Panth
                    

Panth, literally means, The way, the good way of life. In the famous, sub-chapter of Mahabharat, called, Yaksaprasna the question is posed and answered as to what does the term, Panth mean. The answer supplied is, "The Panth is the path which all good men in the past have invariably trodden.", mahajana yena gatah sah panthah. In the current religious terminology, the word Panth stands for the Sikh religion as well as the invisible mystic body of those who profess it and who thus represent the Will of God on Earth. It is to this Panth that all true Sikhs owe their allegiance and it is in the name of this Panth that a true Sikh is expected to sacrifice his all on this earth. It is in the name of this Panth that the Sikh political party, the Shiromani Akali Dal fights its elections and runs other political campaigns.

This political concept of the Panth sharply distinguish-es it from the current political convictions that hold that economic activity and considerations are the sole concern and aim of politics. The concept of Panth joins issues with the contemporary political mode of thinking and asserts that the true concern of politics is the ethical and spiritual evolution and life of man in an organized society.

 

 

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