I believe Sikh history is awesome; it needs to be painted with skill and passion. This is my attempt to increase the well-being of Sikhs all over the world. - Bhagat Singh Bedi
“Whatever speaketh the animals, the fish and the birds, other than Hari they speak of no one else.”
– Guru Arjun Dev ji (Guru Granth Sahib, 262)
Guru Arjun Dev ji – Spiritual Blossoming
Sikh paintings of Guru Arjan Dev ji Maharaj have never radiated with so much spiritual energy as Bhagat’s original painting. Buy prints to express your love for Guru ji.
Artist’s Notes
This painting developed over time as the result of reading Guru Arjun Dev ji’s bani and feeling the emotions expressed therein. I was moved to tears by the love Guru Maharaj expressed for Akal Purakh Sahib so I just had to create this portrait of my Gurudev.
ਹਉ ਨਾ ਛੋਡਉ ਕੰਤ ਪਾਸਰਾ ॥ ਸਦਾ ਰੰਗੀਲਾ ਲਾਲੁ ਪਿਆਰਾ ਏਹੁ ਮਹਿੰਜਾ ਆਸਰਾ ॥1॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥ I will never leave the intimacy of my Husband God. My Beloved Lover is always and forever colourful. He is my vital support. ||1||Pause||
– Guru Arjun Dev Ji, 761
ਨੈਣ ਅਲੋਇਆ ਘਟਿ ਘਟਿ ਸੋਇਆ ਅਤਿ ਅੰਮ੍ਰਿਤ ਪ੍ਰਿਅ ਗੂੜਾ ॥ With my eyes I have seen him, resting within each and every heart; my Beloved is the sweetest ambrosia.
– Guru Arjun Dev Ji, 924
ਹਮਰੀ ਗਣਤ ਨ ਗਣੀਆ ਕਾਈ ਅਪਣਾ ਬਿਰਦੁ ਪਛਾਣਿ ॥ He did not count any accounts of my past actions, after seeing my current nature.
ਹਾਥ ਦੇਇ ਰਾਖੇ ਕਰਿ ਅਪੁਨੇ ਸਦਾ ਸਦਾ ਰੰਗੁ ਮਾਣਿ ॥੧॥ He gave me his hand, saved me, and made me his own; forever and ever, I am enjoying happiness. – Guru Arjun Dev ji, 619
I found myself listening to these shabads over and over as I painted. They filled me up with joy, peace and inspiration.
ਸਭ ਦਿਨਸੁ ਰੈਣਿ ਗੁਣ ਉਚਰੈ ਹਰਿ ਹਰਿ ਹਰਿ ਉਰਿ ਲਿਵ ਲਾਗੁ ॥ All day and night I chant the qualities of Hari, and in my heart, I become focused on the name of Hari, Hari, Hari.
ਸਭੁ ਤਨੁ ਮਨੁ ਹਰਿਆ ਹੋਇਆ ਮਨੁ ਖਿੜਿਆ ਹਰਿਆ ਬਾਗੁ ॥ Meditating on Hari, my body and mind are totally rejuvenated, and the garden of my mind has blossoms forth in lush abundance. – Guru Ramdas ji, 849
Inspired by Guru Ram Das ji’s hymn, I painted a lush, flowering, garden, with free-flowing birds, as a metaphor for the state of Guru Arjun Dev ji’s mind.
Each element of the garden and each article that Guru Arjun Dev ji is wearing, has spiritual significance and is a symbol of spiritual ideas and of hymns from Guru Granth Sahib.
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“Those who dwell in the realm of Divine Grace, their words are powerful with the ability to connect the listener with Ram. No one can take their power away. In this realm, dwell great warriors who have mastered their mind, body and senses. They are completely imbued with Ram. Where there is the Sun-like Ram, there is the Moon-like Sita, who threads coolness and tranquility in to the fabric of their being. Their beauty is beyond words!”
– Guru Nanak Dev ji (Guru Granth Sahib, 8)
Hanuman ji Meditating on Shri Ram ji
Artist’s Notes
This painting of Hanuman ji was inspired by the species of Indian monkeys named after him, known as ‘Hanuman Langur’.
