Introduction- The Moolmantra begins with the formulation ੴ , often pronounced as Ekounkar. Following the Sikh tradition many scholars interpret it as Parmatma or God without examining its contents. Reading as a whole they interpret it as ‘The God is One, omnipresent and all powerful.’ This one step of interpreting the basic formulation decides the nature and meaning of Guru Nanak’s philosophy. The whole Sikh scholarship, therefore, needs to pay attention to it. The moot question is, "How they interpret it God without any substantial evidence? If it were really so, the Guru himself would have used a suitable term like God or Rabb or Allah or Bhagwan for it. This and many other terms were more popular at that time and more easily identifiable with the "divine figure" than the bare and composite formulation of ੴ.
The Symbolic Formulation: Ekounkar (ੴ ) is the symbolic formulation that
stands for method not for substance or content. It does not denote an object
but a scientific process which is adopted to actualize the object. The Guru
himself hints at it at the end of the moolmantra by writing Gurparsad not Guruparsad.
The Guru recommends this method for accurate results in knowing the ‘true name’
(ਸਤਿ ਨਾਮੁ) of the ultimate reality which is the
object of the universal quest. He describes the basic attributes of this
reality in his basic formulation called the moolmantra and
elaborates them in detail in the rest of the Japuji.
The Transcription: Guru Nanak opens the verse with a
statement that reads like this, “The agenda is to obtain precise and accurate
knowledge about the ultimate reality, which is the source of all existence and
which has been the prime concern of humanity through the ages. Let this
knowledge be obtained through the method of mathematical sciences represented
by the expression Ekounkar.” This statement is not factually
scribed in the symbolic code but it can be deduced from the way this expression
has been introduced. This is how it can be read between the lines.
The Components: An objective look at the symbolic
code Ekounkar (ੴ ) discerns three distinct parts, i.e., a digit, an alphabet and a line segment.
The first of these parts is the Gurmukhi numeral 1, the second
is the first alphabet of the Gurmukhi script and the third is
an artistically curved line segment. Now the question arises as to what is
common in all these three components of the code Ekounkar (ੴ ) which made the Guru select for coining
this unique expression. Apparently nothing, because all of them come from
different sources and they have no related meanings. They do not even
constitute a word in the grammatical sense because not all of them are the
alphabets of a language. The combination they make does not have a natural
pronunciation except the one traditionally assigned to it through usage. In the
absence of a word-form and a pronunciation, it is devoid of a meaning in the
literary sense. This heterogeneous expression seems to have been assembled by
the Guru only for a specific purpose and for a single use, for no other
composite symbol like this is found anywhere else in the verse. There is no
indication that it stands for a person, deity or a mysterious spiritual entity,
as many scholars tend to assume. It means that it has a definite significance
that is fundamental to the Guru’s process of thought and philosophy.
Why Composite Expression: It, thus, becomes highly relevant
to know as to why the Guru composed such an odd combination of dissimilar
symbolic elements as the formulation Ekounkar and why
he put this unique expression in the beginning of his prime composition.
To be precise, what does this composite symbol mean and how is it related to
his thought and philosophy? This question has been baffling the readers of
the Japuji for a long time and is a source of ambiguity in its
interpretation.
Here is the Answer: The answer to this question lies
in the search for uniformity behind the heterogeneity of the three dissimilar
components of this code. At a deeper level of examination, all the three
components of this expression have one striking feature in common with the
others. It is that each one of them stands for one of the three basic fields of
mathematics. Of these, the symbol One (1) is the first numeral of the number system and it
represents gnita or Arithmetic. The symbol Oora, being the
first letter of the Gurmukhi alphabet, represents beej-gnita or
Algebra like a in English. The symbol kaar or line segment being the basic
element of all forms, figures and shapes, represents rekha-gnita or
Geometry. Collectively, the three constituent symbols comprising the
formulation Ekounkar represent the total science of
mathematics, as it existed in the days of Guru Nanak. Incidentally, they also
represent the rational and definitive essence of the methodology of
mathematics, which make it a science of the sciences. They stand for the
rudiments of the scientific method of inquiry as it is understood today. Thus
the Guru suggested the use of this objective method for exploring the nature of
the ultimate reality and finding a valid answer to the fundamental question of
all philosophy.
