A History of Agriculture in India v2.c87.s3.7

v2.c87.s3.7

When the Guru was organizing the Sikhs to fight the Mughal oppression, he was advised by Kesho Das, a Brahman priest, who had come from Benares, to perform a yajna to Nainadevi, the goddess of power. The yajna was carried on for many days but the goddess did not appear. The Guru realized that the main weakness of the Hindus was their belief in supernatural powers rather than in their own strength. In utter disgust, he threw the ghee, incense, and other paraphernalia into the sacrificial fire, and there was an enormous blaze visible for miles. The credulous believed that the goddess had appeared. When asked whether he had seen the goddess, the Guru unsheathed his sword and said, 'This is the goddess.' He told them that the goddess is the power which is always in us. It is the conscience of man which refuses to bow before evil. It is the anger which the righteous and truthful men feel when faced with oppression and falsehood. The Guru asked his followers to take up the sword and fight evil.