Chaubole

In this composition, there is a mention of Saman, Musan, Jamal, and Patang. Different scholars have interpreted these four names differently. In Sakhi literature, the mention of these four names is as follows:

Saman and Musan
According to the Sampradai Tika Adi Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji, Samman and Musan were father and son. Samman was the father, and Musan was his son. Both were residents of Shahbazpur (Haryana, India). They were masons in Lahore and deposited their earnings with a moneylender. When Guru Arjan Sahib came to Lahore, they humbly requested the Guru to visit their home, to which the Guru agreed. Chandu (a royal officer of Lahore who, according to some sources, was responsible for the martyrdom of the Guru), who envied the Guru, discovered that the Guru would be visiting Samman and Musan’s home. He knew that for the expenditure of langar, both the Sikhs would ask the moneylender for their money. In his jealousy, Chandu intimidated the moneylender with his royal authority and kept them from returning Samman and Musan’s money for one week. When the father and son asked for their money, the moneylender refused. They then went to the market to buy the goods on loan but were refused there as well. Eventually, they realized that this was all due to Chandu’s mischief, fearing that all were refusing to help them.

Finally, the two devised a plan to take their money out through a vent on the roof of the moneylender’s shop. At night, Musan entered the shop through the vent, and handed over a bag of five hundred rupees to his father, Samman, who was standing on the roof, but he himself could not come out. By then, dawn was fast approaching. If they were caught, their entire family would be disgraced. Trapped in a dire situation and on Musan’s own insistence, Samman cut off his son’s head to hide his identity and returned home with the satchel of money and the head. He left Musan’s head in the house and went to the market to buy goods. Upon his return, he found the moneylender sitting in his house. The moneylender fell at Samman’s feet and apologized profusely, saying that he had received his punishment for not returning the money in the form of a dead body lying in his shop. He said if anyone found out, he would be charged with murder and pleaded before Samman to save him from this calamity. In return, he promised Samman as much money as he wanted. Samman reassured him and said that through money, only a job is done, whereas through love, a service is done, and he is ready to engage in service.

He went with the moneylender and brought back his son’s dead body. When the Guru came to his house and saw Samman doing the langar service alone, the Guru asked Samman to call Musan. Samman said to the Guru, O Bestower of honor to the poor! I do not have the courage to call him here. The Guru started calling Musan loudly. Suddenly, at the same moment, Musan came to serve the sangat with a bowl of water in his hand.

Similar narrative is recorded in Adi Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji Satik (Faridkot Wala Tika). According to this narrative, Samman and Musan were very poor, but they wanted to serve the Guru and the sangat. Therefore, at nightfall, they made an opening in the roof of the shopkeeper’s shop and began picking up the necessary goods. Samman stood on the roof while Musan handed him the goods from the shop. Upon hearing the clamor, the shopkeeper awoke and grabbed Musan’s leg. Samman thought that if their actions became known, people would say that the Guru’s Sikhs were thieves. Therefore, he cut off his son’s head and brought it home along with the goods. At home, he prepared a community meal (langar) for the entire sangat and requested the Guru to partake. The Guru, along with the sangat, sat on the floor to partake in the langar. When the food was served, the Guru asked Samman, where is Musan? Call him and serve us langar. Hearing this, Samman grew silent. Then the Guru himself called Musan, come, let’s have food. The moment the Guru said this, Musan appeared and paid obeisance to the Guru, and then the Guru began eating. When the Guru sat down after eating, Samman thought to himself that he had cut his son’s head, lest his son had any anger or resentment in his mind for Samman. Then, the father and son discussed this episode among themselves, and the Guru revealed this discussion in the form of this composition.

There is another variation of this story regarding Samman and Musan. According to this story, both the father and son used to do labor in Lahore. Despite their financial hardship, they wanted to serve langar to Guru Arjan Sahib. They started doing labor in the construction of a tower, which delivered a higher wage. On the day the Guru was to partake in their langar, Musan fell from the scaffolding and passed away. Samman calmly locked his dead body in a room at the top of his house and prepared langar for the Guru. When the Guru came to his home, he asked about Musan. Samman replied, you (Guru) are the inner-knower; what are you asking me? The Guru then called Musan, and his dead body was revived. He appeared before the Guru.

