SRAAD - Not a Sikh Ritual At this time of year, many Sikhs will become Hindus to follow the Hindu ritual of Sraad. Many will invite 5 Singhs to their house to feed them. Although feeding 5 Singhs is allowed in Sikhi, due to 5 Singhs represent the Khalsa Panth, many will invite them under the pretence of Sraad. Sraad is not a Sikh observance at all. It is a Hindu death practice of feeding someone in the belief that the person being fed, will somehow cause a person who has died, to be fed. Guru Nanak Dev Ji flatly refused to be part of any such observance or variation on it. He made it clear to those involved that when a person dies, there is nothing physical from the earthly plane that goes with the one who dies. You see at a lot of funerals these days, that Sikhs bring clothes and other items to the gurdwara. This bheta should be for the Gurdwara or Granthi Singhs and whatever one wishes to offer, but a lot of Sikhs think that this is offered so that it goes with the deceased person. Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji tells us that: relations, spouses, and riches acquired in earthly life do not go with one in death. So if they dont go with us, how are offerings made by us going to reach them? 5 Singhs or the Gurdwara, are not a Religious Post Office to send items of clothing and food to the after-life for our dead ancestors. This is what Guru Granth Sahib Ji teaches us: ਰਾਗੁ ਗਉੜੀ ਬੈਰਾਗਣਿ ਕਬੀਰ ਜੀ Raag Gauree Bairaagan, Kabeer Jee: ੴ ਸਤਿਗੁਰ ਪ੍ਰਸਾਦਿ ॥ One Universal Creator God. By The Grace Of The True Guru: ਜੀਵਤ ਪਿਤਰ ਨ ਮਾਨੈ ਕੋਊ ਮੂਏਂ ਸਿਰਾਧ ਕਰਾਹੀ ॥ He does not honor his ancestors while they are alive, but he holds feasts in their honor after they have died. ਪਿਤਰ ਭੀ ਬਪੁਰੇ ਕਹੁ ਕਿਉ ਪਾਵਹਿ ਕਊਆ ਕੂਕਰ ਖਾਹੀ ॥੧॥ Tell me, how can his poor ancestors receive what the crows and the dogs have eaten up? ||1|| ਮੋ ਕਉ ਕੁਸਲੁ ਬਤਾਵਹੁ ਕੋਈ ॥ If only someone would tell me what real happiness is! ਕੁਸਲੁ ਕੁਸਲੁ ਕਰਤੇ ਜਗੁ ਬਿਨਸੈ ਕੁਸਲੁ ਭੀ ਕੈਸੇ ਹੋਈ ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥ Speaking of happiness and joy, the world is perishing. How can happiness be found? ||1||Pause|| ਮਾਟੀ ਕੇ ਕਰਿ ਦੇਵੀ ਦੇਵਾ ਤਿਸੁ ਆਗੈ ਜੀਉ ਦੇਹੀ ॥ Making gods and goddesses out of clay, people sacrifice living beings to them. ਐਸੇ ਪਿਤਰ ਤੁਮਾਰੇ ਕਹੀਅਹਿ ਆਪਨ ਕਹਿਆ ਨ ਲੇਹੀ ॥੨॥ Such are your dead ancestors, who cannot ask for what they want. ||2|| ਸਰਜੀਉ ਕਾਟਹਿ ਨਿਰਜੀਉ ਪੂਜਹਿ ਅੰਤ ਕਾਲ ਕਉ ਭਾਰੀ ॥ You murder living beings and worship lifeless things; at your very last moment, you shall suffer in terrible pain. ਰਾਮ ਨਾਮ ਕੀ ਗਤਿ ਨਹੀ ਜਾਨੀ ਭੈ ਡੂਬੇ ਸੰਸਾਰੀ ॥੩॥ You do not know the value of the Lords Name; you shall drown in the terrifying world-ocean. ||3|| ਦੇਵੀ ਦੇਵਾ ਪੂਜਹਿ ਡੋਲਹਿ ਪਾਰਬ੍ਰਹਮੁ ਨਹੀ ਜਾਨਾ ॥ You worship gods and goddesses, but you do not know the Supreme Lord God. ਕਹਤ ਕਬੀਰ ਅਕੁਲੁ ਨਹੀ ਚੇਤਿਆ ਬਿਖਿਆ ਸਿਉ ਲਪਟਾਨਾ ॥੪॥੧॥੪੫॥ Says Kabeer, you have not remembered the Lord who has no ancestors; you are clinging to your corrupt ways. ||4||1||45|| In conclusion, If a Sikh arranges SRAAD, she/he does so out of ignorance and ritualism.
Posted on: Mon, 06 Oct 2014 11:10:20 +0000
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