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-G85 Duggal, Kartar Singh, 1917-
D82 THE SIKH GURUS: THEIR LIVES
AND TEACHINGS

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DEMCO 38-297
 L. E. & E. L. Ballou Library
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Donated By: Die, dJ@irie PeierriILib

Aug. 4. 1989
The Sikh Gurus
By THE SAME AUTHOR

Come Back My Master and Other Stories

Twice Born Twice Dead—A Novel
Death of a Song—Short Stories
Contemporary Indian Short Stories (Ed)
What Ails Indian Broadcasting
Literary Encounters
Book Publishing in India
Folk Romances of Punjab
The Sikh
Gurus
Their Lives and Teachings

K S Duggal

VIKAS PUBLISHING HOUSE PVT LTD

VIKAS PUBLISHING HOUSE PVT ETD
Regd. Office: 5 Ansari Road, New Delhi
H.O. Vikas House, 20/4 Industria] Area, Sahibabad 201010
Distt. Ghaziabad (U.P.)

CopyriIGHT €) K.S. DuGGAL, 1980

ISBN 0-7069-0995-X

1V2D3103

Printed at Dhawan Printing Works, 26-A Mayapuri, New Delhi-110064

Foreword

he lives of the Gurus are a perennial theme. They continue to

stimulate the psyche of the Punjab and define its cultural
mores. They have passed into its folklore, its adages, its speech.
Song and story celebrate them. Mural and fresco incarnate them
in striking image.
Since the first nameless narrator of the first Janams4khj (literally,
birth-story) who undertook to delineate the life of Guru Nanak in
simple anecdote, parable and miracle, a great many biographies of
the Sikh Gurus have been written. Besides the Janamsakhis in their
several different cycles, there are Gurbildses (Gurbilas Patshahj
Chhevin, A.D. 1718, Koer Singh’s Gurbilas Patshahi 10, A.D. 1751,
and Sukkha Singh’s Gurbilds Dasvin Patshahi, A.D. 1797) recreating
the lives of the Gurus in verse. There is Bansdvalinama Dasan
Patshahian Ka@, A.D. 1769, containing rapid poeticized accounts of
all the Ten Gurus. This is followed by Mahima Prakash, a.v.
1776, again in verse, composed by a lineal descendant of Guru
Amar Das, Nanak III.
Chronologically of a later date, but the acme of all biographi-
cal writing on the Sikh Gurus, is Bhai Santokh Singh’s Srj
Gurpratap Stiraj Granth, A.D. 1834, printed in 13 volumes. This
massive work captures the lives of the Ten Sikh Gurus in graceful
Braj poetry in an unmatched accumulation of detail. Through
numerous further works in Braj and Punjabi and, from the begin-
nings of Sikhism, when the British in India touched the Sikh fron-
tier, also in English—some of them traditional in style and others
academically researched and analytical—we come down to modern
times. The process will continue, for each age will look upon and
interpret these profound and charismatic lives in the light of its
own dominant concerns and understanding.
The latest in the series is The Sikh Gurus. The book is designed
as an introduction to the Gurus and their teachings. Retelling the
vi Foreword

lives in this instance is Kartar Singh Duggal, well-known as a most

eminent figure in Punjabi creative writing today. He has handcrafted
these accounts with delicate art. The pictorial and dramatic elements
in his imagination impart verve and effectiveness to his narration.
These accounts are especially notable for their quality of immedi-
acy, for the way they bring readers into intimate personal associa-
tion with the extraordinary lives of the Gurus. The Sikh Gurus’
lives were unique examples of love, compassion and sacrifice, and
through them fresh moral and humanitarian insights were bequea-
thed to mankind.
Besides his mastery of the narrative art, Kartar Singh Duggal
is well versed in the Sikh tradition. His natural reverence for it
breaks through the pages of this book. He heard the sakhis about
the Gurus as a child and he has lived with them since. He is equal-
ly well acquainted with the written materials and, although he
eschews quotation and documentation which were net germane to
his style of presentation, it is clear that he has had access to many
of the important sources. He is fully seized of the dynamics of the
Sikh movement and vividly depicts the form of religious and social
life that gradually evolved under the Gurus. He is simultaneously
aware of the unity, of the oneness of the teaching of the Gurus, of
how all Ten of them embodied and fulfilled the same revelation. As
the Sikh tradition affirms, all Ten Gurus were of the same light.
One merged his spirit with his successor making him equal with
himself. In the Sikh image, the process is described as one flame
kindling another.
These accounts are faithful to history; at the same time, they
penetrate to the depth and mystery that lie beyond material facts.
The style is both simple and vital. Kartar Singh Duggal has so far
been writing almost exclusively in Punjabi and has turned to
English late in his life. But he handles the language with sovereign
ease and originality. His translations of the Gurus’ bani are excep-
tionally fresh and felicitous.

Guru Gobind Singh Bhavan HARBANS SINGH

Punjab University, Patiala
Preface

belong to a devout Sikh family. My father is deeply religious,

having been influenced by the Singh Sabha Lehr, a revivalist
Sikh movement in the early part of this century. My uncle used to
be an Akali to the core, an ardent admirer of Master Tara Singh,
in spite of the fact that he was in Government service. No wonder
that he was sacked and put on the black list by the white man
during the Akali movement. I was brought up in the strict dis-
cipline of an orthodox family. Even as a child, I went to the
Gurdwara both in the morning and in the evening, said my prayers
regularly, wrote poems in praise of the Sikh Gurus and won prizes
on festival occasions.
And yet I was different. I made friends with Muslim boys. I had
my mid-day meal with a Bengali class-mate who lived close to our
school. For my higher education, I. went to Christian mission
colleges where attending the Bible class was compulsory.
I read Urdu and Persian and after completing my studies when
I was looking for a job, it was my writings in Urdu and not in
Punjabi that fetched me a fairly coveted post.
I was, therefore, not at all surprised that when the time for my
marriage came, I chose a Muslim girl. She was so sweet that more
than I, my people were charmed by her.
We have already lived a little over three decades of a blissful
married life. We have two children. The son is a doctor; he is
married and lives with us. The daughter has also married a doctor
who works in the U.S.A. They live in Florida.
In this perfect picture of happiness, of late I have started feeling
that something was, perhaps, missing somewhere. I discovered that I
had no occasion to introduce my children to the Sikh tradition and
the Sikh way of life as such. Educated in public schools outside
the Punjab, they didn’t have an opportunity even to learn to speak
Punjabi, much less acquaint themselves with Gurmukhi letters in
Vili Preface

which the Sikh scriptures are written.

With this book I do my duty ofa father. As I said, my son is a
medical graduate and my daughter did her Honours in English
literature. I have tried to tell the life and teachings of the Sikh
Gurus in their idiom. An account that must not only be convincing
but also be acceptable to the modern mind.
The Sikh Gurus were plain people. Excepting Guru Harkrishan
who died very young, all others were married and lived utterly simple
lives, exhorting their followers to earn their honest living and share
it with others. They had their children who need not necessarily
succeed them. They never made any tall promises to gain for their
followers heaven or houries or rivers of honey. According to them,
all men are born equal; they gave no quarter to distinction of caste
and creed. They started practices like community eating, community
singing and congregational prayers, rejecting rituals and ceremonial.
A little over SCO years old, Sikhism is the newest amongst the
major religions of the world. At times, it appears, as if the great
Gurus culled the best from all the religions and presented a synthesis
that promised to meet the needs of the new society.
Says the Sikh scripture—‘*My God is like what I see in the
mirror.’’ Man is made in the image of God. This is the greatest hope
held out by the Sikh Gurus. You need not fast, you need not go
on pilgrimage to holy places. You need do nothing except having
faith in Him and remembering Him day and night. This wil] lead
you to the Guru. And the Guru’s grace will get you peace of mind
here and freedom from life and death hereafter.
And the Guru, according to the Sikh faith, is the Holy Granth—
the living Guru. The Sikh scripture is a unique work the world has
known. It contains hymns of the Sikh Gurus along with a large
number of the like-minded saints both Hindus and Muslims, high-
caste and low-caste, princes and plebians, of their time.
In this book apart from telling the fascinating life-story of the
Sikh Gurus, I have translated a fresh selection from their popular
hymns. The book opens with a chapter on the times when Guru
Nanak was born and closes with an account of the compilation of
the Holy Granth and its consecration, ‘“‘the manifest corpus of all
the Sikh Gurus.”’
I have spared no effort of a devoted Sikh and a life-long story
writer to portray the lives of the Sikh Gurus as faithfully as possible
and present their teachings in as simple a manner as I could.
Preface ix

I believe that every generation must reinterpret its preceptors

and translate their sayings into its own idiom. This book attempts
to meet this need both for the Sikhs and the non-Sikhs, Indians
and those living abroad, more particularly those who have missed
the opportunity of acquainting themselves with the Sikh tradition
through writings in Punjabi in the Gurmukhi script.
Before placing the script with my publishers I had it read by
the late Sardar Ranbir Singh, the celebrated author of The Divine
Masters and The Sikh Way of Life and also Mr P.R. Kaikini,
formerly Editor, National Book Trust, India. They made valuable
suggestions, most of which I have gratefully accepted; where I have
differed, I take the entire responsibility for it. I am also deeply
indebted to my friend, Keshav Malik, for his valuable suggestions
in the translation of the Gurbani.

P-7, Hauz Khas Enclave, K.S. DUGGAL

New Delhi
 To
Kaval and Khushwant
Contents

The Times 1
Guru Nanak 7
Guru Angad 54

Guru Amar Das 73

Guru Ram Das 90
Guru Arjan 107

Guru Hargobind 137

Guru Har Rai 160

Guru Harkrishan 166
Guru Tegh Bahadur 168

Guru Gobind Singh 186

Guru Granth Saheb 218

GLOSSARY 227
BIBLIOGRAPHY 231
INDEX 237
The Times

In the black night of deceit

The Moon of truth is nowhere to be traced
—Nanak

T was the worst of times. The Punjab was reeling under Timur’s
attack. He had pillaged and plundered the country as no one else
had ever done. He was followed by no less avaricious marauders
than Jasrat Khokhar, Faulad Khan Turkbacha and Sheikh Ali.
Then the Lodi kings tried to outdo them with their fanaticism. In
fact, the Muslims who had converted to Islam, the entire population
of Arabia, Iraq, Turkey, Egypt, Iran, Afghanistan and several other
countries felt strangely helpless in Hindu India. The Hindu philo-
sophy and the Hindu way of life seemed to defeat the proselytizing
Muslim priests and the bigoted Muslim conquerors who styled
themselves ghazis. Excepting the low-caste shudras and a handful
of the fighting forces, none seemed to be accepting Islam. The
victors felt defeated in their designs.
The Sufi cult among the Muslims tried to resolve through intui-
tion rather than through reasoned argument, the conflic:s of formal
religions dividing the people. They had come under the influence of
Vedanta and the practices of the yogis. Among the Hindus, the
Bhakti movement laid stress on loving devotion to God. They
believed that salvation was gained not through knowledge but
through the grace of the Guru. Multan and Pak Pattan in the
Punjab were the leading Sufi centres. Kabir and Ravidas, Mira and
Tulsi, were the leading bhaktas of their time. They ignored the dis-
tinctions of religion and caste, the rich and the poor. Ravidas was
a Hindu cobbler, Mirabai was a princess and Sadhna was a butcher
by profession.
Yet the Muslims and the Hindus remained completely alienated
24 The Sikh Gurus

from each other socially and culturally. The Hindus were divided
into various castes; the Muslims had no faith in the caste system.
The Hindus believed in many gods; the Muslims worshipped one
God. The Hindus looked upon the cow as sacred; the Muslims were
non-vegetarians, relishing meat, including beef. The Hindus burnt
their dead on the funeral pyre, the Muslims buried them in the
belief that they would rise on the day of reckoning. The Hindus were
passive and introvert, the Muslims were aggressive and overbearing.
The Muslims looked upon Hindus as kafirs—pagans, while the
Muslims were mlechhas—brutes, in the eyes of the Hindus. The
Hindus felt polluted even by the shadow of a Muslim. The Muslims
had no such inhibitions; they had no compunction in taking
Hindu women as their consorts.
It was the age of worst repression. The Hindus were persecuted
systematically. They were treated as second class citizens in their
>wn country. Bodhan, a Brahman, was executed because he believ-
ed that, if followed with devotion, both Hinduism and Islam were
alike and equally acceptable to God. The Muslim ruler, Sikandar
Lodi, ordered that Bodhan should either accept Islam or face death.
Bodhan accepted death. The Hindus were called zimmies. They
lived a miserable life, humiliated and discriminated against at every
step. They had to pay jizia, a tax for being Hindus. They could not
build new temples, nor repair old ones. They had to pay taxes for
visiting places of pilgrimage. If the Muslims so desired, the Hindus
could not stop them from entering temples. Any Muslim could stay
as a guest for at least three days with a Hindu and they could not
object. If a Hindu felt inclined to accept Islam, no one could oppose
it. They were not permitted to possess lethal weapons like swords
or bows and arrows. They had to dress in a manner that would dis-
tinguish them from the Muslims. They could not build houses in
Muslim neighbourhoods. They were not permitted to purchase
Muslim slaves. They were forbidden from mourning their dead too
loudly, lest they disturb the peace of the Muslim elite. They had to
show respect to all Muslims, and if the Muslims so desired, allow
them to join company with them. When asked to describe the
status of a Hindu, the gazi in the court of Allauddin Khilji told
him:

They are payers of tribute and when the revenue officer demands
silver from them, they should without question and with all
 The Times a)

humility and respect tender gold. If the tax collector chooses to

spit in the mouth of the Hindu, the latter must open his mouth
without hesitation. (Guru Nanak and His Times by A.C.
Bannerjee.)

However, in some quarters it is maintained that the conditions

in the Punjab during Guru Nanak’s time were not so bad. Bahlol
Lodi (1451-89) and Sikandar Lodi (1499-1517) were on the lookout
for an opportunity to shake off the hegemony of the Delhi
Sultan. They could, therefore, ill-afford to alienate the vast majo-
rity of their subjects. Rather than style themselves as ghazis, they
tried to give the impression of being secular. The Hindu aristocracy
was befriended: Those who were literate and had proficiency in
Persian were given odd jobs. Some of them, who came to gain the
confidence of the administration were even entrusted with respon-
sible assignments.
In order to get rid of the stranglehold of the Delhi Sultanate, the
Lodis also sought foreign intervention. Daulat Khan invited Babar
to attack India in 1523. An invader, usually, is no respecter of
person or property. The Hindus had a harrowing experience of the
conquerors. The Muslim rulers were too weak to defend themselves.
It was the people who were the worst sufferers. The Punjab, being
ou the gate-way, had to bear the brunt of every attack and suffered
most. There was lawlessness. The peasants could not tend their
crops, the traders could not carry on their trade undisturbed. The
people lost all faith in moral and spiritual values. The successive
invaders drained the country of almost all talent and resources.
During the course of one of his attacks, Babar observed in his
diary:

Its people have no good looks; of social intercourse, paying and

receiving visits there is none; of genius and capacity none, in
handicrafts and works, there is no form of symmetry, method or
quality, there are no good horses, no good dogs, no grapes,
musk-melons or first-rate fruits, no ice or cold water, no good
bread or cooked food in the bazaars, no hot baths, no colleges,
no candles, torches or candle-sticks. (Guru Nanak and His Times
by A.C. Bannerjee.)

Such was the havoc the successive Muslim invaders had wrought
on the Hindu society and on the economy of the time.
4 The Sikh Gurus

Shahab-ud-din, the king of Ghazni, the first Muslim invader of

India (1170-1206), put Prithvi Raj, the sovereign of Ajmer, to
death in cold blood. Ibn-i-Asir writes that, after he conquered
Benares (Varanasi), he carried out indiscriminate slaughter of the
Hindus. None was spared, except women and children. The massa-
cre continued uutil ‘‘the earth grew weary of the monotony.”
Hasan Nizami Nishapuri observes in Taj-u/-Maasir that when
Qutbuddin Aibak (1194-1210) vanquished Meerut, he erected
mosques, demolishing all the Hindu temples of the town. Similarly,
in the city of Kalinjir, 113 Hindu temples were desecrated and
mosques constructed on their sites. More than 100,000 Hindus were
massacred and about 50,000 were made slaves. It is said the town
became pitch-black with dead bodies decomposing all over.
Minhaj-ul-Siraj records in Tabaat-i-Nasiri that Mohammad
Bukhtyar who conquered Bihar killed 100,000 Brahmins and des-
troyed a highly valuable library of ancient Sanskrit works.
Abdulla Wassaf, the author of Taziyat-ul-Amsar wa Tajriyat ul
Asar says that Allauddin Khilji (1295-1316) put to the sword the
entire male Hindu population of the city of Kambayat in order to
glorify Islam and the rivers were flooded with blood. He sent the
women with all their jewellery to his home-town, making 20,000
young girls his slaves.
The renowned author of Twarikh-i-Ilahi, Amir Khusrau, writes
that when the Emperor Firoz Shah Tughlak (1315-88) conquered
the city of Bhilsa in Madhya Pradesh he destroyed all the Hindu
temples, collected their idols in front of the fort and bathed them
daily in the blood of one thousand Hindus.
As many as 60 foreign invasions of India took place between the
11th century and the birth of Guru Nanak. For a long time, more
than conquering the country to rule over it, the invaders came to
loot and convert the Hindus to Islam. Those who resisted were
massacred. The marauders seemed to believe that there was religious
sanction for this. They had, therefore, no compunction in commit-
ting the worst of crimes against those they called kafirs or pagans.
As a result of such successive attacks, the people were rendered
destitute; the villages dirty. The towns were in decay, the jungles
encroached upon the cities and robbers and bad characters took
shelter in them. The poor were found going about naked. The
government did not run any schools and colleges. The Hindu path-
shalas were maintained by voluntary effort, the Muslim madrasas or
The Times 5

maktabs received grants in cash or in the form of rent-free land. The

Hindu libraries had books on religion, philosophy and medicine.
These were in Sanskrit. The foreign invaders made it a point to
destroy them. Since young Hindu girls were invariably picked up by
the Muslim conquerors or the local rulers, the rich took recourse
to infanticide. In order to save their honour, the girls were married
early. And then they were given all sorts of dirty jobs to do and
encouraged to neglect their toilet, so that they did not attract
notice from an admiring eye. Widows were not permitted to marry
and more often than not they immolated themselves along with their
dead husbands on the funeral pyre. A widow could not participate
in any festivity, sing songs or indulge in merry-making. A number
of them preferred conversion to Islam or took to prostitution,
rather than face this dreary prospect. The majority of the people
worshipped idols, believed in ritualism and all sorts of superstitions.
The essence of religion was forgotten altogether. This was equally
true of the Muslims, who had also degenerated. The administration
was corrupt at every level. Bribery and unfair means were the order
of the day.
Guru Nanak has described his times in a most telling manner;

Kaliyuga is a dagger,
Kings are butchers,
Dharma has taken wings and disappeared.
In the black night of falsehood
The moon of truth is nowhere to be seen.
I am lost in the search,
I find no way out of the darkness.
Afflicted with the ego, I wailin sorrow.
Says Nanak, how do I attain deliverance?

Here is how Guru Nanak reacted to Babur’s attack on India and

the affliction it caused to the people:

He occupied Khurasan and subdued Hindustan.

God doesn’t blame Himself having sent the Mughal like a doom.
Seeing such suffering and wailing, didn’t it hurt you, O Lord?
You are the lone creator of all.
If an aggressor Were to kill an aggressor, I wouldn’t complain.
But when a fierce lion falls on a poor herd of cattle, the master
must take the blame.
6 The Sikh Gurus

The dogs have ravaged the gems of us; when they die, none will
ever bother about them.
O God! you alone make and unmake, this is Your greatness.
If anyone else were to style himself great and indulge in pleasure-
making,
He is like an insect in the eyes of God, feeding on a few grains.
He who dies in life, he alone lives, says Nanak, by repeating the
name of God.
(Asa

Guru Nanak’s heart seems to bleed at the devastation caused

and the undoing of all that was Indian by the foreign invaders.
Guru Nanak condemned the corrupt ways of the administration
as vehemently—

There is none
Who receives or gives not bribe
Even the King distributes justice
When his palm is grased.

It was, indeed, the worst of times. It is said when evil exceeds

all limits, God takes pity on His creation and sends a Messiah to
show light to the people. Thus was born Guru Nanak.
 Guru Nanak

Baba Nanak, the great man of God

The guru of the Hindus and the pir of the Mussalimans
—Popular Punjabi Saying

NLIKE Mahavira and Buddha, Nanak was not born to affluent

parents. He was the son of Mehta Kalian Das, a village patwari,
at the lowest rung of the revenue hierarchy. His father led a clean
life; he was honest and God-fearing. These were rare qualities to
come by in those days. He was, therefore, greatly respected by the
Muslim headman of the village, Rai Bular.
Born on 15 April 1469 at Talwandi in Sheikupura district of
West Punjab, Nanak was the only son of his parents. Their other
child was a daughter called Nanaki born a few years earlier. The
son arrived after a long wait. His mother Tripta and his sister
Nanaki doted on him. His father, however, was too involved with
work to spare any time to be with his children.
Mehta Kalian Das, also known as Mehta Kalu, was a Bedi, a
caste who are supposed to be well versed in the Vedas. Asa child
Nanak was given the name Nanak Rai in the tradition of the
Hindus of the day. Talwandi, the village where he was born, in due
course, came to be known as Nanakana Sahib—the holy city of
Nanak. It is located about 50 km to the north-west of Lahore, the
capital of West Punjab in Pakistan.
While playing with the company of other children, Nanak was
always fair. He made friends with the poor and the so-called low-
castes. Muslim boys were as good friends of his as were Hindus.
He had a melodious voice and was fond of singing devotional
songs. When he sang, he went into a trance, as it were; phrases
tripped on his lips and he composed hymns extempore. He was
used to taking long walks and would go out of his village into the
8 The Sikh Gurus

fields and jungle both in the morning and in the evening. There was
always a freshness on his face, a soothing light in his eyes. He was
genial and gentle, soft spoken and amiable.
His sister Nanaki was deeply attached to him. She thought it
was probably because he was her only brother, but in her heart of
hearts she knew it was more than that. Every time she saw Nanak,
she felt a tug at her heart. He was indeed unlike other children.
When he was asleep, she found a strange glow reflected on his face.
It was enchanting to watch him. She continued to look at him for
hours on end. Sitting all alone at times, she would suddenly feel that
there was a sweet fragrance spread around the courtyard and turn-
ing her face she found her young brother enter the house arm-in-arm
with one of his playmates. When he sat in the prayer chamber, she
would hear the sound of cymbals being beaten and arti being sung
in praise of God. She remained glued to where she sat. It was divine
music travelling from heaven, as it were. She had never heard such
melody before. No doubt her brother was no ordinary child. But
she dared not talk about it to anyone. It was a closely guarded
secret with her.
Nanak, who was to emerge in due course as Divine Master, had
his first devotee in his own sister. She found in her brother an evol-
ved soul, a messenger of God.
The second disciple of Nanak was no other than Rai Bular, the
Muslim chief of the village. Day after day, week after week, month
after month and year after year, he heard amazing stories about
Mehta Kalu’s child. His utterances astonished both Hindus and
Muslims. They found them bold and meaningful, endowed with a
queer charm.
The village school teacher Gopal Panda found in a short while,
that he had nothing more to teach Nanak. Nanak learnt reading
and writing very quickly. He even composed an acrostic on the
Punjabi alphabet. When the teacher tried to teach him arithmetic,
he found him equally proficient in figure work. He had little to add
to the knowledge of the unusually gifted child. Instead Nanak told
his teacher that without knowing God all other knowledge was
meaningless. Without truth even a cartload of books was of little
use:

Burn worldly love

Grinding it into ashes to make ink.
Guru Nanak 9

Let your intellect be the fine paper

On which you should write
With the pen of divine love,
As dictated by the Guru.
Write the praises of his Name
Write that He is limitless and great.
Oh teacher, if you were to learn writing this
The truth of it will stand by you
Wherever you are called upon to render account.
(Sri Rag

Nanak was then sent to a madrasa to learn Persian and Arabic.

His teacher was Ruknuddin. The understanding was that after he
acquired proficiency in Persian, he might, in due course, succeed
his father as the village patwari. Rai Bular would be very happy to
have him work with him. Nanak surprised his new teacher with the
manner he picked up Persian and Arabic also quickly. One day
he even astonished Ruknuddin with an acrostic composed on the
Persian alphabet.
It was time that Nanak was invested with the sacred thread
according to a custom prevalent among the caste Hindus. It is a
sacrament like baptism amongst Christians signifying the spiritual
rebirth of a Hindu. Hardyal, the family priest, was invited to per-
form the ritual in the presence of relatives, friends and neighbours.
The ceremony was to be followed by lavish feasting and rejoicing.
However, when the presiding priest approached Nanak to invest
him with the sacred thread, he refused to wear it. Young Nanak
had no faith in the ritual. He would have nothing to do with the
thread which must wear out sooner or later. Everyone present was
stunned. They tried to argue with the child, but none succeeded in
persuading him. When the priest persisted, Nanak went into a
trance and sang:

Let mercy be the cotton, contentment the thread,

Continence the knot and truth the twist.
O priest! If you have a like sacred thread,
Do give it to me.
It'll not wear out, nor get soiled, nor be burnt, nor lost.
10 The Sikh Gurus

Says Nanak, blessed are those who go about wearing

such a thread.
(Rag Asa

Rai Bular who had been invited to participate in the feast follo-
wing the thread ceremony was thrilled to hear it. He compliment-
ed Mehta Kalu on his son’s talents. But the devout Hindu in the
father would not understand it and was heart-broken.
As he grew, Nanak spent more and more of his time in the
company of Hindu anchorites and Muslim dervishes in the thick
forest around Talwandi. He was most happy in their company. But
the matter-of-fact Mehta Kalu did not approve of it. ‘If he was
fond of wandering about in the forest,” he said to himself, ‘“‘he
might as well take the family cattle out for grazing. He could spend
his time in the fields as well as look after the cattle.’’ Nanak agreed
to it. He liked tending cows and buffaloes. Accordingly, he led his
cattle out for grazing every morning and brought them back in the
evening when it was time to milk them. Before long, the cattle were
completely tamed. They didn’t bother the cowherd at all. He sat
under the trees and sang hymns; the cattle grazed on and frolicked
about.
Then, one day an agitated peasant came and complained to Rai
Bular that Mehta Kalu’s cattle had ravaged his entire crop and that
his son sent to look after the cattle was found sleeping under a tree.
Rai Bular, who understood Nanak better didn’t believe a word of
it. He decided to verify the loss himself. Out in the field, he did find
Nanak sitting under a tree lost in deep meditation but the crop alle-
ged to have been ravaged by the cattle was intact, not a blade
seemed to have been disturbed. The peasant who had lodged the
complaint could not believe his eyes. He felt frightfully embarras-
sed. Rai Bular, then, walked up to the tree where Nanak sat. He
found that there was a halo around his head. He bowed in reve-
rence and was convinced that Mehta Kalu’s son was a blessed soul;
he was no ordinary youth born in the village.
Rai Bular made indulgent inquiries about Nanak every day—
where he spent his time, what he did and so on. Even if it meant
going out of the way, he would do so to drop in at Mehta Kalu’s
house and meet Nanak. Every time Rai Bular looked at Nanak, he
felt charmed. His head would bow before him spontaneously.
Every word that Nanak uttered acquired new significance; it haun-
ted him day and night.
Guru Nanak 11

On the other hand, Mehta Kalu did not understand a word of it.
In fact, he was irritated at the fuss his daughter Nanaki and
his mentor Rai Bular made about his son. He thought Nanak
was good-for-nothing. The only son, he was being pampered
by his people and he got spoilt. He showed little interest in
any worthwhile activity. And of late he had developed a strange
tendency to keep to himself. As far as possible, he avoided
company and was always lost in thought. His eyes were dreamy.
He didn’t eat for days together. At night when everybody slept,
many a time Mehta Kalu saw his young son deeply absorbed in
meditation. At times he felt as if he heard his sobs. At others, he
saw with his own eyes of a father, tears rolling down his cheeks.
It gave a wrench to his heart. Everyone who saw Nanak those days
felt that there was something wrong with him. He appeared to be
suffering from some ailment. It was, therefore, decided to have the
youth checked up. They sent for Hari Das, a leading physician.
As the old physician was feeling his pulse, Nanak went into a trance
and started singing in his melodious voice. The physician listened
to his patient spell-bound:

The physician called to diagnose an ailment

Pulls out my arm and feels the pulse.
The simple physician is not aware,
The malady is deep in the heart.
(Rag Malhar

I suffer the pangs of separation

I hunger for him and suffer.
I suffer the fear of mighty death.
I suffer from the ailments
That must kill me one day.
And no remedy of the poor physician will help.
It’s an eternal agony,
No remedy howsoever potent can cure it.
I forgot God, indulged in pleasure
And thus I contracted many an ailment.
I went blind; I must be punished,
12 The Sikh Gurus

And no remedy of the poor physician will help.

(Rag Malhar

The physician heard it and his eyes suddenly opened. Certainly,

if was a malady beyond his capacity to cure.
Helpless, the anxious parent decided to get their son married
before it was too late. They thought that, bound in marriage,
Nanak might start taking interest in household affairs. He might
take to some profitable pursuit. Accordingly, a suitable match was
found in Sulakhni, the daughter of Mula, a Chona Khatri. Mula
was also a patwari of Pakho di Randhawa. Nanak did not object
to it since he maintained that married life did not conflict with spi-
ritual pursuits; if at all, it helped.
Nanak was happily married. He loved his wife. They had two
sons. Lakshmi Chand was followed three years later by Sri Chand.
Now that he had a family of his own, Nanak was persuaded by his
father to engage himself in some profitable pursuit, so that in due
course he could stand on his own feet. The father’s counsel was,
indeed, reasonable and Nanak readily agreed to it. The father was
most happy at this development. He lost no time in placing a suit-
able sum at his disposal and deputed Bala, one of his servants, to
assist Nanak. It was decided that they should go to Chuhrkana, a
wholesale market (in present day Gujranwala district of West
Pakistan) and make some profitable bargain. Nanak did go to
Chuhrkana. He did make the purchases that could make profit
back home. But during his return journey, he came across a band
of holy men who, it seemed, had nothing much to eat for several
days. They didn’t have any clothes either and winter was fast app-
roaching. Nanak saw their plight and didn’t take a moment to
decide to feed and clothe them with what he carried. Placing all his
purchases at their disposal, be walked back home emptyhanded
along with Bala. As he came close to his village, he suddenly reali-
zed how his father would react to the peculiar bargain that he had
struck. He, therefore, sat under a tree outside the village instead of
going to his house. When his father came to know of it, he was
wild. Nanak tried to explain to him that he had been sent to make
a good bargain and that he could not think ofa better deal. Mehta
Kalu didn’t understand it. As it happened, Rai Bular also turned
up on the scene and, listening to Nanak argue with his father the
way he did, he seemed to agree with every word that he uttered.
Guru Nanak ihsy

Nanak was indeed no ordinary youth. Rai Bular became his devo-
ted disciple.
But Mehta Kalu continued to feel miserable. He didn’t under-
stand the ways of his son. Neither Rai Bular nor his daughter could
make him see the divine in Nanak. The tree under which Nanak
sat outside the village fearing the wrath of his father is still there. It
is known as Thamb Saheb—the holy trunk. The devout come and
meditate under it.
Nanak’s sister Nanaki had been married to Jai Ram, a Khatri
employed as a steward by Daulat Khan Lodi, the Governor of
Sultanpur. He was visiting Talwandi and finding his father-in-law
anxious about his son, he offered to take Nanak along with him to
Sultanpur and find a job for him with his master. Everyone appr-
oved of it. Nanak, too, didn’t object to it. Rai Bular wrote to
Daulat Khan recommending Nanak in glorious terms. Daulat Khan
met Nanak and was most favourably impressed by the charm of his
personality and the transparent honesty of his character. He asked
Nanak to take charge of his stores. It was the most appropriate
assignment for a God-fearing man like Nanak. A few days later
Mardana, one of Nanak’s companions from Talwandi also joined
him. Mardana was an instrumentalist by profession; he played on
the rabab. While during the day Nanak worked in the Nawab’s
commissariat, they got together both in the morning and in the
evening to meditate and sing hymns. Their sessions became longer
and longer. More and more people started joining them. Before he
left his home in Talwandi, Nanak had promised his wife that he
would send her part of his earnings which he continued to do. With
the rest of the money he entertained his companions and the poor
and the needy that he came across. It is said that Nanak remained
in the service of the Nawab for about two years. Then, early one
morning, accompanied by Mardana, he went to the river Bain,
close by, for his bath. He did this first thing every day. To
Mardana’s surprise after Nanak plunged into the water that morn-
ing, he didn’t appear on the surface. Mardana waited and waited.
‘Then panic-stricken, he ran to the town to seek assistance. Evidently,
Nanak had either been drowned or washed away by the river that
was in spate. The Nawab who, by now, had become a great admirer
of Nanak, got the best divers to scrounge the river thoroughly. But
Nanak was nowhere to be found. Then some wicked people started
a whispering campaign. They alleged that Jai Ram’s brother-in-law
14 The Sikh Gurus

had embezzled the stores and fearing the consequences he had fled
or maybe he had committed suicide by drowning himself. The
stores were thoroughly checked and it was found that the inventory
and the accounts were absolutely in order.
To everybody’s surprise, on the third day Nanak appeared in the
town as if from nowhere. There was a great relief in the Nawab’s
household and rejoicing among Nanak’s relatives and friends. But
Nanak was no more his old self. He was altogether a changed man.
There was divine light in his eyes and his face was resplendent. A
halo seemed to crown his head. People flocked to have a look at
him. Nanak wouldn’t speak to anybody. He was in a trance. He
gave up his job with the Nawab and distributed all that he had to
the poor. Accompanied by Mardana, the rabab player, he left the
town.
When he broke his silence after a few days his first utterance was:
‘There is no Hindu, no Mussalman.”’ He spoke in ecstasy. He was
no more Nanak the dreamy eyed youth from Talwandi, he was
Guru Nanak, a messenger of God, ordained to propagate His Name
and the virtues of truthfulness and clean living. His second utte-
rance was: “One must labour to earn and share one’s earnings with
others. ‘“‘These were the two cardinal principles of Guru Nanak’s
teaching when he started his life-long mission. It is said that he was
thirty years old when he left Sultanpur.
Before he took his leave the Nawab asked Guru Nanak what he
meant when he said—‘“‘There is no Hindu, no Mussalman.’’ Maybe
the Hindu were no more Hindus but the Mussalmans remained
devoted to their faith. At this Guru Nanak uttered these words:

Let God’s grace be the mosque, and devotion the prayer mat.
Let the Quran be the good conduct,
Let modesty be compassion, good manners fasting,
You should be a Mussalman the like of this
Let good deeds be your Kaaba and truth be your mentor.
Your Kalma be your creed and prayer,
God would then vindicate your honour.
(Majh

The gazi in the Nawab’s court, however, was not convinced. “If
you are not a Hindu,” he said, ““You must join us in prayers, we
who are devout Muslims believing in the unity of God.” Guru
Guru Nanak 16

Nanak was certainly willing to keep company with those who had
faith in God. He agreed to join them in prayers. But when the gazi
commenced the prayers, Guru Nanak stood aside and watched with
a smile on his lips. As soon as the prayers were over, the infuriated
gazi asked Gnru Nanak, ‘‘Why didn’t you join us in prayers after
agreeing to do so?”’ Guru Nanak told him politely, “I did not join
you because all the while you were saying the prayers, your mind
was in your filly left loose back at your place. You feared that she
might drop into the well of your courtyard.” The gazi heard it and
was silenced. ‘‘In that case, you could have given me your
company,” said the Nawab. “‘Yes, but you were buying horses in
Kabul,” observed Guru Nanak. The Nawab heard it and fell at the
Guru’s feet. He was, indeed, a man of God. God spoke through
him.
Guru Nanak’s times were difficult. The means of communication
were forbidding. The message had to be carried by word of mouth
from town to town and from village to village. Guru Nanak under-
took long journeys to north and south, east and west. He had with
him Mardana, the Muslim rabab player for companion. Mardana
played on the rabab and Guru Nanak poured out the inspired word
in some of the finest poetry in the language. Not only this, most of
it can be sung to music in prescribed ragas. With illiteracy rampant
around him, it was on purpose that Guru Nanak chose this medium
to propagate his message. He also endeavoured to set up cells called
manjis where those who subscribed to his way of life assembled for
meditation and recitation of hymns. In due course, there was a net-
work of these cells throughout India and beyond its borders in Sri
Lanka, across the Himalayas and in West Asia. ;
Leaving Sultanpur, Guru Nanak came to Saidpur, a small town
later known as Eminabad (in the present day Gujranwala district of
West Punjab). Guru Nanak chose to stay here with Lalo, a car-
penter. It so happened that the day Guru Nanak arrived, Malik
Bhago, the chief of the town who had amassed untold wealth, was
holding a sacrificial feast to which all the holy men were invited.
Guru Nanak decided to remain away and partook of the simple
fare of his host. When Malik Bhago came to know of it, he was
furious. ‘““How dare an itinerant mendicant refuse my invitation?”
said he in vulgar pride. He had Guru Nanak brought to him.
When asked why he didn’t join in the sacrificial feast which every
other holy man in the town had blessed with his presence, the
16 The Sikh Gurus

Guru sent for the meal served by malik Bhago and also a little of
Bhai Lalo’s simple fare. It is said holding these in separate hands,
he squeezed them and to the utter discomfiture of Malik Bhago
what appeared like blood drops trickled down from his rich food,
and milk oozed out of Bhai Lalo’s simple fare. Malik Bhago was
put to shame. He didn’t have to be told that his riches were
amassed by exploiting the poor, while what Bhai Lalo offered was
the milk of hard earned wages. Malik Bhago was a changed man.
He distributed all his ill-gotten wealth to the poor and needy and
devoted himself to the service of his fellow men.
Bhai Lalo craved Guru Nanak’s company longer but the Guru
had to proceed on his mission. After several days’ journeying
through jungles and wilderness Guru Nanak accompanied by
Mardana arrived at a caravanserai. It was maintained by a saintly-
looking man called Sajjan. He had tidy rooms for travellers and
both a mosque and a temple built for their prayers. All this was,
however, a cover for his misdeeds. He was, in fact, a wicked robber
and an assassin. He looted those who came to stay with him and
if need be had them killed. Noticing the glow on Guru Nanak’s
face, Sajjan mistook him for a prosperous trader who, he thought
was, perhaps, travelling in the guise of a recluse to avoid being
waylaid. Sajjan attacked his victims during the night when they
were asleep. He waited and waited that night but Guru Nanak
would not retire. Late in the night when everyone else had gone
to sleep, Guru Nanak sang, Mardana accompanying him on the
rabab:

Bright and brilliant is the bronze.

But the moment it is rubbed its blackness appears.
This cannot be removed even if washed a hundred times.
(Suhi

Guru Nanak sang this hymn which was evidently directed

towards Sajjan who was all this while waiting for an opportunity
to pounce upon his visitor. Guru Nanak’s words touched him. He
realized his folly. He came out of his hiding place and fell at the
Guru’s feet, confessing all his misdeeds. Sajjan’s den of an assassin
was transformed into a dharmasala, seat of dharma. It was the first
major centre that Guru Nanak set up for the congregation of his
disciples.
Guru Nanak We

During his sojourn towards the east, Guru Nanak camped in a

town. Rains came and he had to stay on in the town longer than
he had thought he would. Several devotees came to the Guru
regularly. Amongst them were two close friends who lived in the
same lane. On their way to see the Guru, one of them came across
a prostitute and was allured by her charm. Thereafter, he left his
home along with his friend on the pretext of going to the Guru
but instead visited his paramour. A few days later the one who
came to pay his homage to the Guru daily was pricked with a
thorn, while his neighbour who visited the prostitute found a gold
coin in the street. The incident bewildered the Guru’s devotee who
came to him every day religiously. He mentioned it in the prayer
meeting that morning. Guru Nanak heard it and was amused. He
then told the Sikh:

Your friend was destined to come across a treasure but due to

his evil ways, it had been reduced to a single coin. While on
account of your past karma you were to be impaled with a
stake but having reformed yourself, you have been let off with
the mere prick of a thorn.

When the rains abated, Guru Nanak accompanied by Mardana

came to Kurukshetra (in today’s Ambala district of the Haryana
state). A big fair was being held at the holy tank on account of a
solar eclipse. There were a large number of pilgrims from all over
the country. On arrival at the fair, Guru Nanak asked Mardana.
to cook meat for them. As it happened, they had been presented
a deer by a shikari on their way to Kurukshetra. Finding a pilgrim
cooking meat on the holy premises, the yogis collected for the fair
were scandalized. How could any one defile the sacred premises.
with the profanity of cooking and eating meat? They gathered
around Guru Nanak and started shouting at him. Guru Nanak
heard them patiently and then sang thus:

Implanted by flesh, conceived in flesh,

Born in flesh, with mouth, bones, skin and body made of flesh,
Coming out of the flesh of the womb he sucks the breasts of
flesh,
He grows and marries flesh, bringing flesh to his house,
Flesh is born of flesh.
18 The Sikh Gurus

Fools fight over fiesh

They don’t understand truth nor do they meditate on it.
What is flesh? What vegetable?
What is evil? What is it not?
Pandit! You know not how flesh is made.
It’s from water,
The source of corn, sugarcane and cotton,
In fact of all three worlds.
(Malhar

The pilgrims collected around Guru Nanak, heard him and were
silenced. The Guru told them to meditate on God alone and
address one another with the salutation ‘‘Sat Kartar’’—God is
truth and went on his way.
Guru Nanak’s next halt was at Hardwar, a Hindu pilgrim centre,
on the banks of the holy Ganges. Here the Guru found a large
gathering of devotees taking bath in the holy river and offering
water to the sun.
“Why do you throw water like that?’ Guru Nanak asked a
pilgrim.
“It is to propitiate our ancestors,” the latter replied.
Guru Nanak heard it and turning his back started throwing
water towards the west.
“What are you doing?” asked a fellow pilgrim. ‘‘The sun at this
hour is in the east not in the west.”
“TJ am not offering water to the sun. I am trying to water my
lands in a village near Lahore,”’ said Guru Nanak.
“But my good man, how will the water reach your crops so far
away?’
“If your water can reach your ancestors in the region of the
sun, why can’t mine reach my fields a short distance from here?”
observed Guru Nanak.
He had a subtle sense of humour and could at times make his
point effortlessly.
Passing through Panipat where he met a successor of Shaikh
Sharaf, who was a disciple of Khwaja Qutbuddin, and then Delhi,
where he refused to work a miracle at the instance of Ibrahim
Lodi, the ruling monarch, Guru Nanak witnessed a performance
of Ras Lila at Brindaban and rejected it as sheer waste of breath
without the spirit of devotion. While journeying towards the East,
Guru Nanak 19

Guru Nanak is said to have visited Gorakhmata, a temple devoted

to Gorakh Nath, not very far from Pilibhit. It is believed a
Soapnut tree under which Guru Nanak camped suddenly wore a
verdant look. It attracted many an ascetic residing at the centre to
come and discourse with the Guru. Guru Nanak told them what
real asceticism was:

Asceticism doesn’t lie in the ascetic robes, nor in the walking

staff, nor in the ashes,
Asceticism doesn’t lie in the earring, nor in the shaven head,
nor blowing a conch;
Asceticism lies in remaining pure amidst impurities.
Asceticism doesn’t lie in mere words;
He an ascetic is who treats everyone alike,
Asceticism doesn’t lie in visiting burial and cremation grounds.
It lies not in wandering about, nor in bathing at places of
pilgrimage.
Asceticism is to remain pure amidst impurities.
On meeting with the true Guru the doubts are dispelled and
restlessness of mind resigned.
It drizzles nectar, a steady melody is heard and there is enlight-
enment within.
Asceticism lies in remaining pure amidst impurities.
Says Nanak asceticism lies in death in life.
The conch sounds without being blown,
And there is a feeling of fearlessness.
Asceticism lies in remaining pure amidst impurities.
(Suhi

The ascetics were greatly moved at Guru Nanak’s utterances

and the centre came to be known as Nanakmata instead of
Gorakhmata. It is a place of pilgrimage even today.
While passing through Bihar, Guru Nanak is said to have
visited Gaya, where Gautam Buddha had obtained enlightenment.
Accompained by Mardana, he then went to Assam. In Kamrup
district of Assam, they encountered Nur Shah who practised
black magic. As she heard about the Guru’s arrival, she sent her
scouts to ensnare him with their wiles. They succeeded with
Mardana who happened to have gone to the town in search of
food. They charmed and made a lamb of him. With their hypnotic
 20 The Sikh Gurus.

power, they made him bleat and behave like a lamb. Guru Nanak
was aware of it and he was greatly amused. At last, he went to the
rescue of his disciple. The wicked women tried their witchcraft on
the Guru also. When her companions failed, Nur Shah herself
tried to bewitch Guru Nanak with her charms. She, too, shared
the same fate. Nur Shah, who had vanquished many an ascetic in
her life, was bewildred at Guru Nanak’s spiritual prowess. Having
tried all her spells and failed, she accepted her defeat and fell at
his feet.
It was again during this journey that Mardana fell into the
clutches of a head-hunter, Kauda by name. He was about to roast
him in a cauldron when Guru Nanak came to his rescue. It is
said that everytime Kauda tried to kindle the fuel in the oven, it
would not catch fire. He tried again and again until Guru Nanak
appeared on the scene and showed light to the cannibal.
On his way back from Assam, Guru Nanak returned via Orissa
visiting the famous temple of Jagannath at Puri. This temple is
. one of the most important places of Hindu pilgrimage. Guru
Nanak found that the priests attached more importance to rituals
than to true faith in God. They made elaborate arrangements to
propitiate the deity with trays full of burning candles, flowers
and all sorts of perfumery both in the morning and in the evening.
They called it arati. Guru Nanak found that none of the devotees
joining the ritual had his heart in it. At best people enjoyed the
spectacle of it. He left the congregation, went out of the temple
and sitting in a corner started singing his own arati an ode to God,
Mardana accompanying him on the rabab.

The sky is the platter,

The Sun and the Moon are the lights,
And stars jewels.
The sandalwoods’ fragrance is the incense
The wind is the flywhisk
And all the forests Your flowers.
What a wonderful arati it is.
Oh, You destroyer of life and death!
It’s an unending strain—the melody of Your name.
You have a thousand eyes and yet not one eye.
You have a thousand forms and yet not one form.
Guru Nanak 21

You have a thousand unsoiled feet and yet not one unsoiled
foot.
You have a thousand noses and yet not one nose.
Your ways have left me charmed, Oh Lord!
There is my Lord’s light which enlightens everyone.
By the guru’s grace the truth becomes manifest.
The arati is what pleases God.
I hunger for the fragrance of your lotus feet day and night.
Oh Lord! grant a drop of water of Your grace
To Nanak the thirsty bird,
So that he finds solace in your Name
(Dhanasri

In the meanwhile, the priests and pilgrims had collected around

Guru Nanak and they were thrilled to hear him sing the praises of
God. His melody seemed to touch each heart very deeply. They
were delighted to have such an enlightened soul among them.
After Guru Nanak left they remembered him for long.
Guru Nanak returned home after a little over 12 years, more
because Mardana had started missing his family. He wished to
visit his family and provide for them before he accompanied Guru
Nanak on his proposed journey to the South. Guru Nanak chose
to stay back in the forest and asked Mardana to return after he
had attended to his filial obligations. However, when Guru Nanak’s
parents heard about Mardana’s return, the mother in Mata Tripta
knew that her son could not be far. Though Mardana, as advised
by Guru Nanak, did not reveal to them his whereabouts, they
traced Guru Nanak out in the forest and went over to him with
flowers and fruit and beseeched him to return home with them.
Guru Nanak relented, but he could not be persuaded to take up a
job, as his father desired, or involve himself in family affairs as
suggested by his mother. He, however, assured his family that he
would keep in touch with them, visit them occasionally and after
he had completed his mission, he would come back and stay with
them. His old parents were consoled and so was his dutiful spouse.
Before long, Guru Nanak left on his second mission towards
the South. At Lahore, not far from Talwandi, he was visited by
Duni Chand, a rich man and his wife. Duni Chand had amassed a
lot of wealth and property and lived a luxurious life. He came to
Guru Nanak to pay homage to him the way the well-to-do
YD) The Sikh Gurus

usually propitiate both God and mammon. As he was leaving the

Guru pulled out a needle from his sack and gave it to Duni Chand
asking him to keep it safe; he would ask for it in the next world.
“But how can one carry a needle to the next world?” remarked
Duni Chand. “Then what for have you collected all these riches?”
asked Guru Nanak. Duni Chand and his wife heard it and their
eyes suddenly opened. They went back and distributed all their
wealth to the poor. They became God-fearing and thereafter
started sharing their earnings with the needy.
Guru Nanak, then visited Ajodhan, (Pak Pattan in West Punjab
of today), the seat of Baba Farid, the great Sufi dervish of the
twelfth century, and met one of his successors, Shaikh Ibrahim. He
had.a long discourse with him. Shaikh Ibrahim recited the slokas of
Shaikh Farid, while Guru Nanak composed his own verses extem-
pore to present his viewpoint. They carried on the discourse for
long until Shaikh Ibrahim was fully satisfied and he said. “Guru
Nanak, you have indeed found God. There is no difference between
Him and you.”
On his journey towards the South, Guru Nanak was accompa-
nied by Saido and Gheho. Mardana ultimately stayed behind with
his family. As he was crossing the Vindhyachal ranges, Nanak
came upon a Jain temple. Its priest called Narbhi heard about him
and came to meet him. He was aware that Guru Nanak did not
believe in the exaggerated value of life in every form the way Jains
do. He shot a volley of question at the Guru: Do you eat old or
new corn? Do you drink fresh or boiled water? Do you shake a tree
for fruit? Who is your Guru and what power has he to save you?
Guru Nanak replied:

If the Guru is kind, devotion is perfected.

If the Guru is kind, you know no sorrow.
‘If the Guru is kind, pains disappear.
If the Guru is kind, you enjoy life.
If the Guru is kind, there is no fear of death.
If the Guru is kind, you remain ever happy.
If the Guru is kind, the nine treasures are obtained.
If the Guru is kind, you get to know the truth.
(Majh ki Var

The Jain priest heard it and was fully Satisfied.

Guru Nanak 23

During his sojourn in the South, Guru Nanak went right up to

Rameshwaram and Kanya Kumari and also across the sea to Sri
Lanka. It is said that there ruled a king by the name of Shivnabh.
He had heard about Guru Nanak from Mansukh, a Punjab trader
who used to visit his kingdom. Ever since the king had learnt
about Guru Nanak, he longed to meet the Guru and do him
homage. Mansukh assured him that if he remembered him from
the depth of his heart, the Guru must respond. Learning of the
king’s anxiety to meet his Guru, many a charlatan tried to cheat
the king pretending to be Guru Nanak. He was sick of them. Then
one day his courtiers came and told the king that Guru Nanak
had arrived. His prayers had been heard. But the king who had
been deceived many a time wouldn’t believe until he had it verified.
Accordingly he sent two most captivating dancing girls to try
their charms on the visiting recluse. The moment the girls entered
the premises where Guru Nanak was camping, they forgot all
about their silly designs. They came and sat in a corner in utter
devotion. The king was in the meanwhile waiting impatiently to
know what had happened to the girls. When he learnt about their
submission to the Guru, he rushed to the Guru with his courtiers
and fell at his feet. Raja Shivnabh wanted Guru Nanak to accom-
pany him to his palace. Guru Nanak did not go, but, however, had
the king put up a dharamsala where the devotees congregated
daily and sang hymns in praise of God.
The third time Guru Nanak left home, he trekked towards the
North. Penetrating the Himalayas, he went up to Tibet. He was
accompanied by Mardana. Guru Nanak’s first halt was at Srinagar.
The historical gurdwaras at Anant Nag and Mattan, suggest that
the Guru went even to Amarnath.
At Srinagar, Guru Nanak met a Muslim dervish known as
Kamal and a Hindu man of learning called Brahm Das. It is said
that Brahm Das was very arrogant. Wherever he went, he was
followed by three camels carrying the ancient work he had studied.
He was fond of entering into lengthy arguments with the holy men
he encountered. When he met Guru Nanak, in the first instance,
he objected to his dress. Guru Nanak happened to be wearing
leather shoes and a fur robe as a protection against the Kashmir
cold. The Guru ignored it. He, then, started displaying his learn-
ing and asked Guru Nanak about the creation of the world. Guru
Nanak’s reply was most revealing:
24 The Sikh Gurus

It was all dark billions of years ago.

