Which of the following statement is NOT true about the teachings of Guru Nanak?
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 3
The correct answer is Option (3) → The hymns and teachings of Guru Nanak advocated 'saguna bhakti'.
Option (1) The hymns and teachings of Guru Nanak advocated 'nirguna bhakti'. — Correct statement. His hymns and teachings suggest that he advocated a form of nirguna bhakti, the worship of an abstract form of god.
Option (2) For Guru Nanak, the absolute or "rab" had no gender or form. — Correct statement. For Baba Guru Nanak, the Absolute or “rab” had no gender or form.
Option (3) The hymns and teachings of Guru Nanak advocated 'saguna bhakti'. — Incorrect statement. Saguna bhakti focused on the worship of specific deities such as Shiva, Vishnu and his avatars, often in human form. Guru Nanak’s formless “rab” and his rejection of image worship place him in the nirguna tradition, not the saguna.
Option (4) Guru Nanak rejected sacrifices, ritual baths, image worship, austerities and the scriptures of both Hindus and Muslims. — Correct statement. He firmly repudiated the external practices of the religions around him and rejected sacrifices, ritual baths, image worship, austerities and the scriptures of both Hindus and Muslims.
NCERT (2026-27): “2. Poems of Prayer Early Traditions of Bhakti … At a different level, historians of religion often classify bhakti traditions into two broad categories: saguna (with attributes) and nirguna (without attributes). The former included traditions that focused on the worship of specific deities such as Shiva, Vishnu and his avatars (incarnations) and forms of the goddess or Devi, all often conceptualised in anthropomorphic forms. Nirguna bhakti on the other hand was worship of an abstract form of god.… 8.2 Baba Guru Nanak and the Sacred Word … The message of Baba Guru Nanak is spelt out in his hymns and teachings. These suggest that he advocated a form of nirguna bhakti. He firmly repudiated the external practices of the religions he saw around him. He rejected sacrifices, ritual baths, image worship, austerities and the scriptures of both Hindus and Muslims. For Baba Guru Nanak, the Absolute or ‘rab’ had no gender or form.…” |