The World Sikh News proudly presents the work of prolific writer, activist and self-trained anthropologist Jagmohan Singh Gill who is touring the length and breadth of East India to record the forgotten chapters of Sikh history. In this piece he chronicles the work of the Udassis and debunks many a myth associated with them.

During his times, people were stuck in ego, misery, ritualistic lifestyle and greed. Guru Nanak Sahib dedicated a major part of his life in preaching Almighty Akalpurakh’s message by undertaking pious travels around the globe. His unparalleled philosophy of life ushered in a new era and shed rays of enlightenment on the prevailing darkness. Guru Nanak initiated the path to righteousness through struggle in life. People of all faith and strata were brought together on a common platform to follow a unique and the easiest most way to reach the Almighty.

The first Sikh historian, contemporary and companion of the Guru Sahibs, Bhai Gurdas Ji mentions about the beginning of the famous journeys of Guru Nanak by saying,

“ਬਾਬੇ ਭੇਖ ਬਣਾਇਆ ਉਦਾਸੀ ਕੀ ਰੀਤਿ ਚਲਾਈ।
baabe bhekh banaiaa audhaasee kee reet chalaiee|
To further understand the people, Guru Nanak donned robes in their manner and preached them to be detached (from the pleasure and pain). Bhai Gurdas Ji Vaaran – 1”

Guru Nanak’s pious travels were termed Udassis. Various Janam Sakhis (life sketch of Guru Nanak), authored by different scholars of that time, vividly describe these Udassis, though there are contradictions of time and place. However the content remains the same.

The earliest among these called Puratan Janam Sakhi says about the first Udassi of Guru Nanak towards the eastern part of our sub-continent, “Prithme Udassi Kiti Purab Ki”. Another renowned scholar of the nineteenth century, Rattan Singh Bhangu, in his Sri Guru Panth Parkash, has described the travels of Guru Sahib to this region as the second Udassi, “Te Babe Chit Dharyo Purab Sail Bichara. Jhuth Sach Jahin Dhapyo Dekhiai Sou Ughara.” It further states that, “thereafter, Guru Nanak nursed another desire in his heart, that they should undertake excursion to the east. Wherever falsehood has eclipsed truthfulness, he must endeavour to expose it.”

This great eastward travel started by visiting several places of Punjab, then to Haridwar, Kurukshetra, Delhi, Nanakmatta, Banaras, Patna, Gaya, Rajauli, Malda, Assam, Dhaka, Jagannath Puri, Cuttack and many other places, making the masses aware of the virtues of following the path of truth and righteousness. Later on, the successor Guru Sahibs and the holy Sikh missionaries regularly maintained contact with these parts toured by Guru Nanak Sahib.

Anything related to these journeys are of great heritage value for Sikhs and should be preserved as precious gems of history. On these great tours Bhai Gurdas in his first Vaar has described Guru Nanak Sahib as the saviour of mankind through this whirlwind holy tour and incantation of true name i.e. Satnaam:

“ਬਾਬੇ ਤਾਰੇ ਚਾਰਿ ਚਕਿ ਨਉ ਖੰਡਿ ਪ੍ਰਿਥਮੀ ਸਚਾ ਢੋਆ।
baabe taare chaar chak nau kha(n)dd pirathamee sachaa ddoaa
Baba liberated all four directions and nine divisions of earth.
–Bhai Gurdas Ji Vaaran – 1”.

