| |
Third
in order is the Bachitra Natak (The wondrous Drama) which is also
an incomplete autobiography of the Guru. The date of the composition of
the Natak is given by Macauliffe as 1692, when Guru Sahib Ji was twenty
six years old. It is divided into fourteen chapters written in Hindi with
a large mixture of Sanskrit. Praise of the Immortal and an account of
Guru Ji's ancestors and his own life form the main subjects of the Natak.
A picture emerges of the ideal warrior-saint.
The
warrior strain appeared in the ancestors of old. Their Aryan forebears
conquered all northern India, singing the hymns of the Vedas as they went.
These vedic Aryans were the original warriors-saints and the ideal of
the warrior-saint dominates the Sikhs to this day. It was this militant
strain in the Punjabis that Guru Sahib Ji appealed to so successfully
when the pressure of outward aggression united them in the fellowship
of the Khalsa.
The
history of the Bedi and Sodhi families is given in the second, third and
forth chapters. It shows in vivid fashion the quarrelsome nature but at
the same time the flexibility of character of Guru Jis ancestors, whereby
warriors turned scholars, ascetics into rulers and rulers into ascetics
with the minimum of friction.
The
composition starts thus :
| |
I
bow with heart and mind to the Holy Sword. |
| |
Assist me that
I may complete this Granth |
| |
|
| |
The Sword cuts
sharply, destroys the host of the wicked, |
| |
And has the
power to make the battlefield glorious. |
| |
It is an unbreakable
shaft in the hand, |
| |
It is very sharp
and its flash pales the radiance of the sun. |
| |
The sword brings
peace to the saints., |
| |
Fear to the
evil minded, destruction to sin, |
| |
So it is my
refuge. |
| |
Hail ! Hail
to the Creator of the world. |
| |
The Saviour
of creation, my Preserver in every way. |
| |
Hail ! O sword. |
| |
Everlasting
Light, Uncreated Form, |
| |
God of great
Gods, King of great Kings. |
| |
Without body,
everlasting, |
| |
Without form
or disposition, |
| |
All Powerful
- Hail, wearer of the Sword. |
| |
|
Guru
Gobind Singh Ji describes his call to the guruship in the sixth chapter
:
| |
When
I was performing austerities and meditating on Maha Kaal on the
lofty Hem Kund in the high Himalayas, I became absorbed in the Immortal
One and became one with the Lord. My mother and father also served
the Lord with great devotion. I did not wish it, but the order came
for me to take birth in Kal Yuga (present age of darkness). The
Immortal One told me how first the demons were created, but they
trusted in their own arms and so were destroyed. Then the gods were
created , but they became proud (worshiped their own strength) and
called themselves Parmashur (Supreme God). Maha Dev (Shiv Ji) called
himself The Imperishable; Vishnu appointed himself Parmashur; Brahama
stated that he was Par Braham (Supreme Brahama); but none of them
knew the true Lord. Then the Lord created the eight witnesses (Earth,
Sun, Moon, Fire, Wind, Water etc) but people began to worship them.
Some people worshiped stones, some worshiped water and became ensnared
in egoism. the Siddhs and Sadhs likewise found their own Panths
(sects) and went astray in quarrels and pride. Datta Traiya was
created, he only let his finger nails grow and matted his hair,
but he failed to meditate on the love of Hari. Gorakh made disciples
of great Rajas, but only taught them to split their ears and put
in earrings. Ramanand became a Bhairagi and wore a wodden necklace,
but forgot the Lord. All the great souls only founded their own
sects. Muhammad was ordained King of Arabia by the Lord, but he
only taught circumcision to his devotees. He caused his own name
to be repeated and did not proclaim the True Name. So the Immortal
one said to me,
| |
"I
have glorified you as my son, I have created you to proclaim
the panth; |
| |
Go, spread
the faith there, and restrain the people from folly." |
| |
I stood
up and made obeisance and said, |
| |
"This
Panth will spread in the world when Thou givest assistance." |
For
this reason the Lord sent me; then i took birth and came into this
world. What he spoke that I speak and I bear no enmity to anyone.
Those who call ne Parmashur shall fall into the pits of Hell; Know
me as his slave only, have no doubt about that. I am the slave of
the supreme being and have come to behold the spectacle of the world;
What the Lord told me, that I tell the world and I will not remain
silent through fear of mortals.
I
have come into this world for this purpose, For the sake of faith
the divine Guru sent me: "Wherever you extend the faith, Seize
and hurl down evil deceivers." For this very purpose we have
taken birth - All you saints understand this in your heart, to spread
the faith, to protect the saints, and to chastise all evildoers. |
| |
|
These
verse bring out both sides of Guru Sahib Ji's mission. Evildoer were to
be destroyed and the true faith of loving devotion to the Supreme Lord
was to be extended in the world by peaceful proclamation. The two-fold
nature of this mission called for the Saint-soldier.
