Jatro

Yes brother, same guy

Ajit Singh was adopted son of Mata Sundari ji. I agree with your point about the adoption of Singh, probably happened over a period of time.

Bansavalinama says that Baba Banda Bahadur was not happy with attitude of some Sikhs, but it makes the whole division in the Panth more of a post-Banda phenomenon fuelled by his followers. It also says that there was a four-fold division in the Panth after Baba Banda ji's death. These were, the "Akal Purkhia"(equivalent of what later came to be called Tat Khalsa), the "Bandiae' (followers of Baba Banda Bahadur), followers of adopted pretender to Guruship Ajit Singh (mentioned as Jit Singh) and followers of Chaubanda (have no clue what this means). It should be noted that all of this is portrayed as a conflict within the Sikh family only, revolving around disputed Guruship. So it's not as if some Vaishnav Bairagis appeared on the scene. Gradually the Akal Purkhias won. I'm attaching the relevant pages.

First two pics are from Gurbilas Patshahi 10, the next three are from the foreword to Guru Kiyan Sakhian and the last one is from, as amardeep ji rightly pointed out, the Bansavalinama

Towards the end of the Charitar there is mention of some supernatural entities, one of then is 'Jachh' or Yaksha which are spirits with extraordinary powers. In classical Sanskrit poet Kalidas' epic poem Meghdoot there is the story of a Yaksha who is so engrossed in sensual pleasure with his wife that he neglects his worldly duties and is as a result banished far away from his wife. So, i think the point being made in the Charitar is that when people are engrossed in Maya and neglect Dharma ie their duties bad consequences will follow. So looking at Charitars as anti-this or that is not productive instead they are a statement of how Maya (the 'Nakati' in Bhagat Kabir ji's words) can lead us astray.

It was written in AD 1790 in Bhatt-akhri, later it was transliterated in Gurmukhi in 1868, so it's fairly close.

Sure brother, Paapiman ji has quoted the relevant passage from the main body of Guru Kiyan Sakhian, i'll first post the relevant passage from Gurbilas Patshahi 10 and then from the foreword Guru Kiyan Sakhiyan which contains extracts from Bhatt vahis and a footnote on Baba ji's lineage. I'll also share little bit from Bansavalinama by Kesar Singh Chhibber. I don't thing we should make too much out of the missing 'Singh' from Baba ji's name, i think it's largely a stylistic choice early writers may have made depending upon the colloquial usage. Also, i think Sikh and Khalsa may have been used interchangeably by these writers.

I looked at Gurbilas Patshahi 10, there it is mentioned that Guru Gobind Singh Ji gave him shastar or weapons after he became a Sikh and also provided him with 4 'birs' who became Sikhs and were given shastar. I think shastar are so clearly linked with Amrit, so it should not leave much room for doubt. This becomes even more certain when Koer Singh Kalal says that Banda violated the Rehat after becoming egotistical. The question of violation only arises if he was following it in the first place, so he must have been following it. Also i read in Guru Kiyan Sakhian that Banda's descendants had the 'Singh' in their name and the Bhatt Vahi-s say that they are from the 'bans'(lineage) of Guru Gobind Singh, again this could only be said of a Khalsa.

I read somewhere that GB6 is the oldest source which mentions the establishment of Akal Takht by Guru Hargobind Sahib. SGPC had published it many years ago but due to pressure of some narrow minded people stopped publishing it.

Bro there is another story involving a prostitute which led to the great scholar-king Bharthari becoming a renunciate and writing the Vairagya Shatak. The story goes that Bharthari got hold of the fruit of immortality and gave it to his favourite queen. The queen was having an illicit relationship with Bharthari's servant and gave the fruit to him. The servant in turn gave it to a prostitute he used to frequent. The prostitute want to make amends for her lifestyle and decided to give the fruit to king Bharthari, who was like a father to his subjects. Bharthari upon receiving the fruit asked how the prostitute got it, she told him about the servant. Upon figuring out the queen's infidelity he was overcome with extreme Vairagya and ceded the throne to his brother Vikramaditya. Bharthari then became a disciple of Gorkhnath and also wrote the Vairagya Shatak. I've read that a translated version of the Vairagya Shatak was also taught in sampradayak Taksals of Sikhi. I've heard a katha of Suraj Prakash where Sant Giani Inderjit Singh ji Raqbe wale say that the Bharthari mentioned on SGGSJM is the same as king Bharthari and he was given mukti by Guru Nanak Dev ji

