Authenticity of Kartarpuri Bir - Global Sikh Studies

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(h) A very significant point is that at page 963/1 of
the Kartarpuri Bir the words “Pran Sangli Maihla I” appear in
Persian script. This Urdu writing has an important implication.
In the original manuscript this Bani is supposed to be in the
Persian script. But, it is a part of the traditional knowledge
that the fifth Guru did not include (as is a fact) the “Pran Sangli”
in the Adi-Granth because it was not considered by him to be
the words of Guru Nanak, the connected story also being false.
The writing of the heading of this Bani in Persian script would
show only one thing, namely, that the scribe, Bhai Gurdas,
wrote the heading of the Bani in Urdu, but before copying it
out sought the approval of the Guru which was evidently not
given and the matter rested at that. This is supported by the
fact that in no copied Adi-Granth the words “Pran Sangli Maihla
I” appear in the Persian script. This fact strongly supports the
authenticity of the Kartarpuri Bir. Since the writing being in
Persian script, the scribe, unless asked otherwise, would
naturally start copying it out in the same script. He did start
with that assumption but as the composition was not approved,
nothing was done further.
5. Other conclusive factors.
(a) We know that in the Kartarpuri Bir leaves, and not
pages, are numbered and leaf number is given on the inside of
the leaf when it is facing one from the left. Thus, the page on
the right side, as we open the Bir, has the same number as the
page on the left. In order to identify a loose packet or cluster,
on the first outer page of it, the leaf number inside of it was
given. This expedient has led to a number of errors even in the
Tatkara. Because the Bani which is on the outside page of a
packet has been given the leaf number on its inside, though in
actual numbering and counting, as explained already, this page
is considered to be the right hand part of the page on the left
of it. For example, in the Tatkara pages 332/2, 340/2, 348/2,
420/2, 461/2, 810/2,937/2, have