Guru Amar Das's song of bliss: 40 pauris in Raag Ramkali at angs 917 to 922, recited to close almost every Sikh ceremony, and the bani the Anand Karaj is named from.
Anand Sahib is the composition of Guru Amar Das, the third Guru, occupying angs 917 to 922 of the Guru Granth Sahib in Raag Ramkali and running to 40 pauris. Its subject is anand, the state of bliss reached through the Guru, and it is recited at the close of almost every Sikh service and ceremony, most often in a shortened form of six pauris rather than the full forty. The Anand Karaj, the Sikh marriage ceremony, takes its name from this bani.
| Composed by | Guru Amar Das (1479–1574), the third Guru |
|---|---|
| Where it sits | Guru Granth Sahib, angs 917 to 922, in Raag Ramkali |
| Structure | 40 pauris. Carries a raag heading, so it may be sung as kirtan as well as recited |
| When recited | At the close of almost every Sikh service, within the evening Rehras Sahib, and in the morning Nitnem of some traditions |
| How long | About 5 minutes in the short form of six pauris; 20 to 25 minutes for all 40 |
| In Nitnem | In the evening Rehras in every tradition; required in the morning by the Damdami Taksal and AKJ but not listed for the morning by the SGPC Rehat Maryada |
Guru Amar Das (1479 to 1574) composed the Anand at Goindwal during his Guruship, and Guru Arjan placed it in Raag Ramkali when he compiled the Adi Granth, where it occupies angs 917 to 922 of the 1,430. Unlike Japji Sahib and Jaap Sahib, it carries a raag heading, so it can be sung as kirtan as well as recited, and in a gurudwara it is usually sung.
The bani describes a condition rather than requesting one. Its opening declares bliss found, addressed to the poet's mother, and the 40 pauris then work outward from that declaration through what the mind does with suffering, attachment, and the senses once the Guru is found. The word anand carries more weight in Sikh usage than the English word bliss suggests: it names a settled state rather than an elevated mood, which is why the bani attaches to occasions of every kind, including grief.
In daily practice most Sikhs meet Anand Sahib in the Short Anand Sahib, the first five pauris together with the fortieth, which closes the great majority of gurudwara services and precedes the ardas. The Full Anand Sahib, all 40 pauris, belongs to the morning Nitnem in the traditions that require it there, to the evening Rehras Sahib, and to complete readings on particular occasions. Both forms are the same bani; the short form is an abridgement of use, not a separate composition.
The Sikh wedding takes its name from this bani. An Anand Karaj is literally a blissful union, and the ceremony concludes with Anand Sahib being sung. The Anand Marriage Act of 1909 gave the ceremony legal standing in India under that name. Anand Sahib is also one of the five banis recited at the Amrit Sanchar, and the only one of the five composed by a Guru other than Nanak or Gobind Singh.
Both are the same composition. The shortened form is an abridgement of use, not a separate bani.
| Form | Pauris recited | Where it is used |
|---|---|---|
| Short Anand Sahib | The first five pauris and the fortieth, six in all | The close of most gurudwara services, immediately before the ardas, and the end of ceremonies including weddings and funerals |
| Full Anand Sahib | All 40 pauris | The evening Rehras Sahib, the morning Nitnem in traditions that require it, and complete readings on particular occasions |
Recited at the Khalsa initiation. Anand Sahib is the fifth of them, and the only one by a Guru other than Nanak or Gobind Singh.
| Bani | Composed by | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Japji Sahib | Guru Nanak | Guru Granth Sahib, angs 1–8 |
| Jaap Sahib | Guru Gobind Singh | Dasam Granth |
| Tav-Prasad Savaiye | Guru Gobind Singh | Dasam Granth, Akal Ustat 21–30 |
| Chaupai Sahib | Guru Gobind Singh | Dasam Granth, Charitropakhyan 405 |
| Anand Sahib | Guru Amar Das | Guru Granth Sahib, Raag Ramkali |
Anand Sahib's authorship and text are not disputed. It sits in the Guru Granth Sahib itself, so the arguments that surround the Dasam Granth banis do not touch it. What differs between traditions is where it belongs in the day. The SGPC's Sikh Rehat Maryada lists Japji Sahib, Jaap Sahib and Tav-Prasad Savaiye for the morning and does not name Anand Sahib among them, while the Damdami Taksal and the Akhand Kirtani Jatha hold that Anand Sahib and Chaupai Sahib are required in the morning too. Every tradition recites it in the evening Rehras and at the close of services, so the disagreement concerns the morning order alone.
