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Archive for September 2009

Birth of khalsa 30- march-1699



Several months before March 1699, Guru Gobind Singh invited his followers from all over India to a special congregation at Anandpur on Vaisakhi Day, 30 March 1699. As a result, on that particular day many hundreds of devotees and onlookers had gathered at Anandpur Sahib. Many had come as a sign of respect for the Guru and in accordance to his invitation while some had just come out of curiosity. On the appointed day, the Guru addressed the congregants with a most stirring oration on his divine mission of restoring their faith and preserving Dharam (righteousness).

After his inspirational discourse, he flashed his unsheathed sword and said that every great deed was preceded by equally great sacrifice. He asked, with a naked sword in his hand, "Is there any one among you who is prepared to die for the their faith?" When people heard his call, they were taken aback. Some of the wavering followers left the congregation, while other began to look at one another in amazement. The Guru asks for one head
After a few minutes, a Sikh from Lahore named Daya Ram stood up and offered his head to the Guru. The Guru took him to a tent pitched close by, and after some time, came out with a blood dripping sword. The Sikhs thought Daya Ram had been slain. The Guru repeated his demand calling for another Sikh who was prepared to die at his command. The second Sikh who offered himself was Dharam Das. Thereafter, three more, Mohkam Chand, Sahib Chand and Himmat Rai, offered their heads to the Guru
 Bhai Daya Ram, first to offer his head to the Guru
Later, these five Sikhs were presented alive to the congregation wearing brand new decorated robes. They constituted the Panj Pyare: the Five Beloved Ones, who were baptized as the Khalsa or the Pure Ones with the administration of Amrit. The Guru declared: "From now on, the Khalsa shall be baptized with Amrit created with water stirred with a double-edged sword - Khanda while the words of Gurbani are uttered."

Upon administering amrit to the Five Beloved Ones (Panj Pyare), the Guru asked them to baptize him in the same manner, thus emphasizing equality between the Guru and his disciples.

Guru Gobind Singh named the new ceremony, Khanda di Pahul, namely the baptism of the double-edged sword. He stirred water in an iron bowl with the sword, reciting five major compositions, Japji, Jaap, Savaiyye, Benti Chaupai and Anand Sahib, while the five Sikhs stood facing him. The Guru's wife, Mata Sahib Kaur put some sugar-puffs into the water. The nectar thus obtained was called "Khanday-da-Amrit" or simply just "Amrit". This implied that the new Khalsa brother-hood would not only be full of courage and heroism, but also filled with humility.



"Abolition of prejudice, equality of privilege amongst one another and with the Guru, common worship, common place of pilgrimage, common baptism for all classes and lastly, common external appearance - these were the means besides common leadership and the community of aspiration which Gobind Singh employed to bring unity among his followers and by which he bound them together into a compact mass."
The Guru becomes the disciple

The creation of Khalsa marked the culmination of about 240 years of training given by the ten Gurus to their Sikhs. The Guru wanted to create ideal people who should be perfect in all respects, that is a combination of devotion (Bhakti) and strength (Shakti). He combined charity (Deg) with the sword (Tegh) in the image of his Sikh.

The Khalsa was to be a saint, a soldier and a scholar, with high moral and excellent character. He or she would be strong, courageous, learned and wise. In order to mould his personality the Guru inculcated in him the five virtues - sacrifice, cleanliness, honesty, charity and courage, and prescribed a Rehat - the Sikh code of discipline. His character would be strengthened by the spirit of God revealed in the Guru's hymns. For this purpose he was asked to recite the five sacred composition or Banis daily.

The combination of virtue and courage is the strength of the Khalsa. This is an assurance against the ruthless exploitation of masses by their masters, and a device for overcoming hurdles that lied in the practice of holiness and spiritualism in daily life. Guru Gobind Singh commanded the Khalsa to use the sword only in times of emergency, that is, when peaceful methods failed and only for self-defence and the protection of the oppressed. His spirit will continue to inspire them for the preservation of peace, order and dignity of mankind for all time to come.

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What is Sarbat Khalsa?

Question 42: What is Sarbat Khalsa?

When the Sikhs assemble to discuss an issue affecting the Sikh nation as a whole, the assembly is called The Sarbat Khalsa. Every Sikh is entitled to attend it. Sarbat Khalsa used to meet twice a year on Baisakhi day and Diwali day but the practice became dormant when Ranjit Singh became the king of the Punjab. The practice was revived in 1986 when The Sarbat Khalsa was convened at Akal Takhat (Amritsar) to discuss the implications of the operation Blue Star of June 1984 which resulted in the sacriledge and destruction of the Akal Takhat and holy Sikh Temples at Amritsar and 48 other places. Decisions made at the Sarbat Khalsa are binding on all Sikhs throughout the world.

