Previous

Next

Ask a Question

Summary of Question:	What Is Gurbani's Position On Mythology/Gods Of Indian Scriptures Etc?
Category:	Gurbani
Date Posted:	Friday, 11/21/2003 11:32 AM MST

Waheguru ji ka khalsa

Waheguru ji ki fateh

I want to start with the following verse of Guru sahib
"I do not accept Ganesha as important. I do not meditate on Krishna, neither on Vishnu. I do not hear them and do not recognize them. My love is with the Lotus feet of God. He is my protector, the Supreme Lord. I am dust of his Lotus feet." (Guru Gobind Singh Ji )

I have some question maybe sadh sangat can help this moorakh. I know that many times hindu god names are just for waheguru and for his creation.
I want to know that some other times the names of gods depicted in Sri Guru Granth Sahib ji are of hindu mytholgy specifically ?


barahmai garab kee-aa nahee jaani-aa. (page 224 , Line 11)
Brahma acted in pride, and did not understand.

poochhahu barahmay naardai bayd bi-aasai ko-ay. ||1|| rahaa-o. (page 59, Line 8)
Go and ask Brahma, Naarad and Vyaas, the writer of the Vedas. ||1||Pause||


Is guru sahib depting god brahma of hindus? or there is some deep meaning to it.


I am just ignorant on this fact just wanna know if sikhism belives in existance of gods?

PS: I dont want replies from hindu and christian missionaries trying to question my faith.

In short I understand Guru Sahib was talking in the tongue of those times and some places guru sahib is talking about brahma,shiva,indra,naraad,krishna,. Are there some also places where guru sahib is talking about trinity of hindu gods or is it just again a deep meaning?


hanoomaan sar garurh samaanaaN. surpat narpat nahee gun jaanaaN. ||2||(page 691, line 17)
Beings like Hanumaan, Garura, Indra the King of the gods and the rulers of humans - none of them know Your Glories, Lord. ||2||


What is the meaning of this? is Guru Sahib reffering to hindu deities or really some other deep meaning? I mean as far as I know gods etc is mythology , there is greek mythology and so is indian mythology. When guru sahib mentions them in Bani , does that mean they exist or existed and those events happened? Or guru ji is just using it to teach us the deep meaning?

thanks a lot.

sat siri akal.


*******************

Wahe Guru Ji Ka Khalsa, Wahe Guru Ji Ki fateh.

Well, this is a very deep and profound question you are asking so please may all the readers forgive me in advance for any errors or mistakes on my part in answering it. This is my unstudied perspective on the issue.

There is One God, Ek Ong Kaar - One Creative Being who lives in everything and is beyond everything.

Different cultures have tried to create different identities or personalities for that One God and those identities and personalities reflect the cutlures. For instance, the Vikings had their gods and goddesses. There was Thor, the Thunder God. There were the Valkyries - who were warrior women. But while these identities and personalities were real for the Vikings - the True One Creator is not limited by these human-made personalities and identities.

So it is with Hinduism. There are identities and personalities. And are they real? Well what is real? If I am Hindu and I pray to Ganesha because that is how I relate to God - will God ignore me? Of course not. God will respond and that will confirm my faith in Ganesha. But then what happenes is that people get stupid with each other and they start competing. Ganesha is real but Allah is not. Allah is real but Jehovah is not. Do you see the silliness? Every culture has its own image and name for God - and God will answer a sincere prayer no matter what Name we use. But the power is in the prayer - not in any image or any particular name.

The Gurus cut through this illusion. They just said - hey - there's One behind the entire show. Let's relate to the One. They didn't want "Wahe Guru" to become another name that another culture uses to become competitive. In the Siri Guru Granth Sahib, the power is in the devotion - no matter what name or form of God one uses. So - being devoted is what's important. Having our mental projections of god through culture compete with one another is not.

If someone believes in Allah - that person will experience God through Allah. If someone believes in Jesus - that person will experience God through Jesus. We are Sikh. We believe in the God behind all those experiences and don't get trapped in the Maya of whether that God is "Allah" or "Jesus." Or as Guru Gobdin Singh Maharaj Ji said, "I don't pay any attention to Ganesha or Krishna or Vishnu. I'm in love with the One."

I hope this helps.

Much love,

GPK