Τοΐς περι τους λόγους εσπουδακόσιν ηγούμαι προσήκειν μετά την πολλην των σπουδαιοτροων άνάγνωσιν άνιίναι τε την διάνοιαν και προς τον επειτα κάματον άκμαιοτεραν παρασκευάζειν.[1]
It is said that Bidhi Chand, before he entered the service of the fifth Guru, had been a famous highway-man [ p. 154 ] and robber, and several of his exploits in that capacity are recorded. Once he stole some very valuable buffaloes from Sultanpur. The owners awoke and hotly pursued him as far as the village of Cholha, where he was received by a man called Adali. Adali put the stolen buffaloes into a slimy pool so that when they emerged from it they were not recognized by the owners. Bidhi Chand, glad of his escape, begged Adali to make him a disciple. Adali said he had no spiritual power himself, and recommended him to go to Guru Arjan, who would grant him peace of mind. He also advised him to restore the stolen buffaloes to their owners and implore God’s pardon. Accordingly Adali took Bidhi Chand to the Guru and informed him that he desired to become a Sikh. Guru Arjan made him a Sikh and instructed him to renounce thieving, serve the saints, and meditate on God. Bidhi Chand represented, “ I have contracted this habit of thieving. The world is in the power of habit, which it is difficult to overcome.’ Guru Arjan replied, ‘Do good to others, forswear falsehood, read and ponder on the Gurus’ hymns and associate with saints, so shall all thy evil inclinations depart. Upon this Bidhi Chand abandoned his village and attached himself to Guru Arjan. Adali his guide and friend then went home, pleased at having placed Bidhi Chand in the way of redemption.
One day Bidhi Chand said to Guru Arjan, ‘ I began from my childhood to commit theft. How shall I be saved hereafter ?’ Guru Arjan told him to repeat the following hymn :—
The formless One, the Destroyer of sorrow, bringeth back what hath gone and freeth the captive.
I know not good works, I know not cee I am greedy and avaricious.
I am called a worshipper of God; preserve Thine own honour,
O God; Thou art the honour of the unhonoured. [ p. 155 ]
Thou makest something out of those who are nothing ; I am a sacrifice unto Thy power.
As when a boy following his natural inclinations committeth hundreds of thousands of faults,
His father adviseth him, chideth him in several ways, but at last embraceth him ;
So pardon my past offences, O God, and put me in Thy way for the future.
God the Searcher of hearts knoweth everything; then to whom shall man go to redress grievances ?
God is not pleased with the utterance of words; if it please Him, He preserveth our honour.
Other shelters all have I tried: Thy shelter alone remaineth me.
Be merciful and compassionate, my Lord God, and _ hear Thou my supplication.
Cause me to meet the perfect true Guru and put an end to my mental anxieties.
God hath put His name as medicine into my mouth, and the slave Nanak abideth in happiness.[2]
Guru Arjan continued—‘ Thy past sins shall be pardoned if thou seek God’s protection, and cease to commit sin for the future. Serve saints and worshippers who repeat the Name, sweep their floors, draw them water, scrub their vessels, fan them, and shampoo them, and thou shalt gain all possible advantages. Theft is a baneful habit. It is the cause of entanglements in this world. Thy service to the saints will only be profitable if thou renounce all desire to appropriate others’ property.’
Two masands, Bakht Mal and Tara Chand, had been deputed to Kabul to collect funds for the Guru. They returned with a company of Sikhs who also brought offerings for their spiritual master. They were besides bringing two horses of surpassing beauty and fleetness for the Guru, but the animals were forcibly seized by the Emperor’s officials and duly [ p. 156 ] presented to him. Guru Har Gobind, who was then in Bhai Rupa, received the Sikhs with great ceremony. Having laid their offerings before him they proceeded to inform him of the seizure of the excellent steeds they had intended for him. He bade them be of good cheer and not take the matter too much to heart.
