Anand Sahib (Gurmukhi: ਅਨੰਦ ਸਾਹਿਬ ''anada sāhiba'') is a collection of

hymns A hymn is a type of song, and partially synonymous with devotional song, specifically written for the purpose of adoration or prayer, and typically addressed to a deity or deities, or to a prominent figure or personification. The word ''hymn'' ...

Sikhism Sikhism is an Indian religion and Indian philosophy, philosophy that originated in the Punjab region of the Indian subcontinent around the end of the 15th century CE. It is one of the most recently founded major religious groups, major religio ...

, written in the Ramkali Raag by

Guru Amar Das Guru Amar Das (Gurmukhi: ਗੁਰੂ ਅਮਰ ਦਾਸ, pronunciation: ; 5 May 1479 – 1 September 1574), sometimes spelled as Guru Amardas, was the third of the Ten Gurus of Sikhism and became Sikh Guru on 26 March 1552 at age 73. Befor ...

, the third

Guru Guru ( ; International Alphabet of Sanskrit Transliteration, IAST: ''guru'') is a Sanskrit term for a "mentor, guide, expert, or master" of certain knowledge or field. In pan-Indian religions, Indian traditions, a guru is more than a teacher: tr ...

of the

Sikhs Sikhs (singular Sikh: or ; , ) are an ethnoreligious group who adhere to Sikhism, a religion that originated in the late 15th century in the Punjab region of the Indian subcontinent, based on the revelation of Guru Nanak. The term ''Sikh'' ...

. It appears on pages 917 to 922 in Guru Granth Sahib Ji. The word Anand means complete happiness.

Synopsis

The Anand Sahib is a part of the

Nitnem ''Nitnem'' () is a collection of Sikh hymns ('' Gurbani'') to be read minimally 3 different times of the day. These are mandatory and to be read by every Amritdhari Sikh as expressed in the Sikh Rehat Maryada. Optionally additional prayers m ...

(daily prayers) which are read by Amritdhari

before

dawn Dawn is the time that marks the beginning of twilight before sunrise. It is recognized by the diffuse sky radiation, appearance of indirect sunlight being Rayleigh scattering, scattered in Earth's atmosphere, when the centre of the Sun's disc ha ...

. Anand Sahib is chanted at all the religious ceremonies of the Sikhs irrespective of the nature of the event. There are two versions of Anand Sahib: one which extends 40 pauries and one shorter version often called Chhota Anand Sahib which comprises the first five pauries and then skips to the last one. This shorter version of Anand Sahib is usually recited at the closing ceremonies before Ardas. The Chhota Anand Sahib is included at the end of Rehras Sahib. Anand Sahib, alongside ''Panj Granthi's'' (five chosen texts) Dakhni Oankar and Sidh Gosht are written in Raga Ramkali—the Raga of the coincides with part of the night before sunrise or perhaps the first part of the day after sunrise.

History

The Anand Sahib was composed by Guru Amar Das, whom, according to Sikh legend, composed it around the time he got news of the birth of his grandson, Baba Anand, whom is believed to have been a reincarnation of the soul of a

yogi A yogi is a practitioner of Yoga, including a sannyasin or practitioner of meditation in Indian religions.A. K. Banerjea (2014), ''Philosophy of Gorakhnath with Goraksha-Vacana-Sangraha'', Motilal Banarsidass, , pp. xxiii, 297–299, 331 ...

who met Guru Amar Das in a previous life.{{Cite book , last=Gandhi , first=Surjit Singh , title=History of Sikh Gurus Retold: 1469-1606 C. E. , publisher=Atlantic Publishers & Dist. , year=2007 , isbn=9788126908578 , series=History of Sikh Gurus Retold , volume=1 , pages=296 Baba Anand was personally named after the composition by the Guru.

References

External links

Read Anand Sahib Bani in Punjabi
Adi Granth Sikh scripture