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Adi Granth

World Religion
Pronunciation

Understanding ARPABET Pronunciation

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The pronunciation guide uses the ARPABET phonetic system—the same system used in speech recognition and text-to-speech applications.

Vowel Examples:
AE1 = cat, bat
EH1 = bed, head
IY1 = see, me
OW1 = go, boat
UW1 = boot, do
Stress Numbers:
0 = no stress (unstressed)
1 = primary stress (loud)
2 = secondary stress (medium)
Example:
AH0 TH IY1 N AH0
= a-THEE-na (Athena)

The stressed syllable (marked with 1) is pronounced louder and clearer than others.

Quick Definition

The central religious scripture of Sikhism, regarded by Sikhs as the final, sovereign, and eternal living Guru.

Detailed Definition
Originally compiled by Guru Arjan Dev, the Adi Granth (or Guru Granth Sahib) is not merely a holy book but the embodiment of the Sikh Gurus' spiritual wisdom and poetic revelation. Its contents are entirely composed of devotional poetry set to classical ragas, written by Sikh Gurus and saints from various Hindu and Muslim backgrounds. In literature, it stands as a monumental work of mystical poetry, emphasizing the oneness of God, the rejection of ritualism, and the importance of inner devotion. Its very form makes it a primary source for understanding how poetry can serve as the direct vehicle for divine truth and communal worship.
Example
Example in poetry:
Guru Nanak’s hymns in the Adi Granth inspire poets to blend devotion with social critique, as seen in modern Punjabi verse that quotes “Ik Onkar” to affirm unity; The Adi Granth’s poetic structure—raga-based compositions—has influenced lyrical forms in South Asian poetry that mirror its musical spirituality; Poets like Amrita Pritam invoke the Adi Granth as a living voice that “speaks through silence and song”; In diasporic Sikh poetry, the Adi Granth appears as a compass of identity, its verses recited “like breath in a foreign land”; Contemporary poets reference the Adi Granth’s egalitarian ethos to challenge caste and gender hierarchies through verse.
Additional Notes
The Adi Granth, compiled by Guru Arjan in 1604 and later expanded into the Guru Granth Sahib, contains hymns not only from Sikh Gurus but also from Hindu and Muslim saints, reflecting a pluralistic spiritual vision; its poetic structure—lyrical, metrically rich, and set to ragas—makes it a profound resource for studying devotional poetics, interfaith dialogue, and the musicality of sacred text.
Also Known As
Guru Granth Sahib
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