Even though most people associate the image of Hanuman ji with ‘Rhesus Monkeys’, I thought it would be interesting to see Hanuman ji with the facial characteristics of the ‘Hanuman Langur’, with black-skin and white fur.
I painted this portrait of Hanuman ji in a meditative state, where most of my mental distractions had ceased and the mind came to rest in its own awareness.
In this state, there is a pool of cooling, soothing peace.
This pool erases all baggage of past actions, eases suffering in the present moment and gives one strength to face the future, head on!
Hanuman ji knew that through the chanting of Ram naam such a state can be achieved and perfected, and he was a master at maintaining such a perfect state.
Ever since I found this out about him, he has become an inspiration for me, as he inspires me to connect to God and access this pool of everlasting peace for myself.
Who is Hanuman ji?
Hanuman ji is an exalted Devotee of the Supreme God.
He is a major character in the Ramayan, the story of God, written by Sant Valmiki ji. His name, Hanuman, comes from his facial feature, and means ‘one with a prominent jaw’.
He is strong, heroic and assertive, always ready to take action, as well as loving, calm and innocent, and immersed in states of pure love.
He is an inspiration for warriors, strongmen and weightlifters, as well as devotees of God, who want to develop compassion.
He inspires us not only to do Meditation, bhakti, but also inspires us to be full of Energy, shakti, to exercise and to stay fit.
Hanuman ji inspires us to remain fully alert and be ready to take action.
Tyar bar tyar!
Sant Kabir ji’s Hymn
Sant Kabir ji gives Hanuman ji as an example of one of God’s devotees, who has become awake from the attachment to the transient world.
Kabir ji says that the highly intelligent priests, scholars, meditators, ascetics, etc, even though they read scriptural texts, meditate and perform penance, are not able to detach themselves, the way Hanuman ji and others have, through the chanting of Ram naam.
He sings –
ਜਾਗੈ ਸੁਕਦੇਉ ਅਰੁ ਅਕੂਰੁ ॥ ਹਣਵੰਤੁ ਜਾਗੈ ਧਰਿ ਲੰਕੂਰੁ ॥ Sukhdev ji is awake and so is Akroor ji. Hanuman ji is awake and so is Sugreev ji.
ਸੰਕਰੁ ਜਾਗੈ ਚਰਨ ਸੇਵ ॥ ਕਲਿ ਜਾਗੇ ਨਾਮਾ ਜੈਦੇਵ ॥੨॥ Shiv Shankar ji is awake, serving Ram ji’s feet. In Kaliyug, Nam Dev ji and Jai Dev ji are awake.
ਜਾਗਤ ਸੋਵਤ ਬਹੁ ਪ੍ਰਕਾਰ ॥ ਗੁਰਮੁਖਿ ਜਾਗੈ ਸੋਈ ਸਾਰੁ ॥ There are many types of waking and sleeping, however, waking up from the transient world, through the teachings of a Guru, that is the best type of waking up.
ਇਸੁ ਦੇਹੀ ਕੇ ਅਧਿਕ ਕਾਮ ॥ ਕਹਿ ਕਬੀਰ ਭਜਿ ਰਾਮ ਨਾਮ ॥੩॥੨॥ Kabir ji says, this body will find it incredibly useful to meditate on the name of Ram ji.
(Guru Granth Sahib, 1194)
Sant Trilochan ji’s Hymn
In the story of God, Hanuman ji is the helper and messenger of God. He finds Sita ji, persuades her that he is Ram ji’s messenger, and delivers Ram ji’s message.
On the way out, he uproots Ravan’s forest and eats all the fruits. He gets captured by Ravan’s guards for tresspassing and is punished through torture.
Ravan’s guards light his tail on fire in order to punish him. Hanuman ji uses his burning tail to light Ravan’s fortress and surrounding buildings on fire.
However when Hanuman ji was a child, he was very mischievous. He once went into a gathering of Sadhus and Saints and stole their clothes as they were immersed in God, leaving only their underwear.
When Hanuman ji grew up, he ended up only wearing an underwear or loin cloth, and no other clothes, as the Pehlwans, the strong-men and wrestlers, of India do.
