Glimpses of Guru Gobind Singh Ji
 

The Dasam Granth Sahib

 

 

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.

  Chapter 6, Apni Katha (My story ) in full

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 !
 
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