Who and What is a Khalsa?
“He who keeps alight the unquenchable torch of truth, and never swerves from the thought of One God; he who has full love and confidence in God and does not put his faith, even by mistake, in fasting or the graves of Muslim saints, Hindu crematoriums, or Jogis places of sepulchre; he who recognises the One God and no pilgrimages, alms-giving, non-destruction of life, penances, or austerities; and in whose heart the light of the Perfect One shines, – he is to be recognised as a pure member of the Khalsa” (Guru Gobind Singh, 33 Swaiyyas) The word “Khalsa” means “pure”, Khalsa’s are Sikhs which have undergone the sacred Amrit Ceremony initiated by the 10th Sikh Guru, Guru Gobind Singh. The Khalsa order was initially created on Baisakhi Day March 30 1699, with Guru Gobind Singh baptizing 5 Sikhs and then in turn asking the five Khalsa’s to baptize him. Following this the Guru personally baptized thousands of men and women into the Khalsa order. The Khalsa baptism ceremony is undertaken as part of ones own personal spiritual evolution when the initiate is ready to fully live up to the high expectations of Guru Gobind Singh. All Sikhs are expected to be Khalsa or be working towards that objective. The Khalsa baptism ceremony involves drinking of Amrit (sugar water stirred with a dagger) in the presence of 5 Khalsa Sikhs as well as the Guru Granth Sahib. The initiate is instructed in the following;- (a) You shall never remove any hair from any part of thy body,
- (b) You shall not use tobacco, alcohol or any other intoxicants,
- (c) You shall not eat the meat of an animal slaughtered the Muslim way,
- (d) You shall not commit adultery.
It relates to primal creative power and has three parts to its design: The Chakra is a circle, a symbol of infinity and reminder that God’s infinite nature no beginning or end. To the extent one understands the creation as a reflection of the Creator, a circle can be seen to reflect the oneness and unity of the creation and humankind in essence, despite apparent differences The Khanda is the double-edged central dagger, representing the straight and narrow path of righteousness, the razor’s edge that cuts both ways – in that whatever you do to others you are actually doing to your Self. In yogic terms, the khanda represents neutral mind – the meditative capacity to make non-reactive decisions.
The two Kirpans – curved single-edged knives on both sides of the khanda – represent polarities that can be balanced through neutral mind: temporal and spiritual, negative and positive, etc. In yogic terms, these two kirpans represent the negative and positive mind. Guru Hargobind (one of the founders of Sikh Dharma) wore two swords, signifying Miri – political or temporal power, and Piri – spiritual sovereignty. The Adi Shakti Shield was conceived as a jewelry object to provide protection, courage, empowerment and strength to its wearers. It only recently has been introduced into our logo design. Read more about this symbol and its availability here.
We utilize the Adi Shakti symbol as our logo on the blades and scabbards of our custom knives, swords, Kirpans and our Artisan Kirpan line, throughout The Khalsa Raj Collection as well as on LifeKnives. This universal reminder of divine support, strength and balance is a fitting adornment for the best in edged weapons and jewelry, created with a standard of excellence in design and craftsmanship. Jot Singh Khalsa – Founder and Chairman at Khalsa Kirpans
