numbering system in Gurbani

What do the numbers represent at the end of each Shabad.

For example on some shabads there are always 3 to 4 numbers at the end of the the shabad that looks like this:

4II16II21

The first number is the count of stanzas. The second number is the count of Shabads of the Mahalla whose Shabads are going on. Let's look at an example from Siri Raag:

ਗੁਰੁ ਪਰਮੇਸਰੁ ਏਕੁ ਹੈ ਸਭ ਮਹਿ ਰਹਿਆ ਸਮਾਇ ॥ ਜਿਨ ਕਉ ਪੂਰਬਿ ਲਿਖਿਆ ਸੇਈ ਨਾਮੁ ਧਿਆਇ ॥ ਨਾਨਕ ਗੁਰ ਸਰਣਾਗਤੀ ਮਰੈ ਨ ਆਵੈ ਜਾਇ ॥4॥30॥100॥

This Shabad is on Ang 53 and is the last Shabad of this Raag. The next in order are Ashtpadis of Mahalla 1, 3, and 5. The first number (4) is the count of number of stanzas in this Shabad. 30 is the number of Shabads of Mahalla 5 (Siri Guru Arjun Dev jee) and 100 is the total count of all Mahallas as follows:

Siri Guru Nanak Dev jee - 33
Siri Guru Amardaas jee - 31
Siri Guru Raamdaas jee - 6
Siri Guru Arjun Dev jee - 30
Total of all Mahalla - 100

Daas,
Kulbir Singh

Thanks for the information Bhai Sahib

What a perfect numbering system! What about if the Shabad has a fourth and fith number at the end what does that mean?

When taking a Hukumama and the the Hukum starts at the 15 mahllaa do we recite the fifthteenth or start at the first mahalla, and stop at the second mahalla?

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When taking a Hukumama and the the Hukum starts at the 15 mahllaa do we recite the fifthteenth or start at the first mahalla, and stop at the second mahalla?

Kindly elaborate more. I did not understand the question. What is the 15 Mahalla?

Daas,
Kulbir Singh

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What a perfect numbering system! What about if the Shabad has a fourth and fith number at the end what does that mean?

ਜੋ ਸਚੈ ਲਾਏ ਸੇ ਸਚਿ ਲਗੇ ਨਿਤ ਸਚੀ ਕਾਰ ਕਰੰਨਿ ॥ ਤਿਨਾ ਨਿਜ ਘਰਿ ਵਾਸਾ ਪਾਇਆ ਸਚੈ ਮਹਲਿ ਰਹੰਨਿ ॥ ਨਾਨਕ ਭਗਤ ਸੁਖੀਏ ਸਦਾ ਸਚੈ ਨਾਮਿ ਰਚੰਨਿ ॥8॥17॥8॥25॥

Above the first count 8 means that there are 8 stanzas in this Ashtpadi.
17 means that the total count of Siri Guru Nanak Dev jee's Ashtpadis is 17
8 means that the total count of Siri Guru Amardaas jee's Ashtpadis is 8.
25 means that the total count of all Ashtpadis (including Mahalla 1 and 3) is 25. In other words 17 + 8 = 25.

Sometimes, the total counts of all Mahallas are given after certain intervals. Another example is the following on from Bhatta de Savaiye:

ਕਾਟੇ ਸੁ ਪਾਪ ਤਿਨ੍‍ ਨਰਹੁ ਕੇ ਗੁਰੁ ਰਾਮਦਾਸੁ ਜਿਨ੍‍ ਪਾਇਯਉ ॥ ਛਤ੍ਰੁ ਸਿੰਘਾਸਨੁ ਪਿਰਥਮੀ ਗੁਰ ਅਰਜੁਨ ਕਉ ਦੇ ਆਇਅਉ ॥2॥21॥9॥11॥10॥10॥22॥60॥143॥

2 denotes the count of 2 Stanzas of Bhatt Harbans
21 denotes the count of stanzas of Savaiye Mahalle 5 ke
9 count of stanzas of Siri Mukhbaak Mahalla 5
11 Siri Mukhbaak Mahalla 5
10 denotes the count of stanzas of Savaiye Mahalle 1ke
10 denotes the count of stanzas of Savaiye Mahalle 2 ke
22 denotes the count of stanzas of Savaiye Mahalle 3 ke
60 denotes the count of stanzas of Savaiye Mahalle 4 ke

This Daas did a chart on total count of Bhatt Savaiyas. This Daas did this on his own, manually, in order to gain greater understanding of the numbering system used in Gurbani. It was a wonderful experience. The count of Bhatts is 11 and not 16, or 17 that some translators have claimed. The numbering system proves that the count is 11. It is presented below as follows:



Daas,
Kulbir Singh

Thanks for the info Veer Ji

sorry I used the wrong wording in the last post. what I meant to say when we take a hukumnama do we start with M:1 if its the first shabad of the ang or do we go the very beginning and recite the raag ex- Raag Dhansaree