jsingh96 Posted October 30, 2009 Report Share Posted October 30, 2009 Facebook now hosts a group which will have translations from Panth Prakash by Rattan Singh Bhangoo. http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=208029276152 Here is a piece that is posted on the site. There is more on the site. Translated from the katha of Baba Santa Singhs Panth Parkash Steek The Story of bravery of Bhai Sukha Singh Shaheed The beginnings of the story of Bhai Sukha Singh Oh Gursikhs! Listen to the story of Bhai Sukha Singh of Mari Kamboke, take this story within your heart. Sukha Singh was from the village of Mari Kamboke, and was said to be born of Tharkhan caste. When Sukha Singh reached the age of 12, his mother and father arranged for his wedding to take place. In the mind of Sukha Singh, he had a desire to become a Sikh of the Guru, he wished to partake in the initiation of the double edged sword and become a Singh. He reached Amritsar at the Akaal Takht and was blessed with Amrit from Bhai Mani Singh. In the ambrosial hours of the morning, Asa Di Vaar would be recited by the Singhs, in close villages up to 5 kos in distance, news would be heard that Asa Di Vaar was being recited at such persons houses, Singhs of those villages would get together and sing praises of the Guru. In the mind of Sukha Singh, he made it his duty to arrive at these homes and sit within the Sangat and hear the Gurus words being recited. Wherever it was, Sukha Singh had to get there and listen to Kirtan in the ambrosial hours of the morning. If Sukha Singh met another Singh, he would do his seva, he would feed him langar and water. People of the Mari village began talking, that the Tharkhan Son Sukha has become a Singh and he feeds the coming and going Singhs langar and water. These gossipers in order to get Sukha Singh captured called upon the armies of the government [Turks], when the armies arrived Sukha Singh was not at home, he had gone out somewhere. The policing Turks had left Sukhas house empty handed. This news reached the mother and father of Sukha Singh, that their son was being looked for by the police. Even Sukha Singh understood what happened, and for this reason Sukha Singh did not return home for a long time, he joined the battalions of Singhs. Separated from their Son, Sukha Singhs mother and father wailed in pain, taking deep breaths they lamented “our son has gone! Why has our son fled!” When Sukha Singh returned home, his parents tried to make him understand, “what is our union with the Khalsa? Why do you go with them? Our caste is of Kameeni, meaning manual labour of the hands in order to make ends meet. The Singhs are rulers of lands, what do we want with lands? What will us poor folk do with large lands, what will we do with kingdoms? We are poor folk. Singhs are those who take conquer kingdoms, let them have them, what is our reason for becoming Singhs? We are of Kameeni castes, when have the Singhs ever come to our house, if kingdoms come to our house who will let us rule? Who will let us poor Tharkhans rule over lands? The desire for land is the job of the Jatts.” The mother and father tell their son, “It is the job of the Jatts to own land, that is their role, we grow small crops and we eat them ourselves, we are of Kameeni castes, what is it that us poor people have, what do we want of Sikhi? As long as we have food for the day, this is big enough for us, let us work hard and earn our food honestly” The mother and father made an excuse to the Singhs, they told them “our son is due to be married, he is due to bring his wife home, let him bring her home, then after that he will leave his wife at home and join the ranks of the Singhs battalion again.” Saying this, Sukha Singhs mother and father got his leave granted and returned home at night The mother and father hatched a plan in their mind, that we must break him away from Sikhi, nothing else will work, we must plot against him. They mixed cannabis and alcohol together and made Sukha Singh drink it at night time. Sukha Singh fell into a state of intoxication, when he fell unconscious and lost reasoning for where he was, the mother and father called the village barber to their home. The barber cut the hair of Sukha Singh and made his head bald. In the morning when Sukha Singh awoke and his intoxication had left him, he ran his hand over his head and felt that his turban is no longer on, and his hair is no longer on his head. He realised that his mother and father tricked him, he realised they have committed a grave sin by cutting his hair. He thought in his mind, the first thing I must do is kill them, that he must take their heads, “they tricked me and lied greatly