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Being a Sindhi I am familiar with the term: ‘Raj karega Khaalsa, baaki rahe na koye‘ I always wondered how a religion of as high a caliber as Sikhism could claim, that only Sikhism would reign, and the rest would perish. A little while ago, I met a Sikh scholar who interpreted it thus:
It is not ‘bakee rahe na koye‘ which means ‘none other will remain’ But ‘aakee rahe na koye‘ which means: ‘There will remain no non-believers’ (aakee means ‘non believers’)
Let us come to the term ‘Khalsa’ The common version translates the term ‘Khalsa’ as ‘Pure’
In which case, the whole phrase would mean: The ‘Pure Ones’ will reign, and there will remain no ‘non believers’
There is another meaning attributed to Khalsa.Khal-sa is a Persian word.
In Ancient Persia there were 2 kinds of agricultural land. ‘Land’ on which revenue was charged. The other ‘land’ was called ‘Khal-sa’ On the above land no revenue was charged; therefore, the king could usurp this land, in times of crisis. Guru Govind Singh was a Persian scholar, and therefore it is believed that he gave the title: ‘Khal-sa’ to those of his followers, who would sacrifice their lives for the cause of the guru.
Those to whom Guru Govind Singh gave the title of Khalsa, he called:
Meri jaan ki jaan (Life of my life)
Akaal Purukh kee fauj (God’s own army)
Khalsa mera roop hai khaas
Khalse mein main karoon nivaas
(Khalsa is my very form, in whom I reside.)
The Sikh Scholar also told me that once Guru Nanak was asked by Hindus, whom they should worship as there were over 2000 Deities. Guru Nanak said that one word would be enough to worship all. Thus Vahguru was coined:
V for Vasudev
H for Hari
G for Gopal
R for Ram
Vahguru means: Praise be to the Guru
I am told that 24,945 words in the Guru Granth Sahib are associated with the word: Ram 5,995 words are associated with the word ‘Hari’ I feel so happy when I realize these wonderful Masters gave so much respect to names of Gods. After all they knew that they are different names of the same Creator. Sikh Scholars have entered into a debate whether ‘Har’ stands for Lord Shiva or not.
One is familiar with the chant: Har Har Mahadev! One of Guru Govind Singh’s most famous ode is:
Deh Shiva Var mohe
Shubh karman te kabhoon na daroon
Which means: ‘Oh Shiva, grant me the boon, that I may never be afraid of performinggood deeds’
A Reader comments:
Dear Shakun Narain,
It is my pleasure that I am writing to a very learned and God fearing lady.
I read the ‘article’ Raj Karega Khalsa. It is true that it means only the pure will rule.
Where I had the misunderstanding is, that in the article it says that Guru Gobind Singh ji prayed to Lord Shiva to give him power to do good things.
It was a request to the All-mighty, Creator of the universe, whom Guru ji has referred to.
As Guru ji has said ” Mahadev ko kahat sada Shiv, Nirankar (means He who has no boundaries, who is every where ) ka cheenat nahein bhiv”.
When some body mentions a name, people do take it as a particular person. As Guru Garanth Sahib ji says, Ram or Hari at many Shabads , it does not mean that it is teaching us to worship Ram ji son of Dashrath. How would God be in a body for forty or fifty years and confine to one place , when Guru Garanth Sahib ji tells us the Almighty is every where and in every thing.
Thank you very much to write me back, hope I did not write something to offend any one.
With regards
Jas Kanwarbir Singh
Comments
About that RAJ KAREGA KHALSA you have got your views incorrect
Why there are more of SHIVAS , cause this is due to the fact the ours is the only HOLY book that has hymns and verses from Kabir JI as well as SURDAS JI
so if they bring it cant be attributed to SIKHS and their GURUS
EVEN when GURU GOVIND SINGH JI said DEH SHIVA BAR MOHE . he was not referring to LORD SHIVA , cause 200 years before HIM GURU NANAK DEV JI had declared ” Na Hum HINDU NA MUSALMAAN “
I in my honest senses deplore what u have written and the ultimate inference that you have derived from holy verses
let’s not play politics here , please remove this and/or modify it as soon as possible
I hope that you will do the needful and oblige
thanx and regards,
Gagandeep Singh ” Khalsa “
Hi,
In Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji, God (The Almighty) is referred to as ram, rahim, shiv, hari, gopal, allah.
Sikhism believes in just one god!! That Universal god, call him by any name you want be it raam raheem, shiv, or whatever!!
This is one of my Favorite Shabads:
Sri Guru Granth Sahib Pg: 885
“Koi Bole Raam Raam, Koyee Khudaye,
Koyee Seve gosaiyan, koyee allaahe Kaaran karan kareem, Kirpa dhaar raheem.
– Koyee naave teerath, koyee haj jaaye Koi kare pooja, koi sir nivaaye
– koi pare bed, koi kateb koi ore neel, koi suped
– koi kahe turak, koi kahe hindu, koi baachhe bhisat koyee surgindhu
– Kaho nanak jin hukam pachhaataa prabh sahib kaa tin bhed jaataa”
Thanks and regards,
Maninder Singh
Shakun Kimatrai 