Bachitar Natak -An opponent's Analysis

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BACHITAR NAATAK AN ANALYSIS

Bachittar Naatak is a famous composition in the “ DASAM GRANTH “ . This small booklet describes the previous incarnation of the Tenth Guru, and His long and hard worship of God in His previous life. It also describes a brief history of the Bedi and the Sodhi dynasties; the birth of Guru Gobind Singh; and a few battles. But there is no mention of the “Amrit Ceremony” or the battle of Chamkaur. The Booklet is written in Brij language, but has been translated by Giani Narain Singh in Punjabi. After studying the booklet very carefully, it becomes very doubtful that the Tenth Guru could be its author. If all those questions (doubts) are discussed in the present article in detail, the article would become much larger than the Naatak itself. Therefore only the most important questions will be shared with the readers. The whole discussion in this article is based on the translation of the Naatak by Giani Narain Singh. The following issues are of most concern:


1. THE PHYSICAL FORM OF WAHEGURU (GOD):

     According to the Holy Guru Granth Sahib, Waheguru never takes any physical form. He is completely formless, and is never born as a living being.  Gurbani or Guru’s Word is the only other form of the Almighty.  The following sacred words (shabads) of the Guru are only a few among a vast number of such shabads that support the above idea.

1. Ekonkar Sat Naam Karta Purakh Nirbhau Nirvair Akal Murat Ajuni Saibhang Gurparsad ( Jap Ji) 2. Roop na rekh na rang kichh trihu goon te Prabh bhin

     Tise bujhaye Nanaka jis hove so parsan                                              (Sukhmani)

3. Tudh roop na rekhiya jaat tu verna bahra

     Eh manas jaane door tu verte zahra                                  (Vaar Maaru M:5 Pauri)

4. The Tenth Master Himself writes that Waheguru is without any form, colour or caste, and that nobody can tell what his He looks like.

     Chakar chehan er bern jaat er paat nahin jih
     Roop rang er rekh bhekh kouoo keh na sakat kih                              (Jaap Sahib) 

The next three holy words of the Guru testify to the fact that Guru’s word is the other form of Waheguru 5. Poathi Permesur ka Thaan

     Saadh sang gaavhe goon Gonbind pooran Braham Giyan                (Sarang M:5)

6. Kavan guru kavan mat wela. Tera kavan guru jis ka tu chela

     Pavan aranbh Satgur mat wela. Sabad Guru surat dhun chela        (Sidh Goshat)

7. Aape Sabad aape nishan. Aape surta aape jaan (Bilawal M:1)


     Yes, the Guru has described Waheguru having some physical traits in Guru Granth Sahib, but that’s only when the Guru was overcome by his affection for Waheguru and He became too sentimental to express His affection, or when the Guru was describing Waheguru as residing in every living being. The following two holy Sabads clariy this point.

8. Tere banke loyin dunt reesala. Sohne nak jin lambre waala (Wadhans M: 1)

But, this is purely a sentimental expression of affection, and that too because He resides in every human being. That is why no real number has been put on the eyes, arms or feet of Waheguru. 1. Sehus tuv nain none nain hai tohe

          Kaho sehus moorat nana ek tohi     ---------                                 (Dhanasari M: 1) 

In the later Sabad, the Guru has made it very clear that if, Oh Waheguru, You have thousands of eyes or thousand of faces , it is because You reside in every human being. Otherwise You have no eyes or no nose. Also, wherever the Guru has described any physical traits of Waheguru - albeit as a sentimental expression - He did so very affectionately, and the writing creates a very loving, sweet, and pleasant picture of Waheguru. He has always been described as affectionate and kind. No where in the Granth Sahib, has Waheguru been painted as vicious, scary or terror-striking.

     But in direct contrast to the above, in the Naatak, Waheguru has been described as having physical form which is very scary, unpleasant, and even ridiculous.  Examine the following couplets carefully to grasp the point. Each couplet has been assigned two number (a/b). The first number refers to the chapter in the Naatak, while the second number refers to the couplet itself. 

1/18 Krang baam chapyang kirpanang kralang. Maha tej tejang birajai bisalang.

     Maha dahr dahrang su sohang aparang. Jinai cherbiang jeev jagyang hazarang  

Meaning: God holds a bow in His left hand and a terror-striking sword in His right hand. He is seated with a powerful bright light emanating from Him. With His huge jaws, He looks very impressive among living beings with big jaws. He has chewed down thousands of the living beings of the world. 1/21 Ghurang ghunghreyang dhunang navreyang.

     Maha naad naadang surang nirbikhadiyang.

1/22 Siran maal rajang. Lakhe Ruder lajang Meaning: The bells around His ankles are ringing like a necklace of the foot, and are making a very loud noise. God has a garland of scalps around His neck which puts even god Shiva to shame.


1/23 Maha gerj gerang. Sunne doot lerjang.

     Servang sroan sohang.  Maha maan mohang 

Meaning: The messengers begin to tremble to hear the loud roar of God. Blood is flowing from His throat which is charming even the very proud. 1/44 Chatur bahu charang. Creeting su dharang.

     Gada sankh chakarang.  Dippe kroor bakarang. 

Meaning: God has four beautiful arms. He is wearing a crown on His head, and is holding a gada (a spherical metallic fighting instrument), a conch, and a chakar ( a very sharp circular hollow disc) Note: The author seems to have forgotten to mention the fourth object. God has four hands, but only three objects are mentioned above. 1/55 Dirh darh kral dvai sait udhang. Jih bhaj dushat bilok judhang

     Madmat kirpan kral dharang.  Jaya sadd sura suryang oochrang. 

Meaning: God has two, tall, white, scary jaws which strike terror among the demons who flee the battle field. The intoxicated God holds a dreadful sword in His hand. Both - the gods, and the demons - chant victory to Him. 1/90 Namo teer topang. Jinai shatru ghopang

     Namo dhop pattang.  Jinai dushat dotang 

Meaning: I salute the arrow and the gun which destroy the enemy. I also salute the sharp sword which cuts the evils into pieces. 2/12 Sehsrachh jaako shubh sohe. Sehas pud jaake tan mohe.

     Shesh Naag per soibo kare.  Jagteh shekhsai oochrey. 

Meaning: God, who is adorned by thousands of eyes, and whom thousands of feet make very attractive, makes Sheshnaag His resting place. That is why He is known as the master of Sheshnaag in the world.

