Amritvela and Nitnem

What happens when a person has missed amritvela and nitnem for countless number of days? This question was asked by someone recently. If that person returns back to doing his/her amritvela and nitnem regularly again after realising the mistake, is it sufficient to do ardaas to Guru sahib for forgiveness or does that person needs to pesh at amrit sanchaar samagam?

Originally Amirt Sanchar was intended for those to take amrit , and only abhilakhees and veymukhs who committed bajjar kurehits attended Amrit Sanchar to take Amrit. People who committed smaller kurehits did not attend the Amirt ceremoney. In the past Gurdwara Sahibs were managed by panj pyaarey . The panth was a close knitted community. If someone committed a smaller kurehit they would attend the Gurdwara Sahib and redeem themselves instead of going to an Amrit Sanchar.

Not doing JapJi Sahibs throughout the day was considered a Kurehit. Not attending Amrit Vela asa di vaar kirtan was considered a kurehit. One who missed this nitnem routine was considered a tankhiya. Tankhiya is a persian word meaing wage ( income) and generally refers to a fine. According to Gurmat Maryada, the fine is not just monetary if one wants cleareance from the kurehit they have to pay the fine with their mind ( bani) , body (phyiscal seva) and wealth (vand) .

For example if someone committed a small kurehit they would recite 10 additional japji sahibs for 40 days. They would do additional phyiscal seva such as cleaning dishes, cleaning toilets, jhoria seva, etc. Certain seva such as langar seva was prohiibited untill the person fully builded their jeevan back up. Lastly, they would increase their dasvand according to their means. THis way they were able to redeem themselves. Unfortunately, we are no longer the close knitted community and nobody checks each other rehat nor is our Gurdwara Sahib managed by Gurdwara Sahibs so if someone commits a smaller kurehit like missing amrit vela and nitnem then they are responsible to pay the fine . If a person is to young to may monteary fine then they increase the time spent doing physical seva and bani.

Sikh Rehat Maryada on SGPC site mentions the method of giving tankhah

Method of Imposing Chastisement (Tankah)

Article XXV

a. Any Sikh who has committed any default in the observance of the Sikh discipline should approach the nearby Sikh congregation and make a confession of his lapse standing before the congregation.

b. The congregation should then, in the holy presence of Guru Granth Sahib, elect from among themselves five beloved ones who should ponder over the suppliant's fault and propose the chastisement (punishment) for it.

c. The congregation should not take an obdurate stand in granting pardon. Nor should the defaulter argue about the chastisement. The punishment that is imposed should be some kind of service, especially some service that can be performed with hands.

d. And finally an Ardas for correction should be performed.


As Sukhdeep Singh veerji pointed out that now a days we do not get the pooran gurmat managed Gurdwara sahibs and majority in the sangat themselves are non amritdhari. So in such scenario will it not be proper to ask the one who has not committed a bajjar kurehat but is still tankhayia due to dhill in rehat to attend the nearest amrit sanchaar samagam?

Also what is the limit of dhill that makes it mandatory to go pesh. Lot of singhs have given different version of what is and what not the dhill in rehat that requires mandatory peshi. Please provide more information.

If the person in question has been missing Nitnem as well as Amritvela, then it's best that he gets Pesh at Amrit Sinchaar. Now a days, people take Amritvela too lightly and shamelessly keep sleeping during Amritvela whereas for a Sikh who lives in the love and fear of Guru Sahib, Amritvela is a question of life and death. A Sikh who misses Amritvela Nitnem and Abhyaas cannot be classified as a Sachyaar Sikh and as per Gurbani such person is considered a corpse and not an alive person. Please refer to Baba Farid jee's Salok with respect to this.

As Veer Sukhdeep Singh has pointed out, we are no longer the tightly knitted people we used to be in the past. Now a days, we dare not advise anyone on Sikhi. The results of this lack of accountability have been horrible. We have become very worldly and Mayadhari. We no longer hold Sikhi as top priority.

We don't look at our own Jeevan, don't keep Amritvela and ignore Sarbloh Bibek and other Rehits but we are always eager to find faults in Rehitvaan Gursikhs who keep Amritvela and other Rehits. The situation has become very grim. We have become a bunch of Nindaks and Dhillads. No wonder, we as Panth as enduring one defeat after the other. Guru Sahib Kirpa karan.

Kulbir Singh