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Gurbani (795-831)
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Thitteen (838-840)
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Chhant (843-848)
Vaar Bilaaval (849-855)
Bhagat Bani (855-858)
ਰਾਗੁ ਗੋਂਡ | Raag Gond
Gurbani (859-869)
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Sidh Gosat (938-946)
Vaar Ramkalee (947-968)
ਰਾਗੁ ਨਟ ਨਾਰਾਇਨ | Raag Nat Narayan
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Bhagat Bani (988)
ਰਾਗੁ ਮਾਰੂ | Raag Maaroo
Gurbani (889-1008)
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Kaafee (1014-1016)
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Anjulian (1019-1020)
Solhe (1020-1033)
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ਰਾਗੁ ਤੁਖਾਰੀ | Raag Tukhaari
Bara Maha (1107-1110)
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ਰਾਗੁ ਕੇਦਾਰਾ | Raag Kedara
Gurbani (1118-1123)
Bhagat Bani (1123-1124)
ਰਾਗੁ ਭੈਰਉ | Raag Bhairo
Gurbani (1125-1152)
Partaal (1153)
Ashtpadiyan (1153-1167)
ਰਾਗੁ ਬਸੰਤੁ | Raag Basant
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Gurbani (1197-1200)
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Chhant (1236-1237)
Vaar Saarang (1237-1253)
ਰਾਗੁ ਮਲਾਰ | Raag Malaar
Gurbani (1254-1293)
Partaal (1265-1273)
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Chhant (1278)
Vaar Malaar (1278-91)
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Gurbani (1294-96)
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Shaloks in Addition To Vaars
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ਰਾਗ ਮਾਲਾ, Raag Maalaa
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How Important Is Uncut Hair (kesh)?
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<blockquote data-quote="Archived_Member16" data-source="post: 128711" data-attributes="member: 884"><p><strong><a href="http://sikhvibes.blogspot.com/2009/07/importance-of-kesh-hair.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: 18px"><span style="color: navy">The Importance of Kesh (Hair)</span></span></a></strong></p><p> </p><p> </p><p><span style="color: navy"><em><strong>Kesh (hair):</strong></em></span></p><p><em><span style="color: navy">The keeping of uncut hair is given a great deal of importance in Sikhism. But what is so special about hair?</span></em></p><p> </p><p><span style="color: navy"><strong><span style="color: #3333ff">Historical significance:</span></strong> Well the history of hair goes back to the Bible. The Bible talks of a man called Sampson who obtained supernatural powers through his long hair. His hair was later cut and consequently he lost his powers. It is also a fact that most of the world's prophets and saints including Jesus, the Sikh Gurus and Hindu prophets kept uncut hair.</span></p><p> <span style="color: navy"></span></p><p><span style="color: navy"><strong><span style="color: #3333ff">Meaning:</span></strong> G. A. Gaskell writes, 'Hair of the head is a symbol of faith, intuition of truth, or the highest qualities of the mind.' - Dictionary of all Scriptures Sikhs believe God to be a perfect creator. It therefore follows that whatever He creates is perfect. The keeping of uncut hair is therefore, recognition of God's perfection and the submission of a Sikh to the Will of God.</span></p><p> <span style="color: navy"></span></p><p><span style="color: navy"><strong><span style="color: #3333ff">Function:</span></strong> Most Sikhs regard hair as a gift fromGod. But what does this gift actually do for us? Wellthe functions of hair can be divided into 5 sub categories. These include an ornamental function,physical function, psychological function, Sikhspecific function and a spiritual function. Ornamental function: Nature has decorated aman with a beard and a moustache to differentiate between a male and a female. A good example from the animal kingdom is a lion with its majestic mane.</span></p><p> <span style="color: navy"></span></p><p><span style="color: navy"><strong><span style="color: #3333ff">Physical function:</span></strong> Just like the skin, the hair helpsto synthesize vitamin D from sunlight. It also helpsto supply the piturary gland (located in the head)</span></p><p><span style="color: navy">with phosphorous. Phosphorous is an elementwhich is used in meditation by the aforesaid gland. The hair on our body regulates body temperatureand our eye lashes, nostril hairs and ear hairs help to keep out dust particles.</span></p><p> <span style="color: navy"></span></p><p><span style="color: navy"><strong><span style="color: #3333ff">Psychological function:</span></strong> This is by far, one of themost important functions of hair. People cut their hair to look good for other people, and although everyone wants to look sexy and cool, a Sikh is encouraged to impress God and not bother so muchabout the opinions of everyone else. Keeping hair therefore encourages us to become less vain and more God orientated.</span></p><p> <span style="color: navy"></span></p><p><span style="color: navy"><strong><span style="color: #3333ff">Sikh specific function:</span></strong> Uncut hair is a mark of Sikh identity. The 10th Sikh Guru instructed all his Sikhs to come before him with long hair and weapons. Long hair also represents sacrifice, because there have been many Sikhs like Bhai Taru Singh, who preferred to have their scalp removed instead of their hair cut.