Bhai Nand Lal

Bhai Nand Lal (Persian: بھائی نند لال; Punjabi: ਭਾਈ ਨੰਦ ਲਾਲ; 1633–1720), also known by his pen name Goya (Persian: گویا; Punjabi: ਗੋਯਾ), was a 17th-century Sikh poet in the Punjab region.[1]

Bhai Sahib

Nand Lal
ਨੰਦ ਲਾਲ
نند لال

Ji
Bhai Nand Lal (left) with his student Ghyaz Uddin (right)
Bhai Nand Lal (left) with his student Ghyaz Uddin (right)
BornNand Lal
1633
Ghazni, Mughal Empire
(present-day Afghanistan)
Died1713
Multan, Mughal Empire
(present-day Punjab, Pakistan)
Resting placeMultan
Pen nameGoya
OccupationPoet
LanguagePersian, Arabic, Punjabi
EducationPersian, Arabic, Punjabi, Mathematics
Period1633—1720
RelativesDiwan Chhaju Mal (Chajju Ram) (father)
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Early life

Lal was born in Ghazni. His father, Diwan Chajju Mal (1600-1652) was a disciple of the 8th Sikh Guru Har Krishan. Chajju Mal was chief secretary (Diwan) of Dara Shikoh, the eldest son of Shah Jahan. Chajju Mal went with Shikoh during his conquest of Afghanistan. Dara Shikoh returned to India while Chajju Mal stayed in Ghazni, Afghanistan, where Bhai Nand Lal was born.

At age 12, Lal started writing Persian poetry with the Takallus of Goya. He learned Sanskrit, Hindi, Arabic, and Persian from his father. Lal was also a scholar of Islamic studies, even though he never took the Shahada.

His mother Dharga Mal, an Amrithdari Sikh, died when he was 17. At the age of 19, his father died. In 1652, Lal settled in Multan, West Punjab, where he married.[2] Lal later became a courtier in the darbar court of Guru Gobind Singh; the tenth Sikh Guru. He was one of the fifty-two poets of the court.

Career
Painting of Guru Gobind Singh and the court poet Bhai Nand Lal Goya

Initially, he joined Prince Muazzam as secretary and later became chief secretary. He left his job with Prince Muazzam to become the personal teacher of the Mughal emperor's son Prince Bahadur Shah. One day, a letter from the Persian king contained a verse from the Quran. The emperor could not determine the meaning or interpret this verse satisfactorily. He searched throughout his court and the entire Mughal Empire, but could not find a satisfactory interpretation. Upon hearing of his troubles, his father, Prince Bahadur Shah, asked Lal if he could put together an interpretation for the emperor. The interpretation was provided, and it greatly pleased the emperor to such delight. However, when he noticed the name was that of a Hindu, the emperor said that a man who carries such great wisdom of the Quran could not be of Hindu faith, so he should accept Islam. Upon hearing of this, Prince Bahadur Shah immediately summoned an imperial horse and asked a close friend, Ghyaz Uddin, to help escort his teacher to safety. Immediately, Bhai Nand Lal was forced to flee to Anandpur Sahib, the only place in the entire Mughal Empire that was out of the tyrant emperor's reach. They rode there overnight, [3] and appeared before Guru Gobind Singh, who stayed in the town until 1704.

When Guru Gobind Singh left Anandpur Sahib in 1704, Lal returned to Multan. In 1707 he joined his master Prince Muazzam and became a source to invite Guru Gobind Singh to help Bahadur Shah gain the Delhi Throne. Prince Muazzam later became king of Delhi as King Bahadur Shah. He came to Multan again in 1712 after the death of Muazzam and started a school of Arabic and Persian. This school was still functioning in 1849 when the British annexed Punjab.[2] Lal died in 1713[4] in Multan.

Works

Some of his major works include:[5]

  • Diwan-i-Goya (دیوان گویا) – contains 63 Ghazals and 12 Rubaiyāt (quatrains) and some verses.
  • Zindaginamah (زندگینامه) – It is a Masnawi of 510 verses which discusses the spirituality and high-spirit in one's life.
  • Ganjnamah (گنجنامه) – Ganjnamah contains short poems eulogizing the Ten Sikh Gurus.
  • Tankhanama – It contains the code of conducts for Sikhs and Khalsa.
  • Jot Bigās
  • Arz-ul-Alfaz (عرض الفاظ)
  • Tausif-o-Sana (توصیف و ثناء)
  • Khatimat (also spelt as Khatimah)
  • Dastoor-ul-Insha (دستور الانشا)
  • Faiz-i-Noor (فیض نور)

Translations

His works, originally in Persian, were translated into Punjabi and English. The translation of Diwan-e-Goya, titled The Pilgrim’s Way[6] by B.P.L Bedi into English has a foreword from Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan and was published by Punjabi University Patiala.[6][7]

See also

References
  1. Singh, Pashaura; Fenech, Louis E. (2014-03-27). The Oxford Handbook of Sikh Studies. OUP Oxford. p. 168. ISBN 9780191004117.
  2. Goya, Nand Lal (2003). Kaalame Goya Bhai Nand Lal. Translated by Bindra, S. Pritpal Singh. Institute of Sikh Studies Chandigarh. pp. 13–14.
  3. Nabha, Bhai Kahn Singh. Gur Shabad Ratnakar Mahan Kosh ( Encyclopedia of Sikhism) pdf version (in Punjabi). Bhai Baljinder Singh (Rara Sahib). p. 2597.
  4. Singh, Prof. Satbir Singh (1968). Puratan Aitihasik Jeevaneean (in Punjabi) (ed 3rd 2006 ed.). Main Heeran Gate , Jalandhar: Mehtab Singh, New Book Company , Mai Heeran Gate , Jalandhar. pp. 168–174.
  5. Sri Dasam Granth: Facts Beyond Doubt (1st ed.). Malaysia: Sri Guru Granth Sahib Academy. 2021. p. 293. ISBN 9781527282773. Bhai Nand Lal ji was also one of 52 court poets of Guru Gobind Singh Ji. His major works include Diwan-E-Goya, Zindaginama, Ganjnama, Faiz-E-Noor, and Tankhahnama.
  6. B P L Bedi (1999). The Pilgrims Way.
  7. "Diwan-e-Goya – Bhai Nand Lal Goya". Retrieved 2023-01-28.

Further reading
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