............" a ...

II 'ICONTENTS

ForwardReflectionsAcknowledgementsComments

IIIIVIIVIII

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Guru Nanak DevLife sketch of the GuruGuru Nanak Dev(The Parables)Punja SahibA ParadoxGuru Nanak in ArabiaBhai LaloPirs of MultanGuru Nanak in HardwarDuni Chand BankerGuru Angad DevLife Sketch of the GuruGuru Angad Dev(Tales of the Guru)HumayunTappaBibi JeevaGuru AmardasLife Sketch of the Guru

13171921242629

31

373943

45

aaaaaaeaaaaaHa&aeaaaaAUaaaaeeaaaaaaauaaaaaeaauuaaa!-. ,,- ':'"', . :.._~

~~l~~: ~'l:~"\,1it'~.I· {"

!if'):t··' ":~~l:>1~7!:: ~~~

CONTENTS

Chapter 6 Guru Amardas(Tales of the Guru)Homeless Amaru 51Leave it to God 54Datu's Wrath 58Bibi Bhani 62

Chapter 7 Guru RamdasLife Sketch of the Guru 65

Chapter 8 Guru Ramdas(Tales of the Guru)Dukh Bhanjan 79Bhai Bhikhari 85Humility 89Hardyal Tappa 91

Chapter 9 Guru Arjan DevLife Sketch of the Guru 93

Chapter 10 Guru Arjan Dev(Tales of the Guru)Martyrdom of the Guru 103

Chapter 11 Guru HargobindLife Sketch of the Guru 108

Chapter 12 Guru Hargobind(Tales of the Guru)Horses for the Guru 113Bibi Viro's Wedding 120Gwalior 124

......................................................................

~~CONTENTS

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Baba AtalChanduBibi KaulaanGuru Har RaiLife Sketch of the GuruGuru Har Rai(Tales of the Guru)Ram RaiSeliniGuru HarkrishanLife Sketch of the GuruGuru Harkrishan(Tales of the Guru)Pandit LaloTesting the GuruAurengzeb and the GuruGuru Teg BahadurLife Sketch of the GuruGuru Teg Bahadur(Tales of the Guru)Martyrdom of Guru TegBahadurGuru LadhorayGuru Gobind SinghLife Sketch of the Guru

129132136

139

142147

150

154156158

161

178184

186

CONTENTS

Chapter 20 Guru Gobind Singh(Tales of the Guru)Birth of the Khalsa 205Sanctity of work 210Boy Gobind 213Bhai Kanhiaya 215

