Rama and Sikhism - An Introspection

Fact is that the word "Ram" is mentioned 2533 times in Sri Guru Granth Sahib... does it signify the King Ram Chandra of Ayodhya? The pro-Hindutva organizations and individuals would say a resounding yes. Why would it mean anything else, there has been only one Rama in the history of India. Who else would it refer to otherwise?

Some Sikh scholars describe that the "Ram" of Sri Guru Granth Sahib is the "Nirguna" Almighty God which is not the same as the Lord Rama of Hindu mythology. In my humble opinion, both categorizations are factually incorrect if seen in silo. In fact the Sikh Gurus utilized duality method to convey their message to the common man. Duality is the principle that determines that a concept may be viewed from two diverse perspectives.

The mentions of "Rama" in Sri Guru Granth Sahib is very diverse and can be described in two separate terminologies:

1. Ram - used to denote the all prevailing ominipresent Nirguna God
   
2. Raja Ram - Hindu mythological tradition used to illustrate a concept

The differentiation between the two terms is very subtle and confusing at first. But understanding this difference is core to learning the spiritual wisdom of the Sikh Gurus. The following examples elaborates on this subtlety and how delicately our Gurus used these terms in Sri Guru Granth Sahib.

The Rama of Sri Guru Granth Sahib

•  In Gurbani, the word Raam (ਰਾਮ) comes from the Sanskrit Ram (ਰਮ) and means ‘all pervading’ and is used as a name to describe the One Supreme Being or God.

ਰਾਮ ਰਾਮਾ ਰਾਮਾ ਗੁਨ ਗਾਵਉ ॥   
I sing the Praises of the Lord, Raam, Raam, Raam. (SGGS, 387)

• The Ram of Sri Guri Granth Sahib is "Nirguna" signifying the supreme being who cannot be characterized by attributes known to us, such as shape, size, appearance, features, or qualities:

ਨਿਰਗੁਣ ਰਾਮੁ ਗੁਣਹ ਵਸਿ ਹੋਇ ॥
The Lord is without attributes; the attributes of virtue are under His control. (SGGS, 222)

• Omnipresent God dwells in all his creation and the Guru provides guidence to connect with him:

ਘਟਿ ਘਟਿ ਰਮਈਆ ਰਮਤ ਰਾਮ ਰਾਇ ਗੁਰ ਸਬਦਿ ਗੁਰੂ ਲਿਵ ਲਾਗੇ ॥
The All-pervading Sovereign Lord King is present in each and every heart. Through the Guru, and the Word of the Guru's Shabad, I am lovingly focused on the Lord. (SGGS, 172)

• Meditate on God's name who is everywhere:
  

ਰਾਮੁ ਰਮਹੁ ਬਡਭਾਗੀਹੋ ਜਲਿ ਥਲਿ ਮਹੀਅਲਿ ਸੋਇ ॥
O very fortunate ones, contemplate on Rama; He is pervading in the ocean, the land and the sky. (SGGS, 521)  

• Guru Nanak declares his devotion to Raja Ram symbolizing the Nirguna God here:

ਮਾਲੁ ਖਜੀਨਾ ਸੁਤ ਭ੍ਰਾਤ ਮੀਤ ਸਭਹੂੰ ਤੇ ਪਿਆਰਾ ਰਾਮ ਰਾਜੇ ॥
My Lord King is dearer to me than all wealth, treasures, children, siblings and friends. (SGGS, 454)

• Guru Arjan's Raja Ram is not the King of Ayodhya but the all prevailing God who is referred to as Raja Ram here:

ਰਾਜਾ ਰਾਮ ਕੀ ਸਰਣਾਇ ॥
I seek the Sanctuary of the Sovereign Lord. (SGGS, 899)

• But how is Rama to be worshiped, so that He can be attained? The Granth Sahib answers this question by an analogy to the Hindu mythology as follows: (Note Prahlaad was ages before Lord Rama of Ayodhya, confirming that the reference here is to the Almighty God)
  

