ÿþ<HTML><HEAD><TITLE>BALVA&#7750&#7692 R&#256I</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="BALVAF ,RI"> <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">&#65279BALVA&#7750&#7692, R&#256I, a <i>rab&#257b&#299</i> or rebeck-player in the time of Gur&#363 Arjan and co-composer with Satt&#257, said to be his brother, of a <i>V&#257r</i> included in the Gur&#363 Granth S&#257hib in the R&#257mkal&#299 musical measure. He was by birth a <i>mir&#257s&#299</i> Muslim minstrel and genealogist, and sang the sacred hymns to the accompaniment of rebeck like Bh&#257&#299 Mard&#257n&#257 used to do during the time of Gur&#363 N&#257nak. Not much authentic biographical information is available about him except that he and his brother, Satt&#257, were contemporaries with Gur&#363 Arjan (1563-1606) for whom they recited <i>&#347abda-k&#299rtan</i>. According to another tradition, they started their career under Gur&#363 A&#7749gad sometime after he succeeded Gur&#363 N&#257nak on the tatter's demise in 1539 and continued to serve the Gur&#363s until the time of Gur&#363 Arjan.</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Story is recorded that Balva&#7751&#7693 had become so proud of his art that he once refused B&#257b&#257 Bu&#7693&#7693h&#257's request for the recital of a <i>&#347abda</i>. He was reprimanded by the Gur&#363 and was told that he (the Gur&#363) was within every Sikh and refusing a Sikh to recite a hymn meant refusal to the Gur&#363 himself. On another occasion, Balva&#7751&#7693 is said to have requested Gur&#363 Arjan to let him and Satt&#257 have all the offerings of the Bais&#257kh&#299 day of that year so as to enable them to meet the expenses of a marriage in the family. The Gur&#363 agreed. But the offerings on that day fell far short of their expectations. They asked the Gur&#363 for more which he refused. Under the mistaken notion of their indispensability, both Satt&#257 and Balva&#7751&#7693 left the Gur&#363, imagining that once they stopped reciting the hymns his following would dwindle. Gur&#363 Arjan sent for them, but they refused to return. When the Gur&#363 himself called on them, they spoke rudely of the House of Gur&#363 N&#257nak. Now discarded by the Gur&#363, they found themselves alienated from the Sikhs. They suffered both mental anguish and fell sick with leprosy. A Sikh, named Laddh&#257, petitioned the Gur&#363 on their behalf and secured them forgiveness. Back in the presence of the Gur&#363, they were cured of the disease. They then composed a <i>V&#257r</i>, popularly known as <i>&#7788ikke d&#299 V&#257r</i>, in praise of the Gur&#363s. They perceived all the Gur&#363s as sharing the same spirit, the same one light.</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Both Balva&#7751&#7693 and Satt&#257 are said to have passed away at Lahore in the time of Gur&#363 Hargobind (1595-1644) and were buried on the bank of the River R&#257v&#299. B&#257bak (d. 1692), Gur&#363 Hargobind's Muslim <i>rab&#257b&#299</i> performed their last rites.</p> </font> <p class="BIB"> BIBLIOGRAPHY<p class="C1"><ol class="C1"><li class="C1"> Bhall&#257, Sar&#363p D&#257s, <i>Mahim&#257 Prak&#257sh</i>. Patiala, 1970<BR> <li class="C1"> Santokh Si&#7749gh, Bh&#257&#299, <i>Sr&#299 Gur Prat&#257p S&#363raj Granth</i>. Amritsar, 1926-37<BR> <li class="C1"> V&#299r Si&#7749gh, Bh&#257&#299, <i>Sr&#299 A&#7779&#7789 Gur Chamatk&#257r</i>. Amritsar, 1952<BR> </ol><p class="CONT">Fauj&#257 Si&#7749gh<br></p><BR> </font> <img src="counter.aspx" width="1px" height="1px" alt=""> </HTML></BODY>