Authenticity of Kartarpuri Bir - Global Sikh Studies
Authenticity of Kartarpuri Bir - Global Sikh Studies
Authenticity of Kartarpuri Bir - Global Sikh Studies
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26<br />
<strong>Bir</strong> that has a third Tatkara called ‘Tatkara Tatkare’, (index <strong>of</strong><br />
the table <strong>of</strong> contents). Other handwritten <strong>Bir</strong>s have only two<br />
kinds <strong>of</strong> Tatkaras (tables <strong>of</strong> contents), one <strong>of</strong> the Rags, and<br />
the other <strong>of</strong> the Sabads, Saloks, Astapadis, etc., giving the first<br />
line <strong>of</strong> each Bani. This second table <strong>of</strong> contents which has the<br />
sequence observed in the text also gives the serial number <strong>of</strong><br />
the Saloks or the Bani <strong>of</strong> each Guru as also the number <strong>of</strong> the<br />
page where the Bani <strong>of</strong> a particular Guru starts. But this third<br />
table <strong>of</strong> contents, which gives in eight lines only the list <strong>of</strong> 30<br />
Rags called the ‘Tatkara Tatkare’, is found only in the <strong>Kartarpuri</strong><br />
<strong>Bir</strong> and forms its unique feature, suggesting its original character.<br />
(e) At page 415/1 in the margin are written the words<br />
“The Sabad is right”. This Sabad does not find mention in the<br />
Tatkara. But, this observation in the margin shows that for<br />
this <strong>Bir</strong>, there was a supervisor or editor, other than the scribe,<br />
who alone could record such an observation <strong>of</strong> approval<br />
regarding Sabad on the page. This observation shows the<br />
original character <strong>of</strong> the <strong>Kartarpuri</strong> <strong>Bir</strong>. Otherwise, if the <strong>Bir</strong><br />
had been copied from another <strong>Bir</strong>, the question <strong>of</strong> such an<br />
observation by the scribe or some other person would not arise.<br />
(f) In the Tatkara <strong>of</strong> Sabads only the references <strong>of</strong> Sabads<br />
1 to 58 <strong>of</strong> Ramkali Mahla 5 are given. But, on page 681/2 <strong>of</strong><br />
the <strong>Bir</strong>, which starts with Sabad 59 <strong>of</strong> Ramkali Mahla 5 and<br />
ends with Sabad 60 <strong>of</strong> Ramkali Mahla 5, these two additional<br />
Sabads are written. Both these Sabads are in a different hand<br />
from that <strong>of</strong> the scribe and their reference in the Tatkara <strong>of</strong><br />
Sabads is missing. This means that these two Sabads were added<br />
or got added either by the editor or the compiler. Here again,<br />
the absence <strong>of</strong> the reference <strong>of</strong> these two Sabads in the Tatkara<br />
and their text being in a different hand than that <strong>of</strong> the original<br />
scribe suggest that this feature could probably be only in the<br />
original and not in a copy. Because