The word Khalsa in the Guru Granth Sahib

ਬੇਦ ਪੁਰਾਨ ਸਭੈ ਮਤ ਸੁਨਿ ਕੈ ਕਰੀ ਕਰਮ ਕੀ ਆਸਾ ॥

बेद पुरान सभै मत सुनि कै करी करम की आसा ॥

Beḏ purān sabẖai maṯ sun kai karī karam kī āsā.

Listening to all the teachings of the Vedas and the Puraanas, I wanted to perform the religious rituals.

ਕਾਲ ਗ੍ਰਸਤ ਸਭ ਲੋਗ ਸਿਆਨੇ ਉਠਿ ਪੰਡਿਤ ਪੈ ਚਲੇ ਨਿਰਾਸਾ ॥੧॥

काल ग्रसत सभ लोग सिआने उठि पंडित पै चले निरासा ॥१॥

Kāl garsaṯ sabẖ log si▫āne uṯẖ pandiṯ pai cẖale nirāsā. ||1||

But seeing all the wise men caught by Death, I arose and left the Pandits; now I am free of this desire. ||1||

ਮਨ ਰੇ ਸਰਿਓ ਨ ਏਕੈ ਕਾਜਾ ॥

मन रे सरिओ न एकै काजा ॥

Man re sari▫o na ekai kājā.

O mind, you have not completed the only task you were given;

ਭਜਿਓ ਨ ਰਘੁਪਤਿ ਰਾਜਾ ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥

भजिओ न रघुपति राजा ॥१॥ रहाउ ॥

Bẖaji▫o na ragẖūpaṯ rājā. ||1|| rahā▫o.

you have not meditated on the Lord, your King. ||1||Pause||

ਬਨ ਖੰਡ ਜਾਇ ਜੋਗੁ ਤਪੁ ਕੀਨੋ ਕੰਦ ਮੂਲੁ ਚੁਨਿ ਖਾਇਆ ॥

बन खंड जाइ जोगु तपु कीनो कंद मूलु चुनि खाइआ ॥

Ban kẖand jā▫e jog ṯap kīno kanḏ mūl cẖun kẖā▫i▫ā.

Going to the forests, they practice Yoga and deep, austere meditation; they live on roots and the fruits they gather.

ਨਾਦੀ ਬੇਦੀ ਸਬਦੀ ਮੋਨੀ ਜਮ ਕੇ ਪਟੈ ਲਿਖਾਇਆ ॥੨॥

नादी बेदी सबदी मोनी जम के पटै लिखाइआ ॥२॥

Nāḏī beḏī sabḏī monī jam ke patai likẖā▫i▫ā. ||2||

The musicians, the Vedic scholars, the chanters of one word and the men of silence, all are listed on the Register of Death. ||2||

ਭਗਤਿ ਨਾਰਦੀ ਰਿਦੈ ਨ ਆਈ ਕਾਛਿ ਕੂਛਿ ਤਨੁ ਦੀਨਾ ॥

भगति नारदी रिदै न आई काछि कूछि तनु दीना ॥

Bẖagaṯ nārḏī riḏai na ā▫ī kācẖẖ kūcẖẖ ṯan ḏīnā.

Loving devotional worship does not enter into your heart; pampering and adorning your body, you must still give it up.

ਰਾਗ ਰਾਗਨੀ ਡਿੰਭ ਹੋਇ ਬੈਠਾ ਉਨਿ ਹਰਿ ਪਹਿ ਕਿਆ ਲੀਨਾ ॥੩॥

राग रागनी डि्मभ होइ बैठा उनि हरि पहि किआ लीना ॥३॥

Rāg rāgnī ḏinbẖ ho▫e baiṯẖā un har pėh ki▫ā līnā. ||3||

You sit and play music, but you are still a hypocrite; what do you expect to receive from the Lord? ||3||

ਪਰਿਓ ਕਾਲੁ ਸਭੈ ਜਗ ਊਪਰ ਮਾਹਿ ਲਿਖੇ ਭ੍ਰਮ ਗਿਆਨੀ ॥

परिओ कालु सभै जग ऊपर माहि लिखे भ्रम गिआनी ॥

Pari▫o kāl sabẖai jag ūpar māhi likẖe bẖaram gi▫ānī.

Death has fallen on the whole world; the doubting religious scholars are also listed on the Register of Death.

ਕਹੁ ਕਬੀਰ ਜਨ ਭਏ ਖਾਲਸੇ ਪ੍ਰੇਮ ਭਗਤਿ ਜਿਹ ਜਾਨੀ ॥੪॥੩॥

कहु कबीर जन भए खालसे प्रेम भगति जिह जानी ॥४॥३॥

Kaho Kabīr jan bẖa▫e kẖālse parem bẖagaṯ jih jānī. ||4||3||

Says Kabeer, those humble people become pure - they become Khalsa - who know the Lord's loving devotional worship. ||4||3||

Khalsa which means 'pure' is the name given by Guru Gobind Singh to all Sikhs who have been baptised or initiated by taking Amrit in a ceremony called Amrit Sanchar. The first time that this ceremony took place was on Baisakhi, which fell on 30 March 1699 at Anandpur Sahib in Punjab, India. The Sikhs celebrated the 300th anniversary of the day in 1999 with thousands of religious gatherings all over the world.

The word "Khalsa" is derived from Arabic khalis (literally meaning "pure" or "unsullied") and Perso-Arabic khalisah (literally pure; office of revenue department; lands directly under government management), is used collectively for the community of baptised Sikhs. The term khalisah was used during the Muslim rule in India for crown-lands administered directly by the king without the mediation of jagirdars or mansabdars.

In the Sikh tradition, the term appears again in one of the hukamnamas (literally written order or epistle) of Guru Hargobind (1595-1644) where a sangat of the eastern region has been described as "Guru ka Khalsa" (Guru's own or Guru's special charge). It has also been employed in the same sense in one of the letters of Guru Tegh Bahadur (1621-75) addressed to the sangat of Patna. The word occurs in Sikh Scripture, the Guru Granth Sahib, once, but there it carries the sense of the term khalis, i.e. pure.(see below)

The term "Khalsa", however, acquired a specific connotation after Guru Gobind Singh (1666-1708) introduced, on 30 March 1699, the new form of initiatory rites— khande di pahul (rites by khanda or double-edged sword). Sikhs so initiated on that Baisakhi day were collectively designated as the Khalsa — Khalsa who belonged to Vahiguru, the Supreme Lord. The phrase Vahiguru ji ka Khalsa became part of the Sikh salutation: Vahiguru ji ka Khalsa, Vahiguru ji ki Fateh (Hail the Khalsa who belongs to the Lord God! Hail the Lord God to whom belongs the victory!!)