Guru Granth Sahib on the Universe: Difference between revisions

Can you find the pale blue dot? This is the planet earth!

There is very little that the world knows about what has been said within the Sikh scriptures regarding this issue or for that matter many other important issues that concern humanity. Carl Sagan (1934 – 1996) was an American astronomer, astrochemist, author, and highly successful popularizer of astronomy, astrophysics and other natural sciences. He was the David Duncan Professor of Astronomy and Space Sciences and Director of the Laboratory for Planetary Studies at Cornell University. He was a consultant and adviser to NASA since the 1950's and briefed the Apollo astronauts before their flights to the Moon.

This is what Carl Sagan, wrote in his book Pale Blue Dot:

"How is it that hardly any major religion has looked at science and concluded, 'This is better than we thought! The Universe is much bigger than our prophets said, grander, more subtle, more elegant'? Instead they say, 'No, no, no! My god is a little god, and I want him to stay that way.' A religion, old or new, that stressed the magnificence of the Universe as revealed by modern science might be able to draw forth reserves of reverence and awe hardly tapped by the conventional faiths."

This is not to criticise Carl Sagan but to bring home the point that most people have not studied religious text with any real seriousness and that the many fascinating ideas within our religious texts are unknown to most of the world.

Guru Granth Sahib states that, “There are planets, solar systems and galaxies. If one speaks of them, there is no limit, no end. There are worlds upon worlds of His Creation. As He commands, so they exist. He watches over all, and contemplating the creation, He rejoices. Nanak says, to describe this is as hard as steel!” (SGGS p8).

The scriptures say that the universe consists many different bodies including planets, solar systems galaxies, stars, etc and that the extent of the limit of these is unknown and that there is no end to their number. It is clear from this that probably the size of the universe is beyond an exact evaluation by the human mind.

The holy text continues to state: "The limits of the created universe cannot be perceived. Its limits here and beyond cannot be perceived. Many struggle to know His limits, but His limits cannot be found. No one can know these limits. The more you say about them, the more there still remains to be said. " (SGGS p5).

So it appears that as we get a better estimate of the size of the universe, the more we will find, we then come to the conclusion that there remain even outside our knowledge.

Furthermore, it is stated that God created the whole universe including the earth. “You Yourself created the earth, and the two lamps of the sun and the moon” (SGGS p83). And, “Many millions are the moons, suns and stars” (SGGS p275).

More Gurbani quotations

Key features

• "You created the vast expanse of the Universe with One Word! Hundreds of thousands of rivers began to flow." (SGGS p3)

• "The limits of the created universe cannot be perceived. Its limits here and beyond cannot be perceived. Many struggle to know His limits, but His limits cannot be found. No one can know these limits." (SGGS p5)

• "So many worlds beyond this world-so very many! What power holds them, and supports their weight?" (SGGS p3)

Beginning of the Universe

• "For thirty-six ages, He created the darkness, abiding in the void. There were no Vedas, Puraanas or Shaastras there; only the Lord Himself existed. He Himself sat in the absolute trance, withdrawn from everything. Only He Himself knows His state; He Himself is the unfathomable ocean.(18)" (SGGS p555)

• "For so many ages, there was only pitch darkness; the Creator Lord was absorbed in the primal void." (SGGS p1023)

• "For endless eons, there was only utter darkness. There was no earth or sky; there was only the infinite Command of His Hukam. There was no day or night, no moon or sun; God sat in primal, profound Samaadhi.(1) There were no sources of creation or powers of speech, no air or water. There was no creation or destruction, no coming or going. There were no continents, nether regions, seven seas, rivers or flowing water.(2)" (SGGS p1035)

• "From this primal void, came the moon, the sun and the earth....From this primal void, the earth and the Akaashic Ethers were created....From this primal void, came the four sources of creation, and the power of speech....They were created from the void, and they will merge into the void....." (SGGS p1037)

• "The Supreme Creator created the play of Nature; through the Word of His Shabad, He stages His Wondrous Show.(7)....From this primal void, He made both night and day;" (SGGS p1037)

• "Creating the Universe, He made the expanse....The True Guru, the Primal Being, is sublime and detached...." (SGGS p1038)

The existing state

• "Creating the sun and the moon, He infused His Light into them. He created the night and the day; Wondrous are His miraculous plays." (SGGS p1279)

• "Beauty fades away, islands fade away, the sun, moon, stars and sky fade away. The earth, mountains, forests and lands fade away." (SGGS p1354)

• "His Power supports the moon, the sun and the stars, and infuses light and breath into the body." (SGGS p1358)

• "He established the earth, the sky and the air, the water of the oceans, fire and food. He created the moon, the starts and the sun, night and day and mountains; he blessed the trees with flowers and fruits." (SGGS p1399)

• "The continents and the solar systems rest in the support of the One Lord. The Guru has removed the veil of illusion, and shown this to me." (SGGS p205)

• "He is the Supreme Lord God, the Perfect Transcendent Lord; O my mind, hold tight to the Support of the One who established the solar systems and galaxies. Chant the Name of that Lord.(1)Pause." (SGGS p209)

• "Many millions are the fields of creation and the galaxies. Many millions are the etheric skies and the solar systems....So many times, He has expanded His expansion....Many millions are created in various forms......His limits are not known to anyone." (SGGS p276)

And this is how it will end

• "The earth, the Akaashic ethers of the sky, the nether regions of the underworld, the moon and the sun shall pass away." (SGGS p1100)

• "Night and day, and the stars in the sky shall vanish. The sun and the moon shall vanish. The mountains, the earth, the water and the air shall pass away. Only the Word of the Holy Saint shall endure." (SGGS p1204)

• See Wikipedia article on Sikhism and science for more information

External links

• Section II: God and His Universe

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