ÿþ<HTML><HEAD><TITLE>SHARDH&#256</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="SHARDH"> <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">&#65279SHARDH&#256 or Sardh&#257 (Skt. <i>&#347raddh&#257</i>) , a conscious positive mental attitude towards a person owing to some special development of a virtue or power in him, is closely connected with faith or <i>bhakti</i>, i.e. loving devotion to God. Etymologically speaking, it is a compound word formed by a combination of <i>&#347rat</i>, 'heart' and <i>dh&#257</i>, 'to put', meaning to put one's heart and mind on something. Translated into English, belief, trust, confidence and faith are the terms which put forth different shades of <i>&#347raddh&#257</i>. In so far as <i>&#347raddh&#257</i> is related to &#347r&#257dha, a funeral rite in Hinduism performed in honour of the departed spirits of dead ancestors or relatives, it can be interpreted as reverence.</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<i>Shardh&#257</i> or faith is the bedrock of all religions. In the Vedic texts, <i>&#347raddh&#257</i> denotes a belief in the powers of rituals and the priests for securing all that is desired including <i>svarga</i>, heaven. The Upani&#7779ads, however, present us with new dimensions of <i>&#347raddh&#257</i>. In these texts, <i>&#347raddh&#257</i> emerges as a moral and religious notion. Here it is closely connected with the ideas of <i>dhay&#257na, yoga, karma, sa&#7749s&#257ra</i> and <i>mok&#7779a</i>, the ideas which were originally pecular to &#346rama&#7751a thought. The <i>Mu&#7751&#7693aka Upani&#7779ad</i> representative of the Srama&#7751ic impact treats the entire heritage of old Vedic knowledge as lower and declares that knowledge as higher (<i>par&#257dvidy&#257</i>) which reveals the Indestructible (<i>Mu&#7751&#7693&#257k. 1.1.5.</i>). This higher knowledge which leads to spiritual emancipation is the object of <i>&#347raddh&#257</i>. However, it must be noted here that the nature and function of <i>&#347raddh&#257</i> in these texts are relative to ritualistic, theistic, dualistic and non-dualistic theologies. The <i>Bhagavadg&#299t&#257</i> gives to this term a definitive meaning for subsequent Br&#257hma&#7751&#299cal developments. According to the <i>Bhagavadg&#299t&#257</i>, faith (<i>&#347raddh&#257</i>) is a factor in <i>mukt&#299</i> (III.31) : those endowed with faith attain wisdom, and those without faith perish (IV 39-40) : faith is directly associated with devotion and adoration (VII. 21) : among all the yogis one endowed with faith is the best. This soteriological significance and importance of <i>&#347raddh&#257</i> is tacitly accepted in all the sects of the Br&#257hma&#7751&#299cal tradition including &#346aivism, &#346&#257ktism, Vai&#7779&#7751avism and the yogic schools. In addition to God or goddess, the prescribed paths, and the scripture, in these schools, the position of teacher or <i>gur&#363</i> becomes an increasingly important object of <i>&#347raddh&#257</i>. The concept of <i>&#347raddh&#257</i> occupies an important place in the &#346rama&#7751ic traditions of Jainism and Buddhism also.</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The word <i>sardh&#257</i> occurs in the Gur&#363 Granth S&#257hib at numerous places. Often it is associated with other related theological terms such as <i>prem, bhagat&#299 (bhakti), p&#363j&#257</i> and <i>sev&#257</i> (devotion, adoration and service, respectively). The necessity of faith and confidence is tacitly accepted in Sikhism and there is a general uniformity in its meaning throughout the Sikh texts. Besides <i>sardh&#257</i> we find other words, <i>nihch&#257 (nischaya), bisv&#257s</i> and <i>part&#299ti</i> (GG,87,284, 292,877,1270); these words may be translated as 'faith', 'belief' and 'confidence'. The word <i>p&#257rt&#299ti</i> (Skt. <i>prat&#299ti</i>) can