Guru Gobind Singh

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File:Guru Gobind Singh 1.jpg
Guru Gobind Singh

Guru Gobind Singh (Punjabi: ਗੁਰੂ ਗੋਬਿੰਦ ਸਿੰਘ) (Born in Patna, Bihar, India, on December 22, 1666 as Gobind Rai – October 7, 1708, Nanded, Maharashtra,India (Jyoti Jyot)) was the tenth and last of the Ten Gurus of Sikhism and became Guru on November 11, 1675 following in the footsteps of his father, the ninth Sikh Guru, Guru Tegh Bahadur.

Guru Gobind Singh (also sometimes transliterated as 'Govind'), played a monumental part in the development of the Sikh faith. The First Guru was Guru Nanak Dev, the founder of Sikhism.

Guru Gobind Singh exemplified the teachings of Sikh principles during his lifetime. He not only taught the teachings, but also felt the pain of sacrifice in upholding those beliefs and teachings. Guru Gobind Singh lost his father, mother, and all four of his sons to a religious war, being waged by emperor Aurangzeb, the last of the six grand Mughals. Aurangzeb demanded that all Sikhs either convert to Islam or be killed. It was in this fight for spiritual survival (or as Guru Sahib himself called it,Dharamyudh, the war for righteousness) that Guru Gobind Singh felt the pain of loss.

Guru Gobind's father,Guru Tegh Bahadur, was beheaded in Delhi (where the Gurdwara Sis Ganj Sahib stands today) on the orders of emperor Aurangzeb for refusing to convert to Islam. His two elder sons, Sahibzada Ajit Singh and Sahibzada Jujhar Singh died while fighting Mughal forces at Chamkaur Sahib. His mother Mata Gujri was killed along with his younger sons Sahibzada Zorawar Singh and Sahibzada Fateh Singh for refusing to convert to Islam.

Guru Gobind Singh also finalised many elements of Sikhism. He proclaimed himself the last living Guru and established the Guru Granth Sahib -- a compilation of the ten Gurus' writings --as the eternal guru for the Sikhs.This Granth is thus, more than a holy book for the Sikhs.However, it was only spiritual authority that was bestowed upon the Guru Granth. Guru Gobind also compiled the Dasam Granth sometimes known as the Dasven Padshah Ka Granth(the Granth of the Tenth Emperor).He also established the Sikh baptism ceremony, the partaking of amrit(see Amrit Sanskar).

The following is a summary of the main highlights of Guru Gobind Singh's life:

Creation of the Khalsa

On the day of Baisakhi in 1699(which traditionally marks the New Year in the Punjab as it is the time of the wheat harvest), an open air mass gathering was held at Keshgarh Sahib in the town of Anandpur Sahib where hundreds of thousands of people gathered in excitement. The tenth Guru, Guru Gobind Singh walked on the platform at the front of the assembly and drew his sword. There was silence as the Guru's kirpan shone in the morning sun. Then the Guru in a thundering voice said," I want one head, is there any one who can offer me their head?"

File:Amrit.jpg
The Amrit Sanskar Ceremony

This was a most unusual call. A shiver of uneasiness spread through the crowd. Some were terrified while others were stunned. Soon, there was dead silence. The Guru made a second call. Nobody came forward. There was still more silence. On the third call there raised Bhai Daya Ram, a Khatri from Lahore who said, "O true king, my head is at your service." The Guru took Daya Ram by the arm and led him inside a tent. A blow and thud were heard. Then the Guru, walked out of the tent now with his sword dripping with fresh blood. There was pin-drop silence in the crowd. The Guru loudly said, "I want another head, is there anyone who can offer me another head?" Again on third call Bhai Dharam Das, a Jat from Hastinapur, near Delhi came forward and said," O true king! My head is at your disposal." The Guru took Dharam Das inside the tent, again a blow and thud were heard. Again the Guru came out with his sword dripping with even more fresh blood and repeated," I want another head, is there any beloved Sikh who can offer it?"

One hearing this for the third time, some people at one side of the assembly remarked that the Guru had lost all reason and went to his mother to complain. Bhai Mohkam Chand, a calico printer of Dwarka (Gujarat, Western India) offered himself as a sacrifice to the Guru. He took was taken inside the tent and went through the same process. When the Guru came out again and made a call for the fourth head, some Sikhs began to think that he was going to kill all of them. Some of Sikhs at the rear of the assembly slowly slid away from the gathering. Bhai Himmat Rai, a water carrier of Jagannath Puri(also known as Puri),Orissa, offered himself as the fourth sacrifice. Then the Guru made a fifth and the last call for a fifth head. Bhai Sahib Chand, a barber of Bidar (in Karnataka,Southern India), came forward and the Guru took him inside the tent. A blow and thud were heard. At this point the Sikhs who had slid away from the gathering could be seen running away from the assembly while many hung their heads down in fear!

When the Guru went back with the fifth sacrifice, he stayed longer in the tent. People began to breathe with relief, hoping that this was the end of the killing. Eventually, the Guru came out from the tent followed by the five Sikhs who were now cladded in splendid garments. When they were standing the the bright morning sun, they looked a most radiant picture. There were exclamations of wonder and the sighs of regret on all sides. Now people were sorry for not offering their heads to the Guru. The Five had offered their heads to the Guru, and the Guru had now given them himself and his glory.

