Suraj Parkash

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The Gur Partap Suraj, popularly known as the Suraj Parkash is a six volume work detailing the lives of all the Sikh Gurus. It was completed during the rainy season of 1843 A.D by Bhai Santokh Singh.

The lives of the Gurus, from the second to the ninth, inclusive, are divided into twelve Raas or sections, corresponding to the signs of the Zodiac. The life of the tenth Guru is presented in six Ruts, or seasons, corresponding to the six Indian seasons, and into two Ayans, the ascending and descending nodes. The whole work is written in metre, and in difficult Hindi, with a large admixture of pure Sanskrit words.

Bhai Santokh Singh is said to be indebted to the writings of Bhai Gurbaksh Singh, who survived Guru Gobind Singh by 25 years and relayed his history to Bhai Sahib Singh (also see Sau Sakhi). It is, however, doubtful whether Bhai Santokh Singh had access to any trustworthy authority. From his early education and environment he was largely tinctured with Hinduism. He was unquestionably a poet, and his imagination was largely stimulated by copius draughts of bhang and other intoxicants in which he freely indulged. The consequence was that he invented several stories discreditable to the Gurus and the Sikh religion. Some of his inventions are due to his exaggerated ideas of prowess and force in a bad as well as in a good cause - a reflex of the spirit of the marauding age in which he lived. His statements accordingly cannot often be accepted as even an approach to history

Resources

Sri Gur Partap Suraj Granth available for download from:

Bhai Daya Singh Ji Online Library


References

  • Macauliffe, M.A (1909). The Sikh Religion: Its Gurus Sacred Writings and Authors. Low Price Publications. ISBN 8175361328.