Vol. III — Bhai Gur Das’s Analysis
not spoken of. The Sikhs rejecting Shiv and his energy Durga arrive at their own home by means of the cup of God’s love. Unaffected by the three qualities, they attain the fourth degree of salvation. Baba Nanak proclaimed the true Word, and, by causing the true Sikhs to fix their attention on it, blended them with the True One who is the true King to whom truth is pleasing . 1
Extracts from Gur Das's Kabit against idolatry :—
As a virtuous woman ever thinketh on her husband and desireth not to behold another man ;
As the chatrik never longeth for lakes, rivers, or seas, but for cloud-drops, and singeth the praises of the Beloved ;
As the chakor in no way desireth to behold the sun, but in every way longeth for the moon, which is dearer to it than life ;
So do the Guru’s Sikhs naturally refrain from worshipping other gods, but not insultingly or disdainfully.
If a man look at two mirrors no distinct reflection will be formed. If a man put his feet in two boats, he cannot reach the shore.
If a man go in two directions, his feet will be worn out ; if a man travel by two roads, he will be puzzled and forget where to put down his feet.
When there are two kings, the subject cannot be happy ; when a woman has two husbands, she cannot be chaste.
When a Sikh of the Guru accepteth the support of other gods, accursed is his life in this world, and hereafter punishment from Death shall await him.
According to the rules of society, the sacred books, and the teaching of divines, it is proper for a chaste woman to serve her lord in thought, word, and deed.
To the chaste woman repetition of idols’ names, ablutions, alms, austerities, penance, pilgrimage, fasting, worship, and daily ceremonies are of no avail.
SIKH. IV
Burnt-offerings, feasts, food offered to idols, the worship of gods and goddesses, the singing of hymns and visiting strange temples are all vanity of vanities.
So among the Guru’s Sikhs One Prop is the best; meditation, contemplation and remembrance of other gods is harlotry.
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GURU HAR RAI BLESSING YOUNG PHUL
LIFE OF GURU HAR RAI, THE SEVENTH GURU
Chapter I • '
We have seen that Guru Har Gobind, the sixth Guru, had five sons, Baba Gurditta, Suraj Mai, Ani Rai, Baba Atal, and Teg Bahadur. Baba Gurditta, who predeceased his father, left two sons, Dhir Mai and Har Rai. Dhir Mai had proved disloyal and disobedient to his grandfather. Guru Har Gobind, wishing as far as possible to observe the custom of primogeniture, and seeing Har Rai steady, pious, and in every respect fitted for the Guruship, bestowed it on him with all due formality and ancient ceremony.
Guru Har Rai was born of Gurditta’s wife, Nihal Kaur, ne'e Natti, on the thirteenth day of the light half of the moon of Magh, Sambat 1687, a. d. 1631. He was very attentive to his devotions and ablutions, and loved to repeat to his disciples the following verses of Gur Das :—
Rise in the end of the night, instil into men’s minds the merits of the Name and of charity.
Speak civilly, be humble, do good to others with the gifts of your hands.
Sleep, eat, and speak little ; receive the Guru’s instruction.
Live on your earnings ; do good works ; even if you are great, be not conceited.
Day and night go and associate with the saints and sing with them the Gurus’ hymns.
Regale your hearts with the pleasure which the true Gurus’ words and instruction afford.
Amid hopes remain without hopes . 1
The Guru employed every device that sleep might not overcome him, and prevent his matutinal devotions which Were the object of his earnest solicitude. Although many rich men came to visit him, he made no distinction between rich and poor, and centred his hopes only in God. His food was very simple. He desired not dainty dishes, and thanked God for all His mercies. Whatever valuable offerings were made him he used to spend on his guests. He was always surrounded, as it were, by a halo of visitors, on .whom he conferred delight.
