Writers of the Guru Granth Sahib

The Guru Granth Sahib (Punjabi: ਸ਼੍ਰੀ ਗੁਰੂ ਗ੍ਰੰਥ ਸਾਹਿਬ ਜੀ; [ɡʊɾuː ɡɾəntʰᵊ saːhɪbᵊ]), is the central religious text of Sikhism, considered by Sikhs to be the final sovereign Guru of the religion.[1] It contains 1430 Angs (limbs), containing 5,894[2][3] hymns of 36 saint mystics which includes Sikh guru sahiban (6 gurus, possibly as many as 7 or 8[4][5][6][7]), Bhagats (15 bhagats), Bhatts (11 bhatts) and gursikhs (4 gursikhs). It is notable among foundational religious scriptures for including hymns from writers of other religions, namely Hindus and Muslims. It also contains teachings of Sikh gurus themselves.

Contributors of the scripture present Guru Arjan their writings while Bhai Gurdas scribes the Adi Granth. Fresco from Gurdwara Baba Atal, Amritsar

Categorization of authors

Scholars categorize the authors of the Guru Granth Sahib into four groups:

Sikh Gurus
Bhagats
Bhatts
Gursikhs

Sikh gurus

Philosophically, Sikhs are bound to believe in Shabad Guru — the words written in the Guru Granth Sāhib ji — but the general belief is that the Sikh Gurus established Sikhism over the centuries, beginning in the year 1469. The hymns of six Sikh Gurus are in the Guru Granth Sahib:

Whilst these six guru are widely accepted as having their writings included in the Guru Granth Sahib, there are some who argue compositions of Guru Har Rai and Guru Gobind Singh are also included.[4][5][6][7] A Salok Mahalla Satvan (7) and Dohra Mahalla Dasvan (10) have been attributed by some to the seventh and tenth gurus, respectively.[4][5][6][7]

Bhagats

In the below list, the Bhagats (Punjabi: ਭਗਤ, from Sanskrit भक्त) were holy men of various sects whose teachings are included in the Sri Guru Granth Sahib ji. Their bani come under the title Bani Bhagtaan Ki. The word "Bhagat" means devotee, and comes from the Sanskrit word Bhakti, which means devotion and love. Bhagats evolved a belief in one God that preceded Kabir's selecting the writings of the great Hindu Bhaktis and Sufi saints.

The 15 Bhagat authors were:[8]

Bhatts

Many Hindu Saraswat Brahmins who started to follow the word of Guru Nanak Dev were known as Bhatts, meaning bards. The 11 Bhatt authors were:

Gursikhs

Bhai Sundar Ji, Bhai Mardana Ji, Bhai Satta Ji, Bhai Balwand Ji

Individuals and their contributions

**Background Details and No. of Hymns**
Name	Timeline	No. of Hymns
Guru Nanak	15th Century	974[9]
Guru Angad	16th Century	62[9]
Guru Amar Das	16th Century	907[9]
Guru Ram Das	16th Century	679[9]
Guru Arjan	16th Century	2218[9]
Guru Tegh Bahadur	17th Century	116[9]

Bhagat Jaidev	13th Century[3]	2
Bhagat Farid	13th Century	134[2][note 1][note 2]
Bhagat Ramanand	14th Century	1
Bhagat Namdev	14th Century	62
Bhagat Trilochan	14th Century	5
Bhagat Parmanand	14th Century	1
Bhagat Dhanna	14th Century	4
Bhagat Bhikhan	14th Century	2
Bhagat Beni	14th Century	3
Bhagat Pipa	14th Century	1
Bhagat Sain	14th Century	1
Bhagat Surdas	14th Century	2
Bhagat Sadhana	14th Century	1
Bhagat Ravidas	15th Century	41
Bhagat Kabir	15th Century	541[9][note 3]
Baba Sundar	15th Century	6
Satta and Balvand	15th Century	1 var[3]
Bhatt Kalshar	15th Century	54
Bhatt Balh	15th Century	5
Bhatt Bhalh	15th Century	1
Bhatt Bhika	15th Century	2
Bhatt Gayand	15th Century	13
Bhatt Harbans	15th Century	2
Bhatt Jalap	15th Century	5
Bhatt Kirat	15th Century	8
Bhatt Mathura	15th Century	14
Bhatt Nalh	15th Century	16
Bhatt Salh	15th Century	3

Controversial authors

Mardana and Tall

Two more writers of the present recension of Adi Granth are a matter of debate among scholars, namely Bhai Mardana and Bhatt Tall.

