BJuim ke basayo tohe bluicllri ke jaya kahaiil,
Nablz ke u(laya so eharaya kai bakhaniai.
Pltal ke bltaehlw)'a tahe bdlidri ke jaya kahaili,
Adis phiraya tete bIlllt kai paeh!laniai.
fal ke taraya ko ga/igairi si kahat jag,
Ag ke bhaehhaya SIl ehakor sam maniai.
Sllraj sivaya tahe kaul ki ba(ltii det,
ChOlidrama sivayd ko kavi kai pahehdniai. (3/73)
52
Those who live under earth can be called the
issue of termites. Those who soar in the sky can be
called the small birds. Those who eat fruit can be
called the breed of monkeys. Those who move in
isolated areas can be recognised as ghosts. Those who
walk on water are called water spiders by the people.
Those who swallow flames can be likened to the
Chakor. Those who worship the sun earn the trait of a
lotus. Those who worship the moon can be compared
to a blue lotus.
Norai!) kachh machh tiildua kahit sabh,
Kaul nabh kaul jih tal mai,j rahat haiti.
Gopi Nath glljar gupal sabhai dhellchari,
Rikhi-kes nam kaih mahant iahiat hai,i.
Madhav bhavar au alenl ko kanahya nam,
KQ1is ke badhaya jamdut kahiat hain.
Murh nirh pilat na gllrhta ke bhed pavai,
Pujat na tahe ja ke rakhe rahiat habi. (4/74)
The octopus, the tortoise, the fish can be called
"Narain ", which means "water-living".
If the Lord is called Narain (living in water)
then He is the octopus, the tortoise, the fish.
If the Lord sports a lotus in His navel, then all
ponds sport lotuses.
If He is called Gopal, Gopinath (shepherd of
cows) then He is Gujjar by caste and profession.
If He is called Rikhikesh, then many saints
were called by this name.
53
If He is called Madhav, then He is a black bee.
If He is called Kanahya, it is the name of the
spider as well.
If He is called the slayer of Kansa then He is a
Yamdoot.
The fools chant empty words and do not realize
His mystery and they do not worship the True one,
who sustains all. (74)
Bisv-pal jagat-kal din dae-al bairi-sal,
Sada pritpal jam jdl te rahat hain.
Jogi jaladluiri sali sache baqe brahmchari,
Dhian kaj bluikh pias deh pai sahat haiti.
Nioli karam jal hom pavak pavan hom,
Adho mukh ek pae lha(fhe na bahat hai;"
Mdtlav phaflitid dev ddtlOv flO paveh bhed,
Bed au kateb flet net kai kahat haiti. (5/75)
The Lord who is the Creator of the Cosmos, as
well as its Destroyer, the Preserver of the poor, the
slayer of the vile, is ever the True Sustainer, is Eternal.
The Yogis, the Celibate, those with matted hair, the
Virtuous, contemplate Him and endure thirst and
hunger, perform numerous Yogic feats, light sacrificial
fires to air, fire and water, hang upside down, stand on
one foot, go without sitting, but can't realise His essence.
Men, gods, demons, godlings cannot unfathom
His ways, and Scriptures declare Him ineffable. (75)
Nachat phirat mor badar karat gllOr,
Damani anek bhau kario i karat hai.
S4
CIIOIidrama te sita/ no suraj te tapat tej,
I~idra sowi no raja bllav blulm ke bharat IIai.
Siv se tapasi ad(i) bralll7la se no bed-chari,
Sanat Kllmar si tapasaya no anat IIai.
Gian ke bil,in ka/-pllas ke adhin soda,
Jllgan ki challkri pllirae i phirat hoi. (6/76)
The peacock is a peerless dancer, the cloud a
unique drummer and the lightning an enchanting danseuse.
The moon is unrivalled in coolness, the sun in
scorching heat and Indra in kingly grandeur. There is
no ascetic like Shiva, no knower of the Vedas like
Brahma and nobody equals Sanat Kumar in leading a
life of austerities. And yet bereft of True realisation
they are all subject to Death and gyrate in the Cycle of
Yugas. (76)
Ek siv bllae ek gae ek pher bllae,
Ram Chandra Krisan ke avtar bhi a1lek llOin.
Brahma ar bisa1l kele bed all pllran kete,
Silimrit(i) sanulhan kai Illli Illli bilae haili.
Mondi madar kete Asllllfli Kllmar kete,
Afisa avtar kete ka/ bas bllae hai/i.
Pir all pikalibar kele gane fla parat ele,
Bluim hi Ie Illli kai phir bllum hi milae hoiIi. (7/77)
One Shiva was born, another died still another
was reborn. There have been countless avtaras of
Krishna and Ramchandra and countless have been
vishnus and Brahmas and countless kinds of countless
scriptures like Vedas and Puranas. There have been countless
Mondis and Madars and countless Aswin Kumars (the
twin sons of the Sun) and countless Hansa Avtara. All
55
of them were subject to death. Countless have been
the Prophets and the Pirs who returned to dust from
where they had sprung. (77)
Jogi jati brahm-chan bat;!e bat;!e chhatra-dluiri,
Clzhatra hi k; clzhaia ka; kos lau clzalat haili.
Bat;!e bat;!e rajall ke dabit phirat(i) des,
Bat;!e bat;!e bIIupall ke drap ko dalat haili.
Mall se mahip tiU Dilip jaise chhatra-dluiri,
Bat;!o abhimall bhuj dalid ko karat hain.
Dara se Dilisar Durjodhall se mandhan,
BllOg bhog billim Ofit bIIum mai milat haili. (8178)
There have been great Yogis, Brahmcharis,
Celibates and great kings whose canopies spread over
miles, who crushed the pride of other kings and annexed
their kingdoms. And great emperors like the
famed Man Singh and Dalip who were proud of their
prowess. Great emperors like Dara and vainglorious
kings like Daryudhan enjoyed all earthly pleasures.
All of them in the end turned to dust. (78)
Sijde kare allek topaclzi kapaJ bhes,
Posti allekda nivavat hain sis kau.
Kaha bIIaeo mall jau pai kat;!hat allek t;!Ofit;!,
So to na t;!a1)t;!aut astling athas kau.
Kaha bIIaeo rog; jo pai t;!ario rahio urdh mukh,
Mall te lIa munt;!lIihuraeo ad(i) is kau.
Kamila adhin sada damalla prabill ek,
Bhavlla bihin kaise pavai jagdis kau. (9179)
The gunner, the disguised hunter bow down
countless times. The opium-eaters nod their heads
countless times. The wrestler while performing his
56
exercises lies on the ground and stands up countless
times. But all these cannot be termed prostration
before Him. A sick person lies with his face downward
many times on the bed. But it is not obeisance to the
Lord as no devotion is involved in it. Caught in the
web of desires, skilled in the deceptive ways and
without realizing Truth, one can't attain Him. (79)
Sis palkat ja ke ka" mai khajura dhasai,
Ma;uj chhalkat mitra putra hun ke sok sOli.
Ak ko charrayd phal phul ko bhachhaya sada,
Ba" ko bhramaya aur dusTO na bok soli.
Kaha bhayo bhe<l jo ghasat sis brichllall sOli,
Mali ke bhachhaya bol pac/zh lijai jok sOli.
Kamna adhin kam krodh maili prab/II,
Ek bhavlla bil,i" kaise bhetai par/ok son. ( 10/80)
A person shakes his head vehemently when an
ear-wig enters his ear or when some dear one dies he
beats his head. One who grazes on celandine flower
and fruit and roams in the jungle can be none other
than the billy-goat. What does it avail if a person rubs
his head like a sheep rubbing against trees or eats dust
like a leech. Beset by desires, swayed by lust and
anger, how can one go to heaven without True realization?
(80)
Nacheo / karat mor dadar karat sor,
Sada ghanghor ghan kario / karat haiiz.
Ek pae lha<lhe sada ban main rahat brichh,
Phuk phuk pav bhum(i) sravag dharat haili.
Pahall anek jug ek lhaur bas karai,
Kag aur chi/ des des bicharat hai,i.
57
Gian kai bihin mahali dan mai na hujai lin,
Bhtivna billin dill kaise kai tarat hain. (11/81 )
Peacocks dance, frogs croak and the clouds
ever chant their roaring. The trees ever on one foot
stand. The Sarvagi clears the passage in front before
stepping, the stones ever squat in the same place. The
crow and the kite fly through many lands. One without
true knowledge, loving devotion, and faith in the
Bounteous Lord cannot cross Beyond. (81)
Jaise ek sva;lgi ka/z(ui jogia bairdgi ball ai,
Kab-hflli salin ids biles ball kai dik/ui~'ai.
Kahun paullhdri ka/llid ba((he lae fari,
Ka/lli/i lobh ki khumdri SOli allek gUll gaval.
Ka/llili brahmc/ldri ka/llib hdOI pai laga~'ai bari,
Ka/lll1i q.aiuj-d/uiri /we kai logan bhramdvai.
Kamila adMII pario IIdchaf hai IIdc/1011 SOli,
Gidn ke biMII kaise bra/1I11 10k pdvai. ( 12/82)
Like an impersonator, a man enacts many roles
in his quest for the Lord. Somewhere he is a Yogi or
a Bairagi, somewhere he shows up in the guise of a
sanyasi. Somewhere he subsists on air alone, somewhere
he sits in a trance. Somewhere impelled by the
love of wealth he sings the praises of others. Somewhere
he is a Brahmchari, somewhere he displays
marvellous yogic feats. Somewhere he moves with a
staff in his hand (as a follower of a certain religious
sect). In all his roles he is trying to attract ana impress
the people. Thus swayed by desires, he prances like a
puppet but bereft ofTrue Knowledge he cannot attain
salvation. (82)
58
Panch bar gidar pukare pare sit ka/,
KUlichar au gad-ha anekda pukar hili.
Kahti Mayo jo pai ka/vatra lio kasi blelt,
Chir chir ellOr{a kutharan so mar hili.
Kalui Mayo phtiitsi (lar(i) bu(lio jar gangdhtir,
fJar(i) (lar(i) phans thag mar(i) mar(i) (lar hili.
Dlibe narak dhar murh gian ke bina bichar.
Bluivna bihin kaise gian ko bichar hili. (13/83)
The jackal howls five times in winter, the
elephant trumpets and the donkey brays many times.
It avails a man nothing to be sawn in two by a saw at
Kashi, thieves and robbers are sometimes axed. What
if the fool does choke himself to death in the Ganges
by putting a noose around his neck? Many robbers
have been hanged to death. The nescient fools are
drowned in the currents of Hell because sans loving
devotion one can't dwell on Him. (83)
Tap ke sallOi te jo pai paiai atap natll,
Tapna anek tan ghael sahat haili.
Up ke kie te jo pai payat ajap dey,
Pudna sadh' tuhili tuhili ucharat haili.
NaM ke u(le te jo pai narai{t payat,
Anal akas palichhi (lolbo karat hain.
Ag mai jare te gat(i) rand ki parat kar,
Palal ke basi kioil bhujOlig na laral hail;. (14/84)
By torturing one's body, one can't find the Lord
of Bliss, for the wounded undergoes great physical
torture without finding Him. By mere chanting of
some names one can't find Him, otherwise the pQodna
bird who ever chants Tu-hi (thou) would have found
59
Him. One can't find the Lord by soaring in the sky,
otherwise the "Anil" who ever soars in the sky would
have found Him. Ifby self-immolation, one could find
salvation, then the women who commit Sati, would
have been emancipated as also the snakes, who dwell
inside the hot earth. (84)
Kou bhaeo 11Zuiu;liii Sa/illiasi kou jogi bhaeo,
Kou brahmc/lari kou jati a/lllma/lbo.
Hindll '{urk kou Raizi Imam Safi,
Manas ki jat sabai ekai paihchanbo.
Kartd karim soi razak ralzim oi,
Dusro na bhed koi bhul bhram manbo.
Ek hi ki sev sabh hi ko gurdev ek,
Ek hi sanlp sabai ekai jot jd/lbo. (15/85)
Though someone has shaved his head, someone
has become a sanyasi, someone has become a yogi,
someone a Brahmchari, someone is a Turk, someone
called Rafzi, someone is Imam Shaffi. But regard all
human beings of different castes, creeds,clans,
countries and continents as one and the same. The
Lord is One and the same, though we call Him by
different names like Karta (Creator), Karim (Gracious),
Razik (the Sustainer), Rahim (the Merciful).
One should not be deluded into believing them to be
separate entities. We are the devotees ofOne God and
He is the Enlightener of all. All human beings have
the same physical appearance and the same soul
animates their bodies. We should recognise them as
one. (85)
Delmi masit soi pujd au nivaj oi,
60
Manas sabai ek pai anek ko bhramao hai.
Devta adev jachh gatidharb Turk HitidZI,
Niare niare desan ke bhes ko prabhao hai.
Ekai nain ekai kan ekai deh ekai ban,
Kluik bad atash au ab ko raMo hai.
A/ah abheklz soi Puran au Kuran oi,
Ek hi sariip sabai ek hi banao hai. (16/86)
The temple and the mosque are the same. The
Hindu way of worship and the Muslim prayer, Nimaz
are the same. The worshippers are the same, though
we may get the deluded impression that they are different.
Under the influence of different countries, the
gods, demons, the angels, the celestial singers appear
in different guises. But the human beings have the
same eyes, the same ears, the same limbs, the same
body and the same elements mixed in them. The Allah
of Muslims, Abhekh of Hindus is the same. Their
scriptures, Ouran and Puran are the same. All human
beings are the same and have been fashioned in the
same mould by the same Creator. (86)
Jaise ek dg te kalllika kot dg uthe,
Niare njare hili kai pher(i) dg mai mj/dlzetige.
Jaise ek dhar te anek dhar parat hai,
Dhzlr ke kallltka pizer dhar hi samalwige.
Jaise ek Ilad te taratig kot upjat haiti,
Pan ke tarairg sabai pdll hi kahaltefige.
Tajse bjsv ntp te ablull Mllll pragat1lllj,
Tahiil te upaj sabai tahiti mai samalwige. (17/87)
By giving a few graphic examples, the Guru
brings home the sameness that pervades all.
1. Countless sparks fly off from a big fire, for a time
being they appear different having an ephemeral
identity oftheir own, but in the end they fall back
into and merge with the parent fire.
2. Millions of microns ofdust rise out of a dust heap
and are pulled back by it and merge into it.
3. Countless sprays of water that shoot out of andfall
back into the ocean are nothing but water.
4. Likewise all corporeal and incorporeal beings
spring from Him and in the end merge into
Him. (87)
Kete Kachll Machh kete un kau karat bhachh,
Kete achh vachh hui sapachh u(1 jahelige.
Kete llabh bid, achh pachh kau karaiTige bhachh,
Ketak pratachh hue pachae khae jaherige.
10/ kaha thaI kaha gagan ke gaun kaha,
Ka/ ke banae sabai ka/ hi chabalreTige.
Tej jio atej rnai atej jaise tej lin,
TahiTi te upaj saba; tahi,i main sumdhenge. (18/88)
There are countless fish and tortoises and
countless are those who eat them. Countless fledglings
growing strong shall fly offand countless are the
birds of prey who shall devour them. And countless
after taking birth shall be finished off. All denizens of
earth, all beings living in water, and all winged ones
that fly in the sky, are the creatures of the Akal and all
of them shall be mowed down by Death. As light
62
merges into darkness and as darkness mingles with
light, all creatures spring from Him and shall be
resorbed by Him. (88)
Kukat phirat kete rovat maral kele,
laf mai 4ubat kete ag mai jari>. ,ani
Kete Gang-basi kete Madina Maka nivasi,
Ketak udasl ke bhramae i phirat hain.
Karval sahat kete bhUm(i) mai ga4at kete,
Sua pai charhat kete dukh kau Marat haili.
Gain mai u4at kete jal mai rahat kete,
Gayan ke bihin jak jare i marat hain. (19/89)
Many howling roam about, many wailing die,
many drown themselves in holy waters, many burn
themselves alive in fire, many live on the banks of
Ganges, many live in Mecca and Medina, many
deluded. by a life of detachment forsake their homes
and wander about. Many bear being sawn alive, many
get themselves buried alive, many lie on planks
studded with nails and bear torture. Many fly in the
air with yogic powers, many live in water. Steeped in
nescience they all burn in Hell-fires. (89)
Sodh hare devta birodh hare dano ba4e,
Bodh hare bodhak prabodh hare japsi.
Ghas hare chandan fagae hare choa-char,
Puj htire pahan charhae hare fapsi.
Gahe hare goran manae hare marhi mall,
Up hare bhilan fagae hare chhapsi.
Gae htire gaildhrab bajae hare ki,inar saM,
Pach hare pah4at tapmit hare tapsi. (20/90)
63
All the gods and godlings wearied searching for
liberation and Him. All the demons wearied defying
Him. All the wise ones failed to find Him through
their reasoning. The reciters failed to find any
knowledge of Him. Many cried off after rubbing their
foreheads with chandan, many got tired of sprinkling
fine scents and aromas. Many wearied of worshipping
the stones, many got tired of offering prasad to their
gods. Many tired of worshipping the tombs and haunting
the graveyards. Many got tired of branding themselves
with the various symbols of the different gods.
The singers and musicians failed to find Him through
their efforts. The pundits failed in their mentations
and the ascetics failed to find Him through penance.
(90)
The Guru did not mince his words. His crystal
clear message needs no clarification. He gave a muchneeded
and timely turn to the religious affairs of the
Hindus. As for religious instruction, it was well nigh
impossible for the concept of Nationalism to take birth
and strike roots among the Hindus.
Guru Gobind Singh writes in his autobiograghy
- All gods, prophets, pirs were sent to the earth
to reprove the people for their sinful ways. But they
instituted their own worship quite forgetting their
Lord. The Brahmins had assumed the ways of the
Shudras and the kashatris had said good-bye to their
duties. Hundreds of religious leaders, preceptors, pirs
64
had sprung up to create countless sects. Gorakhnath,
Ramanuj,Ramanand, Shankaracharya, etc. had set up
their own religions. Mohammed had enjoined upon
his followers to repeat his name along with Allah's.
Thus every guru, pir or prophet misled the people by
instituting their separate religions with diverse ways of
worship and rituals. Consequently the sins of selfishness,
bigotry, cruelty, jealousy, hatred, wrong doing
were rife among the people. The prophets had weaned
the people away from Truth and filled them with
hatred and haughtiness.
Those who were sent for showing the Highway,
misled the people by making their own bye-ways. So,
thou 0 Gobind, have been sent by Lord Akal to bring
people onto the True Path of Loving Devotion to Him
who is Truth, Consciousness and Bliss. Guru Gobind
Singh while declaring himself a humble servant of the
Almighty Lord declared: "He, who considers me as a
god or avtar shall burn in hell. I am a human being like
all others and have come to witness the world-drama.
The Hundu and Muslim religions have degenerated.
The Yogis and the followers of the Ouran and Puranas
are all deceitful. All the religions have gathered dust.
The Bairagis and the Sanyasis have led the people
astray. Their ways of worship are misleading. The Lord
is not in the pages of certain books. He embodies
Humility and Truth. I see His glorious splendour on
all sides. I shall reveal His immanence, His Grace
directs all my actions. He is my True Friend The Lord-
65
All Steel is my Anchor and provides all power to me."
It is evident that the Guru was sent to preach
Truth, Piety, Love and Justice. He had come to relume
and propagate the True Religion of Akal. He
proclaimed that both the Hindus and the Muslims had
strayed from the True Path. The Hindus having forsaken
the Formless One were destitute. He declared
that the Ouran and the Puranas do not reveal the Lord.
The worship of idols and tombs can never give peace.
The greatest asset of the Guru was that he never
claimed to be the avtar or prophet or descendent of
Akal. But in all humility and earnestness he declared
that he was a lowly servant of the Lord, not above
ordinary human beings, sent to multiply goodness and
dwell on the glorious Truth and point to the True Way
leading to the Peerless One. Whosoever worships him
as a god shall forever burn in Hell-fires. Were one to
view impartially, rising above narrow sectarian considerations,
the Guru is head and shoulders above all
other religious preceptors and founders of religions.
They all incorporated their ego in their religious systems
and provided amply for their self-reverence and
self-glory, declared themselves God's beloveds, His
sons or his prophets or regents and considered themselves
a cut above the common man. But the Guru,
disregarding his personal pre-eminence proclaimed
himselfan ordinary servitor of the Lord commissioned
to preach Love and Truth. This is the finest example
of humility and selfless service set by any religious
66
preceptor.
His status is the highest among religious
preceptors of all times. If humility par excellence was
in evidence anywhere it was in Guru Gobind Singh. It
is not my intention to denigrate the founders of
religious sects of any country or time. We in India
venerate all such persons, because in their own way
they all exerted to induce people to goodness. But I
assert unhesitatingly that all other teachers of True
Way were impelled by the desire of self-edification
and gave themselves a status higher than a mere man'sthat
of a near one or dear one or the beloved or an
adviser or a co-equal or the son or the Lord Himself.
They all reduced Him to dependence on others. They
never preached Oneness and omnipotence of Aka\.
Guru Gobind Singh never claimed any kinship with
Him or a special status for himself. He never incorporated
himself in his actions which he proclaimed as
directed by Akal. He described himself as a mere man
though he did what no other religious great had done
before. Hence I have reasons to consider him more
worthy of respect and reverence than all others.
Guru Gobind Singh taught truth and piety to
his Sikhs, stressed why Akal who is Truth-Consciousness-
Bliss should be worshipped through Truth and
Devotion and impressed upon them not to insult the
Creator by worshipping His creatures. Thus he gave
the people in general and the Hindus in particular the
lesson of unity and nationalism. He pulled the Hindus
67
out of the mire of superstition, turned them from the
worship of His creatures to the contemplation of One
Akal, sowed in their minds the thought of a common
cause. He weaned the minds of the Hindus from the
ennervating thought of renouncing the world as unreal
and inspired them to a life of action. He taught the
people who had hitherto considered the killing of a cat
as a sin, that shedding of blood for the defence of one's
Dharma and country was not sinful. He sterpmed the
downward slide of Hindu Dharma towards cowardice,
helplessness and finally extinction. The Hindu Dharma
had almost reached the final stage of a baneful
close. He infused a new spirit, vital and virile, in the
Hindus. Those who were seeking reasons to change
their religion, were so inspired by him as to lay down
their lives for it. He filled the people with the thoughts
of selfless service and self-sacrifice for others, their
country and Dharma, to such an extent that these
actions seemed a common occurence. He turned the
common men of clay into doers of dazzling deeds of
daring. Their feats of valour astounded the world and
are still remembered.
A nation cannot progress as long as its people
do not love one another and unite for a common cause.
The Hindus had become helpless owing to not supplicating
an All-powerful providence. The Guru knit
the people together in a bond of brotherhood. His
message went home because he taught the people in
the language of the common man. He deemed it im-
68
proper rather deadly to preach his gospel and deliver
his instruction'in a language other than that ofthe land.
He had seen the evil effects of education being denied
to the Hindus by the Brahmins. The common people
could not have access to it since it was imparted in
Sanskrit which was a preserve of the Brahmins. Had
the Guru retained Sanskrit as the medium of his message
he would have veritably failed, for the common
man would have failed to grasp it. He felt that pulse
of the people and like the first Guru, Guru Nanak
expressed his thoughts in the lingua of the people.
Consequently he was able to effect sweeping changes
in the religious sphere.
Social Reform
He took in hand reforms in the social structure
with a similar single mindedness and devotion. This
task was very difficult, beset as it was with insurmountable
impediments. Here too his achievements are outstanding
and unequalled by any other social reformer.
At that time the Hindus were miserably caught in the.
web of social divisions based on the invidious caste
system. The social conditions of a people are strongly
affected by their religious environs. The Hindus were
no exception. Changes in the religious sphere cause
attendant changes in the social structure. Divisions
and sub-divisions in the religious sphere were on the
increase owing to Brahminism. New gods and avtaras
were invented and introduced, foundations were laid
of numerous man-made sects which further affected
69
traditions, rites and rituals. The well-being of those
who lived on others, lay in the proliferations of subcastes.
Their ever-increasing wants and luxuries could
be supplied only through the multiplication of sub-castes.
The Brahmins divided and sub-divided people on
the basis of religious differences. This process continued
for a very long period with the result that by the
times of Guru Gobind Singh the number of such sects
had swelled to thousands.
One caste had no dealings or fellow feeling with
another. The Shudras had nothing in common with
Kashatris, the Brahmins had nothing to do with other
castes. The Brahmins and Kashatris among themselves
were -further sub-divided innumerably. These sects
and sub-sects could not inter-marry or dine with one
another. They were poles apart. The members of one
caste or section could not eat the food cooked by
others. And these social bindings were so very ironcast
that merely by eating food prepared by others
would make a man an outcaste and deprive him of his
religious standing. Religion had been reduced to a
narrow code of eating and drinking taboos. Differences
were apparent even in the kinds of foods and
eatables. Such fine distinctions led to mutual hatred
and much bickerings and strife everyday. How could
love for one. another survive in such a suffocating
atmosphere? How could unity take place under differences
and distinctions so varied and sharp? Eating
and drinking with one another was a taboo, the infr-
70
ingement whereof resulted in the loss of one's caste
and religion. Such was the sorry state of affairs that
people of different castes could not eat together while
sitting at the same floor. This fell traditions of untouchability
had touched the level of ridiculous superstition.
It played havoc with the sense of brotherhood
and nationalism among the Hindus.
Guru Gobind Singh wanted to efface these
distinctions and bring Shudras at par with the high
castes. He wanted to inculcate in all a sense of equality
in consonance with the natural law of the Lord Aka!.
He exerted to widen the narrow confines and bounds
prevalent at the time so as to include the Shudras in
the religious and social fold. He desired to make
religion allembracing so that it facilitated the entry of
people of other sects and religions. Without removing
these crippling and deadening restrictions Shudras
could_not be brought in. The divisions ushered in by
these restrictions had weakened the social structure
and sapped the strength of the country and the nation.
The numerous castes, sub-castes, sects and sub- sects
had no love and sympathy for one another. This emboldened
the Muslim invaders to vanquish them one
by one. Instead of coming to the succour of their
neighbours, they watched their downfall with undisguised
glee. Now they had reached a state just short of
their obliteration and of their Dharma.
Since the low castes could not be admitted to
the high ones, it was not p8ssible to get the work of
71
high castes done through the low castes. This was one
of the greatest disadvantages of the caste system which
was creating innumerable hurdles in the path of
progress and national integration. The farsighted and
sagacious Guru held it imperative to lift the low castes
to the level of the high ones, so that the former could
regain their sense of dignity and manhood and work
for national reconstruction instead of just doing
menial chores for the high castes. During the days of
Brahmanic ascendency and the Kashatri reign the
plight of the Shudras was very miserable. They were
treated at par with cattle and beasts of burden, though
they were the original inhabitants of the country.
There is no doubt that they were worse off than the
ancient slaves that were bought and sold like animals
and than even under Muslim oppression.
Manu, the ancient law-giver of the Hindus,
had ordained that the Shudras were born to serve
others. The Manu-code had made it a legal binding so
that the high castes could press them into menial
service but the food cooked by them was not to be
touched. All such injunctions of Manu were not followed
very strictly. But under the Brahmins'their observance
and hold was tightened 'to an inhuman
degree. When persons of the same caste were not
allowed to eat with one another, it was impossible to
imagine that any person of a high caste could be allowed
to eat the food of the Shudras. Even a Brahmin
could not eat of another Brahmin and the same rule
72
applied to the other high castes. Some of the black
injunctions of Manu are given here:
During the days of distress and destitution, the
members of a caste can engage in the work of lower
caste, but under no circumstances is he to undertake
the work of the higher caste. (Chapter X/99-1 00)
The Shudras is forbidden to study, the Vedas,
the Shastras and the scriptures. (ChapterX/127-128)
It is reprehensible for a Brahmin to study the
Vedas before a Shudra. (Chapter IV/99)
The Shudra should be fed the left overs of his
master's food and clothed with his tattered and discarded
dress. (ChapterX/25)
The Shudra is not allowed to amass wealth.
(ChapterX/129)
If a Shudra abuses a man of higher caste, his
tongue should be cut off. (ChapterVIII/270)
If a Shudra sits near a Brahmin on the same
floor, the flesh of his bottoms should be sheared off.
(ChapterVIII/28 I )
If a Shudra talks of religious matters to a Brahmin,
molten lead or boiling oil should be poured in his
mouth and ears. (Chapter VII1/272)
The atonement for the killing of a Shudra is the
same as that for killing of a cat or a dog or a frog or a
lizard or other animals.
73
It is not necessary to dwell on such ordinances.
These few highlight succinctly the sad plight of the
Shudras under the Brahmans and Hindu rule. They
were severely forbidden to rebel against such unjust
and inhuman injunctions. Such was the fate and status
of the Shudras when Guru Gobind Singh embarked on
his mission. They were treated like dogs and cattle.
They could not rise higher up in the scale and do the
work of Kashatris. If per chance a Shudra attained
some worthwhile stature in the political arena, he
could under no circumstances be admitted to a higher
caste. No amount of wealth or personal status of political
nature or courage or scholasticism could raise a
Shudra to a higher caste. What is shocking and highly
damnable is that all this was done in the name of
religion and God, supported by the so-called gospels
of God. It was necessary to cut asunder the shackles
binding the hapless Hindus in the dark dungeons of
superstition and to bring them out in the open, to exalt
them to the dignified stature of human equality.
No nation can progress, for that matter no
religion can prosper, if it is bound down by many
restrictions. Naturalness is a must for independence
and is an assest, without which no man, no people, no
country can forge ahead. The Vedic Dharma had
bestowed natural freedom to man. But its explanations,
annotations, exegesis and instructions and laws
as given in later scriptures had curtailed and extremely
limited this freedom. The Hindu, to all outward ap-
74
pearances a free man, was hedged and hemmed in on
all sides, hardly able to breathe freely. The result was
that he was left with no national character, if ever he
ever enjoyed the possession of any such thing, it was a
matter of the hoary past. Now he was a prisoner of
mental slavery which further enslaved his heart and
soul. Despite all this the Hindu was highly averse to
any change in his food, eating habits, dress habits, ways
of worship, etc. Any change in any of the above ways
of living was attended with the danger of losing his
caste and being ostracised. It was necessary that the
Hindus who had become slaves mentally and physically,
should be jolted out of their miserable stupor. The
sad plight of the Hindus in the political field was
largely responsible for this predicament.
Political Condition of the Hindus
Hinduism is said to have been a great political
force not only within India but its effect was felt
beyond its confines. The Hindu conquests extended
far and wide. But after the war of Mahabharata their
political power suffered a gradual decline. In due
course of time the country was parcelled up in small
principalities. Numerous Rajas no higher than fiefholders
came to rule over the length and breadth of
India. They were always at logger-heads with one
another, ready to destroy one another and highly
gratified at the downfall of others. Only the descendants
of Kaurvas and Pandavas were ruling over bigger
chunks ofland. After this great war which can justly be
75
called the war of annihilation of the Hindus, the solar
and lunar dynasties ruled over their respective areas
for a very long period.
The Buddhist kings wiped off the remnants of
these great dynasties. They came to be remembered
only in name. The kings of the Agni (Fire) Dynasty
crushed the might of Buddhist kings and threw them
out of India. The descendants of the Agni Dynasty who
came to be called Rajputs were ruling over small
kingdoms and were hostile to one another. None of
them could ever acquire a great kingdom. Mutual
animosity was at the back of all their actions and they
could never conceive the grand idea of a nation and
nationalism. If we peruse the pages of history we shall
find that not a month passed, without there being a
battle on the soil of India. The Rajput kings were
always fighting with one another on one pretext or
another. Though there had been great kings like Raja
Bikramajit and Raja Bhoj, now it was a different story
of mutual bickerings and strife. The Rajputs had displayed
great feats of personal valour sung by the bards
all over India. Such heroic actions were in great numbers
and were spread over large areas and great
periods of time.
The Hindus had failed to forge a common bond
of national brotherhood. Not to speak of nationalism,
they could not think of any common national interest.
According to European historians the break-up of the
Hindu political power in small principalities was a
76
great boon to the Hindus and saved them from immediate
and total capitulation before the Muslims
onslaught. The Muslims could not conquer the whole
of India in one or two battles. At every step they had
to face hostile and determined forces of the Rajput
kings and other Hindu kings, who fought pitched battles
for every inch of their country and capitulated only
when they had no strength left. Were that these kings
had united and fought together against the common
enemy! In my opinion which is at variance with the
considered view of the European Historians, the Muslim
invaders were tempted and eventually triumphed
because they faced no united opposition. Had there
been a strong central power of the Hindus, the Muslim
invaders in all probabilitywould have made a hasty and
inglorious retreat. The predicament in which the Hindus
found themselves now would never have come
about. There was no dearth among the Rajputs and the
Kashatris of fighting spirit of which they gave ample
proof in individual and unorganised acts of resistance,
still fondly remembered and sung. The sad story of
Prithvi Raj and his cousin Jai Chand vividly proclaims
how the mutual bickerings and internecine wars were
responsible for the downfall of India and the Hindus
and the establishment of Muslim rule lasting over
hundreds of years. They were also responsible for the
mductioin of Rajputs in the employment of the Muslim
kings and of their women into the Harems of the
Muslim kings and princes. They were also responsible
for the slavery of Hindu India.
77
r
It is very difficult to assess the extent and enormity
of Muslim atrocities and insufferable indignities
inflicted on the Hindus during this long period. The
Hindus had never the inclination and genius to write
their history and the relentless spate of death and
devastation, torture and tyranny never allowed them
to gather their wits around them and to pen such
things. They were too stunned to keep note of these
unending tales of woe and misery of their people. It
was left to Muslim historians to keep a track of such
acts and record them. Most probably they were
prompted in this by a desire to record the glorious
times of the Muslim rule, to record the grand deeds of
death and devastation of Kafirs as convincing proof of
the stupendous Muslim might. Had they not taken
pride in penning these gory details with unabashed
glee, such records would have been lost for ever.
The writing on the wall was there for all Hindus
spelled very dearly. They were in a state of utter
destitution and despondency, of abject humiliation
and helplessness. They bore untold sufferings and
hardships without a murmur, without raising a voice of
revolt, without coming to the aid of one another,
without ever dreaming of standing unitedly or at least
thinking of a common cause in the vaguest of terms.
Those communities well versed in the wielding of
swords and the art of warfare had long since left the
sinking boat of Hindu Dharma and gone over to the
Muslim fold. They were lost for ever to the Hindu
78
world. The Rajputs and the Kashatris had lost their
valour which was confined to old stories alone.
The Muslims had been ruling over the length
and breadth of India for many centuries. The foundations
of their dominance had struck deep roots. Guru
Gobind Singh with his sagacity and farsightedness
thought of loosening the stranglehold of Muslim
power by first weakening it. Dunng this long period of
slavery under the Muslims no Hindu had ever thought
on these lines. It was left to Guru Gobind Singh to
transform an enfeebled, humiliated, disunited and
downtrodden people like the Hindus of his day, into a
livihg nation fired with the ideals of nationalism and
brotherhood. It has been said earlier that no person
had ever thought of doing so in the last four thousand
years of Hindu history. The Guru wanted to build such
a nation over which the Brahmins could make no dent
with all their machinations. For the completion of his
mission, changes of two kinds were needed, one in the
religious and the other in the social sphere.
TIle material at his disposal was disheartening
and well-nigh spent up. The Hindu power was in tatters,
the Hindu Dharma on the way out and the people
lying supine under the Muslim heel. The Hindus were
sitting frightened in their homes like mice in their
holes. Their faces were downcast, their hearts despondent,
their shoulders beaten, their minds bedeviled,
their limbs enfeebled, their bodies emaciated. The
Hindus could suffer their daughters and their women-
79
folk being taken away before their very eyes and sold
as slaves in the foreign markets for a petty consideration
of two dinars. A lesser man, almost any man,
would have given up before embarking on such a
mission as that of the Guru. Guru Gobind Singh took
up the challenge and created such a virile, upright and
one-God-Ioving people like the Sikhs who struck terror
in the hearts of their enemies, who were ever ready
to lay down their lives for their country, people and
Dharma, who always came to the succour of the needy,
the tyrannised and the down-trodden. He changed
cowards into men of great courage, uncowed by the
Muslim might. He surveyed the country and selected
the people and the area where he was to put into
practice his grandiose schemes. The selection of the
area was determined by the kind of men inhabiting
therein.
From Where and for Whom the Guru Started His
Mission
He found the foot-hills of Northern Himalayas
most suitable for his purpose. It was unimaginable
that the caste-proud Rajputs even in their distressed
condition would follow him. The Hindus of Western
Punjab had lost their valour. The Kashartris ofCentral
Punjab were physically and spiritually debilitated, and
were not suitable for the task the Guru had in his mind.
The people of Bengal, Madras and Maharashtra had
tired offighting the Muslims and the difference in their
languages was too great to be surmounted. The youth
80
of these provinces had not been prepared for such a
task. There was very little chance of success through
their efforts. The North-Eastern belt of Punjab had to
some extent been influenced by the teachings of Guru
Nanak Dev Ji. Some Hindus of this area had rendered
deeds of self-sacrifice, which had deeply impressed the
people of the surrounding areas.
Guru Gobind Singh was looking for such
people who were healthy, brave and amenable to
religious instruction. The foot-hills of Northern
Himalayas provided such men. The people of their
area were familiar with the teachings of Guru Nanak,
were healthy and stout and were able to bear
hardships. They were always ready to fly off at the
slightest provocation without ifs and buts. Guru
Gobind Singh knew that an unkindled lamp when
lighted can very easily light other lamps of whatsoever
kind. The problem lay in lighting the first lamp. The
Hindus were like a lamp without oil. The Guru wanted
to furbish this oil-less lamp lying in this area in order
to enlighten the entire world. Special oil and equipment
were needed for this. The Guru poured the
warm blood of his dear ones as oil an(fplaced the wick
of nationalism in the lamp. He lighted it with the fire
of the fighting spirit in such a way that the dead nation
came alive. The Great Guru never attributed this
grand act to his personal efforts. He always gave the
credit to Guru Nanak Dev Ji.
Having selected the area Guru Gobind Singh
81
set to work. First of all he attained proficiency in
many fields. He passed his time in studying History,
listening to recitations of heroic poems, learnt the art
of hunting and the use of weapons. His youthful
demeanour acquired the temper of steel. The Sikhs
who came for seeing their Guru, started imbibing
thoughts of virility and action. The Guru while hunting
took with him Sikhs who were living by. Tnis made
them hardy and hard-working, discarding their easeloving
ways. They started taking interest in the execution
of difficult tasks and learning the lesson of
brotherhood and nationalism. From mere theorising
on religion they turned to its practice. Gradually the
Sikhs became aware of the martial nature of their
Guru. Instead of giving the usual offerings of clothes,
ornaments, vessels, carpets and other necessities of
life, the Sikhs had switched over to weapons and horses.
