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The traditional view about the Sri Dasam Granth Sahib –‘The Global Vision of Guru Gobind Singh that is’.

A rejoinder to IJ Singh: 'Sikhi: The Global Vision That Was'

Gurinder Singh Mann & Kamalroop Singh 

‘Sach kahon sun lehu sabhai, jin prem kio tin hi prabh paio’

‘I proclaim the truth, listen all, those who are absorbed in love realise the Lord’ 

This tukh from the Sikh nitnem always hits hard, it resounds in my mind at the crescendo of the prayer. It always resonates deeply, and it seems to that the Guru intended this to be the case. He emphasizes that true love is the only way for mankind’s emancipation. Without love and passion in our prayer, simran and seva, it is just empty ritual. In the words of the Sufis, it is love that is the Divine wine that fills up the cup. This verse by Guru Gobind Singh daily reveals to us the ultimate truth, and is specifically in the third nitnem bani the Tav-Prasad Svaiye, which is a part of the longer Sri Akal Ustati. In the rest of the composition he reiterates that without bhavana or heartfelt devotion all religious rituals, however elaborate and splendid, are nothing but mere illusions. What is surprising is that a composition that shows the universal nature of Sikh Dharam is now subject to a constant barrage of doubts and criticisms. 

The Shastar Naam Mala Puran 

THIS is a rosary of names of weapons. It appears to have more linguistic importance than anything else. The introduction is as usual an invocation to the sword spirit of God. The weapons have been idealized as weapons of moral power. Guruji takes four main weapons: the sword, the sudarsan cakr, the arrow and the gun. Innumerable attributive names have been invented for each of them. A translation may not quite be understandable to the English reader, but 1 will explain it with a parallel example as to how the new attributive names are created. The verses are generally of this form: Take the word 'tyranny' and add to it all the words which mean 'destroyer.' You will then get the names of the sword.

The verse only suggests the words. The word building has to be done by the reader. The reader can then form such phrases as wrecker of tyranny, annihilator of tyranny, slayer of tyranny and thus form as many names of the sword as his ability permits. Indirectly it empha­sizes the moral significance of the weapons. To my limited understand­ing this composition does not appear to have anymore significance. Yet I am surprised that Guruji found time to devote as many as 1,318 verses to it. Each verse gives from four to eight names to the weapon.

ZAFARNAMA

The Zafarnama is the second letter to Aurangzeb. Bhai Mani Singh foresaw its great historical importance and so he included it in Dasm Granth. Wrong translations of the Zafarnama have led even such historians as Mr. Jadhu Nath Sirkar to misunderstand Guru Gobind Singh's personality. A correct translation of the Zafarnama has already been published in The Sikh Review.

Jathedar Bhai Ranjit Singh on Guru Gobind Singh Sahib and Sri Dasam Granth

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Bhai Ranjit Singh, Ex-Jathedar, Akal Takhat speaks in detail on Sri Dasam Granth.  

Quoting extensively from Sikh historical sources Jathedar Bhai Ranjit Singh narrates the history of the composition and compilation of Sri Dasam Granth.

He describes that the banis of Guru Gobind Singh ji were present in the form of pothis during Guru Sahib's time which were compiled by Bhai Mani Singh ji in a beerh. And another beerh was prepared by Baba Deep Singh. He questions those who cast aspersions on the wisdom of Bhai Mani Singh and Baba Deep Singh.

Bhai Ranjit Singh states that the banis enshrined in Sri Dasam Granth inculcate the spirit of Guru Gobind Singh Ji in the Sikhs and give a separate identity to the Khalsa. He says that the concept of deg tegh fateh, panth-granth, all comes from Sri Dasam Granth. 

Bhai Ranjit Singh says that the authorship of Sri Dasam Granth had never been an issue in Sikh history and there is not an iota of doubt that the banis are from the pen of Guru Gobind Singh Ji. He says that the latest trend of questioning the bani and history has erupted due to the weakness of Panch Pradhani system and of our institutions. 

He says that if we can recite the gazals and writings of Bhai Nand Lal, Bhai Gurdas, Bhai Santokh Singh on stages then what is the problem with this bani which gives a separate identity to the Khalsa.