Quoting From Rehitnamas

[N30S1NGH]

I don't know if its concerning to others or my imagination going wild.

I see alarming rate of youths quoting from rehitnamas, janam sakhiya right left and center (whether it be bhai nand lal, bhai chaupa singh , bhai dya singh, bhai mani singh janamsakhis, sau sakhiyas) to prove their point across on various topics. I have a question regarding that to people who are quoting rehitnamas, janamsakhiya- do you actually have read these full rehitnamas that you are quoting the rehitnamas or just quoting it from sikhitothemax.com or other websites?

I believe this trend of quoting the rehitnamas from sikhitothemax.com or various websites is causing misinterpretation of rehitnamas in general because rehitnamas are not read fully, critical analysis of which rehitnamas as whole is gurmat, shady, not credible, unreliable and various context of parts of rehitnamas are ignored just like context of gurbani are ignored.

I ll provide a further example when i go home..possibly by tom to further clarify this thread.

[Revolutionary]

:TH: Thank You! If only I had bothered to say it all in 1 topic... challo good job you done it

Same goes with quoting from Dasam Granth - one liners don't work! Plus if they haven't bothered to contemplate on Guru Granth Sahib then how can they act like scholars of Dasam Bani?! *sighs* (same goes for Guru Granth Sahib)

One down side of introducing 1-liners to the masses: No-one sees that they are merely used as a 1st stepping stone - not to be depended on!

[akal sahai]

wow wicked topic!!!!

[Gangster]

vah is there anywhere online were you can read full rehatnamas and translations of them?

[chatanga]

thing is that people use one-liners to back up what they think is right. usually a very viakaran arth is given, whereas the antieev arth is never known.

i pity the fools...

[kaur_khalistani_lioness]

very good topic=)

thought like that occurs to me too and concerns me too veeray ji

at gurdwaras or even in conversations amongst my friends, earlier, i used to hear the one-liners and at that time (as i didnt know any better{still dont}, thus didnt ask questions. i didnt even know what was gurbani and what was Rehitnamas... thought all that was said =sikhi and the truth :umm: ) i believed what was said. the concepts which were discussed stayed with me and i thought that was Sikhi and what Guru sahib is saying /telling me to do. oh the naiveness and innocence...the manipulation...sometimes out of ignorance on the speakers part and sometimes just done on purpose

it bothers me and scares me that sometimes a wrong message is conveyed. the thought....possibility of ruining someones life by directing them into a wrong direction, doesnt it ever cross the mind of those who use tuks, and rahitnemas to just back up their belief?

i guess thats why we just gotta become more aware and teach ourselves and friends/family around to take the responsibility to become more vigilant. it should make us take the responsibility to learn the truth on our own by reading, listening, and questioning rather than believing what someone said or how they interpret gurbani/sikhi/life:)

looking fws to reading ur examples =)

bhul chuk muaff karni

[japmans]

WOW, kaljug might be finishign guys!!

haha i coulda sworn Namstang was gonna get TRASHED for starting this topic just cuz it was HE who started it haha... Thank God!

but this is GREAT!! his point is SO valid!

[Papi]

balley balley balley, Just when I thought the forum was done for, Namastang makes a brilliant topic.

I could kiss you man :D

[N30S1NGH]

sorry for the delay here guys,

Here are two examples and one(prem sumarag and bhai dya singh rehitnama).. lot of people quote from prem sumarag granth to support their beleifs of naam dridtha and keeping gupt naam vidhi. But if one reads this prem sumarag granth you be shocked. You may want to read this yourself to believe me, you can pick up english translations of this granth by mcleod.. here are some of the crazy beliefs written in this granth:

on page 19 it is written that you should slander the Prophet if you are being attacked by a muslim. It talks about how if turk wanted to take khanda di pahul.. khalsa should bury their body up to neck in sand first so that their tat(elements) could be purified, it also talks about turkh who wants to convert should eat pork for 51 days in order to "purify" them from their muslim background (page 54)

page 93 talks about women being veiled and in the chapter on marriage it is said that the bride should wear a burka. Has this been a practice among sikhs in the early days? It says all women except prostitutes should wear a purda

on page 68 it talks about women and their period and says that a woman should bathe three days after her period has ended. does is mean she can't bathe in between?

2nd example is from bhai dya singh rehitnama where in the rehitnama it talks about specific diet,/life style lot of people adhere to that specific diet/life style based on this rehitnama, pushes their ultra firm views based on the rehitnama and witch haunts people but on the same rehitnama it also talks about khalsa can live his life/have diet in any of three gunas- rajo, tamo, satoguni.

I think one of sikh scholars in academia put it very nicely on his take on prem sumarag granth along with other rehitnamas

Prem Sumarg represents evolved local traditions and maryada, as do most rehitnamai , with the primary basis having an authentic foundation, and it have being added to since, reflecting the Khalsa's changing environment and challenges over time.

What i find interesting is groups have used lines from rehitnamas, puratan granths for their own advantage to prove their point but if someone uses same rehitnama to put their beleif forward all of sudden that challenges their mindset ..they even go as far rejecting the rehitnama..the same rehitnama they quote to support their beleifs and they call it, they are been altered by anti sikhs forces which is quite hypocritical...there are few solutions to this:

Solution 1)

one should either accept the full rehitnamas and its contents even though its contrary to their beliefs if they wish to gain any credibility or one shouldn't quote from rehitnamas or do pick and chose to push their beliefs instead they should admit this what we believe in based on our teachers and thats it..end of it.. no need to justify to claim your supermacy in the panth.

Solution 2)

Solutions 2 requires bibek buddhi and unbias attitude when doing analysis on rehitnamas with kausati of gurbani along with contexts and timing of rehitnamas even though it challenges their beleif..such people are real scholars who don't judge rehitnamas based on their standards or scan various rehitnamas and pick and chose to support their beleif or their group beleif. They have one goal only which is provide sangat with explanation of rehitnamas without their bias but reasoning the contents of rehitnamas.

This post is not direct towards any jatha specific but its general observation practiced by not one just jatha or samparda as whole ...but few individuals in every group, jatha, samparda in the panth who are hell bent to show their group supremacy in the panth.

[JustME]

wow............so true................im so tired on the one liners, i think Kabir's bani where he talks about eating fish, drinking wine etc etc has to be the most abused and famous one liner used...............could be actually do vichaar on the whole shabd? so the next time we hear it thrown about we can rise against the massive an ensure it is being used in the correct context?