Futility Of Lights On Divaali

[panthicunity]

Today you will see the following vaar by Bhai Gurdas jee being sung in gurdwaras -

dIvwlI dI rwiq dIvy bwlIAin]
Lamps are lighted in the night of divali festival.
qwry jwiq snwiq AMbir BwlIAin]
Stars of different variety appear in the sky.
PulW dI bwgwiq cuix cuix cwlIAin]
In the gardens the flowers are there which are selectively plucked.
qIriQ jwqI jwiq nYx inhwlIAin]
The pilgrims going to pilgrimage centres are also seen.
hir cMdaurI Jwiq vswie aucwlIAin]
The imaginary habitats have been seen coming into being and vanishing.
gurmuiK suK Pl dwiq sbid smHwlIAin ]6]
All these are momentary, but the Gurmukhs with the help of the Word nourish the gift of the pleasure fruit.(6)

The last line says it all ... Bhai sahib is asserting futility of these rituals - whereas our raagis sing as though Guru Sahib (most people dont know its bhai Guradaas to begin with) is encouraging sikhs to light deevas on Deevali......

Jahan Gyan Tahan Dharam Hai | Jahann Jhooth Tahan Paap ||

Also we call it Bandi Chor divas , which is also a myth but thats whole another topic.

[N30S1NGH]

Please stop with this missionary one dimensional thought process rather look things in stages:

Old traditional Sikh way of depmala-

Sargun saroop of maharaj- sri guru granth sahib ji maharaj (aad, dasam) should be decorated with long rumalie (as symoblism- bandi chor) , tika ceremony(reseved for kings) with deepmala -full arti-arta, phola di varka ceremony should be carried on actual saroop of maharaj (like when they were in deh saroop)- should be carried with full satkar and after that it should be explained to sangat what actual sargun aspect/satkar of maharaj- vahiguroo means and what does symoblism means for king of kings. This should not be done as empty ritual but for bhagti, satkar and devotion towards sargun saroop of maharaj... We think we do pyhsical satkar of maharaj but if we miss key important royalty aspects of maharaj then can we really say that? Lets not deprive sargun saroop of maharaj vahiguroo ji by missing key royality aspect. These royalty aspects are important to invoke devotion, prem-love, bairaag.

Trying saying the above infront of reformist missionary sikhs, they will laugh and call it hindu but these people don't know indic royality traditions off course they wouldn't know- gee i wonder why... as their(mindset) is indeed reincarnation of british servants serving british umprire as opposed to sargun poran avtar of vahiguroo.

[panthicunity]

Bhai Gurdass Ji is saying: JUST like on Diwali Night people light lamps,..BUT the LIGHT of these Lamps has NO LONG LIFE ( short period),..the light is a short term DIKHAWA only,...The NIGHT SKY is full of Big and small stars....BUT ONLY till DAWN of Day... FLOWERS Bloom....but only until they are plucked by the gardners...they never keep joined to the plant for long...Pilgrims are seen going to the TEERATHS...BUT they DONT stay there...only short visits... The CASTLES formed by Clouds in the SKY are Visisble...but they dont have any substance or solid form... THROUGH the SHABAD of the GURBANI the GURMUKHS realise the "shortlived" time of this WORLD..and thus learns the value of this HUMAN BIRTH and its resultant union with Timeless WAHEGURU.

When we take the SHABAD in its ENTIREITY... we can see that the meaning of the First Line about Diwali is NOT AT ALL about lighting Diwas and Lamps to "celebrate diwali"...IT is just an ALANGKAAR - metaphor to show us how SHORTLIVED such lamps and their lighting is.

Veer NeoSingh Jee why show royalty on just one day ?

[N30S1NGH]

Panthic unity, try to look at gurmat theology in stages satguru in sargun, shabad, gyan.

There should not be any doubts- Satguru is same jot and naam roop in sargun, shabad and nirgun form. Satguru connects with sikh consciousness at every step of the way in stages, Satguru himself draws his sikh(bhagat) to his sargun form to help him to do bhagti-naam-bhagti nine folds- then Satguru himself further draw his sikh(bhagat) to go inside himself and explore naam within via shabad surta then finally same Satguru draw his sikh towards estoric gyan layer of naam and eventually/ultimately reveal jot saroop of himself (merge sikh in him) in form of self realization

The reason we don't see this because we are not receptive or see things in stages, one has to let go all pre-conditioning, semantics, techanalities..Does love have any conditons ? Love has no conditions whatsoever.

