Sikh Holy Texts

Unlike any other faith, Sikhism has works from rival religions among its scriptures. The words of eminent Hindus and Muslims sit alongside those of revered Sikhs and are held in the same esteem. There can be no better illustration of the openness and tolerance and equality felt by Sikhs and how they aspire to be.

Sri Guru Granth Sahib
The primary book of scriptures, which lies central to the Sikh faith, is the Guru Granth Sahib (also known as the Adi Granth) is considered the Supreme Spiritual Authority and Head of the Sikh religion, rather than any living person. It remains the Guru of Sikhs and they turn to it for guidance and wisdom.

It consists of 974 hymns and writings by the first 10 Gurus, along with religious text from different Muslim and Hindu saints. The total is nearly 6,000 eloquent exhortations of devotion to God in prose and poetry, interspersed with ethics, mostly written in the gurmurkhi script. The book is held in great reverence by Sikhs and treated with the utmost respect. Sikhism rejects idol worship, so the Guru Granth Sahib is respected for the writings which appear within and not worshipped as an idol.

Selections from the Shri Guru Granth
The first poem is the Japji hymn. It is repeated by Sikhs in their morning prayers and is considered to be the epitome of the Sikh doctrine. Japji lays stress on the brotherhood of man and remembrance of God as the key to salvation.

The poem Tav-Prasad Savaiye is usually read after Japji and Jap in the mornings. In it Guru Gobind Singh expounds the uselessness of rituals and blind faith without sincere worship of God. It is part of the daily prayers recommended for Sikhs.

Ardas is used as the common prayer. It is recited whenever starting or ending any reading of Sri Guru Granth Sahib or any other important task. It is a concise history of the Sikhs.

The Lawan is read during the Sikh marriage ceremony called Anand Karaj. There are four main stanzas to this poem. In unison with the reading of each of the four stanzas, the bride and groom complete a circle around the Guru Granth Sahib.

The bedtime prayer, Kirtan Sohila is usually recited just before sleeping at night. It‚s name means ŒSong of Peace‚. Kirtan Sohila is composed of five hymns, the first three by Guru Nanak Dev, the fourth by Guru Ram Das and the fifth by Guru Arjan Dev. This hymn is usually recited at the conclusion of evening ceremonies at the Gurdwara and also recited as part of Sikh funeral services.

One of the daily prayers, Anand by Guru Amar Das is the Song of Eternal Bliss and Joy. It is composed of 40 stanzas and is also recited by the five beloved ones during the Khalsa initiation ceremony.

Known as the Letter of Victory, Zafarnama was written in Persian by Guru Gobind Singh as a letter of defiance and delivered to the Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb in 1707. It was composed by Guru Gobind Singh in one of the darkest times for the Sikhs. Guru Gobind Singh had lost his four sons, while most of the Sikhs had either been scattered or killed on the battlefield. The letter praises God and then outlines the bloody battle of Chamkaur and the treachery of Aurangzeb and the Mughals who broke their oath not to attack the Sikhs. Zafarnama is important to Sikhs because it contains the doctrine of the use of force being justifiable if all other peaceful means have failed.

Selections from a chapter from the Akal Ustati by Guru Gobind Singh denounces blind rituals. The Akal Ustati is a lengthy poem composed by Guru Gobind Singh which appears in the Dasam Granth. Part of The Vachitra Natak meaning The Wonderous Drama by Guru Gobind Singh, Chapter V narrates the succession of the first nine Gurus preceding Guru Gobind Singh. It emphasizes that all the Gurus were the same spirit and praises the great martyrdom of Guru Tegh Bahadur who died to preserve the concept of freedom of religion.

The Vachitra Natak is a very detailed account of the life of Guru Gobind Singh written by himself, it appears in the Dasam Granth and is the only existing autobiography of any Guru.

The second last poetical composition Gun Gobind gaio nahin janamu akarth kin is a poem of 57 couplets written by Guru Tegh Bahadur. He points out those who are attached to the illusion of the material world (maya, mammon) and have forgotten God.

The Sidhha Goshth is a record of the conversation between Guru Nanak Dev and the Sidhhas, a group of Nanth Yogis from the Himalayan mountains, which the Guru met on his travels. 'Goshth' means discussion, and this is the conversation in detail, of the questions posed to Guru Nanak by the Yogis and the Gurus answers. It is a philosophical talk questioning the Guru and his answers about the meaning of life and creation and about God.

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