The Ardās (, pronunciation: ) is a set

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Sikhism Sikhism is an Indian religion and Indian philosophy, philosophy that originated in the Punjab region of the Indian subcontinent around the end of the 15th century CE. It is one of the most recently founded major religious groups, major religio ...

. It is a part of worship service in a

Gurdwara A gurdwara or gurudwara () is a place of assembly and place of worship, worship in Sikhism, but its normal meaning is "place of guru" or "home of guru". Sikhism, Sikhs also refer to gurdwaras as ''Gurdwara Sahib''. People from all faiths and rel ...

(Sikh temple), daily rituals such as the opening the ''

Guru Granth Sahib The Guru Granth Sahib (, ) is the central holy religious scripture of Sikhism, regarded by Sikhs as the final, sovereign and eternal Guru following the lineage of the ten human gurus of the religion. The Adi Granth (), its first rendition, w ...

'' for ''prakash'' (morning light) or closing it for ''sukhasan'' (night bedroom) in larger Gurdwaras, closing of congregational worship in smaller Gurdwaras, rites-of-passages such as with the naming of child or the cremation of a loved one, daily prayer by devout Sikhs and any significant Sikh ceremonies. An Ardas consists of 3 parts. The first part recites the virtues of the ten Gurus of Sikhism from Guru Nanak to Guru Gobind Singh, starting with lines from '' Chandi di Var'' from the '' Dasam Granth''. The second part recites the trials and triumphs of the Khalsa and petition. The third salutes the divine name. The first and the third part are set and cannot be changed, while the second part may vary, be shortened and include a supplication such as seeking divine help or blessing in dealing with daily problems, but is usually in agreed form. While it is sung, the audience or the Sikh devotee typically stands, with folded hands, many with bowed headed, with some typically saying "Waheguru" after certain sections.Gurdwara
Encyclopaedia Britannica Ardas is attributed to

Guru Gobind Singh Guru Gobind Singh (; born Gobind Das; 22 December 1666 – 7 October 1708) was the tenth and last human Sikh gurus, Sikh Guru. He was a warrior, poet, and philosopher. In 1675, at the age of nine he was formally installed as the leader of the ...

, the founder of the Khalsa and the 10th Guru of Sikhism.

Etymology

The root of the word Ardas is related to the Sanskrit word ''ard'' (अर्द) which means "request, ask, beg". It is also related to the Persian word ''arzdasht'' which means a written "petition made by an inferior to a superior".

Structure

The Ardās is usually always done standing up with folded hands and is commonly preceded by the eighth stanza of the fourth ashtapadi of the bani Sukhmani, beginning ''Tu Thakur Tum Peh Ardaas''. It consists of three parts: #The beginning of the Ardās is strictly set by the tenth Sikh Guru,

and may not be altered or omitted. It appears as the opening passage of Var Sri Bhagauti Ji Ki (see Chandi di Var). The first part is an invocation from the '' Chandi di Var'' and recites the virtues of the Sikh Gurus. #The second part is several paragraphs recounting Sikh symbols, places or worship and values significant and related to Khalsa. This may be changed by reciting a "short ardaas". The Sikh devotee may include a personal prayer such as " Waheguru, please bless me in the task that I am about to undertake" when starting a new task, help me with this problem, or add any personal petition for God. #The third salutes the divine name. This part may also not be altered or omitted. The end of the Ardaas (''Nanak Nam Chardi Kala, Tere Bhane Sarbat Da Bala'', "O Nanak, may the Nam (Holy) be ever in ascendance! in Thy will may the good of all prevail!") is also set and may not be altered or omitted.SRM, p. 9.

Origins

The "Ardās" of Sikhism was first composed by Guru Gobind Singh. He fixed the first eight lines and the last section, and these are considered unalterable in Sikhism. The second section has been fluid, revised extensively and particularly by Tat Khalsa in the 20th century. The Sikh Rahit Maryada has published an approved version of the entire Ardas.

Notes

References

*''Sikh Rehat Maryada: The code of Sikh conduct & conventions'', Dharam Parchar Committee (Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandakh Committee) n.d., Amritsar. *MacAuliffe, M A 1909, ''The Sikh religion: its gurus, sacred writings and authors'', The Clarendon Press, Oxford.

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