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Guru Granth Sahib

May 07, 2023

The Guru Granth Sahib (Punjabi: ਗੁਰੂ ਗ੍ਰੰਥ ਸਾਹਿਬ, pronounced [ɡʊɾuː ɡɾəntʰᵊ saːhɪb]) is the central holy religious scripture of Sikhism, regarded by Sikhs as the final, sovereign and eternal Guru following the lineage of the ten human gurus of the religion. The Adi Granth (Punjabi: ਆਦਿ ਗ੍ਰੰਥ), its first rendition, was compiled by the fifth guru, Guru Arjan (1564–1606). Its compilation was completed on 29 August 1604 and first installed inside Golden Temple in Amritsar on 1 September 1604.[3] Baba Buddha was appointed the first Granthi of the Golden Temple. Shortly afterwards Guru Hargobind added Ramkali Ki Vaar. Later, Guru Gobind Singh, the tenth Sikh guru, added hymns of Guru Tegh Bahadur to the Adi Granth and affirmed the text as his successor.[4] This second rendition became known as the Guru Granth Sahib and is also sometimes referred to as the Adi Granth.[5][6]

Guru Granth Sahib
ਗੁਰੂ ਗ੍ਰੰਥ ਸਾਹਿਬ
Illuminated Guru Granth Sahib folio with nisan (Mul Mantar) in the penmanship of Guru Gobind Singh
Information
ReligionSikhism
LanguageSant Bhasha
(Punjabi and its dialects, Lahnda, regional Prakrits, Apabhramsa, Sanskrit, Hindustani languages (Brajbhasha, Bangru, Awadhi, Old Hindi, Deccani, Bhojpuri), Sindhi, Marathi, Marwari, Bengali, Persian, and Arabic)[1][2]

The text consists of 1,430 angs (pages) and 5,894 shabads (line compositions), which are poetically rendered and set to a rhythmic ancient north Indian classical form of music.[7] The bulk of the scripture is divided into 31 main rāgas, with each Granth rāga subdivided according to length and author. The hymns in the scripture are arranged primarily by the rāgas in which they are read.[8] The Guru Granth Sahib is written in the Gurmukhi script in various languages including Punjabi, Lahnda, regional Prakrits, Apabhramsa, Sanskrit, Hindi languages (Braj Bhasha, Bangru, Awadhi, Old Hindi, Bhojpuri), Sindhi, Bengali, Persian, and Arabic. Copies in these languages often have the generic title of Sant Bhasha.[9]

The Guru Granth Sahib was composed predominantly by six Sikh gurus: Guru Nanak, Guru Angad, Guru Amar Das, Guru Ram Das, Guru Arjan and Guru Tegh Bahadur. It also contains the traditions and teachings of fourteen Hindu Bhakti movement sants (saints), such as Ramananda, Kabir and Namdev among others, and one Muslim Sufi saint: Sheikh Farid.[10][11]

The vision in the Guru Granth Sahib is of a society based on divine freedom, mercy, love and justice without oppression of any kind.[12][13] While the Granth acknowledges and respects the scriptures of Hinduism and Islam, it does not imply a moral reconciliation with either of these religions.[14] It is installed in a Sikh gurdwara (temple). A Sikh typically prostrates before it on entering such a temple.[15] The Granth is revered as eternal gurbānī and the spiritual authority in Sikhism.[16]

History

 
Folio from the Jalandhar recension of the Goindwal Pothi, dated to the late 16th century

Guru Nanak composed hymns, which were sung by his followers in rāga set to music.[17] His successor, Guru Angad, opened centers and distributed these hymns. The community would sing the hymns and his agents collected donations.[18] This tradition was continued by the third and fourth gurus as well. The fifth guru, Guru Arjan, discovered that Prithi Chand – his eldest brother and a competing claimant to the Sikh guruship – had a copy of an earlier pothi (palm-leaf manuscript) with hymns and was distributing hymns of the earlier gurus along with his own of hymns.[19] Guru Arjan considered these as spurious and became concerned about establishing an authentic anthology of approved hymns.[20]

Guru Arjan began compiling an officially approved version of the sacred scripture for the Sikh community. He sent his associates across the Indian subcontinent to collect the circulating hymns of Sikh gurus and convinced Mohan, the son of Guru Amar Das, to give him the collection of the religious writings of the first three gurus in a humble manner by singing the hymns registered in Guru Granth Sahib, 248.

O Mohan, your temple is so lofty, and your mansion is unsurpassed. O Mohan, your gates are so beautiful. They are the worship-houses of the Saints.

— Sri Guru Granth Sahib page 248 Full Shabad

[20] As his associates returned with their collections, Guru Arjan selected and edited the hymns for inclusion in the Adi Granth with Bhai Gurdas as his scribe.[21][note 1] This effort yielded several drafts and manuscripts, some of which have survived into the modern era.[19][23]

The oldest surviving manuscript version of the Adi Granth is the Guru Nanak Dev University Manuscript 1245, which has been dated to c. 1599. Other early editions of the Adi Granth with some variations include the Bahoval pothi (c. 1600), Vanjara pothi (c. 1601) and Bhai Rupa pothi (c. 1603).[23]

Another early variant manuscript is called the Guru Harsahai pothi, preserved by Sodhis and is believed to be the one that existed before Guru Arjan's compilation and one he gave to his eldest brother Prithi Chand. It was initially installed in Amritsar, then was moved in the 18th-century and preserved in Guru Harsahai (35 kilometers west of Faridkot, Punjab) till 1969, when the state government requested it be displayed for the 500 years celebrations. It was moved for the first time in over 200 years and briefly displayed in Patiala for the event. Thereafter, the Sodhis consented to transfers. In 1970, however, during another such transfer, this early version of the Adi Granth manuscript was stolen.[19] However, photos of some pages have survived.

This manuscript is claimed by the Sodhis to be the oldest and one written in part by Guru Nanak. However, this claim is first observed only much later, in texts attributed to the 17th-century Hariji, the grandson of Prithi Chand. Based on the evidence in the surviving photos, it is unlikely that Guru Nanak wrote or maintained a pothi. The features in its Gurmukhi script and the language suggest that the hymns are significantly older, and that the pre-canonical hymns were being written down in early Sikhism and preserved by the Sikh Gurus prior to the editing by Guru Arjan. The existence of Guru Harsahai manuscript attests to the early tradition of Sikh scripture, its existence in variant forms and a competition of ideas on its contents including the Mul Mantar.[24]

Many minor variations, and three significant Adi Granth recensions, are known; these provide insights into how the Sikh scripture was compiled, edited and revised over time.[23] There is a fourth significant version called the Lahori bir, but it primarily differs in how the hymns are arranged and the final pages of the Adi Granth.[23][note 2]

Editions

 
Photograph of the Kartarpur Bir kept at Kartarpur. This is the manuscript that was completed by Guru Arjan and his scribe, Bhai Gurdas, in 1604 and installed in the Golden Temple
 
A folio from an early 19th-century manuscript copy of the Guru Granth Sahib (Schoyen Collection Norway)

In 1604, the first edition of the Sikh scripture, Adi Granth, was complete and officially approved by Guru Arjan. It was installed at the Golden Temple, with Baba Buddha as the first granthi or reader.[28] No hymns were added by Guru Hargobind, Guru Har Rai and Guru Har Krishan. In the Sikh tradition, Guru Hargobind is credited for adding the rāga tunes for nine out of 22 Vars. The hymns of IX Guru Tegh Bahadur, after his beheading in Delhi, were added to the scripture by his son and successor Guru Gobind Singh.[22]

In 1704 at Damdama Sahib, during a one-year respite from the heavy fighting with the Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb, Guru Gobind Singh and Bhai Mani Singh added the religious compositions of Guru Tegh Bahadur to the Adi Granth to create the final edition, called the Guru Granth Sahib.[29] Prior to Guru Gobind Singh, three versions of the Adi Granth pothi with minor variations were in circulation at Sikh shrines across the Indian subcontinent.[30] In addition, several unauthorized versions were in circulation, issued by sects founded by one of the sons or relatives of earlier Sikh Gurus such as Prithi Chand, Guru Arjan's elder brother.[30] Guru Gobind Singh issued the definitive final edition that included the hymns of his father, and closed the canon. This manuscript is called the Damdama bir, and a 1707 rare copy of this manuscript is now preserved at the Toshakhana in Nanded, Maharashtra.[30]

 
The 3 Sikh Granths (Ad Dasam Sarbloh) being read (Hukamnama). This is located in a Buddha Dal Gurudwara, and each Granth (book) has its own attendent with a ceremonial fly whisk.

The compositions of Guru Gobind Singh were not included in the Guru Granth Sahib and set into the Dasven Padsah ka Granth, which is more popularly known as the Dasam Granth.[29] The compilation and release of this definitive edition of the latter was completed by Bhai Mani Singh.[31]

Extensions of the Guru Granth Sahib

The Akali Nihang sect of Sikhs consider the Dasam Granth and the Sarbloh Granth as extensions of the Guru Granth Sahib. As such, they refer to these scriptures as Sri Dasam Guru Granth Sahib, and Sri Sarbloh guru Granth Sahib.[32] They call the Guru Granth Sahib, Aad Guru Granth Sahib. They also sometimes refer to the granths as "Durbar", such as Aad Guru Durbar. The Sarbloh Granth has another name, as Sri Manglacharan Purana. They believe that all three of these scriptures are authentic, written by the Gurus and are one of the same.[32] For this reason, they will often place the Dasam & Aad Granths on the same level & on the same throne (also known as the palki). They also sometimes do this for the Sarbloh Granth as well.

Weapons in front of the Guru Granth Sahib

In virtually all Sikh Gurdwaras, one will find an assortment of weapons such as swords, daggers, war quoits, etc in front of the Guru Granth Sahib. This was brought about due to the emphasis of a martial spirit within the Sikh religion, as well as an influential composition from the Dasam Granth known as the Shastar Naam Mala[33], written by Guru Gobind Singh. Within this composition, it praises various types of weapons from all over the world, including swords, saifs, curved words (tulwars), arrows, guns, etc.[34] There is a famous line within the composition which states,

ਅਸ ਕ੍ਰਿਪਾਨ ਖੰਡੋ ਖੜਗ ਤੁਪਕ ਤਬਰ ਅਰੁ ਤੀਰ ॥ ਸੈਫ ਸਰੋਹੀ ਸੈਹਥੀ ਯਹੈ ਹਮਾਰੈ ਪੀਰ ॥੩॥

romanized: As Kripan Khando Kharag, Tupak Tabar Ar Teer || Saif Sarohee Saithhee, Yehai Hamare Pir ||3||

Translation: The kirpan, the khanda, the scimitar, the axe, the rifle, and the arrow. The saif, the dagger, the spear: these indeed are our pirs (saints)!

