After the Guru’s departure from Kartarpur, Dhir Mal possessed himself of a large amount of the Guru’s property. He then feared that the Emperor might send another army to wrest it from him and capture him in mistake for the Guru. He accordingly wrote to the Emperor, ‘ Sire, I desire thy victory and thy support, but thy troops were fated to die, so how could they be saved ? The Guru hath destroyed the whole army, but I am thy friend, and I pray thee to deem me so.’
The Emperor was distracted at the loss of his army. He said, ‘Several thousands of my troops slain ! Assuredly the Guru hath brought about the destruction of the world!’ Wazir Khan, who by this time had returned to the Emperor, took the Guru’s part as he had so often done before. ‘ Sire, thou hast now ascertained for the fourth time that whosoever proceedeth with evil intention against the Guru, never returneth. Thine armies have been destroyed by the Guru’s supernatural power, and not by his material strength and strategy. Painda Khan was in the Guru’s secrets, but he died in return for his ingratitude and treachery. His family is ruined, and his town hath been swallowed up. I have often ventured to give thy Majesty advice, but thou hast deliberately sent thine armies to destruction.’
Then came Dhir Mal’s messenger with his letter. Wazir Khan read it to himself and was astonished at its contents. Whether the Emperor could read it [ p. 216 ] or not he accepted the following version of Dhir Mal’s missive from the lips of Wazir Khan: ‘O Sire, come to terms and be not at enmity with the Guru. Both thy steeds have been slain in battle, and there is now no hope of their recovery. The Guru is ever thine ally and well-wisher. Thou shalt have peace of mind by forgetting the past.’ It is to be feared that some Indian Rajas even in the present day have their communications read to them in this fashion, and are thus rendered incapable of administering their states.
The Emperor was pleased at Wazir Khan’s version of Dhir Mal’s letter and said, ‘ Wazir Khan, thou gavest me good advice, but to my sorrow I did not accept it. Now write in reply that there shall be no enmity between the Guru and myself for the future.’ The ingenious Wazir Khan while adhering to the spirit of this order wrote a conciliatory letter to Dhir Mal.
A messenger is said to have come about this time from an untraceable island in the Bay of Bengal to the Guru inviting him to go thither and bless the country. The Guru, however, could not leave his Sikhs to proceed to such a distant country, but deputed Bidhi Chand, who long before this had repented of his many misdeeds, to go and preach the principles of the Sikh religion. Bidhi Chand lost no time in executing the Guru’s order. On his way by the margin of the sea he arrived at a city called Devnagar. In an adjoining forest lived a fagir named Sundar Shah, who by the practice of painful austerities had obtained miraculous power and was extensively worshipped. Bidhi Chand rested under a withered tree outside the city, and in devotional ecstasy sang the following hymn of the third Guru :—
The spring hath appeared ; the forests are in bloom ; Men and lower animals fixing their attention on God are flourishing. [ p. 217 ]
It is in this way the heart becometh glad.
Repeat God’s name day and night; under the Guru’s instruction pride is washed away.
By preaching the verses and words of the true Guru
This world becometh happy, and the true Guru is pleased.
Fruit and flowers appear when God Himself causeth them.
When man findeth the true Guru, he clingeth to the Root of joy.
God is the spring ; all the world is His garden.
Nanak, by perfect good fortune special service is obtained.[1]
It is said that on this the withered tree became green, and in consequence every one recognized Bidhi Chand’s miraculous power and did him homage. Sundar Shah on hearing of the miracle went riding on his tiger to see ‘the stranger. He expected that Bidhi Chand would incontinently take to flight on seeing the tiger. The crowd of worshippers round Bidhi Chand departed precipitately, but he fearlessly held his ground. Sundar Shah incited the animal to attack Bidhi Chand, but a glance from the latter changed, it is said, the animal into a pillar of stone. Sundar Shah and Bidhi Chand then held a religious discussion in which the former was vanquished.
