Paath And Chaur Sahib Seva During Menstruation

[harsimran kaur]

Vaheguru ji ka khalsa, vaheguru ji ki fateh

A bibi told me that she can't do paath seva because she was having periods. I thought that it's something cultural, because of the "filthiness" related to it.

But i later came across this in the booklet "Gurbani da adab": "Those women who are menstruating should not sit in Sri Guru Granth Sahib ji's tabiya nor should they do Chaur Sahib seva." What's the explanation for this?

Is it really something that is commonly observed? And is it mentioned in some rehat?

Vaheguru ji ka khalsa, vaheguru ji ki fateh!

[Only five]

Sounds like to me something foolish to say. Many people speak of this, but have not given a reason other than being cleansed that I have heard of.

[AmarjitKaur]

As far as I can say, just finished one Sahej Path at home and continued it during those days as well. I think its like not proceeding with travel if cat crossed the road.

Babaji nu ardas karo, baba ji, I am going through those days, nothing I did on my own, you gave me this gift, so please give me permission to do your sewa. And then go ahead, sit and recite bani or do chaur sahib. Your mind just got cleansed. Body was already clean as long as you took shower in the morning.

[TuhiNirankar]

A bibi told me that if ur on ur period and u are doing mahraj di seva take a shower be4,

sum bibya just wish not to do seva on those days, because one heavy period , second cramps, .....

[harsimran kaur]

Thanks for your answers! I was worried that this is actually something that people believe in. It was from a DDT publication, and it might have been good for them to explain it somehow, since quite many people view them as an authority when it comes to matters concerning Paath seva. It's understandable though in a way, since it may have been more difficult to take care of the menstrual blood without adequate pads etc. in the old days.

[K. SINGH DEEP]

Khima karnaji ,for stepping in to a matter being discussed by my beloved

sisters and daughters, but it is necessary to confirm your view point in the

light of Gurbani and that is:-

" Jeo joroo sirnavani aave varo vaar,

Joothhe joothhan mukh vashe nit nit hoe khuar.

Sooche se na akhiye bahen je pinda dhoe,

Sooche sei NANKA jin man vasya soe."

(Asa di vaar )

Here Guru Nanak Sahib tells us that only with clean body no one is suchcha

but "Man vasya soe" makes us suchcha hence if a person not practicing truth

mean jootthha, can do seva ,why GURU keean BETIAN can not do during a

natural process which is caused by nature and not by themsaelves whereas

the lie telling people are doing seva when they themselves are responsible

for this Kurehat of telling lie which is forbidden in Gurbani and Rehatnama

many a times.

Bhul chuk khima ,Waheguru ji ka Khalsa Waheguru ji ki Fateh

[AvnitK]

waheguru ji ka khalsa waheguru ji ki fateh

i just know that its in the maryada of damdami taksal .. that we shouldnt do it during those times....but some bibi's told me that we should take a showere before we sit on taabiya

[SunSingh]

it's matter of sucham. just like man can't do that seva after going #2 without cleansing himself, same thing for a singhni.

[Papi]

I have always been confused about this. We tend to equate sucham to taking a shower, cleaning the body. But as per Dhan Guru Nanak Sahib Jee,

mÚ 1 ]

ma 1 ||

First Mehla:

ijau jorU isrnwvxI AwvY vwro vwr ]

jio joroo siranaavanee aavai vaaro vaar ||

As a woman has her periods, month after month,

jUTy jUTw muiK vsY inq inq hoie KuAwru ]

joot(h)ae joot(h)aa mukh vasai nith nith hoe khuaar ||

so does falsehood dwell in the mouth of the false; they suffer forever, again and again.

sUcy eyih n AwKIAih bhin ij ipMfw Doie ]

soochae eaehi n aakheeahi behan j pi(n)ddaa dhhoe ||

They are not called pure, who sit down after merely washing their bodies.

sUcy syeI nwnkw ijn min visAw soie ]2]

soochae saeee naanakaa jin man vasiaa soe ||2||

Only they are pure, O Nanak, within whose minds the Lord abides. ||2||

Please don't take the example of periods given by Guru Sahib here to conclude that periods somehow makes a woman unclean. It's being used as an example where it happens in a cycle, there is no break. Similarly, a "jootha" person does false deeds in a cycle and is unable to break out of it.

[Only five]

There is two suchams. Taking a shower is a must before reading or sitting near Gurbani. There are some extreme exceptions, but that's not the point. Then cleaning the soul of maya is second sucham, which is the most important one. Both are important.

Cleanse the body by showering and there are ways for women to keep the sucham afterwards.

Gurbani is Gurbani, whether in a Gutka or on piece of paper. Respect it and read as much as you want after cleansing the body.