INTRODUCTION

The message of all religious literature is centred on proclaiming and making human life supreme. This has also been the objective of all religions. The message of human spiritual and social welfare preached by various saints and savants at different times and places is available primarily in two forms – oral and written. The teachings imparted orally often get adulterated with the passage of time. Consequently, sometimes the real thrust of the message gets diluted and even corrupted. In some cases, teachings of some personages are put to pen after their demise. A question mark always remains on the authenticity of such a text and its message. In case, a savant himself happens to put his message to pen, the authenticity of such teachings remains intact for long. Even if the followers of such a saint at any point of time get divorced from his fundamental teachings and follow the whims of their own mind, there still remains a hope that the original teachings will one day revive on the basis of authentic, written text. There is every possibility that the followers will feel inclined to work towards realizing the higher objective of life.

We come across several problems as we begin to make a textual study of the available manuscripts. The vocabulary used in the text might have been easily comprehensible at the time of its writing, but some words change their meaning or become obsolete as the time passes: thus, it becomes rather difficult for the reader to comprehend their real meaning or gist.

Scholars and exegetes have used several different methods to understand/explain the given text. Such explanatory works started with the genre called Prayaya (glossary explaining difficult terms and words) and, with the passage of time, it has continued in the form of different genres like Shabdarth (word-meaning), Kosh (dictionary), Tika (exegesis; explanation), Bhavarth, (central idea), translation, etc. Bhagwan Balas Sukhnal Sar, the volume in hand,can also be studied from one or more of these perspectives. Going through its contents makes the reader realize that in modern times it cannot be understood without the help of a sabdarth. Even this will enable the reader to understand its literal meaning only whereas a seeker is always desirous of comprehending its underlying message. Keeping this desire of the seekers in mind, we have given meanings to difficult words and this glossary has been available at Appendix I.

AUTHORAND HIS PROMINENT WORKS

Bhagwan Balas Sukhnal Sar has been the only volume Bhagwan Das authored.No doubt, the subject-matter of this granth is primarily spiritual but there are some internal references which provide us some valuable information about the author’s life and also the places he visited. For example, giving information about his name and pseudonym, it says:xzzz

And:

My real name is Bhagwan Das, and

‘Maujdil’ is the title bestowed on me. (Sihafi, 31)

‘Maujdil’ is the title given to me,

Waves of euphoria keep surging within me. (Sihafi, 28)

However, in recent times Bhagwan Das has attained fame as ‘Sri Nabh Kanwal

Raja Sahib Ji’, and people in the region mostly know him by this name. The epithet ‘Raja’ (lit., ‘King’; ‘ji’ is only an honorific) used for him signifies his higher spiritual status and it reflects the values of truth, contentment, compassion, righteousness and perseverance which were the special characteristics of the life of Bhagwan Das. In this sense, the title ‘Raja’ or ‘Rajaji’ seems to have been used for him because of his satiated and contented nature as regards worldly desires and pleasures and which is also symbolic of a person who transcends all evils as he gets united with the Lord. Affirming this meaning of the word, Bhagwan Das explains in his Bhagwan Balas:

The enlightened saints are true kings

All conflicts and dissensions if they transcend; What kind of ascetics they are

If the Lord they love not, nor maya they transcend; Transcend bias, control the mind and abandon evil – Only then they experience true bliss;

Continence, patience and contentment-

King ofkings is the one who nurtures these. (Kabitt, 330)

The vahi or record-book of Pandit Mohit Sharma of Haridwar provides us some valuable information about the family background of Bhagwan Das. It records that one his ancestors Baba Naudha had two sons – Seebu and Bhola. Ralla, son of Seebu, who was Lambardar of village Mannanhana, had gone to Haridwar in 1950 Bikrami/AD 1893 to perform the last rites of his father. The vahi also records that his father’s brother, Bhola, had six sons – Mali, Atra, Kanhiya, Giana, Ammi and Punna. Bhagwan Das was the son of Mali. However, an oral tradition popular in his native village says that his father’s name was Shri Mangal Das and that of mother was Bibi Sahib Devi. It is possible that ‘Mali’ might have been the nick-name of Shri Mangal Das and it is just possible that only this nick-name had come to the mind of Ralla when he got this information recorded.

