Some Questions by a Naujavan.
Dear all,
On the 3rd of January 2011, I received a mail from a young man.
He posed certain queries and wanted my response thereto.
Amongst the questions posed was this –
- What does SGGS say about people’s evil eye or glance?
- What is your opinion about it and how real is it
- Can we do something about it or are we “sitting ducks”?
Mindful of my limited knowledge, I gingerly venture my views.
The Evil Eye or Buree Nazar.
The evil eye is referred to as “chaakh” in Gurbani. Before I discuss the stand of Gurbani it might help to look at how the evil eye is “viewed” [pun intended] in different cultures and other religions around the world.
The “evil eye” is a look or glance that is superstitiously believed by many cultures to be able to cause injury or bad luck for the person at whom it is directed for reasons of dislike or envy. The evil eye is a concept believed almost all over the world. Symptoms attributed to the evil eye may include diarrhea, vomiting, migraines, fevers, constant crying and in some cases, even death.
It is usually believed to affect infants, children and even adult females. Adult males are generally not affected, but there are certain instances of financial ruin and aggressive behavior blamed on the evil eye.
Many cultures have devised and advised protective measures.
It is the belief in most cultures that the malevolent gaze of some people is so powerful that it can actually bestow a curse upon their victims. The most common cause is attributed to envy. This envy may even be unintentional. The effects vary. Some report afflictions, bad luck, stomach cramps, disease, wasting or as stated earlier, even death.
In many beliefs, a person otherwise not malefic in any way, can harm persons, livestock, children or possessions, simply by looking at them in an envious manner. This looking may not even be intended to cause harm, but it somehow pierces the victim’s outer aura and disturbs their inner balance and peace. The word “evil” is quite misleading as most cultures accept that the person gazing would be horrified if he or she knew that their gaze would cause distress or loss or injury.
The Greek theologians believed in the evil eye. This can be gleaned from the works of Plato, Theocritus, and Pliny the Elder. There are claims that Socrates had an evil eye and his disciples were fascinated by the glaze and glare of his intense eyes. His followers were called “Blepedaimones” which means “demon look” because they were thought to be under the hypnotic and dangerous spell cast by Socrates’s eyes.
Belief in the evil eye is very strong in the Middle East, Africa, Central America, Asia and Europe. As migrations take place, the belief has literally spread to the whole world.
Askhenazi Jews in Europe and the Americas routinely exclaim ” Keyn anhoreh” meaning “no evil eye” to ward off any jinx after anyone has been overly praised or good news has been proclaimed loudly.
In Greece and Turkey, amulets against the evil eye take the form of blue eyes to ward off their danger. Some of the McDonald’s outlets in Turkey will have a blue eye painted in the corner to ward off evil. Airplanes in Turkey for example, have a blue eye painted on the tail wings of some aircraft.
In Bangladesh, young children often have a large black dot drawn on one side of their foreheads to counter the evil eye. Young girls will have a dot drawn behind their earlobes so no one can see it. This wards off unwanted attention from bad men and other jealous people.
In Ethiopia, women spit on the ground whenever they admire anything to show they are spitting away any evil eye that may have unwittingly resulted from their gaze.
In India, the evil eye is called “dhristdosham” (curse by sight) or nazar. It is traditionally removed by Aarti. The actual removal is by placing a holy flame on a plate and moving the plate in a circular motion around the victim’s face. The fire is said to absorb the ill effects of the evil eye.
In some homes, salt is used and moved in a circular motion, to remove the ill effects of the evil eye jinx. It is believed that salt “repairs” the aura surrounding the victim and restores his peace and balance.
Sometimes the victim of the so called evil eye will be asked to spit into some chillies kept on a plate, which are then thrown into a fire. If there is a lot of smoke, it was a mistaken belief only, and no one evil eyed you. (This is contrary to the belief that there is no smoke without fire!). If there is very little smoke or no smoke, then there was mischief afoot, but you have now been cleared.
