Harkiran Kaur ji,
Guru Fateh.
Before I respond, I must say that kudos to you as you do a very commendable job by questioning the interfaith rituals practiced by the Sikhs.
Ah but was it? If they walk side by side, then one is further from Guru Ji than the other, and the whole focus is SGGSJ.
I am a bit bewildered at your explanation. You have made SGGS, our only Guru into an idol. This is not Sikhi but Hindutva I am afraid.
Allow me to take your thought a bit farther, then the luckiest people are those who stay all day long closer to SGGS according to you. Why this Hindu mindset all of a sudden or did you consider SGGS as an Idol=Murti from the get go?
It was explained to me the ONLY reasons why it was male in front was symbolic.
Who ever told you that is wrong. I would like both bride and groom walk side by side as Sikhi is for equality. My both kids have agreed to do the same when the time comes.
Since marriage is the closest relationship where we can relate to two entities merging into one, Gurbani uses that as metaphor and a comparison when speaking about our soul with Waheguru Ji. And in that metaphor we take the position of soul 'bride' while Waheguru Ji takes the position as 'husband lord'
Sikhi has a universal message. It gives us tools how to become better beings during the only life we know. Hence it applies to all humankind irrespective of hue,creed,faith,class,caste, no faith etc. etc. Therefore, the message does not only apply to the Sikhs. This is the reason SGGS, our only Guru is filled with Gurbani from people who belonged to all different kinds of faiths.
Yes, I agree that most of the times Ik Ong Kaar is referred as the husband and we as his brides in a metaphorical sense otherwise, it would be spiritual polygamy. But it seems irrelevant in this discussion of Anand Karaj.
Ik Ong Kaar in this ever evolving way of life called Sikhi does not differentiate between people which indicates us that any gender including the LGBTQ can get married to each other as we are all part of The Source.
Having said that, SGGS,panna 103, also says the followinng, the literal translation in by Sant Singh Khalsa.
ਮਾਝ ਮਹਲਾ ੫॥
Mājẖ mėhlā 5.
Maajh, Fifth Mehl:
ਤੂੰ ਮੇਰਾ ਪਿਤਾ ਤੂੰਹੈ ਮੇਰਾ ਮਾਤਾ॥
Ŧūʼn merā piṯā ṯūʼnhai merā māṯā.
You are my Father, and You are my Mother.
ਤੂੰ ਮੇਰਾ ਬੰਧਪੁ ਤੂੰ ਮੇਰਾ ਭ੍ਰਾਤਾ॥
Ŧūʼn merā banḏẖap ṯūʼn merā bẖarāṯā.
You are my Relative, and You are my Brother.
ਤੂੰ ਮੇਰਾ ਰਾਖਾ ਸਭਨੀ ਥਾਈ ਤਾ ਭਉ ਕੇਹਾ ਕਾੜਾ ਜੀਉ ॥੧॥
Ŧūʼn merā rākẖā sabẖnī thā▫ī ṯā bẖa▫o kehā kāṛā jī▫o. ||1||
You are my Protector everywhere; why should I feel any fear or anxiety? ||1||
ਤੁਮਰੀ ਕ੍ਰਿਪਾ ਤੇ ਤੁਧੁ ਪਛਾਣਾ॥
Ŧumrī kirpā ṯe ṯuḏẖ pacẖẖāṇā.
By Your Grace, I recognize You.
ਤੂੰ ਮੇਰੀ ਓਟ ਤੂੰਹੈ ਮੇਰਾ ਮਾਣਾ॥
Ŧūʼn merī ot ṯūʼnhai merā māṇā.
You are my Shelter, and You are my Honor.
ਤੁਝ ਬਿਨੁ ਦੂਜਾ ਅਵਰੁ ਨ ਕੋਈ ਸਭੁ ਤੇਰਾ ਖੇਲੁ ਅਖਾੜਾ ਜੀਉ ॥੨॥
Ŧujẖ bin ḏūjā avar na ko▫ī sabẖ ṯerā kẖel akẖāṛā jī▫o. ||2||
Without You, there is no other; the entire Universe is the Arena of Your Play. ||2||
ਜੀਅ ਜੰਤ ਸਭਿ ਤੁਧੁ ਉਪਾਏ॥
Jī▫a janṯ sabẖ ṯuḏẖ upā▫e.
