dalsingh101 Posted February 10, 2011 Report Share Posted February 10, 2011 (edited) I got the idea from another thread. Seeing as these things seem to change over time, I thought it would be interesting (and a laugh) to leave a record of the kind of behams (right or wrong as they may be), that we get exposed to as Panjabi Sikhs. I'll kick it off: 1) Being prevented from leaving the house to go anywhere when you've just sneezed. 2) Being prevented from leaving the house at 'a quarter to' any time. * Sometimes in a dire emergency when one has to leave despite the above, having a pinch of sugar placed in your mouth seems to negate the power of these omens. 3) Not having milk with fish because it effects your skin 4) Having to place any footwear you've removed neatly side by side (i..e not untidily or on top of each other), because your money disappears otherwise... please contribute and continue the numbering system used above.... Edited February 10, 2011 by dalsingh101 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dalsingh101 Posted February 10, 2011 Author Report Share Posted February 10, 2011 Another classic I remembered. 5) Being left handed is the sign of some sort of bad omen and must be beaten out of the child. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shaheediyan Posted February 10, 2011 Report Share Posted February 10, 2011 Being left handed is a sign of 'evil' to varying degrees in most historic cultures in the world. I know this via martial arts circles - where old school Indonesian, Filipino, Chinese Masters didn't take on lefties (or required them to learn right handed only), I think the same was true of Indian martial Akharas too. I remember the fish and milk one, that might be something more traditional medicine (scientific) reltated possibly... There is also the one about eyes twitching (bad luck), and scratching your left or right hand, right looses money and left gains... that one actually works lol! Also, black cat cutting your path (turn back). Not washing hair on Tuesdays... put something black on anything that looks beautiful (buri nazar etc)... dogs howling at night> someone is going to die (not sure if thats Indian or European actually). I'm not an expert on this subject or anything :-0 Another one was loha nahi kharkhona, bad to hit metal on metal... I used to have a bad habit of jingling my keys whe I was a kid. Nowadays I take that to mean never strike a sword with another sword, only the hand/arm that controls it etc. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mekhane'ch Jannat Posted February 10, 2011 Report Share Posted February 10, 2011 How could you forget the classic no meat on Tuesday Also do not cut nails on tuesday Left palm itch -- money lose Right palm itch -- money gained Left eye twitch is a sign of something bad and right eye something good Left is always seen as inauspicious. To disrespect someone you seat them on your left Also when doing parkarma circunambulation you keep the object of respect to your right and walk clockwise. When facing East south is right (Dakshin daksha also means right) and North is left, North is known as the direction of death it is said when sleeping your head should not be in the north direction. Mummies in ancient egypt were entombed with head in north. Left and Right are related to Yoga Left being feminine. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tonyhp32 Posted February 10, 2011 Report Share Posted February 10, 2011 Some of these behams might be punjab wide or regional to Malwa. 6. Three people should not leave the house together on any task as it's bad luck. The way to counter this is that one person leaves ahead of the others and meets the other two at a predetermined spot. 7. Only wash hair on monday, wednesday, friday and sunday. 8. Not to do the washing on a day when a family member has gone on a long journey. 9. Budh Kam Sudh - always start any new task on a wednesday 10. Not to bring anything metallic home on a Tuesday. 11. Not to swing your legs when sitting down - especially kids 12. Mothers use the black grease from a nalka to use as eyeliner on their young sons. I think it's supposed to stop the evil eye. 13. Not to brag about the birth of a son as someone might do a haunka - a sigh and that's bed luck on the kid. I think this can also relate to just bragging about what good luck you have had and then someone sighs, (ie why didn't that happen to me! )and that affects your luck. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SURYADEV Posted February 10, 2011 Report Share Posted February 10, 2011 After having a meal don't take a long yawn or stretch lethargically. Otherwise you will take re-birth as a gadhha (animal). 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shaheediyan Posted February 10, 2011 Report Share Posted February 10, 2011 "Also when doing parkarma circunambulation you keep the object of respect to your right and walk clockwise." Nihangs do the opposite :-) probably because the kirpan is worn on the left, they do parkarma anti-clockwise. This is not really behm, more a sign of respect. I remember some of those also Tony, I think they are Punjab wide, man, I thought I was the expert! I still insist left palm itch is money gained! That may just be unique to me lol Daughters - don't drink water with your head uncovered - it will cause our Father to go in debt!! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dalsingh101 Posted February 10, 2011 Author Report Share Posted February 10, 2011 (edited) Also, black cat cutting your path (turn back). This one definitely European and not Panjabi. 11. Not to swing your legs when sitting down - especially kids I remember getting loudly bollocked for this as a kid in Panjabi school. I thought my lot were superstitious but judging from some of what you guys have posted I guess superstition wasn't as rampant in the family as I thought! That fish and milk one may have some basis but we have to acknowledge the fact that goray frequently have milk based sauces with fish. From what I can remember it it related to that skin condition where you start to look like you have white man's skin in blotches. By the way, thanks to most of you for not keeping up with the numbering convention I started...... Edited February 10, 2011 by dalsingh101 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SURYADEV Posted February 10, 2011 Report Share Posted February 10, 2011 By the way, thanks to most of you for not keeping up with the numbering convention I started...... any time mate. your most welcome. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mithar Posted February 10, 2011 Report Share Posted February 10, 2011 Another Veham is telling children not to drink Chaah(tea) or else their skin colour will turn dark. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
