The word ‘ardaas’ derives from a Persian word, ‘arzadast’, or a request to the Almighty. It is synonymous with prayer in the form of a plea — a supplication for divine mercy. You could call it a petition to God for His benediction. It is the soul’s desire, uttered or unexpressed, and is the medium by which a Sikh approaches his Guru for blessings, support and security.

In different religions, believers invoke God in different ways. In Sikhism, ardaas is a direct communication with God — the seeking of His blessings or forgiveness — without an intermediary. Ardaas is a plea for fortitude. It is based on an absolute and infallible faith in the Creator.

There are repetitive references to Ardaas in the Guru Granth Sahib. “Prabh pass jan ki Ardaas, Tu sacha saieen/ Tu rakhwala sada sada, hou tudh dhiaeen/ Ji jant sabh terea, Tu rahia samai (To Thee I pray, O Lord, Thou art my true master, Thou art my protector ever, I dwell upon Thee. All creatures belong to Thee and Thou pervadest all).” Ardaas has become a part of the Sikh way of life. Even in their quieter moments Sikhs recite their silent prayers. “Birthi kadee na hovai, jan ki ardaas/ Nanak jor Govind ka, puran guntaas (The prayer of the Lord’s devotee never goes waste. Nanak leans on his all-powerful Lord, who is the treasures of virtues).”

Life often has its share of great distress. Recall, for a moment, scenes from the Partition. Consider the plight of a young mother, having just lost her husband in the carnage that accompanied Partition, riding on the roof of a refugee train bound for India with four children clinging to her side? There must have been several like her, their hearts full of grief, their minds preoccupied with the uncertain future that faced them. For them the only constant must have been their faith and belief that ardaas offers. It is said that many women of that period, despite experiencing the deep pain of loss, managed to emerge from their trauma with their dignity intact through the power of Ardaas. My mother was one of them.