Sikhism Warning: You are not logged in. Your IP address will be publicly visible if you make any edits. If you log in or create an account, your edits will be attributed to your username, along with other benefits.Anti-spam check. Do not fill this in! ==Scripture== There is one primary scripture for the Sikhs: the ''Gurū Granth Sāhib''. It is sometimes synonymously referred to as the ''Ādi Granth''.<ref name=shacklexvii/> Chronologically, however, the ''Ādi Granth'' – literally, 'First Volume' – refers to the version of the scripture created by [[Guru Arjan]] in 1604.<ref>Cole, William Owen; Sambhi, Piara Singh (1995), ''The Sikhs: Their Religious Beliefs and Practices'', Sussex Academic Press, {{ISBN|978-1-898723-13-4}}, pp. 45–46</ref> The ''Gurū Granth Sāhib'' is the final expanded version of the scripture compiled by [[Guru Gobind Singh]].<ref name=shacklexvii/><ref>Cole, William Owen; Sambhi, Piara Singh (1995), ''The Sikhs: Their Religious Beliefs and Practices'', Sussex Academic Press, {{ISBN|978-1-898723-13-4}}, pp. 49–50</ref> While the ''Guru Granth Sahib'' is an unquestioned scripture in Sikhism, another important religious text, the ''[[Dasam Granth]]'', does not enjoy universal consensus, but is considered a secondary scripture by many Sikhs.<ref name=shacklexvii>Christopher Shackle and Arvind Mandair (2005), Teachings of the Sikh Gurus, Abingdon-on-Thames, England: Routledge, {{ISBN|978-0-415-26604-8}}, pp. xvii–xx</ref> ===''Adi Granth''=== {{Main|Ādi Granth}} The ''Ādi Granth'' was compiled primarily by [[Bhai Gurdas]] under the supervision of [[Guru Arjan]] between the years 1603 and 1604.<ref>{{cite book |last=Trumpp |first=Ernest |date=2004 |orig-year=1877 |title=The Ādi Granth or the Holy Scriptures of the Sikhs |publisher=Munshiram Manoharlal Publishers |isbn=978-81-215-0244-3 |page=xxxi}}</ref> It is written in the [[Gurmukhi|Gurmukhī]] script, which is a descendant of the [[Laṇḍā]] script used in the Punjab at that time.<ref>{{cite book |last=Grierson |first=George Abraham |author-link=George Abraham Grierson |date=1967 |orig-year=1927 |title=The Linguistic Survey of India |publisher=Motilal Banarsidass |isbn=978-81-85395-27-2 |page=624}}</ref> The [[Gurmukhi|Gurmukhī]] script was standardised by Guru Angad, the second guru of the Sikhs, for use in the Sikh scriptures and is thought to have been influenced by the [[Śāradā script|Śāradā]] and [[Devanāgarī]] scripts. An authoritative scripture was created to protect the integrity of hymns and teachings of the Sikh Gurus, and thirteen Hindu and two Muslim bhagats of the [[Bhakti movement]] sant tradition in medieval India.<ref>{{cite book |first=E. |last=Nesbitt |date=2014 |title=The Oxford Handbook of Sikh Studies |editor1-first=Pashaura |editor1-last=Singh |editor2-first=Louis E. |editor2-last=Fenech |publisher=[[Oxford University Press]] |isbn=978-0-19-969930-8 |pages=360–369}}</ref> The thirteen Hindu ''bhagats'' whose teachings were entered into the text included [[Ramananda]], [[Namdev]], [[Bhagat Pipa|Pipa]], [[Ravidas]], [[Bhagat Beni|Beni]], [[Bhagat Bhikhan|Bhikhan]], [[Bhagat Dhanna|Dhanna]], [[Jayadeva|Jaidev]], [[Bhagat Parmanand|Parmanand]], [[Bhagat Sadhana|Sadhana]], [[Bhagat Sain|Sain]], [[Sur (poet)|Sur]], [[Bhagat Trilochan|Trilochan]], while the two Muslim ''bhagats'' were [[Kabir]] and Sufi saint [[Fariduddin Ganjshakar|Farid]].