Many memories of Guru Nanak’s tours are retained as lores and folklores. These have been told and retold over generations.  This oral history can be used as incontrovertible proof to establish hidden historical facts. During these great Udassis Guru Nanak met the Sidhas, the discussion with them being famously known as Sidh Ghosht. In Raag Ramkali on page 939 of Guru Granth Sahib asks,

‘ਕਿਸੁ ਕਾਰਣਿ ਗ੍ਰਿਹੁ ਤਜਿਓ ਉਦਾਸੀ॥ ਕਿਸੁ ਕਾਰਣਿ ਇਹੁ ਭੇਖੁ ਨਿਵਾਸੀ॥ ਕਿਸੁ ਵਖਰ ਕੇ ਤੁਮ ਵਣਜਾਰੇ॥ ਕਿਉ ਕਰਿ ਸਾਥੁ ਲੰਘਾਵਹੁ ਪਾਰੇ॥੧੭॥
kis kaaran girahu tajio audhaasee || kis kaaran ih bhekh nivaasee || kis vakhar ke tum vanajaare || kiau kar saath la(n)ghaavahu paare ||17||
“Why have you left your house and become a wandering Udaasee? Why have you adopted these religious robes? What merchandise do you trade? How will you carry others across with you?””||17||”

The Guru answered them in a unique manner,
“ਗੁਰਮੁਖਿ ਖੋਜਤ ਭਏ ਉਦਾਸੀ॥ ਦਰਸਨ ਕੈ ਤਾਈ ਭੇਖ ਨਿਵਾਸੀ॥ ਸਾਚ ਵਖਰ ਕੇ ਹਮ ਵਣਜਾਰੇ॥ ਨਾਨਕ ਗੁਰਮੁਖਿ ਉਤਰਸਿ ਪਾਰੇ॥੧੮॥
guramukh khojat bhe audhaasee || dharasan kai taiee bhekh nivaasee || saach vakhar ke ham vanajaare || naanak guramukh autaras paare ||18||
I became a wandering Udaasee, searching for the Gurmukhs. I have adopted these robes seeking the Blessed Vision of the Lord’s Darshan. I trade in the merchandise of Truth. O Nanak, as Gurmukh, I carry others across. ||18||”

Thus Guru Ji says, “I left my home in search of the righteous and the enlightened, and follow this course in order to evolve a new philosophy of life. Being a peddler of Truth, I trade in Truth. I shall ferry my associates across (the Ocean of Existence), by the grace of God and guidance of the Guru.”

Guru Nanak Sahib spent maximum time moving from one place to other for serving humanity. The completion of these tours had been narrated by Bhai Gurdas as,

“ਫਿਰਿ ਬਾਬਾ ਆਇਆ ਕਰਤਾਰਪੁਰਿ ਭੇਖੁ ਉਦਾਸੀ ਸਗਲ ਉਤਾਰਾ।
fir baabaa aaiaa kartarapur bhekh audhaasee sagal autaaraa|
Then Baba (Nanak) returned to Kartarpur where he put aside his attire of a Recluse.”

The Gurmat teachings of Guru Sahib during these Udassis impacted the people a great deal. Thus Guru Ji settled at Kartarpur. One of the legendary Punjabi poets, Shiv Kumar Batalvi, beautifully describes the serene atmosphere created by the Guru’s entry to Kartarpur. He says that every place was divinely illuminated and minstrels started singing in praise of Guru Ji:

“Ghum chare chak jahan
jad ghar murea Kartar,
Kartarpure di nagari
jide gal Raawi da har,
jide jham-jham paani lishkde,
jidi chandi waani dhar”.
The whole town of Kartarpur became pious.

 

Exploring Udassi etymology and background:
Let us further explore the meaning of “Udassi”. Generally the term Udassi was used for long stay away from home. It also refers to the band of followers of Baba Srichand, son of Guru Nanak Sahib Ji, who enjoyed loneliness and seclusion. The followers of Baba Srichand imparted the teachings of the Gurus and of the Guru Granth Sahib to the masses in an exemplary manner.

The word Udassi might have come with the Aryans who migrated from Central Asia and the neighbouring places. This term could have come even with expedition of Alexander in India. Udassi is believed to have been derived from Odyssey. Etymologically, ‘Odyssey’ from Latin Odyssea, or Greek Odysseia is the name of the ancient Greek epic attributed to Homer and written on the Trojan War. Macedonian word Odisi may be the root word which means, ‘to go’ or ‘to journey’. Oxford dictionary defines it as, ‘a long eventful journey’. Webster defines it as ‘a long voyage usually marked by many changes of fortune’.

