|
KESH-Divine
gift of the Lord
Gurcharanjit Singh Lamba
| |
This paper
by Gurcharanjit Singh Lamba was submitted in the Punjab and
Haryana High Court in the ongoing case which also ended up
involving the definition of Sehajdhari Sikh. The WSN takes
pleasure in bringing this document on record, particularly
because it was cited by several lawyers in the case. |
|
 The Kes
is so important for
a Sikh that it is one of the five sacred K’s, kakars,
starting with Gurmukhi alphabet ‘K’. On the other hand,
tampering with them by cutting, trimming or shearing in any manner
is a bajjar kurahit –a gross transgression and the offender
Sikh is branded a patit –an apostate. A Patit is no
more a Sikh. So much so that a Sikh dyeing kes or
beard is also declared a tankhahia, religious sinner and his
offerings at Sri Akal Takhat or any other Takhat is not permitted.
Under Section 4
(Chapter X) (Article XVI) (i) of the Sikh Rahit Maryada,
Living in consonance with the Guru’s Tenets……..A Sikh should, in no way,
harbour any antipathy to the hair of the head with which his child
is born. He should add the suffix “Singh” to the name his son. A
Sikh should keep the hair of his sons and daughters intact. (page
24)
The importance of Kes can be gauged from the fact that
a person denigrating it is even debarred from voting rights for the
SGPC elections. To wit the relevant section of the Sikh Gurdwaras
Act, 1925,
Section 49 of the Sikh Gurdwaras Act, 1925,
| |
 |
| |
A picture of a Sahajdhari given
in the Mahan Kosh (Encylopaedia
of Sikhism) Languages
Dept. Punjab |
49. Qualification
of electors.- Every person shall be entitled to have his name
registered on the electoral roll of a constituency constituted for
the election of a member or members of the Board who is a resident
in that constituency and
……………………..
(ii) is a
Sikh more than twenty-one years of age, who had his name registered
as a voter in such manner as may be prescribed:
[Provided
that no person shall be registered as an elector who-
(a)
trims or shaves his beard or Keshas………
The entity and the identity of a Sikh are interdependent.
Though there is no doubt that merely by sporting unshorn hair a
person will not become a Sikh, but it is also true that
without kes a person cannot be a Sikh. It is thus
construed that every person keeping unshorn hair does not become a
Sikh, but every Sikh is and ought to be kesdhari.
“Sikh” literally means a follower. The one who does not
follow the tenets cannot lay claim to be called a follower or a
Sikh. Says Guru Amar Das,
so isKu sKw bMDpu
hY BweI ij gur ky Bwxy ivic AwvY ]
The foundation stone for keeping unshorn hair was laid by the
first Guru itself. Guru Nanak categorically stated that it is
essential for a person to keep unshorn hair as this is a blessing
from God and doing away with it is a breach of trust and
misappropriation. In fact, a Sikh by doing away with his kes
breaks his relationship with Guru Nanak. The following are quotes
from Makke di Gosht -Guru Nanak Sahib’s conversation with
Muslim sages, which were held during his sojourn to
Mecca.
He alone is a Sikh, a friend, a relative and a sibling, who
walks in the Way of the Guru's Will. (Guru Granth Sahib, page 601)
|
sohxy nk ijn lµmVy vwlw ] (567-9, vfhMsu, mÚ 1)
Your nose is so graceful, and your hair is so long.
gur ky crn kys sMig Jwry ]1] (387-12, Awsw, mÚ 5)
With my hair, I dust the feet of the Guru. ||1||
sy dwVIAW scIAw ij gur crnI lgMin@ ] (1419-12, slok vwrW qy vDIk,
mÚ 3)
Those beards are true, which brush the feet of the True Guru.
From Sikh Rehat Maryada
Section 4. (Chapter X). (Article XVI)(i).
Living in consonance with Guru’s Tenets……..A Sikh should, in no way,
harbour any antipathy to the hair of the head with which his
child is born. He should add the suffix “Singh” to the name of
his son. A Sikh should keep the hair of his sons and daughters
intact. (p.24) |
|
The life of a follower has to flow in a system. This system
is known as rahit maryada. Maryada is a word derived from
Sanskrit root word marya, which means the two banks of
a river. If the water flows within the embankments then it is river
and serves humankind. However, if it spills over or breaches its
embankments, then it is floods and causes havoc. Similarly, the life
of a Sikh has to flow and operate within the parameters of
Maryada and the Maryada has to be the Sikh Rahit
Maryada. Says Guru Nanak Dev, the founder of the Sikh faith
that,
nw mrjwdu AwieAw
kil BIqir bwhuiV jwsI nwgw ]
You came into this Dark Age of Kali Yuga naked, and you shall
depart again naked if you fail to lead your life in maryada.
