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First published in paperback edition, 1979

© Surinder Singh Johar

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Printed in India At Blue Bird Printers, 252-B, Shahpurjat, (Hauz Khas), New Delhi-16 and Published by Mrs. Suman Lata for Vivek Publithing Company, 18-D, Kamla Nagar, Delhi-110007 Preface

Sikhism is a comparatively young religion, for its founder, Guru Nanak, was born in 1469. No doubt, there had been in India, before Nanak, several religious reformers who had done commen­ dable work to rid religion of its pitfalls and had enriched literature in many ways but most of them considered life as futile and did not give much thought to build up a new social order. They aimed mainly at emancipation from priestcraft. They gave themselves up to the contemplation of future life in the hope of approaching bliss, rather than called upon their fellow-creatures to throw aside every social as well as religious trammel and to raise a new people freed from the debasing cor­ ruption and degradation of centuries. It was Guru Nanak who perceived the true principles of religion and social reform, and laid those broad foundations which enabled his successors to preach his tenets both in letter and spirit. Guru Nanak laid the foundation of Sikhism.He thought of God as the Supreme Being who was Universal, All Powerful and Truthful. He believ­ ed that Truth was greater than all the reli-*

3 gious rites and ceremonies one performed. The other Gurus only preached Guru Nanak's teach­ ings and made his thinking the basis of all their utterances. Guru Nanak's basic thought on religion can be summed up in just two words : Unity and Frater­ nity. Guru Nanak, possessed by divine inspiration and an inherent zeal, endeavoured to rid the exis­ ting religious order that was ritual bound, corrupt and fast deteriorating. In this short book, I have tried to explain the basic tenets of Sikhism, its growth and the factors that contributed to its development for the general reader. It is not a scholarly work but meant for those persons who are keen to know about this virile and inspiring religion. The hardbound edition of this book was pub­ lished in 1977. It was highly commended and the demand increased tremendously. Thus, to meet the popular demand, the book is being published in paperback edition.

IV/38, Govt Flats, Masjid Moth, Surindcr Singh Johar New Delhi-110049 January 31, 1979 Contents

, Preface

1. The Sikh Gurus 2. The Holy Scriptures 3. The Sikh Institutions 4. Rituals and Sikhism 5. The Five Symbols 6. Salient features of a Sikh shrine 7. The Five Takhts 8. The Sikh way of Life 9. Concept of God and Guru in Sikhism

*.

One

The Sikh Gurus

Guru Nanak(A.D. 1469-1539) Guru Nanak, the founder of Sikh faith was born on April 15, 1469 in a small town called Taiwandi which later came to be known as Nankana Sahib, now in Pakistan. In the beginning of the 16th cen­ tury, when Guru Nanak was in the prime of his youth, Punjab was part of the vast Empire of Delhi which was ruled by Sultan Sikander Lodhi. The scenario was one of chaos and confusion. There were uninterrupted scenes of tyranny and bloodshed. The country was utterly weak and dis­ united. The rulers had lost all sense of justice and fair play. Guru Nanak, who was alive to the ex­ igencies of the times, bitterly criticised the rulers. He said : "Kings are tigers and their officials dogs." and again : "The Kal age is a drawn sword, Kings are butchers Justice has taken wings and fled. In this dark night of falsity, the moon of truth is not visible, 7 I am bewildered and in this darkness no path is visible.5' VamMajIm Bhai Gurdas also described the sad state of affairs in the following words : "In Kalyug, the man has become man-eater and tyranny is the rule of the day. The protectors have forgotten their mandate, Ignorance is deep-rooted and falsehood reigns supreme." Var I Pauri The people were ignorant and steeped in super­ stition. Huge sums were spent on useless ceremonies even if one practically lived on subsistence and could not afford them. The spirit of both Hindu­ ism and Islam was hidden beneath a mass of for­ malities and extraneous observances, and tyranny reigned supreme. People suffered from the illusion of being know-all but most of them were in fact ignorant. Alchem> and thaumaturgy were freely professed, incantations and spells practised and men indulged in strife and mutual jealousies. The Muhammedan king was considered the 'Deputy of God'on earth. The Muslim subjects were the favourite children of the State. They alone were entitled to occupy high offices and were given great respect and honour in Shahi Darbars. The Hindus, who were considered infidels, had no place under the sun and were treated as Jimmis. 8 They had to pay additional taxes, like Jazia and the pilgrimage tax. Idol worship was prevalent among the Hindus. Annual pilgrimage was a common feature of Hindu life. Those who regularly led a sinful life thought that all their crimes and sins could be washed awaj> by just a dip in the holy Ganges. So also, the sac­ red thread worn round the neck was supposed to have put on them the hallmark of high character. Money earned by foul means was not considered bad. The caste system had lost its originality and ela­ sticity and had become rigid, giving rise to many evils and miseries. The Hindus had become so timid and demoralised that even the inhuman treatment meted out to hem by Muslim rulers did not arouse their conscience and they never thought of offering any resistance. The religion at the time of Nanak's birth was confined to peculiar forms of eating and drinking, peculiar ways of bathing and painting the forehead and such other mechanical observan­ ces. The worship of idols, pilgrimages to the Gan­ ges and other sacred places, the observance of cer­ tain ceremonies like the marital and funeral rites, constituted the Hinduism as it was then current among the masses. As for the Muslims,they were no better than the Hindus. They were even ignorant of their religion and the teachings of Islam were unknown to them. 9 Qazis and Multas, who professed to have knowledge of the tenets of Islam were in reality ignorant of the Shariat. Only the upper class among them led a luxurious life at the cost of the poor and the lowly. They were degenerating fast and regarded Hindus as their slaves and treated them with great disdain. The people on the whole, were poor, illiterate and were fed on superstitions. The inhuman and debasing treatment they received at the hands of the rulers had denuded them of self-respect. Religion had lost its sanctity and moral standards were com­ pletely forsaken. Political lawlessness, social con­ fusion, and spiritual slavery were the order of the day. There was, in fact, no silver lining on the murky horizon. Such were the conditions in the country at the time of Guru Nanak. The Guru was born to lead mankind from darkness to light. With his birth the darkness of evil was dispelled and the sunshine of truth and justice prevailed. He led men to the path of goodness and virtue and kindled the flame of love and goodwill in the hearts of millions of his countrymen by laying the foundation of brother­ hood and mutual affection. He preached equality of all religions and of mankind. Bhai Gurdas said : "Guru Nanak hath appeared; Lo ! mist hath vanished and light hath shown in the world. 10 Even as the Sun shines, The stars disappear, And darkness get resplendent with light." Guru Nanak was the son of Mehta Kalu, a Pat- wari, who also owned some land. His mother's name was Tripta, a simple pious and extremely reli­ gious woman. Nanak had an elder sister, Nanaki, who always cherished her younger brother. Nanak was altogether a different child in many respects. He had a serene countenance and bright forehead and eyes, reflecting intelligence and wis­ dom. People were thrilled at his sight and could not help admiring him. He had almost a hypnoti­ zing effect on the people he talked to. Most of the time, he remained silent as if medi­ tating and in communion with God. He had only a few hours' sleep every day and ate what was barely necessary for sustenance. No mendicant ever left his house empty handed. He shared his food and even clothing with others. At the age of seven, Nanak was sent to school. On the very first day, he confounded everybody, including his teacher, by composing the following hymn : "Burn the worldly attachments, grind their ashes and make thy ink; Write on the clean paper of thy heart with the pen of love, And write wisdom as instructed by

11 the Divine Master. Write the Name of God; His praises; Write that He hath neither end nor limit O friend, learn to write this account, So that when an account is called from thee Thou mayest win a mark of true honour." —Sri Rag When the teacher asked Nanak to write the alpha­ bet on a wooden plate, he wrote a beautiful com­ position based on the thirty-five letters of the alpha­ bet giving each letter a new meaning. Throughout the composition, he spoke of one God. On reading the hymn, the teacher was wonder struck and st I before his new student with folded hands as he had learnt from him a good many things he had no. known before. A new light had dawned on him. The greater part of Nanak's time was spent in seclusion and contemplation. Nanak's father tried him in several vocations but without success. At the age of nine, when his father asked him to wear the sacred thread, he refused to oblige and told the priest : "Out of the cotton of mercy spin the thread of contentment, Tie knots of continence, Give it a twist of righteousness. O, Priest, put around me such a thread, If thou hast it,

12 It will not break once worn, Nor burn, get lost nor soiled Blest is the man, O Nanak, who wearth such a thread," —Var Asa The audience was hushed into silence, Mehta Kalu was disappointed at his son's audacity. But there was not much he could do about it. So he de­ cided to get him married. His father thought that conjugal life would divert the youngman's attention and help him settle down in life. Nanak was there­ fore married at the tender age of fourteen. But his soul remained unfettered. His heart was still a seeker after truth, so he spent most of his time in the company of ascetics he found in the nei­ ghbourhood of his village. He studiously avoided company and for days together went into silent seclusion and had no food. His spirit soared high undaunted by the confines of the four walls of his house. No earthly power could imprison it. Nanak loved to be in constant communion with his Lord and silently drew solace from the Divine Spirit within him. Seeing Nanak's state of mind everyone was con­ vinced that he was beyond redemption. Elders in the family suggested that a physician be called to examine him. As the village Vaidya felt his pulse to diagnose his ailment, Nanak smiled and withdrew his arm, saying :

13 "The physician has been called for; He feeleth my pulse to diagnose my ailment; But alas ! the ignorant physician doth not know that the malady is not in my body but in my soul."

The physician bowed his head in reverence before Nanak. Things continued in this strain for some time. Then Nanak was sent to Sultanpur where his sister resided. Nanak's brother-in-law got him a job in the store-house of the Nawab. Though he had started performing worldly duties, his soul wandered elsewhere. He continued to be in deep meditation as often as he could. Then came the day when Nanak received the call of the Lord. The year was 1497. As usual, Nanak went to take his bath in the Bein stream which flow­ ed near the town of Sultanpur. After he plunged into the stream he did not show up for a considerable time. A search was made for him but without any success. It is said that as Nanak took a dip in the stream, the Lord's emissaries took him away and ushered him into His benign presence. There Nanak had an interview with the Almighty who asked him to preach the glory of his Name. Then came the order: "Nanak on whom thy favourable look is, on him is also mine. My [name is the

14 Supreme Brahma, the Supreme Lord ; and thy name is the Guru, the Supreme Guru of Lord." • The Guru was also given a cup of Amrit or nectar and was then charged with a mission in the follow­ ing words : "Nanak, I am with thee. Through thee will My name be magnified. Whosoever follows thee, him will I save. Go into the wo rid to pray and teach mankind how to pray. Be not sullied by the ways of the world. Let your life be one of praise, of the word (nam) charity (dan), ablution (isnan), service (seva) and prayer (simrari). Nanak, I give thee my pledge. Let this be thy life's mission." Guru Nanak bowed his head at the feet of the Lord and uttered this hymn : "There is but one God His Name is true He is the Creator, Devoid of fear and enmity. He is omnipresent, Nor does He die to be born again. He was true in the beginning, The true one was, when time began to run its course. He was the truth, He is true now, And truth shall ever prevail. —Preamble to Japji The Guru remained untraced for full three days. He reappeared on the fourth day and declared ; 15 "There is no Hindu, no Mu ilman. This created a stir among the people. Guru Nanak was now ready to work for the regeneration of humanity. And he set out on long tours to spread the message of the Lord among the people who had forgotten His Name. The Guru spent some time wandering in the Punjab, covering a big chunk of territory in north-west of the province. He visited several pla­ ces but did not stay anywhere. He avoided habita­ tions and by-passed thickly populated towns. He generally ate wild berries to satisfy his hunger. Guru Nanak established Manjis, missionary centres, wherever he went and converted a large number of people of all castes and creeds to his faith. He was fond of music and most of his mes­ sages were sung to his audience to the accompani­ ment of a six-stringed rebeck called Rabab which was his own invention. During these tours, he visited Eminabad in Guj- ranwala district, now in Pakistan. To the surprise of all, there he stayed in the house of a low caste carpenter. During those days of communal strife it was a remarkable thing to do. But the Guru broke all traditions. From Eminabad, Guru Nanak went to Talamba in Multan district, now in Pakistan, where he refor­ med a notorious hypocrite. His house was converted

16 into a dharamshala, a temple of God's worship. It was the first dharamshala to be established by the Guru for preaching the Name of the Lord. From Talamba, Guru Nanak reached Kurukshe- tra. Here, on the occasion of the solar eclipse, the Guru asked the people not to waste their time and energy in futile ceremonies and worship only one God, the Creator and the Destroyer. Passing through Panipat and Delhi, the Guru reached Mathura, the place where Lord Krishna had spent many years of his life. Here Guru Nanak told the people doing Krishna Lila not to earn their livelihood by imitating the great Avtars. Then, the Guru proceeded to the east. This was his longest tour called the first Udasi. He wore a strange dress which could easily attract the atten­ tion of the people. He put on a regular garb of a missionary which consisted of a mango coloured jacket over which he flung a white sheet. On the head, he wore a cap like that of a Muslim ancho­ rite, Qalandar. Round his neck, he wore a neck­ lace of bones; and on the fore-head, he imprinted a mark of saffron in the style of a Sadhu. It was a mixed dress, partly that of a Muslim Fakir and partly that of a Hindu Sadhu. Nobody had worn such a dress before. It was purposely chosen to make himself appear as one belonging to all—the entire humanity and not to any particular class, creed or community. 17 During his tour in the east, he visited Hindu pla­ ces of worship,such as Kurukshetra, Haridwar,Ayo- dhya, Allahabad, Banaras (Varanasi), Gaya and Patna and went to far-flung areas in Assam and Bengal. At all these places, he saw with his own eyes people practising futile ceremonies. His object was to bring out to the people the essence and purity of religion which had become more a matter of superstition, dogma and ritual. He declared • that true religion consisted in the love of God and human beings. Days, months and years passed but the Guru's travels did not cease. He visited far-flung areas of the country and held discourses with Hindu priests and learned Muslims He not only conver­ ted many people to his faith but also established missions at many places. After spreading the message of the Supreme Creator far and near, the Guru returned to Sul- tanpur in the year 1509. The Guru and his com­ panion Mardana were welcomed by a large con­ course of people at Sultanpur. After staying there for some time, the Guru reached Talwandi, the place of his birth. But he could not stay there for long, as he wanted to preach the Name of God in all corners of the land. After following a circui­ tous route around the banks of the rivers, he reach­ ed Pakpattan, sacred to the memory of Sheikh 18 Farid whose hymns were later included in the Adi Granth by Guru Arjan Dev,the fifth Guru. Here,the Guru had a long discourse with Sheikh Braham. Visiting Kangsar, Kasur, Sayeedpur, Sialkot, Kotla Mian Mitha, Lahore and several other places, Guru Nanak founded a new town on the bank of the Ravi. It was called Kartarpur—the seat of God. In 1510, the Guru proceeded on the next phase of his journey. This time he visited Bhatinda,Sarsa, Bikaner, Ajmer, Pushkar, Abu, Bidar, Ujjain, Pongal,Anantapur, Cuddappa, Madras and Ceylon (Sri Lanka). On his way back, Guru Nanak visited Kanya Kumari, Nagapatam and Rameshwaram. He completed the journey in about four years and returned to Punjab in 1514. During this tour, the Guru walked and travelled by all available means of communication. During his travels, the Guru wore wooden sandals, took a stick in his hand, twisted a rope round his head as a turban, and on his forehead put a patch and streak. Guru Nanak then remained at Kartarpur for sometime. A regular schedule was strictly obser­ ved, the day starting with the singing of hymns. In the year 1516, Guru Nanak again started on his missionary tour. This time he went to the north and visited Mansarovar, Tibet, China, Ladakh, Kashmir and Jammu. Wherever the Guru went he spread the message 19 of the Almighty. He communicated his creed of love, service to humanity, and adoration and one­ ness of God in a simple and easy to understand language. On the way, he met several men of learn- ing—Brahmins, Yogis, Sufis, Fakirs and ascetics. He convinced them of the futility of their hypocri­ tical lives of thought and asked them to follow the path of reality, free from farce and unrealities. People flocked to him wherever he went. The Guru returned to Punjab in 1518. Guru Nanak had by now covered almost the whole of India and parts of Tibet and China and in the south had gone as far as Sri Lanka. At most of these places he had opportunities to meet holy men of all faiths and creeds. He held discussions with them, removed their doubts and stressed that the only way to salvation was through remembering the Name of God, who was one, and not through practising austerity and subjecting the body to un­ necessary hardships. Wherever he went he laid stress on character building and told the people that though truth was greater than everything, higher still was true living. Many men of letters and acknowledged people of wisdom tried to impress their view points on the Guru but in the end they always had to give in. The Guru made them realise that there was a divine spark in their hearts which could be lit by themsel­ ves alone with the Name of God. There was nothing 20 to be sought from outside, everything was to be found from one's inner self. In short,the Guru prea­ ched the gospel of love, joy and life to the people. After a brief stay of about a year at Kartarpur, the Guru again proceeded on a long journey.- This time he went to the west. The Guru left this place in the year 1519. This journey is called the fourth Udasi. He visited Mecca, the world centre of Mohammedan pilgrimage. He wore the blue dress of a Mohammedan pilgrim, took a Fakir's staff in his hand and a collection of his hymns under his arm. He also carried with him, in the style of a Mohammedan devotee, a cup of his ablutions and a carpet whereupon to pray. Whenever the Moham­ medan call to prayer came, he answered it like any orthodox follower of the Arabian prophet. The Guru visited Medina, Baghdad, Peshawar and Hussan Abdal too during this tour. The Guru told the Muslims not to follow Shariat dogmatically. They should wisely tread the path of tariqat, doctrines and iriarifat and experience life with faith and confidence. They should be pure within and righteous in their deeds. Only such a person could call himself a true Musalman and only then could he attain salvation. When the Guru returned home, Babur had attacked India. The year was 1520. The inha­ bitants of Sayeedpur were put to the sword, their women and children were made captive and all 21 their property plundered. The Guru was greatly disturbed and his deep anguish of mind is mani­ fest in a hymn which he sang on the occasion. He challenged the Creator as to why He was insensi­ tive to the sufferings of the people. In the year 1522, Guru Nanak settled down at Kartarpur. He lived as a full-fledged house­ holder. He put off his garb of a pilgrim and rput on the ordinary dress, usually worn by the Punjabi farmers. An institution of langar, free kitchen, was started where food was served to the visitors. Large crowds flocked to hear him preach. He made them observe a strict routine which set the pattern of daily life of his followers. Then came the day of destiny, September 22, 1539. The time to meet the Lord had come. The Guru prepared himself to depart to his eternal home. He laid himself on a bed. There was grief all around. The Guru asked his followers to sing Sohiia, the praise of God, closed his eyes,went into

Samadhi and hisv spirit left the body. He was then seventy years, five months and seven days old. Thus ended the worldly journey of this wonder- • ful man who had come to preach the gospel of God — Truth and Justice. He was the beloved of man­ kind and served it to show all human beings the path of righteousness which could emancipate them all. He gave a new form to life by mingling, it with self and by taking it out of what was not life, by 22 accepting death while living in this world and yet enjoying full well by making it happy and worth living. Guru Nanak alone was to be worshipped. He was not to be degraded by making images of Him and worshipping those ima­ ges. He was to be worshipped in the spirit, by constantly meditating on His Name and feeling, His presence in every place and all the time. Nanak's principles may be reduced to a single formula—Unity of God and Brotherhood of Man. Nanak a God for the Hindus, a God for the Mohammedans and a God or gods for the outer heathens ; for him there was but one God ; not in the likeness of man like Rama, not a creature of attributes and passions like the Allah of Mohammed, but one sole, indivi­ sible, self-existent, incomprehensible, timeless, all pervading,to be named, but otherwise indescribable, adorable and altogether lonely. Such was Nanak's idea of the Creator and the Creation which at once abrogated all petty distinctions of creed and sect, dogma and ceremony. Guru Nanak attacked the citadel of caste system. He said that not by virtue of birth but by devotion and noble deeds could salvation be attained. He talked to the people in a language they understood. To renounce the world, he said, was an admission of failure. One should live in the world, drawing

