The Sikh holy text is the Guru Granth Sahib. It is the repository of all Sikh spiritual heritage, written in Punjabi by the Gurus who led Sikhism in the early days of the religion, beginning in late 1400s. The book is addressed as Guru, because it is an authoritative spiritual guide. Granth means “large tome or book,” and Sahib denotes its sacred status. Its hymns are written in poetic form, called shabads, and are sung and recited by Sikhs as the source of both guidance and inspiration for their lives. There are 3,000 shabads in the Guru Granth Sahib, all recorded directly by the Sikh Gurus.