Tale of King of Sirmaur

Tale of King of Sirmaur is one of 405 tales written in Charitropakhyan, bani by Shri
Guru Gobind Singh. This is the Seventy First (71st) Charitar of Charitropakhyan. This
tale is presumably from guru's own life. It is set around the time when guru sahib was in
Paunta Sahib. The events in the tale include Guru Sahib Visit to Kapal Mochan, hunting,
punishing the Manmukhs and arrangement of robes for honoring Sikhs. The Charitar
shows political, warrior life of Guru Gobind Singh. The moral of the tale is to not to
spoil pilgrimages in any manner.

The charitar mentions, that guru sahib went to Kapal Mochan. Many Sikhs arrived to
meet guru sahib. Guru Sahib wanted to give them robes of honor, as this was a ritual
followed during that time, and still followed all over. Guru Ji sent some of his Sikhs to
Paunta to bring robes but they returned in vein as no robes were available in city in any
shop.

Here the main story is that some dolt and ignorant people used to urinate on the pious
place of Paunta. They spoil the sanctity of place and Guru Sahib wanted to teach them a
lesson so he planned with his Sikhs that if they would find any person urinating on the
pious place, remove his turban and punish him. Sikhs did as guru sahib said.

The turbans of those persons were removed who did urine at that place and were
punished so that they would not do the same in future and Sikhs collected many turbans.
This tale is “to kill two with one arrow”. Guru Sahib, where brought ignorant on right
track, there he got robes to honor the Sikhs. So after washing and cleaning those turbans,
Sikhs were honored by guru sahib.

Many Scholars (incl. Prof Darshan Singh) criticize this charitar, that guru sahib could not
do this, how can he remove turban from any urinating man, this is request to them kindly
remove urine from your mind, the main idea was to punish those persons who spoil
pilgrimages. Please do not change our track and this is suggestion for you to come on
right track. Today you are behind Dasam Granth, tomorrow Bhagat bani then Bhatt bani.

For those people who take wrong meaning of this charitar guru sahib himself said in last
lines ਭੇਦ ਮੂਰਖਨ ਨ ਲਿਿਯੋ ਕਿਾ ਗਯੋ ਕਿਰ ਰਾਇ .

The Charitar is as under:

ਦੋਿਰਾ ॥
Dohira

ਨਗਰ ਪਾਵਟਾ ਬਿੁ ਬਸ ੈ ਸ ਾਰਮੌਰ ਕੇ ਦੇ ਸ ॥ ਜਮ ੁਨਾ ਨਦੀ ਿਨਕ ਿਟ ਬਿੈ ਜ ਨੁਕ ਪੁਰੀ
ਅਿਲ ਕੇਸ ॥੧॥
Paonta City was established in the country of Sirmaur, It was on the bank of River
Jamuna and was like the land of gods. It was/is a pious land.(1)

ਨਦੀ ਜਮ ੁਨ ਕੇ ਤੀਰ ਮ ੈ ਤੀਰਥ ਮੁਚ ਨ ਕਪਾ ਲ ॥ ਨਗਰ ਪਾਵਟਾ ਛੋਿਰ ਿਮ ਆਏ ਤਿਾ

ਉਤਾ ਲ ॥੨॥
The pilgrim place of Kapaal Mochan was on the banks of the Jamuna. Leaving the City
of Paonta, we came to this place. Kapal Mochan was also visited by Guru Nanak
Sahib(2)

ਚੌਪ ਈ ॥
Chaupaee

ਿਖਲਤ ਅਖੇਟਕ ਸੂ ਕਰ ਮਾਰੇ ॥ ਬਿੁਤੇ ਿਮਿਗ ਔਰੈ ਿਿਨ ਡਾਰੇ ॥ ਪੁਿਨ ਿਤਿ ਠਾ ਕੌ ਿ ਮ
ਮਗੁ ਲ ੀਨੌ ॥ ਵਾ ਤ ੀਰਥ ਕ ੇ ਦਰ ਸਨ ਕ ੀਨੌ ॥੩॥
While hunting, we had killed many deer and boars,Then we had taken the road to that
place and paid obeisance to that pilgritn entity. (3)

ਦੋਿਰਾ ॥
Dohira

ਤਿਾ ਿਮ ਾਰੇ ਿਸਖਯ ਸਭ ਅ ਿਮਤ ਪਿੰ ੂ ਚੇ ਆ ਇ ॥ ਿਤਨੈ ਦੈ ਨ ਕੋ ਚਾਿਿਯੈ ਜ ੋਿਰ ਭਲੋ

ਿਸਰਪਾਇ ॥੪॥
At the place, a number of our Sikh volunteers arrived. There arose the need of giving
them the robes of honour.(4)

ਨਗਰ ਪਾਵਟੇ ਬ ੂਿਰਯੈ ਪਠ ਏ ਲੋਕ ਬੁਲਾਇ ॥ ਏਕ ਪਾਗ ਪਾਈ ਨਿੀ ਿਨਿਫ ਲ ਪਿੁਚੇ ਆਇ
॥੫॥
Some persons were sent to the city of Paonta. But could not find even one turban and
they came back disappointed. Now is the problem which is political too. Guru Sahib
wanted to give them robes of honor but no robe was available. So guru sahib planned (5)

ਚੌਪ ਈ ॥
Chaupaee
ਮੋ ਲਿਿ ਏਕ ਪਾਗ ਨਿਿ ਪਾਈ ॥ ਤਬ ਮਸ ਲਿਤ ਿਮ ਿਜਯਿਿ ਬ ਨਾਈ ॥ ਜਾਿਿ ਇਿਾ ਮ ੂਤਿਤ
ਲਿਖ ਪਾਵੋ ॥ ਤਾ ਕੀ ਛੀ ਨ ਪਗ ਿਰਯਾ ਲਯਾਵੋ ॥੬॥
As no turbans were available to buy, we thought of a plan, ‘Whosoever you find urinating
there, snatch his turban away.’ (6)

Turban was sign of prestige since old times. How can these people think that guru sahib
can remove anyone’s prestige without any reason? The person who cannot maintain
sanctity of place is not supposed to wear turban too. Think what we people do when
someone wearing turban and spoil our pilgrimages, we just beat them and remove his
turban. Read next lines for more clarity…

ਜਬ ਪਯਾਦ ਨ ਐ ਸੇ ਸੁਿਨ ਪਾਯੋ ॥ ਿਤਿੀ ਭਾ ਿਤ ਿਮਿਲ ਸ ਭਨ ਕਮ ਾਯੋ ॥ ਜੋ ਮ ਨਮ ੁਖ ਤੀਰਥ

ਿਤਿ ਆ ਯੋ ॥ ਪਾ ਗ ਿਬਨਾ ਕ ਿਰ ਤਾਿਿ ਪ ਠਾਯੋ ॥੭॥
When the policemen heard thus, they all agreed upon the scheme. Any apostate who
came on pilgrimage, he was sent back without the turban.(7)

So here it’s clearly mentioned the persons who spoiled pilgrimages their turbans were
removed and sent back, and they were so called Manmukhs. ਮਨਮੁਖ ਕਰਮ ਕਮਾਵਣੇ ਿਜਉ
ਦੋਿਾਗਿਣ ਤਿਨ ਸੀਗਾਰੁ ॥ Their turban is worth nothing if they are Manmukhs. Removing
their turbans would bring back them to way so that they would not do the same in future.

ਦੋਿਰਾ ॥
Dohira

ਰਾਿਤ ਬੀਚ ਕਿਰ ਆ ਠ ਸੈ ਪਗਰੀ ਲਈ ਉਤਾਿਰ ॥ ਆਿਨ ਿਤ ਨੈ ਿਮ ਦੀਿ ਮ ੈ ਧੋਵਿਨ ਦਈ

ਸੁਧਾਿਰ ॥੮॥
In one night alone, eight hundred turbans were taken away. They brought and gave them
to me and I handed over to be washed, cleaned and straightened out. (8)

Now think if guru sahib has that bad mentality, then he can give robes of honor without
cleaning it. But no he washed it properly.

ਚੌਪ ਈ ॥
Chaupaee

ਪਿਾਤ ਲ ੇ ਤ ਸ ਭ ਧੋਇ ਮਗਾਈ ॥ ਸਭ ਿੀ ਿਸਖਯਨ ਕੋ ਬੰਧਵਾਈ ॥ ਬਚੀ ਸ ੁ ਬੇਿਚ ਤੁਰਤ ਤਿ

ਲਈ ॥ ਬਾਕੀ ਬਚੀ ਿਸਪਾਿਿਨ ਦਈ ॥੯॥
In the morning all the washed and the cleaned ones were brought and were worn by the
Sikhs. The left over were sold and the remaining were given out to the policemen.(9)

ਦੋਿਰਾ ॥
Dohira

ਬਿਟ ਕੈ ਪਗਰੀ ਨਗਰ ਕੋ ਜਾ ਤ ਭ ਏ ਸ ੁਖ ਪਾਇ ॥ ਭੇ ਦ ਮ ੂਰਖਨ ਨ ਲਿਿਯੋ ਕਿਾ ਗਯੋ ਕਿਰ

ਰਾਇ ॥੧੦॥
After selling the turbans, headed towards their towns, achieving due bliss. Foolish people
could not discern what game the Raja had played.(10)(1)

ਇਿਤ ਸ ਿੀ ਚਿਰਤ ਿ ਪਖਯਾਨ ੇ ਪੁਰਖ ਚਿਰਤ ਿੇ ਮ ੰਤ ਿੀ ਭੂਪ ਸ ੰਬਾ ਦੇ ਇਕਿਤਰੌ ਚਿਰਤ ਿ ਸਮ ਾਪਤਮ
ਸਤ ੁ ਸ ੁਭਮ ਸਤ ੁ ॥੭੧ ॥੧੨੫੮ ॥ਅਫਜੰ ੂ ॥
Seventy-first Parable of Auspicious Charitar Conversation of the Raja and the Minister,
Completed with Benediction. (71)(1256)

Now it depends on your interpretation and your thinking. What you can think

Some References:
Katha by Bhai Mahtab Singh:
Check on Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YkYk9MLMVf0 (Part 1 to 4)