Dr. Indu Bhushan Banerjee has pointed out to the truest sense of the word that Guru Angad’s nomination is very significant in the Sikh history. Guru Nanak, the founder of Sikhism, had strove hard after his enlightenment to convey his message to as large number of people as possible. Keeping this objective in mind, he first undertook long and arduous journeys not only within India but also abroad, and converted a large number of people as his followers. Nanak had, more or less, laid stress on the fundamentals of his teachings, leaving the details to take care of themselves. Still, being consciousness of the incomplete nature of his work, he had taken a very necessary precaution of nominating one of his trusted followers, Lehna, a householder, as his successor with the new name of Guru Angad.
This
act of Guru Nanak was significant in more ways than one. Like other saints of
the Bhakti cult, Guru Nanak had also laid stress upon the necessity of a Guru—a
spiritual guide. In his verses he observed that a Guru is like a captain of a
ship, who helps his followers to cross the ‘Bhav-Sagar’. Nanak not only
observed likewise, but even translated his message, concerning the necessity of
the Guru, into action by establishing the institution of Guruship and
appointing Angad as the second Sikh Guru.
Guru
Nanak had with his remarkable vigor and zeal given his message all over India
and abroad. For this purpose, he had walked in all the four corners of India,
Ceylon and the West Asian countries. But it seemed certain that after his death
his teachings might be forgotten. A number of Hindus and Muslims had become his
followers; but their disintegration was certain had Nanak not appointed any
successor. Guru Angad carried on Nanak’s teachings amongst the Sikhs and thus
saved this infant sect from its early death. Dr. G.C. Narang rightly points it,
“Had Nanak died without a successor there would have been no Sikhism today or
at the best simply another Kabirism.” The nomination placed the movement under
the guidance of Angad and gave a distinct character to it.
The
nomination of Guru Angad also avoided the hereditary conflicts, as were to be
seen from the period of Guru Arjan Dev.
Moreover,
Guru Nanak had in his teachings condemned the Sanyasis and yogis, who were
opposed to the worldly or materialist life and gave stress only on the worship
of God. According to them, the worldly cares a great hindrance in worshipping
God whole-heartedly. Bu Guru Nanak had advised his followers to reconcile with
the worldly life. He believed that the life of a house-holder is worth living.
He even preferred Bhai Lehna, a house-holder, in nominating him to guruship in
place of his own son, Sri Chand, who was a recluse.
Contribution of
Guru Angad to the development of Sikhism
Following
are the contributions made by Guru Angad towards the development of Sikhism:
1.
Introduction of the Gurumukhi
script: The Sikh
chronicles ascribe Guru Angad with the introduction of the Gurumukhi script. However,
a group of writers refuse to accept it on two grounds-
(a)
Guru
Angad was himself unlettered, as E. Trump writes, “Guru Angad was altogether
unlettered and could himself neither read or write. The later tradition which
makes him the inventor of the Gurumukhi letters, is therefore, without any
foundation.”
(b)
In
Rag Asa, there is a Patti of 35
verses, each beginning with a letter of the alphabet, which belong to the same 35
alphabets of Gurumukhi.
Trumpp’s
view that Guru Angad was ‘unlettered’ and could neither read nor write does not
seem plausible. In fact, as Macauliffe states, he adopted the Punjabi alphabet,
brought about amendments in it and gave it the name of Gurumukhi. Grierson’s
views also seem to be acceptable. According to him, the rue script of the
Punjab was known as the Mahajani script (Landa).
This script was defective and was usually misread. Being the son of a trader,
he was also formal to it. Hence he borrowed from the Devnagri script and
polished up the forms of the Mahajani script. This new script came to be known
as the Gurumukhi script.
Dr.
I.B. Banerjee observes that the verses of Nanak in Rag Asa might have been
originally composed in the Mahajani script and later on transliterated into
Gurumukhi with necessary amendments. He may not be the inventor, and had merely
adopted and modified the one already existing and given it a new name.
The
Gurumukhi script was remarkable in many ways-
-
It
served the measures of Guru Angad. Mahajani script was knowledgable to the
people. When Guru Angad made amendments in it, it became easier for the people
to understand it.
-
He
made it the script of the Sikhs. Now they used it even in their daily routine.
It reminded at once that the user was a Sikh.
-
Its
utilization also minimized the chances of the Sikhs being misled about what the
Guru had said.
-
It
gave a severe blow to the monopoly of Sanskrit as the only language of
divinity. With the superiority of Sanskrit, the priestly class of the Hindu
society had made itself important, because they were the only class well-versed
in Sanskrit. With its help, they used to exploit the common masses. But the
popularity of Gurumukhi among the Sikhs gave a severe blow to the Hindu
priestly class.
-
It
gave a definite script for the scriptures of Sikhism, when later on Guru Arjan
Dev compiled the Adi Granth.
2. Compilation
of Nanak’s biography: According
to the Sikh chronicles, Guru Angad got compiled a biography of Guru Nanak. Bhai
Bala, a follower and a friend of Guru Nanak, was asked to narrate all the
incidents of the life of Guru Nanak and a person, named Paira, was ordered to write the same.