23 nourishment from it and passing the usual course of life in it, yet holding oneself aloof from it in mind and heart verily like the lotus in water. Another great thing Guru Nanak did was the establishment of the form of appointment of a sue- cessor. Had he not appointed anyone to his gaddi, no organised body of persons would be left having faith in his preachings,thus making it impossible for Guru Nanak's creed to spread further. This was a matter of great significance in Sikh history. Guru Angad (A.D. 1504-1552) Lehnaji, who later became Guru Angad was born at Matte-Ki-Serai, a small village in Ferozpur dis­ trict on March 31, 1504. He was a son of a petty businessman, Pheru. When Babur invaded India, the village was sacked and the family shifted to Khadur in Amritsar district. * Lehnaji worshipped Durga. He used to lead a batch of worshippers to Jawalamukhi temple every year. One day he happened to hear the recitation of Asa-di-Var by Bhai Jodha, a devotee of Guru Nanak. The hymns thrilled him and he felt some­ thing stirring within him. At the time of the yearly pilgrimage to Jawala­ mukhi, Lehnaji decided to proceed through Kartar- pur to have a glimpse of the Master whose songs had thrilled him. His very first meeting with Guru Nanak completely transformed him. Lehnaji threw away his tinkling bells which he was wearing on 24 his hands and feet for dancing before the goddess. He found his place at the feet of the Guru having surrendered himself to the Master's will. The Guru said : "To be eligible for acceptability to God, His will has to be accepted Only then can a place in the mansion of the Lord be found." —Asa With the passage of time, Guru Nanak found his successor in Lehnaji. When the Guru saw his end approaching, he formally appointed Lehnaji as his successor. Guru Angad carried the mission of Guru Nanak both in letter and spirit. Thousands flocked to him to seek his blessings. Yogis and saints of differ­ ent sects visited him and had discussions with him. The Guru told them to lead a simple and pure life and to abhor supernatural powers. It was no use leaving their hearths and homes. One could seek salvation even while doing one's worldy duties. Guru Angad simplified the old Punjabi charac­ ters into a new alphabet ; since then this script has come to be known as Gurmukhi. The hymns of Guru Nanak were collected by Guru Angad and saved from future interpolation. Guru Angad's compila­ tion became the nucleus of the sacred writings of the Sikhs. Guru Angad thus gave a gift of literature to the 25 people. He took great interest in the education of children whom he loved the most. He opened schools for their instruction. Thus, in addition to the Temple of Bread and the Temple of Song built by the founder of the Sikh faith, Guru Nanak, Guru Angad gave the third, the Temple of Learning. Guru Angad gave utmost importance to the institution of san gat. The sangat was sacred to him. It is* said one day his minstrels refused to sing to his disciples on the plea that the songs were meant only for the Master. Guru Angad reprimanded them for this and the minstrels were allowed to sing again only after they sought forgiveness of the sangat. Guru Angad laid special stress on physical fitness. He ordered his disciples to take part in drill and competitive games after the morning ser­ vice was over. He opened wrestling arenas in each community centre. Guru Angad took special steps to popularise the institution of Guru-ka-langar, the community kitchen. It was run from contributions made to the common fund. In the langar,people of all castes and creeds, high and low, sat together to eat, breaking down all forbidding barriers and thereby forging a strong sense of unity and love among the people. Guru Angad died on March 29, 1552. Before that, he appointed Guru Amar Das as his successor. Guru Angad's 62 slokas, each of which is a pearl 26 of wisdom, are included in Sri Guru Granth Sahib. Guru Amar Das (AD. 1479-1574) Guru Amar Das, the third Master, was born at Basarke in Amritsar district on May 5, 1479. His father, Tej Bhan, and his mother were orthodox Hindus. At the age of 23, Amar Das married Bibi Mansa Devi. He had two sons, Mohan and Mohri, and two daughters. Before meeting Guru Angad, Amar Das was a devout Hindu and a fol'ower of the Vaishnav cult and used to go to the Ganges for a dip in the holy river every year. However, in spite of performing all these religious ceremonies, his mind remained far from settled. He felt something lacking in him. He had no solace and was yearning to find a spiri­ tual Master who could lead him to salvation. One fine morning, Amar Das heard someone sin­ ging the hymns of Guru Nanak. The singer of the hymns was Bibi Amro, daughter of Guru Angad. His inner feelings were aroused and he hastened to Bibi Amro to know the name of the composer of the hymns which had given him solace. She told him that the hymns were composed by Guru Nanak and her father, Guru Angad, had told her to recite them. Amar Das then went to see Guru Angad and fell at his feet. This gave him complete tranquillity. Then he started living at Khadur Sahib where he found the atmosphere very calm and quiet. He daily listened to the hymns of the Guru and took food 27 in Guru-ka-langar. He used to rise early in the mor­ ning and bring water from the river for the Guru's bath. He discharged his duty with great joy. Guru Amar Das was appointed 'Guru' by Guru Angad in March 1552. Guru Angad declared that there was no difference between him and Amar Das and that they both had become one. Guru Amar Das established his headquarters at Goindwal and preached the Name of God to all those who visited him. He expected every visitor to partake of food in Guru-ka-langar before seeing him. Even Emperor Akbar who visited once sat in the langar and took his meals in the langar. No distinction was made in the langar between Hindus or Muslims or between high or low castes. This practice struck a further blow to the caste system and forged the bond of love among the Guru's devotees. A distinctive contribution of Guru Amar Das to the Sikh organisation was the establishment of 22 manjis (dioceses) in many parts of the country to preach Guru Nanak's message. Many people came to the Guru to listen to his sermons. The church was strengthened further and it took a definite shape. Guru Amar Das introduced many innovations which tended to break the close affiliations of the Sikhs with the Hindus. He sancti­ fied a well alongside the temple at Goindwal and fixed the first of the Hindu month of Vaisakh, as

28 the day of the annual gathering of the Sikhs. He also introduced new forms of ceremonials for births and deaths, in which the recitation of hymns of the Gurus replaced the chanting of Sanskrit slokas. He tried to do away with the practice of purdah, seclu­ sion of women, advocated monogamy, encouraged inter-caste alliances and re-marriage of widows. The Guru also forbade the practice of sati, burning of women on the pyre of their husbands. He said that real sati was one who, after the death of her husband, led a pure and chaste life and not the one who burnt herself on her husband's pyre. In fjict, the true sati was one who dies in grief of her husband's death. Thus, the pontificate of Guru Amar Das is in­ deed a turning point in the history of Sikh faith. Guru Nanak had condemned some of the social and religious beliefs. But Guru Amar Das' achieve ment was that he constructed a fence around the plant that germinated, lest it should be destroyed by the gale of all consuming Hindu social practices. The plant got an opportunity to grow and fructify. Guru Amar Das left his mortal coil on Sep­ tember 1, 1574. His 907 verses are included in the Adi Granth. His Anand Sahib—Song of bliss—is a master piece, which gives real bliss to the mind. Guiu Amar Das did not consider any of his sons fit to become Guru and instead,chose his son-in-law, 29 •

* Ram Das to succeed him. Guru Ram Das (A.D. 1534-1581) Guru RamDas was born at Lahore on September 24, 1534. From the beginning he had a devotional bent of mind and once he went to Goindwal to pay his respect to Guru Amar Das. There, he was so much impressed by the teachings of the Guru that he became his disciple. His original name was Jetha, a young man of as much physical beauty as of internal devotion. By virtue of his piety, he won the heart of Guru Amar Das who married his daughter Bibi Bhani to him. Before his death, Guru Amar Das appointed Jetha as his successor. He then came to be called Guru Ram Das. He was asked to shift to the land granted to Bibi Bhani by Akbar. The place began to be called Chak Ram Das or Ram Das Pura. He invited businessmen to come and settle there. He was also able to expand his missionary activities to many faroff places in the country. Bhai Gurdas was sent to Agra where he spread the message of Guru Nanak. Many c?.me to his fold. Through the teachings of the Gurus and constant com­ munion with God, the disciples got rid of all kinds of superstitions and became fearless and bold. All barriers of inequalities and differences between man and man were eliminated. The people's minds were enriched and nourished with the love of God, so that they did not entertain any class feelings. The

30 Guru stressed upon his disciples to serve their fellow human beings. 'Tor all those that are of God and knoweth God, loveth. He that loveth not, knoweth not God. For God. is love." Thus, the Guru's disciples developed their own peculiar type of character to serve mankind. The Guru required his Sikhs to serve. It became custo­ mary for Sikhs to meet the needs of their neigh­ bours and others. They not only fed the wearied travellers but also nourished the sick and helped the poor and the needy. Like his predecessors, the Guru composed seve­ ral hymns. His 672 hymns are incorporated in the Adi Granth. His hymns reveal great sincerity of emo­ tion and superb beauty of rhythm. Some of his com­ positions led to the development of distinct social practices among the Sikhs. His Ghorian, songs sung, before a son's marriage,and some other songs made possible for the Sikhs to remember God at times of happiness and sorrow alike. The Sikhs developed distinct social practices and ceremonies to be per­ formed at the time of births,marriages and deaths. If helped the Sikhs in segregating them from the common mass of Hindus. He almost gave a code or conduct to his Sikhs. He said : "He who calls himself the disciple of Guru, the true Guru Shall rise in the early hours of the morning And meditate on Nam. 31 Shall take bath to cleanse his mind in the 'nectar pool' And shall labour during the day He shall hear the words of the Guru And repeat the Name For then will his sins be forgiven and His sorrow and suffering cease. With the advance of the day, he shall sing the hymns of the Guru and keep God in his mind in all that he does. He who repeats the Name with every breath And with every morsel that he eats He is the true Sikh, him the Guru loves. He to whom the Lord is gracious Listens to the teachings of the Guru and he becomes his disciple Nanak, your humble servant begs for the dust of the feet of the Sikhs Who worship and lead others to the path of worship." — Var Gauri Another development of great significance took place during the pontificate of Guru Ram Das, So far, succession to the gaddi had been conferred purely on merit, having no concern for relationship but from now on it became hereditary although merit was also taken, into consideration. Guru Ram Das, instead of choosing a person from out­ side his family, appointed his younger son, Arjan, 32 to succeed him. Guru Ram Das died on September 1,1581 at the height of propagating the mission of Guru Nanak. His major achievment was to start the construc­ tion of the holy Tank at Amritsar. Guru Arjan (A.D. 1563-1606) Guru Arjan was born on April 15, 1563 at Goindwal. He was youngest of the three sons of Guru Ram Das. He was hardly 18 years old when he succeeded his father in 1581. He was a great organiser, a poet par excellence, a zealous preacher, a seer and a martyr. From his very childhood, Arjan loved seclusion and was a perfect picture of devotion and humility. When Guru Arjan succeeded to the pontificate, his elder brother Prithia became hostile to him and made up his mind not to allow the Guru to remain in peace. He intrigued against him and tried to harm him in whatever way he could. The Guru continued preaching the mission of Guru Nanak notwithstanding Prithia's intrigues. He extensively toured the territory between Ravi and Beas. He took the divine message of Guru Nanak even to the remotest corner of the country­ side. He founded the town of Tarn Taran, built a shrine there and excavated a tank. He also laid the foundation of the town of Kartarpur (Jullundur). The great task accomplished by Guru Arjan was the completion of the tank at Amritsar,

33 A Hari Mandir was built in the midst of th tank.The Guru invited saint Mian Mir, a Muslim divine,to lay the foundation-stone of Hari Mandir, the temple of God. The shrine was not built at a high plinth as was the custom for building Hindu temples. Guru Arjan had it built on a level lower than the surroun­ ding land, so that the devotees had to go down the steps to enter it. Hari Mandir was open from all the sides, unlike Hindu temples which had only one door. These special features of Hari Mandir had great significance as they signified the new faith which required even the lowest to go still lower and its doors were open to one and all, all the times. Guru Arjan required money for the construction of the temple. All the devotees were asked to give one-tenth of their income in the name of Guru. Urgent summons were sent to all the Masands to reach Amritsar every first of Vaisakh to render ac­ counts and bring with them as many Sikhs as could be convenient. In this way, large sums of money were collected for the construction of the temple. When the temple was completed, the Guru felt the task could have been accomplished only by the grace of God. Gt>d himself had assisted in the task, and in joy and gratitude he said : 'cGod Himself came, and stood up to do the work of saints. Into the beautiful land and the beautiful tank, He poured nectareous water, completed the work, and all our desires are fulfilled. 34 There are rejoicings in the world, and all anxiety is at an end. The Guru also proclaimed the advantages of the tank. He said : "By bathing in the tank of Ram Das All the sins that man committeth shall be done away, And he shall become pure by his ablutions. The perfect Guru hath given us this boon. When we meditate on the Guru's instruction, God bestoweth all comfort and happiness, And causeth the whole cargo to cross over safely. In the association of the saints uncleanliness departeth, And the Supreme Being abideth with us. Nanak, by meditating on the Name Hath found God. the Primal Being". —Sorath However, the great and monumental work done by Guru Arjan was the compilation of Adi Granth. He collected the hymns of first four Gurus and ad­ ding his own he completed the magnificant task. The moment it was compiled,it began to be respect­ ed by a large number of Sikhs. Sri Guru Granth Sahib, occupied in the regard of the Sikhs a posi­ tion, such as that of the Vedas, the Bible, or the Quran. But it is not only the Sikh Bible, it is the universal Bible of mankind. For its spirit is the 35 profoundest and there is nothing sectarian in it. It contains universal truths and the songs of Divine Love and Grace. Along with the hymns of the Gurus, Guru Arjan included in Sri Guru Granth Sahib, hymns of Kabir, Ravidas, Jaidev and of many others, whose hymns were in tune with the basic tenets of Sikhism. Although in all, hymns of sixteen saints have been included in Sri Guru Granth Sahib, yet there is a remarkable unity of outlook, and beauty of poetry remains the same throughout. It has only one theme, man's search for God, his longing and yearning for God, his intense love for the Almi­ ghty— the Creater and the Destroyer—and to feel his presence and live a healthy and clean life men­ tally, physically and spiritually. Another achievement of Guru Arjan was that he fostered trade and industry among the Sikhs. He encouraged widow remarriage and condemned the use of intoxicants and opened a leprosy centre at Tarn Taran. The gaiety and splendour of the Guru's darbar increased tremendously during Guru Arjan's times. The Guru, though humble, lived in splendour. He started keeping horses of good breed and wore costly garments. The followers of the Guru increased day by day. His influence and importance increased so much so 36 that his enemies started planning to harm him. His elder brother Prithia had not yet reconciled to his becoming the Guru. He joined hands with Chandu the Diwan of Lahore. Complaints were lodged with the Emperor that the Guru had blasphemed both the Hindu and the Muslim religions in his newly compiled Sri Guru Granth Sahib. However, the Emperor satisfied himself and found the allega­ tions baseless and without any foundation, and promised to visit the Guru while returning from Lahore. Akbar came to Goindwal with his retinue and visited the Guru. He was so much impressed with the teachings and character of the Guru that he remitted the revenue of the province, due to the then prevailing famine conditions. However, after the death of Akbar the entire situation changed with the installation of Jehangir on the Mughal throne, the Guru was much haras­ sed and put to many hardships. Jehangir found an excuse of his helping the rebellious Khusru. The Guru was brought to Lahore and handed over to Chandu who tortured him in a manner unknown in the history of mankind. The Guru completely resigned himself to the will of God. Hot sand was poured over the Guru and when his body was blis­ tered, he was forced to take bath in the river Ravi, but the Master's light blended with Divine light and his body was to be found nowhere. It was on May 30, 1606. 37 The supreme sacrifice made by Guru Arjan is a milestone in the history of the Sikhs. His death is the great turning point in the development of the Sikh community as from that time the struggle commenced,that changed the entire character of the reformatory religious movement. The Guru's martyrdom caused widespread resent­ ment. According to Banarjee'There can be no doubt that the Sikhs looked upon this matter in a totally different light and naturally enough, they ascribed the death of their beloved Guru, who was renowned for saintliness of his character and to whom the people had flocked from all quarters for spiritual solace, and enlightenment,to the bigotry and cruelty of the Mohammedan government. The develop­ ment of the Sikh community had hitherto procee­ ded without any interference from the State which had on the contrary helped it in various ways. But now it became evident that the circumstances had changed and that it would no longer be possible to preserve the Sikh community without the aid of arms." Thus, after the death of Guru Arjan, the entire character of the Sikh movement changed radically. The Sikhs now had to restort to arms for self- i defence and preserving their honour under unified leadership. A new set-up was evolved which had the force of the magnet and Sikhism became a force to be reckoned with. On the other hand, the 38 Mughal Emperors could not ignore this new development and the growing strength of the Sikhs, and armed conflict between the two became inevitable. GurH Hargobind (A.D. 1595-1644) Guru Hargovind was born on June 14, 1595 at Wadali in Amritsar district. He succeeded Guru Arjan in 1606 in quite difficult circumstances in the history of the Sikhs. Before his death, Guru Arjan gave an injunc­ tion to the new Guru that he should sit on the throne fully armed and also maintain an army and utilise it as and when necessary. The young Guru, hardly eleven, tried his best to give shape to Guru Arjan's desire and shortly afterwards, a nucleus of an army gathered around him. He told Bhai Buddha that his endeavour would be to fulfil the prophecy of Guru Arjan. His sell would be a sword belt, and on his turban he would fix the royal aig­ rette. Soon the people responded to his call. Within a short span the strength of his army increased to about five hund ;d. The Guru issued a proclama­ tion to Masands, that he would be pleased with those people who brought him offerings of arms and horses of good breed. The Guru wore two swords, one of miri, temporal, and another of phi spiritual powers. This was a i ther new develop­ ment of far-reaching consequence and this consti­ tuted the basis of Sikh polity in the years to come.

39 The Guru made arrangements for imparting tunning to the Sikhs in the art of fighting. Hunting was practised to provide useful training in the war exercises. The Guru himself learnt the use of offen­ sive and defensive weapons, besides riding, hun­ ting, wrestling and many other sports. He grew up to be an all-round trained man, healthy and strong in body and mind,as well as saintly and enlightened. The Guru continued his preparations and strengthened the city of Amritsar by constructing a fort, called Lohgarh. He built a common meeting place for Sikhs in 1609, and it was named Akal Takhtox the throne of God. In due course of time, Akal Takht became the seat of preaching and pray­ ing. Discourses were held on the problems faced by the Sikhs and their welfare. Morning service was held as usual in the Hari Mandir where Gurbani, religious scriptures, were recited regularly. The Guru gave sermons and led the huge congregations in prayer. In the afternoon physical feats were performed in the courtyard before the Akal Takht. Here visitors were also received and their petitions were heard and grievances redressed. The Sikhs were thus encouraged to settle their disputes them­ selves. The Guru started the practice of choirs moving rightly round the Golden Temple with the blare of trumpets and flare of torches, singing hymns in stirring tunes. All this pnt new life into the hearts of the Sikhs. 40 The Guru, however, was not allowed to con­ tinue big activities and was imprisoned. The Empe­ ror could not tolerate the militarising of the Sikhs. The Guru was kept in the fort of Gwalior. Accor­ ding to Mohsin Fani, the Guru remained in prison for twelve years. However, some other writers are of the opinion that the period was between two to five years. Mohsin Fani also tells us that during the period of the Guru's confinement, many Sikhs used to come and bow before the walls of the fort, The Emperor then realised the futility of keeping the Guru in prison and released him. It is said that Jehangir did not have any more trouble from the Guru and allowed him to continue his pursuits. Jehangir died in 1627. Before that, it seems, he was fully convinced for Chandu's perfidy, who was con­ sidered mainly responsible for Guru Arjan's death. Chandu was Diwan of Lahore. He was a man of for­ midable influence who joined the ranks of the Guru's enemies. Chandus' hostility against the Guru sprang frgm the Guru's rejection of his daughter's hand for Hargobind, the Guru's son, for he made some de­ rogatory remarks against the Guru. Chandu was pa­ raded in the streets of Lahore, was pelted with sto­ nes, mud and filth, and several people spat on his face. He was reduced to a condition in which no one could recognise him and one grain parchar struck him with a ladle which killed him on the spot.

