1 GURU HAR RAI. 257
2 skill were finally crowned with victory, the Moghal troops being completely
3 defeated and Paindé Khan himself falling in a hand-to-hand combat with his
4 foster brother and playmate. . : :
5 ’ In the course of the struggle o. brave soldier frantically rushed on the Guru
6 with drawn sword ; but he skilfully warded off the blow and laid his courageous
7 antagonist dead.at his feet, exclaiming : “ You have not the knack of using the
8 sword ; this is the way to wield it.’ He was looked upon by the Sikhs, not
9 only as a divine messenger, but as an accomplished swordsman, a hero, and a
10 thorough master of the art of war. A general stampede of the imperial army
11 followed the death of their commander. Sak ried oh
12 Har Govind had to, contend with innumerable difficulties im his time,
13 but generally surmounted them by the aid of his faithful followers, who were
14 always ready to rally around his banner on the approach of danger. ;
15 Towards the close of his life he withdrew to the hills, and resided
16 with his friend, Baba Buddha, at Kartarpur (near Anandapur) where he
17 died in peace, in 1645, after having- nominated his grandson, Har Rai,
18 as Guru. He reigned-as Guru thirty-one years and six months. His death
19 was considered a national calamity, and the estimation in which he was
20 held by the Sikhs, may be judged from the fact that a great many of
21 them volunteered to burn themselves on his funeral ‘pile. Two of his follow-
22 ers, one a Rajput and the other a Jat, jumped into the flames of the burning
23 pyre and continued moving round the corpse, and finally fell and expired at
24 the Guru’s feet. Others were ready to follow the example set them, but
25 were forbidden by Har Rai, The Guru’s tomb was erected at Kartarpur.
26 Har Govind had three wives, by whom he had five sons. Gurditta by
27 Mussamat Damodri, Tegh Bahadur by Mussamat Nanki; and Surat Singh,
28 Amrat, and Atal Ram by Mussamat Mardani. Gurditta, the eldest son,
29 predeceased his father, leaving a son Har Rai, for whom Har Govind had great
30 affection, and whom he appointed his successor. Mussamat Nauki, the mother
31 of Tegh Bahadur, was greatly dissatisfied with the decision of her husband ;
32 but the Guru is said to have pacified her by foretelling that her son would
33 ultimately ascend the gadi of the Gurus. He entrusted his arms to Tegh
34 Bahadur’s mother, telling her to deliver them to Tegh on his attaining the
35 age of discretion.
36 7.—GURU HAR RAT.
37 Har Rai, on succeeding to the apostleship, established himself at Kartdr-
38 pur on the banks of the Sutlej. He was a quiet and contented man,
39 affable in his habits, and with no taste for war. The military spirit of: the
40 Sikhs, which had been so much fostered by the two preceding Gurus,
41 continued to flourish in his time, for although the Guru took particular care
42 not to meddle with politics, circumstances were not wanting under which the
43 Sikhs were compelled to exert their power and encrgy to strengthen factious
44 feuds. Thus, the Kahlir Rajd was reduced to o¥edience, and Prince Dard,
45 Shikoh, who always maintained a close alliance with the Gurus, was enabled,
46 through the effectual assistance rendered by Har fai, to keep up the struggle,
47 with his brother, Aurangzeb, for the throne of Andia. Déardé was, however,
48 defeated and put to death by the ambitious urangzeb. After this event
49 Har Rai prudently withdrew from the scen¢ and retreated to Kartarptr.
50 Aurangzeb, on ascending the throne of the M shals, issued orders demanding
51 the presence of Har Rai at the imperial court/of Delhi, but the Guru submit-
52 ted a mild petition to hig majesty, representing that he was a fagir and
53 would pray for the health, success and long life of the king, in his hut, but, as
54 Har Govind gait
55 the victory, pre
56 Feats of valour per-
57 formed by the Guru
58 Death of Har Govind,
59 1645.
60 Self-sacrifices on his
61 pyre.
62 The Guru leaves five
63 5008,
64 Har Rai succeeds,
65 The Guru alites him-.
66 self with Dara Shikoh,
67 Aurangzeb resolves
68 to punish him.
69 alts bag 78 ARUURE PEG SRGAYTEBBIARG be hoped thyeshig rarest BH com
70 fj