There was no earth, no heaven except God’s supreme order.
There was no day and night, neither the moon nor the sun—
God meditated in a void.
There was no eating, no talking, neither air nor water.
No one was created, no one died; none came, no one went.
There were no continents, no neither world,
Nor were there seven seas; there was no water in the rivers.
There was neither heaven, nor any tortoise underneath the earth.

* * *

With His order, the world was created.

It’s maintained without any support.
He created Brahma, Vishnu and Siva.
He created also the love of Maya.
Only a few were blessed with His word.
But He watched and ruled over all.
He set going this world and the other world.
And became Himself manifest.
It is the true Guru alone who gives this understanding.
Says Nanak, those who are truthful live in eternal bliss,
They are blessed with the recitation of God’s Name.
(Maru
Hearing this, Pandit Brahm Dass was stunned. He was amazed
at Guru Nanak’s vision. He became Guru Nanak’s disciple and
decided to propagate the Word of God. Brahm Dass stayed in the
valley and Kamal was advised by Guru Nanak to settle in Kurram
from where he propagated the Holy Word in Kabul, Kandhar and
as far as Tirah.
Leaving Srinagar, Guru Nanak travelled towards Tibet. When
he arrived at Lake Manasarover he came across a large number of
yogis who had escaped from the oppression and chaos in the
plains and had found shelter in far away abodes in the mountains.
The ascetics asked Guru Nanak about the conditions prevailing
in the country. Guru Nanak chided them for running away from
the hard realities of life the way they had done. He, however, told
them that the times were not too happy:

Kaliyuga is like a dagger,

Guru Nanak 25

Kings are butchers,

Dharma has taken wings and fled.
In the black night of deceit
The moon of truth is nowhere to be traced.
I am lost in the search;
I find no way out of the darkness.
Afflicted with self, I wail in sorrow,
Says Nanak, how may I attain deliverance?
(Majh

The ascetics called siddhas entered into a long discussion with

Guru Nanak. It started with prayers to the Almighty. Then
followed a dialogue on how one attains union with God:

Siddhas: Can one find God by wandering in search of Him?

Nanak: Without the True Word, there is no finding him.
Siddhas: How does one cross the ocean of the world?
Nanak: By living like a lotus or a water bird in water. By
meditating on His Name and remaining free from the
share of Maya.

Guru Nanak recorded his discourses with various ascetics in

“Siddha Gasht,” a long composition in the form of a dialogue in
verse. It is an interesting record of intricate metaphysical issues
discussed by him. Guru Nanak has projected himself in this long
composition as a seeker of God. as anyone else. He had three
major encounters with the siddhas at Gorakhmata (later known
as Nanakmata), at Manasarovar and at Achal Batala.
Guru Nanak’s last sojourn, which he undertook after a fairly
long stay at home was towards the West. He was accompanied by
Mardana again. Before he left on the journey Guru Nanak donned
the blue dress of a Muslim pilgrim with a staff in one hand and a
Jota in the other. Evidently Guru Nanak’s destination was
Mecca.
On his way to Mecca, Guru Nanak had an encounter with
Wali Qandhari, a dervish who had his abode on a hill top at
Hasan Abdal near Taxila, the ancient Buddhist centre. It was
midday in a wilderness when Mardana felt thirsty. Guru Nanak
explained to him that as it was a barren rocky plateau, there
was no water around. But Mardana grew impatient. He was getting
26 The Sikh Gurus

old and was like a child in his obstinacy when he wanted some-
thing. Guru Nanak looked around and told Mardana that the
nearest he could find water was on the top of the hill, the abode of
a dervish called Wali Qandhari. Mardana went up and asked for
water. But the Muslim dervish, discovering that he was a com- ,
panion of Guru Nanak, refused to give him any water. When
Guru Nanak heard about it, he advised Mardana to go again and
make his request in all humility. “Tell him, I am a companion of
Nanak, a man of God,” said Guru Nanak. But Wali Qandhari
would not relent. At this, the Guru asked Mardana to go the third
time and make a request for water in the name of God. Mardana
scaled the hill again somehow merely to be taunted by the
arrogant Wali Qandhari: ‘‘He styles himself a Guru and cannot
get a drop of water for his disciple!’?’ Mardana was almost dead
from exhaustion when he returned. Guru Nanak saw his plight
and asked him to lift a slab of stone which lay a little away from
them. It is said the moment Mardana removed the slab, a spring
gushed from underneath it. A little later when he needed water for
himself, Wali Qandhari found that his well was emptying fast and
that there was a stream of water flowing at the foot of the hill.
Evidently, the yogi had played a trick on him. In fury, Wali
Qandhari rolled a boulder to crush Guru Nanak and his com-
panion who sat at the head of the fountain singing the praises of
God. It is said, Guru Nanak held the boulder back with his hand,
effortlessly. In course of time, the place came to be known as
Punja Saheb, the temple of the Holy Palm. Located in the Attock
district of Pakistan, it is one of the important places of Sikh
pilgrimage even today.
Arriving at Mecca, Guru Nanak felt tired. It had been a long
and arduous journey to the holy city. He fell asleep and it so
happened that he slept with his feet towards Kaaba. the holy
shrine, instead of his head, which was the accepted practice. At
midnight a watchman on his rounds noticed this and was scanda-
lized to finel a pilgrim with his feet pointing towards the
House of God. ‘“‘How dare you lie with your feet pointing towards
God?” he shouted. He was about to lay his corrective hands on
Nanak when the Guru woke up: *‘Good man, I am weary after a
long journey. Kindly turn my feet in the direction where God is
not.” Jiwan, the watchman, was stunned. “Where God is not!’ His
head started whirling. “Where God is not!’’ He saw his abode in all
Guru Nanak On|

the four directions. He had lifted Guru Nanak’s feet and rather than
turning them around, his head fell on them. He started kissing
them. He washed Guru Nanak’s feet with his tears. What to speak
of Jiwan, all the rest of the pilgrims and the holy men of the shrine
were moved to have Guru Nanak amidst them. They asked him
many questions. ‘‘I am neither a Hindu nor a Mussalman,”’ said
Guru Nanak. ‘Who is superior of the two?” the pilgrims collected
around him wished to know. Guru Nanak replied, ‘‘Without good
deeds, either is no good.” The Guru laid stress on the love of God,
humility, prayer and a truthful living. He, then, recited a hymn in
Persian:

I beseech you, O Lord! pray grant me a hearing.

You are the truthful, the great, the merciful and the faultless
Creator.
I know for certain, this world must perish,
And death must come, I know this and nothing else.
Neither wife, nor son, nor father, nor brothers shall be able to
help.
I must go in the end, none could undo what is in my lot.
I have spent days and nights in vanity contemplating evil.
Never have I thought of good; this is what I am.
I am ill-starred, miserly, careless, short-sighted and rude.
But says Nanak, I am yours, the dust of the feet of your
minions.
(Tilang

The high priest of the holy shrine who happened to have

arrived on the scene was delighted to hear it.
From Mecca, Guru Nanak proceeded to Medina where he had
another debate with the head priest of the shrine. What impressed
people was Guru Nanak’s emphasis on the unity of God and
equality of man. He didn’t believe in rituals. According to him
only a man’s good deeds and the Guru’s grace earned him libera-
tion.
At Baghdad which he visited later, Guru Nanak made one of his
most ardent devotees in a dervish who, it is said, sat for sixty long
years at the foot of the slab occupied by Guru Nanak during his
visit to the town.
On his way back from Mecca Guru Nanak visited Multan. It
28 The Sikh Gurus

was an important centre of the Sufis in those days. As Guru

Nanak was camping outside the town the dervishes in the city sent
him a bowl brimful of milk, indicating thereby that the place was
already full of holy men. Guru Nanak put a jasmine flower in the
bowl. The bowl didn’t overflow while the flower floated on it. Guru
Nanak thus spoke to the holy men of Multan in their own idiom,
telling them that there was still room for a man like Nanak
in their midst.
Guru Nanak then visited Saidpur (known as Eminabad in pre-
sentday Pakistan). By this time, Babar had already entered the
Punjab. Guru Nanak advised his devotees in the town to leave the
place and thus escape the tyranny of the marauding Mughals.
Some listened to him, while others did not. As feared by Guru
Nanak, Saidpur was laid waste by the invading forces soon there-
after. Guru Nanak witnessed this heartless killing and the poet in
him seems to have revolted against the divine justice. He has left
a most remarkable piece of poetry describing the barbarous attack
and the sufferings of the people of the Punjab:

He occupied Khurasan and subdued Hindustan.

God doesn’t blame Himself having sent the Mughal like a
doom. .
Seeing such suffering and wailing, didn’t it hurt You, O Lord?
You are the lone Creator of all.
If an aggressor were to kill an aggressor, I wouldn’t complain.
But when a fierce lion falls on a poor herd of cattle, the master
must take the blame.
The dogs have ruined the gems among us; when they die, none
will ever bother about them.
O God! You alone make and unmake, this is Your greatness.
If any one else were to style himself great and indulge in
pleasures,
He is like an insect in the eyes of God feeding on a few grains.
He who dies in life, he alone lives, says Nanak, by repeating
the Name of God.
(Asa

Guru Nanak was taken prisoner along with Mardana. When the
jailor heard him sing the divine hymn, he hastened to report to the
king. Babar sent for Guru Nanak to listen to his hymn. He realized
Guru Nanak 29

that the Guru was indeed an evolved soul. He asked for his for-
giveness and offered him his pouch of bhang by way of entertaining
him as an equal, but Guru Nanak declined it, saying that he was
already intoxicated with the name of God. It was during this
meeting with Babar, when Guru Nanak predicted:

They come in *78 and go in ’97

Another hero will also arise.

The prophecy relates to the Mughals occupying India in Samvat

1578 (1521 A.D.) and departing in Samvat 1597 (1540 A.p.). The
monarch who was driven out was Humayun and the ‘“‘hero”
referred to is Sher Shah who had thrown him out.
Guru Nanak was now growing old. Mardana also had aged.
And then there was such a lot to be done by way of organizing the
community. His devotees all over the country and abroad longed
to visit him and sit at his feet. Accordingly, Guru Nanak decided
to settle down in the Punjab. This was about 1520 A.p.
Guru Nanak acquired a large enough piece of land on the banks
of the River Ravi. Here he set up a new township called Kartarpur
—the abode of God. He left off wearing the garb of a recluse and
took to the normal dress of a Punjabi peasant. He started farming
like anyone else. His wife and sons lived with him. So did
Mardana and several other devotees. It was a sort of community
living. Everyone was expected to work in the fields and share the
harvest. There was a common kitchen. Every visitor, irrespective
of caste and creed, must partake of the meal offered there.
Not many days after, Mardana’s end came. Guru Nanak advised
his son Shahzada not to wail and lament the loss of his father
because he had returned to his heavenly home. There is no mourn-
ing for blessed souls. After his father’s death Shahzada joined Guru
Nanak as his rabab player.
One day Guru Nanak was working in his fields when he saw a
horse rider heading towards him. “J am Lehna,” said the stranger,
leaving his horse at a respectable distance and approaching the
Guru in all humility. Guru Nanak looked into his face and observ-
ed, ‘‘So you have arrived, Lehna—the creditor. I have been waiting
for you all these days. I must pay your debt.” (‘‘Lehna” in Punjabi
means debt or creditor.)
Lehna didn’t understand it at all but he was charmed by Guru
30 The Sikh Gurus

Nanak’s person. He had heard a great deal about him from one of
Guru Nanak’s devotees, Bhai Jodha, who lived in Khadur, the
village to which Lehna belonged. Lehna was the son of a well-to-do
businessman who was a great devotee of Durga. He went to the
‘Kangra shrine of the goddess every year. The more he heard about
Guru Nanak and his Bani from Bhai Jodha, the more he longed to
meet him. At last he could restrain himself no longer and, while
leading a party of pilgrims to the Kangra shrine of the deity, he left
them midway and came to Kartarpur. Once he had met Guru
Nanak there was no looking back. He served the master day and
night. Before long he became the most trusted disciple of the Guru.
Lehna’s devotion to Guru Nanak was absolute. He served him as
none else did, not even his two sons.
It is said, once Guru Nanak accompanied by Lehna and his two
sons came across something that looked like a corpse covered with
a sheet of cloth. “Who would eat it?’ asked Guru Nanak unexpect-
edly. His sons were astonished to hear these wants. They thought
something had happened to their father. ‘Master, if it pleases you,
T’ll do it,” said Lehna and moving ahead removed the cover to find
that it was a tray of sacred food. Lehna offered it first to Guru
Nanak and his sons and then partook of the leftovers himself. Guru
Nanak was most touched to see this. He said:

Lehna, you were blessed with the sacred food because you could
share it with others. If the people use the wealth bestowed on
them by God for themselves alone or for treasuring it, it is like
a corpse. But if they decide to share it with others, it becomes
sacred food. You have known the secret. You are my image.

Then, Guru Nanak blessed Lehna with his ang (hand) and gave
him a new name—Angad. Angad was a changed man. He becane
a part of Guru Nanak’s body and soul, as it were.
A few days later Pir Bahauddin, a high priest from Multan,
visited Guru Nanak. He said, ‘‘My end is near, I have come to seek
your blessings, so that my journey to the next world is smooth.” At
this Guru Nanak observed that he, too, would soon follow him.
Then one day Guru Nanak held a special meeting for which
devotees gathered from far and near. Amidst the chanting of
hymns, Nanak invited Angad to formally occupy the seat of the
Guru. Thus ordaining Angad as his successor, he retired. While
 Guru Nanak 31

everyone present hailed the new Guru, the members of Guru

Nanak’s family were aot happy over the decision. They felt that the
sons had been deprived of their right to succession. According to
Guru Nanak, hereditary privilege was not what made a Guru; ine
one who deserved it most was chosen.
One day Guru Nanak was found reciting:

The suspicious hour has been determined,

Come and pour the ceremonial oil.
Bless me, O friends, so that I meet my Master.
Every house gets such tidings, these calls are received daily.
Says Nanak, the Caller must be remembered,
The day is approaching.
(Sohila

The day had approached. Guru Nanak said his prayers after his
bath and lay down covering himself with a sheet of cloth. The light
that showed the path to millions then merged into the eternal
flame. It was a day like any other day, having completed his mission,
Guru Nanak passed away quietly. It is said his Muslim devotees
built a mausoleum and his Hindu disciples a samadhi in his memory
on the banks of the River Ravi. Soon both were washed away by
the changing course of the river, leaving behind the fragrant
memory dear to both Hindus and Muslims. The people of the
Punjab remembered him as:

Baba Nanak, the great man of God

The Guru of the Hindus and the pir of the Mussalmans,

He is rememberéd as such even today by the Hindus and the

Muslims alike.
While there is no definitive biography of Guru Nanak, there had
been a number of attempts at writing the story of his life by his
_devotees soon after his passing away. Historians might reject a great
deal of these writings as sheer adulation born of excessive devotion,
but these do provide the essential land marks and help us structure
a fairly reliable picture of the Guru’s life and times.
To my mind this outline can be filled in with details by a percep-
‘tive writer devoted to Guru Nanak. He can provide flesh and bones
BO The Sikh Gurus

with the help of a large fund of gurubani whose authenticity cannot

be challenged. Unlike Mahavira and Buddha, Guru Nanak has left
a vast treasure of his utterances in verse carefully compiled in the
Guru Granth. It is not at all difficult to imagine what sort of a soul
the author of these writings must have been. Not only this, the
poetical work bequeathed to us by Guru Nanak inevitably contains.
copious references to his times, to the places he visited, the people
he met and the discourses he delivered.
Guru Nanak’s times are not very far removed from us. It is easy
to project oneself to them. Unless we wish to indulge in hair-split-
ting, we have more than enough reliable data. The researcher seems
to be missing the historical record as if all history is always
reliable! :
I visualize Guru Nanak as being born of simple parents in a
small village in the Punjab. As the only son with an elder sister, a
great deal of affection was showered on him. He was brought up
with abundant care and often pampered by his mother and sister.
His father, however, was much too preoccupied with his affairs to
devote any time to his son. But he did try to ensure that he receiv-
ed proper education and prepared himself for a respectable
avocation in life.
Nanak was an exceptionally precocious child who acquired pro-
ficiency in reading and writing earlier than the children of his age.
He was sensitive and given to keeping to himself. He was fond of
singing and as a child he found poetic phrases came effortlessly on
his lips. While he said his prayers regularly and spent
long hours in meditation, he made friends with both Hindus and
with Muslims. He never discriminated against anyone; in fact the so-
called low-caste were dearer to him than others.
He loved his parents, he loved his sister, he loved life ont he
loved God more. He felt that he had a mission in life and that he
must fulfil it. While he was always conscious of his duty towards
his wife and his children, he treated the whole world as his family
and all the human beings as his brothers and sisters. He raised his
voice against injustice anywhere and felt unhappy at the sufferings
of the people.
He was religious by temperament but he didn’t approve ofcere-
monials, formalities and rituals. He was genial and amiable. He had
a subtle sense of humour. He never hurt anyone. He differed with
people and yet did not give them offence. He had a rare spirit of
Guru Nanak 33

adventure and never avoided undertaking a journey because it

involved travelling through difficult terrain and unfamiliar parts.
He was always anxious to go on long journeys because it gave him
opportunities to meet more and more people. He was large-hearted.
He was not parochial or narrow-minded, communal or caste-
ridden. He set out for the regeneration of mankind. He undertook
long journeys to preach, to teach, to bear witness to the light
Divine and to awaken the spiritual consciousness in men and to
bring back the erring humanity to God. While he rejected both
Hinduism and Islam, the way they were practised in his times, he
was humble enough not to style himself as an avatar. He called
himself a slave of the slaves of the God. But he was proud to be a
poet. More than once he called himself ‘‘Nanak the poet.’’ Almost
all his compositions have his name figuring in the last couplet
according to the poetic tradition of his time. And what a fine poet
he was! The like of him is yet to be born in his language. His writ-
ing remains unsurpassed. He has 958 compositions to his credit.
They contain also the longer works like the Japji. It is not only
exquisite poetry; almost the whole of it can be sung to music. The
poet Guru Nanak did not only respect the traditional forms, he
is the most modern among the modernists even today. His verse at
times conforms to the conversational rhythms and varies its pace
according to the mood of the text.
As a man, he was sensitive, kind-hearted but never sentimental.
He was fair and correct. Love of his parents, his sister, his wife or
his children did not prevent him from undertaking long travels, at
times lasting several years. When the time came for him to lay down
his ministry, he chose the most deserving candidate to succeed him.
He bypassed his own sons. He would not like to impress anyone
with miracles; in fact he did not approve of miracles. He was
methodical in his functioning. He decided to settle down towards
the close of his stewardship, so that he had time to consolidate and
give proper direction to his movement. And he succeeded in it
eminently. He didn’t believe in the false barriers of religion and
the stupid rigidities of caste. He was an ideal Muslim among
Muslims and a model Hindu among Hindus. He believed in the
fatherhood of God and the brotherhood of man and he practised
them vigorously in his day-to-day life. All men were equal in his
eyes. No one was big and no one was small. It is deeds, not birth
that determined the status of a man, he said.
34 The Sikh Gurus

Dr. Hari Ram Gupta in his book, A Life-sketch of Guru Nanak,

says:

At the time of Guru Nanak’s advent, both the prevailing reli-

gions—Hinduism and Islam—had become corrupt and degraded.
They had lost their pristine purity and glory. The Vedas were
unintelligible to the people and had been replaced by Tantric
literature... Caste had grown rigid and had split into numer-
ous sub-castes ... Similar was the state of affairs inIslam....
Political conditions were much worse...

Men with vision were worried about this state of affairs. They
attacked the rot that had set in their society from various angles.
There was the Bhakti movement, there was the Sufi cult and there
was the Sant tradition. All the three had dedicated men from
among the Hindus and the Muslims to give them direction. They
attempted a synthesis of the Hindu and the Muslim ways of life,
though their nature remained different with different sets of people.
However, they placed first things first. Rather than engage them-
selves in the political and economic issues, they devoted their
attention to social problems, trying their best to restore man’s faith
in God. They believed that once man turned his face towards God,
the rest of the maladies society suffered from would be easy
to cure.
By and large, Guru Nanak can be said to belong to the Bhakti
movement. Bhakti is loving devotion. In the case of Guru Nanak,
this devotion is towards God, the Supreme Being. Its expression is
strictly through meditation and through living a life in the image
of God.
The Bhakti movement in Northern India was a revolt against
the ritualism, casteism and formalism of the Brahmins among the
Hindus and the Qazis among the Muslims. It had its roots in the
cult of Vaishnav bhakti which came from the South, the ancient
tradition of Tantric yoga as practised by the Nath sect of yogis and
the Sufi orders of Islam. It rejected all exterior forms, ceremonies,
pilgrimages, ritual bathing, etc. No importance was attached to celi-
bacy or asceticism. Guru Nanak himself married and had two sons.
Towards the close of his life, he came to settle down at Kartarpur,
where he tended his corps and ran a ST) kitchen shared by
high and low, rich and poor.
Guru Nanak 35

The poets of the Bhakti movement also rejected Sanskrit as well

as Persian, the languages of the elite, and chose to communicate
themselves in the language of the people to whom they belonged.
Namdevy, Raidas, Kabir, some of the predecessors of Guru Nanak,
belonged to the so-called lower classes of their society. Namdev
Was a washerman, Raidas was a cobbler and Kabir was a weaver.
Guru Nanak himself was a Khatri (Kshatriya) and not a Brahmin.
The protagonists of the Bhakti movement not only evolved a
link language called Sadhukkari spoken and popularized by the
saint-poets in Northern India, they also adopted the poetic forms
which were popular with the common people. Their metres and
measures followed the folk songs and folk ballads that the common
people were familiar with. They drew their similes from everyday
life of thecommon man. They employed familiar symbols, though
with a freshness of their own. Almost all the poetry that Guru
Nanak wrote can be sung to music. The text conforms to specific
ragas prevalent in the Hindustani music of the day. Where Guru
Nanak followed better-known musical forms of folk ballads, he
made it a point to mention the fact in the beginning of the composi-
tion that it was designed to be sung in such and such tune in the
style of such and such ballad. For instance in the opening of Asa di
Var, a longish work sung by the Sikh community every morning
as a divine service, it is stated:
*‘The Var with slokas is written by the First Guru (Nanak) and
should be sung to the air of Tunda as Raja.”
Faith is the prerequisite of all devotion. Without faith love does
not happen. The devotee must not question the will of God. He
must carry out His dictates. In comfort he must not feel elated and
in trouble he must not get depressed. The ways of God are
inscrutable.

The Guru’s words in the heart are the earrings of the yogi
And humility the garb of the recluse
Acceptance of His will is the eternal bliss.
(Asa

Devotion also entails complete surrender to God, an uncondi-

tional submission. The devotee is like a bride who must surrender
herself completely to her lord to enjoy the bliss of married life. God
is the bridegroom and the whole world is a bride.
36 The Sikh Gurus

Go and ask the bride, how she won her lord’s heart.
Do as he desires and shake off all cleverness.
He who bestows the bliss of loving devotion,
He alone should be adored.
Carry out his commands,
Surrender to him body and soul
Says the bride, this is how you win your lord.
(Tilang

Love of God is not possible without the fear of God. One fears
him most whom one loves best. The bhakta must recognize the
immensity and the authority of God absolutely. The entire world
created by God lives in His fear.

In fear the winds ever blow.

In fear millions of rivers flow.
In fear the fire does its job.
In fear the earth is buried under its weight.
In fear the moon moves on its head.
Even the god of death is in fear.
(Asa

Real devotion is God’s love. It can be of two types: outward

(laukik) and inward (anuraga). Guru Nanak rejected the outward
devotion. He laid stress on inward devotion or pure love. He did
not believe in dancing and jumping and other antics of the yogis
and the Sufis of his time.

The devotees play on the accompaniments

and the gurus dance.
They move their feet
and shake their heads.
The dust rises and settles on their hair. . .
people see it and laugh.
They do this only to earn their livelihood.
(Asa

The bhakta must sing God’s praises day and night. By singing
His praises, one can hope to be like Him. By singing His praises,
one can hope to find a place in the Lord’s court.
Guru Nanak 3

There is no end to God’s praises

To those who praise Him there is no end.
(The Japji

There are nine forms of bhakti accepted in the spiritual order.

These are: 1. listening (srawan), 2. music (Kirtan), 3. remembrance
(simuran), 4. following in the footsteps of the master (padsevan),
5. service (archan) , 6. singing praises (vandana), 7. obedience (das-
bhav), 8. friendship (mitrata) and 9. self-surrender (atma nivedan).
Guru Nanak subscribed to all these but the best form of bhakti
according to him is prema bhakti, loving devotion to God.
According to Guru Nanak, the love of God follows the love of
man. Only those can love God who love their fellowmen. At
times it is through the love of men that one finds the love of God.
Guru Nanak broke the barriers of caste. In his eyes, there was
no higher or lower caste. He rejected the privileges acquired by
birth. He fraternized with the poor and the down-trodden; the
peasant and the worker. The whole world was one family for him.
He respected other religions. He spoke many languages. He
dressed like Turks and Pathans while visiting their country; in his
own country, he clad himself like Udasis at times and in the saffron
robes of the yogis or the ordinary dress of a Punjabi Khatri or a
Sufi mystic at others.
Guru Nanak never made promises of paradise and heavenly
luxuries as a reward for ritualistic practices. He did not offer future
bliss as a bait for religious living. No houries, no rivulets of honey,
no springs of milk. He assured people peace and harmony in this
world for a truthful life and correct social behaviour.
Excepting, of course, the places of pilgrimages which he visited
as a seeker of truth, Guru Nanak never cared to stay in temples,
mosques or other shrines while visiting a town. He did not prefer
the conventional places of worship for preaching his message. The
blue dome of the sky was his cover and he talked about his new
way of life in the open. His meetings were free for anyone who
cared to come to him. If he had to choose he went and stayed with
the people like Sajjan, the cheat, who needed him—to show them
light and put them on the path of righteousness.
Guru Nanak combined in himself a recluse, an ascetic and a
family man who married and had children. He was the fond
brother of a loving sister. He was a dutiful husband. He was a
 38 The Sikh Gurus

loving father. And yet he was unduly attached to none. For years,
he would go out towards the East, West, North and South, but
every time he came back to his home. He promised his sister
Nanaki that he would come to her whenever she remembered him.
It is said that once when the sister in Nanaki had the better of her
and she wished in her heart of hearts to have a glimpse of her
brother, to her joy, Guru Nanak did keep his promise. He ensured
that his wife was suitably provided for and his sons were brought
up properly. His parents took a little longer, to appreciate the
unconventional ways of their only son.
During the last twenty years of his life, Guru Nanak made an
experiment that was unique for his times. He had one of his well-to-
do devotees part with a large enough piece of land and had a new
town built thereon. It was called Kartarpur, the abode of the
Creator. It was the first ever experiment in community living
in our part of the world. The land was common, the farming was
common, and there was a common kitchen. Guru Nanak insisted
on the common kitchen, so that the curse of the caste system could
be removed from his society. The Hindus of the day were obsessed
With caste system which had acquired rigidity over ages. The Muslim
had also acquired it to some extent from the Hindus. Nobody could
see him unless he had eaten in the common kitchen. It is said that
Guru Nanak did farming along with the rest in the fields. He attach-
ed great importance to manual labour. Before long, Kartarpur be-
came a flourishing town with lush, green fields laden with rich crops.
Guru Nanak’s devotees came from far and near to pay homage to
the Master. Here Guru Nanak lived with his wife and the two sons.
When the time came for Guru Nanak to nominate a successor,
he felt neither of his sons came up to his expectations. Here was the
greatest test of his life. His sons aspired to become the Guru. One
of them had never married and lived the life of an ascetic. Guru
_ Nanak did not approve of it. He attached greater importance to
normal family life. He, therefore, ordained one of his followers who
had come to stay with him, as the next Guru. This put off the two
sons of Guru Nanak one of whom started his own sects. But the
Stewardship of the Sikh’s remained with Guru Angad who is
known as the second Sikh Guru.
Guru Nanak’s three important precepts are: There is neither
Hindu nor Mussalmans; one must work and share one’s earnings;
and an active life is superior to comtemplative life.
Guru Nanak 39

It is no wonder that his followers have weathered many storms

and have continued to remain in the forefront of the progressive
forces. They are a hardworking people, devoted and self-sacrificing.
Selected Hymns of Guru Nanak

1. He was here in the beginning

And before the beginning
He is here today
He will be here hereafter.
(Japji
. If you were to think Him out
You may not succeed
Even if you tried a hundred thousand times.
If you tried to take to silence
You may not succeed
Even if you concentrated on Him ever and ever.
A hungry man’s hunger is not satisfied
Even if he were to collect the entire world’s wealth.
You may try a million ways
Not one will see you through.
Then how can one be truthful?
How can the wall of falsehood be broken?
You must do as He wishes you to do
Says Nanak, it’s been given to man to do so.
(Japji
. He is the true Lord
His Name is true.
His language is endless love.
They ask and ask and ask
The giver always gives.
What should I offer
To behold His court?
What prayer should I make
Hearing which He should take kindly to me?
In the ambrosial hour of the morning
Remember and adore Him.
Guru Nanak 41

You are born in the image of your Karma

But salvation is His gift alone,
Says Nanak, this is the way to know Him
The True One is everywhere.
(Japji
4. Hearing His Name
One becomes truthful, contented, enlightened.
Hearing His Name
Is like bathing at sixty-eight places of pilgrimage.
Hearing His Name
Is reading and reading and gaining glory.
Hearing His Name
Is composing the mind and meditating Him.
Says Nanak, the devotees are ever in bliss
Hearing His Name
Destroys the sufferings of evil deeds.
(Japji
5. Those who believe in Him
Get to the gate of salvation.
Those who believe in Him
Are saved with their kin.
Those who believe in Him
Swim across and help other Sikhs to swim.
Those who believe in Him
Don’t have to beg of others.
Such is the Name of God the Pure,
Those who believe in Him
They alone get to know Him.
(Japji
6. What is the gate like
What is the house like
Where You sit and watch over all?
Where countless instruments are played
Where numerous singers sing?
There is no end of musical measures
Presented by fairy-like faces.
The air, the water, the fire
Sing Your praises.
Dharamraj adores You standing on Your threshold.
The scribes of Dharamraj sing Your praises,
42 The Sikh Gurus

And those who keep just record.

Ishar, Brahma and Devi sing Your praises
Those who have been blessed by You.
Indra sings Your praises
Sitting on his throne
Along with other gods waiting at Your gate.
Siddhas sing Your praises sitting in meditation.
The holy ones sing Your praises
While contemplating on You.
They sing Your praises
Who are continent, truthful, contented,
Those who are mighty heroes.
Sing the pandits and the learned yogis
Who have read the Vedas for ages.
Your praises are sung by the charming beauties
Who beguile heaven, the nether and middle worlds,
All the gems of men created by you
Sing your praises at sixty-eight places of pilgrimage.
Your praises are sung by warriors and great heroes
Together with all those born from the four
sources of creation.
The entire world, its continents and the whole universe
Created and maintained by You
Sing Your praises.
They sing Your praises whom You love.
Those who are Your disciples and devoted to You.
And several others sing Your praises
Whom I cannot recall
They are beyond Nanak’s reckoning
He is the eternal True Lord, His name is true.
He is there; He will be there.
He doesn’t go; nor will He ever go,
He who has made this world,
He who has created several species in various forms.
As it goes with His greatness
He looks after His creation.
He does what He pleases
No one may order Him about.
He is the King, the King of Kings.
Guru Nanak 43

Nanak does as He desires.

(Japji
7. Continence is the smithy
Patience the goldsmith
Understanding is the anvil
And divine knowledge the tool.
God’s fear is the bellows
And penance the fire,
Love is the crucible,
Where nectar is distilled.
God’s Name is forged in this true mint.
Those who are favoured
They alone can do it.
Says Nanak, a graceful glance
Blesses and makes one happy.
(Japji
8. Riches, youth and flowers are a day’s guests
Like the leaves of a herb that withers away without water.
You may enjoy your life as long as you are
young and fresh.
But your days are numbered; the body must grow
old and tired.
My loved ones have gone to rest in the graveyard.
I grieve in my heart for I must also follow them.
Don’t you hear the call, O fair one?
You must go to the in-laws.
No one ever lives at her parent’s house.
Says Nanak, the bride who remains at her parents’
Her house is broken in daylight.
She loses her treasure of virtues
And continues to be loaded with sins.
(Sri
9. You are the all-knowing, the all-seeing river
I am a fish, how can I measure you?
Wherever I see, it is You Ifind
The moment I get away I die.
I know neither the fisherman nor the net...
Whenever I am in trouble, I remember You.
You are everywhere and yet You appear so far away.
Whatever I do is in Your knowledge
44 The Sikh Gurus

You know it and I deny it.

I follow You not, I remember You not
And yet I eat whatever You offer,
There is no other door to which I could go.
You are the only one, Nanak can make a prayer to.
I owe this body and soul to You.
You are close, You are far, You are in between.
You see, You hear,
You create the universe in Your own way.
Says Nanak, whatever happens is under Your orders,
Which I must accept.
(Sri
10. Man! You should love God the way the lotus loves water.
Its knocked down by waves and yet it blossoms
and continues to love.
Born out of water, it dies without water.
Man! How can you be saved without love?
God lives within you and blesses you with the
gift of devotion.
Man! You should love God the way fish loves water;
The more the water the happier she is in her heart
and soul.
She lives not a moment without water,
God alone knows the agony of her heart.
(Sri
ii You are a recluse amongst recluses.
You Indulge in pleasure amongst the pleasure-loving.
Nobody has been able to know You
Neither in heaven, nor on earth, nor in the nether world.
I am a sacrifice to You and Your Name.
You have created this world
And made everyone an assignment.
You have thrown the dice and you watch the game.
You can be found in the world around.
Everyone hungers for Your Name
That can’t be obtained without the true Guru.
The world is pitched in maya,
I am a sacrifice to the true Guru.
A meeting with him earns salvation.
He whom the angels and ascetics look for
Guru Nanak 45

The true Guru has made me know Him.

I look for the company of holymen
Where I may remember His Name
My true Guru has made me understand
That remembering His Name is one’s only life-mission.
(Sri
. The night is gone in sleep and the day in feeding,
The gem of a life is lost like a cowrie
You have not remembered God,
The fool! You will regret it.
He who keeps on amassing untold gold
Knows not the Limitless.
He who longs for the Limitless
Has no use for limitless wealth
If it could be got by one’s own effort
Everyone would be rich.
It depends upon one’s deeds
Not upon one’s wishes.
Says Nanak, He takes care,
Who has created the world.
No one knows the ways of God,
On whom He bestows His honour,
(Bairagan
13. Had I been a doe
I would live in a dale
Eating leaves and grass
With Guru’s grace I would find my Lord,
To whom I am a sacrifice.
I deal in His Name
God’s Name is my goods-in-trade.
Had I been a koel
I would live on a mango tree
And ever meditate on His Word.
I would meet my Lord one day
He who is most charming to behold.
Had I been a fish
I would dwell in water
That sustains all living creatures.
My Lord who lives on both the banks
I would meet Him by stretching my hands
46 The Sikh Gurus

Had I been a snake

I would live under the earth
Lost by the Guru’s Word
I would shake off my fear.
Says Nanak, they are happily married
Who have merged themselves into God.
(Asa
14. He is called great by hearsay;
He who has seen Him can say how great He is.
He can neither be described nor evaluated;
Those who’ve tried, have failed.
O my great Master, deep, profound and virtuous,
No one knows how great You are.
All the thinkers got together to think about You
All the evaluaters got together to evaluate You.
The master thinkers and master divines
Could not measure a fraction of Your greatness.
(Asa
15; I remember You and I live
I die ifI forget you.
It’s not easy to remember you.
I hunger for your true Name
Satisfying this hunger kills all pain.
Mother, how can I forget Him!
He is the true Lord, His name is true.
Measuring a fraction of His greatness
Many have tried without success.
If everyone got together to do it
He’ll neither be bigger nor smaller,
He never dies nor is He mourned.
He is always giving
There is no end to His favours.
His only quality is
That there is none like Him,
Neither was ever there
Nor would there ever be.
His gifts are as great as great He is
Those who pass their nights like day
(They get to know Him).
He who forgets the Master is a wretch.
Guru Nanak 47

Says Nanak, without His name one remains defiled.

(Asa
16. You may read and read and load yourself like a cart.
You may read and read and equip yourself fully.
You may read and read and bind yourself.
You may read and read and dig pits around you.
You may read for years and years
You may read for months and months
You may read as long as you live
You may read as long as you breathe.
Says Nanak, only one thing will be reckoned in the end
The rest is all vanity and vexation of spirit.
(Asa
iT. Suffering is the remedy, comfort the malady;
Where there is comfort You are not.
You are the creator; I dare not do anything.
If I were to try I may not succeed.
I am a sacrifice to you whom I see in Nature
Your limit cannot be known.
Your light is seen in the Universe
The Universe is sustained by your light.
You are found all over, as a whole and in parts.
You are the true, praiseworthy Master.
He who adores you finds salvation.
Says Nanak, you must surrender to Him.
He does what pleases Him.
(Asa
18. He himself makes vessels
Himself He fills them.
Some contain milk
Others are put on fire.
Some have peaceful sleep
Others keep their vigil.
Says Nanak, blessed are they
To whom He takes kindly.
(Asa
tah The peahen sings,
It’s the rainy reason,
I feel a stab in my heart.
Your charm is irresistible,
48 The Sikh Gurus

I die without seeing you,

I am a sacrifice to Your Name.
When You are mine I feel proud,
Without You what pride can I feel?
O bride! You should break the set of your bangles;
You adorn your arms, the whole of them,
You adorn yourself no end
While your Lord loves others.
Neither the bangle-maker nor the bangles seem to help
Let the arms burn that don’t entwine the Master’s neck.
All my friends have gone to please their lords,
Where should I go, the blasted one?
Friends! I am done up well
And yet I am not endeared by my Lord.
I do my hair and fill the parting line with bridal powder.
But when I present myself to Him,
I am not accepted.
I die pining day and night.
I cry and the whole would cries with me.
Woods and birds shed tears
Excepting my wretched heart that has alienated me
from my Lord.
I saw Him in dream and he disappeared.
I cry, my eyes swimming in tears.
Lord! I cannot come to You.
Nor can I send anyone.
Come the fair sleep, may be I see my Master again!
Says Nanak, what should I offer him
Who comes and gives me tidings of my Lord?
I offer him my beheaded head for seat
And I serve him without my head.
Why should not one die and lay one’s life
If one’s Lord is found estranged?
(Wadhans
Z0: Let mind be the peasant that does the farming.
Hard work be the water and body the field.
Let Name be the seed and contentment the cover.
You must don the dress of humility
Then alone will love be born with His favour.
Such a one is blessed.
Guru Nanak 49
Man, wealth doesn’t accompany you.
Wealth has charmed the world.
Not many understand this secret.
Let every breath of your life be your shop
And the true Name the goods you deal in.
Let your contemplation be rows of vessels,
Let His Name be contained in them.
You must deal with holymen
And gain profit to your satisfaction.
Let listening to the holy books be your trade.
Let your houses be the true Name.
Let your good deeds be the investment.
Don’t put it off till tomorrow.
If you arrived in God’s kingdom like this
You will find a place in the palace of bliss.
Let the service you take be devotion.
And God’s name the effort.
Let your labour be eschewing evil deeds
Only then the will people commend you.
Says Nanak, if He were to be gracious
Man flourishes in life manifold.
(Sorath
pak I am a foul sinner, an inveterate dissembler,
You are clean, blemishless, God!
Those who come to you for protection
Taste nectar and are intoxicated with eternal bliss
God, You are pride of the humble
Those who are devoted to the true word
Are proud possessers of Your Name.
You are perfect; I am poor and mean.
You are great, I am small,
I remember you day and night.
My tongue utters your Name time and again.
(Sorath
22. The corporeal body is lost to maya complete.
It’s dyed in avarice
My Lord doesn’t like such garments.
How can I go to His bed? _
I am sacrifice to him, I am sacrifice to him,
I am sacrifice to him who remembers Your Name.
50 The Sikh Gurus

He who remembers Your Name

I am sacrifice to him a hundred times.
Let your body be the container
And put the fast colour of Name in it.
If the Great Dyer were to dye it
No one would know such a colour.
The Lord is with them
Whose dress is red-coloured.
Nanak prays for the dust of their feet.
He creates, He dyes, He blesses.
Says Nanak she who is acceptable to the Master
He makes her remember His Name.
(Tilang
Mass He is kind, my Master is kind.
Indeed my Master is kind.
He bestows favours on all those living.
Why be worried, O man?
The Creator will protect you.
He who has created you.
He will sustain you.
He has made this world,
He maintains it.
He is the Master of every soul, the true Creator.
No one can know His greatness.
He is too big to bother about anything.
Man! as long as you live
You must remember Him.
God, You are all-powerful, indescribable, unknowable.
My life is dedicated to You.
Nanak has always prayed to You
And gained peace with Your grace.
(Tilang
24. What scale, what measure, and who should be
the evaluator?
Which Guru should guide me?
How should I determine your status?
My Precious One, You are beyond my reckoning
You are all over, in water and on earth, in
every living creature.
Guru Nanak 51

Let my mind be the scale, my heart the measure

and your service my evaluator.
Let me reckon You in the heart of my hearts
This is how I would like to go about it.
You are the scale, You the measure, You the evaluator.
You watch Yourself, You assess Yourself, You are
the trader.
Nanak lives in the company of
the blind, the petty, those who are stranger to You.
He remains restless.
How can such a foolish one get close to you?
(Suhi
bon . My beloved has come to my house.
The True One has brought about this union.
Having met in Sahj I have endeared myself to Him.
All my five senses are at rest.
I have obtained what I longed for.
I live with Him day and night,
I am happy at heart.
The temple of my house is pleasing.
There is an ever-resounding symphonic melody
of the five notes,
My beloved has come to my house.
(Suhi
26. Come, my Loved One, I long to see You
Excited, I wait on my threshold.
O Lord, listen to my prayer,
I long to see You,
You are my support.
A glimpse of Yours and I am cleansed.
I am freed from the agony of birth and death.
Your light is seen in every living creature.
You are found when You so desire.
Nanak is sacrifice to the Lord
Meeting the True One is like arriving at one’s destination.
(Suhi
jAe: You are called Sultan, O Master!
You are beyond my praise.
I have what You give
The simpleton, I know not what to ask.
32 The Sikh Gurus

Grant me the understanding that I sing Your praises

And I live a truthful life as ordained by You.
Whatever happens is under Your orders
You are known everywhere
O, Master, I know You not fully
What virtue can a blind man possess?
How can I sing Your praises,
Sing them and measure You?
I cannot sing, I am incapable of it.
Whatever You say, I say the same
And it is a small praise of Yours.
There are so many seekers
I am a novice among them.
I crave for myself alone.
But if I am devoid of devotion
Ill bring a bad name to Him
Whose servant I am.
(Bilawal
28. My Lord God has come to my bed
I am at peace now.
With the Guru’s grace I have found my love
And I enjoy Him to my heart’s content.
The bride is fortunate
Her head is held high in pride.
Meeting the Lord is true union.
This is what Nanak longs for.
29; Nothing happens unless You allow it.
You do what You desire.
What should I say? I can’t say much.
Whatever is there is according to Your wishes.
If I have to ask for anything
It is You I ask.
To whom else should I make my prayer?
I read about You and listen to Your Word.
You the greatest of all, know Yourself.
You do Yourself.
And make others do as You desire.
Nanak sees his maker and destroyer thus.
(Bhairo
30. If one is lucky, one finds the true Guru.
Guru Nanak 53

Without good luck he is not to be found.

