Guru Granth Sahib

In Sikhism Vaṇḍ Chakkō (Punjabi: ਵੰਡ ਛੱਕੋ) is a technique and method which means share it as you consume it. This could be wealth, food. etc. Gurus: Guru Nanak Dev | Guru Angad Dev | Guru Amar Das | Guru Ram Das | Guru Arjan Dev | Guru Har Gobind | Guru Har Rai | Guru Har Krishan | Guru Teg Bahadur | Guru Gobind Singh | Guru Granth Sahib | Sikh Bhagats Philosophy:

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Sikhism was established by ten Gurus, teachers or masters, over the period 1469 to 1708. These teachers, believed to be sent from God for the troubled people of the land, were enlightened souls whose main purpose in life was the spiritual and moral well-being of the masses, or the equivalent of Prophets & Messiahs of the other major respective monotheist religions. Each master added to and reinforced the message taught by the previous, resulting to the creation of the religion of Sikhism. Guru Nanak was the first Guru and Guru Gobind Singh the final Guru in human form. When Guru Gobind Singh left this world, he made th ...

Including:

• The Sikh Gurus - The Ten Gurus of Sikhism

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"Singh", meaning "Lion", is used by Sikhs as a male name. Singh - Naming in India. Among the Hindu community, the usual practice for first or personal names is to give the name of one of the gods, goddesses, spirits, or sages, or a name derived from the divine virtues and roles. The name Singh is given to represent the virtue of strength. It was quite common among the Rajput caste of Hindus, but it has retained some modern popularity in all regions. Singh was originally used by the Hin ...

Including:

• Singh - Naming in India

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A bhajan or kirtan is a Hindu devotional song, often but not necessarily of ancient origin. Great importance is attributed to the singing of bhajans within the Bhakti movement. It is also one of the pillars of Sikhism and in that context refers to the singing of the Sacred Hymns from the Sri Guru Granth Sahib, or "SGGS". The Sikhs place huge value on this type of singing and a Sikh is duty bound to listen to and/or sing Guru-Kirtan as frequently as possible. In Surat Shabd Yoga, bhajan means listening to the i ...

Including:

• Bhajan - History and Origin
• Bhajan - Types of Bhajans
• Bhajan - Kirtan in Sikhism
• Bhajan - Ragas in Sikh Kirtan
• Bhajan - Tala in Sikh Kirtan
• Bhajan - Meaning According to the SGGS
• Bhajan - Great Exponents
• Bhajan - Popularity with the Masses
• Bhajan - Modern Forms
• Bhajan - Usage in Surat Shabd Yoga

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Guru Nanak Dev (Punjabi: ਗੁਰੂ ਨਾਨਕ ਦੇਵ) (20 October 1469 – 7 May 1539), the founder of Sikhism and the first of the ten Gurus of the Sikhs, was born in the village of Talwandi, now called Nankana Sahib, near Lahore. His parents, Kalu Mehta and Matta Tripat, were Hindus of the Khatri caste. Guru Nanak Dev married Sulkhni, of Batala, and they had two sons, Sri Chand and Lakhmi Das. He continued his religious pursuits as always. His brother-in-law, the husband of his sis ...

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The Ardās (Punjabi: ਅਰਦਾਸ) are the Sikh daily prayers. In Sikhism, these prayers are made after washing and before eating. Though these prayers vary by sect, all observe them as an important part of the day. Ardās - Origins. The word Ardas is derived from Persian word 'Arazdashat', meaning a request, supplication, prayer, petition or an address to a superior authority. Ardas is a unique prayer based on the fact that it is one of the few well-known pray ...

Including:

• Ardās - Origins
• Ardās - Meaning
• Ardās - Practice
• Ardās - See Also

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A journey, in this case Guru Nanak's travel to many areas, going from the Punjab, to Mecca, Tibet, all the way to Rome, south of Russia, south of China, etc. ...

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Dasvand (Punjabi: ਦਸਵੰਦ) means to donate ten percent of ones harvest to the Gurdwara. This was done during the time of Guru Gobind Singh and some Sikhs still do it up to this day. ...

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In Sikhism the word Amrit (Punjabi: ਅੰਮ੍ਰਿਤ) means immortal nectar. It is also a word used for the holy water used in the baptism ceremony by the Sikhs. It is believed that this word is derived from the Sanskrit word 'Amrita', and the ceremony requires the drinking of the Amrit. The water is created mixing a number of soluble ingredients, including sugar, and is ...

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Khalsa Panth is the theocracy that manages the affairs of the Khalsa. It refers to the entire nation of people who have taken the way of the Khalsa, and hence they are self-managed. ...

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Guru Angad Dev (Punjabi: ਗੁਰੂ ਅੰਗਦ ਦੇਵ) (31 March 1504 – 29 March 1552) was the second of The Ten Gurus of Sikhism. He became Guru on 7 September 1539 following in the footsteps of Guru Nanak, who was the founder of the Sikh religion. Before becoming the second Guru, he was known as Lehna. This second Sikh Guru contributed the following to the people of the world: To do Niskam Sewa Selfless Service to humanity. Completely surrender to the Will of God. Disapproval of exhibitionism and hypocrisy. Standa ...

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The Dasam Granth (Punjabi: ਦਸਮ ਗ੍ਰੰਥ) is a holy book of Sikhism composed by 10th Sikh Guru, Guru Gobind Singh. Guru Gobind Singh, the Tenth Sikh Guru, significantly shaped the Sikh Panth and helped instil in the oppressed people of Punjab the discipline and spirit to fight against the tyranny of their Mughal rulers. There has been considerable controversy surrounding some of the writings attributed to him, with the suggestion being made that they fail to fit into some ...

