Bibi Harpreet Kaur (Van) Local Rainsabhai Kirtan March 2013

Dismissing Wrongs

The blog from thus forth is on.

You may remember a few posts down my comments why I wanted to sever my relationship with Google.

I have slightly rethought the process of choosing online services. 

The key issues with Google were first and foremost privacy related. The other more annoying thing about Blogger, this service which allows me to mange and publish the blog, ended FTP support. Long story short; FTP supported older generational web tools, which I hate have been forced lost.

Anyhow, I have come to terms with both issues and look forward to posting more often.

I want to thank everyone for the support and uplifting encouragement over the years. This blog has led me to come in contact with a wonderful group of individuals. 

Remember, back in the day, we go way back, way way back. Most of the YouTUBE talent was not even born. From Yahoo Groups, to Vicinities and MSN, HOTMAIL, there were no VLOGS, Twitter, TumBlr, FLIKR... was nowhere to be seen. As a fellow BLOGGER coined the term, Blogbrity, we were simply considered the GrandFatherOfTheBLOG.

Thank you to all, for everything. 
______________________________

High School Blues

This post is about mistakes been made. 

I tell folks younger than I, that I was there age, at one time. For the elders, I choose not to judge much. Unless it's something blatant and obvious. But for matters of judgement, most of us my age, and elders in general have a fairly good idea of what younger people have going inside their heads.

Unbeknown to most of us, as you leave secondary school behind, you become almost psychologist like and this ability I have found gets better and better with each passing season. In some, the shared experiences of work life and post secondary education brings about profound maturity and with it the ability to forgive in people who realize that there are better things than to hold on to the wrongs of others: it is so high school.

High school for me was especially tough. Those that had been through it with me know it and those that did not know me, let me explain:

Grade 8 for my brother and I was in Punjab. It was 1995. Getting torn from Canada, from everything familiar and leaving it to start anew in a different country was a challenge. That too was doable, but the larger challenge was the weather and losing all the Canadian amenities we take for granted, no hot water, no heat, no insulated home, crappy transportation, the horrible smell, and a multitude of things that others experience when they head to the pind(village) even today. The Hindi Punjabi instruction system was tough as well. There was the advanced Math and Science curricula but the masculine aspects of high school teens in a highly macho society had

Why Gurbani Viakaran (Grammar) is Essential?

ਕਈ ਵੀਰ ਭੈਣਾਂ, ਜਿਨ੍ਹਾਂ ਨੂੰ ਗੁਰਬਾਣੀ ਦੇ ਲਗ-ਮਾਤ੍ਰੀ ਨੇਮਾਂ ਬਾਰੇ ਕੋਈ ਜਾਣਕਾਰੀ ਨਹੀਂ, ਉਹਨਾਂ ਨੂੰ ਸ਼ਬਦਾਂ ਦੇ ਅੰਤਲੇ ਅੱਖਰਾਂ ਨਾਲ ਲੱਗੀਆਂ ਕਾਰਕੀ ਲਗਾਂ ਮਾਤ੍ਰਾਂ (ਔਂਕੜ ਅਤੇ ਸਿਹਾਰੀ ਆਦਿ) ਬੇ-ਲੋੜਵੀਆਂ ਜਾਪਦੀਆਂ ਹਨ। ਗੁਰਬਾਣੀ ਦੇ ਅੱਜ ਤੱਕ ਕੀਤੇ ਗਏ ਟੀਕਿਆਂ ਵਿੱਚੋਂ ਬਹੁਤ ਥੋੜ੍ਹੇ ਅਜਿਹੇ ਟੀਕੇ ਹਨ, ਜਿਨ੍ਹਾਂ ਵਿਚ ਇਹਨਾਂ ਲਗਾਂ ਮਾਤ੍ਰਾਂ ਦਾ ਪੂਰਾ ਪੂਰਾ ਧਿਆਨ ਰੱਖ ਕੇ ਅਰਥ ਕੀਤੇ ਗਏ ਹਨ। ਗੁਰਬਾਣੀ ਦੇ ਵਿਆਖਿਆਕਾਰਾਂ ਵਿਚੋਂ ਵੀ ਗੇਣਵੇਂ ਹੀ ਅਜਿਹੇ ਸੱਜਣ ਹਨ, ਜਿਹੜੇ ਲਗਾਂ ਮਾਤ੍ਰਾਂ ਦੇ ਨੇਮਾਂ ਤੋਂ ਜਾਣੂ ਹਨ ਅਤੇ ਇਹਨਾਂ ਨੇਮਾਂ ਦੀ ਅਗਵਾਈ ਵਿਚ ਗੁਰਬਾਣੀ ਦੀ ਵਿਆਖਿਆ ਕਰਦੇ ਹਨ।

