RESEARCH PROJECTS
The various translation and research projects taken up by the IOSS are as follows:
SRI GURU PANTH PARKASH:
Sri Guru Panth Prakash was written by Rattan Singh Bhangoo who was in a unique position to record the episodes narrated in the epic, since he had first hand information on these events through his father and grandfather who were active participants in the high drama of Sikh history during the 18th century. The epic was discovered and first published by Bhai Vir Singh in 1914, and has since seen four editions. The SGPC published an edited version of this granth in 1984, with suitable comments and explanations, which has been adopted as basis for this translation. Access to this great epic has so far been limited to Punjabi knowing readers only. The vast English knowing audiences have, however, remained unaware of this great epic, and have thus been deprived of the inspiration it carries. To meet this keenly felt need, the Institute of Sikh Studies decided to produce an English translation. Prof. Kulwant Singh, who was commissioned to do it, has done an excellent job, and its Volume I with eighty-one episodes has been published by the IOSS and is available in the market. The second volume concludes the story of the origin of the Khalsa and its rise to power. Its transaltion is also complete.
SRI GUR SOBHA:
Sri Gur Sobha was written by Sainapati, a poet in the court of Guru Gobind Singh. It is a lenghty poem – part eulogy and part history- in Braj and Eastern Punjabi. A fairly well defined outline of Guru Gobind Singh's life emerges from the work as a whole. As is it written by a contemporary of Guru Gobind Singh, it is a very important source of Sikh History. Institute of Sikh Studies had taken up the project of English translationof Sri Guru Sobha and Prof. Kulwant Singh has been completed the translate and made availabe to the reader.
PERSIAN SOURCES OF SIKH HISTORY:
From the time of Guru Nanak till the Annexation of Punjab, the official language of Punjab was Persian. Contemporary history accounts by eye-witnesses of the period were in Persian. Therefore, the primary sources of Sikh History of the period are mainly in Persian. Since experts in Persian language are fast disappearing, the Institute decided to list out the Persian sources of the Sikh History and translate them into English for the benefit of the future generations. Presently the following Persian sources have been shortlisted for transaltion:
- - Dabistan-e-Mazhab – Mobad
- - Tarikh-e-Punjab – Bute Shah
- - Ibrat-Nama – Ali-ud-Din
- - Tahmas Nama – Thamas Khan
- - Muntkhib-ul-Lubab – Hafiz Khan
SARAB LOH GRANTH:
Dr Gurbakhsh Singh has done an indepth study of the Sarab Loh Granth and has prepared a booklet of around 100 pages containing his findings on the same in Punjabi. It has been sent for publication to The Sikh Missionary College, Ludhiana. A brief summary of issues in English has also been published in the Abstracts of Sikh Studies.
Translation of several other classics like Mehma Parkash, Gurbilas Patshahi 6, Gurbilas Patshahi 10, Bachittar Natak etc will be taken up in due course depending on the availability of funds.
