Dasam Granth - Commentry - Part 1 Jaap Sahib

I had a request from a Singhani, a sister, about delivering some basic Gurbani knowledge. Gurbani is so deep and profound how can we ever do it justice, but saying that the Guru did make it a whole lot easier to understand than compared to other scriptures. I would like to make my first post about the scripture I am humble student of, the Sri Dasam Granth Sahib - 'The Granth of Guru Gobind Singh Ji.' With His grace I completed my PhD at Birmingham University on this scripture.

Guru Ji's scripture is mostly written in a classical idiom of Hindi called Braj Bhasha, which is well understood in the land of his birth, Bihar. Throughout Dasam Granth Sahib we find the title/invocation 'ਤ੍ਵਪ੍ਰਸਾਦਿ ॥.' ਤ੍ਵ means like ਤੇਰੀ in Punjabi, Yours or Thou. Some Taksals pronounce this 'Tau' 'ਤੌ' as they take the 'ਵ' 'vava' on the foot on the conjunct to mean a 'haura' and not a 'vava.' A conjunct is where two letters are combined, and there is no 'mukta'. So in some manuscript copies or Gutkas you will also see the spelling as Tav or 'ਤਵ'.

The next word is ‘Prasādi’ or ਪ੍ਰਸਾਦਿ. Prasadi is a Sanskrit word (प्रसाद), and has many meanings but here it means grace, kindness, or graciousness. So, both words combined mean ‘Thy Grace.’ Some of you brighter minds would have noticed that the word has an ‘i’ after it, which is there for grammatical purposes, and here it means from, or by. Therefore the translation is [This Gurbani has been written] ‘By Thy Grace.' In Punjabi we would say ਤੇਰੀ ਕਿਰਪਾ ਨਾਲ.

Let us go back to ਤ੍ਵ, the eagled eyed amongst you would also notice that this also comes as a part of a larger word, ਨਮਸਤ੍ਵੰ. The word ਨਮਸ is also Sanskrit and means to salute or bow. It is where the word or greeting Namaskar (ਨਮਸਕਾਰ) comes from, Namo also means the same (ਨਮੋ). So, ਨਮਸਤ੍ਵੰ means ‘Bow to You’, or ‘I bow to Thou.’ This is a form of poetry called onomatopoeia which imitates the sound associated with something, in his case the TWANG of a bow, when an arrow is fired. Here we even see same in English.

In the first verse of the ‘Jāp Sāhib’ ਜਾਪ ਸਾਹਿਬ called the ਛਪੈ ਛੰਦ, which means a verse of six lines, Channd means poetic verses, literally a ‘Chant.’, i.e. rhythmically spoken. The Guru says ‘How can Thy name be explained? So with pure intellect I will praise Thy attribute or action names.1. ‘ਤ੍ਵ ਸਰਬ ਨਾਮ ਕਥੈ ਕਵਨ ਕਰਮ ਨਾਮ ਬਰਣਤ ਸੁਮਤਿ ॥੧॥‘. The first word that the Guru expresses Vahiguru by is ਅਕਾਲ, meaning ਕਾਲ Time/Death so the Timeless/Deathless/Immoral. ਨਮਸਤ੍ਵੰ ਅਕਾਲੇ ॥ ‘Salutations to the Timeless.’ We see the same usage of a in English - 'no' or 'not. Like in amorphic - 'no form'.

The Jaap Sahib was composed at a Gurdwara in Bhagpura at Anandpur Sahib, as the Guru himself did Shastravidia with his Army.

A translation of the Shastravidia book by Baba Gian Singh coming soon!

Baba Giana Singh taught the most number of Gatka students in colonial times, when Gatka was under threat. Baba ji himself learnt shastravidia from either Baba Mangal Singh or Baba Swaran Singh. He published some books on the Adi Guru Granth Sahib ji which were printed by the SGPC. Dr Trilochan Singh writes in Ernest Trump & Hew McLeod as Scholars of Sikh History:

'Bhai Gian Singh, a Nihang scholar spent over forty years on similar textual study. He has recorded his findings of some very rare Manuscripts. He left one copy of his findings with me and another with Nihang Chief in the historic Damdama Sahib Dera. He published some basic findings.

