Changing Gurbani

Recently, I came across Sukhmani Sahib gutka which stated “Nanaksar Di Maryada Anusaar Sukhmani Sahib”. Looking through the gutka sahib, I found out that they have included panktis of Rahao in the beginning of every Saloak and “Satnaam Sri Waheguru” after every Saloak. I understand that reading more bani is beneficial but this is nothing more than insult, alteration and sacrilegious to Gurbani. Gurbani is perfect and cannot be changed in format, content or structure. As more and more Sikhs become ignorant of Gurbani they fall prey to such deras which only wish to promote their own ideology instead of Gurmat.

Sampat Paath and equating multiple recitation of Jap Ji Sahib to one recitation of Sukhmani Sahib is simply rubbish. Nanaksar has reduced Gurbani recitation to purely brahaminical type muttering. They have made fundamental changes to Gurmat ideals such as no Karah Parshaad, no langar, no Nishaan Sahib, no Amrit and now changing Gurbani. Sikhs should not indulge in reading more and more Gurbani if there is no love and understanding of Shabad and especially when Gurbani is altered. The focus should be to have direct conversation with Guru Sahib. Guru Sahib prefers one Chaupai Sahib with concentration than 27 Chaupai Sahibs without any love and concentration. We should never forget that reading bani must be done in maryada and one only carries the burden of sin by altering Gurbani than earning anything good. Everyone needs to be aware of such groups that are damaging Sikhi from inside. Guru Rakha

Well said about Sampat Vidhi of Siri Sukhmani Sahib, Bijla Singh jeeo.

Here is a small write-up that this Daas wrote (by kirpa of Guru Sahib) about a decade ago. It pertains to doing Siri Sukhmani Sahib in Nanaksar Sampat way and receiving double the Laaha.

Ram Singh : How are you Shyam Singh ?

Shyam Singh : I am in Chardi Kala because I just finished doing PaTh of Siri Sukhmani Sahib. Siri Sukhmani Sahib is great ! It gives you so much peace of mind. After doing the paath of Siri Sukhmani Sahib with Surati, I feel like doing Vaheguru Uchi Uchi (loudly) and extending "rrrroooo" in Vaheguru Gurmanter.

Ram Singh : I am sure you must be doing Sukhmani Sahib like I do. I learned doing Sukhmani Sahib from this 108 Sant jee Maharaj. He told me that if I do Sukhmani Sahib this way I will get two times more Phal (reward) than regular way.

Shyam Singh : I don't know what you are talking about. I just do Paath of Siri Sukhmani Sahib as it is written. However sometimes I do it loudly and other times I do it in my mind ( Surati) and by keeping my lips sealed. Is there another way of doing it ?

Ram Singh : I expected you to know more than this. Sant jee Maharaj told me that if I do Sukhmani Sahib by a special vidhi (method) I will get double the phal (reward). This is how to do it. At the end of every Ashtpadi of Sukhmani Sahib you say "Satnam Vaheguru" and then "Sukhmani Sukh Amrit Prabh Naam || Bhagat Jana ke mann bisraam". Then you start your next ashtpadi. If you want even more phal then you should say one Ashtpadi in 8 breaths i.e. the whole Sukhmani Sahib in 192 breaths. This will prolong your life and you will get triple, quadraple phal (reward). I think the best thing to do would be to consult Sant jee Maharaj and have him explain all this to you.

Shyam Singh : (After some silence) Ram Singh, I don't know where from you find such new twisted ideas. Every time you meet a Sant (so called) you become his chela and adopt a new rehat maryada. Now this thing that you told me is totally new for me. As you know I am not a Sant or Sadhu. I am only trying to be a Sikh. If I can become a Sikh I will consider my life to be a success. So whatever I say is based on my lowly intelligence.

As for the phal of Sukhmani Sahib is concerned, I ask you this question. In your eyes who is greater, Sant jee Maharaj you met recently or Siri Guru Arjun Dev jee ??

Ram Singh : What a strange question, Yaar. Off course Siri Guru Arjun Dev jee is greater and above all. How could you even ask me this question? Sant jee Maharaj himself bows before Guru Granth Sahib jee and Guru Arjun Dev jee.

