Pandit Tara Singh Narotam | |
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![Pandit Tara Singh was the most well-known Nirmala sadhu.[1]](/mt/?noimg=&dark=on&url=http%3a%2f%2fen.wikipedia.org%2fwiki%2fFile%3aPunditTaraSingh.png) Pandit Tara Singh was the most well-known Nirmala sadhu.[1] | |
| Native name | ਪੰਡਿਤ ਤਾਰਾ ਸਿੰਘ ਨਰੋਤਮ |
| Born | 1822 Kahlwan,Gurdaspur, Punjab,Sikh Empire |
| Died | 1891 Patiala,Patiala State |
| Language | Punjabi,Sanskrit |
| Notable works |
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| Sikh literature |
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| Sikh scriptures •Punjabi literature |
Pandit Tara Singh Narotam (1822–1891) or alsoPundit Tara Singh Nawtam, was a famousPunjabi scholar who belonged to theSikhNirmala Sect.[2]
Pundit Tara Singh was born into a Sikh family who were originally Brahmins. At the age of twenty, he left his village Kahlwan, which was nearQadian, and he arrived at the Nirmaladera of Sant Gulab Singh[3] at Kurala,Hoshiarpur.
He was now a renowned scholar and had accumulated some fame throughout the region. TheMaharaja of Patiala, Maharaja Narinder Singh (1824–1862) gave patronage to him,[3] after which Tara Singh came to Patiala and established his own Nirmaladera by the name ofDharam Dhuja and began doing scholarly work. Pundit Tara Singh taught a large group of scholars which include the famous Sikh historianGiani Gain Singh (1822–1921) and Bishan Singh Ji Muralewale of theDamdami Taksal.[4]
Pundit Tara Singh was the first Sikh to trace the geographical location ofHemkunt Sahib. Using clues from theBachitar Natak[5] to revealGuru Gobind Singh'stap asthan (place of meditation) such as the place was named Sapatsring (seven peaks) and was on/nearHemkunt Parbat (lake of ice mountain), he set out to explore theGarhwal Himalayas and his search took him toBadrinath and to the nearby village of Pandukeshwar, near the present-day Gobind Ghat.
Pandit Tara Singh conforms to the Nirmala school of thought. He presents Sikhism from aVedantic orientation,[6] and it being a blend ofSankara andRamanuja. He believed that Guru Nanak was an incarnation ofVishnu (Mahavishnu as opposed to the deva) and thatWaheguru was another name forMahavishnu. He wrote extensively about the meaning of Waheguru in his bookWaheguru Shabad-ArthTika. In theMahan Kosh, it is written that Pandit Tara Singh believes that theSarbloh Granth was produced by Bhai Sukha Singh, the headGranthi ofPatna Sahib from a manuscript given by anUdasi fromShri Jagannathpuri (Odisha) who said it wasGuru Gobind Singh's writing. Pandit Tara Singh also believed that the entireDasam Granth was written by Guru Gobind Singh.[7]
He may have written an commentary on the entire SGGS but it is assumed to be lost. His more famous works are Gurmat Nirnay Sagar, Sri Gur Tirath Sangrah, and Guru Girarath Kos. Other notable works include a commentary on Bani of theBhagats included in theGuru Granth Sahib.