SUKH AASAN
Literally: (to be in) comfortable state.
In the Sikh context, it is used for placing of the volume of Guru Granth Sahib at a safe place, after the closing ceremony of Guru Granth Sahib.
At the time of Sukh Aasan ceremony Ardaas is offered, ‘Vaak’ is recited/pronounced and then Guru Granth Sahib is closed and covered with Rumaalas. After this, Guru Granth Sahib is carried on the head of a Sikh, to its ‘resting place’.
At Darbar Sahib Amritsar, Guru Granth Sahib, after closing ceremony, is carried in a Paalaki to Akaal Bunga building. The next day, early in the morning, Guru Granth Sahib is brought again from Akaal Bunga to Darbar Sahib, with full honours.
All this is just a ritual, a ostentation, pomposity. It has nothing to do with the teachings of Guru Granth Sahib itself. This ceremony was started by the Nirmala-Brahminic priests when they were in control of Darbar Sahib. To say that this is show of respect does not justify it. Secondly, the term ‘sukh aasan’ belongs to human beings and creatures. The reason behind this treatment is that the Nirmalas treated Guru Granth Sahib as ‘body’ like that of a person (but they don’t give a shower to this ‘body’ and they don’t give food or water to this ‘body’). However, it does not mean that Guru Granth Sahib, after its reading is stopped, it should not be kept at a safe place.
(Dr Harjinder Singh Dilgeer)