Sunday
Guru Nanak Dev’s Japuji Sahib.
In the Japuji Sahib, Guru Nanak, the first Sikh guru, asks: “How to be a man of Truth and how to break the wall of falsehood?” Japu — meaning japna, recitation or meditation — or Japuji Sahib, the Sikh morning prayer, is the opening composition of the Guru Granth Sahib. Composed by Guru Nanak, Japuji Sahib contains a prologue called the mool mantra or the basic creed of the Sikh faith which sums up the characteristics of the Supreme Being: “There is only one God who is beyond time and beyond the circle of birth, death and rebirth. He, the Creator, is without fear and without hate. He is immortal, omniscient and omnipresent, self-existent, known by the grace of the Guru.
Guru Nanak says, in order to be a man of Truth, your actions should be pure and the precondition for spiritual success is the suppression of the ego with the discipline of morality and meditation, as well as by moulding one’s life in accordance with hukam and raza — His Will.
Understanding His hukam will rid one of ego. The Guru suggests a three-fold course for realisation: Sunai or listening to the Holy Name, Maniai or conviction in the truth of the Guru’s Word, and Nidhiasan or carrying out the Guru’s instructions in daily life. Three conditions indicate not only a code of ethics and conduct for the welfare of the individual but also include the feeling of public welfare. Even the Sikh prayer, Ardas, seeks the welfare of entire humanity, Sarbat-da-bhala, because true worship of God is service of His creation.
In the last section of Japuji Sahib, Guru Nanak mentions five stages of man’s progress on the path of divinity. Man’s spiritual progress begins in Dharam-Khand, that is, the realm of duty where a man discharges his responsibilities to himself, his family, community and country. The first requirement is purity of conduct. The next stage is Gian-Khand, the realm of knowledge where the variety and vastness of God’s creation is realised. The third stage is Saram-Khand, the region of toil or the realm of spiritual effort to train body and mind to acquire an understanding of spiritual qualities. The next stage, Karam-Khand, is the region of grace. With Divine Grace, he becomes Gurmukh, inclined towards God, not towards himself.
Beyond these four regions is the region of eternal Truth, Sach-Khand, the abode of the Formless. The devotees, now saints, are in harmony with the Almighty. Guru Nanak compares the evolution of a devotee to the minting of a perfect coin of gold. The qualities of continence, patience, divine knowledge, wisdom, prayer, austerity and love of the Shabad or Divine Word make him a true man of God.
The message of the Japuji is universal since it simply describes the nature of the Ultimate Reality and the way to comprehend it. Meditation and recitation of Bani is always revered by the Sikhs as the Shabad.
“Shabda is my Guru, and the meditating mind the disciple/ By dwelling on Him I remain detached,/ Nanak, God, the cherisher of the world through the ages, is my Guru.” This was Guru Nanak’s reply to a yogi who asked him: “Who is your Guru? Whose disciple are you?” In 1708 Guru Gobind Singh proclaimed the Sacred Granth as the Guru. For the Sikhs, the Guru Granth Sahib has since been the sole spiritual authority.
Guru Nanak says, in order to be a man of Truth, your actions should be pure and the precondition for spiritual success is the suppression of the ego with the discipline of morality and meditation, as well as by moulding one’s life in accordance with hukam and raza — His Will.
Understanding His hukam will rid one of ego. The Guru suggests a three-fold course for realisation: Sunai or listening to the Holy Name, Maniai or conviction in the truth of the Guru’s Word, and Nidhiasan or carrying out the Guru’s instructions in daily life. Three conditions indicate not only a code of ethics and conduct for the welfare of the individual but also include the feeling of public welfare. Even the Sikh prayer, Ardas, seeks the welfare of entire humanity, Sarbat-da-bhala, because true worship of God is service of His creation.
In the last section of Japuji Sahib, Guru Nanak mentions five stages of man’s progress on the path of divinity. Man’s spiritual progress begins in Dharam-Khand, that is, the realm of duty where a man discharges his responsibilities to himself, his family, community and country. The first requirement is purity of conduct. The next stage is Gian-Khand, the realm of knowledge where the variety and vastness of God’s creation is realised. The third stage is Saram-Khand, the region of toil or the realm of spiritual effort to train body and mind to acquire an understanding of spiritual qualities. The next stage, Karam-Khand, is the region of grace. With Divine Grace, he becomes Gurmukh, inclined towards God, not towards himself.
