Sikhism is a unique faith which has aspects of Islam and Hinduism

January 23, 2004

" The Granth is the central text of Sikhism, a religion that emerged

in the Punjab region of India in the 15th Century. Sikhism is a

unique faith which has aspects of Islam: monotheism and iconoclasm,

and Hinduism: reincarnation, karma and nirvana. However Sikhism is

distinct from Hinduism and Islam. The Sikh Gurus (teachers),

contemporaries of Luther and Calvin, were reformers who rejected the

caste system and much of the apparatus of Hindu ritual and legalism.

They promoted religious tolerance and the equality of women. The

founding Guru, Shri Guru Nanak Dev Ji, (1469-1538), is noted for the

saying " There is no Hindu, there is no Muslim. "

The Granth, compiled by Guru Gobind Singh, contains compositions of

six Gurus, namely Guru Nanak, Guru Angad, Guru Amar Das, Guru Ram

Das, Guru Arjan, and Guru Teg Bahadur. The hymns are arranged by the

thirty one ragas (musical forms) in which they were composed. The

hymns that comprise the Granth were originally written in several

different languages: Persian, mediaeval Prakrit, Hindi, Marathi, old

Panjabi, Multani, and several local dialects. In addition, there are

Sanskrit and Arabic portions. This makes it extrordinarily difficult

to translate. The translation presented here is the Khalsa Consensus

Translation, which is highly regarded by scholars.

The Granth is considered the living embodiment of the Gurus,

the " eleventh guru " . Printed copies of the Granth are treated with

the greatest respect. This is the reason for the honorific titles

that make up the full name of the book. There are protocols to be

observed in while reading of the Granth. A Sikh reader suggests the

following: " Out of respect, it is advised that before you do read

the Sri Guru Granth Sahib, that you cover your hair. " This is

normally with a turban or a piece of cloth provided by the gurdwara. "

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