ENGLISH TRANSALTION - Kharak Singh & Gurtej Singh
STORIES OF THE NINTH MAHAL (IV)
Episode No. 12
GURU'S MARTYRDOM
Once, on pretext of hunting, Guru Baba left Anandpur and reached as far as Agra, very farin the country and beyond. There were three other Sikhs with him, all four were riding horses. On reaching Agra they camped in a garden, where a Hindu shepherd was tending his goats. Guru Baba called him and said, "Take mymohar (gold coin) and shawl to the sweets-seller, and against this buy two rupees worth of sweets and bring it in the shawl.
My Sikhs will look after your goats." Then the shepherd went to the sweets-seller with the moharand the shawl and conveyed what the Guru had said. A state employee of the area lived in his neighbourhood. The Judicial Inspector Naurang Shah Badshah happened to be camping there. The sweets-seller suspected that this man might be a thief, because themohar and shawl did not go with his status.
He considered it prudent to inform the darogha to avoid any future trouble. So, the sweets-seller took the shepherd to the darogha for interrogation. The darogha a~ked, "What do you say?" The shepherd replied, "Four noble horsemen have arrived in the garden where I was tending my goats. They called me and asked me to take this mohar and shawl to buy sweets worth two ropees against the mohar, and bring it in the shawl. They have sent me here. They promised to look after my goats in my absence." The darogha decided to report the hQrsemen to the Emperor. Every night he used to report whatever activities he saw during the day. He
wanted to know who they were.
So he instructed the shepherd to take the sweets from the shopkeeper and also to take his men with him. He also directed that the four horsemen should come and talk to him, so that he could find out who they were. Thus, the shepherd left with the sweets, the message and the darogha's men. The message was delivered to the Guru. On hearing it he got up to accompany the men. The Sikhs followed, duly armed, on horseback. They reported to the darogha. "Who are you?" asked the darogha. "I am Tegh Bahadur," replied the Guru. The darogha immediately reported to the emperor, "Your Majesty, Guru Tegh Bahadur, the pir of the Hindus, whom the Hindus call the True Emperor, is now in our hands. There are three other horsemen with him. They have all been detained at the shop. I solicit further instructions." The emperor was very happy to hear this, and immediately ordered their arrest.
The darogha put all four in jail, putting chains round their necks and waists. Their feet and hands were also chained. Two of the Sikhs grumbled, complain ing that the Guru had landed them in a difficult situation which would'lead nowhere. "Even now, anyone who wants to go, can be released," said the Guru. "Kind Master, who will release us now? All our limbs are locked in chains. The Imperial squads are constantly watching us. How is release possible?" asked the Sikhs. "You are released!" said the Guru. Instantly, their chains got unfastened, and the Sikhs
could leave. Nobody was able to see them. Then the Guru looked towards the third Sikh
and asked him to go also.
But the Sikh had full faith in the Guru, and said, "O True King, my head has already been surrendered to you. It is for you to keep or kill me. I have no life beyond you." The Guru blessed him and permitted him to stay with him to sacrifice his head for the cause of the Guru. The Guru stayed in the prison along with the Sikh. The ministers expressed their happiness to the emperor over the fact that the pir of the Hindus, Guru Tegh Bahadur, had fallen into their hands, and said, "If you can make him accept our religion, then thousands of Hindus will automatically convert to Islam." "God has thrown him into my hands. If he still does not accept our religion, he faces torture. That will make him relent," said the emperor. Then the Turks started torturing the Guru's body with cruelty that is beyond description. It was only the Guru who could bear it. Anybody else in his place would have yielded to their demand in no time. On the second or third day, the emperor came to the Guru and offered governorship of any province of the Guru's choice, adding, "You will not have to furnish any accounts. The heavens will be yours. I, along with my sons, shall become your follower and shall establish kinship with you. But you must accept our religion."
"Stop this nonsense. You can do whatever you like. This will never happen. Who can undo
what the Creator has ordained. Whatever has been ordained by Him, only that shall
happen. Nothing else," replied the Guru. The Turks tried all kinds of tactics. But the Guru
remained firm, like the Sumer Mountain braves the worst storms. At that time the Sikh
prayed, "I cannot tolerate such unworthy behaviour towards you. Pray, permit me to
destroy the Emperor along with his Empire."
"Where did you get these powers from?" asked the Guru. "O True King, it is from your service that such powers have corne to me, I have not seen any other door," replied the Sikh.
"Listen, O Sikh, do you think that he who gave you these powers, has none of these
himself?" asked the Guru.
