Jaikara

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Jaikara is a term used to refer to religious slogans practiced in Indic religions. They are usually shouted in a group-setting as a devotional practice. Jaikaras can be found in both Hinduism and Sikhism.

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Hinduism

In Hinduism, there are Shaktist jaikaras to pay deference to specific Indic goddesses, known as Maa Aap Bulandi. [1] They are often shouted together as a group amongst devotees and sometimes in specific scenarios, such being in the midst of a religious trek. [1] They are believed to encourage the congregation and strengthen their resolve, it is also way of expressing devotion to a particular deity. [1] However, jaikaras can also be chanted when alone or when two groups of pilgrims cross paths with one another. [1]

Common Hindu jaikaras are as follows:

Sikhism

Amongst Sikh, the jaikaras function as a battle-cry, described as being a "shout of victory" or "war-cry" slogan, also referred to as a fateh. [2] : 187  [3] [4] [5] Jaikaras are said to conclude Sikh religious services. [2] [5] They are used as phrasal slogans of respect, appraise, or obeisance and its purpose is a mixture of spirituality, euphoria, and preparation. [6] A common Sikh jaikara is: Jo bole So Nihal , Sat Sri Akal ("Blessed is the person who says God is Truth") and was used in-battle. [2] [6] [3] They are often uttered as a huzza shouted together in a group. [3] Jaikara slogans are called-out at the end of a Sikh religious service, being a critical part of them to mark an end of the program. [4] It additionally functions as an pledge to follow the path of truth. [4] A common practice during Sikh deliberations is to close the debate and go with the last suggestion after a particularly lively jaikara is shouted. [4] Jaikaras can also function as greetings. [4] [5]

According to Harjinder Singh Dilgeer, the original form of the bole so nihal jaikara may have been: Jo jaikara bulaavai guru de man nun bhaavai; gaij ke bolnaa ji Akaal! Akaal! Akaal! [6] He further claims this original phrase was shorterned simply to (Jo) bole so nihal, sat sri akal and that it should not be used as a greeting. [6] Another Sikh jaikara, used to greet another Sikh, is Waheguru ji ka (da) Khalsa Waheguru ji ki (di) Fateh . [6] Banda Singh Bahadur is charged with attempting to change the standard Sikh jaikara to Fateh Darshan. [7] [8]

Some other popular Sikh jakaras are as follows:[ citation needed ]

Ravidassia

The Ravidassias, a splinter-movement from Sikhism, have their own jaikara which differs from the mainstream Sikh one, which is as follows: Jo bole so nirbheh, Shri Guru Raviassi Ki Jai ("whoever utters the following phrase shall be fearless, victory to Guru Ravidas"). [2] The separatist faction of Ravidassias have coined their own jaikaras to mark their desired separateness from mainstream Sikhism. [2] In Ravidassia temples, some orthodox Sikhs and Sikh-affiliated Ravidassias have criticized their adoption of a unique jaikara that is different from the mainstream Sikh one, leading to tensions and incidents. [2]

Related Research Articles

Waheguru is a term used in Sikhism to refer to God as described in Guru Granth Sahib. It is the most common term to refer to God in modern Sikhism.

The following outline is provides an overview of Sikhism, or Sikhi.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Battle cry</span> Yell or chant taken up in battle

A battle cry or war cry is a yell or chant taken up in battle, usually by members of the same combatant group. Battle cries are not necessarily articulate, although they often aim to invoke patriotic or religious sentiment. Their purpose is a combination of arousing aggression and esprit de corps on one's own side and causing intimidation on the hostile side. Battle cries are a universal form of display behaviour aiming at competitive advantage, ideally by overstating one's own aggressive potential to a point where the enemy prefers to avoid confrontation altogether and opts to flee. In order to overstate one's potential for aggression, battle cries need to be as loud as possible, and have historically often been amplified by acoustic devices such as horns, drums, conches, carnyxes, bagpipes, bugles, etc..

Bole So Nihal is a jaikara or war cry or clarion call of the Sikhs given by the tenth Sikh guru, Guru Gobind Singh.

Sat Śri Akāl is a jaikara now used, often, as a greeting by Sikhs. It is the second half of the Sikh clarion call, given by the tenth Sikh guru, Guru Gobind Singh. The full call is as follows, "Bole So Nihal, Sat Sri Akal".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bhai Mani Singh</span> 18th-century Sikh religious leader and martyr

Bhai Mani Singh was an 18th-century Sikh scholar and martyr. He was a childhood companion of Guru Gobind Singh and took the vows of Sikhism when the Guru inaugurated the Khalsa in March 1699. Soon after that, the Guru sent him to Amritsar to take charge of Harmandir Sahib, which had been without a custodian since 1696. He took control and steered the course of Sikh destiny at a critical stage in Sikh history. He was also a teacher of the Gianian Bunga, later becoming known as the "Amritsari Taksal", currently located in Sato Ki Gali.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tat Khalsa</span> Sikh faction

The Tat Khalsa, also romanised as Tatt Khalsa, known as the Akal Purkhias during the 18th century, was a Sikh faction that arose from the schism following the passing of Guru Gobind Singh in 1708, led by his widow Mata Sundari, opposed to the religious innovations of Banda Singh Bahadur and his followers. The roots of the Tat Khalsa lies in the official formalization and sanctification of the Khalsa order by the tenth Guru in 1699.

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A Hukamnama, in modern-times, refers to a hymn from the Guru Granth Sahib which is given as an injunction, order, or edict to Sikhs. It also refers to edicts issued by the contemporary Takhts. In the historical sense, it was used to refer to an issued commandment, instruction, injunction, order, or edict given by one of the Gurus of Sikhism or their officiated followers and associates during their lives.

