ÿþ<HTML><HEAD><TITLE>NITNEM </TITLE> <style type="text/css"> .BODY { background-color: #EAF1F7; background-image: url('images/gtbh.jpg'); background-repeat: no-repeat; background-attachment: fixed; background-position: center; color: #0066CC;} .C1{text-align: justify;color: #0066CC;FONT-size: SMALL;FONT-family: Tahoma;} .BIB{text-align: center;color: #000099;FONT-size: SMALL;FONT-family: Tahoma;} .CONT{text-align: right;color: #FF0000;FONT-size: SMALL;FONT-family: Tahoma;} </style><META NAME="keywords" CONTENT="NITNEM"> <META http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8"></HEAD> <BODY class="BODY" oncontextmenu="return false" ondragstart="return false" onselectstart="return false"> <FONT ALIGN="JUSTIFY" FACE="Tahoma"> <p class="C1">&#65279NITNEM ( <i>nit</i>: daily; <i>nem</i>; practice, rule or regimen) is the name given to the set prayers which every Sikh is commanded to say daily, alone or in company. These prayers or texts are five in number &#8212 for early morning Gur&#363 N&#257nak's <i>Japu</i> and Gur&#363 Gobind Si&#7749gh's <i>J&#257pu</i> and <i>Sava&#299yye</i>, for the evening at sunset <i>Sodaru Rahr&#257si</i> and for night before retiring <i>K&#299rtan Sohil&#257</i>. The ideal Gur&#363 N&#257nak, founder of the faith, put forth before his followers was to "rise early in the morning, remember the True Name and meditate upon His greatness" (GG, 2). According to Gur&#363 R&#257m D&#257s, N&#257nak IV, "He who wishes to be called a Sikh of the True Gur&#363 must rise early in the morning and repeat God's Name. He should bathe in the pool and dwell upon the Lord through the Gur&#363's word" (GG, 305). Recitation by Sikhs of three of the <i>b&#257&#7751&#299s</i> in the morning, evening and late evening must have become established practice before the time of Gur&#363 Arjan who when compiling the (Gur&#363) Granth S&#257hib in 1604 placed them in that order at the beginning of the Holy Writ. Bh&#257&#299 Gurd&#257s (d. 1636) records in his <i>V&#257r&#257&#7749</i> that, at Kart&#257rpur where Gur&#363 N&#257nak had settled after his travels, it was a daily practice to recite <i>Japu</i> early in the morning and <i>Rahr&#257si</i> and <i>&#256rati</i> (<i>Sohil&#257</i>) in the evening (I.38). The compositions of Gur&#363 Gobind Si&#7749gh, last of the Gur&#363s, were added to the regimen later.</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; The directions regarding <i>nitnem</i> set down in <i>Sikh Rahit Mary&#257d&#257</i> published by the Shiroma&#7751&#299 Gurdw&#257r&#257 Parbandhak Committee, statutorily elected representative body of the Sikhs, say: "A Sikh should rise early, bathe and meditate on the Timeless One repeating the name &#8216V&#257higur&#363.' He should recite the <i>nitnem</i> which includes the following <i>b&#257&#7751&#299s: Japu, J&#257pu</i> and the ten (prescribed) <i>Sava&#299yye</i> in the morning, <i>Sodaru Rahr&#257si</i> in the evening and <i>Sohil&#257</i> at bedtime." It further stipulates that <i>ard&#257s</i> or supplicatory prayer should necessarily follow the recitation of the <i>b&#257&#7751&#299s</i> at three times during the day.</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; The <i>Japu</i> goes back to the very origin of Sikhism. According to <i>Miharb&#257n Janam S&#257kh&#299</i>, its pau&#7771&#299s or stanzas composed by Gur&#363 N&#257nak on different occasions were arranged in a single order by Gur&#363 A&#7749gad under the former's instructions. The <i>Japu</i> is preceded by M&#363l Mantra and concludes with a <i>&#347loka</i>. The M&#363l Mantra is the root doctrinal statement of Sikh faith comparable to Nicene Creed in Christianity, Kalim&#257-i-Shah&#257dat in Islam, the Shema in Judaism or G&#257yatr&#299 Mantra in Hinduism. It is to be noted, however, that the term <i>Japu</i>, even where it includes the section specifically termed <i>mantra</i>, as such has no magical connotation as in the case of the Sanskrit <i>mantram</i>. It may have the same effect in evoking the power of the utterance of basic or primordial sound, but it does not in itself signify any magical effect. The M&#363l Mantra in full or in an abbreviated form is repeated at the beginning of all major <i>b&#257n&#299s</i> or sections of the Gur&#363 Granth S&#257hib. Similarly, the concluding <i>&#347lok&#257</i> of the <i>Japu</i> is usually recited to signal the end of a ritual service.