Khanda: Symbol of Divine Sikh Beliefs - Essay Example

?Khanda: Symbol Of Divine Sikh Beliefs Introduction ‘Faith’ plays an important role in human being’s life. It is the quality of faith that drives human beings to follow their religious and cultural beliefs. Human being’s behavior, thinking pattern, beliefs and values are based on his religion. Hence, religion is one of the most important aspects of human life. Religion and its teachings shape the character, thoughts and value system of a person. Religious values are imbibed not only through religious scriptures but also through different symbols that are prevalent in different religions. Hence, if one desires to understand a particular religion in depth, then one should study the different religious symbols that are worshipped by people from different religions. Symbols in different religions are the sources of the core values of those religions. For example, the ‘Cross’ in Christianity, ‘Trident’ in hands of deities in Hindu religion, the importance of ‘green color’ in Islamic religion etc., are nothing but symbols of the religious teachings and beliefs. Similarly, religion of ‘Sikhism’ also has many symbols which explain its core values to its follower. Sikhism Sikhism is one of the major religions in India. People who follow Sikhism are known as Sikhs. Majority of the Sikh population is situated in the Indian state of ‘Punjab’. The religious place of worship of Sikh people is known as ‘Gurudwara’. The ‘Gurudwara’ symbolizes the Sikh beliefs of ‘One God’. The scripture followed by Sikh people is called as the ‘Guru Granth Sahib,’ which begins with two words of ‘Ik Onkar’. It means that the world is created by ‘One God,’ who is formless, self illuminated and is immortal. The beliefs of Sikhs are based on this teaching and hence, the shape of the words ‘Ik Onkar’ is also used as symbol of Sikh religion. However, the symbol that holds an important place in Sikh religion is the symbol of ‘Khanda’. Importance of ‘Khanda’ ‘Khanda’ plays a major role in the initiation of adult Sikhs into a special community called ‘Khalsa’. ‘Khalsa’ is the community of those Sikhs who follow the values formed by their religious leader, Guru Govind Singh, in the year 1699. Guru Govind Singh gave the name of ‘Khalsa’ to those five soldiers who were prepared to sacrifice their lives for Sikh faith, when its existence was threatened by Mughals. Hence, in Sikh religion, ‘Khalsa’ means ‘saint soldier’. When the adults from Sikh community decide to get baptized into ‘Khalsa’, then they have to undergo an initiation ceremony. By getting initiated into ‘Khalsa’, they are expected to follow the values and codes of ‘Khalsa’, which are famously known as ‘five k’s’ of Sikh community. Getting initiated into ‘Khalsa’ provides a strong identity to Sikh people. The initiation ceremony is called as ‘Amrit Sanskar’. ‘Amrit’ (meaning elixir), which is used in the ceremony, is the water with sugar. By drinking the ‘Amrit,’ the Sikh gets initiated in the community of ‘Khalsa’. The ‘Amrit’ is prepared by the Guru who initiates the adult Sikhs into ‘Khalsa’ by stirring the liquid with the two edged sword called ‘Khanda’. In this way, ‘Khanda’ plays a very special role in Sikh religion. ‘Khanda’ is considered an essential part of Sikh religion and hence, is used in preparing ‘Amrit’ for initiation ceremony. However, ‘Khanda’ also depicts many other meanings which are at the core of Sikh religion. Khanda ‘Khanda’ is a symbol which one gets to see on the orange colored Sikh flag, called the ‘Nishan Sahib,’ which is often seen near the entrance of Sikh worship place of ‘Gurudwara’. The name of the symbol is derived from the two edged sword which is the central part of the whole symbol. The symbol of ‘Khanda’ is made up of three main figures, or symbols. The first symbol is the two edged sword called the ‘Khanda’, which is situated in the centre of the symbol. The second figure is the circle, which encircles the ‘Khanda.’ The third figure consists of two curved swords, also known as ‘Kirpans’, that cover the right and the left side of the circle. In this way, the symbol of ‘Khanda’ is formed by union of three important symbols of Sikh religion. Every symbol in the ‘Khanda’ epitomizes an important belief of Sikh community. Two Edged Sword The central part of the ‘Khanda’ is the two edged sword. It symbolizes the God’s power over life and death. It also depicts that God has created this world and hence, He controls the destiny of all. The right edge of the sword symbolizes freedom and authority of those people who follow the moral and spiritual values of Sikhism. The left edge of the sword symbolizes the divine justice by punishing those people who are wicked, cruel and oppressive by nature. In this way, the two edged sword in the ‘Khanda’ symbolizes the divine justice. The Chakra The two edged sword in the centre is surrounded by a circle called ‘chakra’. It symbolizes that God is one and His powers are infinite. This circle is also a symbol of the bracelet (called Kara) which Sikh people wear on their right wrist. It is one of the important aspect of the ‘five k’s’ of ‘Khalsa’. Hence, the circle around the two edged sword symbolizes the unity of the creation. It is the symbol of unity, divine justice, morality and infinity. It also symbolizes the acceptance of duality in life, like the beginning and end, first and last, timeless and time bound etc. Hence, it symbolizes human being’s submission to the ‘eternity’ of the creation, which like God, has no end. It also symbolizes the weapon of chakra, which Sikhs used in the eighteenth century to fight oppression and injustice. Hence, chakra symbolizes the ‘all embracing’ qualities. The ‘Kirpans’ The chakra is covered by the two swords called ‘Kirpans’. ‘Kirpans’ are the important part of the ‘five k’s’ of ‘Khalsa’. The ‘Kirpans’ symbolizes the political and the spiritual aspects of human life. ‘Kirpans’ are also known as the ‘swords of mercy’. This is because according to Sikhs, ‘Kirpan’ is used to protect and defend the good people from the wicked people and tyranny. ‘Kirpan’ also has a spiritual meaning. It symbolizes the weapon that God uses to ‘cut’ the ignorance and show light to people. It sends the message that the ignorance and spiritual blindness of people is ultimately destroyed by God. Hence, even though swords are weapons that denote violence, they give a message of peace, spirituality and unity, through the ‘Khanda.’ Also, the sword on the left side of the circle is called as ‘Piri’. It symbolizes spiritual sovereignty. The sword on the right side of the circle is called as ‘Miri’. It symbolizes the political sovereignty. These two swords represent dignity and courage of human life. The swords give a message that Sikh people should be spiritual as well as material in nature. It tells them how to be aware of the presence of God even while contributing to the society. Conclusion The discussion above shows how some of the essential ideas of Sikhism are expressed through the symbol of ‘Khanda’. Hence, religious symbols are not only ‘symbols,’ but they also contain deep spiritual and religious meanings and messages for the humanity. Read More