For this reason, weapons are meant to be kept in front of the Guru Granth Sahib, in Sikhism.[33]

Contributors

Main article: Writers of Guru Granth Sahib

Number of hymns contributed to the Guru Granth Sahib[35]

  Guru Nanak (16.53%)
  Guru Angad (1.10%)
  Guru Amar Das (15.38%)
  Guru Ram Das (11.52%)
  Guru Arjan (32.63%)
  Guru Tegh Bahadur (5.92%)
  Other (16.92%)

The Guru Granth Sahib contains predominantly hymns of the following Sikh Gurus: Guru Nanak, Guru Angad, Guru Amar Das, Guru Ram Das, Guru Arjan and Guru Teg Bahadur.[35] Whilst these six gurus are widely accepted as having their writings included in the Guru Granth Sahib, there are some who argue compositions of Guru Har Rai and Guru Gobind Singh are also included.[36][37][38][39] A Salok Mahalla Satvan (7) and Dohra Mahalla Dasvan (10) have been attributed by some to the seventh and tenth gurus, respectively.[36][37][38][39] It also contains hymns and verses of thirteen Hindu Bhakti movement sant poets (saints) and two Muslim saint poets. There are also idolatry verses for the Gurus such as Guru Nanak fused into some pages, those composed by bards (Bhatts).[clarification needed] The hymns and verses are different lengths, some very long, others being just a few line verses.[10][35] Twenty-two of the thirty-one ragas contain the contributions of bhagats.[5] The following is a list of contributors whose hymns are present in the Guru Granth Sahib[40] as well as the number of hymns they contributed:[5]

Sikh Gurus:

Bhagats:

Bhatts:

Pirs:

Gursikhs:

 
Map showing birthplace of various contributors of Guru Granth Sahib

Manuscript versions

In the 19th and 20th-century, several manuscript versions of the Adi Granth and the Guru Granth Sahib hymns were discovered. This triggered contesting theories about authenticity and how the canonical text of Sikhism evolved over time. There are five views:[41]

  • The first view held by scholars such as Balwant Singh Dhillon states that there was a consistent "mother tradition", where the hymns of Guru Nanak were carefully preserved as a single codex without any corruption or unauthorized changes, to which the later Gurus added additional hymns. The Sikh scripture developed in linear, pure form becoming first the Adi Granth and finally the closed version of the Guru Granth Sahib. According to this view, there was no pre-canonical diversity, the scripture developed in an organized and disciplined format, and it denies the existence of alternate hymns and texts that were cherished by Sikhs of an earlier era.[41]
  • The second view held by scholars such as Gurinder Singh Mann states that the scripture started from a single process, proceeded linearly, then diversified into separate textual traditions with some variations, over time. This school of scholars supports their theory by highlighting the similarities of the manuscripts and close match particularly between the three manuscripts called the Guru Har Sahai MS, the Govindval MS, and the Guru Nanak Dev University MS 1245.[41] This theory is weakened by variations observed in 27 manuscript variants now dated between 1642 and 1692. The alternate formulation of this theory states that two branches developed over time, with the Peshawar pothi and Kartarpur pothi being the two branches.[41]
  •  
    Bhai Banno (right) being given the Adi Granth by Guru Arjan (centre-left) to get it bound
    The third view held by scholars such as Piar Singh states that independent versions of the Sikh scripture developed in geographically distant regions of the Indian subcontinent.[41] These versions developed because of the forgetfulness or creativity of the local Sikh leaders, errors made by scribes, attempts to adopt popular hymns of bhagats or adapt the hymns to local regional languages where Gurmukhi was not understood. It is these manuscripts that Guru Arjan collected and considered, then edited to produce an approved version of the Adi Granth. The Sikh scripture, according to this school, was thus a collaborative effort and there was no authentic version of the pre-canonical text in Sikhism.[41]
  • The fourth view builds upon this third view and is supported by scholars such as Jeevan Deol. According to this view, there were independent textual traditions in Sikhism before Guru Arjan decided to edit and redact them into the Adi Granth.[41] These textual traditions developed in different parts of the Indian subcontinent, greatly influenced by the popularity of regional bhagats and their Bhakti movement ideas about nirguna and saguna forms of the divine, with Guru Arjan favoring the nirgun versions. The Adi Granth reflects the review, editing and compilation of complex and diverse textual traditions before him.[41]
  • The fifth view held by scholars such as Pashaura Singh develops and refines the fourth view. It states that the Sikh scripture emerged from a collaborative effort of Guru Arjan and his trusted associates, particularly Bhai Gurdas and Jagana Brahmin of Agra. His collaborators were his devout admirers, well versed in the Sikh thought, Sanskrit traditions and philosophical schools of Indian religions.[42] The variant manuscripts support this theory, as does the handwriting analysis of the Kartarpur bir (manuscript) approved by Guru Arjan which shows at least four distinct scribal styles.[42] The variations in the manuscripts also affirm that the Adi Granth did not develop in a linear way, i.e. it was not simply copied from a previous version.[19][42]

Composition

Main articles: Gurmukhi and Sikh music
 
The end part of the handwritten Adi Granth by Pratap Singh Giani on the first floor of the Golden Temple

The entire Guru Granth Sahib is written in the Gurmukhi script, which was standardized by Guru Angad in the 16th century. According to Sikh tradition and the Mahman Prakash, an early Sikh manuscript, Guru Angad Dev had taught and spread Gurmukhi at the suggestion of Guru Nanak Dev who invented the Gurmukhi script.[43][44] The word Gurmukhī translates to "from the mouth of the guru". It descended from the Laṇḍā scripts and was used from the outset for compiling Sikh scriptures. The Sikhs assign a high degree of sanctity to the Gurmukhī script.[45] It is the official script for writing Punjabi in the Indian State of Punjab.

Gurus considered divine worship through shabad kirtan as the best means of attaining that state of bliss – vismad – which resulted in communion with God. The Guru Granth Sahib is divided by musical settings or rāgas[46] into 1430 pages known as angs "limbs" in Sikh tradition. It can be categorized into two sections:

  1. Introductory section consisting of the Mul Mantar, Japji Sahib, So Dhar (Rehras) and Sohila, composed by Guru Nanak;
  2. Compositions of Sikh gurus, followed by those of the bhagats who know only God, collected according to the chronology of ragas or musical settings. (see below).

The word raga refers to the "color"[47] and, more specifically, the emotion or mood produced by a combination or sequence of pitches.[48] A rāga is composed of a series of melodic motifs, based upon a definite scale or mode of the seven svara psalmizations,[49] that provide a basic structure around which the musician performs. Gurbani raags are not time dependent.

Following is the list of all sixty rāgas under which Gurbani is written, in order of appearance with page numbers:

  1. Asa — 8,
  2. Gujari — 10,
  3. Gauri Deepaki — 12,
  4. Dhanasri — 13,
  5. Gauri Poorabi — 13,
  6. Sri — 14,
  7. Majh — 94,
  8. Gauri Guarairee — 151,
  9. Gauri — 151,
  10. Gauri Dakhani — 152,
  11. Gauri Chaitee — 154,
  12. Gauri Bairagan — 156,
  13. Gauri Poorabi Deepaki — 157,
  14. Gauri Majh — 172,
  15. Gauri Malva — 214,
  16. Gauri Mala — 214,
  17. Gauri Sorath — 330,
  18. Asa Kafi — 365,
  19. Asavari — 369,
  20. Asa Asavari — 409,
  21. Devgandhari — 527,
  22. Bihagra — 537,
  23. Vadhans — 557,
  24. Vadhans Dakhani — 580,
  25. Sorath — 595,
  26. Jaitsri — 696,
  27. Todi — 711,
  28. Bairarri — 719,
  29. Tilang — 721,
  30. Tilang Kafi — 726,
  31. Suhee — 728,
  32. Suhee Kafi — 751,
  33. Suhee Lalit — 793,
  34. Bilaval — 795,
  35. Bilaval Dakhani — 843,
  36. Gound — 859,
  37. Bilaval Gound — 874,
  38. Ramkali — 876,
  39. Ramkali Dakhani — 907,
  40. Nut Narayan — 975,
  41. Nut — 975,
  42. Mali Gaura — 984,
  43. Maru — 989,
  44. Maru Kafi — 1014,
  45. Maru Dakhani — 1033,
  46. Tukhari — 1107,
  47. Kedara — 1118,
  48. Bhairo — 1125,
  49. Basant — 1168,
  50. Basant Hindol — 1170,
  51. Sarang — 1197,
  52. Malar — 1254,
  53. Kanra — 1294,
  54. Kaliyan — 1319,
  55. Kaliyan Bhopali — 1321,
  56. Parbhati Bibhas — 1327,
  57. Parbhati — 1327,
  58. Parbhati Dakhani — 1344,
  59. Bibhas Parbhati — 1347,
  60. Jaijavanti — 1352.

Meaning and role in Sikhism

In 1708, Guru Gobind Singh conferred the title of "Guru of the Sikhs" upon the Adi Granth. The event was recorded in a Bhatt Vahi (a bard's scroll) by an eyewitness, Narbud Singh, who was a bard at the Rajput rulers' court associated with gurus.[50] Sikhs since then have accepted the Guru Granth Sahib, the sacred scripture, as their eternal-living guru, as the embodiment of the ten Sikh Gurus, the highest religious and spiritual guide for Sikhs. It plays a central role in guiding the Sikh's way of life.[6][51]

 
A Granthi reciting from Guru Granth Sahib

No one can change or alter any of the writings of the Sikh gurus written in the Guru Granth Sahib. This includes sentences, words, structure, grammar, and meanings. This tradition was set by Guru Har Rai. He sent his eldest son Ram Rai as an emissary to the Mughal emperor Aurangzeb in Delhi. Aurangzeb, a devout Muslim ruler, objected to a verse in the Sikh scripture (Asa ki Var) that stated, "the clay from a Musalman's grave is kneaded into potter's lump", considering it an insult to Islam. Ram Rai tried to please the emperor by explaining that the text was miscopied and modified it, substituting "Musalman" with "Beiman" (faithless, evil) which Aurangzeb approved.[52][53] The willingness to change a word led Guru Har Rai to bar his son from his presence, and name his younger son as his successor.[53]

Recitation

The Guru Granth Sahib is always the focal point in any gurdwara, seated on a raised platform known as a Takht (throne), while the congregation of devotees sits on the floor and prostrate before the guru as a sign of respect. The Guru Granth Sahib is given the greatest respect and honour. Sikhs cover their heads and remove their shoes while in the presence of this sacred scripture, their eternal living guru. The Guru Granth Sahib is normally carried on the head and as a sign of respect, never touched with unwashed hands or put on the floor.[54] It is attended with all signs of royalty, with a canopy placed over it. A chaur (fan whisk) is waved above the Guru Granth Sahib.[55]

The Guru Granth Sahib is taken care of by a Granthi, who is responsible for reciting from the sacred hymns and leading Sikh prayers. The Granthi also acts as caretaker for the Guru Granth Sahib, keeping the scripture covered in clean cloths, known as rumala, to protect from heat and dust. The Guru Granth Sahib rests on a manji sahib under a rumala until brought out again.[54]

Rituals

 
 
Left: A palanquin being prepared for the daily sukhasan ritual to carry the scripture to a bedroom; Right: The palanquin carrying the Guru Granth Sahib to the sanctum at dawn (prakash).

