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Reviews
Guru
Nanak - A Prophet with a Difference
A
Review by Gurdev Singh*
Author
: Dr Kharak Singh
Published by : Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar
Pages : 161; Price : Rs 50/-
Guru Nanak _ A Prophet with a Difference is an elegant,
compact and cohesive monograph on Sri Guru Nanak Dev and
his teachings. Guru Nanak was a realised soul who practised
what he preached. His teachings bear distinctive characteristic
of his spiritual enlightenment, transcend time and space,
and are universally appreciated. No doubt, he stands out
as a unique reformer among the holy men of various eras
of mankind. `Guru Nanak _ A Prophet with a Difference' is
a compendium in a different style, approach and format.
It is a splendid prism radiating enlightening rays emitting
from kaleidoscopic aura of Guru Nanak's life, teachings
and their impact on humanity.
The book provides
concisely and in a handy form precious information regarding
Guru Nanak's birth and early life, as a modi (a treasurer)
at Sultanpur, his udasis (travels) to various lands and
settlement at Kartarpur, his bani (utterances), its eternal
relevance and his unique ideology which set him apart as
a prophet with a difference. The book succinctly points
out the salient features of Guru Nanak's lore which distinguishes
it from the teachings of other religions.
According to Guru
Nanak:
God
is love, a benevolent father, and mankind a universal brotherhood,
man should have positive attitude to life, accept world
as real, lead normal life of a householder, earn through
honest means, share with the needy, practise equality of
genders and dwell upon the Almighty.
Guru Nanak had something
original and different from what the people already had:
"Now here is
presented a religion totally unaffected by Semetic or Christian
influences. Based on the concept of the unity of God, it
rejected Hindu formalities and adopted an independent ethical
system, ritual and standards which were totally opposed
to the ideological beliefs of Guru Nanak's age and country.
As we shall see hereafter, it would be difficult to point
to a religion of greater originality or to a more comprehensive
ethical system." (Max Arthur Macauliffe)
"I have studied
the scriptures of the great religions, but I do not find
elsewhere the same power of appeal to the heart and mind
as I find here in these volumes (Guru Granth Sahib)."
Pearl S. Buck.
"It would be
wrong to picture him as undertaking a kind of synergic union
between Hinduism and Islam. He was not striving to achieve
a judicious mixture of elements from each that would be
acceptable to all. His intention was more radical. He was
seeking a new religious alternative beyond what was to be
found in conventional Hindu and Islamic belief". (Prof
Harbans Singh, Editor, Encyclopedia of Sikhism)
"Mankind's future
may be obscure; yet one thing can be foreseen. The living
higher religions are going to influence each other more
than ever before, in the days of increasing communications
between all parts of the would and branches of human race.
In this coming religious debate, the Sikh religion and its
scripture, the Guru Granth, will have something special
of value to say to the rest of the world." Arnold J
Toynbee.
It
is gratifying that the Guru Nanak Dev University made a
very right choice of assigning this job to Dr Kharak Singh,
who is dedicated to the broadcasting of the message of Guru
Nanak's preachings as well as raising awareness about preservation
and genuine conservation of the Sikh value system. Dr Kharak
Singh's vast knowledge of different cultures across the
globe, his intimate study of modes of living of various
races, nationalities, ethnicities during his long stint
with the UNO, his scholarship and sincere commitment to
the cause of spreading basic principles of Sikhism have
equipped him with the appropriate tools and methodolgy to
tell us so much about the great Guru Nanak in a brief, concise
and pithy monograph of just about one hundred and fifty
pages.
It is further gratifying that in this commendable endeavour,
Dr Kharak Singh was ably assisted by another globally eminent
scholar Dr Gurbakhsh Singh (USA) and Dr Birendra Kaur of
Sri Guru Gobind Singh College, Chandigarh, who are well-known
for their learned write-ups.
Passionate ambassadors of Sikhism can be found across the
globe, yet very few seem to be capable of standing upto
extreme aberrations in Sikh studies with the desired vigour.
This scholarly work from Dr Kharak Singh is an honest effort
to influence the people and the future society, though his
account of terrorism evades grave lapse of governance that
call for a deeper examination. Nevertheless, the reference
to ubiquitous terrorism underscores an important point.
While commending the Guru Nanak Dev University for publishing
this fine book, I suggest that every scholar of Sikhism
at the University campus should be provided with a copy
of this book to acquaint and enrich them with the sublime
message of the great Guru Nanak – a Prophet with a
difference.
¤
©Copyright Institute of Sikh Studies,
2007, All rights reserved.
