By Dr, Chanan Singh Chan
Question: How Ardas was evolved to its present form? Answer: The word Ardas and its etymology can safely be traced in the Persian language. In its original form it has too component ARZ meaning REQUEST and DASHT meaning GIVING — so literally ARZDASHT is a reminder. The term ARDAS was brought to the Sikh theological literature by Sri Gur Nanak Dev Ji who adopted and coined many terms from the stock of Arabic, Persian and Sanskrit languages. According to the Janam Sakhi this term was frequently used at Sri Kartarpur Sahib(now in Pakistan) where Guru Nanak started farming and spent the last most important part of his life preaching the Divine Truth, All the sacred scriptures were daily scribed over there for the posterity.
Guru Amar Das Ji made the term Ardas a part of Sikh prayer. It Was the first text sent to 22 seats of spiritual authority in Sikh religion by the Guru, Guru Arjan brought the term Ardas to the daily prayer — (it occurs frequently in Guru Asjan’s Bani),
The present form of the Ardas was perhaps updated by the Panj Piaras Bhai Daya Singh who used the introductory invocation known as Var Sri Bhagauti ki Patshahi 10. Thus first nine verses of the Ardas were composed by Sri Guru Gobind Singh Ji
During the first part of the 18th century the Ardas was completed by the premis! Period Sikh war rors. It was finalized by the Guru Panth in 1935 and appeared in the Sikh Rehat Maryada. After 1947 it was rephrased. Now it needs more additions after the holocaust of 1984 praying for the Guru Panth speedier achievement of Sikh Soveriegn State known as Khalistan.
Article extracted from this publication >> November 20, 1987
