Amar Lekh Part 3 in Punjabi by Bhai Vir Singh

 

Bhai Vir Singh was deeply perturbed by the cultural degradation among the Sikhs during the last years of 18th century. He thus made the regeneration of cultural pride among the Sikhs the central cause of his life, which was reflected in his writings. He actively participated in the Singh Sabha Movement, whose avowed aim was to re-acquaint the newer generations of Sikhs with their glorious history. It is in this milieu that his first essays started circulating through a Punjabi weekly newspaper started by him, Khalsa Samachar. These essays formed the bulwark of what later became the three volume series of ‘Amar Lekh’.

Published posthumously, the first Volume of ‘Amar Lekh’ comprised mainly of the essays which appeared in Khalsa Samachar, and the second volume included extracts derived from other books authored by Bhai Vir Singh such as Sri Kalgidhar Samachar, Guru Nanak Chamatkar, and such. This third installment in the series, published in 2011 by Bhai Vir Singh Sahitya Sadan, comprises apart from the above mentioned sources, notes and essays also from his personal letters to fellow writers and believers.

Literally meaning ‘Timeless Essays’ the collection is truly Amar (timeless) in its enduring appeal, resonating in its significance today as much as it did at the time it was written in. The central message that this compilation has for the Sikhs is that though, human life has a bodily form to look after, it should not be confined within that bodily sphere. And the only way to free our souls from the bodily shackles is through the recitation of the True Name. That, as Bhai Sahib says, is the only light in these times of darkness that prevents the believer from getting lost in the materialistic maze of this world.