Growth of the Sikh community

Political advancement

Philosophy and teachings

Pursuing salvation

The ten gurus and religious authority

Scripture

Representation

Observances and ceremonies

Ceremonies and customs

Baptism and the Khalsa

Sikhs in World Wars

Scripture

There are two primary sources of scripture for the Sikhs: the Gurū Granth S�hib and the Dasam Granth. The Gurū Granth S�hib may be referred to as the Ādi Granth—literally, The First Volume—and the two terms are often used synonymously. Here, however, the Ādi Granth refers to the version of the scripture created by Arjun Dev in 1604. The Gurū Granth S�hib refers to the final version of the scripture created by Gobind Singh. Adi Granth Main article: Ādi Granth It is believed that the Ādi Granth was compiled primarily by Bhai Gurdas under the supervision of Arjun Dev between the years 1603 and 1604.[29] It is written in the Gurmukhī script, which is a descendant of the Laṇ�� script used in the Punjab at that time.[30] The Gurmukhī script was standardised by Arjun Dev for use in the Sikh scriptures and is thought to have been influenced by the Ś�rad� and Devan�garī scripts. An authoritative scripture was created to protect the integrity of hymns and teachings of the Sikh gurus and selected bhagats. At the time, Arjun Dev tried to prevent undue influence from the followers of Prithi Chand, the guru's older brother and rival.[31] The original version of the Ādi Granth is known as the kart�rpur bīṛ and is currently held by the Sodhi family of Kartarpur.
Guru Granth Sahib
Gurū Granth S�hib folio with Mūl Mantra.;
Main article: Gurū Granth S�hib
The final version of the Gurū Granth S�hib was compiled by Guru Gobind Singh. It consists of the original Ādi Granth with the addition of Guru Teg Bahadur's hymns. It is believed that it was decreed by Gobind Singh that the Granth was to be considered the eternal, living guru of all Sikhs, however, this belief finds no mention either in 'Guru Granth Sahib' or in 'Dasham Granth' compiled by Guru Gobind Singh. Punjabi: ਸੱਬ ਸਿੱਖਣ ਕੋ ਹ�ਕਮ ਹੈ ਗ�ਰੂ ਮਾਨਯੋ ਗ�ਰੰਥ । (This statement finds no mention either in 'Guru Granth Sahib' or in 'Dasham Granth' compiled by Guru Gobind Singh.) Transliteration: Sabb sikkhaṇ k� hukam hai gurū m�ny� granth. English: All Sikhs are commanded to take the Granth as Guru. It contains compositions by the first five gurus, Guru Teg Bahadur and just one śal�k (couplet) from Guru Gobind Singh.[32] It also contains the traditions and teachings of sants (saints) such as Kabir, Namdev, Ravidas and Sheikh Farid along with several others.[26] The bulk of the scripture is classified into r�gs, with each r�g subdivided according to length and author. There are 31 main r�gs within the Gurū Granth S�hib. In addition to the r�gs, there are clear references to the folk music of Punjab. The main language used in the scripture is known as Sant Bh�ṣ�, a language related to both Punjabi and Hindi and used extensively across medieval northern India by proponents of popular devotional religion.[4] The text further comprises over 5000 śabads, or hymns, which are poetically constructed and set to classical form of music rendition, can be set to predetermined musical t�l, or rhythmic beats. The Granth begins with the Mūl Mantra, an iconic verse created by Nanak: Punjabi: ੴ ਸਤਿ ਨਾਮ� ਕਰਤਾ ਪ�ਰਖ� ਨਿਰਭਉ ਨਿਰਵੈਰ� ਅਕਾਲ ਮੂਰਤਿ ਅਜੂਨੀ ਸੈਭੰ ਗ�ਰ ਪ�ਰਸਾਦਿ ॥ ISO 15919 transliteration: Ika �aṅk�ra sati n�mu karat� purakhu nirabha'u niravairu ak�la mūrati ajūnī saibhaṅ gura pras�di. Simplified transliteration: Ik �aṅk�r sat n�m kart� purkh nirbha'u nirvair ak�l mūrat ajūnī saibhaṅ gur pras�d. English: One Universal Creator God, The Name Is Truth, Creative Being Personified, No Fear, No Hatred, Image Of The Undying, Beyond Birth, Self Existent, By Guru's Grace. All text within the Granth is known as gurb�nī. Gurb�nī, according to Nanak, was revealed by God directly, and the authors wrote it down for the followers. The status accorded to the scripture is defined by the evolving interpretation of the concept of gurū. In the Sant tradition of Nanak, the guru was literally the word of God. The Sikh community soon transferred the role to a line of men who gave authoritative and practical expression to religious teachings and traditions, in addition to taking socio-political leadership of Sikh adherents. Gobind Singh declared an end of the line of human gurus, and now the Gurū Granth S�hib serves as the eternal guru, with its interpretation vested with the community.[4]
Dasam Granth
A frontispiece to the Dasam Granth.
Main article: Dasam Granth
The Dasam Granth (formally dasvē� p�tś�h kī granth or The Book of the Tenth Master) is an eighteenth-century collection of miscellaneous works generally attributed to Guru Gobind Singh. The teachings of Gobind Singh were not included in Gurū Granth S�hib, the holy book of the Sikhs, and instead were collected in the Dasam Granth. Unlike the Gurū Granth S�hib, the Dasam Granth was never declared to hold guruship. The authenticity of some portions of the Granth has been questioned and the appropriateness of the Granth's content still causes much debate. The entire Granth is written in the Gurmukhī script, although most of the language is Braj and not Punjabi. Sikh tradition states that Mani Singh collected the writings of Gobind Singh after his death to create the Granth.[33] From 1892 to 1897, scholars assembled at the Akal Takht, Amritsar, to study the various printed Dasam Granths and prepare the authoritative version. They concluded that the Dasam Granth was entirely the work of Gobind Singh. Further re-examinations and reviews took place in 1931, under the Darbar Sahib Committee of the Shiromani Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee they too vindicated the earlier conclusion..[34]
Janamsakhis
Main article: Janams�khīs
The Janams�khīs (literally birth stories), are writings which profess to be biographies of Guru Nanak Dev. Although not scripture in the strictest sense, they provide an interesting look at Nanak's life and the early start of Sikhism. There are several—often contradictory and sometimes unreliable—Janams�khīs and they are not held in the same regard as other sources of scriptural knowledge.