Celebrating 400 years of the compilation of the Sikh Scripture

1
Welcome

• Celebrating 400 years of the compilation of the
  Sikh Scripture

2
GURMEL S. SIDHU CALIFORNIA STATE
UNIVERSITY Fresno, California. USA
EVIDENCE OF AUTHENTICITY OF KARTARPURI BIR A New
Point of View
3
Linguistic Evidence

• Guru Nanak perfected Punjabi alphabet
• Letters V, J, x,
• Vowels Y o O
• Single letters to depict single sounds
• Established three main vowel sounds ( a, A, e)
• Alphabet of Assa Patti (s, e, a, , k, K,
  g, G, c, C, j, J, \, t T, f, F, x, q, Q, d, D, n,
  p, P, b, B m, X, r, l v, V, h, A.)
• rearranged into the current alphabetical
  order)

4
Musical Evidence

• Gurbani is Written inInflecting language
  i.e. musical patterns of Ragas are codified
  through vowel sounds because music was not
  written at that time.
• Raga pattern Teevar note is indicated by a
  consonant and the Komal note of the same
  consonant may be depicted by adding a vowel to
  it.
• Example SuD m dy qIvr qy koml rUp
• hukmY bUJy caupiV KylY( mY is Teevar)
• hHukim iliK duKusuK pweIAih(uim is Komal)

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Musical evidence.Cont.

• Rag Maajh
• AwrohI-- sw ry mw pw nI sw
• AvrohI sW nI Dw pw, Dw nI Dw, pw, mw gw ry sw
• gw Aqy nI SuD vI qy koml dovyN vrqy jwNdy hn 1
• audwhrn ( gurU nwnk dI bwxI rwg mwJ ivcoN )
• ndIAw hovih Dyxvw suMm hovih duDu GIau 11
• sglI DrqI skr hOvY KusI kry inq jIau 11
• prbqu suienw rupw hovY hIry lwl jVwau 11
• BI qUM hY swlwhxw AwKx lhY n cwau 11
• gw Aqy nI dy SuD Aqy koml aucwrn nMU AKrW nwl
  lgy svr vKrWaundy hn 1 jy svr n hox qW rwg dI
  smJ n lgy

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Opinions of some linguists

• Sacred language of Sikhs is a quite highly
  inflected language. (Christopher Shacle)
• sRI gUru gRMQ swihb ivc SbdW dy AMq qy kuJ lgW
  mwqrW vwDU jhIAW
• vrqIAW geIAW hn1 pr Asl ivc ieh bhuq zrUrI
  ivBkqI-
• icMn (Inflecting signs) hn1 ies qrW ieh gurbwxI
  dy aucwr qy
• ArQW nU smJx dI kuMjI hn1 (pRo ikRSn lwl Srmw)
• pYyNqI ArW dI vrxmwlw pWDy qoN gUru nwnk jI ny
  isKI, Aqy iesy nU
• muK rK ky ptI vwlI rcnw kIqI1( jI.
  bI.isMG)
• byinXmIAW AKr-pRnwlIAW ivcoN cox krky, loV
  Anuswr soD krky, vwDU AMS kF ky qy nvyN loVIdy
  AMS joVky, hr DunI leI iek icMnH Apxwky Aqy hr
  icMnH leI insicq rUp insicq kwrj imQ ky, gUru
  nwnk, jW gUru AMgd jI ny iek pUrn pRmwixk qy
  ivigAwink pK qoN
• SuD qy smrQ ilpI iqAwr kIqI1(fw hrkIrq isMG )

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Poetic Meter

• Gurbani is written in two poetic meters( CMd)
• vrxk ies ivc AKr igxy gWdy hn, ijvyN kibq
• mwqRk ies CMd dI igxqI ivAMjnW qy nhIN svrW
  (vowels) qy inrBr hY1ijvyN cOpeI Aqy dohrw CMd1
• w, I, y, Y, U, M , , o , O gur U(long) svr
  hn1
• i , u , lGU (short) svr hn1
• Guru Nanak used vowel sounds to keep poetic
  meters and Raga in order.