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Which places are sacred for the Sikhs?

Question 41: Which places are sacred for the Sikhs?

The Sikhs do not accept any place as sacred in the sense that a particular place is the only abode of God. For them every Gurdwara is a sacred place. However they consider the places sanctified by their Guru's as the most sacred places. Nanakana Sahib, Panja Sahib, and Kartar Pur are associated with Guru N anak and Dera Sahib Lahore is the place of mar- tyrdom of Guru Arjan Dev. They are all in Pakistan now.

Harimandir (Golden Temple) in Amritsar is perhaps the most revered place for the Sikhs all over the world.

Akal Takhat (Amritsar), Kes Garh (Anand Pur), Hazur Sahib, Patna Sahib and Damdama Sahib are the five Takhats (seats of authority) of the Sikhs and are in India. These are the most prominent places. There are thousands of other places sanctified by the Sikh Gurus.

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Can you name some of the frequently used Sikh Scriptures?

Question 40: Can you name some of the frequently used Sikh Scriptures?

The most commonly used scriptures is The Guru Granth Sahib which contains the hymns of 6 Gurus, 15 Bhagats (saints) of various religions and some minstrels. It was first compiled by Guru Arjan Dev, the fifth Guru in 1604 and was later updated by Guru Gobind Singh in 1708 before his death. Guru Gobind Singh declared it as the final and eternal Guru of the Sikhs. In its final shape it has 1430 pages.

Next in importance is the Dasam Granth. It was edited by a devoted Sikh named Bhai Mani Singh after the death of Guru Gobind Singh. It has 1429 pages and contains the writings of Guru Gobind Singh and his contemporary Sikh poets.

Other books which are permitted to be used and quoted in the Sikh service are (a) var's (Balads) of Bhai Gurdas and (b) writings of Bhai Nand Lal available as "Kalam Bhai Nand Lal"


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What is Sikhism's reaction towards music?

Question 37: What is Sikhism's reaction towards music?

Unlike some other religions Sikhism has no aversion for music. The Sikhs consider music as the food of the soul. The sacred devotional music in Sikhism is called "Kirtan." Wherever a few Sikhs assemble they sing the Gurus' hymns to the tune of a musical instrument. The necessity of music for spiritual refreshment was first realised by Guru Nanak, the founder of Sikhism. He not only composed his teachings in verse but also used 31 popular metres and tunes. Later the befriended a Muslim bard who was an adept musician. The Guru and the bard would sing the hymns on the rabab (a guitar). The 31 musical scores are very rarely sung nowadays but all the hymns are sung to a harmonium or any other musical instrument using modern tunes. Guru Arjan, the fifth Guru of the Sikhs, was particularly interested in music. He kept professional musicians for daily hymn singing and later when the professionals refused him, he asked his Sikhs to learn music. Music is thus an important part of Sikh faith and Guru Arjan says: "Devotional music is a valuable diamond The wise imbibe bliss through it."

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How does Sikhism react towards love?

Question 36: How does Sikhism react towards love?

