Latest / Sikh Religion Gurus and Sacred Writings, Vol. 5 / 026 - Life of Guru Gobind Singh - Chapter XXVI

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026 - Life of Guru Gobind Singh - Chapter XXVI · Sikh Religion Gurus and Sacred Writings, Vol. 5

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  Speaker 1: Section twenty six of Seek Religion, Volume five by Max
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  Speaker 1: Arthur McAuliffe. The Serbovox recording is in the public domain
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  Speaker 1: Life of Gurugo Bin Singh, chapter twenty six. Meanwhile, the
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  Speaker 1: Guru was preparing for his defense at Dina, but in
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  Speaker 1: order that the innocent villagers might not suffer from warlike
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  Speaker 1: operations directed against him, he pitched his tent in the
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  Speaker 1: neighboring forest. It would appear that he approached if he
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  Speaker 1: did not actually enter the present village of Jalaal, For
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  Speaker 1: it is recorded that the inhabitants of that village gave
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  Speaker 1: him supplies and a lance for defense. They complained that
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  Speaker 1: the inhabitants of a neighboring village bore them enmity. There
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  Speaker 1: were always a phrase between the two villages, and the
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  Speaker 1: inhabitants of Jalao were always worsted. Guru told them to
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  Speaker 1: obey and believe in him, and they should always be victorious.
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  Speaker 1: They trusted him and obtained several victories. Subsequently, however, the
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  Speaker 1: inhabitants of Jalah forgot their promises to the Guru and
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  Speaker 1: stole horses belonging to the Sikhs. The offenders were punished
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  Speaker 1: and expelled from their village by those whom they had wronged.
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  Speaker 1: They subsequently begged the Sikh's pardon and were allowed to
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  Speaker 1: dwell at Gurusar, where the Guru had incant. Guru thence
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  Speaker 1: proceeded to the village of Baghta in the present state
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  Speaker 1: of Farid Kat. The village had been called Baghtu, a
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  Speaker 1: grandson of Bahila, who was a distinguished Sikh in the
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  Speaker 1: time of Guru Ur John. Bagtu had five sons, Gerdis, Tara, Bara,
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  Speaker 1: Mihra and Boghta. They presented a fully caparisoned steed to
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  Speaker 1: the Guru. Gurdis and Tara are the men we have
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  Speaker 1: already described as Massans of ram Rai. By this time
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  Speaker 1: they had returned to their native village. The Guru remained
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  Speaker 1: in Bogtaut for three days and on the fourth traveled
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  Speaker 1: to Wandhar in the present district of Phiah'zpur. Thence, he
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  Speaker 1: proceeded into a dense forest where he met a nephew
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  Speaker 1: of Kapura, the childry of several villages round kat Kapura
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  Speaker 1: in the present state of Arid Kat. The nephew complained
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  Speaker 1: that his uncle had expelled him. He was he said,
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  Speaker 1: marching to do battle with him, But on hearing of
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  Speaker 1: the Guru's arrival, he first went to pay him his respects,
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  Speaker 1: that being a more holy object than making war on
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  Speaker 1: his uncle. The Guru said that Kapura's troops would arrive
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  Speaker 1: on the morrow, but his nephew must not at present
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  Speaker 1: engage in a combat with them. His troops would subsequently
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  Speaker 1: conquer those of Kupura. The nephew, following the Guru's advice,
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  Speaker 1: decided to remain at home on the morrow. His wife, however,
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  Speaker 1: on seeing him thus ingloriously inactive, asked for his sword
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  Speaker 1: and turban, offered him her petticoat and said she would
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  Speaker 1: go and fight herself. This taunt roused her husband to action.