Sundar Shah pressed Bidhi Chand to remain with him, but he pleaded the Guru’s order to visit the island for which he was bound. He promised, however, with the Guru’s permission, to return and spend his last days with Sundar Shah. Bidhi Chand went to his destination, preached the Sikh religion to the people, and made many converts. Having fulfilled the Guru’s instructions and accomplished his mission he returned to Kiratpur.
The anonymous author of the Dabisian-i-Mazahab, who wrote under the nom de plume of Muhsan Fani, states that he corresponded with Guru Har Gobind, who always signed himself Nanak. That author’s testimony, therefore, regarding the [ p. 218 ] Guru we consider of the highest importance, and we shall give it as far as it extends :—
Whilst the Guru and his party of Sikhs were at Kiratpur a Sikh called Bhairo cut off the nose of the goddess at Naina Devi, some ten miles distant. This was reported to the neighbouring Raja, who complained to the Guru of the outrage. Bhairo was summoned, and said he would admit the charge if the goddess herself attested it. Oneof the Raja’s courtiers said in reply, ‘O blockhead, how can the goddess speak ?’ Bhairo smiled and said, ‘We now know who the blockhead is. If the goddess cannot repel her assailant and give evidence against him, how can you hope for any advantage from her ?’ On this the Raja remained silent.
One Jhanda, a very rich man, used to be very attentive to his devotions. When his foot was accidentally injured, Guru Har Gobind advised him not to wear shoes. Jhanda accordingly took off his shoes, and remained barefooted for three months. The Guru on hearing this said that he did not mean him to remain always barefooted, but only as long as his foot was sore. He then resumed his shoes. One day the Guru told his Sikhs to fetch firewood from the forest. Next day Jhanda was not to be found. The Sikhs searched for him, and about noon on the following day saw him with a bundle of firewood on his back. The Guru remonstrated with him for having undertaken such a menial office. He replied that the Guru had given an order to his Sikhs to fetch firewood, and, as he considered himself a Sikh, he decided to obey his order. Both these stories are given as instances of the Guru’s influence even over rich men.
The Guru commissioned a man called Basava to proceed from Balkh to Iraq to purchase horses. As he had advanced one stage from Balkh, some one told him that his son had fallen suddenly ill, and advised him to return home. He replied, ‘If my [ p. 219 ] son die, then let him die. There is sufficient firewood in the house to burn him. I will not flinch from my duty to the Guru.’ After his return home he heard that his son had died, but he felt no remorse for having obeyed the Guru and proceeded on the journey he had undertaken.
Muhsan Fani relates that as he was travelling with this man Basava from Kabul the fastening of his postin or sheep-skin jacket broke. Basava took off his janeu and gave it to him to tie his postin with, saying that janeus were best employed for such purposes.
The Sikhs asked the Guru whom they should recognize as Guru when he was far away. He replied, ‘ Deem the Sikh who cometh to you with the Guru’s name on his lips as your Guru.’ The historian states that any one with the Guru’s name on his lips might then enter the house of a Sikh and receive welcome and hospitality.
It became a custom of the Sikhs if any one of them desired a gift from heaven to mention his request before his brother Sikhs or before the Guru’s masands, and then all combined and prayed for the desired blessing. The Guru himself adopted the same custom.
The Guru believed in one God. His disciples reprobate idol worship. They neither pray nor practise austerities in the Hindu fashion. They hold not sacred the temples of Hindus, or believe in their incarnations. They pay no regard to Sanskrit compositions which the Hindus believe to be in the language of the gods. They believe that all the Gurus are the same as Nanak. The Sikhs are not restricted in the matter of eating or drinking. One Partap Mal, a learned man, said to a Hindu youth who felt caste restrictions irksome, and consequently desired to embrace Islam, ‘Why become a Muhammadan ? If thou desire to have no restrictions on what thou eatest and drinkest, then become a Sikh.’
[ p. 220 ]
The Sikhs increased under all the Gurus to such an extent that even in the time of Guru Arjan one or more representatives of the Sikh religion could be found in every Indian city. To such an extent was caste disregarded that Hindus of the Brahman caste became disciples of Sikh Khatris, for none of the Gurus was a Brahman ; and Khatris did homage to the Jat masands, who were a low section of Vaisyas. Guru Har Gobind gained a large number of followers in Kiratpur. He kept seven hundred horses in his stables, and always entertained three hundred horsemen and sixty artillery men.
