|
ADI POTHI
In the year 1604 Guru Arjun Dev Ji compiled
the devine Gurbani of sikh Gurus starting with
Sri Guru Nanak Dev ji in the written format.
Baba Srichand [Son of Guru Nanak], Baba Dattu
[son of Guru Angad], and Baba Mohan [son of
Guru Amardas] were requested for the original
scripts of Gurus and work was started in the
city of Amritsar. This written format of Banis
of Gurus was named as "Adi Pothi" [presently
pronounced as "Kiratpur Bir" of Guru Granth].
Majority of Shabads, Banis, Saloks, and Poudis
are in the punjabi dialect and are written in
Gurmukhi [Punjabi] script but some how a bit
of effect of Persian, Hindi, Marathi, Sanskrit
and Arabic languages is visible. Banis of sikh
Gurus are the main composition of Sri Guru
Granth but still a good considerable part is
from the compositions of Hindu Bhagats, Muslim
Divine scholars, Sufi poets and other God
intoxicated soul from the era between 12th and
17th century and various geographical regions
of India.
Guru
Arjun Dev Ji arranged all Gurbani on the basis
of traditional ragas of Indian classical music
instead of subject and divided Adi Pothi in
four major parts:
1].
BANIS OF NITNEM :
JAPAJI [Morning prayer Page 1 To 8] ,
RAHERAS [Evening prayer "So Dar" &"SO
Purakh" Page 8 To 12] And
SOHILA [Bed time prayer Page 12 To 13].
2]. BANIS IN RAGAS
: This comprise major portion of Sri Guru
Granth . The list of initial thirty ragas
included by Guru Arjun Dev Sahib goes like :-
[01]SRI RAG [02] MANJH [03] GAURI [GAUDI] [04]
ASA [05] GUJARI
[06] DEVGANDHARI [07] BIHADARA [08] WADHANS [09]
SORATH [10] DHANASARI
[11] JAITSARI [12] TODI [13] BAIRARI [14]
TILANG [15] SUHI
[16] BILAVAL [17] GAUND [18] RAMKALI [19]
NAT [20] MALIGAURA
[21] MARU [22] TUKHARI [23] KEDARA [24]
BHAIRAV [25] BASANT
[26] SARANG [27] MALAR [28] KANARA [29]
KALIAN & [30] PRABHATI.
When in 1705 Dasham Pitah Guru
Gobind Singh Ji recomposed "Guru Granth" they
included raga JAIJAWANTI [with only
compositions of Guru Teg Bahadur Ji] as [31]
raga. Ragas are further divided into
Choupada [average of four verses each]
Ashtpadi [average of eight verses]
Chhants [six line verses]
Vars [composed of two or more sloks]
Poudi [concluding stanza] &
Compositions of the Bhagats. Each Raga
starts with composition from any of Sikh Guru
and ends with the Bani from the bhagats.
3].
BANIS NOT IN A SPECIFIC RAGA :
Sloks of Bhagat Kabir and Bhagat baba Shaikh
Farid along with "Swayas" of Guru Arjun and
Bhatts [Musicians of Guru Darbar]
4]. The remaining sloks and " MUNDHAVANEE"
composition of Guru Arjun and "RAGMALA" the
list of ragas are compromising this part of
Adi Pothi.
The
Hymns of Sri Guru Granth Sahib have been laid
out in a very scientific and well planned
manner. Banis are arranged in order of Guru
Nanak, Guru Amardas, Guru Ramdas & Guru Arjun.
Sloks of second Sikh Guru - Guru Angad are
kept in Vars. Bhagat Banis are following
Gurbani. In the Guru Granth Sahib Banis of
following fifteen Bhagat are included.
[01] BHAGAT
KABIR [02] BHAGAT NAMDEV [03] BHAGAT
TRILOCHAND [04] BHAGAT JAIDEV [05] BHAGAT
SHAIKH FARID [06] BHAGAT SADHANA [07] BHAGAT
BENI [08] BHAGAT RAMCHAND [09] BHAGAT
RAVIDAS
[10] BHAGAT PEEPA [11] BHAGAT SAIN [12]
BHAGAT DHANNA [13] BHAGAT BIKHAN [14] BHAGAT
PARMANAND
[15] BHAGAT SURDAS.
Besides the
hymns of Bhai Mardana & Baba Sunder, "Swayas"
of eleven Bhatts namely
[1] KAL SAHAR [2] JALAP [3] KIRAT [4] BHIKHA [5]
SAL [6] BHAL [7]NAL [8] GAYAND [9]
MATHURA [10] BAL & [11] HARBANS
are also included in Sri Guru Granth.
In
the August 1604 "Pothi Sahib" installed at "Harmandir"
[Golden Temple], Baba Buddha Ji were appointed
as the first Granthy [ Custodian]. During this
ceremony Guru Arjundev were seated at lower
level and asked all the devotees to bow before
Pothi Sahib, Indicating future importance of
this for the Sikhism in the future.
Continued |
