Shankaracharya and Sikhism

[Swaminathan Madhuresan]

There are informative exchanges between Professor Gupt and Professor Mann on
the relations between Shankara and Sikhism in the RISA list.

Are there any studies on the relationship between Shankara's system and
Sikhism?

Thanks in advance,
SM

Web Discussion:
---------------

http://www.acusd.edu/theo/risa-l/archive/msg03960.html

Prof. Gupt
>      The religious practise prescribed by Nanak follows the Shankara's
>Advaita of the Formless worship (nirguna sampradaaya) through meditation on
>name of God/guru.
http://www.acusd.edu/theo/risa-l/archive/msg03979.html

Prof. Mann
http://www.acusd.edu/theo/risa-l/archive/msg04000.html

http://www.acusd.edu/theo/risa-l/archive/msg04012.html

On Tue, 23 Jan 2001, Bharat Gupt wrote:
[QUOTE]
> Now to the basic conceptual issue. I am a loss to understand where the
> very idea of Akaal Prukh emanates from if not from a Vedantic attributes
> of Brahma. Certainly there is a long road  from Shankar to Nanak with
> accretions of various yogic sects as I had indicated in a later post,
> But the without the fundamentals of Brahmavaada, Patnjali and Sphota
> how can japa and simran have any relevance in terms of liberation of any
> description, is difficult to understand.

Your basis for deciding on "Akaal Prukh" as Nanak's designation for the
divinity calls for some clerification.  I appreciate the fact that you
"only rely upon the originals and authentic translations (if at all
needed)," but sometimes we all miss important details. Are you aware that
more frequently used epithets in Nanak's writings relate to the divine
sovereignty and come from Arabic and Persian:  Sahib (137 times), Khasam
(78 times), Patishah (23 times), and that Akal Purakh appears only once in
his 350+ compositions? Happy reading of the Nanakbani.

Gurinder Singh Mann
University of California, Santa Barbara
[QUOTE]


__________________________________________________
Get personalized email addresses from Yahoo! Mail - only $35
a year!  http://personal.mail.yahoo.com/