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Re: A Quote Immemorial: What Guru Tegh Bahadur ji told Aurangzeb on Hindu Dharma
Rajiv Varma (rvarma@stallion.jsums.edu) wrote on 15 Apr 1996 10:03:33 GMT:
>When Guru Teg Bahadur was asked to become a Muslim, then he had replied
>thus to Aurangzeb:
>utra bhandyo dharma hum Hindu | aati priya ko kim kare nikandu ||
>lok parlok ubhay sukh dani | aanan paayiyat yahi samaani ||
>mati maleen moorakh mati jey-yi | isko tyagey paamar soi ||
>Hindu dharma rakhey jag mahi | tumre karey vinsai yeh nahi ||
>[translation - "My answer is that I am a Hindu and I love Hindu Dharma.
>How can anybody destroy it? It provides happiness both in this world as
>well as in the other world. There is no other religion like it. Only a
>deranged person or a fool would leave it to become vile. Hindu dharma
>would remain in the world for ever. It is not going to be destroyed by
>your efforts."]
Vaaheguroo ji Ka Khalsa, Vaehguroo ji ki Fateh.
As usual, Mr. Varma has quoted someone's poetry. This is NOT Guru Tegh
Bahadur Bani. Nowhere in Guru Tegh Bahadur's utterances is such a
statement found.
Mr. Varma should mention the source of his quotes and thus prevent
any misconceptions from arising.
One of the best documents about Guru Tagh Bahadur's martyrdom is the
rigorous paper by Dr. GanDa Singh, titled "Martyrdom of Guru Tegh
Bahadur" and can be found in December 1994 issues of the Sikh Review.
I recommend this paper to anyone interested in the entire series of
events that led to the martyrdom of the Guru at Delhi.
Aurangzeb was not present in Delhi at the time of Guru Tegh Bahadur's
martyrdom, but the execution of the Guru was carried out upon his
orders. In view of this, the event of dialogue with Aurangzeb
as cited by Mr. Varma is not true.
Vaaheguroo ji Ka Khalsa, Vaehguroo ji ki Fateh.
rajwinder singh
rajwi@bu.edu
