The Ādi Granth, or the Holy Scriptures of the Sikhs (1877) · 36

This injunction would presuppose, that every Sikh should be ahle to read, but this was never the case and no means whatever were taken to secure this end.

* According to a note of Sirdar Attar Singh to Nand Lai's Rahit-nama, p. 5, the Sikhs read as Ardas the first verses from Govind Singh's story of Bhagavati, called ^^ SH ^T'3'. the first lines of which run thus: " The goddess Bhagavati was first worshipped by Guru NSnak; then by Gurus Angad, Amar-das and Rani- das, and to them she was propitious. Tlien followed Gurus Arjun, Har-rai, Hai-govind and TSg-bahadur, and they also rose to the highest honours. Guru Govind Singh was also assisted by her."

' dfod if^T (thus it is written in the Granth, see Rag Asa, Mali. IV., IV., Pause, Transl. p. 15) signifies prayer, sup/ilication; its derivation is not knomi. It is frequently now spelt dvJ d ifH. hence the transcrip- tion of Sirdar Attar Singh " Row Rass." He details m the Rahit-nama of Nand Lai, p. 4, note *, the com- ponent parts of the Ardas as now in use among the Sikhs. In reference to the morning and evening prayer the following verse is contained in Prahlad-rai's Rahit-nama (o. 12):

^{T57T?5 3ra 3fV5 7J 3n% II dtodi+j "ferr ^tr ^ tn% ii

■srnRJTtft fJTM f3U tTO II W3 «^d^A f3?T t»Tf^»KT *n^ II

cxiv • SKETCH OF THE RELIGION OF THE SIKHS.

Temples, shrines and burning places are not to be worsbipped, nor are other religions to be praised.' The Yedas, Shastras, Puraiias and the Qur'an are not to be minded, neither the Pandit nor the MuUa. All Hindu and Musalman rites are to be discontinued; the Hindu ceremonies at the time of birth, marriage and death should not be observed; no Shradh should be performed, and if it be performed, the words of the Granth should be used. No Tilak should be applied to the forehead, nor should the sacred cord (-HaO) nor a rosary (^ITWT) be worn; circumcision should not be practised.

A Sikh is never to wear a cap ('2\f^), nor to shave his head or beard, nor to wear red clothes." He should bathe in cold water, comb his hair twice every day and bind his turban after adjusting the tresses; he is never to take off his turban whilst taking his food. He is to clean his teeth every day with a tooth-stick. He should always wear breeches (^'g', the Hindu Dhoti being a forbidden article), and have steel about his person, especially a sword.

The use of tobacco in any shape is prohibited.' Gambling, especially the play of Caupar (^©UW> ^ '^'1'^ of chess), and visiting prostitutes, deserve severe punishment.

A Sikh should never buy meat from a butcher, but eat only the flesh of such animals whose head was severed by a Sikh with one stroke of the sword; this kind of slaughtering animals is called "^io^X- Beef is not even so much as mentioned in the Eahit-namas, as its use was altogether considered abominable. To eat of the leavings of the meal of another entails the pain of death.

Especial attention is paid to the making and distributing of the Karah Prasad (o^^IJ "UJl'TJ), which in some way resembles the Communion Service of Christians, the Karah Prasad being con- secrated to the Guru and in his name given to eat to the assembled votailes. It should be made of equal quantities of ghl, flour and sugar. The cooking-place should first be swept clean and then plastered with cow-dung; the cooking utensils should likewise be well washed. The Sikh, who prepares the Prasad, should enter the cooking-place after bathing and purifying himself, and only utter: vah Guru! He should fill a new jar with water, drawn from a well with an iron bucket, and place it at his side. Wlien the Karah Prasad is ready, it should be put on a stand, and the people should sit round it praying {i.e. saying: vah Guru!). It should be distributed to all in equal portions.*

The disciple is strictly to obey the orders of the Guru and never to forsake him; apostacy is visited with the severest punishments; he is also to minister to his brother Sikhs.' He is to pay taxes, if demanded by the Guru; * the withholding of the customary ofterings of the tenth

