George Boyle
The Guru Granth Sahib is the central holy religious scripture of Sikhism, regarded by Sikhs as the final, sovereign and eternal Guru. It contains 1430 pages of 5,894 hymns of 36 saint mystics, which are poetically rendered and set to a rhythmic ancient north Indian classical form of music. The hymns, or shabads, are sung and recited by Sikhs as a source of guidance and inspiration for their lives. They are understood to be the Divine word, the very form of both the guru and God. The Guru Granth Sahib is used in Sikh weddings, where the Lavaan (wedding hymns) are composed in Raag Suhi, which is used for undying love and extreme devotion.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Type of text | The Guru Granth Sahib is the central holy religious scripture of Sikhism, regarded by Sikhs as the final, sovereign and eternal Guru. |
| Contents | The Guru Granth Sahib contains 3,000 hymns in various languages, with authors from multiple religious traditions. |
| Language | The Guru Granth Sahib is written in the Gurmukhi script in various languages including Punjabi, Lahnda, regional Prakrits, Apabhramsa, Sanskrit, Hindi languages (Braj Bhasha, Bangru, Awadhi, Old Hindi), Bhojpuri, Sindhi, Marathi, Marwari, Bengali, Persian and Arabic. |
| Structure | The Guru Granth Sahib consists of 1,430 pages, which are poetically rendered and set to a rhythmic ancient north Indian classical form of music. The bulk of the scripture is divided into 31 main ragas, with each Granth raga subdivided according to length and author. |
| Use in weddings | The Guru Granth Sahib is used in Sikh weddings. The Lavaan (wedding hymns) are composed in Raag Suhi, which is used for undying love and extreme devotion. |
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What You'll Learn
The Guru Granth Sahib is the central religious text of Sikhism
The Guru Granth Sahib is written in the Gurmukhi script in various languages, including Punjabi, Lahnda, regional Prakrits, Apabhramsa, Sanskrit, Hindi languages (Braj Bhasha, Bangru, Awadhi, Old Hindi), Bhojpuri, Sindhi, Marathi, Marwari, Bengali, Persian and Arabic. Copies in these languages often have the generic title of Sant Bhasha. The Guru Granth Sahib was composed predominantly by six Sikh gurus: Guru Nanak, Guru Angad, Guru Amar Das, Guru Ram Das, Guru Arjan and Guru Tegh Bahadur.
The vision in the Guru Granth Sahib is of a society based on divine freedom, mercy, love, belief in one god and justice without oppression of any kind. While the Granth acknowledges and respects the scriptures of Hinduism and Islam, it does not imply a moral reconciliation with either of these religions. It is installed in a Sikh gurdwara (temple). A Sikh typically prostrates before it on entering such a temple. The Granth is revered as eternal gurbānī and the spiritual authority in Sikhism.
Guru Nanak composed hymns, which were sung by his followers in rāga set to music. His successor, Guru Angad, opened centres and distributed these hymns. The community would sing the hymns and his agents collected donations. This tradition was continued by the third and fourth gurus as well. The Guru Granth Sahib is itself considered the living Sikh guru, the final central authority over the Sikh community.
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It contains 3,000 hymns in various languages
The Guru Granth Sahib is the central holy religious scripture of Sikhism and is considered the living Sikh Guru. It contains 3,000 hymns, known as shabads, in various languages, including Punjabi, Lahnda, regional Prakrits, Apabhramsa, Sanskrit, Hindi languages (Braj Bhasha, Bangru, Awadhi, Old Hindi), Bhojpuri, Sindhi, Marathi, Marwari, Bengali, Persian and Arabic. These hymns are set to a rhythmic, ancient North Indian classical form of music. The Guru Granth Sahib is written in the Gurmukhi script and is regarded as the final, sovereign, and eternal Guru following the lineage of the ten human gurus of the religion.
The Guru Granth Sahib was compiled by the fifth Sikh Guru, Guru Arjan, in the early 17th century. Guru Arjan undertook the task of collecting, compiling, and scrutinizing the hymns and compositions of Guru Nanak and his predecessors. He sent his associates across the Indian subcontinent to collect the circulating hymns of Sikh gurus. The Guru Granth Sahib includes not only the hymns of the Gurus but also those of saints from other sects, including Hindu and Muslim. The hymns were carefully selected by Guru Arjan to inculcate specific sentiments in the Sikh community.
The hymns of the Guru Granth Sahib are considered the Divine word and are sung and recited by Sikhs as a source of guidance and inspiration. They are not written in the classical languages of scripture but in the vernacular forms of Punjabi and Hindi, the languages of the common people. The hymns are arranged primarily by the rāgas in which they are read, and the book is set on a raised platform in the gurdwara (temple), covered with a bright cloth, often fringed with silver or gold. When the book is open, it is fanned with a white yak-tail fly whisk to keep insects or dust from settling on its pages.
The Guru Granth Sahib plays a pivotal role in Sikh weddings, where it is displayed and revered. The entire gurdwara program is oriented around the Guru Granth Sahib, with groups of men, women, and children singing hymns from the text. The Granth is honoured as the spiritual authority in Sikhism, and Sikhs prostrate before it when entering the gurdwara, making an offering of money as a foremost act of devotion. The Guru Granth Sahib is not an object of worship, but rather a means to worship God, through the divine word.
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The hymns are sung during worship services
The Guru Granth Sahib is the central holy religious scripture of Sikhism, regarded by Sikhs as the final, sovereign and eternal Guru following the lineage of the ten human gurus of the religion. It contains 3,000 hymns in various languages, with authors from multiple religious traditions. These hymns are sung during worship services held at the gurdwara, where the Guru Granth Sahib is displayed.
