What Are Your Views Of Gurbani-engraved Karas?

WaheGuru my Sat Sangat

So a few minutes ago I was searching karas online and I came upon gurbani engraved karas. I myself being the proud owner of one came across a post on the AKJ community:

http://www.akj.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=7516

but then I also found sites which would give gurbani engraved karas as an award/prize

http://www.sikhnet.com/filmfestival/about/

I was curious to know the opinion of my friends on gurbani engraved karas.

:sippingcoffee:
Sat Sri Akal

I appreciate the idea of the "carvers" but your arm can become dirty and it'd be disrespectful to the Gurbani.

I feel the same way with religious tattoos

Kamala said:

I appreciate the idea of the "carvers" but your arm can become dirty and it'd be disrespectful to the Gurbani.

I feel the same way with religious tattoos

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but WHAT DOES guru ji SAY...Guru nanak ji declares...
Atta, Ghee, Salt, Water, etc etc are ALL delicious, sweet smelling fragrant things....no one feels "any objections..or feels bad...or feels to avoid...atta, ghee, salt water etc etc.................BUT ONCE these sweet smelling fragrant healthy things...ENTER the HUMAN BODY ( or any living thing)...they become PUTRID, evil smelling,gooeeyey foul stuff...and what FINALLY emerges from the BODY after a few hours..is....something so foul smelling and foul filthy..that NO ONE DARES to say..OH I LOVE that SMELL...put it here by my side...in FACT the HUMANS who deal with that stuff are considereed the Most UNCLEAN FILTHIEST LOWEST of the LOW Mazhbees, .....

YET..( see the Contradiction and double standards, FAKE and FALSE ideas...) then BRAHMIN...draws a HOLY CIRCLE...purifies the inner ground with Cow Urine, and Bovine Crap...and SHOUTS...Matt BHIITTEH wey matt bhitteh....STAY AWAY UNCLEAN HUMANS...DON'T make my Pure INNER CIRCLE/my KITCHEN/MY STOVE/MY DINING PLACE IMPURE...stay away...stay away...and wonder of wonders declares Guru JI..the BRAHMIN FORGETS the FILTH INSIDE HIS INTESTINES...the Filth that the Lowly mazhbee Carries away..That FILTH is INSIDE THE SO CALLED PURIFIED CIRCLE !!

Whats the LESSON HERE..Lets NOT get confused that the LESSON Guur Ji taught is meant for the BRAHMIN ONLY..or whoever draws such circles and purifies ground etc etc...the LESSON IS UNIVERSAL !! The BODY is ALWAYS "DIRTY"...IMPURE....FILTHY...SOILED...so matter what you DO....the Average Human at any one time carried a few BILLION bacterias, and a few KILOS of FILTH inside of him/her...which the BODY NEEDS TO EXPEL every DAY like CLOCKWORK....see even the body doesnt want to store this WASTE/CRAP !! any longer than utmost necessity...

ITS the MANN...the MIND...the INNER SOUL..that One needs to keep CLEAN....jananam janam dee seah kaala...Blackened with eons of Sins, bad thoughts, evil intentions..its the MANN that needs cleansing...

BUT who cares what the Guur says...lets wash our bodies..swim in sarovars..bathe at teeraths..holy rivers, holy wells...whatever...wash and wash..DEH SABOON lay dhoeyeh..ha ha ha...the MANN is INSIDE...so much more difficult to wash..keep clean...all that extra effort and nO ONE CAN SEE it being cleaned..compared to us standing shivering in the FREEZING WATERS at hemkunt...dipping in Amrtisar Sarovar...pooranmashi baths at goindwaal baoli..maghi Bath at Muktsar..so on a nd so ON...Ganges river baths, Hadwaar baths..the list is endless...BUT whats IMPORTANT is we cna Make Movies..we cna take PHOTOGRAPHIC EVIDENCE..hsow all our relatives and bore them to death with our Pilgrimage pics album after album..see how holy a nd clean we are...!!! BUT which Movie camera cna photograph a clean Mann..??? so why BOTHER..Leave the Guru aside.leave his gurbani..his teachings aside..who cares...

SO dear kamala Bhen Ji..GURBANI CANNOT BECOME DIRTY....no matter what....Can the SUN or SUNLIGHT become dirty or soiled because i HUNG up my DIRTY SHORTS, SMELLY SOCKS, FILTHY MOPS etc etc OUTSIDE on the LAWN ??

