GURU KIAN SAKHIAN, containing stories from the lives of the Gurus, was written by Bhatt Sarup Singh Kaushish, of Bhadson, in Parganah Thanesar. As recorded by the author, the manuscript was completed in 1847 Bk/AD 1790 at Bhadson itself. The original manuscript was written in Bhattachchhari, a script used by the Bhatts or family bards for recording genealogical details concerning their clients. It was later transliterated into Gurmukhi script by Bhatt Chhaj[ju Singh Kaushish in 1925 Bk/AD 1869. The work has since been published (1986) in book form.
The manuscript contains a total of 112 sdkhis connected with the lives of five of the Gurus Guru Hargobind to Guru Gobind Singh.Four of these sdkhis relate to Guru Hargobind, nine to Guru Har Rai , four to Guru Har Krishan, 16 to Guru Tegh Bahadur and 79 to Guru Gobind Singh. The first Guru to have Bhatts in attendance was Guru Arjan. A few of them became devout Sikhs. They wrote hymns in praise of Guru Arjan and his predecessors which are preserved in the Guru Granth Sahib.
They and their descendants took part in Guru Hargobind`s battles against the Mughal forces. They put down in their vahis, genealogical records, some of the events connected with the lives of the Gurus. The entries in the Bhatt Vahis arc thus historically very important. The Guru kidn Sdkhidn is based upon these Bhatt entries.But the description of historical events in the Guru kidn Sdkhidn is different in style from accounts in the Vahis.
Entries in the latter mainly confine themselves to giving details with regard to the ancestry, gotra, clan, etc., of the persons concerned and mentioning the year, month, tithi (dark or moonlit part of the lunar month), day and sometimes even the exact time of a particular happening. The description of the episode itself is sketchy and brief. The Guru kidn Sdkhidn is, on the contrary, narrative in character. The Guru kidn Sdkhidn, discovered recently by Giani Garja Singh, brings to light some new facts, especially in relation to the lives of Guru Tegh Bahadur and Guru Gobind Singh.Likewise, it provides crucial evidence on certain historical points.
Of special significance is the Sdkhidn version of Guru Granth Sahib having been apotheosized as Guru by Guru Gobind Singh before he passed away. The manuscript also records the fact of Banda Singh receiving the rites of the Khalsa at the hands of Guru Gobind Singh. In any case, the manuscript is increasingly attracting the notice of modern historians. The language of the Guru kidn Sdkhidn is a mixture of Punjabi and Hindi with frequent use of the Bhatt patois. At a couple of places we find English words. This is plainly anachronistic explained by some as errors on the part of copyists.
References :
1. Padam, Piara Singh, and Giani Garja Singh, eds., Guru kidn Sdkhwn. Patiala, 1986
