Seva “Gur Nanak Puran Avtar...Agaya Pai Akaal Ki Tabhi Chalayo Panth Sabb Sikhon Ko hukam hai Guru Maneyo Granth”. {Giani Gian Singh Panth Parkash Vol 1 p.1840}. “Dohra: Aad Guru te Dasam Loh Granth Panth Ki Tek. Gehe Puran Thiya Granth Yeh Daya Sarb Har Ek”. {Giani Gian Singh Panth Parkash Vol 5} In keeping in line with the aims of our website and forthcoming parchaar projects to disseminate the Khalsa Maryada to the masses, we would like to take this opportunity to inform you of theSeva’s, which we can undertake, upon your requests and as per your wishes in order to help fulfil your prayers in line with the Khalsa tradition of Akhand Paaths and other Seva.
Here within the Dal Panth we can offer you the opportunity to carry out an Akhand Path which will be conducted in full Khalsa Rehat Maryada by fully practising Khalsa Singhs adhering to this maryada. This is something, we are confident, will not be available anywhere other than Tarna Dal Panth. - All our Seva will be carried out according to the authentic and khalsa Rehat Maryada of the Dal Panth. This in itself will increase the benefit of the Seva which you wish to have us carry out on your behalf as it is done as the Gurus intended it to be done and how they instructed us to do it as opposed to any other variant as is often seen today all over the world.
- Within the Dal Panth we carry out all the original Maryada which we were instructed to do from our Guru Sahibs. As such we can provide different types of Seva that can be conducted upon your behalf which you will not be able to see being performed anywhere else let alone carry out yourselves. Again the carrying out of such Sevas each in themselves carry their own unique attributes which will positively affect your prayers.
- We can provide you the following types of Seva;
- Akhand Paath consisting of single Sri Guru Granth Sahib Path or;
- Sejh Path or Sampat Path;
- Single Sri Dasam Granth Sahib Path or;
- Single Sri Sarab Loh Granth Sahib Path or;
- A reading of all 3 Saroops for a full compliment of all banis to benefit you, your family and the Gur Panth Khalsa as a whole;
- Langar Seva;
- Shaheedi degh Seva;
- Kara parshaad Seva with Ardaas done by 5 payareh;
- Additionally please provide the whole day Seva to the Dal Panth when you request to organise the above mentioned Sevas.
What is an Akhand Path of the Guru Granth Sahib?
It is the continuous recitation (without any break) of Guru Granth Sahib Ji from beginning to end, (all 1430 pages), lasting about 48 hours, by a team of readers. This rendition is considered a very holy practise and is said to bring peace and solace to the participants and the passive listener of the recitation. During the reading it is tradition for langar (or communal food) to be available at all times, thus requiring the continual service and dedication of those in whose honour the Akhand Path is being held for.
The recitation (or "Path") is undertaken for various reasons. It can be in honour of a particular occasion; to mark a happy or sad occasion within the family; or simply to increase one’s feeling of connection to the Guru. Some may call for an Akhand Path depending on the family's circumstances: a birth, a birthday, recovery from a medical operation, a wedding, a death, a graduation, on achieving a goal like a high school certificate, on the passing of a driving test, an anniversary, a historic occasion, etc.
It is a historic fact that when Guru Gobind Singh ji had completed the writing of the Guru Granth Sahib, he had instructed Five Singh Sahibaan - Mani Singh, Mann Singh, Deep Singh, Gurbaksh Singh (Sahib Ram Kaur), Sudha Singh, of the congregation (Sadh Sangat) to read the Guru Granth Sahib to him continuously. He stood and listened to the entire Guru Granth Sahib. People brought him water for his bath and brought his meals where he stood. This was the first Akhand Path and the second Akhand Path was arranged at the Sri Hazoor Sahib, Nanded after Guru Gobind Singh ji sent Banda Singh Bahadar to Punjab. Before compiling the Guru Granth Sahib the Guru Granth was called the Aadh Granth) – the Khalsa Panth De Sarparast, the Guru held this Akhand Path and then proclaimed the Granth as the perpetual Guru of the Sikhs. Following this example, the Khalsa Panth started the tradition of dedicating Akhand Paths to various activities such as Khalsa Panth benefit, for peace, before wars, injustices, helping poor and so forth. The Sikhs would arrange and listen to an Akhand Path and then prepare for activities.