Some of the Sikhs invited the masands to give an account of their travels, what countries they had traversed, whether they saw Amritsar on the way, and by what route they had returned? Theyreplied that in their anxiety to see the Guru they had first gone to Lahore where they thought he was, and had remained there some days to see the Muhammadan festival of the Baqar Id, during which an ox ts slain in commemoration of the intended sacrifice of Ismail[3] by Abraham. They intended on their return journey to visit Amritsar and bathe in its sacred tank. The Sikhs hearing them mention Lahore asked them to give their impressions of it, and tell about the Emperor Shah Jahan, who was there at the time. They said that Shah Jahan publicly attended the mosque on the occasion, and the people of many villages came and assisted in the service. The Emperor appeared in great state on a beautiful tall elephant adorned with gold and silver trappings and bearing a glittering canopied hauda, whose ball-fringewas set with precious stones. The masands said that they could not count the imperial army, which on that occasion descended on the parade ground like clouds.
‘Then came, led with embroidered silken ropes, the horses taken forcibly from us. Their bearing-reins were fastened to saddles studded with gems, which glittered in a manner to captivate the beholder. The horses were in superb condition and pranced as they were led along. The Emperor loved them so much that he would not allow them to go out of his sight. They appeared beautiful, as if made by Cupid’s own hands. If the god of the firmament saw them, even [ p. 157 ] he would be enamoured of their beauty. We heard people say that the horses would cross a river without wetting their riders. One of them was called Dil Bagh and the other Gul Bagh. They were so swift that it was difficult to tell whether they put their legs on the ground or flew in the air. During our whole lives we have never seen such horses ; and, as they had been brought for the Guru, he ought certainly to possess them, so that he might in case of necessity have excellent chargers to bear him in a conflict with the enemy. What doth the Emperor want such horses for ? He cannot ride or fight like the Guru. The Guru is a man of great stature, and when mounted on such horses would appear doubly beautiful as he presented himself to his Sikhs, and would gladden their hearts as they beheld him.’
The party from Kabul returned home, except Bakht Mal and Tara Chand, who remained with the Guru at Bhai Rupa. Their conversation was ever of Dil Bagh and Gul Bagh. Bidhi Chand, notwithstanding his resolutions of amendment, began to consider how he could restore the belauded steeds. A horse destined for the Guru had once been taken away by the Emperor’s father and was duly recovered. This afforded Bidhi Chand what he deemed a suitable pretext for his intended action. The Emperor was now at war with the Guru, had inflicted great losses on the Sikhs, and caused the death of many of his bravest warriors, and it would be a disgrace to allow him to retain possession of the horses brought all the way from Kabul for the Guru. It was impossible to secure them by purchase, and being very dear to the Emperor they were well guarded. Even were war to be declared against him, possession of the horses could not be obtained, as they were kept in an impregnable fortress.
Some of the soldiers lately enlisted by the Guru said, ‘ We find on full consideration that no one [ p. 158 ] but Bidhi Chand can accomplish the enterprise of recovering the horses. He is so clever that he can do what all the world thinketh impossible. As there are no horses hke Dil Bagh and Gul Bagh, so there is no one like Bidhi Chand to secure possession of them. If Bidhi Chand by his great cleverness succeed in bringing the horses, it will be a miracle famous throughout the world. Ram Chandar, on losing his queen Sita, selected the very wise and clever Hanuman, and dispatched him to Ceylon in search of his queen. Hanuman examined the whole island, discovered Sita, killed the great demons of Rawan’s army, set fire to his city, and crossed the ocean on his victorious homeward march. There is now a similar exploit to be performed. Hanuman’s fame still liveth in the world. Bidhi Chand will accomplish it, and his fame shall be resplendent.’ Bidhi Chand on hearing himself thus praised and encouraged said, ‘ What are Gul Bagh and Dil Bagh ? I would even bring the Guru the horses of the sun’s chariot.’
