Sri Guru Granth Sahib

The Guru Granth Sahib is truely unique among the world's great scriptures. It is considered the Supreme Spiritual Authority and Head of the Sikh religion, rather than any living person. It is also the only scripture of it's kind which not only contains the works of it's own religious founders but also writings of people from other faiths. The living Guru of the Sikhs, the book is held in great reverence by Sikhs and treated with the utmost respect. Sikhism rejects idol worship, so the Guru Granth Sahib is not worshipped as an idol, but rather emphasis is placed on respect of the book for the writings which appear within. Guru Granth Sahib is a collection of devotional hymns and poetry which proclaims God, lays stress on meditation on the True Guru (God), and lays down moral and ethical rules for development of the soul, spiritual salvation and unity with God.



History of Sri Guru Granth Sahib
Guru Arjan the Fifth Sikh Guru compiled the original version of the Guru Granth Sahib. The Guru's older brother Prithi Chand as well as others had started passing off some of his own compositions as the hymns of the Gurus. Guru Arjan realized that if this situation was allowed to continue it would be the undermining of the Sikh religion. The Sikhs needed an authentic compilation of the hymns of their Gurus. Thus Guru Arjan started collection the original verses of all the Gurus. He sent trusted Sikhs such as Bhai Piara, Bhai Gurdas and Baba Buddha across the country in search of original manuscripts. Guru Arjan made trips to Goindwal, Khadur and Kartarpur to visit the families of the previous Gurus. Guru Arjan collected original manuscripts of the Gurus from Mohan (son of Guru Amar Das), Datu (son of Guru Angad) as well as Sri Chand (son of Guru Nanak).

Guru Arjan now pitched a tent by the side of Ramsar tank in Amritsar and started the arduous task of compiling the first edition of the Holy Guru Granth Sahib. Bhai Gurdas was entrusted as the Guru's scribe for the master copy. The monumental task was finally completed after a number of years. This original edition of the Guru Granth Sahib known at that time as Pothi Sahib was installed on a high pedestal within the Harmandir Sahib in August 1604. Guru Arjan seated himself at a lower level and instructed all Sikhs to bow before it, not as an idol, but as the book of divine inspiration which instructed living men in the ways of God and dedicated secular life. The revered Baba Buddha was appointed the first Granthi (custodian) of the book. Guru Arjan dictated that unlike the Hindu scriptures, the Pothi Sahib could be open to reading by anyone of any caste, creed or sex.

Guru Arjan provided the following epilogue;

"Three things are there in the vessel; Truth, contentment and intellect. The ambrosial Name of God is added to it, The Name that is everybody's sustenance. He who absorbs and enjoys it shall be saved. One must not abandon this gift, It should ever remain dear to ones heart. The dark ocean of the world can be crossed by clinging to His feet. Nanak, it is He who is everywhere." (Guru Arjan Dev, Mundawani)

Pothi Sahib (known today as the Kartarpur Bir) was kept by the Sixth Master Guru Hargobind in his house. From here it was stolen by his grandson Dhir Mal who intended to use it to further his claims on the succession of the Guruship. Some thirty years later the followers of the Ninth Master, Guru Tegh Bahadur forcibly recovered it, but were instructed by the Guru to return it. They placed it in the shallow river bed of the Satluj River. From here Dhir Mal recovered it, miraculously it was undamaged. Throughout the eighteenth century it most likely remained with Dhir Mal's family, the Sodhis of Kartarpur, thus the name Kartarpur Bir (Bir means volume). The Holy Book next emerged from obscurity in 1849. In that year following the annexation of Punjab, the volume together with its golden stand were discovered by the British in the custody of the Lahore royal court. An application was received from Sodhi Sadhu Singh of Kartarpur and in 1850 the volume was returned to his family. The Kartarpur Bir is preserved to this day and installed monthly for worshippers.

An unauthorized edition of the Guru Granth Sahib know as the Banno Bir also exists. Guru Arjan gave this copy of the Granth Sahib to Bhai Banno one of his disciples to take to Lahore for binding. Bhai Banno kept this volume and wrote in some verses of Sudras and Mirabai which it is believed had been rejected by the Guru as well as a few hymns allegedly to be by Guru Nanak at the end of his Granth. Guru Arjan did not approve the Banno Bir. This copy is still in the possession of the descendants of Bhai Banno.

