Sri Charitropakhyan

Sri Charitropakhyan
Dasam Granth
Invocation of the Charitropakhyan, Stanza 1-2, in the penmenship of Guru Gobind Singh
Information
ReligionSikhism
AuthorGuru Gobind Singh
Chapters404
Verses7558 or 7569[1][2]
Part of a series on the
Dasam Granth
ਦਸਮ ਗ੍ਰੰਥ
Main compositions
Apocryphal compositions (Asfottak Banis)
Various aspects
Poetical metres, modes, measures, and rhythms

Sri Charitropakhyan or Pakhyan Charitar and also Tria Charitra (Punjabi: ਪਖ੍ਯਾਨ ਚਰਿਤ੍ਰ, also known as ਸ਼੍ਰੀ ਚਰਿਤ੍ਰੋਪਾਖ੍ਯਾਨ and ਤ੍ਰਿਯਾ ਚਰਿਤ੍ਰ) is a huge composition of short stories, with the purpose of learning from others' mistakes to acquire more refined judgement in all fields, present in Dasam Granth, which is generally and traditionally ascribed to Guru Gobind Singh. The composition contains 405/404 tales or episodes of wiles of men and women, containing many historical, mythological and philosophical aspects, having 7558 verses.[3][4] This composition ends at Chopai which is one of the Nitnem banis.[5] The term Charitropakhyan is derived from two words, Charitar means characteristics/function of character and Pakhyan means already told. There are two types of Charitars, Purakh Charitar (male characters) and Tria Chariter (female characters).[6]

There is dispute over the authorship of Charitropakhyan among scholars, with some claiming that it is out of tune with other Sikh scriptures, and thus must have been composed by other poets.[7][8] Vir Singh (writer) believed these stories to be written by Guru Gobind Singh and that these stories "are meant for the sharpness of the intellect and to evoke the passion of the warrior spirit."[9] and that the romantic tales can also be understood allegorically.[10]

  1. ^ Makin, Gursharan Singh (2005). Zafarnama: The Epistle of Victory (1st ed.). Lahore Book Shop. p. 13. ISBN 8176471798.
  2. ^ Singha, H.S. (2000). The Encyclopedia of Sikhism (Over 1000 Entries). Hemkunt Press. p. 54. ISBN 9788170103011.
  3. ^ Page 6, Hymns From The Dasam Granth, By Gobind Singh Mansukhani
  4. ^ Rinehart, Robin (2011). Debating the Dasam Granth. New York: Oxford University Press. p. 39. ISBN 978-0-19-975506-6. OCLC 606234922.
  5. ^ Kabyo Bach Benti, Charitar 404, Dasam Granth
  6. ^ ਇਤਿ ਸ੍ਰੀ ਚਰਿਤ੍ਰ ਪਖ੍ਯਾਨੇ ਪੁਰਖ ਚਰਿਤ੍ਰੇ ਮੰਤ੍ਰੀ ਭੂਪ ਸੰਬਾਦੇ ਇਕਸਠਵੋ ਚਰਿਤ੍ਰ ਸਮਾਪਤਮ ਸਤੁ ਸੁਭਮ ਸਤੁ ॥੬੧॥੧੧੦੬॥ਅਫਜੂੰ॥ / ਇਤਿ ਸ੍ਰੀ ਚਰਿਤ੍ਰ ਪਖ੍ਯਾਨੇ ਤ੍ਰਿਯਾ ਚਰਿਤ੍ਰੇ ਮੰਤ੍ਰੀ ਭੂਪ ਸੰਬਾਦੇ ਤ੍ਰਿਸਠਵੋ ਚਰਿਤ੍ਰ ਸਮਾਪਤਮ ਸਤੁ ਸੁਭਮ ਸਤੁ ॥੬੩॥੧੧੨੯॥ਅਫਜੂੰ॥ - Dasam Granth Sahib
  7. ^ McLeod, W. H. (2005-07-28). Historical dictionary of Sikhism. Rowman & Littlefield. pp. 44–. ISBN 978-0-8108-5088-0. Retrieved 2 June 2010.
  8. ^ Amaresh Datta, ed. (2006). The Encyclopaedia Of Indian Literature: Volume 1 (A To Devo). Sahitya Akademi. p. 888. ISBN 978-81-260-1803-1.
  9. ^ Vir Singh, Srī Gur Pratāp Sūraj Granth Jilad Bahravi 12: page 4994. (Chandigarh: Bhasha Vibhaag, 1989),
  10. ^ Vir Singh, Srī Gur Pratāp Sūraj Granth Jilad Bahravi 12: page 4992. (Chandigarh: Bhasha Vibhaag, 1989)