Dasam Granth

From SikhiPedia

Guru Gobind Singh Ji was not only an exceptional warrior but also a creative genius. His scholarship in Persian, Sanskrit, Hindi and Panjabi enabled him to write verses in different poetic forms. The sacred writings of the Tenth Guru are known as "Dasam Bani" (compositions of the Tenth Guru). He patronized fifty-two poets at his court. The most important of them were Bhai Nand Laal Singh (Goya) and Sainapat.

According to the Panthic Sikh Rehat Maryada, one of the primary conditions for a person to qualify as a Sikh is that he "should faithfully believe in Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji, the utterances and teachings by all ten Gurus and the baptism bequeathed by the tenth Guru". Hence having unflinching faith in Gurbani of all the Gurus is important for every Sikh claimant.

Guru Ramdaas Ji says:

ਅੰਮ੍ਰਿਤ ਬਚਨ ਸਤਿਗੁਰ ਕੀ ਬਾਣੀ ਜੋ ਬੋਲੈ ਸੋ ਮੁਖਿ ਅੰਮ੍ਰਿਤੁ ਪਾਵੈ ॥੨॥ "The Words of the True Guru's Teachings are Ambrosial Nectar; this Amrit trickles into the mouth of the one who chants them. ||2||" (Ang 494)

It is the Gurbani of all the Gurus that makes us Sikhs and sustains our identity as Sikhs. In addition of being the source of the Banis of Nitnem and Amrit Sanchar, the writings and compositions of the Tenth Guru are also the source of the terminologies and phrases of the Khalsa. Some prominent examples being 'Vaheguru Ji Ki Fateh', 'Deg Teg Fateh', 'Bipran Ki Reet', 'Panth', 'Khalsa', 'Khanda', 'Kirpan', 'Sarab-loh' etc.

It is a fact that the Tenth Guru composed Bani ("Dasam Bani"), a source of our daily prayers, and also produced literary works that translated Hindu mythology in which the Guru showed that the so-called gods and goddesses of India are nothing more than mere humans and not divine as believed. However, since the time the writings or pothis, to be later compiled and bound into one single volume and called "Dasam Granth" (the granth (scripture) of the Tenth Master), were originally found, there has been a controversy about their authorship, authenticity and historicity. Very few persons have made a serious study about their genuineness.