m tKETGH OF ^THE ;SIKHS^ 



»^exelaimed, this steel sliall be the gMa?(;l:;ta,me and my followers, be-* 

 «« cause, in its lustre, the splendour of ,4hysG(^i^^tei3iaRC^ 



^Valwaysrefleaed* .;.:,3|,l, ..;d -,V.r;cih -dt i^kIi^ ■ bjm ■ ^s'v-jH fe ^v . , , 



The Das'ama Padshah ka Grant'hbf Gv'rvs' Govind appears, from the 

 extra6ts which I have seen,of it,. ,to abound in fine passages. Its authorhas 

 borrowed largely from the Sdstras of the Brahmem, and the Koran, 

 He praises Na'nac as a. holy saintj, accepted of God, and grounds his 

 faith, like that of his predecessors, upon the adoration of one God, whose 

 power and attributes he. however describes, by so many Sanscrit nameSj 

 ^nd with such constant allusions to the H/«<i^. mythology, that it appear^ 

 often difficult to separate his purer belief, from theijr gross idolatry. He 

 however reje6ls all worship, of im^ges^ on an opiniqn tak^en from one of 

 the a^tient r/<i^5, which declares, "^ to worship ,^n idol made of 



" wood, earth or stone, i^^ as foolish as it is impious; for God alone is 

 ** deserving^ of adoratioHo" , 



The great ppintSj however^. by which Gu'ru' Govind lias separated 

 |ii^ followep for ever from the, Hindus, are those, which have been before 

 s^tated./. The destruction of the distinction of casts, the admission of pro- 

 selytes,^, and the rendering the pursuit of arms not only admissible, but 

 the religious duty of all his followers ; whereas, among the Hindus, agree» 

 able to the Dhema ,Sdstra, one of the 'most revered of their sacred 

 ^yritings, carrying arms on alL occasions, as an occupation, is only lawful 

 to the Oter/}/^ or military tribe, A Brahmen is allowed to obtain a 



* An author whom 1 liave often quoted, says, Gu'ku' Go'vind gave the following in« 

 junctions to his foliowem: ** It is right to slay a Muhammedan wherever you meet him. 

 *' If you meet a IIindu,h&Ai\i\tQ. and plunder him, and divide his property among you, 

 ^' Employ your constant effort to destroy the eQuntdes ruled by Muhammedans. If they 

 •^^ oppose you, defeat and $laytheai." 



