About Damdami Taksal

Guru Sahib Ji always has messages/teachings hidden in everything that they do. After they ordered a Sikh to be slapped for mispronouncing a single character of Gurbani, the entire congregation was left perplexed. The story is detailed further in the Shudh Ucharan section here, but in short the Sikh mispronounced the ‘ਕੈ’ (kai) in the following Gurbani line as ‘ਕੇ’(kay):

Through this, the Guru made us realise that every letter and symbol of Gurbani is an ang (limb) of Guru Ji, and making a mistake while reciting Gurbani is like hurting Guru Ji. Following this, Pyare Bhai Daya Singh, along with other respected Gursikhs requested the following to Guru Ji. “Oh keeper of the poor! Bless us with the understanding of Gurbani. Without an understanding we don’t know whether what we do is correct or incorrect.”

Guru Sahib Ji themselves orated Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji from their sacred tongue. Guru Gobind Singh Ji recited the entirety of Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji with Guru Ji first tells the Gursikhs to go to Dhir Mal (he was the elder brother of Sri Guru Har Rai Sahib Ji and grandson to Sri Guru Hargobind Sahib Ji) who is at Kartarpur Sahib and request him to provide the original Saroop (copy) of SGGS that was composed by Guru Arjan Dev Sahib Ji and Bhai Gurdas Ji. Guru Sahib Ji told the Gursikhs that The fifth King has compiled the Aad Granth Sahib Ji and has left the room for the inclusion of the ninth King’s Bani. I will now add that and bless you with the understanding of Gurbani. Shaheed Baba Deep Singh Ji along with 24 other Singhs were turned away by Dhir Mal with the following message.

“If your Guru is the same roop (form) as the first and fifth Kings, then why doesn't he fashion Gurbani from memory?”

Now, although there were many copies of the original Saroop of SGGS, the tenth King, the complete Guru could see that some Sikhs might lose faith in the Guru if they decided to request another saroop. Guru Sahib Ji instead decided to fashion the entire Guru Granth Sahib Ji, with all the same characters, punctuations and verses entirely from memory!

Shaheed Bhai Mani Singh was the scribe chosen for this task while Guru Sahib Ji themselves orated Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji from their sacred tongue. Shaheed Baba Deep Singh Ji with firm faith would complete the seva of providing the paper, pens and ink. There were such great blessings that Jap(u) Ji Sahib, Rehraas Sahib and Kirtan Sohila were written on the first morning. On that evening, the Gursikh Sangat listened to the meanings and correct pronunciation of the completed Gurbani. In this way, the divine Gurbani that was written at amrit vela (ambrosial hours of the morning) would be explained in the evening. Over 9 months and 9 days - from the full moon of Katak in 1762, till 23 Savan in 1763 Bikrami - the understanding of the entire Gurbani along with its pronunciations and meanings was taught. For the first time, the entirety of Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji, from ੴ on Ang (limb/page 1) till ਅਠਾਰਹ ਦਸ ਬੀਸ ॥੧॥੧॥ on Ang 1430, was compiled along with the Bani of the 9th King of Kings. An immeasurable benevolence was bestowed upon the world.

48 Singhs had the fortune of listening to the entirety of this while countless other Gursikh Sangat were present for various parts. The limitless and power of this knowledge left the listeners utterly astonished. The Gursikh Sangat and previously atheistic persons were able to rectify their lives. The 48 Singhs who listened to its entirety attained the state of Brahmgian - the divine knowledge of God Himself and everything in existence. Such became their spiritual state that they detached their souls from their bodies and were liberated from the cycle of birth and death right then and there. Seeing this, Satguru Ji ordered Shaheed Bhai Mani Singh Ji not to follow suit, but to continue doing selfless service and passing on the teaching to others. Guru Ji said that he would not forget a thing even if he were to get cut piece by piece. Shaheed Baba Deep Singh Ji was also given this command and was told that he wouldn’t forget a thing even if his head were separated from his body.

Both Shaheed Bhai Mani Singh Ji and Baba Deep Singh Ji stayed with Guru Sahib Ji (when They went to Takhat Sachkhand Sri Hazoor Sahib) teaching the understanding of Gurbani to other Gursikhs. Just before Guru Ji ascended to Sachkhand They sent Shaheed Bhai Mani Singh Ji to Sri Darbar Sahib Amritsar, and Shaheed Baba Deep Singh Ji to Takhat Sri Damdama Sahib to continue teaching the understanding of Gurbani. These two amazing souls became the founders of Taksal and their life history is detailed here. Since then, an unbroken lineage of complete Brahmgianis has been passing down this knowledge to the Sikh Sangat.

Bhagat Jaswant Singh Ji (of Gursevak.com) spent 8 invaluable years learning from the 12th leader of this esteemed institution — Sant Baba Gurbachan Singh Ji.
(Inputs from www.damdamitaksal.org)