</span></p><p> <span style="color: navy"></span></p><p><span style="color: navy"><strong><span style="color: #3333ff">Spiritual function:</span></strong> Hair enhances the ability of a human being to experience God. This can be explained by understanding the workings of electromagnets. An electromagnet consists of an iron rod with a coil of wire wrapped around it. The strength of an electromagnet can be increased by increasing the number of coils. Now in a human being, there are nine visible inlets/outlets (2 nostrils, 2 ear holes, 1 mouth, 2 eyes, 2 below the waistline). And the 10th inlet is located in the head and is invisible. It is called the Dasam Dawar. This is where we experience the reality of God and we can consider this to be the iron rod. Hairs are like coils of wire which amplify spiritual energy at the 10th inlet. A greater quantity of head hair will lead to more coils in the (Joora) knot and therefore a higher concentration of spiritual energy. Of course, it is possible to experience God without any head hair like Buddhists. However anything that helps us to experience God more easily should be welcomed. Hair is essentially a spiritual technology that makes it easier to connect with God.</span></p><p> <span style="color: navy"></span></p><p><span style="color: navy"><strong><span style="color: #3333ff">Conclusion:</span></strong></span></p><p><span style="color: navy"></span><span style="color: navy"><strong>Wearing 5K's does not automatically make a good Sikh and in addition to this, wearing the 5 K's without understanding their purpose is silly. The 5 K's are not meaningless symbols, but instead are items which aid us in living a life revolving around God and submission to His Will.</strong> </span></p><p> </p><p><span style="color: navy">source:</span> <a href="http://sikhvibes.blogspot.com/2009/07/importance-of-kesh-hair.html" target="_blank"><u><span style="color: #0000ff">http://sikhvibes.blogspot.com/2009/07/importance-of-kesh-hair.html</span></u></a></p><p> </p><p>___________________________________________________________</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p style="text-align: center"><span style="color: navy"><strong>(Extracted from the book "Hair Power" by S. Sarup Singh Alag)</strong></span></p><p></p><p style="text-align: left"><strong><em><span style="color: navy">Foreword</span></em></strong></p><p><span style="color: navy">Each and every religion has certain fundamental commandments. The Sikhism is no exception, too. A Sikh should always wear five Ka'Kars (<em><strong>Kesh, Kangha, Kara, Kirpan and Kachhera</strong></em>). There are many historical reasons to wear five Ka'kar by a Sikh. A considerable number of scholars have devoted their attention to the historical fact. It should be mentioned that the five Ka'Kars are beyond the scope of the present volume. Among them only one, i.e., "<em><strong>Kesh</strong></em>" is being taken here into consideration. Sardar Sarup Singh Alag, the author of the book "Hair Power" tried to highlight the natural and scientific causes for the upkeeping and preservation of hair. He did not take the problem from the viewpoint of a common believer. Contrarily, he tried to present the matter to his readers by logically and simple, understandable language.</span></p><p> </p><p><span style="color: navy">The Sikh Cultural Center, Calcutta with a view to aware the common people for hair preservation is publishing certain important and relevant part of the said book in the present form of pamphlet with the permission of the author (Extracted by Sardar Kulwant Singh). During this year 1999, the Sikhs in India and abroad have taken various programs in commemoration with ter-centenary birthday of Khalsa Panth. The present publication is a humble attempt of the Sikh Cultural Center on the auspicious occasion of the great and holy ceremony. Its Bengali version translated by Dr. Deepak Chattaraj is also available from the office of the Center.</span></p><p><span style="color: navy">Calcutta, Dated April 1999</span></p><p><span style="color: navy">Honorary GEN SEC.</span></p><p><span style="color: navy">The Sikh Cultural Center</span></p><p> </p><p style="text-align: left"><strong><em><span style="color: navy">Consider Hair, as Special of all</span></em></strong></p><p><span style="color: navy">In the religious literature of the world there are many evidences which suggest that God has created humans with great interest. The earthly material used for this purpose was kept kneaded for two centuries. (It is just an assumption and has no relevance with modern calendar system) and then another hypothetical period of 280 years was spent on giving shape to this creation so that the humans thus created should look the most lovable in all respects. Everything was done with many enthusiasm and conscious efforts. The Jewish and Christian churches also contain evidences to the effect that God created man in His own image and put His own particle as soul within him. On the basis of all this, it can be easily presumed that God did not add anything, including hair, to human body which could be termed as superfluous. Thus, trimming the hair amounts not only declining the gift given by God but also disfiguring the shape given to man by Akalpurkh i.e. Lord God. In other words, it can also be taken to mean that by so doing man takes pleasure in finding faults in the blue print prepared by God and thus showing off himself as better qualified and more competent than the creator Lord. In sum, this amount to endeavor equaling Him and even excelling Him by trying to improve upon His work. Ironically, the creation is getting zealous to override the Creator, thereby allowing ungratefulness to predominate. The only point of consolation in this behalf is that this blunder of cutting and disowning hair has not been made by man since the times of Adam, but the same is in practice only since few centuries.