Bidhi Chand then with clasped hands uttered a prayer. ‘O Guru Arjan, Iam now bent on acting in opposition to thine injunctions; pardon me for venturing to restore to thy Sikhs horses wantonly taken from them by unrighteous Moslems. Assist me in the perilous path I am about to tread.’ He received the congratulations of his companions, and as soon as preparations for his journey were completed departed for Lahore. On reaching the city gate he again considered how he was to perform the task. ‘I cannot break the fort wall which is very strong. The horses are well guarded and no stranger may approach them. There are several sentries at the gates. If I can only enter the stable-keeper’s service, then I may have access to the horses ; but he will not take me without an introduction ; wherefore I must try some means of obtaining access to him in some other way, so that I may succeed in my object.’
[ p. 159 ]
The manner in which, without the Guru’s knowledge, Bidhi Chand recovered the horses brought for him from Kabul, cannot afford edification to the strictly pious. We here, however, give a narrative current among the Sikhs partly to relieve the strain on the reader who has so far followed this serious narrative, and partly to show with what ingenuity, address, and daring Indians of former ages could succeed in transferring property.
Bidhi Chand went to the house of a carpenter named Jiwan who had previously known him. Jiwan welcomed him as bringing a blessing on his house. Bidhi Chand in reply to Jiwan’s inquiries frankly told him the nature of his errand, and asked his advice, and all information regarding the Emperor, his horses, and their keepers. Jiwan was astonished and said, ‘ Thou hast come on a difficult errand. The Emperor resideth in the Saman Burj—octagonal tower—and the horses are kept near him. They are guarded by hundreds of men who serve their master with great fidelity. There are many sentries ever under arms at the gates. The Darogha or stable-keeper’s name is Sondha Khan. He hath many subordinates. To say nothing of taking away the horses, the stable is inaccessible. How canst thou ever reach it? But if fortune favour thee, thou shalt accomplish a feat which is otherwise impossible. God can render what is difficult easy, can make the weak strong and the strong weak. Who but thee can reach the stables and obtain possession of the horses ?’
Bidhi Chand requested his host to make him a khurpa, or iron instrument for grubbing up grass, and pray that success might attend his efforts. Bidhi Chand then went to rest and slept soundly, while his friend Jiwan sat up all night making the khurpa. Next morning Bidhi Chand took it with a net to hold grass, and proceeded to the bank of the river Ravi. There he began to cut beautiful soft grass to take to the coveted horses. He already deemed [ p. 160 ] them the Guru’s, so he laboured with a will. He collected the grass with great care and put it in his net. He then took it to the market-place. Horse owners on seeing its emerald brightness hastened to negotiate for it. Bidhi Chand said that he would not sell it for less than a rupee, but no one would give him so much for a bundle of grass. He then moved on till he arrived opposite the gate of the fort. It was in the evening, and the time for the stable-keeper to go forth and breathe the fresh air on the margin of the Ravi.
Bidhi Chand, on learning that Sondha Khan, the well-dressed man he saw before him, was the stablekeeper, congratulated himself for having been so fortunate as to meet on the very day after his arrival the man whose acquaintance he had so desired to make. When the grass was brought to the stablekeeper’s notice, he said that he had never seen such grass in all his life. It was fit for Dil Bagh and Gul Bagh, and he ordered his men to adjust the price and buy it for the horses. On observing Bidhi Chand he said that he appeared to be an honest man. Bidhi was ready with his reply, ‘ Thou art an appreciator of merit. Thou art very wise, and art therefore employed in the Emperor’s service. I greatly desire that Dil Bagh and Gul Bagh should thrive, and to this end I have made great efforts. Now that this beautiful grass hath reached its proper place my wishes are fulfilled. As long as the horses of the true King ’—a title of the Guru not understood by the stable-keeper—‘ eat my grass, I will gladly sell it for whatever thou art pleased to give.’
