The Emperor having heard that the Guru loved the chase requested him to accompany him one day on a hunting excursion. When in the forest, a tiger issued forth and rushed at the Emperor. Elephants and horses took fright, and the beaters who accompanied the party loudly shouted in distress. Bullets and arrows were discharged, but went right and left of the tiger. Tite Siipenor almost paralysed with fear called upon the Guru to save him. The Guru alighted from his horse, and taking his sword and shield ran between the Emperor and the tiger. As the tiger was going to spring, the Guru dealt him a blow with his sword, and he fell lifeless to the earth. The Emperor thanked his destiny that he was saved from the jaws of death by the Guru’s hand.
When it was time for the Emperor to visit Agra, he invited the Guru to accompany him. The Guru, after repeated invitations, at last consented. As they were hunting on the way, the Emperor took the opportunity of telling him what people were saying against him—‘O Guru, my ministers and staff tell me that, although thou oughtest in reality to have no connexion with worldly affairs, yet thou callest thyself the true king of the world, and thy Sikhs call me who am descended from emperors, [ p. 19 ] who am the lord of many lands, and the cherisher of my subjects, a false king. Is all this true?’ The Guru replied, ‘ I have never told any one to call me true king, but where there exists love between people, there is no need of formality, and a man is treated as he treateth others. I love my Sikhs in proportion to the love they bear me. In Guru Nanak’s view God is the only Emperor. He hath said in the Japji :—
He is Emperor, King of kings; Nanak, all must remain subject to His will.’
The Emperor listened but was not convinced, and he and the Guru went off to their respective tents.
In the afternoon a young grass-cutter, hearing that the Guru had come, desired tosee him. In reply to his inquiries some one, mistaking the Emperor for the Guru, said, ‘ There he is sitting under a tree.’ The grass-cutter went to make his prostration. He had only half an ana[1] as an offering. Hedrewit forth, laid it before the Emperor, and thus addressed him, ‘O true king, all earthly kings are false. Thy realm is permanent in every age. Protect me at my last hour, and extricate me from hell. I am a poor Sikh of thine; thy sovereignty is real and potent to protect.’ The Emperor said to his courtiers, “I cannot protect myself ; how can I save this man in the way he desireth ?’ The Emperor quite understood that the Guru had had no opportunity of prompting the petitioner to call him true king. He then addressed the grass-cutter, ‘I am a false king. There (pointing to the Guru) is the true king.’ The grass-cutter took up his half ana, and ran with it to the Guru who received him affectionately, and gave him the following instruction :—‘ My brother, meditate on God, live honestly, covet not thy neighbour’s wife or property, compassionate the suffering, obey the Guru’s commandments, [ p. 20 ] and thou shalt be happy in this world, and the next.’
When in due time the Emperor and the Guru arrived in Agra, the Guru was received with great rejoicings by the people. Chandu thought to himself, ‘The Guru will take revenge on me when he findeth an opportunity. I shall only be safe if by some means I succeed in having him imprisoned, and I must apply all my ingenuity and efforts to that end,
The Emperor had a very severe illness in Agra, and considered what would be an auspicious time for him to sit on his throne after his recovery. It is said that, though a Muhammadan, he consulted an astrologer on the subject—a fact not improbable, seeing that his mother had been a Hindu princess and he was married to a lady of the same religion. Chandu went secretly to the astrologer, and told him how the Guru’s father had spurned his alliance, in consequence of which his daughter now sat neglected and despised at his door. On seeing her unwedded, he said he had no appetite by day and no sleep by night. Chandu accordingly gave a large bribe to the astrologer to contrive some plot by which Guru Har Gobind might be rendered powerless to do him injury.
When the astrologer next day appeared before the Emperor, he said, ‘ A calamity hath been hanging over thee for five and a half years, and thou art in danger for two and a half years more. Saturn is a very powerful god and still pursueth thee. He will show thee the might of his arm once again. Thou hast already bestowed thy weight in gold as alms, and offered endless sacrifices, but one thing yet remaineth to be done. It behoves thy majesty to send some holy man into the fort at Gualiar to do penance there, and pray for thy good health so that thou mayest escape from the evil influences of the planets. If this be not done, thy life shall be in serious danger.’
