Vand Chhakna (ਵੰਡ ਛਕਣਾ), also written Vand Chhako, means share what you have and consume it together as a community. It is one of the three pillars of Sikh teaching set out by Guru Nanak, alongside Naam Japo and Kirat Karo. It covers sharing food, wealth and help with people in need.
How it's used
- 1ਵੰਡ ਛਕਣਾ ਸਿੱਖ ਧਰਮ ਦਾ ਮੁੱਢਲਾ ਅਸੂਲ ਹੈSharing with others is a basic principle of the Sikh faith. the phrase as a principle
- 2ਉਹ ਆਪਣੀ ਕਮਾਈ ਵਿੱਚੋਂ ਹਮੇਸ਼ਾ ਵੰਡ ਛਕਦਾ ਹੈHe always shares from what he earns. vand chhakna: to share and eat
- 3ਲੰਗਰ ਵਿੱਚ ਸਬ ਇੱਕਠੇ ਬੈਠ ਕੇ ਵੰਡ ਛਕਦੇ ਹਨIn langar, everyone sits together and shares the meal. langar usage
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- 4ਕਿਰਤ ਕਰੋ, ਨਾਮ ਜਪੋ, ਵੰਡ ਛਕੋEarn honestly, remember God, share with others. the three pillars said together
ਵੰਡ ਛਕਣਾ ਦਾ ਅਰਥ ਹੈ ਆਪਣੇ ਕੋਲ ਜੋ ਹੈ, ਉਹ ਦੂਜਿਆਂ ਨਾਲ ਵੰਡ ਕੇ ਛਕਣਾ ਇਹ ਗੁਰੂ ਨਾਨਕ ਦੇਵ ਜੀ ਦੇ ਦੱਸੇ ਤਿੰਨ ਥੰਮ੍ਹਾਂ ਵਿੱਚੋਂ ਇੱਕ ਹੈ ਬਾਕੀ ਦੋ ਹਨ ਨਾਮ ਜਪੋ ਅਤੇ ਕਿਰਤ ਕਰੋ ਲੰਗਰ ਇਸ ਸੋਚ ਦਾ ਸਬ ਤੋਂ ਵੱਡਾ ਰੂਪ ਹੈ, ਜਿੱਥੇ ਸਬ ਇੱਕੋ ਜਿਹਾ ਖਾਣਾ ਇੱਕਠੇ ਬੈਠ ਕੇ ਛਕਦੇ ਹਨ
Vand Chhakna (ਵੰਡ ਛਕਣਾ), pronounced vand chhuk-naa, is a Punjabi phrase meaning share what you have and eat together. It is one of the three pillars of Sikh teaching set out by Guru Nanak. It asks a person to share food, wealth and the fruits of honest work with others, especially those in need, before thinking of themselves.
Meaning
Vand means to share or distribute, and chhakna means to eat or consume. The phrase is often written Vand Chhako or Vand Chhakko in its command form, the form used in the list of the three pillars. Sources explain it as sharing what you have and consuming it together: giving to charity, helping people in the community who need help, and contributing a portion of your wealth or income to a worthy cause or to people in need.
Where do you see vand chhakna in daily life?
The clearest place is langar, the free community meal served in a gurdwara, where food is shared with everyone who comes, sitting together as equals. The same idea appears at home when a family cooks extra for a guest or a neighbour, and in the diaspora when congregations collect food and money for people in difficulty. In each case the sharing comes first, and eating together is part of the teaching, not an afterthought.
What are the three pillars of Sikhism?
The three pillars are Naam Japo, Kirat Karo and Vand Chhakna. Naam Japo is remembering God through meditation and reciting the Name. Kirat Karo is earning an honest living by hard work. Vand Chhakna is sharing that earning, and your food and time, with the community and with anyone in need.
Is vand chhakna only about food?
No. Food is its most visible form, through langar, but the sources describe sharing wealth, income and resources more widely: giving to charity, supporting a worthy cause, and helping neighbours in need. Sharing the fruits of your labour before considering yourself is the wider meaning given for the phrase.
Related words
Sources (3)
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