The collected writings of Guru Gobind Singh are known as Dasam Granth ("Scripture of the Tenth Guru"). The writings of the poets in his court comprise a different scripture, known as Vidiya Sar ("Pool of Knowledge"). According to a famous history of the Sikhs written in 1843, Suraj Prakash ("Rising of the Sun"), 52 scholar-poets and 7 pandits always lived in the court of Guru Gobind Singh Ji. The writings of the poets were written on paper in fine script, and according to Suraj Prakash, the weight of this Vidiya Sar was "9 maunds."

On the night of 5 December 1705 AD, Guru Gobind Singh left his court in Anandpur, after a long siege by Hindu and Muslim armies. During this departure, the Guru's possessions, including both the Dasam Granth and Vidiya Sar, were carried away by the strong current of the flooding Sarsa stream. However, in those days it was customary to make copies of Guru Gobind Singh's writings and the writings of the poets. In addition to the 52 poets and 7 pandits, 39 scribes had lived in Guru Gobind Singh's court. Because of the faith of his devotees, copies of Guru Gobind Singh's writings always exceeded those of the poets, and these copies were kept safely with many devotees.

After Guru Gobind Singh left his mortal body in 1708, religious-minded people began trying to take care of his writings. First of all, Bhai Mani Singh Shaheed (martyr), who was at that time Head Priest at Amritsar and also a great scholar, with great efforts collected the writings of Guru Gobind Singh and compiled one copy thereof.

Bhai Kesar Singh Chhibbar–whose family had been diwans (administrators) of the Gurus, including his great-grandfather who was diwan of the Seventh, Eighth, and Ninth Gurus, whose grandfather and father were diwans of Guru Gobind Singh, and who himself attended Mata Sundri Ji (wife of Guru Gobind Singh)–has written in his 1769 book known as Bansavalinama Dasan Patshahian Ka ("Lineage of the Ten Kings"), "This book which contained the life stories of avtars was compiled by Bhai Mani Singh. He provided travel expenses for various people. One Sikh brought a large amount of cash. That cash was used by Bhai Mani Singh to make payments to the Sikhs for expenses in searching for the writings of Guru Gobind Singh."

Only Mata Sundri, Bhai Mani Singh Shaheed, and Bhai Shisha Singh (who stayed with Mata Sundri in Delhi and was compiling the Dasam Granth) can know about the authenticity of Dasam Granth. Later, Baba Deep Singh Shaheed, Bhai Sukha Singh, and many other religious workers collected the writings of Guru Gobind Singh and edited the Dasam Granth. Among those birs (copies) of Dasam Granth, those written by Bhai Mani Singh Shaheed, the one in the library of Sangrur, and the one in Moti Bagh Gurdwara, Patiala, are at present kept safely. The Dasam Granth preserved at Patna Sahib, the birthplace of Guru Gobind Singh, is also famous. But in these Dasam Granth birs, the banis (sacred writings) are not written in the same order, nor is their number equal. The reason is that as and when the devotees found copies of the writings, they included them in their collections. Those who had greater means for making these collections were certainly more successful in collecting more banis. But from those birs, many banis are the same and appear to be written from the same one source. It was due to the unavailability of proper means of collection that there were differences in the size and shape of the birs. At first people called the collection Bachittar Natak. Later is was known as Dasmen Patshah da Granth. But now the Holy Book is called Dasam Granth.
Bhai Desa Singh, known as "Rahitnamiya" (writer of a famous Rahitnama, or ethical code, of Sikhs), son of Bhai Mani Singh Saheed, has written in his Rahitnama, I had a vision of Guru Gobind Singh.  He said from his mouth:
"Oh Sikh, listen to what I say:
In the beginning I wrote Jaap,
Then I uttered Akal Ustat–
This is like the recital of Vedas.
Then I wrote Bachittar Natak–
In that the story of the Sodhi lineage is told.
Then two Chandi Charitras were compiled
And poets appreciated the poetry in them.
Then I recited Giyan Prabodh ["Source of Knowledge"]
I described that, and all the wise people understood.
Then came the stories of the 24 Incarnations,
Then the Masters of Datta Taraye [a saint who had 24 masters] were told,
Then Bachittar Bakhiyan ["wonderful descriptions"] were made;
Those were also called one scripture.
If a fool reads them, he becomes wise.
Then in Shabd Hazare the stories of all kings were told.
Then 404 Stories were made;
They described the guiles of women [and men]."

 The banis included in Dasam Granth are as follows:
1.    Jaap Sahib
2.    Akal Ustat
3.    Bachittar Natak
4.    Chandi Charitra
5.    Chandi Charitra II
6.    War Bhagauti Ji Ki
7.    Giyan Prabodh
8.    Chaubis Avtar [incarnations of Lord Vishnu]
9.    Up Avtar [Brahma and Rudr]
10.    Shabd Hazare
11.    33 Swaiye
12.    Khalsa Mehma
13.    Shashtar Nam Mala
14.    Charitropakhiyan
15.    Zafarnama
16.    Hikayat