| Prof. Sahib Singh,
a renouned scholar of GurSikhism, was born.
==>Prof. SAHIB SINGH, a Sikh savant, teacher, writer, and interpreter
of Guru Granth Sahib was born on 16 February, 1892 at village Fatewalli
(now disctrict Sialkot in Pakistan) in a poor Hindu family. His
name at birth was Nathu Ram. His father's name was Mr. Hira Nand
who was a small shopkeeper in the village. At the age of four and
a half years, his father sent him to Mr. Mian Hayat Shah to receive
his early education. Mian Hayat Shah was the son of Hashim Shah,
a well known Punjabi poet who was also the court poet of Maharaja
Ranjit Singh. Later the boy Nathu Shah went to the priamry school.
He was an excellent student. He won scholarship when he finished
middle school. He got married when he was hardly 13. He became a
baptised Sikh under the influence of his relative and became Sahib
Singh in September 1906. He finished his high school in 1909. After
finishing his high school, he taught in a middle school for some
time and later he worked for the post office. A little later he
joined college and got his B.A. degree in 1915. He became a professor
of Sanskrit and Gurbani at Guru Nanak Khalsa College Gujranwalla.
Later he became a professor of Gurbani at Khalsa College Amritsar
where he taught for more than 20 years.
Prof. Sahib Singh became a deputy secretary of Shiromani Gurdwara
Parbandhak Committee and was arrested in 1922 during Guru Ka Bagh
Morcha. He was again arrested in 1923 during the Jaito Morcha.
In 1939, he rejoined Guru Nanak Khalsa College Gujranwalla. After
retirement from that college, he rejoined Khalsa College Amritsar
where he taught Punjabi and Gurbani. He got retirement from that
college in 1952. He was appointed Principal of Shahid Sikh Missionary
Collge, Amritsar. Later he also taught at Gurmat College Patiala.
In January 1971 he was awarded D. Litt. degree by Punjabi University
Patiala.
Professor Sahib Singh had eight children: six sons and two daughters.
One of his sons Sardar Daljeet Singh is a world famous eye surgeon.
It is interesting to note that five of his six sons got married
to five real sisters of a family in Jammu.
Prof. Sahib Singh developed Parkinson disease soon after he finished
the last volume of Sri Guru Granth Sahib Darpan. He started writing
that Darpan (Steek) on January 1, 1957 and finished the last volume
in 1961. He approached SGPC and asked them to get Sri Guru Granth
Sahib printed because he had no money. His request was denied. That
project was picked up by Mr. Sohan Lal Khanna of Raj Publishers,
Jalandhar and has been in great demand ever since. His Steek of
Guru Granth Sahib is widely read and appreciated today by the Sikh
scholars, preachers, and students of gurbani. It is a monumental
work and considered one of the most authoritative interpretation
of Gurbani. It explains many complex concepts and terms of Gurbani
in simple Punjabi.
His other very important book "Gurbani Viakarn" (Gurbani
Grammar) is also a milestone in explaining the language of Guru
Granth Sahib.
Professor Sahib Singh wrote 30 books. Almost all of them are in
Punjabi. A couple of them have been translated into English and
Hindi. He died on October 29, 1977. It was the day of 400th anniversary
of the city of Amritsar. He was a very simple man who saw utmost
poverty in his early life. He was a Sikh scholar of the highest
order.
He wrote the following books:
1. Gurbani Viakarn
2. Simran Dian Barkata(n)
3. Aad Bir Bare
4. Sadacharak Lekh
5. Sarbat Da Bhala
6. Dharam Te Sadachar
7. Burayee Da Takra
8. Sikh(u) Sidak Na Hare
9. Gurbani De Itihas Bare
10. Babania(n) Kahani(an)
11. Jiwan Birtant Sri Guru Nanak Dev Ji
12. Guru Itihas Patshahi 2 to(n) 10
13. Jiwan Birtant Guru Gobind Singh Ji
14. Japuji Sahib Steek
15. Assa Di Vaar Steek
16. Sukhmani Sahib Steek
17. Jap(u) Sahib, Savvaye, Chuapyee Steek
18. Nitnem Steek
19. Ramkali Sad Steek
20. Bhatta(n) De Savvaye Steek
21. Satte Balwand Di Var Steek
22. Sidh Gost(i) Steek
23. Salok Guru Angad Sahib Steek
24. Salok Te Shabad Farid Ji Steek
25. Salok Kabir Ji Steek
26. Bhagat-Bani Steek (Five Volumes)
27. Barahmah Tukhari te Majh Steek
28. Sri Guru Granth Sahib Darpan (Ten Volumes)
29. Meri Jiwan Kahani (Autobiography)
30. Japuji Sahib Steek (Hindi)
-Ref. "Meri Jiwan Kahani" by Prof. Sahib Singh
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