ARDAS (Prayer): Ardaas is a combination of two words: Araz and Daashat (literally: the petition of a slave). As a slave is to the Master, the Sikh is to the Almighty, but the root of a Sikhs slavery of the Almighty is not awe of the Almighty but love for Him. For a Sikh Ardaas is obligatory. The Sikh Ardaas is different from the prayers of the other religions. A Sikh can not make prayer for seeking personal prosperity, comfort, benefits and the other material blessings.
A Sikh \’must\’ bow before the Will of God. A Sikh, however, may make Ardaas seeking, from the Almighty, blessing for strength to live a Truthful life.If a Sikh makes prayer from the core of his/her heart the prayer can not be futile. A Sikh makes Ardaas at least twice a day: in the morning after reading three Baanis and in the evening after Rahiras. All the Sikhs make a national Ardaas, as approved by Akal Takht Sahib.
This national Ardaas has two part comprising of seven sections in all. In the first part, a Sikh remembers (a) the Almighty, the Guru Sahib and Guru Granth Sahib (b) the Punj Piaray (the five beloved ones), four sons of Guru Gobind Singh Sahib and all the martyrs, devotees and all those who made any contribution in the social, political and spiritual spheres (c) the Sikh martyrs and the valiant fighters of the past and present times (d) all the Sikh seats of authorities and the shrines. In part two a Sikh prays for (a) the welfare of the Sikh Commonwealth and the Sikh polity and political institutions: the promotion of Sikh culture; all decision making powers to the Khalsa (b) for blessing to practice the Sikh way of life; for preservation of the articles of faith; for blessing for meditation; for blessing for a dip in Amritsar (i.e. the Word) and for supremacy of Dharma (righteousness) (c) for grant of qualities of humbleness. intelligence, right to worship and finally for the welfare of the whole of the humanity. After this, the occasional reference is made and approval cumblessing of the Almighty is sought.
References :
1. The Sikh Reference Book; Dr Harjinder Singh Dilgeer 1997
More Information:
Ardas starts with “Pritham Bhagauti Simar Kai”
Ardas starts with “Var Sri Bhagauti Ji Ki” (Chandi Var – It comes after Chandi Charitar at p-119 of first part of Dasam Granth). It was originally composed by Guru Gobind Singh Ji. The word Bhagauti in the start of Ardas has been used as Kharag and Akal Purkh both.
Sacrifices made by the Sikhs are recalled daily in Ardas (Sikh prayer)
In their daily Ardas, the Sikhs remember and respect the sacrifices made by their great Gurus. The sacrifices of the brave Sikhs who offered themselves for martyrdom to upkeep their religion and righteousness are recalled.
The Sikhs pray,
“Five beloved ones, four princes (Sahibzade), forty redeemed ones, those who have remained steadfast in suffering, those who kept constant remembrance of Waheguru, those who renounced the sensuous pleasures, those who have constantly lived in the Divine presence, shared earnings, expressed magnanimity, have preserved in their fight in the cause of justice, turned a blind eye to the faults and failings of others and did not falter, concentrate your minds on the struggle and achievements of those, O, revered members of the order of the Khalsa and say: ‘Waheguru’.
The Singhs of both the sexes who courted martyrdom in the cause of religion and underwent unspeakable sufferings of being dismembered alive bit by bit, cut to pieces, scalped alive, broken on the rotating spiked wheels, sawed alive into two pieces and boiled alive and those who made sacrifices in the service of the centers of the Sikh religion, the Gurdwaras, but never wavered in their faith and remained steadfast in the cause of Sikhism to the last hair of their body and to their last breath O, revered members of the Khalsa Order, concentrate your minds on the glorious deeds of those, and utter, glory to Waheguru.”
Pray for gifts of virtues
The Sikhs pray for gift of the Sikh faith, the gift of the un-trimmed hair, the gift of the discipline of their faith , the gift of wisdom, the gift of trust, the gift of confidence, above all the gift of meditation on the Divine Name and bath in the holy pool of Amritsar.
Ardas for humility, high wisdom and Sarbat Da Bhala
Sikh Ardas is for universal welfare. It creates self confidence. The Sikhs pray for humility and high wisdom to serve the humanity and recite the Name of Almighty God.
Power of prayer
The creatures pray to the Creator. If the prayer is said from core of the heart and with full confidence, it is heard by the Almighty. It is heard if the pleader is sincere in approach, inclination and motives.
