Japuji Sahib is a collection of verses which form the opening part of the Guru Granth Sahib, the holy book of Sikhism. It contains a total of 41 verses, which are meant to be recited in the early morning. It was compiled by
Guru Angad Dev under the supervision of Guru Nanak, who composed them.
The verses in Japuji Sahib contain the very essence of Sikhism. It acts as a guide to a spiritual person seeking the ultimate truth, which is the Almighty. It emphasises the importance of a person’s participation in the worldly affairs with selfless motive and wisdom. It exhibits a strong influence of Hinduism in its composition. Experts believe that Guru Nanak was inspired by the Upanishads while composing these verses.
Japuji Sahib is the only part of the Guru Granth Sahib that is supposed to be uttered in a meditative manner without resorting to singing or music, which is contrary to the manner in which other verses in the holy book are recited. To read the verses, one requires a fair knowledge of Hindi and Gurmukhi.
