International Seminar Series Feb 2008
Dr Harpal Singh Pannu
Scholarly lecture on the authorship and history of Sri Dasam Granth by Dr. Harpal Singh Pannu, Professor in Punjabi University and an authority on the banees of Sri Dasam Granth. Dr. Pannu has supervised four PhD projects on Sri Dasam Granth. Uniqueness of the talk of Dr. Pannu was that though the contents and material of his speech were very serious and highly intellectual still he could present it in very simple language, which everyone in the sangat could understand without any difficulty. Dr. Pannu narrated from different scriptures of Hindus and Buddhists and proved that the way Buddhist scriptures changed the characters of the Hindu gods like Indra etc, to convey their message, Guru Gobind Singh ji also, reformatted and re-narrated the stories of Hindu gods and goddesses with the clear agenda of Khalsa in mind. He revealed that in the narration of battle in Krishnavtar of Sri Dasam Granth appearance of cnd Singh ji. But then there are certain people who say some of the banees of Sri Dasam Granth e.g. Jaap Sahib, Benti Chaupai, Swaiyye are from the pen of Guru Gobind Singh but the rest is interpolation. He said this second category is really mischievous and dishonest. The fact of the matter is that they have no faith in these banees but know very well that speaking against these will attract wrath of he panth. Dr. Pannu however cautioned that whosoever started with denigration of Dasam Banee ultimately targeted Guru Granth Sahib.
Gurinder Singh Mann Bsc, Ma
A real inspiring experience of slide show on the 300 hundred year history of Sri Dasam Granth Sahib by Gurinder Singh Mann from the UK. Gurinder S. Mann has done a great deal of research on old manuscripts, gutkas, and pothis containing the banees of both the Guru Granth Sahib and of Sri Dasam Granth Sahib. His MA in South Asian Religions in 2000 was the first western thesis on the Dasam Granth. His narration supplemented with slides depicting photographs of old manuscripts and recensions clinched the issue finally that those who are trying to denigrate Dasam Granth as an innovative introduction of the British are in fact spreading canard and mischief.
S. Gurcharanjit Singh Lamba, Editor of panthik journal Sant Sipahi and Coordinator of IHRO. He quoted extensively from the different compositions of Sri Dasam Granth. The message came out absolutely clear that the entire Sri Dasam Granth could only be from the pen of Guru Gobind Singh ji and none else. He further stressed that in the entire Sri Dasam Granth there is not even a single word eulogizing Guru Gobind Singh, whereas the writings of the darbari poets of Guru Sahib start with invocation of the blessings of Guru Gobind Singh ji. He pointed out that in beginning of all the compositions the invocation is to 'Ik Onkar Waheguru Ji Ki Fateh'. Also Vaar Sri Bhagauti ji ki invokes blessings from Guru Nanak Dev ji to Guru Tegh Bahadur ji only. Click here for the first part of the seminar.
