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What Is The Significance Of A Garba (garva/lotta) In Sikh Faith?

Tosh

Tarlochan Singh
SPNer
Jan 14, 2009
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Rochester MN
SSA Ji

Our gurus, starting from Guru Nanak Dev ji, have been portrayed in calendars, pictures and posters, having a garba (garva or lotta in punjabi) besides their aasan. What is the significance of a garba in our faith.

guru-nanak.jpg
 
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Admin

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Jun 1, 2004
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Bhagat Kabir in SGGS on Ang 476 clearly says:
ਆਸਾ ॥ ਗਜ ਸਾਢੇ ਤੈ ਤੈ ਧੋਤੀਆ ਤਿਹਰੇ ਪਾਇਨਿ ਤਗ ॥ ਗਲੀ ਜਿਨ੍ਹ੍ਹਾ ਜਪਮਾਲੀਆ ਲੋਟੇ ਹਥਿ ਨਿਬਗ ॥ ਓਇ ਹਰਿ ਕੇ ਸੰਤ ਨ ਆਖੀਅਹਿ ਬਾਨਾਰਸਿ ਕੇ ਠਗ ॥੧॥ ਐਸੇ ਸੰਤ ਨ ਮੋ ਕਉ ਭਾਵਹਿ ॥ ਡਾਲਾ ਸਿਉ ਪੇਡਾ ਗਟਕਾਵਹਿ ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥ ਬਾਸਨ ਮਾਂਜਿ ਚਰਾਵਹਿ ਊਪਰਿ ਕਾਠੀ ਧੋਇ ਜਲਾਵਹਿ ॥ ਬਸੁਧਾ ਖੋਦਿ ਕਰਹਿ ਦੁਇ ਚੂਲ੍ਹ੍ਹੇ ਸਾਰੇ ਮਾਣਸ ਖਾਵਹਿ ॥੨॥ ਓਇ ਪਾਪੀ ਸਦਾ ਫਿਰਹਿ ਅਪਰਾਧੀ ਮੁਖਹੁ ਅਪਰਸ ਕਹਾਵਹਿ ॥ ਸਦਾ ਸਦਾ ਫਿਰਹਿ ਅਭਿਮਾਨੀ ਸਗਲ ਕੁਟੰਬ ਡੁਬਾਵਹਿ ॥੩॥ ਜਿਤੁ ਕੋ ਲਾਇਆ ਤਿਤ ਹੀ ਲਾਗਾ ਤੈਸੇ ਕਰਮ ਕਮਾਵੈ ॥ ਕਹੁ ਕਬੀਰ ਜਿਸੁ ਸਤਿਗੁਰੁ ਭੇਟੈ ਪੁਨਰਪਿ ਜਨਮਿ ਨ ਆਵੈ ॥੪॥੨॥

Guru (SGGS) who, himself, is despising the Mala (beaded bracelet) and Garva (Lotta) so explicitly in the shabad... we can well imagine how deep rooted is the conspiracy in this blatant portrayal in these paintings. Enough said.
 

Ishna

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May 9, 2006
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ਆਸਾ
Āsā.
Aasaa:

ਗਜ ਸਾਢੇ ਤੈ ਤੈ ਧੋਤੀਆ ਤਿਹਰੇ ਪਾਇਨਿ ਤਗ
Gaj sādẖe ṯai ṯai ḏẖoṯī▫ā ṯihre pā▫in ṯag.
They wear loin cloths, three and a half yards long, and triple-wound sacred threads.

ਗਲੀ ਜਿਨ੍ਹ੍ਹਾ ਜਪਮਾਲੀਆ ਲੋਟੇ ਹਥਿ ਨਿਬਗ
Galī jinĥā japmālī▫ā lote hath nibag.
They have rosaries around their necks, and they carry glittering jugs in their hands.

