Structure of Sri Guru Granth Sahib

Singh
Singh
Sep 2, 2018 · 7 min read

ਵਾਹਿਗੁਰੂ ਜੀ ਕਾ ਖਾਲਸਾ, ਵਾਹਿਗੁਰੂ ਜੀ ਕੀ ਫਤਹਿ. This is a reference document for those who want to learn more about how Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji was structured.


Starting of SGGS:

Sri Guru Granth Sahib starts with Mool Mantar which is the seed of the tree that is SGGS. In it, the qualities of the single light that pervades everywhere are listed and it acts as the core of Sikh theology.

ੴ ਸਤਿ ਨਾਮੁ ਕਰਤਾ ਪੁਰਖੁ ਨਿਰਭਉ ਨਿਰਵੈਰੁ ਅਕਾਲ ਮੂਰਤਿ ਅਜੂਨੀ ਸੈਭੰ ਗੁਰ ਪ੍ਰਸਾਦਿ ॥

One Universal Creator God. The Name Is Truth. Creative Being Personified. No Fear. No Hatred. Image Of The Undying, Beyond Birth, Self-Existent. By Guru’s Grace

After, there are 3 Nitnem banis before coming to Sri Raag. These Nitnem banis include Jap Ji Sahib, So Dar Sahib, and Sohila Sahib.


Heading of Bani in SGGS:

Here is a basic heading in Sri Guru Granth Sahib:

ਸਿਰੀਰਾਗੁ ਮਹਲਾ ੧ ॥
Siree Raag, First Mehla:

The heading starts with the Raag. A raag is a set of rules on how to build a musical melody. It includes rules for notes used up and down the musical scale, which notes should be used the most and which notes should never be used. It is essentially a specific pattern of notes to create a very specific and unique melody. The word raag literally means color or hue. As children we learn to associate colors with emotions, and the divine qualities of raags paint soundscapes with these emotions in the very same way. There are also sub-raags which a mix of multiple raags (Such as Raag Gauri-Maajh). Additionally, raags indicate the preferable time and sometimes season each raag should be sung in.

Here is a list of raags grouped by time (does not include sub-raags):

Some bani is not written in raags such as Vaaran Te Vadeek, Salok Mahalla 9, and Raag Mala, which all come after the final raag, Jaijavanti. The next part of the heading if Mehla. This indicates the Guru who wrote the bani. In this case it is Guru Nanak Dev Ji’s bani because it says “First Mehla”.

When you start reading more and more bani, headings will add other things as well.


Padas, Ghars, and Partaal

ਰਾਗੁ ਮਾਝ ਚਉਪਦੇ ਘਰੁ ੧ ਮਹਲਾ ੪
Raag Maajh, Chau-Padas, First House, Fourth Mehla:

Here it says Chaupaday. Chaupada means 4 stanzas. The other “padas” are:

Another part of this heading is Ghar. It is still debated on whether or not ghar refers to something musical but here is the musical information on it anyways. ghar means house in Punjabi, but in the heading it denotes the amount of beats it is to be sung in. For example, ghar 1 is Daadra taal which is a cycle of 6 beats. There are 17 ghars mentioned in SGGS.

These are the ghars and their associated beats:

ਪ੍ਰਭਾਤੀ ਬਿਭਾਸ ਪੜਤਾਲ ਮਹਲਾ ੪
Prabhaathee Bibhaas Parrathaal Mehalaa 4

Partaal means that you have to sing each stanza using a different ghar/beat.


Vaars and Dhunis

ਆਸਾ ਮਹਲਾ ੧ ॥
Aasaa, First Mehl:

ਵਾਰ ਸਲੋਕਾ ਨਾਲਿ ਸਲੋਕ ਭੀ ਮਹਲੇ ਪਹਿਲੇ ਕੇ ਲਿਖੇ ਟੁੰਡੇ ਅਸ ਰਾਜੈ ਕੀ ਧੁਨੀ ॥
Vaar With Shaloks, And Shaloks Written By The First Mehl. To Be Sung To The Tune Of ‘Tunda-Asraajaa’:

(This is the beginning of Aasa Ki Vaar)

In SGGS there are Vaars. There are 22 Vaars and 9 of these Vaars come with a special folk melody, which is a Dhuni (Tune). In this case the Dhuni is that of the Ballad of Tunda Asraaja (A handless Prince named Asraaj). Vaar means Ode and in the case of Aasa Di Vaar, it means Ode of Aasa (the Raag Aasa is associated with hope). There are 21 other Vaars and 8 other Dhunis listed here:

Vaars are constructed of Shaloks and Pauris. Pauris are exclusive to Vaars. Shaloks are a form of verse or stanza. They are all raagless, but they are sung in the raag they are placed in. (So if Salok A is placed in Aasa then its sung in Aasa). Pauris are also a form of stanza and they capture the main message of each Chakka of the Vaar. Literally there is no difference between a shabad and a pauri. The practical difference is that a pauri carries its idea further. In Punjabi language a pauri means a ladder. The pauri is a long verse and may or may not have uniformity i.e. they may differ in metre and in number.


Other Headings

These headings are not that common but have significant meanings:


Shabad Structure

ਬੈਰਾੜੀ ਮਹਲਾ ੪ ॥
Bairaaree, Fourth Mehl:

ਹਰਿ ਜਨੁ ਰਾਮ ਨਾਮ ਗੁਨ ਗਾਵੈ ॥
The Lord’s humble servant sings the Glorious Praises of the Lord’s Name.

