5.Desa Singh Rahit-nama
Social Behaviour Within the Panth
Courtesy in speech and behaviour
When bidding farewell to someone bestow on him affection or money. Always show affection to other Singhs. [42, 43]
Assistance in times of need
A Singh who is a raja should care for a poor Singh. Give him money or a horse. Singhs who are away from home require particular attention. Keep only Singhs as servants. [41, 42]
Hospitality
Serve a renunciant Singh. Bathe his feet and give him food. [25] Festivals
Celebrate the birthdays of all the Gurus. On these occasions prepare some food, cooking it in an iron bowl, and feed it to Khalsa Sikhs. [39]
Business dealings
Practise a profession that does not involve violation of the Rahit. Agriculture, trade, or handicrafts are all suitable. Work hard and earn an honest living. Do not be tempted by stealing or by highway robbery. [23, 24]
Treatment of women
Regard another’s daughter as your own and treat another’s wife is your mother. [13]
The satsang
Never go to worship empty-handed. Give what you can afford When offering Ardas. [40]
The dharamsala
Offerings made in a dharamsala should not be used by the attendant for his own private purposes. He should take from them enough to live. The remainder should be used for feeding visitors and for the maintenance of the gurdwara. He should never keep them for spending on his wife and children. [72—4]
The Guru Granth Sahib
Every day, show your love for the sacred bani. When a passage is being read from the Granth, or God (hari) is being pro-claimed, concentrate your attention closely. [8, 27]
Marriage
Marry a girl from your own caste. [28]
Initiation
Admission to the Khalsa is by the two-edged sword initiation (khande ki pahul). This is the superior form of initiation. It is Administered by five Singhs. [6-7, 9]
Karah prasad
Having recited Japuji and _ jap mix together in equal proportions ghi, flour from wheat, and something sweet. Boil them together. Always score karah prasad with a knife before consuming it. Karah prasad should be distributed equally. [63, 119–20]
The Preparation and Consumption of Food
Never consume fish, meat, or alcohol. The flesh of a goat may be eaten provided the goat is killed with a single blow well away from a langar, but all other meat is forbidden. Always wash your hands before eating. Take food when you are hungry. Never eat alone. Share your food with other Singhs. Gather many Singhs and give them food. [25, 32, 65, 66, 70, 102, 107 (cf. 105)]
The langar
Verses 90—113 and 117 provide a very detailed procedure for conducting a langar. The author inconsistently claims that in the langar, there should be no discrimination on the grounds of caste (see Caste). He adds that a prince preparing a large langar for his poor subjects should follow the same procedure.
A Khalsa should never be without a weapon. Do not pray without having your weapons with you. Intoxicating liquor may be taken before battle, but should otherwise be avoided. In battle the Khalsa should never be defeated. Sustain the spirit which declares, `I shall kill the enemy! ‘ In a fight never turn you back or flee from the field of battle. In battle the Singh should roar like a lion. Let him do the deeds of a Kshatriya, crying `Kill! Kill!’ as he fights. Never wield a weapon against another Singh. See him as the Guru. The Khalsa who is killed in battle will certainly go to paradise. The glory of he who wins will resound the whole world over. If anyone fears fighting battles let him turn to agriculture. [33, 43, 45–9, 70]
A Singh protects cows and Brahmans. Ensure that your cooking arrangements are kept unpolluted. Do not permit the following to participate in your langar: barbers, Jhivars who shave heads, weavers, potters, and others of low caste. Brahmans and those of good family who do not touch bhang or tobacco can all pre-pare food in a langar. Preaching should convince the four castes of the message concerning warfare. ‘° [16, 102—4]
Anandpur, Amritsar, Patna, and Abchalnagar [the four takhats], are truly splendid places. Reverently walk around any place associated with a Guru, make an offering, say Ardas, and inwardly meditate on the supreme Guru. [17, 18]
Slander of the Guru is a serious offence. The Veda tells us that we should not defame any of the world’s panths. Every panth is the dwelling-place of God (hari). Slander, misrepresentation, and envy are great evils. [60—1]