AMRIT RAI, son of Chhail Rai, a Bhatt of Lahore, and pupil of Chatar Das, a noted poet, had completed his Ras Ratnakar and Chitra Bilas ( the latter in 1679) before he came under the patronage of Guru Gobind Singh at Anandpur. What is left of his compositions while with the Guru is his rendering in Hindi verse of aparva or part from the Mahabharata and a stanza quoted by Bhai Santokh Singh, Sri Gur Pratap Suraj Granth (q.v.), ntu 5, arisu 26.
ANJULIA (N), by Guru Arjan, is a short composition comprising two hymns entered in the Guru Granth Sahib under Maru musical measure (GG, 1019). This word anjulia (n) is the plural form of Sanskrit anjuli which means the joining together of palms in supplication, reverence or salutation. The word anjulian in its plural sense has been used in the title perhaps because the composition comprises two hymns. It contains prayer to God seeking from Him the gift of nam, i.e meditation on His Name or constant remembrance or repetition of His Name. Everything in this world happens by His Will and those who are favoured by Him practise nam in holy company (sangat).
AURANGZIB, MUHI UDDIN MUHAMMAD ALAMGIR (1618-1707), the last of the great Mughal emperors of India, ascended the throne of Delhi on 21 July 1658 after he had gained a decisive victory in the war of succession at Samugarh, near Agra, on 29 May 1658. Aurangzib`s appointment in 1636 as viceroy of the Mughal provinces in the Deccan had first brought him into prominence. In 1645, he was transferred to Gujarat. Between 1648 and 1652, he served as governor of Sindh and Multan.
BABAK (d. 1642), a Muslim rababi or musician, kept Guru Hargobind company and recited the sacred hymns at divans morning and evening. The word babak, from Persian, means faithful. As says the Gurbilas Chhevin Patshahi, Babak was, at the death of Satta and Balvand, who used to recite sacred hymns for the Guru, asked to perform the obsequies for them under their (Muslim) rites. Babak, it is said, dug the graves for the deceased on the bank of the River Ravi and after the burial service, performed the kirtan on the site where sat Guru Hargobind.
BAHORA, BHAI, a goldsmith, who once came to Goindval to see Guru Arjan and seek his blessing. He confessed to the Guru that he cheated his customers skimping their gold, and asked what other calling he should turn to. The Guru said, "Do not cheat, do not steal and then every calling is blessed. Earn your living by honest labour and share what you earn with others in God`s name. Go back to your home, absorb yourself in God`s praise and run a community kitchen for the needy." Bahora became a devoted disciple, and is remembered in Sikh tradition with honour.
BALLU, BHAI, a barber who embraced the Sikh faith at the hands of Guru Angad came into prominence in the time of Guru Amar Das. When Guru Amar Das, after being consecrated Guru by Guru Arigad, retired to Goindval and shut himself in a room to meditate in seclusion, Bhai Ballu, at the instance of sangat, anxious for a sight of the Guru, persuaded him to come out of his solitude. Ballu accompanied the Guru during visits to Kurukshetra and Haridvar. According to Sarup Das Bhalla, Mahima Prakash, when Guru Amar Das composed the famous hymn, Anandu, on the occasion of the birth of his grandson, Anand, Bhai Ballu sang it at his command to the beat of a drum.
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BARGARI, village 15 km southeast of Kot Kapura (30° 35*N, 74° 49`E) in Faridkot district of the Punjab, is sacred to Guru Gobind Singh who visited it in December 1705 on his way from Dina to Kot Kapura. A shrine was established later on the site on the northern edge of the village where the Guru had halted. Bargari gained prominence in 1924 during the Jaito campaign when the first Shahidi Jatha or band of Sikh volunteers, determined to reach Gurdwara Gangsar or meet martyrs` death, made, in its march from Amritsar, its last overnight halt at this village. The villagers served the Jatha as well as the large crowd that had gathered around it during its long journey with great devotion and zeal.
BEDAVA, lit. disclaimer (be=without + dava = claim). The term came to be used by Sikh chroniclers in reference to an episode Kelating to the last days of Guru Gobind Singh *s battle at Anandpur during the winter of 1705. As, in consequence of the protracted siege of Anandpur, hardships of the besieged Sikh garrison increased, a few of the Sikhs wavered in their resolution and asked the Guru`s permission to leave the Fort.
BHAGATU, BHAI, a Chhura Khatri of Burhanpur who, according to Bhai Gurdas, Varan, XI. 30, received instruction at the hands of Guru Hargobind. See BHAGVAN DAS, BHAI