ਕੋਈ ਸਮਾਂ ਸੀ ਜਦੋਂ ਸਨਾਤਨ-ਪ੍ਰਭਾਵੀ ਕਥਾਕਾਰ ਗੁਰਬਾਣੀ ਦੀ ਕਥਾ ਕਰਦਿਆਂ ਆਪਣੀ ਪੰਡਤਾਈ ਜਤਲਾਉਣ ਲਈ ਇਕ ਇਕ ਤੁਕ ਸੇ ਕਈ ਕਈ ਅਰਥ ਕਰ ਕੇ ਸ੍ਰੋਤਿਆਂ ਨੂੰ ਭੰਭਲ-ਭੂਸਿਆਂ ਵਿਚ ਪਾਉਂਦੇ ਰਹੇ। ਇਸ ਪਰਿਪਾਟੀ ਨਾਲ ਕਾਫ਼ੀ ਰੋਲ-ਘਚੋਲਾ ਰਿਹਾ ਅਤੇ ਹਾਨੀ ਹੋਈ। ਗੁਰਮਤਿ ਦੀ ਸੋਝੀ ਰੱਖਣ ਵਾਲੇ ਸੱਜਣ ਮਨ-ਮਤੀ ਅਰਥ ਕਰਨ ਵਾਲੇ ਕਥਾਕਾਰਾਂ ਤੋਂ ਬਹੁਤ ਦੁਖੀ ਸਨ, ਇਸ ਲਈ ਉਹਨਾਂ ਨੇ ਘੋਖਵੀਂ ਬਿਬੇਕ ਬੁੱਧੀ ਨਾਲ ਗੁਰਬਾਣੀ ਦਾ ਡੂੰਘਾ ਅਧਿਐਨ ਕੀਤਾ। ਗੁਰਬਾਣੀ ਵਿਚ ਸ਼ਬਦਾਂ ਦੇ ਅੰਤਲੇ ਅੱਖਰਾਂ ਨੂੰ ਲੱਗੀਆਂ ਲਗਾਂ-ਮਾਤਰਾਂ ਨੇ ਉਹਨਾਂ ਦੀ ਅਗਵਾਈ ਕੀਤੀ। ਕਰੜੀ ਘਾਲਣਾ ਕਰ ਕੇ, ਸਮੱਗਰ ਬਾਣੀ ਦੇ ਕਈ ਕਈ ਅਰਥ ਕੀਤੇ ਜਾਣ ਦੀ ਪਰਿਪਾਟੀ ਨੂੰ ਗ਼ਲਤ ਸਿੱਧ ਕਰ ਕੇ ਇਸ ਦੇ ਵਿਰੱਧ ਤਕੜੀ ਅਵਾਜ਼ ਉਠਾਈ। ਸ਼ੁਕਰ ਹੈ ਕਿ ਇਸ ਪਰਿਪਾਟੀ ਨੂੰ ਹੁਣ ਕੁਝ ਠਲ੍ਹ ਪੈ ਰਹੀ ਹੈ।

