ÿþ<HTML><HEAD><TITLE>P&#298P&#256</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="P*P"> <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">&#65279P&#298P&#256, one of whose hymns is incorporated in the Gur&#363 Granth S&#257hib, was a prince who renounced his throne in search of spiritual solace. He was born at Gagaraun, in present day Jh&#257l&#257w&#257r district of R&#257jasth&#257n, about AD 1425. He was a devotee of the goddess Bhav&#257n&#299 whose idol was enshrined in a temple within the premises of his palace. The goddess, it is said, once told him in a dream to visit K&#257sh&#299 (V&#257r&#257&#7751as&#299) and receive initiation from R&#257m&#257nand. P&#299p&#257 went to K&#257sh&#299, but R&#257m&#257nand refused to see him in his gaudy robes. P&#299p&#257 cast off his royal apparel and put on a mendicant's garment. He returned home after initiation and began to live like an ascetic. At his invitation R&#257m&#257nand visited Gagaraun, and the r&#257j&#257 lent his shoulder to the palanquin carrying him in a procession. P&#299p&#257 now finally decided to give up his throne and retire to a life of seclusion and meditation. He went to Dw&#257rk&#257 (Gujar&#257t) where Lord K&#7771&#7779&#7751a, after the Mah&#257bh&#257rata war, had spent the last years of his life. All the twelve wives of P&#299p&#257 insisted on accompanying him, but he took along only one, named S&#299t&#257, who was of a pious temperament. He selected a cave for his residence from where he daily walked through a tunnel to the temple of Krsna on the sea coast. The temple is still a popular place of pilgrimage, and a fair is held there annually in P&#299p&#257's memory. After what he thought was a personal encounter with the Lord, he gave up idol-worship. He and his companion wife started living in a jungle. After a period of penance, he set out roaming about the country to serve the common people. He, along with his wife, sang hymns and prayers of his own composition and collected money to be distributed among the poor. He fed the mendicants and treated them as God's chosen ones. From an idol-worshipper (<i>sagu&#7751a bhakta</i>) P&#299p&#257 became a worshipper of the Formless One (<i>nirguna</i> devotee). As he says in his hymn in the Gur&#363 Granth S&#257hib, the body itself is the Supreme Being's temple (<i>k&#257iau deval</i>). One need not make stone images of Him and burn incense or light candles in front of them.</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Two collections of P&#299p&#257's sayings are known to exist, namely <i>Shr&#299 P&#299p&#257 J&#299 B&#257&#7751&#299</i> and <i>Sarab Gu&#7789ak&#257</i>, both in manuscript form. P&#299p&#257 Ma&#7789h, a monastery in Dw&#257rk&#257, honours his memory.</p> </font> <p class="BIB"> BIBLIOGRAPHY<p class="C1"><ol class="C1"><li class="C1"> T&#257ran Si&#7749gh, ed., <i>Gur&#363 Granth Ratn&#257val&#299</i>. Patiala, n.d.<BR> <li class="C1"> Pratap Si&#7749gh, Gi&#257n&#299, <i>Bhagat Darshan</i>. Amritsar, 2001 Bk<BR> <li class="C1"> Macauliffe, Max Arthur, <i>The Sikh Religion</i>. London, 1909<BR> </ol><p class="CONT">Hardev B&#257hr&#299<br></p><BR> </font><img src="counter.aspx" width="1px" height="1px" alt=""></HTML></BODY>