TILOKA, BHAI, a Suhar Khatri officer in the Mughal army at Ghazni, once waited on Guru Arjan and said, “Soldiering being my profession, violence is my duty. How shall I be saved ?” The Guru spoke, “Remain firm in your duty as a soldier, but let not your mind be touched by violence.” Tiloka received initiation as a Sikh and went back to Ghazni. One day, as says Bhai Santokh Singh, Sri Gur Pratap Suraj Granth, Tiloka slayed during the chase a pregnant doe. As he slashed his prey, , twin embroys, almost fully developed, were discovered, both dying after a few convulsive movements. Bhai Tiloka was filled with remorse and took a vow never to kill again.
He started wearing a sword with a wooden blade, but a proper hilt for show. A complaint reached the ears of the governor, who ordered a parade. As he started inspecting the soldiers` weapons, Bhai Tiloka prayed the Guru for succour. Amazingly, tells the chronicler, Tiloka`s wooden sword, when unsheathed, turned out to be gleaming steel. When Bhai Tiloka next visited the Guru, he narrated the story to the sangat.
References :
1. Mani Singh, Bhai, Sikhan di Bhagat Mala. Amritsar, 1955
2. Santokh Singh, Bhai, Sri Gur Pratap Suraj Granth. Amritsar, 1927-35
3. Gurdas, Bhai, Varan, XI. 18
Bhai Tiloka: The Warrior Who Transcended Violence
Bhai Tiloka was a Suhar Khatri officer serving in the Mughal army at Ghazni—a man whose very profession, tied to the duties of a soldier, brought him face-to-face with profound moral dilemmas. According to Sikh tradition, during one of his visits to Guru Arjan Dev Ji, Bhai Tiloka expressed his inner conflict by saying, “Soldiering being my profession, violence is my duty. How shall I be saved?” In response, the Guru advised him: “Remain firm in your duty as a soldier, but let not your mind be touched by violence.” This counsel set Bhai Tiloka on a transformative spiritual path, one that would redefine his approach to both duty and compassion .
The Turning Point: A Lesson in Mercy
Bhai Tiloka’s transformation was later dramatically highlighted during a hunting expedition with his Mughal ruler. In the heat of the chase, he struck a pregnant doe, inadvertently killing her along with her twin unborn fawns. Overwhelmed by remorse and recalling the Guru’s teachings to show mercy on all living beings, he resolved never to kill again. In a symbolic act of repentance, he replaced his sword’s metal blade with a wooden one—a humble token of his pledge to avoid violence.
However, fate had another lesson in store. When the governor inspected his troops’ weapons during a parade, Bhai Tiloka prayed for the Guru’s succour. In a miraculous turn, his wooden sword was seen to shine like gleaming steel, a portent of divine approval for his new path. This incident not only reaffirmed the teachings of Guru Arjan Dev Ji but also underscored the power of inner transformation, where the heart’s commitment to non-violence could elevate even a warrior’s tool into an instrument of grace .
