Marriage

Author(s): Natubhai Shah
Publisher: UK Jain Academy

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for the Guru Granth Sahib) and donations. They are then seated, the bridegroom sits first and then the bride joins and sits on the left of the groom, in front of the Sri Guru Granth Sahib, which is the central focus of any Sikh place of worship and for ceremonies.
The ceremony begins with the Ardas prayer said by the officiant to invoke God's blessing for the couple, while both sets of parents and the bride and the groom stand and the rest of the congregation stay seated. Then the holy book is opened at random and a hymn from there is recited as the command from the Guru for the occasion.
The officiant then addresses the couple about their mutual obligations as husband and wife according to the Sikh tenets, especially the notion of the state of 'one light in two bodies.' Based on that principle a married couple should not find it too difficult in achieving true and lasting love through a deep spiritual union.
Then the father of the bride places an end of the groom's scarf in his daughter's hand, a symbol of giving her away, while a hymn is sung which denotes the bride saying to the groom'lam from now on attached to you.' This symbolic gesture also has a deeper meaning of the human soul seeking the union with the divine.
After this the Lavan, the four marriage verses are recited, one by one, followed by the couple circumambulating around Guru Granth Sahib, while the raagis sing the same verse, till all the four verses are recited and sung.
These four verses represent the four stages of love. The first describes the preparation and longing for the state of marriage, the second the first feelings of love for the bride to begin the new life of partnership with her husband. The third verse describes the bride's detachment from external influences as she becomes more devoted to her husband, living only with and for him. The fourth verse speaks of the perfect love in which there is no feeling of separation between them.
This human analogy also explains the four stages of spiritual transformation, the final having achieved the complete union with God and the perfect joy of His love.
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