During Guru Har Rai’s stay in Kiratpur a man named Bhagtu of the Bairar tribe, who had given Guru Arjan great assistance in excavating his tank, waited on him, said he was a cultivator by trade, and asked for employment. The Guru engaged him to superintend the cultivation of his land. Once, as Bhagtu was employed as overseer of the Guru’s reapers, they complained that he did not cause sufficient ghi to be put into their bread. At that time Bhagtu happened to see a man called Sangatia passing by with hides of ghi, and asked him to sell it, and he would receive payment on the morrow. Sangatia agreed; the ghi was purchased and distributed among the labourers. Sangatia went home, and, to his surprise, next morning found the hides he thought he had emptied filled with ghi as before. He returned to Bhagtu to inform him. Bhagtu offered him the stipulated price. Sangatia fell at his feet, and with thankfulness refused the money, telling him that the miracle wrought was the result of his kindness. Bhagtu replied that he himself had no power. Whatever merit he possessed was derived from the Guru. He invited Sangatia to go to the Guru and become his Sikh. Sangatia accordingly did so. The Guru initiated him, gave him the name of Pheru, and promised that he should have a kitchen of his own to supply the wayworn saint and stranger. In the afternoon the Guru used oiten to ^ird on his
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sword, equip himself with his bow and arrows, mount his horse, and proceed to the chase. He maintained two thousand two hundred mounted soldiers. These he kept by his grandfather Guru Har Gobind’s advice as a precautionary measure. The Guru took some of the animals he had obtained from the chase home with him, and freed and protected them in a zoological garden, which he caused to be made for the recreation of his followers.
In the evening the Guru used to hold his court, listen to hymns sung by his choir, and then give divine instruction. The advantages of devotion are briefly put by Guru Arjan.
Learn the Word, my beloved, which is our support in life and in death.
By remembering the one God your faces shall ever be bright and happy . 1
The Guru used to select suitable passages from the Granth Sahib to recite to his followers, such as:—
Make effort, ye very fortunate, remember God the King ;
Nanak, by remembering Him ye shall have all happiness, and your troubles, pains and doubts shall disappear . 2
The Emperor Shah Jahan had four sons Dara Shikoh, Shuja Muhammad, Aurangzeb, and Murad Bakhsh. Dara Shikoh, who was the heir-apparent, was very dear to his father. Aurangzeb who was very cunning, clever, and ambitious, aimed at succeeding to the throne. He administered tiger’s whiskers in a dainty dish to his eldest brother, who became dangerously ill in consequence. The best physicians were consulted, but could not devise a remedy. The patient’s illness daily increased. The Emperor, filled with anxiety, sent for diviners and astrologers from every country, propitiated pirs and faqirs, and had recourse to all known charms, spells, and incantations, but without avail.
When the wise men were all assembled, they arrived at the very obvious decision that, until the tiger’s whiskers were removed from Dara Shikoh’s bowels, there was no hope of recovery. They were of opinion that if a chebulic myrobalan weighing fourteen chitanks 1 and a clove weighing one masha could be produced and administered to the patient, he would be restored to health. For these articles the Emperor searched everywhere in his realm, but in vain. At last the prime minister, who had heard the fame of the Guru, was informed that the required simples were in his storehouse. Although the Emperor was hostile to the Guru, yet as the Guru’s house was a mine of sympathy and compassion for all, there was no doubt that he*would grant the articles required. In order to show the Guru’s duty in such a case, the prime minister quoted the words of the fifth Guru :—
The Guru embraceth him who seeketh his protection ; this is the function of the religious teacher . 2
The prime minister represented to the Emperor, ‘ It becometh thee now, O sire, to forget thy former feelings of enmity, and entreat the Guru to grant thee what is required and thy wishes shall be immediately gratified. In the words of a Panjabi proverb,
‘ Self-interest causeth barley to be ground, even if it be wet.’ 3 Shah Jahan found it necessary to humble himself before the Guru, and accordingly addressed him the following letter :—
‘ Thy predecessor, the holy Baba Nanak granted sovereignty to the Emperor Babar, the founder of my dynasty; Guru Angad was exceedingly well disposed to his son the Emperor Humayun; and Guru Amar Das removed many difficulties from my grandfather Akbar’s path. I regret that the same
LIFE OF GURU HAR RAI
friendly relations did not subsist between Guru Har Gobind and myself, and that misunderstandings were caused by the interference of strangers. For this I was not to blame. My son Dara Shikoh is now very ill. His remedy is in thy hands. If thou give the myrobalan and the clove which are in thy storehouse, and add to them thy prayers, thou wilt confer an abiding favour on me.’
A noble took this letter to the Guru who was then in Kiratpur and presented it in darbar on the morning after his arrival. The Guru was pleased that the Emperor had such confidence in him as to write him such a friendly letter, and consented to give the necessary medicines. He quoted a line from the fourteenth slok of the Asa ki War,
Why should they who come with hope depart disappointed ?