Several rituals are performed every day in major Sikh gurdwaras (temples) such as the Golden Temple. These rituals treat the scripture as a living person, a guru, out of respect. The rituals include:[56][57]

  • Closing ritual called sukhasan (sukh means "comfort or rest", asan means "position"). At night, after a series of devotional kirtans and three part ardās, the Guru Granth Sahib is closed, carried on the head, placed into and then carried in a flower decorated, pillow-bed palki (palanquin), with chanting to its bedroom. Once it arrives there, the scripture is tucked into a bed.[56][57][note 3]
  • Opening ritual called prakash which means "light". About dawn everyday, the Guru Granth Sahib is taken out its bedroom, carried on the head, placed and carried in a flower-decorated palki with chanting, sometimes with bugles sounding its passage. It is brought to the sanctum. Then after ritual singing of a series of Var Asa kirtans and ardas, a random page is opened. The first complete verse on the left page is the mukhwak (or vak) of the day. It is read out loud, and then written out for the pilgrims to read over that day.[56][57][58]

Translations

Ernest Trumpp – a German philologist, published the first philological study and a major but incomplete translation of the Guru Granth Sahib in 1877, after an eight-year study of the text and field interviews with Sikh intelligentsia of his time.[59][60] Trumpp included his criticism of the Sikh scripture in the preface and introductory sections, and stated "Sikhism is a waning religion, that will soon belong to history". Many in the Sikh community regarded these introductory remarks to his translation as extremely offensive.[61][62] According to the Indologist Mark Juergensmeyer, setting aside Ernest Trumpp's nasty remarks, he was a German linguist and his years of scholarship, translations, as well as field notes and discussions with Sikhs at the Golden Temple remain valuable reference works for contemporary scholars.[63] While Akshaya Kumar holds Trumpp's translation to be "literal and mechanical" emphasizing preciseness and fastidiously retaining the words as well as the syntax of the original verses, avoiding any creative and inventive restatement to empathize with a believer,[64] Arvind-Pal Singh Mandair noted the clear influence from the Brahmanical leanings of his Nirmala collaborators,[65] among the British-supported Sikh class which had been long enjoying British patronage as they helped to keep “hostile” elements under control,[66] who for example induced Trumpp to omit the numeral “one” in the phrase Ik Oankar in his translation,[65] in an attempt to bring the scripture closer to the Brahmanical-influenced interpretation of the sects that differed with the interpretation of the orthodox Khalsa. Trumpp's translation was seen to be a challenge to the administration's already-established view that the Sikhs were a distinct community,[65] prompting the Khalsa to commission its own translation. Trumpp, as well as other translators, were commissioned by colonial administrators.[64]

Max Arthur Macauliffe – a British civil servant, was next to publish a major but incomplete translation of the Guru Granth Sahib, covering the same ground as Trumpp but interspersed his translation between Janamsakhis-based mythical history of the Sikh Gurus.[67][68] A major source of his historical information was Suraj Prakash of Santokh Singh, and his primary translation advisor was the prominent Khalsa Sikh scholar Kahn Singh Nabha – the author of Gurmat Prabhakar and Hum Hindu Nahin.[69][70] Macauliffe's translation appeared embedded in the six-volume The Sikh Religion and was published by Oxford University Press in 1909.[68] Unlike Trumpp who had disregarded the sensibilities and empathy for the Sikhs, Macauliffe used his creative editorial abilities to incorporate these sensibilities.[68] While Trumpp criticized Sikhism and the Guru Granth Sahib, Macauliffe criticized Hinduism and wrote an introduction that presented the hymns of Sikh Gurus as Christian-like with affinities to "Protestant virtues and ethics", presumably for a British audience, states Indologist Giorgio Shani.[71] Macauliffe's translation was well received by the Sikh community and considered by them as closer to how they interpret their scripture.[68] Post-colonial scholarship has questioned Macauliffe's accounting for and incorporation of Sikh traditions as "uncritical" and "dubious", though one that pleased the Sikh community.[68] Macauliffe's version has been widely followed by later scholars and translators.[68] According to Christopher Shackle – a scholar of Languages and Religion, Macauliffe's approach to translation was to work with Khalsa Sikh reformists of the 1890s (Singh Sabha) and exegetically present the scripture in a "progressive monotheism" fold that deserved the support of the British administration as a distinct tradition, and of the native Sikh clergy.[64] He used considerable freedom in restating the archaic poetry into a "vaguely psalm-like translation".[72]

The first complete English translation of the Guru Granth Sahib, by Gopal Singh, was published in 1960. A revised version published in 1978 removed archaic English words such as "thee" and "thou". In 1962, an eight-volume translation into English and Punjabi by Manmohan Singh was published by the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee. In the 2000s, a translation by Sant Singh Khalsa appeared on major Sikhism-related websites such as 3HO/Sikh Dharma Brotherhood's Sikhnet.com.[72]

Printing

Official versions of the Guru Granth Sahib are produced in Amritsar by the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC). The SGPC printers are the only authorized worldwide publisher of the scripture, states the Sikh religious body Akal Takht.[76] Prior to 2006, Jeewan Singh Chattar Singh & Sons used to print the official versions and were the oldest publisher in Amritsar. However, in 2006, the Akal Takht banned them from printing the Sikh scripture after a sting operation showed that they were printing and mishandling the scripture as well as selling an illegal copy of the Sikh scripture to a Muslim seer.[77] A subsidiary of the SGPC, the Delhi Sikh Gurudwara Management Committee, is the authorized printer and supplier of the Guru Granth Sahib to Sikhs outside of India. These facilities are a part of the Gurudwara Rakabganj in New Delhi.[78]

The original Guru Granth Sahib is in the possession of the Sodhi family of Kartarpur village, and is placed at Gurdwara Thum Sahib.[79] The Sodhis are descendants of Guru Arjan Dev and Kartarpur was founded by him in 1598. Since the early 20th century, it has been printed in a standard edition of 1430 Angs.[citation needed] Prior to the late nineteenth century, only handwritten copies were prepared. The first printed copy of the Guru Granth Sahib was made in 1864. Any copies of the Guru Granth Sahib deemed unfit to be read from are cremated, with a ceremony similar to that for cremating a deceased person. Such a cremation is called Agan Bheta. The Guru Granth Sahib is currently printed in an authorized printing press in the basement of the Gurudwara Ramsar in Amritsar; misprints and set-up sheets, and printer's waste with any of its sacred text on, are cremated at Goindval.[80]

See also

Notes

  1. ^ According to Khushwant Singh, while the manuscript was being put together, Akbar – the Mughal Emperor, received a report that the Adi Granth contained passages vilifying Islam. Therefore, he asked to inspect it.[22] Baba Buddha and Bhai Gurdas brought him a copy of the manuscript and read a few hymns from it. Akbar decided that this report had been false and donated 51 gold mohurs to the manuscript effort. However, this support for the Sikh scripture and Sikhism was short-lived once Akbar died, with Jehangir calling Sikhism as a "false traffic". Under his orders, Guru Arjan, who compiled the first edition of the Sikh scripture, was tortured and executed.[22]
  2. ^ Another controversy has been the discovery of two blank folios in the Kartarpur manuscript (near page 703) and why the Ramakali hymn on that page is just two opening lines. In contrast to the Kartarpur manuscript, the Banno manuscript of Adi Granth, discovered in Kanpur and dated to 1644, is identical in all respects but it has no blank pages and on the folio pages near 703 is a complete hymn. The Banno bir has been controversial because it includes many Hindu rites-of-passage (sanskara) in that version of the Adi Granth.[25] According to W.H. McLeod, the difference in the two versions can be because of three possibilities, from which he withholds judgment:[26] first, Guru Arjan deliberately left the blank folio pages to complete it later, but was unable to because he was arrested and executed by the Mughal emperor Jehangir; second, the hymn and pages existed in the original manuscript, the Banno bir is older, the pages were removed by Khalsa Sikhs from the Kartarpur manuscript and replaced with blank folios in their attempt to carve out a separate Sikh identity from the Hindus during the Singh Sabha Movement; third, the blank pages were intentionally left by Guru Arjan for unknown reasons, and the complete hymn in the Banno bir is an interpolation added by a Sikh follower who wanted to insert Brahminical rites-of-passage rituals in the text. According to G.B. Singh – a Sikh scholar who pioneered study of the early Sikh manuscripts, the evidence supports the second theory.[25][27] According to Pashaura Singh, his examination of the manuscripts and linguistic evidence yields support for the third theory, noting that the smaller hand and different writing implement in which the remaining 22 lines were written, the lines themselves do not match earlier manuscripts and differ in structure and lexicon from the rest of Guru Arjan's writings, the presence of other short verses in all manuscripts like Vār Basant with only three stanzas, and points to the fact that G.B. Singh had made the claim without actually examining the text, positing that he seemed to have been serving the interests of the Arya Samaj based on his writings.[25]
  3. ^ In moderate-size gurdwaras, the palanquin step may be skipped and the scripture is simply carried on the head to its bedroom.[58]

