Loh Prakash - Akali Hazura Singh Nihang - 1925

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Presents

Akālī Hazūrā Singh Nihaṅg’s

Loh Prakāsh

Bhāī Partāp Singh, Suṅdar Singh

Amritsar

1925

Loh Prakash - Akali Hazura Singh Nihang - 1925

With the kind permission of:

Jathedar Baba Kulwant Singh, Takht Abachal Nagar

Sachkhand Hazur Sahib.

Jathedar Iqbal Singh, Takht Harimandar Sahib, Patna.

96 Croṛī Jathedar Baba Joginder Singh, Shromani Guru

Khalsa Panth Akali Buddha Dal Panjva Takht.

Loh Prakash - Akali Hazura Singh Nihang - 1925

Takht Hazur Sahib in the 19th century.

Loh Prakash - Akali Hazura Singh Nihang - 1925

Foreward

It is oral tradition that the Sarbloh Granth Sahib was completed at the Sarbloh Bunga, now called Langar

Sahib at Hazur Sahib (Takht Abachal Nagar, Hazur Sahib, Nanded). The last verses were heard by Banda

Singh Bahadur and were written from Sanskrit sutras1 preserved by a sect of Sadhus, who are said to have

handed them down from the time of Guru Gobind Singh’s previous avatār,2 Rishi Dusht Daman. The sutras

are still in a private collection with a family at Hazur Sahib. From manuscript evidence we can conclude that

the bulk of the Sarbloh Granth Sahib was commenced around 1698 AD at Anandpur Sahib and completed in

approximately 1708 AD at Hazur Sahib. The Holy Granth contains ‘The Praise of the Khalsa’, and this

would therefore coincide with the momentous event of the formation of the Guru Khalsa Panth, in

approximately 1699 AD (1756 VS) according to the Gregorian calendar.3

The tradition is corroborated by the fact that Hazur Sahib and the Gurdvare in the surroundings area have a

number of extant manuscripts of Sarbloh Granth Sahib. The Takht Sahib conserves a number of late 17th

and

early 18th

century recensions. Jathedar Joginder Singh ‘Muni’, in Hazūrī Maryādā Prabodh, describes the

traditional exegesis (kathā) from Sarbloh Granth Sahib at the Takht Sahib. Svami Harnam Das in his

commentary (ṭīkā) of Sarbloh Granth Sahib also records the early recensions of the Sarbloh Granth Sahib at

1 A short aphoristic summary of the teachings of ancient India created to be memorized and later incorporated into ancient Indian scripture.

2 A manifestation of the Divine.

3 This is the modern date of Vaisakhi, in actual fact earlier dates are given in primary sources of Sikh history. VS is the Indian calendar of

Vikrami Sammat that is approximately 57 years more than the Gregorian calendar.

Loh Prakash - Akali Hazura Singh Nihang - 1925

Hazur Sahib, and the Nabho Katho vālī bīṛ from 1698 AD. At the Chhauṇī of Mata Sahib Kaur there is an

extant manuscript of Sarbloh Granth Sahib which also has a colophon of 1698 AD/ 1755 VS. In addition,

there are other manuscripts with 1698 AD colophons, one manuscript is preserved by the Udasi

Sampradāvāṅ at Bhankandi and there is also another at Mukatsar Sahib. Thus, the manuscript evidence is

compelling and with a strong tradition there is no doubt about the authorship. Svami Harnam Das Udasi of

Kapurthala made an extensive study of Sarbloh Granth Sahib and has indicated that it was completed by

Guru Gobind Singh himself. He also argues that if it contains the compositions of some other poets as well

then they were accepted by the Guru, just as Guru Arjan Dev accepted the compositions of Bhagats, Bhatts

and Sufi Fakirs while compiling the Adi Granth Sahib.

In the Jāp Sāhib, Guru Gobind Singh has given various creative and attribute names to Akal Purakh. Equally

he has described God by names like Māhāloh or Sarbloh (the All-Steel) representing the protective and

destructive power of the Divine. The following lines are the invocation at the commencement of Akāl Ustati,

which is a replica of the signature verses (daskhat) of Guru Gobind Singh:

ੴ ਸਤਿਗੁਰ ਪ੍ਰਸਾਤਿ ॥ Ik Oaṅkār Satigur prasādi.

The Lord is One and he can be attained through the grace of the True Guru.

ਉਿਾਰ ਖਾਸੇ ਿਸਖਿ ਕਾ ॥ ਪ੍ਾਤਿਸਾਹੀ ੧੦॥ Utār khase daskhat kā. Pātisāhī 10.

Copy of the manuscript with exclusive signatures of the Tenth Sovereign.

ਅਕਾਲ ਪੁ੍ਰਖ ਕੀ ਰਛਾ ਹਮਨੈ ॥ Akāl Purakh kī rachhā hamanai.

Loh Prakash - Akali Hazura Singh Nihang - 1925

The non-temporal Purusha (All-Pervading Lord) is my Protector.

ਸਰਬ ਲੋਹ ਕੀ ਰਤਛਆ ਹਮਨੈ ॥ Sarab Loh kī rachhiā hamanai.

The All-Steel Lord is my Protector.