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Poetic Meter .Cont.

• gurU nwnk ny mwqRk CMd rUp, jo svrW dI igxqI qy
  AwDwrq hn, vDyry vrqy hn1mwqRW dI igxqI svrW qy
  inrBr hY1
• svr do pRkwr dy hn1. lGU (1 mwqRw), gurU(2
  mwqRW)
• Huikv sicAwrw hoeIAY ikv kUVY qutY pwil 1
• hukm rjweI clxw nwnk iliKAw nwil 1(doihrw, 24
  mwqRW)
• suixAY eIsru brmw ieMdu,
• suixAY muiK swlwhux mMdu
• suixAY jogu jugiq qn Byd,
• suixAY swsq isimRq vyd 1( cOpeI, 15-16 mwqRW)

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Question Why would Guru Nanak standardize
Punjabi consonants and vowels and specify their
sounds?

• Answer To write Bani correctly depicting the
  exact modes of musical tones to sing Ragas
  correctly.
• To write poetry in different meters so that the
  consonant and vowel sounds are correctly counted
  in a given meter.
• Oral tradition would not fulfill both of the
  above requirement.

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Evidence suggesting that poet Nanak wrote his
poetry(Bani)

• Dnu suiun gwie suin iliK dyie 11(pM 838)
• piV piV poQI isMmRiq pwTw--(pM 226)
• suix pwDy ikAw ilKhu jMjwlw 11
• ilK rwm nwm gurmuiK gopwlw 11(pM 930)
• DMn su kwgdu klm DMnu DMnu BWfw Dnu msu 11
• DMn lyKwrI nwnkw ijn nwmu ilKwieAw scu (pM1291)
• nwnk swieru eyv khqu hY scy prvrdgwrw(pM660)

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Evidence from Puratan Janamsakhis

• so poQI ju bwin gurU AMgd jog imlI(purwqn jnm
  swKI)
• Gurbani was sung from written hymns ( G.G.S.)
• Saido Gheeho recorded Majh Ki Var and Sidh
  Goshti, and Hassu and ShihaN recorded Malhar Ki
  Var during their sojourn with the Guru.
• Bhai Mansukh, a disciple of the Guru, traveled
  from Lahore to Kartarpur to copy his Bani
• Guru Nanak asked Guru Angad to record Bani for
  reciting in Dharamsalas started by Angad.
• Pothi thus prepared was handed over to Angad.(
  see Jaman Sakhi of Sri Guru Nanak Dev Ji by
  Harji)

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Evidence from VaraN of Bhai Gurdas

• It is important to note that Bhai Gurdas was
  teenager during the demise of Guru Nanak.He wrote
  the following from his memory
• bwbw iPir mky gieAw nIl bsqR Bwry bnvwrI 1
• kwsw hiQ ikqwb kiC kuuUjw bWg muslw DwrI
• (Var 132)

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Guru Angad , Gurmukhi Script and Bani Of Guru
Nanak

• Guru Angad rearranged the first line of
  Gurmukhi script
• Original arrangement ( s, e, a ) in the
  outset and h,A at the end in Patti.
• Final arrangement is ( a, A, e, s, h)
• Guru Angad perfected the Gurmukhi script under
  the supervision of Guru Nanak to record the hymns
  (Goindwal Pothi vol.2 in Rag Sarang)

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Guru Angad and Gurmukhi scriptCont.

• Prepared Gurmukhi primers to teach Gurmukhi
  in Dharamsalas.( Dr. Lietner confirms that, Guru
  Angad..did not consider beneath his dignity to
  write primers for childrenhe composed ..motos
  and moral maxims which accompany the letters of
  the alphabet.
• Puratan Janamsakhi records that Guru Nanak handed
  over Bani to Angad.
• Angad promoted Nanak Bani in Dharamsalas ( Bhai
  GurdasVar 1.37)
• Guru Angad handed over Bani to Guru Amar
  Das(Gosti Guru Meharban)

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Guru Amar Das and Bani

• Guru Amar Das has all the Bani in Written form.
• Evidence
• 1. Wrote Bani in 17 Ragas identical to Guru
  Nanak.
• 2. Bani of Guru Nanak and Guru Amar Das is
  strikingly similar in form and content. For
  example
• AwrMBk Sbd mn ry, BweI ry, myry mn Awid sWJy hn
• rwg ijvyN gauVI (guAwryrI, bYrwgx, pUrbI) sWJy
  hn 1
• qukW dI sWJ
• muMD rYx duhylVIAw jIau, nId n AwvY ( nwnk)
• Dn rYx suhylVIey jIau, hir isau icq lwey (Amr dws)

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Guru Amar Das.Cont.

• Awsw( CMq)---bolI dI sWJ
• hm Gir swcw soihlVw, pRB AwieVy mIqw rwm ( nwnk)
• hm Gry swcw soihlw, swcY sbid suhwieAw rwm ( Amr
  dws)
• Dn iprih mylw hoie suAwmI, Awp pRBu ikrpw kry
  (nwnk)
• Dn ipr mylu BieAw, pRiB Awp imlwieAw rwm( Amr dws
  )
• The overlap of Gurbani is so much that it is
  difficult to distinguish between the hymns of the
  two Gurus.( see Prof. Sahib SinghAbout Compiling
  of Guru Granth Sahib.)

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Beginning of Kachi and Pucki Bani

• Guru Amar Dass sons, Mohan and Mohari started
  adulterating Bani because they were bypassed as
  heirs for Gurguddi.
• Guru pointed out
• siqgurU ibnw hor kcI hY bwxI 1
• bwxI q kcI siqgurU bwJhu hor kcI bwxI 1
• khdy kcy suxdy kcy kcI AwiK vKwxI 1
  (g.g.s.pM 920)
• Guru Amar Das initiated the compiling and
  scribing of Bani of previous Gurus.
• Guru Amar Das assigned the task of
  codification of true Bani to a known scribe
  namely Bulla Pandha. (see Bhai Gurdas var 11.16
  Bhai Santokh Singh,Surag Parkash and Bhai Kahn
  Singh Nabha,Mahan Kosh)

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Guru Ram Das and the Transmission of Bani

• 1. Guru Ram Das also experienced the problem of
  Kachi and Pucki Bani.
• siqgur kI bwxI siq srUpu hY gurbwxI bxIAY
• siqgur kI rIsY hoir kcu ipcu boldy sy kUiVAwr
  kUVy JiV pVIAY 11 ( g.g.s. 304 )
• 2. Guru Ram Das appointed Masands and Manjidars,
  and established Dharamsalas to teach Gurmukhi
  and preach Gurus word.
• 3. Enhanced scribble tradition and personally
  scribed Bani of his predecessors. E.g. Japu of
  Nanak
• jpu gurU rwmdws jIau ikAw dsKqw kw nklu( see
  Kartarpuri Bir p.46)
• 4. Encouraged other devotees to write Bani in
  their own hands, and praised their efforts. His
  hymn clearly depicts this truth.
• qy hsq punIq pivqR hih myrI ijMduVIey 1
• jo hir jsu hir lyKih rwm 11 ( g.g.s.540 )

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Why Guru Arjan Dev compiled Kartarpuri Bir?

• Prithi Chand started anti-Guru activities.
• 1.Argued for the right of Gurguddi as indicated
  in Bani
• kwhy pUq Jgrq hau sMg bwp 1
• ijn ky jxy bfIry qum hau iqn isau Jgrq pwp(
  pM825)
• 2. Claimed revenue of Ramdaspura(Suraj ParKash)
• 3. conspired with Sulhi Khan to kill Guru Arjan
• sulhI qy nwrwiex rwK 1
• sulhI kw hwQu khI n phucY sulhI hoie mUAw
  nwpwk(pM825)
• 4. Started a rival center at village Hehar, next
  to Lahore ( Gosti Guru Miharvan and Gurbilas
  CheviN Patshahi)

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Guru Arjan DevCont.