Newly bought vehicles can be evil eyed too and in their case, lime or lemons are used instead of chillies. The limes are crushed by the vehicle as a gesture of crushing all evil eyes against it. Then a new lime, together with some chillies is hung inside the vehicle to ward off evil. The protection is now complete. Shops and private homes will have these protective chillies and limes hanging over their doorways.
Many Indian shopkeepers will burn a piece of paper and move it in a circular motion before going home. This is to make a protective aura against the evil eye.
Children are considered perfect. Therefore, a black dot is splashed on their foreheads to spoil the “perfection”. Thus, the child being “imperfect” will be spared the evil eye. A black cord is sometimes tied around the hip of infants to ward off evil. Some homes will have a black palm pasted near their doorway to keep out unwanted evil and jinx.
The use of “surma” or “kajal” is also related to belief in protection against the evil eye. A popular expression is “nazar na lagg jaiye” meaning ” hopefully no evil eyes will befall you”.
Amongst Muslims, if a compliment is to be made it is proper to say “Masha’Allah”. (What God wills) to ward off the evil eye. There is however also a strong view amongst many Muslims that the evil eye has no place in Islam as there is no power other than God’s.
In Afghanistan, they say “Naam e-khuda” in place of Mashallah. In Urdu, the phrase “Chashmi bad duur” (may the evil eye go away) is used in parts of Pakistan.
The evil eye is mentioned three times in the King James version of the Bible and is used in the sense of envy or covetousness. An example of a quote would be….
“For from within, out of the heart of men proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders. Thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness. All these evil things come from within and defile the man”.
In Buddhism, the colour red is generally used to ward off the evil eye. Red is the colour of powerful rituals and deeds. They have a strong belief in coral, a semi-precious stone from the ocean. It is one of the five sacred stones of the Tibetan Buddhists and is believed to be a protection against the evil eye. Bracelets blessed by sacred mantras are commonly used to ward off the terrible effects of the evil eye.
In composing the above, I have looked up Wikipedia and related sites on the net.
In Gurbani, it is pertinent to remember that Sukhmani Sahib tells us –
“Dukh sukh prabh devanhaar (page 283 – Asthpadhi 15)
Avaar tyaag tu tissai chitaar”
“God is the Giver or pain and pleasure
Abandon others and think of Him alone”
Thus, Gurbani emphasises the total sovereignty of God is all aspects of man’s life.
Taking it from that premise, we have to look at the evil eye and its remedies mentioned in SGGS Ji.
At page 817, Guru Arjun Dev Ji in Raag Bilawal, states thus…
“Man tann prabh aradhiey mil sadh samagaaiy
uchrat gun Gopal jas duur te jamm bhaggai
Raam Naan jo jan jaapai andinn sadh jaggai
Tant mant na johaiey tit chakh na laggai [rahao]”
“Worship and adore God in your mind and body; keep holy company
By chanting praises of the Lord, the Messenger of death [distress] runs away
That humble servant who sings the Lord’s praises remains ever awake day and night
He is not affected by charms and spells nor is he affected by the evil eye”
Thus, Guruji has advised us that the evil eye cannot affect anyone who repeats the Lord’s Name. It is Naam which is the only effective antidote to the evil eye. Indeed, Naam is protection even against tantar mantar as the shabad tells us.
At page 1150, in Raag Bhairo, Guru Arjun Dev Ji again tells us..
“Har simratt kichh chakh na johaiy “
“Meditating in remembrance on the Lord, the evil eye cannot see you”
Gurbani therefore tells us it is Naam which provides the protective aura and repels all evil eyes.
Any reliance on rituals to ward off evil or the evil eye is not acceptable to the Gurus. At page 747, Guru Arjun Dev Ji tells us
“Karam dharam pakhand jo dissai tinn jamm jagatee luttaiy”
“Rites rituals and hypocrisies which can be seen are looted by the Messenger of Death, the ultimate tax collector”
The advice in the next line is to…
“Niraban kirtan gavoh kartay ka nimakh simrat jitt chottaiy”
“Sing the limitless praises of the Lord; contemplating Him in meditation even for an instant, one is saved”.