<ref name=shapiro924>{{cite book |last=Shapiro |first=Michael |date=2002 |title=Songs of the Saints from the Adi Granth |publisher=Journal of the American Oriental Society|pages=924, 925}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |first=Mahinder |last=Gulati |date=2008 |title=Comparative Religious and Philosophies: Anthropomorphism and Divinity |publisher=Atlantic |isbn=978-81-269-0902-5 |page=302}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |first=H. S. |last=Singha |date=2009 |title=The Encyclopedia of Sikhism |publisher=Hemkunt Press |isbn=978-81-7010-301-1 |page=8}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last=Mann |first=Gurinder Singh |date=2001 |title=The Making of Sikh Scripture |publisher=[[Oxford University Press]] |isbn=978-0-19-513024-9 |page=19}}</ref> However, the bhagats in context often spoke of transcending their religious labels, Kabir often attributed to being a Muslim states in the ''Adi Granth'', "I am not Hindu nor Muslim."<ref>{{cite book |last1=Eraly |first1=Abraham |title=The Age of Wrath: A History of the Delhi Sultanate |date=2015 |publisher=Penguin UK |isbn=978-93-5118-658-8 |quote=The main thrust of Kabir's mission was to unite Hindus and Muslims in a common quest for god realisation. 'Hindus and Muslims have the same god,, he held. 'God is the breath of all breath ... Look within your heart, for there you will find [God] ... All men and women in the world are his living forms.' Although many of his sayings had a strong Hindu flavour in them—presumably because of Ramananda's influence—he made no distinction between Hinduism and Islam Similarly, though he usually referred to god as Hari or Rama, he used those words as synonyms of god, and not as the names of particular deities. 'I am not Hindu nor Muslim; Allah-Ram is the breath of my body,' he stated, and went on to declare that All that lives and dies, they are all one. The this and that haggling, is done.}}</ref> The Gurus following on this message taught that different methods of devotion are for the same infinite God.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Susanne |first1=Scholz |title=God Loves Diversity and Justice |date=2013 |publisher=Lexington Books |isbn=978-0-7391-7318-3 |page=16 |quote=The Sikh Divine comprises every imaginable theological ideal! Hindu, Buddhist, Tantric, and Islamic views that were current in medieval India come together in the wide-ranging literary spectrum of the GGS. The stereotypical oppositions between the Indic and Abrahamic worldviews of the day are transcended: "Some call it Rama, some call it Khuda; some worship it as Vishnu, some as Allah" (GGS: 885). Interestingly, even the atheistic Buddhist Nirvana is not omitted: "Itself Nirvana, It itself relishes pleasures" (GGS: 97). "God" or "gods" or "no god" alike are recognized as part of the infinite One! "Always, always you alone are the One Reality – ''sada sada tun eku hai''" (GGS: 139). Persian terminology is used to emphasize the unity of being: "''asti ek digari kui ek tui ek tui'' – Only the One is, there is none other; Only you, you only" (GGS: 144). Again, "''hindu turk ka sahib ek'' – Hindus and Muslims share the One sovereign" (GGS: 1158). (The term "Turk" referred to all Muslims in this period.) Since everything is a manifestation of That One being, all the manifestations would be a part of it. No god, no body, and no thing is excluded from this all pervasive being}}</ref> ===Guru Granth Sahib=== [[File:Guru Granth Sahib.jpg|thumb|upright|Gurū Granth Sāhib – the primary scripture of Sikhism]] {{Main|Guru Granth Sahib}} The Guru Granth Sahib is the holy scripture of the Sikhs, and is regarded as the living Guru. ====Compilation==== The Guru Granth started as a volume of Guru Nanak's poetic compositions. Prior to his death, he passed on his volume to Guru Angad (Guru 1539–1551). The final version of the [[Gurū Granth Sāhib]] was compiled by [[Guru Gobind Singh]] in 1678. It consists of the original Ādi Granth with the addition of [[Guru Tegh Bahadur]]'s hymns. The predominant bulk of Guru Granth Sahib is compositions by seven Sikh Gurus – Guru Nanak, Guru Angad, Guru Amar Das, Guru Ram Das, Guru Arjan, Guru Teg Bahadur and Guru Gobind Singh. It also contains the traditions and teachings of thirteen [[Hindu]] Bhakti movement ''sants'' (saints) such as [[Ramananda]], [[Namdev]] among others, and two [[Muslim]] saints namely [[Kabir]] and the Sufi [[Sheikh Farid]].