Aath Pehar - Need Help

Waheguru ji ka khalsa
Waheguru Ji ki fateh,

Can anyone tell me about aath pehar? when does the first pehar starts and like ways please explain about all 8 pehars?

8 Pehar mentioned in Gurbani means full day and night. 24 hours according to modern clocks we use today.

24/8 means each Pehar is of 3 hours.

Because in modern clocks, date changes at midnight (12:00 am) which means first Pehar should be of 12 to 3 for any given date.

Thanks Khalsa jiooo

This is not just about timing i.e 3 hours - it's what we do with those 3 hours which matters - check and listen in here:


[www.gianikulwantsingh.com]

The break down of one Peher is this:

The time it takes to blink an eye is called one Nimakh
15 Nimakhs = 1 Visaa
15 Visaas = 1 Chasaa
30 Chasaas = 1 Pal
60 Pals = 1 Ghari
7.5 Gharis = 1 Peher
8 Pehers = One day

So as Bhai Jasjit Singh Jee mentioned, one Peher is 3 hours.

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Because in modern clocks, date changes at midnight (12:00 am) which means first Pehar should be of 12 to 3 for any given date.

I beg to differ from Bhai Sahib Jasjit Singh Ji about when the first pehar starts. Before the advent of the modern 24 hour clock, sunrise was considered to be the start of the day, i.e., 6 AM (theoretically). Actual time varies with season. Therefore, 6 AM - 9 AM is considered as First Pehar.

That is why Amritvela is referred to as 'Pichhal Raat' by Baba Farid Jee.

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I beg to differ from Bhai Sahib Jasjit Singh Ji about when the first pehar starts. Before the advent of the modern 24 hour clock, sunrise was considered to be the start of the day, i.e., 6 AM (theoretically). Actual time varies with season. Therefore, 6 AM - 9 AM is considered as First Pehar.

That is why Amritvela is referred to as 'Pichhal Raat' by Baba Farid Jee.

Mohkam Singh Jio, you didn't read by post carefully, I said first Pehar of the given date not a day (day time). Furthermore I mentioned date changes at midnight which means it is a completion of second Pehar of the nighttime. There are still two more Pehars to go for night i.e. 12 to 3am and 3 to 6am (last Pehar of night time).

It's obvious if last Pehar of nighttime is 3 to 6 am then first Pehar of the day would be 6 to 9 am. I am not in disagreement with you.

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The break down of one Peher is this:

The time it takes to blink an eye is called one Nimakh
15 Nimakhs = 1 Visaa
15 Visaas = 1 Chasaa
30 Chasaas = 1 Pal
60 Pals = 1 Ghari
7.5 Gharis = 1 Peher
8 Pehers = One day

So as Bhai Jasjit Singh Jee mentioned, one Peher is 3 hours.

Nimana Jio,

Thanks for this breakdown. I am wondering how easily Panth gave-up on these time measurements.

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Thanks for this breakdown. I am wondering how easily Panth gave-up on these time measurements

As easily as they are giving up Bikrami calendar.

Preetam Singh

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Preetam Singh Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Thanks for this breakdown. I am wondering how
> easily Panth gave-up on these time measurements
>
> As easily as they are giving up Bikrami calendar.

Ha-ha but there was no fight, Gursikhs easily accepted new units. They didn't trap themselves into Desi units vs. English units even-though GuruSahib used Desi units.

JASJIT SINGH Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> >
>
>
> Mohkam Singh Jio, you didn't read by post
> carefully, I said first Pehar of the given date
> not a day (day time). Furthermore I mentioned date
> changes at midnight which means it is a completion
> of second Pehar of the nighttime. There are still
> two more Pehars to go for night i.e. 12 to 3am and
> 3 to 6am (last Pehar of night time).
>
> It's obvious if last Pehar of nighttime is 3 to 6
> am then first Pehar of the day would be 6 to 9 am.
> I am not in disagreement with you.


So are we saying that the first pehar start from 6am - 9am ?

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Ha-ha but there was no fight, Gursikhs easily accepted new units. They didn't trap themselves into Desi units vs. English units even-though GuruSahib used Desi units.

So are you saying we should revert to Desi Units? I think then we should also revert to Bikrami Calendar.... Lets do it together

Preetam Singh

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So are we saying that the first pehar start from 6am - 9am ?

Yes, this can be considered as the first Pehar of the daylight but if you are looking for first Pehar of new date then it starts from 12 to 3am.

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So are you saying we should revert to Desi Units? I think then we should also revert to Bikrami Calendar.... Lets do it together smiling smiley

Preetam Singh

Na Jee Na. As everyone is happy with English units, so does this Daas. Feels the same with NanakShaahi Calendar Jio.

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Na Jee Na. As everyone is happy with English units, so does this Daassmiling bouncing smiley. Feels the same with NanakShaahi Calendar Jio.

Bhai Sahib jeeo,

In this circumstance since we do not use Desi units of measurement no one knows how long a Pehar is or how long a Gharee is. This is information that is very relevant to understanding Gurbani. Otherwise how could we understand what Guru Sahib is saying when Guru Arjun Dev Sahib jee says in height of Bairaag ਇਕਘੜੀਨਮਿਲਤੇਤਾਕਲਿਜੁਗੁਹੋਤਾ ॥ To us, unless we understand the Desi Units we would just interpret Gharee as moment and wouldn't understand the amount of longing and waiting that is expressed in this Pankti.

Or when Bhagat Naamdev Jee says, ਸਾਤਘੜੀਜਬਬੀਤੀਸੁਣੀ ॥ we would be totally lost as to what is going on and how long Bhagat jee did Pukaar to Vaheguru to save his Laaj before Vaheguru intervened.

If we become Goray and totally discard our Desi Units for English ones, then we should not complain why our future generations do not understand Gurbani.

Same way, if we give up Bikrami Calender for a Purewal version then we will not feel the Anand of Poh Sudhi Saptami, and will never understand the Bairaag that Gurmukhs like Bhai Sahib Bhai Randhir Singh jee felt leading up to this date and on the very date it self when they had Partakh Darshan of Guru Gobind Singh Sahib jee.

I for one am not happy with English Units. Feels the same with innovation of Purewal callendar.

Preetam Singh

Bhai Sahib Jio,

If Desi units are not in common practice now that doesn't mean we lost the meaning of Gurbaani. The meaning remains still intact, doesn't matter you translate to a moment or Pal. Amount of longing is not what Gurmat counts for but amount of love (Bhao), even for those short moments or Pals.

Yes for literal translations, definitions of Desi units are needed which are available in various Teekas anyway. This has nothing to do with you becomes Goray or Kalay.

2+2=4 whether you do this arithmetic in Punjab or Canada.

ਅਠੇ ਪਹਰ ਇਕਤੈ ਲਿਵੈ ਮੰਨੇਨਿ ਹੁਕਮੁ ਅਪਾਰੁ ॥

Whether you translate above to 8 Pehars or say 24 hours, Gurbaani meaning remains intact.

JASJIT SINGH Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> >
>
>
> Nimana Jio,
>
> Thanks for this breakdown. I am wondering how
> easily Panth gave-up on these time measurements.


Bhai Sahib Jio, many of these time units are mentioned in Gurbani. It's a good idea to have an understanding of these units in order to better understand where they are mentioned in Gurbani. I've noticed older generation people would use words like Nimakh, Pal, Garhi in conversations.

Haanji, it's good to have understanding of these units.