ĀRATĪ, from Sanskrit ārātrik, meaning the light or the vessel containing it which is waved before an idol, generally in the clockwise direction, accompanied by the chanting of mantras. This is also the name given the ceremony which for the Hindus is a mode of ritual worship to propitiate the deity. In the Sikh system, which totally rejects image worship, there is no sanction for this form of worship. An incident in this regard is often summoned from the Janam Sākhīs, traditional accounts of Gurū Nānak's life. During his travels across Eastern India, Gurū Nānak accompanied by the minstrel, Mardānā, stopped near the temple of Jagannāth, Lord of the Earth, which is the title of Lord Viṣṇu, second god of the Hindu Triad. Gurū Nānak and Mardānā stopped near the shrine upon which sat centuries of history mute and immobilized. The notes from Mardānā's rebeck touched the devotees' hearts with fresh fervour. Several of them came to hear the Gurū's word. The temple priests felt angry and held the Gurū guilty for not making adoration to the deity within the sacred enclosure. The local chief whose name has been described as Krishanlāl one day visited the Gurū and invited him to join the āratī, or the evening service of lights, in the temple. The Gurū readily offered to go with him.

        The sky is the salver

਍㰀瀀 挀氀愀猀猀㴀∀䌀㄀∀㸀☀渀戀猀瀀㬀☀渀戀猀瀀㬀☀渀戀猀瀀㬀☀渀戀猀瀀㬀☀渀戀猀瀀㬀☀渀戀猀瀀㬀☀渀戀猀瀀㬀☀渀戀猀瀀㬀䄀渀搀 琀栀攀 猀甀渀 愀渀搀 琀栀攀 洀漀漀渀 琀栀攀 氀愀洀瀀猀⸀㰀⼀瀀㸀ഀഀ

        The luminous stars on the heavens are the pearls.

਍㰀瀀 挀氀愀猀猀㴀∀䌀㄀∀㸀☀渀戀猀瀀㬀☀渀戀猀瀀㬀☀渀戀猀瀀㬀☀渀戀猀瀀㬀☀渀戀猀瀀㬀☀渀戀猀瀀㬀☀渀戀猀瀀㬀☀渀戀猀瀀㬀匀挀攀渀琀攀搀 愀椀爀 昀爀漀洀 琀栀攀 猀愀渀搀愀氀ⴀ挀氀愀搀 栀椀氀氀猀 椀猀 琀栀攀 椀渀挀攀渀猀攀Ⰰ㰀⼀瀀㸀ഀഀ

        The winds make the fan for Thee,

਍㰀瀀 挀氀愀猀猀㴀∀䌀㄀∀㸀☀渀戀猀瀀㬀☀渀戀猀瀀㬀☀渀戀猀瀀㬀☀渀戀猀瀀㬀☀渀戀猀瀀㬀☀渀戀猀瀀㬀☀渀戀猀瀀㬀☀渀戀猀瀀㬀䄀渀搀 琀栀攀 瘀愀猀琀 昀漀爀攀猀琀猀 眀爀攀愀琀栀猀 漀昀 昀氀漀眀攀爀猀⸀㰀⼀瀀㸀ഀഀ

        The unstruck music of creation is the trumpet.

਍㰀瀀 挀氀愀猀猀㴀∀䌀㄀∀㸀☀渀戀猀瀀㬀☀渀戀猀瀀㬀☀渀戀猀瀀㬀☀渀戀猀瀀㬀☀渀戀猀瀀㬀☀渀戀猀瀀㬀☀渀戀猀瀀㬀☀渀戀猀瀀㬀吀栀甀猀 最漀攀猀 漀渀 琀栀攀 㰀椀㸀☀⌀㈀㔀㜀爀愀琀☀⌀㈀㤀㤀㰀⼀椀㸀 ⠀愀搀漀爀愀琀椀漀渀⤀ 昀漀爀 吀栀攀攀Ⰰ㰀⼀瀀㸀ഀഀ

        O Thou dispeller of doubt and fear!

਍㰀瀀 挀氀愀猀猀㴀∀䌀㄀∀㸀☀渀戀猀瀀㬀☀渀戀猀瀀㬀☀渀戀猀瀀㬀☀渀戀猀瀀㬀☀渀戀猀瀀㬀☀渀戀猀瀀㬀☀渀戀猀瀀㬀☀渀戀猀瀀㬀㰀⼀戀氀漀挀欀焀甀漀琀攀㸀㰀⼀瀀㸀ഀഀ

        Gurū Nānak taught the hearers how Nature's tribute to the Creator was superior to any ritualistic oblation offered before images.

