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Published online by Cambridge University Press: 15 March 2011
In offering to the learned public a specimen of a translation of the Âdi Granth (or first holy book of the Sikhs), we premise a few words on the language in which that work is composed, as hitherto wrong notions have been entertained on this point. The language of the Âdi Granth is not the old Hindî, as has been recently stated, if the old Hindî (if it may be called so) is taken identical with the Hinduî, the language of the middle age of India, from which the present Hindî has sprung, and which is now nearly extinct. Even the learned Garcin de Tassy was of opinion that the Âdi Granth was written in Hinduî, but he had apparently not paid any attention to the study of this work, and his statement can, therefore, be only a surmise.
page 197 note 1 Garcin de Tassy: Rudiments de la langue Hindouî, p. 4, note 5.
page 198 note 1 And even with nouns; examples of this kind are even found in the MSS. of the Âdi Granth.
page 198 note 2 Very important in this respect is the work printed at Ludihâṇâ (Loodiana), A.D. 1868, and composed by Paṇḍit Sardhâ Râma, under the title 
, history of the Sikh power. It gives various passages from the Âdi Granth, with a translation, from which we may see that even the learned Sikhs frequently misinterpret the words of the Âdi Granth, and are not always sure of the meaning of difficult words and passages.
may be translated either: not subject to transmigration, or free from birth = unborn (Sansk. 
, with a privat.) 
(saibham); in older MSS. the form 
is found, which is more correct; Sansk. 
the self-existing.—
or by the favour of the Guru; 
is the Locative of 
By 
God is understood, and it is a misinterpretation if the word has afterwards been applied to a human Guru.
is substantive and adjective, truth and true; in which ever way it be taken, it refers to God. 
by meditation (and) meditation, i.e. by continual meditation. 
is quite identical with 
, as it is sufficiently proved by a number of words, 
is the Instrum. plur., 
being also used in the plur., as in many other passages of the Âdi Granth. 
s.f. Devotion; 
s.f. a continued line (of) = continual. 
the hunger of the hungry, etc. The connexion is: As a man can never entirely satisfy his hunger, but becomes always hungry again, so a man can never find out truth (= God) by his own exertion. The Sikh traditional explanation (
) differs from the translation given above; they explain 
(which we take to be identical with 
) by city, and 
by multitude, but neither can be proved by the Bhâkkâ, besides that it gives no proper sense. 
is a passive form, applied in a neuter sense, it may be become; this isborne out by a great many passages of the Âdi Granth. 
s.f. properly a layer of stones or bricks = wall. 
is the Locative sing. If it is man's destiny (
) to walk in the commandment and will of God; it is not his option.
, the Iustrum, plur. 
forms are made, i.e. things, etc. are created, 
by his orders greatness is obtained, nearer explained by the following 
. 
is the same as 
, the vowels being lengthened or shortened according to the requirements of the metre. 
is written down (by destiny); 
is the well-known passive voice of the old Gurmukhî, still in use in the modern Gurmukhî (
). 
if he understand (his) orders; 
is the Format, plur., the postposition 
(kau) being left out for the sake of the metre. 
(properly 
), pride and conceit, egotism.
, if one has power, i.e. to sing his power. 
the liberality or munificence of God, by which he supports all creatures. 
is explained by the Sikh commentaries as identical with 
destiny, fate; the allotment which God bestows upon the creatures; he who knows that all gifts come by God's allotment, sings his liberality. 
he is seen (i.e. he is near and to be seen); others again say: he is seen afar, i.e. he is afar off. 
he sees in the pretence of the present, i.e. he is everywhere present, wherever a man may be, 
the telling of (all these various) stories, or the rehearsal of them. 
to come to an end. 
is explained by the Sikh commentaries to signify one who gives an order, a ruler, contrary to the now received meaning of 
obedient to an order. But 
might also be taken as Instr. plur., he continues executing his orders (simply) by his orders, i.e. if he gives an order, it is done at once. 
a Hinduî form, with a lengthened, for the sake of the rhyme.
Locative, as in Sindhî, denoting the quality of a true name, literally, in a true name. 
may be translated in different ways; the Sikhs themselves do not know what to make of it. We have given that translation which seemed best suited to the context. 
(the anusvâra being constantly left out in the Granth), an old Ablative form;—from the mouth., 
(
) 
, which (Acc). 
bestow love. 
s.f. the early hours of the day (i.e. the nectarious time). 
Abl. sing. (
) from (his) benevolence. 
Abl. sing. (
), the merciful sight or look of God. 
is here taken adverbially: in all, thoroughly, altogether.
page 203 note 1 ai is generally rendered as well in Gurmukhî as in Hindî by 
instead of 
v.a. To appoint, to establish (as a king, etc.). 
an epithet of God (the passionless). 
etc., If he is praised. In a conditional sentence the conjunction 
is generally omitted, and must be gathered from the context. 
the abode of virtues (
or 
), an epithet of God. 
literally, if reverence be kept in the heart, i.e. if he be revered in the heart. 
in the mouth of the Guru. 
nâdam, for the sake of the rhyme, instead of 
. An old Sikh commentary (without the name of the author), gives the following explanation of 
etc.: 
, i.e. O Angad! (the disciple of Nlnak and second Guru) this song (which Nanak was pronouncing) is Guru; the Vêda is Guru, it has been continually contained in the mouth of the Guru. Then the commentary proceeds: 
, i.e. Îsaru is Guru, Gôrakhu is Guru, Brahmâ is Guru, Pârvatî is Guru; O son, these six are Gurus. The commentary does not seem quite to have hit the right meaning. The sense of these words is, according to our interpretation, rather this: that there are many Gurus, who teach always the Vêda; that there are many followers of Îsar (i.e. Ṣiva), of Gôrakh (Vishṇu), of Brahmâ, of Pârvatî, but they do not know the only one, whom even he himself (i.e. Nânak) did not venture to describe. To that a disciple (according to tradition, Angad), answers: o Guru! teach me the only one!
without (his) will, i.e. if it does not please God, if God is not merciful to me. 
