ÿþ<HTML><HEAD><TITLE>UD&#256S&#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="UDS*"> <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">&#65279UD&#256S&#298, an ascetical sect of the Sikhs founded by Sr&#299 Chand (1494-1629), the elder son of Gur&#363 N&#257nak. Ud&#257s&#299 is derived from the Sanskrit word <i>ud&#257s&#299n</i>, i.e. one who is indifferent to or disregardful of worldly attachments, a stoic, or a mendicant. In Sikh tradition, the term <i>ud&#257s&#299</i> has also been used for each of the four preaching tours of Gur&#363 N&#257nak; in this sense, <i>ud&#257s&#299</i> meant a prolonged absence from home. Some scholars, including many Ud&#257s&#299s, trace the origin of the sect back to the Pur&#257&#7751ic age, but, historically speaking, Sr&#299 Chand was the founder. The <i>M&#257tr&#257</i>, the sacred incantation or composition, attributed to the Ud&#257s&#299 saint, B&#257l&#363 Hasn&#257, records that Sr&#299 Chand received enlightenment from Gur&#363 N&#257nak, the perfect Gur&#363, and that, after the passing away of the latter, he started his own sect.</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Sr&#299 Chand was a devoted Sikh and a saintly person. His object in establishing the order of the Ud&#257s&#299s was to propagate the mission of his father. Sr&#299 Chand kept on amicable terms with the successors of Gur&#363 N&#257nak. According to Kesar Si&#7749gh Chhibbar, he sent two turbans at the death of Gur&#363 R&#257m D&#257s in AD 1581, one for Prith&#299 Chand, the eldest son of the deceased Gur&#363, and another for Gur&#363 Arjan in recognition of his succession to the Gur&#363ship. In AD 1629, Sr&#299 Chand asked Gur&#363 Hargobind to spare one of his sons to join him in his religious preaching. The Gur&#363 gave him B&#257b&#257 Gurditt&#257, his eldest son. B&#257b&#257 Gurditt&#257, although married, was disposed to saintly living. Before his death, B&#257b&#257 Sr&#299 Chand admitted B&#257b&#257 Gurditt&#257 to the Ud&#257s&#299 order and appointed him his successor.</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;B&#257b&#257 Gurditt&#257 appointed four head preachers---Almast, Ph&#363l, Goind (or Gond&#257) and B&#257l&#363 Husn&#257. He gave them his own dress which became the peculiar Ud&#257s&#299 garb and smouldering embers from B&#257b&#257 Sr&#299 Chand's <i>dh&#363&#7751&#299</i> (s&#257dhu's hearth) to be taken to their new monastic seats. These Ud&#257s&#299 s&#257dh&#363s set-up from those embers a new <i>dh&#363&#257&#7749</i> each at his seat and thus came into existence the four dh&#363&#257&#7749s or hearths which became active centres of Ud&#257s&#299 preaching. Each <i>dh&#363&#257&#7749</i> came to be known after the name of its principal preacher. The Ud&#257s&#299s proved zealous preachers of Sikhism and carried its message to the far corners of the country and beyond. They especially rediscovered places which had been sited by the Gur&#363s and which had fallen into obscurity with the passage of time. They established on such spots their <i>&#7693er&#257s</i> and <i>sa&#7749gats</i> and preached Gurb&#257&#7751&#299. Thus the Ud&#257s&#299 <i>dh&#363&#257&#7749s</i> popularized the teaching of Gur&#363 N&#257nak not only in the Punjab but also in far off places.</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Besides the four <i>dh&#363&#257&#7749s</i>, there emerged another set of Ud&#257s&#299 seats called <i>ba<u>kh</u>shish&#257&#7749</i>, which flourished during the time of Gur&#363 Har R&#257i, Gur&#363 Te<u>gh</u> Bah&#257dur and Gur&#363 Gobind Si&#7749gh. A <i>ba<u>kh</u>shish</i> (lit. bounty) was a missionary assignment conferred upon an individual by the Gur&#363. There were six prominent <i>ba<u>kh</u>shish&#257&#7749</i>, viz. Bhagat Bhagv&#257n&#299e (followers of Bhagat Bhagv&#257n) ; <i>Suthr&#257sh&#257h&#299e</i> ( followers of Suthr&#257sh&#257h) ; Sa&#7749gat S&#257hib&#299e (followers of Sa&#7749gat S&#257hib) ; M&#299h&#257&#7749 Sh&#257h&#299e or M&#299h&#257&#7749 D&#257s&#299e, so called after M&#299h&#257&#7749, the title conferred by Gur&#363 Te<u>gh</u> Bah&#257dur on R&#257mdev; Ba<u>kh</u>t Mall&#299e (followers of Ba<u>kh</u>t Mall); and J&#299t Mall&#299e (followers of Jit Mall). The saints of <i>ba<u>kh</u>shishes</i> travelled widely and established their <i>&#7693er&#257s, sa&#7749gats, ma&#7789hs</i> and <i>akh&#257r&#257s</i> in distant places throughout India.