COLLECTION NAME:
Rylands Collection
Record
Image Number:
Bookreader_Punjabi_MS_5
Reference Number:
Punjabi MS 5
Parent Work Title:
Sri Guru Granth Sahib
Alternative Parent Work Title:
Adi Granth
Creator:
Guradāsa, Bhai, approximately 1555-1629
Creator Role:
Compiler
Creator:
Arjun, Guru, 1563-1606
Creator Role:
Patron
Date Created:
[date not identified]
Description:
Manuscript (pothi) of the Sri Guru Granth Sahib, the principal sacred scripture of Sikhi. As the living embodiment of the Guru, the Guru Granth Sahib is deeply revered by Sikhs. The scriptures (gurbani) were written by several of the Sikh Gurus and arranged with hymns, prayers and sayings (bhagat bani) from other religious traditions in India (including the Bhakti traditions and Sufism). Guru Arjun, the fifth Guru, instructed Bhai Gurdas to compile these words into the Pothi Sahib or Adi Granth, completed in 1604. In 1708, Guru Gobind Singh, the tenth Guru, instructed Sikhs to revere the Granth as the embodiment of the Guru. Sikhs worldwide refer to the scripture respectfully as the Sri Guru Granth Sahib. This volume (pothi) is one of the earliest copies of the Sri Guru Granth Sahib in the UK. It is not dated, but was made no earlier than the late 17th century. The manuscript is written in the Gurmukhi script used for Sikh scriptures (Gurmukhi can be translated as 'from the mouth of the Guru'). Occasionally the text has been corrected or deleted with the use of a yellowish paste known as hartal. The manuscript comprises 438 folios numbered in Gurmukhi script. The ancient Indian symbol of the swastika has been painted on the endleaves, probably to mark the completion of continuous readings of the scripture. The manuscript is protected by a leather binding with a flap, probably original. The binding and some of the pages have been repaired to enable the manuscript to be safely digitised. According to Sikh protocol, the Sri Guru Granth Sahib is protected by clean cotton wrappings and rests with dignity in a dedicated and secure place in the Library.
Language Code:
pan
Language:
Panjabi
Subject:
Sikh hymns
Category of Material:
Manuscripts
Sub-Category:
Codex
Technique Used:
Handwriting
Medium:
Ink
Support:
Paper
Creation Site:
India: Punjab
Item Height:
342 mm
Item Width:
381 mm
Current Repository:
The University of Manchester Library, U.K.
Provenance:
Lindsay family Earls of Crawford and Balcarres, former owner
Provenance:
Purchased by Enriqueta Rylands (1843-1908) in 1901 from James Ludovic Lindsay, 26th Earl of Crawford (1847–1913) as part of the manuscript collections of the Bibliotheca Lindesiana. Alexander Lindsay, 25th Earl of Crawford (1812–1880) purchased the manuscript in 1862 from the bookseller Bernard Quaritch (1819-1899). There is a note in the manuscript stating that it had been 'wrested from the hands' of a Sikh priest by an officer of the 52nd Bengal Native Infantry at the Battle of Guzerat (Gujrat) on 21st February 1849.
Rights Holder - Image:
The University of Manchester Library
Access Rights:
Notes:
The University of Manchester Library has made these images accessible according to CC BY-NC-SA licence regulations. However, we ask respectfully that you do not print images of the Guru Granth Sahib from this platform. The Guru Granth Sahib is considered by Sikhs to be the living embodiment of the Guru, therefore any printed version of the text will also be considered an embodiment of the Guru, and according to Sikh beliefs should to be treated as such.
Date Captured (yyyy-mm-dd):
2022-03-08
Image Creation Technique:
Digital capture by The University of Manchester Library
Date Image Added (yyyy-mm):
2022-03
Metadata Language:
eng-GB
Collection Code:
Rylands