ÿþ<HTML><HEAD><TITLE>J&#256PU 1</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>J&#256PU</i>, popularly known as <i>J&#257p S&#257hib</i>, by Gur&#363 Gobind Si&#7749gh is the introductory invocation in his <i>Dasam Granth</i>. In this hymn the unicity of the Supreme Being is proclaimed and He is delineated as the One amidst the multiplicity of his creation. The positive and the negative attributes of the Creator are sung so as to illuminate the human spirit. The exact date of the composition of this poem is not known, but it is commonly accepted as one of Gur&#363 Gobind Si&#7749gh's earlier compositions. The four years of his early youth he spent at P&#257o&#7751&#7789&#257 were the most creative, and the <i>J&#257pu</i> is generally believed to have been composed during that period.</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <i>J&#257p</i> is a Sanskrit formation, derived from the root <i>jap</i> which means to utter in a low voice'. In common usage, <i>J&#257p</i> means adoration by repeating reverentially God's name as a sacred formula. <i>J&#257p</i> is a regular part of the Indian religious discipline wherein God is remembered by innumerable names signifying and symbolizing His different attributes and deeds.</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Like Gur&#363 N&#257nak's <i>Japu</i>, Gur&#363 Gobind Si&#7749gh's <i>J&#257pu</i> is a text for daily recitation. It is one of the regimen of five Sikh prayers to be repeated every day. It is also one of the five <i>b&#257&#7751&#299s</i> which are recited as <i>amrit</i> is being churned for the rites of Sikh initiation. The composition comprises 199 verse-pieces in 10 different metres, namely Chhappai, Bhuja&#7749g-pray&#257t, Ch&#257char&#299, R&#363&#257l, Bhagvat&#299, Haribolaman&#257, Charpa&#7789, Madhubh&#257r, Ras&#257val and Ek Achhar&#299, which are repeated with varying effects. How incapable human intellect is of defining and counting all of His names is proclaimed at the very beginning. Gur&#363 Gobind Si&#7749gh describes the Creator as beyond marks and symbols, castes and hues, forms and garbs. He is immutable, self-luminous, limitless and the Supreme Sovereign of all the three worlds. Every particle of Nature proclaims, "He is Infinite, He is Infinite." God is beyond all religions and denominations: <i>Namasta&#7749 amajabe. Namastasatu ajabe</i>. (<i>J&#257pu</i>, 17). He is formless, invisible, immeasurably great; His mystery is impenetrable, His glory is indefinable, His holiness is unsurpassable. "Hail Thee, Lord Eternal! Hail Thee, ever Merciful! Hail Thee, Thou Supremely Beautiful! Hail Thee, Soveregin of all" (<i>J&#257pu</i>, 19).</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; He is Destroyer and Creator: He is Death, yet the Sustainer. Darkness and light, tumult and peace may appear contradictory to the finite human mind, but God is above these contradictions. He is darkness as well as supreme illumination. The Supreme Being, called Ak&#257l, the Timeless in <i>J&#257pu</i>, may manifest Himself in many forms, shapes, colours, qualities, quantities, but ultimately He is One: <i>"ek m&#363rati anek darsan k&#299n r&#363p anek khel kheli akhel khelan, ant ko phiri ek"</i> (J&#257pu, 81) . He is all-pervading and is the essence of all spiritual experience. A significant aspect of this composition is its characteristic language. In the <i>J&#257pu</i>, Gur&#363 Gobind Si&#7749gh has employed with telling effect, powerful rhythmic and flowing alliterative diction -- a mixture of Braj Bh&#257sh&#257, Sanskrit, Arabic, Persian and Punjabi. Sanskrit words have been used both in their original <i> (tatsam) </i> and popular <i> (tadbhav) </i> forms. Words of Arabic and Persian origin have also been used in abundance. The peculiarity lies in fusing words of Sanskrit origin with those from Arabic and Persian. <i>J&#257pu</i> is the example of a language popular in varying degrees in northern India when Bh&#257kh&#257 or Hindi was developing. Such verbal experiments served the purpose of imparting universality and catholicity to the expression.</p> </font> <p class="BIB"> BIBLIOGRAPHY<p class="C1"><ol class="C1"><li class="C1"> Ashta, Dharam Pal, <i>The Poetry of the Dasam Granth</i>. Delhi, 1959<BR> <li class="C1"> Loehlin, C.H., <i>The Granth of Guru Gobind Singh and the Khalsa Brotherhood</i>. Lucknow, 1971<BR> <li class="C1"> Gopal Singh, <i>Thus Spake the Tenth Master</i>. Patiala, 1978<BR> <li class="C1"> Jagg&#299, Rattan Si&#7749gh, <i>Dasam Granth Parichaya</i>. Delhi, 1990<BR> <li class="C1"> Randh&#299r Si&#7749gh, Bh&#257&#299, and T&#257ran Si&#7749gh, ed., <i>&#346abad&#257rth Dasam Granth</i>. Patiala, 1977<BR> </ol><p class="CONT">Maheep Si&#7749gh<br></p><BR> </font><img src="counter.aspx" width="1px" height="1px" alt=""></HTML></BODY>