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93-594: It literally means "without-death being". The first word Akal , literally "timeless, immortal, non-temporal," is a term integral to Sikh tradition and philosophy. It is extensively used in the Guru Granth Sahib , and the Dasam Granth hymns by Guru Gobind Singh , who titled one of his poetic compositions Akal Ustat , i.e. "In Praise (Ustati) of the Timeless One (Akal)". However, the concept of Akal

186-554: A British civil servant, was next to publish a major but incomplete translation of the Guru Granth Sahib, covering the same ground as Trumpp. However, he interspersed his translation between Janamsakhis -based mythical history of the Sikh Gurus. 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 ,

279-472: A German philologist , published the first philological study and a major but incomplete English 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. 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

372-647: A Hindu festival held in the 19th century on Kartik Purnima in Amritsar attracted a large number of Sikhs. The Sikh community leader Giani Sant Singh did not like this, thus starting a festival at the Sikh shrine of the Golden Temple on the same day, presenting it as the birth anniversary celebration of Guru Nanak. Macauliffe also notes that Vaisakh (March–April) already saw a number of important festivals—such as Holi , Rama Navami , and Vaisakhi —therefore people would be busy in agricultural activities after

465-402: A annunciation metre), Ashtapadiyan (contemplative measure), Pehre (poems on the four parts of the day), Haftawaar or Var Sat (poems about the seven days of the week), Bara Maha (poems based on the twelve months of the year), Thhithi (astrological poems based on the fifteen lunar dates ) themes are found near the end of the most raga sections. In 1708, Guru Gobind Singh conferred

558-510: A central role in guiding the Sikh's way of life. 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

651-402: 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. Guru Arjan considered these as spurious and became concerned about establishing an authentic anthology of approved hymns. Guru Arjan began compiling an officially approved version of the sacred scripture for

744-526: A competition. Another source of dispute has been the Baghdad stone, bearing an inscription in a Turkish script. Some interpret the inscription as saying Baba Nanak Fakir was there in 1511–1512; others read it as saying 1521–1522 (and that he lived in the Middle East for 11 years away from his family). Others, particularly Western scholars, argue that the stone inscription is from the 19th century and

837-693: 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) By His order bodies are produced; His order cannot be described. By His order souls are infused into them; by His order greatness

