What is the significance of the Guru Granth Sahib in Sikhism?

The Guru Granth Sahib is the holy scripture of the Sikh faith and is considered the eternal and final Guru of the Sikhs. It is a collection of hymns and teachings of the Sikh Gurus and other saints from different religions and regions, compiled into one single volume by Guru Arjan Dev, the fifth Sikh Guru. The Guru Granth Sahib is not just a book, but a living entity that Sikhs believe has the power to guide, inspire, and protect them.

There are several reasons why the Guru Granth Sahib holds such great significance in Sikhism. Firstly, it is believed to be the source of all spiritual and moral guidance for Sikhs, providing them with a complete code of conduct for living a righteous life. The Guru Granth Sahib also emphasizes the importance of devotion, service to humanity, and the pursuit of knowledge as a means to achieving liberation from the cycle of birth and death.

The Guru Granth Sahib is also unique in that it is the only religious scripture in the world that was compiled by the founders of a religion themselves, making it an unparalleled work of spiritual and literary significance. It is written in Gurmukhi script, a script that was developed specifically for writing the Punjabi language, and is divided into 31 sections called ragas.