Chapter 21 Guru Granth SahibThe Everlasting Guru 218

e a••"e'aaa.

~~~~, ""' """' .....

I' 'I:Forward

Although more recent in its time of origin thanother world religions, Sikhism is uniquely distin­guished by the length of historical time occupiedby the unbroken succession of its first sacredleaders, the ten Gurus from Guru Nanak to GuruGobind Singh.

In the present century there has been an in­creasing movement of Sikhs from their homelandin the Punjab to so many other countries,especially those of the English speaking world,and an increasing need has consequently beenfelt by younger Sikhs for accessible presentationsof the Sikh tradition in English.

Outside the scriptures and the hymns of theGurus, for which growing number of good Englishtranslations are appearing, the most central partof that tradition are the narratives associatedwith the lives of the Gurus, which have been acore source of inspiration to Sikhs throughouthistory.

It is Jaswinder Singh Chadha's achievement inthis book - about which his following 'Reflections'are so disarmingly humble - to have given new

................... Iift.,\)' .,j, ......

life to this vital source through his selection ofmany of the outstanding incidents andachievements associated with the lives of all tenGurus and through his recasting of thesenarratives in verse which is characterised both bya straightforward style of expression which shouldbe immediately accessible to the audience atwhich it is aimed and a charmingly unusualknack of rhyming which should help ensure theseinspiring stories fix themselves in the minds of hisreaders.

Professor CliristpliuSefuu;~School of Oriental and African Studies,University of London, London.February, 1999.

II

'Ref{ections

What started as an occasional poem, here andthere, has with the grace of the Lord, graduallymaterialised in a complete set of poems cover-ingthe life and times of all the Sikh Gurus, including'the last, yet everlasting Guru', the holy GuruGranth Sahib.

There are numerous tales or Sakhis associated withthe Gurus, yet most of the popularly de­scribed ones are covered in this collection. It willcertainly serve as a mirror of the Sikh tradition forthe majority and indeed a starter for the schol-arly.

Several sources have been probed in order toextract the historically correct information butgreater and greater discrepancies appeared as aresult of this. There is variance here, like else-wherein historical perceptions, depending on the faithand personal bias of the authors. Manycontroversies are raging currently that needclarification. The redeeming feature is that themodern Sikh youth has been stirred into actionand is trying to clear the cobwebs in Sikh history.Meanwhile I have used the traditionallyacccepted versions of the Sakhis. The mostimportant part of any Sakhi is the lesson it teaches

III

.w-:it·~.. ,~

~'1l:.-,,'oJ............................

or the thought it conveys. I sincerely hope that Ihave not erred in this.

The presentation of facts and figures in poetrypresented its own problems. The poems are justnot written to describe a factual story as it leavesno leeway for poetic liberties that allows one toconstrue and run in any direction. The poeticexperts discouraged me to attempt this project. Icarried on, remembering, the last set of linesfrom Guru Gobind Singh's, 'baintee chaupaiee',wherein he prayed for the Lord's help in thecompletion of the holy Granth.

I have, therefore, been constantly praying forSatguru to help me to complete this work andhave been rewarded with divine assistance. Iwas suffering from 'sleep apnea' and failed tohave deep and restful sleep. I used to feel lazyand sleepy during the work day. A timely curecame and the doctors at the Royal NationalNose, Throat and Ear Hospital, here in London,provided me with a maskand a machine. Breathing pressurised air atnight, I get deep and restful sleep andnowadays manage with just 5-6 hours of goodsleep and feel quite active during the rest of theday. Secondly the use of comput-ers made atremendous impact on this work. I couldmanage to do numerous revisions without

rewriting every time and couldproduce brochures for distribution andappraisal. And most importantly, when the workwas distributed as brochures in the Gurdwaras,in the United kingdom and America, it wasencouragingly accepted.

There are several books on 'the life and times ofthe Sikh Gurus' and each author brings his ownspeciality to the work. Many of these are, by thevery nature of prose, rather voluminous. Thiswork, however, is rather economic in words andyou should be able to go through the entirevolume in a relatively short time. I pray that it isgripping enough for you to do so.

The story of the Sikh Gurus is inspiring enoughand does not need a specially talented writer toaugment its impact and indeed I have learnedmore from this work than what I have been ableto give it. My poetic skills have benefited im­mensely by this indulgence.

Finally I feel that no one has a right on anybodyelse's time unless it is worth their indulgence.

Finally I feel that no one has a right on anybodyelse's time unless it is worth their indulgence. Ihave endeavoured with this thought in mind. If

the poetry does not please you, surely you willbe rewarded from the inspiring tales of theGurus.God bless you.

London, January 1999.

5tcknowfecfgements

I wish to thank Sardar Amarjeet Singh of NewDeihL Sardar Rajinder Singh Bhasin and SardarBhupinder Singh of London for reading throughthe poems and making helpful suggestions, tomy sons, Dr. Harpreet Singh and Sardar JaspreetSingh for enhancing my computer literacy andfor building me better and faster computers allthe time and my wife Amrit Kaur for being sopositively inclined towards this activity and finallymy grand daughter Diva for keeping me enter­tained in the midst of my work.

The symbol of 'Ekonkar' on the cover was de­signed by the late artist, Shanti Dutta and thephotograph of the author was taken by thefamous photographer, James Contt.

Comments

Sartfar PatuJant S¥J JUt!Wr ant! jouma£­UtJ 9(r/UJ 'lJe/Jii :

With this compilation the author has embarkedon another literary voyage which more of usneed to undertake as often as possible. Becausewe lag behind in the field of communications,there is all the more need for Sikhs to reach outand inform people of the egalitarian andhumanistic principles on which Sikhism isfounded. Widespread ignorance of our faith'sraison d'{dre is primarily due to lack of our printand electronic media through which we couldhave made the stirring events of our historyknown and enabled the world to betterunderstand Sikh beliefs and traditions. These,after all, have given Sikhs their special brand ofconfidence, courage and self - esteem.

Sardar Jaswinder Singh Chadha's efforts in thisdirection deserve the highest praise and will,hopefully, inspire others to turn to poetry andliterature for communicating the nobility of ourideals.

Saraar Saran SingliJ f£aitorJ SiR..1i !Il&viewJ

Cakutta : From the advent of Guru Nanak in 1469upto the realisation of the Khalsa ideal onVaisakhi of 1699, illustrious Masters of Sikh religionlaid the foundations of a humane and dedi­cated life style, through precept and practice, ofthe highest moral values. Their biographicalaccount has been preserved in hundred ofSakhis or real life episodes - or parables - whichsupplement and reinforce the divine messageembod-ied in Guru Granth Sahib.

In a remarkably chaste English verse , JaswinderSingh Chadha has assembled a selection ofthese Sakhis (lit. tesimony) in one volume: SIKHGURUS - A POETIC APPRECIATION. The handybook provides glimpses into the lives and timesof the Guru-prophets and how they respondedto the challenges with rare courage and dignity.Those who value ethical conduct and truthfulcharacter will benifit from a perusal of theversified Sakhis which link us with our heritageand impart a sense of reverence for the Gurus,making us feel at home in any part of the world 0

at a time when there is pervasive cynicism, theneed to restore faith in the basic unity of humanrace and collective happiness - SARBAT KABHALLA - is imperative. The book should appealto all English knowing people, especially to thenew generation who is destined to herald theI\.next millenium. A

................................ IX llHl _..Hii

'Dr. J-fatam Sing/i} tzfte Sif(/i Welfare .9lssociation} £os5fngeCe.s :

Mr Jaswinder Singh is a scientist, a poet and adevout Sikh. In this book, a pleasant blend of thesethree attributes of the personality of the author isquite evident. The poetry has the precision of ascientist and, at the same time, is imbued with thedevotion of a devout Sikh. Such books can act asbeacons for the Sikh youth.

The message of Sikhism lies in the writings of the SikhGurus which form the corpus of the Guru Granthand also in their lives which are best illustratedthrough the parables associated with them ratherthan a dry recital of the history.SIKH GURUS: A Poetic Appreciation by JaswinderSingh Chadha celebrates the message of the SikhGurus uniquely. It takes the biographical featuresof the lives of the Sikh Gurus and the essentialteachings that emerge from their parables andrenders them into English poetry - simple, elegantand effective. It is a remarkable and attractivetribute to the Sikh Gurus and the religion theyfounded.

x

.....a a a a•••••••••

Sartfar tJ3liupinJ:erSingli, Inter 1'aitli ~t'UJorf(jor tlie qj.1(,

Lontlon :

The lives of the Sikh Gurus are an inspiration to all whostudy them. Jaswinder Singh, through the art of verse,has brought the stories to life and opened up theteachings to a whole new world.

UjJ; ~;~~. .,s~$'~ ~.~............................... )(1 l ~~~ ~

SIKH GURUS

APoetic

Appreciation

Guru Nanak Dev(1469-1539)

Life S~etcfi of tfie Guru

Early life

A new moral forcewas needed on earth

it came to Punjabin Guru Nanak's birth

In the village Talwandiwhen he was born

he brought in The Lightthe mists were gone

the Pundit attendinghailed it a divine birthand the newly arrived

His envoy on earth

a beloved brother,a much loved son

Nanak was a favouritespecial to everyone

1

••••""'•••a ,~~~

Nanak went to schoolwhen he was sevenhere he often musedon God and Heaven

while still at schoolhe wrote an acrostic,

a thoughtful hymnso beautifully knit

A Pundit taught NanakDevnagri and Sanskritand from a Mullah, helearnt the Persian script

Nanak didn't agreefor a Janaeu to be worn

and he won't worshipany Gods of stone

with his dad 's adviceand money for trade

he went to the marketas his father bade

seeing some sadhusresting under a treeNanak was excited

and fed the lot for free

2

aaaaa·· •••a•••a..a..a a aa ~~~www~~ Af

I'Nanak's sacha sauda

or this true bargainannoyed his father

and caused him pain

on one summer dayNanak rested under a tree

tired, he fell asleephis cattle grazed nearby

as Nanak slept, a cobraraised itself and stoodand like an umbrella

shaded him with its hood

The youth

Nanak calmed downand peace descended

the change came to himas the teens ascended

his parents got worriedon his quiet demeanour

they sought adviceto help him recover

3 ~ .

tasks were suggestedto help him to settle

like ploughing the fieldsor tending the cattle

but when his cattlestrayed as it grazed

neighbours were upsetcomplaints were raised

the complaints lodgedwith chief of the village

had to be droppedthey found no damage

Guru Nanak was marriedat the age of eighteenhe settled for a while

in the domestic scene

his elder son, Siri Chandwas born nine years lateranother son, Laxmi came

two years thereafter

in his sister's town SultanpurNanak accepted a jobhe ran a store of flour

in Modikhana of Nawab

4 ~ aae .

....."" ,., ..

Nanak will often get lostchanting God's nameand flour flowed freelyto the folks who came

news of this generosityreached Nawab's ear

but they found no shortageand accounts were clear

after four and half yearsNanak called it a day

he abandoned the jobin a mysterious way

he plunged in the riverand couldn't be foundeveryone was worriedbut he wasn't around

three days on, whenNanak did reappearhe radiated a glow

and an aura austere

in a world of his ownand soaked in His lorehe was much different

than he was before

1\•__ 5 , _-..1

evil spirits possess himpeople began to sayNanak was amuseddescribed in this way

Nanak will respond,\\ I am mad, I do agreebut am mad for Himthe God Almighty"

the Qoozi didn't likeNanak's repeated stance

there are no Hindusthere is no Musso/moan

the Qoozi and Nowobtook Nanak for Nomozbut Nanak stood quiet

without untoward cause

the two were annoyedat Nanak's behaviour

why he ignored Nomozthe reason wasn't clear

but Nanak explainedthe Qoozi was being sillyhis mind was elsewhere

in the birth of a filly

6

....................................................

and as for dear Nawabwasn't his mind rather full

bargaining for horsesin the Bazaars of Kabul

His mission

as the t:me passedNanak itched for a start

he had a messagehe needed to impart

for twenty-four yearshe travelled the worldalways on the movespreading His word

and always besides himas he travelled around

was a disciple, Mardanaproviding musical sound

a custom made rebeckwas gifted to Nanakby Nanaki, his sisterfor his divine mission

1\ Ii................................ 7 Aeal _·.....

I'Nanak visited places

for years on endtravelling within Indiaand countries beyond

he taught against ritualsboth straight and bentthat mislead the folks

exploited the innocent

folks were lost in thesein the name of God

Nanak gave them hopeand refreshing thought

he had a charismaradiated divine glow

Nanak was honouredwherever he will go

in his visit to HardwarNanak taught the flockby flinging Gangaial

towards his native crop

the crowds understoodit was a wasted gestureflinging Ganga watersto the dead ancesters

1\8

II

he met characterswho needed reformationhe lead them to a pathof the true redemption

he reformed Sajjan Thuga confidence tricksterwho tricked his guests

with designs sinister

he met cannibal Kaudawho thrived on human fleshKauda repented to Nanakand started his life afresh

Bhai Lalo

Lalo was a carpenterfrom a lower caste

Nanak shared his foodand stayed as his guest

his mixing with Bhai Lalolead to a confrontationfor Nanak had declinedMalik Bhago's invitation

II~_"""""""""'Hal••M"'''''••'''''''' 9 ~••H.ral , d

Nanak called the twoand squeezed their breadmilk dripped out of Lalo'sMalik's one yielded blood

Nanak established Manjisthe seats of Sikh thought

centres of learningfor teacher and the taught

first Manji was establishedby the Guru at EminabadLalo was made inchargedespite his lower caste

when Saidapur fellto Baber the invader

the Guru and Mardanaended up as prisoners

Mardana lead a horseand Nanak carried a balethey kept singing hymns

as they marched to the jail

10

...~~~~~ ~~~~.,.", .....

'IBabar came to Nanakand made his peacethe loot was restoredthe prisoners released

after years of travelNanak settled downhe founded a placeKartarpur, His Town

people from all castesformed a communityworking and prayingin unity and harmony

it was a beginningof a people in the makingSikhism was in the offingits culture was shaping

Nanak the visionarychose from his Sangata guide, a future Guru

named him Guru Angad

at the age of seventyGuru Nanak passed away

with his successor thereSikhism was here to stay

1\_ .. II11 .

.... ' ...

Hindus loved the Guruso did the Mussalmanwhen he passed away

a dispute began

one wanted him buriedthe other cremated

Nanak had left a solutionthe matter wasn't debated

flowers from the twoshould besides me lay

he takes my body, whoseflowers are fresh next day

floral wreaths were laidwith the body of the sear

on lifting the coversonly flowers were there

I I I I III III

rrrutfi is great outgreater stif[ is trutfiful fiving(juru iJl&naf(

~'i;'i'\••10.. ' ............. 12

Chapter ~

Guru Nanak Dev(The Parables)

Punja Saliib

For Guru Nanak and Mardana, thehomeward journey beganIran and Iraq were covered and thenthe length of Afghanistangradually the miles were swept andPeshawar came in sightthey crossed the border and enteredPunjab in sheer delighton they trudged the dusty passages oftheir native terrainstopping here and there, singinghymns and praising His name

enroute home near the famous Taxila,a place well knownsite of ancient civilisation, before youhit the Rawalpindi town,they reached a village called HassanAbdal, it was on the waybesides a hill, they choose a spot andmade and stop to stay

13

a Muslim fakir, Walli Kandhari by namelived on the hilla man of God, but he was proud andgloated in his will

on the hill gushed a fresh water spring,a divine giftit was a source of water for locals andstrangers adriftthe water flowed down, the spring wasby Walli's cottagethe proud fakir kept an eye on it andthe use of waterarrival of Guru on the scene, made thefakir turn sourit triggered jealousy in him, it was athreat to his power

Walli was annoyed and he divertedthe water springthe village reservoir depleted and hefelt like a kingwhen Mardana was thirsty, no watercould be foundhe searched everywhere but therewas no water arounddisappointed, he came to the Guruand sought his command

14

The Guru told him to request WaliL itwas a fair demand

Bhai Mardana went up the hill, look­ing for the drink of waterbut Walli won't give him a drop, senthim back to his masterMardana came back, gasping forbreath, the thirst was killingthe Guru sent him back to Walli andsee if he was still unwillingMardana though tired and thirstymade it to the fakir againbut Walli won't budge, Mardana wasexhausted and in pain

Guru Nanak heard Mardana andpointed to him 0 spot\\ go and dig over there and you willget what you want"Mardana started digging, the earth,the roots, the solid matterand as he pulled a rock, gushed outa fountain of waterMardana drank to his fill, the spoutkept up its flowand with this flow, the spring on thehill kept going low

......... 15

Walli was incensed at what hesensed, anger in his eyeand enraged, Walli engaged a boul­der, swept it down from highhitting the rocks around, it tumbleddown, all fury and soundheading for the Guru, the master true,camping on the groundthe Guru raised his arm, and stoppedthe rock against his palmit came to a halt and once again itwas calm

Walli came down, you could see himnow, humble and weakand from his face had gone, goneforever that arrogant streakhe headed straight for the Guru andfell on the masters feetand begged forgiveness, the Guru waskind and sweetimpression of the Guru's palm or Punjais indented on the stoneand Hassan Abdal village has be­come Punja Sahib town.

*********

16

.J\. Paradox

Passing through jungles, hilly tracts and water waysthe great Guru Nanak and Mardana kept up the pace

their trail this time covered India's eastern face

the scenes changed as they passed through different partslone cottages, hamlets and villages of all sorts

here and there they stayed, captivat-ing people's hearts

Mardana played on a rebeck and together they sangimmense praises in His glory in music and in song

it touched the people and through their hearts it rang

once passing through a village, they were mobbedthey were jeered at by the people, abused and naggedthey were rudely ruffled, their sprits could have sagged

Yet the Guru smiled as he faced the people in his wayand blessed the lot - a long and peaceful stay

an unperturbed life in the village for many a day

passing through another village, as they browsedtheir presence was noticed, much interest was arousedthe Guru and Mardana were greeted, fed and housed

the people listened to Nanak and sang his hymnsthey were happy to hear him talk on morality and sin

and they seNed him as their own kith and kin

17

when the great Guru and Mardana wanted to gothe village folks grew sad, and their spirts went low

they wanted him to stay and keep their minds aglow

Guru Nanak was overwhelmed but they must leavehaving enjoyed their stay, parting was no time to grievehe blessed them with a blessing, you couldn't believe

he wished that they may disperse and scatter awayto newer climes in the world, here and there to staynot much unlike the Gypsies, always on their way

Nanak was great and there was wis-dom in his wordsyet Mardana was puzzled at what he heard

but when the Guru explained, his heart was stirred

let the wicket stay contained for they are a source of evilwhile the good people shall spread goodness

wherever they will move or travel

18

~uru Nanak in .:Ara6ia

Mecca in Saudi Arabiawhere this tale is basedwas in good old days

by Guru Nanak graced

attention stays focusedon Quaba, house of God

a centre of pilgrimagefor the followers of Islam

Guru Nanak was hereon a divine mission

his message was simpleand meant for everyone

dressed as a fakirGuru Nanak lay on sandhis feet towards Quabain Mecca, the holy land

tired, he slept a whilewhen he was rudely awoken

the Kazi and his menhad angrily spoken

19

they reprimanded himfor pointing his feet

towards sacred Quabaa sacrilege indeed

the Guru faced the Kaziand his band of men

told them to shift his feetin another direction

the Kazi and his menmoved his feet around

the Quaba moved in unisonthey stood spell bound

the message was simpleand it was very clear

that God is not confinedHe is everywhere

'l(afjugJ tlie age we five inis a cfiarWt offiredriven 6y slieer {ies

untrutn is tlie cnarWteer(juru 'J{jz.naf('1Jev

20

1Jliai LaCo

During his travelsGuru Nanak had met

some shady charactersothers from better sets

in this particular talewhich is to follow

I shall tell you aboutthe good Bhai Lalo

Lalo was a carpenterhis caste was lowhe made his living

by the sweat of his brow

Guru Nanak liked himhis honest ways

he stayed with himfor a few days

Lalo's poor houseattracted the crowdsbut it was an eyesore

to Malik Bhago the proud

21

this high caste Khatriwas really angry

at Nanak's attitudehis modus operandi

Malik invited Nanakto join at his feast

Nanak spurned the offerto say the least

Bhago's pride was hurthe could not swallowbeing advised inferiorto the low caste Lalo

Malik Bhago insistedthat Nanak retractedthat Bhago I swealthwas sinfully collected

Nanak asked the twoto fetch their breadhe then performed

this simple act

he simply squeezedLalo I s kodra breadmilk trickled out of it

nothing more was said

22

when Bhago I s breadwas likewise squeezedthe gathering gasped

it was blood that eased

%ere is OIU, on[y OIU

witli true Ufentitywlio aoes it af{

:He lias nofearno enmity

an eternafentity,free from rehirths, :He isa selfei\fstent [uminary

attainahfe tlirouglitlie grace of tlie guru

Meaitate on %mtrue from eternity

:J{e was true in tlie pastis true in tlie present

1\&nat :He sfia[[he truein future ages too

guru 1\&nafOn Japji

~_"""'''''''''''''''''',.''.''.~''H.''••''. 23 ral.." al."..~ _-.d

Pirs of:M.u{tan

The Pirs of Multan felttheir livelihood at stake

Guru Nanak as expectedhe may share the cake

and on hearing the newsof the Guru's arrival

the Pirs called a meetingand discussed survival

the Guru was greetedwith a loaded message

the Pirs had decidedon the rules of passage

they greeted the Guruwith a glass full of milkthe glass being so full

that it was ready to spill

to the great Guru Nanakthe message was clear

for Nanak, the Guruthere was no place here

24

The wise Guru Nanaktook a jasmine flower

he placed it on the milkit floated up there

the bird of wisdomon the Pirs alighted

they understood the Guruand felt very slighted

The Guru was honouredby the Pirs of Multan

the Pirs had undergonea moral transformation

-rrFie thoughts won't fead you anywhere

Ifyou thought a milfion times over%e stiffness ofa sifent trana

Shaff not reveaf 'Jiis great Stance 1

'J.{pr uti1f this hunger ceaseLoadedhays won't hefp appease

'Wisaom arufaevicesl mi[[ions aruf moreSha«failtogetyouthe~/asho~

:J{ow shaH we mat«- '%e fJ'ruth' reveaf5Iruf tear apart the fafsefiood veil

Obey:Jlis wilL act to:His commandInscribed within you, it stays:vgnat :J{;s wi[G :J{is demand

guru 'J{ana/(in Japji

~~

i\•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 25

(juru :Hanak in J-fardwar

"Gateway to Heavens" I

so named I the city of Hardwara home to saints and ascetics

and characters bizarre

it lies on the foothillsof the Himalayan scene

the sun is hot, waters coolthough no longer clean

the city's crowning gloryis the sacred river Ganges

for a dip in its waterscome pilgrims of all ages

Guru Nanak on his missionvisited the city of Hardwar

and on the bank of the riverorganised a strange durbar

with a bath in the GangesHindu pilgrims start the day

dip after dip in its watersthey wash their sins away

as they bathed. the pilgrimschanted hymns and flung

water, fistfuls of watertowards the rising sun

like the others in the river,waded in the master

and from a patch of his ownstarted flinging water

whilst the Hindus faced eastthrew water towards the sunthe Guru flung it westwardslike a reveller playing in fun

the waters thrown by Nanakwere not to the sun directedthe Guru's strange behaviour

was very soon detected

soon a crowd had gatheredeveryone lashing his tonguewho was this weird stranger

where was the water being flung

Guru Nanak asked the pilgrimswhere was their water bound

to our thirsty ancestorswho are no longer around

I

I

Guru Nanak spoke againa divine glint in his eye

your waters reach the world acrossmy fields are only here, nearby

'Troe is tlie Lord, :Jiis name is troe:Jiis [anguage is rove, its [imit[ess too'We beg of:Jiim togive, we imp£ore.>tnd:Jfe bestows/ tlie gifts garore'Wliat do we offer :Jiim in return

'To view :Jfis durbar, :Jiis presena benign'Wliat words sliouU we utter

'To beget :Jfis affection, :His rove divineIn tlie ambrosial liour of tfie dawn

Muse on :Him and meditateSing :Jiis praises and concentrate

On :Jiis virtues/ g[ories of '%e (jreat J

:Your body is an award ofyour actions'But sarvation is :Jfis venediction

Says ifi£anal( try to understand tliis stanceOn[y tfie troe Lordlias tfie true etrjstence

(juru 'J..{flnal(in Japji

'Duni chand 'Banker

Duni was a bankerwho lived in Lahore

he was loadedwith wealth galore

outside his houseflew many a flags

each one representingmillions in his bags

Nanak met Dunileft him a depositfor safe keeping

a stitching needle

when they meetin the next world

Duni has to return itDuni gave his word

Duni and his wifewere in a muddle

Guru Nanak's depositwas quite a puzzle

••,......... 29

G"1~'1t;.

!8~~~.J.................,.. .

then Guru Nanakexplained to Duni

of the transient worldall wealth and money

no one ever didnor you will takeyou will go bereft

of your worldly stake

give up gloatingabout this world

and build your lifearound His word

the millionaire Dunigave up his riches

Guru Nanak's needlehad put moral stitches

IDuni's mansion

was given awayfor Duni had come

a long long way

rrJying is the pri1,1ifege of the 6ralJe if they die for agood cause

qurn 'J{p.naf(

30

Chapter ~

Guru Angad Dev( 1504-1552)

Life S~etcfi of tfie Guru

Lehna, your name impliesthat we owe you a debt

Guru Nanak had saidthe first time they met

and as promised to himNanak paid his debt

he made Lehna the Gurunamed him Guru Angad

Lehna's ancestral homethe place he was born

was at Mota di Serainear Ferozpur town

the family moved toHarike by Satluj river

for Serai was plunderedby the Mughal invader

~ ~later on they moved

from Harike to Khadoorwhere he was marriedand settled for good

a devotee of Durga,every year he will go

to the Amarnath shrinethe site of eternal glow

one year he stoppedat Kartarpur on the way

here he met Guru Nanakit was his happiest day

whilst others in his groupcarried on for the shrineLehna stayed behind,

having found a mint divine

Guru Nanak's communewas absorbing, uplifting

it anchored to Godthe mortals drifting

Lehna will wash dishes,attend to cooking choresserve the meals to sangatscrub and wash the floors

II.. ' - - ;

32

there were more jobsand Lehna did his best

he will man the fanand seldom let it rest

he will stay busy all dayin chores galore

and be singing hymnsthe lofty lore

wet hay needed shiftingNanak called his sonsthe lads didn't botherbut Lehna got it done

the Guru's wife saw himsoaking wet and drippingshe complained to Nanak

it was not befitting

Guru Nanak smiledpointing to the wet hay

this will indeed adorn himlike a crown one day

in the rain, one nighta temple wall collapsed

the Guru's sons were calledrepairs were needed fast

II33 ..

the lads finished the jobbut not to satisfaction

Nanak wanted it redonethe boys took no action

when Lehna was calledhe rushed into action

and completed the taskto Guru's satisfaction

the sons were by-passedin choosing a successor

Lehna was selecteddespite the filial pressure

Lehna was like an anga limb of Guru Nanakthe name of Angad

was therefore chosen

Khadoor

Khadoor was chosenfor Angad's new missionthe venue was pickedon Nanak's suggestion

Guru Angad rose earlyand meditated for hours

at the daybreak hourhe will join the prayers

he had a healing touchAngad catered for the sick

many lepers will comecrowds were always thick

the Sangats sang hymns,at mealtimes ate togetherfood was free for everyonethe caste was not a bother

The Guru, and his wifelived on a frugal fringethey earned their living

twisting a bark into munj

Guru Angad helpedmodify old Punjabi scriptinto modern Gurmukhi

Ad; Granth is written in it

he will often spendtime with the children

teaching them Punjabiplaying games for fun

often in the afternoonswatching a wrestling boutwas a favourite pastimewith the Guru I s crowd

as for the evening timeboth Satta and Ba/wand

will sing hymns andentertain the sangat

when I die I said the Gurulook at me no more

simply sing His praises andcremate me to His lore

and when he was gonethey sang hymns galoreHis praises rang on earthin Heavens rang His lore

*********

Ifa liunarea 11UJons came tlirougliana a tliousandsuns aUf risewitli so mucli figlit to view

it is 6ut utter c£ar~

in tlie a6sence of tlie guruguru 5lngad1Jev

36

Chapter~

Guru Angad DevTales of the Guru

.1fumayun

