Sri Charitropakhyan Sahib jee Series - Charitar #21

[paapiman]

Warning: Sexually explicit material below. Daas will kindly request sangat, below the age of 25 or people who are greatly affected by Lust, to stay away from this discussion.

Please forgive me for being explicit.

 

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Bhul chuk maaf

[paapiman]

Please read the Charitar:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[amardeep]

Very interesting sakhi.

 

Firstly, the question is whether this charitar is a historical fact or a literary device. 

Chaupa Singh rahitnama appears to believe it to be a historical fact:

" In S.1748 (1691 AD) a Sarin Khatrani, Rup Kaur, came with the members of the Lahore sangat to attend the annual Baisakhi fair. She tried to deceive the Guru in a most grievous manner, but was unable to do so. It was because of her deceit that the Charitra [Charitro Pakhyan] were composed. The work was completed on the eight day of the dark hald of Bhadon S.1753 " Chaupa Singh Rahitnama

A way to widen the discussion is also to see whether the early Sikh historians considered the Anoop Kaur charitar as factual history or not.. .Ie. is the story mentioned in the Bansavalinama, Gurbilas writings or Suraj Prakash Granth. If the chaitar is not mentioned it is clear that these authors did not consider it as a factual historical event involving the Guru.

I'll post my initial thoughts on the charitar in a few hours.

[amardeep]

Quick observations:
 

• This is the first time a charitar continues across several stories
• If im not mistaken, Anandpur was not located in the state of Kahlur, as the text states. However it is most likely talking about the current day Anandpur since it mentions proximity to Naina Devi and the satluj river. This could mean, that the purpose of the text is early on to show, that it is not a historical fact sakhi that is being conveyed here- it is a literary device to convey a message.
• This is the first charitar so far wherein there is a "preaching" and moralizing element involved, - long passages of philosophical content and argumentation. I do not recall any of the earlier charitars having any moralizing messages conveyed by the character in the story

 

The moralizing passages are interesting. It appears that the argumentation of rejeection is two fold . One argumentation is of a higher, philosophical and educated mode, while the other is of a more "low", secular, straight forward way.

Examples of the higher form of argumentation:

• ‘Righteousness endows auspicious birth and righteousness confers
  beauty.
  ‘The righteousness augments the wealth and holiness and the
  righteousness idealises the sovereignty.

 

Examples of the secular and more straight forward kind of argumentation:

• ‘Why should I abandon righteousness on your instance and make
  myself worthy of hell? (l6)
  ‘Acquiescing to your request,Acquiescing to your request, I am not going to copulate with you,
  ‘Because, in my heart, I am apprehensive of denigrating my family.
  ‘Deserting behind my married woman (wife), I will never have sex with you.
  ‘I will never be able to find a place in the court of Lord of
  Righteousness.’(l7)

  
  Aren’t you ashamed of yourself?’( 19)
  ‘Not to abandon my wife, I will never have sex with you.(24)

• ‘Just because you say, why should I have sex with you?
  ‘I am afraid of being put in the hell.
  ‘To copulate with you is like disowning the righteousness,
  And my story will go around the whole world.(25)

 

It appears, that the text asks the question: What kind of argumentation do you use to get your message across? Anoop does not seem to understand the higher form of argumentation, - therefore the raja keeps "lowering" his line of argumentation as the charitar continues - to make it more relatable for Anoop. it starts high and becomes lower and lower / more straight forward..

Interestingly, the Ariill Chand on page 60 wherein he praises her and then slams her in the last line. That is very similiar to the kind of narrative used in the Zafarnama, where Aurangzeb in many lines are praised for his military and political qualities, but then slammed at the end "agar door ast deen" - but you are far from religion. In a way, building up the person in order to slam him down. This happens on page 60 here - even though you are preety (building the person up ) I still have not fallen for you (slap in the face- wake up call).

Then after a long time, on page 61 onwards the argumentation is raised higher once again, slowly by slowly. .

[paapiman]

21 hours ago, amardeep said:

 

• If im not mistaken, Anandpur was not located in the state of Kahlur, as the text states. However it is most likely talking about the current day Anandpur since it mentions proximity to Naina Devi and the satluj river. 

Sri Anandpur Sahib was located in the state of Bilaspur rite?

 

Bhul chuk maaf

[amardeep]

I dont think so. The ruler of Bilaspur was a part of the coalition that attacked the Guru.

[paapiman]

13 minutes ago, amardeep said:

I dont think so. The ruler of Bilaspur was a part of the coalition that attacked the Guru.

It was part of Bilaspur State according to Katha. Bhim Chand was its ruler who attacked Sri Satguru jee along with Fateh Shah Gharwal.

What have you read?

 

Bhul chuk maaf

[paapiman]

18 minutes ago, amardeep said:

I dont think so. The ruler of Bilaspur was a part of the coalition that attacked the Guru.

