Guru, Shabad, Naam

The Adi Granth, the scripture of the Sikhs, has many a hymn which sing the glory of divine oneness and of the way to realize it.  The path is not entirely self-focused, but insofar as it is (to guide the soul to the realm of bliss, to avoid rebirth, etc.) it asks the seeker to (a) serve and be guided by the Guru, to (b) contemplate his teachings (shabad), and to (c) chant and meditate on the "naam" to realize or achieve the soul's union with the Lord.

In this essay, I would like to shed some light on these three important words/concepts which recur in the Adi Granth: Guru, Naam, and Shabad.  These terms are important but not well-understood by most Sikhs.  Many scholars have opined on the meaning of these terms.  They have tried to clarify what the original authors truly intended.  I am going to cite only from the hymns of Guru Nanak, though the hymns of later Gurus are more or less in the same vein.

It is perhaps misguided to carefully analyze the hyms and poetry to form a clear and consistent idea of the Guru's teachings as they pertain to the spiritual path.  Since it is all poetry, meant to be sung in a congregation, the teachings are perhaps not supposed to be philosophically rigorous.

The hymns are also generally quite absolutist, as is to be expected in devotional texts.  Examples of absolutism in Sikh hymns are quite numerous: that there is "no salvation without guru/shabad/naam", or that one "forever wanders if one doesn't do this" or there is "only darkness without xyz".

Absolutist assertions are not nuanced, but they do facilitate surrender.  If there is no other way, and if there is a grave fear of going astray, then the devotee feels impelled to dedicate himself wholeheartedly to the given path.

Sikh spirituality, being an offshoot of the Bhakti and the Sufi movements, is devotional and feeling-oriented.  The Sikh scriptures appeal to the emotions, and there are plenty of instances where the punishment of an agonizing death, of hell, or of a painful series of rebirths are mentioned.  The fearful consequences of not following the spiritual teachings are contrasted with the everlasting bliss and orgasmic feeling of union that will result if one follows the path.  The contrast is not at all vague.  While the loyal and obedient devotee is promised protection and deliverance, all kinds of hell-fire and suffering is predicted for a heathen or a self-willed man.

It is also a misconception that doubt and inquiry is encouraged in Sikhism.  In devotional paths, doubt is considered a grave impediment.  Sikh scriptures, being overwhelmingly devotional, exhort surrender and total dedication rather than intellectual inquiry or self-reliance.

Page 153, Line 10

ਰੇ ਮਨ ਮੇਰੇ ਭਰਮੁ ਨ ਕੀਜੈ ॥
O my mind, do not give in to doubt.

Page 145, Line 6
ਸਤਿਗੁਰੁ ਸੇਵਿ ਨਿਸੰਗੁ ਭਰਮੁ ਚੁਕਾਈਐ ॥
Serve the True Guru fearlessly, and your doubt shall be dispelled.

Page 414, Line 12
ਭਰਮਿ ਭੁਲਾਨਾ ਫਿਰਿ ਪਛੁਤਾਨਾ ॥
Deluded by doubt, he later regrets and repents.

Now I will quote some verses by Guru Nanak, part of the Adi Granth which talk of the spiritual path in Sikhism:

1. To serve and be guided by the Guru

Page 57, Line 10
ਐਸਾ ਸਤਿਗੁਰੁ ਜੇ ਮਿਲੈ ਤਾ ਸਹਜੇ ਲਏ ਮਿਲਾਇ ॥੩॥
If one finds such a True Guru, the Lord is met with intuitive ease. ||3||

Page 58, Line 3
ਬਿਨੁ ਸਤਿਗੁਰ ਨਾਉ ਨ ਪਾਈਐ ਬਿਨੁ ਨਾਵੈ ਕਿਆ ਸੁਆਉ ॥
Without the True Guru, the Name is not obtained. Without the Name, what is the use of it all?

Page 221, Line 7
ਗੁਰ ਸੇਵੀ ਗੁਰ ਲਾਗਉ ਪਾਇ ॥
I serve the Guru, and I fall at the Guru's Feet.

