- Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji -

In 1708 AD at Sri Hazoor Sahib, Nanded with 5 Singhs in the Hazoori (Presence) of Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji, Sri Guru Gobind Singh Ji uttered the following in front of all those presence as a command:

“With the blessing of God the Khalsa Panth was created, all Sikhs have a commandment to believe in Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji, which is the living embodiment of the 10 Guru’s. Whatever you desire can be obtained by meditating on the Shabad (Verses) of Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji.”

The names of the 5 Singh’s present were:

1) Baba Gurbaksh Singh Ji, who was martyred fighting against Ahmed Shah Abdali’s forces, his place of martyrdom was behind Sri Akhal Takhat Sahib.
2) Baba Deep Singh Ji Shaheed
3) Pyare Bhai Dharam Singh Ji
4) Bhai Santokh Singh Ji (Sevadar Sri Hazoor Sahib)
5) Bhai Heer Singh Ji (author of Guru Ji’s daily diary)

Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji was first compiled by Sri Guru Arjan Dev Sahib Ji at Amritsar between 1600-1604, Guru Ji narrated the Gurbani and Bhai Gurdas Sahib Ji was the scribe. Guru Sahib had collected the works of the previous Gurus and then added works from other saints and their own utterances of Gurbani. Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji was first installed at Harimandar Sahib (Golden Temple, Amritsar) on the 16th of August 1604 with Baba Buddha Sahib Ji being the first Granthi.

Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji consists of 1430 Aangs (pages/limbs) and it contains the Banis (the sacred compositions) of the first five Gurus and the ninth Guru as well as a number of passages of verses written by several saints from Muslims, Hindus and even so called "untouchables". This was done to demonstrate the Sikh respect for other saints and tolerance for all faiths. Altogether, Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji includes 5894 Shabads (hymns or holy verses) which are arranged in 31 Ragas (musical measures). The first verse is Mool Mantar (or Mantra), the Root Verse, followed by daily prayer or Nitnem. The remaining verses have been arranged according to their individual musical patterns or Ragas which began with Siri Raga and end with Jai-jiwanti.

Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji is an anthology of prayers and hymns. Most of the hymns are addressed to God and often describe the devotee's condition: his aspirations and yearning, his agony in separation and his longing to be with Lord. The subject of Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji is truth: how to live a truthful living, that is, an ultimate for an ideal person. As Sri Guru Nanak Dev Ji states in the Mool Mantar, God is the Ultimate Truth and one has to cultivate those qualities which are associated with him, in order to like Him. The basic concept behind the hymns is that sacred music, when sung or listened to with devotion and undivided attention, can link the individual's consciousness with God. A mind may become stable and enjoy the peace of His divine Presence, as listening to the hymns can exert a powerful influence on the mind and help to establish its communion with God.

In Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji, revelation and Raga go hand in hand. The Gurus were emphatic about the religious value of sacred music or Kirtan and stressed its continuous use, as source of divine joy and bliss. Sacred music is fine art wedded closely to the spiritual theme. It is devotional music in praise of the Glory of God conveyed by melody and rhythm. The goal or objective of Kirtan is to put the individual soul in tune with God.

Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji also conveys the Word of the Master through His messengers on earth. It is universal in its scope. The greatness of Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji lies not only in its being the holy scripture of the Sikhs but also in it being a general scripture available to mankind, intended for everybody, everywhere.

Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji also explains what Sri Guru Nanak Dev Ji meant by a "perfect individual" or a Gurmukh. It is a remarkable storehouse of spiritual knowledge and teachings. It does not preach any rites or rituals but stresses meditation on the Name of God. Through its teachings, it can enable men and women to lead a purposeful and rewarding life while being productive members of a society. It seeks universal peace and the good of all mankind.

Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji also stresses the democratic way of life and the equality of all people. It teaches that we are Karm Yogis, that is, we reap what we sow. The emphasis is on moral actions, noble living and working for the welfare of all people. Respect and veneration for Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji does not imply idol worship, but rather respect for a divine message, the ideas and ideals contained in the Sikh scripture. Meditation on the True Word, 'Satnam' or the Wonderful Enlightener, 'Waheguru', or on any line of a verse in Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji, may bring the true devotee or disciple to be in tune with God.

Contributors

Gurus: Sri Guru Nanak Dev Sahib Ji, 974 compositions in 19 different rags
Sri Guru Angad Dev Sahib Ji, 62 Saloks within the Vars
Sri Guru Amardas Sahib Ji, 907 compositions in 17 different rags
Sri Guru Ramdas Sahib Ji 679 compositions in 29 different rags
Sri Guru Arjan Dev Sahib Ji, 2218 compositions in 30 different rags
Sri Guru Hargobind Sahib Ji, added the tunes to 9 out of the 22 Vars
Sri Guru Teg Bahadar Sahib Ji, 115 compositons in 15 different rags
Sri Guru Gobind Singh Sahib Ji, 1 dohra in Salok Mahala 9, Ang 1429

Gursikhs:

Bhai Mardana Ji, 3 Saloks in 1 rag
Baba Sundar Ji, 1 hymn in 1 rag
Bhai Satta Ji & Bhai Balwand Ji, 1 Var in 1 rag

Bhagats:

Beni Ji, 3 compositions in 3 different rags
Bhikhan Ji, 2 hymns in 1 rag
Dhanna Ji, 4 compositions in 2 different rags
Farid Ji, 134 compositions in 2 different rags
Jai Dev Ji, 2 compositions in 2 different rags
Kabir Ji, 541 compositions in 17 different rags
Namdev Ji, 60 compositions in 18 different rags
Parmanand Ji, 1 hymn in 1 rag
Pipa Ji, 1 hymn in 1 rag
Ramanand Ji, 1 hymn in 1 rag
Ravidas Ji, 41 compositions in 16 different rags
Sadhna Ji, 1 hymn in 1 rag
Sain Ji, 1 hymn in 1 rag
Surdas Ji, 1 verse in 1 rag
Trilochan Ji, 4 compositions in 3 different rags

Bards:

Kal, Kalsahaar, Tal, Jaalap, Jal, Kirat, Sal, Bhalah, Nalah, Bhikkhaa, (Bhats) Jalan, Das, Gyand, Sewak, Mathura, Bal, and Haribans, 123 Swayas singing the praises of the first 5 Gurus

Languages

Panjabi, Sanskrit, Sindhi, Western Panjabi/Lehndi, Arabic, Persian, Gujrati, Marathi, Eastern Hindi, Western Hindi, and Eastern Apabhramsa.