“On whose head, He places His Hand [is liberated]. My Lord is the Lord of the helpless. He is the Saviour of the fallen and the Treasure of mercy. Forever and ever, I am a sacrifice to Him.”
– Guru Arjun Dev ji (Guru Granth Sahib, 900)
Mata Gujri Ji and the Chote Sahibzade
Guru Gobind Singh ji had challenged the Mughal government for the forceful conversions of Hindus and for the unjust killing of his father and Warrior Saint, Guru Tegh Bahadur ji, who had tried to peacefully persuade the Mughal emperor Aurangzeb to stop.
When Guru Gobind Singh ji arrived in the forest of Machhiwara from Chamkaur, he had lost his two older sons Baba Ajit Singh ji and Baba Jujhar Singh ji in the Battle of Chamkaur.
Before the Battle of Chamkaur, he had evacuated his mother, Mata Gujri Devi ji, his wives Mata Jito Devi ji, Mata Sundari Devi ji and Mata Sahib Devi ji and younger sons Baba Zorawar Singh ji and Baba Fateh Singh ji, out of harm’s way.
In the stormy night, the Sirsa river had flooded so crossing it became nearly impossible. Guru ji was separated from his wives, who were separated from his children and their grandmother.
Mata Gujri ji and the Chotte Sahibzade were looking for a sanctuary however they were tricked and captured by the Mughal police. They imprisoned Mata ji and the children of Guru ji in a cold tower (Thanda Burj).
Cold towers in Mughal architecture were built to be a cool place to relax in the summer. They were built as part of their palaces and buildings, and were of varying heights. Not always a tower as we imagine it today. Sometimes they were just raised off the ground by several feet.
But these were winter months so the cold tower was exposed fully to the onslaught of the winter chill.
Imprisoned here for a few days, the Chote Sahibzade were bricked alive, encased in a wall. When the wall wouldn’t hold up, the Mughal officials decapitated the children.
Mata Gujri ji passed away in the tower as this was going on.
In this painting, Mata Gujri ji and the Chote Sahibzade are saying their Antim Ardas, their final prayer, in the cold tower where they were imprisoned by the Mughal police, before execution.
Guru Arjun Dev ji ki bani –
ਜਾ ਕੈ ਮਸਤਕਿ ਰਾਖੈ ਹਾਥੁ ॥ On whose head, He places His Hand [is liberated].
ਪ੍ਰਭੁ ਮੇਰੋ ਅਨਾਥ ਕੋ ਨਾਥੁ ॥ My Lord is the Lord of the helpless.
ਪਤਿਤ ਉਧਾਰਣੁ ਕ੍ਰਿਪਾ ਨਿਧਾਨੁ ॥ He is the Saviour of the fallen and the Treasure of mercy.
ਸਦਾ ਸਦਾ ਜਾਈਐ ਕੁਰਬਾਨੁ ॥੨॥ Forever and ever, I am a sacrifice to Him.
-Guru Granth Sahib, 900
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“With my eyes I look, and I see none other than Hari. My eyes are lovingly fixated, and I cannot speak of anything else.”
– Guru Angad Dev ji (Guru Granth Sahib, 655)
I noticed that I hadn’t done any sketches or paintings of Guru Angad Dev ji. So I had to take some time out and paint Guru ji in a meditative state.
Guru Angad Dev ji – The Graceful One
There was a sakhi of Guru ji where He went to meet Guru Nanak Dev ji. When He came to the house of Mata Sulakhini Devi ji, She said that Guru Nanak Dev ji is working in the fields.
Despite wearing His high quality, clean, white robes, He went into the fields and helped Guru Nanak Dev ji carry the crops back and was covered in dirt and the black liquid from the crops.
This painting arose from a state of devotion and surrender. I wanted to capture that feeling at its highest level but I wasn’t able to show this sakhi along with it. However I still wanted to show an iconic feature of Guru Angad Dev ji and highlight that in this painting.
Guru Angad Dev ji instituted the Gurmukhi script. He built schools for children and taught them. He promoted physical activities such as wrestling. He carried forward Guru Nanak Dev ji’s tradition of langar as well as His teachings.
Any of these sakhiyan would be iconic to show. However since this was a portrait, I decided to incorporate the Gurmukhi alphabet into the painting, by featuring the first five letters.
