SADDA SINGH, PANDIT

SADDA SINGH, PANDIT, was a Nirmala scholar, who read Sanskrit with Pandit Chet Singh of Kashi. He attained such mastery of Sanskrit learning that his teacher made over to him his school before he died. The Pandits of Kashi honored him with the highest scholarly rank of Dandipad, after he had humbled in a Sastrartha or debate a man of acknowledged authority in ancient texts. Sadda Singh translated, in 1767, most famous, but abstruse, Sanskrit work on monism called Advaita Siddhi into Braj Bhasha, using the Gurmukhi script.

He gave the translated version the tide of Sugamsar Chandrika. This book, known for its grandeur of style, is an answer to, and a critical evaluation of the various contemporary challenges to the theory of monotheism and nonplurality. It establishes the sovereignty of bhakti. Bhakti, it says, is both a means and an end in itself, whereas gian is only a means and is included in bhakti.

Sadda Singh had at his school a succession of pupils whom he trained in Vedic learning. His name is still remembered with reverence among men of learning in Varanasi and his portrait still hangs in Kashi Sangat, the school over which he presided with distinction.

References :

1. Dial Singh, Mahant, Nirmal Panth Darshan. Amritsar, 1953
2. Pritam Singh, ed., Nirmal Sampradaya. Amritsar, 1981