According to different scholars:

Two hymns under the title Mardana 1[12] are said to be compositions of Bhai Mardana; however, others refute this claim, because the pen name Nanak is used inside the hymn,[13] and because Mardana is a type of shalok.
Similarly, there is a Swaiya under the name of Bhatt Tall,[14] which according to some scholars is a Gurmukhi copyist's error for Kal i.e. Bhatt Kalshar.[15]

Sri Chand

Mural from Gurdwara Ramsar Sahib of Sri Chand meeting Guru Arjan and Bhai Gurdas at Amritsar. Likely a depiction of the tale of him contributing a verse during the composition of the Sukhmani Sahib

According to a sakhi, when Guru Arjan had finished composing sixteen astpadis (cantos) of the Gauri Sukhmani composition, popularly known as Sukhmani Sahib, Sri Chand, the son of Guru Nanak, visited him. During this visit, it is said that Guru Arjan requested him to continue the composition he was compiling and complete the seventeenth canto of the Sukhmani Sahib. Sri Chand humbly recited the verse of his father following the Mul Mantar in the Japji Sahib. Thus, it became the seventeenth canto of the Sukhmani Sahib.[16][17]

Notes

including 130[2][3][10] saloks, or short verses
Some of these may be by his successors, or by the Bhagat Farid of the 15th century, rather than Farid's own compositions.[10]
243[2] of Kabir's hymns are saloks, or short verses.[9] One hymn formerly believed to as that of Kabir was later attributed by Guru Arjan to Namdev.[11]

References

Keene, Michael (2003). Online Worksheets. Nelson Thornes. p. 38. ISBN 0-7487-7159-X.
Sukhbir Singh, Kapoor; Mohinder Kaur, Kapoor (2002). Guru Granth Sahib: an Advance Study. New Delhi: Hemkunt Press. pp. 24, 72, 219, 291, 344. ISBN 9788170103219. Retrieved 18 March 2020.
Kerry Brown (2002). Sikh Art and Literature. Routledge. pp. 114–115, 120 (Appendix II). ISBN 978-1-134-63136-0.
Singh, Sardar Harjeet (2009). Faith & Philosophy of Sikhism. Gyan Publishing House. pp. 103–104. ISBN 978-81-7835-721-8.
Sikh art and literature. Kerry, August 17- Brown. London: Routledge. 1999. p. 198. ISBN 0-415-20288-4. OCLC 39765536.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: others (link)
Singh, Anurag (December 2018). "Punjab: Cradle of Indian Civilization and Khalsa of Guru Gobind Singh" (PDF). Gyankosh: An Interdisciplinary e-Journal. 1: 29.
Singh, Pashaura. "Fearlessness and human justice: Exploring Guru Tegh Bahadur’s teachings and sacrifice from a fresh perspective." Sikh Formations 17.4 (2021): 409-434.
Bahri, H.; Bansal, G.S.; Puran, B.; Singh, B.; Singh, B.; Buxi, L.S.; Chawla, H.S.; Chawla, S.S.; Das, D.; Dass, N.; et al. (2000). "4. Bhagats and Saints". Studies. 63 (2): 169–93. doi:10.1007/1-4020-3044-4_4. Retrieved 2008-07-04.
Christopher Shackle; Arvind Mandair (2013). Teachings of the Sikh Gurus: Selections from the Sikh Scriptures. Routledge. pp. xviii–xix. ISBN 978-1-136-45108-9.
William Owen Cole; Piara Singh Sambhi (1995). The Sikhs: Their Religious Beliefs and Practices. Sussex Academic Press. p. 217. ISBN 978-1-898723-13-4.
William Owen Cole; Piara Singh Sambhi (1995). The Sikhs: Their Religious Beliefs and Practices. Sussex Academic Press. pp. 48–49. ISBN 978-1-898723-13-4.
Page 553, Adi Granth, Translation of Sant Singh Khalsa
ਇਸ ਸਲੋਕ ਮੈਂ ਸ੍ਰੀ ਗੁਰੂ ਜੀ ਮਰਦਾਨੇ ਕੇ ਪੂਛਨੇ ਸੇ ਤਿਸ ਕੇ ਪ੍ਰਤਿ ਗੁਰਮੁਖਤਾ ਅਰੁ ਮਨਮੁਖਤਾ ਕੀ ਮਦਰਾ ਕਾ ਰੂਪੁ ਬਰਨਨ ਕਰਤੇ ਹੈਂ ਔਰੁ ਦੋ ਪਰਕਾਰ ਕੀ ਮਦਿਰਾ ਮਨਮੁਖੋਂ ਕੀ ਔਰੁ ਗੁਰਮੁਖੋਂ ਕੀ ਕਹੀ ਹੈ॥ ਪ੍ਰਥਮ ਮਨਮੁਖੋਂ ਕੀ ਮਦਿਰਾ ਕਹਤੇ ਹੈਂ॥: Fareedkoti Teeka, Adi Granth
ਟਲ' ਜੀ ਕਹਤੇ ਹੈਂ ਹੇ ਭਾਈ ਐਸੇ ਸਤਿਗੁਰੋਂ ਕੋ ਸਹਜ ਸੁਭਾਵਕ ਨਿਰੰਤਰ ਹੀ ਸੇਵੀਐ ਹੇ ਭਾਈ ਸਤਿਗੁਰੋਂ ਕੇ ਦਰਸਨ ਕਰਨੇ ਤੇ ਜਨਮ ਮਰਨ ਦੁਖ ਜਾਤਾ ਰਹਿਤਾ ਹੈ॥੧੦॥: Page 1392, Teeka Fareedkoti, Adi Granth
Page 1392: ਟਲ = ਹੇ ਟੱਲ! ਹੇ ਕਲ੍ਯ੍ਯ! ਹੇ ਕਲ੍ਯ੍ਯਸਹਾਰ!: Teeka by Professor Sahib Singh, Adi Granth
The encyclopaedia of Sikhism. Vol. 4. Harbans Singh. Patiala: Punjabi University. 1992–1998. pp. 265–65. ISBN 0-8364-2883-8. OCLC 29703420. It is said that Baba Sri Chand, elder son of Guru Nanak and founder of the Udasi order, came to Amritsar to meet Guru Arjan, then engaged in composing the poem. The Guru who had by that time completed sixteen astpadis, or cantos, requested him to continue the composition. Baba Sri Chand, out of humility, only recited the Sloka of Guru Nanak following the Mul Mantra in the Japu- "adi sachu jugadi sachu hai bhi sach Nanak hosi bhi sachu"- In the beginning, in the primal time was He the Eternal Reality; in the present is He the Eternal Reality. To eternity shall He the Reality abide (GG, 285). This sloka was thereupon repeated by Guru Arjan at the head of the seventeenth astpadi.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: others (link)
Nayar, Kamala Elizabeth (2020). "Guru Arjan's Life, Work, and Martyrdom". The Sikh View on Happiness : Guru Arjan's Sukhmani. Jaswinder Singh Sandhu. London: Bloomsbury Publishing Plc. pp. 38–40. ISBN 978-1-350-13988-6. OCLC 1140790571.

