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Indian PhilosophyOS

canonical scripture

गुरु ग्रन्थ साहिब

Guru Granth Sahib

Guru Granth Sāhib

The scripture and living Guru of the Sikhs: poetic hymns set to musical ragas on the One, the Name, divine order and ethical life.
Primary sourceSource not yet ingested
Tradition
Sikh philosophy (Gurmat)
Difficulty
beginner → intermediate
Attribution
Guru NanakHymns of the Sikh Gurus together with bhagats and other poets; compiled by Guru Arjan and given its final form by Guru Gobind Singh
Period · language
First compiled as the Adi Granth in 1604 CE; final form with the hymns of Guru Tegh Bahadur added by Guru Gobind Singh, who in 1708 CE declared the scripture the eternal Guru · Gurmukhi script; Punjabi and other languages including Braj, Sant Bhasha, Persian and Sindhi
Themes
The One · Name · Divine order · Service · Equality · Devotion

Why read this?

It is the centre of Sikh worship and thought, and unusual among scriptures in including hymns by saints of other backgrounds, Hindu and Muslim. Its teaching joins inner devotion with honest work, sharing and service.

Questions it answers

  • ?What is the One, beyond all names?
  • ?How should a person live in the world without being consumed by ego?
  • ?What does it mean to remember the Name?

Key teachings

Editorial overview
1

The One

The scripture opens with the Mul Mantar, which affirms one Being, the Creator, beyond fear and enmity, timeless and self-existent. Sikh thought is its own tradition and not a school of Hinduism.

2

Naam: remembering the Name

Meditative remembrance of the divine Name (naam simran) is the heart of practice, turning attention from ego to the divine.

3

Hukam: the divine order

All things occur within hukam, the divine order or will. Living in harmony with it, rather than through self-will (haumai), is the aim.

4

Seva and honest living

Selfless service (seva), earning an honest living and sharing with others are central, and the householder life is valued over renunciation.

5

Equality and bhagat bani

The inclusion of hymns by bhagats such as Kabir, Ravidas, Namdev and Sheikh Farid reflects the teaching that devotion is open to all, regardless of caste or creed.

Structure

  1. 1430 pages (angs) in the standard edition
  2. OpeningJapji Sahib of Guru Nanak and other daily prayers
  3. Main bodyHymns arranged by musical raga (31 principal ragas), then by author
  4. Closing sectionsIncluding verses by Guru Tegh Bahadur and the concluding compositions

Important passages

Source not yet ingested
References only — the passages themselves are not reproduced until the source text is ingested.
  • Guru Granth Sahib, Ang 1The Mul Mantar and the opening of Japji Sahib

Source not yet ingested

The text of the Guru Granth Sahib is not part of this version. What you see here is an editorial overview with passage references. No verses have been reproduced or invented. The architecture is ready for the text to be added.

Concepts

ConceptनामNaamThe divine Name: in Sikh thought, the presence of the Divine to be remembered and lived.Conceptहुक्मHukamThe divine order or will by which all things come into being and move.ConceptसेवाSevaSelfless service offered without seeking reward.Conceptभक्तिBhakti — devotionLoving devotion to God, as a path and as an end in itself.Conceptईश्वरIshvara — GodThe Lord — God as ruler, creator and object of worship.Conceptअहङ्कारAhankara — I-maker, egoThe 'I-maker' — the sense of being a separate doer and owner.Conceptअनुग्रहAnugraha — graceDivine grace — God's freely given favour that frees the soul.Conceptअनित्यAnitya / Anicca — impermanenceEverything conditioned changes and passes away.Conceptकर्मKarmaAction — and the way actions shape future experience.Conceptमोक्षMoksha — liberationFinal freedom from bondage and the cycle of rebirth.Conceptप्रेमPrema — divine lovePure, selfless love for God — for many bhakti traditions the highest goal, beyond even liberation.Conceptसंन्यासSannyasa — renunciationRenunciation — as a formal stage of life, and as an inner attitude of letting go.Conceptत्यागTyaga — relinquishmentLetting go of attachment to action and its fruit, rather than of action itself.

Related texts

TextरामचरितमानसRamcharitmanasA contemporaneous North Indian devotional work from a different traditionTextनारदभक्तिसूत्रNarada Bhakti SutraClassical account of devotion that invites comparison, though Sikh thought is distinct

Thinkers

Thinkerगुरु नानकGuru Nanak1469–1539 CE.

Continue exploring

Traditions

गुरमतSikh philosophy (Gurmat)

Source type: Primary source. Overview text on this page is editorial.