Sikhism is a
monotheistic religion, which was founded during the fifteenth century
in Punjab. This philosophy is based on the teachings of Guru Nanak Dev
Ji and the ten successive Sikh Gurus. Hence, this system of religious
philosophy is traditionally also known as the Gurmat, which literally
means, "of the Gurus".
Sikhism, said to be the fifth-largest organized religion in the world,
is also one of the main religions of India.
Sikhism bases its faith in Waheguru, who is embodied in "Ek Onkar" ,
which means, One God. The final goal of Sikhism is the pursuit of
salvation through discipline, devotion and meditation on God.
Sikhs or the practitioners of Sikhism follow the teachings of the ten
Sikh gurus or enlightened leaders. They also regard their holy
scripture, the Guru Granth Sahib Ji as God. This Granth or text,
decreed by Guru Gobind Singh Ji as the ultimate text, includes some
works of many devotees from different religious and socio-economic
backgrounds.
Sikhism's traditions are rooted in Punjab. Most Sikhs live in Punjab,
though they are also vastly spread out worldwide. This, in fact, is
known to be one of the fastest growing religions in the world, with
over 25 million practitioners in different parts of the world. Until
the Indo-Pak partition took place, most Sikhs inhabited Pakistani
Punjab.
The entire Sikh
philosophy is based on Guru Nanak's teachings and those of his
successors. The Guru sums it up thus: "Realisation of Truth is higher
than all else. Higher still is truthful living."
Sikh teaching propagates equality among all human beings and rejects
discrimination on the basis of caste, creed, and gender. More than
religious and ascetic practices as a means to attain salvation, Sikhism
stresses on leading life as an honest and upright human being. Sikhism
also focuses on developing strong family values and bonds.
Waheguru, the Sikh concept of God is nirankar (formless), akal
(timeless) and alakh (sightless). Sikhism does not give any gender to
God. This religion believes that God is infinite and omnipresent and it
was He who created everything that is there in the entire cosmos. Guru
Nanak stressed that everyone must try to see God from their inward eye
and that meditation was a necessary step towards attaining
enlightenment.
Sikhism does not
believe in either heaven or hell, like Hindus and Christians do. Sikhs
instead believe in a more spiritual union with God, finally resulting
in the attainment of salvation. An attachment to illusory worldly
pursuits or Maya is what takes people on the endless vicious cycle of
birth and death.
Guru Nanak states that the Five Evils, namely, ego, anger, greed,
attachment and lust, are dangerous hindrances to the spiritual
evolution of a human being. These negative influences distance one from
God and stop him from his final mission of attaining Godhead. Nanak
says that this situation can be tackled only with intense prayer and
devotion to the Lord.
A vital aspect of
Sikhism is naam simran or remembering the name of God. Verbal
repetition of God's name or a sacred chant is already a part of Indian
religious culture, but Nanak gave more importance to inward personal
observance. Nanak described naam simran as "growing inward and toward
God". This would happen in a process of five stages, the last one
being, the "sach khand" or the Realm of Truth, wherein the devotee
would finally attain God.
Sikhism also encourages seva (charitable services) and free
distribution of food at Sikh Gurdwaras (places of worship), also called
"langars".
The Shabad, which is
very much like a Hindu Bhajan (song or hymn in praise of God), forms an
important part of Sikh culture. The term Shabad literally means "word".
Taken from the Guru Granth Sahib, the Shabad is also commonly referred
to as "Gurbani" or the "Message of the Teacher".
Profoundly philosophical in nature, the Shabad is believed to take a
tremendous amount of study, devotion, and meditation for the follower
to actually understand its underlying significance.
The Shabad is performed very traditionally, with each song set in a
particular Hindustani Classical raags (melodies) and taals (rhythm).
Needless to say, there is a special set of performers to sing these
Shabads. These artists are known as raagis.
There was a recent
trend of people performing the Shabad in a lighter, less classical
style. It could have been due to ignorance on the part of the raagis
concerned or even the need to entertain a not-so-informed audience.
But taking into consideration that the Guru Granth Sahib had prescribed
particular raags for meditative purposes, a movement called the "Gurmat
Sangeet" arose in order to protect the ancient, original, Shabad
tradition. This movement had tremendous influence not only on Sikh
culture, but also on world music in general.
With Gurmat Sangeet, the world awoke to the actual beauty of the
Gurbani. Today, raagis are taking far less liberties with the Shabad
style of singing. Additionally, musical instruments which were
declining in popularity, such as the dilruba, tar shehenai and seni
rabab, have now started to be used as well, at Shabad performances.
Such instruments are being revived today, thanks to the Shabad.
Sikhism was
developed and established by the ten Sikh Gurus within a 239-year
period, from 1469 to 1708. These enlightened masters came with the
uniform mission of bestowing spiritual and moral well-being on the
masses.
They preached by example of living a holy and worthy life through
meditation and recitation of the Shabads. The Gurus taught not only the
people of India, but the whole world as well, to live spiritually
fulfilling lives with dignity and honour. Each of the Gurus added to
his predecessor's teachings, thus resulting in the creation of the
religion called Sikhism.
