Guru Ji has varyingly used the pen-names of ‘Shyam’, ‘Ram’ , ‘Shah Gobind’ and ‘Gobind Das’ in his compositions according to the meter in which they fitted. This is not unusual, other poets like Ghalib, Zafar and Bhai Nand Lal have also adopted multiple pen-names, this should not therefore create any confusion in the minds of the readers of the Dasam Granth. ‘Shyam’ and ‘Ram’ were the nick names with which Mata Gujri Ji used to call Guru Gobind Singh Ji as a child. According to the customs prevalent at that time it was inappropriate for a woman to call out the name of her father-in-law. By calling the young Gobind Rai “Shyam’ and ‘Raam’ Mata Gujri Ji avoided saying the name Gobind, which occurred in the name of her father-in-law, Guru Hargobind Sahib Ji.
This misunderstanding about the appearance of names ‘Ram’ and ‘Shyam’ in Dasam Bani was first created by the self-styled puritans called the Bhasurias. They tried to prove that most of the Dasam Granth was written by the poets Ram and Shyam, names which occur in one or two compositions in the Dasam Granth. There is more than sufficient internal and external evidence in every composition to show that all the writings in the Dasam Granth were the works of Guru Gobind Singh. The names Ram and Shyam are used in some places as pen names. Thinking a little deeper, they were actually not pen names but poetic translations of Guruji's names. Guruji's name Gobind is an attributive name of God; so also are Ram and Shyam. In Sikh theology the three words Govind, Raam and Shyam mean the same thing as the following quotations from the Guru Granth Sahib Ji prove:
dharasan ko lochai sabh koee ||
poorai bhaag paraapath hoee || rehaao ||
shyaam su(n)dhar thaj needh kio aaee ||
mehaa mohanee dhoothaa laaee ||1||
Everyone longs for the Blessed Vision of the Lord's Darshan.
By perfect destiny, it is obtained. ||Pause||
Forsaking the Beautiful Lord, how can they go to sleep?
The great enticer Maya has led them down the path of sin. ||1|| Guru Arjun Dev Ji Raaj Suhi ang 745
siyam sundar taj an jo cahit jio, kusti tun jok. Bhagat Surdas. Raag Sarang
govid govid govid har govid guni nidhaan....
govid govid govid jap mukh ujhal pardhan Guru Ram Das Ji. Raag Kanara
ram ram kirtan gae ram ram ram sada sahae Guru Arjan Dev Ji. Raag Gaund
In respect to Guru Granth Sahib Ji calling God a poet there are many instances of such here is one;
ਕਬਿ ਕਲ ਸੁਜਸੁ ਗਾਵਉ ਗੁਰ ਨਾਨਕ ਰਾਜੁ ਜੋਗੁ ਜਿਨਿ ਮਾਣਿਓ ॥ ੨॥
कबि कल सुजसु गावउ गुर नानक राजु जोगु जिनि माणिओ ॥२॥
Kab kal sujas gāva▫o gur Nānak rāj jog jin māṇi▫o. ||2||
KAL the poet sings the Sublime Praises of Guru Nanak, who enjoys mastery of Raja Yoga, the Yoga of meditation and success. ||2|| Ang 1389
ਕਬਿ ਕਲ ਸੁਜਸੁ ਨਾਨਕ ਗੁਰ ਘਟਿ ਘਟਿ ਸਹਜਿ ਸਮਾਇਓ ॥ ੧੦॥
कबि कल सुजसु नानक गुर घटि घटि सहजि समाइओ ॥१०॥
Kab kal sujas Nānak gur gẖat gẖat sahj samā▫i▫o. ||10||
Says KAL the poet, the Sublime Praises of Guru Nanak intuitively permeate each and every heart. ||10|| Ang 1390
In all the above quotations from Guru Granth Sahib Ji the words Raam, Shyam and Govind mean the same thing; and so also they do in Dasam Granth Ji where they stand for Guru Gobind Singh. That is why two or sometime all three of these names occur in the same composition. This practice of writing a synonym for the proper noun in the Dasam Granth applies not only to his own name but to many other names also.
If it really was a poet called Shyam who wrote Krishan Avatar as indicated by the name 'Shyam' appearing at the end of some shabads, then why did Shyam not start the composition with his own name? The composition actually starts with Guru Ji declaring himself as the author.
Here is the start of Krishan Avatar :
Chaupai
Je Je Krishan charitra Diakhai
Dasam Beech sabh bakh sunai
All the events that took place in the life of Krishna
Are contained in Tenth chapter of Bhagvata puranas
Giyaran sehas banvein chhanda
Kahe dasam pur baith ananda
It contains 1192 verses
All of which are adapted by the Guru at Anandpur Sahib
At the very beginning it is stated that this compsition has been written by the Guru of Anandpur Sahib, and that can only by Guru Gobind Singh Ji.
