CODE
OF CONDUCT
Sikh
Reht Maryada
Kirtan
and Taking Hukam (Command)
Kirtan
a. |
Only a Sikh may perform kirtan in
a congregation.
.. |
| b. |
Kirtan : singing Gurbani in the
prescribed Rag in the beginning
of the Shabad.
.. |
| c. |
In the congregation, kirtan only
of Gurbani (Guru Granth Sahib 's
or Guru Gobind Singh's hymns) and,
for its elaboration, of the compositions
of Bhai Gurdas Ji and Bhai Nand
Lal Ji, may be performed.
.. |
| d. |
It is improper, while singing Shabads
from Guru Granth Sahib to rhythmic
folk tunes or to traditional Ragas,
or in group singing , to induct
into them improvised and extraneous
refrains. Only a line from the Shabad
should be made a refrain.
.. |
Taking
Hukam (Command)
| a. |
Doing obeisance
to the Guru Granth Sahib, taking
a glimpse of the congregation, an
embodiment of the Guru's person,
and taking the command : these constitute
the view of the Satguru (Immortal
destroyer of darkness, the true
guru). Raising the drapery covering
Guru Granth Sahib and merely taking
a look or making others take a look
at the exposed page, without taking
command (reading the prescribed
hymn) is contrary to Gurmat (Guru's
way).
..
|
| b. |
In
the course of the congregational
sessions, only one thing should
be done at a time : performing of
kirtan,delivering discourse, interpretative
elaboration of the scriptures, or
reading of the scriptures.
..
|
c. |
Only
a Sikh, man or woman, is entitled
to be in attendence of the Guru
Granth Sahib during the congregational
session.
..
|
| d. |
Only
a Sikh may read out from the Guru
Granth Sahib for others. However,
even a non-Sikh may read from it
for himself/herself.
..
|
| e. |
For
taking the command (Hukam), the
Shabad that is continuing on the
top of the left hand page must be
from the beginning. If the Shabad
begins on the previous page, turn
over the page and read the whole
hymn from the beginning to the end.
If the scriptural composition that
is continuing on the top of the
left hand page is a var(ode) then
start from the first of the slokas
preceding the pauri and read upto
the end of the pauri. Conclude the
reading at the end of the Shabad
with the line in which the name
'Nanak' occurs.
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|
| f. |
Hukam
must also be taken at the conclusion
of the congregational session or
after the Ardas.
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