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Guru Gobind Singh Ji meditating on the 'Hem Kunt' range of mountains, during his previous life - --- which he narrates in his autobiography "Bachitter Natak". In his narration he mentions his discourse with the Lord Almighty, who instructs him to be born to Guru Teg Bahadur, the ninth Guru in the lineage of Guru Nanak, and create the inimitable "Khalsa Panth". This narration and other 'Banis' of the Guru were collected by the Guru's most trusted and staunch sikh Bhai Mani Singh, who subsequently compiled the 'Dasam Guru Granth'. The 'Banis of this 'Granth' have been involved in constant controversy. However, the following letter of Bhai Mani Singh to Mata Sundari Ji (wife of Guru Gobind Singh Ji) clearly clarifies this subject that proves without any doubt that all the compiled 'Banis' of the "Dasam Guru Granth' are the genuine 'Banis' of Guru Gobind Singh Ji, and not of his poets.The original letter is given here with Punjabi and English translation.
The Punjabi clear version of the above original letter
Bhai Mani Singh,a playmate, classmate and devoted disciple of Sri Guru Gobind Singh Ji , and a top -ranking scholar of his time. He survived the Guru by many years and was martyred at Lahore. This is an historic letter addressed by him from Amritsar to Mata Sundari Ji (the wife of Guru Gobind Singh Ji) at Delhi in April 1716. The English version of this letter runs thus:-
Letter of Bhai Mani Singh to Mata Sundari Ji
Mani Singh makes his humble prostration at the holy feet of his venerable mother. Further news is that the climate of this place has aggravated my rheumatism and my health deteriorates fast. I will have to listen to the healing parable of the tertian fever. But my illness has caused no slackness in the performance of the holy service of the Hari Mandir (Golden Temple). The Khalsa no more hods away over the country and its power has waned. The Sikhs have migrated to the mountain retreats. The Malechhas reign supreme in the country. There is no security for the (Sikh) children and women in any habitation. They are hunted out and killed. The opposing states have also joined hands with them. The Hindalis spy on the Sikhs. All (the Sikhs) have deserted the Chak (The earliest name of Amritsar). The Mutsaddis (priests) have also fled. So far the Immortal Lord protects me. Tomorrow is uncertain. What is ordained by the Lord shall prevail. The adopted son of Binod Singh has passed away. Among the books I sent per Jhanda Singh, there is one entitled "303 Chritra Upakhyans" by the Lord (Guru Gobind Singh). Give that to Sihan Singh in the Mahal (Matia Mahal in the interior of Delhi City). So far there is no trace of the book "Nam Mala". I found the first part of "Krishna Avtar" but not the second. I shall send it when available. There is a rumour in the country that Banda (Bahadur) has made his good escape from the Emperor's jail. May the Guru protect him. The Guru's family (the descendants of the Guru) at Khandur have sent five tolas of gold as a gift for your son's bride(an adopted son of Mata Ji, as all of her four sons were martyred already). Recover seventeen rupees from Jhanda Singh ; I gave him five rupees to meet the expenses of the journey…(?) These expenses will be incurred by him. The Mutsaddis have not yet settled accounts, otherwise I would have sent a draft from the city (presumably Lahore) . If my health improves I shall come in the month of assu.
Baisakh 22
Signed- Mani Singh,
Guruchak, Bunga
P.S. Reply in bamboo stick. (as being confidential)
Baisakh 22
Signed- Mani Singh,
Guruchak, Bunga
P.S. Reply in bamboo stick. (as being confidential)
Guru Gobind Singh, the scribe of the Dasam Granth
Maharaja Ranjit Singh listening to the 'Granth' being recited near the Golden Temple. Painting by August Schoefft (1809-1888), Vienna - from a sketch made by Schoefft in Amritsar - Princess Bamba Collection. There are two Granths lying side by side - one is Guru Granth Sahib and the other The Dasam Granth. Another thing worth noticing is that a canopy (umbrella) is adoring the Maharaja while the Granths do not have a 'Chanani' or anything similar.
A recent photograph of Hazoor Sahib, Nanded - where both the granths are revered side by side.
A recent photograph of Hazoor Sahib, Nanded - where both the granths are revered side by side.
