Guru Nanak Jayanti 2019 or Gurpurab 2019 will be celebrated across the world on November 12. The day celebrates the birth anniversary of the first Sikh Guru – Guru Nanak Dev. Guru Nanak, along with six Sikh Gurus, wrote down the principles of Sikhism in the Holy book Guru Granth Sahib. Guru Granth Sahib ji is considered to be the principal sacred book of the people belonging to the Sikh community. Also known as ‘Aad Sri Guru Granth Sahib’, the holy book of Sikhs was composed by Sikh gurus, and is regarded as an ‘eternal living guru’. The essence of Guru Granth Sahib is to see a society based on the foundations of divine justice and without oppression in any manner. Guru Nanak Jayanti 2019: 10 Facts To Know About First Sikh Guru on His 550th Birth Anniversary.

The sacred book of Sikhs, Guru Granth Sahib, is written by 7 Sikh Gurus – Guru Nanak Dev, Guru Angad Dev, Guru Amar Das, Guru Ram Das, Guru Arjan Dev, Guru Teg Bahadur, and Guru Gobind Singh. The entire text is composed of 1,430 pages, and 6,000 line compositions. The scriptures of Guru Granth Sahib ji are divided into 60 raagas (roughly translates to tunes) and every Granth raga is further sub-divided as per the length and author.

The Aad Sri Guru Granth Sahib is written in Gurmukhi script, in several languages such as Lahnda, Sanskrit, Khariboli, Braj Bhasha, Persian, and Sindhi. The sacred book is kept in a gurudwara (Sikh temple), before which the Sikhs bow or show gratitude before entering the shrine.

The teachings of Guru Granth Sahib are strictly followed by the people of Sikh community. The learnings from the hymns and the scriptures are helpful for every individual. As the 550th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev – founder of Sikhism – nears, we at LatestLY, bring you some of the most important teachings that you’ll be able to derive from the holy ‘Guru Granth Sahib’ book of Sikhs.

Stay Away From 5 Evils

One of the most important teachings of Guru Granth Sahib is where it mentions its followers to shun these five evils – ego, anger, greed, attachment, and lust. The following leads to illusion and it eventually blocks one’s way to attain salvation.

One God

In Guru Granth Sahib, Guru Nanak Dev has said that there is only God. He said, “I am neither a Hindu, nor a Muslim, but a follower of God.” In Sikhism, the entity of God is ubiquitous. The god is Nirankar (shapeless), Akar (timeless), and Alakh (sightless).

Vand Chako – Kirat Karo – Naam Japna

As per Guru Granth Sahib, the followers should follow the teachings: Vand Chako, Kirat Karo, and Naam Japna. The text Vand Chako means: one should share with those who are less fortunate and in need; Kirat Karo: to live life honestly and without committing a fraud; Naam Japna: chanting the name of God and remembering him at all times.

Waheguru – Submission to the Will of God

As per the teachings of Guru Granth Sahib, the followers should submit to the will of God. It means that everything is destined by the will of God and whatever that happens, is happening due to the will of God. It will eliminate all the obstacles and darkness from one’s life.

Equality for Women

The teachings of Guru Granth Sahib say that there is no discrimination in the context of genders. The holy scriptures preach that women are equal to men and that there should be no differences when it comes to rights. Women are as much allowed as men are to attend public meetings, religious gatherings, and chanting the name of God.

The people of Sikh community religiously follow the teachings of Sikh gurus inscribed in their holy book, i.e. Guru Granth Sahib. The sacred text provides divine knowledge and eternal learnings to those who abide by it. There’s much more when it comes to the teachings in Guru Granth Sahib – it’s just how you interpret it. As the holy day – Guru Nanak Gupurab or Parkash Utsav – nears, we at LatestLY wish you and your family a very ‘Happy Guru Nanak Jayanti 2019!’

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Nov 08, 2019 12:04 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).