Eating Langar Vs Eating Parshada

Some time ago was listening to Bhai Panthpreet Singh's vichaar, and they warned the Sangat in a stern voice about using the term 'eating Langar'. They stated that the meaning of Langar is an 'Anchor' and this is not something that can be consumed. They insisted we should say eating 'Parshada' instead. Can someone shed some light on the meaning of the word 'Langar'?

that makes sense! the word langar it literally means anchor or kedge, used for holding a boat in place! it also, of course, means guru sahib's free kitchen.

so we can't eat a kitchen, nor can we eat an anchor! but we can indeed eat prashada. i had never thought of this, thanks for bringing this up!

A word may have many meanings and these meanings develop over the time. Bhai Kahn Singh Nabha has written that the root of the word Langar is Analgreh (ਅਨਲਗ੍ਰਿਹ) which means Paakshaala i.e. kitchen. Langar in Farsi means anchor but I don't think this is the root of the word Langar used in the meanings of Kitchen. In Krishnavtar, there is a Pankiti ਖਾਵਤ ਲੰਗਰ ਦੈਕਰ ਗਾਰੀ he ate Langar while cursing.

It's common to say that "Guru ka Langar" is ready and everyone should leave only after eating it. If we were to interpret Langar as anchor, then what meaning would it have when we say "Guru ka Langar" is ready? If we want to split hair, then we could say that why should say we are eating Parshaada (Roti) when infact there could be no Parshaada in Langar that day and only rice is being served.

Langar means Guru Sahib's kitchen but over time, the meaning of Langar has also become food served at Guru's Langar and for this reason it's not against Gurmat to say that we eat Guru Ka Langar or that Guru Ka Langar will be served Atut - ਗੁਰੂ ਕਾ ਲੰਗਰ ਅਤੁੱਟ ਵਰਤੇਗਾ. It is common to say this - ਗੁਰੂ ਕਾ ਲੰਗਰ ਅਤੁੱਟ ਵਰਤੇਗਾ. Here clearly Langar means food served in Guru's Langar and not anchor or kitchen.

Guru Sahib knows better.

Daas,
Kulbir Singh

For me it was second nature to say lets eat Langar, and after hearing Bhai Panthpreet Singh's vichaar, I would often be in a quandary of what terminology to use.

Kulbir Singh Ji, thanks for clearing up this confusion.