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  Speaker 1: In disregard of the Guru's advice, he went to the
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  Speaker 1: battle and was killed by his uncle's forces. The Guru
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  Speaker 1: thence proceeded to Bahhiwal and Sarawan and bilited his Sikhs
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  Speaker 1: on the villages. One Sikh named maliar Gar Singh was
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  Speaker 1: fed by a poor villager on pyland the tiny fruit
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  Speaker 1: of the jaal tree. He told the Guru that he
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  Speaker 1: had had an excellent dinner. The Guru on subsequently discovering
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  Speaker 1: that he had dined on pilon and thus received only
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  Speaker 1: indifferent food, complimented him on his contentment and said that
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  Speaker 1: Sikhs ought ever to act as he had done, and
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  Speaker 1: never dispraised food offered them. The Guru continued, if any
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  Speaker 1: one come to a Sikh and received not food from him,
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  Speaker 1: know that that sikh hath sinned. If anyone begged food
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  Speaker 1: from a Sikh, he too hath sinned because of his greed.
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  Speaker 1: The Guru then visited kat Kaupur and put up outside
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  Speaker 1: this city under a pipal tree, which is still pointed
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  Speaker 1: out to the traveler. It is in a little promontory
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  Speaker 1: in the center of a lake formed by the excavation
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  Speaker 1: of earth to build the town. Kaupoor came to see
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  Speaker 1: him and brought him a fully caparisoned horse and other presents.
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  Speaker 1: Next day, Kapur again visited him and found him seated
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  Speaker 1: on one couch while his weapons were laid before him
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  Speaker 1: on another. He reverenced arms because he said they who
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  Speaker 1: wore them and practiced their use became brave and conquered
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  Speaker 1: their enemies. The Guru begged Kapor's permission to take shelter
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  Speaker 1: in his fort Kupoor replied that he had no power
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  Speaker 1: to withstand the imperial army and no desire to wander
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  Speaker 1: a fugitive like the Guru. The Guru then said, the
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  Speaker 1: Mohammedans would take his fort, put his head into a
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  Speaker 1: bag of ashes, and then hang him. Kapura left in
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  Speaker 1: anger and going home, closed the gates of the fort
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  Speaker 1: so that the Guru might not enter. By surprise, the
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  Speaker 1: Guru heard that Wazir Khan's army was now in hot pursuit.
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  Speaker 1: He accordingly set out from Kapur and sought shelter in Diowan,
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  Speaker 1: a village about four miles to the southeast of it.
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  Speaker 1: There Prithi Chan's descendants had been settled for some time.
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  Speaker 1: One of them, Kall, now a very old man, visited
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  Speaker 1: the Guru made him a present of a suit of clothes.
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  Speaker 1: Upon this, the Guru threw off and burned the greater
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  Speaker 1: part of the blue dress which he had been using
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  Speaker 1: for disguise. In the Asa Ki War occurs the line
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  Speaker 1: Nil Bastar Kapre Pahiri Turk Pathani amal Kiriya. The Turks
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  Speaker 1: and Pathans put on blue clothes and rained. For this,
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  Speaker 1: the Guru read Neil bass dart lekprey Fara, Turk Pathani Amagaya.
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  Speaker 1: I have torn the blue clothes which I wore. The
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  Speaker 1: rule of the Turks and Pathans is at an end.
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  Speaker 1: The Guru meant the alteration as a curse on the
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  Speaker 1: Turks and Pathans. It was deemed an impious act to
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  Speaker 1: alter any part of the Grand Sahib. This the Guru
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  Speaker 1: did not deny, but said he hoped that the murder
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  Speaker 1: of his father and of his own children, and the
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  Speaker 1: grievous sufferings of his sikhs were a sufficient atonement. A
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  Speaker 1: piece of his blue clothes, which the group did not
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  Speaker 1: consign to the fire, he preserved a memory of his troubles.
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  Speaker 1: It is said to have subsequently suggested the blue dress
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  Speaker 1: of the Akalis or Nihangs. The gu soon left the
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  Speaker 1: iltwan and pitched his tent in a forest between Maluka
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  Speaker 1: and Kotha. Thence he proceeded to j Ito in the
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  Speaker 1: present state of Naba. There Kapura arrived on a hunting excursion.