Dr. Ratan Singh Jaggi, while associating the story of Samman and Musan with folklore, considers the history of its narrative tradition (the essence or motif that carries the crux and is repeated over and over in the folklore) to be around two and a half thousand years old. According to him, although this narrative originated in Egypt, with the passage of time, many differences arose in its form and plot in the folkloric traditions of various countries. The arrival of this folk tale in South Asia followed the movement of traders and took its own form according to the culture of this land. The names of its characters also changed as per the Indic culture. First, Somdev depicted this narrative in ‘Katha Sarit Sagar’ with the characters named ‘Ghat and Karpara.’ Later, instead of the two thieves named Ghat and Karpara, they were known as Samman and Musan. The Sanskrit word ‘Sumanas’ (good-minded) became ‘Samman’ in Apabhransh, while ‘Mushan’ (to steal) became ‘Musan.’ According to tradition, Guru Arjan Sahib narrated the story of Samman and Musan to the Sikhs while pondering true and selfless devotion. Later, the preachers, without any historical evidence, began calling them two Sikhs of the Guru, and the composition named ‘Caubole’ in the Guru Granth Sahib became associated with them. Additionally, the words ‘Patang’ and ‘Jamal’ in this composition also began to be considered the names of two saints. The main elements of the story of Samman and Musan bear a close resemblance to the Egyptian folktale of ‘Rhampsinitus’ and the Greek folktale of ‘Agamedes-Trophonius.’

Jamal and Patang
According to Sampradai Tika Adi Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji Jamal and Patang also lived in the city of Lahore. Jamal was a Pathan, and Patang was a rich moneylender. People used to keep their money and deposits with Patang. One day, Jamal had important work in Peshawar. He went to Patang to deposit some money because he feared being robbed on the way. At that time, Patang was so busy that he forgot to record it on a ledger. Jamal was also in a hurry and knew that Patang was honest. After a few months, Jamal came back and asked for his money. But Patang had forgotten about his deposit, and when he checked his records, he found no mention of Jamal’s deposit and denied having any of his money. The matter escalated and reached the court. According to the law of that time, the truth of one’s words was to be tested by putting one’s hands in a cauldron of hot oil. It was believed that the hand of the truthful would remain unscathed, whereas the hand of the liar would be burned. During the test, Jamal’s hand was burned, but Patang was saved. After this incident, Jamal began losing faith in the truth. Later, when Patang checked his accounts, he found the total amount increased by seven hundred rupees, but there was no record of when. He took the money, went to Jamal, and said, you were true; your coins (rupees) have been found. Jamal replied that in the dark age (Kaliyug), the hands of the truthful get burned while the hands of the liars make hot cauldrons cool.

While clearing up the incident, Patang said that when Jamal had come to him earlier, he had not paid attention. Since Jamal trusted him, he left his earnings with him and went away, but Patang forgot to record it in his diary. Patang was also sincere in his heart, which is why Guru Arjan Sahib saved his honor. Hearing about the Guru, faith arose in the heart of Jamal. Jamal came to Amritsar with Patang and put his doubt before the Guru about why his hand was burned, even though he was telling the truth. The Guru replied, Patang is a devout Sikh. He had faith only in the Guru. On the other hand, you followed several others. Because you did not have faith and devotion in one place, your hand was burned. After hearing these words, Jamal became a Sikh of the Guru.

According to this historical narrative, Guru Arjan Sahib gave blessings to Samman and Musan in the eighth stanza of this composition. Jamal is said to have revealed the ninth stanza and Patang the eleventh. However, as indicated in the title, Guru Arjan Sahib revealed all eleven stanzas of this composition.

In these narratives, there are elements of miracles, just like in the ‘sakhi’ literature. Dr. Rattan Singh Jaggi has also connected the narrative of Saman and Musan to foreign lore. Along with this, Professor Sahib Singh has also interpreted names Saman, Musan, Jamal, and Patang appearing in this composition as a charitable person, a person who is being robbed of spiritual life, delicate beauty, and moth, respectively. Almost all the scholars have presented Patang as a creature/insect. From this, it seems that Saman, Musan, Jamal, and Patang were not Sikhs of the Guru period. It is possible that the Guru used these narratives as examples to instruct the sangat. Furthermore, there has never been any shortage of devout Sikhs in the Guru’s court. Therefore, it is also possible that such devoted Sikhs existed during the Guru’s time, whose conviction and devotion the Guru portrayed by connecting them to the devotion of the individuals mentioned in this composition.

In reality, associating such narratives with the revelation of this composition reflects the missionary zeal of the commentators. The stories that form the backdrop of this composition’s message actually convey the all-capable nature of the Guru. Additionally, these stories also highlight the devotion of a Sikh to the Guru. This is an old method of interpretation through which Bani speaks to common human thinking. Therefore, although the historical significance of these stories associated with the revelation of this composition is secondary, they are a source of inspiration for the common reader and the devout Sikh.