References

  1. ^ Songs of the Saints from the Adi Granth By Nirmal Dass. Published by SUNY Press, 2000. ISBN 0-7914-4683-2, ISBN 978-0-7914-4683-6. Page 13. "Any attempt at translating songs from the Adi Granth certainly involves working not with one language, but several, along with dialectical differences. The languages used by the saints range from Sanskrit; regional Prakrits; western, eastern and southern Apabhramsa; and Sahaskrit. More particularly, we find sant bhasha, Marathi, Old Hindi, central and Lehndi Panjabi, Sindhi and Persian. There are also many dialects deployed, such as Purbi Marwari, Bangru, Dakhni, Malwai, and Awadhi."
  2. ^ Sikhism. The Guru Granth Sahib (GGS) By Harjinder Singh. "The Guru Granth Sahib also contains hymns which are written in a language known as Sahiskriti as well as Sant Bhasha, it also contains many Persian and Sanskrit words throughout."
  3. ^ Jhutti-Johal, Jagbir (7 April 2011). Sikhism Today. A&C Black. p. 17. ISBN 978-1-4411-7001-9.
  4. ^ Partridge, Christopher Hugh (2005). Introduction to World Religions. p. 223.
  5. ^ a b c Kapoor, Sukhbir (2002). Guru Granth Sahib: An Advance Study. Hemkunt Press. p. 139. ISBN 9788170103219.
  6. ^ a b Adi Granth, Encyclopaedia Britannica
  7. ^ Anna S. King and JL Brockington (2005), The Intimate Other: Love Divine in Indic Religions, Orient Blackswan, ISBN 978-8125028017, pages 359-361
  8. ^ Christopher Shackle and Arvind Mandair (2005), Teachings of the Sikh Gurus, Routledge, ISBN 978-0415266048, pages xvii-xx
  9. ^ Harnik Deol, Religion and Nationalism in India. Routledge, 2000. ISBN 0-415-20108-X, 9780415201087. Page 22. "(...) the compositions in the Sikh holy book, Adi Granth, are a melange of various dialects, often coalesced under the generic title of Sant Bhasha."
    The Making of Sikh Scripture by Gurinder Singh Mann. Published by Oxford University Press US, 2001. ISBN 0-19-513024-3, ISBN 978-0-19-513024-9 Page 5. "The language of the hymns recorded in the Adi Granth has been called Sant Bhasha, a kind of lingua franca used by the medieval saint-poets of northern India. But the broad range of contributors to the text produced a complex mix of regional dialects."
    Surindar Singh Kohli, History of Punjabi Literature. Page 48. National Book, 1993. ISBN 81-7116-141-3, ISBN 978-81-7116-141-6. "When we go through the hymns and compositions of the Guru written in Sant Bhasha (saint-language), it appears that some Indian saint of 16th century...."
    Nirmal Dass, Songs of the Saints from the Adi Granth. SUNY Press, 2000. ISBN 0-7914-4683-2, ISBN 978-0-7914-4683-6. Page 13. "Any attempt at translating songs from the Adi Granth certainly involves working not with one language, but several, along with dialectical differences. The languages used by the saints range from Sanskrit; regional Prakrits; western, eastern and southern Apabhramsa; and Sahiskriti. More particularly, we find sant bhasha, Marathi, Old Hindi, central and Lehndi Panjabi, Sgettland Persian. There are also many dialects deployed, such as Purbi Marwari, Bangru, Dakhni, Malwai, and Awadhi."
  10. ^ a b Shapiro, Michael C.; Dass, Nirmal (2002). "Songs of the Saints, from the Adi Granth". Journal of the American Oriental Society. 122 (4): 924–929. doi:10.2307/3217680. JSTOR 3217680.
  11. ^ Parrinder, Geoffrey (1971). World Religions: From Ancient History to the Present. United States: Hamlyn. p. 256. ISBN 978-0-87196-129-7.
  12. ^ Torkel Brekke (2014), Religion, War, and Ethics: A Sourcebook of Textual Traditions (Editors: Gregory M. Reichberg and Henrik Syse), Cambridge University Press, ISBN 978-0521450386, pages 673, 675, 672-686
  13. ^ Christopher Shackle and Arvind Mandair (2005), Teachings of the Sikh Gurus, Routledge, ISBN 978-0415266048, pages xxxiv-xli
  14. ^ William Owen Cole and Piara Singh Sambhi (1995), The Sikhs: Their Religious Beliefs and Practices, Sussex Academic Press, ISBN 978-1898723134, pages 40, 157
  15. ^ William Owen Cole and Piara Singh Sambhi (1995), The Sikhs: Their Religious Beliefs and Practices, Sussex Academic Press, ISBN 978-1898723134, page 44
  16. ^ Torkel Brekke (2014), Religion, War, and Ethics: A Sourcebook of Textual Traditions (Editors: Gregory M. Reichberg and Henrik Syse), Cambridge University Press, ISBN 978-0521450386, page 675
  17. ^ Singh, Khushwant (1991). A History of the Sikhs: Vol. 1. 1469-1839. Oxford University Press. p. 46.
  18. ^ Singh, Khushwant (1991). A History of the Sikhs: Vol. 1. 1469-1839. Oxford University Press. p. 50.
  19. ^ a b c d Gurinder Singh Mann (2001). The Making of Sikh Scripture. Oxford University Press. pp. 33–36. ISBN 978-0-19-513024-9.
  20. ^ a b Singh, Khushwant (1991). A History of the Sikhs: Vol. 1. 1469-1839. Oxford University Press. pp. 57–58, 294–295. Retrieved 18 December 2011.
  21. ^ Trumpp, Ernest (2004) [1877]. The Ādi Granth or the Holy Scriptures of the Sikhs. India: Munshiram Manoharlal Publishers. p. 1xxxi. ISBN 978-81-215-0244-3.
  22. ^ a b c Singh, Khushwant (1991). A History of the Sikhs: Vol. 1. 1469-1839. Oxford University Press. pp. 57–61.
  23. ^ a b c d Pashaura Singh; Louis E. Fenech (2014). The Oxford Handbook of Sikh Studies. Oxford University Press. pp. 127–129. ISBN 978-0-19-969930-8.
  24. ^ Gurinder Singh Mann (2001). The Making of Sikh Scripture. Oxford University Press. pp. 36–38. ISBN 978-0-19-513024-9.
  25. ^ a b c Arjan, Guru; Singh, Pashaura (1996). "Guru Arjan's Rāmakalī Hymn: The Central Issue in the Kartarpur-Banno Debate". Journal of the American Oriental Society. 116 (4): 724–729. doi:10.2307/605443. JSTOR 605443.
  26. ^ W.H. McLeod (1979), The Sikh scriptures: Some Issues, in Sikh Studies: Comparative Perspectives on a Changing Tradition by Mark Jurgensmeyer and N Gerald Barrier (editors), University of California Press, Berkeley Religious Studies Series and Theological Union, pages 101–103
  27. ^ G.B. Singh (1944), Sri Guru Granth Sahib dian Prachin Biran, Modern Publishers Lahore, (Original (Gurmukhi script); For discussion in English, see Chapter 22 of G Kumar
  28. ^ William Owen Cole and Piara Singh Sambhi (1995), The Sikhs: Their Religious Beliefs and Practices, Sussex Academic Press, ISBN 978-1898723134, pages 45-46
  29. ^ a b Singh, Khushwant (1991). A History of the Sikhs: Vol. 1. 1469-1839. Oxford University Press. pp. 93–94.
  30. ^ a b c Pashaura Singh; Louis E. Fenech (2014). The Oxford Handbook of Sikh Studies. Oxford University Press. pp. 129–130. ISBN 978-0-19-969930-8.
  31. ^ McLeod, W. H. (1990). Textual Sources for the Study of Sikhism. University of Chicago Press. ISBN 9780226560854. Retrieved 11 June 2010.
  32. ^ a b Singh, Jasjit (July 2014). "The Guru's Way: Exploring Diversity Among British Khalsa Sikhs". Religion Compass. 8 (7): 209–219. doi:10.1111/rec3.12111. ISSN 1749-8171.
  33. ^ a b Singh, Pashaura (13 October 2011), "The Guru Granth Sahib", Sikhism in Global Context, Oxford University Press, pp. 39–59, retrieved 26 February 2023
  34. ^ Singh, Kamalroop. "Sikh Martial Art (Gatkā)." The Oxford Handbook of Sikh Studies. Oxford University Press, 2014. 459.
  35. ^ a b c Christopher Shackle; Arvind Mandair (2013). Teachings of the Sikh Gurus: Selections from the Sikh Scriptures. Routledge. pp. xvii–xix. ISBN 978-1-136-45108-9.
  36. ^ a b Singh, Sardar Harjeet (2009). Faith & Philosophy of Sikhism. Gyan Publishing House. pp. 103–104. ISBN 978-81-7835-721-8.
  37. ^ a b Sikh art and literature. Kerry, August 17- Brown. London: Routledge. 1999. p. 198. ISBN 0-415-20288-4. OCLC 39765536.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: others (link)
  38. ^ a b Singh, Anurag (December 2018). "Punjab: Cradle of Indian Civilization and Khalsa of Guru Gobind Singh" (PDF). Gyankosh: An Interdisciplinary e-Journal. 1: 29.
  39. ^ a b Singh, Pashaura. "Fearlessness and human justice: Exploring Guru Tegh Bahadur’s teachings and sacrifice from a fresh perspective." Sikh Formations 17.4 (2021): 409-434.
  40. ^ Christopher Shackle; Arvind Mandair (2013). Teachings of the Sikh Gurus: Selections from the Sikh Scriptures. Routledge. pp. xv–xix, xli, 149–158. ISBN 978-1-136-45108-9.
  41. ^ a b c d e f g h Pashaura Singh; Louis E. Fenech (2014). The Oxford Handbook of Sikh Studies. Oxford University Press. pp. 125–128. ISBN 978-0-19-969930-8.;
    For a more comprehensive discussion of these theories and evidence, see: Pashaura Singh (2003). The Guru Granth Sahib: Canon, Meaning and Authority. Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-908773-0.
  42. ^ a b c Pashaura Singh; Louis E. Fenech (2014). The Oxford Handbook of Sikh Studies. Oxford University Press. pp. 127–129. ISBN 978-0-19-969930-8.
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  44. ^ Gupta, Hari Ram (2000). History of the Sikhs Vol. 1; The Sikh Gurus, 1469-1708. Munshiram Manoharlal Publishers (P) Ltd. p. 114. ISBN 81-215-0276-4.
  45. ^ Mann, Gurinder Singh (2001). The making of Sikh Scripture. Oxford University Press. p. 5. ISBN 0-19-513024-3.
  46. ^ Brown, Kerry (1999). Sikh Art and Literature. Psychology Press. p. 200. ISBN 978-0-415-20289-3.
  47. ^ Giriraj, Ruhel (2003). Glory Of Indian Culture. Diamond. p. 96. ISBN 9788171825929.
  48. ^ The Concise Garland Encyclopedia of World Music, Volume 2. Routledge. 2013. p. 935. ISBN 9781136096020.
  49. ^ Amrita, Priyamvada (2007). Encyclopaedia of Indian music. p. 252. ISBN 9788126131143.
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May 07, 2023
guru, granth, sahib, punjabi, pronounced, ɡʊɾuː, ɡɾəntʰᵊ, saːhɪb, central, holy, religious, scripture, sikhism, regarded, sikhs, final, sovereign, eternal, guru, following, lineage, human, gurus, religion, granth, punjabi, ਆਦ, first, rendition, compiled, fifth. The Guru Granth Sahib Punjabi ਗ ਰ ਗ ਰ ਥ ਸ ਹ ਬ pronounced ɡʊɾuː ɡɾentʰᵊ saːhɪb is the central holy religious scripture of Sikhism regarded by Sikhs as the final sovereign and eternal Guru following the lineage of the ten human gurus of the religion The Adi Granth Punjabi ਆਦ ਗ ਰ ਥ its first rendition was compiled by the fifth guru Guru Arjan 1564 1606 Its compilation was completed on 29 August 1604 and first installed inside Golden Temple in Amritsar on 1 September 1604 3 Baba Buddha was appointed the first Granthi of the Golden Temple Shortly afterwards Guru Hargobind added Ramkali Ki Vaar Later Guru Gobind Singh the tenth Sikh guru added hymns of Guru Tegh Bahadur to the Adi Granth and affirmed the text as his successor 4 This second rendition became known as the Guru Granth Sahib and is also sometimes referred to as the Adi Granth 5 6 Guru Granth Sahibਗ ਰ ਗ ਰ ਥ ਸ ਹ ਬIlluminated Guru Granth Sahib folio with nisan Mul Mantar in the penmanship of Guru Gobind SinghInformationReligionSikhismLanguageSant Bhasha Punjabi and its dialects Lahnda regional Prakrits Apabhramsa Sanskrit Hindustani languages Brajbhasha Bangru Awadhi Old Hindi Deccani Bhojpuri Sindhi Marathi Marwari Bengali Persian and Arabic 1 2 The text consists of 1 430 angs pages and 5 894 shabads line compositions which are poetically rendered and set to a rhythmic ancient north Indian classical form of music 7 The bulk of the scripture is divided into 31 main ragas with each Granth raga subdivided according to length and author The hymns in the scripture are arranged primarily by the ragas in which they are read 8 The Guru Granth Sahib is written in the Gurmukhi script in various languages including Punjabi Lahnda regional Prakrits Apabhramsa Sanskrit Hindi languages Braj Bhasha Bangru Awadhi Old Hindi Bhojpuri Sindhi Bengali Persian and Arabic Copies in these languages often have the generic title of Sant Bhasha 9 The Guru Granth Sahib was composed