41 period of peace that followed. As Mohsin Fani tells us, "the Guru had 800 horses in his stable. 300 troopers on hoisebacks, and 60 men with firearms were always at his service." He also enlisted bands of Pathan mercenaries and a Pathan chief named Painda Khan became one of his most trusted commanders. With the accession of Shah Jehan, after the death of Jehangir, the policy of the Mughal court towards non-Muslims underwent a further change. The conversion of Kaulan, the daughter of the Qazi of Lahore to Sikhism, embittered the relations between the Qazi and the Guru. Then,an armed conflict was thrust upon the Guru. One day in 1628, Emperor Shah Jehan was out for hunting near Amritsar,where the Guru was already on a hunting expedition. The followers of the Guru and the Emperor's men exchanged hot words over the possession of a hawk. Altercation led to blows and in the sequel the royal party was beaten. The matter was reported to the Emperor, who ordered an attack on the Guru and sent

tj Mukh him. This was a signal for war. The attack was sudden and unexpected. A battle took place and the Guru and his men fought gallantly. Mukhils was 3 lied in the fray and the Imperial army retreated. The Guru too, retired to a nearby village JhubaJ, where he p rformed the marriage

42 of his daughter, From there, the Guru went to Kartarpur. At Kartarpur, the Guru continued to strengthen his army and collected many horses. Two years later, he again had a clash with the Mughal troops near Lahira. The Imperial forces were badly mauled by the Sikhs. The Guru apprehended that a large force would be sent to pursue him, so he quickly re­ turned to Malwa tract, where he remained for about a year and then returned to Kartarpur. The Mughal army attacked him again under the com mand of the renegade Painda Khan, who had been in the employment of the Guru. In this battle, the Guru's own sons, Bal t Gurditta and Tegh Bahadur fought valiantly. The Mughal army was routed. Painda Khan was killed. After some time the Guru realised that it was not possible for him to withstand the Imperial army in the plains, so he decided to shift to Kiratpur in the Himalayan foothills. Here, the disciples of the Guru increased ccnsiderably. A great number of peasants answered the call to arms. He set up a good number of community centres and trained many Ma sands. The Guru died peacefully at Kiratpur on March 3, 1644. His death was considered a national calamity. Under Guru Hargobind a new heroism arose in the land, of which the object, then dimly seen, was to create the will to resist the mightly power of the aggressors. 43 •

It is also clear that under Guru Hargobind, the change of emphasis from a peaceful propagation of the faith, to the forthright declaration of the right to defend that faith by force of arms proved to be extremely popular. The Punjabis who were by na­ ture an assertive and virile race, only needed a lea­ der to rouse them to action. Guru Hargobind infu­ sed into them the confidence with which they could challenge the Mughal Empire. Though, outwardly, it may appear that Guru Hargobind pursued a slightly different course for fulfilling the mission of Guru Nanak, yet basically, it was Guru Nanak's ideals that he preached. Guru Hari Rai(A.D. 1630-1661) Guru Hari Rai was born on February 26, 1630. He succeeded his grandfather, Guru Hargobind, when he died in 1644. He was the son of Baba Gur- ditta, Guru Hargobind's elder son. He was only thirteen years old when he ascended the gaddi. No sooner had he set on the spiritual throne of Guru Nanak, he was forced to leave Kiratpur with his family and the entire body of retainers. The Guru retired deep into the mountains. This resulted in the encouragement of his rivals and the deterioration of the Masand system which seriously hampered the advancement of the community. When Aurangzeb occupied the Mughal throne on July 21, 1658, the enemies of the Guru got an opportunity to carry tales to the Emperor against 44 the Guru, They poured venomous words into his ears and ullimately succeeded in turning him against the Guru. Aurangzeb was advised to call the Guru to Delhi and convert him to Islam. Aurangzeb thought that, once the Guru came to Delhi, it would be easy to handle him. He wrote a letter to Guru Hari Rai; "Guru Nanak's house was the house of holy men. He treated the friend and the foe in the same way, but thou hath supported Dara Shakoh in his effort to obtain sovereignty. I have captured and put him to death, so he hath in no way benefitted by thine assistance. But let bygones be bygones and let us now be friends. Come to me, I am now enthroned as Emperor. I have a great desire to behold thee. Therefore thou shouldst come to me without delay." When the letter reached Guru Hari Rai, he read it carefully and decided not to visit Delhi. Instead he asked Ram Rai to go to Delhi. Special instruc­ tions were given to him by the Guru as to how he should behave and meet the Emperor, and what should be his conduct in the Emperor's court. The Guru strictly warned him not to explain any portion of Sri Guru Granth Sahib in a way different from what it actually meant. He was asked specifi­ cally not to perform any miracles and interfere in the ways of God. Ram Rai reached the Court of the Emperor and was received with due respect and honour, 45 However, he forgo' the instructions given by the Guru and at the behest of the Emperor performed certain miracles. In all he was reported to have performed about 72 miracles. The Emperor, who was himself a well-known theologian,discussed Sikh philosophy with Ram Rai and asked him many probing questions. He wanted to know whether there was anything un-Islamic in Sri Guru Granth Sahib. The discussion went on. Meanwhile, a cour­ tier who was a mischief-monger and was able to read the scripture, pointed out a verse of Guru Nanak in Sri Guru Granth Sahib : u The ashes of the Muslim fall into the potter's clod; Pots and bricks are made out of it, And in the fire burns the poor clay." Asa-di-Var Aurangzeb asked Ram Rai to explain the impli­ cation of these lines; he trembled and quailed and was frightened. The emperor might be annoyed if he explained the verse in its true perspective. He became anxious to maintain the impression already created on the Emperor. Ram Rai said that the original words"Mitti Musalman Ki", meaning the ashes of a Muslim, were a misprint. The correct words should be "Mitti Beiman Ki", the ashes of the cheat. The Emperor was fully satisfied. But Ram Rai made a folly of misrepresenting the truth of the verse in Sri Guru Granth Sahib. Actually, these lines expound the theory of Guru Nanak that

46 the soul of human brings leavi the body nd does not remain in the grave (ill doomsday. The behaviour of Ram Rai proved suicidal for him. When his perfidy was reported to the Guru, he was much annoyed and thought it to be an in­ sult to Guru Nanak and his faith. He immediately decided in his heart of hearts to ignore Ram Rai for the gaddi, as he was not fit to sit on the throne of Guru Nanak. He declared; "The Guruship is like a tigress' milk which can only be contained in a golden cup. Only he who is ready to devote his life thereto is worthy of it. Let Ram Rai not look on my face again. Let him abide with Aurangzeb and amass money at his court." When Ram Rai reached Kiratpur, he pitched his tent 20 km away from there. He was afraid to t show his face to the Guru. He wrote a letter to Guru Hari Rai, requesting forgiveness, but the Guru could not forgive this faint-hearted person who had distorted the composition of Guru Nanak "He is not my son, when he has compromised the gospel of Guru Nanak." A month later Guru Hari Rai appointed his se­ cond son, Hari Krishan, as his successor, eighth on the throne of Guru Nanak. Guru Hari Rai left his mortal coil on October 6, 1661. To sum up, Guru Hari Rai pursued the policy of peace. He loved hunting and sometimes went deep into the jungles for shooting. He had his own 47 zoo at Kiratpur. Sikhism made great progress un­ der him but the onward march of consolidation of progress,which had been the chief characterestic of Sikhism under the successors of Guru Nanak, re­ ceived a set back after the death of Guru Hargo- bind and the period of disintegration commenced. Guru Hari Krishan (A.D. 1656-1664) Guru Hari Krishan was born on July 7, 1656. Guru Hari Rai had two sons, Ram Rai and Hari Krishan. However, the younger Hari Krishan suc­ ceeded to the gaddi in 1661 at age of five. Ram Rai complained to the Emperor against his father's decision. The Emperor summoned the Guru to Delhi. At first, the Guru refused to oblige but later agreed to go at the intervention of Raja Jai Singh of Amber. The Raja sent high officials to bring the Guru. He was received with full honours The Sikhs flocked to him to have his darshan. In the meantime, small pox broke out and the Guru became its victim. He was confined to bed for several days and when his condition became serious, he simply said 'Baba Bakale' when asked to nominate his successor. He forbade everybody to mourn his death and instructed his followers to sing the hymns of the Gurus instead. The Guru died on March 30, 1664. During the pontificate of Guru Hari Krishan the Masand system deteriorated. The Masands be­ came proud and rebellious and kept the greater part of the offerings for themselves, 48 Gum Tegh Bahati-ui (A.D. 1621-1675) Guru Tegh Bahadur, the ninth Guru, was the youngest and fifth son of Guru Hargobind, the sixth Guru. He was bom on Sunday, April 1, 1621 in the holy city of Amritsar. On his birth, Guru Hargobind had prophesied that the new-born child • would have a son who would develop a third reli­ gion and destroy the reign of terror in the country. During his childhood, Guru Tegh Bahadur was often found sitting inside the house and spending most of his time in meditation and contemplation. He was rarely seen outside his house and seldom did he play with other boys of his age. He had a distinct philosophical bent of mind. Guru Tegh Bahadur received his early educa­ tion from Bhai Buddha, the high priest and the wise among the Sikhs. He showed extraordinary acumen in mastering his subjects—History, Punjabi and Mathematics. He was also trained in the use of weapons and horsemanship. He took keen inte­ rest in music and poetry as ihese fine arts occupied a high place in the Sikh way of life. Guru Tegh Bahadur learnt various ragas with complete devo­ tion and skill. Even during the early years of his life, Tegh Bahadur developed compassion in his heart to­ wards the suffering humanity. He realised that the world was transient and the only abiding thing was the True Name of God which could provide a 49 healing touch to the pain-stricken hearts. When Tegh Bahadur was eight years old,he was baptised charanpahul—the Guru's lotus feet. It was not a formal initiation into the faith but was essen­ tially baptism of the spirit. He received true know­ ledge and his doubts were dispelled. This was a great spiritual experience for him and his virtual rebirth. Guru Tegh Bahadur was married at an early age with Gujari,daughter of Lai Chand and Bishen Kaur of Kartarpur. Gujari was a God-fearing girl with a cheerful temperament. Disciplined in beha­ viour and modest in manners, Gujari had a lotus­ like smiling countenance. After the death of Guru Hargobind, Tegh Ba­ hadur, his mother Nanaki and his wife Gujari went to stay at Bakala. For the next twenty years of his life, he lived in complete isolation. It was a period of self-imposed solitude and silence. He got a special cell constructed in his house in which he sat in contemplation and prayed to the Almighty. During this period, his temperament became genial and he identified himself with the sorrows and sufferings of the people. When Guru Hari Krishan, the eighth Guru, died on March 30, 1664, he uttered only two words before his death : 'Baba Bakale'. Of the 22 clai- mants to the gaddi, Guru Tegh Bahadur was thus to be found the True one.

50 Guru Tegh Bahadur founded a new township, Anandpur. He purchased the land from the Raja of Kahlur and started work on several buildings. Guru Nanak, the founder of Sikh faith, had tou­ red extensively. He had gone from place to place to preach the Name of God. At all the places he visited, he had met holy men of all sects and creeds, held ia-depth discussions, removed their doubts and stressed that the only surest way to salvation was through remembering the Name of God. There was only one God and there was no need to prac­ tise austerity or rituals, giving unnecessary torture to the body. Guru Tegh Bahadur thought it neces­ sary to infuse a new life, rekindle a new spirit and create new activity in the centres of worship established by Guru Nanak. He wanted to popula­ rise the Name of God and the tenets of Sikh faith not only in Punjab but also in other parts of the country. Guru Tegh Bahadur believed that even married persons with families could attain a high position in matters of religion. It was not necessary to leave ones's hearth and home and run away from the realities of life to achieve salvation. The Name of God could be recited at all times and at all places. Keeping this in view, he decided to take his mother Nanaki and wife Gujari with him on his tours. These two pious ladies stood by him through all the trials and tribulations. They rendered him all possible assistance in the success of his mission, 51 • Their company gave him solace in his hours of distress and gave an added significance to all he did. Guru Tegh Bahadur was a prophet with a difference. He was a contrast to all saints and sadhus and was no recluse but a real symbol of the living world. Guru Tegh Bahadur proceeded on a long tour in the year 1665. As was the custom in those days, he travelled on horseback. He usually travelled by dav and had tents pitched for rest by nightfall. Wherever he stayed a sangat was established which later became a permanent centre of worship. He covered short distances travelling eight to ten km a day and held prayers every morning and evening. People were advised to recite the Name of God. The Guru visited Ropar and Saifabad and then reached Kurukshetra. Here he impressed upon the people the futility of useless rituals. A discourse was also held between the Guru and the Brahmins. The Guru explained to them the mission of God and the efficacy of his Name. He told them that salvation could be attained only by remembering God and not through meaningless rituals. After halting at Delhi and Agra, the Guru reached Allahabad where he stayed for auite some time and gave illuminating sermons. It was here that an event of great importance took place. It stirred and'thrilled the Guru's house. The spirit and light of Guru Gobind Singh descended and 52 manifested itself by the Will of God ia his mother's womb. Mata Gujaxi conceived this great son of God, Gobind. At this time Guru Tegh Bahadur was fortyfive years of age and Mata Gujari was about forty three. They were thrilled with joy as they were going to be blessed with the soul of God who would save humanity. The Guru visited several other places and reached Patna in May 1666. Patna has the unique distinction of being honoured by great prophets and teachers like the Buddha, Guru Nanak and Guru Tegh Bahadur. The town was further san­ ctified when Guru Gobind Singh was born there. During those days, Patna was an internationally known place and a great centre of learning. There lived many intellectuals of all religions. When Tegh Bahadur visited the city, thousands of people came to meet him and sought his blessings. The Guru preached to the people the Name of God. The Guru spent the rainy season at Patna. He re­ organised the method of preaching and entrusted different duties to Masands who had kept the light of faith burning for more than a century and a half since the time of Guru Nanak. Leaving his family at Patna, the Guru left for a tour of Bengal and Assam in August 1666. At all the places he halted, kirtan was held daily and sermons were delivered. The Guru also composed many hymns. Large crowds of devotees came for a glimpse of the Master. 53 The Guru reached Dacca in October 1666. There he told a large gathering of devotees : "The path of salvation is'within thee; it is the mind that errs, for it follows the materialistic path which is transi­ tory. One should not ignore one's real self which is the only reality and which is within and without and is ever present. It is only by becoming detached from the ways and objects of the world and by renouncing the desire to acquire material posses­ sions which is at the root of all evils, that one can attain tranquility of mind. Such a person is indeed an emancipated individual. Although the Lord is omnipresent, one is often blinded by the glamour and glitter of worldly attractions like wealth, wine and women. Then he ignores the Lord and runs after pursuits of pleasure and other objects on the earth. This is the begining and the end in itself. Attachment to these ever-changing and perishable things therefore, brings personal misery and grief. Guru Tegh Bahadur was still at Dacca when he received the news of the birth of a son on Decem­ ber 22, 1666, corresponding to Posh Sudi 7, 1723 B.S. The news was conveyed to him by a special messenger. There was joy and happiness in the Guru's camp and the event was celebrated with illuminations and kirtan. Large quantities of food and clothes were distributed among the poor. Guru Tegh Bahadur now proceeded further and visited several places in Bengal and Assam. He 54 Was keen to meet his devotees in far flung areas of the country and establish centres of worship. The Guru and his entourage were accompanied by Raja Ram Rai. During this tour, the Guru gave ser­ mons and made people realise the glory of God. He exhorted them neither to be afraid of anybody nor to frighten anyone. This tremendously raised the morale of the people. A new enthusiasm infused into their uneventful life. Groaning under the Mu­ ghal tyranny, they had lost all hope and were full of despair. The Guru tried to remove their fear by preaching the true Name of God and exhorted them to rise above petty squabbles, remain united, worship one God and lead an honest and pious life. The Guru returned to Dacca early in the year 1668. Raja Ram Singh,a general in the Mughal army, met him and requested to give him the pro­ tection of his holy feet. The Guru asked him to meditate on God's Name which was a panacea for all ills. The Raja then requested the Guru to accompany him to Kamrup. the Guru agreed to the Raja's proposal as he thought that this would be a good occasion for him to preach the Name of God in that distant land. He also wanted to revive the religious movement started by Guru Nanak in that area. Raja Ram Singh had been sent by the Mughal Emperor to conquer the Ahoms who had attacked Gauhati and captured it. When Guru 55 Tegh Bahadur and Raja kam Singh reached Assam in February 1669, the Guru halted at the shrine of Guru Nanak at Dhubri, whereas Raja Ram Singh camped at Rangamati, about 24 km away. The Guru averted serious conflict between the two armies by his personal appeal. At Dhubri, a Mound of Peace was raised by Guru Tegh Bahadur in the memory of Guru Nanak who had earlier sanctified this place. The Guru then returned to Patna. Aurangzeb had let loose a reign of terror. Persecution of Hindus was the most outrageous feature of his reign. The Hindus led a life of humiliation and disabilities. They were treated as third rate citizens and de­ prived of everything the Emperor could snatch from them. It is said that even the doors of heaven were barred to them. They groaned under agony and pain and were living in the most miserable condition. The Guru's heart was all for them and he resolved to return to Punjab. He reached Anandpur in February 1671. The Guru spent about two years at Anandpur. He organised and trained his disciples. The city was made the city of bliss in the real sense of the word. But this was a lull before the storm that was to be and a prelude to mighty events and up­ heavals of which Anandpur itself was to become the epicentre. A sense of foreboding overhung Anandpur. Guru Tegh Bahadur held his darbars 56 daily and told the congregation how dharma, right­ eousness was in jeopardy. The Guru identified himself with the sufferings and sorrows of the people. The proselytising zeal of the officials of Aurangzeb with their campaign of religious perse­ cution had spread a wave of terror throughout the country. In 1672, the Guru toured the Malwa region of Punjab. The area was most backward and the people were ignorant and orthodox. They were poor and were leading a miserable life. Education was unknown to them and fear prevailed every where. People were even afraid of talking about the amelioration of their condition and could not open their mouths against the Mughal officials. The Guru preached the Name of God in the entire area and awakened the people to the realities of life. He told them, "Always take His shelter. He has the compassion and the ability to destroy fear. Shed evil. Remember him. None else can help you in this world. Detach yourself from everything and take refuge with the Lord. Keep Him in your hearts. Only His Name will save you. His praises are sung in Vedas and Puranas. In this transitory world none else purifies. By remembering Him, mind gets purified and sin goes away. You may not again be born as a human being. This is your only opportunity. So, make efforts now and now alone for your salvation. To cross the ocean of death 57 accept His Name as the life buoy,'* When the Guru returned to Anandpur, the situa­ tion further deteriorated. Aurangzeb was told by his advisors,maw/vw and ulemas that if he wanted to convert Dar-ul-Harb into Dar-ul-Jslam he should convert the Brahmins of the coun try first, as they were the learned people and were the expo­ nents of Hindu religion, scriptures, rites and cere monies. They were the real rulers of the Hindu society. They were the people who moulded the way of life of ordinary creatures. If they were con­ verted, there would be no problems for Emperor and the country would soon be converted into Dar-ul-Islam. The idea found ready approval and enthusiastic response of the Emperor, who imme­ diately issued orders to the effect that the Brah- mins of Kashmir, Kashi, Prayag, Kurukshetra and Haridwar be converted to Islam with lightning speed. It was in pursuance of this policy that Brah­ mins were offered several baits and those who did not agree to conversion were put into jail. The Brahmins were caught in the storm. Aurang­ zeb was fully convinced that the Brahmins must be eliminated from the scene ; only then Hindu places of learning and knowledge, which were en­ tirely under their command, would be free from their influence. Hinduism will become rootless and collapse like a house of cards. Once this hap­ pened,!^ dream of Dar-ul-Islam would be realised. 58 The experiment of mass conversion was first tried in Kashmir- Sher Afghan Khan, the Empe­ ror's viceroy in Kashmir, set about converting Kashmiri Brahmins by sword and massacred those who persisted in their adherence to the faith of their forefathers. The Brahmins were perplexed and bewildered. They were caught between the devil and the deep sea. They were given ultima­ tum either to embrace Islam or be prepared for execution. Then, in their desperation, some Brahmins pro­ ceeded to Anandpur to meet Guru Tegh Bahadur to seek his help. They were hopeful that the Guru would come to their rescue. He would surely save Dharma from extinction. Their honour and faith, they were sure, could be protected by the Guru. After reaching the Guru's darbar, the Brahmins told him their tales of woe. The Guru was moved by their sad plight. He told ihem that some priestly noble soul must lay down his life for saving Dhar ma and honour of the aggrieved people. Freedom i of worship was the right of every individual and it had to be protected. The Guru advised them to go to the Emperor and tell him that they, together with ajl the Brahmins of Kashmir, were ready to embrace Islam, if Tegh Bahadur, who was their Guru was first converted. The Brahmins presented their petition to the Emperor through the Governor of Lahore. The 59 Emperor issued summons from Agra, asking the Guru to appear in his darbar. The Guru left Anandpur in June 1675 and as he reached Agra, he was arrested and brought to Delhi. The Guru and his companions were kept in the kotwali lock-up at Chandni Chowk in Delhi. Discusssions were held between the Guru and the Emperor who tried to persuade the Guru to accept Islam or show a karamat. The Guru refused to perform a miracle and he was put in an iron cage. Then on the fateful day of November 11, 1675 the Guru was martyred. Thus, Guru Tegh Bahadur became a martyr at the altar of dharma. He laid down his life for the protection of the Hindu dharama. He saved the Hindu religion from lol«l annihilation and the country as a whole from being converted into Dar- ul'Islam. History is full of tales of martyrs who were first arrested and then executed by the powers whom they opposed or resisted for a righteous cause. But Guru Tegh Bahadur was unique in the sense that he went to Delhi from Anandpur on his own and ultimately sacrificed his life in defence of the opp­ ressed people who were helpless against the might of the Mughal Empire. Indeed, it was an unparal­ leled incident in the history of mankind. He made the supreme sacrifice for the faith and tenets in which he himself did not believe and which he tried 60 to reform. There is hardly any other single event which roused the nation so greatly as the maityr- dom of Guru Tegh Bahadur, for he had fought for the people's right of freedom of worship. The Guru fell a victim to religious bigotry of the ruler of the land, he sacrificed his life for pro­ tecting the sacred mark of the Hindus, for freedom of conscience and worship, and for the sake of dharma, righteousness. Guru Gobind Singh (A.D. 1666-1708) Guru Gobind Singh, the last Sikh prophet, was among the most dynamic figures of Indian history. He was one of the greatest and charismatic perso­ nalities of all times. He fought throughout his life for human freedom and stood for secularism and democratic principles, and pleaded for man's in­ alienable rights. Guru Gobind Singh throughout his life worked for the uplift of the downtrodden people of the entire mass of humanity, irrespective of their caste, religion, race or sect. He stood for secularism and never performed a single act which was parochial in character. He always used the words Hindustan and Hindustanis in his writings. He stood for na­ tional unity and emotional integration of the Indian people. The democratic institutions created by him about three centuries ago are the shining lighthou­ ses, showing new path to the human race having faith in the democratic ideals. The Guru created 61 the KHalsa, transferring sovereignty to the poor and downtrodden of this country, so that they might remember in the days to come that there was in history, too, a Guru by the name of Gobind Singh. Guru Gobind Singh was born at Patna on December 22, 1666. This was the time when the nation's honour and prestige was at its lowest ebb. The morale of the people was very low. They were groaning under pain and agony. The Guru worked tirelessly for the restoration of thislos t honour. He came into this world with a special mission. He was sent by the Lord to perform certain duties for the emancipation of mankind. The Guru has him­ self explained the mission, which the Lord desired him to fulfil : "I have cherished thee as my son And made thee to extend my religion Go and spread my Name there And forbid the world from evil acts." And again : "I have come into this world, To spread righteousness everywhere, To destroy the evil doers and sinner s, understand ye holy men, I was born in this world To help good and flourish, to save saints And to uproot all tyrants from this woi Bachitar Natak 62 The child was named Gobind Das. Me spent the first five or six years of his life at Patna. Then the family was called to Anandpur by Guru Tegh Bahadur, who had earlier reached there. He kept himself busy in games and spent his mornings and evenings in meditation. He was the son of the spiri­ tual ruler of the Sikhs—Guru Tegh Bahadur, Sacha Padshah, the True King. His mother and grand­ mother were universally respected and revered. Gobind learnt Punjabi, Sanskrit and Persian. Special training was given to him in horsemanship and in the use of weapons. When Gobind was hardly nine years old, Guru Tegh Bahadur was martyred at the altar of dharma. After his martyrdom, Guru Gobind Singh shouldered all the responsibilities left on his young shoulders. He was formally installed on the gaddi on Vaisakh I, 1733 B.S. The people of India had reali­ sed that the bigoted ruler of Hindustan was soul­ less and, if they wanted to lead an honourable life, resistance was necessary. The Sikhs were in a very precarious position. There was dissension within the ranks of the Sikhs and dangers threatened them from outside too. The very existance of Sikh- ism was in danger and some drastic steps were needed to save it. The need for unity among the Sikhs was most vital. Several conflicting forces had to be organised and synthesised under one banner,

