Compiling the Adi Granth
Bhai Banno's copy
Sent to Lahore to have the volume bound, Bhai Banno travels slowly and has it copied on the way.
As the Encyclopaedia retells the Gurbilas, Guru Ji told Bhai Banno to take the book to Lahore for binding. He asked to show it first to the Sikhs of his village, and Guru Ji agreed, on the condition that he stayed no more than one night in any place.
Nothing was said about how fast he should travel. So he had paper bought, moved at about five miles a day and had his companions write through the days and nights. He added some apocryphal text as well. When he came back with two bound volumes, Guru Ji took only the one in Bhai Gurdas's hand.
How do we know?
Several traditional accounts tell this story, without close independent support.
A Banno manuscript exists. The trick with the journey is a later story.
- ScholarshipTells the full story and says Bhai Banno added apocryphal texts to his copy.[EoS]
- ScholarshipSays he prepared his copy on the journey and that Guru Ji returned it to him.[EoS]
- ScholarshipCalls this manuscript the Kanpur Pothi, a first copy reported in Mahima Prakash and Bhagatmala, with differences of organisation from the Kartarpur Pothi.[Mann]
