Sri Guru Granth Sahib: A Unique Secular Granth | Original Article

ABSTRACT:

Sri Guru Granth Sahib ji is the sacred scripture, spiritual authority and eternal living Guru of Sikhs as embodiment of ten Sikh Gurus. Sri Guru Granth Sahib ji consists of 1430 pages known as Angs (limbs) in Sikh tradition. It is the expansion of the greatest humanist Sri Guru Nanak Dev ji’s philosophy of one almighty and the oneness of His creation. It is the most secular Granth on the Earth. It contains the Bani of great men of India, including 6 Sikh Gurus – Guru Nanak Dev ji, Guru Angad Dev ji, Guru Amardas ji, Guru Ramdas ji, Guru Arjun Dev ji and Guru Tegh Bahadur ji 15 Bhagats – Jai Dev ji, Sheikh Farid ji, Trilochan ji, Namdev ji, Sadhana ji, Ramanand ji, Kabir ji, Dhana ji, Pipa ji, Sain ji, Ravi Das ji, Bhikhan ji, Sur Das ji, Baini ji, Parmanand ji 11 Bhatts (Bards) – Kalashar ji, Gayand ji, Bhikha ji, Kirat ji, Mathura ji, Jalap ji, Salh ji, Bhalh ji, Balh ji, Harbans ji, Nalh ji 4 Gursikhs – Bhai Mardana ji, Baba Sundar ji, Bhai Satta ji, Rai Balvand ji. All compositions included in it – whether written by Sikh Gurus, bhakats, bards or gursikhs – are treated as Gurbani, the guru’s words. No distinction is made between Guru and the Bani. “Bani Guru Guru hai Bani vich Bani amrit sare. Gurbani kahe sewak jan manai paratakh Guru nisatare”1 which means ‘The word, the Bani is Guru, and Guru is the Bani. Within the Bani, the ambrosial nectar is contained if His humble servant believes, and acts according to the words of the Guru’s Bani, then the Guru, in person, emancipates him.’ Guru Ramdas ji, the fourth Guru revered the scripture by describing it the home of Transcendent God, “Pothi Paramesar ka than”