|
Adi |
First, original.
adi granth is the first edition of Guru Granth sahibji. |
|
Akal Purukh |
Eternal and immortal. A term used to describe God. |
|
Akali |
Literally, a worshipper of the Eternal God. Presently the term
denotes a member of the Shiromani Akali Dal. |
|
Akhand Path |
An
uninterupted continuous recitation that takes 48 hours of the
entire Guru Granth Sahib. |
|
Amrit |
It
meansnectar.That which bestows immortality.Nectar made from
patasas and water. |
|
Amrit Bani |
The
words of Granth sahib as pure as Nectar. |
|
Amrit Sarowar |
The
reservoir around the Harmandir Sahib. |
|
Amrit Vela |
The
early morning hours. |
|
Amritdhari |
One
who has taken Amrit in the special amrit sanchar ceremony. |
|
Anand karaj |
A sikh
marriage ceremony. |
|
Anand sahib |
A path
used in many ceremonies in sikhs. |
|
Ardas |
An
important Sikh prayer recited at the conclusion of a service.
The word itself means supplication. |
|
Antim Ardas |
The
ardas after the funeral. |
|
Arti |
Worship using oil lamps. |
|
Asa di War |
A
section of the Adi Granth sung in the dawn. |
|
Baba |
A term
of respect for a father or a holy man. |
|
Baisakhi |
The
harvest season, observed on April 13 each year. It is also the
day on which Guru Gobind Singh baptized the Sikhs as the
Khalsa. |
|
Bani |
Verses
included in Guru Granth Sahib. |
|
Bedi |
The
clan to which Guru Nanak belonged. |
|
Bhai |
Brother; in popular usage it also applies to those who perform
religious services. |
|
Bhagat |
A
Devotee of God. |
|
Brahmgiani |
a man
who has realized God. |
|
Bunga |
a
place of dwelling. |
|
Bole so nihal |
Sikh
salutation - one who speaks will be nihal. |
|
Chandoa |
Canopy
placed over Guru Granth Sahib ji |
|
Chakra |
A
circular steel weapon; one of the symbols of Sikhism; depicted
on the Nishan Sahib. |
|
Chardi Kalan |
Charhdi Kala signifies in the Sikh tradition a perennially
blossoming, unwilting spirit, a perpetual state of certitude
resting on the unwavering belief in Divine justice. |
|
Chaur |
Yak
hair whisk or man made fibre fan waved as a symbol of respect
for the scriptures. |
|
Chela |
The
disciple of Guru. |
|
Chola |
Dresses of Guru Sahib or Nishaan Sahib. |
|
Darbar Sahib |
Used
as a synonym for the Golden Temple. |
|
Darshan |
Vision
of Divine Light, a system of philosophy |
|
Dasam Granth |
The
writings of Guru Gobind Singh ji. |
|
Daswandh |
Voluntary donation of one-tenth of One’s income as a routine
practice. |
|
Deg Teg |
The
dual responsibility where the food is to be provided alongwith
protection to the needy. |
|
Deorhi |
An
entrance gate. |
|
Diwali |
A
major Hindu festival of lights during the darkest phase of the
moon in the month of October or November. |
|
Diwan |
Sikh
religious assembly. |
|
Five K’s |
Panj
Kakkars of sikhs : Kesh, Kangha, Kada, Kachehra, Kirpan. |
|
Gach |
plaster of various mixes. |
|
Gatka |
A Sikh
martial art using a stick or kirpan. |
|
Ghalughara |
Holocaust |
|
Gadi / Gaddi |
Throne
or seat of the Gurus. |
|
Gian |
Wisdom, knowledge. |
|
Giani |
A
person possessing wisdom or knowledge. |
|
Granth |
A
compilation of the sacred scriptures. |
|
Granthi |
A
custodian of the Guru Granth Sahib. |
|
Gurbani |
The
scriptures compiled by the Gurus. |
|
Gurdwara |
