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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).

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.

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.