Mitr piyaare nu haal mureedan da kehna…..
From the first of June, 2018, I started writing Good Morning messages in the form of poems (Please read: ‘Good Morning Message #1‘).
The last such message was:’Good Morning Message #197‘.
Good Morning Friends,
From 4th Jan 19 I started doing something different. In addition to my own inspirational poems everyday, I started giving you, on every Friday, a song or poem that has inspired me. Today is the second one and it is a hymn in Punjabi.
This hymn was written, composed and sung by the tenth guru of the Sikhs: Guru Gobind Singh.
Guru Gobind Singh was the finest example of scholar-warrior in the Indian history. The Gurus were spiritual leaders but, when a war was imposed on them by the cruelties of the mughals, they took up sword to fight for the just cause. When he was told that the mughals outnumbered the Guru’s warriors, he came up with the slogan that each one of his warriors is equivalent to ‘sawa lakh‘ (1.25 lakhs). A few years later, in the Battle of Saragarhi (acknowledged by the UN as one of the bravest battles ever fought in the world (see Wikipedia), his disciples, just 21 in number fought against 10000 Afghans without accepting defeat).
How was this leadership possible? Simple, by setting a personal and familial example. Guru ji let go of all his personal comforts and fought like any of his other warriors, accepting hardships, accepting despondency and moving on (this is not mythological; this is recorded history). He sacrificed his four sons at tender ages: Jujhar Singh (b. 1691), Zorawar Singh (b. 1696) and Fateh Singh (b. 1699) and Ajit Singh ((b. 1687) in the battle. They were so young when they achieved martyrdom that when I was small, I used to listen to this poem:
“Nanhe nanhe bachche chine’ gaye deewaron mein,
Muskraahat bhi na jinaki chheen paaya tha zamaana,
Laal aise hi hamaari veer mitti ne jamen hain,
Sar kataana theek hai jinake liye galat gardan jhukaana.”
(Small, tender children were paved in the walls,
The world had not yet stolen their smiles,
Lads like that our brave soil had produced,
For them it was right to get their heads severed but wrong to bend the neck (in slavery).
And when their mother (an equal partner in this leadership) was told about their sacrifice, she had this to say:
“Chaar muye to kyaa huya
Jeevat kayi hazaar“
(So what I lost four sons,
I have thousands more)
I am inspired by this hymn because suddenly whilst listening to this I am raised to that level whence I realise that God as a friend is beyond despondency, beyond all worldly pleasures. He calls you to do your duty (as Lord Krishna directed Arjuna in the Battle of Mahabharat) and not to worry about the results since He would take care of them. Interim trials and tribulations should never shake your faith.
This beautiful hymn by Guru Gobind Singh, was recited in the Machhivara forest when he was separated from everyone after leading them in the Battle of Chamkaur; not everyone because the connection to the Lord remained strong as always.
Here is my small introduction followed by the hymn in Punjabi, its transliteration in English and finally its translation in English:
Guru Gobind’s faith in God was resolute,
Even when he was rendered alone in battle,
His fortitude and praise of God did not dilute,
Even after his sons were martyred like cattle.
ਮਿੱਤਰ ਪਿਆਰੇ ਨੂੰ ਹਾਲ ਮੁਰੀਦਾ ਦਾ ਕਹਿਣਾ ॥
ਤੁਧੁ ਬਿਨੁ ਰੋਗੁ ਰਜਾਈਆ ਦਾ ਓਢਣ ਨਾਗ ਨਿਵਾਸਾ ਦੇ ਹਹਿਣਾ ॥
ਸੂਲ ਸੁਰਾਹੀ ਖੰਜਰ ਪਿਆਲਾ ਬਿੰਗ ਕਸਾਈਆਂ ਦਾ ਸਹਿਣਾ ॥
ਯਾਰੜੇ ਦਾ ਸਾਨੂੰ ਸੱਥਰੁ ਚੰਗਾ ਭਠ ਖੇੜਿਆ ਦਾ ਰਹਿਣਾ ॥
Mitr piyaare nu haal mureeda da kehnaa ॥
Tudh bin rog rajaaeeaan da oudhan naag nivaasa de rehna ॥
Sool suraahi khanjar piyaala bing kasaaeeaan da sehna ॥
Yaararre da saanoo saathhar changaa bhathh khaerriaa da rehna ॥
Tell the beloved friend (the Lord) the plight of his disciples.
Without You rich blankets are a disease and the comfort of the house is like living with snakes.
Our water pitchers are like stakes of torture and our cups have edges like daggers.
Without You we are like animals at the hands of butchers.
Our Beloved Lord’s straw bed is more pleasing to us than living in costly mansions.
