(Abridged, on the Life Mission of Sri Guru Gobind Singh)
Preamble: Guru Gobind Singh, the rarest of the rare creation of GOD, was sent to earth to accomplish definite Mission, under hostile and challenging situations, in his limited life span. Inspiration to his father Sri Guru Tegh Bahadur to face execution in order to protect Hindu religion and then cremating his ‘SIS’ at the tender age of 9, getting education at early age on spirituality for deep insight to Sikhism and horse riding & shastra vidya (training for the use of war weapons), to destroy evil, laid road map for his life mission. His ideals against act of inhumanity prepared him for DHARAM YUDH. While exhibiting his strength in wars (Bhangani and Nadaun) in early phase of life, factually brought peace for him over a decade, during which, he not only delineated his future mission (MYSTIC ENTITY-THE GURU GRANTH PANTH) but also created KHALSA PANTH. This movement brought panic throughout, which made rulers to unite in order to curb the spread of the emerging Sikhism. The worst fallout from Mughal’s tyranny on Khalsa Panth has been summarized.
In a span of hardly one week (precisely between 20-27th December, 1704), Kalgi Dhar Pathshah, Sri Guru Gobind Singh had to undergo the barbarous act of inhumanity (unparalleled in the history of mankind) showered on his family (not merely on his siblings but to the entire Sikh community, since Guru Gobind Singh was declared as a FATHER of the Khalsa Panth). Two of his elder sons, Baba Ajit Singh aged 18 and Baba Jujjahar Singh aged 14 became Martyrs, one after the other, in the battle of CHAMKOR fought between 20-22 December, 1704. This historic battle is an isolated example in the world history where merely a unit of 40-45 Sikhs fought against 10 lakh Muslim forces and inflicting massive loss of men, material and their morality. In the battle, besides, these two Sahibzadas, 3 of the 5 Payrees, all the 40 Khalsa militants and few other trusted disciples earned MARTYRDOM.
This battle has been considered as a great moral victory for Guru Gobind Singh. Islamic tyranny did not stop here, the other two of his younger sons, Baba Zorawar Singh aged 10 and Baba Fatheh Singh aged 07 were mercilessly massacred by Nawab of Sirhand on 26/27 December 1704 while his mother Mata Gujari died of shock on hearing the news on the atrocious act on her grand children.
Merciless killing of his two younger Shibzadas was made known to Guru Gobind Singh only at Jattpura where he was made to relax after the Chamkor war. Guru, while accepting this windfall with a stoic calm, did not get perturbed but on the contrary he infused energy in his force and community to continue supporting him in fulfilling his primary mission of life- the MYSTIC ENTITY; the GURU GRANTH- PANTH, meaning thereby to transform dual functions of the (1) institution of Sri Guru Granth Sahib (SGGS) as a Sovereign Eternal living Guru to replace the practice of proclaiming living Guru one after the other and (ii) making Khalsa Panth supreme administrative body for Sikh affairs.
Guru ji had already made a considerable headway in giving birth to KHALSA PANTH on the Vaisakhi day of 30th March, 1699 where, besides 5 Payree (beloved one), 20,000 people got baptised to Khalsa Panth. Major Guidelines for Sikh RAHAT were also laid with Khalsa to abide by wearing 5 K,’s. The faith in adopting Sikhism increased multi-fold and many hundred thousand Sikhs got baptised to Khalsa Panth especially after the barbaric act of Muslim saltanat in showering war, compelling for forceful conversation to adopt Islam and barbarism on sahibzadas. Thousands of Sikhs gathered at Kot- Kapora (Mukatsar- a place of salvation) to safeguard Guruji who settled here to accomplish his spiritual mission. Finally he retired at Talwandi Saboo (Dam Dama sahib - a place for breathing) where he got involved in updating Adi Granth Sahib.
