Sahajdhari
Encyclopedia
Sahajdhari is a person born into a non-Sikh family who desires to become a Sikh
and has chosen the path of Sikhism
. A sahajdhari believes in all the tenets of Sikhism
and the teachings of the Sikh Gurus
. Unlike a baptized Sikh
(known as Khalsa
), a sahajdhari is exempted from keeping the Five K's.
and other Indo-Aryan languages
, the words Sahaj means: spiritual state of equilibrium and dhari means "adopter".
s of Sikhism and the teaching of the Sikh Gurus but has not put all of them into practice.
The reasons can be many, including not being disciplined enough to maintain the Khalsa code of conduct or due to personal reasons of them not believing they have enough commitment to become a full Khalsa Sikh. In the Sikh community these reasons are considered valid
, as to renege upon them or break the Khalsa code of conduct, once becoming a baptized Sikh Khalsa, is considered one of the greatest sin
s in Sikhism, so it is better not to commit (by not becoming a baptized Khalsa Sikh) rather than to fall short later. All Sikhs at one point in their lives are Sahajdhari Sikhs, all Khalsa Sikhs were Sahajdhari Sikhs at one point in their lives because no-one is born a baptized Sikh - a Khalsa. They may have aspirations of receiving the rites of Khalsa baptism one day and maintaining the Five Ks, nevertheless, the ultimate ideal which they must realize in their lifetime is to become a baptized Sikh - a Khalsa.
According to the Shiromani Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee
, the Sahajdharis are ones "who have expressed their desire to adopt Sikhism slowly and gradually, its doctrines, ethics and tenants (sic) with belief in Shri Guru Granth Sahib and the 10 Gurus". SGPC adds that "A Sahajdhari Sikh is a person who performs ceremonies according to the Sikh rites; who does not use tobacco, kutha, halal meat in any form, who is not a patit and who can recite mulmantra." SGPC also clarifies: "Once a Sahajdhari becomes a Keshdhari Sikh, he, under no circumstances by cutting or trimming hair, beard, eyebrows in any manner, can claim to be a Sahajdhari Sikh.
) are required to wear at all times (but does not apply to non-baptized Sikhs), at the command of the tenth Sikh Guru, Guru Gobind Singh
who so ordered at the Baisakhi Amrit Sanskar
in 1699. They are:-
They are for identification and representation of the ideals of Sikhism, such as honesty, equality, fidelity, meditating on God, and never bowing to tyranny.
Sahajdhari Sikhs do not need to keep the Five Ks because they have not been baptized - the five Ks only applies to baptized Sikhs. However, if a Sahajdhari wants to keep some or all of the five Ks they can. Indeed, most Sahajdhari keep at least one of the five Ks e.g. kara. Most Sahajdhari Sikhs keep the kara as one of their five Ks.
However, Sahajdharis have been part of the larger Sikh body since the time of Guru Gobind Singh. Two of them in his own day Bhai Nand Lal and Bhai Kanhaiya
enjoyed great esteem. Bhai Nand Lal, a great Persian scholar and poet, maintained at Anandpur a langar or refectory open to visitors all the twenty-four hours. Bhai Kanhaiya won the Guru's admiration and is remembered in the Sikh tradition to this day for the devotion with which he served the wounded in battle, making no distinction between friend and foe.
In the early part of the eighteenth century when Sikh
s suffered fierce persecution and when to be a Kesadhari, that is to bear Kesh
or long hair, was to invite sure death, the udasis looked after their places of worship and protected the households and the kith and kin of those driven to seek safety in hill and jungle. Some even defied the persecutors and courted martyrdom as did the teenaged Haqiqat Rai, who was beheaded in public for his refusal to disown his Sikh belief and accept Islam. A leading Sahajdhari Sikh of that time was Kaura Mall, a minister to the Mughal governor of Lahore, Mu'in ul-Mulk (1748–53), who helped the Sikhs in diverse ways in those days of severe trial. He had so endeared himself to them that they called him Mittha (sweet, in Punjabi
) Mall instead of Kaura (which, in Punjabi
, means "bitter") Mall. Sikh tradition also recalls another Sahajdhari, Des Raj, of this period who was entrusted by the Khalsa
with the task of having reconstructed the Harimandar, demolished by the Afghan invader, Ahmad Shah Durrani, in 1762. Dina Nath was Maharaja Ranjit Singh
's finance minister. Bhai Vasti Ram, a learned man well versed in Sikh scriptures
, enjoyed considerable influence at the court.
