guru

KANHAIYA, BHAI (1648-1718), founder of the Sevapanthi or Addanshahi sect of the Sikhs, was born in a Dhamman Khatri family of Sodhara near Waxirabad in Sialkot district (now in Pakistan). His father was a wealthy trader, but he himself being of a religious bent of mind left home when still very young and roamed about with sddhus and ascetics in search of spiritual peace. His quest ended as he met Guru Tegh Bahadur (1621-75) and accepted initiation at his hands. Kanhaiya established a dharamsdl at Kavha village in the present Attock district of Pakistan which he turned into a preaching centre.

KARKHE PATSHAH DASVEN KE. The term "karkhe" is the plural from of`karkha" which is the name of a poetic form, mostly used in war poetry in old Hindi. The Karkhe Pats hah Dasven Ke consists of two such poems, desciribng the battles of Guru Gobind Singh. The poet goes by the name of Sain, who is identified by some as Sainapati, a contemporary of the Guru and the celebrated author of Sri Gur Sobhd.The battle of Bharigam is the subject of the first Karkha; the second deals with the battle of the Fort of Fatehgarh at Anandpur.

KEDARI, BHAI, or Bhai Kidari, a Lumba Khatri of Batata, received the rites of initiation at the hands of Guru Arigad. According to Giam Gian Singh, Twdnkh Guru Khalsd, Bhai Kedari was one of the Sikhs chosen by Guru Amar Das to accompany Bhai Jetha (later Guru Ram Das) to the Mughal court at Lahore to answer a complaint lodged by some jealous Brahmans and Khatris against the teaching of Guru Nanak. Bhai Kedari also held charge of a manfi or preaching district. Bhai Gurdas has praised him as vaddd bhagat, i.e. a devotee par excellence.

KALIYUGA In Sat Yuga there was truth; in Treta, there were Yajnas (sacrifices) and in Dwapara, there was ritualistic worship. In the three Ages, there were three types of acts, but in Kali Yuga, the Name of the Lord is the only base. (Gaurt Bairagan Ravidas, p. 346) In Kali Yuga, the chariot is of fire and falsehood is the charioteer. (Var Asa, M. l, p. 470) In the Kali Yuga, the only merit is of the Name of the Lord. 

LAL, BHAI, a chaudhari or headman of the village of SurSingh in the parganah of Patti in present day Amritsar district of the Punjab, was led to Guru Arjan`s presence by Bhai Langah, another chaudhari in the same parganah. Bhai Langah had already been initiated a Sikh. It was now Bhai Lal`s turn. According to Bhai Mani Singh, Sikhan di Bhagat Mala, the Guru taught him how service by hands purified the mind and ended dubiety. Bhai Lal served diligently during the digging of the sacred pool, and the construction of the Harimandar at Amritsar. The Guru appointed him masand or local officiant in his district.

LOHARIPA, a Gorakhpanthi yogi, whose name occurs in Guru Nanak`s Sidh Gosti in the Guru Granth Sahib. The Sidh Gosti is a versified account of the Guru`s discourse with a group of Natha ascetics. Among them is mentioned Loharipa which is taken to be the Punjabi form of Luipa, Tibetan name for Matsyendranath who flourished in the 10th century AD. Loharipa in Guru Nanak`s Sidh Gosli may be the name given a contemporary Natha yogi.

MAGHI, Makara Sankranti, the first day of the month of Magh when, according to the Zodiac, the sun enters the house of Capricorn. It is observed in India as a winter solstice festival. The eve of Maghi is the common Indian festival of Lohri when bonfires are lit in Hindu homes to greet the birth of sons in the families and alms are distributed. In the morning, people go out for an earlyhour dip in nearby tanks. For Sikhs, Maghi means primarily the festival at Muktsar, a district town of the Punjab, in commemoration of the heroic fight of the Chali Mukte, lit.

MAILAGAR SINGH or Mailagar Singh, one of the Sikhs who rallied round Guru Gobind Singh during his travels in the Malva region after the battle of Chamkaur (7 December 1705), earned the Guru\'s appreciation for his spirit of contentment. According to Malva Des Ratan di Sakhi Pothi, as Guru Gobind Singh arrived at Saravan, the villagers took the Sikhs out in batches to their houses for meals. One very poor man, not to be left behind in serving a fellow Sikh, invited Mailagar Singh although he had little to offer except some dried pilu (fruit of van tree Quercus incana) soaked in water. As Sikhs reassembled and as the Guru asked them how they had been entertained, they described in turn the rich viands they had been treated to.

MAN CHAND, son of Khan Chand. resident of Kabul in Afghanistan, became a devotee of Guru Nanak. According to Bala Janam Sakhi, once Guru Nanak accompanied by Bhai Bala went to Kabul especially to meet Man Chand whom he sent for through a local Pathan. Man Chand, who had not heard about the Guru before, however, received instruction and not only became a follower himself, but also began to preach the Guru`s teaching in the region.

MANMUKH, the ego guided person, as opposed to gurmukh`who is Guru guided. The gurmukhmanmukh bipolarity represents the personality typology employed in the Sikh sacred literature. Basically it opposes and contrasts the ocentric and egocentric personality types. The word manmukh is compounded of man (mind, lower self) and mukh (face): thus one who has his face towards his own mind or ego is egocentric.