before me.' Next morning, on awaking, the Emperor called one of his nobles and said, ' If Guru Har Rai will not come of his own accord, then arrest and produce him before me. If he struggle against his arrest, then write to me, and I will send a strong force with sufficient munitions of war to thine assistance.'
The noble, seeing the difficulty of the enterprise before him, left the royal presence. Go, however, he must, but his object was never accomplished. On the road he ate some badly cooked food which induced indigestion and caused his death. At that time a company of Sikhs arrived from Dihli to behold the Guru. They informed him of all the unsuccessful efforts made by the Emperor to arrest him, and they expressed their apprehension that some harm would befall him. The Guru replied, ' At the time of my obtaining the Guruship, my grandfather said that any person who strove to do me injury should vanish like hail before the fire.' The Guru then quoted from Guru Arjan : —
God is the Lord of all creation ; He specially assisteth His servants.1
The Muhammadan priests counselled the Emperor not to use any harsh language in his summons to the Guru, but write to him in an apparently friendly manner. When the Guru arrived, the Emperor could treat him as he pleased. This advice the Emperor accepted, and wrote as follows : — ' O holy Guru, thou art in the place of Guru Ram Das, who was univer sally known as the Guru of the world and lord of miracles. He visited my ancestor the Emperor Akbar and was on friendly terms with him, so kindly come thou too and grant me a sight of thee. Show me thy miracles and tell me of the ways of God.'
The messenger duly arrived in Kiratpur and pre sented the Emperor's letter. The Guru consulted
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his Sikhs as to the expediency of going to Dihli, and putting himself into the Emperor's power. His counsellors gave their opinion, ' Take care that matters go not from bad to worse. The Emperor is very obstinate. On the other hand, thou possessest miraculous power, and he on whose head thou placest thy hand can accomplish everything. Therefore in our humble opinion it is better for thee to go. But thou art a searcher of hearts, and knowest best/
The Guru replied, ' What you counsel is politic, but I have registered a vow that I will never look at the wicked Emperor Aurangzeb. In the first place, I have no business with him. Secondly, he is very de ceitful and treacherous. Thirdly, he hath imprisoned his father and put to death his brother Dara Shikoh, who was a great saint, and believed in the All-per vading Spirit. Fourthly, the Emperor, who is so cruel and bigoted and murdereth holy men, is every one's enemy/
Ram Rai, son of the Guru, arrived while the subject was under discussion. The descendants of the Guru were all assembled, and every one was giving his opinion. Some said 'Yes', and some said 'No'. Upon this Ram Rai gave it as his opinion that some one should certainly go to the Emperor, otherwise their position would be one of great difficulty, as the Emperor would not be put off with excuses. Upon this the assembly turned towards Ram Rai and said, ' Thou art the Guru's elder son and capable. Go thou and settle this matter, otherwise there will be great trouble. Aurangzeb hath quite determined to carry his design into execution. If thou go not, there will be a huge conflagration. It is not on any account proper to quarrel with the ruler of the period.' Upon this Ram Rai said that if they all wished it, he would go himself to the Emperor and effect a satisfactory settlement with him. Guru Har Rai accordingly gave him permission to depart.
The Guru on the departure of his son Ram Rai
X 2
for Dihli, enjoined him in all his words and actions to fix his thoughts on God, and everything would prove successful. He also impressed on him the pro priety of not countenancing any objections the Emperor might make to the Granth Sahib, but of replying to him patiently and to the purpose. The Guru continued, ' The Emperor J ahangir told my great grandfather Guru Arjan, that certain passages reflect ing on the Muhammadans ought to be expunged, but he indignantly refused, and said he would never alter or abridge the writings of the Gurus. He suffered much in consequence, but he never flattered any one.' Ram Rai was then instructed to rely on the divine power of the Gurus, and not in any way recede from the principles of his religion.
Ram Rai made preparations for his journey, and next morning with Gurdas1 and Tara (great-grand son of Bhai Bahlo) and others took leave of the Guru and set out on his journey. When in due time they reached Dihli, the Emperor was informed by one of his staff that Guru Har Rai had not come himself, but had sent his son Ram Rai who might be subjected to the same trial as had been intended for his father. The Emperor then decided that, if his object in making trial of the Guru were not fulfilled by the Guru's son, he would send for the Guru himself.
It is said that Ram Rai performed several miracles in Dihli. The Emperor sent him poisoned robes which he wore unscathed. At one interview the Emperor had a sheet spread over a deep pit so that Ram Rai might fall into it, but the sheet, it is said, would not give way, and Ram Rai was miraculously preserved.