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Deg Tegh Fateh is a Sikh slogan and the title of an anthem in the Punjabi language that signifies the dual obligations of the Khalsa: The responsibility to provide food, and to provide protection, for the needy and oppressed.

<i>Guru Maneyo Granth</i> Historic statement of the 10th Sikh Guru, Guru Gobind Singh

Guru Maneyo Granth refers to the historic statement of the 10th Sikh Guru, Guru Gobind Singh (1666–1708) shortly before his demise on affirming the sacred scripture Adi Granth as his successor, thereby terminating the line of human Gurus. Installed as the Guru Granth Sahib, it is now the central holy scripture of Sikhism, and the eternal living Guru of all Sikhs. It is central to Sikh worship as it is said to imbibe the one light of the creator manifested in the Ten Sikh Gurus‐one spirit in ten forms.

The Gurdwara Guru Nanak Darbar is the gurdwara of Dublin, Ireland. It has two main halls, Divan Hall and Langar Hall. Divan Hall is the main hall where the holy Guru Granth Sahib is kept. It is located on the site of the old Oscar Cinema in Ballsbridge, Dublin 4 which the Irish Sikh community purchased in 1987.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Banda Singh Bahadur</span> Sikh warrior and general

Banda Singh Bahadur; born Lachman Dev;, was a Sikh warrior and a general of the Khalsa Army. At age 15, he left home to become an ascetic, and was given the name Madho Das Bairagi. He established a monastery at Nānded, on the bank of the river Godāvarī. In 1707, Guru Gobind Singh accepted an invitation to meet Mughal Emperor Bahadur Shah I in southern India, he visited Banda Singh Bahadur in 1708. Banda became disciple of Guru Gobind Singh and was given a new name, Gurbaksh Singh(as written in Mahan Kosh), after the baptism ceremony. He is popularly known as Banda Singh Bahadur. He was given five arrows by the Guru as a blessing for the battles ahead. He came to Khanda, Sonipat and assembled a fighting force and led the struggle against the Mughal Empire.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Binod Singh</span> Sikh warrior

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Khalsa bole is a bravado-based language variety developed and spoken by members of the Akali-Nihang sect of Sikhism. It has also been described as a coded language. Sant Singh Sekhon describes the lect as a "grandiloquent patois" that "comprises euphemisms and jargon symbolic of high-spirited confidence and courage".

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References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Singh, R. (Jun 26, 2021). "8: Mata's Call and Sacred Slogans (Jaikara)". In Chauhan, Abha (ed.). Understanding Culture and Society in India: A Study of Sufis, Saints and Deities in Jammu Region. Springer Nature. pp. 165–166. ISBN   9789811615986.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Lum, Kathryn (Mar 9, 2016). "8: Caste, Religion, and Community Assertion: A Case Study of the Ravidasias in Spain". Young Sikhs in a Global World: Negotiating Traditions, Identities and Authorities. Knut A. Jacobsen, Kristina Myrvold. Routledge. p. 187. ISBN   9781134790883.
  3. 1 2 3 Singh, Jagraj (2009). A Complete Guide to Sikhism. Unistar Books. p. 74. ISBN   9788171427543.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 Fenech, Louis E.; Singh, Pashaura (Feb 1, 2012). "Vows in the Sikh Tradition". In Raj, Selva J.; Harman, William P. (eds.). Dealing with Deities: The Ritual Vow in South Asia. State University of New York Press. pp. 206–207. ISBN   9780791482001.
  5. 1 2 3 Bassi, Tripti (Jul 1, 2021). "8: Gurmat: Religious Pedagogy and Socialization". A Study of the Sikh Kanya Mahavidyalaya: Education, Religion and Gender Issues. Springer Nature. p. 144. ISBN   9789811632198.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 Dilgeer, Harjinder Singh (1997). The Sikh Reference Book (1st ed.). The Sikh Educational Trust. pp. 42, 52. ISBN   9780969596424.
  7. 1 2 "Bandai Sikhs". Division of Religion and Philosophy - University of Cumbria (www.philtar.ac.uk). Retrieved 2023-03-30. Some Bandai Sikhs believed Banda to be the eleventh Guru. ... His followers were known as Bandai Sikhs. Some sources indicate that an argument arose within the Panth between Bandai Sikhs and Mata Sundari (Gobind's widow who represented the Tat Khalsa), implying that Banda wanted to introduce a new slogan 'Fateh Darshan' (victory to the Presence), change the Khalsa's blue clothing for red and an insistence on vegetarianism.
  8. 1 2 Singh Madra, Amandeep (2016). Sicques, Tigers or Thieves : Eyewitness Accounts of the Sikhs (1606-1810). P. Singh. New York: Palgrave Macmillan. p. 11. ISBN   978-1-137-11998-8. OCLC   1083462581. Banda Bahadur clearly riled the Mughal authorities with his peasant revolution but he also antagonized large numbers of the Khalsa. He was accused, in his own lifetime, of creating a schism within the united Khalsa by his innovations of the accepted doctrine. To some, this was too much and they vigorously fought against him. One of these innovations was the adoption of the war cry "Fateh Darshan." This literally translates as "bear witness to the victory," an enormously haughty statement especially given that Guru Gobind Singh claimed "Vahiguru ji ki Fateh" (lit. "Victory belongs to the creator"). Not unsurprisingly, this change caused great agitation amongst the Khalsa. Wendel in his writings incorrectly, but consistently, refers to Banda Bahadur as Fateh Darshan or "Fate-dersan."
  9. ↑ "ਆਕੀ - Meaning in English - ਆਕੀ Translation in English".
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