ਸਰਧਾ (sardhaa)
Meaning: noun: Faith, trust.
Quote:
ਤਹਾ ਬੈਕੁੰਠੁ ਜਹ ਕੀਰਤਨੁ ਤੇਰਾ ਤੂੰ ਆਪੇ ਸਰਧਾ ਲਾਇਹਿ॥
tahaa baikuňṭh jah keertan teraa tooň aape sardhaa laai-hi.
(O Divine!) Heaven is there where Your praises are sung; however You Yourself instill such faith into beings. – Guru Arjan Sahib, Guru Granth Sahib, 749
Message: In the verse above, Guru Arjan Sahib states that, heaven is a place where there is faith, devotion and the singing of divine praises, i.e. appreciating and emulating the qualities of the Divine.
How does one define faith? It is the strong belief in the doctrines of a religion based on spiritual conviction rather than proof. It is trusting in something one cannot explicitly prove.
Where does faith come from? It is a gift from the Divine. Those who believe in the Creator and earnestly seek spiritual knowledge, find themselves having faith in the wisdom of the Creator.
From this starting point, devotion strengthens this faith through singing and listening to divine virtues in the form of kirtan. Where such kirtan is sung, the place is transformed into a heaven.
Heaven is therefore right here within our midst, if we choose to make our surroundings as such.
ਤਹ ਬੈਕੁੰਠੁ ਜਹ ਨਾਮੁ ਉਚਰਹਿ॥
Heaven is there where the Name of the Divine is recited. – Guru Arjan Sahib, Guru Granth Sahib, 890
ਸਰਬ ਬੈਕੁੰਠ ਮੁਕਤਿ ਮੋਖ ਪਾਏ॥ ਏਕ ਨਿਮਖ ਹਰਿ ਕੇ ਗੁਨ ਗਾਏ॥
One, who sings the attributes of the Divine even for an instant, i.e. imbibes divine qualities, obtains all heavens, liberation and deliverance. – Guru Arjan Sahib, Guru Granth Sahib, 290
Etymology: From Sanskrit shraddhaa (faith, reverence, devotion, veneration).
