Authenticity of Kartarpuri Bir - Global Sikh Studies

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some Vars are recorded in a different hand or in small letters
in between or above the normal written lines. In other copies
of the Granth, including the Banno Bir, these have been written
in the lines and in the same manner as the Bani itself. It evidently
suggests that in the Kartarpuri Bir the Dhunnies have been
written on some later date, and presumably at the instance of
the Sixth Guru. This is so at pages 399/1 and 897/2 where
Dhunnies have been noted in small sized letters, in a different
pen and ink or in between the lines. Thirdly, it appears to be a
known fact that in the Kartarpuri Bir the Nishans of both the
Gurus were present. That is why in order to give it a semblance
of genuineness and to show that the same was prepared in the
time of the 5th Guru that the Nishans of both the Gurus were
pasted in the Banno Bir. Thus, the presence of the Nishans of
both the Fifth and Sixth Gurus and the reference of the Nishans
in the .Tatkara is a unique feature of the Kartarpuri Bir which
shows its originality. No other Bir has the Nishans of two Gurus
mentioned in the Tatkara.
Conclusion
All this would lead to one clear conclusion, namely, that while
the main corpus of the Bani and the Tatkara were prepared
simultaneously and correctly, on revision, or because of late
collection and selection, some Sabads, or parts of the Bam,
were recorded later on and sometimes in a different hand. As
far as possible, an attempt was made, if space was available,
to record them at the places of their proper sequence and even
in the margins of the appropriate pages. But mostly, for obvious
reasons, these later writings failed to find mention in the Tatkra
of the Sabads. Only if a Sabad was scored out on account of
repetition or non-approval, the corresponding entry in the
Tatkara was deleted or the Sabads were renumbered. Many a
time, these Saloks written in the margin were given the same
number as given to the ones on the relevent page.