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The Sikh Marriage Ceremony

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Glimpses of the Complete Ceremony of Anand Karaj

Glimpses of the Complete Ceremony of Anand Karaj

1. Chanting of few Shabads by the Ragis (Musicians)

"There is but one God. By True Guru's grace, he is obtained.
Friends have come into my home. The True Lord has made me meet their union.
When it pleased the lord's mind. He easily caused me to meet them. Meeting the saints I have obtained peace.
I have obtained the very thing with which I had attached my mind.
Meeting with the saints, night and day my soul remains pleased and beauteous look my home and mansion.
The unbeaten meledious music of the five musical instruments resounds since the friends have come into my home.
Come. O my dear friends. Sing ye songs of joy, O women. Sing ye the true songs of joy and then shall the lord love ye and ye shall be hailed through the four ages.
My spouse has come into my house, the place is adorned and His Name has adjusted mine affairs. Applying the slave of the great elixir of gnosis to mine eyes, I have seen the lords fonn in the three worlds.
Meet me. O my mates and sing with zest the songs of rejoicing. since my spouse has come into my house."

2. Start of Ceremony

"Pauri

Whatever work, thou desirest to do tell that to the Lord.
He shall accomplish thy affairs. The true Guru bears true testimony to it.
By the company of saints thou shalt taste ther treasure of Name Nectar.
The merciful Lord the destroyer of dread preserves the honour of His slave.
Nanak, sing thou the praises of God and thou shalt see the invisible Lord."
(Guru Granth Sahib - 912)

3. Prayer (Ardas) by the Granthi (Priest) before Guru Granth Sahib (Holy Scripture) followed by the Hukamnama (Reading of Verse).

4. Ragis chant the following Short Hymn

"Slok 5th Guru. From my mind. O Nanak. I have wholly banished praising and slandering others and have forsaken and abandoned all other worldy affairs.
I have seen all the kinsmen to be ~ false; then have I attached myself to Thine skirt, O my lord."
(Guru Granth Sahib - 963)

5. Four Lavan - Marriage Hymn of Guru Ram Das (Guru Granth Sahib Page 773 and 774)

"Suhi 4th Guru.

By the first round the Lord has impressed the duties of wedded life.
Utter thou the hymns of the Guru instead of the vedas of Brahma and hold fast to this faith to dispel thine sins.
Holdfast to righteousness and contemplate the lords name. The Simlritis too Inculcate the Name.
Dwell thou upon the true Guru, thy perfect Guru and all thine sins and misdeeds shall depart.
Through the greatest good fortune celestial bliss Is obtained and the Lord God seems sweet unto the mind.
Slave Nanak proclaims that by the first round the marriage rite has begun.

Second Lav
In the second round the Lord has made me meet the diviue True has made me meet the Divine True Guru.
By God's fear my mind has become fear-free and filth of my self-conceit is washed off.
By having the fear of immaculate God the Lord Master and singing His praise, I behold Him face to face.
God Lord Master the soul of the world is pervading everywhere and filling all the places.
Within and without is the one Lord Master meeting with Lord's slaves sing I the songs of joy.
Proclaims the slave Nanak, the second round is finished and the divine melody resounds.

Third Lav
In the third round, the pleasure of Lord's love wells up within my mind.
Meeting with the holy persons. I have found the lord God through the greatest good luck.
Singing God's praise and uttering the Divine Gurbani with my mouth I have obtained the immaculate Lord.
By great good fortune, the pious persons attain to God and utter His unutterable stoty.
Within my mind has welled up the music of God, the Lord master and by the destiny recorded on my brow, I contemplate the Lord.
Says slave Nanak, in the third circling I have attained to my imperishable God Lord.

