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Charitropakhyan: Translation By Sardar Kapur Singh

Luckysingh

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Below is an attempted translation of Sirdar Kapur Singh Ji's article on the story of Roop Kaur (21st Charitar) as found in Charitropakhyan. In it, Sirdar Sahib refutes the claims of modern scholars that the male protagonist of this Charitar is Sri Guru Gobind Singh Ji


Charitropakhyan - Tale of Roop Kaur by Sirdar Kapur Singh ICS


Charitropakhyan - Tale of Roop Kaur
Sirdar Kapur Singh

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Opening verses from Charitro-Pakhyian, scribed by Guru Gobind Singh Ji's
personal calligrapher Bhai Nihal Singh (Anandpuri Birr, Page 244)

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Sirdar Kapur Singh Ji ICS



An article under the title ‘Channan Munara’ has been published in February, 1959 edition of ‘Gurmat Parkash’, in which its writer S. Ram Parkash Singh M.A. LLB., Khalsa College, Amritsar has written the following regarding Sri Guru Gobind Singh Ji:



ਭਰ ਜੁਆਨੀ ਵਿੱਚ ਇੱਕ ਸੁਨੱਖੀ ਤੇ ਮਾਲਦਾਰ ਮੁਟਿਆਰ ਆਪ ਤੇ ਆਸ.ਕ ਹੋ ਜਾਂਦੀ ਹੈ|
ਆਪ ਜੀ ਨੂੰ ਘਰ ਬੁਲਾ ਕੇ ਆਪਣੀ ਜੁਆਨੀ, ਆਪਣੇ ਹੁਸਨ ਤੇ ਆਪਣੇ ਮਾਲ ਦਾ ਜਾਦੂ
ਪਾਉਣ ਦਾ ਪੂਰਾ ਯਤਨ ਕਰਦੀ ਹੈ| ਪਰ ਜਦੋ੦ ਆਸ ਪੂਰੀ ਨਹੀ੦ ਹੁੰਦੀ ਤਾਂ ਇੱਕ ਹੋਰ ਬੜਾ
ਖਤਰਨਾਕ ਤੀਰ ਛੱਡਦੀ ਹੈ| ਆਪ ਜੀ ਨੂੰ ਸੰਬੋਧਨ ਕਰਕੇ ਆਖਦੀ ਹੈ - ਤੁਸੀ ਮੇਰੀ ਜੁਆਨੀ
ਅਤੇ ਮੇਰੇ ਹੁਸਨ ਦਾ ਅਪਮਾਨ ਕਰ ਰਹੇ ਹੋ| ਇੱਕ ਮੁਟਿਆਰ ਹੋਰ ਸਭ ਕੁਝ ਜਰ ਸਕਦੀ
ਹੈ, ਪਰ ਹੁਸਨ ਤੇ ਜੁਆਨੀ ਦਾ ਅਪਮਾਨ ਉਸ ਤੋ੦ ਜਰਿਆ ਨਹੀ ਜਾਂਦਾ| ਤੁਸੀ ਜਾਣਦੇ ਹੋਵੋਗੇ
ਕਿ ਇਸੇ ਹੀ ਅਪਮਾਨ ਦਾ ਬਦਲਾ ਲੈਣ ਲਈ ਲੂਣਾ ਨੇ ਪੂਰਨ ਭਗਤ ਦਾ ਕੀ ਹਾਲ ਕੀਤਾ ਸੀ|
ਲੂਣਾ ਦੀ ਰੂਹ ਇਸ ਵੇਲੇ ਮੇਰੇ ਵਿੱਚ ਪ੍ਰਵੇਸ. ਕਰ ਚੁੱਕੀ ਹੈ|......ਮੈ੦ ਹੁਣੇ ਹੀ ਰੌਲਾ ਪਾਉਣ ਲੱਗੀ
ਹਾਂ| ਮੈ੦ ਚੀਕਾਂ ਮਾਰਾਂਗੀ ਤੇ ਕਹਾਂਗੀ ਕਿ ਇਸ........ਗੁਰੂ ਨੇ ਮੈਨੂੰ ਇਕੱਲਾ ਵੇਖ ਕੇ ਮੇਰੀ ਇੱਜ.ਤ ਤੇ
ਹੱਥ ਪਾਉਣ ਦਾ ਯਤਨ ਕੀਤਾ ਹੈ|.....ਜੇ ਭਲੀ ਚਾਹੁੰਦੇ ਹੋ ਤਾਂ ਸਮਝੋ ਤੇ ਹੱਠ ਨਾ ਕਰੋ|.....ਆਪਣੀ
ਇੱਜ.ਤ ਬਚਾਉ ਤੇ ਮੈਨੂੰ ਤਪਦੀ ਨੂੰ ਠਾਰੋ|.....ਪਰ ਸਤਿਗੁਰੂ ਘਬਰਾਏ ਨਹੀ.....| ਬੋਲੇ ਸਾਧੋ.....ਕਾਮੁ
ਕ੍ਰੋਧੁ ਸੰਗਤਿ ਦੁਰਜਨ ਕੀ ਤਾ ਤੇ ਅਹਿਨਿਸਿ ਭਾਗਉ, ਪੰਨਾ 219|.....ਹੁਣ ਮੈ੦ ਜਾਂਦਾ ਹਾਂ| ਇਸ
ਤਰ੍ਹਾਂ ਦਸਮ ਪਿਤਾ ਉਸ ਦੇ ਜਾਲ ਚੋ੦ ਅਡੋਲ ਹੀ ਨਿਕਲ ਗਏ|
(Translation omitted)
The writer is a double graduate Sikh scholar and a law practitioner and fully understands the differences between logic, evidence, eulogy, and varied word-sets. He is a professor at Khalsa College, and as such, cannot be unaware of the life history of Sri Guru Gobind Singh Ji, or of the vast literature available on this topic. The article in question has been published in an SGPC approved magazine, which is recognised as a credible source both by Sikhs and the skeptics. Has the writer wittingly accepted this story, which is nothing more than folklore, to be a historical fact?

This folk narrative of ‘Beautiful and rich woman’ Roop kaur is recorded in Triya-Charitar chapter of Sri Dasam Granth that begins with ‘Ath Pakhyaan Likheyate’ (‘ਅਥ ਪਖਯਾਨ ਚਰਿਤ੍ਰ ਲਿਖਯਤੇ’). The meaning of word ‘Opakhyan’ (ਉਪਾਖਯਾਨ) as given in Sanskrit dictionaries is ‘ਵਾਰਤਾ’ and ‘ਵਤ੍ਰ’, which means a secular story, or a fictional story composed to teach certain moral values. From time immemorial, the exegeses of our country’s scriptures have been divided into two categories: Collection of God’s praises (ਪ੍ਰਭੂ ਸੰਹਿਤਾ), and collection of openhearted, friendly advise (ਸੁਹਿਰਦ ਸੰਹਿਤਾ). The Vedas fall into the first category, whereas Puranas are a collection of past events and fictional narratives that are like honest advice of a good friend; their contemplation benefits the readers.

Our ancient Granths mention following four branches of knowledge:

1. Logic, Metaphysics, etc.,
2. Three Vedas,
3. Secular Arts and Fiction, and
4. Narratives on Politics, Statecraft, etc..


In Sri Dasam Granth, Guru Sahib have written ‘Ath Pakhyaan Charitar Likheyate’ (ਅਥ ਪਖਯਾਨ ਚਰਿਤ੍ਰ ਲਿਖਯਤੇ) in the beginning of Triya-Charitar to make it clear that story of Roop Kaur is a fictitious story; it is a ਸੁਹਿਰਦ ਸੰਹਿਤਾ that has been narrated with the purpose of delivering moral guidance to the society. Guru Ji himself writes in the epilogue of Triya-Charitar:


ਸੁਨੈ ਗੁੰਗ ਜੋ ਯਾਹਿ ਸੁ ਰਸਨਾ ਪਾਵਈ ॥ ਸੁਨੈ ਮੂੜ੍ਹ ਚਿਤ ਲਾਇ ਚਤੁਰਤਾ ਆਵਈ ॥
The dumb, who will listen to it, will be blessed with the tongue to speak; the fool, who will listen to it attentively, will get wisdom.
The first narrative (Charitar) of Triya-Charitar is about metaphysical reality, where woman and Akaal Purakh are shown to be indistinguishable:


ਤੁਹੀ ਖੜਗਧਾਰਾ ਤੁਹੀ ਬਾਢਵਾਰੀ ॥ ਤੁਹੀ ਤੀਰ ਤਰਵਾਰ ਕਾਤੀ ਕਟਾਰੀ ॥ ...
You are the straight sword, you are the curved sword; You are the arrow, sword, kaati and kataar …

ਤੁਹੀ ਬਿਸਨ ਤੂ ਬ੍ਰਹਮ ਤੂ ਰੁਦ੍ਰ ਰਾਜੈ ॥ ਤੁਹੀ ਬਿਸ੍ਵ ਮਾਤਾ ਸਦਾ ਜੈ ਬਿਰਾਜੈ ॥੨॥
You are ever present in the form of Vishnu, Shiva and mother earth …

ਤੁਹੀ ਤੁਰਕ ਹਿੰਦੂ ਜਗਤ ਮੈ ਬਨਾਏ ॥ ਤੁਹੀ ਪੰਥ ਹ੍ਵੈ ਅਵਤਰੀ ਸ੍ਰਿਸਟਿ ਮਾਹੀ ॥ …
You have created Turks and Hindus in this world; You have come on earth in form of different paths …

First, Guruji describe Akaal Purakh, the ‘Triya’ that is the creator of this universe. Then:


ਤੁਹੀ ਜੋਗ ਮਾਯਾ ਤੁਸੀ ਬਾਕਬਾਨੀ ॥
He is also present in the form of Consciousness in human beings; writers, poets and intellectuals take its support to compose literary works.

