Study, with text of Japji, Sikh hymns by Guru Nanak, 1469-1538, 1st Guru of the Sikhs.

A step-by-step exploration of the sacred poem, Japji Sahib, composed by Guru Nanak, the first Sikh Guru.

There are three primary purposes of a religious prayer. 1. To refresh your remembrance and awareness of God. 2. To bring your wandering mind into the present moment. 3. To understand the meaning of the prayer and imbibe its teachings into your life in order to further your spiritual progress. By God's grace, presented to you here is the translation of the JAPJI SAHIB(composed in Gurumukhi script by Guru Nanak Dev Ji, the First Guru and founder of the Sikh Religion) into English. At the end of the translation, I have also offered to you the Transliteration of JAPJI SAHIB, for those who may wish to recite as a prayer in the original Gurumukhi language. JAPJI SAHIB is a universal sacred hymn(prayer) about God and creation, composed by Guru Nanak Dev Ji, the founder of the Sikh faith. The Japji Sahib consists of the Mool Mantra(Root Mantra) as the beginning followed by 38 hymns and a final Salok at the end of this composition. The Japji appears at the very beginning of the Guru Granth Sahib, the Holy Scriptures of the Sikhs. It is regarded as the most important Bani or 'set of verses' by the Sikhs and is recited every morning by all practicing this faith. The word ‘Jap’ means to ‘recite’ or ‘to ‘chant’. ‘Ji’ is a word that is used to show respect as is the word ‘Sahib’. You are encouraged to read the translation several times, and the beauty of this glorious script will manifest in your mind. Harmony will come to your life as you begin to understand God and his attributes(as can be comprehended by a human), as revealed to us by God through Guru Nanak Dev Ji.

"Japji Sahib", the most celebrated composition of Guru Nanak Dev Ji, has not yet reached the common man, because the gurmukhi language used in the scred text is very different from the present day punjabi. A humble effort has been made to present the guru's message in as simple a manner as possible for the common man to understand the sikh way to divine.

This book examines three closely related questions in the process of canon formation in the Sikh tradition: how the text of the Adi Granth came into being, the meaning of gurbani, and how the Adi Granth became the Guru Granth Sahib. The censure of scholarly research on the Adi Granth was closely related to the complex political situation of Punjab and brought the whole issue of academic freedom into sharper focus. This book addresses some of these issues from an academic perspective. The Adi Granth, the sacred scripture of the Sikhs, means ‘first religious book’ (from the word ‘adi’ which means ‘first’ and ‘granth’ which means ‘religious book’). Sikhs normally refer to the Adi Granth as the Guru Granth Sahib to indicate a confession of faith in the scripture as Guru. The contents of the Adi Granth are commonly known as bani (utterance) or gurbani (the utterance of the Guru). The transcendental origin (or ontological status) of the hymns of the Adi Granth is termed dhur ki bani (utterance from the beginning). This particular understanding of revelation is based upon the doctrine of the sabad, or divine word, defined by Guru Nanak and the succeeding Gurus. This book also explores the revelation of the bani and its verbal expression, devotional music in the Sikh tradition, the role of the scripture in Sikh ceremonies, and the hymns of Guru Nanak and Guru Arjan.