I think he is a military history enthusiast, a lot of information about us is lying unused in British archives, if he can provide good info on the composition of the Khalsa then it would be a good achievement. Of course, i agree with all that you have said, we should examine such works critically

This might be of interest to all of you http://www.helion.co.uk/new-and-forthcoming-titles/the-sikh-wars-source-book-the-rise-and-fall-of-the-khalsa-1799-1849.html

Thanks brother :)

This is partly the reason why i like the Faridkot teeka explanation better, it basically gives the traditional 5 element explanation and the 'pavan devta' explanation. I think that is probably more in line with what the Guru meant. This can also be seen in the "So dar', especially the 'gavan tudno...'. If we consider 'pavan, paani, baisantar' as devta-s then it becomes easy to interpret those verses. If we don't do that and instead rely on a more "scientific" explanation we end with more difficulties IMO.

Can't think of anyone off the top of my head. Katha is only available for specific Banis of Dasam Granth by many people

Don't know if all of you already know this but the full katha of Prachin Panth Prakash by Giani Sher Singh ji is up at gurmatveechar.com

Sure brother, i'm attaching the screenshots. My personal opinion on 'pavan guru' is that the Guru wanted to attack personhood (the feeling that we are identical with our bodies, or that we ARE our bodies) which creates selfishness, cowardice and egotistical behaviour, so the Guru always emphasized on distinct parts which make up a person. So we have ਦੇਹੀ ਮਾਟੀ ਬੋਲੈ ਪਉਣੁ ॥ The body is dust; the wind speaks through it. ਬੁਝੁ ਰੇ ਗਿਆਨੀ ਮੂਆ ਹੈ ਕਉਣੁ ॥ Understand, O wise one, who has died. As we all know voice of human beings is generated through the flow of air from the lungs to the larynx. So essentially it's the air that is speaking. So Pavan is Guru because it is only through Pavan that the Gurshabad is emerging.

It's from Santhiya Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji Volume 1, I downloaded it from gurmatveechar.com

Yes brother, Bhai saab basically says that 'pavan' in Punjabi has feminine gender but here it has been used in the masculine gender so it could mean 'sookham pavan' or gases such as hydrogen helium etc from which the planets were formed. Alternatively it could refer to stages of creation, so first we had earth as a giant clump of gas from which liquid and solid forms emerged, after all of this Akal Purakh fused the 'jot' and human life came about. I'm attaching the extract from the teeka

This might also be relevant ਸਾਚੇ ਤੇ ਪਵਨਾ ਭਇਆ ਪਵਨੈ ਤੇ ਜਲੁ ਹੋਇ ॥ From the True Lord came the air, and from the air came water. ਜਲ ਤੇ ਤ੍ਰਿਭਵਣੁ ਸਾਜਿਆ ਘਟਿ ਘਟਿ ਜੋਤਿ ਸਮੋਇ ॥ From water, He created the three worlds; in each and every heart He has infused His Light. The best explanation of ਪਵਨਾ i've come across is from Faridkot teeka, there it's defined as Pawan devta (or the god of air), the explanation by Bhai Vir Singh ji talks of origin of gases and the three forms of matter

They are vedantic words - Lakshyarth and Vaacharth. It's about how Paramatma cannot be defined by Shakti-vritti (Vaacharth or exactly what the words means) but only through Lakhana-vritti (lakshyarth or indication)

Yes brother, Sant ji's main aim was to make the sangat connect with Gurbani, he never really went into academic type of exposition except when it was absolutely necessary

Sant Gurbachan Singh ji Khalsa's katha-s are a synthesis of writings like these. Pandit Tara Singh Narotam ji's works are out of print, only available on Panjab Digital Library website.

The best explanation of Nirgun/Sargun i've seen in my life. Bhagatmala is truly a treasure trove, a must must read

The signature statement of a charitar ending doesn't come after the Chaupai, will check on the Bhagatmala bit