[ p. 21 ]
The Emperor began to fear, and asked the advice of his ministers. They being instructed by Chandu supported the advice of the astrologer, and suggested that Guru Har Gobind, who was now in the Emperor’s camp and in his power, should be sent into the fort in accordance with the astrologer’s warning and advice. Their advice well suited the Emperor’s inclination.
When the Emperor mentioned his decision to the Guru, the latter accepted it without hesitation. Having formed his determination, the Guru ordered that his troops and his camp should remain where they were. He next morning took his five Sikhs with him, and went to obey the order of the Emperor. At his departure his troops represented to him that he was leaving the wicked Chandu to revel in his villanies. The Guru replied, ‘The time hath not yet come. God will accomplish everything when He pleaseth. Best is the fruit that slowly ripeneth.’ [2]
[ p. 22 ]
There was joy in the fort when it was known that the Guru was coming. It contained many rajas who had been deprived of their kingdoms and thrones by Jahangir, and who now emaciated, filthy, foully clad, and subservient to low warders, dragged out a miserable existence. They believed that they should be released by the Guru’s intercession and then return to their states and their families. Hari Das the governor of the fort, too, was happy. He had long desired to see the Guru, but pressure of official duties had prevented him from absenting himself for the purpose. He now went forth to meet him, prostrated himself before him, and applied the dust of his feet to his head and body. The Guru’s first act was to cause clean clothes and better food to be supplied to the imprisoned rajas, and to endeavour to make their prison a paradise in comparison with the hell it had previously been.[3]
Chandu wrote to Hari Das—‘ Thou and I are servants [ p. 23 ] of the Emperor. I will assist thee in many ways, and grant thee a yearly income of five thousand rupees if thou find some means of disposing of the Guru who is now in thy power. It is because I depend on thee that I induced the Emperor to send him into the fort. Now that thou knowest my wishes, thou mayest act as it pleaseth thee, but, if thou do me the favour I desire, I shall never forget it. I depend altogether upon thee.’ Hari Das on receiving this letter placed it before the Guru for his information.
The Guru took hardly any food,—his rations he distributed among the needy prisoners. The Sikhs who accompanied him represented ‘Thou eatest nothing while we fill our bellies twice a day. We curse ourselves that thou remainest hungry while we eat to repletion. Kindly tell us why thou actest so.’ The Guru replied, ‘If thou bring me food obtained by labour I will eat it.’ His Sikhs went next morning to a brazier’s shop and there hammered copper all day long. With their earnings they purchased food for the Guru, which he ate as ifit were ambrosia. The rajas prayed that the Guru might ever remain with them, and that the emperor might order the governor to treat him well, and never impose any hardship on him.
Chandu again wrote to the governor, ‘ My friend Hari Das, I send thee a poisoned robe for the Guru. He who putteth it on shall die immediately. Tell him the Emperor sent it. If he weareth it not, then destroy him in any way practicable. Tell me what thou succeedest in doing, so that I may show my gratitude. There will not again be such an opportunity.’ Hari Das, as before, placed this letter and the poisoned robe at the Guru’s disposal. The Guru upon this repeated the following hymn of Guru Arjan :—
The slanderer shall crumble down [ p. 24 ]
Like a wall of kallar: hear, ye brethren, thus shall he be known.
The slanderer is glad when he seeth a fault; on seeing anything good he is filled with grief.
He meditateth evil all day long, but it befalleth not ; the evil-minded man dieth meditating evil.
The slanderer forgetteth God, and, when death approacheth, quarrelleth with God’s saint.
The Lord Himself preserveth Nanak ; what can wretched man do ? [4]
The Guru’s mother, finding that he did not return in due time, felt very anxious and sent Bhai Budha to bring him home. Bhai Budha on entering the Guru’s chamber thus addressed him, ‘ What a fine return is thy confinement in this fort for having killed the tiger and saved the Emperor’s life! The eyes of thy mother and of thy Sikhs are all turned towards thee. Night and day they await thy coming ; thou mayest escape if thou desire. Thy Sikhs who traverse great distances and endure great hardships in order to behold thee, are grievously disappointed.’ The Guru sent his mother and his Sikhs a letter of consolation, and expressed a hope that he should soon return to them. Hesaid he was happy in the fort where he could repeat God’s name apart from the distraction of worldly people, who ever importuned him to gratify their petty desires. He added that his fellow prisoners were happy with him, and he with them. He directed Bhai Budha on his return journey to call at Dihli, see to the protection of his camp, and have his horses grazed where there was good pasturage.
