Contents of the Dasam Granth
Generally, Dasam Granth consist of eighteen works written in four languages :
Braj (frequently highly Sanskritised), Hindi, Persian and Punjabi.
Acc to Scholars, Dasam Granth can be conveniently divided into three sections:
Mythological
Philosophical
Autobiographical.
The largest portion is mythological and is devoted to retelling well known tales of Hindu mythology and adding in a reworking from a Gurmat perspective. The Chandi Charitra I and II and Var Bhaguti Ji Ki (Chandi di var) recount the battles of the deity Durga and the Chaubis Avtar are tales of the incarnations of Vishnu. It is a common misconception by some uninformed people that Guru Gobind Singh ji workshipped the Hindu deities he wrote about. They are misled by the compositions on Sri Ram Chandra Ji, Baghwan Krishan Ji, Vishnu in the Chaubis Avtar and the vars of Chandi. They assume that since Guru ji praised them in verse, he must have admired and worshipped them also. These often ‘learned’ persons fail to recognise the fact that nowhere in his writings does Guru Ji accept them as anything other than the creations of the Akaal Purakh. Similarly, If Bards of Guru Granth Sahib admired Gurus does not mean that they worshipped them. Guru Gobind Singh fetched out all prone and cons of mythology in his Bani and He commented on many events of Mythology.
Guru Sahib Ji wrote about them in the language of the people drawing from the mythological lore current at that time. He wrote about their exploits in colouful martial language to raise courage in the hearts of all who read them. It is meaningless to make one’s own deductions while ignoring the words of the Guru which are very clear.
Guru Ji writes in the Akal Ustat (Eulogy to God):
:The Lord Akal creates millions of Krishna, annihilates them and recreates them.
:Some hang stones as gods around their necks, while others erroneously call Mahesh ‘God’
:I have discarded all these false religions and am of the firm view that He who is the creator of the Universe, is the only Lord.
:Everyone is caught in the noose of Death, no Rama or prophet can escape from it. All of them who made grand claims of being Avtars of God died repentant. Why doest not thou, O, hapless being seek the shelter of the One Lord. (15th swayya)
In clear concise language Guru Sahib Ji states :
:I do not seek the blessings of Ganesh, :I do not worship Krishna or Vishnu. :I do not recognise them. :I am engrossed in the loving devotion of my Lord alone. :The Lord of Death, Akal, is my refuge and He saves me is all tribulations. :::::::::(Krishan Avtar, 434)
At the start of every composition in the Dasam Granth, Guru Ji first praises the One formless God and asks for his blessing before he continues – in the case of Chandi Di Var’s, Var Bhaguti Ji Ki and Chaubis Avtar – to tell the exploits of various deities and Avtars. Why then do some learned people think that in these compositions Guru Gobind Singh Ji (who sought the protection of Akal Purkh only) was worshipping the deity ?
Take the composition Var Bhaguti Ji Ki, this tells how the godess Durga Devi was called upon by Inder Devta to help him in destroying the demons Sumb and Maha Kahsur and their legions. First and foremost Guru Ji bows and pays homage to Sri Bhaguti (God) and then recounts the names of the nine Gurus. He then says that you (God) created the world and that it was from you that Durga, Sri RamJi and Baghwan Krishan Ji got the strength to destroy their enemies.
(Var Sri Bhaguti Ji)
First and foremost I remember Bhaguti Ji and then set my mind on Guru Nanak. Then I seek the help of Guru Angad, Guru Amar Das and Guru Ram Das. Arjan, Hargobind and (Guru) Har Rai be remembered. Sri Harkrishan be meditated upon whose mere glimpse removes all sorrows. (Guru) Tegh Bahadur be remembered as it causes home to flourish. They all help me at all times.
The Lord first created Khanda, the double edged sword and then his manifest world. Having created Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva, He created the entire play of Kudrat (manifest world). He created the oceans, mountains, earth and sky which stands above, unsupported by any pillars. He created both gods (deities) and demons and then created polemic. It was You who created Durga so as to destroy the demons. Rama also took strength from you to kill Ravan with his arrow. Krishan also got strength from You and thus threw down Kansa by his hair. Many great deities and ascetics underwent hard austerities, but none could fathom thy greatness.
As can be seen from this opening passage that Guru Gobind Singh Ji draws all his strength and inspiration from the one formless God, Akal Purkh. He says that Durga was created by You.