It is clear from the few couplets given above that God has a definite physical form. Not only that, the God of the Naatak is shown more like a demon than a kind, affectionate, and fatherly Power. Why is He wearing a garland of human scalps around His neck, and why is blood flowing from His throat? Is He wounded, or does He drink blood? In either case, He is nothing like the God of Guru Nanak. This physical picture of God that has been painted, resembles the Hindu gods and goddesses shown in pictures, particularly Mata Kali, who is shown wearing a garland of human scalps, and who has blood flowing from her mouth. The conch, gada, and the chakra are the symbols of Vishnu and not of the God of Guru Nanak. In His Fifth Spiritual Form as Guru Arjun, Guru Nanak makes it very clear that being formless, God does not wear any of the above items. Na Sankhang na chakarang na gada na Siamang. Ascharaj roopang rahant janamang. Nate nate kathant Beda. Ooch Mooch Apaar Gobindeh. (Sloak Sehaskriti M:5) Meaning: God is limitless, He is great and is beyond our reach. The Bedas say there is none like Him. He does not wear a conch, a chakar, nor a gada. And He is Not Siyam (Krishan or Vishnu). He is amazing and never takes birth. Now how can the same Guru in His Tenth Spiritual Form can write that God has a physical form with all those characteristics. The God of Bachittar Naatak also has four arms, two large jaws, but thousands of eyes and feet. It is not clear why He has thousands of feet, but only two eyes. He wears an arrow, and a cannon. He sleeps on Sheshnaag, and He is always intoxicated under the influence of alcohol. As we will discuss later, all these attributes are in complete contradiction of the Gurbani. Also, the enemies flee the battle field when they hear His roar. We wonder who His enemies are whom He scares with His roar! This Earth has borne many Hitlers, Nadir Shahs, and Genghiz Khans, none of them seems to have heard His roar. If the bomb had been invented at the time of the author of the Naatak, he would have shown God with five or six arms, holding bomb in one of them. The God of this Naatak goes to sleep too. We wonder who runs the Universe at that time! The God in Guru Granth Sahib never goes to sleep. He is the only one who is awake all the time. All the attributes of the God of Bachittar Naatak are those of a living being which the Gurbani refutes strongly. The next two sacred words confirm that God is always awake. 1. Ikko Satgur jagta hoar jag soota mohi piyas. ---- (Wadhans ki Vaar. M:3) 2. Paati torre malini paati paati jeeo. -----

     Bhooli malini hai eho. Satgur jagta hai Deo                                      (Asa Kabir JI) 

It is clear that Guru Nanak’s God is completely different from the one described in the Naatak, and also from Guru Gobind Singh’s who writes in Jaap Sahib that God is completely without any form. How can anyone believe that the same Guru, who is also the tenth spiritual version of Guru Nanak, can write things like the ones written in the Naatak about God? From the description of God in the Naatak, only the following three conclusions are possible. 1. The Tenth Master is not the author of Bachittar Naatak 2. Guru Gobind Singh had a different philosophy than Guru Nanak 3. The characteristics of God underwent a dramatic change from the time of Guru Nanak to Guru Gobind Singh

Which of these is the correct conclusion? The judgment is left to you.


WAHEGURU: AKAAL OR KAAL?

While describing the characteristics of God at the very beginning of Guru Granth Sahib (GGS) in Jap JI, Guru Nanak describes Him as “Akaal” meaning that time has no effect, whatsoever, on God. God never gets older, and He never dies. In fact, nowhere in GGS, not even once, God is referred to as “Kaal” which means both, time and death. Even in Jaap Sahib, which is supposed to have been written by the Tenth Master, God is refferred to as “Akaal” and not as “Kaal”. When there is a reference of God as “Kaal”, it is “Kaal of kaal” which means even death is killed (controlled) by God. In our Slogan - “Bolle so nihal, Sat Sari Akaal” which is supposed to have initiated by the Tenth Master, the reference to God is “Akaal”, an not “Kaal”. So, how can the same Guru refer to God by “Kaal” repeatedly in Bachittar Naatak? The following are a few examples among hundreds in the Naatak where God is referred to as “Kaal” 1/83 Firre chaudhoon lokyang kaal chakrang.

         Sabhang naath naathe bharmang bhauh bakrang
     Kaha Ram Krishanang kaha chand soorang
     Sabhe haath bandhe kharre Kaal hajoorang

1/84 Kaal hee paye bhayo Bhagwan so jagat ya jag ki kala hai

     Kaal hee paye bhayo Barahma Shiv Kaal hee paye bhayo jugia hai

2/2 Mook oochrey Shaster khat ping girn charh jaye

     Andh lakhai badhro sunai jau Kaal kirpa karaye

Meaning: A dumb can say all the six Shastras, and a lame can climb a mountain. A blind an see, and deaf can hear if, oh God, you show kindness. 2/10 Pritham Kaal jab kara pasara. Onkar te srishat upara. 8/34 Ranag tiyag bhage. Sabhe trass page. Bhaiijeet meri. Kirpa Kaal Teri. Note: The war slogan of the Tenth Master is “Waheguru Ji ka khalsa, Waheguru Ji ki Fateh”. But here the author is referring to his own victory which is uncharacteristic of the Guru. 14/1 Serb Kaal sabh sadh ubhare. Dukh de ke sabh dokhi mare 14/5 Serb Kaal hai pita apara. Deb Kalka maat hamara. In stark contradiction to GGS (Guru Granth Sahib), not only has the author of Bachittar Naatak referred to God by “Kaal” rather than “Akaal”, he has also created another power in the name of goddess Kali, as his mother, as written in couplet # 14/5. In GGS, only God is considered to be the real father and mother, and in fact, any other relative of mankind. No power other than God is acknowledged in GGS. All the gurus were in complete unison only with God. The following sacred hymns among hundred others, support this truth. 1. Tu mera pita tu hai mera maata. Tu mera bandhap tu mera bharata (Majh M:5) 2. Tumhi pita tumhi phun maata tumhi meet hit bharaata----- (Sarang M:5) 3. 4. Herr Ji maata Herr Ji pita Herr jeeo pritpalak.

     Herr ji meri saar kare hum Herr ke balak.                                (Maru ki Vaar   M:5)

5. Soot apradh kert hai jete. Janani cheet na rakhas tete

     Ramayya haoun barak tera.  Kahe na khandis avgoon mera            (Asa Kabir Ji) 

The following sacred “words” downplay the importance of any god or goddess. They also emphasize that if there is any god or goddess at all, then there is not just one Barahma or one Shiva, there are millions of them, and they all created by God. So, they really have no importance. 6. Gur Isher Gur Gorakh Barahma Gur Parbati Maii (Jap JI) 7. Kete pawan paani baisanter kete Kahn Mahesh

     Kete Barahme gharat ghariye roop rang ke ves                                          (Jap Ji)

8. Kote Bishan keene avtar. Kote brahmand ja ke dharamsaal

     Kote Mahesh upaye smaye. Kote Brahame jag saajan laye. .....
     Kote Maya ja ke sevkaye. ...  Kote Inder thadhe hain duaar. .....       (Bharau M:5) 

The author of the Naatak is clearly a devotee of the goddess, Kalka, which Guru Gobind Singh Ji cannot be. Furthermore, in some other writings attributed to the Tenth Master, God has been referred to as “Akaal” and not as “Kaal”. For example cosider the following hymns from Jaap Sahib, a composition in the Dasam Granth, which is much more likely to have been written by the Tenth Master. 9. Namastang Akaale. Namastang Kirpale 10. Nirboojh hain. Asoojh hain. Akaal hain. Ajaal hain. 11. Namastang Akaale. Namastang Apaale. 12. Kaalheen kalasanjugat Akaal Purakh aades. Note: In couplet (h), in complete contrast to the Naatak, the Guru refers to God not as “Kaal”, but “Kaalheen” meaning timeless. Everywhere else, He refers to God as “Akaal”. Also, there is another well known composition in Dasam Granth, titled, “Akaal Ustit” agin supposed to be, and most likely, written by the Tenth Master, in praise of God. It is noteworthy that the title is

      “Akaal Ustit” and not “Kaal Ustit”. Also remember His slogan: Bolle so nihal, Sat Sari Akaal.  