Bhagwan Das has been a well-known ascetic of 19th century. It is believed that he was born in 1862 at village Ballowal in Shahid Bhagat Singh Nagar district. It was his maternal grandparents’ village and a Gurdwara outside the village commemorates the place of his birth. On the paternal side, Bhagwan Das belonged to village Mananhana in Hoshiarpur district. It was here in this village that Bhagwan Das spent

his childhood and received primary education. His temperament was spiritually inclined from days of his childhood when he used to spend time in the company of saints visiting the village. This stands confirmed by the following verses in the BhagwanBalas:

No worldly pleasure appealed to my mind, Knowledge of the otherworld as I got;

Vaitarni is the river between this world and the next, Reaching across it is said to be a task too difficult; When that day comes to my mind,

Tears begin to flow uncontrollably;

To eat, drink and sleep – one forgets all,

The entire night in restlessness is spent. (Svaiyya, 4)

He renounced home and started wandering with the mendicants to resolve his inner restlessness and to attain spiritual enlightenment.According to a local tradition, when he was quite young, he joined the group of Mahant Ganga Das who was a wandering mendicant and preached the message of the Guru Granth Sahib going from one village to the other. During these travels, when they reached the village Jhingran, he happened to meet Baba Jawahar Singh who worked as an ironsmith and also possessed spiritual knowledge. It was during his discussions with Baba Jawahar Singh that he learnt that the river Vaitrani did not flow beyond this world rather it is here in this very world in the form of trishna or worldly longings. People of this world in their ignorance get drowned in the fast flow of this river. There is need to imbibe the way of life of the Guru-oriented persons to reach across this river, i.e. to overcome the tendency for excessive indulgence in worldly desires. As a result, one attains self-realization and transcends all sorts of desires. As per a local tradition, Bhagwan Das stayed put in this village and began to follow the message of Baba Jawahar Singh with the objective of attaining the ultimate objective of life. Some verses in the Bhagwan Balas affirm that he attained the objective of his life by following the advice of Jawahar Singh. He says:

Sri Jawahar Singh is my spiritual mentor, And, to him I pay obeisance;

Having met my spiritual mentor,

God-realization have I attained. (Dohra, 9)

After attaining the objective of self-realization, Bhagwan Das continued to visit different villages and towns just like many other mendicants. However, he would come back to Jhingran time and again and it was here that he put down his ideas on metaphysics in the form of this Granth. It is an obvious indication that he had a deep attachment with village Jhingran. One major reason for this appears to be his meeting here with Baba Jawahar Singh and attainment of spiritual enlightenment.

While preaching in the villages nearby Jhingran, he completed some philanthropic projects to help masses to uplift them in their spiritual and secular life.