Page 223, Line 6
ਸਤਿਗੁਰਿ ਮੋ ਕਉ ਏਕੁ ਬੁਝਾਇਆ ॥੫॥
The True Guru has led me to understand the One Lord. ||5||

Page 227, Line 4
ਕਾਲੁ ਨ ਛੋਡੈ ਬਿਨੁ ਗੁਰ ਕੀ ਸੇਵਾ ॥
Death cannot be avoided, without serving the Guru.

Page 228, Line 16
ਗੁਰ ਸੇਵਾ ਪ੍ਰਭੁ ਪਾਇਆ ਸਚੁ ਮੁਕਤਿ ਦੁਆਰਾ ॥੪॥
Only by serving the Guru is God obtained, and the true gate of liberation found. ||4||

Page 229, Line 3
ਬਿਨੁ ਗੁਰ ਪੰਥੁ ਨ ਸੂਝਈ ਕਿਤੁ ਬਿਧਿ ਨਿਰਬਹੀਐ ॥੨॥
Without the Guru, the Path cannot be seen. How can anyone proceed? ||2||

It is without a doubt that the Guru in Guru Nanak's hymns is a living human being.  There may be an occasional verse asking one to recognize the guru in one's heart, but most verses describe the Guru as a persona whose teachings are to be followed, who "gives" naam, and who is to be served.  Reference to the guru's feet is a clear indication as well.

2. To chant and meditate on the Naam, which only the Guru can provide

Page 57, Line 16
ਜਿਨੀ ਨਾਮੁ ਵਿਸਾਰਿਆ ਅਵਗਣ ਮੁਠੀ ਰੋਇ ॥੭॥
Those who have forgotten the Naam are plundered by evil; they weep and wail in dismay. ||7||

Page 57, Line 19
ਹਰਿ ਜਪਿ ਨਾਮੁ ਧਿਆਇ ਤੂ ਜਮੁ ਡਰਪੈ ਦੁਖ ਭਾਗੁ ॥
Chant and meditate on the Naam, the Name of the Lord; death will be afraid of you, and suffering shall depart.

Page 58, Line 1
ਮੈ ਧਨੁ ਨਾਮੁ ਨਿਧਾਨੁ ਹੈ ਗੁਰਿ ਦੀਆ ਬਲਿ ਜਾਉ ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥
The Guru has given me the Treasure of the Wealth of the Naam; I am a sacrifice to Him. ||1||Pause||

Page 59, Line 10
ਗੁਰ ਭੰਡਾਰੈ ਪਾਈਐ ਨਿਰਮਲ ਨਾਮ ਪਿਆਰੁ ॥
From the Guru's Treasury, we receive the Love of the Immaculate Naam, the Name of the Lord.

Page 57, Line 15
ਚਹੁ ਜੁਗਿ ਮੈਲੇ ਮਲੁ ਭਰੇ ਜਿਨ ਮੁਖਿ ਨਾਮੁ ਨ ਹੋਇ ॥
Those who do not have the Naam in their mouths are filled with pollution; they are filthy throughout the four ages.

Page 1285, Line 7
ਤਿਨ ਮੁਖਿ ਨਾਹੀ ਨਾਮੁ ਨ ਤੀਰਥਿ ਨ੍ਹ੍ਹਾਇਆ ॥
The Naam, the Name of the Lord, is not on their lips; they do not bathe at sacred shrines of pilgrimage.

Page 243, Line 11
ਤਿਸੁ ਬਾਝੁ ਵਖਰੁ ਕੋਇ ਨ ਸੂਝੈ ਨਾਮੁ ਲੇਵਹੁ ਖਿਨੁ ਖਿਨੋ ॥
Other than this, I can think of no other merchandise. So chant the Naam each and every moment.

Page 993, Line 9
ਅੰਮ੍ਰਿਤੁ ਨਾਮੁ ਸਤਿਗੁਰਿ ਦੀਆ ॥
The True Guru has blessed me with the Ambrosial Nectar of the Naam.