63 The young Guru had a great and glorious heri­ tage. He was successor to the tin one of Guru Nanak, who had shown to the world the path of truth and had emancipated people from hypocrisy and superstition. The Guru had to resist the evil and prepare for the future struggle. People's determination had to be steeled, and they were to be indoctrinated for resistance, whatever form the struggle took. In I short, the Guru realised that he had to turn the emasculated people of Punjab into a new nation of soldiers-cwm-saints, strong in body, mind and soul, • who could fight the tyranny of the rulers with faith and confidence. He aimed at turning these people into fearless soldiers and freeing them from the shackles of orthodox religion. Their heart had to be purified and the different sects unified. The virtues of courage and bravery had to be instilled in them. Humiliating treatment of innocent people had to be resisted and a sense of self-respect and self-reliance infused. Thus, for ten years, 1676 to 1685, Guru Gobind Singh devoted himself to creative activities of edu­ cating and inspiring the people with spiritual en­ lightenment. It is during this period that he started writing the life stories of heroes like Rama and Krishna. He told people not to worship them as Avtars but as the greatest heroes of Indian hi§-

64 tory who had devoted all their lives fighting against tyranny and injustice, oppression and evil. A large number of poets and scholars were brought toge­ ther. The Guru himself was a poet of eminence. He developed a new style of poetry which remains unsurpassed. The illustrious examples of their an­ cestors were held before the people and they were called upon to follow in their footsteps. Songs were sung by court bards which had a deep effect on the people. Poetiy was wedded to martial music. In a short span of time people were imbued with a martial spirit, so much so that even those who had never before seen swords or guns, were now practising them. The Guru started different types of sports and games for his followers to en­ able them to build themselves up both physically and mentally. The Guru also started procuring all sorts of arms and weapons. He exhorted his followers to present him fire arms. People with martial leanings and those whose fore-fathers had fought in the army of Guru Hargobind flocked to the Guru. Though the Guru's darbar at Anandpur looked like a military camp, all these preparations were not meant for any offensive purpose but for the pro­ tection and defence of the oppressed and the down­ trodden who had suffered great humiliation in the martydom of Guru Tegh Bahadur. At Anandpur, besides military preparations ,the

65 Guru devoted himself to literary activities, philoso­ phic awakening and spiritual enlightenment of the people. He stuck to Guru Tegh Bahadur's dictum, 'fear no one and strike fear in no one.' He follow­ ed this principle in letter and spirit. In 1685 or roundabout, the Guru left Anandpur and came to stay at Paonta Sahib. This he did at the invitation of Raja Medni Prakash, the ruler of Nahan. The Guru took steps to develop Paonta. He continued composing verses in the pleasant envi­ ronments and salubrious climate of Paonta, Cold breeze from Yamuna refreshed his mind and with every passing day he started devoting more and more time to reading and writing. The Guru used to rise in the early hours of the morning, take his bath and read Japji. He then walked along the bank of the river. His purpose in creating litera­ ture was to infuse new spirit into his followers and to steel their hearts against all injustice and tyranny. Here at Paonta, Pir Buddhu Shah met the Guru and offered him the services of 500 Pathans for his army though they deserted him later. Then peace was broken; the Hill rajas marched towards Paonta Sahib. A bloodly battle was fought at Bhangani. The Sikhs fought with courage and de­ termination, and their patriotic fervour carried the day and victory was Guru's. Now the Guru became much stronger and very 66 powerful. The battle was a great event in the his­ tory of Punjab. It set the ball rolling for a major clash between the Guru and the Mughals and the Hill rajas. The battle also gave the Guru an opp­ ortunity to understand the real character of his people. Wicked and unreliable persons who had joined the Guru's ranks simply for loot were weeded out. After the victory, the Guru returned to Anand- pur and immediately restored Anandpur to its previous glory. Aurangzeb's policy of persecution of Hindus and other non-Muslims made people rally round him. Two years later, the Mughal forces attacked the rulers of Kangra and Bilaspur as they did not pay tribute to the Emperor. They sought Guru's help who readily agreed. A fierce battle was fought at Nadaun in 1687. The imperial forces were defeat­ ed. The Guru stayed at Nadaun for about a week enjoying the splendour and beauty of the place by the bank of the river Beas and then left for Anandpur. The Emperor was sore at the Guru's victories. Upset, he sent Prince Muzzam, who later came to be known as Bahadur Shah, with a large army to attack the Guru and arrest him. When the Prince reached Punjab, he was requested by Bhai Nand Lai Goya not to harm the Guru who was innocent; instead he should punish the persons who were

67 trying to harm him. The Prince thereafter did not attack the Guru. Thus, after Muzzam's expedition, the Guru got some respite to mature his future plans. He had worked among the people of the semi-independent states of the Shivaliks and tried to rouse them to a sense of national unity, but soon he discovered that, being steeped in superstition and outdated ideas of religion, they could not rise above their caste and racial prejudices. Sometimes they would make common cause with the enemy and combine even against the Guru who was their deliverer. Political reforms must be preceded by a general renaissance and religious awakening. He, therefore, resolved to break the old shackles with greater precision than had been done before and reorganise society on the basis of common belief and common aspirations. The period of peace was utilised by the Guru for creative activities. He wrote philosophical works of a high order such as Akal Ustat and Gyan Pra- bodh. The Guru came into this world with a special mission. He was sent by the Lord to perform cer­ tain duties for the emancipation of mankind. In * the year 1699, a day before the first, of Vaisakh, a large number of men, women and children had collected at Anandpur. The Guru created here the new order of the Khalsa. Charanpahul was replaced by Khande-Ka-Amrit. This nectar with steel, the 68 Divine Word, and Guru's spirit dissolved in it, brought a miraculous change in the person who par­ took of it. The Guru declared ''Let all embrace one creed and obliterate differences of religions. Let the four Hindu castes, who have different rules for the guidance, abandon them all, adopt the one form of adoration and become brothers. Let none deem himself superior to another. Let men of four castes receive my baptism, eat out of one dish, and feel no disgust or contempt for one another." The Guru abolished all distinctions of caste, creed and sex, and integrated his people into one homogenous fraternity. He introduced a new ideo­ logy but it was not a departure from the old ideals preached by Guru Nanak and his successors. Sikhism in essence remained the same as ordained by Guru Nanak. The abolition of caste distinctions was not reli­ shed by high caste Hindus. Mingling of low caste persons in all the congregations perturbed the Bra­ hmins. The fire of hatred against the Guru smoul­ dered in their hearts and a sort of revolt grew against him. Peace was broken again. The Hill rajas hatched a conspiracy to distroy the Guru's power and attacked him many times. The final assault was made inl704 when the combined forces of the Mughals and the Hill rajas attacked Anand- pur. The Governors of Sirhind, Lahore and Multan took part in the campaign. The Sikhs fought vali- 69 antly. The Guru told his disciples that a brave death on the battlefield for saving the dharma was preferable to dying a coward's death. The Guru said : / "Grant unto me this boon, O Lord I may never be debarred from performing good deeds I should have no fear of the enemy when I go to the battlefield And victory be certainly on my side There is but one desire in my heart That I may always sing His praises, And when the final time comes I shall die fighting on the battle field." The fighting continued for a long time. The Imperial viceroys were surprised at the tenacity of the Sikhs. After a certain day's fighting, it was complained to the Guru that a Sikh, Kanahiya by name, had been serving water and rendering first aid not only to the Sikhs but to the wounded enemy soldiers too. The Guru called Kanahiya and enquired from him if it was true. The humble devotee of the Guru replied that he had been ser­ ving all those who fell on the battlefield. "My eyes could not distinguish between Sikh and enemy soldiers, as I saw Guru's face in every one." The Guru blessed him and told his Sikhs that Kanahiya had truly understood his mission. The enemy forces suffered he'avy losses but suc- 70

•• __ ed in laying siege to the Anandgarh fort. The Sikhs continued fighting courageously with God's Name on their lips. The fight went on for several months. Inside the fort, provisions ran short and the Sikhs had to face stravation, but their sprit remain­ ed undaunted. The position worsened day by day. At last, a suggestion was made to the Guru to evacuate the fort. The Guru did not agree. A few Sikhs lost heart, wrote a letter of renunciation and left the fort. Finally, it became inevitable for the Guru to leave the fort as there were no more provisions left. The Guru left the fort in December 1704. The Mughal forces were in hot persuit. While crossing the Sirsa stream, the Guru's family was separated from him. Only the two elder sons and a batch of devotees remained with him. They all reached Chamkaur. Here another battle ensued. At last, Guru Gobind Singh reached south-east Punjab. From Dina the Guru wrote a historical letter to Aurangzeb called Zafarnama. When the Guru reached Khidrana, now known as Muketsar, the Imperial forces again attacked him. After the battle the Guru reached Talwandi Sabo, peace was restored and for sometime, the old atmosphere of Anandpur was created. The Guru bestowed namdan on thousands of people who had gathered there. 71 Guru Gobind Singh now decided to proceed towards the south to meet Aurangzeb who had to sent messengers inviting him to come to the Dec- can. When the Guru reached Baghaur in Rajas- than, he heard the news of the death of the Em­ peror and returned to Delhi. At this point Prince Mauzzam sought Guru's help in the battle of suc­ cession to which the Guru readily agreed. Bahadur Shah received Guru Gobind Singh with great honour and presented him, in token of his gratitude and reverence, a Khillat. In early September 1708, Guru Gobind Singh reached Nanded on the bank of Godavari. Here he met Banda Bahadur, converted him to his faith, and sent him along with some of his leading devo­ tees to Punjab to punish the wrong-doers. One day, while the Guru was addressing a big congregation, a Pathan came and bowed his head in reverence. When the Guru reached his camp, the Pathan stabbed him and the day of destiny came. Guru Gobind Singh left his mortal coil on October 7, 1708. His last injunctions to the Sikhs were : "He who wishes to behold the Guru, let him search the holy Granth. The Guru will dwell with the Khalsa, be firm and faithful ; wherever five Sikhs are assembled together there will I also bG present." He bestowed Guruship on Sri Guru Granth Sahib.

72 Thus, at the age of forty-two,Guru Gobind Singh was immonalised. Throughout his life, he strug­ gled against religious intolerance and oppression of the downtrodden. He did not fight for captur­ ing any land or wordly power. He had many Muslim followers. People of different faiths, castes and creeds were attracted to the Guru as he taught that all men were equal and that only outer forms dif­ fered, the fundamental truth remained the same. He said :

I "The same God dwells in the temple and the Mosque The Hindus worship Him and the Muslim pray to Him Human beings are all one though of diverse forms Gods, demons, Yakshas and the minstrels divine The Muslims and Hindus are all one Imbibe they the influence of environs they inhabit. Similar eyes, ears, body they have They are made of earth, air, fire and water alike Allah and Abekh are the names of the same one Whom adore the holy Puranas and Quran All are of the same form And one in their making —Akal Ustat The Guru was not only the 'beau ideal' of the Punjabis,he stood for the whole humanity, irres- 73 pective of their caste, religion, sect or race. lie stood for secularism and never performed a single act which was parochial in character. He used the words Hindustan and Hindustanis in his writings and not Punjabis. He fought battles and sacrificed his all for the honour of the entire nation. He was the 'beau' of all the Indians inhabiting the sub­ continent. He stood for national unity and emo­ tional integration of the Indian people. The democratic institutions created by him three cen­ turies ago are the shining lighthouses showing new paths to the human race having faith in democratic ideals. The Guru created the Khalsa, transferring sovereignty to the poor and oppressed of our coun- try, so that they might remember in the days to come that there was in history, too, a Guru by the name of Gobind Singh who taught ideals of demo­ cracy, secularism, brotherhood and unity of man­ kind. He left footprints for posterity to follow not to surrender to tyranny and injustice, come what may. He turned the sect of saints and martyrs gradually into a band of bold and courageous warriors. The Sikh movement reached its highest fulfilment under Guru Gobind Singh.

74 The Holy Scriptures

The holiest book of the Sikhs is Sri Guru Granth Sahib. Compiled by the fifth Master, Guru Arjan, it is the bible of the Sikhs. After giving his follo­ wers a central place of worship, Hari Mandir, he wanted to give them a holy book. So he collected the hymns of the first four Gurus and to these ad­ ded his own. The hymns of the first three Gurus were collected from Bhai Mohan and were dicta­ ted to Bhai Gurdas, the Sikh savant, who acted as a scribe. This was the first recension of Granth Sahib. Guru Arj an gave the copy of the Granth to Bhai Bano for binding. He took it to Lahore and on the way, prepared a copy. This is called Bhai Bano's copy. It contains two additional hymns, one of Sur Das and the other of Mira Bai and some other poems. The first recension was installed in Hari-Mandir in 1604. Baba Buddha was appointed the first granthi, the high priest. With the passage of time, the original copy went into the hands of Dhir Mai who refused to hand it over to the Gurus. 75 At the time of Guru Tegh Bahadur, some Sikhs took away the copy from Dhir Mai but the Guru ordered them to return it to him When Guru Gobind Singh stayed for some time at Damdama Sahib, Talwandi Sabo, he dicta­ ted the whole of Sri Guru Granth Sahib from me­ mory, to Bhai Mani Singh, adding to it the hymns of Guru Tegh Bahadur and one of his own slokas. While compiling Guru Granth Sahib, Guru Arjan had invited several saints and fakirs, both Hindu and Muslim, to suggest suitable hymns for insertion in the sacred book. They recited hymns of their respective sects and the Guru listened to them patiently but included only those which conformed to the spirit of Sikhism and were consistent with the teachings of Guru Nanak. In Hinduism, it was a sin to listen to the teachings of Muslim saints and of the sudras. The Guru wanted to show to his disciples that there was no place for such a thing in Sikhism and that any saintly person belonging to any religion was worthy of honour and respect. Guru Arjan followed this principle for inclusion of saint's hymus in the Adi Granth. The verses should praise God and denouuce superstition and casteism. He included in the Granth verses of those who believed in the unity of God and brotherhood of man. The compositions of Chhaju, Kahna, Shah Hussain and Pilo were rejected as they did not con­ form the ideals of Sikhism.

