It was 1638 (Vikram), monsoon season (rains), Bhadron (August/September), the third day of the light phase of the moon when Guru Ramdas ji, the ocean of virtue, left his body. On the fourth day, everyone gathered at the site of the cremation of Satguru ji’s body. Guru Arjan Dev ji looked at the ashes and had tears in his eyes. Guru Arjan Dev ji said: “Sri Guru Pitha ji was my support. I don’t see him anymore. He is no where in this world in physical form. I feel alone without you. My brother is my enemy and is not my support.” Guru ji was talking like a normal person to show the people he is like them, in order to connect to them. In fact, Guru Arjan Dev ji was above all emotions. Baba Mohri ji consoled Guru Arjan Dev ji, as part of the worldly drama, fulfilling his humanly role and said: “the Satguru is complete and exists everywhere. Whoever does Simran of the Satguru with faith and devotion, the Satguru comes there and protects them. You are acting right now. You are Guru Ramdas ji yourself. You are putting on a show for everyone. I can see the Satguru in you, right now. You have all of the powers of the Satguru and you will protect your Sikhs.” In this way Baba Mohri ji spoke to Guru Arjan Dev ji. The Sikhs got together and collected the ashes. They did the traditions in the best way. The praises of Guru Ramdas ji were being sung in the whole village.
One person went to Amritsar and met Prithi Chand. He told him everything about Goindwal: “Guru Ramdas ji was in Goindwal for only one day when he left his body and went to Vaikunt (Sach Khand). Your younger brother did the cremation tradition of your father.” Prithi Chand heard this and became anxious right away. He mounted his horse and headed towards Goindwal. He got his wife Karmo ready along with his servants. They all headed towards Goindwal.
When Prithi Chand reached Goindwal, he saw a huge crowd there. Everyone met Prithi Chand. Baba Mahadev ji was with him as well. They got off their horses outside of the village. Their eyes were filled with tears. Prithi Chand was crying, but he was filled with deceit. The tears were not of love. He was filled with anger. He began to shout out loud: “he took the Tilak of the Gurta Ghaddi for two days and then gave Pitha ji poison to kill him. He was greedy to be worshiped. He had deceit in his heart and killed Pitha ji. Doing this, you cannot be the Guru. This is a grave sin what he did. He will have to suffer for this sin. Only the deserving person gets the Gurta Ghaddi. This is the tradition from the beginning. Pitha ji was strong and free of illnesses. His mind and body were fine. He was happy. He came here for one day. What happened to him all of a sudden? There was no other reason for him to die other than poison. This Baba Bhudda and these other Sikhs are on my brother’s side. They weren’t afraid to do this sinful act.” Baba Mohri ji then spoke up: “why are you angry for no reason? Meet everyone nicely. Speak sweetly with everyone. I know you are a troublemaker. I have raised you. If you want to fight, do it in private, not in front of everyone.” In this way, Baba Mohri ji stopped him from yelling. Prithi Chand’s eyes were filled with tears of deception. Baba Mahadev ji then spoke up as well: “you should speak appropriate words right now. It is not good for you to speak like this, brother. Sangat that has come from afar, they will hear your words and talk amongst themselves. Think before you speak.” Sri Guru Arjan Dev ji was being blamed for murder but he was unaffected by all this. He was in Aatam Gyaan and his mind was calm and serene. Many people tried to get Prithi Chand to understand and scolded him for what he was saying. Prithi Chand’s mind was worried that the Dastaar of the Gurta Ghaddi was going to slip through his hands. He decided to stay in Goindwal and forcefully take the Gurta Ghaddi. He was in pain and stayed in Goindwal for 12 days.
On the 13th day, the tradition of the Bhog was completed as told by the Gurus. Baba Mohri ji met everyone regarding the Pugh ceremony. He said to the senior Sikhs, including Baba Bhudda ji: “as Sri Guru Ramdas ji instructed, we should do what he said, when it comes to tying the Pugh.” Baba Bhudda ji spoke as well: “Guru ji’s instructions, as your father has directed you, you are Guru Amardas ji’s son, do what is right. Do what you think is right.” Baba Mohri ji then spoke: “it is right what you are saying. We should do what Guru Ramdas ji said. Prithi Chand is egotistical though. Because he has a lot of money, he fights with everyone. He will treat everyone badly. He speaks harsh words and is very bad. He will yell and fight with all of us. He will blame us for everything. Let’s hold a court and see how he behaves first. Let’s see what he says and we can then test him. We will tie the Pugh after that. He is jealous and is not sweet-natured. He can’t see anyone else’s glory or hear their praises.” A court was held near Baoli Sahib in which everyone came. Guru Arjan Dev ji and Prithi Chand came. Baba Mahadev ji came and sat down too. Baba Bhudda ji and other senior Sikhs came and sat down. Everyone was called to attend. Baba Mohri ji spoke in the court: “the words of the Satguru are the supreme. His words are a line on the rock. We should follow the wishes of the Guru. You Sikhs should decide what you feel is right and give the Pugh to the rightful person. All of you Sikhs need to tell us on whose head the Pugh should be tied on.” Prithi Chand could not stay quiet any longer after hearing all this he spoke with great anger and ego: “why do you wise people not think about this? Why can’t you see the rightful heir? My father was just mad at me and said that he was going to give the Gurta Ghaddi to my younger brother out of anger. He didn’t mean it. How can the elder become the younger? If you mess up the