When Humayun was defeated, he retreatedand after this war, he headed for Lahorehe felt quaint, sought solace from a saint

so he made a detour and came to Khadoora place well known as Guru Nanak's thronehe found Guru Angad and the Sikh sangat

The Guru was busy, Humayun felt uneasyhaving had to wait, he was getting iratea long wait and Humayun was desperate

he pulled out his sword, and angrily roaredthe Guru opened his eyes, saw him in sight

and spoke to the emperor, roaring in anger

Humayun, relax my dear, as you are herewhere you must bow like a humble fellow

your sword was cold against Sher Shah boldyou accepted defeat and made a retreat

now when you are here with saints and searsyou show your strength, it is a foolish attempt

the emperor was humbled as he mumbledfor Guru's blessings for battles in the offing

the King was blessed but Guru Angad stressedwhen things are fine, and the kingdom is thine

you must rule with care, like an emperor fairand remember your Lord, the Almighty God

*********

SLOX.

J{e evo{ves, reserves ana affocatesfor tfie 6eings J{e createsJ{e sees tliem aft tlie way

from inception to tfieirfind cfaywliom sliouU'J{anatcaf{

for J{e is a{[ in aft

p;J't1.1tJU

grancfeur ofcr1U great, one can not refatetfie 6enevofent giver, J{is cfeeds

provide for creature sneedstlie 6eings treacf tlie roatL Jfe lias 6estowecf

'J{anat6esicfes :.Him, tliere is no otlierJ{e lU ts to J{is cfesire

guru .9lngacf'lJev

T'ayya

When Guru Angad cameto settle at Khadoor

the fate of yogi Tappatook a turn for worse

he was being ignoredpeople flocked to Angad

Tappa's pride was hurthis income dwindled

Tappa spoke viciouslyof the revered Guru

he advised the peoplethat he wasn't true

it was a hot summerand no rains arrived

the land was parchedand some cattle died

the impending faminecaused panic and fear

the Jots wanted rainoffered many a prayer

......................

Tappa advised the Jotsto throw the Guru away

as he was the causeof the accursed days

the Jots asked the Guruto make the rain

but the Guru advised themit was God's domain

the Jots of Khadoorthrew the Guru out

asked him to stay awayfrom the neighbourhood

they turned to Tappaand asked him for rain

Tappa tried many a trickbut were all in vain

Tappa feared for his lifehe had failed the jobthe Jots were furiouslike a frenzied mob

Amar came to Khadoorlooking for Guru Angadhe could find no Guru

he found no songot

..."" a......... 40

$Ii;...:Jll,~

!71!:Ji.'!:~'';'' \j~i, .

the Guru had leftat Tappa's behest

Amardas was angryhe was very upset

Amar told the Jotsthat Tappa was a fakedrag him in the fieldsthe draught will break

wherever you take himtill the sunset hourshall get the rain

the bountiful shower

they dragged the manand covered every field

the rain poured forthTappa's fate was sealed

tired and bedraggledhe succumbed to strain

it rained in plentybut Tappa was gone

Yet Guru Angad Devadvised Saba Amardasthat the rain is upto God

one mustn't trespass

for people like Tappathe Sikhs must behave

even to the viciousbe forgiving and suave

~ir is {~ tlU (juruWater, fi~ afatlUr

'I1ie great respecta6fe earthIs {~ a motlUr

'Two nurses, IU anislU~re tlU night aniiayIn tlU mitfst vf tfie.se'I1ie worUaoes pfay

~ctions, gooa ani 6ati~re assessea at :Jf1S Mor

meeds 6ring youdoser to !Him or ~ep you afar

%ose wfio stayImmersea in:J{is metiitation'I1ieir fa60urgets rewaraeapurity vfvisage, veneration9Wnakt many arouna tlUm

~re freea as we{{, eam fi6eration(juru ~ngati mev

42

'Bi6i Jeeva

Guru Nanak had started itLangar was now a tradition

it gathered momentumat Guru Angad's mission

the good Bhai Jeevalived outside Khadoor

he used to bring Khicharieveryday for the Langar

after Bhai Jeeva diedhis daughter, Bibi Jeeva

she was equally devotedand kept up the seva

one day, she preparedKhichari for the Sangatbut as she was leavingshe heard a thunder

and in a few momentsthe weather turned insanethe wind started to howlthere was incessant rain

II.............................

8.t,~..e1'r'helpless Jeeva prayedfor God to interveneto hold the weather

to stop the wind and rain

the weather clearedwith a brighter look

the Bibi was delightedat the turn it took

she reached Khadoorall in good time

the Sangats ate togetherbut not the Guru sublime

the great Guru Angadgavethefood ami~

Jeeva didn't understandwhat had gone amiss

Guru Angad explainedto Bib; Jeeva and allthat she had prayed

for the weather to stall

she obviously hadinterfered with His wayfor whatever He doeswe must simply obey

~.~~i~~t44 laaaaa•••aaa••••aaaaaaaaae

Chapter §

Guru Amardas(1479-1574)

Life Sketch of the {juru

Punjab was blessed againanother Guru was born

Tej and Sulakhani of Baasarkaywere blessed with a son

Amardas was born in Baasarkayand in Baasarkay he grew

the years of life in the villagerolled on before he knew

he married Mansa Deviwhen he was twenty four

and kept living in Baasarkayfor several years more

the couple had four childrentwo sons and two daughters

and like everyone aroundkept busy in worldly matters

............"" .

Amar was a pious personbut had never been on pilgrimage

his first visit to Hardwarwas at forty two years of age

later he will go every yearand one year he met a stranger

a friendly type I a holy manwho showed annoyance at Amar

the man called him 'Nigurra'or Guruless who was wasting his life

Amar must find himself a Guruto end his mental strife

the stranger's word \Nigurra'kept ringing in Amar's ear

he looked around for a Guruhis goal was getting clear

he had a niece called AmroAmar often heard her sing

compositions of Guru Nanakmelodious and compelling hymns

the gist of one such hymnstressed the role of a GuruAmardas now saw the light

and yearned for a Guru

1\•••""., 46 4·

,/

" ;- .

Lehna, Amro's dear fatherhad now become Guru Angad

Guru Nanak had made himthe Guru to guide the sangat

Amar met Guru Angadand saw in him his shining starhe had found himself a Guruhis search for Guru was over

Amar began a newer lifea life of love and devotion

there was work here and worshipand service was a passion

he will bring water for the Guruleaving early in the morn

he fetched it from the riverand returned before the dawn

he carried it to Khadoormade a bath for Guru Angad

later he will join in prayerswith the morning Sangat

he will collect firewoodhelp in scrubbing the floorsdevote the day to learning

fitting in endless chores

47

Then in the evening hoursafter the \\ Sodar path"

Amar helped the Guru againwith the evening bath

before finishing his dayhe helped the Guru to bed

he will then walk back hometo Goindwaal for rest

in the year fifteen fifty twoAmardas was made the Guru

the honour came to himwhen he was seventy two

the Sikh sangats rejoicedbut Guru Angad'sson Datuwas angry and he kicked

Amardas, the anointed Guru

Datu named himself the GuruAmar stayed out of his way

but the Sikhs didn't accept himtill Datu called it a day

Guru Amardas went to Kurkushetraon the festival of solar eclipse

where he taught against ritualsinto which the people slip

48

.......................

I' 'ithe Sikhs were often bothered

when they went to wells for waterthey were pelted with stonesfor flouting the caste order

the Guru encouraged the Sikhsto dig the wells of their own

Baali Sahib was dug by themin eighty four steps of stone

it took three years to completeand it stands to this day

a tribute to the Guru and the Sikhswho laboured all the way

the tradition of the langarwas strengthened in Amardas's time

the Sikh sangat dined togetherlike a brotherhood sublime

Raja of Haripur of Kangra hillseven the great Mughal Akbar

sat with the common folksand relished Guru ka longer

Akbar offered a gift of landbut it was politely refused

funds must come from Sikhsonly Sikh sources were used

1\ "~

" .~.' ~ 49 ..................

when it came to his successorthere were two contenders

his sons-in-law I Rama the elderand Jetha I the younger

the two sons-in-law of the Guruwere assigned to built a stage

they began the job and finished itbut failed to please the Sage

they had another go at itbut were once again rejected

Rama gave up after four attemptsbut Jetha wasn I t dejected

after seven attempts of Jethait was approved by the Guru

Jetha had passed the final testhis devotion was really true

Guru Amardas honoured himand Jetha was made the Guruthe choice pleased everyone

it was deserved and due

Guru Amardas died in 1574at the age of ninety four

he had nurtured the tree of Sikhismthe tree had blossomed forth

50

ChaDter~

Guru AmardasTales of the Guru

:J-{omeCess .Jlmaru

Amardas was oldhe was well over sixty

but his love for the Guruwas intense and lofty

every morning he broughtwater for the Guru's bath

fresh water from Beasvia an accustomed path

rain never deterred himnor did the winter cold

rugged path didn't matterno obstacle could hold

it was a pitch dark nightthe weather was atrocious

Amardas lost his wayinspite of being cautious

...................... 51 ".............................

......~aa...""'e.""'..aaa....""'..ea...."" ...""""" .......l.:r!'-_~- r.

~f~'~~i~~.... .,.~ Af~.'X,.~.

~~. ~~

the walkway took himalong some weaver's huts

strewn around with obstaclestheir professional butts

in the darkness of nighthe hit against a boulderhe fell down but saved

the pitcher on his shoulder

in the stillness of nightthe sound of a fall

was heard by the weaveragainst his outer wall

the kind man murmuredwho could be there

hurting himselfin such dreadful scare

his wife then blurted,she was really viciousit must be mad Amaruthat homeless curse

Amardas stood upwith his pale of waterhearing the woman

he happened to utter

&. II~,.,.~.52

fU............••....•••..••••••••••••......• ..............~........~......&f

Amar serves his Guruhappily and gladshe must be crazy

one who calls him mad

next morning a weavercame to Guru Angadbrought his crazy wife

to the astonished sangat

the episode of the nightwas described to the Guruhow she had turned mad

after cursing Amaru

Guru Angad blessed hershe was normal again

she begged forgivenessshe had gone insane

Guru Angad declaredAmardas was blessed

as a home for homelessa hope for the distressed

*********

I'Leave it to (goa

Guru Amardas's famescaled still higher

but he had to facea jealous empire

khatris were jealousand there were sheikhsthey didn't like the Sikhs

and resorted to hate

the two groups joinedto bother the Sikhs

they often triedsome hurtful tricks

their boys will tauntpelt the Sikhs with stonesas they came for water

in the common zone

Sikh pitchers rupturedbut they won't retaliatethe Guru advised themto stay calm and sedate

54

the Sikhs switchedto using cotton sacks

but the attacks continuedfrom khatri and sheikhs

when their cotton sackswere ripped by rowdies

the Guru still insistednot to hurt anybody

the Sikhs switchedto pitchers of copper

but the attacks kept upmaking life unbearable

a group of sanaiysistravelled to see the Guru

sheikh youths pelted stonesand blinded a sadhu

the sanyasis were angryand battered the youth

killing and maiming somefor behaving uncouth

they weren't deterredthe seasoned criminals

and often snatchedthe Sikh belongings

~ ..

a group of Pathanssojourned in the town

they spent a nightas the weather frowned

the night was darkthere was howling windthe dust made it worse

it was ideal for theft

the sheikh boys stolethe visitor's load

including a donkeycarrying ingots of gold

the theft was detectedby the angry Pathansand they threatened

to burn the town

as they searched the townthey heard their donkey bray

the theft was uncoveredpunishment was on the way

they beat the sheikh boysand killed a few

the punishment had comestraight from the Blue

...t'............... 56

life became peacefularound this town

the Sikhs were safeand no longer frowned

the Sikhs sought adviceto tackle such a menacethe Guru advised themcomplete forbearance

Guru Amardas addedthat if the vicious men

sometimes keep on and onthree times in succession

then the God Himselfsends a punishment

that straightens the lotand brings an end

'Don't ca£[ fier Sati ifsfie tiffs fierself in fire6uming five in fier lius6ana's funeral pyreone wlio aies from tfie slioctofseparation

is aSati in trotli, aSati wortli mentionquro J2Lmartias

Vatu's 'Wratli

Amardas's Gurushipcaused much concern

to the jealous DatuGuru Angad's son

offerings mountedalso the Guru's respect

Datu found all thisdifficult to digest

in a fit of annoyancehe came to Guru durbaras he saw Guru Amardas

he fumed with anger

Datu kicked the Guruhard from behindthe Guru was hurtbut he didn't mind

the Guru stood upstarted to massage

Datu's leg that had hitand injured the sage

~~...•I;~...'....••.i.•.~:'I!~...~~~:

11;0

~

l .';:.". ·""1

politely the Gurusaid to his assailantthat he was sorryif Datu was hurt

Datu was frettinghe taunted the sage

"you aren't the master"displaying his rage

Amardas collectedofferings to the Guru

loaded these on a donkeyand gave them to Datu

the Guru thought itbetter to go away

unannounced the Guruleft for Baasarkay

he locked himselfin a room, he knew

and pasted a noticeon the door to view

anyone who will tryand open the doorshall suffer and has

trouble in store

~~ _Ji~A f~1"i1.~t·- 59 , ,v_'_~-:..; ..

.........11'.........................."'. r ~ .-J/~~I..I !~~~tjl"f.. · ',::~~.~.

~~. (. ~

back in Goindwaalthere was an uproar

Sikhs couldn't findtheir Guru any more

after the search failedthey had a thought

Guru Amardas's marewas forthwith brought

revered Baba Buddhaadorned the mare

and they followed itany place, anywhere

the animal led themto village Baasarkay

to the Guru's hutwith a notice on display

when the Sikhs readthe notice on the doorthe joy and excitementwent through the floor

Baba Buddha thoughtand he gave a call

they bored a hole andentered through the wall

;;M. ~t

.~t1~·" 6f~~:.~,it•. ~~'~' .~

~'''':.... 'lito....

60- "-.-,...""'",........ ..

~.

..

....€;I.i

~.'

.............................................................

'ihe entered the room

Guru Amardas was therethe Guru was intrigued

at the whole affair

the Guru came outhe wouldn't reprimandfor the door stayed shut

as was his command

the Guru met the Sikhshe was overwhelmedat the love displayed

by the Sikh sangat

together they returnedback to Goindwaalleaving Baasarkay

and a hole in the wall

Seeking :J-fis confines or :J-fis fimitmany have eriea tfi.eir wits out

no one aoes (nowtfi.e confines of:J-fis show

gum 9{slna( in Japji

~i\'~~ ··1

t:<:·, ' ;_ 61 ~••a ~~..

'Bibi 'Bliani

The nice Bibi Bhani,Guru Amardas's daughter

was married to Jetha,who became a Guru later

as a devoted Sikhshe seNed all around

she looked after the Guruher devotion was sound

she got up every daybefore the early dawn

and helped Guru Amardaswith his morning Ishnan

one morning, the Guruwas sitting on a stool

Bhani was helping himwith his bath as usual

one leg of the stoolappeared to be crackingthe Guru was seated there

as it was breaking

...' .

Bhani acted at onceput her foot underneath

balancing the seatfor the Guru I s benefit

there was a bare nailwhich was showing

it plunged into her footblood started flowing

the Bibi was injuredbut she kept at it

kept on with the bathtill it was complete

as she took a toweland the Guru was dried

the Guru could seethe blood on one side

when she explainedwhat had happenedhe was overwhelmedas he was saddened

the Guru asked herif Bhani does aspireto an overwhelming

wish or desire

................. 63

she said, she wanted Jethato become the next Guru

this was her prayerto the revered Guru

she also prayedthat the Guruship stayswithin the Sodhi family

for the future days

Bibi Bhani's prayerswere accepted by the Guru

the future did witnessher wishes came true

*********

'Don't caIf tfwse twofius6ana ana wife,if tfiey merefy sittogetfier in fife

6ut ifa singfe figfitguides tfie twoj

tfiey are fius6ana ana wiferigfit ana true

guru Jtman£as

............................""'................!tf 'III~'.;' .....

Chapter Z

Guru Ramdas(1534- 1581 )

Life SketcFi of tFie Guru

Childhood

He was the fourth Guruon Guru Nanak's thronethey called him "Jetha"

a name used for eldest son

besides his parentsJetha had a brother,younger than himself

and still younger, a sister

Jetha was merely sevenwhen his parents diedleaving three little kidsagainst time and tide

the kids found it hardto make both ends meetbut Jetha tried his best

to stand on his feet

" IJ{ ....~,

J ~;~65 ..........

••••'.'n """' ...

Jetha started sellinga snack of boiled peas

but being so younghe suffered great unease

his aged granny cameto live with them at Lahore

but the relatives heremade her sick and sore

she took the childrento village Baasarkaytheir ancestral hometo settle and to stay

Baasarkay

Jetha kept up his tradeof selling the snack

his granny will cook itand he sold the stock

often this generous ladgave the food for free

to sadhus and the poorthe wayside needy

66

.....................' ••••••a aHJNalNal "

t~~\1J1!1'~M., .-..JI'

Baasarkay enjoyeda spiritual atmosphere

saint Baba Amardaswas born over here

Amardas himselfarrived here one dayhe had come home

to take his family away

Amardas was planninga new habitation

the town of Goindwaalin the Sikh tradition

Jetha met Amardasjoined the volunteers

leaving for Goindwaalfor working over there

Goindwaal

revered Guru Angadhad deputised Amardas

to build a new townby the river Beas

a.aa.aaa.a••aa""'••aaaaa""'••••aa.aa.....

tl ~:~..~~_•.t~_ _~~ .~~~.... .~~" Ut ~

many Sikhs came forthas they heard the calloffering their services

for building Goindwaal

soon after the startAmar was made the Guru

the work on the towngathered momentum too

Jetha plunged in the taskwith complete devotionhis labours were spread

in every direction

he helped in the kitchenbrought firewood and water

washed the dishes andswept the floors off litter

in building GoindwaalJetha's labours stood tallhe earned many a laureland admiration from all

Jetha took no timeto grasp the Guru's lorehe became well versed

in the Guru's Word

~~i i''~Js~;,:.- •• j~

68;.;-...,:;

digging a huge Baolito provide water for all

was a major projectin building Goindwaal

Sikhs came to servefrom everywhere

Jetha served the guestswith utmost fervor

he worked all hoursshifting debris and sand

his devotion was completewhatever the demand

Marriage

when the Guru I s wifesaw this handsome man

labouring tirelesslyher heart was won

she hinted to the Guruwho stood beside her

that here was a matchfor Bhani, their daughter

&,»~

the Guru considered itand he gladily agreedJetha and Bib; Bhaniwere happily married

Akbar came to Lahorechasing a rebel brotherwho ran on his arrivalwas no further bother

But Brahmins of Lahorewho were rather jealous

used this royal visitagainst Guru Amardas

they lodged a petitionagainst the revered Guru

claiming his teachingsbelittled the Hindu view

Guru Amardas deputedJetha to go to Lahoreto represent the Guru

at the royal durbar

70 .•'ee'....aaa

Jetha was brilliantfirm in convictions

he was fully devotedand ready for action

Jetha I S explanationscarried the day

the Brahmins petitionwas spurned away

Akbar was pleasedwith the Sikh approach

the Guru durbarwas beyond reproach

later while returningto the Delhi durbar

Akbar decided to stopat Guru's Goindwaal

he was impressedwith the set-up thereand dined with othersin the Guru ko longor

Amritsar

a new site was acquiredit was pious and quaint

it had hosted in the pastmany sages and saints

the great Guru Nanakhad passed by here

envisaging here a townof divine atmosphere

later Guru Amardasfound here a magic herb

it had helped to cureGuru Angad's thumb

Guru Amardas decidedto build a new town

on this historic siteJetha completed his plan

Guru Amardas had said,"whilst Kaljug is draggingmen shall be short lived

and their wisdoms flagging"

72

" this new habitationwll be a spiritual townto enlighten their lifein their short sojourn"

revered Guru Amardaslaid the foundation

for this spiritual homeof divine inspiration

the project was startedand a housing precinct I

called Guru ka Mahalwas the first to be built

after that they builta shopping parade I

called Guru ka Bazaarfor traders and the trade

the town beganas Guru ka Chakk

it became Ramdaspuras the work progressed

Guru Amardas recalledJetha to Goindwaal

and bestowed on himgreatest honour of all

........~...llleeel..............4••

If 'Ithe aged Guru Amardas

made Jetha the Guruhe became Gl)ru Ramdasfor Sikhs, the fourth Guru

Guru Ramdas stayed ontill Arnardas passed awaythen he was. back on site

for.work and to ,stay

a.-huge pool, w9s dugat a chosen spot on siteits ambrosial water, Amrit

confers blissfuH delight

with the voluntary labourof the devoted Sikhs

the pool was strengthenedin mortar and bricks

a pier jetting inwardsled to the central, portionwhere a platform seNedfor diwans and for kirtan

Amritsar, pool of n.ectar,is the name of the town

the pool and Harman<;:iarare its glory and crown

1\ Ai" .... 74

Akbar came for 0 visit­, this time to Amritsarhe met Guru Ramdas

and joined in the Iangar

he wanted to donate,0 stretch of land'

the offer was dectrnedGuru Ramdas explained

when an institution ­.acquires any property

if· leads to ill will 'and mutual jealousy

the king understoodand_was impressedhe didn't insist ,and

,qnd let this matter rest-

- Successor ,_

the Gurtlhad three sons,', ' Prithi.was the eldest "" .­,'he was a vicious man- ,, .', his wife was worst, ""

75

tJ ~., .~yearning to be a Guru

Prithi envied young Arjanbut Arjan deservedthe high veneration

Prithi didn't like Arjanand was really sore

he arranged for Arjanto go to Lahore

but Arjan grew wearybeing away from the Guru

he wrote lyrical lettersto view the Guru

some of his letterswere intercepted by Prithi

but one got throughand exposed a strategy

Guru Ramdas sentemissaries of Guru durbar

to bring home Arjanback to Amritsar

Arjan was made the Gurumuch to Prithi's annoyance

Prithi became an enemyand led a life of defiance

1\ ~~. "j

76~* ~~

after choosing the GuruGuru Ramdas was ready

the time had arrivedfor his divine journey

from Amritsar durbarhe moved to Goindwaalwhere three days laterhe bowed to His call

after a bath in the Baolihe came to morning diwan

he sat in the sangatand was gradually gone

he advised Guru Arjanto build a spirtual wonderat the centre of the poolthe present Harmandar

and to the Sikh sangatit was the Guru's advicenot to grieve his deathwhen the end arrives

77

he wanted the sangatto sing Guru's hymns

in praise of God Almightyand abide by His will '

:Jf£ WM calIs liimselfaSiKjia Sif(1i pft~ Lorti aSif@ oft~ guru

rises earfy on) amI fie. contemplateson 1fis :J{gme, the W9me of tlie 1;ruee;r.erts liimselfin ttie morning) 6atliesimmerses in ttie poorof '1fis gww'

lieeds (juru s advice) meaitates on %mal{sins tiisappear, al(pains amI woe

ttien) witli ttie tUlvent of ttie tlaytie sings yur6ani) ttie yuru's fore

contemplates on %m, wliilst stamIingsitting tlown., tlirougli every chore

tie wlio muses every moment on %mcontemp{ates on Jlim in every fJreatli

.etuitars liimself to ttie guruttie (juru ctierislies sucli a (jursif(1i

(jurus advice comes to tfiat (jursif(1iwlio is 6lessetf, wnom 1fe tloes picf(

IJ{g.naf(craves for ttie tlusttlie tlust ofsuch aSiKji s feet

wh-o J<!-tps repeating 1fis 9{p.meanti inspires ottiers to repeat

78II-",',."" ,

11/

-' Chapter § ,( • L. " ~ ~ ,.~ f.

Guru Ramdas :Tales of the Guru

"',' "\

~ . ..Vu~n 'Bltanjan

'C,

Duni Chand·of Pattiwas a wealthy man

ruler of, the, townbut he was very vain

gloated in his egohe beHttled everyone

he boasted of feedingthe entire population

if anyone insisted·aboL.'t Godabove· allhe wHl punish the .mal':)

to submit to his will", .. ~" ; .

evel'lihis relations ;his wife :and daughters

: sang his praisesfor food and shelter

1\. . A...................................... 79 "" 4l& ~ M ~ _~

one of his daughterswas devoted to Godshe defied the fatherand praised the God

Duni was annoyedangry beyond reason

he must teach hera very special lesson

he married her offto a crippled manwho was a leper

and always in pain

the girl accepted itas the divine will

she was so destinedshe bore no ill will

the newly marriedwere thrown on road

Duni kept sayinglet us see your God

the girl assistedpulling her husbandon a make do trolleyon the rugged roads

80 ""..''''.........

~ 'Iousted from Patti

they headed for Jhabbalalways on the roadoften in the jungle

she will leave himunder some tree

and fetch some foodmostly by begging

gradually they reacheda new habitationit was being built

by the Guru's men

revered Guru Ramdaswas building a townwith voluntary labourof men and women

the couple restedunder a shady tree

beside a water pondin the open country

exhausted and tiredand full of hunger

the girl left her husbandto fetch some langar

h "~. ,

81

I' 'ithe crippled lepersat fully astonished

as he watched the scenein a pool beside him

he saw black crowsalight and dip in waterthen emerge as swans

with snow white feathers

a train of thoughtstarted in his mindthese waters must

contain a herb divine

how he wishedto bathe in this water

he may be curedof crippling disorder

It was difficultbut he took a chancehe leapt in the waterand fell in the pond

luckily the waterwas not very deephe was astonishedhe was on his feet

1\82

II

after a few dipsthe pain had ceasedhe had been cured

of the cursed disease

when he emergedhe was fully cured

of the wretched diseasehe had long' endured

but when his wifecame back with longor

she looked for himto appease his hunger

she saw a healthYand a handsome man

she felt very. scaredfor herhusband

the man tried' his bestto assure the girl

that he was her husbandcured by .God's will

they started quarrellingand were in dispute· .

a passer-by suggestedto seek Guru's verdict

" .................

t~ 'ii' f"

~...

he took the twoto the Guru durbar

and presented themto Guru Ramdas

the Guru heardtheir complete tale

and advised the coupleof what did prevail

the man's storywas completely truehe was her husband

there in her view

the girl's love for Godhad revealed the spotof that curative pool

'the Amrit pot'

the grateful couplewere blessed by the Guru

their life was happyand their happiness true

at the spot revealeda great pool was dugwhich has come to usas sarover at Amritsar

1\84

A' .." ................

'Bfiai 'Bhikari

An admirer of Guru Ramdascame to the Guru durbar

he wanted to learnabout the Sikh behaviour

the Guru directed himto a Gursikh, Bhai Bhikari

the life of this manwill answer his query

at Bhai Bhikhari's placethere were celebrations

his son was getting marriedthere were friends and relations

everyone was enjoyingno expense was spared

there was singing and dancingfestivity was in the air

the guest from the Guruwas accorded much respect

the Bhai honoured himeven his feet's dust

after the son's weddingat the brides home

the barat came backthe bride and the groom

:&fi.q ",,~85 , -

I' 'ias they arrived at home

the groom felt a tummy painand minutes later

he was dead and gone

the occasion turned souras the relatives cried

the couple had hardly metand the groom had died

Bhai Bhikari was calmin this major tragedy

he went about calmlyadhered to his duty

the funeral arrangementswere already made

the boy was crematedBhikhari was sedate

the guest was puzzledas indeed he was sadmusing on Bhai Bhikaria most unusual dad

the Bhai was awareof the impending death

yet he went aheadand married his lad

1\86

II

he had condimentsand a stock of firewood

his quiet. preparationsweren' t understood

and he had madea cot for the funeral pyre

to carry the corpseto be consumed in fire

the guest asked himwhy he married the son

when he was awarethat the death was certain

the boy were to dieafter the weddinghow I could dare

defy God's bidding

the boy was His giftand he took him away

I am grateful to Himfor his, terrestrial stay

,87

the obseNer came backto the Guru durbarhe was much wiser

on the Sikh behaviour

********.

Ifa tongue were to 6ecomea fiunarea tfiousana J even moremu{tip{ieasome twenty times

to raise tfiis scoreifelUfi of tfi.ese tongues

aii recite a fiunarea tfiousana timetfie name of tfie Lorasu6fime

tfiis patfiJ tfiis wayrungs of tfiis Waer read'

ana Mena youwitfi tfie Lora inaeea

listening to tfie taftof Jfeavensaoes stimulate

tfie {owly worms are stirreaana wisfi to emulate

'J{p.nat you relUfi Jfimonly tfirougfi :His grlUe

a{{ else is falsea waywara rlUe

guru 9{anatin Jap}i

~,.~..~~....' .....•....•~.,~ .. :~;:,!,,,.

88

M

IiAU ......

:J{umiuty

Guru Nanak's elder sonSiri Chand was saintly

founder of Udassy sect,he thought differently

having lost to be a GuruSiri Chand will not see

the revered Guru Angador later Guru Amardas ji

but as he grew oldhis anger went coldhe arrived for a visit

at Guru Ramdas's fold

Guru Ramdas was happyhe welcomed his guest

entertained his entouragegave him much respect

seeing the House of Nanakbasking in such glory

Siri Chand was overcomewith a touch of jealousy

1\........................... 89 A~ .

a a.'s•••"'.s.."s.' .

Baba Siri Chand spoketo Guru Ramdas the sageyour long flowing beard

must be q.uite a rage

Siri Chand continuedthat he was intriguedwhy the Guru's beardwas so long indeed

Guru Ramdas's replyshook the man on his seat

"with it, I wipe the dustoff holy men's feet"

then the revered Gurustarted wiping his feetSiri was embarrassed

the Guru was so sweet

Siri Chand spoke againthat only now he knew

why he lost the raceto become the Guru

90 ...UIIII

:Jfartiya{'rappa

Guru Angad was compelledto leave Goindwaal

a Tappa was instrumentalin this ill advised tale

the man finally suffereda dreadful fate

he succumbed to his deaththrough Jats irate

another Tappa I Hardyala descendant of the oldwas now condemning

Guru Ramdas I s fold

when the Baoli at Goindwaalcame to completion

the event was celebratedin the Sikh traditiopn

Guru Ramdas organiseda major langar

hoardes were invitedalso this trouble maker

t~ l'i.'~~~~:~:~:<'.'

t;'f)~t:".. ~... ~.