The Guru Granth Sahib is considered the living Sikh Guru, the final central authority over the Sikh community. The hymns, called shabads, are sung and recited by Sikhs as the source of both guidance and inspiration for their lives. These words of hymnic praise are understood to be the Divine word, the very form of both the guru and the one, formless God.
The hymns are set to a rhythmic ancient north Indian classical form of music. The bulk of the scripture is divided into 31 main ragas, with each Granth raga subdivided according to length and author. The hymns in the scripture are arranged primarily by the ragas in which they are read. Each raga reflects a different spiritual mood or tone and is sung at different times of the day. For example, Raag Suhi is used for undying love and extreme devotion. The Lavaan (wedding hymns) are composed in Raag Suhi.
As Sikh men, women, and children enter the gurdwara for worship, they first go forward to the altar-like lectern bearing the Guru Granth Sahib. They kneel or bow fully before it, touching their heads to the floor. They make an offering of money. Honoring the position and authority of the scripture is the foremost act of devotion. The entire gurdwara program, usually held on Sundays in American gurdwaras, is oriented around the Guru Granth Sahib. A group of men and women sit with a harmonium singing hymns from the text of the Guru Granth Sahib. A group of teens comes forward to sing, followed by a group of children. The granthi attends the Guru Granth Sahib, reads and recites from its pages, and waves a white fly-whisk over it.
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The Guru Granth Sahib is installed in a Sikh gurdwara (temple)
The Guru Granth Sahib is the central holy religious scripture of Sikhism. It is regarded by Sikhs as the final, sovereign, and eternal Guru following the lineage of the ten human gurus of the religion. The Guru Granth Sahib is composed predominantly by six Sikh gurus: Guru Nanak, Guru Angad, Guru Amar Das, Guru Ram Das, Guru Arjan, and Guru Tegh Bahadur. It contains 3,000 hymns in various languages, with authors from multiple religious traditions. These hymns are sung during worship services held at the gurdwara, where the Guru Granth Sahib is displayed.
The entire gurdwara program is oriented around the Guru Granth Sahib. A group of men and women sing hymns from the text, accompanied by a harmonium. A group of teenagers then come forward to sing, followed by a group of children. The granthi attends the Guru Granth Sahib, reading and reciting from its pages and waving a white fly-whisk over it.
The Guru Granth Sahib is considered the living Sikh Guru, the final central authority over the Sikh community. It is not worshipped, but it is seen as the embodiment of the Guru, and Sikhs treat it with the same respect they would show to a human Guru.
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The Guru Granth Sahib is considered the living Sikh Guru
The Guru Granth Sahib is the central holy religious scripture of Sikhism, regarded by Sikhs as the final, sovereign, and eternal Guru following the lineage of the ten human gurus of the religion. The Guru Granth Sahib is considered the living Sikh Guru as it is believed to embody the Word of God and is treated with deep reverence and care. The scripture is composed of approximately 1,430 pages, with over half a million words, and 3,000 hymns in various languages, including Punjabi, Hindi, Sanskrit, Persian, and Arabic. The hymns are set to a rhythmic, ancient North Indian classical form of music, with the bulk of the scripture divided into 31 main ragas. The Guru Granth Sahib is written in the Gurmukhi script and was composed predominantly by six Sikh gurus, including Guru Nanak, Guru Angad, and Guru Amar Das.
The Guru Granth Sahib is installed in a Sikh gurdwara (temple), where it is displayed on a raised platform and covered with a bright cloth, often fringed with silver or gold. Sikhs show their respect by bowing or kneeling before the scripture and making an offering of money. The Guru Granth Sahib is not an object of worship, but it is seen as a source of guidance and inspiration, with its words considered to be the Divine word of God. During worship, the scripture is fanned constantly with a chauri made of yak hair to keep insects or dust from settling on its pages. This practice has become a devotional ritual of deep respect.
The Guru Granth Sahib is considered the final authority over the Sikh community, and its completion marked the end of human gurus in Sikhism. The scripture was compiled by the fifth guru, Guru Arjan, between 1564 and 1606, with contributions from the religious writings of the first four gurus. Guru Arjan sent his associates across the Indian subcontinent to collect circulating hymns and religious writings, which he then selected and edited for inclusion in the Guru Granth Sahib. The first edition, known as the Adi Granth, was completed in 1604 and installed in the Golden Temple in Amritsar.
Guru Gobind Singh, the tenth and last human guru, added the hymns of his father, Guru Tegh Bahadur, to the Adi Granth and affirmed it as his successor. This final edition became known as the Guru Granth Sahib and was installed in 1708. Guru Gobind Singh declared that the Word of God embodied in the Guru Granth Sahib was to be the Guru for all time, stating, "Obey the Granth Sahib, for it is the visible body of the Guru." The Guru Granth Sahib thus occupies a pivotal role in the Sikh congregation, with its words considered a source of divine guidance for the Sikh community.
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Frequently asked questions
The Guru Granth Sahib is the central holy religious scripture of Sikhism. It is considered the final, sovereign, and eternal Guru of the religion.
The Guru Granth Sahib is used in Sikh weddings for the recitation of Lavaan, or wedding hymns, which are composed in the Raag Suhi, a raga that expresses undying love and extreme devotion.
The Lavaan are the wedding hymns that are sung during Sikh wedding ceremonies. They are composed in the Raag Suhi, a raga that is associated with undying love and extreme devotion.
A raga describes the musical scale, structure, and how to create a melody. Each raga reflects a different spiritual mood or tone and is sung at different times of the day.
The Guru Granth Sahib is of pivotal importance to the Sikh community. It is considered the living Sikh Guru and the final central authority over the community. It is the source of guidance and inspiration for Sikhs, who believe that its words are the Divine word of God.