</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The Ud&#257s&#299s preached the message of Gur&#363 N&#257nak and revered and recited the <i>b&#257&#7751&#299</i> of the Gur&#363s, but they retained their separate identity. B&#257b&#257 Sr&#299 Chand did occasionally visit the Gur&#363s who treated him with respect for being a saintly personage as well as for being a son of Gur&#363 N&#257nak. But they extended no patronage to his sect. However, after B&#257b&#257 Sr&#299 Chand had had from Gur&#363 Hargobind his eldest son, B&#257b&#257 Gurditt&#257, to admit to his sect, the Ud&#257s&#299s began to receive support and guidance from the Gur&#363s. Gur&#363 Hargobind's successors conferred <i>ba<u>kh</u>shishes</i> upon Ud&#257s&#299 s&#257dh&#363s. Several of the Ud&#257s&#299 saints are remembered with esteem in the Sikh tradition. For instance, the famous Bhagat Bhagv&#257n, Bh&#257&#299 Pher&#363 of the Sa&#7749gat S&#257hib&#299&#257 order, who had served in the <i>la&#7749gar</i> or community kitchen in the time of Gur&#363 Har R&#257i, and R&#257mdev (later known as M&#299h&#257&#7749 S&#257hib), who was originally a <i>m&#257shk&#299</i> or water carrier in the service of Gur&#363 Te<u>gh</u> Bah&#257dur and who had received from him for his devoted service the title of M&#299h&#257&#7749 (bestower of rain) as well as the dress and marks of an Ud&#257s&#299 consisting of <i>selh&#299</i> (woollen cord), <i>&#7789op&#299</i> (cap), <i>chol&#257</i> (hermit's gown) and a <i>nag&#257r&#257</i> (drum). R&#257mdev established his own order of the Ud&#257s&#299s which came to be known as M&#299h&#257&#7749 D&#257sie or M&#299h&#257&#7749 Sh&#257h&#299e. Another notable Ud&#257s&#299 s&#257dh&#363 was Mah&#257&#7749t Kirp&#257l who took part in the battle of Bha&#7749g&#257n&#299 (1689) under Gur&#363 Gobind Si&#7749gh.</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;After the abolition of the order of the <i>masands</i> by Gur&#363 Gobind Si&#7749gh, the preaching of Gur&#363 N&#257nak&#8217s word fell to the Ud&#257s&#299s who also gradually took control of the Sikh places of worship. When Gur&#363 Gobind Si&#7749gh evacuated the Fort of Anandpur along with his Sikhs, an Ud&#257s&#299 monk, Gurba<u>kh</u>sh D&#257s, underlook to look after the local shrines such as S&#299s Gañj and Kesga&#7771h S&#257hib. When after the death of Gur&#363 Gobind Si&#7749gh, one Gul&#257b R&#257i, an impostor proclaimed himself <i>gur&#363</i> at Anandpur and tried to take possession of the shrines, Gurba<u>kh</u>sh D&#257s thwarted his scheme. Gurba<i>kh</i>sh D&#257s successors continued to look after the Anandpur shrines till their management was taken over in recent times by the Shiroma&#7751&#299 Gurdw&#257r&#257 Parbandhak Committee. At N&#257nde&#7693 where Gur&#363 Gobind Si&#7749gh passed away, Mahant &#298shar D&#257s Ud&#257s&#299 performed the services at Darb&#257r Gur&#363 Gobind Si&#7749gh (Haz&#363r S&#257hib) and managed the shrine from 1765 Bk/AD 1708 to 1782 Bk/AD 1725. He was succeeded by his disciple Gop&#257l D&#257s Ud&#257s&#299, who remained incharge of Darb&#257r Haz&#363r S&#257hib up to 1803 Bk/AD 1746. Gop&#257l D&#257s was succeeded by his disciple Saran D&#257s Ud&#257s&#299, who served the shrine for a long period of 30 years. After Saran D&#257s the control of the Darb&#257r passed into the hands of the Sikhs who had, by that time, come from the Punjab in considerable numbers and settled at N&#257nde&#7693. In 1768 Bk/AD 1711 an Ud&#257s&#299 S&#257dh&#363, Sant Gop&#257l D&#257s, popularly known as Godda&#7771 Faqu&#299r, was appointed <i>granth&#299</i> at the Harimandar at Amritsar by Bh&#257&#299 Man&#299 Si&#7749gh, sent to Amritsar as custodian of the shrine by M&#257t&#257 Sundar&#299. Gop&#257l D&#257s was later replaced by another Ud&#257s&#299, Bh&#257&#299 Chañchal Si&#7749gh, a pious and devoted Sikh.