Sikhism Flashcards
Adi Granth
(“Original book”) Scripture first compiled by Guru Arjan in
1604 and invested with supreme authority as the Guru Granth Sahib after the death of Guru Gobind Singh.
Akal Purakh
(“The One Beyond
Time”) God
amrit
(“Divine nectar”) The Khalsa
initiation nectar
Amrit-dhari
(“Nectar-bearer”) An initiated member of the Khalsa.
Amrit sanskar
The formal ceremony
initiating Sikhs into the Khalsa.
Baisakhi
An Indian New Year’s holiday in mid-April, when Sikhs celebrate the birthday of the Khalsa.
bana
The Khalsa dress
bani
(“Divine utterance”) The works
of the Gurus and the Bhagats recorded in the Adi Granth
Bhagat
(“Devotee”) One of the poets
of traditions other than Sikhism
whose work is included in the Adi
Granth (e.g., Kabir, Ravidas, Namdev).
chauri
A ceremonial whisk (made of
yak hair or manmade fiber attached to
a wooden handle) that is waved over
the Guru Granth Sahib as a mark of
respect.
Dasam Granth
(“The Book of the
Tenth Guru”) Secondary Sikh scripture attributed to Guru Gobind Singh.
Dhur ki Bani
(“Divine Utterances from
the Beginning”) The expression used to
refer to the Sikh notion of revelation.
Five Ks (panj kakke)
The five marks
of Khalsa identity: kes (uncut hair),
kangha (wooden comb), kirpan (sword),
kara (wrist-ring), and kachh (short
breeches).
granthi
(“Reader”) The reader and
custodian of the Guru Granth Sahib
who performs traditional rituals in the
gurdwara.
gur-bilas
(“Splendor of the Guru”)
Sikh literature of the eighteenth and
nineteenth centuries praising the martial traits of two warrior gurus, Hargobind and Gobind Singh.
gurdwara
(“Guru’s door”) The Sikh
place of worship.
Gurmukh
One who faces the guru, a
follower of the divine and of the guru.
Gurmukhi
(“From the Guru’s mouth”)
The vernacular script in which the
compositions of the gurus were first
written down. It has since become the
script of the Punjabi language.
Gurpurb
A celebration of an anniversary related to the gurus.
gursikhs
(“Disciples of the Guru”)
The loyal followers who accept the
teachings of the Guru faithfully
guru
(“Teacher”) Either a spiritual
person or the divine inner voice.
haumai
(“I-ness,” “my-ness”) Selfcentered pride.
hukam
(“Divine order, will, or command”) An all-embracing principle,
the sum total of all divinely instituted
laws; a revelation of the nature of God
Istari Satsang
(“Spiritual Fellowship of
Women”) A group of Sikh women who
congregate for devotional purposes.
janam-sakhis
(“Birth testimonies”)
Traditional accounts of the life of Guru
Nanak.
karah prashad
A sweet pudding or
paste of flour, sugar, and butter that is
prepared in an iron (karah) bowl with
prayers, placed in the presence of the
Sikh scripture during worship, and then
distributed among the congregation
karam
(“Actions”) Karma; the destiny
or fate of an individual, generated in
accordance with deeds performed in
one’s present and past existences.
Kes-dhari
(“Hair-bearer”) A Sikh who
affirms his identity by wearing unshorn hair
Khalsa
a (“Pure” or “crown estate”)
An order of Sikhs bound by common
identity and discipline
kirtan
The singing of hymns from the
scriptures in worship.
langar
The term for both the community kitchen and the meal that is prepared there and served to all present in
the congregation.
Mahant
“Custodians” of Sikh shrines
under British rule
man
The complex of heart, mind, and
spirit
manji
(“Cot”) An administrative subdivision of the early Sikh Panth.
miri-piri
The doctrine that the guru
possesses both temporal (miri) and
spiritual (piri) authority
Mul Mantar
(“Basic Formula”) The
opening creedal statement of the Adi
Granth declaring the eternity and
transcendence of God, the creator
nam
(“The divine Name”) The sum
total of all divine attributes
nam-simaran
(“Remembrance of the
divine Name”) Devotional practice such
as meditating centered on the divine
Name
Panj Piare
( “Cherished Five”) The
first five Sikhs to be initiated as members of the Khalsa in 1699; five Sikhs
in good standing chosen to represent
a sangat
Panth
(“Path”) The Sikh community
pothi
Volume or book.
raga
A series of five or six notes on
which a melody is based.
rahit
The code of conduct for the
Khalsa.
Rahit-namas
“Manuals of the Code of
Conduct.”
sahaj
The condition of ultimate
bliss resulting from the practice of
nam-simaran.
sangat
A congregation or group of
devotees in Sikhism.
Sants
Ascetic poets who believed
divinity to exist beyond all forms or
description
sansar
(“Cycle of birth and death”)
Transmigration in Sikh terminology
sati
The immolation of a widow on
her husband’s funeral pyre
shabad
(“Divine Word”) A hymn of
the Adi Granth.
Sehaj-dhari
(“Gradualist”) A Sikh who
follows the teachings of the gurus but has not accepted the Khalsa discipline.
Sikhi
(“Sikh-ness”) A term referring
to living Sikh practice.
Sikh Rahit Maryada
The standard
manual of the “Sikh Code of Conduct”
published by the SGPC in 1950.
Singh Sabha
(“Society of Singhs”) A
revival movement established in 1873
that redefined the norms of Sikh doctrine and practice.
Vak
(“Saying”) A passage from the
Guru Granth Sahib that is chosen at
random and read aloud to the congregation as the lesson of the day
Guru Nanak
Hij werd geboren in Tawandi en op zijn 30ste kreeg hij een visioen waarin God hem opriep om te drinken van een soort nectar van onsterfelijkheid en de boodschap van devotie te verkondigen. Hij liet voor zichzelf een huisbouwen dat uitgroeide tot een gemeenschapsplek + de voorloper van de gurdwara werd. Hij leerde zijn leerlingen mediteren, studeren en zingen, steeds gefocust op de goddelijke naam. Hij stierf op zijn 70ste. Eerst werd zijn mystieke ervaring mondeling doorgegeven, na 70 jaar ook op schrift.
