ÿþ<HTML><HEAD><TITLE>PAÑJ SAU S&#256KH&#298</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="PAÑJ,SAU,SKH*"> <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">&#65279PAÑJ SAU S&#256KH&#298, a collection of five hundred anecdotes (<i>Pañj</i> = five; <i>sau</i> = hundred; <i>s&#257kh&#299</i> = anecdote), attributed to Bh&#257&#299 R&#257m Kuir (1672-1761), a descendant of Bh&#257&#299 Bu&#7693&#7693h&#257, renamed Bh&#257&#299 Gurba<u>kh</u>sh Si&#7749gh as he received the rites of the <u>Kh</u>&#257ls&#257 at the hands of Gur&#363 Gobind Si&#7749gh (1666-1708). It is said that during his long association with the Gur&#363, R&#257m Kuir had heard from his lips many anecdotes concerning the lives of the Gur&#363s which he used to narrate to Sikhs after his return to his village, Ramd&#257s, in Amritsar district, after Anandpur had been evacuated in 1705. Bh&#257&#299 S&#257hib Si&#7749gh is said to have reduced these <i>s&#257kh&#299s</i> to writing. Later, they were split into five parts, each comprising one hundred stories whence the title "Sau S&#257kh&#299" or A Hundred Stories gained currency. These five sections were distributed among Bh&#257&#299 S&#257hib Si&#7749gh, the scribe, K&#257bul&#299 Mall, Mult&#257n&#299 S&#363r&#257, Rat&#299&#257, and S&#363rat Si&#7749gh of &#256gr&#257. Gi&#257n&#299 Gi&#257n Si&#7749gh, author of the <i>Panth Prak&#257sh</i>, is said to have seen two manuscripts of this work&#8212one with a <i>mahant</i> (priest) of Nai&#7751e d&#257 Ko&#7789 and another with Shiv R&#257m Khatr&#299 of &#256gr&#257. Bh&#257&#299 K&#257hn Si&#7749gh of N&#257bh&#257 also seems to have had access to a manuscript copy. None of these manuscripts, much less an authentic printed version, is however available today. The authors of the <i>Gurbil&#257s</i> and <i>Sr&#299 Gur Prat&#257p S&#363r&#257j Granth</i> seem to have drawn upon these anecdotes which are more legendary than historical in character.</p> </font> <p class="BIB"> BIBLIOGRAPHY<p class="C1"><ol class="C1"><li class="C1"> Padam, Pi&#257r&#257 Si&#7749gh, ed., <i>Sau S&#257kh&#299</i>. Patiala, 1986<BR> <li class="C1"> Santokh Singh, Bh&#257&#299, <i>Sr&#299 Gur Prat&#257p S&#363raj Granth</i>. Amritsar, 1927-35<BR> <li class="C1"> Gi&#257n Si&#7749gh, Gi&#257n&#299, <i>Tw&#257r&#299<u>kh</u> Gur&#363 <u>Kh</u>&#257ls&#257</i> [Reprint]. Patiala, 1970<BR> </ol><p class="CONT">Balb&#299r Si&#7749gh Nand&#257<br></p><BR> </font><img src="counter.aspx" width="1px" height="1px" alt=""></HTML></BODY>