</span></p><p> </p><p style="text-align: left"><strong><em><span style="color: navy">Scientific Research on the Hair</span></em></strong></p><p><span style="color: navy">The Industrial Revolution in the 18<SUP>th</SUP> and 19<SUP>th</SUP> centuries in the West provided increased avenues of employment, but at the same time lack of security measures in the factories led to several fatal accidents caused by long hair. To avoid such accidents, the workers started, though unwillingly and with a heavy heart trimming their long hair. Consequently, the number of people with long hair like that of Shakespeare decreased and with the passage of time such a breed became almost extinct. But inspire of all this one positive development that had taken place there, was a lot of good and deep research on the hair. They wanted to ascertain the benefits of keeping hair and also to find out the changes they effect in human body and temperament. <strong>The research carried out with this end in view has highlighted the fact that the hair serves as a factory providing Vitamin D for the body. Vitamin D protects a person against the fatal disease like Tuberculosis and is an essential element for bones, teeth and the nervous system. </strong>This is an item that is becoming scarce today. The reason behind its scarcity is that Vitamin D in vegetables is missing to a great extent as a result of the insecticides being sprayed for the protection of vegetable crops from certain diseases. Consequently, the lackness of Vitamin D is being felt throughout the world. The developed countries have realized this and keeping in view the grave scarcity of Vitamin D, have started producing synthetic Vitamin D. They add this vitamin to the food of the children so that they must not grow up physically weak and mentally tense persons. <strong>As against</strong> <strong>these developed and affluent nations, the poor countries can easily get precious Vitamin D for their children free from the open Sun through their long hair. The significant research has also revealed that longer the hair the more will be the production of Vitamin D through the interaction of Sun heat with the oil in the hair. </strong>Thus all this shows that keeping hair is very important for one's physical as well as mental well-being. It has also been proved on the basis of experiments that the hair tied in the form of a knot on the top of the head are capable of attracting the maximum heat energy of Sun just as the television antenna has the capacity to hold photo waves from the atmosphere. (According to <em><strong>Tessitas</strong></em>, the ancient Germans also used to tie their long hair into a knot on the top of their heads. May be, they did so with a view to obtaining the above mentioned benefits). If the rare of Vitamin D can be obtained free from Nature only by keeping long hair, health wise also it becomes imperative for human beings to keep long hair.</span></p><p> </p><p style="text-align: left"><strong><em><span style="color: navy">Harms of Trimming Hair</span></em></strong></p><p><span style="color: navy">If the hair are not trimmed, their length, growth stops automatically after reaching a certain length. In this situation, hardly 0.5% of the protein that we take in with our daily diet, is spent on their upkeep. On the other hand, the trimmed hair consumes much more protein because this has to be spent on the re-growth of the hair. Had the hair stopped re-growing after having been trimmed once, there would have been no extra expense of protein. However, keeping in view the multidimensional usefulness of the hair for human body, Nature has created within the human body an interesting mechanism to help continuous growth of the hair. This mechanism continues being operational till one breaths one's last. Thus, this mechanism goes on spending more protein on the re-growth of the hair after a person shaves them off or trims them. Nature does this so as not to deny a person the varied benefits of hair. It seems modern man is busy in shaving off the hair under a sort of atheistic culture whereas God is ever involved in their growth. <strong>God is quite</strong> <strong>serious about the hair, whereas man is equally careless. Let us wait and watch the final outcome. </strong>Meanwhile, we can only say there is a sort of deadlock as under:</span></p><p> </p><p style="text-align: center"><em><strong><span style="color: navy">He won't change His habits,</span></strong></em></p> <p style="text-align: center"><em><strong><span style="color: navy">Why should we change ours?