Sikh Rehat Maryada in English | SGPC

What is the Rehat Maryada?

The Sikh Rehat Maryada is the Official Sikh Code of Conduct and Conventions. There were a number of unsuccessful attempts in the eighteenth century following the death of Guru Gobind Singh to produce an accurate portrayal of the Sikh conduct and customs. These attempts were contradictory and inconsistent with many of the principles of the Gurus and were not accepted by the majority of the Sikhs.

Starting in 1931, an attempt was made by the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (S.G.P.C.) to produce a modern standard Rehat. These efforts involved the greatest Sikh scholars and theologians of this century who worked to produce the current version. The document produced has been accepted as the official version which provides guidelines against which all Sikh individuals and communities around the world can measure themselves.

The Rehat Maryada is the only version authorized by the Akal Takht, the seat of supreme temporal authority for Sikhs. Its implementation has successfully achieved a high level of uniformity in the religious and social practices of Sikhism.

Definition of Sikh

Any human being who faithfully believes in:

• One Immortal Being
• Ten Gurus, from Guru Nanak Dev to Guru Gobind Singh
• The Guru Granth Sahib
• The utterances and teachings of the Ten Gurus
• The baptism bequeathed by the tenth Guru, who does not owe allegiance to any other religion, is a Sikh.

Aspects of Sikh Living

A Sikh's life has two aspects:

1. Individual or Personal
2. Corporate or Panthic

Sikh Personal Life

A Sikh's personal life according to Sikh Rehat Maryada should comprehend:

1. Meditation on Naam (Divine Substance) and the scriptures
2. Leading life according to the Guru's teachings and
3. Altruistic voluntary service.

Meditating on Naam (Divine Substance) and Scriptures

a. A Sikh should wake up in the ambrosial hours (three hours before the dawn), take bath and, concentrate his/her thoughts on One Immortal being, repeat the name of Waheguru' (Wondrous Destroyer of darkness).

b. He/she should recite the following scriptural compositions every day:

1. The Japji, the Jaap, and the Ten Sawayyas (Quartets) - beginning "Sarawag Sudh" - in the morning.
2. Sodar Rehras compromised the following compositions:

• Nine hymns of the Guru Granth Sahib, occurring in the holy book after the Japuji Sahib, the first of which begins with "Sodar" and the last of which ends with "saran pare ki rakh sarma".
• The Benti Chaupai of the tenth Guru (beginning "hamri karo hath dai rachha" and ending with "dusht dokh te leho bachai"
• The Sawayya beginning with the words "pae geho jab te tumre"
• The Dohira beginning with the words "sagal duar kau chhad kai"
• The first five and the last pauris (stanzas) of Anand Sahib
• And Mundawani and the Slok Mahla 5 beginning "tere kita jato nahi" in the evening after
  sunset.

3. The Sohila - to be recited at night before going to bed

The morning and evening recitations should be concluded with Ardas (formal supplication litany).

Ardas English Ardas Hindi Ardas Punjabi

To Know More about the Following:

• Joining the Congregation for the understanding of and reflecting on Gurbani
• Kirtan (Devotional Hymn Singing by a Group or an individual)
• Taking Hukam
• Reading the Guru Granth Sahib, and many more Sikh Code of Conduct or Sikh Rehat Maryada related questions please download the complete Sikh Rehat Maryada from the download link given below:

Download PDF

External References:

• Read the Entire Sikh Code of Conduct divided into Sections and Chapters. Click Here
• Rehat Maryada by Damdami Taksal