. . . .

Aakhaih barmay, aakhaih ind. Aakhaih, gopee tai govind. (stanza 25)

The Barmaa and Indr utter Her Greatness, So also the Gopees and Krishna.

Aakhaih eesar, aakhaih sidh. Aaakhaih, kaytay keetay budh.

Shiv and Sidh speak of Her Glories, so also many gnostics created by Her."

Other Sikh translators are just as deceptive and revert back to the masculine prose the instant they have the chance.

"The Primal One, the Pure Light, without beginning, without end. Throughout all the ages, He is One and the Same. || 29 ||

The One Divine Mother conceived and gave birth to the three deities. One, the Creator of the World; One, the Sustainer; and One, the Destroyer.

He makes things happen according to the Pleasure of His Will. Such is His Celestial Order. He watches over all, but none see Him. How wonderful this is!

I bow to Him, I humbly bow. The Primal One, the Pure Light, without beginning, without end. Throughout all the ages, He is One and the Same. || 30 ||"

Sandeep Singh Brar (http://www.sikhs.org/topics.htm)

For Dr. Santokh and millions of misled Sikhs Waheguru could not have been, and should not be, the Formless Mother. God had to be, and must be, the Formless Father. Moreover, he was not comfortable with the Knowledge that She created the Three Deities â€” Shri Shiva, Brahma and Vishnu who are repeatedly mentioned throughout the entire Sri Guru Granth Sahib. He did not relish the fact that She had actually created Shri Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva, for that would give the whole Guru Grant Sahib a Hindu flavor and a feminine Waheguru. For a man of many anti-Hindu books (Prosecution of Religious Minorities and Other Faiths, Internal and External Threats to Sikhism, and The Only Option for Sikhs) such knowledge had to be suppressed, even if it meant twisting the Written Word, as it ran counter to his anti-Hindu, separatist Khalistan views.

For countless incarnations, you were a worm and an insect;

For countless incarnations, you were an elephant, a fish and a deer.

For countless incarnations, you were a bird and a snake.

For countless incarnations you were yoked as an ox and a horse.

Meet the Lord of the Universe â€” now is the time to meet Her.

After so very long, this human body was fashioned for you.

For countless incarnations, you were rocks and mountains;

For countless incarnations, you were aborted in the womb;

For countless incarnations you developed branches and leaves;

You wandered through 8.4 million incarnations.

Through the Saadh Sangat, the Company of the Holy, you obtained this human life.

Sri Guru Granth Sahib

(G. Gwaarayree, Fifth Mehl p. 176.)

There is just one simple question that the highly educated Dr. Santokh should answer on behalf of all the unenlightened priests and foolish followers of Sikhism: Sardar Santokh Singh Ji, for how many rebirths were you born exclusively a Sikh, and never as a Hindu, Muslim, Christian, Buddhist, or Jain?

All religious fools and fundamentalists crave for the power and pride of a different deity. There are billions of Hindus, Buddhists, Jews, Christians, and Muslims who rave and rant for their exclusive messenger and his allah. Sikhs are no different despite a treasure trove of priceless pearls scattered generously all over their Holy Scripture that recognizes the Divine Unity of all His Messengers.