ਤਾਰਨ ਲੋਕ ਉਧਾਰਨ ਭੂਮਹਿ ਦੈਤ ਸੰਘਾਰਨ ਚੰਡਿ ਤੁਹੀ ਹੈ ॥ ਕਾਰਨ ਈਸ ਕਲਾ ਕਮਲਾ ਹਰਿ ਅਦ੍ਰਸੁਤਾ ਜਹ ਦੇਖੇ ਉਹੀ ਹੈ ॥ ਤਾਮਸਤਾ ਮਮਤਾ ਨਮਤਾ ਕਵਿਤਾ ਕਵਿ ਕੇ ਮਨ ਮਧਿ ਗੁਹੀ ਹੈ ॥
Thou art the same Chandika, who ferries across the people; Thou art the redeemer of the earth and destroyer of the demons. Thou art the cause of the Shakti of Shiva, Lakshmi of Vishnu and Parvati, the daughter of Himavan, wherever we see, Thou art there. Thou art Tams, the quality of morbidity, mineness and modesty; Thou art poetry, latent in the mind of the poet.
(Chandi Charitar Ukat Bilas)

Guru Gobind Singh Ji has described this eternal, ever-prevalent feminine force in the first Charitar of Sri Dasam Granth; it is with this divine force that human beings achieve victory over excesses and injustices:


ਮਨ ਤੂੰ ਜੋਤਿ ਸਰੂਪੁ ਹੈ ਆਪਣਾ ਮੂਲੁ ਪਛਾਣੁ ॥
O my mind, you are the embodiment of the Divine Light - recognize your own origin.
(Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji)

That’s how the composition that covers almost half of Sri Dasam Granth begins, and further progresses as:


ਪ੍ਰਥਮ ਧ੍ਯਾਇ ਸ੍ਰੀ ਭਗਵਤੀ ਬਰਨੌ ਤ੍ਰਿਯਾ ਪ੍ਰਸੰਗ ॥ ਮੋ ਘਟ ਮੈ ਤੁਮ ਹ੍ਵੈ ਨਦੀ ਉਪਜਹੁ ਬਾਕ ਤਰੰਗ ॥੪੬॥
With this sentence, Guruji makes it clear the stories and fables that are to follow are not historic facts; rather, they are only waves of ideas emerging from the mind. Now he begins narrating Triya-Charitars:


ਚਿਤ੍ਰਵਤੀ ਨਗਰੀ ਬਿਖੈ ਚਿਤ੍ਰ ਸਿੰਘ ਨ੍ਰਿਪ ਏਕ ॥...
ਤਾ ਕੋ ਰੂਪ ਅਨੂਪ ਅਤਿ ਜੋ ਬਿਧਿ ਧਰਿਯੋ ਸੁਧਾਰਿ ॥...
ਏਕ ਅਪਸਰਾ ਇੰਦ੍ਰ ਕੇ ਜਾਤ ਸਿੰਗਾਰ ਬਨਾਇ ॥ ਨਿਰਖ ਰਾਇ ਅਟਕਤਿ ਭਈ ਕੰਜ ਭਵਰ ਕੇ ਭਾਇ ॥...
ਬਰੀ ਰਾਇ ਸੁਖ ਪਾਇ ਮਨ ਦੁੰਦਭਿ ਢੋਲ ਬਜਾਇ ॥...
ਬਹੁਤ ਬਰਸਿ ਸੰਗ ਅਪਸਰਾ ਭੂਪਤਿ ਮਾਨੇ ਭੋਗ ॥ ਬਹੁਰਿ ਅਪਸਰਾ ਇੰਦ੍ਰ ਕੇ ਜਾਤ ਭਈ ਉਡਿ ਲੋਗ ॥
In the state of Chitravarti, there ruled a handsome king named Chitar Singh. A fairy gets bewitched by his beautiful looks and stays with him as his wife for many years. A child is born from this relationship, but one day the fairy decides to leave the earth and goes to heavens, her real home.

This fable is one of the earliest literary works in the world’s Granths and is found written in Rigveda (1095) under the names ‘Urvashi and Puroova’. According to the tenth Mandala of Rigveda, when Puroova gets sad and disturbed without Urvashi and decides to end his life, Urvashi descends from the heavens and says this to Puroova:


“ਪੁਰੂਰਵਾ, ਮਰਨ ਨਿਸ਼ਚਾ ਤਿਆਗ ਦਿਓ, ਆਤਮਘਾਤ ਨਾ ਕਰੋ, ਨਿਰਦਯੀ ਬਨ ਜੀਵਾਂ ਦੀ ਭੇਟਾ ਆਪਣਾ ਸਰੀਰ ਮਤ ਕਰੋ । ਸ਼ਤ੍ਰਯ ਦੀ ਮਿਤ੍ਰਤਾ ਤਿੰਨ ਕਾਲ ਅਸਥਿਰ ਹੈ, ਕਿਉਂ ਜੁ ਊਹਨ੍ਹਾਂ ਦਾ ਹਿਰਦਾ ਬਿੱਜੂ, ਮੁਰਦਾਖੋਰ ਦਾ ਹੈ ।“
“Puroova, renounce your pledge to die, do not kill yourself, do not be cruel and offer your body to the beasts. Friendship of women is unstable in past, present and future, for their hearts is that of a badger who feeds on dead bodies.”

This description and analysis of female character registered in Rigveda, which assigns lower spiritual and social status to women, is the primary source of doctrine and practice imported into later Hindu Shaastars and Granths. Guru Nanak Dev Ji said:

ਸੋ ਕਿਉ ਮੰਦਾ ਆਖੀਐ ਜਿਤੁ ਜੰਮਹਿ ਰਾਜਾਨ ॥
So why call her bad? From her, kings are born.

With this Tukk, Guruji pointed towards the mentality and situation that took birth from Rigveda and further materialised during past hundreds of centuries. The aim was to criticise and oppose this ideology, which has also been a major cause of weakness in Christian, Jew and Muslim societies for thousands of years; and it is only in the last century or so that the world has gained awareness of its disturbing consequences.

In Triya-Charitar of Sri Dasam Granth, lonely Puroova constructs images of the fairy, and orders his ministers to search for someone similar to her:


ਤਿਹ ਬਿਨੁ ਭੂਤਤਿ ਦੁਖਿਤ ਹ੍ਵੈ ਮੰਤ੍ਰੀ ਲਏ ਬੁਲਾਇ ॥ ਚਿਤ੍ਰ ਚਿਤ੍ਰਿ ਤਾ ਕੋ ਤੁਰਿਤ ਦੇਸਨ ਦਯੋ ਪਠਾਇ ॥

In their search, the detectives come across the daughter of king of Orissa state who, besides being as pretty as the fairy, possessed more qualities than her:


ਖੋਜਤ ਓਡਛ ਨਾਥ ਕੇ ਲਹੀ ਕੰਨਿਕਾ ਏਕ ॥ ਰੂਪ ਸਕਲ ਸਮ ਅਪਸਰਾ ਤਾ ਤੇ ਗੁਨਨ ਬਿਸੇਖ ॥

This sentence merely implies she was more adept in worldly qualities like arts, literature, etc., as her loyalty towards her husband was no better than that of the fairy Urvashi of Rigveda.

