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The sacred literature of Sikhism is called Gurbani which means the Guru's word - A Song message - as enshrined in Guru Granth Sahib. In Sikhism, the Guru Means 'The Word' and not the physical body. God revealed the bani through the Guru and it will ultimately lead one to its source. The bani is the Guru and the Guru is the bani. One who expounds or explains the bani cannot have the status of a Guru. He is a mere teacher or missionary. Any compositions other than those of the Gurus and those approved by them are unacceptable to Sikhs.

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Guru Arjan compiled the Adi Granth popularly known as the Granth which contain the hymns of the first five Gurus and some of the Bhagats of medieval India. He installed this scripture in the Har Mandar in 1604. This copy got into the hands of Dhirmal, the son of Guru Har Gobind. Subsequently some Sikhs forcibly obtained the copy from Dhirmal and presented it to Guru Tegh Bahadur. He returned it to Dhirmal. Guru Gobind Singh dictated the entire Granth to Bhai Mani Singh and incorporated the hymns of Guru Tegh Bahadur, in 1706 at Damdama Sahib.

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Guru Gobind Singh Ji was not only an exceptional warrior but also a creative genius. His scholarship in Persian, Sanskrit, Hindi and Panjabi enabled him to write verses in different poetic forms. The sacred writings of the Tenth Guru are known as "Dasam Bani" (compositions of the Tenth Guru). He patronized fifty-two poets at his court. The most important of them were Bhai Nand Laal Singh (Goya) and Sainapat.

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The Japji contains the whole basis of the Sikh religion and philosophy. The theme - the evolution of spiritual life - is developed systematically.

As a first step, Guru Nanak defines God and sums up His attributes. The goal of human life is for a union with the Divine Being, often called salvation or Nirvana. This is achievable through self-surrender and a submission to God's Hukam. God is manifest in His creation. Nature obeys His law; like-wise we too, must obey Divine law.

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Guru Nanak's Aasa-ki-vaar or the morning prayer, consists of Slokas and 24 Pauris. Guru Ramdas Ji added 24 Chhands (Quatrains). A vaar or ode is a heroic measure, popular in the Panjab. This particular var is sung in the early morning in all Sikh Temples. Here Guru Nanak sings of the glory of God and "The Name". He details the process by which an ordinary man can become a perfect servant to God. Even so God's grace is essential, and one has to deserve it:

"God Himself shapes men as vessels, and brings them to perfection.

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The Sukhmani Sahib is the simplest and the most popular of all the Banis in the Guru Granth Sahib. Literally, "Sukhmani" means some thing which gives peace of mind or the touchstones for happiness. Guru Arjan's aim in writing the Sukhmani - The Psalm of Peace - was that the reader may feel composure of mind and a sense of inner bliss. Any person who is fed up with life or depressed by anxiety or otherwise afflicted will derive real consolation from it.

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The Anand Sahib - or "The Song of Bliss" - is the spiritual and musical masterpiece of Guru Amardas. Some biographers have tried to make it a historical piece by stating that it was composed in 1554, after the birth of his grand-son called Sidh-yogi, to whom he gave the new name of Anand. This story is improbable, because the composition contains no references to any event or the birth of any child. Its theme is of man's spiritual goal, namely the merger into the Divine Essence.

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Sikh studies in its broadest sense means creative literature on Sikh History, Sikh Philosophy, culture and fine arts. Such studies may be divided in five headings.

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The four marriage rounds (Lavan) were written by the fourth Sikh Guru, Guru Raam Daas Ji, which is found on Ang 773 - 774:

---- Gurmukhi & English Translation ----

ਸੂਹੀ ਮਹਲਾ ੪ ॥
ਹਰਿ ਪਹਿਲੜੀ ਲਾਵ ਪਰਵਿਰਤੀ ਕਰਮ ਦ੍ਰਿੜਾਇਆ ਬਲਿ ਰਾਮ ਜੀਉ ॥
ਬਾਣੀ ਬ੍ਰਹਮਾ ਵੇਦੁ ਧਰਮੁ ਦ੍ਰਿੜਹੁ ਪਾਪ ਤਜਾਇਆ ਬਲਿ ਰਾਮ ਜੀਉ ॥

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All Gutkas have the same length of Banis in them. It is only in the case of Rehras that a few Gutkas have a couple of additional Shabads. Ardas of course is different in different Gutkas because it was written by different persons. We should all follow the standard Ardas and Rehras written in the Gutkas printed by the Gurdwara committee, Amritsar and the Sikh Missionary College, Ludhiana. Differences in Rehras have history behind them. This Bani was originally known as So-Dar.

