ÿþ<HTML><HEAD><TITLE>L&#256L SI&#7748GH NAROTAM (1840-1926)</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="LL,SIDGH,NAROTAM,Person,Person"> <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">&#65279L&#256L SI&#7748GH NAROTAM (1840-1926), also known as Sant L&#257l Si&#7749gh Hare R&#257m, a Nirmal&#257 scholar, was born the son of Bh&#257&#299 Kirp&#257l Si&#7749gh and R&#257j Karn&#299 Dev&#299 on 14 September 1840 at Bher&#257, Jehlum district, now in Pakistan. The family claimed descent from Bh&#257&#299 Mann&#257 Si&#7749gh, one of Gur&#363 Gobind Si&#7749gh's disciples. L&#257l Si&#7749gh received his preliminary education in Sikh texts from his father and from itinerant <i>s&#257dh&#363s</i> who frequented his house. Around 1880, he came to Amritsar where he established his own seminary which he named Hare R&#257m &#256shram and which was affiliated to the Nirmal&#257 order. Here he spent the rest of his life, studying and teaching. The epithet <i>narotam</i> (lit. man. par excellence) came to be added to his name in recognition of his scholarship. He wrote both verse (Punjabi) and prose (Sadhuka&#7771&#299) and his known works number sixteen. His first original work, completed in 1881 but still unpublished, is <i>Gur Bigy&#257n Prak&#257sh</i> or <i>Salok Sahaskrit&#299 &#7788&#299k&#257</i>. It is an exposition in the form of a dialogue of "Sahaskrit&#299 Saloks" from the Gur&#363 Granth S&#257hib. This was followed by <i>&#256di Gur&#363 Granth S&#257hib J&#299 Ke Pray&#257i</i>, 400 large-sized folios, a glossary of Gur&#363 Granth S&#257hib completed in 1883. <i>Gur&#363 Gi&#257n Prak&#257sh</i> (1886) deals with subjects like exaltation of <i>n&#257m</i>, i.e. absorption in the Name of God. <i>Sudh&#257sar Mah&#257tam</i> (since published) mainly pays homage to the Gur&#363 Granth S&#257hib. <i>Brahm Prak&#257sh Granth</i> was, according to the author, in three volumes of which only one is now extant. It contains a summary of some important Hindu classics such as the Upani&#7779ads, the Epics and the <i>Bh&#257gvata Pur&#257&#7751a</i>. Published works of Sant L&#257l Si&#7749gh include <i>Sr&#299 Gur Bhagat M&#257l Sa&#7789&#299k</i> (1908) , <i>Bachan Prak&#257sh</i> (n.d.), <i>Parlok Jh&#257k&#299</i> (1926), <i>Gi&#257n S&#257gar</i> (1966), <i>Narotam M&#257jh&#257&#7749</i> (n.d.) and <i>Istr&#299 Bhagat M&#257l&#257</i> (1971). Among those yet unpublished are <i>Granth S&#257kh&#299 Pram&#257&#7751, Narotam B&#257r&#257 M&#257h&#257, Man Sambodhan Granth, Gobind Satotra, Nira&#7749k&#257r&#299 Darshan, Gi&#7751at&#299 Sabado&#7749 K&#299, Mahim&#257 Prak&#257sh (S&#257kh&#299 Sa&#7749graha), Kabit Sukkh&#257 Si&#7749gh Ke</i> and <i>Sr&#299 Gur&#363 Sabad S&#257r</i>. The last mentioned work completed in 1898 explains theological terms such as <i>o&#7749k&#257r, satin&#257m</i> and <i>gurpras&#257di</i>. Sant L&#257l Si&#7749gh also wrote a commentary on Gur&#363 Gobind Si&#7749gh's <i>Zafarn&#257mah</i> but the first ten pages of the 69-page manuscript have been lost.</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Sant L&#257l Si&#7749gh Narotam died at Amritsar on 22 June 1926.</p> </font> <p class="BIB"> BIBLIOGRAPHY<p class="C1"><ol class="C1"><li class="C1"> Ganesh&#257 Si&#7749gh, Mahant, <i>Nirmal Bh&#363shan arth&#257t Itih&#257s Nirmal Bhekh</i>. Amritsar, 1994 Bk/AD 1937<BR> <li class="C1"> Di&#257l Si&#7749gh, Mahant, <i>Nirmal Panth Darshan</i>. Delhi, 1965<BR> <li class="C1"> Mun&#299, Arjan Si&#7749gh, <i>Sr&#299 Nirmal Panchait&#299 Akh&#257&#7771&#257</i>. Kankhal, 2006 Bk/1949<BR> <li class="C1"><i>Sr&#299 Sudh&#257sar Mah&#257tam</i>. Delhi, 1969<BR> </ol><p class="CONT">Shamsher Si&#7749gh Ashok<br></p><BR> </font><img src="counter.aspx" width="1px" height="1px" alt=""></HTML></BODY>