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  Speaker 1: He complained of perturbation of mind on account of the
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  Speaker 1: curse the Guru had uttered. The Guru, however, refused to
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  Speaker 1: retract his words. On the contrary He said that Kapura
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  Speaker 1: should ever remain a puppy of the Mohammedans and have
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  Speaker 1: great suffering in consequence. While the Guru was in this locality,
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  Speaker 1: a messenger arrived with the news that Wazir Khan's army
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  Speaker 1: was marching hither and would arrive in a few days.
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  Speaker 1: The Guru asked Kapura for a guid. Kopura sent an
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  Speaker 1: officer karled Kana and some troopers with instructions to show
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  Speaker 1: him the way as far as Kidrana, but not engage
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  Speaker 1: in any combat and if possible, hinder the Guru from
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  Speaker 1: doing so. Next morning, the Guru escaped to Ramayana in
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  Speaker 1: the barid Kat state. On the way, he found a
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  Speaker 1: man gathering the fruit of the wild caper. The Guru
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  Speaker 1: tasted but not relishing it, told the man to throw
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  Speaker 1: it away. The man would not do so. Altogether, the
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  Speaker 1: gu said it had been his intention to banish drought
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  Speaker 1: from that part of the country, but now he could
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  Speaker 1: not do so owing to the man's obstinacy and disregard
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  Speaker 1: of his orders. From Ramayana, the Guru proceeded towards Gidrana.
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  Speaker 1: All the contests and sufferings of The Guru became known
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  Speaker 1: in the Manja, and the Sikhs who dwelt there centered
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  Speaker 1: themselves for having listened to Duni Chand and abandoned the
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  Speaker 1: Guru at ann Poor. They now began to consider how
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  Speaker 1: they could make reparation and assist their spiritual master in
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  Speaker 1: his dire extremity. They were, however, of the opinion of
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  Speaker 1: the Sikhs of Lahore that the Guru should adopt the
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  Speaker 1: way of Abbah Nankno and cease all hostilities. They sent
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  Speaker 1: a large deputation to press their advice on him, and
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  Speaker 1: promised that if he accepted it, they would use influence
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  Speaker 1: with the Emperor to pardon him. Otherwise they would not
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  Speaker 1: consider themselves his Sikhs or him their Guru. The Guru,
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  Speaker 1: on the way to Kidrana, arrived at a village owned
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  Speaker 1: by a kachtrey called Rupa, who warned him off. Through
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  Speaker 1: fear of the Emperor's displeasure. The Guru had a bahrar
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  Speaker 1: named Don Singh as his clerk and chamberlain. Dan Singh's
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  Speaker 1: son sought the enemy approaching and duly informed the Guru.
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  Speaker 1: The Guru took no notice, but continued to walk his horse.
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  Speaker 1: The warning was repeated, but the Guru heeded it not.
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  Speaker 1: The youth then struck the Guru's horse with the object
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  Speaker 1: of quickening his pace. At this, the Guru became angry
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  Speaker 1: and uttered words of censure. Dan Singh interceded for his son.
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  Speaker 1: The Gur replied that he treated Doan Singh's son as
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  Speaker 1: his own, and a father's censure would not affect his children.
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  Speaker 1: The Guru instanced the case of a tigris removing her
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  Speaker 1: cubs from a burning forest. When she takes them in
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  Speaker 1: her mouth, everyone thinks she is going to devour them,
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  Speaker 1: but this is not so. Her act is prompted by love.
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  Speaker 1: The deputation of the man just seiks found the Guru
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  Speaker 1: after much search. On hearing the representation, he said, if
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  Speaker 1: you were my sikhs, you would receive and not give
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  Speaker 1: me instruction. I do not require you. You deserted me formally.
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  Speaker 1: Who hath sent for you? Now you have come to
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  Speaker 1: adjust my quarrels. But where were you when I needed
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  Speaker 1: your assistance? You use no influence with the emperor when
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  Speaker 1: Guru Arjohn was tortured to death, or when Guru tag
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  Speaker 1: Bahadur was beheaded. On this account, my brother and I
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  Speaker 1: cannot listen to your advice. When I am again in difficulty,
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  Speaker 1: you will betray me as before, put on record that
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  Speaker 1: you renounce me and go to your homes. Upon this,
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  Speaker 1: the deputation drew up a formal document to the effect
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  Speaker 1: that they renounced the Guru unless he ceased to contend
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  Speaker 1: with the Turks. A Sikh, who had been put on
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  Speaker 1: a tree to keep watch, said, I see the enemy approaching,
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  Speaker 1: and they will soon see us. The gu took up
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  Speaker 1: bisbo and arrows and mounted his horse. He was advised
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  Speaker 1: by Kapur's guide to go to Kidrana, where there was
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  Speaker 1: water of which he could hold possession, and where the Mohammedans,
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  Speaker 1: if they ventured thither, would die of thirst. The Guru said,
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  Speaker 1: there is dust in the eyes of the Mohammedans and
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  Speaker 1: earth in their mouths. They may stare as much as
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  Speaker 1: they please, but when I remember the Holy Baba Nanok,
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  Speaker 1: they cannot see me. Five of the Manja Sikhs repented
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  Speaker 1: of their renunciation of the Guru and decided to return
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  Speaker 1: and render him all assistance. They induced thirty five more
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  Speaker 1: of their number to return with them. The Guru thus
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  Speaker 1: obtained an unexpected reinforcement of forty good and earnest fighting men.
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  Speaker 1: They were joined by a heroine named Bago, who threw
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  Speaker 1: zeal for the Sikh cause, had donned man's attire and
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  Speaker 1: bowed to suffer death if necessary on the blood stained
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  Speaker 1: field of danger on behalf of the Guru. The Guru
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  Speaker 1: and his personal guard preceded them to Kidrana, in the
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  Speaker 1: present Phirah's poor district of the Punjab, but on finding
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  Speaker 1: no water there the tank having run dry, moved on
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  Speaker 1: into the neighboring forest, where they deemed they should be
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  Speaker 1: in greater safety and whence they could more easily escape
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  Speaker 1: if overpowered. The forty men of the Maja, on arriving
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  Speaker 1: at Kidrana, decided to cover the trees in the neighborhood
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  Speaker 1: with clothes so that the enemy might think they were
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  Speaker 1: encamped in great numbers and not make a sudden attack
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  Speaker 1: on them. Kapur appeared in the enemy's ranks. He overtly
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  Speaker 1: came to show them the way by which he had
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  Speaker 1: instructed his officer to take the Guru and his forty
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  Speaker 1: Sikhs to their destruction. Wazir Khan ordered his army to
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  Speaker 1: charge the Sikhs who stood to oppose him and in
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  Speaker 1: whose ranks he believed the Guru to be concealed. They
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  Speaker 1: received the charge with the utmost bravery. The Mohammedans were
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  Speaker 1: giving way when Wazir Khan rallied them by asking if
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  Speaker 1: they were not ashamed to fly before such a handful
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  Speaker 1: of men. Five Sikhs who advanced to the front were
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  Speaker 1: riddled with bullets. Ten more advanced to the imperial army
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  Speaker 1: and cleared the field wherever they went. When they were
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  Speaker 1: cut down, the enemy took courage and advanced nearer the
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  Speaker 1: remaining Sikhs. Eleven Sikhs then rushed on the enemy and
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  Speaker 1: smote them down. They were, however, unable to cope with
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  Speaker 1: superior numbers and fell under the swords of the Mohammedans.
