The Mool Mantar Controversy

The Mool Mantar Controversy

Downloaded from khalsanet.org

TheMool MantarControversy

First Edition, 2005

Age-old traditions arebeing changed andKey Sikh institutionsare being controlled.



PREFACE

Sri Guru Arjan Dev Ji ordered that if a mistake was ever made in thepublic reading of any Gurbani, it should always be immediatelycorrected by someone present (regardless of who the reader is!).

Once when a Sikh of Sri Guru Gobind Singh Ji misprounced onesound of Gurbani in his presence, the Guru reprimanded himimmediately and informed him that prayer from the Sri Guru GranthSahib (SGGS) is just like a limb of the Guru, and making a mistakewhile reciting Gurbani (prayer) is like hurting Guru Ji.

The current widespread practice of shortening the recitation ofGurbani compositions such as Mool Mantar goes beyond innocent“mispronunciations”. The spiritual repercussions of such misdeedscan only be imagined in His Court!

Gurbani instructs, “Do not do such a deed for which you have toregret in the end”.

There are credible reasons why the Mool Mantar should be read in itsentirety - till Nanak hosi bhi such. This ebook provides the seeker witha basis for further research or for making an informed decision. At theend of the day, each and every one of us will have to account for ourown actions. We cannot abdicate this responsibility to others.

This ebook is an abridged version based on the original (yet to bepublished) work by Amandeep Singh.

You may redistribute it in its original version.



The CompleteMool Mantar

This powerful mantar (or mantra)given to us by Sri Guru Nanak DevJi forms the opening lines of ourLiving Scripture, Sri Guru GranthSahib Ji, as well as Japji Sahib, themorning prayer recited by Sikhs allover the world. It provides acomplete, concise and fundamentalapproach to life. It encapsulatesthe philosophy of Sikh Dharm.

The Mool Mantar has beendescribed as a "fate killer. Itremoves the fate and changesthe destiny to completeprosperity."

The Mool Mantar, in originalGurmukhi script and its meaning inEnglish, is given on the right.

<

siqnwmu

krqw purKuinrBauinrvYru

Akwl mUriqAjUnI

sYBM

gurpRswid

]jp u]

Awid scu

jugwid scu

hY BI scu

nwnwk hosI BI scu ]1]

There is one God

Eternal Truth is His Name(identity)

He is the Doer of everything

Fearing nothing

Without vengence or anger

Undying form (deathless)

Unborn

Not begotten, being of Hisown Being

By the Grace of the Guru,made known to mankind

Recite!

As He was in thebeginning: the Truth

So throughout the agesHe ever has been: the Truth

So even now He is Truthimmament

Nanak says:Truth shall forever be.



"Uttering the Lord's Name, the

Mool Mantar, provides the

Elixir which leads to the

attainment of the Perfect Lord."

SGGS (pg 1040)

Over the years, many of us mayhave noticed the inconsistency inthe recitation of the scriptualcomposition known as the MoolMantar (also spelled Mool Mantra),which appears at the beginning ofthe Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji.

In this article, we take a look at theissue surrounding this inconsistencyfrom a historical viewpoint. As youread, you will begin to understandwhy the longer form of the MoolMantar should be recited, asopposed to the one that, sadly, isincreasingly gaining popularity inmany quarters.

In Sikh Dharm today, there areessentially two main schools ofthought. On the one hand, we havethe Sampardahs, which date backto the time of our Gurus; and on theother, there is the ShromaniParbandak Gurdwara Committee(SPGC), which was established

relatively recently in the year 1925,and has managed to garner a gooddeal of influence over Sikh affairsby controling several key religiousinstitutions.

As you can see, the Sampardahsare more than 300 years oldwhereas the SPGC is barely 80years old. Although both schoolsstand on common ground on manyaspects of the religion, there arealso differences that have causeddisunity in the community. One ofthese is the recitation of the MoolMantar. All the Sampardas reciteMool Mantar until Nanak hosi bhisuch, while the SPGC advocatesthat it be read only till Gurprasadand is actively encouraging thissacrilege.

Sahib Sri Guru GobindSingh Ji, in his wisdom,laid down how the Panthshould function. He didnot see the need toestablish a ‘committee’,such as the SGPC, tooversee Sikh affairs.

What are theSampardahs?