930-1463: A distinct tradition, and of the native Sikh clergy. He used considerable freedom in restating the archaic poetry into a "vaguely psalm-like translation". ਹੁਕਮੀ ਹੋਵਨਿ ਆਕਾਰ ਹੁਕਮੁ ਨ ਕਹਿਆ ਜਾਈ ॥ ਹੁਕਮੀ ਹੋਵਨਿ ਜੀਅ ਹੁਕਮਿ ਮਿਲੈ ਵਡਿਆਈ ॥ ਹੁਕਮੀ ਉਤਮੁ ਨੀਚੁ ਹੁਕਮਿ ਲਿਖਿ ਦੁਖ ਸੁਖ ਪਾਈਅਹਿ ॥ ਇਕਨਾ ਹੁਕਮੀ ਬਖਸੀਸ ਇਕਿ ਹੁਕਮੀ ਸਦਾ ਭਵਾਈਅਹਿ ॥ ਹੁਕਮੈ ਅੰਦਰਿ ਸਭੁ ਕੋ ਬਾਹਰਿ ਹੁਕਮ ਨ ਕੋਇ ॥ ਨਾਨਕ ਹੁਕਮੈ ਜੇ ਬੁਝੈ ਤ ਹਉਮੈ ਕਹੈ ਨ ਕੋਇ ॥੨॥ ਗਾਵੈ ਕੋ ਤਾਣੁ ਹੋਵੈ ਕਿਸੈ ਤਾਣੁ ॥ ਗਾਵੈ ਕੋ ਦਾਤਿ ਜਾਣੈ ਨੀਸਾਣੁ ॥ ਗਾਵੈ ਕੋ ਗੁਣ ਵਡਿਆਈਆ ਚਾਰ ॥ ਗਾਵੈ ਕੋ ਵਿਦਿਆ ਵਿਖਮੁ ਵੀਚਾਰੁ ॥ਗਾਵੈ ਕੋ ਸਾਜਿ ਕਰੇ ਤਨੁ ਖੇਹ ॥ ਗਾਵੈ ਕੋ ਜੀਅ ਲੈ ਫਿਰਿ ਦੇਹ ॥ ਗਾਵੈ ਕੋ ਜਾਪੈ ਦਿਸੈ ਦੂਰਿ ॥ ਗਾਵੈ ਕੋ ਵੇਖੈ ਹਾਦਰਾ ਹਦੂਰਿ ॥ ਕਥਨਾ ਕਥੀ ਨ ਆਵੈ ਤੋਟਿ ॥ ਕਥਿ ਕਥਿ ਕਥੀ ਕੋਟੀ ਕੋਟਿ ਕੋਟਿ ॥ ਦੇਦਾ ਦੇ ਲੈਦੇ ਥਕਿ ਪਾਹਿ ॥ ਜੁਗਾ ਜੁਗੰਤਰਿ ਖਾਹੀ ਖਾਹਿ ॥ ਹੁਕਮੀ ਹੁਕਮੁ ਚਲਾਏ ਰਾਹੁ ॥ ਨਾਨਕ ਵਿਗਸੈ ਵੇਪਰਵਾਹੁ ॥੩॥ Hukmī hovan ākār hukam na kahiā jāī. Hukmī hovan jīa hukam milai vadiāī. Hukmī utam nīch hukam likh dukh sukh pāīah. Iknā hukmī bakhsīs ik hukmī sadā bhavāīah. Hukmai andar sabh ko bāhar hukam na koe. Nānak hukmai je bujhai ta haumai kahai na koe. ॥2॥ Gāvai ko tāṇ hovai kisai tāṇ. Gāvai ko dāt jāṇai nīsāṇ. Gāvai ko guṇ vadiāīā chār. Gāvai ko vidiā vikham vīchār. Gāvai ko sāj kare tan kheh. Gāvai ko jīa lai fir deh. Gāvai ko jāpai disai dūr. Gāvai ko vekhai hādrā hadūr. Kathnā kathī na āvai tot. Kath kath kathī kotī kot kot. Dedā de laide thak pāhi. Jugā jugantar khāhī khāhi. Hukmī hukam chalāe rāhu. Nānak vigsai veparvāhu. Translation by Ernest Trumpp (1877) By (his) order are made

1023-624: A formative time for him, as the puratan janamsakhi suggests, and in his numerous allusions to governmental structure in his hymns, most likely gained at this time. Around the age of 55, Nanak settled in Kartarpur , living there until his death in September 1539. During this period, he went on short journeys to the Nath yogi centre of Achal, and the Sufi centres of Pakpattan and Multan . By

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1116-488: A personified deity like the Christian conception of God centred around a concept of personal salvation , but rather to a concept of ultimate reality. It cannot be fully described in words but it can be experienced by those who reach a certain meditative state in-which one reaches liberation. Akal Purakh took pity upon the sufferings of humanity entrapped in sansara , the continuous cycle of rebirth and death, and revealed

1209-427: 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

1302-670: A rhythmic ancient north Indian classical form of music. 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. 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 , Marathi , Marwari , Bengali , Persian and Arabic . Copies in these languages often have

1395-463: A subject of dispute, with modern scholarship questioning the details and authenticity of many claims. For example, Callewaert and Snell (1994) state that early Sikh texts do not contain such stories. From when the travel stories first appear in hagiographic accounts of Guru Nanak, centuries after his death, they continue to become more sophisticated as time goes on, with the late phase Puratan version describing four missionary journeys, which differ from

1488-551: A superstition prevailing in contemporary northern India , a child born in the Kattak month was believed to be weak and unlucky, hence why the work states that Nanak was born in that month. Bhai Gurdas , having written on a full-moon-day of the Kattak month several decades after Nanak's death, mentions that Nanak had "obtained omniscience" on the same day, and it was now the author's turn to "get divine light." According to eyewitness Sikh chronicles, known as Bhatt Vahis , Guru Nanak

1581-537: A temple. The Granth is revered as eternal gurbānī and the spiritual authority in Sikhism. Guru Nanak composed hymns, which were sung by his followers in rāga set to music. His successor, Guru Angad , opened centers and distributed these hymns. The community would sing the hymns and his agents collected donations. 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

