ne of the most frequent questions asked by someone wanting to take Amrit is ‘When is the right time? Or ‘How do I know I am ready and won’t make any mistakes after?’ In this article, we will look at answering these questions. 

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The Right Age To Have Amrit

One shouldn’t be too young, such as five or six years. It is better to have it before you start to figure out what life is about, before the age of thirteen or fourteen. However, there are rare cases of people getting blessed with Amrit while young. So, it highly depends on what kind of a person you are. When you feel ready to give your head to your Guru is when you should take Amrit. Many people have made Amrit about Mukti (liberation) or Panj Kakkars (Five Ks). Amrit is about giving your head to your Guru. The Panj Piaare (Five beloved ones) were asked who is prepared to give their head to their Guru. They were never asked to wear Five Ks and to be a part of the Khalsa (Collective of Initiated Sikhs). Why would anyone in the right frame of mind agree to get decapitated and die? They did it because they trusted Guru Sahib Ji fully and knew the Guru to be Poora (perfect). Sikhi is about having faith in the Guru and experiencing God. They believed that Guru Gobind Singh Ji couldn’t do something wrong. The following verse of Gurbani states that Guru is perfect and cannot make mistakes.

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ਭੁਲਣ ਅੰਦਰਿ ਸਭੁ ਕੋ ਅਭੁਲੁ ਗੁਰੂ ਕਰਤਾਰੁ ॥

Everyone makes mistakes; only the Guru and the Creator are infallible.

Whatever Guru Ji did, was for a reason. Instead of questioning the Guru, we should learn from it. In the following verse, Bhai Gurdas Ji state that a Sikh only does what the Guru says.  

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ਗੁਰਸਿਖੀ ਦਾ ਕਰਮੁ ਏਹੁ ਗੁਰ ਫੁਰਮਾਏ ਗੁਰਸਿਖ ਕਰਣਾ।

Acting according to the instructions of the Guru is the performance of the Sikh life.

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Try to get it before university or college time because that is a very Dhilla (wavering/undisciplined) time for everybody. Everybody’s Rehit (Spiritual Discipline) suffers at that time because you have too many things to do and too many new people to meet. You have no one to give you a routine and there are personal things going on as well. So, it becomes difficult. If your Rehit is Pakki (steadfast) meaning you are sorted and you do your Nitnem (Sikh daily prayers) daily before going to university, then it would be easier for you to keep your Rehit while at the university. The boundaries of love and respecting fear would keep you on the path.    

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How Do I Know If I Am Ready To Give My Head?

You should feel from inside that you want to give your head. If you are in a situation where you feel that you want to live until the day you get blessed with Amrit, then you are ready to ask Guru Sahib Ji that question. So, you could take a Hukamnama (Command from Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji) because Guru Sahib Ji is the best person to guide you. You could ask the Panj Piaare (Five Beloved Ones) which are the Guru Khalsa Panth (Form of Guru) and they should question you to find out if you are ready to take Amrit. 

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This article is a transcribed version of the videos 'Is it important to take Amrit and Why? What Age Should One Take Amrit?' and What age is it best to take Amrit? How do you decide? By Bhai Jagraj Singh Ji.