move the theatre of war to the forest, but would ever abide with them in the spirit.
To his father-in-law Hari Chand, who said that the city would be ruined in his absence, the Guru represented, ‘ The city shall increase in population day by day. He who meditateth evil to it shall die in misery himself. Here at the Guru’s feet shall be the spring of happiness in both worlds; here shall the feast of the Name be ever served to my followers ; and here shall my Sikhs be ever happy. The foundation of the city hath been firmly laid, and never shall give way.’ He then proceeded on his journey, taking with him a mounted army of one thousand brave and devoted men. A band with banners flying preceded the party, and then came the Granth Sahib borne on the heads of two carriers. Sikhs were employed to wave fans over the sacred volume to add to its dignity, and hinder any thoughtless insect from alighting on it.
The Guru on arriving at Daroli by way of Tarn Taran was received with great affection by Sain Das. The Guril said to him, ‘ The cable of thy love hath so bound me that I have no hope of ever escaping from it.’ Sain Das replied, ‘ In all ages this hath been God’s way. His name is Bhagat Watsal—the saints are dear to Him—He knoweth the love of His slaves. Whether one be a pandit, a jogi, or a king, one cannot please God without love. If a man have love, even though he be poor and ignorant, yet is he dear to the Lord.’
An event occurred at the time of the Guru’s first visit, to Daroli, which must be here narrated.' In the ■ village of Wadaghar in the present district of Firozpur was a Sikh called Akal, a carpenter by trade. He had been converted to Sikhism by Guru Ram Das and used often to visit Guru Arjan and Guru Har Gobind. He had an accomplished daughter for whom he desired to procure a husband. He found a suitable match for her in the person of
LIFE OF GURU HAR GOBIND
Sadhu, son of Sada, a resident of the village of Tuklani. Akal’s family priest had made all inquiries and performed all the necessary ceremonies, but had failed to inquire if the intended bridegroom were a Sikh or not. The priest replied to Akal’s inquiries that the boy was a Hindu held in high honour by his brethren; and he deemed that sufficient without further investigation. Akal was not satisfied, but said that God would put everything right. He heard some time afterwards that the bridegroom’s parents were followers of Sakhi Sarwar, 1 yet he accepted the alliance fearing that he could not find another mate so suitable for his daughter. At the same time he felt severe twinges of conscience on the subject. Accordingly, at the time of his daughter’s departure after the wedding he gave her this admonition—‘ My beloved daughter, in all worldly matters obey and wait upon thy mother- in-law and thy husband, but never bow thy head to any but the Guru.’ The girl herself was much distressed at having to marry a youth of another religion, but she was obliged to accept her position.
The marriage procession started from Wadaghar to Tuklani in the early morning. The intervening route not being safe, the procession passed by Daroli, where the bride heard the Sikhs singing sacred hymns. Being informed that the Guru was encamped in the village, and fearing that she might not again have, an opportunity of seeing him, she ordered her bearers to let her alight and go to do him homage. The Guru on seeing’her asked who she was. A Sikh who knew her whole history answered for her. The girl then addressed the Guru, ‘ Thou art a searcher of hearts, and knowest that I am a daughter of a Sikh, while my parents-in-law are followers of Sakhi Sarwar. Evil is my fate that I am in the power of others. If thou convert my husband to
the Sikh religion, I shall be perfectly happy.’ The Guru replied, ‘ My daughter, have no anxiety, God will act for the best. As thy father and mother were Sikhs, so shall thy husband and children also be Sikhs, and thy wishes be fulfilled.’ On hearing this the girl was consoled and felt satisfied that her evil destiny was now altered.
Meantime Sada missed his daughter-in-law. On discovering that she had gone to visit the Guru, he became very angry and sent the bridegroom for her, saying, ‘ What have we to do with the Guru ? We are worshippers of Sakhi Sarwar. If we bow to the Guru, our priest will be very angry with us. Go quickly and bring back thy wife.’ Sadhu thus found his way to the Guru’s presence. The Guru was then holding court, and hymns were being sung. He shone among his Sikhs like the moon among the stars. Sadhu became at once filled with devotion and said, ‘ Alas ! we have wasted our lives in vain. Being of the Hindu faith we reverence and worship a Muhammadan. We make an offering of a cake to Sakhi Sarwar and then eat his leavings.’ Upon this the Guru said, ‘ Bhai Sadhu, repeat the Name and amend thy life. Cease to worship Sakhi Sarwar.’ Sadhu, after some further parley, begged the Guru to make him a Sikh, and pardon his past sins. The Guru, seeing him fit for the favour, initiated him with the usual ceremonies, and said that he should have a son who also would be true to the Sikh faith.
