Bhai Gurdas Jee's vaars a key to bani?

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I have come across following points and wanted to share with members here.

Source: http://www.sikhnet.com/Sikhnet/discussion....C9!OpenDocument

Let's start discussion on the basis of these points.

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According to tradition it was not 'Daswan Patshah' ji who is said to

have designated writings of Bhai Gurdas as the key to Guru Granth Sahib ji but it was Guru Arjan Dev ji. During the process of editing and compiling SGGS it is said that Guru ji did not include Bhai Gurdas's writing in Gurbani although that of the Bhats was included. However, it is said that Guru ji said that vaars of Bhai Gurdas shall be the key to SGGS.

Bhai Gurdas's writing is mainly in the Pauri format for the Vaars or

in the Kabit format in addition to the Vaars. It is not sloks or couplets as you mentioned.

That the sikh who eats with his head uncovered does not walk the way of Gurmat was to my knowledge stipulated in Tankhahnama purported to be written by Bhai Nand Lal and not by Bhai Gurdas. And the linking of a topee or cap with hell is again from a Rahitnama written long after Guru Gobind Singh ji not from the writings of Bhai Gurdas ji.

As for the writings of Bhai Gurdas to be the key to SGGS there is no question as to the excellence and simplicity of language for the exposition some very difficult concepts of Gurmat. However, the traditional attempt to link it with the compilation of SGGS and calling it a key to SGGS by Guru Arjan Dev ji appears to be far fetched and historical unjustifiable.

The reason for this is that of the 39 vaars attributed to Bhai Gurdas Bhalla ji in the very first vaar there is reference to Guru Hargobind ji being on the Gurgaddi. If these were already written at the time of compilation of SGGS by Guru Arjan Dev ji then how come that the vaars mention Guru Hargobind to be on Gurgaddi.

Panj piaalay panj peer, shatham peeru baitha guru bhaari

Arjan kaya palat kai moorati Hari Gobind swaaree. (Vaar 1, pauri 48)

Dastgeer hoi panj peer, hari guru Harigobind atola (vaar 39, pauri 3)

Gur govind, govindu guru, Hargobind sada vigsanda (vaar 24, pauri 21)

Ramdasauh Arjan Guru guru sabad sathoi

Hargobind Guru Arjanauh Guru Govind hoi (vaar 38, pauri 20)

Thus, we see that the vaars must have been written at the time of Guru Hargobind

Sahib ji and possibly had no existence at the time of compilation of SGGS. Sixth

Guruji was detained for a long period in the Gwalior fort immediately after the martyrdom of Guru Arjan Dev ji. (Emperor Jehangir writes in his autobiography ?Tuzak e Jehangiri? that he ordered the arrest of Guru Arjan Dev, his children, family and confiscation of his proprety and to be handed over to Murtaza Khan the Governor of Lahore.). After a lapse of several years (6 or 7) sixth Guru ji was released, Harmandir Sahib was handed back to Sikhs, and Divali was celebrated by sikhs to

mark the occasion.

Traditional writers tend to say that sixth Guru ji was detained long

after martyrdom of fifth Guru ji which does not seem to be logical because there are not very long gaps between the births of sons of sixth guru ji to account for the long detention period at Gwalior.

The birth of Baba Gurdita ji, the eldest took place in the

year 1613 and that of Guru Teg Bahadur the youngest in1621 (other four were born in 1617, 1619, and 1620).

So, Bhai Gurdas must have written the vaars referred to above after sixth Guruji was released shortly before 1613 about six years after the martyrdom of fifth Guru ji or at some later period and not before 1613. So there appears to be a grave lacuna in the tradition that fifth Guru ji referred to the then non-existent vaars to be the key to SGGS.

Incidentally, the reference to hair in Bhai Gurdas?s vaar is included with cndemnation of other religious practices. Thus, in vaar36, pauri 14

Milai je tirath nhatian daddan jal vaasi

If God could be realised by bathing in places of pilgrimage then the frogs do live there all the time in water

Vaal vadhaian paeeay bar jataan plasee

If one could realise God by cultivating long hair then the trees such as Bar or Peepal have very long arial roots similar to hair.