Eka Naari Jati hoye...

ਏਕਾ ਨਾਰੀ ਜਤੀ ਹੋਇ ਪਰ ਨਾਰੀ ਧੀ ਭੈਣ ਵਖਾਣੈ।

The above Pankiti is quoted to prove that Gursikhs should have a monogamous relationship i.e. one spouse and rightfully too but some people argue that if this had been the case, then there would have been ਏਕ instead of ਏਕਾ. To dispel this misunderstanding here are Pankitis from Gurbani that prove that the word ਏਕਾ means one:

ਏਕਾ ਮਾਈ ਜੁਗਤਿ ਵਿਆਈ ਤਿਨਿ ਚੇਲੇ ਪਰਵਾਣੁ ॥

ਸਭ ਏਕਾ ਜੋਤਿ ਜਾਣੈ ਜੇ ਕੋਈ ॥

ਏਕਾ ਟੇਕ ਮੇਰੈ ਮਨਿ ਚੀਤ ॥ ਜਿਸੁ ਕਿਛੁ ਕਰਣਾ ਸੁ ਹਮਰਾ ਮੀਤ ॥1॥

The above leaves no doubt as to the fact that ਏਕਾ is singular.

Kulbir Singh

Thank you bhai sahib jeeo for clarifying this very important principle of Gursikhi maarag.

Below I have a response from someone given on another forum, to me this argument does not make sense, bhai sahib could you please do kirpa and clarify further:

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The difference between "EK" and "EKA" is that EK refers to one as in number, but EKA is refering to one who, or one who has etc. In english translation the meaning is lost where sometimes just one is entered, and sometimes where "the one" or "the one who" or "the one that" etc.

ਏਕਾ ਮਾਈ ਜੁਗਤਿ ਵਿਆਈ ਤਿਨਿ ਚੇਲੇ ਪਰਵਾਣੁ ॥
The One Divine Mother who HAS given birth (or gave) to the universe and the 3 deities.

the example given above by Bhaji Singhstah :

ਸਭ ਏਕਾ ਜੋਤਿ ਜਾਣੈ ਜੇ ਕੋਈ ॥
The One Light is all-pervading; only a few know this.

The line :

ਏਕਾ - One who is
ਨਾਰੀ - own woman
ਜਤੀ steadfast (although people generally refer to Jatti as being celibate, but this is not always the case, out of the 6 jattis, at least 1 was married, jatti actually means one who has his senses under control)
ਹੋਇ is
ਪਰ ਨਾਰੀ another woman
ਧੀ ਭੈਣ ਵਖਾਣੈ। recognise as daughter or sister.

Bhai Gurdas talks about the character of the Sikh saying :

The one who is steadfast in his woman, recognising others as his daughter or sister.

The Eka in being singular is not meaning the woman, but the Man who is the center of this line, and nor is Bhai Gurdas Ji or Gurbani anywhere saying that multiple marriages are against Waheguru's hukam.

The first point is that the word ਏਕਾ is an adjective (perhaps Sankhavachak Visheshan or Sankhayak Visheshan) and is always used with a singular noun in feminine gender.

In the examples quoted in the first post, this word has been used only with singular nouns of feminine gender - ਮਾਈ, ਜੋਤਿ, and ਟੇਕ. Since this word is used only with singular feminine nouns, we can deduce that in the Pankiti from Bhai Gurdaas jee's Vaar, this word is connected to ਨਾਰੀ and not to the husband.

The meaning is clear - Gursikh is the Jatee of ਏਕਾ ਨਾਰੀ i.e. his own one woman and he considers all other women as his daughters and sisters.

Logically thinking, why would a Jatee Gursikh get married to multiple women and have a harem? Can a person who has more than one wife, be classified as a Jatee?

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The Eka in being singular is not meaning the woman, but the Man who is the center of this line,

As mentioned before in this post, the word ਏਕਾ is with ਨਾਰੀ and not man because everywhere in Gurbani, this word only comes with singular feminine gender noun.

Lastly, we must remember that this Pauri of Bhai Gurdaas jee is for Gursikhs and defines the characteristics of a Gursikh.

Kulbir Singh

thanks again jeeo!

Guru Pyaario, we have all probably heard someone say Guru Gobind Singh Jee had two or three wives. However, I have read many times seen on posters of Guru Sahibaans bio data that Guru Hargobind Sahib jee and Guru Har Rai Sahib jee had six and three wives.

Can Sangat please give history and information behind this please.

Thanks

Manvir Singh

History collected by Mahakavi Santokh Singh jee in Sooraj Prakash has not been refined by Mahakavi jee. He went from village to village and recorded whatever he heard from senior citizens of that time. He did not try to verify or authenticate what he heard and just wrote whatever he heard. We are grateful to him for not judging what he heard and just writing it. I think his function was not writing history but collecting all information possible from people, including local traditions.

The Saakhi of 7 marriages of Siri Guru Har Rai Sahib jee is totally absurd. The only Mehal Guru Sahib had was Mata Kishan Kaur jee. Similarly, the Saakhi of 3 marriages of Siri Guru Hargobind Sahib jee too should be taken with a grain of salt. Not that it makes a difference, even if it was true, because worldly rules don't apply on Guru Sahib but still it is highly unlikely, that Guru Sahib had 3 Mehals. Same is true for Siri Guru Gobind Singh jee. Mata jeeto jee and Mata Sundari jee was probably the same person with Mata Jeeto jee being her name in her parent's home and Mata Sundari jee was the name given by her in-laws. And Mata Sahib Kaur was not a Mehal of Guru Sahib in worldly sense.

Guru Sahib knows better.

Kulbir Singh

After Prophet Muhammads death the Islam nation became guideless. They did not know who to follow and what conduct to follow. They decided they would go to each neighborhood and ask the locals who had sangat with Muhammad about the daily life of Muhammad. Their plan was to collect these stories and this would be a guide for people how to conduct themselves on a daily basis . This collection of stories was known as the Hadith. Many people wanted to include their stories in the Hadith so they fabricated stories about Muhammad. But in their wisdom , a body of Islamic Scholars came together and decided to investigate these stories. Their method was simple, i f a story contradicted the teachings of the Quaran then the story was simply rejected.

Unfortunately, we have not adopted similar measures. We have many sakhis that contrdaict Gurbani and rehatnamey . One example being Guru Sahib dressing up as a Muslim, another being Guru Sahib having multiple wives. Both rehatnamey and Gurbani say one wife. Whatever Guru Sahib did was in accordance to Gurmat, and Guru Sahib did not give advice to sangat without following it himself. If you look at Muslims who have three wives they also have like 16-20 children. But records do not show Guru sahib having this much offspring. Bansavalinama shows sahibzadey were born to one women Mata Ajit Kaur aka Mata Sahib Kaur. If there is a sakhi which promotes maryada then we should learn from it and accept it. But if it contradicts Gurbani/rehatnamey then we simply reject it. Guru Sahib would never have three wives. To suggest so it outright hearsy!