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Long before the world looked the way it does today—before there were mountains, trees, or even air to breathe—there was water. It was in this water that something extraordinary happened: life began. Scientists, philosophers, and spiritual teachers have all tried to understand this mystery, and surprisingly, their ideas often meet at the same point.
Both Charles Darwin’s Theory of Evolution and the Sikh holy scripture, the Guru Granth Sahib, recognize water as the essential beginning of life.
"ਪਹਿਲਾ ਪਾਣੀ ਜੀਉ ਹੈ, ਜਿਤੁ ਹਰਿਆ ਸਭੁ ਕਿਛੁ ਹੋਇ॥"
Pehla Pani Jeev Hai, Jit Harya Sab Kich Hoye. (Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji, Ang 472)
Literal Meaning: First, there is life in the water, by which everything else is made green and alive.
From a scientific point of view, most evidence shows that life began in the oceans billions of years ago. The first living things were simple microorganisms that formed when certain chemicals combined under the right conditions. Over millions of years, these tiny organisms evolved into more complex beings. Water made this process possible because it provided a safe and stable environment for life’s earliest forms.
Charles Darwin, in his Theory of Evolution, proposed that all living beings share a common ancestor. He suggested that life might have begun in a “warm little pond,” where the right mixture of chemicals produced the first living cell. From there, life evolved through natural selection, where only the organisms best adapted to their environment survived and reproduced.
The Guru Granth Sahib also explains creation as a gradual, ordered process. The hymns below show how spiritual and scientific ideas often align when we look deeper into both.
Stepwise Parallels between Gurbani Hymns and Darwin’s Theory of Evolution
1. Origin in Water
"ਪਹਿਲਾ ਪਾਣੀ ਜੀਉ ਹੈ, ਜਿਤੁ ਹਰਿਆ ਸਭੁ ਕਿਛੁ ਹੋਇ॥"
Pehla Pani Jeev Hai, Jit Harya Sab Kich Hoye. (Ang 472)
Literal Meaning: Water contains the first signs of life; through it, the world becomes green and alive.
Spiritual Message: Life begins and flourishes through the divine power present in water.
Darwinian Parallel: Life originated in Earth’s oceans. Early microorganisms evolved from water-based chemical reactions, forming the roots of all living species.
2. Creation through Basic Elements
"ਪਵਨ ਅਰੰਭੁ ਪਾਣੀ ਬਾਇੁ ਧਰਤਿ ਆਕਾਸੁ ਕਾ ਆਕਾਰ॥"
Pavan Arambh Pani Bayu, Dharat Akas Ka Aakaar. (Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji, Ang 19)
Literal Meaning: From air came water and fire; from these the earth and sky were formed.
Spiritual Message: The universe developed from natural elements in a balanced, divine order.
Darwinian Parallel: Earth’s early atmosphere and oceans created the right conditions for life’s chemical evolution. Natural elements shaped the beginning of biology.
3. One Source, Many Forms
"ਕੀਤਾ ਪਸਾਉ ਏਕੋ ਕਵਾਉ, ਤਿਸ ਤੇ ਹੋਏ ਲਖ ਦਰੀਆਉ॥"
Kita Pasao Eko Kavao, Tis Te Hoye Lakh Dariao. (Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji, Ang 3)
Literal Meaning: With one command, the Creator expanded creation, and from it came hundreds of thousands of rivers and streams.
Spiritual Message: All of creation comes from one divine source that gives rise to countless forms.
Darwinian Parallel: All living beings share a single origin. From one ancestral source, life diversified into endless species through gradual adaptation.
4. Infinite Forms and Names in Creation
"ਅਸੰਖ ਨਾਵ ਅਸੰਖ ਥਾਵ ਅਗਮ ਅਗਮ ਅਸੰਖ ਲੋ॥"
Asankh Naav, Asankh Thaav, Agam Agam Asankh Lo. (Japji Sahib, Ang 4)
Literal Meaning: Countless are the names, countless are the places, and countless are the worlds beyond reach.
Spiritual Message: The universe is vast and limitless, filled with endless forms of life and creation beyond human understanding.
Darwinian Parallel: Evolution continuously produces infinite variations and species. Just as Gurbani speaks of countless worlds and beings, science recognizes life’s immense diversity and ongoing evolution.
5. Gradual Unfolding of Creation
"ਆਪੀਨੈ ਆਪੁ ਸਾਜਿਓ ਆਪੀਨੈ ਰਚਿਓ ਨਾਉ॥"
Aapeenai Aap Sajio, Aapeenai Rachio Nao. (Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji, Ang 463)
Literal Meaning: The Creator created Himself and then brought forth creation step by step.
Spiritual Message: Creation unfolds naturally and gradually under divine will.
Darwinian Parallel: Evolution is a slow, continuous process—life develops through small changes over millions of years.
6. Oneness and Connection of All Life
"ਏਕ ਨੂਰ ਤੇ ਸਭੁ ਜਗੁ ਉਪਜਿਆ, ਕਉਨ ਭਲੇ ਕੋ ਮੰਦੇ॥"
Ek Noor Te Sab Jag Upjia, Kaun Bhale Ko Mande. (Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji, Ang 1349)
Literal Meaning: From the One Light, the entire world was created—so who is good and who is bad?
Spiritual Message: All life is one in essence; every being shares the same divine light.
Darwinian Parallel: All living things are connected through evolution and shared genetics, proving that life is one continuous chain of existence.
7. Divine Order (Hukam) and Natural Law
"ਹੁਕਮੈ ਅੰਦਰਿ ਸਭੁ ਕੋ, ਬਾਹਰਿ ਹੁਕਮ ਨ ਕੋਇ॥"
Hukamai Andar Sabh Ko, Bahar Hukam Na Koi. (Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji, Ang 1)
Literal Meaning: Everything exists and functions within divine order; nothing lies outside of it.
Spiritual Message: The universe follows divine law, and all creation moves under this order.
Darwinian Parallel: Evolution operates under fixed natural laws—variation, inheritance, and selection—governing all living beings consistently and universally.
8. Respect for Creation and Ecology
"ਜਲਿ ਥਲਿ ਮਹੀਅਲਿ ਪੂਰਨ ਸੁਆਮੀ ਅੰਤਰਿ ਬਾਹਰਿ ਏਕੋ॥"
Jal Thal Mahial Puran Suami, Antar Bahar Eko. (Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji, Ang 294)
Literal Meaning: In water, on land, and in the sky, the Creator is present everywhere, within and beyond.
Spiritual Message: The divine lives in all parts of nature; to care for creation is to honor the Creator.
Darwinian Parallel: All species and ecosystems are interconnected. Protecting nature ensures the balance and continuity of evolution.
Both Darwin’s scientific view and the Guru Granth Sahib’s spiritual vision lead to the same realization: life began in water and evolved through a natural, interconnected process. Darwin described the mechanism of evolution through natural laws; the Gurus explained it as the unfolding of Hukam, the divine order of creation.
Science teaches us how life evolves; spirituality reminds us why it matters. Together, they show that all beings—plants, animals, and humans—are part of one continuous story of life.
The water that once gave birth to the first living cell still flows within us today. It connects us to every form of life on Earth. To respect water is to respect the origin of life itself—the sacred moment when water became life.
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| About the Author: Amarmeet Singh is a science teacher with 18+ years of experience in Chemistry. He often shares his insights about Science and Religion on various public platforms. |