Love is pivot of Sikhism and is one of the cardinal virtues practiced and preached by the Sikh Gurus and their followers. In the Holy Granth the Gurus have extolled love to the skies. The Gurus believe that salvation is impossible without love. "Only they realise God who practise love," says Guru Gobind Singh. It is sad; however, that the "Love" has been misunderstood and misrepresented by a majority of the people in our modern society. As a result the divine virtue of love has been devalued by modern permissive society dominated by lust and carnal perversity and has come to be synonymous with "passion." The gratification of this passion in public and private is thought to be natural, civilised behaviour under the camouflage of the theories propounded by Sigmund Freud and others. There are moral laws that govern human behaviour, just as there are physical laws governing the material universe. Even modern psychologists and biologists seem to agree that spiritual and moral values are a great help in eradicating many of the human maladies of today. Guru Nanak, the founder of the Sikh religion had realised this necessity about 515 years ago and declared ethics and morality as the basis of his religion. "Truth is the highest virtue," he said, "But higher still is the truthful living." Love according to Guru Nanak is the fundamental key to mental health and ideal social behaviour but it should be free from the over tones of sexual-overindulgence, pride and selfishness, and should be based on giving rather than receiving. He described love as pure, indivisible, inspiring and spiritual. On the spiritual plane the Guru has exhorted his disciples to inculcate love for God and take to NAM JAPNA (remembrance of God's Name). On the temporal plane he enjoined upon the Sikhs to love all human beings irrespective of their beliefs and ethnic origins. (DHARAM DI KIRT) and share it with others (WAND SHAKNA). Guru Nanak's refusal to dine with miser Duni Chand of Lahore and proud Malik Bhago of Emnabad are pointers towards what true love and fellow-feeling mean. The sermon to Duni Chand and Malik Bhago can be traced in the writing of modern psychologist word for word. "Not he who much is rich," says psychologist Erich Fromm in his book The Art of Living, "but he who GIVES much. The hoarder who is anxiously worried about losing something is psychologically speaking the poor, impoverished man, regardless of how much he has." According to Sikhism, the opposite of love is hatred born out of duality. It gives rise to Haumai (pride), selfishness, vanity and arrogance and leaves its victim with a sense of superiority. The self-centred, self-seeking and frustrated man is so much pre-occupied with himself that he wants everything for himself. Since the Guru considered "love for humanity" as the only measure of one's devotion to God, they suggested the ways and means of making their followers avoid the pitfalls of conceit and selfishness. Side by side with verbal and written instructions the Gurus started the institution of Langar (common kitchen) which is a training ground for love in terms of sharing and giving. Here the Sikhs place their offerings in cash or kind and do cooking, washing, brooming and distribution of food, etc., as a labour of love. Serving in a kitchen is thought to be a great meritorious act. Incidentally this is also a training ground for a healthy approach towards sex. Men and women of all ages work side by side in the kitchen and demonstrate the practicality of the Sikh principle:- "Look upon women other than your wife, as mothers, daughters and sisters. Lustful glance for a Muslim is like eating pork and for a Hindu is like eating beef." (Bhai Gurdas) There is no restriction of race, caste, colour, belief or sex on entering a Langar. This once again demonstrates the altruistic philosophy of the Gurus who say "Thou are our father and we are all they children O LORD." Lack of pure divine love and fellow-feeling are the causes of most of the world's maladies today. The world is simmering with racial tension, religious persecution, political exploitation, regional and parochial nationalism and tribalism. Every day in the congregational prayer (Ardas) the Sikhs say "O Kind Father, Loving Father ... bring us into the fellowship of only MEN OF LOVE, in whose company we may remember thy name. Through Nanak may thy name be on the increase. May ALL MEN PROSPER by thy grace."

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Are there any religious injunctions that may make certain types of employment non-acceptable to the Sikhs?

Question 34: Are there any religious injunctions that may make certain types of employment non-acceptable to the Sikhs?

The Sikhs believe in dignity of labour and are always ready to accept whatever work they may find. The baptised Sikhs will however refuse to accept a job which requires them to remove their turban or to shave off.

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Are there any special days on which the Sikh children must absent themselves from school?

Question 29: Are there any special days on which the Sikh children must absent themselves from school?

There is no special day on which a child must be absent and must join a ceremony. However it all depends on one's discretion. The ceremonies are not arranged on any days considered as auspicious.

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What are the ceremonies observed by the Sikhs?

Question 28: What are the ceremonies observed by the Sikhs?

The Sikhs have very few ceremonies in the strictest sense of the word. Baptism and marriage are the main ceremonies. Baptism is administered by five Sikhs in the presence of the Holy Sri Guru Granth Sahib (Sikh Scriptures). They take some water in a bowl and say the five Sikh prayers and side by side stir the water with a double-edged sword called "Khanda." Marriage has already been described in question no.25. The Sikhs usually call their ceremonies as Smagam (functions). Akhand Path (continuous reading of the Sikh Scriptures). Child Birth and Death are other such functions. At each function the hymns are read and the sacred food (Karah Parshad) is distributed at the end.

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Why are marriages arranged in Sikhism?

Question 26: Why are marriages arranged in Sikhism?

There is absolutely no restriction on the question of marriage. The adults have every right to get married without the consent of their parents. Arranging of marriages is traditional and not religious. The practice of arranged marriages is dying out quickly among the Sikhs. Most Sikh children and especially girls like to depend on the expert guidance and help of their parents, in finding a suitable partner.

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Why are marriages arranged in Sikhism?

Question 26: Why are marriages arranged in Sikhism?

There is absolutely no restriction on the question of marriage. The adults have every right to get married without the consent of their parents. Arranging of marriages is traditional and not religious. The practice of arranged marriages is dying out quickly among the Sikhs. Most Sikh children and especially girls like to depend on the expert guidance and help of their parents, in finding a suitable partner.

