INSIDE THE GURU'S GATE - Anpere

century, decided to prepare the compilation of the Sikh scripture, which was to be
known as the Kartarpur pothi (1604), he is said to have collected manuscripts and
devotional poetry composed by his predecessors as well as bards in the Sikh court
and Hindu and Muslims saint poets from different locations. Although several debates
about the status of the Kartarpur pothi have surfaced scholarly discussions in the
twentieth century, 268 local Sikhs generally adhere to the traditional view which accepts
this manuscript as the first compilation of the Sikh scripture and gives Guru
Arjan full credit for the compilation process. The completion of scriptural corpus in
1604 is considered to be one of the most memorable events in Sikh history.
The underlying motives and triggering reasons for Guru Arjan’s decision to
prepare a corpus with sacred poetry of the Sikh Gurus, with exception of the hymns
ascribed to Guru Tegh Bahadur, will be given many explanations by practicing Sikhs.
Popular interpretations, which traditional Sikh historiography often return to, narrate
the rivalry over the succession to the office of the Guru and the threat of kacchi bani, or
“half-baked” or “unripe” utterances, that is, compositions that claim to be authentic
devotional poetry created in the spirit of Guru Nanak but which in reality were false
compositions composed by rival family members to the Sikh Gurus. A popular tradition,
for instance, tells that Guru Arjan engaged himself with urgency in the compilation
work after he had heard hymns by his nephew Meharvan being sung by his
disciples as if it was authentic gurbani. 269 Facing the threat of having divinely inspired
words smeared with false compositions and deviating doctrines it became important
to collect and sanction the genuine words of the Gurus. The only person in authority
to accomplish this task was the divinely appointed messenger himself – the Guru. To
contemporary Sikhs this interpretation of the Guru’s motives often functions like a
verification of the authentic gurbani status of all words included in the scripture.
Other explanations may point to the need to settle guidelines for the Sikhs and mark
out the higher authority of words and teaching emanating from Guru, rather than the
Guru’s person and body that would eventually perish. Once the hymns of the Gurus
and other like-minded were accessible in writing the sacred scripture was to become
the permanent locus of a continued revelation and the written words mediators of
divine truths.
The oft-quoted and paraphrased Sri Gurbilas Chhevin Patshahi (“The Splendour
of the Sixth Master”), a nineteenth century text attributed to Sohan Kavi, relates how
Guru Arjan procured the Goindwal pothis in Goindwal and brought the manuscripts in
268
See Mann 2001: 59 ‒ 68.
269
Textual reference to this tradition is found in eighteenth century work Bansavalinama Dasan
Patishahian ka (Genealogy of the Ten Masters) by Kesar Singh Chhibar. In Sikh historiography
rivalry over succession to the office of the Guru begun when Guru Ram Das nominated his
youngest son Arjan to successor instead of his elder son Prithi Chand. In more than one way did
Prithi Chand try to outdo Guru Arjan. The tradition accounts that Prithi Chand and his son
Meharvan began a parallel line of Gurus and compiled their own manuscript with devotional
hymns. Bhai Gurdas gave Prithi Chand and his successors the nickname Minas, meaning
“wicked”, and Sikhs were requested to have no association with them.
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Published on www.anpere.net in May 2008