ÿþ<HTML><HEAD><TITLE>MAHIM&#256 PRAK&#256SH 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>MAHIM&#256 PRAK&#256SH</i>, known as <i>Mahim&#257 Prak&#257sh V&#257rtak</i> (prose) to distinguish it from another work, in verse, bearing the same title, Sar&#363p D&#257s Bhall&#257's <i>Mahim&#257 Prak&#257sh</i>, is an unpublished manuscript containing anecdotes from the lives of the Gur&#363s. The manuscript, copies of which are now available in the <u>Kh</u>&#257ls&#257 College at Amritsar, Languages Department of Punjab at Pa&#7789i&#257l&#257 and Bh&#257&#299 V&#299r Si&#7749gh's collection at Dehr&#257 D&#363n, was first discovered by Ak&#257l&#299 Kaur Si&#7749gh (1886-1953). None of the manuscripts bears the name of its author, nor the date of its compilation, though it is commonly believed to be the work of B&#257v&#257 Krip&#257l D&#257s (or Si&#7749gh) Bhall&#257 written in 1798 Bk/AD 1741.</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <i>Mahim&#257 Prak&#257sh V&#257rtak</i> contains in all 164 <i>s&#257kh&#299s</i> or anecdotes dealing with the Gur&#363s as follows: Gur&#363 N&#257nak, 20; Gur&#363 A&#7749gad, 10; Gur&#363 Amar D&#257s, 27; Gur&#363 R&#257m D&#257s, 7; Gur&#363 Arjan, 15; Gur&#363 Hargobind, 20; Gur&#363 Har R&#257i, 17; Gur&#363 Har Krishan, 1; Gur&#363 Te<u>gh</u> Bah&#257dur, 4; and Gur&#363 Gobind Si&#7749gh, 43. With respect to Gur&#363 N&#257nak the work follows in the main the older <i>janam s&#257kh&#299s</i> such as the <i>Pur&#257tan</i>. For example, like the <i>Pur&#257tan Janam S&#257kh&#299</i>, it places the birth of Gur&#363 N&#257nak in the month of Bais&#257kh and like the <i>Pur&#257tan</i>, it does not mention the name of Bh&#257&#299 B&#257l&#257. The structure of the work is episodic. Each <i>s&#257kh&#299</i> is independent in itself and has its own motif. Some of the stories are didactical, some interpret <i>gurb&#257&#7751&#299</i> in the style of <i>Miharb&#257n Janam S&#257kh&#299</i>, while some others deal with historical events.</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <i>Mahim&#257 Prak&#257sh V&#257rtak</i>, is the earliest known work dealing with the lives of all the ten Gur&#363s. Its influence is traceable in at least two other accounts, both written in the 18th century &#8212 Sev&#257 D&#257s Ud&#257s&#299's <i>Parch&#299&#257&#7749</i> (1741) and Sar&#363p D&#257s Bhall&#257's <i>Mahim&#257 Prak&#257sh</i> (1776). Some of their stories are apparently drawn from this source.</p> </font> <p class="BIB"> BIBLIOGRAPHY<p class="C1"><ol class="C1"><li class="C1"> Trumpp, Ernest, <i>The Adi Granth</i>. London, 1877<BR> <li class="C1"> Teja Singh and Ganda Singh, <i>A Short History of the Sikhs</i>. Calcutta, 1950<BR> <li class="C1"> Sev&#257 D&#257s, <i>Parch&#299&#257&#7749</i>. Patiala, 1963<BR> <li class="C1"><i>Gur&#363 Amar D&#257s Srut Pustak</i>. Amritsar, 1986<BR> </ol><p class="CONT">Kirp&#257l Si&#7749gh <br></p><BR> </font><img src="counter.aspx" width="1px" height="1px" alt=""></HTML></BODY>