vjkk vjkf

i was wondering why some Gursikhs recite Chaupai Sahib only to 25, i found this useful information stating that its should be read to 27 paurees. But i also think the arhil and chapuai should be added alot Gursikhs read this. At Siri Darbar Sahib they only do 25 paurees

ikRpw krI hm pr jg mwqw ] gRMQ krw pUrn suB rwqw ]
Kripa karee ham par jag maataa. Gra(n)th karaa pooran sabh raataa.
The Mother of the world has been kind towards me and I have completed the book this auspicious night;

iklibK skl dyh ko hrqw ] dust doiKXn ko CY krqw ]26]
Kilbikh sakal deh ko hartaa. Dustt dokhiyan ko chhey kartaa. (26)
The Lord is the destroyer of all the sins of the body and all the malicious and wicked persons. (26)

sRI AisDuj jb Bey dieAwlw ] pUrn krw gRMQ qqkwlw ]
Sri asidhuj jab bh-ay diyala. Pooran kraa gra(n)th tatkaalaa.
When Mahakal became kind, He immediately caused me to complete this book;

mn bWCq Pl pwvY soeI ] dUK n iqsY ibAwpq koeI ]27]
Man ba(n)chhat phal pavai soee. Dukh na tisai biaapat koee. (27)
He will obtain the fruit desired by the mind (who will read or listen to this book) and no suffering will occur to him. (27)

History of Kabiyo Bach Benti Choupai being shortened

The British were the main agents in shortening Choupai Sahib during the British Raj. The British sent a scout to Punjab to ascertain how many troops it would take to conquer the Punjab. The scout returned with an unorthodox report. It was to the effect that it would take all British troops in entire India to defeat the Punjab because the Sikhs have an unhuman bravery derived from their Banis. It was said that the Sikhs were undefeatable because they read Choupai Sahib. Through persistance and corruption the British managed not to directly conquer the Sikhs, but they accomplished something even more devestating. They were able to infiltrate Sikh management and compromise the daily 5 Banis. They were able to shorten Choupai Sahib and take off the last 2 pauris claiming that they are optional. The claim is that "In modern times Sikhs don't have the time to read as many banis as they used to". This argument doesn't seem valid being that the last 2 pauris are only 4 lines and take about 15 seconds to read by a familiar practitioner. The fact is that the last 2 pauris have never been optional until recent history. The British influence went to the extent that big decisions were made in Sikh management authorities, and printing presses. Nowadays, it may be difficult to find a Gutka with the entire Chaupai Sahib, and most Sikhs are not even aware that there are 27 pauris.

The British's strategy of 'Divide and Conquer' went further than the shortening of Chaupai Sahib. They made it common practice to abbreviate Anand Sahib during Kirtan Divaan. They also unpopularized Bana. At one point Nihang Singhs were being persecuted by virtue of wearing Bana and "round" turbans. They were perceived as threats to the British infiltration because they were likely to fight back. Anyone wearing Bana and or a round turban would be picked up by British officers and 'taken away'. Another part of the infiltration was the rolling of beards. They made it popular to look western. Rolling the beard became 'smart' and 'professional' looking. Rolling beards had never been practiced in Sikh history until the British Raj. Nihang Singhs used to be a nomadic Gurdwara management group and now they live mostly secluded from mainstream Sikhism and from positions of power. The Dasam Granth used to be in many Gurdwaras (not in place of the SGGS, but in a different space) and now it is mostly seen in Nihang villages and online, not to mention the many debates about its authenticity. Martial aspects of Sikhism have become mostly symbolic in modern times. The overall goal was to make Sikhism as a strictly devotional religion so it would be easier to take control.

The one thing that is very striking about this history is for the first time in Sikh history the Banis have been compromised. Until the British Raj, Sikhs had given their lives to preserve every word of the Siri Guru Granth Sahib and the Siri Dasam Granth. There are many Sikh issues today; lack of leadership, terrorism backlash, womens seva issues. Amongst all issues Sikhs could always go to the Shabad Guru knowing that it was exactly how the Gurus wrote it with their own hands. This is one thing that stands out about Choupai Sahib. Every Sikh knows the importance of the Shabad Guru being preserved. Guru Har Rai, who was so gentle that he couldn't even harm a flower, disowned his own son for changing one word of the Adi Granth. Now a full 2 pauris have been taken out of Sikh daily practice. There are ripe complaints amonst Sikhs that the overall Panth is not united, Sikh leaders are corrupt, Sikh youth are leaving their roots, etc. This could be because some of the fundamental practices have been compromised. Bana, Bani, Simran, and Seva were given by Guru Gobind Singh so that Sikhs could have his blessing and his spirit against all odds. Now Bana is mostly out of practice and Bani has been shortened.

