The Dasam Graṅth was
written by the Tenth Guru of the Sikhs, Gobind Singh. Over time the name of the
Graṅth has changed from simply Graṅth Sahib of Guru Gobind Singh (Dasam Pātshāh kā Graṅth), to simply Dasam
Graṅth. The scripture is written in Gurmukhi verses following the tradition of
the previous Gurus. However the language is mainly Braj Bhasha, with small
sections in Persian, and rustic Punjabi. The main leitmotiv of the Dasam Graṅth
is righteous war or dharma yudh, with
a few devotional sections, mainly translated from the Sanskrit Purāṇas. The poetry is rhythmic and
heroic, and intended to rouse the martial spirit of the reader.
The structure of MSS TOD 121 is as follows:-
The contents folio
begins with:
Ik
Oaṅkār Srī Bhagautī jī Sahāi ‘The contents of the
Scripture of the Wonderous Tales, spoken by the Tenth King’.
1.
Jāpu
– ‘Recitation of God’s Attributes’ – folio 1-6
2.
Akāl
Ustati – ‘Praises of the Timeless Lord’ – f. 6-20
3.
Bachitra
Nāṭak – ‘Wonderous Tales’ – f. 20-36
4.
Chaṅḍī
Charitra – ‘Tales of Chandi’ – f. 36-49
5.
Chaṅḍī
Charitra II – ‘Tales of Chandi II’– f. 49-58
6.
Vār
Srī Bhagautī jī kī – ‘Battles of Chandi’– f. 59-63
7.
Giān
Prabodh – ‘Explanation of Wisdom’– f. 63-77
8.
Chaubīs
Avatār – ‘The Twenty-Four Incarnations of Sri Vishnu’– f. 77-127
9.
Krishnā
Avatār – ‘The Incarnations of Sri Krishan’ – f. 127-308
10.
Brahmā
Avatār – ‘The Incarnations of Sri Brahma’ – f. 308-321
11.
Rudra
Avatār – ‘The Incarnations of Sri Rudra’– f. 321-358
12.
Shastra
Nām Mālā – ‘Rosary of Ancient Weapons’– f. 358-404
13.
Svaiye
– ‘Stanzas of the Khalsa’ – f. 404-407
14.
Jo
Kich Lekh – ‘Reply to Brahmin Priest by the Guru’– f. 407
15.
Re
Man Aiso Kar – ‘Shabads
in Rāgas’– f. 407-408
16.
Pakhiyān
Charitra – ‘Tales of Deceit’– f. 408-686
17.
Zafarnāmā
– ‘Letter of Victory to Emperor Aurangzeb’– f.
686-705
Contains
Hikāyāts ‘Tales.’
18.
Asfotak
Kabitt – ‘Miscellaneous Poetry’– f. 705-708
Includes
Mājh of the Tenth Guru
The colophon reads Saṅmat
1895 Bikramī/ 1828/29 ad. In the
binding a glued note reads:-
‘The Grunth’ a sacred
book of the Sikhs, to the object of their worship. Presented to Lieut Col. His C.M
Wade by Jawahir Singh, a descendent of the one of the Priests of the Sikhs.’ A
loose folio reads, ‘This is not the Adi
Granth but the Dasama Padshah Ka
Granth’, ‘the book of the 10th King’ Gur Govind. Presented to
the Royal Asiatic Society in Nov 1842 by Mr Wade (folio 1a). Compositions or portions
of 1, 2, 6 and 16 are used in daily Sikh liturgy.