਍㰀瀀 挀氀愀猀猀㴀∀䌀㄀∀㸀☀渀戀猀瀀㬀☀渀戀猀瀀㬀☀渀戀猀瀀㬀☀渀戀猀瀀㬀☀渀戀猀瀀㬀☀渀戀猀瀀㬀☀渀戀猀瀀㬀☀渀戀猀瀀㬀䤀渀 猀瀀椀琀攀 漀昀 猀甀挀栀 搀攀瀀爀攀挀椀愀琀椀漀渀 漀昀 琀栀攀 爀椀琀甀愀氀Ⰰ 㰀椀㸀☀⌀㈀㔀㜀爀愀琀☀⌀㈀㤀㤀㰀⼀椀㸀 眀愀猀 瀀攀爀昀漀爀洀攀搀 椀渀 猀漀洀攀 漀昀 琀栀攀 匀椀欀栀 琀攀洀瀀氀攀猀 甀渀搀攀爀 䈀爀☀⌀㈀㔀㜀栀洀愀☀⌀㜀㜀㔀㄀椀挀愀氀 椀渀昀氀甀攀渀挀攀⸀ 䈀甀琀 椀渀 琀栀攀 匀椀欀栀 挀愀猀攀 琀栀攀 㰀椀㸀☀⌀㈀㔀㜀爀愀琀☀⌀㈀㤀㤀㰀⼀椀㸀 眀愀猀 瀀攀爀昀漀爀洀攀搀 椀渀 昀爀漀渀琀 漀昀 琀栀攀 䜀甀爀☀⌀㌀㘀㌀ 䜀爀愀渀琀栀 匀☀⌀㈀㔀㜀栀椀戀⸀ 圀栀攀爀攀瘀攀爀 琀栀攀 眀漀爀搀 㰀椀㸀☀⌀㈀㔀㜀爀愀琀☀⌀㈀㤀㤀㰀⼀椀㸀 漀挀挀甀爀爀攀搀 椀渀 琀栀攀 䜀甀爀☀⌀㌀㘀㌀ 䜀爀愀渀琀栀 匀☀⌀㈀㔀㜀栀椀戀Ⰰ 琀栀攀 栀礀洀渀 眀愀猀 瀀爀攀猀猀攀搀 椀渀琀漀 猀攀爀瘀椀挀攀⸀ 䘀漀爀 椀渀猀琀愀渀挀攀Ⰰ 琀栀攀爀攀 眀愀猀 愀 挀栀愀椀渀 漀昀 㰀椀㸀☀⌀㌀㐀㜀愀戀搀愀猀㰀⼀椀㸀 挀甀氀氀攀搀 昀爀漀洀 琀栀攀 挀漀洀瀀漀猀椀琀椀漀渀猀 漀昀 刀愀瘀椀搀☀⌀㈀㔀㜀猀Ⰰ 匀愀椀☀⌀㜀㜀㔀㄀Ⰰ 䬀愀戀☀⌀㈀㤀㤀爀 愀渀搀 䐀栀愀渀渀☀⌀㈀㔀㜀⸀ 刀愀瘀椀搀☀⌀㈀㔀㜀猀✀猀 栀礀洀渀 戀攀最椀渀猀 眀椀琀栀 琀栀攀 氀椀渀攀Ⰰ ∀䰀漀爀搀Ⰰ 吀栀礀 一愀洀攀 琀漀 洀攀 椀猀 琀栀攀 㰀椀㸀☀⌀㈀㔀㜀爀愀琀☀⌀㈀㤀㤀㰀⼀椀㸀 愀渀搀 栀漀氀礀 愀戀氀甀琀椀漀渀猀⸀ 䄀氀氀 攀氀猀攀 椀猀 昀愀氀猀攀 猀栀漀眀∀ ⠀䜀䜀Ⰰ 㘀㤀㐀⤀⸀ 匀愀礀猀 匀愀椀☀⌀㜀㜀㔀㄀Ⰰ ∀䴀愀礀 䤀 戀攀 愀 猀愀挀爀椀昀椀挀攀 甀渀琀漀 琀栀攀 䰀漀爀搀 㨀 琀栀愀琀 昀漀爀 洀攀 椀猀 琀栀攀 㰀椀㸀☀⌀㈀㔀㜀爀愀琀☀⌀㈀㤀㤀㰀⼀椀㸀 瀀攀爀昀漀爀洀攀搀 眀椀琀栀 氀愀洀瀀猀Ⰰ 最栀攀攀 愀渀搀 椀渀挀攀渀猀攀∀ ⠀䜀䜀Ⰰ 㘀㤀㔀⤀⸀ 䬀愀戀☀⌀㈀㤀㤀爀✀猀 栀礀洀渀 椀猀 椀渀 琀栀攀 猀愀洀攀 瘀攀椀渀⸀ 䤀琀 猀愀礀猀Ⰰ ∀䈀爀漀琀栀攀爀猀℀ 琀栀愀琀 椀猀 栀漀眀 琀栀攀 䤀洀洀愀挀甀氀愀琀攀 䰀漀爀搀✀猀 㰀椀㸀☀⌀㈀㔀㜀爀愀琀☀⌀㈀㤀㤀㰀⼀椀㸀 椀猀 洀愀搀攀⸀ ⸀ ⸀ ⸀ 䰀攀琀 䐀椀瘀椀渀攀 攀猀猀攀渀挀攀 戀攀 琀栀攀 漀椀氀Ⰰ 琀栀攀 䰀漀爀搀✀猀 一愀洀攀 琀栀攀 眀椀挀欀Ⰰ 愀渀搀 攀渀氀椀最栀琀攀渀攀搀 猀攀氀昀 琀栀攀 氀愀洀瀀⸀ 䰀椀最栀琀椀渀最 琀栀椀猀 氀愀洀瀀 眀攀 椀渀瘀漀欀攀 琀栀攀 䰀漀爀搀∀ ⠀䜀䜀Ⰰ ㄀㌀㔀　⤀⸀ 䐀栀愀渀渀☀⌀㈀㔀㜀✀猀 栀礀洀渀 椀猀 猀椀洀瀀氀礀 愀 瀀爀愀礀攀爀 昀漀爀 琀栀攀 挀漀洀洀漀渀 渀攀攀搀猀 漀昀 氀椀昀攀 ⠀䜀䜀Ⰰ 㘀㤀㔀⤀⸀㰀⼀瀀㸀ഀഀ

