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One of the four Sikh sanskars also called Charan Amrit or Charan Phul or the Pag Pahul From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Amrit Sanskar (Punjabi: ਅੰਮ੍ਰਿਤ ਸੰਸਕਾਰ, romanized: Amrita sasakāra, pronunciation: [ãːmɾʱɪt̪ sә̃nskäːɚ], lit. ‘nectar ceremony’) also called Amrit Parchar, Amrit Sanchar, Khande di Pahul[1], or Khande Batte di Pahul (Punjabi: ਖੰਡੇ ਬਾਟੇ ਦੀ ਪਾਹੁਲ, romanized: Khaḍē bāṭē dī pāhula) is one of the four Sikh Sanskaars. The Amrit Sanskar is the initiation rite introduced by Guru Gobind Singh when he founded the Khalsa in 1699.[2][3]
This article possibly contains original research. (July 2010) |
A Sikh who has been initiated into the Khalsa ('pure'; the Sikh brotherhood) is considered to be Amritdhari (baptised) (lit. 'amrit taker') or Khalsa ('pure'). Those who undergo initiation are expected to dedicate themselves to Waheguru (Almighty God) and work toward the establishment of the Khalsa Raj.[2][4][5]
The original Sikh initiation ceremony, ever since the guruship period of Guru Nanak,[6] was known as Charan-Pahul (Punjabi: ਚਰਨ-ਪਾਹੁਲ, romanized: Carana-pāhula), Pagpahul, or Charan Amrit (Punjabi: ਚਰਨਾਮ੍ਰਿਤ, romanized: Caranāmrita, lit. 'elixir of the feet').[7] It involved pouring water over the toes of the Sikh guru and the initiates drinking that water.[7][8] If the guru was not present in a certain area, water would be poured over the toes of the masand or sangatia responsible for the area of that particular manji (early Sikh religious administrative unit) and the initiates would drink that water instead.[7] If neither the guru or a local religious head is present, such as in a distant or tiny community of Sikhs, then the initiate would dip their toe in water and the local congregation would drink it.[9] This initiation ceremony finds mention in the Vaaran authored by Bhai Gurdas.[7] The ceremony was a way of showing the humbleness of initiates to the faith.[6] This practice continued until 1699, when it was replaced by Guru Gobind Singh's innovation.[7][8][1]
Amrit Sanchar was formally initiated in 1699 when Gobind Singh established the order of the Khalsa at Anandpur Sahib.[7] The day is now celebrated as Vaisakhi. This tradition had come to replace the prior Sikh initiation ceremony,[8] in which the initiate would drink water that the Guru or a masand (designated official representing the Guru) had dipped his foot in.[10][11]
Guru Gobind Singh addressed the congregation from the entryway of a tent pitched on a hill (now called Kesgarh Sahib). He drew his sword and asked for a volunteer who was willing to sacrifice his head. No one answered his first call, nor the second call, but on the third invitation, a man by the name of Daya Ram (later to be known as Daya Singh) came forward and offered his head to the Guru. Guru Gobind Singh took the volunteer inside the tent, and emerged shortly, with blood dripping from his sword. The Guru then demanded another head. One more volunteer came forward, and entered the tent with him. The Guru again emerged with blood on his sword. This happened three more times. Then the five volunteers came out of the tent unharmed. Everyone was very confused.
The Guru caused his five faithful Sikhs to stand up. He put pure water into an iron vessel and stirred it with a khanda or two edged sword. He then repeated over it the sacred verses which he appointed for the ceremony, namely, the Japji, the Jaap, Guru Amar Das's Anand, Chopai Sahib and Twe Parsad Swaiyas or quatrains of his own composition.
The ceremony involves stirring water in an iron bowl with a double-edged sword whilst reciting religious hymns, along with an admixture of sugar.[1]
These five men came to be known as the Panj Pyare (the "beloved five"). The five men, who would be initiated into the Khalsa by receiving Amrit, included Daya Singh, Mukham Singh, Sahib Singh, Dharam Singh, and Himmat Singh. From then onward, Sikh men were given the name Singh ("lion"), and the women Kaur ("princess").
The next five (out of a total of ten) to undergo the Pahul were Ram Singh, Desa Singh, Tehal Singh, Ishar Singh, and Fateh Singh.[13] This group is termed as the Panj Mukte.[13]
According to the Guru Kian Sakhian, after the first ten baptisms (Panj Piare and Panj Mukte), around 20,000 men were ready to accept the baptism whilst a few rejected it.[13] The list of men in-sequence who then underwent the Pahul were: Mani Ram, Diwan Bachittar Das, Ude Rai, Anik Das, Ajaib Das, Ajaib Chand, Chaupat Rai, Diwan Dharam Chand, Alam Chand Nachna, and Sahib Ram Koer.[13] This group was then followed by Rai Chand Multani, Gurbakhsh Rai, Pandit Kirpa Ram Dutt of Mattan, Subeg Chand, Gurmukh Das, Sanmukh Das, Amrik Chand, Purohit Daya Ram, Ratna, Gani Das, Lal Chand Peshauria, Rup Chand, Sodhi Dip Chand, Nand Chand, Nanu Rai of Diwali, and Hazari, Bhandari and Darbari of Sirhind.[13] As many as 80,000 men are said to have been baptized in a few days after Vaisakhi 1699.[13]
Rules of the ceremony include
The person being initiated must chant "Waheguru ji ka Khalsa, Waheguru ji ki Fateh" (essentially meaning "Almighty Lord, the pure; Almighty Lord, the victorious").[citation needed] The salutation is repeated and the holy water is sprinkled on their eyes and hair, five times. The remainder of the nectar is shared by all receiving the initiation, all drinking from the same bowl.[14] Sometimes portions of the Akal Ustat and 33 Savaiye compositions of Guru Gobind Singh found within the Dasam Granth is used during the ceremony.[15]
After this, all those taking part in the ceremony recite the Mool Mantra and they are inducted into the Khalsa.
After successfully undergoing the ceremony, a new Amritdhari is expected to have the following traits:[6]
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