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Summary of Question:	Five Or Seven Banis
Category:	Sikh Practices
Date Posted:	Saturday, 5/26/2001 7:26 PM MDT

WAHEGURU JI KA KHALSA WAHEGURU JI KI FATEH

Khalsa Ji,i have read many times on this forum and also on many other websites that people keep talking about the 5 Banis to be done during AmritVela namely Japuji,Jaap,Shabad Hazaare,Tva Prasad Swaiyye and Anand...whereas actually there are 7...the other 2 being Rehras sahib to be done in the evening and Kirtan Sohila before sleeping,and nothing is said about them...why is it so ji?

my other question is that u suggest everyone Japuji sahib but not any other Bani(well,most of the time)...in one of u'r response i read that its the seed of the SRI GURU GRANTH SAHIB...which is so very true...but what about the other Banis ji?

please do explain and answer both my questions Khalsa Ji :)

SatSriAkaal!

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REPLY
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Dear Seeker:

Waheguru Ji Ka Khalsa, Waheguru Ji Ki Fateh!

I cannot answer for what has been said before on this Forum, since there are several moderators. I can comment, however.

You are correct: there are actually 7 banis, and 5 are to be done ideally in the early morning and 2 done in the evening. Actually, Rehiras Sahib should be done between 4-7pm (evening) and Kirtan Sohila is to be done just before going to bed. An Amritdhari Sikh makes a commitment to keep the '5 banis'. I think the reason they are called five is that Anand Sahib and Shabd Hazaray, though part of Nitnaym, are to MY understanding, not considered MANDATORY banis. So that could make 5.

I think that if a Sikh was only able to practice one bani daily it would be Japji Sahib, since it describes the entire Siri Guru Granth Sahib, and is the Jap (meditation) of the Ji (soul). The other banis describe various aspects of Siri Guru Granth Sahib, but not the entire SGGS. For example, Anand Sahib tells us what we must do to know true bliss. Shabd Hazare is the prayer worth 1000 prayers. Guru Gobind Singh's bani reflects the teachings of Siri Guru, but his bani is not in Siri Guru Granth. Etc.

I hope this is helpful. Thank you.
Guru Rakha,
-DKK