Significance of an Akhand Path in 48 hours - In 1742, when Sikhs were in the jungles of Punjab, one Sikh woman warrior named Bibi Sundari, requested just before she died (due to the wounds inflicted in battle,) to have an Akhand Path arranged for her. She lay besides theGuru Granth Sahib and listened to the full recitation of this Path. After Kirtan, Ardas and Hukam, she received the Karah Prashad, uttered "Waheguru ji ka Khalsa, Waheguru ji ki Fateh" and then breathed her last. Thus began the tradition of reading an Akhand Path in 48 hours. If the Akhand Path is to be recited in Gurmukhi, then it should be completed within 48 hours.
During an Akhand Path, if a Hukam is taken at the end of a reading, the Pathee (person reading the Path) reads the Gurbani that they have arrived at in the regular course of reading. They may slow down and read it clearly. In this case, the first and last two lines are not repeated. When the Pathee reaches the end of the Hukam, they continue in the reading of the Akhand Path. Akhand Path is to be read loud, clear and also it should be correct. Is the reading of Bani enough for the Khalsa? Akin to and just as important as the Gurbani, the Khalsa of Guru Gobind Singh Ji Maharaj is mandated to the worship of Shashtars. Why?? As Maharaj himself emphatically proclaims; the Shashtars are the manifestations of the Almighty Akaal Purakh. The importance of the Shashtars is referenced time and time again by Guru Gobind Singh Ji thus clearly and categorically impressing upon the Khalsa that Shashtars are to be worshipped as part of the Khalsa Maryada...without Shashtars the Khalsa is incomplete. The Khalsa is the Army of Akaal Purakh, it must remember The Lord {Sant}, but the Khalsa must also be ready to fight for the Lord {Sipahi}. Dasmesh Pitta makes his point clearly within the opening line of the Ardaas thus; “Pritham Bhagauti Simmar Ke Gur Nanank Lei Teyaai..... Before everything else, even before Guru Nanak Dev Ji Maharaj, Guru Gobind Singh Ji states not only to the Khalsa, but to himself also; we the Khalsa, MUST first keep in our minds and meditate upon the Aad Shakti, the primal energy of the universe..Shri Bhagauti Ji. So important is this message that Guru Ji has given the title of the Ardaas as Vaar Shri Bhagauti Ji Ki again placing the Shashtar Shri Bhagauti Ji on such a high pedestal. As Shri Dasmesh Pitta knew that the Ardaas was a fundamental part of the life of the Khalsa, he deliberately named the Ardaas, Vaar Shri Bhagauti Ji Ki and stated in the opening line, “Pritham Bhagauti Simmar Ke Gur Nanank Lei Teyaai”. It is simply a master stroke of genius from our Badshah to convey his message of the importance of weapons for his Khalsa in this way; subconsciously and consciously his instructions are given to his Khalsa daily through the Ardaas... Similarly, “Khanda Prithme Saajke Jin Sabb Sansaar Upaya” informs us further of the importance of the Shashtars, as Maharaj states; First came the Khanda and from here all else was manifested according to the will and command of the mighty Akaal Purakh. Without the Khanda there would be nothing, no sansaar, no worlds, no nether regions, no you and no me, nothing except Akaal Purakh. In sum without the Shashtars, which Akaal Purakh has created, there would be nothing except Akaal Purakh Ji. For the Khalsa this is a fundamental concept as without understanding the importance of the Shashtars in relation to the nature of the universe and to the Khalsa way of life/Maryada, the Lord can never truly be attained and if this is not attained then what is left is not Khalsa. Perhaps the greatest illustration of Guru Jis emphasis on the power and importance of Shashtars for the Khalsa is his composition Shri Shashtar Naam Mala as contained within Shri Dasam Granth Sahib Ji. Here Maharaj provides all the names of the weapons of war which were prevalant at that time and attributes them and the Almighty as one and the same, a truly beautiful, wonderful rendition of Guru Jis love for the lord and in turn the love for Shashtars which are one and the same as the Lord Akaal Purakh Ji. “As Kirpan Khando Kharrag Tupak Tabbar arr Teer. Saif Sarohee Sehthi, Yahe Hamaare Pir”. Within the above bani of Shri Shashtar Naam Mala, Shri Dasmesh Pitta states that his Pir or his Lord is The Kirpan The Khanda, The Tupak, The Tabarr and the Teer the Saif and the Sarohee. For the Khalsa there is no clearer message than this...the weapons are our lord and the lord is our weapons! It is precisely due to the above stated importance that the General of the Khalsa armies, Dhan Shri Guru Gobind Singh Ji Maharaj, Dasmesh Pitta gave to the Shashtars that he prepared the Amrit for the Khalsa with the Bani and stirred it with the Khanda, again infusing the importance of the two, Bani and Shashtars, Shashtars