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The A Saga of Supreme
Sacrifice: Martyrdom of Shri Guru Arjan Dev
Guru Arjan Dev’s martyrdom, indeed, a saga of supreme sacrifice, as the title of this play says. The Guru summoned to Lahore, arrested there by the authority of the Mughal Emperor and was tortured in a most inhuman fashion before his soul liberated itself from the body. However, in the early days of his Guruship, he had cordial relations with Emperor Jahangir who had even donated the land on which the city of Taran Taran came up. What was it that brought about such a sea change in the attitude of the Mughal Empire? Traditional Sikh lore lays a large part of the blame of this on the machinations of Prithi Chand, the Guru’s elder brother. The play starts with the news of the birth of Hargobind, son of Guru Arjan Dev. Soon, a number of conspiracies that resulted in several unsuccessful attempts to kill him are exposed, and they are traced back to Prithi Chand. In keeping with the tradition of his predecessors, Guru Ram Das, the fourth Guru, had given the Guruship to the person he found most suitable. He has bypassed his elder son, Prithi Chand, and decided that the younger son, Arjan Dev, possessed the qualities that would make him the ideal Guru. Prithi Chand did not take his not being made Guru lightly. He became a pretender, and tried to attract Sikh followers who came to Amritsar. He is also said to have been instrumental in various bids that were made to poison the young Arjan Dev and his son Hargobind. Prithi Chand, his wife Karmo and their son Meharban, form a backdrop against which the playwright brings out the life and teachings of Guru Arjan Dev. Ordinary Hindu and Muslim characters are used to convey the impact of the Guru’s teachings on common folk. The message of universal brotherhood of man, of respecting every human being, no matter what his station in life, or caste or creed, of devoting oneself to a life of piety while carrying on one’s worldly duties, all this comes out from the dialogues of various characters. Major historical figures like Baba Buddha, Bhai Gurdas and Chandu, the Deewan who wanted to marry his daughter to young Hargobind. In time Prithi Chand and Chandu join hands and complain to Emperor Jahangir. They charge that the Adi Granth compiled buy Guru Arjan Dev has some verses that are blasphemous to both Hindus and Muslims. Though this charge is refuted, and various other charges do not hold ground, the Guru is summoned to Lahore in Jahangir’s court asked to pay a fine in order to seek his release. The Guru refuses to plead guilty or to pay any fine, or seek forgiveness. He is tortured and finally his soul leaves his battered body. The author has recreated the painful moments. He brings out the surrender of the Guru to the will of God well and movingly. Gurbani is used imaginatively to set the stage, and the play sticks to the conventional. The author is not a professional playwright, and at times it shows. However, the play does bring alive the life and times of the fifth Guru of the Sikhs. Fictionalising a historical account gives the writer leeway to "flesh up" details, add colour to the bare bone facts that history generally gives us. The author has worked out the recreating of the atmosphere, the dialogues of the characters and the settings quite well. This dramatisation depiction of Guru Arjan Dev’s life will no-doubt be well received.
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Guru
