Guru Granth Sahib

The Guru Granth Sahib is the scripture and living Guru of Sikhism — a 1,430-page anthology (in Angs, “bodies”) of hymns compiled across the Sikh Gurus and including the songs of Hindu bhagats and Sufi saints.

Content

Guru Arjan compiled the Adi Granth in 1604, setting the hymns of the first five Gurus alongside compositions of Kabir, Namdev, Ravidas, Sheikh Farid, Trilochan, Dhanna, Sain, Jaidev, Pipa, Surdas, Parmanand, Sadhna, Beni and others — an interfaith anthology by design. Guru Gobind Singh added the hymns of Guru Tegh Bahadur, and before his death in 1708 declared the book the eternal Guru of the Sikhs. The text is organized by musical mode (raga), not by author.

Significance

The Granth’s structure enacts the Sikh teaching that divine truth is not the property of one lineage: bani (utterance) is honored wherever it is found. It is installed in gurdwaras with royal honor, read end-to-end in the Akhand Path, and serves as juridical arbiter in Sikh life.

Verification notes

• Compilation history is well documented (1604 Adi Granth; Damdama recension; 1708 declaration).
• Audited against Wikipedia (September 2026).