Guru Nanak Dev Ji was the very first Guru and Guru Gobind Singh Ji, the
final Guru. Guru Gobind Singh made the Sri Guru Granth Sahib, the
ultimate and final Sikh Guru, before leaving to his heavenly abode.
The Guru Granth Sahib is much more than a holy treatise for the Sikhs -
this book is regarded with the same respect and reverence as a living
Guru.
The Sikh Gurus laid down the rules and regulations to lead an honest
and righteous life, to be practiced by the followers of Sikhism. The
Gurus also clearly outlined rituals, practices and beliefs that were
not appropriate and were not to be followed by the faithful disciples.
Now, we bring you details on each of these ten Gurus of Sikhism.
The first Sikh
Master and the founder of Sikhism, Guru Nanak, was born in 1469 and
lived till 1539. This enlightened soul took birth in the village of
Talwandi near Lahore, Pakistan, in the early hours of the morning
during the month of Baisakh. His parents, Kalayan Das Mehta and Mata
Tripta Ji, belonged to the Vedit Kshatri (or Khatri) caste. Guruji's
sister, Bebey Nanki, was the first to understand his nature as a highly
evolved being.
Nanak later married Sulkhni from Batala and they had two sons, namely
Sri Chand and Lakhmi Das. His wife's brother arranged a job for him in
Sultanpur. But one fine day, Nanak disappeared for three days and
reappeared, surrounded by a divine aura. He then left his job and
gave away all his material belongings to the poor. He roamed the
streets with his childhood friend, Mardana, who used to play the Rebab
while he sang various songs and hymns.
During his life tenure, Guru Nanak had become revered as a spiritual
master not only throughout India, but also in Arabia, Iraq,
Afghanistan, Sri Lanka, Turkey, Burma and Tibet. Guru Nanak Jayanti or
the Guru's birth is celebrated on the full moon day in November every
year.
Guru Nanak also referred to as Satguru Nanak, Baba Nanak, Nanak Shah
Faqir, Bhagat Nanak, Nanak Kalandar and so on.
Incidentally, the term Nanak was used by all subsequent Gurus. Hence,
the second Guru, Guru Angad is also called the "Second Nanak" or "Nanak
II".
Guru Nanak Dev
mastered Sanskrit, Punjabi and Persian at an early age
and travelled through the length and breadth of India and also
overseas, to Arabia, Persia, Baghdad and Mecca. He believed in the
equality of all religions and spoke to peoples from all backgrounds and
religions, such as Hindus, Muslims, Parsees, Jains and Buddhists.
Guru Nanak never regarded himself as a part of any particular religion.
Instead, he considered himself a brother to all those who believed in
truth and in God. Even from childhood, he revolted against rituals,
caste discrimination, sacrifice of widows and societal hypocrisy. Guru
Nanak never asked his listeners to be devoted to him either. He merely
asked everyone to be devout and honest people and maintain their own
culture and traditions.
When Nanak attained Samadhi, Hindus and Muslims debated as to whether
his mortal form should be cremated as per Hindu tradition or buried as
per Islamic culture. When they took off the sheet covering him, they
found only beautiful, fragrant flowers. While the Hindus burned their
flowers, Muslims buried theirs.
Guru Nanak formed the three main principles of Sikhism, namely:
Guru Angad Dev Ji,
the second of the Sikh Gurus, was born in 1504, to Bhai Pheru Mall Ji
and Mata Sabhrai Ji. He attained Samadhi in 1552. He married Mata Khivi
Ji and had two sons, Baba Dasu Ji and Baba Dattu Ji and two daughters,
Bibi Amro Ji and Bibi Anokhi Ji.
He became a master in the September of 1539. His mission was to make
people aware of the value of Nishkam Seva or selfless service to all
humanity. Guru Ji also formalized the present Gurmukhi script, which
became the medium of writing the Punjabi.
Not only did this give the common people a language to read and write,
but it also helped the community to dissociate itself from the
then-prevalent Sanskrit script.
Guru Angad made
another important contribution - he established the institution of
Langar, of feeding the poor and the needy. Mata Khivi personally worked
in the kitchen for this purpose and also served food to one and all.
The Guru earned his living by twisting coarse grass into rope used to
tie cots. This money went to the common community fund.
Guru Angad also started schools in order to make education available to the downtrodden and the underprivileged. He personally taught Punjabi in Gurmukhi script to children. He provided education to other folk who had not been previously educated. This was his way of empowering people to have higher goals in life.
Guru Ji also took a
keen interest in physical fitness. He encouraged his followers to be
involved in sports after their morning prayers. According him, only
physically fitness would help you pursue higher goals in life, because
a sound mind could exist only in a sound body.
Guru Angad also worked for the cause of equality of women. He set an
example by making Mata Khivi play an important role in the fulfilment
of his own mission. She did her job in a skillful and selfless manner,
characteristic of her, and evoked spontaneous respect among the people.
This was unique and revolutionary because women were usually not seen
in the forefront of the society at the time.