You have created all beings and creatures.
ਜਿਤੁ ਜਿਤੁ ਭਾਣਾ ਤਿਤੁ ਤਿਤੁ ਲਾਏ॥
Jiṯ jiṯ bẖāṇā ṯiṯ ṯiṯ lā▫e.
As it pleases You, You assign tasks to one and all.
ਸਭ ਕਿਛੁ ਕੀਤਾ ਤੇਰਾ ਹੋਵੈ ਨਾਹੀ ਕਿਛੁ ਅਸਾੜਾ ਜੀਉ ॥੩॥
Sabẖ kicẖẖ kīṯā ṯerā hovai nāhī kicẖẖ asāṛā jī▫o. ||3||
All things are Your Doing; we can do nothing ourselves. ||3||
ਨਾਮੁ ਧਿਆਇ ਮਹਾ ਸੁਖੁ ਪਾਇਆ॥
Nām ḏẖi▫ā▫e mahā sukẖ pā▫i▫ā.
Meditating on the Naam, I have found great peace.
ਹਰਿ ਗੁਣ ਗਾਇ ਮੇਰਾ ਮਨੁ ਸੀਤਲਾਇਆ॥
Har guṇ gā▫e merā man sīṯlā▫i▫ā.
Singing the Glorious Praises of the Lord, my mind is cooled and soothed.
ਗੁਰਿ ਪੂਰੈ ਵਜੀ ਵਾਧਾਈ ਨਾਨਕ ਜਿਤਾ ਬਿਖਾੜਾ ਜੀਉ ॥੪॥੨੪॥੩੧॥
Gur pūrai vajī vāḏẖā▫ī Nānak jiṯā bikẖāṛā jī▫o. ||4||24||31||
Through the Perfect Guru, congratulations are pouring in-Nanak is victorious on the arduous battlefield of life! ||4||24||31||
The above in bold also indicates all different kinds of relationships with Ik Ong Kaar.
The lavans in Anand Karaj are speaking not about human marriage but of our journey to merging with Waheguru. The circumambulation the reason the husband is in front is symbolizing that the couple (now as ONE) are the soul bride and are following Waheguru our husband lord linked back to that goal of merging. The only reason the husband is in front is because of that symbolism / allegory used to get the spiritual point across. In the real scenario the husband is in the same place as the wife... Following Waheguru Ji.
Is the above your personal opinion or your were told by someone?
Groom in the front demonstrates inequality and has the same symbolism as in Raksha Bandan that you eloquently spoke against in Sikhi on FB. (Please also start a thread here about the subject,thanks)
This comes from Hindu way of getting married. In some Hindu societies in India, the bride and the groom change places midway. Using your own rationale above, perhaps the Pundit wants both to be equally close to the Agni-Fire Goddess.
If we were to have walked side by side it would have changed that allegory to mean we were already merged with Waheguru Ji??
I disagree as explained above. As Ik Ong Kaar is omnipresent, then the merger already took place since the big bang. No one can be outside the realm of omnipresence.
The hubby walking front has nothing to do with thinking the wife has to always follow behind the husband as an obedient puppy. Not at all!
This is more the reason the couple should walk together. Equality needs no justification.
Sikhi teaches women to take the lead even in their own protection. Sikh women are expected to protect others the same as Sikh men and have all the same obligations. There is no 'husband rules wife obeys' even though some misguided Sikh groups try to insert thought from laws of Manu regarding this. They are wrong.
I agree.
The lavans in Anand Karaj are speaking not about human marriage but of our journey to merging with Waheguru. The circumambulation the reason the husband is in front is symbolizing that the couple (now as ONE) are the soul bride and are following Waheguru our husband lord linked back to that goal of merging. The only reason the husband is in front is because of that symbolism / allegory used to get the spiritual point across. In the real scenario the husband is in the same place as the wife... Following Waheguru Ji.
In reality, the couple is getting married, so it is a human marriage. The couple has to cope with the ebbs and flows of their relationship by learning Piri from SGGS, our only Guru and using the tools in our Miri life. However the symbolism has a lot deeper meaning beside starting a married life as One Jyot.
If we were to have walked side by side it would have changed that allegory to mean we were already merged with Waheguru Ji??
Please elaborate what you mean by the above.
Thanks & Reards
Tejwant Singh