Having received enlightenment Bhagwan Das travelled in most of the nearby villages. In some of these villages, he stayed for quite long periods. He set up sangats of his followers wherever he went to preach his message. Gurdwaras have since come up at these places. Among the places where memorials mark Bhagwan Das having visited there include village Sujjon (in the district of Shahid Bhagat Singh Nagar), where he visited in 1909 and stayed for more than two years; Herian (about 2 kilometres from Jhingran in the district of Shahid Bhagat Singh); Gunachaur (about 300 meters away from Majara Nau Abad and about four kilometers from village Jhingran) where he meditated and where a memorial Tap Asthan stands to commemorate his memory; Gosal (about three kilometers away from the district town of Shahid Bhagat Singh Nagar) where he visited, according to a local tradition, in 1907; Gobindpur (about three kilometres away from Khatkar Khurd via Hion) where some collaterals of Baba Jawahar Singh , his spiritual mentor, lived and where he breathed his last during a visit to them. Gurdwara Baba Jawahar Singh Ji stands in his memory; Jhingran (about 8 kilometres from Banga town in Shahid Bhagat Singh Nagar district) where stands Gurdwara Dukhniwaran Sri Nabh Kanwal Raja Sahib Ji said to have been got built by Bhagwan Das himself in 1906; close by the Gurdwara are the smadhs of Baba Hamir Chand (spiritual mentor of Baba Jawahar Singh), Baba Jawahar Singh and Baba Pritam Singh; Bhagwan Das stayed here for a long period andcomposedhisBhagwanBalas Sukhnal Sar; Bharo Majara (Fattuana), which is about 5 kilometres from Jhingran via Gunachaur and about 3 kilometres away from Banga town; an old well and a meditation room constructed during Bhagwan Das’ stay here are still preserved; Majara Nau Abad (in the district of Shahid Bhagat Singh almost in the middle of village Jhingran and Khatkar Kalan) known for Gurdwara Rasokhana Nabh Kanwal Raja Sahib Ji and as the place where Bhagwan Das breathed his last on 30 August 1940; Rahipa (about nine kilometers away from Jhingran in the Shahid Bhagat Singh Nagar district) where Bhagwan Das got a thara or raised platform built on 30 July 1905 to sit on and meditate, and got a well dug and a hut built in 1906; the place has since become known as Gurdwara Takht Sahib Raja Nabh Kanwal Sahib Ji; and several other places. The Guru Granth Sahib is installed in all these places. Some educational and social institutions in the name of Bawa Bhagwan Das have also been working.

II

For purposes of translation, we have used the printed Punjabi version which is based on a photo-copy of the original manuscript; thus, there is no doubt about the authenticity of the text or of any errors having crept in. The structure and design ofhe

text show that Bawa Bhagwan Das was well aware of the methodology of preparing a religious volume. Like the authors of the Sikh religious texts, he begins the granth with the Mool Mantra in its abridged form – ik oankar satigur prasadi. When he begins the Siharfi, he begins this composition using the same invocation again in an abridged form. It is only after making the invocation that the title of the granth (Bhagwan Balas Sukhnal Sar) and the name of the author (Bawa Bhagwan Das Maujdil) are mentioned. Like its beginning, the ending of the Granth also emulates the authors of various books in the Sikh religious tradition. He concludes it by giving the year of its completion – Samvat Nanakshahi 434.

He gives reasons for writing this granth, objective of writing, its importance, place and time of its writing, etc. Sharing with the readers the reason behind the writing of this granth, Bawa Bhagwan Das says:

Friends and followers made supplications-Do us the favor and narrate your story; Higher knowledge we cannot receive,

As at one place you stay not and keep moving. Assenting to the request of these seekers,

On transience of the world, this volume prepared. (Sihrafi, 31)

The seekers who were impressed by the discourses of Bhagwan Das felt that they could not get maximum benefit of his utterances because he did not have a permanent abode and continued travelling like a mendicant from one place to another. It would be much better if he put his message to writing, they insisted. Acceding to their request, Bawa Bhagwan Das prepared this granth. For the purpose of preparing this volume, Bawa Bhagwan Das selected a spot near a water-pond in Jhingran:

Within the periphery ofJhingran, and on the bank of a water-pond,

I composed these verses, says Maujdil. Points raised therein include – Effacement of pride in caste and class

Results it in non-duality replacing duality.(Siharfi, 32)

There could be several reasons why he chose this village and this place for the purpose; as we know, an important phase of his life when he met Baba Jawahar Singh and also received enlightenment is connected with this village. Written with mind completely devoid of any trace of duality, Bhagwan Das compares this volume with a garden of fresh flowers that spreads fragrance around and thus helps masses gain health, happiness and holiness. He says:

Garden of fresh flowers this compilation is Also explained are Words of other holy men.

Spiritual life provides the study of these words Reading and reflection on them bestows honor. He who enjoys walking through this garden

Gratified he will sure feel, says Bhagwan Das. (Sihrafi, Svaiyya 33)

In the above verses, Bhagwan Das conveys the objective of preparing this granth; he has also made an important comment that man can get liberated from the malady of evils and can also receive respect and honor in this world provided he lives the bliss-providing message contained in this granth.

