SUKHMANĪ SAHAṄSARNĀMĀ (PARAMĀRATH) , by Soḍhī Harijī, is a commentary in prose on Sukhmanī Sahaṅsarnāmā, a poetic composition by his father, Soḍhī Miharbān, containing 30 aṣṭpadīs or 8--stanza compositions in the style of Gurū Arjan's Sukhmanī. The term Paramārath' in the title denotes explanation or exposition to distinguish this work from the original text by Soḍhī Miharbān. Beginning with an invocation to Srī Ṭhākur Jī (Lord Kṛṣṇa), the original work subscribes to the Vaisnavite theory of incarnation against the monotheistic nirguṇa doctrine of the Gurūs. Hari jī in his commentary expands the mythological account of the various incarnations of God, with elaborate details of the exploits of Lord Rāma and Lord Kṛṣṇa mentioned in the 23rd and 25th aṣṭpadīs respectively of the original composition. The work is also sometimes referred to as Chaubīs Avatārāṅ dī Pothī or the Book of Twenty-four Incarnations.

        According to internal evidence, the work was commenced in 1646 and completed probably in two years. Its language is old Hindi or Hindavī which was in vogue among professional preachers and priests of those days. However, biographical passages, wherever they occur, are in chaste Punjabi and provide typical specimens of contemporary Punjabi prose, with a poetic flourish. The work has not yet been published. Three manuscript copies are preserved in the Central Public Library at Paṭiālā, under catalogue numbers 692, 1904 and 2914.

Krishnā Kumāri Bāṅsal