On 22 September 1539, Guru Nanak, the founder of Sikhism died aged 70 at Kartarpur in present-day Pakistan. Guru Nanak Dev is one of the most revered Gurus because of his noble teachings. This article takes you through the biography, teachings of Guru Nanak. It also throws light on Guru Granth Sahib and 8 other important Sikh Gurus.

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Biography

1. Guru Nanak was born on 15 April 1469 at Nankana Sahib, Punjab, Pakistan to a Hindu family. His father was a crop revenue accountant. Guru Nanak’s birth anniversary is celebrated as Guru Nanak Gurpurab by Sikhs all over the world.
2. Even though Guru Nanak worked as an accountant for a while, he was drawn towards spiritualism and showed a spiritual and intellectual side from a young age. According to Sikh traditions, there were events in his early life that distinguished him from others and confirmed that he was special.
3. He studied both Hinduism and Islam.
4. Guru Nanak introduced the concept of langar where everybody partakes of a meal as equals. This is a tradition continued by Sikhs to date in Gurudwaras. This practice symbolizes charity and equality.
5. He travelled to many places like Mecca, Baghdad, Multan, etc.

Guru Nanak’s Teachings

1. There is only one god – a tenet that is stressed upon in the saying ‘Ik Onkar’. This is the phrase used in Sikhism to refer to the one Supreme Being that controls the universe.
2. Guru Nanak was against caste-based distinctions. He also denied the need for priests and rituals.
3. He said that he was not an incarnation of god or even a prophet, but that everyone could ‘speak’ to god directly. The concept of god is ‘Vahiguru’, an entity that is shapeless, timeless, omnipresent and invisible. Other names for God in the Sikh faith are Akaal Purkh and Nirankar.
4. He laid great stress on purity of character and actions.
5. Sikhism also lays a lot of importance to charity and selfless service.
6. Many concepts of Hinduism are also seen in Sikhism such as the concept of Maya, Kali Yuga, Jivamukta (salvation), reincarnation and karma.
7. Many believe Sikhism to be a bridge between Hinduism and Islam.
8. Guru Nanak denounced idol worship and pilgrimages.

Sikh Gurus

1. After Guru Nanak’s death, the baton of the Guru passed on to Guru Angad.
2. There were 9 more Gurus in Sikhism.

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Guru Granth Sahib

1. This is the central scripture of Sikhism and it is revered as the 11^th Guru by Sikhs.
2. It was chiefly composed by Guru Nanak, Guru Angad, Guru Amar Das, Guru Ram Das, Guru Arjan, and Guru Teg Bahadur.
3. Guru Nanak contributed 974 poetic hymns to the Guru Granth Sahib.
4. It also contains teachings of Bhakti saints like Kabir, Ramananda, Namdev and a Sufi saint Sheikh Farid.
5. The book is written in the Gurmukhi script in various languages like Lahnda (western Punjabi), Sanskrit, Sindhi, Persian, Braj Bhasha and Khariboli.

Also on this day 

1687: Aurangzeb conquered and ended the Golcondan Sultanate or the Qutb Shahi dynasty. 1908: Bulgaria declared independence from the Ottoman Empire. 1965: Ceasefire declared after the second Indo-Pakistan war. 1970: Death of renowned Bengali writer Sharadindu Bandyopadhyay. 1980: Iraq invaded Iran and a war followed that lasted almost 8 years. 1992: Indo-British Extradition Treaty was signed in London.

See previous ‘This Day in History’ here.

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Multiple Choice Question

Consider the following statements

1. Guru Nanak referred to as Baba Nanak was the founder of Sikhism and is the first of the ten Sikh Gurus. His birth is celebrated worldwide as Guru Nanak Gurpurab on Katak Pooranmashi (‘full-moon of the Katak’), i.e. October–November.
2. Guru Angad is notable for systematizing the institution of langar in all Sikh temple premises, where visitors from near and far could get a free simple meal in a communal seating. He also set the rules and training method for volunteers (sevadars) who operated the kitchen, placing emphasis on treating it as a place of rest and refuge, being always polite and hospitable to all visitors.
3. Guru Amar Das was an important innovator in Sikhism, who introduced a religious organization called the ‘manji system by appointing trained clergy, a system that expanded and survives into the contemporary era.He wrote and compiled hymns into a Pothi (book) that ultimately helped create the Adi Granth.
4. Guru Ram Das is credited with founding the holy city of Amritsar in the Sikh tradition.Guru Ram Das composed 638 hymns, or about ten percent of hymns in the Guru Granth Sahib. He was a celebrated poet, and composed his work in 30 ancient ragas of Indian classical music.

Choose the correct answer from the below-given options

A) All the above statements are correct.

B) None of the above statements are correct

C) Only statements 1 and 4 are correct

D) Only statements 1 and 3 are correct

Answer: A

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