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Summary of Question:	Hindu Andha Turku Kaana Shabd
Category:	Gurbani
Date Posted:	Sunday, 7/29/2001 11:52 PM MDT

SAT NAAM

This email is to try shedding some light on Bhagat Namdev's words "Hindu Andha Turku Kaana". Last month i was listening to Gyani Sant Singh Maskin Ji's lecture which was given in the early 80s. Probably in 1982 or 1983. If any of u want to listen to it after reading this email, go to http://www.proudtobesikh.com . On the left hand side, u will see a sub-heading "Gurbani Viakhia Sahit", and under that go to "Hindu Andha" and listen to it. What i found surprising about this lecture after listening to it last month was that it sounded anti-Hindu to me. Please do not think that i am trying to be a spokesperson for the Hindus out there. From my knowledge, Guru Nanak's first sermon after Sachhay Patshah returned from the river Baeen after 3 days was "na ko Hindu na ko Musalmaan". And so there is no distinction based on religion for Guruji. Gyani Maskin ji points out that the Hindu is blind, as he worships idols, follows hollow rituals and so doesn't know the truth. But the Muslim (Turku) is one-eyed, as he does kno

w the truth but sees it according to his own way. The lecture i've indicated also has references to many corrupt Hindus in Sikh history. Suchhanand, who was a minister in the court of Wazir Khan of Sarhind, and who fully supported the execution of the younger 2 Sahibzaade was a Hindu. Chandu, who was responsible upto a great extent for the martyrdom of Guru Arjan was a Hindu. Gangu, who was responsible for handing over Mata Gujri and the 2 younger Sahibzaade to the cruel Sarhind government was a Hindu. The hill kings who fought battles with Guru Gobind Singh Sachhay Patshah were Hindus. The army officials who attacked the Golden Temple in June 1984 (Operation Bluestar) were Hindus. The mobs who killed Sikhs in the most inhuman ways in Delhi in November 1984 after Indira Gandhi was assasinated were Hindus. Thus the lecture concludes that the Hindu is blind. He can't see the truth. As for the Muslims, well there are again many examples. Rai Bular, who was an officer-in-charge in Guru Nanak's village and who saw

a cobra serving the Guru is the one who is known as Guru Nanak's first Sikh, he was a Muslim. Bhai Mardana, Guru Nanak's lifelong companion was a Muslim. Daulsa, who was a servant in Guru Nanak's house and cared for Him as a young child was a Muslim. Sain Miya Mir, who laid the foundation stone of Harmandar Sahib was a Muslim. Pir Bhikan Shah, who saw the light of GOD in the east on the day Guru Gobind Singh was born, and who made obeissance towards the east instead of the west, and who is known as Guru Gobind Singh's first Sikh, that Pir Bhikan Shah was a Muslim. Pir Budhu Shah, who sacrificed his sons by sending them to battle on the side of Guru Gobind Singh, was a Muslim. Nabi Khan and Wali Khan, who told the Mughal soldiers that they had a Pir with them called Uch Da Pir, who was actually my Sachhay Patshah Guru Gobind Singh, were Pathaans, meaning Muslims. Nawab of Malerkotla who defended the 2 younger Sahibzaade in the court of Wazir Khan of Sarhind was a Muslim. These and plenty more examples are the

re. And so a Muslim is one-eyed, he can see the truth but only according to his own beliefs.

Sadh Sangat jee, lets not forget. The Mughal emperor Jahangir who got Guru Arjan martyred was a Muslim too. Aurangzeb who got Guru Teg Bahadur martyred was a Muslim too. Wazir Khan was also a Muslim who got the Sahibzaade martyred. Ahmed Shah Abdali, Zakariya Khan, Mir Mannu, Bahadur Shah Zafar, Farukhsiyar and many more rulers and invaders who slaughtered Sikhs in very large numbers were also Muslims. During the partition of 1947 also, Sikhs and Hindus were killed in large numbers by Muslims. Not that i have anything against them. Believe it or not, i myself have more Muslim friends than Hindu or Sikh friends here in my university.

Lets look at Bhagat Namdev's words from another point of view. The Hindu is blind. He cannot see any difference. He is taught tolerance and so he accepts everyone. The Jews and Parsees came as refugees to seek shelter, he accepted them. The Christians came as missionaries to preach Christianity, he accepted them. The Muslims came as invaders to loot, kill and then rule. He accepted them too. So Saadh Sangat jee, the Hindu is blind. He doesn't see the difference. In 1947 the Muslims who came as foreigners took away his land and put up their own flags on it and started calling it their Pakistan. He let them have it because he is tolerant, because he is blind.

