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ADI BIRH BARAI
About Compilation of Sri Guru Granth Sahib

Sikh Research and Education Center: Publications: Adi Birh Barai:

Method of presentation of various Compositions in Guru Granth Sahib

Method of presentation of various Compositions in Guru Granth Sahib

Guru Granth Sahib begins with the word “eik Oankar”- ONE ALL PERVADING BEING, WHO IS EVER CONSISTENT. From this Word to the Tenth Word “gur-parsad”, is Moolmantra. After this, the first Composition is “Jup”. composed by Sri Guru Nanak Dev. This comprises 38 Pauris or stanzas, a Prologue and a Epilogue. This is the morning prayer of Sikhs.

The next Composition has two parts - (1) “So-dar” and (2) “So-purkh”. “So-dar” contains 5 Shabads and “So-purkh” contains 4 Shabads. This is the evening prayer of Sikhs and is also called “Rehras”. After this is “Sohila”, which contains 5 Shabads. This is the bed time prayer.

After the above mentioned Compositions, most of the Compositions are divided into the following 31 Rags or Musical Measures -

  1. Siri Rag
  2. Majh
  3. Gauri
  4. Asa
  5. Gujri
  6. Dev Gandhari
  7. Baihagra
  8. Vadhans
  9. Sorath
  10. Dhanasari
  11. Jaitsari
  12. Todi
  13. Bairari
  14. Tailang
  15. Suhi
  16. Bilawal
  17. Gond
  18. Ramkali
  19. Nut Narain
  20. Mali Gaura
  21. Maru
  22. Tukhari
  23. Kaidara
  24. Bhairo
  25. Basant
  26. Sarang
  27. Malar
  28. Kanra
  29. Kalyan
  30. Parbhati
  31. Jaijavanti
On completion of Rags, the undermentioned Compositions are given -
  1. Slok Seheskriti, Guru Nanak Dev - 8 Sloks
  2. Slok Seheskriti, Guru Arjan Dev - 67
  3. Gatha, Guru Arjan Dev - 24
  4. Phune, Guru Arjan Dev - 23
  5. Coubolai, Guru Arjan Dev - 11
  6. Slok, Bhagat Kabir Ji - 243
  7. Slok, Shaikh Farid Kai - 130
  8. Swaiyye, Sri Mukh Vak - 9
  9. Swaiyye, Sri Mukh Vak - 11
  10. Swiyye, 11 Bhatts - 123

    11. The Swiyyas of Bhatts constitute -
      In Praise of Guru Nanak Dev - 10
      In Praise of Guru Angad Dev - 10
      In Praise of Guru Amar Das - 22
      In Praise of Guru Ram Das - 60
      In Praise of Guru Arjan Dev - 21
  11. Sloks in addition to those in Vars -
      12. Guru Nanak Dev - 33
      Guru Amar Das - 67
      Guru Ram Das - 30
      Guru Arjan Dev - 22
  12. Sloks of Guru Tegh Bahadur - 57
  13. Mundawani, Guru Arjan Dev - 1
  14. Slok, Guru Arjan Dev - 1
  15. Rag Mala

Method, Compositions arranged in Rags

In each Rag, the Compositions are arranged as under -
Shabads - Astpadis - Chhants - Compositions of Bhagats.
The Shabads, Astpadis, Chhants, etc. are arranged in the order -
Guru Nanak Dev - Guru Amar Das - Guru Ram Das - Guru Arjan Dev.
There are no Shabads of Guru Angad Dev. He wrote only Sloks, which appear with the Pauris of various Vars. The Shabads of Guru Tegh Bahadur which are under certain Rags, they appear in the related Rag, after the Shabads of Guru Arjan Dev.

At the end of Shabads in each Rag, are given the Astpadis, in the order of the Gurus. There is no Astpadi written by Guru Tegh Bahadur.

After Astpadis, in the same manner Chhants are given, in the same order of the Gurus.

The Contents of 31 Rags -
 
Shabads
Astpadis
Chhant
Total
Guru Nanak Dev
209
123
25
357
Guru Amar Das
172
79
19
270
Guru Ram Das
264
58
38
360
Guru Arjan Dev
1322
45
63
1430
Guru Tegh Bahadur
59
-
-
59
Total
2026
305
145
2476

Vars :-

There are 22 Vars in total in Guru Granth Sahib. Out of them 21 Vars have been written by the Gurus, and there is one Var of Satta and Balwund. The details of Vars are given below -

  1. Guru Nanak Dev - Rags Majh, Asa and Malar. 3 Vars.
  2. Guru Amar Das - Tags Gujri, Suhi, Ramkali and Maru 4 Vars
  3. Guru Ram Das - Siri Rag, Gauri, Baiagra, Vadhans, Sorath, Bilawal, Sarang and Kanra 8 Vars
  4. Guru Arjan Dev - Gauri, Gujri, Jaitsri, Ramkali,  Maru and Basant. 6 Vars
  5. Satta and Balwund - Ramkali Rag 1 Var
    Total 22 Vars.
Details of Vars in order of Rags -
Gauri 2, Gujri 2, Ramkali 3, Maru 2 - 9 Vars.
The remaining 13 Vars are included in the following 13 Rags -
Siri Rag, Majh, Asa, Baihagara, Vadhans, Sorath, Jaitsri, Suhi, Bilawal, Basant, Sarang, Malar and Kanra.
Except for Satta and Balwund’s Var in Ramkali Rag and the Var in Basant Rag of Guru Arjan Dev, in remaining all the Vars, Sloks of first five Gurus have been attached to the Pauris of the Vars. The details of Pauri and Sloks of these Vars are given below -
Guru nanak Dev - 78 Pauris (stanzas)
Guru Amar Das - 85 Pauris
Guru Ram Das - 183 Pauris
Guru Arjan Dev - 117 Pauris
Total number of Pauris of 21 Vars - 463 Pauris
Satta Balwund’s Var - 8 Pauris
Grand Total of Pauris - 471 Pauris
Details of Sloks of 21 Vars -
Guru Nanak Dev - 227 Sloks
Guru Angad Dev - 63 Sloks
Guru Amar Das - 343 Sloks
Guru Ram Das - 105 Sloks
Guru Arjan Dev - 252 Sloks
Kabir Ji - 4 Sloks
Total - 994 Sloks.

Compositions of Bhagats

Out of Compositions in 31 Rags in Sri Guru Granth Sahib, in 22 Rags Compositions of Bhagats appear. There are total of 349 Shabads of the Bhagats, and also are included 3 Shabads of Guru Arjan Dev in those sections. The Grand total is 352. The details are given below -
Kabir Ji - 224 Shabads
Namdev Ji - 61
Ravidas - 40
Trilochan - 4
Farid Ji - 4
Beni Ji - 3
Dhanna Ji - 3
Jaidev Ji - 2
Bhikhan Ji - 2
Permanand Ji - 1
Sain Ji - 1
Pipa Ji - 1
Sadhana Ji - 1
Ramanand Ji - 1
Soordas Ji - 1 (one verse only)
Guru Arjan Dev Ji - 3
Total 352 Shabads
In addition to the Shabads, there are 3 more Compositions of Sri Kabir Ji in Rag Gauri. They are -
  1. Bavan Akhari
  2. Pandran Thithi
  3. Satt Var
Previous Chapter - Installation of Guru Granth Sahib in Harimandir Sahib, Amritsar
Next Chapter - Variations between original copy of Guru Granth Sahib and Bhai Banoe’s recension
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