Fighting for Faith and Nation: Dialogues with Sikh Militants

Glossary

GLOSSARY akal Eternal, as in Akal Tahkt, "eternal throne," Akali Dal, "eternal army," Akal Purukh, "eternal being" (God), Sat Sri Akal, "truth is eternal" (a Sikh greeting). akhand Continuous, as in Akhand Kirtni Jatha, the organization dedicated to continuous hymn-singing; Akhand Path, the continuous reading of scriptures. amrit Nectar, as the sanctified sweet water imbibed during initiation into the Khalsa; forms the etymological root of Amritsar. amritdhari One who has taken amrit, i.e., has been initiated into the Khalsa. bhai Brother, used as a title of scripture readers. bhakti Spiritual power. bhangra A Punjabi folk dance. bhog Properly, Bhog Akhand Path, the uninterrupted reading of Guru Granth Sahib. chardhi kala Rising spirits, a mood of optimism and energy. dal Army or party, as in Akali Dal or Dal Khalsa. deg Large kettle in which food is served ("Deg Tegh Fateh," KettleSword -Victory). dharm Moral law or righteousness, as in Dharm Yudh, "righteous war." ek oankar One God. fateh Victory. ghallughara Holocaust. granthi Scripture reader. gurubani The Guru's songs, i.e., scriptures. gurudwara Sikh place of worship (lit., "gateway to the Guru"). gurumatta The Guru's wishes;a decision taken in the presence of Guru Granth Sahib by five beloved ones. gurmuhki Punjabi script (lit., "Guru's letters"). gursikh A true Sikh. gurumukh A Guru-facing person, i.e., highly devout. hukmnama A decree issued by the Akal Takht; letter of Sikh Gurus addressed to the congregation. janamsakhis Biographical accounts of the life of Guru Nanak. jat A caste group central to the development of Sikhism, primarily agriculturalists. jatha Brigade or task group. jathedar The caretaker or administrator of one of the five "thrones"; a head of a group, also used as a title in the Babbar Khalsa. jhujaru Fighter, militant. kachera Breeches worn by Khalsa Sikhs (one of the five K's). kanga Comb carried by Khalsa Sikhs (one of the five K's). kara Wristband (one of the five K's). kaur Princess; name of all Khalsa Sikh women. kesh Hair (one of the five K's). khalsa Pure; the Khalsa, the siblinghood of devotees. khanda Double-edged sword. kirpan Sword or dagger (one of the five K's). kirtan Hymns. langar Community kitchen, attached to every gurudwara. lathi Stick used by police. miri Temporal power, as in miri-piri, the joining of temporal and spiritual power. misl Administrative unit with its own militia. morcha Protest or agitation. nam simran Repetition of the divine name, a form of meditative prayer. niranhar Formless (i.e., to express the formlessness of God). panj piaras Five beloved ones; the first five men initiated into the Khalsa and any group of five amritdharis who come together to take a decision. panth The whole Sikhcommunity. parikrama Circumambulation; especially, the tiled pavement at the Gol294 GLOSSARY den Temple Complex, around which one walks to circumambulate the shrine. patka Underturban. piri Spiritual power, as in miri-^piri, thejoining of temporal and spiritual power. prashad Consecrated food distributed at gurudwaras. Punjabiyat Punjabi culture, Punjabi nation. pyjama-kurta Male indigenous dress in Punjab. qaum Nation. rahit Code of behavior. raj Rule, as in "Raj Karega Khalsa," the Khalsa Shall Rule. rashtra Nation, as in "Hindu Rashtra." salwar kameez Female indigenous dress in Punjab. sanatan From time immemorial. sant Saint or holy person. sant-sipahi Saint-soldier. saskar Cremation. shaheed Martyr. shakti Temporal power. shastradhari Bearer of weapons. shuddhi Purification. sikhi Sikhdom, the Sikh way. singh Lion; name of all male KhalsaSikhs. takht Throne, as in Akal Takht. taksal Place where coins are minted; used in name of seminaries, e.g., Damdami Taksal. tankhaya Declaration by the Akal Takht that someone is guilty of a religious offense (can lead to excommunication or performance of penances). tegh Sword; "Deg Tegh Fateh," Kettle-Sword-Victory. waheguru Great Guru, God. wanggar Challenge. yar Friend. zaffarnama "Letter of Victory" sent by Guru Gobind Singh to Emperor Aurangzeb. zindabad A cheer, as in "Khalistan Zindabad," Long Live Khalistan. zulm Oppression. GLOSSARY 295 This page intentionally left blank ...