• Attempted to eliminated Hargobind in order to
  get his son, Meharvan in line for accession.(
  G.G.S p-199)
• Produced spurious Bani in the name of previous
  Gurus.
• imhrvwn puq ipRQIey dw kbIsry kry 1
• pwrsI ihMdvI shMsikRq nwly gurmuKI pVy 1
• iqn BI bwxI bhuq bxweI 1
• Bog guru nwnk jI dw hI pweI 1(Kesar Singh
  Chhibar,Bansavalinama Dasam PatshahiaN Ka)
• Meharvan writings were named as Mina Literature.
• mIxw hoAw iprQIAw kir kir tyFk brlu clwieAw( Bhai
  GurdasVar-26.33)

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Historical Evidence

• 1. Gur Pratap Suraj Granth( Kavi Santokh
  Singh,1843 A.D.)
• A devotee informed the Guru that Prithia was
  adding spurious hymns under the name of Guru
  Nanak. This created great concern and confusion
  among Sikhs. He prayed to Guru to authenticate
  Gurus Word.The Guru replied that, I shall
  appear in Ten Generations. After me, how can Sikh
  maintain the Gurus Word is being worked out.Bhai
  Gurdas will be the scribe.(Gur Bilas ChheviN
  Patshahi (Sohan. 1718 A.D.)

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Historical Evidence

• 2.Tvareekh Guru Khalsa ( Giani Gian Singh,1891
  A.D. )
• Guru issued an edict to all Sikhs to send any
  composition of the Gurus to complete his record
  for comparison. he asked Bhai Gurdas to scribe an
  authentic Granth Sahib. Bhai Gurdas replied as,
  Just as a devoted wife can recognize the speech
  of her lord, I too can have the intuitive
  capacity to spot and identify the Bani of the
  Gurus.(Sarup Das Bhulla, 1801 A.D.)

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The Most Important Evidence is Inherent in The
Kartarpuri Bir

• The Pothi that was transferred to Guru Arjan Dev
  contained Japu of Guru Nanak written in the hand
  of Guru Ram Das as a token of reverence towards
  the incoming Guru. The same was copied in the
  Kartarpuri Bir as follows
• jpu gurUu rwm dws jIau ikAw dsqKw kw nkl(sUcI pqR
  2/2)
• It is significant to note that the above sentence
  is written after the Nishan (signature) of Guru
  Arjan indicating that it is also a type of Nishan
  of Guru Ramdas. Tradition shows that the Nishans
  were inscribed by Gurus to show authenticity of
  and reverence for the Pothis/Granths.

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CHRONOLOGICAL WHEREABOUTS OF Kartarpuri Bir

• Name Date(A.D.)
  Adi Granth at
• Guru Arjan 1601--1604
  Compiled
• Guru Arjan 1604--1606
  Amritsar
• Guru Hargobind 1606-1628
  Amritsar
• Guru Hargobind 1628-1634
  Kartarpur
• Guru Hargobind 1634-1644
  Kiratpur
• Dhirmal 1644-1664
  Kiratpur
• Guru Teg Bahadar 1664-? Baba
  Bakala
• Dhirmals Family 1664-1801
  Kartarpur
• Ranjit Singh/Sodhis 1801-1839 Lahore,
  Kartarpur
• G.H.Macgregor 1849
  Lahore
• Sadhu Singh 1850
  Kartarpur
• Royal Family,Patiala 1860-1863 Patiala
• Sodhi Family 1863-To-date
  Kartarpur
• Won favor from Shah Jahan (1643) and was
  declared the occupant of the seat of Nanak
  Shah. Therefore, kept the Bir with him
• Major Macgregor was Deputy Commissioner at
  Lahore

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BEGINING OF COTROVERSY OF KARTARPURI BIR

• Malcolm to McLeod Connection
• During the early 19th centaury, Malcolm concocted
  and transplanted a pseudo Dasam Granth to create
  confusion among the Sikh in Punjab.
• During the late 20th centaury, a missionary Trio
  namely, Archer, Loehlin and particularly McLeod
  created a controversy about the authenticity of
  Kartarpuri Bir.