Sorry for my mistake. Sri Anandpur Sahib was in fact part of Kahlur State. The capital of that state was Bilaspur.

 

Bhul chuk maaf

[chatanga1]

There are a lot of physical similarities to actual Sri Anandpur Sahib in this charitar.

To add to what has already been shared,  the story says the "raja" wanted to learn a particular incantation - a  mantar. What would be the purpose of learning this mantar? What did the raja want? Was it a Gurmantar?

 

Another thing is that this is a very long conversation from lines 13 all the way to 58.   The focus of the conversation is between "Maya" and "Dharam". Maya is wild and uncontrollable, and has no regards for the people involved, it's very self-focused, whereas Dharam is not only thinking about his own soul, but is also loyal to his wife, true to his Guru's word, and aslo thinking about the after-life.

 

Where have we seen this before? In the original story. The story also tells us the Raja is young as is the woman. Again this reflects the characters of the orignal story.

 

From the really long conversation betweehn the two, it seems to me that this is the essence of the charotar. A long struggle (never-ending almost) between the the states of mind.

[amardeep]

What is the word for incantation in the original gurmukhi? I dont have the Gurmukhi text so can't acces it myself.

Okay great that you've clarified that Anandpur was part of the Kahlur state. I thought Anandpur was somewhat independant not belonging to any particular territory.

This line could also be of particular interest of what the minister is trying to tell the King. The king is about to destroy his lineage due to household affairs, which will bring about a bad reputation of the kingdom - therefore think about your legacy and the image people have of you as a king

" First of all God has endowed me birth as a Kashatri, Our dynasty is very much respected in the world. "

 

[chatanga1]

 

Last line.

[chatanga1]

FYI this is from a  mobile app called  "Isearchgurbani".

[amardeep]

Another perspective:

Matters of authority. Normally a civilian will go ask a Guru or person of authority for guidance and spiritual help. In this chaitar it is reversed. The Guru approaches a civilian for spiritual help (learning a mantar).

Does the charitar actually state at any point that the raja is also a Guru?  I can only see it as the main character being a raja.

Edited August 19, 2017 by amardeep

[paapiman]

1 hour ago, amardeep said:

Does the charitar actually state at any point that the raja is also a Guru?  I can only see it as the main character being a raja.

People bowed to him, considering him as a Guru.

ਮਨ ਬਾਛਤ ਬਰ ਮਾਂਗਿ ਜਾਨਿ ਗੁਰ ਸੀਸ ਝੁਕਾਵਹਿ ॥

 

Bhul chuk maaf

[chatanga1]

Ok, this is getting even more interesting here. The raja is looked upon by the people of that place as a Guru. Yet he is after a mantar. A Guru that is still  searching for something himself. Some of the people or,  the woman at least knew of this and tried to take advantage. Could this also be part of the subplot? The Raja wanting the mantar, ie a desire for something, and the woman knowing his desire and wanting to take advantage of that desire?

 

The story also says she is the wife of a rich man, so material assets are most likely nothing she reallys wants at that particular time. It suggests that she has a very good life but yet wants something forbidden to her, again reflecting the original story.

 

Another thing I have noticed is that apart from the title there is no reference to her name in the story.

[chatanga1]

have a read of this: ( i have bolded, underlined and separated the text to make it easier to read).

 

http://www.sarbloh.info/htmls/durbar_dasam8.html

 

Treh Charittar (Charitropakhyaan)
In Budha Dal tradition the stories told in Treh Charittar are without doubt all accepted as Guru Gobind Singh Ji's works. An extract from the writings of a British student of Indian religions may shed light on how exactly one such story came about to be in Dasam Guru Durbar:

 

 

‘In A.D. 1691, or thereabouts, Govind Singh, the tenth and last guru of the Sikhs, celebrated with unusual pomp at Anandpur the gay Hindu saturnailia known as the 'Holi'. Visitors were attracted thither from considerable distances, and amongst others came a young and beautiful Hindu widow named Anup Kaur, a khatrani by caste, and a resident of Lahore. Guru Govind Singh, who was only twenty-five years of age and a particularly handsome man, captivated the susceptible heart of the young widow, and she resolved to try her arts upon him. It appears that at this period the chief object of Govind’s life was to induce, I might almost say compel, the goddess Devi to appear to him and promise him her assistance against the Muhammadan rulers of the land, who were carrying on a bitter religious persecution of Hindus. For the attainment of the end he had in view,

 

