Sikh Marriage Ceremony - Anand Karaj or Metaphor for Relationship with God?

Gurmukh Pyareo,

GuruFateh ji.

While reading Guru Granth Sahib ji (773, 774), I realize I dont understand the meaning of the laava'n. As a married man, I look forward to meanings of the laava'n. What is Guru ji saying about marriage, and married behaviour?

Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/sikh-sikhi-sikhism/1152-sikh-marriage-ceremony-anand-karaj-metaphor.html
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=1152
During my marriage, Granthi ji did explain the meaning, however, I dont recollect those now. So, could someone please spare time to explain the meaning of those, or point to appropriate resource.

Thanks in advance.

Regards.
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jau qau pRym Kylx kw cwau[[ isr Dir qlI glI myrI Awau[[ iequ mwrig pYru DrIjY [[ isr dIjY kwix n kIjY [[
..................................... gurU swihb (AMg 1412)

Waheguru ji ka khalsa Waheguru ji ki Fateh

The Lavaan hymn of the Fourth Guru Sri Guru Ram Das Ji, was not originally meant for the purpose of performing the marriage ceremony. It has a very deep meaning and pertains to the relationship between man and God, and not merely that of husband and wife. For translation, one can refer to Sri Guru Granth Sahib at http://www.gurugranthdarpan.com/0773.html.
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=1152

The main theme of the first laav is to achieve proclivity towards a sinless life by remembering God. This will lead to your becoming free of fear, save for the Lord's fear in your mind, to remove ego by pure love for Him, and feeling His presence everywhere in the second laav. The theme of the third laav is to achieve a state of renunciation while living in this world like a lotus flower growing in the water. This will finally, as per fourth laav, lead to equipoise, avoiding extremes in life and achieving union with God.

Using the metaphor of husband and wife and blissful conjugal life, the couple is enjoined to adopt the path indicated in the Lavaan for spiritual fulfilment. This is applicable not only to the couple, but to the whole of humanity. Anand Karaj is a sacred ceremony and should be solemnised in this spirit.

The meaning of the four laava'n is so important. If one aspires to understand and implement those in married lives also, it makes the bond so good. Personally, I take the human husband wife as a first step or shall I say rehearsal, before I may become blessed to the ultimate unity.
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=1152
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=1152

Thanks Prabjyot ji.

Dear Veer Arvind jeo,

At the time of the Anand Karaj four 'Lawaan' are taken around Guru Granth Sahib to signify that while these two bodies are getting married, simultaneously two souls are also being wedded to the Shabad Guru. Henceforth to be blessed with the eternal bliss the pre-condition is that one is not to go out of the orbit of Guru Granth Sahib. Now the 'Lawaan' in Suhi Rag given by Guru Ram Das ji has four stanzas. The essence and central idea for eternal bliss as has been given in each stanza can be enumerated briefly as follows:
First Lawnਪਰਵਿਰਤੀ ਕਰਮ Second Lawn ਨਿਰਮਲੁ ਭਉ ਪਾਇਆ Third Lawn ਉਪਜੈ ਮਨਿ ਬੈਰਾਗੁ ਜੀਉ Fourth Lawn ਪਾਇਆ ਪ੍ਰਭੁ ਅਵਿਨਾਸੀ
Unlike the philosophy of Shastras dividing the life span into different Ashrams the gurmat does not put it to different compartments. If one is to get wedded to Him, the life has to be treated as one composite unit. In this the person has to get himself involved in the affairs of the family in a such a manner that being in the family life he has to become a monk. This is the art of life which has been preached in the 'Lawaan'.
The first Lawn tells us that the person has to get himself involved actively in the affairs of the world. He is not to abdicate the social and moral responsibilities by renouncing the world. To attain this the the person is to adhere to Dharma. This can be done only by avoiding sin. Crime is physically outraging or harming some person or property whereas the same thing is done vicariously without actually perpetuating it is called sin. Thus murdering, outraging the modesty of someone or looting a person is a crime but enjoying these in day dreams is sin. The first stage of committing a crime is sin. A person who is not a sinner cannot be a criminal. The State is neither capable nor committed to eradicate the sin. This can be done only be teachings of Moral Values or Dharma. Thus for achieving the crime free society it has to be made a sinless society.
The second lawn tell us that the Satguru has been so benevolent that He had helped us meet the Lord. Herein the relationship of the Guru and Waheguru with Sikh has been explained. The daughter, the Sikh prays to her father, Guru, that bless me with such deeds and manners that I should be accepted by my groom the God. ਬਾਬਾ ਮੈ ਵਰੁ ਦੇਹਿ ਮੈ ਹਰਿ ਵਰੁ ਭਾਵੈ ਤਿਸ ਕੀ ਬਲਿ ਰਾਮ ਜੀਉ ( ਪੰਨਾ: 773) This has ushered in the pious fear. It is the pious fear not the awful fear. Because we are scared and feared from a bull or even a snake. But the fear which has affection and love is a pious fear, like the fear of the father, the mutual fear of husband and wife or the fear of a good teacher. The clergy gives the fear but the Guru gives us the pious fear.
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=1152
The third lawn tells us that though the blessings of the blessed ones I have acquired the Bairag or renunciation in my heart and mind. Here the Bairag, renunciation or detachment is not of a Sanyasi or Sufi. The Sanyasi when he renounces the world, he even renounces the love. This makes him so aloof from the world that he becomes a burden on the society. Likewise the Sufi gets himself so much involved in the love that he sees even the love stories of the society ਇਸ਼ਕਿ ਮਜਾਜੀ as a means to understand and emulate the love for God ਇਸ਼ਕਿ ਹਕੀਕੀ. But here he also abdicates his primary duty towards the family or the society. The gurmat wants a balanced life with Sahaj as the binding force.
The Fourth Lawn tells us that we have found the eternal Lord Gurmukh as the groom. The whole process has been completed with His grace and desire and that He has found a place in my heart. This is the essence of the Lawaan, Parkarma and should be understood in this sense

Really beautiful Hardip ji -

Thanks. But these I have taken from reserch work of G S Lamba. Credit goes to him. I just pasted the lines from his origional essay on Parikarma or Laavan. However, Shabad Gyan is to be spred in this world, from where so ever we find. Guru fateh.

Exactly the point I was going to make.

This has less to to with marriage but more to do with the relationship with God.

This is an example of the metaphor of the relationship between husband and wife used to describe union with God:

http://www.srigranth.org/servlet/gur...dSearchGurbani