He also provides information about the time of writing this Granth in Bikrami and Nanakshahi era in the same old manner of composing religious volumes. To convey ‘1960 Bikrami’, he uses symbols for these numerals – atma or soul (one), khand or realms (nine), bikarorevils (6) and bind or dot (0). He says:

Dohra:

It was atam, khand, bikar, bindBikrami

Bhagwan Das Maujdil his writing concluded. 11.

Similarly, to convey that it was 434 Nanakshahi Samvat when he completed the writing of this volume: to convey the digits 434, he uses the words Ved (four), bachan (three) and yuga or eras (4), and says:

Dohra:

It was Vedas, bachan,yugas Nanakshai Samvat When Bhagwan Balas reached its conclusion. 12.

Nanakshahi Samvat434 [is the date of the completion of this granth].

Obviously following the style of old authors of religious texts, Bhagwan Das names certain things which are symbolic of numbers to indicate the year of the composition of the Bhagwan Balas. He says that he completed the granth in 1960 Bikrami/434 Nanakshahi which is equal to AD 1903. This shows that Bawa Bhagwan Das was 41 years of age when he completed this volume. He remained alive for thirty-seven years after this, but neither wrote any other granth nor made any additions or alterations to it. We can easily assume from this that he considered this granth as a complete and perfect compilation of his ideas.

A study of the Bhagwan Balas reveals that Bhagwan Das was not an ordinary poet but he was a straightforward and fearless saint drenched in spirituality. He has shared with the readers his personal experience of worldly relations alongside his religious/metaphysical views. The presence of the feelings of greed and selfishness in familial, social and religious relations has also been revealed. On the basis of his personal experience, he has also included herein the message of other religious personages and scriptural texts. If we specifically point out the reference to other

scriptures, influence of the Guru Granth Sahib is quite visible. This was natural because he used to travel along with holy men preaching the message of the Guru

Granth Sahib. He also got some Gurdwaras constructed. The local tradition says that during his stay at village Majara he used to get the Guru Granth Sahib recited in the main gate building. The influence of the Guru Granth Sahib on his life also gets reflected in several of the verses in the Bhagwan Balas.

The Bhagwan Balas is a metrical composition written in verse. Bawa Bhagwan Das has beautifully used meters like Dohra, Svaiyya, Kabitt, Rahikala,

Baint and Diudh. About the meters used, we must say that here flow of the verse dominates the discipline of exact numbers and vowels. In the given original text in Punjabi, each verse has been divided into two lines, but the reader is advised to read both the lines together as one verse. All stanzas in the granth have been serially numbered. Svaiyya No. 28 is missing from the text or maybe the scribe through an oversight put 29 on the stanza which was actually No. 28. Thus, the reader will see that there is Stanza 29 following Stanza 27.

The Bhagwan Balas is originally written in Gurmukhi script but we also corne across some words taken from other different languages, apart from Punjabi. Words from Arabic, Persian, Urdu and occasional English words (flesh-eaters, vegetarian, etc.) have been used. Arabic and Persian vocabulary has been frequently used which makes it quite obvious that the author possessed deep knowledge of these languages. Inclusion of a composition titled ‘Siharfi’ in the Granth also testifies to this. Total number of stanzas in this Granth is 453 – 16 Dohras; 194 Svaiyyas; 208 Kabitts; 4

Rahikalas; 30 Baint; and 1 Diudh.

III

Bhagwan Das acknowledges the supreme Lord (God) as creator of the entire manifest phenomena, lord-husband, destroyer, invisible, indestructible, subtle, formless, without rancour, :flawless, and so on. He adjures humankind to try and become mystically one with Him. His Bhagwan Balas comprises teachings which inspire rnan to live an ethical life and realize oneness with God.

All-Pervasive God: Bhagwan Das believes that God is immanent in the created world and says that He is present, as Spirit, in all beings and at all places. Just as ghee is latent in milk, similarly Divine Light is present in each human body. Just as ghee is taken out by churning the milk, one can successfully realize God by searching within. Just as ghee does not come out without churning the milk, similarly man fails to perceive God within without making efforts to look within, says Bhagwan Das.