Anyway, the story written in Sri Dasam Granth goes like this: King Chitar Singh forcibly brings the princess of Orissa back to his Palace. King’s son, Hanwant Singh, was the commanding officer in this battle while Chitar Singh himself did not participate:


ਹਨਿਵਤਿ ਸਿੰਘ ਆਗੇ ਕਿਯੋ ਅਮਿਤ ਸੈਨ ਦੈ ਸਾਥ ॥ ਚਿਤ੍ਰ ਸਿੰਘ ਪਾਛੇ ਰਹਿਯੋ ਗਹੈ ਬਰਛਿਯਾ ਹਾਥ ॥
And:
ਮਾਰਿ ਓਡਛਾ ਰਾਇ ਕੋ ਲਈ ਸੁਤਾ ਤਿਹ ਜੀਤਿ ॥ ਬਰੀ ਰਾਇ ਸੁਖ ਪਾਇ ਮਨ ਮਾਨਿ ਸਾਸਤ੍ਰ ਕੀ ਰੀਤਿ ॥

To forcibly snatch and marry someone’s daughter is a tradition of Manu Shaastars (ਮਨ ਮਾਨਿ ਸਾਸਤ੍ਰ ਕੀ ਰੀਤਿ). There are eight marriage methods given in Manu Shaastars:

1. Brahman Vivah: To give daughter’s hand by inviting the bride to one’s home.

2. Dev Vivah: To give daughter to those who perform ‘Yagya’.

3. Aaras: To give daughter by taking something in return, like bulls etc. from the groom. A reference against this tradition is mentioned in our Rehitnamas:


Dhee Bhen Ka Paisa Layee, Bhaakhat Sikh Hai Soyee. (That Sikh, who takes money for his daughter or sister, is Sikh for namesake only).
4. Prajapatya: A marriage by mutual agreement of boy and girl; commonly known as ‘Love Marriage’ these days, legal term for it is ‘Civil Marriage’.

5. Gaandharv Vivah: To form free relationships wherever and whenever desired; also called ‘Companionate Marriage’; a term propagated by philosopher Bertrand Russell.

6. Aasoor: To swap daughters; it is a tradition that is still practiced in some Indian castes.

7. Raakshas Vivah: To win someone’s daughter as a bounty in war, like our protagonist Chitar Singh; Turk invaders also practiced this with daughters and sisters of our country. As a response, Guru Gobind Singh Ji had strictly forbidden his Singhs from imitating Turk oppressors, for Sikhs have much higher moral standards:

ਹਮ ਲੋ ਜਾਨੋ ਪੰਥ ਉਚੇਰੇ ।। ਨਹੀ ਅਧੋਗਤਿ ਬਿਖੈ ਪੁਚਾਵੈਂ ।
8. Peshaach Vivah: To forcibly snatch weeping and crying girl, like Sri Krishan snatched Rukmani while she was worshipping, and like thousands of girls who were forcibly picked up during partition of 1947.

These eight methods of marriage are the tradition of the Shaastars, thus Chitar Singh married Chitarmati, the princess of Orissa, without any worries. Although Chitarmati became Chitar Singh’s wife, it does not imply she also became loyal to her husband:


ਹਨਿਵਤਿ ਸਿੰਘਹਿ ਸੋ ਰਹੈ ਚਿਤਵਤ ਆਠੋ ਜਾਮ ॥

In her heart, she would always keep thinking about her stepson. One day, she makes some excuse to bring him close to herself:


ਚੋਰ ਚਤੁਰਿ ਚਿਤ ਲਯੋ ਕਹੋ ਕਸ ਕੀਜੀਐ ॥ ...
ਅਤਿ ਅਨੂਪ ਸੁੰਦਰ ਸਰਸ ਮਨੋ ਮੈਨ ਕੇ ਐਨ ॥
ਮੋ ਮਨ ਕੋ ਮੋਹਤ ਸਦਾ ਮਿਤ੍ਰ ਤਿਹਾਰੇ ਨੈਨ ॥
O prince! Your eyes are extraordinarily beautiful; they are like Meneka’s eyes, they mesmerise me.


Princess Chitarmati sings a lot of similar praises for her stepson prince, but:


ਵਾ ਕੀ ਕਹੀ ਨ ਨ੍ਰਿਪ ਸੁਤ ਮਾਨੀ ॥ ਚਿਤ੍ਰਮਤੀ ਤਬ ਭਈ ਖਿਸਾਨੀ ॥

When the prince pays no heed to her, she feels her beauty and youthfulness is insulted; and:


ਚਿਤ੍ਰ ਸਿੰਘ ਪੈ ਜਾਇ ਪੁਕਾਰੋ ॥ ਬਡੋ ਦੁਸਟ ਇਹ ਪੁਤ੍ਰ ਤੁਹਾਰੋ ॥
ਫਾਰਿ ਚੀਰ ਕਰ ਆਪਨੇ ਮੁਖ ਨਖ ਘਾਇ ਲਗਾਇ ॥ ਰਾਜਾ ਕੋ ਰੋਖਿਤ ਕਿਯੌ ਤਨ ਕੋ ਚਿਹਨ ਦਿਖਾਇ ॥
She rips her clothes, scratches her face with her own nails, and complains to her husband that his son is evil:

ਬਚਨ ਸੁਨਤ ਕ੍ਰੁਧਿਤ ਨ੍ਰਿਪ ਭਯੋ ॥ ਮਾਰਨ ਹੇਤ ਸੁਤਹਿ ਲੈ ਗਯੋ ॥
ਮੰਤ੍ਰਿਨ ਆਨਿ ਰਾਵ ਸਮੁਝਾਯੋ ॥ ਤ੍ਰਿਯਾ ਚਰਿਤ੍ਰ ਨ ਕਿਨਹੂੰ ਪਾਯੋ ॥
The king orders the slaying of his son, but his ministers advise him against the decision by saying, O King, character of women is not easy to understand, do not fall for such tricks so easily:
ਇਤਿ ਸ੍ਰੀ ਚਰਿਤ੍ਰ ਪਖ੍ਯਾਨੇ ਤ੍ਰਿਯਾ ਚਰਿਤ੍ਰੇ ਮੰਤ੍ਰੀ ਭੂਪ ਸੰਬਾਦੇ ਦੁਤਿਯ ਚਰਿਤ੍ਰ ਸਮਾਪਤਮ ਸਤੁ ਸੁਭਮ ਸਤੁ ॥
This is the second chapter of Sri Dasam Granth’s Triya Charitar section. All the stories that follow in this section are ‘ਮੰਤ੍ਰੀ ਭੂਪ ਸੰਬਾਦੇ’ i.e. they are fictional dialogues exchanged between King Chitar Singh and his minister and have no historical basis to them.


Two things worth mentioning at this point: The topic of relationship between mother and son is as old as the mountains. It is the main motif behind the ancient Greek story of Oedipus, which was later used by the famous psychologist Sigmund Freud to name Oedipus complex. This narrative is found in summary form at a few other places also. However, in the Indian society and folklore, this psychological problem is depicted in the form of illicit feelings of the stepmother towards her youthful stepson. At least this is the summary of many folktales and also of Triya-Charitar’s main story, from which remaining 400 or so stories emerge. Researchers consider Oedipus complex as the base of their psychoanalysis to attempt to describe and illustrate human behaviour.

The mysterious way in which the writer of Triya-Charitar uses the story of Hanwant Singh and Chitarmati as a foundation to capture other 400 stories under this bracket appears highly intricate. By the way, it is an old literary technique to use one story as a base and to weave other stories around it. A Dr. Keith mentions that the literary importance of Pandit Gunadaye’s composition, the now untraceable Braht Katha, was in no way less than Mahabharat or Ramayana. Granths like Kashemender’s Bhram Katha Manjari (1063-66 A.D.) and Somdev’s Katha Sarit Saagar (1081 A.D.) are small derivatives of Braht Katha. Dr. Keith says the composition had seven lakh Sloks, in which the writer first constructed a major plot and then kept weaving many more stories around that plot. The same technique has been extensively used in Katha Sarit Saagar’s Vaitaal Panch Visti and Vishnu Sharma’s Panch Tantra. Moreover, the Arabic writers also borrowed this technique to compose books like the Alif Laila, etc.. However, the above mentioned psychological mystery of Sri Dasam Granth’s Triya-Charitar cannot be found elsewhere.


The second important thing to mention here is that this story of illicit relationship between mother and son has been narrated in many languages, like Oriya and Tamil, for instance. In Punjabi, this story is clearly mentioned in the story of Pooran Bhagat:


ਅਲਫ, ਆਖ ਸਖੀ, ਸਿਆਲਕੋਟ ਅੰਦਰ,
ਪੂਰਨ ਪੁੱਤ ਸਲਵਾਨ ਦੇ ਜਾਇਆ ਏ ।।

A third thing worth mentioning: Because of lack of understanding of our folk-literature and Granths, many scholars and laymen have fallen prey to the dangerous misunderstanding that the story of Roop Kaur as described in Triya-Charitar is a part of Guru Gobind Singh Ji’s own history. The reason behind this shall be explained a little later when we dissect Roop Kaur’s story.
Anyway, the story progresses like this: After the minister of Chitar Singh had finished narrating 20 Triya-Charitars to him:

ਰੀਝ ਰਾਇ ਐਸੇ ਕਹ੍ਯੋ ਬਚਨ ਮੰਤ੍ਰਿਯਨ ਸੰਗ ॥
ਪੁਰਖ ਤ੍ਰਿਯਨ ਚਤੁਰਨ ਚਰਿਤ ਮੋ ਸੋ ਕਰਹੁ ਪ੍ਰਸੰਗ ॥
The king said - Now narrate to me a story in which man plays Charitar on a woman.