1674-503: A young age. For instance, at the age of five, Nanak is said to have voiced interest in divine subjects. At age seven, his father enrolled him at the village school, as per custom. Notable lore recounts that, as a child, Nanak astonished his teacher by describing the implicit symbolism of the first letter of the alphabet , resembling the mathematical version of one, as denoting the unity or oneness of God. Other stories of his childhood refer to strange and miraculous events about Nanak, such as

1767-476: Is a religion founded by Guru Nanak . It considers its scripture, the Guru Granth Sahib , as the living Guru . Sikhs install it in the sanctum of Sikh temples, and devotees reverentially greet it by bowing and prostrating before it. Since the early 20th century, Farquhar and other scholars consider it as a form of idolatry that believers practice the matha tekna (bowing down and touching one's head to

1860-412: 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

1953-463: 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

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2046-422: Is normally carried on the head and as a sign of respect, never touched with unwashed hands or put on the floor. 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. 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

2139-564: Is not peculiar to the Dasam Granth. It goes back to the very origins of the Sikh faith with Guru Nanak. The term Kāl refers to "time," with the negative prefix a- added to render the word akal , meaning "timeless" or "eternal." Purakh refers to "being" or "entity." Together, the two words form the meaning "timeless, eternal being." The word Purakh ( ਪੁਰਖ ) is the Punjabi form of Purusha ( पुरुष ). Akal Purakh does not refer to

2232-646: Is now preserved at the Toshakhana in Nanded, Maharashtra. 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 . The compilation and release of this definitive edition of the latter was completed by Bhai Mani Singh. The Akali Nihang sect of Sikhs consider the Dasam Granth and

2325-538: 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

2418-589: Is supported by the Guru Granth Sahib. Bhai Gurdas says: ਗੁਰ ਪਰਮੇਸਰੁ ਇਕੁ ਹੈ ਸਚਾ ਸਾਹੁ ਜਗਤੁ ਵਣਜਾਰਾ। The Guru and God are one; He is the true master and the whole world craves for Him. Additionally, in the Guru Granth Sahib, it is stated: ਨਾਨਕ ਸੇਵਾ ਕਰਹੁ ਹਰਿ ਗੁਰ ਸਫਲ ਦਰਸਨ ਕੀ ਫਿਰਿ ਲੇਖਾ ਮੰਗੈ ਨ ਕੋਈ ॥੨॥ O Nanak, serve the Guru, the Lord Incarnate; the Blessed Vision of His Darshan is profitable, and in

2511-423: Is the janamsakhi attributed to Bhai Mani Singh , a disciple of Guru Gobind Singh who was approached by some Sikhs with a request that he should prepare an authentic account of Nanak's life. As such, it is said that Bhai Mani Singh wrote his story with the express intention of correcting heretical accounts of Nanak. One popular janamsakhi was allegedly written by Bhai Bala , a close companion of Nanak. However,

2604-416: Is treated like a person and venerated with elaborate ceremonies which are a daily means of "merit bestowing ministrations". These daily ritual ministrations and paying of homage for the scripture by Sikhs, states Myrvold, is not unique to Sikhism. It moulds "meanings, values and ideologies" and creates a framework for congregational worship, states Myrvold, that is found in all major faiths. Ernest Trumpp ,

2697-451: Is written, in order of appearance with page numbers: Each raga section contains the typical compositions of the Gurus in chronological order by Guru (who wrote in that raga ) followed by the typical compositions of the bhagats at the end however some form of certain types of special compositions such as the common recurring Vaar s (longer ballad type poems), Chhands (poems based on

2790-622: 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. 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. It is

2883-527: The Miharban version. Some of the stories about Guru Nanak's extensive travels first appear in the 19th-century Puratan janamsakhi, though even this version does not mention Nanak's travel to Baghdad. Such embellishments and insertion of new stories, according to Callewaert and Snell (1993), closely parallel claims of miracles by Islamic pirs found in Sufi tadhkirahs of the same era, giving reason to believe that these legends may have been written in

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2976-586: The Mul Mantar . 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. 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. In 1604, the first edition of the Sikh scripture, Adi Granth,

3069-505: 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. 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

3162-512: The Vilayat Vali janamsakhi . Gurbilas Patashahi 6, written 1718, also attributed to Bhai Mani Singh contradicts Mani Singh’s Janamsakhi as it instead says Guru Nanak was born on the full moon of Katak. The Sikh records state that Nanak died on the 10th day of the Asauj month of Samvat 1596 (22 September 1539 CE), at the age of 70 years, 5 months, and 7 days. This further suggests that he

