Shining a Light on Suraj Prakash | Jvala Singh

The ਸੋਚ (Sōch) Podcast

In this episode I have the chance to talk to Jvala Singh, a historian, academic and Suraj podcast curator.
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As always here's a time stamped breakdown of the whole conversation:
00:00 - Introduction
01:12 - What is Suraj Prakash?
02:45 - How long does it take to write Suraj Prakash? How does it become so widely accepted?
06:25 - How is Kavi Santokh Singh’s work able to become on par with that of Bhai Nand Lal, Bhai Mani Singh or Bhai Gurdas Ji?
10:13 - Would it be fair to say that Suraj Prakash is similar to Mahabharta or Ramayana, due to its length as well as the philosophical and historical layers meshed within it?
12:23 - Who is Kavi Santokh Singh Ji?
18:55 - Did Kavi Santokh Singh have any children and what happened to his lineage?
20:35 - Is Kavi Santokh Singh comparable to Herodutus, as the first major historian in the Sikh tradition, or is he following a tradition already set by those before him?
23:15 - Do the different styles of literature reflect the different stages of the Sikh community?
24:20 - In relation then to Santokh Singh’s curation of his works, do we know anything about the sources that he used and how he went about deciding what to include?
26:24 - Where are any of the original manuscripts, if they still exist?
30:25 - How does Kavi Santokh Singh write Suraj Prakash & does he memorise everything he recites?
32:33 - What language is Suraj Prakash written in and is it similar to Sri Dasam Granth in utilising more than one language?
34:02 - Could you expand a little on the history and how Suraj Prakash is received from the point of Santokh Singhs passing?
42:02 - Is Kavi Santokh Singhs work one of the last to demonstrate a pre-colonial logic of identity?
44:33 - In terms of translations and commentaries that have been published since, how do they deviate from the original or reflect the understandings of the writers and their respective samparadays?
50:16 - Are there similarities in how debate around Sri Dasam Granth raged say 10 or 20 years ago and slowly the community became more informed, are we seeing the same now with Suraj Prakash?
54:15 - What does Suraj Prakash tell us about Bhai Bidhi Chand and Guru Tegh Bahadur Jis wedding?
58:50 - What does Suraj Prakash say about Guru Tegh Bahadur jis wedding?
01:02:22 - What does Suraj Prakash say about the relationship between the Gurus and the Mughals?
01:13:55 - Suraj Prakash & Vaisakhi? Does it follow with the story described by Koer Singh and Kaushish about the goats?
01:18:25 - Does Chatka have any connection to the pre-colonial story of Vaisakhi?
01:22:20 - What does Suraj Prakash say about Chandi Ma and Raag Mala?
01:30:54 - Do you have plans to continue the podcast after the stories of Guru Hargobind Sahib Ji?
01:32:20 - Will your translation work of the Suraj Prakash you have done so far or any that you do in the future be available in any other format, and the most requested, as you could imagine, as a book?
01:35:00 - Considering how large and the depth Suraj Prakash is, why has not received the same attention as other texts as Prem Sumarag or Gur Sobha, some of these are more widely discussed, perhaps?
01:37:00 - As you mentioned, it was only once texts such as Prem Sumarag and Gur Sobha were translated into English, that they entered the collective consciousness of the community, what are some of the perils with that and with your own podcast how do you go about ensuring you are as close to the authentic meaning as possible?
01:41:30 - Conclusion