Two articles on Dasam Bani.

[13Mirch]

Sri Shastar Nam Mala. The sacredness of weapons.

'Sri Shastar Nama Mala' or the rosary of weapons is an unique composition found in the second Sikh canon, the Dasam Granth. Written by Guru Gobind Singh Ji it is a work of an intellectually high caliber, and is the Guru's personal treatise on the different weapons used in battle. It reads like a scientific analysation and essays a wide range of weapons, some which are in use today and some which have fallen out of favour with modern day warriors. Formulated in 1,318 poetic sub-sections, 'Sri Shastar Nam Mala' details traditional as well as modern weapons which highlight the seamless relationship between weapon, user and the need for spirituality in order for one to become a true warrior in the fundamental sense of the statement. The Guru, himself, was a great master of weapons and as a result, his composition offers a great insight into the various offensive and defensive techniques employed by the purataan Khalsa warrior. Whether it was the arrow, the quoit, or even a dagger. The Khalsa was expected to master each and every one of them and render the enemy lifeless via their use. Unlike other similar compositions the Guru does not employ any heavy discrimination between one weapon and the other. He highlights their various uses from a strategic perspective and leaves no room for questioning. Often his contemporaries would focus on any singular weapon and defend it's usage and nobility, above the others, to death. The Guru however invokes the use of all weapons and clubs them under one single entity, the warrior, and how in a similar fashion to the perpetual limbs of a civilian; they are the unique limbs of a warrior in battle.

The Guru imagined and formulated a diverse fighting force which was constantly engaged in conflict, and employed a various range of weaponry and tactics to win decisively. To this end the Khalsa warrior was taught how to not only offend and defend with a weapon whilst standing, but also how to fight with it in different positions. The Guru blessed the Khalsa with the order to keep as many weapons as possible on it's person. An item as harmless as the 'Kara' was soon transformed into the stuff of nightmares for a foe. Feudalism and social hierarchy had seen the rise of a distinctive warrior class in Asia and Europe. Adorning armor and riding high on their steeds, both the knight and samurai presented a veritable figure of destruction and life to the common peasant. These individuals, he accepted as his Gods, and payed obeisance to them on a level which bordered almost on insanity. His Gods went through the training of arms at a young age and engaged in bloodbaths for his protection. They employed him, protected his family and sheltered him in a siege. The peasant was only alive because of them and thus owed his very life to these individuals. His Gods on the other hand were far from the stuff of Arthurian legends, and were given into bouts of insecurity, tyranny and rage. All three which contributed to the peasant's untimely demise. Their armor made them indestructible and their skill at close quarter combat made them greatly feared. But change was soon in the air. The almost perpetual hegemony of the metal adorning warrior was threatened with the advancement of technology. Soon bows and firearms were made available and the inevitable doom of the knight followed. Rather than spending their wealth on molding boys into men, rulers inducted peasants into their armies and gave them firearms. As was demonstrated in the later half of the eighteenth century, these long-range weapons could easily mow the now-cumbersome knight down and contributed to the leveling of the social hierarchy. The knight or samurai was no longer in the dominant position, as the peasant now won battles. He was cheap to train and equip, whereas the knight himself was a dear fortune.

Such changes soon revolutionized warfare and it was not long before the metal warrior became a single of a bygone age and was heavily stereotyped by his underling peasants. The Guru had extensively demoralized social hierarchy and had eradicated it from the Khalsa, he however also knew that praising one limb of an army would incite mutiny in another. To this end he verified and highlighted the different, yet important roles of the diverse weapons employed in any battle. The archer stood on the same steed as the knight, and the peasant was soon evolved into his own master by being tutored in the use of weapons. Such a system soon saw the Khalsa transform into one of the superior fighting forces on the Asian continent, and one which could not remain beaten for long.

