Sri Aad Gur Granth Sahib

The Sri Adi Gur Granth Sahib (Punjabi: ਗੁਰੂ ਗ੍ਰੰਥ ਸਾਹਿਬ), commonly known as Guru Granth Sahib, is the principal scripture of Sikhism and a central text of spiritual literature.

It is a compilation of revealed hymns (bani) that were collected, organized, and preserved by the Sikh Gurus between the 15th and 17th centuries.

The scripture embodies the institution of gurmat (the Guru’s teachings) as a spiritual and social discipline.

Background

The foundation of the text was laid by Guru Nanak (1469–1539), who during his extensive travels gathered and shared hymns of both his own composition and those of contemporary bhagats and sants whose verses resonated with the vision of divine truth, equality, and devotion to the One. Successive Gurus continued this process, expanding the body of hymns and shaping a collective spiritual canon.

In 1604, the fifth Guru, Guru Arjan (1563–1606), compiled the first recension, known as the Adi Granth. This work established the Sikh scriptural tradition as a distinct institution, bringing together the hymns of earlier Gurus with those of enlightened bhagats, bhatt poets, and other spiritually realized contributors such as Kabir, Namdev, Sheikh Farid, Baba Sunder, Satta and Balwand, whose compositions were acknowledged as Dhur Ki Bani—the Word proceeding from the Divine Source. The completed manuscript was securely installed in the Harmandir Sahib (Golden Temple).

Later, the tenth Guru, Guru Gobind Singh (1666–1708), incorporated the hymns of his father, Guru Tegh Bahadur (1621–1675), thus completing the text as it is known today.

Language

The Sri Guru Granth Sahib comprises 1,430 angs (folios) containing nearly 6,000 hymns, organized primarily according to musical modes (ragas). The scripture is written in Gurmukhi script, employing multiple North Indian languages and dialects including Punjabi, Braj, Sanskrit, Persian, and others.

Individuals and their contributions

Within Gurmat ideology, the contributors to the Sri Guru Granth Sahib are not viewed through rigid hierarchies but as enlightened voices of the same Truth. The terms Satgur, Bhagat, Bhatt, and Gursikh reflect different expressions of spiritual realization but share a common foundation: direct experience of the Divine and the articulation of that wisdom through bani.

Satgur refers to the knower of Truth, one who embodies divine wisdom and guides others towards it.

Bhagat signifies a devotee of Truth, whose verses reflect deep union with the Divine through devotion and remembrance. So Baba Nanak was Bhagat and Ravidas was Satgur or vice versa.

Bhatt were poet-scholars, often composing eulogies or metaphysical poetry, whose insight into the Guru’s nature and Truth also flowed as revealed hymns. So they have similar status to Satgur or Bhagat

Background Details and No. of Hymns

Name	Timeline	No. of Hymns
Satgur - The Enlightened ones
Satgur Nanak	15th Century	974
Satgur Angad	16th Century	62
Satgur Amar Das	16th Century	907
Satgur Ram Das	16th Century	679
Satgur Arjan	16th Century	2218
Satgur Tegh Bahadur	17th Century	116
Bhagats - The Enlightened ones
Bhagat Jaidev	13th Century	2
Bhagat Farid	13th Century	134
Bhagat Ramanand	14th Century	1
Bhagat Namdev	14th Century	62
Bhagat Trilochan	14th Century	5
Bhagat Parmanand	14th Century	1
Bhagat Dhanna	14th Century	4
Bhagat Bhikhan	14th Century	2
Bhagat Beni	14th Century	3
Bhagat Pipa	14th Century	1
Bhagat Sain	14th Century	1
Bhagat Surdas	14th Century	2
Bhagat Sadhana	14th Century	1
Bhagat Ravidas	15th Century	41
Bhagat Kabir	15th Century	541
Bhatts - The Enlightened Poet-Scholars
Bhatt Kalshar	15th Century	54
Bhatt Balh	15th Century	5
Bhatt Bhalh	15th Century	1
Bhatt Bhika	15th Century	2
Bhatt Gayand	15th Century	13
Bhatt Harbans	15th Century	2
Bhatt Jalap	15th Century	5
Bhatt Kirat	15th Century	8
Bhatt Mathura	15th Century	14
Bhatt Nalh	15th Century	16
Bhatt Salh	15th Century	3
Other Enlightened Gursikhs
Bhai Mardana	15th century	2
Baba Sundar	15th Century	6
Satta Doom	15th Century	1 var
Balvand Rai	15th Century	1 var