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Kirtan

Singing the Word — history, raag, and shabads to work through with care.

Kirtan is the singing of Gurbani — praise of the One through the Guru’s Word. Here you may learn what kirtan is, who composed shabads in Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji, then work through featured shabads: About first, then Read (Gurmukhi, romanised, English from BaniDB).

About

The Kirtan section is part of SinghAI, a Guru Nanak teaching series on our YouTube channel @singhaiuk. Here you can learn what kirtan is, who wrote the shabads, and work through featured shabads with text from BaniDB.

Our honesty line: we do not invent Gurbani or dialogue, and we do not claim any painting is the Guru’s real face.

What is Kirtan?

From the earliest days of Guru Nanak Dev Ji’s travels, the Word was sung. Kirtan is not entertainment; it is seva of the shabad — listening, singing, and letting the bani settle in the heart. In the gurdwara, kirtan sits at the centre of congregational life: the sangat gathers, the shabad is offered, and minds turn toward Hukam.

Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji is arranged largely by raag (classical melodic frameworks). Many shabads carry a raag heading so that singing follows the Guru’s musical intention as well as the meaning. You do not need to be a trained musician to benefit — listening with attention is itself a path — yet the raag tradition reminds us that form and feeling both matter.

Purpose is simple and deep: remembrance of Naam, softening of ego, and joining the sangat in one voice. Kirtan supports Nitnem and simran; it does not replace living the teachings.

Who wrote the shabads?

Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji holds the compositions of the Sikh Gurus and of Bhagats and other devotees whose bani the Gurus gathered into the Scripture. In kirtan you will hear:

When we sing Bhagat bani, we honour that the Guru Granth is a shared home of devotion, not a closed circle. Authorship is always credited; we do not invent Gurbani.

Listen

When recordings are ready, you can listen on YouTube @singhaiuk. Until then, use About + Read here, and join live kirtan in your local sangat whenever you can.

Shabads often sung in kirtan

A short list of shabads you will often hear in kirtan, with Gurmukhi, romanised text and meaning checked against BaniDB. Listen to them sung in your local sangat.

Sources: BaniDB / SikhiToTheMax. Gurmukhi, Ang, raag, author and English meanings checked against BaniDB (Sant Singh Khalsa translation unless stated).

More well-known kirtan shabads

Fifteen more shabads, mostly Guru Nanak Dev Ji’s bani. Gurmukhi and romanised text are copied exactly from BaniDB (first line shown, with shabad ID). Each has its own About page.

Transcripts — Gurmukhi and Romanised

Draft translation, under review. The Punjabi below is a machine-made translation of our own English text on this page. It is not Gurbani. Gurbani on this page is quoted exactly from BaniDB with its ang.

About

ਕੀਰਤਨ ਭਾਗ SinghAI ਦਾ ਹਿੱਸਾ ਹੈ, ਜੋ ਸਾਡੇ YouTube ਚੈਨਲ @singhaiuk ਉੱਤੇ ਗੁਰੂ ਨਾਨਕ ਦੇਵ ਜੀ ਬਾਰੇ ਸਿੱਖਿਆ ਦੀ ਲੜੀ ਹੈ। ਅਸੀਂ ਗੁਰਬਾਣੀ ਜਾਂ ਗੱਲਬਾਤ ਨਹੀਂ ਘੜਦੇ, ਅਤੇ ਅਸੀਂ ਕਿਸੇ ਵੀ ਚਿੱਤਰ ਨੂੰ ਗੁਰੂ ਜੀ ਦਾ ਅਸਲੀ ਚਿਹਰਾ ਹੋਣ ਦਾ ਦਾਅਵਾ ਨਹੀਂ ਕਰਦੇ।

Keertan bhaag SinghAI daa hissaa hai, jo saade YouTube chainal @singhaiuk utte Guru Nanak Dev Ji baare sikhiaa dee la(rr)ee hai. Aseen Gurbaanee jaan gallbaat naheen gha(rr)de, ate aseen kise vee chittar noon Guru Ji daa asalee chihraa hon daa daavaa naheen karde.

What is Kirtan?

ਕੀਰਤਨ ਗੁਰਬਾਣੀ ਦਾ ਗਾਇਨ ਹੈ — ਗੁਰੂ ਦੇ ਸ਼ਬਦ ਰਾਹੀਂ ਇੱਕ ਦੀ ਸਿਫ਼ਤ-ਸਲਾਹ। ਕੀਰਤਨ ਮਨੋਰੰਜਨ ਨਹੀਂ; ਇਹ ਸ਼ਬਦ ਦੀ ਸੇਵਾ ਹੈ — ਸੁਣਨਾ, ਗਾਉਣਾ, ਅਤੇ ਬਾਣੀ ਨੂੰ ਦਿਲ ਵਿੱਚ ਵਸਣ ਦੇਣਾ। ਸ੍ਰੀ ਗੁਰੂ ਗ੍ਰੰਥ ਸਾਹਿਬ ਜੀ ਜ਼ਿਆਦਾਤਰ ਰਾਗਾਂ ਅਨੁਸਾਰ ਤਰਤੀਬ ਵਿੱਚ ਹਨ।

Keertan Gurbaanee daa gaain hai — Guru de Shabad raaheen Ik dee sifat-salaah. Keertan manoranjan naheen; ih shabad dee sevaa hai — sunanaa, gaaunaa, ate baanee noon dil vich vasan denaa. Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji ziaadaatar raagaan anusaar tarteeb vich han.

Who wrote the shabads?

ਸ੍ਰੀ ਗੁਰੂ ਗ੍ਰੰਥ ਸਾਹਿਬ ਜੀ ਵਿੱਚ ਸਿੱਖ ਗੁਰੂ ਸਾਹਿਬਾਨ ਅਤੇ ਭਗਤਾਂ ਦੀ ਬਾਣੀ ਹੈ। ਲੇਖਕ ਦਾ ਨਾਮ ਹਮੇਸ਼ਾ ਦਿੱਤਾ ਜਾਂਦਾ ਹੈ; ਅਸੀਂ ਗੁਰਬਾਣੀ ਨਹੀਂ ਘੜਦੇ।

Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji vich Sikh Guru Sahibaan ate Bhagtaan dee baanee hai. Lekhak daa naam hameshaa dittaa jaandaa hai; aseen Gurbaanee naheen gha(rr)de.

Gurbani lines in the shabad list above are shown in Gurmukhi and romanised form exactly as given by BaniDB, each with its ang.

Today’s study

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Featured shabads — work through

Each card has About (author, raag, ang, teachings) and Read (live text from BaniDB). Start with any; six starters are offered below.

The Gyani is AI and is not the Guru. About pages offer brief orientation only — paraphrase, not invented Gurbani. Live text is loaded from BaniDB when you are online.