The Dasam Granth and Other Bani
Beyond Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji, Sikhs recognise other writings. These are the Dasam Granth, attributed to Sri Guru Gobind Singh Ji, and the works of Bhai Gurdas and Bhai Nand Lal. Their status is different from Guru Ji's, and parts of the Dasam Granth are disputed.[EoS][EoS][Src][EoS][EoS][DB][EoS][EoS][Web]
The Dasam Granth
Dasam Granth means the book of the tenth Guru. The Encyclopaedia of Sikhism says Bhai Mani Singh compiled it at Amritsar about two decades after Guru Ji passed away, from material that survived the evacuation of Anandpur in 1705. Baba Deep Singh and Bhai Sukha Singh prepared other versions, with differences between them.
In the Singh Sabha period, the Gurmat Granth Pracharak Sabha gathered thirty-two copies at the Akal Takht. Scholars studied them from July 1895 to February 1896, and published a report in 1897. The current text follows from this work and was first printed in 1902.[EoS]
What it contains
The contents include Jaap Sahib, Akal Ustat, Bachitra Natak, Var Sri Bhagauti Ji, Shabad Hazare, Shastar Nam Mala, the very long Charitropakhyan of 7,555 verses, and Zafarnama, the letter to Emperor Aurangzeb. Parts of Jaap Sahib, Akal Ustat and Benti Chaupai enter daily prayer and the amrit ceremony.
The Encyclopaedia says the book is honoured, and in some gurdwaras has stood beside Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji, but that it does not rank as Guru Ji. The Sikh Rehat Maryada forbids installing any book on a par with Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji. Kesar Singh Chhibber reports Guru Ji saying the two should stay separate.[EoS][EoS][Src][EoS]
Bhai Gurdas
Bhai Gurdas, who passed away in 1636, was the scribe of the first volume of the scripture. His forty Vars in Punjabi have 913 stanzas and 6,444 lines. The Encyclopaedia of Sikhism calls them a source for Sri Guru Nanak Dev Ji's life and for early Sikhs, and a statement of Sikh ideas. The Sikh Rehat Maryada permits them for exposition and kirtan in the sangat. They are available through BaniDB.[EoS][Src][DB]
Bhai Nand Lal
Bhai Nand Lal Goya, about 1633 to 1713, served Mughal officials as a secretary before coming to Sri Guru Gobind Singh Ji at Anandpur, in 1682 according to Guru kian Sakhian. He wrote mainly in Persian. His Joti Bigas is in Punjabi. His poetry may be sung at Sikh gatherings, and it too appears in BaniDB. A Rahitnama and a Tankhahnama are also attributed to him.[EoS][Src][EoS][DB]
Where sources disagree
- Who wrote the Dasam Granth
Three broad positions are described. One holds that Sri Guru Gobind Singh Ji wrote all of it. A second holds that it was written by poets at Guru Ji's court. A third holds that Guru Ji wrote part of it and other poets the rest. Wikipedia's account says traditional scholars have relied on a letter attributed to Bhai Mani Singh that later study judged unreliable. It also says some critics consider Charitropakhyan out of keeping with other Sikh scripture, and it reports the historian Syan's view that the question has not been settled, while pre-colonial Sikhs accepted the work as Guru Ji's. The Encyclopaedia says the authorship of some writings is questioned. It adds that compositions with the full signature Sri Mukhvak Patshahi X are generally accepted as Guru Ji's, while those with a shorter signature or none may or may not be. This site does not rule on the question.[Web][EoS]
Cite this page
"The Dasam Granth and Other Bani". Sikh History: lives of the Gurus. https://sikh-history.co.uk/beliefs/dasam-granth-and-other-bani/