ਰਾਮ ਜਪਉ ਜੀਅ ਐਸੇ ਐਸੇ ॥ ਧ੍ਰੂ ਪ੍ਰਹਿਲਾਦ ਜਪਿਓ ਹਰਿ ਜੈਸੇ ॥੧॥
Meditate on Rama, O my soul, just as Dhruv and Prahlaad meditated on Hari, the Lord. (SGGS, 337)

• When Almighty God Himself takes the responsibility of protecting the devotee:

ਹੋਈ ਰਾਜੇ ਰਾਮ ਕੀ ਰਖਵਾਲੀ ॥
I have attained the protective sanctuary of Ram, the Lord himself. (SGGS, 620)

• Guru Nanak further defines Simran of Ram Naam:
  

ਚਤੁਰਥਿ ਚਾਰੇ ਬੇਦ ਸੁਣਿ ਸੋਧਿਓ ਤਤੁ ਬੀਚਾਰੁ ॥ ਸਰਬ ਖੇਮ ਕਲਿਆਣ ਨਿਧਿ ਰਾਮ ਨਾਮੁ ਜਪਿ ਸਾਰੁ ॥
Listening to the four Vedas, I have come to realize that the treasure of all joy and comfort is found in the sublime meditation on the Lord's Name. (SGGS, 297)

• Guru Tegh Bahadur reiterates the value of devotion to Rama, the eternal Creator:

ਰਾਮੁ ਸਿਮਰਿ ਰਾਮੁ ਸਿਮਰਿ ਇਹੈ ਤੇਰੈ ਕਾਜਿ ਹੈ ॥
Meditate in remembrance on the Lord - meditate on the Lord; this alone shall be your duty. (SGGS, 1352)

Raja Ram of Ayodhya

Raja Ram Chandra of Ayodhya

In Sri Guru Granth Sahib, the Sikh Gurus and Bhagats have displayed a fondness for referring to the Almighty God as Ram. Sikh Gurus never doubted the existence of Raja Ram of Ayodhya but did not  considered him as the God, but using the name to describe the Nirguna Almighty God.

• The reference to the Raja Ram is used to imply the omnipresent universal God. For example, in the following verse, the term Raghurai (The king of Raghu clan) is used to depict omnipresent Nirguna God:
  

ਜਤ ਕਤ ਦੇਖਉ ਤਤ ਤਤ ਤੁਮ ਹੀ ਮੋਹਿ ਇਹੁ ਬਿਸੁਆਸੁ ਹੋਇ ਆਇਓ ॥
ਕੈ ਪਹਿ ਕਰਉ ਅਰਦਾਸਿ ਬੇਨਤੀ ਜਉ ਸੁਨਤੋ ਹੈ ਰਘੁਰਾਇਓ ॥੧॥
Wherever I look, there You are; I am totally convinced of this. 
Whom should I pray to? Raghurai, the Lord Himself hears all. ||1||

• Bhagat Namdev describes the rare individuals who are enlightened by Ram, the Lord:
  

ਜਾਨੀ ਜਾਨੀ ਰੇ ਰਾਜਾ ਰਾਮ ਕੀ ਕਹਾਨੀ ॥ ਅੰਤਰਿ ਜੋਤਿ ਰਾਮ ਪਰਗਾਸਾ ਗੁਰਮੁਖਿ ਬਿਰਲੈ ਜਾਨੀ ॥੧॥
I have come to know the story of Raja Ram, my sovereign lord. How rare is the Gurmukh whose inner soul is illuminated by the Lord's Light. ||1||

• Here is an interesting verse by Guru Nanak from Sri Guru Granth Sahib acknowledging the Hindu Mythology but describing the deities as mortals with human emotions:

shMsr dwn dy ieMdRü roAwieAw ] (953-18)
Branded with a thousand marks of disgrace, Indra cried in shame.

prs rwmu rovY Gir AwieAw ] (953-19)
Parsuram returned home crying after beheading his mother.

rovY rwmu inkwlw BieAw ] (953-19)
Ram wept when he was sent into exile

sIqw lKmxu ivCuiV gieAw ] (954-1)
and separated from Sita and Lakhshman.

rovY dhisru lµk gvwie ] ijin sIqw AwdI faurU vwie ] (954-1)
Raawan who snatched Sita, wept when he lost Sri Lanka.

rovih syK mswiek pIr ] (954-3)
The Shaykhs, Pirs and spiritual teachers weep;
...

nwnk duKIAw sBu sMswru ] (954-5)
O Nanak, the whole world is suffering.

