Journal of Seven Heavens

Journal of Seven Heavens

Sikh Scriptures and Religious Sources

Document Type : Original Article

Author
Seyyed Mohammad Rouhani
Researcher Religions and dinamination
Abstract
Usually every religion has got a scripture or set of scriptures which consists of the most fundamental teachings. So, the best way to study a religion is the careful examination of its scriptures. This approach is more applicable to Sikhism, for the status ascribed to the principal scripture is more than a mere sacred text so that it takes on the status of the only Guru or spiritual leader; this scripture, Guru Granth Sahib, is regarded as the manifestation of God in word. Other key scriptures include Dasam Granth, Bhai Gurdas and Bhai Nand Lal’s Vaars and Janam Sakhi. Dasam Granth is the scripture which contains all of the poetic writings of Guru Gobind Singh Ji, the tenth Guru; its poems are used in daily prayers of Sikhs. Bhai Gurdas and Bhai Nand Lal’s Vaars are two sets of poems composed by Bhai Gurdas and Bhai Nandlal, the former a companion of the fifth Guru and the latter a companion of the tenth Guru. As interpretations of Guru Granth Sahib, these sacred writings enjoy high status among Sikhs. Finally, Janam Sakhi, a religious-historical text and a biography of the first Sikh, Guru Nanak, is another key scripture of Sikhism. While dealing with the structure and content of these scriptures, this article examines the religious status of each of them.
 
Keywords
Guru Granth Sahib
Dasam Granth
Vaar
Bhai Gurdas
Bhai Nand Lal
Janam Sakhi
سینگھ، هربنس (1975)، گورونانک، محمد حسن، هند‌: انتشارات پنجابی یونیورسیٹی، پٹیالا، پنجاب‌، (اردو).
Bowker, John (1997), The Oxford Dictionary of World Religions, OxfordUniversity Prees, OxfordNew York.
Dogra, Ramesh Chander & Singh Mansukhani, Gobind (1997), Encyclopaedia Of Sikh Religion and Culture, Delhi: Vikas Publishing House PVT LTD.
Doniger, Wendy (1999), Encyclopedia of World Religions, Merriam-webster, Incorporated, USA.
McLeod, W. H. (2002), Historical Dictionary of Sikhism, Oxford, UK.
__________ (1999), Sikhs and Sikhism (The Sikh Scriptures), OxfordUniversity.
Owen Cole, W. & Piara Singh Sambhi (1997), A popular Dictionary of Sikhism‌, Curzon Press, United States of America.
__________ (1984), Sikhism and Its Indian Context 1469, 1708, D.K. Agencies, Ltd H12‌, Balinagar, New Delhi.
Singh Mansukhani, S. Gobind (1968), Introduction to Sikhism Sikhism; 125 queseion and asnwerson Sikhism, 2drev. ed. New Dehli: Indiabook House.
Singh Seti, Harjindar (2003), So sawal So jawab, Akalan, Mumbai, (Hindi).
Singh, Harbans (2001), The Encyclopaedia of Sikhism, PunjabiUniversity, Patiala.
Singh, I. J. (1997), Sikhs and Sikhism A View With a Bias, Manohar, New Delhi.
Singh, Sarbajandar (2004), Dur kI bwxI (Dhur ki Bāni), Sikh foundation lajpat nagar,1, New Delhi, INDIA, (Gurmukhi).
 

  • Receive Date 03 April 2009
  • Revise Date 04 May 2009
  • Accept Date 04 June 2009