Ardas

The word ‘ardas’ is derived from a Persian word ‘arzdasht’ which means a petition or an address to a superior authority. Our ardas is addressed to the Almighty God and to our eternal Guru, Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji. When we stand in front of Guru Granth Sahib with folded hands, individually or in a congregation, we are pleading for Gurus’s blessings and forgiveness for our shortcomings. Ardas is not written in Guru Granth Saheb. The format of Ardas has evolved over many years. After Bhagauti ki Vaar, the remaining wording of the current Ardas was decided by a joint body of Sikh Scholars in 1932-33 and was published by SGPC (Shiromini Gurdwara Prabhandak Committee – organization that manages the Sikh Gurdwaras).

TU THAAKUR TUM PEH ARDAAS, JEEO PIND SABH TERI RAAS
This shabad is from the fourth Ashtpadi (collection of eight stanzas) of Sukhmani Saheb is recited before starting the Ardas. In these verses, Guru Arjan Dev ji says that our body and soul, and everything we have, are blessings from God. We are His children. Therefore, we must relinquish our ego and plead to Him for our needs like a child pleads to his / her parents.
Ardas can be divided into three main parts. First part is vaar Siri Bhagauti Ji Ki, composed by Guru Gobind Singh ji., in which he invoked the almighty God and the first nine Gurus.

IK OANKAAR, WAHEGURU JI KI FATEH, SRI BHAGAUTI JI SAHAAE ………….. TEG BAHADUR SIMARIAE, GHAR NAU NIDH AAVAE DHAE, SABH THAAEE HOE SAHAAE

After the vaar, we invoke the tenth Guru and Guru Granth Saheb.
DASVEN PATSHAH, SIRI GURU GOBIND SINGH JI, SABH THAAEE HOE SAHAAE DASAAN PATSHAHIAAN DI JOT SIRI GURU GRANTH SAHEB JI DE PATH, DARSHAN DIDAAR DA THIAN DHAR KE BOLO JI WAHEGURU

PANJAAN PIAARYAAN, CHOHAAN SAHEBZADYAAN……………. PANJAAN TAKHTAAN, SARBAT GURUDWAARYAAN DA THIAAN DHAR KE BOLO JI WAHEGURU.

This part of Ardas essentially encapsulates the entire Sikh history, recounting the dedication and sacrifice by the Sikhs, and reflecting upon the memorable acts of the Sikh martyrs and heroes, who upheld their faith unto their last breath.

PRATHME SARBAT KHALSE JI KI ARDAAS HAE JI, SARBAT KHALSA JI KO WAHEGURU, WAHEGURU, WAHEGURU CHIT AAVE………………… SIKHAAN DA MAN NEEVAAN, MAT UCHI, MAT DA RAAKHA AAP WAHEGURU.
In this part of Ardas, we seek the gift of meditating on the Divine Name ‘Waheguru’, which brings peace and happiness. We seek Waheguruji’s blessings for the well being of the whole Khalsa Panth, and the gift of leading a disciplined life according to the Sikh Code of Conduct.

HE AKAAL PURAKH, AAPNE PANTH DE SADAA SAHAAEE DAATAAR JEEO, SIRI NANKAANA SAHEB TE HOR GURUDWAARIAAN GURDHAAMAAN DE, JINHAAN TO PANTH NU VICCHORIAA GAYAA HAE, KHULE DARSHAN DEEDAAR TE SEVA SAMBHAAL DA DAAN KHALSA JI NU BAKSHO………………….. NANAK NAAM CHARDI KALA, TERE BHAANE SARBAT KA BHALAA
In this part of Ardas, we pray to God to allow us free access to our holy Gurudwaras that remained in Pakistan after the partition of India in 1947. After this, specific wording is used to suit the occasion for the congregation (e.g. regular divan, birth, death, wedding etc.) and Waheguru ji’s blessing is sought for the fulfillment of the purpose for which the congregation was done. At the end, we prey for the well being of all, irrespective of their race or religion.

AAGYA BHAEE AKAAL KI, TABHI CHALAAEO PANTH
SABH SIKHAN KO HUKAM HAE, GURU MAANEO GRANTH
GURU GRANTH JI MAANEO, PARGAT GURAAN KI DEH
JO PRABH KO MILBO CHAHAE, KHOJ SHABAD ME LAE
RAJ KAREGA KHALSA, AAKI RAHE NA KOE
KHWAAR HOE SABH MILENGE, BACHE SHARAN JO HOE
BOLE SO NEHAAL, SAT SRI AKAL
WAHEGURU JI KA KHALSA, WAHEGURU JI KI FATEH
After the Ardas, the above couplets are recited which are not written in Guru Granth Sahib or the Dasam Granth. These are written in a document called “Tankhahnama”, written by a devout Sikh and a great poet named Bhai Nand Lal ji, and are believed to be questions by Bhai Nand Lal ji and answers by Guru Gobind Singh ji.

Source: Gurbani101