CHAND or CHANDA,

CHAND or CHANDA, a goldsmith by profession, was one of the poets and scholars who enjoyed the patronage of Guru Gobind Singh (See BAVANJA KAV!). He rendered “Udyoga Parva” of the Mahabharata into Hindi verse. His work is preserved as a part of a Mahabharata manuscript in the private collection of the Maharaja of Patiala. In one of the couplets at the beginning of his work, the poet says that he had already translated “Kama Parva” from the Sanskrit text, but no copy of this work is known to exist.

Another short work of Chand is Parichha, preserved in manuscript (No. 135) in the Languages Department, Punjab, at Patiala. Miscellaneous devotional stanzas by Chand have also been located in other manuscripts. A manuscript, Triya Charitra, with Chand as the author`s pseudonym, is also ascribed to this poet.

References :

1. Padam, Piara Singh, Darbari Ratan. Patiala, 1976