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ਅਖਰੀ ਨਾਮੁ ਅਖਰੀ ਸਾਲਾਹ ॥
ਅਖਰੀ ਗਿਆਨੁ ਗੀਤ ਗੁਣ ਗਾਹ ॥
ਅਖਰੀ ਲਿਖਣੁ ਬੋਲਣੁ ਬਾਣਿ ॥
Through the letters, comes the Naam; through the letters, You are Praised.
Through the letters, comes spiritual wisdom, singing the Songs of Your Glory.
Through the letters, come the written and spoken words and hymns..." (Ang 4)

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Raag conveys a feeling and Shabad a message. A Raag is capable of touching the hearts with the feeling like Joy, Sorrow, Detachment, etc. Upon studying the structure of Guru Granth Sahib it can be seen that shabads relating to common THEMES are generally placed under each Raag. When the broad THEMES of Shabads are overlaid with feelings conveyed by Raags, there emerges a reason behind classification of Shabads under a broad classification of 31 Raags.

Common Theme of Shabads placed under Raags of Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji

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Aad Granth : Aad means "without end", Aad Granth was the name given by Guru Arjun Dev ji to the Granth compiled by him in 1604 (CE) It comprised of the compositions of his own and the predecessor Gurus as also other men-of-god.

Ahankaar : Hankar. I-am-ness; egohood; Haumai.

Akaal : Beyond the limits and influence of time; beyond death; immortal.

Akaal Purkh : It means One Who is beyond the limits and influence of time. It is used as a name for God (Waheguru).

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There is no composition by the name of Triya Chritra in Dasam Granth. There is however a composition called Chritropakhyan (chritra+pakhyan). Chritra means the character or characteristics. Pakhyan means the story which has already been told. Chritra never means wiles, tricks or trickster. It is chritra and not challitar (wiles) as some have tried to present it mischievously.

Even Guru Arjan Dev ji in Rag Saarang praises the Lord for His characteristics.

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Bachittar Natak is a voluminous work and includes Apni Katha, the autobiography of Guru Gobind Singh ji. This is the fifth composition in Sri Dasam Granth Sahib.

Sri Dasam Granth Sahib has fifteen compositions. The first is Jaap Sahib and the last is Zafarnamah. Except for the Zafarnamah, the letter written to Aurangzeb, the rest of the compositions were completed by 1696 A.D. (bikrami 1753).

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No. Dasam Granth is not one granth like Sri Guru Granth Sahib. It is a kuliyat, or collected works. Dasam Granth is collection of different books in one volume.

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By Dr. Jodh Singh (Head, Encyclopedia of Sikhsim. Punjabi University, Patiala)

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A brief description of the various writings in the Dasam Granth follows:

JAAP SAHIB

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While Guru Angad Sahib formalized Gurmukhi, Guru Nanak Sahib originated this script and utilized it as well. The composition entitled 'patti' serves as evidence for this fact. In 'patti,' Guru Nanak Sahib writes in a poetic form similar to the western 'acrostic' style, while naming the Gurmukhi letters that we still use today.

Another important point to remember is that the primary method of passing on bani was through an oral tradition. That is, things were not always written, but instead, remembered by word of mouth.

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The word “sampooran” means complete. If we think to call something “Sampooran Rehraas”, it is actually highly blasphemous and disrespectful to Gurbani. There is Rehraas sahib written in Sri Guru Granth Sahib which is significantly shorter. Is that Rehraas Sahib incomplete? If a longer version of Rehraas with extra Shabads is "sampuran" (complete), then does that imply that Guru Arjan Dev Sahib Ji made a mistake when compiling the Rehraas Sahib contained Sri Guru Granth Sahib?

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Varan Bhai Gurdas is the name given to the 40 Varan (chapters) of writing by Bhai Gurdas. They have been referred to as the "Key to the Sri Guru Granth Sahib" by Guru Arjan Dev, the fifth Sikh Guru. Bhai Gurdas was a first cousin of Mata Bhani, mother of Guru Arjan Dev. He was the first scribe of Guru Granth Sahib and a scholar of great repute. From his work its clear that he had mastery of various Indian languages and had studied many ancient Indian religious scriptures.