(Guru Granth Sahib, page 74)
Every religion has its rules and regulations. It is
imperative for a religious person to honour the sentiments, feelings
and codes of every other religion. Guru Gobind Singh was asked by
the royal peer, sage of emperor Bahadur Shah: “Which of the
two religions is better, yours or mine?” Guru ji’s reply was, “tum
ko tumahara khoob, hum ko hamara khoob - for you, yours is
wonderful and for me, mine is fine.” Hence it is abundantly clear
that Sikh Rahit Maryada or Sikh Code of Conduct is to
regulate the life, deeds, do’s and don’ts for a Sikh only.
It does not interfere with any other religion or religious group and
will not invite any intrusion by any one else.
Kes
and the dastar
that covers it are divine gifts from Creator Lord received
through the Guru. Discarding these primary ‘articles of faith’ by a
Sikh is a willful act of contempt against the will of God and
Guru.
Didar, guftar
and
kirdar -appearance, conversation and the inner character, are
the three parameters to judge and assess a person. The later two
stages come in if the person does not falter at the first stage
itself.
The Sikh Rahit
Maryada
is a well codified text containing the do’s and don’ts for a Sikh.
Contrary to common belief, the Sikh Rahit Maryada
is not
created by Shiromani Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee or SGPC. SGPC is
its mere publisher and acted as a facilitator for its codification.
In 1931, the SGPC, under the convenership of Professor Teja Singh,
an authority on Sikhism, constituted a Sikh Rahu Reet Sub
Committee. The Committee consisted of Jatehdars of all
the Takhats, the Head Granthi of Sri Darbar Sahib,
Amritsar (Golden Temple) and well recognized and respected Sikh
scholars and prominent Sikhs of various seminaries and
institutions who had made unparalleled contributions in the field of
religion and service to the Panth. The draft Sikh
Rahit Maryada prepared by this committee was widely circulated
all over the world and views and suggestions were invited and
considered. Finally, in 1945, the present form of the Sikh Rahit
Maryada was approved and published. It is, thus, the collective
wisdom of the entire Sikh Panth and contains the Sikh rules
and regulations applicable on each and every Sikh.
It will be interesting to note that following are the primary
sources of this Sikh Rahit Maryada:
·
Guru
Granth Sahib
·
Banee
(religious text)
of Guru Gobind Singh
·
Writings of
Bhai Gurdas and Bhai Nand Lal
·
Rahit Namas
 Guru Granth Sahib is the embodiment of the Ten Gurus but
contains banee of six Guru Sahibs. Guru Gobind Singh’s
banee is contained separately in Dasven Patshah ka Granth
or Dasam Granth. Bhai Gurdas I was a cotemporary of Guru
Arjan Dev ji. Bhai Gurdas II was a contemporary of Guru Gobind Singh
ji. Bhai Nand Lal, the renowned Persian scholar who served the
Mughal Durbar, had left the Emperor’s service and came to
stay at Anandpur Sahib, the camp headquarters of Guru Gobind Singh.
Guru Gobind Singh valued his writings and gave recognition
by giving the title to his works too.
The special status of the writings of Bhai Gurdas I and II
and Bhai Nand Lal can be ascertained from the fact that in
Harimandir Sahib or any Gurdwara, besides Gurbanee,
the hymns and compositions of these two scholars may be sung and
recited. Bhai Nand Lal was dictated The Sikh Code of Conduct, known
as Tankhahnama, was dictated by Guru Gobind Singh to Bhai Nand Lal
and is an important source of the Sikh Rahit Maryada.
The significance and reverence shown to the Kes is
evident from the fact that Guru Gobind Singh named the Takhat
which is the birth place of the Khalsa as Takhat Kesgarh Sahib,
which means “the blessed fort of unshorn hair.”
The foundation stone for keeping unshorn hair was laid by the
first Guru itself. Guru Nanak categorically stated that it is
essential for a person to keep unshorn hair as this is a blessing
from God and doing away with it is a breach of trust and
misappropriation. In fact, a Sikh by doing away with his kes
breaks his relationship with Guru Nanak. The following are quotes
from Makke di Gosht -Guru Nanak Sahib’s conversation with
Muslim sages, which were held during his sojourn to
Mecca.
jvwb nwnk Swh sUrw:
scI suinq rb dI moieAw lY AwieAw nwl[
jo rKy moie AmwnqI Kwsw bMdw Bwil[
Avl suMnq moie hY isr pr rKy koie[
pwvy mrwqbw sXdI bfw irKIsr hoie[
(m`ky mdIny dI goSit, pMnw
144. pMjwbI XUinvristI)
Courageous Lord Nanak replied:
The true divine sunnat (injunction) is the hair brought by
birth.
