Secular Thoughts Of The Sikh Gurus

Book Code: 1111003340072

Vivek Ranjan Bhattacharya

Secular Thoughts of the SIKH GURUS About The Book The Sikh Gurus sang the glory of a universal God and brotherhood among men. They recurred to the theme in an idiom appropriate to the times and climates they lived in. The lyrical Sikh hymns and songs stimulate the faithful to grow big in spirit, tolerance and fraternity. The Sikh faith did not build walls around itself, but became open and outreaching. The secular foundation of Sikh religion has been acknowledged by many non-Sikh saints, savants and poets. But a thoughtfully studied exposition was due till Dr. Vivek Ranjan Bhattacharya took up the task out of his deep conviction. He presents a warm appreciation of the secular thoughts of the ten Gurus who transmitted divine light to humanity. The sublime thoughts also hard-working men and women, free from the constraints of caste, social injustice, superstition and parochialism. Guru Nanak and the Gurus following him added a new dimension to the heritage of India’s secular thought. Teachings ot as may as nineteen non-Sikh saints form an integral part of the holy Guru Granth. The Vedas, the gods, the goddesses and the prophets of Hinduism occur frequently in the discourse and writings of the learned Gurus. Which other organized religion has a base so generous in spirit and so tolerant to other religions? This book uncovers the underlying message of universal love, amity, tolerance and social justice inherent in Sikh faith. Authenticated by quotations from oral and written works of the Gurus, the work is a testament of faith in secularism with in the framework of a great world religion. The way the world is going the secular thought of Sikh Gurus needs wide broadcasting. There is hardly any other choice for survival. Contents Foreword • Introduction • 1. Sikhism A Full-fledged Religion • 2. Concept of Religion As Realised by Guru Nanak • 3. Secular Thoughts Hallmark of the Sikh Gurus • 4. Guru Nanak Apostle of Secularism • 5. Guru Angad Dev Paragon of Selfless Service • 6. Guru Amar Das Man of Letters and Action • 7. Guru Ram Das Builder of the Holy City • 8. Guru Arjun Dev Compiler of Adi Granth • 9. Guru Har Gobind Lord of Spiritual and Secular Domains • 10. Guru Har Rai The Conformist • 11. Guru Teg Bahadur Hallowed Martyr • Guru Gobind Singh Warrior Saint • Epilogue. About the author/editor Dr. Vivek Ranjan Bhattacharya, who calls himself a Bengali Sikh, was born in Rawalpindi (now in Pakistan) and spent his boyhood as Sikh. He did his M.A. (Eco.) from Delhi University and was awarded Ph.D. by the same university. A man of many parts, he belongs to the Indian Information Service and at present holds office as Director (Justice) in the Ministry of Home Affairs. Dr. Bhattacharya is a dedicated scholar of Indian culture and civilization. He worked on the staff of Hindustan Standard and several journals published by the Government of India. The number of his published works in English, Hindi, Bengali and Urdu, exceeds 70. Many of them have won prestigious literary awards.