One day Baba Gurditta joined a hunting party. It happened that one of his Sikhs shot a cow by mistake for a deer. The shepherds came and arrested the offending Sikh. Baba Gurditta went to his assistance and offered to give compensation. The shepherds, however, would have from the Guru’s son nothing less than the restoration of the cow to life. Gurditta found himself in a dilemma. If he restored the cow to life, the Guru would be angry, as he had been before with Baba Atal, and if he refused to satisfy the shepherds, they would detain his Sikh as a hostage. He was at last persuaded to reanimate the cow. He accordingly put his cane on her head and said, ‘Arise, and eat thy grass!’ It is said that upon this the cow arose, and ran and joined the herd.
The cause of Gurditta’s late return was inquired into, and he was obliged to give a narrative of the day’s events. The miracle wrought by him was reported to the Guru, who became angry, and said, ‘It is not pleasing to me that any one should set himself up as God’s equal, and restore life to the dead.[2] People die every day. Everybody will be bringing his dead to my door, and whom shall I [ p. 221 ] select for reanimation ? Guru Nanak ordered that we should accept the will of God—‘ What pleaseth Thee, O Lord, is good.” If thou persist in doing acts contrary to God’s will thy further residence on earth is unprofitable.’ Baba Gurditta replied, ‘Mayest thou live for ever! I depart.’ He then circumambulated the Guru in token of offering himself as a sacrifice to him, and took his departure for Budhan Shah’s shrine. On arriving there he drove his cane into the ground, lay down, and, in the words of the Sikh chronicler, crossed the stream of the troubles of life at the early age of twenty-four years, in the Sambat year 1695 (A. D. 1638).
When Baba Gurditta did not return within a reasonable time, the Guru caused search to be instituted for him. His body was ultimately discovered. The Guru himself went to behold it, and was followed by other members of the family of the deceased, who mourned his untimely fate.
After this the Guru sent to Kartarpur for Dhir Mal, Baba Gurditta’s elder son, and the Granth Sahib of which he had been left in custody. The Guru intended that the holy volume should be read for the repose of Gurditta’s soul, and also that Dhir Mal should be present to receive a turban after his father’s death in token of succession to his property and position. Dhir Mal possessed extraordinary acuteness for one so young. He said to himself, ‘If I leave the land and money which have come into my possession and go for a turban to the Guru, every one will think me a fool. I have the Granth Sahib and I will keep it. He then addressed the messenger, ‘My father is not in Kiratpur. To whom shall I go? It is through fear of the Guru my father died. I do not desire to die yet. I will myself have the Granth Sahib read here for my deceased father. I do not deem it advisable to leave my property in charge of servants. My younger brother Har Rai is with the Guru. The [ p. 222 ] turban may be bound on him. What business have I in Kiratpur ?’
The messenger represented to him, ‘ Thou art still young, and oughtest to be subject to thy grandfather the Guru. Itis thy duty to obey him. Come by all means with the Granth Sahib to the Guru. Leave thy property in charge of thy servants, who are trustworthy. Thou mayest afterwards return and take charge of it. Be not too much in love with earthly things. Obey the order of the Guru.’ Dhir Mal then volunteered the following statement, ‘T have written to the Emperor and entered into an alliance with him. I have informed him that I now hold no parley with the Guru. If I go to the Guru, I shall prove false to the Emperor. And if the Emperor become angry and sack the city, to whom shall I go for redress ? I will not give up the Granth Sahib.’ Dhir Mal’s object was to secure the Guruship for himself. He hoped that, as long as he kept the sacred volume in his possession, the Sikhs would look on him as their religious leader. The messenger, however, failing to persuade Dhir Mal, succeeded in taking Natti, Dhir Mal’s widowed mother, to the Guru. When the Guru heard that Dhir Mal declined his invitation, he merely said, ‘Mammon is very powerful. It hath led the world astray. Dhir Mal is a very unfortunate child.’