Blessed is the one who keeps the hair as a trust of God.
The primary sunnat is hair and the one who adorns it on his
head acquires the status of a rishi (sage) or a sayyid
(Muslim holy man)
(Conversation of Mecca-Madina, page 144,
Punjabi
University)
moie isrpwau Kudwiedw lY
AwieAw bMdw nwl[
nwnk AwKy pIr jI iPr lY jwie nwl[
iPr gieAw drgh ivic Aky riK nIswn[
swbq sUriq rb dI BMnn byeImwn[
(m`ky mdIny dI goSit, pMnw 144. pMjwbI XUinvristI)
Says Nanak, the hair is the blessing of the Lord to man which ought
to be presented back. The man has to present himself in the court of
Lord with this trust. The one who could not keep the hair intact has
is in fact committed breach of trust and is to be regarded as
faithless.
(Conversation of Mecca-Madina, page 144,
Punjabi
University)
AwKI nwnk
swh scu suxhu bhwvdI pIr[
ihMdU muslmwn duie isr guMm QIey jhIir[
(m`ky mdIny dI goSit, pMnw 138. pMjwbI XUinvristI)
Says Nanak to Pir Bahavdeen, both Hindus and Muslims by losing the
hair in fact have lost head and have become sirgum.
(Conversation of Mecca-Madina, page 138,
Punjabi
University)
Thereafter all other Guru Sahibs and bhagats whose
banee was included in Sri Guru Granth Sahib also made
mention about long hair and beard. To wit,
sohxy nk ijn
lµmVy vwlw ]
Your nose is so graceful, and your hair is so long. (Guru Granth
Sahib, page 567)
hir hir nwmu
idRVwieE guir mITw gur pg Jwrh hm bwl ]1] rhwau ] (1335-1
The Guru has implanted the Sweet Name of the Lord, Har, Har, within
me. I dust the Guru's Feet with my hair. ||1||Pause|| (Guru Granth
Sahib, page 1335)
kysw kw kir bIjnw
sMq cauru Fulwvau ]
I make my hair into a fan, and wave it over the Saint. (Guru Granth
Sahib, page 745)
kysw kw kir cvru
Fulwvw crx DUiV muiK lweI ]1] rhwau ]
I make my hair into a fan, and wave it over them; I apply the dust
of their feet to my face. ||1||Pause|| (Guru Granth Sahib, page 749)
gur ky crn kys
sMig Jwry ]1]
With my hair, I dust the feet of the Guru. ||1|| (Guru Granth Sahib,
page 387)
kys sMig dws pg
Jwrau iehY mnorQ mor ]1]
With my hair, I dust the feet of your slave; this is my life's
purpose. ||1|| (Guru Granth Sahib, page 500)
nwpwk pwku kir
hdUir hdIsw swbq sUriq dsqwr isrw ]12]
Purify what is impure, and let the Lord's presence be your religious
tradition. Let your total awareness be the turban on your head.
||12|| (Guru Granth Sahib, page 1084)
idvs rYin qyry
pwau plosau kys cvr kir PyrI ]1] (969-19, rwmklI, Bgq kbIr jI)
Day and night, I press Your feet, Lord; I wave my hair as the
chanwar (ceremonial fan). (Guru Granth Sahib, page 969)
sy dwVIAW scIAw
ij gur crnI lgMin@ ] (1419-12, slok vwrW qy vDIk, mÚ 3)
Those beards are true, which brush the feet of the True Guru. (Guru
Granth Sahib, page 1419)
The references are not only restricted to hair on the head - Guru
Amar Das ji, the third Guru, even speaks of the unshorn beard. Then
there is the order of Guru Gobind Singh,
 You
are blessed by me. Take care of your Kes twice daily (morning and
evening) with kangha (wooden comb)………….. have no association with
those (being Sikhs) who shear their hair or kill the girl child.
Kangha
or the wooden comb
is also one of the five kakars. The order to comb the hair
twice makes it abundantly clear that a person with a shorn head or
the one who is a jatadhari (sadhus growing their hair
but not maintaining cleanliness) does not qualify to be a Sikh. The
order is categorical and forthright -a person is to have normal
kes given by nature.