It is now that his minister narrates to him a story of man cleverly tricking the woman in the 21st and 22nd Charitars, and ends this story in 23rd Charitar with ਇਤਿ ਸ੍ਰੀ ਚਰਿਤ੍ਰ ਪਖ੍ਯਾਨੇ ਤ੍ਰਿਯਾ ਚਰਿਤ੍ਰੇ ਮੰਤ੍ਰੀ ਭੂਪ ਸੰਬਾਦੇ... ।

The story mentioned in the 21st, 22nd and 23rd Charitars is the story of Roop Kaur. Those unaware of various literary styles mis-interpret it to be Guru Gobind Singh Ji’s own story, and chose to blatantly ignore ‘Charitar Pakhyane Mantri Bhoop Sambaade’ (The Charitar as narrated by Minister Bhoop) written at the end of each Charitar.

A clear blasphemy takes place against Guru Ji if we consider him to be the protagonist of these three stories. However, the character of Guruji that emerges out of this ill-belief is neither inspiring nor he resembles Guru Ji’s real character. Then why do some ‘Sikhs’ consider these three stories to be part of Guru Gobind Singh Ji’s life history, and why do scholars like Ram Parkash Singh also choose to believe in this dangerous and gross misunderstanding?

We have discussed two reasons for this earlier:

1. Triya-Charitar is a Secular fiction: It is a bearer of our great historical and literary past, and as such, is self-composed but is certainly not an original piece of writing. Its stories and composition material has been borrowed from thousands of years old folk literature, folk narratives and Granths.

2. Like its content, the literary form of Triya-Charitars is also borrowed from traditional sources.

It is because of lack of understanding of the above mentioned points that people wrongly believe Guru Ji’s compositions can only be Gurbani or Gurvaak and not plain work of secular fiction.

There is also a third reason, which incidentally is related to literary techniques, that has solidified this dangerous misunderstanding. That reason is the writer’s craft of adding local colours to his composition. It is the ultimate aim of artist of any medium to create illusion of reality with his creation. The more effective he is in spinning this web of illusion, the better the chances of his art and creation being successful. Guru Gobind Singh Ji were not only Guru Avtar, all-capable Mukti Guide, and Gurbani’s Prophet, he was also a great artist and revolutionary intellectual. He knew the true goal of realism lies in creating Maya-Charitars that could create an unparalleled illusion of actual facts. That’s why Guru Ji has said this about talent of good artists: ਤੁਹੀ ਜੋਗ ਮਾਯਾ ਤੁਸੀ ਬਾਕਬਾਨੀ ॥. To achieve this desire of adding unmatched realism, artists add local and historic colours to their works.


In the verse from Kaadarghaar’s Sehraafi:


ਅਲਫ, ਆਖ ਸਖੀ, ਸਿਆਲਕੋਟ ਅੰਦਰ,
ਪੂਰਨ ਪੁੱਤ ਸਲਵਾਨ ਦੇ ਜਾਇਆ ਏ ।।

The poet has added local, factual and historic colours by mentioning Sialokot and characters Pooran and Salvaan in his composition. Sialkot is a famous town in Punjab and Sehraafi was written in Punjabi language, and for the Punjabis. This is how the poet has set the world famous ancient folklore of immoral mother-son relationship against local background. The name Pooran is a factual colour because it is a common Punjabi name. Similarly, King Salvaan is mentioned in Indian history, but Sialkot was neither his Capital, nor his place of residence. It was merely his administrative centre, like Maharaja Ranjit Singh had Peshawar as his administrative centre. The only intention of the poet was to add historical dimension to this world-famous tale, so that it could appear vivid and real to the local readers. However, to claim that King Salvaan, on whose name ‘Saaka’ calendar was started about 1880 years ago and who had Pratashthaan (South India) as his capital, actually lived in Sialkot and had married a Chamari named Loona would be a grave mistake, and would also prove the lack of knowledge of the person making such ignorant derivations.
Therefore, this is the actual reason why people like Ram Parkash and other ‘scholars’ find themselves trapped in the gross misconception that story of Roop Kaur is a historical fact, and not an imaginary story. They make the mistake of interpreting this literary technique as a factual narrative.

In Charitars 21st, 22nd, and 23rd, Guru Gobind Singh Ji have used this literary technique in an innovative way, hence it is not surprising that the common man often misinterprets the meaning behind it. That is why Guru Ji has said about this
composition: ਸੁਨੈ ਮੂੜ੍ਹ ਚਿਤ ਲਾਇ ਚਤੁਰਤਾ ਆਵਈ ॥, i.e., the secrets will unfold if the story is read with concentration, which will also sharpen the wits of the reader.


ਤੀਰ ਸਤੁਦ੍ਰਵ ਕੇ ਹੁਤੋ ਪੁਰ ਅਨੰਦ ਇਕ ਗਾਉ ॥
ਨੇਤ੍ਰ ਤੁੰਗ ਕੇ ਢਿਗ ਬਸਤ ਕਹਲੂਰ ਕੇ ਠਾਉ ॥੩॥
On the banks of river Sutlej and near the mountain of Naina Devi, there exists a village called Anandpur in the state of Kahloor.

This village is the one that Guru Gobind Singh Ji had established after the battle of Bhangani.


ਕਾਹਲੂਰ ਮੈਂ ਬਾਂਧਿਯੋ ਆਨ ਆਨੰਦਪੁਰ ਗਾਂਵ ॥

When the writer of Triya-Charitar is about to narrate an incident that took place in such a famous town, which reader or listener can possibly ignore paying attention to the story? This is exactly the aim of the writer – to pull the attention of the reader towards the story, and he has been successful in doing so. However, the story that follows has got no direct or indirect relation with Anandpur town, the birthplace of the Khalsa.


ਏਕ ਤ੍ਰਿਯਾ ਧਨਵੰਤ ਕੀ ਤੌਨ ਨਗਰ ਮੈ ਆਨਿ ॥
ਹੇਰਿ ਰਾਇ ਪੀੜਤ ਭਈ ਬਿਧੀ ਬਿਰਹ ਕੇ ਬਾਨ ॥

According to the story, some rich man’s wife, who could not accompany her for some reason, comes to Anandpur and gets infatuated by its ruler and gets desperate for his companionship. The woman, whose name was Roop Kaur, orders her servants to bring the king to her place on some pretext or the other - ਨਗਰ ਰਾਇ ਤੁਮਰੋ ਬਸਤ ਤਾਹਿ ਮਿਲਾਵਹੁ ਮੋਹਿ ॥. Her servants say to the King, come with us if you want to obtain the Mantar that you have been after.

How can this King be our Guru Ji, for Guru-Ghar tradition clearly says:

ਤੰਤੁ ਮੰਤੁ ਪਾਖੰਡੁ ਨ ਜਾਣਾ ਰਾਮੁ ਰਿਦੈ ਮਨੁ ਮਾਨਿਆ ।।
I know nothing of Tantric spells, magical mantras and hypocritical rituals; enshrining the Lord within my heart, my mind is satisfied.

Carrying on with the story, this king disguises himself as a Saadhu and reaches Roop Kaur’s Dera. Seeing her desire getting fulfilled before her eyes, she dresses up in nice clothes, and offers flowers, betel-leaf (paan), alcohol etc. in his service:


ਫੂਲ ਪਾਨ ਅਰੁ ਕੈਫ ਮੰਗਾਯੋ ॥
ਆਗੇ ਟਰਿ ਤਾ ਕੋ ਤਿਨ ਲੀਨਾ ॥

In regards to chewing of betel-leaf, Guru Ji’s hukam is: ਸਿੱਖ ਹੋਇ ਪਾਨ ਖਾਏ, ਸੋ ਭੀ ਤਨਖਾਈਆ, i.e., Any Sikh who chews betel-leaf is an apostate. But the protagonist of this story goes a few steps further than that, and consumes paan and opium-mixed wine too.


ਤਬ ਤਾ ਸੋ ਤ੍ਰਿਯ ਯੌ ਕਹੀ ਭੋਗ ਕਰਹੁ ਮੁਹਿ ਸਾਥ ॥
Then the woman said, form physical relation with me.

What else could the woman say to a man who has consumed opium, and is chewing paan lying on the bed?

The king is baffled, and thinks to himself:


ਮੰਤ੍ਰ ਲੈਨ ਆਯੋ ਹੁਤੋ ਭਈ ਔਰ ਕੀ ਔਰ ॥
I had come here to obtain the Mantar, but it has turned into something else altogether.

Then a question and answer session takes places between the Saadhu (the king) and the woman:


Question: ਕਹਿਯੋ ਤੁਮਾਰੋ ਮਾਨਿ ਭੋਗ ਤੋਸੋ ਨਹਿ ਕਰਿਹੋ ॥..ਧਰਮਰਾਜ ਕੀ ਸਭਾ ਠੌਰ ਕੈਸੇ ਕਰਿ ਪਾਊ ॥
I will not form physical relations with you... how would I find place in Dharam Raaj’s court if I agreed?