Guru Amar Das became
a Sikh Master in April 1574. He the eldest son of farmer and trader,
Sri Tej Bhan Ji and Mata Lachmi Ji. Later in his life, he was married
to Mata Mansa Devi and they had four children, Bhai Mohan, Bhai Mohri,
Bibi Dani Ji and Bibi Bhani Ji. Incidentally, Bibi Bhani later married
Bhai Jetha, who became the fourth Sikh Guru, Guru Ram Das.
Before Guru Ji became a master, he was a pious Vaishanavite Hindu. One
day, Bhai Amardas Sahib Ji heard some hymns of Sri Guru Nanak being
sung by Bibi Amro Ji, the daughter of Sri Guru Angad Dev. Bhai Sahib
was so moved by these Shabads that he immediately decided to go to meet
Guru Angad Dev Ji. Bhai Sahib became involved in Seva and became a
devout Sikh.
Guru Amar Das
propagated the Sikh faith in a systematic manner. He visited and sent
Sikh missionaries to different parts of India to spread Sikhism. He
also divided the Sikh Sangat area into 22 branches called Manjis and
appointed a local Sikh preacher at each place.
The preacher used to sit on a Manji (or cot) and the congregation sat
around him to listen to his discourses. Guru Ji appointed 22 such
Manjis to rapidly carry forward the movement.
Guru Ji had made the
Langar system compulsory for all visitors. He believed in feeding
hungry stomachs before preaching any spirituality.
Once the emperor Akbar came to see Guru Sahib and had to eat the coarse
rice in the Langar too, before he could meet with Guru Sahib. Very
impressed with the system, he expressed his wish to grant some royal
property for 'Guru ka Langar'. Guru Sahib, however, politely declined
the offer and instead, persuaded Akbar to waive off pilgrims' toll-tax
for non-Muslims while crossing Yamuna and Ganga. Akbar happily agreed.
Guru Amardas Ji
revolted against Sati (ritual of a widow immolating herself in her
husband's funeral pyre) and encouraged widow remarriage. He removed the
Purdah (veil) movement prevalent at the time. He introduced new birth,
marriage and death ceremonies and also fixed three Gurpurbs for Sikh
celebrations, namely, Dewali, Vaisakhi and Maghi.
When the Raja of Haripur visited Guru Ji, he asked him to partake of
the Langar first. When one of his queens, however, refused to lift the
Purdah off her face, Guru Amardas refused to meet her.
Guru Amardas Sahib also built Baoli (sacred well) at Goindwal Sahib,
with eighty-four steps. This became a pilgrimage centre for the first
time in the history of Sikhism. He then went on to compose more verses
for the Guru Granth Sahib.
Guru Amardas Ji chose his own son-in law, Guru Ram Das, to succeed him.
His daughter Bibi Bhani and Ram Das had truly understood the spirit of
Sikhism and very right for the post.
Guru Ram Das,
originally Bhai Jetha, became a Master in 1574. He was born to Haridas
Ji adn Mata Daya Ji. He got married to Mata Bhani Ji and had three
sons, Baba Prithi Chand Ji, Baba Mahadev Ji and Guru Arjan Dev Ji. One
of his major contributions, among other things, was the 688 Shabads he
gave to the Sri Guru Granth Sahib.
Once Bhai Jetha was named Guru Ram Das Ji and took on Gurudom, he put
himself to the task of building the city of Ramdaspur (the abode of Ram
Das). He dug the second sacred pool as instructed by Guru Amar Das ji.
Pilgrims arrived in hordes to hear the Guru and to help in the
excavation work of the tank.
This second holy tank was to be called Amritsar, meaning, "pool of nectar". Today the city of Ramdaspur, which is at present the holiest center of Sikhism, has come to be known as Amritsar. This was his second greatest contribution to Sikhism.
The Sikh marriage
ceremony is called the Anand Karaj. This ceremony is centered around a
four-stanza hymn composed by Guru Ram Das ji. Guru Ram Das Sahib
composed a beautiful bani called Laavan, about the meaning of marriage
to a Sikh couple. These verses define a Sikh marriage thus: "They are
not said to be husband and wife who merely sit together. Rather they
alone are called husband and wife, who have one soul in two bodies."
As the bride and groom circumscribe the Guru Granth Sahib ji, each
stanza of this Laawan is read out, each one having its own relevance in
the marriage ceremony.
A follower invited
Guru Ram Das Ji to visit Lahore in connection with his son's wedding.
But the master, being too busy, asked one of his sons to oblige him.
His youngest son, Arjan Dev went on to Lahore to attend the function.
Arjan Dev left for Lahore, where his father had asked him to stay on
until he called for him. The young lad was asked to take care of the
education of Sikhs residing in Lahore. There, he penned down two poems
oozing with love and devotion to his father. But his other brother,
Prithi Chand, intercepted them and made sure they never reached their
father.
However, Arjan wrote a third poem and marked it with the number 3,
giving strict instructions to the messenger to personally hand it over
to the Guru. The Guru Ji enquired to Prithi Chand, but the latter
initially feigned ignorance. Finally, the Guru sent someone to check
his son's quarters and found the missing poems. He was immensely
touched to see the immense love and devotion in his son's compositions.
