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Ethical Values of the Guru Granth Sahib

ETHICAL VALUES OF THE

GURU GRANTH SAHIB

SUBMITTED BY: TEAM 6

Charvi
Batra (93)

Sumeet
Kachroo
(97)

Ankit Bagdi
(95)

Ronak
Chopra (94)

Naimesha
(96)

Ethical Values of the Guru Granth Sahib

Ethical Learnings From Guru Granth Sahib

Guru Granth Sahib is the central religious text of Sikhism considered by Sikhs to be the final, sovereign guru among
the lineage of 11 Sikh Gurus of the religion. It is a voluminous text of 1430 pages, compiled and composed during
the period of Sikh gurus and is a collection of hymns.
As we all know that every individual needs ethical and moral values so that he can flourish well in his/her life and
can carry those values through future generations, for this the wisdom and the values of Sri Guru Granth Sahib if
imbibed can form the basis of ethical managerial behaviour. values from the Guru Granth Sahib incorporates the
teachings of what is right and what is wrong and what should one do when faced with various situations in life
which test your basic teachings and are a test to your integrity. Thus, book guides us for our course of action in
what is considered morally right and the teachings within the Guru granth sahib are universally acceptable and are
also in sync with all the holy scriptures that pertain to all the religions that exist in the world today. The various
teachings that we came across during our research on the Guru Granth Sahib are as follows:

Rights of an individual
Guru granth Sahib teaches us that we should snatch belongings of others and we should happily give the right
belonging to the deserved person. Book says that to deprive someone of his/her due share is strongly disapproved
and is considered highly unethical. The Guru strongly asserts: To take what rightfully belongs to another, is like
Muslim eating pork or a Hindu eating beef. And Those who grab others belongings suffer in pain.

Equality to all (No caste system)

Caste system is totally rejected in Sikhism and the Guru asserts that, The four castes - the Kshatriyas, Brahmins,
Soodras and Vaisyas - are equal in respect to the teachings. It tells there should be equality for all, each and every
individual should be treated with same behaviour without any partiality. Thus we can can simply state that
individuals should be treated the same, unless they differ in ways that are relevant to the situation in which they are
involved. According to the Guru, justice can be administered only when the leader is neutral and unprejudiced. The
Guru reveals, Righteous justice is dispensed in His Court forever.

Environmental concern & Values

It also give emphasis on environmental issues and how a person can contribute for the welfare of environment and
how can play his/her part for CSR(corporate social Responsibity) activities .It teaches how individuals can work for
customer satisfaction, help poor people, create good infrastructure, go for plantation, work for environmental
protection and pollution control, donate money to some charitable institutions, help the down trodden, render
medical help, promote education and increase employment under the umbrella of its CSR practices. Thus, the
concept of Corporate Social Responsibility originates from a deeply held vision by company leaders that business
can and should play a role beyond making money. It is a conscious and sustained effort on the part of a corporate
entity to strike a judicious balance between its own interest and that of its stakeholders.

Minimisation Of frauds & corruption

One can simply purify himself and his personality by reading and implementing the teachings through Guru Granth
Sahib. It gives an idea of what is true or false, right or wrong, fair or unfair, just or unjust, proper or improper. It
implies moral conduct and honourable behaviour on the part of an individual. Thus, it will help in building up of

Ethical Values of the Guru Granth Sahib

more civilised society with high ethics and morality. The Guru states, In corruption, all must account for their
actions. In this accounting, there is no peace. Acting in evil and corruption, people are immersed in corruption.
People who indulge in farce and deception are looked down upon in the society. The Guru says, The false ones
have no social status or honour and also they have to pay for their sins.
Falsehood and deception may be covered with false coatings, but they cannot remain hidden

(Guru Granth Sahib)

Sense of Generosity
The texts from guru granth sahib focuses on humility and kindness for every individual. Humility or being humble is
a quality of being respectful of others. Humility does not defy ones self worth, rather it affirms the inherent worth
of all the persons. Humility is needed to live in peace and harmony with others.

Sharing of Resources
It lays emphasis on sharing of resources with one-another and also A Sikh is expected to contribute at least 10% of
his wealth/income to the needy people of the world or for a worthy cause. The Guru guides that any charity or
donation must be for a good cause; otherwise it has no meaning or relevance.
Brother! Let all consume this wealth and spend it together, decrease in it shall not occur; ever shall it increase

(Guru Granth Sahib)

Less Concern for money

Guru granth sahib teaches us that money is not prime importance for our survival , it even states the businesses are
most successful when the leaders are not merely concerned with their interests (sales, profits, success), but with the
concerns of the stakeholders. Total concern for employees brings the business to a state of unity, which can attract
infinite accomplishment. The ideal for Sikhism is a society based upon mutual respect and cooperation and
providing an optimal atmosphere for individuals to grow spiritually.

Thus , at the end we can conclude that the wisdom enshrined in Sri Guru Granth Sahib can transform the mankind
from ordinary to extra-ordinary, propounding a complete life-style and demolishing away the walls of falsehood,
ignorance and ego.

References
http://www.sikhnet.com/oldsikhnet/sggs/translation/0014.html
shodhganga.inflibnet.ac.in/bitstream/10603/13572