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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Banno and other such <strong>Bir</strong>s. His inference is that the character<br />
<strong>of</strong> the stories, the language, and their identity with some <strong>of</strong><br />
the language and stories in Bhai Bala Janamsakhi show that it is<br />
the Hindalias or Nianjanis who are responsible for these later<br />
interpolations, and that even the change <strong>of</strong> some last leaves in<br />
the Banno <strong>Bir</strong> where these compositions appear, also suggests<br />
that finding. Therefore, the entire Banno story, or the propriety<br />
<strong>of</strong> the recording <strong>of</strong> these additional compositions in the Banno<br />
Granth or even there authenticity is a myth that cannot stand<br />
any serious scrutiny.<br />
We do not say that the <strong>Bir</strong> <strong>of</strong> the Guru was not copied,<br />
but the question is when this was done. It is a fact that from<br />
the very start the Banno <strong>Bir</strong> was called ‘Khari’’ or an<br />
unauthorized version, and not considered fit for scriptural use<br />
It is also not understandable why a devout <strong>Sikh</strong> who had been<br />
entrusted with the scripture should do almost the sacrilegious<br />
task <strong>of</strong> introducing superfluous writings, and that also at a<br />
time when he had been asked to go to Lahore for getting bound<br />
the original <strong>Bir</strong>, Would Bhai Gurdas or Bhai Budha have ever<br />
done that? And where and how he got hold <strong>of</strong> the unauthorized<br />
Bani on his way to Lahore and why did he do it? All these are,<br />
indeed, unanswered, questions and any plausible answers to<br />
them clearly demolish the Banno stories. These not only destroy<br />
each other but are also self-contadictory and impossible. On<br />
the other hand, the liklihood is that finding that their act <strong>of</strong><br />
having introduced unauthorized Bani was being frowned upon<br />
by the <strong>Sikh</strong>s, they floated quite inconsistent and impossible<br />
stories to give some credibility to the Banno <strong>Bir</strong>.<br />
3. The date <strong>of</strong> the Banno <strong>Bir</strong><br />
The fundamental question is the date <strong>of</strong> the preparation <strong>of</strong><br />
the Banno <strong>Bir</strong>. It appears that the Banno story, despite its internal<br />
contradictions, remained unquestioned. However, in the forties,<br />
G.B. Singh, Giani Gurdit Singh and Giani Mahan Singh found<br />
that the date <strong>of</strong> production <strong>of</strong> the