Hukamnama

Daily Hukamnama from Darbar Sahib, Amritsar

Daily Hukamnama: It is a long tradition in Sikhism to follow the words of Guru as Command. When we do Parkash of Guru Granth Sahib Ji in the morning, we take command from Guru using the words taken from the left side. Hukamnama is composed of two Persian words Hukm and Namah. Hukam means Command or Order and Namah means Letter, which entirely defines the Hukamnama as a ‘Letter of command’. Sahib Shri Guru Granth Sahib is installed at the highest level in a Sikh’s beliefs. Religious services of true Sikhs or Gurmukhs are constructed of Shabad kirtan (singing hymns from Guru Granth Sahib Ji in praise of God), Ardaas (community prayer led by Paathi Singh or any Gursikh person, while everybody stands with folded hands), and a Hukamnama (the Guru’s Command) for the day.

Hukamnama: Daily Divine Verses

The meanings of Hukam / Hukamnama are different in the realm of religion. The Gurmukhs with the vision obtained by the grace of the Lord, by enriching their existence with the divine virtues and living a truly blissful and altruistic life, become partakers of the closeness of Akal Purakh. These divine beings, who have attained the supreme position, set certain rules for the happy and comfortable life of the world, based on personal experience, keeping in view the Truth of the creation. Devotees who firmly believe in the spiritual/moral/social rules set by the great beings respect these rules knowing the Hukam and consider it their religion to follow them.

Real Meaning of Hukamnama?

The Guru Granth Sahib is the only revelation of the divine Hukamnaams. The Guru (Guru Granth Sahib Ji) is the divine entity that the being has to follow after Param Guru Parmatma. Every verse of Gurbani and every Shabad is an order for the Sikh. Every day a request is made at every Gurudwara with a bowed head: "Please fulfill your royal decree/divine Hukamnama." By obeying these Hukamnamas in one's mind, living one's life according to them is serving the Guru.

History of Hukamnama:

Hukamnama literally means "Royal Order." As Akal Takht Sahib is the Throne of the Almighty, the orders issued by Akal Takht Sahib are called Hukamnamas. The letters written by the Sikh Gurus too were also called Hukamnamas. In the middle ages, the orders from the worldly rulers were also known as Hukamnama but the people carried out the orders under compulsion. But, the Hukamnamas of the Sikh Gurus was a matter of pride and privilege. Not only the carrying out the Guru's Order but even the Darshan (a simple look) at Guru's Hukamnama was a matter of pride for a Sikh.