The Sikh gurus (
Punjabi: ਸਿੱਖ ਗੁਰੂ) are the spiritual masters of
Sikhism
Sikhism (), also known as Sikhi ( pa, ਸਿੱਖੀ ', , from pa, ਸਿੱਖ, lit=disciple', 'seeker', or 'learner, translit=Sikh, label=none),''Sikhism'' (commonly known as ''Sikhī'') originated from the word ''Sikh'', which comes fro ...
, who established this religion over the course of about two and a half centuries, beginning in 1469.
The year 1469 marks the birth of
Guru Nanak
Gurū Nānak (15 April 1469 – 22 September 1539; Gurmukhi: ਗੁਰੂ ਨਾਨਕ; pronunciation: , ), also referred to as ('father Nānak'), was the founder of Sikhism and is the first of the ten Sikh Gurus. His birth is celebrated w ...
, the founder of Sikhism. He was succeeded by nine other human gurus until, in 1708, the ''
Guruship'' was finally passed on by the tenth guru to the holy
Sikh scripture,
Guru Granth Sahib
The Guru Granth Sahib ( pa, ਗੁਰੂ ਗ੍ਰੰਥ ਸਾਹਿਬ, ) is the central holy religious scripture of Sikhism, regarded by Sikhs as the final, sovereign and Guru Maneyo Granth, eternal Guru following the lineage of the Sikh gur ...
, which is now considered the living Guru by the followers of the Sikh faith.
Etymology and definition
''Guru'' (, ; sa, गुरु,
Punjabi: ਗੁਰੂ,
IAST: ''guru'') is a
Sanskrit
Sanskrit (; attributively , ; nominally , , ) is a classical language belonging to the Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European languages. It arose in South Asia after its predecessor languages had diffused there from the northwest in the late ...
term for a "
teacher
A teacher, also called a schoolteacher or formally an educator, is a person who helps students to acquire knowledge, competence, or virtue, via the practice of teaching.
''Informally'' the role of teacher may be taken on by anyone (e.g. whe ...
,
guide
A guide is a person who leads travelers, sportspeople, or tourists through unknown or unfamiliar locations. The term can also be applied to a person who leads others to more abstract goals such as knowledge or wisdom.
Travel and recreation
Ex ...
,
expert, or master" of certain knowledge or field. Bhai
Vir Singh, in his dictionary of
Guru Granth Sahib
The Guru Granth Sahib ( pa, ਗੁਰੂ ਗ੍ਰੰਥ ਸਾਹਿਬ, ) is the central holy religious scripture of Sikhism, regarded by Sikhs as the final, sovereign and Guru Maneyo Granth, eternal Guru following the lineage of the Sikh gur ...
describes the term
Guru as a combination of two separate units: "Gu;(ਗੁ)" meaning darkness and "Rū;(ਰੂ)" which means light. Hence,
Guru is who brings light into darkness or in other words, the one who enlightens.
Bhai
Vir Singh's definition provides further insight about
Sikhi
Sikhism (), also known as Sikhi ( pa, ਸਿੱਖੀ ', , from pa, ਸਿੱਖ, lit=disciple', 'seeker', or 'learner, translit=Sikh, label=none),''Sikhism'' (commonly known as ''Sikhī'') originated from the word ''Sikh'', which comes fro ...
itself and explains why
Guru Granth Sahib
The Guru Granth Sahib ( pa, ਗੁਰੂ ਗ੍ਰੰਥ ਸਾਹਿਬ, ) is the central holy religious scripture of Sikhism, regarded by Sikhs as the final, sovereign and Guru Maneyo Granth, eternal Guru following the lineage of the Sikh gur ...
is considered the living Guru. The word
Sikh is derived from the
Sanskrit
Sanskrit (; attributively , ; nominally , , ) is a classical language belonging to the Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European languages. It arose in South Asia after its predecessor languages had diffused there from the northwest in the late ...
term ''shishya''
(
Punjabi: ਸਿੱਖ) which means a disciple or a student. Thus,
Sikhs have a
student–teacher relationship with their Gurus since their teachings, written in
Guru Granth Sahib
The Guru Granth Sahib ( pa, ਗੁਰੂ ਗ੍ਰੰਥ ਸਾਹਿਬ, ) is the central holy religious scripture of Sikhism, regarded by Sikhs as the final, sovereign and Guru Maneyo Granth, eternal Guru following the lineage of the Sikh gur ...
, serve as a guide for the Sikhs.
The gurus
Timeline
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PlotArea = left:150 bottom:20 top:0 right:0
Period = from:1469 till:1708
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id:1 value:orange
id:2 value:blue
id:3 value:blue
id:4 value:darkblue
id:5 value:purple
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id:10 value:blue
ScaleMajor = increment:25 start:1475
BarData=
bar:Nanak text:"Guru Nanak Dev (1469–1539)"
bar:Angad text:"Guru Angad Dev (1504–1552)"
bar:Amar text:"Guru Amar Das (1479–1574)"
bar:Ram text:"Guru Ram Das (1534 –1581)"
bar:Arjan text:"Guru Arjan Dev (1563–1606)"
bar:Hargobind text:"Guru Hargobind (1595–1644)"
bar:Har text:"Guru Har Rai (1630–1661)"
bar:HarK text:"Guru Har Krishan (1656–1664)"
bar:Tegh text:"Guru Tegh Bahadur (1621–1675)"
bar:Gobind text:"Guru Gobind Singh (1666–1708)"
PlotData=
bar:Nanak from:1469 till:1539 color:1
bar:Angad from:1504 till:1552 color:2
bar:Amar from:1479 till:1574 color:3
bar:Ram from:1534 till:1581 color:4
bar:Arjan from:1563 till:1606 color:5
bar:Hargobind from:1595 till:1644 color:6
bar:Har from:1630 till:1661 color:7
bar:HarK from:1656 till:1669 color:8
bar:Tegh from:1621 till:1675 color:9
bar:Gobind from:1666 till:1708 color:10
Pedigrees
[Listed names and relations might vary from source to source since different aspects of Sikh history have been written by many different individuals over the course of past six centuries]
See also
*
History of Sikhism
*
Khalsa
Khalsa ( pa, ਖ਼ਾਲਸਾ, , ) refers to both a community that considers Sikhism as its faith,[Kha ...]
*
Gurgadi
Notes
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sikh Gurus