Columnists

In Praise of The King of Kings:
Part I

SARBPREET SINGH

Each time I get to a particular moment in my nitnem (prayers, part of the daily Sikh liturgy), my head starts to fill with fleeting images, even as I savor the cadence of Guru Gobind Singh Ji’s divine poetry.

Bhai Sahib Dharm Singh Zakhmi, in his inimitably eloquent manner, likens the Bani (writings) of Guru Gobind Singh to a clear and sparkling stream, bursting forth from the heart of a mountain in the pristine wilderness.

The powerful torrent of words conjures up images, no less powerful. Whinnying stallions, fleet of foot, galloping like the wind. Richly caparisoned elephants, swaying majestically. Hordes of brave warriors with arms of steel, capable of laying waste to impregnable forts.

And then, all of this magnificence magically morphing into a single point of infinite calm and peace.

Divine nothingness.

The words alone are enough to energize and uplift. The inherent drum beat of the poetry is so insistent that it pervades your being. The rich images create tremendous excitement and anticipation. And yet, he tells us that the trappings of power and wealth are but an illusion. As he strips the illusion away, all that is left is pure love. And peace.

I speak of the Tav Prasad Sava-i-yye, also known as the Sudha Sava-i-yye, a collection of ten verses that appears in Guru Gobind Singh’s sublime work, Akal Ustat.

I start wondering. Why these particular words? Why these images? Surely there is much else in the world that is illusory! Why these particular examples?

One of the elements of traditional Sikh scholarship is ‘Uthanka’ or historical context, which provides a contextual understanding of a particular shabad (hymn) or bani. By far the most widely drawn upon work for this contextual understanding of Sikh scripture is the work titled Sri Gur Pratap Suraj Granth by Santokh Singh, popularly known as Suraj Partap.

The few traditional contextual sources I could find for the Tav Prasad Sava-i-yye point to Guru Gobind Singh’s interaction with a groups of kings as the backdrop for the composing of the Sava-i-yye. There seems to be general agreement that the words in this bani clearly address temporal leaders, to help them understand the ephemeral nature of their power, undoubtedly a source of great pride to them.

I feel that the Sava-i-yye have great relevance to our lives in the modern world as well; while we may not be surrounded by powerful despots thirsty for conquest in the traditional sense, it is rather easy to recognize the modern avatars of the kings with their stallions and elephants and armies and forts!

Before sharing the stories of these kings and their interactions with Guru Gobind Singh, I would like to offer a translation of the Sava-i-yye, with the caution that my insipid translation can never even attempt to capture the magnificence and raw power of this bani. All that it will provide is some context.

TAV PRASAD SAVA-I-YYE

Holy men of many stripes have I encountered in my wanderings

Warriors, demons and demigods; ‘saints’ of various orders

Many countries have I seen, but none is truly His

Without the Lord’s blessing, all these are utterly worthless

Tall, richly caparisoned and bejeweled elephants, swaying majestically

Countless horses, faster than the wind, prancing like deer

Kings, strong of arm; saluted by all; their power incomprehensible

Of what consequence these trappings? For they too depart barefoot from this world

Triumphant they march through many lands; kettle drums extolling their glory

To the cacophonous trumpeting of their elephants and the neighing of their horses

Countless proud kings there are have been and will be

Unmindful of the Lord, they go to their final resting place, these trappings, left behind

Pilgrimages, ablutions, restraint, charity and mercy

The diligent study of the Hindu and Muslim holy texts

Abstinence from food; celibacy; all this I have seen

Without contemplating the Lord, all this is futile

Brave warriors, clad in shining armor who crush their enemies

Proud and steadfast; even more than the mountains

Shattering their enemies; crushing rebels; humbling elephants

Bereft of His grace, they too shall depart from the world

Multitudes of fearless heroes, who face steel unhesitatingly

Conquer nations and crush rebels, subduing proud elephants

With threats alone, cause impregnable forts everywhere to surrender

They too are naught but beggars at His doorstep

Demons, demigods, serpents and ghosts; forever have and will submit to God

As will all creatures in sea and land that He created in the twinkling of an eye

And thus will their good deeds multiply and their sins will be erased

The holy will roam the world in ecstasy and their enemies will be subdued

Powerful kings of men and demigods, with powerful elephants in their command

Men who perform ritual ablutions, believe in charity and have many splendid weddings