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  Speaker 1: The women Bago fought heroically in their ranks, disposed of
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  Speaker 1: several of her Mohamedan opponents, and transmitted her name as
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  Speaker 1: an Indian heroine for the admiration of future generations. The
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  Speaker 1: Guru and his bodyguard had taken up their position on
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  Speaker 1: a sand hill about two miles distant. He discharged errors
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  Speaker 1: from their with fatal effect against the Mohammedans, who could
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  Speaker 1: not see from what quarter. Destruction was reigning on them.
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  Speaker 1: At the conclusion of the engagement, Wazir Khan thought the
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  Speaker 1: Guru was killed and ordered his men to search for
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  Speaker 1: his body. The tank at Kidrana, as already stated, having
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  Speaker 1: become dry. Wazir Khan's army was in great straits for
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  Speaker 1: want of water. Kapur told him that it could only
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  Speaker 1: be obtained at a distance of thirty miles in front
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  Speaker 1: and ten miles in rear, and advised him to march
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  Speaker 1: back and save the lives of his men and horses,
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  Speaker 1: otherwise they would all perish. To such distress was the
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  Speaker 1: Mohammedan army reduced that they abandoned their dead and wounded
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  Speaker 1: and relinquished their search for the body of the Guru.
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  Speaker 1: Wazir Khan boasted that he had killed him and that
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  Speaker 1: the Emperor, on hearing the joyful intelligence, would greatly honor
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  Speaker 1: and reward him. On finding that the Mohammedan army had departed,
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  Speaker 1: the Guru went to see the battlefield, relieved the wounded,
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  Speaker 1: and performed the obsequies of the slain. He went about
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  Speaker 1: wiping the faces of both dead and wounded and extolling
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  Speaker 1: their unsurpassed valley. Copious tears flowed from his eyes. He
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  Speaker 1: said the dead had given up their lives for him,
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  Speaker 1: and they should abide him bliss. In the Guru's paradise,
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  Speaker 1: he found Mahan sing breathing heavily and desiring a last
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  Speaker 1: sight of his spiritual master. The gu told him to
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  Speaker 1: open his eyes, and when he did so, his strength returned.
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  Speaker 1: The Guru invited him to ask for any boon he
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  Speaker 1: desired from empire to salvation. Mahan Singh thought it was
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  Speaker 1: best to ask for the cancelation of the deed of
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  Speaker 1: Renunciation of the Gur drawn up by the man Ja Sikhs.
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  Speaker 1: The gu at first refused, but on being pressed, consented
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  Speaker 1: to cancel it. He drew the document from his pocket
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  Speaker 1: and destroyed it. Mahan Singh then breathed his last. The
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  Speaker 1: gu ordered the Baharars he had recently enlisted to collect
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  Speaker 1: his slain and cremate them. He promised that all Sikhs
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  Speaker 1: who visited the place on the first of mag the
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  Speaker 1: anniversary of the battle, should become filled with the martial
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  Speaker 1: spirit of their sires. Hona has since that time been
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  Speaker 1: called Muksar or the tank of Salvation, because those who
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  Speaker 1: fell on that spot were no more subject to transmigration.
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  Speaker 1: In the process of collecting the slain, it was found
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  Speaker 1: that another person shared signs of life. This was the
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  Speaker 1: heroine Bagar. The Gur addressed her, taking off thy woman's dress.
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  Speaker 1: Thou didst come to meet with the Manga Sikhs. It
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  Speaker 1: is well that thou hast fought here. Blessings on thy life,
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  Speaker 1: arise and come with me. She detailed the story of
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  Speaker 1: her departure from her home in the company of the
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  Speaker 1: Sikhs of the Manga, and then continued. I obtained possession
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  Speaker 1: of a strong spear. When all the Sikhs were dead,
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  Speaker 1: the Turks advanced on me. I spitted several of them.
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  Speaker 1: Others directed their weapons against me, but thou didst extend
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  Speaker 1: thine arm to save me. Now that I have seen THEE,
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  Speaker 1: I am happy and have no further desire than to
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  Speaker 1: abide with THEE. End of chapter twenty six.