By the Emperor's order a meeting of Muhammadan priests was held for the purpose of interrogating Ram Rai on the subject of the Gurus' hymns. The Emperor opened the conversation, ' Ram Rai, your Guru Nanak hath written against the Moslem religion. In one place he hath said :— 1 This is not the author of the Wars.
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Mitti Musalman ki pere pai kumiar ; Ghar bhande itan kian, jaldi kare pukar,1
the translation of which is : —
The ashes of the Muhammadan fall into the potter's clod ; Vessels and bricks are fashioned from them ; they cry out as they burn.
' What say you the meaning is ? '
Ram Rai began to reflect that it was with great diffi culty he could please Aurangzeb. If he became sulky, then all his miracles would be of no avail. He there fore determined to alter the line of Guru Nanak, in order to gratify the Emperor. He thus altogether forgot his father's parting injunctions, and said, ' Thy Majesty, Guru Nanak wrote, 'Mitti beiman ki', that is, the the ashes of the faithless, not of the Musalmans, fall into the potter's clod. The text has been causelessly corrupted by ignorant persons and thy Majesty's religion and mine defamed. The faces of the faithless and not of the Musalmans shall be blackened in both worlds. When alive they shall burn, and when dead their ashes shall be defiled.' All the Muhammadan priests were pleased with this reply. The Emperor then conferred a mark of favour on Ram Rai and dissolved the assembly.
The Sikhs of Dihli lost no time in reporting Ram Rai's perfidy to his father. Their envoy swiftly pro ceeded to Kiratpur, informed the Guru of the pomp and honour with which Ram Rai had been received in Dihli, and detailed the miracles he had exhibited. They then explained how he had made an alteration in a line of Guru Nanak in order to please the Emperor, and asked the Guru how far this was to proceed.
The Guru was much distressed at the insult to Guru Nanak and the Granth Sahib, and said, * The words of Guru Nanak are unerring arrows. Great priests, holy men, and miracle-workers revere his words.
Guru Nanak was a sovereign who established his empire over men.' The Guru then passing in review the whole of Ram Rai's conduct since his arrival in Dihli, his treachery to his faith, his unnecessary exhibition of miracles, and his long absence, decided that he was not fit for the Guruship. ' The Guruship,' said the Guru, ' is like a tigress's milk which can only be contained in a golden cup. Only he who is ready to devote his life thereto is worthy of it. Let Ram Rai not look on my face again. Let him abide with Aurangzeb, and amass money at his court. In the words of Guru Amar Das :—
Let him who is worthy sit on the king's throne.1 The face of the liar shall be cursed ; the true saint only shall be magnified.' 2
When Ram Rai, who remained in Dihli, heard of his father's decision to exclude him from the succes sion, he began to repent and grieve : — ' Alas ! why have I done such an evil deed ? To flatter a false monarch I have altered a word of the divine Guru Nanak, not one iota of whose writings is inaccurate/ While Ram Rai said this in his heart, he began to boast to the world at large — ' It is of no consequence. What care I for the Guruship ? I have lakhs of rupees, I have endless Sikhs and followers. The Emperor is now a sincere friend of mine. Why should I desire the Guruship ? I will seize it by force after my father's death. I will now hold my court in Dihli. What care I for anybody ? I have hundreds of thousands of brave men at my disposal to support me.' Thus stating the pros and cons of his position and tossing his opinions from side to side as if they were a magician's ball, he gave himself airs as if he had been already appointed governor of a province.
Prior to the departure of Ram Rai for Dihli a Sikh came from a distance to see the Guru, and asked him which of his sons should succeed him.
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It is said that he suggested the following test — ' Take a needle to where my two sons are reading the Granth Sahib by turns. Try to insert the needle into the couch on which the sacred volume is sup ported. The couch which is most softened by the reading shall receive the needle. If thou but prick it, the needle will enter of its own accord.' The Sikh took the needle and first tried to pierce the couch when Ram Rai was reading, but it failed to enter. He waited until it was the turn of the Guru's youngest son, Har Krishan to read, and after a brief delay inserted the needle. It is said that it at once entered the couch which had become soft as wax by the force of Har Krishan' s devotion.1
The Sikh went and informed the Guru, but at his request kept private the result of the trial. The Guru then said, ' The immortal God hath given thee answer. What impression will not Har Krishan' s voice make on soft minds since it produceth such an impression on hard wood ? It is only he whose words have such power who is fitted for the Guruship.'