His sweet words and civility induced Sondha Khan to take him with the grass on his head to where the horses were tethered with silken ropes. When Bidhi Chand laid down his bundle in front of them, they ate ravenously as if they had been fasting for a whole day. Before leaving the court he carefully surveyed the premises, and came to the conclusion that it [ p. 161 ] would be very difficult to remove the horses. He went into the market-place, and changing the rupee he had received, distributed the money as alms, saying that he would never eat anything purchased with Muhammadans’ money, lest after taking away the prize he should be deemed ungrateful.
After thus feeding the horses for six or seven days, they used to neigh welcome to him whenever he approached. He would then pat them on their backs to make them pleased with him. The stable-keeper one day inquired his name and whether he would consent to be a permanent servant. Bidhi Chand replied, ‘The wise call me Kasera.[4] I bring thee grass daily ; wherefore make me thy servant and thou shalt see me serve thee daily more and more, but I will not work for hire. As these are the true King’s horses, I will serve them for love. If ever I obtain my wishes, my service to the horses shall not go unrewarded.’ Bidhi Chand was accordingly appointed grass-cutter to the Emperor’s favourite steeds at a wage of one rupee per day. The stablekeeper on appointing him warned him to do good work and nothing should be deducted from his stipulated pay, a practice so usual in former times. Bidhi Chand replied, ‘What shall I say? Thou shalt see the service I will perform. Good men say little, and what they do say they fulfil in the end.’ When Bidhi Chand was not cutting or fetching grass, he was always occupied in washing and brushing the horses and attending to their comfort.
Bidhi Chand requested the stable-keeper to give orders to the porters at all the fort gates to allow him free ingress and egress at all times. The stablekeeper took him round and gave all the necessary orders. Bidhi Chand continued his incessant labour and even did the work of the permanent stable-servants, whereat they were much pleased. After some days Sondha Khan ordered that the bridling and the [ p. 162 ] unbridling of the horses should be entrusted to Kasera. They had become attached to him on account of his great attention to them day and night. Sondha Khan then told Bidhi Chand his principal duty would be to groom the horses. He needed only go occasionally for grass. Bidhi Chand replied that he was not above any service whether it were to go for grass or remain and groom the horses. He spoke civilly to every one and won all hearts without paying any money.
Whenever for the future Bidhi Chand went for grass he brought a large stone concealed in it. At midnight he used to fling the stone into the river which then flowed under the fort. When the stone fell into the water it made a great noise, and awakened everybody in the neighbourhood. Bidhi Chand’s object was, that people might suppose it was a fish or the falling of a wall or of a stone off the parapet ; and that the occupants of the fort would gradually become habituated to the noise, and take no notice of it when he leaped one of the horses over the battlement into the river. If he once succeeded in getting the horse outside the fort walls, he knew he should succeed in taking him to Bhai Rupa, the Guru’s residence at the time.
The Emperor once went to see the horses and was very pleased to observe their excellent condition. He admired Bidhi Chand, said he appeared a smart servant, and ordered the stable-keeper to treat him well, that he might remain in his service. He then made him a suitable money present. Bidhi Chand, who lived on Jiwan’s earnings, entrusted the money to the stable-keeper, told him to retain it, and also his monthly salary until such time as he required funds for his expenses. The stable-keeper was deceived by this apparent generosity. He thought that Bidhi Chand, who was really greedy to obtain the horses, had no greed in his heart, and he continued to repose the utmost confidence in him. He deemed him the best of all his servants and made the others subordinate [ p. 163 ] to him. Though Bidhi Chand thus became their superior officer, he used to treat them affectionately, so that they might be on his side in the hour of need.