also be translated as faith or belief. One has <i>part&#299ti</i> when one has clear apprehension of or insight into anything; it gives the sense of complete understanding, ascertainment and conviction. By implication <i>part&#299ti</i> means credit, respect, trust, confirmation and acknowledgement. <i>Part&#299ti</i> thus is a synonym of <i>shardh&#257</i> in Sikhism. It is a cardinal moral virtue and a prerequisite of piety. The nature and function of <i>shardh&#257</i> in Sikh religion and the way of life cannot be understood without recourse to Sikh theology.</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Devotion to God proceeds from faith in God: faith in God is linked to love for God : love for God manifests itself in adoration and service. It is, therefore, appropriate to understand the concept of <i>shardh&#257</i> in the context of <i>bhagt&#299, prem, p&#363j&#257</i> and <i>sev&#257</i>. All these terms bear a significance in Sikh teaching only when we consider their meaning in relation to the reality of Supreme Lord (<i>parame&#347vara</i>). The first object of faith in Sikhism is thus the supreme Lord. His nature and existence are revealed by the Teacher (<i>Gur&#363</i>) who is another object of faith. This office of revealer and guide has been held by a line of ten teachers; the ten Gur&#363s from Gur&#363 N&#257nak to Gur&#363 Gobind Si&#7749gh are therefore equally the centre of faith in this tradition. After the death of Gur&#363 Gobind Si&#7749gh, the Holy Granth assumed the authority of the Teacher. It is now justly called the Gur&#363 Granth S&#257hib, the Book that is the Teacher or the Teacher-Scripture. This being the collection of canonical texts of Sikhism, is the third major object of faith in Sikhism. In this system <i>Shardh&#257</i> is directed to God, Gur&#363 and the Granth.</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Belief in God and love of God go together: the functional value of loving and believing leads to the same purpose and would seem to be equal. The devotee is said to spread the bed made of <i>shardh&#257</i> for his Lord-- <i>hari hari sardh&#257 sej v&#299chh&#257&#299 prabhu chho&#7692i na sakai</i> (GG, 836) ; because of <i>shardh&#257</i> fixed on his Beloved he cannot live even for a moment-- <i>sardh&#257 l&#257g&#299 sa&#7749gi pr&#299tamai iku tilu raha&#7751u na j&#257i</i> (GG,928). To have faith in God means to have love for god, and vice versa, to have love for god means to have faith in God.</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;As an ultimate commitment and supreme concern, <i>shardh&#257</i> may be summed up as concentration of belief in God. It has been said that those that have faith in R&#257m N&#257m, do not turn their thoughts to any thing else--<i>jin sardh&#257 r&#257m n&#257m l&#257g&#299 tin d&#363j&#257 chitu na l&#257i&#257 r&#257m</i> (GG,444). The nature of faith is unifying, which is also to say, it is exclusive and undivided. One cannot have faith in both Divinity and egoity, in God and not-God at the same time. Firm and undivided faith leads to union with God. He who is endowed with true faith is united to God-- <i>jin kai mani s&#257ch&#257 bisv&#257su, pekhi pekhi su&#257m&#299 k&#299 sobh&#257 &#257nandu sad&#257 ul&#257su</i> (GG,677).</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Occasionally this term is used in the sense of a wish or longing for God. Thus when we read <i>n&#257nak k&#299 prabh sardh&#257 p&#363r&#299</i>, we have to understand it in the sense that 'God has fulfilled the desire of N&#257nak&#8217 (GG,893). Again, <i>ch&#299ti &#257vai t&#257 sardh&#257 p&#363r&#299</i> -- when awareness (of God) comes then the longing is satisfied (GG,114). We can even say that in these usages <i>sardh&#257</i> is like <i>mans&#257</i>, thought, wish, longing, quest. God is the object of love and object of faith and therefore the object of quest.