3255-601: The harvest festival of Baisakhi. Therefore, holding Nanak's birth anniversary celebrations immediately after Vaisakhi would have resulted in thin attendance, and therefore, smaller donations for the Sikh shrines. On the other hand, by the Kattak full moon day, the major Hindu festival of Diwali was already over, and the peasants—who had surplus cash from crop sales—were able to donate generously. Nanak's parents, father Kalyan Chand Das Bedi (commonly shortened to Mehta Kalu ) and mother Mata Tripta , were both Hindu Khatris and employed as merchants. His father, in particular,

3348-621: 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. Number of hymns contributed to the Guru Granth Sahib 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. Whilst these six gurus are widely accepted as having their writings included in

3441-400: The "color" and, more specifically, the emotion or mood produced by a combination or sequence of pitches. A rāga is composed of a series of melodic motifs, based upon a definite scale or mode of the seven svara psalmizations, 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

3534-490: The 15th century. The second theory states that Nanak was a Guru , not a prophet. According to Singha (2009): Sikhism does not subscribe to the theory of incarnation or the concept of prophet hood. But it has a pivotal concept of Guru. He is not an incarnation of God, not even a prophet. He is an illumined soul. The third theory is that Guru Nanak is the incarnation of God. This has been supported by many Sikhs including Bhai Gurdas , Bhai Vir Singh , Santhok Singh and

3627-571: 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

3720-683: The 19th and 20th century, and exist in many versions. In 1508, Nanak visited the Sylhet region in Bengal . The janamsakhis suggest that Nanak visited the Ram Janmabhoomi temple in Ayodhya in 1510–11 CE. The Baghdad inscription remains the basis of writing by Indian scholars that Guru Nanak journeyed in the Middle East, with some claiming he visited Jerusalem , Mecca , Vatican , Azerbaijan and Sudan . The hagiographic details are

3813-413: 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: 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

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3906-516: The 2000s, a translation by Sant Singh Khalsa appeared on major Sikhism-related websites such as 3HO /Sikh Dharma Brotherhood's Sikhnet.com. According to Namdhari Sikh literature, Diwan Buta Singh was the first person to print an edition of the Guru Granth Sahib, which was likely printed in 1868 or even earlier. Early printed editions of the Guru Granth Sahib from the late-19th century were not only printed in Gurmukhi script but also Perso-Arabic script , as evidenced by eighteen different editions of

3999-413: The Adi Granth manuscript was stolen. 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

4092-520: The Adi Granth with some variations include the Bahoval pothi (c. 1600), Vanjara pothi (c. 1601) and Bhai Rupa pothi (c. 1603). 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

4185-524: 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. This second rendition became known as the Guru Granth Sahib and is also sometimes referred to as the Adi Granth. The text consists of 1,430 angs (pages) and 5,894 shabads (line compositions), which are poetically rendered and set to

4278-455: The Guru Granth Sahib is of a society based on divine freedom, mercy, love, belief in one god and justice without oppression of any kind. While the Granth acknowledges and respects the scriptures of Hinduism and Islam , it does not imply a moral reconciliation with either of these religions. It is installed in a Sikh gurdwara (temple). A Sikh typically prostrates before it on entering such

4371-533: The Guru Granth Sahib to Sikhs outside of India. These facilities are a part of the Gurudwara Rakabganj in New Delhi. Guru Nanak Gurū Nānak (15 April 1469 – 22 September 1539; Gurmukhi : ਗੁਰੂ ਨਾਨਕ; pronunciation: [gʊɾuː naːnəkᵊ] , pronunciation ), also known as Bābā Nānak ('Father Nānak'), was an Indian spritual teacher, mystic and poet, who is regarded as

4464-521: 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. Macauliffe's translation was well received by the Sikh community, and they considered it closer to how they interpret their scripture. Post-colonial scholarship has questioned Macauliffe's accounting for and incorporation of Sikh traditions as "uncritical" and "dubious", though one that pleased

4557-426: 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. 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: Sikhism

4650-422: The Guru Granth Sahib, there are some who argue compositions of Guru Har Rai and Guru Gobind Singh are also included. A Salok Mahalla Satvan (7) and Dohra Mahalla Dasvan (10) have been attributed by some to the seventh and tenth gurus, respectively. 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

