Their interpretations affirm that Guru Nanak Sahib holds the highest status, unmatched by any other.
The greatness of Guru Sahib is beyond our comprehension. Some revere Him as a Pir, some as a Shah, and some as Nanak Lama, some as a Holy man, while others see Him as a social reformer. Many acknowledge Him as the true Guru, but the most fortunate ones recognize Him as the embodiment of Waheguru and bow before Him with devotion.
Each person sees Guru Sahib according to their own understanding, which is why all these perspectives exist. But in reality, Guru Nanak Sahib’s status is the highest of all. No yogi, siddh, pir, nath, saint, prophet, or avatar can be compared to Him. His greatness is beyond all worldly measures.
This is not merely a statement of our devotion, but rather a truth based on the divine words of Dhan Guru Arjan Dev Ji, who has clearly stated that Guru Nanak Sahib is the greatest, and no entity is equal to or above Him.
Read this beautiful Gurvaak from Sri Guru Arjan Dev Ji:
ਗਿਆਨੁ ਧਿਆਨੁ ਕਿਛੁ ਕਰਮੁ ਨ ਜਾਣਾ ਸਾਰ ਨ ਜਾਣਾ ਤੇਰੀ॥
ਸਭ ਤੇ ਵਡਾ ਸਤਿਗੁਰੁ ਨਾਨਕੁ ਜਿਨਿ ਕਲ ਰਾਖੀ ਮੇਰੀ॥
“O Lord! I know nothing about wisdom (of spirituality), how to focus the mind on You, and spiritual actions; I have not appreciated the Worth of Your blessings.
But (with your Grace I have met) Guru Nanak, the greatest of all; He has saved my honour in this Dark Age (through uniting me to You).”
(Guru Granth Sahib Ji: Ang 750)
Regarding the line “ਸਭ ਤੇ ਵਡਾ ਸਤਿਗੁਰੁ ਨਾਨਕੁ ਜਿਨਿ ਕਲ ਰਾਖੀ ਮੇਰੀ॥“, many people, hesitate to acknowledge that Satguru Nanak is the greatest. Instead, they attempt to alter its meaning by saying: “O Nanak! Satguru is the greatest” or “Nanak says that Satguru is the greatest.”
It is surprising that they struggle to accept that Sri Guru Nanak Dev Ji is the greatest. They seem reluctant to state this truth directly and instead prefer the general phrase ‘Satguru is the greatest.’
But they fail to realize that even if they say, “Satguru is the greatest,” it still means that Guru Nanak Sahib is the greatest. After all, who else in history has been referred to as Satguru?
Guru Nanak Sahib was the first and foremost being to whom the title of Satguru was given. So, no matter how one chooses to interpret the words, the truth remains the same: Satguru Nanak is the greatest of all.
Understanding the Meaning Through Gurbani Grammar
Those who are knowledgeable in Gurbani grammar understand that the meaning “O Nanak! Satguru is the greatest” cannot be correct. This is because, if the word Nanak were in the Sambodhan karak(vocative case), there would not be an Aunkad(ੁ) at the end.
This is a specific rule in Gurbani grammar- when a noun is used in the vocative case, the Aunkad is dropped at the end of the word. For example, in Japji Sahib, we see the pankiti: “ਨਾਨਕ ਗਾਵੀਐ ਗੁਣੀ ਨਿਧਾਨੁ॥” Here, the word ਨਾਨਕ is in the vocative case, and the Aunkad has been dropped.
There are thousands of examples in Gurbani where the Aunkad is removed from words used in the vocative case. So, in this case, if the word Nanak were in the vocative form, it would not have the Aunkad at the end.
Those who interpret that “Nanak says that the Satguru is the greatest” must explain where the verb for “saying” is in this line. In order to interpret it in this way, they would need to add words like ‘says’ or ‘proclaims’ to the sentence. However, such words like “ਕਹੈ “, “ਭਣੈ” are not present in this line. Therefore, according to Gurbani grammar and the correct interpretation, the proper understanding is that Satguru Nanak is the greatest.
All esteemed Sikh scholars and respected preachers of our Panth interpret this pankiti as proclaiming that Guru Nanak Sahib is the greatest of all. Among those who support this interpretation are:
Their interpretations affirm that Guru Nanak Sahib holds the highest status, unmatched by any other.
As we have stated, even if it is said that the Satguru is the greatest, it still refers to Sri Guru Nanak Dev Ji, because there is no other Satguru besides Guru Nanak Dev Ji and his 9 successive human manifestations (ਜੋਤਿ ਓਹਾ ਜੁਗਤਿ ਸਾਇ ਸਹਿ ਕਾਇਆ ਫੇਰਿ ਪਲਟੀਐ॥). No embodied Satguru existed before or after them, nor will there be one in the future. This is because Guru Gobind Singh Ji established Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji as the eternal Satguru for all times to come.
Therefore, in the light of Gurmat, it is clear that Satguru Nanak is the greatest, and we should praise and acknowledge the greatness of the Satguru, in accordance with Gurbani, which teaches us that the Satguru should be revered as the greatest.
ਸਤਿਗੁਰੁ ਵਡਾ ਕਰਿ ਸਾਲਾਹੀਐ ਜਿਸੁ ਵਿਚਿ ਵਡੀਆ ਵਡਿਆਈਆ॥
One should sing the praises of the Satguru and say that the Guru is great because the Guru possesses great virtues.
