Death (Sikhism)

Definition

The notion of death and dying in the Guru Granth Sahib is grounded in a standpoint of what can be variously referred to as ego loss, death of the ego, or dying to the self which when achieved is referred to as jivan mukti. The person who is able to attain such a death is called a gurmukh as opposed to a manmukh or ego-centered individual who dies a typical mortal death.

A Paradoxical Notion of Death

Based on the writings of the Sikh Gurus in the Guru Granth, one cannot comprehend the phenomenon of death without simultaneously comprehending life – something they at times refer to as maran jivan ki sojhi pae. References to death are fairly common in the Guru Granth. Common terms used figuratively for death in the Guru Granth Sahib include kal, mritya, jamadutt, and lavi lunia. The term kal literally means time, darkness. As the term maran kalit connotes the time of one’s death, suggesting that death constantly gnaws at the fabric of life, yet man remains ignorant of it. The...