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Subject: Guru Granth Sahib:
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gurdeep1 13.01.09 - 07:47am
The year 2008 marks exactly 300 years since Guru Gobind Singh, the Tenth Sikh Master, invested the almost 1400 page tome that was the Adi Granth as the Guru Granth eternal living Guru of the Sikhs and the repository of their entire spiritual heritage.
Sikhism is a young religion. The period of its founder, Guru Nanak, parallels that of Reformation and Renaissance, and an era that saw great ferment of ideas in the world. And we do live in interesting times: we have experienced many important commemorations in a very short span. The 500th anniversary of Guru Nanaks birth in 1969; tercentenary of Guru Gobind Singhs birth in 1966, and of the Khalsa in 1999; four centuries of the Adi Granth in 2004; and now 300 years of Guru Granth Sahaib.Significantly, Guru Granth contains the writings of 36 authors but only six of the ten Founder-Gurus. Three are Muslim holy-men, 12 are Hindus (5 Brahmins, 3 Rajputs, 4 low-castes);4 honored Sikhs, and 11 are minstrels and bards (Bhatts). This makes Guru Granth a monumental interfaith scripture, and thus, unique. Another highly unusual feature is that most of the poetry in Guru Granth is set in the notes of classical Indian musicology. This then makes music an inseparable part of and integral to Sikh worship, where Word is the revelatory medium.
Seven inspiring chapters follow the Introduction.
The first chapter, Sikh religion & the Sikh Scripture, explores the life and enlightenment ofNanak, and follows that with a brief summation of his message, including Japjee, the primal creed, and the institutions he founded, including keertanas well as the community kitchen (langar). It then reminds us that Of all religions the best religion is to utter the holy name with love and do good deeds.
The next chapter, From Pothi to Guru Granth Sahib, traces the colorful history and compilation of the Adi Granth in 1604, as well as its contributors and how they came to be included.
The following chapter on Installation of the Adi Granth in the Harimandir Sahib recapitulates some interesting history: how, in 1604, Guru Arjan escorted the Adi Granth (the precursor to Guru Granth) with great ceremony, respect and adoration to the Harimandir. It is a protocol that is followed to this day. Doors to the Harimandir open at 2:30 AM to the sounds of keertan. Guru Granth is ceremoniously escorted in from the Akal Takht at 4:30AM. Keertan continues all day; finally at 10:30 PM Guru Granth is carried back to the Akal Takht for the night. In a sense then, Guru Granth holds court all day for its disciples.
Important Hukumnamas & Nisans comprise the next chapter. The word Hukumnama means an edict or command. Occasionally in response to a particular purpose or need, the Guru would issue a letter, like an encyclical, to the congregation, which would respect and obey it like a royal edict. Many genuine hukumnamas have survived the ravages of time and they provide a critical window into Sikh history and religion of that time. Obviously they are not included in Guru Granth but some of these, including one by Mata Sahib Dewan, are explored in this chapter.
Obviously, for Guru Granth to become incorporated into our lives, it is necessary that we understand the Word. But the Word was written over 300 to 500years ago. Also, the languages in Guru Granth are many and there are myriad references to Hindu and Islamic mythology.
Obviously, for Guru Granth to become incorporated into our lives, it is necessary that we understand the Word. But the Word was written over 300 to 500years ago. Also, the languages in Guru Granth are many and there are myriad references to Hindu and Islamic mythology. The next chapter, Interpretations and Translations of Guru Granth Sahib, focuses on the many translations and expositions that are now available in numerous languages, such as French, German, Urdu, Hindi, and others. In Punjabi there are many. Even in English there are more than one, starting with first attempt by Ernest Trump that was not well received.
Some historical hand written recensions of Guru Granth exist, but India does not yet have the tradition of preservation and restoration of such material. The last chapter of the book, Conserving Rare Guru Granth Sahib Birs, focuses on the need to digitize and preserve our heritage. The need is critical; the time for action is now. 
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