• Guru Nanak defines the difference between Nirankar and Raja Ram in this verse:

ਨਾਨਕ ਨਿਰਭਉ ਨਿਰੰਕਾਰੁ ਹੋਰਿ ਕੇਤੇ ਰਾਮ ਰਵਾਲ ॥
O Nanak, the Lord is fearless and formless; deities like Rama are mere dust compared to Him. ||1|| (SGGS, 464)

• In the final words of the Granth Sahib, Guru Teg Bahadur describes the mortality of Ram:
  

ਰਾਮੁ ਗਇਓ ਰਾਵਨੁ ਗਇਓ ਜਾ ਕਉ ਬਹੁ ਪਰਵਾਰੁ ॥ ਕਹੁ ਨਾਨਕ ਥਿਰੁ ਕਛੁ ਨਹੀ ਸੁਪਨੇ ਜਿਉ ਸੰਸਾਰੁ ॥੫੦॥
Ram passed away, as did Ravan, even though he had lots of relatives. Says Nanak, nothing lasts forever; the world is like a dream. ||50|| (SGGS, 1429)

• Guru Teg Bahadur ends his Sloks by invoking "Raghunath" symbolizing not the Raja Ram of Raghu clan but as the Almighty Lord:

ਸੰਗ ਸਖਾ ਸਭਿ ਤਜਿ ਗਏ ਕੋਊ ਨ ਨਿਬਹਿਓ ਸਾਥਿ ॥ ਕਹੁ ਨਾਨਕ ਇਹ ਬਿਪਤਿ ਮੈ ਟੇਕ ਏਕ ਰਘੁਨਾਥ ॥੫੫॥

My associates and companions have all deserted me; no one remains with me.   Says Nanak, in this tragedy, Raghunath, the Lord alone is my Support. ||55|| (SGGS, 1429)

Conclusion

In summary, I would like to conclude that Sikh Gurus acknowledged the Hindu deities and mentions them in countless times to convey their messages, but never considered them to be the Supreme God. Often the names of these deities was used to signify the "Nirguna" Almighty God with terms such as Hari, Ram, Gobind, Madho, Gopal, Gosain, Banvari, and Murari. 

These figures were mentioned with utmost respect in Sri Guru Granth Sahib. But the Sikh Gurus also differentiated between these mortal figures and omnipresent "Nirguna" God.

This differentiation is so subtle that it has confused both the Hindutva and Sikh scholars alike. I recommend both to study Sri Guru Granth Sahib and learn how delicately this issue was handled by the Sikh Gurus.

Sikh Gurus gave a unique way to meditate in the name of Ram and used his names to invoke the Almighty God - Ram, Ramaiya, Ram Raje, Ram Rai, Raghunath, etc. Its hard to deny that these terms link the "Nirguna" God to the Ram of Ayodhya but Guru's intent has always been to invoke the "Nirguna" Almighty God. In some cases, the Gurus have used the story of Raja Ram of Ayodhya to illustrate a spiritual concept, for example "Nanak Dukhiya Sab Sansaar ...". 

Raja Ram of Ayodhya was an ancestor of North Indians including our Khatri (Kshatriya) ancestors from Punjab. We also should not forget that our own ancestors worshiped Ram of Ayodhya before Guru Nanak gave us a deeper definition of the term - Ram. 

