The Guru: Guru Granth & Guru Panth

Concept of ‘the Guru’ in Sikhism is two fold; spiritual and temporal, also known as ‘Guru Granth & Guru Panth’. This can be defined as follows:

Guru Granth:
Guru Granth Sahib is the only Guru (the guide) for the Sikhs. It is treated as the spiritual embodiment of the ten Gurus. It provides all type of spiritual and temporal guidance to the mankind. Here is brief information about the Holy Guru Granth Sahib, which a Sikh must know:

Compilation:
When: 1604
Where: Ramsar Sahib near Sri Harmandir Sahib, Amritsar
Who compiled: The fifth Nanak, Guru Arjan Dev ji

First Installation as a Holy Book:
When: 1604
Where: Sri Harmandir Sahib, Amritsar
Who installed: Baba Budha ji, in presence of the fifth Guru and other Sikhs.

Final Installation as the spiritual Guru:
When: 1708
Where: Sri Hazur Sahib, Nander, Maharastra
Who bestowed the Guruship: The tenth Nanak, Guru Gobind Singh ji

Other Information:
Total Contributors: 35
Total Compositions: 5885
Musical Measures: 31


Guru Panth:
“The Guru Panth (Panth’s status of Guruhood) means the whole body of committed baptized Sikhs. This body was fostered by all the ten Gurus and the tenth Guru gave it its final shape and invested it with Guruhood.” (Sikh Rehat Maryada)

All Sikhs belong to Guru Panth. It is also called Khalsa Panth. It is a combined family of the Sikhs. Any man or woman of any nationality, race or social standing, who adheres to the principles of the faith, can join the Sikh Common wealth, the Khalsa Panth.

Every Sikh has to fulfill his obligations as a unit of the corporate body, the Panth along with his or her individual duties.

The common rules prescribed in ‘The Sikh Code of Conduct’ (Sikh Rehat Maryada) are the guidelines to be followed by all members of the Panth.

The Khalsa as a whole believes in:
Unity of God: the Creator, Provider and Savior
Unity of Mankind: the Equality
Unity of Religion: the Truthful living
Unity of Guru: the Shabad (true Knowledge)

The Khalsa doesn’t believe in:
The Caste System;
The Rituals;
The Superstitions;
Magic, spells, incantation;
Omens, auspicious days or occasions;
Influence of stars, horoscopic dispositions;
Fasting on some special occasions;
Wearing of frontal marks on the forehead;
Wearing of thread;
Wearing of a necklace of pieces of some stone;
Worship of graves;
Idolatry;
And other such superstitious observances.