Generally, Dasam Granth consist of eighteen works written in four languages :
Braj (frequently highly Sanskritised), Hindi, Persian and Punjabi.
Acc to Scholars, Dasam Granth can be conveniently divided into three sections:
Mythological
Philosophical
Autobiographical.
The largest portion is mythological and is devoted to retelling well known tales of Hindu mythology and adding in a reworking from a Gurmat perspective. The Chandi Charitra I and II and Var Bhaguti Ji Ki (Chandi di var) recount the battles of the deity Durga and the Chaubis Avtar are tales of the incarnations of Vishnu. It is a common misconception by some uninformed people that Guru Gobind Singh ji workshipped the Hindu deities he wrote about. They are misled by the compositions on Sri Ram Chandra Ji, Baghwan Krishan Ji, Vishnu in the Chaubis Avtar and the vars of Chandi. They assume that since Guru ji praised them in verse, he must have admired and worshipped them also. These often ‘learned’ persons fail to recognise the fact that nowhere in his writings does Guru Ji accept them as anything other than the creations of the Akaal Purakh. Similarly, If Bards of Guru Granth Sahib admired Gurus does not mean that they worshipped them. Guru Gobind Singh fetched out all prone and cons of mythology in his Bani and He commented on many events of Mythology.
Guru Sahib Ji wrote about them in the language of the people drawing from the mythological lore current at that time. He wrote about their exploits in colouful martial language to raise courage in the hearts of all who read them. It is meaningless to make one’s own deductions while ignoring the words of the Guru which are very clear.
Guru Ji writes in the Akal Ustat (Eulogy to God):
:The Lord Akal creates millions of Krishna, annihilates them and recreates them.
:Some hang stones as gods around their necks, while others erroneously call Mahesh ‘God’
:I have discarded all these false religions and am of the firm view that He who is the creator of the Universe, is the only Lord.
:Everyone is caught in the noose of Death, no Rama or prophet can escape from it. All of them who made grand claims of being Avtars of God died repentant. Why doest not thou, O, hapless being seek the shelter of the One Lord. (15th swayya)
In clear concise language Guru Sahib Ji states :
:I do not seek the blessings of Ganesh, :I do not worship Krishna or Vishnu. :I do not recognise them. :I am engrossed in the loving devotion of my Lord alone. :The Lord of Death, Akal, is my refuge and He saves me is all tribulations. :::::::::(Krishan Avtar, 434)
At the start of every composition in the Dasam Granth, Guru Ji first praises the One formless God and asks for his blessing before he continues – in the case of Chandi Di Var’s, Var Bhaguti Ji Ki and Chaubis Avtar – to tell the exploits of various deities and Avtars. Why then do some learned people think that in these compositions Guru Gobind Singh Ji (who sought the protection of Akal Purkh only) was worshipping the deity ?
Take the composition Var Bhaguti Ji Ki, this tells how the godess Durga Devi was called upon by Inder Devta to help him in destroying the demons Sumb and Maha Kahsur and their legions. First and foremost Guru Ji bows and pays homage to Sri Bhaguti (God) and then recounts the names of the nine Gurus. He then says that you (God) created the world and that it was from you that Durga, Sri RamJi and Baghwan Krishan Ji got the strength to destroy their enemies.
(Var Sri Bhaguti Ji)
First and foremost I remember Bhaguti Ji and then set my mind on Guru Nanak. Then I seek the help of Guru Angad, Guru Amar Das and Guru Ram Das. Arjan, Hargobind and (Guru) Har Rai be remembered. Sri Harkrishan be meditated upon whose mere glimpse removes all sorrows. (Guru) Tegh Bahadur be remembered as it causes home to flourish. They all help me at all times.
The Lord first created Khanda, the double edged sword and then his manifest world. Having created Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva, He created the entire play of Kudrat (manifest world). He created the oceans, mountains, earth and sky which stands above, unsupported by any pillars. He created both gods (deities) and demons and then created polemic. It was You who created Durga so as to destroy the demons. Rama also took strength from you to kill Ravan with his arrow. Krishan also got strength from You and thus threw down Kansa by his hair. Many great deities and ascetics underwent hard austerities, but none could fathom thy greatness.
As can be seen from this opening passage that Guru Gobind Singh Ji draws all his strength and inspiration from the one formless God, Akal Purkh. He says that Durga was created by You.
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