Literally, "the door of the Guru"; a building that houses the
Sikh sacred scriptures; a Sikh temple. |
|
Gurmata |
The
intention, resolution or will of the Guru expressed in a
formal decision made by a representative assembly of Sikhs; a
resolution of the Sarbat Khalsa. |
|
Guru Ke Mahal |
A
place of residence of Sikh Guru and / or his Wife / Wives.. |
|
Gurmukh |
One
who follows the Guru’s Teachings. |
|
Gurmukhi |
The
script in which the Guru Granth Sahib is written, and which is
the script used for writing Punjabi. |
|
Gurpurb |
A Sikh
festival connected with any one of the ten Gurus and Guru
Granth Sahib. |
|
Guru |
GU
means Darkness and RU means divine light (JOT) |
|
Guru Granth |
The
sacred scriptures of the Sikhs, originally compiled and edited
by Guru Arjan Dev in 1604 AD. |
|
Gutka |
A
small book of daily prayers. |
|
Harmandir |
Literally, "the house of God"; the central Sikh shrine in
Amritsar. |
|
Hola mohalla |
The
gathering of sikhs at Anandpur sahib for sports and colourful
gulals. |
|
Hukam |
Order,
command. |
|
Hukamnama |
An
edict of the Guru, random reading from the Guru Granth Sahib. |
|
IK ONKAR |
There
is only one god. |
|
Jaikara |
The
sikh cry – "Jo Bole So Nihal, Sat Sri Akal". |
|
Janamsakhi |
A
traditional biography, especially of Guru Nanak; "birth and
life evidence. |
|
Jaratkari |
The
technique of inlaying colored stones in marble. |
|
Jathedar
|
Leader
of a group. |
|
Kacchehra |
Short
breeches; one of the Five K's. |
|
Kafila |
Caravan. |
|
Kanga |
Comb;
one of the Five K's. |
|
Kara |
A
loose steel wristband; one of the Five K's. |
|
Kadah Parsad |
A
sacramental food offered to God, then distributed to all
present at Sikh religious gatherings. It is made of flour,
sugar and ghee (clarified butter). |
|
Kar-Sewa |
The
voluntary sewa of cleansing and desilting the holy pool (Amrit
Sarowar) at the Golden Temple or for construction of any
Gurdwara. |
|
Karta Purukh |
The
creator of all. |
|
Kesh |
Uncut
hairs; one of the Five K'. |
|
Keshdhari |
A
person who never cut the hairs. |
|
Khalsa |
The
pure ones; the brotherhood of initiated Sikhs; also used as a
collective description of the Sikh community. |
|
Khalsa Panth |
The
Sikh community, the organization founded by Guru Gobind Singh. |
|
Khanda |
A
double-edged straight sword; one of the symbols of Sikhism. |
|
Kirpan
|
Short
sword; one of the Five Kakkars. |
|
Kirtan
|
Singing of devotional songs in praise of God, sung in the
classical mode. |
|
Kotha Sahib |
A room
in the Akal Takht where the Guru Granth Sahib is kept each
night. |
|
Langar
|
Community/ free kitchen attached to every Gurdwara.
|
|
Lavan phere |
Marriage hymns. |
|
Manji Sahib |
The
low seat, somewhat similar to a cot, on which the Guru Granth
Sahib is placed in a Gurdwara. |
|
Manji |
Ecclesiastical district; 22 manjis were established by Guru
Amar Das. |
|
Manmukh |
One
who is opposite of a Gurmukh. |
|
Miri - Piri |
A
concept of keeping two swords, one for religious matters and
other for protection. |
|
Mul Mantra |
The
starting lines of Japji sahib. |
|
Nam |
Divine
Name, the holy spirit, the spirit of God. |
|
Nagara |
A
large drum which is sounded in front of Army march or nagar
keertan.. |
|
Nihang |
Historically, a soldier-devotee and protector of the Gurdwara.
