arrows on him in return. One of them struck Asman Khan oil the eyebrow and penetrated his brain. Baba Gurditta, seeing him dead, stood at his head and wept copiously. The Guru came up and inquired the cause of his grief. Baba Gurditta replied, * He was my friend. We used to play together. He now tried to kill me with his arrows, from which I escaped, but one of mine hath lodged in his head. He reeled and fell, and never rose again. I have used great efforts to lift him up, but in vain.’ Saying this Baba Gurditta continued to weep. The Guru inquired if dead men ever rose, and if he had ever known weeping of any avail. Baba Gurditta replied, ‘ This is the result of wearing arms. The mind becometh cruel. Take these weapons from me. I will now go home.’ Baba Gurditta then retired from the battle-field to weep over the friend of his youth, and embrace a more peaceful and holy life.
The imperial army, hearing of the death of Painda Khan and Asman Khan, became totally demoralized. As they fled from the field they said, ‘ The Guru is the death of the Pathans. Let us return to Lahore.’ Others, more jealous of their reputation, inquired how they could dare go home and endure the reproach of cowardice. They were now not fit to show their faces to any one, much less to the Emperor. They had accordingly better sound the drum for another charge, and either conquer or die. This advice prevailed, and another attempt was made to retrieve the day’s misfortune. Bidhi Chand, seeing the enemy advancing, warned the Guru to prepare to receive them. There was, however, no necessity for warning. The Guru continued to discharge an incessant shower of arrows which caused unwonted havoc. There was such a collection of corpses on the battle-field that it was difficult to move without treading on them. The earth was stained with gore as if it had put on a red garment.
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As Qutub Khan advanced, the Guru observed him and shot his horse. .Qutub Khan thus dismounted, continued to discharge arrows, which the Guru cut with his sword in their flight. Qutub Khan approaching nearer fought desperately, and for a whole hour engaged the Guru in single combat. At last the Guru, who had better staying power, cut off his head with a single stroke. Kale Khan the chief, on seeing Qutub Khan’s corpse, massed his troops and said, ‘ This is a war for our religion. Behold the Sikhs—how insignificant in number, yet how desperately they have fought! In a few hours they have repelled all our charges. You have come like clouds, yet have achieved nothing. This is the last encounter. Take courage.’ Upon this the Muhammadan troops made a furious onslaught, but could make no sensible impression on the Sikhs. The imperial troops died in numbers, and now only about two thousand remained. Kale Khan became demented, and raised despairing cries. ‘ O God, who hath destroyed mine army ? whither hath it gone ? ’
The Commander-in-chief now confronted the Guru and said, ‘ Har Gobind, thou art very clever in the science of arms. Thou hast killed thousands of my soldiers. Until I send thee where thou hast sent them, my debt will not be discharged.’ The Guru smiled and said, ‘ Kale Khan, the soldiers who have gone before are now awaiting thee. Thou abidest in sorrow here, therefore I am going to dispatch thee quickly to thy friends.’
Kale Khan, maddened by rage, discharged an arrow which whizzed past the Guru. A second arrow grazed the Guru’s forehead, and drops of blood bespattered his face, as if they were tilaks of victory. The Guru again addressed him, * I have seen thy science. Now observe mine.’ The Guru discharged an arrow which killed Kale Khan’s horse. Kale Khan thus dismounted confronted the
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Guru. The Guru thought it a point of honour also to dismount and offer his adversary a choice of arms. Kale Khan desired to fight with sword and shield. The Guru prepared to meet him with his own weapons. Sparks of fire issued from the clash of sword on sword. The Guru parried all his strokes. When not receiving them on his sword he dexterously stopped them with his shield.
The chiefs of both armies fought thus for an hour, cut and guard. At last the Guru said to his adversary, ‘ As thy name is Kale Khan, so Kal—death— knocketh at the gate of thy life.’ Kale Khan on this became further enraged and dealt his blows recklessly and unskilfully. When the combat was becoming monotonous and the Guru had warded off the last stroke, he said to his adversary, ‘ Not thus; this is the way to fence.’ The Guru, then putting forth all his strength, dealt Kale Khan a blow with his two-edged scimitar which severed his head from his body. On this the Musalmans and their leaders retreated like clouds before an Indian westerly wind. Bidhi Chand and Jati Mai shouted victory. On hearing this, Qasim Khan ran towards the Guru in the hope that he would fall on him unawares and have the drum of victory beaten for himself. The Guru warded off his blows for some time, and at last easily dispatched him to his departed friends.
