Simarjeet S Bhatia
Guru Gobind Singh Ji, the 10th Guru of the Sikhs, occupies a high place in the galaxy of spiritual heroes. Son of great martyr Guru Tegh Bahadur Ji, the great grandson of Guru Arjun Dev Ji, Guru Ji was born on 7th day of the month of ‘Poh’ Samvat 1723, (1666 AD) at Patna Sahiab in Bihar. Guru Ji came to reside at Anandpur Sahib. After some years, a deputation of Kashmiri Pandits came to Anandpur Sahib and met the 9th Guru, Shri Guru Tegh Bahadur Ji (the father of Guru Gobind Singh Ji ) and told him the cruel acts of injustice of the Mughal-rulers towards the Hindus. They sought his help. Guru Tegh Bahadur Ji became silent and was absorbed in deep thoughts. At that time, Guru Gobind Singh Ji, then only a child of about 9, asked his father the reason for his silence. Guru Tegh Bahadur Ji explained that these helpless people from Kashmir had no one to protect their religion. The sacrifice of a great and brave soul was needed. The child (Guru Gobind Singh Ji) immediately said, “who can be more brave and greater than you ? Please, have mercy on them and do whatever is necessary to protect ‘Hindu’ dharma. Guru Tegh Bahadur Ji was pleased to hear this. He told Kashmiri Pandits to inform the Emperor that instead of coercing so many Hindus, the ruler should convert the Guru to Islam and then all Hindus would automatically adopt Islam.
According to some scholars, it was very clever move of Emperor Aurangzeb that he ordered mass conversions of Hindus to Islam to start from Kashmir. Kashmiri Hindus were known to be most orthodox and also highly erudite. The Emperor thought if they accepted Islam, others in the country would be converted readily. And the more important consideration was that Kashmir had the tribals of Kabul and Kandhar next door. If the Hindus of Kashmir misbehaved, a ‘Jehad’ could be raised and non-believers sub-dued with the sword.
The Emperor was angered after hearing of the Guru’s reply to Kashmiri Pandits and ordered Guru’s arrest.
The fact of the matter is that after giving assurance to Kashmiri Pandits, Guru Tegh Bahadur Ji himself undertook the journey to Delhi, along with a few of his close followers. Among them were Bhai Mati Dass, Bhai Dayala and Bhai Sati Das. Before leaving Anandpur Sahib, Guru Tegh Bahadur Ji ordained child Gobind Rai as the next Guru.
At Delhi, Guru Tegh Bahadur Ji was tortured along with his associates to convince them to accept Islam. The Guru claimed “Everyone is a master of his birthright, is free to remember God the way he likes. This right can not be taken away by the King”. Having failed to force them to give up their faith the Emperor ordered that they be killed in most inhuman way possible. Bhai Mati Dass was split into two by a ‘Saw’.
Bhai Sati Dass was enveloped in cotton Pad and then set on fire like a torch.
Bhai Dayala was boiled to death in hot boiling water.
Guru Teg Bahadur Ji witnessed all this but did not flinch. And in the afternoon of November 11, 1675, the Guru was beheaded in the presence of thousands of people. Gurudwara Sisganj Delhi stands on the site where Guru Ji was beheaded.
It is said that the execution was followed immediately by a sandstorm, the like of which Delhi had never known before. Under cover of that blinding storm, Bhai Jaita Ji picked up the Guru’s sacred head and dashed to Anandpur Sahib. Bhai Lakhi Shah Vanjara, a trader, took the headless body to his camp and cremated it by setting fire to his huts to conceal what he was doing. Gurudwara Raqab Ganj was built there by Sardar Baghel Singh when he conquered Delhi about a century after the death of the Guru.
Thus, the 10th Nanak, Guru Gobind Singh Ji was a little child when the great responsibility of directing the affairs of the Sikh faith fell on his shoulders. The frustrated Emperor, having failed to crush the Sikh movement by continously harassing Sikh Gurus, now had ordered his army to march on the Sikhs in an attempt to finish them from the face of the earth. Sikhs had to be prepared to face the eventuality. Guru Gobind Singh, as a Ist step, decided to consolidate resources and manpower. Sikhs were invited to Anandpur Sahib with arms and horses and were given training in self-defence. Guru Ji declared “when all peaceful methods failed to change the mind of the wicked persons it is justified to pick up the sword to save one’s honour”.
