When the main commander of the Mughal army, which attacked Amritsar, Mukhlis Khan, saw that both of his other commanders had been killed (one by Paindey Khan and one by Bidhi Chand), he challenged Guru Hargobind to a dual, requesting the Guru to put his bow and arrow away and fight with a sword. Santokh Singh documents the dual below: ਤਕ ਰਹ੍ਯੋ ਬਹੁਤ ਨਹਿਂ ਦਾਵ ਪਾਇ । ਤਬਿ ਪਰ੍ਯੋ ਆਨਿ ਅਸਿ ਕੋ ਉਠਾਇ ।੨੮। Mukhis Khan aimed and postured to find an opening for a strike but couldn't find any, then he lifted his sword high. ਊਪਰ ਜਨਾਇ ਤਰ ਕੋ ਪ੍ਰਹਾਰ । ਗੁਰ ਗਏ ਕੂਦਿ ਗਾ ਛੂਛ ਵਾਰ । ਪੁਨ ਖੜਗ ਸੀਸ ਕੀ ਦਿਸਿ ਚਲਾਇ । ਗੁਰੁ ਸਿਪਰ ਸੀਘ੍ਰ ਹੀ ਕਰਿ ਬਚਾਇ ।੨੯। Indicating that he would strike high, he then swung his sword low, but Guru Hargobind jumped and the strike went empty. Then Mukhlis Khan lifted his sword and struck down towards the Guru's head, but Guru Hargobind quickly placed his shield to block it. ਤਿਹ ਰੋਕਿ ਊਪਰੇ ਹਾਥ ਲੀਨਿ । ਗਹਿ ਖੜਗ ਆਪਨੋ ਵਾਰਿ ਕੀਨਿ । ਭੁਜਕੇ ਤਰੇ ਸੁ ਤਹਿਂ ਲਗਿਯ ਜਾਇ । ਬਲ ਸਹਤ ਬਹ੍ਯੋ ਇਸ ਬਿਧਿ ਸਫਾਇ ।੩੦। While blocking the Guru held up Mukhlis Khan's *right sword* hand, and struck very cleanly with his sword *laterally* with great strength, underneath the arm *near the armpit*. ਸਭਿ ਸ਼ਸਤ੍ਰ ਬਸਤ੍ਰ ਪਹਿਰੇ ਜਿ ਅੰਗ । ਕਟੀ ਗਏ ਸਕਲ ਇਕ ਬਾਰ ਸੰਗ । ਗਨ ਪਾਸਰੀਨਿ ਸਭਿ ਕਾਟਿ ਦੀਨਿ । ਜੁਗ ਖੰਡ ਹੋਇ ਧਰ ਪਰਨਿ ਕੀਨਿ ।੩੧। The strike was so powerful that whatever weapons, clothing, Mukhis Khan was equipped with, the strike went through all of this - cutting right through all of his ribs, he was cut into two portions which fell to the ground. ਸਿਰ ਭੁਜਾ ਸਹਤ ਭਾ ਏਕ ਖੰਡ । ਜੁਗ ਚਰਨ ਜੁਕਤ ਦੁਤੀਓ ਪ੍ਰਚੰਡ।  ਇਮ ਬਹ੍ਯੋ ਖੜਗ ਸਭਿ ਕਾਟਿ ਡਾਰਿ । ਸਾਬੂਣਹਿ ਤੇ ਜਿਮ ਤਾਰ ਪਾਰਿ ।੩੨। One portion was his head and arms (everything above the armpits), and the other portion was his torso and legs. This is how Guru Hargobind cut through Mukhlis Khan, who was cut into two like a piece of soap breaking in half. Gurpratap [[Suraj]] Prakash (1843), Raas 6, Chapter 16 Author: the Great Poet Santokh Singh ![[sword of p6.png]]