Loveye
mauja maan di
Q.Where is it written in Gurbani that meat and sharaab (alcohol) are forbidden?"
A.Bhagat Kabeer Jee's Salok on Ang1377 in Sri Guru Granth Sahib jee
Literal Translation:A.Bhagat Kabeer Jee's Salok on Ang1377 in Sri Guru Granth Sahib jee
"O Kabeer! Those mortals who consume marijuana, fish and wine - no matter what pilgrimages, fasts and rituals they follow, it all goes to waste and is of no use. ||233||"
(Ang 1377)Through the Revealed Word of God, Bhagat
Kabeer jee explains to himself to instruct the world about the prohibitions in religious discipline (kurehits). It is false to believe that this salok (hymn) only prohibits the consumption of cannabis, fish and alcohol. One has to look beyond the surface level and dive deeper into Gurbani. Guru Ji cannot make a vast list of drugs, foods and wines that one is forbidden to eat or drink. This would be a waste of time and difficult task to include the continuous new intoxicants or meat and alcohol products for sale around the world. Instead guru jee categorises drugs, meat/flesh/killed animals and wines/alcohol under three categories which represent all products associated and in the
same category.
Meaning of salok (word by word)
The category of 'cannabis' or 'bhung' includes opium, heroine, tobacco, and all drugs whether inhaled, eaten,
smoked or injected through needles. Some people argue that "bhung" (marijuana) is part of Sikh tradition and argue that it is part of Nihung Singh Maryada. However, who was given gurgaddi (guruship)? The
answer is only Sri Guru Granth Sahib jee. Rehit-namas (ethical codes of conduct), Panth Prakaash granth or any other historical granth (scripture) was not given gurgaddi (guruship). So who do we listen to and obey first? The answer is Gurbani. People make mistakes, traditions can get distorted and adopt new things and writers can be misunderstood but Gurbani is Perfect, Unchanging and the Truth. Therefore, it is clear "bhung" and all intoxicant drugs are forbidden.
The category of 'fish' includes all killed animals. Gurbani is not saying "Don't eat fish but you can eat a duck."
This category refers to all types of meat whether sea animals (e.g.
cod, haddock, crab, whale etc) or land animals (chicken, goat, cow, pig
etc.) and all allied products like egg, i.e. all meat and flesh. People
argue that one needs meat for strength, but Khalsa ji, the strongest
animal on earth is the elephant. The elephant lives on nuts. In the old
days when the Khalsa lived in the jungles as fugitives then the Khalsa
stayed alive on "sholay" (chick-peas) and berries.
he category of alcohol or wine includes all types of alcohol. This does not mean that someone can argue "I can drink white whine but not drink whisky". Guru
jee means all wines and types of alcohol, whether it is beer, whisky,
rum, brandy, or any type of wine etc. This is irrespective of the brand
name of the alcohol, how it is packaged or whether it is 1% alcohol or
20% alcohol.
Gurbani is not prohibiting drugs, meat
and alcohol to only Sikhs. It is clear that Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji is
addressing everyone, i.e. Muslims, Hindus, Christians, Sikhs and the
whole world.
Guru Ji is addressing everyone and not
only Sikhs. For Hindus, pilgrimage is bathing at the sixty-eight sacred
places revered across India. For Muslims, pilgrimage is going on Hajj,
i.e. visiting Mecca. For Christians, pilgrimage is visiting Bethlehem
and Jerusalem. For Sikhs, pilgrimage in a physical sense is visiting
Sri Harimandir Sahib (also known as the 'Golden Temple') in Amritsar as
well as other historical Gurdwaras in India and Pakistan, but in a
spiritual sense pilgrimage means travelling from your mind to one's
soul through bathing and immersing oneself in Naam.
Hindus keep fasts on certain days
related to their deities as an act of penance. Muslims observe 'Roza'
or a fast during the month of Ramadan. Christians keep a fast or give
up certain foods during 'Lent' (before Easter). Sikhs observe the
permanent fast of not telling lies, not cheating anyone else or
stealing the wealth of others, i.e. living an honest life.
Hindus perform daily rituals (puja) and
chant devotional prayers as part of their daily routine. Muslims
perform five prayers (namaaz) as part of their daily routine.
Christians say the Lord's prayer as part of their daily routine. Sikhs
recite Nitnem (daily prayers) at Amrit-vela (the early ambrosial
hours), in the evening and before bed. In addition to this Sikhs peform
religious practices of holding Akhand Paatths, doing Langar seva and
reciting Sukhmani Sahib etc.
Again, Guru Ji talks about everyone. There are no exceptions.
Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji, the Pefect
True Guru, the Complete Truth, the Word of God, the Universal Truth,
instructs us that if anyone (irrespective of faith or background)
consumes drugs or intoxicants, eats any fish or meat, or drinks any
wine or alcohol then all their pilgrimages, fasts and religious
practices and prayers lose their value and become worth nothing. So,
irrespective of how many Akhand Paatths one holds at the Gurdwara, how
many times one pays for Langar seva, or how many Sukhmani Sahib
programmes one holds at their home, they will not reap the the true
benefits. That person becomes worthy of hell and reaps no benefit from
his religious commitments and efforts. If you collect many 'zeros', it
means nothing. However, add '1' to three zeros and you will get 100 or
add '1' to six zeroes and you get 1 million. Similarly, those of us who
do good acts and pray to Waheguru but still follow our mind are
collecting zeros but when we follow the Guru, become the Guru's Sikhs
through Amrit and keep Rehit then it is like adding '1' to all those
zeros collected.
