Did Bhai Sahib Randhir Singh Really Not Believe In Raagmala?

Note: This issue is a very sensitive issue in the Panth, as it is regarding our Guru, Dhan Sri Guru Granth Sahib Jee. Both sides have full love and devotion for Sri Guru Granth Sahib Jee and that is why this issue can become very heated and escalate quickly. The Akaal Takhat has ordered that Gursikhs can read or not read Raagmala according to their own opinions, and this is the same belief that writers of this blog propagate. The reason for this post is not to create a new debate on this issue, but it is to bring Bhai Sahib Bhai Randhir Singh's views to light, as many people have been led to believe that Bhai Sahib never wrote against Raagmala and believed it to be Bani. This post will prove otherwise.

There are some innocent Sikhs that are misled by other Sikhs into thinking Bhai Randhir Singh did in fact believe Raagmala to be Bani of Guru Sahib. They make up stories on how Bhai Sahib really did believe in Raagmala but his followers after his death claimed he didn't believe in it. There are a lot of stories out there on how Bhai Sahib suffered on his death bed for not believing in Raagmala (reading this account on Bhai Sahib`s final moments clears any misconceptions about his death). There are some that say Bhai Sahib met with Sant Gurbachan Singh before his death and proclaimed he now believed in Raagmala, after a long discussion with Sant Jee, all these stories are false. Bhai Sahib his entire life never believed Raagmala to be Bani of Guru Sahib. Asking any of his companions or those that were present for Akhand Paat Sahibs conducted by the Jatha know that Raagmala was never read. In his book Gurbani Dee Lagamatran Dee Vilakhantaa Bhai Sahib writes: "All Bani from Ek Onkaar to Mundavni is Gurbani of Sri Guru Granth Sahib Jee" (Gurbani Dee Lagamatran Dee Vilakhantaa, page 316)

Bhai Sahib also presents his views on Mundavni  and Raagmala in this short article:
khalsaspirit.com/files/Mundavani.pdf

In this article Bhai Sahib says: "Those who have a strong belief in Raagmala in their minds do these incorrect arths of Gurbani (to prove Raagmala is Bani)." (Gurbani Dee Lagamatran Dee Vilakhantaa, page 433) Reading the entire article shows the reader how strongly Bhai Sahib believed Mundavni to be the closing seal of Guru Granth Sahib, and how nothing after Mundavni is Gurbani. Many people have changed the meanings of Mundavni so they can include Raagmala as a part of Sri Guru Granth Sahib Jee. Which Bhai Sahib rejected.

One of the best books on Raagmala is Mundavni by Giani Gurditt Singh. This book leaves almost no doubt that Raagmala is not Bani. Giani Jee has done a lot of research and has provided a lot of pictures of Old Saroops to back up his argument. Giani Jee did research for nearly 50 years before publishing this book.  Below is a picture of a letter Bhai Randhir Singh sent to Giani Gurditt Singh on October 24 1945 in which he says Giani Jee's efforts on his Raagmala research (and other research related to Sri Guru Granth Sahib Jee) are very good. Bhai Sahib asks Giani Jee to come visit him as he wants to do veechars with Giani Jee on Raagmala and many other things. He asks him to bring Giani Arjan Singh with him as well. Giani Arjan Singh was another author with a very good book on Raagmala.

This proves beyond any doubt that Bhai Sahib was staunchly against Raagmala.