However. The above theory seems to
be untenable on following grounds-
(a)
Bhai
Bala was too close to Guru Nanak, but when he first visited Guru Angad, he had
to introduce himself. How is it possible that the two close disciples of a Guru
don’t know each other.
(b)
The
language in this biography does not belong to the times of Guru Angad, but is
of the early 17th century.
(c)
There
is no reference of Bhai Bala in any other biographies. No even Bhai Gurdas has
mentioned his name in his Var I, while he has included the names of many others
Bhai Mardana and Bhai Lehna in it.
It
is suggested that Guru Angad had secured the horoscope of Guru Nanak from his
uncle Lalu, and got it translated into Gurumukhi.
3.
Collection of the hymns of Guru
Nanak- The hymns
of Guru Nanak were scattered at various places. Guru Angad collected all of
them which were known orally by then. The work continued in the days of Guru
Amar Das as well. Thus Guru Angad got the started the work for the compilation
of Adi Granth, which was ultimately compiled by Guru Arjan Dev.
The collection of these hymns
saved them from being forgotten or inter-mixed. It also provided a barrier
against those selfish elements who had wrongly preached in the name of Nanak.
4.
Elaboration of the Langar
institution- Guru
Nanak had preached his message of Equality, when he started the institution of
Sangat and Langar. Guru Angad not only continued the Langar, but contributed
much for its stability and progress. More and more kitchens were started. It is
stated that at Khadur Sahib, the system worked under Mata Khivi ji, the wife of
Guru Angad. The Langar was prepared from one kitchen and all the followers of
the Guru partook the food without any distinction of caste or creed. The faithful
Sikhs made contributions for the maintenance of Langar institution. According
to Dr. G.C. Narang, “The Langar of the Guru was probably the first to be
supported by the combined contributions of a community, and it taught the Sikhs
the first lesson of contributing money towards a common fund.” The Langar also
served the poor and the orphans.
-
It
played an important part to differentiate the Sikhs from the Hindus. It gave a
severe blow to the caste-system.
-
It
also served a great bond of unity among the Sikhs.
-
Moreover,
as Dr. I.B. Banerjee comments, it proved a powerful aid in the propaganda work.
It made Sikhism very much popular.
5.
Condemnation of Udasism- Guru Nanak had condemned
asceticism. In his order, he had no room for it. He remained indifferent to all
the worldly affairs. Even when he finally settled at Kartarpur, he resumed his
family ties. Guru Nanak had told in his message that every man should lead his
life in the family and only there should he try to find salvation, but “abide
pure amidst the impurities of the world, so shall you succeed.”
After the death of Guru Nanak,
his eldest son, Baba Sri Chand, set up a new order. He discarded the world and
sought consolation in the undisturbed meditation of the True One in the solemn
silence of the forest or the hill. A number of people, including the Sikhs,
became his followers and came to known as the Udasis. Besides unmarried life
and asceticism, the other tenets of the sect were the same those of Guru Nanak.
The followers of this sect also had the same regard for the first Guru as the
Sikhs had. The primary aim of Baba Sri Chand in setting up the Udasi sect , as
Dr. Madanjit Kaur observes, was to propagate the mission of his father in his
own way.
There was a danger that the Sikhs
would mingle up with the Udasis. It became very important that the fundamental
character of Sikhism was determined once for all, as the future of the movement
depended upon it. Guru Angad very boldly told the Sikhs that the principles of
Udasis were contrary to the message of Guru Nanak. Therefore, those Sikhs who
had belief in asceticism, were not to be called the Sikhs. The result was that
the Sikhs separated themselves from the passive and recluse Udasis.
Consequently the Sikhs got something special as the sectarian ties held them
together.
6.
Composition of the Hymns: Guru Angad himself composed 62
hymns, which are compiled in the Adi Granth.
7.
Foundation of Goindwal: Guru Angad founded a new town,
Goindwal, near Khadur Sahib. He
entrusted one of his staunch follower, Amar Das, to accomplish this task. Later
on, during the guruship of Amar Das ji, Goindwal became the main centre of the
activities of Sikhim.
8.
Discipline in Sikhism: Guru Angad Dev laid stress on
discipline among the Sikhs. He expelled the two singers—Satta and Balwand—from his
court, as they had become haughty and even started claiming that they were the
factors for the fame of the Guru. When the two singers observed their fault and
repented. Later on, Guru Angad forgave them after he mediation of Bhai Laddha. However,
this act of Guru Angad raised the importance of discipline among the Sikhs.
It was thus because of this
nomination that Sikhism carried on its consolidation and developed rapidly. Dr.
Narang’s statement appears to be true to the point, “Had Nanak died without a
successor, there would have been no Sikhism today or at the best another
Kabirism.” Moreover, the organizational development of Sikhism would not have
taken place in that case. Hence Dr. I.B. Banerjee aptly remarks, “The
nomination of Angad to the Guruship is a fact of profoundest significance in
Sikh history.”
