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Introduction
So Daru
In the Guru Granth Sahib, after JapuJi Sahib,
Opening composition of the Guru Granth Sahib. The title of the Bani is ‘japu’ but it is popularly referred to as ‘Jap Ji’ or ‘Jap Ji Sahib’ as a mark of respect.
five Sabads
A verse or a short composition in the Guru Granth Sahib.
are recorded on pages 8-10 under the title ‘So Daru.’ Regarding this, a note, ‘so daru panc sabad’
Joginder Singh Talwara, Bani Biura, page 37.
(So Daru comprising five Sabads) is written under the ‘index of rags’ (musical modes), in the manuscripts
The first compilation of the Guru Granth Sahib, also known as Adi Granth or Kartarpuri Bir, which Guru Arjan Sahib instructed Bhai Gurdas to scribe in 1604 at Sri Ramsar, Amritsar. The Bani of the ninth Guru, Guru Teghbahadar Sahib was not yet revealed, hence it was not part of it. The tenth Guru, Guru Gobind Singh Sahib, instructed Bhai Mani Singh to add Guru Teghbahadar Sahib’s Bani in the Adi Granth version, and then gave it the Guruship in 1708, at Nanded, Maharashtra. This version is known as the Damdami Bir.
of the Guru Granth Sahib. From this information, it is clear that ‘So Daru’ is a collection of five Sabads. Out of these five, the first Sabad begins with the line ‘so daru terā kehā so gharu kehā....’ Thus, these five Sabads have received the title ‘so daru.’ These Sabads are as follows:

1. so daru rāgu āsā mahalā 1. so daru terā kehā so gharu kehā… .1.
2. āsā mahalā 1. suṇi vaḍā ākhai sabhu koi… .4.2.
3. āsā mahalā 1. ākhā jīvā visrai mari jāu… .4.3.
4. rāg gūjarī mahalā 4. hari ke jan satigur sat purkhā… .4.4.
5. rāgu gūjarī mahalā 5. kāhe re man citvahi udam… .4.5.

These Sabads were recorded under this title by Guru Arjan Sahib (1563-1606) during the compilation of Adi Granth.
Dr. Ratan Singh Jaggi, Guru Granth Vishvakosh, part one, page 242.
According to the Sikh code of conduct, these Sabads are part of the Bani, ‘So Daru Rahrasi,’
More information about this is given in the ‘so purakhu’ Sabad.
which Sikhs recite in the evening.

According to ‘Shabdarth Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji,’
Part One, page 8.
in ‘So Daru,’ “only one Sabad is included... In the index of rags too, only this Sabad is called ‘So Daru,’” which is inaccurate. This view about (there being only one Sabad) may be correct for the Sabad in Rag Asa (page 347), but not for the ‘so daru panc sabad’ (So Daru comprising five Sabads). The index of the Guru Granth Sahib’s original manuscript (Kartarpur Bir)
The first compilation of the Guru Granth Sahib, also known as Adi Granth or Kartarpuri Bir, that Guru Arjan Sahib instructed Bhai Gurdas to scribe in 1604 at Sri Amritsar, Panjab.
provided by Bhai Jodh Singh
Bhai Jodh Singh, Sri Kartarpuri Bir De Darshan, page 4.
also points to this title as a collection of five Sabads. The numeric arrangement (1, 2, 3, 4, 5) available at the end of these Sabads also attests to that.

Sabad 1
so daru terā kehā so gharu kehā
Out of the five Sabads recorded under the title ‘So Daru,’ this is the first Sabad. There is only one stanza of twenty-two lines in this Sabad written on page 8-9 of the Guru Granth Sahib. This Sabad is uttered by Guru Nanak Sahib (1469-1539) in Rag Asa.

This Sabad of ‘So Daru’ is also recorded in the twenty-seventh pauri of ‘Japu’ Ji Sahib and on page 347 of the Guru Granth Sahib in Rag Asa. The Sabad in ‘Japu’ Ji Sahib is somewhat different from the other two Sabads. This view of the Faridkoti Tika, that in reality there are only two Sabads, seems correct. One appears in ‘Japu’ Ji Sahib and the other in Rag Asa. The Sabad in Rag Asa is the one that has been included in the five Sabads recorded under the title ‘So Daru.’ There is very little difference between the two Sabads of ‘So Daru’ and Rag Asa.
Adi Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji Satik (Faridkot Wala Tika), volume 1, page 29.


According to Dr. Vikram Singh, during the times of Guru Nanak Sahib, “in the beginning, there was only one Sabad ‘so daru terā kehā…’ in this composition.”
Dr. Vikram Singh, Guru Sahiban Ate Gurkhalsa Valon Pravanit So Dar Rehras Da Sarup, page 4 (unpublished research paper).
Bhai Gurdas has pointed to the singing of this Sabad in the evening during Guru Nanak Sahib’s stay at Kartarpur as follows: sañjhai sodar gāvaṇā man melī kari meli milande. -Var 6, Pauri 3

This Sabad describes the praising of IkOankar by all elements and creatures of the world in innumerable ways. All elements like air, water, fire, etc., sing the praises of IkOankar. Gods-goddesses like Dharam-Raj, Chitra Gupt, Shiva, Brahma, Devi, Indra, etc., and Siddhas, celibates, righteous people, contented beings, Pandits, warriors, brave ones, enchanting women, etc., all are singing the praises of IkOankar alone. All living creatures of different parts of the cosmos, solar systems, universes, heaven, netherworld, etc., are singing the praises of IkOankar. Just like this Sabad describes how the entire creation ‘sings’ the praises of IkOankar, some other Sabads in the Guru Granth Sahib also use the same idiom to describe the entire creation ‘meditating’ on IkOankar, ‘devoting itself’ to IkOankar and ‘living in reverence’ of IkOankar. In reality, singing the praises of IkOankar, meditating on IkOankar, devoting oneself to IkOankar, and living in reverence of IkOankar or discipline all mean the same thing. All these poetic techniques inform us that the entire creation is only functioning under the will of IkOankar. Whatever is pleasing to IkOankar, IkOankar does that alone. IkOankar’s will cannot be avoided. IkOankar alone is the creator and master of the entire creation. It is only fitting for a being to happily abide by IkOankar’s will.

Some Sabads similar in meaning to the above Sabad are given below:

simarai dharatī aru ākāsā. simrahi chand sūraj guṇtāsā. paüṇ pāṇī baisantar simrahi simarai sagal upārjanā.1. simarahi khanḍ dīp sabhi loā. simrahi pātāl purīā sacu soā. simrahi khāṇī simrahi bāṇī simrahi sagale hari janā.2. simrahi brahame bisan mahesā. simrahi devate koṛi tetīsā. simrahi jakhiya dait sabhi simrahi agantu na jāī jasu ganā.3. simrahi pasu paṅkhī sabhi bhūtā. simrahi ban parbat aüdhūtā. latā balī sākh sabh simrahi ravi rahiā suāmī sabh manā.4. simrahi thūl sūkham sabhi jantā. simrahi sidh sādhik hari mantā. gupat pragaṭ simrahi prabh mere sagal bhavan kā prabh dhanā.5. simrahi nar nārī āsarmā. simrahi jāti joti sabhi varnā. simrahi guṇī catur sabhi bete simrahi raiṇī aru dinā.6. simrahi ghaṛī mūrat pal nimkhā. simarai kālu akālu suci socā. simrahi saüṇ sāstra sañjogā alakhu na lakhīai iku khinā.7. -Guru Granth Sahib 1080

paüṇu pāṇī baisantaro hukami karhi bhagtī. enā no bhaü agalā pūrī baṇat baṇatī. sabhu iko hukamu vartadā manniai sukhu pāī.3. -Guru Granth Sahib 948

bhai vici pavaṇu vahai sadvāu. bhai vici calahi lakh darīāu. bhai vici agani kaḍhai vegāri. bhai vici dhartī dabī bhāri. bhai vici indu phirai sir bhari. bhai vici rājā dharam duāru. bhai vici sūraju bhai vici chandu. koh karoṛī calat na antu. bhai vici sidh budh sur nāth. bhai vici āḍāṇe ākās. bhai vici jodh mahābal sūr. bhai vici āvahi jāvahi pūr. sagliā bhaü likhiā siri lekhu. nānak nirbhaü niraṅkaru sacu eku.1. -Guru Granth Sahib, 465.

Sabad 2
In the Guru Granth Sahib, out of the five Sabads
A verse or a short composition in the Guru Granth Sahib.
under the title ‘So Daru,’ this is the second Sabad recorded on page 9. This Sabad has also been revealed by Guru Nanak Sahib (1469-1539) in Rag Asa. It has four stanzas. One stanza of ‘rahāu’ is separate from these stanzas. This Sabad is also recorded on page 348-349 under Rag Asa with a slight difference of a few letters/ending vowel symbols.
In the Guru Granth Sahib, some similar Sabads are recorded in 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 the readers time and again.” -Adi Sri Guru Granth Sahib Darshan Nirnay Satik, volume one, 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 five, 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 manuscripts and the list of variations in their texts (Path Bhedan Di Suchi, editor Randhir Singh, page 102-03) another possibility emerges 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 its title is ‘rāgu āsā mahalā 1 caüpade gharu 2.’

Sabad 3
In the Guru Granth Sahib, out of the five Sabads
A verse or a short composition in the Guru Granth Sahib.
written under the title ‘So Daru,’ this is the third Sabad recorded on pages 9 and 10. This four-stanza Sabad is also revealed by Guru Nanak Sahib (1469-1539) in Rag Asa. One stanza of ‘rahāu’ is separate from these stanzas. This Sabad is also recorded on page 349 of Rag Asa with a difference of a few letters/ending vowel symbols.
In the Guru Granth Sahib, some similar Sabads are recorded in 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 his readers time and again.”-Adi Sri Guru Granth Sahib Darshan Nirnay Satik, volume one, 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 five, 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 manuscripts and the list of variations in their texts (Path Bhedan Di Suchi, editor Randhir Singh, page 102-03), the possibility is 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 too its title is ‘āsā mahalā 1.’

Sabad 4
Out of five Sabads
A verse or a short composition in the Guru Granth Sahib.
under the title ‘So Daru,’ this is the fourth Sabad recorded on page 10 of the Guru Granth Sahib. This four-stanza Sabad is revealed by Guru Ramdas Sahib (1534-1581) in Rag Gujari. One stanza of ‘rahāu’ is separate from these stanzas. This Sabad is also recorded on page 492 of the Guru Granth Sahib in Rag Gujari with a difference of a few letters/ending vowel symbols.
In the Guru Granth Sahib, some similar Sabads are recorded in 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 his readers time and again.”-Adi Sri Guru Granth Sahib Darshan Nirnay Satik, volume one, 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 five, 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 manuscripts and the list of variations in their texts (Path Bhedan Di Suchi, editor Randhir Singh, page 102-03) the possibility is 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 its title is ‘rāgu gūjarī mahalā 4 chaüpade gharu 1.’

Sabad 5
Out of the five Sabads
A verse or a short composition in the Guru Granth Sahib.
under the title ‘So Daru,’ this is the last Sabad recorded on page 10 of the Guru Granth Sahib. This four-stanza Sabad is revealed by Guru Arjan Sahib (1563-1606) in Rag Gujari. One stanza of ‘rahāu’ is separate from the other stanzas. This Sabad is also recorded on page 495 under Rag Gujari with a difference of a few letters/ending vowel symbols.
In the Guru Granth Sahib, some similar Sabads are recorded in 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 his readers time and again.”-Adi Sri Guru Granth Sahib Darshan Nirnay Satik, volume one, 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 five, page 347. These variations may also have been retained by the Guru with the aim to make readers recite these compositions with alertness. On reviewing manuscripts and the list of variations in their texts (Path Bhedan Di Suchi, editor Randhir Singh, page 102-03), it is 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 its title is ‘gūjarī mahalā 5 chaüpade gharu 1.’