Sarbloh Granth

The Sarbloh Granth or Sarabloh Granth (Punjabi: ਸਰਬਲੋਹ ਗ੍ਰੰਥ, sarabalōha grantha, literally 'Scripture of Pure Iron'), also called Manglacharan Puran or Sri Manglacharan Ji, is a voluminous scripture, composed of more than 6,500 poetic stanzas. It is traditionally attributed as being the work of Guru Gobind Singh, the tenth Sikh guru. Scholars, on the other hand, attribute the work to after the Guru's death, being authored by an unknown poet. The work is mostly revered by the Nihang sect.

As per the traditions of the Nihang Sikhs, the Sarbloh Granth was written at the Sarbloh Bunga (now called the Langar Sahib) at Takht Abachal Nagar, Hazur Sahib in Nanded, India. They believe the work derives from Sanskrit sutras that were preserved by a group of sadhus, with these sutras ultimately originating from a previous incarnation of Guru Gobind Singh known as rishi Dusht Daman. It is further believed that Banda Singh Bahadur heard the last verses of the work. It is claimed that the Sanskrit sutras the Sarbloh Granth is based on is still kept in a private familial collection.

Very little can be ascertained regarding the authorship, compilation, or nature of the contents within the scripture. There is a high degree of controversy among various scholars on the issue of the authorship of the Granth. The following are some of the view points of prominent figures:

One narrative claims that the scripture is the result of the writings of the tenth Guru being combined, after his passing in 1708, by his followers. According to Harnam Das Udasi, a Sikh scholar who prepared an annotated edition of the scripture, the text was authored by Guru Gobind Singh. However, Harnam Das Udasi claims that Guru Gobind Singh accepted the work of some poets to form parts of the scripture, just like how Guru Arjan accepted the works written by Bhagats, Bhatts, and Sufi fakirs when he compiled the Adi Granth. However, other analysts date the text to the late 18th-century.

Gurinder Singh Mann argues that the Sarbloh Granth was produced within the courtly setting of Anandpur in the late 17th-century (specifically the 1690's) by various courtly poets (most of whose names are not known).

"In my view, the Dasam Granth and Sri Sarab Loh Granth are markers of the aura of royalty that the Sikhs attempted to create at Anandpur. The poets gathered there drew upon a shared reservoir of themes, literary forms, metaphors and images to create their songs. With the emergence of Sikh power, some poets who were resident in the broader region moved to Anandpur. A cursory look at their compositions shows the structural changes that had to be made to adjust these works to the needs of the new situation. The statements at the closing of the two longest compositions, the Krishan Avatar and Ram Avatar, carry thundering assertions of the futility of, worshipping Krishan and Ram. I can only explain them as addenda having been required to make these texts presentable at Anandpur."

— Gurinder Singh Mann, Sources for the Study of Guru Gobind Singh's Life and Times, page 256

The scripture is largely revered by the Nihang sect of Sikhs with many non-Nihang Sikhs rejecting it as an authentic work of the tenth guru, especially amongst Sikh academics. According to Gurmukh Singh, the authenticity of the work is rejected on the grounds of its writing style and mastery of poetry not matching up with Guru Gobind Singh's Dasam Granth work. Also, the text makes mention of a work composed in 1719, much after the death of the Guru. W. H. McLeod dates the work to the late 18th century and believes it was authored by an unknown poet and was mistakenly attributed to the tenth Guru.