3.3. Rehit Namas Principal Satbir Singh, the author and publisher of “Sikh Rehit maryada Ete Usdi Mahnta’, has expressed his view in his book as follows (abridged): We are passing through a period which is called Science Age. In this Age even a student of first grade is not ready to accept anything, whether it is written in a book or is said by his/her parents or told by his/her teacher, until he/ she is satisfied with the answer…” (The irony is that he himself forgot to give any authenticity of the above Hukam Nama of Guru Gobind Singh and the Rehit Name of Various authors.) Pyara Singh Padam expressed his view on Rehit Namas as follows:

… To consider every Rehit of every Rehit Nama according to Gurbani is a mistake. Because some authors have written some rehits according to their level of Understanding and under the influence of anti-Sikh environments,” “He further writes; “One thing is clear that no Rehit Nama is spoken through the month of or written by Guru Gobind Singh. If it was so then these would have appeared in Dasam Granth.”

Bhai Kahn Singh writes in his Mahan Kosh that there are about 37 Rehit Namas, which have been written by devout Sikhs according to their beliefs and their level of intelligence. But only those Rehits are to be accepted that do not contradict Gurbani and bani of Bhai Gurdas Ji.

Let us examine some of the Rehits from some selected Rehit Namas which are contrary to Gurbani, science and logic:

3.3.1. Rehit Nama of Bhai Nand Lal, who was one of the 52 topnotch scholars in the Darbar of Guru Gobind Singh. Although his Nama does not end with “Singh”, he is the most quoted authority on the topics on Rehit maryada for the Sikhs. To justify the use of his Rehit Nama as a standard source of information, some writers have started to add “Singh” to his Namas as ‘Bhai Nand Lal Singh’, Let us examine a few of his recommended Rehits:

  1. i) Khalsa is one who fights every day. It means Khalsa is only to fight and he is not fit for other fields, i.e., science, medicine, administration, law, business, etc.
  2. ii) Sikh should not accept janeu from a Brahman who smokes and eats meat. It means janeu is necessary for a Sikh and he should get it from a pure Brahman According to Gurbani wearing of Janeu has no role in the modus vivendi of a Sikh.

iii) One of his Rehits is based on an assumption that the morality of the Khalsa could be so low that Bhai Nand Lal has to formulate a Rehit to protect the wives of the Gurus from the Khalsa (I do not want to use his actual wordings). iv) On the occasion of saradh, a Khalsa should prepare 36 types of foods and serve to other Khalsa. This food would reach his Pittars (dead elders); this practice is not recommended in Gurbani.

  1. v) He used the family Name, “Bedi” for Guru Nanak, whereas use of family Name has been condemned in other Rehit Namas.

Article extracted from this publication >>  October 16, 1996