The
battle of Bhangani is described in the Bachittar Natak. In it the contingent
of Udasi Saddhus had deserted Guru Sahib Ji and left the battle field
on the approach of the enemy, but one stayed at Guru Ji's side.
| |
Kirpal,
the chief of the Udasis, now advanced on horse back and asked permission
to engage Haiyat Khan. Guru said 'O, holy saint, thou cannot kill
him with thy words.' Kirpal Chand, Guru Ji's uncle overheared the
conversation and seeing that the mahant was filled with martial
enthusiasm, prayed the Guru let him engage Haiyat Khan. Guru Ji
enquired with what weapon the mahant was going to contend with his
adversary. 'With a club.' Guru Ji smiled and said 'Go mahant Ji,
and engage the enemy.' It was a spectacle to see the mahant with
his matted hair twisted around his head, his body only clothed with
a thin plaster of ashes, and his belly projecting infornt of him
in his saddle, proceeding to engage a practiced warrior with his
latest weapons of destruction.
When
the mahant approached and challenged Haiyat Khan the latter saw
that he had no warlike weapon and consequently retreated from him,
scorning to attack a defenseless man. The onlookers were amused
and said 'How can that faqir contend with a Pathan?' The mahant
however continued to challenge Haiyat Khan. Khan now confronted
the faqir and aimed ablow of his sword, which the latter received
on his club. The mahand now addressed him 'Now hold thy ground and
defend thyself from me.' The mahant rose in his stirrups and wielding
his club with both hands struck Haiyat Khan with such force on the
head that his skull broke ans stained the battlefield. |
| |
|
|
| |
We then find three
compositions on Chandi - Chandi Charitra Ukti Bilas, Chandi Charitra
and Sri Bhaguti Ji Ki. The first two are written in Braj or
ancient Hindi while the third is written in Punjabi. In all three compositions
the buffalo headed demon (daint) Mahakhasar does battle with the gods
and defeats them. The god Indra appeals to Chandi for help. A bloody battle
follows, and whoever are stuck by her arrows "never even ask for
water" but die instantly. Finally she kills and triumphs over the
demon. Two notorious demon brothers Sumbh and Nisumbh succeed to the rule
and again Indra is defeated in battle.
| |
The
hair of the heads of the slain floated in a sea of blood like scum,
the tips of chariots moved about in the froth; Severed fingers writhed
like fish, cut-off arms like snakes. Horses bodies moved like serpents,
banners waved like trees. And in the sea of blood chariot wheels floated
about in whirlpools. |
The two daints win
and with their increased confidence ask Chandis hand in marriage. With
this, Dhrum Nain is killed in the battle that follows and the demon army
of infantry, cavalry, chariots and elephants are burnt to a cinder by
Chandis wrath. Others are sent to bring in Chandi dead or alive and the
battle continues, with Chandi the tiger rider victorious at the end. In
the battle with Rakat Bij (Blood Seed), each drop of blood falling on
the ground produced another fully armed Rakat Bij to continue the fight;
so Kali, coming forth from Durga's head helped by drinking up the blood.
Near the end of Chandi
Charitra I, occurs this well known shabad:
| |
O
Shiva (God addressed in the form of Shiva), grant me this boon, |
| |
That a may never
avoid doing a good deed, |
| |
Never fear the
enemy when I go into battle, |
| |
But surely go
on to victory; |
| |
That I mat teach
myself this greed alone, |
| |
To sing only
of Thy praises. |
| |
And when the
last days of my life come, |
| |
I may die in
the mighty field of battle. |
Var Sri Bhagauti
Ji, or Chandi Di Var, is in Punjabi. Dharam Pal Ashta in his writings
rates it as one of the finest Punjabi poetri written. In it images abound
: Arrows fall thick as heavy showers. Deadly bolts come hissing like snakes.
Soldiers are locked in deadly combat like he-buffaloes.
The first verse of
the var is known as the Sikh prayer of Ardaas as it invokes the names
of the holy Gurus.
| |
Having
first remembered the Sword, meditate on Guru Nanak, |
| |
Then on guru
Angad, Amar Das and Ram Das; may they assist me. |
| |
Remember Arjan,
Hargobind and the holy HarRai; |
| |
Meditate on
the holy Harkrishan, a sight of whom dispelles all sorrows. |
| |
Remember Tegh
Bahadur and the nine treasures shall come hastening to your homes. |
| |
Ye holy Gurus,
everywhere assist me ! |
|