editorial articles reviews news & views - Institute of Sikh Studies

98
ABSTRACTS OF SIKH STUDIES : APRIL-JUNE 2005 / 537 NS
the point that S Hardev Singh is making. His query about Anand Karaj
is due to his lack of understanding of Punjabi culture. Anand Karaj
has nothing to do with the marriage being arranged or consensual.
Also, the Rehat does not ask us to remember the physical existence of
our Gurus. Instead it requires us to follow their utterances and
teachings.
S Hardev Singh Shergill puts forward his thesis that Sikhism should
evolve out of the restrictions of five ks, especially the hair. In his
opinion this is a need of the diaspora Sikhs. In his opinion, it is very
hard for the children born and bred overseas to keep their hair unshorn.
He quotes Kabir to support his thesis.
Kabir preet ik sio kiye aan dubida jaye.
Bhanvein lambe kes kar bhave gharrar mudaey.
Guru Granth Sahib, p 1365
(Kabir, the duality vanishes, when you are in love with one
supreme God. It does not matter whether you have long hair or
are clean shaven.)
We often read in the pages of Sikh Bulletin that the so-called
kathakars are misquoting and misinterpreting gurbani. This is exactly
what he has done here. The long hair refer to the jattas (tangled locks)
kept by some sects in India. Similarly, some sects were shaving their
heads. Kabir is telling both of them that neither the unkempt hair nor
the shaving of hair is of any help at the end of the day. What matters
is your firm belief and love for the one immortal being. This is what
will lead to riddance from duality. Now to use this verse from Kabir
as something that negates the importance of 5 ks is absolutely wrong,
and amounts to deliberate distortion of the meaning of gurbani. Both
the sects were running away from the ordinary life style. Remember,
Guru has not only given us uncut hair but also a comb to keep them
neat and tidy. As a friend has said in these lines, Kabir hammers home
the “futility of renunciation as a means of achieving eternal bliss.
Sikhism is a life-affirming philosophy and the uncut hair symbolize
this positive view towards life. The uncut hair (as opposed to the
shaven head) and the comb (as opposed to unkempt hair) symbolize
the ‘permanent renunciation of renunciation’.”
Moreover, none of our Gurus have said that by keeping long
hair you can attain spiritual progress. Unshorn hair is like the dress