RAHIT DARPAN

RAHIT DARPAN, lit. a mirror or code of conduct, is one of the thirty-seven rahitndmds written by various authors and collected by Bhagvan Singh under the title Bar Bimal Bibekbdrdhi, popularly known as Bibekbdrdhi,. Rahit Darpan, written in Punjabi verse, is the work of Bhagvan Singh himself, which he completed on Phagun sudi 7, 1957 Bk/Fcbruary 1901.

The manuscript, which was till recently available with one Nattha Singh of Patiala, runs into 134 pages, each page being of 81^” x iyA” size. Written in blue ink, the manuscript includes the salutation Sri Vdhiguruji kiFateh (Victory be to God) and also bears the inscription satndm satgurii prasdd instead of the usual form ik onkdrsatgur prasdd. Unlike most of the other rahitndmds, this rahitndmd cannot be accepted as an authentic exposition of the Sikh tenets and the Sikh way of life. It is known for the author`s obvious bias for popularizing rituals and beliefs unacceptable and, sometimes, contrary to the Sikh tenets. K.S.T.