Guru Nanak And Lord Jagannath

[Jagmeet]

Vaheguru Ji Ka Khalsa Vaheguru Ji Ki Fateh!

A Hari Krishna friend of mine sent me this article. Can anyone let me know if this is true accounts of Guru Nanak Dev Ji?

http://orissagov.nic.in/e-magazine/Orissareview/july2003/englishchpter/Guru%20Nanak%20and%20Lord%20Jagannath.pdf

I was also sent an email with the below article! The quotes from Guru Granth Sahib Ji seems incorrect as I can't find the quotes myself...

Guru Nanak's meeting with Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabu

The 200 years spanning the 15th to 16th centuries A.D., was surely the golden era of the Bhakti movement in India.

In retrospect, there is no doubt that it was by divine arrangement that the land was flooded with saints of the devotional school at a time when Muslim oppression was at its peak and a new religion Christianity was making inroads in the cultural ethos of India.

While Alauddin Alam Shah (1443-1451), Sikandar Lodi (1488-1517), Ibrahim Lodi (1517-1526), Babur (1526-1530), Humayun (1530-1556), Sher Shah Suri and his successors (1540-1556) ruled over most of northern India, the Bahmani Sultans Mohammad Shah II (1463-1482), Mahmud (1482-1518) and the early Christian missionaries were making inroads in the south.

Representatives of Delhi Sultanates were ruling from Bengal. Malik Ghaffur (1305-1311) had reached up to Rameshwaram sending shock waves in the minds of the people.

At this critical juncture, several great saints and indeed God Himself alongwith his associates appeared on the horizon: Goswami Tulsidas (1497-1623), Kabir (1398-1517), Chandidas and Vidyapati (15th century Bengal), Meerabai (1501-1573),Tukaram (1608-1649), Samarth Guru Ramdas (1605-1681), Purandar das, Bhakt Narsi Mehta of Junagarh (Kathiawar), Shree Daduji (1544-1603) of Gujarat and Bhakt Nabhadas (c. 16th century), Guru Nanak Dev (1469-1538), Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, Nityananda Prabhu, Haridas Thakur, Madhavendra puri, Sri Vallabhacharya, Swami Haridas, Surdas and many more.

Two great luminaries of this period were Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and Guru Nanak. A contemporary of Mahaprabhu, Guru Nanak was older to Mahaprabhu by 16 years. He departed five years after the disappearance of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu.

Nanak sought a religious path that avoided the formal structures of both Islam and Hinduism. However, in the Guru Granth Sahib, there are frequent references to Har Krishen, Gobind, Gopal and Ram.

Thus most of the names for God in Gurbani come directly from Vaishnava bhakti school. Clearly, Nanak dev ji believed in a God that was both formless and full of form. Nirgun as well as Sagun. One does not negate the other. Both coexist at the same time, resonating with Sri Chaitanya’s philosophy of ‘Achintya Bhed Abhed’ (inconceivable unity in duality).

In 1506 Nanak visited seven regions across India. He lived for 71 years and within his life time he is believed to have spent 25 years travelling all over the country from Himalaya to Cape Comorin.

He also visited Macca and Madina, Turkey and China. It has been estimated that he had walked about 50,000 miles on foot with wooden sandals. He also converted Raja Seonath, the king of Ceylon to his own religion. Before proceeding towards Ceylon he visited Orissa.

Legend says that Guru Nanak arrived at Puri with his disciple 'Mardana' a Muslim follower. When Guru Nanak reached Puri beach in the evening near the present Swargadwar, he sat down in meditation.

Mardana was hungry but as he was a Muslim he was not allowed to enter the Jagannath temple for Mahaprasad. So the disciple blamed Nanak for selecting such a place where they had to face starvation.

Suddenly at that time somebody appeared and offered food and drink in golden utensils. In the early hours of morning however there was a commotion in the Jagannath temple because the gold utensils of the Lord were missing.

The news was conveyed to the Maharaja of Puri. Guru Nanak appeared to the Raja in his dream that night. So when the Raja heard about the theft, he smiled and marched towards sea-beach in a procession to welcome the saint.

The Raja found the saint in meditation and the gold utensils were lying close by. Then the king and his party gave a hearty reception to the saint who had come to Puri to pay his homage to Lord Jagannath.