Shyam Singh : In that case, don't you think that there would be more phal in reading Siri Sukhmani Sahib or any other Baani, the way Guru Sahib wrote it as opposed to the way Sant jee Maharaj is asking Sangat to do? Guru Sahib is the ultimate power. To do something against the will of Guru is becoming a Bemukh. Don't you know what happened to Baba Ram Rai when he changed the Pankiti of Gurbani in front of Aurangzeb? He was expelled from Sikh Panth by Guru Har Rai jee.

I think we should read Gurbani the way it is without mixing our Manmat in it. As far as phal is concerned, more phal (reward) is attained if Gurbani is read with love. The more you love Gurbani, the more you concentrate, the more Phal you will get. The measure of Phal is love and concentration and not what you are suggesting.

Ram Singh : I never thought of it this way. Yeah ! now I understand. Guru Arjun Dev jee knows everything. If there was to be more phal in doing Paath certain way He would have guided us accordingly. . O Vaheguru ! I made such a mistake by reading Gurbani as suggested by Sant jee Maharaj. I am going to tell Sant jee Maharaj about this and ask him to stop this practice.

Nanaksar also have their own Ardas in which they constantly praise " MahaPurakhs" . They are ruining the reputation of a pooran MahaPurash Sri Maan Baba Nand Singh Ji.

Baba Nand Singh Jee (Kaleraan Vale) is often associated with starting the Nanaksar movement. However, to the contrary, Baba Jee actually did not start any Dera or Jatha of his own, but rather the efforts of over-zealous chelas have now led to the creation of what is referred to in the present day as Nanaksar. Baba Jee was a great mystical Gurmukh who did countless Paaths of Sri Jap Ji Sahib and Mool Mantar and no doubt reached great spiritual heights. In addition to following Gurmat tenants, he lived his life according to set of his own personal rules:

Quote
Life Stories of Great Sikh Saints, 1st Edition, 2006, p. 158, Dr. Hakam Singh

Baba Ji himself vowed to observe the following discipline:

1. Never to touch money.
2. Never to see a woman unless she was accompanied by her father, brother or husband.
3. Never to attend a gathering where was intention to honour him (because it ignited the fire of ego).
4. Never to get involved in the Anand Kaaraj ceremony for anyone.
5. Never to boast about his own capabilities.
6. Always stay in Sikhi form.
7. Never to deliberately curse or bless anyone.
8. Never to get involved in laying the foundation stone of a Gurdwara or any other religious institution.
9. Never to erect a permanent abode. [Baba Jee led a nomadic life style and did not stay in any place for more than several months. After this, he would destroy the dwelling and move on – this is also written in the aforementioned book.]

In a nutshell, he vowed to forsake all those activities that enhanced one’s ego. Everyone who came in contact with Baba Ji knows that he successfully observed all these rules throughout his life.

(Hopefully I would like to write a bit more on some more of Baba Jee’s jeevan, specifically his bibeki eating practices in another post at a later date.)

So, as we can see, the Nanaksar of today has directly violated many, if not all, of Baba Jee’s personal tenants while at the same time continually praising him in the presence of Sri Guru Granth Sahib Jee and claiming to continue his legacy in the form of various Sant Babas (santdom). They have even gone to the extent of placing photos and monuments of Baba Jee right where the prakash of Sri Guru Granth Sahib Jee is. In addition to this, Nanaksar is now notorious for their many manmat practices, for example:

1) Instead of having Gurdwara Sahib, they have created their own establishment, called a TaaT (ਠਾਠ)

At these TaaTs:

2) Langar is not prepared on the premises as in accordance with Gurmat Maryada, instead individual satsangis bring food they have prepared themselves in their own homes for distribution in the sangat.

3) The flag of the Khalsa Panth: the Nishaan Sahib, is not flown or displayed.

4) There is no Golak (money depository box) in front of Sri Guru Granth Sahib Jee, and they insist that no one puts any monetary offering in front of Guru Jee. However they are more than happy to take donations of any size outside of the Darbar Hall in private.

5) So-called Sampath Paaths take place, this is where after each and every single Bani, Pauree, or Shabad in Sri Guru Granth Sahib Jee, the continuous recitation of an Akhand Paath is broken and the Mool Mantar and another Shabad (most commonly aukhee ghaRi na dekhan dei) are recited. Thereby violating Akhand (and Sehaj) Paath Maryada, and needlessly extending a recitation from the usual 48 hours to almost a week.