Importance and Greatness of the Guru: A true Guru helps infusing truthfulness and morality in the life of a seeker. He has also been acknowledged a means to take man out of the darkness of ignorance into the light of spiritual awakening and thus help him get united with the Lord. The lotus-heart of the enlightened person blooms like the rising sun: meeting the Guru makes human heart bloom just like the rising sun, says Bhagwan Das.

There are two major obstacles in the form of maya and evil on the spiritual journey of man. Man is ever active in getting himself free from these two. He wanders about in the forests and mountains and also tries to live in isolation, but success eludes him. However, when he seeks shelter with the Guru and surrenders himself to the Guru, he is enabled to discover God within his own heart. Realization of God remains unfeasible without the help and guidance of the Guru.Therefore, describing the

greatness of the Guru, Bhagwan Das says: How can I utter the Guru’s glory which is unlimited; his greatness is immense, even beyond God.

Importance of Congregation: Sangat or company plays a significant role in the life of man; it can take man either on the right or on the wrong path. Those who take man astray have been addressed as the evil-minded, filthy, self-oriented, false, demonic, etc. In the company of these, man gets inclined towards evils. The companions who lead man towards his spiritual uplift have been called saint, giani, enlightened, Satguru, spiritual mentor, et al. Man’s company of such beings becomes a holy congregation. In such a company man liberates himself from evils and then works towards attainment of the objective of self-realization. As man joins the caravan of saintly beings, he begins to tread the right path, says Bhagwan Das.

Supremacy and Transient Nature of Human Existence: Every being and everything in this manifest material world is quite beautiful but it is not everlasting. Flowers, fruit, trees, human beings, animals and birds, mountains, etc. are there in this manifest material world. Although they are all inter-connected yet none of them lasts for ever. Of all these, there are only human beings who nurture ever new aspirations and then make all possible efforts to fulfil them. In his ignorance, man deems this body intransient and remains engrossed in the kind of tasks which are of no help to him on the way to self-realization. Bhagwan Das says that man becomes forgetful of death and continues to remain engrossed in worldly relishes and pleasures. His situation could well be likened to that of a frog which longs for more relishes while it is at the same moment caught in the jaws of the snake. Bhagwan Das accepts that human body is perishable, but he also deems it purposeful in regard to man’s spiritual development. He says that there is precious treasure present within the body, and the person who attains this awareness becomes more sagacious and superior to others. He who becomes aware of this treasure and realizes it transcends worldly sorrows and suffering.

Rejection of Superstitious Beliefs: Bhagwan Das inspires all human beings to be active for the realization of God but at the same time he also emphasizes the futility of certain actions such as ritual ablutions at pilgrimage centres, observance of fast on certain days considered auspicious, idol-worship, sitting in trance, etc. in the realization of the ultimate objective of life. Performance of such rituals cannot help man realize God, and he who treads the right path towards God-realization refuses to worship tombs, folk deities, ghosts and goblins. On the other hand, such a person engages himself in meditation on the one supreme Lord and performs noble and philanthropic deeds.

Avoid the Evils: Lust, wrath, avarice, attachment and ego have been accepted as five cardinal evils. They impact the human mind and intellect and make them act as per their whims. The evils which result from man’s worldly desires lead him astray and make him do things following mind’s whims. As a result, man fails to distinguish

between what is good or bad for him. Captivated by selfishness, he gets engrossed in excessive worldly indulgence which results in his spiritual degeneration. Under the influence of evils, man acts like that monkey which refuses to open his corn-filled mist and thus fails to take its hand out of the pitcher with a narrow mouth. There may be hardly any human being who might have remained uninfluenced by evils. One prominent reason for this is that man himself gets pleasure by becoming a prey to evils. These evils seem sweet to him and he gets entangled in their net just as a spider gets caught in the self-created web. Interestingly, he makes absolutely no effort to find a way out of these. However, he begins to repent when he reaches the last phase of his life and the time to give an account of his deeds to God appears close enough.

