Men of God

A YEAR OF TAPAS

The hill-chiefs, in spite of their mutual dissensions and quarrels among themselves, waited for some pretext or opportunity to attack the forces of the Guru and Bhimchand was the chief among them. On the occasion of the daughter’s marriage of a hill-chief, the Guru was invited and he sent his finance minister with marriage presents and 500 soldiers as a safeguard against the treacherous chiefs. The minister had to return (without giving the marriage presents) and on the way the Guru’s forces were attacked by Bhimchand’s army. The Guru stationed his troops a few miles from Paunta near the village Bhangani where a fierce battle was fought. Many died on both the sides. The chiefs fled. The Guru’s army returned victorious.

The Guru stayed at Anandpur for the next four or five years and retired to Naini Devi Hill where he remained for one year in complete seclusion deeply absorbed in thought. Nobody was allowed to approach him; his time was divided between divine meditation and literary work. This was about the year 1699 A.D. His body and mind appeared changed to a great degree. He was so unlike what he usually was, that some of his friends were even anxious about his mental equilibrium. Before his return to Anandpur he had sent orders to his Sikhs that they should allow their hair to grow to their natural length. Now he invited them to muster stronger than usual for that year’s Baishakhi festival. To them he had to deliver, he said, his Lord’s message, the fruit of his recent long meditation in seclusion. A few days before the Baishakhi day, he had great festival and contrary to custom he did not invite the Brahmans to form the first batch of feasters, but sent for them after his Sikhs’ dinner was over. By this he invited the impotent wrath of the Brahmans. At the same time he made it clear to them and through them to the other castes that no caste was by birth superior to the other and that the Guru’s principle was to judge men by their quality and action and treat them accordingly.