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So Purakhu

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In the Guru Granth Sahib, after ‘So Daru,’ four Sabads
Bani Footnote A verse or a short composition in the Guru Granth Sahib.
are recorded from pages 10 to 12 under the title ‘So Purakhu.’ In the ‘content table of musical modes’ (tatkarā rāgāṁ kā) of the manuscripts of the Guru Granth Sahib, there is a note indicating four Sabads of ‘So Purakhu’ (so purakhu car sabad)
Bani Footnote Bhai Joginder Singh Talwara, Bani Biura, part-1, page 39.
in this regard. This clarifies that ‘So Purakhu’ is a set of four Sabads. The first of these Sabads begins with the line ‘so purakhu nirañjanu hari purakhu nirañjanu…’ This is why these four Sabads are titled: ‘So Purakhu.’ These Sabads are as follows:
1. ragu āsā mahalā 4 so purakhu. so purakhu nirañjanu hari purakhu nirañjanu... .5.1.
2. āsā mahalā 4. tūṁ kartā saciāru maiḍā sāṁī… .4.2.
3. āsā mahalā 1. titu sarvarṛai bhaīle nivāsā… .2.3.
4. āsā mahalā 5. bhaī parāpati mānukh dehurīā... .2.4.

Just like the five Sabads of ‘so daru,’ these four Sabads are also part of the Bani (Guru’s Wisdom) named ‘So Daru Rahrasi’
Bani Footnote More information about this is given at the end of the Sabad “bhaī parāpati mānukh dehurīā.”
which is recited by Sikhs in the evening. But these Sabads are not a part
Bani Footnote Bhai Jodh Singh, Sri Kartarpuri Bir de Darshan, page 4.
of the Kartarpuri recension
Bani Footnote The first compilation of the Guru Granth Sahib that Bhai Gurdas wrote under the guidance of Guru Arjan Sahib in 1604 at Sri Ramsar, Amritsar Sahib. The Bani of Mahala 9 is not included in it. This version is now believed to be in the possession of the Sodhi family at Kartarpur (Jalandhar, Panjab). That is why it is called the ‘Kartarpuri Bir.’ -Bhai Joginder Singh Talwara, Bani Biura, part-1, page 54-55.
collectively under the title, ‘So Purakhu.’ This indicates that even during the time of the compilation of this recension, the practice of reciting these Sabads collectively had not begun.

Some old manuscripts from the time of Guru Harigobind Sahib (1595-1644)
Bani Footnote Generally historians have written 1595 CE as the birth year of Guru Harigobind Sahib, but according to some old writings, it is 1587 CE. -Bhai Swaroop Singh Koshish, Guru Kiyan Sakhiyan, Piara Singh Padam (Editor), page 29.
are also available that contain five Sabads of ‘So Daru’ along with four Sabads of ‘So Purakhu.’ For instance, a gutka
Bani Footnote A small sized compilation of verses from the Guru Granth Sahib and other sources.
believed to be the writing of Bhai Gurdas that is in the possession of the Sodhis of Kartarpur and a pothi
Bani Footnote A relatively bigger sized compilation of verses from the Guru Granth Sahib and other sources.
from the village Ghurani Kalan
Bani Footnote Dr. Vikram Singh, Guru Sahiban Te Gurkhalsa Valon Pravanit So Daru Rahrasi Da Sarup, page 12 (unpublished research paper).
etc.

Apart from these, as seen in the copies of the Kartarpuri recension from the time of Guru Harirai Sahib (1630-1661), the ‘So Purakhu’ Sabads are found to be recorded after the ‘So Daru’ Sabads. For example, Bura Sandhu recension 1654 (Sammat 1711), Dehradun recension 1659 (Sammat 1716), Kangar recension 1661 (Sammat 1718), etc. can be referred to for information on this.
Bani Footnote Piar Singh, Gatha Sri Guru Granth Sahib (based on old manuscripts and recensions), page 253, 259 and 265.
The four Sabads of ‘So Purakhu’ are also found to be recorded in copies of the Damdami recension.
Bani Footnote The version of the Guru Granth Sahib that Bhai Mani Singh wrote under the guidance of Guru Gobind Singh Sahib, and in which the Bani of Mahala 9 was recorded. -Bhai Joginder Singh Talwara, Bani Biura, part-1, page 54-55.


From these facts, it seems that the Sabads titled ‘So Purakh’ started to be collectively recited during the time of Guru Harigobind Sahib and also began to be recorded in the copies of the Adi Bir.

Out of the four Sabads under the title ‘So Purakhu,’ this is the first Sabad recorded on page 10 of the Guru Granth Sahib. This five-stanza Sabad is revealed by Guru Ramdas Sahib (1534-1581) in Rag Asa. This Sabad is also recorded on page 348 of Rag Asa with a difference of a few letters/ending vowel symbols.
Bani Footnote In the Guru Granth Sahib, some similar Sabads are recorded at more than one place. Giani Haribans Singh’s opinion regarding this is that, “If a composition is recorded many times, it should not be construed that it must have been recorded due to the mistake of the scribe. Contrary to this, understand that what was pleasing to the Guru, has been brought to the attention of readers time and again.” -Adi Sri Guru Granth Sahib Darshan Nirnay Satik, volume 1, page 160; Regarding the variations found in the ending vowel symbols in these Sabads, he opines that this is due to musical reasons. In music, an increase or decrease in the poetic meter is quite natural. -volume 5, page 347. These variations may also have been kept by the Guru with the aim to make readers recite these compositions with alertness. On reviewing some manuscripts and the list of variations in their texts (Path Bhedan Di Suchi, editor Randhir Singh, page 102-03), it seems possible that some of these differences could also have been due to the inattentiveness of earlier scribes. But here, it is also worth noting that these variations make no difference to the meanings of the Sabads.
There it is titled ‘āsā mahalā 4.’

Sabad 2
This second Sabad, out of the four Sabads written under the title ‘So Purakhu,’ is on page 11 of the Guru Granth Sahib. This four-stanza Sabad is revealed by Guru Ramdas Sahib (1534-1581) in Rag Asa. One stanza of ‘rahāu’
Bani Footnote See: https://app.gurugranthsahib.io/tggsp/english/SignificantTerms/Rahau
is separate from these stanzas. This Sabad is also recorded on page 365 under Rag Asa with a difference of a few letters/ending vowel symbols. There it is titled ‘ āsā mahalā 4 gharu 2.’

Sabad 3
This third Sabad, out of the four Sabads written under the title ‘So Purakhu,’ is recorded on page 12 of the Guru Granth Sahib. This two-stanza Sabad is revealed by Guru Nanak Sahib (1469-1539) in Rag Asa. One of the stanzas of ‘rahāu’ is separate from these stanzas. This Sabad is also recorded on page 357 under Rag Asa with a difference of a few letters/ending vowel symbols. There it is titled ‘āsā mahalā 1 dupde.’

Sabad 4
This last Sabadout of the four Sabads written under the title ‘So Purakhu’ is recorded on page 12 of the Guru Granth Sahib. This two-stanza Sabad is revealed by Guru Arjan Sahib (1563-1606) in Rag Asa. One stanza of ‘rahāu’ is separate from these stanzas. This Sabad is also recorded on page 378 of the Guru Granth Sahib under Rag Asa with a difference of a few letters/ending vowel symbols. There it is titled ‘āsā mahalā 5 dupade.’