Reviews about the Dasam Granth
The 'Bani' of our Satgurus is very sacred to us, the Sikhs. It will be a great catastrophe if this belief is wavered by our dubious behaviour towards it. The bani of the Dasam Granth is par excellence and could not have been authored by any one else other than Guru Gobind Singh himself. The poetic style of Guru Gobind Singh is matchless and incomparable and none can compare with the phenomenal way Guru Ji has rendered his verses. The variations in the stanzas and poetical styles, which include all the nine modes of life (9 russ) can only be delivered by a great scholar of immense knowledge and immeasurable courage. The courage needed to expose the exploits of women in the "Charitro Pakhyan", so that the strong value system rules could be upheld and followed by the people, and a society free from all mortal sins could exist. I wonder if any of the scholars not agreeing with this would dare write on similar issues?
The Adi Granth and the Dasam Granth have both been revered equally ever since their inception. In the words of Kesar Singh Chhibber, the two Granths were like "real brothers"(see Legacies of the Sikh Past, J.S.Grewal, page20). The eighteenth century Sikhs had no qualms about the Dasam Granth and along with the Adi Granth was present at any meetings of the Khalsa, and was revered equally. Bhai Mani Singh accomplished the compilation of the Dasam Granth in AD 1713 five years after the demise of Guru Gobind Singh Ji.
Post Guru Gobind Singh period was the turbulent years for the Sikh Panth and the yeoman service Bhai Mani Singh did to the Sikh Panth, by collecting the Guru's Bani from Sikhs and whatever sources he could conjecture, in itself is a phenomenal achievement. This volume contains some specimens of the extraordinary style of writing and signatures of Guru Gobind Singh Ji, in Gurmukhi, Sanskrit, Braj and Persian scripts.
There are many points of historic, literary, military and political significance that can be enjoyed after a thorough study of this magnificent volume. There prevails a controversy within the panth regarding the authenticity of some of the Banis of Dasam Granth. However, Bhai Mani Singh Ji, a playmate, classmate and devoted disciple of Guru Gobind Singh Ji, and a top-ranking scholar of his time, who survived the Guru by many years and was martyred at Lahore, wrote this historic letter to Mata Sundari Ji (the wife of Guru Gobind Singh Ji) at Delhi in April 1716. This letter clarifies all the controversial points and solidifies the authenticity of the Dasam bani and the Dasam Granth. The original note in Panjabi and the English translation is given here.
Anyway some more proofs are available that the bani of the Dasam Granth was as much revered as the bani of Guru Granth Sahib. These two granths were always laid side by side in most Gurdwaras. An oil painting by a European artist August Schoefft done in 1850 from a sketch which he had made earlier during the reign of Maharaja Ranjeet Singh, depicts this in this painting. Another photograph recently taken at Hazoor Sahib, Nanded shows both these Granths lying side by side.
In the Spokesman weekly issue of July 1996, an article by Giani Gurdit Singh, states that on the birth celebration of Guru Nanak in 1942, two Akhand Paths were held at the Akal Takht. One Akhand path was of Guru Granth Sahib and the other of the Dasam Granth; both performed with full Gur maryada. An article further solidifies the authenticity of the banis of Guru Gobind Singh Ji in the Dasam Granth by Dr. Gurbhagat Singh, in the Khalsa Samachar of the 6th July 2000.
It is also known that eminent scholars assembled at the Akal Takht from 1892 to 1897, to study the various printed Dasam Granths and prepare the authoritative version. In this process, they determined that the Dasam Granth is entirely the work of Guru Gobind Singh.
Again in 1931, the Darbar Sahib Committee SGPC proclaimed the same and published a book to this effect. Dr. Gopal Singh in his book 'Thus Spake the Tenth Master', writes "While depicting the goodness of God, the Guru also identifies Him with the ravisher of beauty, the drunkard, creator of doom."
The Akal Takht hukamnamah dated 5th July 1977 was issued to excommunicate Bhag Singh of Ambala, who had written a book, which included blasphemous comments against the Dasam Granth. The hukamnamah categorically stated, "Bhag Singh had committed a sin by writing this book and criticising the Sikh religious Scripture." Hence this controversy was put to rest even in 1977.