</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Most Sikhs know the <i>Japuj&#299 S&#257hib</i>, as <i>Japu</i> is reverently called, by heart and recite it as a set morning prayer. The second item in the morning prayer is the <i>J&#257pu</i> or <i>J&#257pu S&#257hib</i>, a composition of the Tenth Master, Gur&#363 Gobind Si&#7749gh (1666-1708). Different from the <i>J&#257pu</i> in rhythm and vocabularly, it renders a magnificent paean of adoration to the Divine. The third morning text is <i>Das</i> (Ten) <i>Sava&#299yye</i>, culled from a longer composition by Gur&#363 Gobind Si&#7749gh, <i>Ak&#257l Ustati</i> (lit. Praise to the Timeless). Besides these three morning prayers, there can be additions according to the usage of the place, the occasion and the desire of the individual or the <i>sa&#7749gat</i>. For example, the whole of <i>Anandu</i> (<i>S&#257hib</i>) or the first five and the final stanza of it may be added; some Sikhs would also recite <i>Shabad Haz&#257re</i>, while others would recite the <i>Sukhman&#299 S&#257hib</i>; Niha&#7749gs would include <i>V&#257r Sr&#299 Bhagauti J&#299 K&#299</i>, popularly called <i>Cha&#7751&#7693&#299 d&#299 V&#257r</i> in the morning order. <i>As&#257 k&#299 V&#257r</i> is usually sung by musicians at <i>gurdw&#257r&#257s</i> in the morning. Some read it at their homes in addition to the daily regimen.</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <i>Sodaru Rahr&#257si</i>, the evening prayer comparable to Vespers or Evensong, is recited soon after sunset. The title <i>Sodaru</i> is taken from the first word of the first hymn of the text. <i>Rahr&#257si</i> variously means prayer, supplication, usage and greetings. It is also interpreted as an adaptation of the Persian term <i>r&#257h-i-r&#257st</i> (the right path ). The order begins with nine <i>&#347abdas</i> which also stand together in the Gur&#363 Granth S&#257hib, immediately after the <i>Japu</i>. They are followed by three compositions by Gur&#363 Gobind Si&#7749gh &#8212 <i>Benat&#299 Chaupa&#299</i> taken from the final tale (404) of Charitrop&#257khy&#257n, and a <i>savaiyy&#257</i> and a <i>&#347lok&#257</i> from <i>R&#257ma Avt&#257r</i> and by the first five and the last stanzas of the <i>Aandu</i> (S&#257hib), and <i>Mund&#257va&#7751&#299</i>.</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <i>Sohil&#257</i>, or <i>K&#299rtan Sohil&#257</i> as it is generally called, is the late-evening prayer recited before going to bed. It takes its name from the word <i>Sohil&#257</i> in the second line of its first hymn, viz. <i>titu ghar&#299 g&#257vahu sohil&#257 sivarihu sirja&#7751h&#257ro</i> (In that state sing His praises and meditate upon Him). <i>Sohil&#257</i> is literally a paean or song of praise and <i>k&#299rtan</i> means devotional singing. <i>K&#299rtan Sohil&#257</i> occurs at the beginning of the Gur&#363 Granth S&#257hib, immediately following <i>Sodaru Rahr&#257si</i>, and includes five hymns &#8212 three by Gur&#363 N&#257nak and one each by Gur&#363 R&#257m D&#257s and Gur&#363 Arjan. The middle hymn is connected with Gur&#363 N&#257nak's visit to the Jagann&#257th temple at Pur&#299, in Orissa. In the evening, the priests there were performing <i>&#257rat&#299</i>, the ritual worship by swinging in front of the idol a salver studded with lighted lamps. Gur&#363 N&#257nak through this hymn explained to them the futility of the ritual, as already the spheres, the sun, the moon and the stars are revolving in God's worship, with fire serving as incense and wind as a whisk, and so on. The final verse of <i>K&#299rtan Sohil&#257</i> beginning with <i>karau benant&#299 su&#7751ahu mere m&#299t&#257 sant &#7789ahal k&#299 bel&#257</i> &#8212 Listen my friend, I beg you, this life is the occasion to serve the holy ones &#8212 is a call to one to devote oneself to good deeds of service and devotion. The last line, of this hymn is a supplication to God for fulfilling the only wish of the devotee which is to be "the dust of the (feet of the) holy ones." On this note and on the assurance that if one devotes one's life to God and service with humility one will suffer transmigration no more, ends the <i>K&#299rtan Sohil&#257</i>.</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Each service is concluded with <i>ard&#257s</i>, a prayer or petition invariably used by Sikhs to conclude any devotional meeting or ceremony.</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; When Nitnem is performed in the presence of Gur&#363 Granth S&#257hib, <i>ard&#257s</i> is followed by <i>hukam</i> or <i>v&#257k</i> (lit. order or utterance), that is, reading of a hymn from the Holy Book opened at random, and, if it is in <i>sa&#7749gat, prash&#257d</i> or consecrated food is distributed.</p> </font> <p class="BIB"> BIBLIOGRAPHY<p class="C1"><ol class="C1"><li class="C1"><i>Sikh Rahit Mary&#257d&#257</i>. Amritsar, 1979<BR> <li class="C1"> Jogendra Si&#7749gh, <i>Sikh Ceremonies</i>. Bombay, 1941<BR> <li class="C1"> Talib, Gurbachan Si&#7749gh, <i>Nitnem</i>. Delhi, 1983<BR> <li class="C1"> Doabia, Harbans Singh, <i>Nitnem</i>. Amritsar, 1976<BR> <li class="C1"> McLeod, W.H.; <i>Textual Sources for the Study of Sikhism</i>. Manchester, 1984<BR> </ol><p class="CONT">Noel Q. King<br></p><BR> </font><img src="counter.aspx" width="1px" height="1px" alt=""></HTML></BODY>