</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Although God is attainable through love and faith or loving faith, it is clearly taught that one becomes faithful through God's grace (<i>hari kirp&#257</i>), faith in His name is inspired by Him-- <i>hari hari krip&#257 karahu jagj&#299van mai sardh&#257 n&#257mi lag&#257vaigo</i> (GG,1310). Faith in God comes through faith in Gur&#363 who unites the seeker with the former --<i>sardh&#257 sardh&#257 up&#257i mil&#257e mo kau hari gur guri nist&#257re</i> (GG, 983). God's servants are very good because they uphold Hari in their heart with faith, and Hari is so good that He accepts the faith of His followers and upholds their honour--<i>prabh ke sevak bahutu ati n&#299ke mani sardh&#257 kari hari dh&#257re ; mere prabhi sardh&#257 bhagati mani bhavai jan k&#299 paij sav&#257re</i> (GG,982). Those who with faith sing, listen, and cause others to listen (the glory of God) and drink the Divine elixir (<i>hari ras</i>), they are indeed fortunate-- <i>gavat sunat, sun&#257vat sardh&#257 hari rasu p&#299 va&#7693bh&#257ge</i> (GG,1306).</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;In addition to God, Gur&#363 and the Granth, a fourth field for the cultivation of faith in Sikhism consists of the holy company (<i>s&#257dhsa&#7749gati</i>) of the devotees (<i>s&#257dh, sant</i>). Faith rises in their company and one enjoys the taste of the Divine essence through Gur&#363's Word-- <i>mili sa&#7749gat sardh&#257 upajai gur sabdi hari rasu chakhu</i> (GG,997). Happiness (<i>sukh</i>), peace and longing (<i>sardh&#257</i>) all these are attained with the help of the holy -- <i>sukh s&#299tal sardh&#257 sabh p&#299r&#299 hoe sant sah&#257&#299</i> (GG,1000). The Scripture lays down that the dust of the feet of those sages should be kissed with love and confidence who have given their lives for the sake of God -- <i>jin hari arathi sar&#299ru lag&#257i&#257 gur s&#257dh&#363 bahu saradh&#257 lai mukhi dh&#363&#7771&#257</i> (GG,698). The sages found Hari through faith ; they found Hari through the word of the Teacher. That is to say, faith in the Teacher's word is the door to God realization. The word <i>gurmukh</i> literally means 'Teacher's mouth'; it symbolically means the word (<i>&#347abda</i>) or speech (<i>b&#257&#7751&#299</i>) which comes out of Gur&#363's mouth. This word or speech documented in the Granth is an object of faith because it is the vehicle to go beyond <i>sa&#7749s&#257ra</i>. The <i>gurmukh</i> or Teacher's word is therefore called the door of deliverance (<i>mokhu-du&#257r</i>). As is well known, the word <i>gurmukh</i> also means a pious person imbued with faith, who has turned towards God or the Gur&#363, a God-faced person. As such, the <i>gurmukh</i> is the ideal person of Sikh culture and, therefore, an embodiment of <i>shardh&#257</i>, faith.</p> </font> <p class="BIB"> BIBLIOGRAPHY<p class="C1"><ol class="C1"><li class="C1"> Jayatillake, N., <i>Early Buddhist Theory of Knowledge</i>. London, 1963<BR> <li class="C1"> Gyomroi-Ludowyk, 'The Valuation of Sraddha in the Early Buddhist Texts' in <i>The University of Ceylon Review</i>, Vol. V<BR> <li class="C1"> Edward Conze, <i>Buddhism</i>. Oxford,1951<BR> <li class="C1"> Minuchehar, 'Notes on Two Sanskrit Terms: <i>bhakti</i> and <i>&#347raddha</i> 'in <i>Indo Iranian Journal</i> vol VII, 1964<BR> <li class="C1"> Rao, K.L. Seshagiri, <i>The Concept of &#346raddha</i>. Patiala, 1971<BR> <li class="C1"><i>&#346abad&#257rath Sr&#299 Gur&#363 Granth S&#257hib J&#299</i>. Amritsar, 1964<BR> <li class="C1"> Waz&#299r Si&#7749gh, <i>Dharam d&#257 D&#257rshanik Pakkh</i>. Patiala, 1986<BR> </ol><p class="CONT">L. M. Joshi<br></p><BR> </font><img src="counter.aspx" width="1px" height="1px" alt=""></HTML></BODY>