As the first Guru of the Sikhs, Guru Nanak Dev Ji (1469–1539) is credited as the founder of the new religion known as Sikhism. In the name of the holy soul, he was a renowned Indian spiritual figure who promoted peace and meditation. People of all religions revered him and his teachings because they were unique and different from other people's devotional practices to the All-Powerful. At a time when everyone was focused on advancing their religion, he was the one who propagated the message of humanity and mankind. He discussed the rights and equality of women. Despite being a great scholar, he continued to employ regional languages to communicate with the populace as he travelled in all four directions. His teachings were not lost with him; rather, they were transmitted to later generations by his successor and are now part of Shri Guru Granth Sahib Ji, the Sikhs' sacred book, which also includes the teachings of other spiritual authorities in addition to those of the Sikh Gurus.
Guru Nanak Dev Ji's birthday (Gurupurab) is commemorated on the desi calendar's Puranmashi of the Khattak month.
Early Life of Guru Nanak Ji (Birth Place)
On April 15, 1469, in "Rai Bhoe Ki Talwandi," Guru Nanak Ji was born. The area was formerly a part of India but is now known as Nankana Sahib and is situated in what is now Pakistan. The birthplace of Guru Nanak Dev Ji is close to Lahore. Guru Nanak Dev Ji's birth anniversary is commemorated annually on the full moon day in the month of Katak, which runs from October to November. Every year, it falls on a different day, and Sikhs worldwide celebrate it.
Mehta Kalu, a member of the Khatri caste who worked as the local accountant, was Guru Ji's father; Tripta, a devoutly simple woman, his mother. Bibi Nanki, his older sister, was very fond to him and his younger brother. His teachers and elders used to be in awe of his level of knowledge, intelligence, and logical reasoning on all topics, especially spiritual ones, because he was an amazing youngster even as a young boy. He only began to challenge the social norms as he got older and even stopped taking part in religious observances and rituals. He questioned the practise of idolatry and casteism as well. Even he objected to the sacred thread being attached to the "Upanayana rite". Besides this, he was very intelligent, and by the age of 16 only, he had learned many languages such as Sanskrit, Persian, Hindi, etc.
Guru Nanak's father considered providing him some money for business transaction when he realised that Guru Nanak was not interested in farming or other related pursuits. This would have allowed him to engage in more lucrative endeavors.
As a result, he handed him twenty rupees and dispatched Mardana along with him to carry out some successful trades. According to the chronicles, when Guru Nanak spotted several hungry and needy people along the road, he spent the entire sum for his lunch and declared that there was no genuine bargain to be had than to help the poor. This occurrence is often referred to as "True Bargain" or "Sacha Sauda." Another incident was in Sultanpur Lodhi. His beloved sister got married to Jai Ram. She moved to Sultanpur. Guru Nanak also went with her sister and brother-in-law for some days and started working there under his brother-in-law.
In 1487, he married Mata Sulakhni and had two sons, Sri Chand and Lakhmi Das. In Sultanpur, he used to visit a nearby river to bathe and meditate. One day, he went there and did not return for three days. When he returned, he looked like a man possessed, and when he spoke, he said, "There is no Hindu or Muslim". These words were considered the beginning of his teachings.
He propagated the idea that we can approach God without the aid of priests or ceremonies. He thought that everyone was capable of attaining the degree of spiritual perfection that would enable them to attain God. He urged people to repeat God's name in order to attain God.
He demonstrated how to live a spiritual life by giving back to and serving other people. He urged them to lead honest lives and to abstain from deception and exploitation. He basically established the three following pillars of the new religion, Sikhism, through his teachings:
Naam Japna: This refers to pronouncing the name of God, practising it through various forms of meditation, such as singing, chanting, and reciting it, as well as learning the Name of God and his virtues. Sikhs believe that Waheguru is the sole God and eternal creator, and we should pray in his honour.
Kirat Karni is Hindi for "earn honestly." He intended people to lead ordinary domestic lives, support themselves honestly by physical or mental labour, and constantly embrace both pleasure and suffering as gifts and graces from God.
Vand Chakna: This only refers to sharing and partaking in food together. He pleaded for people to donate a portion of his money to the community. A fundamental tenet of Sikhism is practising Vand Chakna, in which each Sikh gives to the community in accordance with his means. The core values of the Sikhism that Guru Nanak Dev Ji developed are giving and sharing.
At the time, he was respected and adored by followers of all religions. People of other faiths still admire and adhere to his teachings today. The caste system was at its height during the time of Guru Nanak, and he spoke out against it. He got to people despite all of these prejudices, including caste, creed, race, and status. He encouraged people to put humanity first in all things.
He urged individuals to master their thoughts because, if they could, they could master the entire world. Humanity is superior to all egotistical and bad customs. The light of God is present in all people equally. It was the time then when no respect and status were used to give to women
He also spread messages about women. Without a woman, he claimed, there is nothing and no one. Everyone is born to a woman, has their conception in a woman, marries a woman, and has several relationships that begin and end with a woman. He asserted that a woman is superior to all other beings and should be treated with respect at all times.
He came out in favour of women's equality and rights and pushed this message everywhere. In addition to this, Guru Nanak was the one who spoke about humanity and mankind when everyone else was talking about their religion and wanting to spread it alone. Numerous tales and events about Guru Nanak Dev's contributions to society are mentioned in the history.
He spent his final years at Kartarpur, the city of Guru Nanak founded in 1522 AD. By that point, he had established himself as a spiritual leader who was incredibly adored and revered for his contributions to humanity and his teachings to society.
At that time, disputes were occurring as Guru Nanak Dev Ji's burial ceremonies were being performed. Who would be the owner of Guru Nanak's body since everyone wanted to carry out their respective funeral rites, whether they were Sikhs, Hindus, or Muslims?
Then, Guru Nanak introduced and clarified the notion of "Joti Jot," stating that although his mortal body would pass away, the light contained inside it was immortal and would continue to enlighten. He said this light would pass to his new successor, Guru Angad Dev Ji. Guru Nanak Dev Ji took his last breath in Kartarpur on September 22, 1539 AD.
