Siddha Goshti, the dialogue of Guru Nanak and the Siddha yogis, occupies a prominent place in Guru Granth Sahib and it occupies a determining place in the understanding of the philosophical identity of Sikh Thought. Its prominence and importance make the scholars of Sikhism again and again return to the discussion of Siddha Goshti in all its various dimensions and perspectives. Sher Singh, author of the Philosophy of Sikhism (SGPC Publication) says, “ It was more with this sect (Gorakhnath Yogis) that Nanak was occupied during his travels than with any other. The greater part of the material of his philosophy is contained in his dialogues with the Siddhas or the Jogis… I am inclined to say that the influence of Siddhism on Sikhism has been the greatest of all sects in India” [1].
S.S.Gyani in his article in the Sikh Review maintains that “no other single writing has contributed so much to the progress of modern Indian theological thought as Siddha Goshti” [2]. Although the Siddha thought has influenced the making of Sikhism, Sikh scholars also bring to focus the fundamental differences between the two schools. The Sikh scholarly world may keep on contesting the influence of Siddha yogis on Sikhism as well as identify the distinctions of Sikhism from the Siddha thought. In both ways we consider that renewed discussion of Siddha Goshti is inevitable and necessary. That justifies the present selection of the topic namely “A study of Siddha Goshti in Guru Granth Sahib”.
The hypothesis of the paper is that there existed a creative tension and rupture between the Siddhas and the Guru, particularly in discussions of ethics and devotion, inwardness and outwardness, elitism and popular consciousness that finally determined the becoming of the Sikh philosophy in all its originality and identity. The present paper is obliged to explain and prove this hypothesis. Apart from investigating the North Indian sources of Siddha thought, the paper also introduces the South Indian understanding of Siddha philosophy into the already existing discussions on the same.
The Place of the Siddhas
The term Siddha does not belong to the Brahmanic tradition. The terms and meaning of Siddha and Siddhanta are fundamentally different from the terms and meaning of Veda and Vedanta. In a sense the terms and their philosophies had traveled in difference and in counter or parallel to the tradition that is associated with the terms of Vedas and Vedanta. One can trace the origin of the terms of Siddha and Siddhanta to the oldest layers of the Shramanic tradition. The terms travel from the Shramanic to the Tantric tradition towards the medieval period. Scholars indicate that the Nath sampradaya of Gorakh Nath Jogis contains mixed philosophies of Tantrism and Buddhism [3].
In the medieval religious context, the Siddha thought becomes prominent through its critical attitude to Vedas on the one hand and the Puranic Vaishnavism on the other hand. Inheriting some of the tenets of Tantrism and Saivism, the Siddha thought tends to become the religious and philosophical opposition of North Indian Vaishanava Bhakti traditions. The mystic orientation of the Siddha Yogis helps them to criticize the outwardly ritual and puranic moments of the Bhakti traditions. The Siddhas were the strong critics of the institutionalization of Bhakti into the temple-mutt culture against the spontaneous and emotional flow of devotion in the early Bhakti culture. The critique of ritualism and advocacy of inwardness make the contradiction of the ethical and the devotional once again come up for discussion in the mid-medieval culture.
The contradiction between the ethical and the ritual is one of basic importance when Buddhism countered the Vedic ritualism in ancient India. When the Vedic schools were unable to come out of certain dogmatic moments of the Brahmanic culture, the Buddhists came up with an anthropocentric philosophy of psychological and mental transformation. That is the crux of the philosophy of Bodhi, Bodha or Siddha. The same contradiction reappears in the medieval India with a fresh vigor when the Siddhas spoke and acted against the externality of Bhakti. The Siddhas dared to revise the externally ritualistic culture of devotion from the point of view of internal purity and, psychic-mental transformation of humans.
The picture of the Siddhas problematizing the institutionalization of Bhakti culture is almost similar in the South Indian tradition as it was in the North Indian context. The Eighteen Tamil Siddhas listing themselves with the leadership of Gorakhar, question the efficacy of rituals, caste system and beliefs in Puranas. A.V. Subramania Aiyar, an exponent of Siddha philosophy in Tamil Nadu, characterizes the basic traits of Tamil Siddha thought in the following way:
“The Tamil Siddhars have faith in the divine essence of Man and his capacity to become a superman and even to work miracles by developing his latent powers by yoga. They have a lively and an ever- present sense that man is mortal, that his sensual pleasures are short-lived and destructive of the spirit and that wealth and material comforts are impediments to virtue, moral well-being and spiritual endeavor. They are aware that the life of the flesh is weak and vile and nothing but scorn for all sensual pleasures and earthly possessions. To them religious institutions, festivals or rituals and conformity of any kind whatsoever, are not important; nor do they recognize caste distinctions or sacerdotalism. A complete renunciation of life and a full-timed contemplation of and devotion to God through yoga, which elevates them to a condition of ineffable bliss and incidentally calls forth their occult psychic powers, constitute their creed of mysticism which is unaffected by any intellectual or social urge.”[4].