Meeting the true Guru, one becomes gold.
But only if God so desires.
O man! remember god with devotion.
God is found through the true Guru.
And one remains merged in God.
The true Guru helps one gain knowledge
And the doubts are removed.
The true Guru makes one realize God
And frees from the cycle of birth and death.
With Guru’s grace, the dead become alive
And the reborn devote themselves to God.
He alone attains salvation
Who gets rid of his ego.
He controls the uncontrollable
Gains the knowledge of good and evil
And merges into the ultimate.
(Malhar
Guru Angad

Angad had the sacred mark on his forehead

And the hallowed umbrella over his head.
He ascended the throne of Guru Nanak,
The Guru’s spirit had entered the disciple.
—Bhai Gurdas

T Khadur near Taran Taran in the Punjab, there lived a pro-

sperous trader called Pheru. His son Lehna was an ardent
devotee of Durga, the Hindu goddess. He led parties of pilgrims to
her temple and Jwalamukhi every year. They went singing and
dancing all the way.
Early one morning while meditating on the goddess, Lehna
heard a neighbour called Jodha recite a hymn and it touched his
soul. He tried in vain to for get it, the melody echoed and re-
echoed in his ears:

There is but one God,

His name is Truth,
He is the Creator,
He fears none.
Nor does He nurse ill will for anyone,
He is immortal.
Neither is He born nor does he die,
He is self-existent.
He is reached by the Guru’s favour.
(Moo! Mantra

At dawn, Lehna went over to Jodha, his neighbour, and anxiou-

sly asked him whose hymn it was that he was reciting. Jodha told
him all about Guru Nanak who lived at Kartarpur. Lehna decided
 Guru Angad SS

in his heart of hearts to visit Guru Nanak on his way to Jwala-

mukhi a few days later when he led the pilgrims’ party.
However, when he mentioned it to his companions, they did
not approve of it. They worshipped the goddess and they would not
pay homage to anyone else, particularly on their way to the deity.
Lehna was helpless. Had he not been leading the party, he could
have opted out but as the leader of the group, how could he
desert them? He longed to see Guru Nanak.
Lehna prayed to Guru Nanak with folded hands day and night.
The hymn had caught his imagination. He must see the Guru. Then
one night without telling anybody, he mounted his horse and left for
Kartarpur. Early next morning, he was with the Master, his head on
his feet.
From the day he met Guru Nanak, Lehna served him day and
night like a bond slave. When he went to the fields, Guru Nanak
found Lehna working with the peasants, at mealtime, he was found
serving in the kitchen, at the time of prayers, he was among the
devotees singing with complete abandon.
Then Lehna wished to be initiated formally as a Sikh and stay
with the Guru. Guru Nanak advised him to goto his people for a few
days and settle his household affairs before he joined him perman-
ently. He had his wife and children awaiting him. Accordingly,
Lehna went home and made adequate provision for his family and
in no time he was back. The day he arrived he was wearing rich
silken garments of a well-to-do trader’s son. Finding Guru Nanak
not at home, he went to the fields looking for him. The sun was
setting as he reached the fields. Guru Nanak had three loads of
fodder collected and tied up to be carried home for the cattle.
Since it had rained in the afternoon, the fodder was wet and
muddy. When Guru Nanak found the peasants unwilling to carry
the bundles home, he asked his two sons. They, too, declined
saying that they would send a servant from the house who
would carry them. At that moment Lehna appeared on the scene.
He picked up the bundles one upon the other and carried them
home, all three of them. Lehna’s rich drcss was completely soiled.
Guru Nanak’s wife, Mata Sulakhni was unhappy to see a guest
treated thus. Guru Nanak told her that the load was carried by one
who was fit to carry it. She didn’t seem to understand.
“See, how his clothes have been dirtied,” she protested. ‘‘its not
dirt, it’s saffron,’ remarked Guru Nanak. And Mata Sulakhni for a
56 The Sikh Gurus

moment didn’t believe her eyes. It was indeed saffron splattered

all over Bhai Lehna’s dress. The three bundles that he carried, it
is said, represented the spiritual, the temporal and the stewardship
of the Sikhs which where to fall on his shoulders shortly.
One night a portion of the compound wall in Guru Nanak’s
house collapsed. It was during a spell of winter rain. Guru Nanak
desired that the wall be erected immediately, that very night. His
sons thought it was the job of masons who would attend to it the
next morning. Lehna volunteered to raise the wall as desired by
the Master. Lehna had hardly completed the job, when Guru
Nanak turned up and remarked, “‘Its all uneven.”’ Lehna demoli-
shed the wall and started doing it all over again. This time, too,
Guru Nanak was not satisfied. The wall was pulled down again.
Guru Nanak’s son advised Lehna not to heed “‘the crazy old man.”
But Lehna would not listen to them. He obeyed his Master and
started doing the wall afresh.
Guru Nanak was extremely pleased with Lehna’s devotion. The
more Lehna endeared himself to the Master, the more jealousy he
created in the household. His worst enemies were the two sons of
the Guru—Lakhmi Chand and Sri Chand. Since Guru Nanak
didn’t wish any unpleasantness in the house, he advised Lehna
to go back to Khadur and look after his family. Guru Nanak had
once stayed at Khadur and there was a nucleus of his devotees who
needed guidance that Lehna could provide. Lehna heeded his
Master’s instructions in all humility and left for Khadur.
At Khadur, Bhai Lahna lived in the style of his Master. He
spent his time in the service of the people and meditation. Every
day his wife cooked food that was distributed to the poor and the
needy. Whenever he found time, Lehna went out of town and
sitting by the side of a tank meditated onthe Master. Though
physically he was at Khadur, Bhai Lehna’s thoughts were always
with the Master. He longed to see the Guru. And then his prayers
were heard and Guru Nanak paid hima visit. He was extremely
happy about the way Bhai Lehna had collected the devotees
around him. Congregations were held both in the morning and
in the evening. Guru Nanak blessed Lehna and, after staying
at Khadur for a little while, got ready to leave for Kartarpur.
Lehna wanted either the Guru to stay with him or himself
to accompany him to Kartarpur. Moved by his devotion, Guru
Nanak agreed to take Bhai Lehna along with him to Kartarpur.
Guru Angad 57

At Kartarpur, Bhai Lehna again plunged himself into the service

of the Master. His Humility and devotion won for him the worst
hostility in the household. Guru Nanak was greatly pleased with
him and one day placing his hand on his head blessed him and
gave him the name of Angad—a part of his ang (body). He was no
more Lehna the son of Pheru, the trader of Khadur.
All indications were that Angad was to succeed Guru Nanak.
He was closest to him. But Guru Nanak must prove it to the
fullest satisfaction of other aspirants, and humble their pride.
Guru Nanak made several tests, the last being one in which
he asked his sons to eat what appeared to them as a corpse. They
scoffed at the suggestion, while Angad obeyed the Master blindly.
Not only this, when he found it to be the sacred food he brought
it first to Guru Nanak and his sons to partake of it and he would
eat only the leftover.
Before long, Guru Nanak ordained Angad as the Guru and invited
Bhai Budha, a trusted Sikh, to anoint him. After his succession,
Guru Angad shifted to Khadur. Bhai Gurdas, the noted Sikh bard,
has described it thus:

Angad had the sacred mark on his forehead

And hallowed umbrella over his head,
He ascended the throne of Nanak,
The Guru’s spirit entering the disciple.
(Var I-46

Though he had come away from Kartarpur fully blessed and

anointed by the Guru, the disciple missed his Master. Day and
night he remembered his mentor and wished to have a glimpse of
him. One day he came across a Jat girl called Nihali, who had
heard about him and longed to pay homage to him. She was mak-
ing cowdung cakes for fuel when she saw the Guru pass by the side
of their house. She flung herself at his feet and wished to entertain
him with fresh milk. Guru Angad was moved by her devotion and
asked if they could place a room at his disposal where he could live
in hiding as he wished. What more did Nihali want in life? They
vacated a room for the Guru and placed it at his disposal. It
is said the Guru would have nothing but a little milk twice a day
and meditated in the room for six long months, unknown to
the world where he had disappeared.
5S) The Sikh Gurus

In the meanwhile, the Sikhs became panicky. They looked

for the Guru everywhere. A deputation comprising Bhai Lalo, Bhai
Saido, Bhai Ajita and others went to Bhai Budha, who was
greatly respected by Guru Nanak, to help them locate Guru Angad.
Bhai Budha was a man of great insight, he had been particularly
blessed by the great Guru. He led the anxious Sikhs to Khadur to
Bibi Nihali’s house where in a secluded room Guru Angad was
found in deep meditation.
The Sikhs were astonished to find that their Guru appeared to
be the very image of Guru Nanak. The same glow in his eyes, the
same resplendence on his face, the same halo around his head. His
words were poetry. He was compassion incarnate. Still Guru
Angad seemed to long for Guru Nanak. When he saw Bhai Budha,
he said:

He whom you love, die for him

Accursed is the life lived without the beloved.
The head should be sliced that does not bow before the Master
O, Nanak! the body should be burnt, that suffers not the agony
of separation.
(Sri Rag

Guru Angad by using nom de plume, Nanak in a way, testified

to the fact that he was Guru Nanak himself. The great Guru’s spirit
had entered into him. He was no more Lahna, trader Pheru’s son.
Bhai Budha and his companions persuaded Guru Angad to
come out of his hiding-place and meet his disciples who were
yearning to have a glimpse of him.
It was difficult to refuse Bhai Budha. Guru Angad asked Bhai
Budha how he happened to come so close to Guru Nanak and be
favoured by him. Bhai Budha told him that as a child he was once
watching his mother make a fire. He was surprised, to see that
the small pieces of firewood lighted more easily and were consumed
faster than the larger pieces. He was convinced that death was.
a reality and it was no respecter of age. One could die any time.
He had not yet recovered from this perception when one day
the king’s soldiers passed through their village mindlessly ravaging
the crops. Bhai Budha ran home to report to his father who said,
“Child, you can do nothing with the king’s soldiers.” Bhai Budha
realized that if his father couldn’t protect his own crops from the
Guru Angad 59

king’s men, how could he save his child from the clutches of
death? This realization led him to Guru Nanak who showed him
the light and freed him from the fear of death.
“We have now come to you. You are Guru Nanak incarnate.
Kindly show us the path of liberation,’’? said Bhai Budha and
his companions.
At this Guru Angad uttered these words in utter humility:

He who has been blessed by Guru Nanak

Is lost in the praises ofthe lord.
What could one teach those
Who have Divine Nanak as their Guru?
(Majh

Guru Angad fellowed Guru Nanak in his daily routine. He woke

up long before daybreak and went into meditation. At dawn, the
recitation of Japji was followed by Asa di var sung in a congrega-
tion with the Sikhs joining from far and near. Satta and Balwand,
the two local musicians, were particular favourites and they
led the singing of hymns daily. Guru Angad also followed Guru
Nanak’s practice of maintaining a free kitchen for all those who
came to visit him, irrespective of caste and creed. He also took
keen interest in physical exercise and watched wrestling matches
in which his devotees participated. Guru Angad came to be known
as the healer of incurable ailments like leprosy and poor patients
came to him in large numbers.
Once Malu Shah, an orderly in the Mughal army, came to
Guru Angad for spiritual guidance. The Guru was aware that
the Mughals were in a bad way those days. He advised Malu Shah
to remain loyal to his master and serve his King devotedly, more
so in his adversity.
Humayun had succeeded Babar to the Mughal throne but
he was soon overpowered by Sher Shah. As he was being hounded
out he came over to Khadur to seek Guru Angad’s blessings.
It so happened that, when he came to the Guru, he was sitting ina
congregation listening to hymns being sung by the devotees. The
Mughal king had, therefore, to wait for a while. Humayun felt
slighted and losing his temper put his hand on the hilt of his
sword, threatening to attack the Guru. Guru Angad was unmoved
by this threat. He chided Humayun: “When you should have used
60 The Sikh Gurus

the sword, you did not, rather you ran away from the battlefield
like a coward. Here with a dervish, you show off, threatening to
attack unarmed devotees engaged in prayer!’’ Humayun heard it
and was embarrassed. He wished to be pardoned. Guru Angad
then reminded Humayun about Guru Nanak’s prophecy. He must
leave the country in his own interest and, as foreseen by the great
Guru he would return to his throne shortly thereafter. History is
witness to it that Humayun attacked India in due course and
regained his throne.
A certain Sikh, Mana by name, used to serve in the Guru’s
kitchen. He was a good cook and became a great favourite of the
Guru. This turned his head. He would listen to no one and
was rude to everybody. He said that he would serve only the
Guru and none else. It so happened that one day a few Sikhs visi-
ted the Guru at an odd hour. When asked Mana was reluctant to
attend to them. He insisted that he would obey the Guru and
listen to none else. At this, Guru Angad sent for him and told him
to go into the jungle, make a funeral pyre and burn himself. Mana
must obey the Guru’s orders. He went to the jungle and collected
firewood and erected a funeral pyre. But when it came to setting
fire to himself, he wavered. At that very instant, a robber turned up
in the jungle and asked Mana what he was going to do. Mana told
him all about his Guru. When the robber heard it, he was so
much moved that, handing over the pot in his hand to Mana, he
decided to honour the Guru’s word. The robber burnt himself
to death, while Mana carried the pot which was full of jewellery
and precious stones to the town to sell it. As he was negotiating the
sale of his fortune, he was arrested by the police for having com-
mitted a robbery and was then hanged.
Similarly, Satta and Balwand had also become swollen-headed.
They had come to believe that all the popularity of Guru Angad
was due to their excellence as musicians. They started making all
sorts of fantastic claims. Guru Angad put up with them, but
then came a stage when he felt that he had to take some action.
He asked them to quit service and advised his followers to
have nothing to do with them. At this, they started their indepen-
dent service. It was indeed very rude and Guru Angad ordered that
far from having anything to do with them, none may mention even
their names in his presence. He who spoke about them to the Guru
would have his face blackened, mounted on a donkey and taken
Guru Angad 61

through the town. They were not only rude to him, they were dis-
respectful even to Guru Nanak. They believed that since they sang
the Guru’s praises, the Sikhs came to him. Without them no
one would visit the Guru. They continued holding musical sessions
at their own place. They sang both in the morning and in the
evening but no one ever went to them. On the other hand, the
Sikhs in Guru Angad’s congregation started singing hymns on their
own and they were highly popular. Before long, Satta and Balwand
realized their folly and they started looking for someone who
could arrange for their reconciliation with the Guru. But in view of
the Guru’s condemnation of their conduct, no one dared give them
any quarter. They tried their best but they failed miserably. At
last, they went to Lahore to see Bhai Ladha who had considerable
influence with the Guru. Bhai Ladha was aware of their misbeha-
viour but, as a true Sikh of the Guru, he decided to do good for
evil and intercede on their behalf. He, therefore, had his face
smeared with ash, and riding on a donkey he went through the
entire town of Khadur and then, presenting himself before Guru
Angad, begged his favour to pardon the erring minstrels. The
Guru was greatly moved at Bhai Ladha’s spirit of self-abnegation
and dedication to the lofty ideal of mercy and compassion upheld
by Guru Nanak and took Satta and Balwand back in his fold.
Guru Angad was fond of children and took great interest in
them. He gathered children, organized games for them and distribut-
ed prizes. He devoted equal attention to their proper education.
He insisted that the children should be taught in their mother
tongue and to that end he is said to have simplified and codified
the Gurmukhi script, and popularized its use amongst his Sikhs.
This perhaps, is, the most important contribution of Guru Angad.
Guru Nanak once had an encounter with the siddhas at Atal
Batala. The debate lasted for several days and was bitterly contes-
ted. Guru Nanak had ultimately won over the siddhas. A yogi cal-
led Daya Nath who did not happen to be in Batala at the time,
wondered how anyone could vanquish Bhangar Nath and the Yogi
Superior of Batala in argument. He, therefore, came looking for
Guru Nanak and, finding that he had his successor in Guru Angad,
he entered into an argument with him. He advocated that mental
purity could be obtained only through the observance of rituals, in-
trospection, suspension of breath, contemplation, trance, etc. By
practising yoga, longevity, material wealth and supernatural powers
62 . The Sikh Gurus

are obtained. Guru Angad, attached little importance to such

things. Guru Nanak had taught a simple way to realization, finding
God by living a truthful life, remaining pure amidst impurity.
Daya Nath felt convinced in his heart of hearts and, in view of his
being senior in age, asked Guru Angad if he could do anything for
him. Guru Angad asked to be blessed. The yogi was nonplussed by
Angad’s humility. He realized that humility he didn’t have. He went
into meditation and found that humility had been bestowed only
on Guru Nanak and his successor Guru Angad, even demi-gods
didn’t possess it. Daya Nath fell at Guru Angad’s feet and was
cleansed of his arrogance of learning and asceticism.
One evening there was a severe, and almost blinding, dust storm.
No fire could be lit and food prepared, Jiva the cook, was worried
that if the storm did not abate, he would not be able to prepare
food for the devotees. He came to Guru Angad seeking his
intercession to quell the dust storm. The Guru, rather than oblige
him, told him to accept the will of God.
The Khahiras Jats of Khadur had a head man who was extre-
mely proud of his wealth and never cared to visit the Guru. He, in
fact, lost no opportunity to mock at the Guru’s teachings. His
young son followed his father and took to drinking and evil ways.
Before long he was stricken with epilepsy and many other diseases.
They tried all sorts of medicines but the young man was going
bad to worse. They went to the local tapa (ascetic) who said that
it was due to evil spirits and that he would exorcize them with his
spiritual power. He tried his best but the patient did not get any
relief. When he was almost on his death-bed, they brought him to
Guru Angad. The Guru told the young man to abstain from liquor,
repeat God’s name and serve holy men. Following the Guru’s
instructions, the youngman fully recovered. However, during the
rainy season, when there were clouds in the sky and the easterly
winds brought torrents of rain, the young man forgot the Guru’s
words and, sitting on the terrace of his house, started drinking. He
had a relapse of epilepsy and fell down from the top of the house and
died in the street. The rich father wailed and begged the Guru to
revive his only son, but Guru Angad told him that God’s will must
be done; no one could ever interfere with His ways.
One Amar Das, a Vaishnav by faith used to observe regular fasts.
He visited the holy Ganges every year for a ritual bath. While on
his way back after his twelfth pilgrimage to Mother Ganges, he
Guru Angad 63

felt frustrated. He was as empty-handed as ever. He was still in

search of truth that seemed to elude him. On his return journey
this time, he met a monk and they became great friends. They
travelled together for several days. Then one day his companion
asked Amar Das, “But who is your Guru?” “None,” replied Amar
Das. The monk was shocked to hear it. He had been friendly with
aman who had no guru! It was a great sin. He must return to the
holy Ganges for another bath. He therefore, left the bewildered
Amar Das and made his way back.
Amar Das now started seeking a guru. One day while he was
sitting all alone on his terrace with an aching emptiness in his heart,
he happened to hear Bibi Amro, the daughter of Guru Angad,
married recently to his nephew, recite hymns of Guru Nanak. It was
her practice to get up early in the morning and recite the Japji and
then sing slokas from Asa di Var. Amar Das started listening to her
every Morning without anyone coming to know about it. Every
word of the hymns that she recited seemed to sink deep into his
heart. The melody seemed tu haunt him. He was enchanted. He
went over to the young bride next door and fell at her feet. It is
never done. He was like her father-in-law. But Amar Das was pay-
ing homage to the Divine Word uttered from the lips of the devotee
in her. Bibi Amro told him about Guru Nanak and promised to
take him to her father Guru Angad. But Amar Das could not wait
even fora moment. He must meet the great Guru and offer him-
self to him. Since they were related to each other, on his arrival
Guru Angad got up from his seat to embrace him. But Amar Das
would have none of it. He fell at his feet, and felt strangely
elevated.
Forgetting his age, his status and his relationship, Amar Das
started serving Guru Angad day and night. He looked after his
person with the devotion and humility of a slave. One day the Guru
was partaking of a meat dish and realizing Amar Das’s embarrass-
ment, since he had been a Vaishnav all his life, he sent fora
vegetarian dish for him. Amar Das was deeply gratified at the
consideration shown to him. The Guru, however, wished to rid Amar
Das of his prejudices and told him that what one should abstain
from was temptation, slander, covetousness and ego. There is life
in everything; even fruits and flowers have life. Whatever is eaten
while remembering God is like nectar itself. Amar Das was an
enlightened man.
64 The Sikh Gurus

One of Guru Angad’s disciples, Gobind by name, was involved

in litigation with his relatives. He prayed for the Guru’s blessings
and vowed that, if he won the case, he would have a new township —
built in his honour on the banks of the River Beas. As luck would
have it, he won the case and started building the promised town-
ship. However, he was told that whatever the masons put up was
found demolished the next morning. It was believed that it was
the doing of evil spirits. Accordingly he went over to Guru Angad
and sought his intervention. It was, in fact, his enemies who were
doing all the mischief. Guru Angad sent Amar Das with him and
advised him to stay there personally and supervise the construction
of the township. When the town was completed, it had a stately
palace for the residence of the Guru. But Guru Angad did not
agree to leave his ancestral home. He, however, asked Amar Das
to go and live in the new township called Goindwal. In due course,
Amar Das had his family shifted from Basarke and settled in
Goindwal permanently. He would get up early in the morning,
carry water from the river for the Guru’s bath and remain in atten-
dence on him during the day and return to Goindwal in the
evening.
The ascetic called tapa in Khadur bore eternal grudge against
Guru Angad who had his followers visiting him in large numbers
from far and near. He indulged in magic and superstitious practices.
Once it so happened that the rains failed Khadur and the adjoin-
ing region. The people waited and waited, but not a drop of rain
fell from the empty skies. The crops started withering. The peasants
became panicky and went to the tapa to work a miracle and have
the rain brought for the parched crops. The tapa had indeed the
opportunity of his life. He taunted the village folk, “You go to
Guru Angad day and night for spiritual guidance, why can’t he
get rain for your dying crops?” The village folk heard it and came
to Guru Angad and reported what the ascetic had said. Guru
Angad smiled as usual and told the people that there was no
interfering with the ways of God. The rains would come when God
willed. The peasants were getting impatient. They went to the tapa
again and pleaded for his intervention. He agreed to work the
miracle provided they turned Guru Angad out of the village. The
entire village was desperate. They came and started shouting
slogans against the Guru, demanding that he quit the village so
that the tapa could bring them rains. Guru Angad, left the village
Guru Angad 65

and having been refused shelter in any village in the vicinity, he

settled in a forest, south of Khadur.
When Amar Das came to know of it, he reproached the villagers.
They were ignoring the sun and seeking light from a puny lamp.
But they would not listen to him. In the meanwhile, the tapa tried
his best, he read mantras and observed fasts but the dry spell conti-
nued. The villgers now realized their folly and went ina groupto Guru
Angad soliciting his forgiveness and brought him back to the village
with due honour. There was great rejoicing when the Guru came
and with the rejoicing came the long-awaited rains. The people
went mad with joy.
It was Guru Angad’s practice to distribute robes of honour to his
devotees for meritorious services every six months. Amar Das had
earned six such robes, more than anyone else had. He would wear
them one above the other on his head as his turban since discard-
ing any one of them would be disrespectful to his master.
Evidently, Amar Das was most deserving among his disciples
and most dear to the Guru. When the time came for Guru Angad
to name his successor, he was inclined towards Amar Das in prefe-
rence to his own sons, Dasu and Datu. He was still to announce
his decision when an incident took place that decided the issue.
It was a practice with Amar Das to fetch fresh water for Guru
Angad’s bath every morning, long before daybreak. One winter
morning, it was blowing cold, there was lightning, and it threatened.
to rain. Yet, undeterred, Amar Das was coming witha pitcherful of
water on his head. When, passing through a colony of weavers,
his foot struck against a peg of a weaver’s loom and he was about
to tumble down, but somehow he saved himself and the pitcher of
water. The disturbance in the street at that unearthly hour upset
the weaver who was inside his house and he started shouting, ‘‘Thief,.
thief.’’ However, his wife who knew better said, ‘‘It must be the
old Amru, the homeless, who carries water for his Guru daily early
in the morning. He slaves day and night for a good-for-nothing
man.’ When Amar Das heard her say this, he observed, ‘‘Woman,
you have gone mad!” He couldn’t bear any one speaking ill of his
Guru. It is said that the weaver’s wife became mad that very
instant. No remedy could cure her. At last, she was brought to
Guru Angad. When he heard the story, he pardoned her in his
grace and said, “‘Amar Das is not homeless, he is the shelter of
 66 The Sikh Gurus

the unsheltered, he is the strength of the weak and the emancipa-

tion of the slave!”
Realizing that his end was near, Guru Angad sent for Bhai Budha
and revealed to him his decision to make Amar Das the next Guru.
Accordingly, he had Amar Das installed as the third Sikh Guru.
Guru Angad’s two sons didn’t like the decision. They had their own
ambitions. Guru Angad told them that the honour would go to
one who deserved it, and who was most devoted and humble.
Guru Angad left this world in 1552, after having administered
as the guru for twelve and a half year, six months and nine days.
Guru Angad is the instance of a seeker who by the very intensity
of his search finds. Son of a prosperous trader he was God-fearing
and given to spiritual quest from his early age. A searcher for
truth at heart, once he came in touch with Guru Nanak, he found
his way to the highest position by dint of devotion and dedicated
service. He became the spiritual son of Guru Nanak and yet he was
humble and self-effacing. Perhaps the most remarkable trait of his
character was his complete surrender to the Master. He was utterly
obedient and carried out his Guru’s instructions devotedly. After
he had been installed successor to Guru Nanak formally, he under-
stood the delicacy of the situation and-rather than continuing to
stay hith his mentor he shifted to Khadur. He did not wish to
embarrass ‘Guru Nanak’s sons and Mata Sulakhni, who were
evidently unhappy at the decision regarding the succession. At
Khadut he suffered pangs of separation from the Master but would
not hurt anyone if he could help it. During his stewardship of the
Sikh community, though he had the spirit of Guru Nanak, not for
"once did he try to consolidate his own position by working miracles
or charming people with occult practices. In fact, he condemned
such practices and as far as possible proved the futility of it all.
Here was a spiritual leader who was also practical-minded. He
took care of the physical and mental health of his flock. He encou-
raged the Sikhs to take interest in sports and also send their
children to the pathshalas where they were imparted education in
their own mother tongue, in a simplified Gurmukhi script. And in
the end he lived up to the tradition of his Master in choosing
as his successor the most deserving of his disciples in pre-
ference to his own sons who did aspire to succeed him. Like
Guru Nanak, he encouraged Guru Amar Das to set up his head-
quarters at Goindwal rather than Khadur where he had come to
Guru Angad 67

live permanently. The intention, perhaps, was not to deprive the

legal successors of their rights to property etc. and also save them
the embarrassment it might cause. Guru Amar Das was much
too senior in age. He was already in the seventies when he first
met Guru Angad and yet when the time came, he succeeded
Guru Angad because he was considered most suitable among
the devotees. It was due to his humility and devotion to Guru
Nanak that he used the nom de plume Nanak in his Bani, the
practice which was followed by the rest of the Gurus succeeding
him. Guru Angad was an extremely sensitive soul. There are
poignant references to his separation from Guru Nanak and it must
be he who suffered the most at Guru Nanak’s final departure. He
must be at his bedside to see his Master leave, abide by his instruc-
tions not to cry and yet shed tears of blood in his heart to see his
beloved depart for ever and ever.
Guru Angad’s times were as bad as Guru Nanak’s. There was
political unrest. The people were given to evil ways and corruption
was Tife:

The beggar is called the king,

And the blockhead pandit,
The blind are the judges,
Such are the ways of the world.
Those given to evil are headmen,
And falsehood acceptable.
Nanak, these are the ways of the Kaliyug
How can one arrive at truth?
(Malhar

While Guru Nanak says time and again that he was ordained by
God, Guru Angad owes everything to his Guru. He is attached to
his person, he cannot bear separation from him.

Nanak spring is for her

Who has her spouse at home.
She whose master is away
Suffers day and night.
(Suhi

He believes in complete surrender to the Guru, utter obedience

68 The Sikh Gurus

to his instructions and fond emulation of his ways.

I have a nose-string,
It’s in the hands of the Master.
He drives me where he likes
Verily, O Nanak! what God gives man eats.
(Sorath
One must obey the Guru. It is obedience to the Guru that earns
for one the reward of spiritual uplift:

The Guru has the key

The heart is the treasure-house
And the body its cover.
Nanak! the door of the heart can’t be opened
Without the Guru
Who alone has the key.
(Sarang
Obedience begets devotion and penance and
everything else,
All other efforts are in vain.
Nanak, obey him who himself has obeyed God,
He is known by the Guru’s grace.
(Ramkali

The Guru is pleased if one lives a virtuous life, does good deeds
and devotes one’s life to remembering God and serving his people:

They are blessed who remember God

During the fourth watch in the morning.
They are fond of visiting rivers
With true Name on their lips and in their hearts.
The rest of the seven watches of the day
It’s good to speak truth
And live in the company of the learned.
(Majh

It is the love of God and not the ascetic practices and the like
that bring God’s favour:

God is not won with asceticism

Guru Angad 69

Howsoever you may try.

O Nanak! God is attained with love and truth
And the understanding of His word.
(Suhi

While the origin of the Gurmukhi script continues to be dispu-

ted, there is no doubt that Guru Angad gave a lead in making an
extensive use of the script in his time. He got a number of copies of
Guru Nanak’s bani made out in the Gurmukhi script consisting of
35 letters culled from the various scripts prevalent at the time.
It is amazing how much Guru Angad could achieve in the short
time at his disposal.
Selected Hymns of Guru Angad

1. Seeing without eyes,

Hearing without ears,
Walking without feet,
Working without hands,
Uttering His Name without tongue,
And dying while living,
Says Nanak, meeting the Master
Is accepting His will.
(Majh
2. He is seen, heard and known
And yet He is not my own
How can one without feet, hands and eyes
Go and cling to the Lord?
With the feet of fear, hands of love and eyes of understanding,
Says Nanak—O wise woman!
This is how you meet the Master.
(Majh
3. Air isthe guru, water the father and earth the great mother,
Day and night are the male and female
nurses making the world to play.
Dharamraja watches good and bad deeds
sitting in his court.
In keeping with your karma you are close
or away from the Lord.
Those who remember His Name, their effort is rewarded.
They come out beaming with success and
obtain deliverance for others.
(Majh
4. The nose-string is in the hands of the Master
And a man’s deeds drive him along.
Says Nanak, the truth is
Guru Angad at

One has to be what happens to be one’s lot.

(Sorath
. Those who know, they have to go
They don’t involve themselves here.
Those who know not the truth of death
They attach themselves too much here.
They collect wealth during the night
And depart as the day dawns.
Says Nanak, nothing goes with them
And they repent and repent.
(Suhi
. He who does his work unwillingly
He does good neither to himself nor to others
Only that job is worth doing
Which is done with pleasure.
(Suhi
. Those who fear Him, they fear none.
Those who fear Him not, they are afraid of everyone.
Says Nanak, this truth is known :
Only when one enters His court.
He who walks meets one who is walking
He who flies meets those who fly.
He who is living lives with those who are alive.
He who is dead remains with the dead
Says Nanak, praise be to Him
Who has created the Universe.
(Suhi
. Everyone has someone
This humble one has none but You.
Why shouldn’t I die crying
When I can’t remember you.
I remember You in pleasure
I remember You in pain
Says Nanak, O wise one!
This is how you meet the Master.
(Suhi
. Says Nanak, worry not,
All worries are His
The creatures in water He has created
He feeds them.
12 The Sikh Gurus

There are no shops

Nor does anyone labour there.
There are no goods
Neither one buys nor one sells.
They feed on each other
Those created in the ocean.
This is how He looks after them.
Says Nanak, worry not,
All worries are His.
(Ramkali
10. It’s the rainy season, O my playmate!
And I long for my Lord.
Says Nanak, dies pining
The accursed one who loves other than her Master.
It’s the rainy season, O my playmate!
It pours and pours
Says Nanak, she sleeps in peace
The blessed one who loves her Lord.
(Malhar
Guru Amar Das

The Community was delighted to see

Guru Nanak’s umbrella Over Amar Das’ head
—-Satta

E was seventy-three when Amar Das was ordained the Guru.

A mere devotee, who prided himself on being the humblest
servant of Guru Angad; living where the Guru desired him to live,
doing what the Guru ordained him to do, he was raised to the
supreme status of Master who had to provide leadership to a new
resurgent community. He felt that he must equip himself for it.
More in humility and in a spirit of thanksgiving, the first step he
took was to retreat-to the attic of his house at Goindwal and medi-
tate day and night praying for God’s grace, Guru Nanak’s blessings
and Guru Angad’s guidance for the heavy responsibility placed on
his shoulders. Satta, the minstrel, has described Guru Amar Das’
taking over as the third Sikh Guru thus:

The community was delighted to see

‘Guru Nanak’s umbrella over Amar Das’ head
The grandson was revered as the father and the grandfather.

The Sikhs started flocking to him from far and near. However,
Datu, one of Guru Angad’s sons, was not reconciled to his father’s
decision. He had set himself up as guru at Khadur, as successor to
his father. But to his utter dismay, nobody cared to visit him.
Before long, he lost his patience and, accompanied by some of his
followers, he came to Goindwal to assault Guru Amar Das. In a fit
of temper, he said, “You were a mere menial servant of the house
until yesterday and how dare you style yourself as the Master?” He
is said to have kicked the revered old soul. Rather than get annoyed,
74 The Sikh Gurus

Guru Amar Das held Datu’s foot and started caressing it as it

may have been hurt while hitting the stiff bones of an old man.
As desired by Datu, Guru Amar Das left Goindwal for an un-
known destination, and Datu established himself as the successor
to his father. However, no one paid any reverential attention to him;
he was held in contempt instead. In the meanwhile, Guru Amar Das
went to his ancestral village Basarke and shut himself up in a small
room with a notice on the door saying, ‘‘He who opens this door is
no Sikh of mine, nor am I his Guru.” Days passed, and the Sikhs
grew impatient, looking for the Guru. At last, they went to Bhai
Budha.
Bhai Budha closed his eyes in contemplation. After a while he
opened his eyes, and suggested that the Guru’s mare should be let
loose and the Sikhs should follow her. She would lead them to the
Guru’s hiding-place. The Sikhs did exactly what they were told.
They had Bhai Budha also accompany them. And as observed by
the great sage, the mare led them unmistakably to the hut where the
Guru had hidden himself. But the instruction on the door was
forbidding.
Bhai Budha came to their rescue again. He suggested that they
should break open the back wall and enter the hut. They would, in
this way, not be violating the Guru’s injunction. The Sikhs did
accordingly and entering the hut, Bhai Budha remonstrated with the
Guru: “Guru Angad had tied us to your apron, where should we go
now if you were not to show us the way?” This brought tears in the
eyes of Guru Amar Das. Unable to disregard his disciples, he
mounted the mare and accompanied them to Goindwal. The
opening in the wall at Basarke is still intact and has since become a
place of pilgrimage. Datu in due course, understood how mistaken
he was in arrogating to himself the title of the Guru. Nobody took
him seriously now and he returned to Khadur It is said, at a little
distance from Goindwal, he was intercepted by robbers who looted
all that he had on his person and beat him severely.
On his return to Goindwal, Guru Amar Das attended to the
various needs of his Sikhs. He set up a free kitchen where everyone,
irrespective of caste and creed, was welcome. In fact, the Guru
made it obligatory on all those seeking his audience first to eat in the
langar and then go to see him. This helped in ridding Hindu society
of the evil of the caste system and brought the Hindus and the
Muslims closer and fostered communal harmony. The Guru also
Guru Amar Das WS

tried to eradicate social evils like sati, requiring a Hindu widow to

burn herself on her husband’s funeral pyre or the widow’s remain-
ing unmarried all her life after the death of her husband. With a
view to spreading Guru Nanak’s message far and wide, Guru Amar
Das trained a band of 146 apostles, of whom 52 were women, to go
to various parts of the country and attend to the spiritual needs
of the Guru’s followers. It is said that he also set up 22 manjis
{diocesses) presided over by the devout Sikhs.
As the message of Guru Nanak spread, more and more people
visited Goindwal. Some of them decided to settle there to benefit by
living in the Guru’s proximity, attending his darbar morning and
evening. It was felt that the town having expanded out of all pro-
portions was going through a shortage of timber for construction.
When the Guru was apprised of this situation, he deputed Sawan
Mal to go to Haripur in Kangra district and arrange for the felling
of pine and cedar trees and floating them down the Beas river.
Sawan Mal sought the local Raja’s help which expedited matters.
The Raja of Haripur then came to pay homage to the Guru accom-
panied by his queens. The king also had to partake of food in the
/angar like everyone else before he could see the Guru. One of the
queens insisted on wearing a veil in his presence. He called her jhalli
(crazy) for being so self-conscious and she, it is said, became insane
instantly, tearing at her clothes and running away into the jungle.
By now Goindwal had become a flourishing town and a number
of Muslim dignitaries came and settled there. As members of the
ruling community, they tended to be overbearing. They harrassed
the non-Muslims on one pretext or another. Even their children
were unruly. They pelted stones at the Sikhs who went to bring
water for the Guru’s household and broke their earthen pots.
When the matter was reported to the Guru, he counselled forbear-
ance and suggested that his Sikhs bring water for the household in
metal pots. Now, the unruly Muslim youth started aiming arrows
at them. A band ofsanyasis happened to pass through Goindwal one
day, the Muslim youth, spoiled as they were, misbehaved also with
them. A scuffle followed in which a number of them lost their lives.
This taught them a lesson and there was peace in the town for
some time. However, it did not last long. After a few days, the
Muslim youth started their old practice of harrassing non-Muslims.
Every time it was reported to the Guru, he advised his disciples to
be patient. They must not take the law into their own hands. They
76 The Sikh Gurus

should have faith in God, who must do justice sooner or later. So

the Sikhs could neither retort nor strike back.
A little later, a detachment of the Mughal force was carrying the
imperial treasure from Lahore to Delhi. While passing through
Goindwal, one of their mules was lost. The mule was carrying the
state treasure. The soldiers searched for it high and low. The leader
of the detachment had a proclamation made in the town but no one
seemed to know where the mule could have disappeared. Eventual-
ly, the mule which had been hidden in the Muslim quarters started
braying in captivity. The matter was duly reported to the Nawab
who was already aware of the Muslims in Goindwal harrassing the
Sikhs and their scuffle with the sanyasis. He ordered demolition of
their houses, confiscation of their property and putting them all into
jail.
Once the Guru, along with some of his disciples, was passing
along a street. It had been raining for several days and it seemed the
wall was about to collapse. The Guru hurried his steps and he advised
his companions also to do likewise. When they came out of the
street, his disciples wanted to know why the Guru behaved the way
he did. Was he afraid of death? The Guru smiled and observed,
‘Human life is a blessing, that many a demi-god yearns for. One
should preserve life as long as possible. A healthy, smiling face is
pleasing even to God.”
The working of miracles is not looked upon with favour in
Sikhism. A number of miracles are attributed to Guru Nanak and
other Sikh Gurus but it is also a fact that Guru Nanak and the
Gurus following him scoffed at miracles as mere gimmickry. A
couple of times when Guru Nanak was asked to work a miracle, he
declined. Guru Tegh Bahadur specifically forbade his envoy to the
Mughal court to work a miracle. Later rather than deviate from
his principle and work a miracle for the king, he chose to give up
his life. And yet miracles are said to happen and men of God are
believed to have worked them. Accordingly, a number of miracles
are attributed to Guru Amar Das. While, Guru Angad refrained
from them even when it meant hardship to his person—he left his
town rather than bring rain to a rainless region—Guru Amar Das
seemed to have worked miracles from time to time. Maybe because
he had launched a massive reformation movement trying to spread
Guru Nanak’s message to the people and it is always easier to im-
press people with something unusual and seemingly supernatural.
Guru Amar Das T7

Among spiritualists, miracles are never deemed to be an achieve-

ment. Even the novices on the spiritual path are said to have worked
miracles.
Some of the miracles attributed to Guru Amar Das are.
Haripur Raja’s mad queen who was roaming thejungle, assaulted
a Guru’s Sikh who called himself Sachansach. He had gone to the
forest to collect firewood. The next day the Guru sent Sachansach
armed with one of his slippers. When the mad woman came to
assault him, Sachansach shielded himself with the slipper. It is said,
the moment the slipper touched the queen, she regained her sanity.
A goldsmith in Goindwal married an elderly lady. They
naturally didn’t have any children. This made them unhappy.
They had a well dug and a temple built for travellers. The Guru
was pleased and blessed them. They had two sons. Since the
mother was too old to bear children, people started calling the
babies maipotre—Mummy’s grandsons. The family continues to
be known as Maipotre even today.
With a view to providing his Sikhs a place where they could
have a holy dip for which they visited Hardwar, Varanasi and
Kasi, Guru Amar Das decided to have a baoli dug in Goindwal.
It is a sort of open water reservoir with wide steps approaching the
surface of water. Rather than employing labour, the Sikhs joined
hands after prayers on the day of the full moon in the month of
Kartik and in a few days dug deep enough to strike water. How-
ever, they found that there was a rock that hindered their
progress. The Sikhs were at a loss to know what to do. They went
to the Guru for advice. Guru Amar Das contemplated for a while
and then told the Sikhs, ‘‘The slab will have to be blasted but my
fear is one who does so, if he cannot be brought out instantly
might be overpowered by the gushing water and drowned.’’ Now
who was there to take this risk? The Sikhs looked at one another.
Then suddenly Manak Chand of Vairowal volunteered to go down
the baoli and do the needful. As observed by the Guru the moment
the slab cracked, the water gushed fourth with such force that Manak
Chand was overpowered and drowned! The next morning his body
was found floating on the surface of the baoli. Manak Chand’s
mother saw it and lamented the loss of her son. His widow shed
tears of blood. The Guru took pity on them and called out Manak
who, it is said, opened his eyes in response to the Guru’s call. The
78 The Sikh Gurus

baoli in due course, was provided with pucca steps. The Guru
declared that he who recited Japji once at every step would be free
from the cycle of 84 lakh lives destined for every living being in
creation.
Prema, a devout Sikh, lived in a village at some distance from
Goindwal. He was lame in one leg and yet he carried a pot of milk
for the Guru’s /Jangar every morning. He walked with a crutch.
Once it rained incessantly and the road to the town became slushy.
He was advised by the villagers not to go to the town. But Prema
was determined to do his daily duty to his Guru. When he left the
village in rain and storm, slipping at every step, the passers-by
made fun of him, ‘““Your Guru heals all and sundry, why can’t he
cure you of your limp?” Prema paid noa ttention to what they said.
But when he reached Goindwal, he was sent for by the Guru who
seemed to know what the villagers had said to his devotee. The
Guru asked Prema to go over to a Muslim dervish, Husaini Shah,
who lived on the bank of the river and he would cure the limp
in his leg.
Prema went over to the dervish and told him about what
had come to pass. The recluse was scandalized to hear it. He
picked upa stick to chastize Prema. Prema got frightened and ran as
fast as he could. He had forgotten his crutch! It is only after he
had come away a good distance, that he realized what had
happened. It was, indeed, a miracle. He went back to the dervish
and fell at his feet. Husaini said, ‘‘Your leg had become all right
when the Guru sent you over to me. He has only given me the
reputation of working miracles.”
Amongst a band of devotees who had arrived from Lahore one
day, Guru Amar Das spotted a handsome youth called Jetha.
There was a strange spark in his eyes. He was never idle, always
at one thing or another, whether it was cleaning utensils in the
kitchen or helping in the digging of a baoli or attending to the
Guru’s personal needs like giving him a massage, pressing his legs
or running odd errands for him. He had endeared himself greatly
to the Guru. His real name was Ram Das. And he was truly a
slave of God. Humble and helpful, he made friends with every-
one with his fine looks and pleasant manners. In the meanwhite,
Bibi Bhani, the Guru’s younger daughter, had come of age and her
mother Mansa Devi was keen to have her married. Once sitting
with her husband, she asked the Guru to look for a suitable match
Guru Amar Das 79

for the daughter. ‘‘What sort of a match you would like to have
for Bhani?” asked the Guru. ‘‘He should be a young man like
him,” said Mansa Devi pointing to Jetha who happened to pass
by, absorbed in some household chores. ‘‘Then why not Jetha
himself?” The Guru asked spontaneously. The decision was taken.
A date was fixed and Bibi Bhani duly married to Ram Das.
Though married to the Guru’s daughter, Ram Das rather than
taking his bride away as is customary continued to live with the
Guru and serve him as devotedly as ever.
During one of his visits to Lahore, Emperor Akbar, was crossing
the river Beas. And he decided to make a slight detour and visit
Goindwal to pay homage to Guru Amar Das about whom he had
heard a great deal. To see the Guru even the Emperor had to par-
take of food in the /Jangar like any other visitor. It is said the
Emperor sat with the lowliest of the low and ate with them and
then had an audience with the Guru. Akbar was highly impressed
at the meeting and wished to grant a jagir to the Guru for the
maintenance of the free kitchen. The Guru would not agree to it.
*‘The rations are brought by the devotees daily and are distributed
among them every day,” said the Guru. “‘We start afresh every
morning. Nothing is saved for the next day.”’ The Emperor insis-
ted on making the grant in appreciation of the great humanitarian
work being done by the Guru. Since the Guru would not accept
any favour from the king, Akbar thought of a way out. “I can, at
least, present a few villages to your daughter, Bhani, who is as
much my daughter, as a wedding gift.’’ The Guru could not decline
it and the king had his way. After a few days when the headman
of the town brought the formal papers in respect of the endowment
and other bounties from the king, the Guru sent for his son-in-law
Bhai Jetha and handed them over to him.
Once a rich devotee brought a necklace of pearls and offered it
to the Guru. He wished to put the costly necklace around the
Guru’s neck. “I am too old for it,’ said Amar Das ‘*You may put
it on one who is most like me.”’ The banker did not understand
what the Guru was trying to convey. He handed over the precious
necklace to the Guru and requested him to give it to anyone who
he thought had been cast in his image. The Sikhs sitting around
the Guru started making their conjectures. It could be either
of the two sons of the Guru Mohan or Mohri, they thought.
To their utter astonishment, the Guru sent for Jehta and put the
80 The Sikh Gurus

necklace on his neck. [t was a clear enough indication to what

the Guru thought regarding a successor to him.
Consistent with the practice of Guru Nanak who had advised
Guru Angad to settle down at Khadur after his appointment as the
second Guru and Guru Angad who had encouraged Guru Amar ~
Das to reside at Goindwal, a time came when Guru Amar Das sent
for Jetha and suggested that he set up a new township for
himself. He had been endowed a jagir by the Emperor and it was
the best way to make use of it. Accordingly Jetha decided upon a
vacant tract of land at a little distance from Goindwal and built a
house for himself. He, then, started the digging of a tank. In due
course, a big enough village grew around it.
When Guru Amar Das felt that his end was drawing to a
élose, he sent for Bhai Budha and other prominent Sikhs includ-
ing his two sons, Mohan and Mohri, and declared: ‘‘According
to the tradition established by Guru Nanak, the leadership of
the Sikhs must go to the most deserving. I, therefore, bestow this
honour on Ram Das known as Jetha.”’ Everyone present except-
ing Mohan bowed his head in reverence. As the custom was,
Bhai Budha was then asked by the Guru to apply the fti/ak on
Guru Ram Das’s forehead and the spiritual sovereignty passed on
to the fourth Guru. Guru Ram Das became the image of Guru
Amar Das as Guru Amar Das was the image of Guru Angad and
Guru Angad was the image of Guru Nanak himself. It was the
same spirit passing from one Guru to the other. Guru Ram Das
was appointed the fourth Sikh Guru in 1574.
There was great rejoicing. Everyone was happy except Mohan,
the Guru’s son, who felt that he had been denied his birth-right.
In the meanwhile, Bibi Bhani too created a complication. In a
moment of fatherly exuberance, once the Guru told Bibi Bhani,
‘Ask anything you desire and it shall be given unto you.” The
mother in Bibi Bhani said, “If you are kind, the spiritual leader-
ship should now remain, in my family.” The Guru hesitated, but
he had given his word. He told Bibi Bhani, ‘““Your progeny will be
revered by the world. You will be the mother of a universal
saviour but, since you have plugged the free flow of Guru’s light
there will be unpleasantness and heart-burning at every step.”
Considering that it was at the ripe old age of 73 that Guru
Amar Das had become the Guru his achievements during his
Guru Amar Das 81

tenure are considerable. By this time the Sikhs had emerged as a

distinctive community. Amar Das sent out his emissaries to various
parts of the country with a view to consolidating Guru Nanak’s
followers into a well-knit brotherhood. Those who came to pay
homage to him were properly looked after. The free kitchen called
Guru da Langar became a permanent feature of the Guru’s head-
quarters. He provided the pilgrims a bao/i and other amenities. He
ensured that timber was available in the town for those who wished
to settle in Goindwal permanently. The mischievous elements
amongst the Muslims in the town who harrassed his Sikhs were
left to God to punish them. Similarly, when the orthodox Hindus
complained to the king that Guru Amar Das was violating their
time-honoured practices by rejecting Sanskrit and decrying their
rituals and religious practices etc. he listened to the king’s sugges-
tion and agreed to visit Hindu places of pilgrimage since he found
God everywhere. The king, on his part, went out of his way to
exempt the Guru and whosoever followed him from the pilgrim
tax. It is said, wherever the Guru went, he attracted large crowds.
The Guru’s slogan Sat Nam Sri Wahguru resounded all over. He
lived a simple life, eating two frugal meals a day though it is said
his /angar offered all sorts of dainties for the pilgrims. He spoke
Punjabi and propagated his message in the language of the people.
In view of his age, he didn’t do much travelling excepting a brief
visit to Hardwar and other Hindu pilgrim centres but he visualized
the setting up of a premier Sikh centre with a holy tank at:
Amritsar. A beginning towards this was made in his life-time,.
though the main project was left to his successor Guru Ram Das.
to complete.
His teachings were as simple ¢< his way of life.
Mere reading of the Vedas, th. “hastras and the Puranas can
lead one nowhere, it is the Guru who can show the way:

The Smritis and the Shastras talk about good and evil.
But they know not the truth,
They know not the truth
Without the Guru they know not the truth.

Pilgrimages, penance or the rituals of the Hindus were all right

for the three ages—Satyug, Dwaparyug and Tretayug; they would,
 82 The Sikh Gurus

however, not do for the Kaliyug. It is the Name alone that can earn
salvation in this age.
The Guru helps those who have endurance. God rewards pati-
ence. If anyone ill-treats you, bear it once, twice, thrice. God will
Himself intervene on your behalf the fourth time.
A yogi did not become holy by donning garbs and wearing ear-
rings.

Wear the rings of humility on your ears,

And let compassion be your ascetic’s garb,
The fear of death be your ashes
This is how you’ll conquer the three worlds, O Yogi!

There is no place particularly pure or impure. Where God is

remembered, the place becomes sanctified.

The fire, the wind and the water are impure,

Impure is whatever is eaten,
There is impurity in rituals and in worship,
Only he who remembers God is pure.

One must serve God alone. It is the service of the men of God that
brings liberation. After one has prepared food, one must feed the
holymen and then eat it himself.
Serve God and none other,
His service alone will get you your heart’s desire,
All other service is of no avail.

The Guru counselled the Sikhs on their day-to-day problems that

they brought to him. To those who used to consult astrologers be-
fore undertaking any new venture, he advised that the most
favourable time is when a Sikh prays to God. One must invoke
God even before starting taking meals. Women must not wear
veils; they are in no way inferior to men. One must not look at
another’s wife with covetous eyes. One must avoid evil company.
One must not be conceited and should not glorify oneself. One
should forswear slander and falsehood. One should eat and work
according to one’s capacity; over-eating is bad, equally bad is not
doing one’s duty. One must give a little of one’s earnings in
Guru Amar Das 83

charity. One should associate with virtuous people and should help
and entertain strangers.
Though a number of miracles have been attributed to Guru Amar
Das, there are also instances to show that he did not approve of
them. He wished his Sikhs to accept the will of God and not to
interfere in His ways. It is said that one Girdhari, a rich Sikh from
the South, who had been married for many years came to the Guru
and wished to be blessed with a child. He had been married for many
years and didn’t have progeny. He took a second wife but remained
childless. The Guru heard him and said, ‘‘No one can undo what’s
written in one’s fate.”” The Guru advised him to do good deeds, re-
member God and obey His will. Girdhari’s eyes were filled with tears.
Evidently, his prayer had not been heard. As he was leaving the
Guru's darbar he happened to meet a Sikh by the name of Paro. He
was a great favourite of the Guru. Taking pity on him, Paro said
“If you have faith you should have five children.” It is said that
in due course, Gridhari had five children. He brought them to the
Guru. When the Guru came to know how he had been blessed with
five children, he sent for Paro and reprimanded him. Bhai Paro who
had done so out of compassion for a Guru’s Sikh, asked Guru Amar
Das’s forgiveness.
But then, as the Guru himself had said, saints are unaffected by
joy and sorrow, as the lotus remains unaffected by water.
Like Guru Angad, Guru Amar Das had more copies of Guru
Nanak and Guru Angad’s bani made, to which he added his own for
use at the various manjis he had set up all over the country.
In Guru Amar Das we have another major step towards the con-
solidation of the Sikh community by inculcating in the Guru’s
followers the virtues of clean living and service of the people in a
spirit of humility and devotion to God.
Selected Hymns of Guru Amar Das

1. If one were to look for the hour

At what hour should one say one’s prayers?
Remembering him day and night
You become truthful and get to know the True One
If the lover is forgotten for a moment,
No prayer avails.
With the mind and heart devoted to Him in earnest
Not a breath goes waste.
Man! Meditate on Him,
True prayer is possible only
If God dwells in one’s heart.
(Sri Rag
2. Listen, O cupid-smitten maiden!
Why do you flaunt yourself, the way you do?
You haven’t cultivated your own spouse,
With what face will you go to Him?
Those who know their Master
I bow before them.
I would like to be like them,
Meeting them in the company of godmen.
O you thoughtless one! Lost in falsehood and untruth
The truly charming Lord one finds alone with wisdom of the
Guru.
(Sri Rag
3. Passion is killed by controlling the mind
He who kills it not cannot attain God.
Not many know how to control the mind
He knows it who kills it with the Word
He who is blessed is honoured.
With the Guru’s grace, God dwells in one’s mind.
The man of God does good deeds.
Guru Amar Das 85

This is how he understands the mind.

The egoist is like an intoxicated elephant,
The Guru revives him with the driving rod.
The mind is uncontrollable, not many control it.
He who controls the uncontrollable
Cleanses himself.
The man of God disciplines his mind
By shedding vanity and vice.
Those who have been blessed with the union
Part not; they are absorbed in the Word.
God alone knows His ways
Says Nanak the man of God knows Him by meditating on
Him.
(Gauri
4. Serve God, serve none other than God
Serving God fulfils one’s heart’s desire.
Any other service is a waste of time.
God is my tradition of love,
God is the story of romance.
With God’s grace I am absorbed in Him.
This has become my way of life.
God is my Smriti, God is my Shastra.
God is my friend, God is my brother.
I hunger for God and God’s name satisfies my hunger.
God is my relation who’ll help me in the end.
Without God everything else is false,
While leaving, it doesn’t go with one.
God is my riches that accompanies me,
It goes where I go.
He is false who is devoted to false values.
Says Nanak, it’s all God’s pleasure
None else may interfere with His ways.
(Gujri
5, Neither going on pilgrimage to Kasi makes one knowledge-
able
Nor not going on pilgrimage to Kasi leaves one ignorant.
Knowledge comes only by meeting the true Guru,
And the man is enlightened.
O man! Listen to what God says with devotion.
When you meditate on Him, all wavering ceases.
86 The Sikh Gurus

With the memory of his feet in your heart

All sins are washed away.
He who controls the five temptations
Finds himself residing in a place of pilgrimage.
The egoist is foolish who understands it not.
He remembers not God’s Name and repents in the end.
The mind is Kasi, other places of pilgrimage are Smrities-
The True Guru has revealed it to me.
The sixty-eight places of pilgrimage are within him
Who remembers God.
Says Nanak, meeting the true Guru
One starts understanding God’s ways:
And God alone dwells in his heart.
Whatever pleases Him is right
He who is devoted to the True One
(Gujri
. Maya is like the snake
It has ensnared the world.
He who serves her
She bites him in return.
The holy one knows the antidote, -
He cleans the dirt sticking to the feet thoroughly.
Says Nanak, only they are evolved
Who remain devoted to truth.
(Gujrt
. Vanity and God’s Name are opposites,
Both can’t dwell at one place.
The vain cannot serve God,
His heart remains empty.
Man! You must remember God.
And meditate on the Word.
He who listens to God gets close to Him.
His vanity vanishes from within him.
This world is all vainty.
It’s born out of vanity.
Vanity is like pitch darkness;
No one can see anything in vanity.
One cannot pray in vanity.
The vain doesn’t understand God vanity is a blind spot of
the mind.
Guru Amar Das 87

God’s Name won’t dwell in it.

Says Nanak, meeting the True Guru vanity goes,
And understanding of truth is gained.
He who is true lives truthfully,
He is given to the srevice of the True One.
(Wadhans
. Finding the world on fire.
I ran for God’s protection.
I prayed to the Great Guru
To save me with his grace.
And take me in his charge,
And bless me with the honour of His Name.
There is none like God.
Those who serve Him are blessed.
They get to know God who is Eternal.
Without the Guru’s help
Controlling passions, good deeds, truthful and moderate
living
Fail to obtain salvation.
Says Nanak, only he understands the Word
Who seeks refuge in God.
(Wadhans
. God! You protect the man of God ever,
You have done so ever and ever.
You have saved men like Prahlad
And destroyed Hiranyakashya.
The men of God alone get to know you.
The egoist is misled by false beliefs.
God! You are known for Your greatness.
Master! give protection to Your devotees.
Those who came to You for favours
Let them not be plagued with death.
Let the god of death not stare at them.
Remembering the Name they attain salvation,
They attain power to work miracles,
With the Guru’s abiding grace.
(Sorath
10. O fool! You are collecting false wealth,
You are conceited, misled and blindfolded.
The worldly wealth is always painful
88 The Sikh Gurus

Neither can one keep it nor can one carry it away.

