Anand Kaaraj

Anand Kaaraj The Sikh Wedding Ceremony

pauVI ] paurree Pauree:

kIqw loVIAY kMmu su hir pih AwKIAY ] keetaa lorreeai kamm su har pehi aakheeai Whatever work you wish to accomplish-tell it to the Lord.

kwrju dyie svwir siqgur scu swKIAY ] kaaraj de-é savaar sat(i)gur sach saakheeai He will resolve your affairs; the True Guru gives His Guarantee of Truth.

sMqw sMig inDwnu AMimRqu cwKIAY ] santaa sang nidhaan amritchaakheeai In the Society of the Saints, you shall taste the treasure of Amrit, the Ambrosial Nectar.

BY BMjn imhrvwn dws kI rwKIAY ] bhai bhanjan miharvaan daas kee raakheeai The Lord is the Merciful Destroyer of fear; He preserves and protects His slaves.

nwnk hir gux gwie AlKu pRBu lwKIAY ]20] naanak har gun gaaé alakh prabh laakheeai O Nanak, sing the Glorious Praises of the Lord, and see the Unseen Lord Vaheguru. ||20||

The first (Introductionary) Ardaas In this Ardaas (prayer) only the bride and groom and their parents stand and participate to seek Guru Ji’s blessings before proceeding with wedding ceremony. kIqw loVIAY kMmu su hir pih AwKIAY “Whenever there is any work on hand, address Vaheguru about it and invoke His blessings.” (Ang 92, SGGS)

The First Hukamnama – The Order (Hymn from Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji) • A Hukamnama is a random reading of the first shabad (hymn) on the ang (page) which Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji opens on. • Through the Hukamnama, Guru Ji speaks and showers His blessings upon the couple, the parents and the holy congregation.

Tying the Wedding Knot • This ceremony is known as ‘Palle Dee Rasam’, where the bride’s relatives (usually the father) give her away to the groom. • Holding the boy’s sarf in her hand, the bride and groom physically join in communion, ready to accept and affirm their marriage vows in front of Guru Ji • During this ceremony the musicians (Raagis) sing a shabad (hymn).

slok mÚ 5 ] salok mehlaa panjvaa Salok, Fifth Mehl:

ausqiq inMdw nwnk jI mY hB v\weI CoiVAw hBu ikJu iqAwgI ] ustat nindaa naanak jee mai habh vanjaaee chhorriaa habh kijhtiaagee I have totally discarded praise and slander, O Nanak; I have forsaken and abandoned everything.

hBy swk kUVwvy ifTy qau plY qYfY lwgI ]1] habhé saak koorraavé dithé tau palai taiddai laagee I have seen that all relationships are false, and so I have grasped hold of the hem of Your robe, Lord. ||1||

The Advice to Couple • At this point the Granthi Singh (the person who reads and explains Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji) explains to the the couple the importance of married in relation to Gurmat (the Guru’s teachings) and how through the Guru’s teachings they can make their life peaceful and happier. • The couple are asked whether they have taken Amrit (baptism), and if not they are asked to agree that in the near future both husband and wife will take Amrit and commit themselves to the Guru, just as today they have committed themselves to one another.

The main marriage ceremony • Four hymns from the Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji are read to solemnise the Anand Kaaraj (Sikh marriage). • In these hymns, Guru Raam Daas Ji, the fourth Sikh Guru, has described the marriage of the individual soul with the Eternal Soul. • These four hymns mention four stages in the progression of love between spouses and also of human souls towards union with the Supreme Soul, Vaheguru.

Marriage is a spiritual journey of one soul in two bodies, which needs love, mutual respect, mutual trust, mutual adjustment and commitment to attain unity with Vaheguru. • The essence of the four hymns may be summed in the following words: - Contemplation of Vaheguru’s Name - Fear of the Immaculate Vaheguru - Bairaag and longing of Divine Love - Harmony and attainment of Vaheguru • Guru Raam Daas Ji mentions that the married life should be moulded to the spiritual and ideal teachings contained in these hymns.

During the marriage ceremony, the Granthi recites the first Laav (vow). • Musicians (Raagis) then sing the same verse, while the bride and the groom walk clockwise around the Guru Granth Sahib Ji. • When the musicians (Raagis) finish singing the verse, the bride and the groom bow and sit down. This protocol is repeated for each of the four marriage verses.

sUhI mhlw 4 ] soohee mehlaa chautaa Soohee, Fourth Mehl:

pihlVI lwv First Hymn (Vow) pehilarree laav

hir pihlVI lwv privrqI krm idRVwieAw bil rwm jIau ] har pehilarree laav parvirtee karam drirraaeiaa bal raam jeeo In the first round of the marriage ceremony, Vaheguru sets out His Instructions for performing the daily duties of married life.

bwxI bRhmw vydu Drmu idRVhu pwp qjwieAw bil rwm jIau ] baanee brahmaa veddharam drirrhu paap tajaaeiaa bal raam jeeo Instead of the hymns of the Vedas to Brahma, embrace the righteous conduct of Dharma, and renounce sinful actions.