Sevahey does not perform paths. No Sevak recites Anand Sahib for you, and this page carries no text, transliteration or recording of the bani. For the words, read the Guru Granth Sahib at angs 917 to 922 or use your gurudwara's own resource. Sevahey also does not arrange or officiate an Anand Karaj. What Sevahey arranges is an ardas at a gurudwara, which is a different thing and described below.
Anand Sahib and the ardas already stand next to each other in practice. In the great majority of gurudwara services the short form is sung and the ardas follows it immediately, which is the sequence a devotee hears every week. When a family cannot be at the gurudwara, the ardas is the part that can still carry their name: the granthi speaks the name, the gotra and the request aloud before the Guru Granth Sahib, and a verified Sevak sends proof the same day. Families ask at the occasions Anand Sahib itself marks, including a wedding anniversary, a new home, a recovery, and a death anniversary.
Anand Sahib is the composition of Guru Amar Das, the third Guru, occupying angs 917 to 922 of the Guru Granth Sahib in Raag Ramkali and running to 40 pauris. Its subject is anand, the settled state of bliss reached through the Guru, and it is recited at the close of almost every Sikh service and ceremony.
Forty. In everyday use, however, most Sikhs hear the shortened form of six pauris, being the first five and the fortieth, which closes the majority of gurudwara services. The full 40 pauris are recited in the evening Rehras Sahib, in the morning Nitnem of some traditions, and at complete readings on particular occasions.
Only which pauris are recited. The Short Anand Sahib is the first five pauris together with the fortieth, six in all, and takes about five minutes; the Full Anand Sahib is all 40 pauris and takes 20 to 25 minutes. Both are the same composition by Guru Amar Das, and the short form is an abridgement of use rather than a separate bani.
Guru Amar Das (1479 to 1574), the third Guru, composed it at Goindwal during his Guruship. Guru Arjan placed it in Raag Ramkali when he compiled the Adi Granth in 1604, and it occupies angs 917 to 922 of the Guru Granth Sahib's 1,430 angs.
The Anand Karaj takes its name from this bani, the phrase meaning a blissful union, and the ceremony concludes with Anand Sahib being sung. The Anand Marriage Act of 1909 gave the ceremony legal recognition in India under that name. Sevahey does not arrange or officiate an Anand Karaj.
Yes, and in a gurudwara it usually is. Anand Sahib carries a raag heading, Raag Ramkali, which places it inside the musical arrangement governing most of the Guru Granth Sahib. That sets it apart from Japji Sahib and Jaap Sahib, which carry no raag and are therefore recited rather than sung.
Evening in every tradition, and morning in some. Anand Sahib is recited within the evening Rehras Sahib universally and closes almost every service. For the morning, the SGPC's Sikh Rehat Maryada lists only Japji Sahib, Jaap Sahib and Tav-Prasad Savaiye, while the Damdami Taksal and the Akhand Kirtani Jatha hold that Anand Sahib belongs there as well.
Yes. Anand Sahib is one of the five banis recited at the Khalsa initiation, alongside Japji Sahib, Jaap Sahib, Tav-Prasad Savaiye and Chaupai Sahib. Among those five it is the only composition by a Guru other than Guru Nanak or Guru Gobind Singh, and the only one drawn from the Guru Granth Sahib besides Japji Sahib.
At the close, immediately before the ardas. The short form of six pauris is sung, the sangat stands for the ardas that follows, and a hukamnama is then read from the Guru Granth Sahib. That sequence holds at ordinary weekly services and at ceremonies including weddings and funerals.
No. Sevahey does not perform paths and no Sevak recites a bani on anyone's behalf. What a verified Sevak can do is request an ardas in your name and gotra at the gurudwara you choose, receive the hukamnama read after it, and send you same-day proof. In a service the ardas follows Anand Sahib directly.
Choose the gurudwara, name your sankalp, receive the proof.
* Sevahey does not perform paths. A full seva is ₹899; sevas start from ₹251. Sevahey is a service platform and does not promise a spiritual, medical, financial, legal, or personal outcome from any prayer or ritual.