Baba Sri Chand: Difference between revisions

Picture Depicting Sri Chand picking Nephew from Lakhmi Das's Horse

Baba Siri Chand (1494 to 1643), the elder son of Guru Nanak and the founder of the ascetic sect of Udasis, was born to Mata Sulakhani on Bhadon sudi9, 1551 Bk/9 September 1494 at Sultanpur Lodhi, now in Kapurthala district of the Punjab. Bibi Nanaki Ji took in Siri Chand and adopted him as her own son. This type of arrangement was a quite common and accepted custom at that time. Siri Chand became a renounciate yogi and against philosphy of Baba Nanak. Baba Siri Chand was borned with a natural ring on his ear, which showed that he was a yogi by birth. At the time of Baba Siri Chand ji's birth, Guru Nanak Dev ji commented Bibi Nanki about Baba Siri Chand ji that - this child is no normal child he is a great soul and would have his own linage.

After his father, Guru Nanak left Nankana Sahib, Siri Chand stayed in Dera Baba Nanak and maintained Guru Nanak's temple. Later he established the Udasi order, both he and his followers travelled far and wide to spread thir word.

Baba Siri Chand ji accepted

his responsibility from his father and Guru of uniting the various spiritual schools 

of India. He was revered by Muslims and Hindus, ascetics and householders alike. He carried Guru nanak Dev ji's message throughout the subcontinent from Sindh to

Srinagar and from Kandhar to Kabul. 

' Baba JI was held in great esteem by the ensuing 5 sikhs Gurus. Guru Amar Das ji offered Baba Mohas ji, who is the best known as the custodian of Guru's pothis (hand written verses) from which Guru Arjun Dev ji compiled Guru Granth Saheb. And Guru Hargobind Saheb offered Baba gurditta, who became Babaji's successor and is regarded as the patriarch of the Udasi Semperdai. Interestingly Baba Gurditta ji was father of Guru Har Rai ji, grandfather of Guru Harkrishan ji,

the older brother of Guru Tegh Bahadur Bold text

and the uncle of Guru Gobind Singh ji......

Early Life

After Guru Nanak left home on his travels to distant lands, Siri Chand`s mother took him and his younger brother, Lakhmi Das, to her parents` home at Pakkhoke Randhave on the left bank of the River Ravi. Siri Chand from the very beginning loved solitude and, as he grew up, he developed an indifference to worldly affairs.

At the tender age of eleven he left for Kashmir where he studied Sanskrit texts under Pandit Purushottam Kaul and later studied and practised yoga under Avinasha Muni. He grew under siddhas. When Guru Nanak, after his travels, had settled down at KARTARPUR on the right bank of Ravi and not far from Pakkhoke, Siri Chand rejoined the family.

Re-burring Ashes

Guru Nanak having chosen one of his disciples as his spiritual successor, passed away at Kartarpur on 7 September 1539 and a monument was raised over the site where his ashes were buried. As the monument was washed away by floods in the river, Siri Chand had the urn containing the ashes salvaged, reburied it at some distance close to the well of Ajitta Randhava, a devotee of the late Guru, and built a mud hut over it. The place came to be revered as a dehri or samadh (mausoleum) of Guru Nanak around which the present town of Dera Baba Nanak grew.

this is true when Guru Ram Das met Baba Siri Chand, Baba Siri Chand ji commented that Guru Ram Das had the longest beard he had seen. Guru Ram Das replied, "It is to wipe the feets of the saints like you". Guru Ram Das bent down to do so, and Siri Chand pulled his feet back in surprise.

Preaching of Sikh Traditions

Baba Siri Chand stayed on at Pakkhoke Randhave for some time. He gathered around him a band of his own disciples who, like him, shunned the householder`s life and practiced austerities. With his disciples he travelled throughout the length and breadth of India, initiating more converts to his Udasin or Udasi (lit. indifferent, stoic) sect who functioned as itinerant preachers and established missionary centres at different places in the country and beyond.

Through them Guru Nanak`s word was also carried to far corners of the land. Baba Siri Chand`s own main centre was at Barath, 8 km southwest of Pathankot in Gurdaspur district of the Punjab. Baba Siri Chand also kept in touch with successive Gurus during his long life of well over a century. The Gurus held him in high esteem in view of his holy descent, old age and piety. In 1626, when at the behest of Guru Hargobind, his eldest son, Baba Gurditta, proceeded to found the town of Kiratpur in the lower Sivalik hills, he had the ground broken by Baba Siri Chand.

==Death==. Baba Siri Chand ji never died, he went invisible as said - he went aloop. After Baba Siri Chand went invisible at the age of 149, the son of Guru Hargobind, Baba Gurditta became his successor as head of the Udasis. The Udasis protected and maintained the historical shrines of Anandpur, Hazoor Sahib and Amritsar for over a hundred years after Guru Gobind Singh's death. When Gurdwaras were under tenure of udasis they preached their own customs and traditions and washed orignal sikhi.

Views of Some Scholars

Nihang Baba Uday Singh comments upon the Udhasis:
Udhasi Panth is from the time of Guru Nanak it was started by Baba Siri Chand Ji. It is a ancient Panth. In it also the [Adi] Guru Granth was preached. They set up Akharas [religious gatherings] and alongside Adi Granth they gave knowledge of Ayurved [Traditional Indian medicine]. They moved like an army through the villages and towns. They visited the Kumbh [ie. the Kumbh mela, a hindu religious festival occuring every 12 years] at Hardwar on elephants and horses. This I do know about Udhasis the old ones use to preach Guru Granth with Ayurved. These Udhasis are an old Panth of Guru Nanak. They are exempt from the Khalsa initiation. From the beginning they did not get initiated into the Khalsa they adopted Udhasi way of life [non-attachment]. Baba Siri Chand had adopted Udasi life too. If they [Baba Siri Chand’s Udhasis] had been initiated into the Sikh fold they would have been successors to the Gurus.. (Baba Uday Singh, transcript of a recording, 01-03-2001) Udhasi Gobind Das, Chief Mahant at Kankhal, Hardwar points out there was no conflict between father and son over this:

‘What throne of a kingdom did Baba Siri Chand occupy you tell me? Or, did Guru Nanak have such a throne so as he had to have a successor? Were they kings of some state? Guru Nanak was no king of some kingdom. He occupied the throne of a God’s devotee of devotion. Thus Guru Maharaj Baba Sri Chand Ji made his throne of devotion to God separate. In which there is none attachment and renunciation of every type, as is also found in Guru Nanak as well. Father and son appreciated each other's way of life was different, so they each preached their ways separately. The difference that was that Baba Sri Chand became preacher of Udhasis because one was a house holder [Guru Nanak] and one unattached [Baba Sri Chand].’ ‘Maharaj [Baba Sri Chand] preaching of Guru Granth that the Udasis have done in India all over. In all places, history shows, using Gutkas [small Sikh prayer books] we spread. We taught all to read Sikh scriptures. This is the gift of the holy men, the Udhasis. They [S.G.P.C. Akalis] cannot even in seven lifetimes preach as much as the Udhasis and Nirmalas have done and are still doing now. Even now, whenever we preach [to Hindus] we always without exception include teachings from [Adi] Guru Granth Sahib. We give examples [from Sikh history] of how you should follow the footsteps of the Gurus. Then your suffering shall be removed. Only then can your thinking and mind can come pure. That is if you desire Oh Brother, otherwise, it is up to you.’ (Baba Gobind Das, transcript of a recording, 16-02-2001)

Sant Baba Jaginder Singh comments on the mission Guru Nanak set his son:
Baba Siri Chand was to teach the ascetic society how to contemplate God, how to put them on a straight path to salvation, make them firm in knowledge of God and reveal God to them. This was the duty Guru Nanak gave him. (‘Siri Hazoori Maryada Parbodh’, by Sant Baba Joginder Singh, Pa. 145-146)

Udhasi Karam Prakash speaks with regard to the Adi Guru Durbar, and, how Udhasis and other Sikh religious orders presented scripture to the Hindus:
Guru Granth is such a great philosophy greater than all. He who has read Guru Granth Sahib sees in it come all the reading of Vedas. How is this? Reading reading we load carts [With books]’ [quote from Adi Guru Granth]So how many Hindu religious texts are we to read? For this reason we preached to all that in this [Adi Guru Granth] are all philosophies. The thinking of all religions is in this. Ramayana is in it, ‘Ram Ram keep near you’ [quote from Adi Guru Granth], This is written there. For this reason all the Shashters [Hindu spiritual texts] also come in it. That is why all our traditions [Sikh] acknowledge it [as Guru]. (Udhasi Karam Prakash, transcript of recording, 06-03-2001)