ਓਇ ਹਰਿ ਕੇ ਸੰਤ ਆਖੀਅਹਿ ਬਾਨਾਰਸਿ ਕੇ ਠਗ ॥੧॥
O▫e har ke sanṯ na ākẖī▫ahi bānāras ke ṯẖag. ||1||
They are not called Saints of the Lord - they are thugs of Benares. ||1||

ਐਸੇ ਸੰਤ ਮੋ ਕਉ ਭਾਵਹਿ
Aise sanṯ na mo ka▫o bẖāvėh.
Such 'saints' are not pleasing to me;

ਡਾਲਾ ਸਿਉ ਪੇਡਾ ਗਟਕਾਵਹਿ ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ
Dālā si▫o pedā gatkāvahi. ||1|| rahā▫o.
they eat the trees along with the branches. ||1||Pause||

ਬਾਸਨ ਮਾਂਜਿ ਚਰਾਵਹਿ ਊਪਰਿ ਕਾਠੀ ਧੋਇ ਜਲਾਵਹਿ
Bāsan māʼnj cẖarāvėh ūpar kāṯẖī ḏẖo▫e jalāvėh.
They wash their pots and pans before putting them on the stove, and they wash the wood before lighting it.

ਬਸੁਧਾ ਖੋਦਿ ਕਰਹਿ ਦੁਇ ਚੂਲ੍ਹ੍ਹੇ ਸਾਰੇ ਮਾਣਸ ਖਾਵਹਿ ॥੨॥
Basuḏẖā kẖoḏ karahi ḏu▫e cẖūlĥe sāre māṇas kẖāvėh. ||2||
They dig up the earth and make two fireplaces, but they eat the whole person! ||2||

ਓਇ ਪਾਪੀ ਸਦਾ ਫਿਰਹਿ ਅਪਰਾਧੀ ਮੁਖਹੁ ਅਪਰਸ ਕਹਾਵਹਿ
O▫e pāpī saḏā firėh aprāḏẖī mukẖahu apras kahāvėh.
Those sinners continually wander in evil deeds, while they call themselves touch-nothing saints.

ਸਦਾ ਸਦਾ ਫਿਰਹਿ ਅਭਿਮਾਨੀ ਸਗਲ ਕੁਟੰਬ ਡੁਬਾਵਹਿ ॥੩॥
Saḏā saḏā firėh abẖimānī sagal kutamb dubāvėh. ||3||
They wander around forever and ever in their self-conceit, and all their families are drowned. ||3||

ਜਿਤੁ ਕੋ ਲਾਇਆ ਤਿਤ ਹੀ ਲਾਗਾ ਤੈਸੇ ਕਰਮ ਕਮਾਵੈ
Jiṯ ko lā▫i▫ā ṯiṯ hī lāgā ṯaise karam kamāvai.
He is attached to that, to which the Lord has attached him, and he acts accordingly.

ਕਹੁ ਕਬੀਰ ਜਿਸੁ ਸਤਿਗੁਰੁ ਭੇਟੈ ਪੁਨਰਪਿ ਜਨਮਿ ਆਵੈ ॥੪॥੨॥
Kaho Kabīr jis saṯgur bẖetai punrap janam na āvai. ||4||2||
Says Kabeer, one who meets the True Guru, is not reincarnated again. ||4||2||
 

gjsingh

SPNer
Oct 29, 2013
86
36
Wow, I never thought of that!

The phrase "thugs of benares" is a quite evocative condemnation. Although, having been to Varanasi as a child and seeing all the fraudulent babas myself, it is completely understandable. I can only imagine what the meeting between the armies of "miracle" workers and contortionists and the Guru must have been like.

What does this mean:

They wash their pots and pans before putting them on the stove, and they wash the wood before lighting it.
I don't understand the symbolism.
 

Logical Sikh

Writer
SPNer
Sep 22, 2018
277
66
26
Wow, I never thought of that!

The phrase "thugs of benares" is a quite evocative condemnation. Although, having been to Varanasi as a child and seeing all the fraudulent babas myself, it is completely understandable. I can only imagine what the meeting between the armies of "miracle" workers and contortionists and the Guru must have been like.

What does this mean:

They wash their pots and pans before putting them on the stove, and they wash the wood before lighting it.
I don't understand the symbolism.
washing the wood before litting it?
Lmao XD
 
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gjsingh

SPNer
Oct 29, 2013
86
36
Perhaps the wood is the self, water is ritualistic behavior and/or purification rites, and the fire is of course the cremation pyre? On that view, it is a comment on the futility of religious activity for its own sake only.
 

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