A way to get liberated has been shown through the message of the divine Word. As one attains this knowledge, one comes to know of the reality of life. He gives up his excessive worldly indulgence and begins to look inwards, and this helps him in attaining the objective of self-realization. Thus, by realizing God, man attains liberation from all suffering and obstacles.

Opposition to Intoxicants: Prevalence of intoxicants in society has caused human mind and intellect to go astray. Under the influence of intoxicants, man forgets to differentiate between noble and ignoble, good and bad, and thus suffers moral and spiritual degeneration. These intoxicants are considered a source of evils and Bhagwan Das remained ever active to efface this evil from the face of society. In his granth he names hashish, sulfa (a mixture of tobacco and cannabis), liquor, chandu (preparation of opium into smoking), poppy husk, opium etc. among the intoxicants used. He calls these intoxicants false and says that the person who consumes such intoxicants cannot attain higher, spiritual knowledge and thus fails to realize his real self rather he continues to suffer in life. He advises humankind to partake of intoxication of the love for Divine instead of consuming worldly intoxicants because the former helps one to be ever in bliss.

Need for Far-sightedness: Man must be aware of the consequences which might result from the deeds he has been doing here and now. A   person can save himself from evils only when he acts keeping the consequences of his actions in mind. Just as a stag misreads the moss on water-surface as green grass and jumps into it and spasms in the water unable to get out and thus undergoes suffering. Similarly, if a person does a deed without knowing whether it is good or bad, he is deluded and thus suffers. Of course, the worldly things are for the relish of man but when man becomes completely unmindful of his objective of treading the path of truth, all such acts result in his delusion.

Emphasis Against Flesh-Eating: Bhagwan Das adjures man to avoid eating flesh. Warning against flesh-eating, he opines that the persons who eat flesh cannot tread the spiritual path successfully. The flesh-eaters commit violence; they show no compassion towards other beings. They only add to mutual jealousy and polemic.

How can humility and piety come up in the minds of such persons? Not only the body but also the mind of flesh-eaters becomes impious, and this becomes a hindrance in the attainment of spiritual enlightenment. The person who eats meat does not know that he will have to render an account of killing the animals just to satiate his palate.

Teaching Against Adultery: The inclination to develop illicit relations with a woman other than one’s duly wedded wife only adds to libidinousness in society. It is only by cultivating the message of continence and moderation in life that man can possibly realize his spiritual objective. There are householders as well as ascetics/mendicants in society. This message of imbibing chastity is for both of them. Bhawan Das strongly prohibits the saints from indulging in this evil. He says that a saint given to lust is like a silk cloth destroyed by worm.

Views on Householder Life: Bhagwan Das had himself opted for the life of a mendicant, but he has in his granth expressed his views about the life of a householder as well. He says that human beings perform two kinds of deeds in society – some cause attachment to the world and some others result in detachment to worldliness. Both of them have their respective principles. Man can attain the supreme spiritual status of self-realization living the kind of life – ascetic’s or householder’s – he opts for.Understanding the issues concerning the householder’s life, he says that all relations such as that of brother, sister and other kith and kin result in bondage. Therefore, one should enter householder’s life after due consideration. He realizes the impact of householders on the life of ascetics, and says that a saint who has failed to become detached from maya can well be deemed to be still in the bondage of a householder life. The person who understands the reality of this life-that only God is everlasting and the material world is perishable – deems both the householder life and life of an ascetic the same.

Inspiration to Annul the Cycle of Transmigration: A being’s transmigration into different existences has been a significant precept of lndian religious traditions. We can understand the idea of rebirth on the basis of karma philosophy. All religions which have originated in India believe in the theory of transmigration. Bhagwan Das also affirms his faith in this theory, and adjures man to remember God and perform noble, righteous deeds. A person who transcends evils, controls his desires and longings and then treads the path of truthfulness and ethics is able to put an end to the cycle of his birth-death-rebirth. On the other hand, a person who is under the influence of mind’s longings and bound by the varna system continues to live in ignorance and thus remains caught in the cycle of continued transmigration.

