Some kirpans have leather covers (miaans), some have handles made from bone. I was wondering is it okay to wear these whilst sitting on tabeya or doing seva of Guru Sahibs saroop. Obviously the hands will not come in contact with the kirpan whilst doing seva and it is also easy to do sodhaaee of the kirpans before carrying out seva - handle and miaan can be washed with water.

These are the types of kirpans puraatan Singhs wore, so Im wondering the correct protocol for wearing these.

tablas have skin on them, traditional stringed instruments have strings made from intestine and bows made from horses tails. they're used for seva in the gurdwara every day.

from bhai gurdaas jee...


ਚੰਗਾ ਰੁਖੁ ਵਢਾਇ ਰਬਾਬੁ ਘੜਾਇਆ ।
A handsome tree got cut itself and got manufactured into a rebeck.

ਛੇਲੀ ਹੋਇ ਕੁਹਾਇ ਮਾਸੁ ਵੰਡਾਇਆ ।
A young goat underwent the mortification of getting killed itself; it distributed its meat among the meat-eaters. (i question this line's translation, please give input)

ਆਂਦ੍ਰਹੁ ਤਾਰ ਬਣਾਇ ਚੰਮਿ ਮੜ੍ਹਾਇਆ ।
Its intestines were made into gut and the skin was mounted (on drum) and stitched.

ਸਾਧਸੰਗਤਿ ਵਿਚਿ ਆਇ ਨਾਦੁ ਵਜਾਇਆ ।
Now it is brought in the holy congregation where melody is produced on this instrument.

ਰਾਗ ਰੰਗ ਉਪਜਾਇ ਸਬਦੁ ਸੁਣਾਇਆ ।
It creates the melody of Raag as the Shabad is heard.

ਸਤਿਗੁਰੁ ਪੁਰਖੁ ਧਿਆਇ ਸਹਜਿ ਸਮਾਇਆ ॥੧੫॥
\Any one who worships true Guru, the God, gets absorbed into the equanimity.

The animal is killed, mainly for the purpose of meat, by meat eaters (not sikhs, of course) and the intestines are a byproduct, which are used (by the sikhs) for the purpose, which Bhai Gurdaas Ji, is concerned. So, it seems, it was the compulsion of the writer to explain the first step of distributing or selling the meat and then explain the second step of using intestines for guts or the skin for mounting. Second pankiti, simply, explains the source of materials ਆਂਦ੍ਰਹੁ or ਚੰਮਿ, which are to be used for making ਰਬਾਬੁ

ਚੰਗਾ ਰੁਖੁ ਵਢਾਇ ਰਬਾਬੁ ਘੜਾਇਆ । ਛੇਲੀ ਹੋਇ ਕੁਹਾਇ ਮਾਸੁ ਵੰਡਾਇਆ | ਆਂਦ੍ਰਹੁ ਤਾਰ ਬਣਾਇ ਚੰਮਿ ਮੜ੍ਹਾਇਆ ।

We can translate briefly as below. A good tree was cut for making rebeck. Skin and Intestines of young goat (which is killed by meat eaters) were also used for making its other parts.-------------------------

Bhein Ji, is it makes sense and clears your doubt?

yes, thank you.

i think the important part is that even through these byproducts, these discarded materials, we are able to do worship of waheguru through keertan of guru sahib's bani.

so i don't see a leather mian as being a big deal.

The composition of Bhai Gurdaas Ji, exactly hits the doubt, we may often come up while using such materials of animal (and thus considered dirty and unsacred) origin. For preparing the cardboard binding of Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji, earlier the book binders used the glue, which was of animal origin. They called it SARESH. I do not know about the synthetic glues (may be Fevicol etc) and their composition, which are used these days.

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Some kirpans have leather covers (miaans), some have handles made from bone. I was wondering is it okay to wear these whilst sitting on tabeya or doing seva of Guru Sahibs saroop. Obviously the hands will not come in contact with the kirpan whilst doing seva and it is also easy to do sodhaaee of the kirpans before carrying out seva - handle and miaan can be washed with water.

These are the types of kirpans puraatan Singhs wore, so Im wondering the correct protocol for wearing these.

I don't think these are the type of Kirpans puraatan Singhs wore. Blade and handle would have been 1 single piece of Sarbloh with wooden mian. Also, one can use a big hazooria spread over oneself if there is worry about suchum.