76 Kahna's mystical idealism was not appreciated by the Guru. He had said, "I am He, I am He, sung by Vedas and Puranas, whom none have found yet by search." Chhaju's song could not be included as he thou­ ght women to be the root of all evil. This was con­ trary to the teachings of Guru Nanak who gave a high status to women. Chhaju had said : "Do not look upon a women, not even her figure cut from paper; women are like sly-raiders who will take you and kill you." Shah Hussain had said that one should remain silent as the world was not a place to speak about. In the same way, Pilo had said that those who died at their birth were superior to living beings. The Adi Granth is an authentic holy book. It contains no spurious hymns. It is a unique treasure, an excellent present to human beings. In the words of Pearl Buck, "It is a source book, an expression of man's loneliness, his aspirations, his longings, his cry to God and his hunger for communication with that being." Dr.Radhakrishnan, the renowned Indian philosopher, said : "We find in the Adi Granth, a wide range of mystical emotions, inti­ mate expressions of the personal realisation of God and rapturous hymns of divine love." In the words of Duncan Greenlees, "Among the world's scrip­ tures, few, if any, attain so high a literary level, or so constant a height of inspiration." Guru Arjan, 77 the compiler, said : "The human race is saved. God's word goes to the masses, blessing them and bestowing immortality on them. My house is full of light of the song of life today. This is the staff on which The old and the miserable, the strayed and the rich shall lean. In their distress, they obtain solace. Men of God, come, assemble, live in this light. Mingle these hymns into thy soul. Rejoice and partake of this immortal feast" In the Adi Granth, the hymns of the following saints and Sikh Gurus are included : Jaidev : Only two of his hymns are included. He was born at Kenduli in Birbhum district, Ben­ gal. He was the court poet of Lakshman Sen, the Raja of Bengal. He had written Gita Govinda, which had brought him fame and popularity among the people. Namdev : Sixty of his hymns are included in the Adi Granth. He was born in 1270 at Narsi Bamani, Satara. His father, Damasheti was a cali- Namdev Ghu man, Gurdaspur district stands a shrine in his name. During the early years of his life, Namdev was a Vashnavite but later on he was influenced by 78 the Nirguna school. Parmanand : Only one of his hymns is included in the Adi Granth. A brahmin, he belonged to Barsi in Shola district of the present Maharashtra state. Trilochan : His four hymns are included in the Adi Granth. He was also from Sholapur in Maha­ rashtra, Vaishya by caste, he was a contemporary of Namdev and was influenced by him, having spent some time in his company. Sadhna : Only one hymn of Sadhna has been included. He was a butcher, born at Sehwan in Sind. Beni : His three hymns are included. Beni's place of residence is not known. Ramananda : Only one hymn of Ramananda forms part of Sri Guru Granth Sahib. He belonged to Uttar Pradesh and was dead against caste system. Many so-called sudras were his disciples. He passed away at Varanasi. Dhanna : Dhanna's four hymns are included. He was a Jat and belonged to Dhuan near Deoli in Rajasthan. During the early years of his life, he was an idol worshipper, but later he preached wor­ ship of only one God. Pipa : Only one of his hymns is included in the Adi Granth. It is said that Pipa was a Raja of Gagaraungarh. It the early years of his life, he wor­ shipped Durga but later on he became a disciple of Ramananda. 79 Ravidas : Forty-one hymns of Ravidas are included in the Adi Granth. He was a cobbler and hailed from Uttar Pradesh. Kabir : A total of 292 hymns of Kabir are included in the Adi Granth. Kabir was born in 1398. His mother was an unmarried brahmin girl who threw him by the side of a tank in Varanasi. A Muslim weaver Niru and his wife Nima picked him up from there and brought him up. The sect founded by him is known as Kabir Panth. Farid : His four hymns and 130 slokas are in­ cluded in the Adi Granth. He was a sufi.saint from Khotwal in West Punjab. Born in 1173, he was a disciple of Khwaja Qutab Bukhtiar Kaki of Delhi. He died in 1266 at Pakpattan in Pakistan where a memorial has been erected in his honour. He was revered by people of all castes and creeds. Then there is a second set of bhaktas and saints whose hymns were also included in the Adi Granth They are Bhikhan (2 hymns), Sur Das (2 hymns) and Sunder (one poem). Mardana was a life-long companion of Guru Nanak. He went with him on all his missionary tours, Three of his slokas are also included in the Adi Granth. Then, there are the hymns of Sikh Gurus, which form the bulk of the Adi Granth. They are: Guru Nanak —974 hymns Guru Angad Dev — 62 slokas Guru Amar Das —907 hymns 80 Guru Ram Das —679 hymns Guru Arjan Dcv —2218 hymns Guru Tegh Bahadur—59 hymns and 56 slokas Guru Gobind Singh— / sloka Others whose hymns have been included in the Adi Granth are Kal, Kalsahar, Tal, Jalap, Jal, Kirat, Sal, Bhal, Nal,Bhikha, Jalan, Das, Gayand, Sewak,Mathura,Bal,Harbans,Satta and Balwanda. In all, Sri Guru Granth Sahib contains 3384 hymns which are considerably more than thrice the bulk of the Rigveda. According to Fredric Pincott, there are 15,575 stanzas in the Granth * out of which 6204 were written by the fifth Master, Guru Arjan, 2949 by the first Guru, Nanak, 2522 by the third Guru, Amar Das, 1730 by the fourth Guru, Ram Das, 57 by the second Guru, Angad, and 196 by the ninth Guru, Tegh Bahadur. It also contains a sloka of Guru Gobind Singh. Of the remaining, the highest number of stanzas are of Kabir and the lowest of Mardana. The contents of the Granth do not resemble the Vedas. The object was not to lay down any speci­ fic system of philosophy nor to place before us clear-cut rules for rituals or social behaviour. The Granth aimed at only spiritual peace and mental i solace. This was achieved through music which forms the basis of classification of the contents of the Granth. The hymns that are to be sung in a particular raga were first placed together and were 81 arranged as under : (a) Chaupadas —These contain about 4 verses each. (b) Ashtapadis —These contain 8 stanzas each. (c) Long poems —These are poems of consi­ derable length. (d) Chants —These consist of 6 line verses. (e) Short poems —These are poems of a short length. (f) Vars —These consist of two or more slokas and a pauri. (g) Poems of saints in the same order. There is absolutely no deviation from this spe­ cifically defined principle. The hymns were further classified according to the ghar or the musical clef in which each hymn was to be sung. At the end, there is an index of all the ragas and raginis and their families. It begins with Sri Rag because it is believed that it has an easy ap­ proach to the spiritual abode of peace. It is the foremost of all the ragas. There are six main ragas which have 30 raginis (wives) and their sons are 18, 10 and 20 (48), The total is thus 84. According to Fredric Pincott,the hymns uttered by the Gurus fall in only thirty-one of these categories so that the Adi Granth is arranged on a clearly traceable system depending, firstly, on the times at which the poems were sung ; secondly, on the nature or metre of the poems themselves ; thirdly, on their 82 author! hip; and fourthly, on the clef or key deem­ ed appropriate to them. It follows, as a corollary, that the position of the hymns in the Granth has no reference to their antiquity or importance: also the Adi Granth is a single systematic collection into which the later additions of the ninth Guru were inserted at appropriate places. The hymns are divided into ten main headings: (i) Japji — Pages 1-7 ; (ii) Musical hymns — Pages 8-1351 (iii) SI ok Sahskriti — Pages 1352-1359 ; (iv) Gatha — Pages 1359-1361 (v) Funhe — Pages 1361-1363 ; (iv) Chauhole — Pages 1363-1364; (vii) Slokas of Kabir and Far id—Pages 1364- 1384; (viii) Swayyas of the Gurus and in their praises —1384-1408 ; (ix) Slokas of the Gurus—Pages 1409-1428 ; (x) Rag Mala—the index of Sikh musical measures—Pages 1429-1430. In the end, Guru Arjan Dev has summed up the nature of the Adi Granth in Munda-vani. "In the dish are placed three things—Truth, Harmony •and wisdom. These are seasoned with the Name of God which is the basis of all ; whosoever eats and enjoys it, shall be saved," The Guru's aim was to provide a book of universal religion, for every one and every where. He wanted to guide

83 and regenerate all types of men. It is a thing which one cannot afford to neglect. "One must enshrine it in one's hearts," said the Guru. In the words of Prof. Puran Singh,"The Guru Granth is the scripture of all nations, for it is the lyric of divine love, and all the people of the earth subsist on such a glowing lyrical prayer. Guru Granth is but one song, one idea and one life. Thus the Guru's idea was to present to the world a holy book which should serve as a text book of universal religion and something which is essential and common to the truly religious side of a faith. The social, secular and ritual aspects of the religion are relative to time, place and en­ vironment. These things change and should not form the subject matter of a holy book, the Guru thought. The teachings of the Granth are to guide men to spiritual peace all the time and at all the places. These are first of all spiritual and then philo­ sophical. To provide peace to the soul was the aim of the Guru. Throughout the Granth, it is clear that most of the saint poets used their own mother tongue in addition to the Sant Bhasha, in their verses. But exceptions are there. The earlier Muslim mystics or* the sufis who had come to India with the conque­ rors and had no contact with the religious diction of India, composed their hymns in Lehandi or the language of the Western part of West Punjab,

V Baba Farid wrote in Lehandi. There is no influence of Sant Bhasha in his compositions. Besides Sanskrit,Eastern Apabhramsa, Western Apabhramsa, Marathi, Hindi, Punjabi, Sant Bha­ sha, Lehandi, Sindhi, Persian and Arabic, words and case terminations of some other languages are also found in the Granth. On the whole, however an attempt was made to use the common language —Sant Bhasha. Sri Guru Granth Sahib is the living Guru of the Sikhs. Guru means guide. Guru Granth gives light and shows the path to the suffering humanity. Whenever a believer in Sikhism is in trouble or is depressed he reads hymns from the Granth. When Guru Gobind Singh felt that the end of his wordly sojourn was near, he made the fact known to his disciples. The disciples asked him as to who would be their Guru in future. The Guru immediately placed five pice and a coconut before the holy Granth,bowed his head before it and said: "The Eternal Father willed and I raised the Panth. All my Sikhs are ordained to believe the Granth as their preceptor. Have faith in the holy Granth as your Master and consider it, the visible manifestation of the Gurus. He who hath a pure heart will seek guidance from its holy words." The Guru repealed these words and told the

85 disciples not to grieve at his departure. It was trite that they would not see his body in its physical manifestation but he would be ever present among the Khalsa. Whenever the Sikhs needed guidance or counsel, they should assemble before the Granth in all sincerity and decide their future line of action in the light of the teachings of the Masters as embodied in the Granth. The noble ideas embo- died in the Granth would live for ever and show people the path to bliss and happiness. Details of some of the important compositions included in the Adi Granth are as under : Japji The Adi Granth begins with Japji> a composi­ tion of 38 hymns with two shkas, the first and the last. It was composed by Guru Nanak. It contains the quintessence of Sikh religion and philosophy. Japji can be aptly compared with the Git a and the New Testament. Just as Git a contains the kernel of the Hindu philosophy and the New Testament the fundamental tenets of Christianity, the essence of the Sikh philosophy is enshrined in Japji. Japji is recited in the morning by every true Sikh. At the time of preparation of amri't for bap­ tism it is the first bani to be recited. This was first done by Guru Gobind Singh when he founded the Khalsa while ; Iministering amrit to the Panj Payaras.

86 The whole of Japji can be divided into foitf groups, the first seven stanzas ; the next twenty stanzas ; the next four stanzas ; and the last seven stanzas. In the first seven stanzas is defined the way of seeking the Divine. The next part leads a devotee on till he arrives at a vision of the Supreme Reality. Next is described the outlook of a person who has taste of the Divine. In the last portion is summarised the whole procsss of attaining divine grace. It specifically describes the stages of spiri­ tual development through which a meditator's soul has to pass before attaining salvation. The main purpose of Japji is to see the vision of Reality. It lays stress on the unity of God and the concept of Nam Simran. Its theme is the eternal problem of human deliverance and it shows a pra­ ctical path of self-realisation. In the three verses from 35 to 37, Guru Nanak elaborates the five planes of spiritual life. Dharam Khand is the plane of Law where a devotee under­ stands the basis of the universe. Days, nights, fire, water and air are regulated by the Law of the Creator. In this plane, man learns righteousness and morality as the initial step towards divinity. Karam Khand signifies knowledge and reason and says why God created colours, forms and the diffe­ rent regions. Saram Khand denotes spiritual effort. Hence understanding, intuition and wisdom are moulded. Karam Khand signifies grace. The

87 devotees who serve the Lord without any motive or self-interest and submit to His will enter the region of Grace. Lastly, Sack hhand is the Realm of Truth, God's region. He watches the function­ ing of the universe all the time. Asa-di-Var : Among the compositions of Guru Nanak included in the Adi Granth, Asa-Di-Var occupies an important place. It is daily sung by musicians in congregations to the accompaniment of musieal instruments. It is a great source of inspiration, gives moral guidance to devotees and infuses in them a desire to attain a higher spiritual state. Asa-Di-Var consists of 24 Pauris each preceded by both Pauris and Slokas thus making 83 stanzas in all including both Pauris and Slokas. The Slokas of the var are in traditional metres, namely, Chaupai, Dohira and Sawayya while in the Pauris are used popular heroic verses. The Slokas contain philosophical truths while in the Pauris are sung praises of the Lord, Guru and of the true devotee who follows the instructions of the Guru. While praises of God are sung, mammon worship is condemned and the style of life of a mammon worshipper is forcefully denounced. The language used in the var is Punjabi. Guru Nanak has referred to the four Vedas in the var. Upanishads are an epitome of the Vedas and as 88 such form the Gian Khand as distinguished from Karam Khand and Upasna Khand. Anand Sahib : It is a master composition of Guru Amar Das, the third Master and is a classic in literature. Sukhmani Sahib : The psalm of peace, its aim is to give solace to the mind. Guru Arjan, the composer of Sukhmani himself says : "He who listens to it with love and gives it a place in his heart shall enable himself to commune with the Lord." A person tired of life or deeply entrenched in sorrow or in remorse or in anxiety derives con­ solation and peace from its reading There are 24 cantos of Sukhmani Sahib. In the first three, the Guru mentions the advantages of repeating the Name of God (Simran). In cantos four to eleven, Guru Arjan expresses his thoughts on God-men. Cantos twelve to twenty mention the process by which God's grace can be won, that is, by self-surrender or resigna­ tion to the Will of God. God is all Truth, nothing but the Truth and so He inspires His devotees. The Guru inspires the disciples with Love of the Name, meditation on which brings unending peace and joy. In the last four cantos—twenty-one to twenty- four—the Guru elucidates the Name. Name covers both the personal and absolute aspects of God. The Lord is present in His creation. In the abso- 89 lute form, God is not subject to matter, time or space, God transcends and unities all. The Sukhmani benefits the reader to a great extent. It came straight from the heart of Guru Arjan like the flowing of rivers from the snow-clad mountains. It makes one joyous and one feels refreshed, soothed and renewed after reading it. Dasam Granth Dasam Granth; the Granth of Guru Gobind Singh is another holy scripture of the Sikhs. It contains hymns of Guru Gobind Singh and some other poets. The writings included in the Dasam Granth were composed at different times by the Guru himself and his band of 52 poets. There is some confusion about the authorship and authenticity of the writings included in the Granth. It was in 1734, some 26 years after the death of Guru Gobind Singh, that a devotee of the Guru, Bhai Mani Singh, collected the compositions of the Guru and his band of poets and compiled the Dasam Granth. When Bhai Mani Singh was marty­ red in 1738, doubts were expressed about the compositions contained in the Granth ; some scho­ lars thought that all the compositions passed for in the name of Guru Gobind Sinsh were not written by the Guru himself. They met at Damdama Sahib and debated the spiritual value of the compositions included in the Granth. In the words of MacaulifTe. the scholars 90