</span></strong></em></p><p></p><p><span style="color: navy">Unfortunately, God's Will shall prevail on the long run because He knows the mystery and significance of the hair, whereas modern fashionable man on the other hand knowing the importance of hair tends to be careless, <strong>But we must at least think in the light of this fact that hand, foot or any other organ of the body if once get chopped off, does not sprout again, but on the contrary if we trim or shave off the hair, they grow up again soon except in very old age. </strong>It must be presumed from this fact that importance of the hair can be more, and certainly not less than hands, feet or other organs of human body. </span></p><p> </p><p><span style="color: navy">It is generally observed that the Hindus perform the first <em>mundane </em>(shaving off hair of the head) of their children at the age of 2 or 3 years. On this occasion, the head is completely shaved off. On this shaven head, the hair grows up to half centimeter within one month. The hair grows more rapidly in the case of youth vis-à-vis the small children. In the case of the former, the hair grows 1/8<SUP>th</SUP> of an inch in just three days. Nevertheless let us make the case of 2-3 year old child the basis of our contention: his hair grows half centimeter in one month. On average, every person has 85,000 to 1,25,000 hairs on his head. If we take the child to have one <em>lac</em> (hundred thousand) hair on his head, we shall find that such a child spends energy from his body to grow one hair up to the length of 50,000 centimeters or 500 meters if his total growth is computed on a one single hair. If he is in the habit of getting his hair regularly trimmed throughout his life, we can well imagine the amount of energy he might use to grow up the hair again and again. Thus valuable energy and minerals are wasted just for nothing. There should be limit to one's ignorance, but as Ghalib has said 'Who can instruct the already learned.' Man by trimming his hair, is harming himself in many ways.</span></p><p> </p><p><span style="color: navy">Another harm that trimming of hair causes is, that the hair have been the means of receiving energy for brain from the sun, but by trimming then we destroy to great extent that system and there by render the mechanism almost inert. It does not imply that social classes prone to trimming hair, lack intellectual level even without keeping full hair, they could have accomplished much better had they kept hair intact. Thus we do feel sad that they unwittingly make those means inoperative, which has to supply large quantity of energy to human organism. If we take into account the cumulative loss suffered generations after generations, it seems certain that trimming of hair is certainly an impediment in the way of realizing the aim of perfect human intellect. It thus is certainly a grat disadvantage for the entire mankind. Who will consider it wise to continue the trade causing continuous loss? Think and be watchful. This is the need and the expectation of time.</span></p><p> </p><p style="text-align: left"><em><strong><span style="color: navy">Nature of the Hair</span></strong></em></p> <p style="text-align: left"><span style="color: navy">After their comprehensive research, the scientists have reached the conclusion that the hair stop growing having achieved the level of optimum growth. They remain alive for two to six years. They play their active role during this period and then getting weak, fall off as we comb them. This is called the death of the hair. There is no use keeping the dead hair. However, keeping in view the utmost importance of hair for human being, Nature is ever ready to replenish these dead hair by sprouting new ones in their place. The importance of the hair can also be gauged from the fact that the operation of replacing the dead hair with the new ones gets started immediately and forcefully so that body does not suffer because of their lack. </span></p><p></p><p style="text-align: left"><span style="color: navy">This also shows that new and healthy hair on the head is needed throughout life. That is why God has created such a wonderful mechanism as a result of which person continues to be bestowed with healthy hair for long years of his/her life. The fact that the hair grows rapidly even after their regular trimming, also implies that God does not approve of the human action of shaving off or trimming their hair. Inspite of that, God has not yet got annoyed with him. As a proof of this, we find that the new born baby in any family or tradition in the world is blessed with beautiful hair. These hairs are the gift, which God bestows upon him while sending him on to this earth. It is another matter that except Sikhs nobody else endeavors to learn and abide by this will of Almighty. They also do not seem to be in a mood to value this precious Divine gift as much as they ought to. Man considers himself highly cultured. A follower of the Sikh faith does realize that God has blessed him with the sacred hair from his very birth, and these remain with him till his death. <strong>Thus, a true Sikh of the Guru neither comes nor goes naked from this world as all parts of this body are covered with the precious gift