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[11] uding 130[2][3][10] saloks, or short verses

[12] Some of these may be by his successors, or by the Bhagat Farid of the 15th century, rather than Farid's own compositions.[10]

[14] 243[2] of Kabir's hymns are saloks, or short verses.[9] One hymn formerly believed to as that of Kabir was later attributed by Guru Arjan to Namdev.[11]

[ke-1] Keene, Michael (2003). Online Worksheets. Nelson Thornes. p. 38. ISBN 0-7487-7159-X.

[kapoor-2] Sukhbir Singh, Kapoor; Mohinder Kaur, Kapoor (2002). Guru Granth Sahib: an Advance Study. New Delhi: Hemkunt Press. pp. 24, 72, 219, 291, 344. ISBN 9788170103219. Retrieved 18 March 2020.

[brown114-3] Kerry Brown (2002). Sikh Art and Literature. Routledge. pp. 114–115, 120 (Appendix II). ISBN 978-1-134-63136-0.

[:0-4] Singh, Sardar Harjeet (2009). Faith & Philosophy of Sikhism. Gyan Publishing House. pp. 103–104. ISBN 978-81-7835-721-8.

[:1-5] Sikh art and literature. Kerry, August 17- Brown. London: Routledge. 1999. p. 198. ISBN 0-415-20288-4. OCLC 39765536.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: others (link)

[:2-6] Singh, Anurag (December 2018). "Punjab: Cradle of Indian Civilization and Khalsa of Guru Gobind Singh" (PDF). Gyankosh: An Interdisciplinary e-Journal. 1: 29.

[:3-7] Singh, Pashaura. "Fearlessness and human justice: Exploring Guru Tegh Bahadur’s teachings and sacrifice from a fresh perspective." Sikh Formations 17.4 (2021): 409-434.

