''Japji Sahib'' (, pronunciation: ) is the

Sikh Sikhs (singular Sikh: or ; , ) are an ethnoreligious group who adhere to Sikhism, a religion that originated in the late 15th century in the Punjab region of the Indian subcontinent, based on the revelation of Guru Nanak. The term ''Si ...

thesis, that appears at the beginning of the ''

Guru Granth Sahib The Guru Granth Sahib (, ) is the central holy religious scripture of Sikhism, regarded by Sikhs as the final, sovereign and eternal Guru following the lineage of the ten human gurus of the religion. The Adi Granth (), its first rendition, w ...

'' – the scripture of the

s. ''Jap'' is the original name of the prayer and to show respect, it is called ''Jap ji

Sahib Sahib or Saheb () is a term of address originating from Arabic (). As a loanword, ''Sahib'' has passed into several languages, including Persian, Kurdish, Turkish, Azerbaijani, Kazakh, Uzbek, Turkmen, Tajik, Crimean Tatar, Urdu, Hi ...

''. It was composed by

Guru Angad Guru Angad (31 March 1504 – 29 March 1552; , ) was the second of the ten Sikh gurus of Sikhism. After meeting Guru Nanak, the founder of Sikhism, becoming a Sikh, and serving and working with Nanak for many years, Nanak gave Lehna the name A ...

, and is mostly the writings of

Guru Nanak Gurū Nānak (15 April 1469 – 22 September 1539; Gurmukhi: ਗੁਰੂ ਨਾਨਕ; pronunciation: , ), also known as ('Father Nanak'), was an Indian spiritual teacher, mystic and poet, who is regarded as the founder of Sikhism and is t ...

. It begins with ''

Mool Mantra The Mūl Mantar (, ) is the opening verse of the Sikh scripture, the ''Guru Granth Sahib''. It consists of twelve words in the Punjabi language, written in Gurmukhi script, and are the most widely known among the Sikhs. They summarize the essen ...

'' and then follow 38 ''paudis'' (stanzas) and completed with a final ''

Salok Shloka or śloka ( , from the root , Macdonell, Arthur A., ''A Sanskrit Grammar for Students'', Appendix II, p. 232 (Oxford University Press, 3rd edition, 1927).) in a broader sense, according to Monier-Williams's dictionary, is "any verse or stan ...

'' at the end of this composition.HS Singha (2009), The Encyclopedia of Sikhism, Hemkunt Press, , page 110 The 38 stanzas are in different poetic meters. ''Japji Sahib'' is the first composition of Guru Nanak, and is considered the comprehensive essence of

Sikhism Sikhism is an Indian religion and Indian philosophy, philosophy that originated in the Punjab region of the Indian subcontinent around the end of the 15th century CE. It is one of the most recently founded major religious groups, major religio ...

. Expansion and elaboration of ''Japji Sahib'' is the entire ''

''. It is first Bani in

Nitnem ''Nitnem'' () is a collection of Sikh hymns ('' Gurbani'') to be read minimally 3 different times of the day. These are mandatory and to be read by every Amritdhari Sikh as expressed in the Sikh Rehat Maryada. Optionally additional prayers m ...

. Notable is Nanak's discourse on 'what is true worship' and what is the nature of God'. According to Christopher Shackle, it is designed for "individual meditative recitation" and as the first item of daily devotional prayer for the devout. It is a chant found in the morning and evening prayers in Sikh gurdwaras. It is also chanted in the Sikh tradition at the Khalsa initiation ceremony and during the

cremation Cremation is a method of Disposal of human corpses, final disposition of a corpse through Combustion, burning. Cremation may serve as a funeral or post-funeral rite and as an alternative to burial. In some countries, including India, Nepal, and ...

ceremony. Related to ''Japji Sahib'' is the ''Jaap Sahib'' (), the latter is found at the start of

Dasam Granth The ( Gurmukhi: ਦਸਮ ਗ੍ਰੰਥ ''dasama gratha'') is a collection of various poetic compositions attributed to Guru Gobind Singh.

and was composed by

Guru Gobind Singh Guru Gobind Singh (; born Gobind Das; 22 December 1666 – 7 October 1708) was the tenth and last human Sikh gurus, Sikh Guru. He was a warrior, poet, and philosopher. In 1675, at the age of nine he was formally installed as the leader of the ...

