Jvala Singh

Guru Gobind Singh [1666-1708] writes these beautiful lines within his Krishnavatar, the stories of Krishna, specifically within the Raas Mandal, the stories of Love. These lines are recited by the Gopis in their flirtatious and playful discourse with Krishna, their lover. Love stories during this period were purposefully multilayered allowing for multi-variant readings of the text. These stories and others came under the judgmental eye of the Protestant British Raj which found the lush love stories as scandalous and immoral. This British mentality seeped its way into the Indian population through British institutions and schools, which forever changed the society and it's cultural music, literature and philosophy. Quote: Page 291 of the Dasam Guru Granth Translation by Jvala Singh

A Servant of Poets - Guru Gobind Singh

Nearly 6 years of work, 14 years after I began my studies with Baba Ji (Oct 2010), and 44 years after my father completed his PhD. ...perched on the shoulders of giants...

Japanese Translation of Japuji Sahib available on

The Iron Fortress - shipping container life - ਸਰਬਲੋਹ ਬੁੰਗਾ ਓਕਲੈਂਡ ਵਿੱਖੇ

What is the Guru? Are they just the paper or the ink? Watch/Listen to the full Vichaar on our YouTube or Substack Link in bio

Sassi's Unshakeable Love Below is one of the concluding verses from the Punjabi folk romance (qissa), Sassi Punnu, composed by Hashim (1734-1843), a poet associated with the court of Maharaja Ranjit Singh. The verse depicts Sassi wandering through the desert in search of her beloved, Punnu, who has been abducted by his brothers after they disapproved of their relationship. ਨਾਜ਼ੁਕ ਪੈਰ ਮਲੂਕ ਸੱਸੀ ਦੇ ਮਹਿੰਦੀ ਨਾਲ ਸ਼ਿੰਗਾਰੇ । Sassi's tender and gorgeous feet, appeared as if adorned with mehndi ਬਾਲੂ ਰੇਤ ਤਪੇ ਵਿੱਚ ਥਲ ਦੇ ਜਿਊਂ ਜੌਂ ਭੁੰਨਣ ਭਨਿਆਰੇ । From burning on the scorching sands, like grains roasting in a pan ਸੂਰਜ ਭੱਜ ਵੜਿਆ ਵਿੱਚ ਬੱਦਲੀਂ ਡਰਦਾ ਲਿਸ਼ਕ ਨਾ ਮਾਰੇ । The sun ran behind the clouds, afraid its blaze would add to the tragedy... ਹਾਸ਼ਮ ਵੇਖ ਯਕੀਨ ਸੱਸੀ ਦਾ ਸਿਦਕੋਂ ਮੂਲ ਨਾ ਹਾਰੇ । Hashim says, look at Sassi's faith! She did not lose the root of her love. Sassi's death, brought about by her journey through the desert in search of Punnu, symbolizes the death of one's Ego, or sense of self, as it merges into the Divine, like a moth drawn into a flame. Punjabi folk romances (qisse) are allegorical stories representing spiritual enlightenment through Divine love. The Suraj Prakash (1843), records a story in which Guru Gobind Singh attends a recital of Sassi Punnu (many versions predate Hashim's retelling). The Guru generously rewarded the performers before a narrow-minded Sikh asked the Guru why he would attend and listen to songs and tales that were not Gurbani. The Guru praised the story as it narratively extolls the virtue of Love, and remarked: "Any action without love is useless - Love itself is the jewel amongst all action" (ਬਿਨਾ ਪ੍ਰੇਮ ਫੋਕਟ ਸਭਿ ਜਤਨ I ਪ੍ਰੇਮ ਸੁਕਰਮਨਿ ਸਭਿ ਮਹਿਂ ਰਤਨ). These Punjabi folk romances narratively and symbolically describe the stages of spiritual practice and progression - but most importantly, speak to the power of Love.

Cutting through mountains, saluting volcanoes 🌋

Happy to announce my article, A Sikh Advaita Vedānta, is now online, published by the Modern Asian Studies Journal. Article link in bio. 🙏🏾 ਗੁਰਪ੍ਰਸਾਦਿ

The Self, with a capital S, is one's true being, not one's body, inner desires, or personality. The Self, what one really is, resides within all equally. The Gurmukh, one oriented toward the Guru - the dispeller of ignorance (dark) through understanding (light) - recognizes his/her true Self, beyond his/her body and sense of "I". The Guru's teachings allow for one see beyond these illusory barriers. This line does not promote moral relativism - a free for all where anything goes ethically and morally - rather it represents an understanding that all is happening according to the flow of Divine play (khel/līlā). This enlightened vision is called the 'vision of a tiger' (sher drishṭī) - you can learn more about it by listening to Episode 67 of the Suraj Podcast (available on Spotify, YouTube, Soundcloud). Quote: Guru Granth Sahib: 1244, Guru Ramdas

How can we understand Sikh texts of old?

The Nourishing Mothers - Almae Matres - ਪਾਲਣਹਾਰ ਮਾਤਾਵਾਂ Alma Mater (lit: nourishing mother) is an allegory - a symbol used to express a deeper idea - imagining a university, or place of learning, as a mother who nurtures the intellect. I've been thinking about allegory quite a lot, specifically related to the idea of the Muse or Saraswati. Guru Gobind Singh, like many other epic poets (Homer, Milton, etc), calls out to this personification of beauty at the beginning of his Charitropākhyān: "Become a river! Flow through my heart, so your waves will splash up as my speech!" ਮੋ ਘਟ ਮੈ ਤੁਮ ਹ੍ਵੈ ਨਦੀ ਉਪਜਹੁ ਬਾਕ ਤਰੰਗ I have a sense that such frames facilitate creative endeavors and help cultivate appreciation of one's experiences (like in the alma mater example).