The Guru used to express his pleasure over such
offerings which encouraged his Sikhs. The result was
two-fold, the acquisition of weapons by the Guru and
martial spirit by his Sikhs.
In keeping with the change, the Guru assumed
a lordly demeanour laying aside his ascetical robe. He
now always kept a sword at his waist whether sitting on
his cushioned seat or outside and held court every
morn and evening and often organised contests of skill
in martial arts and handling of weapons. Stirring
poems, full of patriotic fervour and heroism were sung
and recited, alongwith devotional hymns. Guru
82
Gobind Singh himself penned Kavits and other poems
in different metres that aroused courage and quickened
the blood of the listeners. He had detailed fiftytwo
poets that adorned his court, for writing stirring
verses on the exploits of daring in the face of heavy
odds, accomplished by Indian heroes and warriors of
yore. He kept bards at his court who always sung songs,
full of heroic lore and national grandeur. In his anthology
called the 'Granth of the Tenth Guru' some portion
is devoted to the wars of goddess Durga against
the demonic hordes. It is penned in such metres,
couched in such virile words and forceful metaphors,
and is full of such heroic overtones as vibrate and
delivered in such a style that the listeners are overcome
with the warmth of martial emotions even in
winter. Since this portion on the exploits of the goddess
is included in the granth, some people have erroneously
concluded that the Guru was a devotee of
the goddess.
Let me declare here unequivocally that the
Guru worshipped the Formless Lord Akal only. He
was dead set against the worship of gods,and goddesses
and always preached in no uncertain words against
it. His only purpose was to arouse the dormant fighting
spirit of the people, the selection of the protagonists
was a secondary matter. As it was, the people t)f the
area were conversant with the mythical exploits of the
goddess. Instead of inventing a new hero and inventing
his exploits, it was better and more expedient, to
83
make use of the available material. The Guru had
divined correctly, his writings were highly successful in
arousing the spirit of the people, filling them with
martial thoughts. All this prepared his followers for
the coming battles.
Basic Tenets of the Guru
The Guru wanted to establish two basic principles
that of universal brotherhood and the spirit of
sacrificing oneself for others without demur. The feeling
of brotherhood can only dawn after the annihilation
of all (man-made) artificial barriers between man
and man. The baneful caste-system introduced by
Manu and followed with a vengeance by the Brahmins
had to be nullified. During thousands of years, the
differences, divisions and distinctions created by this
system had entered into the Hindu psyche. The living
apart of thousands of years without any social intercourse
with one another had congealed into infrangible
moulds. The cancerous poison of the caste
system had entered into vitals of the human system.
How was the Guru to smash all these barriers, instil a
feeling of equality in the down-trodden of centuries,
bring to the level of common clay those who claimed
divine origin and had claimed and enjoyed divine
rights for thousands of years. He achieved with a
single master stroke what seemed impossible. He established
the new institution of the Khalsa. A man's
caste and distinctions of high and low were cast off on
joining its membership. Here all were equal, knit in
84
the bond of universal brotherhood.
The different gods, gurus, sects, traditions, rites
and rituals were responsible for the creations of all
kinds of differences and differentiations among the
people. The worship of the Formless One created
conditions that were favourable for the erasing of
these distinctions from the minds of the people. Now
·they started thinking in terms of unity and nationalism
to the extent of putting the country and the nation
above the self.
Before the Creation of the Khalsa
Some incidents that took place before the institution
of the Khalsa deserve to be dwelt upon.
During the early days of the Guru's seclusion, Raja
Rattan Rai of Assam, a devotee of Sikh Gurus, came
to visit him. Among other presents offered to the
Guru, there was an elephant called Prasadi. In these
days the Guru was engrossed in hunting, which attracted
a good number of brave Sikhs around him.
Guru Gobind Singh used to go hunting in great style,
riding his elephant accompanied by his warrior Sikhs.
In those days it was customary for high officials of
noble birth to keep their kettle-drums in their homes.
They used to carry these along on hunting. The Guru
on seeing the ever increasing gathering around him
decided to keep such a drum at his court. Some worldlywise
persons advised the Guru against it without success.
Then they prevailed upon his mother to restrain
85
him from doing so, by reminding him of the tribulations
his grandfather had to suffer. She advised him
that the Guru should work for peace and engage in
worship of Akal- the true duties of a Guru; he should
not take to soldierly ways and assume a regal bearing.
The Guru replied that he was the grandson of
the illustrious Guru Hargobind Sahib, unawed by
anybody, that she wanted him to remain in obscurity
while his Lord Akal commanded his coming out in the
open and that if any king looked askance at him, that
king would have to measure swords with him. A heart,
determined and dauntless, full of national fervour
couldn't be expected to give a different reply - expedient
and opportune. The kettle-drum was duly
installed and taken out on hunting excursions. The
Guru's hunting excursions, his martial bent of mind
and his accumulation of weapons were causing concern
to the local hill chieftains. The Guru often used
to enter their territories in the course of his hunting
trips, which was not to their liking. The beating of the
drum added further to their unease. They started
looking for pretences to pick up a quarrel with him.
Raja Bhim Chand of Kehloor was the first to
provide such an occasion. He asked Guru Gobind
Singh to give him Prasadi, the elephant. The Guru
refused, against the advice of his mother and other
well-meaning people, who wanted him to make peace
with this offering. The Raja took umbrage and
prodded by KirpCll, another hill chieftain, sent a mes-
86
sage to the Guru to move out of his principality. The
Guru wanted to measure swords with Bhim Chand.
But with the timely intervention of the Raja of Nahan,
hostilities were averted. Some historians have penned
that a battle ensued between Bhim Chand and the
Guru, with victory to the latter. Guru Gobind Singh
founded a village called Paonta in the territory of
Nahan in the Kartik month of the Samat Era 1741
(1684 A.D.) and built a fort there. Some Afghan Sardars,
namely Kaley Khan, Hayat Khan, Bhikhen Khan,
under the ire of Aurangzeb, were seeking the shelter
of a Raja or Nawab. But no Raja or Nawab was bold
enough to provide it. The Guru took them under his
wing on the recommendation of Sayyad Buddhu Shah.
A bold step, not unexpected of a man like the Guru,
but inexpedient as later events proved.
During this period Raja Bhim Chand took a
marriage party to Sri Nagar to marry his son to the
daughter of Raja Fateh Shah. The Guru sent his
Dewan Nand Chand with presents for the occasion. In
order to please Bhim Chand, Fateh Shah refused to
accept them. Dewan Nand Chand came back feeling
small and insulted. This further strained relations
between the Guru and the two Rajas. Raja Bhim
Chand won over Raja Kirpal Chand Katochia, Raja
Kesri Chand Jassowalia, Raja Sukhdial Jasrotia, Raja
Hari Chand Hindooria, Raja Pirthi Chand Dudwalia
and Raja Fateh Shah of Sri Nagar to his side against
the Guru. Emboldened by this alliance they started
87
causing petty annoyances to the Guru.
Then they joined their forces together and attacked
the Guru in the Baisakh of Samat 1742 (1685
A.D.). Guru Gobind Singh, who was nineteen then,
led his small and inexperienced force against the invaders.
Five hundred Udasi Sadhus who had fattened
themselves at the Guru's Langar, decamped at the very
outset. The Afghan Sardars, whom the Guru had
provided shelter, left the Guru in the midst of the
engagement and crossed over to the enemy, in pursuance
of a conspiracy already hatched with the Rajas.
Sayyed Buddhu Shah feeling hurt by this treacherous
act came to the succour of the Guru. A pitched battle
was fought for three days between the banks of
Yamuna and Giri stream. The Guru was himself leading
his army of irregulars who were far from well
equipped. His force consisted of fakirs and mendicants
unfamiliar with warfare, of ordinary men,
tillers of land, petty traders and shopkeepers who had
never even seen a skirmish from a distance.
The list.of famous fighters on the Guru's side
mentioned in the Janam Sakhis contains the name of
Lal Chand, a sweet-meat seller. This gives some idea
of the composition of the Sikh army. Dewan Nand
Chand and Kirpal Chand, the maternal uncle of the
Guru, figure in the list. The Udassis, the eaters of
dainties prepared by the Halwai Lal Chandl
decamped from the field leaving their cook to fend for
himself and face the heavy odds. What a fight it was!
88
The down-trodden and the dregs of society gave such
a dressing to the enemy that it slunk from the field,
convincingly defeated, in disarray and disheartened.
Raja Hari Chand was killed at the hands of the G~ru,
Raja Kesari Chand and Sukhdev were wounded. The
Guru dazzled the enemy with the daring display of his
swordwielding and marshalling of his men in a masterly
manner. The Guru and his men emerged victorious.
The Guru learnt a lesson from the defection of
the Afghans and the decamping of the Udassi Sadhus.
This made him ponder deeply over the whole matter.
He needed his own men, virile and dedicated fighters,
united in a holy bond of brotherhood cutting across all
barriers of caste and creed. The Guru was well aware
of the timidity and disunity of the Hindus, lack of a
common cause, of nationalism and of fellow-feeling
among them. He felt the need of giving back to them
their lost courage and restoring the human dignity of
man. He wanted to instil in them strong feelings of
brotherhood and nationalism.
Sounding their war-drum, the victorious army
of the Guru entered Paonta. One son of Buddhu Shah
had died fighting valiantly in the battle-field. The
Guru honoured Buddhu Shah by bestowing a headdress
on him by way of a robe of honour. He also gave
Buddhu Shah half of his personal turban, as a token of
brotherly love, and a credential in appreciation of his
help. The descendants of Buddhu Shah are respected
by the Sikhs, in consequence. A month after this
89
victory the Guru marched to Anandpur, his previous
abode. His father, Guru Tegh Bahadur had bought
this piece of land. Guru Gobind constructed here
some small forts such as Kesgarh, Anandgarh, Lohgarh,
Holgarh and Fatehgarh designed to afford
protection against future attacks.
Guru's Support to the Hill-Rajas
Soon afterwards, these hill Rajas were attacked
by a force of the Subedar of Sirhind, under Alif Khan,
for not paying tribute to the Emperor of Delhi. The
Rajas decided to fight instead of paying up. In dire
straits, Raja Bhim Chand supplicated the Guru for
help. The Guru forgave the Rajas their previous misdeeds
and decided to help them, keeping in view the
thought of national unity, and utterly disregarding his
personal grievances against them. He did not want to
crush the Hindus by siding with the Muslim rulers, nor
to remain aloof and be a silent spectator to their
humiliating rout. He made peace with them and sent
a force of five hundred foot-soldiers and horsemen
under Dewan Mohri Chand and Daya Ram. The Imperial
Army was defeated and thereafter peace
prevailed for three years when Guru Gobind Singh
had no occasion to draw his sword against anyone. He
devoted this time to the crystallisation of his thoughts
and schemes and giving them a practical shape. He
also kept on providing spiritual food to his Sikhs by his
sermons and by engaging them in devotion of Akal.
He did not, however, ignore to keep their martial
90
spirits alive.
In the Bhadon of Samat 1745 (1688 A.D.), the
Satrap of Lahore, sent a force under Rustam Khan.
The hilly streams were in spate owing to the rainy
season. The area was lashed by tempests and heavy
rains. This forced the army to turn back without engaging
in a single skirmish. The stream that had compelled
the army to turn back was named the 'Helper Brook'
by the Sikhs. Mter some time, Rustam Khan reinforced
by some more men and weapons attacked the
Rajas again but was defeated. It is said that the Guru
had sent three hundred men under Bhai Nagina Singh
to help the Rajas. At last Aurangzeb had to send his
son Muazzam Khan to bring the Rajas under heel.
Muazzam personally went to Lahore and despatched
a big army under Mirza Beg, a nobleman. Mirza Beg
defeated the Rajas, devastated their territory, depopulated
their habitations and humiliated their subjects in
many ways. The Guru had remained at his hilly retreat,
but the Muslims plundered the village of Anandpur
also, as described by him in his biographical piece
Vachitar Natak.
The 'Story' of Naina Devi
During his hilly sojourn Guru Gobind Singh
was busy planning for the future and gathering the
necessary wherewithal for the execution of his plans.
Either under the influence of Pandits or of his own, the
Guru decided to hold a Yajna and light the scrificial
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fire at a special place. He prevailed upon the Pandits
to perform the Yajna to call up the Devi to give her
blessings for the destruction of the enemies. All things
needed for the Yajna were stored at Malkar(Naina
Devi) Hill. Some well-known Pandits of Benaras were
sent for. Kalidas and Keshodas were two of the famous
Pandits often mentioned in the chronicles. Pandit
Bishambar Dass was also deputed for the Yajna. The
sacrificial fire was lit for many days but no Devi appeared.
Their earlier claims belied, the Brahmins now
claimed that unless some holy man (Mahatama) was
sacrificed in offering to the Devi, she would not make
an appearance.
With a smile Guru Gobind Singh informed the
Pandits that there couldn't be a holier man than they;
so one of them should be offered to the Devi. It is said
that all the Pandits either on the pretext of urination
or bathing, disappeared from the scene, leaving the
Yajna incomplete. When none of them turned up, the
Guru caused the remaining stuff of the Yajna to be
thrown into the sacrificial fire. A giant flame rose up
on the hill that could be easily seen for miles around,
which made the people believe that the Devi had made
an appearance.
The authenticity of this episode is questionable.
It appears that some overzealous followers
of the Guru, banking upon the credulity of the ignorant,
had concocted such an improbable story. They
were misled by the prominence their Guru had given
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to the Devi in his writings. She was the heroine of two
epic poems, where her exploits had been graphically
eulogised. It seems farfetched that the Guru should
resort to such a drama to impress upon the people that
he had the Devi to help him in his battles.
Guru Gobind Singh has said in unequivocal
terms that he never believed that such beings had any
godly powers. How could he then make offerings to
them? He had condemned in the strongest possible
terms the worship of these creations of Akal.
Foundation of the Khalsa
The ensuing events show that the Guru wanted
to create a new breed of men, steeped in nationalism
and brotherly love, with a penchant for fighting, imbued
with devotion to Akal, and ready to sacrifice their
lives for their ideals. The Gurus were peace-loving
preachers of love and devotion to the Formless One,
often keeping aloof. The cruelty, plunder and heartlessness
of the Muslims and the piteous plight of the
Hindus, the denigration of their women and their
Dharma prompted the Tenth Guru to come out of his
seclusion and feel the pulse of the people. The antagonism
of the Hill Rajas and the wars forced on him
by them made him assume the mantle of a kingly
saviour as well. He needed a band of devoted Sikhs,
courageous, well versed in warfare, and eager to succour
the oppressed as a religious duty. Such pe.ople
were difficult to find in the Hindu society of his time.
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He decided to institute a new order of universal
brotherhood, imbued with devotion to Akal, filled
with the ideal ofself- sacrifice for the welfare of others.
Such an order would demolish the existing barriers of
caste and creed, high and low, man and woman, and
pave the way for the advent of nationalism and bring
unity. It would also help in bringing about the downfall
of the tyrannical foreign rule. It was not the intention
of the Guru to launch a crusade against the Muslims.
Accordingly, on the Baisakhi of Sarnat 1756
(1699 A.D.) the Guru gathered his Sikhs in great numbers
at an open place at Anandpur. The Sikhs had
come from far and wide at the invitation of the Guru.
A huge tent and an enclosure had been set up in the
field. When all the Sikhs had assembled, the Guru
appeared with a naked sword in his hand and declared
that as willed by Akal Purkh he was going to offer the
head of a Sikh as the first sacrifice for the defence of
Dharma. The blood of this Sikh shall serve as a living
symbol of the defence of the country and Dharma, for
the coming generations of Sikhs and inspire them to
shed their blood for these ideals. The Guru called for
a Sikh willing to offer his head to his Guru, to be
sacrificed for the defence of Dharma and the country,
to step forth and appear before his Guru. The blood
of this Sikh shall revive the dead nation. On hearing
the words of his Guru, Daya Ram, a Khatri of Lahore
came before his Guru with folded hands and sedate
dignity and offered his head to be cut off at once for
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this noble cause.
The Guru took him inside the tent holding him
by the hand. The sound of a powerful stroke of the
sword was heard from within and blood started flowing
out of the tent. The people outside felt sure that the
head of Daya Ram had been severed from his body.
Guru Gobind came out brandishing a blood-stained
sword and demanded the offering of another head.
Dharam Chand, a Jat of Hastinapur offered himself.
The Guru took him within and the above act was
repeated. Guru Gobind Singh emerged with his bloodstained
sword. He asked for a head three times more
and Himmat Rai, a Potter, Mohkam Chand, a Tailor
and Sahib Chand, a Barber, offered their heads. They
were taken in one by one by the Guru who each time
acted in the manner mentioned above. It is difficult to
find their peers in the annals of history. At the mere
bidding of their Guru they offered their life and body
to him. Such an event had never taken place in any
country of the world at any time before.
It was with a two-fold purpose that the Guru
acted in the strange manner depicted above. Firstly he
wanted to find out whether the Sikhs had in them the
stuff to sacrifice their all for the love of their Dharma
and land, how far his efforts and exhortations over a
long period had succeeded in producing the desired
effect and whether the Sikhs had reached such a state
that they could gaily sacrifice their lives for others. His
Sikhs had risen to the occasion and creditably passed
95
the severe test. He had asked for the heads offive Sikhs
and five Sikhs, lovingly called the Five beloveds, had
unflinchingly placed their necks under the sword of
their Guru. This assured him that all Sikhs would
willingly obey him through thick and thin and that his
preparatory work had not gone waste; Guru Gobind
Singh must have been immensely pleased with the
result of his test.
Secondly, he wanted to bring it home to his
Sikhs that only people like the Five Beloveds could
successfully undertake difficult tasks for their Dharma
and country, arid that they all should be ready to make
such sacrifices. What Five Beloveds had done, they all
could. He had sown the thought of self-sacrifice in the
minds of bis Sikhs. Now he turned to its germination
and blossoming into action. He took the 'Five
Beloveds' out of the tent and held his court in the fort
of Kesgarh. He armed the five and dressed them in a
special uniform. He armed and dressed himself
likewise and asked for water from the river flowing
below. This water was poured in a receptacle of steel,
some sweets (patashas) were added to it. Guru Gobind
Singh himself recited the Five Banis and stirred the
contents all the while with his Khanda. He called the
preparation, Arnrit (The Eternal-life-giving Nectar).
And this was administered to the Five in the following
manner. Five times he took out five handfuls of Arnrit
and made the five partake of them, while the six of
them (including the Guru) shouted "Wahe-Guru Ji Ka
96
Khalsa, Wahe-Guru Ji Ki.Fateh". This ceremony was
termed 'Pahul' and the brotherhood was called the
Khalsa and their Dharma called the Khalsa Dharma.
All members of the Khalsa were instructed to add
'Singh' after their names.
Basic Tenets of the Khalsa
The following basic tenets of the Khalsa were
set up:
(1) Whosoever adopts the Khalsa Dharma shall
partake of Amrit in the same manner as administered
by the Guru.
(2) Whosoever takes 'Pahul' shall be bound to
add 'Singh' to his name.
(3) Wheresoever five Sikhs assemble, Khalsa
Dharma shall perfectly exist there and for the
purpose of the 'Pahul' these five shall act as the
Guru. They can be any five Sikhs without any
distinctions. Accordingly, the Guru himself
was administered 'Pahul' by the 'Five
Beloveds' and his name changed to Gobind
Singh from Gobind Rai.
(4) Whosoever joins the Khalsa Dharma, shall be
called a 'Singh'. He shall keep hair on his head,
keep a weapon of steel like Kirpan on his
person, wear a short (Kachha) and an iron
Bangle (Kara) and keep a comb (Kangha) in
his hair. From the very time of the establish-
97
98
ment of the Khalsa, the keeping of these five
essentials called the Five Kakkas, became a
must for every Singh.
(5) All Sikhs shall be equal brethern in the Khalsa
without any distinction of high or low. Their
previous castes and creeds and surnames
stand nullified. All the Sikhs shall eat together
from the same vessel.
(6) All Sikhs shall stand freed of all previous distinctions
of birth, caste, creed and doings.
They shall start life anew in the Khalsa Dharma.
(7) It is imperative for all Singhs to attribute all
spiritual and temporal powers to steel. It shall
be their bounden duty to keep weapons of
steel, and gain proficiency in their use in a
battle.
(8) The Singh who dies in battle or takes part in a
crusade (Dharam Yudh) and destroys his
enemy, who is never disheartened though vanquished
shall attain a high stature.
(9) The Singh shall not wear a Janju.
(10) Liberation can be attained only through Khalsa
Dharma.
(11) The Singhs should discard all rites and rituals
of the Hindus, but should respect the latter's
Temples and religious feelings and defend
their Dharma and country when endangered.
(12) It is the duty of the Singhs to destroy the
enemies of the people.
(13) The Singhs shall worship the Lord through
truthful actions and pray to the One Formless
Akal only and not to any of his creations.
(14) They shall bow before the Guru Granth Sahib
only and not bofore any man, tomb or grave.
(15) The Singhs shall hold Guru Nanak Dev as their
spiritual guide and Supreme Lord, venerate all
his successors and obey their injunctions.
(16) They shall occasionally take a bath in the holy
Sarovar at Amritsar, the main Tiratha of Sikhs.
(17) They shall accost each other with "WaheGuru
Ji Ka Khalsa, Wahe-Guru Ji Ki Fateh"
and discard all other forms of greetings.
(18) They shall not use tobacco.
(19) They should hold Khalsa as the repository of
His Divine Power.
Guru Gobind Singh forbade the entry of the
following kinds of people into the Khalsa Brotherhood:
(1) The Massands, who managed the affairs of the
Gurdwaras in those days.They had degenerated
into a class of timid, worthless and indolent
Pujaris.
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(2) The followers and devotees of Dhir Mal called
'Dhir Malleeay', who contented with Guru
Tegh Bahadur for Guruship and violently opposed
him and went to the extent of firing at
him.
(3) 'Ram Raeeay', the followers of Ram Rai, a
collateral ofGuru Gobind Singh who contested
the Guruship and created all kinds of trouble
for the Guru.
(4) The killers of new-born daughters. Since such
people as had become habitual killers of their
daughters were likely to continue the evil practice
even after joining the Khalsa, they were
excluded from the ranks of the Khalsa. The
Sikhs were asked not to deal and intermarry
with such people.
By laying the foundation of the Khalsa, Guru
Gobind Singh delivered his message of love and initiated
the completion of his mission. He inscribed in
glowing letters the story of the Khalsa and its rules on
the pages of Time. Only his signature remained to be
appended to it. In due course he signed with his love
and this Document of Universal Love and Brotherhood
was attested and witnessed by the sacrifice of his
four sons. Now the document was completed in all
aspects for the coming generations of the world to
peruse and cherish.
The ceremony of initiation into the Khalsa
100
Dharma was completed. As a protest of disapproval,
many high castes, Kashatris and Brahmins, who were
present in the gathering, walked out. And upholding
the customary ways of the high castes, they created a
furore, taking the event as an unwarranted interference
in their Dharma, based mainly on caste system
and hollow rites and rituals. The Guru addressing his
Sikhs declared that he had obeyed the mandate of
Lord Akal, which enshrines the uplifting of the lowly
and the down-trodden. Disregarding the out-bursts of
the high castes he prophesied "Those whom the high
castes spurn now shall be my heirs after my death and
become the equals of the highest".
The Guru's Way of Life
I pen here whatever I have gleaned about the
Guru's personality and life history. He was sturdy and
of a somewhat hefty build. He was tall and looked
powerful by appearance and body-structure, he interested
himself in tasks involving effort and hard labour.
He loved the hunting field more than the sermonising
seat of Guruship and spent a greater part of his time
in hunting. He always endeavoured to interest and
involve his Sikhs in hunting. He hunted the wild boar,
the lion and other wild beasts.
He always practised the wielding of weapons,
in which he was highly skilled, and encouraged his
Sikhs to take to arms. He made his Sikhs practise their
use under his personal supervision. The acquisition of
skill in the use of weapons formed an essential part of
101
the education of his sons. He used to feel great
pleasure in receiving the gifts of weapons and horses
from his Sikhs and such offerings endeared the Sikhs
to him. He was fond of keeping good horses and his
stable contained some thorough-breds. He was a
skilled rider par excellence. After much practice he
had gained mastery in the use of the bow and the
sword. While hunting, he used the scimitar, the small
dagger, the two-edged sword and the spear with great
dexterity.
He used to hold court like nobles and dressed
himself in very fine apparel like a king. He had a regal
bearing and carried a sword at his waist. He was an
excetlent poet and composed verses in almost all the
metres that were prevalent at that time. His verses
were a very forceful medium to inspire and enthuse his
listeners. His epics on the wars between Durga and the
demons were very stimulating and filled the listeners
with courage and martial fervour. He had gathered
around him a group of fifty two eminent poets of his
time, who wrote and recited their verses and received
due appreciation both in words and in terms of money.
In addition to his penchant for penning and
perusing poetry, he was fond of hearing the old classics.
He was very well .acquainted with Persian and
Arabic and had attained a high degree of proficiency
in Sanskrit. He loved to hear readings from books on
history, especially the chapters dealing with wars, and,
he spent a lot of time in this pursuit. Recitals from
102
Vedas, Up-Vadas, Upnishidas, Puranas and Simritis
interested him and he listened to them with loving
attention. He kept poets and pundits (learned
scholars) around him. He sent many of his Sikhs to
Kashi to get education.
He was not such a great lover of classical music
as Guru Nanak Dev Ji, but he daily listened to the
singing of Shabads. He was very fond of Martial music
and listened with rapt attention to the musical renditions
ofwar epics by the bards at his court. He was very
steadfast in the performance of his daily duties. He
used to rise early in the morning and recite Japuji, Jaap
Sahib and Sawayye. In the evening he dutifully recited
Rehrass and Kirtan Sohila. He used to spend some
time daily in the praise of Akal. The Guru was never
to be seen taking part in dancing and other festivities
during Holi. He had no inclination towards frivolous
modes of merry-making and luxurious living. Self control
and simplicity were the key notes of his character.
Those Who Embraced the Khalsa
The directions of Guru Gobind Singh and the
system of the Khalsa Dharma had become very
popular among Jats and other Hindu communities. Its
simple and clear rules and advocacy of an open and
free way of living was so effective that thousands of
people joined its fold. The Jats who were considered
no higher than the Shudras by the high-caste Hindus
rushed towards this fount of brotherhood like a thirsty
man dashing towards a fountain of water. The Guru
103
had earnestly embarked on this mission impelled by
Truth and strong feelings of love for the oppressed
Hindus. The people at large appreciated his mission
and devoted efforts, and they responded enthusiastically
to his call. The number of his Sikhs grew daily.
There is no doubt that the Khalsa Dharma had a
strong appeal for those low-caste people who were
considered worthless, low beings, no better than chattels
meant for menial chores and who were never
(issigned any worthwhile job.
The Khalsa of Guru Gobind Singh was a group
of people who were determined and daring, truthful
and trustworthy, and dedicated and devoted to their
Guru and Dharma. They proved their mettle and
credentials time and again. The high castes had kept
themselves aloof and hence the qualities mentioned
above could not be attributed to their inclusion. In fact,
these people had over a long period of bondage and
subjection to persistent tyranny lost whatever good
qualities they ever had. The Kashatris, once known for
their fighting prowess, valour and self- respect, were
offering their daughters, willingly and with some sort
of pride, to the Muslims. The Brahmins were ready to
sacrifice their country in order to save their dhoti from
disrespect and were not perturbed over the sale of
their women in the bazars of Ghazni for petty sums of
two dinars. These communities could not be said to
contribute to the wonderful qualities of Khalsa.
The Khalsa were a people ready to sacrifice
104
their all for the welfare of others and for their country
and Dharma. They held life cheap before the ideals
of love and universal brotherhood. They would not
hesitate to raise a big pile of their bones and flesh to
serve as a high pedestal for their nation and country.
They wanted to cleanse with their blood the indignities
of the last seven hundred years, animate the corpse of
nationalism with the warmth of their spouting gore.
Since the Khalsa comprised mainly of people drawn
from the low castes and Shudras, the Hill Rajas, proud
of their prowess and position, jeered at the Guru.
Scornfully they asked him if he proposed to defend the
country with the help 01 these sparrows and pit his
jackals against the formidable. tigers. The Guru
replied, "Unless I raise one to stand against many,
cause sparrow spurn the hawk and inspire jackals to
kill lions, I shall not deserve to be called Guru Gobind
Singh."
There is difference of opinion about the occasion
wheri the Guru uttered these words. But there
is no doubt that he did utter them and proved them
true by time and again making his handful of Sikhs
fight against vast multitudes of adversaries on the
battle-field. His followers were made of sterner stuff,
forged in a steely mould of courage. We have already
seen an example of their mettle provided by the 'Five
Beloveds' at the time of the formation of the Khalsa.
Later events gave ample proof of the fearlessness, the
courage and the martial qualities of the Khalsa. Two
incidents taken at random will suffice. They occurred
105
in the presence of the Guru.
Once Guru Gobind Singh was sitting in his
court. One of his Sikhs presented a gun to him. The
Guru declared all of a sudden that he wanted to test
his aim and desired some Sikh to offer himself as a
target. Many' Sikhs got up and pleaded forcefully for
the acceptance of their respective offers.
Directing his glance and pointing to a Sikh, the
Guru smilingly ordered him to be taken away and
hanged immediately. Neither did he give any reason
for this strange decision nor did he hint at offence
committed by the Sikh, but only vouchsafed that his
Guru needed his head. Without any hesitation that
Sikh offered his head. The Guru was highly pleased
and declared that only such obedient, true and steadfast
Sikhs can save the Hindu nation.
Opposition of the Guru by the High-Caste Hindus
The Kashatri Kings and the Brahmins reacted
to the Guru and the Khalsa Dharma in their typical
manner. They came out openly against Guru Gobind
Singh and his noble mission. The Brahmins could not
tolerate the breaking up of the caste system and the
discarding of the tradition of Janju-wearing. They
created a furore over this. The Rajas of the surrounding
hill tracts were set against the Guru by the Brahmins
who declared that the Guru had denigrated
Hindu Dharma. These Rajas were already jealous of
his growing power and saw a challenge to their own
106
supremacy in his crusade against caste distinctions.
The Brahmins incited them to hound the Guru persistently
without giving him a breather so as to break his
spirit and disperse his bedraggled crowd of an army.
Guru Gobind Singh invited the Hill Rajas to join the
Khalsa Dharma. The Rajas belonging to the high caste
could hardly be expected to respond favourably. They
rejected the offer disdainfully and reacted despicably
and deceitfully at later times.
0, Hindus ! there can be no more ungrateful
people than you. No other nation can boast of ingratitude
of a deeper hue than you. No other nation
has in her the fell spirit of disregarding her patriots.
Who can be more savage and hell-bent on torturing
the true lovers of her land?
The Guru - The great Gobind Singh - was
preparing to sacrifice his all for thee, was busy wholeheartedly
to lift thee out of thy degraded state to a
higher level of self-respect and decency and yet thy
people stand against him out of jealousy and selfishness!
This is all due to the ungratefulness, hatred and
jealousy that is suffused in thy veins. It is because of
this perverse stuff in you that you have been condemned
to slavery.
In short, the Rajputs who claimed to be great
fighters and stupid Hill Rajas turned against the Guru.
The latter, commenced making preparations against
him with a view to harassing him. But the heart of
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Guru Gobind Singh was dauntless and nothing could
trouble him. The Hill Rajas fired the first shot against
him in a cowardly and unsoldierly way. They asked
him to leave their territory, get out of Anandpur and
pay for the damage and destruction caused by his
people. This compensation should be made in hard
cash. In the case of non-compliance with these conditions,
the combined army of the Hill Rajas will march
against him. The Guru's father Guru Tegh Bahadur
had bought the land and had set up a village there. The
Guru, a fighter by instinct and a crusader for freeing
the country from foreign dominance, could not be
expected to submit to such terms. He sent back the
reply that he would pay the claimed damages with his
sword and re-purchase his stay at Anandpur with bullets.
The Rajput Kings did not like the tone and tenor
of this reply. Their blood rose in vengeance and they
drew their swords. They attacked Anandpur a number
of times. I give below C:1 brief account of these
attacks:
The Guru had delivered a telling blow to the
false faith and useless religious wrangles of the Brahmins
and the Mullahs by establishing Khalsa Dharma
in the teeth of the silly and indiscreet storm of Hinduism
and the fanatical flood of the Muslims. He was
yet to defeat the Imperial forces of the Muslim
Emperor of Delhi, for which he was making plans.
Some have opined that these plans of the Guru bordered
on madness and were impracticable. It was
108
rashness verging nothing short of madness for a destitute
person to aspire to clash with a mighty power.
This opinion itself sounds meaningless when we consider
how single individuals like Nadir Shah, Babur
had carved vast empires in Asia. They gathered men
around them and then some more men and thus
gathering power they marched to their destiny. What
is needed is courage, an indomitable heart and the
help of self-sacrificing, devoted followers. The Guru
would have succeeded in his mission but for three
factors. He could not in his time destroy the Muslim
Empire. But he left it tottering and had created a virile
people and a strong wave of nationalism to complete
the task still left undone.
The greatest factor that could not let him succeed
was that he was not a deceitful person like Shivaji.
He considered it below his dignity as a preceptor to
resort to ruse and duplicity and wanted to succeed
through physical skill and prowess only. Diplomacy
and deceit are the heart and soul of warfare, but the
Guru abhorred them.
Secondly, the Guru did not create openings for
getting close to the Hill Rajas. On the other hand, the
two parties drifted apart to the extent of open hostility
for one another. The very house was divided against
itself. Instead of putting up united resistance against
the common enemy, they fought against one another.
This war was forced on the Guru ere he had gained
sufficient strength for the trial of arms with Delhi.
109
Since the Hill Rajas had used the pretext of defending
their religious traditions to justify their unwarranted
attacks on him, he as a Guru and dauntless person had
to take up the gauntlet. Thus the two parties were
engaged in a mutually destructive conflict.
The third and the last factor was the lack of
proper training of his men in the art ofwar. They were
all men of indomitable courage and had the capacity
and the will to fight till the last. But the lack of proper
training and weapons was a very big handicap for them
while facing numerically far superior and better
equipped armies. If only they had more time for practising
warfare !
The First Attack : Guru Gobind Singh was
hunting in the foothills with his followers. The first
attack on him was launched by Raja Alam Chand and
Raja BaHia. The Guru and his men were poorly
equipped, and the two Rajas wanted to exploit his this
disadvantage. The Guru with his small band of men
faced them boldly and engaged them in a fierce battle.
A pitched skirmish took place, for a short time. Raja
BaHia was killed in the encounter and the Guru and
his men won the day in the first battle.
The Second Attack: Angered at their ignominious
defeat, the Hill Rajas sought the help of the
Subedar of Sirhind, who despatched a force. Thus
reinforced the Rajas again attacked Anandpur. The
battle raged for thirty days. Pierced by an arrow in the
ear Paindey Khan fell dead. Dina Beg ran away from
110
the field. The victorious Sikhs pursued the retreating
enemy up to Rohtak. Ajit Singh, the eldest son of the
Guru Gobind Singh displayed great valour in the field.
Kesri Chand was also killed in the battle. It is
said that the enemy brought an elephant to break open
the portal of the Anandpur fort. Duni Chand, a
Kashatri Sikh was ordered by the Guru to intercept the
elephant, but he ran away. The Guru then asked
Bachittar Singh to confront the animal. Before becoming
a member of the Khalsa, he was a Lubana (a
low easte) by caste. He faced the elephant manfully
and gave its trunk such a deep gash with his sword that
the brute ran away in panic. This incident highlighted
the difference between the Sikhs of the Guru and the
Brahmins and the Kashatris of the time. How low the
Kashatris had fallen, how brave had become the Sikhs,
whatever their erstwhile caste was ! After this victory,
the Guru marched to Kiratpur from Anandpur.
The Third Attack: The second defeat was
rankling in the minds of the Rajas. They tried to
involve the Subedar of Sirhind fully now. It is said that
rupees twenty thousand were given to the Subedar in
cash and Raja Bhim Chand offered him the hand of a
female from his family. The Subedar was won over to
their side. The Guru had rallied some more men
around him and had built four more forts for emergency
use. The Guru well knew the result of opposing the
Emperor of India. He had not been able to consolidate
his -position fully. The continuous warfare
111
with the Rajas had not allowed him to finalise his
schem~s. He had only a small number of Sikhs with
him and no source of income except what his poor,
half-famished Sikhs offered in cash or kind. The Guru
had some Pathans with him, but their number was so
small as to be insignificant in a major engagement.
With the help of the forces of Sirhind, the Raja attacked
the Guru at Kiratpur on 17 Maghar of Samat 1755
(1699 AD.).
The Guru and his Sikhs fought bravely, b~t it
was difficult to hold such large hordes there. So the
Guru returned to the Anandpur Fort. His Sikhs displayed
signal acts ofbravery. Among such fighters was
one Joga Singh who is mentioned inJanam Sakhis. In
the days when preparation of this engagement were
afoot, he was called to Peshawar for his marriage. His
Guru had asked him to return forthwith after the
ceremony. Joga Singh left after the completion of the
circumambulations in connection with his marriage,
though his father forbade him. The Sikhs were made
ofsuch stuff. The siege of Anandpur lasted some days,
the Sikhs fought valiantly. Guru Gobind Singh went
over to the Raja of Sohli, who had invited him. This
battle has been less mentioned by the English historians,
but all Janam Sakhis have given accounts of it.
The Attack of Aurangzeb's Army
For two years after this, the Guru moved about
in different directions. It will be wrong to imagine that
the courage and determination of the Guru suffered a
1J2
fall because of this defeat. On the contrary, he was
steeled by adversity. During this period he remained
busy in rallying his Sikhs for the coming battles. He
busied himself in hunting during his stay with Sohli.
From there he moved into the domain of the Raja of
Bhanbour. After a brief stay there he went to Rawalsar
and celebrated Baisakhi there. Then he crossed
into the principality of the Raja of Mandi and built a
fort there. Some Sikhs came to meet him with some
presents. The Raja Kalmotia looted them on the way.
On learning of this, the Guru sent his son Ajit Singh
for redressal. Mahant Jwalamukhi came with five
hundred men to help Raja Kalmotia. The Mahant
incited many ~ajas against the 'Guru. Guru Gobind
Singh came at last to help his son. The Raja Kalmotia
was defeated and the Guru chastised the Mahant. The
Sikhs looted Jwalamukhi. The offerings of his Sikhs
were the only income the Guru had. If these were to
be looted enroute by Rajas the Guru was within his
right to attack these people.
In the Baisakh of Samat 1758 (1701 AD.), the
Guru returned to Anandpur, which had been looted
and destroyed by both the Muslims and the Rajas. He
built the place a new, repaired the fort and administering
Paqul to his four sons made them Singhs. After
visiting many places, the Guru witnessed the Kurukshetra
Fair in Asarh of 1759 (1702 A.D.) and returned
to Anandpur. He busied himself in military preparations.