A Sikh subsequently asked the author of the Dabistan-i-Mazahab, what the Guru meant by saying, ‘ Not thus; this is the way to fence.’ Muhsan Fani replied that the Guru had not killed his enemy through hostility, but was merely giving him a lesson in sword-play. 1
It is said that several thousand Muhammadans but only seven hundred of the Guru’s brave and skilful Sikhs perished in this sanguinary battle. It ended an hour before nightfall on the 24th day of Har, Sambat 1691 (a.d. 1634).
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In the early morning the Guru determined to see his friend Budhan Shah, whose end was approaching, and who, the Guru well knew, was waiting for him near Kiratpur. The Guru started on his horse, and directed Bidhi Chand to follow with his family, and he would wait for them on the road. Bidhi Chand, taking charge of the Guru’s followers and some of his property, prepared for his journey.
Dhir Mai and his * mother Natti were the only members of the Guru’s family who did not accompany him on his journey to Kiratpur. In the first place, Dhir Mai had turned traitor, and was ashamed to show his face to the Guru and his Sikhs. In the second place, he thought that, if he remained behind, he could take possession of all the Guru’s property, including the Granth Sahib. It will be remembered that Bidhi Chand had begun to make a copy of the sacred book. He told Dhir Mai that he had copied it as far as the Bilawal Rag, or more than one half of the whole, and, if he might take the Granth Saljib with him, he would soon finish copying the remainder. Dhir Mai replied, ‘ Go to Kiratpur ; I will search the Guru’s house for the Granth Sahib, and if I find it, will send it to thee.’ When Bidhi Chand overtook the Guru, he told him of Dhir Mai’s continued contumacy. The Guru laughingly said, ‘ Kartarpur was founded by his ancestors. That is why he will not leave it. He desires to improve it, and hence his remaining there. It was improper for him to break with his father and grandfather and to ally himself with the Muhammadans, but he is an incarnation of Prithia and means to establish a sect of his own. Let the Granth Sahib remain with him. When the Sikhs feel devotion, they will deprive him of it.’
The Guru reached Phagwara on his journey. As the town was on the road to Lahore, whence reinforcements could easily be sent against him, he continued his march to Kiratpur. On arriving at the Sattluj he pointed to a hill at the north, which he said the tenth
Guru would make his playground. Here the famous steed Dil Bagh, surnamed Jan Bhai, died from the effect of wounds in the recent battle.
The Guru thence proceeded on his journey to Budhan Shah’s hut. Budhan Shah on awaking from a deep trance addressed him—‘ 0 true Guru, thou hast assumed birth to save the world. Although Gurus Nanak, Angad, Amar Das, Ram Das, Arjan, and thou have all had different bodies, they have been pervaded by the same light. My wishes have been fulfilled, and, now that I behold thee, I have no further object in life. As thou hast come to me regardless of the care of thy body overspent in the fatigue of war, so assist me in the next world also. Guru Nanak promised me that I should behold him before my death, so his light in thee hath brightened my departure.’
The Guru left his son Baba Gurditta and Bidhi Chand with Budhan Shah, and, promising to return, departed to Kiratpur, which he made his permanent residence. There he bathed, performed his devotions, and medicated his wound. Bidhi Chand inquired Budhan Shah’s age and circumstances. He replied, ‘ In this Kal age few live for a hundred years, but by the Guru’s favour I have enjoyed a much longer span of life. Guru Nanak left milk with me and promised that a Sikh of his should return and drink it. Gurditta formerly came to me and received the trust. I pray him to deem me his servant and not forget me, and before he dieth to order his shrine to be made near mine.’ Baba Gurditta replied, ‘ Why art thou sad ? Remain with us for some time longer. Men worship thee, and thou art caressed and happy.’ Budhan Shah answered, ‘ However long I may remain, I must depart at last; and this is the time to go while thou art by my side.’
The Guru returned from Kiratpur to Budhan Shah in time to bid him a last adieu. Budhan Shah
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grasped his feet and prayed for his intercession. His last words were, ‘ My mind is sinful, evil passions have overmastered it. I have called myself Thy servant, O God, wherefore preserve the honour of Thy name.' Saying this, Budhan Shah, fixing his thoughts on God, parted with his body.