Govind had gathered many Brahmans together, for, like all Hindus, he believed that if the appropriate religious ceremonies were correctly carried out, the goddess, however reluctant, would be constrained to make her appearance. It is well known to the Hindus that besides the Brahmans there are others who, by the practice of painful austerities, have become possessed of great, sometimes unlimited, power. These thaumaturgists are to be found only here and there, it is true, amongst the sadhus, therefore, Govind frequently restored for advice and assistance in his endeavours to propitiate the goddess Devi. Having come to know this, a happy idea entered the head of the lovesick Anup Kaur. She would personate a sadhu, enter into close relations with Govind, and, in the end, attract and ensnare the object of her passion. In pursuance of this plan, she disguised herself as a sadhu, and, being possessed of ample means, she easily secured accomplices in her scheme. She took up her abode at a spot within a short distance of Anandpur, and her satellites soon let it be known through the countryside that a most holy and learned Synyasi had favoured the neighbourhood with his presence. It was also given out that this most saintly Mahatma had a special key to open the heart of the goddess Devi. The important news, of course, reached Govind, for whom it had been specially prepared, and he forthwith instructed a confidential servant to arrange an early interview with the new-comer, the youthful sadhu, however, betrayed no eagerness to meet the Guru, and merely sent word to the effect that if Govind wished to come he might do so, but on condition that he came without any pomp or following, in an ascetic garb, at midnight and alone.

 

 

These conditions excited the imagination of Govind Singh, and enhanced the importance of the sadhu in his eyes. So, having donned the orange-coloured vestments of an ascetic, he sought the saintly Mahatma in the stillness of the night at the appointed hour. He was graciously received, and the usual exchange of compliments and ideas took place. After a little while, on some pretext or other the sadhu retired, and the then reappeared before the astonished Guru decked in silks and jewellery, a young and fascinating woman, with every attraction that could lure an ordinary mortal to her embraces. But Govind, like Joseph under somewhat similar circumstances, kept his virtue, and, after rebuking Anup Kaur, made good his escape; not however, before the disappointed temptress had raised the cry of "Thief!" Govind, who was never at any time deficient in artfulness, joined in the cry, and siezing Anup Kaur’s brother in the darkness, added greatly to the confusion, in which he managed to slip away safely. This adventure of Govind’s bore fruit of another kind also. The wiles of Anup Kaur had made a deep impression on him, and he wrote, or more likely collected, no less than four hundred and four stories on the wiles of women, for the timely warning, it is said, of his simple followers.’
('The Mystics, Ascetics, and Saints of India', by J.C. Oman, 1903, Pa 196-198)

 

Within Dasam Guru Durbar, it continues to state that Anup Kaur became an ideal chaste Sikh woman, and was later kidnapped by the Muslim chiefs of Malerkotala. Rather than surrender her honour she took her own life. The Muslims buried her as was their custom.
When Banda Bahadur attained ascendancy in Punjab, the Akali Nihang Khalsa went and retrieved the corpse of the venerable Anup Kaur and cremated her according to Khalsa Sikh rites.

 

 

It appears that the "mantar" was the mantar to make the devi pargat from the above text. Bombshell.

 

 

[Winds_of_the_North]

Interestingly enough, the Charitars all involve a Minister narrating stories to his King. Another way of looking at it could be that the tale of Anoop Kaur ended up being known by the Minister so he recited it to his King, from his perspective and not one of Guru Sahib. So basically it's a story being told within a story about an actual event that took place from what the Minister could gather. 

[paapiman]

5 hours ago, Winds_of_the_North said:

Interestingly enough, the Charitars all involve a Minister narrating stories to his King. Another way of looking at it could be that the tale of Anoop Kaur ended up being known by the Minister so he recited it to his King, from his perspective and not one of Guru Sahib. So basically it's a story being told within a story about an actual event that took place from what the Minister could gather. 

Welcome to the forum.

Is there any historical evidence available to suggest that Raja Chitar Singh existed during the times of the Tenth Master?

 

Bhul chuk maaf

[paapiman]

12 hours ago, chatanga1 said:

and amongst others came a young and beautiful Hindu widow named Anup Kaur, a khatrani by caste, and a resident of Lahore. 

Is there anything in the Charitar to suggest that she is a widow?

 

Bhul chuk maaf

[paapiman]

Illegitimate Justifications

Look (below) at how she is trying to justify an immoral act, using religion (Demi-Gods and fear of Hell). This can be seen in history too, where misguided people use religion as a tool, to justify sinful acts.

(She said,) ‘When a sexually distressed woman comes to a male,

‘And that male who turns her back disappointed, is worthy of hell.’(l8)'

(She said,) ‘Krishna was worshipped too, and he had indulged in love plays.

‘He made love with Radhika, but they never went to hell.(20)

‘With five elements Brahama, the God, created human-beings,

And He, Himself initiated love in men and women.(2l)

 

Bhul chuk maaf

[paapiman]

There might be a wrong English translation (see no.24). 