Page 1029, Line 11
ਅੰਮ੍ਰਿਤ ਨਾਮੁ ਗੁਰੂ ਵਡ ਦਾਣਾ ਨਾਮੁ ਜਪਹੁ ਸੁਖ ਸਾਰਾ ਹੇ ॥੧੦॥
The Guru is the Great Giver of the Ambrosial Naam, the Name of the Lord. Chanting the Naam, sublime peace is obtained. ||10||

Page 1041, Line 9
ਮਨਿ ਮੁਖਿ ਨਾਮੁ ਜਪਹੁ ਜਗਜੀਵਨ ਰਿਦ ਅੰਤਰਿ ਅਲਖੁ ਲਖਾਇਆ ॥੧੨॥
Chant the Naam with your mind and mouth; know the unknowable Lord, the Life of the World, deep within the nucleus of your heart. ||12||

Page 1127, Line 10
ਰਾਮ ਨਾਮ ਬਿਨੁ ਮੁਕਤਿ ਨ ਪਾਵਸਿ ਮੁਕਤਿ ਨਾਮਿ ਗੁਰਮੁਖਿ ਲਹੈ ॥੧॥
But without the Lord's Name, liberation is not obtained. As Gurmukh, obtain the Naam and liberation. ||1||

Page 1170, Line 3
ਗੁਰਿ ਨਾਮੁ ਦ੍ਰਿੜਾਇਆ ਜਪੁ ਜਪੇਉ ॥੨॥
The Guru has implanted the Naam within me; I chant it, and meditate on it. ||2||

Page 1170, Line 12
ਫਲੁ ਨਾਮੁ ਪਰਾਪਤਿ ਗੁਰੁ ਤੁਸਿ ਦੇਇ ॥
They obtain the fruit of the Naam, when the Guru's favor is bestowed.

3. To contemplate the Shabad

Page 17, Line 19
ਪਿਰੁ ਰੀਸਾਲੂ ਤਾ ਮਿਲੈ ਜਾ ਗੁਰ ਕਾ ਸਬਦੁ ਸੁਣੀ ॥੨॥
We meet with our Beloved, the Source of Joy, when we listen to the Word of the Guru's Shabad." ||2||

Page 23, Line 4
ਨਾਨਕ ਮਨੁ ਸਮਝਾਈਐ ਗੁਰ ਕੈ ਸਬਦਿ ਸਾਲਾਹ ॥
O Nanak, instruct your mind through the Word of the Guru's Shabad, and praise the Lord.

Page 55, Line 1
ਹਰਿ ਜੀਉ ਸਬਦਿ ਪਛਾਣੀਐ ਸਾਚਿ ਰਤੇ ਗੁਰ ਵਾਕਿ ॥
Through the Shabad, they recognize the Dear Lord; through the Guru's Word, they are attuned to Truth.

Page 55, Line 17
ਤਿਥੈ ਕਾਲੁ ਨ ਅਪੜੈ ਜਿਥੈ ਗੁਰ ਕਾ ਸਬਦੁ ਅਪਾਰੁ ॥੭॥
Death does not reach that place, where the Infinite Word of the Guru's Shabad resounds. ||7||

...

The teachings of the Sikh gurus were not meant only for the elites.  On the contrary, their appeal was in their simplicity and accessibility.  When one considers the language used (Gurmukhi), the idiom and poetic form, as well as the non-complicated philosophy, it is evident that the Gurus did not want to propagate something which was esoteric or meaningful only to a select few, but rather, wanted to reach the masses.

It would be therefore a mistake to attribute exotic and abstruse meanings to the various simple words used in the hymns.  The straightforward and mostly literal meaning is what should be emphasized.  If the verses are complicated and need careful analysis, it would be in contradiction to the fact that Sikh gurus and the other mystics/poets whose writings are included in the Adi Granth, enjoyed immense popularity with the illiterate and lower-classes of society.