The way Shri Hari ji protected the honour of Dropadi ji, He protects the honour of all His Saints. The fabric came from Shri Hari ji and covered Dropadi ji up as she was being dishonoured. In a similar way, in this painting of Guru Angad Dev ji, the fabric emerges from Shri Hari ji, whose symbol is the Ek Onkar, and wraps around the turban of Guru Angad Dev ji.
The Grace of Shri Hari ji is always upon Guru Angad Dev ji and those who meditate on Him while carrying out their responsibilities.
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“Wherever I look I see the Divine Light residing as the Union of Shiva and Shakti.”
– Guru Nanak Dev ji (Guru Granth Sahib, 21)
The Union of Shiva and Shakti
In this painting of Shiv-Shakti, the Spiritual Dimension is represented by Shiv ji, and the world, the Material Dimension is represented by Shakti ji.
Shiva and Shakti are the Spiritual and Material Forces of the Universe. In this painting, the Spiritual Force, Shiv ji, is represented by the open and spacious Cosmos and the Material Force, Shakti ji, is represented by the concrete and natural Earth.
These Forces have been personified and shown embracing each other because they are complementary forces. They work in unison, side by side.
Guru Nanak Dev ji ki bani – ਜਹ ਦੇਖਾ ਤਹ ਰਵਿ ਰਹੇ ਸਿਵ ਸਕਤੀ ਕਾ ਮੇਲੁ ॥ Wherever I look I see the Divine Light residing as the Union of Shiva – Spirit – and Shakti – Matter. (Guru Granth Sahib, 21)
The Saints viewed the world as created by the Union of Vishnu ji/Shiv ji (father spirit, paternal, patterns) and Lakshmi ji/Shakti ji (mother matter, maternal, materials).
When a Pattern is imposed on a Material, then it gives birth to beautiful shapes and forms. You take a stamp (pattern), add some ink (matter) and press it on some paper and you get beautiful shapes.
Similarly, when Spirit penetrates Matter, it gives birth to life, to Us, because we are composed of matter and spirit.
Our Body is made of Matter and our Mind is all Spirit.
Our Body consumes Material as Food and relies on Matter to survive. Our Mind consumes Spiritual as Food and relies on Spirit to survive.
(It is even more intertwined as our Body is organized according to certain Patterns of information and our Mind is projected from (brain) Matter, which in itself is ordered according to certain Patterns, which have evolved over millions of years.)
So we are children of the Great Father Spirit and Great Mother Matter.
You may call them Spirit/Pattern and Matter, you may call them Vishnu ji and Lakshmi ji, you may call them Shiv ji and Shakti ji, or you may call them Mahakal ji and Kalika ji.
ਸਰਬ ਕਾਲ ਹੈ ਪਿਤਾ ਅਪਾਰਾ ॥ ਦੇਬਿ ਕਾਲਿਕਾ ਮਾਤ ਹਮਾਰਾ ॥ Mahakal ji is my Limitless Father, Devi Kalika ji is my Mother. – Dasam Granth
Regardless of what names you give the spiritual and material dimensions of life, these are not phenomenon that you can just read about and know. They must be tasted within the body.
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“If blood gets on one’s clothes, we say the garment has become polluted. Those who suck the blood of human beings, how can their consciousness be pure? Guru Nanak Dev ji says [perform Responsible Actions and] Meditate on the Name of the Supreme Consciousness, with a pure heart. Everything else is just a pretentious display, and the practice of irresponsible actions.”
– Guru Nanak Dev ji (Guru Granth Sahib, 140)
Guru Nanak Dev ji – Supper at Bhai Lalo ji’s House
In my latest Sikh Painting, Guru Nanak Dev ji demonstrates that Bhai Lalo ji’s bread, earned through Responsible Actions and Meditation, is dripping with Milk. It nourishes everyone around Bhai Sahib, who bows to the Guru. Whereas the bread of Malik Bhago, earned through irresponsible actions, is dripping with Blood. It sucks the blood of those around Malik Bhago, who is looking shocked by the revelation. Standing behind Guru ji, Bhai Mardana ji watches the miracle in awe.
Painting Guru ji’s Four Symbols Ever since I learned that Guru nanak dev ji wore Four Symbols – Topi, Seli, Tilak and Mala I always wanted to paint Him with these symbols.
Guru Granth Sahib ji and our Puratan Itihaasic scriptures all talk about Guru ji’s 4 symbols. Bhai Kahn Singh ji’s Mahan Kosh also mentions them.
