Deg Tegh Fateh

Deg Teg Fateh (Punjabi: ਦੇਗ ਤੇਗ਼ ਫ਼ਤਿਹ, meaning Victory to Charity and Arms) is a Sikh slogan and the title of an anthem in the Punjabi language that signifies the dual obligations of the Khalsa: The responsibility to provide food, and to provide protection, for the needy and oppressed.^[1]

Description

Deg refers to the "cauldron" and Tegh to the "sword". The cauldron or kettle symbolizes charity and is a reference to the Sikh religious obligation to provide langar, the free distribution of food, to all people, irrespective of an individual's religion, caste or ethnicity. The sword, or (kirpan), represents the warrior code of the Khalsa. The Khanda icon conveys these two principles.^[2]

A translation of the Degh Tegh Fateh into English:

"Victory in war and prosperity in peace have been obtained from Guru Nanak-Gobind Singh. God is one! Victory to the Presence! This is the order of Sri Sachcha Sahib^[a] to the entire Khalsa. The Guru^[b] will protect you. Call upon the Guru's name. Your lives will be fruitful! You are the Khalsa of the great immortal God. On seeing this anthem, repair to the presence, wearing five arms.^[c] Observe the rules of conduct laid down for the Khalsa. Do not use bhang, tobocco, poppy, wine, or any other intoxicant ... Commit no theft nor adultery. We have brought Satyug^[d] Love one another. This is my wish. He who lives according to the rules of Khalsa shall be saved by the Guru."

Adoption of Degh Tegh Fateh

The Sikh warrior Banda Singh Bahadur incorporated this slogan into his seal, and Sardar Jassa Singh Ahluwalia struck it into coins in 1765 after decisively defeating the rival Afghans.

This inscription was later adopted by the Sikh Misaldar Sardars and rulers on their coins. It was the national anthem of the princely state of Patiala during the Sikh Confederacy. This national anthem had been sung in all the Sikh States until 1948. B.K.S. Nabha describes it in the encyclopedia / dictionary Mahan Kosh (1930).^[3]

Footnotes

1. Sri Sachcha Sahib means "the great master".
2. Although guru in general means "master" or "teacher", in this text "the Guru" refers specifically to Gobind Singh.
3. The "five arms" refers to the Panj Shaster which include the kirpan, the Khanda, the Karud, the Che-Nishanbazi, and the Chakkar.
4. Satyug means "golden age".

References

1. Cole, W. Owen; Sambhi, Piara Singh (1997). A Popular Dictionary of Sikhism (rev. ed.). Richmond, UK: Curzon. p. 28. ISBN 0-203-98609-1.
2. Herrli, Hans (2004). The Coins of the Sikhs (2nd ed.). New Delhi: Munshiram Manoharlal Publishers. ISBN 81-215-1132-1. OCLC 56367207. Deg, Tegh and Fateh - Deg is a vessel for food, a kettle. The word is used metaphorically as a symbol for the hospitality and the spirit of sacrifice and assistance to the helpless, oppressed and needy which the Guru asked of his followers and which found a practical expression in the langars, the free kitchens maintained by Sikh Sardars. Tegh is a sword, the symbol of the secular power and Fath means: victory.The two words Deg, Tegh summarise in the briefest possible form the essence of Sikhism, the force that enabled the Sikhs to overcome their powerful neighbours.
3. Nabha, B.K.S. (1999) [1927–1930]. Guru Shabad Ratnakar Mahan Kosh (in Punjabi). p. 1165.
   Nabha, B.K.S. (2018) [1927–1930]. Guru Shabad Ratnakar Mahan Kosh (in Punjabi). Lahore, IN: Lahore Book Shop. ISBN 978-817647264-7, ISBN 817647264-6
   Nabha, B.K.S. (2020) [1927–1930]. Guru Shabad Ratnakar Mahan Kosh (in Punjabi). Patiala, IN: Punjabi University. ISBN 978-813020516-8, ISBN 813020516-5
   The title of a recent English translation is The Encyclopedia of Sikhism. See the wikipedia article Mahan Kosh.