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Garma
Garam More |
Faith & Religion |
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PIPA, one of whose hymns is incorporated in the
Guru Granth Săhib, was a prince who renounced his throne in search
of spiritual solace. He was born at Gagaraun, in present-day
Jhalawar district of Rajasthăn, about AD 1425. He was a devotee of
the goddess Bhavăni whose idol was enshrined in a temple within the
premises of his palace. The goddess, it is said, once told him in a
dream to visit Kăshi (Vărănasi) and receive initiation from
Rămănand. Pipă went to Kăshi, but Ramănand refused to see him in his
gaudy robes. Pipă cast off his royal apparel and put on a
mendicant’s garment. He returned home after initiation and began to
live like an ascetic. At his invitation Ramănand visited Gagaraun,
and the raja lent his shoulder to the palanquin carrying him in a
procession. Pipa now finally decided to give up his throne and
retire to a life of seclusion and meditation. He wept to Dwarkă (Gujarăt) where Lord Krishna, after the Mahăbhărata war, had spent
the last years of his life. All the twelve wives of.Pipa insisted on
accompanying him, but he took along only one, named Sită, who was of
a pious temperament. He selected a cave for his residence from where
he daily walked through a tunnel to the temple of Krsna on the sea
coast. The temple is still a popular place of pilgrimage. and a fair
is held there annually in Pipa’s memory. After what he thought was a
personal encounter with the Lord, he gave up idol-worship. He and
his companion-wife started living in a jungle. After a period of
penance, he set out roaming about the country to serve the
common people. He, along with his wife, sang hymns and prayers of
his own composition and Two collections of Pipa’s sayings are known to
exist, namely Shń Pipa ji Bani and Sarab Gutaka, both in manuscript form.
Pipă Math, a monastery in Dwărkă, honours his memory. Shabad by Bhagat Pipa
Extracted from Gurbani De Racheta by Abnashi & Gurvinder Singh Excerpts taken from Encyclopedia of Sikhism
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