laalsingh Posted February 11, 2011 Report Share Posted February 11, 2011 Also, black cat cutting your path (turn back). Another refined version is cutting your path right to left (bukkal mar gai) or left to right (bukkal khol gai). 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SURYADEV Posted February 11, 2011 Report Share Posted February 11, 2011 A specific one to sikhs taking hold esp in recent years: not allowing anyone to touch your dastar, becuase its offensive or insulting! 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shaheediyan Posted February 11, 2011 Report Share Posted February 11, 2011 Dastaar (Persian word last time I checked), is sign of respect and stature in many cultures including Indonesian, Malaysian, Iraqi, Iranian, Afghani, Rajputs, Even Native American Indians! None of these cultures sees it as 'polite' for anyone to touch the insignia of their respectability, what makes you thinks Sikhs (who are probably the last people to adopt this rivaaj) should be/or have been, any different? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chatanga1 Posted February 11, 2011 Report Share Posted February 11, 2011 babies having their upper teeth come first is seen as bad luck, in indian society. my mum told me that. my auntie scolded my sister once for washing her hair on a thursday, saying your brothers life will decrease. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dalsingh101 Posted February 11, 2011 Author Report Share Posted February 11, 2011 This old classic! Never to take a kirpan out of a sheath unless you are going to draw blood! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shaheediyan Posted February 11, 2011 Report Share Posted February 11, 2011 Again, that is not a unique Sikh tradition. I have come across it personally in Borneo (Head Hunter decendants) and Indonesian marital circles. I am pretty sure the Samurai have a similar philosophy. The Borneons believe the sword has its own spirit and the more blood it tastes (the more it craves). The real swords to resect are those that have a tally! Nepalse and Filipino also have a culture of 'baptising' every weapon upon completion by taking a life with it (animal sacrifice). At the most practical level, a weapon should be respected for it's purpose, hence the saying. Aside from training and maintenance, there is no need to keep dwawing a shastar from its sheath i.e. for fun/entertainment etc. These practices were made to create respect, today we laugh at them, which is not surprising, as most people have no idea how to use their kirpan/shastar (or items from personal collections), hence have no idea of their capability. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dalsingh101 Posted February 11, 2011 Author Report Share Posted February 11, 2011 (edited) I know that not drawing your shaster thing is just some recent innovation that some Amritdhari probably (understandably) invented because they were sick and tired of people asking to see their kirpan unsheathed. lol If this was anything older you could pretty much guarantee it would have been mentioned in some rehats as this is exactly the type of stuff they would typically cover. Edited February 11, 2011 by dalsingh101 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premi Posted March 19, 2022 Report Share Posted March 19, 2022 @GurjantGnostic any superstitions in your family or Irish American culture ?  There’s many more Indian/Panjabi ones which I cannot remember right now one is not to pointlessly bang things together (or doing same with scissors) as this could lead to fighting/arguments Eating with left hand is not approved bad luck to call/speak with someone as they are leaving the house to go out  A more Sikh one is that the name of the new month should be only heard first whilst reading/reciting Gurbani or from Sri GGSJ at Gurdwara 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paapiman Posted March 22, 2022 Report Share Posted March 22, 2022 On 2/11/2011 at 7:30 AM, dalsingh101 said: I know that not drawing your shaster thing is just some recent innovation that some Amritdhari probably (understandably) invented because they were sick and tired of people asking to see their kirpan unsheathed. lol  If this was anything older you could pretty much guarantee it would have been mentioned in some rehats as this is exactly the type of stuff they would typically cover. There might be more to it, but it might apply to Singhs, who have attained some Gurbani Mantar Sidhi (while holding their Kirpan unsheathed). Daas remembers an incident when Sant Baba Attar Singh jee Mastuanewale told a Nihang Singh not to draw his sword in front of Maharaaj (during Ardaas) for some reason. The Nihang did not comply, but he kept trying (unsuccessfully) to draw his sword during the entire duration of the Ardaas.  Bhul chuk maaf 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sajjan_Thug Posted April 27, 2022 Report Share Posted April 27, 2022 On 3/21/2022 at 6:11 PM, paapiman said: There might be more to it, but it might apply to Singhs, who have attained some Gurbani Mantar Sidhi (while holding their Kirpan unsheathed). Waheguru Ji Do you know anyone who has attained any Gurmat Mantar Sidhi? 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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