ਪਰ, ਲਗ-ਮਤ੍ਰੀ ਨੇਮਾਂ ਦਾ ਸਰਲ ਰੂਪ ਵਿਚ, ਬਣਾ ਸਵਾਰ ਕੇ ਅਜੇ ਤਕ ਪ੍ਰਚਾਰ ਨਹੀਂ ਹੋਇਆ, ਜਿਸ ਦੇ ਫਲਸਰੂਪ ਮਨ-ਮਤੀਏ ਗਿਆਨੀ ਅਜੇ ਵੀ ਆਪਣੇ ਪਰਪੰਚ-ਲੀਲ੍ਹਾ ਦੀ ਪੁਸ਼ਟੀ ਲਈ ਗੁਰਬਾਣੀ ਦੇ ਮਨ-ਮਰਜ਼ੀ ਅਨੁਸਾਰ ਅਰਥ ਕਰ ਕੇ ਸਾਦ-ਮੁਰਾਦੇ ਜਗਿਆਸੂਆਂ ਨੂੰ ਭੁਚਲਾਉਣ ਵਿਚ ਸਫਲ ਹੋ ਰਹੇ ਹਨ। ਇਹ ਠੱਗ ਬਾਜ਼ੀ ਛੋਟੇ ਪੱਧਰ 'ਤੇ ਵੀ ਹੋ ਰਿਹੀ ਹੈ ਅਤੇ ਵੱਡੇ ਪੱਧਰ ਤੇ ਵੀ। ਪਤਾ ਲੱਗਾ ਹੈ ਕਿ ਰੂਸ ਵਰਗੇ ਨਾਸਤਕ ਦੇਸ਼ ਵਿਚ ਵੀ ਸ਼੍ਰੀ ਗੁਰੂ ਗ੍ਰੰਥ ਸਾਹਿਬ ਜੀ ਦਾ ਸੰਪੂਰਨ ਟੀਕਾ ਕਰਵਾਉਣ ਦੀ ਉਪਰਾਲਾ ਕੀਤਾ ਜਾ ਰਿਹਾ ਹੈ। ਭਾਵੇਂ, ਅਜੇ ਤਕ ਸਪੱਸ਼ਟ ਤੌਰ 'ਤੇ ਇਸ ਸੰਬੰਧ ਵਿਚ ਕੁਝ ਸਾਹਮਣੇ ਨਹੀਂ ਆਇਆ, ਪਰ ਅੰਦੇਸ਼ਾ ਹੈ ਕਿ ਇਸ ਉਪਰਾਲੇ ਦੇ ਪਿੱਛੇ ਗੁਰਬਾਣੀ ਨੂੰ ਮਾਰਕਸਵਾਦੀ ਸਿਧਾਂਤ ਦੀ ਪੁਸ਼ਟੀ ਲਈ ਹੱਥ ਠੋਕਾ ਬਣਾ ਕੇ ਵਰਤੇ ਜਾਣ ਦੀ ਭਾਵਣਾ ਕੰਮ ਕਰ ਰਹੀ ਹੈ। ਕੁਝ ਵੀ ਹੋਵੇ, ਅਸਲੀਅਤ ਨੂੰ ਪਛਾਣਨ ਅਤੇ ਪ੍ਰਚਾਰਨ ਦੀ ਅਤਿਅੰਤ ਲੋੜ ਹੈ। ਗੁਰਬਾਣੀ ਦੇ ਸਹੀ ਅਤੇ ਸ਼ੁਧ ਆਸ਼ੇ ਨੂੰ ਸਮਝਣ ਅਤੇ ਪ੍ਰਚਾਰਨ ਲਈ ਜ਼ਰੂਰੀ ਹੈ ਕਿ ਸ਼ਬਦਾਂਤਿਕ ਲਗ-ਮਾਤ੍ਰੀ ਨੇਮਾਂ ਬਾਰੇ ਜਾਣਕਾਰੀ ਸਰਲ ਅਤੇ ਸਪੱਸ਼ਟ ਸ਼ਬਦਾਂ ਵਿਚ ਛਾਪ ਕੇ ਸਮੂਹ ਗੁਰਬਾਣੀ-ਪ੍ਰੇਮੀਆਂ ਨੂੰ ਸੁਲੱਭ ਕੀਤੀ ਜਾਵੇ ਅਤੇ ਅਜਿਹਾ ਉਪਰਾਲਾ ਪੰਥਕ ਪੱਧਰ 'ਤੇ ਕੀਤੇ ਜਾਣ ਦੀ ਲੋੜ ਹੈ। ਸਤਿਗੁਰੂ ਮਿਹਰ ਕਰਨ! ਪੰਥ ਦੇ ਮੁਹਾਣਿਆਂ ਦਾ ਇਸ ਪੱਖ ਵੱਲ ਧਿਆਨ ਆਵੇ!

Some people who don't have any knowledge of rules pertaining to Gurbani grammar feel that Sihari and Unkar vowels on some words' last letters are written there without any need. From the many Gurbani commentaries (Teikai) written thus far, there are very few which have done proper meanings while also having paid full attention to Gurbani grammer and the reasons for presence of such end vowels. When it comes to expositors (Kathakars/Vikhayaiakars) of Gurbani, there are only a rare number who know the rules of Gurbani grammar and use these as guiding principles to exposit Gurbani.

There was a time when Gurbani expositors under the influence of Snatanism while doing Katha would show off their knowledge by giving multiple meanings for a single line of Gurbani. Doing so they needlessly mislead the listening Sangat. There was a lot of confusion and it caused a lot of damage. Gursikhs who had knowledge of Gurbani soon became sick and tired of Snatanist Kathavachaks who did multiple meanings contrary to Gurmat. Gursikhs applied themselves in hard scholastic labour and used their wisdom (Bibeak Budh) to study Gurbani. During this time the vowels on the end of words' last letters guided them in their pursuit. Their hard work paid off and the fashion of expositing multiple meanings was exposed as wrong and this practice soon waned. Thankfully this practice has been considerably impeded.