~~~..~.

Tappa was greedybut he won't come

to join the celebrationthough he was welcome

the Guru declaredto give to everyonewho participated

a gold coin

the temptationwas too much for the manbut he couldn't be seen

so he sent his son

the boy in disguiseentered jumping a wall

he broke his leghe had a bad fall

the people sitting thererecognised the boythey all condemned

his father's ploy

Tappa's pretencehis overwhelming greed

was finally exposeda revealation indeed

1\92

II

Chapter 9

Guru Arian Dev( 1563-1606 )

Life sketch of the {juru

Arjan was the youngestof Guru Ramdas's sonsa poet and a scholar

he wielded a versatile pen

divinity and scholarshipendeared him to his father

but brought him enmityfrom PrithL his brother

Prithi Chand and his wifewere full of jealousy

they connived against himwith all their energy

Prithi was the eldestyet he seemed to know

that he shall lose to Arjanrace to the next Guru

.......u... 93

$.i~.itt~jf.~i............................

I'near the decision time,

Arjan was sent to Lahoreto stay on till recalled

Arjan was lonely and sore

Arjan couldn't bearthe prolonged separation

he wrote to the Guruletters in warm narration

the first two of his letterscame into Prithi's handswhen the third arrived

Guru Ramdas was present

young Arjan was recalledPrithi was shatteredhe was humiliated

yet he wasn't bothered

Arjan became the GuruPrithi was surpassed

the man couldn't accepthis ambitions dashed

Prithi was like an animalwho had been mauledhis objectives changed

to Guru Arjan's fall

1\94

II................

Prithi's followers heldPrithi Chand as the Guruand kept the Sikhs away

from the master true

The revered Guru Arjanpatiently kept his poise

he went on with his missionwithout grudge or noise

as the funds from Sikhswere taken by Prithi's menlangar became meagre

the Guru stayed on ration

the Sikhs came aroundand accepted Guru Arjan

Bhai Gurdas and Baba Buddahelped in this direction

Harmandar

a pool of holy waterwas dug and completedat the centre of the poola platform was seated

a!

"95 , "'~

I' 'ithe platform was used

as venue for diwana temple was built here

later by Guru Arjan

Guru Arjan completedthis spiritual wondera temple in the poolcalled it Harmandar

the foundation stonewas laid by the Sufi pir

the much admiredMusalmaan, Mian Mir

the Harmandar floorwas designed to be lowfor one to step in humility

onto the floor below

the Harmandar doorsopened on all sidesfor free access to all

Sikhs and others beside

a few miles from hereanother project was onit was completed and

called Taran Taaran

1\ 4:Jii)' '"

96 .........................

close to the Guru's heartwas people's welfare

he encouraged self helpas in digging for water

Guru Arjan built a boolia reservoir of water at Lahore

this was a welfare projectthere were several more

Adi Granth

assisted by Bhai GurdasGuru Arjan collated for view

hymns of all the Gurusfor reference and review

included with thesewere hymns of Indian saints

Kabir I Farid I and otherswith thoughts compatible

so compiled the Adi Gronthwas respected by all

commiserate with contentsits status stood tall

97

.A'til

•••e"'.......

I' 'Ithe Granth was installedin the holy Harmandarsurrounded by the pool

Amrit pool of Amritsar

the volume was placedhigh up on a pedestal

under a canopyas on a throne celestial

the Guru and the Sikhssat lower on the floor

thus honouring the Granthand the divine lore

a complaint was lodgedGranth was derogatory to Islam

Akbar had it read to himselfhe liked the hymns and psalms

the king offered goldand robes of honour too

to Bhai Gurdas and Baba Buddawho had assisted the Guru

Sikh faith was doing wellSikhs were all over Punjab

but the changed timesbrought in a vicious mob

1\ II98

-t..

Jahangir's wrath

Jahangir I unlike Akbarwas neither liberal nor kind

he was a zealot and a bigotSikh faith troubled his mind

Jahangir had recordedhis determined intent

to destroy the Sikh faithand all it meant

Akbar' s policy of neutralitywas forthwith reversedand the Sikh Guru Arjan

was unduly coerced

Jahangir needed an excuseto apprehend the GuruGod provided him onethrough his son Khusroo

the defeated son Khusroostopped by as Guru I s guest

he was made welcomeand managed some rest

99

..nn"'••••n"""'...........................

If \IIi.. ,

"'.' .

but the King claimedthat the Guru had prayed

for success to Khusrooand had offered him aid

the Guru was summonedto see the king at Lahore

here the Guru was chargedby the great emperor

Guru Arjan was finedsum of two lakh rupees

but if he accepted Islamhe could go free

the penalty of deathwas duly decreed

if the Guru didn't complywith either of these

the Sikhs were willingto pay the hefty fine

but the Guru won't acceptto toe this cowardly line

as for accepting Islamthe revered Guru Arjanstood firm on his groundand refused conversion

t ~#

:~..~ Ii100·uun" ..............