We are FOOLS because we apply our puny standards on things much higher...see how to some people.."gurbani " becomes dirty if touched with Jhootha hands (hands not washed after eating)..BUT GURBANI NEVER BECOMES DIRTY or JHOOTHEEH.....when PRONOUNCED BY the TONGUE..the SALIVA in the MOUTH..the dirty TEETH..??? The "Hands" which just picked up the Roti to put into the mouth is "jhoothah"..BUT the TONGUE/MOUTH/TEETH are NOT ?? what contradiction ?? apparently some cant see this...they will GLARE DAGGERS at any child who dares touch a Gutka without washing and PURIFYING his Hands first..BUT they don't wash their own MOUTHS with CLOROX/SOAP ??..They just read Gutkas with all the saliva etc inside their mouths...??? HYPOCRITES. PERIOD.

I DONT very much agree with gurbani on krras, kacherras, kanghas, or kirpans...BUT i dont think Gurbani becomes soiled by a dirty arm..sweaty armpit..soiled pants ..dirty gatra etc etc..

Apologies for hurting any ones religious sentiments..as per Indian law I place this here before some smart Alec lawyer (LIAR) tries to get fresh...no intention to hurt nay ones sentiments..just stating the TRUTH as I see it.

I know what you are trying to say veerji, but it's the thought that counts, if cleanliness didn't matter I would not take showers in the morning before doing my phaat at amritvela..

I'm just trying to say it'd be disrespectful, because the body can get dirty and Gurbani deserves the best.

Kamala said:

I know what you are trying to say veerji, but it's the thought that counts, if cleanliness didn't matter I would not take showers in the morning before doing my phaat at amritvela..

I'm just trying to say it'd be disrespectful, because the body can get dirty and Gurbani deserves the best.

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CLEANLINESS DOES MATTER BHEN JI....what a THOUGHT that a "dirty" person is beloved of the Guru..perish that thought.....OUR GURUS STRESSED more on Cleanliness than anyone else...ISHNAAN is COMPULSORY part of REHAT..........BUT not the "PRETENSE" part !!!
Pretensed cleanliness is not recommened in Rehat. I am Talking about PRETENSED CLEANLINESS....As a TEACHER of Kids and ADults 4 yrs - 90++ I cant stress enough that ALL wash their hands after going to the LOO, wash the feet, wash the floor, mop the kitchens, wash the plates..spoons, BOIL the Bottles etc etc...wash the pillows every week, wash the chadars thrice a week.......BUT IF a child believes that He is "Holier" just because he washed his pillow case twice today..and so can SKIP Gurbani paath or that I should PASS him in the Exam/give him a day off from studying..then thats PRETENSE CLEANLINESS.

A SIKH who beleives he is much much HOLIER because he bathed at HEMKUNT in FREEZING WINTER..and can accept the "corruption Money" Bribe for doing his Paid Job....(Example)...or a Lawyer thinks he can LIE through his teeth in Court to win cases....and God wont say anything....or OBJECT..and its OK...is in FOR PRETENSE CLEANLINESS HEAVEN FOR FOOLS. Unfortunately Many SIKHS are in that make believe Heaven....

I hope you get what i mean...

I think we should apply this question to ALL shastars, not limit it to karas. And then you will see shastars throughout history used by the khalsa having gurbani engraved. Forget dirt, doesn't shastar need blood, isn't this What Guru Gobind Singh wanted on Vaisakhi for his shastar, and isn't this tradition carried on in Hazoor Sahib?

Also AKJ site or person (dear admin, I cannot find a better way to write this, please edit the sentence to make it more acceptable to the forum guidelines, thanks) is the last person I would ask, you need to look at kara or any shastar though a kshatriya perspective and not through any vaishnoo or ahinsa thinking.

Wahe Guru Ji Ki Ka Khalsa, Wahe Guru Ji Ki Fateh
Greetings, everyone. I believe that the intent of those who wear such karas is overall a good one; to be reminded of the Guru's word each time one looks at the kara one is wearing, and to feel the happiness and affection one feels whenever one thinks about Guru and all the gifts - the Nam, the kekkars, and the standards of living GuruJi has given us - we have been given.

Kulbirrose ji thanks for your post.

Kulbirrose said:

Wahe Guru Ji Ki Ka Khalsa, Wahe Guru Ji Ki Fateh
Greetings, everyone. I believe that the intent of those who wear such karas is overall a good one; to be reminded of the Guru's word each time one looks at the kara one is wearing, and to feel the happiness and affection one feels whenever one thinks about Guru and all the gifts - the Nam, the kekkars, and the standards of living GuruJi has given us - we have been given.

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I don't think there is much wrong with it but hopefully the message of the "Kara" is not lost on us. It is a reminder, from my understanding, that the "kara" stands for living in,

• Purity
• Balance
• This hand shall do no wrong or be so reminded!

If anything, even a line or words from Gurbani take us away from that then we need to be careful.


Sat Sri Akal.

Good point, Ji! Thanks!
Also, have been interested in how the different forms of karas have come about. Is there someone who could please direct me to historical books or other such sources?
Thank you all