The road to Delhi
The test of the queens
Asked to test Guru Ji, the raja had his chief queen dressed as a servant, and Guru Ji is said to have picked her out.
As Macauliffe retells it, the emperor told Raja Jai Singh to find out whether the child had any superhuman gifts. The raja was wary of testing holy men, but talked it over with his chief queen and they agreed on a plan. She would dress as a servant and sit behind the other queens when Guru Ji visited.
Sri Guru Har Krishan Ji, the account says, knew what was planned and was saddened, since holy people hide such powers. Guru Ji at first declined to see the raja but finally agreed. In the women's quarters Guru Ji touched each lady in turn with a small wand and said she was not the chief queen, until reaching the disguised woman at the back and recognising her.
How do we know?
Only one account tells this story.
Macauliffe is the one witness read for this. His version is framed as an order from the emperor to test whether the child had supernatural power. The site reports the story without asserting or denying the miracle.
- Later traditionTells how the head queen sat disguised among servant women at the back and how Guru Ji, wand in hand, passed over the others to reach her. (pp. 324-325)[Macauliffe]
