DO NOT EAT BEFORE NITNEM

Sadh Sangat Jee,

Can someone please help explain the rehat by Bhai Nand Lal Jee about not eating before Nitnem. Was he referring to "Panj Nitnem Bhanis" or our usual Nitnem routine (Nitnem, other Banis and Simran).

I try not to eat before doing the Panj Nitnem Banis but even if I eat something after doing my Panj Nitnem Banis and it is still amritwela (sometimes I get real hungry in the morning) I find that the vice of greed kicks in and I end up binging on junk food - not good! Any clarification on this rehat will be appreciated.

Bhul Chuk Maaf

Parsad is a real good tummy filler

SOme people claim this Hukum refers only to Gurdwara Sahib Maryada, but personally I see no difference between Gurdwara Sahib Maryada and the maryada each Gursikh should follow in his or her daily life. WHen we take birth in the Gurus house our daily lives should be in accordance with the maryada of Gurus ghar. During Amrit Sanchar when taken birth in the house of Sri Guru Nanak Dev Ji our first morsel of food ( parshaad) is only given after we have Amrit-Ishaan and listen to Panj Bania.

I think this is a extremely difficult rehat if one has a stronger desire for physical food as opposed to spiritual food contained in Gurbani .Once you start keeping Bibek you eventually learn how to go without food for a long period of time. A couple of hours without food is not going to kill you. Besides BHai Nand Lal SIngh Ji there are many other references in both Gurbani and historical resources that state not to eat without daily prayers.

1.ਜੋ ਬਿਨੁ ਸਤਿਗੁਰ ਸੇਵੇ ਖਾਦੇ ਪੈਨਦੇ ਸੇ ਮੁਏ ਮਰਿ ਜੰਮੇ ਕੋੜ੍ਹੇ ॥ ang 306
Those who eat and dress (means enjoy materials) without serving to Satguru (here serving could means Naam and Bani), they remains in cycle of reincarnation and lives like lepers.
2.ਬਿਨਾ ਜਪੁ ਜਾਪੁ ਜਪੇ , ਜੋ ਜੇਵਹਿ ਪ੍ਰਸਾਦਿ ਸੋ ਬਿਸਟਾ ਕਾ ਕਿਰਮ ਹੁਇ ਜਨਮ ਗਵਾਵੈ ਬਾਦ-- Bhai Prahalad Singh Ji rehatnama
One will lose their Sikhi birth and be born as a maggot if they eat without doing their daily prayers.
3.ਪ੍ਰਾਤਾ ਕਾਲ ਗੁਰ ਗੀਤ ਨ ਗਾਵੈ। ਰਹਿਰਾਸ ਬਿਨਾ ਪ੍ਰਸਾਦਿ ਜੋ ਖਾਵੈ।ਲਖ ਚਉਰਾਸੀਹ ਭ੍ਰਮਤਾ ਫਿਰੈ। ਬਾਰ ਬਾਰ ਜਗ ਜਨਮੈ ਮਰੇ।- Bhai Prahalad Singh Ji
He who does not sing Gurbani in the early hours, and eats without reciting Rehras will remain lost in the cycle of birth and death over and over.


When Guru Nanak Sahib Ji would go on his missionary travels he was often accompanied by his childhood friend Bhai Bala Ji and Bhai Mardana Ji who was a musician by trade. During the tours Guru Sahib would recite the Gurbani verses, Bhai Bala Ji would do chaur seva, and Bhai Mardana would sing along while playing the rabab. In the Janam Sakhis, BHai Bala Ji mentions one day they were heading towards the West through a jungle. They have been travelling through out the whole day in the middle of a jungle without any food. The night was approaching and Guru Sahib gave Bhai Mardana Ji the following Hukum:

ਬੱਚਾ ਮਰਦਾਨਿਆ ਸ਼ਬਦ ਰਹਿਰਾਸ ਕਾ ਵੇਲਾ ਹੋਯਾ ਹੈ ਚੌਕੀ ਕਰੋ
Son-Mardana it is time for Sodar REhars. Sing the sodar verses.

Bhai Mardana Ji replied
ਗੁਰੂ ਜੀ ਅਜ ਤੀਆ ਡੰਗ ਹੋਯਾ ਹੈ ਮੈ ਖਾਧਾ ਪੀਤਾ ਕੁਛ ਨਾਹੀਂ ਮੈਥੋ ਸ਼ਬਦ ਹੁੰਦਾ ਨਹੀਂ
Guru Ji, I have not ate or drank for the whole day. I cannot sing the shabad.

Taking pity on poor Bhai Mardana Ji, Guru Ji replied " Mardana Ji get up I will get food for you. He said head towards the South. On your path you will come across a person. Do not ask this person for anything accept whatever he gives you"
Bhai Mardana Ji accepted this hukum and headed towards the South, and after a short distance a devta appeared on his route.

When crossing paths the devta asked Mardana " who are you?". Bhai Mardana Ji replied " I am Mardana I am a follower Sri Guru Nanak Sahib Ji". The devta then praised Mardana and said how blessed are you to have darshan of he whose very sight saves the whole world. The devta then started talking about rehat to Bhai Mardana Ji. He mentioned three things to Bhai Mardana Ji.

