The Gurmukhi Script – How and Why was it Created?
Most of the mantras that we chant in Kundalini Yoga as Taught by Yogi Bhajan are written in the
Gurmukhi Script.
The Gurmukhi script was created by Guru Angad Dev, the second Sikh Guru, in the early 16th
century (the first Sikh Guru being Guru Nanak Dev). Its creation served several important
purposes, deeply tied to the seminal teachings of Nanak and Sikh spiritual, cultural, and
linguistic needs at the time.
Why was Gurmukhi created?
1. Preservation of Sikh Teachings: Guru Nanak, the founder of Sikhism, had composed
hymns in Punjabi, the language of the people. When Guru Nanak traveled throughout a
wide region for 30 years, he prescribed songs to the people he met to help them in their
lives. When, toward the end of his life, he settled back in the Punjabi region, he and
others decided to gather together these powerful poetic teachings. In order to do so,
the teachings needed to be preserved in a script that was accessible to the masses.
Gurmukhi was created to ensure that the teaching of Nanak could be easily read and
understood by common people, rather than being confined to the elite or clergy.
2. Distinct Sikh Identity: During the 16th century, India was predominantly under Mughal
rule, and religious texts in Persian and Sanskrit were inaccessible to many. Gurmukhi
helped establish a distinct script that reflected the unique identity of the teachings of
Nanak (which evolved into Sikhism), separating it from the scripts used in Hindu and
Islamic traditions.
3. Simplification and Accessibility: Existing scripts such as Sharada and Devanagari were
more complex and primarily used by the Brahmin class for Sanskrit texts. Gurmukhi,
with its phonetic nature, was easier to learn, making it accessible to ordinary people,
particularly the Punjabi-speaking population.
4. Promotion of Punjabi Language: Gurmukhi was designed to write Punjabi efficiently,
which was the spoken language of the region. By formalizing a script for Punjabi, Guru
Angad Dev ensured that the language of the people had a uniform written form,
fostering literacy and learning in their native tongue.
How was Gurmukhi created?
The Gurmukhi script was developed by modifying the ancient Landa script, which was already
in use in parts of the Punjab region for commercial purposes but lacked the ability to represent
the full phonetic range of Punjabi. Guru Angad adapted it, adding vowels and improving its
ability to capture the sounds of spoken Punjabi, making it more accurate for the transcription of
Sikh hymns.
Importance and Legacy
Gurmukhi became the script used to transcribe the Guru Granth Sahib, the Sikh holy scripture,
and has remained the script for Punjabi in East Punjab (Indian Punjab). It continues to play a
vital role in the preservation and transmission of Sikh teachings and culture, making the
wisdom of the Gurus accessible to generations of Sikhs.
Here’s another way to look at it:
Gurmukhi is the script.
When we chant Kundalini Yoga mantras, we chant in Gurmukhi.
Gurmukhi is not a conversational language. It is a script and the means by which we pronounce
mantras as well as Sikh songs/shabds and bani/prayer.
The Siri Guru Granth Sahib, the Living Guru of the Sikhs, is written in the Gurmukhi script. One
reads, recites and sings Gurmukhi.
Punjabi is the spoken language of the Indian region of the Punjabi. Punjabi is written in the
Gurmukhi Script. Some call it the Punjabi Script in that context, but it’s the same thing. Same
script. Different purposes.
Compiled by Dev Suroop Kaur – September 2024
