The ‘Anand bani’ is the masterpiece of Guru Amar Das, the third Sikh Guru, incorporated in the Guru Granth Sahib on pp. 917-22. 'This forty stanza hymn is the culmination point of the third Guru's poetic inspiration. The Anand is his magnum opus...the finest song of blissfulness in the golden anthology of world poetry, or better still, scriptural revelations. The Anand as the mirror of the personality of Guru Amar Das and is truly the essence of all his philosophy and thought.

The ‘Anand bani’ is written in ecstasy. It is the most beautiful expression of the Guru's analytical or spiritual experience. It is a beautiful lyrical composition, sublime with mystical heights. The reading of this composition gives the impression that different verses flow in a natural course. They need no effort to create rhyme and rhythm. These are the natural outbursts of spiritual devotion and calmness of the mind of Guru Amar Das.

‘Anand bani’ has been called a "Master Key" by which one can unfold the hidden aspects of philosophy. Its conceptual study points out the philosophical facts about brahm, jagat, jiv, satguru, anhad, maya and anand. But the central theme of this composition is anand, which runs throughout all the forty pauris.

Generally, anand (Bliss) means perfect joy, enjoyment of divine power or heavenly joy. But its meaning is different in Sikhism. It means spiritual happiness. It is of a non-physical and non-material character. It is a spiritual state of soul where all kinds of needs and requirements are fulfilled.

The concept of ‘anand’ as explained in the composition does not give the idea of a static mystic who has nothing to do with the society and the world. But on the other hand, it is the state of mind of the householder who performs his duties keeping his mind absorbed in contemplation all the time and remaining in a state of perpetual bliss.

Another important point in the ‘Anand bani’ is that without the Guru's grace, it is not possible to realize the state of ‘anand’ while living in this world. The ideal man of gurmat controls all his sense organs with the guidance of the Guru. Guru plays a vital role for the realization of ‘anand’. He bestows his Grace on the devotee and initiates him towards self-realization.

Guru Amar Das makes a distinction between genuine (sachi) and spurious (kachi) bani. Without the bani of true Guru all other hymns are called spurious. In this respect Guru Amar Das also makes a mention of Scriptures like, Smritis and Shastras which, talk of good and bad (paap and punn) but do not realize the essence of Reality. In other words, the Scriptures do make mention of the highest State of Realization but do not help us to realize the essence. It is realized only through the satguru who himself has realized it with the grace of the Guru. A devotee's mind becomes stabilized and immuned from the evil effects of maya.

Here a question arises as to how it is possible for a seeker to be able to seek the Guru's Grace (nadar)

In the Anand bani, Guru Amar Das puts forth the criteria of the ideal disciple, who deserves Guru's Grace.

1. The devotee is required to surrender his complete self to Guru's guidance.

2. He is advised to abandon cleverness (chaturai).

3. It is suggested that one should not be engrossed in the worldly things which make a man to forget the real essence of the Supreme Reality.

4. The seeker of Anand is prohibited to adopt the way of ritualism.

5. It is suggested that the devotee should banish the love of the second or the other (duja-bhau). Here emphasis is laid on the undividedness of mind. Those who develop a continuous desire for realizing Ultimate Reality, they achieve their goal while living in this mundane world and performing their responsibilities.

6. To make one's mind stable, the devotee should always praise the Divine attributes of the Supreme Reality. He is advised to constantly meditate on the Name (Naam) of Hari. 'Grace comes naturally and easily through meditation. Naam creates a feeling of the realization of God's grace within oneself. This feeling of harmony ultimately results in the utterer becoming one with the Uttered.' As soon as the devotee's mind concentrates on one God (Hari), it sheds all the sufferings and pains of life.

It is the State of Anand which can be attained only with the grace of Satguru.