The laava phere (Punjabi: ਲਾਵਾਂ ਫੇਰੇ ; singular laav; ਲਾਵਾਂ), also known as Lavan', are the four

hymns A hymn is a type of song, and partially synonymous with devotional song, specifically written for the purpose of adoration or prayer, and typically addressed to a deity or deities, or to a prominent figure or personification. The word ''hymn'' ...

of the ''

Anand Karaj Anand Karaj () is the Sikh wedding ceremony, meaning "Act towards happiness" or "Act towards happy life", that was introduced by Guru Amar Das. The four ''laavaan'' (hymns which take place during the ceremony) were composed by his successor, Gur ...

'' (

Sikh Sikhs (singular Sikh: or ; , ) are an ethnoreligious group who adhere to Sikhism, a religion that originated in the late 15th century in the Punjab region of the Indian subcontinent, based on the revelation of Guru Nanak. The term ''Si ...

wedding A wedding is a ceremony in which two people are united in marriage. Wedding traditions and customs vary greatly between cultures, ethnicity, ethnicities, Race (human categorization), races, religions, Religious denomination, denominations, Cou ...

ceremony A ceremony (, ) is a unified ritualistic event with a purpose, usually consisting of a number of artistic components, performed on a special occasion. The word may be of Etruscan language, Etruscan origin, via the Latin . Religious and civil ...

) which form the main part of the wedding ceremony. The four hymns are from the

Guru Granth Sahib The Guru Granth Sahib (, ) is the central holy religious scripture of Sikhism, regarded by Sikhs as the final, sovereign and eternal Guru following the lineage of the ten human gurus of the religion. The Adi Granth (), its first rendition, w ...

, the Sikh holy scriptures and appear on Ang 773 to 774 of the total of 1430. The Laavaan Shabad was written by the Fourth Guru,

Guru Ram Das Guru Ram Das (Gurmukhi: ਗੁਰੂ ਰਾਮ ਦਾਸ, pronunciation: ; 24 September 1534 – 1 September 1581), sometimes spelled as Guru Ramdas, was the fourth of the ten Sikh gurus. He was born to a family based in Lahore, who ...

Guru Amar Das Ji Guru Amar Das (Gurmukhi: ਗੁਰੂ ਅਮਰ ਦਾਸ, pronunciation: ; 5 May 1479 – 1 September 1574), sometimes spelled as Guru Amardas, was the third of the Ten Gurus of Sikhism and became Sikh Guru on 26 March 1552 at age 73. Befo ...

explains in Ang 788 of the

Sri Guru Granth Sahib The Guru Granth Sahib (, ) is the central holy religious scripture of Sikhism, regarded by Sikhs as the final, sovereign and eternal Guru following the lineage of the ten human gurus of the religion. The Adi Granth (), its first rendition, w ...

the meaning of marriage to a Sikh couple: ''"They are not said to be husband and wife who merely sit together. Rather they alone are called husband and wife, who have one soul in two bodies."'' The four laava give the Sikh couple spiritual guidance for their life ahead. The Guru tells of the four spiritual stages of married life and how the couple as a team have to first begin by following the path of righteousness and sinless-ness. Secondly to only have fear of the Lord and remove the ego from within the souls; then to remember and sing the Lord's name with the holy congregation. Finally, the couple will find divine peace; come to accept the Will of the Lord and find unending happiness in the Lord.

Meanings

The main part of the

(Sikh Marriage Ceremony) is the reading and then the singing of each laav. While the laav is sung, the couple, joined by a piece of cloth, circle the

. When the couple circle the Guru Granth Sahib each time they are making a commitment to God with the Guru as their spiritual witness and support. The couple is reminded that the Guru should be the center of their lives ''. The

is the spiritual center and the Sadh Sangat is the worldly (temporal) witness and support. The four nuptial rounds were written by

for his own wedding. They explain the journey of the souls toward the Almighty. In them he tells us of the duties that a person undertaking a life of marriage should perform. In the first round, the Guru asks the partners to: * Commit to righteousness. * Renounce sinful actions. * Remember, mediate and embrace Naam. * Only by good fortune, is real peace obtained and Lord seems sweet to the mind. * Worship the one

Waheguru ''Waheguru'' (, pronunciation: , literally meaning "Wow Guru", figuratively translated to mean "Wonderful God" or "Wonderful Lord") is a term used in Sikhism to refer to God as described in ''Guru Granth Sahib''. It is the most common term to re ...

and all your sins will vanish. In the second round, the Guru asks the partners to advance further towards meeting the True Guru - God: * The Lord leads you to meet the True Guru, the Primal Being - the enlightener * Have fear of fearless God and your ego will disappear * Sing God's praises and feel God's presence before you. * God is everywhere, outside and within, sing in Joy In the third round, the Guru says that the partners mind is filled with "Divine Love": * Meeting the Sadh Sangat (Holy Congregation) * Speak the Word of the Lord's Bani. * Which is only obtained by good fortune * Recite

Gurbani Gurbani (, pronunciation: , lit. the Guru's words) is a Sikh term, very commonly used by Sikhs to refer to various compositions by the Sikh Gurus and other writers of Guru Granth Sahib. In general, hymns in the central text of the Sikhs, the Gu ...

and sing the Glorious Praises of the Lord * The Naam will vibrate and resound within your heart * And you will know your future destiny. In the final round, the Guru says that the partners mind become peaceful and they will have found the Lord: * God's Will seems sweet to these

Gurmukh Gurmukh ( Punjabi: ਗੁਰਮੁਖ) is a term used within the religion of Sikhism to mean "coming from the persona of the guru", or "to be in the character or personality of the guru", and implies to be God-centred. The higher spiritual mean ...

s. * You will lovingly focus your consciousness on the Lord, day and night * All your desires will be fulfilled * The Souls will blend with Waheguru and only Naam will occupy your heart.

References

External links

Read Laavan (Anand Karaj) in Punjabi

Read Laavan (Anand Karaj) in Hindi

The Meaning Of The Four Laavans
{{Sikhism Sikh scripture

Meanings

See also

References

External links