PARCHI MANSUR JI KI is a versified account, in an episode mould, of the life of Mansur, the famous Sufi saint. The authorship of the work is not known for certain, though it is generally attributed to Bhai Sahaj Ram, a Sevapanthi saint. A manuscript copy of this still un-published work is held at the Central Public Library, Patiala, under MS. No. 2916 (ff. 44150). The work is in Sadh Bhasa, Punjabi vocabulary predominating, and has dohird chaupai as the meters. Mansur was born in Persia where he spent the first 18 years of his life and where he received his early education.
Then occurred his meeting in Baghdad with Junaid, another well known Sufi who initiated him into the Divine mystery. His preaching tours of India and China are followed by the account of his death by stoning for his slogan of an-alhaq “I am God” which was considered to be a blasphemous statement. Only those incidents have been chosen from Mansur`s life which reflect his spiritual eminence. The author has discussed in this work the concepts of God, self, jiva, mdyd, etc. Realization of God is put forth as the principal aim of human life and meditation on His name as the means to it.
References :
Gurmukh Singh, Sevapanthian di Panjabi Sahit nun Den. Patiala, 1986.
PARCHI MANSUR JI KI is a versified life account rendered in an episodic style that chronicles the life of the renowned Sufi saint Mansur. The work is written in Sadh Bhasa—with Punjabi vocabulary predominant—and uses metrical forms such as dohird chaupai. Although the authorship is not definitively confirmed, it is generally attributed to Bhai Sahaj Ram, a revered Sevapanthi saint. The manuscript remains unpublished and is preserved at the Central Public Library in Patiala under MS. No. 2916 (ff. 44150) .
Mansur’s early life began in Persia, where he spent the first 18 years receiving his early education. A significant turning point in his life was his meeting in Baghdad with the famed Sufi Junaid, who initiated him into the depths of divine mystery. Following this, the narrative recounts his preaching tours across India and China, and culminates in the tragic account of his death by stoning. His pronouncement of “an-alhaq” (“I am God”) was seen as blasphemous by his contemporaries—a declaration that ultimately led to his martyrdom. The work selectively records those incidents from Mansur’s life that underscore his spiritual eminence, and it delves into profound concepts such as God, the self, jiva, and maya, emphasizing that the realization of God is the highest aim of human life achieved through meditation on His name .