The poet Sainapati, who was head of the fifty two poets of
Guru Gobind Singh, mentions about the requirement of kes in
the following way:
hu`kw n pIvY sIs dwVHI n
muMfwvY so qo
vwh gurUU vwhgurUU gurUU jI kw Kwlsw]30]
(sRI gur soBw, sYnwpiq, AiDAwie pMcm)
A Sikh is neither to smoke nor to cut kes or beard. He then
is the blessed Khalsa of Wahe Guru.
(Sri Guru Sobha, Sainapati, Chapter Five)
Bhai Nand Lal had asked questions to Guru Gobind Singh about
the do’s and don’ts for a Sikh and the replies are compiled in
Tankhah Nama. Interestingly, during those times, anyone
serving at the Mughal Court and getting tankhah, that
is wages was looked at with contempt and was called a
tankhahia. Significantly, the term is used in Sikh terminology
for a gross religious transgression.
Bhai Daya Singh was the first of the panj payaras who
offered their head to Guru Gobind Singh at Anandpur Sahib when the
Khalsa was created. His rahitnama too eulogises the kes
as follows:
sRI
dsvIN pwqSwhI AnMdpur myN bYTy Qy, dXw isMG jI pRSn kIAw, su mhwrwj
jI! rihqnwmw khIey ijs ky sunny sy mukq hoie[
auqr:
kysw kw bVw Adb hY[ kys mwqw kw srUp hY[ …………jUVw sIs ky m`D Bwg mYN
rwKY , AOr pwg bVI bWDy kys Fwp rKy, kMGw dvY kwl kry, pwg cunky
bWDy[…………. jo kysW dI byAdbI ho qW qnKwh pRwxWq hY[ jy gurUUU jI
bhuq ikrpw kry Kwlsw bKSy[ so Xw pcws fMfy mwry pUrbokq AMimRq
Ckwvy rihq nwmy sunwvY[……………rom srIr sy kCU n CydY…………[
(rihqnwmw
BweI dXw isMG)
 The
Tenth Master was at Anandpur Sahib. Daya Singh asked him, O Lord!
please bestow on us the uniform code of conduct (Rahit Nama) which
will help us attain salvation. The Lord replied, the hair should be
respected greatly. Hair is the image of our mother. Tie hair in a
knot in the middle of the head. Tie a full turban. Keep your hair
covered. Comb your hair twice a day, ………….. those who desecrate the
hair are cursed till death. If the Guru showers his grace and the
Khalsa forgives the violator is to be flogged fifty to a hundred
times and subsequently he is to be baptized and sermonized with
Rahitnamas. ………….never ever remove hair from any part of the body.
Bhai Chaupa Singh,
who was not only a contemporary of Guru Gobind Singh but took care
of the Guru in his childhood, his Rahitnama says,
gurUU kw isK dyhI dy rom nw luhwey[
(rihqnwmw BweI caupw isMG iC`br)
No Sikh should remove any hair from his body.
gurUU kw
isK kysW dI pwlxW krY[ do vkq kMGw hovY[ Doey dhIN nwl, mYlw h`Q n
lwey[
jIau n pvxy dyvy[ sucyq rhy[ guru kw isK kys muhr inSwnI isKI dI
jwxy[
(rihqnwmw BweI caupw isMG iC`br)
Let a Guru’s disciple nurture hair with care. He should comb hair
twice a day. Let the hair be cleansed with curd, do not touch hair
with soiled hands. Ensure that lice do not breed in the hair. Remain
alert. The Guru’s Sikh should treat his hair as the very seal of
Sikhism.
jo icty
cuxwey, so qnKwhIAw
jo kyswDwrI klP lwey so qnKwhIAw[
(rihqnwmw BweI caupw isMG iC`br)
One who plucks grey hair is a tankhahia, religious offender.
Likewise one who dyes hair is also a tankhahia.
jo kysDwrI
hoie ky byty kqrU rKy, so qnKwhIAw[
jo kysDwrI dMdw nwl dwVIH tuky AQvw kYNcI nwl mocnw lvwey so
qnKwhIAw[
(rihqnwmw BweI caupw isMG iC`br)
A kesdhari who gets hair of his son shorn is a tankhahia. The one
who chips his beard with teeth or uses scissor or plucker is also a
tankhahia.
Some other important Rahitnamas also depict the
importance of kes for a Sikh.
Rahitnama Param Sumarg
Ar jo koeI
is`K sRI Akwl purK Kwlsy kw hovy, iqs kau ‘isMG jI’ kih Awdru krY[
isr kys r`Ky, dUr n kry, B`dx n kry[
(rihqnwmw prm sumwrg)
If a Sikh is the Khalsa of the Almighty he deserves to be honoured
and addressed as Singh. Sikh is to inviolably keep hair intact,
never shave hair, never shave head.
