Ans. During the, time of Guru Arjan Dev the directive to read and/or listen to the Adi Granth, on occasions of joy or sorrow, had been issued. Earliest performance of Akhand Paaths seems to have been carried out by the sixth Master, Guru Har Gobind, on the occasions of passing away of his wife, Mata Damodri, his brother-in-law, Bhai Sain Das, his sister-in-law, Bibi Ramo, his mother-in-law, Mata Prem Devi and his father-in-law, Bhai Narain Das.
The Guru specially sent for the volume of the Adi Granth on each occasion, at the place where the death occurred, in order to have the Akhand Paath performed.
While departing from Damdama Sahib for Nanderh, Guru Gobind Singh also got an Akhand Paath performed. Giani Gian Singh clearly writes in “Panth Prakash” that when Baba Deep Singh was ready to depart from Damdama Sahib towards Amritsar (where he was martyred), an Akhand Paath was performed (Uttaradh Bisram, P. 50).In the first chapter – the personal code of conduct – of Rehit Maryada (Sikh Code), which concerns the practice of Naam and Bani, the following is written under the heading of “Akhand Paath”:
a) Akhand Paath is to be performed at the time of an occasion of joy or sorrow (or a problem). It is to be completed in about 48 hours and should be performed without break. To read Guru Granth Sahib so fast that a listener could not understand is an insult to Gurbani. The recitation should be done clearly and correctly with special attention to the diacritical vowels, even if by doing so some extra time is taken.
b) The family or congregation responsible for the Akhand Paath should do the reading themselves. As many relatives and friends as possible should participate in the reading. There is no fixed number of persons who should do the reading (paath).
If someone cannot recite himself/herself then he/she oboobshould sit and listen while a good reader is reading. To leave a reader alone, while the members of the family are busy doing their chores, is inappropriate. If professional readers (Paathis) are engaged, then they should be served with food and clothes by the family responsible for the paath, according to their capacity and ability.
c) To keep a coconut wrapped in a red fabric, a pitcher of water or a burning earthen lamp next to where the Akhand Paath (or any other type of paath) is in progress is egocentricity. To recite another hymn along with the recitation of the paath or to recite a particular hymn at the end of every hymn of Guru Granth Sahib is also self-centeredness and against the Gurmat.
BEGINNING THE PAATH:To start Akhand Paath, Karhah Prasaad should be prepared and brought before Guru Granth Sahib. Six stanzas of Anand Sahib should be recited and a supplication said for the successful completion of Akhand Paath. Thereafter a commandment from Guru Granth Sahib should be read (Vaak) and the Akhand Paath started.
On reaching the hymn:
ਆਦਿ ਪੂਰਨ ਮਧਿ ਪੂਰਨ ਅੰਤਿ ਪੂਰਨ ਪਰਮੇਸੁਰਹ ॥
and considering it the half-way point of Guru Granth Sahib, and saying a supplication for that is not correct. This is not the half-way-point (because Guru Granth Sahib has 1430 pages and this hymn is on page 705). However, on the second day a supplication should be said approximately at the time the Paath had been started the previous day.
CONCLUSION:The recitation of Mundhavani (or Raag Maala) should be done according to the local tradition and this would then be the conclusion of the Paath. After this Kirtan (singing of hymns from Guru Granth Sahib) should be performed. At the conclusion six stanzas of Anand Sahib should be recited and supplication said to thank the Guru for the successful completion of the Paath. After reading the ‘Vaak’ (random reading of hymn from GuruGranth Sahib) Karhah Prasaad should be distributed. At the time of conclusion, according to ones capacity, donation of ‘Rumaal” (fabric for covering Guru Granth Sahib), a whisk etc., and some money for the professional ‘Paathis’ and for the Panthik projects should be donated. At the time of writing of this book a controversy was going on whether ornot Raag Maala should stay in Guru Granth Sahib.