Bhai Jetha went on a mission to Dihli to secure the Guru’s release. He succeeded in soothing the Emperor, who had been troubled with fearful visions. The Guru remarked that Jetha appeared conceited after this performance. In order to humble him he [ p. 25 ] bade him take a vesse! to the Jamna and fetch him water. When Jetha returned with the water, the Guru ordered him to take it back again, and throw it where he had taken it from. Jetha obeyed the order. The Guru then asked, ‘ When thou didst fill the vessel did the river appear less ; and when thou didst put back the water did the river appear more?’ Jetha replied, ‘No, what is a vessel in comparison with a river?’ The Guru then said, ‘The Guru is like the ocean, and thou like the vessel didst display in the Emperor’s case thy miraculous power. Such cleverness pleaseth me not.’ Bhai Jetha changed the subject, ‘O true king, all thy Sikhs are unhappy, and thy mother ts sore distressed on account of thine absence. Though thou art angry with me, I have been only fulfilling a former commandment of thine to do good to others whenever possible, an expression which I now venture to recall to thy memory, and beg that thou mayest return to Amritsar to cheer thy mother and bless thy people.’ The Guru replied by the following hymn of Guru Arjan :—
Accept as good whatever Is ;
Abandon thy pride ;
Day and night ever sing God’s praises :
Make this thy whole aim.
Rejoice, O saint, and repeat God’s name.
Reject artifice and too much cleverness; repeat the Gurw’s holy spell.
Centre thy hopes in the one God alone ;
Repeat God’s pure name ; :
Bow to the Guru’s feet,
And the Giver, the Bountiful,
Will take thee across the terrible ocean.
He in whose heart there is all treasure
Hath no end or limits.
He will preserve thee at last.
Nanak hath obtained this treasure [ p. 26 ]
Of God’s pure name.
He who repeateth it shall obtain salvation.
Nanak, it shall be obtained by God’s favour.[5]
When the Emperor had heard Wazir Khan’s pleading on behalf of the Guru, whose sanctity was an object of general observation, he ordered that he should be presented to him. On hearing this the imprisoned rajas were much distressed. They apprehended that they were now going to lose him whose presence had cheered their sufferings, and that they should have no one to cherish them and render them spiritual consolation. The Guru solaced them, and promised that he would not leave them until they were released.
When Wazir Khan returned to Dihli, he reported the result of his mission to the Guru, and the Guru’s desire that the rajas should be released. The Emperor replied, ‘ The kings imprisoned in Gualiar are hostages for millions of money. Moreover, if I release them, there is danger of their inciting rebellion in my empire.’ On this some of the Emperor’s ministers, who were either friends or relations of the imprisoned rajas, represented that 1t was unnecessary to detain them any longer. Their spirits were now so cowed that there was no danger of their again disturbing His Majesty’s peace. The Emperor, after full reflection on this and Wazir Khan’s arguments for the Guru’s recall, replied, ‘I will so far meet the Guru’s wishes as not to further detain the rajas, and I will entrust them to him on condition that he be surety for their loyal behaviour.’
When Wazir Khan returned with this order to Gualiar, the Guru stood up, and taking Wazir Khan and Hari Das the governor with him, went and caused the fetters of the kings to be struck off. They addressed him, ‘O true Guru, as thou hast cut these material fetters, so cut, we pray thee, our spiritual fetters [ p. 27 ] also.’ They seized the hem of his garment and held it until he had promised them salvation. On his doing so they all repeated with one voice the verse of Guru Arjan :—
The Guru hath cut the fetters off the feet and freed the captive.[6]
From this circumstance the Guru is still remembered in Gualiar as Bandi Chhor Baba, the holy man who freed the prisoners.[7]
Hari Das, the governor of the Gualiar fort and prison, expressed his regret on parting from the Guru. The Guru replied in the words of Guru Arjan :—
Meditate in thy heart on the Guru’s image ; Obey the Guru’s word and instruction.[8]
‘That we have met in the flesh is a temporary matter, the result of destiny; but that we have met in the spirit is a matter to be treasured for ever. As Gur Das hath said, ‘“‘ I ama sacrifice to those Sikhs of the Guru who meet in the spirit.’’ And again Guru Nanak :—
They who meet with their hearts really meet; that is a real meeting.[9]
‘While thou remainest in the Gualiar fort propagate the true faith, and, when thou thinkest of me, thou shalt behold me.’