"Your powers have no limit," replied the Sikh. Then the Guru told him not to speak. "The
Lord has caused the events." At this the Sikh became quiet. Later, another Sikh wrote a
prayer addressed to the Tenth Lord, on behalf of the Ninth Mahal. The following doha
formed part of the prayer:
'All strength is gone; thrown in bonds is this frame;
No effort avails.
Prayeth Nanak: Lord, you are my sole support.
Succour me as you did the (mythological) elephant.'
The reply of the Tenth Master was this couplet:
'Lo, strength has arrived;
The bonds are snapped asunder.
Every thing is within your control,
The strength is there,
Saith Nanak, you alone are my helper.'
Then the Guru caused this to happen. The Guru ordered one of the Sikhs with him in
prison, "In the ambrosial hours of the morning, when I finish recitation of the Japu ji, and
bow my head in obeisance, you shall sever my head from my body." "O True King, if you
get this done through me, what will be my fate?" asked the Sikh. "You will be with me,
wherever I am," replied the Guru. At this the Sikh bowed in obeisance. In the morning the
Guru had his bath and completed recitation of the Japu ji, offered the Ardas, and bowed
his head before the Lord. The Sikh was asked to carry out his assignment. At this the
Sikh severed the Guru's head from the body.
As this news reached the Emperor, the Sikh was also executed, and strict watch ordered,
so that the Guru's body could not be taken away. The Tenth Master was at Anandpur
then. He ordered the Ranghreta Sikhs to bring the Guru's body to Anandpur, and gave his
blessings to them. The Ranghreta Sikhs bowed in obeisance. They loaded a bullock cart
with hay, stole the body during the night, and presented it to the Guru at Anandpur. The
Guru blessed them, honouring the Ranghretas as "Sons of the Guru." The body reached
Anandpur and the head fell into the hands of the Delhi Sikhs. The body was cremated at
Anandpur, and the head at Delhi. At both places sandal wood was used at the pyre.
Flowers and petals were heaped on the Guru's biban. The whole atmosphere was filled
with fragrance of incense, and sweetness of scents and perfumes. Saffron was sprinkled.
Conch shells were blown, and celestial music sounded all round. There was a prolonged
shout of victory. Angels from heaven came to witness the scenes of shouts of victory. The
sidhas, the saints, all came to shower flowers on the Guru's biban, happy to hear the
praise of the Guru. (12)
STORIES OF THE NINTH MAHAL (IV)
Episode No. 12
GURU'S MARTYRDOM
Once, on pretext of hunting, Guru Baba left Anandpur and reached as far as Agra, very farin the country and beyond. There were three other Sikhs with him, all four were riding horses. On reaching Agra they camped in a garden, where a Hindu shepherd was tending his goats. Guru Baba called him and said, "Take mymohar (gold coin) and shawl to the sweets-seller, and against this buy two rupees worth of sweets and bring it in the shawl.
My Sikhs will look after your goats." Then the shepherd went to the sweets-seller with the moharand the shawl and conveyed what the Guru had said. A state employee of the area lived in his neighbourhood. The Judicial Inspector Naurang Shah Badshah happened to be camping there. The sweets-seller suspected that this man might be a thief, because themohar and shawl did not go with his status.
He considered it prudent to inform the darogha to avoid any future trouble. So, the sweets-seller took the shepherd to the darogha for interrogation. The darogha a~ked, "What do you say?" The shepherd replied, "Four noble horsemen have arrived in the garden where I was tending my goats. They called me and asked me to take this mohar and shawl to buy sweets worth two ropees against the mohar, and bring it in the shawl. They have sent me here. They promised to look after my goats in my absence." The darogha decided to report the hQrsemen to the Emperor. Every night he used to report whatever activities he saw during the day. He
wanted to know who they were.
So he instructed the shepherd to take the sweets from the shopkeeper and also to take his men with him. He also directed that the four horsemen should come and talk to him, so that he could find out who they were. Thus, the shepherd left with the sweets, the message and the darogha's men. The message was delivered to the Guru. On hearing it he got up to accompany the men. The Sikhs followed, duly armed, on horseback. They reported to the darogha. "Who are you?" asked the darogha. "I am Tegh Bahadur," replied the Guru. The darogha immediately reported to the emperor, "Your Majesty, Guru Tegh Bahadur, the pir of the Hindus, whom the Hindus call the True Emperor, is now in our hands. There are three other horsemen with him. They have all been detained at the shop. I solicit further instructions." The emperor was very happy to hear this, and immediately ordered their arrest.