·f

Treacherous Chandu

Chandu was an officera high up in the Rajhe advised the king

he will persuade the sage

Jahangir left the Guruto be coerced by Chandu

but this man hadhis own grudge to undo

Chandu's daughter wasengaged to Guru's son

but Chandu misbehavedand the match was undone

Chandu was horrifiedhe pined to harm the Guruwith the Guru in his handsit was a dream come true

Chandu failed to persuadethe Guru to change his mind

he resorted to tortureof the meanest kind

aauaaaaH.............. 101

the Guru was detainedin a dark and dreary dungeon

in the month of JuneLahore was like an oven

the Guru was made to siton a heated pan

shovels of burning sandwere poured on his person

the Guru stayed calmthrough this treatmentand as to his torturershe showed no hatred

with the blistered bodyhe was plunged in the riverGuru Arjan passed awayand the torture was over

*********

'Witfioutgatfiering virtues'Worsfiip can't 6e clone

(jfory is in tfie woraof(joaIt [eru£s a 6eauteous visage5tna always! ajoyous fieart

(juru 9\f9.na(in Japji

102

.........................""' ...

Chapter JJl

Guru Arion DevTales of the Guru

:Jvtartyrtiom of tFie guru

Much of Guru Arjan's lifepassed in Akbar's timewhen worship of a faith

was not a crime

Sikhism was doing wellSikhs were all over Punjabbut the enemy appeared

and closed in to rob

Jahangir became the kinghe wasn't liberal or kindbut a zealot and a bigot

Sikh faith troubled his mind

Jahangir wrote in TuzukArjan fascinates them allHindus and even Muslims

are heeding to his call

:fkt.I>~................................ 103 A, ..

Jahangir wrote furtherthat it was his intent

to convert the Guru anddestroy all that he meant

Akbar's policy of neutralitywas forthwith reversed

the pressure was increasedGuru Arjan was coerced

Jahangir needed an excuseand God provided him one

Khusroo I the rebel princecame to stay with Guru Arjan

Khusroo was made welcomeas anyone would be

he stayed there and restedthe cooked meals were free

The Guru was summonedto come to Lahore

where he was chargedon lies and lies galore

The emperor allegedthat the Guru had prayedfor success to the princeand had offered him aid

104 ......'......" .......

Jahangir who had ordereddeath sentence on Khusroo

imposed a hefty finetwo lakh rupees on the Guru

An option was offeredto accept the Islamic waybut the Guru won't agree

to convert or to pay

Officer Chandu suggestedhe will persuade the Guru

make him see the lightand alter his view

The king agreedhe put the Guru in his carethe man had sinister plans

the king wasn't aware

Chandu Lal was a Hinduserving the Raj at Lahore

with a grudge against Guru I

he irked to settle a score

Chandu's men had soughta match for his daughter

it was settled to Guru's soncould it be any better?

1\ III.-_ ..., lel............... 105 ..., _Od

:~~~aaaaaaa&8Aaaaae&8a&GOaaaaaaaaBBaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaBaa~~,~~

;,ti~~~ !:!:~rtlf:~!~f.,.. t·· ..~('\;j~~ ~~

Yet Chandu didn't like itas he was heard to mutter"what a match- like layinga royal brick in the gutter"

The news reached the Guruthe Sikhs were annoyedthe match was annulled

Chandu was horrified

With the Guru in his holdChandu asked him to savour

revival of the matchand advise in Islam's favour

But Guru Arjan won't agreeon one count or the other

Chandu was most annoyedand resorted to torture

Guru Arjan was confinedin a dark and dingy dungeon

the heat was oppressingLahore was like an oven

The Guru was made to siton a red hot metal platea picture of endurance

the Guru showed no hate

They poured on the Gurushovels of burning sandcalmly abiding in His will

he sat through this demand

Then in a pot of waterthe Guru was made to sit

the water was boiledand kept in a boiling fit

he was moved to the riverBlistered and barely alive

they lowered him in the waterbut he rose to The High

**********

My fieart is [ongingit pines to see tfie guru

fikf a cfiatrik.6irdcraves for a drop ofdew

tfie tfiirst persistsaf[peace is gone

witfiout fiaving seentfie fio[y person

wfiat a Missa Missfu[ vision

a view of tfie gurutfie saintfy person

guru 5ll.rjan 'Dev

Chapter 11

Guru Hargobind(1595-1644)

Life Sketch of the {juru

Guru Arjan died a gruesome deathtortured at the hands of Mughal

Hargobind I a boy of sheer elevenwas left to face this vicious devil

Guru Arjan had the foresightand saw the years approachinghe trained the son in martial artsto face the times encroaching

Hargobind was born at Wadaliand was Guru Arjan's only sonhe carried arms as a little boyand was riding horses early on

Baba Buddha was his teacherhe quickly grasped the Guru's lore

archery and swordsmanshipHargobind excelled on every score

..................................

before Guru Arjan was arrestedhe could see the end in view

he thus installed the young boyHargobind as the next Guru

when he was sworn in as GuruHargobind carried two swordsMiri, for the temporal authorityand Piri for the spiritual world

and in planning the futurethe Guru adopted a martial plan

he gradually trained the Sikhsinto soldiers of distinction

Lohgarh, a fort was builtto defend the city of Amritsar

and Akal Takht was establishedjust next to Harmandar

Hargobind advised the Sikhsand the Sikhs started to bringofferings of arms and horsesa force was in the making

five hundred trained Sikhsformed an armed brigadeand from another fifty Sikhs

a bodyguard was raised

'I, ..~....~....~:t'f.,.,~

l:i.\.

1,1\.....................•••••.....·109

on a plot devised by Chanduthe Guru was held at Fort Gwalior

it was a prisoners nestseveral Rajas were also here

at the time of being releasedhe won't leave till others were free

the lot were granted freedomthe king did, in the end agree

the Guru had three wivesDamodri, Nanaki, and Mahan

pillars of his householdand he had six children

the Guru founded Hargobindpurthe times were somewhat better

he built here a Sikh centre, a mosqueand a baoU - a reseNoir of water

he founded Kiratpur as wellKohloor's ruler donated the landthe Raja was freed from Gwalior

when the Guru took a stand

Shahjehan's men were on a huntwhen a hawk fell in the Sikh's waythe Sikhs won't part with the bird

the angry Mughal showed dismay

a royal force was dispatchedthe Sikhs fought it at Amritsardefeating the Mughal enemyand killing their commander

an offering of horses for the Guruwas waylaid by the Mughal at Lahore

Bidhi, a clever Sikh retrieved itleaving the enemy in furore

angry Mughal waged a battleit was fought out at Maharaj

the Guru's Sikhs were victoriousdefeated stood the Mughal Raj

a pool was dug on the battle siteto celebrate the Guru's victorythis memorial called Gurusar

lends glory to Sikh history

yet another battle was wonagainst deserter Painda Khan

who came with a Mughal forcebut got killed, this foolish pathan

The Guru's life style was soldierlyyet he was a saint at heart

rigorous at his religious callingunder him, Sikhism flourished a lot

111

in the course of his travelsGuru's word touched many a heart

besides Punjab, he went visitingKashmir, UP and Maharashtra

an indelible impression was leftwherever the Guru had gone

he was addressed as the true kingin Punjabi, Sachay Padshah

towards the last years of his lifeGuru Hargobind moved to Kiratpur

Sikhism was flourishing herehis presence made a difference

Hargobind chose his grandsonHar Rai, installed him as the Gurulater while meditating one dayhe left for the realm of the True

as Har Rai became the GuruSikhism differed from beforethe Sixth Guru had altered it

by adding militarism to its core

*********

Chapter 12

Guru Hargobind

Tales of the Guru

J-forses for the {juru

The Mughal regimewas running amuckanything but Islamwasn't tolerated

It hated the Hindusand eyed the Sikhs

committed atrocitieswhich make one sick

Guru Hargobindvisionary as he was

Cou 17.31d see the futuregoing even worse

He started to buildan army of Sikhs

kind of soldier saintsto defend the Truth

1\............................... 113 ".........................,.......d

Horses were neededfor a force in the offingthe Sikhs were advised

horses were wanted

a horse merchantKaroria from Kabulprepared himselfto obey this call

colts from an aquaticor a daraiyee breed

he had raised from birthwith pride indeed

the brother horsesgrew into a fine pair

were ready now to serveunder Guru's care

With colts for the GuruKaroria was on his wayhe took more horses

he wanted to sell away

A royal party at Lahorecame over to view

they liked the horsesspecially these two

The king's menwere most impressed

when it came to buyingthey were distressed

Karoria won't sellhis doroiyee pair

those lovely horsescouldn't be theirs

The Mughal officialsforcibly took those two

leaving poor Karoriahurt and subdued

The sad talewas told to the Guruwhere Bidhi Chand

was listening too

Bidhi Chand of Malwawas a Punjabi jot

a real He-manfrom the daring lot

On hearing the taleBidhi volunteered

to snatch the horsesfrom the Mughal snare

115

II 'Ii•.. IfKnowing his prowess

the Guru agreedfor Bidhi to undertakesuch a daunting feat

Bidhi came to Lahorein a hay seller's garb

then to the Royal stableshe was full of charm

With his glib talkhe won the keeper's heart

and was allowed insideto inspect the Royal stock

Bidhi offered to ridethat handsome colt

reluctantly the keepergave him its hold

Riding the horseBidhi gave it a kickthe horse bolted

and was out in a flick

Stunned they stoodas he made his escapeending up at Guru's feet

in Guru's landscape

1\ II"".t;

116 .....

....................., ~ ~.,~ ~~...

IfKaroria was delighted

he thanked Bidhi Chanda task was accomplishedof tremendous content

In time this horsesadder grew

missing its brotherwhom it always knew

The Guru and the Sikhsfelt rather bad

the horse was unhappyit looked very sad

Bidhi was advisedto go back to Lahoreand return the horseor fetch its brother

Bidhi took a tripin no apprehension

to fetch the other horsein Royal detention

The man this timeposed as a fortune-teller

dressed as a fakirhe looked quite a feller

117 II..........................

The staff at the stablesbegged him and soughtinformation on the thief

who wasn't caught

Now Bidhi Chand knewand described the tale

of the horse and the thiefin full detail

They showed him aroundtheir confidence was won

the doors were lockedas a sheer precaution

Bidhi lovingly strokedthat daraiyee colt

admiring the animalthat loved his hold

He expressed a desireto ride this brotherof the stolen horse

taken from its tether

His wish was grantedhe jumped up to ride

then moved the animalto the open side

Overlooking the riverhe halted and stood

the lads eyed himno one understood

He kicked the horseit jumped in the river

the staff at the stablesfelt a quiver

After a minor swimthey were acrossnow they boltedquick and fast

The brother horseswere soon united

the Guru and the Sikhswere all delighted

Pilgrimages, fasts and donationsrendered to ooost one 5 egoare fi~ an efephant soath

go unrewardec£, a wastedshowguru ryeg 13ahac£ur

'Bi6i 'Viro's Wead"ing

Viroos wedding daywas finally here

Amritsar looked lovelythe sky was blue and clear

Guru Hargobind himselfin a nearby forest stripwas out with his Sikhs

on a hunting trip

they saw a beautiful hawkas it winged the skieslending enchantment

to the viewing eyes

the Sikhs were excitedwanting to catch the birdthey released their hawk

to this intent

present on this dayin this forest wing

was an Imperial partyhunting for the king

equally enamouredof this precious bird

they also chased the hawkcombing the forest

Guru Hargobind's hawkleapt higher and higher

it caught up with the birdand brought home the flyer

the Imperial officerswere hurt and annoyedand confronted the Sikhswith contempt unalloyed

they pressed the Sikhsto handover the hawkit must go to the king

and join the royal stock

but the Sikhs refusedto return the hawk

to Shahjahan's officialsit came as a shock

it led to a skirmishthe two parties clashedtwo officers were killed

and their leader slashed

Lei_...aAI u....... 121

defiance by the Sikhsangered Shahjahan

it was time that the Sikhswere taught a lesson

a detachment of menunder Mukhlis Khanwas sent to punish

the Guru and his men

Viroos marriage partywas temporarily haltedit was held at Jhabbal

till the enemy was thwarted

the Mughal onslaughtwas halted at Lohgarh Fortby a handful of Sikhs and

a wooden canon in support

women and the childrenwere moved to Ramsarbut Viro got left behindalone in her chamber

by the nightfallthe Mughal laid a siege

Bibi Viro was still hereand at great unease

122

..................

finally the help arrivedcracking through the siege

rescued Bibi Virosecuring her release

six Sikh commanderswith two hundred men eachwere ready by the morning

within enemy's reach

a severe battle was foughtmany a brave Sikh died

but the enemy suffered worseand lost to the Guru's side

in a hand to hand combatwith Guru HargobindMukhlis Khan fumbledand got himself killed

after a depressing battlethat killed many a friendGuru Hargobind reverted

to the duty in hand

Bibi Viro was marriedgracefully to the groom

thus ending in joytwo days of 9190m

I!..........-................ 123 _................ "

{jwa{ior

Jahangir was benton hurting the Guru

but face to facehe changed his view

some wise advisersadvised the king

that the complaintswere sheer figments

the king requestedthe Guru's company

he was travellingto the Agra city

Guru Hargobindagreed to travel

discussed with himreligion and morals-

Chandu and othersof the king's regime

contrived a planagainst Hargobind

they colluded witha fortune teller

Jahangir was toldhis life was in danger

a calamity is seento be hovering

it could be avoidedby a fakir's praying

he was advisedto request Hargobind

to pray for himforty days on end

after these daysthe devils did hopethe king shall forgetthe whole episode

Jahangir beggedthe Guru to consider

praying for himthere in Gwalior

Guru Hargobindacceded to the kinghe knew of coursethe underlying sting

L.c.._ I 125 __A

the Gwalior fortwas a fortified prison

located on a hillfor security reason

the Guru enteredthis new environment

the way outwas non existent

there were hereprinces of the states

fifty two in allcursing their fates

the group of princesfelt very happy

finding Guru Hargobindin their company

the arrival of the Gurubrought them closer

they will join himin prayers together

the moral lessonswere impartedthe princes feltrichly rewarded

126II..........................

the time passedin seNice and prayerthey hardly noticedthey were in Gwalior

the Sikhs in Punjabwere restless, unclearas were many others

of Guru's admirers

the Sufi fakirrevered Mian Mir

was much concernedand met Jahangir

orders were issuedto release the Guruthe Guru declined

and refused to leave

the Guru insistedthat Rajas there

must also be freedfrom fort Gwalior

the king issuedanother decree

princes holding to Gurushall all go free

Guru Hargobind worean enormous wearclinging to its hem

the princes went clear

*********

5l![rove, ai[affection is falsethat is now, I nave tnown the worU

'Everyone here is servitI!J the selftheir own we[{6eitI!J, their own comfort

anti they cry, its mine, its minegfoateti in their own selfish ego

there is no one 6ut 9'"ou in the entistrange is the custom ofthe worU[y snow

the foo[ish mintinasn 't feamt it yettiespite the contintuJus fesson

'JI.[ana~ those wno sing 9lis praisessfw[[swim across the worU£[y ocean

(juru rug 'l3anaaur

128

'Ba6a ~ta{

Atal was the sonof Guru Hargobindhe died as a boy

in circumstances unkind

playing with MohanAtal enjoyed the gamebut on loosing a turnhe was not the same

his friend Mohangot bitten by a snakeAtal couldn't find him

after the break

Mohan was takenback to his home

he died of the bitedidn't finish the game

Atal went to his housesaw Mohan by the door

wrapped up in linensprostrate on the floor

1\............................... 129 ......~;.........~~~~

verily he thoughtMohan was asleepyet he shook him

for the errand to keep

the game was pendingand Mohan must play

he should get upstart without delay

the dead boy Mohanwas heard to saylet us go then Ataland finish the play

Mohan stood upas no one expectedthere was rejoicing

the dead resurrected

the news of the miraclespread through the city

the Guru heard itbut he wasn't happy

he advised little Atalit was wrong to playmiracles, for these

were not the Sikh way

a"""a.a••aaa.aea. 130 a.""'......8.8aaa

....................................................................~"

I' 'Ihe reminded Atal

his grandpa Guru Arjansuffered great atrocities

but didn't work one

Arjan won't indulgein the occult powerhe gave up his life,

Sikhism's great tower

Atal was thoughtfulendowed with talentshe realised atonce

what his act had meant

Atal stayed calmwent to a green pasturelaid himself on the grassand pulled on a cover

miraculously the boyas he prayeo

was recalled to Heavenswhile Mohan played

*********

......... 131

... , ,.' '" .

cfianau

Chandu's machinationshad finally failed

his plot against the Guruhad derailed

the emperor Jahangirin fact came around

he honoured Hargobindretracted his ground

Chandu's tale madethe king very angryhe passed. the devil

to the Guru's custody

the Guru may punishChandu as he liked

but Guru's punishmenthe may have sUNived

Chandu's will receivefive blows a day

with a wretched shoein a public display

1\.......................... 132

when he was broughtto holy Amritsar

the crowds gatheredto curse the cur

poised on a donkeywith a blackened face

Chandu was takenfrom place to place

Chandu was abusedstoned and booedfolks spitted on himas he was towed

he was broughtto Lahore from Amritsar

supported on sidesby Sikh stalwarts

it was Jetha andthe Sikh Bidhi Chandthey dragged him onwith a crowd behind

people in Lahoreturned out in numbers

it was free for allas missiles thundered

133

••••• ••••• ••••••• ••• , Mof

~~.te'

there was Gurdittapopping up his corn

the furnace was firedthe sand was in the pan

the news reached himChandu was comingGurditta was angry

the news was stunning

Gurditta recalledhow Chandu, this devilhad forced him partake

in a horrid evil

he was made to pourthe burning sand

on revered Guru Arjanon Chandu's command

desperate Gurdittawaited his chanceto punish this manthe devil atonce

he worked his bellowsand puffed more airthe flames erupted

and spattered splinters

he stirred the sanddesperate on his seat

it turned red hotand radiated heat

the processionof Chandu and crowd

turned the cornerinto Gurditta I s road

Gurditta jumped upand shouted Hi Hi

leave the wretched devilhe is all for me

he poured on Chanduthe burning sandand hit his shovelhard on his head

Chandu was oldby now very tired

one blow killed himthe man expired

-_... 135 -_...._ .....~

1U6i Xaufaan

Daughter of a MoulviKaulaan was a pretty girl

she learned Koranfrom the Sufi Mian Mir

the girl was devotedenjoyed hymns in Koranshe was also interested

in other religions

she had read Gitoand also Romoyonand under Mian Mir

was now, a Gurboni fan

her father was shockedwhen he heard of this

he warned the girlof its consequences

when Guru Hargobindcame to Lahore town

she will secretly goand attend the Kirton

• a "'t a.a a ~••u.~..u.I .aat

IIshe was spotted oncein Guru's congregation

a complaint was lodgeda serious allegation

on the complainta fatua was issued

a punishment of deathwas duly decreed

when Kaulaan heardof punishment severe

she made it to Mian Mirin a secret wear

the Sufi fakirwas gravely concerned

he hastened with herto Guru Hargobind

the master realised. helping the lass

meant seeking enmitywith the ruling class

yet the girl was sentwith a Sikh bodyguard

to the holy Amritsarto join Sikh sangat

137

she was providedwith a place to live

where she could worshipand she was secure

one day Bibi Kaulaanbegrudged her fate

she was desirousof someone to relate

she wished she hada daughter or a son

or her nameshall be forever gone

instead the Gurubequeathed the girl

a permanentlong-lived memorial

a pool was dugand named Kaulsar

it immortalisedthe Maulvis daughter

*********

138

Tt.~..~.'.'~

Chapter 13

Guru Har Rai(1630- 1661 )

Life sketcfi of tfte (juru

Har Rai was born at KiratpurA lovely place to view

founded by Guru Hargobindhis grandpa, the sixth Guru

even as a little boy, Har Raihad a mind with spirtual traitsGuru Hargobind saw and felt

the potential of this state

Thus choosing the next Guruhonour went to Har Rai

he became the seventh Guruaged fourteen, a mere boy

Har Rai had a strong physiquebut he was tender at heartgood at riding a horse, yetsaintly in mind and thought

139 .--....a.i

like Guru Hargobind, Har Rajkept an army of Sikhs, fighting fit

and had a bodyguarddevoted men of martial grit

The Guru ran a vast dispensary. with rare drugs in stock

endowed with healing skillshe served the needy flock

Shahjehan needed a rare herbwhen prince Dara Shikoh fell illas this herb couldn't be foundGuru Har Rai was requested

the precious herb was foundin Guru Har Rai' s collection

administered to prince Darait cured his affliction

to propagate the Sikh faithHar Rai deployed the new converts

Bhagwangir and Suthereshahgave the faith further spurts

Aurengzeb annexed the thronedefeating prince Dara ShikohDara came to Guru Har Rai

he was welcomed by the Guru

140

the visit was misconstruedby Aurengzeb and his men

who needed an excuseagainst rising Sikh religion

the king invited the Gurubut Har Rai will not listen

finally he did agreeto send Ram, his elder son

when Ram arrived at Delhihe was asked to read a hymn

a word in the hymn, thought Rammay cause offence to the king

thus while reading the hymnRam Rai quickly improvised

he read beimoon for muso/moonthe king was satisfied

But Guru Har Rai was annoyedthe lad had acted mean

Ram was barred from the Gurufor tempering with the hymn

Har Rai made his younger sonHarkrishan, the next Guru

and a day after anointing himhe left for the realm of 'The True'

Chapter 14

Guru Har RaiTales of the Guru

'Ram'Rai

The fanatic Aurengzebembodiment of cruelty

asked Guru Har Raito meet him at Delhi

but Guru Har Raiwill just not agree

Auregzeb tried to hit backHe was really angry

he dispatched a forceunder one Zalam Khanto overcome the Guru

by forceful means

but this Zalam Khanwas at the end of his days

he developed stomach acheand died on the way

142

Danda Khan Kandhariwas next dispatchedhe was slaughteredenroute as he slept

the third time, it wasNahar Khan Sharanpuriwhose troops perished

in a cholera fury

finally Aurengzeb sentShiv Dayal, an officerto persuade the Guruto meet the emperor

Guru Har Rai agreedbut sent an ambassador

to meet Aurengzebthe bigoted emperor

Ram Rai was elderof Har Rai's sons

an intelligent man<;:tn admired person

Ram Rai was sentto see the emperorbut he must uphold

the Guru durbar

Ji,.;

.:£t~

~~143 ~ _ ....

.a__ """'••""' , ~~WWH~

IIAurengzeb called him

to the Royal durbarRam presented himselfamongst the courtiers

the king wanted himto perform a miracleRam was well versedexpert in this vehicle

he showed the kingmany astonishing featsthe, king was amazedat his powers of occult

the king decidedto honour this man

and use him in futureas a political pawn

Ram Rai was askedto quote and reviewreferences to Islam in

hymns of the Gurus

Ram Rai citedhe quoted a hymnfrom Guru Nanak

on the fate of man

..........................................................

II 'IMitti musso/moan kipoiroy poiee kumior

khor bhondoy itton kionjo/di koroy pukor

as for a muslim graveits clay is sought

the potter moulds itinto bricks and pots

the clay lamentsand it does shriekfired in a furnace

you hear it beseech

Ram Rai was scaredthe word Musso/moanmay offend the king·

so he changed the hymn

he substituted the wordbe/moan for musso/moan

the king was satisfiedso was the Royal clan

when Guru Har Raiheard what he had saidthe Guru was annoyed

and much distressed

~~~,~~.............................. 145 II

.......~ .

Ram Rai was debarredfrom Guru's presencefor he had tempered

with Guru Nanak's hymn

Ram left and starteda sect of his own

the king bequeathed hima site, now Dehradun

*********

If tfie fiaruisJ feet aru£ tfie Doay are soUea'Water couU wasli tfie airt away:For dotfies po[[utea witli urine

51 wasli witli soap aru£ water uJi{( dean:Miru£corrupteawitli sinsgalore

'J./jeas ''J..&m ~ contempCation ofJ{is roreVirtue or sin are not slieer woras

your actions are recoraea5tna are as sucli rewaraea5ts you sow so slial(you reap

'JI[anat. you uJi{( come anagoas J-fe aoes seef(

(juru 'J..&na(in Japji

146

...................................................

Sefini

In seventeenth centuryan Italian called Selinitrav~lIed through Indiaseeking life I s meaning

he visited the countryits length and breadth

learning Indian thoughtand probing its depth

he was keen on religionits strength and qualityhe sought information

on religion and morality

after visiting Hardwarhe arrived in Punjab

to meet Guru Har Raiand see the Guru durbar

he travelled to Kiratpurand saw the Great Guruthe charismatic Har Rai

his radiant view

147 ............lAAA....lAAA...._..a.i

rf! ", ~~!:~•.,~,~

.~ .. "...~~t.!iif:-- . .~~.

Selini sat in the sangatand enjoyed the kirtan

he felt uplifted withGuru Nanak's hymns

later he asked the Guruthere have been prophets

indeed many of themboth in the east and west

Christ and MohammedRam and then Krishan

and here in Punjabthe great Guru Nanak

who in the Guru's viewranks the foremost

to get you salvationfrom the difficult world

"prophets are guideswho show you the way

to redeem yourselfon the judgement day

but your final ascentto the divine zone

depends only on youyour actions alone

,.~

~.~~~4;. .;I."t-:~•. ~~ !~••~

148.- *. 'I

in the final analysisit is your own deedsthat will determineyour end indeed"

********

J{e resides in every worU'Everywhere are J{is stores

Jf.e fi{{ed them in one go'Wliatever J{e fiKfd to pour

J{e does it a{{Sees everytliing tlirougfi

:N..anat. the creationsOf '%.e lJ'rue I are true

.9Lf{praise to :Jfim, affgforyPrima! and eternalLord.

Vntarnished and. indestnu:.ti6feJ{e stays the same, '%.e great I

.9tge after ageIn the same unafteredstate

guru :N..anaf()n Japji

Chapter 15

Guru Harkrishan(1656- 1664)

Life Sketch of the (juru

Harkrishan was the eighth Guruthe younger son of Guru Har Raihe was born in Punjab at Kiratpur

a sweet and handsome boy

he was merely five years oldwhen he ascended the Guru's throne

soon afterwards his father diedleaving him all alone

the eighth Guru was articulatehis tender looks radiated charmhe thrilled the Sikhs as he spoke

they felt elated and warm

his elder brother Ram Rai,was renounced by Guru Har Rai

Ram had became jeQlousand wanted to harm the boy

150

Ram complained to Aurengzebto have Harkrishan bound

the Guru was called to Delhito be charged on some ground

Harkrishan consulted the elderswho said that the Guru knew bestthe Guru decided to go to Delhihe was prepared for the worst

Sikh sangats were worriedas the prospects were adverseat the time of Guru's departure

they will just not disperse

they walked with him a long wayreturned home from Sirsa riverthe Guru and party carried onmeeting admirers everywhere

Lal Chand of one villagea Brahmin, who was very proud

came and asked the Guruif he will recite the Gita aloud

the Brahmin was ill advisedas he was on a testing spreeif the Guru could recite Gitahe will call it a good memory

"............................. 151

'"i!l: '.

~, ':-1., '''IiO

the Guru invited the village foolChhaju, the dullest of the dull

after being blessed by the Guruhe could recite the Gita in full

when the party reached Delhithey waited for the king

,they stayed with old admirersRani and Raja Jai Singh

the emperor sent some itemsfor the Guru to choose a giftthe Guru took a saintly robefrom a load of riches to sift

the king appeared appeasedyet he itched to see a miracle

but Guru Harkrishan won't agreeto dabble in this vehicle

the king couldn't see the Guruas cholera gripped the city

the Guru and the Sikhs got busynursing the sick and needy

outbreak of small pox followedthe Guru contracted it as well

he took it as the divine willand was ready for farewell

~~"""""""""""''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''~"1

from Raja Jai Singh residencehe was moved to Jamuna bank

Sikh sangats all around himwere saddened as he sank

the next Guru had to be namedHarkrishan just managed to say

Baba Baka/a, a clue to helpTo guide them on their way

Guru Harkrishan passed awaywhilst he wasn't even eighta Guru for twenty-six monthsa child Guru but really great

*********

Meaitate on (jum Jiarf(nsfianut your tfiougfits in fiim stay

for f(nowing (jum Jiarf(nsfianwi£[sweep your pains away

(jum (jo6inc£Singfi

1\ 153 . A.

Chapter 16

Guru HarkrishanTales of the Guru

Pundit La{o

Taking the Gurufor a little boy

Pundit Lola deviseda defaming ploy

he came and satin Guru 's sangatlater he stood up

and coyly muttered

Lola would likethe famous Guruto recite the Gitaverses he knew

The Guru knewthat the Panditjihad come there

on a testing spree

1\............................ 154

he was told to calla dithering fool

dullest of the dullwho knew no school

the village foolChhaju was calledhe was presentedto Guru Harkrishan

Guru Harkrishanwaived his stick

and blessed the manwith a gentle flick

the man recitedthe Gita aloudPanditji's face

became a shroud

Lalo apologisedfor his accesses

and was forgivenwith Guru's blessings

*********

~.""~"'" A[1>. , __ 155 a ..

'I'estina tfie (juru

Aurengzeb wished to seeif Harkrishan will perform

magic and miraclesas did his brother Ram

. but Guru Harkrishandeclined such action

as it was contraryto the Sikh tradition

Auregzeb then triedindirectly to assessthe Guru's powers

his spiritual prowess

Miria Jai Singhwho was Guru's host

agreed to the king's ployTo put the Guru to test

wife of Raja Jai Singhthe queen, the Rani

was dressed as a maidand her maid as the Rani

Jai Singh then showed upat the Guru's quartersand invited Harkrishan

for a get together

the visionary Harkrishanknew of Raja's mission

but agreed to his requestto visit his mansion

when he was usheredin the stately hall

the Guru saw the RaniIn a servant's overall

he touched the Raniwith a flick of his stick

expressed disapprovalof her resorting to a trick

the Guru went backquick as he cameleaving the Royals

aghast and in shame

**********

~cogniseye the wfwfe fiuman rau as oneguru go6intfSingh.

157

.Jlurengzeb and tfie Guru

Guru Har Rai had advisedHarkrishan the child Guru

not to see Aurengzeb I even ifthe king pressurised him to

after his arrival in DelhiHarkrishan made it clear

to his host I Mirza Jai Singhhe will not see the emperor

as the king I s invitationswere simply turned down

Aurengzeb desire to see himhad grown and grown

Auregzeb arranged to sendhis son Bahadur Shah

to go and meet the Guruand report on what he saw

the little boy I the princewas welcomed by Harkrishan

the prince was impressedto see the Guru in person

1\....'1'1"""''1'1''0...... 158

but when he invitedthe Guru on king 's behestGuru Harkrishan declinedto accede to this request

Guru Harkrishan agreedto send the king a message

a letter in his own handan enlightening passage

the note containeda hymn, Guru Nanak's thought

decrying a life of splendourwithout the fear of God

one morning the kingdressed himself as a fakir

walked to the Guru's quartersand stood outside his door

when Harkrishan was toldthe king was at his door

the gates were ordered shutthe king stood sore

the king had to leavedisappointed over again

his wishes unfulfilledto see Guru Harkrishan

~~_""aa.l""""Hal""""'." 159 ..

with God I s will I there wasa smallpox outbreak

it made further contacti'l'Possible to make

the Providence intervenedthe Guru passed away

Aurengzeb was unfulfilledcouldn/t have his way

*********

(guru :Jiark..rislian 's message to .9lurengzeo)

'Wliat gOOl[ is alr tFie foodor tFie dotliing to wear

if tFie fJ'rue Lord is a6sent from Fieartif:Jie is not tliere

fruits, outter, j{ourvariety ofsweets and meat

garments and comfortaok oeda wadofpfeasura6k treat

matter not, neitFier huge armiescivifsevants, tFie servants and 'J(fians

nor a royal mode ofrivingin paftucs or palatid mansions

:J{ana~ everytliing out tFie fJ'rue LorduJiffdisappear, shaff oe gone

guru :J{anak..'1Jev

160

Chapter 17

Guru Teg Bahadur(1624-1675)

Life s~etcn of the {juru

Teg was born at Amritsara son to Guru Hargobindthe times were atrociousAurengzeb was the king

Hinduism was in troubleTeg listened to its callhe sacrificed his life

and saved it from a fall

Guru Harkishan diedleaving just a clue

implying Teg Bahaduras the next Guru

Teg was quite a scholardevoted to classic artsbesides he was trainedin weapons of all sorts

1\--- 161 i _ 6i

as an expert horseman,he rode with distinction

yet he spent hours on endin divine meditation

at the age of twelvehe was married to Gujarihis wedding at Amritsarwas quite a gathering

during last nine yearsof Guru Hargobind's life

Teg lived at Kiratpurwith parents and his wife

Bakala

when his father diedTeg, his wife and mothermoved to village Bakala

where they lived together

twenty years of his lifeTeg spent in meditation

collating his thoughtsin divine concentration

162 , ..

_~M;ijf

........................................""' "" .

as Guru Harkrishan diednaming a 'Baba Bakata'this clue to the next Guruproduced a Gurus meta

every street in Bakalaboasted of having a Guru

the Sikhs couldn't tellthe false from the true

amongst the pretenderswas a man called Dhir

a nephew of Teg Bahadurwho caused a major stir

Makhan Shah Labana,came looking for the Guru

he must find the masterto pay him a promised due

he combed Bakala villagesearched in every street

saw the claimants one by oneand paid towards their greed

but he wasn't satisfiedthen he heard of one Tega recluse, who lived aloofmay be, he wasn't a fake

A........................ 163 ".~••l!lM _..-..A

when he went to see himTeg was in meditation

Makhan paid his respectsand left a small donation

Teg came out of his tranceand called after the traderreminded him of his promisewhen his ship was in danger

Makhan felt all excitedfor having found the Guruhe climbed atop the roofand announced the news

Dhir Mal was annoyedand planned to hit back

he and his Mahantsorganised a vicious attack

they robbed Guru durbarattempted to kill the Guru

they didn't succeedDhir and his wicked crew

one Shihan fired a bulletit grazed Teg's shoulder

but Teg was unperturbedthe wound was only minor

1\.......................' ....,. 164II........., ......

Makhan and the Sikhschased unholy Mahantsbrought back the loot

including the holy Granth

Teg removed himselffor quiet meditation

to atone himselffor the Sikhs's actions

Amritsar

at the invitation of SikhsTeg travelled to Amritsar

but he was denied accesscouldn't enter Harmandar

a grandson of Prithi ChandHarji Mina was in occupation

claiming, he was the Guruand not the late Harkrishan

followers of Harji Minalocked the doors in fear

for they dreaded now a fatemeted to pretender Dhir

whilst men of Amritsarcaused offence to the Guru

the women of the townbraved it as soldiers true

women of village Wallainvited the Guru over

Teg moved to their villageas darkness took its cover

Harmandar was occupiedby these brave womenthe doors were openedafter the Guru had gone

assisted by Makhan Shahthey reprimanded the priests

and made them feel ashamedat their wretched deed

Kiratpur

at the age of forty threeTeg was anointed the Guruhe plunged into his mission

with a zeal displayed by few

166f!

"'~

".

~ ~~. ¥1....."" ....."",."" .......

fH Hal ~ .

Teg arrived in Kiratpurseat of his predecessor

the historic Guru's regaliawere kept at Kiratpur

sangats from all aroundvisited him on Vaisakhiincluding Mahants of

Dacca, Patna, Varanasi

Rani Champa of Bilaspurwhose husband had died

came to pay respectsoffered the Guru a site

Teg made a paymentfor the site in question

and on mount Makhowalstarted a new habitation

Chakk Nanki, its name,changed to Anandpur

or the city of joyKhalsa was created here

Teg left with his familyto visit the east

Mahants had invited himand Teg had agreed

starting from Anandpurin the month of August

he passed through Roparthen camped at Saifabad

the Nawab of Saifabad,an admirer of the Guru

entertained him for daysbefore he let him go

the famous Kurkushetrahad Sikh shrines to viewhonouring Guru Nanak,

the third and the sixth Guru

Teg stayed here a whilepreaching Sikh gospelthe doubts of Brahminswere harder to dispel

he left Kurukushetraleaving the Brahmins a gift

a letter engraved in copperin memory of this visit

in a brief stay at DelhiTeg met the local Sikhs

Lakhi Shah, the RajasJai Singh and others

passing through Mathura,Agra, Kanpur and Fatehpur

he arrived in Allahabadsome six months later

next stop was Mirzapurthen the holy Senares

Teg Bahadur arrived heremounted on a horse

where they campedGanges materialised

it was beneath the campand emerged from the site

the Sikhs dug the placeand the Guru just willedthe water gushed out

when a hole was drilled

the Guru left Benaresand headed for Sarsaramhere Phagu had prayed

for the Guru to come

169 II...."a .

as the Sikh had desiredTeg entered his gateadorned on a horse

the Guru had kept a date

being pressed for timeTeg carried on his way

leaving the family at Patnaand arranging for their stay

Bengal

Teg camped at Monghyrby the river Ganges

Sangats came everydayfor the Guru's blessings

after visiting Bhagalpur,Maida and GopalpurTeg arrived in Dacca

by now it was October

an old lady in Daccahad made for him a dress

and she had prayedfor his gracious presence

170

meanwhile at Patnahis son, Gobind was born

he learnt about itwhilst in Dacca town

the Guru kept on movingone place, then anotherfrom Sylhet to Chittagongover the period of a year

he established Sangatsall along this route

in villages and in townsfrom Chittagong to Sylhet

a Sikh Sangat was startedon the island of Sondip

he left his influence herethe tree was planted deep

Assam

Teg came back to Daccaand planned his next trip

places graced by Guru Nanakon the Assamese strip

II171 .....,...............~......_.a.i

If 'i. .;,. .. ')-

Mughal officer Ram Raihad orders to release

Gauhati from the Kamrupthe king of Assamese

scared of Kamrup magicRam asked for Guru's help

Teg accompanied himtravelling to Kamrup

at a place called Dhubriwhere Nanak lit His lampTeg arrived with the Sikhs

and pitched his camp

the women magicianscamped on top of a hillrolled down a boulder

for a major kill

the Guru's camp escapeddown by the hillside

the rock thundered byand got buried on a side

Teg pulled at his bowreleased a powerful arrowthe magic pitcher ruptured

so did the women's ego

172II

the humbled womengave up the magic paththe Guru blessed the lot

and guided them to truth

the Guru then arrangeda peace between the twoAurengzeb's envoy Ramand the king of Kamrup

a monument was builtby the Mughal soldiers

in honour of Guru Nanakand Guru leg Bahadur

leg Bahadur came backonce again to Dacca

then he left for Puripassing through Calcutta

Guru leg Bahadur stayedsome two weeks at Puriimparting The Message

to the people of the city

173 . Ii""-

.... 1.. ··.,.·.·4,';

Return to Punjab

Teg Bahadur abandoneda visit to southern regionsas Auregzeb was showing

increased fanatic madness

laws were being enactedfor terminating infidelsHindus were the target

their blood was being spilled

from Puri the Gurutravelled back to Patnathe family were unitedafter a long separation

Teg and the followersproceeded towards Delhiand the family followed

travelling separately

on reaching Chakk NankiTeg made another round

covering this timeMalwa villages and towns

~.~.~...

t*~:~. '.:••u· ""..·"..· .. 174 Nal ~ WWN..u

Martyrdom

with Aurengzeb I s bigotrymuch blood was spilling

he was forcing Islamhis methods were chilling

forceful conversionof the Hindus to Islambecame official policyof Emperor Aurengzeb

The cruel Iftikar KhanGovernor of Kashmir

was the chief instrumentof the Hindu massacre

A group of Brahminswith Kirpa Dutt as leadercame to Chakk Nanaki

and met Guru Teg Bahadur

tale of the Hindu purgewas revealed to the master

how stacks of Janaeouswere being cast asunder

175

I' \S#.~ ~

Teg told the Brahminsto give Aurengzeb a bid

that they shall accept Islamif Guru Teg Bahadur did

the Guru left for Agrawhere the king was expected

Teg and his companionswere duly arrested

Teg was offered rewardsto accept Islamic pathor be prepared to face

the emperor's wrath

Teg Bahadur was readydetermined and steadfastnothing could deter him

from his chosen path

they couldn't break himor his companions

who were tortured to deathby those vicious men

in Chandni Chowk, DelhiTeg Bahadur was beheadeda fate he met with courage

a fate he never dreaded

1\ A-.1-- ••

176.- .-.

••··,·'t'··•••'.'·,...

the night that followeda dust storm had blownand in its blinding fury

the severed parts were gone

Lakhi Shah hid the bodyin a cart of hay

brought it to his homeand burnt the house away

the head was collectedby Bhai Jaita of Delhi

he took it to Anandpurafter a hazardous journey

the young Guru Gobindput flame to the funeral pyre

and the sangats presentoffered the prayers

ashes arrived from Delhiwith the brave Lakhi Shahhe recounted to the Sikhs

an account of what he saw

*********

Chapter 18

Guru Tea BahadurTales of the Guru

:M.artyraom of tlie {juru

Aurengzeb the Mugholwas vicious and cruela fanatic and a bigot

he was fire and the fuel

Hindus were regardedas a hoard of infidels

who must be convertedor else gotton rid off

death and destructionhad become a normthe Hindus wern't safe

in this vicious storm

the schools and templessymbols of Hindu culturewere particular targets

of the wayward Mughal

178

Vishwanath shrine at Benoreswas levelled down

so was Keshvari templein the Mathura town

conversion to Islamwas a policy of the stateforced on pain of deathit was a dreaded fate

the cruel Iftikar Khanthe Governor of Kashmirstarted the Hindu purgeand swung it into gear

the man I s killer instinctneeded no further urge

enough was his obsessionHindus were a scourage

Brahamins of Kashmirmet at Amarnath shrine

where a dream revealeda guidance divine

with Kirpa as a leaderand in circumstances grim

they met Guru leg Bahadurto state their case to him

179 _ 4

sad tale of the Brahaminswas heard by the master

how Janeous in thousandswere being torn asunder

the Guru was distressedand troubled in mind

when Gobind, barely ninewalked in from behind

amidst the Brahaminssat his much worried dad

Gobind looked at himand said "you do look sad"

\\ the earth is heavywith tyranny and dread

a sacrifice is neededof a great and noble head"

the brave lad respondedrelieving his dad's tension

\\ who is better than youfor a task of this dimension"

Brahamins were advisedto give Aurengzeb a bid

everyone shall accept IslamIf Guru Teg Bahadur did

the Guru then left for Agrathe king was expected here

Teg and his companionswere arrested over there

they were moved to Delhiand kept under house arrest

then the torture startedit began with caging first

Teg was offered rewardssto accept the Islamic path

he should complyor face the king's wrath

Teg Bahadur was soliddetermined and steadfastnothing could deter him

from his chosen path

they couldn't break himas they tortured his Sikhs

Sha; Matti Dass was the firstwho went through this

Matti Doss was sawnhe was sliced into two

the cruel deed was enactedIn front of the Guru

181

\I.i!

Bhai Dyalla was nexthe was boiled in a cauldron

the Sikh kept his faithand he couldn't be won

Teg was then to bearBhai Satti Dass's ordeal

who was burnt alivedefending the Sikh ideal

both carrot and the stickhad failed in the end

the revered Guruwill neither yield nor bend

in Chandni Chowk DelhiTeg was beheaded

a fate he met with calma fate he never dreaded

during that nighta dust storm had blown

in its blinding furythe severed parts were gone

Lakhi Shah hid the bodyin a cart of hay

brought it inside his homeand burnt the house away

1\182

II

the head was collectedby Bhai Jaita of Delhi

who took it to Anandpurafter a hazardous journey

the young Guru Gobindput flame to the funeral pyre

and the sangats presentoffered the prayers

ashes arrived from Delhiwith the brave Lakhi Shah

he recounted to the sangatsan accountofwhathesaw

*********

9{g.~ fet us umierstanalie whofirufs noj(lJJ in fiappiness

atuf in sorrowjirufs no painfirufs tne jrietuf atuffoe a£~

at par, tfie sameregaranim tliena £i6eratea man

183

§uru £atflioray

At Sea

The weather was bad, the ship ran agroundit was a weird and eerie neighbourhooda frightening void and no help around

stranded in such solitude, he stoodMakhan Shah Labana was much worried

for his ship and the cargo of goodsa devout Sikh, Makhan Shah prayed

finding him in distress and so dismayedthe great Guru responded and He was swift

Labana knew, as the help was renderedthe ship rose up and started to drift

the grateful Labana prayed and tendereda promise to thank the Guru at His seatwith five hundred gold coins at His feet

At Delhi

By royal command, Guru Harkrishanand the Sikhs had come to Delhi town

here cholera and then smallpox had set inand everyday saw more people go down

yet all this danger, the Sikhs were defyingnursing the sick and those who were dying

the Guru himself, Harkrishan His Graceblessed the distressed, provided solacebut the Guru himself caught the disease

smallpox and was moved to Jamuna bankhere the Sikhs saw him at great unease

sadness spread around as he gradually sankbut before the end the Guru uttered a clue

"Baba Bakala" a cue to the next Guru

Bakala