True wealth is gained by the Guru’s guidance
False wealth comes and goes.
Those who are conceited go astray and die a wretched death.
They drown in the ocean,
They are neither here nor there.
Fortunate are those who adore God,
Who are devoted to truth and long for Him day and night.
The ambrosial Name is true in the four ages.
A man meditates on the Name with good luck alone.
Those who work miracles and the ascetics yearn for Him.
He is obtained only with good luck
He who understands the great Brahma
He becomes truthful and finds truth everywhere.
It is the True One who inculcates Truth.
Says Nanak, He sees Himself and fosters truth Himself.
(Bilawal
Lie Forgive my past sins and show me the path now,
Killing my ego, I should remain in God’s service.
Man of God! You should remember His Name
Remain in His service always
Loving Him alone, devoted to him alone.
I have neither high caste nor honour,
Neither a dwelling nor a shelter.
Understanding the Word my doubts are resolved.
The Guru has inculcated His Name in me.
The mind is greedy and lost in greed.
He is involved in evil deeds
And perishes in the town of death.
Says Nanak, He is all-powerful
There is none other like Him
He blesses with the gift of prayer
And the devotee is ever happy.
(Maru
Ze It is good karmas alone that lead to the true Guru.
He is not attained without good karmas
A meeting with the True Guru purifies one
It takes place if ordained by God.
Man! You should meditate on God.
The True One is reached with the help of the Guru.
Guru Amar Das 89

And one identifies oneself with Him.

The True Guru gives the understanding and dispels doubts.
The true Guru reveals God and saves from transmigration.
He who is blessed by the Guru, lives in death,
Meditating on the Word he attains immortality.
He reaches the gate of deliverance
Who annihilates his ego.
With Guru’s blessings he is born in God’s own house.
He is free from all temptation.
He controls what is not controllable with superior wisdom.
He meets God with the help of Guru.
(Malhar
13. I sin a lot, there is no end to my misdeeds.
God! Save me with your grace, Iam a great sinner.
God! According my karma, my turn will never come.
It must be Your grace, that can lead me to You.
The kind Guru led me to God
Washing all my sins and evil deeds away
Those who remember God—
Says Nanak, they are honoured.
(Sloka
Guru Ram Das

Guru Ram Das, a beloved of God went to God’s own city.

He gave him a throne and seated him on it.
—Mathura

66 OU are Nanak, you are Lehna, You are Amar Das...” Satta
the minstrel, sang when Guru Ram Das succeeded as the
fourth Guru of the Sikhs. The same spirit moved from Guru
Nanak to his successors. So that to not a few they appeared to be
one another’s image. When Baba Sri Chand, one of the two sons
of Guru Nanak who had turned an Udasi, a recluse, and roamed
all over the country came to see Guru Ram Das, he was supposed
to have been struck by the Guru’s close resemblance of his own
father. He looked at the saintly beard of Guru Ram Das and obser-
ved, ‘“‘Why do you have such a long flowing beard?’? Guru Ram
Das knew it was the old grouse and not curiosity that prompted
Baba Sri Chand to ask this question. He replied in all humility,
“It’s to wipe your feet with it.” Sri Chand felt embarrassed. He
realized that it was humility that had won for the devotees one after
the other the high honour that had been denied to him.
Guru Ram Das was the son of Hari Das, a Khatri of Sodhi sub-
caste, and Anup Devi, known as Daya Kaur, who lived in Chuna
Mandi in Lahore. They were God-fearing and led a simple life.
After twelve long years of prayers, they were blessed with a son in
1534. He was formally given the name of Ram Das, though he
was popularly known as Jetha—the first born. Jetha was fair of
complexion and extremely handsome. When he grew up he was
always found in the company of holy men. His parents were keen
that he should take to some worthwhile avocation, so that he could
eara his living like everyone else. Accordingly, at the instance of a
neighbour who used to peddle roasted gram, Daya Kaur prepared
Guru Ram Das 91

a bagful of roasted gram and gave it to Jetha to go out and sell it.
Jetha went to the bank of the River Ravi and fed the gram to
a band of yogis who had eaten nothing that day. He, then,
came across a party of Sikhs who were proceeding to Goindwal
to pay homage to Guru Amar Das, the third Sikh Guru. Instead of
going back home, Jetha joined the Sikhs and came to Goindwal.
Guru Amar Das at once noticed this young man with his plea-
sant bearings and his sense of devotion. “‘If you have come seeking,
then true sovereignty awaits you.” The Guru gave him spiritual assu-
rance. And while the rest of his companions returned to Lahore,
Jetha stayed back to serve Guru Amar Das. He unfailingly atten-
ded to the Guru’s personal comforts. Besides he was always willing
to give a helping hand wherever it was needed, be it in the kitchen
or at the daoli among those engaged in the excavation. He won
every heart with his hard labour and godliness including Guru Amar
Das himself. It was his devotion that earned him the hand of the
Guru’s younger daughter Bibi Bhani. Even when he became the
Guru’s son-in-law, he continued to be as devoted to him as ever.
He stayed back at Goindwal and served the Guru as a humble
slave. When Akbar invited Guru Amar Das to his court, the Guru
deputed Jetha and he acquitted himself most creditably at the
Mughal court. With his knowledge of Hindu mythology and Vedic
lore, he convinced the Emperor that Guru Amar Das never had any
intention to malign the Hindu faith; he was only trying to make
people understand the true meaning of life. Only the body is
cleansed when one bathes in sacred rivers like the Ganga, the Jamuna,
or the Godavari. For the mind to become pure one has to be with
saints and men of God. The Hindus believed in the caste system;
according to them, some are born high while others are born low.
The Guru believed that all are born equal. It is only our deeds
that determine whether we are high or low, good or bad. The
Emperor was convinced that the Guru stood for a healthy
approach to life and he did not malign any particular religion.
Akbar who was an exponent of Din-i-Ilahi, a new religion trying
to combine in itself the best of Hinduism and Islam, found in the
Guru’s teachings something essentially close to his way of thinking.
After he had been ordained as the Guru, Ram Das started build-
ing a new township on the jagir gifted to Bibi Bhani by Akbar. But
till Guru Amar Das’ death he stayed in Goindwal most of the
time. This new township is what came to be known as Amritsar.
92 The Sikh Gurus

The name Amritsar by which the premier seat of the Sikh com-
munity is known even today, is derived from the holy tank called
Amritsar—the pool of nectar, around which the township grew.
There is an extraordinary story about how people discovered the
miraculous powers of this tank, which, it is said, used to be a small
neglected pond near Patti, an old settlement. The kardar or the
revenue collector of Patti had five daughters, all five of them char-
ming and talented. The youngest one was deeply religious—devo-
ting a great deal of her time to prayers. She enjoyed meeting holy
men. Her father, an arrogant government official, scoffed at her
piety.
In due course, her elder sisters were married. For the youngest
one who always said, ‘‘God is the Cherisher of us all” was yet to be
found a suitable match and the father didn’t seem to be bothered
about it. Whenever her mother reminded him about it, he reacted
in anger and scorn, ‘“‘let God cherish her.’? The father however,
could not defiect the daughter from her belief. In a fit of temper,
the father got her married to a crippled leper. The girl, instead of
feeling broken, accepted her fate patiently. When they had to travel
she even had a basket made to carry her husband in. On their way
once they came to the pond near patti. The young bride, wanting
to collect food for herself and her husband, put her husband under
a tree and went away to the nearby village. The leper, to his great
amazement, saw a pair of crows come and dip down into the pond
and turn into swans and fly away. He, perceiving what had happen-
ed, struggled out of the basket and crawled to the pond. The moment
he dipped into the water he was no more the leper he had been.
When his wife returned from the village, and was most disturbed by
this new presence. She wouldn’t believe a word of the story of his
transformation. She thought the young man standing before her had
maliciously done away with her husband to grab hold of her. She
wailed and protested and went to Guru Ram Das who was, at the
time, supervising the digging of the tank on the other side of the
pool. Even when the Guru explained the miracle to her, she would
not believe. As it happened, the young man had not dipped one
of his fingers in the pond water. This finger remained stricken
with leprosy. At the Guru’s instance he dipped the finger in the
pond and at once it became normal, and as healthy as the rest of the
young man’s body. The girl went away with her husband a happy
bride.
Guru Ram Das 93

Bhai Gurdas, the noted scholar and poet, came to Guru Ram
Das seeking his blessings and requesting his formal initiation as a
Sikh, Greatly moved by his devotion and humility, the Guru asked
Bhai Gurdas to proceed to Agra and look after the spiritual needs
of the Sikhs there. Before he left, the Guru prescribed the follow-
ing routine for his followers there:

He who calls himself a Sikh of the True Guru

He must get up in the morning and say his prayers.
He must rise in the early hours and bathe in the holy tank.
He must meditate on God as advised by the Guru
And rid himself of the afflictions of sins and evil.
As the day dawns, he should recite scriptures
And repeat God’s name in every activity.
He whom the Guru takes kindly is shown the path.
Nanak! I seek the dust of the feet of the Guru’s Sikh
Who himself remembers God and makes others remember Him.
(Gauri

In the meanwhile, the Sikhs were busy day and night completing
Amritsar—the holy tank of nectar., Pilgrims came from far and
near and joined in the work. The small hut that the Guru built
close to the tank was expanded in due course. It is known as the
Guru’s Mahl (palace) now.
Though the Sikhs did not spare any effort, the construction of
the holy tank needed a large contingent of hired labour which
meant lots of funds. The Guru sent out his agents to various parts
of the country to collect contributions for the construction of the
holy tank and maintenance of the free kitchens. These agents came
to be known as masands. The Guru was called Sacha Padshah—the
true king. The masands returned with large funds and the comple-
tion of the holy tank was expedited.
An aged couple came to the Guru and prayed to be blessed
with a son. The Guru told them that nobody could change the
course of destiny. The old couple persisted, saying that they knew
they were not destined to have a son. They wanted the Guru to
intercede. Touched by this unshakable faith, Guru Ram Das said,
‘“Well, I were to have four sons, I’ll give one to you and I shall
have three instead.”” And soon a son was born to the old couple.
He was named Bhagtu.
94 The Sikh Gurus

Along with the holy tank, a settlement came up rapidly and it

was called Ramdaspur—thy abode of Ram Das. Later this acqui-
red a new name, Amritsar—the city of the holy tank, as it is still
known.
One of the Guru’s cousins, Sahari Mal came to invite him to
visit Lahore in connection with the marriage of his son. The Guru
was much too preoccupied with the construction of the holy tank.
It was an assignment made to him by Guru Amar Das and he
wished to complete the work in his life-time. He, therefore, called
his eldest son Prithi Chand and asked him to go with Sahari Mal
to Lahore. Prithi Chand feared that his father was, perhaps, trying
to eliminate him in order to install his youngest brother Arjan as
Guru. Arjan was a great favourite of his father. Also once it so
happened that while the grandfather was eating, Arjan crawled into
his room as a baby and tried to share his meal. The Sikh attend-
ing on the Guru carried the baby away but he reappeared after a
little while. He was again forbidden by the Sikh and removed from
the Guru’s chamber. When the baby persisted in entering the room
the third time, the Guru said, ““Here, you may have the tray that
you must inherit one day.”’ The Sikhs attending on the Guru heard
it and picked up the baby in reverence. Evidently, it was an indi-
cation that the baby would grow up to become the Guru one day.
Prithi Chand, who knew all this, refused to go to Lahore.
The Guru, then, called his second son Mahadev. He, too, decli-
ned to oblige on some pretext. At this Arjan, the youngest son was
summoned and apprised of the problem. He took no time to make
up his mind to go to Lahore and participating in the wedding as
desired by his revered father. As he was leaving for Lahore, the
Guru told Arjan to take charge of the Dharamsala at Lahore and
not to return as long as he was not sent for. During one of his ear-
lier visits to Lahore, Guru Ram Das had converted his ancestral
house into a Dharamsala and he was keen that it should become
popular with the Lahore Sikhs who congregated there for medita-
tion and prayer.
Arjan had been gone to Lahéte for several months and the Guru
seemed to have forgotten all about it. There was no news from the
Guru. As days'and weeks passed, Arjan started feeling intensely
homesick. He had already spent more than two years waiting for a
call. At Jast he oe a poem and sent it to his father through
a servant.
Guru Ram Das 95

I long to see the Guru

My heart cries like a Chatrik bird.
Its thirst is not quenched nor is it still
Denied the sight of the beloved Saint.
Tam sacrifice, I am sacrifice again a
For a glimpse of the beloved saint.
(Majh
When the messenger reached his destination, the Guru happened
to be resting. However, Prithi Chand recognizing the servant from
Lahore enquired what brought him there. The messenger innocent-
ly told him that he had a letter from Arjan for the Guru. Prithi
Chand took the letter and, assuring him that he would pass it on
to the Guru, dismissed the servant. He opened and read the letter.
Fearing that the moment the Guru saw the letter he would send for
Arjan, Prithi Chand decided to withhold it and sent word to Arjan
on beha:f of his father that he should continue to stay at Lahore a
little longer.
Several months passed and still there was no news. Arjan then
composed another poem and sent it to his father.

You’ve a charming face, the melody of your word is enchanting

It’s ages that the Sarang bird has seen water.
Blessed is the place where you dwell
My dear friend and lord.
I am sacrifice, I am sacrifice again to my friend and my lord. (2)
(Majh

Prithi Chand, who was on the lookout for the messenger from
Lahore constantly, intercepted this letter also. He returned the mes-
senger again with a message purported to be from the Guru that
Arjan should continue to stay at Lahore and that the Guru would
himself come to Lahore shortly when he could accompany him on
his return journey.
Again for several months Arjan waited for the Guru’s promised
visit to Lahore but there was no news about it. In the meanwhile,
he was feeling desperate. He longed to have a glimpse of his father,
the Master. Arjan composed yet another piece and sent it to the
Guru making sure that the message this time was delivered to him
personally by the messenger and to no one else.
96 The Sikh Gurus

A moment’s separation and it was like an age.

When do I see you now, my beloved Lord?
My night doesn’t pass, nor do I get sleep
Without seeing the Guru’s darbar.
Iam a sacrifice, I am a sacrifice again to the true darbar of the
Guru. (3)
(Majh

Since it was the third letter, this fact was duly indicated at the
end of the composition by the figure 3. When the Guru read it, he
wanted to know about the earlier two compositions. The messenger
said that he had been delivering these to Prithi Chand. The Guru
summoned Prithi Chand immediately. He, however, denied having
any knowledge about the earlier communications. At this, the Guru
sent an attendant to Prithi Chand’s quarters asking him to fetch the
papers lying in the pocket of a garment that hung from a peg in a
particular room.
Prithi Chand was humiliated for his treachery. He had no excuse
to offer. Guru Ram Das sent for Bhai Budha and asked him go to
Lahore to bring Arjan with all honours back home. On arrival,
Arjan recited the following composition in gratitude;

I am blessed having met the Saint Guru.

I find God Immortal in my own house.
I serve him and wont’be separated again.
Nanak! T am your slave.
Iam a sacrifice, I am a sacrifice again to Nanak whose slave I
am (4)
(Majh

Everyone present was thrilled to hear the song. The Guru embra-
ced his son. He, then, ordained Arjan as the next Guru, inviting
Bhai Budha to apply the ti/Jak on his forehead. As one candle is.
lighted with another, the divine light travelling from Guru Nanak
to Guru Angad, from Guru Angad to Guru Amar Das and from
Guru Amar Das to Guru Ram Das, now came to Guru Arjan, the
fifth Guru of the Sikhs.
Prithi Chand didn’t accept Guru Arjan as the Guru and conti-
nued to misbehave and abuse the Guru and everyone else responsi-
ble for denying him what he considered to be his birth-right. Since
Guru Ram Das 97

he would not see reason, Guru Ram Das had to condemn him pub-
licly.
Shortly thereafter Guru Ram Das felt that his end was not far.
He sent for his family and his Sikhs and taking their leave closed
his eyes noi to open them again. It was in the year 1581.
Guru Ram Das was barely 47 years old when he left this world.
He had been the fourth Sikh Guru hardly for 7 years when he chose
his youngest son Guru Arjan Dev as his successor.
It is a mark of his humility that apart from the 679 hymns in
which he sang of his devotion to his Guru he has left little record
about his own person.
Efforts had been afoot since Guru Nanak’s time to rid Hindu
society of the rituals and the stranglehold of the priestly classes.
The mass of people were soaked in superstitions and the privileged
classes exploited their ignorance. Guru Ram Das introduced social
reforms, particularly in the wedding ceremony, making it a simple
affair and endowing it with the sacrament of the holy word. He com-
posed a long poem in four parts to be recited at the time of the
ceremonial perambulation.

At the first round I dedicate myself to the Lord

To whom I am a sacrifice!
I accept the word as Brahma and truth as the Vedas.
I remember dharma and meditate on the Name;
Repetition of Name leads to meditation.
Devotion to the True Guru helps wash away sins.
I have attained the spiritual stage of Sahj
And have started relishing His Name.
Nanak! This is how I have made a beginning in the first round.

With the second round, I meet the True Lord

To whom I am a sacrifice!
I have become fearless and cleansed of the filth of ego.
I fear God the Pure, I sing His praises and feel His presence.
My Master is omnipresent and I see him everywhere.
He is alone in and out, I meet him and [ hail Him.
Nanak! With the second round I enjoy the bliss of ecstasy.

Excited at the third round, I care not for worldly love,

O Lord to whom J am a Sacrifice!
98 The Sikh Gurus

With good luck I have found the saint who has led me to God.
I’ve come to God, the Pure, I sing His praises, I speak His
language.
With good fortune I’ve found the saint.
I can now tell the tale that couldn’t be told.
The melody has started sounding in my heart
And I repeat His name, lucky that I am.
Says Nanak! With the third round I have shed all wordly attach-
ments.

At the fourth round my spiritual stage of Sahj

Has led me to the Lord to whom I am a sacrifice!
Blessed by Him I’ve become a
(Gursikh
I love God from my heart and soul.
I love God, God loves my loving Him.
I meditate on Him day and night,
I’ve attained my heart’s desire by singing His praises.
God himself has made the beginning.
The bride is delighted remembering Him
Nanak! with the fourth round, I’ve found God the ever living!
(Suhi
Guru Ram Das could neither complete the holy tank, nor start
constructing the Golden Temple on its present site because he left
this world rather early in life.
Hymns of Guru Ram Das

1. Father! I am married;
The devotee has found the Lord.
The darkness of ignorance is dispelled,
The Guru’s wisdom has kindled the radiant light.
The radiant light of the Guru’s wisdom is kindled,
And darkness is driven away.
I have found the priceless jewel.
The curse of ego is cured.
No more do I suffer.
The Guru’s wisdom has killed my ego.
I have found the Eternal Bridegroom.
He never dies, he never departs.
Father! I am married.
The devotee has found the Lord.
(Sri Rag
God projects Himself in the World
He Himself gives life and takes it away.
He Himself misleads and Himself shows the way.
Not many devotees are blessed with the light of His
knowledge,
Iam a sacrifice to them
Who have found the Lord with the Guru’s wisdom.
Says Nanak, the lotus of their heart has blossomed.
And the Lord comes to dwell in it.
They remember God day and night.
Man! You should hurry to receive God’s protection,
All your sins and sufferings will vanish.
(Sri Rag
35 The Pandit needs the Shastras and the Smritis
The Yogi shouts—Gorakh! Gorakh!
I am unlettered, I repeat the Name of God.
100 The Sikh Gurus

I know not what’s in store for me.

I repeat the Name of God
To swim across the ocean of life.
The ascetic besmears himself with ashes,
The celibate has little to do with women.
I am unlettered, God is my only hope.
The Kshatriya wins laurels with his exploits,
The Shudra and the Vaishya serve others.
I am unlettered, God’s name alone can save me.
God! yours is this creation,
You are everywhere.
Says Nanak, the devotee is glorified,
Eyeless that I am, God is my only support.
(Gauri
4. The mother likes to see her son eat.
The fish likes to swim in water.
The true Guru likes to feed the devotee.
Lord, give me the company of men of God.
Meeting whom my sufferings end.
The way it pleases the cow to meet her calf,
The wife when her husband is at home,
The devotee is pleased when he sings God’s praises.
The sarang likes when it rains,
The sovereign likes to see riches around him,
The man of God when he can repeat His Name.
The man of world likes when he gathers wealth,
The Guru’s Sikh likes when he meets God in an embrace.
Nanak likes it if he can kiss the feet of the man of God.
(Gauri
5. This township (of my body) is full of passion and choler
It can be tidied in the company of godmen.
Good karmas alone lead one to the Guru,
And the man lives in the resplendence of God.
It’s a great gift saluting Him with folded hands
It’s a great gift prostrating before Him.
Those separated from God know not the joy of His presence.
They have the thorn of the ego pricking them.
As they walk it pricks more and more
And they are tortured,
At the time of death they are lashed with a stick...
Guru Ram Das 101

The men of god are lost in God’s Name.

They are free from the agony of life and death,
And they cross the ocean of life.
Iam a poor and humble slave of yours,
You are the mighty God,
Please do protect me.
Says Nanak, he who has the support of His Name
Obtains all comforts from the Name.
(Gauri
6. He who calls himself the Sikh of the Guru
He must get up early and meditate on Him.
He must be active in the morning
And should take a dip in the pool of nectar.
He must listen to the Guru’s advice and remember God.
All his sins and misdeeds are thus washed away.
As day dawns, he should read scriptures
And repeat His Name every moment of the day.
The Guru likes the Sikhs who remember God every breath
of their lives.
(Gauri
7. He who nurses ill-will for anyone,
To him no good ever comes.
No one listens to him,
He cries all alone in wilderness.
He who is given to talking ill of others
All his good deeds go waste.
Every time he indulges in running down his neighbour.
He fouls his mouth, he can’t show his face to anyone.
Karmas are the seeds sown in the field.
Man reaps what he sows.
No amount of talk helps
He who swallows poison must die.
The true Creator does justice.
As you do so is done to you.
Guru Nanak had the knowledge of it,
He talked to the world about the ways of God.
(Gauri
8. You are pure, without a blemish
Beyond understanding, beyond reach.
Everyone remembers you
102 The Sikh Gurus

You are the True Creater.

It’s alJ your creation.
You maintain everyone
The saints remember You.
You are the killer of pain,
God Himself is the master,
Himself He is the slave.
Nanak, the poor is nobody
You live in every heart and mind,
You are everywhere.
Some are donors and others beggars,
All these are your manifestations.
You are the giver and You are the taker,
I know none other than You.
You are the great Eternal Brahma
I fail to recount Your virtues.
Those who serve you
Nanak is a sacrifice to them.
Those who remember You
- Live a peaceful life.
They attain salvation who dwell on You.
Their noose of death is snapped.
Those who remember the Fearless
All their fears are shed.
Those who remember my Lord
They become one with Him.
Blessed are they who remember You.
Nanak is sacrifice to them.
God, the treasure of your prayer is vast,
It is limitless.
Your devotees sing Your praises,
There are many; there is no end to them.
Many are there who worship You,
Undergo penance,
And meditate on You, the limitless.
Many are there who read the Smritis and the Shastras
And do good deeds, all the six of them.
Says Nanak, the devotees are blessed
Who are dear to God.
You are the Endless Original Maker,
Guru Ram Das 103

There is none like You.

You remain the same from age to age.
You are the Eternal Creator.
What You like happens.
What pleases you takes place.
It’s You who created the Universe,
It’s You who destroy it after creation.
Nanak sings praises of the Creator
Who is the knower of all.
(Asa
To the True Guru and the Creator
The Slave makes a prayer.
Iam ahumble creature come to You
Take pity and bestow on me the light of Your Name.
My well-wisher, my Guru,
Bless me with Your Name.
God’s Name is the sustenance of my life,
My prayer is singing His praises.
Those who thirst for Him are blessed.
Their thirst is quenched with His Name.
They become virtuous in Godmen’s company.
Those who have not attained God’s Name
They are unfortunate,
They live in the neighbourhood of death
Those who do not come to the Guru or to the company of
the holy ones
Are accursed and their life is accursed.
The devotees who seek the company of Godmen
Have it written in their lot from the beginning.
Blessed is the company of the men of God
Where one enjoys God’s presence,
Says Nanak, it helps enlighten the mind.
(Gujri
10. Where does one meet You, my Love?
Men of God, pray, show me the way I should follow
I cherish the sayings of my Lord,
This is the golden path,
And I have found favour with the Master.
Humbly, I have met my charming one.
There is only one Lord
104 The Sikh Gurus

All of us belong to Him.

She meets Him whom He favours.
What can poor Nanak do?
He only treads the path that pleased God.
(Devgandhari
nt I am defeated everywhere
And I come to you, my Lord.
I seek Your protection
You may save me or destroy me
I have consigned to the flames
Wordly wisdom and honour.
People may talk good of me or ill.
I have handed myself over to You.
Those who come seeking Your protection
You accept them in Your grace.
Nanak has now come to You
Lord, save his honour.
(Devgandhari
12: He who brings me the message of my Lord
Iam a sacrifice to him, heart and soul.
I serve him daily, fanning cool breeze and fetching water for
him.
I serve him day and night who talks to me about God.
Blessed is the great Guru,
Says Nanak, who fulfills my desires.
(Wadhans
13; The man of God sings God’s praises.
If someone were to talk ill of him
He is not bothered.
Whatever happens is ordained by the Master.
He does everything Himself
He shows the path
He teaches how to talk.
He created the Universe out of the five elements.
Himself He inducted the five passions in it.
Says Nanak, the True Guru arranges the union
It is He who settles all argument.
(Bairadi
14. Where you call Him
God comes to your help like a friend.
Guru Ram Das 105

With the Guru’s grace, He lives in your heart.

He is not attained in any other way.
Man, you should collect the riches of His Name
So that He helps you in the hour of need.
God’s Name is earned in the company of men of God.
There is no other way to gain God’s Name.
He who trades in God’s Name profits by it.
Those who deal in false goods
They never attain God.
(Suhi
. All our efforts and all our triumphs flow from Him.
I would do if I could do.
I cannot do anything on my own.
I act as God wishes me to act.
God! everything is in your hands
I dare not do anything.
Let me live in Your grace, the way You please
You gave me body, You gave me soul
You made me work
I do as You desire.
The way You have written in my lot from the very
beginning.
You created the universe with five elements.
There are some whom You show the way under Your
guidance.
There are those who are full of ego and they cry.
It’s not in my lot to sing God’s praises.
I am foolish, stupid and mean.
Says, Nanak, pardon me, O God!
I seek your protection.
(Suhi
16. I crave to see my Lord,
Like an arrow the Guru’s Word has pricked my heart.
Its He who knows the agony.
Who else would know the affliction of others?
I am enamoured of my Guru,
Iam helpless, I can’t restrain myself more.
I search for Him the world over.
I love to see my Lord God.
I would make an offering of my heart and soul
106 The Sikh Gurus

To him who could show me the way to my God.

(Bilawal
17. Lord! Pardon my past sins and show me the way.
Icome to Your protection shedding my ago.
The man of God must remember , God.
And remain in his protection for ever and ever
With single-minded devotion.
I have no respect, I belong not to a high caste
I have no home, no place to go to,
The Word has removed all my doubts
The Guru himself has bestowed this upon me.
One who is avaricious dies in avarice,
He is lost in false promises
And is punished in the town of death.
Says Nanak, He is everywhere
There is none like Him.
He bestows the gift of devotion on men of God.
And the Guru’s Sikhs are ever happy.
(Maru
18. With good karmas alone one meets God
Without good karmas He can’t be met.
One becomes gold if one meets God
But then it is ordained by God Himself.
Man! You must devote yourself to God.
You reach the True One through the true Guru
This is how one merges in Him.
The true Guru gives the light
And doubts are dispelled.
The true Guru gives the understanding
And one attains salvation.
With the Guru’s grace one does good deeds
He who is reborn meditates on the Word
He is free from life and death and gives up his ego,
With Guru’s grace is one born in the house of God.
Killing all the temptations of the world.
He controls the uncontrollable and gains sovereign know-
ledge.
And man merges into Eternal Man.
(Malhar
Guru Arjan

This grandson of mine

Will cruise people
Across the ocean of life
—Guru Amar Das

URU Arjan was born at Goindwal in 1563. He was the

youngest son of Bhai Jetha (later Guru Ram Das) and
Bibi Bhani. It is said that there was unusual rejoicing at his birth.
It surprised not a few since the new-born was only the third son of
the Guru’s daughter, whereas his two sons Mohan and Mohri had
also been married and not much notice had ever been taken
when they had their children. Guru Amar Das was extremely fond
of Arjan who as a child was always hovering around him. It is said
that once when the Guru was having his siesta in the afternoon,
young Arjan quietly slipped into his room and woke him up.
Nobody ever disturbed the Guru during his afternoon nap since he
got up very early in the morning for his meditation and prayers.
The attendant was nervous and ran to pick up the child from the
Guru’s chamber. The Guru forbade him and observed—£h mera
dohta bani da bohta hovega—this grandson of mine will cruise the
people across the ocean of life.
As predicted, when the time came for Guru Ram Das to retire,
Arjan was ordained the next Guru.
However, Prithi Chand, Guru Arjan’s eldest brother, did not
accept him as his father’s successor. On the passing away of Guru
Ram Das, according to a custom prevalent among the Khatris of
the time when Mohri invested Guru Arjan with the turban,
Prithi Chand objected to it vehemently. As the eldest son of
Guru Ram Das, he maintained, that it was he who ought to have
been offered the turban. When Guru Arjan came to know of it, he
108 The Sikh Gurus

lost no time in presenting the turban to him. Not only this, he also
left Goindwal for his new township to avoid any further
irritation.
But Prithi Chand was not reconciled. He started intriguing and
conspiring against the Guru. Guru Arjan didn’t take much notice
of him; he was busy completing the holy tanks of Santokhsar
and Amritsar and other jobs left unfinished by Guru Ram Das. It
is said that while the excavation at Santokhsar was in progress, the
diggers chanced upon a tiny hut in which they found a yogi
squatting in deep contemplation. He was brought out immediately
and given a massage. After a little while, he regained consciousness
and was delighted to meet Guru Arjan. He said that ages ago he
had pleased his guru who had blessed him and said, ‘“‘You will
meet Guru Arjan in the Kaliyug and attain deliverance at his
hand.’ He had been in meditation ever since then.
Santokhsar was completed in 1588.
Guru Arjan now devoted his attention to the completion of
Amritsar, the tank of nectar. He had the foundation-stone of Hari-
mandir—later known as the Golden Temple—also laid. The Sikhs
desired that it should be the tallest building in the town. The Guru,
however, thought otherwise. He reminded his followers that
there was no virtue like humility. The temple was, therefore, built
on as low an elevation as possible. He also decided to have the new
temple open on all four sides. Anyone could enter it from any side.
No one might be discriminated against. For laying the foundation
stone of the temple, the Guru invited Mian Mir, a Muslim divine
from Lahore. With the resources and dedication of the Sikhs, con-
struction of the holy tank and the temple made rapid progress.
The Guru sang in joy:

God himself came to participate

And gave His hand in Godmen’s task.
He poured nectar in the blessed tank
built in the blessed land.
He poured nectar and completed the job,
A dream has come true.
The whole world is hailing.
All fears are set at rest.
He is all-powerful with ever-living presence,
The Vedas and the Puranas sing His praises.
Guru Arjan 109

God has blessed His devotee Nanak

Who meditated on His Name.
(Suhi

When the holy tank was completed, with his characteristic humi-
lity, Guru Arjan gave the entire credit for it to Guru Ram Das:

A dip in the tank of Ram Das—

All my sins are washed away.
A dip and I am clean all over
I’ve been blessed by God Himself.
(Sorath

Prithi Chand continued to pester the Guru. He, therefore, deci-

ded to leave Amritsar and go out on an extensive tour and meet
his disciples in various towns of the Punjab. He visited Khadur,
Goindwal, Sarhali, Bhaini, Khanpur, Taran Taran, Lahore, Dera
Baba Nanak and several other places. During his tour, he laid the
foundation stone of Kartarpur, a new township near Jullundur. He
had also a well, called Ganga Sagar, dug in the town. It is said,
a man called Baisakhi came to see the Guru while on his way
to Hardwar which he visited every year on pilgrimage. The Guru
told him that taking bath with the water of the well recently
dug in the town could also clean him if he cared. The water any-
where comes from the same source.
Baisakhi would not listen to it. He had been going to Hardwar
annually for several years and he didn’t want to miss the pil-
grimage that year. The Guru kept quiet. However, after some
months when the pilgrim returned, he complained that the day he
was leaving Hardwar his pilgrim’s vessel was lost in the Ganges
so that he couldn’t bring the holy water for the Guru. At this, it is
said, the Guru walked up to the new well and pulled out Baisakhi’s
vessel that had slipped from his hands and had been lost in the
Ganga. Baisakhi was astonished to see the vessel, his name etched
on it. He realized the true meaning of pilgrimage.
Guru Arjan returned to Amritsar after several months. Prithi
Chand was still bitter and the Guru was at a loss to know, how to
appease him. Arjan had no son. Prithi Chand hoped that his
own son Mehrban would have a chance to succeed as guru.
But disappointment was in store for him here also. Finding his
 110 The Sikh Gurus

wife keen to have a child, Guru Arjan asked her to go to Bhai

Budha for his blessing. Bhai Budha was revered by the Sikhs and
the Guru alike.
It was a tremendous expression of humility on the part of
the Guru to send his wife to ask the blessing of a Sikh but she
must do as she was advised. Accompained by her attendants,
she went in a procession to Bhai Budha who lived in a jungle out-
side the town. It is said, Bhai Budha didn’t approve of all the
fanfare. Far from blessing the Guru’s wife, he didn’t even touch
the delicacies she had brought as an offering to him. She was utterly
disappointed. When the Guru came to know of it, he told her
to go again with simple food cooked with her own hands and
with the humility of adevotee. The next day she did accordingly.
Bhai Budha was delighted to partake of her simple fare and,
while crushing the onion with his fist said, ‘‘The son that you will
have will crush the enemies the way I have crushed the onion. He
will be a great sportsman, fond of hunting; he will ride royal horses
and wear two swords. He will possess both spiritual and temporal
powers.”
Prithi Chand in the meanwhile cultivated Sulhi Khan,
a revenue officer of the Mughal court, and instigated him to raid
Amritsar on the pretext of collecting tax dues. Guru Arjan’s wife
was expecting a baby now. He, therefore, retired to a village close
by, leaving Amritsar to Prithi Chand to settle accounts with
Sulhi Khan. During his stay at Wadali, Guru Arjan found that
due to scarcity of water, the people of the village were put to a
great deal of inconvenience. He had a huge well dug up with the
voluntary help of the Sikhs. It was large enough to accommodate
six Persian wheels. The place has since come to be known as
Chhehrata—the town of six Persian wheels. It was at Wadali that
a son was born to Guru Arjan, in 1595. There was great rejoicing
in Amritsar at the happy event. To commemorate Bhai Budha’s
blessings, a fair is held every year in the forest where he used
to live. Childless women who come to participate in the congrega-
tion held on the occasion of the fair are believed to be blessed with
children. The more the Sikhs rejoiced on the birth of Hargovind—
that was the name of the child—the more unhappy did Prithi
Chand get. Even his wife Karmo lost her peace of mind. The only
hope left to them was to have the new-born killed somehow. Ac-
cordingly, they took an old family nurse into confidence and pro-
Guru Arjan 111

mising her a rich reward, sent her to Wadali. She had her nipples
smeared with poison. Obviously she was looking for an opportunity
to suckle the new-born and poison him to death.
However, the moment this woman took the child in her lap, she
fainted. The poison applied on her nipples seemed to have affected
her. The Guru had her immediately attended to and her life was
saved. When she came to her senses, she confessed her guilt.
Prithi Chand was still undeterred. After some time, he got a
snake-charmer to release a poisonous serpent in Guru Arjan’s
courtyard where the child normally played. The toddler, it is said,
picked up the snake and started playing with it.
Devotees came from distant places to Amritsar to pay their
homage to the Guru and, not finding him there, were greatly dis-
appointed. The Sikhs of the town, therefore, came to the Guru in
a deputation and persuaded him to return to the holy city ignoring
what Prithi Chand continued to do.
After a while Hargobind was stricken with a severe attack of small
pox and Prithi Chand’s hopes were revived. Prithi Chand was sure
that the child would not survive. But Hargobind recovered from
the malady, once again disappointing his uncle.
The only hope for Karmo’s son to succeed Guru Arjan was the
elimination of Hargobind, and Prithi Chand was persistent in his
design. He now bribed a domestic servant in the Guru’s household
to poison the milk the child took. Once again Prithi Chand failed.
The child refused to take the muk the servant offered. When the
servant insisted, Hargobind took the bowl of milk and threw it
away. It is said, a dog who tried to lap it up died instantly. The
domestic servant was questioned and he confessed the truth. Guru
Arjan was greatly distressed by his brother’s misdeeds.
Hargobind was fairly grown up now and his father sent him over
to Bhai Budha so that he could be trained for the responsibilities
he was destined to shoulder.
Before long another serious situation developed in Guru Arjan’s
life. Reports came saying that Prithi Chand was composing his own
hymns, and was passing them to the Sikhs visiting Amritsar as the
compositions of Nanak, and other Sikh Gurus. If this was allowed
to continue, Guru Arjan feared, it would be the undoing of the
Sikh faith. He, therefore, decided to take immediate steps to stop
this confusion.
He sent his trusted Sikhs like Bhai Piara and others all over the
TrZ The Sikh Gurus

country and went personally to Goindwal, Khadur and Kartarpur

and collected the authentic texts of the Bani of the four Gurus
preceding him. Mohan, Datu and Sri Chand were the three who
helped him most in this pursuit. He, then, had a special camp set
up by the side of Ramsar tank and started compiling what subse-
quently came to be known as the Holy Granth. Consistent with the
tradition of the Sikh faith, Guru Arjan had some of the spiritual
verse of other Indian saints, both Hindus and Muslims, also collected
and included in the compilation. The hymns were arranged under
the specific musical measure or raga in which they were originally
written by Guru after Guru—in chronological order. The composi-
tion of saints outside Sikhism figured after these. It is said that
several poets or their admirers approached the Guru to have their
verses included in the Holy Granth under compilation. A few among
these were Chhajju, Shah Husain and Pilu. But, it seems, their
writings did not qualify for inclusion in the Holy Granth.
Bhai Gurdas undertook to prepare the master copy of the
compilation. He was also invited by the Guru to contribute his own
verses for inclusion in the Holy Granth, but his modesty of a disci-
ple would not permit it. The compilation of the Holy Granth was
completed in 1604. After the monumental work had been completed
to his entire satisfaction, Guru Arjan added by way of epilogue, in
utter humility:

I can’t measure Your grace

You’ve made me worthy of you.
I am full of blemishes;
I have no virtue.
You have been compassionate.
Compassionate you have been and kind
Thus I met the True Guru.
Nanak, I live on the Name alone.
It pleases my heart and soul.
(Stak V
A large number of miracles are associated with Guru Arjan.
It is said, a Sikh called Triloka who was employed in the army
at Kabul once killed a female deer. The deer happened to be preg-
nant. It pained Triloka to find the two unborn young ones of the
deer also die before his eyes. He pledged not to indulge in hunting
any more. Not only this, rather than carry a proper sword, Triloka
Guru Arjan 113

started donning a sword with a wooden blade. This was unheard

of in the fighting forces of the day. Someone complained about it
to his commandant, who came for a surprise check of Triloka’s
arms. Triloka remembered the Guru and prayed for his help in his
hour of distress. To his delight when he pulled out the blade from
the scabbard, it was shining like steel. Those who had complained
against him were put to shame.
Similarly, Katara, another Sikh from Kabul, happened to be in
trouble. Someone wanting to do him harm had replaced his weights
and complained to the authorities that he was using short weights.
His premises were raided by the police for inspection. The innocent
Sikh invoked the Guru’s help in his hour of peril. It is said that at
the same moment, Guru Arjan was made an offering of some
coins at Amritsar. He held the weight of the coins for a while on
the right hand palm and then on the left hand palm. He shifted the
coins from one palm to the other again and again. When asked by
the devotees why he did this, he told them about Katara who was
in trouble in far-away Kabul involved in a false case, accusing him
of using short weights and that was how he was vindicating his inte-
grity. The next time the Sikhs visited Amritsar he corraborated
every word that the Guru had told them.
Chandu Shah, a Hindu banker of Delhi, who weilded a lot of
influence at the Mughal court was looking for a suitable groom for
his daughter. He was originally from the Punjab and was keen that
it should be a Punjabi youth. His emissaries went all over the Punjab
without finding an eligible match. Eventually on their way back
they happened to visit Amritsar and saw Hargobind, the young son
of Guru Arjan. Besides being handsome and healthy, he was to |
succeed his father. The agents hurried back to Delhi to inform
Chandu Shah. He, however, had the ego of a spoilt rich man.
He couldn’t imagine giving his daughter in marriage to any-
one below his status. “At best, he lives on the offerings of his
followers,”’ he objected, ‘‘he has no social or political position. A
brick baked for a palace cannot be used for a gutter.” The agents.
were silenced. The proposal was accordingly dropped. In the mean-
while, the Sikhs of Delhi came to know of Chandu Shah’s remarks
and they conveyed them duly to the Guru. As it happened, the
agents continued to search everywhere but they couldn’t find a
suitable hand for Chandu Shah’s daughter. The marriageable
daughter became the source of grave anxiety to the mother. She:
114 The Sikh Gurus

couldn’t wait any longer. Chandu Shah’s wife felt that Hargobind was
an excellent match for their daughter and that they should not have
turned down the proposal. Before long Chandu Shah also realized
his mistake and sending for the agents, asked them to finalize the
proposal. The agents went to Amritsar. But the Guru who was
aware of Chandu Shah’s earlier remarks declined to accept the
offer. He said that the daughter of a rich man like Chandu Shah
will not fit into the house of a darvesh. Chandu Shah could not
imagine that the hand of his daughter could be refused by any one.
He was wild to see the proposal-gifts returned to him. In a fury
of temper, he decided to avenge himself on the Guru for the
indignity hurled on him.
- Soon an opportunity came his way. Prithi Chand, the Guru’s
eternal enemy complained to him that the Holy Granth compiled by
the Guru had derogatory references to Muslim and Hindu prophets
and saints. Chandu Shah lost no opportunity in bringing this fact
to the notice of the King. Akbar ordered the Guru and the Holy
Granth, to be brought to him. Guru Arjan sent Bhai Budha and
Bhai Gurdas to the Mughal court with a copy of the Holy Granth.
When the Holy Book was opened, the first hymn that was read
out was:

From clay and light God created the world.

The sky, the earth, trees and water are made by Him.
I have seen men pass away.
Forgetting God in avarice is like eating carrion.
The way the evil spirits kill and devour the dead.
One must restrain oneself,
Hell is the punishment otherwise,
The miracle man, the riches, brothers, courtiers,
kingdom and palaces
None will come to your rescue at the hour of
departure,
When the messenger of death comes to carry you.
God the Pure knows what’s in store for me
Nanak, my appeal of a slave is to you alone.
(Tilang

The Emperor heard it and he was fully satisfied. He had

always looked upon the Sikh Gurus as social reformers and believers
Guru Arjan 115

in the unity of God and the brotherhood of man. And all this
was close to his heart.
However, Chandu Shah who had considerable influence in the
court Was too wicked to be satisfied. He said that Bhai Gurdas who
had read the hymn had done so from memory and had not read
the text from the Holy Granth. He, therefore, got one Sahib Dyal
from the town and made him read for them another piece from a
page of his own choice. The hymn read out this time was:

You don’t see God who dwells in your heart,

And you carry about an idol around your neck.
A non-believer, you wander about churning water,
And you die harassed in delusion.
The idol you call God will drown with you.
The ungrateful sinner!
The boat will not ferry you across.
Says Nanak, I met the Guru who led me to God.
He who lives in water, earth, nether region and firmament.
(Suhi

The King was delighted to listen to the hymn. It was as nobly

inspired as the earlier piece. Far from finding anything that could
be construed as maligning anyoné, he felt that the hymn inculcated
love and devotion and strove to rid both the Hindus and the
Muslims of communalism that was tearing them apart. Exactly this
is what he wished to project through Din-i-Ilahi, a new religion he
advocated. The King was happy to be acquainted with the highly
inspiring volume compiled by the Guru. He bestowed robes of
honour on Bhai Budha and Bhai Gurdas and sent one for the Guru
along with numerous gifts. He also promised to pay his respects
personally to the Guru when he visited Lahore next.
The Emperor kept his promise and came on pilgrimage to
Amritsar. He was greatly impressed with the activities of the Guru.
He made rich offerings and sought the Guru’s blessings for the
peace and welfare of his kingdom. At the Guru’s intervention, the
king exempted the region from land revenue as it had suffered
a severe drought that year. When the cultivators came to know of
it they were deeply grateful to the Guru.
Unfortunately, a monarch of vision like Akbar did not live long.
He was followed by his son Jehangir on the throne. Akbar had,
116 The Sikh Gurus

however, nominated his grandson Khusro to succeed him.

Jehangir was pleasure-loving. He was given to drinking. He left
the administration of the kingdom to his Queen and his courtiers.
While on his way to Kashmir, the Emperor summoned Guru Arjan
to meet him in Lahore mainly at Chandu’s instigation.
When the Guru received the King’s summons he knew what was.
in store for him. He called Hargobind and had him installed as the
sixth Guru in the presence of prominent Sikhs. As usual Bhai
Budha applied the tilak on Hargobind’s forehead. The Guru, then,
took leave of his Sikhs and bidding farewell to his beloved city of
Amritsar, left for Lahore.
The Emperor levied a fine of Rupees two lakhs and asked the
Guru to revise the Holy Granth deleting all references to Islam and
Hinduism figuring in it. The Guru told the King that his money
was the sacred trust of the Sikh community and the hymns in the
Holy Granth were a revelation in praise of God: no one dare alter
them. The King was on his way to Kashmir. He was in a hurry and
in no mood to involve himself in arguments. He asked Murtza
Khan to deal with the Guru the way he considered best and proce-
eded on his journey. It was exactly the opportunity Chandu Shah
was looking for. He approached Murtza Khan and poisoned his
ears uraging him to extract the fine levied by the King.
The moment the Sikhs of Lahore came to know that the Guru
had been put in prison for non-payment of the fine, they slarted
collecting funds. When Guru Arjan heard of it, he forbade them to
do so. He had done no wrong for which he should pay a fine. In
the meanwhile, the gazi gave his injunction ordering the Guru to
be tortured to death, in case he didn’t agree to expunge the so-cal-
led derogatory references to Islam and Hinduism in the Holy
Granth.
It is said, the Guru was made to sit on a red hot iron sheet.
They poured burning hot sand on his body. He was given a dip in
boiling water. As the Guru was being persecuted thus, Mian Mir,
the Muslim divine of Lahore who had laid the foundation-stone of
the Holy Temple at Amritsar, came and begged the Guru to allow
him to use his mystic power to undo those who were responsible
for the suffering inflicted upon him. The Guru heard Mian Mir
and counselled patience. He told him that one must accept the
will of God; not a leaf moves if God doesn’t ordain it. When
Chandu’s daughter-in-law heard about it, she bribed the jailor and
Guru Arjan al,

came to the prison with sherbet and other delicacies to serve

the Guru. The Guru declined to accept anything from Chandu’s
house but blessed the lady for her faith and devotion.
The Guru was tortured for five long days. When the tyrants
found him bearing all the agony with perfect equanimity, they
became helpless. They were at a loss and didn’t know what to do.
At this the Guru asked for a bath in the River Ravi by the side of
the Mughal fort in which he was imprisoned. Thousands of his
followers watched the Guru walk to the river with tears in their
eyes. His bare body glistened with blisters. There were blisters on
his feet and he couldn’t even walk properly. ‘‘Sweet is your will,
O God; the gift of your Name alone I seek,”’ said the Guru again
and again. As-he reached the river, he bade farewell to the bewail-
ing multitude and walked into the water as serene and as calm as
ever. It is said that it was the last glimpse his devotees had of the
Guru. He never came out of the river. The tide bore him in her
longing lap and he was gone for ever. Guru Arjan was only 43 years
old at the time of his supreme sacrifice on 30 May 1606.
Thus a magnificent life was brutally cut short by the hands of
tyranny. The way in which Guru Arjan gave his life for the values
that he cherished is of tremendous signficance. With his martyr-
dom the attitude of Sikhs to life changed. Emulating their Guru,
they would readily give their lives for any cause dear to them
whether it was a fight with the bigoted Mughals for the protection
of their faith or the Britishers for the freedom of the country
or even the Congress after Independence for the Punjabi speaking
state.
Guru Arjan’s humility is almost unparallelled.
There was no trace of self; he emphasized with actions that more
important than the Guru were the Guru’s Sikhs. What they decide
in a congregation must hold good. Since the Delhi Sikhs did not
want the Guru’s son to be married to Chandu Shah’s daughter
because of his arrogance, the Guru respected their wishes even
when his life was at stake.
Guru Arjan has left a massive volume of 2218 hymns marked
for their musicality and richness of imagery. They have continued
to be popular with the Sikh musicians generation after generation.
He wrote in a simple, conversational language, reflecting the
various stages of the spiritual journey of the human soul. His
magnum opus, the Sukhmani—the Psalm of Peace, is a long poem
118 The Sikh Gurus

ranking only next to the Japji of Guru Nanak in popularity with

the devout. Though it doesn’t form part of the essential set of five
hymns enjoined upon the Sikhs to be recited every day, the
Sukhmani is recited by a large number of devotees every morning.
and also at the hour of anxiety in the family.
In Guru Arjan we have the culmination of all that Guru Nanak.
and the three Gurus following him stood for. They combined in
themselves the best of Islam and Hinduism. Rather than alienating
any one, they strove for mutual understanding. Venerated equally
by the Muslim and the Hindus, they were peace-loving, devoted to:
meditation and prayers or service of their fellow-beings. In Sikhism
we have only the universal truth. All rites, rituals, worship of
gods and goddesses have been dispensed with. Sikhism comprises.
love of God and service of humanity only.
The Sikh Guru’s established places of worship called dharamsalas
and promoted projects of general welfare like digging of wells,
baolies and tanks. They set up new villages and townships. With
a viewto fighting social evils they encouraged common kitchens and
community living. They were poets and music lovers. Theypatroniz-
ed arts and artists. While Mardana, the rabab player was a constant
companion of Guru Nanak, Satta and Balwand and a number
of other professional musicians were attached to the Gurus follow-
ing Nanak. They would have indeed been happy if they were
left alone to pursue their mission of propagating the love of God
and the love of man to the people of the world.
But this was not to be. The rulers of the day became suspicious.
of their growing popularity and power. This unfortunate distrust
was fed by petty jealousies and intrigues cropping up at every suc-
cession. While Guru Arjan represents the best in the way of life led
and propagated by Guru Nanak, we also find him standing at the
cross-roads, as it were. There were tensions brewing; the Sikhs were
to face forces of reaction, and the bigotry and arrogance of
rulers of the day.
Guru Arjan’s martyrdom precipitated the issues. It gave a new
complexion to the shape of things in the Punjab and the Sikh polity.
While Guru Arjan’s non-violence and the way he made the supreme
sacrifice reflects the best in Guru Nanak, the training he gave to
his successor Hargobind was a signpost of the long-drawn out
conflict that followed, culminating in a momentous turbulence
during Guru Gobind Singh’s life and times.
Guru Arjan 119

To a student of Guru Arjan’s life, the Guru’s martyrdom was an

inevitability. The forces of evil and hatred were relentless and the
events moved with calamitous inevitability. The Guru had attended
to all his major assignments. The completion of the holy tank cal-
led Amritsar, and the Harmandir known as the Golden Temple gave
the Sikh community a sense of solidarity. The town which came
up around the Holy Tank grew into a metropolis of the Sikhs all
over the world. The Holy Granth not only preserved the Holy
Word; it has served as a spiritual lighthouse ever since its compi-
lation. In his not too long life of 43 years, Guru Arjan’s achieve-
ments are monumental. He could accomplish all this maybe be-
cause he was groomed for his mission by his maternal grand father
and then by his own father. His predecessors Guru Angad, Guru
Amar Das and Guru Ram Das did not have this advantage.
Though a man of letters and a poet of eminence, Guru Arjan was
highly organized and practical. Since he undertook massive con-
struction works, he set up brick kilns to bake bricks. With a view
to making Amritsar a self-sufficient town, he invited skilled
workers of all crafts to settle there. Traders from Kashmir and
Kabul were encouraged, so that Amritsar became an important
commercial centre in the Punjab.
A soldier once came to the Guru for spiritual advice. Guru
Arjan told him that as long as he served in the army, he must re-
main loyal to the king and fight his enemies. A soldier’s dharma
is to live for peace and die fighting.
Similarly, he was against the renunciation of the world. He said,
it was like a soldier running away from the battle-field. One must
live in the world and yet, as a lotus remains above water, remain
above it.
Guru Nanak had rejected the caste-system of the Hindus. ‘‘There
is no higher caste,” he said, ‘‘and there is no lower caste. It is one’s
deeds that determine whether one is good or bad, high or low.’’
Guru Arjan sought to abolish the distinction between the haves and
the have-nots, the caste-system that permeated the economic field;
those who laboured and those who exploited them. He didn’t
attach any great importance to contemplative life if it had to
be sustained on the sweat of the neighbour’s brow. He advised that
one must work and earn and share one’s earning with others.
The Hindu theory of karma upholds that what we are is
of our own making. We suffer because of misdeeds committed in
120 The Sikh Gurus

our previous life.-So even the indignities and atrocities inflicted by

the rulers were borne by the Hindus with stoic indifference.
Guru Arjan said that evil must be resisted. Even if one has to give
one’s life for it. He underlined the virtues of self-sacrifice. Accord-
ing to Guru Arjan, one must fight evil and injustice even if it
means giving away one’s life.
Guru Arjan was highly practical in Gay-to-day conduct. Once a
village headman called Chuhar came to him for his blessings. He
believed that the nature of his duties was such that he had to resort
to falsehood. He was anxious to know how he was going to find his
deliverance. The Guru asked him to maintain an account of
his good and bad deeds and bring it over to him at the end of the
month. When Chuhar came after a month, it was discovered that
he had done hardly any good deed, whereas he had a large number
of bad deeds to his credit. The Guru asked him to read them out
and confess his sins in public. The next month his performance was
better. It improved consistently in the following months, until the
village headman had all the good deeds to his credit and not one
bad deed.
Accepting the Will of God, Guru Arjan gave up his life suffering
inhuman atrocities. Yet the last message he sent to his son was to
arm himself fully and prepare for the struggle ahead which was to
be a long drawn-out war against tyranny.
Selected Hymns of Guru Arjan

i. Depending upon Your indulgence

I whiled away my time in filial love.
IT am an erring child,
You are the gracious parent.
Its easy to boast
But difficult to belong to You.
You are my pride, You are my power.
To YoulI come.
You are amidst us; You are outside us.
You depend upon none.
Father, I know not Your ways.
You are the deliverer of your devotees.
You must protect me, my Lord.
With God’s grace I found salvation,
A meeting with the Guru
Has led Nanak to know God.
(Sri Rag
Man! You must remember Him
Who rules supreme.
Man! You must remember Him
Who saves you in the hour of your peril.
Man! You must remember Him.
Who satisfies every hunger of your heart.
Blessed are those who remember Him.
Their foes and all those who find fault with them are defeated.
Says Nanak, you must remember God, the Great God.
Everyone bows before him who remembers God.
(Sri Rag
4: Blessed is the season in which I remember You.
Blessed is the endeavour in Your pursuit.
Blessed is the heart in which You dwell).
122 The Sikh Gurus

You who are the Master of us all.