It is important to note that we are not talking about the rearranging of different sections of Banis, but the cutting off of pauris from one continuous Bani. Lets compare it with Rehiras Sahib. Rehiras Sahib as a whole has been rearranged throughout time and depending on which Jetha is promoting which version. Some Nihang versions are much longer than most versions, but no version ends So Purakh before its 5th pauri. We all know that Tav Prasad Savaiye has 10 pauris and Anand Sahib has 40 pauris. To take off the last 2 pauris of Choupai Sahib could be compared to taking off the last 2 pauris of Japji Sahib; ending at the 36th pauri (instead of the full 38) and then reading the Slok. Even in modern times it is difficult to justify this kind of amendment to Guru Gobind Singhs 5 Banis.

vjkk vjkf

What is Tapoban Singhs/Bhai Randhir Singh Jee's views on shortening of Chaupai Sahib?

It seems inexplicable as to how Bani could be shortened in this way and so easily accepted by a Jatha such as AKJ.

Pyare jio, having read the above account, I have to disagree with some of it. It has made alot of assumptions, which are not backed up with facts. The theories in it have a far too simplistic views on internal and external threats to Sikhi. The British are given far too much credit, when much of the confusion has been created by Sikhs themselves.

If we look at the situation many arguments on maryada were happening well before the british came along. In fact, even when the British did come along, Snatanists were hand in glove with them. So the manner in which today they blame anything against their maryada on a british conspiracy theory is not entirely accurate. There are many that Panthick Sikhs disagree with Snatanists in terms of their maryadas.

It is important we recognise that every occupier of India has played some part in dividing Sikhism, whether they be moghuls, British and now Indian govt/RSS, etc.However far more confusion was put in Sikhs, not by occupiers, but by Pundits and other sects, deras, including naamdharis, Ram Rais, Dhirmalas, etc, etc.

Equally in Sikhs themselves there is far too little real research and khoj, instead there is a lot of misinformation spread by people who just believe the first theory they hear, depending on who they associate with.

One God: Waheguru
One Guru : Sahib Siri Guru Granth Sahib Ji.
One Group : Guru Khalsa Panth!

This should be the Motto of Our Generation

Bhai Jeewan Singh does till ARILL , where MAHATAM(greatness) of Chaopee Sahib is described.

Dunnu about other puratan gursikhs tho.

I feel there is nuthing wrong in readin more bani, infact faidaa he faidaa hai.So no harm if the whole panth does full chaupai sahib, its amazing. Dohraas of Dashmesh Pitajee,welll, nuthing much can be said, bass WAHEEE gurrrrrrrrrooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo.

taksal does full chopai sahib

I personally love the Taksali version and thats what I recite.

Do the version that Panj Piare told you to do!

Chatrik Ji,

I would not bring our Beloved Bhai Jiwan Singh Ji into this argument.
First of all, he does not normally read the arrill in the Chaupai Sahib, it was just on that occasion. He read it out of respect since it was printed in the Gutka Sahib he was reading.

I personaly know who recorded the Nitname of Bhai Jiwan Singh that is on the Net. It was recorded in the 1970s in California in Yuba City. Since he was being recorded, he using a Gutka Sahib to make sure he did shudh uchaaran. Even though Bhai Sahib knew alot of kantth bani, he felt it was better to keep a Gutka Sahib infront just in case.

The Gutka Shaib he was using was printed by the Giani Mohan Singh Ji's Bhinderan Jatha. If he had a standard Gutka in hand at that time, he would have read the standard Chaupai Sahib. I still have several of those Gutkas at home and they are very sudh in printing. Just because he read it then or does not read it normally does not prove the point either way.

By the way, that was Bhai Sahib's firs trip abroad, when he was a Hazuri Ragi at Patna Sahib.

I have known Bhai Sahib for over 30 years, and he has always read the standard Panthic Chaupai Sahib, in Nitnem and in the Amrit Sanchars. I thought it would be good to set the record straight.