What does the word 'Shardha' mean?

Ishna · #1 (**permalink**) 17-Sep-2011, 14:10 PM

I've tried an online Punjabi/English dictionary but it wasn't recognising the word 'shardha'.
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/sikh-sikhi-sikhism/36969-what-does-the-word-shardha-mean.html

Thanks.
*

Gyani Jarnail Singh · #2 (**permalink**) 17-Sep-2011, 16:02 PM

whatever it is..it isnt "BLIND FAITH". If anyone tells you GURU needs Shardha/blind faith/without question..then its NOT GURMATT but Manmatt.

Shardha in the GURU means UNDERSTANDING what He says..following what He says..doing what He does....LIVING GURBANI...becoming GURBANI.

Kanwaljit Singh · #3 (**permalink**) 18-Sep-2011, 07:03 AM

The idea of blind faith is in part to reinforce the idea of faith.

People say they have faith in the justice system or employees etc. But if they lose a case or get fired, they curse the system.

Such faith which is here today and gone tomorrow is not faith, but temporary hope that things will turn out well.

Faith in Guru should be the way roots clinch to mud, even if you uproot the plant from soil, the roots don't let go.

Here are Shabads regarding that:

ਰੂਪੁ ਸਤਿ ਜਾ ਕਾ ਸਤਿ ਅਸਥਾਨੁ ॥
His form is true, and true is His place.

ਪੁਰਖੁ ਸਤਿ ਕੇਵਲ ਪਰਧਾਨੁ ॥
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=36969
His personality is true - He alone is supreme.

ਕਰਤੂਤਿ ਸਤਿ ਸਤਿ ਜਾ ਕੀ ਬਾਣੀ ॥
His acts are true, and true is His Word.

ਸਤਿ ਪੁਰਖ ਸਭ ਮਾਹਿ ਸਮਾਣੀ ॥
The True Lord is permeating all.

ਸਤਿ ਕਰਮੁ ਜਾ ਕੀ ਰਚਨਾ ਸਤਿ ॥
True are His actions; His creation is true.

ਮੂਲੁ ਸਤਿ ਸਤਿ ਉਤਪਤਿ ॥
His root is true, and true is what originates from it.

ਸਤਿ ਕਰਣੀ ਨਿਰਮਲ ਨਿਰਮਲੀ ॥
True is His lifestyle, the purest of the pure.

ਜਿਸਹਿ ਬੁਝਾਏ ਤਿਸਹਿ ਸਭ ਭਲੀ ॥
All goes well for those who know Him.

ਸਤਿ ਨਾਮੁ ਪ੍ਰਭ ਕਾ ਸੁਖਦਾਈ ॥
The True Name of God is the Giver of peace.

ਬਿਸ੍ਵਾਸੁ ਸਤਿ ਨਾਨਕ ਗੁਰ ਤੇ ਪਾਈ ॥੬॥
Nanak has obtained true faith from the Guru. ||6||

(Sukhmani Sahib - Ang 284)

And:

ਦੂਜੈ ਭਾਇ ਲਗੇ ਦੁਖੁ ਪਾਇਆ ॥
Attached to the love of duality, one only incurs pain.

ਬਿਨੁ ਸਬਦੈ ਬਿਰਥਾ ਜਨਮੁ ਗਵਾਇਆ ॥
Without the Word of the Shabad, one's life is wasted away in vain.

ਸਤਿਗੁਰੁ ਸੇਵੈ ਸੋਝੀ ਹੋਇ ॥
Serving the True Guru, understanding is obtained,

ਦੂਜੈ ਭਾਇ ਨ ਲਾਗੈ ਕੋਇ ॥੧॥
And then, one is not attached to the love of duality. ||1||

ਮੂਲਿ ਲਾਗੇ ਸੇ ਜਨ ਪਰਵਾਣੁ ॥
Those who hold fast to their roots, become acceptable.

ਅਨਦਿਨੁ ਰਾਮ ਨਾਮੁ ਜਪਿ ਹਿਰਦੈ ਗੁਰ ਸਬਦੀ ਹਰਿ ਏਕੋ ਜਾਣੁ ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥
Night and day, they meditate within their hearts on the Lord's Name; through the Word of the Guru's Shabad, they know the One Lord. ||1||Pause||

ਡਾਲੀ ਲਾਗੈ ਨਿਹਫਲੁ ਜਾਇ ॥
One who is attached to the branch, does not receive the fruits.