Is there a special reason that the Tenth Master had to refer to God by “Kaal” in the Naatak, while in His other compositions He refers to God by “Akaal” in complete agreement with GGS? So, is there still a doubt that the author of the Naatak cannot be the Tenth Master? Is there still some doubt that the author of the Naatak is a devotee of the goddess, Kalka, and it cannot be our respected Kalgidhar.


CREATION OF THE UNIVERSE

According to GGS, God creates the universe at His own will, applying His own Laws (Hukam), but nobody can claim to know when and how the universe was created. Only God Himself knows about it; no god or goddess has any knowledge of that.

1. Hukmi hoven aakar Hukam na kahiya jaee (Jap Ji) b. Kawan su wela wakhat kawan kawan thit kawan waar

     Kawan su rutti mahu kawan jit hoa akaar. ........
     Ja Karta sirthi kau saaje aape jane soi. ......                                                (Jap Ji) 

The Tenth Master Himself writes: 3. Tumra lakha na jaye pasara. Kih bidh saja pratham sansara. ... (Chaupaii) But according to the Naatak, God took out earwax from one of His ears and created two demons - Keetabh, and Madhu. Then He took out earwax from His other ear, and created the rest of the whole universe. 4. Ek servan te mail nikara. Taa te Madhu Keetabh tan dhara.

     Dutiya kaan te mailu nikari.  Taa te bhayee srishat ih saari 

There are dozens of questions that arise from this story about the creation of the universe. But only a few will be discussed. 1. Bachittar Naatak, beyond any doubt, posits that God is not formless. Indeed, He has a body like any human being, and has two ears. 2. God does not keep His body clean. His ears are so dirty that He was able to create the whole universe from the wax of one ear alone. We wonder what the present level of God’s cleanliness is! 3. If God has human form, He needs some place to set feet on. Before He created the universe from the wax of His ears, what was He standing (or lying or sitting) on? Also, He created the two demons before He created the rest of the universe, so where did the two demons stand? 4. Guru Nanak’s theory about the creation of the universe (or matter) is totally different from the claim of the Naatak. In Siri Rag, Guru Nanak writes that God created gases first from Himself, which transformed into water, and then into solid. Saache te pawna bhaya pawne te jal hoye. Jal te tirbhawan (three-dimensional solid) saajia ghat ghat jot smoye. (Siri Rag M:1) How is it possible that Guru Gobind Singh, whom all Sikhs believe to be the tenth spiritual incarnation of Guru Nanak, can write things so differently from His first incarnation - Guru Nanak? 5. Also, when the Tenth Master Himself writes in Chaupayee that nobody knows how the universe was first created, how can He write in the Naatak that the universe was created from the earwax of God?

     Tumrah lakha na jaye pasara.  Kih bidh saja pratham sansara.                                 (Chaupayee) 

This baseless story about the creation of the universe seems to have been inspired by the birth story of Ganesh, whom Parbati created from the grease of her body when she was bathing. The author of such a theory of the creation of the universe, and therefore, the Naatak, can never be the Tenth Master. Whoever wrote this illogical story, cannot be the successor of Guru Nanak Who had attained such a high level in spiritual world that He was one with God. Guru Arjun Dev confirms this as follows:

     Guru Nanak Dev Gobind roop.                                                           (Basant M:5)

Such fabricated and low level stories are a big disrespect to great souls like the Tenth Master.This story is millions of miles away from both, the spiritual, and the scientific world.Guru Nanak’s God is formless and Supreme whose acts are beyond human comprehension.

     Hern bhern ja ka netar fore.  Ta ka manter na jane hore.                     (Sukhmani)



GOD: IMPERFECT, HELPLESS, JEALOUS, and FURIOUS

The author of the Naatak writes that God told the Tenth Master His (God’s) woeful tale that when He created the demons first, they became all too powerful and because of their power, they went crazy and became problematic. As a consequence, the importance of God began to weaken.

6/6

Jab pehale hum srishat bnayee.  Daeet (demons) rache dushat dukhdaee.
Te  bhujbal  bawre  ho  gaye.      Poojat  parampurakh  reh  gaye

6/7

Te hum tamik tanak mo khape.   Tin ki thaur devta thape
Te  bhi  bal  pooja  urjhaye.         Aapan  hi  Permeshar  kahaye.           

So, God got so mad that He destroyed them at once. Then He (God) created gods. But gods too began to call themselves God and rather than making the people worship God, they got the people to worship their might. As a result God, who was the real deserving of worship, was pushed aside, and the gods became popular. So, God was really upset with both - the demons, and the gods, and asked (Guru) Gobind Singh to go to the Earth, and make people worship Him. This story raises a number of questions, and a number of conclusions can be drawn from it which are as follows:

QUESTIONS: 1. Why did God make the demons first of all? Did He want to start the universe with evil souls to begin with? 2. And if that is what He wanted to do, why was He surprised? What else did He expect from the demons? 3. If no other living beings had been created yet (gods were created only after the demons were destroyed) whom the demons were hurting, and who acknowledged their might? 5. Was God so weak that He felt threatened by the demons, and He killed them out of fear? 6. Did God have no foresight that if the demons had become rebellious, the gods could also act the same way? Also, since both the demons, and the gods showed no respect for God, what was the difference between the two? 7. Was God so desperate to be worshiped that He had to implore (Guru) Gobind Singh to help Him? 8. If nobody worshiped God, what did the Tenth Master do to become God’s favorite? According to the Naatak, the Tenth Master spent a long time at Hem Kunt and worshiped very hard to realize God.

     Hem Kunt Parbat hai jahan.  Sapat shring sashobhat hai tahan. .......
     Tahan hum ghor tapassiya sadhi.  Maha Kaal Kaalka araadhi. ......... 

The above couplets are from the Naatak itself which testify that the Tenth Master DID worship some power - Maha Kaal Kaalka - which must be another name for the God, because if this were not, God would not be pleased with the worship done by (Guru) Gobind Singh, and would not ask the Tenth Master to go to the Earth and spread His (God’s) Word. In that event, how can the author justify God’s complaints to (Guru) Gobind Singh that nobody worshiped Him - only gods were worshiped? But according to the author, the Tenth Master did worship God. Thus, there is a big contradiction in the story itself.