1. One who obeys the Hukum of Guru Sahib, and recites bani all their sin will be destroyed.

2. In Kaljug, the selling of ones daughter is a great sin which can only be forgiven in GUru Sahibs tenth form.

3. One who does not make distinctions of the 10 Gurus will be free from hell.

Bhai Mardana Ji replied " Blessed are your words. Be merciful and tell me who you are" . The devta replied I am a servant of God, and I am on my way to Sri Sach Khand. He then pointed towards the West ( Guru Sahibs direction) and said overthere there is a true. One who eats fruit from this tree their appetite gets fully quenced. He said go to that tree while recting Sodar Rehras. He then said " Listen Mardana, If a person recite Sodar rehars, and aarti everyday they will recieve mukhti". At this point BHai Mardana Ji understood his folly of obeying Sri Guru Jis hukum and headed towards Guru Jis charan.

On reaching Guru Jis charan and said " Guru Ji only you know your limits. We are unaware of your limits. You are WaaheGuru Nirankar!". Once we start obeying Sri Guru Jis hukums happily then eventually we enjoy the Anand of SIkhi.

Very informative article Sukhdeep Singh Jee, thanks

Does this apply to Degh and Langar, ie if someone is at a Raensbhai? Can we eat after Japji and Jaap Sahib (ਬਿਨਾ ਜਪੁ ਜਾਪੁ), or have I misunderstood? What about consuming water, is that also a no, no?

VahegurooJeeKaKhalsa,
VahegurooJeeKiFateh,
Always eat/ drink (water should be alright, I think?) after Nitnem, or at least after doing Simran/ Path from memory.
Reason for being always hungry, I have discovered in my personal experience is from lack of fluid consumption. So I eat real heavy one meal during work days, and milk, with lots of nuts before bedtime, sometimes adding banana (assume this delays my bedtime, and loss of Amritvela, that is eating more than I should).
When concentration is on Sach food, then sarir/ maan hungry is absent, as per Gurbani gyan...as stress/ boredom etc causes overeating/ going on web, watching tv, talking too much etc..tendency to feed maan/ sarir instead of jeev (just opinion of paapi murakh)
Bhul chuk muaf
VahegurooJeeKaKhalsa,
VahegurooJeeKiFateh,

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Does this apply to Degh and Langar, ie if someone is at a Raensbhai? Can we eat after Japji and Jaap Sahib (ਬਿਨਾ ਜਪੁ ਜਾਪੁ), or have I misunderstood? What about consuming water, is that also a no, no?

According to BHai GUrdas Ji and Shaheed Bhai Mani SIngh JI originaly nitnem prayers were litrugical ( communal) . Likewise taking degh and langar was communal and was usually offered after the daily prayers. THis is why ANand Sahib is always recited at the end of a program because according to Gurmat Maryada, Anand Sahib must be recited before doing bhog/parvan of Degh and langar. Nowadays degh and langar has become a social buffet and the same strick standards do not apply. If people follwed Sri Guru Jis hukum of avoiding food before prayers on an individual level then there would be radical change in degh and langar maryada at each Gurdwara Sahib.

WHen we are a Rainsubaee we are doing prayers through out the night and bhog is performed in the midst of Sangat and thus the degh becomes acceptable.

What Gursikhs here do is that we only have degh at the end of rainsbayee keertan and do not eat langar before doing ishnaan and panj banian. Degh is amrit and therefore does not count as eating food.

Preetam Singh

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What Gursikhs here do is that we only have degh at the end of rainsbayee keertan and do not eat langar before doing ishnaan and panj banian. Degh is amrit and therefore does not count as eating food.

Preetam SIngh Jeeo,

As long as food is prepared according to Maryada it is regarded as AMrit since it comes from Sri GUru so it doesnt matter whether it is Langar or DEgh.

When Bhai Mardana Ji ate Bhai Lalos parshadey he said they tasted like AMrit. ALso, in Gurbani the food prepared and served by Mata Khivi Ji is regarded as" Amrit Kheer". Before we eat Sri Guru Ji reminds us to recite Twav Prasaad as a remainder the "food" comes from him. Sri GUru Ji says if we dont remember this then we are not his GUrsikh.

Great point Sukhdeep Singh jee,

Truly any food made according to gurmat is amrit bhojan. But degh is specially considered as the holiest "food" since Guru Sahib does bhog to degh and makes it into prashad.

Preetam Singh

A Sikh should avoid eating food before Amritvela Nitnem, at all costs. Having said that, drinking water or eating Degh is allowed. For the most part a Tyaar bar Tyaar Sikh would seldom be in a situation whereby he would have to accept Degh without having done his Nitnem. The only situation where a Sikh would have to consume Degh without Ishnaan and Nitnem could be the Bhog of Ran Subaaee Kirtan.

Some Gursikh like to drink hot milk before beginning Abhyaas at Amritvela. Late Bhai Jagtar Singh jee used to drink hot milk with gheo before coming to Abhyaas. So naturally, he used to get his Nitnem done beforehand.

Without thanking Vaheguru by doing Nitnem at Amritvela, it is ungratefulness to eat food. Sachiyaar Gursikhs always do their Amritvela Ishnaan and Nitnem before consuming food.

Kulbir Singh

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A Sikh should avoid eating food before Amritvela Nitnem, at all costs. Having said that, drinking water or eating Degh is allowed

i thought that drinking water was not allowed until one had finished doing thier panj bani's?


I know a singh, that told me whenever he feels really thirsty or hungry at amritbela, he just ignores his thirst and hunger and starts his nitnem and by the time he is done, his hunger and thirst are quenched by the recitation of gurbani and simran.