ਮਹਾ ਰੁਦ੍ਰ ਕੋ ਧ੍ਯਾਨ ਧਰੋ ਮਨ ਬੀਚ ਸੁ ਡਰਿ ਹੈ ॥

ਮਹਾ ਰੁਦ੍ਰ - This has been translated as Rudar (or Shivjee), the great. But in fact it is referring to the Almighty Waheguru jee. If it was ਰੁਦ੍ਰ alone, then it would refer to Shivjee.

Anyways, there is some background to the relationship between Rudar and Cupid (Kaamdev). Please have a look below.

Quote

Lord Shiva and Kam Dev have an interesting connection with each other. On the face of it, Lord Shiva is a master in the art of love-making and there is no equal in his skills as a passionate lover, yet there is one specific example where Kam Dev has to actively interfere in the life of Lord Shiva.

The Sanskrit word ‘Kaam’ is loosely translated into English as ‘Desire’. So Kam Dev then is the Hindu God of Desire or the equivalent of the Cupid from western mythology. After the tragic demise of his first wife Sati, Lord Shiva had decided to remain an ascetic, swearing off the pleasures and comfort of a householder’s life. This was a fact well-known to every sentient creature in creation. One demon in particular- Tarakasura used this information to his greatest benefit. He performed Tapasya and pleased Lord Brahma enough to earn two boons. The first ensured that nobody created by Brahma can kill him and with the second boon Tarakasura wanted that no one save the son of Lord Shiva would be able to kill him. This boon practically made him immortal, because Shiva till then was without child and his decision to never re-marry and remain forever an ascetic, would ensure there would be no children who could kill Tarakasura.

Based on his virtual immortality, Tarakasura wrested control over all of the demon races. He became their undisputed leader and let loose a reign of terror in heaven, hell and earth. The other Gods found themselves helpless against the might of Tarakasura. Their only hope was to get Lord Shiva to break his vow of celibacy and produce a child.

This task was overwhelmingly difficult to achieve given that there was no greater ascetic in creation who could rival the dedication with which Lord Shiva entered his meditations. Bound on all sides, the Gods turned to Kam Dev. They prayed to him to use his powers on Lord Shiva. A petrified Kam Dev refuse to comply initially, but for the sake of all that was holy and suffering under the tyranny of Tarakasura, he accepted the task.

He found Goddess Parvati and along with her went to Mount Kailash- where Lord Shiva was deep in meditation. Using his art, Kam Devmanaged to bring the spring season to Kailash. Replete with flowers, birds and bees, the environment in Kailash was transformed to a romantic paradise. Goddess Parvati began carousing in the bowers and Kam Dev took aim with his arrow of desire and fired it at Lord Shiva’s heart. The arrow hit its target and Lord Shiva’s meditation was broken. He was mesmerized by the beauty all around and that of Parvati, but soon it dawned on him that it was not spring and that he was being tricked.

Angry at the deception he looked around and found Kam Dev lurking behind foliage of the pleasure garden. Kam Dev realised he was caught but was transfixed with fear and could not react or ask for forgiveness. Lord Shiva’s mercurial tempers shot up without control and his ‘third eye‘ of destruction opened up. The energy released from this eye, instantaneously reduced Kam Dev to ashes.

When his anger subsides and Goddess Parvati tells him of all that happened, Shiva requisitions her assistance to revive Kam Dev. With his body destroyed, Kam Dev is revived in a formless manner and is thenceforth known as ‘Ananga Dev’ or the one without a body. In due course of time the passion between Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati evolve and ignite. The duo get married and beget a child named Kartikeya who goes on to destroy Tarakasura, ending his reign of terror and chaos.

Unquote[1]

[1] - http://www.theshivaexperience.com/lord-shiva-and-kamdev/

 

Bhul chuk maaf

 

[chatanga1]

Great stuff. Saw this on "Devon ke Dev - Mahadev."   That was an excellent series.

 

Maybe we should look at some of the gurmukhi lines to see if they have been translated properly.

[amardeep]

Yes well spotted. Argumentation: Using Dharam to justify a-dharmic behaviour.

[chatanga1]

On 20/08/2017 at 11:39 AM, paapiman said:

Welcome to the forum.

Is there any historical evidence available to suggest that Raja Chitar Singh existed during the times of the Tenth Master?

 

I dont think there was any such raja at all.

 

On 20/08/2017 at 11:54 AM, paapiman said:

Is there anything in the Charitar to suggest that she is a widow?

 No, quite the opposite, the charitar says she is the wife of a rich man.

[paapiman]

3 hours ago, chatanga1 said:

 No, quite the opposite, the charitar says she is the wife of a rich man.

ਏਕ ਤ੍ਰਿਯਾ ਧਨਵੰਤ ਕੀ ਤੌਨ ਨਗਰ ਮੈ ਆਨਿ ॥

The wife of a rich-man came to that town.

Can there be an alternate interpretation of the above verse?

 

Bhul chuk maaf