Bhai Kahn Singh Nabha (1861-1938) was a great Sikh encyclopedist, author of the monumental Mahan Kosh and the tract Ham Hindu Nahin.
Portrait via Wikimedia Commons.
Courses
Sikh Ethics & the Householder Life
An academic study of the moral vision of Sikhi, organized around the ideal of the householder, the engaged grihast who pursues spiritual life within family, work, and society rather than through withdrawal from the world. The course examines the three pillars of Sikh living, the ethics of honest labor, the inner…
Sikh Life Ceremonies and Rites
A reverent survey of the ceremonies that mark a Sikh life from birth to death, grounded in the mainstream Sikh Rehat Maryada. The course examines the naming ceremony (Naam Karan), initiation into the Khalsa (Amrit Sanchar), the Sikh wedding (Anand Karaj) and the meaning of the four Laavan, and the funeral rites…
The Sikh Encyclopedic Tradition
This course introduces the encyclopedic and lexicographical legacy of Bhai Kahn Singh Nabha, centered on his monumental reference work the ਮਹਾਨ ਕੋਸ਼. Students learn how this dictionary-encyclopedia was built, how it explains the vocabulary of ਗੁਰਬਾਣੀ, and how to use it alongside his other works to study Sikh terms,…
Bhai Kahn Singh Nabha: The Great Encyclopedist
An advanced survey of the life, scholarship, and lasting influence of Bhai Kahn Singh Nabha (1861-1938), the towering lexicographer of the Singh Sabha era. This course examines his masterwork, the Gurushabad Ratnakar Mahan Kosh, his widely read tract Ham Hindu Nahin, his lexicographical method, his collaboration…
A Reader's Guide to the Mahan Kosh
A practical, plain-English guide to using Bhai Kahn Singh Nabha's ਮਹਾਨ ਕੋਸ਼ (Gurushabad Ratnakar Mahan Kosh). Students learn what this encyclopedic dictionary of Sikh literature is, how it is organised, how to look up a term step by step, why scholars treat it as a landmark reference, and how to use