Despite all these hurdles, Guru Gobind Singh took the onus to go ahead with his commitment in updating the Granth. He associated his childhood companion, Bhai Mani Singh (a great scholar as well as a warrior) to assist him in this venture. In the absence of original copy of Adi Granth, Guru Gobind Singh dictated the entire contents of the Granth from his memory to Bhai Mani Singh, and also incorporated writings of his father Guru Tegh Bahadur - the 9th Sikh Guru consisting of 115 hymns & Banis at appropriate place and removed inconsistencies. The work of updating and corrections in SGGS took almost a year. Finally he managed Akhand Path to be recited by Bhai Mani Singh and 5 Granthis. He kept standing for 3 days till the completion of Path in verifying the contents of the Granth to his entire satisfaction. Bhai Deep Singh, another reverent Sikh and most hallowed Martyrs in Sikhism, was summoned at Talwandi Saboo in 1705 to assist Bhai Mani Singh to get copies made of the SGGS for distribution in different Gurdwaras. Bhai Mani also took in his possession of relevant material from the writings of Guru Gobind Singh to compile Dasam Granth on later date.
After accomplishing this task he moved out of Punjab to UP and then towards southward to finally reach Nanded (M.S). There he settled in a small town at the bank of the river Godawari. He continued his teaching to his ever growing disciples.
Guru Gobind Singh was yet to accomplish his pending mission of teaching a lesson to the worst enemy against humanity - Wazir Khan and his associate Succha Nand, despite the fact, that he first wrote letters to the Muslim ruler Aurangzeb from Dam Dama sahib to take suitable action against Wazir Khan of his atrocious act. Later on, much after the death of Auragzeb, Guru Gobind Singh tried for many months to persuade Emperor Bahadur Shah to take action against Wazir Khan. Silence and no action on the part of Muslim rulers made Guru ji to take steps to remove evil designers from the earth. After a thorough and careful considerations, he picked up a Young ascetic named Lachman Das (renamed as Banda Singh Bahadur) to accomplish his mission to punish Wazir Khan and his associate. It is only after hectic persuasions, Banda Bahadur agreed to fulfil Guru’s mission and offered to join Khalsa Panth/force. He was baptised to Khalsa Panth (changed his name to Gurbax Singh) before being sent to Punjab with 5 other militants. Banda Bahadur succeeded in his plan to execute Wazir Khan and Succha Nand, though much after the passing away of Guru Gobind Singh.
The last prime task before Guru ji was to institute the Guru Granth Sahib as an eternal Guru in place of living Gurus. Having inking to be the last phase of his life, after a deceptive attack on him by a Pathan, he called his followers and ordered them to look upon Sri Guru Granth Sahib as symbol of ten Gurus for constant guidance as living Guru. The SGGS is the central religious scripture of Sikhism as final, sovereign and eternal living Guru. The Granth transcends creed, caste, and conventions and thus belong the entire humanity. The Granth, is the mean and not an object for worship. The SGGS has the distinction to be the only Granth possessing the Status of living Guru. Guru Gobind Singh finally was laid to rest on 7thOctober, 1708.
To conclude, Guru Gobind Singh made Sikhs richer in persona by providing a unique identity (turbaned, full hair & bearded Sikh with Singh/ Kaur suffixed in their name), made them mentally strong, truthful, spiritually alive to the teaching of SGGS and socially concerned for the welfare of mankind. The daily Nitnem in-form of morning- evening paths is rich with his banis/ hymns. Guru Gobind Singh provided frame work of Ardas (set of prayer in Sikhism), which is composite prayer in every respects, where Sikhs bow before the salient philosophy of our ten Gurus, paying tributes to all those who have suffered miseries & abominable cruelties, remembering Sikh shrines of historic significance and finally praying to the GOD for THE WELFARE OF THE SOCIETY AT LARGE (Nanak Naam Chardi Kala, Tere Bhane SARBAT DA BHALA).
Dr. Jitendra Singh Bhatia
[email protected]
[email protected]
Photo Credit:
Neelsb - Own work, Birth Place of Guru Gobind Singh
CC BY-SA 3.0
File:GuruGobindBirthPlace.jpg
Created: 23 April 2006