ਅੰਧੀ ਕੰਮੀ ਅੰਧ ਸਜਾਇ ॥
For blind actions, blind punishment is received.

ਮਨਮੁਖੁ ਅੰਧਾ ਠਉਰ ਨ ਪਾਇ ॥
The blind, self-willed manmukh finds no place of rest.

ਬਿਸਟਾ ਕਾ ਕੀੜਾ ਬਿਸਟਾ ਮਾਹਿ ਪਚਾਇ ॥੨॥
He is a maggot in manure, and in manure he shall rot away. ||2||

ਗੁਰ ਕੀ ਸੇਵਾ ਸਦਾ ਸੁਖੁ ਪਾਏ ॥
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=36969
Serving the Guru, everlasting peace is obtained.

ਸੰਤਸੰਗਤਿ ਮਿਲਿ ਹਰਿ ਗੁਣ ਗਾਏ ॥
Joining the True Congregation, the Sat Sangat, the Glorious Praises of the Lord are sung.

ਨਾਮੇ ਨਾਮਿ ਕਰੇ ਵੀਚਾਰੁ ॥
One who contemplates the Naam, the Name of the Lord,

ਆਪਿ ਤਰੈ ਕੁਲ ਉਧਰਣਹਾਰੁ ॥੩॥
Saves himself, and his family as well. ||3||

ਗੁਰ ਕੀ ਬਾਣੀ ਨਾਮਿ ਵਜਾਏ ॥
Through the Word of the Guru's Bani, the Naam resounds;

ਨਾਨਕ ਮਹਲੁ ਸਬਦਿ ਘਰੁ ਪਾਏ ॥
O Nanak, through the Word of the Shabad, one finds the Mansion of the Lord's Presence

ਗੁਰਮਤਿ ਸਤ ਸਰਿ ਹਰਿ ਜਲਿ ਨਾਇਆ ॥
Under Guru's Instruction, bathe in the Pool of Truth, in the Water of the Lord;

ਦੁਰਮਤਿ ਮੈਲੁ ਸਭੁ ਦੁਰਤੁ ਗਵਾਇਆ ॥੪॥੫॥੪੪॥
Thus the filth of evil-mindedness and sin shall all be washed away. ||4||5||44||

(Sri Guru Granth Sahib, Ang 362)

Ishna · #4 (**permalink**) 18-Sep-2011, 16:26 PM

So when used, the word 'shardha' generally means something like "blind faith"?
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=36969

Or does it mean just "faith"? (which can be either true or blind depending on the person)

Thank you

Gyani Jarnail Singh · #5 (**permalink**) 18-Sep-2011, 19:47 PM

Shardha is "Shardha".. BUT.....when it becomes BLIND..it is called "ANNHEE Shardha".
In the Gurmatt context there is no such thing....as GURBANI is NOT "blind" but GYAAN SOORAJ..Lighthouse..Knowledge...GURU....Gyan Kharragh Sword of Knowledge..gyaan..enlightenment...all of which are opposite of BLINDNESS...darkness...eyes closed...type of unquestioning "faith"....
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=36969
Thus when a person brings a kg of Pure GHEE to light a JYOT in the presence of Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji...that would eb called Annhee shardha..faith in the "Ghee jyot"..NOT in the GYAAN that is in the GURBANI of Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji..the everlasting JYOT of GYAAN thats suppsoed to brighten up yoru dark heart..mind..light the way...while all the ghee lamp does is BURN hole in you rpocket...GHEE is meant to be CONSUMED..NOT BURNT..esp in front of Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji !! Simialrly matha teking to the Nishan sahib..is annhee shardha because the Nishan sahib is MEANT to be FLOWN HIGH...practically by each SIKH via his LIFE...the NISHAN SAHIB is SIKHS HONOUR..to lay down his life if needs be...it welcomes the refugee..the wnaderer..the lost..to a place called the Gurdwara...its CLOTH...its Tharra (base) etc have absolutley NO VALUE...nayone who takes the pieces of cloth home hoping it may change his luck etc and bring blessings..is in ANNHEE SHARDHA LAND of FOOLS.
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=36969
Thewre are many other forms of annhee shardha one will see in gurdwaras around snats babas deras etc...

spnadmin · #6 (**permalink**) 19-Sep-2011, 03:38 AM

Let me with forgiveness of all add my two cents. Throughout Gurbani we are told with Guru's kirpa and meditation on the Naam, the veil of Maya will be torn away, we will wake up from a nightmare, we will "see" "comprehend." So there can be no blind faith in Gurmat as Gyani has said, because blindness is born in Maya and is torn away with enLIGHTENment.