of hair. </strong>Thus, belief in the sanctity of hair saves him from the sense of duality. If we look from the point of view of the naturalists we see that they believe the existence of two ways to live life. One is to live in conformity with nature and the other is to live in conflict with it. The first is the way of harmony and the second is the way of a conqueror who wishes to subjugate and dominate leading to personal and public nuisances. The <em>Gurmet </em>or the Sikh way is one which accepts no dichotomy between man and nature as is enjoined upon Sikhs by Guru Nanak in <em>Bara Maha</em> and Guru Gobind Singh in <em>Akal Ustat</em> and both these <em>Banis</em> serve as the foundation of the Sikh oral and orational practices. '<em><strong>Hair Power'</strong></em> is the out come of the first attitude and as such is ever charged energizing battery for the human machine.</span></p><p></p><p style="text-align: left"><strong>source:</strong> </p><p><a href="http://www.sikh.net/sikhism/W/Hair1.htm" target="_blank"><u><span style="font-size: 10px"><span style="color: #0000ff"><span style="font-size: 10px"><span style="color: #0000ff">http://www.sikh.net/sikhism/W/Hair1.htm</span></span></span></span></u></a></p><p> </p><p>____________________________________________________________</p><p></p><p><span style="color: red"><strong><u>Personal thought for your consideration:</u></strong> </span></p><p> </p><p><span style="color: red">In the final analysis, every soul has his / her life path to WALK in order to discover the life purpose.</span></p><p> </p><p><span style="color: red">A "SIKH" can either be a Gurmukh ( <em>Waheguru centered</em> ) & choose the path shown by our Gurus and thus be BLESSED, or be a Manmukh ( <em>Self</em> <em>centered</em> ) and be a "lost soul" and float around in life here & here-after!</span></p><p> </p><p><span style="color: red">Harbhajan S. Sangha</span></p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Archived_Member16, post: 128711, member: 884"] [B][URL="http://sikhvibes.blogspot.com/2009/07/importance-of-kesh-hair.html"][SIZE=5][COLOR=navy]The Importance of Kesh (Hair)[/COLOR][/SIZE][/URL][/B] [COLOR=navy][I][B]Kesh (hair):[/B][/I][/COLOR] [I][COLOR=navy]The keeping of uncut hair is given a great deal of importance in Sikhism. But what is so special about hair?[/COLOR][/I] [COLOR=navy][B][COLOR=#3333ff]Historical significance:[/COLOR][/B] Well the history of hair goes back to the Bible. The Bible talks of a man called Sampson who obtained supernatural powers through his long hair. His hair was later cut and consequently he lost his powers. It is also a fact that most of the world's prophets and saints including Jesus, the Sikh Gurus and Hindu prophets kept uncut hair. [B][COLOR=#3333ff]Meaning:[/COLOR][/B] G. A. Gaskell writes, 'Hair of the head is a symbol of faith, intuition of truth, or the highest qualities of the mind.' - Dictionary of all Scriptures Sikhs believe God to be a perfect creator. It therefore follows that whatever He creates is perfect. The keeping of uncut hair is therefore, recognition of God's perfection and the submission of a Sikh to the Will of God. [B][COLOR=#3333ff]Function:[/COLOR][/B] Most Sikhs regard hair as a gift fromGod. But what does this gift actually do for us? Wellthe functions of hair can be divided into 5 sub categories. These include an ornamental function,physical function, psychological function, Sikhspecific function and a spiritual function. Ornamental function: Nature has decorated aman with a beard and a moustache to differentiate between a male and a female. A good example from the animal kingdom is a lion with its majestic mane. [B][COLOR=#3333ff]Physical function:[/COLOR][/B] Just like the skin, the hair helpsto synthesize vitamin D from sunlight. It also helpsto supply the piturary gland (located in the head) with phosphorous. Phosphorous is an elementwhich is used in meditation by the aforesaid gland. The hair on our body regulates body temperatureand our eye lashes, nostril hairs and ear hairs help to keep out dust particles. [B][COLOR=#3333ff]Psychological function:[/COLOR][/B] This is by far, one of themost important functions of hair. People cut their hair to look good for other people, and although everyone wants to look sexy and cool, a Sikh is encouraged to impress God and not bother so muchabout the opinions of everyone else. Keeping hair therefore encourages us to become less vain and more God orientated. [B][COLOR=#3333ff]Sikh specific function:[/COLOR][/B] Uncut hair is a mark of Sikh identity. The 10th Sikh Guru instructed all his Sikhs to come before him with long hair and weapons. Long hair also represents sacrifice, because there have been many Sikhs like Bhai Taru Singh, who preferred to have their scalp removed instead of their hair cut. [B][COLOR=#3333ff]Spiritual function:[/COLOR][/B] Hair enhances the ability of a human being to experience God. This can be explained by understanding the workings of electromagnets. An electromagnet consists of an iron rod with a coil of wire wrapped around it. The strength of an electromagnet can be increased by increasing the number of coils. Now in a human being, there are nine visible inlets/outlets (2 nostrils, 2 ear holes, 1 mouth, 2 eyes, 2 below the