Category: Punjabi

Honoring My Mamaji: Gursharan Singh Grewal

photo-2019-01-25-15-57-17Last Sunday night came the news that Mamaji Gursharan passed away.  Although this is a shocking and sad news, but knowing that he’s returned back to our maker (to a better place away from the pain and suffering of this physical plane) is comforting.

How do I pay homage to this larger than life Uncle?       He was an extremely accomplished and dynamic human being.  Born on 19th November 1930, at home in the ‘Kila’ in Gujjarwal, he was 3rd of seven sibling (with my mother being the youngest and 15 years his junior).  He finished his FSc from Government College Ludhiana, and went to Punjab Engineering College Roorkee (which later relocated to Chandigarh), where he graduated as a ‘Civil Engineer’.  I remember him sharing that this was a time when even the engineering students got assigned butlers’ (a legacy pf colonial India!).

His first job was the construction of the ‘Bhakra Dam’, where he worked under Harvey Slocum, a renowned American civil engineer and dam-building expert (famous for building the Grand Coulee Dam in Oregon).  Bhakra Dam was called the “New Temple of Resurgent India” by the first Prime-minister of Independent India and freedom fighter, Mr. Jawaharlal Nehru.  His career also took him to Ghana and Iraq, where he helped these governments/companies with irrigation, dam and/or canal building/management expertise.  He retired as the Chief Engineer of Punjab.

As I write this blog, an ‘Akhand Path (continuous prayers)’ have commenced.  Although I can’t be there for his final ‘Antim Areas and Bhog’, I want to commemorate him, this amazing man, my beloved Mamaji.  I love you Mamaji, and one day we will all meet again in the ethereal plane.  Till then God Bless and ‘Shabba Khair‘. Continue reading “Honoring My Mamaji: Gursharan Singh Grewal” →

God, does He/She really exist? (Part 1 of 3)

 

Discussion this week with my father was particularly very intriguing, stimulating and thought-provoking.  We talked about God consciousness.  Does God really exist? Why is Sikhism there are numerous names for the Divine despite the belief in one supreme God ‘EK Omkar’ (who prevails in everything)?  Has anyone seen It/Him/Her (including Prophets, Gurus, Sages or even any mortal)? etc.

In the foundational Sikh prayer, the ‘Mool’ or ‘Mul’ ‘Mantar,’ the nucleus of Sikh beliefs, he shared that our first teacher Babaji Guru Nanak, simply and poetically rendered this prayer upon realizing the Divine (and that all Sikh scriptures including ‘Guru Granth Sahib Ji,’ ‘Japji Sahib’ have the ‘Mool/Mul Mantar’ as a foundational prayer so that Sikhs can first learn, understand, live and embody the ‘Mool/Mul Mantar’ and remain in reverence of the Almighty).

Mool/ Mul Mantar –  Ek Omkar, Satnam, Karta-Purakh, Nirabhau, Nirvair, Akal-Moorath, Ajooni, Saibhang, Gurparsad, Jap!  Aad Such, Jugaad Such, Hai Bhee Such, Nanak Hosee Bhee Such. 

(by Shivpreet Singh)

Translation–  All pervading infinite spirit, Truth is Its name, Creator of everything, Fearless, Inimical to none, Immortal/Timeless, Unborn, Self-illuminated, he can obtained thru courtesy of the Guru, Meditate/ remember him! True in the beginning, True thru all the ages, True even now, Oh Nanak, It is forever True.

We further discussed that although we Sikhs believe in One Supreme God (Ek Omkar), who prevails in everything, however, there are numerous and multitude of names to call the divine (Just in Babaji Guru Gobind Singh’s Jaap Sahib there are approximately 900 names for God.  We don’t how many exist in ‘Guru Granth Sahib,’ in ‘Japji Sahib,’ ‘Gutka,’ ‘Pothian,’ ‘Nitmen,’ etc.

 

Next – Part 2 : Has Anyone Really Seen God?

 

PS –  A noteworthy post that I found very interesting was by Mr. Brijdeep Singh,  titled ‘Mool Matra, Fountain, Spiritual, Temporal Wisdom’,  available at: https://sikhsailor.wordpress.com/2010/05/16/mool-mantra-fountain-spiritual-temporal-wisdom/. This is a very wonderful and intensive spiritual, metaphysical, scientific and temporal interpretations of the Mool/Mul Mantar did with lot of love and ‘Bhakti’.  Thank you Veerji Brijdeep Singh Ji.