Gurmat Articles

Pronunciation Rules for Kanna-Ending Plural Nouns

In Gurbani, some nouns that normally do not end with a kanna (ਾ) may appear with one for poetic, rhyming, or meter reasons. The pronunciation of such nouns, particularly whether they should be pronounced with or without a nasal sound, follows specific rules. It requires an understanding of Sambandhak. so,

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Pronounciation rules of ਜਾ and ਤਾ

The words ਜਾ and ਤਾ are often mispronounced due to a lack of understanding of Gurbani Viyakaran (grammar). Some Gursikhs always pronounce them without a nasal sound on Kanna, while others always pronounce them with a nasal sound. However, the correct pronunciation depends on the context in which these words are used. The Rule of

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Rule of Sandhi (Word Joining)

The Sandhi rule dictates that when the first letter of a word is written as a prefix, it should be pronounced with a slight pause before merging with the remaining letters. Similarly, if a letter at the end of a word is written as a suffix,

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Can Reciting Naam for Personal Needs Be Wrong?

Below is a humble translation from extracts of Bhai Sahib Randhir Singh jee’s book – Gurmat Naam Abhyaas Kamaayee. It’s taken from pages 49-51 or so (edition 1999). Here Bhai Sahib is explaining that even if Naam abhyaas is done for a worldly reason in the

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The reality of this World

ਉਦਿਆਨ ਬਸਨੰ ਸੰਸਾਰੰ ਸਨਬੰਧੀ ਸ੍ਵਾਨ ਸਿਆਲ ਖਰਹ ॥ ਬਿਖਮ ਸਥਾਨ ਮਨ ਮੋਹ ਮਦਿਰੰ ਮਹਾਂ ਅਸਾਧ ਪੰਚ ਤਸਕਰਹ ॥ ਹੀਤ ਮੋਹ ਭੈ ਭਰਮ ਭ੍ਰਮਣੰ ਅਹੰ ਫਾਂਸ ਤੀਖੵਣ ਕਠਿਨਹ ॥ ਪਾਵਕ ਤੋਅ ਅਸਾਧ ਘੋਰੰ ਅਗਮ ਤੀਰ ਨਹ ਲੰਘਨਹ ॥ ਭਜੁ ਸਾਧਸੰਗਿ ਗੋੁਪਾਲ ਨਾਨਕ ਹਰਿ ਚਰਣ ਸਰਣ ਉਧਰਣ ਕ੍ਰਿਪਾ

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The Power of Naam Abhyaas in Gurmat

Below is a translation of a small extract from Bhai Sahib Randhir Singh Ji’s writing that sheds light on Naam Abhyaas: The rasna (tongue) of Punj Pyare with Naam Kamaayee (one’s who have earnings of Naam) is the rasna of Guru Sahib. Hearing the Naam Gurmantra

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Usage of Sihari with Nouns in Gurbani

In Gurbani, a rule is followed where the Sihari (ਿ ) used with the last letter of a noun when acting as a case marker is not pronunced. To clarify this rule, consider the following examples in Gurbani: ਰੇ ਮਨ ਐਸੀ ਹਰਿ ਸਿਉ ਪ੍ਰੀਤਿ ਕਰਿ ਜੈਸੀ ਜਲ ਕਮਲੇਹਿ ॥ (Ang: 59)

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The Use of ‘ਹ’ as a Vowel Sound in Gurbani

The Rule of Pronouncing ‘ਹ’ as a Vowel SoundIf a word ends with the letter ‘ਹ’ and it needs to be pronounced like a hora, then another ‘ਹ’ is added at the end, and an aunkad is placed with it. The final ‘ਹ’ with an aunkad

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Can Sikhs consume bhang (Cannabis)?

‘Bhang’ or ‘Sukhnidhaan,’ a form of marijuana (cannabis), is widely used by many Nihangs today. Its consumption is often justified by citing various tales and stories, claiming them to be ‘early traditions.’ However, our Guru is eternal and always with us. Why rely on stories and

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Grammar Rule For Words with Two Matras

In Gurbani, precise pronunciation plays a vital role in preserving both meaning and poetic structure. Some words contain both aunkad (ਔਂਕੜ) and hora (ਹੋੜਾ), where one matra represents the original form of the word, while the other is added to maintain the metrical weight (ਕਾਵਿ ਤੋਲ)

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