Circumambulation

Forgive me for my ignorance, but can someone please explain where the tradition of parkarma started, both of Siri Guru Granth Sahib Ji and of Nishan Sahib?

When I went to Bhindri a couple of years back for Sangrand, I witnessed Baba Mohan Singh Ji do a parkarma with great reverence of the Nishan Sahib about 5 times before doing katha. I have also been told by my Grandfather to always do Namaskaar but have never myself circled the Nishan Sahib.

Also, I have heard but not seen that Nihangs do parkarma anti-clockwise. Is the direction one circles relevant?

Someone long before told me that the concept of PRAKARMA is:

Its a kind of ARDAS BENTI SIKH does to Guru Granth sahib to keep us around him (always). There must be something more to it though.

nihangs do parkarma anti-clockwise so that their shastar/kirpaan always faces guru sahib. they also do lavaan anti-clockwise in anand karaj.

it kind of makes sense.

not sure about the rest of the traditions.

1. Parkarma should be done keeping Guru Sahib on your right as a sign of respect. For this reason clockwise Parkarma seem to be the correct way. This is what the whole Panth does with the exception of Nihungs.

2. The idea behind doing Parkarma is to go Balihaar (sacrifice) over Guru Sahib.

Kulbir Singh

please forgive the question...

but why is the right side a sign of respect?

Not sure Bhain jeeo. This is probably a tradition and not related to Gurmat but it is not appropriate to change it at this time and start doing Laavaan anti-clockwise.

Kulbir Singh

interesting trivia:

muslims circle the kaba (black rock) in mecca in an anti-clockwise manner.

hindus circle shivling or mandir in a clockwise manner. buddhists also circle stupas in a clockwise manner.

not related, but interesting nonetheless.

i think the right hand just symbolizes the dominant hand, thats why phrases like "right hand man" exist

so if we give up even our dominant hand while making Guru Sahib the center we would hopefully give up our ego

The Singh, during Laavaan also sits on RHS of the Singhni. Again a side of So called Respect and case of male dominance.

They say, the humans have dominant hand, eye, foot and side of brain as well. So may be, the generally dominant RHS is reserved for the respectable.

ਚਰਨ ਅਮੋ ਲ ਪਰਦਛਨਾ ਕਰਨ ਕੈ
"Those feet that do Parkarma of Guru Sahib Jee are priceless." (Kabit Svaye Bhai Gurdas Jee p.17)

in Indian tradition, doing prakarma and even doing Dandaut is a sign of ultimate respect. I think Bhai Gurdas Jee mentions Krishan Ji doing Prakarma and Dandaut around Sudhama.

Quote
MB Singh
They say, the humans have dominant hand, eye, foot and side of brain as well. So may be, the generally dominant RHS is reserved for the respectable.

this mus be why in india, left handed children are forced to become right handed from young childhood.

Wahegurrooojeekaakhalsa Wahegurrooojeekeefateh

Bhai Nand lal Ji Rehatnama:

The Sikh who wants to see the Guru
Should glimpse upon sri Granth Guru
Bathe in the ambrosial hour before dawn
Circambulate the Guru three times attentively
He who wants to talk to the Guru
Should read, listen and practice Gurbani
He who wants to listen to my voice
Read the words of Guru Granth with concentration
Consider the Granth my embodiment
Doubt not the unity of Guru and Granth
(Rehatnama Bhai Nand lal Ji)


3 times.....?? What do GurmatBibek sangat do?

Daas is not able to recall properly the complete sakhi but will try to list down the fundamental (points) related to Parkarma of Guru Jee and Nishan Sahib.

1. Parkarma is one of the way (or one of the Hidden Gurmat Principle or Rehit or whatever you would like to call) to earn Positive Karma/Energy/Ashirvaad/Blessing/Grace of Waheguru.

2. It is one of the way to release Negative Karmas.

3. During Guru Jee's time many Brahmin/Pandits use to go for Teerth-Yaatra and do many Karma-Kands for earning Positive Karmas. Guru Jee explained the person who do Parkarma of Guru Jee, that Parkarma will itself be considered as Teerth-Yaatra. The Positive Karma earned in 1 Parkarma will equal to many 'N' numbers of Teerth-Yaatra of Ganga/Haridwar/Kashi/River-Ishnaan etc (there are 80 Thousand Karma-Kands in Hinduism) ... Hence, Sikhs should always do atleast 1 Parkarma of Guru Jee because this is our Teerth-Yaatra. The Akal-Purakh Sri Guru Granth Sahib Himself is there where else Sikh need to go. The Phal of Parkarma is very Huge.

4. Akal Purakh is Omni Present. For example Light Bulb radiates rays in Spherical format. Similarly Guru Jee's Prakash is Radiated in all direction and Person who do Parkarma receives Guru Jee's Blessing Rays upon his/her whole body while doing Parkarma.

5. Parkarma of Nishan Sahib is based on one Sakhi related to Baba Jhanda Jee (Daas request for forgiveness if by mistake the name of Baba Jee is incorrect). Daas does not remember this Sakhi but because of some incident in that Sakhi, Guru Jee seems to have said (given Hukam to Sangat) that person visiting Gurudwara should not leave Gurudwara without doing Parkarma of Nishan Sahib. Otherwise the visit will be considered as incomplete. It is for the respect to be shown to that Baba Jee and for the seva he did to the panth.

6. Reason for Clockwise seems to have come down as a Tradition from Satyug to Duaparyug to Tripatayug to Kalyug. In very olden times it was discovered by Rishi-Munis that Earth goes around the Sun in Clockwise direction. So using this analogy the Clockwise method of Parkarma was derived that God (Sun) is at centre and People (Earth) go around Him in Clockwise direction. But Earth itself revolves in Anti-Clockwise direction on its own axis. This is why in many Hindu temples the Person first performs Revolution in Anti-Clockwise fashion in-front of the Murati/idol and after that goes for Clockwise Parkarma of Idol/Murati.

Off The Track Trivia Tale : Once upon a time, a big fight started between Devtaas as to who is the biggest Devtaa among all of them. Then Akal Purakh said, whoever completes the Parkarma of Earth First will become the Winner and will be considered as Biggest Devtaa among all of them. Within a moment all Devtaas vanished and started the race. But Ganesha was left behind and he went to his father Shiva and asked for some trick or solution to Win the Race. Then Shiva told Ganesha to write RAAM on a stone and take Parkarma of Stone with RAAM written on it. Ganesha quickly did as was told by Shiva. When all Devtaas returned they said, “Yes Yes we know who is the Winner because wherever we went we saw Ganesha’s Feet everywhere ahead of us”.

Such are the Miracles of Parkarma of Naam.

Daas again request for forgiveness if by mistake something have been quoted wrong. Daas Bhulanhaar te Guru Jee and Sangat Bakshanhaar.

Bhul Chuk Maaf.

Waheguru Ji Ka Khalsa,
Waheguru Ji Ki Fateh.