The quoted author contrasts the Siddha Puritanism to the evading influence of nascent Bhakti. “The Bhakti movement, which formed the main feature of the Agamic religion in its early stages and which called forth the best creative impulses of the community and gave birth to great Art and Literature gradually began to lose it original fire, purity, and chastening influence. It, however, began to spread by trumpeting short cuts to happiness here and salvation hereafter…The masses were indoctrinated by the flood of puranic lore in easy ways of attaining moksha or release…The true spirit of religion, which was so powerful and creative earlier, was slowly fading away. It was in such a situation that the Tamil Siddhars rose in revolt and began to preach their doctrine” [5].
We compared the Siddhas to the Buddhists in relation to the Vedic ritualism. The Siddhas are comparable also to the Stoics in relation to the decaying Greek Philosophy. The Siddhas as well are comparable to the Sufis in relation to Islam. They are even comparable to the Modernists (T.S.Eliot, Esra Pound or Kafka) in relation the modern technocratic western civilization.
But the Siddhas had their limitations. Despite their puritan asceticism, they were elitist. They indeed had a popular appreciation, but the way of yoga or asceticism can never become a mode of living of popular masses. Although the Siddha denial of rituals and absence of religious piety in temple culture is justified, the Siddhas themselves developed an enlightened egoism. Finally, there is a historical necessity to transform the puritan thoughts similar to that of the Siddhas into popular consciousness without which the ideas would not become real social forces.
It is at this juncture we understand the entry of Guru Nanak into dialogue with the Siddha yogis. The Guru has high admiration to the Siddha yogis and their puritan spirit but he does not admit that individualistic efforts to achieve mystic powers would solve the problems in any way. Guru Nanak is for a social and practicable way of living: Truth is the highest to the Guru, but a truthful living is still higher to him.
Guru Nanak and the Siddhas
Guru Nanak’s attitude to the Siddhas is positive. Guru Nanak agrees with the Siddha critique of institutionalization of Bhakti into temple-mutt-ritual culture. The foundations of Guru Nanak are ethical and he does not hesitate to declare that true prayer is in ethical deeds. Guru Nanak announces that the inward purity cannot be replaced by any act of external ritual. And finally, the Guru had his own mystic experiences of God who stands by him in all his ethical and socially just deeds. However, Guru Nanak differs from the Siddhas on some important aspects, particularly where the Siddhas refute the moment of devotion.
The devotional traditions known then to Saivism and Vaishnavism might have gone wrong, but that does not mean, according to the Guru, that the idea of devotion itself is wrong. The baby should not be thrown out along with the tub water. Guru Nanak is for a nascent feeling of devotion, its spontaneity and its ability to inspire the masses and make them into a community. Guru Nanak, thus is for a dialectical synthesis of ethics and devotion which he believed is possible and should be made possible.
The Systems of the Siddhas and Guru Nanak
The Siddha Goshti clairvoyantly registers the philosophical positions of the Siddhas.
“We walk detached on the world’s paths, and abide in the woods.
And our food is roots and fruits: this is the wisdom that the yogis teach.
We bathe at the holy places and gather the fruit of Peace, and our minds are pure,
unstained
Says Loharipa, Gorakh’s disciple: This verily is the way of Yoga”. [6][7]
The Yogic moments of detachment with the world, asceticism and individualism are clearly expounded in a positive style here. The Yogi’s mind may be pure and unstained, and he may reach the fruit of mental peace but the question to Guru Nanak is how could this philosophy of individual salvation contribute to change in the social situation that has gone corrupted and stained. After all, a philosophy of going detached presupposes that things have gone corrupted. You can save yourself by making yourself untouched by the situations.
As a philosopher constructs an abstract philosophy evading the concrete problems of life, the Yogi can also work out a detached living away from the problems of life. The Siddha detachment is a type of freedom in the sense of freeing oneself from the responsibilities of life. It is a negative freedom. Despite the ethical pretensions of the Siddhas, such an escape cannot be taken as a rigorous ethical standpoint. The Guru proposes the alternative. “ The Gurmukh or the God directed realize duties of concerns of the world and of renunciation.” [31]. The Guru’s system is a synthesis of the renunciative moments of the Siddhas and concerns of the world.
Like the modernists of recent times, the Siddhas aim only to save themselves from the inauthenticity and everydayness of the corrupted world. They declare that the world is impassable. “ Impassable is said to be ocean of the world- How to cross beyond it? “ (4). Impassable and incurable is the world, to the Siddhas. For Guru Nanak, the world is passable. “By remaining as the lotus untouched by water and the duck on the stream. By concentrated fixing of the mind in the holy Word, By contemplation of the Name, Says Nanak, is crossed the ocean of existence.” [5]. “By devotion to Truth by the Master’s guidance is the ocean of existence crossed” [63].
One can notice the message and metaphors radically contrast between the systems of the Siddhas and the Guru. The most important seems to be the attitude prescribed towards the world. The Siddhas prescribe a negative attitude and a withdrawal from it. The Guru proposes to go through it, to cross it and to swim across. Negation and withdrawal seem to be a philosophy that arises out of a state of alienation and estrangement. The Guru’s idea of crossing through is a standpoint of non-alienation.