Chapter XXI
After the Guru’s departure from Kartarpur, Dhir Mai possessed himself of a large amount of the Guru’s property. He then feared that the Emperor might send another army to wrest it from him and capture him in mistake for the Guru. He accordingly wrote to the Emperor, * Sire, I desire thy victory and thy support, but thy troops were fated to die, so how could they be saved ? The Guru hath destroyed the whole army, but I am thy friend, and I pray thee to deem me so.’
The Emperor was distracted at the loss of his army. He said, ‘ Several thousands of my troops slain! Assuredly the Guru hath brought about the destruction of the world! ' Wazir Khan, who by this time had returned to the Emperor, took the Guru’s part as he had so often done before. ‘ Sire, thou hast now ascertained for the fourth time that whosoever proceedeth with evil intention against the Guru, never returneth. Thine armies have been destroyed by the Guru’s supernatural power, and not by his material strength and strategy. Painda Khan was in the Guru’s secrets, but he died in return for his ingratitude and treachery. His family is ruined, and his town hath been swallowed up. I have often ventured to give thy Majesty advice, but thou hast deliberately sent thine armies to destruction.’
Then came Dhir Mai’s messenger with his letter. Wazir Khan read it to himself and was astonished at its contents. Whether the Emperor could read it
or not he accepted the following version of Dhir Mai’s missive from the lips of Wazir Khan: ‘ O Sire, come to terms and be not at enmity with the Guru. Both thy steeds have been slain in battle, and there is now no hope of their recovery. The Guru is ever thine ally and well-wisher. Thou shalt have peace of mind by forgetting the past.' It is to be feared that some Indian Rajas even in the present day have their communications read to them in this fashion, and are thus rendered incapable of administering their states.
The Emperor was pleased at Wazir Khan’s version of Dhir Mai’s letter and said, ‘ Wazir Khan, thou gavest me good advice, but to my sorrow I did not accept it. Now write in reply that there shall be no enmity between the Guru and myself for the future.’ The ingenious Wazir Khan while adhering to the spirit of this order wrote a conciliatory letter to Dhir Mai.
A messenger is said to have come about this time from an untraceable island in the Bay of Bengal to the Guru inviting him to go thither and bless the country. The Guru, however, could not leave his Sikhs to proceed to such a distant country, but deputed Bidhi Chand, who long before this had repented of his many misdeeds, to go and preach the principles of the Sikh religion. Bidhi Chand lost no time in executing the Guru’s order. On his way by the margin of the sea he arrived at a city called Devnagar. In an adjoining forest lived a faqir named Sundar Shah, who by the practice of painful austerities had obtained miraculous power and was extensively worshipped. Bidhi Chand rested under a withered tree outside the city, and in devotional ecstasy sang the following hymn of the third Guru :—
The spring hath appeared ; the forests are in bloom ;
Men and lower animals fixing their attention on God are flourishing.
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It is in this way the heart becometh glad.
Repeat God’s name day and night; under the Guru’s instruction pride is washed away.
By preaching the verses and words of the true Guru
This world becometh happy, and the true Guru is pleased.
Fruit and flowers appear when God Himself causeth them.
When man findeth the true Guru, he clingeth to the Root of joy.
God is the spring; all the world is His garden.
Nanak, by perfect good fortune special service is obtained . 1
It is said that on this the withered tree became green, and in consequence every one recognized Bidhi Chand’s miraculous power and did him homage. Sundar Shah on hearing of the miracle went riding on his tiger to see the stranger. He expected that Bidhi Chand would incontinently take to flight on seeing the tiger. The crowd of worshippers round Bidhi Chand departed precipitately, but he fearlessly held his ground. Sundar Shah incited the animal to attack Bidhi Chand, but a glance from the latter changed, it is said, the animal into a pillar of stone. Sundar Shah and Bidhi Chand then held a religious discussion in which the former was vanquished.
Sundar Shah pressed Bidhi Chand to remain with him, but he pleaded the Guru’s order to visit the island for which he was bound. He promised, however, with the Guru’s permission, to return and spend his last days with Sundar Shah. Bidhi Chand went to his destination, preached the Sikh religion to the people, and made many converts. Having fulfilled the Guru’s instructions and accomplished his mission he returned to Kiratpur.