(Guru Granth Sahib Ji: Ang 473)
Bhatt Sahiban makes it clear in Gurbani that Guru Sahib is incarnation of Waheguru:
ਅਉਤਰਿਆ ਅਉਤਾਰੁ ਲੈ ਸੋ ਪੁਰਖੁ ਸੁਜਾਣੁ॥
You are the Avataar, the Incarnation of the all-knowing Primal Lord.
(Guru Granth Sahib Ji: Ang 968)
Let us, take a moment to understand and appreciate the greatness of our Guru and feel pride and honor in the fact that we are disciples of the greatest being in this universe. Let us be amazed knowing that the greatest being in the world, out of great compassion, has made us his disciples. If Guru Sahib had not made us his disciples and blessed us with his teachings, our condition would have been dire.
As Guru Ram Das Ji Maharaj beautifully stated in one of his shabads:
ਜੋ ਹਮਰੀ ਬਿਧਿ ਹੋਤੀ ਮੇਰੇ ਸਤਿਗੁਰਾ ਸਾ ਬਿਧਿ ਤੁਮ ਹਰਿ ਜਾਣਹੁ ਆਪੇ॥
ਹਮ ਰੁਲਤੇ ਫਿਰਤੇ ਕੋਈ ਬਾਤ ਨ ਪੂਛਤਾ ਗੁਰ ਸਤਿਗੁਰ ਸੰਗਿ ਕੀਰੇ ਹਮ ਥਾਪੇ॥
ਧੰਨੁ ਧੰਨੁ ਗੁਰੂ ਨਾਨਕ ਜਨ ਕੇਰਾ ਜਿਤੁ ਮਿਲਿਐ ਚੂਕੇ ਸਭਿ ਸੋਗ ਸੰਤਾਪੇ॥੪॥੫॥੧੧॥੪੯॥
“The condition we were in, O my True Guru! You alone know that state. O embodiment of God, the True Guru! We were wandering in misery, and no one cared to ask about our plight. In the company of the True Guru, we, insignificant beings like worms, have been granted honor and establishment. Blessed, blessed is Guru Nanak, who, upon meeting, has removed all sorrow and suffering.”
Had Guru Sahib not made us his disciples, we would have wandered in misery, lost in many different forms of suffering. Many would ask, “Where would we have been lost?” We would have been trapped in various forms of reincarnation, suffering in this world, enduring pain and confusion, and becoming entangled in sinful pleasures, leading to even greater suffering in the future.
Out of great mercy, Guru Sahib has made us his disciples, and many of us were born into families who follow Guru Nanak Sahib’s teachings, so that we, as his disciples, can make our lives meaningful and fulfill the purpose of our birth.
Is “Guru” Just Gyan? Gurbani Proves Otherwise
Some people argue that words like “Guru,” “Gur,” “Satguru,” etc., do not refer to a person but rather to spiritual wisdom (Gyan). How flawed their thinking is! These words are used repeatedly in Gurbani for Guru Nanak Dev Ji and his subsequent forms. Moreover, it is important to note that these terms are not used in Gurbani for any other Bhagats, Pirs, Avatars, etc. Below are some verses from Gurbani where the term ‘Guru’ explicitly refers to Guru Sahib:
ਜੋਤਿ ਰੂਪਿ ਹਰਿ ਆਪਿ ਗੁਰੂ ਨਾਨਕੁ ਕਹਾਯਉ ॥
The Embodiment of Light, the Lord Himself is called Guru Nanak.
ਗੁਰੁ ਨਾਨਕੁ ਜਿਨ ਸੁਣਿਆ ਪੇਖਿਆ ਸੇ ਫਿਰਿ ਗਰਭਾਸਿ ਨ ਪਰਿਆ ਰੇ ॥੪॥੨॥੧੩॥
Those who have heard and seen Guru Nanak do not descend into the womb of reincarnation again.
ਸਭੇ ਕਾਜ ਸੁਹੇਲੜੇ ਥੀਏ ਗੁਰੁ ਨਾਨਕੁ ਸਤਿਗੁਰੁ ਤੁਠਾ ॥੧॥
All my works or tasks were done easily when Guru Nanak became merciful/kind/benevolent.
ਗੁਰੁ ਨਾਨਕੁ ਤੁਠਾ ਮਿਲਿਆ ਹਰਿ ਰਾਇ ॥
When Guru Nanak became merciful, I met Waheguru.
ਸਭੇ ਇਛਾ ਪੂਰੀਆ ਜਾ ਪਾਇਆ ਅਗਮ ਅਪਾਰਾ ॥
ਗੁਰੁ ਨਾਨਕੁ ਮਿਲਿਆ ਪਾਰਬ੍ਰਹਮੁ ਤੇਰਿਆ ਚਰਣਾ ਕਉ ਬਲਿਹਾਰਾ ॥੪॥੧॥੪੭॥
When I met Guru Nanak, then I met Waheguru; I am sacrifice on Sri Guru Nanak Dev ji (who enabled me to meet Waheguru).
These verses make it absolutely clear that the terms “Guru,” “Satguru,” etc., directly refer to Guru Nanak Dev Ji, and not just an abstract concept of knowledge.