Ans. One who is embarked upon the search for truth, is a Sikh.The fifth Master, Guru Arjan says:
ਮੈ ਬਧੀ ਸਚੁ ਧਰਮ ਸਾਲ ਹੈ॥
ਗੁਰਸਿਖਾ ਲਹਦਾ ਭਾਲਿ ਕੈ॥
(SGGS, P. 74)
“I have established the temple of truth. I search and assemble therein God’s devotees”.
In this hymn (shabad) Guru Arjan Dev has defined the term ‘Sikh’ as the seeker of truth.
Those who consider the term ‘Sikh’ to be based on the Sanskrit term ‘Shishya’, meaning student or disciple, seem to have altogether missed the real point. To be a disciple one needs a teacher. Thus begins the race of every disciple to adopt a teacher or a guru.Only he/she is a Sikh who believes in and is committed to one Supreme Being (Akaal Purakh), ten Divine Masters (Guru Nanak through Guru Gobind Singh), Guru Granth Sahib (the Shabad Guru) and their collective teachings and does not believe in any other religion or doctrine.
A Gursikh is free from devotion to any god/goddess.According to Mahan Kosh (Bh. Kahan Singh) a Sikh is one who follows the path delineated by Guru Nanak; who accepts Guru Granth Sahib as his/her scripture and considers the ten Gurus as one. The third Master, Guru Amar Das says:
ਆਪੁ ਛਡਿ ਸਦਾ ਰਹੈ ਪਰਣੈ ਗੁਰ ਬਿਨੁ ਅਵਰੁ ਨ ਜਾਣੈ ਕੋਏ॥
ਕਹੈ ਨਾਨਕੁ ਸੁਣਹੁ ਸੰਤਹੁ ਸੋ ਸਿਖੁ ਸਨਮੁਖੁ ਹੋਏ॥
(SGGS, P. 919)
“Listen God’s devotees! Only that seeker abides in the Master’s presence, who discards his/her ego, leans on the preceptor and puts his/her trust in none else”.
Thus Sikh is not one who claims to have adopted someone as his/her Guru. Rather a Sikh is one who has accepted truth and truthful living as the foremost principle of life (as taught by our great Gurus)*.
Waheguru Ji Ka Khalsa
Waheguru Ji Ki Fateh