Photo © [S. Khalsa]
A young Sikh woman offers ardas. To one side a woman holds the kirpan which will touch the prashad as it is blessed.
"Bandhan kaatt mukath jan bhaeiaa ||
The bonds of His humble servant are cut away, and he is liberated." (Guru Arjan Dev) SGGS ||289
Blessing and distributing prashad is an intricate ceremonial part of a complete Sikh worship service. Prashad is sanctified during ardas, a prayer of petition. Ardas has many parts and is most often recited in Panjabi. If offered in English, the part of the prayer asking a blessing for the prashad may go something like this:
Please bless and sanctify this offering. Impart to those who partake of it thy sweetness and strength so that our character and comportment reflect these qualities. Like steel of the kirpan cuts easily through this karah prashad please sever the bonds which entrap us in ego.
By: Sukhmandir Khalsa
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