The forthcoming day-long seminar on Saturday 23rd February at Sacramento, CA is a most welcome addition to the debate. Organised by the Sacramento Sikh Society, the seminar promises to promote a better understanding of compositions of the Dasam Granth especially its relevance and utility for a Sikh aspiring for both spiritual and worldly success. The speakers will contend that the Dasam Granth Sahib is complimentary to and not a challenge to the authority vested by Guru Gobind Singh in Sri Guru Granth Sahib as the final and everlasting Guru of the Sikhs.

Speakers include Punjab Heritage News editor, Gurinder Singh Mann, who will take the audience on a 300 year walk through of the Sri Dasam Granth from the earliest Birs to the impact the Granth has had on the Khalsa. Mann will look at the influence of the Dasam Granth in Sikh literature and show it's importance for the Khalsa. He obtained his Masters Degree in South Asian Religions in 2000 which looked at the relationship of the Dasam Granth with the Khalsa.

Speakers from abroad include Singh Sahib Bhai Savinder Singh (India) former Jathedar of Takhat Sri Kesgarh Sahib who will speak on the "Banee of Sri Dasam Granth and Sri Guru Granth Sahib: a comparative analysis". Dr. Harpal Singh Pannu, Head of Dept of Religious Studies Punjabi University, Patiala will speak on speaks on "Authorship and contents of Sri Dasam Granth. Gurcharanjit Singh Lamba, Sikh scholar and editor of panthic monthly, Sant Sipahee will speak on the "Significance of compositions like Chaubees Avtar and Charitropakhyan (in the context
of current controversies)"

The program is as below but subject to change:
9:15 am                 Ardaas and hukumnama
9:30- 9:55 am        Bhai Manjeet Singh (Keertan)
10:00- 10:25 am    Reasons for Composing the Banee of Dasam Granth-hai Baljeet Singh
10:30- 11:20 am    Banee of Guru Granth Sahib and Sri Dasam Granth: a comparative analysis- Singh Sahib Bhai Savinder Singh former Jathedar of Takhat Sri Kesgarh Sahib Anandpur Sahib
11:25- 12:20 am    A walk through: 300 year history of Sri Dasam Granth Sahib (a slide show in English)- Gurinder Singh Mann a Sikh scholar from England
12:25- 12:40 pm    Special video presentation
12:45 to 1:30         LANGAR (GATKA presentation 1:00 to 1:30 pm during LANGAR break)
1:30- 1:50 pm        Video presentation of Bhai Sher Singh speaking at Takhat Sri Damdama Sahib on Jan 31st 2008
2:00- 2:50 pm        Authorship and content of Sri Dasam Granth Sahib- Prof. Harpal Singh Pannu, Head Department of Religious Studies, Punjabi University, Patiala
2:55- 3:45 pm       Actual significance of 24 Avtars and Charitropakhyan Banees and current controversy- Gurcharanjit Singh Lamba, Editor in Chief of Sant Sipahee, Attorney and Religious Advisor International Human Rights Organization, Ludhiana.

3:45- 4:15 pm      Voting (by Jaikare) on Resolutions made/passed at the conference, Recognizing and honoring the speakers and Vote of thanks
4:15 pm               Anand Sahib, Ardass, Hukumnama, Parshad and closing

According to Kesar Singh Chhibbar in his Bansavalinama Dasan Patshahian Ka, the Dasam Granth and the Adi Guru Granth Sahib sat in separate gurdwaras. Then, in 1698, the Sikhs according to Chhibbar, proposed to Guru Gobind Singh that the two be bound together in one volume. But the Guru spoke, "This one is Adi- Guru Granth, the root book; that one [the Dasam Granth] is only for my diversion. Let this be kept in mind, and let the two stay separate." Today, that diversity and separateness is at its most ferocious. This seminar is a welcome and open forum to discuss a vital issue in Sikh scholarship and Sikh scripture.

Editors note: For further details on the Seminar visit www.sridasamgranth.org

Comments (4) >>

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Sewa Singh said:

Sikh Panth is going to celebrate Guruship to Sri Guru Granth Sahib ji then why the seminars are being organised to promote so called Dasam Granth? Sikhs worship only one Akalpurkh have got one Granth and one Panth. Gursikh do not want to live in ' dubhida'.

February 22, 2008

R Singh said:

Veer Ji, it is an unquestionable fact that Sri Guru Granth Sahib is our everlasting Guru, but we still have to show equal respect to Sri Dasam Granth Sahib ( Bani of Guru Gobind Singh Ji) because the bani of all Guru's is the same. It is the mishevious people who are creating the dubhida by propagating against Sri Dasam Granth Sahib, and thanks to our brothers who have organised such seminars we can clear those doubts that these people are trying to create.

February 24, 2008

Singh said:

Great Seminar!! It was great to hear all of the educational lectures. As sikhs we believe in Sri Guru Granth Sahib as our Guru. We also show equal respect to Sri Dasam Granth because our amrit ceremony and daily nitnem bani's come from both Granths. Thats the way it has always been and this seminar has educated uss on that fact. We can only hope that we continue to have more seminars like these in the future.

February 24, 2008

Amardeep Singh said:

Dasam Granth is constantly changing. It is not anything more than Hindus trying to use it as a platform to destroy the Sikh religion. I first got an english translation of Dasam Granth in 1998, since then there are now several more translations because the first couple did not even remotely agree with anything in the Guru Granth Sahib. Currently I do not see why there is any controversy. Dasam Granth is Hindu and all Hindu literature. In the time of the ninth guru, when nobody knew who the guru was, Sikhism for a short time had 22 gurus. The Hindus have currently written 32 different translations of the Dasam Granth. Currently there are more english translations of the Dasam Granth than the Guru Granth Sahib Ji. That can only mean that Hindus are receiving state and federal government spending to infiltrate Sikhism and destroy it from the inside. While a person who is not completely familiar with the Guru Granth Sahib may be fooled, but anyone familiar will not even remotely be deceived by this imposter Hindu Shri Guru Dasm Granth Sabib Ji.

March 18, 2008

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