So Sant Trilochan ji sings –
ਦਾਧੀਲੇ ਲੰਕਾ ਗੜੁ ਉਪਾੜੀਲੇ ਰਾਵਣ ਬਣੁ ਸਲਿ ਬਿਸਲਿ ਆਣਿ ਤੋਖੀਲੇ ਹਰੀ ॥ 25 Hanuman ji burnt the fortress of Lanka, he uprooted Ravan’s forest, and brought medicinal herbs for the wounds of Lakshman ji, thereby pleasing God.
ਕਰਮ ਕਰਿ ਕਛਉਟੀ ਮਫੀਟਸਿ ਰੀ ॥੫॥ 12 However due to the consequences of his past actions, he wore no clothes except for a loin cloth.
ਪੂਰਬਲੋ ਕ੍ਰਿਤ ਕਰਮੁ ਨ ਮਿਟੈ ਰੀ ਘਰ ਗੇਹਣਿ ਤਾ ਚੇ ਮੋਹਿ ਜਾਪੀਅਲੇ ਰਾਮ ਚੇ ਨਾਮੰ ॥ 25 The consequences of past actions cannot be erased, dear wife, so this is why I chant the name of Ram ji.
The consequences of past actions will follow you, they can become a burden on you, and cause suffering.
The weight of your past will interfere with your future. Your past actions will hold you back from achieving greatness in the present.
However there is nothing you can do to change your past actions. There is nothing you can do to change their consequences.
What you can do, is alleviate the suffering they cause. You can remove their weight and be free from the suffering caused by your past.
Chanting Ram is the cure to the suffering of past actions. It is the way to remove the weight of the past.
When this burden stops bothering you, then you are free to express yourself fully in the present moment.
Through the chanting of Ram naam, Hanuman ji was able to cross the ocean in search of Lanka to find Mata Sita ji.
Through the chanting of Ram naam, Hanuman ji destroyed Ravan’s fortress and forests.
Through the chanting of Ram naam, Hanuman ji was able to bring medicine for Lakshman ji.
Through the chanting of Ram naam, Hanuman ji overcame all obstacles that came in his way and defeated his enemies.
Through the chanting of Ram naam, Hanuman ji became awake and aware in the present moment.
Trilochan ji is saying that this is why it is important to chant the name of Ram ji and meditate on him. And that this is why Trilochan ji, himself, meditates on Ram ji.
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“Wherever the Sadhus and Saints gather, they sing praises of Hari with music and poems. In their gathering there is peace and bliss. Only those obtain the company of Saints, who have good actions and habits.”
– Guru Arjun Dev ji (Guru Granth Sahib, 676)
Bhai Vir Singh ji
Sikh art of Bhai Vir Singh ji is so rare that artist Bhagat Singh Bedi wanted to promote Bhai Sahib, through Sikhi Art™.
Bhai Vir Singh ji was a giant in Punjabi literature. His works have rejuvenated Punjabi writing and have heavily influenced the Sikh psyche many generations after him.
Born in Amritsar in 1872, Bhai Vir Singh ji grew up training and learning Sikh scriptures in gurudwaras. He became fluent in multiple Indian languages, Punjabi, Urdu, and Sanskrit.
Bhai Vir Singh ji’s father, Sardar Charan Singh ji was also a poet, musician and writer. Following in his father’s footsteps, he used his novels and poems to teach the core dogmas of Sikhism.
Amidst the foreign and native pressures of politics and proselytizing, Bhai Sahib revitalized the Sikh and Punjabi culture through his literary art.
This painting was created upon commission, to revitalize the legacy of Bhai Vir Singh ji.
To commission art that enlivens the memory of your loved ones please contact artist Bhagat Singh.
My salutations to the Adi Guru, to the Guru of all ages, to the True Guru, to the Guru Lord and Master.
Last week, on November 4th, Sikhs all over the world, celebrated Guru Nanak Dev ji’s arrival on the Earth.
I celebrated his birthday by contemplating his teachings and by meditating on his virtues.
This week I wanted to share my meditations and also some of my paintings and sketches of Guru Nanak Dev ji that I have created over the years.
When Guru Nanak Dev ji was Born, the Haze of Ignorance was Gone
The birth of Guru Nanak Dev ji was a blessing to the world. Guru Sahib came to the Earth to dispel the darkness of Falsehood and guide mankind towards the light of Truth.