A Comprehensive Code of Enquiry: Thus in the hands of Guru Nanak Ekounkar is a
comprehensive code of inquiry which collectively symbolizes an objective method
to unravel the secrets of nature, and a rational procedure to discover the
dynamic cause of the cosmic creation. Obviously the Guru preferred this method
to solve the mystery of the universe and to know the origin of life and
intelligence. There is possibly no other satisfying conclusion which can be
rationally inferred or logically drawn from this formulation occurring at the
head of the Moolmantra in the Japuji.
Mathematical Conclusion: Conceptually, the Ekounkar (ੴ ) also stands
for the net solution through all mathematical procedures i.e., the final
conclusion of all scientific research and the end-product of all philosophic
inquiry concerning the creative principle of the physical reality. Therefore,
obliquely it stands for the Truth both in content and form
until its real nature and name are discovered.
Wall of Falsehood: According to the Guru the Truth is
not known yet and, in lieu of it, only a “wall of falsehood” created by
subjective opinions of the pseudo scholars is masquerading as the final truth.
He was convinced that only a rational approach supported by verifiable
observations could lead to the ultimate knowledge of the truth. This knowledge
lies ahead at the end of a sustained scientific inquiry. Pending the net result
of this enquiry, he appears to have denoted it by Ekounkar, the
code for the method of enquiry. In a true scientific sense, therefore, he
created this code to indicate the scientific method as also to obliquely
substitute it for the supposed result of the scientific inquiry till the true
answer is discovered. In a true scientific (mathematical) tradition, he first
denoted his method by the coded expression Ekounkar (ੴ ) and then spelled out its plan of
application.
Both Method and Truth: Thus, the expression Ekounkar (ੴ ) in the Japuji is
purported to mean both method and truth. In other words, the expression Ekounkar (ੴ ) symbolically
stands for a mathematically precise inquiry based on the available tools of
research which would ultimately reveal the dynamic cause of the objective
reality. It also stands for a precise, rational and scientific definition of
the creative cause to be reached at through an objective method as against the
subjective, mystic and non-verifiable descriptions made by the contemporaries.
It shows that like a true scientist the Guru accepts the validity of the
scientific method and shuns all other paths of inquiry as misleading and
erroneous in exploring the paramount question of human existence.
Elaboration: To elaborate, it is quite usual in
mathematics and other sciences to assume the value of the unknown quantity (or
entity), and to tentatively represent it by a convenient symbol, normally x,
which facilitates the processing of the solution. Such an assumption is an
important part of the methodology of discovering the 'unknown' as it serves the
dual purpose of its representation and evaluation. The assumed symbol
physically represents the unknown quantity as well as its value in the
pre-discovery phase of the mathematical operations. The assumption and
substitution of the symbol x helps to determine the equivalent value through
proxy calculations. In algebraic equations, the symbols x, y, z etc. are
generally used to represent the unknown quantities as well as their equivalent
values. In calculus the functions of x, y, g, h etc. are represented by the
symbols f(x), f(y), f(g) and f(h) respectively, and these symbols stand for the
actual values of the functions as well. The use of symbols on a similar pattern
in chemistry and physics is a well-known practice followed by the scientists.
The use of hypothesis plays a similar role in scientific research in humanities
and social sciences. The real values of the assumed quantities get determined
at the end of the process of mathematical calculations.