This salok on ang 1377 is crystal clear
that a Sikh is prohibited from eating meat or any flesh. Anyone who
accepts and has full faith in Sri Guru Granth Sahib jee as their
Satguru will not doubt Gurbani (the Guru's Word). With one Hukam from
Gurbani a Sikh accepts and obeys. On the other hand, a Manmukh (one who
follows his own mind) would continue to ask for further proof or
evidence and remain unsatisfied and unwilling to submit to the
instructions of Satguru.
(Ang 1377)Through the Revealed Word of God, Bhagat
Kabeer jee explains to himself to instruct the world about the prohibitions in religious discipline (kurehits). It is false to believe that this salok (hymn) only prohibits the consumption of cannabis, fish and alcohol. One has to look beyond the surface level and dive deeper into Gurbani. Guru Ji cannot make a vast list of drugs, foods and wines that one is forbidden to eat or drink. This would be a waste of time and difficult task to include the continuous new intoxicants or meat and alcohol products for sale around the world. Instead guru jee categorises drugs, meat/flesh/killed animals and wines/alcohol under three categories which represent all products associated and in the
same category.
Meaning of salok (word by word)
The category of 'cannabis' or 'bhung' includes opium, heroine, tobacco, and all drugs whether inhaled, eaten,
smoked or injected through needles. Some people argue that "bhung" (marijuana) is part of Sikh tradition and argue that it is part of Nihung Singh Maryada. However, who was given gurgaddi (guruship)? The
answer is only Sri Guru Granth Sahib jee. Rehit-namas (ethical codes of conduct), Panth Prakaash granth or any other historical granth (scripture) was not given gurgaddi (guruship). So who do we listen to and obey first? The answer is Gurbani. People make mistakes, traditions can get distorted and adopt new things and writers can be misunderstood but Gurbani is Perfect, Unchanging and the Truth. Therefore, it is clear "bhung" and all intoxicant drugs are forbidden.
The category of 'fish' includes all killed animals. Gurbani is not saying "Don't eat fish but you can eat a duck."
This category refers to all types of meat whether sea animals (e.g.
cod, haddock, crab, whale etc) or land animals (chicken, goat, cow, pig
etc.) and all allied products like egg, i.e. all meat and flesh. People
argue that one needs meat for strength, but Khalsa ji, the strongest
animal on earth is the elephant. The elephant lives on nuts. In the old
days when the Khalsa lived in the jungles as fugitives then the Khalsa
stayed alive on "sholay" (chick-peas) and berries.
he category of alcohol or wine includes all types of alcohol. This does not mean that someone can argue "I can drink white whine but not drink whisky". Guru
jee means all wines and types of alcohol, whether it is beer, whisky,
rum, brandy, or any type of wine etc. This is irrespective of the brand
name of the alcohol, how it is packaged or whether it is 1% alcohol or
20% alcohol.
Gurbani is not prohibiting drugs, meat
and alcohol to only Sikhs. It is clear that Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji is
addressing everyone, i.e. Muslims, Hindus, Christians, Sikhs and the
whole world.
Guru Ji is addressing everyone and not
only Sikhs. For Hindus, pilgrimage is bathing at the sixty-eight sacred
places revered across India. For Muslims, pilgrimage is going on Hajj,
i.e. visiting Mecca. For Christians, pilgrimage is visiting Bethlehem
and Jerusalem. For Sikhs, pilgrimage in a physical sense is visiting
Sri Harimandir Sahib (also known as the 'Golden Temple') in Amritsar as
well as other historical Gurdwaras in India and Pakistan, but in a
spiritual sense pilgrimage means travelling from your mind to one's
soul through bathing and immersing oneself in Naam.
Hindus keep fasts on certain days
related to their deities as an act of penance. Muslims observe 'Roza'
or a fast during the month of Ramadan. Christians keep a fast or give
up certain foods during 'Lent' (before Easter). Sikhs observe the
permanent fast of not telling lies, not cheating anyone else or
stealing the wealth of others, i.e. living an honest life.
Hindus perform daily rituals (puja) and
chant devotional prayers as part of their daily routine. Muslims
perform five prayers (namaaz) as part of their daily routine.
Christians say the Lord's prayer as part of their daily routine. Sikhs
recite Nitnem (daily prayers) at Amrit-vela (the early ambrosial
hours), in the evening and before bed. In addition to this Sikhs peform
religious practices of holding Akhand Paatths, doing Langar seva and
reciting Sukhmani Sahib etc.
Again, Guru Ji talks about everyone. There are no exceptions.
Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji, the Pefect
True Guru, the Complete Truth, the Word of God, the Universal Truth,
instructs us that if anyone (irrespective of faith or background)
consumes drugs or intoxicants, eats any fish or meat, or drinks any
wine or alcohol then all their pilgrimages, fasts and religious
practices and prayers lose their value and become worth nothing. So,
irrespective of how many Akhand Paatths one holds at the Gurdwara, how
many times one pays for Langar seva, or how many Sukhmani Sahib
programmes one holds at their home, they will not reap the the true
benefits. That person becomes worthy of hell and reaps no benefit from
his religious commitments and efforts. If you collect many 'zeros', it
means nothing. However, add '1' to three zeros and you will get 100 or
add '1' to six zeroes and you get 1 million. Similarly, those of us who
do good acts and pray to Waheguru but still follow our mind are
collecting zeros but when we follow the Guru, become the Guru's Sikhs
through Amrit and keep Rehit then it is like adding '1' to all those
zeros collected.
This salok on ang 1377 is crystal clear
that a Sikh is prohibited from eating meat or any flesh. Anyone who
accepts and has full faith in Sri Guru Granth Sahib jee as their
Satguru will not doubt Gurbani (the Guru's Word). With one Hukam from
Gurbani a Sikh accepts and obeys. On the other hand, a Manmukh (one who
follows his own mind) would continue to ask for further proof or
evidence and remain unsatisfied and unwilling to submit to the
instructions of Satguru.
