by Sat Kewal Kaur, Moscow, Russia
Fall 2010

Guru’s Word sounds heart-touching to everyone, including people who hear Gurbani for the first time. [I had] just started practicing Kundalini Yoga. I listened to Japji every day on the way to work and after work. I simply like how it sounds. I asked myself, “Where is the text to this miracle sound?”

I visited the Sikh Gurdwara in Moscow where I lived. To my surprise, I did not find the text in Russian. I visited a market where Sikh salesmen are, and asked one of them to bring Japji text for me direct from India. He asked if I was married. I answered, “Not yet,” and he took the light golden silk scarf that I picked to purchase and traveled it through his wedding ring with the words of blessing to me in getting married. Soon the text found me at Kundalini Yoga teacher training.

Loving to read, I asked myself what is the Book containing Japji about? And I started reading Siri Guru Granth Sahib [in English] while translating it in 2009. My experience of teaching English for several years helped me understand the structures of Russian and English languages.

In spite of the differences in languages, in translating the Adi Granth all the words simply have the same placement. It’s amazing how perfect the flow of Gurbani is! The punctuation is also perfect. The Adi Granth corrects the translation I am involved in, bringing a subtle experience of the text. Siri Guru Granth Sahib is the soul and Khalsa is the body.

I questioned myself about Khalsa in Russia. When I had just started the translation of Siri Guru Granth Sahib, I organized a group of certified Kundalini Yoga teachers in Russia. A year later, in 2010, a third of the text is completed and the official Russian Kundalini Yoga Teachers Federation is registered with 60-plus members.

Translating the Guru

We are coming together as a sangat, just as Guru’s Word has decided to settle in Russia and many circumstances are arranged, including placing me into a small Russian town near Moscow where I am able to work on the translation in comfort.

The Russian Kundalini Yoga and Sikh community grows. There are around 400 KRI certified teachers and people in numerous cities practicing Kundalini Yoga. I realized the necessity of creating a Russian-language website about the teachings of Yogi Bhajan.

The Russian Kundalini Yoga website is designed and ready, and there are about 150 articles from open sources that perform a quality introduction for Russian people into Kundalini Yoga, White Tantric Yoga, and Sikh Dharma.

We have read articles about Sikh Dharma by people who live in Dharma and bring prosperity to others, which are  very informative and inspiring to people to live an exalted life. Seeing photographs, watching videos, exploring Sikh internet sites helps. Reading about someone being married for 40 years and being Sikhs for 40 years is an inspiring example.

Reading about existing camps for kids and studying in Miri Piri Academy spreads the view about a Sikh way of life and opportunities for kids from Russia. Reading the quality information about all aspects of a Sikh life changes the perspective and brings people to meet their destiny.

In spite of the language barrier, everyone is able to read about the teachings gifted to the human race. Maybe there will be a library of Yogi Bhajan teachings, not only preserving, but also sharing the information with the multi-language Sikh community by placing a centralized library with selected information, which can be translated into basic world languages, including English, Spanish and Russian (maybe German and French also).

A Russian team of quality translators is ready. Each translator is a certified teacher who has passed a test of translator proficiency. It is a simple and possible way to inform people worldwide.

Just recently I visited Moscow for one day. In this city of 15 million people, on the public bus, I saw the Sikh man who had previously blessed me to become married. While translating Adi Granth, I was gifted a name, Sat Kewal Kaur.

The soul became married to One. As the site for Khalsa is ready, Adi Granth and Dasam Granth translation will be continued for connecting people with their real state of being honest and to have the courage to proclaim their love.

About the Author

Sat Kewal Kaur is a Certified Level I Kundalini Yoga Teacher, involved in translating the Siri Guru Granth Sahib into Russian.