Review of Jup Banee by Dr KSD – Part 1

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1. Introductory Information

• Jup as a summary : 8 pages in 1430 pages SGGS ji
• Jup as the title bani of SGGS
• Jup as a trailer of SGGS
• Jup as a preview of SGGS

1. Misconceptions of Jup Bani

• First bani in SGGS
• First bani learnt (but not understood)
• First bani memorised
• First bani of first Guru (it is Guru Nanak’s last bani)

1. Jup Bani is least understood because of

• The title (Jup)
• Its complexity
• Concise, brief, idiomatic and condensed form
• Guru Nanak’s final bani after his 70 years of personal spirituality

1. Dr KSD shares his personal research over the years

• At least 3 dozen translations/teekas are available from Faridkot to Rajneesh
• The first, Faridkot teeka, is a literal translation
• The latest by Col Mohan Singh is a contextual translation
• (based on Prof Sahib Singh’s Darpan)
• Asa di War is an explanation of Jup Bani.

1. Origin of literal teekas/translations

• Vedantic school
• Nirmala/Udasi tradition (Kavi Santokh Singh/Maskeen/Parwana,
• reliant on ‘sakhis’
• Sampardayee teekas (Bhai Veer Singh)
• Spin-offs on Internet (Sant Singh MD)

1. Study of Gurbani grammar (Viakran)

• In 1963 Linguist Prof Sahib Singh completed Darpan, in 10 Volumes in 30 years, most reliable
• 1n 2016 Historian Harjinder Singh Dilgeer in 8 Volumes
• In 2017 Colonel Manmohan Singh updated Prof Sahib Singh’s work

Review of Jup Banee by Dr KSD – Part 2

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1. Methodology in Understanding Gurbani/Jup Bani

• Literal translation vs actual message
• Original intent of bani vs Interpretations/Mistranslations/Distortions

1. Gurbani Framework of Analysis

• Textual interpretation
• Internal validity
• Internal reliability
• Gurbani must be used to explain Gurbani
• Gurbani grammar is crucial
• Coherent explanation

1. Analysis

• Central point theory
• Rahao principle
• Illustration theory
• Whole shabad theory
• Cross reference theory
• Validation or contextual theory
• Universality/wholesomeness of SGGS ji
• (Specificity is ruled out for Location, Occasion, Incident, Person)

1. Challenges of Existing Framework

• Difficult but unlearning process must precede relearning
• Sway of existing traditions
• Anti-thesis to sakhi-based – sakhi is divergent but Gurbani is convergent
• Exposes our shortcomings vis-à-vis our understanding of Gurbani
• Contradicts much/all that we ‘know’

1. If we overcome the challenges, we open a whole new world of

• Gurbani
• SGGS ji
• Authentic Sikhi (a practical and useful way of life) – all life values are in Gurbani

1. Existing Frameworks

• (Vedantic, Nirmala/Udasi, Sampardayee/ Taksali/and Spinoffs) ALL are Vedantic/incident/sakhi-based
• Literal translations merely change language of presentation
• from original to English but with incident-based interpretations
• Creates incidents,’historical events,’ occurrences, happenings as background of shabad

1. Problems of Incident-based Interpretations

• No consistency
• No internal validity
• Does not create real understanding of message
• Relies on external texts for the incidents (that are questionable as these are authored by Vedantics) which rely on Puranas, Shastras, Vedas and other Hindu texts to understand and explain gurbani concepts, context and principles

1. Problems of Vedantic Interpretations

• Creates erroneous/warped understanding of Gurbani messages
• Raises questions regarding the need for Gurbani
• Questions the integrity of Sikhi !!
• Questions the unique spirituality of our Gurus
• Reinforces the old canvas (like heavan and hell/84 lakh joons)
• Reintroduces rituals and other discarded stuff leading to Bipparism/ Brahmanism/Hinduisation of Sikhi
• Subjects Gurbani to hermeneutics (a method or theory of interpretation) of the Vedas
• Hence Gurbani is highjacked by Puranas/Shastras/Vedas leading to Bipparism/Hinduisation of Sikhs

9. Outcomes of Bipparism/Hinduisation of Sikhs

ASSIMILATION

• Eliminates separate identity

SUBJUGATION

• Reduces uniqueness
• Makes Sikhism a part of a whole
• Interpretive control of Gurbani through FOA

DILUTION

• Weakens source
• Reduces Gurbani focus
• Increases incident/sakhi-based focus

10. The Frameworks are compared in a shabad “Char padarath”

And we see that messages in Gurbani can be interpreted via

• Gurbani grammar
• Gurbani shabads

11. Conclusion :

• Vedantic explanations are rejected
• Gurbani will interpret Gurbani