Pashaura Singh is Assistant Professor, Sikh Studies and Punjabi Language at the University of Michigan.
'...a delightful and scholarly book that will no doubt be consulted even after fifty years... [It provides] an analysis of revelation and of sacred scripture as a canon ... It tries to understand the process of canon formation in the Sikh tradition; because of its relevance to other scriptures as well, the interest of this study goes far beyond the Sikh scripture.'
--International Journal of Panjab Studies
About the Book:
The Guru Granth Sahib explores the concept of scripture from the Sikh perspective and seeks to understand the processes of canon formation and those by which meaning and authority are vested in the Adi Granth.
Taking a radically different approach from the dominant mode of textual analysis, Pashaura Singh argues for a plurality of interpretation and the inexhaustible hermeneutic potential of the Adi Granth. He offers a fresh perspective on the role of the Adi Granth as 'Guru' in both the personal as well as the corporate spheres of the Sikh community and discusses the scripture as a cross-cultural phenomenon.
This exciting volume will be useful for specialists in religious, scriptural and Sikh studies, and of immense value for general readers interested in the roots of canonical meaning and authority in the Sikh tradition in particular, and religions in general.
List of Figures | x | |
List of Tables | xi | |
Preface and Acknowledgements | xii | |
Note on Orthography | xv | |
Glossary | xvii | |
1. | INTRODUCTION | 3 |
Revelation of the Bani and its Verbal Expression | 7 | |
Transmission of the Bani and Compilation of the Adi Granth | 15 | |
Canon Formation in the Sikh Tradition | 23 | |
Sikh Studies | 26 | |
2. | A SURVEY OF EARLY MANUSCRIPTS | 28 |
Pre-Canonical Stage | 32 | |
First Canonical Text | 53 | |
Post-Canonical Traditions | 61 | |
Final Canonical Text | 81 | |
Conclusion | 81 | |
3. | TEXTUAL ANALYSIS | 83 |
Mul Mantar | 84 | |
Liturgical Texts | 90 | |
Guru Nanak's SuhiHymn | 102 | |
Guru Arjan's TilangHymns | 106 | |
Guru Arjan's RamakaliHymn | 114 | |
Conclusion | 122 | |
4. | RAGA ORGANIZATION OF THE ADI GRANTH | 125 |
Devotional Music in the Sikh Tradition | 128 | |
Final Sequence of the Ragas in the Adi Granth | 136 | |
Selection of Ragas and theRaga-Mala | 145 | |
Conclusion | 149 | |
5. | GURU ARIAN'S EDITORIAL PERSPECTIVE | 151 |
Doctrinal Consistency | 152 | |
The Ideal of the Balanced Life | 161 | |
Optimistic Sikh View | 165 | |
The Inclusive Ideal | 167 | |
The Concern for Independent Identity | 174 | |
Conclusion | 175 | |
6. | SCRIPTURAL ADAPTATION IN THE ADI GRANTH: | 177 |
Issues of THE BHAGAT BANI | 177 | |
Collection of the Bhagat Bani | 179 | |
Selection of the Bhagat Bani | 188 | |
Conclusion | 201 | |
7. | THE ADI GRANTH TRADITIONS AND CANON FORMATION | 203 |
Lahore Recension | 206 | |
Banno Recension | 212 | |
Damdama Recension | 222 | |
The Standard Version of the Adi Granth | 224 | |
Printed Version of the Adi Granth | 230 | |
Conclusion | 234 | |
8. | THE MEANING OF GURBANI: A FOCUS ON HERMENEUTIC TECHNIQUES | 239 |
Major Schools of Scriptural Interpretation | 242 | |
Recent Trends of Scriptural Interpretation | 257 | |
Conclusion | 261 | |
9. | THE GURU GRANTH SAHIB: THE PLACE OF SCRIPTURE IN THE SIKH TRADITION | 265 |
Oral Experience of the Sikh Scripture | 267 | |
The Word as Guru | 271 | |
The Role of the Scripture in Sikh Ceremonies | 275 | |
The Ultimate Authority | 278 | |
Conclusion | 280 | |
10. | CONCLUSION | 282 |
Bibliography | 289 | |
Index | 303 |
Pashaura Singh is Assistant Professor, Sikh Studies and Punjabi Language at the University of Michigan.
