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Authenticity of Kartarpuri Bir - Global Sikh Studies

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PREFACE<br />

I am extremely grateful to Dr. Bhagat Singh, Vice-<br />

Chancellor, Punjabi University, Patiala and Dr. Balkar Singh,<br />

Head, Department <strong>of</strong> Sri Guru Granth Sahib <strong>Studies</strong>, Punjabi<br />

University, Patiala, for their very kindly having invited me to<br />

deliver the Guru Tegh Bahadur Memorial lectures and I<br />

conferred on me the privilege <strong>of</strong> initiating the series.<br />

In the background <strong>of</strong> the objectives and activities <strong>of</strong> the<br />

Sri Guru Granth Sahib <strong>Studies</strong> Department, I thought it would<br />

be quite appropriate to start the series with two essays, the<br />

first, on “The authenticity <strong>of</strong> the <strong>Kartarpuri</strong> <strong>Bir</strong>” the Adi Granth<br />

(the <strong>Sikh</strong> Scripture) compiled by Sri Guru Arjan Dev ji, the<br />

fifth Guru and scribed by Bhai Gurdas, and the second on the<br />

subject <strong>of</strong> “The Unity And Integrity <strong>of</strong> <strong>Sikh</strong>ism” i.e. the <strong>Sikh</strong><br />

doctrines embodied in the Sri Guru Granth Sahib. At the same<br />

time it is also true that the choice <strong>of</strong> the subjects have been<br />

made because <strong>of</strong> their basic importance.<br />

Among the scriptures <strong>of</strong> the world the Ad; Granth is<br />

unique in having been authenticated by the fifth Master himself.<br />

After the meticulous work <strong>of</strong> Dr. Jodh Singh incorporating a<br />

page by page study <strong>of</strong> the <strong>Kartarpuri</strong> <strong>Bir</strong> in his book “<strong>Kartarpuri</strong><br />

<strong>Bir</strong> De Darshan”, one thought that the authenticity <strong>of</strong> the<br />

<strong>Kartarpuri</strong> <strong>Bir</strong> stood completely established. But, some<br />

subsequent oblique statements, though far from thorough or<br />

scientific, do need to be examined to show their reliability or<br />

lack <strong>of</strong> it.<br />

In the preparation <strong>of</strong> the first essay it was a pre-requisite<br />

vii

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