Author Topic: Sikh Glossary (Read 1105 times)

Sardar_Ji · « **on:** March 24, 2011, 08:56:09 AM »

Glossary of Sikh terms
		A young Maharaja of Patiala.

	Aadh Granth	Guru Granth Sahib Ji, the sacred scripture of the Sikhs as compiled by the fifth Guru, Guru Arjan Dev Ji, in 1603 - 1604.

	Akali	'Followr of Akal Purkh; member of the AkaliDal (political party)

	Akal Purkh	The One beyond Time', God.

	Akal Takhat	The principle seatof authority , located immediately adjacent to theHarmindar Sahib (Golden temple).

	Akhand Path	Unbrokenreading of the Guru Granth Sahib Ji.

	Amrit	Nectar of Immortality. Sweetened baptismal water used in Amrit sanskar.

	Amrit-Dhari	A Sikh who has taken amrit, an initiated member of the Khalsa.

	Amrit Sanskar	The initiation ceremony of the Khalsa.

	Anand Karaj	The Sikh marriage ceremony.

	Ardas	The Khalsa prayer, a formal prayer recited at the conclusion of most Sikh ceremonies.

	Ashtapadi	An Aadh Granth Sahib shabad of eight verses and refrain.

	Baba	'Father', a term of respect applied to holy men.

	Baisakhi	Birth of the Khalsa, new years day in rural Punjab, the first day of the month of Baisakh. Normally fixed date of 13th April.

	Bani	Works of the Gurus and other poets in the sacred text of Guru Granth Sahib Ji.

	Bhagat	A contributor to the Aath Guru Granth Sahib Ji who was not a Guru. eg Bhagat Kabir, Namdev, Ramanand, Sheikh Farid, Ravidas, Pipa and Dhanna.
	Bhai	'Brother', title of respect given for piety and/or learning.

	Bhai Bala	A close friend and companion of Guru Nanak Dev Ji who accompanied Guru Sahib Ji on some of his udassis (travels). He wrote the celebrated account of Guru Sahibs travels known as Bhai Balas janam-sakhi

	Bhakti	Belief in, adoration of, a personal God.

	Bhog	The ceremony which concludes a complete reading of Aadh Guru Granth Sahib Ji.

	Bichola	A relative of friend who makes enquiries concerning possible spouses for a marriageable daughter or son, a go-between.

	Chaunki	A division of each day in the larger Gurdwaras, in which a particular selection of bani is sung. There are five chaunkies in each day.

	Chaupad	An Aadh Guru Granth Sahib Ji shabad, consisting of four verses and a refrain.

	Chaur	A fan made of yaks hair or peacock feathers which is waved over the Gurus and now over Granth Sahib Ji , designating royal authority.

	Chhant	A lengthy shabad in Guru Granth Sahib Ji, commonly of four or six verses.

	Chief Khalsa Diwan	United body formed in 1902 to conduct the affairs of the Amritsar and Lahore Singh Sabhas.

	Dasam Granth	The scriptures by the pen of Guru Gobind Singh Ji, collated by Bhai Mani Singh Ji. The compositions of Guru Sahib Ji include Jaap Sahib, Akal Ustat, Bachittar Natak (part autobiographical), Chandi Charittar, Var Bhagauti Ji, Gian Parbhod, Chaubis Avtar, Shastar Nama, Zafarnama and Charitro Pukhiyan.

	Degh Tegh Fateh	'Cauldron, sword , victory', slogan of the eighteenth century Khalsa. May there be victory in the cauldron (that is, the community has enough to eat) and the sword (victory over the oppressors).

	Dharamsala	Place of worship for the early Sikh Panth, later to be known as a Gurdwara.

	Five K's	Five items, each beginning with the intial k, which Sikhs of the Khalsa must wear. These are Kes, kungha, kacch, kara and kirpan.

	Gaddi	Seat of authority. Gur-gaddi - the seat of authority o

	Granth	The sacred volume, the Aadh Granth or Guru Granth Sahib. It can be used for all sacred scriptures, like the Dasam Granth.

	Granthi	Custodian of the Gurdwara.

	Gur-bilas	'Praise of the Guru' hagiographic narratives of the lives of the sixth and tenth Guru's, stressing their roles as warriors.

	Gurdwara	Gur - Guru, dwar - house of . The house of God or Sikh place of worship, sometimes wrongly refered to as a Sikh Temple.

	Gurmat	The teachings of the Gurus.

	Gurmukhi	'From the Guru's mouth', the script in which punjabi is written.

	Guru	A spriritual preceptor, either a person or the mystical voice of Akal Purkh. In sikhism the term 'Guru' referes to the ten Gurus and Guru Granth Sahib, and no other.

	Guru Granth Sahib	The Aadh Granth, the sacred scriptures of the Sikhs.

	Gurmatta	'The Guru's intention' a resolution passed by the Sarbat Khalsa, in the presence of Guru Granth Sahib.

	Halal	Flesh of an animal killed in accordance with Muslim ritual whereby it is bled to death. This type of flesh (as well as all flesh) is forbidden to Sikhs. The notion of halal is that of an offering made to God, but how can you offer something that already belongs to him ?

	Hari	Name of God, also used by Hindus. This name of God appears many times in Aadh Guru Granth Sahib and the Dasam Granth.

	Harmandar Sahib	'Hari's mandir'. The Golden Temple or Darbar Sahib complex at Amritsar.

	Haumai	Self centeredness, ego, pride. One of the five sinns according to Sikhism, and the most deadly .

	Hukam	Divine order, a passage from Guru Granth Sahib Ji chosen at random.