Guru Ram Das ji immediately asked Arjan Dev to return and declared him
his successor. Prithi Chand was upset and he continued to misbehave
with Guru Arjan Dev ji. Finally, Guru Ram Das ji publicly condemned
Prithi Chand for his actions.
Shortly thereafter, Guru Ram Das Ji breathed his last.
Guru Arjan Dev Ji
contributed a total of 2218 Shabads and also finalized the Guru Granth
Sahib. Also the author of Sukhmani Sahib Bani, he compiled the Adi
Granth, the first ever holy Sikh Book.
Guru Arjan Dev Ji also built the Golden Temple at Amritsar as it stands
today and developed the city of Amritsar as a Center of Excellence.
He also contributed towards the welfare of the society and even
sacrificed his own life, thereby attaining a unique martyrdom in the
history of mankind. Guru Arjan Dev Ji was born with the mission of
spreading peace.
Though he ascended the throne of Guru Nanak at the tender age of 18, he
thinking and wisdom were far beyond his age. Guru Arjan Dev was married
to Mata Ganga ji. Sikhs celebrate this day every year by organizing a
great fair held here over 3 days. On the last day, the holy clothes of
Guru Sahib are shown to general public before the closing ceremony of
Diwan.
Guru Arjan Dev Ji
invited Mian Mir, a Muslim Saint from Lahore, to lay the cornerstone of
the foundation of the Harmandar Sahib, or the present-day Golden
Temple. The doors on all four sides of the building symbolize its
acceptance of all the four castes and all religions of the world.
The floor of the Harmandir Sahib was kept lower than the surrounding
area - just as water flows downwards, so would the seekers of God's
blessings. The city of Amritsar came up along with the building of the
Harmandir Sahib.
Guru Arjan Dev Ji also finished compiling the Holy Book, the present Guru Granth Sahib. Among the hymns, he also included utterances of Sheikh Farid and Bhagat Kabir, Dhanna Namdev, Ramannand, Bhagat Ravi Das, Trilochan, Jai Dev, Beni, Pipa and Surdas. Interestingly, all these saints belonged to different religions, castes and creed.
Guru Ram Das had
introduced the institution of Masands (or representative of the Gurus
at remote places). He had also established the principle Dasvand of a
Tenth of an individual's income payable for the Guru's Langar.
Guru Arjan Dev Ji toiled day and night to strengthen this system,
thereby taking the religion to further heights, much faster too.
Emperor Akbar's
grandson, Khusro was a pious man, who had been considered by Akbar as
the next in line to head the kingdom. But due to the domination of
Muslim clergy, Khusro had to flee for protecting his own life. While
passing through Punjab, Khusro visited Guru Arjan Dev Ji at Tarn Taran
and sought his blessings.
Guru Arjan Dev Ji had become very popular among both the Hindus and the
Muslims. This angered the orthodox Muslims, who hatched a malicious
plan against him.
Sheikh Ahmad Sarhindi was highly respected among Muslim. But he was
highly egoistical and asserted that his status was higher than the Sikh
Gurus. This was emphatically rejected by Guru Arjan Dev Ji. Sheikh
Ahmad, who had a great influence on Jehangir, instigated him against
Guru Arjan Dev Ji.
Jehangir summoned Guru Arjan Dev Ji to Lahore and exhibited
dissatisfaction with the Guru's explanation of Khusro's shelter. He
labelled the Guru as a party to rebellion, ordering death as the Guru's
punishment.
On the recommendation of Pir Mian Mir, though, Jehangir modified his
original death sentence to a fine of two lakh rupees plus an order to
erase a few verses from the Granth Sahib. Guru Arjan flatly refused to
accept the terms and though the Sikhs of Lahore urged him to pay off
the fine, he stood firm on his ground.
The Guru was
imprisoned and cruelly tortured beyond endurance. He was made to sit on
the sand on a burning hot day and boiling hot water was poured on his
naked body. Though Pir Mian Mir tried to intervene and stop the torture
of this holy soul, the Guru Ji refused to budge and unflinchingly bore
all that he was put through.
Guru Arjan Dev Ji finally left his mortal shell in May 1606, attaining
the unique honour of becoming a martyr for his cause.
Guru Hargobind Ji's
ceremonial rites were performed by Baba Buddha ji. Guru Hargobind ji
asked Baba Buddha to adorn him with a sword rather than the Seli of
Nanak, which had been used so far by the earlier Gurus. Guru Ji then
put on two swords and stated that they signified "Miri" and "Piri",
that is, "Temporal Power" and "Spiritual Power". While one would attack
the oppressor, the other would defend the innocent.
On his turban, Guru Hargobind Ji wore a Kalgi, an ornament, which was
only worn by Mughal and Hindu rulers.
Guru Hargobind sahib ji also invented the Taus, a musical instrument,
mimicking the sound of a peacock.
Guru Hargobind ji
excelled in state administrative capabilities. He armed and trained
many of his followers. The Guru eventually owned seven hundred horses
and in his Risaldari (Army), there were three hundred horsemen
and sixty gunners, in a very short period of time. Five hundred more
men from the Majha area of Punjab were also taken in as infantry.