Many a pretender at Bakala who had heardset themselves as the Guru of the Sikhs

taking advantage of Harkrishan's wordsthey waited at Bakala with a bag of tricks

Makhan Shah came to see the Guru aroundfakes and pretenders were all he found

when not satisfied, he was told of one Tega loner and a recluse, may be he wasn't a fake

Teg was in meditation, Makhan Shah bowedlaid two gold coins and he turned to go

Teg Bahadur spoke," you had promised more"Labana was excited and jumped on the floor

he climbed the roof, and shouted "hooray,I have found the Guru, Guru ladhoraV'

*********

185 , a••••a••••

Chapter 19

Guru Gobind Singh(1666-1708)

Life Sketch of the (juru

The year 1666in the Indian calendar

brought in a special daythe 22nd. of December

on this auspicious dayarrived a special personHis envoy extraordinary

to accomplish His mission

Guru Gobind Singhthe tenth Guru was born

in the town of Patna, wherehis mum was sojourned

his dad, Guru Teg Bahudurwas touring miles away

having left the family at Patnaas a child was on the way

the Guru had left advicewhat to name the boyaccordingly the child

was named Gobind Rai

on leg Bahadur's returnsome four years laterthe little Gobind Rai

was well-nigh a toddler

plans were soon afootfor ending the Guru's tourthe Guru and the familywent back to Anandpur

Gobind and his mateswill play soldiers in wargood at riding horses

he was a good all rounder

the boy soon masteredboth Sanskrit and Persianhe was good at writing

and wielded a versatile pen

a born poet, he wrotevery moving versein many languages

and subjects diverse

".......................... 187

a a ....

If 'ITeg's Martyrdom

with Aurengzeb I s bigotrymuch blood was spilling

he was forcing Islamhis methods were chilling

forceful conversionof the Hindu race

became official policyof Emperor Aurengzeb

the blood was spillingin Kashmir and elsewhere

Hindus were targetedalmost everywhere

Brahmins of Kashmirmet at Amarnath shrine

they were revealed herea plan I a plan divine

The group of Brahminswith Kirpa Duff as leadersought help at Anandpurfrom Guru Teg Bahadur

188

the tale of Hindu purgewas told to the master

how stacks of Janaeouswere being cast asunder

Teg Bahudur listenedhe was pensive and sadwhen Gobind asked him

"what ails thee dad. "

\\ the earth is heavywith tyranny and dread;

a sacrifice is neededof a great and noble head"

the boy Gobind respondedpromptly to the Guru

\\ who indeed could bemore noble than you"

Teg Bahadur's decisionwas instantly made

The Guru gave his lifeHinduism was saved

Gobind was barely nineas he became the Guru

yet he proved equalto challenges, old and new

189 II.............................

..nnnnnnn ....

The early years

Gobind was marriedto Bibi Jito ji of Lahore

the wedding took placein the city of Anandpur

keen on hunting, the Guruwill hunt lion or wild boar

his skills in these sportswere tops, even more

the foothills of Himalayashas a kingdom of Sirmurits king invited the Guruto its capital for a tour

a few mHes from therewas a beautiful spot

where Jamuna flowedand nature ruled the lot

the Guru liked the siteit was remote and aloofit is now called "Pointa"

named after his horse's hoof

190 1""1.........

the Guru liked the placethe vista of its scenic hillshe planned and he built

a fortress in this still

this peaceful countrysideendeared itself to the Guru

he happily spent some yearsrelishing this wondrous view

The Battle of Bhanaani

the neighbouring Rajasof surrounding hill statespicked quarrels with him

showed jealousy and hate

Fateh Shah of Srinagara neighbour of Simrurorganised an attack

to crush the rising Guru

the Raja 's forces foughtthe Guru at Bhanganijust a handful of Sikhs

repulsed a bigger enemy

L*tl\__'...AaAMeJIYaA....l6.au.~..H......... 191

serving with the Guruwere hundreds of Pathans

they came from Aurengzebmostly disgruntled men

most of these Pathansjoined the Rajas ranks

abandoning Guru I sshipa ship that never sank

only a handful of Sikhsfought against all oddskilled many a soldierRajas battle was lost

many a defector Pathanwere killed in the field

the Guru was victoriousthe Rajas fate was sealed

The Birth of the Khalsa

Baisakhi of year 1699was specially awaitedAnandpur was ready

many Sikhs were invited

192··....•............•..q... -'~..~.;....~. ,~

.;, f)

large number of Sikhscame on this occasiongathering everywherein tents and pavilions

the programme beganas always, with prayers

Mani Doss sang the hymnsthe Guru himself was there

the Guru stood on stageunsheathed his sword

faced the Sikhs assembledand then he roared

I want a head, he saidyes I need a Sikh's head

a sacrifice is neededfor the cause ahead

the gathering fell silentthe Sikhs were stunned

the weak got up and leftthe daring shall not run

Daya of Lahore stood uptall in the gathering's eye

take my head my Lordby thy sword, I am glad to die

..ee.............. 193 .ee ..

I' 'ithe Guru led him into a tent

when he came out, they eyedhis sword was dripping in bloodI need another head, he cried

more Sikhs left the gatheringbut the brave ones stayed

in the ensuing silenceDharm Das of Delhi obeyed

they entered the tent andthe Guru emerged repeatingyet another head is neededheated stood the meeting

Mokam Chand and Himmatvolunteered one by one

they were taken in the tentand the Guru emerged alone

when Sahib offered himselfand they entered the tentthen there was a silence

and to much astonishment

when the Guru emergedthe five emerged as well

the gathering was hilariousthings were turning well

1\194

II

...........

attired in saffron robesstood the five brave meneach one had adorneda blue coloured turban

the five were now baptisedwith Amrit by the Guru

and ushered into the Khalsaa fold of soldiers true

the master cum discipleGuru Gobind on his ownwas now baptised himselfby the five beloved men

many others were baptisedand joined the new foldit was the order of Khalsasaintly, brave and bold

Rajas &the Mughal

ascent of the Khalsawith its radical view

scared a lot of Hinduswhose fears grew

195_..__._4

colluding with the MughalHindu Rajas of the hills, once again

raided Guru's Anandpurto finish his spiritual reign

it was a severe battlethat was bravely fought

Rajas suffered but didmanage a siege at last

Sikhs were in the fortthe enemy stood in wait

the supplies depletedthe Sikhs got desperate

some wanted to leaveagainst the Guru's viewand forty men did leave

they defied the Guru

later a note arrivedfrom Rajas and the king

promising a safe conductfor the Guru and the Singhs

but as the Guru's partyabandoned the fortthe enemy closed in

flouting its written word

196

they were engagedby the Guru at Chamkaur

the enemy was freshthe Sikhs, hungry and sore

most Sikhs were killedincluding Ajit and Jujharthree of the beloved five

also fell at Chamkaur

the Guru himself escapedin overgrowth, he wandered

tired but yet determinedthe Guru was not deterred

Sikhs who defied the Gurucouldn't face their womenchided by their woman folk

returned to fight again

they engaged the enemyat the site of Khidranaeveryone was killed

but for one named Mahan

the Guru was aggrievedas he passed by theseMahan, who was dying

asked pardon for deceased

the Guru felt relieved, ashe blessed the fallen ladshe promised Mahan Singhthey shall be remembered

meanwhile at SirhandGuru's younger sonsmet a gruesome fate

through the Mughal demon

Zorawar and Fatehmerely nine and seven

were bricked alive in a wallby the cruel Wazir Khan

the Guru condemnedking Aurengzeb in a letter

how he had connivedimmorally in some matters

the letter written in Persianwas venomous to the king

after reading through itAurengzeb felt a sting

the king issued the ordersto make peace with the Guruthe Guru was around Sirhandand he was being pursued

198

after thoughtful wanderingin the lakhi jungle maze

the Guru prepared himselfto begin the next phase

Adi Granth

stationed at Damdamahe worked on Ad; Granthto authenticate a copyfor the future Sikh sangat

the Granth was originallycompiled by Guru Arjanhe had dictated the text

Bhai Gurdas took dictation

Now Guru Gobind Singhdictated it to Mani Dassand the two together

accomplished the task

hymns of the ninth Guruwere now incorporatedand the Granth today

stays, as was then dictated

199

The Final Trip

the Guru was ready to moveand the holy Granth was readcomplete from cover to cover

from the beginning to end

Karah Parsad was disbursedand the Guru then left

he headed towards Nanderwith a party of Sikh sangat

in Rajisthan, he learntAurengzeb had died

he revised his plans andreturned to Delhi side

he came to Delhito help prince Muazzamas among the king's sonshe deserved the kingdom

the Sikhs fought with himin the battle of Jajmau

the prince was victoriousand crowned Bahadur Shah

in a ceremony at Delhithe king honoured the Guru

bestowed robes on himand respects meant for few

Deccan

soon the king was calledto quell a brother's rebellionthe Guru agreed to join himwhilst travelling to Deccan

for framing a religious policythe king consulted the Guru

the two met enrouteto reach a common view

but the Guru soon feltthe king was under pressure

th e Mullahs of Islamwon I t let him manoeuvre

On reaching Decannthey parted company

the Guru went to Nanderon the river Godavri

Banda Bahudur

A boirogi called Madhoknown for powers of occultlived in the village Nander

and enjoyed his powers felt

face to face with the GuruMadho simply cowed down

he fell on Guru's feet, pledgedto serve his righteous crown

Madho was baptisedbrought into the Khalsa foldhe was named Banda Singhnow called, Banda the Bold

Banda was assignedto cleanse Punjab

five Sikhs accompanied himfor this colossal job

Banda moved throughat the speed of hell

storming his way throughmowing down the Mughal

he killed them at Sirhandincluding the cruel Wazir Khan

and he soon becamea major force to reckon

The End

during his stay at Nanderwhilst the Guru lay for restthe enemy moved in andstabbed him in the chest

with a lightening strokethe Guru killed the man

there was an accompliceSikhs killed him as he ran

The king was not afarhe learned of this affair

he sent his own physicianto attend to Guru I scare

the wound was freshthe Guru stretched a bowit yielded at the stitchesthe blood began to flow

203

the sangat was called inand assembled in his viewa copy of the holy Granthwas brought to the Guru

before the sacred Sangatthe Guru proclaimed his viewthat the holy Granth shall behenceforth the Sikh's Guru

the year was 1708and he was ready to go

he said good bye and departedleaving behind his glow

'waheguru ji ka khalsawaheguru ki fateh', his bye

stays resounding hereon earth and up there in sky

.9lgame of{ave - is what you wish to praywith your headin haflf£ then come my way

step onto this roCU£ on this :Jlighwayraying your head, you shouU not sway

guru 'JI,,(slna/('1Jev

204

............................

Chapter 20

Guru Gobind SinghTales of the Guru

'Birtfi of tfie xfiafsa

Turn of the century, 1699Vaisakhi festival was coming

it was a special occasionAnandpur was humming

Sikhs were invited from afarto join a special occasion

and many thousands arrivedfilling the tents and pavilions

Huge crowds had gatheredsomething was in the air

the meeting began with prayersthe Guru himself was there

the Guru stepped on the daisand from where he stood

he pulled his sword and raised itcausing astir, no one understood

he spoke, pathos in his voice"I want a gallant head," he said

"sacrifice of a life is neededfor the cause that lies ahead"

Silence fell on those assembledthe Sikh sangat was stunned

the weak were scared and leftGuru's voice rose above everyone

Daya of Lahore made a movehe stood tall in the gathering's eye"take my head, my Lord", he said" by thy sword, I am glad to die"

The Guru led Daya to a tenta sound was heard inside, a thud

and when the Guru emergedhis sword was steeped in blood

the Guru was back on the daishis sword was raised, they eyed

he looked at them and then" I need another head" , he cried

more Sikhs left the gatheringonly the brave ones stayed

the lot were in a state of shockas Dharam Das obeyed

Once again, they entered the tentand the Guru emerged repeating

"yet another head is needed"it was hatting up in the meeting

Mokkam, Himmat and Sahiboffered themselves for the causeeach in turn was led to the tentbut then there came a pause

the Guru emerged this timewith those five, all neatly attired

the gathering jumped in joythrilled at what transpired

the men were clad in saffronand their turbans were blue

the assembled looked admiringlyand relished the precious view

the Guru praised the fivetheir courage and devotionthe men bowed in humility

charged with much emotion

these five beloved menwith death defying geneswere the first of the KhalsaPanj Pyaras on the scene

207

this was a special taskassigned by God to the Guru

who now prayed for the Khalsato be blessed with virtues true

the Guru prepared a nectarAmrit to baptise these men

to impart valour, caring loveGuru's grace and true religion

it was made in an iron urnwherein water was pouredsome sugar was stirred in

with a double edged sword

sugar was specially addedto comply with Jeeto ji's viewthus blending in this nectarsweet feminine virtues too

divine hymns were chantedand these were repeated

till the Amrit ceremonywas finally completed

with swords in the handsand on the left knee poisedas soldiers in a combat posethe five were now baptised

aauaaaa. 208

Palmful of the holy Amritwas passed to each in turn

they sipped it as they utteredthese holy words in unison

"Waheguru ji ka Khalsa,Waheguru ji ki Fateh"

both Khalsa and the victorycome from God Almighty

they were anointed, Amritwas sprinkled on their faceon their eyes and their hair

and in the final act of grace

Amrit was sipped by the fivefrom the same common urna brotherhood was fosteredand new values were won

Guru himsef was baptisedthe five assisted in this actothers were invited to join

they did, with much respect

many thousands on that daycame into the Khalsa fold

the order of Khalsa was readyan order of the kind and the bold

.._-at 209

Sanctity ofWor.€

Gobind was enthronedin the Guru durbarand many a Sikh

was gathered there

the Guru felt thirstyand made a requestfor a drink of waterto the Sikh sangat

a khatri youthwas rather fast

he stood up quicklyand paid respects

may he be allowedto fetch the water

he shall be honouredby this favour

the Guru lookedsaw a young lad

he seemed tenderrather well bred

your hands are softand seem rather tenderhave these been used

for work, I wonder

the youth repliedvery seldom before

for we have servantsfor every chore

when the youthbrought the waterthe Guru refused it

the boy was shattered

the Guru declaredthe water was impure

though the youthinsisted it was pure

the master explainedthe water wasn't pure

for it was handledby the hands impure

then he addressedthe whole Sikh sangaton the sanctity of work

in the Sikh context

211

hands and bodyare purified

by honest workservice unqualified

the khatr; youthhad learned

the purity of bodyhas to be earned

he got busy nowin the langar

working and servingfor endless hours

whenever nowhe served the water

the Guru drank itwith much pleasure

*********

WfUn I sliaff t1Ul1&sparrows figlit tlie liawl&

anajust one Sik-Iifiglit myriads/ sawa~

tlien alone/ am wortlimy name/ go6indSingii

gum go6inaSingli

212

.4i.':~'f!............................

a ..

'Boy {jo6ind"

Gobind and his matesoften enjoyed a treat

boat ride in the Gangesrespite from summer heat

together they will playnothing else did matterbut the soothing wind

the cold Himalayan water

as they rowed one daythe boat sort of trippedGobind hardly noticedhis bangle had slipped

it was a bangle of goldthat fell in muddy waterthe mates were scaredto him, it didn't matter

and his darling mothershowed much concernhow did the bangle slipor was it thrown in fun

1\...._ ..-al.................................................. 213

as she wanted to seethe place it was lost

the kids were excitedtook her to the spot

the mum looked aroundand asked her little one

where did it fall'Gobind, my darling son'

tossing the other banglein the swirling river

shouted the boy Gobind"dear Mum, over there"

*********

.5'If[ tliose wlio sfia{[caf{ me (jodsfia{[ enter dark-pit of~{{

!For nave no dou6t on wliat I te{{merefy a servant ofTIie Prima! Lordam ~re to see tliis wontfrous worU

(juru (j06indSingli in tJ3acliitar 'J{p.tak-

1Jfiai Xanfiiaya

Yet another battle was foughtin high spirts like the rest

the Sikhs, the soldier·-saintsswung into action, full of zest

The dazzle dazed the men deployedthe weapons glared in the sun

the battle cries were deafeningangel of death, hovered on everyone

The swipes of swinging swordsswept swiftly, inflicting fatal blowsthe arrows aimed at the enemy

tore through the wanted foes

Dead and the wounded had fallenas muskets fired the rounds

smoke and dust obscured the visionheat and blood fouled the ground

Hours later, as the horror settledthe nature was rendered mute

when the peace and quiet returnedthe demand for water was acute

Some soldiers had fallen deadbut the wounded needed tendingfrom the injured and the exhaustedthe cries for water were unending

There moved a lonesome figureamidst the injured and the deadBhai Kanhiaya, a Guru's soldier

served water, in this dread

Deftly, the man drifted aroundnursing the wounded he was tendingyou could see him serve them water

watch him, his tall frame bending

Lost in the love of his GuruBhai Kanhiaya served everyone

he served the enemy injuredas he would serve the Sikh brethren

Kanhiaya's strange behaviourwas brought to the Guru's attentionwhen the Guru summoned the manhe showed no fear or apprehension

"I did serve them all," he said"as I didn't see any Sikh or enemyalii could see in those faces, Lord

were you, a picture of thee"

216

The Guru smiled for he was pleasedthe burden on his mind had eased

Bhai Kanhiaya had understoodwhatever is bad and what is good

*********

Sfiiva, goaJll£migfitypray ao confer

a Messing on menot to aeter orffeefrom pious aeetisana in a 6attfe

tfiere sfiouUn 't occuranyfear in me

aetermirud,I may spurmyself to victory

anapray ~{migfity

fet my mina gatfieragift from 'I1iee

a craving to utterpraises ofYour majesty

wfien tfie ena is nigfiLet me tfien enter

tfie 6attfe fieatin afit offrenzy

ecstatic, I may au(juru (j06inaSingfi

217

Chapter 21

GuruGranth Sahib

'I'1i~ everCastine {juru

Guru Gobind Singh declaredAdi Granth as the Gurufor all times to come

for every Sikh to follow

a treasury of Guru's worda perpetual light to view

the revered Guru Granth Sahibis the last but ever lasting Guru

Guru Nanak in his travelswas known to carry a bookan anthology of his hymnsa diary or pothi of his trips

it was passed to Guru Angadas he became the Guru

the hymns in it were sungby Sikh sangats as they grew

218 ..

Guru Arjan, the fifth Gurusaw the need to collate

compositions of the Gurusfor the Sikhs of future date

messages were sent aroundto all Sikhs, everywhere

to deposit the Guru's hymnsin Guru Arjan's car,e

Guru Amardas's son Mohaninherited pothis from the sage

but he refused to partwith his precious heritage

Baba Budda and Bhai Gurdaswere specially sent

they had no luck with Mohanwho will just not relent

finally Guru Arjan himselfwent to Goindwaal to try

he serenaded his tamburasang hymns of The High

Baba Mohan melted awayin the magic of the hymns

and parted with the pothishis prized possession

~~ 'Ir·"·~~..;: "- .~

~

the pothis were accordedrespect and veneration

and were brought to Amritsarin a holy procession

the bedecked pothiswere placed in a palanquinit was carried by the Sikhs,

followed by Guru Arjan

the cavalcade moved onand headed for Amritsar

paying homage at Khandoorto the great Guru Angad

Sikhs waited outside Amritsaralong with young Hargobindthey all welcomed the party

rejoicing was in the wind

Bhai Gurdas and Baba Buddawere carrying the palanquinas the party entered Amritsareveryone was singing hymns

thanksgiving ceremonywas conducted by Guru Arjan

who, with all this materialwas ready now for action

1\220

II

besides the Guru's writingsthere was a collection

hymns from Indian saintsof varied castes and regions

hymns of lower caste saintsSaini, Ravidas and Kabir

together with Sheikh Faridand the Sufi Muslim fakir

for completing the taskGuru Arjan picked a spotright in the midst of nature

in the nearby forest lot

in the peaceful surroundinghe had a tent erected

and with Bhai Gurdas to helpa model was perfected

Bhai Gurdas wrote in handas Guru Arjan dictated

the script used was Gurmukhiand the Granth was collated

each hymn of the Guru'swas uniquely assigned

so were the hymns of saintsallocated and defined

musical styles were statedfor each and every hymn

classifying them as Slok, Paurior some other composition

the Adi Granth producedwas two thousand pages

many were left blankto be filled by future sages

venue for the holy Granthwas chosen to be Harmandar

Baba Budda was assignedto look after this wonder

from the Ramsar sitethey moved to Harmandar

Baba Budda carried the Granthfollowed by Guru Arjan

musicians sang the hymnson the way to Harmandar

where the Baba laid it downand read it as hereunder

"God Himself accedesto His followers need

He has Himself arrivedto accomplish the deed

the place is enchantingand beautiful is the poolthe waters are ambrosial

the Amrit pool is full"

at day time, the holy Granthwas enthroned and readit was laid to rest at night

after the prayers were said

a room was providedfor resting the holy Granthit was wrapped up in silksand laid on a palanquin

the much cherished Granthbecame central to Sikh lifethe Guru and the Granthwere guides in every strife

the original holy Granthserved the Sikhs at Amtritsar

later Guru Hargobindmoved it to Kartarpur

from Guru Hargobindthe copy went to Dhir Mal

and descendants of Dhir Malpossess it now as well

II....................... 223 ..

the Granth was updated laterand brought to completionGuru Gobind Singh himselfaccomplished this mission

Bhai Mani Das recordedGuru Gobind Singh's dictation

gradually the colossal taskwas brought to completion

Guru Teg Bahadur's hymnswere added to the Granth

but Guru Gobind Singh's Baniis conspicously absent

*********