The Guru proceeded to initiate them into his new order (Khanda di Pahul) by asking these five faithful Sikhs to stand up. He put pure water into an iron vessel or Bowl (Batta) and stirred it with a Khanda (two edged small sword). While stirring the water with the Khanda, he recited the Five Banis: (Japji, Jaap Sahib, Anand Sahib, Sawayya, and Chaupai). Sugar crystals called 'Patasas' which the Guru's wife, Mata Sahib Kaur had brought, were mixed into the Bowl.

The Guru then stood up with the sacred Amrit (nectar) prepared in the iron bowl. Each of the five faithful, turn-by-turn, each kneeling upon his left knee, looked up to the Guru to receive the amrosial necter - Amrit. 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." (The Khalsa belong to God and all triumph be to Him). Then, he finished with five sprinkings of Amrit to the hair on the head. In this way Amrit was administered to the five faithful ones from the same bowl. After that he asked them to sip Amrit from the same bowl to signify their initiation into the casteless fraternity of the Khalsa. All the five faithfuls were baptized in this way by the Guru who then called them the Panj Pyare(the Five Beloved Ones). He gave each of them the appellation of Singh - 'lion' (A woman is baptised as 'Kaur', which means 'princess') and they were named from Daya Ram to Daya Singh, Dharam Das to Dharam Singh, Mohkam Chand to Mohkam Singh, Himmat Rai to Himmat Singh, and Sahib Chand to Sahib Singh. The Guru then addressed them as the supreme, the liberated ones, pure ones and he called them THE KHALSA(From the Perso-Arabic word, Khalis(pure)).

After the Guru had administered Amrit to his Five Beloved Ones, he stood up in supplication and with folded hands, begged them to baptize him in the same way as he had baptized them. He himself became their disciple ('Wonderful is Guru Gobind Singh, himself the Master and himself the disciple' and 'Khalsa Mero Roop Hai Khas' - The Khalsa is exactly like me). The Five Beloved Ones were astonished at such a proposal, and represented their own unworthiness, and the greatness of the Guru, whom they deemed God's Vicar upon earth. They asked him why he made such a request and why he stood in a supplicant posture before them. He replied, "I am the son of the Immortal God. It is by His order I have been born and have established this form of baptism. They who accept it shall henceforth be known as the KHALSA. The Khalsa is the Guru and the Guru is the Khalsa. There is no difference between you and me. Accordingly the Five Beloved Ones baptized the Guru with the same ceremonies and injunctions he himself had employed.

The Guru was then named Gobind Singh instead of Gobind Rai. Guru Gobind Singh was the first one to take Amrit from the Khalsa, the Five Beloved Ones. About 80,000 men and women were baptized within a few days at Anandpur.

The rules and guidelines for the Khalsa

Guru Gobind Singh, after administering Amrit to the 'Five Beloved Ones',ordained them to do the following:

I. They must all wear the following articles. The name of each article begins with 'K'. These are known as the five Kakas(the letter in the Gurmukhi alphabet corresponding to 'k':

  • Kes - Unshorn hair. This represents the natural appearance of sainthood. This is the first token of the Sikh faith. The Guru called the Khalsa as the Sant-Sipahi(Saint-Soldiers)
  • Kangha- A comb to keep the hair clean and free from tangles.
  • Kachha - An underwear to indicate virtuous character.
  • Kara - A Iron bracelet on the wrist, a symbol of dedication to the Divine Bridegroom.
  • Kirpan - A sword symbolising dignity, power and unconquerable spirit.

II.They must observe the following guidelines. These are known as the Rahatnamas(Codes of Conduct):

  • Not to remove hair from any part of the body.
  • Not to use Tobacco or other intoxicants (alcohol).
  • Not to eat any meat of an animal.
  • Not to commit adultery- 'Par nari ki sej, bhul supne hun na jayo' (never enjoy, even in dream, the bed of a woman other than that of your own wife)

(A supplementary ordinance was issued that any one who did not observe any of the above four directives, must be re-baptized, pay a fine, and promise not to offend any more; or he must be excommunicated from the Khalsa).

III.They must rise at dawn, bathe, meditate on Gurmantar-'Waheguru', Mool Mantar- the preamble of Japji, and recite the five banis- Japji, Jap Sahib and Swayas in the morning; Rehras in the evening; and Kirtan Sohela at bed time at night.

IV.They must not worship idols, cemeteries, or cremation grounds, and must believe only in One Immortal God. The Guru further spelled out that they should practice arms, and never show their backs to the foe in the battle field. They should always be ready to help the poor and protect those who sought their protection. They were to consider their previous castes erased, and deem themselves all brothers of one family.