Answer: ਕਾਮਾਤੁਰ ਹ੍ਵੈ ਜੋ ਤ੍ਰਿਯਾ ਆਵਤ ਨਰ ਕੇ ਪਾਸ ॥ ਮਹਾ ਨਰਕ ਸੋ ਡਾਰਿਯੈ ਦੈ ਜੋ ਜਾਨ ਨਿਰਾਸ ॥
If a kaam-ridden woman comes to a man and he refuses her; he should be thrown in the depths of hell.

Question: ਪਾਇ ਪਰਤ ਮੋਰੋ ਸਦਾ ਪੂਜ ਕਹਤ ਹੈ ਮੋਹਿ ॥ ਤਾ ਸੋ ਰੀਝ ਰਮ੍ਯੋ ਚਹਤ ਲਾਜ ਨ ਆਵਤ ਤੋਹਿ ॥
People fall at my feet and worship me; and you want me to have physical relations with you, are you not ashamed of yourself?

Answer: ਕ੍ਰਿਸਨ ਪੂਜ ਜਗ ਕੇ ਭਏ ਕੀਨੀ ਰਾਸਿ ਬਨਾਇ ॥ ਭੋਗ ਰਾਧਿਕਾ ਸੋ ਕਰੇ ਪਰੇ ਨਰਕ ਨਹਿ ਜਾਇ ॥
Krishna was also worshipped by everyone, but he did perform Raas-Leela; He had physical relations with Radhika, but he did not go to hell?

In short, the woman leaves the Saadhu looking up and down for answers by saying:


ਪੰਚ ਤਤ ਲੈ ਬ੍ਰਹਮ ਕਰ ਕੀਨੀ ਨਰ ਕੀ ਦੇਹ ॥ ਕੀਯਾ ਆਪ ਹੀ ਤਿਨ ਬਿਖੈ ਇਸਤ੍ਰੀ ਪੁਰਖ ਸਨੇਹ ॥
With five elements, Brahm created the man’s body; and it is Him only who has created the love between male and female.

Can the great emancipator, the bright-as-the-sun, the invincible Guru Gobind Singh Ji, be defeated by such small, petty argument? It is something worth thinking.

Seeing the king in confusion, Roop Kaur fires another shot:


ਆਜੁ ਹਮਾਰੇ ਸਾਥ ਮਿਤ੍ਰ ਰੁਚਿ ਸੌ ਰਤਿ ਕਰਿਯੈ ॥
ਹੋ ਨਾਤਰ ਛਾਡੌ ਟਾਂਗ ਤਰੇ ਅਬਿ ਹੋਇ ਨਿਕਰਿਯੈ ॥
Either form physical relation with me, or accept that you are not man enough and sneak away from under my legs.

On hearing this challenge, the king thinks:


ਰਾਇ ਚਿਤ ਇਹ ਭਾਤਿ ਬਿਚਾਰੋ ॥
ਇਹਾ ਸਿਖ ਕੋਊ ਨ ਹਮਾਰੋ ॥ ...
ਕਵਨ ਸਿਖ੍ਯ ਮੁਹਿ ਆਨਿ ਉਬਾਰੈ ॥
There is no Sikh here that could come and save me...

Could these words be that of Guru Gobind Singh Ji, in whose praise the following has been written:


ਜਾਹਿ ਸੰਗ੍ਰਾਮ ਬਾਰਤਾ ਹੋਇ, ਸਸ਼ਤ੍ਰ ਪ੍ਰਹਾਰਨ ਕਰਹਿ ਬਖਾਨ ।।
ਤਹ ਪ੍ਰਥਮ ਗਿਨਤੀ ਮਹਿ ਸਗਰੇ ਕਲਗੀਧਰ ਕੋ ਗਿਨਹ ਮਹਾਨ ।।
In the battlefield, He lets his weapons do the talking,
That is why Kalgidhar Ji is counted as the greatest of them all.

Why don’t naïve Sikhs analyse the story in this context? They get stumped by the word ‘Sikh’ and think it is used only for Guru’s Sikhs. The word ‘Sikh’ here has been used for a servant or employee, and is used in the same context later in the story also, where:


ਚੋਰ ਚੋਰ ਕਹਿ ਕੈ ਉਠੀ ਸਿਖ੍ਯਨ ਦਿਯੋ ਜਗਾਇ ॥
Screaming ‘thief! Thief!’ (Roop Kaur) woke up her sikhs.

The word ‘Sikh’ also has the same meaning (servant, employee) in KabyoBaach Benti Chaupai, the literary portion of Triya-Charitar, where Guru Ji says:


ਸੁਖੀ ਬਸੈ ਮੋਰੋ ਪਰਿਵਾਰਾ ॥ ਸੇਵਕ ਸਿੱਖਯ ਸਭੈ ਕਰਤਾਰਾ ॥
May my family live in comfort and ease along with all my servants.

‘Sikh’ here does not refer to the followers of Sikh faith; rather it is used for servants and other sewadars. It is because of subtleties like these, Guru Sahib has said:


ਸੁਨੈ ਮੂੜ੍ਹ ਚਿਤ ਲਾਇ ਚਤੁਰਤਾ ਆਵਈ ॥
The fool, who will listen to it attentively, will get wisdom.

Therefore, ignorance will create disgust instead of wisdom if a great literary Granth like Triya-Charitar is not read and analysed carefully.

The writer of Triya-Charitar has purposefully used the plural form of ‘Sikh’; so that support could be given to the illusion weaved at the beginning of the story where Anandpur is mentioned. There was a great need for using this method at this important juncture of the story, because it shakes and wakes up even the simplest of readers, and makes him realise that an imposter, tobacco-alcohol consuming king of Anandpur, who gets tricked by a loose woman simply cannot be their Guru. However, it is imperative for the writer to keep the literary illusion intact until the end, so that the seeds of consciousness and moral cleansing that he wants to sow in the reader’s mind can germinate. Aristotle calls it Catharsis and is the utopian aim of every art form.

Coming back to the story, Roop Kaur launches a final attack on the king:


ਅਬ ਹੀ ਚੋਰਿ ਚੋਰਿ ਕਹਿ ਉਠਿਹੌ ॥
ਤੁਹਿ ਕੋਪ ਕਰਿ ਮਾਰਿ ਹੀ ਸੁਟਿਹੌ ॥
She said, now I will scream ‘Thief, Thief’; people will then kill (you) in rage.

She screams and wakes up her sikhs in the Dera, and the king runs off leaving his shoes behind. The 21st Charitar ends here, and in the 22nd Charitar:


ਚੋਰ ਬਚਨ ਸਭ ਹੀ ਸੁਨਿ ਧਾਏ ॥
ਕਾਢੇ ਖੜਗ ਰਾਇ ਪ੍ਰਤਿ ਆਏ ॥ ...
ਆਗੇ ਪਾਛੇ ਦਾਹਨੇ ਘੇਰਿ ਦਸੋ ਦਿਸ ਲੀਨ ॥ ...
ਲਾਤ ਮੁਸਟ ਬਾਜਨ ਲਗੀ ਸਿਖ੍ਯ ਪਹੁੰਚੇ ਆਇ ॥
ਭ੍ਰਾਤ ਭ੍ਰਾਤ ਤ੍ਰਿਯ ਕਹਿ ਰਹੀ ਕੋਊ ਨ ਸਕਿਯੋ ਛੁਰਾਇ ॥

Although the king was able to escape in the commotion that ensued, Roop Kaur’s brother gets mistaken for the thief; and people thrash him up and put him behind bars. That’s the end of the 22nd Charitar. We have pointed out the reasons why simpletons make the mistake of treating these stories as the writer’s own life story: First is the local colour of Anandpur and second, the use of word ‘Sikh’ for servants and caretakers. There is a third reason in the 22nd Charitar, which has solidified this literary illusion even further.

In the 22nd Charitar, the Gurvaak is recorded in the form of Question and Answer session between Roop Kaur and the king. Some faithful and sincere Jathedar of Sri Akal Takht Sahib had these words etched on the upper Mehrab of the lower staircase, which pilgrims and other Sikhs would read every day. These words are:


ਸੁਧਿ ਜਬ ਤੇ ਹਮ ਧਰੀ ਬਚਨ ਗੁਰ ਦਏ ਹਮਾਰੇ ॥
ਪੂਤ ਇਹੈ ਪ੍ਰਨ ਤੋਹਿ ਪ੍ਰਾਨ ਜਬ ਲਗ ਘਟ ਥਾਰੇ ॥
ਨਿਜ ਨਾਰੀ ਕੇ ਸਾਥ ਨੇਹੁ ਤੁਮ ਨਿਤ ਬਢੈਯਹੁ ॥
ਪਰ ਨਾਰੀ ਕੀ ਸੇਜ ਭੂਲਿ ਸੁਪਨੇ ਹੂੰ ਨ ਜੈਯਹੁ ॥
ਬਾਲ ਹਮਾਰੇ ਪਾਸ ਦੇਸ ਦੇਸਨ ਤ੍ਰਿਯ ਆਵਹਿ ॥
ਮਨ ਬਾਛਤ ਬਰ ਮਾਗਿ ਜਾਨਿ ਗੁਰ ਸੀਸ ਝੁਕਾਵਹਿ ॥
ਸਿਖ੍ਯ ਪੁਤ੍ਰ ਤ੍ਰਿਯ ਸੁਤਾ ਜਾਨਿ ਅਪਨੇ ਚਿਤ ਧਰਿਯੈ ॥
ਹੋ ਕਹੁ ਸੁੰਦਰਿ ਤਿਹ ਸਾਥ ਗਵਨ ਕੈਸੇ ਕਰਿ ਕਰਿਯੈ ॥
Ever since I came of age, my Guru has taught me
Son, for as long as you have breaths in your body,
keep developing love with your own wife,
but never even dream of going to someone’s else bed.
O woman! Women from every corner come to me,
to get their wishes fulfilled, they bow their heads in respect.
The Sikhs are my sons, their wives my daughters,
O woman! Tell me how is it possible for me to form physical relations with them?

