Parchian Sewa Das
Parchian Sewa Das, is also known as "Parchian Pathshahi 10", "Sakhian Seva Das Udasi", "Mahalan Dasan Kian Sakhian" and "Sakhian Dasan Patshahian Kian". It is a work dated October 1708 A.D. and is probably the earliest available narration, in prose, of some sakhis (episodes) from the life of Guru Gobind Singh. Its date of completion coincides with the date of the Joti Jot (emerging witht the eternal) of Guru Gobind Singh and it seems to have been written at Hazur Sahib (Nander) itself. The author, Seva Das, was an Udasi Sikh in the time of Guru Gobind Singh. Further nothing much is known about the author, Seva Das. Only that he was an Udasi, and that according to the colophon, belonged to the Udasi sect. The Bhasha Vibhag (Language Department), Punjab first published this work in 1961, and a second edition was brought out in 1978.
The work is rather hagiographical than historical in nature, although several episodes agree with similiar accounts in other sources such as the Gurbilases and Sri Gur Pratap Suraj Granth. The language is old Punjabi.
It is held at the Khalsa College, Amritsar, under MS. No. 2300E. Special mention is made of the Zafarnamah, in which Guru Gobind Singh's major battles against the hill chiefs and the Mughal government are alluded to.
Only one sakhi each relates to the first eight Gurus, four are connectred to the Ninth Guru, Guru Tegh Bahadur, and the remaining 38 narrate incidents from the life of Guru Gobind Singh. But none of them describes the Creation of the Khalsa in 1699 as such in any form. There is, however, a passing but significant reference to it in the very first episode which after giving "a brief sample" of the Zafarnamah is concluded as follows:
"The letter contained the warning, ‘Beware, the Khalsa is born, the real idol-breaker Khalsa. Khalsa will punish you. You will not be spared."
"The name of the messenger who took this letter was Bhai Daya Singh. When Aurangzeb read this line of the letter, he looked at Bhai Daya Singh and asked, ‘Has the Khalsa taken birth’? ‘Yes, Sir, the Khalsa has appeared,’ replied Bhai Daya Singh. ‘It should not have appeared15. That is a novel nectar to be prepared with the use of a double at this time. I see doom ahead.’ Saying this, Aurangzeb’s face turned pale, and he died." [1].
The abolition of the institution of masands is ascribed to the corruption that had overtaken it. Guru Gobind Singh 's friendship with Bahadur Shah, son of Emperor Aurangzeb, is justified by the author on the ground that he (Bahadur Shah) was a great lover of saints and had served them with devotion in a previous life. The circumstances of the death of the Guru are described in some detail. His orders for Sikhs to venerate the Adi Granth as Guru after him and to read barn daily are said to have been explained to a Sikh named Prahlad Singh. A great part of Rahitnama Prahlad Singh is reproduced in the text in 31 stanzas in a mixed form of poetry and prose.
Its episode No. 47 refers to a violation of Rehat, the Code of Socio-religious Conduct and discipline prescribed for the Khalsa, at Dadu Dwara - Guru’s salutation, Khalsa’s notice, Guru’s explanation and acceptance of the tankhah (i.e., punishment, in the Sikh parlance) awarded by the Khalsa.[2].