^?TT573 f*T¥ 31? sn Mrf^ II CTffl VfH^ iW 75^ TRft II ' The custom of wearing blue clothes (in remembrance of Govind Singh making his escape iu blue clothes) soon fell into disuse; only the Akalis preserved this custom. See p. cxviii, note 2. ' Prahlad-rai says, v. 9:

^^ nhra yftlTJ 5t3 »ftf 7vT% T^^^T^ II 55^ TT^TH ^JT 'M? ^3^§ TJ^Sf V(^J^ || ^ The Karah Prasad and its preparation is described in Nand Lai's Rahit-naraa, p. i, 8. ° Prahlad-rai says, u. 8:

^ n^H w^ 7^ 5% 7i f^^ sf\ %^ ii ^ "sft?^ h^? i{JTf3 v^r^ i^ ii

q^sT ^ srra Trrt tt^ ii tt^^? Vi" fVrf^wT »?¥ w^ ii snu tz ^ At^ ^Tr% II w'n Vf^ ^n t^ 31% 11

" Who, having seen the order (of the Guru), does not pay taxes. \\'lio, having hid the money-box (in which the

part of his income, the defrauding of the Khalsa and others deputed by the Guru, is severely censured. He should consider only the precepts of the Guru as true and all others as false." The Granth is to he minded like the Guru, and the Khalsa like the Guru, as it is the visible body of the Guru, (and in consequence) the visible body of the Timeless one.- The persons, to whom the Guru gives authority (or a Hukm-nama), should be equally obeyed, and those, who set themselves up as rivals with them, should be burnt with their families.'

With regard to his family the Sikh is enjoined to dispose suitably of his daughter (or sister) and not to take any money for her hand.* The killing of daughters is strictly forbidden.

Among the moral duties trutlifulness and kindness to the poor are especially inculcated; false- hood, dealing fraudulently, stealing, slandering and fornication, are branded as deadly sins. A Sikh should earnestly strive to subdue the five passions: lust (?TH). wrath (^xj), greediness (?53), infatua- tion (V{XJ), and pride (^?T3)-

The injunctions regarding the intercourse with people of other creeds evince already a narrow- minded bigotry and a deep fanatical hatred.

A Sikh is not even to salute one, who is not a Sikh, otherwise he is an apostate and accursed by God. Who bows his head to one, who wears a cap {i.e. a Muhammadan) or shaves his head {i.e. a Hindu), is doubtless worthy of heU.° He is not even to place a piece of cloth or any- thing belonging to a Muhammadan on his head, otherwise he will suffer many deaths.' A true Sikh should always be engaged in war with the Muhammadans and slay them, fighting them face to face; it is his duty to destroy the enemies of his faith,' and to help in the diffusion of the

money, set aside for the Guru, is put), talks falsehood whh his mouth. Who, acknowledging the vow of an otTeriiig of taxes, steals (them): such a disciple is not pleasing to the Guru." Compare also Naud Lai's Rahit- nama, p. 3, 24.

' The Rahit-nama of Nand Lai (p. 6, 46) has the further injunction: " Do not listen to any calumny respecting the Guru, and lie who speaks ill of the Guru, must be killed with a sword." In this way the infallibility of the Guru could easily be kept up.

"The Khalsa should be minded as the Guru, it is the manifest body of the Guru. Who desires to meet with me, he having searched finds nie in them." And in i'. 24 he says:

»Ksn?5 vrgvf ^ ^^fe vjn ii i^pif^ wrtw mn*{[ ^nr ii

" Tliis one is the shape of the timeless divine male. The Khalsa is the visible body of the Timeless one." ' Prahlad-rai says, v. 15:

Wi) WlMTil y\-m sft ^q »HT^ UT^ II fSTi sft?T^TfH ^ Sjt iTf^ tTT% iW ^m II

* See Nand Lai's Rahit-nama,. p. 3, 16, 17. ' Prahlad-rai says, o. 20:

^Vl" $¥ f7J^T% Jft^ II ^ fJTH TTHsft f^JT%^g^ II