<ref name="p254" /><ref name=shapiro924/> The text comprises 6,000 ''[[shabhad|śabads]]'' (line compositions),<ref name=shacklexvii/> which are poetically rendered and set to rhythmic ancient north Indian classical music.<ref name=king359>Anna S. King and JL Brockington (2005), The Intimate Other: Love Divine in Indic Religions, Orient Blackswan, {{ISBN|978-81-250-2801-7}}, pp. 359–361</ref> The bulk of the scripture is classified into sixty ''[[raga|rāgas]]'', with each Granth rāga subdivided according to length and author. The hymns in the scripture are arranged primarily by the ''rāgas'' in which they are read.<ref name=shacklexvii/> ====Language and script==== [[File:Guru Har Rai - Mool Mantar.jpg|thumb|[[Mul Mantar]] written by [[Guru Har Rai]], showing the Ik Onkar at top]] The main language used in the scripture is known as ''[[Sant Bhasha|Sant Bhāṣā]]'', a language related to both [[Punjabi language|Punjabi]] and [[Hindi language|Hindi]] and used extensively across medieval northern India by proponents of popular devotional religion ([[bhakti]]).<ref name="parrinderp259">{{cite book |last=Parrinder |first=Geoffrey |author-link=Geoffrey Parrinder |date=1971 |title=World Religions: From Ancient History to the Present|publisher=[[Hamlyn (publisher)|Hamlyn]] |location=London |isbn=978-0-87196-129-7|page=259}}</ref> The text is printed in Gurumukhi script, believed to have been developed by Guru Angad.<ref name=shacklexvii/> The language shares the Indo-European roots found in numerous regional languages of India.<ref>Shackle, Christopher; Mandair, Arvind (2005); ''Teachings of the Sikh Gurus''; Abingdon-on-Thames, England: Routledge; {{ISBN|978-0-415-26604-8}}, pp. xxi–xxxii</ref> ====Teachings==== [[File:Sikh musicians.jpg|thumb|left|upright|A group of [[Sikh music]]ians called Dhadi at the [[Golden Temple]] complex]] The vision in the Guru Granth Sahib, states Torkel Brekke, is a society based on divine justice without oppression of any kind.<ref name=brekke673/> The Granth begins with the ''[[Mul Mantra|Mūl Mantra]]'', an iconic verse which received Guru Nanak directly from Akal Purakh (God).{{Citation needed|date=May 2023}} The traditional Mul Mantar goes from Ik Oankar until Nanak Hosee Bhee Sach.{{Citation needed|date=May 2023}} :One God exists, truth by name, creative power, without fear, without enmity, timeless form, unborn, self-existent, by the Guru's grace.<ref>{{cite book |last=Mandair |first=Arvind |editor-last=Pemberton |editor-first=Kelly |date=2008 |title=Shared Idioms, Sacred Symbols, and the Articulation of Identities in South Asia |publisher=[[Routledge]] |location=Abingdon-on-Thames, England |isbn=978-0-415-95828-8 |page=61}}</ref> :({{lang-pa|ੴ ਸਤਿ ਨਾਮੁ ਕਰਤਾ ਪੁਰਖੁ ਨਿਰਭਉ ਨਿਰਵੈਰੁ ਅਕਾਲ ਮੂਰਤਿ ਅਜੂਨੀ ਸੈਭੰ ਗੁਰ ਪ੍ਰਸਾਦਿ ॥ |Ika ōaṅkāra sati nāmu karatā purakhu nirabha'u niravairu akāla mūrati ajūnī saibhaṅ gura prasādi}}) ====As guru==== The Tenth Guru, Guru Gobind Singh ji, named the Sikh scripture Guru Granth Sahib as his successor, terminating the line of human Gurus and making the scripture the literal embodiment of the eternal, impersonal Guru, where Gods/Gurus word serves as the spiritual guide for Sikhs.