Lighting A Joth And Doof At Home

[.- Prabhjot Singh -.]

Wjkk Wjkf Jeo,

As the above posters said - There is nothing wrong with lighting incense sticks and such to 'purify' the air, i.e, to get rid of bad odours and make the place cordial for meditation. BUT, gurbani is against lighting dhoops and such to please devis and devtas, it then just becomes karam kaand, nothing else. Guru Arjan Dev Ji says on Ang 1229:

ਨਿਵਲੀ ਕਰਮ ਬਹੁ ਬਿਸਥਾਰ ॥

nivalee karam bahu bisathhaar ||

you may make a great show of cleansing techniques,

ਧੂਪ ਦੀਪ ਕਰਤੇ ਹਰਿ ਨਾਮ ਤੁਲਿ ਨ ਲਾਗੇ ॥

dhhoop dheep karathae har naam thul n laagae ||

and burn incense and devotional lamps, but none of these are equal to the Lord's Name.

ਰਾਮ ਦਇਆਰ ਸੁਨਿ ਦੀਨ ਬੇਨਤੀ ॥

raam dhaeiaar sun dheen baenathee ||

O Merciful Lord, please hear the prayer of the meek and the poor.

ਦੇਹੁ ਦਰਸੁ ਨੈਨ ਪੇਖਉ ਜਨ ਨਾਨਕ ਨਾਮ ਮਿਸਟ ਲਾਗੇ ॥੨॥੨॥੧੩੧॥

dhaehu dharas nain paekho jan naanak naam misatt laagae ||2||2||131||

Please grant me the Blessed Vision of Your Darshan, that I may see You with my eyes. The Naam is so sweet to servant Nanak. ||2||2||131||

Some people light dhoop and start revolving it round and round in front of Guru Jis photos and stuff, this is manmatt. We have to light the incense of naam within ourselves, the fragrance of love of Waheguru will purify the soul, that should be our aim. Kabir Ji says on Ang 338:

ਬਿਪਲ ਬਸਤ੍ਰ ਕੇਤੇ ਹੈ ਪਹਿਰੇ ਕਿਆ ਬਨ ਮਧੇ ਬਾਸਾ ॥

bipal basathr kaethae hai pehirae kiaa ban madhhae baasaa ||

Many people wear various robes, but what is the use of living in the forest?

ਕਹਾ ਭਇਆ ਨਰ ਦੇਵਾ ਧੋਖੇ ਕਿਆ ਜਲਿ ਬੋਰਿਓ ਗਿਆਤਾ ॥੧॥

kehaa bhaeiaa nar dhaevaa dhhokhae kiaa jal boriou giaathaa ||1||

What good does it do if a man burns incense before his gods? What good does it do to dip one's body in water? ||1||

There is nothing wrong in purifying the air say where Babajis prakash is done for example or if it helps in reducing bad odours that could reducde concentration while doing path; its just we must make sure we dont turn it into a karm kaand, im sorry but ive seen many people doing the whole 'dhoops around photos' routine during evenings that's why Im repeating myself.

I apologise if there are any errors in my understanding of the above tukks.

Wjkk Wjkf

[SunSingh]

Wjkk Wjkf Jeo,

As the above posters said - There is nothing wrong with lighting incense sticks and such to 'purify' the air, i.e, to get rid of bad odours and make the place cordial for meditation. BUT, gurbani is against lighting dhoops and such to please devis and devtas, it then just becomes karam kaand, nothing else.

It is not karam khand. This is the simple explanation for HOW it purifies the environment. It is not merely the masking of odours. Everything has a mechanism of action. For example, when creatures die, the body is broken down and returned to the 5 elements through the action of microorganisms that we cannot see. Similarly, the use of jyot and dhoop etc. have their own mechanism of action. For example, I've heard that ghee jyot attract shaheed singhs whose pure souls purify the environment. Now if these pure souls are attracted, it doesn't seem too out there that others would be as well. Try not to call things that you don't understand karam khand ji. Also, we don't light it to please anyone, it's to purify the environment.

[.- Prabhjot Singh -.]

Wjkk Wjk SunSingh Ji,

My apologies veer ji

[KaurGurneet]

On 8/16/2009 at 1:35 PM, SunSingh said:

It is not karam khand. This is the simple explanation for HOW it purifies the environment. It is not merely the masking of odours. Everything has a mechanism of action. For example, when creatures die, the body is broken down and returned to the 5 elements through the action of microorganisms that we cannot see. Similarly, the use of jyot and dhoop etc. have their own mechanism of action. For example, I've heard that ghee jyot attract shaheed singhs whose pure souls purify the environment. Now if these pure souls are attracted, it doesn't seem too out there that others would be as well. Try not to call things that you don't understand karam khand ji. Also, we don't light it to please anyone, it's to purify the environment.

It is definitely KARAM KAND. You are defying what Guru Arjan Dev ji has mentioned in Guru Granth Sahib Ji. If it is said that NOTHING compares to the name of the lord then NOTHING compares to the name of the Lord! The vibration of Lord's name is much much higher than burning incense or Jot.

[Singh1989]

The spirits of Sikhs / Shaheeds easily get attracted to nice smells. Of course, NICE SMELL ISN'T ENOUGH! The house / area needs to be pure, Gurbani, Ardaas took place. These are fundamental reason why Jot and dhoof needs to be lit in houses. Can be once in a while. 

If people have SGGS in their homes Joth is a MUST. It purifys air for Maharaj. Another reason if you make Degh at home... It doesn't matter WHAT / how u made that Degh but after preparations and before Ardaas, Dhoof must be lit in the same room where you will do the Ardaas of bhog. The good spirits enter the house / area and consume the Degh but we will not realise it. The light easily attracts them then they're happy with how nice the house smells, where a nectar like thing, Prashad, is being made. 

Joth and Dhoof is traditional, so better to use them rather than air freshener sprays, torch light as they don't have same effects. 

 

Bhul chuk maaf. 

[Singh1989]

On 2/24/2022 at 12:07 AM, KaurGurneet said:

It is definitely KARAM KAND. You are defying what Guru Arjan Dev ji has mentioned in Guru Granth Sahib Ji. If it is said that NOTHING compares to the name of the lord then NOTHING compares to the name of the Lord! The vibration of Lord's name is much much higher than burning incense or Jot.

Been there, done that. 

When I was 22 I had EXACT same feelings. But with age comes wisdom. More seva, sangat and Simran we do the more it brings Giaan. We understand difference between right and not right.