Nanak, << NAH nuhk >> (1469-1539), was the founder and the first guru of Sikhism. A guru is a religious teacher. Nanak was born into a Hindu family in the village of Talwandi, in Punjab (now Nankana Sahib, in Pakistan). Nanak’s family belonged to a high caste (social group or class). His father was an accountant who worked for a Muslim landlord. Nanak’s disappointment with the practice of Hinduism and Islam during his lifetime led him to found the community of Sikhs, meaning disciples.
According to Sikh tradition, when Nanak was about 30 years old, he disappeared while bathing in the River Bein. People feared that he had drowned. Three days later, however, he reappeared, saying he had been to God’s court and received a revelation from God. Nanak also said, “There is no Hindu, there is no Muslim, so whose path shall I follow? God is neither Hindu nor Muslim, and the path I shall follow is God’s.” These events marked the start of Nanak’s religious mission and resulted in the founding of Sikhism. Nanak traveled widely throughout India and many parts of Asia, as far west as Mecca, for many years. During his travels, he met holy men and preached his message.
Nanak created a religion that rejected the Hindu ideas of caste, idol worship, ritual, and women’s inferiority to men. It rejected such rituals as fasting and pilgrimage. A pilgrimage is a journey to a sacred place. Nanak also rejected the Islamic idea of exclusivity. Exclusivity is the belief that only Muslims can achieve spiritual salvation. Nanak taught that all human beings were equal in God’s eyes. He said that meditation on God’s name, truthful living, and charity were the key requirements for connecting with God. Nanak rejected the religious practice known as asceticism. Asceticism involves extreme self-denial or self-punishment. Instead, he urged moderation and simplicity. He praised marriage and family life. He believed in one supreme God.
Nanak composed 974 hymns that appear in the Sikh holy book, the Adi Granth (First Book). His most famous hymn is the Japji, which Sikhs recite at dawn each day. The hymn praises the power and majesty of the one God. It teaches how people can be saved by opening themselves to God’s grace—that is, God’s love and favor.
Before Nanak died, he appointed the next Sikh guru. He renamed his successor, Bhai Lehna, as Guru Angad, meaning my limb. According to Sikh tradition, Nanak’s spirit descended upon Angad and was then passed on from guru to guru. The Adi Granth tells that Angad even took on the physical appearance of Nanak.
Nanak died on Sept. 22, 1539. A collection of stories called the janam sakhis tells of Nanak’s life.
See also Adi Granth ; Sikhism .
