Rana Bhabor – The Fragrance of Bhai Vir Singh

Bhai Vir Singh (1872-1957) was once asked by an admirer, of the thousand or so tracts he had written, which one, in his opinion, was the best.

In an instant he replied, “Rana Bhabor.”

And I am not surprised. For the personality of Rana Uday Singh is similar to that of Bhai Vir Singh’s. Rana Bhabor is part of his book, Kalgidhar Chamatkar, but this story has also been published separately. 

Rana Bhabor is a story of a small hill chieftain who came in contact with Guru Gobind Singh Sahib during the days of his struggle with the Hill Rajas. Although the story relates to the great love the Rana and his Rani had for the Guru, the way Bhai Vir Singh has shaped the personality of the Rana and the beauty of the dialogue between the Rana and his Rani is quite astounding.

Known as the Sixth River of Panjab, Bhai Vir Singh gave style, rhythm, and flow to the modern Panjabi language. His writings, spiritual in nature, stimulate the soul and open our eyes to the Beloved.

The purpose of the series is to introduce poems, letters, and essays of Bhai Vir Singh in new translations as a way ofconnecting his work with the audience at large.

The translator Inni Kaur is the CEO of the Sikh Research Institute. She is also the author of ‘Journey with the Gurus’ series, ‘Sakhi-Time with Nani ji’, and ‘Thank You, Vahiguru.’

This series is supported by the generosity of an admirer of Bhai Vir Singh’s writings.