traditions, your time will come with your children as well. The family traditions will be spoiled. Everyone will do as they please then.” Baba Bhudda ji and Baba Mohri ji spoke: “the words that Sri Guru ji said, you heard them as well. We can’t go against the wishes of the Satguru. We can’t go against his words.” Both elder Sikhs got up, took the Pugh and gave it to Guru Arjan Dev ji. He was sweet-natured like his father. He was able to control joy and sorrow. Guru Arjan Dev ji thought to himself: “what’s in a Pugh? What Pitha ji wanted to do, that has already happened. The light of the Guru has already come into me. His blessing is steady inside of me. It cannot be taken away nor can it be stolen. The colour that Akaal Purakh has coloured me in, cannot be removed, even after a billion attempts. What’s the point of causing a fight? Let’s diffuse this situation.” Guru Arjan Dev ji got up with the Pugh in his hand. He folded his hands and approached Prithi Chand. He placed the Pugh in Prithi Chand’s lap and said: “you are my older brother and I depend on you. Forgive me and let go of your anger. Love me, seeing me as yours. It was Pitha ji’s wish; that’s why the Sikhs gave me the Pugh. I want you to have the Pugh and tie it on your head. Let go of your anger and don’t consider me as your enemy. See me as your younger brother and raise me.” Prithi Chand gladly took the Pugh and tied it on his head, immediately. Everyone watched this event. Usually, Baba Bhudda ji would tie the Pugh but Prithi Chand didn’t wait for him. Prithi Chand thought to himself: “I am the Guru now! I got what was rightfully mines!” Everyone was quiet as they saw this. They were well aware of what was happening. They understood that Guru Arjan Dev ji was the True Guru and this act was just to make Prithi Chand not cause any problems. The light was in Guru Arjan Dev ji. Everyone went to their homes after and praised Guru Arjan Dev ji: “look how calm he is. He has no ego whatsoever. He has not a lace of joy or sorrow. He is great and deep. He has all of the virtues. His father tested him well, before giving him the Gurta Ghaddi.” The next day, the Sangat came and brought gifts. The Sangat decided that the True Guru is Guru Arjan Dev ji. They saw how Prithi Chand pouted and took the Pugh, but was not the real Guru. The light of the Guru was in Guru Arjan Dev ji. The gifts were placed at the feet of Guru Arjan Dev ji. Everyone bowed to him with great respect. Their wishes were fulfilled by Guru Arjan Dev ji. The Sangat was very much convinced after their wishes were fulfilled. They all said: “this is Guru Ramdas ji himself.” Seeing the thousands of Rupees and gifts gathering with Guru Arjan Dev ji, Prithi Chand grew jealous. He could not take this. He tried a lot of things but none of the Sikhs came close to him to bow or give him gifts.
Many Sikhs came the next day as well and bowed to Guru Arjan Dev ji. Sangat from far away lands came to see Guru Arjan Dev ji. Prithi Chand watched for many days and saw this as a great disrespect towards him. He thought to himself: “this is all Mohri’s fault and the others with him. Baba Bhudda is to be blamed as well.” He was burning with jealousy inside. He couldn’t do anything about it. He said: “not one person came to me. The Sikh Sangat has been led astray. They are making the Sikhs worship Sri Arjan. I shouldn’t stay here any longer. I will go back to Amritsar and have the Sikhs worship me.” Prithi Chand was in pain and left for Amritsar.
The Emperor was Jahangir. A person named Sulhi was one of his Umraavs. Sulhi came to the Majha region with a great army. Prithi Chand was in Amritsar but the Sangat still didn’t come to see him. He found out about Sulhi coming to his area. Prithi Chand went to go meet Sulhi Khan with a lot of people. He brought a lot of expensive gifts for him, in the hope of befriending him and causing harm to his younger brother. He met him in royal regalia and said to Sulhi: “I sit on the throne of Sri Nanak ji. You are the master of the country.” He showed himself as the Guru and wanted to use Sulhi Khan’s help when he needed it. Sulhi heard him and respected him greatly. He said: “Sri Nanak was a great Peer of the whole world. I will present my prayers and wishes to you. I will serve you and worship you to fulfill my wishes.” Sulhi gave Prithi Chand a horse with a silver saddle. He also gave him a lot of money and both of them hugged each other. Prithi Chand spoke to Sulhi in sweet words and gave him a very expensive Siropa. They befriended each other and gave each other gifts. The other Turks that came with Sulhi, they were given money by Prithi Chand as well. They were given Siropas too. Giving them money, Prithi Chand made them his own. The Turks were happy to receive money from him. They praised him: “Prithi Chand is a good Peer.” They stayed together for three days and then Sulhi spoke with respect: “let me know if there is something I can do for you. If you were to ask for me, I will always be in your command. You are my friend and I will see your tasks as my own. I will get Jahangir to give you respect.” Prithi Chand said to him: “you will be blessed by the Guru Peer. I trust you. I can do everything and don’t have any problem of pain; but my younger brother, Arjan Dev, has taken my rights away from me. The Sangat now goes to him to give him money. I am in conflict with him and want this to go away. I will need your help in this. Other than this, there is no other problem that I have.” Sulhi said to him: “don’t worry about anything. I will do as you wish. Whatever you need, I will complete it with all my power.” Having this conversation, Sulhi mounted his horse and left. Prithi Chand spend a lot of money to make these Turks his friends and thought to himself: “there is no one equal to me.” He was full of ego.