ABSTRACT
The word “sikh” means “learner” or “disciple” and is the term used to denote adherents of the religious tradition begun by Guru Nanak Dev, the first of ten human gurus. Guru Nanak was raised in a Hindu family in the Punjab region of northwestern India, which had a strong Muslim presence. A human guru is a profoundly spiritually gifted soul, who drives away the darkness of ignorance and ego by teaching enlightenment that is found in knowing the word of God. A human guru exemplifies in his own life the unifying relationship with God; that He is the divine truth, the Original Guru, eternal, self-existent, all-creative, omnipresent, and full of grace. The early fifteenth century witnessed descent of tyranny and oppression over peace-loving Hinduism in India by Islamic invaders from Afghanistan. The human body and every living object is the physical manifestations of the creator God on this earth; this concept is the core element and fundamental principle of Sikhism.