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History of Controversy of Kartarpuri Bir

• Name Date
  Comments
• Jodh Sing 1946 1 Written in 1604 A.D.
• 2 Nishan of
  5th 6th Guru
• 3 Demise dates
  of first
• Gurus
  written earlier
• of 5th
  written later in same
• hand by BHai
  Gurdas
• 4 Shudh or
  Shuddh Kijay
• 5 Eight-leafs
  units total Ragas
• Archer 1946 Adi Granth,
  Significant
  achievement
• Mahan Singh 1946 Banno Bir was written in 16
  A.D.
• 
  
  
  
  

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History of Controversy of Kartarpuri Bir Cont2

• C.H. Loehlin 1966 1. Nishan of 5th
  Guru, not signed
• 2. No date
  of writing
• Archer 1966 1. No Nishan in
  the index
• 2. No date
  of writing
• Jodh Singh 1966 Kartarpuri Bir Day
  Darshan
• Supported
  his 1946 conclusions
• W.H.McLeod 1975 1. Kartarpuri Bir is not
  authentic,
• 2.It is a
  first draft of Banno Bir.
• 3.Needs
  texual analysis
  
  

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History of Controversy of Kartarpuri Bir Cont3

• McLeod 1975 Repeated the above
  assertions
• at
  Berkley conference
• Loehlin 1979 Reluctantly agreed
  with Jodh
  Singh in a Berkley conference
• McLeod 1975 Repeated the same
  assertions
• Daljit Singh 1987 Published a review of
  Kartarpuri Bir and,
  proved the thesis of
  Jodh Singh

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History of Controversy of Kartarpuri Bir Cont4

• 
  
  
• McLeod 1989 1. Banno Bir is original,
• 2.Kartarpuri Bir is a
  copy of
• Banno Bir
• McLeod 1990 Reluctinyly agreed with the
• coclusions of Bhai
  Jodh Singh
• 
  

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DRAFT THEORY OF COMPILATION OF KARTARPURI BIR

• Having lost the battle about the authenticity of
  Kartarpuri Bir, McLeod and his Flag carriers
  initiated an attack from another angel. They
  concocted three hypotheses
• Guru Arjan Dev consulted other manuscripts before
  compiling the Kartarpuri Bir.
• Guru Arjan changed or modified Bani of previous
  Gurus in order to crystallize the tenants of
  Sikhism. Indirectly suggesting that neither the
  Kartarpuri Bir is authentic nor Bani is
  revelatory.
• Banno Bir is the authentic Granth compiled by
  Guru Arjan and Kartarpuri Bir is the copy of
  Banno Bir.

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Drafts Used to Compile Kartarpuri Bir

• A. McLeods First Flag carrier Pashaura Singh
• Pashaura Singh claimed that Guru Arjan Dev
  consulted two manuscripts before finalizing
  Kartarpuri Bir.
• Goindwal Pothis( Gurinder Singh Mann also used
  this as an earlier draft),
• ME 1245

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Goindwal Pothis assertions and Comments

• Originally they were four in number but currently
  only two are available.
• A. Ahiyapur Pothi
• B. Pinjore Pothi

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Claimed to be written by Sahans Ram under the
guidance of Amar Das

• Comments They do not contain Bani of Guru Amar
  Das.
• Date of writing is obscure,but 1696 A.D. is
  obvious.
• Comments Prem Singh Hoti Pothis started in
  1570 and finished in1572 A.D 1595 inserted later
  when Guru Arjan Dev procured them.
• Gurinder Mann date added when Bhalla family
  claimed them. It is significant to note that the
  story of retrieval of Pothis by Guru Arjan was
  hatched first time by a Bhalla, namely Sarup Das
  Bhalla in 1717 A.D.
• BHALLA CONNECTION seems to be obvious in this
  conspiracy.
• Script of Pothis is a mixture of Landay and Sadh
  Bhasha but at that time Gurmukhi script was fully
  developed.