predominantly by six Sikh gurus Guru Nanak Guru Angad Guru Amar Das Guru Ram Das Guru Arjan and Guru Tegh Bahadur It also contains the traditions and teachings of fourteen Hindu Bhakti movement sants saints such as Ramananda Kabir and Namdev among others and one Muslim Sufi saint Sheikh Farid 10 11 The vision in the Guru Granth Sahib is of a society based on divine freedom mercy love and justice without oppression of any kind 12 13 While the Granth acknowledges and respects the scriptures of Hinduism and Islam it does not imply a moral reconciliation with either of these religions 14 It is installed in a Sikh gurdwara temple A Sikh typically prostrates before it on entering such a temple 15 The Granth is revered as eternal gurbani and the spiritual authority in Sikhism 16 Contents 1 History 1 1 Editions 1 2 Extensions of the Guru Granth Sahib 1 3 Weapons in front of the Guru Granth Sahib 1 4 Contributors 1 5 Manuscript versions 2 Composition 3 Meaning and role in Sikhism 3 1 Recitation 3 2 Rituals 4 Translations 5 Printing 6 See also 7 Notes 8 References 9 External linksHistory Edit Folio from the Jalandhar recension of the Goindwal Pothi dated to the late 16th century Guru Nanak composed hymns which were sung by his followers in raga set to music 17 His successor Guru Angad opened centers and distributed these hymns The community would sing the hymns and his agents collected donations 18 This tradition was continued by the third and fourth gurus as well The fifth guru Guru Arjan discovered that Prithi Chand his eldest brother and a competing claimant to the Sikh guruship had a copy of an earlier pothi palm leaf manuscript with hymns and was distributing hymns of the earlier gurus along with his own of hymns 19 Guru Arjan considered these as spurious and became concerned about establishing an authentic anthology of approved hymns 20 Guru Arjan began compiling an officially approved version of the sacred scripture for the Sikh community He sent his associates across the Indian subcontinent to collect the circulating hymns of Sikh gurus and convinced Mohan the son of Guru Amar Das to give him the collection of the religious writings of the first three gurus in a humble manner by singing the hymns registered in Guru Granth Sahib 248 O Mohan your temple is so lofty and your mansion is unsurpassed O Mohan your gates are so beautiful They are the worship houses of the Saints Sri Guru Granth Sahib page 248 Full Shabad 20 As his associates returned with their collections Guru Arjan selected and edited the hymns for inclusion in the Adi Granth with Bhai Gurdas as his scribe 21 note 1 This effort yielded several drafts and manuscripts some of which have survived into the modern era 19 23 The oldest surviving manuscript version of the Adi Granth is the Guru Nanak Dev University Manuscript 1245 which has been dated to c 1599 Other early editions of the Adi Granth with some variations include the Bahoval pothi c 1600 Vanjara pothi c 1601 and Bhai Rupa pothi c 1603 23 Another early variant manuscript is called the Guru Harsahai pothi preserved by Sodhis and is believed to be the one that existed before Guru Arjan s compilation and one he gave to his eldest brother Prithi Chand It was initially installed in Amritsar then was moved in the 18th century and preserved in Guru Harsahai 35 kilometers west of Faridkot Punjab till 1969 when the state government requested it be displayed for the 500 years celebrations It was moved for the first time in over 200 years and briefly displayed in Patiala for the event Thereafter the Sodhis consented to transfers In 1970 however during another such transfer this early version of the Adi Granth manuscript was stolen 19 However photos of some pages have survived This manuscript is claimed by the Sodhis to be the oldest and one written in part by Guru Nanak However this claim is first observed only much later in texts attributed to the 17th century Hariji the grandson of Prithi Chand Based on the evidence in the surviving photos it is unlikely that Guru Nanak wrote or maintained a pothi The features in its Gurmukhi script and the language suggest that the hymns are significantly older and that the pre canonical hymns were being written down in early Sikhism and preserved by the Sikh Gurus prior to the editing by Guru Arjan The existence of Guru Harsahai manuscript attests to the early tradition of Sikh scripture its existence in variant forms and a competition of ideas on its contents including the Mul Mantar 24 Many minor variations and three significant Adi Granth recensions are known these provide insights into how the Sikh scripture was compiled edited and revised over time 23 There is a fourth significant version called the Lahori bir but it primarily differs in how the hymns are arranged and the final pages of the Adi Granth 23 note 2 Editions Edit Photograph of the Kartarpur Bir kept at Kartarpur This is the manuscript that was completed by Guru Arjan and his scribe Bhai Gurdas in 1604 and installed in the Golden Temple A folio from an early 19th century manuscript copy of the Guru Granth Sahib Schoyen Collection Norway In 1604 the first edition of the Sikh scripture Adi Granth was complete and officially approved by Guru Arjan It was installed at the Golden Temple with Baba Buddha as the first granthi or reader 28 No hymns were added by Guru Hargobind Guru Har Rai and Guru Har Krishan In the Sikh tradition Guru Hargobind is credited for adding the raga tunes for nine out of 22 Vars The hymns of IX Guru Tegh Bahadur after his beheading in Delhi were added to the scripture by his son and successor Guru Gobind Singh 22 In 1704 at Damdama Sahib during a one year respite from the heavy fighting with the Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb Guru Gobind Singh and Bhai Mani Singh added the religious compositions of Guru Tegh Bahadur to the Adi Granth to create the final edition called the Guru Granth Sahib 29 Prior to Guru Gobind Singh three versions of the Adi Granth pothi with minor variations were in circulation at Sikh shrines across the Indian subcontinent 30 In addition several unauthorized versions were in circulation issued by sects founded by one of the sons or relatives of earlier Sikh Gurus such as Prithi Chand Guru Arjan s elder brother 30 Guru Gobind Singh issued the definitive final edition that included the hymns of his father and closed the canon This manuscript is called the Damdama bir and a 1707 rare copy of this manuscript is now preserved at the Toshakhana in Nanded Maharashtra 30 The 3 Sikh Granths Ad Dasam Sarbloh being read Hukamnama This is located in a Buddha Dal Gurudwara and each Granth book has its own attendent with a ceremonial fly whisk The compositions of Guru Gobind Singh were not included in the Guru Granth Sahib and set into the Dasven Padsah ka Granth which is more popularly known as the Dasam Granth 29 The compilation and release of this definitive edition of the latter was completed by Bhai Mani Singh 31 Extensions of the Guru Granth Sahib Edit The Akali Nihang sect of Sikhs consider the Dasam Granth and the Sarbloh Granth as extensions of the Guru Granth Sahib As such they refer to these scriptures as Sri Dasam Guru Granth Sahib and Sri Sarbloh guru Granth Sahib 32 They call the Guru Granth Sahib Aad Guru Granth Sahib They also sometimes refer to the granths as Durbar such as Aad Guru Durbar The Sarbloh Granth has another name as Sri Manglacharan Purana They believe that all three of these scriptures are authentic written by the Gurus and are one of the same 32 For this reason they will often place the Dasam amp Aad Granths on the same level amp on the same throne also known as the palki They also sometimes do this for the Sarbloh Granth as well Weapons in front of the Guru Granth Sahib Edit In virtually all Sikh Gurdwaras one will find an assortment of weapons such as swords daggers war quoits etc in front of the Guru Granth Sahib This was brought about due to the emphasis of a martial spirit within the Sikh religion as well as an influential composition from the Dasam Granth known as the Shastar Naam Mala 33 written by Guru Gobind Singh Within this composition it praises various types of weapons from all over the world including swords saifs curved words tulwars arrows guns etc 34 There is a famous line within the composition which states ਅਸ ਕ ਰ ਪ ਨ ਖ ਡ ਖੜਗ ਤ ਪਕ ਤਬਰ ਅਰ ਤ ਰ ਸ ਫ ਸਰ ਹ ਸ ਹਥ ਯਹ ਹਮ ਰ ਪ ਰ ੩ romanized As Kripan Khando Kharag Tupak Tabar Ar Teer Saif Sarohee Saithhee Yehai Hamare Pir 3 Translation The kirpan the khanda the scimitar the axe the rifle and the arrow The saif the dagger the spear these indeed are our pirs saints For this reason weapons are meant to be kept in front of the Guru Granth Sahib in Sikhism 33 Contributors Edit Main article Writers of Guru Granth Sahib Number of hymns contributed to the Guru Granth Sahib 35 Guru Nanak 16 53 Guru Angad 1 10 Guru Amar Das 15 38 Guru Ram Das 11 52 Guru Arjan 32 63 Guru Tegh Bahadur 5 92 Other 16 92 The Guru Granth Sahib contains predominantly hymns of the following Sikh Gurus Guru Nanak Guru Angad Guru Amar Das Guru Ram Das Guru Arjan and Guru Teg Bahadur 35 Whilst these six gurus are widely accepted as having their writings included in the Guru Granth Sahib there are some who argue compositions of Guru Har Rai and Guru Gobind Singh are also included 36 37 38 39 A Salok Mahalla Satvan 7 and Dohra Mahalla Dasvan 10 have been attributed by some to the seventh and tenth gurus respectively 36 37 38 39 It also contains hymns and verses of thirteen Hindu Bhakti movement sant poets saints and two Muslim saint poets There are also idolatry verses for the Gurus such as Guru Nanak fused into some pages those composed by bards Bhatts clarification needed The hymns and verses are different lengths some very long others being just a few line verses 10 35 Twenty two of the thirty one ragas contain the contributions of bhagats 5 The following is a list of contributors whose hymns are present in the Guru Granth Sahib 40 as well as the number of hymns they contributed 5 Sikh Gurus Guru Nanak Dev 974 Guru Angad Dev 62 Guru Amar Das 907 Guru Ram Das 679 Guru Arjan Dev 2218 Guru Tegh Bahadur 116 Bhagats Bhagat Kabir 541 Bhagat Jayadeva 2 Bhagat Ramanand 1 Bhagat Namdev 60 Bhagat Trilochan 5 Bhagat Parmanand 1 Bhagat Pipa 1 Bhagat Sain 1 Bhagat Surdas 1 Bhagat Ravidas 41 Baba Sundar 6 Balvand Rai 1 Bhatt Kalshar 54 Bhatts Bhatt Balh 1 Bhatt Bhalh 5 Bhatt Bhika 2 Bhatt Gayand 13 Bhatt Harbans 2 Bhatt Jalap 5 Bhatt Kirat 8 Bhatt Mathura 14 Bhatt Nalh 16 Bhatt Salh 3 Pirs Bhagat Farid 134 Bhagat Bhikhan 2 Bhagat Beni 3 Bhagat Sadhana 1 Bhagat Dhanna 4 Gursikhs Bhai Satta 4 Balvand Rai 8 Bhai Mardana 12 Baba Sunder 10 Bhai Piara 53 Map showing birthplace of various contributors of Guru Granth Sahib Manuscript versions Edit In the 19th and 20th century several manuscript versions of the Adi Granth and the Guru Granth Sahib hymns were discovered This triggered contesting theories about authenticity and how the canonical text of Sikhism evolved over time There are five views 41 The first view held by scholars such as Balwant Singh Dhillon states that there was a consistent mother tradition where the hymns of Guru Nanak were carefully preserved as a single codex without any corruption or unauthorized changes to which the later Gurus added additional hymns The Sikh scripture developed in linear pure form becoming first the Adi Granth and finally the closed version of the Guru Granth Sahib According to this view there was no pre canonical diversity the scripture developed in an organized and disciplined format and it denies the existence of alternate