Selected Editorials - The Sikh Bulletin
Selected Editorials - The Sikh Bulletin
Selected Editorials - The Sikh Bulletin
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we exercised our Guru given right to a <strong>Sikh</strong> and implemented the SGPC’s decision on Nanakshahi<br />
Calendar.<br />
In August 2003, after the Singh Sabha International passed a resolution, we substituted ‘akalpurakh’ for<br />
‘bhagauti’ in our ‘ardaas’. At this stage we also asked our granthi Singhs to implement SGPC approved<br />
‘rehat Maryada’ (in spite of its many flaws). That did not sit well with them because it affected them<br />
financially. Besides it is human nature not to unlearn. We feel comfortable with what is familiar.<br />
This is what the rehat Maryada says about the practice of akhand paths in chapter vii article ix:<br />
Akhand Path … is carried on at hard times or on occasions of elation or joy … reading must be clear and<br />
correct … Reading too fast, so that the person listening in to it cannot follow the contents, amounts to<br />
irreverence to the Scriptures … Whichever family or congregation undertakes the non-stop reading<br />
should carry it out itself through its members, relatives, friends, etc., all together. <strong>The</strong> number of reciters<br />
is not prescribed … If a person himself cannot read he should listen in to the reading by some competent<br />
reader. However, it should never be allowed to happen that the reader carries on the reading all by<br />
himself/herself and no member of the congregation or the family is listening in to the reading …<br />
Placing a pitcher, ceremonial clarified butter fed lamp, coconut, etc. around, during the course of the<br />
uninterrupted or any other reading of Guru Granth Sahib, or reading of other Scriptural texts side by<br />
side with or in the course of such reading is contrary to the gurmat (Guru’s way).<br />
What can be clearer than this 1. Akhandpaths should be performed only on rare occasions. 2. <strong>The</strong>re is no<br />
provision for a string of Akhandpaths, one after the other for a whole month, as Yuba City, California<br />
does before its annual event of ‘display’ of SGGS on a float in the manner of Hindus displaying the stone<br />
image of their favourite god or goddess (darshan) once a year; 3. or simultaneous multiple Akhandpaths<br />
in the same room at the same time as is being done at Baru Sahib at its school in Himachal Pardesh and at<br />
the world’s most expensive Gurdwara in Southall, England where many glass faced cubbyholes to<br />
perform multiple Akhandpaths are lined up on either side of the main parkash of SGGS; 4. or reading<br />
from a pothi as the akhandpaths is going on as the Nanaksarias and perhaps many deras do. Almost all of<br />
them place butter-fed lamp, coconut and pitcher of water beside the SGGS to turn it into ‘amrit’ without<br />
thinking how could water be affected by the reading of SGGS when it has no effect on them.<br />
Akhandpaths have been turned into fund raising rituals having no religious value. Senior granthis also<br />
pull rank in scheduling their turn at reading. <strong>The</strong>y prefer the time when no one would be present to listen.<br />
This way they do not have to read loud and clear or not read at all.<br />
After the Oct. 2003 Mohali conference we urged our congregation to follow rehat Maryada, especially<br />
when it comes to Akhandpaths and borrow Prof. Sahib Singh’s ten volume ‘SGGS DARPAN’ from us to<br />
do sadharan path themselves while understanding its meaning. Our own granthis spread the rumour that<br />
we are against Akhandpaths. <strong>The</strong>y did the same thing when in 2004 we stopped the recitation of Chaupai<br />
which is part of ‘triachritar’ #404 of ‘Chritropakhyan’ in the so called ‘Dasam Granth’. Even Akal<br />
Takhat ‘Jathedar’ acknowledges that ‘Chritropakhyan’ is not the bani of Guru Gobind Singh. 1 That was<br />
propagated as us having no respect for SGGS. No Gurdwara reform is possible without first completely<br />
purging most of our current crop of granthis and kirtanias and at the same time creating institutions to<br />
prepare a fresh cadre of persons knowledgeable about the correct meaning of Gurbani. We are<br />
supposed to have no priestly order but we do have priests and as long as present system of Gurdwara<br />
service stays in vogue we will need granthis to do ‘parkash’ and ‘sukhasan’. So we might as well train<br />
them properly and make the proper understanding of Gurbani meaning mandatory for a granthi.<br />
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