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Goindwal PothisCont.

• The content of Pothis has no coherence in subject
  matter.
• Contain apocryphal hymns, improper authorship and
  irregular arrangement of Bani.
• Contain seven different types of Mul-mantra.
• CommentsMul-mantra of Guru Nanak is the crux of
  Sikhism. Pothis faulted in its proper
  inscription. This indicates that hey are spurious
  and should be enough to discard them out rightly.

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MS 1245Is it a preliminary draft of Kartarpuri
Bir?

• The truth
• 1.There are no Hartals, obliterations or empty
  pages it is a carefully prepared manuscript,
• 2. References to Sadh,Sant, Satiguru and
  inclusion of Hath-yoga treatise,
• 3. It does not have a history,
• 4. Name of scribe or date of its writing are
  missing,
• 5. It has dates of demise of the first five Gurus
  in the same hand. But Pashaura Singh concocted
  that the date of demise of the 5th Guru was
  written latter.
• 6. In 1994 he concocted another hypothesis that
  Guru Arjan had with him the same draft when he
  met Akbar in 1598 A.D.

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MS 1245..Cont.

• 7. There are numerous textual omissions and
  irregularities in hymns, and Raga variations,
• 8. It contains spurious hymns of ascetic
  groups,
• 9. The Mul-mantra has four textual variations and
  contains words, such as
• siqgurU prswid, sRI siqgurU prswid suggesting
  that Guru Arjan was unsure about the text of
  original Mul-mantra of Guru Nanak.
• What an insult to both the Gurus.

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Was Harsahai Pothis Written by Guru Nanak?

• McLeods second flag carrier Gurinder Singh Mann
  claimed that Harsahai Pothi was earliest
  manuscript of Kartarpuri Bir written by Nanak or
  during his times or is a copy of the original.
• The Truth
• No name of scribe on the Pothi,
• Mention of Prithi Chands demise in1619 suggest
  that it was compiled after Kartarpuri Bir,
• It contain Mina like literature,
• Mul-mantra is a joke it looks as follows
• E scnwm krqwr bwbw nwnk(spellings of scnwm never
  occur in Nanak Bani)

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Texual Analysis and its Relevancy to Bible and
The Adi Granth

• Textual analysis is applied to those scriptures
  that has an ambiguous history of scribing. It is
  relevant to Bible because
• There are 24000 manuscripts of the New Testament
  in Greek that are termed Original
• Even these are copies of the original
• They are different from each other in content.
  Footnotes inserted under any modern version of
  New Testament often read as other ancient
  manuscripts added.Other ancient manuscripts
  deleted.Other ancient manuscripts inserted
• These facts call for textual analysis. That is
  why it is a continuous process to ascertain the
  authenticity of Bible, because there is no
  history and no authenticity. But you cannot apply
  textual analysis to the Adi Granth because there
  is a definitive history written by the Gurus or
  their Sikhs in their own hands during their life
  times.

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Conclusions

• The Bani of Gurus was inherited from
  Guru--to--Guru in a written form. This fact is
  based on the historical and circumstantial
  evidence. To challenge this fact is to challenge
  the spirituality, intellect and Godly vision of
  Sikh Gurus.
• Gurus received Sikh canon through direct
  revelatory channels and they lived to propagate,
  preach and put to pen the tenants of Sikhism.
• Sikhism is the only religion that is not
  history grounded That is, its scripture came
  into existence during the life times of Gurus.
  This is not true in case of other Book
  Religions namely, Judaism, Christianity and
  Islam.
• The Adi Granth of Sikhism is the only religious
  scripture that bears the Nishan (Signature) of
  Gurus. Therefore, its authenticity is ultimate.

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• Celebrating 400 years of the compilation of the
  Sikh Scripture