Foregoing the eradication of a discriminatory hierarchy, one realises that the composition also carries a spiritual element. The Guru pays homage to the lord and his power through his composition. He takes great care to give credence to the lord for the various weapons and invokes his power through them. He does not see Ram Chandar as being a great archer on his own wit, he undermines his character by thanking the lord for granting Ram his skill. Victory too is not won on one's own mental basis, it is only achieved through the will of the lord. By adding a spiritual element to his work, the Guru essentially relates it back to the message of Guru Granth Sahib Ji and also demolishes the concepts of good and evil. The weapon is neither good nor evil. It is only the it's usage which earns it it's image. If used for 'Dharam-Yudh' than it is an instrument of peace and protection. If it is used for any egoistical purpose than it is vice incarnate itself.

The composition can be divided into five components with each component focusing on a different concept and principle of weaponry.

1.) 'Ath Sri Shastar Nam Mala Puran'- is the opening component and includes the Guru's invocation to the one supreme creator. In this he explains the respect and value of weapons by labeling them as the Khalsa's elders.

2.) 'Ath Sri Chakra Ka Nama'- defines and names the different usages of the discuss.

3.) 'Ath Sri Ban Ka Nama'- here the Guru describes and praises various types of arrows and analyzes their usages.

4.) 'Ath Sri Pas Ka Nama'- in an almost gladiatorial fashion the Guru describes and elevates the noose, a weapon which in itself is a paradox due to it's different usages.

5.) 'Ath Tupak Ka Nama'- depicts the Guru's modern inclination and approach towards the Gun. Alongwith the prior named weapons, the gun completes and transforms one into an unstoppable force.

http://tisarpanth.blogspot.co.nz/2013/04/sri-shastar-nam-mala-sacredness-of.html

[13Mirch]

Twenty four Avatars. An exegesis in Dharam-Yudh.

Guru Gobind Singh Ji's anthology of 'Twenty-Four Avatars,' in Dasam Granth, emphasizes and exemplifies on the need for perpetual 'Dharam-Yudh' or righteous warfare. In a similar fashion to 'Chandi-Di-Vaar,' a ballad to 'Chandi,' the Guru provides a physical as well as a spiritual perspective on mankind's internal warfare against the five cardinal traps. The Guru was a great master of ancient texts and had recognised their universality. Being possessed of a naturally divine nature he knew that the protagonists of the texts were not constrained to specific faiths. They did not declare themselves to be proponents of any single faith nor did they leave any texts to substitute for themselves for future followers. They solely came to propagate what they saw as being righteousness and after succeeding were eradicated from the worldly plane by the lord. Their lives however spoke great volumes to the perpetual consequences which follow mankind's actions. Vishnu as Ram Chander struck down the innocent Bali and thus as a result, suffered in his form as Krishna by being struck down by a reincarnated Bali. Despite being a proponent of righteousness all the avatars were bound by the cycle of life and death, they were subservient to the lord but over time their image had replaced his. To end such a transgression, propagate the truth and tutor humanity as to the virtue versus vice conundrum the Guru set out to create a unique omnibus, one which would inspire valor in battle as well as provide a spiritual metaphor. To this end he set about analyzing and essaying the various texts of the Indian sub-continent, removing all traces of Brahminical influence from them, and teaching their meanings to the Khalsa.

This work he entitled in various ways. 'Krishan Avtar', 'Ram Avtar' etc. Before commencing the narration of each and every avatar he employs his cliched manglacharan or ode to the one supreme lord who he pays devotion to. He then proceeds to explain how he is not a worshiper of the avatars themselves but is propagating their biography in order to tutor humanity as to the different modes of conflict, both internal as well as external. Then proceeds a colorful narration of the avatars and their lives with a deep spiritual meaning contained within each narration. In many narrations the Guru gives a stunning account of the wars in which each avatar was involved. With the blow of trumpets and the clash of steel resounding in one's ears after reading the Bani, it is no wonder that an individual is able to prepare himself to accept death. Each narration contains a strategic and an almost awe inspiring description of the battle fields and strategies involved during the various conflicts. The accounts of a million strong forces marching upon each other, and as a result the unleashing of oceans of blood are extremely graphic and disturbing to the layman. The Guru also makes evident that he does not view the avatars as being Hindus or solely restricted to the paradoxical body of Hinduism. He sees them as being individuals performing certain tasks which have made them legendary, they cannot be claimed by any one faith as they are the basis for humanity's temperament. His omnibus can also be summed up as being a reiteration of common parables in a generalised form. Comparisons can be drawn between Homer's 'Illiad' where the Greeks attack the Trojan city for a woman, and 'Ramayan' where Ram too attacks a Troy-like city in order to regain a woman. Thus the Guru institutionalised a universal formula for an universal education in 'Dharam-Yudh.'

