Gurmat In Vaars - Failure Of Religions

[Bijla Singh]

In the following pauris from 18 to 22, Bhai Sahib explains different religions and paths that people followed before Guru Nanak Sahib appeared. Bhai Sahib says that all the religions had failed to guide the humanity and the blame is on their prophets or avtars because they could not deliver the true knowledge. In the absence of the true knowledge they all divided themselves and started fighting with each other.

Vaar 1 Pauris 18 to 22

ਕਲਿਜੁਗ ਬੋਧ ਅਵਤਾਰ ਹੈ ਬੋਧ ਅਬੋਧ ਨ ਦ੍ਰਿਸ਼ਟੀ ਆਵੈ॥

In Kalyug Buddha incarnated, but even he could not discriminate between knowledge and ignorance.

ਕੋਇ ਨ ਕਿਸੈ ਵਰਜਈ ਸੋਈ ਕਰੈ ਜੋਈ ਮਨ ਭਾਵੈ॥

Nobody prohibits anybody and everyone is behaving according in his whims.

ਕਿਸੈ ਪੁਜਾਈ ਸਿਲਾ ਸੁੰਨ ਕੋਈ ਗੋਰੀਂ ਮੜ੍ਹੀ ਪੁਜਾਵੈ॥

Someone instructs for the worship of the inert rocks and someone guides people to worship cemeteries (Buddhists started worshipping idols of Buddha).

ਤੰਤ੍ਰ ਮੰਤ੍ਰ ਪਾਖੰਡ ਕਰ ਕਲਹ ਕ੍ਰੋਧ ਬਹੁ ਵਾਧ ਵਧਾਵੈ॥

Due to the tantra mantra and such hypocrisies, the tensions anger and quarrels have been increased.

ਆਪੋ ਧਾਪੀ ਹੋਇਕੈ ਨਿਆਰੇ ਨਿਆਰੇ ਧਰਮ ਚਲਾਵੈ॥

In the rat-race for selfish ends, different religions have been proclaimed.

ਕੋਈ ਪੂਜੈ ਚੰਦ੍ਰ ਸੂਰ ਕੋਈ ਧਰਤ ਅਕਾਸ ਮਨਾਵੈ॥

Someone is worshipping moon, someone sun and someone worshipping earth and sky.

ਪਉਣ ਪਾਣੀ ਬੈਸੰਤਰੋ ਧਰਮਰਾਜ ਕੋਈ ਤ੍ਰਿਪਤਾਵੈ॥

Someone is appeasing air, water, fire and yama the God of death.

ਫੋਕਟ ਧਰਮੀ ਭਰਮ ਭੁਲਾਵੈ ॥18॥

These all are religious hypocrites and are wandering in delusions.

Summary Bhai Sahib says that Buddha did not preach Waheguru. He did not believe in God so he could not deliver the true gyan (ਬੋਧ). Instead he preached ਅਬੋਧ or ignorance. Due to his teachings Buddhists could not find the true path and started worshiping idols and wasted their time in empty rituals and hypocrisies. In other words, Buddha failed to guide the humanity.

In pauri 19 Bhai Sahib explains how Hindus divided themselves in varna system which further got divided. Sanyasis divided into 10 sects, yogis into 12 sects and Brahmins divided the society in hierarchy system. In other words, Hindus failed to grasp the truth. Pauri 20 talks about Islam.

ਬਹੁ ਵਾਟੀਂ ਜੱਗ ਚਲੀਆਂ ਜਬ ਹੀ ਭਏ ਮਹੰਮਦ ਯਾਰਾ॥

When Mohammad preached Islam, his four caliphs caused divisions in Islam and formed their own sects. Shia and Sunni formed soon after. (Original translation is wrong)

ਕੌਮ ਬਹੱਤਰ ਸੰਗ ਕਰ ਬਹੁ ਬਿਧਿ ਬੈਰ ਬਿਰੋਧ ਪਸਾਰਾ॥

The Islamic nation got divided into seventy two divisions and many types of enmity and opposition erupted among them.

