Jaikara

Religious slogans in Indic religions From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Jaikara is a term used to refer to religious slogans practiced in Indic religions. They are usually shouted in a group-setting as a devotional practice. Jaikaras can be found in both Hinduism and Sikhism.

Hinduism

In Hinduism, there are Shaktist jaikaras to pay deference to specific Indic goddesses, known as Maa Aap Bulandi.^[1] They are often shouted together as a group amongst devotees and sometimes in specific scenarios, such being in the midst of a religious trek.^[1] They are believed to encourage the congregation and strengthen their resolve, it is also way of expressing devotion to a particular deity.^[1] However, jaikaras can also be chanted when alone or when two groups of pilgrims cross paths with one another.^[1]

Common Hindu jaikaras are as follows:

Jai mata di ("victory of the Mother Goddess")^[1]
Jaikara sheranwali da ("salutations to the Divine Mother whose mount is a lion")^[1]
Sanchey Darbar Ki Jai ("obeisance to the sacred court")^[1]

Sikhism

Amongst Sikh, the jaikaras function as a battle-cry, described as being a "shout of victory" or "war-cry" slogan, also referred to as a fateh.^[2]^: 187^[3]^[4]^[5] Jaikaras are said to conclude Sikh religious services.^[2]^[5] They are used as phrasal slogans of respect, appraise, or obeisance and its purpose is a mixture of spirituality, euphoria, and preparation.^[6] A common Sikh jaikara is: Jo bole So Nihal, Sat Sri Akal ("Blessed is the person who says God is Truth") and was used in-battle.^[2]^[6]^[3] They are often uttered as a huzza shouted together in a group.^[3] Jaikara slogans are called-out at the end of a Sikh religious service, being a critical part of them to mark an end of the program.^[4] It additionally functions as an pledge to follow the path of truth.^[4] A common practice during Sikh deliberations is to close the debate and go with the last suggestion after a particularly lively jaikara is shouted.^[4] Jaikaras can also function as greetings.^[4]^[5]

According to Harjinder Singh Dilgeer, the original form of the bole so nihal jaikara may have been: Jo jaikara bulaavai guru de man nun bhaavai; gaij ke bolnaa ji Akaal! Akaal! Akaal!^[6] He further claims this original phrase was shorterned simply to (Jo) bole so nihal, sat sri akal and that it should not be used as a greeting.^[6] Another Sikh jaikara, used to greet another Sikh, is Waheguru ji ka (da) Khalsa Waheguru ji ki (di) Fateh.^[6] Banda Singh Bahadur is charged with attempting to change the standard Sikh jaikara to Fateh Darshan.^[7]^[8]

Some other popular Sikh jakaras are as follows:^{[citation needed]}

Bolnaji (Respectfully Utter) – Waheguru (Wondrous Enlightener)^{[citation needed]}
Deg Teg Fateh (Victory to Charity and Arms) – Birdh ki Paij Panth ki jit (Rout of the Enemy Victory of the Sikh Path)^{[citation needed]}
Bole So Nihal...Sat Sri Akaal ("Shout Aloud in Ecstasy... True is the Great Timeless One")^{[citation needed]}
Nanak naam charhdi kalaa (May Thy name be exalted O Nanak) – Tere bhaanae sarbatt daa bhalaa (and all people prosper by Thy grace)^{[citation needed]}
Waheguru ji ka Khalsa (the Community of the Pure belongs to the Wondrous Enlightener) – Waheguru ji ki Fateh (Victory belongs to the Wondrous Enlightener)^{[citation needed]}
Raj Karega Khalsa – (The Khalsa will rule) Aaakki Rahe Na Koye (And no opponent will remain)^[9]
Gaj ke jaikara gajaave fateh paave nihaal ho jaavae, Sat Sri Akaal gurbaar akaal hee akaal|| (excerpt from ardas of Buddha Dal prayerbook (gutka) praising the blessing of uttering jaikara proclaiming supreme truth)^{[citation needed]}
Fateh Singh Ke Jathe Singh
Fateh Darshan (meaning 'bear witness to the victory'), historical jaikara used by the Bandai sect (followers of Banda Singh Bahadur)^[7]^[8]

Ad-Dharmis

The Ad-Dharmi movement of colonial Punjab adopted the salutation Jai Guru Dev ("victory to the great God").^[10]

