Author: W H McLeod
Publisher: Oxford University Press
Year: 2006
Language: English
Pages: 129
ISBN/UPC (if available): 019567152X
Description
The Prem Sumarag present an ideal of the duty of the Sikh Panth during the eighteenth/nineteenth centuries. The importance of this classic text lies in the fact that it is of Sanatan origin, part of a tradition which has been over time overshadowed by the dominant Tat Khalsa version of the Rahit.
McLeod’s translation of Randhir Singh’s text of the Prem Sumarag is thus a major contribution to Sikh studies. Notwithstanding debates about its date, this Sanatan text presents a radical alternative to the Tat Khalsa interpretation of Sikh history.
The Prem Sumarag provides an extended account of the Sikh way of life. It outlines Sikh ceremonies and ideals, and what was conceived to be ‘noble practice’ by its anonymous authors. The leisurely and detailed style of this document differs dramatically from the usually pithy style of the other rahit-namas, and, this Sanatan text is, in its description, perhaps a closer reflection of the society of the time.
Along with a comprehensive introduction, this translation by one of the most eminent scholars of Sikh studies will be of keen interest to students and scholars of Sikh studies, comparative religion, cultural studies, and sociology, as well as the interested lay reader.
Contents
ABBREVIATIONS
INTRODUCTION
1. The devotional practice of simaran: The word of Akal Purakh
2. Concerning the divine Name and the gift of faith in Akal Purakh
3. Birth: The ritual to be observed for one born into the Khalsa of Sri Akal Purakh
4. Marriage
5. The prescribed method for preparing food for eating
6. Responsibilities relating to the care of the body
7. Death and the conduct of funerals
8. The patterns f political conduct
9. Justice for the people in the name of the Sovereign of the Entire World
10. The Way of Sahaj Yoga
GLOSSARY
BIBLIOGRAPHY