Question from a satsanggi:
During the recent Akhand Path reading in one of the Gurdwaras in the Klang Valley, I noticed on more than one occasion that the reading was done very fast. It was so fast that one can hardly make up the words. On these occasions, they were using the Shabad Guru on the LCD display. One could barely follow the reader.
On the final morning at 7am before the 9th Mahal dey salok, the reader (a very seasoned and experienced paathi) was reading very fast. As before one could not make up the words and I could not appreciate the Gurbani. I asked the senior parbandak there if it was really necessary to read at this speed where the essence of Gurbani cannot be appreciated. He replied, “we are running late and we have to make up for the time.”
My questions are:
- The granthis/parbandaks insist that the Akhand Path must be completed in 48 hours. Is the 48 hours rule inviolable?
- Even if this rule is violable, the program of the day (eg. the Kirtan and Katha programs) forces the parbandaks/granthis to ensure that the Akhand Path finishes at the designated time.
- From my understanding, the 48 hours rule is at best a rule of thumb. In this time, a good reader would be able to read clearly whereby the reader can articulate clearly and precisely.
- However, not all paathis fall in that category and are slow. Hence there will be these specialist readers who will come in to speed up things.
- In my opinion, we are disrespecting Gurbani. In addition, we are also disrespecting the sanggat. We are missing the intent and purpose of having the Akhand Path if the essence of Gurbani is not understood and appreciated.
- However, I have been told otherwise. I am told that the power of Gurbani is there. It does not matter whether it is read fast or slow. As long as it is read, the power is there.
- There is another group that says, “when the sanggat is present especially during the prime time, reading must be slow and articulate. When the sanggat is not there, especially in the wee hours, reading can be fast”.
Veer Ji, see if you could shed some sense on these concerns.
Bhai Manjeet’s response:
I am no expert in these issues. Nevertheless, I will try to answer your queries based on what little I know.
Must an akhand path be completed in 48 hours?
I think it is best I reproduce an extract from the Sikh Rehat Maryada . You can access the SPGC website on the net. It has the full rehat maryada.
Under the heading – “Akhand Path (Uninterrupted – Non Stop – Completion of the Reading of the Guru Granth Sahib Ji)”, we find the following instruction to all Sikhs.
‘The non stop reading of the Guru Granth is carried on at hard times or on occasions of elation and joy. It takes 48 hours. The non stop reading implies continuous uninterrupted reading. The reading must be clear and correct. Reading too fast so that the person listening to it cannot follow the contents, amounts to irreverence to the Scriptures. The reading should be correct and clear, due care being bestowed on consonant and vowel, even though it takes a little longer to complete.’
There you have it. 48 hours is the recommended time. But the final line (‘even though it takes a little longer to complete’), makes it clear that clarity and correctness cannot be sacrificed because of time constraints.
48 hours is a reasonable time to do an akhand paath. When we divide 1430 Angs by 48 hours we get approximately 30 Angs being read in an hour. Thats a decent speed. At that pace, it is quite easy for any keen listener to understand and grasp what is being read.
So, the 48 hours rule is set by the SPGC, but they themselves have said it is not inviolable.
The SGGS Ji is not an ordinary book. SGGS Ji is a living Guru. SGGS Ji is Shabad Guru. What that means is that Guru Ji instructs and enlightens His Sikhs by means of the various Shabads in SGGS Ji. The SGGS Ji is a ‘Pura Guru’. All that a Sikh may ever need here and hereafter can be obtained from the SGGS Ji with the Guru’s kirpa. It stands to reason then, that the Bani in SGGS Ji should be read with love and clarity.
A short note on Akhand Paths
Bhai Kahn Singh Nabha in his ‘Gurmat Martand’s (page 422-volume 2) says that the practice of Akhand paths started with the ‘Buddha Dal’. Sikhs were driven into the jungles by the Afghans, Persians and Moghuls. Their only source of strength came from their spirituality (SGGS Ji) which kept them going through enormous difficulties. It was during these turbulent times that non stop readings of SGGS Ji commenced. That would be around the 1730’s or thereabouts.
Bhai Kahn Singh Ji also says that it was the norm to complete such reading in 13 ‘pahars’. A ‘pahar’ is 3 hours. That would mean the entire Bani was read in 39 hours. But that was a war situation. 39 hours is very much shorter than the 48 hours recommended by the Rehat Maryada. What that means is that the time for reading of the SGGS Ji was never rigidly fixed. It changed as circumstances allowed.
Bhai Kahn Singh Ji further states that the Taruna Dal took the cue from the Buddha Dal and also started Akhand paaths in their own garrisons. Slowly it spread amongst all Sikhs.
It is a traditionally held belief amongst many Sikhs that when Guru Gobind Singh Ji had re-written the entire SGGS Ji in Damdama, Guru Ji got 5 Sikhs to read the entire Bani to Him. This is believed to be the first ever akhand paath. The second akhand paath was at Nanded when Guru Ji charged Banda Singh Bahadur to go to Punjab with his mission. The 3rd akhand paath was just before Guru Ji bestowed Gurgaddi on SGGS Ji.
Some however are of the belief, that the practice of akhand paaths started during Baba Banda Singh Bahadur’s time. That would put the time frame between1708 when Banda Singh Ji met the Tenth Master and his execution in 1716.
Bhai Santokh Singh Ji however says that the first uninterrupted reading of ‘Pothi Sahib’ was after the death of Mata Damodri Ji, the wife of Guru Hargobind Ji. There is also an entry where it is stated that the entire Bani in Pothi Sahib was read after the death of Baba Budha Ji. History records Guru Hargobind Ji was present at Baba Ji’s funeral. This reading of Bani was over a period of 10 days.
Gurfateh.
Manjeet Singh
17th April, 2012