When the marriage procession reached home, the bridegroom’s relations took him to the family shrine of Sakhi Sarwar and asked him to worship. He at once remembered the words of Guru Nanak:—
I will not fall into idolatry; I will worship none but God ; I will not go to graves or places of cremation. 1
Saying this he kicked down the miniature likeness 1 Sorath, Ashtapadi.
LIFE OF GURU HAR GOBIND 149
of a grave which had been erected for Sakhi Sarwar’s worship, and said, ‘ I will repeat the true Name of Wahguru and amend my life.’ Sada thought his son had lost his reason, and began to remonstrate with him, ‘ My son, it is through Sakhi Sarwar’s favour we have obtained wealth and thou hast found a bride, and yet thou spurnest his household shrine.’ Sadhu far from being satisfied with what he had done continued his work of destruction. He seized a mattock and removed the last vestige of Sakhi Sarwar’s worship. The father renewed the masonry work but, as fast as he did so, the son demolished it. Faith in Sakhi Sarwar began to be shaken. People said that he had become powerless to defend himself, much less to defend others. By the Guru’s favour Sadhu’s wealth and happiness continued to increase. A child, a treasury of beauty, was born to him in Sambat 1672, and his devotion acquired new fervour. The Guru named the child Rup Chand on account of his beauty, and said he should become a great saint.
When the boy had attained the age of fifteen years, he and his father Sadhu went one day during the hot 'weather to the forest to cut wood. They took with them a leather bottle filled with water to quench their thirst. They hung the bottle on a tree, and afterwards, on going to drink from it, found the water had become cool. They remembered the Guru and thought to themselves that this would be pleasant water for him to drink. Although the heat was terrific, as if it rained sparks of fire, they refrained from drinking and began to meditate on the Guru, ‘ O true Guru, first drink this pure cool water, and then we will satisfy our thirst. Thou fulfillest the desires of thy servants. Ever present thou hearest their supplications. Drink this water. We may die, but we will never drink till thou hast tasted it.’
The village of Tuklani, where Sadhu and Rup
i 5 o
Chand lived, was some thirty miles distant, yet, it is said, the Guru heard their prayer as he lay in an apartment perfumed with sandal and fragrant grass and cooled by water sprinkled over a sandy floor. The Guru at once stood up and, leaving all his comforts, prepared to start in the appalling heat for Tuklani to see his Sikhs Sadhu and Rup Chand. He found them fainting from the heat, and called on them to arise. They arose as happy as the chatrik when he hears thunder presaging rain, or as the lotus when it beholds the sun. The Guru told them that he was thirsty and asked for cold water. On drinking from the leather bottle he said it was excellent, like nectar, and that he had never before drunk such delicious beverage.
The Guru told them that the Sikh religion should ever, remain in their family, but, as the people of Tuklani were annoyed at their having embraced it, and as the village would be destroyed on account of the several enormities of its inhabitants, Sadhu and Rup Chand ought to leave the place and found a village for themselves. The Guru was particularly pleased to see Rup Chand, and made him a present of clothes and arms. Rup Chand placed them reverently on his head, and said he would honour them. Through respect he refused to wear the sword which had been worn by the Guru. Upon this the Guru seated him on the couch, and said he should have a congregation of his own, in which he should use his tongue instead of a sword, spread Guru Nanak’s doctrines, and make the Sikhs firm in their faith. ‘ Keep thy kitchen ’, said the Guru, ‘ ever open for the traveller and the stranger. What thou sayest shall be fulfilled, wealth and preternatural power shall hang upon thy tongue People will reverence thee, and great shall be thy glory.’ 1
LIFE OF GURU HAR GOBIND 151
The Guru on the thirteenth day of the light half of the month of Baisakh, Sambat 1688, laid the foundation of a village on an open plain six miles distant from Tuklani and called it Bhai Rupa in honour of his Sikh protege. Bhai Rupa is now a considerable town in the Nabha State. The Guru also ordered a house to be constructed for himself and promised on its completion to reside in it for some time. The Guru after a very brief visit to Bhai Rup Chand and his father, returned to Daroli, where he was joined by Gurditta and his wife and sons, Dhirmal and Har Rai.