Bhai Randhir Singh, the research scholar, writes in his article "Dasven Patshah de Granth da Itihaas", in the Itihasak Patra printed by SGPC in June 1962, that a bir of the Dasam Granth was found in the archives of Patna Sahib, which contains the signatures of Guru Gobind Singh. The writing of the Guru has been verified by his other writing in the Sangroor Bir and another very antique bir. In a very detailed article Bhai Sahib has explicitly proved with substantial proofs that the whole of Dasam Granth is the penmanship of the tenth Master Guru Gobind Singh Ji.Because of the complexity of the article I cannot go deeply into it, but it is an excellent work of impartial research.
A recently written book in Punjabi by Dr. Mohinder Kaur Gill, "Dasam Guru: Rachna-Sansaar" conveys the articles of renowned contemporary writers such as Dr. Satinder Singh Noor, Dr. Tejinderpal Kaur, Dr. Harbans Kaur Sagoo, Sr. Buta Singh, Dr. Jodh Singh, Sr. Piara Singh Padam, Dr. Mahip Singh, Dr. Manjit Singh, Dr. Shamsher Singh, Dr. Dharam Singh, Major Kirpal Singh, Dr. Surjit Kaur Jolly, Dr. Manmohan Sehgal and Mrs. Chetan Zaidi.This exceptional book which in great detail evaluates the bani of the Dasam Granth, its sources and its splendour, has been printed by Manpreet Parkashan in August 1999 and is a must for all 'Dasam Granth' researchers.
The poetry of the Dasam Granth is marked by a vast range of metres, which the Guru applied and invented new metres to describe sentiments in their sublimity. This is something that no other poet has been able to do. The poetry of Guru Gobind Singh Ji is in a class of its own - never attempted or equalled by anyone.
Last but not least is the newly printed Sri Dasam Granth in five volumes by Dr. Rattan Singh Jaggi and Dr. Gursharan Kaur Jaggi, who have translated this mammoth composition in a very modern Punjabi style. It is worth mentioning here that at some stage Dr. Jaggi had refuted the authenticity of the letter of Bhai Mani Singh. But looks like that he has changed his mind and has now accepted the originality of the letter-hence this new creation has been marketed.
My deepest regards to Baba Virsa Singh Ji of Gobind Sadan, who made it possible for Dr. Jaggi to accomplish this tremendously needed task. Baba Ji's views on the subject are worth reading, which portray the divine essence of the Dasam Gurbani. These are but a few examples wherein I have tried to establish that the bani of the Dasam Granth is truly and emphatically the utterance of the tenth Master Guru Gobind Singh Ji.
The Adi Granth and the Dasam Granth have both been revered equally ever since their inception. In the words of Kesar Singh Chhibber, the two Granths were like "real brothers"(see Legacies of the Sikh Past, J.S.Grewal, page20). The eighteenth century Sikhs had no qualms about the Dasam Granth and along with the Adi Granth was present at any meetings of the Khalsa, and was revered equally. Bhai Mani Singh accomplished the compilation of the Dasam Granth in AD 1713 five years after the demise of Guru Gobind Singh Ji.
Post Guru Gobind Singh period was the turbulent years for the Sikh Panth and the yeoman service Bhai Mani Singh did to the Sikh Panth, by collecting the Guru's Bani from Sikhs and whatever sources he could conjecture, in itself is a phenomenal achievement. This volume contains some specimens of the extraordinary style of writing and signatures of Guru Gobind Singh Ji, in Gurmukhi, Sanskrit, Braj and Persian scripts.
There are many points of historic, literary, military and political significance that can be enjoyed after a thorough study of this magnificent volume. There prevails a controversy within the panth regarding the authenticity of some of the Banis of Dasam Granth. However, Bhai Mani Singh Ji, a playmate, classmate and devoted disciple of Guru Gobind Singh Ji, and a top-ranking scholar of his time, who survived the Guru by many years and was martyred at Lahore, wrote this historic letter to Mata Sundari Ji (the wife of Guru Gobind Singh Ji) at Delhi in April 1716. This letter clarifies all the controversial points and solidifies the authenticity of the Dasam bani and the Dasam Granth. The original note in Panjabi and the English translation is given here.
