ਪਉੜੀ ॥

ਚੋਟ ਪਈ ਖਰਚਾਮੀ ਦਲਾਂ ਮੁਕਾਬਲਾ ॥

The drum, wrapped in donkey`s hide, was beaten and the armies attacked each other.

ਘੇਰਿ ਲਈ ਵਰਿਆਮੀ ਦੁਰਗਾ ਆਇ ਕੈ ॥

The brave demon-warriors besieged Durga.

ਰਾਖਸ ਵਡੇ ਅਲਾਮੀ ਭਜ ਨ ਜਾਣਦੇ ॥

They are greatly knowledgeable in warfare and do not know running back.

ਅੰਤਿ ਹੋਏ ਸੁਰਗਾਮੀ ਮਾਰੇ ਦੇਵਤਾ ॥੧੪॥

They ultimately went to heaven on being killed by the goddess.14.




on the last pangti of this pauri
ਅੰਤਿ ਹੋਏ ਸੁਰਗਾਮੀ ਮਾਰੇ ਦੇਵਤਾ ॥੧੪॥
They ultimately went to heaven on being killed by the goddess.14.

I was wondering should ਸੁਰਗਾਮੀ be ਸੁਰ ਗਾਮੀ

meaning at the end they left the devta/durga ( sur) and were killed while departing. Because the pauri mentions before

ਰਾਖਸ ਵਡੇ ਅਲਾਮੀ ਭਜ ਨ ਜਾਣਦੇ ॥

Meaning those brave demons whom had great knowledge of war they did not know how to leave the battlefield since they were use to winning Wars due to their knowledge. However, eventually towards the end they decided to flee despite their knowledge. Yet those that fled were still killed by Durga whom showed know mercy on the demons

The meaning of the last pangti "They ultimately went to heaven on being killed by the goddess" does not make sense to me. How can the demons go to heaven after being killed?

I don't have a problem with Rakash going to Swarag after getting martyed in the battlefield. According to tradition, ones who get killed in the battlefield always go to heaven. Since Chandi di Vaar is a translation of Markanday Puraan, this too may have been part of the translation.

According to the great Indian epic Mahabharata, Duryodhan and all other supposedly bad guys and villains like Dushasan etc. went to Swarag because they died like warriors in the battlefield and did not run away from their Kshatrya Dharma of fighting in the battlefield. Since they fulfilled their Kshatrya Dharma (duty of being warrior), they went to heaven for that.

Same way according to Srimad Bhagwat Puraan villains like Harnakash too went to heaven because they died at the hands of Avatars like Narsimha. Gurbani says that the hunter who killed Siri Krishna went to Baikunth, a place higher than heaven.

Its unthinkable that anyone who died at the hands of Siri Guru Gobind Singh jee and Brahmgyani Gurmukhs would go to hell. They all must have gone to better places than that.

Now coming back at the Pankiti in question, the meanings that you are deriving are quite interesting. Let's look at the Pankiti again:

ਅੰਤਿ ਹੋਏ ਸੁਰਗਾਮੀ ਮਾਰੇ ਦੇਵਤਾ ॥੧੪॥
They ultimately went to heaven on being killed by the goddess.14.

One problem with the meaning above is that it translates ਦੇਵਤਾ as goddess which does not seem to be right because ਦੇਵਤਾ is a noun for male deity and not female deity. For female the word Devi is used instead of Devta. One possible meaning could be that in the end, the Sur i.e. Devtas ran away, when Devtas started getting killed. Gaami means to go away and Sur means Devta. I haven't read the whole Pauri, so I am not confident that the meanings done above are correct.

Daas,
Kulbir Singh

Veer Ji maybe you are right perhaps this could be referring to the original translation . It also seems likely that warriors do go to heaven because in Jap Ji sahib there i mention of numerous warriors in celestial realms. But I always thought according to Gurmat tradition only those warriors that fought for Goodness could go to Swarag example Muhammad , Krishna while Nastics go to a lower region .

