SANTMAL, by Bhai Sobha Ram, is an account in Punjabi verse, of the Sevapanthi sect. The work, still unpublished, was completed in Bk 1923/AD 1866. A copy of the manuscript is preserved in Dera Bhai Ram Kishan, Patiala. This manuscript copied in Bk 1927/AD 1870 comprises 255 folios, each folio, 12/1/2″ X 6/ 1/2″, containing 16 lines. The work falls in the category of hagiographical writing and follows the Puranic style of narration.
The manuscript contains detailed biographies of some of the important Sevapanthi saints such as Bhai Kanhaiya, Seva Ram, Addan Shah and Dukhbhanjan. Brief sketches are provided of some lesser known Sevapanthi saints such as Bhai Dhanno, Garh Mangu, Sadanand and Bhalla Ram. The work includes some indirect references to Mughal atrocities and the sufferings of the Sikhs during the eighteenth century. Valuable and interesting information, based on personal knowledge, is given about some of the eminent contemporary personalities such as Bedi Sahib Singh of Una, Baba Vadbhag Singh and Maharaja Ranjit Singh.
References :
1. Gurmukh Singh, Seva Panthian di Panjabi Sahit nun Den. Patiala, 1986