Sampardas may be thought of as'succession' lines that were startedby Guru Gobind Singh Ji so thatsubsequent Sikh generations wouldnot be confused in the matters ofthe Rehat and understanding ofGurbani, etc. Unfortunately, mostSikhs outside of India are totallyunaware of these Sampardahs.There are five main Sampardas.They are as follows:

Sampardah Baba Deep Singh Ji

Sampardah Bhai Mani Singh Ji,

Nirmala Sampardah (whichincludes Mastuanewaleh,Nanaksarwaleh, Rarehwaleh,Harkhowalwaleh and HotiMardan)

Udasis Sampardah

Nihang Singh Sampardah

All of these Sampardahs can behistorically traced to our Gurus andtheir core teachings have beenhanded down generation aftergeneration to the present day.

WWWWWhhhhhy y y y y TTTTThe Mool Mantarhe Mool Mantarhe Mool Mantarhe Mool Mantarhe Mool MantarDoes Does Does Does Does NONONONONOT T T T T EndEndEndEndEndaaaaat t t t t GurGurGurGurGurparparparparparsadsadsadsadsad



The following is the brief history ofthe Sampardahs:

Taksaal Baba Deep Singh Ji

When Sri Guru Gobind Singh Jicompiled the Sri Guru Granth SahibJi in its present form at TalwandiSabo Ki, great Sikh personalitieslike Baba Deep Singh Ji and BhaiMani Singh Ji were present , alongwith 46 other Gursikhs. Fromamongst these 48 Gursikhs, BabaDeep Singh Ji was instructed toestablish a Taksaal (school) to teachthe true meaning of Gurbani. This iscommonly known as DamdamiTaksaal.

Taksaal Bhai Mani Singh Ji

Bhai Mani Singh Ji, who was theother chosen soul to set up theTaksaal, settled in Amritsar wherehe was the head of Sri HarmandirSahib (Golden Temple). Heestablished his Taksaal at SatoWali Ghali where he taught themeaning of Gurbani as he hadlearnt from the Guru himself.

Cross of the Sikhs), recite the MoolMantar until Nanak hosi bhi such.

Baba Deep Singh Ji

When Baba Deep Singh Ji left hisphysical body after being martyredin battle, the seva was passed on toBaba Gurbax Singh, then to BabaSurat Singh Ji and it continues untiltoday with Baba Harnam Singh Ji.This Taksaal, which has its lineagefrom Guru Gobind Singh Ji, recitesMool Mantar until Nanak hosi bhisuch.

Bhai Mani Singh Ji was matyred

when he was chopped to pieces in 1738

In this Taksaal, too, the Mool Mantaris recited until Nanak hosi bhi such.

Bhai Ghanaiya Ji

Bhai Ghanaiya was a devoted Sikhof Sri Guru Gobind Singh Ji. He iswell-known in Sikh history fortreating every one with love andrespect, since in every person thereis a presence of Waheguru (God).

The seva Panthi which was startedby him, known for its services tohumanity (also known as the Red

Bhai Ghanaiya is well-known for giving

water and first-aid to both Sikh and

Muslim combatants on the battlefield

Nirmalas

This Sampardah is known as theSampardah of Bhai Dya singh Ji(one of the original panj pyaras). Itwas started by Bhai Dya Singh Ji onthe orders of Guru Gobind Singh Ji.

The Nirmalas are reknownthroughout India for their depth ofknowledge on a variety ofphilosophical and intellectualmatters. All ancient Tikas(commentaries) on Gurbani weredone by them.

Famous Saints like Sant Baba AttarSingh Ji Mastuanwaleh, Sant BabaNand Singh Ji Nanaksarwaleh, SantBaba Aya Singh Ji HotiMardanwaleh and Sant BabaKaram Singh Ji (Silat Roadwaleh,Singapore) were from the NirmalaSampardah. Their lines link all theway to Bhai Dya Singh Ji. Bhai Dya



Singh Ji passed the Seva onto twoof his followers. One was Baba SevaSingh Ji from whom the NanaksarSampardah comes. The other wasBaba Sobha Singh, from whom theRarehwaleh Sampardah and theHoti Mardan Sampardah come.

