sikh

PURANMASHI, in Sanskrit pumimd, is the day of the full moon, the last day of the moon`s bright phases. The day has sanctity in the Indian tradition and several ceremo nial observances such as ritual bathing, fasting and giving away of charity are associated with it. In the Sikh system, no special significance attaches to the day. Sikh Scripture contains three compositions, all titled Thiti or Thitiri devoted to the lunar days. The one by Guru Nanak recounts day of the waning moon and thus makes no mention of Purnima.

ROCHA SINGH, SANT (1688-1803), a holy man and preacher of Sikh faith, was born of Brahman parents living at Kausari, a small village in Hazara district (now in Pakistan). Rocha Singh was barely 14 years of age when his father, Bhai Parijaba, died leaving his wife and a younger son, Mota Singh, to his care. He grew up into a handsome youth, tall in stature, but had little interest in worldly affairs. He roamed about seeking the company of saintly persons.

SAHIB SINGH, PROFESSOR (1892-1977), grammarian and theologian, was born on 16 February 1892 in a Hindu family of the village of Phattevali in Sialkot district of undivided Punjab. He was originally named Natthu Ram by his father, Hiranand, who kept a small shop in the village. Soon the family shifted to Tharpal, another village in the same district. As a youth, Natthu Ram was apprenticed to the village Maulawi, Hayat Shah, son of the famous Punjabi poet, Hasham, upon whom his royal patron, Ranjit Singh, the Maharaja of the Punjab, had settled a permanent Jagir Winning a scholarship at his middle standard examination, Natthu Ram joined the high school at Pasrur where he received in 1906 the rites of the Khalsa and his new name Sahib Singh.

SAPTAHIK PATH, a path, i.e. reading of the entire Guru Granth Sahib, which is completed in a saptah (week). Any individual, man or woman, or a group of persons by the relay method may perform this path which is commenced seven days ahead of the coming occasion, ceremoney or rite. One or more professional pathis may be engaged to perform the path or to help the individual or family in completing it. As with a sadharan path, before the commencement and at the conclusion of a saptahik path, generally a simple religious service takes place at which kirtan is recited, ardas or suplicatory prayer said and prasad or Sikh communion distributed.

SHABAD (Sanskrit sabda, of obscure etymology) is generally rendered as sound, voice or tone. Another series of meanings includes word, utterance, speech. In distinctive Sikli usage shabad means a hymn or sacred work from the Guru Granth Sahib. In the theological sense, it stands for the `Word` revealed by the Guru. In the Guru Granth Sahib it is spelt as sabad with its inflectional variations sabadu, sabadi and sabade.

SIHAN, BHAI, a washerman, was a devoted Sikh of Guru Nanak`s. He along with Bhai Hassu accompanied the Guru during his journey to Kashmir. They reduced to writing hymns uttered by the Guru during this udasl. BIBLIOGRAPHY 1. Vir Singh, Bhai, ed., Puratanjanam Sakhi. 2. Kirpal Singh, Janam Sakhi Parampara. Patiala, 1962 3. Macauliffe, Max Arthur, The Sikh Religion : Its Gurus, Sacred Writings and Authors: Oxford, 1909 Gn.S. SIHAN, BHAI, an Uppal Khatri, and his cousin, Gajjan, both figure in Bhai Gurdas` roster (Varan, XI. 14) of the Sikhs of Guru Nanak.

SIKHS` RELATIONS WITH JATS OF BHARATPUR. Hindu Jats, who have ethnic affinity with the Sikh Jatts of the Punjab, had emerged, like the Sikhs, as a new political power in the region south of Delhi. Their first revolt in 1669 under their leader Gokul was ruthlessly suppressed by the Mughal audiority, but they soon found another leader in Raja Ram who continued the struggle till his death in July 1688. Churaman (d. 1721), his younger brother and successor to leadership, was an astute politician. He professed allegiance to Emperor Bahadur ShahI (1707-12) and received from him mansab of 1500 zat and 500 sowar. He joined the imperial campaign against the Sikhs at Sadhaura and Lohgarh in 1710

SRI GUR TIRATH SANGRAHI (Sri = honoured; gur= Gurus of the Sikh faith ; tirath = places of pilgrimage ; sangrahi = collection) by Pandit Tara Singh Narotam, lists places across the country hallowed by the visits of the Gurus and their families. The work, written in Gurmukhi script was completed in 1940 Bk/AD 1883 and published by Bhai Buta Singh Pratap Singh, Amritsar. It is a pioneer work in this genre and gives the geographical location of each shrine, its religious and historical importance and the name of the sect to which its principal priest or custodian at that time belonged.

SUNDAR SINGH LYALLPURI, MASTER (1885-1969), teacher, journalist and politician, was born on 4 April 1885, the son of Lakhmir Singh Kamboj and Ram Kaur, of the village of Bahorii, 12 km south of Amritsar. The family later moved to the canal colony in Sheikhupura district where they founded a new village, Chakk No. 18 Bahoru. Having completed his early education in Bahoru and in Shahkot, district Sheikhupura, Sundar Singh took his B.A. (Honours) degree at Khalsa College, Amritsar, and his B.T. at Government Training College, Lahore.

TANKHAHNAMA, by Bhai Nand Lal, is a Sikh penal code laying down punishments and fines for those guilty of religious misconduct. Tankhah, a Persian word, actually means salary, reward or profit, and nama, also Persian denoting an epistle, a code or a catalogue. In Sikh usage, however, tankhah stands for the opposite of its original meaning and juxtaposed with nama it means a religious penal code. Any H Sikh, particularly one who received the pahul (nectar of the doubleedged sword) for initiation into the fold of the Brotherhood of the Khalsa, committing a breach of rahit (stipulated conduct) and guilty of kurahit (misconduct) is subject to be punished. One who is so punished is called tankhahia.