Depiction of Rama in Sikhism
Rama
(
Punjabi
: ???
(
Gurmukhi
)
), known as
Ram Avatar
(??? ?????)
[note 1]
or
Raja Ram
(???? ???), is considered an important figure in
Sikhism
,
due to his inclusion as one among the 24 incarnations of
Vishnu
in the
Chaubis Avtar
, a composition in the
Dasam Granth
traditionally and historically attributed to
Guru Gobind Singh
. The discussion of Rama and
Krishna
is the most extensive in this section of the secondary Sikh scripture.
[2]
The composition is martial, stating that the avatar of Vishnu appears in the world to restore good and defeat evil, but asserts that these avatars are not God, but agents of the God. God is beyond birth and death.
[5]
The famous
Savaiya
and
Dohra
from the Rehras Sahib, read daily be devout Sikhs, comes from Ram Avtar Bani. However, it is not to be confused with Sikhs believing or worshipping Raja Ram or Krishan. It is clear from Guru Gobind Singh's verses in Chaupai Sahib, a part of Sikh Nitnem, or daily prayer.
[6]
There have been claims that the
Ram
in
Sikhism
is not related to the Rama described in the
Ramayana
.
[7]
In
Guru Granth Sahib
, there are differences between
Ram Chander
(??? ????), the king of
Ayodhya
, and
Ram
, the all-prevailing God.
[8]
A common misconception associated by Hindus when looking at Sikhism is looking at
Ram Chander
, while for Sikhs it is derived from
Gurmat
(Guru's understanding/philosophy).
Gurmat
describes Rama as the omnipresent, all prevailing-lord.
[9]
Sources
[
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]
Guru Granth Sahib
[
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]
The word Rama (
?raːm?
) appears in the
Guru Granth Sahib
more than
2,500 times
.
Guru Nanak
rejected the concept of
divine incarnation
as present in
Hinduism
[11]
but used words such as Ram, Mohan, Hari & Shiv as ways of referring to the divine together with Islamic words like Allah & Khuda.
[12]
Bhagat Kabir
makes it clear that there is a difference between
Ram Chander
(King of Ayodhya) and Ram (the all prevailing God).
[13]
Kabeer, it does make a difference, how you chant the Lord's name, 'Raam'. This is something to consider. Everyone uses the same word for the son of Dasrath and the wondrous Lord. Kabeer, use the word 'Raam', only to speak of the all-pervading Lord. You must make that distinction.
Dasam Granth
[
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]
Rama
is mentioned as one among the 24 incarnations of
Vishnu
in the
Chaubis Avtar
, a composition in
Dasam Granth
traditionally and historically attributed to
Guru Gobind Singh
.
[note 2]
[15]
Although the compositions of the Dasam Granth are traditionally accepted to be written by
Guru Gobind Singh
, there have been questions of the authenticity of the entirety of Dasam Granth from time of compilation.
[16]
Importance
[
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]
Rama is often depicted in Sikh myths as a source of inner peace, inspiration and bravery.
Ram Mandir
[
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]
As per
Rajinder Singh
, a Sikh expert who was consulted by the five-member bench Court in the Ram Mandir case and was described in the judgement as “a person having an interest in the study of religious, cultural and historical books of a Sikh cult”, the founder of
Sikhism
,
Guru Nanak
, took a pilgrimage to the
Ram Janmabhoomi
in
c.
1520
. The judgement also states that Rajinder Singh attached various
janam sakhis
to support his statements. Others have discredited the statements of Rajinder Singh on the basis of the
janam sakhis
attached dating from 18th century and later, which is stated to be a time period when Brahminical revivalism became evident in such works.
[19]
The SGPC passed a resolution condemning this verdict. Sikh scholars have the view that
Guru Nanak
went to religious sites like
Mecca
and
Ayodhya
to preach and spread his message rather than for pilgrimage.
[20]
See also
[
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]
Notes
[
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]
- ^
Rama is described as
Ram Avatar
in the
Dasam Granth
by the 10th
Sikh guru
,
Guru Gobind Singh
.(
Singh (Guru) 2005
, p. 7)
- ^
Beesvan Ram Avtar Kathan or Ram Avtar is a composition in the second sacred Granth of Sikhs i.e. Dasam Granth, which was written by Guru Gobind Singh, at Anandpur Sahib. Guru Gobind Singh was not a worshiper of Sri Rama, as after describing the whole Avtar he cleared this fact that ??? ???? ????? ????? ???? ???? ?? ?? ? ??????. Ram Avtar is based on Ramayana, but a Sikh studies the spiritual aspects of this whole composition.
Sources
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]
Citations
[
edit
]
- ^
Rinehart, Robin (2011-02-02).
Debating the Dasam Granth
. Oxford University Press.
ISBN
978-0-19-984247-6
.
- ^
SS Kapoor, Dasam Granth, Hemkunt Press, pages 68-74
- ^
"Sri Dasam Granth Sahib Verse"
.
www.searchgurbani.com
. Retrieved
2024-02-29
.
- ^
Doniger, Wendy;
Merriam-Webster, Inc
(1999).
Merriam-Webster's encyclopedia of world religions ; Wendy Doniger, consulting editor
. Internet Archive. Springfield, Mass. : Merriam-Webster. pp.
503
.
ISBN
978-0-87779-044-0
.
- ^
Singh, Surinder (1993).
The Sikh and Sikhism
. Atlantic Publishers & Distributors. p. 34.
ISBN
9788126930968
.
- ^
"Ram of the Gurmat"
.
Gurbani Blog ??????? ????
. 2019-03-01
. Retrieved
2024-02-29
.
- ^
Wani, Abid Mushtaq (2018).
Hinduism, Islam and Sikhism: A Comparative Study
. Educreation Publishing. p. 105.
ISBN
9781545718186
.
- ^
Nesbitt, Eleanor M. (2005).
Sikhism: a very short introduction
. Oxford University Press. pp. 44?45.
ISBN
978-0-19-280601-7
.
- ^
a
b
Singh, Surinder (1993).
The Sikh and Sikhism
. Atlantic Publishers & Distributors. p. 34.
ISBN
9788126930968
.
- ^
J Deol (2000), Sikh Religion, Culture and Ethnicity (Editors: AS Mandair, C Shackle, G Singh), Routledge,
ISBN
978-0700713899
, pages 31-33
- ^
McLeod, W. H. (2005).
Historical dictionary of Sikhism
. Rowman & Littlefield. p. 52.
ISBN
978-0-8108-5088-0
.
- ^
"How a Third Dimension was Introduced to the Ayodhya Judgment"
.
The Wire
. Retrieved
2021-03-04
.
- ^
"Reference to Guru Nanak's visit: SGPC House passes resolution condemning Ayodhya verdict"
.
Hindustan Times
. 2019-11-28
. Retrieved
2022-03-25
.
References
[
edit
]
- Singh (Guru), Gobind
(2005).
The Dasam Granth
. Munshiram Manoharlal Publishers.
ISBN
978-81-215-1044-8
.
- ????
[
Japji
]. Translated by Swami, Rama.
University of Michigan
,
United States
: Himalayan Institute of Yoga. 2013 [1987]. pp. 8?87.
ISBN
9-780-893-89107-7
.
- Mehta, Ved
(1996).
Rajiv Gandhi and Rama's Kingdom
.
New Haven, Connecticut
,
United States
:
Yale University Press
. pp. 28?124.
ISBN
9-780-300-06858-0
.
- Jakobsh, Doris R. (2010).
Sikhism and Women
.
Oxford
,
United States
:
Oxford University Press
. pp. 40?47.
ISBN
9-780-198-06002-4
.
- Syan, Hardip Singh (2014-09-18).
"The merchant gurus: Sikhism and the development of the medieval Khatri merchant family"
.
The Indian Economic & Social History Review
.
51
(3): 303?330.
doi
:
10.1177/0019464614536016
.
S2CID
143907555
.
- Judge, Paramjit S.; Kaur, Manjit (2010).
"The Politics of Sikh Identity: Understanding Religious Exclusion"
.
Sociological Bulletin
.
59
(3): 345?366.
doi
:
10.1177/0038022920100303
.
ISSN
0038-0229
.
JSTOR
23620888
.
S2CID
152062554
– via JSTOR.
External links
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]