Chaupai Sahib - Broken Bani? | SikhNet https://www.sikhnet.

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Chaupai Sahib - Broken Bani?

The last 2 pauris of Kabiyo Bach Benti Choupai are most often left out of Nit Nems
and from the knowledge and practice o...

The British were the main agents in

shortening Kabiyo Bach Benti Choupai
(Chaupai Sahib) during their "British
Raj" over India. The British sent a scout
to Punjab to ascertain how many
troops it would take to conquer the
Punjab. The scout returned reporting
that it would take all British troops in all
of India to defeat the Punjab because
the Sikhs have an inhuman bravery.
Although Christian by religion they
were willing to entertain that that the
Sikhs derived power from their Banis, because of the unexplainable defeats in the past.
It is said that one who reads Choupai Sahib is undefeatable. Choupai Sahib is the Bani
for defeated ones enemies. This could be physical enemies like in the Guru's time, or it
can be one's own vices. Through persistence and corruption the British managed not to

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directly conquer the Sikhs, but they accomplished something even more devastating.
They were able to infiltrate Sikh management and compromise the daily 5 Banis. They
were able to shorten Choupai Sahib and take off the last 2 pauris claiming that they are
optional. The claim modern day Sikh leaders and intellectuals have is, "In modern times
Sikhs don't have the time to read as many Banis as they used to". Another argument is
that "Chaupai Sahib goes on and on in the Sri Dasam Granth so we have to stop
somewhere." This is misleading because, as explained in detail below, we are talking
about cutting a continuous portion of the Bani. Neither argument seems valid being
that the last 2 pauris are only 4 lines and take about 15 seconds to read by a familiar
practitioner. The fact is that the last 2 pauris have never been left out until recent
history.

The British influence went to the extent of affecting Sikh management authorities, and
printers. Nowadays, it may be difficult to find a Gutka with the entire Chaupai Sahib, and
most Sikhs are not even aware that there are 27 pauris. The only NitNems (Gutkas) that
have the entire Chaupai Sahib are printed by independent groups like Nihangs and
Taksals. Under the leadership of the late Baba Santa Singh, printing presses were
started to print "Nihang Gutkas", which are actually just the same Bania that were
always practiced by the Nihangs. The duty of the Taksals are to take preserve the
correct pronunciation and practice of the Banis. They print Nitnems with the entire
Chaupai Sahib. The Nihangs never compromised to the British even in the face of
extinction, and the Taksals have preserved the correct way of doing Banis since the
Guru's time.

The British's strategy of 'Divide and Rule' went further than the shortening of Chaupai
Sahib. Between 1922 and 1926 there was a puppet management committee set up by
the British, who were set out to destroy the traditions. During this time, the (1) Mul
Mantar was shortened to exclude 'Ad Sach, Jugad Sach...'. The Mul Mantar until "Gur
Prasad' is known as the Maha Mantar, but the Mul Mantar always ends with 'Nanak
Hosi Bhi Sach'. Maha Mantar is what God said to Guru Nanak, and the salok after Jap
was what Guru Nanak said back. (2) The Raag Mala has debated and made optional. (3)
Choupai Sahib was shortened, and (4) the "choti Anand Sahib" was altered. The first 5
pauris of Anand Sahib was included in Bhai Daya Singh's rehit nama when making

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Karah Prasad, but not 6. There isn't any reference where the last pauri (step) is placed
after the first couple as if to assume that the whole Bani was completed, however this
has become common practice. In the rehet is an abbreviation not a rearrangement.
Now we can find "Nitnems" which do not contain the entire Anand Sahib at all, rather
there is the first 5 and the 40th pauris of Anand Sahib. The intention being that if we just
read the first 5 and the 40th then we can say Anand Sahib is done, and the complete
Bani will be taken out of practice entirely.

The British took steps to eliminate the Sri Dasam Granth and all Banis contained within
it. That would include Jaap Sahib, Tav Prasad Savaiye, Choupai Sahib, (3 of the 5 Banis of
the Amrit ceremony) and Ardas. They outlawed the Kirpan, and Sikhs started splitting
their Kangas and hiding a symbolic Kirpan inside. The British also un popularized Bana,
because they didn't want Sikhs to have a strong identity. At one point Nihang Singhs
were being persecuted by virtue of wearing Bana and gol dastara (round turbans). They
were perceived as threats to the British infiltration because they were likely to fight
back. Anyone wearing Bana and or a round turban would be picked up by British
officers and 'taken away.' The British had killed all but 500 Nihangs and almost
eliminated this denomination of Sikhism, the holders of the warrior spirit (see video
(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SDLt2K7SYmU)). Nihang Singhs used to be a
nomadic Gurdwara management group and now they live mostly secluded from
mainstream Sikhism and from positions of power. Previous to the British occupation,
the Sri Dasam Granth used to be in many Gurdwaras along side the Siri Guru Granth
Sahib, and now it is mostly seen in Nihang villages and online, not to mention the many
debates about it's authenticity. It is surprising that the British command is still being
upheld today in the Sri Harimandir Sahib; the 'jakara' (warrior yell) was disallowed
during the British rule, and the management still does not do a jakara after the Ardas in
the Hari Mandir Sahib (although it is not prohibited to volunteers on other parts of the
complex). Martial aspects of Sikhism have become mostly symbolic in modern times.
The overall goal was to make Sikhism as a strictly Bakti (devotional) religion instead of
the Shakti/Bakti (power/devotion) balance which it always had. With the Bir Ras (warrior
spirit) Banis compromised, the Sikh identity disappearing, and martial aspects
becoming purely symbolic the British had their way to control Sikhism. Then it was a
matter of bribery, intimidation and manipulation of Sikh leaders to create a new

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'modern Sikhism'.

