GURMAT (Gurmat, Mat, from Sanskrit Mati, meaning counsel or tenets of the Guru, more specifically the religious principles laid down by the Guru) is a term which, in its essential sense, may be taken to be synonymous with Sikhism itself. It covers doctrinal, prescriptive, and directional aspects of Sikh faith and praxis. Besides the basic theological structure, doctrine, and tenets derived from the teachings of Guru Nanak and his nine successors, it refers to the whole Sikh way of life both in its individual and social expressions evolved over the centuries. Guidance received by Sikhs in their day-to-day affairs from institutions established by the Gurus and by the community nurtured upon their teachings also falls within the frame of Gurmat.
In any exigency, the decision to be taken by the followers must conform to Gurmat in its ideological and/or conventional assumptions. The Guru in Gurmat means the Ten Gurus of the Sikh faith as well as Gurbani, i.e., their inspired utterances recorded in the Guru Granth Sahib. The instruction (Mat) of the Guru implies the teaching imparted through this holy word and the example set by the Ten Gurus in person. Direction derived from these sources is a Sikh’s ultimate norm in shaping the course of their life, both in its sacred and secular aspects.
The spiritual path they are called upon to pursue should be oriented towards obtaining release, i.e., freedom from the dread bondage of repeated births and deaths, and the standards of religious and personal conduct they must conform to in order to relate to their community and society as a whole are collectively subsumed in the concept of Gurmat. Theologically, Gurmat encompasses a strictly monotheistic belief. Faith in the Transcendent Being as the Supreme, indivisible reality without attributes is the first principle. The attributive immanent nature of the Supreme Being is also accepted in Sikhism, which posits power to create as one of the cardinal attributes of the Absolute or God of its conception.
The Creator brought into being the universe by His Hukam or Will, without any intermediaries. Man, as the pinnacle of creation, is born with a divine spark; his liberation lies in the recognition of his own spiritual essence and the immanence of the Divine in the cosmic order. Fulfillment comes with the curbing of one’s Haumai (ego) and the cultivation of the discipline of Nam, i.e., absorption in God’s name, and of the humanitarian values of Seva (selfless service to fellow humans), love, and tolerance. The way of life prescribed by Gurmat postulates faith in the teachings of Gurbani, perception of the Divine Will as the supreme law, and the honest performance of one’s duties as a householder, an essential obligation.
The first act suggested is prayer—prayer in the form of recitation by the individual of Gurbani, participation in corporate service, or silent contemplation on the holy word in solitude. “Kirat Karni, Vand Chhakna te Nam Japna” is the formula which succinctly sums up what is required of a Sikh: they must work to earn their living, share with others the fruit of their exertion, and practice remembrance of God’s name. Gurmat has evolved a tradition of observances and ceremonies for the Sikhs, mostly centered around the Holy Book, Guru Granth Sahib. Gurmat recognizes no priestly class as such.
Any Sikh admitted to the Sangat may lead services, including prayers, performing the wedding ceremony known as Anand Karaj, and reciting from the Guru Granth Sahib. The rites of passage—ceremonies connected with the birth of a child, initiation, marriage, and death—take place in the presence of the Guru Granth Sahib. They conclude with an Ardas (prayer) and the distribution of sacramental Karah Prasad. The recital of six stanzas from the Anand (bliss) is nearly mandatory for all occasions, whether of joy or sorrow, wedding or death.
On the ethical plane, Gurmat prescribes a code of virtues and moral values coupled with the distinctive appearance made obligatory for the Khalsa. A Sikh becomes a full member of the Khalsa brotherhood after receiving the rites of initiation and the vows that go with it. Violation of any part of the code (particularly the four prohibitions) of the Khalsa is treated as disregard of Gurmat and renders the offender guilty of apostasy. The tribunal of Sri Akal Takht at Amritsar has traditionally been regarded as supreme in religious, social, and secular affairs of the Sikhs. It has the authority to issue edicts for guiding the Panth (community) as a whole and to excommunicate individuals who have acted contrary to its interests or have been found guilty of attempting to overturn any established Sikh religious convention.
Directional injunctions under Gurmat can be issued to individuals or communities by Panj Piare, the five elect ones. They provide solutions to problems that arise or are brought before them. Alternatively, one consults the Guru by presenting oneself before the Guru Granth Sahib to obtain guidance in moments of perplexity, which comes in the form of the Shabad, i.e., hymn or stanza, that first meets the eye at the top of the left-hand page as the Holy Book is opened at random. There are also instances where community leaders decide on a course of action through such consultation.
The institution of Gurmata (sacred resolution)—a unanimous decision taken or consensus arrived at in the presence of Guru Granth Sahib—dates back to the early eighteenth century. Some conventions and customs established to resolve lingering controversies have become part of Gurmat. Regarding the wedding ceremony, for instance, the custom of Anand Karaj has gained universal acceptance, which was not the case until the beginning of the twentieth century; any other form of the ritual does not have the sanction of Gurmat today. As for meat-eating, Gurmat has not given a final verdict, as both vegetarianism and non-vegetarianism are concurrently prevalent.
The use of intoxicants, however, is clearly prohibited. Casteism and untouchability are ruled out in principle; any vestiges of it, such as the use of caste names as surnames, are generally considered against Gurmat. The 48-hour long uninterrupted recitation of the Guru Granth Sahib, called Akhand Path, has, over the decades, come to be accepted as part of the Sikh way of life. Gurmat does not approve of renunciation; instead, it insists on active participation in life.
Human existence, according to Sikh belief, affords a rare opportunity for self-transcendence through cognizing and contemplating the Name and deeds of selfless service. One rehearses the qualities of humility, compassion, and fraternal love best while living in the world. A householder who works to earn their living and is willing to share with others the fruits of their exertion, while cherishing God in their heart, is, according to Gurmat, the ideal person. Even as reverence for the pious and the saintly is regarded as desirable, parasitism is forbidden under Gurmat.
The cultivation of values of character and finer tastes in life is commended. The writings of the Gurus preserved in the Guru Granth Sahib and the Dasam Granth best interpret and elucidate what Gurmat is. Some anecdotes recorded in the Janam Sakhis also help explain Gurmat principles. A systematic exposition of Gurmat principles was first undertaken by Bhai Gurdas (d. 1636), who in his Varan elaborated on terms such as Gurmukh (one attuned to the Guru’s teachings), Sangat (fellowship of the holy), and Seva (humble acts of service in the cause of the community and humanity in general), besides evolving a framework for the exegetics of Gurbani.
The process of exposition continued by learned figures such as Baba Miharban (1581–1640), Bhai Mani Singh (d. 1737), and Bhai Santokh Singh (1787–1843), along with the writers of Rahitnama literature. It reached its culmination during the Singh Sabha movement, which produced interpreters of the calibre of Bhai Kahn Singh (1861–1938), Bhai Vir Singh (1872–1957), and Bhai Jodh Singh (1882–1981).
The inaugural Ardas (supplication) was said by one of those present seeking the Guru’s blessing, sacramental Karah Prasad was distributed, and proposals were put forth for discussion. Ardas, continues John Malcolm, was again recited, and all those present vowed, with the Guru Granth Sahib betwixt them, to lay aside all internal disputes and discords. “This moment of religious fervour and ardent patriotism” was utilized to reconcile all animosities. Proposals were then considered, and an agreed Gurmata evolved, with the whole assembly raising shouts of “Sat Sri Akal” together in token of acceptance.
To cite some of the historic Gurmatas, Sikhs resolved by mutual counsel at a general assembly at Amritsar in 1726 to avenge the slaying of Tara Singh of Van and his companions and rise to obstruct the functioning of the government. They attacked treasuries and arsenals and chastised the officials who had been spying on them. When in 1733 an offer of a jagir (land grant) and the title of Nawab was received from the Mughal governor of Lahore, Sikhs by one voice chose Kapur Singh for the honour. Though there was no formal Gurmata adopted, the consensus was arrived at in a divan in keeping with the same spirit and procedure.
A Sikh conclave took place at Amritsar on Divali (14 October) of 1745 to take stock of the situation following the death of the governor of Lahore, Zakariya Khan, who had launched large-scale persecution. They adopted a Gurmata extending sanction to the 25 Sikh groups which had emerged, permitting them to carry out raids on Mughal strongholds. The assembly held on the Baisakhi day (30 March) of 1747 resolved by a Gurmata passed to erect at Amritsar a fort which came to be known as Ram Rauni. By a Gurmata passed in 1748 (Baisakhi, 29 March), Sikhs decided to establish the Dal Khalsa, choosing Jassa Singh Ahluwalia as the leader, reducing the number of recognized jathas to 11 (the number having gone up to 65 by then), and providing for a record being kept at the Akal Takht of the possessions of each group in a separate file (misal).
A Gurmata in 1753 formally endorsed the system of Rakhi introduced by the ruling Sikh clans. In 1765, a Gurmata was passed proclaiming the supremacy of the Sarbatt Khalsa over individual leaders. Through another Gurmata the same year, a coin was struck with the inscription “Deg o Tegh o Fateh o Nusrat be Dirang, Yaft az Nanak Guru Gobind Singh” (prosperity, power, and unfailing victory received from Nanak and Guru Gobind Singh), and on the reverse, “Struck at Lahore, the seat of government, in the auspicious samvat 1822 (AD 1765).” To challenge Ahmad Shah Durrani returning from Sirhind to Lahore at the time of his seventh invasion of India (1764–65), the Sikhs made a Gurmata.
“All the Sikhs,” records Ratan Singh Bhangu in Prachin Panth Prakash, “assembled in a divan. Sitting in one place, they adopted a Gurmata that they must now confront the Shah and match arms with him. Every second day, they say, he comes and harasses us. Without fighting him now, we shall obtain no peace. He who survives will be spared this daily suffering; he who dies attains realms divine.” Conquests up to 1767 were made by the misals in the name of the Khalsa. However, with personal ambition and aggrandizement gaining the upper hand over the years, the sense of a corporate Sikh commonwealth gradually wore away.
In the days of Sikh rule, the institution of Gurmata fell into desuetude. The last semblance of a Gurmata was an assembly of Sikh sardars called by Maharaja Ranjit Singh in 1805 to discuss the situation arising from the entry into Sikh dominions of the fugitive Maratha chief, Jaswant Rao Holkar, followed by British troops under Lord Lake. The word Gurmata was resurrected after the lapse of Sikh sovereignty, especially with the rise of the Singh Sabha movement in the closing decades of the nineteenth century. Gurmata then referred to any decision on a matter of religious or social import arrived at by common consent at a Sikh assembly in the presence of the Guru Granth Sahib. The Akali movement brought within its orbit political issues as well. The word Gurmata is now in everyday use for a resolution adopted at a Sikh religious divan or political conference.
References :
1. Bhangil, Ratan Singh, Prachin Panth Prakash. Amritsar, 1914
2. Bhagat Singh, Sikh Polity in the Eighteenth and Nineteenth Centuries. Delhi, 1978
3. Malcolm, John, Sketch of the Sikhs. Patiala, 1970
4. Forster, George, A Journey from Bengal to England. Patiala, 1970
