History and Context

Ginans are sacred devotional hymns that share knowledge in the topics of cosmology, rituals, eschatology, ethical behavior, and meditation. They are written for the purpose of delivering messages which is how this piece of poetic literature gets its name. The term “ginan” comes from the Sanskrit word “jnan” which means “knowledge” or “wisdom”. Ginans are composed in short and long verses. Once written, they are recited verbally in a poetic rhythm.

The Composition of Ginans Began in the 12th Century and the Number of Composed Ginans is Estimated to be in the Hundreds

Traditionally, each ginan is recited with a particular rhythm (or “raag”). They can simply be read with no raag at all or a different one altogether. Historically, the vast number of ginans were composed in Gujarati, Urdu, Punjabi, Sindhi, Burushaski, Sanskrit, Sindhi, Arabic, Persian and others. For this reason, it can be difficult to understand the messages or overall purpose of the ginans. Because ginans contain extensive knowledge which not all listeners can thoroughly understand due to language barriers, they have been translated into English on the official website: Ismaili.net.

Here at PirRani, these translations have been further composed into verses that can be recited in English with the same raag as the raag that is used in its original language.

Sources:

• Esmail, Aziz. Scent of Sandalwood. Routledge (2002).

• Shackle, C., Moir, Zawahir, and University of London. Ismaili Hymns from South Asia: An Introduction to the Ginans (London, 1992).