In the system of Guru’s philosophy one finds the idea of God, “One who pervades all hearts”, God’s Will and God’s Name. The Divine is celebrated with the idea of truthfulness. “ One’s purification is only through Truth: And without the true Word not one is emancipated.” says the Guru. There is the Living Guru to show you the way in all practicality. Guru Nanak agrees with the Siddhas that the unstable mind has to be stabilized. But he has his own way of realizing it. “ With adopting prop of the Name is the unstable mind in the abode of truth fixed” [6]. The devotional moment is determining in the system of Guru Nanak.
The Siddhas raise the question: “How without teeth may iron be chewed?” [19]. By iron, the Siddhas mean the oddities of life and by ‘without teeth’ they mean that humans are left out without any reliable means to encounter the problems. The Guru occupies a different position. The world is could be encountered. The humans do have teeth. “ By taking new birth with the holy preceptor”, “by absorption in the holy Word” and “by the Master’s guidance” the iron is chewed [20]. In a latter hymn the Siddhas refer the devotion to God or to God’s Name as “teeth of wax” with which the iron cannot be chewed [44]. There too the Guru insists “By living the Word may iron be chewed” (46). Living the Word is not the teeth of wax to Guru Nanak. Guru Nanak is optimistic (Chardikala) to chew the hard life by way of living the Word or by truthful living. The divine optimism of the Guru is supported by such statements like,” The Absolute in all spots without break abides.” [23], “In each being the Lord lies hidden” [13] and “In all beings the holy eternal pervasive” [23].
The Question of Egoism
The Guru suspects a moment of egoism and absence of humility in the philosophy of the Siddhas. We know how systematically the theme of ego has been worked out in the system of Guru Nanak. The Siddha standpoint seems to have served as an important source to Guru to develop that theme. Of course, we do not intent to say that it is the only source for the Guru. The political egoism of the Delhi rulers and so many other instances of egoism might have contributed to the theme.
The Guru says, “The egoist caught in delusion, in wild places wander” [26]. This statement indicates that the Guru suspects egoism in the wild wanderings of the Siddha yogis. The themes of egoism and duality go together in the thought of Guru Nanak. I and you go together. I-am-ness presupposes you-ness. I-am-ness presupposes the Other. From egoism hails duality. Egoism and duality are not mere metaphysical problems. They are loaded with social dimensions. Guru Nanak proposes devotion is a strong antidote of egoism and duality.
“One that dies while living, and in heart cherishes compassion for all. All realization attains.” (24). “Die while living “is the very famous theme of Guru Nanak in all along Guru Granth Sahib. The Guru refers here the death of ego. And in the quoted lines, the death of ego has been associated with compassion for all. It is the meeting point of Guru‘s metaphysics with his social concern fundamentally united. In so many other hymns of Siddha Goshti, the Guru says that the Gurmukh is liberated and he brings liberation to others as he does not enjoy the duality of I and you. “The God-directed bring liberation to others” [31]. “ The God-directed to millions have brought liberation” [40]. “ He that carries merchandise and wealth of truth is liberated himself and to others brings liberation” [57].
Conclusion
We find the dialogue between the Guru and the Siddhas as the most creative one in Guru Granth Sahib. As every dialogue as a dialectical process, it contributes positively to the making of a new philosophy. The Siddhas are the critical product as a response to the institutionalization of the devotional traditions. Many of their standpoints are negative, aristocratic and limited to an esoteric inner circle. Guru Nanak grows out of the Siddha thought. To paraphrase Raymond Williams, for Guru Nanak, religion is ordinary. It is not for a selected few or purely inner. It lives through and acts through every one. The Siddhas may be having some wonderful tools of deconstructing the corrupted and institutional. But Guru Nanak in addition has the alternative and an optimistic spirit.
The Siddha negativism may be related with their inability to find out or the lack of the social agency that could stand for a social alternative. Guru Nanak, on the other hand, might have found out the social agency, divinely inspired, dynamic and optimistic who could take on their shoulders the burden of history in this part of the country at that time. The Guru-inspired religion indeed created a new community that became the carrier of history and its truth was articulated by the Guru. The Siddha Goshti says: “Nanak gives utterance to Truth”[65].
REFERENCES
1 Sher Singh, Philosophy of Sikhism, SGPC, Amritsar 1980. Pp.100,103.
2 S.S.Gyani, Siddh Gosht of Guru Nanak: Key to Life, The Sikh Review, September 1995. Pp. 13-14.
3 Ibid. P. 100.
4 A.V.Subramania Aiyar, The Poetry and the Philosophy of the Tamil Siddhars: An Essay in Criticism, Tirunelveli, 1957. p.2-3.
5 Ibid. p.5-6.
6 Here and below the bracketed numbers indicate the paragraphs of the Siddha Goshti translated by Gurbachan Singh Talib and published by Punjabi University of Patiala.