The Muslim is one-eyed. He has one eye for his own people and the other one is closed for the rest of the world whom he considers as Kafirs, infidels, non-believers etc. He is one-eyed as he can see women and children but still massacres them and makes us call that day 'ghalughara dihada'. He has on eye as he can see the lovely little Sahibzaade and yet doesn't hesitate to brick them alive. He can see from one eye because he tortures our Gurus, tortures Banda Bahadur and plenty other Sikhs, all in the name of his religion.

i am not here to start a sermon of my own. And i don't call myself a Hindu if anyone feels i am here to defend somebody. Please remember i regard myself nothing more than a slave of Guru Nanak, His dog sometimes. i don't hesitate to admit that i have not an iota of knowledge. All i have done here is presented another viewpoint of trying to understand Bhagat Namdev's words. For centuries they were unheard of. And when people started understanding them, they were used as a tool to instigate Sikhs against Hindus, by propagating the notion that Gurbani teaches us that Hindus are blind. Its very surprising. Gurbani thunders loud and clear : Aval Allah Noor Upaya Kudrat Ke Sab Bande, Ek Noor Te Sab Jag Upjeya Kaun Bhale Ko Mande. Guru Nanak proclaims : na ko Hindu na ko Musalmaan.

How can we be sure whether Bhagat Namdev in his bani is talking in favour of the Hindu or the Muslim?

please accept my sincere apologies if i have offended anyone or misinterpreted Gurbani in any way

GURU FATEH

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REPLY
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Waheguru Ji Ka Khalsa, Waheguru Ji Ki Fateh!

It is so easy to misinterpret Siri Guru and take every sentence literally, which is what, it appears, the gyani you mention above has done. But the spirit of Shabd Guru is one that is ALL inclusive and all-embracing.

NamDev Ji in this shabd (found on ang 874-875, Bilaaval Gond) is reminding us that spirituality is NOT found in idol worship or only in houses of worship. The idols or icons REPRESENT spirit, but people forget this and start to imbue the idol or icon itself with supernatural powers that do not exist.

In this shabad, NamDev cites practices of various Indian states of his time. In the first line, NamDev says he saw someone worship a beethel (the stand upon which a religious figure is put) and decides he must instruct the ignorant.
The next two lines (up to 1) NamDev uses allegory to show how so-called religious people of his time actually lived off others. Whatever 'truths' they taught were lame, that is, not real truths.

The next two lines (up to 2) NamDev uses metaphor to remind us that the idols people thought were so holy(Shiva in this case) cannot be so holy if they make us afraid. What kind of faith invokes mortal fear in one?

The next two lines (up to 3) look at Raam Chand in metaphor, saying how could Raam Chand be holy if his own wife was stolen? What kind of protector is such a god if he cannot protect his own wife?

Next, "Hindoo annhaa turkoo kaanaa" means "Hindu is sightless, Muslim is one-eyed" and here NamDev means the Hindu sees all gods or no god and the Muslim sees one god.

"Duhaa(n) tay gyanee siaanaa, hindoo poojai dayhura musalmaan maseet" means the spiritual teacher is wiser than either Hindu or Muslim, and NamDev here says is that no one is smart, because they think God is ONLY to be found in temples or mosques.

In the last line, NamDev says he follows that God is who NOT limited to temples or mosques.

So, this shabd is NOT telling us that Hindus and Muslims are not to be trusted. It is not meant to give anyone permission to speak at length against either faith. Rather, it is Guru's way of REMINDING all of us that the only guarantee of knowing God is to PRACTICE spirituality; that nothing spiritual is gained from worship of idols or holy places in and of themselves. A house of worship is just that, but God is NOT limited to such places; (this is confirmed in Guru Gobind Singh's Jaap Sahib, which speaks at length about all that God is and all where he is.)NamDev here is affirming all that the Gurus told us: God is everywhere and everywhere is His worship and he (NamDev) serves such a God.

The spirit of Gurbani tells us that if we cannot see God in all, we cannot see God at all. If one looks at Sikh history, Sikhs have plenty to gripe about in relation to hindus or muslims, but if we base our faith on history, we live in the past. And we forget the spirit of what our Gurus taught and lived, the spirit of Shabd Guru embodied in Siri Guru. The choice is yours: live the spirit of Sikhi or live the history of Sikhi. Live in Spirit or live in the past.

Guru rakha,
-DKK