4743-531: The Gurus and are one of the same. For this reason, they will often place the Dasam and Aad Granths on the same level and on the same throne (also known as the palki). They also sometimes do this for the Sarbloh Granth as well. 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

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4836-447: The Gurus such as Guru Nanak fused into some pages, those composed by bards (Bhatts). The hymns and verses are different lengths, some very long, others being just a few line verses. Twenty-two of the thirty-one ragas contain the contributions of bhagats . The following is a list of contributors whose hymns are present in the Guru Granth Sahib as well as the number of hymns they contributed: Bhagats: Bhatts: Pirs: Gursikhs: In

4929-526: The Indian subcontinent. 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. 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

5022-409: The Kattak birth tradition. It is the only Janamsakhi that does. Bhai Bala is said to have obtained Nanak's horoscope from Nanak's uncle Lalu, according to which, Nanak was born on a date corresponding to 20 October 1469 CE. However, this janamsakhi was written by Handalis—a sect of Sikhs who followed a Sikh-convert known as Handal—attempting to depict the founder as superior to Nanak. According to

5115-675: The Kattak month in November. The earliest record of such a celebration in Nankana Sahib is from 1868 CE. There may be several reasons for the adoption of the Kattak birthdate by the Sikh community. For one, it may have been the date of Nanak's enlightenment or "spiritual birth" in 1496, as suggested by the Dabestan-e Mazaheb . Some of the sources that support the Katak birthday incident: The Bala Janamasakhi supports

5208-455: The Sikh community regarded these introductory remarks to his translation as extremely offensive. Nonetheless, according to Indologist Mark Juergensmeyer, Ernest Trumpp's years of scholarship, translations, and field notes and discussions with Sikhs at the Golden Temple remain valuable reference works for contemporary scholars. Akshaya Kumar holds Trumpp's translation to be "literal and mechanical" emphasizing preciseness and fastidiously retaining

5301-467: The Sikh community. Macauliffe's version has been widely followed by later scholars and translators. 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

5394-441: 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

5487-480: 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. 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. The Guru Granth Sahib

5580-534: The age of 70. According to Sikh hagiography , his body was never found. When the quarreling Hindus and Muslims tugged at the sheet covering his body, they found instead a heap of flowers—and so Nanak’s simple faith would, in course of time, flower into a religion, beset by its own contradictions and customary practices. During first quarter of the 16th century, Nanak went on long udasiya ('journeys') for spiritual pursuits. A verse authored by him states that he visited several places in " nau-khand " ('the nine regions of

5673-468: The author of Gurmat Prabhakar and Hum Hindu Nahin . Macauliffe's translation appeared embedded in the six-volume The Sikh Religion and was published by Oxford University Press in 1909. Unlike Trumpp, who was unconcerned with the sensibilities of the Sikhs, Macauliffe used his editorial abilities to incorporate such considerations. According to Indologist Giorgio Shan, while Trumpp criticized Sikhism and

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5766-403: The divine words ( gurshabad ) in the form of gurbani , taught by the successive Sikh gurus to those of humanity willing to learn how to know and experience Akal Purakh. Sri Guru Granth Sahib The Guru Granth Sahib ( Punjabi : ਗੁਰੂ ਗ੍ਰੰਥ ਸਾਹਿਬ , pronounced [ɡʊɾuː ɡɾənt̪ʰᵊ säː(ɦ)(ɪ)bᵊ(˦)] ) is the central holy religious scripture of Sikhism , regarded by Sikhs as

5859-479: The earth'), presumably the major Hindu and Muslim pilgrimage centres. Some modern accounts state that he visited Tibet , most of South Asia , and Arabia , starting in 1496 at age 27, when he left his family for a thirty-year period. These claims include Nanak's visit to Mount Sumeru of Indian mythology , as well as Mecca , Baghdad , Achal Batala , and Multan , where he would debate religious ideas with opposing groups. These stories became widely popular in

5952-687: 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 , written by Guru Gobind Singh . Within this composition, it praises various types of weapons from all over the world, including swords, saifs, curved swords (tulwars), arrows, guns, etc. 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 ,

6045-409: 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 the Golden Temple in Amritsar on 1 September 1604. Baba Buddha was appointed the first Granthi of

