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Summary of Question:	Taking Vaak And Gurdwara Etiquette
Category:	General Sikhism
Date Posted:	Sunday, 1/27/2002 1:20 PM MST

When taking a random reading of the Guru Granth Sahib, what is the correct procedure to follow? I have been advised that a reading should commence from the hymn continuing from the top left and end in the first line with the name Nanak.

Also at my local Gurdwara Sahib, the resident Gyanis always seem to take a vaak from approximately the middle of the Granth. Give or take 100 ang either side ie between panay 600-800. Is it common practise or even Gurmat to not read from the remainder?

Finally, if several birs are installed in various quarters of a Gurdwara Sahib do we matha tek successively to each one or just the one in the main darbar (including ones that are parkash)?

Any help will be much be appreciated.

Kind Regards

Inderjit S

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REPLY
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Sat SIri Akaal. When taking Hukum from Guru Granth Sahib, the most common practice is start with the top line on the left page-- if it's a continuation then you flip back a page to find where the hukum starts. Alternately, you can read starting with the first full hukum beginning on the left page. These are the most common gurdwara practices, but when you are by yourself and requesting help from Guru, I think you can take a personal approach and start with any full shabad anywhere on the open page.

The end of a shabad is not always indicated by Nanak. Look for at least 2 numbers, if not three or more, at the end of a line. But even that isn't ALWAYS the case. Elsewhere on this Youth Forum, I have answered how to read when you get to a Slok/Pauri style in Siri Guru. Search using slok or shlok and find it. I recommend you talk to a granthi who can show you in person some of the different ways a shabad ends.

As for hukums from the middle of Siri Guru, I think this practice may have started at Sri Darbar Sahib-- it certainly continues, and it has a very practical aspect to it. SOme of the old Siri Gurus used there are huge volumes. It is easier on the bindings and the physical book itself to read from the middle (ang 600-900 usually), since both sides of the volume are lifted and then allowed to open somewhere in the middle. To take a hukum from either end of the volume is OK, but in the big volumes it puts a great pressure on the bindings and can cause them to tear when that's done often. It is also why Guru in prakash and covered with ramallah is left open in the middle. I have a large (new) volume myself and have learned this directly.

When there are multiple birs in a Gurdwara, you would bow first to the one in the central darbar, looked after by the sitting granthi. The other birs can then be fully bowed to-- but I have also seen people walk by with folded hands and bow in the direction of the bir without bowing down to the floor. If anyone out there has heard otherwise, please let us know.
Guru ang sang,
-DKK