“Guru” means “Spiritual teacher” who dispels the ignorance.
“Granth” implies a ‘Scripture containing divine knowledge’.
“Sahib” is added as a mark of respect, which literally means “The Master” or “The Lord”.
Guru Gobind Singh, the tenth Guru declared Guru Granth Sahib Ji as the eternal Guru and ultimate spiritual authority for the Sikhs.
Guru Granth Sahib –
- the Sikh Scripture is purely monotheistic
- 1430 Ang and 5867 hymms
- The Gurus’ Experience of the Divine
- The main teachings of the Guru Granth Sahib are cultivating a real personal devotion to God, fostering compassion and service for people who are poor or suffering, and promoting equality and seeking harmony among all human beings
- The central theme of the Guru Granth Sahib is concerned with the creation of a just social order and the commitment to social and gender equality and peaceful coexistence
The Guru Granth Sahib also contains 937 hymns of 36 Hindu saints, Muslim sufis and bards. Regardless of the author, this gurbani has an equal status as the hymns of the Gurus.