Quote
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