6138-467: The floor) at the door of a Gurdwara or before the Guru Granth Sahib, and other daily rituals such as putting the scripture to bed ( sukhasan ) in a bedroom ( sachkhand ), waking it up every morning, carrying it in a procession and re-opening it ( prakash ) in major Sikh Gurdwaras. When open in the sanctum of a Sikh Gurdwara, it is within an expensive brocade and attendants fan it as an act of homage. According to Kristina Myrvold, every Sikh scripture copy

6231-708: The form of 974 poetic hymns , or shabda , in the holy religious scripture of Sikhism, the Guru Granth Sahib , with some of the major prayers being the Japji Sahib ( jap , 'to recite'; ji and sahib are suffixes signifying respect); the Asa di Var ('Ballad of Hope'); and the Sidh Gosht ('Discussion with the Siddhas '). It is part of Sikh religious belief that the spirit of Nanak's sanctity , divinity, and religious authority had descended upon each of

6324-667: 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

6417-458: The founder of Sikhism and is the first of the ten Sikh Gurus . Nanak is said to have travelled far and wide across Asia teaching people the message of Ik Onkar ( ੴ , 'One God'), who dwells in every one of his creations and constitutes the eternal Truth. With this concept, he would set up a unique spiritual , social, and political platform based on equality, fraternal love, goodness, and virtue. Nanak's words are registered in

6510-401: The full moon of Katak. Nanak Chandrodaya Sanskrit Janamsakhi from 1797 and Janam Sakhi Baba Nanak by Sant Das Chibber from the 18th century both mention Guru Nanak being born on the full moon of katak. Gurpur Parkash Granth written by Sant Ren Singh based on a granth written by Binod Singh states Guru Nanak was born on the full moon of Katak. According to Max Arthur Macauliffe (1909),

6603-426: The generic title of Sant Bhasha . 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 . The vision in

6696-465: The janamsakhis. Nanak's teachings can be found in the Sikh scripture Guru Granth Sahib , as a collection of verses recorded in Gurmukhi . There are three competing theories on Nanak's teachings. The first, according to Cole and Sambhi (1995, 1997), based on the hagiographical Janamsakhis , states that Nanak's teachings and Sikhism were revelations from God, and not a social protest movement, nor an attempt to reconcile Hinduism and Islam in

6789-433: The miracle stories in Sufi literature about their pirs . Other direct and indirect borrowings in the Sikh janamsakhis relating to legends around his journeys are from Hindu epics and puranas , and Buddhist Jataka stories . The earliest biographical sources on Nanak's life recognised today are the janamsakhis ('birth stories'), which recount the circumstances of his birth in extended detail. Gyan-ratanavali

6882-670: The nine subsequent Gurus when the Guruship was devolved on to them. His birthday is celebrated as Guru Nanak Gurpurab , annually across India. Nanak was born on 15 April 1469 at Rāi Bhoi Dī Talvaṇḍī village (present-day Nankana Sahib , Punjab , Pakistan) in the Lahore province of the Delhi Sultanate , although according to one tradition, he was born in the Indian month of Kārtik or November, known as Kattak in Punjabi . He

6975-664: The numeral "one" in the phrase Ik Oankar in his translation, 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, prompting the Khalsa to commission its own translation. Trumpp, as well as other translators, were commissioned by colonial administrators. Max Arthur Macauliffe ,

7068-486: 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 into 1430 pages known as ang s "limbs" in Sikh tradition. It can be categorized into three sections: The word raga refers to

7161-628: 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. A subsidiary of the SGPC, the Delhi Sikh Gurudwara Management Committee, is the authorized printer and supplier of

7254-425: The one witnessed by Rai Bular , in which the sleeping child's head was shaded from the harsh sunlight by, in one account, by the stationary shadow of a tree or, in another, by a venomous cobra. Nanaki , Nanak's only sister, was five years older than him. In 1475, she married and moved to Sultanpur . Jai Ram, Nanaki's husband, was employed at a modikhana (a storehouse for revenues collected in non-cash form), in

7347-598: The scripture being printed in Perso-Arabic script at Lahore, Gujranwala, and Sialkot between the years 1871 and 1895. 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 . Prior to 2006, Jeewan Singh Chattar Singh & Sons used to print

7440-557: The scripture by his son and successor Guru Gobind Singh. 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. Prior to Guru Gobind Singh, three versions of the Adi Granth pothi with minor variations were in circulation at Sikh shrines across

