(Courtesy: India Currents Magazine, by Neera Kuckreja Sohoni)
In October 1986, Pritam Singh Chahil, a visitor to the Bay area from India, attended the Gurdwara (literally. “The Lord’s Door”). The gurdwara is set up and managed by American Sikhs, followers of Sikhism, a religion founded by Guru Nanak in India in the 15th century. After Guru Nanak came nine more Sikh preacher-saints, the last of whom, Guru Gobind Singh, brought to final completion in 1705 the holy book of Sikhs known as Guru Granth Sahib. Widely revered like the Bible and the Quran, the Granth Sahib is placed on a pedestal in every gurdwara, to be read and venerated.
The Holy Book is scripted originally in Gurmukhi, a written form of Punjab – one of India’s 14 official languages. Like many other languages, the usage of Gurmukhi is declining. Modem Sikhs in this country or elsewhere have no way of reading and grasping the Holy Book without the help of a translator.
When Chahil visited the Berkeley facility, he was surprised and happy to see one of the eight volumes of the Granth Sahib catering to the needs of readers unfamiliar with the original script. That particular volume contained on each page, the original text. as well as the unsalted texts both in English and simple, spoken Punjabi.
Concerned that the Guru Granth Sahib be accessible in its entirely, Chahil soon found himself persuaded by his Cupertino-based son, Satjiv, who is Vice President of Pacific Marketing at Apple Computer, lo cake on the mammoth task of translating the Holy Book So, at the age of 75, Chahil settled down to present the Holy text in a readily digestible form for Sikh and non-Sikh readers alike. He chose a trilingual forma similar to the translated volume he had encountered in Berkeley
The task was stupendous, as was the commitment it required. For the next six years, Chahil worked long hours, waking at five and retiring around midnight Indians aged 75 and over behave and expect to be treated like porcelain. That is an age associated with relaxation, meditation, and renunciation from all worldly life. Perhaps it was the nature of the mission and the divine hand endorsing it which re-invigorated Chahil beyond the supposed limitations of his ago.
What makes Chahil’s effort unique, however, is not his labor nor commitment nor age, but the sheer love for the assignment. When he made that historic decision to translate the holy text, he more or less bound himself to stay around to complete that task. And, in December 1992 his 81st year, he has had the satisfaction of seeing the completion of his undertaking.
Consisting of nearly 6,000 hymns and 1,430 pages, the book required incredible painstaking effort in translation. Chahil worked diligently, drawing on existing translations by other scholars, and devising his own final version
After consulting available sources, he developed his guidelines for phonetic transliteration from Gurmukhi to Roman script. Next, the design and layout of the text had to be decided keeping in mind the convenience of the reader as well as the sanctity of the text Above all, an ingenious layout had to be devised allowing each pub. listed page to have three columns, the first containing the original Gurmukhi text, the second for a transliteration in Roman script, and the third for an English translation. All three columns are in sync, and the beginning of end of each page correspond to the original in the holy book. On the edge of the page is a gentle, colored, floral design border.
The published work is now available for interested readers in the U.S. call (716) 283-0284, in Canada call (416) 923-6345), and Chahil naturally wishes everyone to read it. Not because he sees it as a proselytizing tool but as a vast window into human spirit. The writers of the 6.000 hymns in the Granth Sahib are not only the Sikh Gurus or their 11 minstrels or four others who were close to the Gurus, but 15 other saints and mediators belonging to different faiths and classes – both Hindus and Muslims – from all over India.” notes Chahil. In that sense, the Granth Sahib is a sanjha (commonly owned) scripture which belongs to people of all faiths.
The Dalai Lama has described the Guru Granth Sahib as the book not of
any one religion..it is in fact a life giver for all the faiths and humanity. In the present situation of disintegration in the world, it can show the correct way to the people. It is a guide to load one to the true path to God.”
Mohamad Abasi of Jinnah University, Islamabad, echoes the same sentiment when he describes the Granth Sahib as the treasure of all knowledge of the world.”
Pritam Siongh Chahil himself summarizes what he perceives to be the essence of the Holy Book of Sikhs in the following words: “Work, i.e. Serve. Praise the Lord, And Share.” That does not seem too complicated, after all.
Article extracted from this publication >> January 27, 1995