Layers of Perception and Rational
Analysis: The
Guru had realized that the truth lies under or beyond many layers of
superficial perceptions. The path of rational analysis and critical reasoning
is the only approach to reach it. He chose the mathematical model for this
purpose because it was conceptually perfect and the only developed branch of
science till his time. Many other eminent thinkers, who built philosophical
systems, also relied on mathematics for the logical purity of their
disciplines. Mathematics, being a pure science, was the basic tool of sciences,
and it was considered as the soul of philosophy in all stages of its
development. Persons with little knowledge of Mathematics were not thought
worthy of participating in discussions on understanding the truth. Plato, the
eminent Greek philosopher, did not even allow such persons to enter the gate of
his Academy in
Truth is Amenable to Mathematics: According to Guru Nanak, the truth
is definable and determinable in mathematical terms. It is of the nature of one
against all else, i.e., one truth versus infinite falsehoods. Either a
proposition is true in itself (sometimes under certain conditions), or else it
is false. If it is true, the answer is just one (singly or in single sets of
values) and if it is false, the answers can be myriad. In the case of the
ultimate reality, the Guru admitted only of two choices. If the truth were
known, he would accept it and point to it for the knowledge of the other
people. If, on the other hand, it was not known, he would lay stress on
discovering it through the logical means of science. Since the Guru had
realized that, the truth was not yet known, so he laid emphasis on getting to
know it rationally. He was committed to an exact and rational method of
inquiry after the fashion of the precise science of mathematics because he
sought a definite and sustainable answer to the fundamental question of human
quest. Obviously, this answer would be unique and different from all other
answers, which spread falsehood. In the given context, therefore, the symbolic
expression Ekounkar (ੴ ) stands for a rational procedure
involving mathematical logic, and, at a higher level of analysis, it serves as
a proxy (substitute) for the ultimate reality, the true knowledge of which
would usher in only through the precise process of scientific research.
Verification not Opinion: The Guru chose to deploy rational
techniques of empirical verification as used in mathematics and science for
obtaining positive results. He wanted to avoid the quagmire of hunches and
opinions, which had blurred the focus of the traditional scholarship on the
ultimate reality. He shunned the path of opinions and hearsay and started
formulating the problem from the first principles, as the mathematicians and
scientists do. He made counter propositions in the form of arguments against
the firmly held orthodox beliefs of his time to prove that they were not
correct. He demonstrated that an answer to a problem, which is not yet solved,
could be tentatively supposed and substituted to facilitate scientific inquiry
but that a guess-work cannot be permanently treated as the end product of such
an inquiry. Though he was amazed at the expanse of the objective reality, his
scientific temper could not allow him to guess the conclusive answer to the
eternal quest without having it appropriately researched. Mere guess-work
involves imaginative conjectures and subjective assessments, which lead to the
supremacy of value (houmay) over fact. The unverified
values create a heap of houmay or ‘wall of falsehood’, which
the Guru decried as an obstacle in knowing the truth. Being a true seeker of
the truth, he could not create a guess-work of his own by
making a priori assertions and add it to the
existing pile of untruth.
Precision and Quanfification: Mathematics is associated with
quantification, precision, comparison and analysis, which are the basic tools
of scientific inquiry. The Guru had a strong disposition to align his thought
process to these tools and to frame his arguments accordingly. He obviously
adopted this approach to reach at rational and precise results as the
mathematicians do. That is why the text of Japuji is full of
mathematical terms indicative of his urge for the quantification of the natural
phenomena. Adoption of this approach in an age of unrealistic theories and
irrational practices was indeed a pioneering attempt of Guru Nanak.
Unsustainable Opinions: Going
by the Hindu tradition, many Sikh scholars opine that the composite
symbol Ekounkar (ੴ ) is equivalent of the Vedic Oum (ओं) and that it stands for a primitive
sound which represents God. These scholars, therefore, believe that Guru Nanak
prefixed “one” ੧ (1) to this expression and used it to mean that
“the God is one”. Some of them also suggest that the Guru borrowed the concept
of one God from Islam and that he prefixed one (੧) to Oora (ੳ) on the Islamic pattern. They thus argue
that the expression Ekounkar (ੴ ) is a synthesis of Islamic 1 and
Hindu Oum (ओं), with an innovative curved line
suffixed to mean that ‘God is one’ or that there is a single divine entity which
is all-powerful and all-pervasive.’ However, these opinions of the Sikh
scholars are neither plausible nor sustainable in view of the following
observations.