These were Symbols worn by Saints of Medieval India, those who taught Bhagti.
1. Topi is an Old Style of Cap. In puratan art, we see Guru Nanak Dev ji depicted with 3 styles of Caps, which people wear in Himachal Pradesh, Tibet and Afghanistan, in the modern day.
2. Seli is a Black String. Sometimes worn on the cap, sometimes around neck (like a necklace or like a gatra), sometimes both. No current practice of wearing such a string exists in modern day. But it is spoken of and depicted in ancient literature and art.
3. Tilak is a Forehead Mark. It can be seen amongst Sadhus in modern day.
4. Mala is a Rosary. It’s well known today as a Tool for practicing meditation.
Hidden Away in History This knowledge is nowhere to be found within our community. No one knows about it or talks about it. Even I didn’t know and when I found out, I was taken aback and it caused me to reflect on our situation. I recognized the need within the community of more knowledge and more historically authentic paintings.
Seeing this need I thought I should do a painting where Guru ji is wearing His 4 symbols. However I thought people do not see Him as such and would not want to own such a painting.
To be honest, at that time I did not see Guru ji with His 4 symbols either however I knew that the current style of turban we see him in, is a modern invention.
Meditating on Guru ji So I started drawing Guru Nanak Dev ji everyday with seli and topi (I would later add the tilak and mala as well). At first it seemed odd. The drawing looked like Guru Nanak Dev ji and looked familiar however it also looked strange at the same time.
Nonetheless I was fascinated by Guru ji’s appearance.
I drew him more and more. Many of these sketches I later shared on my social media.
As I drew Him my mind was absorbed in His feet. In moments of complete absorption, I knew what I was drawing was the Guru and that He was guiding me to draw Him. So despite having reluctance and reservations, I carried on doing this process.
Days and nights I meditated as I drew Guru Nanak Dev ji. If I went out, I would park my vehicle and draw him for 40-50 minutes or so.
In those moments I felt like – ਜਿਥੈ ਜਾਇ ਬਹੈ ਮੇਰਾ ਸਤਿਗੁਰੂ ਸੋ ਥਾਨੁ ਸੁਹਾਵਾ ਰਾਮ ਰਾਜੇ ॥ Raja Ram ji, wherever my Guru goes, that place is the most beautiful to me. (Ang 450)
I was in bliss.
This went on for a year or more, I can’t remember. Every time I would go somewhere I would take my sketchbook and draw Guru Nanak Dev ji in seli, topi, tilak and mala, while meditating.
It got to the point where sometimes my eyes would tear up as I enjoyed the emotions of the meditation.
Sikh Art for Gurpurab 550 Years A few months ago I heard the community was celebrating Guru Nanak Dev ji’s 550th Gurpurab and I thought what better way to showcase the 4 symbols of Guru Nanak than to paint something for the 550th Gurpurab.
Several years ago I had started a painting of Guru Nanak Dev ji with seli topi holding the roti of Bhai Lalo ji and the roti of Malik Bhago, and showing the difference between one who performs Responsible Actions and Meditation, which nourishes the calves around them, and one who performs irresponsible actions which sucks the blood of the beings around them.
Originally I had Guru ji wearing wearing seli topi however part way through the process I changed it into a turban. Although I made progress on it, I started to lose interest and I stopped working on the painting.
I had tampered with my original vision, which came from Guru sahib and changed it to a turban to appease the insecure part of myself. In hindsight, that was not a good idea. (This was many years ago.)
After the past few years, after my experiences of drawing Guru sahib, I went back and changed the painting back to seli topi and it rejuvenated the painting.
The inspiration that came from that allowed me to do significant amount of work on the painting in a short amount of time.
Lessons Learned The lessons I learned, I still try to ingrain them deeper into my being because the mind wanders from Guru ji’s teaching.
Guru ji said to not worry about other people, to let go of insecurities and to simply focus on Him. I would lose sight of this and He would again come and tell me to focus on what He said.
During the month of October with Diwali coming up ahead, I started to translate Guru ji’s bani on a daily basis and each day I would contemplate His teachings and focus my mind on Ram naam.
Doubt and fear are activities of the mind. They are like waves in the ocean. They come and go. This was the insight that came. I felt it deeply within.