[Bahri2000-8] Bahri, H.; Bansal, G.S.; Puran, B.; Singh, B.; Singh, B.; Buxi, L.S.; Chawla, H.S.; Chawla, S.S.; Das, D.; Dass, N.; et al. (2000). "4. Bhagats and Saints". Studies. 63 (2): 169–93. doi:10.1007/1-4020-3044-4_4. Retrieved 2008-07-04.

[ShackleMandair2013xviii-9] Christopher Shackle; Arvind Mandair (2013). Teachings of the Sikh Gurus: Selections from the Sikh Scriptures. Routledge. pp. xviii–xix. ISBN 978-1-136-45108-9.

[cole217-10] William Owen Cole; Piara Singh Sambhi (1995). The Sikhs: Their Religious Beliefs and Practices. Sussex Academic Press. p. 217. ISBN 978-1-898723-13-4.

[13] William Owen Cole; Piara Singh Sambhi (1995). The Sikhs: Their Religious Beliefs and Practices. Sussex Academic Press. pp. 48–49. ISBN 978-1-898723-13-4.

[15] Page 553, Adi Granth, Translation of Sant Singh Khalsa

[16] ਇਸ ਸਲੋਕ ਮੈਂ ਸ੍ਰੀ ਗੁਰੂ ਜੀ ਮਰਦਾਨੇ ਕੇ ਪੂਛਨੇ ਸੇ ਤਿਸ ਕੇ ਪ੍ਰਤਿ ਗੁਰਮੁਖਤਾ ਅਰੁ ਮਨਮੁਖਤਾ ਕੀ ਮਦਰਾ ਕਾ ਰੂਪੁ ਬਰਨਨ ਕਰਤੇ ਹੈਂ ਔਰੁ ਦੋ ਪਰਕਾਰ ਕੀ ਮਦਿਰਾ ਮਨਮੁਖੋਂ ਕੀ ਔਰੁ ਗੁਰਮੁਖੋਂ ਕੀ ਕਹੀ ਹੈ॥ ਪ੍ਰਥਮ ਮਨਮੁਖੋਂ ਕੀ ਮਦਿਰਾ ਕਹਤੇ ਹੈਂ॥: Fareedkoti Teeka, Adi Granth

[17] ਟਲ' ਜੀ ਕਹਤੇ ਹੈਂ ਹੇ ਭਾਈ ਐਸੇ ਸਤਿਗੁਰੋਂ ਕੋ ਸਹਜ ਸੁਭਾਵਕ ਨਿਰੰਤਰ ਹੀ ਸੇਵੀਐ ਹੇ ਭਾਈ ਸਤਿਗੁਰੋਂ ਕੇ ਦਰਸਨ ਕਰਨੇ ਤੇ ਜਨਮ ਮਰਨ ਦੁਖ ਜਾਤਾ ਰਹਿਤਾ ਹੈ॥੧੦॥: Page 1392, Teeka Fareedkoti, Adi Granth

[18] Page 1392: ਟਲ = ਹੇ ਟੱਲ! ਹੇ ਕਲ੍ਯ੍ਯ! ਹੇ ਕਲ੍ਯ੍ਯਸਹਾਰ!: Teeka by Professor Sahib Singh, Adi Granth

[19] The encyclopaedia of Sikhism. Vol. 4. Harbans Singh. Patiala: Punjabi University. 1992–1998. pp. 265–65. ISBN 0-8364-2883-8. OCLC 29703420. It is said that Baba Sri Chand, elder son of Guru Nanak and founder of the Udasi order, came to Amritsar to meet Guru Arjan, then engaged in composing the poem. The Guru who had by that time completed sixteen astpadis, or cantos, requested him to continue the composition. Baba Sri Chand, out of humility, only recited the Sloka of Guru Nanak following the Mul Mantra in the Japu- "adi sachu jugadi sachu hai bhi sach Nanak hosi bhi sachu"- In the beginning, in the primal time was He the Eternal Reality; in the present is He the Eternal Reality. To eternity shall He the Reality abide (GG, 285). This sloka was thereupon repeated by Guru Arjan at the head of the seventeenth astpadi.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: others (link)

[20] Nayar, Kamala Elizabeth (2020). "Guru Arjan's Life, Work, and Martyrdom". The Sikh View on Happiness : Guru Arjan's Sukhmani. Jaswinder Singh Sandhu. London: Bloomsbury Publishing Plc. pp. 38–40. ISBN 978-1-350-13988-6. OCLC 1140790571.