waistline). And the 10th inlet is located in the head and is invisible. It is called the Dasam Dawar. This is where we experience the reality of God and we can consider this to be the iron rod. Hairs are like coils of wire which amplify spiritual energy at the 10th inlet. A greater quantity of head hair will lead to more coils in the (Joora) knot and therefore a higher concentration of spiritual energy. Of course, it is possible to experience God without any head hair like Buddhists. However anything that helps us to experience God more easily should be welcomed. Hair is essentially a spiritual technology that makes it easier to connect with God. [B][COLOR=#3333ff]Conclusion:[/COLOR][/B] [/COLOR][COLOR=navy][B]Wearing 5K's does not automatically make a good Sikh and in addition to this, wearing the 5 K's without understanding their purpose is silly. The 5 K's are not meaningless symbols, but instead are items which aid us in living a life revolving around God and submission to His Will.[/B] [/COLOR] [COLOR=navy]source:[/COLOR] [URL="http://sikhvibes.blogspot.com/2009/07/importance-of-kesh-hair.html"][U][COLOR=#0000ff]http://sikhvibes.blogspot.com/2009/07/importance-of-kesh-hair.html[/COLOR][/U][/URL] ___________________________________________________________ [CENTER][COLOR=navy][B](Extracted from the book "Hair Power" by S. Sarup Singh Alag)[/B][/COLOR][/CENTER] [LEFT][B][I][COLOR=navy]Foreword[/COLOR][/I][/B][/LEFT] [COLOR=navy]Each and every religion has certain fundamental commandments. The Sikhism is no exception, too. A Sikh should always wear five Ka'Kars ([I][B]Kesh, Kangha, Kara, Kirpan and Kachhera[/B][/I]). There are many historical reasons to wear five Ka'kar by a Sikh. A considerable number of scholars have devoted their attention to the historical fact. It should be mentioned that the five Ka'Kars are beyond the scope of the present volume. Among them only one, i.e., "[I][B]Kesh[/B][/I]" is being taken here into consideration. Sardar Sarup Singh Alag, the author of the book "Hair Power" tried to highlight the natural and scientific causes for the upkeeping and preservation of hair. He did not take the problem from the viewpoint of a common believer. Contrarily, he tried to present the matter to his readers by logically and simple, understandable language.[/COLOR] [COLOR=navy]The Sikh Cultural Center, Calcutta with a view to aware the common people for hair preservation is publishing certain important and relevant part of the said book in the present form of pamphlet with the permission of the author (Extracted by Sardar Kulwant Singh). During this year 1999, the Sikhs in India and abroad have taken various programs in commemoration with ter-centenary birthday of Khalsa Panth. The present publication is a humble attempt of the Sikh Cultural Center on the auspicious occasion of the great and holy ceremony. Its Bengali version translated by Dr. Deepak Chattaraj is also available from the office of the Center.[/COLOR] [COLOR=navy]Calcutta, Dated April 1999[/COLOR] [COLOR=navy]Honorary GEN SEC.[/COLOR] [COLOR=navy]The Sikh Cultural Center[/COLOR] [LEFT][B][I][COLOR=navy]Consider Hair, as Special of all[/COLOR][/I][/B][/LEFT] [COLOR=navy]In the religious literature of the world there are many evidences which suggest that God has created humans with great interest. The earthly material used for this purpose was kept kneaded for two centuries. (It is just an assumption and has no relevance with modern calendar system) and then another hypothetical period of 280 years was spent on giving shape to this creation so that the humans thus created should look the most lovable in all respects. Everything was done with many enthusiasm and conscious efforts. The Jewish and Christian churches also contain evidences to the effect that God created man in His own image and put His own particle as soul within him. On the basis of all this, it can be easily presumed that God did not add anything, including hair, to human body which could be termed as superfluous. Thus, trimming the hair amounts not only declining the gift given by God but also disfiguring the shape given to man by Akalpurkh i.e. Lord God. In other words, it can also be taken to mean that by so doing man takes pleasure in finding faults in the blue print prepared by God and thus showing off himself as better qualified and more competent than the creator Lord. In sum, this amount to endeavor equaling Him and even excelling Him by trying to improve upon His work. Ironically, the creation is getting zealous to override the Creator, thereby allowing ungratefulness to predominate. The only point of consolation in this behalf is that this blunder of cutting and disowning hair has not been made by man since the times of Adam, but the same is in practice only since few centuries.