The Radhasoami sect, which follows the teachings of the first five Sikh Gurus (in addition to the various other saints), ascribes the following meaning to the three religious terms:

• Guru is the living Guru of the sect, or the past Guru who initiated the devotee.

• Naam is "given" by the guru during the initiation.  It means the blessing of the guru and the method: repetitive practice to be followed by the devotee.  "Naam-daan" is what the initiation ceremony is called.

• Shabad is the internal "sound" that the meditator might hear.  It is similar to the Hindu concept of brahm-naad (the universal sound) or anhad-naad (the endless sound).  The meditative practice of Radhasoamis is called "Surat-Shabad Yoga".  Shabad in Radhasoami teachings does not refer to the scriptural teachings but to this inner experience of sound.

Radhasoamis claim, not without some justification, that their interpretation is correct.  But their main spiritual practice is definitely a silent meditation which goes counter to the congregational aspect of Sikh gurus' teachings.  It might well be that both congregational and solitary practices are encouraged by the Sikh Gurus, but the history of Sikh religion does not lend much importance to solitary meditation.  In Gurudwaras for example, all activities are collective, except perhaps a solitary reading of the scripture.

We can therefore dispel with the aspect of the meditative practice of the Radhasoami sect as a later development, not quite the norm during the time of the Sikh gurus.  The Radhasoami meditation involves, with one's eyes closed, imagining the Guru's face in between one's eyes, and this finds nary a mention in the Sikh scriptures.

However, the interpretation of Guru and Naam does seem accurate.  In many Hindu traditions, initiation of a monk by a teacher usually involves giving him a new name (starting with the title "Swami", for example).  That obviously is not the case in Sikhism, where the initiation is more about the Guru's blessing and being considered as one of the Guru's followers.

If we agree that Sikh teachings are meant to be accessible, then we must conclude that the simplest explanation of these words is the correct one.  If we agree (as is widely accepted by historians) that Sikh gurus intended their teachings to be understood and followed by all sections of the society, and not just high-IQ or educated folks, then only a simple interpretation does justice to their intent.

Therefore, contrary to most modern Sikh scholars who perform convoluted analysis to come to a conclusion about the meaning of these terms (to be consistent with the later development of considering the scripture, instead of a living human being, as the Guru, etc.), I hereby state that the meaning of the words Guru, Naam and Shabad, as used by Guru Nanak, is simply as follows:

• Guru is the human being who claims (or is claimed to have) enlightenment and offers initiation and guidance to the followers. 
  
  In Guru Nanak's verses, the Guru word referred to Guru Nanak himself (which seems odd and a bit egoistic, but can be palatable if we accept that enlightenment dissolves the sense of self as a separate entity, and that Guru Nanak after his enlightenment did not think of himself as an individual self anymore.).  Or it could refer to Nanak's own Guru, of who little is known.  At least Guru Nanak does not give any indication about his own teacher and neither is there any historical mention of Nanak's guru finding a prominent place in Nanak's community.  On the face of it, it is an unusual notion - the Guru advising his followers to surrender to the Guru (himself) - but it is actually quite common in spiritual circles.

• Naam is the initiation, most likely involving the simple practice of a chant, given to the devotee by the Guru.  References abound in Sikh scriptures (see above) about ensuring that the naam is forever on one's lips.  It is doubtful whether the chant was the modern one of "Sat Naam Wahe Guru" or some other mantra.

• Shabad is the Guru's teaching or his poetic verses, which would include those of earlier Gurus in the lineage.

In the Adi Granth, one can find some references to "shabad" being the inner sound and not an audible chant, and some verses where the Guru is considered equivalent to the Lord himself, and some where the Naam or Shabad itself is considered the Guru, etc.  But these references are in a minority and perhaps involve a poetic license.  Sikh scriptures, for example, also occasionally encourage reading the Vedas and going to pilgrimages as well, but the main thrust of the teachings is to avoid bookish knowledge and holy travels.  We have to consider the meaning as is apparent in most of the verses.  I consider that the vast majority of hymns in Sikh scriptures are consistent with my simple interpretation.