On Guru Nanak Jayanthi, his powerful and compassionate message resonates with devotees, not only due to his guideline on bhakti, but also his take on social justice, human rights, gender equality, harmony, peace, love and egalitarianism. His message of unity, tolerance and equality is very significant today than ever before. Guru Nanak’s Bani mitigates suffering, desire and other vices and reassures and proclaims that just as he attained the Lord, all of us shall too. The soothing message of Guru Nanak is that God is for everyone and all of us have the divine ability to attain Him, by simply loving Him and reciting His name with devotion; one should earn a living the honest way, perform labour and rid oneself of vices. It is here that he introduces the concept of karma, the autonomy of man, to choose his actions and bear the consequences thereof.

Source: The Hindu November 15, 2024 11:39 UTC