I may do. 
s.f. creation (Sansk. 
). 
without destiny. 
in the sense of destiny is always used in the plural, denoting properly the works (of a former life), which determine the fate in afterbirths. 
what is found, that I may take? 
.
in the nine regions (of the earth), i.e. in the whole world. 
to bestow favour.
, Locative of the past participle, it having been heard (by them); to supply is, his word or name. 
the Sikhs explain by the bull, who is said to support the earth (else the white elephant).
, etc., the Hindû Gods are acknowledged by Nânak, but only as Dii minores, created by the Supreme Being. 
, having been heard, there are in the mouth the mantrs of praise; the Hindû holy scripture is thereby acknowledged as of divine origin. 
mantram. 
the skill of Jôg, as being brought into a system by the Jôgîs.. 
the secret in the body, i.e. in whose body the secret (of Jôg) is, by means of penances, austerities, etc., to which they subject their body.
s.m. truth, etc. Nânak acknowledges that there is (some) truth and knowledge of God in the Hindû Shâstrs; also the bathing at the sixty-eight tîrthas is referred to divine origin, etc.
is very difficult to explain. 
is very likely 
(
), possessing all qualities, an epithet of an Avatâr. 
m. a panegyrical song of praise. 
s.m. here in the sense of a cubit; 
adj. bottomless; unfathomable; the unfathomable (water) becomes a cubit (deep)=shallow.
(mandé), another form of the present participle is 
mannâ, instead of 
mandà. 
s.f. State; it may also signify salvation, which would equally suit the context. 
etc.; the sense is, the name of God is such, that only he knows him, who minds or obeys) him. The state of him who minds God cannot be described, as he himself alone knows it, and nobody else. Nowithstanding this assertion, Nânak describes to some extent the state of him who minds God, in the following pauṛîs.
, an idiomatic expression—to be struck in the face. 
he does not go with Yama, i.e. he is not subject to death (and pain), he will be united with the Deity.
to be stopped. 
he becomes known with honour, i.e. at the threshold of God. 
adj. proud Sindhî).
s.m. Support; the same as 
. The Sikh commentary explains it by 
; i.e. If he having heard the name of God, minds it, he becomes the support of his family; after him his whole family is saved.
, etc. The Sikh commentaries (and priests) cannot tell who or what these five are: they refer it even to the five dements, water, fire, etc.; hut this is out of the question. Others explain 
by righteous, etc., but this is a mere guess. In fact, the whole connexion of this Pauṛî is doubtful. 
, the white Bull, is also taken here in an allegorical sense; he is called the son of religion and mercy. 
the destiny of all; 
is here taken in the sense of a substantive. 
who knows the food (i.e. which he is be-stowing on the creatures)? 
is explained in various ways: 
(from 
, to see, caus.; 
to show), show, i.e. the visible word; similarly, 
(from 
, instead of 
to cause to say) word, saying. Neither word is now in use in any of the cognate idioms, and their signification ean only be inferred. One Sikh commentary gives the following explanation: 
is taken as identical with 
expansion (of creation), and 
is thus described: 
, i.e. one mâsâ (a small weight) of wind, one mâsâ of water, one mâsâ of fire, one mâsâ of earth; these four mâsâs have been made; one ṭank of this has been a kavâu; that is to say, a kavâu is a measure equal to a ṭank or four mâsâs. This explanation would be in accordance with the paurâṇik traditions, but it is very doubtful, as Nânak, when speaking of the creation, never alludes to it in other places. 
not one time I can be sacrificed (to it), i.e. I cannot one time give myself entirely to it, can never come up to it, or understand it.
innumerable jôgs (of such who) remain secluded in their heart or mind; the sentence is extremely brief. 
innumerable heroes, fighting face to face. 
is very difficult to explain; the Sikh commentary explains it in the following way: 
i.e. there are some heroes who eat iron in their face, an idiomatical expression for: who are beaten with iron (steel) in the face. According to this explanation 
would stand for 
, but such a transposition of nouns is extraordinary.
stark blind. 
is, according to the commentaries = 
prince, ruler, 
who scatter falsehoods; 
the Formative plur. (without the postposition 
kau). 
who lay a burden on the head, either on their own, or on that of another.
The first three lines are quite irregular in their rhyme. 
is explained by the commentary in this way: 
being suspended with their head downwards they (i.e. the worlds) praise (him). 
, the Locative plural: In letters. The commentary gives the following explanation: 
“They praise the name of God, and this they do in letters; and knowledge, songs, praising the Lord's qualities, the telling of the story of Hari, the telling of a tale, this also is done in letters. Union and separation (the fate) which is written, this also is written in letters. Whatever has been created, the creation of the Lord, upon all this is fate fixed, and all are under (in) the fate, but upon him, by whom this creation has been made, there is no fate, he is the being not subject to fate.” 
as much as (his) work is, so much is the name, i.e. he has given a name to all of his works.
it is washed (
to wash). 
meritorious (or) sinful is not a (mere) name or appellation, as some thought, but a reality.