The Zindagînamâ is written in classical Persian and consists of 510 verses. It is a long, and consistent poem that heralds key aspects of the Sikh tradition using Islamicate vocabulary. According to tradition, it was written upon the poet’s arrival to Anandpur and presented as a gift to the Tenth Guru who was so fond of its content, that he renamed the composition from Bandagînâma (guidance of spirituality) to Zindagînamâ (Guidance of life).
Couplet 498 says:
Like the cup, this compilation is brimful with the divine elixir,
And, therefore, it is assigned the name of The Epistle of Life.