Compilation of the Adi Granth

Dadi: "Guddu, you know how we have textbooks at school that everyone uses to learn the same things?"

Guddu: "Yes, so we all learn the correct information."

Dadi: "Exactly. But what if someone started writing fake textbooks with wrong information? How would students know what was true?"

Guddu: "That would be so confusing!"

Dadi: "This is exactly what happened with the Sikh holy teachings. Let me tell you how Guru Arjan Dev Ji solved this problem."

Guddu: "What was happening?"

Dadi: "After four Gurus had shared their teachings, some troublemakers started writing their own poetry and claiming it was written by the Gurus. Especially Guru Arjan's jealous brother Prithi Chand was doing this."

Guddu: "That's like cheating!"

Dadi: "It was dangerous, beta. The real teachings were getting mixed with fake ones. Soon, people wouldn't know what was authentic and what wasn't."

Guddu: "How did Guru Arjan fix it?"

Dadi: "He decided to create one official book - the Adi Granth - containing all the genuine teachings. He found a peaceful spot near Amritsar, by a tank called Ramsar, and set up his workspace."

Guddu: "Like a library?"

Dadi: "More like a sacred office. He called upon all Sikhs to bring whatever genuine teachings they had. The most precious source was two volumes held by a man named Baba Mohan, son of the third Guru. After much persuasion, Baba Mohan agreed to share them."

Guddu: "Who wrote it all down?"

Dadi: "Bhai Gurdas was the scribe - the one who actually wrote everything. For three years, Guru Arjan would select and read out the genuine hymns, and Bhai Gurdas would write them in Gurmukhi script."

Guddu: "Three years! That's a long time!"

Dadi: "Creating something perfect takes time, beta. Guru Arjan didn't just collect his own teachings. He included hymns from the first four Gurus, plus writings from 17 Hindu saints and 2 Muslim saints!"

Guddu: "Wait - a Sikh holy book has Hindu and Muslim writings?"

Dadi: "Isn't that beautiful? Guru Arjan believed truth could come from anywhere. So the Adi Granth includes songs from Kabir, Namdev, Ravidas, and many others - saints from different religions and castes."

Guddu: "That's so inclusive!"

Dadi: "And here's something special - it's organized as a songbook. The hymns are arranged by the musical ragas they should be sung in, not by author or alphabet. Because these teachings were meant to be sung, not just read."

Guddu: "Like a giant hymn book?"

Dadi: "Exactly. On August 30, 1604, the Adi Granth was completed. The installation ceremony was magnificent. Baba Buddha, an elderly Sikh who had known Guru Nanak himself, carried the holy book on his head to the newly built Harmandir Sahib."

Guddu: "The Golden Temple?"

Dadi: "Yes! And Guru Arjan walked behind, carrying a flywhisk - a sign of respect usually given by servants. The Guru was showing that HE was the servant of the holy book, not the other way around."

Guddu: "The Guru served the book?"

Dadi: "That night, Baba Buddha asked where he should put the Adi Granth. Guru Arjan said, "Put it on my bed." And from then on, Guru Arjan slept on the floor while the scripture rested on his bed."

Guddu: "Wow. He gave up his bed for a book?"

Dadi: "For the Word of God, beta. Later, the tenth Guru added more hymns, and the book became the Guru Granth Sahib - which is now treated as a living Guru by Sikhs around the world."

Guddu: "Is the original still around?"

Dadi: "Yes! It's kept in a town called Kartarpur in Punjab, guarded as the most precious treasure. Four hundred years later, it still inspires millions."

Guddu: "That's amazing - from protecting teachings against fakes to becoming the holiest book."

Dadi: "Truth, when preserved carefully, lasts forever, beta. That's why we must always distinguish what's real from what's fake."