Beyond these four regions is the region of eternal Truth, Sach-Khand, the abode of the Formless. The devotees, now saints, are in harmony with the Almighty. Guru Nanak compares the evolution of a devotee to the minting of a perfect coin of gold. The qualities of continence, patience, divine knowledge, wisdom, prayer, austerity and love of the Shabad or Divine Word make him a true man of God.
The message of the Japuji is universal since it simply describes the nature of the Ultimate Reality and the way to comprehend it. Meditation and recitation of Bani is always revered by the Sikhs as the Shabad.
“Shabda is my Guru, and the meditating mind the disciple/ By dwelling on Him I remain detached,/ Nanak, God, the cherisher of the world through the ages, is my Guru.” This was Guru Nanak’s reply to a yogi who asked him: “Who is your Guru? Whose disciple are you?” In 1708 Guru Gobind Singh proclaimed the Sacred Granth as the Guru. For the Sikhs, the Guru Granth Sahib has since been the sole spiritual authority.
An article by Kulbir Kaur.
Monday
The Boundless and Eternal Sri Guru Granth Sahib
The Guru Granth Sahib is the eternal guru of the Sikhs. Its sacred verses are called Gurbani, the Guru's word or the song message enshrined in it.
The Granth was composed in poetry perhaps to both prevent alterations or adulterations, and to reach out to human hearts.
The fifth Sikh guru, Guru Arjan Dev, first compiled the Guru Granth at Amritsar and the tenth guru, Guru Gobind Singh, prepared the second edition at Damdama. Since then, his authorised version has been transcribed and printed numerous times; it always conforms to the Damdama edition in every respect.
Guru Arjan's compilation contained the hymns of the first five gurus along with most of the saints and holy men of medieval India and the Far East. He installed this scripture in the Golden Temple's Hari Mandar. Guru Gobind Singh in his final sermon conferred permanent gurudom on the Damdama version of the Granth. Since then the Granth has come to be known as Sri Guru Granth Sahib. Of the 5,894 hymns, Guru Arjan contributed the largest number. The Guru Granth includes hymns of many others whose compositions tallied with the gospel of the Sikh faith. Here, the Hindu and Muslim and others meet in the same congregation of holy souls to create a truly universal scripture.
The hymns are set to ragas, useful not only in preserving the originality of the composition, but more so to provide divine experience through the medium of music and the sounds of God's creation. Whilst a great deal of it is cast in traditional verse forms like shlokas and paudis, and could best be understood in the context of the well-known classical ragas, several hymns and songs make use of popular folklore and meters. The inner and integral relationship between music and verse has been maintained with scholarly rectitude and concern. The complete musicalisation of thought was accomplished in a scientific and scholarly manner so that it makes for the unusually vigorous yet supple discipline of the Granth's own metrics and notations.
The Guru Granth verses are often sung in kirtan. In this process true meaning is revealed directly to the Surat consciousness and awareness through cosmic vibrations. The body's energetic vibrations from our voices bond us to the spiritual light of universal intelligence. As we chant the verses the universe speaks to us in metaphoric images. To see a Sikh congregation chant the sacred hymns in unison is to see massed spiritual energy bubble before your eyes. This is how the ordinary words change into the logos and become auspicious.
Reading of the scripture, Gurbani paath, is a sacred rite that permits a connection to the Guru for spiritual guidance. It is more than a simple ritual or a complex scholarly endeavour; intellectual deliberation is engaged to seek wisdom while faith is cultivated in the process to receive the inner light. Reading the rhythmic poetry of Guru Granth is considered by some as healing in itself. Its chant is frequently prescribed to patients for relief of their symptoms and to reduce illness. It seems to facilitate understanding of pain and pleasure by "mindfulness" or "being in the moment".
For the most part the Guru Granth employs the idiom of the common people, and draws its imagery and metaphors from the home, the street and the workplace. The hymns use current figures of speech apart from their metrical richness and sweetness.
The Guru Granth is completely free from bias, animus and controversy. It formed the first interfaith and still universal scripture.
Lets celebrate the Tricentennial of the Canonisation of the Granth as the Sri Guru Granth Sahib (300 saal Guru de naal)
The Granth was composed in poetry perhaps to both prevent alterations or adulterations, and to reach out to human hearts.
The fifth Sikh guru, Guru Arjan Dev, first compiled the Guru Granth at Amritsar and the tenth guru, Guru Gobind Singh, prepared the second edition at Damdama. Since then, his authorised version has been transcribed and printed numerous times; it always conforms to the Damdama edition in every respect.
