<HTML><HEAD><TITLE>ROCH&#256 SI&#7748GH SANT (1688-1803)</TITLE>
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<p class="C1">&#65279ROCH&#256 SI&#7748GH, SANT (1688-1803), a holy man and preacher of Sikh faith, was born of Br&#257hma&#7751 parents living at Kaus&#257&#7749, a small village in Haz&#257r&#257 district (now in Pakistan). Roch&#257 Si&#7749gh was barely 14 years of age when his father, Bh&#257&#299 Pañj&#257b&#257, died leaving his wife and a younger son, Mot&#257 Si&#7749gh, to his care. He grew up into a handsome youth, tall in stature, but had little interest in worldly affairs. He roamed about seeking  the company of saintly persons. It is said that he met Gur&#363 Gobind Si&#7749gh sometime after the evacuation of Anandpur in December 1705, and received from him the rites of initiation. The Gur&#363 instructed him to go back and preach Gur&#363 N&#257nak's word in his own part of the country. For some time, Roch&#257 Si&#7749gh took up service with Menda&#7771 Sh&#257h, a rich businessman of Muzaffar&#257b&#257d, but gave it up to resume his religious pursuit. He went to Chhatar Kal&#257s, a village on the bank of the river Jehlum in Muzaffar&#257b&#257d district, where Sant Pañj&#257b Si&#7749gh, a Sikh saint, had his <i>&#7693er&#257</i>, which he joined as a disciple. In recognition of his piety, service and dedication, Sant Pañj&#257b Si&#7749gh, shortly before his death in 1736, nominated him as his successor. Roch&#257 Si&#7749gh constructed a large <i>gurdw&#257r&#257</i> there and brought many into the <u>Kh</u>&#257ls&#257 fold by administering to them vows by the double-edged sword. He enjoined upon the novitiates especially to bear upon their persons <i>kirp&#257n</i>, the sword, as prescribed in the <u>Kh</u>&#257ls&#257 <i>rahit</i>. He always had in his retinue 300 to 400 armed Sikhs. In 1756, he set out on an extensive tour through Haz&#257r&#257 and A&#7789&#7789ock district and the Po&#7789hoh&#257r region establishing <i>gurdw&#257r&#257s</i> and imparting the vows of <i>amrit</i> at gatherings especially held for this purpose. Sant Roch&#257 Si&#7749gh spent his last days in the Gurdw&#257r&#257 at R&#257valko&#7789, raised for him by a Muslim devotee, S&#257l&#257bat <u>Kh</u>&#257n, chief of Dhammn&#299 area. Appointing one of his disciples, Mel&#257 Si&#7749gh, then barely 20, to succeed him, the old saint passed away at R&#257valko&#7789 in April 1803.</p>
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BIBLIOGRAPHY<p class="C1"><ol class="C1"><li class="C1"> Buddh Si&#7749gh, Gi&#257n&#299, <i>Gujjhe H&#299re</i>. Amritsar, 1926<BR>
<li class="C1"><i>Cho&#7751ve&#7749 Ratan arth&#257t Puñchh te Kashm&#299r d&#257 Sikh Itih&#257s</i>. Amritsar, 1937<BR>
</ol><p class="CONT">Bhagat Si&#7749gh<br></p><BR>
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