Deh Siva Var Mohe Eha, Shubh Karman te Kabhun na Taru,
Na Daron ar So Jab Jai Laron, Nishchay Kar Apne Jeet karon,
Aaru Sikh Hon Apne he Man ko, eh Lalach Hun Gun Toh Uchron,
Jab Aav ki Avadh Nidhan Baneh, At He Ran me Tab jujh Marun.
A week or so back our Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh opened his speech in the Parliament house on the all important trust vote with these verses. A usually docile and shy person appeared confident and dominating that day. He had a great conviction and a sense of purpose in his voice when he spoke, and he was greeted with the thumping of desks from the treasury benches. Whereas I never doubted the capability and the caliber of our Prime Minister, his entire conduct before and during the trust vote really impressed me. He was a man with a mission and was not willing to compromise with anyone coming in his way of executing the deed.
His closing speech on the next day itself was a great piece of writing. He literally took the opposition apart with a scathing attack on their leader, a man of the stature of Mr. L.K. Advani. Unfortunately he was never allowed to speak that speech in the house, but just by reading the text on the news channels and the net, one could make out the determination and clarity of his thought.
Dr. Manmohan Singh has truly emerged a much stronger man, a strategist and thinking PM with a vision and mission for his beloved country.
Now coming back to the verses that he recited when he opened the debate in the Parliament, I must admit that I had heard them numerous times earlier. Being a Punjabi and having lived in Chandigarh for long and also having visited Gurudwaras and heard kirtan, I was not a stranger to these lines. But when our PM spoke them, they gave me goose bumps. Such was the determination in his voice. I was obviously helped by the fact that I knew clearly the meaning of these lines and their importance in Sikh history.
But for the benefit of those who do not understand them, I gave a very simplified translation and explanation.
Wikipedia gives the following as an official translation:
O Lord grant me this boon, that I may never avoid doing a good deed.
Never shall I fear the enemy when I go into the battlefield and always ensure my victory.
That I may teach myself this greed alone, to learn only Thy praises.
And when the last days of my life come, I may die in the might of the battlefield.
These lines were written and recited by the 10th Sikh guru, Guru Gobind Singh. As a warrior and a fighter for truth, the Guru is praying to the almighty and asking for a blessing. The blessing is not about wealth, health or prosperity as any mortal man would ask. It is not even for victory that any solider would pray for. The great Guru only prays that he should be blessed with such determination that he may never be deterred from doing a good deed, whatever be the consequences of the same. He also prays that he should never have fear when he goes into the battle field however powerful an enemy he is faced with. And that his own determination may help him to win.
He further says that being a Sikh (meant as solider here) itself in the service of the Lord may be enough enticement for him. Meaning that he should not ever want anything else, after converting to a solider for a just cause.
And then, when there is no other way left and death is inevitable, may I die fighting in the battlefield…