ÿþ<HTML><HEAD><TITLE>GURMAT GRANTH PRACH&#256RAK SABH&#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 NAME="keywords" CONTENT="GURMAT,GRANTH,PRACHRAK,SABH"> <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">&#65279GURMAT GRANTH PRACH&#256RAK SABH&#256, an association aiming at propagating Sikh religion through publications, was established at Amritsar on 8 April 1885 by Gi&#257n&#299 Sard&#363l Si&#7749gh to continue the work started by his father, Gi&#257n&#299 Gi&#257n Si&#7749gh (d. 30 March 1884), the first secretary of Sr&#299 Gur&#363 Si&#7749gh Sabh&#257, Amritsar, established in 1873. &#256gi&#257 Si&#7749gh Hak&#299m of Amritsar was elected secretary of the Gurmat Granth Prach&#257rak Sabh&#257. On his death in April 1887, his son, Mann&#257 Si&#7749gh Hak&#299m, succeeded him as its secretary. The Sabh&#257 undertook to sponsor research and publish authentic texts of the Gur&#363s' compositions and of other works such as Janam S&#257kh&#299s and Gurpra&#7751&#257l&#299s. Already at the initiative of Gi&#257n&#299 Gi&#257n Si&#7749gh had been published the <i>Gurpurb Prak&#257sh</i>, the <i>Gur&#363 Par&#299khi&#257</i> and the <i>Sr&#299 Gur&#363 Krip&#257 Ka&#7789&#257khya</i>. The first publication under the auspices of the Prach&#257rak Sabh&#257 was <i>Gur Sikkh&#257&#7749 de Nitt Karam</i>, the daily duties of the Sikhs, based on the first chapter of an earlier work, <i>Sikh Dharam Sh&#257star</i>. Other titles published included <i>Sad Sidh&#257nt</i> (1887), <i>Gurmat Sidh&#257nt va Pañch&#257&#7749g va Prashn&#257val&#299 ke Uttar, Thitt&#257&#7749 V&#257r B&#257r&#257&#7749m&#257h, Gur Mahim&#257 Prak&#257sh, Sr&#299 Gur&#363 Granth S&#257hib J&#299 de P&#257&#7789h d&#299 Vidh&#299, Gurpurb Patrik&#257</i> (1893), <i>Gurpran&#257l&#299</i> (1894), <i>Sudh&#257sar Satak Pach&#299s&#257, Gur Pran&#257l&#299 Vidy&#257rth&#299&#257&#7749 de Ka&#7751&#7789h Karan V&#257l&#299</i> (1894) and <i>Yatr&#257 Haz&#363r Abchalnagar S&#257hib J&#299 D&#299</i> (1897). The Sabh&#257 also discovered and printed an old manuscript <i>Gur Bil&#257s Dasam Pats&#257h K&#257</i>, an account in verse of the life of Gur&#363 Gobind Si&#7749gh, completed by Bh&#257&#299 Sukkh&#257 Si&#7749gh in 1797. Another important task undertaken by the Sabh&#257 was the preparation, at the instance of the Amritsar Si&#7749gh Sabh&#257, of an authentic recension of the <i>Dasam Granth</i>. Funds for the project were provided by the Sabh&#257 secretary, Bh&#257&#299 Mann&#257 Si&#7749gh Hak&#299m, himself. Thirty-two different recensions were collected and several prominent scholars and theologians were invited to study them. They met at the Ak&#257l Ta<u>kh</u>t at Amritsar, and held formal discussions in a series of meetings between 13 June 1895 and 16 February 1896. A preliminary report entitled <i>Report Sodhak</i> (revision) <i>Committee Dasam P&#257tsh&#257h de Granth S&#257hib D&#299</i> was sent to Sikh scholars and institutions, inviting their opinion. A second document, <i>Report Dasam Granth d&#299 Sudh&#257&#299 D&#299</i> was brought out on 11 February 1898. Basing its conclusions on a study of the old hand-written copies of the <i>Dasam Granth</i> preserved at Sr&#299 Ta<u>kh</u>t S&#257hib at Pa&#7789n&#257 and in other Sikh <i>gurdw&#257r&#257s</i>, this report affirmed that the Holy Volume was compiled at Anandpur S&#257hib in 1698. Another point of importance taken up by the Prach&#257rak Sabh&#257 related to a controversy raised in 1893 regarding the administration of <i>amrit</i> of the double-edged sword to women. While the Lahore <u>Kh</u>&#257ls&#257 D&#299w&#257n entrusted the decision to a committee of five scholars Bh&#257&#299 K&#257hn Si&#7749gh of N&#257bh&#257, Gi&#257n&#299 Ditt Si&#7749gh, Gi&#257n&#299 &#7788h&#257kar Si&#7749gh of Amritsar, Gi&#257n&#299 Bhagv&#257n Si&#7749gh of Pa&#7789i&#257l&#257 and B&#257b&#363 Tej&#257 Si&#7749gh of Bhasau&#7771 -- the Gurmat Granth Prach&#257rak Sabh&#257 discussed the matter at its general meetings which were open to the public. As a result of these deliberations, Bh&#257&#299 Mann&#257 Si&#7749gh Hak&#299m published in 1900 a pamphlet entitled <i>M&#257&#299 de J&#257me n&#363&#7749 Amrit Chhak&#257van d&#299 Vidh&#299</i> (Manner of administering the rites of <i>amrit</i> to women). This was the last important publication of the Guramat Granth Prach&#257rak Sabh&#257. The Sabh&#257 fell into oblivion as two new associations, the <u>Kh</u>&#257ls&#257 Tract Society (founded 1893) and the Chief <u>Kh</u>&#257ls&#257 D&#299w&#257n (founded 1902), expanded the scope of their activity.</p> </font> <p class="BIB"> BIBLIOGRAPHY<p class="C1"><ol class="C1">Jagj&#299t Si&#7749gh, <i>Si&#7749gh Sabh&#257 Lahir</i>. Ludhiana, 1974<BR> </ol><p class="CONT">Jagj&#299t Si&#7749gh <br></p><BR> </font> <img src="counter.aspx" width="1px" height="1px" alt=""> </HTML></BODY>