Waheguru Ji Ka Khalsa Waheguru Ji Ki fateh.
IMHO Punj Granthi/Das Granthi/Bai Varaan are small POTHIS of the various Banis from Guru Granth Shib Jee in order of learning curve. These were created by Bhai mani Singh Ji Shaheed as an aid to learning of Gurbani Paath as obviously a learner cannot be expected to learn paath straight away from the GuRu sahib jee saroop.
The Panj Granthi is the first pothi and begins with japji Sahib, Rehras, Asa di waar, Sukhmani Sahib, Dakhnee Ongkar....and so on
The "Dass Granthi" is bani of Guru Gobind Singh Ji and has Jap Sahib, swiyas and so on
The "Bai Varaan" pothi has all the 22 Vaars in the Guru Granth sahib Jee
The "Bhagat Bani" is the last Pothi in this series and has all the Bhagat bani together in one pothi.
There is also a sakhi that purports to say that Bhai Mani Singh Ji Shaheed was "cut from limb to limb...actually joint by joint...BECAUSE he did the "sacrilege" of "cutting up" Guru Granth Ji limb by limb !! This is PREPOSTEROUS. Here we have a great scholar making an effort to make the learning and study of Gurbani paath easier....and we put the blame for his shedee on this. Then the question arises ( and we just IGNORE IT)..IF Bhai mani Singh was indeed sacrilegeous to gurbani and suffered a horrible death due to this...THEN WHY DO WE CONTINUE to USE the "broken up" bani in the POTHIS ?? Are we NOT committing the SAME "WRONG/BLUNDER " we blame Bhai mani Singh Ji. Secondly Bhai mani Singh was "cut from joint by joint"..then WHY are we NOT PUNISHED for comitting the same crime ??
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/history-of-sikhism/451-punj-granthi.html
In olden days, the "clever folks" invented such sakhis....and the rest just beleived everything these kathakars/storytellers said/told them.....NOW the situation is different. It is the 21st Century...the age of Computers and internet/enlightenment...people are prone to question and judge for themselves...no one swallows anything hook-line-and sinker anymore. Before when the sants/derawallahs teachers of gurbani....related this sakhi to their students....and then USED the SAME POTHIS to teach the paath...no student had the audacity to question the "brahmgiani sant baba ji...as to this self contradiction....but now serious students of gurbani cannot just accept everything without solid proof and valid arguments.
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=451
Jarnail Singh