Guru Hargobind built a fortess at Amritsar, calling it the 'Lohgarh'
(Fortess of Steel). He designed his own flag and war-drum which was
beaten twice a day.
Guru Ji became the first master to wage and win four battles against
the Mughal Empire.
The Akal Takht
(God's Throne) was built in front of the Harmandir Sahib in the year
1606. Guru Arjan's detractors now tried to convince Jahangir that the
fort, the Akal Takht, and the growing Risaldari, would eventually help
Guru Hargobind ji to take revenge for his father's unjust death.
The Guru Ji sat there on a raised platform of twelve feet. Much like
the Guru's swords, the Harmandir Sahib was the seat of his spiritual
authority and the Akal Takht was the seat of his temporal authority.
This period is vital, since it marked the beginning of Sikh
militarisation.
Guru Hargobind Ji also awarded honours and meted out punishment, just
as any other King would. The Akal Takht was the first ever Takht in
Sikh history.
With this, the Sikhs had formed a separate governance of their own and
occupied a sort of separate state even while under the Mughal rule.
Guru Hargobind Ji also worked to established community prayer, thereby strengthening the general power of the prayer and also the unity and brotherhood among the community as a whole. This congregation would jointly pray for anyone who requested the same, irrespective of their caste or religion. Hindus, Sikhs and Muslims were all equally welcome to approach this unique forum.
Guru Hargobind Ji
faced stiff opposition from other jealous folk, such as his own Uncle,
Priti Mal, who was also the brother of Guru Arjan Dev Ji. Priti Mal had
already attempted to kill Guru Ji when he was a child, but failed. He
then tried to turn Emperor Jehangir against the young Guru.
Chandu Shah and Shaikh Ahmad Sirhandi too joined hands with Priti Mal.
This made Jehangir fear that the Guru might seek revenge for his
father's arrest, torture and death.
Guru Hargobind Ji
was imprisoned and held at the Gwalior Fort for a period of one year.
They had taken him there claiming that he should go there and pray for
the ill Emperor Jehangir. But when Jehangir eventually ordered his
release, the master refused to leave until the other 52 imprisoned
Hindu Kings were released as well.
The Sikhs still celebrate this day as the Bandi Chorr Divas.
Guru Har Rai Ji
became Guru in March 1644, following in the footsteps of his
grandfather, Guru Hargobind Ji. Just like his grandfather, Guru Har Rai
Ji also continued the military and warfare training.
Guru Har Rai ji was born to Baba Gurdita Ji and Mata Nihal Kaur Ji. He
later married Mata Kishan Kaur Ji and had two sons, Baba Ram Rai Ji and
Sri Har Krishan Ji.
Guru Har Rai Ji was essentially a man of peace, but he never disbanded
the armed Sikh Warriors, who earlier were originally maintained by his
grandfather. He maintained 2200 mounted soldiers ready at all times.
He never himself indulged in any direct political or armed conflict,
though, with the Mughal rulers. Only once Guru Ji helped the eldest son
of Emperor Shahjahan, Dara Shikoh, escape safely from Aurangzeb's army
during the war of succession.
Guru Sahib was once coming back from the tour of Malwa and Doaba
regions. At that time, Mohamad Yarbeg Khan attacked the kafla of Guru
Sahib along with a thousand-strong army. A few hundred Saint Soliders
of Guru Sahib fought back with great courage and bravery, forcing the
offenders to flee the scene.
This act of self-defense was an example for those who professed the
theory of so called non-violence or "Ahimsa Parmo Dharma". Guru Sahib
regularly awarded various Sikh warriors with gallantry awards.
Guru Sahib built an
Aurvedic herbal medicine hospital and a research centre at Kiratpur
Sahib. Dara Shikoh once became critically ill and even the best
physicians in the country failed.
At last the emperor requested Guru Ji to treat his son. Guru Ji handed
over some rare medicines to the messenger of the emperor and Dara
Shikoh was saved from the clutches of death. The grateful emperor
wanted to grant him some "Jagir", but Guru Sahib refused to accept the
same.
Guru Har Rai Sahib tried to improve the state of the Masands, but faced
many difficulties here. Many of the corrupt Masands, Dhir Mals and
Minas always tried to put a halt to the advancement of the Sikh
religion.
A devout Sikh called
Bhai Gonda often came to stay with Guru Ji. He was a saintly person and
Guru ji was always pleased with his sincere devotion. Once, Guru Sahib
asked him to go to Kabul to spread Sikhism there. Though Kabul was a
foreign country teeming with Muslims, Bhai Gonda cheerfully accepted
the task given to him. Once there, he built a Gurdwara and carried out
all the Guru's instructions.
So great was Bhai Gonda's devotion that he would go into a trance
meditating on his master. It is believed that even Guru Har Rai Ji
could feel his devotion, though they lived several hundreds of
kilometers apart.
Guru Har Krishan Ji, son of Guru Har Rai Ji, became a master in October 1661. Har Krishan, though very young, was much more spiritual than even senior practitioners of the religion. He became a master when he was merely five years old.