CONCLUSIONS: 1. God made a big mistake of creating the demons , and then the gods; and God admits His mistake. This proves God is not perfect, and He is fallible. 2. God can have His rivals born, which can be a big threat for Him. So, God is vulnerable and helpless. 3. God is jealous, revengeful, and furious. 4. God is really dying to be worshiped. He is telling His miserable story to His devotee - our Tenth Master - and is begging the Tenth Master to go to the Earth and promote Him among the people so He may be worshiped. The demons and the gods had betrayed Him. 5. Guru Nanak and His next eight Spiritual incarnations did not spread the word of God, and thus again betrayed God. 6. The holy saints, like Bhagat Kabir, Bhagat Nam Dev, Bhagat Ravidas, and many others, whose sacred compositions have been included in the Holy Granth Sahib, were also disloyal to God.


A low-level, self-proclaimed saint, and who runs his own cult, may have the qualities listed above, but the omnipotent and infallible God of Guru Nanak can never never have these characteristics. The God of GGS is perfect, He never makes any mistakes, He is without fear, without enmity, and has no rivals. Examine the following sacred words of GGS.

1.

Bhagtan tai sansarian jore kade na aya.  
Karta Aap abhul hai na bhule kisai da bhulaya.                 (Vaar Majh. Pauri M:1) 

2.

Tu karta aap abhul hai bhulan vich naahi. ...... 
Tu kern karan samrath hai dooja ko naahi.                     (Gauri ki Vaar M:4 Pauri) 

3.

Hore sareek hovey koi tera tis aage tudh aakhan 
Tudh aggai tudhai salahi main andhe nauo sujakha      (Vaar Sarang. Salok M:1)

4.

Teri wadiyee tuhai jaanda tudh jewad awar na koi 
Tudh jewad sareek hovai ta aakhiye tudh jewad tuhai hoyee(Vaar Bihagara M:4) 

Also, according to GGS, it is God who controls characters of living beings. Living beings develop characters as God wants them to. So, even if He did create demons first (which is highly unlikely), He already knew what kind of deeds would they do. He should not have been surprised. Study the following sacred words of GGS.

1.

Aape aap vertada Piyara aape aap apahu. .... 
Aape ujjhar payenda Piyara aap vikhale rahu. ....                               (Sorath M:4)

2.

Aape ker ker vekhda aape sabh sacha. 
Jo hukam na boojhe Khasam ka soi ner kacha. .......
Jiun Nanak aap nachyenda tiv hi koi nacha.                       (Vaar Maru M:3 Pauri)

3.

Prabhu bhulaye ujjhar paye nihfal sabh kerman. 
So giyani so baisno pariah jis keri kirpa Bhagwan.                            (Sarang M:5) 

As far as fury (or rage) is concerned, let alone God - who is so great and sacred power- even a common man should control his fury because it one of the five worst enemies of a man’s good character. In our daily prayer, we beg in front of GGS that God help us control our fury or rage. If God Himself cannot control His rage, who should we beg for help, and why? Can the God of the Tenth Master be so (in fact, any) different from that of Guru Nanak? If not, can the Tenth Master be the author of Bachittar Naatak?

THE PREVIOUS INCARNATION OF THE TENTH MASTER:

As discussed earlier, the author of the Bachittar Naatak writes that before the Tenth Master was born to Maata Gujri Ji and Guru Tegh Bahadur in Patna, He spent a lot of time at Hem Kunt Parbat to realize God by hard self discipline and worshiping God. As a result, He became one with God. Then God called (Guru) Gobind Singh to Him and described the whole story of the creation of the universe. Next God asked the latter to go to the Earth to spread God’s Word so that the people should worship God. God also wanted the Tenth Master to punish the sinners and the evils.That’s why the Tenth Master was born. The following lines from the Naatak describe the above assertion.

     Hum eh kaaj jagat mo aaye.  Dharam het Gurdev pathaye.
     Jahan tahan tum dharam bitharo.  Dushat dokhiyan pakar pachharo.
     Yahi kaaj dhera hum janmang.  Samajh leyo adhu sabh manmang.
     Dharam chalawan sant ubharan dushat sabhan ko mool uparan. 

A number of questons arise from this story, however, we are afraid that raising those questions may not leave an impression of disrespect for the Tenth Master whom we adore. But the kind-hearted and intelligent readers will come to realize that our criticism is directed at the Naatak, and not at the most revered Guru Gobind Singh, the Tenth Spiritual Incarnation of Guru Nanak. Firstly, the above lines are a very close translation of the 7th and the 8th sloaks of Chapter 4 of Bhagwat Geeta which convey: Hey India, whenever Dharma deteriorates, and Adharma spreads, I take birth to protect the virtuous and to destroy the evils. To maintain Dharma, I take birth in every Yug. Clearly, the author has tried to identify the Tenth Master with Shri Krishan. But Gurbani does not believe in any god. However, this concern is not that serious. There are some other questions which are as follows. 1. Did the first nine Gurus not spread the Word of God? Were they asking people to worship them (the Gurus)? Time and again Guru Nanak described Himself an insignificant dhadi (bard) of Waheguru who was here to sing His (Waheguru’s) praise. He also described Himself the lowest of the lowliers. The succeeding eight Gurus did the same thing. A few sacred hymns are given below just as examples.

     Haoun dhadi vekaar kare laya. Raat dihoun ke vaar dhuron furmaya. .....
     Dhadi kare pasau Sabad wajaya.                                                                     (Majh ki Vaar. M:1)
     Neechan ander neech jaat neechi hoon ut neech. .........
     Jitthe neech samaliyan uthe nazar Teri bakhsheesh.                                             (Siri Raag M:1)
     Haun dhadika neech jaat hore uttam jaat sadayende. 
     Tin mangan jo tudhe dhiayende.                                                              (Asa di Vaar. Salok M:1) 

Not only that the Gurus loved God so much that they were always ready to lay down their lives for His cause.

     Tain Sahib ki baat je aakhey kaho Nanak kiya deejay
     Sees badhai kai baissan deejay.  Vin sir save kareejay                                            (Bihagra M:1)

and:

     Ghoal ghumaee Lalna Guru man deena.  
     Sun Sabad Tumhara mera man bheena.                                                      (Tukhari Chhant M:5) 

This is an extreme of love and respect for God. How much more can any one do? Furthermore, other than describing some physical traits, like four arms, thousands of feet, and thousands of eyes etc. etc. of the God, the Naatak does not praise the God in any way. On the contrary, the Tenth Master (if He is the author of the Naatak - and He is NOT) is worshiping some goddess - Kaalka Devi - by calling her His mother. 14/5 Serb Kaal hai pita apaara. Deb Kaalka maat hamara. These are the very gods and goddesses about whom God was complaining to the Tenth Master that they did not spread God’s Word. So, even the Tenth Master did not do (praise God so that He may be worshiped) what the God had expected Him to do. b. Has any of the first nine Gurus written about (or even talked about) their previous lives? If not, why not? Did they not know about their previous lives, or they did not think it was necessary to write about them? And because they did not write about their previous lives, do we respect them any less? c. Is the world any better off now that it knows (right or wrong) about the previous life of the Tenth Master? If so, in what way? 4. Had the Tenth Master not written about His previous life, would we have respected Him any less? 5. All the Gurus, including the Tenth Guru, have disapproved to leave home and go in isolation to realize God. Then why would the Tenth Guru describe a story of His previous life which violates not only the fundamental principles of GGS, but also His own? Consider the following sacred shabads in this respect.

