Page:The Sikh Religion, its gurus, sacred writings and authors Vol 1.djvu/209

Rh Some lost their five times of prayer, others their hours of worship.

How shall Hindu women now bathe and apply frontal marks without their sacred squares ?

They who never thought of Ram 1 are not now allowed even to mention Khuda. 2

One may return to her home ; another may meet and in quire after the safety of a relation ; But others are destined to sit and weep in pain. v/ What pleaseth God, O Nanak, shall happen ; what is man ? 3

After this, Mir Khan, the governor of the jail, arrived. He saw that the Guru s bundle was raised a cubit over his head without any apparent support, and that the horse entrusted to Mardana followed him while he played sacred music on his rebeck. The governor communicated this information to Babar. The Emperor replied that, if he had known the city contained such holy men, he would not have destroyed it. At the governor s suggestion he went to the prison, which was two miles distant. There were Pathan and Hindu women huddled promiscuously together, grinding corn. The Guru had also been supplied with a hand-mill for the same purpose. It is said that the mill revolved of its own accord while he put in the corn. The Emperor addressed the Guru, but he was in a trance, thinking of the slaughter of his unoffending countrymen. On awaking he uttered the following hymn, which, however, is not found in the Granth Sahib :

1 The Hindu name of God.

2 The Muhammadan name of God, which Hindus shrink from pronouncing.

3 Compare God of our fathers ! what is man, That thou towards him with hand so various, Or might I say contrarious, Temper st thy providence through his short course, Not evenly, as thou rulest The angelic orders, and inferior creatures mute, Irrational and brute ?

MILTON, Samson Agomstes.