Etymology

''Japa'' (

Sanskrit Sanskrit (; stem form ; nominal singular , ,) is a classical language belonging to the Indo-Aryan languages, Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European languages. It arose in northwest South Asia after its predecessor languages had Trans-cultural ...

: जप) means the recitation of a mantra. The Sanskrit word ''japa'' is derived from the root ''jap-'', meaning "to utter in a low voice, repeat internally, mutter". Following are some accepted meanings of Jap: * A conventional meaning for Jap(u) is ''to recite'', to repeat, or ''to chant''.S Deol (1998), Japji: The Path of Devotional Meditation, , page 11 * Jap also means ''to understand''. Gurbani cites ''Aisa Giaan Japo Man Mere, Hovo Chakar Sache Kere'', where the word Jap means to understand wisdom.

Content

The Japji Sahib’s first stanza or pauri states that one cannot be cleaned or stay clean by repeatedly taking bath at holy sites as the thoughts are not clean, by silence alone one cannot find peace as the thoughts come one after another in our mind, by food and all material gains alone one cannot satisfy one's hunger, to be purified one must abide in love of the divine. Hymn 2 asserts that by God's command the ups and downs in life happen, it is He who causes suffering and happiness, it is He whose command brings release from rebirth, and it is His command by which one lives in perpetual cycles of rebirth from

karma Karma (, from , ; ) is an ancient Indian concept that refers to an action, work, or deed, and its effect or consequences. In Indian religions, the term more specifically refers to a principle of cause and effect, often descriptively called ...

.S Deol (1998), Japji: The Path of Devotional Meditation, , page 29-32 With good

s in past life and his grace is the gate to ''mukti'' (liberation); in him is everything, states verse 4. The verse 5 states that He has endless virtues, so one must sing His name, listen, and keep the love for Him in one's heart. The Guru's ''shabda'' (word) is the protecting sound and wisdom of the

Vedas FIle:Atharva-Veda samhita page 471 illustration.png, upright=1.2, The Vedas are ancient Sanskrit texts of Hinduism. Above: A page from the ''Atharvaveda''. The Vedas ( or ; ), sometimes collectively called the Veda, are a large body of relig ...

, the Guru is

Shiva Shiva (; , ), also known as Mahadeva (; , , Help:IPA/Sanskrit, ɐɦaːd̪eːʋɐh and Hara, is one of the Hindu deities, principal deities of Hinduism. He is the God in Hinduism, Supreme Being in Shaivism, one of the major traditions w ...

Vishnu Vishnu (; , , ), also known as Narayana and Hari, is one of the Hindu deities, principal deities of Hinduism. He is the supreme being within Vaishnavism, one of the major traditions within contemporary Hinduism, and the god of preservation ( ...

(Gorakh) and

Brahma Brahma (, ) is a Hindu god, referred to as "the Creator" within the Trimurti, the triple deity, trinity of Para Brahman, supreme divinity that includes Vishnu and Shiva.Jan Gonda (1969)The Hindu Trinity, Anthropos, Bd 63/64, H 1/2, pp. 212– ...

, and the Guru is mother

Parvati Parvati (, , IPA: /Sanskrit phonology, pɑɾʋət̪iː/), also known as Uma (, , IPA: Sanskrit phonology, /ʊmɑː/) and Gauri (, , IPA: /Sanskrit phonology, gə͡ʊɾiː/), is one of the principal goddesses in Hinduism, revered as the Devi, ...

and

Lakshmi Lakshmi (; , , sometimes spelled Laxmi, ), also known as Shri (, , ), is one of the principal goddesses in Hinduism, revered as the goddess of wealth, fortune, prosperity, beauty, fertility, sovereignty, and abundance. She along with Parvat ...

