Gurbani Through Ragas

The realisation of the spiritual values in Sikhism is, no doubt, as much significant as in any other belief in the world. But, in Sikhism there is no place for running after seclusion and abandoning the normal life, which is bestowed by the God himself; the Gurbani (Sikh Scriptures) specifies, "...while laughing, playing, dressing and eating, he (the human being) gets emancipated (G.G.S. P.522)." Guru Nanak's philosophy requires a person to remain an integral part of humanity.

However, to achieve the fulfilment of spiritual values, mental and physical health are two most important requisites. "This body's is whole worth, no one hath found.... It is within the body that man loses and within the body, he gains (G.G.S. P.1066)," and "Eating and drinking are pure, (and) the Lord has blessed us with them.... (G.G.S. P.472)." Within this conception, for a healthy body, Guru Nanak Dev inaugurated the tradition of Langar (Common Kitchen), the harbinger of equality and castlessness in Sikh Living.

Secondly Baba Nanak envisioned that Food for Thought was, too, imperative for celestial accomplishment. As soon as he reached the age of recognition, to gain unison with God, he perceived the necessity of music; young Nanak was presented with the company of Bhai Mardana, a bard, at an early age. "O God's people, sing ye all, the World-Lord's praise, and with your tongue utter the priceless Raga of the Lord.... (G.G.S. P.821)." With this spirit of Ragas he pronounced his Bani (ecclesiastic hymns) and set upon his emancipating touring of the World. It was his musical expositions, which sunk right into the minds and hearts of the people.

This spirit of conceiving the unison with the God has been the most important medium of gaining celestial enlightenment by the Sikh Congregationalists. The recitation of hymns in their particular Ragas used to cause the people to flock to hear the Bards during the times of the Gurus, and traditionalist Ragis (hymn singers) from then on up to the early part of the Twentieth Century. With the advent of cinema, corrupted musical notes and amalgamated light and cheap folk tunes found their ways into the singing of Gurbani as well. Except a very few exponents of the old school, most of the Ragis (the hymn singers) started to adhere to the modern trends. It virtually became impossible to find a Ragi Jatha (group) with strict and honest conviction for the Ragas.

Reading of Shri Guru Arjan Dev's Sukhmani is no doubt most soothing. But I had an opportunity of listening to two Ashtpadis sung by Late Bhai Devinder Singh in authentic Rag Gauri. It was divine, cataleptic, and simply out of the world. Since then I always longed for a touch of Raga-sensitivity. I did come across classical Ragis a few times but their commercialised background distracted the mind.

One Saturday, early in the morning I was driving along Highway 403. As soon as I switched on radio and dialled 1320 (Ankheela Punjab) the sound waves shot straight to my brain and penetrated my heart. My wife asked why I had slowed down, had I spotted any Police car? No, it was something coming out of the radio; the melodious voices of Bhai Dilbagh Singh, Bhai Gulbagh Singh and Brothers. I had thought that the classical touch was vanishing. I was wrong. After listening to them a few times, I can confidently say that the honest, non-emotive, and real music is still alive.

It was pleasure talking to the Singh Brothers. In the field of music they have been endowed with numerous laurel. In 1974 they won the Rag Kidara competition conducted by Sharomani Gurdwara Parbandhik Committee. On a special invitation they visited and performed at Rashterpati Bhavan, New Delhi in 1982. The Sikh Community of Toronto would remember their debut in Canada in 1984 when they won first prize in the Classical Competition conducted by Iqbal Mahal, the doyen of quality and refine broadcasting. The year 1986 brought them the highest award at Swamy Hari Sangeet Smelan held in Bhopal (Swamy Hari was the Guru of Tansen and the occasion is held every year in his honour). They were awarded Gold Medal at the Rag Kanra Competition organised through the exigencies of Sewa Panthi Sect (Sant Makhan Singh), Amritasar in 1987. The Language Department of Punjab honoured them with 51,000 rupees in the field of classical singing in 1992. Last but not the least Punjabi Academy, Patiala showered them the honour of being the greatest classical exponents with a cash reward of 51,000 rupees in March, 1994.

What are the causes of their success? First the music runs in their blood. They are the (maternal) grandsons of great classical singer of Punjab, Bhai Nand Jee. Their father, Bhai Boota Singh, a tabla maestro, was Bhai Nand Jee's accompanist. He still is a driving (physical as well as mental) force behind all their accomplishments.

In spite of their tremendous musical success and monetary affluence, the vanity has not touched their feet. They are true messengers of humility and simplicity; a Jatha of such standing could easily get accommodation in some affluent quarters in Toronto instead of confining to one sharing-room in a Gurdwara.

And above all, day in or day out, it may rain or shine, like all the famous musicians (and unlike the commercial Ragis) they must get up in the morning and perform the Riaz (without any ambition of monetary gains).

Good music, particularly classical renderings, emit waves touching the heart but it is the accompanying tabla that digs into the heart and lets the sensation penetrate right through the core. Their younger brother Iqbal Singh is a superb tabla player; he reaches the norms set by the great maestro Allah Rakha. Admittedly it is the result of his father's castigation.

Although the most modern Ragis sing Asa-dee-Var in a light classical manner, and lace it with contemporary tunes, its substance compels you to listen the same repeatedly; its effect keeps your mind soothing whole day long. I have heard the same hundreds of time in my life. But with Singh brothers it was different. I have arthritic knees. The pain does not allow me to sit on the floor for more than half an hour. Their Asa-dee-Var was in the true spirit of the Rag Asa. When they reached the last couplet, "He gives sustenance to all beings. The mortal does that work, which has been pre-destined from the very beginning. O Nanak, except for the One Lord, there is no other place at all. He does whatever He wills. || 24 || 1 || SUDH ||" (G.G.S. P.475) only then I realised that I had been listening to them for two hours and ten minutes, and that too most of the time sitting in yogic pasture. That is the cataleptic effect of the Ragas.

As the Gurbani says:

"Blessed are the beauteous Ragas, uttering which the entire thirst is quenched."(G.G.S. P.958)

and

"Amongst all the Ragas that alone is sublime, O Brother, by which the Lord comes to abide into the mind.

"The Ragas, in which the Guru's word is sung, are all true. Their worth can be told not."(G.G.S. P.1423)

(English Translation of Gurbani: Bhai Manmohan Singh)