Over my journey as an artist, Guru ji has taught me to dive into the ocean and taught me to swim as a free spirit alongside His other fish.
Some people say to keep spiritual experiences private, hidden from the public. While I keep almost all of them to myself, sometimes it becomes necessary to share a few with you guys so that you can understand the evolution in my art, and where it is coming from.
Of course there are people who will never understand this state of being nor the evolution that follows it. But for most people, it may be necessary from time to time, to explain the art, to add context to the image, so that they can enjoy it better.
About the Painting This is a Puratan Style painting of Guru Nanak Dev ji, where Guru ji is dressed as he is shown in Puratan Sikh Art.
The style of painting is Puratan as well, but from Italy. I am a big fan of the Master Artist, Caravaggio, a 16th century artist, from the renaissance period of Italy. I have learned many things from him, despite never meeting him.
You can see his direct influence on my painting of Guru Arjun Dev ji’s martyrdom.
There is a famous painting of Guru Nanak Dev ji by Ustaad Sobha Singh ji, where Guru ji is shown blessing the viewer. Whereas Sobha Singh ji set a modern look for Guru sahib. I wanted to take the viewer back to Guru ji’s Puratan look, perhaps His original historical look, and show that off to newer generations.
So I painted the puratan look of Guru Nanak Dev ji that we see in Janamsakhis of 1700s, but with the puratan style of Ustaad Caravaggio ji from 1500s.
With that I hope I have given you guys a glimpse into our history with this piece.
The intention is not to offend anyone’s faith or belief system but simply to express our Itihaasic relics and artifacts that show us our past, and move forward under the guidance of Guru ji.
Bhagat, do you think Sikhs should wear a Seli and Topi? The tradition of Seli and Topi was changed by the sixth Guru to that of Gatra and Dumalla (see Gurbilas Patshahi 6).
My intention here is only to show Guru Nanak Dev ji’s historical form and appearance, not to suggest to anyone to wear it.
My message to the community is to follow Guru ji’s teachings to us, in His sixth form, and continue to wear a Turban and a Sword belt as per His instructions.
If you don’t wear a Turban, my message to you is – start to think about where you belong, and who you worship. If you worship the Gurus then understand the depth of their message and the importance of the traditions they started.
When we go to the Gurudwara and benefit from a free meal, we should first think – “Am I performing responsible actions and meditation?” and then think – “Am I giving back to the Guru’s tradition by wearing the physical appearance that He blessed me with?”
If we benefit from one sikh tradition, langar tradition, but do not give back into the community by following other sikh tradition of maintaining uncut hair and turban, then we must take a serious look at our life.
In my view we should all wear turbans over our long hair, as that is Guru ji’s order. But it is also important to share Guru Nanak Dev ji’s original appearance, as it revealed itself to me in puratan literature and puratan artwork, and then in my Being.
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“Those who die to the World and become alive in the Presence of Ram, merge into the Formlessness of Ram. Those who remain Pure – Truthful, Responsible and Blissful – in this world, they never fall into the terrifying ocean of Meaningless Suffering. My Ram, this is the Milk we ought to churn! Through the Guru’s teachings, we can cultivate a steady mind, a concentrated mind, free from distractions, and in this way, we can have a drink of the Amrit, the Timeless State of Consciousness.”
– Sant Kabir Das ji (Guru Granth Sahib, 332)
Guru Amardas ji – Langar Seva
Bhagat’s unique painting has depicted Guru Amar Das ji’s physically serving the people around him, the rich, the poor, and everyone in the middle. Guru Amar Das ji’s sikh art prints look beautiful in your living room or prayer room, and bring peace and tranquility. This piece is an inspiration for developing seva bhawana within.
Artist’s Notes In this painting, Guru Amar Das ji stirs the milk in pure devotion to Hari, while Mata Mansa Devi ji brings forth the rice to add to the milk, to make kheer (pudding). Guru Pita ji provides the spirit and Mata ji provides the material, and together this results in something beautiful.
Stirring the Ocean Waheguru stirs the Ocean of Milk. From this stirring, come various elements.
One of these elements is Amrit, that Timeless Quality of Consciousness.
The wicked ones try to steal it from the Saints however Waheguru makes sure to steal it back from those who have Enmity within their Hearts and perform Actions laced with Anger, Greed and Lust. He gives Amrit to his Saints, who chant the name of Hari and perform Pure Actions, actions that are Truthful, Responsible and Blissful.