The word Udassi is thus a primitive word used for thousands of years. We have used this word as Indo-Aryan type (apbhransa), the admixture of Sanskrit and other Aryan languages. The great series of ‘Jagriti Yatra’ of Guru Sahib was defined as Udassi by Sikh historians including Bhai Gurdas. This word has been used in the Vedic period too. It is said to be created by joining two words, Ud (top) and Aasin (sitting place or asana). Here this word relates to Lord Brahma -the one who is occupied in meditation of Brahma -the God Almighty.

Baba Srichand’s Udassi Tradition:
The initiation of the great wave of Gurmat Parchar by Guru Nanak Sahib Ji was carried out very efficiently by the successor Gurus. Thus this ideology flourished everywhere in spite of great hurdles set by contemporary rulers and people with selfish motives. Baba Srichand, the eldest son of Guru Nanak was always a great champion to this cause and admirer of other Gurus in his life span. He always upheld the Guru Granth and the Guru Panth.

He spread the holy message of Guru Granth Sahib in every nook and corner of India and the outer world.  The lands where he did Parchar echoed with Guru Mantra of ‘Satnam Waheguru’. This highly dedicated propagation of Baba Srichand was nothing but an uninterrupted part of the great movement of Udassi initiated by Guru Nanak Sahib Ji.

He along with a large number of his followers, also known as ‘Bhramanshil Jamaat’ always moved from one place to another teaching the principles of Gurbani among the people. The holy wanderings of such highly spiritual people came to be known as ‘Udassi’. These selfless and dedicated Sannyasis were called NanakShahi or Udassi pracharak.

The author admiring the building of Udassi Dera RajgirThe Udassi usually wore attire of crimson, dust, ochre or russet colour. There are some lores about Baba Srichand wearing only a loincloth. It was a symbol of renunciation or to disclaim worldly pleasure. Guru Nanak Sahib has beautifully described a true recluse or Udassi in Raag Ramkali on page 952 of Guru Granth Sahib. Guru Ji says,

“ਸੋ ਉਦਾਸੀ ਜਿ ਪਾਲੇ ਉਦਾਸੁ॥ ਅਰਧ ਉਰਧ ਕਰੇ ਨਿਰੰਜਨ ਵਾਸੁ॥
so audhaasee j paale audhaas || aradh auradh kare nira(n)jan vaas ||  
He alone is an Udasi, a shaven-headed renunciate, who embraces renunciation. He sees the Immaculate Lord dwelling in both the upper and lower regions.”

From this we get a clear meaning of loincloth of Baba Srichand and are not to be linked to any other religious tradition as many stories have been circulated, specially in the twentieth century in this regard. From the reasons discussed above, it can be conclusively said that this class of religious mendicants were termed as Udassi.

A compilation of Baba Srichand’s main sayings (Mukh-Waak) in Aarta justifies the concrete relationship of Udassis with Sikhism and devotion in them for Guru Nanak  Sahib Ji. Baba Srichand praised Guru Nanak in a uniquely divine manner, saying,

“Char Kunt Jaaki Dharamshala,
Sangat Gawe Shabad Rasala,
Aarti Keeje Shah-Patshah Ka,
Har Har Deen Duniya Ke Shahen Shah Ka,
Aarti Keeje Nanak Shah Patshah Ka.”

Here Baba Srichand describes Guru Ji as Lord of lords, having Dharamsal (house of god) in all four corner of earth; he is the master, cares for the people in distress and need. This is the true reason for the sustained tone of praise.

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Instead of rubbishing the spiritual tone and tenor of the Udassis led by Baba Srichand, it is time to initiate thorough research into the work of this son of Guru Nanak and the Udassi tradition started by him.