This verse (Chhand) of Triya-Charitar is, without a doubt, factual. It is a historical fact that Guru Tegh Bahadur Ji gave the above advice to his son Guru Gobind Singh Ji, which the writer of Triya-Charitar later kneaded into 21st Charitar. However, those who infer the story in 22nd Charitar is a historical narrative based on the factuality of the above Chhand show that they are ignorant of different literary techniques. Alif Laila, an 8th Century’s Arabic composition; 11th Century Sanskrit work Katha Sarit Saagar; and Bustaan, a famous Persian book of the 13th Century are some examples that make use of this literary technique. In these works, words written by other poets have been assigned to story’s characters, with the intention of expanding a certain plot within that story. For example, portions of Quran Sharif’s verses are used at various places writer Waris Shah in his composition Heer. Nobody has ever misinterpreted these verses to be life events of Prophet Mohammed, unlike our so-called scholars like Prof. Ram Parkash and others. In fact, Waris Shah claims that he has expanded on the meanings of Quran’s verses by using them in love story of Heer and Ranjha by saying:


ਇਹ ਕੁਰਾਨ ਸ਼ਰੀਫ ਦੇ ਮਾਇਨੇ ਨੇ ਜਿਹੜੇ ਸਿਅਰ ਮੀਆਂ ਵਾਰਸ ਸਾਹ ਦੇ ਨੇ ।
These are the meanings of Quran Sharif, as given by Poet Waris Shah.

And this is exactly how the kneading of Gurvaak Chhand of 22nd Charitar should be interpreted.


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‘DURGA PARBODH’ (1899): BY GYANI DITT SINGH JI, REVOLUTIONARY LEADER OF SINGH SABHA MOVEMENT

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“BURAYI DA TAKRA” (1949): BY PROF. SAHIB SINGH JI, PANTHIC SCHOLAR AND FAMOUS TEEKAKAR OF SRI GURU GRANTH SAHIB JI


ਦਸਮਗ੍ਰੰਥ ਵਿਚ ਇਸਤਰੀ ਪੁਰਖਾਂ ਦੇ ਛਲ ਕਪਟ ਭਰੇ ਪ੍ਰਸੰਗ ਜਿਸ ਭਾਗ ਵਿਚ ਹਨ, ਉਸ ਦੀ “ਚਰਿਤ੍ਰੋਪਾਖਯਾਨ” ਸੰਗਯਾ ਹੈ, ਪਰ ਪ੍ਰਸਿਧ ਨਾਮ “ਚਰਿਤ੍ਰ” ਹੀ ਹੈ... ਇਸ ਤੋਂ ਇਹ ਸਿੱਟਾ ਨਹੀਂ ਚਾਹੀਏ ਕਿ ਆਪਣੀ ਧਰਮਪਤਨੀ ਅਤੇ ਯੋਗਯ ਇਸਤ੍ਰੀਆਂ ਤੇ ਵਿਸ਼ਵਾਸ ਕਰਨਾ ਅਯੋਗ ਹੈ, ਭਾਵ ਇਹ ਹੈ ਕਿ ਕਾਮਤੁਰ ਹੋ ਕੇ ਪਰਇਸਤ੍ਰੀਆਂ ਦੇ ਪੇਚ ਫਸਕੇ ਲੋਕ ਪਰਲੋਕ ਖੋ ਲੈਣਾ ਕੁਕਰਮ ਹੈ ।


MAHANKOSH (1930): BY PANTH RATTAN BHAI KAHN SINGH JI ‘NABHA’



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spnadmin

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Luckysingh ji

A very comprehensive treatment of the story of Roop Kaur. It must have been very time-consuming to assemble it. One question that I only now have the mindset to ask: Were did Dasam Pita find the time to compose all of this? There are more than 400 Charitthars. Now some say that he dictated them, and others say that other authors composed them under his direction and mentorship. I come back with the same question. Where did he get the time? How did he fit it in, along with all the other compositions attributed to him. He was not even 42 years of age when he died, and much of his life as Guru was spent first navigating slippery politics and then spent at war. You have reported on some very penetrating questions. The very answers given in the article to these questions suggest to me that Guru Gobind Singh is more unlikely to be the author, than the article would have us believe. I on the other hand am asking a very practical question. I think Dasam Pita had more important things on his mind to consider than the misadventures of Roop Kaur.

Just a matter of Guru's priorities.
 
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Luckysingh

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I think the objective is to learn from the morals and teachings that are intertwined with the plot of a story.
These are just stories from that era and I don't think anyone claimed to compose them.

My reason for the above was to try and see that the characters in the plot are NOT guruji, as claimed by many. Because, I have made this mistake in the past, where I believed that the king or other figure in the plot was Guruji himself !

Anyway, I think that everyone has their own personal take on this issue.
Some can see the gurmat and teaching in the content and are happy to extract and apply. Whereas other's can't see this at all and have to clearly deny all existence of these.

Maybe I have a problem because my eye lens are a different colour and cannot see any anti-gurmat in the content.
I'm happy to accept all that sikhi has to offer, but I only take in what I like and find appropriate. Even when I listen to any bhai saab's katha etc.., I only take what I can apply to myself and that which can help me be more gurmat.

Quite often, you hear bhai saabs talking in ego about their way of practice or speaking lowly of other jathabandis for example,-
- BUT I ignore this completely and don't take any of this in and neither do I judge the bhai saab against the one next door.

As far as I see, we ALL have some good shining qualities and we ALL have some negative qualities that can surface unexpectedly !!
Yet, at the same time we can all take something to learn from each other.
Just as the King can learn from the words of a suffering beggar, the beggar can also learn from the suffering King !!
 

Gyani Jarnail Singh

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further to the solid queries put forward by spnadmin ji and ( which have NOT been answered at all )

1. GURBANI in SGGS is DHUR KI BANI...not "translated" or copy pasted parts from elsewhere - completely ORIGINAL work...and Completely COHERENT..running as SMOOTH as SILK no matter if its Bhagat Kabir Ji or Guru Arjun Ji...Bhagta Namdev Ji or Guru teg bahadur Ji....not a word is out of place...UNLIKE the DG which is without doubt a CUT and PASTE JOB so painfully obvious even to the most casual observer...

2. The GURU is NOT a copy paster or translator who then puts his mark -Mukhwaak Patshahi dasveen on such unoriginal work. Thats being dishonest and less than praiseworthy and its a disgrace that we put that at our GURUs charan...

3. There is ample proof that such SUBTERFUGE has been exposed as in the 41st VAAR spuriously added by anonymous persons to the Bhai Gurdass Vaars POTHI !! IF that Vaar had also carried the MUKHWAAK PAT 10..it would be "Gurbani" and beyond reproach ??Such SUBTERFUGE was used to ADD RAAGMAALA to SGGS..to make it 1430 pages so that the 1429 pages of DG could be "EXPLAINED" away ??? as Younger brother !!!

4. The GURU definitely had not much time to compose such a huge granth of 1429 pages _ A MYTH propagated about the Number 1429 is that it was PURPOSELY KEPT ONE PAGE SHORTER than the 1430 SGGS !!!! Can we seriously believe that the Tenth GURU would STOP "GURBANI...issuing from Akal Purakh Dhur Ki bani just to SATISFY such an urge to keep his granth smaller by one page so his sikhs will NOT in future treat BOTH GRANTHS as EQUALS ?? What a silly idea...Its all a one huge Fairy tale... Sounds more like those Fake Sikhs who PUSH MAALA BEADS..COUNTING the MulMnatars or Gurmantars to make sure they recited 101,1001,11,001 or 125,000 EXACTLY !!!( one more or less would be SACRILEGE). SEE point above ref Addition of raagmala to SGGS to make it BIGGER than DG !!

Just too many HOLES..and definitley NO MORALS or lessons in any charitar worth its weight in the ink its written in...compared to the weight in GOLD thats the SGGS....even if we consider just the FOUR DANDEES before and after JAP in the Very First Gurbani of SGGS..Those four Dandees are worth more than the worlds entire gold supply..for what they CONVEY....( and the SANT fake brahmgyanai lannna wants to DISCARD them because they are so frustrating to their evil intentions ). NO SUCH Grammar or rules ever in the DG..a hotch potch book.
 

