Contents 1 God is Kesva 2 With my Hair, I wash, fan, dust... 3 Other Shabads 4 See also

For a baptised or Amritdhari Sikh, it is mandatory to keep the hair or kesh uncut honouring and accepting the perfection of God's creation. This command was issued by the tenth master, Guru Gobind Singh at Vaisakhi 1699. A comb called a Kanga is also carried to keep the hair tidy, a symbol of not just accepting what God has given, but also an injunction to maintain it with grace.

There are various Shabads in the Sri Guru Granth Sahib which favour the keeping of hair.

God is KesvaEdit

1}kesva- literally meaning one having long hair, used as a compliment.

2} word used in Guru Granth Sahib at various instances to refer to God as beautiful and not to denote that God has long hair.

• Srigranth.org - List of Shabads with the punjabi "Kesav"

With my Hair, I wash, fan, dust...Edit

There are many Shabads in the Sri Guru Granth Sahib which refer to the Guru "Fanning", "washing" or "dusting" the feet of Saints, the "servants" of the Lord. To do these activities, one needs long hair as one cannot fan someone's feet with short trimmed hair (unless you use your head as a brush!)

1. Using the hair to wipe the feet of the Lord's slaves:

ਟਹਲ ਕਰਉ ਤੇਰੇ ਦਾਸ ਕੀ ਪਗ ਝਾਰਉ ਬਾਲ ॥ ਮਸਤਕੁ ਅਪਨਾ ਭੇਟ ਦੇਉ ਗੁਨ ਸੁਨਉ ਰਸਾਲ ॥੧॥

Tahal kara­o ṯėrė ḏās kī pag jẖāra­o bāl. Masṯak apnā bẖėt ḏė­o gun sun­o rasāl.(1)

I perform service for Your slave, O Lord, and wipe his feet with my hair. I offer my head to him, and listen to the Glorious Praises of the Lord, the source of bliss.(1) (SGGS p98)

• Srigranth.org - List of Shabads with "hair" and "wash"

2. Using the hair to make a fan and wave over the Saint:

ਕੇਸਾ ਕਾ ਕਰਿ ਬੀਜਨਾ ਸੰਤ ਚਉਰੁ ਢੁਲਾਵਉ ॥ ਸੀਸੁ ਨਿਹਾਰਉ ਚਰਣ ਤਲਿ ਧੂਰਿ ਮੁਖਿ ਲਾਵਉ ॥੧॥

Kėsā kā kar bījnā sanṯ cẖa­ur dẖulāva­o. Sīs nihāra­o cẖaraṇ ṯal ḏẖūr mukẖ lāva­o.(1)

I make my hair into a fan, and wave it over the Saint. I bow my head low, to touch his feet, and apply his dust to my face.(1) (SGGS p745)

• Srigranth.org - List of Shabads with "hair" and "fan"

3. Using the hair to dust the feet of the Guru's feet:

ਮੇਰਾ ਮਨੁ ਸਾਧੂ ਧੂਰਿ ਰਵਾਲ ॥ ਹਰਿ ਹਰਿ ਨਾਮੁ ਦ੍ਰਿੜਾਇਓ ਗੁਰਿ ਮੀਠਾ ਗੁਰ ਪਗ ਝਾਰਹ ਹਮ ਬਾਲ ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥

Mėrā man sāḏẖū ḏẖūr ravāl. Har har nām ḏariṛ­ā­i­o gur mīṯẖā gur pag jẖārah ham bāl. (1)rahā­o.

My mind is the dust of the feet of the Holy. The Guru has implanted the Sweet Name of the Lord, Har, Har, within me. I dust the Guru's Feet with my hair.(1)(Pause) (SGGS p1335)

• Srigranth.org - List of Shabads with "hair" and "dust"

Other ShabadsEdit

1. Here, on page 923, the Guru asks us to "Call in the long-haired scholarly Saints of the Lord" to read the holy sermon of the Lord.

ਕੇਸੋ ਗੋਪਾਲ ਪੰਡਿਤ ਸਦਿਅਹੁ ਹਰਿ ਹਰਿ ਕਥਾ ਪੜਹਿ ਪੁਰਾਣੁ ਜੀਉ ॥

Kėso gopāl pandiṯ saḏi­ahu har har kathā paṛeh purāṇ jī­o.

Call in the long-haired scholarly Saints of the Lord, to read the sermon of the Lord, Har, Har. (SGGS p923)

2. In this verse found on page 966 of Sri Guru Granth Sahib, the Guru tells us that God is found in "all places, the forests and the meadows, the three worlds, and every hair"

ਅੰਦਰੁ ਵਿਧਾ ਸਚਿ ਨਾਇ ਬਾਹਰਿ ਭੀ ਸਚੁ ਡਿਠੋਮਿ ॥ ਨਾਨਕ ਰਵਿਆ ਹਭ ਥਾਇ ਵਣਿ ਤ੍ਰਿਣਿ ਤ੍ਰਿਭਵਣਿ ਰੋਮਿ ॥੨॥

Anḏar viḏẖā sacẖ nā­ė bāhar bẖī sacẖ diṯẖom. Nānak ravi­ā habẖ thā­ė vaṇ ṯariṇ ṯaribẖavaṇ rom. (2)

The True Name has pierced the nucleus of my self deep within. Outside, I see the True Lord as well. O Nanak, He is pervading and permeating all places, the forests and the meadows, the three worlds, and every hair. (2) (SGGS p966)

See alsoEdit

• Hair
• Five ks
• Uncut Hair
• Human Hair
• Unshorn Hair
• Hair-The Gift From God