3:KfE!r€H OF THE smM^, ;gS5 



The modey.in which Gu'ru' Oovini? first initiated his CQnverts, is 

 described by a Sikh writer; ai\d, as 1 I^elieve it is nearly tfie same as .that 

 pow observed, I shall shortly st^te it as he has described it. Guru' 

 GoviND, he says, aftQXriiha.rnV'Sil&t Mak'haval, initiated five coh^ertg; 

 and gav^ them instru^tjpj^is how to, imtia:te others. The mode is as JoI-> 

 lows. The convert is told that he must allow his hair to grow. He must 

 clothe himself from head to foot in blue clothes. He is then presented 

 with the five weapons : a sword, a firelock, a bow and arrow, and a pike.* 

 One of those who initiate' him, then, says, M the Guru is thy holy teacher^ 

 *•. and thou art his Sikh or disci»pfe/' .Some' sugar and water is put into a 

 cup, and stirred round with a steel knife, or dagger, and some of the first 

 chapters of the .4 di'Granfhy ar\d the first chapters of the Das' atria Pdd^ 

 shdh ka Grant'hyare read ; ^nd those who perform the initiation exdairhj 

 Wa! Guruji ka Khdlsdl Jfa! Gumji ki Fateh ! (Success to ike state of the 

 Guru I Victory attend the Gz^m// after this exclamation has been repeated 

 five times j they s?ty,*^ 'tKis Sherbet is ne6lar. It is the water of fife, drink 

 it." The disciple obeys, and somt Sherbet, prepared in a similar manner, is 

 sprinlcled over his head, and beard. After these ceremonies, the disciple is 

 a^ked if he consents to be of the faith of Gu'ru' Govind. He answers, 

 «. Idiocoftsent." He is then told, " if you do, you must abandon aliin- 



^st^int dislprtpd \vith,rage, aqci his sword lialf drawn, " You are^i'iiorant," s^idJie to 

 We, " of the oflfenoe you have given ; I cannot strike you, who are above me, and the 

 1*> friend of my mastbr- and the state ; but rlo- power"' he added, " shall saVe thesc-fellowiT,** 

 ^Jliiding to th,e two KhaldsOrSikhs, '■ from my r-eveqge, for haying t^9rf^t9^)^jle at; youjr 

 *' action," It was with the greatest difTicnlly, and only by the good offices of ?ome S//i^ 

 ijbiefs, (hat I was able to pacify the wounded honor of this Sinli. 



*;-.#- Tl>efifO(ld«is of courage, Bhavani Durga', represented in the Das'ama PadsMh f:a 

 GranCh, or book of kings of Gu'au' Go'vind, qs the soul of arms, or tutelary goddoss of 

 ^?iry/^«4»?.tb'*S sitWrfspcxl : " tUv»w w( tUftedg^ gf (he swprd, tliou a«i.:lhB.arp6\yy tWiwbrd, 

 ** the knife and the dagger." 



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