ਰੋਜੇ ਈਦ ਨਮਾਜ ਕਰ ਕਰਮੀ ਬੰਦ ਕੀਆ ਸੰਸਾਰਾ॥

The bound themselves and others in the rituals of fasting, Eid and five prayers. They trapped the world and did not follow prema bhagtee (devotional worship).

ਪੀਰ ਪਕੰਬਰ ਔਲੀਐ ਗ਼ੌਸ ਕੁਤਬ ਬਹੁ ਭੇਖ ਸਵਾਰਾ॥

Pirs, paigambars aulias, gaus and qutabs came into being in many countries.

ਠਾਕੁਰ ਦੁਆਰੈ ਢਾਹਿਕੈ ਤਿਹ ਠਉੜੀਂ ਮਸੀਤ ਉਸਾਰਾ॥

They destroyed many temples and built mosques.

ਮਾਰਨਿ ਗਊ ਗਰੀਬ ਨੋ ਧਰਤੀ ਉਪਰ ਪਾਪ ਬਿਥਾਰਾ॥

Less powerful were killed and thus the earth became replete with sin. They became oppressors and this was due to lack of humbleness and seeing Jot of Waheguru in everyone. They became egomaniacs.

ਕਾਫਰ ਮੁਲਹਦ ਇਰਮਨੀ ਰੂੰਮੀ ਜੰਗੀ ਦੁਸ਼ਮਨ ਦਾਰਾ॥

Armenians and Rumis were declared apostates (Kafirs) and they were destroyed in the battle fields.

ਪਾਪੇ ਦਾ ਵਰਤਿਆ ਵਰਤਾਰਾ ॥20॥

The sin became ubiquitous all around.

Summary Muslims became oppressors and attacked all non-Muslims to kill them. Islam could not guide the humanity on the path of love, devotion, humbleness, mercy etc. They lacked sat, santokh, daya and dharma. The result was that sins increased in the world.

Next Pauri (21) talks about conflict between Hindus and Muslims. They were divided themselves but further division was caused in the name of religion. Hindus chose Benaras and Ganges as their holy places while Muslims declared Mecca and Ka'ba. Hindus identified themselves with 'tilak' (saffron mark) and 'janeoo' (sacred thread) while Muslim identified themselves with circumcision (these are initiation ceremonies). They divided God with different names without realizing the fact that God is one and has many names. They started fighting with each other by proclaiming their path to be the truth. They could not realize the truth and this was all because of both did not have Satguru to guide them. Sins, oppression, empty rituals, blindness and ignorance reigned supreme and dominated people's lives.

In Pauri 22 Bhai Sahib says that without Guru everyone wandered in the dark and fought each other but none knew the truth.

ਬਾਝ ਗੁਰੂ ਅੰਧੇਰ ਹੈ ਖਹਿ ਖਹਿ ਮਰਦੇ ਬਹੁ ਬਿਧ ਲੋਆ॥

Without Guru all is darkness and people are killing one another.

ਵਰਤਿਆ ਪਾਪ ਜਗੱਤ੍ਰ ਤੇ ਧਉਲ ਉਡੀਣਾ ਨਿਸਦਿਨ ਰੋਆ॥

The sin pervades all around and the (mythological) ox supporting the earth is weeping and wailing day and night.

There were sins all over the world and not a single true saint was there to guide.

ਥੰਮੇ ਕੋਇ ਨ ਸਾਧ ਬਿਨ ਸਾਧ ਨ ਦਿੱਸੈ ਜਗ ਵਿਚ ਕੋਆ॥

Now this earth cannot be upheld without the saints and no saint is available in the world.

Finally, the earth could not bear the burden of sins anymore and every part of the creation started to pray to Waheguru to guide them and eradicate ignorance, sins and oppression and spread peace, love and truth. In the next section we will discuss coming of Waheguru Himself as Guru Nanak Sahib.

[Guest Bloom]

Dhan Bhai Gurdaas Jee.

[Guest Bloom]

Looking forward to more if possible.