Father! You are the True Lord
Endless are Your nine treasures.
He is content whom You give.
He becomes Your devotee.
Everyone looks upto You.
You dwell in every heart.
All are equal in Your eyes.
No one is a stranger to You.
You grant salvation to men of God.
The egoist is born again and again.
Says Nanak, I am a sacrifice to You.
All that I witness is Your creation.
(Majh
You are my father,
You are my mother,
You are my relative,
And my brother...
You are my saviour everywhere.
I have neither worry nor fear.
Blessed by You, I come to know You.
You are my anchor,
You are my pride.
There is none other than You.
It’s all Your play, this world.
Everything living is Your creation.
You make them do what you please.
Whatever happens is ordained by You.
None other has anything to do with it.
I gained the precious peace remembering Your Name.
Singing God’s praises
Iam contented at heart.
With the grace of the Guru,
I have succeeded in the perilous task.
(Majh
. Brother! How does one gain happiness?
How does one go to God and ask His help?
Happiness doesn’t lie in filial attachment,
Nor in palatial houses and their comforts.
Guru Arjan 123

Vain are such temptations, a waste of life.

He who is elated seeing the elephants and horses,
His armies, his followers and his soldiers,
He has a noose of vanity around his neck.
He who rules all over
Enjoying gay female company,
He is like a king turned beggar in a dream.
The True Guru has revealed to me the secret of happiness;
Whatever God does, the godly ones accept.
Nanak killed his ego and found union with God.
This is how one gains happiness, brother.
This is how one goes to God and asks His help.
(Gauri
6. He who has God as his friend,
He doesn’t need anyone else.
He who has endeared himself to the Lord,
All his fears and all his dreads are shed.
He who enjoys remembering him
He does not enjoy anything else.
He who is received in His court
He cares for none other than Him.
He who submits himself to the Lord,
Says Nanak, he is ever and ever happy.
(Gauri
7. The big men You see around
Are afflicted with worries and anxieties and fears.
No one is big being rich.
He is big who remembers Him.
The landlord keeps on clamouring for land
He does not rest until his hour of death.
Nanak has discovered a secret
Without God’s Name salvation is not obtained.
(Gauri
8. He who shouts at the poor
Comes to grief.
God does justice;
He looks after his devotee,
Who is honoured.
He who is foul-mouthed
Dies a wretched death.
124 The Sikh Gurus

He kills himself
No one may save him.
He is talked iJl of
Here and hereafter.
God saves His servants
Holding them to his heart.
Says Nanak, submit yourself to Him
And meditate on His Word.
(Gauri
9. Iam at peace...
The Guru has brought me peace.
I am free from pain and sin.
Daily I repeat the Name of God.
All my ills have disappeared.
And I’ve gained salvation.
God’s greatness is unfathomable.
It is in God’s company that one finds deliverance.
I sing praises of the blemishless everyday,
My afflictions are gone and I am saved.
I remember God in word and thought,
Says Nanak, I am in His protection.
(Gauri
10. O Godmen! Know this for certain in your mind
The True one solves all your problems
He defeats all your sworn enemies.
He saves the honour of His devotees.
Kings and king’s kings are all under His sway.
He drinks the great drink of nectar.
Remembering His Name I became fearless.
In the company of Godmen I gave away everything else.
I fell at the feet of the omniscient
Says Nanak, His protection alone I have sought.
(Gauri
11. On merit I have no chance of salvation,
I commit faults every moment.
You are the forgiver; do forgive me.
And cruise Nanak across the ocean.
Iam an ungrateful sinner,
A stranger with little understanding.
He who has given me life and comfort
Guru Arjan

I don’t seem to know Him.

In order to gain riches and profit
I look around everywhere.
Not for a moment I remember the bountiful God.
Greed, falsehood, evil deeds and worldly love,
I have collected these like a treasure.
Drunkards, thiefs and those who talk ill of others
I live in their company.
If you please, you may forgive the false along with the
truthful.
Says Nanak, if God so desires
Even stones may sail across the ocean.
(Gauri
12. Where neither father nor mother
Neither friend nor brother
Can help you, God does.
Where the dreadful agent of death smothers you.
Only God’s Name abides by you.
When you have an insurmountable difficulty
Remember the Name of God for a moment.
No good deeds and ceremonials may save you,
God’s Name alone washes a million sins.
O man of God! You must meditate on Him,
Says Nanak, this is how you'll find real peace.
(Gauri
13. With whose grace you live in comfort in the world.
You laugh with your son, brother, friend and wife,
With whose grace you drink fresh water,
Enjoy pleasant breeze and a priceless sun,
With whose grace you indulge in pleasures
And live a life of luxury,
He has given you hands and feet, ears, eyes and tongue,
You have forgotten Him and taken to others,
Such a stupid one suffers in darkness,
Says Nanak, only God could save him.
(Gauri
14. Forgetting the ten gifts you obtained
You chased yet another and lost your credit.
He may not give you the one you ask for
And also take away the other ten.
126 The Sikh Gurus

What would you do then, O fool?

The Master with whom one cannot argue
Must be saluted a hundred times.
Those who are devoted to the loving God
Peace comes to dwell in their hearts.
He who learns to obey Him,
Acquires happiness in a heap.
(Gauri
15. As long as he thinks he can do anything by himself,
He remains unhappy.
As long as he remains on his own
He is born and dies and is born again.
As long as he has friends and foes
His mind remains unsettled.
As long as he is drowned in filial love
He is punished by the God of death.
It’s with God’s grace that deliverance is obtained
Nanak secured his salvation with the Guru’s blessings.
(Gauri
16. He covers the weakness of His devotees,
He helps His men through.
He bestows laurels on his disciple.
He makes his slave remember Him.
He protects the honour of His follower,
Nobody can know His greatness.
None can measure up to men of God,
God’s servant is greater than the great.
He who has an opportunity to serve God,
Says Nanak, is known all over.
(Gauri
Lie The low-born whom no one knows
Meditation makes him known all over.
Lord, I seek a glimpse of Yours,
Serving You many have swum across.
He who is shunned by everyone
The entire world washes his feet.
He who is unwanted
With God’s grace he is welcomed everywhere.
The miad is awakened in God’s company,
Guru Arjan jal)

Says Nanak, he then starts loving the Lord.

(Asa
18. He protects His devotee and makes him remember God.
He goes post-haste where the devotee needs His assistance.
He remains closest to the devotee.
Whatever the devotee asks of God
Is given to him forthwith.
Iam a sacrifice to the devotee
Who has endeared himself to God.
It delights one to hear about him,
Nanak would go to meet him anywhere.
(Asa
19. Man! why must you worry when God Himself is bothered
about it?
He creates living beings in dead stones and provides food
for them.
He who lives in the company of men of God is saved.
With the Guru’s grace, he attains the supreme status.
Even dry woods become green for him.
Mother, father, friends, son and wife
No one can help anyone else,
God Himself provides for them.
What are you anxious about?
The swallow flies away hundreds of kos leaving her young
ones behind.
Who feeds them and tends them?
She remembers them in her heart of hearts.
All the treasures and the eighteen powers of miracle-making
God keeps in His fist.
Nanak is a sacrifice to Him a hundred times
Whose limit cannot be known.
(Gauri
20. Meditating on Him at heart
And repeating His name with the tongue,
Seeing the True Guru with eyes
And hearing His Name with ears,
Those who are devoted to the True Guru
Find a seat in heaven.
Says Nanak, he whom He blesses
He bestows the gift.
128 The Sikh Gurus

They are indeed the chosen ones

There are not many like them in the world.
(Gauri
21. God, I have one prayer to make
Out of Your generosity and grace
Make me a disciple of Your saints.
Let me sit at their feet first thing in the morning,
And remain in their company day and night.
Let me offer my body and soul
In the service of the people,
And sing Your praises with my tongue
Let me remember God every breath of my life.
And remain in the company of holy men.
Let Your Name be my only support.
Says Nanak, this is the joy I look for in life.
(Wadhans
22. I have found the great Guru, I am lucky.
I am enlightened.
None other is like him.
In him alone I have faith.
I am sacrifice to the true Guru.
I have happiness before me,
I have happiness behind me,
There is happiness inside me.
He who is the knower of the secrets of the heart,
He who is the maker,
He is my master.
I have become fearless sitting at his feet.
God’s Name is my only support.
Seeing Him gives me satisfaction.
He is eternal.
He is there today.
He will be there on the morrow.
He protects His devotees clasping them to His heart
With love and affection.
He is honoured everywhere.
His goodwill is enormous.
He solves every problem.
Nanak has met the great Guru
Guru Arjan 129

Who has rescued him from suffering.

: (Sorath
23. Like an umbrella, there are dark, rain-bearing clouds
all over
And the dreadful lightning flashes.
Iam all alone in bed...
With no sleep in my eyes.
My Lord has gone away
And there is no news from him.
He would go a Xos and used to send four letters.
How can I forget a lover like Him.
Who is the bestower of all comforts?
I go to the top of the house and look for Him
With my eyes swimming in tears.
He is said to dwell in my heart
But the wall of ego is standing between us.
Its like the wings of a butterfly.
Without my being able to see Him,
He appears far far away.
God has been gracious,
He has swept off pain from my life.
Says Nanak, after { demolished the ramparts of the ego.
It is only then that I found the kind God,
And all my fears vanished.
My Guru gave me whatever I asked for.
He is the epitome of all virtue.
(Sorath
24. You are the loving God, the Protector,
You are the Master of us all
I remember You every moment.
We are the children looking upto You for support.
I have only one tongue,
How can I recount Your many virtues?
You can’t be measured
You are limitless
I do not know Your limits.
Forgive me my countless sins
And put me on the true path.
I am ignorant and of little wisdom
You must save me as You have always done.
130 | The Sikh Gurus

I am at Your feet
You are my only hope.
My only good friend
Save me, my kind Saviour
Nanak is a slave at Your house.
(Dhanasri
25. He who rules all the four quarters
Has placed His hand on my head,
He has taken kindly to me
And removed all my suffering.
The great Guru protects men of God
Taking me into his bosom
He has washed away all my sins.
He has been gracious and forgiving.
Whatever one asks of one’s master, he gives.
Says Nanak, whatever he utters from his lips’
Turns out to be true here and hereafter.
(Dhanasri
26. Not a moment of worry he would let me undergo
He maintains his ever-loving disposition.
He protects His devotees with His own hands
And looks after them every hour.
I have given my heart to my Lord.
He helped me in the beginning,
He’ll help me in the end.
He is the great benefactor.
Tam overjoyed,
Seeing the surprising greatness of God.
Nanak remembered Him and was blessed
The All-powerful One has saved his honour.
~— (Dhanasri
27. Those who forget God, are always wretched.
How can they be misled who have faith in Him?
Living life without meditation is living like a snake.
He may rule over the entire world
And yet he would be defeated in the end.
They alone sing praises of the epitome of virtue
Who are blessed by Him
Such a one is happy; his life is happy.
Guru Arjan 131

Nanak is sacrifice to him.

(Todi
28. With God in my heart
The messenger of death dare not approach me.
He keeps his devotee clung to his bosom.
This is the way of the true Lord.
The great Guru has bestowed favours on me.
He has punished and vanquished my foes.
He gave me true understanding.
God has enriched all my faculties
And I have arrived home comfortably
Nanak is in His protection,
Who has rid him of his ailments.
(Sorath
. lLaskfor the gift of Your Name
Nothing else will accompany me.
With His favour alone can I sing His praises.
The raj, riches and the pleasures
Are like the shadows of a tree.
Howsoever you may chase them
It’s all in vain.
Without God’s name whatever you may ask
Everything appears of little avail.
Nanak prays for the dust of the feet of the saints
So that he may find peace of mind.
(Todi
30. In the company of saints
I sing God’s praises.
I wash the sins of millions of my lives.
I get whatever fruit I want.
In his grace He has granted me
Whatever I had asked for.
He has been kind,
He has given me the gift of His Name.
The virtue of His Name
Has brought me every happiness.
It’s with the Guru’s favour
That I have learnt the secret (of life)....
(Bairadi
30: Seeing you puts life into me, O Guru!
132 The Sikh Gurus

Be kind to me, O Lord!

Lord God! Grant me just one favour
Let me remember You like a slave.
Keep me in your protection, my kind Lord.
With Guru’s grace some do come to know You.
God, my good friend, listen to my prayer,
Let me meditate on Your lotus feet.
Nanak has only one prayer to make,
Let me never forget You
The epitome of all virtue.
(Suhi
32. He who has your protection
How can he come to harm?
Obsessed with worldly wealth he knows not how to talk
He forgets that he must die one day.
God, You belong to saints and saints belong to You
Your devotee fears none,
The God of Death dare not approach
Those who fix their gaze on You, O Master!
They are saved from the cruel cycle of life and death.
None may undo Your favours.
This is the assurance given by the true Guru,
Those who remember the Name they attain peace
And they sing His praises all the while.
In your protection and with faith in You
The five foes can be vanquished.
I am ignorant, I know not how to meditate.
I have no good deeds to my credit.
I know not You.
Says Nanak, He is the greatest of all
Who has saved my honour.
(Suhi
33. IfI err, if Imake mistakes,
I still belong to You.
Those who are attached to others
They are traitors.
They die suffering pangs of separation.
I would never leave my Lord.
You are my ever merry Master
You are my support.
Guru Arjan 133

You are my friend and associate.

Iam indeed proud of You.
Be kind to me.
Let me look to none else for help.
I should keep this precious gift clung to my heart.
(Suhi
34. You are the Master above temptation
You have many a slave like me.
You are the ocean, the mine of jewels.
I know not You
You are too great to be known.
Take pity on me.
Be kind and give me the understanding
So that I may remember You day and night.
Man! You should not be vain
You should be humble.
This is the way to salvation
Nanak’s Master is above all
He has several servitors like me.
(Suhi
whet He who comes to God cannot be harmed
He has the protective ring of Ram around him.
No evil may ever assail him.
He adores the Almighty who has created the universe.
The name of Rama is the remedy
It blesses man with single-minded devotion.
He is saved by the saviour,
Killing all the evils.
Nanak has been blessed
God Himself has come to his rescue.
(Bilawal
36. The great Guru himself has protected me
He has blessed me with the nectar of His Name.
It has removed the dirt of ages
All my foes and all my enemies have been vanquished.
I have meditated in the manner of the Guru.
Who dare harm me?
My Lord is all-powerful.
With His lotus feet in my heart
I remembered His Name and was blessed with peace,
34 The Sikh Gurus

Nanak the slave came to His protection

Above whom there is none.
(Bilawal
SW The Almighty God protects me here and hereafter.
He helps me in ups and downs and sees me through my
problems.
I remember God’s Name for the bliss of peace.
I smear myself with the dust of His feet.
No more I come and no more I go. /
I am free from the agony of birth and death
All my fears are gone.
I am rid of the terror of death
God has come to dwell in my heart.
Nanak has sought protection of the killer of pain
He sees His presence all over.
(Bilawal
Sih) I have found the true Guru
Exactly as I used to hear about him.
The Guru brings together those who are separated.
He leads to God’s court.
He makes me remember God,
And cures the malady of vanity.
Says Nanak, they alone can meet the Guru
Who have it written in their lot.
(Ramkali
39. You help where none other may
You protect in the fire of the womb.
Hearing Your Name, the agents of death leave me alone
This deep, dreadful ocean can be crossed with Your Name.
They drink the nectar who thirst for it.
The only good in the Kali Age is to sing God’s praises.
The kind one looks after all every moment.
He who comes to you never goes empty-handed.
(Ramkali
40. When you are on my side I care for none
You have bestowed on me everything,
Iam Your slave.
There is no end to Your riches;
I eat and spend.
The eighty-four lakh creatures of earth serve me.
Guru Arjan eke)

All my foes have become friends,

None thinks ill of me
When God favours, none may ask for the account,
Meeting the Guru, I have attained the state of bliss.
When He so desires
Everything is found in order.
(Maru
41. I’m happy as I sit, I’m happy as I stand,
He who understands this
Is not afraid of anyone;
God alone is the saviour
He knows the secret of every heart.
Fearless I sleep and fearless I wake up.
God is present everywhere,
I find joy at home and outside,
Says Nanak, only the Guru may reveal this secret.
(Bhairo
. He whose Name is above all
I sing His praises ever,
Remembering whom all suffering ends
The mind is at peace.
O man! You must remember the True One
You will be blessed here and hereafter.
He is the flawless Creator,
He provides for every living creature,
He pardons millions of sins in a moment,
He helps them through who are devoted to Him.
True wealth and true instruction,
And ever true wisdom are gifts of the True Guru
He whom He saves in His grace
All his sufferings end.
He who meditates on Him
Who is perfect, without temptation
And found everywhere,
He meets God shedding all doubts and fears.
Says Nanak, he is blessed by the Kind One.
(Bhairo
43. I have forgotten all illwill
Since I came into the company of Godmen.
I have no enemy, no stranger,
136 The Sikh Gurus

Everyone is my friend.
Whatever God does should be accepted
This is what Ihave learnt from them.
He alone dwells in every heart
Nanak sees Him and is in raptures.
(Kanada
44, God, I come to Your protection
All my name and fame I owe to You,
I have Your support, I am at Your feet
You are my hope, I have faith in You.
I have Your Name in my heart.
You are my strength, Iam happy in Your company.
Whatever You say I do.
With Your grace I attain peace.
God has bestowed on me fearlessness
I have laid my head at His feet.
(Kanada
45. I am wretched, stone-hearted, evil-minded, given to lust
Master, save me howsoever You may!
You are all-powerful
You save them who seek Your protection
You look after them.
Meditation, asceticism, discipline, cleanliness and correct
behaviour.
None of these can obtain salvation
Says Nanak, with His grace He pulls one out of the
dark well.
(Kanada
46. There are three things in the tray
Truth, contentment and reason.
To this is added the nectar of God’s Name
That sustains every living creature.
He who eats it, he who consumes it is saved.
It is a gift that can’t be given up.
It must be remembered every moment.
The dark ocean of the world can be crossed by clinging
to His feet.
Says Nanak, God is present everywhere.
(Mundavani
Guru Hargobind

*“The earlier Gurus adorned the temple; the reigning

Guru moves from place to place.
Earlier the Kings came to pay homage to the Guru,
today our forts are attacked by them.”’
—Bhai Gurdas

6¢P hey made him sit on a red hot iron sheet. They poured
burning hot sand on his body. They gave him a dip in
boiling hot water.”
“*As serene and as calm as ever, he uttered these words:
“Sweet is your Will, O God!
The gift of your Name alone I seek.”
‘Every inch of his body was burning with blisters. He suffered
and he asked for a cold bath in the river closeby.
**Thousands of devotees watched their Divine Master stagger to
the river with helpless tears pouring from their eyes. He looked
at them and said:
“Sweet is your Will O God!
The gift of your Name alone I seek.”
*‘As serene and as calm as ever, he stepped into the river. The
tide came to greet him. And, he never emerged out of it. They
waited and waited. The Master had gone. He was nowhere.”
People came and informed Guru Hargobind, men and women
who had seen him with their own eyes, heard him with their own
ears.
This is how his revered father, the fifth incarnation of Guru
Nanak, was brutally tortured to death.
It steeled his heart, the youthful son Hargobind who had succee-
ded his father as the sixth Sikh Guru.
It is said, when Bhai Budha, the grand old man of the Sikh
brotherhood, brought him se/i, the sacred headgear of renuncia-
138 The Sikh Gurus

tion that Guru Nanak wore and had been bequeathed to his succes-
sors one after another, Guru Hargobind put it aside respectfully
and asked for a sword instead. Bhai Budha who had never
handled a sword brought out one and put it on the wrong side.
The Guru noticed it and asked for another. “I’ll wear two swords,”’
said the Guru, ‘‘a sword of shakti (power) and a sword of bhakti
(meditation).”
Guru Hargobind combined in him piri (renunciation) and miri
(royalty). Henceforth the Guru’s Sikhs were to carry arms and ride
horses. It gave birth to a new concept of the soldier-saint.
It seems one of the most absorbing passions of Guru Hargobind’s
life was to steel his Sikhs against tyranny and oppression. The
Hindus had become so weak that they could not contemplate any
kind of resistance to the rulers of the day. It was a strange irony of
fate that of all the Mughal Kings, Guru Arjan’s martyrdom took
place during the regime of Jehangir, who was known as Jehangir
the just. It is said, he had a bell with a chain hanging outside his
palace; anyone denied justice could pull it and seek the King’s
intervention.
No more did the Sikhs believe in self-denial alone, they grew
increasingly aware of the need for assertion also. No more self-
abnegation and renunciation alone, they wielded arms and lived an
active life. They wouldn’t frighten anyone nor were they afraid of
anybody. They reared horses, rode on them and racing and hunting
became their pastimes. The Guru maintained a regular army with
various cadres. The heroic youth joined him in large numbers irres-
pective of caste and creed. The Sikhs all over presented the Guru
with best horses and finest weapons as their offerings. The Guru
built forts and battlements, donned a royal airgrette and was known
as Sacha Padshah—the True King.
Bhai Budha did not quite understand this new way of life. Guru
Hargobind reminded him that he himself had predicted the sort of
career Hargobind had adopted. Didn’t he say that he would smash
the heads of the enemies? Bhai Gurdas, the poet too could not re-
concile himself to the new way of life and there was an unfortunate
misunderstanding for a while in his relations with the Master.
The Guru, however, rose long before the day dawned and, after
his bath in the holy tank, went into meditation. He joined his
Sikhs for prayers both in the morning and in the evening. The rest
of the day was devoted to parades and manoeuvres, horse races
- Guru Hargobind 139

and hunting. Bidhi Chand, Pirana, Paira and Langha were some
of his Sardars with a contingent of a hundred horsemen each
under them. The Guru sat on a throne and received visitors and
offerings like any other ruler.
All this was duly reported to the King by Chandu Shah who’
still had an unmarried daughter on his hands as a constant remin-
der of the indignity hurled at him. He was always poisoning the
King’s ears against Guru Hargobind. At last, in spite of Wazir
Khan, a courtier advising him to the contrary, the King decided
to summon the Guru to Delhi.
It is said that the moment Jehangir saw Guru Hargobind, he
was completely won over by his youthful charm and holiness.
Among other questions, the King asked the Guru which religion
was better—Hinduism or Islam. In his reply, the Guru quoted
Kabir:

God first created light

All men are born out of it.
The whole world came out of a single spark;
Who is good and who is bad?
The creator is in the creation
And the creation in the creator,
He is everywhere.
The clay is the same
The potter fashions various models.
There is nothing wrong with the clay or the potter.
God the true resides in all
Whatever happens is His doing.
He who surrenders to Him gets to know Him
He is His slave
God is invisible, He cannot be seen.
The Guru has granted me this sweet gift.
Says Kabir, my doubts are dispelled
I have seen the Pure with my own eyes.
(Parbhati

The King was deeply impressed. He had also been told that the
Guru was a great Jover of sports. He invited Guru Hargobind to
accompany him on a tiger hunt. The Guru accepted the invitation
gladly. It also happened that during the chase, the King was attac-
140 The Sikh Gurus

ked by a ferocious tiger. The sportsmen accompanying the royal

party lost their nerve and their horses and elephants panicked.
The bullets and arrows shot at the tiger missed the target and for
a moment it appeared that the beast was going to pounce upon
the monarch. At this, Guru Hargobind rushed his horse and,
pulling out his sword he engaged the tiger single-handed. The next
moment, the tiger lay slain on the ground. The King was full of
gratitude. He admired the way the Guru risked his life and the
heroic fight he gave to save the King.
The Emperor became so fond of the Guru that he invited him
to accompany him wherever he went. The Guru’s tent was always
pitched next to the royal tent. Once while visiting Agra, the King
happened to be relaxing under a tree. A poor grass cutter who had
heard about the Guru’s visit along with the King, came and
making an offering of a two-paisa coin pleaded, ‘“‘You are the True
King. I ama poor sinner. Help me wash my sins and attain delive-
rance from the cycle of life and death.’’ The monarch heard him
and smiled. ‘“‘The True King is in yonder tent,” saying these
words he directed the grasscutter to the Guru’s camp. As the poor
Sikh collected his coin and hurried to the Guru’s tent, Jehangir
realized that the True King indeed was one who gave eternal
peace and deliverance.
Chandu was extremely unhappy with this new turn of events.
The Guru, however, had not so far mentioned to the King the
grave injustice done to his father. He was, perhaps, looking for a
suitable opportunity.
While at Agra, the king was taken seriously ill. The court
physicians tried their best but could not cure him. The King
decided to consult his astrologers. It was a godsend for Chandu
Shah. He conspired with the astrologers who told the King
that his malady was due to an unfavourable conjunction of stars
and that it could be remedied only if a holy man went to the
Gwalior Fort and offered continuous prayers to the deity there.
Who could be holier than Guru Hargobind, the King’s new friend?
It was, therefore, decided to request the Guru to go to Gwalior
and undertake the penance on behalf of the King. The Guru was
aware of Chandu’s intrigue; he, however, readily agreed to the
proposal and, accompanied by an escort of five lieutenants, he left
for the Gwalior Fort. The Guru’s Sikhs both at Delhi and Amrit-
sar were unhappy to hear about it. On the other hand, the princes
Guru Hargobind 141

detained in the Fort were mighty pleased to have the great Guru
with them for their company. Guru Hargobind found that the
princes lived in deplorable conditions. He had their living condi-
tions improved and invited them to join him for prayers both in
the morning and in the evening. In the meanwhile Chandu wrote
to Hari Das, the governor of the Fort asking him to poison the
Guru somehow. He must be avenged for the indignity he had
suffered owing to the Guru’s refusal to accept the hand of his
daughter. Evidently, Chandu was not aware that the governor was
an ardent devotee of the Guru. Hari Das brought the letter and
placed it before the Guru.
Several months had gone by and there was no news from Delhi.
It was learnt that the King had fully recovered from his ailment
and yet he had no thought of inviting the Guru back. Hari Das
who was aware of Chandu’s influence at the Mughal court
couldn’t take the initiative in the matter. Then astage came when
the Guru started feeling as if he were also a captive like the other
princes detained in the Fort.
In the meanwhile, the Guru was visited by Bhai Budha at the
head of a sangat from Amritsar. They remonstrated with the Guru
for ignoring them for so long. The entire household and the pil-
grims who came from far and near missed him badly. The Guru
assured them that he would join them shortly. They should in the
meanwhile, continue to take care of his horses and feed them well
in green pastures.
Soon thereafter Wazir Khan, a great admirer of the Guru in
Jehangir’s court, had an opportunity to mention to the King how
the Guru continued to be confined in the Gwalior Fort. Now that
the monarch had fully recovered, it was only proper that the Guru
was invited back to Delhi and duly honoured.
But the Guru would not leave the fort unless the princes detai-
ned in the Fort were also released. The King could not agree to
it. They were either political prisoners or had been detained for
committing defau't in the payment of large sums of tribute due
from them. Wazir Khan reminded the King that he owed his
recovery from the malignant malady to Guru Hargobind’s prayers.
It would be the height of ingratitude if he were denied this small
favour. The monarch agreed and the Guru left the Fort along with
all the 52 princes who had been languishing in the prison for
years. A part of Gwalior Fort where the Guru stayed is still known
142 The Sikh Gurus

as Bandi Chhor—the liberator of the detained.

When the King met the Guru in Delhi to thank him for his
intervention, the first thing the Guru told him was that there was
no such thing as an unfavourable conjunction of planets. It was
his good deeds that saved him and that he should continue to have
faith in God.
_ The Guru also acquainted the King about Chandu’s villainy.
How he had intrigued and an innocent soul was tortured to death
in his name. Then how he wrote to Hari Das to have Guru Har-
gobind poisoned while at Gwalior Fort. It seemed the King was
already aware of Chandu Shah’s- perfidy. He lost his temper and
in a fit of fury, handed Chandu over to the Guru to avenge the _
murder of his father. Bhai Bidhi Chand and Bhai Jetha who were
accompanying the Guru took immediate charge of Chandu Shah.
His hands were tied with his own turban and he was paraded in
the streets of Delhi as a perpetrator of the most heinous crime. It
is said that the people hurled abuse at him and spat on his face.
He was pelted with filth and rubbish. They would have done him |
to death but for the Guru’s intervention. He wished to carry
Chandu Shah to Lahore so that the people of Lahore could see
his plight.
When the King heard so about the Guru’s desire to return
home, he suggested that he might delay his departure for a few
days so that they could travel together. The King wished to spend
the summer in Kashmir that year.
During their journey, Guru Hargobind’s tent was invariably
next to the King’s. It is said Nur Jehan, the queen, took a fancy
to the Guru and visited him with her confidants a couple of
times. She was said to be the most charming beauty of her time.
The Guru told her that the real charm of a woman was her virtue
and her devotion to her husband. Nur Jehan was enchanted to
hear the Guru’s words and cherished his memory for long.
The royal party decided to visit Goindwal and Amritsar on
their way to Lahore. At Amritsar Nur Jehan called on the Guru’s
mother who recited to her Guru Nanak’s verses:

She adorns her husband’s house

If she is the beloved of her husband,
If she utters false words
She is no use.
Guru Hargobind 143

She who utters false words is no use indeed.

Nor can she ever see the lover
She is false, forgotten by her husband
An abandoned soul
Her night passes in separation.
(Dhanasri—Chhand

During his visit to Amritsar as the Guru’s guest, Jehangir asked

the Guru, ‘‘You are a handsome youth and among your devotees
there are charming young women; how do you control your pas-
sions?” The Guru was amused to hear it. He replied to the
monarch in a parable.
There was a king who was given to lust and sex. Once he came
across a man of God and asked his help. How could he control
his passions? The holy man looked at him and said, ‘“You have
just eight days more to live. You may spend them remembering
God or in sin, the choice is yours.”’ The king heard it and became
panicky. He prayed day and night and fed the poor and the needy.
Not for a moment did he think of lust or sin.
The emperor realized that for those who remembered death it
was difficult for them to commit sin. The Guru then quoted Guru
Nanak:

The fish forgot the net

In the vast brackish ocean.
Extremely intelligent and charming though
She became careless
And paid for her deeds.
Death is inevitable!
(Suhi—I

Before he left, the Emperor invited the Guru to visit him at

Lahore as his guest. After staying at Amritsar for afew days more
Guru Hargobind followed the King more, because he had to dis-
pose of Chandu Shah.
Crying day and night Chandu had almost become blind. He was
reduced to a mere skeleton, worrying about the fate in store for
him. At Lahore, he was taken around the streets daily when the
people hurled abuse at him and beat him with shoes and slippers.
Then one day when he was being paraded inthe street, a grain
144 The Sikh Gurus

parcher, who had seen Chandu torture the Guru with his own eyes,
came rushing and hit him on his head with a pair of burning hot
tongs. Chandu was knocked down. At this, the grain parcher gave
him another blow fracturing his skull. Chandu died on the spot.
Nobody wept for him. His dead body was then thrown into the
River Ravi. When the Guru heard about it, he said, ‘‘Chandu has
suffered enough for his misdeeds, may God pardon his sins!”
Chandu’s death, however, did not solve Guru Hargobind’s pro-
blems. Soon Chandu’s son Karam Chand and Prithi’s son Mehrban
joined hands to malign the Guru. They went to meet Prince
Khurram who later succeeded Jehangir as Shah Jehan and poisoned
his ears. When the Guru heard about it, he tried to dissuade
Mehrban but he would not see reason.
While the Guru was still in Lahore, one of his devotees in Kabul
hearing that the Guru was fond of horses, purchased for him a rare
charger. It cost him a lakh of rupees. In order that the horse was
not taken notice of on the way and stolen, he covered it in poor
array and carried it along with a number of poor-breed horses.
However, while crossing the river Attock, the local official noticed
the elan of the horse and was fascinated. He must take posses-
sion of the horse for the King. But the Sikh would not part with
him at any price. “It is for the Sacha Padshah—the True King,”
he said. Piqued at it the official sent word to the Mughal court and
as soon as the Sikh entered Lahore with the horses, the prize horse
was captured by the King’s men.
The Sikh came and told the Guru what had passed. And the
Guru said. ‘‘The horse must come to him for whom he was
intended.” It is said that the horse stopped eating in the royal
stable. When the King tried to mount on him, he would not let
him. Day after day they tried but the horse would neither eat
nor allow any-one to touch him. It was feared that the horse may
not survive. The State Qazi, who was consulted, was of opinion
that if the holy script were read out to the horse, he would
be cured of the malady. Accordingly, the King handed over the
horse.to the Qazi. While the Qazi was leading the horse to his
house, he chanced to pass by the Guru’s camp. The horse, who
was on the verge of death, is said to have neighed as he saw the
Guru’s tent. It was interpreted as an appeal to the Guru to rescue
him. The Guru came out and offered to purchase the horse. The
Qazi was most happy to strike the deal at ten thousand rupees to
Guru Hargobind 145

be paid to him at the time of Diwali. The Qazi thought that the
horse was not going to live long. But the horse suddenly turned a
corner; he started eating and regaining his spirit. Before long, the
Guru started mounting the horse in all his glory. The Qazi felt he
had been cheated. He had sold a horse worth a lakh for a sum of
mere ten thousand rupees. He started pestering the Guru for his
dues long before Diwali. The Guru reminded him about their deal,
but he refused to see reason. The argument was still going on when
the Guru decided to return to Amritsar. As the Qazi came to’
know of it, he became panicky. He thought of making a complaint
to the King.
Before he could do that, the Qazi had another shock. One of his
daughters, who had not married, was a great devotee of Mian Mir,
a divine of Lahore. She visited the dervish frequently and many
a time heard him praise Guru Hargobind. He would, at times,
recite hymns composed by the Sikh Gurus which she had learnt
by heart. Young and impetuous as she was, she started talking
about the Guru fondly and recited the Sikh hymns with great
reverence. The Qazi was wild with his daughter and, in a fit of
temper, decided to put her to death. The girl’s mother became
nervous and informed not only the girl but her divine master, Mian
Mir, also. Mian Mir advised the girl to escape to Amritsar and
seek refuge with Guru Hargobind.
The young girl came and knocked at the Guru’s door. The Guru
must give shelter to the shelterless. He had a special pavilion con-
structed for her where the girl started living. In due course, she
became one of the most ardent devotees of the Guru and was called
Kaulan—the lotus. A tank called Kaulsar was named after her.
For a while, the Sikhs at Amritsar feared that instigated by the
Qazi, the Emperor’s forces would attack Amritsar to recover the
prize horse and the Qazi’s daughter. But nothing of the sort hap-
pened. Evidently the Mughal King did not wish to offend the
Guru.
The Guru had been married for quite some time but he was still
without a child. During a visit to Guru Nanak’s shrine, he and his
mother met Baba Sri Chand, Guru Nanak’s son who had grown
very old. The Guru’s mother who was anxious to see a grandson
before she breathed her last, asked for Sri Chand’s blessings. The
Guru’s wife Bibi Damodari gave birth to a son in 1613. The child
was named Gurditta—gift of the Guru. It is said that he was the
146 The Sikh Gurus

split image of Guru Nanak—the resemblance was so remarkable.

Another son was born to the Guru in 1617. He was called Suraj
Mal. The next year, Guru Hargobind was blessed with his third
son Har Rai. He was followed by Atul Rai in 1620. In 1622 was
born Tegh Bahadur, the fifth son.
An old woman named Bhagbhari, who lived in Srinagar, made
with her own hands a fine silk robe and longed to present it to the
Guru. But the Guru was hundreds of miles away in the Punjab,
how would he know about it? The devotee in Bhagbhari, however,
was determined that the Guru must visit her to receive the gift.
Her faith was not belied; before long she had the Guru visiting her.
The first thing he came and asked for was the robe that she had
made after years of labour, remembering the Guru every moment.
On his way to Srinagar, Guru Hargobind spent a night with
Kattu Shah, another devotee who had recently been converted.
The Guru was highly pleased with him.
Hearing that the divine master was visiting Kashmir, some of
the Sikhs from an out-of-the-way village came to pay homage to
him. They brought with them a pot of fragrant honey to offer it to
the Guru. On their way, they happened to spend a night with
Kattu Shah. Hearing that they were carrying special honey for the
Guru, Kattu Shah asked them again and again to let him taste it.
The Sikhs, who had collected the honey for their Guru, would not
let Kattu Shah touch the pot, far from allowing him to taste it.
When they arrived in Srinagar and made their offering to the Guru,
it was discovered that the honey had started stinking, much to
their embarrassment. The Guru told them that they should not
have refused Kattu Shah—the Guru’s Sikh to taste the honey on
their way to Srinagar.
During the Guru’s visit to Srinagar, Bhagbhari who had grown
very old, breathed her last. Her house was converted into a
Gurdwara. It continues to be a popular place of pilgrimage.
A young boy who had been orphaned and at a loss to know what to
do saw a party of the Sikhs proceeding to Amritsar, to pay homage
to the Guru. He joined the party as an attendant. He listened to the
Guru’s hymns and served the Sikhs day and night. It so happened
that during their journey, the party of the Sikhs moved on while he
was away to bring water. As the youth was hurrying to catch up
with them, a Pathan saw him and made him carry his luggage. The
Pathan was so pleased with the boy’s work that he would not release
Guru Hargobind 147

him to enable him to join the party of the Sikhs. One day the
youth met a Masand to whom he communicated his longing to
meet the Guru. The Masand could not help him. The Muslims ruied
the country and they could be savagely unreasonable if they chose
to do so. The helpless youth pulled out a kauri from his pocket
and, giving it to the Masand, requested him to take it to the Guru
as an offering of a destitute Sikh.
As the Pathan and the youth were going their way that very after-
noon, they decided to rest a while under a tree which was close to
an old well. After a little while, the Pathan walked up to the well
and to the youth’s bewilderment, the moment he stepped on the
platform it gave way and the Pathan was buried in the debris. The
youth didn’t know who the Pathan was and where he belonged.
When he untied the heavy bundle that he was made to carry all
these days, he found that it contained jewellery and a thousand gold
mohurs, rich clothes and several other costly articles. The youth
decided to carry all these to the Guru as gifts.
During his journey, he went at nightfall to a wayside house for
shelter. The lady of the house welcomed the stranger. ‘“‘My
husband is away,” she said, ‘‘I have the whole house to myself.’’
The woman thought she could deprive the youth of his belongings
when he went to sleep. The youth, used to prayers and meditation
would not go to bed till late in the night. The woman became
impatient. She went to her lover next door and conspired with
him to murder the stranger and loot his belongings. Fntrusting the
job to her paramour, the woman came and slept in her room.
In the meanwhile her husband happened to return and finding a
stranger sitting in meditation on the verandah took him in and
made him comfortable in his bedroom. And he came and slept on
the verandah without disturbing his wife who was fast asleep in
her own bed. He had hardly gone to sleep when his wife’s lover
came and, not knowing what had happened in between, killed the
husband whom he mistook for the traveller. The next morning the
woman started wailing while the youth quickly left on his journey,
grateful to his Guru for saving his life. Reaching Amritsar the
youth offered the fortune to the Guru who smiled and returned it
to the youth. ‘‘This is the reward of the kauri that you had sent
wie”
Then came the news that Jehangir had suddenly died in Kashmir.
A few weeks after the succession of Shah Jehan, it so transpired
148 The Sikh Gurus

that the King and the Guru both happened to be out hunting in the
same jungle. Shah Jehan had a rare white hawk presented to him.
by the King of Iran. Somehow the Guru’s party caught hold of the
hawk and would not return it. Besides when the King’s men came
to colJect their hawk, the Sikhs gave them a severe beating and
drove them away saying, “‘We will not return the hawk for the
fear of anyone—even the king.’’ Bhai Gurdas heard about it and
observed:
The earlier Gurus sat in a temple
The reigning Guru wouldn’t remain at one place.
The kings came to meet the earlier Gurus
The reigning Guru was sent to the king’s fortress.
(Var XXVI

The Guru heard what Gurdas had to say and didn’t seem
to give much importance to it.
It so happened that a party of Sikhs turned up late one evening
from the far West. They had to be entertained but dinner had
already been served. If the cooks prepared the meal afresh, it
would be too late in the night. The Guru, therefore, thought of
serving the visiting Sikhs with the sweets stored in a room for the
marriage of his daughter for which preparations were in progress.
But the key of the room was with the Guru’s wife Damodari.
She would not allow the sweets to be distributed to the visitors.
When the Guru heard about it, he was unhappy. ‘‘My Sikhs are
dearer to me than my life,” he said. “If they can’t be served the
sweets the marriage party too will not partake of them.”’
It turned out to be true. Before the wedding could take place,
Amritsar was attacked by Mukhlis Khan under the orders of Shah
Jehan who wished to punish the Guru and his Sikhs for holding up
the royal hawk and beating the King’s soldiers who had gone
to retrieve it. The marriage preparations were interrupted and the
Guru’s household had to be evacuated to a safer place.
Mukhlis Khan, who thought that he would get the King’s hawk
and the Guru’s head by the evening, lost his entire force including
renowned warriors such as Shams Khan, Syed Mohammed Ali and
Didar Ali. He then plunged himself into the battle-field. The Guru
asked his warriors to keep away. He wished to engage Mukhlis
Khan single-handed. The Guru shot an arrow that killed Mukhlis
Khan’s horse. At this, Mukhlis challenged the Guru to leave his
Guru Hargobind 149

horse and fight a duel with him with sword and shield. The Guru
dismounted from his horse and invited Mukhlis to strike his blow
first. Mukhlis Khan aimed a blow which the Guru parried skilfully.
Mukhlis Khan’s next blow was also warded off by the Guru with
his shield. At this, the Guru fell upon Mukhlis Khan saying, ‘You
have tried twice and failed, it is now my turn,” In the twinkling of
an eye, he had severed his head from his body. Shah Jehan was
furious to learn that the Imperial force under the command of
a professional general had been completely wiped out by a dervish.
He decided to teach the Guru a lesson. He was, however, dissuaded
by Wazir Khan who convinced the King that the Sikh Guru had no
territorial designs. He neither frightened anyone nor was he afraid
of anybody. He wished only to be left alone and pursue his religious
and social activities undisturbed.
After the conflict with Mukhlis Khan, the Guru shifted to
Kartarpur where large numbers of Sikhs came to join him. He
needed to replace those who had lost their lives in the fight and also
augment the strength of his force since his relations with the
Emperor continued to be strained.
While still at Kartarpur, Guru Hargobind one day went out
hunting and came across an enchanting spot on the banks of the
River Beas, near the ancient village of Ruhela, belonging to the
Gherar tribe. The Guru decided to found a new township called
Hargobindpur there. Bhagwan Das, the headman of the Gherar
tribe, was not happy, more because he knew that the Mughal
emperor did not take kindly to the Guru and if he was friendly to
him, the King might misunderstand. However, the people of the
village were greatly excited; they placed their land at the disposal of
of the Guru and wished him to found the new township without
delay. They thought that in this way they would have the Guru
stay amidst them. Bhagwan Das was put out. He once tried to dis-
turb the Guru’s prayer meeting with derogatory remarks about him
personally. The Sikhs lost their temper and in the scuffle that
followed, they killed Bhagwan Das and threw his body into the
river. At this, his son Ratan Chand went to Abdullah Khan,
the subedar of Jullundur, and instigated him to take action against
the Guru. Chandu’s son Karam Chand also happened to be in
Jullundur at the time. He too joined hands with Ratan Chand.
Abdullah Khan felt that, since the Guru had already displeased the
Emperor by resisting his force at Amritsar, it should be an excel-
150 The Sikh Gurus

lent opportunity to win his favour if he could kill or capture the

Guru for him.
No sooner was the decision taken than Abdullah Khan’s soldiers.
swooped down upon the Guru. They were led by noted fighters such
as Bairam Khan, Mohammed Khan, Balwant Khan, Ali Baksh and
the two sons of the Subedar, Nabi Baksh and Karim Baksh. The:
Subedar had a large contingent of soldiers as his personal bodyguard.
Guru Hargobind gave charge of defence to Bhai Kalyana, Bhai.
Nano, Bhai Piraga, Bhai Mathura, Bhai Jagana, Bhai Shaktu and
Bhai Paras Ram. Bhai Jati Mal and Bhai Molak were asked to
to support Bhai Bidhi Chand. The Guru inspired his men telling
them that it was not a fight for territorial gains but for the preser-
vation of their religion and their way of life. They must fight and
destroy the aggressor. But it was not an easy task. While they were
a mere handful, there were large hosts arrayed against them.
However, they fought on the conviction that since everyone born
must die one day, it is better to give up their lives in the service of
the Guru; they would attain deliverance from life and death for ever
and ever. And then, one after the other the Mughal soldiers started.
falling in the battle-field. Mohammed Khan was followed by
Bairam Khan, Bhai Mathura engaged Bairam Khan to a hand-to-
hand fight and beheaded him. Infuriated, Bairam Khan’s soldiers.
made mince-meat of Bhai Mathura. Balwant Khan, supported by
Ali Baksh, led a fresh attack. He was shot dead by Bhai Kalyana
who was soon overpowered by Ali Baksh and killed with the Guru’s.
name on his lips as he breathed his last. The Guru now deputed
Bhai Nano to fight Ali Baksh. While Ali Baksh’s matchlock missed
the target Bhai Nano’s arrow pierced through his head and he fell
down from his horse. However, Nano was soon overpowered and
slain by Iman Baksh.
At this Bhai Piraga plunged into the fray. He was supported by
Bhai Jagna and Bhai Krishan. When they were slain, Bhai Bidhi
Chand sought the Guru’s permission to fight the enemy. The Sikhs
under Bhai Bidhi Chand’s command fought with such valour that
the Mughal foree was routed completely and they started fleeing
the battle-field. At this Abdulla Khan came forward along with
Karam Chand, and Ratan Chand and his two sons. Seeing this the
Guru threw himself into the fight and one after the other over-
powered his enemies. The Subedar, his two sons and all his.
followers were killed in the fight and the Mughal soldiers fled the:
Guru Hargobind yl

battle-field in an unprecedented manner.

