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The Guru - Guru Nanak's Saakhis
‘The Guru: Guru Nanak's Saakhis’ explores events in Guru Nanak Dev's life that give an insight into the thoughts and beliefs of a sagacious and humane person – an enlightened soul.
This book is a collection of saakhis about the life of Guru Nanak – the wise and compassionate founder of Sikhism. The narratives, built on oral recounts, underscore the wisdom of a pure gentle soul with a world-view that is rational. Guru Nanak was a seeker of the Ultimate Truth. The Guru believed in equality and in respecting the dignity of all human beings – irrespective of caste, class, color, religion or gender.
‘The Guru: Guru Nanak's Saakhis’ is a collection of 500-year-old anecdotes about: an inquisitive child who questioned the world around him; – a perceptive teenager who thought rationally in an irrational world; – an informed youngster who looked for the logic behind the extant norms and mores; – a wise and empathetic human being who tried to obliterate prejudices that were deep-rooted in society – and a gentle, serene and pure soul who spread harmony, peace and compassion…
This book is a collection of saakhis about the life of Guru Nanak – the wise and compassionate founder of Sikhism. The narratives, built on oral recounts, underscore the wisdom of a pure gentle soul with a world-view that is rational. Guru Nanak was a seeker of the Ultimate Truth. The Guru believed in equality and in respecting the dignity of all human beings – irrespective of caste, class, color, religion or gender.
‘The Guru: Guru Nanak's Saakhis’ is a collection of 500-year-old anecdotes about: an inquisitive child who questioned the world around him; – a perceptive teenager who thought rationally in an irrational world; – an informed youngster who looked for the logic behind the extant norms and mores; – a wise and empathetic human being who tried to obliterate prejudices that were deep-rooted in society – and a gentle, serene and pure soul who spread harmony, peace and compassion…
164 pages, Hardcover
Published July 22, 2022
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
August 28, 2022
Always seek the one & only, Ek Onkar,
Noor ❤️.
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This BOOK explores events in Guru Nanak Dev's life that give an insight into the thoughts & beliefs of a sagacious & humane person – an enlightened soul.
This is a collection of saakhis about the life of Guru Nanak – the wise & compassionate founder of Sikhism.
The narratives, built on oral recounts, underscore the wisdom of a pure gentle soul with a world-view that is rational.
Guru Nanak was a seeker of the Ultimate Truth.
The Guru believed in equality & in respecting the dignity of all human beings – irrespective of caste, class, color, religion or gender.
This is a collection of 500-year-old anecdotes about: an inquisitive child who questioned the world around him; a perceptive teenager who thought rationally in an irrational world; an informed youngster who looked for the logic behind the extant norms and mores; a wise and empathetic human being who tried to obliterate prejudices that were deep-rooted in society and a gentle, serene and pure soul who spread harmony, peace & compassion.
About the AUTHOR:
Rajni Sekhri Sibal is a writer & a civil servant.
She topped the 1986 Batch of All India Civil Services Examination & was a Secretary to the Government of India.
___
📍First & foremost am indebted to the author for writing this book. This book serves as solution for parents especially who want their children to read about Guru Nanak but who won't, in Punjabi text. This is in English & in a very easy format with a briefup given after every story to enlighten more about it.
Beginning with Nanak as a baby to covering of stories about his growing up years & the beautiful life changing lessons, it is a complete package, simple & interesting at the same time.
From the principle of Dasvandh to the famous Sacha Sauda, from Sewa to Mool Mantra, from Ek to story of his birth & his astrological predictions... The stories are beautiful & heart touching.
A must read if you are a Sikh especially but it forms a wonderful base for any person who wants to learn the real purpose of being a human.
Noor ❤️.
___
___
This BOOK explores events in Guru Nanak Dev's life that give an insight into the thoughts & beliefs of a sagacious & humane person – an enlightened soul.
This is a collection of saakhis about the life of Guru Nanak – the wise & compassionate founder of Sikhism.
The narratives, built on oral recounts, underscore the wisdom of a pure gentle soul with a world-view that is rational.
Guru Nanak was a seeker of the Ultimate Truth.
The Guru believed in equality & in respecting the dignity of all human beings – irrespective of caste, class, color, religion or gender.