The Sikhs started calling him the Sacha Patshah
(The True Emperor) and he became known far and
113
wide by this name. It was not a new term, some of the
earlier Gurus had also been so called. But now it was
used extensively with redoubled zeal and devotion.
The Hill Rajas who were already jealous of his growing
power and popularity, became alarmed now. They felt
their existence in danger and determined to finish him.
After great deliberations, they decided to inflame the
Emperor against him and then attack him ~ith the help
of the Imperial force.
A messenger was sent to implead the Emperor
for help after poisoning his ears against the Guru. He
informed the Emperor that the Guru called himself
the True Emperor, dressed and conducted himself like
one, had collected a large army of Sikhs, had invented
a new religion and was ready to conflict with the Muslims.
All robbers and dacoits had joined his group and
his power was growing daily. He pleaded that if this
newly gushing spring was not plugged at once, it would
be impossible to stem the roaring torrent that it shall
grow into. The Emperor was enraged and his tyrannical
and fanatical blood started boiling. He deemed it
a god-send that all the Hill Rajas were against the
Guru and resolved to finish him.
The Fourth Attack: Aurangzeb ordered Bazid
Khan, the Subedar of Sirhind to capture the Guru and
produce him in the Imperial Court at Delhi. He sent
three of his generals, Amir Khan Das-Hazari, Nijabat
Khan and Wahid Khan to help the Subedar. Raja
Ajmer Chand was sent with this force, which was rein-
114
forced by the torces of the Hill Rajas. This combined
army besieged Anandpur on Phalgun 17 ofSamat 1759
(1703 A.D.). The Guru having a much smaller army
did not come out of the Fort and fought from within.
A bloody battle raged for five days. Many Singhs were
killed, but they had accounted for a greater number of
the enemy. The Guru coming out on the sixth day,
waged a vigorous attack. He killed Sardar Azeem
Khan, a noted general and Paindey Khan. Raja Hari
Chand lassowalia was killed by Mamon Khan, a servant
of the Guru.
The Fifth Attack: Feeling humiliated over this
defeat, Aurangzeb decided to despatch a very large
army against the Guru. He ordered the Subedar of
Lahore, and it is said also the subedar of Kashmir to
join forces with the Subedar of Sirhind, to defeat the
Guru, capture him alive and produce him at his Imperial
Court in Delhi. It speaks volumes for the
courage and capability of the Guru that the forces of
the entire Northern region were deployed against a
mere recluse. This formidable force consisting of the
armies of the Subedars of Delhi, Sirhind, Lahore and
Kashmir went into action against the Guru and his
men. It is said that the Guru had been able to muster
only ten thousand men. He deputed his eldest son Ajit
Singh to man the Kesgarh Fort with two thousand
soldiers. Man Singh and Sher Singh with one thousand
men were despatched to the Lohgarh Fort. Alam
Singh and Suket Singh with three thousand soldiers
were sent to Damdama Fort. Ude Singh was detailed
115
to Agampur Fort. But it appears that either these
details are incorrect or all these people came to the
open field at Anandpur where the great battle took
place.
Guru Gobind Singh himself was at Anandpur.
The Imperial army surrounded Anandpur and a terrible
battle ensued. The Sikhs fought very bravely and
beat back the Muslims many times. The Muslims with
fresh reinforcement attacked fiercely. The Sikhs faced
their charge with exemplary courage. The Muslims
were about to enter Anandpur when Ajit Singh
jumped into the fray with a batch of dedicated Sikhs,
but the advancing wave of the Muslims appeared to
be irresistible. Seeing the predicament of his forces,
Guru Gobind Singh personally led a counter-attack.
A very bloody engagement took place. The Sikhs
fought with gusto. Azeem Khan and Dilawar Khan,
two high officers of the Imperial army were killed.
Towards the close of the evening the Muslim army
wilted under this fierce onslaught and decamped. The
Sikhs had won the day.
The battle was resumed on the second day. The
Guru was at Damdama now. Zabardast Khan threw a
cannonball in his direction. The Guru had a
miraculous escape but some nearby Sikhs were killed.
For some days the Sikhs fought back against fierce
attacks by the multitudinous Muslim hordes. How
long could a handful of men stand against such vast
numbers? When the number of the Sikhs was consid-
116
erably reduced they went back into the Fort of
Anandpur and closed its portals. The Imperial forces
cut off their supplies of food and other necessities.
During one night of the siege, the Sikhs finding an
opportune time waged a surprise attack and in utter
confusions the Muslim forces moved back and lifted
the siege. Raja Dadwal and Raja Jassowal were killed.
The Sikhs captured some booty. The Imperial forces
hung back in the neighbourhood waiting for further
reinforcement.
The Sixth Attack: Aurangzeb gathered
another big force from all over the Empire, supplemented
it with Rajput troops and despatched the combined
army to help the forces of Subedars of Sirhind,
Lahore, Delhi and Kashmir. This redoubled Imperial
army attacked and besieged Anandpur in Chet of
Samat 1761 (1704 A.D.).The Sikhs bore the hardships
of the siege with great fortitude. When there was no
food left, the Sikhs preferred death in the battlefield
to dying of starvation. But the Guru wanted the Sikhs
to face the siege for some days more. There were some
Sikhs who were fed up with the privations they faced
and desired to leave Anandpur. Guru Gobind Singh
told them that they could leave Anandpur only after
disowning him and declaring that they were not Sikhs.
Some disavowed their Guru and faith, while others
remained faithful.
The Hill Rajas sent a Brahmin who on oath of
the sacred cow, brought word to the Guru that the
117
army would not follow and molest the Sikhs if the Guru
abandoned the Anandpur Fort with his men. The
Guru like a truthful man believed the word and taking
his men, their families and his own left the Fort for
Kiratpur. The Imperial forces after looting the Fort,
went back on their solemn pledge and pursued the
Sikhs. Next day, the Guru and his people reached
Kanwalsar on the banks of Sirsa stream, which was in
flood. They were between the devil and the deep sea.
The Imperial army was hot on their heels and infront
was the raging torrent. He was in the position of
General Cronje who in the war of Transval with his
four thousand Boers was trapped by a large British
force. There was a stream on one side and the hills on
the other. Cronje capitulated. Guru Gobind Singh
faced even a more unenviable predicament. He had
women, children and the aged to protect and he was
harassed and pressed upon by the Muslim hordes. At
last some Sikhs braved the raging river and took the
families across. Just then the Muslim army launched
a severe attack. The Guru, with the remnants of his
small band, faced them. But his men faltered in the
face of such heavy odds and they were routed.
Guru Gobind Singh with his two sons and forty
Sikhs entered Chamkaur and took shelter in an
enclosure. In this flight, the Sikhs took two wives of
the Guru to Delhi. The aged mother of the Guru, with
her two grandsons, took shelter with Ganga Ram, an
old Brahmin cook of the Guru's household (her tale
of woe shall be related later on). Let us turn to the
118
field of Chamkaur where the Guru performed
miraculous feats of daring not equalled in the entire
history of the world. The Imperial army and the Hindu
hordeswho were pursuing the Guru well knew that the
Guru had entered Chamkaur with only forty men. He
did not have any forces left and like a lion was shut up
in a cage. The enemy could not hope for a better
situation than this and decided to capture him alive.
So this adobe structure, this shelter-house was surrounded
on all sides.
The reader may well visualize the set up, the
critical situation for the Guru. A whole army of an
Empire supported by the Rajputs and the forces of Hill
Rajas poised against a handful of Sikhs, destitute and
in dire straits, sheltered in an adobe building and
surrounded on all sides. The entire history of the
world can scarcely produce another example of a
handful of men facing such vast multitudes. No king,
no general had ever stood up or even thought of
making a fight against myriads of Imperial forces. The
Guru not only faced these overwhelming odds but also
slipped through them.
He was unperturbed and undaunted. He effected
his escape not for fear of losing his life. He was
not a coward, he saved himself for the fulfilment of his
holy mission. He wanted to have a breathing space so
as to regroup and revitalise his people. Were he a
coward, he would have taken his sons alive with him.
He would not have sent his sons out to make heroic
Jl9
sacrifices right before his eyes. He left after signing
with the blood of his sons, the Divine Document
enshrining his message of Universal Love and
Brotherhood. The heroic sacrifices of his sons were
the testimonies affirming this Glorious Deed. He did
all this for the shameless, spineless, dastardly and ungrateful
Hindu nation. Who is there among the Hindus
so pur-blind, so base, so rash, so mean, so cynical,
as to accuse the Guru of cowardliness.
The Emperors of Germany, Austria and Russia
despite having huge armies with them surrendered
unabashed before Napolean. And so did thousands of
Muslims soldiers of Egypt. A brave General like
Cronje despite having guns and four thousand Boer
fighters with him laid down arms before the British
Army. But look at the unparalleled courage displayed
by Guru ·Gobind Singh! He had only forty Sikhs with
him in a dilapidated adobe structure at Chamkaur
surrounded by the Imperial hordes. The enemy
General sent a message demanding the Guru to surrender
and bid good-bye to his Khalsa. Guru Gobind
Singh refused to buckle under and his son despatched
the insolent soldier on the spot. He sent his reply
through a Sikh saying that Lord Akal commands him
to die fighting rather than giving himself up, to spread
the Khalsa Dharma rather than forsaking it.
He had only forty Sikhs with him in a poor
adobe structure besieged by countless foes. Judge his
reply considering his highly vulnerable position. Can
120
any man accuse him of cowardice? Here he proved
the truth of his saying that he would cause the sparrows
to spurn the hawks and then alone be worthy of being
called Gobind Singh. He and his men kept the Imperial
army at bay throughout the day. An exceptional
exploit, a daring display of dauntless courage, a victory
of the spirit over mere physical force. The Guru
misscd no opportunity to jump into the fray with a
sword in his hand to help and bolster his valiant
Sikhs-the Famous Forty. He sends his sons out, one by
one, to fight unflinchingly and die fighting before his
very eyes. He utters no words of anguish, feels no
lashings of regret, does not abjure his faith or give up
his mission.
We all know the story ofRustam who mistakenly
kills his son in a bout. Who lashed by regret slithers
to the ground in a swoon and on gaining consciousness
is determined to kill himself. A brave man like
Napolean had tears in his eyes at the death of his
general. Ram Chander wept piteously at the swooning
.of his brother Lakshman and ordered Hanuman to
bring the reviving herb. Guru Gobind Singh was not
disheartened by the death of his eldest son Ajit Singh
but continued the fight. His second son Jujhar Singh
who was barely fourteen or fifteen comes before his
father. He seeks permission from his father, the Guru,
to measure swords with the enemy and avenge his
brother's death. The Guru is not swayed by fatherly
love or con~iderations of his son's tender age. He
allows his son to fight and meet certain death. Did any
121
other father face such a situation and behave to nonchalantly?
It seems he willed his son to dare the
enemy and die and thus seal with the last attestation
through self- sacrifice, his father's Immortal Document
of Love and Brotherhood of man.
Jujhar Singh wants to drink water before going
out to fight. His father, the Guru, tells him to go ahead
and quench his thirst with the enemy's blood and not
with water. He further tells Jujhar Singh to drink from
the cup of martyrdom in the battlefield and that his
thirst is symbolic of the thirst of the Khalsa for their
enemy's blood. He blesses his son to march to Heaven
on the path of the Martyrs already taken by his brother,
Ajit Singh. Despite his tender years, Jujhar Singh
jumps into the battle like a redoubtable warrior and
sheds his blood for the defence of Hindu Dharma.
Fie on him who denigrates the Guru by accusing
him of cowardliness! May his mouth fill with filth
and dirt who utters such accusals. The Guru left the
field to fight another day for his country and Dharma
at a more opportune time. He could have very easily
saved his sons and taken them with him out of Chamkaur.
The Sikhs fought fiercely till dusk. By then only
three Sikhs were left alive, namely Dharam Singh,
Man Singh and Daya Singh, along with their Guru.
Just imagine! The whole Imperial army cannot dare
to capture these four Sikhs. The door of the adobe
building is closed. Visualize the awe which the Guru
122
inspires in the enemy. Not a single soul among them
dares to approach the door and break it open, though
it is kept under constant watch. The Guru kisses the
faces of his sons and the hands of the Five Beloveds,
leaves their bodies behind and surveying the field
scornfully moves out of Chamkaur. What was dearer
to him than his sons, than his Five Beloveds, than his
Sikhs, for which he was saving himself? It was for his
faith, his mission of universal brotherhood and his duty
to defend the country and the downtrodden though
ungrateful Hindus that he after sacrificing his worldly
all was keeping himself alive.
Aller the Battle of Chamkaur
How did the Guru escape from there? It is said
that the remaining three Sikhs started shouting at night
that the Pir of the Hindus, meaning the Guru was
slipping out. The shouting created consternation and
an uproar in the Imperial army. Utter confusion
reigned amongst them and making use of this diversion
the Guru slipped out in the darkness of the night,
bare-footed and with a blistering heart. He moved
towards the jungle.
Leaving the Guru at this stage, let us turn to the
sad and heart-rending story of his two small sons.
Mter the exodus from Anandpur and the crossing of
the turbulent Sirsa stream, the mother of the Guru
with her two younger grandsons took shelter with an
old servitor of the family, Ganga Ram, a Brahmin, of
village Kheri that falls in Ropar district. The Guru's
123
mother had taken with her some gems and hard cash.
The old Brahmin servitor was filled with greed. He
thought of usurping this wealth and informing the
Subedar of Sirhind about the presence of the Guru's
mother and his sons. His wife remonstrated with him
saying that he had eaten the salt ofthe Guru and should
not betray him.
The glitter of the gold and the gems blinded
him, blotted all sense of shame and gratitude from his
mind. He stole these from the old lady and informed
Nawab Jani Khan, about her and her grandsons. Jani
Khan passed on the news to his superior, the Subedar
of Sirhind. The old servitor committed a despicahle
crime. But for a Brahmin it was nothing extraordinary.
He had been sucking like a leech the life-blood of
others for thousands of years without compunction or
mercy. For his wants and livelihood, he had never
been averse to deceiving his master, his king, his
people, and his country. He had deceived all of them,
too readily without a twinge of his conscience. The
entire history of India is full of instances of such
treachery. They are shameless and ungrateful
deceivers for the sake of their pleasures and selfish
ends. They feel no shame in begging either in private
or openly like the mendicants.
Informed by the treacherous Brahmin, the
Nawab'got the lady and her grandsons arrested and
sent them to Sirhind as ordered by the Subedar. The
Nawab also came to know about the gems and gold
124
which the ungrateful Brahmin servant had stolen. So
he took the Brahmin along with the booty and
produced him before the Subedar. This Brahmin god
(the epithet "god" is applied to the Brahmin all over
India) got nothing for his treachery and ungratefulness
other than the saving of his dirty skin. The two sons of
the Guru, Zorawar Singh aged nine and Fateh Singh
aged seven, were produced before the Subedar, who
in the first instance sentenced them to one year's
imprisonment in a Tower, known as the Chandal Burj
till today.
Later on he summoned them to appear before
him and urged them to embrace Islam and then lead a
life of luxury like royal princes. He warned them that
if they failed to heed his advice, they would be put to
the sword. Do you know what these two tender and
innocent kids said in reply? They declared that they
were the sons of Guru Gobind Singh and the
grandsons of Guru Tegh Bahadur, the king among
martyrs of the nation and the country. In their veins
ran the blood of their redoubtable father and their
noble grandfather. Islam did not appeal to them and
no temptation or hope of any reward could make them
embrace it. They did not want to buy their lives at the
cost of the Khalsa Dharma. They held their lives very
cheaply and cared not two hoots if it flew out of their
limbs; Death held no terror for them. They would not
go against the mandate of Akal and embrace the faith
of the enemies of their country and Dharma. Their
answer was worthy of their noble descent. It was the
125
elder of the two sons who made this bold reply. He
asked if conversion to Islam could save them from
Death. If die they must, why not die nobly for their
country and the Khalsa Dharma?
This bold reply stunned the Subedar ofSirhind.
Then seething with wrath he ordered them to be beheaded.
The world is not entirely full of heartless and
devilish people only. Here and there are to be seen
good and noble souls. Even in this gathering of bloodthirsty
men was one such noble soul-Nawab Sher
Mohammad Khan of Kotla. Addressing the Subedar,
the Nawab questioned the justice of punishing innocent
children for the fault of their father. He
wanted to know what injunction of the Holy Ouran
permitted the slaughter of the innocent. This gory act
of great injustice could perhaps have been averted.
But there was in that assemblage a Kashatri Dewan
Sucha (Truthful) Nand, inimical to the Guru, who
counselled their killing, holding it unwise and impolitic
to save them arguing that it is not wise to bring
up the young ones of an asp after killing it because the
wolf's whelp has the making of a future wolf.
0, Mother India, these are your offspring. Your
most favourite, the eldest Brahmin son (Ganga Ram)
had already shown his true colours of deceit, ungratefulness,
shamelessness, indecency and inhumanity.
Now be. proud ofyour second worthy son, the Kashatri,
Dewan Sucha Nand who felt no hesitation in wreaking
his vengeance on the Guru, by sending his tender sons
126
(of the ages of 7 and 9), to certain death. He was not
to be outdone by his elder Brahmin brother, in meanness,
jealousy, cold-blooded inhumanity and devilishness.
These are your true begotten sons. These mean
and selfish sons cause you endless pain and greatly
torture your mind. These sons of yours are consumed
by jealousy and hatred for your other children. They
are thirsty for the blood of thier own brethren and like
leeches, they are even engaged in sucking it. °
woebegone Mother, whom can you accuse and complain
against when your own children are eager to kill
one another? 0, who can defend you then?
0, Mother, you have been seen the work of
your Brahmin and Kashatri sons, who claim preeminence
over your other sons. Now Guru Gobind
Singh has taken with him your lowly son, the Shudra,
to defend you. But the jealous, mean and haughty elder
brothers won't let them gain enough strength to
achieve thei'r goal. In their wickedness the wretches the
ignoble elder brothers - work against you and
their own good. Their wisdom has been consumed by
their wickedness. 0, Mother India, pray to the Almighty
for your sons. Supplicate the Lord to teach
them to love one another and foster firm bonds of
brotherhood.
Mter a day or two the children of the Guru
were again invited to embrace Islam. Glowing pictures
of luxurious living, big Jagirs and great riches as
rewards and dignities were drawn before them. But
127
Zorawar Singh was unmoved and reiterated the reply
.given earlier that they were not tempted by the short
and inglorious life of pleasure. They would rather die
than give up the Khalsa Dharma. They were the sons
of Guru Gobind Singh, undaunted by death. They
would court death smilingly. They challenged him to
do his worst. These words cut the Subedar to the quick
and he ordered that they should be bricked alive. The
erection of a wall was started around them. They stood
unperturbed. There were no tears in their eyes, no
tremor on their lips, no trembling in their limbs, no
beads of perspiration on their foreheads, no paleness
on their faces. What stead-fastness, what courage,
what fortitude, what super-human capacity for making
sacrifices!
Just imagine, dear reader, what kept them
calm, unconcerned and unmoved under such trying
circumstances ? This courage, this fearlessness, this
spirit was instilled in them by their father, Guru
Gobind Singh. When the wall rises higher, the younger
brother aged seven shows some signs of uneasiness.
Zorawar Singh addresses his brother saying, "0, Fateh
Singh, shout Wahe-Guru Ji Ka Khalsa, Wahe-Guru Ji
Ki Fateh (The Khalsa belongs to God and victory is in
His hands), I hold you answerable to your vows to your
father and your mother's milk! Do not lose heart in
the face oftribulation." Fateh Singh steadies himself.
What a glorious show of manliness for a child of
seven!
128
The wall reaches the level of their chests and
inches higher. Their breathing is obstructed and they
feel suffocated. At this critical juncture, they are urged
again to choose between Islam promising life and
refusal meaning death. Their answer is the same but
they add that they see heaven across the wall, on the
other side infront of them, they feel no pain. They
cherish their Khalsa Dharma and are not prepared to
bargain for miserable life. They feel blessed as they
carry out the command of the Lord Akal. The wall
reaches the level of their heads, then covers them. The
two tender hearts are stilled for ever. They died. for
their Dharma and their Motherland. They died to live
for ever in the hearts of men . They died to revive
Hindu Dharma. They died to give eternal life to their
Khalsa Dharma. They showed the world that a nation
that bears brave children like them never dies. Hallowed
is the land which gives birth to such valiant
progeny.
Compare them with fully grown men who bid
good-bye to their religion for a handful of coins. Compare
them with long-beards who for the sake ofa
woman forsake their fai tho Some of them join the fold
of Mohammed. Some others of them swell the ranks
of the followers of Christ.My country-men, these were
the children who signed with their blood, the Immortal
Document of the Love of their father. Krishan
avenged himself on the enemies of his father, only
after growing to full manhood. We cannot compare
this feat of his maturer years with the exemplary
129
courage shown by these kids of seven and nine. Their
father was not there to guide or order them and yet
they braved death for his faith and principles. They
were not grown up and sturdy like Krishan but they
out-did him in courage and steadfastness.
The Muslims dealt with these tender boys with
the same cruelty which was in evidence in their heartless
treatment of the innocent grandnephews of their
Prophet in the battlefield of Karbla. To this day the
Shias and other Muslims remember the occasion with
lamentations and heavy hearts. But the brave Sikhs
have taken this inhuman treatment of their Guru's
children in their stride.
When the old mother of the Guru came to
know about the heart-rending tale of her grandson's
deaths, she was overwhelmed by the heartlessness and
the cruelty of the perpetrators of this dastardly act and
died. Let us turn from this horrendous tale of human
ungratefulness, of mean, unmanly revenge, of inhuman
treatment of young children at the hands of
grown-up men holding high positions, and turn to
the exploits of the Guru.
The Guru started walking bare-footed in the
dark night when thorny bushes and way-side thorns
could not be made out. How could he escape unscathed.
His feet became blistered and were bleeding
still he walked till day-break. The Imperial army tried
to track him at night and also during the day, the heaps
of the dead-bodies were sorted out to find his body but
130
without success. Not knowing where to look for him,
the authorities sent search-parties in all directions.
Since the Sun had risen, the Guru, certain of
being pursued, went to sleep in a thicket, with a couple
ofclods under his head for a pillow. He was dead tired
and had not slept for many nights with the result that
he slept very soundly during the day. He passed the
night at the same spot without eating anything. There
is a Gurdwara now at this place. In the small hours of
the night, he marched to the east of Machhiwara town
and passed the day in a garden. An edifice known as
Charan Kanwal (Lotus Feet) stands in his memory.
Nabi Khan and Ghani Khan,two Pathan brotherscame
to their garden for a walk and recognised Guru Gobind
Singh because they used to bring horses to him for sale.
They judged from his tattered clothes and his physical
condition that he had come from a battlefield. They
were under debt of the Guru for his past favours and
had earned handsomely through dealings with him.
They were Muslims but were men enough not to act in
an ungrateful manner.
Instead of harming the Guru or informing the
Imperial forces about him, they escorted him safely to
Behlolpur. The three Sikhs of the Guru who had
escaped from Chamkaur in the ensuing confusion after
their announcement regarding their Guru's exit also
reached there. They had dressed themselves like Muslims
and were looking for their Guru. A column of the
Imperial army, looking for the Guru, arrived in neigh-
131
bourhood. The Guru and his comrades took shelter
with one Gulaba Singh there, who personally took
them to the house of Qazi Pir (or Mir) Mohammad.
The Qazi and the Guru were old friends. The Qazi
proved his true humanism and friendship. After
deliberations, it was decided that the Guru should be
declared a Muslim Pir and dressed like one be taken
to Millwa region. Accordingly, the Guru was declared
Uch Da Pir (The Pir of Eminence), seated on a cot
raised high as per the custom prevalent then and accompanied
by the Qazi, Ghani Khan and the three Sikhs
in Muslim garbs, was taken out of Behlolpur. The
Guru, attired in blue robes, was taken from one village
to another in the direction of Malwa.
What a company it was, strange and holy. How
courageous and bold on the part of the Guru to put
himself at the mercy of Muslims, when his own people,
the Hindus, for whose defence and welfare he was
struggling, had betrayed him, when the entire resources
of the Muslim Empire of the time were ranged
against him, and when every Muslim hand was raised
against him. Human mind staggers to take in the
situation, what a man the Guru was! His shrewd
judgement of men was proved true. He saw no Hindu
worth the name, to afford him shelter and also he had
no faith in their word of honour or their honour itself.
Had he trusted his life in the hands of any Brahmin Or
Kashatri, it would not have been worth a dime. The
two Muslims justified the trust reposed in them and at
least they escorted him safely to Malwa. The Guru in
132
the guise of a Muslim Pir was taken to village
Ghungrali and after buying weapons from Jhanda
Mistri, the group arrived at the Dera of Mahant Kirpal
Dass, in village Haer, who refused to give shelter to a
rebel against the Emperor. See, how a Hindu had
behaved!
From there, the group moved farther and at last
arrived at the house of Rai Kalha, the Rais (dignitary)
of Raikot, in village Jatpura. Though a Muslim, he
entertained them well. The Sikhs presented horses and
weapons to the Guru at that place. The Guru also
learnt there what had befallen his aged mother and his
two younger sons. The Guru heard it all with equianimity
and thanked Akal Purkh for the consummation
of His Will. The Guru declared there that a day
would come when the Khalsawould raze Sirhind to the
ground to avenge their innocent brothers. These
words were a sort of legacy for the Sikhs who proved
them true.
The Epistle orVictory
Mter passing through some villages like Sheikhupura,
Dhanoula, Namgarh, the Guru in the month
of Maghar of Samat 1761 (1705 AD.) reached Dina.
He rested there for some time and improved his condition
a little. He collected some weapons from the
region, initiated some Singhs and armed them. He
received offerings from his Sikhs. He penned his
famous missive "Zafar Nama" in Persian, meant for
Aurangzeb, who, it is said, sent for the Guru, assuring
133
him of safe conduct, and proper respect. The Guru
refused to believe in Aurangzeb's word of honour and
wrote to him forcefully that he should refrain from
cruelty and tyranny; otherwise he would face the wrath
of the Lord for his evil conduct. The Guru added that
he personally had neither any domain nor desire of
seizing any territory but he and his Sikhs would ever
be ready to move against him and work for his
downfall. The Sikhs would pay him back in his own
coin. This letter proves Guru Gobind Singhs's fearlessness
and his dedication to his mission.
After leaving Dina and passing through many
villages, the Guru reached Kot Kapura. Rai Kapura
looked after the Guru well and offered him money and
many horses but refused to do anything else. Guru
Gobind Singh had desired Rai Kapura to keep him at
Kot Kapura, allow him to train his men in warfare and
also to lend him his personal support. Thus disappointed
in the fulfilment of his desire, the Guru moved
out and reached village Dhilwan. There lived Sodhi
Koul Sahib, a descendant of Pirthi Chand. He
received the Guru warmly and requested him to take
off his blue robes. Guru Gobind Singh consigned his
robes to the fire in his farsightedness so that his Sikhs
may not take to worshipping them. But his Sikhs
beholden to their Guru at every step could not be kept
from keeping safe the sacred relics of their Guru like
Nishan Sahib, Chola Sahib which adorn Gurdwaras
now. It is a sad story that these relics are worshipped
in a way and used as a means of earning money. It is
134
proper that these should be reserved and held very
dear by every Sikh.
The Regrouping of the Sikhs
Here the Guru was joined by those Sikhs who
had disowned him at Anandpur Sahib during the siege.
They came to ask forgiveness for their grievous sin.
When these Sikhs had reached their homes after
deserting their Guru, they were taken to task by their
brethern and put to great shame. They had fallen so
low in the estimation of the people that it had become
very difficult for them to pass their days in that region.
Now they were forced to turn to their Guru for pardon.
This is an indication of the love and reverence which
the people had for their Guru and ofthe public support
which his mission was gaining. The Subedar of Sirhind
got wind of the Guru's sojourn in the area and the
rallying of Sikhs around him. So partly in compliance
with Aurangzeb's order and partly fearing chastisement
for his own crimes, he decided to finish the Guru
and he set out to achieve this end. Guru Gobind Singh
was again forced into an unequal engagement. He was
able to muster only a handful of Sikhs.
Taking positions in the sandy plain of
Khidrana, Guru Gobind Singh with his band of sturdy
Sikhs waited for the forces of Sirhind. Wazir Khan, the
Subedar reached there and the battlefield came to life.
The Sikhs fought tenaciously to the last ounce of
courage and energy in their bodies. The field was
135
littered with heaps of corpses. The Sikhs captured the
only source of fresh water in the area. The Muslim
army was much troubled by the lack of water and
waged many attacks to regain the spring. Repulsed
time and again and tormented by thirst, the Muslim
army was disheartened and decamped. The Sikhs pursued
them relentlessly for four to five miles and inflicted
heavy casualties. Utterly van4uished, the
Muslim army went back to the safety of Sirhind and
abandoned any future campaigns against the Guru, in
the dangerous wilds and jungle areas. Thus, the Guru
and his Sikhs captured the battlefield, having decidedly
defeated the Imperial army.
The Guru, thus, proved the wisdom of leaving
the field at Chamkaur and silenced his detractors. It
was his farsightedness and will to fight another day in
pursuance of his mission for the defence and welfare
of the Hindus and the Hindu Dharma that caused him
to move out of a hopeless situation. It is well to
remember here that Rai Kapura of Kot Kapura who
had refused to help the Guru against the Muslims,
fought on the side of Muslims against the Guru and
was killed in this battle. Proving once again that the
degenerate Hindus instead of helping the Guru for
their own welfare had opposed him at every step. They
never hesitated to lift their swords against him. They
had been reduced to abject slavery, both mental and
physical and to moral decrepitude.
When the Muslim army had fled from the bat-
136
tlefield, Guru Gobind Singh approached the bodies of
his Sikhs who had fallen in the battle. With his handkerchief,
he wiped the blood from their faces, extolling
their bravery and exclaiming that they had attained
heaven by virtue of their sword-arm. There was still
some life in Mahan Singh of Majha. The Guru poured
some water in his mouth and he opened his eyes to find
his Guru before him. He reqovered to some extent
and in reply to his Guru's offer of a reward for his
heroic services, he very feebly requested his Guru to
tear' the Deed, disowning their Guru, signed by him
and his comrades. Guru Gobind Singh took out the
document from his cummerbund, where he had been
keeping it all along and tore it before the eyes of
Mahan Singh. Thus, the Forty Sikhs were taken back
into the Khalsa fold.
This act of Mahan Singh is highly praiseworthy
and is remembered and recounted with great love and
esteem. In the dying moments of his martyred life, he
had thoughts only for the welfare of his brethren and
countrymen. Selfless sacrifice for his country and
Khalsa Dharma and selfless service of his comrades
were uppermost in his mind till his last breath. Blessed
are such people indeed who die desiring the welfare
of their comrades and countrymen, who shed their
blood for upholding the honour of their homeland,
who consecrate their lives to the good of their country
and countrymen. Only those countries, that had such
men in their folds, touched great heights in their his-
137
tory. Only such countries attained great splendour and
achieved great degrees of perfection in any field.
Sacrifice spells success for nations. In all times and all
climes, its great need had been felt, is still felt and will
continue to be felt. No people, no country can attain
anything worthwhile without offering sacrifices. The
lamp of national honour is lit by mending the wick of
selfless service and by pouring the oil of self-sacrifice.
The edifice of a nation's greatness is raised on the firm
foundation of self- sacrifice. Guru Gobind Singh personally
performed the last rites of his brave Sikhs.
He founded a town in commemoration of this
battle and gave it the name of Muktsar, meaning
thereby, the Tank of Liberation. He called all those
Sikhs who had died there as the Muktas (The
Liberated Ones). Then passing through many villages
the Guru went to Wazidpur, where the people did not
allow him to stay. In this jungle tract, some soldiers
of the Brar clan insisted on receiving their pay, but the
Guru had nothing to offer them except hunger.
During this period, the Sikhs had often to go without
food for a day or two. The Guru managed to pay his
men after receiving some monetary help from a Sikh
devotee. One of the Sikh soldiers, Dewan Singh by
name refused to receive his pay. The Guru administered
Arnrit to one Brahmin Faqir, who had
become a Muslim at his birth, and called him Ajmer
Singh.
]38
The Guru at Damdama
Guru Gobind Singh reached Talwandi and his
wife arrived there from Delhi. After staying there for
some days, he went to Bathinda and then to Damdama.
It is commonly held that since the Guru had some
respite (meaning 'Dam' in the vernacular) here, the
place was called Damdama Sahib.
Another tradition goes that the Guru sent his
letter to Aurangzeb from here through Daya Singh and
Dharam Singh, who brought the Emperor's reply as
well. The Emperor had invited the Guru to Delhi in
flattering terms. Having no faith in the Emperor's
word and his assurances, the Guru .did not visit him.
He busied himself in more important work and sent a
strongly-worded reply wherein he openly reproached
Aurangzeb for his cruel and evil deeds. The Guru
reminded him ofthe wrath ofGod about to fall on him.
The Guru also declared that the Dharma of Guru
Nanak is the finest of all, that Delhi holds no terror for
him since he is unawed by any earthly power, that he
has no attachment for the world and its goods, that he
is patiently awaiting his end. The Guru warned
Aurangzeb about the evil consequences of his evil acts
when he shall be hauled up on the Judgement Day and
found wanting in the face of the piteous cries ofaccUsal
raised against him by thousands of innocent beings
tortured to death by him on this earth. How should it
fare with him at that time, the Guru asked him to
139
visualize. Moved by this letter, Aurangzeb sent for
Guru Gobind Singh once again, but the Guru did not
respond.
Damdama Sahib is held sacred for yet another
reason. The whole of Guru Granth Sahib (Adi
Granth) was' rewritten here and the Guru added the
Bani of his father, Guru Tegh Bahadur. This volume
of Guru Granth Sahib is called the Bir of Damdama.
Some people hold that the Guru effected some changes
in some verses of the Granth, but there is nothing
much to substantiate this claim. The Guru, per force,
had to get the Granth rewritten, as the followers of
Dhir Mal who had the original Granth with them had
refused to hand it over. He also wanted to incorporate
the Bani of the Ninth Guru, in this Granth. He had
respite from continuous warfare now and could attend
to these things. It is firmly held that Guru Gobind
Singh composed some portions of his famous Vachittar
Natak in which he deals with the lives and doings, of
the first nine Gurus, writes about his personal life and
eulogized the Glory of Akal Purkh as the FountainHead
for all his actions.
Guru's March Towards Deccan
From Damdama, the Guru moved towards
Deccan to carry his mission to regions other than the
Punjab. He passed through Rajputana. The Rajputs
and their Rajas had so far been untouched by his
mission. Probably this was what had prompted him to
140
approach them in their own region. The people welcomed
him in a befitting manner, gave him due
respect, entertained him. They were impressed by his
sermons and benefitted from them. At one place,
Mahant Chet Ram, a follower of Dadu Saint received
him very warmly. A mention of this meeting is made
in many traditional accounts.
While passing through this territory, the Guru
witnessed the Mela of Puranmashi (Full Moon) in
Kartik month of Samat 1763 (1706 A.O.) at Pushkar
Raj. When the Guru visited Ajmer, a faithful devotee
of his constructed a ghat there in commemoration of
his visit. It is known as Gobind G.hat (wharf). Guru
Gobind Singh learnt of the death of Aurangzeb while
he was camping at Baghaur town. Aurangzeb died in
Samat 1764 (1707 A.D.). The Guru showed no sign of
elation of any kind and kept his usual composure on
hearing this news.
The Guru and Bahadur Shah
After the demise of Aurangzeb, a tug of war
ensued among his sons for the Imperial throne. At the
time of his father's death, Bahadur Shah, the eldest son
was at Kabul. Azeem Shah, another son of Aurangzeb
drew his sword in defiance and sending for his younger
brother Kam Bakhsh, got him murdered, thus following
in the foot steps of his father who had despatched
his brother Murad likewise. Bahadur had to face a
cruel and strong enemy. Fearing that he might face the
141
same fate as did Dara Shikoh, he made great preparations
for the war. He also wanted to benefit by the help
of Guru Gobind Singh at this critical juncture.
By that time the Sikhs had established themselves
as a strong force to reckon with and had formed a
sizeable number. Bahadur Shah saw in the person of
the Guru the means of enlisting the support of Sikhs
for his own good. In his farsightedness he might have
imagined that in the case of his proving victorious, he
would not have to face the opposition of the Sikhs and
their Guru, who had made his opposition to the tyrannical
Muslim rule very clear. Therefore, Bahadur
Shah sent two Hindu Dewans to the Guru soliciting his
help. After pondering over all aspects of the matter,
the Guru resolved to help him. The Guru did not have
to oppose any Hindu power and as a friend he could
bide his time, stay near the Emperor and also near his
Sikhs whom he would be able to train and equip. The
above factors must have weighed heavily with him
while making this decision.
When the Guru approached Bahadur Shah, the
latter received him courteously and with proper
respect. At last the Guru helped him by bringing a
large force of his Khalsa on Bahadur Shah's side
against Azeem Shah at the battlefield of Agra. Tradition
goes that the Guru pierced Azeem Shah with an
arrow while he was sitting atop his elephant. It may be
imagined that the Guru tried to do so. Azeem Shah
was killed whether at the hands of the Guru or of
142
somebody else. But there is no doubt that the Guru
was greatly responsible for Bahadur Shah's victory. In
gratitude for the Guru's help, the new Emperor,
Bahadur Shah, took him to Delhi and he stayed there
for some time. When Bahadur Shah started on his
Deccan campaign, the Guru accompanied him.
Before leaving, the Guru allowed his wife Sundri Ji to
adopt a son, who was called Ajit Singh. The Guru in
the company of the Emperor passed through Mathura,
Bharatpur, Jaipur etc. and reached Ujjain. Bahadur
Shah wanted to send the Guru with a big force under
him against the Marathas. The Guru saw through the
political gambit of the Emperor and refused to oblige
him.
Meeting Banda Bahadur
Parting company with the Emperor, and passing
through many places, he reached Nanded. Madho
Dass alias Narain Dass Bairagi, a Hindu Faqir, lived
there. The Guru met him and found in him a great
potential for fighting and the requisite guts and fervour
for sacrificing himself for the defence of the downtrodden
Hindus and their Dharma. The Guru made
Madho Dass his Shishya (a Sikh) but did not administer
Pahul (Arnrit) to him perhaps with a view to
closing the chapter of Guruship and forestalling any
claim to Gurudom by him, later on. The fact of
Madho's not having been given Pahul would deter the
Khalsa from upholding such a claim if ever made by
143
him in time to come. * The Guru gave him the name
of Banda and sent him to Sirhind. The Guru wrote to
many Sikhs urging them to give active support to
Banda in his mission. He detailed a large group of
Sikhs to accompany Banda Singh to the Punjab.
At the time of sending off Banda, Guru Gobind
Singh made him to take five vows (1) of remaining a
celibate, (2) of never telling a lie, (3) of not starting a
new sect or instituting guruship, (4) of not sitting on
the seat of guruship, and (5) of treating Sikhs as his
brethren and equals. He wrote to Sikhs in general to
join him. Guru Gobind Singh bestowed his sword on
him.
