Sikh morning prayer
Jaap Sahib
(or
Japu Sahib
;
Punjabi
:
???? ?????
, pronunciation:
[d??aːp?
saː??b]
) is the morning prayer of the
Sikhs
. The
beaded prayers
were composed by the Tenth Sikh Guru,
Guru Gobind Singh
and is found at the start of the Sikh scripture
Dasam Granth
.
[4]
This
Bani
is an important Sikh prayer, and is recited by the
Panj Pyare
while preparing
Amrit
on the occasion of
Amrit Sanchar
(initiation), a ceremony held to Amrit initiates into the
Khalsa
and it is a part of a Sikh's
Nitnem
(daily meditation). The
Jaap Sahib
is reminiscent of
Japji Sahib
composed by Guru Nanak, and both praise God.
[4]
Meaning of
jaap
[
edit
]
Following are some accepted meanings of
jaap
:
- The popular meanings of Jaap is
to recite
, to repeat, or
to chant
.
[5]
- Jaap
also means
to understand
. Gurbani cites
Aisa Giaan Japo Man Mere, Hovo Chakar Sache Kere
, where Jap word means to understand wisdom.
[6]
Jaap
is a Sanskrit word meaning "to utter in a low voice, whisper, mutter (especially prayers or incantations); to invoke or call upon in a low voice".
[
citation needed
]
Jaap Sahib
is a rhythmic hymn composed like a necklace of pearls and gems,
beauteously
(beautifully) arranged around a string: the string is the Supreme God; the pearls and gems are His attributes, excellences, and glories. It basically helps reader do a daily Greetings to Waheguru in 199 verses, just like we do hello to each other. The glories sung by Guru Sahib revolve around the following attributes of God:
- God is metaphysical, beyond time, Eternal, Unborn, Uncreated, Self-existent, and without form, feature, colour or contour. Therefore, neither can God be described or depicted, nor can anyone make an image or idols of that which is undefinable.
- God's manifestations are universally pervasive. God cannot be confined to any particular place, land, country, religion, race, garb, body or name.
- God is the Creator of the Universe and the laws governing it. Never can anyone be outside the ambit of these laws nor can anyone have the power to oppose them. God's Law and Justice is Righteous and Ultimate.
- God's is pervasive in all that 'He' has created, yet God also extends beyond 'His' creations; God is thus Immanent in His Creation and at the same time Transcends it.
- God is Omnipotent, Omnipresent, and Omniscient; nothing, whether good or evil, can happen outside of the Creator's Will; God is the Creator-Sustainer-Annuller of His Creation. God is the Life of life, the Death of death, the Darkness of darkness, the Light of light.
Content
[
edit
]
| This section
needs expansion
. You can help by
adding to it
.
(
December 2015
)
|
The Jaap Sahib is a recitation and praise of God. It includes various names of God in various languages. Understand the fact that god has no name but is called by various names by devotees based on their experience and the blessings they have obtained from him. There is only one sole religion of humans - humanity, and the worldly path that we choose to understand the natural power, our source, source of creation - is called faith only.
All faiths are rivers and are destined to merge into one great "Ocean - the lord, the light"; whatever you may call, think, believe or perceive.
[4]
[7]
Form
[
edit
]
Jaap Sahib
is made up of 199 verses and is the first Bani of the
Dasam Granth
(p. 1-10).
The Jaap Sahib begins with the words:
???? ?????? ???????? {?? ?}
Sri Mukhwakh Patshahi Dasvee
"By the holy mouth of the Tenth Emperor,"
This line is clearly intended to authenticate Guru Gobind Singh Ji as the Author of the Dasam Granth.
Jaap
is a Sanskrit word which means "to utter in a low voice, whisper, mutter (especially prayers or incantations); to invoke or call upon in a low voice." The form of the word here is
Japu
, which makes it a noun, meaning "meditation on nothing but the Truth; ('God') (or The True God).
Language
[
edit
]
The language of Jaap, is close to classical with words and compounds drawn from
Sanskrit
,
Brij Bhasha
,
Arabic
and
Urdu
. The contents of Jaap Sahib, are divided into various
Chhands
bearing the name of the related meter according to the then prevalent system of prosody in India.
Japji Sahib and Jaap Sahib
[
edit
]
The Guru Granth Sahib starts with
Japji Sahib
, while
Dasam Granth
starts with Jaap Sahib also called Japu Sahib.
[4]
Guru Nanak is credited with the former, while Guru Gobind Singh is credited with the latter.
[4]
The Jaap Sahib, unlike Japji Sahib, is composed in Braj bhasha, Sanskrit and Arabic, and with 199 stanzas, is longer than Japji Sahib. The Jaap Sahib is, like Japji Sahib, a praise of God as the unchanging, loving, unborn, ultimate power.
References
[
edit
]
- ^
Sukhbir Singh Kapoor; Mohinder Kaur Kapoor.
Dasam Granth: An Introductory Study
. Hemkunt Press. p. 39.
ISBN
9788170103257
.
- ^
'Makin', Gursharan Singh.
Zafarnama: The Epistle of Victory
(1st ed.). Lahore Book Shop. p. 13.
ISBN
8176471798
.
- ^
Singha, H.S. (2000).
The Encyclopedia of Sikhism (Over 1000 Entries)
. Hemkunt Press. p. 54.
ISBN
9788170103011
.
- ^
a
b
c
d
e
HS Singha (2009), The Encyclopedia of Sikhism, Hemkunt Press,
ISBN
978-8170103011
, page 110
- ^
S Deol (1998), Japji: The Path of Devotional Meditation,
ISBN
978-0966102703
, page 11
- ^
Nihang, Dharam Singh.
Naad Ved Vichar
(in Punjabi). India. p. 20.
??? ????? ???? ?? ?????? ????? ???? ???? ???? (???? ???)
- ^
Amarjit Singh (1985), Concept of God in Jaap Sahib: An analytic study, Studies in Sikhism and Comparative Religion, Vol. 4, Issue 1, pages 85?92
Bibliography
[
edit
]
- Singh, Dr. Santokh (1990).
English Transliteration and Interpretation of Nitnaym Baanees, Sikh Prayers for English Speaking Sikh Youth
. Sikh Resource Centre.
ISBN
1-895471-08-7
.
- William Owen Cole, Piara Singh Sambhi (1995).
The Sikhs: Their Religious Beliefs And Practises
. Sussex Academic Press.
ISBN
1-898723-13-3
.
- Neki, Jaswant (2008).
Basking in the Divine Presence - A Study of Jap Sahib.
Amritsar: Singh Brothers.
- Singh, Sahib
(2003).
Jaap Sahib Steek.
Amritsar: Singh Brothers.
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