This was the battle where Guru Hargobind lost seven hundred brave soldiers. So much of bloodshed had aggrieved him deeply. He had no regrets about the battle with the Mughals, but he felt that the price he had paid was too high. He prayed for each and every one of the martyrs, and blessed their souls. It was this combination of valour and softness that made Guru Hargobind a soldier-saint. He was daring ,courageous, and great warrior, but he was deeply moved by the agony and suffering of his people.

In fact, this is where Har Rai resembled his grandfather so much. As a child, Har Rai had admired the valour and grit of his father and grandfather. But he was equally sensitive and sympathetic in nature. On the one hand, he too believed that it was fair to take up arms for the right cause while, on the other, he felt deeply wounded by hurt and pain he saw or caused.

One day, when he was walking in his garden he stumbled and accidentally disturbed a shrub. At this the flowers of that shrub dropped on the ground before him. Seeing this Har Rai began to cry. He was deeply pained to see the flowers break away from the plant, and the injury caused to the shrub in the process. This was very much like his father and his grandfather who, in the course of the battle, had displayed similar reactions.

When Guru Hargobind killed Painde Khan he was deeply moved. He even took out his shield and put it on his face to protect him from the son�s glare. On the other hand, Bhai Gurditta after slaying Asman Khan sat by his side and cried because the two men had played together as children. It was this synthesis of courage and fortitude on the one hand and benevolence and compassion on the other, that made Guru Hargobind, Bhai Gurditta and Har Rai, the reflections of the divine light of the Guru Nanak. And while these qualities gave them the strength to do right, it sometimes also made them weak. This is why Guru Hargobind did not want any more bloodshed unless absolutely necessary. He decided that the Sikhs needed a break from the fighting and bloodshed. And so, he thought of retiring to Kiratpur, which was a quiet and a peaceful place in the Shivalik Hills of the Himalayas.

When he informed his family and the Sikh community about it they were happy, and applauded his decision. Everyone prepared to go except his elder grandson, Dhir Mal. Though Dhir Mal�s teachery was not hideen from anyone, he was still a part of the Sikh community. Everyone expected him to come along to Kiratpur with the others, but he refused. At that time he was very friendly with the Mughal governor at Jullandhar, and so wished to stay on in Kartarpur. Hearing his decision, Guru Hargobind was most pleased to leave him behind. And within no time, the Sikh guru left for the Elysium heights of Kiratpur with his family and close associates.

After they left, Dhir Mal took complete charge of family property at Kartarpur including the Holy Granth. Around that time a Sikh devotee named Bhai Biddhi Chand was making the copy of the holy book and had reached almost half way. He wanted to carry the original with him so that he could complete copying the rest of the text as soon as possible. But when he went on to ask Dhir Mal for it, he refused to part of it. He was also aware that the Sikhs would continue to come to Kartarpur, since it was one of their pilgrimage sites. And so, he knew that it would be an asset to have the Holy Granth with him, especially when he would claim his guruship to the Sikh community. He made sure that all the Sikhs who came to pay their respects to the Holy book,visited him too. This he felt would make it easier for him to be the Guru in the future. He even delved upon his Mughal connections to become the Guru, since he was well aware that guru Hargobind would never consider him over his father and his younger brother. Thus he held on to the Holy Granth for all the wrong reasons.

When Guru Hargobind heard about it he was least affected. He told his troubled devotees that the Holy Granth belonged to the Sikhs, and they would themselves claim it back from Dhir Mal, when the time was right.

Guru Hargobind, Brave Soldiers, Mughals, Great Warrior, Guru Har Rai, Painde Khan, Bhai Gurditta, Asman Khan, Guru Nana, Hills of The Himalayas, Kiratpur, Shivalik Hills, Dhir Mal, Holy Granth, Bhai Biddhi Chand, Kartarpur, Pilgrimage Sites, Sikh Community