Kuthha

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It is said that when Guru Gobind Singh first initialled the five Sikhs (Khalsa) in 1699 he mentioned the four Kurehta (the four prohibitions) to them after they had taken Amrit (baptism ceremony with water) at Vaisakhi 1699. The Guru asked the five Panj Piare (beloved of the Guru) to refrain from the four Kurehtas; namely,

  • 1. Cutting or trimming of hair or Kesh,
  • 2. Fornication or adultery,
  • 3. Halal meat or flesh of animal slaughtered in a slow and painful manner, (some say all meat is banned - the Guru is believed to have used the word - "Kuthha")
  • 4. Use of tobacco and intoxication drug.

The meaning of the Punjabi word ਕ੝ਠਾ "Kutha"

View 1. Kutha mean meat prepared after very slow, deliberate & prolonged slaughtering of an animal in ritualistic Islamic religious tradition. Almost All over India it is locally termed as "Halal".


View 2. Etymologically, the word ‘Kuthha’ (killed) is a past participle which has been derived from the root ‘Kohna’ which means to slay or kill. This word does not mean to slay slowly or according to the Muslim method. In fact, this word has never been used in the Muslim litera-ture or in their general language to refer to meat obtained by killing animals with any sharp weapon irrespective of whether any holy hymns are read at that time or not.

In Gurbani the word ‘Kuthha’ as well as ‘Kohna’ have been used at a number of places in this sense:

"The sinner will certainly be ruined or de-stroyed. (Guru Granth Sahib Ji, p.109)

The angel of death will seize and kill them." "He (Pandit) recites the Vedas very sweetly, but he does not hesitate to kill life." (Guru Granth Sahib Ji, p.201)

In the above two quotes the word ‘Kuhat’ and refer to killing via the Halal way. ‘Kuthhey’ simply means to kill and does not


Below are three Shabads in Gurbani which have the word "Kutha" in them:


Shabad 1:

SGGS Page 321 Full Shabad
ਇਕ੝ ਨਿਰੰਜਨ੝ ਰਵਿ ਰਹਿਆ ਭਾਉ ਦ੝ਯਾ ਕ੝ਠਾ ॥

ik niranjan rav rahi-aa bhaa-o duyaa kuthaa.
The One Immaculate Lord is pervading everywhere; He destroys the love of duality.

ਹਰਿ ਨਾਨਕ੝ ਮੰਗੈ ਜੋੜਿ ਕਰ ਪ੝ਰਭ੝ ਦੇਵੈ ਤ੝ਠਾ ॥13॥
har naanak mangai jorh kar parabh dayvai tuthaa.
Nanak begs for the Lord`s Name, with his palms pressed together; by His Pleasure, God has granted it. ((13))

This Shabad appears not to refer to any type of meat?

  • Word by Word breakdown
  • ik means "one", numeral "1"
  • niranjan means "Immaculate and Pure"
  • rav from Rami*1 means "wander, roam, dwell, enjoy, take delight in, contemplate, adore"
  • rahi-aa from rahi ( ਰਿਹ ) means "remain, fix, support, last, continue, restrain"
  • bhaa-o from sk Bhava *1 means "love" "
  • duyaa *1 means "second", "the other"


Shabad 2:

SGGS Page 472 Full Shabad
ਅਭਾਖਿਆ ਕਾ ਕ੝ਠਾ ਬਕਰਾ ਖਾਣਾ ॥

abhaakhi-aa kaa kuthaa bakraa khaanaa.
They eat the forbidden "Kuthaa" sheep

Here the word "kuthaa" is in relation to meat of sheep/goat

  • Word by Word breakdown
  • Abhaakhi means according to Reference 1 below: 1. (from Sanskrit Abhaksha) "uneatable" 2. (from Sanskrit A+Bhasha) bad language, language not to be uttered. Also Abhakkhu ( ਅਭਖ੝ ) (from Sk. Abhaksha) uneatable, forbidden food.
  • Kaa means "of"
  • bakraa mean "sheep", bakree means "goat"
  • khaanaa mean "to eat"; "is eaten"


Shabad 3:

SGGS Page 956 Full Shabad
ਤਿਸ ਦਾ ਕ੝ਠਾ ਹੋਵੈ ਸੇਖ੝ ॥

tis daa kuthaa hovai saykh
If the Shaykh is killed with that,

ਲੋਹੂ ਲਬ੝ ਨਿਕਥਾ ਵੇਖ੝ ॥
lohoo lab nikthaa vaykh.
then the blood of greed will spill out.