The young Guru started prastising archery and playing mock battles with his companions. He had huge drum made, and made it a practice to collect his people, whenever he required them, with drum beats. It was feared that the beating of the over-sized drum called ‘Ranjit-Nagara’ (The victorious drum) would offend the neighbouring hill rulers. But Guru Ji, was determined to pursue his path.
Though a matchless warrior, Guru Gobind Singh Ji always remained a saint at heart. Guru Ji was a saint who had dedicated himself to God. God-intoxicated philosopher who wanted to see all man made differences created by barriers of formal religion and social distinctions brought in by caste, to be obliterated from society.
Guru Ji went to Nahan on the invitation of the Raja of Nahan. During his visit to his state, the Raja persuaded the Guru to built a fort that came to be known as ‘Paonta Sahib’. It is said that with the help of Guru’s Sikhs, the fort was raised in a matter of days. It is situated at a picturesque spot on the banks of the river ‘Jamuna’.
The period Guru Gobind Singh Ji spent at ‘Paonta-Sahib’ was primarily devoted to research and literary and artistic activities. The Guru had 52 eminent poets working with him; poetic symposia were held frequently Guru Gobind Singh Ji, who was a scholar in ‘Sanskrit’ and ‘Persian’ participated in them. His writings are a clear break with the tradition of his predecessors. Guru Ji wrote powerful verse which is replete with images of wars and warriors from ancient mythology and folklore. Guru Ji worshipped God and had an unmistakable love for the sword. Guru Ji’s autobiography is titled ‘Bachitar – Natak”.
Guru Ji lost his all four sons, both his parents and innumerable Sikhs in his struggle against the oppression of the Mughal-ruler. Even then he was not demoralised. While camping at the village of Dina, the Guru wrote a letter to Aurangzeb, in response to his invitation to see him. The Guru’s letter is known as ”Zafar-Nama” the Epistle of victory.
Guru Gobind Singh Ji’s creation of ‘Khalsa Panth’ in 1699 AD was an event of world significance. Guru Ji convinced his devotees that no God or Goddess would be sent from heaven to give protection to the downtrodden masses. It was on the occasion of ‘Baisakhi’ of 1699 that 5 Sikhs offered their heads in surrender at Guru Ji’s call. Guru Ji baptised them by administring ‘Amrit’ prepared with double edged sword. They were known as the ‘chosen five’ (Panj Piayare”). They were given a common surname ‘Singh’ and were called ‘Khalsa’ In ‘Sarab Loh Granth’, it is written as
‘‘Khalsa Akal Purakh Ki Fauj,
Pargatiyo Khalsa
Parmatam Ki Mauj”
(Khalsa is the army of the eternal Lord created by him out of his pleasure) Guru Ji held his ‘Panj Piarye’ in so high esteem that he knelt before them and asked them to initiate him in the ‘Khalsa Panth’ in the same manner as he had done them. Guru Ji was administered ‘Amrit’ in the same manner and was given the surname of Singh and Guru Ji became Guru Gobind Singh Ji from Guru Gobind Rai. The member sof Khalsa Panth salute one another with “Wahe Guru Ji Ka Khalsa Wahe Guru Ji Ki Fateh!”
This was meant to remind them that they were knighted as God’s soldiers to carry out his mission and that victory was theirs.
But the ‘Singhs’ were not to be merely soldiers. It was imperative that they must at the same time be saints deeply devoted to God, singing his hymns as composed by the Sikh Gurus, observing the daily religious discipline prescribed in the ‘Rahit’ of the Khalsa Panth and bearing a high moral character.
Guru Ji breathed his last on Oct 7, 1708 at Nanded Sahib in Maharashtra due to a conspiracy hatched against him by Governor of Sirhind, Wazir Khan. Guru Ji, before leaving for his heavenly abode declared that the Sikh community had to be guided by the decisions of ‘Panj Piarye’ chosen from among the devotees. Guru Ji handed over the stewardship of the Sikh Panth to holy Grant Sahib. Those who wish to seek God can find him in the ‘Holy Granth Sahib’.
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