Guru Granth Sahib on hair
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 Kesva
God is referred to as "Kesva" ( ਕੇਸਵ ) - "having long hair"
1. In this Shabad, God is referred to as having hair which is "Wondrous and Beautiful":
| ਨਿਰਹਾਰੀ ਕੇਸਵ ਨਿਰਵੈਰਾ ॥ |
| Nirhĝrī kėsav nirvairĝ. |
| He does not need to eat; His Hair is Wondrous and Beautiful; He is free of hate. |
2. In this Shabad, God is referred to as "the beautifully-haired Lord":
| ਸਗਲ ਪਦਾਰਥ ਅਸਟ ਸਿਧਿ ਨਾਮ ਮਹਾ ਰਸ ਮਾਹਿ ॥ ਸਪਰਸੰਨ ਭਝ ਕੇਸਵਾ ਸੇ ਜਨ ਹਰਿ ਗਣ ਗਾਹਿ ॥੪॥ |
| Sagal paḝĝrath asat siḝẖ nĝm mahĝ ras mĝhi. Suparsan bẖaė kėsvĝ sė jan har guṇ gĝhi.(4) |
| All wealth, and the eight miraculous spiritual powers are in the supremely sublime essence of the Naam, the Name of the Lord. Those humble beings, with whom the beautifully-haired Lord is thoroughly pleased, sing the Glorious Praises of the Lord.(4) |
3. In this Shabad, God is referred to as having "long hair"
| ਤੇਰੇ ਬੰਕੇ ਲੋਇਣ ਦੰਤ ਰੀਸਾਲਾ ॥ ਸੋਹਣੇ ਨਕ ਜਿਨ ਲੰਮੜੇ ਵਾਲਾ ॥ |
| Ŧėrė bankė loiṇ ḝanṯ rīsĝlĝ. Sohṇė nak jin lammṛė vĝlĝ. |
| Your eyes are so beautiful, and Your teeth are delightful. Your nose is so graceful, and Your hair is so long. |
With my Hair, I wash, fan, dust...
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 ॥ ਮਸਤਕ ਅਪਨਾ ਭੇਟ ਦੇਉ ਗਨ ਸਨਉ ਰਸਾਲ ॥੧॥ |
| Tahal karao ṯėrė ḝĝs kī pag jẖĝrao bĝl. Masṯak apnĝ bẖėt ḝėo gun suno rasĝl.(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) |
2. Using the hair to make a fan and wave over the Saint:
| ਕੇਸਾ ਕਾ ਕਰਿ ਬੀਜਨਾ ਸੰਤ ਚਉਰ ਢਲਾਵਉ ॥ ਸੀਸ ਨਿਹਾਰਉ ਚਰਣ ਤਲਿ ਧੂਰਿ ਮਖਿ ਲਾਵਉ ॥੧॥ |
| Kėsĝ kĝ kar bījnĝ sanṯ cẖaur dẖulĝvao. Sīs nihĝrao cẖaraṇ ṯal ḝẖūr mukẖ lĝvao.(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) |
3. Using the hair to dust the feet of the Guru's feet:
| ਮੇਰਾ ਮਨ ਸਾਧੂ ਧੂਰਿ ਰਵਾਲ ॥ ਹਰਿ ਹਰਿ ਨਾਮ ਦਰਿੜਾਇਓ ਗਰਿ ਮੀਠਾ ਗਰ ਪਗ ਝਾਰਹ ਹਮ ਬਾਲ ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥ |
| Mėrĝ man sĝḝẖū ḝẖūr ravĝl. Har har nĝm ḝariṛĝio gur mīṯẖĝ gur pag jẖĝrah ham bĝl. (1)rahĝo. |
| 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) |
Other Shabads
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 ਸਦਿਅਹ ਹਰਿ ਹਰਿ ਕਥਾ ਪੜਹਿ ਪਰਾਣ ਜੀਉ ॥ |
| Kėso gopĝl pandiṯ saḝiahu har har kathĝ paṛeh purĝṇ jīo. |
| Call in the long-haired scholarly Saints of the Lord, to read the sermon of the Lord, Har, Har. |
2. In this shabad, the Guru tells us on page 941 that the Gurmukh (Guru oriented person) "meditates on the Lord with every hair" on his or her body.
| ਗਰਮਖਿ ਪਵਿਤਰ ਪਰਮ ਪਦ ਪਾਵੈ ॥ ਗਰਮਖਿ ਰੋਮਿ ਰੋਮਿ ਹਰਿ ਧਿਆਵੈ ॥ ਨਾਨਕ ਗਰਮਖਿ ਸਾਚਿ ਸਮਾਵੈ ॥੨੭॥ |
| Gurmukẖ paviṯar param paḝ pĝvai. Gurmukẖ rom rom har ḝẖiĝvai. Nĝnak gurmukẖ sĝcẖ samĝvai.(27) |
| The Gurmukh attains the supreme, sanctified status. The Gurmukh meditates on the Lord with every hair of his body. |
3. 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"
| ਅੰਦਰ ਵਿਧਾ ਸਚਿ ਨਾਇ ਬਾਹਰਿ ਭੀ ਸਚ ਡਿਠੋਮਿ ॥ ਨਾਨਕ ਰਵਿਆ ਹਭ ਥਾਇ ਵਣਿ ਤਰਿਣਿ ਤਰਿਭਵਣਿ ਰੋਮਿ ॥੨॥ |
| Anḝar viḝẖĝ sacẖ nĝė bĝhar bẖī sacẖ diṯẖom. Nĝnak raviĝ habẖ thĝė 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) |
