Pearson Edexcel Level 3 Advanced GCE in Religious Studies – Anthology
284Guru Nanak passes the test through poetic syntax and is ac c epted by the
Divine. He rec ites a hymn, whic h demonstrates his psyc hic and spiritual power, as
well as his art ist ic t alent. It s final verse is:
If I had a supply of bottomless ink, and c ould write with the
speed of the wind; I would st ill not be able t o measure your great ness,
nor signify the glory of Your Name! [GG:13].Nanak becomes a poet. He explodes human language. He uses poignant similes,
analogies and met aphors t o desc ribe t hat whic h is ut t erly ineffable. After Nanak’s
response the Voice spoke: ‘Nanak, you disc ern My will.’ The Janamsakhi thus
attests to Nanak’s success. Nanak then rec ites the Jap. Although the Janamsakhi
does not produc e the entire text of Nanak’s hymn, it spec ifies that Nanak
‘c onc luded the Jap – japu sampuran kita’. Recited at this part ic ular point in his
spiritual enc ounter, the Jap ac knowledges Nanak’s ac c eptanc e and gratitude. The
Jap c onstitutes the c ore of Guru Nanak’s metaphysic s. It forms the opening hymn
of Sikh sc ript ure, and is rec it ed daily by devout Sikhs.
In the third phase of his sac red liminality, Guru Nanak is given the dress of
honour (the sirpao, more commonly known as saropa). As the Janamsakhi
narrative c ontinues:
the Voic e was heard again ‘Who is just in your eyes, Nanak, shall be so in
min e. Whoever receives your grac e shall abide in mine. My name is the
supreme One; your name is the divine Guru’. Guru Nanak then bowed in
gratitude and was given the dress of honour from the divine c ourt. A
sonorous melody in the Raga Dhanasari rang forth ... Arati...Nanak is init iated as the Guru. He is endowed with a new status and identity. The
sac rum or t he physic al objec t t hat marks his spec ial dispensat ion is t he sirpao, a
piece of material that goes from head (sir) to foot (pao). Sinc e it is not t ailored, it
does not c arry any male or female c odific at ions, and c ould be worn by bot h sexes.
On his c onferral, the Guru rapturously rec ites Arati, a hymn in whic h he c elebrates
the transcendent light permeating every being. In the fec und waters of the river,
Nanak rec ognizes the ontologic al basis of t he universe, and is c alled on t o share
what has been revealed to him.
Reincorporation
After his radic al experienc e, the protagonist returns to soc iety as the Guru. In his
new status and role, he has gained a new self-awareness. Nanak’s initiat ion does
not establish his sexual status, and if at all, his rite of passage shatters the
c onst ruc t ion of a male ident it y. Though it was a son, brothers and husband who
entered the river, the mythic al initiation endows him with his fundamental
humanity. Loc ated in the amniotic waters, he does through the proc ess of physic al
drinking, whic h gives him t he met aphysic al insight int o t he Divine. He responds in a
sensuous, poetic outpouring, and is honoured with gender-inc lusive c lot hing from
the Divine c ourt. Unlike ot her init iat ion rit es, t here are no addit ions t o or
subtrac tions from the body: no tattoos, c irc umc ision or sc arring marked his
t ransit ion. In Guru Nanak’s c ase, his new identity is marked by the unity of bana
(t he mat erial c lot h) and bani (poet ry); sirpao (dress) and nam (word).