Asa di Var

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Sri Guru Granth Sahib Japji Sahib Shabad Hazaray Anand Sahib Rehras Sahib Kirtan Sohila Sukhmani Sahib Asa di Var
Dasam Granth Jaap Sahib Benti Chaupai Amrit Savaiye
Sarbloh Granth
Varan Bhai Gurdas
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Asa Ki Var is a collection of 24 pauris or stanzas written by Guru Nanak Devji (Sri Guru Granth Sahib, page 462-475).Some people argue that the founder of Sikhism, Guru Nanak Dev ji wrote the first 9 together on one occasion and later wrote 15 more stanzas on a different occasion but Professor Sahib Singh and some of the foremost Sikh scholars believe that the whole Var was written at the same place as the Var itself proceeds in a definite uniformity. The whole Var was compiled by the 5th Guru, Guru Arjan Dev ji in 1604 AD.

When Guru Arjan Dev ji was compiling the Holy Granth, he added a few Sloks of Guru Nanak and in some cases Guru Angad Dev ji, the second Guru of the Sikhs. These Sloks are tied together in a way that they relate to the same theme as highlighted in the pauri. In its present form, the Asa Di Var contains a few more shabads recited by Guru Ram Das, the fourth Sikh Guru.

The Asa Di Var kirtan is recited in the early morning hours in a very melodious way and style as mentioned by Guru Arjan Dev Ji called "Tunde Asraje Ki Dhuni" after the name of the contemporary brave and pious king Asraj. One of the hands of the king was amputated, so he was called Tunda meaning (one hand amputated) . The deeds and the ode of this king was sung by the bards in that typical fashion which then was extremely popular and melodious and was therefore adopted to performing Asa Di Var.

External links and Reference

• Guru Gobind Singh Foundation
• In English Text
• Sound Recording by Dya Singh group 2006 with full text, 2CD boxed set
• Asa di Var from Introduction to Sikhism
• Asa di Var in Gurmukhi - Romanized - English (needs Gurmukhi Font)

Asa di Var Link

• Asa Di Var

Audio

• Gurmej Singh (Retired Hazoori Raagi) - Asa De Var
• Amrik Singh Zakhmi - Asa Di War
• Satvinder Singh & Harvinder Singh - Asa Di Waar
• Bakshish Singh (Patiala Wale) - Asa Di War Live at Ross Street Temple
• Surjan Singh Ragi - Asa Di War
• Gurmail Singh (Hazoori Ragi Sri Darbar Sahib Amritsar) - Asa Di War
• ProudtobeSikh
• Sound sample of a Shabad