Bidhi Chand congratulated himself on his progress thus far. The next object of his ambition was to obtain a saddle for one of the horses to assist him in his escape. He accordingly set to work to secure the friendship of the man who kept the keys of the Emperor’s storehouse where his costly saddles were kept. In this also he succeeded by flattering and soft speeches. All the time he managed to conceal his extraordinary cleverness, and to pass for an ignorant villager of mean understanding. As his fellowservants listened to his simple talk, they began to love him and he gratified them in every way in his power. One day he said in their presence, ‘ These are very fine horses. Does his Majesty keep them to look at, so that his heart may rejoice ; or do they always remain standing like this in the stable? Have they any saddles, and if so what are their saddles like ? Will you show them to me ?’ Somebody said to him in reply, ‘Thou simpleton, their saddles are very costly, set with pearls and well-cut diamonds, and inlaid with glittering gems which shine like the stars in heaven. The saddles are each worth a lakh and a quarter of rupees. The like of thee can never have seen such saddles. Who would show them to ignorant villagers ? And who could possess them but emperors with unbounded wealth ?’
Bidhi Chand humbly represented, ‘ Pray consider me as one of yourselves. I am a servant of the horses of the true King. I live among you day and night. If my desire to see the saddles be not gratified, then everything I do is in vain. I have never seen a saddle of such value. Where did you have saddles made worth a lakh and a quarter of rupees each ? I am astonished at hearing such a thing. I have therefore a great desire to see them, [ p. 164 ] and I beg you to gratify me. Another servant replied, ‘ The saddles are kept under lock and key and continually guarded. He in whose custody the keys are will show them to thee. Speak to him, he is here now.’ The custodian of the keys said he would be very pleased to show the saddles, if he received the stable-keeper’s permission, but otherwise he would be afraid to do so. The stable-keeper happened to arrive at the time, and asked the servants what plot they were concocting. They replied, ‘Thou hast employed Kasera, a very simple-minded fellow, who says things to set us all a-laughing. He desireth to know how a lakh and a quarter of rupees could be spent on a saddle.’ Bidhi Chand himself then told the darogha he could not rest until he had seen saddles of such astonishing value.
The darogha told him that on the great Id festival both horses would be saddled and led out, and then he would see such a sight as he had never seen before. Bidhi Chand, to whom time was valuable and delay a thing to be avoided, then philosophically addressed the darogha, ‘ What dependence is there on life ? It may cease within an hour. Who knoweth whether even the breath we now expire shall return again ? The moment I heard every one praise the saddles I conceived a desire to behold their wonderful workmanship. A thing worth a lakh and a quarter of rupees is a wonder to me, and I shall not be happy till I see it. I am always with thee here, and am I not to have my natural desires gratified in such a matter? Wherefore, my master, I pray thee grant an order that their custodian show me the saddles.’ The darogha, overcome by these entreaties, ordered that Bidhi Chand should see the saddles. Bidhi Chand on seeing them pretended that he thought the diamonds were white stones, and the pearls grains of millet such as he had often chewed in his native village, and asked where the precious stones were of which he had heard so much. What [ p. 165 ] he saw appeared to him of no value. At this every one laughed, and asked what he could know about precious stones. He had never heard of such things, and had never seen them before. Bidhi Chand, putting his hand on the diamonds, remarked that they were very hard, and would prick the Emperor’s body when he touched them. They could not possibly be comfortable things to sit on. The darogha explained to him, that what he saw were not things one could take into his hand and eat. They were for display on great occasions, and only found in the possession of emperors and great monarchs. Bidhi Chand replied, ‘ If a man like me got a thousand rupees it would last him for life. He could get a wife for himself and another for his son, when he had one, out of the money. It is only kings who squander money in vain.’
This conversation at an end, the darogha ordered Bidhi Chand to lift up the saddles and take them back into the store-room. Bidhi Chand kept his eyes well open, and took note of its interior. He also observed where the custodian laid the key after locking the door. Next day the darogha seeing him most attentive to the horses, ordered that he alone was to give them mashes and other food, and take care of them day and night. Meanwhile, Bidhi Chand carefully studied how he could take one or both away. He was ever searching for a low and suitable part of the fort’s ramparts over which he might leap them into the river. He said to himself, ‘I must hit on some plan by which the servants may go to sleep and not hear or see me saddling the horses. If the grooms remain awake, they will most probably catch me in the act.’