to me”. Sukha Singh then thought to himself “If I kill them , I will receive more bad karma upon my head”, instead he decided to jump into a well and take his own life. When the villagers head a loud splash of water in the well, they thought that someone had fell into the well accidently, they threw a rope into the well and shouted down for Sukha Singh to grab it, allot of commotion arose and people began to make noise. Sukha Singh did not grab the rope, for he wished to die in the well by drowning, such was his pain, he would flip himself over in the water to get deeper under the water, he would not grab the rope. The water could not drown Sukha Singh, it never let him go under. Sukha Singh had a brother, he grabbed the rope with one hand and absailed down the side of the wall, reaching the bottom extended his arm out in order for Sukha Singh to grab it and get him out of the well. By this time, another Singh had arrived at the well and he listened to the story of what happened. That Singh shouted down the well and asked Sukha Singh “what is your problem? You have been separated from your Sikhi and in anger you wish to take your life?” In this way the Singh tried to make Sukha Singh understand. “if you really wish to die, die upon the heads of the Turks, why die in this innocent water? By dying in this way why are you wasting your life, those Turks who brought pain to our Gurus, they are without honour, they wish to turn Hindus into Muslims, Khalsa Ji do not do this, fight against the Turks and die an honourable death, get out of the well and join with the Singhs, fight against the Turks and attain martyrdom, this is my advice to you, my honest advice, honour my advice, go join the Khalsa. Hearing the words of the Singh, Sukha Singh honoured his advice, he told him that his words are true and climbed out of the well. This Singh gave him true guidance, kill the Turks and die fighting. However in the mind of Sukha Singh, another thought would not leave him, however much he tried to drown himself he was unable to, he realised that until the time comes death will not take you away, let me achieve great feats until my death. He raised a great thought within his mind, “when death comes I will be unfaltered, I will attain martyrdom” He made this thought concrete within his mind. “May I roar against the Turks and fight against them, my life will not be wiped out by them as they will not be able to kill me, even if they do I will take their life with me by cutting them down as they cut me”. The Sarpanch of the village had a great horse, he made the excuse of taking it for a drink of water. The Sarpanch allowed him “go ahead son, take it for a drink”, in this way Sukha Singh took the horse and joined the ranks of the Khalsa Panth once again. Sukha Singh arrived in the jungles and enrolled in the battalions of Sardar Shaam Singh. Shaam Singh was a Nihang of Budha Dal and commanded a cavalry of 12000 horsemen. Sukha Singh received initiation of the Double Edged sword from the hands of Shaam Singh, and was treated as his own son. In the heart of Sukha Singh the following feelings arose, “I took the horse from the Sarpanch with the excuse of feeding it water, and he allowed me to take it. I gave him no money and ran off with his horse.” Sukha Singh thought that he must vow to send enough money back to the Sarpanch for the worth of the horse. Thinking this, Sukha Singh mounted his horse and made his way to Lahore. Sukha Singh created a simple appearance for himself in the same manner of Jatt villagers. The hair of his head was still short and in this way he reached the markets of Lahore on his horse. In the Sarafaan Markets, where coins are minted and exchanged and where gold was sold, Sukha Singh made an excuse to get in there. The traders there were filling up sacks and slinging them over their shoulders, some are walking off this way, some are walking off that way and some are exchanging in the market huts. One man was walking away with gold coins, this man came in the vision of Sukha Singh. Sukha Singh walked his horse nearby this man and tied cloth on the sack of coins, in a flash he made hit the horse with his heels and made for the door. He had no fear in his heart, how will the police stop him? For this reason Sukha Singh came to the markets, he thought if someone confronted him he would hit him, in this way Sukha Singh felt no shame or fear of dying. “Hes gone that way, hes gone that way!” the people were left saying, and Sukha Singh sped off to the jungles were the Khalsa Panth had dismounted. When such commotion was created, people did not know what happened and who did anything, in this way people started causing rukus. They