Question 16 of 22intermediate💡 UnderstandShort Answer5 marks

Describe the major teachings of either Kabir or Baba Guru Nanak, and the ways in which these have been transmitted.

Correct Answer

Baba Guru Nanak (1469-1539) was born in a Hindu merchant family in a village called Nankana Sahib. He trained to be an accountant, studied Persian, and spent his time among sufis and bhaktas while travelling widely.

His major teachings advocated a form of nirguna bhakti. He repudiated external practices, rejecting sacrifices, ritual baths, image worship, austerities, and the scriptures of both Hindus and Muslims. He believed the Absolute or “rab” had no gender or form. He proposed a simple way to connect to the Divine by remembering and repeating the Divine Name, expressing his ideas through hymns called “shabad”.

To transmit his teachings, Baba Guru Nanak organised his followers into a community. He set up rules for congregational worship known as sangat, involving collective recitation. He also appointed his disciple Angad to succeed him as the preceptor, a practice followed for nearly 200 years.

Furthermore, the fifth preceptor, Guru Arjan, compiled Baba Guru Nanak’s hymns along with those of his successors and other religious poets like Kabir and Ravidas in the Adi Granth Sahib. These hymns, called “gurbani”, ensured the preservation and transmission of his sacred message.

Exercise: EXERCISES - ANSWER IN 100-150 WORDS | Q: 5 | (Page Page 29)
For More Understanding

Explanation

The answer draws exclusively from the sections '8.2 Baba Guru Nanak and the Sacred Word' and the subsequent paragraphs in the provided context. It outlines his background, his specific theological teachings (nirguna bhakti, rejection of rituals), and the institutional methods of transmission (sangat, guru succession, and the compilation of the Adi Granth Sahib).

Solution Steps

  1. Step 1: Identify the subject (Baba Guru Nanak) and extract biographical context (birth, family, travels).

  2. Step 2: List the major teachings from the text (nirguna bhakti, rejection of rituals, nature of 'rab', use of 'shabad').

  3. Step 3: Identify methods of transmission mentioned in the text (organisation of followers, sangat, appointment of Guru Angad).

  4. Step 4: Identify the scriptural transmission method (compilation by Guru Arjan into Adi Granth Sahib).

  5. Step 5: Synthesize points into 4 paragraphs within the word limit, highlighting key terms.

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