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According to Guru kian Sakhian, Bhai Nand Lal arrived in Anandpur Sahib on Baisakhi day of 1682 and received Guru Gobind Singh Sahib’s blessing. Upon seeing the Guru for the first time his soul was so profoundly affected that he put it down in poetry :
| "O prince of heaven, king of all that is beautiful, pray do not come more beautiful. I have no more strength left in me, Allured, charmed and fascinated by thee, I sacrifice unto thee. Glory Glory O beloved. From the beautiful bow of your eyebrows, you shot the arrow of your glance, the arrow of love is through my heart , there is no cure, no remedy." |
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.” The common theme in his verses is presented
in the below mentioned poem:
| Give
me my beloved, the Cup of life, in which I may colour my heart, and my eyes become clear for solving the riddle of riddles. On my way to the beloved every footstep jingles with happiness, the bells calling for the night’s halt have no meaning, nor the temptation of the Resting-place. God is present. Look! Here is Holy Light! Neither the whirlpool bars the lover’s way or the torrent, or the shore. Why, O heart, are you vainly wandering round the desert and the wood, the queen of beauty resides in your own eyes. Wherever I look, I find nothing else but Holy Presence. Then, O Goya, where can I go, if I leave the world and its trappings? |
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