Guru Gobind Singh Ji: As a Patriotic Poet, Who Resurrected a Nation through his Verses:-
By Cdr Alok Mohan
Abstract:
Guru Gobind Singh Ji, the tenth Guru of the Sikhs, is widely revered for his unmatched leadership as a spiritual guide and military commander. However, his towering contributions to the literary and poetic landscape of India, remain relatively obscured. This paper explores Guru Gobind Singh Ji’s poetic genius, analyzing his role not only as a reformer of Hindi poetry but also as a catalyst for national revival through literary means. His poetic corpus, spanning devotional hymns, heroic ballads, autobiographical epics, and Persian compositions, brims with the Veer Ras (heroic sentiment) and blends the Nirguna and Saguna traditions of Indian spirituality. Drawing on works compiled in the Dasam Granth, this paper highlights how Guru Gobind Singh Ji’s poetry galvanized a demoralized society into action, instilling courage, self-respect, and an unwavering commitment to righteousness.
1. Introduction
The legacy of Guru Gobind Singh Ji (1666–1708), the tenth Guru of the Sikh faith, is often framed within the domains of spiritual leadership and martial valor. His foundation of the Khalsa in 1699 marked a turning point in Indian resistance against Mughal tyranny. Yet, equally important but often underexplored is his role as a poet—a patriot poet—who wielded the pen with the same precision and purpose as the sword. In an era where Indian literature had become effeminate and decadent under the sway of Rīti Kāvya, Guru Gobind Singh infused fresh vitality into Hindi poetry, anchoring it in nationalism, spiritual valor, and ethical idealism.
2. Poetic Contributions in the Context of His Times
Hindi poetry during the later Mughal period had largely succumbed to ornamentalism, losing its moral vigor and societal relevance. Guru Gobind Singh reversed this decline by introducing themes of resistance, devotion, and moral clarity. His poetry is not mere ornamentation but an instrument of social awakening and personal transformation. He revitalized the Veer Ras, a rasa that evokes valor, courage, and determination—qualities urgently needed in a society under siege.
3. Classification of His Poetic Works
Guru Gobind Singh’s compositions, primarily collected in the Dasam Granth, can be broadly classified into four categories:
3.1 Devotional Songs (Nirguna Bhakti)
These include Japu Sahib, Akal Ustat, Shabad Hazare, Tentis Savaiye, and Janam Prabodh. They extol the formless, all-powerful God, employing a syncretic language infused with Sanskrit, Arabic, and Persian. In Japu Sahib, he praises the omnipotent:
“कि राजप्रभा हैं ! कि धरम पूजा हैं !
कि आलोक वरनैं ! कि सरता अभरनैं !”
These verses show a theological universality that resonates with Sikh monotheism and Indic metaphysics alike.
3.2 Heroic Ballads (Veer Ras Kāvya)
Guru Gobind Singh’s Chaubis Avtar, Chandi Charitra I & II, Rama Avtar, Krishna Avtar, Vichitra Natak, and Shastra Nama Mala depict martial valor and divine interventions. The Chandi Charitra reimagines Goddess Durga as a metaphor for righteous warfare, fusing myth with revolutionary zeal.
3.3 Biographical Ballads
He wrote over 400 ballads detailing the lives and misdeeds of contemporary rulers and adversaries. These poems served as social commentary and moral indictment. Vichitra Natak, his autobiographical epic, narrates his life’s trials and divine mission in a style that recalls both history and scripture.
3.4 Persian Compositions
His Zafarnama and eleven Hikayats, written in Persian, are rich in political rhetoric and moral assertion. The Zafarnama is a letter of defiance to Emperor Aurangzeb, blending poetic flair with sharp philosophical critique.
4. Literary Technique and Form
Guru Gobind Singh’s mastery over a wide array of metres—Chhappaya, Rual, Bhujang, Madhumadhur, Chachari, Rasaval, among others—demonstrates his poetic virtuosity. His verses exhibit:
Rhythmic elegance
Alliterative intensity
High Sanskritization with vernacular accessibility
Frequent use of invocatory and salutary formulae akin to Sanskrit Stotras:
“नमो सूरज सूरजे , नमो चन्दर चन्द्रे
नमो राज राजे नमो इंद्र इन्द्रे”
These stylistic choices added majesty and gravitas to his messages, appealing to both the common people and the learned elite.
5. Purpose and Impact
Guru Gobind Singh’s poetry was not created in an ivory tower. It had a mission: to awaken, arouse, and arm the people mentally and spiritually. Through his verses, he:
Instilled fearlessness among Hindus and Sikhs
Promoted justice and dharma
Critiqued moral and political corruption
Provided a theological basis for resistance
He declared boldly:
“जिन को जात धर्म कुल नहीं सरदारी नहीं भई कडहिं !
इन्ही को सरदार बनाऊं तभी गोविन्द सिंह कहलाऊं !!”
In these words lies his revolutionary egalitarianism—an assertion that nobility is defined not by birth but by action.
7. A Symphony of Metres: Poetic Craftsmanship in Guru Gobind Singh Ji’s Compositions
One of the most striking aspects of Guru Gobind Singh Ji’s literary genius is his unparalleled command over a wide variety of poetic metres. His compositions are not confined to a single stylistic mold; rather, they span an entire spectrum of metrical patterns, which include Chhappaya, Rual, Bhujanga, Prayata, Charapata, Madhumara, Chachari, Bhagavati, Rasavala, Hari, Bomanā, Achhari, among others.
This metrical diversity serves both aesthetic and functional purposes—it enhances the emotive power of each line, and adjusts rhythm and pace to the subject at hand, whether it’s theological speculation, moral exhortation, or martial encouragement.
In other works like Akal Ustat, further metres such as Chaupai, Kavitta, Tomara, Laghu Niraja, Bhujangapravata, Padhari, Totaka, Naraja, Ruamal Doha, Tribhangi, and Savaje are used. This shows Guru Gobind Singh Ji’s unmatched poetic flexibility, reminiscent of classical Sanskrit poets like Kalidasa and Bhavabhuti, but in a more accessible idiom intended for mass impact.
8. Akal Ustat: Philosophy of the Formless Divine
Guru Gobind Singh Ji’s Akal Ustat (Praise of the Timeless One), comprising 270 verses, is a deeply philosophical and poetic exploration of the nature of the formless God (Nirguna Brahman). The poem remains unfinished, with its last half verse implying continuity, possibly intentional, representing the eternal and infinite nature of God.
Lines such as:
“अद्वै अलख पुरख अविगामी ! सब घट घट के अन्तर्यामी”
(The One beyond duality, the invisible Supreme Being, the knower of every heart)
echo Vedantic ideas of non-duality (Advaita) and omnipresence. The contrast between the transitory world and the eternal divine is laid bare with poetic poignancy:
Conclusion
Guru Gobind Singh Ji was a patriot poet par excellence, whose literary creations continue to echo through the corridors of Indian history and spirituality. His works transcend the boundaries of religion and genre, serving as both scripture and anthem for the oppressed. As a poet, he transformed language into a weapon of resistance and a hymn of hope. His contribution to Hindi and Sikh literature is not only foundational but also inspirational, deserving of greater scholarly attention and public reverence.
References
Dasam Granth (Standard Edition)
Zafarnama and Hikayats (Persian Text and Translations)
Singh, Khushwant. A History of the Sikhs
Grewal, J.S. The Sikhs of the Punjab
Various Online archives