7533-562: The service of the Delhi Sultanate 's Lahore governor Daulat Khan , at which Ram would help Nanak get a job. Nanak moved to Sultanpur, and started working at the modikhana around the age of 16. As a young man, Nanak married Sulakhani , daughter of Mūl Chand (aka Mula) and Chando Raṇi. They were married on 24 September 1487, in the town of Batala , and would go on to have two sons, Sri Chand and Lakhmi Chand (or Lakhmi Das). Nanak lived in Sultanpur until c. 1500, which would be

7626-512: The stone is not a reliable evidence that Nanak visited Baghdad in early 16th century. Moreover, beyond the stone, no evidence or mention of his journey in the Middle East has been found in any other Middle Eastern textual or epigraphical records. Claims have been asserted of additional inscriptions, but no one has been able to locate and verify them. Novel claims about his travels, as well as claims such as his body vanishing after his death, are also found in later versions and these are similar to

7719-566: The time of his death, Nanak had acquired several followers in the Punjab region , although it is hard to estimate their number based on the extant historical evidence. The followers of Nanak were called Kartārīs (meaning 'the people who belonged to the village of Kartarpur') by others. Nanak appointed Bhai Lehna as the successor Guru , renaming him as Guru Angad , meaning "one's very own" or "part of you". Shortly after proclaiming his successor, Nanak died on 22 September 1539 in Kartarpur , at

7812-475: 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. 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

7905-410: The way of the world. Nanak, God the unconcerned is happy. [3] 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

7998-587: The words as well as the syntax of the original verses, avoiding any creative and inventive restatement to empathize with a believer. On the other hand, Arvind-Pal Singh Mandair noted the clear influence from the Brahmanical leanings of his Nirmala collaborators, among the British-supported Sikh class which had been long enjoying British patronage as they helped to keep "hostile" elements under control. For example, they induced Trumpp to omit

8091-624: The worship-houses of the Saints. 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. This effort yielded several drafts and manuscripts, some of which have survived into the modern era. 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

8184-496: The writing style and language employed have left scholars, such as Max Arthur Macauliffe , certain that they were composed after his death. According to such scholars, there are good reasons to doubt the claim that the author was a close companion of Guru Nanak and accompanied him on many of his travels. Bhai Gurdas , a scribe of the Guru Granth Sahib , also wrote about Nanak's life in his vars ('odes'), which were compiled some time after Nanak's life, though are less detailed than

8277-520: Was born in the month of Vaisakh (April), not Kattak (November). In as late as 1815, during the reign of Ranjit Singh , the festival commemorating Nanak's birthday was held in April at the place of his birth, known by then as Nankana Sahib . However, the anniversary of Nanak's birth—the Gurpurab ( gur + purab , 'celebration')—subsequently came to be celebrated on the full moon day of

8370-709: Was born into the Khatri Punjabi clan like all of the Sikh gurus . Specifically, Guru Nanak was a Bedi Khatri . Most janamsakhis ( ਜਨਮਸਾਖੀ , 'birth stories'), or traditional biographies of Nanak, mention that he was born on the third day of the bright lunar fortnight , in the Baisakh month (April) of Samvat 1526. These include the Puratan ('traditional' or 'ancient') janamsakhi , Miharban janamsakhi , Gyan-ratanavali by Bhai Mani Singh , and

8463-543: Was born on the full moon of Katak. Gurbilas Patashahi 6 written 1718 attributed to Bhai Mani Singh says Guru Nanak was born on the full moon of Katak. Meham Parkash written in 1776 also says Guru Nanak was born on the full moon of Katak. Kesar Singh Chibber’s Bansavalinama Dasan Patashahia Ka meaning genealogy of the ten emperors, written in 1769, says Guru Nanak was born on the full moon of Katak as well. Gurpurnali written in 1727 and Guru Tegh Bahadur Malwe da Safar written in 1716 both mention Guru Nanank being born on

8556-410: Was complete and officially approved by Guru Arjan. It was installed at the Golden Temple , with Baba Buddha as the first granthi or reader. 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

8649-432: Was the local patwari (accountant) for crop revenue in the village of Talwandi . Nanak's paternal grandfather was named Shiv Ram Bedi and his great-grandfather was Ram Narayan Bedi. According to Sikh traditions, the birth and early years of Nanak's life were marked with many events that demonstrated that Nanak had been blessed with divine grace. Commentaries on his life give details of his blossoming awareness from

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