Chino, California – April 4, 2022 – Initially the gurus commissioned scribes to handwrite their banis (texts) into a portable format. It was the tenth guru (Guru Gobind Singh Ji) who finalized Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji and commissioned its distribution and handwritten copies to be made. 

During the British Times, copies of the Guru Granth Sahib Ji were printed primarily in Lahore & Amritsar, India by several printing presses. The SGPC was formed in 1920, approximately 212 years after the time of Guru Gobind Singh Ji. It would be preposterous to say that the SGPC has the sole authority, ownership, or the copyright of Sri Guru Granth Sahib. 

When handwritten copies of the Sri Guru Granth Sahib were converted to printed copies, numerous printing mistakes were made by several institutions including the SGPC. Those institutions simply copied and reprinted those mistakes. On numerous occasions the SGPC themselves admitted to these lapses in their printings of the Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji and provided two reports with their findings. Those reports are referenced and provided below. 

The printing lapses changes that were made to the version of the Sri Guru Granth Sahib published on SikhBookClub.com, were to address the above-mentioned mistakes and are consistent with the findings of the SGPC. No alterations or modifications of the Guru’s bani has taken place. 

The SGPC has no copyright and no authority to restrict the global printing and distribution of the Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji. Should the SGPC not agree with the version of the Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji found on SikhBookClub.com, they can choose not to use it. 

To correct printing errors in the Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji, the SGPC had set up committees on multiple occasions and provided reports with their findings. These reports were accepted and published but never implemented. 

Accepted and Published Reports: 

• A committee was set up by the SGPC comprising its own research scholar S. Randhir Singh and two other researchers, Sajjan Giani Kundan Singh and Nihang Bhai Gyan Singh. After years of hard work, the committee prepared a report on the errors and discrepancies in the Guru Granth Sahib and submitted this report to SGPC. The basis of this report was several verified handwritten copies of Guru Granth Sahib ji, available in the Sikh Reference Library, Amritsar. The report was accepted and published by the SGPC in January 1977 and brought before the Sangat but until today, no action has been taken on it. The preface of this report was written by then Jathedar of Sri Akal Takht Sahib, late  Giani Kripal Singh Ji. The report was accepted and published by SGPC under the name of “Path Bhedan Di Suchi”. 

  Path Bhedan Di Suchi

• Following this, another committee of scholars was formed on March 1, 1996, by the order of Jathedar Sri Akal Takht Sahib. The members of the committee were Giani Joginder Singh Ji Vedanti, Bhai Sahib Bhai Joginder Singh Ji Talwara, Giani Harbans Singh Ji Patiala, Prof. Bikram Singh Ji, Jathedar Avtar Singh Ji Badhni Kalan and Prof. Parkash Singh Ji of Shaheed Sikh Missionary College. This committee submitted its report to the SGPC on similar errors in the Guru Granth Sahib Ji, but still no action has ever been taken.

  The Shiromani Committee Report

Additional References:

• The Damdami Taksal in their published Pothi, “Gurbani Path Darpan” has listed about 1500 textual mistakes from Sri Guru Granth Sahib.
• Giani Jagtar Singh Jachak, Former Head Granthi of Sri Harmandir Sahib, has also recorded very important information regarding printing lapses in the Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji in his book “Sarbottam Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji”. 

For complete information, visit: https://sikhbookclub.com/shri-guru-granth-sahib

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