Virsa Singh Gobind Sadan
Baba Siri Chand was a renunciate-self-denying, celibate, and dedicated to meditation-but he was also a farmer. His father asked him not to leave the world but to take responsibility for the community farm at Kartarpur while he, Guru Nanak, was away. When Guru Nanak returned from his travels, the whole village happily told him that they had learned from Baba Siri Chand how to combine hard work on the farm and meditation. Baba Siri Chand had an extensive and dedicated following. When the Emperor Jehangir asked Mian Mir, his own darvesh (Muslim term for a powerful, truthful, God-intoxicated holy person), "Who is the greatest darvesh today?" Mian Mir replied, "At this time the elder son of Guru Nanak is the king of the darveshes."

Are Udasis/Sri Chand Sikh?

It is said that Baba Sri Chand preached Guru Nanak's message. May be he or later Udhasis were against principles of Sikhism, see all historical sources and Practices of Udasis:

• They continued worshipping Dieties.
• They opened his own path aside of Guru Nanak, under influence of siddhas. Some sort of Sidh-Sikh Remix.
• They keep Jataan on head which is against sikhi, they are renouncers. Guru Nanak was against detachment, he carried udasis not to detatch but to show detatch Sidhas the way see Sidh Gosht.
• Sri Chand was not opted by Baba Nanak. think why? Why Sikhs worship Sri CHand who was rejected or not opted? If we will say Sri CHand did not want to get involve in these matters or if we say was baba nanak a king who transfer some sort of gaddi then one thing should be clear the path he told the world require to continue. He opted the best who is of GURMATT. The Jot is trasferred to Lehna means the MATT is transferred to Lehna. Lehna had same Gyan that of Nanak, that of Kabir, That of Ravidas. Sri CHand might not have such Gyan so he is not accepted for the further promotion in SIKHISM, GYANISM, GURSIKISM.
• He even wrote a poem depecting Baba Nanak as God and Gurus never thought of their own praises. scroll down to read that.
• The Udasis protected and maintained the historical shrines of Anandpur, Hazoor Sahib and Amritsar for over a hundred years after Guru Gobind Singh's death. When Gurdwaras were under tenure of udasis they preached their own customs and traditions and washed orignal message of nanak and their traditions are still alive. still you can visit their akhadas to see their way of life and compare it with gurbani or Dasam bani. 10th Matt of Nanak, 10th person who have same Gyan that of Nanak.

   

Aarta by Sri Chand

"Arta," a hymn revealing that Guru Nanak is master of the whole cosmos:
Let us sing the praises of Nanak, King of kings,
Emperor of both worlds.
The whole cosmos is His temple
Congregations sing sweet songs in His praise.
Millions of goddesses burn holy lamps in His honour
Millions of gods sing psalms in His praise.
Millions wash His lotus feet
The moon and sun illuminate Him with their radiance.
Masses of flowers are offering Him fragrance.
The True Master, the True Light, He is merciful to the poor.
The King of the Winds fans Him
While saints and sages meditate on His holiness.
He is universally accepted as the perfect Guru
The entire cosmos vibrates with his celestial song
. Bells ring out the tone -ONKAR-
Continuously illluminating the heavens.
He is one with God, Whose Name is Truth,
In Nanak's Name saints find their support.
Siri Chand, Nanak's son, declares,
"Nanak is unattainable, unfathomable, unshakeable, and pure."
Whoever sings Emperor Nanak's praises
Resides in heaven and achieves complete salvation.
Oh kind Master, protect those who seek your shelter
Oh Nanak! You are the saviour; we are just your children.

If we interpret it with eye of gur sikh, May be Nanak meaning here is Na-Anak, no one is like him i.e God. But Nanak was not God.

References

• Nara, Ishar SINGH, Itihas Baba Sri Chand Ji Sahib ate Udasin Sampardai. AMRITSAR, 1975
• Randhir Singh, Udasi Sikhan di Vithia. Amritsar, 1959
• Macauliffe, Max Arthur, The SIKH Religion, Oxford, 1909
• Harbans Singh, Guru Nanak and Origins of the Sikh Faith. Bombay, 1969

External Links

• Historical Gurdwaras of Punjab dedicated to Guru Arjan Sahib from SGPC, Sri Amritsar
• Guru Ram Das (1534-1581) from www.sikhs.org
• Baba Sri Chand
• Udasis
• Baba Sri Chand
• Sarabloh