ÿþ<HTML><HEAD><TITLE>BHAGAT M&#256L</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="BHAGAT,ML"> <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">&#65279BHAGAT M&#256L, sub-titled <i>S&#257kh&#299 Bh&#257&#299 Gurd&#257s J&#299 k&#299 V&#257r Y&#257rv&#299&#7749 Sikh&#257&#7749 d&#299 Bhagatm&#257l&#257</i>, is an anonymous manuscript (Kirp&#257l Si&#7749gh, <i>A Catalogue of Punjabi and Urdu Manuscripts</i>, attributes it to one Kirp&#257 R&#257m, though in the work itself no reference to this name exists) held in the <u>Kh</u>&#257ls&#257 College, Amritsar, under MS. No. 2300, bound with several other works all of which are written in the same hand. The manuscript comprises 83 folios and is undated. The opening page of the full volume, however, carries the date 1896 Bk/AD 1839 which may be the year of its transcription. <i>Bhagat M&#257l</i> is a parallel work to the more famous <i>Bhagatm&#257l&#257</i> by Bh&#257&#299 Ma&#299 Si&#7749gh and is, like the latter, meant to be an elaboration of Bh&#257&#299 Gurd&#257s's eleventh <i>V&#257r</i>, listing the more prominent of the Sikhs of Gur&#363 N&#257nak's time. All the 30 stanzas of the <i>V&#257r</i> are reproduced each with explanation under the heading <i>tisd&#257 v&#299ch&#257r</i> (explanation of that). First 12 stanzas contain no names : they are devoted to elaborating the theory of Sikhism and the characteristics of an ideal Sikh and his mode of living. From the 13th stanza onward (f. 260), the names of various Sikhs are given. Under "explanation, " a question is put forward by a Sikh pertaining to the principles and practices of the Sikh faith such as <i>sev&#257</i>, selfless, voluntary service, charity, control of mind, remembrance of God, home life, lust, and anger. Occasionally, some questions relate to philosophical issues as well, for instance, whether God is transcendent or immanent. At places incidents from the R&#257m&#257ya&#7751a and the Mah&#257bh&#257rata as well as hymns from the Gur&#363 Granth S&#257hib are quoted to illustrate a point. Some contemporary events from Sikh history such as the construction of the temple and the tank at Amritsar and the compilation of the &#256di Granth are also referred to. At folio 325, Bh&#257&#299 Nand L&#257l is quoted as saying that the Gur&#363 bestowed all honour on the <u>Kh</u>&#257ls&#257 adding that Sahajdh&#257r&#299s were also accepted along with Ke&#347&#257dh&#257r&#299s.</p> </ol><p class="CONT">Sarmukh Si&#7749gh Amole<br></p><BR> </font> <img src="counter.aspx" width="1px" height="1px" alt=""> </HTML></BODY>