The Source Book On Sikhism

The Master Besieged

Thereupon the disciples began to starve and with them starved their Master, his four sons, his wife, and his aged mother - not to mention his elephant Pershadi and his horses, which wasted away and died. The Master was for remaining in the fort to the last, but his disciples could not bear to see him starve - much less his four little ones. They even wished to compel him to leave Anandpur, but he sternly bade them leave him to die with them - otherwise he would go, after he had by written word disavowed his Master’s hold upon them. Forty disciples wrote in reply disowning his leadership and left him. They went to their homes, but Sikh mothers and Sikh wives alike disclaimed them, and there was no welcome for them anywhere. Then they bitterly repented, and wished to return to the Beloved, but they could not reach Anandpur. Besides, by this time he was gone from Anandpur. After they left, an offer was made by the investing force to let the Master and his followers go without any injury to their persons or property, on condition that they vacated the fort. The Guru could hardly believe in this overture, but in the end, the fort was given up, valuable contents being thrown in the river Sutlej that then washed its walls. Some loads of manuscripts, the literary labour of years, were included in the property that was to accompany the party. They had not gone very far from the fort, however, when the enemy fell upon them. Gujri, the mother of Gobind Singh, and her two grandsons, escaped with a small party; only a Brahman cook was left as their sole attendant and took them to his village.

The mother of the Khalsa fled in another direction, while the Guru with a few Sikhs made towards Ropar. The manuscripts were all destroyed in this affray; only a few translations from Sanskrit books, which now form our “Dasham Grantha”, could be saved.

During this flight the Master never allowed the current of Nam in his disciples to ebb; he watched, and saw that fear of death had no effect on it. While fleeing, the Khalsa held its daily Diwans of His Praise, sang the Word of the Master, and constantly kept itself refreshed with song.