miETCWl OF THE SIKHS. m 



Gran t'h and Bas'ama Padshah ka Grafifk, every moriiing' and every 

 evening. Whatever he has received from God, he is told it is his duty to 

 share with others ; and after the disciple has heard and understood all 

 these and similar precepts, he is declared to be duly initiated. 



Guru' GoviND SiNH, agreeably to this Sikh author, after ' initiating 

 the first five disciples in the mode above stated, ordered the principal per- 

 son among them* to initiate him exaftly on similar occasions, which he 

 did. The author from wnoih' the above account is taken, states, that when 

 Govii^D was at the point of death, he exclaimed, " wlierever five 5'z;^/iS' 

 " are assembled, there I also shall be present;'* and, in consequence of 

 this expression, five Sikhs , are the number necessary to make a Sinh, or 

 convert. By the religious institutions of Gl'ru' Govind, proselytes are 

 admitted from all tribes and casts in tll^e universe. The initiation may 

 take place at any time of life, biitthei children of the Sinks all go through 

 this rite at a very early age. 



The leading tenet of Gu'ru" Govind's religious institutions^ which 

 obliges his followers to devote themselves to arms, is stated, in one of the 

 chapters of the Das'ama Padshah ka Grant'h, or book of the tenth kingj 

 written in praise of Du'rga B'hava'ni, the goddess of courage: " Du'r- 

 " GA," Guru' Govind says, "appeared to me when I was asleep, ar- 

 " rayed in all her glory. The goddess put into my hand the hilt of at 

 " bright scymiter, which she had before held in her own. The country 

 *• of the Muhammedans" said the goddess, " shall be conquered by thee^ 

 " and numbers of that race shall be slain." After I had heard this, I 



* Agreeable to Ihis author, Gu'uu' Govind was initiated on Friday, the Stli of the 

 month B'hddra, hi the year 1753 of the aera of Vicrama'ditya ; and on that day bis great 

 work, the Das am a Padshah ha f^riuitlif or i*oA of the tenth king, was comjpleted. 