[/COLOR] [LEFT][B][I][COLOR=navy]Scientific Research on the Hair[/COLOR][/I][/B][/LEFT] [COLOR=navy]The Industrial Revolution in the 18<SUP>th</SUP> and 19<SUP>th</SUP> centuries in the West provided increased avenues of employment, but at the same time lack of security measures in the factories led to several fatal accidents caused by long hair. To avoid such accidents, the workers started, though unwillingly and with a heavy heart trimming their long hair. Consequently, the number of people with long hair like that of Shakespeare decreased and with the passage of time such a breed became almost extinct. But inspire of all this one positive development that had taken place there, was a lot of good and deep research on the hair. They wanted to ascertain the benefits of keeping hair and also to find out the changes they effect in human body and temperament. [B]The research carried out with this end in view has highlighted the fact that the hair serves as a factory providing Vitamin D for the body. Vitamin D protects a person against the fatal disease like Tuberculosis and is an essential element for bones, teeth and the nervous system. [/B]This is an item that is becoming scarce today. The reason behind its scarcity is that Vitamin D in vegetables is missing to a great extent as a result of the insecticides being sprayed for the protection of vegetable crops from certain diseases. Consequently, the lackness of Vitamin D is being felt throughout the world. The developed countries have realized this and keeping in view the grave scarcity of Vitamin D, have started producing synthetic Vitamin D. They add this vitamin to the food of the children so that they must not grow up physically weak and mentally tense persons. [B]As against[/B] [B]these developed and affluent nations, the poor countries can easily get precious Vitamin D for their children free from the open Sun through their long hair. The significant research has also revealed that longer the hair the more will be the production of Vitamin D through the interaction of Sun heat with the oil in the hair. [/B]Thus all this shows that keeping hair is very important for one's physical as well as mental well-being. It has also been proved on the basis of experiments that the hair tied in the form of a knot on the top of the head are capable of attracting the maximum heat energy of Sun just as the television antenna has the capacity to hold photo waves from the atmosphere. (According to [I][B]Tessitas[/B][/I], the ancient Germans also used to tie their long hair into a knot on the top of their heads. May be, they did so with a view to obtaining the above mentioned benefits). If the rare of Vitamin D can be obtained free from Nature only by keeping long hair, health wise also it becomes imperative for human beings to keep long hair.[/COLOR] [LEFT][B][I][COLOR=navy]Harms of Trimming Hair[/COLOR][/I][/B][/LEFT] [COLOR=navy]If the hair are not trimmed, their length, growth stops automatically after reaching a certain length. In this situation, hardly 0.5% of the protein that we take in with our daily diet, is spent on their upkeep. On the other hand, the trimmed hair consumes much more protein because this has to be spent on the re-growth of the hair. Had the hair stopped re-growing after having been trimmed once, there would have been no extra expense of protein. However, keeping in view the multidimensional usefulness of the hair for human body, Nature has created within the human body an interesting mechanism to help continuous growth of the hair. This mechanism continues being operational till one breaths one's last. Thus, this mechanism goes on spending more protein on the re-growth of the hair after a person shaves them off or trims them. Nature does this so as not to deny a person the varied benefits of hair. It seems modern man is busy in shaving off the hair under a sort of atheistic culture whereas God is ever involved in their growth. [B]God is quite[/B] [B]serious about the hair, whereas man is equally careless. Let us wait and watch the final outcome. [/B]Meanwhile, we can only say there is a sort of deadlock as under:[/COLOR] [CENTER][I][B][COLOR=navy]He won't change His habits,[/COLOR][/B][/I] [I][B][COLOR=navy]Why should we change ours?[/COLOR][/B][/I][/CENTER] [COLOR=navy]Unfortunately, God's Will shall prevail on the long run because He knows the mystery and significance of the hair, whereas modern fashionable man on the other hand knowing the importance of hair tends to be careless, [B]But we must at least think in the light of this fact that hand, foot or any other organ of the body if once get chopped off, does not sprout again, but on the contrary if we trim or shave off the hair, they grow up again soon except in very old age. [/B]It must be presumed from this fact that importance of the hair can be more, and certainly not less than hands, feet or other organs of human body. [/COLOR] [COLOR=navy]It is generally observed that the Hindus perform the first [I]mundane [/I](shaving off hair of the head) of their children at the age of 2 or 3 years. On this occasion, the head is completely shaved off. On this shaven head, the hair grows up to half centimeter within one month. The hair grows more rapidly in the case of youth vis-à-vis the small children. In the case of the former, the hair grows 1/8<SUP>th</SUP> of an inch in just three days. Nevertheless let us make the case of 2-3 year old child the basis of our contention: his hair grows half centimeter in one month. On average, every person has 85,000 to 1,25,000 hairs on his head. If we take the child to have one [I]lac[/I] (hundred thousand) hair on his head, we shall find that such a child spends energy from his body to grow one hair up to the length of 50,000 centimeters or 500 meters if his total growth is computed on a one single hair. If he is in the habit of getting his hair regularly trimmed throughout his life, we can well imagine the amount of energy he might use to grow up the hair again and again. Thus valuable energy and minerals are wasted just for nothing. There should be limit to one's ignorance, but as Ghalib has said 'Who can instruct the already learned.' Man by trimming his hair, is harming himself in many ways.