<ref name="WH McLeod 2014 page 17" /><ref name="William James 2011 pages 241-242" /><ref name="granthfinalguru" /><ref>Jane Bingham (2007), Sikhism, Atlas of World Faiths, {{ISBN|978-1-59920-059-0}}, pp. 19–20</ref> :All Sikhs are commanded to take the Granth as Guru{{Citation needed|date=May 2023}} :({{lang-pa|ਸੱਬ ਸਿੱਖਣ ਕੋ ਹੁਕਮ ਹੈ ਗੁਰੂ ਮਾਨਯੋ ਗ੍ਰੰਥ । |Sabb sikkhaṇ kō hukam hai [[Guru Maneyo Granth|gurū mānyō granth]]}}) The Guru Granth Sahib is installed in Sikh ''Gurdwara'' (temple); many Sikhs bow or prostrate before it on entering the temple. The Guru Granth Sahib is installed every morning and put to bed at night in many ''Gurdwaras''.<ref>Cole, William Owen; Sambhi, Piara Singh (1995), ''The Sikhs: Their Religious Beliefs and Practices'', Sussex Academic Press, {{ISBN|978-1-898723-13-4}}, p. 44</ref> The Granth is revered as eternal ''[[gurbani|gurbānī]]'' and the spiritual authority.<ref>{{cite book |first=Torkel |last=Brekke |date=2014 |title=Religion, War, and Ethics: A Sourcebook of Textual Traditions |editor1-first=Gregory M. |editor1-last=Reichberg |editor2-first=Henrik |editor2-last=Syse |publisher=[[Cambridge University Press]] |isbn=978-0-521-45038-6 |page=675}}</ref> The copies of the Guru Granth Sahib are not regarded as material objects, but as living subjects which are alive.<ref name=Myrvold>Kristina Myrvold (2016). "Making the Scripture a Person: Reinventing Death Rituals of Guru Granth Sahib in Sikhism", pp. 134–136, 142–143, 152–155; In: Kristina Myrvold (2016), ''The Death of Sacred Texts: Ritual Disposal and Renovation of Texts in World Religions'', Abingdon-on-Thames, England: Routledge</ref> According to Myrvold, the Sikh scripture is treated with respect like a living person, in a manner similar to the Gospel in early Christian worship. Old copies of the Sikh scripture are not thrown away, rather funerary services are performed.<ref name=Myrvold/> In India the Guru Granth Sahib is even officially recognised by the Supreme Court of India as a judicial person which can receive donations and own land.<ref name=Myrvold/> Yet, some Sikhs also warn that, without true comprehension of the text, veneration for the text can lead to [[bibliolatry]], with the concrete form of the teachings becoming the object of worship instead of the teachings themselves.<ref name=Myrvold/> ====Relation to Hinduism and Islam==== {{main|Sikhism and Hinduism|Islam and Sikhism}} The Sikh scriptures use [[Hindu]] terminology, with references to the [[Vedas]], and the names of gods and goddesses in Hindu bhakti movement traditions, such as Vishnu, Shiva, Brahma, Parvati, Lakshmi, Saraswati, Rama, Krishna, but not to worship.<ref name=brekke673>Torkel Brekke (2014), Religion, War, and Ethics: A Sourcebook of Textual Traditions (Editors: Gregory M. Reichberg and Henrik Syse), Cambridge University Press, {{ISBN|978-0-521-45038-6}}, pp. 673, 675, 672–686</ref><ref>Sinha, A. K. (2013), ''Glimpse of Scriptures of Religions of Indian Origin'', Xlibris, {{ISBN|978-1-4836-6308-1}}, pp. 204–216{{self-published source|date=December 2017}}</ref>{{Self-published inline|certain=yes|date=December 2017}}<ref>{{Cite book |first1=Christopher |last1=Shackle |first2=Arvind |last2=Mandair |date=2005 |title=Teachings of the Sikh Gurus |publisher=[[Routledge]] |location=Abingdon-on-Thames, England |isbn=978-0-415-26604-8 |pages=xxxiv–xli}}</ref> It also refers to the spiritual concepts in Hinduism (''[[Ishvara]], [[Bhagavan]], [[Brahman]]'') and the concept of God in [[Islam]] (''[[Allah]]'') to assert that these are just "alternate names for the Almighty One".<ref>Singh, Nirbhai (1990); [https://archive.org/details/philosophyofsikh0000nirb/page/n134 <!-- pg=115 --> ''Philosophy of Sikhism: Reality and Its Manifestations''], New Delhi: Atlantic Publishers<!