This is a collection of 500-year-old anecdotes about: an inquisitive child who questioned the world around him; a perceptive teenager who thought rationally in an irrational world; an informed youngster who looked for the logic behind the extant norms and mores; a wise and empathetic human being who tried to obliterate prejudices that were deep-rooted in society and a gentle, serene and pure soul who spread harmony, peace & compassion.
About the AUTHOR:
Rajni Sekhri Sibal is a writer & a civil servant.
She topped the 1986 Batch of All India Civil Services Examination & was a Secretary to the Government of India.
___
📍First & foremost am indebted to the author for writing this book. This book serves as solution for parents especially who want their children to read about Guru Nanak but who won't, in Punjabi text. This is in English & in a very easy format with a briefup given after every story to enlighten more about it.
Beginning with Nanak as a baby to covering of stories about his growing up years & the beautiful life changing lessons, it is a complete package, simple & interesting at the same time.
From the principle of Dasvandh to the famous Sacha Sauda, from Sewa to Mool Mantra, from Ek to story of his birth & his astrological predictions... The stories are beautiful & heart touching.
A must read if you are a Sikh especially but it forms a wonderful base for any person who wants to learn the real purpose of being a human.
March 19, 2025
My Rating 4.5/5
This book by UPSC 1st Rank holder (1986 batch), Rajni Sekhari Sibal, is a wonderful collection of stories she heard about while bearded, Shri Guru Nanak Dev from her grandmother and also the matron at Welham’s Girls' School. These stories, passed down through the oral tradition, offer readers a glimpse into the life and teachings of Guru Nanak Dev.
The book's simplicity is one of its greatest strengths. The stories (called Saakhis) are shared with warmth and sincerity, covering various stages from the life of Shri Guru Nanak Dev. These anecdotes, originating from 500 years ago, are both inspirational and engaging. Author’s descriptions, helps one visualise the scene vividly. The narrative encourages one to pause and reflect, prompting a deeper introspection. I personally connected with several incidents, such as the symbolic act of offering water to the sun and fields, which are beautifully narrated.
Rajni Sekhari Sibal effectively brings out Guru Nanak Dev’s teachings on compassion, rational thinking, spirituality, and the importance of caring and sharing with others. The tenants – Simran, Vand Chako and Keerat – woven very well into these stories. The core belief of equality, as emphasized by Guru Nanak's words, "Na koi Hindu, Na koi Musalman" (There is no Hindu, no Muslim), resonates deeply. The book also provides a vivid portrayal of the cultural richness of that era.
While the book is written in English, and Guru Nanak Dev’s Bani has been thoughtfully translated, I felt that including the original Bani alongside the translation would have enhanced the reading experience, especially for beginners like me. It would have provided a more immersive understanding of the text's spiritual essence.
Overall, The Guru by Rajni Sekhari Sibal is an inspiring and thought-provoking read. It beautifully conveys Guru Nanak Dev’s timeless teachings and offers readers an opportunity to reflect on their own values and beliefs.
This book by UPSC 1st Rank holder (1986 batch), Rajni Sekhari Sibal, is a wonderful collection of stories she heard about while bearded, Shri Guru Nanak Dev from her grandmother and also the matron at Welham’s Girls' School. These stories, passed down through the oral tradition, offer readers a glimpse into the life and teachings of Guru Nanak Dev.
The book's simplicity is one of its greatest strengths. The stories (called Saakhis) are shared with warmth and sincerity, covering various stages from the life of Shri Guru Nanak Dev. These anecdotes, originating from 500 years ago, are both inspirational and engaging. Author’s descriptions, helps one visualise the scene vividly. The narrative encourages one to pause and reflect, prompting a deeper introspection. I personally connected with several incidents, such as the symbolic act of offering water to the sun and fields, which are beautifully narrated.
Rajni Sekhari Sibal effectively brings out Guru Nanak Dev’s teachings on compassion, rational thinking, spirituality, and the importance of caring and sharing with others. The tenants – Simran, Vand Chako and Keerat – woven very well into these stories. The core belief of equality, as emphasized by Guru Nanak's words, "Na koi Hindu, Na koi Musalman" (There is no Hindu, no Muslim), resonates deeply. The book also provides a vivid portrayal of the cultural richness of that era.
While the book is written in English, and Guru Nanak Dev’s Bani has been thoughtfully translated, I felt that including the original Bani alongside the translation would have enhanced the reading experience, especially for beginners like me. It would have provided a more immersive understanding of the text's spiritual essence.