Guru Gobind Singh, who was still alive when
Banda Bahadur embarked upon his mission, learnt of
the plunder and the devastation of Sirhind at the hands
of Banda. The Guru evinced neither elation nor satis-
* This view is refuted by a host of hiiitorians, old and modern,
Punjabi, Indian and Europeans, Muslims and Hindus, who
wrote in English, Persian and vernacular, e.g. Forester, James
Brown, Mc'Gregor, Mohammad Latif, Ciulam Hussain Khan,
Iradat Khan, Kanhya Lal, Sharda Ram PhiIlauri, Ahmed Shah
Batalvi, Zaka-UIIah, Ganesh Dass Wadehra, Ali-u-Din Mufti.
AIl these references have been quoted by Dr.Ganda Singh in his
book Banda Singh BallOdur (Punjabi) where he writes that Guru
Gobind Singh bestowed the boon of Amrit on Madho Dass and
called him Banda Singh and honoured him with the title of
'Bahadur'. Giani Sohan Singh in his book Banda Singh Shahid
(Punjabi) quotes many more Indian and foreign writers in
support of the administering of Pahul to Banda.
144
faction over it. To him, this act was unworthy of his
noble mission. Secondly, a man who had been sent to
bear hardships for the good and betterment of others
and to be indifferent to his own worldly happiness,
could not feel joy and satisfaction over such poor,
negative achievement.
In reality, Guru Gobind Singh had come to
show people that the leaven of sacrifice and suffering
produces calmness and content. He did not live long
enough to witness the successful achievements of
Banda Bahadur. He received that summons from his
Akal for which all of us should ever be ready.
Attracted by the natural beauty of the area
around the banks of Godavari, Guru Gobind Singh set
up his camp there. Later on, he bought a piece of land
there and built a house on it. He called this place Afzal
Nagar also known as Abchal Nagar. A Mandir in that
area too is known by this name till today. The Guru
stayed there for quite some time and his Sikh disciples
started trickling in from the surrounding areas. The
Guru spent his mornings in Kirtan (singing of
Shabads). At noon after taking his meals, he daily
distributed food among the needy. On occasions he
would go out hunting because he wanted his Sikhs to
be alive to the need of fostering fighting capabilities ir.
them and keeping themselves in good shape. By his
daily routine, he set before his Khalsa an example of
good conduct - of how one should spend one's life in
Lordworship, in helping the needy and indigent and in
145
doing courageous and bold deeds.
The Guru received here the news of the killing
of the Subedar of Sirhind at the hands of Banda
Bahadur in the battle on the 13th Jeth of Samat 1764
(1707 A.D.). The Sikhs were overjoyed to hear this
news which according to them was an act ofvengeance.
But the Guru heard the news with serenity and opined
that the command of Lord Akal has been carried out.
His face bore no expression of jubilation. A heart
which is indifferent to sorrow, which is unperturbed by
hardships, grief and toil, cannot be carried away by any
feelings of joy over trivial successes. The Guru was
basically a kind-hearted man who could not be pleased
by the shedding of anyone's blood. But a sharp distinction
must be made between being trigger- happy and
shedding blood in the performance of one's duty. The
appreciation of this distinction had often forced him
to take to difficult and dangerous paths for the success
of his mission.
Brutal Attack on the Guru
Bahadur Shah passed through Nanded after the
annexation ofAhmed Nagar and the completion of the
Deccan campaign. He met Guru Gobind Singh and
tried to take him along, but the Guru declined to
accompany him. The power and existence of Guru
Gobind Singh was rankling in the mind of the
Emperor, who well knew what the mission of the Guru
was and earnestly wanted to exterminate him. The
Emperor was awaiting an opportune time. The ex-
146
ploits of Banda Bahadur made the Emperor feel further
threatened by the existence of the Guru, so he
planned for the physical liquidation of the Guru. After
setting the wheel of conspiracy in motion, the Emperor
removed himself from the scene. He had incited one
Turkish youth to despatch the Guru who had killed his
father and grandfather and it was the primal duty of a
Muslim to avenge the murder of his ancestors. The
Emperor had further reproached the youth for his
shamelessness in serving the killer of his forebears. To
accentuate the effect of his goadings, the Emperor
added the tempting offer of honours and regards for
the successful completion of the conspiracy. *
This turkish Muslim was called Gull Khan and
he along with his brother Atta-Allah-Khan, was in the
service of the Guru. Theywere the descendants ofone
Paindey Khan, who had been killed by the Guru in one
of his many battl~s. This conspiracy had taken a strong
hold on the minds of these two Turks and worked
successfully because the Guru trusted them. On the
fourth of Bhadon of Samat 1765 (1708 A.D.), finding
the Guru asleep and unattended by anyone else, Gull
Khan thrust his dagger deep into the Guru's stomach.
The Guru stood up wounded, and pressing his wound
with one hand and taking hold of his sword with the
other struck a telling blow on his assailant, killing him
on the spot.
* Historians have averred that this conspiracy was hatched by the
Subedar of Sirhind.
147
The wound was not very dangerous but had
been inflicted in a very sensitive part of the body. The
Sikhs gathered around their Guru in no time.
A surgeon was sent for who stitched the wound
and dressed it. The wound started healing and there
were distinct signs of recovery after some days. But
the Guru tried his hand at archery one day, with the
result that the wound was reopened and inflamation
set in. Despite all curative measures, the wound
started deteriorating with the result that the Guru's
health steadily declined.
Thus, the Guru, stabbed by his enemies, sealed
his Document of Love, with his own gory signature.
He had started writing this Legacy to his Nation with
the ink formed out of the sacrifice of all his ease and
happiness mixed with his heart's blood, on the paper
of devotion to the nation, with the pen of patriotic
fervour. This Document had been witnessed and
signed by his two elder sons and the Five Beloveds with
their blood. His remaining two innocent and tender
sons had testified it with their blood. The whole
process of writing had commenced with the blood of
Guru Teg Bahadur, the father of the Guru. The contents
were written with the blood of the two elder sons
of Guru Gobind Singh, while his two tender sons of
ages seven and nine testified it with their blood. The
Guru with his own gore wrote finis on it.
This elegy of the Emperor of the Khalsa had
its Title written in blood. Its every dot, every word and
148
every line was written with the blood that shall not dry
till eternity.
All efforts to heal the Guru's wound proved
unavailing. When the Guru felt that his hour was
approaching, he asked for a coco-nut and five paise as
per stipulations which he placed before the Holy
Granth and enjoined the Khalsa that from then onwards,
the Holy Granth shall be their only one Guru,
their Eternal Guru who shall ever protect them and
guide them in all matters, that they should never accept
any other guru, should never bow before anyone
or any granth other than the Guru Granth Sahib. His
injunction was that they should 'ever remain steadfast
and true to their faith, that he would be there in spirit
where his five Sikhs gather and that these five shall be
vested with the authority to administer Arnrit (Pahul)
to the seekers and make them members of the Khalsa
Fraternity.
Ending of the Guruship in Person
In this manner the sagacious and farsighted
Guru ended the cycle of succession to Guruship. He
could feel the pulse of the people and the temper of
the times. By putting this bar, he saved the Sikhs from
future degeneration, dissensions and divisions. That
is why the Khalsa Dharma has kept its purity during
these three hundred years. The devolution of the
power of bestowing of Pahul on five Sikhs was a great
democratic step which saved the Sikhs from the ills of
gurudom which had eaten into the vitals of the Hindu
149
Dharma invested with multitudes of gurus in the form
of Brahmins. The Guru was well aware of this fact and
could never allow this evil to afflict the Khalsa. So, he
decided to abolish gurudom for ever and did it in a very
effective manner.
Last days of the Guru
On the next day, the 15th of Kartik of Samat
1765, Guru Gobind Singh bathed himself, dressed and
armed himself, said his prayers and heard kirtan. Then
he stretched himself on his bed and listening to the
recital of Bani from Guru Granth Sahib, breathed his
last uttering the last words, "Wahe-Guru Ji Ka Khalsa,
Wahe-Guru Ji Ki Fateh". Thus, he poured the final
Ahuti of his body in the Sacrificial Fire which he had
lit for the betterment of the Hindus. On that day was
set the special sun of the Hindus which had enabled
them to see clearly with their own eyes, whose warmth
had ·brought spring into their withered garden with its
wilted plants supporting drooping twigs and leaves,
and engendered fresh sprouts.
This Sun had set in the darkness of death. That
lightning singing patriotic songs in the storm clouds of
hope disappeared, the down pour of the soothing rain
of nationalism that was helping to cool the burning
hearts of the Hindus and to extinguish the fire of
acrimonious dissensions sweeping across the country,
was driven away by the tempest of Death. The river
whose overflowing currents were promising plenty and
prosperity in the drought-despoiled fields of India. was
150
submerged in a devastating flood. The great soul
which had come to revive India, was whisked away; the
heart full of love for the Hindus, ever zealous and
ready to spill its blood for their welfare, was stilled.
Alas! the True Lover, the True Well-Wisher, the True
Friend of the Hindus, the True Consoler, the Loving
Helper, the Real Benefactor of the Indians closed his
eyes for ever. But he had planted the sapling of
Nationalism, had watered it with his blood and had
manured it with his bones. The sapling took roots,
grew fast into a robust tree and eventually bore a
plenteous crop of rich fruit.
The deep love, determination and faith with
which he had embarked upon his mission and which
had sustained his assiduous efforts, bore fruit at last.
The string of sacrifice that took toll of the members of
his family - his father, his mother, his four sons and of
his own life, was crowned at last with success. The
Guru died in the flush of real achievement. He had
gained the goal he had set before him and exerted
himself to achieve. The creation, growth and steady
rise to glory of his Khalsa testifies to the successful
culmination of his efforts. He died fully conscious that
he had set wheels in motion as he had wanted to, that
he had carried out the mandate of his Lord Akal. He
had done his duty, to the people and to the Country as
ordained by his Akal.
Shivaji Maratha was his contemporary. Their
aims and objective are often compared and it is erroneously
concluded that the Guru was comparatively
151
unsuccessful in his mission. All facets and aspects of
their efforts, the situations involved, the angles involved
in their mission whether personal or national
or a clever combination of both, their principles and
scruples should be taken into account while comparing
them with e,ach other. Shivaji undoubtedly was impelled
by the motive of national good but underneath
lay vcry selfish undercurrents of gaining power. While
Guru Gobind Singh had no such ulterior motives intermixed
with his mission. He did not want to carve a
kingdom to perpetuate a dynasty like Shivaji. He, on
the other hand, sacrificed whatever he had, sacrificed
his sons, thus ending his dynasty for the sake of his
country and the welfare of his countrymen. Shivaji
worked for gaining political power, though in some
degree nationalism was involved in it. Guru Gobind
Singh fought on all the four fronts, remaining in the
fore-fronts in each, the social, political, religious and
military. He never resorted to any subterfuge in any
of his actions in these fields.
The main aim of the Guru was to uplift the
down-trodden low castes and make them atleast the
equals if not the betters of the high castes by making
them the devotees of one Formless Lord, united in the
brotherhood of man. Shivaji was not inspired by any
such lofty ideals of Brotherhood of man and worship
of the Formless One. He worked purely in the political
field unhampered by religious, social or humane
consideration. He was free to adopt any or all methods,
of deceits, duplicity and diplomacy. The Guru
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primarily a religious preceptor and.-fet'ornier, had
closed all these avenues of help and relied entirely on
his physical prowess, determination and devotion to
his cause, to achieve his ends. The conquests of Shivaji
attracted m~n to him with the lure of pelf and power.
On the other hand the Guru gathered ordinary
people, the so-called dregs of the Hindu society
around him, filled them with love, courage, patriotism
and brotherhood, in order to gain conquests for the
cause of the people. Shivaji attracted fighters to him,
the Guru transformed ordinary people into selfless,
redoubtable fighters for Hindu Dharma, the equal of
the highest in the world. He transformed the ruined
field into a verdant green blossoming and promising a
rich crop of its fruit. The Hindus are forever beholden
to Guru Gobind Singh and bow before him in grateful
esteem.
Outstanding Qualities of the Guru
It shall be amiss on my part, if I fail to write
about the qualities of the Guru that emerge from the
happenings penned on the foregoing pages. I shall
write only about these. Every Punjabi is conversant
with these traits of the Guru, though no one so far has
tried to capture them in writing. Mine is going to be
the first exercise in this direction, if I falter here and
there, I crave the reader's indulgence to bear with me.
If I repeat myself or seem to be contradicting myself,
it is entirely my fault, the fault of a novice in this field.
Guru Gobind Singh was a true anchorite and a
153
true patriot. Krishna and Bhishma had sermonised in
the Mahabharta that a man who gives up his life for the
good of others is the greatest of all anchorites. The
Guru not only gave up his life for the welfare of others
but also gave up everything he had for the love of his
country. He sacrificed his ease and comfort, his blood
and body for his nation. He did not hesitate to sacrifice
his all for his country and people. He may easily be
called the greatest among those who gave up everything
for their country. Giving up entails first possessing
a thing and then giving it up for a noble cause for
the general good. Buddha detached himself from the
world out of fear of pain and suffering. The detachment
of Bhishma was inspired by the selfish motive of
gaining the favour of his father. The Guru gave up
everything he had for his people, for his country. He
sacrificed everything for the Hindus, for their welfare
and for their Dharma, without any selfish motive or
thought of return. Had he so desired he could have
rolled snugly in the lap of luxury, could have demanded
and enjoyed enormous esteem and respect, could have
received paeans of praise as a revered Guru. He
never hankered after such petty things.
It is extremely rare if not altogether impossible
to find all the good qualities in one man. But the Guru
was an embodiment of all round perfection. He was a
poet, a religious leader, a religious and social
reformer, .an excellent planner and counsellor and a
superb general. He was a poet whose verse was forceful
and vibrant with emotions of every kind, and highly
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eloquent. As a reformer in the social and religious
spheres he had no peer. In the battle-field he was a
dauntless general unperturbed by the turn of events.
He was a sagacious and farsighted counsellor, a true
lover of his country, an unflagging champion of his
people, an unrivalled martyr of his country.
Krishna, Ram Chandra and Shankara were
great men and in their time they performed great
deeds. Guru Gobind Singh surpassed them all in
working wonders for the nation and the country. In the
battlefield, Krishna exhorted martial princes to drive
away any thoughts of cowardice out of their minds and
prepare for the battle, while the Guru uplifted and
filled with fervour and fighting spirit such people who
had been turned into mere clods of clay during many
centuries of oppression, and who had never dreamed
of holding weapons. Inspired by the Guru they performed
such deeds- of exceptional valour as put into
shade the exploits of Arjuna in the battlefield. And
with a tiny band of these men the Guru having no
worldly possessions, confronted the innumerable Imperial
hordes with vast resources at their disposal.
He was very steadfast. He stuck to the last to
the mission of his life, which he had conceived during
the life time of his father, Guru Tegh Bahadur. Every
moment of his life, he kept his mission before him. He
continuously worked for its success. No grief, no
hardship, no adversity in short nothing could or did
take his mind away from his mission. He did not waver
155
in his resolve at the death of his sons and his near and
dear ones.
Nothing could lower his courage. No defeat
could dishearten, no distress could depress him, no
predicament could make him despondent. A little
respite after a rout, made him gather his men and
prepare for another :,howdown in the battlefield with
a redoubtable enemy with the vast resources of an
equally vast empire at his back. He fought successfully
against armies made up of professional soldiers. With
bands of ill-equipped men from the lower rungs of
society - essentially non combatants - having little or
no training in war-fare, he fought successfully against
armies made up ofprofessional soldiers. No situation
was hopeless for him. Visualize the valiant stand taken
by the Guru and his forty Sikhs against the Imperial
hordes at Chamkaur. The entire History of the world
cannot offer its peer.
He was an excellent fighter himself, equally
skilled in the handling of the sword, the bow, the spear
and other weapons. He always fought in the forefront
to inspire his Sikhs with feats of personal valour, and
to bolster their courage. His sword used to spread
consternation in the ranks of Imperial army and his
arrows always dented the enemy attack. He was not
only an excellent fighter, but was also a superb general.
He knew how to marshall his men and get the best out
of them. Many a time he defeated the combined armies
of the Subedars and the Hill Rajas with a small
156
force. His presence was electrifying for his men. He
always went where his presence was needed most. He
inspired his men to perform deeds of unique valour, to
die fighting against impossible odds, to beat back
numerically superior forces. Excellent generals had
not been great fighters. But the Guru possessed both
these qualities in the highest degree.
He was very hardy and industrious. Whenever
he found leisure, he used to train his men. He bore all
kinds of hardships, braving the thorny paths barefooted
in the dark night, sleeping on clods of earth,
breasting the raging torrents, going without food and
rest, with perfect equanimity. He would often thank
his Lord Akal for such harsh blessings. He never felt
dismayed by any adversity. He could send his sons to
fight and see them die fighting before his very eyes
without wincing. He could hear calmly the news of the
horrible deaths of his remaining two children of the
tender ages ofseven and nine years. No word or action
of his ever displayed despondency.
The Guru was never in a haste to do anything.
He would always ponder over all aspects of an issue
before going in for any action. The laying of the firm
foundation of the Khalsa is a wonderful example of his
superb circumspection. So firm was the foundation of
the edifice of the Khalsa, that the Imperial swords and
guns, the Imperial power and glory could not check its
growth. Every man who became a Sikh of the Guru,
was infused with such mettle that he thought nothing
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of battling with death, ofsacrificing his life for his faith
and the good of others; Guru Gobind Singh turned
cowards into courageous men, traders into tough
fighters and the down-trodden into doughty warriors.
His men were not only great warriors in the battlefield,
but were also men of integrity, humane, gentle,
full of love 'for all, God-loving, open and truthful. He
inculcated the noble qualities of selfless service and
self-sacrifice in his people. He was the first man to
think of nationalism and to foster feeling of
nationalism among the Indian people.
He was not only highly circumspect but was
far-sighted as well. He planned not only for the
present but also for the time to come. With his farsight
he knit the Khalsa into such a strong uniont gave
it such principles as would forestall any degeneration
or decline. His abolition of the Gurudom was a very
sagacious, timely and far-sighted step. It has verily
saved the Khalsa from losing its purity and character.
He was a good administrator and personally looked
after everything. He managed his resources skillfully
and kept a small army at no great expense. He looked
after the well-being of everyone of his men.
There was a magic in his words that carried
away his Sikhs. They would gladly do anything for him
so much that they would not hesitate to sacrifice their
lives at his behest. Guru Gobind Singh loved his Sikhs
equally well without any distinction of high or low and
they were aware of this. The Guru endeared himself
158
to all with his sweet manners, soft words and warm
heart. He was a great lover of mankind and a firm
believer in the brotherhood of man. That is why
despite being a relentless enemy of the cruel and
despotic Muslim rulers he was loved and honoured by
the ordinary Muslims. The carrying of the Guru on a
cot raised high by two Muslims, to a place of safety
when the Imperial army was looking for him, bears this
out amply. He was very courteous and generous. His
Langar (kitchen) was always open to any hungry person.
His house was always open to the needy. He and
his services were always there for the taking by any
oppressed person. Though the Hill Rajas were dead
set against him and left no occasion to fight against
him, but the Guru readily responded to their supplication
and helped them when they were in sore distress.
He had a jovial nature and loved to play practical
jokes on others. We all know how he alongwith
his fellows broke the pitchers of ladies, in his
childhood at Patna. He had a fine sense of humour,
subtle as well as robust. Once one of his devotee Sikhs
killed a tiger, brought its whole skin alongwith its head
face, ears etc. intact and presented it to him. The Guru
asked his Sikh to put the skin along with the head etc.
onto a donkey. They did a nice job of it and the donkey
came to resemble a tiger. The Guru asked the Sikhs
to set the donkey loose, out on the streets. The people
taking it for a real tiger were seized with panic and ran
for their lives. Some hid themselves while some others
climbed trees and house-tops. People locked their
159
doors. At last the donkey brayed and the people
heaved a sigh of relief.
He was not only a patron of arts but also a man
of letters himself. He was fond of reading and especially
loved to go through historical books especially
those dealing with the exploits of the Indian heroes.
He liked such books to be read to him. He was quite
proficient in Arabic and Persian and also knew
Sanskrit well. He used to hear with great interest
readings from the old Scriptures, The Shastras,
Upanishdas and Puranas, etc. He was a great poet and
kept a coterie of 52 poets at his court. He had a great
love for war epics, encouraged his poets to compose
verses on martial themes and himself composed epics
celebrating the exploits of the goddess Durga of Hindu
Mythology in stirring verse that arouses martial feelings
in the readers.
He devoted some time daily, both in the morning
and the evening, to the worship of Akal the Formless
One, and to the singing of Shabads (hymns) from
Gurbani. Recitations from the Holy Granth, the Guru
Granth Sahib, were made every-day and the Guru
always attended these recitations in the holy congregation.
He personally recited Japji Sahib, Jaap Sahib,
Swayyas, Chaupai and Rehras everyday. He was very
regular and devout in saying his prayers and performing
his religious duties. He thoroughly despised idolworship'
and the observance of Sharadhs (obsequies
for the well-being of the dead ancestors).
160
Guru Gobind Singh was a votary of Truth. He
never lost sight of Truth in any of his teachings and
actions. He did nothing untruthful either in the battlefield
or in his daily works. He was often requested
by people to perform miraculous deeds. His reply ever
was that man is a powerless being, all miracle-making
lies with the Lord. Once at Agra he was asked about
the existence of miracles. He answered that man cannot
perform miracles but three things in the world are
miracles in themselves; steel, strength and wealth.
Steel (the Guru meant weapons) can grant crowns,
fulfil a man's desires, help him gain honour and liberation
through a heroic death in the battle-field. Power
(physical and jntellectual) helps one gain dominance
in any sphere. The powerless are pushed to the wall,
humbled and humiliated. They are the slaves of the
powerful people. Wealth wins over everybody. A
poor man has no friends, no relatives. Wealth enables
a man to attain honour and respect and fulfil his
desires.
The Guru was very simple in manners and dealings.
He loved everyone irrespective of caste, creed,
social status or any other man-made distinction. His
concept of love was all-embracing, the concept of
Universal Brotherhood which cut-across all barriers of
caste, colour, creed, clan and country. He received
everyone, including those who considered themselves
his enemies openly, with a smiling face. He was a man
without any shortcoming, above praise and averse to
161
denigration of others. Generous to a fault, he helped
even the Hill Rajas who were ever eager and did their level
best to trouble him. Bahadur Shah, the Emperor of
India wanted to grant him a Jagir, but the Guru
declined the offer. He was never swayed by desire in
his chequered career. He was a true champion of the
downtrodden and oppressed Hindus.
Philosophy of Guru Gobind Singh
The Guru did not believe in the existence of the
so call1ed Avtaras or Incarnations. Nor did he hold it
possible that there could ever be an Incarantion of the
Formless One. Some people have put forth that the
Guru believed in Avtaras. They are misled by his verse
on Ram Chandra, Krishna, Vishnu, Brahma etc., the
24 Avtaras included in the anthology of his works, the
Dasam Granth. They adduce plausibly that since he
praised them in his verses, he must have believed in
their existence. But these gentlemen fail to take cognizance
of the fact that nowhere in his writings had the
Guru accepted them as Avtaras or Incarnations of the
Formless Akal.
In reality he wrote about them in the language
of the people, drawing from the mythological lore
current at that time. He wrote about their exploits in
glowing terms, using forceful words with telling effect,
mainly to arouse the martial spirit of the people lying
dormant then. It is too farfetched to assume that a
writer's having written about something is a conclusive
proof of his belief in its existence.
162
It is meaningless to make one's own unwarranted
deductions ignoring the words of the Guru
which are very clear. His words can be classified in two
categories: firstly (a) those in which the refutation of
Avtaras is implied or merely hinted at and secondly (b)
those in which it is clear and pointed.
The First Kind
He writes in the Akal Ustat (the Praise of the
Lord)
1. Namastavalig Akale.
My salutations to the Lord who is above Death.
2. Namasta~g Ajallome.
My salutations to Him, who does not take birth.
3. Ajallam Hai, Awarall Hui.
He has no body and no birth, He has no caste.
The Second Kind
1. Kete Krishan se kif kOlai IIpae.
Usare garhe pher mele bunae. (96)
(12)
The Lord Akal creates millions of worms like
Krishna, annihilates them and recreates and so on.
The Guru writes in 33 Swayyas :
a. Kahlln lai lhok badhe IIr Tltakur,
Kahllli Mahesh kall ish bakhanyo.
Some hang stones as gods, around their necks,
while some others erroneously call Mahesh 'God'.
163
b. Kahlln kahyo Hari mandar main Hari,
Kahiln masit ke blch pramanyo. (12)
Some people say that the Lord lives in the
Mandir alone, while some others believe that He is in
the Mosque only.
c. Kahlln ne Ram kahyo Krishna kahan,
Kahli,; manai avlar no manyo. (12)
Some people say that Krishna is God, while
some others believe in the Avtaras of God.
d. Phokal dharam biselr sabai,
Kartar hi kau karta ji janyo. (12)
I have discarded all these false religions and am
of the firm view that He who is the creator of the
Universe, is the only Lord.
2. lau kahun Ram ajon(i) aja; at(i),
Kahe kau Koshi/ kukh jayo ja.
Kal hun Kahn kahai jih kau,
J(jh karal) kal ke din bhayo jli. (13)
You declare that the Lord does not take birth
and is formless; then how could he be born of
Kaushalya's womb, why was Krishna whom you
describe as deathless humbled by death?
(13th Swayya)
3. Kayo kaho Krishall kripa-nidh hai,
J(jh kaj Ie badhak bd~t logayo,
Aur kulin udharat jo,
Kih te ofino kul nas kardyo.
164
Ad(i) ajun (i) kaJuie kaho,
Kim Devak (i) ke ja.rhrantar ayo.
Tat fla mat kahai jih ko,
Tih kiyo Basudeveh bap kahayo. (14)
How come that Krishna, whom you people call
the gracious, was killed by the arrow of a hunter? You
call Krishna the saviour of your race. Why did he let
his progeny, the Yadavs come to an end? Why was he
whom you call as the One without a beginning and
Unborn, conceived in the womb of Devaki and
born? You call Krishna the One, unborn and without
any father or mother. Then why was Vasudeva called
his father?
(14th Swayya)
4. Jal badlle sab !Ii mrit ke,
KOLi Ram Rasltl Ila baclla/l pae.
Alit mare pacllhtae prithi par,
Je jag mai,; avlar kaJuie.
Re mafl lail ike! IIi kal ke,
Lagal kahe /la pae/l pae. (15)
Everybody is caught in the noose of Death, no
Rama or prophet can escape from it. All of them who
made grand claims of being the Avtaras of God, died
repentant. Why dost not thou, 0, hapless being seek
the shelter of the One Lord?
(15th Swayya)
5. Maili /la Gaflesell pritham ma/l(iun,
Kishall Bishall Kabhan fla ,dhiaun.
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Kan sune paihchan na tin son.
Liv lag; mohi pag in son,
Maha kal rakhwir hamOro.
Maha loh mai kinkar thoro.
(Krishna Avtar, 434-35)
I do not seek the blessings of Ganesh first, I
don't worship Krishna or Vishnu, etc. I do not recognize
them. I am engrossed in the loving-devotion of
my Lord alone. The Lord of Death, Akal, is my refuge
and He saves me in all tribulations.
6. Krishna killed some demons and performed
some other marvellous deeds. He declared himself as
the God. He was consumed by Death, so he could not
be the Lord. How can he save those who have faith in
him, since he himself was subject to Death. Only the
Lord is All-Powerful and only He creates and destroys.
(Shabad Hazare)
7. The Lord has no friend, no foe. He does not
desire His praise, neither is He angered by dispraise.
He has no parents, neither has He any progeny. So He
cannot be Krishna, who was born of Devaki's womb.
(Shabad Hazare)
On gods and goddesses: He was as opposed to
gods and goddesses as .to the concept of Avtaras. He
did not believe in them or in their worship.
1. One cannot obtain Liberation by chanting the
names of Ram or Rahim, Brahma, Vishnu, Shiva, the
166
Sun, the Moon etc., they are all the thralls of death.
2. Krishan au Bishan japo tohe kOJik,
Ram Rahim bhall bidh(i) dhiayo.
Brahm japio ar(u) sanbh(u) thapio,
Tih te tuhe ko kinhun na bachayo.
Koi karl tapsa din koJik,
Kahan na kau(ii ko kam ka(ihtJyo.
KtJmak(u) mantra kasire ko ktJm no,
K41 ko ghao kinhan no bachtlyo. (97/1)
You prayed to Krishna and Bishna and millions
of others, millions of times, you worshipped Ram and
Rahim also, supplicated Shiva and Brahma, but none
of them could save you from death. You prayed to all
of them millions of times for millions of days, but all
these countless supplications were not worth a dime.
Impelled by the greed of worldly things, you indulged
in incessant incantations of Mantra and Tantric practices,
but none of these could save you from mauling
by death. (Vachitar Natak)
The Guru considered himself no better than an
ordinary person. He was well aware of the tendencies
of the devotees and the temper of the times towards
his deification and elevation to the status of an Avtara.
In order to forestall any such endeavours on the
part of his followers, he unlike Christ, Moses,
Mohammed, Krishna, Buddha, etc., who called themselves
the dear and near ones, the prophet of God or
God himself, called himself a lowly servitor of God.
167
The Guru declares in his Vachitar Natale:
10 ham ko Parmesa.r uchar(i) haih.
Te saM narak kU;l(j main par(i) hain.
Mo ko dds tavan kd jdno.
Yd mai bhed no ranch pachhdno. (32)
Main hau param Purakh ko dasa.
Dekhan ayo jagat tamasa. (33/6)
All those who call me God, shall fall in the pits
of Hell. Take me for a servitor of His, there is not the
slightest doubt in this. I am a lowly servant of the
Supreme Being and I have been sent to witness the
world drama. This humility raises the Guru far above
the other saints of the world.
The verses above give a clear reflection of his
views on gods and goddesses and their worship. He
does not subscribe to the Vedantic view that the
Creator and His creatures are one and equal. He holds
that the creature cannot be equal to his Creator.
Idol Worship: When the Guru did not helieve
in the entity ofgods, goddesses and Avtaras, how could
he support their worship by men. He was undoubtedly
opposed to idol-worship and so was he to the worshipping
of the dead and their tombs. He has written many
verses on this theme; a few specimens are reproduced
below:
1. Phoka{ dharam Mayo phal IIln,
Ju puj silo jug(i) koJ(i) gaveii.
Sidh kahan sil ke Parse bal,
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Bridh ghall nav nidh na pal.
Aj hi aj sarno ju bitiyo,
Naih kaj saryo kachh(u) /aj na til.
Sri Bhagwant bhajyo na are jarh,
Aise hi ais su bais gavtil. (21)
,
The following offalse religious way is a fruitless
endeavour. If you worship a stone for millions of
Yugas, it will not yield any good, you have simply
wasted your time. You do not gain any success, you
destroy your energy and do not obtain the worldly
riches. 0, ignoramus you have wasted your life in
idol-worship. Don't you feel ashamed of yourself for
not worshipping your True Lord? (21st Swayya)
2. Kalle ko pajat pollan kau.
Kacltlul pollan mai Pamlesar nalli. (20)
Why do you worship stones? The supreme
Lord is not in them and cannot be attained by stoneworship.
Pray to the True Lord, whose worship
removes all your griefand sorrow. Only utter His True
Naam, which is a panacea for all ills. Keep away from
the futile ways of false worship. (20th Swayya)
3. Jau jug tai kar hai tapsa,
Kacllh tohe prasann na pollan kai Iwi.
Hath ulhoe bJzali bidh so,
Jar toile kacllha bar don na dai hai.
If you worship a stone till the close of Yugic
Cycles, it cannot express its gratification, it cannot
raise its hand and bless you with anything, 0, fool !
169
r
How have you come to believe foolishly that it can save
you from any distress ? You are simply degrading
yourself by this kind of worship. (22nd Swayya)
The Guru declares in Vachitar Natak:
Pakhati puj hoti nahlti,
Na bhekh bhij hoti kahlti.
Anatit nam gae hoti.
Param Purakh pile hoi!. (35/6)
I am not a worshipper of stones, I do not follow
the false sects. I sing the glories of the Infinite and
savour His Bliss.
In his famous supplication the Chaupai, he
says:
Ta kau kar(i) pdhan anumanat.
Mahll murh kachh bhed na janat.
Mahadev ko kahat sada Siv.
Niraitkdr kd chlnat naih bhiv. (16)
The fools, without realizing the mystery of His
Infinite Glory, take Him for a stone. They call the god
of gods as the True One without understanding the
concept of the Formless Lord.
Wahe-Guru: According to the Sikh Gurus, the
word 'Wahe-Guru' is symbolic ofthe Formless Eternal
Lord, who is the True Guru (Enlightener) of a man (in
his life) and the Creator of the Universe. Guru
Gobind Singh used this word in the same way as the
earlier Gurus. He says in the Chaupai :
Ad(i) ant(i) ekai avtara.
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So; Gura samjhayhu hamara. (9)
He who is the same one throughout, the only
Incarnation of Himself is my Guru.
Tiratha: The Guru attached no great importance
to the practice of bathing at Tirathas. He says:
Ja/ kai majan(i) je gat(i) hovai,
Nit nit meliduk navelJ.
Jaise meliduk taise oe nar,
Phir(i) phir(i) jon; aveh.
If washing one's body with water helped one
attain Liberation, then all the frogs should have been
emancipated. Like the frogs, the pilgrims, who pin
their hopes in Tirathas, gyrate in the cycle of births and
deaths.
He held the rites and rituals-ridden, old
religion as false and warned the Khalsa, time and again
to keep away from them. He forbade the Khalsa to use
intoxicants and smoke tobacco.
God (Ishwar) : The Guru believed in the God
who is Truth-Consciousness-Bliss, Eternal, Unborn,
Unbegotten, All-pervading, Fearless, Inftnite, Peerless,
Formless, Immaculate, Just, Sustainer Universal.
All his writing in his Granth amply bear this out.
I1ham (Revelation) : The Guru always stressed
that all his actions were done in obedience to the Will
of his Lord. Unlike the old prophet he never claimed
any revelations for his Bani (writings) or that the Word
of God was revealed unto him. He did not believe in
171
,.
miracles nor did he claim to perform supernatural
deeds. But he performed one of the greatest miracles
of all times - The turning of cowards into heroes, the
uplifting of the downtrodden of centuries to glorious
heights of manhood.
His Writings
Dasam Granth is the famous anthology of the
writings of the 10th Guru, Guru Gobind Singh. Some
portions out of it were composed by him, while the
other portions belong to the poets that he kept around
him in his court. His writings bear the words Sri MukhWak
Patshahi dasween (from the lips of the 10th
Guru). It is a voluminous book having 1066 pages. A
detailed review of this Granth is beyond the scope of
this book. But I will briefly dwell on the writings
contained in this Granth.
Some portions ofthis Granth have been written
in very forceful words in an equally forceful style. To
the portions of the book written by his court poets
belong compositions on Avtaras and the goddess
Durga, poems concerning battles and the composition
Istri Charitar. The verses written by the Guru are
interspersed throughout the Granth. It had been written
in Gurmukhi script and Punjabi language and
rightly so. The ZaJamama and the last portion of the
Granth is in Persian, though written in Gurmukhi
script which creates some difficulties for the reader.
This Granth is a vast storehouse of Lord devotion,
of the Eulogy of His Traits and His Naam. Its
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main portions are:
1) Jaap Sahib: It is his composition and can be
considered as an exposition of Japji of Guru
Nanak.
2) AkarUstat: The Guru's composition, contains
the Eulogy of the Akal in glorious terms.
3) Vachitar Natak : The wonderful drama in his
own forceful words, of the Guru's life and that
of his predecessors, an account of his taking
birth.
4) Chandi Charitar I } A glowing account of the
5) Chandi Charitar II mythological fierce battles
between Chandi goddess and the demons and
her victories over them, in very stirring words.
6) Chandi Ki Var: It appears to have been written
especially for arousing the martial spirit of the
Sikhs.
7) Giao Parbodh : It is full of spiritual Lore concerning
God and His praise.
8) Chaubis Avtara: It is a forceful recounting of
the exploits of 24 Avtaras of Vishnu from Hindu
Mythology, in the manner of Chandi Charitars.
9) Mehdi Mir : It is written about the future Imam
Mehdi yet to come with what purpose or view in
mind is unclear.
10) Brahma Avtara: An account of the mythical
173
Avtaras of Brahma.
11. Ruder Avtara : An account of the mythical
avtara of Ruder or Shivji.
12) Shastar Nam Mala: It is uncertain whether it
is the Guru's composition or not. It is an account
of the descriptions of various weapons
and their praise.
13) Sri Mukhwak33 Swayyas :In these verses, the
teachings of the Ouran and the Puranas have
been shown at variance with his own teachings
and that of his predecessors. To some extent
the teachingsof the Vedas have also been
criticised.
14) Shabad Hazare: The Guru's own composition
extolling the Glory of the Lord Akal and Devotion
to Him.
15) Istri Charitar (The Wiles ofWomen) : Not his
own compositions, forms a big chunk of the
Granth. It is an unnecessary appendage not
worthy.of inclusion in the Granth. It is an account.
of the female guiles and the sorrows of
the other wife and the step-mother.
16) Hakayat: Written in Gurmukhi script but
composed in Persian. In this Aurangzeb had
been confronted with sample accounts of the
cruelties he had perpetrated on the people and
forcefully warned of the evil consequences.
174
It is quite probable that this Granth was put
together after the death of the Guru. The Sikhs hold
it in great reverence but it is not read, and recited as
much and as often as Guru Granth Sahib. The Guru
himself never gave any directions that only his Granth
should be given the place of pride or that his Bani
should be preferred to the Bani of the other Gurus.
The Guru got the Bani of his father Guru Tegh
Bahadur included in the Adi-Granth but never made.
any effort for the inclusion of his own writings. He
could have easily done so, if he wanted.
His poetic faculty, with its felicity of phrase and
fecundity of imagination, is one of the special traits of
the Guru. His writings have the universality of appeal
as they touch the tender strings of the human heart
with the lyrical strains of the Cosmic Brotherhood of
Man, as they fill one with martial feelings, arouse the
martial spirit and prepare for a life of purposeful action.
His graphic descriptions of the gory battle
scenes, bring out alive the battlefield itself before
one's eyes, with the neighing of horses, the groaning of
the wounded dying, the shrieking of violent death, the
clashing of weapons, and the clamour of war.
The Guru was able to infuse new blood and
vigour in the dying Hindu nation. From amongst the
cowardly and supine Hindus, he created a new breed
of virile and valiant people, the Khalsa, filled with the
spirit of selfless service and self-sacrifice for the good
of Qumanity and the Glory of Akal. This Khalsa, is a
Living Testimony to the Guru's mirific qualities.
175
(Concluded..)
Nablz ke u(laya so eharaya kai bakhaniai.
Pltal ke bltaehlw)'a tahe bdlidri ke jaya kahaili,
Adis phiraya tete bIlllt kai paeh!laniai.
fal ke taraya ko ga/igairi si kahat jag,
Ag ke bhaehhaya SIl ehakor sam maniai.
Sllraj sivaya tahe kaul ki ba(ltii det,
ChOlidrama sivayd ko kavi kai pahehdniai. (3/73)
52
Those who live under earth can be called the
issue of termites. Those who soar in the sky can be
called the small birds. Those who eat fruit can be
called the breed of monkeys. Those who move in
isolated areas can be recognised as ghosts. Those who
walk on water are called water spiders by the people.
Those who swallow flames can be likened to the
Chakor. Those who worship the sun earn the trait of a
lotus. Those who worship the moon can be compared
to a blue lotus.
Norai!) kachh machh tiildua kahit sabh,
Kaul nabh kaul jih tal mai,j rahat haiti.
Gopi Nath glljar gupal sabhai dhellchari,
Rikhi-kes nam kaih mahant iahiat hai,i.
Madhav bhavar au alenl ko kanahya nam,
KQ1is ke badhaya jamdut kahiat hain.
Murh nirh pilat na gllrhta ke bhed pavai,
Pujat na tahe ja ke rakhe rahiat habi. (4/74)
The octopus, the tortoise, the fish can be called
"Narain ", which means "water-living".
If the Lord is called Narain (living in water)
then He is the octopus, the tortoise, the fish.
If the Lord sports a lotus in His navel, then all
ponds sport lotuses.
If He is called Gopal, Gopinath (shepherd of
cows) then He is Gujjar by caste and profession.
If He is called Rikhikesh, then many saints
were called by this name.
53
If He is called Madhav, then He is a black bee.
If He is called Kanahya, it is the name of the
spider as well.
If He is called the slayer of Kansa then He is a
Yamdoot.
The fools chant empty words and do not realize
His mystery and they do not worship the True one,
who sustains all. (74)
Bisv-pal jagat-kal din dae-al bairi-sal,
Sada pritpal jam jdl te rahat hain.
Jogi jaladluiri sali sache baqe brahmchari,
Dhian kaj bluikh pias deh pai sahat haiti.
Nioli karam jal hom pavak pavan hom,
Adho mukh ek pae lha(fhe na bahat hai;"
Mdtlav phaflitid dev ddtlOv flO paveh bhed,
Bed au kateb flet net kai kahat haiti. (5/75)
The Lord who is the Creator of the Cosmos, as
well as its Destroyer, the Preserver of the poor, the
slayer of the vile, is ever the True Sustainer, is Eternal.
The Yogis, the Celibate, those with matted hair, the
Virtuous, contemplate Him and endure thirst and
hunger, perform numerous Yogic feats, light sacrificial
fires to air, fire and water, hang upside down, stand on
one foot, go without sitting, but can't realise His essence.
Men, gods, demons, godlings cannot unfathom
His ways, and Scriptures declare Him ineffable. (75)
Nachat phirat mor badar karat gllOr,
Damani anek bhau kario i karat hai.
S4
CIIOIidrama te sita/ no suraj te tapat tej,
I~idra sowi no raja bllav blulm ke bharat IIai.
Siv se tapasi ad(i) bralll7la se no bed-chari,
Sanat Kllmar si tapasaya no anat IIai.
Gian ke bil,in ka/-pllas ke adhin soda,
Jllgan ki challkri pllirae i phirat hoi. (6/76)
The peacock is a peerless dancer, the cloud a
unique drummer and the lightning an enchanting danseuse.
The moon is unrivalled in coolness, the sun in
scorching heat and Indra in kingly grandeur. There is
no ascetic like Shiva, no knower of the Vedas like
Brahma and nobody equals Sanat Kumar in leading a
life of austerities. And yet bereft of True realisation
they are all subject to Death and gyrate in the Cycle of
Yugas. (76)
Ek siv bllae ek gae ek pher bllae,
Ram Chandra Krisan ke avtar bhi a1lek llOin.
Brahma ar bisa1l kele bed all pllran kete,
Silimrit(i) sanulhan kai Illli Illli bilae haili.
Mondi madar kete Asllllfli Kllmar kete,
Afisa avtar kete ka/ bas bllae hai/i.
Pir all pikalibar kele gane fla parat ele,
Bluim hi Ie Illli kai phir bllum hi milae hoiIi. (7/77)
One Shiva was born, another died still another
was reborn. There have been countless avtaras of
Krishna and Ramchandra and countless have been
vishnus and Brahmas and countless kinds of countless
scriptures like Vedas and Puranas. There have been countless
Mondis and Madars and countless Aswin Kumars (the
twin sons of the Sun) and countless Hansa Avtara. All
55
of them were subject to death. Countless have been
the Prophets and the Pirs who returned to dust from
where they had sprung. (77)
Jogi jati brahm-chan bat;!e bat;!e chhatra-dluiri,
Clzhatra hi k; clzhaia ka; kos lau clzalat haili.
Bat;!e bat;!e rajall ke dabit phirat(i) des,
Bat;!e bat;!e bIIupall ke drap ko dalat haili.
Mall se mahip tiU Dilip jaise chhatra-dluiri,
Bat;!o abhimall bhuj dalid ko karat hain.
Dara se Dilisar Durjodhall se mandhan,
BllOg bhog billim Ofit bIIum mai milat haili. (8178)
There have been great Yogis, Brahmcharis,
Celibates and great kings whose canopies spread over
miles, who crushed the pride of other kings and annexed
their kingdoms. And great emperors like the
famed Man Singh and Dalip who were proud of their
prowess. Great emperors like Dara and vainglorious
kings like Daryudhan enjoyed all earthly pleasures.
All of them in the end turned to dust. (78)
Sijde kare allek topaclzi kapaJ bhes,
Posti allekda nivavat hain sis kau.
Kaha bIIaeo mall jau pai kat;!hat allek t;!Ofit;!,
So to na t;!a1)t;!aut astling athas kau.
Kaha bIIaeo rog; jo pai t;!ario rahio urdh mukh,
Mall te lIa munt;!lIihuraeo ad(i) is kau.
Kamila adhin sada damalla prabill ek,
Bhavlla bihin kaise pavai jagdis kau. (9179)
The gunner, the disguised hunter bow down
countless times. The opium-eaters nod their heads
countless times. The wrestler while performing his
56
exercises lies on the ground and stands up countless
times. But all these cannot be termed prostration
before Him. A sick person lies with his face downward
many times on the bed. But it is not obeisance to the
Lord as no devotion is involved in it. Caught in the
web of desires, skilled in the deceptive ways and
without realizing Truth, one can't attain Him. (79)
Sis palkat ja ke ka" mai khajura dhasai,
Ma;uj chhalkat mitra putra hun ke sok sOli.
Ak ko charrayd phal phul ko bhachhaya sada,
Ba" ko bhramaya aur dusTO na bok soli.
Kaha bhayo bhe<l jo ghasat sis brichllall sOli,
Mali ke bhachhaya bol pac/zh lijai jok sOli.
Kamna adhin kam krodh maili prab/II,
Ek bhavlla bil,i" kaise bhetai par/ok son. ( 10/80)
A person shakes his head vehemently when an
ear-wig enters his ear or when some dear one dies he
beats his head. One who grazes on celandine flower
and fruit and roams in the jungle can be none other
than the billy-goat. What does it avail if a person rubs
his head like a sheep rubbing against trees or eats dust
like a leech. Beset by desires, swayed by lust and
anger, how can one go to heaven without True realization?
(80)
Nacheo / karat mor dadar karat sor,
Sada ghanghor ghan kario / karat haiiz.
Ek pae lha<lhe sada ban main rahat brichh,
Phuk phuk pav bhum(i) sravag dharat haili.
Pahall anek jug ek lhaur bas karai,
Kag aur chi/ des des bicharat hai,i.
57
Gian kai bihin mahali dan mai na hujai lin,
Bhtivna billin dill kaise kai tarat hain. (11/81 )
Peacocks dance, frogs croak and the clouds
ever chant their roaring. The trees ever on one foot
stand. The Sarvagi clears the passage in front before
stepping, the stones ever squat in the same place. The
crow and the kite fly through many lands. One without
true knowledge, loving devotion, and faith in the
Bounteous Lord cannot cross Beyond. (81)
Jaise ek sva;lgi ka/z(ui jogia bairdgi ball ai,
Kab-hflli salin ids biles ball kai dik/ui~'ai.
Kahun paullhdri ka/llid ba((he lae fari,
Ka/lli/i lobh ki khumdri SOli allek gUll gaval.
Ka/llili brahmc/ldri ka/llib hdOI pai laga~'ai bari,
Ka/lll1i q.aiuj-d/uiri /we kai logan bhramdvai.
Kamila adMII pario IIdchaf hai IIdc/1011 SOli,
Gidn ke biMII kaise bra/1I11 10k pdvai. ( 12/82)
Like an impersonator, a man enacts many roles
in his quest for the Lord. Somewhere he is a Yogi or
a Bairagi, somewhere he shows up in the guise of a
sanyasi. Somewhere he subsists on air alone, somewhere
he sits in a trance. Somewhere impelled by the
love of wealth he sings the praises of others. Somewhere
he is a Brahmchari, somewhere he displays
marvellous yogic feats. Somewhere he moves with a
staff in his hand (as a follower of a certain religious
sect). In all his roles he is trying to attract ana impress
the people. Thus swayed by desires, he prances like a
puppet but bereft ofTrue Knowledge he cannot attain
salvation. (82)
58
Panch bar gidar pukare pare sit ka/,
KUlichar au gad-ha anekda pukar hili.
Kahti Mayo jo pai ka/vatra lio kasi blelt,
Chir chir ellOr{a kutharan so mar hili.
Kalui Mayo phtiitsi (lar(i) bu(lio jar gangdhtir,
fJar(i) (lar(i) phans thag mar(i) mar(i) (lar hili.
Dlibe narak dhar murh gian ke bina bichar.
Bluivna bihin kaise gian ko bichar hili. (13/83)
The jackal howls five times in winter, the
elephant trumpets and the donkey brays many times.
It avails a man nothing to be sawn in two by a saw at
Kashi, thieves and robbers are sometimes axed. What
if the fool does choke himself to death in the Ganges
by putting a noose around his neck? Many robbers
have been hanged to death. The nescient fools are
drowned in the currents of Hell because sans loving
devotion one can't dwell on Him. (83)
Tap ke sallOi te jo pai paiai atap natll,
Tapna anek tan ghael sahat haili.
Up ke kie te jo pai payat ajap dey,
Pudna sadh' tuhili tuhili ucharat haili.
NaM ke u(le te jo pai narai{t payat,
Anal akas palichhi (lolbo karat hain.
Ag mai jare te gat(i) rand ki parat kar,
Palal ke basi kioil bhujOlig na laral hail;. (14/84)
By torturing one's body, one can't find the Lord
of Bliss, for the wounded undergoes great physical
torture without finding Him. By mere chanting of
some names one can't find Him, otherwise the pQodna
bird who ever chants Tu-hi (thou) would have found
59
Him. One can't find the Lord by soaring in the sky,
otherwise the "Anil" who ever soars in the sky would
have found Him. Ifby self-immolation, one could find
salvation, then the women who commit Sati, would
have been emancipated as also the snakes, who dwell
inside the hot earth. (84)
Kou bhaeo 11Zuiu;liii Sa/illiasi kou jogi bhaeo,
Kou brahmc/lari kou jati a/lllma/lbo.
Hindll '{urk kou Raizi Imam Safi,
Manas ki jat sabai ekai paihchanbo.
Kartd karim soi razak ralzim oi,
Dusro na bhed koi bhul bhram manbo.
Ek hi ki sev sabh hi ko gurdev ek,
Ek hi sanlp sabai ekai jot jd/lbo. (15/85)
Though someone has shaved his head, someone
has become a sanyasi, someone has become a yogi,
someone a Brahmchari, someone is a Turk, someone
called Rafzi, someone is Imam Shaffi. But regard all
human beings of different castes, creeds,clans,
countries and continents as one and the same. The
Lord is One and the same, though we call Him by
different names like Karta (Creator), Karim (Gracious),
Razik (the Sustainer), Rahim (the Merciful).
One should not be deluded into believing them to be
separate entities. We are the devotees ofOne God and
He is the Enlightener of all. All human beings have
the same physical appearance and the same soul
animates their bodies. We should recognise them as
one. (85)
Delmi masit soi pujd au nivaj oi,
60
Manas sabai ek pai anek ko bhramao hai.
Devta adev jachh gatidharb Turk HitidZI,
Niare niare desan ke bhes ko prabhao hai.
Ekai nain ekai kan ekai deh ekai ban,
Kluik bad atash au ab ko raMo hai.
A/ah abheklz soi Puran au Kuran oi,
Ek hi sariip sabai ek hi banao hai. (16/86)
The temple and the mosque are the same. The
Hindu way of worship and the Muslim prayer, Nimaz
are the same. The worshippers are the same, though
we may get the deluded impression that they are different.
Under the influence of different countries, the
gods, demons, the angels, the celestial singers appear
in different guises. But the human beings have the
same eyes, the same ears, the same limbs, the same
body and the same elements mixed in them. The Allah
of Muslims, Abhekh of Hindus is the same. Their
scriptures, Ouran and Puran are the same. All human
beings are the same and have been fashioned in the
same mould by the same Creator. (86)
Jaise ek dg te kalllika kot dg uthe,
Niare njare hili kai pher(i) dg mai mj/dlzetige.
Jaise ek dhar te anek dhar parat hai,
Dhzlr ke kallltka pizer dhar hi samalwige.
Jaise ek Ilad te taratig kot upjat haiti,
Pan ke tarairg sabai pdll hi kahaltefige.
Tajse bjsv ntp te ablull Mllll pragat1lllj,
Tahiil te upaj sabai tahiti mai samalwige. (17/87)
By giving a few graphic examples, the Guru
brings home the sameness that pervades all.
1. Countless sparks fly off from a big fire, for a time
being they appear different having an ephemeral
identity oftheir own, but in the end they fall back
into and merge with the parent fire.
2. Millions of microns ofdust rise out of a dust heap
and are pulled back by it and merge into it.
3. Countless sprays of water that shoot out of andfall
back into the ocean are nothing but water.
4. Likewise all corporeal and incorporeal beings
spring from Him and in the end merge into
Him. (87)
Kete Kachll Machh kete un kau karat bhachh,
Kete achh vachh hui sapachh u(1 jahelige.
Kete llabh bid, achh pachh kau karaiTige bhachh,
Ketak pratachh hue pachae khae jaherige.
10/ kaha thaI kaha gagan ke gaun kaha,
Ka/ ke banae sabai ka/ hi chabalreTige.
Tej jio atej rnai atej jaise tej lin,
TahiTi te upaj saba; tahi,i main sumdhenge. (18/88)
There are countless fish and tortoises and
countless are those who eat them. Countless fledglings
growing strong shall fly offand countless are the
birds of prey who shall devour them. And countless
after taking birth shall be finished off. All denizens of
earth, all beings living in water, and all winged ones
that fly in the sky, are the creatures of the Akal and all
of them shall be mowed down by Death. As light
62
merges into darkness and as darkness mingles with
light, all creatures spring from Him and shall be
resorbed by Him. (88)
Kukat phirat kete rovat maral kele,
laf mai 4ubat kete ag mai jari>. ,ani
Kete Gang-basi kete Madina Maka nivasi,
Ketak udasl ke bhramae i phirat hain.
Karval sahat kete bhUm(i) mai ga4at kete,
Sua pai charhat kete dukh kau Marat haili.
Gain mai u4at kete jal mai rahat kete,
Gayan ke bihin jak jare i marat hain. (19/89)
Many howling roam about, many wailing die,
many drown themselves in holy waters, many burn
themselves alive in fire, many live on the banks of
Ganges, many live in Mecca and Medina, many
deluded. by a life of detachment forsake their homes
and wander about. Many bear being sawn alive, many
get themselves buried alive, many lie on planks
studded with nails and bear torture. Many fly in the
air with yogic powers, many live in water. Steeped in
nescience they all burn in Hell-fires. (89)
Sodh hare devta birodh hare dano ba4e,
Bodh hare bodhak prabodh hare japsi.
Ghas hare chandan fagae hare choa-char,
Puj htire pahan charhae hare fapsi.
Gahe hare goran manae hare marhi mall,
Up hare bhilan fagae hare chhapsi.
Gae htire gaildhrab bajae hare ki,inar saM,
Pach hare pah4at tapmit hare tapsi. (20/90)
63
All the gods and godlings wearied searching for
liberation and Him. All the demons wearied defying
Him. All the wise ones failed to find Him through
their reasoning. The reciters failed to find any
knowledge of Him. Many cried off after rubbing their
foreheads with chandan, many got tired of sprinkling
fine scents and aromas. Many wearied of worshipping
the stones, many got tired of offering prasad to their
gods. Many tired of worshipping the tombs and haunting
the graveyards. Many got tired of branding themselves
with the various symbols of the different gods.
The singers and musicians failed to find Him through
their efforts. The pundits failed in their mentations
and the ascetics failed to find Him through penance.
(90)
The Guru did not mince his words. His crystal
clear message needs no clarification. He gave a muchneeded
and timely turn to the religious affairs of the
Hindus. As for religious instruction, it was well nigh
impossible for the concept of Nationalism to take birth
and strike roots among the Hindus.
Guru Gobind Singh writes in his autobiograghy
- All gods, prophets, pirs were sent to the earth
to reprove the people for their sinful ways. But they
instituted their own worship quite forgetting their
Lord. The Brahmins had assumed the ways of the
Shudras and the kashatris had said good-bye to their
duties. Hundreds of religious leaders, preceptors, pirs
64
had sprung up to create countless sects. Gorakhnath,
Ramanuj,Ramanand, Shankaracharya, etc. had set up
their own religions. Mohammed had enjoined upon
his followers to repeat his name along with Allah's.
Thus every guru, pir or prophet misled the people by
instituting their separate religions with diverse ways of
worship and rituals. Consequently the sins of selfishness,
bigotry, cruelty, jealousy, hatred, wrong doing
were rife among the people. The prophets had weaned
the people away from Truth and filled them with
hatred and haughtiness.
Those who were sent for showing the Highway,
misled the people by making their own bye-ways. So,
thou 0 Gobind, have been sent by Lord Akal to bring
people onto the True Path of Loving Devotion to Him
who is Truth, Consciousness and Bliss. Guru Gobind
Singh while declaring himself a humble servant of the
Almighty Lord declared: "He, who considers me as a
god or avtar shall burn in hell. I am a human being like
all others and have come to witness the world-drama.
The Hundu and Muslim religions have degenerated.
The Yogis and the followers of the Ouran and Puranas
are all deceitful. All the religions have gathered dust.
The Bairagis and the Sanyasis have led the people
astray. Their ways of worship are misleading. The Lord
is not in the pages of certain books. He embodies
Humility and Truth. I see His glorious splendour on
all sides. I shall reveal His immanence, His Grace
directs all my actions. He is my True Friend The Lord-
65
All Steel is my Anchor and provides all power to me."
It is evident that the Guru was sent to preach
Truth, Piety, Love and Justice. He had come to relume
and propagate the True Religion of Akal. He
proclaimed that both the Hindus and the Muslims had
strayed from the True Path. The Hindus having forsaken
the Formless One were destitute. He declared
that the Ouran and the Puranas do not reveal the Lord.
The worship of idols and tombs can never give peace.
The greatest asset of the Guru was that he never
claimed to be the avtar or prophet or descendent of
Akal. But in all humility and earnestness he declared
that he was a lowly servant of the Lord, not above
ordinary human beings, sent to multiply goodness and
dwell on the glorious Truth and point to the True Way
leading to the Peerless One. Whosoever worships him
as a god shall forever burn in Hell-fires. Were one to
view impartially, rising above narrow sectarian considerations,
the Guru is head and shoulders above all
other religious preceptors and founders of religions.
They all incorporated their ego in their religious systems
and provided amply for their self-reverence and
self-glory, declared themselves God's beloveds, His
sons or his prophets or regents and considered themselves
a cut above the common man. But the Guru,
disregarding his personal pre-eminence proclaimed
himselfan ordinary servitor of the Lord commissioned
to preach Love and Truth. This is the finest example
of humility and selfless service set by any religious
66
preceptor.
His status is the highest among religious
preceptors of all times. If humility par excellence was
in evidence anywhere it was in Guru Gobind Singh. It
is not my intention to denigrate the founders of
religious sects of any country or time. We in India
venerate all such persons, because in their own way
they all exerted to induce people to goodness. But I
assert unhesitatingly that all other teachers of True
Way were impelled by the desire of self-edification
and gave themselves a status higher than a mere man'sthat
of a near one or dear one or the beloved or an
adviser or a co-equal or the son or the Lord Himself.
They all reduced Him to dependence on others. They
never preached Oneness and omnipotence of Aka\.
Guru Gobind Singh never claimed any kinship with
Him or a special status for himself. He never incorporated
himself in his actions which he proclaimed as
directed by Akal. He described himself as a mere man
though he did what no other religious great had done
before. Hence I have reasons to consider him more
worthy of respect and reverence than all others.
Guru Gobind Singh taught truth and piety to
his Sikhs, stressed why Akal who is Truth-Consciousness-
Bliss should be worshipped through Truth and
Devotion and impressed upon them not to insult the
Creator by worshipping His creatures. Thus he gave
the people in general and the Hindus in particular the
lesson of unity and nationalism. He pulled the Hindus
67
out of the mire of superstition, turned them from the
worship of His creatures to the contemplation of One
Akal, sowed in their minds the thought of a common
cause. He weaned the minds of the Hindus from the
ennervating thought of renouncing the world as unreal
and inspired them to a life of action. He taught the
people who had hitherto considered the killing of a cat
as a sin, that shedding of blood for the defence of one's
Dharma and country was not sinful. He sterpmed the
downward slide of Hindu Dharma towards cowardice,
helplessness and finally extinction. The Hindu Dharma
had almost reached the final stage of a baneful
close. He infused a new spirit, vital and virile, in the
Hindus. Those who were seeking reasons to change
their religion, were so inspired by him as to lay down
their lives for it. He filled the people with the thoughts
of selfless service and self-sacrifice for others, their
country and Dharma, to such an extent that these
actions seemed a common occurence. He turned the
common men of clay into doers of dazzling deeds of
daring. Their feats of valour astounded the world and
are still remembered.
A nation cannot progress as long as its people
do not love one another and unite for a common cause.
The Hindus had become helpless owing to not supplicating
an All-powerful providence. The Guru knit
the people together in a bond of brotherhood. His
message went home because he taught the people in
the language of the common man. He deemed it im-
68
proper rather deadly to preach his gospel and deliver
his instruction'in a language other than that ofthe land.
He had seen the evil effects of education being denied
to the Hindus by the Brahmins. The common people
could not have access to it since it was imparted in
Sanskrit which was a preserve of the Brahmins. Had
the Guru retained Sanskrit as the medium of his message
he would have veritably failed, for the common
man would have failed to grasp it. He felt that pulse
of the people and like the first Guru, Guru Nanak
expressed his thoughts in the lingua of the people.
Consequently he was able to effect sweeping changes
in the religious sphere.
Social Reform
He took in hand reforms in the social structure
with a similar single mindedness and devotion. This
task was very difficult, beset as it was with insurmountable
impediments. Here too his achievements are outstanding
and unequalled by any other social reformer.
At that time the Hindus were miserably caught in the.
web of social divisions based on the invidious caste
system. The social conditions of a people are strongly
affected by their religious environs. The Hindus were
no exception. Changes in the religious sphere cause
attendant changes in the social structure. Divisions
and sub-divisions in the religious sphere were on the
increase owing to Brahminism. New gods and avtaras
were invented and introduced, foundations were laid
of numerous man-made sects which further affected
69
traditions, rites and rituals. The well-being of those
who lived on others, lay in the proliferations of subcastes.
Their ever-increasing wants and luxuries could
be supplied only through the multiplication of sub-castes.
The Brahmins divided and sub-divided people on
the basis of religious differences. This process continued
for a very long period with the result that by the
times of Guru Gobind Singh the number of such sects
had swelled to thousands.
One caste had no dealings or fellow feeling with
another. The Shudras had nothing in common with
Kashatris, the Brahmins had nothing to do with other
castes. The Brahmins and Kashatris among themselves
were -further sub-divided innumerably. These sects
and sub-sects could not inter-marry or dine with one
another. They were poles apart. The members of one
caste or section could not eat the food cooked by
others. And these social bindings were so very ironcast
that merely by eating food prepared by others
would make a man an outcaste and deprive him of his
religious standing. Religion had been reduced to a
narrow code of eating and drinking taboos. Differences
were apparent even in the kinds of foods and
eatables. Such fine distinctions led to mutual hatred
and much bickerings and strife everyday. How could
love for one. another survive in such a suffocating
atmosphere? How could unity take place under differences
and distinctions so varied and sharp? Eating
and drinking with one another was a taboo, the infr-
70
ingement whereof resulted in the loss of one's caste
and religion. Such was the sorry state of affairs that
people of different castes could not eat together while
sitting at the same floor. This fell traditions of untouchability
had touched the level of ridiculous superstition.
It played havoc with the sense of brotherhood
and nationalism among the Hindus.
Guru Gobind Singh wanted to efface these
distinctions and bring Shudras at par with the high
castes. He wanted to inculcate in all a sense of equality
in consonance with the natural law of the Lord Aka!.
He exerted to widen the narrow confines and bounds
prevalent at the time so as to include the Shudras in
the religious and social fold. He desired to make
religion allembracing so that it facilitated the entry of
people of other sects and religions. Without removing
these crippling and deadening restrictions Shudras
could_not be brought in. The divisions ushered in by
these restrictions had weakened the social structure
and sapped the strength of the country and the nation.
The numerous castes, sub-castes, sects and sub- sects
had no love and sympathy for one another. This emboldened
the Muslim invaders to vanquish them one
by one. Instead of coming to the succour of their
neighbours, they watched their downfall with undisguised
glee. Now they had reached a state just short of
their obliteration and of their Dharma.
Since the low castes could not be admitted to
the high ones, it was not p8ssible to get the work of
71
high castes done through the low castes. This was one
of the greatest disadvantages of the caste system which
was creating innumerable hurdles in the path of
progress and national integration. The farsighted and
sagacious Guru held it imperative to lift the low castes
to the level of the high ones, so that the former could
regain their sense of dignity and manhood and work
for national reconstruction instead of just doing
menial chores for the high castes. During the days of
Brahmanic ascendency and the Kashatri reign the
plight of the Shudras was very miserable. They were
treated at par with cattle and beasts of burden, though
they were the original inhabitants of the country.
There is no doubt that they were worse off than the
ancient slaves that were bought and sold like animals
and than even under Muslim oppression.
Manu, the ancient law-giver of the Hindus,
had ordained that the Shudras were born to serve
others. The Manu-code had made it a legal binding so
that the high castes could press them into menial
service but the food cooked by them was not to be
touched. All such injunctions of Manu were not followed
very strictly. But under the Brahmins'their observance
and hold was tightened 'to an inhuman
degree. When persons of the same caste were not
allowed to eat with one another, it was impossible to
imagine that any person of a high caste could be allowed
to eat the food of the Shudras. Even a Brahmin
could not eat of another Brahmin and the same rule
72
applied to the other high castes. Some of the black
injunctions of Manu are given here:
During the days of distress and destitution, the
members of a caste can engage in the work of lower
caste, but under no circumstances is he to undertake
the work of the higher caste. (Chapter X/99-1 00)
The Shudras is forbidden to study, the Vedas,
the Shastras and the scriptures. (ChapterX/127-128)
It is reprehensible for a Brahmin to study the
Vedas before a Shudra. (Chapter IV/99)
The Shudra should be fed the left overs of his
master's food and clothed with his tattered and discarded
dress. (ChapterX/25)
The Shudra is not allowed to amass wealth.
(ChapterX/129)
If a Shudra abuses a man of higher caste, his
tongue should be cut off. (ChapterVIII/270)
If a Shudra sits near a Brahmin on the same
floor, the flesh of his bottoms should be sheared off.
(ChapterVIII/28 I )
If a Shudra talks of religious matters to a Brahmin,
molten lead or boiling oil should be poured in his
mouth and ears. (Chapter VII1/272)
The atonement for the killing of a Shudra is the
same as that for killing of a cat or a dog or a frog or a
lizard or other animals.
73
It is not necessary to dwell on such ordinances.
These few highlight succinctly the sad plight of the
Shudras under the Brahmans and Hindu rule. They
were severely forbidden to rebel against such unjust
and inhuman injunctions. Such was the fate and status
of the Shudras when Guru Gobind Singh embarked on
his mission. They were treated like dogs and cattle.
They could not rise higher up in the scale and do the
work of Kashatris. If per chance a Shudra attained
some worthwhile stature in the political arena, he
could under no circumstances be admitted to a higher
caste. No amount of wealth or personal status of political
nature or courage or scholasticism could raise a
Shudra to a higher caste. What is shocking and highly
damnable is that all this was done in the name of
religion and God, supported by the so-called gospels
of God. It was necessary to cut asunder the shackles
binding the hapless Hindus in the dark dungeons of
superstition and to bring them out in the open, to exalt
them to the dignified stature of human equality.
No nation can progress, for that matter no
religion can prosper, if it is bound down by many
restrictions. Naturalness is a must for independence
and is an assest, without which no man, no people, no
country can forge ahead. The Vedic Dharma had
bestowed natural freedom to man. But its explanations,
annotations, exegesis and instructions and laws
as given in later scriptures had curtailed and extremely
limited this freedom. The Hindu, to all outward ap-
74
pearances a free man, was hedged and hemmed in on
all sides, hardly able to breathe freely. The result was
that he was left with no national character, if ever he
ever enjoyed the possession of any such thing, it was a
matter of the hoary past. Now he was a prisoner of
mental slavery which further enslaved his heart and
soul. Despite all this the Hindu was highly averse to
any change in his food, eating habits, dress habits, ways
of worship, etc. Any change in any of the above ways
of living was attended with the danger of losing his
caste and being ostracised. It was necessary that the
Hindus who had become slaves mentally and physically,
should be jolted out of their miserable stupor. The
sad plight of the Hindus in the political field was
largely responsible for this predicament.
Political Condition of the Hindus
Hinduism is said to have been a great political
force not only within India but its effect was felt
beyond its confines. The Hindu conquests extended
far and wide. But after the war of Mahabharata their
political power suffered a gradual decline. In due
course of time the country was parcelled up in small
principalities. Numerous Rajas no higher than fiefholders
came to rule over the length and breadth of
India. They were always at logger-heads with one
another, ready to destroy one another and highly
gratified at the downfall of others. Only the descendants
of Kaurvas and Pandavas were ruling over bigger
chunks ofland. After this great war which can justly be
75
called the war of annihilation of the Hindus, the solar
and lunar dynasties ruled over their respective areas
for a very long period.
The Buddhist kings wiped off the remnants of
these great dynasties. They came to be remembered
only in name. The kings of the Agni (Fire) Dynasty
crushed the might of Buddhist kings and threw them
out of India. The descendants of the Agni Dynasty who
came to be called Rajputs were ruling over small
kingdoms and were hostile to one another. None of
them could ever acquire a great kingdom. Mutual
animosity was at the back of all their actions and they
could never conceive the grand idea of a nation and
nationalism. If we peruse the pages of history we shall
find that not a month passed, without there being a
battle on the soil of India. The Rajput kings were
always fighting with one another on one pretext or
another. Though there had been great kings like Raja
Bikramajit and Raja Bhoj, now it was a different story
of mutual bickerings and strife. The Rajputs had displayed
great feats of personal valour sung by the bards
all over India. Such heroic actions were in great numbers
and were spread over large areas and great
periods of time.
The Hindus had failed to forge a common bond
of national brotherhood. Not to speak of nationalism,
they could not think of any common national interest.
According to European historians the break-up of the
Hindu political power in small principalities was a
76
great boon to the Hindus and saved them from immediate
and total capitulation before the Muslims
onslaught. The Muslims could not conquer the whole
of India in one or two battles. At every step they had
to face hostile and determined forces of the Rajput
kings and other Hindu kings, who fought pitched battles
for every inch of their country and capitulated only
when they had no strength left. Were that these kings
had united and fought together against the common
enemy! In my opinion which is at variance with the
considered view of the European Historians, the Muslim
invaders were tempted and eventually triumphed
because they faced no united opposition. Had there
been a strong central power of the Hindus, the Muslim
invaders in all probabilitywould have made a hasty and
inglorious retreat. The predicament in which the Hindus
found themselves now would never have come
about. There was no dearth among the Rajputs and the
Kashatris of fighting spirit of which they gave ample
proof in individual and unorganised acts of resistance,
still fondly remembered and sung. The sad story of
Prithvi Raj and his cousin Jai Chand vividly proclaims
how the mutual bickerings and internecine wars were
responsible for the downfall of India and the Hindus
and the establishment of Muslim rule lasting over
hundreds of years. They were also responsible for the
mductioin of Rajputs in the employment of the Muslim
kings and of their women into the Harems of the
Muslim kings and princes. They were also responsible
for the slavery of Hindu India.
77
r
It is very difficult to assess the extent and enormity
of Muslim atrocities and insufferable indignities
inflicted on the Hindus during this long period. The
Hindus had never the inclination and genius to write
their history and the relentless spate of death and
devastation, torture and tyranny never allowed them
to gather their wits around them and to pen such
things. They were too stunned to keep note of these
unending tales of woe and misery of their people. It
was left to Muslim historians to keep a track of such
acts and record them. Most probably they were
prompted in this by a desire to record the glorious
times of the Muslim rule, to record the grand deeds of
death and devastation of Kafirs as convincing proof of
the stupendous Muslim might. Had they not taken
pride in penning these gory details with unabashed
glee, such records would have been lost for ever.
The writing on the wall was there for all Hindus
spelled very dearly. They were in a state of utter
destitution and despondency, of abject humiliation
and helplessness. They bore untold sufferings and
hardships without a murmur, without raising a voice of
revolt, without coming to the aid of one another,
without ever dreaming of standing unitedly or at least
thinking of a common cause in the vaguest of terms.
Those communities well versed in the wielding of
swords and the art of warfare had long since left the
sinking boat of Hindu Dharma and gone over to the
Muslim fold. They were lost for ever to the Hindu
78
world. The Rajputs and the Kashatris had lost their
valour which was confined to old stories alone.
The Muslims had been ruling over the length
and breadth of India for many centuries. The foundations
of their dominance had struck deep roots. Guru
Gobind Singh with his sagacity and farsightedness
thought of loosening the stranglehold of Muslim
power by first weakening it. Dunng this long period of
slavery under the Muslims no Hindu had ever thought
on these lines. It was left to Guru Gobind Singh to
transform an enfeebled, humiliated, disunited and
downtrodden people like the Hindus of his day, into a
livihg nation fired with the ideals of nationalism and
brotherhood. It has been said earlier that no person
had ever thought of doing so in the last four thousand
years of Hindu history. The Guru wanted to build such
a nation over which the Brahmins could make no dent
with all their machinations. For the completion of his
mission, changes of two kinds were needed, one in the
religious and the other in the social sphere.
TIle material at his disposal was disheartening
and well-nigh spent up. The Hindu power was in tatters,
the Hindu Dharma on the way out and the people
lying supine under the Muslim heel. The Hindus were
sitting frightened in their homes like mice in their
holes. Their faces were downcast, their hearts despondent,
their shoulders beaten, their minds bedeviled,
their limbs enfeebled, their bodies emaciated. The
Hindus could suffer their daughters and their women-
79
folk being taken away before their very eyes and sold
as slaves in the foreign markets for a petty consideration
of two dinars. A lesser man, almost any man,
would have given up before embarking on such a
mission as that of the Guru. Guru Gobind Singh took
up the challenge and created such a virile, upright and
one-God-Ioving people like the Sikhs who struck terror
in the hearts of their enemies, who were ever ready
to lay down their lives for their country, people and
Dharma, who always came to the succour of the needy,
the tyrannised and the down-trodden. He changed
cowards into men of great courage, uncowed by the
Muslim might. He surveyed the country and selected
the people and the area where he was to put into
practice his grandiose schemes. The selection of the
area was determined by the kind of men inhabiting
therein.
From Where and for Whom the Guru Started His
Mission
He found the foot-hills of Northern Himalayas
most suitable for his purpose. It was unimaginable
that the caste-proud Rajputs even in their distressed
condition would follow him. The Hindus of Western
Punjab had lost their valour. The Kashartris ofCentral
Punjab were physically and spiritually debilitated, and
were not suitable for the task the Guru had in his mind.
The people of Bengal, Madras and Maharashtra had
tired offighting the Muslims and the difference in their
languages was too great to be surmounted. The youth
80
of these provinces had not been prepared for such a
task. There was very little chance of success through
their efforts. The North-Eastern belt of Punjab had to
some extent been influenced by the teachings of Guru
Nanak Dev Ji. Some Hindus of this area had rendered
deeds of self-sacrifice, which had deeply impressed the
people of the surrounding areas.
Guru Gobind Singh was looking for such
people who were healthy, brave and amenable to
religious instruction. The foot-hills of Northern
Himalayas provided such men. The people of their
area were familiar with the teachings of Guru Nanak,
were healthy and stout and were able to bear
hardships. They were always ready to fly off at the
slightest provocation without ifs and buts. Guru
Gobind Singh knew that an unkindled lamp when
lighted can very easily light other lamps of whatsoever
kind. The problem lay in lighting the first lamp. The
Hindus were like a lamp without oil. The Guru wanted
to furbish this oil-less lamp lying in this area in order
to enlighten the entire world. Special oil and equipment
were needed for this. The Guru poured the
warm blood of his dear ones as oil an(fplaced the wick
of nationalism in the lamp. He lighted it with the fire
of the fighting spirit in such a way that the dead nation
came alive. The Great Guru never attributed this
grand act to his personal efforts. He always gave the
credit to Guru Nanak Dev Ji.
Having selected the area Guru Gobind Singh
81
set to work. First of all he attained proficiency in
many fields. He passed his time in studying History,
listening to recitations of heroic poems, learnt the art
of hunting and the use of weapons. His youthful
demeanour acquired the temper of steel. The Sikhs
who came for seeing their Guru, started imbibing
thoughts of virility and action. The Guru while hunting
took with him Sikhs who were living by. Tnis made
them hardy and hard-working, discarding their easeloving
ways. They started taking interest in the execution
of difficult tasks and learning the lesson of
brotherhood and nationalism. From mere theorising
on religion they turned to its practice. Gradually the
Sikhs became aware of the martial nature of their
Guru. Instead of giving the usual offerings of clothes,
ornaments, vessels, carpets and other necessities of
life, the Sikhs had switched over to weapons and horses.
The Guru used to express his pleasure over such
offerings which encouraged his Sikhs. The result was
two-fold, the acquisition of weapons by the Guru and
martial spirit by his Sikhs.
In keeping with the change, the Guru assumed
a lordly demeanour laying aside his ascetical robe. He
now always kept a sword at his waist whether sitting on
his cushioned seat or outside and held court every
morn and evening and often organised contests of skill
in martial arts and handling of weapons. Stirring
poems, full of patriotic fervour and heroism were sung
and recited, alongwith devotional hymns. Guru
82
Gobind Singh himself penned Kavits and other poems
in different metres that aroused courage and quickened
the blood of the listeners. He had detailed fiftytwo
poets that adorned his court, for writing stirring
verses on the exploits of daring in the face of heavy
odds, accomplished by Indian heroes and warriors of
yore. He kept bards at his court who always sung songs,
full of heroic lore and national grandeur. In his anthology
called the 'Granth of the Tenth Guru' some portion
is devoted to the wars of goddess Durga against
the demonic hordes. It is penned in such metres,
couched in such virile words and forceful metaphors,
and is full of such heroic overtones as vibrate and
delivered in such a style that the listeners are overcome
with the warmth of martial emotions even in
winter. Since this portion on the exploits of the goddess
is included in the granth, some people have erroneously
concluded that the Guru was a devotee of
the goddess.
Let me declare here unequivocally that the
Guru worshipped the Formless Lord Akal only. He
was dead set against the worship of gods,and goddesses
and always preached in no uncertain words against
it. His only purpose was to arouse the dormant fighting
spirit of the people, the selection of the protagonists
was a secondary matter. As it was, the people t)f the
area were conversant with the mythical exploits of the
goddess. Instead of inventing a new hero and inventing
his exploits, it was better and more expedient, to
83
make use of the available material. The Guru had
divined correctly, his writings were highly successful in
arousing the spirit of the people, filling them with
martial thoughts. All this prepared his followers for
the coming battles.
Basic Tenets of the Guru
The Guru wanted to establish two basic principles
that of universal brotherhood and the spirit of
sacrificing oneself for others without demur. The feeling
of brotherhood can only dawn after the annihilation
of all (man-made) artificial barriers between man
and man. The baneful caste-system introduced by
Manu and followed with a vengeance by the Brahmins
had to be nullified. During thousands of years, the
differences, divisions and distinctions created by this
system had entered into the Hindu psyche. The living
apart of thousands of years without any social intercourse
with one another had congealed into infrangible
moulds. The cancerous poison of the caste
system had entered into vitals of the human system.
How was the Guru to smash all these barriers, instil a
feeling of equality in the down-trodden of centuries,
bring to the level of common clay those who claimed
divine origin and had claimed and enjoyed divine
rights for thousands of years. He achieved with a
single master stroke what seemed impossible. He established
the new institution of the Khalsa. A man's
caste and distinctions of high and low were cast off on
joining its membership. Here all were equal, knit in
84
the bond of universal brotherhood.
The different gods, gurus, sects, traditions, rites
and rituals were responsible for the creations of all
kinds of differences and differentiations among the
people. The worship of the Formless One created
conditions that were favourable for the erasing of
these distinctions from the minds of the people. Now
·they started thinking in terms of unity and nationalism
to the extent of putting the country and the nation
above the self.
Before the Creation of the Khalsa
Some incidents that took place before the institution
of the Khalsa deserve to be dwelt upon.
During the early days of the Guru's seclusion, Raja
Rattan Rai of Assam, a devotee of Sikh Gurus, came
to visit him. Among other presents offered to the
Guru, there was an elephant called Prasadi. In these
days the Guru was engrossed in hunting, which attracted
a good number of brave Sikhs around him.
Guru Gobind Singh used to go hunting in great style,
riding his elephant accompanied by his warrior Sikhs.
In those days it was customary for high officials of
noble birth to keep their kettle-drums in their homes.
They used to carry these along on hunting. The Guru
on seeing the ever increasing gathering around him
decided to keep such a drum at his court. Some worldlywise
persons advised the Guru against it without success.
Then they prevailed upon his mother to restrain
85
him from doing so, by reminding him of the tribulations
his grandfather had to suffer. She advised him
that the Guru should work for peace and engage in
worship of Akal- the true duties of a Guru; he should
not take to soldierly ways and assume a regal bearing.
The Guru replied that he was the grandson of
the illustrious Guru Hargobind Sahib, unawed by
anybody, that she wanted him to remain in obscurity
while his Lord Akal commanded his coming out in the
open and that if any king looked askance at him, that
king would have to measure swords with him. A heart,
determined and dauntless, full of national fervour
couldn't be expected to give a different reply - expedient
and opportune. The kettle-drum was duly
installed and taken out on hunting excursions. The
Guru's hunting excursions, his martial bent of mind
and his accumulation of weapons were causing concern
to the local hill chieftains. The Guru often used
to enter their territories in the course of his hunting
trips, which was not to their liking. The beating of the
drum added further to their unease. They started
looking for pretences to pick up a quarrel with him.
Raja Bhim Chand of Kehloor was the first to
provide such an occasion. He asked Guru Gobind
Singh to give him Prasadi, the elephant. The Guru
refused, against the advice of his mother and other
well-meaning people, who wanted him to make peace
with this offering. The Raja took umbrage and
prodded by KirpCll, another hill chieftain, sent a mes-
86
sage to the Guru to move out of his principality. The
Guru wanted to measure swords with Bhim Chand.
But with the timely intervention of the Raja of Nahan,
hostilities were averted. Some historians have penned
that a battle ensued between Bhim Chand and the
Guru, with victory to the latter. Guru Gobind Singh
founded a village called Paonta in the territory of
Nahan in the Kartik month of the Samat Era 1741
(1684 A.D.) and built a fort there. Some Afghan Sardars,
namely Kaley Khan, Hayat Khan, Bhikhen Khan,
under the ire of Aurangzeb, were seeking the shelter
of a Raja or Nawab. But no Raja or Nawab was bold
enough to provide it. The Guru took them under his
wing on the recommendation of Sayyad Buddhu Shah.
A bold step, not unexpected of a man like the Guru,
but inexpedient as later events proved.
During this period Raja Bhim Chand took a
marriage party to Sri Nagar to marry his son to the
daughter of Raja Fateh Shah. The Guru sent his
Dewan Nand Chand with presents for the occasion. In
order to please Bhim Chand, Fateh Shah refused to
accept them. Dewan Nand Chand came back feeling
small and insulted. This further strained relations
between the Guru and the two Rajas. Raja Bhim
Chand won over Raja Kirpal Chand Katochia, Raja
Kesri Chand Jassowalia, Raja Sukhdial Jasrotia, Raja
Hari Chand Hindooria, Raja Pirthi Chand Dudwalia
and Raja Fateh Shah of Sri Nagar to his side against
the Guru. Emboldened by this alliance they started
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causing petty annoyances to the Guru.
Then they joined their forces together and attacked
the Guru in the Baisakh of Samat 1742 (1685
A.D.). Guru Gobind Singh, who was nineteen then,
led his small and inexperienced force against the invaders.
Five hundred Udasi Sadhus who had fattened
themselves at the Guru's Langar, decamped at the very
outset. The Afghan Sardars, whom the Guru had
provided shelter, left the Guru in the midst of the
engagement and crossed over to the enemy, in pursuance
of a conspiracy already hatched with the Rajas.
Sayyed Buddhu Shah feeling hurt by this treacherous
act came to the succour of the Guru. A pitched battle
was fought for three days between the banks of
Yamuna and Giri stream. The Guru was himself leading
his army of irregulars who were far from well
equipped. His force consisted of fakirs and mendicants
unfamiliar with warfare, of ordinary men,
tillers of land, petty traders and shopkeepers who had
never even seen a skirmish from a distance.
The list.of famous fighters on the Guru's side
mentioned in the Janam Sakhis contains the name of
Lal Chand, a sweet-meat seller. This gives some idea
of the composition of the Sikh army. Dewan Nand
Chand and Kirpal Chand, the maternal uncle of the
Guru, figure in the list. The Udassis, the eaters of
dainties prepared by the Halwai Lal Chandl
decamped from the field leaving their cook to fend for
himself and face the heavy odds. What a fight it was!
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The down-trodden and the dregs of society gave such
a dressing to the enemy that it slunk from the field,
convincingly defeated, in disarray and disheartened.
Raja Hari Chand was killed at the hands of the G~ru,
Raja Kesari Chand and Sukhdev were wounded. The
Guru dazzled the enemy with the daring display of his
swordwielding and marshalling of his men in a masterly
manner. The Guru and his men emerged victorious.
The Guru learnt a lesson from the defection of
the Afghans and the decamping of the Udassi Sadhus.
This made him ponder deeply over the whole matter.
He needed his own men, virile and dedicated fighters,
united in a holy bond of brotherhood cutting across all
barriers of caste and creed. The Guru was well aware
of the timidity and disunity of the Hindus, lack of a
common cause, of nationalism and of fellow-feeling
among them. He felt the need of giving back to them
their lost courage and restoring the human dignity of
man. He wanted to instil in them strong feelings of
brotherhood and nationalism.
Sounding their war-drum, the victorious army
of the Guru entered Paonta. One son of Buddhu Shah
had died fighting valiantly in the battle-field. The
Guru honoured Buddhu Shah by bestowing a headdress
on him by way of a robe of honour. He also gave
Buddhu Shah half of his personal turban, as a token of
brotherly love, and a credential in appreciation of his
help. The descendants of Buddhu Shah are respected
by the Sikhs, in consequence. A month after this
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victory the Guru marched to Anandpur, his previous
abode. His father, Guru Tegh Bahadur had bought
this piece of land. Guru Gobind constructed here
some small forts such as Kesgarh, Anandgarh, Lohgarh,
Holgarh and Fatehgarh designed to afford
protection against future attacks.
Guru's Support to the Hill-Rajas
Soon afterwards, these hill Rajas were attacked
by a force of the Subedar of Sirhind, under Alif Khan,
for not paying tribute to the Emperor of Delhi. The
Rajas decided to fight instead of paying up. In dire
straits, Raja Bhim Chand supplicated the Guru for
help. The Guru forgave the Rajas their previous misdeeds
and decided to help them, keeping in view the
thought of national unity, and utterly disregarding his
personal grievances against them. He did not want to
crush the Hindus by siding with the Muslim rulers, nor
to remain aloof and be a silent spectator to their
humiliating rout. He made peace with them and sent
a force of five hundred foot-soldiers and horsemen
under Dewan Mohri Chand and Daya Ram. The Imperial
Army was defeated and thereafter peace
prevailed for three years when Guru Gobind Singh
had no occasion to draw his sword against anyone. He
devoted this time to the crystallisation of his thoughts
and schemes and giving them a practical shape. He
also kept on providing spiritual food to his Sikhs by his
sermons and by engaging them in devotion of Akal.
He did not, however, ignore to keep their martial
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spirits alive.
In the Bhadon of Samat 1745 (1688 A.D.), the
Satrap of Lahore, sent a force under Rustam Khan.
The hilly streams were in spate owing to the rainy
season. The area was lashed by tempests and heavy
rains. This forced the army to turn back without engaging
in a single skirmish. The stream that had compelled
the army to turn back was named the 'Helper Brook'
by the Sikhs. Mter some time, Rustam Khan reinforced
by some more men and weapons attacked the
Rajas again but was defeated. It is said that the Guru
had sent three hundred men under Bhai Nagina Singh
to help the Rajas. At last Aurangzeb had to send his
son Muazzam Khan to bring the Rajas under heel.
Muazzam personally went to Lahore and despatched
a big army under Mirza Beg, a nobleman. Mirza Beg
defeated the Rajas, devastated their territory, depopulated
their habitations and humiliated their subjects in
many ways. The Guru had remained at his hilly retreat,
but the Muslims plundered the village of Anandpur
also, as described by him in his biographical piece
Vachitar Natak.
The 'Story' of Naina Devi
During his hilly sojourn Guru Gobind Singh
was busy planning for the future and gathering the
necessary wherewithal for the execution of his plans.
Either under the influence of Pandits or of his own, the
Guru decided to hold a Yajna and light the scrificial
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fire at a special place. He prevailed upon the Pandits
to perform the Yajna to call up the Devi to give her
blessings for the destruction of the enemies. All things
needed for the Yajna were stored at Malkar(Naina
Devi) Hill. Some well-known Pandits of Benaras were
sent for. Kalidas and Keshodas were two of the famous
Pandits often mentioned in the chronicles. Pandit
Bishambar Dass was also deputed for the Yajna. The
sacrificial fire was lit for many days but no Devi appeared.
Their earlier claims belied, the Brahmins now
claimed that unless some holy man (Mahatama) was
sacrificed in offering to the Devi, she would not make
an appearance.
With a smile Guru Gobind Singh informed the
Pandits that there couldn't be a holier man than they;
so one of them should be offered to the Devi. It is said
that all the Pandits either on the pretext of urination
or bathing, disappeared from the scene, leaving the
Yajna incomplete. When none of them turned up, the
Guru caused the remaining stuff of the Yajna to be
thrown into the sacrificial fire. A giant flame rose up
on the hill that could be easily seen for miles around,
which made the people believe that the Devi had made
an appearance.
The authenticity of this episode is questionable.
It appears that some overzealous followers
of the Guru, banking upon the credulity of the ignorant,
had concocted such an improbable story. They
were misled by the prominence their Guru had given
92
to the Devi in his writings. She was the heroine of two
epic poems, where her exploits had been graphically
eulogised. It seems farfetched that the Guru should
resort to such a drama to impress upon the people that
he had the Devi to help him in his battles.
Guru Gobind Singh has said in unequivocal
terms that he never believed that such beings had any
godly powers. How could he then make offerings to
them? He had condemned in the strongest possible
terms the worship of these creations of Akal.
Foundation of the Khalsa
The ensuing events show that the Guru wanted
to create a new breed of men, steeped in nationalism
and brotherly love, with a penchant for fighting, imbued
with devotion to Akal, and ready to sacrifice their
lives for their ideals. The Gurus were peace-loving
preachers of love and devotion to the Formless One,
often keeping aloof. The cruelty, plunder and heartlessness
of the Muslims and the piteous plight of the
Hindus, the denigration of their women and their
Dharma prompted the Tenth Guru to come out of his
seclusion and feel the pulse of the people. The antagonism
of the Hill Rajas and the wars forced on him
by them made him assume the mantle of a kingly
saviour as well. He needed a band of devoted Sikhs,
courageous, well versed in warfare, and eager to succour
the oppressed as a religious duty. Such pe.ople
were difficult to find in the Hindu society of his time.
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He decided to institute a new order of universal
brotherhood, imbued with devotion to Akal, filled
with the ideal ofself- sacrifice for the welfare of others.
Such an order would demolish the existing barriers of
caste and creed, high and low, man and woman, and
pave the way for the advent of nationalism and bring
unity. It would also help in bringing about the downfall
of the tyrannical foreign rule. It was not the intention
of the Guru to launch a crusade against the Muslims.
Accordingly, on the Baisakhi of Sarnat 1756
(1699 A.D.) the Guru gathered his Sikhs in great numbers
at an open place at Anandpur. The Sikhs had
come from far and wide at the invitation of the Guru.
A huge tent and an enclosure had been set up in the
field. When all the Sikhs had assembled, the Guru
appeared with a naked sword in his hand and declared
that as willed by Akal Purkh he was going to offer the
head of a Sikh as the first sacrifice for the defence of
Dharma. The blood of this Sikh shall serve as a living
symbol of the defence of the country and Dharma, for
the coming generations of Sikhs and inspire them to
shed their blood for these ideals. The Guru called for
a Sikh willing to offer his head to his Guru, to be
sacrificed for the defence of Dharma and the country,
to step forth and appear before his Guru. The blood
of this Sikh shall revive the dead nation. On hearing
the words of his Guru, Daya Ram, a Khatri of Lahore
came before his Guru with folded hands and sedate
dignity and offered his head to be cut off at once for
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this noble cause.
The Guru took him inside the tent holding him
by the hand. The sound of a powerful stroke of the
sword was heard from within and blood started flowing
out of the tent. The people outside felt sure that the
head of Daya Ram had been severed from his body.
Guru Gobind came out brandishing a blood-stained
sword and demanded the offering of another head.
Dharam Chand, a Jat of Hastinapur offered himself.
The Guru took him within and the above act was
repeated. Guru Gobind Singh emerged with his bloodstained
sword. He asked for a head three times more
and Himmat Rai, a Potter, Mohkam Chand, a Tailor
and Sahib Chand, a Barber, offered their heads. They
were taken in one by one by the Guru who each time
acted in the manner mentioned above. It is difficult to
find their peers in the annals of history. At the mere
bidding of their Guru they offered their life and body
to him. Such an event had never taken place in any
country of the world at any time before.
It was with a two-fold purpose that the Guru
acted in the strange manner depicted above. Firstly he
wanted to find out whether the Sikhs had in them the
stuff to sacrifice their all for the love of their Dharma
and land, how far his efforts and exhortations over a
long period had succeeded in producing the desired
effect and whether the Sikhs had reached such a state
that they could gaily sacrifice their lives for others. His
Sikhs had risen to the occasion and creditably passed
95
the severe test. He had asked for the heads offive Sikhs
and five Sikhs, lovingly called the Five beloveds, had
unflinchingly placed their necks under the sword of
their Guru. This assured him that all Sikhs would
willingly obey him through thick and thin and that his
preparatory work had not gone waste; Guru Gobind
Singh must have been immensely pleased with the
result of his test.
Secondly, he wanted to bring it home to his
Sikhs that only people like the Five Beloveds could
successfully undertake difficult tasks for their Dharma
and country, arid that they all should be ready to make
such sacrifices. What Five Beloveds had done, they all
could. He had sown the thought of self-sacrifice in the
minds of bis Sikhs. Now he turned to its germination
and blossoming into action. He took the 'Five
Beloveds' out of the tent and held his court in the fort
of Kesgarh. He armed the five and dressed them in a
special uniform. He armed and dressed himself
likewise and asked for water from the river flowing
below. This water was poured in a receptacle of steel,
some sweets (patashas) were added to it. Guru Gobind
Singh himself recited the Five Banis and stirred the
contents all the while with his Khanda. He called the
preparation, Arnrit (The Eternal-life-giving Nectar).
And this was administered to the Five in the following
manner. Five times he took out five handfuls of Arnrit
and made the five partake of them, while the six of
them (including the Guru) shouted "Wahe-Guru Ji Ka
96
Khalsa, Wahe-Guru Ji Ki.Fateh". This ceremony was
termed 'Pahul' and the brotherhood was called the
Khalsa and their Dharma called the Khalsa Dharma.
All members of the Khalsa were instructed to add
'Singh' after their names.
Basic Tenets of the Khalsa
The following basic tenets of the Khalsa were
set up:
(1) Whosoever adopts the Khalsa Dharma shall
partake of Amrit in the same manner as administered
by the Guru.
(2) Whosoever takes 'Pahul' shall be bound to
add 'Singh' to his name.
(3) Wheresoever five Sikhs assemble, Khalsa
Dharma shall perfectly exist there and for the
purpose of the 'Pahul' these five shall act as the
Guru. They can be any five Sikhs without any
distinctions. Accordingly, the Guru himself
was administered 'Pahul' by the 'Five
Beloveds' and his name changed to Gobind
Singh from Gobind Rai.
(4) Whosoever joins the Khalsa Dharma, shall be
called a 'Singh'. He shall keep hair on his head,
keep a weapon of steel like Kirpan on his
person, wear a short (Kachha) and an iron
Bangle (Kara) and keep a comb (Kangha) in
his hair. From the very time of the establish-
97
98
ment of the Khalsa, the keeping of these five
essentials called the Five Kakkas, became a
must for every Singh.
(5) All Sikhs shall be equal brethern in the Khalsa
without any distinction of high or low. Their
previous castes and creeds and surnames
stand nullified. All the Sikhs shall eat together
from the same vessel.
(6) All Sikhs shall stand freed of all previous distinctions
of birth, caste, creed and doings.
They shall start life anew in the Khalsa Dharma.
(7) It is imperative for all Singhs to attribute all
spiritual and temporal powers to steel. It shall
be their bounden duty to keep weapons of
steel, and gain proficiency in their use in a
battle.
(8) The Singh who dies in battle or takes part in a
crusade (Dharam Yudh) and destroys his
enemy, who is never disheartened though vanquished
shall attain a high stature.
(9) The Singh shall not wear a Janju.
(10) Liberation can be attained only through Khalsa
Dharma.
(11) The Singhs should discard all rites and rituals
of the Hindus, but should respect the latter's
Temples and religious feelings and defend
their Dharma and country when endangered.
(12) It is the duty of the Singhs to destroy the
enemies of the people.
(13) The Singhs shall worship the Lord through
truthful actions and pray to the One Formless
Akal only and not to any of his creations.
(14) They shall bow before the Guru Granth Sahib
only and not bofore any man, tomb or grave.
(15) The Singhs shall hold Guru Nanak Dev as their
spiritual guide and Supreme Lord, venerate all
his successors and obey their injunctions.
(16) They shall occasionally take a bath in the holy
Sarovar at Amritsar, the main Tiratha of Sikhs.
(17) They shall accost each other with "WaheGuru
Ji Ka Khalsa, Wahe-Guru Ji Ki Fateh"
and discard all other forms of greetings.
(18) They shall not use tobacco.
(19) They should hold Khalsa as the repository of
His Divine Power.
Guru Gobind Singh forbade the entry of the
following kinds of people into the Khalsa Brotherhood:
(1) The Massands, who managed the affairs of the
Gurdwaras in those days.They had degenerated
into a class of timid, worthless and indolent
Pujaris.
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(2) The followers and devotees of Dhir Mal called
'Dhir Malleeay', who contented with Guru
Tegh Bahadur for Guruship and violently opposed
him and went to the extent of firing at
him.
(3) 'Ram Raeeay', the followers of Ram Rai, a
collateral ofGuru Gobind Singh who contested
the Guruship and created all kinds of trouble
for the Guru.
(4) The killers of new-born daughters. Since such
people as had become habitual killers of their
daughters were likely to continue the evil practice
even after joining the Khalsa, they were
excluded from the ranks of the Khalsa. The
Sikhs were asked not to deal and intermarry
with such people.
By laying the foundation of the Khalsa, Guru
Gobind Singh delivered his message of love and initiated
the completion of his mission. He inscribed in
glowing letters the story of the Khalsa and its rules on
the pages of Time. Only his signature remained to be
appended to it. In due course he signed with his love
and this Document of Universal Love and Brotherhood
was attested and witnessed by the sacrifice of his
four sons. Now the document was completed in all
aspects for the coming generations of the world to
peruse and cherish.
The ceremony of initiation into the Khalsa
100
Dharma was completed. As a protest of disapproval,
many high castes, Kashatris and Brahmins, who were
present in the gathering, walked out. And upholding
the customary ways of the high castes, they created a
furore, taking the event as an unwarranted interference
in their Dharma, based mainly on caste system
and hollow rites and rituals. The Guru addressing his
Sikhs declared that he had obeyed the mandate of
Lord Akal, which enshrines the uplifting of the lowly
and the down-trodden. Disregarding the out-bursts of
the high castes he prophesied "Those whom the high
castes spurn now shall be my heirs after my death and
become the equals of the highest".
The Guru's Way of Life
I pen here whatever I have gleaned about the
Guru's personality and life history. He was sturdy and
of a somewhat hefty build. He was tall and looked
powerful by appearance and body-structure, he interested
himself in tasks involving effort and hard labour.
He loved the hunting field more than the sermonising
seat of Guruship and spent a greater part of his time
in hunting. He always endeavoured to interest and
involve his Sikhs in hunting. He hunted the wild boar,
the lion and other wild beasts.
He always practised the wielding of weapons,
in which he was highly skilled, and encouraged his
Sikhs to take to arms. He made his Sikhs practise their
use under his personal supervision. The acquisition of
skill in the use of weapons formed an essential part of
101
the education of his sons. He used to feel great
pleasure in receiving the gifts of weapons and horses
from his Sikhs and such offerings endeared the Sikhs
to him. He was fond of keeping good horses and his
stable contained some thorough-breds. He was a
skilled rider par excellence. After much practice he
had gained mastery in the use of the bow and the
sword. While hunting, he used the scimitar, the small
dagger, the two-edged sword and the spear with great
dexterity.
He used to hold court like nobles and dressed
himself in very fine apparel like a king. He had a regal
bearing and carried a sword at his waist. He was an
excetlent poet and composed verses in almost all the
metres that were prevalent at that time. His verses
were a very forceful medium to inspire and enthuse his
listeners. His epics on the wars between Durga and the
demons were very stimulating and filled the listeners
with courage and martial fervour. He had gathered
around him a group of fifty two eminent poets of his
time, who wrote and recited their verses and received
due appreciation both in words and in terms of money.
In addition to his penchant for penning and
perusing poetry, he was fond of hearing the old classics.
He was very well .acquainted with Persian and
Arabic and had attained a high degree of proficiency
in Sanskrit. He loved to hear readings from books on
history, especially the chapters dealing with wars, and,
he spent a lot of time in this pursuit. Recitals from
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Vedas, Up-Vadas, Upnishidas, Puranas and Simritis
interested him and he listened to them with loving
attention. He kept poets and pundits (learned
scholars) around him. He sent many of his Sikhs to
Kashi to get education.
He was not such a great lover of classical music
as Guru Nanak Dev Ji, but he daily listened to the
singing of Shabads. He was very fond of Martial music
and listened with rapt attention to the musical renditions
ofwar epics by the bards at his court. He was very
steadfast in the performance of his daily duties. He
used to rise early in the morning and recite Japuji, Jaap
Sahib and Sawayye. In the evening he dutifully recited
Rehrass and Kirtan Sohila. He used to spend some
time daily in the praise of Akal. The Guru was never
to be seen taking part in dancing and other festivities
during Holi. He had no inclination towards frivolous
modes of merry-making and luxurious living. Self control
and simplicity were the key notes of his character.
Those Who Embraced the Khalsa
The directions of Guru Gobind Singh and the
system of the Khalsa Dharma had become very
popular among Jats and other Hindu communities. Its
simple and clear rules and advocacy of an open and
free way of living was so effective that thousands of
people joined its fold. The Jats who were considered
no higher than the Shudras by the high-caste Hindus
rushed towards this fount of brotherhood like a thirsty
man dashing towards a fountain of water. The Guru
103
had earnestly embarked on this mission impelled by
Truth and strong feelings of love for the oppressed
Hindus. The people at large appreciated his mission
and devoted efforts, and they responded enthusiastically
to his call. The number of his Sikhs grew daily.
There is no doubt that the Khalsa Dharma had a
strong appeal for those low-caste people who were
considered worthless, low beings, no better than chattels
meant for menial chores and who were never
(issigned any worthwhile job.
The Khalsa of Guru Gobind Singh was a group
of people who were determined and daring, truthful
and trustworthy, and dedicated and devoted to their
Guru and Dharma. They proved their mettle and
credentials time and again. The high castes had kept
themselves aloof and hence the qualities mentioned
above could not be attributed to their inclusion. In fact,
these people had over a long period of bondage and
subjection to persistent tyranny lost whatever good
qualities they ever had. The Kashatris, once known for
their fighting prowess, valour and self- respect, were
offering their daughters, willingly and with some sort
of pride, to the Muslims. The Brahmins were ready to
sacrifice their country in order to save their dhoti from
disrespect and were not perturbed over the sale of
their women in the bazars of Ghazni for petty sums of
two dinars. These communities could not be said to
contribute to the wonderful qualities of Khalsa.
The Khalsa were a people ready to sacrifice
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their all for the welfare of others and for their country
and Dharma. They held life cheap before the ideals
of love and universal brotherhood. They would not
hesitate to raise a big pile of their bones and flesh to
serve as a high pedestal for their nation and country.
They wanted to cleanse with their blood the indignities
of the last seven hundred years, animate the corpse of
nationalism with the warmth of their spouting gore.
Since the Khalsa comprised mainly of people drawn
from the low castes and Shudras, the Hill Rajas, proud
of their prowess and position, jeered at the Guru.
Scornfully they asked him if he proposed to defend the
country with the help 01 these sparrows and pit his
jackals against the formidable. tigers. The Guru
replied, "Unless I raise one to stand against many,
cause sparrow spurn the hawk and inspire jackals to
kill lions, I shall not deserve to be called Guru Gobind
Singh."
There is difference of opinion about the occasion
wheri the Guru uttered these words. But there
is no doubt that he did utter them and proved them
true by time and again making his handful of Sikhs
fight against vast multitudes of adversaries on the
battle-field. His followers were made of sterner stuff,
forged in a steely mould of courage. We have already
seen an example of their mettle provided by the 'Five
Beloveds' at the time of the formation of the Khalsa.
Later events gave ample proof of the fearlessness, the
courage and the martial qualities of the Khalsa. Two
incidents taken at random will suffice. They occurred
105
in the presence of the Guru.
Once Guru Gobind Singh was sitting in his
court. One of his Sikhs presented a gun to him. The
Guru declared all of a sudden that he wanted to test
his aim and desired some Sikh to offer himself as a
target. Many' Sikhs got up and pleaded forcefully for
the acceptance of their respective offers.
Directing his glance and pointing to a Sikh, the
Guru smilingly ordered him to be taken away and
hanged immediately. Neither did he give any reason
for this strange decision nor did he hint at offence
committed by the Sikh, but only vouchsafed that his
Guru needed his head. Without any hesitation that
Sikh offered his head. The Guru was highly pleased
and declared that only such obedient, true and steadfast
Sikhs can save the Hindu nation.
Opposition of the Guru by the High-Caste Hindus
The Kashatri Kings and the Brahmins reacted
to the Guru and the Khalsa Dharma in their typical
manner. They came out openly against Guru Gobind
Singh and his noble mission. The Brahmins could not
tolerate the breaking up of the caste system and the
discarding of the tradition of Janju-wearing. They
created a furore over this. The Rajas of the surrounding
hill tracts were set against the Guru by the Brahmins
who declared that the Guru had denigrated
Hindu Dharma. These Rajas were already jealous of
his growing power and saw a challenge to their own
106
supremacy in his crusade against caste distinctions.
The Brahmins incited them to hound the Guru persistently
without giving him a breather so as to break his
spirit and disperse his bedraggled crowd of an army.
Guru Gobind Singh invited the Hill Rajas to join the
Khalsa Dharma. The Rajas belonging to the high caste
could hardly be expected to respond favourably. They
rejected the offer disdainfully and reacted despicably
and deceitfully at later times.
0, Hindus ! there can be no more ungrateful
people than you. No other nation can boast of ingratitude
of a deeper hue than you. No other nation
has in her the fell spirit of disregarding her patriots.
Who can be more savage and hell-bent on torturing
the true lovers of her land?
The Guru - The great Gobind Singh - was
preparing to sacrifice his all for thee, was busy wholeheartedly
to lift thee out of thy degraded state to a
higher level of self-respect and decency and yet thy
people stand against him out of jealousy and selfishness!
This is all due to the ungratefulness, hatred and
jealousy that is suffused in thy veins. It is because of
this perverse stuff in you that you have been condemned
to slavery.
In short, the Rajputs who claimed to be great
fighters and stupid Hill Rajas turned against the Guru.
The latter, commenced making preparations against
him with a view to harassing him. But the heart of
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Guru Gobind Singh was dauntless and nothing could
trouble him. The Hill Rajas fired the first shot against
him in a cowardly and unsoldierly way. They asked
him to leave their territory, get out of Anandpur and
pay for the damage and destruction caused by his
people. This compensation should be made in hard
cash. In the case of non-compliance with these conditions,
the combined army of the Hill Rajas will march
against him. The Guru's father Guru Tegh Bahadur
had bought the land and had set up a village there. The
Guru, a fighter by instinct and a crusader for freeing
the country from foreign dominance, could not be
expected to submit to such terms. He sent back the
reply that he would pay the claimed damages with his
sword and re-purchase his stay at Anandpur with bullets.
The Rajput Kings did not like the tone and tenor
of this reply. Their blood rose in vengeance and they
drew their swords. They attacked Anandpur a number
of times. I give below C:1 brief account of these
attacks:
The Guru had delivered a telling blow to the
false faith and useless religious wrangles of the Brahmins
and the Mullahs by establishing Khalsa Dharma
in the teeth of the silly and indiscreet storm of Hinduism
and the fanatical flood of the Muslims. He was
yet to defeat the Imperial forces of the Muslim
Emperor of Delhi, for which he was making plans.
Some have opined that these plans of the Guru bordered
on madness and were impracticable. It was
108
rashness verging nothing short of madness for a destitute
person to aspire to clash with a mighty power.
This opinion itself sounds meaningless when we consider
how single individuals like Nadir Shah, Babur
had carved vast empires in Asia. They gathered men
around them and then some more men and thus
gathering power they marched to their destiny. What
is needed is courage, an indomitable heart and the
help of self-sacrificing, devoted followers. The Guru
would have succeeded in his mission but for three
factors. He could not in his time destroy the Muslim
Empire. But he left it tottering and had created a virile
people and a strong wave of nationalism to complete
the task still left undone.
The greatest factor that could not let him succeed
was that he was not a deceitful person like Shivaji.
He considered it below his dignity as a preceptor to
resort to ruse and duplicity and wanted to succeed
through physical skill and prowess only. Diplomacy
and deceit are the heart and soul of warfare, but the
Guru abhorred them.
Secondly, the Guru did not create openings for
getting close to the Hill Rajas. On the other hand, the
two parties drifted apart to the extent of open hostility
for one another. The very house was divided against
itself. Instead of putting up united resistance against
the common enemy, they fought against one another.
This war was forced on the Guru ere he had gained
sufficient strength for the trial of arms with Delhi.
109
Since the Hill Rajas had used the pretext of defending
their religious traditions to justify their unwarranted
attacks on him, he as a Guru and dauntless person had
to take up the gauntlet. Thus the two parties were
engaged in a mutually destructive conflict.
The third and the last factor was the lack of
proper training of his men in the art ofwar. They were
all men of indomitable courage and had the capacity
and the will to fight till the last. But the lack of proper
training and weapons was a very big handicap for them
while facing numerically far superior and better
equipped armies. If only they had more time for practising
warfare !
The First Attack : Guru Gobind Singh was
hunting in the foothills with his followers. The first
attack on him was launched by Raja Alam Chand and
Raja BaHia. The Guru and his men were poorly
equipped, and the two Rajas wanted to exploit his this
disadvantage. The Guru with his small band of men
faced them boldly and engaged them in a fierce battle.
A pitched skirmish took place, for a short time. Raja
BaHia was killed in the encounter and the Guru and
his men won the day in the first battle.
The Second Attack: Angered at their ignominious
defeat, the Hill Rajas sought the help of the
Subedar of Sirhind, who despatched a force. Thus
reinforced the Rajas again attacked Anandpur. The
battle raged for thirty days. Pierced by an arrow in the
ear Paindey Khan fell dead. Dina Beg ran away from
110
the field. The victorious Sikhs pursued the retreating
enemy up to Rohtak. Ajit Singh, the eldest son of the
Guru Gobind Singh displayed great valour in the field.
Kesri Chand was also killed in the battle. It is
said that the enemy brought an elephant to break open
the portal of the Anandpur fort. Duni Chand, a
Kashatri Sikh was ordered by the Guru to intercept the
elephant, but he ran away. The Guru then asked
Bachittar Singh to confront the animal. Before becoming
a member of the Khalsa, he was a Lubana (a
low easte) by caste. He faced the elephant manfully
and gave its trunk such a deep gash with his sword that
the brute ran away in panic. This incident highlighted
the difference between the Sikhs of the Guru and the
Brahmins and the Kashatris of the time. How low the
Kashatris had fallen, how brave had become the Sikhs,
whatever their erstwhile caste was ! After this victory,
the Guru marched to Kiratpur from Anandpur.
The Third Attack: The second defeat was
rankling in the minds of the Rajas. They tried to
involve the Subedar of Sirhind fully now. It is said that
rupees twenty thousand were given to the Subedar in
cash and Raja Bhim Chand offered him the hand of a
female from his family. The Subedar was won over to
their side. The Guru had rallied some more men
around him and had built four more forts for emergency
use. The Guru well knew the result of opposing the
Emperor of India. He had not been able to consolidate
his -position fully. The continuous warfare
111
with the Rajas had not allowed him to finalise his
schem~s. He had only a small number of Sikhs with
him and no source of income except what his poor,
half-famished Sikhs offered in cash or kind. The Guru
had some Pathans with him, but their number was so
small as to be insignificant in a major engagement.
With the help of the forces of Sirhind, the Raja attacked
the Guru at Kiratpur on 17 Maghar of Samat 1755
(1699 AD.).
The Guru and his Sikhs fought bravely, b~t it
was difficult to hold such large hordes there. So the
Guru returned to the Anandpur Fort. His Sikhs displayed
signal acts ofbravery. Among such fighters was
one Joga Singh who is mentioned inJanam Sakhis. In
the days when preparation of this engagement were
afoot, he was called to Peshawar for his marriage. His
Guru had asked him to return forthwith after the
ceremony. Joga Singh left after the completion of the
circumambulations in connection with his marriage,
though his father forbade him. The Sikhs were made
ofsuch stuff. The siege of Anandpur lasted some days,
the Sikhs fought valiantly. Guru Gobind Singh went
over to the Raja of Sohli, who had invited him. This
battle has been less mentioned by the English historians,
but all Janam Sakhis have given accounts of it.
The Attack of Aurangzeb's Army
For two years after this, the Guru moved about
in different directions. It will be wrong to imagine that
the courage and determination of the Guru suffered a
1J2
fall because of this defeat. On the contrary, he was
steeled by adversity. During this period he remained
busy in rallying his Sikhs for the coming battles. He
busied himself in hunting during his stay with Sohli.
From there he moved into the domain of the Raja of
Bhanbour. After a brief stay there he went to Rawalsar
and celebrated Baisakhi there. Then he crossed
into the principality of the Raja of Mandi and built a
fort there. Some Sikhs came to meet him with some
presents. The Raja Kalmotia looted them on the way.
On learning of this, the Guru sent his son Ajit Singh
for redressal. Mahant Jwalamukhi came with five
hundred men to help Raja Kalmotia. The Mahant
incited many ~ajas against the 'Guru. Guru Gobind
Singh came at last to help his son. The Raja Kalmotia
was defeated and the Guru chastised the Mahant. The
Sikhs looted Jwalamukhi. The offerings of his Sikhs
were the only income the Guru had. If these were to
be looted enroute by Rajas the Guru was within his
right to attack these people.
In the Baisakh of Samat 1758 (1701 AD.), the
Guru returned to Anandpur, which had been looted
and destroyed by both the Muslims and the Rajas. He
built the place a new, repaired the fort and administering
Paqul to his four sons made them Singhs. After
visiting many places, the Guru witnessed the Kurukshetra
Fair in Asarh of 1759 (1702 A.D.) and returned
to Anandpur. He busied himself in military preparations.
The Sikhs started calling him the Sacha Patshah
(The True Emperor) and he became known far and
113
wide by this name. It was not a new term, some of the
earlier Gurus had also been so called. But now it was
used extensively with redoubled zeal and devotion.