     Kahe re ban khojan jaee.  Serb nivasi sada alepa tohi sang samaee.                   (Dhanasari M:9) 
     Bhooliyo man maya urjhayo. ......Sang Suami so janiyo nahin ban khojan ko dhayo.
     Ratan Ram ghat hi ke bheetar ta ko giyan na payo.                                                 (Jaitsari M:9) 
     Sabh kichh ghar mein bahar nahi.  Bahar tolle so bherm bhulaee. ..                             (Majh M:5) 

     Fareeda jangal jangal kiya bhave van kanda moreh.
     Wassi Rab hiyaliyai jangal kiya dhoonday.                                                      (Salok Freed Ji ke) 

In fact, the Tenth Master Himself writes against leaving home to go in isolation to realize God. Re man aiso ker sanyasa. Ban se sadan sabai ker samjho man hi mahi udasa. (Ramkali Tenth Master) Not only that, all the sacred composition of all the Gurus and the Bhagats, was compiled by the Tenth Master Himself. How can it be possible that on one hand He preach not to leave home to realize God, and on the other, tell His own story of going to the Hem Kunt Parbat to do the same. Can such a contradiction be expected from the Tenth Spiritual incarnation of Guru Nanak? It can be expected of some self-proclaimed saint that he may impress some people by narrating stories of his previous incarnation, and thus may misguide them to show reverence for him, but the Tenth Master needs absolutely no support of some flimsy supernatural events from his previous life to impress people. His sacrifices of all kinds, and His contribution for the betterment of humanity are so great and unparallel that even the non-Sikhs cannot resist to bow their heads in respect. People consider themselves lucky to apply the dust to their foreheads of the feet of a great soul like the Tenth Master, who sacrifices all His comforts, His riches, His peace, and His whole family for the betterment of humanity, and who is still thankful to God. Why would such a Supreme Soul need to prove to the public that He had to toil really hard to self discipline Him to realize God. In fact, rather than shining it, such a baseless story tarnishes the image of the Great Guru. And it is a very cheap and insulting joke against such a Great Soul.


THE BATTLE OF BHANGANI, AND EVENTS AFTER THAT:

When the Tenth Master was residing at Paonta Sahib, the Hills Rajahs, forced a battle on the Him. It is a long story in itself. The Tenth Master won the battle despite the fact that His Pathan soldiers played treason and defected to join the enemy forces. Describing His victory, the author of the Naatak, purporting to be the Tenth Master, writes: 8/35. Ranang tiyag bhaage. Sabhe trass paage. Bhayee jeet meri. Kirpa Kaal Teri. The Tenth Master, who always attributed His victories to God by emphasizing, “Waheguru Ji ka Khalsa, Waheguru Ji ki Fateh” claims this victory to be His own. It seems very unlikely for the Tenth Master to have written something like that. However, this is not that serious. The more serious thing is the alleged action taken by the Tenth Maser against the people of Anandpur sahib when He went back there after the battle of Bhangani. The author of the Naatak writes that the Sikhs did not find rest in Paonta after the battle of Bhangani, and the Tenth Master went to the State of Kehloor where He built a village, named, Anand Pur. The people who had helped the Guru in the battle were richly rewarded, but the ones who did not help, were hung and beaten very brutally. They died a dog’s death. Others were forced to leave the town. 8/36 Judh jeet aye jabbai tikai na tin pur panv.

     Kehloor mein bandhiyo aan Anand Pur ganv.

8/37 Je je ner toh na bhirre deene nagar nikar

     Je tih thaur bhale bhirre tinai keri pritpar.

8/38 Bahut divves eh bhaant bataye. Sant ubhar dushat sabh ghaye.

     Tang tang ker hanne nidana.  Kooker jim tin tajje parana.

1. Can you believe that the apostle of love and kindness - the Tenth Master - who 2. served water, and who applied bandage to the wounds of even the enemies - that too in the battle field - can treat the innocent citizens like the way described above; and on top of that take pride on such inhumane actions? Let us not forget that the Tenth Master is the spiritual incarnation of the great Guru, Nanak, who not only forgave, but also embraced hard core criminals and sinners like Sajjan, and Kauda, and set them on the path of righteousness. Not only that, He even forgave and showered love on people, like Walli Kandhari, who even tried to kill Him. The Tenth Master did similar things too. Rajah Bhim Chand, the ruler of the State of Kehloor, of which Anand Pur was a part, caused many problems for the Guru trying to restrict His hunting, and military exercises. The former also led some attacks on the Guru, but the Guru always forgave him whenever the Rajah felt sorry for his mean actions. The Guru knew fully well all the time that Bhim Chand was not honest about his feeling sorry, and he was simply being opportunistic. Not only that, the Guru helped him with army whenever the Rajah needed Guru’s help for political reasons. Guru Gobind Singh is well known to be very kind, forgiving and always fighting against oppression. It was Him, who who supported Guru Tegh Bahadur to lay down His life fighting against oppression directed at the Hindus to forcibly convert them into Islam by Aurangzeb. How can you expect a Great Soul, like the Tenth Master, to hang and brutally beat innocent people to death simply because they did not help Him in the battle? Was He that revengeful, cruel and unjust? And was he so cheap that He would take pride in describing His cruel actions? Forgiveness is a virtue exercised and highly promoted in Guru Nanak’s philosophy. If Guru Gobind Singh really did what is written in the Naatak, He cannot be the spiritual incarnation of Guru Nanak. And, the Tenth Master about Whom I have read a great deal, was nothing like that. The Naatak seems to be the creation of some clever but evil person who was jealous of the Tenth Master. 3. There is also a historical, and logical error in the description. The Naatak espouses that Guru Gobind Singh founded the town of Anand Pur (the couplet 8/36 given above). This is not TRUE. Guru Tegh Bahadur had founded the Town, and it was Anand Pur where the Kashmiri Pandits, under the leadership of Pandit Kirpa Ram, had gone to seek the help of the Ninth Guru against their forcible conversion into Islam. Secondly, if the Town was founded by the Tenth Master after the battle of Bhangani, who were the people who were forced to leave the Town because they did not support the Guru in the battle? Also, the battle was fought at a very short notice some two hundred kilometres away (a distance requiring good five days to cover in those days) from the then non-existent town of Anand Pur. Did the Guru ask the people of Anand Pur (which did not exit at that time according to the author) for help? And did the non-existing people refuse to help? If the town were there, and even if the people wanted to help, there was no time for the Guru to ask for help, and for the people to provide help, that far away. So, how were the people guilty? It is very very clear from this illogical description, that the Naatak is all a fabrication, and is NOT written by the Tenth Master.



