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[N30 S!NGH]

How to do Parkaash Di Sewa
By Manvir Singh Khalsa


’Parkaash’ means light, radiance, expansion. It is the presence of the Guru presiding over the Saadh Sangat, the Company of the Holy. The Parkaash ceremony is the installation of the Siri Guru Granth Sahib upon the Palkee Sahib for the day, or for the Gurdwara ceremony about to be conducted.

1. Entering Guru Ji’s room (or the place where Guru Ji’s Sukhaasan was done), the sewadaar (volunteer) serving as the Granthi ‘mathaa teks’ (bows down) to Guru Sahib.


2. A short Ardaas is recited (if Guru Ji’ Saroop is being taken to someone’s house from the Gurdwara then another Ardaas is recited when Guru Ji’s saroop arrives at the house and is placed on the Palkee Sahib before the Parkaash is done):


Ik O-unkaar Vaaheguroo Jee kee Fateh
Sree Bhagautee Jee s-haaé. Vaar Sree Bhagautee jee kee Paat-shaahee Dasveen.
Pritham Bhaguatee simar kai, Gur Naanak le-ee dhiaaé.
Phir Angad, Gur te Amardaas, Raamdaasai hoé s-haaé.
Arjan Hargobind no, simrau Sree Har Raaé.
Sree Harkishan dhiaaeeai, jis dithai sabh dukh jaaé.
Teg Bahaadar simriai, ghar nau nidh aavai dhaaé. Sabh thaaeen hoé s-haaé.
Dasvaan Paat-shaah, Sree Guroo Gobind Singh Saahib Jee. Sabh thaaeen hoé s-haaé.
Dasaan Paat-shaaheeaan dee jot, Sree Guru Granth Saahib Jee dé
paath deedaar daa dhiaan dhar ké,
bolo jee Vaaheguroo!

Hé nimaaniaan de Maan, nitaaniaan dé Taan, niohtiaan di Oht, Saché Pitaa Vaaheguroo! Guroo Gareeb Nivaaj, Dhan Sree Guroo Granth Sahib Jee, aap dé hazoor parkaash dee ardaas hai jee. Darshan dé ké até pavitar hukamnaama baksh ké, aap jee deeaan piaareeaan sangtaan noo nihaal karo jee.

Akhar vaadhaa ghaataa bhul chuk maaf karnee.
Se-ee piaaré mel, jinhaan miliaa teraa naam chit aavé. Naanak Naam chardikalaa, teré bhaané sarbat daa bhalaa.
Vaaheguroo Jee kaa Khaalsa, Vaaheguroo Jee kee Fateh.

Bolé so nihaal, Sat Sree Akaal!


3. A clean towel or (cotton) cloth is placed on the head of the person serving as the Granthi, then Guru Ji’s Saroop (Volume) is lifted with both hands and placed upon that person’s head, who then carries it to the Palkee Sahib (Guru Ji’s throne).

As Guru Ji is being carried, the Granthi and those present recite any Gurbaani Shabad or mantra. (i.e. Sat Naam Vaaheguroo, Dhan Siri Guru Granth Sahib Jee, etc.). Everyone present stands up when Guru Ji’s Saroop is being carried to the Palkee Sahib (throne) and does matha tek, bows down.


4. All present then sit and continue to meditate and recite Gurbaani or Simran.

A sevadaar (if present) waves the Chaur Sahib over Guru Ji for the entire ceremony.


5. At the place of the Parkaash, Guru Sahib is placed in the centre of the Manjee Sahib (raised platform/cot) and the Granthi unwraps Siri Guru Granth Sahib one rumaala at a time, either alone or assisted by sevadaars,.

The rumaala sahib will open up to be a diamond shape. Once it is opened, a smaller rumaala is placed on top of Guru Ji’s Saroop. Placing the clean towel or (cotton) cloth back on the head, the Granthi lifts Guru Ji’s Saroop on his or her head.


6. The diamond shape rumaala sahib is the folded inwards so it takes a rectangular shape.


7. Two pillows are then placed on each side and one at the top centre of the Manjee Sahib. These are then covered with a cotton rumaala.


8. Guru Ji’s Saroop is carefully set down on the pillows, and then raised in a vertical position, resting its spine on the Palkee and central pillow. The Volume is then opened near to the centre (using both hands).


9. The side rumaalas (called “Palkeeaan”) are placed inside the front and back covers. These rumaalas drape down over the sides of the Palkee Sahib. Then Guru Ji is covered with one or more large rumaalas.


10. There are generally 2 rumaalas covering Guru Sahib, one underneath and another on the top.


11. The Granthi reads a Hukamnama (the first shabad found on the top left hand side of the Ang (respectful word referring to the ‘pages’ of Sri Guru Granth Ji) which the Volume was opened on).


12. The Guru is then covered with its rumaala(s).




Bhul chuk maaf

[double_edge]

Very well explained, clear and concise.. thanks for that N3O!

[Amrikingh]

cool

[Slugz]

This might seem insignificant to some, but even the order in which the 'diamond shaped' rumalla is placed on Guru Ji has been layed out for us (us = Nanaksar sangee).

Baba Isher Singh Ji Maharaj (Nanaksar) and Baba Nand Singh Ji Maharaj used to place the bottom side of the rumalla over Guru Ji first, then the right, and then tuck the left piece under Maharaj Ji, and finally he used the top(and final) diamond piece and place it over Guru Ji and tuck it in 'under' Guru Ji (at the 'front' - the side facing you).

Also, BabaJi used to say that the best time to do ardas and ask for something from GuruJi is during Rumalla di sewa. The analogy which he used is when...

"A wife is ironing her husbands clothes with total love and admiration before he goes to work, and since this "sewa" is done with total compassion (making sure every crease is intact) the husband can't help but marvel and admire the glow and admiration she shows in order to make sure he )the husband) look like a 'king.' Then finally, before he walks out of the house (with his new clothes looking clean/fresh) she'll ask him to stop by the store and pick up something, or run some errands etc, and since the "clothes/rumulla" sewa is fresh in his mind, theres no way in which he can refuse.

I hope this made sense, it sounds way better in Punjabi... but I hope the message was clear.

Great post Neo, thanks for sharing, its really appreciated.

Finally, Baba Nand Singh Ji Maharaj made it very clear that resting your elbows on the palki while doing sewa/chaur is forbidden and that one must always make sure that it is only the "feathers" which go over Guru Ji and our hand should never EVER be placed over Guru Ji or in a resting position on GuruJis bed.

[samosasingh]

Slugz, pls share some more things as you have above from the mahapurkhs.

[anand_mangal]

with guru maharaj jis kirpa ive been able to do sewa at my local nanaksar gurdwara, ive always noticed tht the maryada for doing parkash sukhasan in sri sachkhandsahib has been different to the way i've been taught to do the sewa , according to taksal maryada.basically when parkash is done , normally we place guru jee on our head and make a reactangle shape of the ruamale or take them off etc. at nanaksar when the rumale are taken off, guru jee is left in the middle, the top of the 2/or 5 rumalle are tucked in the front and the same at the bottom. the sides of the rumaleh are left open so it is like a hexagon shape. then two gadia (pillows) are placed which are rarther lareg compared 2 normal 1s. only 2 are used where as normaly 3 are used. just wanted to know if the poster slugz could elaborate

Edited by anand_mangal, 21 September 2009 - 09:27 PM.

[hkaurP]

What if you want to do Prakash at home? What is the procedure to follow every morning and night?