However, as the rules of Gurbani Grammar have not been properly presented and preached widely, self willed expositors are still engaged in their efforts to self aggrandize themselves by deciphering Gurbani in their own misguided ways. In the process, innocent listeners are puzzled and mislead. This fraud is being committed on a large and small scale at the same time. It has come to light that even an agnostic nation such as Russia is in the process of translating Shri Guru Granth Saib Jee with meanings. Even though their intentions are not fully known, it may be that this effort is an attempt to use Gurbani to prove Marxist ideology. Whatever the case, it is imperative that the real ideals of Gurbani grammar be learnt and preached correctly. This effort needs to be conducted at a Panthic level and ought to provide knowledge about Gurbani grammar in a clear and user friendly manner. May Vaheguru bless us! May we turn our attention toward this cause!       

-From Bhai Joginder Singh Talwara Jee's aforementioned book's introduction; it was published around 2004.

Inspired by Bhai Joginder Singh Talwara

The blog has come alive yet again. And I am sticking with Google since this is where I started out. People, you have to be loyal...

So, last month there was a program to commemorate Bhai Joginder Singh Talwara through Kirtan at Khalsa Schol. You may do a web search to find more information about him. He passed away in 2004. Here is a clip of him doing Kirtan, I was there to witness this live back in the day:

A few years ago we got his book and my father read it, I asked him how it was and he said that you should read it after I am done... It sat at his bedside for a bit and then ended up in one of the bookshelves.

So about a year ago, I woke up at night to eat and it caught my eye. Reminded of his advice, I picked it up and had placed his last book, Gurbani The Saral Vikaran Boadh (Grammar of the Sikh Scripture), on my bedside as a part of a pile that I read before going to bed. Apart from school stuff, I read a lot of other books since then.

I finally got my hands on this book last night... I really wish I had gotten to it earlier, I had more time to spare in the last year but anyhow this I think is as good a time as any.

So at the end of the program at Khalsa School last month, Bhai Kulvinder Singh Jee mic in hand challenged us all sitting there to not just celebrate Bhai Joginder Singh Talwara's life through doing Kirtan, eating Langar, and going home and then forgetting about the guy in whose memory everyone had come. He said that Talwara Jee had given us a treasure in this book and that we should all do us a favour and have it read. He told us that it is available from Satnam Trust and that if you don't understand what is in there, since some of it is a little daunting, you should come for help and help will be provided free of charge. Here is the clip:

I am not sure why I waited so long. But I am glad that I started to read the book.

Coincidently this week, Darshan Singh, a childhood friend, messaged me about a Youtube video he had stumbled upon. It was a Dhunni-free track of Bhai Joginder Singh Talwara from Darbar Sahib Shri Amritsar Sahib from the 1984 Vaisakhi Smagam. The back and forth started and he kept asking me more and more information about him. I told him all I knew and it wasn't very much. Reading the book's introduction provided many insights. This is the famous video Darshan Singh sent:  

The introduction of this book is eye opening and gives a glimpse of how much hard work Bhai Sahib did for the Panth and it gives me a much greater appreciation of how great his sewa was. Before, I saw him only as a distant figure who I saw do Kirtan live 3-4 times, but now reading just a short bit into the book makes me really see how much of a personal hero he has become. This book is in a league of its own. It is accessible so far and everything actually makes sense, but the technical part is still coming.

Like so many other tragedies, this is a major one, while he was alive no one, or very few valued him for how big of a scholar he was. I think 2004 marked the end of an era with Bhai Sahib Jee's passing. We no longer have the luxury of having someone as devoted and capable as him with us today. Flipping through a few examples from the book makes this apparent. He put in a lot of work into book and everything he researched since 1972 till his failing health near the end of 2003 he published in this two part work. Sadly we lost him before he could write more parts to this series of just two books.

In the coming days I hope to share some of the great things in the book. Bhai Sahib is very frank, open, and humble about his views on grammar.

His first words in the beginning of the book are cautionary, and really... well, honest. He writes that grammar is a very rough and dry subject and that a few minutes of grammar makes your head hurt and makes even the most astute and eagerly studious of students yawn like there is no tomorrow. Lucky for me I did not yawn and my head did not hurt.  

A BIG THANK YOU to Bhai Sahib Joginder Singh Jee Talwara which I could never pay him when I saw him the last time in November 2002. Folks: Do yourself a favour and get this book; I am certain it'll do wonders, we all benefit from better grammar usage, especially in Gurbani and Kirtan.