Hari Das’s eyes were filled with tears, but he was comforted on hearing the Guru’s words of counsel and encouragement.
The Guru with his five Sikhs set out with Wazir Khan for Dihli. The Guru took shelter in his old [ p. 28 ] quarters on Majnun’s hillock. The Emperor invited him to his presence and thus addressed him— ‘Tam very thankful to thee ; thou hast rendered me great assistance. Thy prayers have removed the effects of the conjunction of planets unfavourable to me, and effectually cured my maladies.’ The Guru replied, ‘ There was no conjunction of planets unfavourable to thee. That was only in the imagination of thy advisers. Guru Nanak’s house is like a mirror. As a man presenteth himself to it so is he treated. What is there that cannot be found in the Guru’s house ?_ In it are the four great boons to mortals, but they can only be obtained by faith. He who hath devotion shall obtain the fruit thereof, as happened in the case of thine ancestors.’
The Emperor was struck with the beauty of a rosary the Guru carried. It was made from a yellow composition called kapur. The Emperor asked him for one of its beads. He would add it to his own rosary and preserve it in memory of the Guru. The Guru replied, that his father had a better rosary which he used to wear as a necklace, but it was now in Chandu’s possession. The Emperor sent for Chandu and asked for the necklace. Chandu proceeded to his house to search for it. During his absence the Guru took occasion to bring the whole of Chandu’s conduct to the Emperor’s notice. Chandu, after a pretended search, represented that the rosary had been lost. The Emperor suspected that he had really misappropriated it and would not produce it, and, as there were many other grounds for his displeasure with Chandu, he became quite satisfied of his perfidy and wickedness.
The Emperor communicated to Guru Har Gobind the numerous complaints Chandu had made against him. The Emperor also pretended that Chandu had exceeded the orders he had received on the subject of Guru Arjan’s treatment. ‘ He told me,’ continued [ p. 29 ] the Emperor, ‘ that thou saidst thou wouldst wreak vengeance on me. Therefore I sent Wazir Khan for thee, and now, on seeing thee and learning Chandu’s real character, my doubts and apprehensions regarding thee are all removed. Chandu is thine enemy, and thou mayest have revenge on him.’ The Guru replied that his father Guru Arjan did not wish to avenge himself on Chandu, for his principles were as stated in the following hymn of Guru Ram Das :—
The true Guru is generous and compassionate ; he feeleth compassion ever.
The true Guru’s heart is free from enmity, and in everything he beholdeth the one God.
None who bear enmity to those who are without it shall abide.
The true Guru wisheth well to all; how could any evil befall him ?
As men feel towards the true Guru, so shall they be rewarded.
Nanak, the Creator from whom nothing is concealed, knoweth everything.[10]
The Guru continued, ‘O Emperor, if thou do justice, thou shalt be honoured in God’s court, and if thou do injustice thou shalt have to account for it. Thou hast put a bell in front of thy gate, and, when anybody ringeth it, thou comest forth thyself and hearest his complaint. But even so, thou shalt only be acquitted of all blame in respect of my father, if thou do justice now. He bore enmity to no one, but was every one’s friend and endeavoured to contribute to every one’s happiness. God, who is the Bestower of the fruit of past acts, will fulfil His commandment to destroy the enemy. But, O Emperor, take my father’s necklace from Chandu. It is the duty of a king to cherish his subjects, and that can only be done by punishing thieves and harmful men.’ Upon [ p. 30 ] this the Emperor made over Chandu, as was the custom at that time, to the Guru for punishment. On a signal from the Guru, Bhai Bidhi Chand and Bhai Jetha seized Chandu, led him outside the fort, took off his turban, tied his hands behind his back, and showered blows of slippers on his devoted head. While being thus castigated he was led through the streets of the city, a warning to all men. He was pelted with stones, mud, and filth, and several people spat on his face. He had said that he would attack the Guru like a mad dog, and his threat recoiled on himself. He would have died under the injuries he then received, only the Guru felt compassion and rescued him from the wrath of the people. The Guru caused his arms to be unbound, and put him into a house with a sentry over him, intending to take him alive to the scene of Guru Arjan’s death in Lahore. The Emperor sent for Chandu’s wife and son, and made them also over to the Guru, telling him to punish them ashe pleased. The Guru, in reply, uttered the following verses of Guru Amar Das :—
Curses be on the head of the false one ; greatness to the true saint !