All the grooms employed on the horses were fond of music and dancing women. One day, as they were all laughing and talking together, one of them turned to Bidhi Chand and said, ‘ Look here, brother Kasera, thou art a new servant and receivest the [ p. 166 ] highest pay of us all. Thou hast also got a large present from the Emperor, and not yet given thy fellow-servants a dinner. This is not well of thee.’ This proposal was the very thing that Bidhi Chand had desired. He replied, ‘I am at the service of you all. Why should I not please you? I did not think of it ; you have reminded me. You have said well, and I have grasped your meaning. I am thinking, however, that it would not be proper for you who are of a different religion to receive food from my hands. I will do another thing as you ask me. You know well that Iam no miser. I will spend all I have on you. I will tell you what I wish to do myself. I will give you wine—a hogshead among you—and you may enjoy yourselves and get drunk to your hearts’ content. With my own hands I will fill your cups, and you shall be delighted when I have satisfied you. Be happy in the enjoyment of God’s gifts. There is no reliance on hfe. The pleasure of the day is the only gain.’
The grooms on hearing this were all delighted and shouted ‘ Bravo! Bravo Kasera!’ The prospect of getting drunk filled them with visions of bliss. They vowed that they would take no dinner that day, that they might the more eagerly partake of Bidhi Chand’s hospitality. They had dinner every day at home, but they had never yet joined in such a symposium as Kasera had proposed. Bidhi Chand at once saw his opportunity, and thus communed with himself, ‘ This is the eighth day of the dark half of the month, a convenient time for my purpose. It will be very dark in the beginning of the night. I will then jump one of the horses over the rampart, and after that when it is light make my way to Bhai Rupa. I will now so entertain my friends that they will curse me in the morning.’
Bidhi Chand then addressed his brother grooms— ‘Let no one take dinner to-day. I adjure all of you to assemble here this evening. I will go and fetch [ p. 167 ] the wine. When you have drunk it, you may eat as much as you please. After that you may go home to your wives. If you do not wish to go home, then remain here. Have no anxiety whatever to-day. Enjoy for the moment the pleasures of love and wine. I will arrange everything for you.’
Bidhi Chand went to his friend Jiwan, took twenty rupees from him to buy strong wine,[5] and going to a publican asked for his most potent liquor. The publican told him he would charge him fifty per cent. above ordinary market price for a special distillation which he kept in his private house, and which he would not sell to ordinary customers. The publican described its virtues, ‘If a man drink even a little of it, he will so lose his senses that he cannot find even his own door. What higher praise can I bestow on it?’ Bidhi Chand told him that he would give him not fifty but one hundred per cent. above market price, if he supplied him with wine possessing four times the ordinary strength.
When Bidhi Chand met his guests he told them all the trouble he had taken to procure them excellent wine, again pressed them to enjoy themselves, and assured them, with a covert meaning, that whenever he left them they should all remember him. Having addressed them loving words of that description he handed round the wine, but at first in small quantities. He then engaged them in pleasant conversation, and they were delighted when he agreed with everything they said. As intoxication gradually came on, some were laughing and others thought they were in the seventh heaven. Hitherto he had taken care not to give them too much lest they should suspect his designs; but, when a watch of night had elapsed, he began to give them wine without measure, and they drank with open mouths. The sentries also joined in the carousals and said while Bidhi Chand was filling their cups, ‘ Listen, brother [ p. 168 ] Kasera, the sentry duty is thine to-night. Thou hast been so liberal of thy wine, that we cannot possibly remain awake, so keep guard thyself.’ Bidhi Chand replied, ‘Have no fear; I shall remain awake the whole night. Such is the dread of the Emperor that no one may approach. The whole country is under one powerful monarch. Who can come to spy out the land, much less to steal ?’