Guru Gobind Singh got a number of copies prepared at Damdama a place specifically built for Scriptural studies at Anandpur. In all these, the hymns of Guru Tegh Bahadur were included. The author of this book has two copies dated 1705 AD and 1707 AD.(autographed by Guru Gobind Singh). Randhir Singh research scholar who had studied and recorded his notes in a book and Gian Singh Nihang who prepared notes on over a hundred codices (Birs) studied both these codices (Birs). Both of them found the 1705 AD codex the best and textually the most correct out of those studied by them. There no doubt exist many authentic and correct copies.

Prof G S Mann writes Randhir Singh, Kundan Singh, and Gian Singh Nihang published Sri Guru Granth Sahib ji dian Santha-Sainchian are Puratan Hathlikhit Pavan Biran de Praspar Path-Bhedan di Suchi ( The list of textual variations present in the early sacred manuscripts and printed versions of the Guru Granth Sahib) in 1977, which includes important textual details in the early scriptural manuscripts.

Although he was a great scholar he was a renowned master of Shastravidia and taught thousands of Singhs according to Baba Santa Singh at Akali Phoola Singh burj in Amritsar. He was known to have a lot of bir ras or warrior spirit, and gave physical beating to anyone who cared to transgress his patience.

Baba Santa Singh comments in the foreward to his the book written by Baba Giana Singh on Shastravidia that: 'Nihang Singh Baba Gian Singh Sutantar Purane Shastardhari Singh Han te Shastra vidia de vi change giata hai, ustad banke unna hazare singhan nu shastra vidia sikhai hai.' Nihang Singh Baba Gian Singh is a old wise armed Singh, who knows Shastravidia very well, being a Master, he has taught thousands of Singhs Shastravidia.' This book has been translated into English and will be published in the next few weeks.

The cover to the book titled Shastar Vidia - Baba Gian Singh - Buddha Dal press, Lower Mal Road, Patiala

Baba Giana Singh notes:

IK Oankar Vahiguru ki fi fateh! Sabh to pahila shastra-vidia da mul mantra parna chahida hai. Jo Gurmukh shastar vidia sikhna arabh kare, os da ih faraz hai ki mul mantra kant karake jarur hi nitnem naal paria kare. Jo Singh Sabh Gurmukh Nitnem Naal Path karega us singh nu datte Maha Akal de kazaney vicho Adi Shakti prapat hovegi, jo bharosey rakhega te bachan sat kar manega.

The mul mantra is Bhagauti Astotra, found in the Buddha Dal Gutka Sahib. I have translated this  into English and it is available................http://www.kamalroopsingh.blogspot.co.uk/2012/11/sri-bhagauti-astotra-patisahi-10.html. Bhagauti Astotra is in puratan seventeenth century sarups of Sri Dasam Granth Sahib, one example is the sarup at Patna Sahib (1698 AD). It is not in the current printed edition. It was written by Maharaj, but many Nihang Singhs and Sants have preserved it orally. Its in the current Buddha Dal Gutka Sahib. Its also used in Shastra Puja.

One of Baba Gian Singh students is also called Gian Singh. he is still alive and is about 98 years old, he reads a Panj Granthi and Das Granthi everyday at amritvela followed by practice of Shastarvidiya, he was a student of Sant Baba Gurbachan Singh Bhinderawale. He has trained 17 Singhs into skilled teachers of Shastarvidiya. May Maharaj allow Baba Ji to keep inspiring us, and the best of health. This photo was taken at Akali Phoola Singh Burj, Diwali, 2005. Baba Ji is an exponant of Jhatka Gatka, or Jang vidiya. Pictured below:

Another famous student of Baba Giana Singh 'Sutantra' is Baba Pritam Singh from Patiala, pictured below, with a video of his Gatka: