Chaubis Avatar

Chaubis Avtar is composition which is present in Dasam Granth. It is traditionally and historically attributed to Guru Gobind Singh but is controversial among few Sikh scholars who do not believe it to be the work of Guru Gobind Singh. It is about history of 24 incarnations of Vishnu. The composition is covers 30% of the Dasam Granth containing 5571 verses with longest sub compositions called Krishna Avtar and Rama avtar, having 2492 and 864 verses each. Kalki avtar chapter contains 586 Verses.

In commencement of composition, the composer had written that these tried to equate themselves with god and unable to know secrets of almighty.

ਜੋ ਚਉਬੀਸ ਅਵਤਾਰ ਕਹਾਏ ॥
जो चउबीस अवतार कहाए ॥
Those who are called twenty-four incarnations;

ਤਿਨ ਭੀ ਤੁਮ ਪ੍ਰਭ ਤਨਿਕ ਨ ਪਾਏ ॥
तिन भी तुम प्रभ तनिक न पाए ॥
O Lord ! they even could not realise thee in a small measure;
(Chopai 7, Chobis Avtar, Dasam granth )

List of Avatars

Guru Gobind Singh given life account of following Avatars in granth:

4

Historicity of Composition

Following are historical references of 18th century which claims that Guru Gobind Singh had written this composition at Anandpur as well as at Paunta Sahib:

• Letter to Mata Sundri, Bhai Mani Singh: The letter was written by Bhai Mani Singh to Mata Sundri, after 5 years of demise of Guru Gobind Singh. This manuscript provides evidence of existence of 303 Charitars, Shastar Nam Mala and Krishna Avtar compositions. This manuscript was written before compilation of dasam granth during collections of various compositions. Among critics Gyani Harnam Singh Balabh believes that only 303 Charitars were written by Guru Gobind Singh among 404 Charitars in Charitropakhyan.

• Parchi Gobind Singh - Bava Sevadas: This manuscript was finished sometime in the first quarter of the eighteenth century(around 1741) by Seva Das, an Udasi. He mentioned that Guru Gobind Singh had written tales in persian in Zafarnama, called Hikaaitaan during his lifetime. Many of these tales are the Persian translations of the narratives in Charitropakhyan.

• Mahima Parkash, Sarup Das Bhalla: This book was completed by Sarup Das, who belong to lineage of Guru Amar Dass, in 1776. He had access to whole Dasam Granth and mentioned that 404 Charitars and Chaubis Avtar was written by Guru Gobind Singh. He states:
  ਚੋਪਈ ।।
  ਚੋਬਿਸ ਅਵਤਾਰ ਕੀ ਭਾਖਾ ਕੀਨਾ ।।
  ਚਾਰ ਸੋ ਚਾਰ ਚਲਿਤ੍ਰ ਨਵੀਨਾ ।।
  ਭਾਖਾ ਬਣਾਈ ਪ੍ਰਭ ਸ੍ਰਵਣ ਕਰਾਈ ।।
  ਭਏ ਪ੍ਰਸੰਨ ਸਤਗੁਰ ਮਨ ਭਾਈ ।।