Here the word "kutha" is in relation to "Sheikh"


  • Word by Word breakdown
  • tis means "their, his, her. its"
  • daa means "of", "belonging to",
  • hovai means "becomes", "is", "happens"
  • saykh from sakh ( ਸੇਖ ) means *1 Shaikh, a Muslim religious leader

Other Angles

Dictionary of Guru Granth Sahib

1. In Dictionary of Guru Granth Sahib by Surinder Singh Kohli on page 205 is the following entry:

Kutha: (ਕ੝ਠਾ) adj (from P(unjabi) Kohana) Slaughtered.


From Punjabi-English English-Punjabi Dictionary by Krishan Kumar Goswani Page 91


Kohnaa ( ਕੋਹਣਾ ) v To torture, to slay, to kill

Similar Words in SGGS

1. The word ਕ੝ਠਾਰ੝ "Kuthaar"

a). SGGS page 693:

SGGS Page 693 Full Shabad
ਬਜਰ ਕ੝ਠਾਰ੝ ਮੋਹਿ ਹੈ ਛੀਨਾਂ ਕਰਿ ਮਿੰਨਤਿ ਲਗਿ ਪਾਵਉ ॥

bajar kuthaar mohi hai chheenaaN kar minat lag paava-o.
I fell at the Guru's feet and begged of Him; with the mighty axe, I have chopped off emotional attachment.

Here word "Kuthaar" appears to mean "Axe"

b). SGGS page 714

SGGS Page 714 Full Shabad
ਕਾਢਿ ਕ੝ਠਾਰ੝ ਪਿਤ ਬਾਤ ਹੰਤਾ ਅਉਖਧ੝ ਹਰਿ ਕੋ ਨਾਉ ॥1॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥

kaadh kuthaar pit baat hantaa a-ukhaDh har ko naa-o. ((1)) rahaa-o.
The Name of the Lord is the medicine; it is like an axe, which destroys the diseases caused by anger and egotism. ((1)(Pause))

Again the word "Kuthaar" appears to mean "Axe"

Also see SGGS pages 825: The Lord and Master raised His axe, and chopped off his head; in an instant, he was reduced to dust. ||1||

and SGGS page 1389: Parasraam the son of Jamdagan, whose axe and powers were taken away by Raghuvira, sing of Him.


2. The word ਕ੝ਠਾਰਿ "kuthaar"


SGGS Page 1225 Full Shabad
ਹਰਿ ਕਾਟੀ ਕ੝ਟਿਲਤਾ ਕ੝ਠਾਰਿ ॥

har kaatee kutiltaa kuthaar.
The Lord has cut down the crooked tree of my deceit.


3. The Word ਕ੝ਠੇ ॥ "kuthay"

SGGS Page 1019 Full Shabad
ਅਜਰਾਈਲਿ ਫੜੇ ਫੜਿ ਕ੝ਠੇ ॥

ajraa-eel farhay farh kuthay.
Azraa-eel, the Angel of Death, seizes and tortures them.


See main article Vegetarianism

External Links

WARNING: - Some external links have disturbing pictures of animal slaughter - Not suitable for young children.


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References

1. Dictionary of Guru Granth Sahib by Surinder Singh Kohli ISBN 81-7205-174-3

2. Punjabi-English English-Punjabi Dictionary by Krishan Kumar Goswani ISBN 81-7476-247-7