Overall, The Guru by Rajni Sekhari Sibal is an inspiring and thought-provoking read. It beautifully conveys Guru Nanak Dev’s timeless teachings and offers readers an opportunity to reflect on their own values and beliefs.
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September 7, 2022
A beautiful book that lucidly brings out the life of The Guru,his thoughts and beliefs in a nutshell. Apart from gaining insight into the life of Guru Nanak, I was able to gain a better understand on His teachings. The reforms and the teachings that he preached five centuries ago are still relevant today!
Right from a very tender age, He showed everyone how everyone is the same and God is one though the ways to attain him may be many. The love his sister Nanaki showered on Him was so touching.
After each chapter, there is an epilogue that relates the story to the present-day fact like a similar practice that is still going on in a place where Guru Nanak performed his first sewa - Sacha Sauda Sahab.
There are translated texts written in poetic verses about his teachings. There are also a few sketches in between that give a glimpse about the incidence mentioned in the chapters.
The language is very simple and a suitable book for all ages especially children. Though the language is simple, the author has brought the essence of the story well that we feel no break or bore in between. The author has inserted some conversations into the narrative so that they are more appealing.
A very quick and short read but the value of the book and the philosophy/teaching it holds is immense.
Right from a very tender age, He showed everyone how everyone is the same and God is one though the ways to attain him may be many. The love his sister Nanaki showered on Him was so touching.
After each chapter, there is an epilogue that relates the story to the present-day fact like a similar practice that is still going on in a place where Guru Nanak performed his first sewa - Sacha Sauda Sahab.
There are translated texts written in poetic verses about his teachings. There are also a few sketches in between that give a glimpse about the incidence mentioned in the chapters.
The language is very simple and a suitable book for all ages especially children. Though the language is simple, the author has brought the essence of the story well that we feel no break or bore in between. The author has inserted some conversations into the narrative so that they are more appealing.
A very quick and short read but the value of the book and the philosophy/teaching it holds is immense.
September 12, 2022
This book does the pouring of very insightful, spiritual morals and ethics in a very subtle way in one's mind. Stories of mythological and great people always fascinate me and this book gave me a chance to know one such man Guru Nanak. This book is really short and most important events of Guru Nanak's life are mentioned in the form of stories.
The stories which describe about his childhood fascinated me a lot. A child having so a great power of reasoning things differently and spiritually grew up to be an ideal adult who preached the path of wisdom and spirituality to the whole world.
Epilogues mentioned in the beginning of chapters made the chapters more interesting and the translation in english of few phrases was just the best. It was a great way to connect the readers of all the languages.
The language is lucid and it's a short read. I would recommend it to anyone who is interested in knowing about the great Guru Nanak.
The stories which describe about his childhood fascinated me a lot. A child having so a great power of reasoning things differently and spiritually grew up to be an ideal adult who preached the path of wisdom and spirituality to the whole world.
Epilogues mentioned in the beginning of chapters made the chapters more interesting and the translation in english of few phrases was just the best. It was a great way to connect the readers of all the languages.
The language is lucid and it's a short read. I would recommend it to anyone who is interested in knowing about the great Guru Nanak.
August 25, 2022
The Guru is an insightful book that pours out knowledge about Sikh guru- Guru Nanak Dev's life, his philosophy, beliefs, teachings, ideals, spirituality, ethics, morals, disbeliefs, etc. In short, his whole life has been summed up in this book. All the major events of his life, his childhood, how he founded Sikhism, his ability to reason, everything is mentioned in the book.
Language is easy and author's writing style is magical.🌟 Once you'll start reading, you'll feel positive vibes surrounding you, diminishing all the negative energy. 🧿 Guru Nanak's life is portrayed so beautifully that it indpired me a lot and I'm trying to adopt his teachings in my life.🙃♥️
Kudos to the author for writing this gem.👏 Recommended for people of all ages.
Happy reading! 😊📚
Language is easy and author's writing style is magical.🌟 Once you'll start reading, you'll feel positive vibes surrounding you, diminishing all the negative energy. 🧿 Guru Nanak's life is portrayed so beautifully that it indpired me a lot and I'm trying to adopt his teachings in my life.🙃♥️
Kudos to the author for writing this gem.👏 Recommended for people of all ages.
Happy reading! 😊📚
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews