ਦੇਗ ਮਰਯਾਦਾ // Degh Maryada

Degh Maryada

Author: Bhai Balpreet Singh Jee (Toronto)

Date: 07/05/2003

*Note - This article has been edited in the manner of Grammar and spelling of some words by California Sevadaars.

Lately I've been asked about the proper Maryada for Degh/Maha-Parshaad/Karah Parshaad. The Seva of Degh is usually given to Singhs who have a strong Bibek and their prepared food is acceptable to all Singhs.

First the Singhs preparing Degh must do full [body Kesi] Ishnaan and wear fresh clothes. No Pajami should be worn when preparing Degh. The KaRas must be scrubbed clean as well as the Kirpaan. Then the area in which Degh is to be prepared must be thoroughly cleaned. All utensils to prepare Degh must be of only Sarbloh and not have any kind of rust on them. The Sarbloh utensils should "shine like silver". The area in which Degh is prepared should be aside and not open to the public eyes or traffic. Preferably the whole area should be open to the Degh Sevadaars alone.

I won't go into the recipe for Degh, but when preparing Degh, the Singhs should keep their mouths and noses covered and recite either GurbaaNee or Gurmantar.

When Degh is ready, if possible, it should be transferred to a Sarbloh BaTa and then covered with a thin white cloth and taken into Sangat, where a cleaned table/khaRaunchee is present. If there is too much Degh for it to fit in any baTa, i.e. at a big Smaagam, it should be carried into Sangat in the kaRaahee it was prepared in, still covered in white cloth. In some places Degh is carried in buckets into the Divaan which is wrong.

The Singhs who prepared the Degh should themselves sit at Pehraa of the Degh or appoint another Tyaar-Bar-Tyaar Khalsa to do so. The Degh should be cooled, if at all possible, before bringing it into Sangat. It's not desirable to openly cool it in Sangat.

When it is time for Ardaas and Bhog, the Kirpaan which has been scrubbed should again be rinsed in water and dried. Bhog can then be done after Ardaas has been done for it.

When it is time to distribute the Degh, these Sevadaars should also be Tyaar-Bar-Tyaar Khalsas with strong Bibek. They too should not wear Pajamis. The first 5 servings go to the first 5 Khalsa in Sangat, then a BaTa is set aside for the Granthi once she/he is done with their duties.

All BaTas used for distributing should be only Sarbloh and covered with white cloth. The Sevadaars should also cover their nose and mouth when doing this Seva. The Sevadaars should distribute all the Degh and then take whatever is left over, but it should not be more than the servings given to the Sangat, although in such a circumstance as a lot of Sangat, it can be less.

This is the Khalsa Maryada for Degh, and in the words of Bhai Sahib Randhir Singh Jee in "Jhatkaa Maas Parthai..." "Getting it would be a good thing! What more consecrated food than Mahaaparsaad then? Mahaaparsaad is the real consecrated food. Being a Sikh, what else could one consume?"