The completion of Hargobindpur was resumed after this conflict.
The Guru made sure that along with the Gurdwara a mosque was
also constructed in the town. New horses were purchased to
replace those lost in the conflict and there were fresh recruits to
strengthen the Guru’s army.
A party of Masands visiting Kabul were bringing along with
them Dilbagh and Gulbagh, two rare chargers, as gifts to the Guru.
These horses could cross a river without the rider getting wet.
They were so swift that in a race their legs didn’t seem to touch the
ground. On their way to Amritsar, the horses were seized by the
Mughal officials and made over to the Governor.
Bhai Bidhi Chand, deeply hurt to hear about this incident,
decided to retrieve the horses for the Guru. This Sikh, before joining
the Guru’s army, had been a notorious highwayman. While he had
been completely reformed after coming over to the Guru, the
self-respecting and brave Sikh in him wished to restore the two
horses to his Master. The Guru’s Sikhs felt humiliated every time
people came and talked about the beauty of the two horses and
how they were prized by the Governor. Since the Mughal King
continued to be hostile to the Sikhs and the horses could one day
be pressed into a fight against the Guru and his devotees, it was
decided to depute Bidhi Chand to capture the horses and bring
them back to the Guru. Accordingly Bidhi Chand left for Lahore
and had himself recruited as a groom in the Governor’s stable to
look after the horses. The devotion and industry with which Bidhi
Chand served his Guru’s horses endeared him to Sondha Khan, the
stable-keeper, and other officials of the fort. After he had gained
their confidence, Bidhi Chand got the guards and the grooms dead
drunk one evening. And he mounted Dilbagh and escaped from the
Mughal Fort.
The Governor sent his trackers all over the country but no clue
could be found of the missing horse. While everybody among the
Guru’s confidants was happy to have Gulbagh restored, the horse
seemed to miss his companion Dilbagh. So Bidhi Chand was prepar-
ed to goand get Gulbagh. Bidht Chand was sure, if blessed by the
Guru, he would certainly succeed in his mission. This time Bidhi
Chand went to Lahore in the guise of a magician. He declared that he
could trace the King’s missing horse provided he had an opportu-
nity to serve the horse’s companion for a few days. There couldn’t
 152 The Sikh Gurus

be any objection to it. From the way Gulbagh greeted the magician
and made friends with him, Sondha Khan and the rest felt that he
was no ordinary miracle man. Bidhi Chand spent a few days in the
royal stable on the pretext of reading mantras. Then finding an
opportunity he made good his escape with Gulbagh, this time
declaring that he was the Guru’s Sikh and was carrying the com-
panion horse to his Master to whom Dilbagh had already been re-
stored. “‘I am no thief,” announced Bhai Bidhi Chand at the top,of
his voice, “I came to claim what rightfully belongs to my Guru.
Both the chargers are going to be with Guru Hargobind who, at
present, is camping at a village called Bhai Rupa.” When both the
horses were presented to the Guru, he renamed them—Dilbagh as
Jan Bhai and Gulbagh as Suhela.
That the Mughal army would recover the horses and chastise
the Sikhs was a foregone conclusion. The Guru, therefore, at the
instance of his Sardar Rai Jodh, withdrew deeper into the forest
and camped near Nathana Tank with no other source of water for
miles around. The Mughal army under Lal Beg found their
whereabouts sooner than the Sikhs had imagined and launch-
ed a fierce attack. Lal Beg had his brother Qamar Beg and
his two sons Qasim Beg and Shams Beg together with his
nephew Kabuli Beg to support him. It is said Rai Jodh’s wife would
put some pearls in a tray and could read the movements of
the Mughal forces with the help of the vibrations of the precious
stones. While the Sikhs were only a few in number, the Imperial
army had fighters of several nationalities including Ruhelas,
Yusufzais, Balochs, Pathans, Ethiopians, besides soldiers of Indian
origin. It was indeed an unequal fight but with the devotion and
heroism of the Sikh sardars and soldiers, the Mughal forces
suffered crippling losses. Qamar Beg was pierced by Rai Jodh’s
lance, Shams Beg was struck by Bidhi Chand with his mailed fist in
a hand-to-hand fight and knocked down on the ground. Bidhi
Chand then holding his enemy’s two legs tore him apart into
pieces. Qasim Beg was seized by Bhai Jetha by his leg and he
dashed his head on the ground. Lal Beg and Kabuli Beg were
accounted for by the Guru with his own hands. The loss of life on
the Guru’s side was also not small. Bhai Jetha with twelve hundred
soldiers and Gulbagh the famed horse died fighting. Among
the wounded were Bhai Bidhi Chand, Rai Jodh and Jati Mal. The
fighting lasted 18 hours.
‘Guru Hargobind 153

The white hawk of the Mughal Emperor was still with the Guru.
Once while his son Gurditta went out hunting, the hawk fell into
the hands of Asman Khan, the son-in-law of Painda Khan, one of
the most pampered sardars of Guru Hargobind. Painda Khan was
not only tall and handsome, but was also the strongest man in the
Guru’s army. The Guru was greatly fond of him and bestowed
gifts on him every now and then. He had the best dress, the best
horses and the best food to eat. It seemed, the treatment he
received from the Guru had turned his head. He started feeling that
he was perhaps, indispensable and that the Guru must have him
fight the Mughal forces. It was, therefore, a great disappointment
for him when the Guru did not invite him to participate in the
Nathana Tank battle with the Imperial forces.
After he had captured the prized hawk, rather than return it to
the Guru, Asman Khan concealed the bird hoping to restore it to
the King and receive a large estate as a reward. Not only this,
Asman Khan also started donning the special dress and arms pre-
sented to Painda Khan by the Guru. The horse allotted to Painda
Khan was always found to be with Asman Khan.
When Asman Khan continued to maintain that he knew nothing
about the hawk, the Guru sent for Painda Khan. He came in the
ordinary dress of a common citizen rather than in the courtly
costumes and armaments that he was used to wearing when he
came to see the Master. The Guru asked him about the hawk and
his dress of a sardar and the horse placed at his disposal. Rather
than own his mistakes, Painda Khan persisted in making false
statements. The Guru had the hawk recovered from Asman Khan
and terminated Painda Khan’s services and expelled him from the
darbar.
Painda Khan went to the Mughal court and offered to join
the Imperial army against the Guru. Since he knew all the
secrets of the Guru’s forces, he received a warm welcome. Painda
Khan’s strength was legendary. He, it is said, could fight an
elephant and with the thumb could pulverise a coin. Painda Khan
told the King that the Guru’s army comprised the poor and the
low caste, the diseased and the disabled; they were weavers and
washermen, barbers and ballad-singers.
It was decided to send a force under Kale Khan against the
Guru. He was to be supported by Painda Khan, Anwar Khan,
Qutb Khan and Asman Khan. When word came that the Guru
154 The Sikh Gurus

was again being attacked by a massive Mughal army, Dhir Mal,

the Guru’s grandson, wrote in confidence to Painda Khan promis-
ing him his assistance. “If you come tonight,” he said, ““You will
find the Guru unprepared and the fort and the treasures will fall
into your hands.” When Painda Khan received the letter, the
Mughals mounted the attack immediately. On the Guru’s side,
Bidhi Chand, Jati Mal, Lakhi and Rai Jodh ranged their troops on
all four sides of Kartarpur.
It was again a bloody fight with heavy carnage. It is said, Kale
Khan’s entire army was wiped out in the first encounter. Kale
Khan then introduced another contingent. It, too, met the same
fate and the Pathans started retreating. At this an arrow shot by
Bidhi Chand struck Anwar Khan in the forehead and he fell reeling
to the ground.
The Sikh soldiers who were fighting for their Guru and their
faith were given strict instructions that they must not fire at the
fleeing forces; they must challenge the enemy and then only attack
them.
The Mughal commander taunted Painda Khan and his son-in-law
Asman Khan who had assured them that they had only to launch
an attack when all the treasures of the Guru would be theirs to
loot. Provoked by this, Painda Khan led the next attack. In the
meanwhile, Qutb Khan fired an arrow and wounded Bhai Lakhu,
who fell to the ground. Qutb Khan descended upon him and sever-
ed his head with his sword. Bhai Lakhu’s death boosted the morale
of the Mughal forces.
Painda Khan was supported by Kale Khan, Qutb Khan and
Asman Khan. Seeing the enemy advance, the Guru deputed Bidhi
Chand to engage Kale Khan; Baba Gurditta was to fight Asman
Khan and the Guru himself decided to confront Painda Khan.
The Guru was riding Dilbagh, the famous charger. Painda
Khan advanced and in spite of the Guru asking him to heed reason
and seek forgiveness for his misdeeds, he attacked the Guru once,
twice. His first blow was aimed at the calf of the Guru’s leg. The
Guru moved his horse away—and skilfully avoided the blow. His
second blow was also parried by the Guru with his shield. It was
now the Guru’s turn to attack and with frightening quickness, he
struck Painda Khan with his two-edged scimitar and felled him to.
the ground mortally wounded. The Guru came down from his
horse and taking his old protege in his arms asked him to read the
Guru Hargobind 155

Kalma in the hour of his death. But before he could open his lips
Painda Khan was dead. It is said the Guru was deeply moved by
Painda Khan’s death. He took out his shield and put it on his face
to provide him shade from the sun.
In another sector of the battle-field Baba Gurditta’s arrow
pierced Asman Khan’s eye and went through his brain. At his
death, Baba Gurditta also started crying since they had played
together as children.
The Mughal army was greatly unnerved at the loss of Painda
Khan and Asman Khan, yet Qutb Khan came forward and
challenged the Guru to a hand-to-hand fight. The fight lasted one
hour at the end of which the Guru had the better of his
adversary and severed Qutb Khan’s head with a fell stroke of his
sword.
Finding Qutb Khan dead, Kale Khan came forward in mad fury.
He showered arrows at the Guru one of which grazed past his fore-
head and his face was smeared with blood. At this, the Guru shot
an arrow which killed Kale Khan’s horse. Seeing his enemy leave
his horse, the Guru also dismounted from his steed. It was a fierce
combat, their swords spitting sparks of fire. At last, the Guru struck
a mighty blow with his scimitar that severed Kale Khan’s head from
his body. At this point Qasim Khan fell upon the Guru unawares.
The Guru warded off his blows one after the other and then cut
him also into two.
The battle cost the Guru seven hundred of his brave soldiers,
while the loss to the Mughal army was no less.
Immediately after the Mughal forces withdrew the Guru, along
with his family and close associates, left for Kiratpur. Budhan
Shah, a Muslim divine, had been promised a visit by the Guru
before his death. The Guru felt that Budhan Shah’s end was near.
Another factor that probably prevailed on the Guru to retire to an
out-of-the-way quiet town was his anxiety to avoid further blood-
shed. However, Dhir Mal, one of the Guru’s grandsons refused to
accompany him. A spoilt youngman, he was already in league with
the Mughals and he thought that if he remained behind at Kartar-
pur, he could style himself as the Guru. More because the copy of
the Holy Granth was in his possession and he would not part with
it. The Guru did not take any notice of him. He had already proved
himself to-be a traitor and alienated himself from the Guru’s grace.
Budhan Shah was waiting for the Guru when he arrived. He
156 The Sikh Gurus

offered him a bowl of milk and sought his blessings. He said that
he had met Guru Nanak who had promised him that he would
come to grant him deliverance from the cycle of life and death in
the image of his Sixth successor.
At Kiratpur, the Guru maintained a small force of seven hundred
horses, three hundred horse-men and sixty artillerymen by way of
his personal bodyguards. It seems the Guru had taken the loss of
his soldiers and sardars in wars one after the other to his heart. He
was always found remembering them. ;
He had yet not recovered from it, when the Guru’s eldest son
Bhai Gurditta passed away. Bhai Gurditta had gone out hunting
when one of his companions happened to shoot a cow mistaking it
to be a deer. The villagers were furious and they caught the offend-
ing hunter and would have killed him if Bhai Gurditta had not run
to his rescue. Bhai Gurditta offered to compensate them but they
would not listen to him. They must have their cow back alive. At
this, Bhai Gurditta touched the cow with his cane and it is said she
was reanimated. When the Guru heard about the incident, he was
most unhappy. He sent for Bhai Gurditta and reprimanded him.
How can anyone interfere with the ways of God? Bhai Gurditta
took it to heart and retiring to Budhan Shah’s shrine close by,
he said his prayers and lying down with a sheet of cloth over him,
he passed away, exactly the way Baba Atal, his brother, had given
up his life.
The Guru was deeply shocked at Bhai Gurditta’s untimely death.
It pained him more when in spite of his inviting Dhir Mal, his
grandson to receive the traditional turban at the demise of his
father, he refused to come to Kiratpur.
Guru Hargobind kept his grandson Har Rai always in his
company. Evidently, he was grooming him for the succession. He
probably wished to bestow on his grandson what was due to Bhai
Gurditta, the Guru’s eldest son.
Seeing this, his wife pleaded with the Guru that his sons Suraj
Mal, Ani Rai and Tegh Bahadur should be considerel first. While
Suraj Mal and Ani Rai were not considered fit, as for Tegh
Bahadur, Guru Hargobind observed, ‘‘He will become the Guru
and will have a son who will fight the Turks in the cause of justice. .
His glory will spread far and wide.”
Then the Guru fixed a day for the formal consecration of Har
Rai as Guru. He invited all his relatives and important Sikhs. In a
Guru Hargobind sy)

grand gathering at Kiratpur, he offered prayers and then holding

Har Rai by his hand seated him on Guru Nanak’s seat. Bhai
Budha’s son, Bhai Bhana, applied the sacramental riJak and Guru
Hargobind bowed before the Seventh Sikh Guru, offering him the
ceremonial five paise, a coconut and flowers.
A few days later, the Guru advised Tegh Bahadur to go to
village Bakala in Amritsar district along with his mother and settle
there. The Guru knew that his end was close. He gave strict instruc-
tions to his family and the Sikhs not to mourn his passing. He
desired that after he was gone, they should recite hymns from the
Holy Granth. According to the author of Dabistam-i-Mazahib, it
was a Sunday in 1645—the third of Muharram A.H. 1055. He brea-
thed his last after a stewardship of thirty-seven years and ten
months.
Guru Hargobind was a tall, handsome man of fine build and
was given to active life. He was fond of hunting and never evaded
fighting if he had to fight. He was a leader of his men and a hero
on the battle-field. Like a true hero, he avoided aggression as far
as possible but when he found himself faced with evil he struck
heavily and a fighter for right causes, every time he came out
with flying colours. But sensitive that he was, the bloodshed and
the carnage on the battlefield made him unhappy. Advising his
successor that he should keep only 2,200 mounted soldiers for his
defence, he bemoaned the loss of many a fine soldier and sardar
and died contemplating why wars could not be eliminated from the
world, why sons like Dhir Mal misbehaved, why friends like Painda
Khan went astray, why Prithi Chand and Chandu Shah refused to
see reason.
Guru Hargobind’s greatest contribution is that he gave a new
turn to the Sikh way of life. He turned saints into soldiers and yet
remained a man of God. He believed that in the times he lived
in, religion could not be separated from politics. Non-violence is
cowardice if it is resorted to out of helplessness or fear. It is the
brave and the heroic who can be non-violent. And when all! other
means are exhausted, there is always justification to resort to arms.
Essentially a spiritual leader of a community hardly a hundred
years old, he fought a number of battles with the imperial forces
and every time vanquished his foes because the truth was always
on his side. It was always a fight in self-defence and never a war of
aggression. The new trend he gave to Sikh polity found its finest
158 d The Sikh Gurus

expression in his grandson Guru Gobind Singh, the tenth Sikh

Guru.
However, in spite of his involvement in fighting and preparation
for conflicts, Guru Hargobind paid a great deal of attention to
social reform and the spiritual upliftment of his people. He once
told his Sikhs that they must read the scriptures with understand-
ing. Everyone present said that he did so morning and evening. At
this, the Guru observed, ‘“‘He who can recite the Japji with un-
divided devotion and understanding would have his wish fulfilled.”
It is said a Sikh by the name of Gopal volunteered to do so. He
started reciting the Japji there and then. When he had nearly
finished the text, the Guru prepared himself to offer him salvation
for his feat because anything less than that would be inadequate for
Gopal’s piety. But as Gopal came to the last but one hymn his
mind turned away from God and he told himself that if he be
rewarded with a particular horse the Guru had received earlier in
the morning, he would be most happy. The Guru could read his
thoughts and sending for the horse presented it to him. But for
his slip towards the close of the recital, he would have earned his
release from the cycle of birth and death.
Guru Hargobind detested miracle-making. He felt that it meant
interfering with the ways of God. It is said, one of his sons Baba
Atal had endeared himself to the Guru a great deal. Whenever he
found tlme the Guru sent for him and enjoyed his company. Once
it so happened that one of Baba Atal’s playmates was bitten by a
snake and died. But he owed him a turn in the game that they had
been playing the previous evening. When Baba Atal went to invite
his companion for the game the next morning, he found his
family wailing over the death of the child. Baba Atal would not
believe them and in all his innocence approached the dead body
and said, ‘‘“Mohan, get up, you owe mea turn in the game.” It is
said that the dead child opened his eyes at the call and walked
off to play with his companion. When Guru Hargobind heard
about it, he was distressed and sending for Baba Atal reprimanded
him. ‘“‘How can anyone interfere with the ways of God?” he asked.
Baba Atal heard the reprimand and withdrew himself from the
Guru’s presence. Sitting by the side of the Kaulsar he said his
prayers and gave his life for the life he had saved.
Bhai Gurdas was a great intellectual and a fine poet and was res-
pected by the Sikh Gurus. Sensitive as he was he couldn’t reconcile
Guru Hargobind 159

himself to Guru Hargobind’s being on the warpath. In one of his

poems, he wrote:

Even if the Guru became a play-actor, the Sikhs should not lose
their faith.
(Var XXXV

With a view to testing his faith, the Guru sent Bhai Gurdas to
purchase two chargers for him from Kabul at a cost of fifty
thousand rupees each. It is said, after he had struck the bargain,
Bhai Gurdas went into his tent to hand over the money to the horse
traders. To his shock, he found that the money bags contained
pieces of bricks instead of mohurs. Fearing the consequence, he
tore the tent at the back and made good his escape. When he did
not appear for an unduly long time, his companions went into the
tent and discovered that Bhai Gurdas had absconded. They counted
the mohurs in the money bags which were lying intact and disposed
of the horse traders. When the matter was reported to the Guru, he
was amused. Rather than come back to the Guru, Bhai Gurdas
went over to Varanasi and settled there. It was after Bhai Gurdas
realized his mistake that he was pardoned and allowed to rejoin the
Guru’s company.
Guru Hargobind was a man of God given to contemplation.
Equally great as a man of action, he fought injustice all his life and
never for a moment compromised with evil on the plea that he was
a holy man devoted to a life of meditation and prayer, more
interested in the life to come.
Guru Har Rai

He who has been blessed by Guru Nanak

Is lost in the praises of the Lord
What could one teach those
Who have Divine Nanak as their Guru
—Guru Angad

NCE when he was a child a handful of flowers dropped as

Har Rai disturbed a shrub accidentally. He started crying, it
must have hurt the shrub, he told himself.
Apparently he was quite the opposite of his grandfather. In fact
Guru Hargobind had himself fostered this in his successor. The
bloodshed and the suffering he had witnessed in several skirmishes
with the Mughal forces grieved him deeply. He retired to Kiratpur,
a quiet place in the Shivalik Hills and wished Guru Har Rai to
continue to stay there. He was to maintain a token force of 2,200
mounted soldiers for his defence and as far as possible keep out of
the way of the Mughals. There were several reasons for it.
Guru Har Rai was just 14 years old when he became the seventh
Sikh Guru. He was too young in the eyes of his grandfather to
involve himself in fighting. His elder brother, Dhir Mal, was
already in league withthe enemies of the Guru. If possible, he
should not be given an opportunity to do further mischief. Perhaps
the most important factor that seemed to have prevailed with the
Guru was that the Sikhs were yet a young community who could
not afford to fritter away their energies in continuous warfare. After
the series of battles that Guru Hargobind had to fight, they needed
respite, so that the community could consolidate and prepare for ~
the bigger and fiercer fight that was yet in store for them.
Guru Har Rai was fond of going out for shikar like his grand-
father but instead of hunting wild animals, he captured them and
kept them as pets.
Guru Har Rai 161

After fighting several unsuccessful battles with the Sikhs, Shah

Jahan also realized that it was best to make friends with this
heroics, self-respecting community. Accordingly, when his son Dara
Shikoh fell seriously ill, he approached the Guru for his blessings
and the young prince is said to have been cured with a herb
Guru Har Rai sent to Delhi.
But this amity with the Delhi Darbar was short-lived.
Aurangzeb, the third son of King Shah Jahan usurped the throne
and chased Dara Shikoh, his eldest brother, away. While in flight,
Dara Shikoh met Guru Har Rai. He was grateful to the Guru
because he had saved his life when he was on the deathbed.
According to the tradition of the Guru’s household, Guru Har Rai
teceived the prince with due courtesy and gave him all help that he
needed. Dara Shikoh who was a scholar and a God-fearing person
told the Guru that he was not at all interested in the Delhi throne
and that he would be happier if he were left alone for spiritual pur-
suits. However, Aurangzeb captured Dara Shikoh and, having got
him condemned by the Qazi for deviating from the Islamic creed,
had him executed.
After Aurangzeb was firmly settled on the Mughal throne, he
turned his attention to the Sikhs. He was aware that the Sikh
Gurus preached a new faith which was distinct from Islam and
Hinduism. He also knew that they had thousands of followers,
over the length and breadth of the country. The bigoted Muslim that
Aurangzeb was, he thought, if he could convert the Guru to Islam,,
he would win over a large number of the Guru’s devotees to his
faith.
Anexcuse was readily available. The Guru had met Dara Shikoh,
an enemy of the King, and blessed him. After Dara Shikoh was.
eliminated, Aurangzeb found the Guru a threat to his own power.
Aurangzeb was a devout Muslim. He said his prayers regularly
and led an austere life unlike his predecessors—Shah Jehan and
Jehangir. He sent word to Guru Har Rai, inviting him to his court.
Aurangzeb thought that while in Delhi he would ask the Guru
to work a miracle. If he did so, he would accept him as a man of
God, otherwise he would treat him like an ordinary citizen and
then punish him according to the law of the land.
When the King’s summons were received at Kiratpur, there was
a long debate. Some of the Sikhs were in favour of the Guru going
over to Delhi and not giving an excuse to the Mughal King for an
162 The Sikh Gurus

offence, whereas others felt that Aurangzeb was essentially an un-

scrupulous King, who had imprisoned his own father and killed his
own brother. As the issue was being debated, the Guru’s son Ram
Rai turned up. He was definitely of the opinion that the King’s
invitation must not be ignored and since the Mughal had stretched
a hand of friendship, it must be held firmly and exploited for the
well-being of the community. It was, therefore, decided that
rather than the Guru going to Delhi, Ram Rai should represent
his father and find out what Aurangzeb’s real intentions were. The
way Aurangzeb was destroying Hindu temples at Mathura, Ajmer
and Varanasi, the Sikhs could not see any good coming out of the
meeting. However, since Ram Rai was determined, everyone
agreed to his visiting Delhi in response to the King’s invitation.
Before Ram Rai left for Delhi, the Guru sent for him and told
him specifically not to indulge in miracle-making at the instance of
the King. It was against the Sikh faith. Guru Hargobind had,
particularly, forbidden it and as the reigning Guru, he did not
approve of it. He was also cautioned that he must not allow the
sanctity of the Sikh Scriptures to be compromised at any cost.
What was feared by the Guru and the Sikhs, happened at Delhi.
With a view to humouring the King, Ram Rai started working
miracles one after the other. Not only this, when Aurangzeb and his
courtiers took objection to one of Guru Nanak’s verses,
Mitti Musalman ki pede pai kumhar
(The ashes of the Muslim get into a potter’s clod.)
Ram Rai hastened to say that it was a mistake committed by the
calligraphist. What Guru Nanak had said was—
Mitti beiman ki pede pai kumhar
(The ashes of the faithless get into a potter’s clod.)
Aurangzeb was fully satisfied and made friends with Ram Rai,
bestowing on him a robe of honour and other favours. But when
this news came to Guru Har Rai, he was deeply distressed. He
said that he would have nothing to do with Ram Rai. He disowned
him as his son and asked him not to return to him at all.
While Guru Har Rai did not go out of his way to provoke the
rulers of the day, he continued the practice of maintaining and
riding horses, organizing races, and going out for shikar. One day
while passing through a village, the Guru knocked at a door. It
was the house of a poor widow. The moment the door opened, the
woman was beside herself with joy. She rushed into the house
Guru Har Rai | , 163

and brought for the Guru the food she had prepared. The Guru
partook of her humble meal seated on the horseback, not even
washing his hands which he always did before he took his meals.
The next day the Guru’s followers had taken with them plenty
of food in case the Guru needed to eat during the chase. But the
Guru did not need anything to eat all the while they were in the
Jungle.
Returning home when his Sikhs asked the Guru about his
eating at a poor Widow’s house uninvited, the Guru told them that
rather than being uninvited he was awaited in the poor hut most
anxiously. All these days the old lady would prepare her simple
meal and start praying for a glimpse of the Guru. She was too old
to make a journey to the Guru’s place. Day after day she continued
to prepare a meal for her Guru and wait for him. She never lost
faith. She knew her Guru would not let her down. At last her
prayers were heard.
The next time when they happened to pass that village, the
Sikhs had the truth of what their Guru had told them Verified. The
poor old woman told them how she laboured hard and with her
earnings prepared her simple fare and longed to-entertain the Guru
and how he had heard her prayers and come to her place to bless
her.
Similarly Bhai Gonda, a devoted Sikh, was asked by the Guru to
proceed to Kabul for the spiritual needs of the Guru’s Sikhs
residing in that far-off place. It was not without risk making the
arduous journey and living among aliens but Bhai Gonda left for
Kabul the moment he heard the Gurwu’s orders. Once while
saying his prayers in Kabul, Gonda clung to the Guru’s feet in his
imagination. He held the Guru’s feet in deep devotion all the while
he was reciting his prayers. It so happened that the Guru at that
particular hour was sitting on his throne. The Sikhs marked that
the Guru had been sitting in a particular posture with both his feet
resting on each other for quite some time. It was time for his meals
and even then he was sitting in that peculiar posture. The meals
were announced once% twice, thrice, but he neither moved from
his seat nor uttered a word. At last after about an hour, he got up
and expressed his regret to have kept his Sikhs waiting. “It was
Bhai Gonda in Kabul,” he told them, ‘‘he had heid my feet and
would not leave them. It is only after he completed his prayers that
he released them and [ could move away.”’ The Sikhs were amazed
164 The Sikh Gurus

to hear it. The next time Bhai Gonda came to pay his homage to
the Guru, the Sikhs had the incident verified and found that every
word of it was true. -
The Guru was visiting Kartarpur. It so happened that a Brah-
min who had been earlier blessed by the Guru and had a son,
came wailing with the dead body of the child in his arms. His son
had died of some ailment. The Brahmin said that the Guru must
revive the child, otherwise he would also die sitting at the Guru’s
threshold. The Guru explained to him, ‘‘Everyone who is born
must die. You should be grateful that your son has gone at this age;
if he had been grown up, married and had children, it would have
been more painful for you.” But the Brahmin kept crying and
pleading for the Guru’s intercession for the child. The whole day
he sat at the Guru’s door. Night fell and he was still there. At last a
deputation of the Guru’s Sikhs came to plead on behalf of the
Brahmin. Their plea was that, if the Guru didn’t work the miracle
the people of other communities would get the impression that the
Sikh Guru was incapable of meeting the needs of his Sikhs. The
Guru didn’t appreciate their argument at all. But when the Sikhs
persisted, he said, ‘‘Is there anyone amongst you who is willing to
give his life for the dead child?’’ The Sikhs heard it and their hearts
sank. The Guru repeated his question again. There was no reply.
The third time when he asked, one of the Sikhs in the deputation
called Jiwan came out. He was willing to sacrifice his life for the
Brahmin’s child. It is said that the very moment Jiwan dropped
dead and the child came to life.
Guru Har Rai passed away at the early age of 30 years in 1661.
Though the records are silent about the end it must have come un-
expectedly, probably owing to some fatal illness. But just before his
death he had his second son Harkrishan ordained as the Guru. There
was no question of considering Ram Rai, the elder son since he had
already been disinherited by the Guru because of his misconduct.
The stewardship of Guru Har Rai as also of his successor Guru
Harkrishan was a sort of interregenum in the life of the Sikh com-
munity before it set on a new path of no compromise with injustice
and waging a determined war with the unjust, corrupt and bigoted
rulers of the day.
What Guru Har Rai told Dara Shikoh, the heir-apparent to the
Mughal throne when they met on the bank of the River Beas gives
an indication of the Guru’s thinking. He advised the prince, not to
Guru Har Rai 165

oppress his subjects, try as far as possible to remain close to his

people, undertake works of public welfare like sinking of wells,
digging tanks, building bridges, opening schools and hospitals.
The Guru himself remained as close to his Sikhs as possible and
solved their spiritual problems and removed their day-to-day
doubts. Once his Sikhs approached Guru Har Rai and asked if it
was any use reciting the hymns without understanding the text. The
Guru was aware that though the Sikh scriptures were in the
language of the people, a large number of the Sikhs recited the
hymns without understanding their meaning fully. But there was
no doubting their devotion to the Holy Word. It so happened that
they were then passing through the outskirts ofa village. The Guru
showed his Sikhs pieces of a broken pot that was used for storing
butter. And now lying in the sun the little butter that had stuck to
the potsherds had started melting. ‘‘It’s good if one reads the
scriptures with understanding. Its like holding butter,’’ said the
Guru “but if that is not possible, it’s not without virtue reading the
scripture with devotion, some of it will certainly stick and when the
warmth of understanding is applied to it at any time, it will surely
do good.”’
The Guru gave great respect to the Holy Word. Once when he
was lying on his couch a Sikh turned up reciting hymns from the
Holy Granth. The moment the Guru heard the hymn he got up in
deference to the Holy Word. When asked, he told his Sikhs that the
Guru himself is embodied in his hymns. Reverence for the hymns is
revernce for the Guru.
Guru Har Rai was a simple man of God who lived a highly
simple life and valued simplicity and devotion among the followers
of his creed.
Guru Harkrishan

O Nanak, the door of the heart

Does not open
Without the Guru—
He alone holds the key
—Guru Angad

ORN in 1656, Guru Harkrishan was only five years old wher
he was ordained the guru. It is surmised that Guru Har Rai’s
end, untimely as it was, must have come suddenly so that he appoin-
ted his younger son to succeed him and then passed away. His
elder son Ram Rai having alienated himself and continuing to be-
friend the Guru’s enemies, Guru Har Rai did not wish to take any
risk and leave the succession undecided.
When Ram Rai heard about it, he was wild with anger. He
declared himself to be the Guru in Delhi and started appointing his
own masands in Various places and collecting donations from them.
Since Ram Rai was a self-appointed guru the masands also behaved
unruly and started exploiting the Sikhs. To extract money from the
poor Sikhs, they employed both threat and blackmail.
Ram Rai didn’t stay quiet. He made a complaint to Aurangzeb
that his father had discriminated against him because of his loyalty
to the Delhi throne. He had endowed his younger brother with all
the property, depriving him of his due share. Aurangzeb not only
sympathized with him, but he also fanned his grievance further. He
wished the brothers to keep on quarrelling so that their influence
with the Sikh masses would weaken and he could win them over
to Islam.
It so happened that before his passing away, Guru Har Rai had
told his young son Guru Harkrishan never to see Aurangzeb. Since
Ram Rai had made friends with the Mughals, he wished him to
continue to deal with the King and with state affairs. When Ram
 Guru Harkrishan 167

Rai learnt about the injunctioa, he implored the Emperor to sum-

mon Guru Harkrishan to Delhi. He thought that if his younger
brother met the King, he would be going against his father’s wishes
and thus incur the displeasure of his devotees and if he refused to
go to Delhi, the King would naturally take stern action against
him.
Aurangzeb asked Raja Jai Singh to get Guru Harkrishan to see
him in Delhi. Raja Jai Singh was a senior court official and known
for his devotion to the Sikh Gurus. He was in a great predicament.
He was aware that the Guru had been enjoined upon by his
revered father not to meet the Mughal King ever and if he
couldn’t be brought to Delhi, it would annoy Aurangzeb, who was
already ill-disposed towards the Sikhs and their Guru.
Raja Jai Singh, therefore, sent word to Kiratpur to tell the Guru
that the Sikhs in Delhi were anxious to see him as also the King.
He assured the Guru that while in Delhi he need not see the King;
his mere visit to the Capital would absolve the Raja of his respon-
sibility.
Considering the predicament of one of the ardent devotees of the
Guru’s household, Guru Harkrishan’s mother and other Sikhs in
Kiratpur agreed to the Guru going to Delhi.
When the Sikhs came to know that the Guru was on his way to
Delhi, they collected in large numbers at every stage of his journey.
Seeing crowds of devotees chasing him, a Brahmin at Panjokhara
near Ambala, laughed at the spectacle in great arrogance. He
couldn’t understand the Guru’s Sikhs paying homage to a ‘‘mere”’
child of less than eight years. Heavily weighed under his learning,
he came and challenged the Guru toa debate. The Brahmin objec-
ted even to the Guru’s name. He said, ‘‘The great author of the
Gita was called Krishna and this ‘child’ styles himself as Harkri-
shan which means, he is greater than the Lord.” He challenged the
Guru to interpret the Gita for him. Among the people assembled
on the occasion was a water-carrier by the name of Chhajju. He
noticed how the Brahmin in his arrogance had not even saluted
the great Guru when he came. Hardly had the Brahmin stopped
talking when Chhajju came forward and said, ‘“‘Before my Guru
replies, I would like you to have a word with me, a humble devotee
of the Guru.” The Brahmin was amused to see an uncouth water-
carrier in the Guru’s retinue standing before him. In the discussion
that followed, Chhajju gave such a splendid display of his learning of
168 The Sikh Gurus

the Vedas and Shastras that the Brahmin was completely humbled.
He was convinced that it was due only to the Guru’s blessings that
an ordinary disciple could talk about the philosophical treatises with
such authority and understanding. The Brahmin fell at the Guru’s
feet and sought forgiveness for his arrogance and discourtesy.
On his arrival in Delhi the Guru and his party were guests of
Raja Jai Singh who received them with great reverence. It is said that
in order to test the Guru’s insight, Raja Jai Singh’s wife dressed
herself as a maid servant and came to pay her homage along with
other ladies. To her joy, the Guru spotted her out at once and
everyone present started singing the Guru’s praises.
When the people came to know that Guru Harkrishan was visi-
ting Delhi, large crowds flocked around him day and night. It so
happened that during the Guru’s visit, smallpox was raging in Delhi.
With hundreds of devotees visiting him he could not escape contra-
cting the fell disease. Before the King or his followers could provide
proper treatment, the Guru was taken seriously ill. As desired by
him, he was removed to a house on the bank of the River Jamuna,
where he breathed his last. He was hardly eight years old when he
left this world in 1664. It is said, before he passed away, he indi-
cated to his mother and all those present that his successor was in
Baba Bakala, thereby referring to Guru Tegh Bahadur who had
settled there.
The Guru was cremated at a place called Tilokhari on the banks
of the Jamuna in South Delhi.
A Gurdwara called Bangla Sahib came to be built subsequently
at the place of Guru Harkrishan’s residence in Delhi. It has in due
course become a place of pilgrimage with a holy tank added to it
recently.
It is said that Guru Harkrishan was an extremely charming child,
fair in complexion and with sharp features. He had bright eyes and
there was a glow on his face. Even at that early age he remember-
ed a great many hymns of his predecessors and quoted them with
amazing appropriateness. After he became the Guru he, naturally,
had the divine light of Guru Nanak kindled in him. Whatever deci-
sions he took had the stamp of maturity about them. While he lis-
tened to the wise counsels of his mother and other senior members
of the family, he remained steadfast in his decision not to see
Aurangzeb at any cost. He agreed to go to Delhi only when he was
assured that he would not have to see the King.
Guru Harkrishan 169

As a face-saving device, Aurangzeb sent his son to see the Guru

who was deeply impressed with his maturity and he at once became
a great admirer of the Guru.
Similarly, rather than enter into an argument with the Panj-
khora Brahmin, he proved to him, that an ordinary Sikh in the
Guru’s service had a sharper insight and was better informed than
a vain dry-as-dust scholar. Tender and docile, he received respect
and devotion from high and low.
Guru Tegh Bahadur

Like the shadow of a cloud

whatever you see must disappear.
—Guru Tegh Bahadur

CG See you have plugged the free flow of Guru’s grace,

e e eK there will be unpleasantness and heart burning at every
step.”’ These words of Guru Amar Das to his daughter Bibi Bhani
when she sought to retain the Guruship for her family proved
prophetic again and again. But they were never so true as in the
case of Guru Tegh Bahadur’s succession. There were two reasons
for it. First, Guru Harkrishan died suddenly in far off Delhi where
the successor was not available to be formally installed. And,
secondly, Guru Tegh Bahadur was essentially contemplative by
temperament. As instructed by his father he went along with his
mother to the out-of-the-way Bakala and lived there in seclusion
for several years.
When word went round that the successor to Guru Harkrishan
was at Baba Bakala, it is said, as many as twenty-two aspirants
from amongst the Sodhi dynasty styled themselves as Guru and
started receiving offerings from the Sikhs.
The devotees coming to Baba Bakala were bewildered. A pros-
perous trader, Bhai Makhan Shah met the same fate. His ship
was going to be wrecked in a storm when he remembered the
Guru for his help. The storm subsided at once and he arrived at
the port of his destination safe. While caught in the storm, Bhai
Makhan Shah had pledged to offer 500 gold mohurs to the Guru
for his blessings. And the first thing he did was to go to Delhi
where the Guru was supposed to have gone. He was told the
tragic news of Guru Harkrishan’s passing away and informed that
his successor, the ninth Sikh Guru was in Baba Bakala. Bhai
 Guru Tegh Bahadur 171

Makhan Shah hurried to Baba Bakala to pay his homage to the

Master and make his promised offering.
When he reached Baba Bakala, he was perplexed to fiind a Guru
at almost every step claiming offerings from the confused pilgrims.
A shrewd businessman, Bhai Makhan Shah decided that rather
than part with the entire amount of 500 gold mohurs he would
make an offering of 2 mohurs to each one of the 22 self-styled
gurus. After he had gone around the town satisfying each one with
the uniform offering of 2mohurs, a child told Bhai Makhan Shah
that there was yet another holy man staying in a house across the
street. Bhai Makhan Shah decided to visit the house pointed out
to him. Guru Tegh Bahadur was busy with his prayers when Bhai
Makhan Shah arrived. His people were aware that he didn’t much
relish meeting visitors. They would have driven Bhai Makhan
Shah away but for the Guru’s intervention. The Guru thought
that if he did not help Bhai Makhan Shah, a devout Sikh, to
identify him, he would be misled like many others and the con-
fusion prevailing amongst the Sikhs would continue to be worse
* confounded.
Bhai Makhan Shah came to Guru Tegh Bahadur and as he did
with others, made an offering of two mofurs. The Guru smiled.
Bhai Makhan Shah suddenly felt uneasy. It was the discomfiture
of one who owed someone a debt. Realizing the devotee’s embar-
rassment, Guru Tegh Bhadur said, ‘‘] thought you had pledged
500 mohurs.”’ At this Bhai Makhan Shah’s delight knew no
bounds. He clung to the Guru’s feet. He kissed them again and
again. In a mad frenzy, he rushed to the roof of the house and
started shouting. “‘I have found, I have found the True Guru.” The
Sikhs all over the town heard it and hurried to the-house of the
quiet, Saint called Baba Tegha. They greeted him with the slogan,
“Long live the Ninth Guru!’’ In the meanwhile, Bhai Makhan
Shah brought his bag of 500 mohurs and made his promised
offering.
There were great rejoicings and celebrations at the identifica-
tion of the Ninth Successor to Guru Nanak. The festivities lasted
many days. The Sikhs came to Baba Bakala with their offerings
from far and near. Guru Tegh Bahadur’s house was full of preci-
ous gifts of all sorts.
Dhir Mal, the eldest son of Bhai Gurditta was most unhappy.
He entered into a conspiracy with a masand called Sihan and
TZ The Sikh Gurus

raided the Guru’s house. It is said that they shot at Guru Tegh
Bahadur, wounding him in the arm and fled with everything worth
looting in the house.
Luckily Bhai Makhan Shah was still in the town. He rushed to
the Guru’s residence and found that Dhir Mal’s men had already
fled with the hooty. He chased them and brought them with their
hands and feet bound for punishment. He had all the looted pro-
perty also restored to the Guru. But the Guru would have none
of it. He returned it to Dhir Mal telling Makhan Shah innocently
that it belonged to him. Dhir Mal heard it, and he was put to
utter shame.
Guru Tegh Bahadur now decided to leave Baba Bakala and
move to Amritsar. The devotees lined his route, throughout his
journey to greet him. But when the Guru arrived at Amritsar the
masands shut the doors of the sanctorum and would not allow
him to enter. After Guru Hargobind had moved to Kiratpur,
the Amritsar temple had passed into the hands of Prithi Chand.
It was now in the charge of his grandson, who wouldn’t allow
Guru Tegh Bahadur to enter the holy shrine. The Guru waited
for a little while under a tree on the premises but the misguided
masands would not relent. At this an old lady called Hariyan
belonging to a village close by invited the Guru to spend the night
in her humble house. When the women folk in Amritsar heard
about it, they led the Guru in a big procession chanting hymns. It
is believed that the temple was thus saved for the Sikh community.
It is feared that if the Amritsar ladies had not arisen to the occa-
sion it might have ceased to remain on the map of the places of
Sikh pilgrimage.
Guru Tegh Bhadur’s destination was Kiratpur. But he didn’t
find the atmosphere at Kiratpur much too congenial either. Some
of the Sodhis were found to be jealous of him here also. The
Guru, therefore, acquired a large enough tract of land from the
Raja of. Kahlur and founded a new town called Anandpur about
6 km. from Kiratpur.
The Sikhs came from far and near to settle in the new town.
But before the town was fully developed the Guru had a call from
the east. The Sikhs who had come to settle in Anandpur to be near
the Guru were disappointed. But they had to accept the will of the
Master, who had other responsibilities on his shoulders and other
duties to discharge.
Guru Tegh Bahadur 173

Stage by stage, camping at various places the Guru arrived in

Delhi where he was received with great enthusiasm by the Sikhs
including the wives of Raja Jai Singh and Kanwar Ram Singh.
Raja Ram Singh was under house arrest and Raja Jai Singh was
away. It is said that the King was also away to Agra. Wherever
he halted in the Punjab during his journey to Delhi, the Guru had
wells sunk, tanks dug and free kitchens established.
From Delhi he went to Patna via Allahabad. Since his wife was
expecting, the Guru left his family at Patna and proceeded to
Assam. During the Guru’s visit to Assam, Aurangzeb deputed Raja
Ram Singh with a large force of 30,000 infantry, 18,000 cavalry
and 15,000 archers to fight the Raja of Kamrup who had captured
Gauhati. Since Raja Ram Singh was a Sikh devotee, he approa-
ched the Guru for his blessings. Aurangzeb had deputed Raja Ram
Singh to lead the attack in the hope that he would either subdue
the rebel Ahom King or get killed in the fight. Either of it was
welcome to the Emperor. Earlier Mir Jumla, a renowned Muslim
general had failed in his attempt to put down the revolt. However,
while Aurangzeb had given the command to Raja Ram Singh, he
did not trust him at all. He had also deputed five Muslim generals
to keep a close watch over the Raja’s activities.
Situated in this unenviable position, Raja Ram Singh sought
Guru Tegh Bahadur’s good offices to negotiate a settlement with
the Ahom King who, evidently, had great respect for the Guru.
The Guru conducted the negotiations successfully. The news of
the peace treaty between the contending forces pleased everybody
and large crowds visited Guru Tegh Bahadur stationed at Dhubri
to pay homage to him.
Guru Tegh Bahadur was still in Assam when news came that
the Guru had been blessed with a son at Patna on the seventh day
of the light half of the Indian month of Posh in 1666. He was
given the name of Gobind Rai as suggested by the Guru before
his departure for Assam. On hearing the good news, Raja Ram
Singh organized grand celebrations.
Guru Tegh Bahadur had penetrated into Assam as far as Guru
Nanak had done. Hearing the news of the birth of Gobind Rai, the
Guru hurried back to Patna.
After a few years’ stay at Patna, the Guru decided to return to
the Punjab. He, however, left his family behind more because
Gobind Rai was still young and the conditions in the Punjab
174 The Sikh Gurus

continued to be uncertain and unsettled. The Guru was accom-

panied by Bhai Mati Das and a band of his bodyguards.
The Guru arrived at Anandpur after staying at Kiratpur for
some time. The people of Anandpur. were most happy to have the
Guru back amidst them.
Before long, the Guru sent word to Patna suggesting that his
family join him at Anandpur. The Guru devoted himself comple-
tely to bringing up Gobind Rai as best he could. He wanted him to
be a great fighter as well as a great man of letters. He nurtured
both his physical and intellectual talents.
The conditions in the Punjab and the rest of the country were
deteriorating day by day. Guru Tegh Bahadur could see that his
end was not far and he was anxious that Gobind Rai should be
able to take over the mantle from him.
Though said to be a God-fearing and pious person, Aurangzeb
honestly believed that Hinduism was utterly misconceived, deca-
dent and corrupt. It was for the good of his people if he could
rid them of their superstitions and idolatrous practices and thereby
have the gates of heaven flung wide open to them.
Another factor that contributed to Aurangzeb’s ill-conceived
adventure was his anxiety to improve his image. He had impri-
soned his own father and starved him to death. He. had his
brothers Dara Shikoh and Murad murdered. He grievously insul-
ted his son Muazzim who later on ascended the throne as Bahadur
Shah. The Islamic world thought poorly of him. He wished to
please those in Mecca and Madina and secure a berth for himself
in the next world. This, he imagined, he could do best by mass
conversion of Hindus and bringing into the fold of Islam the
entire Hindu population under his rule. He wished the country
to be turned into Dar-ul-Islam, the abode of Muslims.
Accordingly he started trying all conceivable means to achieve
his objective. Where economic sanctions failed, he tried to lure
people with jagirs and.jobs. He fostered disunity and ill-will
amongst the various castes and classes of Hindus. If this did not
work, he threatened non-Muslims with dire consequences. And
these were no empty threats. He issued instructions to his gover-
nors to launch a mass conversion drive of Hindus in right earnest
and ensure that not one Hindu was left in his kingdom. The
Hindu temples were to be razed to the ground and mosques
erected instead. The Hindu idols had to be desecrated and
Guru Tegh Bahadur We

destroyed or buried. The King Emperor did not want to see any
tilak (holy mark on the forehead) or janaeu (sacred thread) on
any of his subjects.
It is said that the sacred threads of the Hindus converted to
Islam by Sher Afghan, the Governor of Kashmir. weighed a
maund and a quarter. It was by design that Aurangzeb ordered
mass conversions to start from Kashmir. Kashmiri brahmins were
known to be most orthodox and also highly erudite. The emperor
thought, if they accepted Islam, others in the country will get con-
verted readily. The more important consideration was that
Kashmir had the tribals of Kabul and Kandhar next door: If the
Hindus of Kashmir misbehaved, a jehad could be raised and non-
be'ievers subdued with the sword. The tribals were illiterate, reli-
gious fanatics and frightfully ferocious and wild.
Before long, the Governor of Kashmir realized that the Hindus
had started fleeing his province. In this way, he felt, he would be
left with hardly anyone to rule over. He, therefore, invited the
leading brahmins of the community for a dialogue. He explained
to them his helplessness in view of the firm orders from Delhi.
After protracted discussions it was agreed that the Hindu com-
munity of the province would be given six months to make up
their mind. They were either to accept Islam or face the conse-
quences of non-compliance with Imperial orders. ©
Time flew sooner than they had imagined. At last the Kashmiri
brahmins decided to make a pilgrimage to Amarnath and seek
intervention of the deity. It is said that while at the Amarnath
temple a member of the group of worshippers, Pandit Kirpa Ram
dreamt that they could be protected only by Guru Tegh Bahadur,
the ninth in succession to Guru Nanak, who was the saviour in
Kaliyuga. Immediately they left for the Punjab under the leader-
ship of Pandit Kirpa Ram and reached Anandpur via Amritsar.
They lost no time and explained their plight to the Guru. He heard
their tale of woe and was lost in deep thought when Gobind Rai,
the young lad of nine, walked in. ‘‘What are you bothered about,
dear father?” the child enquired. The Guru explained to him the
situation the people from Kashmir were involved in and said, ‘“‘They
can be saved only if a great soul can offer himself for martyrdom,”
“Then who is greater than you?” remarked the future soldier-saint
of the Sikhs. The father was assured that the youth was ready to
take over. He advised the visiting supplicators to go back and in-
176 The Sikh Gurus

form their tormentors that they would be willing to accept Islam.

if Guru Tegh Bahadur could first be persuaded to do so.
What could be easier than this? The King ordered the arrest of
Guru Tegh Bahadur and had him brought to Delhi. The fact of
the matter is that after giving the assurance to the brahmins of
Kashmir the Guru himself undertook the journey to Delhi along
with a few of his close followers. Among them were Bhai Mati
Das, Bhai Dyala and Bhai Sati Das. Before leaving Anandpur, the
Guru ordained nine-year-old Gobind as the next Guru.
The Guru, along with his aides was imprisoned as scon as he
reached Delhi. There were temptations offered as well as threat of
torture and death. His companions were persecuted. Bhai Mati Das
was sawed alive into two. Bhai Dyala was made to sit in a boiling
cauldron. Bhai Sati Das was enveloped in cotton pad and then set
on fire like a torch. He was roasted before the eyes of his mentor.
The Guru witnessed all this but did not flinch. At this the Mughal
Emperor offered another alternative to the Guru. ‘If you
are a man of God, you must work a miracle,” he said. The Guru
would not purchase his release the way a juggler earned his living.
Then the inevitable happened. The Qazi gave his fatwa. Jalaluddin,
the executioner, sharpened his sword. Word went round the whole
town and in the afternoon of 11 November 1675 the Guru was
beheaded in the presenee of thousands of people. It is said that the
execution was followed immediately by a sandstorm, the like of
which, Delhi had never known before. Under cover of a blinding
storm Bhai Jaita picked up the Guru’s sacred head and dashed to
Anandpur Sahib. Then Bhai Lakhi Shah, a Government contractor
who had access to the Kotwali, picked up the remaining part of
the Guru’s body and putting it in his cart loaded with sundry
goods rushed out of the town. Reaching the present site of Guru-
dwara Rakab Ganj, he set his house on fire along with the Guru’s
holy body. The search parties sent out by the Kotwal were, thus,
hoodwinked.
Guru Gobind Singh wrote about Guru Tegh Bahadur’s death
thus:

He broke his potsherd on the Delhi King’s head

And left for paradise
None else in this world can match Tegh Bahadur’s
sacrifice.
Guru Tegh Bahadur 177

The people mourned Tegh Bahadur’s passing away

There was wailing in the world but rejoicing in Heaven.

It was a strange irony of history. Two hundred years before,

Guru Nanak, at the age of nine had rejected the sacred thread and
admonished the brahmins who insisted on his wearing it. And now
when he was exactly nine years’ old, the tenth Guru suggested that
his own father, at the go and give his life, so that the right of a
community to wear the sacred thread and practice its faith was
protected. This makes Guru Tegh Bahadur’s martyrdom unique in
history. People gave their lives for principles dear to them, ideals
cherished by them and faiths they held. There is hardly anyone
who staked his life for other people’s faith. The supreme sacrifice
made by Guru Tegh Bahadur stemmed the tide of intolerance in
the sub-continent and inculcated in the people respect for other
religions.
Guru Tegh Bahadur was essentially a peace-loving soul. He
would rather submit to aggression than resist it. But he would never
compromise on principles. It was extremely easy for him to work
a miracle and save his life but he didn’t budge from his conviction
that miracle-making was, at best, gimmickry and it did not become
men of God to indulge in such activities.
Fond of a quiet life he would have much rather liked to be left
alone, so that he could live a life of contemplation. He lived in
absolute anonymity for 20 years in Baba Bakala devoting himself
to meditation and study of classics and philosophical works.
Guru Tegh Bahadur was a poet of keen perception. His slokas
continue to be popular generation after generation, and they are a
great solace to people in grief and sorrow.
His greatest contribution, however, is the way he groomed his
son for the fearful struggle ahead. The greatest lesson he left for his
followers was his own life and death.
It is said, when Bhai Jaita decided to carry Guru Tegh Bahadur’s
severed head to Anandpur he was in a grave predicament. In
order that it was not discovered that the Guru’s head had been
smuggled out, it must be replaced by another head to mislead the
kings’ men. At this Bhai Jaita’s own father volunteered to have
his head substituted for the Guru’s severed head. Guru Gobind
Singh’s father gave his head and taught Bhai Jaita’s father to do
likewise without flinching for a moment. Khwaja Abdulla, the
178 The Sikh Gurus

daroga of the Kotwali in which the Guru was executed, resigned

his post and went to Anandpur where he spent the rest of his life
as a recluse. Pandit Kirpa Ram Saraswati and a number of other
Kashmiri pandits realized that Guru Tegh Bahadur was indeed a
Messiah and they came to Anandpur and settled there. Pandit
Kirpa Ram was later baptized by Guru Gobind Singh and he
gave his life heroically fighting the treacherous Mughal forces at
Chamkaur along with Guru Gobind Singh’s two elder sons.
However, it is not as though Guru Tegh Bahadur had never
known fighting. In his youth when the Mughal forces attacked
Kartarpur he had sought permission from his father Guru
Hargobind and given a fearless fight to the invading forces. He
rode into the thick of battle and played havoc on the enemy’s
ranks. He hated war because he had known what affliction and
misery it caused and how meaningless it could very often be.
His words of advice given to the people of Anandpur before
leaving for Delhi sum up his teachings: Death is a certainty, one
must not set one’s heart on this world. It is God who sends
pleasure and pain, profit and loss, weal and woe; these must be
accepted as the will of God. One must do one’s duty and meditate
‘on God. God’s name alone leads to liberation. One must remem-
ber God, help the poor and the needy and always use polite, and
courteous language.
Selected Hymns of
Guru Tegh Bahadur

i Man of God, Get rid of the arrogance of heart,

Avoid passion, anger and company of the wicked, day and
night.
He who treats alike comfort and suffering :
Honour and dishonour, happiness and unhappiness
Only he has understood the secret of life.
He disregards both respect and disrespect
And remains unalloyed.
Says Nanak, its a difficult path
Only a few men of God are aware of it.
(Gauri
tO It’s all God’s creation, oh saints!
One man dies and yet the other thinks he’ll live for ever.
I fail to understand it!
Given to passion, anger and worldly love
You’ve forgotten God.
Like the dream of night
You treat false wealth as real.
Like the shadow ofa cloud
Whatever you see must disappear.
Says Nanak, treat this world asa myth
And remain always in God’s presence.
(Gauri
Man! You must fear even unconscious sins.
Seek support of the good and gracious God,
Who is the killer of all fears.
You must remember Him
Whose praises are sung by the Vedas and the Puranas.
Great is God’s name
In remembering sins are washed away...
180 The Sikh Gurus

You'll never gain human life again.