Guru Arjan's compilation contained the hymns of the first five gurus along with most of the saints and holy men of medieval India and the Far East. He installed this scripture in the Golden Temple's Hari Mandar. Guru Gobind Singh in his final sermon conferred permanent gurudom on the Damdama version of the Granth. Since then the Granth has come to be known as Sri Guru Granth Sahib. Of the 5,894 hymns, Guru Arjan contributed the largest number. The Guru Granth includes hymns of many others whose compositions tallied with the gospel of the Sikh faith. Here, the Hindu and Muslim and others meet in the same congregation of holy souls to create a truly universal scripture.
The hymns are set to ragas, useful not only in preserving the originality of the composition, but more so to provide divine experience through the medium of music and the sounds of God's creation. Whilst a great deal of it is cast in traditional verse forms like shlokas and paudis, and could best be understood in the context of the well-known classical ragas, several hymns and songs make use of popular folklore and meters. The inner and integral relationship between music and verse has been maintained with scholarly rectitude and concern. The complete musicalisation of thought was accomplished in a scientific and scholarly manner so that it makes for the unusually vigorous yet supple discipline of the Granth's own metrics and notations.
The Guru Granth verses are often sung in kirtan. In this process true meaning is revealed directly to the Surat consciousness and awareness through cosmic vibrations. The body's energetic vibrations from our voices bond us to the spiritual light of universal intelligence. As we chant the verses the universe speaks to us in metaphoric images. To see a Sikh congregation chant the sacred hymns in unison is to see massed spiritual energy bubble before your eyes. This is how the ordinary words change into the logos and become auspicious.
Reading of the scripture, Gurbani paath, is a sacred rite that permits a connection to the Guru for spiritual guidance. It is more than a simple ritual or a complex scholarly endeavour; intellectual deliberation is engaged to seek wisdom while faith is cultivated in the process to receive the inner light. Reading the rhythmic poetry of Guru Granth is considered by some as healing in itself. Its chant is frequently prescribed to patients for relief of their symptoms and to reduce illness. It seems to facilitate understanding of pain and pleasure by "mindfulness" or "being in the moment".
For the most part the Guru Granth employs the idiom of the common people, and draws its imagery and metaphors from the home, the street and the workplace. The hymns use current figures of speech apart from their metrical richness and sweetness.
The Guru Granth is completely free from bias, animus and controversy. It formed the first interfaith and still universal scripture.
Lets celebrate the Tricentennial of the Canonisation of the Granth as the Sri Guru Granth Sahib (300 saal Guru de naal)
Sunday
His Masters Voice
ਕਲਜੁਗ ਮਹਿ ਕੀਰਤਨੁ ਪਰਧਾਨਾ ॥ kalajug mehi keerathan paradhhaanaa
|| In this Dark Age of Kali Yuga, the Kirtan of the Lord’s Praises are most sublime and exalted.
Professor Kartar Singh Ji.
Professor Kartar Singh ji is an illustrious name in Gurmat Sangeet. Despite his early grounding from traditional ragis, he developed a passion for classical Indian music. This helped him to evolve a distinct style of singing with traditional string instruments, especially the tanpura, and rendering shabads purely in the ragas prescribed by the Gurus. Humble and reticent to a fault, but principled to the core, Kartar Singh avoided crass commercialism despite being solely dependent on the kirtan for subsistence during his days of struggle.Recently, when the Shiromani Gurudwara Prabandhak Committee (SGPC) decided to revive the rendering of kirtan with traditional string instruments at Harmandar Sahib, he was asked to initiate the new campaign — an honour this veteren hymn singer relished by mesmerising the sangat, as well a huge TV audience, with his mellifluous voice and vast repertoire.
Now, in his seventies, he continues to impart finer nuances of Gurbani sangeet to his numerous students.
And I feel proud to be his grandson. This post is my tribute to his great voice.
His Voice From the Events...
Seminar on Musical Tradition Of Gurbani
November 16, 2007
New Delhi
Prof. Kartar Singh ji with his students. Prof. Piara Singh ji playing the dilruba. The names of the students are Jaspinder Singh (with Tanpura), Sandeep Singh (Tabla), Sukhjeet Singh, Harpreet Singh, Mohan Singh and Bhupinder Singh. Gurbani Gaveh Bhai
A three day kirtan darbar , April 28-30, 2006, Talkatora Gardens , New Delhi.
Prof Kartar Singh ji and his students
The Sadh-Sangat.
With fellow Ragis..
Voice From the News...
Kirtan in the Original Style
The Sadh-Sangat.Gurmat Sangeet Sammelan,
Gurudwara Rakabganj Sahib,
New Delhi .