ਜੇ ਕੋਈ ਨਿੰਦ ਕਰੇ ਹਰਿ ਜਨ ਕੀ ਅਪੁਨਾ ਗੁਨੁ ਨ ਗਵਾਵੈ ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥
Even if someone slanders the Lord’s humble servant, he does not give up his own goodness. ||1||Pause||

ਜੋ ਕਿਛੁ ਕਰੇ ਸੁ ਆਪੇ ਸੁਆਮੀ ਹਰਿ ਆਪੇ ਕਾਰ ਕਮਾਵੈ ॥
Whatever the Lord and Master does, He does by Himself; the Lord Himself does the deeds.

ਹਰਿ ਆਪੇ ਹੀ ਮਤਿ ਦੇਵੈ ਸੁਆਮੀ ਹਰਿ ਆਪੇ ਬੋਲਿ ਬੁਲਾਵੈ ॥੧॥
The Lord and Master Himself imparts understanding; the Lord Himself inspires us to speak. ||1||

ਹਰਿ ਆਪੇ ਪੰਚ ਤਤੁ ਬਿਸਥਾਰਾ ਵਿਚਿ ਧਾਤੂ ਪੰਚ ਆਪਿ ਪਾਵੈ ॥
The Lord Himself directs the evolution of the world of the five elements; He Himself infuses the five senses into it.

ਜਨ ਨਾਨਕ ਸਤਿਗੁਰੁ ਮੇਲੇ ਆਪੇ ਹਰਿ ਆਪੇ ਝਗਰੁ ਚੁਕਾਵੈ ॥੨॥੩॥
O servant Nanak, the Lord Himself unites us with the True Guru; He Himself resolves the conflicts. ||2||3||

Most shabads have a line that has ਰਹਾਉ (Rehao — pause) in it. Rehao denotes that this line has the main message of the shabad. So no matter where it is placed it is SUNG (not read. You usually read in order when you read it normally) first. The rehao line is the main line of your kirtan composition like the chorus in any song. You will keep coming back to this line after singing each stanza. Each stanza is has a number attached to the end of it. When you reach a number, you should go back to the main line of the shabad and sing that. So you would go Rehao -> Stanza |1| -> Rehao and repeat until you have completed the shabad. Keep in mind that some shabads can have more than 1 Rehao line. In this case you can just pick one line. If there is no Rehao line you start from stanza |1|.


Numbering System

The Gurus also used numbers to make sure shabads weren’t added or removed by random people.

ਧਨਾਸਰੀ ਮਹਲਾ ੯ ॥
Dhanaasaree, Ninth Mehl:

ਅਬ ਮੈ ਕਉਨੁ ਉਪਾਉ ਕਰਉ ॥
Now, what efforts should I make?

ਜਿਹ ਬਿਧਿ ਮਨ ਕੋ ਸੰਸਾ ਚੂਕੈ ਭਉ ਨਿਧਿ ਪਾਰਿ ਪਰਉ ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥
How can I dispel the anxieties of my mind? How can I cross over the terrifying world-ocean? ||1||Pause||

ਜਨਮੁ ਪਾਇ ਕਛੁ ਭਲੋ ਨ ਕੀਨੋ ਤਾ ਤੇ ਅਧਿਕ ਡਰਉ ॥
Obtaining this human incarnation, I have done no good deeds; this makes me very afraid!

ਮਨ ਬਚ ਕ੍ਰਮ ਹਰਿ ਗੁਨ ਨਹੀ ਗਾਏ ਯਹ ਜੀਅ ਸੋਚ ਧਰਉ ॥੧॥
In thought, word and deed, I have not sung the Lord’s Praises; this thought worries my mind. ||1||

ਗੁਰਮਤਿ ਸੁਨਿ ਕਛੁ ਗਿਆਨੁ ਨ ਉਪਜਿਓ ਪਸੁ ਜਿਉ ਉਦਰੁ ਭਰਉ ॥
I listened to the Guru’s Teachings, but spiritual wisdom did not well up within me; like a beast, I fill my belly.

ਕਹੁ ਨਾਨਕ ਪ੍ਰਭ ਬਿਰਦੁ ਪਛਾਨਉ ਤਬ ਹਉ ਪਤਿਤ ਤਰਉ ॥੨॥੪॥੯॥੯॥੧੩॥੫੮॥੪॥੯੩॥
Says Nanak, O God, please confirm Your Law of Grace; for only then can I, the sinner, be saved.

॥੨॥੪॥੯॥੯॥੧੩॥੫੮॥੪॥੯੩॥ = ||2||4||9||9||13||58||4||93||

2 is the number of the stanza for singing.
4 denotes that itis part of a chaupada, this shabad is the 4th pada of 4.
9 is how many shabads Guru Nanak Dev Ji has in this raag.
9 is how many shabads Guru Amar Das Ji has in this raag.
13 is how many shabads Guru Ram Das Ji has in that raag.
58 is how many shabads Guru Arjan Dev Ji has in this raag.
4 is the 4th shabad in Dhanasri by Guru Teg Bahadur Ji, stated in the heading.
93 is the total shabads (Add up all the banis of the Gurus in this raag).

This was to prevent people from adding their own poetry to SGGS. If the someone thought they found some odd bani they couldrefer to this number which is at the end of every raag.


ਵਾਹਿਗੁਰੂ ਜੀ ਕਾ ਖਾਲਸਾ, ਵਾਹਿਗੁਰੂ ਜੀ ਕੀ ਫਤਹਿ

Singh

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Singh

Passionate about Sikhi and its Music.

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