Sahajdharis have continued to participate in Sikh
life right up to modern times and have associated themselves with Sikh institutions and organizations such as the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee, Chief Khalsa Diwan, Shiromani Akali Dal, and the All-India Sikh Students Federation. The Singh Sabhas used to have seats on their executive committees reserved for the Sahajdharis. Among their own societies, confined prior to the migrations of 1947, mainly to north-western India, were the Sahajdhari Committee of Multan
, Guru Nanak Sahajdhari Diwan of Panja Sahib and Sri Guru Nanak Sahajdhari Jatha of Campbellpore. The Sahajdhari Diwan of Panja Sahib attained the status of their central forum. They as well had their annual conference which met for its first session on 13 April 1929 under the chairmanship of Sir Jogendra Singh who passed on the office to the famous Sikh scholar and savant, Bhai Kahn Singh. A Sahajdharis' conference formed part of the annual proceedings of the Sikh Educational Conference.
The Sahajdharis share with the main body of the Sikhs all of their religious and social customs and ceremonies and join their congregations in the gurdwara
s. The population in the Punjab
of Sahajdhari Sikhs (another name used is Sikh Nanakpanthis) according to 1891 Census was 397,000 (20% of the total Sikh population); according to 1901 Census, 297,000 (13% of the total Sikhs); according to 1911 Census, 451,000 (14.9% of the total Sikhs); according to 1921 Census, 229,000 (7% of the total Sikhs); according to 1931 Census, 282,000 (6.5% of the total Sikhs). Outside of the Punjab, the North-West Frontier Province and Sindh had considerable Sahajdhari populations. Consequent upon the partition of India
in 1947, Sahajdharis became widely dispersed in the country. Their India-wide forum was the Sarab Hind (All-India) Sahajdharis Conference which rotated from town to town for its annual sessions. Three of its presidents: Mahant Karam Chand, Bhai Sant Ram and Bhai Ram Lal Rahi eventually took the vows of Khalsa
baptism, receiving respectively the names Gur Darshan Singh, Sant Ram Singh and Ram Lal Singh Rahi. Its founding Executive Vice President, Dr. Bhai Harbans Lal, was recognized with "Nishan-e-Khalsa" award by Anadpur Foundatioon at the Tercentennial Celebration of Khalsa in 1999.
Sikh
A Sikh is a follower of Sikhism. It primarily originated in the 15th century in the Punjab region of South Asia. The term "Sikh" has its origin in Sanskrit term शिष्य , meaning "disciple, student" or शिक्ष , meaning "instruction"...
and has chosen the path of Sikhism
Sikhism
Sikhism is a monotheistic religion founded during the 15th century in the Punjab region, by Guru Nanak Dev and continued to progress with ten successive Sikh Gurus . It is the fifth-largest organized religion in the world and one of the fastest-growing...
. A sahajdhari believes in all the tenets of Sikhism
Sikhism
Sikhism is a monotheistic religion founded during the 15th century in the Punjab region, by Guru Nanak Dev and continued to progress with ten successive Sikh Gurus . It is the fifth-largest organized religion in the world and one of the fastest-growing...
and the teachings of the Sikh Gurus
Sikh Gurus
The Sikh Gurus established Sikhism from over the centuries beginning in the year 1469. Sikhism was founded by the first guru, Guru Nanak, and subsequently, all in order were referred to as "Nanak", and as "Lights", making their teachings in the holy scriptures, equivalent...
. Unlike a baptized Sikh
Khalsa
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(known as Khalsa
Khalsa
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), a sahajdhari is exempted from keeping the Five K's.
Etymology
Sahajdhari is a compound of two words sahaj and dhari. In SanskritSanskrit
Sanskrit , is a historical Indo-Aryan language and the primary liturgical language of Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism.Buddhism: besides Pali, see Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit Today, it is listed as one of the 22 scheduled languages of India and is an official language of the state of Uttarakhand...
and other Indo-Aryan languages
Indo-Aryan languages
The Indo-Aryan languages constitutes a branch of the Indo-Iranian languages, itself a branch of the Indo-European language family...
, the words Sahaj means: spiritual state of equilibrium and dhari means "adopter".
Introduction
A sahajdhari believes in all the tenetTenet
A tenet is one of the principles on which a belief or theory is based. Tenet may also refer to:* Tenet , a Canadian heavy metal band* Tenet Healthcare, a hospital holding company* Tenet people, an ethnic group in Sudan...
s of Sikhism and the teaching of the Sikh Gurus but has not put all of them into practice.
The reasons can be many, including not being disciplined enough to maintain the Khalsa code of conduct or due to personal reasons of them not believing they have enough commitment to become a full Khalsa Sikh. In the Sikh community these reasons are considered valid
Valid
Valid is a Brazilian engraving company headquartered in Rio de Janeiro that provides security printing services to financial institutions, telecommunication companies, state governments, and public agencies in Brazil, Argentina, and Spain....
, as to renege upon them or break the Khalsa code of conduct, once becoming a baptized Sikh Khalsa, is considered one of the greatest sin
Sin
In religion, sin is the violation or deviation of an eternal divine law or standard. The term sin may also refer to the state of having committed such a violation. Christians believe the moral code of conduct is decreed by God In religion, sin (also called peccancy) is the violation or deviation...
s in Sikhism, so it is better not to commit (by not becoming a baptized Khalsa Sikh) rather than to fall short later. All Sikhs at one point in their lives are Sahajdhari Sikhs, all Khalsa Sikhs were Sahajdhari Sikhs at one point in their lives because no-one is born a baptized Sikh - a Khalsa. They may have aspirations of receiving the rites of Khalsa baptism one day and maintaining the Five Ks, nevertheless, the ultimate ideal which they must realize in their lifetime is to become a baptized Sikh - a Khalsa.
According to the Shiromani Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee
Shiromani Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee
The Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee is an organization in India responsible for the upkeep of gurdwaras, Sikh places of worship in three states of Punjab, Haryana and Himachal Pradesh. SGPC also administers Harmandir Sahib in Amritsar. Gurdwaras in Delhi are the administered by Delhi Sikh...
, the Sahajdharis are ones "who have expressed their desire to adopt Sikhism slowly and gradually, its doctrines, ethics and tenants (sic) with belief in Shri Guru Granth Sahib and the 10 Gurus". SGPC adds that "A Sahajdhari Sikh is a person who performs ceremonies according to the Sikh rites; who does not use tobacco, kutha, halal meat in any form, who is not a patit and who can recite mulmantra." SGPC also clarifies: "Once a Sahajdhari becomes a Keshdhari Sikh, he, under no circumstances by cutting or trimming hair, beard, eyebrows in any manner, can claim to be a Sahajdhari Sikh.
Five Ks
The Five Ks, or panj kakaar/kakke, are five items of faith that all baptized Sikhs (KhalsaKhalsa
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) are required to wear at all times (but does not apply to non-baptized Sikhs), at the command of the tenth Sikh Guru, Guru Gobind Singh
Guru Gobind Singh
Guru Gobind Singh is the tenth and last Sikh guru in a sacred lineage of ten Sikh gurus. Born in Patna, Bihar in India, he was also a warrior, poet and philosopher. He succeeded his father Guru Tegh Bahadur as the leader of Sikhs at a young age of nine...
who so ordered at the Baisakhi Amrit Sanskar
Amrit Sanskar
Amrit Sanchar or the Amrit ceremony is the Sikh ceremony of initiation or baptism. This practice has been in existence since the times of Guru Nanak Dev . During that time-period, this ceremony was known as Charan Amrit or Charan Pahul or the Pag Pahul, the words Charan and Pag both signifying the...
in 1699. They are:-
- KeshKesh (Sikhism)In Sikhism, Kesh is the practice of allowing one's hair to grow naturally as a symbol of respect for the perfection of God's creation. The practice is one of the Five Ks, the outward symbols ordered by Guru Gobind Singh in 1699 as a means to profess the Sikh faith...
(uncut hair) - KangaKanga (Sikhism)The Sikhs were commanded by Guru Gobind Singh at the Baisakhi Amrit Sanchar in 1699 to wear a small comb called a Kanga at all times. Kanga must be worn by all baptised Sikhs , after a mandatory religious commandment given by Guru Gobind Singh in AD 1699.This was one of five articles of faith,...
(wooden comb) - Kacchera (specially-designed underwear)
- KaraKara (Sikhism)A kara , is a steel or iron bracelet, worn by both male and female initiated Sikhs. It is one of the five kakars or 5Ks — external articles of faith — that identify a Sikh as dedicated to their religious order. The kara was instituted by the tenth Sikh guru Gobind Singh at the Baisakhi...
(Iron bracelet) - Kirpan (strapped sword).
They are for identification and representation of the ideals of Sikhism, such as honesty, equality, fidelity, meditating on God, and never bowing to tyranny.
Sahajdhari Sikhs do not need to keep the Five Ks because they have not been baptized - the five Ks only applies to baptized Sikhs. However, if a Sahajdhari wants to keep some or all of the five Ks they can. Indeed, most Sahajdhari keep at least one of the five Ks e.g. kara. Most Sahajdhari Sikhs keep the kara as one of their five Ks.
History
After Guru Gobind Singh inaugurated the Khalsa in 1699 AD, introducing the Amrit Sanskar (baptism), those who took Amrit Sanskar (baptism) received the title of the "Khalsa", and those who wanted to take baptism and become Khalsa but at a later time came to be known as "Sahajdharis". It was, in the first instance, not possible to have baptism administered all at once by the rites established by Guru Gobind Singh to Sikhs in far-flung sangats.However, Sahajdharis have been part of the larger Sikh body since the time of Guru Gobind Singh. Two of them in his own day Bhai Nand Lal and Bhai Kanhaiya
Bhai Kanhaiya
Bhai Kanhaiya , was a Sikh of Guru Tegh Bahadur and was requested to establish the Sevapanthi or Addanshahi order of the Sikhs by Guru Gobind Singh Ji. Bhai Sahib was born in a Dhamman Khatri family of Sodhara near Wazirabad in Sialkot district...
enjoyed great esteem. Bhai Nand Lal, a great Persian scholar and poet, maintained at Anandpur a langar or refectory open to visitors all the twenty-four hours. Bhai Kanhaiya won the Guru's admiration and is remembered in the Sikh tradition to this day for the devotion with which he served the wounded in battle, making no distinction between friend and foe.
In the early part of the eighteenth century when Sikh
Sikh
A Sikh is a follower of Sikhism. It primarily originated in the 15th century in the Punjab region of South Asia. The term "Sikh" has its origin in Sanskrit term शिष्य , meaning "disciple, student" or शिक्ष , meaning "instruction"...
s suffered fierce persecution and when to be a Kesadhari, that is to bear Kesh
Kesh (Sikhism)
In Sikhism, Kesh is the practice of allowing one's hair to grow naturally as a symbol of respect for the perfection of God's creation. The practice is one of the Five Ks, the outward symbols ordered by Guru Gobind Singh in 1699 as a means to profess the Sikh faith...
or long hair, was to invite sure death, the udasis looked after their places of worship and protected the households and the kith and kin of those driven to seek safety in hill and jungle. Some even defied the persecutors and courted martyrdom as did the teenaged Haqiqat Rai, who was beheaded in public for his refusal to disown his Sikh belief and accept Islam. A leading Sahajdhari Sikh of that time was Kaura Mall, a minister to the Mughal governor of Lahore, Mu'in ul-Mulk (1748–53), who helped the Sikhs in diverse ways in those days of severe trial. He had so endeared himself to them that they called him Mittha (sweet, in Punjabi
Punjabi language
Punjabi is an Indo-Aryan language spoken by inhabitants of the historical Punjab region . For Sikhs, the Punjabi language stands as the official language in which all ceremonies take place. In Pakistan, Punjabi is the most widely spoken language...
) Mall instead of Kaura (which, in Punjabi
Punjabi language
Punjabi is an Indo-Aryan language spoken by inhabitants of the historical Punjab region . For Sikhs, the Punjabi language stands as the official language in which all ceremonies take place. In Pakistan, Punjabi is the most widely spoken language...
