The First Translation of the Siri Guru Granth Sahib in Spanish was Printed
The First Translation of the Siri Guru Granth Sahib in Spanish was printed and delivered to the ashram in Mexico City on November 18, 2006. It was the result of more than 30 years of dedication from Baba Singh, who was given the direction by Yogi Bhajan to translate the Siri Guru Granth Sahib.
Here are some excerpts from a Sikh Dharma International article about the story of how this translation came to be:
The Siri Guru Granth Sahib began to be translated in Spanish in 1975. At that time, six years had passed since Siri Singh Sahib, Yogi Bhajan had come to America. By then he was teaching Kundalini Yoga and inspiring thousands of students who were in turn becoming inspired by Sikh Dharma.
Yogi Bhajan was a master spiritual teacher who touched many hearts and even years after his passing still touches the hearts of many people around the world– people of many cultures and backgrounds, but all with a focused purpose — to find God within themselves.
The Siri Guru Granth Sahib has opened many hearts, and the Shabad Guru has elevated their consciousness and they are living healthy, happy, and holy lives. Yogi Bhajan brought this knowledge to the West and was responsible for many people around the globe adopting Sikh Dharma through first practicing Kundalini Yoga.
BabaJi Singh was one of those students who opened his heart through the inspiration of Yogi Bhajan. He was born in Mexico City in 1947. Raised in a Catholic family, he finished his studies in a Jesuit University in Mexico, Universidad Iberoamericana.
When Babaji became 28 years old a very strong cancer invaded his body. It was then that the Siri Singh Sahib gave him the “hukam” to translate the Siri Guru Granth Sahib. Babaji Singh was cured. He survived not only that cancer, but 3 more. He died of a fifth, 31 years later, happy grateful, and blessed.
He found through translating the Siri Guru Granth Sahib to Spanish, a sense and purpose in his life. The Guru gave him courage, wisdom, patience and grace to go through the physical pain without suffering from it.
He translated the Siri Guru Granth Sahib from Gopal Singh’s English translation over a period of 30 years. He was working at the same time, teaching yoga, in the evenings, and spending long periods of his life in hospitals or in bed.
In the last 3 years of his life, he worked with his wife, Guru Amrit Kaur, in the early morning translating. She remembers him writing with so much devotion and love, researching the exact meaning of every word, hoping the Spanish speaking community could be able to read and understand the beauty of each word.
In 2008, the completed Spanish Translation of the Siri Guru Granth Sahib was presented by members of the Sikh Dharma International yatra to Sikh Jathedars in honor of the 300th Anniversary of Guru Gaddi of the Siri Guru Granth Sahib.