Read this article while you have the earlier video on.
Guru Granth Sahib (Sikh Holy Book) on the Universe
|
"There are planets, solar systems and galaxies.
If one speaks of them, there is no limit and no end." |
The top line is the original text in Gurmukhi recited by Guru Nanak
in about 1499 found in the Sikh holy scripture called the Guru Granth Sahib |
| (SGGS p8) |
However, although
Gurbani has been in existence since about 1499 and the
Guru Granth Sahib has been the Guru of the Sikh since 1708, the world has not been listening. It is clear that there is very little that the world has learnt from the important points mentioned in the Sikh holy text regarding the cosmos.
Carl Sagan (1934 – 1996) was an American astronomer, astrochemist, author, and highly successful popularizer of astronomy, astrophysics and other natural sciences. He was the David Duncan Professor of Astronomy and Space Sciences and Director of the Laboratory for Planetary Studies at Cornell University. He was a consultant and adviser to
NASA since the 1950's and briefed the Apollo astronauts before their flights to the Moon.
This is what
Carl Sagan, wrote in his book the
Pale Blue Dot:
"How is it that hardly any major religion has looked at science and concluded, 'This is better than we thought! The Universe is much bigger than our prophets said, grander, more subtle, more elegant'? Instead they say, 'No, no, no! My god is a little god, and I want him to stay that way.' A religion, old or new, that stressed the magnificence of the Universe as revealed by modern science might be able to draw forth reserves of reverence and awe hardly tapped by the conventional faiths."
Well! The holy Granth of the Sikhs has said all these amazing things about the cosmos but no one is listening!
The purpose of this article is not to criticise Carl Sagan but to bring home the point that most people pay little interest in studying our religious text with any real seriousness and that the many fascinating ideas within our religious texts are unknown to most of the world.
Despite the wonderful things mentioned in the holy Granth, we continue to remain deaf to these ideas and hence continue to deny our spirits the wisdom that is contained therein.
What Gurbani says
Guru Granth Sahib states that, “There are planets, solar systems and galaxies. If one speaks of them, there is no limit, no end. There are worlds upon worlds of His Creation. As He commands, so they exist. He watches over all, and contemplating the creation, He rejoices. Nanak says, to describe this is as hard as steel!” (SGGS p8).
Despite this fact being clearly stated in the
Guru Granth Sahib some 500 years ago, most of humanity is not aware of these sayings.
Guru Nanak was an exceptional visionary and was responsible for bring some amazing ideas to the world.
The scriptures say that the universe consists of many different bodies including planets, solar systems galaxies, stars, suns, skies, etc and that the scale and extent of these bodies is unknown and that there is no end to their number. It is clear from this that probable size of the universe is beyond an exact evaluation or calculation by the human mind.
The holy text continues to state: "The limits of the created universe cannot be perceived. Its limits here and beyond cannot be perceived. Many struggle to know His limits, but His limits cannot be found. No one can know these limits.
The more you say about them, the more there still remains to be said."
(SGGS p5).
So it appears that as we get a better estimate of the size of the universe, in other words, the more we find, then the realisation will dawn that there remain even more outside our knowledge.
Gurbani tells us that this is how we will progress when we try and calculate the size of the Universe.
On a spiritual angle, the Guru tells us that the Lord is in his creation and the Creation is in the Lord; "All are in the One, and the One is in all."
(SGGS p907).
So the Universe is a manifestation of the Lord; He is found within the Universe. So from this we can see the extent of God as portrait by
Sikhism.
Furthermore, it is stated that God created the whole universe including the earth: “You Yourself created the earth, and the two lamps of the sun and the moon”
(SGGS p83); "He creates planets, solar systems and galaxies;"
(SGGS p1162). And, “Many millions are the moons, suns and stars”
(SGGS p275).
https://www.sikhiwiki.org/index.php...criptures say that the,no end to their number.