Rahitnama Bhai Desa
Singh
kysn DUp
dyie suc pwvn[ hY ieh gur kI mohr suhwvn[69[
(rihqnwmw BweI dysw isMG)
Let the hair be nourished in sun for it is the splendid seal of the
guru.
jb pihly
sb isRsit aupweI[ qb hI mwnuK dyih bnweI[
qn ies ky isr kys ju dIny[ so ieh qn isMgwrih kIno[79[
dwVHw muC isr kys bnweI[ hY ieh idRV ijh pRBU rjweI[
myt rjwie ju sIs mMufwvy[ khu qy jg kYsy hir pwvY[80[
pWKhu ibn ibhMg ijm hohI[ aUrb ibnw Byf im koeI[
bsn ibnw nwrI hY jYsy[ kysn ibn hoX nr qYsy[81[
kysn nr Dwry hY jb hI[ pUrn rUp hoie hY qb hI[
kys eyk pun rhq ju pweI[ qw kI mihmw khI nw jweI[82[
(rihqnwmw BweI dysw isMG)
 God created the whole universe and also the human body. God bestowed the
gift of kes on the human head to be its adornment. The beard,
moustache and kes are embodiments of the inviolable will of
God. Transgressing the Divine Will, how can one reach God with a
shorn head? A man without kes is like a bird without
feathers, a sheep without wool, or a woman without clothes. Only if
a man keeps his hair intact can he claim to be a complete image of
God. By adhering to just one principle of conduct – viz. keeping
hair intact – a man achieves indescribable merit.
(Rahitnama Bhai Desa Singh)
Khushwant Singh, in A History of the Sikhs, writes
truthfully about the importance of hair.
…………..It proves that the sense of belonging to the Sikh community
requires both the belief in the teachings of the Adi Granth and the
observance of the Khalsa tradition initiated by Guru Gobind Singh;
and that there is no such thing as a clean-shaven Sikh - he is
simply a Hindu believing in Sikhism.
Bhai Mati Das, Bhai Subegh Singh, Bhai Shahbaz Singh, Bhai
Dayala ji are shining examples Sikh history who laid down their
lives but did not agree to relinquish their hair. Hundreds of women
and children chose death in the jail of Mir Mannu at
Lahore
rather than do away with their hair.
In the “Gurmat
Life” chapter of the Sikh Rahit Maryada it is clearly mentioned,
isrguMm (kysDwrI
ho ky jo kys ktw dyvy), nVI mwr (jo is`K ho ky ieh kMm krn) dw sMg
nhIN krnw[
You must not associate with a Sikh who had uncut hair earlier and
has cut it or a Sikh who smokes. (p.38)
SIRDAR v/s SIRGUM
The nomenclature of Sirdar and Sirgum needs clear
understanding. Dar in Persian means “a person of” or one who
possesses, e.g. izzatdar, the one who has izzat or
respect, vafadar, the one possessing vafa or loyalty,
khuddar, the one who has khudi or pride. Similarly
Sirdar literally means if a person has hair, then only he has
his head in its place. Contrary to this if the person has shorn his
hair, it is sir gum i.e. he has lost his head. This term was
first used by Guru Nanak Dev in Makke di gosht .
The turban is the covering for the kes which Guru
Nanak claims he obtained as a blessing directly from God. This was
passed on to the succeeding Guru and now adorns the faithful Sikhs.
As Guru Sahib himself witnesses:
mY gur imil auc
dumwlVw ] (74-9, isrIrwgu, mÚ 5)
I met
with the Guru, and I have tied a tall, plumed turban.
suxI
pukwr smrQ suAwmI bMDn kwit svwry ] (631-4, soriT, mÚ 5)
The Almighty Lord and Master heard my prayer; cutting away my bonds, He
has adorned me.
pihir isrpwau syvk jn myly nwnk pRgt phwry ]2]29]93] (631-5, soriT,
mÚ 5)
He dressed me in robes of honour, and blended His servant with
Himself; Nanak is revealed in glory throughout the world.
||2||29||93||
Against this
background, one has to view the true ecclesiastical position of the
kes. Sikhs pray for the blessings of kes from the Lord
in their daily prayer (Ardaas) and will continue to do till
time immemorial.
This is an
excerpted version of his paper. The author is editor of community
journal Sant Sipahi.
7 January 2009
|
Read Also