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The Khanda is one of the most important symbols of Sikhism. Its importance is emphasised by the fact that many Sikh flags, including the Nishan Sahib have the Khanda on them. It is a collection of four weapons commonly used by Sikhs at the time of Guru Gobind Singh, as explained below: In the centre, the double edged sword, or Khanda, from which the symbol derives its name. The Khanda represents knowledge of divinity, the creative power of God and the belief in One God. Surrounding the Khanda is a circular quoit, ...

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Bani is the term used by Sikhs to refer to various sections of the Holy Text that appears in their several Holy Books. The important Banis are listed below: Bani - Form of Currency. Bani is also the plural form of ban - the subdivision of the Romanian leu and of the Moldovan leu. (1 leu is 100 bani) Bani - Arab Tribes. Banī (sometimes Banū) is Arabic for "the sons of" and will appear before the name of a tribal progenitor. For example, the Banī Kinānah w ...

Including:

• Bani - Form of Currency
• Bani - Arab Tribes

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Chardi Kala is an important expression used in Sikhism for a mind frame that a Sikh has to accept and practise. It loosely means a “positive, buoyant and optimistic” attitude to life and the future. Always strive to be – in "high spirits", "ever progressive", "always cheerful", etc are some other terms used to describe this phrase. Sikhism dictates that Sikhs believes in the Will of God and that God is without enemies and is always merciful. Hence acceptance of his Will is in the interest of and for the benefit of His C ...

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Many religions and spiritual movements believe that their sacred texts (or scriptures) are the "Word of God", often feeling that the texts are wholly divine or spiritually inspired in origin. Even non-believers often capitalize the names of sacred scriptures as a mark of respect or tradition. Although ancient civilizations have produced handmade texts for thousands of years, the first printed scripture for wide distribution to the masses was The Diamond Sutra, ...

Including:

• Sacred text - Texts
• Sacred text - Views

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Zafarnama (Punjabi: ਜ਼ਫ਼ਰਨਾਮਾ, Persian: ظفرنامہ) means the Notification of Victory and is the name given to the letter sent by the tenth Sikh Guru, Guru Gobind Singh in 1705 to the Mughal Emperor of India, Aurangzeb. The letter is written in Persian verse. In this letter, Guru Gobind reminds Aurangzeb how he and his henchmen had broken their oaths sworn upon the Koran. He also states that in spite of his several sufferings, ...

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A guru (गुरू Sanskrit) is a teacher in Hinduism, Buddhism or Sikhism. Based on a long line of philosophical understanding as to the importance of knowledge, the guru is seen in these religions as a sacred conduit, or a way to self-realization. In India and among people of Hindu, Buddhist, or Sikh belief, the title retains a hallowed meaning. Guru also refers in Sanskrit to Brihaspati, a Hindu figure analogous to the Roman planet/god Jupiter. In Vedic astrology, Jupiter/Guru/Brihaspati is believed to ...

Including:

• Guru - Etymology
• Guru - Guru in Hinduism
• Guru - Guru in Buddhism
• Guru - Guru in Sikhism
• Guru - Types of gurus
• Guru - Succession and lineage parampara
• Guru - Guru in a Western culture context
• Guru - Gurus in the West
• Guru - Assessment and criticism
• Guru - Notable scandals and controversies
• Guru - Bibliography

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The Five Ks are five items Sikhs wear at all times either out of respect for the tenth teacher, Guru Gobind Singh, or out of a sense of religious devotion. The Five Ks are not merely symbols. Guru Gobind Singh Ji ordered his followers to wear the Five Ks so that they could actively use them to make a difference to their own and to others' spirituality. However, Sikhism recognises the concept of a multi-level approach to achieving one's target as a disciple of the faith as well. For example, “Sahajdhari” (slow adopters) are those w ...

Including:

• Five Ks - Kesh uncut hair
• Five Ks - Kangha comb
• Five Ks - Karra circular bracelet
• Five Ks - Kachera shorts
• Five Ks - Kirpan small sword

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Harmandir Sahib or Hari Mandir (Punjabi: ਹਰਿਮੰਦਰ ਸਾਹਿਬ) is the most sacred gurdwara in all of Sikhism, located in Amritsar, Punjab, India. It was previously known as the Golden Temple, but was renamed in March 2005 by the SGPC. The temple is the most important sacred shrine for the Sikhs, who travel from all parts of the world to enjoy the blissful environments and offer their thanks by giving prayers. In addition, the sacred shrine is increasingly becoming a tourist attraction for visitors from a ...

Including:

• Harmandir Sahib - History
• Harmandir Sahib - Art
• Harmandir Sahib - Recent events
• Harmandir Sahib - Operation Blue Star
• Harmandir Sahib - In film and television
• Harmandir Sahib - Notable visits

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Kabir (कबीर) (1440 - 1518) (also known as Kabira) was an Indian mystic who preached an ideal of seeing all of humanity as one. He was known to be a weaver and later became famed for scorning religious affiliation, seen as a threat to the elite. His philosophies and ideas of loving devotion to God are expressed in metaphor and language from both the Hindu Vedanta and Bhakti streams and Muslim Sufi ideals. Kabir is also considered one of the early northern India Sants. He was initiated by Ramananda ^Including:

• Kabir - Philosophies
• Kabir - Religious affinity

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