Guru Har Krishan
would regale his audience by giving commentaries and explaining
passages from the Holy Granth. He had a huge following wherever he
went.
Emperor Aurangzeb was not at all pleased about this and invited the
Guru visit his Darbar at Delhi along with his father, Guru Har Rai.
Leaving for Delhi, Guru Har Krishan also stopped at Ropar, Banur and
Ambala. Here, he would freely interact with crowds of devotees who were
ecstatic to meet their new Guru.
When Guru was near
Panjokhara, some Sikhs requested him to stay on there for a day, so
that everyone could have his Darshan. Guru Ji readily obliged.
An egoistic Pandit, Lal Chand, lived in that very village. He came to
see the Guru and commented that he was too young to know about religion
and ancient texts.
Chhajju Ram, an illiterate, low-caste villager, happened to pass by at
that very moment. Guru Har Krishan asked Dargah Mall to call him. The
Guru Ji then asked Chhajju Ram to explain to the Pandit the gist of the
Bhagavad Gita.
Lo and behold! The poor villager astounded everyone by starting off
with a cogent commentary on the sacred treatise. Lal Chand was
instantly humbled and fell at the Guru's feet. Both these men became
the Guru's disciples and travelled with him up to Kurukshetra.
There was a small
pox
epidemic in Delhi, which resulted in many deaths. Guruji decided to
visit the masses to heal them. Guru Har Kishan Ji stayed at the
Gurdwara Bangla Sahib, which was originally the palace of Raja Jai
Singh.
He stayed on there, healing thousands of followers. He was also
referred to as the Bala Pir or child prophet.
But exposing himself thus made him susceptible to smallpox too. Thus,
he undertook great and selfless seva, caring for the sick at the risk
of his own life.
Guru Tegh Bahadur Ji
became a Guru in 1664. He was the grand-nephew of Guru Har Kishan.
Guru Ji's original name was Tyag Mal or Master of Renunciation. He
spent his childhood at Amritsar. when he was only 13 years old, he
asked his father to accompany him into battle with Painde Khan. During
the battle, he fought with great elan. Their army finally emerged
victorious.
After this Battle of Kartarpur, the residents honored their new hero
with a new name, "Tegh Bahadur Ji" or brave sword wielder. The young
Tegh Bahadur soon dived into his studies and spent his time in
meditation and prayer. He was married to Mata Gujri Ji at Kartarpur in
1632.
For two decades,
Tegh Bahadur Ji kept up with intense meditation and then went on to
become the next Sikh Master. He decided to visit the Harmandir Sahib at
Amritsar, along with a party of Sikhs. However on his arrival at this
sacred shrine, the Guru was rebuffed by the Sodhi family Sardars who
then had control of the Gurdwara. They denied him entry into the main
section of the complex. But he could go as far as the Thara Sahib, the
"Pillar of Patience".
The Guru waited nearby for a little while but when the doors still did
not open for him, he went away and stayed in a nearby village of Wala.
Sometime later, the women of Amritsar came out and apologized for the
shameful behaviour of the masands of Amritsar. Guru Ji was pleased by
this gesture of penitence and devotion.
Guru Ji became a
father only after thirty four years of marriage. The little Gobind Rai
was born at Patna in the state of Bihar.
Guru Ji then returned to Punjab, where he had stayed and continued with
his mission of spreading the religion further.
Aurangzeb was
hell-bent to destroy all Hindu temples and Gurdwaras. He also expelled
missionaries from the main cities and towns. His idea was to convert
people to Islam. Many of them panicked and went to Guru ji seeking
help.
Guru Tegh Bahadur Ji decided to stand up for the right of freedom of
worship and told the delegation to tell Aurangzeb that if he could
convert Guru Tegh Bahadur they would gladly convert.
Guru Ji made his son Gobind Rai the 10th Sikh Guru and left Anandpur
for Delhi, to fight Aurangzeb. There, was arrested by the Emperor,
along with some of his other men.
Guru Ji was beheaded
on 11th November, 1675. His disciple took Guru Ji's severed head
to Anandpur Sahib, where it was cremated by Guru Gobind Singh.
Many of the Pandits converted to Sikhism. Their leader Kirpa Ram, who
was baptized as a Sikh, died fighting the Moghuls with Guru Gobind
Singh's older sons.
Guru Gobind Singh ji
became Guru on November 24, 1675, at the tender age of nine. Before
this Guru left for his heavenly abode, he nominated Sri Guru Granth
Sahib Ji as the next perpetual Guru of the Sikhs. Guru Gobind Singh
gave rise to the formation of the Khalsa fraternity and completion of
the Guru Granth Sahib. These were his greatest contributions to mankind
and the Sikh religion.
Guru Gobind Singh Ji was both a saint and soldier. He tried to fight
oppression in order to restore justice and to uplift the down-trodden
people in this world.
After the martyrdom of his father, Guru Ji stated that he would create
a Panth or Sect that would challenge all tyrant rulers. Unlike
many other prophets, he never called himself God. Instead, he called
all people the sons of God sharing His Kingdom equally. He merely
considered himself to be a slave of God.
