Sri Dasam Granth Sahib: questions and answers

the moral core of the SDGS. This is done by Guru Gobind Singh not in order to link Sikhs to ‘Hinduism’, but rather to subvert the very idea that ‘myths’ can be claimed by a single historical bloc such as the term ‘Hindu’ suggests. The authors claim that, through the usage of vir ras, theSDGS puts forward a Sikh panthic worldview which exhorts people to take the Khalsa path and become karma yogi or a proactive renunciate. In donning such a stance, it compels people toward becoming true sovereign ethical beings– although this point is not expanded upon. The SDGS is not simple a secondary scripture, nor is it in opposition to Sikhi; more to the point, it is ‘complimentary’ with regard to the central message of Sri Guru Granth Sahib. Furthermore, commentary and understanding of the SDGS require a broader education in and knowledge of Sri Guru Granth Sahib and other Sikh scripture. In taking such a stance, the authors seek to correct the misplaced presump tion that Sikhs had a singular scripture and restore the position of a scriptural constellation which fuels the Sikh political–spiritual vantage point. From here the work considers the manuscript tradition as well as other early texts such as the various Rahitnamas. It is shown that these early works often engage with the SDGS, build upon it to develop a core group of ideals and, thereby, often assume the importance of the SDGS. Further on in the work, a discussion regarding the British Imperial perspective on the SDGS and its relation to the ‘Sikh Martial Spirit’ is provided as well as a description of the work done by the Sodhak Committee, which collated 32 manuscripts of the SDGS in 1895 and 1896. The central points from this committee’s deliberations are also given. These points include confirming that the entire SDGS was the work of Guru Gobind Singh, stating that the dates are verifiable and historical, Guru Gobind Singh used several pen-names throughout, and that some manuscripts con tained unique content. The committee was central in providing a standardized text of the SDGS. The legacy of Singh Sabhia, Babu Teja Singh Bhashauria (1867–1933), is hereafter given as one of the central mechanisms through which the debate regarding the SDGS, but also sections of the Sri Guru Granth, begins. Teja Singh expressed his view that so called spurious sections of these texts should be expunged and the remaining material be collated as a single scripture. Despite being excommunicated by not only the Akal Takht but also Takht Hazur Sahib, Takht Patna Sahib, and Takht Kesgarh Sahib between 1928 and 1929, Teja Singh’s legacy continues to fuel secular reformist sentiment regard ing the Sikh scripture. The final series of questions deals with contemporary rites and sections of the Sikh panth which continue to uphold the position of the SDGS. The very structure of Sri Dasam Granth Sahib: questions and answers, a question answer format reminiscent of exegetical steeks and tikas, reveals one of the major limits of this work: its seemingly theological core. Despite trying to address t