and Bani - they are simply inseperable hence why the Khalsa is instructed to carry arms and the wearing of the Kirpan Shashtar forms part of the Maryada of the Khalsa. Guru ji recognised the importance of Shashtars not just in their spiritual sense but also in terms of their worldly power and significance. It is due to this understanding that he fused the two aspects, the spiritual and the physical in to one and gave this power to the Khalsa. Look at the world around you today...who holds the power? Only those nation states which possess nuclear weapons and the deadliest of arsenals wield political, economic and military power. The USA arguably has the greatest of weapons and armies...the whole world therefore listens to what the USA has to say as it holds the power through its arms. Again for the Khalsa this is a very important concept, for without power, which can only be gained through the acquisition of arms and military strength, one has no standing in the world. “Shashtaran ke adeen hai raaj” Rehatnama Bani, Guru Gobind Singh Ji Maharaj... Raaj can only be attained through weapons..... With this recognition however, Maharaj places a very important caveat on the use of Shashtars which is, they can only be used for the Rakshiya of Dharam and can not and must not be used for any offensive non-righteous purpose. When Shashtars are to be used it must be only as a last resort and when all other means of redressing injustice have failed. Guru Gobind Singh Ji affirms this in his Zafarnama Bani which was sent to The Mughal Aurangzeb. Guru Gobind Singh Jis Dasam Bani, beautifully captures the ethos of Sant Sipahi, and the true essence of what the Khalsa should be . It is a very powerful exposition of the warrior aspect of the Khalsa and again great attention is given to the Shashtars.
Traditionally Akhand Paths were also done on Sri Dasam Granth and Sri Sarabloh Granth, this can be traced back to the maryada of 300 years ago. This maryada continues today within the Dal Panth. The purpose of the Akhand Paths from all three Granths is as follows; - We all have three entities the MIND, the BODY and the SOUL. The gurus wrote three Granth (granth= more than one scripture or an amalgum of scriptures) Sri Guru Granth Sahib, Sri Dasam Granth and Sri Sarabloh Granth to help these three entities. i.e. Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji is for our Soul to be liberated and for it to break free from the 84 stages of transmigration. It is to spiritually enlighten our soul (Sant Maryada). Despite a few shabads which focus on Bir Ras {warrior essence and spirit}, the Guru Granth Sahib was compiled to instil peace and equality within one’s mind and to provide a spiritual guide (The Guru).
- The Dasam Granth Sahib Ji is considered as Adh Shakti (The Primal Lord's Energy) and was compiled to instill Bir Raas (martial mentality) into the Minds and Hearts of the Khasla Panth. Maharaj observed that the Sikhs were indulged in baghti and so the the Dasam Granth Sahib was compiled to promote a martial race (Sant Sipahi- Khasla- raj- jog), one which would stand up against injustices and to help the oppressed - this is what Guru ji refers to as dharam yudh- Jang maryaada.
- The Dasam Granth also contains 3 of the 5 daily Nitnem Bania (Chaupai/Swayai/Jaap) and the first line of the Ardaas, which is the first verse of the Dasam Granth Bani - Chandi Di Vaar.
- The Dasam granth promotes Socio-polictical awareness which educates us on human traits. As the Dasam Granth Sahib invokes Shakti- shashtar worship, is a mandatory feature, and a natural side affect of reading the Dasam Granth Sahib. It is a crucial tradition practiced by the Khashatriya warriors of India since time immorial and a practice which Guru Gobind Singh ji sought to utilise within his Khalsa.
- Part of the traditional way of Shastar pooja is the Jhatka of an animal preferably a bhakra (Goat), as Chandi di Vaar, a bani from within Shri Dasam Granth Sahib Ji, is recited. On the hearing of the final words of this bani (phir na jooni aya) the head is decapitated in one strike (Jhatka-Gatka)
- This important and mandatory Khalsa tradition is crucial for several reasons;
- A} It serves to condition the warriors mind with what it is like to kill something, something which is alive one moment and dead the next, something which bleeds and breathes the same as us. If one is expected to go to war and fight for Dharam Yudh as the Khalsa is duty bound to do one must try and get their head around this important concept...to kill is not for everyone, hence why this maryada is for the Khalsa only in order to condition the warriors and prepare them for the horrors of war. Ask yourself this question...if you can- not stomach killing a goat, how could you join the battlefield and expect to fight?
