JAPUPARAMARATH

JAPUPARAMARATH, by Bhai Ram Kishan, is an unpublished manuscript of the exegesis of Guru Nanak`s Japu. The only manuscript copy is available at Ace. No. 612 in the Dashmesh Library, Anandpur the other two in the Sikh Reference Library, Amritsar, and the Khalsa College Library, Patiala, having since been destroyed or lost. The exegcte was a known Sevapanthi saint, and he completed the work, as per the internal evidence in Amritsar manuscript, on Maghar sudi 2, 1853 Bk/22 November 1796: the date given in the Anandpur manuscript (Jeth sudi 6,1856 Bk/27 May 1799) is obviously the one when the scribe copied it.

According to Sevapanthi tradition, Bhai Ram Kishan was born in 1845 Bk/AD 1788, but an analysis of the contents of this work reveals that he might have compiled it in maturer years. According to Sambhu NatYi`s Japu Paramdraih, Guru Nanak gave an exegesis of Japu to Guru Arigad on his asking, but Gidn Ratanavatz says that Guru Nanak`s exegesis of Japu helped him overcome the siddhas. On the other hand, Bhai Ram Kishan says that Guru Nanak made the exegesis for the benefit of his two sons, Sri Chand and Lakhmi Ghand, and his successor. Guru Arigad.The work begins with an invocation, in verse, to Guru Nanak followed by a eulogy to ndm.

Thereafter begins the exegesis which is in prose. The author has first given meanings (sometimes more than one) of difficult words followed by the central theme of the verse which is supported by profuse examples from gurbdni and various Hindu scriptures. Quotations from Indian mythology also abound. Two prominent characteristics of this work are its exegesis in the Vcdic tradition and treatment of different pauns as a unified single whole. The language of the work is Sadh Bhakha with significant influence of Braj. It is not brief and compact like its predecessors in the genre; rather a detailed prolix explanation is provided.