THE BEDI AND THE SODHI DYNASTIES:

The Bachittar Naatak describes the History of the Bedi and the Sodhi dynasties as follows. Lord Ram Chander Ji had two sons - Luv, and Kush. Kaal Rai, a descendent of Luv, and Kaal Kate, a descendent of Kush developed some uneasy disagreement. Kaal Kate defeated Kaal Rai who fled to the State of Sanaudh where he married the daughter of the State ruler. A son was born to Kaal Rai who was named Sodhi. That is how, the Sodhi dynasty started. After some time, the Sodhis, who were the descendents of Luv, attacked the state of Kaal Kate, and defeated the Kushis who fled to Benaras. The Kushis studied Vedas for a number of years at Benaras, and came to be called as Vedis or Bedis. After sometime, the Sodhis invited the Bedis back to their State. The Bedis narrated the Vedas to the Sodhi ruler - first the three Vedas, Yajur, Rig, and the Saam - and then the fourth, Atherban. The reigning Sodhi was very happy to listen to the Vedas because all his sins were washed away by listening. He was so happy that he left the throne, gave it to the Bedis, and banished the city to go to some forest to lead the life of a hermit. The Bedis were very happy to get the power, and they promised that when he (we could not understand which one of the Bedis) would be born as Guru Nanak in Kal Yug, he would also give the Guruship to the Sodhis. And just as he was given the power after listening to the fourth Veda after the first three, he too would give the Guruship to the Sodhis, after three gurus, starting with the fourth. (What a ridiculous story!) 2/28 Kaal Kate bhayo bali apara. Kaal Rai jin nagar nikara.

     Bhaaj Sanaudh des te gaye.  Tahi bhoop ja biahat bhaye.

2/29 Tih te pootter bhayo jo dhama. Sodhi Rai dhara tih nama. Bans Sanaudh ta din te theeya. Param Pavitter purakh ju keeya. (God Himself started the Sanaudh Dynasty) 3/32 Luvi serb jeete Kushi serb haare. ...... (The Kushis fled to Benaras)

     Chatur Bed pathiyang keeyo Kashi basang.  
     Ghanne barakh keene taha hi nivasang.

After sometime, the Sodhis invited the Bedis back. The latter narrated the Vedas to the Sodhis. 4/4. Atther bed pathiyang. Sunne paap nathiyang.

     Raha reejh Raja.  Deeya serb saaja

4/5. Layo ban basang. Maha paap nasang.

     Rikhing bhes keeyang. Tisse raj deeyang

4/7. Bedi bhayo persann raj keh payekai.

     Dait bhayo berdaan hiye hulsayekai
     Jab Nanak Kal mein hum aan kahaye hai. 
     Ho jagatpooj ker tohi perm pud paye hein

4/9 Tritiye Bed sunbe tum kiya. Chatur Bed sun bhoo ko diya.

     Teen janam humhoon jab dher hai.  Chauthe janam guru tohi ker hai. 

This tale has so many weak, and ridiculous points that it is a big disrespect to the Great Tenth Master if it is attributed to Him as His writing. It will require a large space to discuss all of them. Only a few important points are presented below for the consideration of the readers. 1. What was so special about Sodhi Rai that Waheguru, Himself, started his dynasty? (See couplet 2/29 above). Who started all other dynasties? Because the Tenth Master was a Sodhi, the author some how tried to relate Him to Shri Ram Chander Ji so as to elevate the importance of the Sodhis. He also tried to relate Bedis to Shri Ram Chander for the same reason. To do so, he had to concoct a very flimsy story. Obviously, he did not realize that the Bedis and the Sodhis are respected not because they are the descendents of Kush and Luv - the sons of Shri Ram Chander - but because the First Guru was a Bedi and the last seven Gurus were all Sodhis. 2. The Tenth Master strongly disapproved the use of castes and subcastes with the names because that aroused the sense of superiority among some people. That is why He made it mandatory for all Sikhs to use the word “Singh” as their last name. So, why would He describe the imaginary history of the Bedi and the Sodhi Dynasties violating His own principles? 3. No other Guru ever mentioned their castes or subcastes. Guru Nanak was revered by all the people who came in His contact, not because He was a Bedi, but because He treated their misery, and showered them with love. 4. The same Naatak describes the long and hard worship of God by the Tenth Master in His previous incarnation, and Waheguru sent Him to the Earth especially to spread His (God’s) Word. So, if the Sodhis were not promised Guruship, would not Gobind Rai be a Guru? Or, if Gobind Rai were to become Guru simply because of his birth in a Sodhi family as promised by the Bedis, why did he need to worship God? 5. Guru Granth Sahib does not accept for a second that sins are eradicated by listening to the Vedas. On the contrary, the Gurbani maintains that the Vedas only classify what deeds are sinful and which are virtuous. In fact, people get more engrossed in Maya by following the Vedas. Consider the following sacred Shabads in this regard:

     Sagli rain sovat gal fahi dinus janjaal gawaiya. .......
     Saster Bed trai goon hai maya andhlau dhand kamayee.                                          (Bharau M:1) 

Bed baani jag vertada trai goon kerai vichar. Bin Naave jam dand sahhe mer janme vaaro vaar. Satgur bhete mukat hoye paaye mokh duar. (Malaar M:3 Ashatpadi) Bed baad sabh aakh wakhane. Na unter bheeje na Shabad pachhane. Punn paap sabh Bed drirhaya Gurmukh Amrit peeje hey. (Maaru Solhe M:3)

     Bed Puraan sabh dekhe joye.  Oohan tao jayeay jau eehan na hoye.        (Basant Rama Nand Ji) 

As is clear from the above sacred Shabads, let alone listening to the Vedas, even acting on them does not rid one of his sins. But let us suppose for a second, it does. Then the question arises: listening to which of the Vedas dispelled the sins of the Sodhi Ruler? Was it only the last Ved - Atherban, or were it all the four Vedas? If only the last Ved was capable of dispelling the sins, then there was no need to listen to the other three. And if it was all the four Vedas, then what sense does it make that the Bedis read the first three Vedas first, and then the fourth, so Guru Nanak would follow the same logic, and would give the Guruship to the Sodhis starting with the Fourth Guru? When four books are to be read - one at a time - what other way is there to read them? Why did the author write three and then the fourth? Why not in turn? Or, why not one and three, or two and two? This logic of three and then the fourth has absolutely no rationale. 6. What sins had the Sodhi Ruler committed which were eradicated? Even if he had committed some, was it natural for him to abdicate his rule? Was not it more natural for him to reward the Bedis in some other form? 7. At that time, what was so great about the Bedis that one of them ( and we do not know which one) knew that he would be born as Guru Nanak hundreds of thousands of years later? According to the Naatak, the Tenth Master had to really work very hard for a long time to please God; what had a Bedi done, other than reading the Vedas, that he qualified to be born as the Greatest Guru - Guru Nanak? 8. If we are correct, only the Brahmans had the right to study Vedas. The Kushis were Khattris; so how did they earn the right to study Vedas? 9. Also, the academics who are knowledgeable about one Ved are called Bedis, those who have the knowledge of two Vedas, are called Dubedis (or Dubes), having the knowledge of three Vedas are called Trivedis (or Tewaris), and those who know all the four Vedas, are called Chaturvedis (or Chaubes), and the last three are all Brahmans. Since, the Kushis had the knowledge of all the four Vedas, they should have been called Chaturvedis, and not just Bedis. Why is it that they were called only Bedis? 10. According to the Hindu granths, the ages of various Yugas are roughly as follows: Satyug = 1728000 years. Treta = 1296000 years.