- B} By killing the goat from a blow from a bladed weapon it also served the Khalsa with important military/ fighting/training skills....to kill a man by decapitation in the wars of yesteryear was the best way for the Khalsa to fight as it meant a quick death, it meant the victim could not get up and attack you or your kin again and it also saved time for the already outnumbered Khalsa warriors who had to inflict quick and deadly blows in order to fight effectively against their massive enemy armies. The neck of a goat is known to be equal in size and construction to that of humans. So by killing the goat through Jhatka it enabled the Khalsa warriors to gage exactly how much force was required when killing their enemy so as to help preserve energy in the battlefield. It was and still is an effective training excercise for Khalsa Warriors.
- C} Once the Bhakra has been Jhatkad the blood from the animal [which is now considered as being not dirty but pure as it has been killed by a bladed weapon and therefore, akin to being blessed by Akaal purakh, as Guru Gobind Singh Ji refers to the Kirpan and Khanda as his masters, a metaphor for the almighty] is used as Tilak to be placed upon the weapons of war as has been the ritual practice of Khashatriya Warriors.
For the Khalsa the weapons of war are not just merely weapons they are a manifestation of Akaal Purakh’s Energy - (“Jeh puja asketh ki nitprith kareh banai. thin par apno hathh deh asdhuj leth bachai”). - Guru Gobind Singh Ji beautifully elaborates on this, in his bani within Shri Dasam Granth.
- D} The meat from the Jhatka’d animal is then used as Mahaa Parshad and distributed as Langar to the Khalsa in order to provide them with the requisite protein needed to build muscle and provide energy when engaged in warfare. At a time before protein shakes and whilst living in the jungles, swamps and caves the Khalsa ate the meat of a Jhatka’d animal. It was and still is a necessary facet of the Khalsa Warrior Maryada. Again by eating meat it is considered that the mentality of the eater is affected....for the Khalsa Warriors this was a necessary and desirable outcome as the Khalsa had to become “unsaintly” in order to wage war in the name of dharma. Guru Ji recognised that no saint had ever been to war and therefore, the Khalsa had to be moulded in to Sant - Sipahi’s a complete change of psyche to that of the imbalanced and weak state of affairs of the Sants and Brahmins both individually and as a collective community within India.
- E} Finally Jhatka also breaks the transmirgration cycle and liberates the goat's soul. This practice not only keeps the warrior spirit alive within the khalsa panth as sanctioned by Guru Gobind Singh Ji but also contrary to some misinformed views which scream of animal cruelty etc serves to liberate the soul of the animal, as is outlined in Guru Gobind Singh Jis Bani, Chandi Di Var.
- The Sarab Loh Granth emphasises on Khasla Raaj with the use of Bir Raas. Just as the physical body requires food-clothes-assests, The Khalsa Raaj requires maya (illusion). The physical body needs to survive and to satisfy these needs, maya is required ie to buy food/clothes, empire etc.
- The Sarab Loh Granth (Author Guru Hargobind Sahib Ji/ mostly compiled by Guru Gobind Singh Ji) highlights the fact that Guru Nanak Dev ji is the manifestation of Parbhram Parmeswar unlike the other avtaars who were incarnations of vishnu. Sarabloh Granth ji also emphatically states that no one including Durga can know the limits of Hari. However Mahraaj also mentions that without maya (illusion) and laxmi ( money) one can- not achieve anything in this world- without money (maya laxmi) one will suffer. Guru Gobind Singh Ji clearly instructs that the Khalsa Panth should recite and worship AKAAL only.
- The Sri Guru Granth sahib also confims this by stating Sri Maya Jag Mohani.
So we, the Khalsa Panth have three Granth each of which possess its own unique treasure trove of knowledge for the Khalsa Panth and which when collectively read and understood equips the Khalsa with all of Gods glory. To carry out an Akhand Path of either Granth or all three Granth is a Mahaatam Seva and one which we would like to assist you with by carrying out this Seva in the Gurus approved way of Puraatan Khalsa Maryada. If you wish the Tarna Dal Panth to conduct an Akhand Path in the traditional Puraatan way, of all 3 Granth followed by Karah Parshad Dheg and Ardaas by 5 Pyareh- on your behalf then please contact us and our sevadars in the UK who will then contact you in order to make the necessary arrangements. - If you wish to take the Seva of Akhand Path of the Sri Guru Granth Sahib only then please request this Seva.
- Our granthis who will carry out the Akhand Paths on your behalf are qualified and committed to the Dal Panth and the Gur Khalsa Maryada.
- When booking please state what purpose you want the Akhand Path Sahib Seva for such as;
- Peace for the home and to remove obstacles
- Prosperity of marriage and children
- Health
- Prosperity of business
- For Khalsa Raaj to prevail.
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