ÿþ<HTML><HEAD><TITLE>OA&#7748K&#256RU</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>OA&#7748K&#256RU</i> is a composition of Gur&#363 N&#257nak's in the measure R&#257mkal&#299 in the Gur&#363 Granth S&#257hib. The full title of the <i>b&#257&#7751&#299</i> is <i>R&#257mkal&#299 Mahal&#257 1 Dakha&#7751&#299 Oa&#7749k&#257ru</i>. The title is explained differently by different scholars. According to one tradition, dakhan&#299 is the adjective for the noun Oa&#7749k&#257ru which is the actual name of the <i>b&#257&#7751&#299</i>. It is called <i>dakha&#7751&#299</i> because it was addressed to the priest of the Oa&#7749k&#257r temple in the <i>dakha&#7751</i> (South), on an island in the river Narmad&#257, in Madhya Pradesh. According to another tradition, the designation of the <i>b&#257&#7751&#299</i> is <i>Oa&#7749k&#257ru</i> and the term <i>dakha&#7751&#299</i> goes with <i>R&#257mkal&#299</i>, as Dakha&#7751&#299 is a form of the R&#257mkal&#299 <i>r&#257ga</i>. Many other instances of the titles written on similar lines are quoted in support of this view, as, for instance, Gau&#7771&#299 Mahal&#257 1 Dakha&#7751&#299 and Va&#7693aha&#7749s Mahal&#257 1 Dakha&#7751&#299. In these b&#257&#7751&#299s, dakha&#7751&#299 stands for the r&#257ga&#7751&#299 or the measure of music.</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <i>Oa&#7749k&#257ru</i> is composed in the form of an acrostic, each stanza beginning with one of the letters of the script meant for writing Sanskrit. Some of the sounds of Sanskrit do not exist in the language used by Gur&#363 N&#257nak. In such cases, prevalent equivalent sounds are used to represent the letters of the old script. For example, <i>&#8216j'</i> is used for <i> &#8216y'</i> and, <i>'b'</i> for &#8216v'.</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <i>Oa&#7749k&#257ru</i> opens with verses in praise of God who is remembered as the creator of all that exists, of time with all its different cycles, and of the entire universe.</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Then follows the verse of <i>rah&#257u</i> (pause) indicating the central theme of the <i>b&#257&#7751&#299</i> : O P&#257&#7751&#7693e, why are you involved in the writing of such idle hieroglyphics. Write the name of God alone.</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Hereafter begins the acrostic form. The emphasis is on ethical and spiritual teaching. Men whose deeds fall short of their professions have been called moving corpses, i.e. corpses which only breathe. They are dead, spiritually. But even those so degraded have a chance of saving themselves if only they would make a total surrender to the will of God. If such a person devotes himself to N&#257m, his mind would be cleansed of worldly temptations and cravings. The grace of the Gur&#363 will be a decisive factor in this process of spiritual regeneration. Temptation is the cause of suffering and sinfulness. Only those guided by the Gur&#363's wisdom overcome it. No rituals can be of any help, nor any intellectual or scholarly accomplishment. Renunciation of the world and ascetic practices are of little avail. The real Pa&#7751&#7693it or wise man is he who follows the path shown by the Gur&#363 and remains united with God while performing his worldly duty.</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; The language of the composition is a mixture of Hindav&#299 and Punjabi. Words of Perso-Arabic origin are rarer here than in some of Gur&#363 N&#257nak's other poems. The grammatical patterns are closer to those of Apabhra&#7749&#347a. The style is simple without any conscious attempt at poetic ornamentation. Yet certain artistic features are noteworthy. Striking specimens of the use of simile and metaphor as well as of alliteration are not infrequent. The poem has contributed to Punjabi many crisp maxims and aphorisms.</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; For instance:</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<i>gu&#7751 v&#299ch&#257re gi&#257n&#299 soi</i>&#8212he who imbibes merit is the real knower, Gi&#257n&#299 (GG, 931)</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<i>k&#257mu krodhu k&#257i&#257 k&#257u g&#257lai</i> &#8212 lust and anger consume the body (GG, 932); and</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<i>lekhu na mi&#7789a&#299 he s&#257kh&#299 jo likhi&#257 kart&#257ri</i> &#8212 the destiny the Creator has written for you will not be erased, my friend (GG, 937).</p> </font> <p class="BIB"> BIBLIOGRAPHY<p class="C1"><ol class="C1"><li class="C1"><i>&#346abad&#257rth Sr&#299 Gur&#363 Granth S&#257hib</i>. Amritsar, 1964<BR> <li class="C1"> H&#299r&#257, Bhagat Singh, <i>Oa&#7749k&#257r Darshan</i>. Delhi, 1977<BR> <li class="C1"> Sal&#363j&#257, Jagj&#299t Si&#7749gh, <i>M&#363l Mantar Sa&#7749kalap te Vivechan</i>. Ludhiana, 1982<BR> <li class="C1"> S&#257hib Singh, <i>Sr&#299 Gur&#363 Granth S&#257hib Darpan</i>. Jalandhar, 1963<BR> </ol><p class="CONT">S&#299ta R&#257m B&#257hr&#299<br></p><BR> </font> <img src="counter.aspx" width="1px" height="1px" alt=""> </HTML></BODY>