Guru ki Fauz. |
|
Nirankar |
The
godwhich has no physical form. |
|
Nirgun |
Formless; a description of God. |
|
Nishan Sahib |
A
saffron or blue flag with the Sikh symbols of the chakra and
two khandas. |
|
Nitnem |
The
daily paths for sikhs. |
|
ONKAR |
God |
|
Palki |
A
palanquin. |
|
Panj Kakkars |
the
five external symbols worn by all members of the Khalsa, both
male and female. The name of each symbol starts with the
letter k (kakka) viz. kesh, kanga, kirpan, kara and kacch. |
|
Panth |
Literally, "path"; today widely used to describe the Sikh
community, but derived from the "path" taken by the followers
of the faith. |
|
Parchar |
Missionary work. |
|
Parkarma |
A
clockwise ,circumambulatory, walkway around a holy shrine. |
|
Parkash karna |
The
morning ceremony when Guru Granth Sahib ji is opened with due
respect and a Hukamnama taken. |
|
Ragi |
A
musician who sings the ragas. |
|
Rahras |
The
evening prayer of the Sikhs (from the Adi Granth). |
|
Rahitnama |
A
mannual of sikh code of conduct. |
|
Raj Karega
Khalsa |
The
battlefield shoutings of the sikhs during Baba Banda singh ji
bahadur. |
|
Rumala sahib |
The
cloths used for covering Guru Granth Sahib ji. |
|
Sadh Sangat |
The
congregation of Sikhs. |
|
Sahaj path |
A non
continuous path of Guru Granth sahib ji. |
|
Sahib |
A
suffix showing reverence for person, place or object. |
|
Sahibzada |
Son of
the Sikh Guru. |
|
Saakhi |
Story
of sikh gurus. |
|
Sangat |
Congregation of sikhs. |
|
Sat Sri Akal |
Sikh
greetings : God is truth |
|
Sarbat Khalsa |
Widely
attended gatherings of the Sikhs, which accord collective
sanction to all major initiatives. |
|
Sardar |
A
chieftain or headman, presently used as a title for all Sikh
men. |
|
Sargun |
The
temporal realm of human existence. |
|
Sarowar |
A pool
or lake, generally used in sikhs when it is with any gurdwara. |
|
Sat Guru |
God. |
|
Satsang |
Holy
Company, prayer meeting, a devotional group . |
|
Sewa |
Voluntary service. |
|
Shabad |
A hymn
of Praise to God. |
|
Shabad Kirtan
|
The
vocal and musical renditions from the sacred verses of the Adi
Granth. |
|
Shiromani
Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee |
The
supreme committee for the administration of the Gurdwaras in
Punjab; also referred to as the SGPC. |
|
Sikh |
The
name given to a follower of Guru Nanak. |
|
Sikhya |
The
advice given to a couple during marriage ceremony. |
|
Simran |
Meditation, Constant remembrance of God – Practicing the
presence of God. |
|
Singh |
Lion.
At first, all male members of the Sikh community added "Singh"
to their names, but now many Sikh women append it to their
names as well. |
|
Singh Sabha |
Sikh
societies dedicated to religious, social and the educational
reforms within the Sikh community. The first Singh Sabha was
founded at Amritsar in 1873. |
|
Sodhi |
A
subcaste of the Kshatriyas. Seven Sikh gurus (from Guru Ram
Das to Guru Gobind Singh) were of this caste |
|
Sri Sahab |
Sword. |
|
Sukhmani sahib |
A
poetical composition of path in sikhs. |
|
Swaraj |
Self-rule, independence. |
|
Takht |
Throne, seat of royal, temporal or spiritual authority. |
|
Tankhaiya |
One
who commits a religious offence . |
|
Udasia |
Travels or pilgrimages of Guru Nanak. |
|
Vaaq |
Hukamnama from Guru Granth Sahib ji. |
|
Waheguru |
"Wonderful is the Lord" |
