Need of Gurmukhi Script ???

[jagsinrags]

Waheguru Ji Ka Khalsa

Waheguru Ji ki Fateh !!

Which Guru Ji invented the punjabi script and what was its need when there were other languages available at that time?

What all were the reasons? And what were the consequences expected on the society?

I am just curious about the origin of Gurmukhi script !! Please share your knowledge with me.

Sorry for all the mistakes !!

Waheguru Ji Ka Khalsa

Waheguru Ji ki Fateh !!

[Balait_da_Sher]

All i know is that Guru Angad Dev ji created Gurmukhi Script from existing Punjabi Script :wub:

http://www.sikh-history.com/sikhhist/gurus/nanak2.html

Guru Angad invented the present form of the Gurmukhi script. It became the medium of writing the Punjabi language in which the hymns of the Gurus are expressed This step had a far-reaching purpose and impact. First, it gave the people who spoke this language an identity of their own, enabling them to express their thought directly and without any difficulty or transliteration. The measure had the effect of establishing the independence of the mission and the followers of the Guru. Secondly, it helped the community to dissociate itself from the Sanskrit religous tradition so that the growth and development of the Sikhs could take place unhampered and unprejudiced by the backlog of the earlier religious and social philosophies and practices. This measure, as shown by the subsequent growth of Sikhism, was essential in order to secure its unhindered development and progress as it required an entirely different approach to life.

Dr Gupta feels that this step, to a certain extent, kept the upper classes among Hindus, to which the Guru belonged, away from Sikhism, partly because they were steeped in the old religious and Brahminical tradition and partly because the Sanskrit tradition fed their ego by giving them a superior caste status to that of the other castes. But, the idea of equ

ality of man was fundamental to the Sikh spiritual system. Thc Guru knew that its association with traditional religious literature would tend to water it down. The matter is extremely important from the point of view of the historical growth and study. Actually, the students of Sikh history know that over the centuries the influence of these old traditions has been very much in evidence. It has sometimes even given a wrong twist to the new thesis and its growth. The educated persons were almost entirely drawn from the upper castes and classes. They had a vested interest, visible also in their writings, in introducing ideas and practices which helped in maintaining their privileges and prejudices of caste superiority, even though such customs were opposed to the fundamentals about the equality of man laid down by the Gurus. For example, the Jats, who were themselves drawn from classes branded as low by the Brahminical system, started exhibiting caste prejudices vis-a-vis the lower castes drawn from the Hindu fold.

Earlier, the Punjabi language was written in the Landa or Mahajani script This had no vowel sounds, which had to be imagined or construed by the reader in order to decipher the writing. Therefore, there was the need of a script which could faithfully reproduce the hymns of the Gurus so that the true meaning and message of the Gurus could not be misconstrued and misinterpreted by each reader to suit his own purpose and prejudices. The devising of the Gurmukhi script was an essential step in order to maintain the purity of the doctrine and exclude all possibility of misunderstanding and misconstruction by interested persons.

More on http://www.sikh-history.com/sikhhist/gurus/nanak2.html

[Bijla Singh]

All i know is that Guru Angad Dev ji created Gurmukhi Script from existing Punjabi Script

This is one of the biggest misconception. Guru Nanak Dev Ji invented Gurmukhi Lipi. Guru Ji wrote "Ik Oankar" when He went to school the first time which was the beginning of the Gurmukhi Lipi. Guru Angad Dev Ji popularized it and taught it in schools. because of this many scholars thought second Nanak Ji invented it. If anyone disagrees please provide some solid proofs. Other than that the article above explains the reasons and everything else. Waheguru Ji Ka Khalsa Waheguru Ji Ki Fateh

[Deep Singh]

This is one of the biggest misconception. Guru Nanak Dev Ji invented Gurmukhi Lipi. Guru Ji wrote "Ik Oankar" when He went to school the first time which was the beginning of the Gurmukhi Lipi.

Balait Da Sher Bhaji is right.

The eka in Ik Oankar exited before Guru Sahib, and so did the Akhar Oraa.

Guru Sahib didn't invent Gurmukhi. They codified an existing Lipi. Some call this Lipi by the name Ardhanagri, which was a combination of Kashmiri script Sharda and Hindustani script Devanagri.

They "created" the script in the sense that they gave rules for its proper use, pronunciation, and orthography, however the akhars existed before. They modified some structures to make it better.

Some draw the origin of Gurmukhi to Landa script, but i don't think that is correct.

Why it is called Gurmukhi? Here, it doesn't mean 'from the Guru's mouth'. It is the related form of the word Gurmukh. Just like Sikhi is of Sikh. Gurmukhs were true Sikhs who wrote and spread the Word of Guru Sahiban. As they used the Ardhanagri script codified by Gurus, the script came to known as Gurmukhi.

[Deep Singh]

I have been having some discussion with a fellow:

http://guca.sourceforge.net/forum/viewtopic.ppa?t=50

Follow the links given in that discussion.

I will give solid proof if that is desired. Might be busy the next weeks, but you will get it.

[V]

The Gurmukhi script is tightly associated with the Sikh religion, as the words guru-mukhî literally mean "from the mouth of the guru". It was created in the 16th century CE by the second Sikh guru, Guru Angad, to write the Punjabi language. Stylistically, Gurmukhi derives its letter shapes from Landa, but considerable influence from Nagari is evident from the top horizontal bar present in most letters.

http://www.ancientscripts.com/gurmukhi.html

Gurmukhi

Landa

[Deep Singh]

Veer Ji, i have read this page before. And i made my opinion about 'Ardhanagri' origin after that. I don't support the Landa origin theory.

[Bijla Singh]

They codified an existing Lipi. Some call this Lipi by the name Ardhanagri, which was a combination of Kashmiri script Sharda and Hindustani script Devanagri.

is it posible for you to provide these scripts so I can see the difference or name of a book I can buy?

They "created" the script in the sense that they gave rules for its proper use, pronunciation, and orthography, however the akhars existed before. They modified some structures to make it better.

I think it was Guru Nanak Dev Ji. no? I will try to find the source.

Some draw the origin of Gurmukhi to Landa script, but i don't think that is correct.

why?

I will give solid proof if that is desired. Might be busy the next weeks, but you will get it.

provide 'em whenever you have time. I can wait.

I read the info on that web site. pretty good stuff and lot of new info. thanks

Waheguru Ji Ka Khalsa Waheguru Ji Ki Fateh

[Deep Singh]

Bijla Singh Ji,

I am in a mood of collecting sources and preparing an article. When i am done, i will notify you (i promised this to my fellow at PCRC forum also). Everything you asked about, i will try to answar ji.

[Deep Singh]

I have written a sort of 'article' at PCRC forum:

1. Any comparative analysis of Gurmukhi, Lande (Mahajani), Takri, Sharda and Devanagri will show that these scripts are related to each other. They have all been derived from Brahmi. Also, we will notice that there is a very strong connection between the Gurmukhi and Takri letters (stronger than with Lande). The problem however is that Takri does not have a standard version, there are atleast 5 styles used in various district of Himachal: Chamba, Mandi, etc.

2. It is incorrect to say that Gurmukhi is solely derived from Lande characters. There are two points to be noted:

a. Lande does not have laga-matra, and only the main letters. It was used for business purposes, and not meant for writing literature. Lande means 'un-tailed', and is not a script for proper literary purposes.

b. There are some characters found in Gurmukhi that are not there in Landha.

3. Bhai Kahn Singh Nabha, Sikhism's greatest encyclopedist, says that Gurmukhi characters existed before Guru Nanak Ji's time (and thus it is incorrect to say that Gurus created them). He also says that Gurmukhi is formed from a combination of Sharda and Takri (from Mahan Kosh). This is considerable evidence to state this, however it is not accepted by a. Duni Chander, a Punjabi linguist who says that scripts are not created, but evolve over time, and thus Gurmukhi must have been evolved from one single script and not both Takri and Sharda. Later he

agrees with GB Singh's views (p. 80-81, Punjabi Bhasha Da Vikas 1959) and b. Dr. Raghuvir who says that Gurmukhi characters look like a 'Prachin lipi' and not these two (cited in PS Padam p. 94).

4. There are two major 'studies' of Gurmukhi; one is historic (Piara Singh Padam and co) and the other is archeological (GB Singh).

A. Piara Singh quotes a Muslim writer, Al-Beruni, who wrote Kitab Al-Hind (1030 AD) where he lists 11 scripts used in Punjab and its neighbouring areas (North India). One of these is Ardhanagari, which he lists as a beautiful mixture of Gangetic Nagari script and Kashmiri Sharda script, which was 'used in Punjab and Sindh' under the rule of Bhatti Rajputs who formed the Kingdom of Bhatinda (and whole of Malwa area). Thus, Bhat Akri or Ardhanagari was the official script and was probably used in Punjab from 11th century onwards. Padam says that as we don't have the varan-mala (chain of letters) of Ardhanagri, we can't say that it is 'old Gurmukhi', however all historic evidence points towards this. It is probably the 'Prachin Lipi' that became Gurmukhi under Sikh Gurus. However, we do have another lipi; Sidh Matrika or Sidhan Lipi, that is a variant of Ardhanagri and which was used by Sidhas to write their Granths etc. And this is like Gurmukhi.

B. GB Singh in his Gurmukhi Da Janam Te Vikas (1972) also provides specimens that have Gurmukhi like characters from the era of Guru Nanak Ji from Hathur or Athur in Ludhiana district.

C. Similar, 'Sirdar Attar Singh, the Chief of Bahadur [was of the view that there existed]an inscription dates 50 years before the advent of Guru Nanak, written in character which are evidently the same as present Gurmukhi [...]'. G.W. Leitner, History of Indigenous Education in the Punjab, 1883.p.29

5. There are three views about the name Gurmukhi:

a. That it means 'from the mouth of Gurus', and since a script does not come from the mouth, but from the hands, Gurmukhi w

ord was used for 'the Guru's Bani or writings'. And in due course of time, it came to be used for the script itself. (Hindi Vishav Kosh, part 3, p. 475-476)

b. That Gurmukhi word is the related form of 'Gurmukh', that is a term used for devoted Sikhs who used to write this script and do missionary work. (Piara Singh Padam p.55, and mostly all Punjabi linguists) Also writings of Baba Sri Chand use Gurmukhi, and Guru Nanak's 'Patti' Bani in Sri Guru Granth Sahib lists most of the Gurmukhi akhars, thus it cannot have been 'created by Guru Angad Dev Ji'. It existed even before Guru Nanak.

c. That Gurmukhi word is actually from Nath-Yogi terms (from 10th century onwards). And it may be so that the word came to be used for their script, which they used to write their Bani. (verses from Gorakh Nath containing 'Gurmukh' term cited in Padam p. 56) Infact, lots of 'Sikh mystic terms' such as guru-cela, surat-shabad, nag-bind, dasam-duar, sunn-samadi, dhian-bhau, anhatt-shabad etc are given to 'Gurbani literature' from the Nath yogis. (see Dharam Singh, HS Bohgal's - Punjabi Sahit Da Itihaas 1700 is. tak, GNDU, p. 24)

6. Thus:

a. No major scholars have said that Gurmukhi is derived from Lande, however Ardhanagri (GB Singh), Sidd matrika (Pritam Singh), Sharda (Kahn Singh, Diriginder) and Takri are often used. Lande are an incomplete script-tradition, and only Takri and Sharda can be regarded as proper scripts of Punjab that co-existed with the 'old script' that became Gurmukhi.

b. E.P. Newton says that: atleast 21 Gurmukhi characters are found in ancient manuscripts: 6 from 10th century, 12 from 3rd century BC, 3 from 5th century BC.

c. From the 'evidence' found in books written by Punjabi linguists, we should consider that the script we call 'Gurmukhi' existed in Punjab either by the name Bhat Akri, Sidd Matrika or Ardhanagari, and is in final words a Punjabi script, not something created by Sikh Gurus. <

br>d. We should also note the view of Harkirat Singh (online article) that: even though the Gurmukhi letters existed before, but it was Gurus who modified them and formed 'the SCRIPT', ie giving all the letters proper sounds and orthographical rules.

e. Some ask the reason why Guru adopted this script: The Goindval pohtis, that are one of the oldest manuscripts containing Bani are in Gurmukhi script. However, the Bhagat Bani section is partly in Lande script. It is said that when Guru Angad Dev Ji (?) found out that Bani written in Lande could have many pronunciations, they adopted the Gurmukhi script in order to make Gurbani more 'firm', as meanings can change if it is pronounced incorrectly. That is the most logical reason i have read so far.

That is some of the points i have be able to write down. If anyone has any questions, please reply.