'It makes no difference what men think of war.... War endures. As well ask men what they think of stone. War was always here. Before man was, war waited for him. The ultimate trade awaiting the ultimate practitioner.'

- Cormac McCarthy, 'Blood Meridian,' pg. 248.

The metaphorical nature of the Guru's work presents an almost unpassable complexity for the inexperienced reader. The protagonists present the parent body of virtue and its offshoots. Whilst the antagonists represent vice and it's ugly offspring. The terrbile battles fought between the two not only represent intense sibling rivalry, but also their lust for the domination of humankind. In 'Ram Avtar' we find the devilish monarch Ravan, who is gloated on vanity and lust. He is an epitome of vice, whereas his mortal foe-Ram Chandar- is virtue personified. Later however we find that Ram Chandar slaughters an innocent dalit, Shambuk, for trying to realise the lord. An action which costs Ram Chandar his image dearly. In 'Krishan Avtar' we find the protagonist Kharag Singh. An immeasurably powerful monarch who battles and defeats Krishna, and his companion pantheon of demi-gods. Despite being an epitomeof virtue and righteousness Krishna and his companions soon become gloated on pride. To defuse them and their sense of superiority the lord authors a conflict in which Kharag Singh sides with Krishna's uncle's father-in-law, and slaughters thousands of warriors to attract Krishna. When Krishna comes he is grabbed by the hair and heavily beaten by Kharag Singh, who despite praising him also vilifies him as a foe. Krishna than calls on all the demi-gods and demons for assistance but ultimately all are defeated by Kharag Singh. Even Shiva, the so-called master of death, is forced to retreat in face of Kharag Singh's destructive blows.

Ultimately when Kharag Singh is deceptively tricked and beheaded by Krishna he is filled with such rage that he once more commences to slaughter all the participants in his respective battle, even while headless.

ਸਯਾਮ ਤਬੈ ਲਖਿ ਘਾਤ ਭਲੀ ਅਰਿ ਮਾਰਨ ਕੋ ਮ੍ਰਿਤ ਬਾਨ ਚਲਾਯੋ ॥ ਮੰਤ੍ਰਨਿ ਕੇ ਬਲ ਸੋਂ ਛਲ ਸੋਂ ਤਬ ਭੂਪਤਿ ਕੋ ਸਿਰ ਕਾਟ ਗਿਰਾਯੋ ॥੧੭੦੦॥

सयाम तबै लखि घात भली अरि मारन को म्रित बान चलायो ॥ मंत्रनि के बल सों छल सों तब भूपति को सिर काट गिरायो ॥१७००॥

At the same time, seeing a good opportunity, Krishna discharged his death-arrow and with the force of mantras deceptively caused the head of the king to fall down.1700.

-Guru Gobind Singh Ji, Krishan Avtar,' Dasam Granth.

Even today a numerous such occasions can be found in Sikh history, where fiction transcends the perpetual boundary between itself and non-ficition. The first individual to exemplify such an act to the world was the legendary Akali Nihung Baba Deep Singh, who had committed this Bani to mind and continually recited it in his last battle against the Duraani forces. After being beheaded he still continued to fight.

ਸਵੈਯਾ ॥

सवैया ॥

SWAYYA

ਮੁੰਡ ਬਿਨਾ ਤਬ ਰੁੰਡ ਸੁ ਭੂਪਤਿ ਕੋ ਚਿਤ ਮੈ ਅਤਿ ਕੋਪ ਬਢਾਯੋ ॥ ਦ੍ਵਾਦਸ ਭਾਨ ਜੁ ਠਾਢੇ ਹੁਤੇ ਕਬਿ ਸਯਾਮ ਕਹੈ ਤਿਹ ਊਪਰ ਧਾਯੋ ॥

मुंड बिना तब रुंड सु भूपति को चित मै अति कोप बढायो ॥ द्वादस भान जु ठाढे हुते कबि सयाम कहै तिह ऊपर धायो ॥