He taught that world is full of suffering, which can only be dispelled by following the light of Truth.
Pita Kalu ji Holding Baby Nanak (2016) Guru Nanak Dev ji’s Father, Mehta Kalu ji, looks at his newborn child in a peaceful and serene trance state, holding him in his hands for the first time.
Adi Guru, the First Guru
The first Guru of the Sikhs, Guru Nanak Dev ji was born in Punjab, in what is now known as Nankana Sahib, situated in modern day Pakistan.
From a young age, he meditated a lot and in adulthood he set out to fulfill his purpose on Earth.
Already trained as a trader, he travelled and traded, all the while spreading the Essential Teachings.
Young Guru Nanak Dev ji
The Whole World is Suffering
Those who pay attention to the process of Life, realize that everyone Suffers in this process.
Life is full of Meaningless Suffering.
Guru Nanak Dev ji taught that Liberation from Suffering can only happen when one becomes Truthful. When one realizes the Truth and speaks it and acts on it.
In Jap ji Sahib, Guru ji says that in order to speak and embody the Truth, one must learn to walk in the way of The Order of God.
By walking in the way of God’s Order, one learns about the Truth and gains the strength to act out the Truth.
Guru Nanak Dev ji – Shabad Vichar (2010) Over his lifetime, Guru Sahib travelled all over India to spread the essential teachings, which are present in the roots of all religions.
The Order of God Guru Sahib explains that the Order of God cannot be stated, you can only be with it.
He says that it is in the Order of God in which things take form, in which living beings come to life, in which greatness is obtained, in which one becomes high or low, in which pleasure and pain is received.
Everything happens inside the Order of God, there is nothing outside of it.
He adds that those who recognize that everything happens according to the Order of God, transcend their Worldly Identity.
In modern terms, we can say that the Order of God, or the Presence of God, is the Present Moment.
By aligning ourselves with the Present Moment, we come to realize the Truth.h.
Guru Nanak Dev ji – Flow with the Hukam (2015)
The World is Impermanent
The Truth is that the World is Impermanent, it is constantly changing.
Our environment constantly changes from moment to moment. Now we might be faced with the birth of a new baby, in the next moment we might be faced with the death of a loved one.
Our emotions, constantly change. One moment we are working seriously. Then we are laughing uncontrollably. Within seconds, our state can change and we can become very sad.
Our self, who we think we are, constantly changes from moment to moment. With some people we behave one way, with other we behave in a different way.
Our actions, our thoughts, our understanding changes all the time.
Guru Nanak Dev ji taught that those who cling to things that change all the time, they suffer meaninglessly.
Clinging to our Worldly Identity, the story of our lives, is the cause of our Meaningless Suffering.
Adi Guru – Guru Nanak Dev ji (2017)
Rise Above Worldly Identities
When Guru Nanak Dev ji emerged from the river and claimed “na koi hindu, na koi musalman”, that no one is a Hindu or a Muslim, he wanted us to rise to the eternal Truth.
He wanted us to recognize that the True Self transcends the Worldy Identities.
The world is a play of God.
He has created it so that the mind creates Identities for itself and other minds, for many reasons.
We identify ourselves through relationships, such as mother, father, sister, brother.
We identify ourselves through our profession, such as Doctor, Lawyer, Plumber, Driver.
We also identify ourselves as the Sikhs of Guru Nanak Dev ji.
These Identities are very helpful in a practical way. However we must also follow Guru Sahib’s teaching and transcend these Worldly Identities and realize the eternal Truth, which is beyond identification.
Guru Nanak Dev ji – Sketch (2015)
Ignorance is the Hurdle
Guru Nanak Dev ji always said everyone follows Religions blindly without Understanding. So he tried to instill Understanding in everyone.
To Guru Sahib, Hindus, Muslims, Christians and Sikhs, everybody was the same, they were all Ignorant of God.
To Guru Sahib, Religion was not a hurdle. It was Ignorance of God that was the hurdle.
That’s why Guru Sahib focused on deepening the Understanding of Religions that people followed. He focused on deepening their Understanding of God.
Seli Topi de Malak – Shri Guru Nanak Dev ji (2017)
Deepening People’s Faith
Guru Nanak Dev ji deepened the understanding of Religion and shed light into the Rituals that people performed.
