ÿþ<HTML><HEAD><TITLE>K&#256F&#298 (Arabic Q&#257f&#299)</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="KF*"> <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">&#65279K&#256F&#298 (Arabic Q&#257f&#299), literally stands for the leader, the enlightener, one who fulfils the need. In poetics it denotes the refrain in a song or hymn, and is also the title given to a poetic form in Arabic as well as in Indian literature. Gur&#363 N&#257nak was the first to use this poetic form in Punjabi literature, and in this he was followed by several S&#363f&#299 poets and others. K&#257f&#299 has also been called a <i>r&#257gin&#299</i> and a metre (t&#257&#7789&#257&#7749k), though opinion differs on this count. In the Sikh Scripture, Gur&#363 Granth S&#257hib, <i>K&#257f&#299s</i> have not been collected under any one <i>r&#257ga</i>; they occur under <i>r&#257gas</i> &#256s&#257, Tila&#7749g, S&#363h&#299 and M&#257r&#363. Similarly, they are assigned to different <i>gharus</i> in different <i>r&#257gas</i>: in &#256s&#257, they belong to <i>gharu</i> 8, in S&#363h&#299 to <i>gharu</i> 10 and in M&#257r&#363 to <i>gharu</i> 2. Except for Gur&#363 A&#7749gad, all the other five Gur&#363s who have contributed to the Holy Volume have composed <i>k&#257f&#299s</i>. The main theme of these <i>k&#257f&#299s</i> is the transient nature of this manifest world with the implicit suggestion that one should not get attached to it. Attachment to worldly possessions and relations leads to the soul's bondage. In order to break the circuit of birth, death and rebirth and achieve <i>mukti</i> (liberation or union with the Absolute) man must eradicate <i>haumai</i> and submit to His will. Neither material possessions nor any position in this mundane world is going to help him in the Divine Court where only good and noble deeds signifying man's love for the Divine are valued.</p> </font> <p class="BIB"> BIBLIOGRAPHY<p class="C1"><ol class="C1"><li class="C1"> K&#257hn Si&#7749gh, Bh&#257&#299, <i>Gurushabad Ratan&#257kar Mah&#257n Kosh</i>. Patiala, 1981<BR> <li class="C1"><i>Pañj&#257b&#299 S&#257hit Kosh</i>. Patiala, 1971<BR> </ol><p class="CONT">Dharam Si&#7749gh<br></p><BR> </font><img src="counter.aspx" width="1px" height="1px" alt=""></HTML></BODY>