It’s the only opportunity, for attaining salvation.
Says Nanak, sing praises of the kind God
And cross the ocean of life.
(Gauri
. Whom shall I tell the agony of my heart?
Given to greed, I rush all around in search of riches.
For the sake of pleasure I suffer many a pain.
Iserve man after man;
Like a dog I go from door to door.
And never think of God.
I have lived this life in vain.
I am not ashamed of people laughing at me.
Says Nanak, why don’t you sing His praises?
The dirt of your body will be washed.
(Asa
. Everything here is for the living;
Mother, father, brother, son, relatives and wife.
The moment life leaves the body
They call you an evil spirit,
They wouldn’t have you for a half hour
And remove you out of the house.
You must understand this well,
The world is like a mirage.
Says Nanak, you should remember God
Who gives you sustenance.
(Devgandhari
. All worldly love is false.
Everyone is devoted to his own comfort.
Whether it’s a wife or a friend
Everyone is attached to you
Because of his own selfish ends.
It’s a strange truism
Nobody gives you company in the end.
But foolish men don’t understand it.
I caution you day after day.
Says Nanak, those who sing the praises of God
Swim across the ocean of life.
(Deygandhari
No one knows the ways of God
Guru Tegh Bahadur 181

The recluse who observes continence, the ascetic and the wise
All have failed in their effort.
In a moment He turns kings into beggars
And beggars into kings.
He fills those who are empty
And empties those who are full.
These are His ways.
He has created this world Himself
And Himself He looks after it.
He assumes several forms and colours
And remains distinct from all.
Uncountable, unlimited, incomprehensible and spotless.
He Himself has misled the world.
Says Nanak, one must get rid of doubts
And remain attached to His feet.
(Bihagda
. O maa! Love God.
Hear His praises with ears and sing them with the tongue. -
Remember Him in the company of Godmen.
The sinner in you will be saved.
O friend, Death roams about with its mouth open;
You must understand it,
It will devour you one day.
Says Nanak, you must remember God
Or your opportunity may be lost.
(Sorath
I retain in my heart what was in my heart.
Neither I remembered God nor I went on pilgrimage.
And Death has caught me from the fore lock.
Wife, friends, sons, vehicles, property, wealth and the rest
Everything is a myth excepting the name of God.
I wandered about for several ages
And then obtained the human form.
Says Nanak, it’s the only opportunity to meet God,
Why don’t you remember Him?

10. Man! Whose evil advice do you heed?

Involved in another’s wife, you talk ill of others,
You never remember God.
You know not the path of salvation.
182 The Sikh Gurus |

And keep on amassing wealth.

Nothing will help you in the end,
In vain you make a slave of yourself
Neither you remember God nor you serve Godmen.
You are devoid of true understanding.
God lives in your heart
And you look for Him in the forest.
You are tired roaming from life to life,
You have not yet learnt the eternal truth.
Says Nanak, now that you have gained human life,
You must remember God.
(Soratle
11. Man! try to understand the truth
The whole world is like a dream.
It doesn’t take a moment to undo it
The wall made of sand doesn’t last for four days,
Exactly like this are the comforts of the wordly wealth.
O fool! Why are you involved in them?
Nothing is lost even now,
Sing the praises of God. says Nanak,
I tell you again and again what Godmen believe.
(Sorath
12. Why go to the jungle looking for Him? }
Omnipresent, unattached, He is within you,
Like the fragrance of a flower and the shadow of a mirror.
God lives in every heart, it’s there he should be found.
The Guru has told me the secret;
He is the same inside and outside.
Says Nanak without the understanding of the self
The shadow of doubt never disappears.
(Dhanasri
13. Now what effort should I make
So that Iam rid of my doubt
And swim across the ocean of fear?
I have done no good since I was born.
That’s why I am afraid so much.
My fear is that I have not remembered Him
In thought, word and deed.
I haven’t gained understanding listening to my Guru.
Like cattle I fill my stomach.
Guru Tegh Bahadur 183

Says Nanak—God, I can be saved

Only if You are kind as ever.
(Dhanasri
14. Man! you must seek God’s support,
Remembering Him, the evil of the mind goes,
And no temptation assails you.
He is fortunate who sings God’s praises.
He washes his sins of many ages
And goes to Heaven.
Ajamal remembered God while dying
He gained in a moment what devotees gain in a life-time.
What good deeds and acts of dharma had the elephant*
done?
Says Nanak, it was God’s eternal grace
That made him fearless.
(Ramkali
15. Man! Remember God ever and ever
Day and night, life diminishes every moment,
Youth is lost in pleasures and childhood in ignorance
You have grown old and yet you don’t understand,
What bad counsel you are following!
The Master who has given you human life
Why have you forgotten Him?
Not for a moment do you sing His praises.
Remembering whom one gains salvation.
Why are you intoxicated with wealth
It never goes with you.
Says Nanak, you should remember the giver of all
He alone will help you in the end.
(Ramkali
16. Mother! I have found the riches of His Name,
My mind wanders about no more,
It’s now at rest.
Temptation and worldly love have left
And true knowledge has dawned on me.
Greed and attachment don’t bother me anymore.

*According to the Bhagawat, cursed by an ascetic an angel was turned

into an elephant. The elephant was caught by a crocodile but its soul of an
angel remembered God, and he was saved.
184 The Sikh Gurus

I have sought the support of God,

My doubts of several lives have been removed.
I have found the jewel of His Name,
All my thirst has been quenched,
I am all happiness.
He sings His praises
To whom the gracious God is kind.
Says Nanak, it is the precious wealth
That only a rare Godman gains.
(Basant
ie Except God no one will help you.
Who is anyone’s mother, father, son, wife and brother?
The riches, the land and the property that you think belong ©
to you,
When you give up this body, nothing will go with you,
Howsoever you may cling to it,
You haven’t cultivated the kind and merciful God.
Says Nanak, this world is all myth
It’s like the dream of night.
(Sarang

18. Remember God, remember God, this is all you need to do.
Give up maya and come to God’s protection.
Treat worldly comforts as myth.
All this act is false.
The wealth of which you feel proud is like a dream.
The sway over the entire world
Is like the wall of sand.
Says Nanak, your body will disintegrate
The way time passes away every moment.
(Jai Jaivanti

i You have not sung God’s praises and wasted away your life
Says Nanak, remember God, the way fish remembers water.

k ok *

Why are you involved in worldly passions?

Not for a moment you miss Him
Says Nanak, you must remember God
Guru Tegh Bahadur 185

So that you escape the noose of Death.

* BS a8

Your Youth went a waste,

Old age has now assailed you.
~Says Nanak, you must remember God.
Your time is passing away.

You have grown old, don’t you see?

Death is approaching you.
Says Nanak, listen to me, O fool!
Why don’t you remember God?

* * *

Wealth, the wife and property

That you think are yours
None of these wili accompany you
Says Nanak, it is the truth of life.
(Slokas
Guru Gobind Singh

I tell the truth that all may hear

He who loves, he alone has found God
—Guru Govind Singh

URU Tegh Bahadur’s execution in Delhi in public outraged the

conscience of the entire Sikh brotherhood. After Guru Arjan
Dev’s martyrdom in Lahore, the slaughtering of another peace-
loving, non-violent man of God like Guru Tegh Bahadur gave a
severe jolt to the young community. The Sikhs streamed towards
Anandpur from far and near to be with the nine year old Gobind
Rai, who succeeded his father.
Born in‘Patna in 1666 and brought up for the grim struggle ahead
the young Guru rather than being overwhelmed with his tragic loss,
evinced firm determination and tenacity of will to fight the forces
of evil and bigotry in defence of the poor and Dharma. The discon-
solate Sikhs who flocked at Anandpur saw in Govind Rai the pro-
mised saviour and a man of the hour.
A soldier of destiny, Govind Rai started consolidating his
resources and preparing himself and his people for the gruesome
fight until the poison that had permeated the body politic of the
country had been completely rooted out. Guru Gobind Rai realized
the need to give the new religion a distinct identity. Islam under
the rulers like Aurangzeb had become rigid, narrow-minded and
uncompromising and Hinduism had been severely enfeebled by
ritualism.
As a first step, it was necessary to consolidate the resources and
manpower, which necessitated a discreet pause during which links
were forged with Sikhs spread all over India and abroad including
Kabul and Kandhar, Bulkh and Bokhara.
The young Guru Started practising archery, going out on shikar
Guru Gobind Singh 187

and playing mock battles with his companions. In spite of advice

to the contrary from his mother and masands, he had a huge drum
made and made it a practice to collect his people, whenever he
required them, with the drum beat. It was feared that the beating
of the over-sized drum called Ranjit—the victorious, would offend
the neighbouring hill rulers, particularly Bhim Chand of Bilaspur.
But the drum had become the symbol of the rallying of the Sikhs
and the Guru was determined to pursue his path.
In the meanwhile, the Guru continued to be visited by his follo-
wers who brought for him highly precious gifts which were the
envy of the neighbouring hill chiefs. Duni Chand, a Sikh from
Kabul, brought for the Guru a canopy that was worth rupees two
and a half lakhs. During his visit to Assam, Guru Tegh Bahadur
had blessed a ruler who was issueless. As a result, a son was born
to the ruler. While the Raja had died, his queen came with the
prince called Ratan Rai to pay homage to the Guru with various
gifts including an elephant of uncanny intelligence. He carried out
various commands to the delight of the spectators. He washed the
Guru’s feet with water and then wiped them with a towel. He
fetched the arrows discharged by the Guru. At night he showed the
way with lighted candles held in his trunk. He performed several
other interesting feats.
Once the Raja of Bilaspur came to visit the Guru. He was won-
derstruck to see the grandeur of the tent that the Guru had been
presented with by his Sikh disciple from Kabul. He had hardly re-
covered from it when he was shown the elephant from Assam. Raja
Bhim Chand was even more struck by the clever feats the elephants
performed. He must possess the elephant by means fair or foul, the
Raja told himself. Before long, the chief found an excuse to ask for
the elephant. His son was to be engaged to the daughter of the Raja
of Srinagar (Garhwal). Raja Bhim Chand sent word to the Guru
to lend his elephant for the entertainment of his guests. He thought
once the elephant came to him, he would retain it for good.
The Guru was a mere child who dare not protest and moreover he
was not in the good books of the Mughal Emperor. The Guru
who knew the Raja’s mind declined to oblige. Bhim Chand was
wild with rage.
The Guru’s masands advised the Guru not to annoy the Raja but
the Guru would not compromise with arrogance and deceit. Both
the parties started making preparations for the inevitable show-
188 The Sikh Gurus

down. In the meanwhile, the Raja of Nahan who was a great devotee
of the Guru invited the Guru to visit his state. The Guru’s people
found it a welcome opportunity and persuaded the Guru to accept
the invitation, hoping that it might help subside the tension.
The Guru came to Nahan with his family and five hundred Sikhs.
The Raja gave the Guru an excited welcome. He made lavish
arrangements for his hospitality. During his visit to his state, the
Raja persuaded the Guru to build a fort that came to known as
Paonta Sahib, in due course. It is said that with the help of the
Guru’s Sikhs, the fort was raised in a matter of days. It is situated
at a picturesque place on the banks of the river Jamuna.
The period the Guru spent at Paonta was primarily devoted to
research and literary and artistic activities. The Guru had fifty-
two eminent poets working with him; poetic symposia were held
frequently. The Guru, who was a scholar in Sanskrit and Persian
participated in them. His writing are a clear break with the tradi-
tion of his predecessors. He wrote powerful verse which is replete
with images of wars and warriers from ancient mythology and
folklore. He worshipped God; he also had an unmistakable love
for the sword.
While the Guru was stillin Paonta, Raja Fateh Singh of Srinagar
(Garhwal) came to pay homage to him. He was advised by his
ministers that it was best to make friends with the Guru. The Guru
received him with due courtesy and suggested to him that it would
be advisable if he made up with Raja Nahan also. Raja Fateh
Singh was willing to do as counselled by the Guru. Both the Rajas
were brought together and made to embrace each other.
As this meeting was taking place a panic-stricken villager came
and reported that there was a man-eating tiger in the jungle close
by. The tiger had lifted cattle and had become a terror to the
villagers. The villager knew where the tiger’s lair was. The Guru
along with the two Rajas, left for the forest immediately. The tiger
hearing the tramp of the horsemen came out of its lair and sat on
his haunches in readiness. The Rajas wished to shoot the tiger with
a matchlock or an arrow. The Guru forbade them and alighting
from his horse, he advanced towards the tiger with his sword and
shield. Seeing this the tiger roared and pounced upon the Guru. The
Guru held him at bay with his shield and in the twinkling of an eye
severed his head with his sword. The two Rajas accompanying the
Guru marvelled at his courage and prowess.
Guru Gobind Singh 189

Syed Budhu Shah of Sidhaura, a Muslim devotee of the Guru,

was approached by a contingent of five hundred Pathans in uni-
form saying that they had been disbanded by Aurangzeb on a trivial
charge and fearing the Emperor no one would employ them. The
Syed thought of Guru Gobind Rai and sent them to him at Paonta.
The Guru listened to their story and employed them in his service
without any hesitation. The contingent consisted of well known
fighters like Hyat Khan, Kale Khan, Nijabat Khan and Bhikan
Khan.
The offers of friendship made by Raja Fateh Shah of Srinagar
(Garhwal) as also the Pathan contingent soliciting recruitment in
the Guru’s forces were, however, dubious. Fateh Shah’s daughter
Was engaged to be married to Raja Bhim Chand’s son who was a
sworn enemy of the Guru. He threatened to break the engagement.
Fateh Shah, therefore, not only decided to have nothing to do with
the Guru but also joined Bhim Chand’s forces poised for an attack
on the Guru. When the Pathan contingent heard that the hill chief
had joined hands to humble the Guru they lost no time in quitting
the Guru’s service and went over to his enemies. No appeal to their
good sense and tradition of loyalty prevailed with them. When the
sovereigns of the hill states were arrayed themselves against the
Guru, the Pathan contingent was prominently among them. Syed
Budhu Shah of Sidhaura who had recommended the Pathan conti-
ngent to the Guru for employment was mortified to hear it. Witha
view to making amends, he rushed to the Guru’s aid along with his
two sons and seven hundred men fully equipped to engage the
enemy. Resides them, there were just eight men who could be called
professional soldiers. They were the Guru’s five cousins, the Guru’s
uncle Kirpal, Bhai Dyala and Nand Chand. The rest were what
the enemy called ‘‘the dregs of the populace.” But they were deeply
devoted to the Guru and anxious to lay their lives for him.
It is said that during the fight, a barebodied mahant came to the
Guru and asked his permission to challenge Hayat Khan. He had
just a simple club in his hand. The Guru was amused and blessed
him. It was a spectacle to see a naked godman riding a horse with
his matted hair tied in a bun on the top of his head. Hayat Khan
felt slighted and would not attack an unarmed enemy. At last, when
challenged again and again, he pulled out his sword and aimed a
blow at the mahant. The mahant received it on his club. Hyat Khan’s
blow was so severe that his sword broke into pieces. At this the
190 The Sikh Gurus

mahant pounced upon him and hit his head breaking his skull into
smithreens.
Similarly, in the thick of fighting, a cook called Lal Chand came
to the Guru and offered to plunge into the enemy ranks. But he had
never handled a weapon all his life. The Guru marked the determi-
nation in his eyes and giving him a sword and a shield told him
how to handle them. Even the Guru’s soldiers laughed at the cook
going to fight fully armed. It is said, to everybody’s astonishment
Lal Chand engaged no less a warrior than Amir Khan. Amir Khan
was the first to attack with his sword. Lal Chand warded off the
blow with his shield. The next moment he gave a return blow with
his sword and Amir Khan the renowned hero was found collapsing
to the ground.
A mechanic from Varanasi called Ram Singh made a cannon for
the Guru which played havoc with the enemy.
Budhu Shah and his men fought heroically. One of his sons fell
victim to an arrow shot by Raja Gopal.
The Guru himself engaged Hari Chand. He has described his
combat in his autobiography, Bichitar Natak:

Enraged Hari Chand shot his arrows, one of which hit my horse.
He, then, discharged another but God protected me; the arrow
simply grazed my ear. The third arrow pierced through the
buckle of my waist-band and just touched my body, though it
didn’t harm me. God Himself protected His slave. When Hari
Chand’s arrow touched my body, it angered me and picking up
my bow I started showering arrows all over. Seeing this the
enemy fled. I took an aim and hit Hari Chand. As he collapsed,
my brave soldiers pushed forward and annihilated them comple-
tely. The Chief called Karori was also finished. At this the men
belonging to the hill chiefs took to their heels in terror. It was
the mercy of God Almighty that gave us victory. Having won
the battle, we started singing songs of victory. I rewarded the
victorious soldiers generously. There was rejoicing all around.

After the battle of Bhangani the Guru did not return to Paonta
since he found that the Raja of Nahan was afraid of making ene-
mies of other hill chiefs. The Guru came to Anandpur visiting
Kiratpur en route. Realizing his mistake, Bhim Chand sued for
peace and made friends with the Guru. He came to Anandpur and
Guru Gobind Singh 191

was presented by the Guru with a robe of honour.

It was about this time that a son—Ajit Singh was born to the
Guru in 1687. He was followed by Jujhar Singhein 1691, Zorawar
Singh in 1697 and Fateh Singh in 1699,
As the children grew up the Guru gave them training in riding
horses and handling arms and reading and interpreting the classics.
In the meanwhile the scholars engaged by him were busy trans-
lating other philosophical treatises from Sanskrit into the popular
language of the common people.
In Raipur, near Ambala, there lived a rich couple Sohina and
Mohina. They were idol worshippers. They rose early in the morn-
ing, went to a well nearby, brought fresh water and gave a cere-
monial bath to the idol and then worshipped it. One day as they
were bringing water for their diety, they saw a stranger reeling on
the road and asking for water. It was the time for them to say their
morning prayers. Ignoring the thirsty wayfarer they went home. But
while they were worshipping the idol, the couple felt uneasy. The
cry of the helpless stranger on the roadside rang in their ears again
and again. Helpless they went back to the stranger on the roadside
with water to serve him. But before they could arrive, the man had
died. Sohina and Mohina came to know that he was a Sikh and had
been wounded in an encounter with bandits who were trying to
waylay a party of unarmed travellers. Sohina and Mohina returned
home but could not forget the helplessness with which the stranger
had asked them for water. It continued to haunt both husband and
wife day and night. They could neither eat nor sleep. They lost all
peace of mind. At last they decided to visit Anandpur and seek the
blessings of the Guru. But while they tried their best, they
couldn’t have an access to the Guru. It seemed the curse of the
dying Sikh continued to chase them. At last they met Kesra, the
Guru’s gardener, and sought refuge with him. The couple were
accomplished horticulturists and they soon made friends with the
gardener and living with Kesra they started tending the Guru’s
garden with devotion. Before long the garden became a feast for
the eye. The Guru was extremely happy and he complimented
Kesra for it. An honest Sikh, Kesra told the Guru the secret of the
improvement he had noticed in the garden. The Guru still did not
take any notice of the strangers.
It so happened that the Guru’s birthday was approaching.
Sohina and Mohina had special flowers laid for the Guru on the
192 The Sikh Gurus

suspicious occasion. A dirvesh called Roda Jalali, saw these and

wanted to pluck them. Sohina and Mohina would not allow it. The
entire flower-bed had been tended for the Guru. Jalali’s intention
was to win the Guru’s favour with those flowers. Roda Jalali stole
into the garden early in the morning when it was still dark and
stole the flowers. When the young couple Sohina and Mohina
saw what had happened to their flower-bed, they were heart-
broken.
In the morning Roda Jalali offered the flowers to the Guru.
‘““Why did you have to pluck such lovely flowers?” The Guru
asked Roda Jalali, ‘‘A dirvesh need not stand on such ceremony.”
“I didn’t wish to come empty handed on this auspicious day and
a dirvesh that I am, I had nothing else to offer,’ saying this Roda
Jalali bowed before the Guru in obeisance. The moment he lowe-
red his head, as ill luck would have it, his cap fell down and along
with it a handful of gold mohurs that he had stored in it and he
was ridiculed by all those present. Knowing as he did, wherefrom
Roda Jalali had stolen the lovely flowers, the Guru picked up the
blossoms and went over to the forlorn Sohina and Mohina and
blessed them. “‘You may ask for anything and it will be given to
you,” said the Guru. They did have a moving request to make.
“If you are gracious. my Lord,” said the young couple, ‘‘kindly
grant pardon to Roda Jalali also.”
The Guru was aware that most of the masands were corrupt
and oppressed the Sikhs. They extracted money out of the poor
people threatening them with the Guru’s displeasure. The Guru
was aware of what was going on. In a festival gathering, he got
folk artists to depict how the masands exploited the innocent
people. However, reports about the villainies of the masands
continued to pour in. At last, the Guru discontinued the practice
of appointing wasands and told his Sikhs to send their offerings
directly to the Guru at Anandpur.
Bhai Nand Lal Goya, a poet and an erudite scholar of Persian
and Arabic, was in the service of Prince Bahadur Shah, the heir-
apparent, who resided at Agra. Bahadur Shah, who was a poet him-
self, had collected several artists and scholars around him. Bhai
Nand Lal had come to India after the death of his father who was
the principal scribe at the court of the ruler in Ghazni. Before
long, Bhai Nand Lal distinguished himself amongst the learned men
in the employment of the Prince. The communications he drafted
Guru Gobind Singh 193

on behalf of the Prince for the royal court began to be noticed and
appreciated in Delhi. Because of his hard work and devotion, he
rose to be the chief scribe of the Prince. It is said that in the royal
court at Delhi a controversy was raging in respect of the interpre-
tation of a verse from the Holy Quran. Several explanations were
offered by the learned Muslim scholars but, somehow, none could
convince Aurangzeb. When Bhai Nand Lal heard about it he ven-
tured his interpretation of the controversial verse. The Emperor
read it and was fully satisfied. He decided to honour the scholar
responsible for the interpretation with an award, But when he
came to know that it was a Hindu who was responsible for the bri-
lliant interpretation, the King ordered that the author should be
persuaded to embrace Islam. If he didn’t agree, the King indicat-
ed that they might also use force. When Bhai Nand Lal came to
know of it, he escaped from Agra with the help of one of his
Muslim admirers, Ghiasudddin. The only asylum he could think of
was Anandpur where he arrived and received a warm welcome.
Bhai Nand Lal ‘‘Goya”’ in due course, emerged as a great poet of
Persian and admirer of the Guru. He presented the Guru with his
collection of verse called Bandgi Nama (The Book of Prayer), the
Guru read it and renamed it as Zindgi Nama (The Book of Life).
Bhai Nand Lal’s poetry is overflowing with devotion and love for
the Guru. He admired his person as a beloved adores her lover.
For the next Baisakhi festival in 1699, the Guru issued a general
invitation to his Sikhs throughout the length and breadth of the
country to visit Anandpur. The Guru advised his Sikhs to come
with unshorn hair. Several thousand Sikhs came to participate in
the Fair in response to the Guru’s call.
On the morning of the main Fair day after the hymn-singing had
concluded, the Guru appeared on the dais with an unsheathed
sword dazzling in his hand and asked the audience, ‘“‘My sword is
thirsty. It needs the blood of a Sikh to quench its thirst. Is there
anyone in the audience who is willing to offer his head?” There
was consternation amongst those present.
‘‘Is there no one who is willing to present his ae to satisfy my
sword?” the Guru repeated.
The gathering grew more uneasy. “Do I understand that there
is none amongst my Sikhs who is willing to sacrifice his life for his
Guru?” As the Guru repeated his call the third time a Sikh called
Daya Ram, a Khatri from Lahore of about 30 years of age rose
194 The Sikh Gurus

from the crowd to offer his head. “‘Its yours in life and death,”
said the Sikh humbly. The Guru caught hold of him by his arm
and led him to a tent pitched adjacent to the dais. There was a
thud of the sword.
A moment later the Guru appeared, with his sword dripping with
blood. “‘I want another head,” shouted the Guru. There was panic
in the audience and they even doubted if their leader was sane at all.
Still before the Guru could repeat his call, another Sikh, this time
a Jat from Haryana, rose and placed his head at the disposal of
his Master. The Guru pulled him into the tent in a strange frenzy.
Again there was the thud of the sword followed by astream
of blood flowing out of the tent. And, as earlier, the Guru came
out of the tent with blood dripping from his sharp-edged sword.
“I want another head, the third.’’ He stood, glowing, with fiery
eyes. Even at his first call, Makhan Chand, a Sikh from far-off
Dwarka hurried to the scaffolding, apologizing for his not offering
himself earlier. The same frightful thud of the sword followed;
and red blood squirted out of the sacrificial tent. The thirst of the
Guru’s sword was still not quenched. He came out the fourth time
demanding yet another head. The blade of his sword was stained
with blood. Some people from the astounded crowd started runn-
ning away. ‘‘I want the fourth head,”’ the Guru looked around and
before he finished speaking Himat Chand, who had come all the
way from Jagannath Puri in Orissa, rushed to the Guru. He was a
sacrifice to the Guru. His head was at his Master’s disposal. Like
the other three Sikhs, he was also led to the tent. The thud of the
sword was repeated and the stream of blood flowing from the tent
was augmented with fresh blood. With blood dripping once again,
emerging from the tent, the Guru asked for yet another head! By
now the crowd had thinned considerably. Sahib Chand of Bidar
rushed to the dais and fell at Guru’s feet for not responding to his
call all the while. The Guru led the fifth Sikh also into the tent.
Terror-stricken, some Sikhs ran to inform the Guru’s mother,
others thought of seeking the intervention of the Guru’s senior
advisers. They had gathered to celebrate the festival of Baisakhi
and here the Guru had started butchering them. They were at the
horns of a dilemma. They did not know what to do when
suddenly from behind the tent, they saw the five faithful Sikhs
emerge one after the other, radiant and glorious, like five resplen-
dent stars descended from heaven. They were followed by the
Guru Gobind Singh 195

Guru glowing with a new confidence. The audience burst into spon-
taneous joy. They hailed the Guru with slogans. ““The Guru is great.”
**Long live the Guru.” ‘Glory to the Guru.”’ Shouting such slogans
they were going crazy when the Guru raised his hand and silenced
them. *‘Great are these five faithfuls! Glory to them! They are the
chosen ones. They have found immortality. Those who know how
to die, only they win deliverance from the cycle of birth and
death,” said the Guru.
The Guru, it is said, had killed only goats; every time he took a
Sikh inside the tent, he slaughtered a goat and came out with its
blood dripping from the blade of his sword.
The Guru, then, had a steel vessel brought and poured water
into it. The five faithful Sikhs were asked to recite hymns from the
sacred scriptures turn by turn, while the Guru stirred the water
with a double-edged dagger. The Guru was preparing amrit—
nectar—to baptize Nanak’s Sikhs to turn them into khalsa—the
elect. As the five faithful Sikhs were reciting the Holy Word clad
in their blue robe of divine angles, the Guru’s mother Mata Sahib
Devan came with patashas—sugarcandy—by way of her offering.
The Guru was most happy. “Its a timely gift,” he said and, taking
the patashas from his mother put them into the vessel. “It is marry-
ing valour to compassion,” said the Guru. ‘‘The dagger was to turn
my Sikhs into heroes; the sugarcandy will foster in them the milk
of human kindness.”
When the recitation from the predetermined text of the scrip-
tures was over, the Guru baptized the five beloved faithfuls with
the nectar, the draught of immortality and knowledge sublime.
After the Sikhs had thus been baptized, the great Guru stood
before them with hands folded and prayed to them to baptize him
in return. Thus the Guru turned himself into a disciple. It was for
the first time in the annals of history that the Master sat at the feet
of his disciples asking them to be blessed with a draught of nectar.
The moment he had the sublime sip, from Guru Gobind
Rai he became Guru Gobind Singh. So were the five faithful Sikhs
and thousands of the Guru’s devotees who had gathered at
Anandpur. According to a report of a diarist of the Mughal Court
to the Emperor in Delhi, 20,000 Sikhs were anointed on that
biessed Baisakhi day. This was the birth of a new nation, the
reincarnation of Guru Nanak’s Sikhs. A draught of amrit—and
every Sikh became a Singh, a lion. Everyone had to sip amrit from
196 The Sikh Gurus

a common vessel, thereby joining them in eternal brotherhood and

casting away the barriers of caste and creed.
The Guru then enjoined those who had been blessed with amrit
to wear long hair (Kesh). The hair is sacred. It is the symbol of
the Khalsa—the pure. They were also to wear a steel bangle (Kada)
on their wrist. It should serve as a reminder of their commitment
to truth. An anointed Sikh must also wear short pants (Kachcha) to
ensure cleanliness. The Sikh should have a comb (Kanga) in the hair
to keep it tidy. Also he should always carry a daggar (Kirpan) as.
a weapon of defence as well as hope.
The Guru was aware that the need of the hour was an army of
soldier-saints who could effectively fight the forces of evil, exploita-
tion of the poor and communal hatred in the Indian society.
The anointed Sikh was not to smoke or take to any other intoxi-
cants. He must be loyal to his spouse and not covet other women.
All Sikhs were equal; there was no high or low caste amongst the
Khalsa. The. Khalsa believed in One God, said his prescribed
prayers daily and did not worship idols or images. The Khalsa must
help the needy and protect the poor.
The Sikhs who adopt the prescribed way of life are as good as
the Guru. The Guru is the Khalsa and the Khalsa is the Guru.
After the grand baptism the Guru declared that all his Sikhs were
to be known as Singhs (lions). The baptism had turned jackals into
tigers. The khalsa must fight all oppression. It is maintained that
having been anointed with amrit, a single Sikh could fight a hundred
thousand enemies.
The Guru invited the hill chiefs to take amrit and join the forces
of the khalsa. ‘“‘Aren’t you ashamed of yourself?” he exhorted
them, ‘“‘The Mughals carry away your daughters and wives and you
dare not utter a word of protest. The Hindu temples of worship
have been desecrated and mosques put up in their place. Thousands
of Hindus are converted to Islam every day. The only solution is to
unite under the banner of the khalsa and fight for truth and
annihilate evil.”
Not only that the Guru’s call had no effect on the hill chiefs,
they duly communicated it to the Mughal Emperor, pledging their
loyalty to him. When the Guru was out hunting in a forest, Balia
Chand and Alam Chand, two hill chiefs thought it to be a God-sent
opportunity for them to attack the Guru’s party and capture him.
The Guru had only a few bodyguards with him, while the hill chiefs
Guru Gobind Singh Verve

had a substantial force in several thousands. After initial reverses

the Sikhs asked Guru Gobind Singh to lead them himself and a
small party of hunters defeated a regular army deputed to attack
them. While Alam Chand managed to escape, Balia Chand, his
companion, had to pay with his life.
When this humiliating defeat occurred, the hill chiefs Were con-
vinced that they were no match for the Guru. His strength increased
every day. They must appeal to the Mughal Emperor in Delhi to
put an end to the potential danger that the Sikhs posed for the
whole lot of them in the region. There were as many as twenty hill
chiefs and yet they were scared of the Guru’s Sikhs, more after their
baptism on Baisakhi day. They found a vast change in them.
Barbers and washermen, Weavers and carpenters styled themselves
as Sardars and behaved like lions—Singhs, as they started calling
themselves. Every one of them carried a sword. In their smithies
they had started manufacturing arms of all sorts. They brought
weapons and finest horses for presentation to the Guru from far
and near. With a single sip of amrit the Guru had created a
militia who were always willing to stand up and fight for their Guru
and causes dear to him.
In order that their case appeared convincing the hill chiefs first
asked the Guru to pay them large arrears of tax in respect of land
around Anandpur that he occupied in their territory. The Guru
reminded them that the land had been purchased by his father and
there was no question of his paying any dues on that account. He
also took this opportunity of explaining to them that it was in their
own interest to make friends with the Guru_ and the Sikhs. United
they could keep the Mughal forces in check, otherwise sooner or
later, they would sweep them away and no trace would be left of
either their states or their faith.
Still the hill chiefs approached the Mughal Emperor for assist-
ance. Aurangzeb being away in the Deccan, the Subedar of Sirhind
came to their rescue but only after they had paid a large sum by
way of the expenditure of the fighting force to be drafted to deal
with the Guru. It was most humiliating for the hill chiefs to pur-
chase assistance, it was even more disgraceful for the Mughal
soldiers to attack the Guru as mercenaries. The Guru’s Sikhs,
fearless as they had become, accepted the challenge readily.
The ten thousand strong Mughal forces were led by Painde
Khan and Dina Beg, the hill chiefs giving them support. The
198 The Sikh Gurus

battle was fought at Rupar. The Guru always tried to do the fight-:
ing as far away from Anandpur as possible. The Sikhs were far out-
numbered, yet their self-confidence was enormous. Painde Khan
had protected himself completely with a coat-of-arms. The Guru
challenged him but found that he was invulnerable. Then the Guru
discovered that Painde Khan’s ears alone remained uncovered. He
lost no time in aiming an arrow at the vulnerable target and the
enemy lay dead on the battle-field. In the meanwhile Dina Beg had
also been injured severely. The hill chiefs panicked and took to
their heels.
The Guru had once again emerged victorious. At this the hill
chiefs from Jammu, Nurpur, Mandi, Bhutan, Kullu, Kainthal, Guler,.
Chamba, Srinagar (Garhwal), Dadhwal and others met in council
and decided to blockade the Guru, closing all supply routes to the
Sikhs collected in Anandpur. The siege lasted two months. The
Sikhs had entrenched themselves in thousands in Fatehgarh and
Lohgarh, the two forts in Anandpur, and given a sustained fight.
All efforts of the combined hill armies did not seem to avail. At last,
as a face-saving device, they approached the Raja of Basali who was.
an ardent devotee of the Guru to invite the Master to his state as
his guest, to which the Guru agreed and the siege was lifted. In this:
way, while the Guru’s men had a welcome respite to muster their
forces, the hill chiefs could tell the world that they had obliged the
Guru for vacating Anandpur and fleeing to Basali.
But they could not deceive themselves and their people for long.
Having spent a little time at Basali, the Guru returned to Anandpur...
In the meanwhile, the Sikhs had started enlisting themselves in the
Guru’s forces from far and near. They came equipped with bows.
and arrows, swords and spears, daggers and dirks, muskets and
pistols. And above all, with the desire to die fighting for their faith
and their Guru.
When the Guru was on his way to Basali, in spite of their pledge
not to attack the Guru’s men, the hill chiefs started sniping for
which they paid dearly. However, when the Guru returned to
Anandpur they advisedly took no notice of it. The Guru came and
stayed in Anandpur as before and continued with his activities,.
looking after the spiritual and temporal needs of the Sikhs.
In the meanwhile, realizing his helplessness, Raju Ajmer Chand,.
the leader of the hill chiefs, sued for peace with the Guru, followed
by the rest of the chiefs trying to make friends with him. They sent
Guru Gobind Singh 199

him costly gifts in token of good neighbourliness. The Guru also

responded in the same spirit.
During the respite Guru Gobind Singh had the embattled city of
Anandpur and its two forts attended to. The Sikhs being aware
that Aurangzeb would avenge the defeat the Mughal forces had
suffered at the hands of the Guru, prepared for the inevitable.
In the meanwhile, the Guru himself was preoccupied with the
quality. of men his Sikhs must turn out to be.
There was a Sikh by the name Joga Singh on the personal staff
of the Guru. He had been in the service of the Guru since his
childhood. He belonged to Peshawar where his parents were still
living. His people found a bride for him and asked him to come to
Peshawar to get married. The Guru could ill-afford to relieve
Joga Singh when preparations were afoot for meeting the imminent
attack from the Mughals. But Joga Singh had to go for all the
arrangements for his marriage had been finalized. ‘If there is any-
thing untoward, a word from the Master and J would return that
very instant,’ Joga Singh promised the Guru.
With a view to gauging the devotion of his Sikh, the Guru sent
a message (/Aukamnama) to be delivered to Joga Singh in the midst
of the actual marriage ceremony, asking him to return forthwith.
It is said that Joga Singh had circumambulated along with his bride
twice, he had yet to take two more ritual rounds when the Guru’s
message was delivered to him. He suspended the marriage cere-
mony there and then and left for Anandpur. All those present were
amazed but such was the sense of devotion of Joga Singh to his
Guru that he heeded nothing else.
On his way back to Anandpur, Joga Singh happened to spend a
night at Hoshiarpur. After his evening meals as he was strolling in
the bazaar, he saw a dancing girl and was allured by her.
But every time Joga Singh tried to go into the house, a chowki-
dar at the gate stopped him. Joga Singh was trying again and again
the whole night, though without any success. And then day dawned.
Joga Singh was suddenly reminded of his Guru and he left for
Anandpur.
Joga Singh presented himself before the Guru and was pained
to find a stern Jook on the Master’s face. He had seen this very
scorn somewhere else. Yes, it was only the previous night. The
frown that the Guru wore was writ large on the face of the
chowkidar guarding the house of the dancing girl who would not
200 The Sikh Gurus

allow him to enter time and again.

“It was the Guru himself,” Joga Singh suddenly realized and
he fell at his Master’s feet. The Guru had saved his Sikh from sin
by standing guard at the dancing girl’s quarters the whole night long.
Joga Singh, who was feeling conceited for having carried out the
Guru’s command in the midst of the marriage rites and for having
returned to his Master without consummating the marriage, now
felt humbled.
A Jain monk called Hans sought audience with the Guru but
every time he tried he was refused. He was a great scholar-and also
a fine artist. One of his paintings in which he had depicted sunrise
was a superb piece of art and it was admired by everyone including
the Guru himself. But to everyone’s surprise, the Guru would not
see Hans. At last, Senapat, one of the poets in the Guru’s court,
intervened on his behalf and pleaded for an audience for Hans.
Senapat felt that Hans was a scholar and it would enhance the
prestige of the Guru’s cell of poets and learned men if he could
join them. ‘‘He is a sensitive artist and it would be an asset to have
him among us,” Senapat said again and again. At last, the Guru lost
patience and told Senapat, “Your artist friend is callous. He is
stone-hearted.’’ Senapat was shocked to hear these words. He beg-
ged the Guru to enlighten him. He had known Hans only for a brief
period.
At this, the Guru asked Daya Singh to go to a cave ina hill close
by where he would find a young ascetic. Daya singh was to bring
him to the Guru. The Guru cautioned Daya Singh that he would
have to carry the ascetic since he was too feeble to walk the
distance.
The next morning, the ascetic was presented to the Guru. He
was just a skeleton on the verge of collapse. The Guru fed him
with his own hands and made him sit with him. Senapat was, then,
asked to call his learned friend Hans to appear before the Guru.
Hans was very happy to get an audience with the Guru and came
at once.
‘‘Doyou recognize this young man?”’ the Guru asked Hans, poin-
ting to the ascetic.
Hans couldn’t, for the young ascetic was so reduced to a bundle
of bones that recognition was impossible. But the young man reco-
gnized Hans all right. At the Guru bidding him to do so, he
narrated his tale.
Guru Gobind Singh 201

He was a child when Jain monks visited their village. He saw

them and, like many other children, was fascinated by their way of
life. He decided to become a monk. Several years later, he came
acrossa nun from their village in one of the monasteries. They used
to play together as children and were greatly fond of each other.
In fact, the girl had turned a nun only after she learnt that he had
become a monk. In the surprise meeting that winter afternoon in
the monastery, they were delighted to see each other. They sat in
a secluded corner under the warm sun and talked about their
childhood days back in the village. As they were thus engaged in
recalling happy memories of days gone by, they were seen together
by the chief of the monastery. A monk and a nun must not be
together alone. The chief ordered that the eyes of the gir] should
be plucked out and the young monk was handed over to Hans for
his reformation. He was ridiculed day and night in spite of his
assuring them that they were innocent. At last, Hans ordered him
to undergo penance for 12 years in a cave to atone for his sin.
“Isn't it cruel?” The Guru asked Hans. The realization of what
he had done dawned on Hans and he fell at the Guru’s feet.
The Guru had the girl located and got the young couple united
once again. It is said, in his benign mercy, the girl’s eyes were also
restored by the Guru and they lived a happy married life.
Har Gopal’s father Bishambar Das was an ardent devotee of the
Guru. They belonged to Ujjain. They were well-to-do traders.
Bishambar Das was keen that Har Gopal should also lead a pious
life and seek the Guru’s blessing. Accordingly he persuaded Har
Gopal to visit the Guru. The young man was cynical and attached
to worldly ways. He had little faith in holy men. But since
his father had asked him again and again, he agreed to visit the
Guru.
When Har Gopal arrived at Anandpur, he was amazed to find
the splendour in which Guru Govind Singh lived. Everything
about him was royal and grand. He felt, he had been misled. Guru
Gobind Singh was essentially a man of the world, a great fighter
who lived a kingly life. He found nothing godly about him. He
regretted having listened to his old father and undertaken the
arduous journey all the way from his home-town.
Unhappy as he was he came indifferently to attend the Guru’s
morning congregation where hymns were sung and prayers held.
And much to his surprise, Har Gopal went into an ecstasy, listen-
202 The Sikh Gurus

ing to the singing. Such a sublime experience he had not known

before. After the prayers Har Gopal went up to the Guru and fell
at his feet and sought his blessings.
Har Gopal stayed on at Anandpur for a few weeks but he could
not reconcile himself to the Guru’s fondness for shikar, the Leen-
ness with which he trained his horses and the maintenance and
manufacture of all sorts of weapons of destruction. Unlike other
holy men, the Guru was a non-vegetarian. He relished eating meat
of all varieties.
On the eve of his departure, he went to the Guru to take leave
of him. Guru Gobind Singh at that time happened to be sitting on
the river bank. Har Gopal presented a pair of gold bracelets to the
Guru. The Guru while admiring the bracelets started playing with
one of them. He would toss it into the air again and again and
then catch it with his right hand. As the Guru did this, the brace-
let slipped from his hand and rolled down into the river. Har
Gopal who happened to be witnessing all this jumped into
the river but it was to no avail. The bracelet was lost. As he came
out, he said, ‘“‘Sir, if you could only point to the exact spot where
the bracelet fell, maybe I can fish it out.’? At this, in order to indi-
cate the spot the Guru threw the other bracelet also into the river.
Har Gopal was distressed. But the very next moment realization
came to him that the worldly riches to which he attached so much
importance had no meaning for the Guru. It was vain of him to
have felt that he was making such a costly gift to the Master.
The Guru attached little significance to it.
When he was leaving, the Guru made a return-gift of a steel
bangle (Kada) to Har Gopal. This fact put off the young man again.
Here, he had come all the way from Ujjain, spending a fortune
to visit the Guru. He had brought several costly gifts for him. A
little while earlier, he had presented the Guru with two gold
bracelets studded with diamonds and in return for all this the Guru
had given him just a steel bangle!
On his way home Har Gopal happened to stay with Bhai Dhyan
Singh, a devotee of the Guru residing at Chamkaur. While talking
about the Guru, Har Gopal mentioned about the steel bangle cyni-
cally. He was also heard grumbling about the gold bracelets which
were worth not less than five hundred rupees.
Bhai Dhyan Singh’s wife who, again, was an ardent devotee of
the Guru was enraged. Har Gopal, obviously, didn’t realize how
Guru Gobind Singh 203

priceless the steel bangle gifted to him by Guru Gobind Singh was.
She went to the bazaar and mortgaging her personal jewellery
obtained six hundred rupees and hurried back to offer the amount
to Hargopal. “It is a little more than what your bracelets were
worth. Kindly accept this in exchange of the steel bangle the Guru
presented to you.” Har Gopal was most happy at the bargain.
Reaching home he narrated the clever manner in which he had
used the faith of a Guru’s Sikh to retrieve the loss of his bracelets.
Bishambar Das was deeply grieved.
As feared by his father, his all-too-clever son started losing in
business. He became bankrupt before long.
His father reminded him how he had denied himself the blessings
of the Guru. Har Gopal realized his folly and begged his father to
take him to the Guru again, so that he could ask his forgiveness.
On their way to Anandpur, they broke journey at Chamkaur
again. Bishambar Das purchased back the steel bangle and accom-
panied by Bhai Dhyan Chand they went to Anandpur. When the
Guru saw them all together, he smiled knowingly and blessed each
one of them in his mercy and grace.
The hill chiefs, in the meanwhile, collected at Rawalsar and invi-
ted Guru Gobind Singh for peace negotiations. The Guru went to
Rawalsar. The chiefs and their consorts who accompanied them
were deeply impressed with his integrity and love for peace and
amity. However, while he was still in Rawalsar, the hill
chiefs having come to know that Aurangzeb was planning to attack
the Guru again, dropped the peace efforts. A princess of Nahan
called Padma who came to know of it was distressed and commu-
nicated to the Guru in confidence the secret designs of the hill
chiefs and the Mughal forces.
The Guru hastened back to Anandpur. He was attacked by a
large Mughal army under General Syed Khan. It so happened that
General Syed Khan’s sister was married to Pir Budhu Shah. Since
she had lost two of her sons in an earlier battle, he went to condole
with her. He was under the impression that his sisters’ sons had
died’ fighting the Guru. But he was shocked to learn that Pir
Budhu Shah and his sons had fought on the Guru’s side. Still his
sister Nasiran continued to be an ardent devotee of the Guru.
While there was no running away from the mission on which
Syed Khan had been deputed, in his heart of hearts he started
nursing a longing to meet the Guru on the battle-field. And he was
204 The Sikh Gurus

not disappointed. He did see the Guru in a man-to-man encounter.

He saw him on his blue horse, moving amidst myriads of swords
and weapons but no harm seemed to come to him.
The General shot an arrow at the Guru. It missed him. Then he
pulled out his musket but his aim which was known to be flawless
let him down again. It appeared to the General that his sister
Nasiran was standing close to him and every time he shot at the
Guru she made his aim falter.
Since the General had failed in his aim twice, the Guru invited
him to a hand-to-hand fight with swords. When he had a glimpse
of the Guru from closer quarters, rather than attacking him, he
came down from his horse and put his head on the Master’s stir-
rup. All his soldiers were amazed to see this strange happening on
a battle-field. ;
General Syed Khan was blessed by the Guru. Instead of going
back to fight, he retired to Kangra hills for meditations. It is said,
he remained in meditation for several years until the Guru went to
the Deccan where he joined him.
General Syed Khan’s surrender to the Guru was taken as a defec-
tion. It annoyed both Aurangzeb and the Mughal soldiers. He
ordered General Ramzan Khan to take over the command of the
forces against the Guru and capture him alive or bring him dead
to Delhi. The Subedars of Sirhind and Lahore were to give him
support as also the hill chiefs of Bilaspur, Kangra, Jaspal, Kullu,
Kainthal, Mandi, Jammu, Narpur, Chamba, Guler, Srinagar and
a number of other States.
Besides his normal army, the Guru, on the other hand, had
Sikhs from Majha and Malwa who had joined him recently and had
received training in warfare. Several of the Guru’s Sikhs put on
saffron-coloured uniforms, declaring that they had but a few days
left to attain salvation.
Not satisfied with the way the war was being fought, the
Emperor entrusted the supreme command to Wazir Khan, a ruth-
less soldier. Such odds the Sikhs had never encountered before.
After a heroic fight on the battle-field and the loss of many a valiant
soldier, the Guru felt it expedient to withdraw into the town of
Anandpur. He gave the charge of Kesgarh fort to his son Ajit
Singh and that of Lohgarh fort to Nahar Singh and Sher Singh.
Finding that the Sikh forces had withdrawn into Anandpur, the
Mughal armies laid siege to the town from all sides in collaboration
Guru Gobind Singh 205

with the hill chiefs.

As the Guru was busy reinforcing his defence, it was brought to
his notice that one of his Sikhs called Kanaiya had been offering
water to the Mughal soldiers wounded on the battle-field along with
Sikh soldiers. The Guru sent for Kanaiya to find out the truth about
it. Kanaiya heard the charge and pleaded with folded hands,
“*Master, since I have come in touch with you, I see God above me
and the entire creation as His children. Amongst the wounded, I
fail to distinguish between the Hindus and the Muslims.” The Guru
was highly pleased with his Sikh. He blessed him and bade him to
continue serving the suffering soldiers as he had been doing, irres-
pective of caste or creed. The followers of Kanaiya have ever since
continued to serve people in the same spirit and are known as
Seva-panthis.
It was a relentless fight. The siege was protracted. It lasted three
long years. The allied forces were successful in cutting off even
water supply to the town. The ration stores were empty. The Sikhs
faced starvation and certain death. The Guru’s favourite horses
died for want of food. The famous elephant Prasadi also met the
same fate. The Sikhs ground the dried barks of trees and ate it.
They made daring forages on the Mughal army surrounding the
town and plundered their ration at grave risk to themselves.
The Guru had to starve. So did his family including his mother
and children. But he would not agree to the suggestion that they
should flee Anandpur and seek refuge elsewhere. While the Sikhs
dared not approach the Guru, they went to his mother and sugges-
ted to her that it was an unequal fight. If they continued to remain
at Anandpur, they would die of starvation, all of them. But the
Guru refused to listen to anyone. He was determined to hold on and
fight till the last. The mother was helpless.
At this juncture, Aurangzeb sent a message under his own seal
inviting the Guru to Delhi. The King swore that no harm would
come to the Guru. If he did not wish to go to Delhi, he could go
anywhere else. But he must surrender the town of Anandpur with
the two forts. The envoy who brought the message assured the
Guru that Aurangzeb was highly impressed with the courageous
fight he had given to the imperial forces. The hill chiefs, too, had
sworn that if the Guru and his Sikhs vacated Anandpur and
left the town, they would provide them safe passage through their
territory.
206 The Sikh Gurus

The Guru did not believe a word of it. But in view of the assu-
rance from the King himself, his mother and some of his close advi-
sers pleaded with him again and again not to lose the opportunity
offered to them to evacuate with their lives.
At last, under heavy pressure, the Guru relented and said that
he would first send his treasure and other precious articles and if
these could pass through the enemy forces safe, he would follow
them. The Mughal envoy gave a solemn promise and retired.
The next day the Guru had rubbish and cowdung, etc., packed
in huge bags and covering them with costly brocade shawls sent the
first consignment out of the town. The moment the caravan reached
the Mughal army, the soldiers could not resist the temptation of
plundering it. They fell upon the mules carrying the huge bags only
to find to their chagrin that it was nothing but rubbish and cow-
dung! Thus the Guru proved to his mother and the Sikhs that the
enemy could never be trusted and that they would be risking their
lives if they left the town.
But remaining in the town any more was also no less risky. The
misery and destitution were turning people insane. At last, 40 Sikhs
approached the Guru to allow them to escape. They could not bear
the travail of hunger and want any more. The Guru told them that
if they wished to go against his wishes, they must disclaim him. The
desperate lot of disciples were prepared for it. Accordingly, they
wrote a disc!aimer and left the Guru. It is said that when they rea-
ched their homes, their mothers and wives disclaimed them. They
did not know where to go.
After the forty apostates had left the Guru, he started destroying
everything that could be burnt or demolished in Anandpur. What
he could not burn he had it buried. He, then, left Anandpur with
the remaining few Sikhs on the night between 5-6 December 1705,
never to return to his beloved city again. There was much pain but
a stage had come when it couldn’t be helped.
The Guru and the party had not gone far when the day broke.
It was time for them to say their morning prayers. They halted on
the banks of the Sirsa and started singing the morning hymn,
Asa Di Var. They barely concluded their prayers when the enemy,
violating all pacts made, attacked them. A bloody fight ensued.
Bhai Udai Singh, the commander of the Guru’s forces, and three
out of the Five Faithfuls along with several devoted Sikhs were
killed in the battle. Quite a few of the Guru’s family accompanying
Guru Gobind Singh 207

him lost touch with him.