ਸਰਬ ਕਾਲ ਜੀ ਿੀ ਰਤਛਆ ਹਮਨੈ ॥ Sarab Kāl jī dī rachiā hamanai.

The All-Destroying Lord is my Protector.

ਸਰਬ ਲੋਹ ਜੀ ਿੀ ਸਿਾ ਰਤਛਆ ਹਮਨੈ ॥ Sarab Loh jī dī sadā rachiā hamanai.

The All-Steel Lord is ever my Protector.4

We can clearly see that the names given to Akal Purakh are attribute names and that Guru Gobind Singh ji is

worshipping Akal Purakh and no Indian deity. All of these names have been employed in the Sarbloh Granth

Sahib (The Scripture of All-Steel/All-Light).

The Loh Prakāsh was written by Akali Hazura Singh Nihang in 1925, he was the head Granthī at Takht

Hazur Sahib. Akali Hazura Singh was respected highly, so much so that a Golden plaque, inside the Takht

Sahib itself, commemorates his service as the head Granthī. In his publication, Akali Hazura Singh

discusses the famous verses of Guru Gobind Singh, The Praises of the Khalsa (Khālse dī Upamāṅ), from the

Sarbloh Granth Sahib. His exegesis is highly important as it records the traditional interpretation of the

sacred verses.

4 Translated by Surinder Singh Kohli, Sri Dasam Granth Sahib, 3 Vols, Birmingham: Sikh National Heritage, 2003.

Loh Prakash - Akali Hazura Singh Nihang - 1925

The Sarbloh Granth Sahib is essential to understand the concept of the Khalsa Panth. The word ‘Khalsa’ is

Persian in origin meaning: pure, unalloyed, with direct contact and responsibility of the owner. In the

Deccan and during the Mughal rule, land or property invested directly for the ruler used to be called

‘Khalsa’.5 It is said that Bhagat Kabir used this word for those who reject meaningless rituals and are

attached in true love with their Creator alone (Kaho Kabīr jan bhae Khālse Prem Bhagati jih jānī)6. The

spiritual and temporal meaning of this word appealed to the Tenth Guru. He has employed it extensively in

the Sarbloh Granth Sahib:

‘Ātam ras jo jānahī so hai Khālsā dev. Prabh mai mo mai tās mai raṅchak nāhin bhev.’

‘Khalsa is the one who experience the bliss of the Super-Soul. There is no difference between God, me

(Guru Gobind Singh) and him.’

‘Khālsā mero rūp hai khās. Khālse meṅ hau karo niwās’

‘The Khalsa is my special form. I reside in the Khalsa’

‘Khālsā Akāl Purakh kī Phauj. Pragaṭio Khālsā Paramātam ki mauj.’

‘Khalsa is God’s own legion. The Khalsa is manifest due to the Supreme-Soul’s own wish.’

5 Surjit Singh Gandhi, History of Sikh Gurus Retold: 1606-1708 C.E, p. 772. Also see Lanka Sundaram, Mughal Land

Revenue System, 2007. 6 Adi Guru Granth Sahib, p. 655. Tradition also holds that Bhagat Kabir’s shabad was modified from Khulāse to Khālse by

Guru Gobind Singh.

Loh Prakash - Akali Hazura Singh Nihang - 1925

Please note that in Akali Hazura Singh’s exegesis, the Khalsa is the liberated form of Nirankar (Prāpati

Niraṅkarī sivrūp mahānaṅ.), not Shiv ji, as some misled Snatan revivalists are trying to claim.7

The publication also contains the verses narrating the Gurgaddī passing to the Guru Granth Sahib and Guru

Khalsa Panth, the importance of Vāhigurū mantra, and the Das grāhī-Das tiāgī (Ten virtues to hold – Ten

vices to renounce) for the Khalsa, orated by Guru Gobind Singh.

7 Akali Hazur Singh Nihang, Loh Prakāsh, (Amritsar: Bhai Partap Singh, Sundar Singh, 1925), pp. 23, 26.

Loh Prakash - Akali Hazura Singh Nihang - 1925

The first folio of the Sarbloh Granth Sahib given to Mai Bagh Kaur (Mai Bhago) by Guru Gobind Singh. It

is still present at Hazur Sahib in the Bunga of Mai Bhago. Photographed by Kamalroop Singh in 2005.

Loh Prakash - Akali Hazura Singh Nihang - 1925

Of special note is the Foreword to the ‘Loh Parkāsh’ in which the Savant, Akali Kaur Singh Nihang,

provides us with valuable information. He states that the Purātan Buddha Dal Singhs considered the Sarbloh

Granth Sahib to be by authored exclusively by Guru Gobind Singh, and that there were only about ten

manuscripts in the whole of India. He humbly requests that a King or rich Sikh should take up the service of

printing the Sarbloh Granth Sahib.8 His immortal words came true when Panth Pātshāho 96 Croṛī Jathedar

Baba Santa Singh completed this great service for the Guru Khalsa Panth Sahib.

If there are any errors forgive me and please notify me.

Das,

Dr. Kamalroop Singh 8 Akali Hazur Singh Nihang, Loh Prakāsh, (Amritsar: Bhai Partap Singh, Sundar Singh, 1925), p. 2.

Akali Kaur Singh Nihang in his youth.

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