Dhir Mal even refused to return the Kartarpur Bir over to Guru Gobind Singh, The Tenth and Final Master. While at Talwandi Sabo (known as Damdama Sahib today) Guru Gobind Singh undertook to prepare a new edition of the Granth Sahib including in it all of the hymns appearing in the original edition as well as the hymns of his late father, the Ninth Master Guru Tegh Bahadur. The Guru dictated the entire Granth to his scribe Bhai Mani Singh. Out of his humility, Guru Gobind Singh who was a great and profuse writer and poet only included one of his hymns.

The great task was finally completed in 1705. The Damdama Sahib Bir was then taken to Nanded where it was installed as desired by the Guru. Near the end of his life Guru Gobind Singh ended the line of personal Guruship by investing the Granth Sahib with the status of Eternal Guru and his official successor in 1708. Bhai Nandlal one of Guru Gobind Singhs disciples recorded the Guru's words as; "He who would wish to see the Guru, Let him come and see the Granth. He who would wish to speak to him, Let him read and reflect upon what says the Granth. He who would wish to hear his word, He should with all his heart read the Granth." (Rahitnama) In 1721 Mata Sundri the widow of Guru Gobind Singh instructed Bhai Mani Singh to go to Harmandir Sahib as the head Granthi along with the Sacred Volume. This Sacred Volume which was carried by the Sikhs before their troops on march was tragically lost in battle during the Second Sikh Holocaust - Wadda ghalughara on February 5th 1762. Fortunately since a number of copies had been made, this text has survived to today become the official authorized version of the Guru.

Sri Guru Granth Sahib Authors & Contributors
The writings of the Gurus appears chronologically. Each of the Gurus signed their hymns as Nanak. Their compositions are identified by the numerals at the beginning of each hymn, ie. Mahalla 1 is Guru Nanak, Mahalla 2 is Guru Angad and so on. These are then followed by those of other saints (Bhagtas) and other contributors. Their are 3,384 hymns found in the Guru Granth Sahib broken down by author are:

The Gurus

Guru Nanak: 974 hymns including sloks and pauris

Guru Angad: 62 sloks

Guru Amar Das: 907 hymns including sloks and pauris

Guru Ram Das: 679 hymns including sloks and pauris

Guru Arjan: 2,218 hymns including sloks and pauris

Guru Tegh Bahadur: 59 hymns and 56 sloks

Guru Gobind Singh: 1 slok

The Bhagatas: Saints of various faiths

Kabir: 292 hymns Bhagat Kabir (1398 to 1495) was born to a Brahmin mother and raised by a muslim step mother. Bhagat Kabir was a proponent of the Bhakti movement. He lived as a householder, abhored the caste system and religious rituals. He was an saintly apostle of peace, love and unity and a great poet. Bhagat Kabir believed in inward purity, and was respected by both Hindus and Muslims.

Namdev: 60 hymns Bhagat Namdev (1270 to 1350) was a celebrated saint from Maharashtra who travelled extensively across the country. He lived in Punjab for a number of years.

Ravidas: 41 hymns A contemporary of Bhagat Kabir and a disciple of Bhagat Ramanand, Bhagat Ravidas represents the culmination of the Bhakti Movement. He came from a low caste cobbler family but had many desciples because of his spirituality. He stressed a life of simplicity and piety.

Sheikh Farid: 4 hymns and 130 sloks Sheikh Farid (1175 to 1265) was a muslim Sufi saint of great piety. He is considered the father of Punjabi poetry. He was greatly loved for his kindness and humanity. He stressed living a simple yet purposeful life concentrating on One God.

Trilochan: 4 hymns A contemporary of Bhagat Kabir and a celebrated sain of the Vaish caste. He believed in One God and condemned superficial rituals and stressed the holiness of the heart.

Dhanna: 4 hymns Bhagat Dhanna was a Jat from Rajasthan who was born in 1415. He lived most of his life as an idol worshipper but in later years became a worshipper of One God and renounced all superstitious practices.

Beni: 3 hymns Probobly a contemporary of Bhagat Namdev, not much is known about him. He was unperturbed by poverty and enjoyed a life of solitude enriched by his spiritual persuits. He was a great scholar as is evident from his writings.

Sheikh Bhikan: 2 hymns A muslim Sufi scholar saint Sheikh Bhikan died in the early part of Akbar's reign. He was one of the most learned men of his time. He believed that only God's name can heal a diseased mind and body.

Jaidev: 2 hymns Bhagat Jaidev was a renowned poet laureate in the royal court of king Lakshman Sen of Bengal. His famous work of peotry Gita Govinda is well known for its poetic beauty and musical richness.

Surdas: 1 hymn Bhagat Surdas was a Brahmin born in 1529. He was learned in Sanskrit and Persian and studied music and poetry. He was appointed a governor by emperor Akbar, but was later imprisoned for dereliction of duty. Towards the end of his life, he became a hermit and lived among holy men.

Parmanand: 1 hymn Born in Maharashtra, little is known about Bhagat Parmanand's life. It is believed that he lived in Maharashtra and was aotee of Krishna. He later became a proponent of One God.

Pipa: 1 hymn Born in 1425, Bhagat Pipa was the king of the princely state of Gagaraungarh. He abducated his throne, travelled extensively and became a disciple of Bhagat Ramanand. He lived a life of extreme austerity and humility.

Ramanand: 1 hymn Bhagat Ramanand, a Brahmin was born in 1359 in Madras. He is regarded as the pioneer of the Bhakti movement in northern India. A Vaishnava in his early life, he became a worshipper of brahm and condemned the caste system. Bhagat Kabir was the most renowned amongst his disciples.

Sadhna: 1 hymn A butcher by profession, Bhagat Sadhana was born in Sind. His piety and meditation of God elevated him to saintly status. He was condemned by Brahmins and on a false charge was arrested and buried alive.

Sain: 1 hymn Bhagat Sain was a barber of the royal court of Raja Ram, king of Rewa. He was a follower of Bhagat Ramanand and Bhagat Kabir.

The Bhatts

The Bhatts were a group of musicians who lived in the sixteenth century. All of them were scholars, poets and singers.

Kal: 49 Swayyas
Kalsahar: 4 Swayyas
Tal: 1 Swayya
Jalap: 4 Swayyas
Jal: 1 Swayya
Kirat: 8 Swayyas
Sal: 3 Swayyas
Bhal: 1 Swayya
Nal: 6 Swayyas
Bhikha: 2 Swayyas
Jalan: 2 Swayyas
Das: 1 Swayya
Gayand: 5 Swayyas
Sewak: 7 Swayyas
Mathura: 10 Swayyas
Bal: 5 Swayyas
Harbans: 2 Swayyas

Sikhs

Mardana: 3 sloks Baba Mardana was a rabab (rebeck) player who spent most of his life as a disciple and musician of Guru Nanak. Born a Muslim, Baba Mardana was a childhood friend of Guru Nanak and accompanied him on all his great travels.

Satta and Balwand: 1 Var Satta was a rebeck player who served Guru Angad, Guru Amar Das, Gur Ram Das and Guru Arjun. Along with his fellow musician Balwand they jointly composed a ballad which appears in the Guru Granth Sahib.

Sunder: 1 hymn Baba Sunder (1560-1610) was the great grandson of Guru Amar Das. His composition called Sadd (Calling) was written at the request of Guru Arjun after the death of Guru Ram Das.

Sri Guru Granth Sahib Arrangement & Layout
The majority of the language of the Guru Granth Sahib is the Punjabi dialect prevalent at that time, some hymns are also found in Persian, medieval Prakrit Hindi and Marathi, Sanskrit as well as Arabic. All of these hymns are written in the standard Punjabi script known as Gurmukhi, popularized by the Second Master; Guru Angad. The Guru Granth Sahib is exactly 1430 pages in length. Each page contains in bold print 18 or 19 lines dependent on the page size.

