ÿþ<HTML><HEAD><TITLE>DAS GUR KATH&#256</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 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">&#65279<i>DAS GUR KATH&#256</i>, by Ka&#7749ka&#7751, one of the poets in attendance on Gur&#363 Gobind Si&#7749gh, is a versified account, in an admixture of Braj, Hindi and Punjabi, of the events of the lives of the Ten Gur&#363s. The only known manuscript of the work is present in the Pañjab Public Library at Lahore, a copy of which was obtained for the Library of the <u>Kh</u>&#257ls&#257 College at Amritsar in 1956 and which was published with annotation in book-form, in 1967, by the <u>Kh</u>&#257ls&#257 Sam&#257ch&#257r, Amritsar. The colophon indicates the author's name, but not the year of composition which from internal evidence is reckoned to be around AD 1699. The work deals with events up to the creation of the <u>Kh</u>&#257ls&#257 which took place during this year. The <i>Kath&#257</i> comprises 234 stanzas and is written in different poetical metres such as Doh&#257, Savaiyy&#257, Chaupa&#299, Pau&#7771&#299, Sora&#7789h&#257 and A&#7771ill.</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; The poet attributes the popularity of Gurmukh&#299 characters to Gur&#363 N&#257nak who, according to him, communicated his message in a much easier language and form than those of the Vedas. Succession in Gur&#363 N&#257nak's line was determined by qualities of humility and dedication and not by ties of blood. Gur&#363 N&#257nak's spiritual successor was Gur&#363 A&#7749gad, his own devoted disciple. Especially detailed is the account of Gur&#363 Hargobind, Nanak VI, comprising 84 stanzas. The poet hails him as one who combined the spiritual with the temporal and describes the battles he had to engage in. Among other details is the enumeration of Mu<u>gh</u>al provinces under Emperor Sh&#257h Jah&#257&#7749. The poet panegyrizes Gur&#363 Te<u>gh</u> Bah&#257dur's martyrdom which, as he says, he voluntarily embraced to uphold righteousness. The concluding twenty-one stanzas describe the cremation of Gur&#363 Te<u>gh</u> Bah&#257dur's severed head brought from Delhi to Anandpur by a disciple, Gur&#363 Gobind Si&#7749gh's investiture as successor to Gur&#363 Te<u>gh</u> Bah&#257dur and creation of the <u>Kh</u>&#257ls&#257. Events are described with considerable embellishment, and no dates are given. Certain factual errors such as ascription to Gur&#363 Gobind Si&#7749gh worship of the goddess Durg&#257 have also crept into the work.</p> </ol><p class="CONT">Kirp&#257l Si&#7749gh <br></p><BR> </font> <img src="counter.aspx" width="1px" height="1px" alt=""> </HTML></BODY>