VĀR BHERE KĪ PĀTSHĀHĪ 10 is an anonymous poem in Punjabi describing the battle of Anandpur, Gurū Gobind Siṅgh's engagement with the pursuing host after he had evacuated Anandpur, and finally the battle of Chamkaur. The view has been expressed that this vār is the original version of another poem entitled Bheṛā Gurū Gobind Siṅgh Kā or Bheṛā Pātshāhī Dāsviṅ Da. Both these vārs deal with the same events, have a similarity of style and have lines, even stanzas, which are common to both. Yet a closer examination reveals that these are two different compositions and one of the poets has evidently borrowed extensively from the work of the other.

        The vār is strictly conventional in its structure and mode of narration. It opens with the praise of the Timeless One and with the invocation to Goddess Sarasavatī. Then follows the traditional description of Kal, the mythological spirit of evil, who is bloodthirsty and approaches Gurū Gobind Siṅgh with the request to quench her thirst by waging a war. At the same time Nārad, the legendary ṛṣi, famous for causing strife and conflict, goes to the hill rājās Kāl and Nārad instigate the rājās to attack Gurū Gobind Siṅgh. Then begins the description of the battles in a rapid manner. Details are scanty and some of the important actions or episodes are barely alluded to. Yet the poet seems to be an eye-witness and at places the battle scenes are forcefully evoked.

        This is one of the earliest compositions concerning the battles of Gurū Gobind Siṅgh. It consists of 24 pauṛīs (stanzas) with three to eight lines in each pauṛī. The last line of some of the pauṛīs is of half length, which again is a peculiarity of the traditional vār. The language is old Punjabi; archaic vocabulary abounds. At places Lahndī idiom is conspicuous, which indicates that the poet may have been from southern or south-western Punjab.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

    Padam, Piārā Siṅgh, Varāṅ Gurū Gobind Siṅgh Jī Kīāṅ. Patiala, 1967

Piārā Siṅgh Padam