N opined : « Many of them are of Hindu origin, others not fit for perusal, and none comparable with the hymns contained in the Adi Granth. The Sikhs therefore maintained that the Hikayats or Persian tales and the whole of the Tria Charitar stories illustrating the deceit of women should be omitted, and included in a volume which might be read, not for religious purposes but for the enter­ tainment and delectation of the public." The main purpose of Guru Gobind Singh's heroic hymns was that by reading them, the Sikhs should learn the art of ruling, use of weapons and bows and arrows and other skills like horse-riding to make them fit for warfare. In Krishcm Avtar, the Guru himself explained his purpose of writing hymns. He said : I have ren­ dered in the vernacular the tenth chapter of the Bhagavat with no purpose other than to arouse de­ sire for a holy war—a righteous war of the Lord." Macauliffe has given three reasons for the translation from Hindu mythology and Hindu epics, first, to dispel cowardice and incite bravery by filling the minds of the Sikhs with heroic examples; second, by showing what a brave women (goddess Chandi) could achieve in battle, to spur men on to urpas; her achievments; and third, to enable the Sikhs to : t inferiority of the Hiudu sacred writings so that they can appreciate the writings of their Cuius more. 91 I The arousing of people to fight against tyra­ nny and injustice was the main object of the Gurus writings. The Guru had fought all the battles for defence. He never had any intention to occupy territory, nor was he a vengeful militarist. All his hymns have only one theme—that of peace and harmo­ nious brotherhood. Although Dasam Granth is a holy scripture of the Sikhs, it is not installed in shrines, nor does it occupy the same position as the Adi Granth in which is manifested the Guru himself. Guru Gobind Singh had made Adi Granth the Guru of the Sikhs before leaving his mortal coil and gave it an exalted position. The Dasam Granth includes the following hymns : 1. Jap I 199 verses 2. Akal Ustat 271|- verses 3. Bachitar Natak 271 verses 4. Chandi Charitar (a) First version 233 verses 1 (b) Second version 262 verses 5. Avtar of Vishnu 4,370 verses 6. Mir Mehdi 10 verses 7. Up Avtar 1,201 verses 8. Shabads 9 verses 9. Sa wayy as 33 verses 10. Shaster Nama Mala 1,318 verses 92 11. Var Shri Bhagwati Ji Ki —55 verses 12. Gian Prabodh —336 verses 13. Zafarnama —111 verses 14. Hikayats —756 verses 15. Charit Pakhian —7,569 verses 16. Miscellaneous —59 verses Total 17263* verses. Bachitar Natak—It is an autobiography of Guru Gobind Singh. It is one of the best sources of the Guru's life before the creation of the Khalsa. It also gives an idea as to why he came to this world and what was his mission in life. It has a unique position in Hindi literature. Bachitar Natak begins with an invocation to God. "I bow before the holy sword with love and devo­ tion. Help me to complete this composition." About himself the Guru wrote that he belonged to the Sodhi clan and also to that of the Bedis. Guru Nanak, the Bedi, established true dharma in this world in kalyuga just as Lord Rama had done in the earlier yuga. God blessed all those who followed the teachings of Guru Nanak. Their sufferings were removed and they attained salva­ tion. The truth preached by Guru Nanak was che­ rished by his successors who all must be regarded as one with Guru Nanak. Thus, Guru Gobind Singh himself was the true and real successor of Guru Nanak. He was ordai- 93 ned by the Almighty to spread true religion in the world. He bore no enmity against any human bein; to whatever caste or creed he belonged. He consi­ dered himself a human being like any other, not God. He specifically declared : "All those who call me the Lord shall fall into hell's pit. Call me the servant of God Have no doubt about this I am the slave of the Lord." Guru Gobind Singh was sent by the Lord to de­ fend dharma, spread righteousness and destroy evil and sin. His mission was to root out the wicked and to create saint-soldiers who could fight evil. The Guru has given in Bachitar Natak descrip­ tion of some of the battles he had fought. Every­ where he attributes his success to God and says that he and his disciples were under the protection of the Lord. The date of composition of Bachitar Natak is given by Macauliffe as 1692, when Guru Gobind Singh was 26 years of age. The book was written at Anandpur. It is divided into 14 chapters and is written in archaic Hindi with a large mixture of Sanskrit. The script is Gurmukhi. Praise of the all powerful and immortal God, satire on the reli­ gious beliefs and practices of the Hindus and other ascetics, and descriptions of the Guru's ancestors and of his own life form the main themes of 94 Bachitar Natak. The description of the battle of Bhangani is ex­ cellent. Something of the ardour aroused by the Guru is evident in an incident in this battle. Kripal, the udasi mahant, sought permission of the Guru to fight Haiyat Khan. The Guru told him that a holy saint like him could not kill Haiyat Khan with words, he better pray for victory. On hearing this conversation the Guru's uncle reques­ ted him to permit him to fight Haiyat Khan. The Guru asked him as to what weapon he would like to use against the enemy. "With the club," replied the mahant. The Guru smiled and allowed Kripal to fight the adversary. It was a great spectacle to see : the mahant with his hair twisted around the head, his body covered with only a thin plaster of ashes and his belly protruding in front of the saddle proceeding to engage a practised warrior armed with the latest weapons of destruction. When the mahant approached and challenged Haiyat Khan, finding that he was not armed with the latest weapons, the latter decided to retreat scorning to attack a defenceless man. The specta­ tors were also amused and wondered, 'How can that fakir contend with a Pathan?' The mahant, continued to challenge Haiyat Khan. As a snake esca­ ping into its hole comes forth and attacks the aggres­ sor when its tail is trodden on, so did Haiyat Khan who had till then been retiring before the mahant. 95 He advanced against him goaded by his taunts and aimed a blow of his sword at (he mahant, which the latter received on his club, and behold, Haiyat Khan's sword had fallen to pieces. The mahant then addressed him thus: "Now hold your ground and defend yourself against me". The mahant rose in his stirrups and, wielding his club with both hands, struck Haiyat Khan with such force on the head that his skull broke and his brains issued forth and stained the battlefield. 33 Sawayyas—There are 33 Sawayyas in the Dasam Granth.These Sawayyas give the gist of Guru Gobind Singh's teachings. In the first Sawayya, he defines a pure Khalsa. He who fixes his thought on the Supreme Reality day and night and does not turn his mind to anything else, is full of love and faith and does not put his trust in fasts nor worships tombs, hermitages or crematoriums, whose place of pilgrimage, charity, compassion, austerity and self-control are all guided by devo­ tion to the Lord, and whose mind is resplendent with the ever shining light is to be called a pure Khalsa. In the next 10 Sawayyas the Guru descri­ bes the attributes of God-head. Then the futility of worshipping various gods and goddesses and the so-called incarnations of God is set forth. In Sawayyas 18th and 19th the Guru enjoins sincerity and in the next Sawayyas discards idol-worship and goes on to explain that the gods whose images 96 men worship were them Ives subject to death. Then he subjects to scathing criticism formal and ceremonial worship and exposes the tactics of sectarian leaders, who care more for self-aggrandi­ sement than for spreading true religious spirit. In the end, Guru Gobind Singh reminds man that he is morally responsible for all his deeds and that he will have to bear the consequences of his doings. His dear friends and near relations from whose sake he commits inequities will not accom­ pany him when the soul departs from the body. This is an introductory invocation of the Dasam Granth.lt begins with Sri Mukhwak Patshahi Das 'By the holy mouth of the Tenth King'. The date of its composition is uncertain. According to Sir John Archer, it was written during the Guru's stay at Damdama Sahib which means the year of its composition was 1705, but Macauliffe is of the opinion that the Jap was read in the preparation of the amrit when the Khalsa was founded, which indicates that it was composed before 1699—before the creation of the Khalsa. The Jap is the morning prayer of the Sikhs. It is about half that of Japji of Guru Nanak and takes about 25 minutes to recite. Akal Ustat—lt was not composed at one time. The different parts were composed at different time and were later compiled together. In the opening verse, God is addressed as Akal 97 Purkh, Immortal, Sarah Loh, All steel ; SarabKal, All death ; and later as Maha Loh, Great steel ; Maha Kal Great death : Asidhuj, Asiketu, Kharag- ketu (having a sword on His banner) ; and Asipani (having a sword on his hand). The Guru commences the composition with an invocation to the God of War—the all steel. He ends with the hope of tolerance of all religions and even among people living in all parts of the world, seeking the same God and being blessed by him. Zafarnama—Guru Gobind Singh wrote a his­ toric letter to Aurangzeb called Zafarnama—the Epistle of Victory. It consists of 111 couplets in Persian verse and is one of the most forceful epistles ever written in any language. It is written in the style and metre of Firdausi's Shahnama and begins with an invocation to the Lord. The Guru tells the Emperor that he had proved to be a liar. He does not have any faith in religion and does not sec the truth. He does not fear God nor follows the teachings of the prophet. His mini­ sters and courtiers had been telling lies. The hill Rajputs who worshipped the idols were also not loyal to them as they swore by the cow and broke their vows. After forcing him to leave the Fort of Anandpur by taking false oaths and deceiving him, the forces of the Emperor and the hill Rajas had attacked him again near Sarsa which was extremely mean 98 on their part. In verses 21, 22 and 23, the Guru expresses regret for his having been forced to take arms and to be a spectator of bloodshed. The Guru then describes the battle of Cham- kaur Sahib by saying that his forty companions fought with valour and bravery against the Empe­ ror's forces who fell upon them like a swarm of locusts. There was huge loss of life and the battle­ field turned red with the blood of the wounded and the dead. Mentioning about the martyrdom of his sons, the Guru wrote to the Emperor that it did not effect him at all as the spirit of the Khaisa was immortal and the sacrifice made by the innocent young boys had drawn thousands more under his command to root out tyranny and injustice from the land. It was of no avail putting out a few flames while a fire blazed to reduce to ashes the Royal edifice built upon cunning and oppression. The Guru advised the Emperor to leave his throne as he had performed so many sinful acts that his cup of sins was now full to the brim. If the Emperor was keen to meet him and bring the long-drawn suffering to an end, he should come forward with a clean heart and issue orders to his Governors to cease all hostilities against the Sikhs. Only after that a meeting could be arranged. The letter was delivered to the Emperor at 99 Ahmadn.igar by Bhai Daya Singh and Bhai Dha- ram Singh after a long and tiresome journey. Thus, Zafamama reflects the Guru's erudite learning, dauntless valour, truthful spirit and sym­ pathy for all human beings without any distinction of caste, creed or colour. Chandi Choritar—Three versions of the story of Chandi or Durga, the goddess of war, are pre­ sented. The first is from the Markandeya Purana and the second is from the Bhagavata Purana. The third is also based on the Markandeya Purana. The Guru's designation Patshahi 10 does not appear in the first two versions but appears in the third—the • Epic of Chandi. The time and place of this composition are not certain. The first two parts are written in Braj Bhasha while the Epic is written in Punjabi. All the three run with the lore of the battles between Durga and the demons which indicates that the fight was between good and evil. It is said the entire story is imbued with the spirit of battle. At that time in India there was great need for the inculcation of this spirit. The Guru wanted to show how pure women of this country, fighting in bloody battles, saved their own faith. Now too the blood of these heroines was present in the veins of the people of India. The Guru wanted to arouse enthusiasm for war to pro­ tect the dhrama. 100 Var Sri Bhagvati ki or Chandi-di-Var—h is the first Var of its kind in Punjabi and can be said to be one of the finest poems in this language. Shabad Patshahi Das—These shabads are in several ragas. The verses exhort men to worship only one God and not His manifestations or His creations. Hikayats—The concluding sections of the Dasam Granth are in Persian and follow Zafarnama. The hikayats are 11 in number. None of them bears the Guru's signature although all of them contain the words Wah-i-Guru Ji Ki Fateh. The language is extremely powerful and all the hikayats are rhy­ med. They contain moral instructions given to Emperor Aurangzeb. Thus in one part of the Dasam Granth, Guru Gobind Singh attempted to give an account of Hindu mythology whose knowledge was very essential to understand Sikhism which flourished on the Indian soil with mythology as its background. However, this does not mean that the Guru accepted these mythological talcs.

101 Three

The Sikh Institutions

Amrit In the year 1699, Guru Gobind Singh sent letters to his devotees, throughout the country, to come to Anandpur to attend the festival of Baisakhi. The devotees started converging on Anandpur like swarms of locusts. A day before the first of Baisakh, a large number of people, includ­ ing many women and children, collected at Anand­ pur. A large Shamiana was pitched and decorated with buntings and flowers. Hymns from Sri Guru Granth Sahib were recited and a divine atmosphere was created. Guru Gobind Singh was present in the pandal and listened attentively to the chanting of Asa-di-Var. He sat motionless for sometime and then stood before the huge gathering, estima ;d to be about eighty thousand. His eyes were red like the rays of the sun. He took his sword from the scabbard and flashing it in his hand, thundered like a lion: "My devoted Sikhs ! my comrades ! The goddess of power clamours for the head of a brave

102 Sikh. Is there aiiyotiie among this huge gathering ready to sacrifice his dear life at its c:ill?" Complete silence prevailed. People were stun­ ned, They thought something had gone wrong with the Guru. The Guru once again roared. Again, there was no reply. The whole assembly was thrown into consternation. The Guru repeated his call. There was hushed silence. What the Guru wanted nobody knew. No Guru before him had ever demanded the head of his followers like this. The Sikhs were surprised at the demand of the Guru who had all along been bestowing great affe­ ction on them. It was an amazing call. "Is there not one among the thousands who has faith in me/9 were the last words uttered by the Guru flashing his eyes. People present there trembled. Now, Bhai Daya Ram, a khatri of Lahore, stood up with folded hands before the Guru to the astonishment of the whole gathering. It was a unique scene—the Sikh offering his head. The Guru caught him by the arm and took him inside the tent specially pit­ ched for the purpose. The Guru, after a few moments, came out with his sword dripping with blood. Blood flowed from the tent too. The Guru then asked for another man to offer his head. There was silence again. Again, the call came. Bhai Dharam Das, a Jat of Delhi, offered his head. The same story was repealed. Horror-stricken 103 people were fully convinced that the second devo­ tee had also been killed. The gathering began to thin out. Most of the people left to save their precious lives. Panic prevailed all around. People sat with their heads lowered. Some devotees went to the Guru's mother and requested her to ask him to abstain from killing his own men. The call of the Guru continued, Bhai Mokkam Chand, a washerman of Dwarka, was the third devotee to offer his head. He, too, was taken inside the tent and the word went round that he, too, had met the same fate. More terror, more panic. More people left the pandal. The Guru's eyes were extremely red now, He made yet another demand for another head. The crowd was dumb and sat motionless. Yet another devotee stood up with folded hands. This time, it was Bhai Sahib Chand of Bidar, a barber by caste and profession. He touched the Guru's feet and sought his pardon for not offering himself earlier. The same story was repeated again. The Sikhs prayed to the Almighty to restrain the Guru. The Guru asked for another head. Bhai Himmat Singh of Jagannath Puri, a water carrier, rose and bowed his head before the Guru. The same process was repeated. Then the Guru himself went into the tent and brought oul th five Sikhs he had taken into the tent eatlicr. They were dtessed in new clothes, 104 with blue turbans on their heads and in loose long yellow shirts. They had waist bands and wore underwears of a special style, with swords hanging by their sides. They looked attractive and hand­ some like soldiers of valour. The audience was awe-struck. The Guru named them Panj Payaras, the five beloved ones, The whole congregation shouted with one voice Sat-Sri-Akal Victory to God. The Guru addressed them thus : "I wish all of you embrace one faith and follow one path, oblite­ rating all differences of caste and religion. Let the four Hindu castes mentioned in the Shastras be abandoned altogether and the path of co-ope ration with one another be adopted. Let nobody think himself superior to another. Do not follow the old scriptures. All should follows the tenets of Guru Nanak and his successors. Let men of the four castes receive my baptism and eat from the same vessel. Let nobody feel contempt for the other". Once again, the sky resounded with shouts of Sat-Sri-Akal. The Guru was extremely delighted. He had achieved his objective. A new path was shown by him to his followers—the path of valour, devotion and sacrifice. The next day, on the first of Baisakh, 1756 B.S, A.D. 1699,the devotees again gathered in thousands. An atmosphere of gaiety and cheerfulness prevail­ ed. People were overjoyed. They had dreams in their eyes—dreams of a bright future. People were 105 keen to know the next step of the Guru. They sat motionless and were eager to listen to him in full attention. The Guru came out; dressed in white and with a smiling face sat on the dais and addre­ ssed the devotees thus : "In the past the initiation was through char an pahul which shall now be substituted with Khande- Ka-Amrit—bzptism by water stirred with the double-edged sword. The nectar with steel, the Divine word and my spirit dissolved in it, shall perform miracles. Those who take it will become brave and shed their cowardice. They shall not only be Sikhs, but also Singhs (lions). I shall tra­ nsform jackals into lions. There will be no caste distinction. All castes will merge into Kiialsa bro­ therhood where there will be no high or low. All will be equals." The crowd heard the Guru's words with rapt attention. His thought-provoking ideas penetrated deep into their hearts. They were immensely moved. There were shouts of Sat-Sri-Akal time and again. Now, the five beloved ones stood in a queue. The Guru put some pure water in an iron pan and stirred it with a double-edged sword. He recited hymns from the holy Sri Guru Granth Sahib, Japji, Anand Sahib, and his own composi­ tions Jap Sahib, Sawayyas and Chaupayas. While the Guru was still stirring the water, his wife Sahib Dewan came with some sugar crystals. The Guru 106 appreciated the idea and said that they be put into the vessel. He did this so that the Sikhs might be blessed not only with valour and courage but also with sweetness. The Guru then stood before the beloved ones with the iron pan in his hands. He threw showers of amrit on their faces one by one and asked them to say in a loud voice : Wah-i-Guru Ji Ka Khalsa, Wah-i-Guru Ji Ki Fateh, that is, the Khalsa be­ longs to God, Victory to God. He then gave them five handfuls of amrit to drink. He sprinkled it five times on their hair and eyes. The beloved five were thus baptised by the Guru. They were asked to drink from the same vessel to create the spirit of oneness and brotherhood. After the ceremony was over,the Guru himself re­ quested the five beloved ones with folded hands to initiate him, in the same manner in which they had been initiated by him. They were surprised at this strange request of the Guru and told him that he was their Guru, their spiritual Master, both in this and the other world, their redeemer, their saviour and the one to whom they had dedicated their lives. It was not proper for them to bestow amrit on him, who was their superior and preceptor. The Guru replied that the new order had been introdu­ ced under orders of the Almighty. There was no­ body high or low any more. Those who accepted this would be Khalsa. There would be no differe-

107 ncc between the Khalsa and the Guru himself. Then, the five beloved ones administered amrit to the Guru in the same manner as had been done to them. The huge gathering watched the ceremony in silence. The spectacle was as thrilling as it was amazing. The Guru and the beloved ones mingled into one. The Guru then ordered all the Sikhs to be bapti­ sed. They were told to lead a clean, pure and simple life, Avoid strong drinks and shun the use of tobacco. They were asked to wear five kakas— kesh (hair), kemgha (comb), kachchha (underwear), kara (iron bangle) and kripan (sword). They were to be called Singhs. A new order was created but Sikhism in essen­ ce remained the same as was ordained by Guru Nanak. The Sikhs returned to their homes kindled with a new spirit and enthusiasm. The inspiration which had guided them for several generations took a concrete shape at Anandpur. Sangat From the time of Guru Nanak, the founder of the Sikh faith, there developed some important Sikh institutions which exist even today. They have further strengthened with the passage of time and have taken deep roots. One such institution is sangat or congregation. Guru Nanak toured extensively to preach the true Name of God. He not only visited places of 108 Hindu and Muslim pilgrimage in India but also went abroad as far as Mecca, Medina. Baghdad, China and Ceylon (Sri Lanka). Wherever he went, he left behind an assembly of men and women call­ ed sangat who were asked to build a shrine where they could meet and hold diwans and sing hymns together. This served a double purpose. First, it provided a meeting place for religious-minded people and secondly, it served as a centre for re­ ligious preachings. Guru Nanak made Sikhism a congregational religion, keeping its shrines open to people of all castes and creeds without any discri­ mination. That is why, in a short time there sprang up a network of Sikh sangats throughout the country. Guru Nanak held discourses with several saints yogis, fakirs and sadhus on religious topics and exchanged views with them. Once some yogigs ask­ ed him to perform a miracle. The Guru replied that it was against the Will of God to perform miracles. It brought forth wrath of the Lord who was the Supreme being, the Creator and the Des­ troyer. He relied only on the word and the sangat. In Guru Nanak's life time several centres were established even in far-off places like Junagarh, Kamrup, Surat, Cooch-Behar, Gorakhmata and Kabul. Many of these centres are still functioning and magnificent shrines stand there in the Guru's memory. 109 After Guru Nauak, Guru Tegh Bahadur, the ninth Master, went to far off places and established sangat at places like Chittagong (Bangladesh) and Dhubri (Assam) in the east. Old copies of Sri Guru Granth Sahib and autographed letters of Guru Tegh Bahadur and Guru Gobind Singh ad­ dressed to different sangats are found at these • places. Bhai Gurdas has given a list of prominent disciples of the Gurus who lived in Kabul,Kashmir, Sirhind, Delhi, Agra, Ujjain, Burhanpur, Gujarat, a Lucknow, Patna, Rajmahal and Dacca. Each of these sangats was under the charge of a | leader appointed by the Guru himself. It was called j manji, because the leader always sat on manji (cot) . while delivering sermons and preaching the Name I of God. Bhai Lallo was the first preacher appointed by Guru Nanak and he carried the Guru's message to southern parts of Punjab. Sajjan was in charge of preachings in the western parts and Gopal Das -41 remained in Banaras. Salis Rai was another prea­ cher who worked with his headquarters at Patna. Raja Shivnabh of Ceylon (Sri Lanka) and a batch ' of other workers also spread the Guru's message with great zeal and enthusiasm. They were men of selfless devotion and did their job most efficient­ ly and diligently. They were a great source of j strength for the Sikh church, for they made tireless efforts to spread the gospel of the Guru far and wide. The Guru blessed them and gave them nece- 110 ssary instructions, when required. After the death of Guru Nanak, 22 manjis (dioceses) were established besides 52 pirahas (parishes). With this, the missionary work of the Sikh faith was put on a sound and proper footing. The organisation was further strengthened during the pontificate of Guru Arjan, the fifth Master. Each district was put under the charge of a masand who was entrusted with the task of prea­ ching the true religion. The masands were made responsible to the Guru and were required to ren­ der accounts of the offerings and report the pro­ gress of their work. By now, Amritsar had become the centre of Sikh religion with the construction of the Golden Temple and installation of the holy book Sri Guru Granth Sahib in it. The Guru had become a unifying force for his myriad disciples. The Sikhs prayed to the Almighty that hundreds of thousands of Sikhs should inhabit not only diffe­ rent cities in the country but also other parts of the world and that every place worth the name should have a Sikh temple. With the passage of time, the Sikh congrega­ tions were sanctified until Guru Gobind Singh transferred the entire spiritual authority to them. With the creation of the Khalsa, the sangat assumed the personality of the Guru. Guru Gobind Singh preached the supermacy of the people and declared that the ultimate power 111 rested in them and that they were sovereign. Full powers were dcvelvcd to the Khalsa who stood out as embodiment of the Guru, who enjoin­ ed upon the Sikhs to elect five beloved ones from among themselves before embarking on any venture and said that he himself would be present among them. The whole commonwealth of the Sikhs was known as Sarbat Khalsa in whose name all prayers were offered and all decisions made. Problems confronted by the community were dis­ cussed in the congregations. Violations of rules of conduct were punishable in such sangats, even persons of high social status were not spared. Whenever any Sikh committed a mistake, he was required to present himself before the sangat, stand before it with folded hands at the place where shoes are kept and admit his mistake. The sangat would then confirm the decision by raising the shouts of Sat-SrUAkal. The punisment was gladly accepted by the erring Sikhs without any grudge or ill will towards any one. A Sikh is ordained to live in an ideal society be­ sides leading his individual life. He is supposed to live in the company of noble souls, for in their company the mind is purified. This ideal company is known as sangat. The good sangat is superior In its company sins are washed."