The Guru now sent for Bhai Bhana, son of Bhai Budha. Bhai Bhana on the way from his village of Ramdas called at Batala, and thence took with him Gurditta’s parents-in-law to the Guru. There was a great gathering of Sikhs at Kiratpur on the occasion. Bidhi Chand read the Granth Sahib as far as he had copied it for Gurditta’s repose. Bhai ° Rup Chand also presented himself on the occasion. His father had died not long previously. All friends and relations appeared and mourned Gurditta’s untimely fate. They praised his virtues, his beauty, his affability, and his bravery. The Guru offered [ p. 223 ] them all words of consolation, and begged them to dry their tears. He explained that Dhir Mal had acted with great treachery, and would neither come himself nor send the Granth Sahib. He would therefore bind the turban on the head of Har Rai, Dhir Mal’s youngest brother. Though very young in years, he was deemed worthy of succession to his grandfather.
Suraj Mal, the Guru’s son by the Marwahi, was intelligent and performed his secular duties to his father’s satisfaction. Ani Rai, the Guru’s son by Nanaki, was a religious enthusiast. Teg Bahadur, the Guru’s son, also born of Nanaki, was worldly contempt incarnate. Satisfied that the world was transitory, he mixed not in it, but delighted in solitude. One day the Guru’s wife Nanaki addressed him, “O my lord, thou ever showest great kindness to Har Rai, who is only thy grandson, but thou never regardest thine own son Teg Bahadur, who is simple and unsophisticated. Fulfil my wishes to put him on thy throne.’ The Guru replied, ‘ Teg Bahadur is a Guru of gurus. There is none who can endure the unendurable so well as he. He hath obtained divine knowledge and renounced worldly love. If thou have patience the Guruship shall revert to him. From him shall be born a warrior who shall smite the Turks, free the earth from the burden of the evil, render Guru Nanak’s name illustrious, and spread his own glory and fame to the uttermost bounds of the world.’
The Marwahi dreamt that the late Damodari appeared to her and said, ‘ My sister, leave the world now. It is good to leave the fair when it is at its height. If thou live, thou shalt be greatly pained at the Guru’s death. If thou come with me, we shall both abide together in Sach Khand where there is perpetual happiness, where sorrow, sickness and death enter not, and where night and day the saints are ever hymning the Creator’s praise.’
[ p. 224 ]
The Marwahi on awaking related her dream to the Guru. He gave his interpretation to the effect that her end was near, and repeated for her the following hymn of Guru Nanak :—
No one liveth as long as he desireth, or obtaineth his object.
He who possesseth divine knowledge liveth for ever; it is he who remembereth God who is ever honoured.
By ever husbanding life it passeth away in vain.
Nanak, to whom shall we complain? Death taketh us away even without our permission.[3]
‘If thou desire to go,’ continued the Guru, ‘ I will quickly follow thee.’ She called her son Suraj Mal, told him she was going to leave the world, and begged him to be patient and mourn not for her. She impressed on him the propriety of ever obeying his father. She then called the other members of the family and took leave of them. Putting herself in a devotional attitude she recited the Japji, and repeating the true Name, the holy Wahguru, resigned her spirit to her Creator.
On the tenth day after Marwahi’s death Bidhi Chand finished reading for the repose of her soul the portions of the Granth Sahib he had copied. Her son Suraj Mal duly received a turban and a shawl on the occasion. The Guru now became daily sadder and resigned every comfort. He removed a comfortable mattress on which he had slept and only put one sheet under him. Pillows he entirely rejected.
The Guru kept Har Rai continually beside him, and taught him worldly and spiritual knowledge. One day a Sikh called Daya Ram, from Anupshahr on the bank of the Ganges, appeared before the Guru. He had come with people of his country and some members of his family to do homage to the Guru. His daughters had previously heard of Har [ p. 225 ] Rai and conceived a desire to wed him collectively. On seeing Har Rai the Guru’s grandson, Daya Ram betrothed his daughters to him. The nuptial ceremonies took place on the tenth day of Har, Sambat 1697 (A.D. 1640).