History & structure

Overview

The Sri Guru Granth Sahib (SGGS) is the central scripture of the Sikhs and, since 1708, their eternal living Guru — the final and perpetual Guru following the ten human Gurus. It is treated not as a book about the divine but as the living embodiment of the Guru's word (shabad).

• 1,430 Angs ("limbs," i.e. pages) in the standard printed edition.
• Written primarily in the Gurmukhi script.
• A body of devotional hymns (shabads), set to music in raags (musical modes) and meant to be sung (kirtan).
• It opens with the ੴ Mul Mantar (beginning Ik Onkar, "One Creator") and the Japji Sahib, composed by Guru Nanak.

How it's organized

The scripture's primary organization is musical, by raag — a deliberate design reflecting that this bani is meant to be sung. Around 31 main raags structure the bulk of the text (some reckonings reach ~60 counting sub-raags).

Within each raag, compositions are ordered consistently:

1. By author — the Gurus first (in order of their Mehl / "House" number), then the Bhagats.
2. By poetic form — chaupads, ashtpadis, chhants, vars, sloks.

The Japji Sahib and daily prayers appear before the raag section; the closing section gathers miscellaneous Sloks, the Bhatts' panegyrics, and the Mundavani (Guru Arjan's concluding "seal"). A verse is cited by Ang (page) · raag · author (Mehl).

The SGGS spans roughly two centuries and, remarkably, gathers the voices not only of the Sikh Gurus but also of Hindu and Muslim saint-poets — a radical statement of shared devotion and human equality.

The Gurus (6 of the 10 contributed)

All the Gurus signed their hymns under the single name "Nanak," one continuous light; each is distinguished by a Mehl number (M1–M10). Guru Arjan (M5) compiled the first Adi Granth and contributed the most.

The Bhagats (saint-poets)

The Hindu and Muslim devotee-saints of the Bhakti and Sufi traditions whose bani the Gurus chose to include — among them Kabir, Namdev, Ravidas, and the Sufi Sheikh Farid. Their presence, across caste and creed, embodies the scripture's message that divine love transcends all rank.

The Bhatts & others

Eleven learned court-bards (the Bhatts) contributed Swaiyas in praise of the Gurus. A few devoted Sikhs also appear — Bhai Mardana (Guru Nanak's companion), Baba Sundar, and the minstrels Satta and Balwand.

Terms & poetic forms

The words you'll meet most often when reading Gurbani.

Core terms

Raag ਰਾਗੁ raga

A melodic mode of Indian classical music — a framework of notes with a characteristic mood. Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji is organized primarily by raag, because its hymns are meant to be sung in these settings.

Shabad ਸਬਦੁ shabd

Literally "word." A hymn or composition in the Granth — and, more deeply, the divine Word itself. The shabad is the central unit of Gurbani that is read and sung.

Mahalla ਮਹਲਾ Mehl

"House" — the authorship marker showing which Guru composed a hymn (Mahalla 1 = Guru Nanak … Mahalla 5 = Guru Arjan, Mahalla 9 = Guru Tegh Bahadur). All the Gurus wrote under the name "Nanak," so the Mahalla number distinguishes them.

Poetic forms

Salok ਸਲੋਕੁ Shalok · Slok

A short, self-contained couplet or stanza of reflection. Saloks often precede the pauris of a Var, or appear in collections (e.g. the Saloks of Kabir and Farid).

Dohra ਦੋਹਰਾ Doha

A rhyming couplet of classical Indian prosody — two lines expressing one complete, self-standing thought.

Pauri ਪਉੜੀ Pauree

"Step" or "ladder-rung" — a stanza that forms the building block of a Var, the verses ascending like the steps of a staircase.

Var ਵਾਰ Vaar

A ballad or ode, heroic or devotional in tone, built from a series of pauris (usually with saloks prefixed to each).

Chhant ਛੰਤ Chant

A longer lyrical hymn, often of love and longing for the divine.

Ashtpadi ਅਸਟਪਦੀ Ashtapadee

A composition of eight stanzas (asht = eight), such as those of the Sukhmani Sahib.

History & compilation

• 1604 — The Adi Granth. Guru Arjan compiled the first recension at Amritsar, scribed by Bhai Gurdas, and installed it in the Harmandir Sahib (the Golden Temple).
• c. 1705–1706 — The Damdami Bir. Guru Gobind Singh prepared the final recension, adding the hymns of Guru Tegh Bahadur (M9).
• 1708 — Guruship conferred. At Nanded, Guru Gobind Singh declared the Granth the eternal Guru Granth Sahib, ending the line of human Gurus.

Its heart is ੴ Ik Onkar — the One Creator — with the equality of all people and loving devotion. It holds many languages and dialects, and as a living Guru is honored with careful protocols of respect in the gurdwara.