This video was uploaded on Jan 24, 2022. It translates and follows along the pages of an old Panj Granthi Steek. This video contains the traditional Rehras Sahib Prayer done at Takht Sri Patna Sahib recited by Gyani Dilip Singh Ji.
INFO:
This is the Rehras Sahib which is done everyday at Takht Sri Harimandir Ji Patna Sahib, the sacred Takht Sahib which marks the birthplace of the 10th Guru, Guru Gobind Singh Ji, and is located near the banks of the Ganges river in the city of Patna (the state capital and largest city of India’s Bihar).
Usually the Rehras Sahib is done by Singh Sahib Gyani Gurdyal Singh Ji (Senior Vice-Granthi) of the Takht Sahib but in this video the recitation is done by Gyani Dilip Singh Ji (Senior Granthi). I took two streams (one from April 17, 2021 and one from Sept 16, 2021 and combined these to make this video).
According to Baba Gurbachan Singh Ji Khalsa (1902-1969)
(https://youtu.be/dsvxqlBr9us ) the Rehras prayer once done at Akal Takht/Harimandir Sahib (in Amritsar, Punjab prior to 1920) had a longer version of Chaupai Sahib starting from “Pun Rakshas Ka Kata Sisa”. The was described as being recorded in an old Panj Granthi Manuscript of Bhai Mani Singh Ji, and is still maintained today by the Damdami Taksal.
It seems that the Puratan Maryada of Akal Takht established by Bhai Mani Singh Ji was the same one established (probably later) at Takht Patna Sahib.
However, during the colonial era, after the Jathas which eventually formed the SGPC took over Sri Akal Takht Sahib/Harimandir Sahib in the autumn of 1920, the original Maryada established there was discarded. This likely would’ve been a slow process that eventually left the Rehras Sahib prayer significantly edited, in which the Chaupai Sahib prayer was reduced down to 25 pauris, and the shabads/verses from the Bachittar Natak Granth portion of Sri Dasam Granth Sahib were mostly removed, retaining only two shabads from the Rama Avatar section. Even the concluding Shabads of Rehras Sahib from Guru Granth Sahib Ji were omitted and the changes were codified into SGPC’s Sikh Rehat Maryada passed in 1936 CE. These particular changes to the Rehras Sahib prayer, according to Dr. Kamalroop Singh were done by one Kartar Singh Kalaswalia (1882-1952) who served as the Head Granthi of Harimandir Sahib around that time (https://www.sikhnet.com/news/history-nitnem-bania ).
In March 29, 1988 Akal Takht passed an edict, in which it instructed the sangat and SGPC to recommence the reading the Puratan Rehras Sahib, the restoration however, has not happened.
Today the Chaupai Sahib sections starting from “Pun Rakshas Ka Kata Sisa”, are still maintained by the Damdami Taksal, Takht Patna Sahib and the Namdhari Samparda. Even longer versions of Rehras Sahib are maintained by Takht Hazur Sahib, Nanaksar and the Nihang Singh Jathebandian.
In 1940, Bhai Vir Singh Ji published his Panj Granthi Steek (a copy of which can be viewed online at Punjab Digital Library: http://www.panjabdigilib.org/webuser/searches/displayPage.jsp?ID=1643&page=1&CategoryID=1&Searched= ), in which the Rehras Sahib (starting from “So Dar”) matches the Damdami Taksal version of Rehras Sahib. Even in this video, I display the pages of that Panj Granthi Steek by Bhai Vir Singh Ji.
The Damdami Taksal & Takht Patna Sahib version of Rehras Sahib are almost entirely identical, with the only difference being that the Takht Patna Sahib for some reason does not read this one line “ਇਤਿ ਸ੍ਰੀ ਚਰਿਤ੍ਰੋਪਖ੍ਯਾਨੇ ਤ੍ਰਿਯਾ ਚਰਿਤ੍ਰੇ ਮੰਤ੍ਰੀ ਭੂਪ ਸੰਬਾਦੇ ਚਾਰਿ ਸੌ ਪਾਂਚ ਚਰਿੱਤ੍ਰ ਸਮਾਪਤ ਮਸਤੁ ਸੁਭ ਮਸਤੁ॥ ੪੦੫॥ ੭੫੫੮॥ ਅਫਜੂੰ॥“ (Here concludes Sri Charitropakhyan, the Triya Charitars related to the conversation of the minister and the king. 405 parables of the auspicious charitars are completed, Must Subh Must. 405. 7558. Continued).
Hope you like this video and find the English translations helpful for understanding the prayer. Bhul Chuk Maff Karni!
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