Sikhism: Worship and Practice » The Naming Ceremony and Amrit Sanskar

Quick recall

You already know that the Khalsa is the community of initiated Sikhs, started by Guru Gobind Singh in 1699, and that its members wear the Five Ks. You know that Amrit is the sweetened water used for initiation, and that the panj pyare are the five beloved ones who were the first to take it. You also know that a granthi looks after the Guru Granth Sahib, and that the hukam is a hymn taken at random from it. This lesson shows how these ideas come together at two important moments in a Sikh's life.

Rites of passage

A rite of passage is a ceremony that marks an important change in a person's life. Sikhs have ceremonies for a birth, for joining the Khalsa, for marriage and for death. This lesson looks at the first two. Marriage and death are taught in Anand Karaj and Sikh Death Rituals.

These ceremonies matter to Sikhs for three reasons. They bring the whole sangat together to share the joy. They happen in front of the Guru Granth Sahib, so the Guru's teaching is at the centre of life. They also remind the person, and the family, of the way a Sikh should live.

Key terms:

• Rite of passage (recap from Family Life: Types of Family, Roles and Responsibilities): a ceremony that marks an important change or stage in a person's life.
• Naam Karan: the Sikh naming ceremony, held for a baby.
• Amrit Sanskar: the Sikh initiation ceremony, in which a person takes Amrit and joins the Khalsa.
• Amritdhari: a Sikh who has taken Amrit and joined the Khalsa.
• Kurahit: the four acts that are forbidden to a member of the Khalsa.

The naming ceremony (Naam Karan)

When a baby is a few weeks old, the family usually take the baby to the gurdwara to give thanks to God and to choose a name. The parents and relatives sit with the sangat in front of the Guru Granth Sahib. The ceremony follows these steps:

1. The family sing hymns and say thanks to God for the baby, and the sangat joins in.
2. The granthi opens the Guru Granth Sahib at random and reads the hymn on the page. This is the hukam for the day.
3. The first letter of the hymn gives the first letter of the baby's name. The family choose a name that begins with that letter.
4. Kaur is added to the name of a girl and Singh to the name of a boy.
5. Ardas is said, and karah prashad is shared equally with everyone present.

In some families a little Amrit is also touched to the baby's lips.

Initiation into the Khalsa (Amrit Sanskar)

The Amrit Sanskar follows the first Amrit ceremony of 1699, which you have already studied in Baisakhi and the Birth of the Khalsa. It is held in the presence of the Guru Granth Sahib. It is led by five initiated Sikhs who stand for the panj pyare. They may be women or men. The rite is open to any Sikh, woman or man, from any background, who is old enough to understand what it means.

The ceremony happens in these stages:

1. The candidates bathe and wear the Five Ks (kesh, kangha, kara, kachera and kirpan), which you studied in Guru Gobind Singh, the Khalsa and the Five Ks.
2. One of the five Sikhs explains the Sikh faith and way of life, and the candidates agree to accept it.
3. Amrit is made in a steel bowl. Water and sugar are stirred with a double-edged sword (khanda) while the five Sikhs recite set prayers, which include the Japji Sahib and the Jaap Sahib.
4. Each candidate drinks Amrit from cupped hands. It is also sprinkled on the eyes and the hair. The greeting Waheguru ji ka Khalsa, Waheguru ji ki Fateh is repeated each time.
5. The candidates repeat the Mool Mantar. One of the five Sikhs then explains the Rahit Maryada and the four kurahit, and the candidates promise to follow them.
6. Ardas is said and karah prashad is shared.

Many Sikhs see the double-edged sword as a reminder that the Khalsa was started to be both devoted to God and ready to protect others.

The vows and the four kurahit

By taking Amrit, a Sikh promises to follow the Rahit Maryada. This includes keeping the Five Ks, saying the daily prayers of the Nitnem, and living honestly and doing service. They also promise to avoid the four kurahit. In the Rahit Maryada these are:

• cutting or dishonouring the hair
• eating kuttha, which is meat from an animal killed by a ritual method
• sex with anyone other than one's husband or wife
• using tobacco

After initiation a person is an Amritdhari. Many Sikhs describe initiation as a new birth into the Khalsa, with a new commitment to the Guru and a new family of Sikhs.

Different attitudes among Sikhs

Most Sikh families hold a naming ceremony, because it is a joyful welcome for a child. Attitudes to Amrit Sanskar are more varied.

• Amritdhari Sikhs see taking Amrit as the fullest way to follow the Gurus. They say it is a commitment that brings discipline and a close link with the Khalsa.
• Other Sikhs respect the Khalsa and may plan to take Amrit later in life. Some feel the rules are very demanding. Others say that what matters most is meditating on God, honest work and service, and that a person can do these without being initiated.

Sikhs agree that the rite should be a free and informed choice. This is why it is for people old enough to understand it, and why a baby is never initiated.

Exam-style question

(a) Outline two features of the Sikh naming ceremony. [4 marks, Paper 2, AO1]

(b) Explain why Amrit Sanskar is important for Sikhs. [6 marks, Paper 2, AO1 and AO2]

(c) 'All Sikhs should take Amrit.' 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. [10 marks, Paper 2, AO1 and AO2]