Nanak was invited to visit the temple at the time of Arati in the evening. When the arati started, Guru Nanak stood silent, not participating. Later when asked why, he said, this was not homage enough to the glory and wonder of the Lord of the Universe, to whom Nature paid a far more sublime tribute. In reply, he sang verses which remain immortal for their exquisite mystic poetry:

“In the salver of the sky The Sun and Moon shine like lamps,

The galaxy of stars are scattered like pearls;

The chandan-scented winds waft as Thine incense,

The forests are Thy flowers.

(Thus) is Thy arati performed,

O, Thou Destroyer of fear!”

Once when his disciples were thirsty but had no water to drink, he requested them to dig a hole in the sandy surface of sea-beach and to their surprise sweet water came out. A well was constructed around this hole. Near that well a Gurudwara called Bauli Saheb came into existence. This is now called 'Baulimath'. This is a sacred place of pilgrimage for the Sikhs.

Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and Guru Nanak both met at Puri and spent some time there. This incident is recorded in Chaitanya Bhagbat of Iswar Das written in Oriya in 17th Century.

The author, Ishvar Das, was one of Mahaprabhu’s close associates in Puri, and the only biographer to mention the event, perhaps because the meeting was brief and only the eyewitness devotees of Puri knew about it.

Ishvar Das writes: (Ishvar Das’s Chaitanya Bhagavat, Adhyaya 61).

Srinibasaye Viswambhara

Kirtan madyare vihar

Nanak Saranga ye dui

Rupa Sanatana duibhai

Jagai Madhai ekatra

Kirtan Karanti Nritya

“In the congregational singing led by Shri Chaitanya in Nagar Purushottama (Puri dham), Nanak and Saranga (another name for Mardana who played the sarangi), the two bothers Rupa and Sanatana alongwith Jagai and Madhai also joined in. Gopal Guru, for whom Guru Nanak had deep affection, was there as well, along with Nityananda Prabhu, who was considered an incarnation of Balarama. They all relished the kirtan at Jagannath Puri.” (Ishvar Das’s Chaitanya Bhagavat Adhyaya 64).

A popular legend is told of how Guru Nanak was entering the temple of Lord Jagannath, he met Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu who was coming out. Both offered pranams to each other. Then Nanak turned and started to leave the temple. Mahaprabhu asked him why he was not going inside to have darshan. Guru Nanak replied ‘I have already seen the Lord’.

According to Padmabhushan Dr. Durgadas Basu, a National Research Professor, Guru Nanak was given mantra diksha by non other than Prabhu Nityananda whie the latter was traveling through Bangladesh (Bengal). That Sri Nanak was a ‘mantra shishya’ of Nityananda Prabhu has been written down in his autobiography and the last chapter of the Guru Grantha Sahib, while elaborating the greatness and glory of the holy ‘Naam’.

In the Granth Sahib, it is written:

“Swasi grasi harinam samali

Simar bus vishwambhar ak”

In order to attain salvation, one must chant the holy name of Ram, Hari or Vishwambhar.

Please let me know cause I don't know if this article and the pdf are authentic!

[Matheen]

Guru Sahib's Guru was Akaal Purakh - this is mentioned in Gurbani. So that part is wrong, and the lines given are irrelevant.

[Into the Light]

There is evidence to prove that Chaitaniya Mahaprabhu was blessed with the darshan of Dhan Dhan Satguru Nanak Dev Jee Maharaj, unfortunately it appears that non of the evidence is available in Sikh Itihaas but that doesn't mean the meeting did not take place.

Below is a post taken from tapoban written by Kulbir Singh (Book Review: Guru Nanak Dev jee by Dr Trilochan Singh)...it may help!!!

There is no way to prove or dispprove whether the sakhi narrated by your friend is correct in its entirety, all we can do is to see which parts of the sakhi can be backed by Gurbani and which can not be. This is exactly what Kavi Santokh singh Jee has said for Sikhs to do when they read his own Granth, Sooraj Parkash...accept only those sakhi's or portions of sakhi's that can be backed by Gurbani. Using this measure, it becomes quite evident which parts of the sakhi your friend gave are definitely made up.