The Hill Rajas who were already jealous of his growing
power and popularity, became alarmed now. They felt
their existence in danger and determined to finish him.
After great deliberations, they decided to inflame the
Emperor against him and then attack him ~ith the help
of the Imperial force.
A messenger was sent to implead the Emperor
for help after poisoning his ears against the Guru. He
informed the Emperor that the Guru called himself
the True Emperor, dressed and conducted himself like
one, had collected a large army of Sikhs, had invented
a new religion and was ready to conflict with the Muslims.
All robbers and dacoits had joined his group and
his power was growing daily. He pleaded that if this
newly gushing spring was not plugged at once, it would
be impossible to stem the roaring torrent that it shall
grow into. The Emperor was enraged and his tyrannical
and fanatical blood started boiling. He deemed it
a god-send that all the Hill Rajas were against the
Guru and resolved to finish him.
The Fourth Attack: Aurangzeb ordered Bazid
Khan, the Subedar of Sirhind to capture the Guru and
produce him in the Imperial Court at Delhi. He sent
three of his generals, Amir Khan Das-Hazari, Nijabat
Khan and Wahid Khan to help the Subedar. Raja
Ajmer Chand was sent with this force, which was rein-
114
forced by the torces of the Hill Rajas. This combined
army besieged Anandpur on Phalgun 17 ofSamat 1759
(1703 A.D.). The Guru having a much smaller army
did not come out of the Fort and fought from within.
A bloody battle raged for five days. Many Singhs were
killed, but they had accounted for a greater number of
the enemy. The Guru coming out on the sixth day,
waged a vigorous attack. He killed Sardar Azeem
Khan, a noted general and Paindey Khan. Raja Hari
Chand lassowalia was killed by Mamon Khan, a servant
of the Guru.
The Fifth Attack: Feeling humiliated over this
defeat, Aurangzeb decided to despatch a very large
army against the Guru. He ordered the Subedar of
Lahore, and it is said also the subedar of Kashmir to
join forces with the Subedar of Sirhind, to defeat the
Guru, capture him alive and produce him at his Imperial
Court in Delhi. It speaks volumes for the
courage and capability of the Guru that the forces of
the entire Northern region were deployed against a
mere recluse. This formidable force consisting of the
armies of the Subedars of Delhi, Sirhind, Lahore and
Kashmir went into action against the Guru and his
men. It is said that the Guru had been able to muster
only ten thousand men. He deputed his eldest son Ajit
Singh to man the Kesgarh Fort with two thousand
soldiers. Man Singh and Sher Singh with one thousand
men were despatched to the Lohgarh Fort. Alam
Singh and Suket Singh with three thousand soldiers
were sent to Damdama Fort. Ude Singh was detailed
115
to Agampur Fort. But it appears that either these
details are incorrect or all these people came to the
open field at Anandpur where the great battle took
place.
Guru Gobind Singh himself was at Anandpur.
The Imperial army surrounded Anandpur and a terrible
battle ensued. The Sikhs fought very bravely and
beat back the Muslims many times. The Muslims with
fresh reinforcement attacked fiercely. The Sikhs faced
their charge with exemplary courage. The Muslims
were about to enter Anandpur when Ajit Singh
jumped into the fray with a batch of dedicated Sikhs,
but the advancing wave of the Muslims appeared to
be irresistible. Seeing the predicament of his forces,
Guru Gobind Singh personally led a counter-attack.
A very bloody engagement took place. The Sikhs
fought with gusto. Azeem Khan and Dilawar Khan,
two high officers of the Imperial army were killed.
Towards the close of the evening the Muslim army
wilted under this fierce onslaught and decamped. The
Sikhs had won the day.
The battle was resumed on the second day. The
Guru was at Damdama now. Zabardast Khan threw a
cannonball in his direction. The Guru had a
miraculous escape but some nearby Sikhs were killed.
For some days the Sikhs fought back against fierce
attacks by the multitudinous Muslim hordes. How
long could a handful of men stand against such vast
numbers? When the number of the Sikhs was consid-
116
erably reduced they went back into the Fort of
Anandpur and closed its portals. The Imperial forces
cut off their supplies of food and other necessities.
During one night of the siege, the Sikhs finding an
opportune time waged a surprise attack and in utter
confusions the Muslim forces moved back and lifted
the siege. Raja Dadwal and Raja Jassowal were killed.
The Sikhs captured some booty. The Imperial forces
hung back in the neighbourhood waiting for further
reinforcement.
The Sixth Attack: Aurangzeb gathered
another big force from all over the Empire, supplemented
it with Rajput troops and despatched the combined
army to help the forces of Subedars of Sirhind,
Lahore, Delhi and Kashmir. This redoubled Imperial
army attacked and besieged Anandpur in Chet of
Samat 1761 (1704 A.D.).The Sikhs bore the hardships
of the siege with great fortitude. When there was no
food left, the Sikhs preferred death in the battlefield
to dying of starvation. But the Guru wanted the Sikhs
to face the siege for some days more. There were some
Sikhs who were fed up with the privations they faced
and desired to leave Anandpur. Guru Gobind Singh
told them that they could leave Anandpur only after
disowning him and declaring that they were not Sikhs.
Some disavowed their Guru and faith, while others
remained faithful.
The Hill Rajas sent a Brahmin who on oath of
the sacred cow, brought word to the Guru that the
117
army would not follow and molest the Sikhs if the Guru
abandoned the Anandpur Fort with his men. The
Guru like a truthful man believed the word and taking
his men, their families and his own left the Fort for
Kiratpur. The Imperial forces after looting the Fort,
went back on their solemn pledge and pursued the
Sikhs. Next day, the Guru and his people reached
Kanwalsar on the banks of Sirsa stream, which was in
flood. They were between the devil and the deep sea.
The Imperial army was hot on their heels and infront
was the raging torrent. He was in the position of
General Cronje who in the war of Transval with his
four thousand Boers was trapped by a large British
force. There was a stream on one side and the hills on
the other. Cronje capitulated. Guru Gobind Singh
faced even a more unenviable predicament. He had
women, children and the aged to protect and he was
harassed and pressed upon by the Muslim hordes. At
last some Sikhs braved the raging river and took the
families across. Just then the Muslim army launched
a severe attack. The Guru, with the remnants of his
small band, faced them. But his men faltered in the
face of such heavy odds and they were routed.
Guru Gobind Singh with his two sons and forty
Sikhs entered Chamkaur and took shelter in an
enclosure. In this flight, the Sikhs took two wives of
the Guru to Delhi. The aged mother of the Guru, with
her two grandsons, took shelter with Ganga Ram, an
old Brahmin cook of the Guru's household (her tale
of woe shall be related later on). Let us turn to the
118
field of Chamkaur where the Guru performed
miraculous feats of daring not equalled in the entire
history of the world. The Imperial army and the Hindu
hordeswho were pursuing the Guru well knew that the
Guru had entered Chamkaur with only forty men. He
did not have any forces left and like a lion was shut up
in a cage. The enemy could not hope for a better
situation than this and decided to capture him alive.
So this adobe structure, this shelter-house was surrounded
on all sides.
The reader may well visualize the set up, the
critical situation for the Guru. A whole army of an
Empire supported by the Rajputs and the forces of Hill
Rajas poised against a handful of Sikhs, destitute and
in dire straits, sheltered in an adobe building and
surrounded on all sides. The entire history of the
world can scarcely produce another example of a
handful of men facing such vast multitudes. No king,
no general had ever stood up or even thought of
making a fight against myriads of Imperial forces. The
Guru not only faced these overwhelming odds but also
slipped through them.
He was unperturbed and undaunted. He effected
his escape not for fear of losing his life. He was
not a coward, he saved himself for the fulfilment of his
holy mission. He wanted to have a breathing space so
as to regroup and revitalise his people. Were he a
coward, he would have taken his sons alive with him.
He would not have sent his sons out to make heroic
Jl9
sacrifices right before his eyes. He left after signing
with the blood of his sons, the Divine Document
enshrining his message of Universal Love and
Brotherhood. The heroic sacrifices of his sons were
the testimonies affirming this Glorious Deed. He did
all this for the shameless, spineless, dastardly and ungrateful
Hindu nation. Who is there among the Hindus
so pur-blind, so base, so rash, so mean, so cynical,
as to accuse the Guru of cowardliness.
The Emperors of Germany, Austria and Russia
despite having huge armies with them surrendered
unabashed before Napolean. And so did thousands of
Muslims soldiers of Egypt. A brave General like
Cronje despite having guns and four thousand Boer
fighters with him laid down arms before the British
Army. But look at the unparalleled courage displayed
by Guru ·Gobind Singh! He had only forty Sikhs with
him in a dilapidated adobe structure at Chamkaur
surrounded by the Imperial hordes. The enemy
General sent a message demanding the Guru to surrender
and bid good-bye to his Khalsa. Guru Gobind
Singh refused to buckle under and his son despatched
the insolent soldier on the spot. He sent his reply
through a Sikh saying that Lord Akal commands him
to die fighting rather than giving himself up, to spread
the Khalsa Dharma rather than forsaking it.
He had only forty Sikhs with him in a poor
adobe structure besieged by countless foes. Judge his
reply considering his highly vulnerable position. Can
120
any man accuse him of cowardice? Here he proved
the truth of his saying that he would cause the sparrows
to spurn the hawks and then alone be worthy of being
called Gobind Singh. He and his men kept the Imperial
army at bay throughout the day. An exceptional
exploit, a daring display of dauntless courage, a victory
of the spirit over mere physical force. The Guru
misscd no opportunity to jump into the fray with a
sword in his hand to help and bolster his valiant
Sikhs-the Famous Forty. He sends his sons out, one by
one, to fight unflinchingly and die fighting before his
very eyes. He utters no words of anguish, feels no
lashings of regret, does not abjure his faith or give up
his mission.
We all know the story ofRustam who mistakenly
kills his son in a bout. Who lashed by regret slithers
to the ground in a swoon and on gaining consciousness
is determined to kill himself. A brave man like
Napolean had tears in his eyes at the death of his
general. Ram Chander wept piteously at the swooning
.of his brother Lakshman and ordered Hanuman to
bring the reviving herb. Guru Gobind Singh was not
disheartened by the death of his eldest son Ajit Singh
but continued the fight. His second son Jujhar Singh
who was barely fourteen or fifteen comes before his
father. He seeks permission from his father, the Guru,
to measure swords with the enemy and avenge his
brother's death. The Guru is not swayed by fatherly
love or con~iderations of his son's tender age. He
allows his son to fight and meet certain death. Did any
121
other father face such a situation and behave to nonchalantly?
It seems he willed his son to dare the
enemy and die and thus seal with the last attestation
through self- sacrifice, his father's Immortal Document
of Love and Brotherhood of man.
Jujhar Singh wants to drink water before going
out to fight. His father, the Guru, tells him to go ahead
and quench his thirst with the enemy's blood and not
with water. He further tells Jujhar Singh to drink from
the cup of martyrdom in the battlefield and that his
thirst is symbolic of the thirst of the Khalsa for their
enemy's blood. He blesses his son to march to Heaven
on the path of the Martyrs already taken by his brother,
Ajit Singh. Despite his tender years, Jujhar Singh
jumps into the battle like a redoubtable warrior and
sheds his blood for the defence of Hindu Dharma.
Fie on him who denigrates the Guru by accusing
him of cowardliness! May his mouth fill with filth
and dirt who utters such accusals. The Guru left the
field to fight another day for his country and Dharma
at a more opportune time. He could have very easily
saved his sons and taken them with him out of Chamkaur.
The Sikhs fought fiercely till dusk. By then only
three Sikhs were left alive, namely Dharam Singh,
Man Singh and Daya Singh, along with their Guru.
Just imagine! The whole Imperial army cannot dare
to capture these four Sikhs. The door of the adobe
building is closed. Visualize the awe which the Guru
122
inspires in the enemy. Not a single soul among them
dares to approach the door and break it open, though
it is kept under constant watch. The Guru kisses the
faces of his sons and the hands of the Five Beloveds,
leaves their bodies behind and surveying the field
scornfully moves out of Chamkaur. What was dearer
to him than his sons, than his Five Beloveds, than his
Sikhs, for which he was saving himself? It was for his
faith, his mission of universal brotherhood and his duty
to defend the country and the downtrodden though
ungrateful Hindus that he after sacrificing his worldly
all was keeping himself alive.
Aller the Battle of Chamkaur
How did the Guru escape from there? It is said
that the remaining three Sikhs started shouting at night
that the Pir of the Hindus, meaning the Guru was
slipping out. The shouting created consternation and
an uproar in the Imperial army. Utter confusion
reigned amongst them and making use of this diversion
the Guru slipped out in the darkness of the night,
bare-footed and with a blistering heart. He moved
towards the jungle.
Leaving the Guru at this stage, let us turn to the
sad and heart-rending story of his two small sons.
Mter the exodus from Anandpur and the crossing of
the turbulent Sirsa stream, the mother of the Guru
with her two younger grandsons took shelter with an
old servitor of the family, Ganga Ram, a Brahmin, of
village Kheri that falls in Ropar district. The Guru's
123
mother had taken with her some gems and hard cash.
The old Brahmin servitor was filled with greed. He
thought of usurping this wealth and informing the
Subedar of Sirhind about the presence of the Guru's
mother and his sons. His wife remonstrated with him
saying that he had eaten the salt ofthe Guru and should
not betray him.
The glitter of the gold and the gems blinded
him, blotted all sense of shame and gratitude from his
mind. He stole these from the old lady and informed
Nawab Jani Khan, about her and her grandsons. Jani
Khan passed on the news to his superior, the Subedar
of Sirhind. The old servitor committed a despicahle
crime. But for a Brahmin it was nothing extraordinary.
He had been sucking like a leech the life-blood of
others for thousands of years without compunction or
mercy. For his wants and livelihood, he had never
been averse to deceiving his master, his king, his
people, and his country. He had deceived all of them,
too readily without a twinge of his conscience. The
entire history of India is full of instances of such
treachery. They are shameless and ungrateful
deceivers for the sake of their pleasures and selfish
ends. They feel no shame in begging either in private
or openly like the mendicants.
Informed by the treacherous Brahmin, the
Nawab'got the lady and her grandsons arrested and
sent them to Sirhind as ordered by the Subedar. The
Nawab also came to know about the gems and gold
124
which the ungrateful Brahmin servant had stolen. So
he took the Brahmin along with the booty and
produced him before the Subedar. This Brahmin god
(the epithet "god" is applied to the Brahmin all over
India) got nothing for his treachery and ungratefulness
other than the saving of his dirty skin. The two sons of
the Guru, Zorawar Singh aged nine and Fateh Singh
aged seven, were produced before the Subedar, who
in the first instance sentenced them to one year's
imprisonment in a Tower, known as the Chandal Burj
till today.
Later on he summoned them to appear before
him and urged them to embrace Islam and then lead a
life of luxury like royal princes. He warned them that
if they failed to heed his advice, they would be put to
the sword. Do you know what these two tender and
innocent kids said in reply? They declared that they
were the sons of Guru Gobind Singh and the
grandsons of Guru Tegh Bahadur, the king among
martyrs of the nation and the country. In their veins
ran the blood of their redoubtable father and their
noble grandfather. Islam did not appeal to them and
no temptation or hope of any reward could make them
embrace it. They did not want to buy their lives at the
cost of the Khalsa Dharma. They held their lives very
cheaply and cared not two hoots if it flew out of their
limbs; Death held no terror for them. They would not
go against the mandate of Akal and embrace the faith
of the enemies of their country and Dharma. Their
answer was worthy of their noble descent. It was the
125
elder of the two sons who made this bold reply. He
asked if conversion to Islam could save them from
Death. If die they must, why not die nobly for their
country and the Khalsa Dharma?
This bold reply stunned the Subedar ofSirhind.
Then seething with wrath he ordered them to be beheaded.
The world is not entirely full of heartless and
devilish people only. Here and there are to be seen
good and noble souls. Even in this gathering of bloodthirsty
men was one such noble soul-Nawab Sher
Mohammad Khan of Kotla. Addressing the Subedar,
the Nawab questioned the justice of punishing innocent
children for the fault of their father. He
wanted to know what injunction of the Holy Ouran
permitted the slaughter of the innocent. This gory act
of great injustice could perhaps have been averted.
But there was in that assemblage a Kashatri Dewan
Sucha (Truthful) Nand, inimical to the Guru, who
counselled their killing, holding it unwise and impolitic
to save them arguing that it is not wise to bring
up the young ones of an asp after killing it because the
wolf's whelp has the making of a future wolf.
0, Mother India, these are your offspring. Your
most favourite, the eldest Brahmin son (Ganga Ram)
had already shown his true colours of deceit, ungratefulness,
shamelessness, indecency and inhumanity.
Now be. proud ofyour second worthy son, the Kashatri,
Dewan Sucha Nand who felt no hesitation in wreaking
his vengeance on the Guru, by sending his tender sons
126
(of the ages of 7 and 9), to certain death. He was not
to be outdone by his elder Brahmin brother, in meanness,
jealousy, cold-blooded inhumanity and devilishness.
These are your true begotten sons. These mean
and selfish sons cause you endless pain and greatly
torture your mind. These sons of yours are consumed
by jealousy and hatred for your other children. They
are thirsty for the blood of thier own brethren and like
leeches, they are even engaged in sucking it. °
woebegone Mother, whom can you accuse and complain
against when your own children are eager to kill
one another? 0, who can defend you then?
0, Mother, you have been seen the work of
your Brahmin and Kashatri sons, who claim preeminence
over your other sons. Now Guru Gobind
Singh has taken with him your lowly son, the Shudra,
to defend you. But the jealous, mean and haughty elder
brothers won't let them gain enough strength to
achieve thei'r goal. In their wickedness the wretches the
ignoble elder brothers - work against you and
their own good. Their wisdom has been consumed by
their wickedness. 0, Mother India, pray to the Almighty
for your sons. Supplicate the Lord to teach
them to love one another and foster firm bonds of
brotherhood.
Mter a day or two the children of the Guru
were again invited to embrace Islam. Glowing pictures
of luxurious living, big Jagirs and great riches as
rewards and dignities were drawn before them. But
127
Zorawar Singh was unmoved and reiterated the reply
.given earlier that they were not tempted by the short
and inglorious life of pleasure. They would rather die
than give up the Khalsa Dharma. They were the sons
of Guru Gobind Singh, undaunted by death. They
would court death smilingly. They challenged him to
do his worst. These words cut the Subedar to the quick
and he ordered that they should be bricked alive. The
erection of a wall was started around them. They stood
unperturbed. There were no tears in their eyes, no
tremor on their lips, no trembling in their limbs, no
beads of perspiration on their foreheads, no paleness
on their faces. What stead-fastness, what courage,
what fortitude, what super-human capacity for making
sacrifices!
Just imagine, dear reader, what kept them
calm, unconcerned and unmoved under such trying
circumstances ? This courage, this fearlessness, this
spirit was instilled in them by their father, Guru
Gobind Singh. When the wall rises higher, the younger
brother aged seven shows some signs of uneasiness.
Zorawar Singh addresses his brother saying, "0, Fateh
Singh, shout Wahe-Guru Ji Ka Khalsa, Wahe-Guru Ji
Ki Fateh (The Khalsa belongs to God and victory is in
His hands), I hold you answerable to your vows to your
father and your mother's milk! Do not lose heart in
the face oftribulation." Fateh Singh steadies himself.
What a glorious show of manliness for a child of
seven!
128
The wall reaches the level of their chests and
inches higher. Their breathing is obstructed and they
feel suffocated. At this critical juncture, they are urged
again to choose between Islam promising life and
refusal meaning death. Their answer is the same but
they add that they see heaven across the wall, on the
other side infront of them, they feel no pain. They
cherish their Khalsa Dharma and are not prepared to
bargain for miserable life. They feel blessed as they
carry out the command of the Lord Akal. The wall
reaches the level of their heads, then covers them. The
two tender hearts are stilled for ever. They died. for
their Dharma and their Motherland. They died to live
for ever in the hearts of men . They died to revive
Hindu Dharma. They died to give eternal life to their
Khalsa Dharma. They showed the world that a nation
that bears brave children like them never dies. Hallowed
is the land which gives birth to such valiant
progeny.
Compare them with fully grown men who bid
good-bye to their religion for a handful of coins. Compare
them with long-beards who for the sake ofa
woman forsake their fai tho Some of them join the fold
of Mohammed. Some others of them swell the ranks
of the followers of Christ.My country-men, these were
the children who signed with their blood, the Immortal
Document of the Love of their father. Krishan
avenged himself on the enemies of his father, only
after growing to full manhood. We cannot compare
this feat of his maturer years with the exemplary
129
courage shown by these kids of seven and nine. Their
father was not there to guide or order them and yet
they braved death for his faith and principles. They
were not grown up and sturdy like Krishan but they
out-did him in courage and steadfastness.
The Muslims dealt with these tender boys with
the same cruelty which was in evidence in their heartless
treatment of the innocent grandnephews of their
Prophet in the battlefield of Karbla. To this day the
Shias and other Muslims remember the occasion with
lamentations and heavy hearts. But the brave Sikhs
have taken this inhuman treatment of their Guru's
children in their stride.
When the old mother of the Guru came to
know about the heart-rending tale of her grandson's
deaths, she was overwhelmed by the heartlessness and
the cruelty of the perpetrators of this dastardly act and
died. Let us turn from this horrendous tale of human
ungratefulness, of mean, unmanly revenge, of inhuman
treatment of young children at the hands of
grown-up men holding high positions, and turn to
the exploits of the Guru.
The Guru started walking bare-footed in the
dark night when thorny bushes and way-side thorns
could not be made out. How could he escape unscathed.
His feet became blistered and were bleeding
still he walked till day-break. The Imperial army tried
to track him at night and also during the day, the heaps
of the dead-bodies were sorted out to find his body but
130
without success. Not knowing where to look for him,
the authorities sent search-parties in all directions.
Since the Sun had risen, the Guru, certain of
being pursued, went to sleep in a thicket, with a couple
ofclods under his head for a pillow. He was dead tired
and had not slept for many nights with the result that
he slept very soundly during the day. He passed the
night at the same spot without eating anything. There
is a Gurdwara now at this place. In the small hours of
the night, he marched to the east of Machhiwara town
and passed the day in a garden. An edifice known as
Charan Kanwal (Lotus Feet) stands in his memory.
Nabi Khan and Ghani Khan,two Pathan brotherscame
to their garden for a walk and recognised Guru Gobind
Singh because they used to bring horses to him for sale.
They judged from his tattered clothes and his physical
condition that he had come from a battlefield. They
were under debt of the Guru for his past favours and
had earned handsomely through dealings with him.
They were Muslims but were men enough not to act in
an ungrateful manner.
Instead of harming the Guru or informing the
Imperial forces about him, they escorted him safely to
Behlolpur. The three Sikhs of the Guru who had
escaped from Chamkaur in the ensuing confusion after
their announcement regarding their Guru's exit also
reached there. They had dressed themselves like Muslims
and were looking for their Guru. A column of the
Imperial army, looking for the Guru, arrived in neigh-
131
bourhood. The Guru and his comrades took shelter
with one Gulaba Singh there, who personally took
them to the house of Qazi Pir (or Mir) Mohammad.
The Qazi and the Guru were old friends. The Qazi
proved his true humanism and friendship. After
deliberations, it was decided that the Guru should be
declared a Muslim Pir and dressed like one be taken
to Millwa region. Accordingly, the Guru was declared
Uch Da Pir (The Pir of Eminence), seated on a cot
raised high as per the custom prevalent then and accompanied
by the Qazi, Ghani Khan and the three Sikhs
in Muslim garbs, was taken out of Behlolpur. The
Guru, attired in blue robes, was taken from one village
to another in the direction of Malwa.
What a company it was, strange and holy. How
courageous and bold on the part of the Guru to put
himself at the mercy of Muslims, when his own people,
the Hindus, for whose defence and welfare he was
struggling, had betrayed him, when the entire resources
of the Muslim Empire of the time were ranged
against him, and when every Muslim hand was raised
against him. Human mind staggers to take in the
situation, what a man the Guru was! His shrewd
judgement of men was proved true. He saw no Hindu
worth the name, to afford him shelter and also he had
no faith in their word of honour or their honour itself.
Had he trusted his life in the hands of any Brahmin Or
Kashatri, it would not have been worth a dime. The
two Muslims justified the trust reposed in them and at
least they escorted him safely to Malwa. The Guru in
132
the guise of a Muslim Pir was taken to village
Ghungrali and after buying weapons from Jhanda
Mistri, the group arrived at the Dera of Mahant Kirpal
Dass, in village Haer, who refused to give shelter to a
rebel against the Emperor. See, how a Hindu had
behaved!
From there, the group moved farther and at last
arrived at the house of Rai Kalha, the Rais (dignitary)
of Raikot, in village Jatpura. Though a Muslim, he
entertained them well. The Sikhs presented horses and
weapons to the Guru at that place. The Guru also
learnt there what had befallen his aged mother and his
two younger sons. The Guru heard it all with equianimity
and thanked Akal Purkh for the consummation
of His Will. The Guru declared there that a day
would come when the Khalsawould raze Sirhind to the
ground to avenge their innocent brothers. These
words were a sort of legacy for the Sikhs who proved
them true.
The Epistle orVictory
Mter passing through some villages like Sheikhupura,
Dhanoula, Namgarh, the Guru in the month
of Maghar of Samat 1761 (1705 AD.) reached Dina.
He rested there for some time and improved his condition
a little. He collected some weapons from the
region, initiated some Singhs and armed them. He
received offerings from his Sikhs. He penned his
famous missive "Zafar Nama" in Persian, meant for
Aurangzeb, who, it is said, sent for the Guru, assuring
133
him of safe conduct, and proper respect. The Guru
refused to believe in Aurangzeb's word of honour and
wrote to him forcefully that he should refrain from
cruelty and tyranny; otherwise he would face the wrath
of the Lord for his evil conduct. The Guru added that
he personally had neither any domain nor desire of
seizing any territory but he and his Sikhs would ever
be ready to move against him and work for his
downfall. The Sikhs would pay him back in his own
coin. This letter proves Guru Gobind Singhs's fearlessness
and his dedication to his mission.
After leaving Dina and passing through many
villages, the Guru reached Kot Kapura. Rai Kapura
looked after the Guru well and offered him money and
many horses but refused to do anything else. Guru
Gobind Singh had desired Rai Kapura to keep him at
Kot Kapura, allow him to train his men in warfare and
also to lend him his personal support. Thus disappointed
in the fulfilment of his desire, the Guru moved
out and reached village Dhilwan. There lived Sodhi
Koul Sahib, a descendant of Pirthi Chand. He
received the Guru warmly and requested him to take
off his blue robes. Guru Gobind Singh consigned his
robes to the fire in his farsightedness so that his Sikhs
may not take to worshipping them. But his Sikhs
beholden to their Guru at every step could not be kept
from keeping safe the sacred relics of their Guru like
Nishan Sahib, Chola Sahib which adorn Gurdwaras
now. It is a sad story that these relics are worshipped
in a way and used as a means of earning money. It is
134
proper that these should be reserved and held very
dear by every Sikh.
The Regrouping of the Sikhs
Here the Guru was joined by those Sikhs who
had disowned him at Anandpur Sahib during the siege.
They came to ask forgiveness for their grievous sin.
When these Sikhs had reached their homes after
deserting their Guru, they were taken to task by their
brethern and put to great shame. They had fallen so
low in the estimation of the people that it had become
very difficult for them to pass their days in that region.
Now they were forced to turn to their Guru for pardon.
This is an indication of the love and reverence which
the people had for their Guru and ofthe public support
which his mission was gaining. The Subedar of Sirhind
got wind of the Guru's sojourn in the area and the
rallying of Sikhs around him. So partly in compliance
with Aurangzeb's order and partly fearing chastisement
for his own crimes, he decided to finish the Guru
and he set out to achieve this end. Guru Gobind Singh
was again forced into an unequal engagement. He was
able to muster only a handful of Sikhs.
Taking positions in the sandy plain of
Khidrana, Guru Gobind Singh with his band of sturdy
Sikhs waited for the forces of Sirhind. Wazir Khan, the
Subedar reached there and the battlefield came to life.
The Sikhs fought tenaciously to the last ounce of
courage and energy in their bodies. The field was
135
littered with heaps of corpses. The Sikhs captured the
only source of fresh water in the area. The Muslim
army was much troubled by the lack of water and
waged many attacks to regain the spring. Repulsed
time and again and tormented by thirst, the Muslim
army was disheartened and decamped. The Sikhs pursued
them relentlessly for four to five miles and inflicted
heavy casualties. Utterly van4uished, the
Muslim army went back to the safety of Sirhind and
abandoned any future campaigns against the Guru, in
the dangerous wilds and jungle areas. Thus, the Guru
and his Sikhs captured the battlefield, having decidedly
defeated the Imperial army.
The Guru, thus, proved the wisdom of leaving
the field at Chamkaur and silenced his detractors. It
was his farsightedness and will to fight another day in
pursuance of his mission for the defence and welfare
of the Hindus and the Hindu Dharma that caused him
to move out of a hopeless situation. It is well to
remember here that Rai Kapura of Kot Kapura who
had refused to help the Guru against the Muslims,
fought on the side of Muslims against the Guru and
was killed in this battle. Proving once again that the
degenerate Hindus instead of helping the Guru for
their own welfare had opposed him at every step. They
never hesitated to lift their swords against him. They
had been reduced to abject slavery, both mental and
physical and to moral decrepitude.
When the Muslim army had fled from the bat-
136
tlefield, Guru Gobind Singh approached the bodies of
his Sikhs who had fallen in the battle. With his handkerchief,
he wiped the blood from their faces, extolling
their bravery and exclaiming that they had attained
heaven by virtue of their sword-arm. There was still
some life in Mahan Singh of Majha. The Guru poured
some water in his mouth and he opened his eyes to find
his Guru before him. He reqovered to some extent
and in reply to his Guru's offer of a reward for his
heroic services, he very feebly requested his Guru to
tear' the Deed, disowning their Guru, signed by him
and his comrades. Guru Gobind Singh took out the
document from his cummerbund, where he had been
keeping it all along and tore it before the eyes of
Mahan Singh. Thus, the Forty Sikhs were taken back
into the Khalsa fold.
This act of Mahan Singh is highly praiseworthy
and is remembered and recounted with great love and
esteem. In the dying moments of his martyred life, he
had thoughts only for the welfare of his brethren and
countrymen. Selfless sacrifice for his country and
Khalsa Dharma and selfless service of his comrades
were uppermost in his mind till his last breath. Blessed
are such people indeed who die desiring the welfare
of their comrades and countrymen, who shed their
blood for upholding the honour of their homeland,
who consecrate their lives to the good of their country
and countrymen. Only those countries, that had such
men in their folds, touched great heights in their his-
137
tory. Only such countries attained great splendour and
achieved great degrees of perfection in any field.
Sacrifice spells success for nations. In all times and all
climes, its great need had been felt, is still felt and will
continue to be felt. No people, no country can attain
anything worthwhile without offering sacrifices. The
lamp of national honour is lit by mending the wick of
selfless service and by pouring the oil of self-sacrifice.
The edifice of a nation's greatness is raised on the firm
foundation of self- sacrifice. Guru Gobind Singh personally
performed the last rites of his brave Sikhs.
He founded a town in commemoration of this
battle and gave it the name of Muktsar, meaning
thereby, the Tank of Liberation. He called all those
Sikhs who had died there as the Muktas (The
Liberated Ones). Then passing through many villages
the Guru went to Wazidpur, where the people did not
allow him to stay. In this jungle tract, some soldiers
of the Brar clan insisted on receiving their pay, but the
Guru had nothing to offer them except hunger.
During this period, the Sikhs had often to go without
food for a day or two. The Guru managed to pay his
men after receiving some monetary help from a Sikh
devotee. One of the Sikh soldiers, Dewan Singh by
name refused to receive his pay. The Guru administered
Arnrit to one Brahmin Faqir, who had
become a Muslim at his birth, and called him Ajmer
Singh.
]38
The Guru at Damdama
Guru Gobind Singh reached Talwandi and his
wife arrived there from Delhi. After staying there for
some days, he went to Bathinda and then to Damdama.
It is commonly held that since the Guru had some
respite (meaning 'Dam' in the vernacular) here, the
place was called Damdama Sahib.
Another tradition goes that the Guru sent his
letter to Aurangzeb from here through Daya Singh and
Dharam Singh, who brought the Emperor's reply as
well. The Emperor had invited the Guru to Delhi in
flattering terms. Having no faith in the Emperor's
word and his assurances, the Guru .did not visit him.
He busied himself in more important work and sent a
strongly-worded reply wherein he openly reproached
Aurangzeb for his cruel and evil deeds. The Guru
reminded him ofthe wrath ofGod about to fall on him.
The Guru also declared that the Dharma of Guru
Nanak is the finest of all, that Delhi holds no terror for
him since he is unawed by any earthly power, that he
has no attachment for the world and its goods, that he
is patiently awaiting his end. The Guru warned
Aurangzeb about the evil consequences of his evil acts
when he shall be hauled up on the Judgement Day and
found wanting in the face of the piteous cries ofaccUsal
raised against him by thousands of innocent beings
tortured to death by him on this earth. How should it
fare with him at that time, the Guru asked him to
139
visualize. Moved by this letter, Aurangzeb sent for
Guru Gobind Singh once again, but the Guru did not
respond.
Damdama Sahib is held sacred for yet another
reason. The whole of Guru Granth Sahib (Adi
Granth) was' rewritten here and the Guru added the
Bani of his father, Guru Tegh Bahadur. This volume
of Guru Granth Sahib is called the Bir of Damdama.
Some people hold that the Guru effected some changes
in some verses of the Granth, but there is nothing
much to substantiate this claim. The Guru, per force,
had to get the Granth rewritten, as the followers of
Dhir Mal who had the original Granth with them had
refused to hand it over. He also wanted to incorporate
the Bani of the Ninth Guru, in this Granth. He had
respite from continuous warfare now and could attend
to these things. It is firmly held that Guru Gobind
Singh composed some portions of his famous Vachittar
Natak in which he deals with the lives and doings, of
the first nine Gurus, writes about his personal life and
eulogized the Glory of Akal Purkh as the FountainHead
for all his actions.
Guru's March Towards Deccan
From Damdama, the Guru moved towards
Deccan to carry his mission to regions other than the
Punjab. He passed through Rajputana. The Rajputs
and their Rajas had so far been untouched by his
mission. Probably this was what had prompted him to
140
approach them in their own region. The people welcomed
him in a befitting manner, gave him due
respect, entertained him. They were impressed by his
sermons and benefitted from them. At one place,
Mahant Chet Ram, a follower of Dadu Saint received
him very warmly. A mention of this meeting is made
in many traditional accounts.
While passing through this territory, the Guru
witnessed the Mela of Puranmashi (Full Moon) in
Kartik month of Samat 1763 (1706 A.O.) at Pushkar
Raj. When the Guru visited Ajmer, a faithful devotee
of his constructed a ghat there in commemoration of
his visit. It is known as Gobind G.hat (wharf). Guru
Gobind Singh learnt of the death of Aurangzeb while
he was camping at Baghaur town. Aurangzeb died in
Samat 1764 (1707 A.D.). The Guru showed no sign of
elation of any kind and kept his usual composure on
hearing this news.
The Guru and Bahadur Shah
After the demise of Aurangzeb, a tug of war
ensued among his sons for the Imperial throne. At the
time of his father's death, Bahadur Shah, the eldest son
was at Kabul. Azeem Shah, another son of Aurangzeb
drew his sword in defiance and sending for his younger
brother Kam Bakhsh, got him murdered, thus following
in the foot steps of his father who had despatched
his brother Murad likewise. Bahadur had to face a
cruel and strong enemy. Fearing that he might face the
141
same fate as did Dara Shikoh, he made great preparations
for the war. He also wanted to benefit by the help
of Guru Gobind Singh at this critical juncture.
By that time the Sikhs had established themselves
as a strong force to reckon with and had formed a
sizeable number. Bahadur Shah saw in the person of
the Guru the means of enlisting the support of Sikhs
for his own good. In his farsightedness he might have
imagined that in the case of his proving victorious, he
would not have to face the opposition of the Sikhs and
their Guru, who had made his opposition to the tyrannical
Muslim rule very clear. Therefore, Bahadur
Shah sent two Hindu Dewans to the Guru soliciting his
help. After pondering over all aspects of the matter,
the Guru resolved to help him. The Guru did not have
to oppose any Hindu power and as a friend he could
bide his time, stay near the Emperor and also near his
Sikhs whom he would be able to train and equip. The
above factors must have weighed heavily with him
while making this decision.
When the Guru approached Bahadur Shah, the
latter received him courteously and with proper
respect. At last the Guru helped him by bringing a
large force of his Khalsa on Bahadur Shah's side
against Azeem Shah at the battlefield of Agra. Tradition
goes that the Guru pierced Azeem Shah with an
arrow while he was sitting atop his elephant. It may be
imagined that the Guru tried to do so. Azeem Shah
was killed whether at the hands of the Guru or of
142
somebody else. But there is no doubt that the Guru
was greatly responsible for Bahadur Shah's victory. In
gratitude for the Guru's help, the new Emperor,
Bahadur Shah, took him to Delhi and he stayed there
for some time. When Bahadur Shah started on his
Deccan campaign, the Guru accompanied him.
Before leaving, the Guru allowed his wife Sundri Ji to
adopt a son, who was called Ajit Singh. The Guru in
the company of the Emperor passed through Mathura,
Bharatpur, Jaipur etc. and reached Ujjain. Bahadur
Shah wanted to send the Guru with a big force under
him against the Marathas. The Guru saw through the
political gambit of the Emperor and refused to oblige
him.
Meeting Banda Bahadur
Parting company with the Emperor, and passing
through many places, he reached Nanded. Madho
Dass alias Narain Dass Bairagi, a Hindu Faqir, lived
there. The Guru met him and found in him a great
potential for fighting and the requisite guts and fervour
for sacrificing himself for the defence of the downtrodden
Hindus and their Dharma. The Guru made
Madho Dass his Shishya (a Sikh) but did not administer
Pahul (Arnrit) to him perhaps with a view to
closing the chapter of Guruship and forestalling any
claim to Gurudom by him, later on. The fact of
Madho's not having been given Pahul would deter the
Khalsa from upholding such a claim if ever made by
143
him in time to come. * The Guru gave him the name
of Banda and sent him to Sirhind. The Guru wrote to
many Sikhs urging them to give active support to
Banda in his mission. He detailed a large group of
Sikhs to accompany Banda Singh to the Punjab.
At the time of sending off Banda, Guru Gobind
Singh made him to take five vows (1) of remaining a
celibate, (2) of never telling a lie, (3) of not starting a
new sect or instituting guruship, (4) of not sitting on
the seat of guruship, and (5) of treating Sikhs as his
brethren and equals. He wrote to Sikhs in general to
join him. Guru Gobind Singh bestowed his sword on
him.