112 said Guru Nanak in Asa Ashpadi. Guru Arjan also attached great importance to sangat, He said: "The handicapped may cross a mountain The unwise may say good words The blind may see the three worlds They become pure after meeting the Guru O my comrades, hear the praises of sadh sangat" Good company turns the humble and ordinary creatures into gold. Membership of the sangat helps human beings to cross life's ocean and leads to salvation. Knawledge dawns on the ignorant and the mind is filled with new, virtuous thoughts. Man becomes cool and contented and all his desi­ res vanish. The mind no longer wanders and com­ plete peace is attained. Wkcn a sinful person joins the company of good people instead of being condemned, he is joyously welcomed, and helped to become a good person himself. He then mingles with the sadh sangat as water mixes with milk and receives the Guru's instructions as the Guru himself resides in the sangat The company of sadhns and fakirs has been given utmost importance by the Gurus. They have described saints as holy men whose very touch can perform miracles. Whosover comes in contact with them forgets all jealousies, sheds the ego and becomes a pure soul. He becomes a friend of all 113 and does not consider anyone as his enamy. In all human beings he sees the spirit of the Guru and treats them as such. He behaves like good peo­ ple and casts off ill will and all the evils. The abode of the sangat is gurdwara or a shrine. In the gurdwara, the Guru himself resides. A gur­ dwara is built for congregations and every Sikh is expected to attend it regnlarly. The Guru Is manifest in the sangat and all Sikhs are ordained to join the worship in a con­ gregation. Daily Sri Guru Granth Sahib is opened in the morning and closed in the evening. Great respect is shown while opening, reading and closing the holy book. It is kept in clean and beautiful cloths and is always opened under a canopy. A whisk is also kept at hand for waving over it. When the holy book is carried from one place to another, all stand up in reverence and bow their heads. Guru Gobind Singh bestowed Guruship on the holy book and made it the timeless Guru of the Sikhs. He said : "The word is the Master now, The song of Nam, the Guru Granth All Sikhs should seek the Master in the word And bow to Guru Granth as my successor". The exposition of the holy word is allowed in the sangat alone. Some times by way of illustration, references from Sikh history are also quoted. Refe- nces to other religions are also made but spiritual 114 atmosphere must be preserved while so doing. In Sikhism, the sovereignty of the Word or Shabad is supreme. Its supremacy was acknow­ ledged even by the Gurus who bowed before it in reverence. The Shabad is the basis of inner life, the inner treasure of wisdom and knowledge. It is synonymous with the eternal wisdom of the Guru and his great personality. The Word is the Guru. In the Guru the light of Divine Word shines. The Sikh must know the importance of the Shabad. "When the initiated mind dives deeper and depeer in to the Word, all mental impurities depart, the wisdom of the Guru dawns on the soul; man attains peace and poise, the divine light blazes in his soul. The unseen and unfathomable is grasped." Thus, from the very begining, the Sikh religion was made congregational. Sitting in the sangat along with other devotees develop humility, love, equa­ lity, fraternity and brotherhood. It is a means of developing a corporate life. A Sikh is not an indi­ vidualist; he has a social and national consciousness. The social anchor of life among Sikhs is provided by the gurdwaras where congregations are held. Gurdwaras are the nucleus of the life of Sikhs, the whole community life revolves around them. The Sikhs draw inspiration from them and have unflinching faith in congregations. Pangat Another institution of utmost importance is 115 pangat or Guru-Ka-Langar. The fundamental teach­ ings of Sikhism lay great stress on earning one's livelihood by honest and hard work, sharing the earnings with the poor and the needy and always remembering the Lord Almighty, the Creator and Destroyer. Guru Nanak said : "He alone treadeth the path of righteousness ; Who earneth his bread with hard labour and shareth it with others, sayeth Nanak." A man should share his earnings with fellow beings with joy and pleasure. Only that which a man willingly gives in charity to the needy in this world out of his honest earnings will benefit his soul in the next. Even the poorest of the poor can share his meals with others. It should be the endeavour of all hu­ man beings to give something to others. Men should give in charity with dignity and pleasure, otherwise charity would lose its significance. Guru Nanak said : "Charity should be dispensed with wisdom." —Sarang "The generous give but a little in charity while demand a thousand-fold return with wordly hono­ ur to boot" —Asa In the religion of service, there is no place for casteism and other evils. All should be treated as

116 equals. Guru Nanak said : "Religion consisteth not in mere words; He who looketh on all men as equal is religious." When a man gives a morsel of bread to the hun­ gry or a shirt piece of cloth to the naked, he worships God. Man's aim should be to serve all human beings, for God can be pleased by serving His creatures. Discipline of service has played a commendable role in the development of the Sikh faith. Service in one form or the other is the duty of every Sikh. The Sikh Gurus made man a worthy being in this world itself instead of promising high rewards in the next. Nymphs are not promised in the future ; rather salvation is assured on the basis of good deeds performed in this world. Sikh institutions • were so developed as to abolish individualism. The Sikh gurdwaras are not merely places of worship and prayers but also serve as training cen­ tres for service to humanity.Serving drinking water to the thirsty, fanning the sangat in summer and serving food to the hungry have always formed an integral part of the functions in a Sikh gurdwara. Sikh langar is attached to almost all the gur­ dwaras. It was Guru Nanak who first raised his voice against tyranny and injustice. He started a crusade against the so-called high classes and sup­ ported (he cause of the low born. All men of God belonging to any race, caste or creed, he said, be- 117 longed to the same community of human beings and should be treated as such. The establishment of langar was a practical step to rid the society of the evils of casteism and ill-treatment of the poor. The caste system was eating into the vitals of the Indian society and the free kitchen laid the foundations of equality, fraternity and brotherhood. All, high and low, sit in a pangat and take food sitting on the floor. How did the langar come into being? Guru Nanak had settled at Kartarpur (Ravi) during the last few years of his worldly life when large num­ bers thronged to him. An institution of langar, free kitchen, was started where food was served to the visitors. These devotees made offerings to the I Guru both in cash and kind. First, Guru Nanak distributed them among the poor and the needy. Then he gave the offerings to his devotees for run­ ning the langar where all dined together sitting on the ground without any distinction of caste, creed, religion or social status. Persons sitting together to eat formed the pangat. Everyone from a prince to a pauper was given the same treatment and was served the same food, prepared in the same kitchen and distributed in the same manner. Bonds of cen­ turies-old caste system were broken. A spirit of sacrifice, service and brotherhood was developed and the langar became a symbol of equality, fra­ ternity id brotherhood. This is both secularism and socialism in the true sense of the word. 118

^^^H^^^H ^^^H^^^H ^^^H^^^H ^^^H^^VI ^^^H^^^H ^^^H^^l The institution of langar inspires the devotees to give away their hard earned money to the cause of their faith and the humanity at large. Guru Nanak exhorted his followers : Kir at Kami, Wand Chhakna te Nam Japna (Earn your living through hard work and labour, share your savings with others and repeat the Name of the Lord). Guru Nanak laid great emphasis on : Ghal khae kichh hathon de Nanak raho pachhannih se —Var S a rang Every follower of the Guru was supposed to contribute liberally for the maintenance and runn­ ing of the langar. This could be done by making offering in cash, kind or doing manual work— cooking, serving and cleaning the utensils. It was a unique example in the history of mankind where people forgot their identity and ate together. Giving apart of one's savings for the commu­ nity's cause in charity in this world is certainly to be rewarded after death which was bound to come one day. Guru Nanak said : Nanak Agai so milai Je Khate, ghale de. — Var Asa * The institution of langar was further strenths- ened by the successors of Guru Nanak. It wag given fillip by each successive Guru. Guru Angad started a langar at Khadur Sahib, the seat of his

119 guruship. His devoted wife Mata Khivi looked after the langar's arrangements and personnally took part in the preparations, herself distributing the meals among the sangat. Khir was added to the langars menu. Guru Amar Das made langar a regular institu­ tion at Goindwal on the bank of river Beas. He enjoined on every visitor to the Guru Ghar to first take his meals in the langar. When Akbar visited Guru Amar Das at Goindwal, he too had to keep the tradition. Out of respect for the Guru, he wal- ked his way to the Guru's residence. He was, how­ ever, informed that he could not have an interview with the Guru unless he had partaken of food from the Guru-ka-langar. The Emperor gladly agreed to sit in the pangat and took his food along with others. Guru Amar Das added another dish Karah Prashad to the menu of the langar. "Nit rasoi teri ai ghio maida khan'"' (Everyday "in your kitchen was served pudding made of ghee, maida and sugar). Langar continued to be served in the times of Guru Ram Das. Guru Arjan and Guru Hargobind. They shifted their seats from Goindwal to Amritsar. Regular visits were paid to the langar by the Guru to ensure cleanliness and other arrangements. The Gurus themselves saw to it that nobody went without taking his meals. One day as Guru Ram Das paid a surprise 120 visit to the langar, a Sikh named Handal was knea­ ding the flour in a huge pan. On seeing the Guru, he rushed to prostrate himself before him, putting his hands covered with wet flour at his back. The Guru was pleased with his devotion and blessed him. In the time of Guru Hargobind, his son Baba Atal was in charge of the I an gar. He supplied food to devotees even in the battlefield. He was so much devoted to this great institution that people started saying "Baba Atal9Pakki Pakai Ghat"(Cook ed food is supplied by Baba Atal to everybody). During the last few years of his life, Guru Hargobind had settled at Kiratpur. One day the Guru asked his Sikhs to bring fuel from the nearby jungle for Guru-Ka-Langar. A rich devotee Jhanda used to come for Guru's darshan every day. He did not come for two days. The Guru sent out his men to know of his whereabouts. He was not at his home. Then he was found coming from the jungle with a bundle of wood on his back. Guru Hargobind reprimanded him for doing this petty job. He replied that the Guru had asked his Sikhs to bring fuel from the jungle. Being a Sikh belie­ ving in the Guru's ideas, he had gone to fetch fuel. As he was not used to hewing wood, it had taken him a good deal of time. During the pontificate of Guru Tegh Bahadur, a langar moved with him wherever he went. Many people look food in it and contributed liberally for 121 running the kitchen. Guru Gobind Singh maintained the tradition and exhorted his Sikhs to run the langar efficiently and with enthusiasm. Thinking that the kitchen was not being run well, the Guru once paid a visit to the kitchen in disguise, and asked for some­ thing to eat. But his request was turned down by the cooks on one pretext or the other. One of them said that prayer must first be offered. When the Guru had received several excuses but nothing to eat in spite of his protestations that he was hungary, he went to Nand Lai begging for his dinner. Nand Lai at once brought forth flour, vege­ tables, salt and ghee, and handed them over to the supposed mendicant who took them and departed. Next day, the Guru told in open court how he had paid a visit in disguise to the kitchen and how he had been treated. The cooks were much ashamed of their behaviour and craved for his forgiveness. He then ordered that every Sikh who came to his door should at once receive food, whether raw or cooked, without any excuse or delay. The Guru continued: 'There is nothing equal to the besto­ wal of food. Blest is the man who giveth to the really hungry. Let no one fix a time for the exercise of this virtue. It is not neccessary to con­ sider whether it is night or day, evening or morn­ ing, whether the moon is dark or full, or if there is a particular anniversary. Nor is it necessary to 122 consider what the social position of the applicant may be. Avoid all delay in such a matter. Charity is of all gifts the greatest, for it saveth life'. Later on, Deg, Teg and Fateh became the slo­ gan and ideal of Sikh life. It means, "serve food, apply sword and gain victory". Thus, we may conclude that the Sikh Gurus ex­ horted their disciples to regard every one as his brother or sister. All human beings are members of one family. All the Gurus proved in practical life how this ideal of the brotherhood of mankind was to be followed, hangar provided a good example of practising this ideal. All Sikhs say in their daily prayers that food and water belong to God and that the desire to serve is the pleasure of the Sikhs. In the words of Prof. Puran Singh : "What is a home but a hospitable feasting of children with bread and love and faith ? What is spritual life in temple of flesh, wilhout a full meal first? The very first temple made by Guru Nanak, therefore, was the Temple of Bread, or Guru's langar. In one common Temple of a Bread, the bread of God was made free to the children of man. Let none be hungry where the spirit of God prevails. The Guru's people and the Guru were one home and one family; but it was no Utopian idea, as of the mod- ren socialism or the democracy of labour; it was the democracy of soul, so gloriously invoked in the temple of the human heart by the genius of the Guru." 123 mmmm

Rituals and Sikhism

In almost all religions of the world, some type of rites, rituals, sacrament and ceremonies are per­ formed through which God, gods and goddesses are worshipped to seek their blessings. Worship is done everywhere by people whether sitting in homes, shops, places of business or temples. These are the riles which people perform to please the Divine Power to get peace and happiness in this world or to seek salvation in the next. These rites form the organised mode of worship. Ritualism in religion has come Lo us through the ages. Rites and ceremonies are valuable to the extent they remind the people of their relation with God. One ritual can be as good as another provid­ ed the object worshipped is Divine Reality and the relation between the object and the symbol is crystal clear. In ancient times, the priestly class encouraged ritualism and went to the extent of instilling fear mong people, saying that if such and such ceremony 124 was not performed it would bring the wrath of God. On account of this the hold of priests ovei people increased tremendously. In the primitive society, priests were known as magicians and were said to have possessed certain miraculous powers. They combined purification with sacrifice. People were asked to make sacrifices to escape the curse of God, gods and goddesses. The magic performed by priests is said to have brought fortune to people. It could bring rain for good crops, ward off natural calamities and even help defeat the enemy. Thus the primitive man's religion was based on occult powers and magic and rituals were part of it. Then came Vedic age. New gods and goddesses came into existence which were worshipped by the people in order to seek salvation. These gods were Indra, Surya, Agni and Usha. They were invoked to bestow gifts, such as prosperity, long life and happiness. Hymns were chanted to please them to seek their blessings. Although people's attitude towards worship changed, the custom of making sacrifices continued iinabatedly. Prayers too were like magic tricks which impelled the deity to do as the devotee desired. Hymns recited on the occas- sion of sacrifices were preserved' as charms and were supposed to bring victory in war, prosperity and happiness in life. Then developed another class of brahmins. In the early Aryan society, they became the most 125 dominant and influential class. Kings and Rajas sought the blessings of brahmins in the performance of various functions of the State. Havans and yagnas were performed with the help of brahmins to seek blessings of God. The brahmins were supposed to be learned peo­ ple. They were required to perform religious ser­ vices; they also imparted education to the people. They were respected for their piety and simplicity But with the passage of time people started offering them costly gifts; Rajas specially loaded them with wealth and treasures. They became the privileged class and began to exploit the innocent and igno­ rant people engrossed in superstitions. They I led luxurious lives in the name of religion and service to the people. They became corrupt with money and the prestige they commanded. They preached performance of rituals for the emancipa­ tion of soul and brahmins became an institution and occupied the place of religion. Worship was turned into mechanical performance of rituals. They exploited the Hindu society so much and organised the religious aspect of social system to such an extent that from birth to death service of brahmins became indispensable. Ceremony at the time of a child's birth, mundan ceremony, wearing of holy thread and other ceremonies concerning marriages had to be performed and at the time of 126 death the brahmin was required to peiform one or the other ritual. With the advent of Islam in India, there was intermingling of cultures. Two streams of culture began to develop parallel to each other. Islam could not be absorbed in the mainstream of Hindu­ ism. The brahmin found his counterpart in the mull a, who was also considered a noble and privi­ leged person. He was patronised by the rulers. The mullas too accumulated wealth and riches and were exploiting the rich by creating fear in them about the day of destiny when everybody would have to give an account of his deeds. This fear lurked in the minds of the people and they followed the dictates of the mullas without questioning. Before the birth of Guru Nanak, besides the brahmins and the mullas, several hundred yogis, fakirs and sidhs wandered from place to place wearing typical garbs denoting symbols of austerity. They roamed from one end of the country to ano­ ther, carrying with them their staffs, rosaries and their pipes of hemp; they smeared their bodies with ashes and painted their heads with frontal marks, They preached asceticism and mortifica­ tion of the flesh which were supposed to endow the practitioners with miraculous powers. With the passage of time, there came in them moral degradation and their values were decayed. They started indulging in immoral practices. In a 127 way, they looted the people and extracted money from them. The innocent people worshipped them like gods for fear of their curse. If any per­ son did not serve them well they gave him sarap (curse) and those who entertained them in a royal manner were given vars (blessings). They had considerable hold on the people and dominated the religious life of the people. When Guru Nanak was born, people were igno­ rant, backward and deeply steeped in superstition. Huge sums were spent on fruitless ceremonies even if a person could not afford their cost or was barely making both ends meet. It was a life of blind conventionalism which led to hypocrisy and mam­ mon worship. The spirit of both Islam and Hinduism found expression in a number of mea­ ningless formalities, and extraneous observances. Formalities reigned supreme. Alchemy and thau- maturgy were freely professed and incantations and spells practised. In short, people in the country were hopelessly divided. Sunk low in the depths of ignorance and superstition they had become spiritual slaves. The caste system had become rigid under the influence of brahmanic revival. It was considered a horrible sin for a sudra to hear Vedic hymns and this could be punished by pouring molten lead into his ears. Nature had forever settled a person into the caste he was born, and he was bound to it for life'with- out any regard to his poverty or riches, talents, character or skill. Human dignity and feelings were bound in separate castes. In the words of Sir Gokal Chand Narang ; "popular religion about the time of Nanak's birth was confined to peculiar forms of eating and drinking, peculiar ways of bathing and painting the forehead and other such mechanical observances. The worship of idols, wherever they were permitted to exist, pilgrimages to the Ganges and other sac­ red places, whenever they were allowed, the obser­ vance of certain ceremonies like the marital and funeral rites, the obedience to the mandates of the brahmins and lavishing charitable gifts upon them constituted almost the whole of Hinduism as it was then current among the masses". Thousands of gods and goddesses came into existence and their following increased tremendou­ sly. A sort of rivalry was created among them and a competition developed as to who was the superior among gods. As far as the common mass of Muslims were concerned, they were no better than the Hindus. They were ignorant of their religion and teachings of Islam were unknown to them. Mullas and qazis who professed the knowledge of the tenets of Islam were in reality ignorant of Shariat. They were fast degenerating. The ideal to worship one God was preached by 129 Prophet Mohammad but in actual practice most of the Muslims worshipped pirs, fakirs and graves. The teachings of holy Quran were altogether forgotten. They were promised beautiful nymphs in heaven. Such liberal promises of future happi­ ness were enough to attract them to follow the teaching of pirs and fakirs. People had thus lost their moorings. Moral standards were completely forsaken and religion had lost its sanctity. Guru Nanak found himself in a precarious situ­ ation when he started preaching the Name of God. He strongly condemned ritualism and idolatry as also the priestly class. He told people to discard age-old ceremonies having no relevance to reality. He was opposed to superstitious type of worship of God. It was not the way a person worshipped the Almighty that was important but the sincerity of purpose. Even at a very early stage in his life, when Guru Nanak was asked to wear the sacred thread by the priest, he told him : "Out of the cotton of mercy spin the thread of contentment, The knots of continence, Give it a twist of righteousness. O, priest, put around me such a thread If thou hast it. Var Asa Guru Nanak laid emphasis on ethical living and spi­ ritual experience. He tried his best to wean people 130 away from ' all the impediments and formalities which stood in the way of purity of true religion. Ethics was regarded as the basis of all religious beliefs, He told people that spiritual awareness could not be attained without noble actions, piety and truthful living. To keep the purity of religion Guru Nanak had to wage war against the forces of conservatism, or­ thodoxy, ignorance and superstition. He attacked the citadel of brahmins, mullas and yogis and fought against the cults of the priestly class. He infused the spirit of true worship among the people at large, and rid them of the apathy of weariness of the spirit. He tore apart the veil cf falsehoold and brought people face to face with truth and reality: He exposed the futility of useless and meaningless ceremonies and rituals and also claims made by the brahmins for the salvation of human beings. His task consisted of weaning people away from the worship of idols and images and leading them to worship only one God who was the Creator and the Destroyer. He fought against hypocrisy, supersti­ tion, forms and ceremonies and showed people the true path of worship for their emancipation. The Guru told the brahmins : "O brahmin, make God the image of Thy worship And right living the necklace of tulsi, sit in the boat of 131 God's Name and pray O merciful Lord, be merciful to me." —Rag Basant Guru Nanak also explained the essentials of a true Muslim. He said : "It is far too easy to call oneself a Muslim But far too difficult to become one He who believes firmly in his faith Has a right to be called a Muslim." —Var Majh To the sanyasis and bairagis, Guru Nanak had the following advice to give : "Ye colour thy clothes to adopt the garb of the order And ye seem to wear a surplice of worn out clothes and a good sound bag to receive ablution Ye go begging from door to door, without be­ ing humble And ye assume the role of teachers of the world. Thus, ye, O blind fellows, lose all honour and respect Lost in absurd superstition, ye comprehend not the word And thereby gamble away the souls for a mere trifle. —Rag Maru To the yogis, Guru Nanak said : ''Yoga is neither a patched coat, nor in the yogi's sraff, nor in ashes Smeared on the body, nor in the ear rings, nor in shaven head, nor in blowing of the horns Abide in the pure amidst the impurities of life and yet remaineth spotless." —Rag Suhi About going on pilgrimages and washing sins in the holy rivers, Guru Nanak said : "The more places of pilgrimage one visits The more one puts on garbs the more one suffers.55 Asa-di-Var Guru Nanak vehmently condemned idol worship. To him it was a futile attempt to attain salvation. He said : "One worshipeth gods and goddesses But what can one get out of them? One washeth the stone gods with water They sink themselves ; how can they ^H ferry one across] * ? —Sorath Instead of worshipping stones and image, Guru Nanak asked them to remember His Name only : He said ; "I shall never fall a prey to doubt And shall never worship anyone else but God *i

