No, that is incorrect. Both in Chandi Charitar and Chandi Di Var compositions Guru Gobind Singh Sahib has made his belief on Akal Purakh and His manifestation of ultimate power in the form of Khanda/Bhagauti crystal clear. Also the meaning of word ‘Bhagauti’ has been cleared on numerous occasions within these compositions.
For example in Chandi Di Var Guru Sahib writes:
ਲਈ ਭਗੳਤੀ ਦੁਰਗਸਾਹ ਵਰ ਜਾਗਨ ਭਾਰੀ
ਲਈ ਰਾਜੇ ਸੁੰਭ ਨੋ ਰਤੁ ਪੀਐ ਪਿਆਰੀ
Durga took out her fire-emitting sword (Bhagauti)
and made a blow at Raja Sumbh .
Moreover, Guru Gobind Singh Sahib, through his sacred bani ,venerated the same God whose description Guru Nanak Dev Ji gave in Mool-Mantar. Hence it is quite understandable that the meaning of the following lines, which appear in Chandi Charitar and Chandi Di Var, and which lead to this confusion, are different from what it seems.
These lines are:
- First Chandi Charitar:
“For whatever purpose a person reads this life of Chandi, it shall definitely be granted to him.”
- Second Chandi Charitar:
“Even if a foolish person reads the life of Chandi, immense wealth will be bestowed on him. If a coward reads it he will be able to fight most bravely; if a yogi reads it he will attain siddhi and if a student reads it he will attain knowledge.”
- Third Panjabi version Durga ki var:
“He who recites Durga’s life will not take birth again.”
All these are not the opinions of Guru Gobind Singh Sahib
They are the opinions of the writers of the original text that appears in ‘Markande Purana’ which Guru Gobind Singh Sahib faithfully translated. This is also evident from the following lines that appear in Chandi Charitar:
ਸਤ ਸੈ ਕੀ ਕਥਾ ਯਹਿ ਪੂਰੀ ਭਈ ਹੈ॥…॥232॥
To understand the basic idea of the bani one needs to read the epilogue or bhumika. The stanzas that appear in the bhumika of the bani make the intent, purpose and objective of the bani very clear.
To dissociate himself and his ideal from it, Guru Gobind Singh Sahib either added a short introduction or an epilogue to each of these versions of Chandi. Guru Gobind Singh Sahib’s opinions, giving his own faith were:
(a) In the First Chandi Charitar he said:
deh siva bar mohe ehai, shubh carman te kabhu na taro, na daro ar so jab jae laro, niscai kar aprni jit karo, ar sikh hau apne hi man kau eh lalac hau gun tau ucro, jab av kd audh nidan banai at hi ran mai tab jujh maro
Give me this power, O Almighty: From righteous deeds I may never refrain, Fearlessly may I fight all the battles of life, Full confidence may I ever have In asserting my moral victories, May my supreme ambition and learning be To sing of Thy glory and victory. When this mortal life comes to a close May I die with the joy and courage of a martyr.
(b) The second Chandi Charitar is a part of the Bachiter Natak Granth. The Bachiter Natak has a collective introduction in which Guru Gobind Singh repeatedly wrote that he did not believe in the worship of gods and goddesses. In verses 92 and 93 Guruji said, “It is through Thy power, O God, that Durga destroyed the demons like Sumbh, Nisumbh, Dhumer and Lochan, Chand and Mund. It is through Thy power, O God, that Rama destroyed Ravana.” And he concludes, Also “so sahib pae kaha parvah rahi eh das tiharo—With such a supreme One as my Lord, what care I, Thy servant, for anything or anyone?”
In the next stanza Guruji commented on the avatars and goddesses who were instrumental in killing all these and said,
“Kahe ko kur kare tapasa inki kou kaudi ke kam na aihai—Why indulge ye in the futile worship of these deities? Their worship is not worth a kaudi (one-twentieth of a penny)
(c) The third Panjabi version has a long introduction, a part which forms the national prayer. In it the Guru invoked the grace and blessings of God and the nine Gurus.
taihi durga saj kai daita da nas karaya, taitho hi bal ram lai nal bana dehsir ghaia, taitho hi bal krishan lai kans kesi pakad giraya, bade bade muni devte kai jug tini tan laia, kini tera nht na paya.
It is Thou who created Durga and had the demons destroyed, From Thee derived Rama all the strength to kill the ten-headed Ravana. From Thee derived Krishna all his strength to catch Kans by the hair and dash him to the ground. Great seers and sages in all ages strained hard in penance to know Thee. None, none has attained Thy end.
In these short prologues and epilogues Guru Gobind Singh Sahib made his own opinion about Durga quite clear. He took these figures simply as historical persons of note and nothing else.
Adapted from Bhai Kahn Singh Nabha’s ‘Hum Hindu Nahin‘ and Dr. Trilochan Singh’s ‘History and Compilation of the Dasm Granth‘
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