ÿþ<HTML><HEAD><TITLE>GURBIL&#256S CHHEV&#298&#7748 P&#256TSH&#256H&#298</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>GURBIL&#256S CHHEV&#298&#7748 P&#256TSH&#256H&#298</i>, lit. the (life)-play of the Sixth Gur&#363, is a versified biography of Gur&#363 Hargobind in language more akin to Braj, written in the Gurmukh&#299 script. The author is anonymous, though the colophon mentions 1775 Bk/AD 1718 as the year of the completion of the work. The task, says the poet, took him fifteen months to accomplish. Certain anachronistic references to events of post-1718 period make this date suspect. Another date suggested by a modern scholar is AD 1843. Two versions of the work are available in print, one edited by Gi&#257n&#299 Indar Si&#7749gh Gill and published in 1968 by J&#299van Mandar Pustak&#257li&#257, Amritsar, and the other published in 1970 by the Languages Department, Punjab. Both editions comprise twenty-one cantos of unequal length, the former edition containing 8, 131 stanzas and the latter 7,793.</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Written mostly in the poetic metres of Chaupa&#299 and Dohir&#257, the narrative begins with the poet invoking Bhagaut&#299 and adoring the Ten Gur&#363s of the Sikh faith to seek their blessings in the task he is launching upon. The circumstances which led to the composition of the epic are also explained. The poet claims to have versified the biographical details of Gur&#363 Hargobind's life as narrated to him by his literary mentor, Dharam Si&#7749gh who happened to be present at N&#257naksar, present-day Nank&#257&#7751&#257 S&#257hib, where Bh&#257&#299 Man&#299 Si&#7749gh, scholar and martyr, on the request of a devout Sikh named Bhagat Si&#7749gh, recounted in successive sittings the memorable events relating to Gur&#363 Hargobind's life. To lend authenticity to his account, he says that Man&#299 Si&#7749gh's information was based on what he heard from Bh&#257&#299 Day&#257 Si&#7749gh, one of Gur&#363 Gobind Si&#7749gh's Pañj Pi&#257re, who, in turn, had these details from the Gur&#363 himself.</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; The <i>Gurbil&#257s</i> covers events such as the birth, childhood and early education of Gur&#363 Hargobind (cantos 1-3) ; his marriage (canto 5) ; compilation of the Gur&#363 Granth S&#257hib by Gur&#363 Arjan (canto 4) and his martyrdom (canto 7) ; construction of Ak&#257l Ta<u>kh</u>t (canto 8) and the digging of Babeksar (canto 9) ; battle of Amritsar (canto 10) ; marriage of B&#299b&#299 V&#299ro (canto 11) and of S&#363raj Mall (canto 17) ; liberation of Kaul&#257&#7749 (canto 12) ; the passing away of Bh&#257&#299 Bu&#7693&#7693h&#257 (canto 16) ; of Bh&#257&#299 Gurd&#257s (canto 18) and M&#257t&#257 Damodar&#299 (canto 19) ; defeat and death of Paind&#257 <u>Kh</u>&#257n (canto 20).</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; The author describes at some length Prith&#299 Chand's acts of hostility towards his brother, Gur&#363 Arjan. Prith&#299 Chand laid his claim to the spiritual throne of Gur&#363 N&#257nak after Gur&#363 R&#257m D&#257s on the basis of his being the eldest son of the latter. He resented Gur&#363 Arjan's installation as successor to Gur&#363 R&#257m D&#257s, and became openly inimical after a son was born to him (Gur&#363 Arjan). The birth of (Gur&#363) Hargobind is attributed to the blessings of Bh&#257&#299 Bu&#7693&#7693h&#257, a Sikh of Gur&#363 N&#257nak's own time, widely reputed for his piety. As Gur&#363 Arjan's wife, M&#257t&#257 Ga&#7749g&#257 one day brought out food for him, Bh&#257&#299 Bu&#7693&#7693h&#257 started eating it, simultaneously showering blessings on her, saying that a warrior son would be born to her who would crush the tyrants.</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; There is a detailed account given of the founding and construction of the Ak&#257l Ta<u>kh</u>t. Gur&#363 Hargobind, it is stated, laid the foundation of the Ak&#257l Ta<u>kh</u>t on H&#257&#7771 5, 1663 Bk/ 3 June 1606, allowing only Bh&#257&#299 Bu&#7693&#7693h&#257 and Bh&#257&#299 Gurd&#257s to lend the labour of their hands in raising the structure. Bh&#257&#299 Gurd&#257s was named custodian of the Ak&#257l Ta<u>kh</u>t as Bh&#257&#299 Bu&#7693&#7693h&#257 had been of the Harimandar.</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; The poet attributes to Gur&#363 Hargobind the assignment of <i>dhun&#299s</i>, i.e. tunes, to nine of the <i>v&#257rs</i> in the Gur&#363 Granth S&#257hib. Abdul and Natth&#257, two contemporary bards, recited at Sikh gatherings at Ak&#257l Ta<u>kh</u>t the <i>v&#257rs</i> according to the tunes set by Gur&#363 Hargobind. Later on, with the permission of Bh&#257&#299 Bu&#7693&#7693h&#257, Gur&#363 Hargobind is said to have these <i>dhun&#299s</i> added in the hand of Bh&#257&#299 Gurd&#257s in the text of the Gur&#363 Granth S&#257hib. This is contrary to the accepted belief that this was done by Gur&#363 Arjan himself at the time of the compilation of the Holy Book. The <i>Gurbil&#257s</i> comes to an end with the death of Gur&#363 Hargobind which, according to it, took place in 1695 Bk/AD 1638. This date has been proved to be incorrect as also several others given in the text.</p> </ol><p class="CONT">J&#299t Si&#7749gh S&#299tal<br></p><BR> </font> <img src="counter.aspx" width="1px" height="1px" alt=""> </HTML></BODY>