Luckysingh

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1. GURBANI in Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji is DHUR KI BANI...not "translated" or copy pasted parts from elsewhere - completely ORIGINAL work...and Completely COHERENT..running as SMOOTH as SILK no matter if its Bhagat Kabir Ji or Guru Arjun Ji...Bhagta Namdev Ji or Guru teg bahadur Ji....not a word is out of place...UNLIKE the DG which is without doubt a CUT and PASTE JOB so painfully obvious even to the most casual observer..

That's a nice way of expressing a valid point, -I like that Gyaniji... quite precise!!
All the other points hold very strong as well.

I hope all of you are not thinking that I have joined the DG bandwagon or one of these jathabandis that just believe,stand and sing DG very 'blindly' !!
...............
...Far from it.!
I see the DG and especially the above contents as extra reference reading and material!! Nothing more, nothing less.
Be warned though, I am a person that gets inspired by disney stories, hollywood movies, pop,rock and rap songs!! The DG content that can inspire and invoke some gurmat in me, is also available in all corners of my life, like other media.

Anyway-.... This particular section(charitars) takes up a huge amount of DG and sits on a different platform altogether when compared to other content.
How much of it is authentic or not, - No one can really say or justify. We have to remember that at all times.

I think that it is very wise to approach the DG tales and stories being forarmed and pre-equipped with ALL of Gyanji's points above.
If you are well armed with this knowledge, then hopefully you won't pick up and take away any wrong gyan from it. (that's what I feel!)


However, I would just like to point at 2 different points that I can pick up from the charitars when it comes to morals or even advice!

First point is 'Kaam'.
Now, like many punjabi indians who like to brush it all under the carpet and keep the subject 'taboo' outside bedroom doors. I'm sure that we have all tried to handle it in this way at some moments in time.
This is our own so called 'avoidance'.

We find it easier to avoid it altogether by staying away from all things in the surroundings that may incite these feelings of kaam or lust.
We even try to convince ourselves that we 'NEVER" think about it ???...... 'What Never ?'!!!!!!...........


Just a few Notes on 'KAAM' first of all...............
Fact is-
Seniors in their last years of life, last week, last day, last second are dying, but the kaam inside of them is still alive and having a party.
Their hair has fallen out, they can barely move a muscle, but kaam is still present in their system and has not slowed down.
This kaam stays alive and kicking until the day we die.
Just as a man can go on producing sperm cells until death
,BUT the woman loses the ability to concieve after menopause and this does lower her kaam to an extent compared to the man's.
Therefore it is very possible for an 80 year old man to help concieve a child with a younger female, BUT it is very unlikely that an 80 yr old female will concieve anything !

I have a little theory on this about the power a woman can have to use Kaam while she's younger in order to have a man dancing on her fingers as punjabis say 'unglan te nachon'
But very, very few men, can use the kaam as a weapon over women in a similar way. Instead we have men that use other weapons of abuse(such as physical force, blackmail and power) with the vulnerable to feed their kaam !!

My theory is along the lines that a woman can have more power and weaponary use with the subject of kaam and therefore she experiences this decline later on in life compared to the hungry male!! So on a mathematical graph the 'area under the curve' for KAAM Activity throughout life would be similar in both sexes !


Can anyone really beat this Kaam and give it a good run ??
-Some practice yoga (breathing exercises, postures, mantras, etc) to get rid of it, but yoga has failed the devotee for since it was introduced.
No one beat kaam by doing yoga.
No one beat kaam by indulging in it.
No one beat kaam by replacing it with another intoxicate and then reading Bani.
No one beat kaam by avoiding it.
No one beat kaam by ignoring it.

So, where does ONE start ??
NOTE-The charitars do well in warning us and cautioning, but I haven't come across one that tells you where to start your own personal battle with your own kaam ??

Well, just like others have cut and pasted their own contributions in DG.
The charitars have only inspired me to come up with my own personal contribution, of HOW and WHERE to start this personal battle.............(see what you think)!!
(you never know, it may even be in a future revised edition!)

Here goes............-

-What do you eat for breakfast, lunch, and dinner?
Does it have that tasty good salt feeling, what about that little mouth burning feel or what about that sweet sugar taste?
Think back to the time when your mom made that daal that had no spice or salt taste!! You know that plain taste that we would call bland now !
Try that food again from now on...........or have that pizza with soo much cheese, sauce and oil that excites the mind and stimulates all your taste buds..

Well try to consider it poison and forbidden from now on.!!!!!!
Whatever soft drink you drink, stop drinking it and think................I love me some water or juice right now.

This is the way to start !!
How far will you go ?
Will you be happy and content with the bland stuff ? If Not, then what will make you more accepting and content with the simple bland food that is mentioned in shabad that I can't recall !
ASK, the Lord to give you strength and determination to make you more accepting. There is no point accepting and then being grumpy and miserable is there ?

I'm pretty sure that this determination on taste bud control can affect your control over your kaam and I am sure that people who can refuse chocolate and all other exotically rich foods outright are the ones that have near enough complete control over kaam.


Now, what I see being addressed is this weakness to kaam and how men can fall prey, how great kings have fallen to kaam by being tricked.
The charitars give you the warning and results, but they don't touch too much on the HOW to conquer.

I said earlier that there were 2 points, the 1st being Kaam.

The 2nd point that jumps to me is the one of 'Deception' or being subject to trickery, deceiving, unfaithfulness and being mislead.

-I firmly believe that this was something that Guruji had a greater disliking and discomfort with.
I have come to believe that Guruji was NOT as upset about losing his sons, mother and father- even though they were lost in the hands of the moghul enemies. For he lovingly accepted this great loss as HUKAM, the sweet will of God 'bannaa mithaa lag tera'


BUT, it is a BIG BUT, He was more upset and angry at the fact that Aurungzeb had sworn on the Koran that he would NOT surprise attack him and his people as they left their fort. But he went and did just that !
He went back on his oath, he lied, he deceived the Guru and his people.

This is something that Guruji found more disturbing to accept.
(I may be completely wrong and off the mark here,so please forgive me- but this is what I have come to believe after reading various accounts)

Saying this, I feel that many of the charitars actually touch on this very concept of deception.
I think that it is a fore warning to be prepared not to fall prey to a deceptor.
I reckon in the battlefield, the chances of a sikh falling victim to such deception can be quite high.
Personally, I have very recently myself been the victim of a deceiving action by a higher authority.
I won't give any names or details as they have not done anything illegal or wrong,as they acted within the guidelines of law and criteria.
BUT they did a good job of fooling me into believing something else.
They tricked and played with my emotions by putting my hopes up.
In ALL honesty, it really hurts.
Even this very moment when I think about it, I feel cheated, upset and weak. I have also come to feel like the gullible fool in this personal incident.
Just thinking and contemplating what our Guruji went through is the only thing that gives me strength and courage to not fall prey again.



To be on the receiving end of deception is what the warning is about from most of these charitars.
Although, I don't see why Guruji would have really given us that many different stories all focusing on 'Kaam' and 'Deception'.
Although, I admit that I may find some gurmat, message and inspiration in some of this material, whereas others can't very easily,- Also goes to prove on why would he make the DG so complicated as if to get the message you need to understand the secret code language ??
When we have the Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji that appeals to the masses in a simple, realistic and straightforward manner even if it has metphors to ancient stroies in scriptures.
So, even though I have highlighted some points to add to my sikhi learning curve from the DG, does not mean that I'm going to start demanding it's prakash or anything!

But getting away from this authenticity point, I hope you can see my two main points that have been inspired and derived from this section of the literature in DG.
 
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Gyani Jarnail Singh

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Lucky Ji..I have no problems with what you posted..me too loves hollywood disneyland..Toma nd Jerry and who let the dog out or Macbeth Roemo and Juliet etc etc tec....I have read the DG from cover to cover many times but i didnt waste nay money buying a Hard cover...the only Hard Covers i have are those my late dad bought from India..and they are bits and pieces of teekas by various authors.

The Thoughts you expressed about Kaam desire etc...The EPICS of PUNJABI LOVE...Heer Ranjha, laila Majnu, Mirza sahibaan, Sohnni Mahinvaal,..etc etc are actullay SUFIST literature in which the HUMAN Characters perosnify the LOVE for The Creator...just as the Imagery of words used in SGGS..Bride..Bridegroom..lover..Marriage Bed..Laavan, Ghorrian etc etc...are in actual fact dealing with the CREATOR via the human example metaphors..

BUT the ORDINARY PUNJABI and Non Punjabi takes these at FACE VALUE...and these EPICS are seen to be common "Munda kurree" Love stories of ILLICIT AFFAIRS etc....very very few can see the RELIGIOUS connection or layer underneath...