Forth Lav
In the fourth round Divine Comprehension has welled up within my mind and I have obtained my lord.
By Guru's grace, I have easily met my lord who is sweet unto my soul and body. Unto my Lord I sacrifice.
God seems sweet unto I have become pleasing to my Master. Night and day I fix my attention on thy Lord.
I have obtained my heart- desired fruit, my lord. By exalting God's name I am congratulated.
God, the Lord Master has brpught about the wedding ceremony had the bride's mind has blossomed with the Lord's Name.
Says slave Nanak, in the fourth circling I have attained to my imperishable God Lord."

6. Anand Sahib: Hymn of Joy of Guru Amar Das

"Ram kali 3rd Guru Anand

There is but one god. By True Guru's grace, He is obtained. Joy has welled up. O my mother for I have obtained my true Guru.
The true Guru I have found with ease and within my mind resounds the music of bliss.
Through the gem like measures and their families. the celestial fairies have come to hymn the Guru's word.
They, who enshime the Lord in their mind. sing the Gurbani of the Lord.
Say Nanak, Joy has ensued and I have attained to the True Guru.

O my mind, ever abide thou with thy Lord. Ever abide thou with thy God, O my mind and he shall make thee forget all sufferings.
He shall own thee and shall arrange all thine affairs.
The Lord is Omnipotent to do all things. Why forget Him from thy mind?
Says Nanak. O my Mind, ever abide thou with thy God.

O my true Lord, what is that, which Thou hast not in thy home? Within Thy home is everything, but he alone receives it, whom Thou givest.
He, who enshrines Thy Name in his mind ever hymns Thine praise and excellences, O Lord.
Many strains of rejoicing play for him, in whose mind the Lord's Name abides.
Says Nanak. O my True Lord what is that, which is not in Thy mansion?

The True Name is my only support. The True Name, which has satisfied all my hunger, is my only support.
Abiding in my mind, the Name has blessed me with peace and pleasure and fulfilled all my desires.
I am ever a sacrifice unto my Guru, who possesses such like excellences.
Says Nanak, hearken ye, O saints profess ye love for the Lord's Gurbani. The True Name is my only support.

The five forms of music ring in that very fortunate house. In that very fortunate house into which house the Lord has infused His might resound the strains.
O Lord, Thou makest man overwhelm the five demons and slayest the agonising death.
They, whose destiny Thou hast so pre-ordained, O lord are attached to thy Name.
Says Nanak, they obtain peace in their own home plays the celestial strain.

Listen ye to 'word of bliss', O very fortunate ones and all your longings shall be fulfilled. I have obtained Lord the Supreme Being and all my sorrows have departed.
Hearing the True Gurbani, I am rid of the troubles, maladies and sufferings. The saints and friend have become happy on (hearing or knowing) it from the Perfect Guru.
Immaculate are the hearers and pure the utterers and they see the True Guru all-prevading.
Prays Nanak, reparing to the Gurus feet the unblown bugles pray for the mortal."
(Guru Granth Sahib - 917-923)

7. Chanting of two Shabads (verses)

"O Lord, my hopes and desires have been fulfilled.
O sire, I am without merits, all the merits Thine.
Thou hast all the merits. O my Lord, with what mouth should I praise Thee?
Mine merits and demerits. Thou has not considered at all and Thou has pardoned me in a moment.
I have obtained the nine treasures and congratulations resound and unstruck trumpets' ring (with me).
Says Nanak, I have attained my spouse at home. and all my anxities are at an end.
My marriage is performed O my father By Gurus instructions I have obtained God.
The Darkness of my ignorance is removed. The Guru has blazed the very bright light of the Divine Knowledge.
The Guru given Divine knowledge is shedding lustre and the darkness is dispelled, I have therefore found the priceless gem of the God's Name.
My malady of ego has departed and my anguish is over. Under Gurus instructions I myself have finished.
I have obtained God of immortal form, as my spouse. He is imperishable and so dies or goes not.
The marriage has been soleminized, O my father! and by Guru's instruction. I have found God."
(Guru Granth Sahib - 78)

8. Final Prayer followed by te Hukamnama (Reciting of Verse) from Guru Granth Sahib

9. Distribution of Karah Parsad (Sacred Food)