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Summary of Question:	Shabd Repetition --Is It Ritual?
Category:	Sikh Practices
Date Posted:	Tuesday, 9/06/2005 8:26 AM MDT

Satnam,

I has posted a question here a few weeks ago, hopefully someone will answer it. I wanted some guidance on Hukamnama that i received a while ago during some difficult times.
Then hukamanama was ... Shabad (673-19)Dhanaasree mehlaa 5.

tum daatay thaakur partipaalak naa-ik khasam hamaaray.
nimakh nimakh tum hee partipaalahu ham baarik tumray Dhaaray.
jihvaa ayk kavan gun kahee-ai.
baysumaar bay-ant su-aamee tayro ant na kin hee lahee-ai. ||1|| rahaa-o.
kot paraaDh hamaaray khandahu anik biDhee samjhaavhu.
ham agi-aan alap mat thoree tum aapan birad rakhaavahu.
tumree saran tumaaree aasaa tum hee sajan suhaylay.
raakho raakhanhaar da-i-aalaa naanak ghar kay golay

My second questions was about what the granthee ji told me to do with this HUkamnama as well as a practice that i have noticed here on the site.

I was told to recite this shabad 5 times everyday for 6 months, for it to be fruitful. Also, i noticed on this site, the moderators have advised many times to repeat certain shabads to find your soulmate or fulfill all your wishes, etc.. 11X for 90 days. But my question was that, this seems like almost a ritual and i am puzzled because wasn't rituals something that was forbidden by the guru's. Repeating something for a certain time a specific number of times seems like a ritual, please clearify unless i am mistaken.

Thanks in advance

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reply
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Sat nam. To understand Guru's hukum, you cannot use your logical mind. I am not going to interpret this shabd for you, since I am not you and don't know what's bothering you besides. Use your heart. Listen from within. This is the advice of Japji (sunee-ai sidh pir sur nath, etc.; sunee-ai means 'listening') Meditate on the hukum (it's also in english on the Sikhnet.com website at the Siri Guru Granth Sahib link) and ask for clarity on what the hukum is telling you. Repetition of this hukum will assist you in understanding what guru is trying to tell you.
Repetition of any mantra or shabd is NOT ritual, especially if it is done as a meditation (sitting still, eyes closed, at one's altar or in gurdwara). Gurbani and mantra set up a sound current/vibration that affects the consciousness. Repetition of the naam or shabd guru is the ENTIRE MESSAGE of the Siri Guru Granth Sahib. I wish we didn't have to tell people 11 times or for 31 minutes, but we do to encourage them to do it, in the first place (a lot of folks think once or a few moments a day is enough). A certain amount of time is needed for repetition to have a positive effect on the subconcious, which is the source of much of a person's pain and dysfunctionality.
Guru ang sang,
-DKK