Baba Karam Singh of Silat Road,Singapore, too links back to theSampardah of Bhai Dya Singh Ji.See lineage below:

- Guru Gobind Singh Ji- Bhai Dya Singh Ji- Baba Sobha Singh Ji- Baba Sahib Singh Ji Bedi Una

Sahib- Baba Bhag Singh Ji Kurhiwaleh- Baba Bhir Singh Ji Naurangabad- Baba Maharaj Singh

Naurangabad- Baba Karam Singh Ji

(Silat Road, Singapore)

Historians like Kavi Santok Singh(author of Suraj Parkash Granth),Rattan Singh (author of PrachinPanth Parkash), Giani Gian Singh(author of Sri Guru Panth Parkash),were all Nirmalas. This Sampardahof Bhai Dya Singh Ji also recitesMool Mantar until Nanak hosi bhisuch.

Udasis

Udasis date back to Sri Guru NanakDev Ji. According to historians,when Guru Nanak Dev Ji returnedfrom the 4th and the last Udasi, hetook off his robe and presented it tohis son Baba Sri Chand.

Baba Sri Chand continued theparampara (tradition) of Udasi, andwhen he left the physical world, thatseva was passed on to BabaGurditta Ji, who was the son of the6th Guru, Sahib Sri Guru HargobindJi. Their line continues today withtheir main Gurdwara at Amritsar.The Udasis too recite Mool Mantaruntil Nanak hosi bhi such.

Nihangs

‘Ni’ meaning ‘without’ and ‘hang’meaning ‘desire’ . The origins of theAkali Nihang Singhs can be tracedback to the first standing army ofthe Sikhs. Guru Hargobind Sahib Jiordained the building of Sri AkalBunga Sahib Ji, which is commonlyreferred to as Sri Akal Takht Sahib.

states that Baba Budha Ji acted asthe Gatka Ustaad of GuruHargobind Sahib Ji. In honour ofthis fact the Akal purakh ki fauj wasalso known as Baba Budha Ji kaDal (The Army of Baba Budha Ji).During the times of Guru GobindSingh Ji, the Akal purakh ki fauj(nihangs) was reorganized. Thelineage is as follows: Baba BinodSingh Ji, Akali Baba Kahn Singh Ji,Akali Baba Baz Singh Ji, Akali BabaRam Singh Ji and Akali Baba BajaiSingh Ji and so on. The Nihangsalso recite the Mool Mantar untilNanak hosi bhi such.

Bedi Clan

The Bedi clan in India (who are thedirect descendents of Guru NanakDev Ji and reside at Una Sahib),recite Mool Mantar until Nanak hosibhi such. During the times of GuruGobind Singh Ji, the head of theBedi clan Baba Kaladhar ji tookamrit from the very hands of GuruGobind Singh Ji. Baba SarabjhotSingh Ji Bedi is the head of the Bediclan today.

As you can see, all the abovementioned Sampardas can betraced back to Guru Ji himself andthey all teach as the Guru hadthought to the first Mukhi of theSampardas. All the teachings in theSampardahs have been handeddown from the Gurus themselves.

The SPGC, established in 1925, isthe only movement or the only sikh

A Nihang Singh

Guru Hargobind Sahib Ji, alongsideAkal Purakh ki fauj, fought threesuccessful battles in Punjab.Members of the Akal Purakh ki faujwere also known as Akal PurkhiSikhs. Akali Nihang oral tradition



body that preaches that the MoolMantar ends at Gurprasad.Parbandak means 'management';it is simply a managementcommittee for the temples and ithas no right to interfere in theMaryada of the Panth.

Besides the Mool Mantar, there arealso other aspects of the Maryadawhich have been modified by theSPGC for unknown reasons. Forexample, the Rehras (eveningprayer) was shortened in the year1932 following the Panj Khandias

interference (a movement duringthe British rule which was laterexpelled from the Sikh Dharma asthey printed copies of Sri GuruGranth Sahib excluded the Bhagtadi Bani from it) . Incidentally, thePanj Khandies were alsoresponsible for the confusionpertaining to the authenticity of theRag Mala (a composition in SGGS).

The Golden Temple in Amritsar,which is considered to be theheadquarters of the SPGC, followedthe ancient Maryada of Hazur Sahib,

reciting the full Rehras and MoolMantar until Nanak hosi bhi sach tilthe year 1932 - when the SPGCchanged the 300 year old Maryada.

There are five Takhts (seats ofreligious authority) in Sikh Dharm,of which three are under the controlof the SPGC. Here too the SPGChas changed the Maryada. Theother two Takhts, Patna Sahib andHazur Sahib, continue to follow theancient Maryada (i.e. full Rehrasand Mool Mantar until nanak hosibhi sach).