Anyway some more proofs are available that the bani of the Dasam Granth was as much revered as the bani of Guru Granth Sahib. These two granths were always laid side by side in most Gurdwaras. An oil painting by a European artist August Schoefft done in 1850 from a sketch which he had made earlier during the reign of Maharaja Ranjeet Singh, depicts this in this painting. Another photograph recently taken at Hazoor Sahib, Nanded shows both these Granths lying side by side.
In the Spokesman weekly issue of July 1996, an article by Giani Gurdit Singh, states that on the birth celebration of Guru Nanak in 1942, two Akhand Paths were held at the Akal Takht. One Akhand path was of Guru Granth Sahib and the other of the Dasam Granth; both performed with full Gur maryada. An article further solidifies the authenticity of the banis of Guru Gobind Singh Ji in the Dasam Granth by Dr. Gurbhagat Singh, in the Khalsa Samachar of the 6th July 2000.
It is also known that eminent scholars assembled at the Akal Takht from 1892 to 1897, to study the various printed Dasam Granths and prepare the authoritative version. In this process, they determined that the Dasam Granth is entirely the work of Guru Gobind Singh.
Again in 1931, the Darbar Sahib Committee SGPC proclaimed the same and published a book to this effect. Dr. Gopal Singh in his book 'Thus Spake the Tenth Master', writes "While depicting the goodness of God, the Guru also identifies Him with the ravisher of beauty, the drunkard, creator of doom."
The Akal Takht hukamnamah dated 5th July 1977 was issued to excommunicate Bhag Singh of Ambala, who had written a book, which included blasphemous comments against the Dasam Granth. The hukamnamah categorically stated, "Bhag Singh had committed a sin by writing this book and criticising the Sikh religious Scripture." Hence this controversy was put to rest even in 1977.
Bhai Randhir Singh, the research scholar, writes in his article "Dasven Patshah de Granth da Itihaas", in the Itihasak Patra printed by SGPC in June 1962, that a bir of the Dasam Granth was found in the archives of Patna Sahib, which contains the signatures of Guru Gobind Singh. The writing of the Guru has been verified by his other writing in the Sangroor Bir and another very antique bir. In a very detailed article Bhai Sahib has explicitly proved with substantial proofs that the whole of Dasam Granth is the penmanship of the tenth Master Guru Gobind Singh Ji.Because of the complexity of the article I cannot go deeply into it, but it is an excellent work of impartial research.
A recently written book in Punjabi by Dr. Mohinder Kaur Gill, "Dasam Guru: Rachna-Sansaar" conveys the articles of renowned contemporary writers such as Dr. Satinder Singh Noor, Dr. Tejinderpal Kaur, Dr. Harbans Kaur Sagoo, Sr. Buta Singh, Dr. Jodh Singh, Sr. Piara Singh Padam, Dr. Mahip Singh, Dr. Manjit Singh, Dr. Shamsher Singh, Dr. Dharam Singh, Major Kirpal Singh, Dr. Surjit Kaur Jolly, Dr. Manmohan Sehgal and Mrs. Chetan Zaidi.This exceptional book which in great detail evaluates the bani of the Dasam Granth, its sources and its splendour, has been printed by Manpreet Parkashan in August 1999 and is a must for all 'Dasam Granth' researchers.
The poetry of the Dasam Granth is marked by a vast range of metres, which the Guru applied and invented new metres to describe sentiments in their sublimity. This is something that no other poet has been able to do. The poetry of Guru Gobind Singh Ji is in a class of its own - never attempted or equalled by anyone.
Last but not least is the newly printed Sri Dasam Granth in five volumes by Dr. Rattan Singh Jaggi and Dr. Gursharan Kaur Jaggi, who have translated this mammoth composition in a very modern Punjabi style. It is worth mentioning here that at some stage Dr. Jaggi had refuted the authenticity of the letter of Bhai Mani Singh. But looks like that he has changed his mind and has now accepted the originality of the letter-hence this new creation has been marketed.
My deepest regards to Baba Virsa Singh Ji of Gobind Sadan, who made it possible for Dr. Jaggi to accomplish this tremendously needed task. Baba Ji's views on the subject are worth reading, which portray the divine essence of the Dasam Gurbani. These are but a few examples wherein I have tried to establish that the bani of the Dasam Granth is truly and emphatically the utterance of the tenth Master Guru Gobind Singh Ji.