Langar Tradition Langar is an old Indian tradition. But in the Sikh tradition, it has a very special and significant place. Many stories of the Gurus revolve around Langar, the process, the devotion, the servitude and the pureness of Being, that goes into cooking Langar.
Guru Nanak Dev ji It is said that when Pita Kalu ji gave Guru Nanak Dev ji a whole bunch of funds to start his own business, the Master of Seli and Topi spent all of it on feeding and clothing Sadhus, the Saints of the Lord.
In this painting, Guru Nanak Dev ji brings Dal (lentil soup) to the congregation, to the Sadhus.
Guru Angad Dev ji Guru Lehna ji (later Guru Angad Dev ji) demonstrated his devotion, dedication and divinity through Langar. Prior to meeting Guru Nanak Dev ji, Lehna ji was a Guru himself and commanded a following of his own. Despite having such status, he became a mere Servant in Guru Nanak Dev ji’s kitchen. When no one would do the job, he was there in the thick of it, doing the grueling and messy work of collecting materials for Langar. The former Guru became a servant and a part, angad, of Guru Nanak Dev ji, and thus, he was given leadership of Guru ji’s own following.
In this painting, Lehna ji (Guru Angad Dev ji) hands out Chapatis (bread) to the congregation.
Guru Amar Das ji Bhai Amar ji (also Bhai Amru ji, later Guru Amar Das ji or Guru Amar Dev ji) followed in the footsteps of Guru Angad Dev ji. He meditated on Ram, and performed Responsible Actions, and became a complete servant of the Guru. Guru Angad Dev ji became so impressed by Bhai Amru’s devotion, his dedication and the divinity shining from within him, that he made him the next Guru of the Sikhs.
Guru Ram Das ji In the time period of this painting, Bhai Jetha ji (later Guru Ram Das ji) has not yet been given Guruship. In the painting, Jetha ji is seen standing in front of the Guru’s house. He collects the Chapatis from Bibi Bhani ji, his wife, the daughter of Guru Amar Das ji, who is cooking them on the hot plate.
Langar Amplified When Guru Amar Das ji attained the Throne of the Guru, he amplified the Langar tradition and made it a regular part of the community. He required that everyone who wanted to see him, join the langar first before joining the congregation.
Guru ji made everyone, belonging to different social class, caste and religion, sit together and eat together and pray together. He eliminated the tensions between groups and created a heavenly atmosphere.
Even the Emperor of India, Akbar, had to take part in Langar before seeing Guru Sahib. In this painting, the Emperor sits amongst the poor and the Sadhus, the Hindus and the Muslims, and eats off a simple leaf-plate and patiently awaits more servings.
The advancements made by Guru ji made Langar a critical part of Sikh discipline.
Performing Seva, selfless service, in Langar and not being afraid to get yourself dirty in the process, is of great spiritual value, which was demonstrated strongly by Guru Angad Dev ji and Guru Amar Das ji.
Sikhs took this technology that their Gurus brought to them and amplified it even further. Today Sikh Panth is feeding millions of people daily with free meals. This is one of the greatest achievements for not only Sikh community but the whole of mankind itself.
Artistic Process I started this painting of Guru Amar Das ji back in 2010!
As I painted and re-painted it, it went through many many changes. A big change was the change of setting.
Originally I had imagined the Langar Kitchen set in a building akin to modern kitchens in old Gurudwaras. But later I stumbled upon some resources that suggested that the the setting would be very different from where we cook langar nowadays.
The kitchen would have been built outside, and the langar would have been cooked in the open air, at least for a large congregation.
So I imagined the kitchen under the shade of a large tree, with the sangati eating the langar on one side and buffalo on the other.
There is the creation of the langar (the buffalo), the people who process the langar (the sevadars) and those who consume it (the congregation).
Guru Amar Das ji is cooking kheer, and is flanked by his sikhs, who are preparing the dough and creating chapatis.
Behind Guru Amar Das ji, we see important figures, one of whom is Mata Mansa Devi ji who is bringing rice in her jholi.
I imagined this scene like the scene of Vaisakhi, where Guru Gobind Singh ji stirred the water and his wife, Mata Sahib Devi brought the patashay in her jholi, to add to the water.
In this way, Guru Amar Das ji stirs the kheer while his wife, Mata Mansa Devi ji brings the rice to add to it.
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