--NOT Atlantic Books, of London.-->; pp. 115–122</ref> While the Guru Granth Sahib acknowledges the [[Vedas]], [[Puranas]] and [[Quran]],<ref>Cole, William Owen; Sambhi, Piara Singh (1995), ''The Sikhs: Their Religious Beliefs and Practices'', Sussex Academic Press, {{ISBN|978-1-898723-13-4}}, p. 157</ref> it does not imply a [[Syncretic religion|syncretic]] bridge between Hinduism and Islam,<ref>Cole, William Owen; Sambhi, Piara Singh (1995), ''The Sikhs: Their Religious Beliefs and Practices'', Sussex Academic Press, {{ISBN|978-1-898723-13-4}}, p. 40</ref> but emphasises focusing on [[Nitnem|nitnem banis]] like [[Japji Sahib|Japu]] (repeating [[mantra]] of the divine Name of God – [[Waheguru]]), instead of Muslim practices such as [[circumcision]] or praying by prostrating on the ground to God in a specific direction, or Hindu rituals such as wearing thread.<ref>{{cite book |first1=William Owen |last1=Cole |first2=Piara Singh |last2=Sambhi |date=1995 |title=The Sikhs: Their Religious Beliefs and Practices |publisher=Sussex Academic Press |isbn=978-1-898723-13-4 |pages=155–156}}</ref> ===Dasam Granth=== [[File:Dasam.Granth.Frontispiece.BL.Manuscript.1825-1850.jpg|thumb|The Dasam Granth is a Sikh scripture which contains texts attributed to Guru Gobind Singh, including his autobiography [[Bachittar Natak]]. The major narrative in the text is on [[Chaubis Avtar]] (24 [[Avatars]] of Hindu god [[Vishnu]]), [[Rudra]], [[Brahma]], the Hindu warrior goddess [[Chandi]] and a story of [[Rama]] in [[Bachittar Natak]].<ref name="jdeol31">{{cite book |first=J. |last=Deol |date=2000 |title=Sikh Religion, Culture and Ethnicity |editor1-first=Arvind-Pal Singh |editor1-last=Mandair |editor2-first=Christopher |editor2-last=Shackle |editor3-first=Gurharpal |editor3-last=Singh |publisher=[[Routledge]] |location=Abingdon-on-Thames, England |isbn=978-0-7007-1389-9 |pages=31–33}}</ref>]] {{Main|Dasam Granth}} The Dasam Granth is a scripture of Sikhs which contains texts attributed to Guru Gobind Singh. Scholars, on the other hand, attribute the work to after the Guru's death, being authored by an unknown poet. The ''Dasam Granth'' is important to a great number of Sikhs, however it does not have the same authority as the ''Guru Granth Sahib''. Some compositions of the ''Dasam Granth'' like [[Jaap Sahib]], ([[Amrit Savaiye]]), and [[Chaupai (Sikhism)|Benti Chaupai]] are part of the daily prayers ([[Nitnem]]) for Sikhs.<ref>Robert Zaehner (1988), The Hutchinson Encyclopedia of Living Faiths, Hutchinson, {{ISBN|978-0-09-173576-0}}, pp. 426–427</ref> The first verse of the [[ardās]] prayer is from [[Chandi di Var]]. The ''Dasam Granth'' is largely versions of Hindu mythology from the [[Puranas]], secular stories from a variety of sources called ''Charitro Pakhyan'' – tales to protect careless men from perils of lust.<ref>{{cite book |first1=Christopher |last1=Shackle |first2=Arvind-Pal Singh |last2=Mandair |date=2005 |title=Teachings of the Sikh Gurus |publisher=[[Routledge]] |location=Abingdon-on-Thames, England |isbn=978-0-415-26604-8 |page=xx}}</ref><ref>William McLeod (2009), The A to Z of Sikhism, Toronto: Rowman & Littlefield, {{ISBN|978-0-8108-6828-1}}, p. 151</ref> Many versions of ''Dasam Granth'' exist, and the authenticity of the ''Dasam Granth'' has in modern times become one of the most debated topics within Sikhism. The [[Nihang|Akali Nihangs]] consider the Dasam and [[Sarbloh Granth]] as extensions of the [[Guru Granth Sahib]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Sethi |first=Chitleen K. |date=21 October 2021 |title=The 3 granths in Sikhism & the debate surrounding Sarbloh Granth & Dasam Granth |url=https://theprint.in/theprint-essential/the-3-granths-in-sikhism-the-debate-surrounding-sarbloh-granth-dasam-granth/754060/ |access-date=22 February 2023 |website=ThePrint |language=en-US |archive-date=22 February 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230222223640/https://theprint.in/theprint-essential/the-3-granths-in-sikhism-the-debate-surrounding-sarbloh-granth-dasam-granth/754060/ |url-status=live }}</ref> The text played a significant role in Sikh history, but in modern times parts of the text have seen antipathy and discussion among Sikhs.