Guru Gobind Singh, who was still alive when
Banda Bahadur embarked upon his mission, learnt of
the plunder and the devastation of Sirhind at the hands
of Banda. The Guru evinced neither elation nor satis-
* This view is refuted by a host of hiiitorians, old and modern,
Punjabi, Indian and Europeans, Muslims and Hindus, who
wrote in English, Persian and vernacular, e.g. Forester, James
Brown, Mc'Gregor, Mohammad Latif, Ciulam Hussain Khan,
Iradat Khan, Kanhya Lal, Sharda Ram PhiIlauri, Ahmed Shah
Batalvi, Zaka-UIIah, Ganesh Dass Wadehra, Ali-u-Din Mufti.
AIl these references have been quoted by Dr.Ganda Singh in his
book Banda Singh BallOdur (Punjabi) where he writes that Guru
Gobind Singh bestowed the boon of Amrit on Madho Dass and
called him Banda Singh and honoured him with the title of
'Bahadur'. Giani Sohan Singh in his book Banda Singh Shahid
(Punjabi) quotes many more Indian and foreign writers in
support of the administering of Pahul to Banda.
144
faction over it. To him, this act was unworthy of his
noble mission. Secondly, a man who had been sent to
bear hardships for the good and betterment of others
and to be indifferent to his own worldly happiness,
could not feel joy and satisfaction over such poor,
negative achievement.
In reality, Guru Gobind Singh had come to
show people that the leaven of sacrifice and suffering
produces calmness and content. He did not live long
enough to witness the successful achievements of
Banda Bahadur. He received that summons from his
Akal for which all of us should ever be ready.
Attracted by the natural beauty of the area
around the banks of Godavari, Guru Gobind Singh set
up his camp there. Later on, he bought a piece of land
there and built a house on it. He called this place Afzal
Nagar also known as Abchal Nagar. A Mandir in that
area too is known by this name till today. The Guru
stayed there for quite some time and his Sikh disciples
started trickling in from the surrounding areas. The
Guru spent his mornings in Kirtan (singing of
Shabads). At noon after taking his meals, he daily
distributed food among the needy. On occasions he
would go out hunting because he wanted his Sikhs to
be alive to the need of fostering fighting capabilities ir.
them and keeping themselves in good shape. By his
daily routine, he set before his Khalsa an example of
good conduct - of how one should spend one's life in
Lordworship, in helping the needy and indigent and in
145
doing courageous and bold deeds.
The Guru received here the news of the killing
of the Subedar of Sirhind at the hands of Banda
Bahadur in the battle on the 13th Jeth of Samat 1764
(1707 A.D.). The Sikhs were overjoyed to hear this
news which according to them was an act ofvengeance.
But the Guru heard the news with serenity and opined
that the command of Lord Akal has been carried out.
His face bore no expression of jubilation. A heart
which is indifferent to sorrow, which is unperturbed by
hardships, grief and toil, cannot be carried away by any
feelings of joy over trivial successes. The Guru was
basically a kind-hearted man who could not be pleased
by the shedding of anyone's blood. But a sharp distinction
must be made between being trigger- happy and
shedding blood in the performance of one's duty. The
appreciation of this distinction had often forced him
to take to difficult and dangerous paths for the success
of his mission.
Brutal Attack on the Guru
Bahadur Shah passed through Nanded after the
annexation ofAhmed Nagar and the completion of the
Deccan campaign. He met Guru Gobind Singh and
tried to take him along, but the Guru declined to
accompany him. The power and existence of Guru
Gobind Singh was rankling in the mind of the
Emperor, who well knew what the mission of the Guru
was and earnestly wanted to exterminate him. The
Emperor was awaiting an opportune time. The ex-
146
ploits of Banda Bahadur made the Emperor feel further
threatened by the existence of the Guru, so he
planned for the physical liquidation of the Guru. After
setting the wheel of conspiracy in motion, the Emperor
removed himself from the scene. He had incited one
Turkish youth to despatch the Guru who had killed his
father and grandfather and it was the primal duty of a
Muslim to avenge the murder of his ancestors. The
Emperor had further reproached the youth for his
shamelessness in serving the killer of his forebears. To
accentuate the effect of his goadings, the Emperor
added the tempting offer of honours and regards for
the successful completion of the conspiracy. *
This turkish Muslim was called Gull Khan and
he along with his brother Atta-Allah-Khan, was in the
service of the Guru. Theywere the descendants ofone
Paindey Khan, who had been killed by the Guru in one
of his many battl~s. This conspiracy had taken a strong
hold on the minds of these two Turks and worked
successfully because the Guru trusted them. On the
fourth of Bhadon of Samat 1765 (1708 A.D.), finding
the Guru asleep and unattended by anyone else, Gull
Khan thrust his dagger deep into the Guru's stomach.
The Guru stood up wounded, and pressing his wound
with one hand and taking hold of his sword with the
other struck a telling blow on his assailant, killing him
on the spot.
* Historians have averred that this conspiracy was hatched by the
Subedar of Sirhind.
147
The wound was not very dangerous but had
been inflicted in a very sensitive part of the body. The
Sikhs gathered around their Guru in no time.
A surgeon was sent for who stitched the wound
and dressed it. The wound started healing and there
were distinct signs of recovery after some days. But
the Guru tried his hand at archery one day, with the
result that the wound was reopened and inflamation
set in. Despite all curative measures, the wound
started deteriorating with the result that the Guru's
health steadily declined.
Thus, the Guru, stabbed by his enemies, sealed
his Document of Love, with his own gory signature.
He had started writing this Legacy to his Nation with
the ink formed out of the sacrifice of all his ease and
happiness mixed with his heart's blood, on the paper
of devotion to the nation, with the pen of patriotic
fervour. This Document had been witnessed and
signed by his two elder sons and the Five Beloveds with
their blood. His remaining two innocent and tender
sons had testified it with their blood. The whole
process of writing had commenced with the blood of
Guru Teg Bahadur, the father of the Guru. The contents
were written with the blood of the two elder sons
of Guru Gobind Singh, while his two tender sons of
ages seven and nine testified it with their blood. The
Guru with his own gore wrote finis on it.
This elegy of the Emperor of the Khalsa had
its Title written in blood. Its every dot, every word and
148
every line was written with the blood that shall not dry
till eternity.
All efforts to heal the Guru's wound proved
unavailing. When the Guru felt that his hour was
approaching, he asked for a coco-nut and five paise as
per stipulations which he placed before the Holy
Granth and enjoined the Khalsa that from then onwards,
the Holy Granth shall be their only one Guru,
their Eternal Guru who shall ever protect them and
guide them in all matters, that they should never accept
any other guru, should never bow before anyone
or any granth other than the Guru Granth Sahib. His
injunction was that they should 'ever remain steadfast
and true to their faith, that he would be there in spirit
where his five Sikhs gather and that these five shall be
vested with the authority to administer Arnrit (Pahul)
to the seekers and make them members of the Khalsa
Fraternity.
Ending of the Guruship in Person
In this manner the sagacious and farsighted
Guru ended the cycle of succession to Guruship. He
could feel the pulse of the people and the temper of
the times. By putting this bar, he saved the Sikhs from
future degeneration, dissensions and divisions. That
is why the Khalsa Dharma has kept its purity during
these three hundred years. The devolution of the
power of bestowing of Pahul on five Sikhs was a great
democratic step which saved the Sikhs from the ills of
gurudom which had eaten into the vitals of the Hindu
149
Dharma invested with multitudes of gurus in the form
of Brahmins. The Guru was well aware of this fact and
could never allow this evil to afflict the Khalsa. So, he
decided to abolish gurudom for ever and did it in a very
effective manner.
Last days of the Guru
On the next day, the 15th of Kartik of Samat
1765, Guru Gobind Singh bathed himself, dressed and
armed himself, said his prayers and heard kirtan. Then
he stretched himself on his bed and listening to the
recital of Bani from Guru Granth Sahib, breathed his
last uttering the last words, "Wahe-Guru Ji Ka Khalsa,
Wahe-Guru Ji Ki Fateh". Thus, he poured the final
Ahuti of his body in the Sacrificial Fire which he had
lit for the betterment of the Hindus. On that day was
set the special sun of the Hindus which had enabled
them to see clearly with their own eyes, whose warmth
had ·brought spring into their withered garden with its
wilted plants supporting drooping twigs and leaves,
and engendered fresh sprouts.
This Sun had set in the darkness of death. That
lightning singing patriotic songs in the storm clouds of
hope disappeared, the down pour of the soothing rain
of nationalism that was helping to cool the burning
hearts of the Hindus and to extinguish the fire of
acrimonious dissensions sweeping across the country,
was driven away by the tempest of Death. The river
whose overflowing currents were promising plenty and
prosperity in the drought-despoiled fields of India. was
150
submerged in a devastating flood. The great soul
which had come to revive India, was whisked away; the
heart full of love for the Hindus, ever zealous and
ready to spill its blood for their welfare, was stilled.
Alas! the True Lover, the True Well-Wisher, the True
Friend of the Hindus, the True Consoler, the Loving
Helper, the Real Benefactor of the Indians closed his
eyes for ever. But he had planted the sapling of
Nationalism, had watered it with his blood and had
manured it with his bones. The sapling took roots,
grew fast into a robust tree and eventually bore a
plenteous crop of rich fruit.
The deep love, determination and faith with
which he had embarked upon his mission and which
had sustained his assiduous efforts, bore fruit at last.
The string of sacrifice that took toll of the members of
his family - his father, his mother, his four sons and of
his own life, was crowned at last with success. The
Guru died in the flush of real achievement. He had
gained the goal he had set before him and exerted
himself to achieve. The creation, growth and steady
rise to glory of his Khalsa testifies to the successful
culmination of his efforts. He died fully conscious that
he had set wheels in motion as he had wanted to, that
he had carried out the mandate of his Lord Akal. He
had done his duty, to the people and to the Country as
ordained by his Akal.
Shivaji Maratha was his contemporary. Their
aims and objective are often compared and it is erroneously
concluded that the Guru was comparatively
151
unsuccessful in his mission. All facets and aspects of
their efforts, the situations involved, the angles involved
in their mission whether personal or national
or a clever combination of both, their principles and
scruples should be taken into account while comparing
them with e,ach other. Shivaji undoubtedly was impelled
by the motive of national good but underneath
lay vcry selfish undercurrents of gaining power. While
Guru Gobind Singh had no such ulterior motives intermixed
with his mission. He did not want to carve a
kingdom to perpetuate a dynasty like Shivaji. He, on
the other hand, sacrificed whatever he had, sacrificed
his sons, thus ending his dynasty for the sake of his
country and the welfare of his countrymen. Shivaji
worked for gaining political power, though in some
degree nationalism was involved in it. Guru Gobind
Singh fought on all the four fronts, remaining in the
fore-fronts in each, the social, political, religious and
military. He never resorted to any subterfuge in any
of his actions in these fields.
The main aim of the Guru was to uplift the
down-trodden low castes and make them atleast the
equals if not the betters of the high castes by making
them the devotees of one Formless Lord, united in the
brotherhood of man. Shivaji was not inspired by any
such lofty ideals of Brotherhood of man and worship
of the Formless One. He worked purely in the political
field unhampered by religious, social or humane
consideration. He was free to adopt any or all methods,
of deceits, duplicity and diplomacy. The Guru
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primarily a religious preceptor and.-fet'ornier, had
closed all these avenues of help and relied entirely on
his physical prowess, determination and devotion to
his cause, to achieve his ends. The conquests of Shivaji
attracted m~n to him with the lure of pelf and power.
On the other hand the Guru gathered ordinary
people, the so-called dregs of the Hindu society
around him, filled them with love, courage, patriotism
and brotherhood, in order to gain conquests for the
cause of the people. Shivaji attracted fighters to him,
the Guru transformed ordinary people into selfless,
redoubtable fighters for Hindu Dharma, the equal of
the highest in the world. He transformed the ruined
field into a verdant green blossoming and promising a
rich crop of its fruit. The Hindus are forever beholden
to Guru Gobind Singh and bow before him in grateful
esteem.
Outstanding Qualities of the Guru
It shall be amiss on my part, if I fail to write
about the qualities of the Guru that emerge from the
happenings penned on the foregoing pages. I shall
write only about these. Every Punjabi is conversant
with these traits of the Guru, though no one so far has
tried to capture them in writing. Mine is going to be
the first exercise in this direction, if I falter here and
there, I crave the reader's indulgence to bear with me.
If I repeat myself or seem to be contradicting myself,
it is entirely my fault, the fault of a novice in this field.
Guru Gobind Singh was a true anchorite and a
153
true patriot. Krishna and Bhishma had sermonised in
the Mahabharta that a man who gives up his life for the
good of others is the greatest of all anchorites. The
Guru not only gave up his life for the welfare of others
but also gave up everything he had for the love of his
country. He sacrificed his ease and comfort, his blood
and body for his nation. He did not hesitate to sacrifice
his all for his country and people. He may easily be
called the greatest among those who gave up everything
for their country. Giving up entails first possessing
a thing and then giving it up for a noble cause for
the general good. Buddha detached himself from the
world out of fear of pain and suffering. The detachment
of Bhishma was inspired by the selfish motive of
gaining the favour of his father. The Guru gave up
everything he had for his people, for his country. He
sacrificed everything for the Hindus, for their welfare
and for their Dharma, without any selfish motive or
thought of return. Had he so desired he could have
rolled snugly in the lap of luxury, could have demanded
and enjoyed enormous esteem and respect, could have
received paeans of praise as a revered Guru. He
never hankered after such petty things.
It is extremely rare if not altogether impossible
to find all the good qualities in one man. But the Guru
was an embodiment of all round perfection. He was a
poet, a religious leader, a religious and social
reformer, .an excellent planner and counsellor and a
superb general. He was a poet whose verse was forceful
and vibrant with emotions of every kind, and highly
154
eloquent. As a reformer in the social and religious
spheres he had no peer. In the battle-field he was a
dauntless general unperturbed by the turn of events.
He was a sagacious and farsighted counsellor, a true
lover of his country, an unflagging champion of his
people, an unrivalled martyr of his country.
Krishna, Ram Chandra and Shankara were
great men and in their time they performed great
deeds. Guru Gobind Singh surpassed them all in
working wonders for the nation and the country. In the
battlefield, Krishna exhorted martial princes to drive
away any thoughts of cowardice out of their minds and
prepare for the battle, while the Guru uplifted and
filled with fervour and fighting spirit such people who
had been turned into mere clods of clay during many
centuries of oppression, and who had never dreamed
of holding weapons. Inspired by the Guru they performed
such deeds- of exceptional valour as put into
shade the exploits of Arjuna in the battlefield. And
with a tiny band of these men the Guru having no
worldly possessions, confronted the innumerable Imperial
hordes with vast resources at their disposal.
He was very steadfast. He stuck to the last to
the mission of his life, which he had conceived during
the life time of his father, Guru Tegh Bahadur. Every
moment of his life, he kept his mission before him. He
continuously worked for its success. No grief, no
hardship, no adversity in short nothing could or did
take his mind away from his mission. He did not waver
155
in his resolve at the death of his sons and his near and
dear ones.
Nothing could lower his courage. No defeat
could dishearten, no distress could depress him, no
predicament could make him despondent. A little
respite after a rout, made him gather his men and
prepare for another :,howdown in the battlefield with
a redoubtable enemy with the vast resources of an
equally vast empire at his back. He fought successfully
against armies made up of professional soldiers. With
bands of ill-equipped men from the lower rungs of
society - essentially non combatants - having little or
no training in war-fare, he fought successfully against
armies made up ofprofessional soldiers. No situation
was hopeless for him. Visualize the valiant stand taken
by the Guru and his forty Sikhs against the Imperial
hordes at Chamkaur. The entire History of the world
cannot offer its peer.
He was an excellent fighter himself, equally
skilled in the handling of the sword, the bow, the spear
and other weapons. He always fought in the forefront
to inspire his Sikhs with feats of personal valour, and
to bolster their courage. His sword used to spread
consternation in the ranks of Imperial army and his
arrows always dented the enemy attack. He was not
only an excellent fighter, but was also a superb general.
He knew how to marshall his men and get the best out
of them. Many a time he defeated the combined armies
of the Subedars and the Hill Rajas with a small
156
force. His presence was electrifying for his men. He
always went where his presence was needed most. He
inspired his men to perform deeds of unique valour, to
die fighting against impossible odds, to beat back
numerically superior forces. Excellent generals had
not been great fighters. But the Guru possessed both
these qualities in the highest degree.
He was very hardy and industrious. Whenever
he found leisure, he used to train his men. He bore all
kinds of hardships, braving the thorny paths barefooted
in the dark night, sleeping on clods of earth,
breasting the raging torrents, going without food and
rest, with perfect equanimity. He would often thank
his Lord Akal for such harsh blessings. He never felt
dismayed by any adversity. He could send his sons to
fight and see them die fighting before his very eyes
without wincing. He could hear calmly the news of the
horrible deaths of his remaining two children of the
tender ages ofseven and nine years. No word or action
of his ever displayed despondency.
The Guru was never in a haste to do anything.
He would always ponder over all aspects of an issue
before going in for any action. The laying of the firm
foundation of the Khalsa is a wonderful example of his
superb circumspection. So firm was the foundation of
the edifice of the Khalsa, that the Imperial swords and
guns, the Imperial power and glory could not check its
growth. Every man who became a Sikh of the Guru,
was infused with such mettle that he thought nothing
157
of battling with death, ofsacrificing his life for his faith
and the good of others; Guru Gobind Singh turned
cowards into courageous men, traders into tough
fighters and the down-trodden into doughty warriors.
His men were not only great warriors in the battlefield,
but were also men of integrity, humane, gentle,
full of love 'for all, God-loving, open and truthful. He
inculcated the noble qualities of selfless service and
self-sacrifice in his people. He was the first man to
think of nationalism and to foster feeling of
nationalism among the Indian people.
He was not only highly circumspect but was
far-sighted as well. He planned not only for the
present but also for the time to come. With his farsight
he knit the Khalsa into such a strong uniont gave
it such principles as would forestall any degeneration
or decline. His abolition of the Gurudom was a very
sagacious, timely and far-sighted step. It has verily
saved the Khalsa from losing its purity and character.
He was a good administrator and personally looked
after everything. He managed his resources skillfully
and kept a small army at no great expense. He looked
after the well-being of everyone of his men.
There was a magic in his words that carried
away his Sikhs. They would gladly do anything for him
so much that they would not hesitate to sacrifice their
lives at his behest. Guru Gobind Singh loved his Sikhs
equally well without any distinction of high or low and
they were aware of this. The Guru endeared himself
158
to all with his sweet manners, soft words and warm
heart. He was a great lover of mankind and a firm
believer in the brotherhood of man. That is why
despite being a relentless enemy of the cruel and
despotic Muslim rulers he was loved and honoured by
the ordinary Muslims. The carrying of the Guru on a
cot raised high by two Muslims, to a place of safety
when the Imperial army was looking for him, bears this
out amply. He was very courteous and generous. His
Langar (kitchen) was always open to any hungry person.
His house was always open to the needy. He and
his services were always there for the taking by any
oppressed person. Though the Hill Rajas were dead
set against him and left no occasion to fight against
him, but the Guru readily responded to their supplication
and helped them when they were in sore distress.
He had a jovial nature and loved to play practical
jokes on others. We all know how he alongwith
his fellows broke the pitchers of ladies, in his
childhood at Patna. He had a fine sense of humour,
subtle as well as robust. Once one of his devotee Sikhs
killed a tiger, brought its whole skin alongwith its head
face, ears etc. intact and presented it to him. The Guru
asked his Sikh to put the skin along with the head etc.
onto a donkey. They did a nice job of it and the donkey
came to resemble a tiger. The Guru asked the Sikhs
to set the donkey loose, out on the streets. The people
taking it for a real tiger were seized with panic and ran
for their lives. Some hid themselves while some others
climbed trees and house-tops. People locked their
159
doors. At last the donkey brayed and the people
heaved a sigh of relief.
He was not only a patron of arts but also a man
of letters himself. He was fond of reading and especially
loved to go through historical books especially
those dealing with the exploits of the Indian heroes.
He liked such books to be read to him. He was quite
proficient in Arabic and Persian and also knew
Sanskrit well. He used to hear with great interest
readings from the old Scriptures, The Shastras,
Upanishdas and Puranas, etc. He was a great poet and
kept a coterie of 52 poets at his court. He had a great
love for war epics, encouraged his poets to compose
verses on martial themes and himself composed epics
celebrating the exploits of the goddess Durga of Hindu
Mythology in stirring verse that arouses martial feelings
in the readers.
He devoted some time daily, both in the morning
and the evening, to the worship of Akal the Formless
One, and to the singing of Shabads (hymns) from
Gurbani. Recitations from the Holy Granth, the Guru
Granth Sahib, were made every-day and the Guru
always attended these recitations in the holy congregation.
He personally recited Japji Sahib, Jaap Sahib,
Swayyas, Chaupai and Rehras everyday. He was very
regular and devout in saying his prayers and performing
his religious duties. He thoroughly despised idolworship'
and the observance of Sharadhs (obsequies
for the well-being of the dead ancestors).
160
Guru Gobind Singh was a votary of Truth. He
never lost sight of Truth in any of his teachings and
actions. He did nothing untruthful either in the battlefield
or in his daily works. He was often requested
by people to perform miraculous deeds. His reply ever
was that man is a powerless being, all miracle-making
lies with the Lord. Once at Agra he was asked about
the existence of miracles. He answered that man cannot
perform miracles but three things in the world are
miracles in themselves; steel, strength and wealth.
Steel (the Guru meant weapons) can grant crowns,
fulfil a man's desires, help him gain honour and liberation
through a heroic death in the battle-field. Power
(physical and jntellectual) helps one gain dominance
in any sphere. The powerless are pushed to the wall,
humbled and humiliated. They are the slaves of the
powerful people. Wealth wins over everybody. A
poor man has no friends, no relatives. Wealth enables
a man to attain honour and respect and fulfil his
desires.
The Guru was very simple in manners and dealings.
He loved everyone irrespective of caste, creed,
social status or any other man-made distinction. His
concept of love was all-embracing, the concept of
Universal Brotherhood which cut-across all barriers of
caste, colour, creed, clan and country. He received
everyone, including those who considered themselves
his enemies openly, with a smiling face. He was a man
without any shortcoming, above praise and averse to
161
denigration of others. Generous to a fault, he helped
even the Hill Rajas who were ever eager and did their level
best to trouble him. Bahadur Shah, the Emperor of
India wanted to grant him a Jagir, but the Guru
declined the offer. He was never swayed by desire in
his chequered career. He was a true champion of the
downtrodden and oppressed Hindus.
Philosophy of Guru Gobind Singh
The Guru did not believe in the existence of the
so call1ed Avtaras or Incarnations. Nor did he hold it
possible that there could ever be an Incarantion of the
Formless One. Some people have put forth that the
Guru believed in Avtaras. They are misled by his verse
on Ram Chandra, Krishna, Vishnu, Brahma etc., the
24 Avtaras included in the anthology of his works, the
Dasam Granth. They adduce plausibly that since he
praised them in his verses, he must have believed in
their existence. But these gentlemen fail to take cognizance
of the fact that nowhere in his writings had the
Guru accepted them as Avtaras or Incarnations of the
Formless Akal.
In reality he wrote about them in the language
of the people, drawing from the mythological lore
current at that time. He wrote about their exploits in
glowing terms, using forceful words with telling effect,
mainly to arouse the martial spirit of the people lying
dormant then. It is too farfetched to assume that a
writer's having written about something is a conclusive
proof of his belief in its existence.
162
It is meaningless to make one's own unwarranted
deductions ignoring the words of the Guru
which are very clear. His words can be classified in two
categories: firstly (a) those in which the refutation of
Avtaras is implied or merely hinted at and secondly (b)
those in which it is clear and pointed.
The First Kind
He writes in the Akal Ustat (the Praise of the
Lord)
1. Namastavalig Akale.
My salutations to the Lord who is above Death.
2. Namasta~g Ajallome.
My salutations to Him, who does not take birth.
3. Ajallam Hai, Awarall Hui.
He has no body and no birth, He has no caste.
The Second Kind
1. Kete Krishan se kif kOlai IIpae.
Usare garhe pher mele bunae. (96)
(12)
The Lord Akal creates millions of worms like
Krishna, annihilates them and recreates and so on.
The Guru writes in 33 Swayyas :
a. Kahlln lai lhok badhe IIr Tltakur,
Kahllli Mahesh kall ish bakhanyo.
Some hang stones as gods, around their necks,
while some others erroneously call Mahesh 'God'.
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b. Kahlln kahyo Hari mandar main Hari,
Kahiln masit ke blch pramanyo. (12)
Some people say that the Lord lives in the
Mandir alone, while some others believe that He is in
the Mosque only.
c. Kahlln ne Ram kahyo Krishna kahan,
Kahli,; manai avlar no manyo. (12)
Some people say that Krishna is God, while
some others believe in the Avtaras of God.
d. Phokal dharam biselr sabai,
Kartar hi kau karta ji janyo. (12)
I have discarded all these false religions and am
of the firm view that He who is the creator of the
Universe, is the only Lord.
2. lau kahun Ram ajon(i) aja; at(i),
Kahe kau Koshi/ kukh jayo ja.
Kal hun Kahn kahai jih kau,
J(jh karal) kal ke din bhayo jli. (13)
You declare that the Lord does not take birth
and is formless; then how could he be born of
Kaushalya's womb, why was Krishna whom you
describe as deathless humbled by death?
(13th Swayya)
3. Kayo kaho Krishall kripa-nidh hai,
J(jh kaj Ie badhak bd~t logayo,
Aur kulin udharat jo,
Kih te ofino kul nas kardyo.
164
Ad(i) ajun (i) kaJuie kaho,
Kim Devak (i) ke ja.rhrantar ayo.
Tat fla mat kahai jih ko,
Tih kiyo Basudeveh bap kahayo. (14)
How come that Krishna, whom you people call
the gracious, was killed by the arrow of a hunter? You
call Krishna the saviour of your race. Why did he let
his progeny, the Yadavs come to an end? Why was he
whom you call as the One without a beginning and
Unborn, conceived in the womb of Devaki and
born? You call Krishna the One, unborn and without
any father or mother. Then why was Vasudeva called
his father?
(14th Swayya)
4. Jal badlle sab !Ii mrit ke,
KOLi Ram Rasltl Ila baclla/l pae.
Alit mare pacllhtae prithi par,
Je jag mai,; avlar kaJuie.
Re mafl lail ike! IIi kal ke,
Lagal kahe /la pae/l pae. (15)
Everybody is caught in the noose of Death, no
Rama or prophet can escape from it. All of them who
made grand claims of being the Avtaras of God, died
repentant. Why dost not thou, 0, hapless being seek
the shelter of the One Lord?
(15th Swayya)
5. Maili /la Gaflesell pritham ma/l(iun,
Kishall Bishall Kabhan fla ,dhiaun.
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Kan sune paihchan na tin son.
Liv lag; mohi pag in son,
Maha kal rakhwir hamOro.
Maha loh mai kinkar thoro.
(Krishna Avtar, 434-35)
I do not seek the blessings of Ganesh first, I
don't worship Krishna or Vishnu, etc. I do not recognize
them. I am engrossed in the loving-devotion of
my Lord alone. The Lord of Death, Akal, is my refuge
and He saves me in all tribulations.
6. Krishna killed some demons and performed
some other marvellous deeds. He declared himself as
the God. He was consumed by Death, so he could not
be the Lord. How can he save those who have faith in
him, since he himself was subject to Death. Only the
Lord is All-Powerful and only He creates and destroys.
(Shabad Hazare)
7. The Lord has no friend, no foe. He does not
desire His praise, neither is He angered by dispraise.
He has no parents, neither has He any progeny. So He
cannot be Krishna, who was born of Devaki's womb.
(Shabad Hazare)
On gods and goddesses: He was as opposed to
gods and goddesses as .to the concept of Avtaras. He
did not believe in them or in their worship.
1. One cannot obtain Liberation by chanting the
names of Ram or Rahim, Brahma, Vishnu, Shiva, the
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Sun, the Moon etc., they are all the thralls of death.
2. Krishan au Bishan japo tohe kOJik,
Ram Rahim bhall bidh(i) dhiayo.
Brahm japio ar(u) sanbh(u) thapio,
Tih te tuhe ko kinhun na bachayo.
Koi karl tapsa din koJik,
Kahan na kau(ii ko kam ka(ihtJyo.
KtJmak(u) mantra kasire ko ktJm no,
K41 ko ghao kinhan no bachtlyo. (97/1)
You prayed to Krishna and Bishna and millions
of others, millions of times, you worshipped Ram and
Rahim also, supplicated Shiva and Brahma, but none
of them could save you from death. You prayed to all
of them millions of times for millions of days, but all
these countless supplications were not worth a dime.
Impelled by the greed of worldly things, you indulged
in incessant incantations of Mantra and Tantric practices,
but none of these could save you from mauling
by death. (Vachitar Natak)
The Guru considered himself no better than an
ordinary person. He was well aware of the tendencies
of the devotees and the temper of the times towards
his deification and elevation to the status of an Avtara.
In order to forestall any such endeavours on the
part of his followers, he unlike Christ, Moses,
Mohammed, Krishna, Buddha, etc., who called themselves
the dear and near ones, the prophet of God or
God himself, called himself a lowly servitor of God.
167
The Guru declares in his Vachitar Natale:
10 ham ko Parmesa.r uchar(i) haih.
Te saM narak kU;l(j main par(i) hain.
Mo ko dds tavan kd jdno.
Yd mai bhed no ranch pachhdno. (32)
Main hau param Purakh ko dasa.
Dekhan ayo jagat tamasa. (33/6)
All those who call me God, shall fall in the pits
of Hell. Take me for a servitor of His, there is not the
slightest doubt in this. I am a lowly servant of the
Supreme Being and I have been sent to witness the
world drama. This humility raises the Guru far above
the other saints of the world.
The verses above give a clear reflection of his
views on gods and goddesses and their worship. He
does not subscribe to the Vedantic view that the
Creator and His creatures are one and equal. He holds
that the creature cannot be equal to his Creator.
Idol Worship: When the Guru did not helieve
in the entity ofgods, goddesses and Avtaras, how could
he support their worship by men. He was undoubtedly
opposed to idol-worship and so was he to the worshipping
of the dead and their tombs. He has written many
verses on this theme; a few specimens are reproduced
below:
1. Phoka{ dharam Mayo phal IIln,
Ju puj silo jug(i) koJ(i) gaveii.
Sidh kahan sil ke Parse bal,
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Bridh ghall nav nidh na pal.
Aj hi aj sarno ju bitiyo,
Naih kaj saryo kachh(u) /aj na til.
Sri Bhagwant bhajyo na are jarh,
Aise hi ais su bais gavtil. (21)
,
The following offalse religious way is a fruitless
endeavour. If you worship a stone for millions of
Yugas, it will not yield any good, you have simply
wasted your time. You do not gain any success, you
destroy your energy and do not obtain the worldly
riches. 0, ignoramus you have wasted your life in
idol-worship. Don't you feel ashamed of yourself for
not worshipping your True Lord? (21st Swayya)
2. Kalle ko pajat pollan kau.
Kacltlul pollan mai Pamlesar nalli. (20)
Why do you worship stones? The supreme
Lord is not in them and cannot be attained by stoneworship.
Pray to the True Lord, whose worship
removes all your griefand sorrow. Only utter His True
Naam, which is a panacea for all ills. Keep away from
the futile ways of false worship. (20th Swayya)
3. Jau jug tai kar hai tapsa,
Kacllh tohe prasann na pollan kai Iwi.
Hath ulhoe bJzali bidh so,
Jar toile kacllha bar don na dai hai.
If you worship a stone till the close of Yugic
Cycles, it cannot express its gratification, it cannot
raise its hand and bless you with anything, 0, fool !
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r
How have you come to believe foolishly that it can save
you from any distress ? You are simply degrading
yourself by this kind of worship. (22nd Swayya)
The Guru declares in Vachitar Natak:
Pakhati puj hoti nahlti,
Na bhekh bhij hoti kahlti.
Anatit nam gae hoti.
Param Purakh pile hoi!. (35/6)
I am not a worshipper of stones, I do not follow
the false sects. I sing the glories of the Infinite and
savour His Bliss.
In his famous supplication the Chaupai, he
says:
Ta kau kar(i) pdhan anumanat.
Mahll murh kachh bhed na janat.
Mahadev ko kahat sada Siv.
Niraitkdr kd chlnat naih bhiv. (16)
The fools, without realizing the mystery of His
Infinite Glory, take Him for a stone. They call the god
of gods as the True One without understanding the
concept of the Formless Lord.
Wahe-Guru: According to the Sikh Gurus, the
word 'Wahe-Guru' is symbolic ofthe Formless Eternal
Lord, who is the True Guru (Enlightener) of a man (in
his life) and the Creator of the Universe. Guru
Gobind Singh used this word in the same way as the
earlier Gurus. He says in the Chaupai :
Ad(i) ant(i) ekai avtara.
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So; Gura samjhayhu hamara. (9)
He who is the same one throughout, the only
Incarnation of Himself is my Guru.
Tiratha: The Guru attached no great importance
to the practice of bathing at Tirathas. He says:
Ja/ kai majan(i) je gat(i) hovai,
Nit nit meliduk navelJ.
Jaise meliduk taise oe nar,
Phir(i) phir(i) jon; aveh.
If washing one's body with water helped one
attain Liberation, then all the frogs should have been
emancipated. Like the frogs, the pilgrims, who pin
their hopes in Tirathas, gyrate in the cycle of births and
deaths.
He held the rites and rituals-ridden, old
religion as false and warned the Khalsa, time and again
to keep away from them. He forbade the Khalsa to use
intoxicants and smoke tobacco.
God (Ishwar) : The Guru believed in the God
who is Truth-Consciousness-Bliss, Eternal, Unborn,
Unbegotten, All-pervading, Fearless, Inftnite, Peerless,
Formless, Immaculate, Just, Sustainer Universal.
All his writing in his Granth amply bear this out.
I1ham (Revelation) : The Guru always stressed
that all his actions were done in obedience to the Will
of his Lord. Unlike the old prophet he never claimed
any revelations for his Bani (writings) or that the Word
of God was revealed unto him. He did not believe in
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,.
miracles nor did he claim to perform supernatural
deeds. But he performed one of the greatest miracles
of all times - The turning of cowards into heroes, the
uplifting of the downtrodden of centuries to glorious
heights of manhood.
His Writings
Dasam Granth is the famous anthology of the
writings of the 10th Guru, Guru Gobind Singh. Some
portions out of it were composed by him, while the
other portions belong to the poets that he kept around
him in his court. His writings bear the words Sri MukhWak
Patshahi dasween (from the lips of the 10th
Guru). It is a voluminous book having 1066 pages. A
detailed review of this Granth is beyond the scope of
this book. But I will briefly dwell on the writings
contained in this Granth.
Some portions ofthis Granth have been written
in very forceful words in an equally forceful style. To
the portions of the book written by his court poets
belong compositions on Avtaras and the goddess
Durga, poems concerning battles and the composition
Istri Charitar. The verses written by the Guru are
interspersed throughout the Granth. It had been written
in Gurmukhi script and Punjabi language and
rightly so. The ZaJamama and the last portion of the
Granth is in Persian, though written in Gurmukhi
script which creates some difficulties for the reader.
This Granth is a vast storehouse of Lord devotion,
of the Eulogy of His Traits and His Naam. Its
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main portions are:
1) Jaap Sahib: It is his composition and can be
considered as an exposition of Japji of Guru
Nanak.
2) AkarUstat: The Guru's composition, contains
the Eulogy of the Akal in glorious terms.
3) Vachitar Natak : The wonderful drama in his
own forceful words, of the Guru's life and that
of his predecessors, an account of his taking
birth.
4) Chandi Charitar I } A glowing account of the
5) Chandi Charitar II mythological fierce battles
between Chandi goddess and the demons and
her victories over them, in very stirring words.
6) Chandi Ki Var: It appears to have been written
especially for arousing the martial spirit of the
Sikhs.
7) Giao Parbodh : It is full of spiritual Lore concerning
God and His praise.
8) Chaubis Avtara: It is a forceful recounting of
the exploits of 24 Avtaras of Vishnu from Hindu
Mythology, in the manner of Chandi Charitars.
9) Mehdi Mir : It is written about the future Imam
Mehdi yet to come with what purpose or view in
mind is unclear.
10) Brahma Avtara: An account of the mythical
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Avtaras of Brahma.
11. Ruder Avtara : An account of the mythical
avtara of Ruder or Shivji.
12) Shastar Nam Mala: It is uncertain whether it
is the Guru's composition or not. It is an account
of the descriptions of various weapons
and their praise.
13) Sri Mukhwak33 Swayyas :In these verses, the
teachings of the Ouran and the Puranas have
been shown at variance with his own teachings
and that of his predecessors. To some extent
the teachingsof the Vedas have also been
criticised.
14) Shabad Hazare: The Guru's own composition
extolling the Glory of the Lord Akal and Devotion
to Him.
15) Istri Charitar (The Wiles ofWomen) : Not his
own compositions, forms a big chunk of the
Granth. It is an unnecessary appendage not
worthy.of inclusion in the Granth. It is an account.
of the female guiles and the sorrows of
the other wife and the step-mother.
16) Hakayat: Written in Gurmukhi script but
composed in Persian. In this Aurangzeb had
been confronted with sample accounts of the
cruelties he had perpetrated on the people and
forcefully warned of the evil consequences.
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It is quite probable that this Granth was put
together after the death of the Guru. The Sikhs hold
it in great reverence but it is not read, and recited as
much and as often as Guru Granth Sahib. The Guru
himself never gave any directions that only his Granth
should be given the place of pride or that his Bani
should be preferred to the Bani of the other Gurus.
The Guru got the Bani of his father Guru Tegh
Bahadur included in the Adi-Granth but never made.
any effort for the inclusion of his own writings. He
could have easily done so, if he wanted.
His poetic faculty, with its felicity of phrase and
fecundity of imagination, is one of the special traits of
the Guru. His writings have the universality of appeal
as they touch the tender strings of the human heart
with the lyrical strains of the Cosmic Brotherhood of
Man, as they fill one with martial feelings, arouse the
martial spirit and prepare for a life of purposeful action.
His graphic descriptions of the gory battle
scenes, bring out alive the battlefield itself before
one's eyes, with the neighing of horses, the groaning of
the wounded dying, the shrieking of violent death, the
clashing of weapons, and the clamour of war.
The Guru was able to infuse new blood and
vigour in the dying Hindu nation. From amongst the
cowardly and supine Hindus, he created a new breed
of virile and valiant people, the Khalsa, filled with the
spirit of selfless service and self-sacrifice for the good
of Qumanity and the Glory of Akal. This Khalsa, is a
Living Testimony to the Guru's mirific qualities.
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(Concluded..)
कोई टिप्पणी नहीं:
एक टिप्पणी भेजें