ÿþ<HTML><HEAD><TITLE>BISHAN SI&#7748GH GI&#256N&#298 (1875-1966)</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="BISHAN,SIDGH,GIN*,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">&#65279BISHAN SI&#7748GH, GI&#256N&#298 (1875-1966), cleric and exegete, was a <i>granth&#299</i> or priest at the <u>Kh</u>&#257ls&#257 College at Amritsar for 30 years. The <u>Kh</u>&#257ls&#257 College was then a premier Sikh college excelling in research and publication in the field of Sikh studies. Four of the foremost Sikh scholars of this period, namely Bh&#257&#299 Jodh Si&#7749gh, Professor Tej&#257 Si&#7749gh, Bh&#257&#299 S&#257hib Si&#7749gh and Dr Ga&#7751&#7693&#257 Si&#7749gh, were members of the college faculty and between them they brought about a major enlightenment in Sikh letters. Bh&#257&#299 Bishan Si&#7749gh imbibed much of their passion for learning. He took turns with them at expounding the holy text at the daily morning service at the College Gurdw&#257r&#257. He also put his hand to preparing a full scale commentary of the Holy Granth which was completed in 1945.</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Bishan Si&#7749gh was born around 1875, the son of Bh&#257&#299 Bul&#257k&#257 Si&#7749gh of the village of Lak<u>kh</u>&#363v&#257l in Amritsar district of the Punjab. After learning barely to read and write Punjabi he left home to go to Lahore to study the Sikh classic <i>Sr&#299 Gur Prat&#257p S&#363raj Granth</i> with Bh&#257&#299 Hir&#257 Si&#7749gh, a noted scholar of the Sikh texts in those days. Apprenticeship with him earned Bishan Si&#7749gh proficiency in Braj Bh&#257sh&#257 as well as in Sikh history. He then shifted to Amritsar, where he remained under the tutelage of Gi&#257n&#299 Jodh Si&#7749gh and Gi&#257n&#299 Ba<u>kh</u>sh&#299sh Si&#7749gh. In one of his books Gi&#257n&#299 Bishan Si&#7749gh has mentioned Gi&#257n&#299 Sant Si&#7749gh of Kap&#363rthal&#257 also as his <i>vidy&#257d&#257t&#257</i> (teacher). Under these scholars, he mastered the subtleties of Sikh philosophical thought.</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;At Amritsar, he obtained employment as <i>granth&#299</i> at the <u>Kh</u>&#257ls&#257 College in 1909, retiring from the position in 1939-40, as he attained the age of sixty five. As the College <i>granth&#299</i>, Bishan Si&#7749gh made very good use of his time making the most of the library facilities available and of his contacts with the learned faculty. He found himself in full agreement with the new exegetical trends, breaking away from the traditional pedantic, Ved&#257ntic style. He started working on his own <i>&#7789&#299k&#257</i> or annotation of the Gur&#363 Granth S&#257hib, the first volume of which was published in 1918 and the eighth and the final in 1945. He also produced a full-length <i>&#7789&#299k&#257</i> of the voluminous <i>Dasam Granth</i>. Among his other textual commentaries are <i>&#7788&#299k&#257 B&#257&#299 V&#257r&#257&#7749, &#7788&#299k&#257 Bhagat B&#257n&#299, &#7788&#299k&#257 Sahaskrit&#299 Salok, T&#299k&#257 V&#257r&#257&#7749 Bh&#257&#299 Gurd&#257s</i> and <i>&#7788&#299k&#257 Kabitt Savaiyye Bh&#257&#299 Gurd&#257s</i>. Before launching upon his exegetical works, Gi&#257n&#299 Bishan Si&#7749gh had written small books with titles such as <i>Tw&#257r&#299<u>kh</u> Gur&#363 k&#257 B&#257<u>gh</u>, Band&#257 Bah&#257dur, Shah&#299d <u>Kh</u>&#257ls&#257, Sher <u>Kh</u>&#257ls&#257, S&#363rb&#299r <u>Kh</u>&#257ls&#257</i> and <i>Mah&#257r&#257j <u>Kh</u>&#257ls&#257</i>. Noted among his other works are <i>S&#257rukt&#257v&#257l&#299 Sa&#7789ik</i>, <i>S&#257kh&#299 Pram&#257&#7751</i> and <i>Vich&#257rm&#257l&#257 Sa&#7789&#299k</i>.</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Gi&#257n&#299 Bishan Si&#7749gh's exposition of the sacred texts is marked by a simple and direct style of writing, unencumbered by loaded jargon or verbiage. He was always concise, even though at places his explanations lacked literary elegance and finish.</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;After his retirement from the <u>Kh</u>&#257ls&#257 College, Gi&#257n&#299 Bishan Si&#7749gh returned to his native village Lakkh&#363v&#257l, where he carried on with his scholarly pursuits with unabated zeal. He also taught beginners who came to seek his advice.</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Gi&#257n&#299 Bishan Si&#7749gh died in his village in 1966.</p> </font> <p class="BIB"> BIBLIOGRAPHY<p class="C1"><ol class="C1"><li class="C1"> T&#257ran Si&#7749gh, <i>Gurb&#257&#7751&#299 d&#299&#257&#7749 Vi&#257khi&#257 Pra&#7751&#257li&#257&#7749</i>, Patiala, 1980<BR> <li class="C1"> Bishan Si&#7749gh, <i>Sr&#299 Gur&#363 Granth S&#257hib Sa&#7789&#299k. </i> Amritsar, 1918-1945<BR> </ol><p class="CONT">Sarmukh Si&#7749gh Amole<br></p><BR> </font> <img src="counter.aspx" width="1px" height="1px" alt=""> </HTML></BODY>