Dandaut bandan anik var sarab kala samrath,
Dolan te rakho prabhu Nanak de kar hath.
(256 M5)
Tu Thakar tum pai ardas
jio pind sabh teri raas
(208 Gauri Sukhmani M5)
Tudh aage ardas hamari jio pind sabh tera.
(383 Asa m5)
Dui kar jor karo ardas tudh bhavai tan ane ras.
(727 Suhi M 5)
Guru Gobind Singh had full faith in God. He prayed confidently before Almighty when he said,
“If one hundred twenty five thousand come to fight with me, I will win over them.”
“Savaa laakh se ek laraon“
In the Sikh prayer, Divine grace and past sufferings and glories of the community are recalled.
“This prayer first evolved during the eighteenth century, has since undergone occasional minor amendments.”
(P260- World religions by Geoffery Parrinder)
It ends with the famous proclamation;
“Raj Karega Khalsa (Khalsa shall rule).”
After every Ardas, the Sikhs remind themselves of the perpetual authority of Guru Granth Sahib by reciting:
ਆਗਿਆ ਭਈ ਅਕਾਲ ਕੀ ਤਬੀ ਚਲਾਇਓ ਪੰਥ ॥
ਸਭ ਸਿਖਨ ਕੋ ਹੁਕਮ ਹੈ ਗੁਰੂ ਮਾਨਿਯੋ ਗ੍ਰੰਥ ॥
ਗੁਰੂ ਗ੍ਰੰਥ ਜੀ ਮਾਨਿਯੋ ਪ੍ਗਟ ਗੁਰਾਂ ਕੀ ਦੇਹ ॥
ਜੋ ਪ੍ਭ ਕੋ ਮਿਲਬੋ ਚਹੈ ਖੋਜ ਸ਼ਬਦ ਮੈਂ ਲੇਹ ॥
Agya Bhai Akal ki tabhi chalayo Panth,
Sab Sikhan ko hukam hai Guru manyo Granth.
Guru Granth ko Manyo pargat Guran ki deh
Jo Prabhu ko milna chahe khoj sabad men leh
(ਗ. ਗਿਆਨ ਸਿੰਘ, ਤਵਾਰੀਖ ਗੁਰੂ ਖਾਲਸ)
(Tawarikh Guru Khalsa by Giani Gian Singh Part-1, p-1142)
(See Reht Nama Bhai Prahlad Singh)
ਰਾਜ ਕਰੇਗਾ ਖਾਲਸਾ ਆਕੀ ਰਹਿਹ ਨ ਕੋਇ ॥
ਖਾਰ ਹੋਇ ਸਭ ਮਿਲੈਂਗੇ ਬਚਹਿ ਸ਼ਰਨ ਜੋ ਹੋਇ ॥
Raj karega khalsa Aaki rahe na koe,
Khawar hoe sabh milainge bacheh sharan jo hoe.
(ਤਨਖਾਹਨਾਮਾ ਭਾਈ ਨੰਦ ਲਾਲ)
(Tankhah Nama Bhai Nand Lal)
Meaning thereby:
“Under orders of the Immortal Being, The Panth was started
All the Sikhs are ordained to accept the Granth as their Guru;
Accept Guru Granth Sahib as living Guru for all ages to come.
Whosoever is desirous of seeking communion with God,
let him search through the hymns of Guru Granth Sahib.
The Khalsa shall rule, and its opponents will be no more.
Those separated will unite, and all the devotees shall be saved.”
For more reading,
Ardas as given in Sikh Rehat Maryada published by Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (Amritsar).
Hymn of Sikh Patriotism
“Grant me this boon O God,
May I never refrain from righteous deeds.
May I fight fearlessly all the foes in the battle of life,
With the courage of faith to achieve victory.
May my mind be enshrined by your teachings,
May my highest ambition be to sing your praises,
And when this mortal life embraces its end,
May I die fighting in the thick of battle field with limitless courage.”
Edict (Hukamnama) for addition in the Ardas:
On partition of India, Punjab was divided into two parts in 1947. Many of the historical Gurdwaras went on to the list of Pakistan. Akal Takht enjoined upon the entire Khalsa Panth on January 25, 1952 to add the following lines to the Ardas:
“O Immortal Being, eternal helper of Thy Panth, benevolent Lord, bestow on the Khalsa the beneficence of unobstructed visit to and free management of Nankana Sahib and other shrines and places of the Guru from which the Panth has been separated.”