Ravidassia

The Ravidassias, a splinter-movement from Sikhism, have their own jaikara which differs from the mainstream Sikh one, which is as follows: Jo bole so nirbheh, Shri Guru Raviassi Ki Jai ("whoever utters the following phrase shall be fearless, victory to Guru Ravidas").^[2] The separatist faction of Ravidassias have coined their own jaikaras to mark their desired separateness from mainstream Sikhism.^[2] In Ravidassia temples, some orthodox Sikhs and Sikh-affiliated Ravidassias have criticized their adoption of a unique jaikara that is different from the mainstream Sikh one, leading to tensions and incidents.^[2]

References

[1]
Singh, R. (Jun 26, 2021). "8: Mata's Call and Sacred Slogans (Jaikara)". In Chauhan, Abha (ed.). Understanding Culture and Society in India: A Study of Sufis, Saints and Deities in Jammu Region. Springer Nature. pp. 165–166. ISBN 9789811615986.
[2]
Lum, Kathryn (Mar 9, 2016). "8: Caste, Religion, and Community Assertion: A Case Study of the Ravidasias in Spain". Young Sikhs in a Global World: Negotiating Traditions, Identities and Authorities. Knut A. Jacobsen, Kristina Myrvold. Routledge. p. 187. ISBN 9781134790883.
[3]
Singh, Jagraj (2009). A Complete Guide to Sikhism. Unistar Books. p. 74. ISBN 9788171427543.
[4]
Fenech, Louis E.; Singh, Pashaura (Feb 1, 2012). "Vows in the Sikh Tradition". In Raj, Selva J.; Harman, William P. (eds.). Dealing with Deities: The Ritual Vow in South Asia. State University of New York Press. pp. 206–207. ISBN 9780791482001.
[5]
Bassi, Tripti (Jul 1, 2021). "8: Gurmat: Religious Pedagogy and Socialization". A Study of the Sikh Kanya Mahavidyalaya: Education, Religion and Gender Issues. Springer Nature. p. 144. ISBN 9789811632198.
[6]
Dilgeer, Harjinder Singh (1997). The Sikh Reference Book (1st ed.). The Sikh Educational Trust. pp. 42, 52. ISBN 9780969596424.
[7]
"Bandai Sikhs". Division of Religion and Philosophy - University of Cumbria (www.philtar.ac.uk). Retrieved 2023-03-30. Some Bandai Sikhs believed Banda to be the eleventh Guru. ... His followers were known as Bandai Sikhs. Some sources indicate that an argument arose within the Panth between Bandai Sikhs and Mata Sundari (Gobind's widow who represented the Tat Khalsa), implying that Banda wanted to introduce a new slogan 'Fateh Darshan' (victory to the Presence), change the Khalsa's blue clothing for red and an insistence on vegetarianism.
[8]
Singh Madra, Amandeep (2016). Sicques, Tigers or Thieves : Eyewitness Accounts of the Sikhs (1606-1810). P. Singh. New York: Palgrave Macmillan. p. 11. ISBN 978-1-137-11998-8. OCLC 1083462581. Banda Bahadur clearly riled the Mughal authorities with his peasant revolution but he also antagonized large numbers of the Khalsa. He was accused, in his own lifetime, of creating a schism within the united Khalsa by his innovations of the accepted doctrine. To some, this was too much and they vigorously fought against him. One of these innovations was the adoption of the war cry "Fateh Darshan." This literally translates as "bear witness to the victory," an enormously haughty statement especially given that Guru Gobind Singh claimed "Vahiguru ji ki Fateh" (lit. "Victory belongs to the creator"). Not unsurprisingly, this change caused great agitation amongst the Khalsa. Wendel in his writings incorrectly, but consistently, refers to Banda Bahadur as Fateh Darshan or "Fate-dersan."
[9]
"ਆਕੀ - Meaning in English - ਆਕੀ Translation in English".
[10]
Kalsi, Sewa Singh (1992). "6. Caste and the Ravidasi Sikhs in Bradford". The Evolution of a Sikh Community in Britain: Religious and Social Change Among the Sikhs of Leeds and Bradford (PDF). Community Religions Project Department of Theology and Religious Studies, University of Leeds. pp. 125–147. ISBN 9781871363036.

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