BĪṚ, a term used for a recension or copy of the Gurū Granth Sāhib, is derived from Skt. verb vīḍ meaning "to make strong or firm, strengthen, fasten, or to be strong, firm or hard. " The Punjabi verb bīṛanā which means "to fix, bind or fasten (something) firmly, or to lay (a gun)" is from the same root. Gurū Arjan having compiled the Holy Book deputed one of his leading disciples, Bhāī Banno, to go and get the volume bound in Lahore, perhaps because facilities for proper binding did not then exist at Amritsar. Bhāī Banno utilized the opportunity to have another copy transcribed and he got both volumes "fastened and bound. " These bound copies came to be called the Ādi Bīṛ and Bhāī Bannovālī Bīṛ. Further copies made from these two recensions were also called bīṛs. For bīṛs (recensions) of Sikh Scripture,

        see SRĪ GURŪ GRANTH SĀHIB.

        The word bīṛ in Punjabi is also used for reserved forest or village land set aside as common pasture.

Major Gurmukh Siṅgh (Retd.)