My understanding of Chandi Di Vaar is that its a battle of the mind from the Panj Doot. Indra ( the mind) lost its kingdom - meaning Indra parted from its soul through the panj doot . through fear Indra apporaced Durga ( Akal Purakh) after losing raj over the Atma, and through Akal Purakhs grace the Rakshey ( Panj Doot) get massacred.When we read chandi Di Vaar it seems like the Rakshey are very stubborn like the Panj Doot they dont let go without a battle.

Thats why I got the meaning that Durga did not spare the panj doot at all even when they fled after approaching Durga. Since you mentioned Devta is masculine and now I have become convinced that Sur and Gamee should be separated and Devta is referring to Sur and not Durga as you previously mentioned. Perhaps the meaning is the panj doot fled from Indra when Durga ( Khanda of Naam ) started killing them.

In Sri Jap Ji Sahib, in the paurri describing Gyan Khand, there is a tukk
kite dev danav munn kite kite ratan samund .
kitiyaan khaani kitiyan baani ....

So this means there are danavs in Gyan khand too and Gyan khand is higher than heaven.

harinder_singh Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> In Sri Jap Ji Sahib, in the paurri describing Gyan
> Khand, there is a tukk
> kite dev danav munn kite kite ratan samund .
> kitiyaan khaani kitiyan baani ....
>
> So this means there are danavs in Gyan khand too
> and Gyan khand is higher than heaven.


No doubt that those soliders from the opposing Army who were pierced by GUru Sahibs Teer or Sri Sahib must of felt great Anand. Similarly if ones is killed through the Sri Sahib of Naam Abyiaasi Gurmukh then no doubt those fallen will feel peace. But I highly doubt that they will go to a celestial Khand like GianKhand. No where in Gurbani does it mention that the wicked get such a a reward on the contrary Guru Sahib makes it clear over and over that the wicked do not get rewarded in the next life. On the battlefield some soldiers may realize their faults and get blessed by the Sri Sahib and perhaps such soldiers will get the gift of human life but it seems highly unlikely that they will go to such a place like Gian Khand without good deeds + naam.

I have asked them same question to another Singh and he has given a great response which I would like to share with the rest of the sangat.

Actually ਸੁਰਗਾਮੀ is an abbreviation of ਸਵਰਗਗਾਮੀ meaning ones who are headed to the heavens.
If we separate ਸੁਰਗਾਮੀ into ਸੁਰ ਗਾਮੀ then ਸੁਰ would mean an Angel or Devta, not a demon.

Also there is absolutely nothing wrong with the demons going to ਸਵਰਗ (ਸੁਰ), in fact that’s the whole basis of how this Ballad of Chandi starts:



Remember, Inder was the ruler of heaven known as Inderpuri, and he was kicked out of it by the demons, and Mehkhasur and others took over his heaven. That is why he ran to Durga for help. The Vaar is about this battle between those powerful demons who challenged and took over Inderpuri heaven.



You should not confuse the word heaven with the Sikh concept of “Sachkhand”, heavens are temporarily and given to many Devi Devtasd and prophets, they are eventually destroyed and re-created, only SachKhand is Eternal because it is a abode of Sri Akal Purakh Sahib.

There are countless heavens in the universe for all different faiths and practices, Inderpuri, Shivpuri, etc., but they are all temporary. So it is not a big deal for disciplined warriors (good or bad) to go to those places.



ਸਾਧੂ ਸਤਿਜੁਗ ਬੀਤਿਆ ਅਧਸੀਲੀ ਤ੍ਰੇਤਾ ਆਇਆ। ਨਚੀ ਕਲਿ ਸਰੋਸਰੀ ਕਲਿ ਨਾਰਦ ਡਉਰੂ ਵਾਇਆ।

ਅਭਿਮਾਨ ਉਤਾਰਨ ਦਿਉਤਿਆ ਮਹਿਖਾਸੁਰ ਸੁੰਭ ਉਪਾਇਆ। ਜੀਤ ਲਏ ਤਿਨਿ ਦੇਵਤੇ ਤਿਹੁ ਲੋਕੀ ਰਾਜੁ ਕਮਾਇਆ। (the Demons began to rule the three worlds, including heavens)