Gurudwara Rakabganj Sahib in all its magnificent opulence at night
Prof Kartar Singh Ji entering the sanctum sanatorium
In all His solace..
Renditions...
Gurudwara Rakabganj Sahib,
New Delhi .
Gurudwara Rakabganj Sahib in all its magnificent opulence at night
Prof Kartar Singh Ji entering the sanctum sanatorium
In all His solace..
Renditions...
With fellow Ragis..
Voice From the News...
India
Posted Mar 09, 2006 - 03:36 PM
ritsar, Punjab, India - The Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee SGPC revived the pre-Independence tradition of using traditional instruments in performing Kirtan (hymn singing) at Darbar Sahib.A six-member Ragi Jatha, led by Professor Kartar Singh, Director of Sangeet Academy, Anandpur Sahib, took the opportunity Tuesday of reviving a tradition in tune with that exercised during the period of the ten Sikh Gurus.
In addition to the present-day Harmonium and Tabla, the Ragi Jatha used instruments such as the Tanpura, Taus, Surmandal and Dilruba in performing Kirtan. Thousands of devotees who had come to pay obeisance at the sanctum sanctorum of Darbar Sahib tried to extend their stay to attending the Kirtan. However, owing to paucity of space, majority of the devotees had to leave.
Amritsar residents also remained glued to their television sets to watch the Kirtan in traditional style on the local ETC Punjabi channel that directly telecasts the morning and evening Kirtan from Darbar Sahib.As the Jatha came out after performing the evening Kirtan, several devotees gathered around them to learn more about the traditional musical instruments. Amongst the Sangat was SGPC President Avtar Singh. At the conclusion of the Kirtan, Singh expressed his commitment to revive the traditional style of Kirtan as he made it clear that no Ragi Jatha would be allowed to perform “filmi song tunes” for Kirtan. He added that best Ragi Jathas would be invited from within the country and abroad to continue the process of Kirtan with traditional musical instruments.
Kartar Singh said that his happiness was beyond measure given the fact that he had now fulfilled his long cherished dream of performing Kirtan at Darbar Sahib with traditional instruments. He said that as many as thirty students in the Anandpur Sahib academy were training themselves to perform Kirtan on traditional lines, and they would fill the vacuum of Ragi Jathas lacking traditional skills in using traditional musical accompaniment. "We used the Harmonium partially, and it wouldcease to be the part of Kirtan in due course of time," he added.
Tradition revived at Golden Temple
Friday, March 10, 2006
The Golden Temple ambience today resonated with Gurbani kirtan performed with ancient and traditional musical instruments for the first time after partition. The tradition of performing kirtan accompanied with tanpura, rabab, swarmandal was revived in the gurdwara.
Prof Kartar Singh, Director of the SGPC-run Sangeet Academy at Anandpur Sahib, performed kirtan with the traditional instruments, including two tanpuras, taus, swarmandal and harmonium. He sang four shabads of Guru Nanak Dev and Guru Gobind Singh, including ‘Mitar piare nu’, and of Bhagat Kabir and Bhagat Ramanand in basant raag.
He said shabad kirtan and Gurbani had a classical base. However, he rued that we had lost the classical base and by using modern instruments which was against the Rehat Maryada. Due to this, the sangat did not attach with the shabads and Gurbani, he added. He praised the SGPC initiative of reviving the tradition.
Prof Kartar Singh will perform tomorrow also. Dr Gurnam Singh, Head of the Music Department, Punjabi University, Patiala, will also perform on March 7 and 8. Bhai Nirmal Singh Khalsa and Bhai Gurmit Singh Shant will perform kirtan on March 9-10 and March 16-17, respectively. Bhai Avtar Singh will perform on March 18.
Mr Avtar Singh, President of the SGPC, also enjoyed the kirtan. He said the committee would ensure that at least one raagi adept in traditional instruments was present during the kirtan in the sanctum santorum.
He said students were being trained at Punjabi University and the SGPC-run Sangeet Academy at Anandpur Sahib on traditional instruments.
Monday , July 04, 2005
A teacher committed to preserving gurmat sangeet
A teacher committed to preserving gurmat sangeet Seventy-six-year-old Kartar Singh has trained over 2,000 students in gurmat sangeet and penned four books.
Ludhiana, July 3: HE has been serving as the director of Gurmat Sangeet Academy run by Dharam Parchar Committee of Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) at Anandpur Sahib since 1999 and has trained over 2,000 students in gurmat sangeet.