He was not against any particular Rituals. He wanted people to bring the Order of God into their awareness when performing their religious Rituals and ceremonies.
When speaking about the path of an ascetic, Guru Sahib said – ਪਤੁ ਵੀਚਾਰੁ ਗਿਆਨ ਮਤਿ ਡੰਡਾ ਵਰਤਮਾਨ ਬਿਭੂਤੰ ॥ ਹਰਿ ਕੀਰਤਿ ਰਹਰਾਸਿ ਹਮਾਰੀ ਗੁਰਮੁਖਿ ਪੰਥੁ ਅਤੀਤੰ ॥੩॥
Contemplation is my Cup. Spiritual Knowledge is my walking Stick. Dwelling in the Present Moment is the Ashes that I apply to my body. Praising Hari is my Tradition. To live as a Gurmukh, facing my Guru, is my Religious Path. (Guru Granth Sahib, 360) Guru ji explained the Essential Teachings of Religion to people.
He says that the way an ascetic covers himself with ash, he must also cover himself with the Present Moment, meaning he must align his mind to towards the Order of God.
The Essential Teachings
When we live in the Order of God, we start to become Truthful.
When we become Truthful, then we overcome our Ignorance and transcend our Worldly Identity.
When our Ignorance is transformed into Understanding, then we stop Suffering Meaninglessly.
When we stop Suffering Meaninglessly, then our Faith Deepens.
When our Faith Deepens, our Rituals become more Meaningful.
When our Rituals become more Meaningful, Life becomes more Meaningful, and thus more enjoyable.
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Today I want to share something I have not shared with anyone. I want to share my purpose in this world and why I do the things I do, and paint the things I paint.
Ten years ago, when I was young, I saw that there weren’t many positive Sikh characters in the media. Bollywood movies were largely filled with Sikh caricatures and Sikh jokers.
Feeling the lack of positive representation in the media, I assumed the responsibility of creating powerful Sikh super heroes.
I created the Mutants – Born to Stand Out.
Zora Singh (2007)
As I grew up I started painting ancients Sikh warriors from our history. I started painting the legendary warriors of the past, whose exploits I had heard about in sakhis told to me by my parents and grandparents.
I painted the fierce Mai Bhago ji, the fearless Sahibzada Ajit Singh ji and the legend of Baba Deep Singh ji.
Battle of Chamkaur – Sahibzada Ajit Singh ji (2009)
I was quite young at that time, still learning how to paint, but I was immersed in these paintings when I painted them. I was absorbed in each stroke of the brush and each dab of colour.
Sometimes I found myself watching a painting develop on its own. Sometimes I was the painting itself blossoming forth.
Painting had become part of my spiritual practice.
Guru Gobind Singh ji Machhiwara (2010)
As I opened up spiritually, I began to realize that God has given every person on earth a purpose in life. He has given everyone a task to do and he has created it so that the person derives a great sense of meaning and satisfaction by fulfilling their purpose; they are inherently rewarded by it.
I realized that Waheguru has given me a purpose as well, and that purpose is to spread his glory throughout the world.
He told me to spread his glory, not just through paintings but also through my own actions – working hard and working smart, sharing what I know and possess, and cleansing the mind with the detergent of Ram naam.
He told me to create Sikhi Art and paint the Essence of Warriors and Saints, to let the world know about the sacrifices made by Sikh Warriors and Saints, and that essence which drives them – God.
He told me to paint the Gods, Gurus and Guardians, to spread the universal message described in Guru Granth Sahib, and to spread the important message of Universal Brotherhood and Unity of God.
He told me to Meditate on him daily, and to create paintings of the Meditative Process. This was to emphasize the importance of Spiritual Practice in day-to-day life.
Golden Temple – Meditations Under the Moonlight (2016)
He didn’t physically come to me to tell me this. He didn’t speak to me with an audible voice.
He did it automatically, by orienting my mind towards meditation, towards painting and towards this lifestyle, and by filling my life up with more meaning and satisfaction when I oriented my mind towards him.
He did it simply by making me feel internally rewarded for doing things he wanted me to do.
Thank you for reading, and thank you for your love and support.