<ref name=jdeol31/> === Sarbloh Granth === The [[Sarbloh Granth]] is a scripture containing 6,500 poetic stanzas traditionally attributed to Guru Gobind Singh. Scholars, on the other hand, attribute the work to after the Guru's death, being authored by an unknown poet.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://search.worldcat.org/title/42718918 |title=Archived copy |access-date=19 November 2023 |archive-date=19 November 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231119215901/https://search.worldcat.org/title/42718918 |url-status=live }}</ref> Verses from the ''Sarbloh Granth.'' This scripture contains, alongside various topics, the [[Dharamyudh (Sikhism)|Sikh Art and Laws of War]]. This scripture is largely revered by Akali Nihangs with many non-Nihang Sikhs rejecting it as an authentic work of the 10th Guru.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://search.worldcat.org/title/606234922 |title=Archived copy |access-date=19 November 2023 |archive-date=19 November 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231119234418/https://search.worldcat.org/title/606234922 |url-status=live }}</ref> According to [[Harbans Singh]] the authenticity of the work is rejected on the grounds of its writing style and mastery of poetry not matching up with Guru Gobind Singh's ''Dasam Granth'' work. Also, the text makes mention of a work composed in 1719, much after the death of the Guru Gobind Singh.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://search.worldcat.org/title/29703420 |title=Archived copy |access-date=19 November 2023 |archive-date=20 November 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231120005930/https://search.worldcat.org/title/29703420 |url-status=live }}</ref> [[W. H. McLeod]] dates the work to the late 18th century and believes it was authored by an unknown poet and was mistakenly attributed to the tenth Guru.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://search.worldcat.org/title/435778610 |title=Archived copy |access-date=19 November 2023 |archive-date=19 November 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231119202841/https://search.worldcat.org/title/435778610 |url-status=live }}</ref> ===Janamsakhis=== {{Main|Janamsakhis}} The Janamsākhīs (literally ''birth stories''), are writings which profess to be biographies of Guru Nanak. Although not scripture in the strictest sense, they provide a [[hagiography|hagiographic]] look at Guru Nanak's life and the early start of Sikhism. There are several – often contradictory and sometimes unreliable – Janamsākhīs and they are not held in the same regard as other sources of scriptural knowledge.{{Citation needed|date=May 2023}} Summary: Please note that all contributions to Christianpedia may be edited, altered, or removed by other contributors. If you do not want your writing to be edited mercilessly, then do not submit it here. You are also promising us that you wrote this yourself, or copied it from a public domain or similar free resource (see Christianpedia:Copyrights for details). Do not submit copyrighted work without permission! Cancel Editing help (opens in new window) Discuss this page