The headless king was extremely enraged in his mind and advanced towards the twelve Suryas;

ਭਾਜ ਗਏ ਕਰ ਤ੍ਰਾਸ ਸੋਊ ਸ਼ਿਵ ਠਾਢੋ ਰਹਯੋ ਤਿਹ ਊਪਰਿ ਆਯੋ ॥ ਸੋ ਨ੍ਰਿਪ ਬੀਰ ਮਹਾ ਰਨਧੀਰ ਚਟਾਕ ਚਪੇਟ ਦੈ ਭੂਮ ਗਿਰਾਯੋ ॥੧੭੦੪॥

भाज गए कर त्रास सोऊ शिव ठाढो रहयो तिह ऊपरि आयो ॥ सो न्रिप बीर महा रनधीर चटाक चपेट दै भूम गिरायो ॥१७०४॥

They all ran away from that place, but Shiva kept standing there and fell upon him; but that mighty one caused Shiva to fall on the ground with his blow.1704.

ਸਵੈਯਾ ॥

सवैया ॥

SWAYYA

ਏਕਨ ਮਾਰ ਚਪੇਟਨ ਸਿਉ ਅਰੁ ਏਕਨ ਕੋ ਧਮਕਾਰ ਗਿਰਾਵੈ ॥ ਚੀਰ ਕੈ ਏਕਨਿ ਡਾਰ ਦਏ ਗਹਿ ਏਕਨ ਕੋ ਨਭਿ ਓਰ ਚਲਾਵੈ ॥

एकन मार चपेटन सिउ अरु एकन को धमकार गिरावै ॥ चीर कै एकनि डार दए गहि एकन को नभि ओर चलावै ॥

Someone fell with his blow and someone with the thumping of that blow; he ripped and threw someone towards the sky;

ਬਾਜ ਸਿਉ ਬਾਜਨ ਲੈ ਰਥ ਸਿਉ ਰਥ ਅਉ ਗਜ ਸਿਉ ਗਜਰਾਜ ਬਜਾਵੈ ॥ਸਯਾਮ ਭਨੈ ਰਨ ਯਾ ਬਿਧਿ ਭੂਪਤਿ ਸ਼ੱਤ੍ਰਨਿ ਕੋ ਜਮ ਧਾਮ ਪਠਾਵੈ ॥੧੭੦੫॥

बाज सिउ बाजन लै रथ सिउ रथ अउ गज सिउ गजराज बजावै ॥सयाम भनै रन या बिधि भूपति श्त्रनि को जम धाम पठावै ॥१७०५॥

He caused the horses to collide with horses, the chariots to collide with chariots and the elephants to collide with the elephants; in this way, according to the poet, he began to dispatch the enemy to the abode of Yama.1705

-Guru Gobind Singh Ji, 'Ram Avtar,' Dasam Granth. 

Thus the Bani of 24 avatars contains an unnatural element in it, which once exploited renders the sciences and human logic fallible. But valor and war are not the only components of the Bani. As one reads further one discovers an extensive study on human knowledge, triumphs, defeats and divine wisdom. In 'Brahma Avtar' the Guru explores the lives of various Brahmas, in another component he presents a battle of wits and another in words. Thus he forms a principle in which war is essential but not physical warfare solely. In each and every component he expounds the subservience of the one lord who grants the avatars power and ends on a high note with the triumph of virtue over vice. In conclusion one can easily state that twenty-four avatars is an omnibus which collectively essays and documents universal parables in order to tutor humanity to the will of the lord, and how dual concepts are at loggerheads over the control of man. Essentially its specific purpose is to dismiss notions of extensive peace and high light the conflicts in which man is ever-enjoined. The avatars serve as only mediums to inspire man and deliver the tenth master's lessons on the conquering of not only vice but also virtue.

'Oh master of the universe! My existence serves no other purpose than to wage a war of 'Dharam.''

-Guru Gobind Singh Ji, 'Krishan Avtar,' Dasam Granth.

http://tisarpanth.blogspot.co.nz/2013/04/twenty-four-avatars-exegesis-in-dharam.html