Saying this Bidhi Chand let the wine flow. He filled to the brim a special goblet for the custodian of the keys, who took it and laughingly said, ‘O Kasera, seeing thy friendship I will drink this cup from thy hands. The protection of my storehouse I now entrust to thee. Thou hast not taken wine, so thou wilt remain awake and be fully on the alert.’ Bidhi Chand assured him that he would remain awake and that no stranger, however daring,should approach the premises. The key-holder might therefore sleep soundly and comfortably. All the company were reassured on hearing Bidhi Chand’s cheerful words, and began to drink on, big and little, old and young. They soon became unconscious and fell down uttering incoherent nonsense. When they could no longer speak, they took off their clothes and rolled naked on the floor. Bidhi Chand took each man’s arm and inquired how he was, and on receiving no answer knew that his friends were disposed of for the night, and he himself was free for action. It is true he heard the distant sentries calling, but they could not interfere with his operations.
The author of the ‘Gur Bilas’, or Life of Guru Har Gobind, here makes the following reflection on the use of wine. ‘ Wine is evil on this account that he who drinketh it loses his senses. A king who drinketh becometh like a beast, and easily falleth a prey to his enemy. Good men, hear me on this subject. Monarchs who have conquered powerful enemies have been blinded by the intoxication of wine. Their kingdoms have passed out of their [ p. 169 ] possession, and they have become poor in an instant. Men holy, clever, and great have degraded themselves to the level of brutes by the use of wine. It would hold men captive even without fetters.’
Bidhi Chand finding all his guests lying on the floor in Bacchanalian slumber tied his waistband and adjusted his turban for action. He then went to the niche in the wall where he knew the key of the harness-room was kept and immediately found it. Having taken out a saddle he went to Dil Bagh and undid his silken headstall. Caressing the animal he put on his bridle and drew the reins over his neck. He then laid on the saddle-cloth and the saddle, and fastened tight the soft silken girths. He attached on either side the golden stirrups, and further secured the saddle by carefully passing the crupper under Dil Bagh’s tail. This done he untied the horse’s heel ropes. He then mounted, taking in his hand a whip with a golden handle which he found attached to the saddle. He cantered the animal backwards and forwards until he found that he had got into his full stride. Then applying the whip he faced him at the fort-wall over which he was to leap. The horse, which had never previously been struck even by the stalk of a flower, on receiving a cut with the whip roused himself at the unusual summons, gathered his strength, set his limbs, and on Bidhi Chand lifting the reins cleared without hesitation the high battlement with a bound, and plunged with his rider into the river. Bidhi Chand, well skilled in horsemanship, steadied the animal in the water and guided him safely to shore.
The residents of the fort who were awake had become accustomed to the report of bodies falling into the water, and thought the splash they had heard was due to the falling of one of the battlements as the result of erosion of the river. Bidhi Chand drawing in his reins on the bank patted the horse, and encouraged him after the fright he had sustained. [ p. 170 ] While Bidhi Chand had been originally meditating this enterprise, he used to note every wall and rivulet and tree in the neighbourhood, and now carefully examining them took the road and directed his course to Bhai Rupa. The horse bounded along like the wind while Bidhi Chand gaily sang—
May the Guru and God be always with me !
Remember, remember Him who ever protecteth.[6]
The moon rose two hours after his departure, and then he was able to steer his way by its position in the sky. He avoided all towns and villages. On reaching Harike at the junction of the rivers Bias and Satluj, he introduced Dil Bagh again into deep water by plunging him into the foaming Ghara.[7] The horse was found to correspond exactly with the description the Kabuli Sikhs had given. Dil Bagh appeared as if he had sprung from a sea of beauty by the combined agencies of exquisiteness and strength.
Methinks it befits persons of literary pursuits to relax their minds after protracted serious reading, and thus render them fresher for subsequent application.—Luctan’s Veracious History. ↩︎
Sorath. ↩︎
The Muhammadans have substituted Ismail for Isaac. ↩︎
Bidhi Chand meant a ghasiydra or grass-cutter. ↩︎
Spirits were then much cheaper in India than they are now. ↩︎
Asa. ↩︎
The Satluj is so called after its junction with the Bias. ↩︎