Japji Sahib

Japji Sahib is a Sikh prayer, that appears at the beginning of the holy scripture of the Sikhs, the Guru Granth Sahib. It was composed by Guru Nanak Dev, the founder of Sikhism. It is headed by Mool Mantra and followed by 38 paudis (stanzas) and completed with a final Salok at the end of this composition.

Japji Sahib is believed to be the first composition of Guru Nanak, and considered in Sikhism as the faith's most comprehensive essence. It is regarded amongst the most important Bani or 'set of verses' by the Sikhs, as it is first Bani in Nitnem. It is notable for its discourse on what is true worship and the nature of God. It states that God is indescribable, the only true form of worship is acceptance of God, and to remain one with loving God, always.

Related to Japji Sahib is Jaapu (Punjabi: :ਜਾਪੁ), the latter is found at the start of Dasam Granth and was composed by Guru Gobind Singh.

Japji is used in the Sikh tradition at the initiation ceremony and during the cremation ritual.

Guru Granth Sahib

Sri Guru Granth Sahib (Punjabi (Gurmukhi): ਗੁਰੂ ਗ੍ਰੰਥ ਸਾਹਿਬ, pronounced [ɡʊɾu ɡɾəntʰ sɑhɪb]) is the central religious text of Sikhism, considered by Sikhs to be the final, sovereign and everlasting Guru following the lineage of the 10 Gurus (Prophet-Masters) of the religion. A text of 1430 Angs (pages), composed poetically to various classical Ragas, it consists of Baani (spiritual revelations) describing the qualities of God and the necessity for meditation on God's nām (holy name) as a means to harness God-like qualities, leading to a reunion with the creator. Described as a "universal revelation", a text that speaks to the "hearts and searching minds of persons belonging to any religion or of none", and a text that affirms the "essential unity of science and religion", the Guru Granth Sahib is universally regarded by Sikhs as having have been revealed directly from the divine, an aspect that has been attested to by the Sikh Gurus themselves in many of their verses.

Unique amongst the world's major religious scriptures, while compiling the Guru Granth Sahib, the Sikh Gurus incorporated not only their own writings, but also included the writings of other contemporary Saints from Hinduism and Islam (including Saints who belonged to the lowest strata of untouchables in the Hindu Caste System) who believed in the unity of God and denounced superstition and caste. The Guru Granth Sahib was also composed and compiled by the Sikh Gurus themselves, rather than being compiled by their adherents and followers, an aspect that has been highlighted by historian-scholars while discussing the authenticity of the preachings of the different Prophets of the world, as known to mankind today.

Anand Sahib

The Anand Sahib is a collection of hymns in Sikhism, written in the Ramkali Raag by Guru Amar Das, the third Guru of the Sikhs. It appears on the pages 917 to 922 in Guru Granth Sahib. The word Anand means complete happiness. The Anand Sahib is a part of the Nitnem (daily prayers) which are read by Amritdhari Sikhs before dawn. Anand Sahib is chanted at all the religious ceremonies of the Sikhs irrespective of the nature of event. There are two versions of Anand Sahib; one which extends 40 pauries and one shorter version often called Chhota Anand Sahib which extends the first 5 pauries and then skips to the very last Pauri. This shorter version of Anand Sahib is usually recited at the closing ceremonies before Ardas. The Chhota Anand Sahib is included at the end of Rehras.

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Guru Nanak

Guru Nanak  pronunciation  (Punjabi: ਗੁਰੂ ਨਾਨਕ; Hindi: गुरु नानक, Urdu: گرونانک, [ˈɡʊɾu ˈnɑnək] Gurū Nānak) (15 April 1469 – 22 September 1539) was the founder Prophet of Sikhism and the first of the ten Sikh Gurus. His birth is celebrated world-wide as Guru Nanak Gurpurab on Kartik Pooranmashi, the full-moon day in the month of Katak, October–November.

Guru Nanak has been called "one of the greatest religious innovators of all time", who was "an original spiritual thinker who expressed his thoughts and experiences via extraordinary poetry", that now forms the basis of Sikh scripture, Guru Granth Sahib. Devoting himself immensely to spiritual matters, Nanak is said to have been inspired by a "powerful spiritual experience that gave him a vision of the true nature of God". Stating that he had been taken to the "God's court" and bestowed with the gift of "Naam" (the Name or Word of God), Guru Nanak preached that human spiritual growth was achievable through contemplation and meditation and through a way of living that reflected the presence of the divine within all human beings, and insisted that external efforts such as fastings, pilgrimages and penances carried little spiritual importance.

Harbans Singh

Harbans Singh (March 6, 1921 – May 30, 1998) was an educationist, administrator, scholar, the editor of the Encyclopedia of Sikhism. He was respected for his contributions to Sikh scholarship and Punjabi literary studies ; he had a vital and pervasive influence in the field of religious studies, with special reference to Sikhism.

Biography

Singh was born on 6 March 1921 in the village of Kotha Guru in the Bathinda district of the Punjab. His mother, Roop Kaur, belonging to the Sodhi family traced her ancestry to the Hari Singh Nalwa clan. Nikky guninder kaur singh is his daughter who is professor at colby college in maine, USA. She deeply influenced his religious sensibilities. He received his schooling at Khalsa Secondary School at Muktsar. Thereafter, much to the disappointment of his parents, he refused to attend Medical School, and joined the Khalsa College in Amritsar, where he became President of the Khalsa College Students Association, Editor of the Darbar, and President of the Khalsa College Hockey Club. He received both his undergraduate and graduate degrees from this premier Sikh institute. The College authorities were so familiar with his academic potential that they offered him his first academic position even before his exam results were out. Harbans Singh started his career as a lecturer of English at the Khalsa College in Amritsar in 1943.