In fact if one takes a little time to study all the compositions in Dasam Granth Ji, all start in a similar vein. Jaap Sahib Ji starts with "siri mukh vaak patshahi dasmi" - From the sacred lips of the tenth Guru. A compositions have Guru Gobind Singh Ji's stamp at the beginning -
This is the beginning of Vaar Bhagauti Ki.
Victory be to the Wondrous Lord. Invocation to Sri Bhaggauti. Vaar Sri Bhagauti Ki . The Tenth Master.
First and foremost I remember Bhagauti, and then set my mind on Guru Nanak. Then I seek the help fo Guru Angad, Guru Amar Das and Guru Ram Das. Arjan, Sri Hargobind and (Guru ) Har Rai be remembered. Sri Harkrishan be meditated upon whose mere glimpse removes all sorrows. (Guru) Tegh Bahadur be remembered as it causes the home to flourish. They all assist me at all places (1)
Firstly it states clearly that this is the composition of the Tenth master. Secondly only the Tenth Master could leave out his own name when remembering the previous Gurus, a poet in the court of Guru Gobind Singh Ji having recited the names of the nine previous Gurus would never leave out the Tenth masters name. This clearly indicates that the composition is of Guru Gobind Singh Jis pen.s that the composition is of Guru Gobind Singh Jis pen.
Here is the beginning of Gian Prabodh.
Realised through the grace of the True Preceptor. Invocation of Sri Bhagauti. Now begins the Gian Prabodh Branth The Tenth Master.
Sri Akal Ustat
Realized through the grace of the True Protector; Copy of the original in the hand of the Tenth Guru. Blessed am I with the protection of Akal; Available to me is the defense of Sarbloh (All Steel) Blessed am I with the shield of Sarbkal; Available ever is the protection of Sarbloh. Salutations to the Primal Ek Onkar, He permeates over the earth and sea. He is Primal Being, unmanifest and indestructible. His spirit pervades all the fourteen regions.
The opening passage of the Akal Ustat (eulogy to God) makes no mistake as to whose protection Guru Ji seeks.
In the Dasam Granth Ji, Guru Gobind Singh writes 'Netra Trung' for Naina Devi, 'Satdrav' for Satluj, 'Dasampur' for Anandpur, 'Shah Sangram' for Sango Shah, and 'Madra-desh' for the Punjab. Guru Ji has not stuck to a ridgid set of rules when composing gurbani and this should not cause confusion within the Sikhs. Even in our own times Bhai Sahib Vir Singh's maternal uncle Pandit Hazara Singh wrote his name Hazoor Hari while his father Dr. Charan Singh wrote his name Charan Hari. Sardar Dharma Anant Singh, in his book Plato and the True Enlightener of Soul, writes the name of Sant Attar Singh as Mrigindus Atrus.
This misunderstanding about the appearance of names ‘Ram’ and ‘Shyam’ in Dasam Bani was first created by the self-styled puritans called the Bhasurias. They tried to prove that most of the Dasam Granth was written by the poets Ram and Shyam, names which occur in one or two compositions in the Dasam Granth. There is more than sufficient internal and external evidence in every composition to show that all the writings in the Dasam Granth were the works of Guru Gobind Singh. The names Ram and Shyam are used in some places as pen names. Thinking a little deeper, they were actually not pen names but poetic translations of Guruji's names. Guruji's name Gobind is an attributive name of God; so also are Ram and Shyam. In Sikh theology the three words Govind, Raam and Shyam mean the same thing as the following quotations from the Guru Granth Sahib Ji prove:
dharasan ko lochai sabh koee ||
poorai bhaag paraapath hoee || rehaao ||
shyaam su(n)dhar thaj needh kio aaee ||
mehaa mohanee dhoothaa laaee ||1||
Everyone longs for the Blessed Vision of the Lord's Darshan.
By perfect destiny, it is obtained. ||Pause||
Forsaking the Beautiful Lord, how can they go to sleep?
The great enticer Maya has led them down the path of sin. ||1|| Guru Arjun Dev Ji Raaj Suhi ang 745
siyam sundar taj an jo cahit jio, kusti tun jok. Bhagat Surdas. Raag Sarang
govid govid govid har govid guni nidhaan....