ਵਡਾ ਬੀਰ ਅਖਾਇ ਕੈ ਸਿਰ ਉਪਰਿ ਛਤ੍ਰ ਫਿਰਾਇਆ। ਦਿਤਾ ਇੰਦ੍ਰ ਨਿਕਾਲ ਕੇ ਤਿਨਿ ਗਿਰ ਕੈਲਾਸੁ ਤਕਾਇਆ। (Inder kicked out of heaven by Demons)

ਡਰ ਕੈ ਹਥੋਂ ਦਾਨਵੀ ਦਿਲ ਅੰਦਰਿ ਤ੍ਰਾਸ ਵਧਾਇਆ। ਪਾਸ ਦੁਰਗਾ ਦੇ ਇੰਦ੍ਰੁ ਆਇਆ। ੩।

ਇਕ ਦਿਹਾੜੈ ਆਈ ਨ੍ਹਾਵਣ ਦੁਰਗ ਸਾਹ। ਇੰਦ ਬ੍ਰਿਥਾ ਸੁਣਾਈ ਆਪਣੇ ਹਾਲ ਦੀ। ਛੀਨਿ ਲਈ ਠਕੁਰਾਈ ਸਾਤੇ ਦਾਨਵੀ। ਲੋਕੀ ਤਿਹੀ ਫਿਰਾਈ ਦੋਹੀ ਆਪਣੀ।

ਬੈਠੇ ਵਾਇ ਵਧਾਈ ਤੇ ਅਮਰਾਵਤੀ। ਦਿਤੇ ਦੇਵ ਭਜਾਈ ਸਭਨਾ ਰਾਕਸਾ। ਕਿਨੈ ਨ ਜਿਤਿਆ ਜਾਈ ਮਹਿਖੈ ਦੈਤ ਨੂੰ। ਤੇਰੀ ਸਾਮ ਤਕਾਈ ਦੇਵੀ ਦੁਰਗਸਾਹ। ੪।

The deamons have created havoc in the three worlds, they are ruling Amtravtee (heaven- Inderpuri) and rejoicing, the Demons have kicked out all the Devtas from the heaven.

(Amtravtee = Heaven)


Also, even Ram took his entire domain to heaven : ਸੁਰਗਬਾਸ ਰਘੁਬਰ ਕਰਾ ਸਗਰੀ ਪੁਰੀ ਸਮੇਤ॥੧॥ (Although pro-Kala-Afghani don't agree with this.)

I think it has to do with something deeper than just good and bad, it is about a warrior who is ready to face death. Someone who is ready to face death (KAAL) is often described as a person who has de-attached himself from the word and no longer fears anything.

Bhai Bidhi Chand was a robber (daku) he openly robbed people, but was very brave and determined. He would risk his life to rob people. Although this was bad, Guru Hargobind Sahib Ji saw his brave quality of not fearing death and converted him into great Sikh. If he was a coward or a thief then he would have most likely never met Guru Sahib and blessed by Him. Such is His Drama.

I think there is a distinction between a warrior who fights a battle for a cause (good or bad) versus someone who does not fight at all, or someone who has not stance on anything, or someone who back-stabs or cheats or swindles others. Those who do not fight for anything are usually those who fear something or someone.

But those rebels or warriors who risk their lives and face ultimate death KAAL , are given respect in this world and the next. So in Sri Dasam Granth Guru Sahib is simply invoking different "battle scene" and the actors inside it who made that decision to battle for a cause. Be it Chandi vs. Mehkhasur, Krishan vs. Kans, or Ram vs. Raavan.

In Chandi-di-Vaar, whether it be the Demons or Durga, they are both praised as great fighters who are fighting and risking their lives for a cause. Hence, ਰਾਖਸ ਵਡੇ ਅਲਾਮੀ ਭਜ ਨ ਜਾਣਦੇ ॥ That is great praise of the demons' bravery and determination, and the same for the Devi : ਸਦ ਰਹਮਤ ਤੇਰੇ ਵਾਰ ਕਉ ॥

A warrior who fights face to face in battle has always been given respect in every culture, so why should not they get respect in the next world? Especially someone who has accepted Death as reality.

True, those battles they can not be compared to the battles of a Khalsa Warrior who only fights for Truth and Justice, but non the less they are fighting for something. They are not running away from the battle.

It is all Akal Purakh's wonderous drama (Bachittar Natak)!