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<p class="C1">&#65279KIRP&#256L D&#256S, MAHANT, an Ud&#257s&#299 prelate, was putting up with Gur&#363 Gobind Si&#7749gh at P&#257o&#7751&#7789&#257 S&#257hib at the time of the commencement of the battle of Bha&#7749g&#257&#7751&#299, fought between the troops of hill chiefs and those of Gur&#363 Gobind Si&#7749gh, in 1688. As his followers, not given to fighting ways, fled, Mahant Kirp&#257l D&#257s stayed back and joined action, flourishing his heavy mace or club. He was totally inexperienced in the art of war. Yet he engaged the Pa&#7789h&#257n chief, Hay&#257t <u>Kh</u>&#257n, who dealt out a heavy blow with his sword. Kirp&#257l D&#257s received it on his club. Then rising in his stirrups and shouting vociferously <i>Sat Sr&#299 Ak&#257l</i>, he smote Hay&#257t <u>Kh</u>&#257n's head with his wooden truncheon so mightily that his skull was crushed. The scene is described by Gur&#363 Gobind Si&#7749gh in the <i>Bachitra N&#257&#7789ak</i> in an eloquent simile. He wrote: "Mahant Kirp&#257l, raging, lifted his club and struck the fierce Hay&#257t <u>Kh</u>&#257n on the head, upon which his brains spilt forth as butter flowed from the Gop&#299's pitcher broken by K&#7771&#7779&#7751a."</p>
<p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;	Mahant Kirp&#257l D&#257s was later keeper of the Ud&#257s&#299 <i>&#7693er&#257</i> at village Hehar in Ludhi&#257&#7751&#257 district. He was visited by Gur&#363 Gobind Si&#7749gh after the battle of Chamkaur. He, as a mark of respect, gave his shoulder to the palanquin on which the Gur&#363 was carried to the next village of R&#257jo&#257n&#257.</p>
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BIBLIOGRAPHY<p class="C1"><ol class="C1"><li class="C1"><i>Bachitra N&#257&#7789ak</i>.<BR>
<li class="C1"> Santokh Si&#7749gh, Bh&#257&#299, <i>Sr&#299 Gur Prat&#257p S&#363raj Granth</i>. Amritsar, 1927-33<BR>
<li class="C1"> Macauliffe, Max Arthur, <i>The Sikh Religion</i>. Oxford, 1909<BR>
<li class="C1"> Harbans Singh, <i>Guru Gobind Singh</i>. Chandigarh, 1966<BR>
<li class="C1"> Padam, Pi&#257r&#257 Si&#7749gh and Gi&#257n&#299 Garj&#257 Si&#7749gh, eds., <i>Gur&#363 k&#299&#257&#7749 S&#257kh&#299&#257&#7749.</i> Patiala 1986<BR>
<li class="C1"> Kuir Si&#7749gh, <i>Gurbil&#257s P&#257tsh&#257h&#299 10</i>. Patiala, 1968<BR>
</ol><p class="CONT">Sard&#257r Si&#7749gh Bh&#257&#7789&#299&#257<br></p><BR>
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