Seventy-six-year-old Kartar Singh, a resident of Shastri Nagar, is a music teacher with four books on Gurbani music to his credit
Born in Ghummanke village, Lahore district, Pakistan, Kartar Singh started learning gurmat sangeet in 1941 from Giani Gurcharan Singh. He learnt it for three years. Later, he took training from Dalip Singh Gayan Acharaya for a year.
Talking about his latest book Gurmat Sangeet Darpan - Part I, the veteran of gurmat sangeet said, ‘‘My latest book includes notations of 15 out of 31 main ragas included in the Guru Granth Sahib. Other writers have also compiled Gurbani ragas but each and every composition in this book has been added with tans and tihayiaaz. With each raga, three to four partals (a singing style) have also been included.
Writings of Guru Gobind Singh, Bhai Gurdas and 15 bhagats (included in Guru Granth Sahib) have been included in all the ragas along with their compositions.’’
‘‘Being a teacher of music, I know the best way a student can learn. So, I have given meanings with all the shabads included in the book and added vilambit khayal as well. I have also introduced compositions of sawai (1/4), paun (3/4) and dedh (1/2) matra tals, which no other classical music book has included.’’
He has also named some of the bandishs (singing style), included in this book along with the rags, like jot tal (7 1/2), roop tal (8 1/2), anand tal (7 3/4) and dev tal (10 1/4).
Singh is considered to be a master of tanpura, swarmandal and dilruba (musical instruments) and recites gurbani on these accompaniments. ‘‘I use these instruments which are considered to be the toughest ones while most use the harmonium which is comparatively easier to play.’’
Kartar Singh has written three books on gurmat sangeet titled Gurmat Sangeet Darpan, Gurbani Sangeet Darpan and Guru Angad Dev Sangeet Darpan.
Gurmat Sangeet Darpan by Prof Kartar Singh
Gurmat Sangeet Darpan
by Prof Kartar Singh
Dharam Prachar Committee, SGPC, Amritsar
Pages 423. Rs 90
This is the second book written by Kartar Singh on Gurmat sangeet. The volume, a product of 15 years of painstaking effort, is meant for the students of music. It is a guide to singing shabads in 15 of 31 ragas prescribed in Guru Granth Sahib.
There are musical notations for more than 300 shabads. Information regarding the origin and importance of each raga is also provided. In sum, an extremely productive work for both the initiated and amateurs.
The SGPC, too, deserves kudos for commissioning and backing up this superlative venture.
by Prof Kartar Singh
Dharam Prachar Committee, SGPC, Amritsar
Pages 423. Rs 90
This is the second book written by Kartar Singh on Gurmat sangeet. The volume, a product of 15 years of painstaking effort, is meant for the students of music. It is a guide to singing shabads in 15 of 31 ragas prescribed in Guru Granth Sahib.
There are musical notations for more than 300 shabads. Information regarding the origin and importance of each raga is also provided. In sum, an extremely productive work for both the initiated and amateurs.
The SGPC, too, deserves kudos for commissioning and backing up this superlative venture.
Videos and Links
 | YouTube - professor kartar singhWaheguru ji ka Khalsa sri Waheguru ji ke fateh. folks There,s ...7 min - www.youtube.com/watch?v=WSjd-LNJluA |
YouTube - PROF.KARTAR SINGH JI - RAM RAM RAM
Shabad: "RAM RAM RAM JAAP", sung by Prof kartar singh ji Classical Tanti raag kirtan from Delhi Kirtan darbar.www.youtube.com/watch?v=WpT_phTQT-w&feature=related - 59k -
Prof.kartar Singh Ji (great Classical Raagi) - The Voice of Sikh Youth
Gurbani Khajana: PROF KARTAR SINGH
gurbanikhajana.blogspot.com/2006/11/prof-kartar-singh.html - 75k -Dhan su des :
Kartar singh ji's videos at this link http://video.google.com/videosearch?q=ProfKartar+singh+&hl=en Rabab piano by Dr.Ramanpreet singh. ...Shared Mp3 Files and Videos
THE MOST PRECIOUS AUDIO RECORDINGS OF PROF. KARTAR SINGH JI WHEN HE PERFORMED TWO OR THREE TIMES AT DARBAR SAHIB ON LAST BASANT SEASON.
Click Here :
http://www.4shared.com/dir/3031934/f17881f...r_Singh_ji.html
http://www.4shared.com/file/31403217/74dd1...th_Dec2007.html
http://www.4shared.com/file/31297651/aaf0c...5thDec2007.html
( Compiled from various sources by Sumran jot Singh)
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