Throughout Sikh history there have been times of utter destitution and deprivation. Whether outnumbered on a battlefield, or enduring hungering stomachs and scarcity of food, when faced with overwhelming odds, Sikhs seem to draw on a deep reserve of strength and somehow prevail. Legend says that one Singh has the ability to stand up to 125,000 ordinary men.
Once while making roti for langar, I heard a story of how Singhs developed code words during times dire hardship. A group of Singhs had gathered after an arduous day with only a bowl of milk to share between them. They carefully divided it amongst themselves. After emptying his bowl of its few precious drops one Singh claimed that he had drained the "samundar". Licking his lips, to show his appreciation for his tasty meal, he bragged to the others who shared his predicament that his bursting belly felt like an overflowing "sarovar" after his having swallowed the entire ocean.
Not long after hearing this tale I happened to witness a Singh lift his bowl when another walked by with a jug of milk. He winked and requested a splash of the samundar (ocean) to be poured into his sarovar (reservoir).
Photo © [Courtesy Khalsa Panth]
A Little Singh Sipping Samundar Happily From His Sarovar.
What source of strength enables such endurance as displayed in this narrative? How can it be applied to our own lives? The answer is in contemplation of the divine, and the realization of creation and creator as one.
Kabir wrote:
"Oudak samund salal kee saakhi-aa nadee tarang sa-maa-veh-gae||
Like droplets of water are in ocean waves and ripples of a stream, I am immersed in the Lord." SGGS||1103
Sikh Hymns, Prayers and Blessings for All Occasions
Well said. I also came across many of such words that were coded by the Singhs during the hard times. Some of them I would like to quote here.
Actual name Coded name
Black grams Almonds
Onion Rehru Prasad
Previous day’s chapatti Sweet chapatti
these are only the main ones, and these are often used in the Gurudwaras even these days. I often hear them in the Gurudwara (specially the old historical Gurudwaras.
Thanks Navjeet. I appreciate seeing these. I heard so many of them at once it was hard to absorb. I had a very talkative partner while making Roti only his English and my Panjabi made the conversation a bit difficult to understand LOL. I’m guessing the Singhs had been telling tales that he tried to share with me, because there was a fair amount of talk right around that time from other sources in the same circle. The only other one which stuck in my mind was the grams/badam (Almonds). Now that would make an interesting naam ladoo
WJKK WJKF Sukhmandir Kaur,
I really appreciate your writing and am so happy that there is such a newsletter I have been looking for a long time.
Thanks for the wonderful information and things you share with us.
May Waheguru bless your work!
Guru Fateh
Thank you so much for your kind words and encourgement. It really means alot! I really appreciate hearing from you.
What I always admire in Sikhi is the prevailing sense of humor and understatement of the obivious. Remember pleasure is the disease and pain the cure. (sounds like a ad for a cruise to hell for masochist voyagers)(may be that’s too funny) Whae Guru.
It reminds me of one summer I spent in Selma during camp. Outside the temperature read 105. Inside the langar kitchen the cooking had to be done over huge gas burners. I thought to mayself I better get busy and do seva. I wouldn’t want to end up anywhere hotter than this permanently