‘ Behold,’ said the Guru, ‘ with one hand man breaketh flowers, and with the other he offereth them, but the flowers perfume both hands alike. Although the axe cuts the sandal-tree, yet the sandal per- fumeth the axe. The Guru ought, therefore, to return good for evil.’ The myrobalan and clove were weighed, and, as if God had so ordained, found of the required weight to cure the Emperor’s beloved son and heir-apparent. It was explained that these medicines would cause the hardest substance taken into the stomach to be digested. To these articles the Guru added a pearl which was to be ground and used as a subsidiary remedy. The Guru was in the position of a tree which, though cut with a sharp axe, feels no anger and imputes no blame to the wood-cutter, but ministers unto his wants.
The Emperor was naturally very pleased, forgot all his enmity to the Guru, and vowed that he would never again cause him annoyance. The medicine was administered and effected a speedy and complete cure.
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Chapter II
A pious lady continually prayed that the Guru might eat bread cooked by her hands. One day she gained four paise by spinning, and bought wheaten flour and pulse for the money. She baked two cakes and took them to a spot by which the Guru used to pass daily. There she began to rack her brains how to procure access to him. Could she succeed in this, he would certainly take compassion on her old age and eat from her hands. The Guru, having by his supernatural power become aware of her desire, mounted his horse, and on his way to the chase, went joyfully to the spot where she was waiting.
At the moment when she was reduced almost to a state of despair the Guru arrived, and asked her for some of the bread she had prepared. He said it would be very late when he returned from the chase, and he desired food to fortify himself until then. The Guru partook of the bread on horseback, without washing his hands, and said he had enjoyed it as if it were the most dainty food. The woman paid the Guru compliments for his humility in visiting her and accepting her hospitality. The Guru in return gave her spiritual instruction, and cut off the shackles of her transmigration.
The Sikhs were astonished that the Guru had taken food from a strange woman, and eaten it on horseback too without washing his hands. They asked him why he had done so. He gave no answer, but continued his hunting excursion. Next day they prepared sweet cakes with great attention to cleanliness, and took them to the forest with the Guru, so as to obviate any necessity he might be under to take food that might possibly be unclean from the hands of a person who might be of low caste. In due time the Sikhs offered the Guru the cakes they had prepared. The Guru said, 1 0 Sikhs, I ate food from that woman’s hands because she was holy. This
LIFE OF GURU HAR RAI 281
food which you have prepared with attention to ancient ceremonial is not pleasing to me. It is written in the Granth Sahib:—
He whose deeds are pure is called a holy man , 1
from which it appears that salvation depends on good acts and not on the food which is eaten.’
The Sikhs replied, ‘ 0 true king, yesterday thou atest two cakes on horseback from the hands of an old woman whom thou knewest not. There was no consecrated space and the food was in every way impure. To-day we have with great labour prepared and baked cakes for thee ; no impurity attacheth to them, and yet thou rejectest them. Be kind enough to explain the reason. We made a representation to thee yesterday on the subject but received no reply.’
The Guru gave the following explanation—‘ The woman with great devotion and faith prepared food for me out of what she had earned from the sweat of her brow. On this account the food was very pure, and I partook of it. The Guru hungereth for love and not for dainty food. In the matter of love for God no rule is recognized.
‘ Ye remember how Guru Nanak avoiding the society of the great and the wealthy, went to the house of Lalo who was a carpenter, abode with him, and lived on his coarse fare. It may therefore be easily understood that attention to culinary rules and exclusiveness in eating are of no avail without real devotion. It is not what man eateth that pleaseth God. It is man’s devotion that is acceptable to Him.’
On hearing this discourse the Sikhs’ doubts vanished. They replied, ' 0 true king, grant that the love of God may arise in our hearts. Although we have in ourselves no merits, yet thou who hast vouchsafed us thy protection, art responsible for our safe keeping. By thy favour our boats shall reach the haven of the blest.’
During this colloquy the Guru and his party penetrated a deep forest. The Guru, seeing a black buck issue from the thickets, chased him on horseback at full speed and prevented his escape. The animal was caught and taken to the Guru’s zoological gardens. Men who had come long distances to see the Guru were pleased with his tenderness to animals, particularly to deer, which the kings of old used to sacrifice at their feasts.
