ÿþ<HTML><HEAD><TITLE>GARAB GAÑJAN&#298 &#7788&#298K&#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>GARAB GAÑJAN&#298 &#7788&#298K&#256</i>, by Bh&#257&#299 Santokh Si&#7749gh, is an exegesis in the Nirmal&#257 tradition of Gur&#363 N&#257nak's <i>Japu</i>. The commentator, a celebrated poet and chronicler and author of the monumental <i>Sr&#299 Gur Prat&#257p S&#363raj Granth,</i> completed the work, his only one in prose, in 1886 Bk/AD 1829. Whereas all his poetic works are written in Braj, this one is in Sadh&#363ka&#7771&#299. Santokh Si&#7749gh undertook the writing of this commentary at the behest of his patron Ude Si&#7749gh (d. 1843), the ruler of Kaithal, who, dissatisfied with an earlier, <i>&#7789&#299k&#257</i> by an Ud&#257s&#299 <i>s&#257dh&#363</i>, &#256nandghana, had wished a fresh one to be prepared. The original manuscript of <i>Garab Gañjan&#299 &#7788&#299k&#257</i> is preserved in the Dr Balb&#299r Si&#7749gh S&#257hitya Kendra at Dehr&#257 D&#363n. It was first published in AD 1910 and again, with certain corrections and punctuations, in 1961. The latter edition comprises 184 printed pages.</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; The work opens with an invocation to God, followed by couplets eulogizing first the Ten Gur&#363s and then Sarasvat&#299, the goddess of learning. The poet salutes his mentor G&#299an&#299 Sant Si&#7749gh whom he had in his younger days heard expound this text. This also explains how he had come to launch on this <i>&#7788&#299k&#257.</i> He brings out the majestic sublimity of the <i>Japu</i> and alludes to its general popularity. These explanations occupy all of the first four pages; the exegesis proper begins at page 5. Towards the end of the work, there are four couplets explaining the title of the work: <i>Garab Gañjan&#299 &#7788&#299k&#257</i> is <i>&#7789&#299k&#257</i> or exegesis that dispels and eradicates (<i>gañjan&#299</i> = that which eradicates) arrogance (<i>garb</i>=pride) . The exegesis is proffered in the form of a <i>go&#7779&#7789i.</i> The Sikh, herein called <i>mumokh&#299,</i> i.e. one who is a seeker of <i>mokh</i> or release, puts questions to the Gur&#363 as to how he can attain liberation and the Gur&#363 answers those questions. Since the author himself belonged to the Nirmal&#257 tradition, Vedantic colouring in his explanations predominates. He believes that the Gur&#363's hymns can be expounded only on the basis of the exegesis already attempted of the Vedas. He regards Gur&#363 N&#257nak as an incarnation of the God Almighty --- the manifestation of Nira&#7749k&#257r, the Formless One. The language of the work is Sadh&#363ka&#7771&#299, overladen with Braj and Sanskrit vocabulary.</p> </ol><p class="CONT">Gurdev Si&#7749gh<br></p><BR> </font> <img src="counter.aspx" width="1px" height="1px" alt=""> </HTML></BODY>