Damodari’s last hour had now arrived. She asked the Guru’s pardon for her sins or for any idle words she might have spoken during her married life. She said she had no fear of death and only felt one sorrow, that of leaving her husband. The Guru replied, ‘ Have no anxiety. Bodies meet subject to destiny, but it is the meeting of souls that is important.’ He further consoled her, gave her parting spiritual instruction, and said her salvation was assured. She then sent for all the members of her family, and took leave of each in turn. She departed this life on Wednesday, the twelfth day of the light half of Sawan, Sambat 1688 (a.d. 1631). The Guru ordered that instead of mourning for her death his Sikhs should read the Japji and Sohila for her eternal repose.
Ramo was so sad at the loss of her sister, that she too pined away and died. Her husband, Sain Das, perished from the shock of his wife's untimely death. Damodari’s parents, that is the Guru’s parents-in-law, did not long survive Sain Das and Ramo.
When the funeral ceremonies of his relations were completed, the Guru again began to consider his position. He trusted that Wazir Khan would prevent the dispatch of too powerful an army against him. He therefore decided on sending all his family and the Granth Sahib to Kartarpur, while he himself remained in Daroli. On seeing Sain Das’s un-
tenanted and desolate mansion, once the abode of life and joy, the Guru repeated the following hymn of Guru Arjan :—
Accursed the love of mother and father; accursed the love of brothers and relations !
Accursed the love of wife and thepleasure of sons; accursed the love of home !
The love of the guild of saints is true ; Nanak. happiness abideth with them.
Perishable is the body, its strength faileth ;
In old age the live of wealth increaseth.
Though only a pilgrim in the world, man indulgeth in endless hopes
While terrible. Dharmraj counteth his breathings.
Man faileth into the pit of mammon ; God’s mercy is the real support of his body obtained with so much difficulty.
They whose desires are evil, attach themselves to a mirage, an enchanted city, or the shadow of a tree.
Thus perishable is the love of family: Nanak. remember God’s name. 1
One day the Guru addressed his Sikhs : ‘ Brethren dearer to me than life, you are one thousand brave men. Shall we remain here or proceed to spread our religion ? ’ A Sikh replied, ‘ 0 my lord, show thyself where the devout and grateful think of thee and await thee.’ The Guru beat the drum of departure, whereat the people of Daroli were very much grieved, and feared that they should have no one to protect them in his absence. The Guru recommended them to oocwf^j their time, in remembering God, in showing hospitality to travellers and visitors, and in repeating the true Name. Thus should all their desires be fulfilled, and their troubles and sorrows depart. Saying this the Guru and his party proceeded to his friends Sadhu and Rup Chand’s village. They had constructed a splendid house for his reception. The Guru blessed them and exhorted them, as earnest
*.Sahaskriti sloks. .
LIFE OF GURU HAR GOBIND 153
and devout exponents of his religion, to practise charity and humility, in .which case their homes should last for ever, and they should be reverenced as holy men. The Guru abode with them during the months of Bhadon and Assu.
Near Bhai Rupa was a village called Kangar in the present state of Nabha, owned by Rai Jodh. He was third in descent from Mahar Mitha, who had been a contemporary of the Emperor Akbar. Mahar Mitha had a young daughter sixteen years of age, whose beauty attracted the Emperor’s notice. He vowed that if he did not obtain her with her parents’ consent, he would take her by force. Mahar Mitha, finding himself powerless to oppose a powerful monarch, sent him a message, that if he came veiled as an ordinary bridegroom, he might return with the coveted bride. Akbar consented, went to Mahar Mitha, and duly married his daughter. Mahar Mitha had a son called Chain Beg, who begot Amar Shah, who begot Rai Jodh. He had for a wife a Sikh lady. At her request he went with very costly presents and a retinue of five hundred men to pay his respects to the Guru. His wife subsequently visited the Guru alone, and prayed him to make her husband a Sikh. The Guru replied, ‘ Thy progeny shall increase and all become Sikhs. Thy great- grandson shall receive and serve the tenth Guru who will grant him salvation.’
Chapter XV
Tots nepi rods \6yov ? etnrovSaKoaiv ijyovpai irpoirrjKen' peril Ttjv TroWrjv t<ov avovSaiori pan' avayvaxriv avievai re rr\v Sidvoiav Kal wpos rbv tviira Kaparov aKpcuorepav rrapa- <rKevd(eiv}
It is said that Bidhi Chand, before he entered the service of the fifth Guru, had been a famous highway-