Drmu idRVhu hir nwmu iDAwvhu isimRiq nwmu idRVwieAw ] dharam drirrhu har naam dhiaavhu simrit naam drirraaeiaa Meditate on the Lord's Name; embrace and enshrine the contemplative remembrance of the Naam.

siqguru guru pUrw AwrwDhu siB iklivK pwp gvwieAw ] sat(i)gur gur pooraa aaraadhhu sabh kilvikh paap gavaaeiaa Worship and adore the Guru, the Perfect True Guru, and all your sins shall be dispelled.

shj Anµdu hoAw vfBwgI min hir hir mITw lwieAw ] sehaj anand hoaa vaddbhaagee man har har meethaa laaeiaa By great good fortune, joyous bliss is attained, and the Lord, Har, Har, seems sweet to the mind.

jnu khY nwnku lwv pihlI AwrMBu kwju rcwieAw ]1] jan kehai naanak laav pehilee aarambh kaaj rachaaeiaa Servant Nanak proclaims that, in this, the first round of the marriage ceremony, the marriage ceremony has begun. ||1||

The bride and groom now bow their head (matha tekh) to Guru Granth Sahib Ji and walk around Guru Ji clockwise while the same verse is sung by the musicians (Raagis). This signifies acceptance of the vow and the walking around is a physical expression of the affirmation.

hir pihlVI lwv privrqI krm idRVwieAw bil rwm jIau ] har pehilarree laav parvirtee karam drirraaeiaa bal raam jeeo In the first round of the marriage ceremony, Vaheguru sets out His Instructions for performing the daily duties of married life.

bwxI bRhmw vydu Drmu idRVhu pwp qjwieAw bil rwm jIau ] baanee brahmaa veddharam drirrhu paap tajaaeiaa bal raam jeeo Instead of the hymns of the Vedas to Brahma, embrace the righteous conduct of Dharma, and renounce sinful actions.

Drmu idRVhu hir nwmu iDAwvhu isimRiq nwmu idRVwieAw ] dharam drirrhu har naam dhiaavhu simrit naam drirraaeiaa Meditate on the Lord's Name; embrace and enshrine the contemplative remembrance of the Naam.

siqguru guru pUrw AwrwDhu siB iklivK pwp gvwieAw ] sat(i)gur gur pooraa aaraadhhu sabh kilvikh paap gavaaeiaa Worship and adore the Guru, the Perfect True Guru, and all your sins shall be dispelled.

shj Anµdu hoAw vfBwgI min hir hir mITw lwieAw ] sehaj anand hoaa vaddbhaagee man har har meethaa laaeiaa By great good fortune, joyous bliss is attained, and the Lord, Har, Har, seems sweet to the mind.

jnu khY nwnku lwv pihlI AwrMBu kwju rcwieAw ]1] jan kehai naanak laav pehilee aarambh kaaj rachaaeiaa Servant Nanak proclaims that, in this, the first round of the marriage ceremony, the marriage ceremony has begun. ||1||

The bridge and groom now bow their heads (matha tekh) to Guru Ji and sit down to listen to the next hymn (vow).

dUjVI lwv Second Hymn (Vow) doojree laav

hir dUjVI lwv siqguru purKu imlwieAw bil rwm jIau ] har doojrree laav sat(i)gur purakh milaaeiaa bal raam jeeo In the second round of the marriage ceremony, the Lord leads you to meet the True Guru, the Primal Being.

inrBau BY mnu hoie haumY mYlu gvwieAw bil rwm jIau ] nirbhau bhai man hoé haumai mail gavaaeiaa bal raam jeeo With the Fear of God, the Fearless Lord in the mind, the filth of egotism is eradicated.

inrmlu Bau pwieAw hir gux gwieAw hir vyKY rwmu hdUry ] nirmal bhau paaeiaa har gun gaaeiaa har vekhai raam hadooré In the Fear of God, the Immaculate Lord, sing the Glorious Praises of the Lord, and behold the Lord's Presence before you.

hir Awqm rwmu pswirAw suAwmI srb rihAw BrpUry ] har aatam raam pasaariaa suaamee sarab rehiaa bharpooré The Lord, the Supreme Soul, is the Lord and Master of the Universe; He is pervading and permeating everywhere, fully filling all spaces.

AMqir bwhir hir pRBu eyko imil hir jn mMgl gwey ] antar baahar har prabh eiko mil har jan mangal gaaé Deep within, and outside as well, there is only the One Lord Vaheguru. Meeting together, the humble servants of the Lord sing the songs of joy.

jn nwnk dUjI lwv clweI Anhd sbd vjwey ]2] jan naanak doojee laav chalaaee anhadshabad vajaaé Servant Nanak proclaims that, in this, the second round of the marriage ceremony, the unstruck sound current of the Shabad resounds. ||2||