guru

ASAVARI See ASA ASCETICISM, derived from the Greek word askesis, connotes the `training` or `exercise` of the body and the mind. Asceticism or ascetic practices belong to the domain of religious culture, and fasts, pilgrimages, ablutions, purificatory rituals, vigils, abstinence from certain foods and drinks, primitive and strange dress, nudity, uncut hair, tonsure. shaving the head, circumcision, cavedwelling, silence, meditation, vegetarianism, celibacy, virginity, inflicting pain upon oneself by whips and chains, mutilation, begging alms, owning no wealth or possessions, forbearance and patience, equanimity or impartiality towards friends and foes, eradication of desires and passions, treating the body as something evil or treating human life as a means of achieving ultimate release or union with God all these are subsumed under ascetic practices. The history of Indian religiousness presents the ultimate in the development of the theory and practice of asceticism.

ARDAS (Prayer): Ardaas is a combination of two words: Araz and Daashat (literally: the petition of a slave). As a slave is to the Master, the Sikh is to the Almighty, but the root of a Sikhs slavery of the Almighty is not awe of the Almighty but love for Him. For a Sikh Ardaas is obligatory. The Sikh Ardaas is different from the prayers of the other religions. A Sikh can not make prayer for seeking personal prosperity, comfort, benefits and the other material blessings.

Anik Bisthar by Pritam Singh \'Safir\' is a collection of forty-eight poems. Safir is a major modem Punjabi poet who has eleven books of poetry to his credit. Safir is a romantic as well as a mystic poet. With romantic wings the lover-poet wants to fly to spiritual and mystic heights. His main source of inspiration is Gurbani and Guru-history. Even the title of this book has been chosen from Sukhmani by Guru Arjan Dev. The influence of Guru Gobind Singh\'s personality on his poetic sensibility is very deep. The artistic admixture of romanticism and mysticism has made him a philosopher poet by bringing depth in his thought and pithiness in his expression.

BAHADUR SHAH (1643-1712), Mughal emperor of India from 1707 to 1712. Born Muhammad Mu\'azzam at Burhanpur in the Deccan on 14 October 1643, he was actively employed by his father, Aurangzib, from 1663 onwards for subduing the kingdom of Bijapur and the Qutb Shahi dynasty of Golconda in the south. In 1695 he was appointed subahdar of Agra and in 1699 governor of Kabul. Mu\'azzam was at Kabul when news arrived of the death, on 20 February 1707, of Aurangzib. 

BALACHAUR, a village about 11 km northeast of Jagadhri (30° 10`N, 77° 18`E) in Ambala district of Haryana, claims a historical shrine known as Gurdwara Agampura dedicated to Guru Gobind Singh. Guru Gobind Singh visited the place travelling from Kapal Mochan in 1688. The old shrine, a 4.5 metre square room with a low conical dome over it, built in his honour, has recently been enclosed in a larger rectangular hall. The Guru Granth Sahib is installed in the inner sanctum. The Gurdwara is managed by a local committee under the auspices of the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee.

BANNO, BHAI (1558-1645), a prominent Sikh contemporary of Guru Arjan and Guru Hargobind, was the son of Bhai Bishan Dev of village Mangat, also called KharaMangat, Khara being its older name, in Phalia tahsil of Gujrat district (now in Pakistan). He was born on Saturday, Baisakh sudi 13,1615 Bk/ 30 April 1558. Banno grew up with a deeply religious disposition. He turned a Sikh and rendered diligent service during the construction of Harimandar at Amritsar under Guru Arjan. On the completion of the compilation of (Guru) Granth Sahib in 1604, Guru Arjan deputed Bhai Banno to carry the holy volume to Lahore for binding.

BATHINDA (30° 14`N, 74° 59`E), an old town in the Punjab, was called Vikramgarh during the preMuhammadan period. Tradition ascribes its foundation to Bhati Rao, a Rajput chief who also founded Bhatner, present Hanumangarh, in Rajasthan. The two towns together commanding the area between Hissar and Bikaner known as Bhatiana, land of the Bhattis, also commanded the DelhiMultan route used by early Muslim invaders. The early Muslim historians refer to Bathinda as TabariHind (lit. axe of India). Its great Fort with 36 bastions and turrets rising up to 118 feet above the ground level of the surrounding country, is said to have been constructed by Raja Vinay Pal.

BHAGAT (BHAKTA) BANI The Sikh Holy Book, Sri Guru Granth Sahib, comprises writings coming from two sources the sayings of the Gurus and those of the Bhagats (Bhaktas). The term Bhagat here broadly covers, besides some of the saints of medieval India whose compositions occur in the Guru Granth Sahib, those outside of the Guru line whose compositions were entered in the holy book by Guru Arjan (1563-1606) who compiled the Granth. All these contributors are in common parlance collectively called Bhagats. Under this rubric bhagat is included Shaikh Farid, the Sufi. 

BHAGVAN DAS, BHAI, a devoted Sikh of Burhanpur (21° 18`N, 76° 14`E), on the bank of the River Tapti, once travelled to Amritsar along with Bhai Bodala, Bhai Malak Kataru, Bhai Prithi Mall, Bhai Bhagatu, Bhai Dallu, Bhai Sundar Das and Bhai Svami Das to seek instruction from Guru Hargobind. The Guru, says Bhai Mani Singh, Sikhan di Bhagat Mala, told them to construct a dharamsal in their town where they should gather morning and evening for prayer and to raise charities for the needy. He taught them to overcome their haumai, i.e. egoity, and to learn to be humble. Bhai Bhagvan Das and his companions followed the Guru`s instructions and established a sangat at Burhanpur to which Bhai Gurdas refers in his Varan, XI. 30.

BHANGANI, a small village on the right bank of the River Yamuna about 11 km from Paonta (30°25`N, 70°40`E) in Sirmur district of Himachal Pradesh was the scene of a battle between the hill rajas and Guru Gobind Singh. The chiefs taking exception to Guru Gobind Singh`s teaching equalizing all castes and feeling jealous of his growing influence, marched against him, led by Raja Fateh Chand of Srinagar (Garhval). Forestalling the attack on Paonta, Guru Gobind Singh advanced towards Bhangani with his Sikhs.