Bhai Vir Singh.pdf - Vidhia.com

Father of Modem Punjabi Mterature /25
Early inhis life BhaiVir Singhseems to have realized that
hewasmeantfor a highercalling. His deepreligious conviction,
hisfirm groundinginphilosophyandliterature andhis faith in
his family-- its long tradition, its cohesiveness and social
respectability and its involvement in the objectives of Sikh
reform-- had given him a sure sense of direction and aninner
poise and aplomb which were his special points of strength.
He pursued with a rare single-mindedness the course he had
set himself. By his hard work and God-given gifts he turned
into goldwhateverhetouched. Earlysuccess quietlyachieved
in his chosen fields consolidated his introvert world. He did
notseekanyrewards outside ofit. Anonymitywashis greatest
compensation, his joy.
Yet his commitment was unambiguous. In spite of the
personalsuccesshemetwithintheenterpriseshehadinitiated
and the mystical strain in his temperament which became
more pronounced as time passed, his one central aim was the
furtherance of the Singh Sabha enlightenment:. In this task
was enlisted the entire genius of his personality. This was his
main inspiration and he lived and thought through the ardour
of this involvement. He was able to comprehend the
significance oftheSikhtraditionsso accuratelyandinterpreted
them to his own generation so powerfully that Sikhism
experienceda much-neededrevival. BhaiVir Singh'spractical
concerns were related to the advancement of this movement.
All of his moral and creative energywas directed towards this
end.
The prompti.ng came from what was happening around
him at that moment of rethinking, of self-discemment and of
the turning of the spirit. He was profoundly influenced bythis
process of awakening. He was attracted to its cause by the
challenge it presented to a cultivated and poetic nature such
as his and by the example of his family. His education at a
mission school must have had something to do with it, too.
The devotion of the missionaries to evangelizing and
humanitarian works, the vast structure behind this
undertaking,thepersonalcourtesyandhumility oftheteacher,
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