pointed to the jungles and the police began to make their way to find the theif. On attempting to follow the tracks of the horses, the police lost Sukha Singh, they did not know which way he had gone. Sukha Singh reached the battalion of Singhs and asked for the price of the horse. It was estimated that the horse was worth 300 rupees by the Singhs. Sukha Singh sent 300 gold coins to the Sarpanch in order to pay for his horse, he also sent a letter explaining what happened. “I needed to escape the village quickly, that is why I took your horse, I did not push or trick you” Reading this the Sarpanch was happy. The remaining money from the coins was put towards food and needs of the Singhs. No money was sent to his mother and father, what union was left with them? They had tricked him and cut his hair off, he had lost trust in them. In this way many Singhs like Sukha Singh did this, those strong Singhs who would singularly pull off such a raid. In all four directions whether villages, towns and bazaars, wherever there was merchandise coming through, the Singhs would do a raid. Sukha Singh grew older and stronger, and thought in his mind “i can do something, i have lost myself” this great thought arose in his mind, “those warriors who stand infront of me or chase me, in the spot that they stand I stop them, with the strike of my sword I split them into two, of all the weapons, I can weild them all.” In all forms of Shastarvidiya, Sukha Singh was complete in them all. Whoever laid a hand onto Sukha Singh, he punished them severely, for that person he became a great bearer of pain, he never let his opponent even take another breath until the time of his death came. Whatever Sukha Singh plundered on his raids with his horse, he would put back into the langar of the Guru Khalsa. Wherever the Turks were battling with the Khalsa, just as the same way a tiger pounces, Sukha Singh pounced in this way. Jhatka’ing [Killing with a single blow] the Turks, Sukha Singh would quickly return back to the Khalsa, going out and killing and coming back in quick succession. With the Raamjunga [Musket], Sukha Singh was a great master, with a bow and arrow he could quickly knock off multiple horsemen from their steeds. The Lance, Spears and Swords, whoever he hit them with would rapidly lose their breaths into the skies along with their lives. Word of Sukha Singh had quickly spread within the Khalsa and the Turks, within the whole country commotion had arose about him, he became to be known as the Shriomani [highest] warrior. Wherever there was a battle with the Turks, if Sukha Singhs hand was there, he would always bring victory for the Khalsa. He would always return victorious, and undefeated. Wherever there was a congregation, Sukha Singh would be welcomed and greeted, and he would sit alongside the other accomplished warriors. Wherever there was a meeting of the Khalsa, Sukha Singh would make his way there. Wherever the Singhs would lay their position, in tens, and twenties would they ride together, in the winter months the Singhs would carry logs of wood with them to burn for fires. To quench their thirst they would fill their leather water bags, in their resting positions would they feed everyone water. For days Singhs would go hungry until a raid was carried out to provide enough money for food for the battalions. If a Singh had come from a far away journey, they would allow him to join them. For washing, Singhs filled drums of water from far distances and brought them back in order for others to bathe in. They would wash the battle clothes of the soldiers, their breeches and, drain them and put them out to dry, and also use the water to wash the lotus feet of the Gurus Singhs. When Singhs would brush their teeth with Daatan, Sukha Singh would pick up their Daatan, and carry a water jug for them for rinsing. Sukha Singh also learnt how to sing Kirtan, in the Gurus congregation he would play the Rabab and sing devotional hymns. His battlefield Kamarkasa [Weapons belt] was tied tightly day and night, Sukha Singh was always ready to battle and wrestle. In many ways he served the Singhs. From fighting and battling he did not keep any fear, he always remained ready. His mother and father wished that Sukha Singh returned home, and he even began to hear from the Singhs that he should return home and glance his eye over the house. His mother and father came made the Singhs tell him “do not stay at home, that is your choice, but if your wedding has been arranged you must bring your wife home, then you can return back to join us”. In this way, Sukha Singh returned back to his village in order to bring his wife home. Sukha Singh would return home in the