Teja Singh Bhasauria was an employee of the British Government. He was given a
School and funding to finance both the school and a printing press by the British. He
intended to change Gurbani as directed to him by his British employees and his own
ideas that were against the Hindu religion or any association to Hinduism in Gurbani.
This has been recorded in history both by Prof sahib Singh, and by the fact that a
Hukamnama ex-communicated him from the Akal Takht.

One of his associates Giani Kartar Singh Kalaswalia was the head Granthi of Sri
Harimandir Sahib. It was during his term of seva that the Chaupai and Dohira were
removed. Teja Singh's son Ran Singh, wrote Dasam Granth Nirney in 1919, in which he
claims that another Bani starts after the 25th pauri - Dustt dokh tay layho bachaaee.
This is untrue. This is the first reference to the short Chaupai Sahib. Before this time
there has not been discovered any reference of anything but the full Chaupai Sahib.

The one thing that is very striking about this history is for the first time in Sikh history the
Banis have been compromised. Until the British Raj, Sikhs had given their lives to
preserve every word of the Siri Guru Granth Sahib and the Siri Dasam Granth. There are
many Sikh issues today; lack of leadership, terrorism backlash, women's seva issues.
Amongst all issues Sikhs could always go to the Shabad Guru knowing that it was
exactly how the Gurus wrote it with Their own Hands. This is one thing that stands out
about Choupai Sahib. Every Sikh knows the importance of the Shabad Guru being
preserved. Guru Har Rai, who was so gentle that he couldn't even harm a flower,
disowned his own son for changing one word of the Adi Granth. Now a full 2 pauris
have been taken out of Sikh daily practice. There are ripe complaints amongst Sikhs that
the overall Panth is not united, Sikh leaders are corrupt, Sikh youth are leaving their
roots, etc. This could be because some of the fundamental practices have been
compromised. Bana, Bani, Simran, Seva, and Shastar were given by Guru Gobind Singh
so that Sikhs could have his blessing and his spirit against all odds. Now Bana is mostly
out of practice and Bani has been shortened.

It is important to note that we are not talking about the rearranging of different sections

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of Banis, but the cutting off of pauris from one continuous Bani. Lets compare it with
Rehiras Sahib. Rehiras Sahib as a whole has been rearranged throughout time and
depending on which Jetha is promoting which version. Some Nihang versions are much
longer than most versions, but no version ends So Purakh before its last pauri. We all
know that Tav Prasad Savaiye has 10 pauris and Anand Sahib has 40 pauris. To take off
the last 2 pauris of Choupai Sahib could be compared to taking off the last 2 pauris of
Japji Sahib; ending at the 36th pauri (instead of the full 38) and then reading the Slok.
Even in modern times it is difficult to justify this kind of amendment to Guru Gobind
Singhs 5 Banis.

The common practice is to jump from the 25th pauri to the Savaiye. After the obvious
conclusions drawn from the history we know to read up to the 27th pauri. So what
comes after that? Different groups practice Chaupai Sahib differently. Some versions
have a lot of the part of Sri Dasam Granth that follows Chaupai as it's written. For the
average practitioner, several Babas have made it clear that the Arril must be read. More
than that, it is customary to read the Savaiye and Dohra to finish the Bani. Savaiye and
Dohra are complete titles that are compiled onto Choupai from another part of the Sri
Dasam Granth. This is similar to Rehiras where we have Shabads from different places
in the Siri Guru Granth put together to make the Rehiras. Please note that we are not
taking only parts of a complete section. The complete sections of Chaupai Sahib are as

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follows:

1) Kabiyo Bach Benti Chaupai

2) Arril and Chaupai (which follows Benti Chaupai as written in the Sri
Dasam Granth. These short stanzas act as a conclusion to this Bani before the
Zafarnama)
3) Savaiye and Dohra (compiled from an earlier section of Sri Dasam Granth)

Some modern day Sikhs refute the Sri Dasam Granth for its many references to Hindu
mythology. This is surprising because the Siri Guru Granth Sahib has many references
of the same. So why was it cut after the 25th pauri instead of any other place? It could
be because the 26th pauri references 'Jag Mata' (Mother of the World) which could be
confused as Hindu goddess worship. Whereas, Guru Ji is using the Mother analogy as
one of the many aspects of God. At the end of Japji Sahib, Guruji refers to 'Mata Dharat' -
Mother of the World. In this instance the Guru has decided to represent God through
the feminine creative aspect.

It is said that the end and beginning have the most power in any given composition. The
last 2 pauris of Chaupai Sahib contain a lot of power. The first 25 pauris are asking God's
blessings, and the last 2 are very affirmative of owning the blessings. In the last line
Guru Gobind Singh gives his guarantee to the reader:

[Man ba(n)chhat phal pavai soee. Dukh na tisai biaapat koee. (27)
He will obtain the fruit desired by the mind (who will read or listen to this book) and no
suffering will occur to him. (27)]

Let us take the Guru's blessing by keeping the seal of the last 2 pauris and experience
the power that it gives. 

Categories: Sacredness of Gurbani (/news/sacredness-gurbani) Topics: Dasam Granth (/news/topics/dasam-granth)

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