'...a delightful and scholarly book that will no doubt be consulted even after fifty years... [It provides] an analysis of revelation and of sacred scripture as a canon ... It tries to understand the process of canon formation in the Sikh tradition; because of its relevance to other scriptures as well, the interest of this study goes far beyond the Sikh scripture.'
--International Journal of Panjab Studies
About the Book:
The Guru Granth Sahib explores the concept of scripture from the Sikh perspective and seeks to understand the processes of canon formation and those by which meaning and authority are vested in the Adi Granth.
Taking a radically different approach from the dominant mode of textual analysis, Pashaura Singh argues for a plurality of interpretation and the inexhaustible hermeneutic potential of the Adi Granth. He offers a fresh perspective on the role of the Adi Granth as 'Guru' in both the personal as well as the corporate spheres of the Sikh community and discusses the scripture as a cross-cultural phenomenon.
This exciting volume will be useful for specialists in religious, scriptural and Sikh studies, and of immense value for general readers interested in the roots of canonical meaning and authority in the Sikh tradition in particular, and religions in general.
List of Figures | x | |
List of Tables | xi | |
Preface and Acknowledgements | xii | |
Note on Orthography | xv | |
Glossary | xvii | |
1. | INTRODUCTION | 3 |
Revelation of the Bani and its Verbal Expression | 7 | |
Transmission of the Bani and Compilation of the Adi Granth | 15 | |
Canon Formation in the Sikh Tradition | 23 | |
Sikh Studies | 26 | |
2. | A SURVEY OF EARLY MANUSCRIPTS | 28 |
Pre-Canonical Stage | 32 | |
First Canonical Text | 53 | |
Post-Canonical Traditions | 61 | |
Final Canonical Text | 81 | |
Conclusion | 81 | |
3. | TEXTUAL ANALYSIS | 83 |
Mul Mantar | 84 | |
Liturgical Texts | 90 | |
Guru Nanak's SuhiHymn | 102 | |
Guru Arjan's TilangHymns | 106 | |
Guru Arjan's RamakaliHymn | 114 | |
Conclusion | 122 | |
4. | RAGA ORGANIZATION OF THE ADI GRANTH | 125 |
Devotional Music in the Sikh Tradition | 128 | |
Final Sequence of the Ragas in the Adi Granth | 136 | |
Selection of Ragas and theRaga-Mala | 145 | |
Conclusion | 149 | |
5. | GURU ARIAN'S EDITORIAL PERSPECTIVE | 151 |
Doctrinal Consistency | 152 | |
The Ideal of the Balanced Life | 161 | |
Optimistic Sikh View | 165 | |
The Inclusive Ideal | 167 | |
The Concern for Independent Identity | 174 | |
Conclusion | 175 | |
6. | SCRIPTURAL ADAPTATION IN THE ADI GRANTH: | 177 |
Issues of THE BHAGAT BANI | 177 | |
Collection of the Bhagat Bani | 179 | |
Selection of the Bhagat Bani | 188 | |
Conclusion | 201 | |
7. | THE ADI GRANTH TRADITIONS AND CANON FORMATION | 203 |
Lahore Recension | 206 | |
Banno Recension | 212 | |
Damdama Recension | 222 | |
The Standard Version of the Adi Granth | 224 | |
Printed Version of the Adi Granth | 230 | |
Conclusion | 234 | |
8. | THE MEANING OF GURBANI: A FOCUS ON HERMENEUTIC TECHNIQUES | 239 |
Major Schools of Scriptural Interpretation | 242 | |
Recent Trends of Scriptural Interpretation | 257 | |
Conclusion | 261 | |
9. | THE GURU GRANTH SAHIB: THE PLACE OF SCRIPTURE IN THE SIKH TRADITION | 265 |
Oral Experience of the Sikh Scripture | 267 | |
The Word as Guru | 271 | |
The Role of the Scripture in Sikh Ceremonies | 275 | |
The Ultimate Authority | 278 | |
Conclusion | 280 | |
10. | CONCLUSION | 282 |
Bibliography | 289 | |
Index | 303 |