Quagmire of Illusions: First, these interpretations create the illusion that
Guru Nanak was a mere borrower of ideas who, like St. Thomas Aquinas in the
West, created a compromise between the reigning ideologies of his time and
thrived on their synthesis. They do not recognize his purpose, his creative
genius and the originality of his intellectual claims, which are the hallmarks
of his philosophy. These interpretations obscure the fact that the Guru, who
described the earlier ideologies as a web of falsehood, had constructed an
entirely new formulation, which was much more comprehensive and precise than
the existing ones. They fail to recognize that this formulation was his de
novo contribution which marked his breach with the pre-existing modes
of thought and approach. He anticipated that the true character of the ultimate
reality would emerge definitively clearer through this new formulation, for it
supported rational worldview and scientific exploration of the reality under
investigation.
The "God" Connection: Secondly, the argument that the
expression Ekounkar (ੴ ) has been derived from the sound Oum (ओं) and
that it stands for “God” with digit one (੧) signifying its unity and the symbol kaar or line segment (7 ) its domain, is a self-contradictory preposition. The
Vedic expression Oum (ओं), being a single auditory note, is
singular in itself. There was, therefore, no need to qualify it further by
prefixing the numeral one (੧).
Anhad Naad: Thirdly, the Guru, in his own satirical
way, downplayed the significance of all musical renderings including monophonic
tones with his parallel and much more comprehensive concept of anhad
naad (infinite melodies) in nature. Thus he had no obvious reason to
borrow the "single note" theory, from unconfirmed and obscure sources
to associate with his prime formulation Ekounkar (ੴ ).
Fiction of Primary Sound: Fourthly, the argument that the
symbol Oora (ੳ) denotes the ‘primary sound’ which ‘pervaded the universe in the
beginning’, and that it represents its creator, is not logically sustainable.
Sound is just one of the many physical manifestations of reality so it cannot
represent it in entirety. The other manifestations like heat, light, mass,
force, radiation, time, space, gravitation etc. existed prior to sound and are
a pre-condition for its production, propagation and audibility. The sound heard
by the ears needs an airy medium
which came to the Earth only after it acquired a gaseous wrap. No sound was
heard by anyone for billions of years until the living beings emerged. As the
Guru’s quest is focused on the ultimate reality, which is far beyond maya (the
manifest reality), it is unlikely that he constructed his basic formulation
around a solitary note of sound, which is only a part of its effect. Thus,
devoid of any meaning and logic for his primary concern, the sound Oum (ओं) could
not have any philosophical relevance to the basic formulation of Guru Nanak.
God Vs. Ekounkar: Fifthly, if at all the Guru intended to use the composite
symbol Ekounkar ( ੴ) for ‘God’ then he would have probably
not chosen this technical term for that purpose. In all probability, he would
have chosen some easily understandable popular term used for God in his
days. It would have been a logical preference for him for he wanted to
disseminate his philosophy to the people in the language of the 'common man'.
He was conversant with many streams of folklore and was expert in molding their
idioms to his purpose so he could effortlessly find one. If the existing terms
for God did not fit in his framework, he could have coined a simpler one, which
the masses could easily grasp. But he did not do any such thing for he did not
contribute to that line of thought. Clearly, he departed from the contemporary
religious ideologies which were rooted in myths, beliefs and worship. He
severed with the trodden path of the speculative and ritualistic creeds, and
gave a scientific orientation to the purpose of knowing the ultimate reality.
To this end, he put the prevalent religious ideologies along with their key
concepts including ‘God’ in the category of opinions, which according to him,
obstructed the process of rational inquiry.
