1926

DALLA. BHAI, a devout Sikh of the time of Guru Arjan. Once he, accompanied by Bhai Bhagirath, BhaiJapu and Bhai Nivala, waited upon Guru Arjan and begged to be enlightened whether Guru Nanak worshipped God in the nirguna, the unattributed, or saguna, the attributed form. The Guru, as says Bhai Mani Singh, Sikhan di Bhagat Mala, replied, "Guru Nanak was the worshipper of the Name, nam, which covers both these attributes of God. You, too, should practise nam and seek refuge in the sangat." Bhai Dalla and his companions were gratified to receive the Guru`s precept.

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DALLEVALiA MISL. See MISLS DALLU, BHAI, a Rihan Khatri of Burhanpur, mentioned by Bhai Gurdas, Varan, XI. 30, among prominent Sikhs of the time of Guru Hargobind. See BHAGVAN DAS, BHAi

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BHANA, BHAI, of Sultanpur Lodhi, now in Kapurthala district of the Punjab, was a devoted Sikh of the time of Guru Arjan. He once travelled with the sangat of his town to Amritsar and received the Guru`s blessing. SeeAKUL, BHAI, and BHIKHA, BHATT

DAMODAR, BHAI, a pious Sikh ofSultanpur Lodhi. He visited Amritsar along with the sangat of that town to receive instruction at the hands of Guru Arjan. His name figures among the devotees of the Guru in Bhai Gurdas, Varan, XI. 21. See AKUL, BHAI, and BHIKHA, BHATT

BHANDARA SINGH, a shopkeeper of Sirhind, was a devotee of Guru Gobind Singh. According to Bhai Santokh Singh, Sn Gur Pratap Suraj Granth, he received the vows of the Khalsa on the historic Baisakhi day of 1699.

DHARMA, BHAI, a devoted Sikh of the time of Guru Arjan. He received instruction at the hands of the Guru himself and learnt to repeat always the Name Vahiguru. His name occurs in the roster of devotees recorded by Bhai Gurdas, Varan, XI. 19. See UDDA, BHAi

BHAU MORAL, BHAI, a Mokal Khatri, was a devoted Sikh of Guru Arjan`s time. He was one of the sangat who once waited on the Guru and complained how some people were composing verses using Nanak as a pseudonym. According to Bhai Mani Singh, Sikhan di Bhagat Mala, this led to the authentication by Guru Arjan of the genuine bani, inspired utterance, in the form of the Adi Granth. See GOPi MAHITA. BHAi

DIPA, BHAI, a Jatt of Deu clan, once came along with Bhai Narain Das and Bhai Bula to Guru Arigad (1504-52) and begged to be instructed how they could have themselves released from the cycle of birth and death. The Guru, according to Bhai Mani Singh, Sikhan di Bhagat Mala, told them to foll^ the bhakti marga, path of devotional love of God, to the exclusion of the paths of bairag (renunciation), yoga (austerities) and gian (knowledge). Bhakti, he explained, involved complete self surrender to the Will of the Lord.

BHIKHA(pronounced as Bhikkha), BHATT. a Brahman bard of Sultanpur Lodhi in present day Kapurthala district of the Punjab, became a Sikh receiving the rites of initiation at the hands of Guru Amar Das. He lived up to the time of Guru Arjan to whom he introduced sixteen other Brahman minstrels from his community. They sang in his presence praises to God and the Gurus. Some of their compositions were included by Guru Arjan in the Guru Granth Sahib. One of the two stanzas by Bhikha recounts his wanderings in search of a true saint ending with his ultimate success by the grace of God. "Lord," sang the bard, "hath caused me to meet the Guru; as thou wiliest for me so must I receive 0 God !"