        It is clear that these hymns reject the āratī ritual and lay down loving devotion shorn of all formal practices as the path of true worship. The reformists of the Siṅgh Sabhā school as well as those of the more strident Akālī school discarded the ritual waving of the lighted lamps placed in a tray before the Gurū Granth Sāhib. There could, however, be no objection to the singing of the āratī hymns occurring in the Gurū Granth Sāhib. The Sikh Rahit Māryādā or religious code of the Sikhs issued under the authority of the Shiromaṇī Gurdwārā Parbandhak Committee, a statutorily elected body representative of the entire Sikh community, lays down that āratī with incense and lighted lamps and ringing of bells is not permissible. Although āratī ritual is prohibited and no longer practised in Sikh places of worship, the continuous singing of the five Scriptural āratī hymns, often supplemented by some verses from the Dasam Granth, by the holy choir or by the entire saṅgat in unison, is still practised at places as part of the concluding ceremonies for an akhaṇḍ pāṭh, end-to-end unbroken reading of the Holy Book, or at the close of the evening service at a gurdwārā.

਍㰀⼀昀漀渀琀㸀ഀഀ

਍䈀䤀䈀䰀䤀伀䜀刀䄀倀䠀夀㰀瀀 挀氀愀猀猀㴀∀䌀㄀∀㸀㰀漀氀 挀氀愀猀猀㴀∀䌀㄀∀㸀㰀氀椀 挀氀愀猀猀㴀∀䌀㄀∀㸀㰀椀㸀匀椀欀栀 刀愀栀椀琀 䴀愀爀礀☀⌀㈀㔀㜀搀☀⌀㈀㔀㜀㰀⼀椀㸀⸀ 䄀洀爀椀琀猀愀爀Ⰰ ㄀㤀㜀㔀㰀䈀刀㸀ഀഀ

Kohlī, Surindar Siṅgh, ed. , Janam Sākhī Bhāī Bālā. Chandigarh, 1975
਍㰀氀椀 挀氀愀猀猀㴀∀䌀㄀∀㸀㰀椀㸀匀栀愀戀搀☀⌀㈀㔀㜀爀琀栀 匀爀☀⌀㈀㤀㤀 䜀甀爀☀⌀㌀㘀㌀ 䜀爀愀渀琀栀 匀☀⌀㈀㔀㜀栀椀戀㰀⼀椀㸀⸀ 䄀洀爀椀琀猀愀爀Ⰰ ㄀㤀㘀㤀㰀䈀刀㸀ഀഀ

Major Gurmukh Siṅgh (Retd.)

਍㰀⼀昀漀渀琀㸀ഀഀ ਍㰀⼀䠀吀䴀䰀㸀㰀⼀䈀伀䐀夀㸀ഀഀ