Methinks you are one of those very very FEW..who can see the layers below...good for you....BUT I find it hard to make the "connection" because I beleive our GURU wrote for the COMMON MAN..in COMMON LANGUAGE..simplest of words and for the MAJORITY...and that the GURU NEVER hid anything under even the thinnest VEIL or layer..everything is in Plain Sight..the GURU revealed ALL HIS CARDS..he wasnt a poker player at all....hence the SGGS is so easily understood...all one needs is love...i CANNOT say this about the DG..its language its vocabulary..its bantar..interior construction etc etc is all OUT of sync with the Majority the Common man..:mundabhangra:
 

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I totally agree, yet again Gyanji !!
The fact that a few maybe able to extract some hidden knowledge from DG, makes it more like something that Guruji would NOT do.
This is why I quoted -
Although, I admit that I may find some gurmat, message and inspiration in some of this material, whereas others can't very easily,- Also goes to prove on why would he make the DG so complicated as if to get the message you need to understand the secret code language ??
When we have the Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji that appeals to the masses in a simple, realistic and straightforward manner even if it has metphors to ancient stroies in scriptures.

The shabads from Sri Guru Granth Sahib ji appeal to the masses in a simplistic language.
Yes, when you come across a shabad and look into it deeper, then it's meaning and message only gets stronger.
There is no 'hidden' message that only the priveleged can see. But in DG, you have to look and look to get even a 'slight' message and it doesn't get any stronger even if you know more about the metaphor in reference!!
I'm sure you will agree with me here ???

Yet again, I don't understand why there needs to be that many charitars that all touch on similar issues!

I am very glad that you mentioned the sufi analogy above, because I didn't think that many of you were aware of this and would agree with me, so I never touched on this area!
Again, I am very glad that you are aware and can understand my next comment.-

-I have a great interest in music as you may know, so I am very aware of this sufi literature and influences with reference to 'God and the soul bride'..etc..etc..

I like Bulleh Shah's classic that we all know-'ni mai kamlee'
Which very few out there actually understand, as this song is about the soul bride being in a 'mad' or kamlee love with her lover God.
We still keep hearing newer bhangra/hip hop versions of this song that keep getting released, and I often wonder if these producers actually know what Bulleh Shah was actually on about ?!!!

With reference to this sufi style of Lover God and human soul bride, I gather that the references in the Sri Guru Granth Sahib ji are more in line with this rather than kaam.
I have also found many DG fans that try to back up charitropakhyan like to claim that SGGS ji has references for love,lust and kaam.
BUT- Ihave to disagree here!
I think that most of the SGGSji references are close to the sufi analogy whereas the DG references seem more direct on Kaam and deception.
Therefore, these scholars that claim that DG is a continuation in more depth of the initial love/lust shabads in Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji, are actually on a completely different scale. These scholars seem to give no regard to the sufi analogies in my personal opinion.

I'm no scholar, but I can easily see where some other so called scholars are wrong!!
I'm pretty sure that you will agree ?

My father (passed away some 15 yrs ago) always taught me to not follow the crowd, to not do or believe something just because so and so said so.

He said there are 2 types that don't follow the crowds blindly-
1st, there are the quiet ones, that just observe and learn what they can from the crowd and then go away from the limelight taking the learned gyan with them.

2nd, there are the ones that don't want to follow but they want to lead!
They want the crowds following them. If they see a baba or dera pulling in crowds with some special style, then they too want their own style to pull in the masses!!
If they see a musician pulling all the teenagers and money, then they too want to do the same but they don't envy or learn from the musician they see. Infact, they have hate and jealousy of why this person is a success and they are not!

You can guess, he always taught me to be part of the 1st group of people.
He would also say very often-
- Keep your Eyes and Ears OPEN, but keep your Mouth Closed and Only open when you need to !!

This is why I don't follow the pro or anti DG crowd. But I Look and Listen to the points of both parties and then approach it by being pre-armed with this knowledge.
So far, I have found that most of the pro arguments seem to fall flat on the face.

I only had interest in the piece above in the OP, because it made me realise that the king or the decieved is NOT Guruji as I had previously assumed !!
Why i assumed this ???- I really cannot remember !!!
Therefore, I found it useful to post so that others won't make the same mistake.
 

Chaan Pardesi

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My personal belief is that these stories were added by person or persons unknown, to some rachana/writings that may have been of Guru Gobind Singh Jis, to defame the Guru Ji and bring him down among the Sikhs.But


But unfortunately or fortunately, most Sikhs were uneducated, the true contents of the bachiter natak [it cannot be justified as dasam granth]never became known properly to the sikh panth; and some how has worked both ways,in fact because of uneducation, many people never really found out what it is all about, but relied on heresay of babas...Only the bachiter nataki babas read bits and pieces one to enhance their erotic pleasures and secondly to keep sikhs divided over the Guruship of Guru Granth sahib and make fools of sikhs.It seems to have worked up to now.There is nothing of moral nor of any food for thought in these stories apart from descriptive scenes of erotica.

Infact I believe it is rtaher mischevious and ignorance to even refer to any writings of Guru Gobind Singh Ji as Gubrani.Only the contents of Guru Granth sahib are Gurbani and should be correctly refered to as Gurbani.Anything out sid ethe remit of Guru Granth sahib is NOT bani at all.They are simply writings,even if written by Guru Gobind Singh ji himself.

Sikhs and Punjabis have a way of projecting larger than life issues that often become unbelievable when measured against ordinary scales.Any large book becomes Granth, any person who meditates and offers some cures becomes sant, any one who is religious orientated becomes baba ..the story line is endless.
 

ravneet_sb

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Sat Sri Akaal,

GURU's BANI is not at all at physical level,

It is One's OWN Deceiving MIND, Mind Deceives and Action Appears

It is a mental activity state before physical actions appear, so having sex or no sex is ignorance
of thought.

A question if the

human mind has passion or attraction for fancy food and wine

and want's to consume fancy wood or wine.

Problem is with attraction or mind which gets attracted or have such passion, may be male or female.

Human mind will blame on Attraction and not the Self, it is blame tendency of MIND to pass the blame, withouth understanding of own self "MIND"

So do if male gets attracted for female for sex,

Isn't it like always resting the blame on others, and not resolving one's own passions.


Secondly Love is unconditional giving which is "TRUE NATURE" of "MOTHER" for every son,
Parent love there children, nourish them,

Woman Love for there SON
Father's Love for Daughter
he always secure here daughter without the feeling of "SEX" unless father is "ADDICT"


and Parental LOVE is not comparable to any physical material things.

But one mind attached to material and other mind drugs and intoxicants.

With no expectation of returns,

Human mind may say they do all this to get help in there old age,
But how affectionately one serve, it is not even little of return.

Mother feels no smell, no timings, for brought up of child and
is attached with feeling of "ONENESS" with child and children.
which is expected by "DHARMA"
As "Dharma" or "Eternal Law" which abides "HUMANS" otherwise there is "SPLIT" in society.

And "TRUTH" is the "PRINCIPAL" act,

This unconditional giving nature is missing to "MALE" mind

One's "MAN" has evoked this "FEMALE" routine and vice versa one is

"POORAN"

The word "POORAN" is very misunderstood, there is no outside physical relation,

It is "METAPHYSICAL" word.

Every Mother wants her Son to Be World's Best and gives unconditional Love with no return

But female who can take charge of her "SECURITY" that one can kill "SEX DEMON" from "MANS MIND" and "ERASE" that it's "MAN's" mind feeling, females are different.

If males have iota of this feeling,
they have not to give birth to children,
then its the way to "POORAN"

But "Lust" is enjoyed by humans, and one gets disconnected from eternal "TRUTH"
and they have to be silent in "ETERNAL COURT" or "SPEAK LIE" and shed "DHARAM"

Every "MIND"
is in search of
"TRUTH" after which "PEACE" dwells
with peace of Mind "Happiness" appears.

Practice of "TRUTH" is resolve to "LUST" to develop "KHALSA"


Bhul Chuk Maaf

Waheguru Ji Ka Khalsa
Waheguru Ji Ki Fateh
 
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swarn bains

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my o my. finally i found you. by the way did you read the Eneglish translation by sant singh khalsa of page 1410 waaraan and wadheek by baba Nanak. You are the true follower of his translation. read and advise
 

ravneet_sb

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my o my. finally i found you. by the way did you read the Eneglish translation by sant singh khalsa of page 1410 waaraan and wadheek by baba Nanak. You are the true follower of his translation. read and advise

Sat Sri Akaal,

Never read this translation, just wrote the way it came.

There are no doubts and contradiction in GURU's BANI,
it's written with oneness with True Nature,

To have "DOUBT" and "CONTRADICTION"S" is in "HUMAN NATURE"
which goes after getting "SAT"

it's like "Darkness" and "Light" never gets together at same instance this is non contradicting
"TRUTH" of "NATURE"
any human can experience this fact.

so do "SAT" and "DOUBT"

If one feels "CONTRADICTION" or "DOUBTS" in "GURU'SBANI"

though "SAT" is near but one has closed own vision to "UNDERSTAND" or has turned face to "DARKNESS"

One has obtained "SAT" after all "DOUBTS" have gone


Waheguru Ji Ka Khalsa
Waheguru Ji Ki Fateh
 
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