In a very subtle way, Sikh Gurus have taught us not to forget our history by reusing the terms used by our ancestors but redefining them with a higher spiritual meaning. 

Our Gurus taught us that we can call the all-pervading Supreme Reality by various names and His name is true forever - SATNAM.

Ram Janmabhumi Movement and Sikhs

This topic has been in the news headline as the Hindus of India begin to reconstruct a temple dedicated to Rama in Ayodhya laying claim to the site that was previously known as Baburi Masjid. Its known that the Mughal Emperor Babur demolished a Hindu shrine of Rama, and constructed a mosque in its place.

On 9 November 2019, the Supreme Court of India ordered the land to be handed over to a trust to build the Hindu temple. It also ordered to the government to give alternate 5 acre land to Sunni Waqf Board to build the mosque.This landmark decision was purely based on the recorded visit of Guru Nanak to the city of Ayodhya before the temple was destroyed by Babur.

“Janma Sakhies, which have been brought on the record contains a description of visit of Guru Nanak Devji to Ayodhya, where he had darshan of birthplace of Lord Ram. It is true that from the extracts of Janma Sakhies, which have been brought on the record, there is no material to identify the exact place of Ram Janma Bhumi but the visit of Guru Nanak Devji to Ayodhya for darshan of Janma Bhumi of Ram is an event, which depicted that pilgrims were visiting Ayodhya and were having darshan of Janma Bhumi even before 1528 A.D. The visit of Guru Nanak Devji in 1510-11 A.D. and to have darshan of Janma Bhumi of Lord Ram do support the faith and beliefs of the Hindus,” reads the point no. 71 of verdict’s addenda,

Rajinder Singh, a Sikh witness cited the record of Guru Nanak's visit to Ayodhya before the destruction thus providing the much needed credibility to the claim to rebuilt temple:

• “Puratan Janam Sakhi Guru Nanak Devji Ki” by Bhai Mani Singh (1734)
• “Pothi Janamsakhi: Gyan Ratnawali”
• “Bhai Bale Wali Janamsakhi” by Sodhi Manohar Das Meharban (1883)
• “Sachkhand Pothi: Janamsakhi” by Baba Sukhbasi Ram Bedi (9th descendant of Guru Nanak)
• “Guru Nanak Vansh Prakash by Shri Tara Hari Narotam (1829)
• “Shri Guru Tirath Sangrahi” by Gyani Gyan Singh (1891O

Speaking to Sikh24, Sikh intellectual Dr. Harpal Singh Pannu said that there is a documented illustration about Guru Nanak Sahib’s visit to Ayodhya in the Bhai Bale Wali Janam Sakhi but it is explained the location of the Ram Mandir ... Guru Nanak Sahib also visited to several spiritual sites belonging to Hinduism, Buddhism, Naathism and Islam such as Banaras, Kashi, Tibet, Gorakh Matha, and Mecca etc. and everywhere he went, he taught the humanity to get rid of ritualistic practices.

Why not a Rama Temple?

Harmandir Sahib also known as the Golden Temple was destroyed by Islamic invaders seven times, only to be liberated each time by the Sikhs and rebuilt to maintain its sanctity.  I believe the Hindus deserve the right to rebuilt the temple marking the birth of their most popular deity.

Ram Temple at Ayodhya - Model

 

Shouldn't Supreme Court also order the construction of a Sikh Gurdwara to mark the visit of Guru Nanak to Ayodhya? This is significant as the written record of Guru Nanak's visit to Ayodhya was used to validate the existence of Ram Janmabhoomi. What about rebuilding the historic Gian Godri Gurdwara at Hardwar?

References

• http://www.srigranth.org
• http://srigurugranth.net
• https://thewire.in/religion/sikh-response-ayodhya-judgment
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ram_Janmabhoomi
  
• https://www.sikh24.com/2019/11/11/janam-sakhi-does-illustrate-guru-nanak-sahibs-visit-to-ayodhya-but-not-to-ram-mandir-says-dr-harpal-singh-pannu/#.XzA1sTVCdPY