[/COLOR] [COLOR=navy]Another harm that trimming of hair causes is, that the hair have been the means of receiving energy for brain from the sun, but by trimming then we destroy to great extent that system and there by render the mechanism almost inert. It does not imply that social classes prone to trimming hair, lack intellectual level even without keeping full hair, they could have accomplished much better had they kept hair intact. Thus we do feel sad that they unwittingly make those means inoperative, which has to supply large quantity of energy to human organism. If we take into account the cumulative loss suffered generations after generations, it seems certain that trimming of hair is certainly an impediment in the way of realizing the aim of perfect human intellect. It thus is certainly a grat disadvantage for the entire mankind. Who will consider it wise to continue the trade causing continuous loss? Think and be watchful. This is the need and the expectation of time.[/COLOR] [LEFT][I][B][COLOR=navy]Nature of the Hair[/COLOR][/B][/I] [COLOR=navy]After their comprehensive research, the scientists have reached the conclusion that the hair stop growing having achieved the level of optimum growth. They remain alive for two to six years. They play their active role during this period and then getting weak, fall off as we comb them. This is called the death of the hair. There is no use keeping the dead hair. However, keeping in view the utmost importance of hair for human being, Nature is ever ready to replenish these dead hair by sprouting new ones in their place. The importance of the hair can also be gauged from the fact that the operation of replacing the dead hair with the new ones gets started immediately and forcefully so that body does not suffer because of their lack. [/COLOR][/LEFT] [LEFT][COLOR=navy]This also shows that new and healthy hair on the head is needed throughout life. That is why God has created such a wonderful mechanism as a result of which person continues to be bestowed with healthy hair for long years of his/her life. The fact that the hair grows rapidly even after their regular trimming, also implies that God does not approve of the human action of shaving off or trimming their hair. Inspite of that, God has not yet got annoyed with him. As a proof of this, we find that the new born baby in any family or tradition in the world is blessed with beautiful hair. These hairs are the gift, which God bestows upon him while sending him on to this earth. It is another matter that except Sikhs nobody else endeavors to learn and abide by this will of Almighty. They also do not seem to be in a mood to value this precious Divine gift as much as they ought to. Man considers himself highly cultured. A follower of the Sikh faith does realize that God has blessed him with the sacred hair from his very birth, and these remain with him till his death. [B]Thus, a true Sikh of the Guru neither comes nor goes naked from this world as all parts of this body are covered with the precious gift of hair. [/B]Thus, belief in the sanctity of hair saves him from the sense of duality. If we look from the point of view of the naturalists we see that they believe the existence of two ways to live life. One is to live in conformity with nature and the other is to live in conflict with it. The first is the way of harmony and the second is the way of a conqueror who wishes to subjugate and dominate leading to personal and public nuisances. The [I]Gurmet [/I]or the Sikh way is one which accepts no dichotomy between man and nature as is enjoined upon Sikhs by Guru Nanak in [I]Bara Maha[/I] and Guru Gobind Singh in [I]Akal Ustat[/I] and both these [I]Banis[/I] serve as the foundation of the Sikh oral and orational practices. '[I][B]Hair Power'[/B][/I] is the out come of the first attitude and as such is ever charged energizing battery for the human machine.[/COLOR][/LEFT] [LEFT][B]source:[/B] [/LEFT] [URL="http://www.sikh.net/sikhism/W/Hair1.htm"][U][SIZE=2][COLOR=#0000ff][SIZE=2][COLOR=#0000ff]http://www.sikh.net/sikhism/W/Hair1.htm[/COLOR][/SIZE][/COLOR][/SIZE][/U][/URL] ____________________________________________________________ [COLOR=red][B][U]Personal thought for your consideration:[/U][/B] [/COLOR] [COLOR=red]In the final analysis, every soul has his / her life path to WALK in order to discover the life purpose.[/COLOR] [COLOR=red]A "SIKH" can either be a Gurmukh ( [I]Waheguru centered[/I] ) & choose the path shown by our Gurus and thus be BLESSED, or be a Manmukh ( [I]Self[/I] [I]centered[/I] ) and be a "lost soul" and float around in life here & here-after![/COLOR] [COLOR=red]Harbhajan S. Sangha[/COLOR] [/QUOTE]
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How Important Is Uncut Hair (kesh)?
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