.S Deol (1998), Japji: The Path of Devotional Meditation, , pages 32–39 All living beings abide in Him. Verse 6 to 15 describe the value of listening to the word and having faith, for it is the faith that liberates. God is formless and indescribable, state verses 16 to 19. It is remembering His name that cleanses, liberates states Hymn 20. Hymns 21 through 27 revere the nature and name of God, stating that man's life is like a river that does not know the vastness of ocean it journeys to join, that all literature from Vedas to Puranas speak of Him, Brahma speaks, Siddhas speak, Yogi speaks, Shiva speaks, the silent sages speak, the Buddha speaks, the Krishna speaks, the humble Sewadars speak, yet one cannot describe Him completely with all the words in the world.Kamaljeet Singh Dogra (2006), Prayer at Dawn, Trafford, , pages 17–61S Deol (1998), Japji: The Path of Devotional Meditation, , pages 38–53 Verse 30 states that He watches all, but none can see Him. God is the primal one, the pure light, without beginning, without end, the never changing constant, states Hymn 31.Kamaljeet Singh Dogra (2006), Prayer at Dawn, Trafford, , pages 67–93

Japji Sahib and Jaap Sahib

The Guru Granth Sahib starts with ''Japji Sahib'', while

Dasam Granth The ( Gurmukhi: ਦਸਮ ਗ੍ਰੰਥ ''dasama gratha'') is a collection of various poetic compositions attributed to Guru Gobind Singh.

starts with

Jaap Sahib Jaap Sahib (or Japu Sahib; , pronunciation: ) is the morning prayer of the Sikhs. The beaded prayers were composed by the Tenth Sikh Guru, Guru Gobind Singh and is found at the start of the Sikh scripture Dasam Granth. This Bani is an impor ...

. Guru Nanak is credited with the former, while Guru Gobind Singh Ji is credited with the latter. ''Jaap Sahib'' is structured as a stotra that are commonly found in 1st millennium CE Hindu literature. The Jaap Sahib, unlike the Japji Sahib, is composed predominantly in Braj-Hindi and the Sanskrit language, with a few Arabic and Persian words, and with 199 stanzas making it longer than Japji Sahib. The Jaap Sahib is, like Japji Sahib, in praise of God as the unchanging, loving, unborn, ultimate power and includes within it 950 names of God, starting with Brahma, Shiva, Vishnu and moving on to over 900 names and

avatar Avatar (, ; ) is a concept within Hinduism that in Sanskrit literally means . It signifies the material appearance or incarnation of a powerful deity, or spirit on Earth. The relative verb to "alight, to make one's appearance" is sometimes u ...

s of gods and goddesses found in Hindu traditions, with the assertion that these are all manifestations of the One, the limitless eternal creator. This is similar to

Sahasranama ' is a Sanskrit term which means "a thousand names".Sir Monier Monier-Williams, ''sahasranAman'', A Sanskrit-English Dictionary: Etymologically and Philologically Arranged with Special Reference to Cognate Indo-European Languages, Oxford Univer ...

texts of India, and for this reason this part is also called as Akal Sahasranama.Amarjit Singh (1985), ''Concept of God in Jap Sahib'', Studies in Sikhism and Comparative Religion, Volume 4, pages 84-102 The text includes Arabic and Persian words for God such as ''Allah'' and ''Khuda''. The Japu Sahib includes a mention of God as wielder of weapons, consistent with the martial spirit of Dasam Granth.

Gallery

File:Japji Sahib composition of Guru Nanak inscribed on a plate of the 'Charaina' (translates to “four mirrors”) body armour worn by Guru Gobind Singh in the battle of Bhangani, ca.1688.jpg, Japji Sahib composition of Guru Nanak inscribed on a plate of the ' Charaina' (translates to “four mirrors”) body armour worn by

in the

battle of Bhangani The Battle of Bhangani was fought between Guru Gobind Singh's army and Bhim Chand (Kahlur) of Bilaspur on 18 September 1686 or 1688, at Bhangani near Paonta Sahib. An alliance of Rajput Rajas of the Shivalik Hills participated in the engage ...

, ca.1688 File:Guru Nanak with Japji Sahib inscribed all over.jpg, Artwork of Guru Nanak with Japji Sahib inscribed all over

References

External links

Complete Japji Sahib
(PDF)
Japji Sahib Bani in Punjabi

Japji Sahib Bani in Hindi

Japji Sahib Bani in English
{{Sikhism Adi Granth Sikh scripture Guru Nanak Dev