Bhai Nand Lal Goya's Poems

[Bhajan_preet]

Anybody have any links to where I could find the works of Bhai Nand Lal Goya online? Or even somewhere that I can buy a book online?

[Bhajan_preet]

Hmmmm, so anyone? lol

[Akaali]

http://www.info-sikh.com/PageNand.html

Its best to find the books on Bhai Sahib, instead of searching online, there's not a big enough or authentic website that has got all works of Bhai Sahib, try your local gurdwara library or contact one of the sikhi stores like Sacha Sauda or Charhdikalaa.

Zindginama:

The author called it Bandginama (Book of Prayer) and composed it in Persian. Guru Gobind Singh Sahib changed its title to Zindginama (Book of Life). Its theme is the ‘love of God and devotion to Guru’; God is described as Creator of Universe and as One who has imparted life to all creatures. It contains 510 verses and is believed to be his first piece of work, which he wrote after he shifted to Anandpur to join Guru Sahib Ji. At places the verses echo those in the Guru Granth Sahib.

Divan-e-Goya:

It is a collection of 63 ghazals. This work contains his personal spiritual experience and in many ways explains the spirit of Gurbani. Some scholars have translated this particular work in Panjabi.

Tausif-o-Sana:

It is in prose, but contains a few verses at the end. It is in praise of Guru Gobind Singh Sahib. This work is full of Arabic and difficult Persian words.

Ganjnama:

(Treasure book) It renders homage to Gurus whom the poet recalls in his deep personal devotion and veneration. It is both, in prose and in poetry. The poet calls Guru Nanak Dev Ji, the supreme dervish and all his successors being One with him in spirit, embodying the same message. The book concludes with his humble supplication to Guru Gobind Singh Sahib that his life may be dedicated to Guru and that he may forever remain attached to his feet.

Jot Bikas (Panjabi):

It contains 43 couplets. It is mainly devoted to the explanation of Guru Arjan Sahib’s Jaitsri ki Vaar, with special reference to Ten Gurus being of One spirit, on life. This is often deemed as an exposition of the Persian works in Panjabi but that is not the case, this is an entirely independent piece of work.

Jot Bikas (Persian):

It contains 175 couplets and is a laudation of Ten Gurus and their spirit being One. This composition is in deep reverence of Gurus and depicts how the spirit of Guru Nanak Dev Ji passed on to his successors. He calls Guru Gobind Singh Sahib, a complete man.

Rahit Nama:

It is in the traditional form of poetry where the composition is in the form of a dialogue between a guru and his disciple. Here it is in the form of a dialogue between Bhai Nand Lal Goya and Guru Gobind Singh Ji during which Guru Gobind Singh Ji expounds the rules of conduct laid down for a Gursikh. This discourse took place at Anandpur on 5 December 1695, i.e. before the creation of the Khalsa and is written in Punjabi.

Tankhah Nama:

‘Tankhah’, a Persian word, means salary, reward or profit, and ‘Nama’, also Persian, denotes an epistle or a code. It was composed in Punjabi after the creation of Khalsa. In Sikh usage, however, Tankhah stands more for a religious penal code. Any Sikh, who received Pahul (nectar of the double-edged sword) for initiation into the fold of the brotherhood of Khalsa, if commits a breach of Rahit and is found guilty of Kurahit (misconduct) is subject to be fined and is called a Tankhahi. This concept of Tankhah is based on the concept of forgiveness. Once a Sikh admits and seeks forgiveness for his mistake in front of Panj Piare he is ‘rewarded’ with a particular seva. After the seva as decided by Panj Piare has been performed, that Sikh is once again considered a member of Khalsa Brotherhood. The last verse of Tankhahnama, which the Sikhs usually recite in unison after Ardas, contains the well-familiar verse, Raj karega khalsa ...

Dastur-ul-Insha:

It is a collection of letters in Persian prose written to his relatives and friends. These serve as a model for letter writing and contain invaluable historical information regarding the political, social and economic conditions of Guru Gobind Singh Sahib’s time.

Arz-ul-Alfaz:

It is in Persian and contains the ‘praise of Almighty along with Gurus. In this composition Bhai Nand Lal also gives his interpretation of Sikh concepts. Alexandar Von Humbolt who has translated some of Bhai Nandlal Goya’s work in “The Pilgrims Way” has this to say about him “Goya was among the masters who could put in verse what he felt deep within, and like the entirety of his self laid at the sacred feet of the great Guru, the Beloved. And no doubt, those who surrender the self, master the world.”

[dalsingh101]

Just a point - Most scholars don't believe the rahitnama that claims to be written by Bhai Nand Lal is written by the same person who wrote all the Persian poetry.

[dalsingh101]

Ganjnama translation

http://www.zafarnama.com/Download/ganjnama.pdf

[Bhajan_preet]

I've already been to the info-sikhs site, thanks again though :umm:

And, no, none of the gw's in like MI anywhere have them :lol:

Where can I contact those stores you said though?

and THANKS SO MUCH DAL SINGH! :umm:

That's the first thing I've gotten by Bhai Nand Lal ever lol

I got really interested in finding his stuff after reading some of the (few) shabads of his in the Amrit Keertan.

[dalsingh101]

Stuff is hard to come by. Bhai Nand Lal's work has been much neglected in the past.

Lou Fenech is apparently working on stuff but if his previous book is anything to go by expect some antiSikh nonsense.

I'm really surprised that solid translations haven't appeared seeing as recently people have managed to translate loads of Moghul accounts from Persian. Just shows you how lame scholars in the panth are. Probably some gora will beat them to a full translation as per usual.

[Guest Akirtghan]

^^ can you translate them? then what gives you the right to bash panth scholars?

[dalsingh101]

^^ can you translate them? then what gives you the right to bash panth scholars?

I've been following panthic "scholarship" for many years now. I'm tired of seeing goray or other nonSikhs beating Sikhs in translating Janam Sakhis, Rahit namas, Persian sources etc.

Have you ever been to the Golden Temple? If you do, have a look at how they have to force down the money in the golak.

Why don;'t they spend some of that on scholarship or commission respectable institutes/universities to do research/translations?

Why has a single tutoo gora (McCleod) run rings around them for decades? Our scholars need to fix up. They are half of the proble, behind why so many people from Sikh backgrounds are so baffled about their heritage.

Not to say there hasn't been excellent ones such as Ganda Singh, Jagjit Singh but in general pur lot fail to meet a high standard

[Guest Akirtghan]

i still standby my point. if you are so tired of it then why dont you try translating them instead :umm: