ARDAS, supplication and recollection, is the ritual prayer which Sikhs, individually or in congregation, recite morning and evening and in fact whenever they perform a religious service and at the beginning and conclusion of family, public or religious functions. The word ardas seems to have been derived from Persian

BRAHM DAS, PANDIT, described in the Puratan Janam Sakhi as a learned man of Kashmir, is said to have been a resident of Bij Bihara, near Matan. Once Guru Nanak journeying through the valley halted close to where he lived. As Brahm Das, proud of his learning, heard of

DHARMARAJA (DHARAMRAI) Dharamrai (Dharmaraja) has been created by the Lord, therefore he does not come near a devotee and servant of the Lord. (Var Bihagra M. 4, p. 555) By the remembrance of the Name, all the troubles end and the papers of Dharamrai are torn. (Prabhati M. 5,

HARICHAND Hari Chand was praised for his generosity. Without the Guru, he could not comprehend the Indiscriminating Lord. The Lord Himself causes one to err and also instructs him. (Gauri M. l, p. 224) That Hari Chand, the king and master of the world, did not comprehend the Writ

LAWRENCE, JOHN IAIRD MAIR (1811-1879), Governor General of India, younger brother of Sir Henry Montgomery Lawrence, was born on 4 March 1811 at Richmond, in Yorkshire, England. He was educated at Bristol, Londonderry, Bath and Haileybury. In 1830, he look up appointment under the East India Company and served from

RAHRASI is the name given to the main evening prayer of the Sikhs. The word itself implies supplication, though some traditionalist scholars have interpreted it as rahirdst which, in Persian, means the straight path, the path of faith and devotion as against that. of mere ritual practices or yogic

SUDAMA The Lord met Sudama after removing his poverty. He was emancipated through the devotion of love. Waru M. 4, p. 995) Sudama had been a class fellow of Krishna and studied under the same teacher in the early years of their lives. When Krishna was the king of

ASA KI VAR, as recorded in the index to the Guru Granth Sahib, but commonly designated Asa di Var, lit. an ode (var) in the musical measure Asa, is a composition by Guru Nanak sung by musicians at Sikh congregations as part of the early morning service. Asa is

BROUGHTON PAPERS are official and private papers of Sir John Cam Hobhouse (Lord Broughton) in numerous bound volumes in the British Library. Lord Broughton, British administrator, who served as President of the Board of Control of the East India Company from 1835-41 and again from 1846-52, was responsible for

DHRU, DHU (DHRUVA) The Lord gave all the comforts to Sudama and the permanent status to Dhu (Dhruva), which could not be averted till to-day. (Maru Namdev, p. 1105) Dhu (Dhruva) attained permanent status by remembering the Lord and obtained the state of Pearlessness..... (Sorath M. 9, p. 632)

HOURI Let Grace of the Lord be your Mecca and becoming the dust of the feet be your fast. Let the practice of Pir\'s (Guru\'s) instruction as required be your Bhista (Paradise). The devotion of the Lord-God in suitable cloister by your Hourt, light and fragrance. (Maru M. 5,

LAWRENCE, SIR HENRY MONTGOMERY (1806-1857), elder brother of Governor General John Laird Mair Lawrence, was born on 28 June 1806 at Matura, in Ceylon. After education at schools in Londonderry and Bristol, he joined the Bengal Artillery, in 1823, as a Second Lieutenant. In 1833, lie was appointed an officer