"One man turned us to lions, we have no choice but to live as the Khalsa of the Guru or die as the Khalsa of the Guru. We have no choice. We can’t go back and become what we were before... The Akal Takhat didn’t get constructed because somebody built it from bricks and mortar. I did hear the story that Brahma came and Vishnu came and Shiva came and Narayan came and they built Akal Takht, but I will tell you what built the Akal Takhat. God took a human body, in the form of Arjan Mal who rose to the purity to become Guru Arjun Dev - man became Guru. The light got bestowed and lived, this light of Light... the creative light of the millions and trillions and zillions of suns sat on a red-hot plate and purifed itself, entitling him to the birth of Guru Hargobind and giving him the position to build the Akal Takhat. It took God many, many, many, many zillions of years to produce this effective earthly drama. That Akal Takht was sacrificed along with the Gursikhs who stood by it, and in spite of the people who thought they could destroy it and rebuild it, they could do neither - because it lives in the heart of every Sikh. When we sing this Narayan shabd, the vibration of it will restore the glory of the Khalsa. Just remember in 1984 we started going through the test of time, and as Sikhs we will go through toil and turmoil from 1984 to 1988. There is no way that our steel shall not be tested by the time, not by any man. This shabd Naam Niranjan Neer Narayan. (SGGS Ang 867) was sung by Guru Arjan Dev and it has a unique history and a power behind it and it shall shall give whoever sings it the amalgamation, merger and oneness with God." (excerpts from Siri Singh Sahib Harbhajan Singh Yogi Ji's Gurdwara address on February 6th, 1987)
To honor the 25th Anniversary of the Martyrdom of the Akal Takht, Sikh Dharma International would like to invite all sangats or individuals who wish to participate to join together and sing the Narayan shabd Naam Niranjan Neer Narayan. (SGGS Ang 867) for 90 days before June 6, 2009. We will start on Monday, March 9, 2009 reciting this shabd for 31 minutes each day.
Siri Singh Sahib Harbhajan Singh Yogi Ji said that this shabd has the power to:
1. Restore the glory of the Khalsa
2. Restore the glory of the Akal Takhat
3. Bring the character of the Khalsa back
4. Bring the future of the Khalsa on a silver plate, God will present it back to the Khalsa
5. Shall give to whomever shall sing it the amalgamation, merger and oneness with God
Here at the "Mother Ashram" in Espanola, New Mexico we recently listened to a lecture by the Siri Singh Sahib about the power of the Narayan shabd and everyone present was so inspired that we started doing a 40 day singing of the shabd for 31 minutes each evening after Rehiras Sahib. Benefit can even be gained by listening to a recording of this shabd, but it's much more powerful and fun to sing it together.
Our understanding of the the power of the Narayan shabd comes from one of the 11 historic Gurdwara lectures wherein the Siri Singh Sahib talked about the martyrdom of the Akal Takhat and the strength of the Khalsa spirit.
The Akal Takhat represents our sovereign authority as Sikhs as we face any challenge. It reminds us to relate to our deathless divinity and infinity.
Starting in Baisaikhi 2009, Sikh Dharma International will be posting these videos online in a series entitled “The Awakening of the Khalsa”. We are posting these 11 videos to commemorate the 25th Anniversary of the Martyrdom of the Akal Takht.
We invite you to participate and feel the power of this shabd and the power of prayer as we grow in our spirit as Khalsa with an undying grace to experience our Infinite Divinity.
Humbly Yours,
Ek Ong Kaar Kaur
Sikh Dharma International
Information on the Akal Takht according to historical references:
The Akal Takhat was first constructed by Guru Hargobind in 1609 to represent the Authority over the matters and affairs of the Sikh society. It was constructed at an angle to symbolize its position was to guard and protect the sacred seat of authority in humility and to be in serve to the grace of the sacred light practiced in the Golden Temple. It is at the Akal Takhat that all matters of importance to Sikhs are deliberated. Historically twice a year, on Baisaikhi and Divali, the Guru would issue Hukamnamas from the Akal Takhat. Later, this Takhat was the court from which the Amrit Ceremony was given to Sikhs, as well as the place where any transgressions against the Panth were confessed with appropriate measures taken to clear the offence and restore balance to the spirit of the Sikh community. Throughout history there were times the Akal Takhat was destroyed by events which later lead the community to reclaim and rebuild their Throne of Authority as a community. The Martyrdom of the Akal Takhat in 1984 is the reason why we celebrate in our Gurdwara every 6th of the Month starting in 1984.
The Siri Singh Sahib explains what the Akal Takht means in a lecture on June 6, 1990.
“Why Akal Takhat? Akal means that which cannot come in the lap and collapse of death; that which is death free. Kaal means time or death. Akal means deathlessness. Why did Guru Hargobind create a Takhat and call it Akal Takhat? It was actually a spiritual, most powerful, virtuous place of worship. It represented deathlessness. Wherever the Sikhs are, whether they have visited it or not, it rules the command and the jurisdiction of the territory and totality of the human being. So in our mind and heart, there is no virtual definition that we do not belong to something. This is one act you have to understand. You have been taken away from territorial rulership, geographical rulership and time rulership. You have been taken away from culture, association, habits and understanding, and taken to the status of achieving nirvana, beyond that mukhti (liberation), beyond that ecstasy, beyond that self-recognition and self-illumination which are the highest. In the Sikh religion, the very aspect that we have Akal Takhat is unique. What does it do? It takes us from infinity to infinity. It gives us a combination and a jurisdiction to which we belong and to which we relate.”
Visit http://www.sikhdharma.org/ to read the full text of the Siri Singh Sahib’s lecture on “The Power of the Narayan shabd”. Also available are the shabd sheets as well as several musical versions to which you can listen. There are also links to the musicians' websites if you wish to purchase the CDs of the shabd. We know you will enjoy the beauty and bounty of the practice of this shabd.