The usual argument in favour of reciting the Mool Mantar until Gurparsadis that it appears as such in other parts of the Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji.

In those parts, however, it cannot be called Mool Mantar as Mool meansbeginning and only the Mantar appearing in the first page can be called theMool Mantar. Where it ends at Gurparsad, it is considered the ManglaCharan.

In Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji the Mangala Charan appears in various formsas follows:

Ik ongkar satnam gurprasad (2 times)

Ik ongkar satnam karta purakh gurprasad (9 times)

Ik ongkar satnam karta purakh nirbau nirvair akal murat ajuni saibhanggurprasad (33 times)

Ik ongkar satgur prasad (523 times)

Just like ik ongkar satgur prasad cannot be called Mool Mantar, ik ongkaarsatnam karta purakh nirbau nirvair akal murat ajuni saibhang gurprasadtoo cannot be considered Mool Mantar - it is simply a Mangla Charan.

Mool Mantar vsMangla Charan



The Jathadars of Damdami TThe Jathadars of Damdami TThe Jathadars of Damdami TThe Jathadars of Damdami TThe Jathadars of Damdami TaksalaksalaksalaksalaksalAn unbroken lineage of leaders

The Damdami Taksalwas founded whenSahib Sri GuruGobind Singh Jiinstructed Baba DeepSingh to start aninstitution forimparting knowledgeof Gurmat onto Sikhs.

Damdami Taksal has had anunbroken lineage of Jathedarswho have led the Taksalthroughout Sikh history. Itrecites the Mool Mantar untilNanak hosi bhi such. Who arewe to change this?

Sahib Sri GuruGobind Singh Ji

2. Shahid Baba Deep Singh Ji &Bhai Mani Singh Ji

3. Shahid Baba Gurbakhsh Singh

4. Giani Bhai Soorat Singh Ji

5. Bhai Gurdas Singh Ji

6. Giani Bhai Sant Singh Ji

7. Sant Daya Singh Ji

8. Sant Giani Bhagvaan Singh Ji

9. Sant Harnam Singh Ji

10 Sant Baba Bishan Singh Ji

11.Sant Giani Sundar Singh JiBhindranwale

12.Sant Giani Gurbachan Singh JiKhalsa Bhindranwale

13.Sant Giani Kartar Singh JiKhalsa Bhindranwale

14.Sant Giani Jarnail Singh JiKhalsa Bhindranwale / ActingJathedar Sant Baba TakhurSingh Ji Khalsa.

Presently, Baba Harnam Singh isActing Jathedar of the Taksal.



The Mool Mantar Controversy:

The Vaars ofBhai Gurdas Ji

Bhai Gurdas Ji (see also next page) was a respected man of wide learning especially in ancient texts andphilosophy, and devoted his exceptional talents to preaching the Sikh faith. When Sri Guru Arjan Dev Ji compiledthe Ad Granth, he chose Bhai Gurdas Ji to inscribe the entire text.

Bhai Gurdas Ji also composed Vaars which are valued for their vivid exposition of the teachings of the Gurus.Sri Guru Arjan Dev Ji put his seal of approval on them by designating them as the “key” to the Sri Guru GranthSahib Ji.

In Vaar 39 (see below), Bhai Sahib gives an explanation of the complete Mool Mantar, confirming once againthat it ends with Nanak hosi bhi such :

English translation:

That homogenous supreme reality (God) firstwas written as numeral one (in mool mantar)and then He was incribed as Ura syllable ofGurmukhi, further pronounced as Oangkar.Then He was called Satnam, the truth by nameKartapurakh, the creator Lord, Nirbhau, thefearless one, and Nirvair, without rancour. Thenemerging as the timeless Akal Moorat to becalled as unborn and self-existent. Realisedthrough the grace of the Guru, the divinepreceptor, the current of this primeval truth (God)has continuously been moving since before thebeginning and throughout the ages. He is verilythe truth and will continue to be the truth forever.The true Guru has made available (for me) theglimpse of this truth. One who merging hisconsciousness in the Word establishes arelationship of Guru and disciple, only thatdisciple devoting himself to the Guru andprogressing from worldiness attunes hisconsciousness in and with the Lord. Thegurmukhs have had a glimpse of imperceptibleLord who is the fruit of delights.



Who WasBhai Gurdas Ji?