The darogha put all four in jail, putting chains round their necks and waists. Their feet and hands were also chained. Two of the Sikhs grumbled, complain ing that the Guru had landed them in a difficult situation which would'lead nowhere. "Even now, anyone who wants to go, can be released," said the Guru. "Kind Master, who will release us now? All our limbs are locked in chains. The Imperial squads are constantly watching us. How is release possible?" asked the Sikhs. "You are released!" said the Guru. Instantly, their chains got unfastened, and the Sikhs
could leave. Nobody was able to see them. Then the Guru looked towards the third Sikh
and asked him to go also.
But the Sikh had full faith in the Guru, and said, "O True King, my head has already been surrendered to you. It is for you to keep or kill me. I have no life beyond you." The Guru blessed him and permitted him to stay with him to sacrifice his head for the cause of the Guru. The Guru stayed in the prison along with the Sikh. The ministers expressed their happiness to the emperor over the fact that the pir of the Hindus, Guru Tegh Bahadur, had fallen into their hands, and said, "If you can make him accept our religion, then thousands of Hindus will automatically convert to Islam." "God has thrown him into my hands. If he still does not accept our religion, he faces torture. That will make him relent," said the emperor. Then the Turks started torturing the Guru's body with cruelty that is beyond description. It was only the Guru who could bear it. Anybody else in his place would have yielded to their demand in no time. On the second or third day, the emperor came to the Guru and offered governorship of any province of the Guru's choice, adding, "You will not have to furnish any accounts. The heavens will be yours. I, along with my sons, shall become your follower and shall establish kinship with you. But you must accept our religion."
"Stop this nonsense. You can do whatever you like. This will never happen. Who can undo
what the Creator has ordained. Whatever has been ordained by Him, only that shall
happen. Nothing else," replied the Guru. The Turks tried all kinds of tactics. But the Guru
remained firm, like the Sumer Mountain braves the worst storms. At that time the Sikh
prayed, "I cannot tolerate such unworthy behaviour towards you. Pray, permit me to
destroy the Emperor along with his Empire."
"Where did you get these powers from?" asked the Guru. "O True King, it is from your service that such powers have corne to me, I have not seen any other door," replied the Sikh.
"Listen, O Sikh, do you think that he who gave you these powers, has none of these
himself?" asked the Guru.
"Your powers have no limit," replied the Sikh. Then the Guru told him not to speak. "The
Lord has caused the events." At this the Sikh became quiet. Later, another Sikh wrote a
prayer addressed to the Tenth Lord, on behalf of the Ninth Mahal. The following doha
formed part of the prayer:
'All strength is gone; thrown in bonds is this frame;
No effort avails.
Prayeth Nanak: Lord, you are my sole support.
Succour me as you did the (mythological) elephant.'
The reply of the Tenth Master was this couplet:
'Lo, strength has arrived;
The bonds are snapped asunder.
Every thing is within your control,
The strength is there,
Saith Nanak, you alone are my helper.'
Then the Guru caused this to happen. The Guru ordered one of the Sikhs with him in
prison, "In the ambrosial hours of the morning, when I finish recitation of the Japu ji, and
bow my head in obeisance, you shall sever my head from my body." "O True King, if you
get this done through me, what will be my fate?" asked the Sikh. "You will be with me,
wherever I am," replied the Guru. At this the Sikh bowed in obeisance. In the morning the
Guru had his bath and completed recitation of the Japu ji, offered the Ardas, and bowed
his head before the Lord. The Sikh was asked to carry out his assignment. At this the
Sikh severed the Guru's head from the body.
As this news reached the Emperor, the Sikh was also executed, and strict watch ordered,
so that the Guru's body could not be taken away. The Tenth Master was at Anandpur
then. He ordered the Ranghreta Sikhs to bring the Guru's body to Anandpur, and gave his
blessings to them. The Ranghreta Sikhs bowed in obeisance. They loaded a bullock cart
with hay, stole the body during the night, and presented it to the Guru at Anandpur. The
Guru blessed them, honouring the Ranghretas as "Sons of the Guru." The body reached
Anandpur and the head fell into the hands of the Delhi Sikhs. The body was cremated at
Anandpur, and the head at Delhi. At both places sandal wood was used at the pyre.
Flowers and petals were heaped on the Guru's biban. The whole atmosphere was filled
with fragrance of incense, and sweetness of scents and perfumes. Saffron was sprinkled.
Conch shells were blown, and celestial music sounded all round. There was a prolonged
shout of victory. Angels from heaven came to witness the scenes of shouts of victory. The
sidhas, the saints, all came to shower flowers on the Guru's biban, happy to hear the
praise of the Guru. (12)