Ultimate Objective of Life-Oneness with God: Acknowledging that the ultimate objective of human life is to attain mystical oneness with the supreme Lord, Bhagwan Das says that a person who remains slave to various evils, longings and desires fails to attain self-realization/God-realization. The Divine Light is present within human body and its realization is possible only by making the mind pure and pious.

Realization of one’s real self is the ultimate objective of life and a spiritually enlightened person can easily attain it. He who attains this enlightenment receives the knowledge of entire universe within him.

IV

As it is, ‘translation is a general term referring to the transfer of thoughts and ideas from one language to another, whether the language is in written or oral form’. As a literary genre, it has generally been taken as a process transforming a written source language into an optimally equivalent target language text. In simpler words, translation attempts at reproducing in the receptor or target language the closest natural equivalent of the message in the source language. A good translation should ensure that soul from the body of the source language might move to the body of the target language. It should also function as a kind of bridge-building between two different languages and cultures far removed from each other: it is a way of communicating/expressing the ideas of one culture into the language of another.

As we look at various translations, we find them generally swinging back and forth between ‘close fidelity to the original’ and ‘utter freedom from the original’. However, these two extremes do not exhaust between them the total range of translation possibilities: there are many translations which we can place at some point or the other between these two ends of the scale, and these translations are known by various different nomenclatures. The method a translator adopts depends on the text, context and purpose of the translation. In the translation of texts religious in nature, it is very difficult to separate the medium from the message as the medium here is the message.

It is unanimously agreed that a translator must fully understand the sense and meaning of the original work, but sometimes it becomes difficult to convey exactly the same sense and meaning by keeping very close to the given text: taking recourse to footnotes to explain any obscurities, etc. becomes necessary To make a good translation, he is also expected to possess perfect knowledge of both the source language and the target language. He should avoid word-for-word translation and, at the same time, must also be highly watchful of the dangers in the way of trans-creation. He should use forms of speech in common use and must choose and order words appropriately to produce the correct meaning and effect.

Until the advent of western culture in our country, a work of translation, especially of a scriptural text, was always regarded as new writing in the literary tradition of India. Translations of texts derived especially from the Puranic sources are obvious examples of this. Different versions in various Indian languages of the same Puranic source (e.g. the Ramayana, the Mahabharata, etc.) are all known as original works and not translations or trans-creations. The three Chandi compositions included in the Dasam Granth re-tell the story taken from the Markandeya Purana,

but these are not considered translations but are taken as original works. In sum, until not very long ago, the Indian literary tradition provided translation an almost autonomous status of original creative writing.

Coming back to the Bhagwan Balas Sukhnal Sar, we have made every possible effort to remain, throughout the translation, close to the original text keeping in mind that the spirit of the original is never lost. Of course, ellipses which often occur in all poetic verses have been completed and metaphors have been decoded.For the convenience of the readers we have reproduced on top of the page a stanza in the original Punjabi followed by, its Roman transliteration below it and then its English rendering. We have also added at the end a glossary of difficult words used in the given text giving their meanings in simple and easily understandable English. We have given here meaning of a word in which sense it has been used in the Granth. Our only objective throughout the preparation of this book has been to try and understand the given text like a faithful reader and put it in an easily comprehensible English so that a seeker not conversant with Punjabi language can also enjoy the spirit of the message contained in the given text.

We must take this opportunity to express our heartfelt thanks to Professor Jagdeep Singh, Vice-Chancellor, Punjabi University, Patiala, who very kindly agreed to take up this book for publication by the University. We also convey our heartfelt gratitude to Sardar Nanak Singh, Sardar Bhupinder Singh Dhindsa and his family and all members of the sangat of Bawa Bhagwan Das whose continued encouragement and good wishes helped us complete the job in good time.

We hope the book will be of benefit to students and researchers in the field of religious studies. It should be of immense help especially to the younger generation of the families of the followers of Bawa Bhagwan Das who are settled abroad and are not familiar with the Gurmukhi script. Transliteration in Roman will help them relish the original text in Punjabi and they can experience the spirit of the message reading through the English translation.

Dr. Dharam Singh Dr. Paramvir Singh