early morning or late at night in order to avoid the Turks, he would then return to join the Singhs. Soon after returning, a daughter was born in the house of Sukha Singh. Daughters would be killed, out of the worry of marriage, that no Turks pick her up and take her, out of fear of Turks, very few daughters were allowed to live. It is not known whether it was Sukha Singh who killed this girl, whether she was born deceased, whether it was his wife who killed her, such things we do not know. Commotion arose within the Khalsa Panth, that a daughter was born in this house and she was killed. The Singhs enforced their discrimination, “how dare you! Do not even touch our steel bowls” they enforced their rules, they withdrew his companionship. The Khalsa Panth didn’t even turn their face to him, they called him a “daughter killer” and made him sit away in the distance. They never let him sit near their positions, nor near their fires. He pleaded with them, that he is not at fault, “why would i kill my own daughter” but they did not forgive him. They told him to stay far away. These things began to eat away at Sukha Singh, he thought to himself that “I did not do anything, but such a large burden has come upon my head”, this grief came over him. Look to the extremes of this story, he was known as a great warrior, he commits to so much selfless service, he strikes many swords whilst at the front of a battle, to the lows it has now reached that the Singhs no longer allow him to touch their eating bowls. They do not even speak to him, they do not even let him near him. To the heights which his daughters soul went to the skies, the name of Sukha Singh went down as much. Sukha Singh brings much sorrow and worry into his heart, he laments greatly, he no longer speaks with anyone, staying silent due to knowing that no Singh one will respond to his words, for the reason that he is labelled as a daughter killer “stay away and sit over there, do not even touch us”. Here ends the first sakhi of Bhai Sukha Singh Shaheed. Parcheen Panth Parkash Steek – Singh Sahib Baba Santa Singh Ji Akali, Jathedhar 96 Crori Budha Dal Panjwa Takht. Bhag Dooja – Page 120 - 129 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted October 30, 2009 Report Share Posted October 30, 2009 great seva bro..keep it coming. We are thinking of creating a section on this website for- Ithasik Granths/Rehitnamas. If we do, would you consider taking upon the seva to post your translations under that section? 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drawrof Posted October 30, 2009 Report Share Posted October 30, 2009 I would like to speak as a proxy for JSingh and the answers is 'no....this is all gupt' 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dalsingh101 Posted October 30, 2009 Report Share Posted October 30, 2009 This is cool. Bhai ji can you post the other translations here as well please. I'm not on Facebook (bootha-kitaab). It's a shame that we haven't got the original Panjabi text next to the translation to examine. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jsingh96 Posted October 30, 2009 Author Report Share Posted October 30, 2009 If you want the punjabi text you can purchase the Budha Dal Steek from Chatar Singh Jeevan Singh. They have an online site where you can order from. http://www.csjs.com/ 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shaheediyan Posted October 30, 2009 Report Share Posted October 30, 2009 (edited) Thanks for this excellent seva (finding rather than translating in this case I think), yes, it would be great to have the Gurmukhi text here also. Bhai Sukha Singh was truely a legend amongst the Jujaari Khalsa - the next part of his story is amazing! It depicts Bhai Sukha Singhs eventual return to grace - and describes a dual with the Goliath of the Turks from what I remember... Nihangs have strong oral traditions regarding Bhai Sukha Singh and his 'superhuman' Shastar Vidya training! This isn't the same translation that was done by Tapoban Singhs and abandoned halfway a few years back is it? Edited October 30, 2009 by shaheediyan 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jsingh96 Posted October 30, 2009 Author Report Share Posted October 30, 2009 Any material that is covered in the first volume of the Budha Dal Steek, those sakhis have been taken from the book -> http://www.bagchee.com/en/books/view/40642/sri_gur_panth_prakash_rattan_singh_bhangoo_volume_1 Additions to the translation in accordance with the Budha Dal steek where need be. Anything after that has been translated by a friend of mine from the Budha Dal steek. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest zulu Posted October 31, 2009 Report Share Posted October 31, 2009 a tharkhan being arguably the greatest at shastar vidiya. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SURYADEV Posted October 31, 2009 Report Share Posted October 31, 2009 a tharkhan being arguably the greatest at shastar vidiya. .....and who taught him????? 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SURYADEV Posted October 31, 2009 Report Share Posted October 31, 2009 Quote "Commotion arose within the Khalsa Panth, that a daughter was born in this house and she was killed. The Singhs enforced their discrimination, “how dare you! Do not even touch our steel bowls” they enforced their rules, they withdrew his companionship. The Khalsa Panth didn’t even turn their face to him, they called him a “daughter killer” and made him sit away in the distance. They never let him sit near their positions, nor near their fires. He pleaded with them, that he is not at fault, “why would i kill my own daughter” but they did not forgive him. They told him to stay far away. These things began to eat away at Sukha Singh, he thought to himself that “I did not do anything, but such a large burden has come upon my head”, this grief came over him." So when did the sikhs/Panjabis change their attitude en masse to approve daughter killings? 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shaheediyan Posted October 31, 2009 Report Share Posted October 31, 2009 (edited) Jattboot: 1 - On a gross level - one is responsible for their own success - in any field. Irrelevant of who taught Bhai Sukha Singh - his iron will and commitment was responsible for his rise/fame whereby his simple appearance on the battlefield would shift the direction of the war. On the subtle (ultimate) level - his prowess was a bakshish of Guru Maharaj. 2 - Why ask a loaded question. 'Sikhs' have never changed their attitude towards nari/kuri-maar. Edited October 31, 2009 by shaheediyan 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chatanga1 Posted October 31, 2009 Report Share Posted October 31, 2009 Bhai Sukha Singh took amrit twice, once from Bhai Mani Singh and once from Baba Shaam Singh. has the 2nd volume of the english translation come out yet by dr kulwant singh?(i think) 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
raagiwannabe Posted October 31, 2009 Report Share Posted October 31, 2009 Is this the same Bhai Sukha Singh of "Bhai Mehtab Singh and Bhai Sukha Singh" Fame? 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SURYADEV Posted October 31, 2009 Report Share Posted October 31, 2009 Jattboot: 2 - Why ask a loaded question. 'Sikhs' have never changed their attitude towards nari/kuri-maar. Maybe, maybe not. Though the stigma that was attached to kuri-mar perpetrators as described in the sakhi seems to have disolved these days. Of course we dont have dead bodies nowadays that are buried, its usually chemically aborted and the fetus burned as 'medical waste'. Possibly a new thread? 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dalsingh101 Posted October 31, 2009 Report Share Posted October 31, 2009 Maybe, maybe not. Though the stigma that was attached to kuri-mar perpetrators as described in the sakhi seems to have disolved these days. Of course we dont have dead bodies nowadays that are buried, its usually chemically aborted and the fetus burned as 'medical waste'. Possibly a new thread? Things like that make me wonder if the panth will lose any divine grace that was forthcoming when Sikhs were largely doing the right thing? I mean surely God is not blind to the fact we are having an apparent epidemic in female foeticide? 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shaheediyan Posted October 31, 2009 Report Share Posted October 31, 2009 Actually, all Sants/Parcharaks speak against this evil and the Government have taken good measures to combat it as well as give incentives for people to keep girls. Things are slowly changing - figures have actually reveresed in the last few years... Alongside this, there are Sikhs in the UK that have taken initiative, one who came on the Sikh Channel recently has promoted an excellent system, basically adopt the girls (born and unborn) in your historic pind. He has done this and slowly taken responsibilty to educate and later get them married, introducing medical aid and education into the pind as n incentive. His Pind now has the highest girl count in all of India, and others are taken his model and using it... But that doesn't hide the fact that attrocities have been committed. What we must remember is the cause for this lies predominantly in the west - re the daaj and flash wedding culture we have imported back to Punjab, the blood is on our hands. One must understand the desperate position of poor folk with many daughters, whih they need to marry off..unless one is in the highly pressurised society of Punjab, is uneducated and poor, one will never understand the hell these poor folk go through. Although I am in no way justifying murder, we need to accept our Lions share of the blame, and act, rather than point fingers. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dalsingh101 Posted October 31, 2009 Report Share Posted October 31, 2009 (edited) I don't really buy that Shaheediyan. Not all families are into the ostentatious weddings in the west. Besides you talk as if we are totally incapable, as a society, to reflect and make changes to our practices. That is the main issue here from where I am standing. Not enough people want to hear that we are doing stupid things as a society, be this female infanticide or having ridiculous expectations at weddings. Modesty and humility seems to be a characteristic lacking in Sikhs these days. You'd be hard pressed to find any people as materialistic as many of us have become. It is good to hear that some individuals have taken positive and seemingly effective actions as you described in the post but to be honest overall you sounded like you was somehow shifting the blame of these crimes to some of us in the west. Now I am more than willing to take my fair share of criticism and blame for things, but in no way am I or my family somehow responsible for that type of nonsense backhome. Those that are, need to think about it. But truth be told they will probably be too busy buzzing off the big show of wealth and status that characterises them to care a toss about this. It is not a big thing to expect people to live within their means. The real issue you are skirting is the bull5hite, fake 'sardari' complex that has been ingrained by too many of our society. Instead of giving ourselves superiority complexes and ego rushes from our ancestors actions, we can try and just be commonsense humans. The nonsense culture goes to the extent that some people these days are willing to kill themselves rather than live humbly in the Punjab. Overall though, what we should be pushing for is change in our cultural practices and turning down the volume on our need to give lavish shows of status. It would probably do the whole community good - in more ways than one. Attack the cause - not the effect. Edited November 8, 2009 by dalsingh101 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shaheediyan Posted October 31, 2009 Report Share Posted October 31, 2009 (edited) "you sounded like you was somehow shifting the blame of these crimes to some of us in the west." I am squarely shifting the blame. "Attack the cause - not the effect." That was exactly my point, I am also happy to see that many Sant/kathavachak are also now rightly putting the blame squarely on Western introduced trends/normalities. As late as the 70s, weddings in Punjab were still simple events, it is only in the last 20 years or so that the whole wedding culture has changed - with the rising wealth in the west. Like I said, unless you are a poor, uneducated family living in Punjabm you will never understand these poor peoples situation, yes, this definition does not cover all narimaars, but it certainly covers the large %. What these people need now is our help/correction - in terms of education, cultural change and financial help... Edited October 31, 2009 by shaheediyan 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dalsingh101 Posted November 2, 2009 Report Share Posted November 2, 2009 (edited) Like I said, unless you are a poor, uneducated family living in Punjabm you will never understand these poor peoples situation, yes, this definition does not cover all narimaars, but it certainly covers the large %. What these people need now is our help/correction - in terms of education, cultural change and financial help... Whilst I admire your positivity, you have to ask the question of just how pervasive Sikh values are in rural Panjab, which is commonly described as some cradle of the Sikh community. If anti-naarimaar Sikh values haven't penetrated there, where our people are a majority - I don't even want to think of what that means in terms of the influence of Sikh values in the land of its birth. Edited November 4, 2009 by dalsingh101 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shaheediyan Posted November 5, 2009 Report Share Posted November 5, 2009 I have created a new thread on the Bhai Sukha Singh Sakha - part 2 has now been added. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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