The hymns of the Guru Granth Sahib have been laid out in a very scientific and well planned manner devised by Guru Arjun Dev. The hymns have been arranged according to the melody (Raga) in which they are meant to be sung. Secondly they are arranged on the nature or the metre of the poems themselves. Next they are arranged by author and finally on the clef or key deemed appropriate to them.

Divided into 33 sections. The first section contains the epic Japji poem by Guru Nanak, which is not meant to be sung. The final section is a collection of assorted verses including the Slokas and the Swayyas of Bhatts (a group of musicians). The remaining 31 sections are the Ragas: (1) Sri Rag, (2) Majh, (3) Gauri, (4) Asa, (5) Gujari, (6) Devgandhari, (7) Bihagra, (8) Wadhans, (9) Sorath, (10) Dhanasari, (11) Jaitsari, (12) Todi, (13) Bairari, (14) Tilang, (15) Suhi, (16) Bilawal, (17) Gaund, (18) Ramkali, (19) Nat, (20) Maligaura, (21) Maru, (22) Tukhari, (23) Kedara, (24) Bhairo, (25) Basant, (26) Sarang, (27) Malar, (28) Kanara, (29) Kalian, (30) Prabhati and (31) Jaijawanti.

The Ragas are further divided into the nature of the metre: (1) Chaupadas: an average of four verses each, (2) Ashtpadis: an average of eight verses each, (3) Special long peoms, (4) Chhants: six line verses, (5) Special short peoms, (6) Vars: consisting of two or more paragraphs (Sloks) followed by a concluding stanza (Pauri) and (7) Poems of Bhagatas (various saints).

The Order of the Guru Granth Sahib:

Prayers:
Japji (Morning); Page 1 to 8
Sodar (Evening); Page 8 to 10
So Purkh (Evening); Page 10 to 12
Sohila (Bed Time); Page 12 to 13
Main Body:
Musical hymns; Page 14 to 1,353
Slokas Sahskriti; Page 1,353 to 1,360
Gatha; Page 1,360 to 1,361
Phanhas; Page 1,361 to 1,363
Chaubolas; Page 1,363 to 1,364
Concluding Portion:
Shlokas of Kabir; Page 1,364 to 1,377
Shlokas of Sheikh Farid; Page 1,377 to 1,384
Swayyas; Page 1,385 to 1,409
Shlokas of the Gurus; Page 1,410 to 1,426
Shlokas of Guru Tegh Bahadur; Page 1,426 to 1,429
Mundavani; Page 1,429
Rag Mala; Page 1,429 to 1,430

Sri Guru Granth Sahib Table of Contents

Sri Guru Granth Sahib English Translation
The Sikh Gurus never believed in the exclusivity of their teachings. The Gurus undertook travels to spread their message to peoples of different cultures in their own native languages. The Gurus did not believe in the ideas of any language being 'sacred' or 'special'. It is in this spirit that various Sikh scholars have undertaken efforts to translate Sri Guru Granth Sahib into a number of languages in order to spread the teachings of the Gurus and to bring the Sikh religion to the people of the world as Guru Nanak wished.
"Enshrine the Lord’s Name within your heart. The Word of the Guru’s Bani prevails throughout the world; through this Bani, the Lord’s Name is obtained." (Guru Amar Das, Maru, pg. 1066)

"All the sources of creation, and all languages meditate on Him, forever and ever." (Guru Arjan, Asa, pg. 456)

The Khalsa Consensus Translation presented here is regarded by some Sikh scholars as being among the finest and most accurate english translation currently available. The author, Singh Sahib Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa has faithfully attempted to follow the original Gurmukhi text as closely as possible and maintain accuracy in page breaks and the numbering notations found in Sri Guru Granth Sahib. An analysis of the available english translation as well as a direct comparison are also presented here in this category.

Because of it's musical nature and poetic style, no translation can ever hope to fully capture all of the moods and nuances of the original Gurmukhi version. At the same time the celebration of God and the Gurus teachings on how one should live their life found in Sri Guru Granth Sahib transcends cultural and linguistic boundaries and are universal in their appeal.

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