Bhai Gurdus ji, who was a nephewof the third Guru, is much honouredfor his Sikhi way of life and literarywork. He was a leading figure ofSikh Panth who enjoyed thepartronage of Guru Arjan Dev Jiunder whose supervision heinscribed the first copy of the Sikhscripture, Guru Granth Sahib, whichis still extant.

When the Arjan Dev Ji decided tocompile the Aad Granth containingthe hymns of the Gurus and othermen-of-God, he chose Bhai Gurdasto be his scribe. They workedtogether on the compilation whichwas completed in 1604. The entiretext was inscribed by Bhai Gurdas.The copy written in his hand ispreserved to this day in the family ofthe descendants of one of the sixthNanak’s sons, at Kartarpur, inJalandhar district of present dayPunjab.

Bhai Gurdas was the bulwark ofSikhi for many years. He was theexpounder and exemplar of the Sikhway of life. He was a man of widelearning and devoted hisexceptional talents to preaching theSikh faith. He composed verseswhich are valued for its simplelanguage and vivid exposition ofthe teachings of the Gurus. Hiswork, called Varan Bhai Gurdas,was the first exegesis of the Sikhcanon and is sung along withGurbani, in the Sikh congregations.Guru Arjan Dev Ji put his seal ofapproval on it by designating it asthe “key” to the Aad Granth. BhaiGurdas ji explains the Mool Mantaruntil Nanak hosi bhi such.

Bhai Gurdas Ji -the scholar (above)

Bhai Gurdas Ji inscribing theAad Granth Sahib (below)



OtherPoints to Note

In addition to the information provided in earlier pages.other reliable sources exist to support the justificationfor the full Mool Mantar ending at Nanak hosi bhi such.

The Chakra ofBaba Deep Singh

On the Chakra of Baba Deep Singh, Mool Mantar iswritten until Nanak hosi bhi such. This Chakra is nowhoused in Sri Akal Thakt Sahib in Amritsar.

The Kamarkasa ofSri Guru Gobind Singh Ji

The kamarkasa of Sri Guru Gobind Singh Ji, in MotiBagh, Patiala, is engraved with the Mool Mantar untilNanak hosi bhi such.

The Entrance ofSri Harmandir Sahib

At the very entrance of the Harmandir Sahib, MoolMantar is engraved in gold at the top of the door.Over there too it is written until Nanak hosi bhi such.

The Thaal ofSri Guru Gobind Singh Ji

On the Thaal (shield) of Sri Guru Gobind Singh Ji inHazur Sahib, Nader, the Mool Mantra is written untilNanak hosi bhi such. See photo below:

(left). This inscriptionappears at theentrance of Sri

Harmandir Sahib(Golden Temple). It

starts with thecomplete Mool

Mantar.

The Use of ‘Dhandis’to Demarcate Verses

Mool means 'root' or beginning. If you see the first pageof Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji, after Gurprasad there isonly two dhandis, whereas at the end of Nanak hosi bhisuch there are not only two dhandis but four dhandiswith the number 1 in between (i.e. ||1||). What's thesignificance of this? It shows clearly that the first pauri(ie. the Mool mantar) ends at the four dhandis, i.e. afterNanak hosi bhi such, and NOT at Gurprasad.



The SGPC and others under their control or of like-mind have so farbeen unable to provide credible evidence or proof beyond a reasonabledoubt to show that the Gurus intended the Mool Mantar to end atGurparsad.

The arguments they put forward in support of their view do not appearto have such a convincing character that one can rely and act uponwithout hesitation. In the absence of proper credibility, they resort toedicts from ‘Amritsar’ in order to have their way.

If we look back at history, we find that our Tenth Master, Sri GuruGobind Singh Ji, was instrumental in the establishment of DamdamiTaksal for imparting Gurmat and the proper pronunciation of Gurbani.That knowledge has been passed down over the centuries throughan unbroken lineage of Brahm Giani jethadars. The Taksal hasalways been a key strategic player in the activities of the Sikh Nation.

This all-important Taksal has its authority overshadowed by thegrowing influence of the SGPC - a fairly new organisation that theGuru knew nothing about and which now calls itself the ‘parliamentof the Sikh Nation’.

Whether those in power are genuinely convinced that they are rightor are now simply out to protect their credibility by further propagatingtheir initial ideas, is anybody’s guess. They simply have invested toomuch to back out now.

Documents

The Mool Mantar Controversy