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Is there a priestly class in Sikhism?

Question 23: Is there a priestly class in Sikhism?

There are no professional priests or monks in Sikhism nor any vows of celebacy for any person acting as such. Sikhism is essentially egalitarian. Any special treatment or concessions allowed to a priest mitigate against the very basic principle of equality so vehemently preached by the Sikh Gurus. Anybody having a reasonable proficiency in Punjabi language and script can conduct the service and there is no need of any particular dress, collar or mat etc. Women can also conduct service and act as Granthis (readers).

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Is Western culture bringing about degeneration in Sikhism?

Question 21: Is Western culture bringing about degeneration in Sikhism?

Different cultures and way of life to affect one another but religion is more than mere culture. The strength or weakness of a person lies in his faith and convictions. Only those fall who have a wavering mind or faltering faith and there is no dearth of such people in any religion. A religion does not stand by numbers but by principles. The history of the Jews and that of the Sikhs bears witness to this fact. True Sikhism is as strong now as before. It is better to have only a few faithfuls than to have even one Judas iscariot instrumental in impaling a Christ or a faithless Gangu being the cause of bricking up the master's sons alive. A wavering mind and pretentiousness are dangerous for any person and any religion. I feel Sikhism has always been shaking off its undesirable paraphernalia and is even now putting faith to the test. Don't forget that only five could pass the great test set by Guru Gobind Singh to a gathering of 80,000 in the year 1699. I have heard of very few Sikhs who have renounced their faith and accepted any other religion and perhaps as many have accepted Sikhism by renouncing other religions. It is erroneous to think that those who cut off their hair are no more Sikhs. As long as they believe in the Gurus and the Gurubani and are ready to follow Sikh way of life they are as much the members of Sikh community as the baptised Sikhs but of course they are not true "Singhs." To be a true "Singh" they must follow the Guru's instructions in their entirety. The writer knows quite a number of shaven Sikhs who are very deeply devoted and pious have a very firm faith in the Gurus and their philosophy. What we can say about these brothers is that under some circumstances they have been compelled to take a retrogressive step and are not lost to Sikhism for ever. There is already a marked trend towards coming back to the fold like the prodigal son and the well-known forty disclaimers of Guru Gobind Singh. It is never too late to mend and never too late to get baptised. "To fall is neither dangerous nor disgraceful, but to remain prostate is both." (Konrad Adenauer)

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Is it necessary for a Sikh to keep unshorn long hair and a turban on his head?

Question 18: Is it necessary for a Sikh to keep unshorn long hair and a turban on his head?

YES. It is disgraceful for a Singh to shear off his hair because by doing so he is disobeying the Guru's command. Not to obey the commander and yet to claim to be under his command is a contradiction in terms. Similarly to show lip-devotion to the Guru's instructions and continue to behave according to the dictates of one's own mind is manmat (egoism). It must be understood clearly that the most important symbol of the Sikh faith is the hair, Miss Jeane Cutler explains this as follows:-

"Eliminate symbols my Sikhlings and watch the Khalsa crumble. Take off the turban, cut the hair or throw aside the "Kara," I can tell you truthfully the result would be embarrassing as well as disastrous. These five symbols have held the Sikhs in united brotherhood. They serve to make a Sikh feel and act as a Sikh. They endow him with courage to accomplish feats which otherwise would be impossible for an average man. To make a long story short, the five symbols have psychological bearing on the man who wears them. They are a manifestation of the Guru eternal." Thus hair is necessary for a Sikh and a turban is an essential and complementary adjunct to unshorn hair. Let it not be forgotten that Guru Gobind Singh had aimed to change his followers into saint-soldiers modelled on himself and his predecessors. The ideal was expressed in the Holy scripture as follows:- "Saabat Surat Dastar Sira" "Keep your form complete and wear a turban." To remove hair and turban indicate the weakness of faith and disobedience of the Guru's commands. It is far easier to slip then to hold the balance. The visible propensity towards shaving the hair especially in the Western World is due to many factors.

(a) Some cut off their hair in order to look fashionable and submit to the worldly ways.

(b) Some find it difficult to get a job after having emigrated and in frustration adopt western ways to achieve easier interaction.

(c) A majority of the so-called shaven Sikhs unfortunately never have had he opportunity to be able to know the history, philosophy and the tenets of Sikhism fully before deciding to cut their hair. The hair signifies the inner dignity and the freedom of spirit of those who wear it, side by side with the integrity and firmness of faith.

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