True is the Lord, true is His justice, ashes be on the head of the slanderer ! [11]
The most severe punishment that was inflicted on Chandu’s wife and son was to cause them to behold Chandu’s sufferings. The Sikhs bound him, and made him over to pariahs as if he were a dog. Dirt and filth continued to be poured on him, and he was reduced to a condition in which no one could recognize him. When his wife and son had seen his treatment, they were allowed to depart. Everybody congratulated the Guru on the mercy he had shown them.
We might suppose that Troyer had translated from a different text, and that the Dabistan has since his time been altered at somebody’s instigation, if some of the blunders of Troyer’s translation were not so very palpable. For instance, assigning to the expression barkhilaf-i-pidar shamsher bast the meaning that Har Gobind bore arms against his father, is not only opposed to the verbal and grammatical interpretation of the passage, but it is also opposed to the whole tenor of the accounts of both Arjan and Har Gobind given in the Dabistan itself. If the Persian writer had intended to convey the idea which Captain Troyer does, he would have written ba mukabila-i-pidar shamsher bast; but this, though grammatical, would not have been true, for Har Gobind was devotedly attached to his father, and even vowed deathless vengeance on his father’s enemies. It is indeed hard that the fame of Har Gobind should have been tarnished by the blunders of a translator. Dr. Trumpp in his Adi Granth has, with his usual theological bias, repeated the strange calumny.
An ana is worth a penny of English money. There are sixteen anas in a rupee, which is now worth one shilling and four pence. ↩︎
Cunningham in his History of the Sikhs states that Har Gobind became ‘involved in difficulties with the Emperor about retaining for himself that money which he should have disbursed to his troops.’ Cunningham’s authority for this statement was Captain Troyer, the translator of the Dabistan: ‘Har Gobind became involved in many difficulties ; one of them was that he appropriated to himself the pay due to the soldiers in advance; he carried also the sword against his father ; he kept besides many servants, and was addicted to hunting. Jahangir, on account of the money due to the army, and of the mulct imposed upon Arjan Mal, sent Har Gobind to the fort of Guiliar, &c.’ As this is such a serious and wholly unwarranted calumny of the Guru, we feel constrained to quote the original Persian—
او را دشخواری ها پیش آمد یکی از آن آنست که وضع سپاهیان پیش
گرفت و برخلاف پدر شمشیر بست و نوکران نگاه داشت و شکار کردن
حضرت جنت مکانی بنابر طلب باقیات مطالبه که در آئین جریمه
گرفت
بر ارجن مل مقرر فرموده بودند هر گوبند را بگوالیار فرستاد .
Here there is not one word about money due to the army, about Har Gobind’s criminal misappropriation, or about his having carried his sword against his father. The translation of the passage is this: ‘Fle had many difficulties to contend with. One of them was, that he adopted the style of a soldier, wore a sword contrary to the custom of his father, maintained a retinue, and began to follow the chase. The Emperor in order to extort from him the balance of the fine which had been imposed on Arjan Mal, sent him to Gualiar, &c.’ ↩︎
The room in which the Guru was incarcerated was in a top story to the left as one enters the Gualiar fort by the Alamgir gate. Jt is on the eastern verge of the plateau, overlooks the ancient town of Gualiar, and commands a wide and not unpleasant prospect. ↩︎
Bilawal. ↩︎
Ramkali. ↩︎
Maru. ↩︎
In the fort a cenotaph called Bandishar, probably a contraction of Bandi Chhor, is pointed out to visitors, at which both the Sikhs and the Muhammadans worship—the Muhammadans every Thursday evening, and thé Sikhs occasionally. At this spot the Guru used to pray. It is near a tank in and around which masonry work was constructed in ancient times. ↩︎
Gaund. ↩︎
Tilang, Ashtapadi. ↩︎
Gauri ki War I. ↩︎
Bilawal ki War. ↩︎