Pir Bhikan Shah, a
Muslim mystic, was one day guided by a divine light. Following this
light, he travelled with a group of his followers until he reached
Patna Sahib in Bihar.
Gobind Rai was born here to Mata Gujri. It is believed that Pir Bhikan
Shah approached the child and offered two bowls of milk and water,
signifying both the great religions of Hinduism and Islam. The child
smiled and placed his hands on both bowls. The Pir, understanding the
true greatness of the little one, bowed in utter humility and
reverence.
On the site of the house where he was born, now stands a sacred shrine,
Sri Patna Sahib Gurdwara.
Gobind Rai was
consecrated as the next Sikh Guru by his father, just before he left to
visit Aurangzeb in Delhi. Guru Gobind Singh Ji had a natural
inclination for poetic composition.
For the first two decades of his life, Guru Gobind Singh lived
peacefully at Anandpur practicing arms and exercises to complete his
training as a soldier. He studied Persian and Sanskrit in depth and
engaged 52 poets to translate the Hindu epics.
The Guru also penned down many compositions including Jaap Sahib, Akal
Ustat and Sawayas during this period. Not only that, he established a
Gurdwara at Paonta Sahib on the banks of the river Jamna as well.
Much of Guru Gobind
Singh's creative literary work was done at Paonta Sahib. Poetry for
him, however, was a means of revealing the divine principle of the
Supreme Being. Through these compositions, he preached love,
righteousness and equality.
The sword for Guru Gobind Singh Ji was never meant as a symbol of
aggression, but was the emblem of manliness and self-respect and was to
be used only in self-defence, as a last resort, when all else failed.
Guru Gobind Singh
had to fight off jealous Mughals. He and his Sikhs were hence involved
in a battle with a Mughal commander, Alif Khan, at Nadaur on the left
bank of the Beas, about 30 km south-east of Kangra, in March 1691.
Among several other battles that occurred was the one fought against
Husain Khan, an imperial general. All these resulted in decisive
victory for the Sikhs.
Guru Gobind Singh then issued directions to Sikh sangats in different
parts not to acknowledge the corrupt masands, against whom he had heard
complaints. He asked the Sikhs to send their offerings directly to
Anandpur instead, at the time of the annual Baisakhi festival.
Once, during an open
air diwan, at Kesgarh Sahib at Anandpur, Guru Gobind Singh Ji drew his
sword and asked who would be ready to offer their head to him. There
was a stunned, horrified silence, but nobody came forward to sacrifice
himself. At Guru Ji's third call, Daya Ram, a Khatri of Lahore came
forward. The Guru took led him inside a tent. A blow and thud were
heard. Then the Guru came out, his sword dripping with blood.
Guru Ji asked for another head. Dharam Das, a Jat from Delhi, stepped
forward on the third call. The process was repeated again and the Guru
Ji again asked for another head. Some people in the assembly felt the
Guru had lost reason and went to his mother to complain.
Mohkam Chand, a tailor of Dwarka offered himself as a sacrifice. The
Guru took him inside the tent and when he came out, he asked the fourth
head. Now, the Sikhs feared he would kill all of them.
Himmat Chand, a cook of Jagan Nath Puri, stepped forward for the
sacrifice. The Guru then made a final call for a fifth head. Sahib
Chand, a barber of Bidar, offered his head as sacrifice.
The others breathed a sigh of relief, thanking the heavens that the
Guru may have now realized his "mistake".
Inside the tent and unknown to others outside, the Guru clad his five volunteers in splendid garments. When they were brought outside, they were radiant beings. Seeing them, there were exclamations of wonder from all around. People were now sorry for not offering their heads to their master.
The Guru offered his
five most faithful followers sacred Amrit specially prepared in an iron
bowl. He gave five palmfuls of Amrit to each of them to drink and
sprinkled it five times in the eyes, asking them to repeat aloud with
each sprinkle, "Waheguru Ji ka Khalsa, Waheguru Ji Ki Fateh", meaning,
Khalsa belongs to God and all triumph be to His Name. He then anointed
them into the casteless fraternity of the Khalsa.
Guru Gobind Singh Ji gave all the five of them the appellation of
Singhs or Lions, regardless of their original caste or religion. He
then collectively addressed them as the supreme, the liberated ones and
called them "The Khalsa".
He then ordered them to do the five following things:
1. Kesh - to maintain unshorn hair
2. Kanga - a comb to keep the hair in place
3. Kachha - underwear to indicate virtuosity
4. Kara - an iron bracelet on the wrist
5. Kirpan - sword to symbolize dignity and an unbridled spirit
These men were also
ordered never to use tobacco or other intoxicants, not to commit
adultery and not to consume Halal meat. A person who would be caught
committing such sins would have to pay a fine and in extreme cases, be
excommunicated from the Khalsa fraternity.
After having administered Amrit to the Panj Pyare, the Guru himself
knelt down and requested them to baptize him in the same way he had
baptized them. The disciples were shocked, but at the insistence of
their Master, did as they were ordered.