[N30S1NGH]

Veer NeoSingh Jee why show royalty on just one day ?

Good point, royalty should be shown every day. Nihang do arti-arta every day of sargun saroop maharaj, one day speciality-bhandi chor divas has its auspicious purpose too and has its significance as our guru maharaj came freed prison and freed 52 kings along with him.

Question to missionaries- do you guys celebrate your kids birthday once a year? If yes, why you want to deprive your guru maharaj celebration who is king of kings on this occasion and different occasions? I am sure missionaries don't celebrate gurpurbs either yet not have no problem celebrating their kids birthday...what a hypocrisy..!!

[N30S1NGH]

Bhai gurdas ji varan above is spot on, but he is talking from shabad surat, gyan angle/perspective not from outer bhagti perspective so bhai gurdas ji varan you posted should not be used to nullify bandi chor divas all together it does not apply from bhagti perspetive. I totally agree above bhai gurdas ji varan should be sung as well in bandi chor divas after royalty aspects are performed so its bind/blends all three aspects of satguru/gurmat- sargun/bhagti, shabad surat and gyan aspects together beautifully as its meant and supposed to be.

[Singh559]

There is no such thing as outter bhagti. Inner manifests into action. Nothing wrong with candles.

[N30S1NGH]

When one performs the action with indirect sharda and prem (developed indirectly through knowledge or books but with good intentions and is receptive) of outer bhagti ie- parkash, chour seva, sukhasan, kara parsad, langar bhog etc-eventually by satguru kirpa himself- one eventually naturally invokes immense more personal-direct inner personal devotional, love-prem, bairaag feeling for satguru and with that feeling eventually goes introvert- inner bhagti- shabad These terms are there for understanding purposes thats all...Main thing is regardless of whichever way- its important for sikh to have love, devotion, prem, bairaag for his satguru which is in sargun, shabad and nirgun form.

http://kam1825.podbean.com/2013/07/01/nine-types-of-bhagti/

Baba Tirath Singh Nirmala in his translation of Pundit Gulab Singhs Bhavrasamrit (p42-44) mentions the nine limbs of Bhakti which are referred to in the Sikh tradition as the Nvai Parkar (Nine methods):

1. Sravan - hearing the divine* praises.
2. Kirtan - singing the praised of the divine.
3. Simran - remembrance of the divines name.
4. Padsevena - service and offerings at the divines feet.
5. Archana - worship the divine.
6. Bandana - prostration before the divine.
7. Dasyam - developing feeling or emotion of being the divine's servant.
8. Sakhyam - cultivating the emotional bond of friendship.
9. Atma Nivedana - surrender of the self to the divine.


SGGS Ang- 71

Bhagat Navaie Parkara.
There are nine forms of devotional worship

[Singh559]

When one performs the action with indirect sharda and prem (developed indirectly through knowledge or books but with good intentions and is receptive) of outer bhagti ie- parkash, chour seva, sukhasan, kara parsad, langar bhog etc-eventually by satguru kirpa himself- one eventually naturally invokes immense more personal-direct inner personal devotional, love-prem, bairaag feeling for satguru and with that feeling eventually goes introvert- inner bhagti- shabad These terms are there for understanding purposes thats all...Main thing is regardless of whichever way- its important for sikh to have love, devotion, prem, bairaag for his satguru which is in sargun, shabad and nirgun form.

http://kam1825.podbean.com/2013/07/01/nine-types-of-bhagti/

True but isn't the sewa you mentioned all coming from the inside. If someone goes to GW to do such sewa as a rock or an ulterior motive that will never turn into bhagti nor progress so I argue all bhagti is inside and prem sharda actions manifest from the inside.

[N30S1NGH]

Yes intially (as starting point) its coming from inside buts its indirect (as mentioned earlier) as initially bhagti developed ( through books or knowledge , given by parents) is indirect but with when good intentions sikh who does outer bhagti derived from indirect knowledge by satguru kirpa in over time one eventually naturally developes more inner personal-direct devotional, love, prem relationship with satguru and then eventually satguru draws his sikh towards -satguru shabad naam form - shabad surat, naam simran then evetually into naam gyan layer. Its all in stages.