Sikh Funeral Hymns, Prayers, and Verses

Sikhism Funeral Verses of Consolation

A Sikh funeral ceremony offers solace and consolation to the bereaved by encouraging the singing or reciting of hymns whose comforting words describe the blending of the soul with the divine using examples found in nature. These hymns are from the Guru Granth Sahib.

Finding Peace: "Jeevan Maran Sukh Ho-e"

Saying Good Bye to a Loved One
Saying Good Bye to a Loved One. Photo © [Jasleen Kaur]

This hymn is from the scripture of the Guru Granth Sahib and is composition by Guru Raam Das, the fourth spiritual master of the Sikhs. It is a reminder that death is ordained for everyone from the time of birth, advising that a profitable life is one lived in remembrance of the divine, and that peace attained by such practice goes with one into the hereafter.

Merging with Divine Light: "Jot Milee Sang Jot"

Ray of Illuminating Light
Ray of Illuminating Light. Photo © [Jasleen Kaur]

This composition by Guru Arjan Dev, the fifth spiritual master of Sikhism, speaks of the light of the soul merging with the light of infinite divine offering consolation to the bereaved upon a loved one’s departure from the earthly realm.

Likening Sunlight to Divine Light: "Sooraj Kiran Milae"

Ray of Setting Sun Reflected in the Sea
Ray of Setting Sun Reflected in the Sea. Photo © [S Khalsa]

This composition of Guru Arjan Dev, the fifth spiritual master of Sikhism, likens the relationship of divine light and the light of the individual soul to that of the sun and the ray of a sunbeam.

Immersion in the Divine: "Oudhak Samund Salal Kee"

Ripples Absorbing Fading Light
Ripples Absorbing Fading Light. Photo © [Jasleen Kaur]

In this hymn the author, Kabir, likens the relationship of the soul with the divine to the individual drops of water in the sea and the to the ripples of a stream. Just as the spray of seafoam is an integral part of a wave and current is part of a rippling river, the soul is an inseparable part of the divine.

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Khalsa, Sukhmandir. "Sikh Funeral Hymns, Prayers, and Verses." Learn Religions, Aug. 26, 2020, learnreligions.com/sikh-funeral-hymns-prayers-and-verses-2993470. Khalsa, Sukhmandir. (2020, August 26). Sikh Funeral Hymns, Prayers, and Verses. Retrieved from https://www.learnreligions.com/sikh-funeral-hymns-prayers-and-verses-2993470 Khalsa, Sukhmandir. "Sikh Funeral Hymns, Prayers, and Verses." Learn Religions. https://www.learnreligions.com/sikh-funeral-hymns-prayers-and-verses-2993470 (accessed March 19, 2024).