hymns and texts that were cherished by Sikhs of an earlier era 41 The second view held by scholars such as Gurinder Singh Mann states that the scripture started from a single process proceeded linearly then diversified into separate textual traditions with some variations over time This school of scholars supports their theory by highlighting the similarities of the manuscripts and close match particularly between the three manuscripts called the Guru Har Sahai MS the Govindval MS and the Guru Nanak Dev University MS 1245 41 This theory is weakened by variations observed in 27 manuscript variants now dated between 1642 and 1692 The alternate formulation of this theory states that two branches developed over time with the Peshawar pothi and Kartarpur pothi being the two branches 41 Bhai Banno right being given the Adi Granth by Guru Arjan centre left to get it boundThe third view held by scholars such as Piar Singh states that independent versions of the Sikh scripture developed in geographically distant regions of the Indian subcontinent 41 These versions developed because of the forgetfulness or creativity of the local Sikh leaders errors made by scribes attempts to adopt popular hymns of bhagats or adapt the hymns to local regional languages where Gurmukhi was not understood It is these manuscripts that Guru Arjan collected and considered then edited to produce an approved version of the Adi Granth The Sikh scripture according to this school was thus a collaborative effort and there was no authentic version of the pre canonical text in Sikhism 41 The fourth view builds upon this third view and is supported by scholars such as Jeevan Deol According to this view there were independent textual traditions in Sikhism before Guru Arjan decided to edit and redact them into the Adi Granth 41 These textual traditions developed in different parts of the Indian subcontinent greatly influenced by the popularity of regional bhagats and their Bhakti movement ideas about nirguna and saguna forms of the divine with Guru Arjan favoring the nirgun versions The Adi Granth reflects the review editing and compilation of complex and diverse textual traditions before him 41 The fifth view held by scholars such as Pashaura Singh develops and refines the fourth view It states that the Sikh scripture emerged from a collaborative effort of Guru Arjan and his trusted associates particularly Bhai Gurdas and Jagana Brahmin of Agra His collaborators were his devout admirers well versed in the Sikh thought Sanskrit traditions and philosophical schools of Indian religions 42 The variant manuscripts support this theory as does the handwriting analysis of the Kartarpur bir manuscript approved by Guru Arjan which shows at least four distinct scribal styles 42 The variations in the manuscripts also affirm that the Adi Granth did not develop in a linear way i e it was not simply copied from a previous version 19 42 Composition EditMain articles Gurmukhi and Sikh music The end part of the handwritten Adi Granth by Pratap Singh Giani on the first floor of the Golden Temple The entire Guru Granth Sahib is written in the Gurmukhi script which was standardized by Guru Angad in the 16th century According to Sikh tradition and the Mahman Prakash an early Sikh manuscript Guru Angad Dev had taught and spread Gurmukhi at the suggestion of Guru Nanak Dev who invented the Gurmukhi script 43 44 The word Gurmukhi translates to from the mouth of the guru It descended from the Laṇḍa scripts and was used from the outset for compiling Sikh scriptures The Sikhs assign a high degree of sanctity to the Gurmukhi script 45 It is the official script for writing Punjabi in the Indian State of Punjab Gurus considered divine worship through shabad kirtan as the best means of attaining that state of bliss vismad which resulted in communion with God The Guru Granth Sahib is divided by musical settings or ragas 46 into 1430 pages known as angs limbs in Sikh tradition It can be categorized into two sections Introductory section consisting of the Mul Mantar Japji Sahib So Dhar Rehras and Sohila composed by Guru Nanak Compositions of Sikh gurus followed by those of the bhagats who know only God collected according to the chronology of ragas or musical settings see below The word raga refers to the color 47 and more specifically the emotion or mood produced by a combination or sequence of pitches 48 A raga is composed of a series of melodic motifs based upon a definite scale or mode of the seven svara psalmizations 49 that provide a basic structure around which the musician performs Gurbani raags are not time dependent Following is the list of all sixty ragas under which Gurbani is written in order of appearance with page numbers Asa 8 Gujari 10 Gauri Deepaki 12 Dhanasri 13 Gauri Poorabi 13 Sri 14 Majh 94 Gauri Guarairee 151 Gauri 151 Gauri Dakhani 152 Gauri Chaitee 154 Gauri Bairagan 156 Gauri Poorabi Deepaki 157 Gauri Majh 172 Gauri Malva 214 Gauri Mala 214 Gauri Sorath 330 Asa Kafi 365 Asavari 369 Asa Asavari 409 Devgandhari 527 Bihagra 537 Vadhans 557 Vadhans Dakhani 580 Sorath 595 Jaitsri 696 Todi 711 Bairarri 719 Tilang 721 Tilang Kafi 726 Suhee 728 Suhee Kafi 751 Suhee Lalit 793 Bilaval 795 Bilaval Dakhani 843 Gound 859 Bilaval Gound 874 Ramkali 876 Ramkali Dakhani 907 Nut Narayan 975 Nut 975 Mali Gaura 984 Maru 989 Maru Kafi 1014 Maru Dakhani 1033 Tukhari 1107 Kedara 1118 Bhairo 1125 Basant 1168 Basant Hindol 1170 Sarang 1197 Malar 1254 Kanra 1294 Kaliyan 1319 Kaliyan Bhopali 1321 Parbhati Bibhas 1327 Parbhati 1327 Parbhati Dakhani 1344 Bibhas Parbhati 1347 Jaijavanti 1352 Meaning and role in Sikhism EditIn 1708 Guru Gobind Singh conferred the title of Guru of the Sikhs upon the Adi Granth The event was recorded in a Bhatt Vahi a bard s scroll by an eyewitness Narbud Singh who was a bard at the Rajput rulers court associated with gurus 50 Sikhs since then have accepted the Guru Granth Sahib the sacred scripture as their eternal living guru as the embodiment of the ten Sikh Gurus the highest religious and spiritual guide for Sikhs It plays a central role in guiding the Sikh s way of life 6 51 A Granthi reciting from Guru Granth Sahib No one can change or alter any of the writings of the Sikh gurus written in the Guru Granth Sahib This includes sentences words structure grammar and meanings This tradition was set by Guru Har Rai He sent his eldest son Ram Rai as an emissary to the Mughal emperor Aurangzeb in Delhi Aurangzeb a devout Muslim ruler objected to a verse in the Sikh scripture Asa ki Var that stated the clay from a Musalman s grave is kneaded into potter s lump considering it an insult to Islam Ram Rai tried to please the emperor by explaining that the text was miscopied and modified it substituting Musalman with Beiman faithless evil which Aurangzeb approved 52 53 The willingness to change a word led Guru Har Rai to bar his son from his presence and name his younger son as his successor 53 Recitation Edit The Guru Granth Sahib is always the focal point in any gurdwara seated on a raised platform known as a Takht throne while the congregation of devotees sits on the floor and prostrate before the guru as a sign of respect The Guru Granth Sahib is given the greatest respect and honour Sikhs cover their heads and remove their shoes while in the presence of this sacred scripture their eternal living guru The Guru Granth Sahib is normally carried on the head and as a sign of respect never touched with unwashed hands or put on the floor 54 It is attended with all signs of royalty with a canopy placed over it A chaur fan whisk is waved above the Guru Granth Sahib 55 The Guru Granth Sahib is taken care of by a Granthi who is responsible for reciting from the sacred hymns and leading Sikh prayers The Granthi also acts as caretaker for the Guru Granth Sahib keeping the scripture covered in clean cloths known as rumala to protect from heat and dust The Guru Granth Sahib rests on a manji sahib under a rumala until brought out again 54 Rituals Edit Left A palanquin being prepared for the daily sukhasan ritual to carry the scripture to a bedroom Right The palanquin carrying the Guru Granth Sahib to the sanctum at dawn prakash Several rituals are performed every day in major Sikh gurdwaras temples such as the Golden Temple These rituals treat the scripture as a living person a guru out of respect The rituals include 56 57 Closing ritual called sukhasan sukh means comfort or rest asan means position At night after a series of devotional kirtans and three part ardas the Guru Granth Sahib is closed carried on the head placed into and then carried in a flower decorated pillow bed palki palanquin with chanting to its bedroom Once it arrives there the scripture is tucked into a bed 56 57 note 3 Opening ritual called prakash which means light About dawn everyday the Guru Granth Sahib is taken out its bedroom carried on the head placed and carried in a flower decorated palki with chanting sometimes with bugles sounding its passage It is brought to the sanctum Then after ritual singing of a series of Var Asa kirtans and ardas a random page is opened The first complete verse on the left page is the mukhwak or vak of the day It is read out loud and then written out for the pilgrims to read over that day 56 57 58 Translations EditErnest Trumpp a German philologist published the first philological study and a major but incomplete translation of the Guru Granth Sahib in 1877 after an eight year study of the text and field interviews with Sikh intelligentsia of his time 59 60 Trumpp included his criticism of the Sikh scripture in the preface and introductory sections and stated Sikhism is a waning religion that will soon belong to history Many in the Sikh community regarded these introductory remarks to his translation as extremely offensive 61 62 According to the Indologist Mark Juergensmeyer setting aside Ernest Trumpp s nasty remarks he was a German linguist and his years of scholarship translations as well as field notes and discussions with Sikhs at the Golden Temple remain valuable reference works for contemporary scholars 63 While Akshaya Kumar holds Trumpp s translation to be literal and mechanical emphasizing preciseness and fastidiously retaining the words as well as the syntax of the original verses avoiding any creative and inventive restatement to empathize with a believer 64 Arvind Pal Singh Mandair noted the clear influence from the Brahmanical leanings of his Nirmala collaborators 65 among the British supported Sikh class which had been long enjoying British patronage as they helped to keep hostile elements under control 66 who for example induced Trumpp to omit the numeral one in the phrase Ik Oankar in his translation 65 in an attempt to bring the scripture closer to the Brahmanical influenced interpretation of the sects that differed with the interpretation of the orthodox Khalsa Trumpp s translation was seen to be a challenge to the administration s already established view that the Sikhs were a distinct community 65 prompting the Khalsa to commission its own translation Trumpp as well as other translators were commissioned by colonial administrators 64 Max Arthur Macauliffe a British civil servant was next to publish a major but incomplete translation of the Guru Granth Sahib covering the same ground as Trumpp but interspersed his translation between Janamsakhis based mythical history of the Sikh Gurus 67 68 A major source of his historical information was Suraj Prakash of Santokh Singh and his primary translation advisor was the prominent Khalsa Sikh scholar Kahn Singh Nabha the author of Gurmat Prabhakar and Hum Hindu