     Duwaper = 864000 years.   Kalyug = 432000 years.  

The story under discussion took place in Treta yug. Why did it take hundreds of thousands of years for the Bedi to be born as Guru Nanak and to return the favour of the Sodhis? Even if this fairy tale is true, (and it has absolutely no ground to be true) why did the Sodhis have to wait that long? What good is a promise which is not delivered for millions of years? According to the most reliable scientific estimates, the first human appeared on the Earth less than 200000 years ago. (Most estimates put the age at 100000 years). And according to the World Book Encyclopedia (1999) edition, the first Ved - Rig Ved - is less than 4000 years old, and the Atherban Ved is less than 3000 years old. So, how could the Bedis have narrated the Vedas millions of years ago? 11. If it is believed that the Sodhis got Guruship because of that promise, what had the Trehans (Guru Angad’s subcaste) and the Bhallas (Guru Amar Das’ subcaste) done to earn Guruship? There is absolutely no mention in the Naatak of any promise made to the Trehans, and the Bhallas by the Bedi ruler that they would be given the Guruship. Why could not the Guruship atay with the Bedis for at least three generations? Obviously, the Guruship was awarded for high spiritual and moral qualities. We believe that the real author of the Naatak either could not concoct any story to cover this gap, or being an ordinary human being, completely forgot about this aspect. 12. The Naatak writes about the transfer of Guruship to Guru Ram Daas Ji as follows: 5/8 Jab verdaan sama vahu aawa. Ram Das tab Guru kahaawa.

     Tih berdaan puratan diya.  Amar Das Surpur mag liya  

Again, if the Guruship was to be awarded to Bhai Jetha ji (Guru Ram Das JI) based on the promise, why did He have to work so hard to serve Guru Amar Das Ji? Also, Guru Amar Das Ji was under no obligation to transfer Guruship to Bhai Jetha Ji because He had not made any such promise. History bears testimony to the fact that Bhai Jetha Ji was a very noble soul who always respected the will of the Guru. By the time Guruship was to be passed on to some deserving candidate, Bhai Jetha Ji had completely overcome his ego, and other five natural forces - lust, rage, greed, attachment, and vanity. He was the most deserving candidate for Guruship. Also, if Bhai Jetha Ji did get Guruship because of the Promise, there must be thousands of Sodhis at that time, what did the other Sodhis get? Was the Promise specically made for Bhai Jetha Ji? 13. In couplet 2/28 given earlier, the author writes that Waheguru Himself started Sanaudh Dynasty. But he forgot, the Dynasty, he is describing was Sodhi after the name of the son of Kaal Kat, and not Sanaudh. When people write fiction, they tend to forget things. That is what has happened here too. 14. Whatever was written by any of the Gurus, was in the interest of the masses so t they may improve their lives by following the teachings of the Gurus. Even if the story of the two Dynasties is true, what purpose does it serve to improve the lives of people?

The above discussion proves unequivocally, that this whole tale is imaginary and baseless. If we remove the curtain of blind faith from our eyes, it will become absolutely clear that this fairy tale-like story of the two Dynasties cannot be the creation of the ninth successor ( the Tenth Master) to the World Guru - Guru Nanak. It is possible that some people may try to twist the facts to prove it to be the writing of the Tenth Master, but this whole composition is so opposed to the Principles of Gurbani, and is also so weak from scientific point of view that it is impossible to have been written by the Tenth Master.



OTHER COMMENTS

A number of other questions arise about the Naatak, but because the article has already become too long, only a few more questions or comments will be shared with the readers. 1. It is written in the Naatak that at the time of the birth of Gobind Rai, Guru Tegh Bahadur Sahib was on a pilgrimage (visiting holy places to take a dip), and when He learned about the birth of His son, He gave donations to the Brahmans for several days at Tribaini (Allahabad) to express His joy and thankfulness. 7/71 Mur Pit Purab kiyas payana. Bhaant bhaant ke tirath nahana.

     Jab hi jaat Tribaini bhaye.  Poon daan din kert bitayye. 

All this is completely against the Principles of Gurbani and of Guru Tegh Bahadur Himself. The other Gurus also visited holy places, but not to take dip or to give donations. They did so because there are hundreds of thousands of people gathered at the holy places, and the Gurus used that opportunity to educate them. The Gurus did donate money or other valuables to some people, not because they were Brahmans, but because they were needy and poor. Visiting holy places because they can rid you of sins or giving donations to Brahmans has been condemned by the Gurus. The following sacred Shabads play down the importance of any pilgrimage or charity (donations to Brahmans).

     Kote tirath majan ishnana is Kal mein mail bhareejai.
     Sadh sang jo Har goon gavai so nirmal ker leejai.                                                         (Suhi M:5) 
     Na bheejai roopeen maaleen rang.  Na bheejai tirath bhaviyan nang.
     Na bheejai daateen keetai poonn.  Na bheejai baahar bathiyan soonn.             (Vaar Sarnag M:1) 
     Ja mein bhajan Ram ko nahi..........
     Tirath karre bert phoon rakhe neh manua bas ja ko.
     Nihfal dherm tahi tum manou saach kehat main ya ko.                                             (Bilawal M:9) 
     Tirath bert er daan ker mun mein dharre gumaan.
     Nanak nihfal jaat tih jioun kuncher ishnaan.                                                                 (Sloak M:9) 

The Tenth Master Himself does not believe in the importance of any pilgrimage or charity. Why would He write that His father was on a pilgrimage? Also, what is so special about Tribaini (Allahabad)? Moreover, according to Bhai Vir Singh’s “Kalgidhar Chamatkaar”, Guru Tegh Bahadur was in Assam at that time, not in Allahabad, when He heard the news of the birth of His son, Gobind Rai. He was a guest of Rajah Ram Rai in Assam. So, clearly, the Naatak has been written by someone who has a strong belief in pilgrimage, and in charitable donations to Brahmans. He even lied or twisted the historical facts that the Ninth Guru was in Allahabad, to support his belief. 2. Describing some battles, including that of Bhangani, the author writes that during the battles, fairies were flying in the sky waiting for the braves to die so that they might marry them as soon as they died.

