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Unlock This CourseIn The Guru Granth Sahib: The Living Guru you saw that Sikhs believe the scripture is their eleventh and eternal Guru, and that its hymns are arranged by raga. This lesson looks at how that Guru is used, day by day and at the big moments of life.
The Guru Granth Sahib is at the centre of Sikh worship. Whatever else happens in a service, it takes place in front of the scripture.
Kirtan means singing the hymns of the Guru Granth Sahib to music. Because the hymns are arranged by raga, they are meant to be sung. Musicians often use a harmonium (a small keyboard instrument) and tabla drums, and the sangat, the congregation, may join in. Sikhs believe that singing the Guru's words helps them feel close to God.
Hymns are also read aloud. In the gurdwara, the granthi, the person who looks after the Guru Granth Sahib and reads from it, may read a passage and then explain it. This turns the old Gurmukhi words into advice for modern life.
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Sikhs also use the scripture for private devotion (love and loyalty shown to God) and for meditation. A Sikh may read a hymn slowly, repeat its words and think about what they mean. Sikhs believe this brings them closer to God and helps them live as the Gurus taught.
Sikhs use the Guru Granth Sahib in two main ways.
Only exceptionally is the Guru Granth Sahib itself kept in a home. A home needs a room set aside for it, where it can be treated with the same respect as in the gurdwara, and few homes have the space. Most Sikhs therefore use a gutka, which holds the daily prayers and can be carried and kept safely. A Sikh's set daily prayers, the Nitnem, are studied later in the course.
Many Sikhs begin or end the day by taking a hukam (also called a vak). The Guru Granth Sahib is opened at random, and a verse on the page is read as the Guru's guidance for that day. In many gurdwaras the hukam is read out for everyone to hear. A Sikh who is worried or facing a choice may take comfort from the words they find. The word hukam means "command" or "order".
When a baby is brought to the gurdwara, the Guru Granth Sahib is opened at random. The first letter of the hymn on the page is used to choose the child's name. This shows that the Guru is part of the child's life from the beginning.
At a Sikh wedding, the Anand Karaj, the couple walk around the Guru Granth Sahib while four verses called laavan are sung. The Guru is the centre of their promises, and the hymns teach about a loving, faithful marriage.
When someone dies, hymns are read and sung, including the Kirtan Sohila at the cremation. A reading from the Guru Granth Sahib (a sahaj path) is often held afterwards, ending with a bhog ceremony and prayer, and the sangat gathers to support the family. Sikhs find comfort in teachings that the soul is part of God and that death is not the end. The hymns give mourners strength and remind them to put their trust in God.
In each case the scripture is a source of teaching (what to believe), comfort (peace in sorrow) and guidance (how to act).
Sikhs hold different views about new ways of reading the scripture.
Most Sikhs would agree that the words matter most, and that whatever is used should be treated respectfully.
(a) Outline two ways in which the Guru Granth Sahib is used in the daily life of a Sikh. [4 marks]
(b) Explain why the Guru Granth Sahib is important at a Sikh wedding, a naming or a funeral. [6 marks]
(c) "Sikhs should read the Guru Granth Sahib in translation or online." Discuss this statement, considering the arguments for and against. In your answer you should include reference to teachings, other points of view, and your own opinion with reasoned arguments. [10 marks]
(a) A Sikh may take a hukam (1), opening the Guru Granth Sahib at random and reading a verse as the Guru's guidance for the day (1). Most Sikhs use a gutka at home (1), a small book of daily prayers, because few homes have a room fit for the Guru Granth Sahib (1).
(b) At a wedding, the couple walk around the Guru Granth Sahib as the laavan are sung (1), which shows that the Guru is at the centre of their promises (1). At a naming, the scripture is opened at random and the first letter of the hymn gives the child's name (1), so the Guru is part of the child's life from the start (1). At a death, hymns are read and sung (1), and they bring comfort by teaching that the soul is part of God (1).
(c) Plan. For: many Sikhs cannot read Gurmukhi, so a translation lets them understand the teaching; an app brings the hukam to someone far from a gurdwara. Against: the original Gurmukhi words are the Guru, and a translation may lose meaning; a screen may not be treated with enough respect. Other views: some Sikhs welcome new ways, others stress the original. Conclusion: a possible conclusion is that translations and apps are useful ways to learn, but the Gurmukhi original should stay central, as long as everything is treated with respect.
In "Explain why it is important" questions, say what happens and then why it matters to Sikhs. Description alone earns only the lower marks.