The Guru succeeded in crossing the river Sirsa, and along with
a handful of his brave fighters and two of his elder sons rushed to
Chamkaur near Rupar and occupied the fort. They were duly
chased by the Mughal forces who surrounded the fortress from all
four sides.
The mughal forces were determined to annihilate the Guru. On
the other hand, the Guru, having lost several of his brave fighters,
precious manuscripts and valuable arms in the battle at Sirsa and
Knowing the fate that was in store for the rest, was desperate. He
installed himself on the balcony of the fort and decided to fight the
enemy till the last drop of his blood. It is said, he had just forty
men including two of his elder sons. The arms he had were limited,
the rations were scanty. It was indeed a fight with back to the wall.
While the besieged Sikhs showered arrows on the advancing
enemy forces causing havoc in their ranks, their sheer number was
overwhelming. They were closing in on the battlements ofthe fort.
At this, the Guru sent out his brave soldiers one after the other to
give the enemy a hand-to-hand fight and stem their advance as far
as possible. Every hero who left the fort had certain death await-
ing him. But one after the other, the brave Sikh fighters were
making it difficult for the enemy to get too close to the fort to
capture it finally.
After a number of Sikhs had been martyred, Guru Gobind
Singh’s eldest son Ajit Singh approached his father and volunteered
to go out and fight the enemy. The Guru was most happy and he
blessed him. But the Sikhs got agitated, he was the Guru’s own
son, and could not be allowed to risk his life. <All of you are my own
sons,” said the Guru and over-ruling their objection directed his
eighteen-year-old child to go out of the fort and face the enemy
several thousand strong.
From the balcony the Guru saw with his own eyes the most
heroic way in which his first-born fought the Mughal army and
then he was overpowered by them. They tore him to pieces with
their swords and spears.
Finding that his elder brother had been martyred, the Guru’s
second son Prince Jujhar Singh came forward and offered to follow
his brother. He was only fourteen years old. The Sikhs would not
permit it. ‘‘In the absence of any news about the younger princes, he
is your only surviving son,” they pleaded with the Guru. “‘All of you
208 The Sikh Gurus

are my sons!’ The Guru was determined and patting Prince Jujhar
Singh on the back, he bade him good-bye. The Prince had hardly
stepped out when he retraced his steps and asked for a little water.
He was feeling thirsty. ““There is no water left with us for you, my
son. Go and face the enemy. Your elder brother awaits you witha
goblet of nectar in his hand.” The child heard his father’s command
and plunged into the enemy’s ranks. He killed a number of his foes
before he fell dead, pierced with spears and hacked with swords.
Having lost two of his sons, the Guru decided to challenge the
enemy himself. The Sikhs would not allow this at any cost. Instead,
they collected and after offering solemn prayers passed a resolution
(Gurmatta) that the Guru along with the remaining two Faithfuls
should leave the fort under cover of night while the rest of the
Sikhs would continue to give fight to the enemy till the last.
The Guru had already divested himself of all authority. He had
declared at the birth of the Khalsa at Anandpur that the Five Faith-
fuls were supreme. They had assembled and decided to request the
Guru to leave the fort. The Guru had to bow before the mandate
and left the fort under cover of night accompanied by Bhai Daya
Singh, Dharam Singh and Man Singh. Before he left the fort, he
sprayed arrows in all directions creating confusion amongst the
enemy hoardes and made good his escape.
However, while doing so he lost touch with the three Sikhs who
were accompanying him out of the fort. He was left alone. Guru
Gobind Singh was all alone. Without a horse. Without any arms.
With no attendant. Having wandered through hostile jungles, his
clothes were torn. Walking day and night his shoes were worn out.
With thorns pricking his feet, lonely and forlorn, it is said he
reached Machhiwara jungle. He lay down on the bare earth with a
stone for his pillow. It was here that his companions found him.
As they approached him, he sang out what now is one of his most
famous hymns:

Go tell the plight of his devotees to my beloved Lord

The luxury of soft beds is agony without Him,
Its like living in a snake-pit
The goblet is poison and the cup a dagger,
Life is like receiving punches of a butcher’s dagger.
I would rather live in hiding, with my beloved
It’s hell living with strangers without Him.
Guru Gobind Singh 209

The Guru’s feet were full of blisters. He could barely walk. He

had to be physically carried by his Sikhs. Rai Kalha, the Muslim
chief of the town welcomed the Guru and gave him shelter in his
town in spite of the risk involved. It was here while recouping his
health that the Guru received the tragic news of how two of his
younger sons were slain and how his old mother died from the
shock.
It was the most shameful crime on the part of Nawab Wazir
Khan, the Governor of Sirhind to have killed the two innocent
children of whom the elder was nine years old and the younger
Was just seven years. .
It is said that not long after Mata Gujri, the Guru’s mother
with the two young princes got separated from him in the fighting
at Sira, they were betrayed by Gangu Brahmin who had served
them as a domestic servant once upon a time.
The Nawab of Sirhind was very glad to have the two sons of
their sworn enemy in his custody. Then with a view to gaining
favour with the Mughal King, he decided to execute the two
children. In spite of advice to the contrary by friends like the
Nawab of Malerkotla, he carrried out the executions in the most
cruel way.
The choice before the children was death or conversion to
Islam. The young cubs of the lion frowned at their persecutors.
They would not give up their faith, come what may. It was there-
fore, decided that with a view to overawing the youth, they should
be buried alive in the city’s wall. It should also serve as a deter-
rent to the rest of the community.
Accordingly a portion of the old wall was demolished. The
children brought up with utmost affection and care were made to
stand in the breach. And it is said, the masons walled them up
alive. This most heinous crime took place on 12 December 1705.
Hardly five years later Banda Singh Bahadur razed the entire city
of Sirhind to the ground, killing Wazir Khan in the fight.
Guru Gobind Singh had lost all his four sons, both the parents
and innumerable brave Sikhs in his struggle against the oppression
of the Mughal ruler. He who lived like a king with royal splendour
was rendered homeless. He was being chased by the enemy forces
from town to town, from wilderness to wilderness. Even then he
was not demoralized. While camping at village Dina, the Guru
wrote a letter to Aurangzeb in response to his invitation to see him.
210 The Sikh Gurus

The Guruw’s letter is known as Zafar Nama, the Epistle of Victory.

The Guru told the King that he had taken up arms because he
had exhausted all other means of redress. The Guru continued:

...If Ihad not believed your word and your oath on the
Quran, I wouldn’t have left my town. If I had known that you
are deceitful and crafty like a fox, I wouldn’t have been here
today...
Every soldier of your army who left his defences
to attack us was slaughtered... Many were done to death on
either side with arrows and bullets showered on them. The
whole earth was smeared with red blood. Heads and legs lay in
heaps. The arrows whizzed and the bows twanged, the clamour
all over reached the heavens. My heroic soldiers fought like
lions. But how could forty men, even the bravest soldiers,
succeed against countless odds?...
You are faithless and irreligious. You neither know God
nor Muhammad. A religious man never breaks his promise.
Had the Prophet been here, I would make ita point to tell him
about your treachery...
What if my four sons have been killed, I live to take
their revenge. It’s no heroism to extinguish a few sparks? You
have only excited a devastating fire...
You have the pride of your empire, while I am proud of
the kingdom of God. You must not forget that this world is
like a caravanserai and one must leave it sooner or later...

The Guru had his letter sent to Aurangzeb through Daya Singh
and Dharam Singh.
In the meanwhile, he started contacting his Sikhs and making
preparations for his defence. Since the Mughal forces were still
in pursuit, rather than cause embarrassment to his hosts, he
camped on a site near Khidrana in Ferozepur district where his
followers started flocking around him. One such contingent was
under the command of Mai Bhago. It consisted of all those
unhappy Sikhs who had disclaimed the Guru at Anandpur and
had come away. They had been feeling miserable all these days.
They had been abandoned by their kith and kin for having been
disloyal to the Guru. Mai Bhago had collected them and was
bringing them to the Guru for his pardon when they were attacked
Guru Gobind Singh 211

by the Mughal forces. Each one of them died fighting. When the
Guru heard about it, he rushed to the battle-field. He found the
brave Sikhs lying dead all over. Among them he saw one who
still seemed to have life in him. The Guru picked him up. He was
Mahan Singh. The moment Mahan Singh saw the Guru, he fell
at his feet and asked his forgiveness. The Guru pulled out the dis-
claimer that he had carried all these days and tore it to pieces.
Seeing this, Mahan Singh breathed his last peacefully.
In the meanwhile, the King had received the Guru’s letter. He
tread it and was struck with remorse. He removed all restrictions
on the movement of the Guru and gave orders that Guru Gobind
Singh and his Sikhs should no more be harassed. Aurangzeb’s
conscience seemed to prick him for the cruelties inflicted on the
Guru and his Sikhs. It is said that Aurangzeb took to his bed and
soon thereafter he died.
The Guru came to Talwandi Sabo, now known as Damdama
Saheb. The local chief called Dalla came to him and condoled
with him on the martyrdom of his four sons. Dalla led a con-
tingent of four hundred men and said again and again that if he had
known it, he would have placed his men at the Guru’s disposal.
*‘Fach one of them would have died fighting for you.”’ As he was
talking like this, a Sikh came and presented a gun to the Guru. The
Guru asked Dalla to go and get one of his men so that he could
check his aim. Dalla was astounded to hear it. But when the Guru
insisted, he went over to his people and, as he had feared, not one of
his men came forward to serve as the Guru’s target. Dalla was great-
ly mortified. He returned to the Guru, his head hanging in shame.
The moment the Guru saw him, he asked one of his attendants
to go and tell the two young Sikhs tying their turbans at a little
distance that the Guru wanted one of them to serve as a target to
test the new gun that he had been presented with. The moment
the young Sikhs heard it they went running to the Guru. Both of
them vied with each other for the honour. They happened to be
brothers. The elder brother said, he had a better claim to serve his
father, the Guru, while, the younger one said, he must have his
share of the ‘‘father’s” property.
Dalla was astonished to see this devotion. The Guru told him
that it was amrit which made such heroes of men. It made spar-
rows challenge hawks and turned jackals into lions. At this, Dalla
 IMD The Sikh Gurus

and his men offered themselves for amrit and they were duly
baptized.
It was at Damdama Saheb that the Guru’s consort joined him.
It is said that when she arrived, the Guru was in a congregation.
‘“‘Where are my children, my four dear sons?’ The bereaved
mother cried in agony.
‘Here are scores of them, all your children,” was what the Guru
told her, pointing to the congregation.
It was again at Damdama Saheb that Guru Gobind Singh found
time to redictate the Holy Granth, incorporating in it Guru Tegh
Bahadur’s hymns. But he didn’t include his own poetry in the Holy
Granth.
Aurangzeb did not live long after the receipt of the Zafar Nama.
He died in 1707, adisconsolate and frustrated man, utterly disil-
lusioned with life. As usual, there was a scramble for succession.
Aurangzeb’s eldest son Bahadur Shah was in Peshawar; therefore
his younger brother Azam proclaimed himself King. Bahadur Shah
knew Guru Gobind Singh through Bhai Nand Lal who had served
the Prince at Agra. He sought the Guru’s assistance. Since he was
the rightful successor and the Guru was keen to ensure that like his
father, Bahadur Shah was not misled, he placed a detachment at his
disposal. Bahadur Shah was victorious and invited the Guru for
his coronation when he gave him a robe of honour and several
precious gifts.
Bahadur Shah became so fond of the Guru that he persuaded him
to accompany him to the South. Guru Gobind Singh agreed, since
it would give him an opportunity to preach his gospel and meet the
Sikhs in distant parts of the country which he had not been able to
do owing to constant conflict with Mughal power.
On his way to the South the Guru happened to pass the samadhi
of Dadu, a great saint of the Bhakti Movement. Dadu was also a
fine poet. It is said that the Guru, out of respect for the poet-
saint, lowered his arrow before the samadhi. The Sikh accompany-
ing him took objection to it for had the Guru not told them him-
self that they must not worship anyone excepting the great God?
They must not worship gods and goddesses nor visit mausoleums
and samadhis. The Sikhs passed the Gurmata—a resolution of the
faithful—and fined the Guru for his lapse which he accepted with
grace. The Guru was proud of his Sikhs for their respect for the
principles laid down for the Khalsa.
Guru Gobind Singh 213

During his sojourn in the South, the Guru sighted a picturesque

spot on the banks of the River Godavari at Nanded. It was the
hermitage of the tantrik, Madho Das. When the Guru arrived at
the hermitage, Madho Das happened to be away. The Guru made
himself comfortable and his Sikhs slaughtered a goat and started
cooking meat. When Madho Das returned, he was furious. How
could anyone cook meat on the premises of a strict vegetarian like
Madho Das? However, the moment he looked at the Guru, he was
a changed person. They had a brief dialogue and he became a
devotee of the Guru.
Since the Guru was fascinated with the beauty of the place, he
decided to camp at Nanded. The Guru told Madho Das who had
been named Banda Singh Bahadur after his baptism, how the
Mughal Governor of Sirhind had tortured his innocent sons to
death and how he had to fight many a battle with the Mughals and
hill chiefs. Banda who was now no more a recluse collected the
Guru’s Sikhs around him and decided to punish the Mughal
Governor of the Punjab and the hill chiefs.
In the meanwhile, Wazir Khan, the Governor of Sirhind, who
feared Bahadur Shah’s growing friendship with the Guru, sent a
party of assassins to put an end to the Guru’s life before he poiso-
ned the King’s ears and embittered his relations with him.
The assassins came disguised and one afternoon, when the Guru
was resting, they attacked him unawares. In the encounter, the
Guru and his bodyguard put both of them to death but they succe-
eded in inflicting a deep wound with a dagger in the Guru’s side.
It is said that the wound was attended to by a surgeon sent by
the Mughal King and it seemed that it had started healing and the
Guru was well on his way to recovery when he happened to tug a
bow and the wound opened up again.
In spite of the best treatment possible, this proved fatal. When
the end came on the 7 October 1708, Guru Gobind Singh addressed
his Sikhs thus:

As ordained by God, the Lord Eternal,

A new way of life is evolved.
All the Sikhs are asked
to accept the Holy Granth as the Guru
Guru Granth should be accepted
As the living God.
214 The Sikh Gurus

Those who wish to meet God

Will find Him in the Word.

The Guru henceforth was to be found in the Divine Word. The:

Sikh community had to be guided by the decisions of the Five
Faithfuls—Panj Piare—chosen from among the devotees. Thus.
Guru Gobind Singh gave Sikhism a democratic orientation of the
most modern form amongst the religions of the world.
Selected Hymns of
Guru Gobind Singh

iE He who has no form, features, class or caste,

He who belongs to no community,
He who has no colour, no complexion, no mark, no aie,
No one knows what He is like.
Immoveable, self-refulgent and all-powerful,
He is the Indra of millions of Indras,
He is the king of kings,
He is the sovereign of the three worlds—
of demigods, human beings and demons.
The jungle and the woods remember him every moment.
How can one call Him by all His Names?
The wise give Him Names according to His manifestations.
(Jap
. How does it help if you shut your eyes
And like a crane sit and meditate?
You wander and wander bathing in the seven seas
You've lost this world as well as that.
You remained in the company of the evil-minded
And wasted your life in vain.
I tell the truth that all may hear,
He who loves, he alone has found God.
(Swaipya
Some carry the stone-deity on their head,
Some suspend /ingam from their neck.
Some see God in the South,
Some bow towards the West,
Some worship images,
Some go to propitiate the dead.
The whole world is lost in empty rituals
216 The Sikh Gurus

No one knows the secret of God.

(Swaipya
. He helps the helpless every moment
Exhorts saints and kills their enemies.
Birds and beasts, snakes and serpents and their kings.
He looks after them all the while.
He protects those in water and those on earth
every moment.
He ignores the evil of the Age of Kali
He is the benefactor of the poor,
He is the source of all kindness.
He is aware of evil deeds.
And yet he ceases not to be bountiful.
(Swaiyya
Give me Your hand and protect me.
Let me fulfil the desire of my heart,
That my thoughts should remain with You.
Help me as the one belonging to You.
Vanquish all my enemies and all my evils.
And save me with Your own hands.
Let my people live in peace, O God!
And all my servants and all my Sikhs.
With Your own hands help me
And destroy all my enemies today,
Let my heart’s desire be met.
And I should continue to long to sing Your praises,
I should remember none excepting You,
What I seek I should find from You.
Let all my servants and Sikhs attain salvation
And defeat my foes, each one of them.
(Chaupaee
. What God has told me Himself
I tell the world.
Those who meditate on Him
Only they will go to Heaven in the end.
God and Godmen are one
There is no difference between them—
Like the tide that rises from water
And subsides in water again.
(Doha
Guru Gobind Singh 217

7. When I came of age

The Guru talked to me—
Son, my only advice is,
As long as you live
You may sleep with your own wife everyday
But never go to the bed of another’s
wife even in dreams.
(Chhand
Give me a boon, O God!
I should not deflect from good deeds
I should not fear those with whom I fight
I must make my success a certainty.
In my heart of hearts I should long
To sing Your praises like a Sikh,
And when the hour of reckoning arrives
I should die fighting on the battle-field.
(Swaiyya
. If L ask for wealth
It comes from every country.
My heart doesn’t care for
Divination or magic.
Asceticism and penance that I hear about
I wouldn’t torture my body with.
I ask only one boon of You, O God
That I should die a fearless death fighting
on the battle-field. (Swaiyya
10. Man, let your asceticism be like this:
Treat your dwelling like a forest,
And remain a recluse at heart.
Your matted hair should be your continence
And the holy bath, your search for God.
The discipline be your growth of nails
And the Guru’s teachings your guide.
Smear the body with the ashes of His Name.
With frugal food and scanty sleep,
Compassion and forgiveness should be your attainments.
Practise mildness and forbearance
In this way you’ll gain more than the
three cardinal virtues.
(Shabd Hazare
Guru Granth Saheb

As ordained by the Lord Eternal

A new way of life is evolved.
All the Sikhs are asked
To accept the Holy Granth as the Guru
Guru Granth should be accepted
As the living Guru.
Those who wish to meet God
Will find Him in the Word.
—Guru Gobind Single

URU Gobind Singh, the tenth Sikh Guru, handed over the
stewardship of the Sikh Panth—the Sikh way of life—to the
Holy Granth. Those who wish to seek God, Guru Gobind Singh
said, can find Him in the Holy Word.
The Holy Granth came to be compiled with a view to insulating
the text of the compositions of Guru Nanak and his successors
against the wild adventures of Prithi Chand, Guru Arjan’s eldest
brother, who started composing his own verse and passing them
on to the Sikhs as the scriptures.
Guru Arjan went about the project of the compilation of the
Holy Granth in a scientific way. As a first step, he sent scribes to
the various places visited by Guru Nanak and his followers to con-
tact those whom the Gurus had met and obtain from them the
authentic version of the hymns. A Sikh was deputed even to Sri
Lanka. When it was reported that Mohan, the eldest son of Guru Ram
Das, would not part with the hymns in his custody, Guru Arjan
visited him personally at Goindwal and placated him to co-operate
in the noble undertaking. On his way back, Guru Arjan also visited
Datu, Guru Angad’s son, and collected whatever manuscripts were
available with him.
Considering the importance of the work, Guru Arjan had a
Guru Granth Saheb 219

special cell set up in a quiet corner of Ramsar, one of the holy

tanks in Amritsar. Bhai Gurdas, the eminent Sikh litterateur was
entrusted with the job of preparing the master copy, Guru Arjan
dictating the text himself. When ready, it was installed with due
ceremony at the Har Mandir and Bhai Budha appointed the first
custodian of the Holy Granth. Guru Arjan offered to include the
compositions of Bhai Gurdas but out of modesty the Sikh scholar
denied himself the great honour.
The Holy Granth was redictated by Guru Gobind Singh towards
the close of his life, when he had a little respite at Talwandi Sabo
called Damadama Saheb. He had Guru Tegh Bahadur’s composi-
tions incorporated in the body of the text. Again Guru Gobind
Singh’s greatness as a poet made him opt to remain out.
The unique catholicity of Guru Arjan is evidenced in the fact
that, along with the hymns of the Sikh Gurus, he incorporated the
compositions of as many as 36 men of God belonging to various
castes and creeds, regions and avocations. Among them were
Jaidevy of Bengal, Surdas of Awadh, Namdev, Trilochan and
Parma Nand of Maharashtra, Beni, Rama Nand, Pipa, Sain,
Kabir, Ravidas and Bhikhan of Uttar Pradesh, Dhanna of
Rajasthan and Farid of Multan. Kabir was a weaver, Sadhna a
butcher, Namdev a seamster, Dhanna a jat, Pipa a king, Sain a
barber, Ravidas a tanner, Farid a Muslim divine, Bhikka a learned
scholar of Islam and Sivdas a Hindu mystic and poet.
The hymns compiled in the Holy Granth have been arranged in
various Ragas according to Hindustani music. The hymns under
every musical measure are led by Guru Nanak and other Sikh
Gurus in chronological order, the compositions of the Bhaktas
following them. There are about 6,000 hymns in the Holy Granth
in 31 Ragas.
It is said Kahna, Chajju, Pilu and a few other contemporary
poets approached Guru Arjan and offered their verses for inclusion
in the Holy Granth. The Guru duly considered their compositions
but regretted his inability to include them in the volume for one
reason or another.
Some of the bards who subscribed to the Sikh faith had com-
posed several panegyrics in praise of the Sikh Gurus. At their repre-
sentation the Guru agreed to include them in the Holy Book.
220 The Sikh Gurus

‘The scripting of the text was completed in 1604, the Guru pro-
viding an epilogue in Mundawani:

Three things are there in the vessel

Truth, contentment and intellect.
The ambrosial Name of God is added to it,
The Name that is everybody’s sustenance.
He who eats and enjoys it
Shall be saved.
One must not abandon this gift,
It should ever remain dear to one’s heart.
The dark ocean of the world
Can be crossed by clinging to His feet,
Nanak, it is He who is everywhere.

This was followed by an apologia in utmost modesty:

I can’t measure Your grace

You’ve made me worthy of You.
I am full of blemishes;
I have no virtue
You have been compassionate.
Compassionate You have been and kind
Thus I met the True Guru.
Nanak, I live on the Name alone
It pleases my heart and soul.

The Rag Mala following this does not tally with the ragas in the
Holy Granth and its inclusion continues to be a subject of contro-
versy.
It is said Bhai Banno, a Sikh belonging to Mangat, a village in
present-day Gujarat district of West Punjab, was keen to have'a
copy of the Holy Book. When the volume was being bound in
Lahore, he had a copy made for him. He got, some hymns origi-
nally omitted by the Guru also included in his volume.
Prithi Chand bore a grudge against Guru Arjan. Rather than
being happy at the completion of a monumental work like the Holy
Granth after years of hard labour he had a complaint made to the
Mughal Emperor Akbar that the work compiled by Guru Arjan
had compositions that maligned Islam and Hinduism. Akbar
‘Guru Granth Saheb Dat

happened to be touring the Punjab in those days. He summoned the

Guru along with a copy of the Holy Granth. While the Guru did
not consider it necessary to go personally, he sent Bhai Budha and
Bhai Gurdas along with the compilation. It is said the King had a
hymn read out to him at random. It was a composition of Guru
Arjan himself:

From clay and light God created the world

The sky, the earth, trees and water are made by Him.
I have seen men pass away.
Forgetting God in avarice is like eating carrion
The way the evil spirits kill and devour the dead.
One must restrain oneself,
Hell is the punishment otherwise
The miracle man, the riches, brothers, courtiers, kingdom and
palaces
None wil! come to your rescue at the hour of departure
When the messenger of death comes to carry you away...
God the Pure knows what’s in store for me
- Nanak, my appeal of a slave is to you alone.
(Tilang

The King heard the hymn and was deeply impressed. However,
Prithi Chand contended that it was on purpose that Bhai Gurdas
had read a piece that was not objectionable. At this, the King him-
self pointed out a hymn and had it read out to him. This, too, was
found least offensive to anyone. Wicked as he was, Prithi Chand
maintained that since none of them knew the Gurmukhi script,
Bhai Gurdas had read the hymns from memory rather than the text
indicated by the King. At this Akbar had one Sahib Dyal sent for
to read out a piece pointed out by the King himself. The text read
out was:

You don’t see God who dwells in your heart,

And you carry about an idol on your neck.
A non-believer, you wander about churning water,
And you die harassed in delusion.
The idol you call God will drown with you...
Ungrateful sinner!
The boat will not ferry you across
O22 The Sikh Gurus

Says Nanak, I met the Guru who led me to God

He who lives in water, earth, nether region and firmament.
(Suhi

The Emperor heard it and said that it was a great work, worthy
of reverence. He made an offering of 51 gold mohurs to the Holy
Granth and awarded robes of honour to Bhai Budha and Bhai Gur
Das. The King complimented Guru Arjan on the compilation and
promised to visit Amritsar personally in the near future to pay
homage to the Guru. He remembered to keep his promise.
The Holy Granth having been installed in Har Mandir, its reading
was already considered sacred. When the news of Guru Arjan’s
martyrdom reached Amritsar, Guru Har Gobind had Bhai Budha
read out the Holy Granth for ten days. When Guru Har Gobind
decided to retire to Kiratpur, his grandson Dhir Mal wished to
stay on in Kartarpur. He was friendly with the Mughal Governor
at Jullundur. He took charge of the entire property at Kartarpur
including the Holy Granth. Bhai Bidhi Chand, a Sikh, had started
making a copy of the Granth and had covered up the portion to
Rag Bilawal. He wished to carry the original with him, so that he
could complete copying the rest of the text. But Dhir Mal would
not agree to it. He was aware that the Sikhs would continue to
come to Kartarpur on pilgrimage. Kiratpur being out of the way,
hardly anyone would go there. If he had the custody of the Holy
Granth, he would be entitled to offerings from the Sikhs and could
also style himself successor to the Guru, in due course. When
the Guru heard it, he remarked ‘“‘Let the Granth remain with him.
A time will come when the Sikhs would reclaim it.”” Accordingly
for a long time, the Guru and his Sikhs made do with the incomp-
lete copy prepared by Bhai Bidhi Chand. Dhir Mal was so mean
that he wouldn’t part with the Granth even when his own father
Baba Gurditta died and Guru Har Gobind wished to organize a
reading of the Holy Granth in his memory.
Once Aurangzeb invited Guru Har Rai-to his court. The Guru
was not inclined to oblige the King. At-this, his son Ram Rai
volunteered to go to Delhi on the Guru’s behalf. He, in fact,
wished to make friends with the Emperor. It is said that in spite
of his father advising Ram Rai not to perform any feat at the
court, he worked a number of miracles. Not only this when
Aurangzeb pointed out to a couplet in the Holy Granth which
Guru Granth Saheb 223

according to him was derogatory to the Muslims, Ram Rai misread

the original to please the King. It was indeed sacreligious. When
this fact was brought to the Guru’s notice, he sent word to Ram
Rai never to return and show his face to his father—the Guru.
The text in the Holy Granth had utmost sanctity accorded it
‘since its compilation. No change of even a syllable was permitted.
For a long time, the Sikhs would not permit the words in the text
_to be written or printed separately; they continued to be copied as
a continuous text following the original as per the practice pre-
vailing when Bhai Gurdas had prepared the volume.
It is said that once when Guru Har Rai was resting a Sikh
-came reciting hymns from the Holy Granth. The moment Guru
heard him, he rose and sat upright in reverence to the Holy Word.
Later when Guru Tegh Bahadur left Baba Bakala finally for
Kiratpur the Guru’s Sikhs took possession of the Holy Granth from
Dhir Mal by force. However, while crossing the river Beas, the
Guru came to know about it. He had the Holy Volume restored to
Dhir Mal.
It was left to Guru Gobind Singh to secure the original copy and
bring it up-to-date, with Guru Tegh Bahadur’s compositions appro-
priately incorporated in it.
The Holy Granth is the most ambitious compilation of devotio-
nal verse. It is also the the most representative of its times. It has a
grand design and a highly scientific manner of presentation. The
pattern adopted by Guru Arjan was such as permitted incorpora-
tion of later compositions without interfering with the text of the
works already compiled. Guru Gobind Singh didn’t have to disturb
the arrangement while adding Guru Tegh Bahadur’s compositions
to the compilation.
The Holy Granth opens with the mool mantra, the basic postulate.

There is but one God

His name is Truth
He is the creator
He fears none nor does he hate anyone
He is in the image of the Eternal
He is beyond birth and death
He is self-existent
He can be attained by the Guru’s grace
O94 The Sikh Gurus

This is followed by the Japji and the Rahras. The latter com-
prise Sodar consisting of 5 hymns and Sopurkh consisting of 4
hymns. Sohila comes at the end of this section. It contains 5 hymns.
While the Japji is recited in the morning, the Sikhs are ordained
to recite Rahras in the evening and Sohi/a at night before going to
bed.
The main body of the Holy Granth is arranged according to the
Hindustani Ragas or musical measures. There are thirty-one
Ragas included in the Holy Granth. The Japji is intended to be
recited and not sung. The various hymns figuring in Rafras and
Sohila are written to musical measures and are repeated in their
respective Ragas, as it should be.
The Ragas included in the Holy Granth are: Sri Rag, Majh,
Gauri, Asa, Gujri, Dev Gandhari, Bihagra, Wadhans, Sorath,
Dhanasri, Jaitsri, Todi, Bairadi, Tilang, Suhi, Bilawal, Gaund,
Ramkali, Nat Narayan, Mali Gauda, Maru, Tukharoi, Kidara,
Bhairo, Basant, Sarang, Malhar, Kanada, Kalyan, Parbhati,
Jaijaivanti.
Following the compositions figuring under the various Ragas
there are a number of other hymns like Sanskrit s/okas e.g. the
slokas of Kabir, Farid, and Guru Tegh Bahadur, the Gatha and the
Swaiyyas of Guru Arjan and others.
The order of hymns usually followed under each raga is as
follows: Shabd, Ashtpadis, Chhand, Var and hymns contributed by
the Bhaktas. The Shabds of Guru Nanak come first, followed by the
other Gurus in the chronological order. In order that there is no risk
of interpolations every shabd and every verse. Each shabd is num-
bered and recorded throughout the Holy Book. The numbering also
helps in locating the hymns conveniently.
The Holy Granth comprises compositions of Six Sikh Gurus;
Guru Nanak, Guru Angad, Guru Amar Das, Guru Ram Das,
Guru Arjan, and Guru Tegh Bahadur. Since it was the spirit of
Guru Nanak that travelled from one Guru to the other Guru, the
Gurus following Guru Nanak use Nanak as their nom de plume
at the end of their respective hymns.
The Bhaktas whose hymns qualified to be included in the Holy
Granth are: Kabir, Namdev, Ravidas, Trilochan, Farid, Beni,
Dhanna, Jaidev, Bhikha, Surdas, Prama Nand, Sain, Peepa,
Sadhna and Rama Nand.
Besides some of the panegyrics composed by bhats—minstrels in
Guru Granth Saheb 225

the employ of the Gurus—written mainly in praise of the Gurus,

are also included in the Holy Granth. They are: Kalshar, Jalap,
Kirat, Bhikha, Sallh, Bhallh, Nallh, Bullh, Gyand, Mathura, and
Harbans. Baba Sundar, though not a bdbhart, also figures along with
them.
While apart from the five Sikh Gurus whose compositions are
included in the Holy Granth, Guru Angad, Guru Har Gobind,
Guru Har Rai, Guru Harkishan do not seem to have composed
any hymns, it is not understood why Guru Gobind Singh who was .
a prolific author and a highly powerful poet chose not to figure in
the Holy Book. The only reason appears to be his modesty or per-
haps practical considerations, since the inclusion of his works would
have made the Holy Book too unwieldly, Guru Gobind Singh’s
compositions being varied and voluminous.
As a literary work the Holy Granth has some superb pieces
of poetic excellence both from the view-point of form and of con-
tent. The language varies from Sanskrit and Persian to the Punjabi
as spoken in those times in the form of various regional dialects.
The poetic forms are as varied as they are original. They invariably
reflect the mood of the text and succeed in communicating it
eminently. The Gurus and the bhaktas take ample liberties with the
form and do not seem to observe the rigidities of the traditional
poetic moulds. In order that their compositions become popular,
the Gurus preferred the measures and the tunes of the folk ballads
and folk-songs. It must have helped the Sikhs to sing the hymns in
their proper tunes. It is a great pity that the Hindustani music
having an oral tradition, most of the tunes, prescribed by the
respective authors are lost with the times.
The poetry of the Holy Granth is a mine of philosophic thought.
It is highly revealing and reflects a way of life which is as simple as
it is ennobling. Every word of it inspires and elevates. It has equal
appeal for the erudite scholar as for the least literate reader.
What is needed is an attitude of devotion.
It must, however, be understood that paper and the printed
word are not the Guru. They are only a vehicle. The Guru is what
is contained in it; what one imbibes by reading the text the revela-
tion, the vision, the ecstasy. However, the fact remains that while
the container that holds the nectar aay, not be nectar itself it is no
ordinary container.
Glossary

Amrit; Nectar
Ang: A limb
Arati: A form of Hindu worship
Bani: Holy utterances
Baoli: A dug-in tank
Bhakta: A devotee
Bhakti: Devotion
Bhang: Hemp
Bhat: A professional singer
Chatrik: An Indian bird symbolizing thirst
Darbar: Court
Dharmasala: A Sikh place of worship
Daroga: Guard
Fatwa: An injunction given by a Muslim religious chief
Ghazi: Invader, one who fights against infidels
Gurbani: The Guru’s word
Gurdwara: Sikh temple
Gurmatta: Decision taken in a Sikh congregation
Gursikh: A devotee of the Guru
Harmandir; The Golden Temple at Amritsar
Houries: Fairies
Hukamnama: Religious commandment
Jagir: Landed property
Janaeu: Hindu sacred thread
Jehad: Crusade
Jhalli: Crazy
Jizia: Tax levied on those not belonging to the State religion
Kachcha: Underwear—trunks
Kada: Bangle
Kaliyuga: The dark age
Kartik: A month according to Hindu Calendar—advent of winter
228 Glossary

Kesh: Hair
Khalsa: The pure
Kirpan: Sword
Koel: An Indian bird known for its sweet call during the summer
months in the mango groves
Kos: A mile and a half in distance
Langar: Community eating
Lota: A vessel for ablutions
Madrasa: Muslim school
Mahant: Manager of a place of worship
Maktab: School
Manji: A diocese, a Sikh religious administrative division
Mantras: Incantations
Masand: A Sikh priestly cadre
Maya: Illusion
Miri: Royalty
Mlechchas: Bad characters
Mohur: A Gold coin
Nath: A sect of Hindu Yogis
Pathshala: Hindu School
Patwari: A revenue Official
Pir: A Muslim divine
Piri: Spirituality
Posh; A month according to Hindu calender—peak of winter
Qazi; An administrator of Muslim Law
Rabab: A string instrument
Sabd: The divine communication
Sacha Padshah: The true king
Sadhu-kkari: Alms collected by a recluse
Sahj: A state of beatitude —
Samadhi: Meditation
Sangat: Congregation
Sarang: An Indian bird symbolizing pangs of separation
Sardar: Leader
Satnam Sri Vahguru: God is truth
Seli: A head gear signifying spiritual order
Shakti: Power, here potency of a god
Shikar: Hunting as a sport
Shudra: The lowest of the four major Hindu castes
Siddha: Hindu ascetic
Glossary 229

Singh: Lion
Slokas: A metric form
Tantric Yoga: Shakti-worship
Tilak: Hindu mark worn on the forehead
Udasi: Recluse
Vaishnav Bhakti; Devotion to Vishnu, the preserver of the Universe
Zimmies: Inferior citizens
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Delhi, Hemkunt, 1969.
, Guru Nanak—World Teacher, New Delhi, India Book
House, 1968.
Mcleod, W.H., Evolution of the Sikh Community, Delhi, Oxford
University Press, 1975.
———, Guru Nanak and the Sikh Religicn, Bombay, Oxford Uni-
versity Press, 1968.
Nanak Dev—Guru Nanak’s Japji, tr. by Gurdip Singh & Charanjit
Singh, New Delhi, Navyug Traders, 1970.
, Hymns of Guru Nanak, tr. by Man Mohan Singh, Punjab
Language Deptt., 1972.
———, Hymns, tr. by Khushwant Singh, Orient Longman, New
Delhi, 1969.
Narang, Gokul Chand, Glorious History of Sikhism, New Delhi,
New Book Society of India, 1972.
———., Transformation of Sikhism, 1950.
Ray, Niharranjan, Sikh Gurus And Sikh Society, New Delhi,
Munshiram Manoharlal, 1975.
Singh, Attar, (tr.) Sakhee Book or the Description of Gooroo Gobind
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1873.
Singh, Daljeet, Sikhism, A Contemporary Study of its Theory and
Mysticism, Sterling, 1979.
Singh, Darshan, Religion of Guru Nanak, Ludhiana, Lyall Book
Depot, 1970.
Singh, Fauja, Guru Amar Das, New Delhi, Sterling, 1979.
Singh, Fauja, et al., Sikhism, Patiala, Punjab University, 1969.
Singh, Fauja and Gurbachan Singh Talib, Guru Teg Bahadur,
Martyr and Teacher, Patiala, Punjabi University, 1975.
Singh, Gopal, Prophet of Home, Life of Guru Gobind Singh, Delhi,
Sterling, 1967.
———., Religion of Sikhs, New Delhi, Asia Publishing House, 1971.
———, Sri Guru Granth Sahib, Vol. 4.
234 Select Bibliography

Singh, Gurmukh Nihal (Ed.), Guru Nanak, His Life, Time and
Teachings, New Delhi, Guru Nanak Foundation, 1679.
Singh, Jagjit, Guru Gobind Singh, A Study, 1967.
Singh, Harbans, Guru Gobind Singh, Chandigarh, Guru Gobind
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—— —, Guru Nanak and Origin of the Sikh Faith, New Delhi, Asia
Publishing House, 1969.
———, (ed), International Seminaron the Life and Teachings of Guru
Nanak, (Papers), Patiala, Punjabi University, 1975.
Singh, Ishwar, Nanakism, A New World Order, New Delhi, Ranjeet
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———, Philosophy of Guru Nanak, New Delhi, Ranjit Publishing
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Singh, Joginder and Daljit Singh, Guru Nanak the Great Humanist.
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 Index

Abdulla, Khwaja, 177 birth of, 107; and the Holy Granth,
Afghan, Sher, 174 112; and the construction of
Ahom, King, 173 Golden Temple, 108; and the
Aibak, Qutbuddin, 4 foundation of Kartarpur, 109; at
Ajitta, Bhai, 58 Lahore, 94-95; humility of, 117-20;
Ajit Singh, 191, 204, 207 martyrdom of, 116-17, 137-38, 186;
Akbar, visit to Amar Das, 79, 220-21 miracles associated with, 112-15;
Alam Chand, 196-97 selected hymns of, 121-36; tortured
Ali, Didar, 148 by Mughals, 116-17, 137-38
Ali, Sheikh, 1 Asa di Var, 35, 59, 63
Ali, Syed Mohammed, 148 Atal Rai, 146, 156, 158 .

Amar Das, Guru, 62-89, 91, 224; Aurangzeb, 161, 166-69, 173-74, 189,
Akbar’s visit to, 79; and the 193, 197-98, 211-12, 212, 174-75
weaver’s wife, 65-66; attempt to
assault, 73-74; at Basarke, 74; Babar, 3, 59
character portrait of, 80-83; devo- Bahadur Shah, 174, 192, 212
tion to Guru Angad, 62, 64; Bahauddin, Pir, 30
harassment by Muslims of, 75-76; Bakala, Baba, 171-72
miracles of, 77-78; selected hymns Baksh, Ali, 150
of, 84-89; selection of successor, Baksh, Imam, 150
79-80 Baksh, Karim, 150
Amritsar, miraculous power of, 92-94 Baksh, Nabi, 150
Angad, Guru, 218, 224-25; Amar Balia Chand, 196-97
Das’ devotion to, 62-65: and Balwand, 59-61
Humayun, 59-60; character por- Bandgi Nama, 193
trait of, 66-69; and Mana, 60; and Banda Singh Bahadur, 209, 213
the musician, 60-61; at Guru Bangla Sahib, 168
Nanak’s service, 54-56; at. Nihal’s Banno, Bhai, 220
house, 57-58; selected hymns of, Beg, Dina, 197
70-72; selection of successor, 66; Beg, Kabuli, 152
Siddhas and, 61-62; Tapa and, Beg, Lal, 152
64-65 Beg, Qamar, 152
Ani, Rai, 156 Beg, Qasim, 152
Anup Devi, 90 Beni, 219, 224
Arjan Dev, Guru, 94-136, 186, 218- Bhagbhari, 146
20, 222-24; and Hargobind, 116; Bhagwan Das, 149
and the Baisakhi incident, 109; Bhakti, forms of, 37
238 Index

Bhana Bhai, 157 Gupta, Hari Ram, 34

Bhani, Bibi, 78, 80, 91, 107 Gurdas, Bhai, 57, 92-93, 112, 114,
Bhikhan, 219, 224 138, 158, 219, 221-23
Bhim Chand, 187-90 Gurditta, Baba, 154
Bidhi Chand, Bhai, 139, 142, 150-52, Gurditta, Bhai, 145, 153, 156, 171
154, 222 Guru Granth Saheb, Akbar’s views
Budha, Bhai, 58-59, 96, 110-11, 114, on, 221-22; Aurangzeb’s views on,
116, 137-38, 141, 219, 221-22 222; contributions to, 219; Langu-
Bukhtyar, Mohammad, 4 ages used in, 225; ragas used in,
Bular, Rai, 7-8, 12-13 224

Chhajju, 112, 167-68, 219 Hans, the Jain monk, 200-1]

Hardyal, 9
Dabislam-i-Mazahib, 157. Hargobind, Guru, 224-25; and Bhai
Dadu, 212 Budha, 111; attempt to eliminate,
Damodari, 145, 147 110-11; birth of, 110; conflict with
Das, Bishambar, 201, 203 Abdullah Khan, 150-51; conflict
Das, Brahm, 23-24 with Kale Khan, 153-55; conflict
Das, Madho, 212-13 with Lal Beg, 152; conflict with
Das, Mehta Kalian, 7 Mukhlis Khan, 148-49; with
Datu; 112 Jehangir, 138-43; reviews of his
Daya Kaur, 90 _achievements, 157-59
Daya Ram, 193 Har Gopal, 201-3
Daya Singh, Bhai, 200 208 Hari Chand, 190
Dhanna, 219, 224 Hari Das, 11, 90, 141
Dharam Singh, 208 Harkrishan, Guru, 164, 166-70; at
Dhir Mal, 153, 157, 171-72, 222-23 Mughal Court, 167
Dhyan Singh, Bhai, 202-03 Har Rai, 146, 156-65, 222, 225; at
Duni Chand, 21, 187 Mughal Court, 161
Dyala, Bhai, 176, 189 Holy Granth, 112, 114, 116, 119
Humayun, 59-60
Farid, Baba, 22, 219, 224 Husain, Shah, 112
Fateh Singh, 188-89, 191
Ibn-i-Asir, 4
Gobind, 64 Ibrahim, Shaikh, 22
Gobind Singh, Guru, 158, 174-76,
186-219, 223; and his sons _ in Jagana, Bhai, 150
battle, 207-9; and the Mughals, Jai Dev, 219, 224
203-11; and the Khalsa, 195-96; Jai Ram, 13
at Baisakhi festival, 193-96; at Jai Singh, 167, 172
Basali, 198; at battle of Bhangani, Jalali Roda, 192
189-90; at Paonta, 188; conflict Jati Mal, Bhai, 150, 152, 154
with hill chiefs, 196-98; at Tal- Jehangir, 138-42, 147, 161
wande, 211; selected hymns of, Jetha, Bhai, 142, 152, 176
215-17 Jizia,
Golden Temple, 108 Joga Singh, 199-200
Gonda, Bhai, 163 Jujhar Singh, 191, 207
Goya, Bhai Nand Lal, 192-93 Jumla, Mir, 173
Index 239

Kabir, 1, 35, 219, 224 Lodi, Sikandar, 2-3

Kahna, 219
Kalha, Rai, 209 Mahadevy, 94
Kalyana, Bhai, 150 Makham Chand, 194
Kanaiy, 205 Makhan Shah, Bhai, 170-72
Kanda, 20 Malik Bhago, 15-16
Karam Chand, 144, 149-50 Mana, 60
Kaulan, 145 Manak Chand, 77-78
Kesra (gardner), 191 Mansa Devi, 78
Khalsa, 195-96 Man Singh, 208
Khan, Abdullah, 149-50 Mansukh, 23
Khan, Amir, 190 Mathura, Bhai, 150
Khan, Anwar, 153-54 Mati Das, Bhai, 173, 76
Khan, Asman, 153 Mehrban, 144
Khan, Bairam, 150 Mian Mir, 108, 116, 145
Khan, Bal, 150 Minhaj-ul-Siraj, 4
Khan, Bhikan, 189 Mohan, 112
Khan, Daulat, 3 Mohina, 191-92
Khan, Hyat, 189-90 Molak, Bhai, 150
Khan, Kale, 153-54, 189 Murad, 175
Khan, Mohammed, 150
Khan, Mukhlis, 148 Nahan (Raja), 188, 190
Khan, Nijabat, 189 Nahar Singh, 204
Khan, Painde, 153-54, 157, 197-98 Namdev, 35, 219, 224
Khan, Qutb, 153-54 Nanak, Guru, acceptance as Guru,
Khan, Gen. Ramzan, 204 14-15, 27-28; and asceticism, 19;
Khan, Shams, 148 on Babar’s attack, 5-6; 28; and
Khan, Sondha, 151-52 Bhai Lalo, 15-16; and the Hard-
Khan, Sulhi, 110 war incident, 18; and Lahna,
Khan, Gen. Syed, 203-4 29-30; and the Kurukshetra
Khan, Wazir, 139, 141, 149, 204, 209 incident, 17-18; character portrait
Khilji, Allauddin, 2, 4 of, 31-40; childhood of, 7-13;
Khokhar, Jasrat, 1 discourses at Siddha Gasht,
Khurram, 144 24-25; at Jagannath temple, 20-21;
Khusrau, Amir, 4 at the Jain temple, 22-23; at
Kirpal, 189 Mecca, 26-27; at Madina, 27;
at Multan, 27-28; Brahm Das
Ladha, Bhai, 61 and, 23-24; Duni Chand and,
Lakhu Bhai, 154 21-22; in Sri Lanka, 23; passing
Lakshmi Chand, 12, 56 away of, 31; Pir Bahauddin and,
Lal Chand, 190 30; at Punja Saheb, 25-26; River
Lalo, Bhai, 58 Bain incident and, 13-14; selected
Langaha, 139 hymns of, 41-54; settling in Punjab,
Life-sketch of Guru Nanak, 34 29-30; Shaikh Ibrahim and, 22;
Lodi Bahlol, 3 successor of, 30-31, 39; Nawab
Lodi, Daulat Khan, 13 and, 13-14; thread ceremony of,
Lodi, Ibrahim, 18 9-10; vision of world’s creation, 24
240 Index

Nanaki, 7-8, 13 Saraswati, Kirpa Ram, 175, 177-78

Nand Chand, 189 Sati Das, Bhai, 176
Nano, Bhai, 150 Satta, 59-61
Narbhi, 22 Senapat, 200
Nath, Bhangar, 61 Shahal-ud-din, 3
Nath, Daya, 61-62 Sahah, Bhai Lakhi, 176
Nath, Gorakh, 19 Shah, Budhan, 155
Nishapuri, Hasan Nizami, 4 Shah Chand, 116
Nur Jehan, 142 Shah, Chandu, 139-44, 149, 157
Shah, Husaini, 78
Panda, Gopal, 7 Shah Jahan, 144, 146-49, 161
Panj Piare, 214 Shah, Kattu, 146
Paras Ram, Bhai, 50 Shah, Malu, 59
Parma Nand, 219, 224 Shah, Nur, 19
Pheru, 54, 57 Shah, Pir Budhu, 203
Piara, Bhai, 111 Shah, Syed Budhu, 189-90
Piraga, Bhai, 150 Shaktu, Bhai, 150
Pirana, 139 Sharaf, Shaikh, 18
Prema, 78 Sher Shah, 59
Prithi Chand, 94-96, 109-11, 144, 157, Sher Singh, 204
M2eeZ8ee221 Shikoh, Dara, 161, 164, 174
Prithvi Raj, 4 Shivnabh, 23
_Punjab, effect of successive invasions Sivada, 219
on, 3-4 Sodhi dynasty, 170, 172
Sohna, 191-92
Qandhari, Wali, 25-26 Sri Chand, 13, 56, 112, 145
Qutbuddin, Khwaja, 18 Sulakhni, 56
Suraj Mal, 146, 156
Raidas, 35 Surdas, 219, 224
Raju Ajmer Chand, 198
Rama Nand, 219, 224 Tabaat-i-Nasiri, 4 ;
Ram Das, Guru, 78-80, 90-106, 218, Teg Bahadur, Guru, 146, 156, 170-86,
224; at Goindwal, 91; at the 219, 223-24; and conflicts with the
Mughal Court, 91; birth of, 90; Moughals, 175-78; at Amritsar,
construction of the holy tank, 172; in Assam, 173, 187: execu-
92-94; selected hymns of, 99-106, tion of, 176, 186; selected hymns
successor of, 96 of, 179-85
Ram Rai, 162, 164, 222-23 Trilochan, 219, 224
Ram Singh, 172-73, 190 Tripta, 7
Ratan Chand, 149, 150
Ratan Rai, 187 Tuglak, Firoz Shah, 4
Ravidas, 1, 219, 224 Tulsi, 1
Ruknuddin, 9 Turkbacha, Faulad Khan, 1
Twarik-i-Ilahi, 4
Sachansach, 77
Sahib Chand, 194 Zafar Nama, 210, 212
Saido, Bhai, 58 Zindgi Nama, 193
Sajjan, 16 Zorawar Singh, 191
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