</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Ud&#257s&#299s recruit their followers from all castes and professions. In their religious practices they differ from the Sikhs, though they revere Gur&#363 N&#257nak and Gur&#363 Granth S&#257hib like all other Sikhs. In their monasteries, Gur&#363 Granth S&#257hib is the scripture that is read. They do not subscribe to the Sikh rites. Their <i>ard&#257s</i> also varies. Ringing of bells (<i>gha&#7751&#7789&#299</i> or <i>gha&#7771&#299&#257l</i>), blowing instruments (<i>narsi&#7749gh&#257</i> or <i>si&#7749gh&#299</i>) form part of their religious service. They worship icons of Gur&#363 N&#257nak and B&#257b&#257 Sr&#299 Chand. Their salutations are V&#257hgur&#363 (Glory of the God), <i>G&#257jo J&#299 V&#257hgur&#363</i> (Hail aloud the glorious Lord) or Alakh (Hail the Unknowable). The Ud&#257s&#299s believe that after gaining <i>m&#257tr&#257</i> one can attain <i>param tattva</i> (the highest truth) and achieve <i>mukti</i> (release). The term <i>m&#257tr&#257</i>, lit. a measure or quantity, stands in prosody and grammar for the length of time required to pronounce a short vowel. But the term has acquired an extended meaning in the Ud&#257s&#299 tradition, signifying an incantation or sacred text. An Ud&#257s&#299 <i>m&#257tr&#257</i> is the sacred formula addressed to the disciples as counsel and advice. There are a considerable number of these <i>m&#257tr&#257s</i> attributed to Gur&#363 N&#257nak, B&#257b&#257 Sr&#299 Chand, B&#257b&#257 Gurditt&#257, Almast and B&#257l&#363 Hasn&#257. But the <i>m&#257tr&#257s</i> attributed to Sr&#299 Chand have special significance for the Ud&#257s&#299s and are highly cherished by them.</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Some of the Ud&#257s&#299s wear white while others prefer <i>ger&#363&#257</i> (ochre) or red-coloured garments. Those belonging to the N&#257ng&#257 sect remain naked, wearing nothing except a brass chain around their waist. Some wear matted hair and apply ashes over their body. Some wear cord worn around the head, neck and waist. They abstain from alcohol, but not infrequently use <i>bhang</i> (hemp), <i>charas</i> and opium. They practise celibacy.</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Besides disseminating the word of Gur&#363 N&#257nak, Ud&#257s&#299 centres serve as seminaries of Sikh learning. <i>Chel&#257s</i>, i.e. disciples, gather around the head of the monastery who instructs them in Sikh and old classical texts. The heads of these centres travelled with their pupils to places of pilgrimage and participated in debate and discourse.</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The Ud&#257s&#299 <i>bu&#7749g&#257s</i> or rest houses around the Harimandar were among the prominent centres of learning. Ud&#257s&#299 cloister at Amritsar, Brahm B&#363&#7789&#257 Akh&#257&#7771&#257, ran a Gurmukh&#299 school which attracted a considerable number of pupils. Some Ud&#257s&#299 centres also imparted training in Indian system of medicine and physiology. One such seat was the <i>bu&#7749g&#257</i> of Pa&#7751&#7693it Sar&#363p D&#257s Ud&#257s&#299 who was a great scholar as well as an authority on <i>Charaka Samhit&#257</i>, the famous treatise on <i>&#256yurveda</i>.</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;In the troubled years of the eighteenth century when Sikhs suffered severe persecution, the Ud&#257s&#299 s&#257dh&#363s took charge of their places of worship. Their control of the holy shrines lasted until the opening decades of the twentieth century when Sikhs through an enactment of the Punjab Legislative Council had the management centralized in the hands of a democratically elected board. The Ud&#257s&#299s, however, have their own <i>&#7693er&#257s</i> and monasteries spread all over the country. The most important of their centres in the North are Brahm B&#363&#7789&#257 Akh&#257&#7771&#257 and Sa&#7749gal&#257&#7749v&#257l&#257 Akh&#257&#7771&#257 at Amritsar, Nirañjan&#299&#257 Akh&#257&#7771&#257 at Pa&#7789i&#257l&#257 and the Pañchait&#299 Akh&#257&#7771&#257 at Haridv&#257r.</p> </font> <p class="BIB"> BIBLIOGRAPHY<p class="C1"><ol class="C1"><li class="C1"> Ra&#7751dh&#299r Si&#7749gh, Bh&#257&#299, <i>Ud&#257s&#299 Sikh&#257&#7749 d&#299 Vithiy&#257</i>. Amritsar, 1959<BR> <li class="C1"> N&#257r&#257, &#298shar Si&#7749gh, <i>Itih&#257s B&#257b&#257 Sr&#299 Chand J&#299 S&#257hib ate Ud&#257s&#299n Sampard&#257i</i>. Amritsar, 1975<BR> <li class="C1"> Macauliffe, Max Arthur, <i>The Sikh Religion : Its Gur&#363s, Sacred Writings and Authors</i>. Oxford, 1909<BR> </ol><p class="CONT">Madanjit Kaur<br></p><BR> </font> <img src="counter.aspx" width="1px" height="1px" alt=""> </HTML></BODY>