The anonymous author of the Dabistan-i- Mazahab, who wrote under the nom de plume of Muhsan Fani, states that he corresponded with Guru Har Gobind, who always signed himself Nanak. That author’s testimony, therefore, regarding the
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Guru we consider of the highest importance, and we shall give it as far as it extends
Whilst the Guru and his party of Sikhs were at Kiratpur a Sikh called Bhairo cut off the nose of the goddess at Naina Devi, some ten miles distant. This was reported to the neighbouring Raja, who complained to the Guru of the outrage. Bhairo was summoned, and said he would admit the charge if the goddess herself attested it. One of the Raja’s courtiers said in reply, * O blockhead, how can the goddess speak ? ’ Bhairo smiled and said, ‘ We now know who the blockhead is. If the goddess cannot repel her assailant and give evidence against him, how can you hope for any advantage from her ? ’ On this the Raja remained silent.
One Jhanda, a very rich man, used to be very attentive to his devotions. When his foot was accidentally injured, Guru Har Gobind advised him not to wear shoes. Jhanda accordingly took off his shoes, and remained barefooted for three months. The Guru on hearing this said that he did not mean him to remain always barefooted, but only as long as his foot was sore. He then resumed his shoes. One day the Guru told his Sikhs to fetch firewood from the forest. Next day Jhanda was not to be found. The Sikhs searched for him, and about noon on the following day saw him with a bundle of firewood on his back. The Guru remonstrated with him for having undertaken such a menial office. He replied that the Guru had given an order to his Sikhs to fetch firewood, and, as he considered himself a Sikh, he decided to obey his order. Both these stories are given as instances of the Guru’s influence even over rich men.
The Guru commissioned a man called Basava to proceed from Balkh to Iraq to purchase horses. As he had advanced one stage from Balkh, some one told him that his son had fallen suddenly ill, and advised him to return home. He replied, ‘ If my
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son die, then let him die. There is sufficient firewood in the house to burn him. I will not flinch from my duty to the Guru.’ After his return home he heard that his son had died, but he felt no remorse for having obeyed the Guru and proceeded on the journey he had undertaken.
Muhsan Fani relates that as he was travelling with this man Basava from Kabul the fastening of his postin or sheep-skin jacket broke. Basava took off his janeu and gave it to him to tie his postin with, saying that janeus were best employed for such purposes.
The Sikhs asked the Guru whom they should recognize as Guru when he was far away. He replied, ‘ Deem the Sikh who cometh to you with the Guru’s name on his lips as your Guru.’ The historian states that any one with the Guru’s name on his lips might then enter the house of a Sikh and receive welcome and hospitality.
It became a custom of the Sikhs if any one of them desired a gift from heaven to mention his request before his brother Sikhs or before the Guru’s masands, and then all combined and prayed for the desired blessing. The Guru himself adopted the same custom.
The Guru believed in one God. His disciples reprobate idol worship. They neither pray nor practise austerities in the Hindu fashion. They hold not sacred the temples of Hindus, or believe in their incarnations. They pay no regard to Sanskrit compositions which the Hindus believe to be in the language of the gods. They believe that all the Gurus are the same as Nanak. The Sikhs are not restricted in the matter of eating or drinking. One Partap Mai, a learned man, said to a Hindu youth who felt caste restrictions irksome, and consequently desired to embrace,Islam, ‘Why become a Muhammadan ? If thou desire to have no restrictions on what thou eatest and drinkest, then become a Sikh. ’
The Sikhs increased under all the Gurus to such an extent that even in the time of Guru Arjan one or more representatives of the Sikh religion could be found in every Indian city. To such an extent was caste disregarded that Hindus of the Brahman caste became disciples of Sikh Khatris, for none of the Gurus was a Brahman ; and Khatris did homage to the Jat masands, who were a low section of Vaisyas. Guru Har Gobind gained a large number of followers in Kiratpur. He kept seven hundred horses in his stables, and always entertained three hundred horsemen and sixty artillery men.
One day Baba Gurditta joined a hunting party. It happened that one of his Sikhs shot a cow by mistake for a deer. The shepherds came and arrested the offending Sikh. Baba Gurditta went to his assistance and offered to give compensation. The shepherds, however, would have from the Guru’s son nothing less than the restoration of the cow to life. Gurditta found himself in a dilemma. If he restored the cow to life, the Guru would be angry, as he had been before with Baba Atal, and if he refused to satisfy the shepherds, they would detain his Sikh as a hostage. He was at last persuaded to reanimate the cow. He accordingly put his cane on her head and said, ‘Arise, and eat thy grass!’ It is said that upon this the cow arose, and ran and joined the herd.