🌍 God made it
Karta purakh is the maker. Everything that exists came from God's will.
Sikh Beliefs about the Universe and Human Beings » Karta Purakh: God the Creator in Sikhism
What you'll learn this session
Study time: 30 minutes
Edexcel spec: Paper 1, 1.1 (Sikhism)
- What Sikhs mean by God as karta purakh, the Creator Being
- How Sikhs believe the universe began, and why only God knows when
- The purpose of the universe and of human life for Sikhs
- How Sikhs treat nature and other living things, and how they see science
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Unlock This CourseGod the Creator
In How Did the Universe Begin? Religious and Scientific Views you met the big question of where the universe came from, and the idea of a creator. In Caring for the Planet and Animal Rights you looked at stewardship and how humans treat other creatures. Now we look at what Sikhs believe.
Sikhism is a religion that began in the Punjab region of South Asia, with the teachings of Guru Nanak, the first of the ten human Gurus. Sikhs follow the teachings of the Gurus, which are written in their holy book, the Guru Granth Sahib. The Sikh statement of belief, the Mool Mantar, opens the Guru Granth Sahib and describes God. One of its phrases is karta purakh.
Key terms:
- Karta purakh: 'the Creator Being'. Sikhs use this name for God as the maker of everything.
- Hukam: God's will or command. Sikhs believe everything in the universe exists and runs within God's hukam.
- Guru Granth Sahib: the Sikh holy book, treated with great respect as the living Guru.
How Sikhs believe the universe began
Sikhs believe that before the universe there was only God. There was no earth, sky, sun or moon. The Guru Granth Sahib describes God existing alone for ages beyond counting, and creation came from God's will.
Then, by his hukam, God made everything. Guru Nanak's morning prayer, the Japji Sahib, says that God created the whole universe with a single word, and that from it came countless forms of life. So for Sikhs creation is not an accident. It happened because God willed it.
💡 God is in it
God did not create and then step away. Sikhs believe God is present within creation and watches over it.
Sikhs do not give a date or a method. The Japji Sahib says that no scholar or holy person can say when or how creation began, and that only the Creator knows. Sikhs do not read creation as a set of dated events. They accept that the exact start is a mystery that belongs to God.
The purpose of the universe
Why did God make the universe? Sikhs believe it has a purpose. The Japji Sahib describes the earth as a place made for dharam, meaning righteous living. In other words, the world is a training ground where people can do good, work honestly and serve others.
It is also the place where people can come to know God. Sikhs believe God can be known by remembering God's name and by living a good life. So the purpose of the universe is not just to exist. It is to give humans a chance to grow spiritually.
The place of human beings
Sikhs believe that human life is very precious. Of all the forms of life, humans are the only ones who can fully choose to live righteously and to know God. Sikhs believe in rebirth, and they see a human life as a rare chance to unite with God, which is called mukti, liberation from the cycle of birth and death. Wasting it is a great loss.
Being special does not make humans the bosses of creation. The Gurus teach that humans must use their gift responsibly, for others as well as themselves. The nature of humans is covered in Body, Man and Atman: Human Nature in Sikhism.
Respect for nature and other living things
If God made everything and is within it, then creation deserves respect. Sikhs believe there is a spark of God's light in all living things. The Guru Granth Sahib teaches that all people and creatures come from one light. This links to what you learned in Caring for the Planet and Animal Rights about stewardship.
At the end of the Japji Sahib, Guru Nanak describes air as a teacher, water as a father and the earth as a great mother. Many Sikhs use this to explain why they should look after the environment and not waste what God has provided.
Sikh views on eating meat
Sikhs do not all agree about meat. Some Sikhs are vegetarian because they believe all life holds God's light. Others eat meat, because they do not read the Gurus as banning it. What Sikhs share is that food should never be taken greedily. In every gurdwara (a Sikh place of worship), the free communal meal called langar is vegetarian, so that everyone, whatever they believe, can eat together.
Sikhs, science and the Big Bang
Do Sikhs think religion and science clash? Most say no. Because the Gurus say that only God knows when and how creation began, Sikhs are not tied to a particular story that science could contradict. The Japji Sahib also speaks of countless worlds and skies, and many Sikhs say this fits with the vastness that astronomers have found.
So many Sikhs accept the Big Bang theory and evolution as descriptions of how God's creation works. For them, God willed the universe into being, and science describes how it unfolded. This is like the view you met as theistic evolution, and the question of how and why was covered in How Did the Universe Begin? Religious and Scientific Views. Not all Sikhs think the same, but there is no official Sikh teaching that rejects these scientific theories.
Common mistakes
- Saying Sikhs believe creation took a fixed number of days or happened on a known date. That is not a Sikh teaching.
- Saying Sikhs know exactly when creation happened. They teach that only God knows.
- Saying all Sikhs are vegetarian. Views differ, although langar is vegetarian.
- Writing only that 'God made the world' without using karta purakh or hukam, which are the key terms.
Exam-style question
(a) Identify three Sikh beliefs about the universe. [3 marks]
(b) Choose one religion. Outline two teachings about the purpose of the universe in this religion. [4 marks]
(c) Choose one religion. Explain why people in this religion believe they should treat nature and other living things with respect. [6 marks]
(d) 'Science explains the universe better than religion does.' Evaluate this statement, showing you have considered different points of view. In your answer you should refer to at least one religion. [12 marks]
Model answer
(a) 1 God is karta purakh, the Creator Being (1). 2 Before creation there was only God (1). 3 Everything was made by God's hukam, or will (1).
(b) In Sikhism, one purpose of the universe is to be a place of righteous living, or dharam (1), so people can do good and serve others (1). Another is that it gives humans the chance to know God (1), and so to work towards mukti, unity with God (1).
(c) Sikhs believe that God is karta purakh, the maker of everything, so creation belongs to God and should be respected. Sikhs also believe God is present within creation and that a spark of God's light is in all living things, so harming nature or animals means disrespecting God. Guru Nanak taught that air, water and earth are like a teacher, a father and a mother, so people should look after them, not waste them. Humans have a precious life to use well, and caring for creation is part of living righteously. Some Sikhs show this by being vegetarian, although Sikhs differ on meat. So Sikhs should treat creation as God's, not as something to waste. (6 marks)
(d) Plan. For: science gives evidence that can be tested, such as the Big Bang theory and evolution; it explains how the universe works; humanists say there is no need for God to explain it. Against: religion answers a different question, such as the Sikh belief that the universe has a purpose in dharam and mukti; science cannot say what came before the Big Bang, while Sikhs say only God knows. Contrast: many Sikhs accept science as a description of God's creation, so they see no clash. Conclusion: science explains the process better, but religion tries to answer a different question, why we are here, so the statement is only partly true.
Exam tip
In the 12-mark answer, use at least two Sikh terms such as karta purakh or hukam, and show that Sikhs do not see science and religion as enemies.