Though the status of Bhai Gurdas Ji’s most famous work is acquired by Vaaran, yet Kabitt Sawaiyye is perched on place of pride as a more original work of the two. There are varied differences in opinion among scholars with regard to its history and origins. Some regard it as Bhai Gurdas’s early work, while some claim it to be a more mature work hence, belonging to his later age. According to the most probable version, Kabitt Sawaiyye were written at a time when Bhai Gurdas ji was in Banaras, away from his Guru, which explains the manifestation of his longing and pain of separation (birha) as an underlying emotion, beautifully encapsulated in the verses.

Today, a total of 675 verses of Kabitt are known to have been written by him. Even this number varies from book to book. Originally, verses only till 556 were known, early scholars like Khan Singh Nabha also quote its number to be that. It was only after new discoveries during the 1930s that later established some other verses later found were also works of Bhai Gurdas. One reason for its limited reach could be the constraint of language, as Kabitt was written in Braj bhasha. But its importance can’t be undermined. As is beautifully elucidated by Dr. Ganda Singh "Kabitt Sawaiyye are the poetical dissertation in the fundamental principles of Sikhism” Equipped with an excellent Forward by Dr. Onkar Singh, the English translation of Kabitt Sawaiyye by Pritpal Singh Bindra is a gift for those uninitiated in Punjabi.