Sant Harnam Singh Bedi

Sant Baba Harnam Singh Bedi was a scholar of the Guru Granth Sahib at Amritsar and head granthi at Sri Harmandir Sahib, and in the Damdami Taksal's own account of its leaders he became head of the Taksal after Sant Giani Bhagwan Singh died. The Taksal's website gives no dates for his birth, death or time as head and does not name his successor; its page on Sant Baba Bishan Singh Muralewale names him as that man's teacher.

The website says he was a giani who gave up worldly life to study Gurbani and devote himself to teaching and preaching, and a kathakar devoted to Akal Purakh. It says he learned Gurbani from Bhai Jaswant Singh and studied the Vars of Bhai Gurdas and the Sri Gur Partap Suraj Granth. He lived at Dera Baba Joga Singh in Amritsar.

In the Taksal's account

• He served as head granthi at Sri Harmandir Sahib, took part in the Panj Piare seva at the Akal Takht when Amrit was given, and went to the Akal Takht each day to hear nitnem and shabad kirtan.
• He taught the Guru Granth Sahib, the Dasam Granth and other texts into old age, to Nirmale, Udasi, Adanshahi and Majbi Sikhs as well as Gursikhs, and the website says most of the gianis of Amritsar of his time had studied under him.
• It credits him with starting the anvay arth method of translating Gurbani.
• His students named on the page include Sant Baba Bishan Singh Muralewale, Sant Giani Sundar Singh Bhindranwale, Mahant Hakam Singh of Amritsar, Mahant Harnam Singh Muralewale and Sant Bishan Singh Kareet.
• It says he always wore black.

The Encyclopaedia of Sikhism's table of the teaching line that leads to the Bhindran Taksal begins with a Sant Harnam Singh, followed by Giani Bishan Singh of Murala and Sant Sundar Singh; it gives no surname or dates for him.