PARYAI

PARYAI, Sanskrit parydya, meaning a synonym or convertible term, is used in Sikh literature spelt variously as priydi, pridy and praydya. It was a popular title for glossaries explaining terms and difficult words used in Guru Granth Sahib which were the forerunners of full scale translations or exegeses of the Scripture. The earliest and the best known are the two volumes by Bhai Chanda Singh, a scholar of the Giani school of theology which traces its origin from Guru Gobind Singh through Bhai Mani Singh Shahid. His Priydi Fdrsi Padon Ke is a glossary of Persian words which appear in the Guru Granth Sahib, while Priyd Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji Adi covers all the difficult words and phrases.

The latter manuscript bears the date 1905 Bk corresponding to AD 1848. The two manuscripts appeared in print in 1887-88. Priydi Fdrsi Padon Ke was printed at Amar Press, Amritsar, and Priyd Sri Guru Granth Sahib ft Adi at ChashmaiNur Press, Amritsar. A second edition of the latter volume was brought out by Messrs Hari Singh Gurdit Singh, Amritsar, in 1908. Another well known work in this genre is by Sadhu Sute Prakash, an UdasT scholar.

His Praydi Adi Sn Guru Granth Sahib Ji De was published in two parts, at WaziriHind Press, Amritsar, in 1898. Two other publications, though not named parydi, fall in the same category.They are Sri Guru Granth Kosh published by the Khalsa Tract Society in 1899 and Guru Barn Parkdsh by SodhT Teja Singh, published from Lahore in 1932. While the former has words arranged in the alphabetical order, the sequence in the latter follows the numerical order of the pages of the Guru Granth Sahib. Another work in this category, Dasam PdtshdhiJi ke Granth Sahib Ji ke Sampraddi Praydi by Bakhshish Singh also published at WaziriHind Press, Amritsar, in 1903, is a glossary of difficult words of the Dasam Granth which contains the compositions of Guru Gobind Singh.

References :

1. Chanda Singh, Priya Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji Adi. Amritsar, 1908
2. Gobind Das, Priya Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji Adi. Amritsar, 1929
3. Sute Prakash, Praydi Adi Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji De. Amritsar, 1898
4. Sodhi Teja Singh, Sri Guru Barn Parkash. Amritsar, 1953