Introductory - Global Sikh Studies

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Ceaser what is Ceasor’s. The Punjabi words in the original text, which
Macauliffe has translated as ‘recognize’, are ‘pehchano’ and ‘anmano’.
The English equivalents of the Punjabi word ‘Pachan’ (as given by
the Punjabi Dictionary, Maya Singh, 1895l; Munshi Gulab Singh and
Sons, Lahore) are: recognition, knowledge, acquaintance, distinction,
criterion, type, discrimination; and that of the Punjabi word ‘Anman’
are: inference, supposition, hypothesis, conjecture, analogy (in logic),
conclusion, respect, consideration. There is another hymn of Guru
Gobind Singh: “Tanko kar pahan anmanat,” which is translated by
Macauliffe as “The great fool supposeth that God is a stone”, thus
rendering ‘anmanat’ as ‘supposeth’. English Punjabi Dictionary of the
Punjabi University, Patiala, gives the following Punjabi equivalents
for the word ‘know’: janana, pachanana, samjana, waqfiat honi, janu
hona, gian hona, samaj jana, sojhi honi.
It is clear from the text in which the above hymn is used that the
words ‘pahchano’ and ‘anmano’ mean ‘know’ or ‘understand’, and not
‘recognize’ in the senses of owing allegiance to the temporal king.
Aurangzeb sent his son Bahadur Shah to punish the hill chiefs. On
hearing the news of his advance, some of the Guru’s followers,
particularly the Masands, deserted the Guru. In that campaign, the
house of these deserters were also destroyed by the Mughals. An
attempt was made to frighten the Guru (in order to make him also
leave the place), but the Guru says such people did not understand
the secret of God. The Guru does not advise people to own allegiance
to the temporal authority; but on the contrary, he admonishes, in the
hymns preceding the following the one in question, those who deserted
the Guru for fear of the prince, and holds out their example to show
how such people suffer. Paraphrased, the hymn would mean; “The
forces of good and evil are both created by Gob Himself; know or
understand, (pehchano or anmano) that the former is represented by
the house of Baba Nanak and the latter by the house of Babar; those
who do not follow the Guru will come to grief at the hands of the
house of Babar.’ The substance of the idea expressed above is to new,
as it is to be found also in Guru Nanak’s hymns where he comments
on Babar’ invasion. In those hymns, the Guru clearly states that the