The legacy of Guru Gobind Singh

The Khalsa's impact on the socio-political scene of the Punjab

The long term effects of the creation of the Khalsa on the socio-political scene of Northern India in general and the Punjab in particular was immense. Pearl S. Buck says that, "The creation of the Khalsa was the greatest work of the Guru. He created a type of super-human, a universal servant of God, casteless and country less. The Guru regarded himself as the servant of the Khalsa. He said, "To serve them pleases me the most; no other service is so dear to my soul." The Khalsa was the spearhead of resistance against tyranny." Khushwant Singh in his 'A History of the Sikhs - Volume 1' records that "Within a few months of the famous baptismal ceremony, a sect of pacifists was suddenly transformed into a militant brotherhood of crusaders. The hills around Anandpur began to echo to the beating of wardrums and military commands. The Guru had dinned into the timid peasantry of the Punjab that they must 'take the broom of divine knowledge and sweep away the filth of timidity.' Thus did Gobind 'train the sparrow to hunt the hawk and one man to fight a legion.' Within a few months a new people were born - bearded, beturbanned, fully armed, and with a crusader's zeal to build a new commonwealth."

Not long after the death of Guru Gobind, Madhodas Bairagi, the man that he baptised at Nanded as Banda Bahadur, challenged the might of the Mughal Empire in Northern India. Eventually, he was captured and executed. But his example inspired many more. After his death, the Sikh Misls rose in the Punjab. The Misls attacked and fought battles with the armies of the Persian invader,Nadir Shah and his successor in Afghanistan, Ahmed Shah Abdali. After Abdali's exit from the Indian scene following the Third Battle of Panipat,the Misls constantly fought Mughal forces and soon came to control the area between the Indus and the Ganges. They were however fractured. Until the last Sukerchakia Misldar united them and captured Lahore in 1799, a century after the founding of the Khalsa by Guru Gobind and established the Sikh Kingdom of the Punjab. He was Maharaja Ranjit Singh.

The works of Guru Gobind Singh

The Dasam Granth

The collection of writings attributed to Guru Gobind Singh is known as the Dasam Granth. It consists of the following eighteen works:

  • Jaap Sahib
  • Akal Ustat
  • Bichita Natak
  • Chandi Charitra I
  • Chandi Charitra II
  • Chandi di Var
  • Gyan Prabodh
  • Chaubis Avtar
  • Mehdi Mir Budh
  • Brahma Avtar
  • Rudra Avtar
  • Shabad Hazare
  • Sri Mukh Baak Savaiye
  • Khalse di Mehima
  • Shastra Naam Mala
  • Pakhyaan Charitra
  • Zafarnama
  • The Hikayats

(From Khushwant Singh's 'A History of the Sikhs - Volume 1')

Popular hymns/compositions by Guru Gobind Singh

  • Deh Shiva Var Mohe
  • Khalsa Mero Roop Hai Khas
  • Haal Muridaan Da Kahna

External links

Audio

Chronology of the Main Events in Guru ji Life

# Date Event
1 December 22nd, 1666 Birth at Patna Sahib (Bihar)
2 May, 1673 Arrival at Anandpur Sahib
3 July, 1677 Marriage with Mata Jeeto Ji
4 1682 Repulsing the attack of Raja Bhim Chand on Anandpur
5 May, 1685 Maklaavaa of Mata Jeeto Ji (who adopted the name 'Sundari')
6 July, 1685 Guru Ji leaves Anandpur for Paonta Sahib
7 November, 1686 Birth of S. Ajit Singh Ji
8 October, 1687 Battle of Bhangani
9 November 1688 Return to Anandpur Sahib
10 1689 Battle of Naudan
11 March,1690 Birth of S. Jujhar Singh Ji
12 1694 Khanzada attacks Anandpur
13 1695 Battle with Hussain Khan
14 1697 Birth of S. Zorawar Singh Ji
15 1699 Birth of S. Fateh Singh Ji
16 Vaisakhi, 1699 Creation of the Khalsa
17 September 1699 Skirmishes with Raja Bhim Chand
18 December 1700 Attacked by the combined forces of the hill chieftains
19 January 1701 Leave Anandpur for Nirmoh
20 January 1702 Battle of Nirmoh
21 March 1702 Goes to Basoli April
22 June 1702 Occupation of Kalmot
23 August 1702 Return to Anandpur
24 February 1703 Repulsing the attacks of the hill-chieftains
25 June 1704 Repulsing the combined attack of hill-chiefs and Mughals
26 December 1704 Evacuation of Anandpur
27 December 1704 Battle of Chamkaur and martyrdom of S. Ajit Singh Ji and S. Jujhar Singh Ji
28 December 1704 Martyrdom of S. Zorawar Singh Ji and S. Fateh Singh Ji
29 May, 1705 Battle of Khidrana
30 June 1705 Battle of Mukatsar
31 July 1705 Reach Sabo-ki-talwandi (Damdama Sahib)
32 November 1705 Start from Damdama Sahib to meet emperor Aurangzeb
33 February 1706 Death of Aurangzeb
34 March 1706 Guru Ji receives news of death of Aurangzeb
35 July 23rd, 1707 Guru Ji meets Bahadhur Shah at Agra
36 November 1707 Moves towards Deccan
37 September 1708 Reach Nanded
38 October 7th, 1708 Jyoti Jyot (Guru Ji leaves his body)

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