Dr. Durgadas Basu is a very recent researcher and most likely a disciple of Chaitaniya Mahaprabhu, he's clearly added his own masala to the sakhi to conclude that Guru Jee received mantra from Chaitaniya Mahaprabhu.

All the best in your quest to find out the truth, please keep us updated with your findings.

At recently passed Gurpurab of Siri Guru Nanak Dev jee, I thought of reading Maharaj jee’s Janam sakhi. Numerous books have been written on Guru Sahib’s human life but one that stands out is the one written by Dr Trilochan Singh, who also translated Bhai Sahib Randhir Singh jee’s autobiography from Punjabi to English. Dr Sahib wasa very traditionalist scholar who strongly defended the Sikh traditions while writing using modern scientific techniques.

It was very refreshing to read such well researched and detailed account of Guru Sahib’s life. The writer has done a lot of hard work writing this book and the best part is that the writer has kept a very traditionalist view. Many times authors tend to write controversial stuff so as to attract publicity. Dr Sahib has very diligently defended the Janam Sakhis including the Bhai Bala wali Janam Sakhi. Dr Sahib has written against the controversy started by Professor Gurmukh Singh and augmented by Sardar Karam Singh Historian.

What surprised me was that Dr Sahib has strongly come out in defense of Guru Sahib’s Gurpurab being on Katak Pooranmashi as opposed to 3 Vaisaakh pointed out by Prof Gurmukh Singh, Sardar Karam Singh and many modern historians.

About Bhai Bala wali Janamsakhi, Dr Sahib has written that the Janamsakhi Karam Singh Historian has been referring from in his book “Katak ke Vaisaakh” is the doctored version of this Janamsakhi where as there are older versions that are much pure. He says that based on a doctored version of this Janamsakhi it is not wise to condemn the whole Janamsakhi and to even go as far as saying that Bhai Bala never existed. Karam Singh writes that the name of Bhai Bala does not appear in any other Janamsakhi but Dr Trilochan Singh writes that Bhai Bala’s name appears in Bhai Mani Singh janamsakhi many times. Karam Singh writes that Bhai Bala’s name is not there in the Bhai Gurdas jee’s list of first Guru Sahib’s Sikhs but Dr Sahib says that even Bhai Lalo jee’s name is not there. In any case, it was an interesting read.

I have always been thinking that Brahmgyani Bhai Sahib Randhir Singh jee has never written against Katak Pooranmashi Gurpurab of Guru Sahib and not only that but they also experienced spiritual bliss during this Gurpurab as is evident by poems written by him on this day. They used to celebrate this day as the authentic day of Guru Sahib's Gurpurab. It is possible that the scholars have it wrong when they say that the actual Gurpurab is in Vaisaakh.

Another very interesting point that is exclusive to this book only is the new historical research showing that Guru Sahib met Chaitaniya Mahaprabhu at Jagannath Puri. About 22 years ago, I along with my friends was visiting the Central Islands near Toronto and there we started conversing with the Hare Krishna people. One of them very eagerly told me that Guru Nanak Dev jee and Chaitaniya Mahaprabhu met at Jagannath Puri. He further told me that Chataniya Mahaprabhu entered trance after meeting Guru Sahib and stayed like that for many days. In trance he danced too for some time and then entered Samadhi. I did not believe what he was saying because we don’t have any such account in our books. Now Dr Trilochan Singh has actually found documents written in the language of Orissa that prove that this meeting actually took place. It also talks about how many prominent disciples of Chataniya became earnest followers of Guru Sahib.

Bhai Gurdas jee has written that Satguru jee did parchar of Satnam in all 9 continents of Earth. Since Guru Sahib is the Avatar and king of Kalyug, they had to go to all parts of Earth. If they had stayed limited to just Punjab, then how could they be called Jagat Guru? No other prophet of other religions can be called Jagat Guru because they stayed within their geographical boundaries. Only Guru Nanak Dev jee is the Jagat Guru, who preached Satnam in the whole world.

Kulbir Singh

http://www.tapoban.org/forum/read.php?1,6036

**copy and paste the whole link into your browser**

PS...this sakhi may however be present in Sikh Itihaas orally though...it would be a good idea to speak to some Vidvaans of our panth, ie Sant Hari Singh Randhave vale if possible.