This is taken from
sekinehiyaRESPECT FOR SRI GURU GRANTH SAHIB JI
1) To do Ardas Sikhs of spiritual achievement are required or the Guru
also hears Singh’s who have a pious lifestyle.
2) It is essential to have hazooria 1 around the neck.
Sometimes well off people have such busy lifestyles that they are
unable to go to the gurdwara regularly to visit Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji,
though they still have faith in the Guru. To this end, some people install
Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji in their houses and pay their respects daily at
home, morning and evening. Sometimes it is seen that devotees
themselves live in large mansions in which there are several lavish
bedrooms, kitchens, drawing rooms and bathrooms located in large
grounds. The room, in which Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji is installed, is the
smallest one in the house or which had been left as a storeroom with
poor ventilation and no windows. People even use the space under the
stairs to make rooms for the Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji.
This is not good practice
Inspiration For Respect Of Guru Granth Sahib Ji
If Baba Ji saw that Guru Granth Sahib Ji was installed in such
conditions, the home owners were advised in strongest possible terms,
”O dear fellow, this is the great Guru, who has given you this huge
house to live in, luxurious cars to drive, money to spend, material gains.
You beg for progress with folded hands daily. Was this small room the
only one you could find to place Guru Ji in? If an ordinary guest comes
to your house you welcome them to stay in your best-decorated rooms
but the authority that is the emperor of both worlds, donor of salvation,
living light of the ten Guru’s, is not even afforded the respect given to an
ordinary guest. This lack of respect does not affect the Guru but we
suffer a great spiritual loss.”
If in any gurdwara or home, the small bed (manji Sahib) or the
wardrobe were used to place Guru Granth Sahib Ji to rest at night then
Baba Ji would emphatically condemn this practice. He would give
whatever money was required to get a fine bed upon which to place the
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Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji at night. The gurdwara management was
warned against this practice.
Baba Ji once went to the house of a devotee in Patiala. Sri Guru
Granth Sahib Ji was installed with due care and reverence, not in the
manner already described. The whole family was devotedly serving
Guru Ji, considering it their living Guru. In their beautiful mansion, the
great Guru was enthroned in a well-decorated room on the first floor.
The adjoining room was furnished so that Sri Guru Granth Sahib could
be placed in the room at night. Baba Ji was pleased to see this respect
and reverence afforded to Guru Ji. He gathered the family together in
front of Guru Granth Sahib Ji, applauded their service and graced them
with many blessings.
Baba Ji was to stay for a couple of days in the house. As devotees
came to know of his presence, they began to throng to the house for his
divine company. Meanwhile, some devotees arrived from Bathinda at
gurdwara Rampur Khera but found out from the attendants that Baba
Ji had gone to Patiala. They started their car and left for Patiala. After
lots of enquiries, they reached the house where Baba Ji was staying.
They somehow decided to stay the night and were put up in the house
that Baba Ji was staying at. In the morning they petitioned Baba Ji,
”Our daughter is seriously ill. Doctors have expressed their helplessness.
Please help us to get her well.”
Baba Ji replied sternly, ”I am not here to cure people. I neither
give curses or boons. If you want to ask some thing about spiritual
matters, do so.”
The devotee was an intelligent, experienced and seasoned officer.
He somehow managed to work out an acquaintance with the family
with which Baba Ji was staying and persuaded them to intervene on his
behalf and request Baba Ji to help. In the morning, other people came
to visit Baba Ji and the hosts, finding a suitable time, requested Baba Ji
to do Ardas for the devotee’s daughter. Baba Ji said, ”Let’s take the
order of the great Guru. If he orders it, then we shall all ask for an
Ardas to be performed by five Singh’s.”
All had congregated in the presence of Guru Granth Sahib Ji.
Two orders were taken, first for the holy vision of the great Guru and
the second for permission to do Ardas by Singh’s. The great Guru
granted permission to do so. A discussion started, the sangat wondered
if a holy Sikh of high spiritual standing should do Ardas or would the
great Guru heed the prayers of baptised Sikhs who follow the code of
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the Khalsa (Rehatwan Sikhs- literally those who adhere to the code of
conduct)?
Finally, Baba Ji decided, ”The whole sangat should sit in meditation
for fifteen minutes and the decision will be left up to Sri Guru Granth
Sahib Ji. Let the great Guru answer whether only spiritually supreme
Sikhs are heard in their prayers or is the Ardas of regular but rehatwan
Sikhs heard by the Guru.”
So, Baba Ji sat in meditation along with the rest of the sangat.
Then everyone stood up, prayed to the great Guru, asking the above
question about the Ardas, said Fateh and sat down. There was pin drop
silence and everyone was in a peaceful mood, hoping to get a vision or
hear the words of the great Guru himself.
Guru Hears The Ardas Of Rehatvan Sikhs
At this moment, the tenth Guru Sri Guru Gobind Singh Ji appeared
behind the palanquin where the priest stands and the whole room was
flooded with light. Around the room there were Singh’s of all ages,
their faces were radiant and beside each gursikh was standing the
physical form of Guru Gobind Singh Ji. The form of Guru Ji who was
standing behind Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji spoke, ”Bhai Harnam Singh!
These gursikhs here have reached the highest spiritual state of param
padh. Some of the others are rehatwan Sikhs.” Baba Ji replied, ”You
alone know this my Lord.” The emperor of emperor’s replied, ”all of
them who have not obtained param padh but are stalwart in their code
of conduct I am with them too, as you can see. I hear the Ardas of
everyone but give only that boon which is beneficial to the devotee.
There is no difference between a rehatwan Sikh and a Sikh who has
achieved param padh to me. Moreover, ask the devotee who has come
with prayers for his daughter’s health to have a rehatwan Sikh recite
the whole of Guru Granth Sahib Ji out aloud. As long as he recites
Gurbani, their daughter should listen to Gurbani either sitting or lying
down. The Singh should be offered five hundred rupees for this service.
As long as our form stay’s in their house, no one should eat meat or
drink liquor and neither should anyone come into the house after having
used them. It is best not to have meat and liquor ever. Our form of the
Guru Granth Sahib Ji should be put to rest at night on a large bed. If the
family has the prayers recited with devotion, following this advice, then
their daughter will get well. If they are negligent in following this advice
then, they are responsible for their own actions.”
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The Importance Of Hazooria
The great Guru then ordered Baba Ji to tell the sangat on his
behalf that, ”Whenever someone comes to pay their respects to Guru
Granth Sahib Ji, then that person should have a hazooria around their
neck. The old gursikhs used to keep a hazooria with them. If one is
doing Ardas with the hazooria around their neck I listen to them with
great care and attention. A hazooria is a symbol of humility and servitude
to the Lord Almighty. If a gursikh cannot keep a hazooria all day then
he should wear it at least when coming to pay respects in front of Sri
Guru Granth Sahib Ji. This pleases us.”
Baba Ji related both these orders from the great Guru to the
assembled congregation. The doubt about who can perform Ardas and
whose prayer is heard was dispelled.
ਸਤਿਗੁਰਬਚਨਕਮਾਵਣੇਸਚਾਏਹੁਵੀਚਾਰੁ॥