TAHIKAN

TAHIKAN, a seventeenth century poet, was the son of Rangil Das, a Chopra Khatri of Jalalpur, in present day Gujrat district of Pakistan. A soldier by profession, he rendered into Hindi verse AmarKosa and “Asvamedha Parva” of the Mahabharata. He tided the former work Ratan Dam. Several Sikh scholars such as Baba Sumer Singh, Bhai Gian Singh, Bhai Kahn Singh and Bhai Vir Singh count Tahikan among Guru Gobind Singh`s poets, although there is no explicit reference to the Guru in his work. His Asvamedha Parva is dated 1726 Bk/AD 1669 by the poet himself.

It is possible that as the work of rendering the ancient texts, into Bhakha, in Gurmukhi script under the patronage of Guru Gobind Singh was in progress Tahikan`s manuscripts were brought to him by the poet himself or by someone else. Guru Gobind Singh may have got them transcribed into Gurmukhi. The manuscript of Asvamedha Parva preserved in the Sikh Reference Library at Amritsar (No 5026) was dated 1753 Bk/AD 1696 by Balgovind Fateh Chand, one of the scribes serving Guru Gobind Singh. The manuscript (No. 2420), entitled Ratan Dam (Amar Kosa Bhakha), is preserved in the Central Public Library at Patiala.

References :

1. Bachitra Natak
2. Sainapati, Sri Gur Sobha, ed. Ganda Singh. Patiala, 1967
3. Padam, Piara Singh, Guru Gobind Singh Ji de Durban Ratan. Patiala, 1976