33 Swaiyas (Annotated and Translated into English)

These Thirty Three swaiyas give the gist of the teachings of Guru Govind Singh, the tenth and last Guru of the Sikhs. In the first Swaiya he defines a "pure khalsa". He. who fixes his thought on the Supreme Reality day and night and does not turn his mind to anything else except the One; who is full of love and faith and does not put his trust in fasts crematoriums; whose place of pilgrim age charity, compassion, austerity and self control consist of devotion to the One, and whose mind is resplendent with the Ever-Shining Light, is to be called a pure khalsa". In the next ten Swaiyas he describes the attributes of the Godhead whom his sikhs ought to worship. Then the futility of worshiping various gods and goddesses and the so-called incarnations of God is set forth. In Swaiyas 18th and 19th he enjoins sincerity and in the next Swaiyas discards idol-worship and goes on explaining that the gods whose images men worship were themselves subject to death (23,24). Then he subjects to scathing criticism formal and ceremonial worship and exposes the tactics of sectarian leaders, who care more for self aggrandisment than for spreading true religious spirit. In the end he reminds man that he is morally responsible for his deeds and will have to bear friends and near relations for whose sake he commits inequities, will not accompany him when the soul departs from the body.