Kirtan

ਕਲਜੁਗ ਮਹਿ ਕੀਰਤਨੁ ਪਰਧਾਨਾ ॥ ਗੁਰਮੁਖਿ ਜਪੀਐ ਲਾਇ ਧਿਆਨਾ ॥ ਆਪਿ ਤਰੈ ਸਗਲੇ ਕੁਲ ਤਾਰੇ ਹਰਿ ਦਰਗਹ ਪਤਿ ਸਿਉ ਜਾਇਦਾ ॥੬॥

Kaljug mėh kīrṯan parḏẖānā. Gurmukẖ japī▫ai lā▫e ḏẖi▫ānā. Āp ṯarai sagle kul ṯāre har ḏargėh paṯ si▫o jā▫iḏā. (6)

In this dark era of Kalyug, the singing of Kirtan is king, the Gurmukhs sing it with their minds focussed. you save yourself and all your clan and go to the Lord's Court with honour. (6)

The Sikhs regard the Guru Granth Sahib as their perpetual spiritual guide. At the same time, it is a holy Scripture for all mankind that embodies the revealed truth applicable to all the human race. The holy Granth enshrines the wisdom of many spiritual masters of the East and is the most recent endeavour to allow us to experience the Divine.

Although Kirtan refers to any singing of the Lord's praise, for the Sikhs, it is the singing of hymns (Shabads) from their holy Scriptures. These hymns or shabads are soaked in deep spirituality and resonate with such divine thoughts as help one to experience His Eternal glory. It connects one to the Divine Intelligence which makes one perceive the noumena behind the phenomena, the Eternal behind the ephemeral.

In the holy presence of Sri Guru Granth Sahib, the ignorant grow in the wisdom of the spirit and feel the presence of God. The message of Guru Granth Sahib is simple, succinct and practical. The scripture has a unique beauty of form, texture and thought. It keeps one’s gaze inward, as one performs the chores of daily life.

Source: www.sikhiwiki.org