Gobind Rai was thus called Guru Gobind Singh from this time on. The
Khalsa was now established and thousands of men and women were inducted
into the fold over the next few days at Anandpur.
The fantastic rise
of the Khalsa disturbed the Rajas of the adjoining regions. Hence, they
got together under the leadership of the Raja of Bilaspur, in a bid to
forcibly evict Guru Gobind Singh from Anandpur.
The Khalsa forces proved to be too strong for the hill Rajas. They then
requested Aurangzeb for help, marched upon Anandpur and laid a siege to
the fort in 1705.
At one point of time, the Mughals were also running out of resources.
Hence, they offered safe exit to the Sikhs if they quit Anandpur.
The town was evacuated in December 1705. But as the Guru and his Sikhs
ventured out, the battling allies set upon them in full fury.
Many Sikhs were killed most of the precious manuscripts were lost in
the ensuing confusion. The Guru was able to make it to Chamkaur, 40 km
southwest of Anandpur, with his two elder sons and about 40 other
Sikhs. There the imperial army continued to devastate them and finally,
the five surviving Sikhs asked the Guru to save himself in order to
reconsolidate the Khalsa.
Guru Gobind Singh
reached Dina in Malva. There he enlisted a few hundred warriors of the
Brar clan, and also composed his famous letter, Zafarnamah (the Epistle
of Victory), in Persian verse, addressed to Aurangzeb.
This letter was a severe indictment of the Emperor and his commanders
who had broken their oath. Two Sikhs, Daya Singh and Dharam Singh, were
asked to reach the Zafarnamah to Ahmadnagar. From Dina, Guru Gobind
Singh continued his westward march until, finding the host close upon
his heels; he took position beside the water pool of Khidrana to make a
last-ditch stand.
No matter how hard
they tried, the Mughal troops failed to capture the Guru and had to
retire in defeat. The wives of the men who had deserted the Guru at
Anandpur led their men right back to the battle. The brave women gave
up their lives to save their Guru's cause. This site is now marked by a
sacred shrine and tank and the town which has grown around them is
called Muktsar, the Pool of Liberations.
In the meantime, Aurungzeb, obviously touched by the Zafarnamah,
invited Guru Gobind Singh for a meeting. Guru Ji had, however, left for
the South by then.
Nawab Wazir Khan of
Sirhind felt insecure and jealous about the Emperor's conciliatory
treatment of Guru Gobind Singh. He ordered two trusted men to
assassinate the Guru forthwith.
These two pathans Jamshed Khan and Wasil Beg pursued the Guru secretly
and overtook him at Nanded, where one of them stabbed the Guru just
below the heart as he lay one evening in his chamber resting after the
Rahras prayer. In a split second, Guru Gobind Singh struck him down
with his sabre, while the other attacker fell under the swords of Sikhs
who had rushed in on hearing the noise.
The Guru's wound was stitched by the Emperor's European surgeon and it
appeared to have healed soon enough. The Guru had made a good recovery,
or so it seemed. However, some days later, when he tugged at a hard
strong bow, the wound again burst open and caused profuse bleeding.
It was treated again, but it was now clear that the Guru's time had
come closer. He prepared the sangat for his departure and gave his last
message to the assembly of the Khalsa. He then opened the Granth Sahib,
placed five paise on it and bowed to it as his successor.
Singing a beautiful self-composed hymn, Guru Gobind Singh left for his
heavenly abode. The Sikhs made preparations for his final rites as he
had instructed them, the Sohila was chanted and Parshad (sacred food)
was distributed.
Sri Guru Granth
Sahib or Adi Sri Granth Sahib Ji is also called the Adi Granth or Adi
Guru Darbar. This holy scripture is more than just that for Sikhs, who
treat it as their living Guru. The holy text covers 1430 pages and
contains the actual words spoken by the Ten Gurus of Sikhism, as also
the words of various other Saints from other religions, including
Hinduism and Islam.
Ordained Gurudom by the last of the Sikh Masters, Guru Gobind Singh Ji
in 1708, the Granth Sahib is treated by Sikhs as their permanent,
all-powerful Guru. Hence, Sikhs consider that they have a total of 11
Gurus.
The Guru Granth Sahib forms the main part of the Darbar Sahib or Main
Hall in any Gurdwara. It is placed on a raised platform and covered in
a beautiful and intricately-worked cloth. The platform is always
covered by a canopy, which is also decorated in expensive fabrics.
The living Guru of the Sikhs, this book is held in great reverence and
treated with the utmost respect. No Sikh ceremony is complete unless
without the presence of Guru Granth Sahib.
Guru Granth Sahib is a book of Revelation. It conveys the Word of the
Master through His messengers on earth and is universal in its scope.
This is the true greatness of the Sri Guru Granth Sahib, the highest
and eternally living Guru of Sikhism.
This article was written by:
Priya Viswanathan, a teacher/performer of Bharata Natyam, Classical Music and Classical Instrumental Veena. A recipient of several awards for both music and dance, Priya is also a freelance writer online. She currently writes for About.com, a subsidiary of IAC - the parent company of Ask.com. (http://mobiledevices.about.com)