God Vs, Saat Naam: Sixthly, supposing that the Guru
did substitute the expression Ekounkar (ੴ ) for ‘God’, obviously he must have used
it only as a proper noun. A proper noun does not have to be named again as it
precludes possibilities of a repeated nomenclature. However, in the compact
space of the moolmantra, and soon after penning it down, the Guru
raises the issue of its name. He seems to say, “Search the true name of the
reality on mathematical lines and let Ekounkar (ੴ ), the symbol of mathematical
procedures, be supposed as its true name till it is scientifically discovered.”
It contradicts the above supposition. Therefore, it leads to the inevitable
conclusion that the expression Ekounkar (ੴ ) neither has any meaning derived from
any past usage for a god-head,
nor it is self-explanatory and self-defined. It is neither a substitute for any
traditional icon of divinity, nor is it a self-contained entity with a name of
its own. It is a symbolic expression coined by him uniquely and expressly for a
definitive method, which could facilitate an ab initio inquiry
into the nature of the absolute reality (Sat) so that humanity
could know it and call it by a proper name. It is to be noted that the Guru
does not give a specific name to the absolute reality; he prefers to call it by
the word "name", which is a common name. This common name would
remain a blank term until it is substituted by a proper noun after thorough
research. The exact or specific name of that reality would usher in only
after generations of sustained hard work, as he explains later in this verse.
God not Referred even Once: Seventhly, by identifying Ekounkar with 'God', the above views ignore
abundance of contextual evidence found in the Japuji. They read
"God" in every word of this composition though curiously enough the
Guru did not use this term (or its equivalent) even once in its entire text.
Reference to it is missing even where one would normally expect him to make in
one of its numerous prevalent forms. The non-occurrence is neither a casual
mistake nor an act of negligence on the part of the Guru. It, on the other
hand, appears to be a considered omission signifying his scientific vision. It
reflects a conscious assertion of his scientific temper, which did not let him
admit anything as true unless it was verified and logically substantiated. It
is due to this temper of mind that he did not make even a single statement in
the Japuji, which could not be sustained by objective observation
and empirical tests. In the true spirit of science, he preferred to wait for
the results of observation and inquiry than to hasten to make unconfirmed
and a priori statements. Thus, any association of Ekounkar with 'God" is completely ruled out.
Zero Tolerance for Profanity: Lastly, the Guru nowhere claimed in the text that he knew
truth about the manifest or the ultimate reality. He, on the other hand,
disclaimed its knowledge at a number of places and denigrated all those who
professed to possess it as uncultured and illiterates. If he had equated the
truth-to-be-known with the known ‘God’, then, by corollary, the above condition
would apply to him as well. To put him in the category of those, whom he
himself discredited as liars, is a contradiction in terms, which the Guru would
not have allowed even by implication. He, instead, took the position that to
accept something as true without due verification is to add one more brick to
the “wall of falsehood”. In view of his candid stance on the issue, it would be
untenable to interpret the expression Ekounkar in the moolmantra as
‘God’.
Unrealistic Inferences: It appears that most of the
interpreters of Japuji draw unrealistic inferences from its
text because they forget that Guru Nanak was a thorough rationalist who
followed natural logic and commonsense. They fail to realize that his prime
motive was to attain systematic knowledge of the true nature of ultimate
reality, which he found covered by mystic layers of obscurity. They do not
recognize that the pursuit of pure truth was the seminal trait of his
personality.
Conclusion: The symbolic code Ekounkar (ੴ ), therefore, is neither a noun nor it stands for any divine entity like "God". It denotes a rational method of inquiry, as is used in the science of mathematics. Guru Nanak exhorts the people, particularly the intellectuals, to apply this method to actualize the object of the universal quest. His aim is to know the real nature of the ultimate reality which is the only creative and the supportive cause of the universe. More precisely, he asks the people to use scientific method to know the real name of the truth or the ultimate reality which is pervading the manifest reality in the universe. More appropriately, it stands for discovering the name of the truth or the ultimate reality in definite terms using a method, which is mathematically precise and scientifically correct.