| abstract | - Dr Gopal Singh was responsible for completing the first complete translation of the Sri Guru Granth Sahib into English in 1960. It believed that initially it was published in 2 volumes although the present publications are published in a four volume set. As the first English translation, it was very welcomed by non-Punjabi readers and received a wide distribution. The 'International Edition' published by the World Sikh University Press in 1978, has a light blue cover. Dr. Gopal Singh's stellar reputation for scholarly work in service of the Dharma is well deserved. In fact, the introduction to the work, in the first of the four volumes, is a remarkable work in and of itself. Especially readable and worthwhile is Section II: On the Philosophy of Sikh Religion. In this treatise on comparative religion, he traces the common threads of religious thought throughout the ages, giving one a deeper appreciation of Sikh Dharma. His brief explanation of the Kundalini and Yogic traditions is well-done. The first major attempt to write a literary analysis of Gurbani was made by Dr Gopal Singh, a famous Sikh scholar. In 1958, he presented the work 'Sri Guru Granth Sahib di Sahitak Visheshta,' dealing with some of the important literary aspects of Gurbani. The work is still considered important in Punjabi literary circles and for a long time it was seen as the standard work on the subject. Dr Gopal Singh was also the first to translate Sri Guru Granth Sahib (1960) and another work titled 'A History of The Sikh People' from 1979 has attached appreciation to his name. The translation was in English verse, and showed his keen interest of literary aspects of Gurbani. His grammar, however, is somewhat antiquated and distracting. For example: "Yea Manifests He in a myriad ways." "For several births thou wert a mere worm." "He, (whose way is this,) Knows his Master and Compassion comes into him, And becomes Eternal he: he dies not thereafter." He included excellent footnotes explaining legendary persons, Hindu mythology and local folk idioms, and these often reveal more clearly the true meaning of the Guru's Word. Often, he explains the linguistic derivation of a word or idiom. From his thorough understanding of comparative religion, he brings to light the common threads which run through Sikhism and other religions. Page breaks are only roughly approximated to the original, and the numbering system of the original is roughly preserved, although there are a large number of mistakes in the numbers.
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