Nahin 69 70 Macauliffe s translation appeared embedded in the six volume The Sikh Religion and was published by Oxford University Press in 1909 68 Unlike Trumpp who had disregarded the sensibilities and empathy for the Sikhs Macauliffe used his creative editorial abilities to incorporate these sensibilities 68 While Trumpp criticized Sikhism and the Guru Granth Sahib Macauliffe criticized Hinduism and wrote an introduction that presented the hymns of Sikh Gurus as Christian like with affinities to Protestant virtues and ethics presumably for a British audience states Indologist Giorgio Shani 71 Macauliffe s translation was well received by the Sikh community and considered by them as closer to how they interpret their scripture 68 Post colonial scholarship has questioned Macauliffe s accounting for and incorporation of Sikh traditions as uncritical and dubious though one that pleased the Sikh community 68 Macauliffe s version has been widely followed by later scholars and translators 68 According to Christopher Shackle a scholar of Languages and Religion Macauliffe s approach to translation was to work with Khalsa Sikh reformists of the 1890s Singh Sabha and exegetically present the scripture in a progressive monotheism fold that deserved the support of the British administration as a distinct tradition and of the native Sikh clergy 64 He used considerable freedom in restating the archaic poetry into a vaguely psalm like translation 72 ਹ ਕਮ ਹ ਵਨ ਆਕ ਰ ਹ ਕਮ ਨ ਕਹ ਆ ਜ ਈ ਹ ਕਮ ਹ ਵਨ ਜ ਅ ਹ ਕਮ ਮ ਲ ਵਡ ਆਈ ਹ ਕਮ ਉਤਮ ਨ ਚ ਹ ਕਮ ਲ ਖ ਦ ਖ ਸ ਖ ਪ ਈਅਹ ਇਕਨ ਹ ਕਮ ਬਖਸ ਸ ਇਕ ਹ ਕਮ ਸਦ ਭਵ ਈਅਹ ਹ ਕਮ ਅ ਦਰ ਸਭ ਕ ਬ ਹਰ ਹ ਕਮ ਨ ਕ ਇ ਨ ਨਕ ਹ ਕਮ ਜ ਬ ਝ ਤ ਹਉਮ ਕਹ ਨ ਕ ਇ ੨ ਗ ਵ ਕ ਤ ਣ ਹ ਵ ਕ ਸ ਤ ਣ ਗ ਵ ਕ ਦ ਤ ਜ ਣ ਨ ਸ ਣ ਗ ਵ ਕ ਗ ਣ ਵਡ ਆਈਆ ਚ ਰ ਗ ਵ ਕ ਵ ਦ ਆ ਵ ਖਮ ਵ ਚ ਰ ਗ ਵ ਕ ਸ ਜ ਕਰ ਤਨ ਖ ਹ ਗ ਵ ਕ ਜ ਅ ਲ ਫ ਰ ਦ ਹ ਗ ਵ ਕ ਜ ਪ ਦ ਸ ਦ ਰ ਗ ਵ ਕ ਵ ਖ ਹ ਦਰ ਹਦ ਰ ਕਥਨ ਕਥ ਨ ਆਵ ਤ ਟ ਕਥ ਕਥ ਕਥ ਕ ਟ ਕ ਟ ਕ ਟ ਦ ਦ ਦ ਲ ਦ ਥਕ ਪ ਹ ਜ ਗ ਜ ਗ ਤਰ ਖ ਹ ਖ ਹ ਹ ਕਮ ਹ ਕਮ ਚਲ ਏ ਰ ਹ ਨ ਨਕ ਵ ਗਸ ਵ ਪਰਵ ਹ ੩ Hukmi hovan akar hukam na kahia jai Hukmi hovan jia hukam milai vadiai Hukmi utam nich hukam likh dukh sukh paiah Ikna hukmi bakhsis ik hukmi sada bhavaiah Hukmai andar sabh ko bahar hukam na koe Nanak hukmai je bujhai ta haumai kahai na koe 2 Gavai ko taṇ hovai kisai taṇ Gavai ko dat jaṇai nisaṇ Gavai ko guṇ vadiaia char Gavai ko vidia vikham vichar Gavai ko saj kare tan kheh Gavai ko jia lai fir deh Gavai ko japai disai dur Gavai ko vekhai hadra hadur Kathna kathi na avai tot Kath kath kathi koti kot kot Deda de laide thak pahi Juga jugantar khahi khahi Hukmi hukam chalae rahu Nanak vigsai veparvahu Guru Granth Sahib Japji Sahib 2 3 73 TransliterationTranslation by Ernest Trumpp 1877 74 By his order are made the forms of all things his order however cannot be told By his order are made the living beings by his order greatness is obtained By his order are the high and the low by his order pain and pleasure are set down By his order some are pardoned some are by his order always caused to wander about in transmigration Every one is under within his order exempt from his order is no one Nanak if one understand his order he will not speak in self conceit 2 One sings his i e God s power if one has power so to do Another sings his liberality if he knows his sign One sings his beautiful qualities and greatnesses Another sings a difficult thought of science One sings having made the body he reduces it to ashes Another sings having taken life he gives it again One sings he is known manifest but seen afar off Another sings being present he sees in the presence There is no end of sayings and tellings The story story is told by crores crores crores He i e God goes on giving they taking become tired For ages and ages they go on eating The Lord goes on executing his order O Nanak he expands unconcerned 3 Translation by Max Arthur Macauliffe 1909 75 By His order bodies are produced His order cannot be described By His order souls are infused into them by His order greatness is obtained By His order men are high or low by His order they obtain preordained pain or pleasure By His order some obtain their reward by His order others must ever wander in transmigration All are subject to His order none is exempt from it He who understandeth God s order O Nanak is never guilty of egoism 2 Some sing His power according to their abilities Some sing His gifts according to their knowledge of His signs Some sing His attributes His greatness and His deeds Some sing His knowledge whose study is arduous Some sing that He fashioneth the body and again destroyeth it Some that He taketh away the soul and again restoreth it Some that He appeareth far from mortal gaze Some that He is all seeing and omnipresent Millions of men give millions upon millions of descriptions of Him but they fail to describe Him The Giver giveth the receiver groweth weary of receiving In every age man subsisteth by His bounty The Commander by His order hath laid out the way of the world Nanak God the unconcerned is happy 3 Guru Granth Sahib Japji Sahib 2 3 Guru Granth Sahib Japji Sahib 2 3The first complete English translation of the Guru Granth Sahib by Gopal Singh was published in 1960 A revised version published in 1978 removed archaic English words such as thee and thou In 1962 an eight volume translation into English and Punjabi by Manmohan Singh was published by the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee In the 2000s a translation by Sant Singh Khalsa appeared on major Sikhism related websites such as 3HO Sikh Dharma Brotherhood s Sikhnet com 72 Printing EditOfficial versions of the Guru Granth Sahib are produced in Amritsar by the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee SGPC The SGPC printers are the only authorized worldwide publisher of the scripture states the Sikh religious body Akal Takht 76 Prior to 2006 Jeewan Singh Chattar Singh amp Sons used to print the official versions and were the oldest publisher in Amritsar However in 2006 the Akal Takht banned them from printing the Sikh scripture after a sting operation showed that they were printing and mishandling the scripture as well as selling an illegal copy of the Sikh scripture to a Muslim seer 77 A subsidiary of the SGPC the Delhi Sikh Gurudwara Management Committee is the authorized printer and supplier of the Guru Granth Sahib to Sikhs outside of India These facilities are a part of the Gurudwara Rakabganj in New Delhi 78 The original Guru Granth Sahib is in the possession of the Sodhi family of Kartarpur village and is placed at Gurdwara Thum Sahib 79 The Sodhis are descendants of Guru Arjan Dev and Kartarpur was founded by him in 1598 Since the early 20th century it has been printed in a standard edition of 1430 Angs citation needed Prior to the late nineteenth century only handwritten copies were prepared The first printed copy of the Guru Granth Sahib was made in 1864 Any copies of the Guru Granth Sahib deemed unfit to be read from are cremated with a ceremony similar to that for cremating a deceased person Such a cremation is called Agan Bheta The Guru Granth Sahib is currently printed in an authorized printing press in the basement of the Gurudwara Ramsar in Amritsar misprints and set up sheets and printer s waste with any of its sacred text on are cremated at Goindval 80 See also Edit Books portalSikh scriptures Sikh gurus Glossary of SikhismNotes Edit According to Khushwant Singh while the manuscript was being put together Akbar the Mughal Emperor received a report that the Adi Granth contained passages vilifying Islam Therefore he asked to inspect it 22 Baba Buddha and Bhai Gurdas brought him a copy of the manuscript and read a few hymns from it Akbar decided that this report had been false and donated 51 gold mohurs to the manuscript effort However this support for the Sikh scripture and Sikhism was short lived once Akbar died with Jehangir calling Sikhism as a false traffic Under his orders Guru Arjan who compiled the first edition of the Sikh scripture was tortured and executed 22 Another controversy has been the discovery of two blank folios in the Kartarpur manuscript near page 703 and why the Ramakali hymn on that page is just two opening lines In contrast to the Kartarpur manuscript the Banno manuscript of Adi Granth discovered in Kanpur and dated to 1644 is identical in all respects but it has no blank pages and on the folio pages near 703 is a complete hymn The Banno bir has been controversial because it includes many Hindu rites of passage sanskara in that version of the Adi Granth 25 According to W H McLeod the difference in the two versions can be because of three possibilities from which he withholds judgment 26 first Guru Arjan deliberately left the blank folio pages to complete it later but was unable to because he was arrested and executed by the Mughal emperor Jehangir second the hymn and pages existed in the original manuscript the Banno bir is older the pages were removed by Khalsa Sikhs from the Kartarpur manuscript and replaced with blank folios in their attempt to carve out a separate Sikh identity from the Hindus during the Singh Sabha Movement third the blank pages were intentionally left by Guru Arjan for unknown reasons and the complete hymn in the Banno bir is an interpolation added by a Sikh follower who wanted to insert Brahminical rites of passage rituals in the text According to G B Singh a Sikh scholar who pioneered study of the early Sikh manuscripts the evidence supports the second theory 25 27 According to Pashaura Singh his examination of the manuscripts and linguistic evidence yields support for the third theory noting that the smaller hand and different writing implement in which the remaining 22 lines were written the lines themselves do not match earlier manuscripts and differ in structure and lexicon from the rest of Guru Arjan s writings the presence of other short verses in all manuscripts like Var Basant with only three stanzas and points to the fact that G B Singh had made the claim without actually examining the text positing that he seemed to have been serving the interests of the Arya Samaj based on his writings 25 In moderate size gurdwaras the palanquin step may be skipped and the scripture is simply carried on the head to its bedroom 58 References Edit Songs of the Saints from the Adi Granth By Nirmal Dass Published by SUNY Press 2000 ISBN 0 7914 4683 2 ISBN 978 0 7914 4683 6 Page 13 Any attempt at translating songs from the Adi Granth certainly involves working not with one language but several along with dialectical differences The languages used by the saints range from Sanskrit regional Prakrits western eastern and southern Apabhramsa and Sahaskrit More particularly we find sant bhasha Marathi Old Hindi central and Lehndi Panjabi Sindhi and Persian There are also many dialects deployed such as Purbi Marwari Bangru Dakhni Malwai and Awadhi Sikhism The Guru Granth Sahib GGS By Harjinder Singh The Guru Granth Sahib also contains hymns which are written in a language known as Sahiskriti as well as Sant Bhasha it also contains many Persian and Sanskrit words throughout Jhutti Johal Jagbir 7 April 2011 Sikhism Today A amp C Black p 17 ISBN 978 1 4411 7001 9 Partridge Christopher Hugh 2005 Introduction to World Religions p 223 a b c Kapoor Sukhbir 2002 Guru Granth Sahib An Advance Study Hemkunt Press p 139 ISBN 9788170103219 a b Adi Granth Encyclopaedia Britannica Anna S King and JL Brockington 2005 The Intimate Other Love Divine in Indic Religions Orient Blackswan ISBN 978 8125028017 pages 359 361 Christopher Shackle and Arvind Mandair 2005 Teachings of the Sikh Gurus Routledge ISBN 978 0415266048 pages xvii xx Harnik Deol Religion and Nationalism in India Routledge 2000 ISBN 0 415 20108 X 9780415201087 Page 22 the compositions in the Sikh holy book Adi Granth are a melange of various dialects often coalesced under the generic title of Sant Bhasha The Making of Sikh Scripture by Gurinder Singh Mann Published by Oxford University Press US 2001 ISBN 0 19 513024 3 ISBN 978 0 19 513024 9 Page 5 The language of the hymns recorded in the Adi Granth has been called Sant Bhasha a kind of lingua franca used by the medieval saint poets of northern India But the broad range of contributors to the text produced a complex mix of regional dialects Surindar Singh Kohli History of Punjabi Literature Page 48 National Book 1993 ISBN 81 7116 141 3 ISBN 978 81 7116 141 6 When we go through the hymns and compositions of the Guru written in Sant Bhasha saint language it appears that some Indian saint of 16th century Nirmal Dass Songs of the Saints from the Adi Granth SUNY Press 2000 ISBN 0 7914 4683 2 ISBN 978 0 7914 4683 6 Page 13 Any attempt at translating songs from the Adi Granth certainly involves working not with one language but several along with dialectical differences The languages used by the saints range from Sanskrit regional Prakrits western eastern and southern Apabhramsa and Sahiskriti More particularly we find sant bhasha Marathi Old Hindi central and Lehndi Panjabi Sgettland Persian There are also many dialects deployed such as Purbi Marwari Bangru Dakhni Malwai and Awadhi a b Shapiro Michael C Dass Nirmal 2002 Songs of the Saints from the Adi Granth Journal of the American Oriental Society 122 4 924 929 doi 10 2307 3217680 JSTOR 3217680 Parrinder Geoffrey 1971 World Religions From Ancient History to the Present United States Hamlyn p 256 ISBN 978 0 87196 129 7 Torkel Brekke 2014 Religion War and Ethics A Sourcebook of Textual Traditions Editors Gregory M Reichberg and Henrik Syse Cambridge University Press ISBN 978 0521450386 pages 673 675 672 686 Christopher Shackle and Arvind Mandair 2005 Teachings of the Sikh Gurus Routledge ISBN 978 0415266048 pages xxxiv xli William Owen Cole and Piara Singh Sambhi 1995 The Sikhs Their Religious Beliefs and Practices Sussex Academic Press ISBN 978 1898723134 pages 40 157 William Owen Cole and Piara Singh Sambhi 1995 The Sikhs Their Religious Beliefs and Practices Sussex Academic Press ISBN 978 1898723134 page 44 Torkel Brekke 2014 Religion War and Ethics A Sourcebook of Textual Traditions Editors Gregory M Reichberg and Henrik Syse Cambridge University Press ISBN 978 0521450386 page 675 Singh Khushwant 1991 A History of the Sikhs Vol 1 1469 1839 Oxford University Press p 46 Singh Khushwant 1991 A History of the Sikhs Vol 1 1469 1839 Oxford University Press p 50 a b c d Gurinder Singh Mann 2001 The Making of Sikh Scripture Oxford University Press pp 33 36 ISBN 978 0 19 513024 9 a b Singh Khushwant 1991 A History of the Sikhs Vol 1 1469 1839 Oxford University Press pp 57 58 294 295 Retrieved 18 December 2011 Trumpp Ernest 2004 1877 The Adi Granth or the Holy Scriptures of the Sikhs India Munshiram Manoharlal Publishers p 1xxxi ISBN 978 81 215 0244 3 a b c Singh Khushwant 1991 A History of the Sikhs Vol 1 1469 1839 Oxford University Press pp 57 61 a b c d Pashaura Singh Louis E Fenech 2014 The Oxford Handbook of Sikh Studies Oxford University Press pp 127 129 ISBN 978 0 19 969930 8 Gurinder Singh Mann 2001 The Making of Sikh Scripture Oxford University Press pp 36 38 ISBN 978 0 19 513024 9 a b c Arjan Guru Singh Pashaura 1996 Guru Arjan s Ramakali Hymn The Central Issue in the Kartarpur Banno Debate Journal of the American Oriental Society 116 4 724 729 doi 10 2307 605443 JSTOR 605443 W H McLeod 1979 The Sikh scriptures Some Issues in Sikh Studies Comparative Perspectives on a Changing Tradition by Mark Jurgensmeyer and N Gerald Barrier editors University of California Press Berkeley Religious Studies Series and Theological Union pages 101 103 G B Singh 1944 Sri Guru Granth Sahib dian Prachin Biran Modern Publishers Lahore Original Gurmukhi script For discussion in English see Chapter 22 of G Kumar William Owen Cole and Piara Singh Sambhi 1995 The Sikhs Their Religious Beliefs and Practices Sussex Academic Press ISBN 978 1898723134 pages 45 46 a b Singh Khushwant 1991 A History of the Sikhs Vol 1 1469 1839 Oxford University Press pp 93 94 a b c Pashaura Singh Louis E Fenech 2014 The Oxford Handbook of Sikh Studies Oxford University Press pp 129 130 ISBN 978 0 19 969930 8 McLeod W H 1990 Textual Sources for the Study of Sikhism University of Chicago Press ISBN 9780226560854 Retrieved 11 June 2010 a b Singh Jasjit July 2014 The Guru s Way Exploring Diversity Among British Khalsa Sikhs Religion Compass 8 7 209 219 doi 10 1111 rec3 12111 ISSN 1749 8171 a b Singh Pashaura 13 October 2011 The Guru Granth Sahib Sikhism in Global Context Oxford University Press pp 39 59 retrieved 26 February 2023 Singh Kamalroop Sikh Martial Art Gatka The Oxford Handbook of Sikh Studies Oxford University Press 2014 459 a b c Christopher Shackle Arvind Mandair 2013 Teachings of the Sikh Gurus Selections from the Sikh Scriptures Routledge pp xvii xix ISBN 978 1 136 45108 9 a b Singh Sardar Harjeet 2009 Faith amp Philosophy of Sikhism Gyan Publishing House pp 103 104 ISBN 978 81 7835 721 8 a b Sikh art and literature Kerry August 17 Brown London Routledge 1999 p 198 ISBN 0 415 20288 4 OCLC 39765536 a href Template Cite book html title Template Cite book cite book a CS1 maint others link a b Singh Anurag December 2018 Punjab Cradle of Indian Civilization and Khalsa of Guru Gobind Singh PDF Gyankosh An Interdisciplinary e Journal 1 29 a b Singh Pashaura Fearlessness and human justice Exploring Guru Tegh Bahadur s teachings and sacrifice from a fresh perspective Sikh Formations 17 4 2021 409 434 Christopher Shackle Arvind Mandair 2013 Teachings of the Sikh Gurus Selections from the Sikh Scriptures Routledge pp xv xix xli 149 158 ISBN 978 1 136 45108 9 a b c d e f g h Pashaura Singh Louis E Fenech 2014 The Oxford Handbook of Sikh Studies Oxford University Press pp 125 128 ISBN 978 0 19 969930 8 For a more comprehensive discussion of these theories and evidence see Pashaura Singh 2003 The Guru Granth Sahib Canon Meaning and Authority Oxford University Press ISBN 978 0 19 908773 0 a b c Pashaura Singh Louis E Fenech 2014 The Oxford Handbook of Sikh Studies Oxford University Press pp 127 129 ISBN 978 0 19 969930 8 Hoiberg Dale Indu Ramchandani 2000 Students Britannica India Popular Prakashan p 207 ISBN 0 85229 760 2 Gupta Hari Ram 2000 History of the Sikhs Vol 1 The Sikh Gurus 1469 1708 Munshiram Manoharlal Publishers P Ltd p 114 ISBN 81 215 0276 4 Mann Gurinder Singh 2001 The making of Sikh Scripture Oxford University Press p 5 ISBN 0 19 513024 3 Brown Kerry 1999 Sikh Art and Literature Psychology Press p 200 ISBN 978 0 415 20289 3 Giriraj Ruhel 2003 Glory Of Indian Culture Diamond p 96 ISBN 9788171825929 The Concise Garland Encyclopedia of World Music Volume 2 Routledge 2013 p 935 ISBN 9781136096020 Amrita Priyamvada 2007 Encyclopaedia of Indian music p 252 ISBN 9788126131143 Singh Gurbachan Sondeep Shankar 1998 The Sikhs Faith Philosophy and Folks Roli amp Janssen p 55 ISBN 81 7436 037 9 Pashaura Singh 2000 The Guru Granth Sahib Canon Meaning and Authority Oxford University Press pp 271 275 ISBN 978 0 19 564894 2 Gurucharan Singh Anand 2011 Ram Rai Encyclopedia of Sikhism Editor in Chief Harbans Singh Punjab University a b Louis E Fenech W H McLeod 2014 Historical Dictionary of Sikhism Rowman amp Littlefield pp 260 261 ISBN 978 1 4422 3601 1 a b Fowler Jeaneane 1997 World Religions An Introduction for Students Sussex Academic Press pp 354 357 ISBN 1 898723 48 6 Pashaura Singh 2000 The Guru Granth Sahib Canon Meaning and Authority Oxford University Press p 104 ISBN 978 0 19 564894 2 a b c Singh Nikky Guninder Kaur 2011 Sikhism An Introduction I B Tauris pp 81 82 ISBN 978 0 85771 962 1 a b c Kristina Myrvold 2016 The Death of Sacred Texts Ritual Disposal and Renovation of Texts in World Religions Routledge pp 125 144 ISBN 978 1 317 03640 1 a b W Owen Cole Piara Singh Sambhi 2005 A Popular Dictionary of Sikhism Sikh Religion and Philosophy Routledge pp 38 79 ISBN 978 1 135 79760 7 The Adi Granth Ernest Trumpp 1877 WH Allen amp Co London Notes In this 876 pages publication Trumpp s translation starts at page 156 while philological notes on the language of the Sikh scripture start at page 140 Trilochan Singh 1994 Ernest Trumpp and W H McLeod as scholars of Sikh history religion and culture International Centre of Sikh Studies pp xv xvii 45 49 W H McLeod 1993 John Stratton Hawley and Gurinder Singh Mann ed Studying the Sikhs Issues for North America State University of New York Press pp 16 17 67 note 25 ISBN 978 0 7914 1426 2 Nikky Guninder Kaur Singh 22 February 2011 Sikhism An Introduction I B Tauris pp 128 ISBN 978 0 85773 549 2 Mark Juergensmeyer 1993 John Stratton Hawley and Gurinder Singh Mann ed Studying the Sikhs Issues for North America State University of New York Press pp 16 17 ISBN 978 0 7914 1426 2 a b c Akshaya Kumar 2014 Poetry Politics and Culture Essays on Indian Texts and Contexts Routledge pp 167 168 ISBN 978 1 317 80963 0 a b c Arvind Pal Singh Mandair 2013 Sikhism A Guide for the Perplexed Bloomsburg Academic pp 86 87 ISBN 978 1 4411 0231 7 TN Madan 1994 Martin Marty and R Scott Appleby ed Fundamentalisms Observed University of Chicago Press pp 604 610 ISBN 978 0 226 50878 8 Donald Dawe 2011 Macauliffe Max Arthur Encyclopedia of Sikhism Volume III Harbans Singh Editor Punjabi University Patiala The translation of Guru Nanak s Janamsakhi and his hymns in the Guru Granth Sahib are in Macauliffe s Volume I The Sikh Religion 1909 a b c d e f JS Grewal 1993 John Stratton Hawley Gurinder Singh Mann eds Studying the Sikhs Issues for North America SUNY Press pp 164 165 ISBN 978 0 7914 1425 5 Arvind Pal Singh Mandair 2013 Sikhism A Guide for the Perplexed A amp C Black pp 85 89 ISBN 978 1 4411 0231 7 Jones Kenneth W 1973 Ham Hindu Nahin Arya Sikh Relations 1877 1905 The Journal of Asian Studies Cambridge University Press 32 3 457 475 doi 10 2307 2052684 JSTOR 2052684 S2CID 163885354 Giorgio Shani 2007 Sikh Nationalism and Identity in a Global Age Routledge pp 30 31 ISBN 978 1 134 10189 4 a b Christopher Shackle 2005 Lynne Long ed Translation and Religion Multilingual Matters pp 50 51 ISBN 978 1 84769 550 5 Guru Granth Sahib ੫ Pages 1 2 of 1430 srigranth org The Adi Granth Ernest Trumpp 1877 WH Allen amp Co pages 2 5 see footnotes for alternates The Sikh Religion Vol 1 Max Authur Macauliffe 1909 Clarendon Press pages 196 197 see footnotes for alternates Jolly Asit 3 April 2004 Sikh holy book flown to Canada BBC News Retrieved 5 January 2010 Publishers barred from bringing out Guru Granth Sahib Varinder Walia Tribune India April 23 2006 Chandigarh Modern eco friendly printing press to print Guru Granth Sahib at Gurudwara Rakabganj DSGMC United News of India July 28 2019 Kartarpur Bir www sikhmuseum com Retrieved 4 November 2022 Eleanor Nesbitt Sikhism a very short introduction ISBN 0 19 280601 7 Oxford University Press pp 40 41External links Edit Wikiquote has quotations related to Guru Granth Sahib Wikisource has original text related to this article Guru Granth Sahib Panjabi Wikisource has original text related to this article ਗ ਰ ਗ ਰ ਥ ਸ ਹ ਬ 1 Wikimedia Commons has media related to Guru Granth Sahib Panjab Digital Library Sri Granth Khoj Gurbani several translations DISR German Informationcenter for Sikh Religion Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Guru Granth Sahib amp oldid 1151616714, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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