Guru Granth Sahib and Its Context
Proceedings of the International Seminar, New Delhi, October 2005

Guru Granth Sahib and Its Context, Edited by Dr Jaswant Singh Neki was published by Bhai Vir Singh Sahitya Sadan, New Delhi in 2007

This volume contains essays on different aspects of Guru Granth Sahib and its context by eminent scholars from India and abroad, presented at an International Seminar inaugurated by Dr. Manmohan Singh, the Prime Minister of India. The Seminar was organized by Bhai Vir Singh Sahitya Sadan,. New Delhi, in collaboration with the Department of Culture, Government of India, to mark the quadricentenary of the installation of Guru Granth Sahib in Harmandir Sahib, Amritsar.

Guru Granth Sahib is a distinctive holy book that teaches reverence for all religions. Guru Nanak Dev said:

Just as there is one sun that makes for a variety of seasons, So too, there is One Creator and He makes for a variety of revelations.
- SGGS p.12.

Today we talk of inter-faith dialogue as the essential means for achieving inter-religious peace. Guru Granth Sahib compiled several centuries back, not only affmns the need for inter-faith dialogue, but actually provides a model of inter-faith communication within its very corpus. It contains works not only of the Sikh Gurus, but also of even more numerous Hindu Bhaktas and Muslim Dervishes, thus making it a really pluralist scripture.
In Guru Granth Sahib, we find the essence of the wisdom of that great period of philosophical ferment in India during which the Sikh Gurus, the Muslim Sufi Saints and the Hindu Bhaktas, tried to provide unifying message by emphasizing transcendental vision of the Ultimate. Much before the inception of ecumenical movement in the west, Guru Arjan Dev by compiling the Guru Granth Sahib clearly provided a model of inter-faith dialogue wherein he collated the teachings of all those saints who shared Guru Nanak's vision of unity of Godhead.