Nanak, it is wise to break with the perverse to whom Worldly love is dear . 1
If thou consent to an alliance with such a haughty man, thou shalt lay up for thyself enduring misery. Thou wantest for nothing. Thou art king of kings.
LIFE OF GURU ARJAN
Our urgent request is that thou pay no regard to the Financial Minister, and that thou reject his alliance.’
The messenger entrusted with this letter was ordered to speed night and day so that he might arrive before Chandu’s priest and barber had concluded the contract of betrothal. He succeeded in doing so. The Guru, who was a searcher of hearts and knew the future, was aware that this letter sowed the seed of strife and had been dispatched to him with inconsiderate zeal; but at the same time he felt obliged to accept the advice of the Sikhs of Dihli. He accordingly rejected the marriage presents, telling the priest and the barber that an ornamental tile should not be put into a gutter. The matchmakers, astonished to hear these words repeated, defended their master and remonstrated to the best of their ability, but in vain. The Guru repeated to them what the Dihli Sikhs had written and said, ‘ I am contented with my humble lot, and desire not an alliance with the great. If a man’s foot slip on the brink of a lofty tower, he falleth to the ground a shapeless mass ; but if a man slip on a mat he sustaineth no injury. Guru Nanak hath said regarding himself:—
Nanak is with those who are low-born among the lowly ;
Nay, who are lowest of the low : how can he rival the great ? ’ 1
The Guru also quoted from one of his own hymns:—
He who riseth high falleth into the pit—
Death reacheth not those who remain on the ground . 2
While the priest and the barber were further remonstrating, a Sikh rose in the assembly and addressed the Guru : ‘ Great king, put not acid into milk. Spurn an alliance with that dog of a Karar. 3
Let him knock his head against his top story. That consumer of wealth of the impure who revileth thee hath gone mad. Why demean thyself ? Thou art king of kings. What need hast thou of such an alliance ? ’
The Guru chid the Sikh for this language and quoted from the twentieth slok of the Asa ki War:—
Nanak, the mind and body of him who talketh evil are evil:
He is most evil, and most evil is his reputation.
The evil person is rejected in God’s court; his face is spat upon.
The evil person is a fool, and receiveth shoe-beatings as punishment.
‘ Wherefore,’ said the Guru, ‘ it is not proper for Sikhs to use bad language. I am not proud; the proud please not God. I am His slave. Our honour, strength, trust, and support are in the Creator. Ever fear Him.’
Then in full assembly uprose a native of Dalla, one Narain Das, a grandson of Bhai Paro, who had been a Sikh of Guru Amar Das. Putting his sheet round his neck in the manner of a lowly suppliant, he said:
' True Monarch, I am the slave of thy feet. I have a daughter whom my wife and I have vowed to offer thy son. If thou make her too the slave of thy feet, I shall be very fortunate. I am a poor unhonoured Sikh. Thou art the honour of the unhonoured. Make thy servant happy, and send me not disappointed away.’ The Guru replied, ‘ If thou have love in thy heart, then is thy proposal agreeable to me. The seventh day of the light half of the month of Maghar, fixed on by Chandu as an auspicious date for offering the marriage presents, hath not been in vain.’ Upon this Narain Das went off at once and purchased marriage presents in the city. They were put into Har Gobind’s lap, and a saffron tilak as a symbol of the completion of the betrothal was affixed to his forehead.
LIFE OF GURU ARJAN
Upon this another Sikh called Hari Chand stood up, and said, ‘ 0 true king, I have also decided to give my daughter to thy son. If my petition please thee, I will give my daughter as a servant to Har Gobind, and thy reputation as cherisher of the poor shall shine the brighter.’ Guru Arjan, also, though at first unwilling to accept a second wife for his son, felt he could not reject the offer of a faithful Sikh, and so agreed to the marriage of the young people. Moreover Hari Chand had refused all other alliances for his daughter, and vowed to bestow her only on the young Guru. 1 Hari Chand went immediately and brought the marriage presents. These were placed in Har Gobind’s lap and a patch attached to his forehead as before. All this took place in the presence of Chandu’s priest and barber, who returned sad and disappointed to their master.
The seventh day of the light half of the month of Magh, Sambat 1661, was fixed for Narain Das’s daughter’s marriage—practically a betrothal—to Har Gobind; Narain Das went to his village and made all preparations for the wedding. Songs expressing a hope that the bridegroom may outlive the bride, were sung by the women of his household. The following hymn, setting forth the humility of the bride and her devotion to the bridegroom, was also sung on the occasion :—
Thou art an ocean and mine of jewels; I know not Thy worth.
I know not Thy worth ; Thou art very wise ; be gracious unto me, 0 Lord.
Mercifully grant me wisdom to meditate on Thee during the eight watches of the day.
O my soul, be not proud, become the dust of men's feet, and thou shalt obtain deliverance.
Nanak’s God is over all; He hath many handmaidens like me.
Thou art the jewel of a very deep and profound sea ; Thou art my husband, I am Thy bride.
In proportion as Thou art very great—yea, more exalted than the great—I am small.
I am nothing ; Thou art the only One ; Thou art wise of Thyself.
O God, if Thou cast on me even for a moment Thine ambrosial glance, I shall survive and enjoy all delights and sweetness.
I, the slave of Thy slaves, am under the protection of Thy feet ; my soul bloometh and my body groweth young.
Nanak’s Lord is contained in all things : He doeth what He pleaseth.
Thou art my pride ; Thou art my strength.
My understanding, intellect, and skill are Thy gifts ; what Thou causest me to know I know.
It is he on whom the Creator casteth a look of favour who knoweth and understaadeth.
The perverse woman hath gone astray on many paths, and hath been ensnared by worldly occupations.
She who is virtuous is pleasing to God ; she enjoyeth all pleasure.
O Lord, Thou art Nanak’s support; Thou art Nanak’s pride.
I am a sacrifice, I devote myself to Thee; Thou art my shelter firm as a mountain.
I am hundreds of thousands of times a sacrifice to him Who hath removed the curtain of error from before me.
My darkness is dispelled ; I have renounced sin, and my soul is reconciled with the Lord.
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I have pleased the Lord ; I care for no one ; my life hath been profitable and I am accepted.
I have become a priceless jewel of great weight; the gate of happiness in this world and the next hath opened for me.
Saith Nanak, I have become fearless ; God hath become my shelter. 1
Chapter IX
When the priest and the barber returned to Dihli they told Chandu everything they had heard and seen in Amritsar—the Guru’s refusal and the reason thereof, the abuse of Chandu uttered by the Sikh in Darbar, the betrothal of Har Gobind and the actual appointment of a time for his marriage. Chandu was naturally very much incensed, but he wrote the Guru a letter, in which as a matter of policy he concealed his resentment. He began by magnifying the Guru and demeaning himself, and then continued: ‘ It is certainly true that I said thou art of inferior caste to me. This expression thoughtlessly escaped my mouth, and some one hath written and exaggerated it, and made thee displeased with me. Thou art now the most worshipful Guru in the world, and it is right for thee to consider everything. It is not proper for thee to fall out with me for what lunatics and base people tell thee. If I interest myself for thee with the Emperor, he too will be at thy service. I can give a large dowry to my daughter. Retain for thy son the other girls with whom thou hast formed alliances, and accept mine also. Great people contract many marriages. If thou tell me I used overbearing language, I may or may not have done so ; but it was in my own private house and not meant for others to hear. Your people in public darbar have called me a dog. Well, let bygones be bygones, and I will 1 Guru Arjan, Suhi Chhant.
have many favours conferred on thee by the Emperor. Thou art already on bad terms with thy brother Prithi Chand. Thou oughtest to make me an ally. If thou fall out with me too, thou shalt nowhere find an abiding-place. There are now sparks flying about. If they increase there will be a blazing fire which it will be difficult to extinguish. Thou shalt not again have this opportunity. And if thou hast called me a dog I may become mad, and do thee harm contrary to my saner judgement.’
Chandu dispatched this letter by the hands of the Brahman. The Guru' having read it said: ‘ It is pride that ruineth men. Pride of wealth is the basis of all ills. Man must suffer for his acts. Now know that Chandu must not form an alliance with us. They whom the Creator joineth are united; but they whom man joineth are not. It is the Guru’s rule to comply with the wishes of his Sikhs. Their words are immutable. What they once reject, it is not proper again to accept. Even were I to consent to Chandu’s alliance, no good could result. He tempteth me with gain, but who would forfeit his soul therefor ? As for his threats, I have no fear of them. God alone is the guardian of all.’ The priest returned with this message without being able to prevail on the Guru to alter his determination.
The Guru then made all preparations, and invited guests to his son’s wedding with Narain Das’s daughter. He even invited his own brother Prithi Chand, but the invitation was refused. The marriage was duly celebrated with all suitable ceremony and rejoicing.
The women of Narain Das’s household sang the following composition of the bridegroom’s father on the occasion of the marriage :—
It is a time of rejoicing, I sing my Lord ;
I have heard of the imperishable Bridegroom, and joy hath arisen in my heart.
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My mind longeth to know when I shall be fortunate enough to meet the perfect Lord.
Grant me, 0 my friend Guru, understanding to know when I shall meet God and be absorbed in Him.
Day and night I stand and wait to find by what way I may obtain the Lord.
Nanak prayeth, have mercy and attach me to the hem of Thy garment. 1
Prithia addressed himself to the qazis and pandits who bore enmity to the Guru on account of his compilation of the Granth, and induced them to complain to the Emperor Akbar that Guru Arjan had compiled a book in which the Muhammadan priests, prophets, and leaders, and the Hindu incarnations and gods, were spoken of with contempt. Akbar was at that time touring in the Panjab and the complaint of the qazis and the pandits was placed before him by Chandu on his arrival in Gurdaspur. Chandu supported the complaint by saying that he knew the charges were based on facts. Upon this the Emperor ordered that Guru Arjan and his Granth should be produced before him. The Guru did not go himself, but sent Bhai Budha and Bhai Gur Das to read to him from it. The first hymn which caught the Emperor’s eye was the following of Guru Arjan’s own composition in the Persian language :—
From earth and light God made the world :
The sky, earth, trees and water are God’s creation.
O man, whatever the eye can behold is perishable.
The world is an eater of carrion, neglectful of God and greedy of mammon.
Like an ogre or a beast it killeth and eateth forbidden food. 2
Restrain thy heart, or the Omnipotent will take and punish thee in hell.
When Azrail shall seize thee, of what avail
Shall patrons, brothers, courts, possessions, and mansions be ?
The pure God knoweth thy condition.
Slave Nanak, utter thy prayer to the holy man to guide thee}
The Emperor on hearing this said it was a very proper hymn. The qazis and pandits represented that the hymn was specially selected for the Emperor’s hearing, and begged him to procure some one else to read the Granth to him, none among them being acquainted with the Gurumukhi characters in which the sacred volume is written. The Emperor turned over its pages himself, and pointing to a particular spot asked Gur Das to read from there. On this the hymn already given, beginning ‘ O servant of God the Inscrutable ’, was read to His Majesty.
The Emperor on hearing this was much pleased. Chandu, however, was not to be thwarted. He said that Gur Das had repeated this from memory. The Emperor must have the Granth read to him by some one else who knew Gurumukhi. Chandu found a man called Sahib Diyal, who possessed the necessary knowledge. Chandu turned over the leaves of the Granth and told him to read the hymn he pointed out. The hymn was the following :—
Thou fastenest a stone to thy neck,
And seest not God who dwelleth in the heart.
O infidel, thou wanderest astray in error :
Thou churnest water and shalt die in agony.
The stone which thou callest God
Shall take thee with it and drown thee.
O sinner, untrue to thy salt,
It is not a boat of stone which will ferry thee over.
On meeting the Guru, Nanak recognizeth the Lord.
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The Arranger is contained in the water, the dry land, the nether regions, and the firmament. 1
When the Emperor heard this, he was still more pleased with the teaching of the Granth, and displeased with the Guru’s slanderers and enemies. He then gave his decision : ‘ Excepting love and devotion to God I so far find neither praise nor blame of any one in this Granth. It is a volume worthy of reverence.’ He then made an offering to it of fifty-one gold muhars 2 , and gave Bhai Budha and Bhai Gur Das dresses of honour for themselves and a third for Guru Arjan. He told them to give his respectful salutations to the Guru, and promised to go to visit him when he was returning from Lahore whither he was then proceeding.
When Chandu and his party heard the Emperor’s decision and his message to the Guru, their faces became pale and they hung down their heads through shame. All good people cursed Chandu, and his evil reputation spread from house to house. The Emperor, true to his word, visited the Guru on his return journey to Dihli, and was charmed with his saintly bearing. He was also so pleased with the imposing and beautiful temple which the Guru had constructed, and the delightful melodies to which the hymns of the Gurus had been set, that words failed him to express his gratification. He called himself the Guru’s slave and asked for instruction to render him happy and secure peace for his soul. The Guru then repeated for him the following hymn :—
One man invoketh Ram, another Khuda ;
One man worshippeth Gosain, another Allah ;
Some speak of the Cause of causes, others of the Benevolent.
Some talk of the Extender of mercy, others of the Merciful.
Some bathe at the Hindu sacred places, others visit Makka.
Some perform the Hindu worship, others bow their heads in the Muhammadan fashion.
a A gold viuhar is now about the value of an old English guinea.
G 2
Some read the Veds, others the Musalman books.
Some wear white, others blue.
Some call themselves Hindus, others Musalmans.
Some aspire to the heaven of the Hindus, others to the heaven of the Muhammadans ;
But he who recognizeth God’s will, saith Nanak,
Knoweth the secret of the Lord God. 1
The Emperor partook of the Guru’s hospitality, and prayed to be allowed to make a contribution to his large expenditure, so that thereby he might secure spiritual and temporal welfare and happiness. The Guru replied, ‘ The welfare and happiness of monarchs depend on cherishing their subjects and doing justice. The monarch whose subjects are happy shall himself be happy in this life, and in the next obtain praise, glory, and honour.’
The .Emperor remitted the revenues of the Panjab for that year in compliment to the Guru, who represented that there was a severe famine in the land and the cultivators required His Majesty’s consideration. The Guru’s fame and influence largely increased owing to the respect the Emperor had shown him. This, in the words of the chronicler, was the cause of such agony to Prithia as would last till it had taken his life with it.
Badaoni states that on another occasion, namely, the thirteenth of the month of Azur (Jamadi ul sani), Akbar, with a gorgeous military retinue, crossed the Bias and went to Goindwal to visit Guru Arjan, whose teaching and character he appreciated. Badaoni also writes that people reverenced the successive Gurus as spiritual leaders, and solicited their benedictions.
Unfortunately for the Guru the tolerant Emperor Akbar died soon after, and was succeeded by his son Jahangir. Jahangir’s son Khusro, nominated to the
LIFE OF GURU ARJAN 85
throne by Akbar in supersession of Jahangir, claimed the Panjab and Afghanistan, which his father was unwilling to concede him. Jahangir accordingly desired to obtain possession of Khusro’s person, but Khusro escaped from Agra pursued by the Imperial army, and directed his steps towards Afghanistan. On the way he visited the Guru at Tarn-Taran and begged him to grant him pecuniary assistance. The Guru said he had money for the poor, but not for princes. Khusro replied with great humility that he himself was now very poor, needy, and unfriended, and had not even travelling expenses.
Guru Arjan, seeing the Prince’s evil plight and humility, took compassion on him. He, moreover, felt friendly to the Prince, who had visited him a few times previously with the Emperor Akbar ; and he also felt a debt of gratitude to the Prince’s grandfather, the late monarch, so he gave him five thousand rupees to defray his expenses to Kabul. Khusro, however, was seized by the imperial troops as he was crossing the Jihlam, and taken in chains to his father.
Prithia managed to retain Sulahi Khan’s assistance and co-operation to ruin the Guru. Sulahi, on the pretext of having to collect revenue in the Panjab, obtained leave from the Emperor to proceed thither. On his way he visited Prithia in his village of Kotha. Under the pretence of hunting they spent their time concocting plans for the Guru’s destruction.
The Guru, on hearing of the further conspiracies of his enemies, composed the following :—
Death laugheth over man’s head, but, brute that he is, he knoweth it not.
Involved in quarrels, pleasures, and pride, he thinketh not of death.
Serve thy true Guru ; why wander, O luckless one ?
On beholding the brilliant safflower, why make the mistake of attaching thyself to it ?
Constantly sinning thou hast accumulated wealth to use it thyself ;
But thou shalt depart naked , and thy dust shall be blended with dust.
They for whom thou didst take trouble are at variance and enmity with thee.
At the last hour they will flee from thee ; why burnest thou with wrath ?
He on whose forehead such destiny hath been written, becometh the dust of the holy man’s feet.
Saith Nanak, by seeking the protection of the true Guru man is released from his bonds. 1