	Hukam-nama	'Letter of command', document containing a command issued by one of the Gurus to an individual or sangat. A similar document issued to the Panth by the Sarbat Khalsa from Akal Takhat.

A Faqir, 1868. A disciple of Guru Nanak Dev Ji.

	Ik onkar	There is One God, benedictory formula from Guru Granth Sahib Ji.

	Ishwar	Name of God, also used in hinduism.

	Janam Sakhi	Hagiographic narrative of the life of the Gurus.

	Jatha	Military detachment, touring party.

	Jathedar	Commander, normally of a Jatha

	Jura	Tying of long hair into a knot on ones head, over which a turban is tied.

	Kachh	Pair of breeches worn as part of the five K's.

	Kangha	Wooden comb, worn as part of the five K's.

	Kanphat yogi	'Split ear' yogi, follower of Gorakhnath and adherent of the Nath tradition.

	Kara	Steel wrist ring, worn as part of the five K's.

	Karah parshad	Sacremental pudding prepared in a large iron dish.

	Karam	The destiny, fate of an individual, generated in accordance with the deeds performed in his/her present and past existances.

	Kar-seva	Volentary service, normally with the cleaning of the pool surrounding Harmindar Sahib.

	Kes	Uncut hair, worn as part of the five K's.

	Kes-dhari	A Sikh who retains his kes.

	Keski	small turban, worn by men and women.

	Khalistan	'Land of the pure', the name adopted by proponents of an independent homeland for the Sikhs.

	Khalsa	The religious order established by Guru Gobind Singh Ji.

	Khanda	Double edged sword. Khalsa symbol comprising a vertical double edged sword over a quoit with two crossed kirpans.

	Khande da pahul	'Initiation with the two-edged sword', the Khalsa initiation ceremony.

	Khatri	A mercantile caste of the Punjab.

	Kirpan	Sword, worn as part of the five K's.

	Kurahit	One of the four cardinal infringements of the Rahit. These being, Cutting ones hair, consuming meat, extra-marital intercourse and smoking.

	Langar	The kitchen attached to every Gurdwara from which food is served to all regardless of creed or caste.

	Lavan	Circumambulating the Guru Granth Sahib Ji as part of the wedding of Anand Karaj ceremony.

	Mahant	Head of a religious establishment, the propreitor of a historic Gurdwara until disestablishment in 1925

	Man	The complex of heart, mind and spirit.

	Manji	Preaching office of the early Panth.

	Mantra	A verse, phrase or syllable of particular religious import.

	Masand	Administrative deputy acting for the Guru. Inaugurated by Guru Ram Das Ji, they faithfully served for some time, but later became corruptand were disestablished by Guru Gobind Singh Ji.

	Miri - Piri	Doctrine that the Guru possesses temporal (miri) and spiritual (piri) authority. Guru Hargobind Sahib Ji brought miri and piri together when he wore two swords.Guru Ji is sometimes refred to as 'Miri piri dha malik' - the Lord of Miri Piri.

	Misl	A military cohort of the the mis-eighteenth century Khalsa.

	Moksha	Spiritual liberation, liberation from transmigration.

	Naam	The divine Name, a summary term expressing the total being of Akal Purkh.

	Nam jap	Devoutly repeating the divine Name.

	Naam simran	The devotional practice of meditating on the divine Name.

	Nanak-panth	The community of Guru Nanak's followers, the early Sikh community.

	Nath tradition	Yogic sect of considerable influence in the Punjab prior to the Sikh Gurus.

	Nawab	Governer, lord or prince.

	Nirankar	'Without form', a name of God used by Guru Nanak Dev Ji.

	Nirguna	'Without qualities', formless, non-incarnated.

	Nirmala	A sect of celebaye Sikhs which commanded particular strength in the 19th century.

	Nitname	The Sikh daily liturgy.

	Pahul	The administration of amrit during the Khalsa initiation ceremony

	Pangat	Sitting in line, the custom whereby equality is maintained in the langar.

	Panj Piaray	The cherished five or beloved five, the first five Sikhs to be initiated into the Khalsa; five Sikhs in good standing chosen to represent the sangat.

	Panth	A 'path' or 'way'; system of religious belief or practice; the Sikh community.

	Paath	A reading from the sikh scriptures.

	Patit	A Sikh who commits one of the four cardinal sins or kurahits.

	Patka	A piece of cloth which fits snugly over the kesh, worn by boys and sportsmen.

	Pauri	Stanza of a var.

	Prasad	Sacramentally offered food.

	Raag	Musical mode.

	Rahit	The code of belief and conduct of the Khalsa

	Rahit-nama	A recorded version of the Rahit

	Raj karega Khalsa	"The Khalsa shall rule"

	Ramgarhia	A Sikh artisan group, prodominantly drawn from the Takhans or carpenters, but also including blacksmiths, masons and barbers.

	Ramala	A cloth covering Guru Granth Sahib Ji.

	Sabha	Society, association

	Sach Khand	The 'Realm of Truth.' The inner most part of 'heaven', the abode of God.

	Sahaj-dharai	A non-Khalsa Sikh, one who does not observe the rahit, 'slowlearner'

	Sanatan Sikhs	Conservative members of the Singh Sabha, opposed to the Tat Khalsa.

	Sangat	Congregation, group of devotees.

	Sant	One who knows the truth, a pious person, term used for a holy man, sadhu.

	Sant-sipahi	A 'Saint-soldier', the ideal Sikh, the Sikh who combines the piety of a sant and the bravery of a warrior.

	Sant tradition	A devotional tradition of North India which tressed the need for interior religion as opposed to external observance.

Author Topic: Sikh Glossary (Read 1105 times)

Sardar_Ji

Sikh Glossary

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