One day as the Guru was hunting he saw a wounded snake crawling with difficulty. It was tortured by worms which it tried to shake off by wriggling and shaking its body. The Guru not only put the animal out of its pain, but granted it salvation. The author of the Suraj Parkash states that its spirit in the form of a bright light was seen to issue from its body and soar to heaven. The Sikhs asked the Guru what light it was. The Guru replied, ‘ This serpent was in somewhat the same state as the python seen by my grandfather in Malwa. This serpent had been a pandit in a previous age, who used to falsely vaunt the power of the Veds. He asserted that he himself was God, but his conduct in no wise justified such a boast. He used also to make injurious reflections on the Guru’s hymns, saying, ‘ What is a hymn in the vulgar dialect ? ’ He did not know that Guru Nanak’s compositions were superior to the Veds. The pandit’s soul passed into this serpent, and the worms have been causing him to suffer for the deceit he practised on men. There were, however, some good acts to his credit from previous births, and on this account he hath met Guru Nanak’s followers and obtained salvation. As Guru Arjan hath said:—
By association with the saints man hath no travail;
There is no necessity to toil in their company :
On beholding and meeting them man becometh happy . 1
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‘ Carefully remember that, however much you read Vedantic literature, it will be a source of misery unless you love God. • Guru Arjan hath also said:—
Though one be very beautiful, of high birth, clever, a divine in words and wealthy ;
Yet shall he be deemed as dead, O Nanak, if he have no love for God . 1
‘ Wherefore, O my Sikhs, believe in the words of Guru Nanak, worship God, and boast not of your Vedantism. He who, possessing no divine knowledge, calleth himself a guru shall have no happiness, but on the contrary terrible suffering. The disciples of a false guru shall lose their human birth in this world. A guru who possesseth no holiness shall with his disciples endure terrible suffering. Wherefore, O my Sikhs, listen unto me, never consume any portion of offerings. They will not assist you in distress, but, on the contrary, lead you into the power of Death, whose punishment shall wring from' you loud lamentations. Perform honest labour, serve the saints, and I shall everywhere be your succourer. As Guru Nanak hath said :—
They who eat the fruit of their labour and bestow something,
O Nanak, recognize the right way . 2
A deficiency in your weights or want of equality in your scales must be avoided. Ever abide firm in your faith.’
‘ The Sikhs then asked the Guru to give them further instruction in the Sikh religion. He replied, ‘ You must read the Granth Sahib, and not worship any inanimate object. When a Sikh dieth, sacred food should be prepared and distributed after reading the Sohila. There should be no mourning, but hymns of the Gurus should be sung, and the Granth Sahib should be intoned. No gods or 1 Bawan Akhari. 2 Sarang ki War.
goddesses should be deemed succourers of man. Reliance must be placed on the immortal God alone.’
A devout Sikh called Bhai Gonda abode with the Guru. He was a saint in thought, word, and deed. The Guru was very much pleased with his sincere devotion and said, ‘ 0 Bhai Gonda, go thou to Kabul, instruct the Sikhs there in the worship of the true Name, and preach the Sikh faith. Feed holy men and pilgrims with the offerings thou receivest, and send what remaineth for the maintenance of my kitchen. These are thy duties, and I am confident that thou wilt discharge them.’
Although Kabul was a foreign country and there was danger from Muhammadan bigotry in residing there, yet Gonda cheerfully accepted the task imposed on him. On arriving there he built a Sikh temple and carried out all the Guru’s instructions. In other respects the following lines of Guru Arjan, which he was accustomed to repeat, served him as a guide:—
Meditate in thy heart on the Guru’s image ;
Regale thy mind with the Guru’s word and spell.
Put the Guru’s feet into thy heart,
And ever bow to the Guru the Supreme Being . 1
One day while Gonda was repeating the Japji, he fancied he was clinging to the Guru’s feet. He was in such a state of abstraction that he became quite unconscious. He grew as absorbed in the sight of the Guru as a drop of rain in the ocean. The Guru by his occult power knew what was passing in Gonda’s mind, and sat firmly on his throne keeping his feet together. When dinner was announced, as usual at mid-day, he made no response. When the announcement was repeated about an hour afterwards, he still remained silent. A third time after a longer interval dinner was announced, and the cook asked permission to serve it up, but even