, means "bitter") Mall. Sikh tradition also recalls another Sahajdhari, Des Raj, of this period who was entrusted by the Khalsa
Khalsa
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with the task of having reconstructed the Harimandar, demolished by the Afghan invader, Ahmad Shah Durrani, in 1762. Dina Nath was Maharaja Ranjit Singh
Ranjit Singh
Maharaja Ranjit Singh Ji was the first Maharaja of the Sikh Empire.-Early life:...
's finance minister. Bhai Vasti Ram, a learned man well versed in Sikh scriptures
Sikh scriptures
The principal Sikh scripture is the Adi Granth , more commonly called the Guru Granth Sahib. The Sikhs do not regard this as their "holy book" but as their perpetual and current "Guru", Guide or Master...
, enjoyed considerable influence at the court.
Sahajdharis have continued to participate in Sikh
Sikh
A Sikh is a follower of Sikhism. It primarily originated in the 15th century in the Punjab region of South Asia. The term "Sikh" has its origin in Sanskrit term शिष्य , meaning "disciple, student" or शिक्ष , meaning "instruction"...
life right up to modern times and have associated themselves with Sikh institutions and organizations such as the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee, Chief Khalsa Diwan, Shiromani Akali Dal, and the All-India Sikh Students Federation. The Singh Sabhas used to have seats on their executive committees reserved for the Sahajdharis. Among their own societies, confined prior to the migrations of 1947, mainly to north-western India, were the Sahajdhari Committee of Multan
Multan
Multan , is a city in the Punjab Province of Pakistan and capital of Multan District. It is located in the southern part of the province on the east bank of the Chenab River, more or less in the geographic centre of the country and about from Islamabad, from Lahore and from Karachi...
, Guru Nanak Sahajdhari Diwan of Panja Sahib and Sri Guru Nanak Sahajdhari Jatha of Campbellpore. The Sahajdhari Diwan of Panja Sahib attained the status of their central forum. They as well had their annual conference which met for its first session on 13 April 1929 under the chairmanship of Sir Jogendra Singh who passed on the office to the famous Sikh scholar and savant, Bhai Kahn Singh. A Sahajdharis' conference formed part of the annual proceedings of the Sikh Educational Conference.
The Sahajdharis share with the main body of the Sikhs all of their religious and social customs and ceremonies and join their congregations in the gurdwara
Gurdwara
A Gurdwara , meaning the Gateway to the Guru, is the place of worship for Sikhs, the followers of Sikhism. A Gurdwara can be identified from a distance by tall flagpoles bearing the Nishan Sahib ....
s. The population in the Punjab
Punjab region
The Punjab , also spelled Panjab |water]]s"), is a geographical region straddling the border between Pakistan and India which includes Punjab province in Pakistan and the states of the Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Chandigarh and some northern parts of the National Capital Territory of Delhi...
of Sahajdhari Sikhs (another name used is Sikh Nanakpanthis) according to 1891 Census was 397,000 (20% of the total Sikh population); according to 1901 Census, 297,000 (13% of the total Sikhs); according to 1911 Census, 451,000 (14.9% of the total Sikhs); according to 1921 Census, 229,000 (7% of the total Sikhs); according to 1931 Census, 282,000 (6.5% of the total Sikhs). Outside of the Punjab, the North-West Frontier Province and Sindh had considerable Sahajdhari populations. Consequent upon the partition of India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
in 1947, Sahajdharis became widely dispersed in the country. Their India-wide forum was the Sarab Hind (All-India) Sahajdharis Conference which rotated from town to town for its annual sessions. Three of its presidents: Mahant Karam Chand, Bhai Sant Ram and Bhai Ram Lal Rahi eventually took the vows of Khalsa
Khalsa
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baptism, receiving respectively the names Gur Darshan Singh, Sant Ram Singh and Ram Lal Singh Rahi. Its founding Executive Vice President, Dr. Bhai Harbans Lal, was recognized with "Nishan-e-Khalsa" award by Anadpur Foundatioon at the Tercentennial Celebration of Khalsa in 1999.