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BHAṬṬ-VAHĪS, scrolls or records maintained by Bhaṭṭs, hereditary bards and genealogists. According to Nesfield as quoted in W. Crooke, The Tribes and Castes of the North Western India, 1896, Bhaṭṭs are an "offshoot from those secularised Brāhmaṇs who frequented the courts of princes and the camps of warriors, recited their praises in public, and kept records of their genealogies. " These bards constantly attended upon or visited their patron families reciting panegyrics to them and receiving customary rewards.

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Rehrās is the name given to the main evening prayer of the Sikhs. The word itself implies supplication, though some traditionalist scholars have interpreted it as rāh-i-rāst which, in Persian, means the straight path, the path of faith and devotion as against that of mere ritual practices or yogic austerities. The title 'Rehrās' however does not occur anywhere in Guru Granth Sahib Ji itself, nor is the text, as it is recited today, recorded as a single whole.

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The RSS says in Guru Granth Sahib God's name "Waheguru is mentioned only 17 times whereas God's name "Raam" is mentioned some couple hundred times which means "Raam" is given more significance by the Gurus and Gurus accepted Rama as a God?

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We mistakenly assume our enemies to be human beings. In spiritual life our enemies are those who mislead us from the path of truth and put us in trouble. The major ones among them are lust, anger, greed, attachment, and ego. They are called “diseases” or “devils” which “kill” our soul. They attack our mind and fill it with vices destroying its virtues.

i) ਪੰਚ ਦੋਖ ਅਸਾਧ ਜਾ ਮਹਿ ਤਾ ਕੀ ਕੇਤਕ ਆਸ ॥੧॥
"One who is filled with the five incurable vices - what hope is there for him? ||1||"
(Ang 486)

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As you may have guessed, there are protocols on what can be sung in the public Gurdwara setting. According to the Panthic Sikh Rehit Maryada - the document that functions as the Sikh code of conduct:

"The exposition can only be of the ten Guru's writings or utterances, Bhai Gurdas's writings, Bhai Nand Lal's writings or of any generally accepted Panthak book or books of history (which are in agreement with the Guru's tenets) and not of a book of any other faith. However, for illustration, references to a holy person's teachings or those contained in a book may be made."

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There was only ever ONE Guru, i.e. the one Jaagdi Jyot (Living Light). To non-Sikhs the Guru Sahibaans may be 10 human bodies. To Sikhs there has always been and right now only ONE. Gurbani is "Dhur Kee Baani" - revealed from the Almighty according to His will.

The same Guru-jyot was working in all Guru Sahibaans and it is this Guru-jyot that was the Guru. The Guru jyot chose to go in 9 khands (continents) of this planet in it's first body to spread the glory of Naam. In the fifth body, the Guru-jyot chose to get martyred. It chose to wear two kirpans of Miri and Piri in the sixth body.

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Guru Arjan planned to arrange the writing not by subject, but accordingly to musical measures, or 'Raags' in which the hymns are meant to be sung. The composition which is musical is also metrical, and so follows definite metrical schemes. So on this basis, the Hymns of Shabads are divided into different parts or padas. Each pada consists of one or more verses. The other divisions are pauris, sloks, chants, swayas, etc.

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The literal meaning of the word Raag-mala is: a chain/necklace (mala) of raags (musical measures) i.e., a list of raags. This list differs according to the author and the music school it is based upon. Thus there exists a number of such lists in the music text books. Raagmala is also the title of a composition of twelve verses, running into sixty lines, appended to Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji as a table or index of raags that appears after the "Mundaavni", i.e. the epilogue or "closing seal".

RAAGMALA FULL TEXT (TRANSLATION)

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Gurbani is Agam Agaadh Bodh. For this reason, you can't find a perfect teeka (commentary). The best thing is to refer to the Darpan (Prof Sahib Singh's teeka), and Giani Harbans Singh's Nirnai i.e. Teeka, because both of these teekas are based on Gurbani Viyakaran (grammar). Apart from this one can refer to Bhai Veer Singh's teeka called 'Santhiya' and Sant Kirpal Singh's sampardayak teeka.

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