The Source Book On Sikhism

Bani Kabir Ji Ki

1. Kabir’s social background as a low caste weaver makes it likely that he was more or less illiterate (pg.70).

2. Kabir seems to have inherited his misogynist bias from Nath – panthic tradition which regarded women as tigresses. “They always sought men to prey upon them”. Kabir refers to woman as Kali nagrini, (a black cobra), Kundra Naraka Ka (the pit of hell), Juthani Jagata Ki (the refuse of the world).

Discussion

It is very clear from the information cited above, that Pashaura Singh is doing his Eurocentric role dance to bring “correct” interpretation to Guru Granth Sahib. To him, scriptures are not “Dhur Ki Bani” but something to play with, and provide interpretation to the verbal and written behaviour of Kabir, Farid, Guru Nanak, Guru Amar Das and Guru Arjan.

Dr. P. Singh is applying empiricist, and logical-positive McLeodian paradigm to develop the argument of including Bhagat Bani into Guru Granth Sahib. He fails to comment that if the Bhagat Bani needed explanation, why in the first place did Guru Arjan include it into the Holy Granth.

It is very clear that Pashaura Singh is using his Sikh identity paradigm to "understand" Farid and Kahir. He is also saying that Guru Arjan, after including the Bhagat Bani (Note: no motivation of such inclusion is given, perhaps that was kept for his Ph.D. thesis) wanted to create a “good fit”. It must be pointed out Pashaura Singh does not say that Bani of the other four groups was included to attract them to Sikhism (for more detailed analysis readers are advised to read ‘Planned Attack on AAD Sri Guru Granth Sahib Academics or blasphemy, edited by Bachiltar Singh Grani and published by International Centre of Sikh Studies, Chandigarh, 1994’.)

Comments

In 1979, Graduate Theological Union, Berkley, California, published a book entitled Sikh Studies. It was edited by Mark Juergansmeyer and N.G. Barrier. This book included an article of Dr. H. McLeod. Dr. McLeod raises these questions about the Sikh scriptures.

1. Have these scriptures been subjected to searching academic scrutiny and analysis?

2. Should they be examined by Sikh, or foreigners?

3. Will this examination be regarded as sacrilegious interference?

Dr. McLeod feels that for the sake of bringing respectability to Sikh studies, these scriptures should be subjected to analysis using social science methods of the West. Well, he found a willing student in Pashaura Singh to do that in his M.A. and Ph.D. thesis.

It is painful to imagine that Prof. Pashawra Singh was also involved in this project. If Sikhs had read through McLeod’s intentions in 1979, something could have been done to stop this “historian in a hurry” with his role-dancing disciples.

It is about time that Sikh scholars should read everything that is written by these Eurocentric scholars. In North America there are five places (U.B.C., U of Toronto, University of Calgary, Columbia University and University of Berkley) where “culture of fitters of Sikh religion” is still manifesting itself.