They too, along with the Gods of the Hindu Pantheon, shall not escape death

But those that are truly aligned with Him, shall escape the cycle of rebirth

Pointless it is to shut your eyes and meditate silently as if you were a crane

To wander seeking holy places to bathe at, rather than contemplating the Lord

Or to waste one’s life in the pursuit of pleasure

God can be obtained only by loving Him and his creation

Some venerate and worship stones; others are attached to idols (like shivalingams)

Some seek him in the South (Dwarka); others in the West (Mecca)

Some fools worship idols and others pray at gravestones

The world is tangled in pointless ritual; none have fathomed the inscrutable Lord

*   *   *   *   *

So who were these kings then that might have elicited such a response from Guru Gobind Singh?

Popular tradition holds that these verses were composed when the Guru was at Anandpur Sahib. Max Arthur Macauliffe, in Volume V of his monumental work, The Sikh religion, its Gurus, Sacred Writings and Authors, tells the story of a visitor that the young Guru received at Anandpur, where he then resided.

Raja Ram Rai of Assam had become a follower of Guru Tegh Bahadar many years earlier, when Guru Tegh Bahadar had traveled to the East. Then childless, he asked for the Guru’s blessing and in due course a son was born to him. He was named Ratan Rai.

Macauliffe’s account is largely based on the traditional work Gur Bilas Patshahi Dasvee(n), written by Bhai Sukha Singh as well as the work Suraj Prakash, cited earlier.

When Ratan Rai attained the age of twelve, he felt an inclination to see the son of the Guru by whose mediation he had been born. He accordingly, with his mother and several of his ministers, proceeded to Anandpur. He took with him as an offering five horses with golden trappings; a small but sagacious elephant; a weapon out of which five sorts of arms could be made -- first a pistol, then by pressing a spring a sword, then a lance, then a dagger, and finally a club; a throne from which, by pressing a spring, puppets emerged and played chauparr; a drinking cup of great value; and several costly and beautiful jewels and raiment.

The Raja was received in great state. He offered his presents, prayed the Guru to grant him the Sikh faith and sincerity, so that his love might be ever centred at the Guru's feet. The Guru granted all his desires.

The Raja exhibited the excellence and advantages of all his presents. He showed how five weapons could be made out of one, he unloosened the puppets from the throne and set them playing chauparr.

He caused the elephant to wipe the Guru's shoes and place them in orderly readiness for him. The Guru at the Raja's suggestion discharged an arrow. The elephant went and fetched it. The animal held a jug of water from which the Guru's feet were washed, and then wiped them with a towel. At a word of command he took a chaur and waved it over the Guru. At night, he held up two lighted torches with his trunk, and led the Guru and the Raja to their homes.

In due time the Raja bade farewell to the Guru. On his departure, the former requested the Guru to never let the elephant out of his possession.

The elephant was called ‘Prasadi Hathi’ and was greatly celebrated in the Guru’s court.

Anandpur at that time lay in the kingdom of Bilaspur, which was ruled by Raja Bhim Chand of the Kheloorea clan of Chandravanshi Rajputs. Bilaspur lay in the foothills of the Himalayas on the banks of River Sutlej. It was founded by Raja Bir Chand in 697 AD when his father Raja Harihar Chand was killed by the then Raja of Kangra. Bir Chand, the oldest of four brothers decided not to go back home and established a small fort at Kot-Kahloor in the low lying area below the peak of Shri Naina Devi, around which he carved out a kingdom.

Raja Bhim Chand was a proud king, whose family had ruled for a thousand years before he ascended to the throne of Bilaspur.

In his work Twarikh Guru Khalsa, Volume 10, Gyani Gian Singh colorfully describes the period we are at in Guru Gobind Singh’s life. Religious persecution by the Mughal administration was on the rise and many flocked to Guru Gobind Singh’s protection to avoid forcible conversion to Islam.

Continued tomorrow …..

January 7, 2013

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