The Heart of the World

Literature is the life of a nation or community. A nation is proud of its literature. The progress of a nation is visualized in its literature. Hence it is important to understand what is literature. It is broadly divided into two parts. In one category is that literature which sprouts from the mind knowledge, and perception of man. In the other category is that literature that springs from the heart and is lithesome, fine subtle and sensitive. It is aesthetic, graceful and magnificent.

The definition of literature is difficult to establish. Scholars have given many definitions, but it is difficult to draw a line between literature and non-literature writings. Poetry, novel, short story and drama is sensitive and subtle literature that appeals to the emotions, feelings and passions.

History, life-stories, philosophy, geography, mathematics, astrology, etc., are defined as non-literature. Sometimes life stories and history are written in fine and subtle words which are full of emotion that it becomes difficult to define such writings as literature or non-literature.

Prof. Puran Singh says, “0 simple people, literature grows. It is neither sown nor made. Everything grows from seeds, but literature has no seeds and falls from the firmament in torrents. In every drop of it there are gardens.”

These are emotional and romantic expressions and cannot be considered as definitions.

Literature is the lithesome art of the language. An artist gives many shapes to the language and saturates it with aestheticism in order to make it comprehensive and extensive to express and assert human feelings explicitly in words. An artist pictures the intricacies of nature. He asserts with the comprehension of the language of human feelings, waves of thoughts, longings, sufferings, comforts, yearnings and aspirations. From these writings humanity gets motivation, guidance and happiness.

Literature plays a very important role in the progress of culture, civility, gentility, decency and moral uplift. Literature gives light to truthful life. It is the image of life and gives light to many dark corners of life. Literature provides wings to life so that life can touch the highest peaks of wisdom. The objective of literature should be the progress and advancement of humanity.

For this reason Guru Nanak Dev ji gives value to literature on page 1291 of the S.G.G.S.: “Blest is the paper, blest the pen, blest the inkpot and blest the ink. 0′ Nanak blest is the writer, who writes the True Name.”

Guru ji blesses the writers who write to spread the True Name in the masses and bring them into the realm of faith in God, Where God is remembered justice, righteousness, compassion, pity and human feelings not only exist, but are also practiced in the real sense. In this kind of an environment life grows and flourishes. Life gives strength to the garden of life and makes it beautiful and elegant. Literature that sows the seeds of such congenial environment is of the highest caliber.

Guru Nanak Dev ji further emphasizes on this essentiality of life that makes life beauteous, elegant and graceful. A life in which the flowers of justice, righteousness and character embellish life. On page 1016 Guruji says: “The world is clever and wise, but strays in doubt. Though Pandit by Name, he is really a literate fool. Forgetting the Name, he reads the Vedas and deluded by the poisonous riches, he writes his writings. Without the Name, the mortal is like the crop in the saline land, the tree on the riverbank and the sprinkling of soot on the white garments.”

Human beings sink themselves in the quagmire of desire that drown them in greediness and voracity. Their souls are burnt in the fire of pride as they visualize the world of wealth as the real world which is nothing but illusion.