For the editorial staff of a magazine or a newspaper there is a great sense of reverence and Spiritual fulfillment in having published large portraits of the Gurus. It appears to correspond directly to their commitment to the faith and having failed to do so, on the relevant occasion, would appear sac religious. But, is it really so? Let us examine this concept rationally.
Ever since the Stone Age cave dweller evolved into the modern man and developed logical thinking, a process of intense inquiry and introspection has been put in motion to explain our existence on this planet and our relationship to the super power called Almighty God. This idea has been maturing ever since and our ancestors started worshiping the elements of nature such as sun, wind, fire, sea and the mountains. All such objects and phenomenon, which were beyond human control, became indicative of God. Thus the human mind became imprinted with the theme to realize God through experiences by our elementary external senses. Initially, it was perhaps a sense of fear and awe, which then changed into veneration. Continuing on the same thought, the objects representing Gods and deities took a more concrete form as the figures were carved in stone and wood. As an extension of this theme, mural paintings and Portraits of the various Gods came into existence.
On the part of Sikhs, this lead to representation of the Gurus through their portraits, and thus, an attempt was made to humanize God. This fulfilled our inherent desire to visualize the prophet or Godin a human form. Through a portrait the Gumi is brought close, contact is direct, practical and convenient, It establishes a one to one relationship for spiritual guidance and blessing, which then can be obtained in a hurry, particularly when the adversity is overwhelming.
Guru is blessed with Brahm Gyan (Divine Knowledge) and thus transmits the Shabad (Divine Word). The Gum is born in a human form, but these spiritual faculties elevate him above the ordinary mortals. Any portrait of the Guru is, at best, an expression of the painter’s concept of a face which does not resemble the real one. The artist may do his best to create a human body and a face, but the elements of divinity and spirituality are beyond the artistic rendition,
Each artist has his own depiction of the portrait which will be obvious if you collect all the different paintings of Guru Nanak, done by various artists, and put them side by side. Even though none of them have the face of the real Guru, you are likely to look up to the one you have become accustomed to paying your respects to. A renowned painter, when asked how he thought of painting Guru Nanak, replied that he was in meditation and visualized a face, which he thought was the ‘real one. There are obvious flaws into such meditative speculations since it lends credence to its authenticity. Many people claim to have visualized the prophet during dreams or meditation. Each individual personifies him according to one’s own imaginative version. Let us discuss such portraiture in more detail. Before deciding the kind of face which would faithfully represent the Guru, an elementary research into certain aspects is vital. Guru Nanak traveled extensively for over 20 years through all kinds of inclement weather, and mostly on foot. He subsequently settled in the village and took partly to farming. Physically he should have upright posture, be fairly lean and athletic. The skin of the face should show some effects of age and the weather, in addition, such a face should have a very serene and commanding disposition, and On the contrary, the usual expressions are of a face with somewhat plump cheeks, with pale buff smooth baby skin. Many of the portrayals show half closed eyes, which are dreamy, suggestive more of a yogi in pseudo trance. To my mind, it is impossible to paint a pious face with divine looks. Putting the halo or showing a light around the head is the traditional hallmark of divinity and it is an illusion, and hence, inadequate.
Article extracted from this publication >> April 6, 1990