To place reliance on rituals, gemstones, bracelets and the like is not the way of Gurbani. At page 762 in “Kuchaji” by Guru Nanak Dev Ji, the soul bride laments in agony at her foolishness for having placed reliance on trinkets, rather than God’s Name
“Mandar mitti sandhray pathar kittai raas jeeyo
Hau eeni tolee bhuliaas tiss kant na bethee paas jeeyo”
“Palaces of brick and mud; reliance on stones
I have been fooled by these; I did not sit near by Husband Lord”
Macauliffe at page 38 of his Vol 3 “The Sikh Religion” mentions an incident in the life of Guru Arjun Dev Ji. The child (later Guru) Hargobind was taken ill.
“During Hargobind’s illness suggestions were made to the Guru that recourse be had to a local witch who possessed a high reputation for skill in sorcery in the hope of obtaining from her a charm for the recovery of the child. This was to be done by repeating some cabalistic words over water and then giving it to the child to drink. The Guru ridiculed such suggestions and such remedies and composed the following on the occasion.”
The shabad is in Raag Gound at page 868 ; Gound Mehla 5.
“Naam niranjan neer narayan
Rasnaa simratt paap bilaeayen [rahao].”
“The Name of the Immaculate Lord is the ambrosial water
Chanting it with the tongue, sins are washed away. (pause)”
Next, Guruji emphasises God is within us and we can all appeal to Him through His Naam.
“Narayan sabh mai nivaas
Narayan ghat ghat pargaas
Narayan kahtey narak na jaiy
Narayan sev sagall fall paiy”
“The Lord abides in everyone
The Lord illumines each and every heart
Repeating His Name one does not fall into hell
Serving the Lord all fruitful rewards are obtained”
The Name of the Lord is the sole support. Besides being support it actually wards off and destroys evil. The support is not a bracelet, a gemstone, a good luck charm or other talisman.
“Narayan man mai adhaar
Narayan bohith sansaar
Narayan kahet jamm bhaag palayaien
Narayan dantt bhainay dayaien”
“The Lord is the support within my mind
The Lord is my boat to ferry me across the world ocean
Chanting the Lord’s Name the couriers of death will flee
The Lord breaks the teeth of the witch (maya or the source of all distress)”
The cool, fresh, happiness the Lord always provides, is addressed next.
“Narayan sadh sadh bakhshind
Narayan kinnay sukh anand
Narayan pargat kinno partap
Narayan sant ko mai baap”
“The Lord is ever and ever forgiving
The Lord blesses us with peace and bliss
The Lord [does] reveal His glory
The Lord is the father and mother to all saints”
The final para is of praise and of His glory which becomes manifest in sadh sangat.
Narayan sadhsang Narayan
Barungbarr Narayan gaieyan
Basat agocharr gur mill lahee
Narayan ott Nanak dass gahee”
“The Lord is the sadhsangat, the company of the holy
Repeatedly I sing the Lord’s praises
Meeting with the Guru I have obtained the incomprehensible object
Slave Nanak has grasped the support of the Lord”
The “incomprehensible object” is Naam and with it, the “Namee” i.e. the Lord, who is beyond description and comprehension.
Thus, the sole support for a Sikh should be Naam. In case of distress, recourse should be had through Naam i.e. prayer and an Ardas. The Lord always answers sincere prayer done with loving devotion. Gurbani emphasises that the Guru’s grace is necessary for prayer to be answered. It is only through Gurbani that we should reach out to the Lord who resides within all of us.
I pray that I have translated and interpreted the shabads correctly. I crave forgiveness from the Guru and the sangat for all errors.
Gurfateh.
Manjeet Singh