3/11 Hazar hoor amberang. Birudhkai suamberang. .......


    Meaning: thousands of fairies were flying in the sky to marry the dying braves. 

How could you expect the Tenth Master to write something as ridiculous as this? When a person dies - no matter how brave - his body is left behind either to rot, or to be disposed off in some way. A person displays his bravery or might with his body only. When the body is useless, how can he be brave? So, who were the fairies going to marry - the body or the soul ? Firstly, the Gurbani does not believe in any fairies. Even if it did, only God knows where the soul goes. So, if the body is left behind (which it is), and the fairies do not know where soul goes, who can they marry? Do you consider the Tenth incarnation of Guru Nanak to be so naive! Consequently, the Naatak is only a cheap fairy tale which could NOT have been written by the all-knowledgeable Tenth Master. 3. The Naatak also says that during the battles, ghosts and goblins were also dancing around with joy because they would get human flesh to feast on. 3/30 Hasse maashaari. Nache bhoot bhaari.

     Meaning: The flesh-eaters were gigging. The giant ghosts were dancing.

8/18 Karre bahou aaghaat shester perharang. Daki daakni chawandi cheetkarang. Meaning: The braves were using their strength to attack the enemy. Goblins and vultures were screaming with joy. We have seen hundreds of human corpses intact unless some carnivores found them. No ghost or goblin has ever been found to eat human flesh. What do you think of the Great Tenth Guru? Was He an entertainer who would write such a baseless fictitious story? By accepting the Naatak to be His creation, we are showing a great disrespect for Him. 4. There is a mention of circumcision of males in Guru Granth Sahib a few times, but the very cheap language used for the term ( cutting of the penis) in the Naatak is totally unbecoming of any civilized writer, let alone the Tenth Master.

     Mone bhaje nahi maan taje nahi bhekh saje nahi moond mundaaye. ......
     Preet karre Prabhu payat haiKirpaal na bheeje laand (penis) kataye. 

It is beyond our comprehension that the Tenth Master would have used such a vulgar language to express His opinion on circumcision. “Sunnat karaye” would have easily rhymed with “mundaye”, and would have also conveyed the meaning more clearly because “laand kataye” does not convey the same meaning as “sunnat”. Again, we strongly believe that the Naatak is not a writing of the Tenth Master. 5. There is also a great emphasis on the importance of weapons in the Naatak - so much so, that the author is saluting and worshiping them.

1/89 Namo chakarpanang. Abhootang bhayanang. Meaning: I bow to the wearer of the chakra. His appearance is terror striking, and is beyond description. 1/90 Namo teer topang. Jinnai shattur ghopang.

     Namo dhoap patang.Jinnai dushat dotang

Meaning: I bow to the arrow and the cannon which have eliminated the enemies. I bow to the straight and thin sword which has cut the evils into pieces. The weapons are like any other tools of the trade to be used as necessary. The character of weapons is to wound or kill living things. There is absolutely nothing in them to worship. The primary objective of the Gurus was not to kill or to wound anyone - not even the evil. Their real objective was to educate people so that they could live in harmony with one another by respecting the rights of others, and by earning their livelihood by honest means. That reduces greed, and therefore injustice, both of which are the major causes of violence and aggression, which lead to misery in the world. Of course, the Gurus were also educating the people about the Supreme Power - God - of Whom we are all the children. When people know more about God, they believe less in superstitions, and are less likely to subserve to others, or encroach upon the rights of others, as a result of which the world is more peaceful. Guru Nanak brought awareness to many hard-core criminals who later became model citizens. The Guru not only forgave them, but also elevated them to the level of sainthood. Forgiving is considered a great virtue in Sikhism. The idea is to educate the strayed people, and not to kill them. All the Gurus wore swords. At the time of passing Guruship, the new Guru was given the sword. But they never used it against anyone to cause oppression. The Sixth Guru had to fight four battles because they were forced on Him, and He won them all decisively. But He never ever either saluted weapons, or asked His Sikhs to show any special respect for them. Using weapons was the last choice even for Guru Gobind Singh. Zafarnamah bears testimony to this statement, where He wrote as follows:

     Choon kar az hama heelte der guzashat.  Halaal ast burdan b shamsheer dest.

Meaning: When all other avenues to resolve disputes are unsuccessful, it is justified to use sword. So, why would the Tenth Master salute or worship weapons? There is only one explanation - the Naatak has not been written by the Tenth Master.


CONCLUSION:

The Tenth Master is definitely NOT the author of this baseless and low-level fairy tale-like composition. The author must be someone who was jealous of the powerful and dazzling personality of the Tenth Master, and who wanted to blemish His high moral character. Through this writing, the author has portrayed the Tenth Master as having a completely different philosophy than Guru Nanak, to misguide the Sikhs, and to make them subservient to the Brahman again. The unfortunate thing is that he has been very very successful so far, and the innocent Sikhs believe in this composition completely. They treat Hemkunt as a very holy place, and go there for pilgrimage. They are according the same respect to the Dasam Granth as to Guru Granth Sahib which is causing divisions among Sikhs. As a result, the Panth has suffered tremendously. Do we want to continue to suffer?

     It is possible that the real author of the Naatak may be uncovered in the next while, but in the mean time we urge the readers to remove the spectacles of blind faith, and read this analysis with open mind, and thus be watchful of the damage that is being done to the Panth by such unscrupulous writings.

1)The previous incarnation of the Tenth Master 2)The Battle of Bhangani 3)The Bedi and the Sodhi Dynasties In addition to the above topics, a few more relevant questions have been raised. After a thorough investigation of the philosophy of the Naatak based on the above topics, the authors have concluded that the Tenth Master could not have been the author of this composition because the philosophy of the Naatak is diametrically opposed to the philosophy of Guru Granth Sahib, and also to the philosophy of the Tenth Master Himself as is evident from some other works, like Jaap Sahib, Shabad Hazare, and Tav Parsad Savayye etc., supposed to have been written by Him. Scientific and historical evidence also cast a serious doubt about the Tenth Master being the author of the Naatak.In fact, the authors are of the opinion that this composition tarnishes the image of Guru Gobind Singh as the Tenth Spiritual incarnation of the Universal Guru, Nanak who never mentioned anything about His previous life, or the origin of His Dynasty of Bedis. Also, the behaviour of the Tenth Master after the battle of Bhangani, as described in the Naatak, is definitely not anything like that of any of the Gurus, in fact, not even like any of the GurSikhs. So, in our opinion, the Tenth Master could not have authored the Naatak. The whole discussion is based on the information presented in the Naatak, and the philosophy of Guru Granth Sahib. The conclusions drawn for each of the topics listed above have been supported by Shabads or the “Words” of the Gurus taken from Guru Granth Sahib, and some other writings in the Dasam Granth attributed to the Tenth Master.





Reference

By : DEVINDER SINGH SEKHON PhD Grande Prairie, AB.