6) As mentioned previously, they have many paintings, idols, and illustrations of Sri Guru Nanak Dev Sahib Jee and Baba Nand Singh Jee prominently displayed all over the Darbaar Hall and often right where Sri Guru Granth Sahib Jee is prakash, sometimes even right in-front of Guru Jee on the Rumalla Sahib, so one is almost forced to matha-tek to that.

7) The design and layout of the area where Sri Guru Granth Sahib Jee is prakash is such; that you can only get near to Maharaaj Jee via going through a back room. They also do not allow regular members of sangat (regardless Amritdhari or not) to do Chaur Sahib, perform Rauls, change Rumallas, take Hukamnama Sahib, or perform any other duty of seva with Sri Guru Granth Sahib Jee. Only the resident Babas are permitted to do so.

8) At Amrit Sanchaars, they have so-called ready made Amrit that they store in plastic bottles. Whenever someone wishes to take Amrit, they simply get that out and shakaa it to them.

9) On the occasions when they sometimes do prepare Amrit with Sarblohi Khanda Bata, as required in Gurmat Maryada, the Panj Pyare partake of the Amrit themselves before shakaaing it to the Abhilakees.

10) The wearing of a Kirpan has been made optional, and is not thought to be important at all.

Some may wish to doubt the above, but is 100% true. I have personally confirmed all things going on in India, UK, and Canada with different Gursikhs as well as being witness to it myself. We have probably also all heard the real life horror stories in news articles and from relatives in India where people have been looted, raped, and even murdered at Nanaksar Thaaths across Panjab. So, in my opinion, the modern day so-called Nanaksar group is bringing great shame to name of Baba Nand Singh Jee and moreover to the Khalsa Panth as a whole.

For a while I had the intention to add to this thread. So here it is jee. I hope my comments will not be taken as unnecessarily rude or offensive to Nanaksar, I do not mind to get labelled as a nindak, as Guru Jee knows the truth, but I feel it is important to speak out against manmat practices and make sangat aware of these things going in inside our own Panth which are contributing greatly to the weakening and tendikalaa of the Khalsa Panth. I am also sure that there must be some genuine Gursikhs within the present Nanaksar group as well, and I certainly do not mean to say anything bad about them.

Having said that jee, if there is anything out of Gurmat written above, then I have no hesitation to take my words back and beg forgiveness from yourselves and Guru Jee.

5) So-called Sampath Paaths take place, this is where after each and every single Bani, Pauree, or Shabad in Sri Guru Granth Sahib Jee, the continuous recitation of an Akhand Paath is broken and the Mool Mantar and another Shabad (most commonly aukhee ghaRi na dekhan dei) are recited. Thereby violating Akhand (and Sehaj) Paath Maryada, and needlessly extending a recitation from the usual 48 hours to almost a week.


The Akhaand Paat is not broken, because it isnt a normal AKHAND PAAT it is a Sampat Akhaand Paat, whats wrong with reciting more bani. Always goes back to the modern "sikh" thinking of less is better. Lets shorten chaupai sahib, and rehraas oh and Anand Sahib, infact lets shorten the 5 bania in the morning. We should encourage those that read more bani rather than discourage them

gsingh Wrote:
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> The Akhaand Paat is not broken, because it isnt a
> normal AKHAND PAAT it is a Sampat Akhaand Paat,
> whats wrong with reciting more bani. Always goes
> back to the modern "sikh" thinking of less is
> better. Lets shorten chaupai sahib, and rehraas oh
> and Anand Sahib, infact lets shorten the 5 bania
> in the morning. We should encourage those that
> read more bani rather than discourage them

Nobodies discouraging them to do more Bani, but there's a right and wrong to do things. You can read more bani and still stay within maryada
For Instance...
Wrong Way: Adding extra Bani in the middle of your Nitnem Bani's
Right Way: Doing more Bani after and before you have completed your Nitnem
Wrong Way: Spending a week doing Path from Maharaj Saroop, adding mool mantar and random Shabads when you feel fit
Right Way: Spending a week doing 5 straight Akkhand Path's

If they want to do a Week's long worth of Path then why not do 5 straight Akkhand Path Sahibs, I've seen Singh's do this on more than one occasion.

May Guru Sahib Bless us all with the Budhi to understand such simple Marayada.

The fact remains that they are still doing bani, whether they do it in what YOU think is the right or wrong way