ÿþ<HTML><HEAD><TITLE>V&#256R P&#256TSHAH&#298 DASVI&#7748 K&#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 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>V&#256R P&#256TSHAH&#298 DASVI&#7748 K&#298</i>, a ballad in Punjabi by an unknown poet describes Gur&#363 Gobind Si&#7749gh's battle against the combined forces of hill r&#257j&#257s and the Mu<u>gh</u>al Faujd&#257r Rustam <u>Kh</u>&#257n. The poet has not mentioned where and when the action took place, but the navies of the Mu<u>gh</u>al commander Rustam <u>Kh</u>&#257n and his brother Himmat <u>Kh</u>&#257n, mentioned in the <i>V&#257r</i> indicate that it was the battle of Nirmohga&#7771h, fought in 1700.</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The <i>V&#257r</i> opens with a supplicatory verse, whereafter the poet straightway begins the narrative. Rustam <u>Kh</u>&#257n has arrived at the head of a Mu<u>gh</u>al host with the proclaimed object of routing the Gur&#363 and his Sikhs. Gur&#363 Gobind Si&#7749gh invites his selected Sikhs for consultation. The Sikhs are eager to give the enemy a befitting reply on the battle ground. Then follows a vivid description of the march of the Sikh force. The remaining 44 stanzas (12 to 55) contain a forceful, if somewhat rhetorical, narration of the battle scenes. The assaults of the armies, the charge of the warriors, the neighing of the steeds, the excitement and confusion of combat are reproduced with imaginative fancy. In stanza after stanza the poet deals with the same theme, but every time employing fresh imagery.</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;A number of Sikhs fell on the field of battle. The adversary had, perhaps, suffered heavier losses, their commander Rustam <u>Kh</u>&#257n being among those slain. Thereafter Himmat <u>Kh</u>&#257n assumed the command, and the battle took a more fierce turn. Towards the close of the day, the Sikhs had to retreat, only to take field with renewed vigour the next day.</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The last stanza of the <i>V&#257r</i> pronounces that those who sing this <i>V&#257r</i> would be rescued from the cycle of death and rebirth. The Gur&#363 would protect those who listened to the narration of the valiant deeds of the heroes.</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;In addition to the <i>pau&#7771&#299s</i>, the poet has used <i>dohr&#257, sora&#7789h&#257</i> and <i>savaiyy&#257</i> measures. The <i>pau&#7771&#299s</i> are in old Punjabi while for other measures Braj Bh&#257&#7779&#257, mixed with Punjabi, has been used. The <i>V&#257r</i> contains a vast range of archaic words. The influence of <i>Cha&#7751&#7693&#299 d&#299 V&#257r</i> is evident. In addition to the vocabularly, the poet has borrowed imagery and, at places, complete lines, from <i>Cha&#7751&#7693&#299 d&#299 V&#257r</i>. However, the poet does not lack originality. His composition contains images and expressions which are new and fresh. The now famous line, "<i>Cha&#7771hd&#257 hoi&#257 boli&#257 paij rakh&#299&#7749 ap&#7751e n&#257&#7749v d&#299, </i>" going to make battle, he supplicated, now protect the honour of Thy name, O Lord.</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The <i>V&#257r</i> remained in obscurity for over two centuries and was published by Pi&#257r&#257 Si&#7749gh Padam, in 1967, in his collection <i>V&#257r&#257&#7749 Sr&#299 Gur&#363 Gobind Si&#7749gh J&#299 D&#299&#257&#7749</i>.</p> </font> <p class="BIB"> BIBLIOGRAPHY<p class="C1"><ol class="C1"><li class="C1"> Padam, Pi&#257r&#257 Si&#7749gh, <i>V&#257r&#257&#7749 Sr&#299 Gur&#363 Gobind Si&#7749gh J&#299 D&#299&#257&#7749</i>. Patiala, 1967<BR> <li class="C1"> Ga&#7751&#7693&#257 Si&#7749gh, ed., <i>Pañj&#257b d&#299&#257&#7749 V&#257r&#257&#7749</i>. Amritsar, 1946<BR> </ol><p class="CONT">Shamsher Si&#7749gh Ashok<br></p><BR> </font> <img src="counter.aspx" width="1px" height="1px" alt=""> </HTML></BODY>