govid govid govid jap mukh ujhal pardhan Guru Ram Das Ji. Raag Kanara
ram ram kirtan gae ram ram ram sada sahae Guru Arjan Dev Ji. Raag Gaund
In respect to Guru Granth Sahib Ji calling God a poet there are many instances of such here is one;
ਕਬਿ ਕਲ ਸੁਜਸੁ ਗਾਵਉ ਗੁਰ ਨਾਨਕ ਰਾਜੁ ਜੋਗੁ ਜਿਨਿ ਮਾਣਿਓ ॥ ੨॥
कबि कल सुजसु गावउ गुर नानक राजु जोगु जिनि माणिओ ॥२॥
Kab kal sujas gāva▫o gur Nānak rāj jog jin māṇi▫o. ||2||
KAL the poet sings the Sublime Praises of Guru Nanak, who enjoys mastery of Raja Yoga, the Yoga of meditation and success. ||2|| Ang 1389
ਕਬਿ ਕਲ ਸੁਜਸੁ ਨਾਨਕ ਗੁਰ ਘਟਿ ਘਟਿ ਸਹਜਿ ਸਮਾਇਓ ॥ ੧੦॥
कबि कल सुजसु नानक गुर घटि घटि सहजि समाइओ ॥१०॥
Kab kal sujas Nānak gur gẖat gẖat sahj samā▫i▫o. ||10||
Says KAL the poet, the Sublime Praises of Guru Nanak intuitively permeate each and every heart. ||10|| Ang 1390
In all the above quotations from Guru Granth Sahib Ji the words Raam, Shyam and Govind mean the same thing; and so also they do in Dasam Granth Ji where they stand for Guru Gobind Singh. That is why two or sometime all three of these names occur in the same composition. This practice of writing a synonym for the proper noun in the Dasam Granth applies not only to his own name but to many other names also.
If it really was a poet called Shyam who wrote Krishan Avatar as indicated by the name 'Shyam' appearing at the end of some shabads, then why did Shyam not start the composition with his own name? The composition actually starts with Guru Ji declaring himself as the author.
Here is the start of Krishan Avatar :
Chaupai
Je Je Krishan charitra Diakhai
Dasam Beech sabh bakh sunai
All the events that took place in the life of Krishna
Are contained in Tenth chapter of Bhagvata puranas
Giyaran sehas banvein chhanda
Kahe dasam pur baith ananda
It contains 1192 verses
All of which are adapted by the Guru at Anandpur Sahib
At the very beginning it is stated that this compsition has been written by the Guru of Anandpur Sahib, and that can only by Guru Gobind Singh Ji.
In fact if one takes a little time to study all the compositions in Dasam Granth Ji, all start in a similar vein. Jaap Sahib Ji starts with "siri mukh vaak patshahi dasmi" - From the sacred lips of the tenth Guru. A compositions have Guru Gobind Singh Ji's stamp at the beginning -
This is the beginning of Vaar Bhagauti Ki.
Victory be to the Wondrous Lord. Invocation to Sri Bhaggauti. Vaar Sri Bhagauti Ki . The Tenth Master.
First and foremost I remember Bhagauti, and then set my mind on Guru Nanak. Then I seek the help fo Guru Angad, Guru Amar Das and Guru Ram Das. Arjan, Sri Hargobind and (Guru ) Har Rai be remembered. Sri Harkrishan be meditated upon whose mere glimpse removes all sorrows. (Guru) Tegh Bahadur be remembered as it causes the home to flourish. They all assist me at all places (1)
Firstly it states clearly that this is the composition of the Tenth master. Secondly only the Tenth Master could leave out his own name when remembering the previous Gurus, a poet in the court of Guru Gobind Singh Ji having recited the names of the nine previous Gurus would never leave out the Tenth masters name. This clearly indicates that the composition is of Guru Gobind Singh Jis pen.s that the composition is of Guru Gobind Singh Jis pen.
Here is the beginning of Gian Prabodh.
Realised through the grace of the True Preceptor. Invocation of Sri Bhagauti. Now begins the Gian Prabodh Branth The Tenth Master.
Sri Akal Ustat
Realized through the grace of the True Protector; Copy of the original in the hand of the Tenth Guru. Blessed am I with the protection of Akal; Available to me is the defense of Sarbloh (All Steel) Blessed am I with the shield of Sarbkal; Available ever is the protection of Sarbloh. Salutations to the Primal Ek Onkar, He permeates over the earth and sea. He is Primal Being, unmanifest and indestructible. His spirit pervades all the fourteen regions.
The opening passage of the Akal Ustat (eulogy to God) makes no mistake as to whose protection Guru Ji seeks.
In the Dasam Granth Ji, Guru Gobind Singh writes 'Netra Trung' for Naina Devi, 'Satdrav' for Satluj, 'Dasampur' for Anandpur, 'Shah Sangram' for Sango Shah, and 'Madra-desh' for the Punjab. Guru Ji has not stuck to a ridgid set of rules when composing gurbani and this should not cause confusion within the Sikhs. Even in our own times Bhai Sahib Vir Singh's maternal uncle Pandit Hazara Singh wrote his name Hazoor Hari while his father Dr. Charan Singh wrote his name Charan Hari. Sardar Dharma Anant Singh, in his book Plato and the True Enlightener of Soul, writes the name of Sant Attar Singh as Mrigindus Atrus.