ÿþ<HTML><HEAD><TITLE>B&#256L&#256 BH&#256&#298 (1466-1544)</TITLE> <style type="text/css"> .BODY { background-color: #EAF1F7; background-image: url('images/gtbh.jpg'); background-repeat: no-repeat; background-attachment: fixed; background-position: center; color: #0066CC;} .C1{text-align: justify;color: #0066CC;FONT-size: SMALL;FONT-family: Tahoma;} .BIB{text-align: center;color: #000099;FONT-size: SMALL;FONT-family: Tahoma;} .CONT{text-align: right;color: #FF0000;FONT-size: SMALL;FONT-family: Tahoma;} </style><META NAME="keywords" CONTENT="BL,BH*,Person,Person"> <META http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8"></HEAD> <BODY class="BODY" oncontextmenu="return false" ondragstart="return false" onselectstart="return false"> <FONT ALIGN="JUSTIFY" FACE="Tahoma"> <p class="C1">&#65279B&#256L&#256, BH&#256&#298 (1466-1544), who, according to popular belief, was a life-long companion of Gur&#363 N&#257nak, was the son of Chandar Bh&#257n, a Sandh&#363 Ja&#7789&#7789 of Talva&#7751&#7693&#299 R&#257i Bhoi, now Nank&#257&#7751&#257 S&#257hib in Pakistan. Three years senior in age to Gur&#363 N&#257nak, he was his childhood playmate in Talva&#7751&#7693&#299. From Talva&#7751&#7693&#299, he accompanied Gur&#363 N&#257nak to Sult&#257npur where he stayed with him a considerable period of time before returning to his village. According to <i>B&#257l&#257 Janam S&#257kh&#299</i>, Bh&#257&#299 B&#257l&#257 at the instance of R&#257i Bul&#257r set out from Talva&#7751&#7693&#299 to join Gur&#363 N&#257nak who had already left. Sult&#257npur on his travels abroad and met him in Bh&#257&#299 L&#257lo's home at Saidpur. After Gur&#363 N&#257nak's passing away, Gur&#363 A&#7749gad, N&#257nak II, invited B&#257l&#257 from his native Talva&#7751&#7693&#299 to come to Kha&#7693&#363r and narrate to him events from the First Gur&#363's life. Very graphic, if somewhat miraculous, is the version contained in an old text, the <i>Mahim&#257 Prak&#257sh</i>. To quote : "Gur&#363 A&#7749gad one day spoke to Bh&#257&#299 Bu&#7693&#7693h&#257, 'Seek the disciple who accompanied the Master, Gur&#363 N&#257nak, on his journeys far and wide, who heard his preaching and reflected on it, and who witnessed the many strange events that occurred; secure from him all the circumstances and have transcribed a volume which may please the hearts of those who should apply themselves to it. ' B&#257l&#257 Sandh&#363 made his appearance. " The anecdotes narrated by B&#257l&#257 were recorded in Gurmukh&#299 characters in Gur&#363 A&#7749gad's presence by another Sikh, Pai&#7771&#257 Mokh&#257. The result was what is known as <i>Bh&#257&#299 Bale V&#257l&#299 Janam S&#257kh&#299</i>, a hagiographical account of Gur&#363 N&#257nak's life. Bh&#257&#299 B&#257l&#257 died in 1544 at Kha&#7693&#363r S&#257hib. A memorial platform, within the precincts of gurdw&#257r&#257 Tapi&#257&#7751&#257 S&#257hib, marks the site where his mortal remains were cremated.</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Among modern researchers, the identity of Bh&#257&#299 B&#257l&#257 is as controversial as is the authenticity of the Janam S&#257kh&#299 ascribed to him. Bh&#257&#299 B&#257l&#257 is mentioned neither by Bh&#257&#299 Gurd&#257s who has recorded the names of a number of Sikhs contemporary of Gur&#363 N&#257nak, nor by the authors of <i>Pur&#257tan Janam S&#257kh&#299</i> and <i>Miharb&#257n Janam S&#257kh&#299</i>, both older than <i>B&#257l&#257 Janam S&#257kh&#299</i>, the oldest available manuscript of which is dated 1658. However, owing to the popularity the last-named Janam S&#257kh&#299 has attained and the fact that the 19th century chroniclers such as Bh&#257&#299 Santokh Si&#7749gh and Gi&#257n&#299 Gi&#257n Si&#7749gh have relied on it more than on any other, the name of Bh&#257&#299 B&#257l&#257 is firmly established in Sikh lore.</p> </font> <p class="BIB"> BIBLIOGRAPHY<p class="C1"><ol class="C1"><li class="C1"> Macauliffe, Max Arthur, <i>The Sikh Religion</i>. Oxford, 1909.<BR> <li class="C1"> McLeod. W. H. , <i>Guru Nanak and the Sikh Religion</i>. Oxford, 1968<BR> <li class="C1"> Harbans Singh, <i>Guru Nanak and Origins of the Sikh Faith</i>. Bombay, 1969<BR> <li class="C1"> Kirp&#257l Si&#7749gh, <i>Janam S&#257kh&#299 Prampar&#257</i>. Patiala, 1969<BR> </ol><p class="CONT">Gurnek Si&#7749gh<br></p><BR> </font> <img src="counter.aspx" width="1px" height="1px" alt=""> </HTML></BODY>