Blind faith is an idea that comes from those religious paths that depend on slavish adoration of an unseen and unknown God. So why this confusion of shardha? The faith of shardha is not blind. It is "constant," more like having "confidence" "knowing" that we will not be abandoned from lack of faith ...because we never were abandoned by Waheguru. Our blindness prevented us from knowing and "seeing." We have confidence that his grace is there for the having, once we are ready to receive this gift.
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=36969
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=36969

Remember that shabad... the lustful elephant, who called out 10,000 times to be rescued from the crocodile, from the muck of Maya, was rescued because faith in the almighty was constant, not blind. There are many others with the same message. I hope I am saying what Gyani ji has said, only in different words. Gurbani does not put us to sleep. It wakes us up.

Arvind · #7 (**permalink**) 20-Sep-2011, 00:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by spnadmin

It is "constant," more like having "confidence" "knowing" that we will not be abandoned from lack of faith ...because we never were abandoned by Waheguru. Our blindness prevented us from knowing and "seeing." We have confidence that his grace is there for the having, once we are ready to receive this gift.

loved reading this

Thanks for sharing

Ishna · #8 (**permalink**) 05-Oct-2011, 18:30 PM

In case others come looking for information on shardha specifically, the following information was originally posted by BhagatSingh on the What is Worship? thread and I think could be repeated here for completeness of this thread. I hope you don't mind, Bhagat Bhaji! peacesignkaur

Worship in wordly sphere takes the form of ritual. Worship and it's associated rituals must be done with Shardha (the spiritual sphere), which is total attentiveness (in Bhagati, Sharda is the attentiveness arising from fear and love states, like how one feels towards their parents "Toon mat pita hum barak tere" You are my mother and father, and i am your child.). Without Shardha, worship is like brushing your teeth. With Shardha brushing your teeth becomes worship.
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=36969

(meditate)

Quote:

Wikipedia:
Sraddha is a broad concept which has no direct English relative or equivalent. In addition to faith, it can also be associated with trust, confidence, and loyalty.[1] The teacher Ammachi describes it as the "constant alertness arising from Love", and when choosing a single word to translate it into English, has used "awareness".[2] Other writers have also described the concept with emphasis on the intersection of faith and mindfulness, and it has been translated in this vein with words such as "diligence".[3]

Devotion is part of Shardha. Keep this in mind as you read on.

The highest form of Shardha is seeing all moments and content of life as sacred. But to get to this place one starts by seeing certain things as sacred like (for a Sikh) Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji and the 10 Gurus (devotion comes into play) then moving on to see the sacred in everything else (a greater devotion for God).
What does it mean to see something as sacred? When something is sacred, there is an increased alertness towards it taht arises out of both love and fear together. For example, Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji, one's turban, Nishan Sahib, your parents.
We often do things to cultivate this alertness. E.g. bowing down to Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji, Nishan sahib and parents/elders, not letting the turban fall on the floor or worst yet, in the toilet, always placing the turban, Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji, Nishan Sahib on a high platform. Some people go even further and hold onto cloth pieces from coverings of Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji and Nishan ahib. All of these acts are the beginnings of cultivating of Shardha, and they all happen to be rituals.

Shardha is the very basis of every human doing, and thus of worhip and rituals. An act without Shardha leads only to suffering. An act without concentration and devotion leads only to suffering. Just think about your day job, most people neither concentrate nor are mentally devoted to what they do. They suffer constantly.
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=36969

(meditate)

Ritual is the communication of Shardha to others and to yourself. Combining Ritual and Shardha we get Worship.

aristotle · #9 (**permalink**) 09-Oct-2011, 11:55 AM

Well Ishna Ji,
Not going into metaphysics, if you are looking at the common usage of the word, it plainly translates as 'Devotion/Faith/Respect(when put into religious terms)'.
'Blind-faith' in common Punjabi is represented more often by 'Andh-Vishvaas' rather than 'Shraddha' or 'Shardha'.
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=36969
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=36969

eg: * We should have faith in Guru Sahib = 'sAnU gurU sAhib vich ShardhA Rakkhni chAhIdI hai'