Mantras and incantations have no place in Sikhism. Guru Nanak decried them outrightly. "I have no faith in tantras and mantras My mind is only absorbed in the Loid

133 Who resides in my heart." —Suhi MI Havanas and yagnas do not find any place in Sikh­ ism. Guru Arjan said : "Havanas, yagnas pilgrimage to holy places are performed But they all lead to ego and other vices —Gauri MV All the sacraments were rejected in Sikhism. Guru Amar Das said : "So many ceremonies are perpformed, But without the Name of the Lord They are but woe and egoism." —Gauri M III Guru Gobind Singh, the tenth Master, too conde­ mned idol worship. He said : "Some worship stones and put them on their heads, Some suspend lingams from their necks; Some see God in the south, Some bow their heads to the west, Some ignorant people worship idols. Others worship the dead, The whole world is engrossed in futile ceremonies Hath not found the secret of the Lord. —Akal Us tat Guru Gobind Singh said again ; Some believe in the images of Vishnu, 134 Others call Shiva their Lord. Some consider His abode in the temple Others believe He lives in a mosque Some call him Rama, some Krishna, Some accept the incarnations as God. Abandoning all these ways, I only believe in the Creator who hath created all of them." Sawayyas (12) Thus, in the Sikh religion, there is no place for rituals and rites. Guru Nanak exhorted people to bring about simplicity in religion. Sikhism does not believe in vars (blessings) or saraps (curses). When Guru Nanak visited Jagannath Puri, he did not perform the arti because earthen lamps were lighted in thalis and incense and flowers were offered.The Guru sang a hymn and gave a new form of arti. He said : The entire sky is the salver, The moon and sun are the lamps. The luminous stars are studded in it like jewels, The winds waft the scent of all the flowers on earth The incense is the scent of the sandalwood on the mountain Thus is His worship performed. •> 5 Rag Dhansari Such form of worship was advocated by Guru Nanak. In Sikhism there is no place for symbols, 135

* rituals and pilgrimages to holy places. Guru Nanak diverted people's attention from the formal and outer side of religion and laid emphasis on the in­ ner life through ethical living. In short, Guru Nanak and his successors laid great stress on the essential inwardness of true reli­ gion. For the Sikh Gurus, rituals were meaningless. What mattered was the purity of mind and since­ rity of purpose, and worship which lacked such qualities was mechanical in nature and thus futile. The Guru said : "Burnt be those rituals and formalities That make me forget my Beloved Lord." Guru Nanak's faith can be summarised in his hymn : "As the lotus remaineth detached in water or as the duck in the stream, So doth one cross the ocean of life by meditating and ensuring the Lord in his heart." —Sidh Gosht Again Guru Nanak said ; "What all these rituals are worth? If the heart is not pure." Only simple ceremonies are performed by Sikhs on different occasions. All these ceremonies are of common nature. They remind us of the truth and reality and the relation of man with God, They are means to an end which is union of soul with the Lord.

136 The Five Symbols

It was March 30, 1699. The most significant and memorable day in the history of the Sikhs. A large number of Sikhs from all parts of the country had assembled at Anandpur at the call of Guru Gobind Singh. A new order of Khalsa was created on this auspicious day. Five Sikhs offered themsel- evs to the Guru when he baptised them the next day on the first of Baisakh B.S. 1756. The creation of Khalsa was a natural sequence to and culmination of all that had happened before in the develop­ ment of Sikh religion. Guru Nanak preached bro­ therly love for all human beings and remembering the Name of One Supreme Being, the Creator—all powerful, pervading and omnipersent. He explain­ ed in simple language the basic ideals of life and the concept of God and the Guru. He made it clear that man and universe were indivisible. He asked people to shun rituals as by good deeds alone man could attain salvation. It was not necessary to renounce home or practise asceticisnr.God could

137 be remembered all the time. Guru Gobind Singh, the tenth Master, applied these teachings in his own life. He was deeply devo­ ted to God's Name and bestowed unstinted love on his followers. He was like father to his Sikhs, their king and Guru who felt the need for binding the Sikhs into a family of brothers and sisters. He dec­ lared:"! wish you ali embrace one creed and follow one path, obliterating all difference of religion. Let the four castes, which have separate rules of con­ duct abandon them altogether, adopt the way of cooperation and mix freely with one another. Let no one deem him-self superior to the other. Do not follow the other. Do no. follow the old .scriptures. Let none pay heed to the Ganges and other places of pilgrimage which are considered holy in the Hindu religion, or adore the Hindu deities, but all should believe in Guru Nanak and his successors. Let men of the four castes receive my baptism, eat out of the same vessel and feel no disgust or con­ tempt for one another." The Guru's baptism was the rebirth of the whole Sikh people, with their solidarity and bro­ therhood affirmed and established for all time. The Guru said : "The manner of initiation in the past has been for the disciples to drink the water which the Guru had touched with his toe. It developed humility. But times have changed. Now bravery and skill in arms are needed for the defence 138 of the faith and the nation, which from today will be called the Khalsa Panth. Now, I shall substitute Char an Pahul with Khande-Ka-Amrit, the system of baptism by water which has been stirred with the double-edged sword. This nectar with steel, the Divine word, and my spirit dissolved in it, shall work a miraculous change in those who partake of it. They shall shed all weakness and become brave as lions. They shall call themselves not mere Sikhs or disciples, but also Singhs or lions. They will be as brave as, nay, braver than the Rajputs whose names also end in Singh. I shall transform jackals into lions. All castes are equally welcome, for I want all castes to disappear and weld them­ selves into a single brotherhood where the lowest is equal to the highest." After the Guru's address, the five beloved ones, who had offered themselves for sacrifice a day before, stood in a queue. The Guru put some pure water in an iron pan, siirred it, with a double-edged sword and recited hymns from the holy Granth, Japji, Anand, Jap, ten Sawayyas and Chaupayas. When the Guru was still stirring the water, Mata Sahib Dewan, the mother of the Khalsa came with some sugar crystals which the Guru put into the vessel. This meant that the Guru's Sikhs were blessed not only with valour and courage but also with sweetness. The Guru then stood before the five beloved ones with the iron pan in his hand showering Amrit

139 on their face one by one, asked them to say loudly Wah-i-Guru-Ji Ka Khalsa; Wahi-i-Guru Ji Ki Fateh (The Khalsa belongs to God—Victory to God). He then gave them five handfuls of Amrit to drink from the same vessel to create the spirit of oneness and brotherhood. After the ceremony, the Guru himself requested the five beloveds with folded hands to initiate him in the same manner as they had been initiated by him. The Guru emphasised that the new order was created under the orders of the Lord. There would be no high or low from that day. Those who accep­ ted this would be the Guru and the Guru, the Khal­ sa. There would be no difference between the two. The Guru was initiated and now they mingled into one. They were the Khalsa of the Guru. The Guru ordered that all Sikhs should be bapt- sed. They were told to wear the five K's namely, Kesh (long hair), Kanga (comb), Kachcha under­ wear), Kara (iron bangle) and Kripan (Sword). They were to be called Singhs or lions; Kaur was to be affixed at the end of the names of women. The Sikhs were to negate all divisions of caste, creed or colour. They were to serve all human be­ ings with love and selfness and strive for realising perfect Divine unity, both for their own salvation and for others. Thus, the Guru abolished ail customs and castes belief, rituals and superstitions of the Hindus and 140 welded his followers in to a single brotherhood. No one was to be superior or inferior to the other. Men of all castes were to eat out of the same bowl. This brotherhood in faith was also to be a brother­ hood in arms. The Sikhs were further ordained to worship one God and to repeat the prayer and meditate on God's Name every day. The Sikh must discard his former caste and should not perform the old rites and ceremonies. He must not commit any of the four misdeeds or Kurahats—shaving or trimming the hair, eating meat of animals killed in Muslim style, smoking tobacco or taking intoxicants, committing adultery or living immorally. He must contribute one-tenth of his income, earned honestly with his hard labour, for the spread of his religion. He must serve the sangat, without expecting any reward whatsoever. He must defend the weak, the poor and the women and fight for justice and freedom of worship. In the end, the Guru ordained his Sikhs to fulfil his spiritual obligations. He said ; "He who repeateth night and day the Name of God, who hath full love and confidence in Him ; who giveth not even a moment's thought except 141 On Lord. He who adorneth himself with perfect Love and faith and putteth not his trust in fasts, tombs, crematoriums and hermitages even by mistake. In pilgrimages, in charities, in acts of mercy, in austerities and in self-restraints knoweth none save him. When light shineth within him, then a man may be deemed a pure Khalsa. »J 33 Sawayyas I The Sikh symbols were not conceived in a spirit of exclusiveness, they were made to serve as an aid to preservation of corporate life of the commu­ nity ; anyone who wants to save humanity through the Sikh Panth can wear them. It is possible for a person to love God and cultivate his individual soul without wearing these symbols, but if he wants to work in a systematic way not only for his own spiritual advancement but for the welfare of others as well in the company of the Sikhs he must wear these symbols. The Sikhs, who are saint-soldiers of Guru Gobind Singh and whose religion is surcharged with the Guru's dominating personality, find the forms and symbols ordained by him a real help in playing their part as a corporate unit—the Panthic organisation. 142 The baptismal forms, with the accompanying vows, have helped the Sikhs to remain united and keep their ideals unsullied even in times of the greatest trials and tribulations. While keeping the Sikhs associated with the Guru and maintaining his spirit among them, these symbols have not produced any narrowing effect on their beliefs and modes of worship. On the other hand, changes for the worse have always synchronised with lack of insistence on baptismal vows. In such times, the Sikhs lost their identity as Sikhs had become superstitious about God and in their beliefs. With baptismal vows, they again started believing that God is one and there is no prayer more pleasing to him than soulful singing of the Guru's hymns. The five K's are the symbols of Sikh indivi­ duality. If they do not wear the five K's, their revolutionary zeal will disappear—the spirit which saved Hinduism from extinction during those stormy days of the Mughal rule. They gave strength to the Sikhs to bear the brunt of the wrath of tyrannical rulers and helped them uproot the foundations of the Mughal empire. The five K's are the symbol of Sikh solidarity, unity and strength. Through these they develop and maintain their association with the Guru. Sikhs believe that as is God so is the Guru and so must be the follower. Hence the essentiality for a Sikh to conform to the rules of conduct laid down by 143 the Guru. They were devised for the preservation of the community and anybody who likes to save his fellow-beings or the Guru through the Panth is expected to conform to the requirement of five K's. The social significance of the symbols arises from the Sikh spiritual ideal, which comprehends the secular as well as the spiritual good. "Comfor­ table in this world and easy in hereafter. The Lord Himself will accept you in His Grace." It is amply demonstrated through the centuries that spiritua­ lity crumbled under pressure of force and coercion and discipline was able to combat force. But the force that the spiritual fraternity would employ, would be superior to that of aggression in many respects ; it will be physically superior ; it will be better organised on a moral basis and it will be restrained by a consciously accepted discipline from operating beyond the limits of subserving the spiritual aim . For all well-established and sound organisa­ tions, an outward visible form is needed. That the community of outward form bestows upon a group of individuals greater strength by promoting among them a sense of unity is universally recognised. The Sikh symbols constitute the uniform of the Khalsa fraternity which is wedded to the idea of struggle for the attainment of goodness and justice, 144 for the promotion of spiritual aim of the merging of the individual self into the universal spirit. This outward uniform promoted social cohesion and yielded considerable organisational advantages. Taken individually, the symbols have great significance, for they represent, outwardly, the qualities which a Sikh should cultivate inwardly. By keeping them on his person a Sikh is helped in his resolve to cultivate them in his soul. Taken collectively, the five K's are as a common denomi­ nator binding the Sikhs together into a brother­ hood of the people all striving to reach the same religious objectives. By wearing the symbols, the Sikhs all resemble their Master and they also resemble each other as brothers of the same family. The symbols also serve the purpose of a uniform, which is the basic element for infusing the spirit of oneness and of purpose in any well-organised army. Keshas (hair) Now we come to the necessity, significance and description of each K. The first and foremost importance is of keshas. This fact is fully borne out by Sikh tradition. Being nature's gift preser­ vation of keshas gives their wearer a look of sagacity, scholarship, bravery and manliness. With keshas man looks like a lion and thunders like him. The custom of keeping long and unshorn hair is, therefore, among the most cherished and dis- 145 tinctive signs of an individual's membership of Khalsa brotherhood. At the time of baptism the Sikh is impressed upon to keep the hair unshorn. The keshas have spiritual significance, too. They have a spiritual value though this value can­ not be measured in concrete terms. That is why keshas were held in high veneration in ancient times.Rishis, munis, yogis and saints and other men of knowledge preserved their keshas because they were a symbol of spirituality. This view also is supported by scriptures. Valmiki Ramayana states that one should always endeavour to have long and black hair. Numerous verses in Bhagvad Gita and Manu Samriti explain that the cutting of human hair was considered a great insult, it was also the punishment awarded for committing serious crimes. Prophet Mohammed also kept and adored long unshorn hair. In the holy Quran he had ordained his disciples to abstain from shaving to complete their Haj and to receive the Grace of God. Like the Quran the Hebrew scriptures also forbid the shaving of human hair. Jesus Christ too preserved long hair. The holy Bible says that when Jesus was presented before a judge, the latter said that the hair and beard of Jesus signify his greatness but he was bound to punish him as Christ had vio­ lated the rules of society. Lord Buddha also supported the practice of keeping long hair : 146 "What harm have your hair done ? Cut away your misdeeds and sins instead." Keshas continued to be a symbol of spirituality for many hundred years. But for Sikhs they are of spiritual value mainly because of their association with the Sikh Gurus. Guru Nanak, the founder of Sikh faith, wore long hair. All his successors did likewise. When Bhai Nand Lai met Guru Hari Rai, the seventh Master, he is said to have declared : "At first do not cut the hair." Like his predecessors, the tenth Master, Guru Gobind Singh kept long hair and beard. He was an undisputed spiritual guide and his dominating personality always signified his spirituality. In order to follow him in character and in spirit, his followers realised that it would be easier for them to emulate the qualities of the great Guru if they could begin by looking like their Guru. Being in the image of the Guru would certainly have its spiritual impact on them. Therefore, in making the wearing of long hair one of the conditions for those taking the baptismal initiation of amrit, the Guru was causing them to take the first step in a general spiritual regeneration. With the creation of Khalsa, the spiritual im­ pact of long hair for Sikhs became so great that they began to prefer death to the sacrifice of their hair. Among those who sacrificed their lives for 147 preserving their hair are Bhai Mani Singh, Bhai Taru Singh, Bhai Mati Das and Bhai Dayala. They are among the hundreds of devout Sikhs who laid down their lives to preserve the sanctity of their

4 hair. There is a social aspect of keeping long hair, too. For all remarkable organisations some form of external symbols is indispensable. Existence of some outward visible form promotes a sense of unity and consequently greater strength is ensured among the members of the organisation. Keeping of long unshorn hair has promoted social cohesion and has yielded considerable or­ ganisational advantages amongst the Sikhs. Various episodes of Sikhs history clearly prove of this state­ ment. History also bears testimony to the fact that Sikhism flourised even under adverse circum­ stances when the Keshas were strictly preserved by the Sikhs. So, in a way promotion of social harmony and organisational efficiency is a strong argument in favour of keeping long hair. The Keshas are also of utmost importance for all Sikhs from the psychological point of view. Un­ shorn hair, including untrimmed beards, make Sikhs a very conspicuous people because of their appealing appearance. A turbaned Sikh can be easily spotted in a multitude of people. Kanga (comb) The second K which every Sikh must wear is Kanga 148 (comb). It is required tor keeping the hair clean and tidy. It grooms the hair, keeps the knot firmly in place and symbolises the discipline of the mind. By keeping the comb a Sikh is reminded to keep his mind under control so that his thoughts do not wander aimlessly and the mind remains orderly and disciplined. The spirit through intuition should rule the intellect and the intellect should rule the emotions. The Keshas and the Kanga thus form a unitary pair or symbols, each evoking the meaning of the other and their mutual association explains the full meaning of Keshas as distinct from lata. The Jata like the shaven head symbolises renunciation of social citizenship ; Keshas and Kanga symbolise its orderly assumption. Kara (steel bangle) The steel bangle binds the Sikh with a strong un­ breakable link to his faith, to the Khalsa and his brother Sikhs. The complete unbroken circle symbolises the unbroken continuity of existence. Life is not something which began in the past, exists for a while and ends at some time in the future. The spiritual reality of life exists continu­ ously, free of both time and space. All appearances are subject to change, but change is only on the surface, like ripples on the sea. No point on the circumference of a circle can be called the beginn­ ing or end of it, so by wearing the Kara the Sikh 149 is reminded to cultivate in himself the awareness of immortality and timelessness. Steel is symbolic of strength yet resilient under stress. In the same way, human soul must become as strong and un­ breakable as steel which has been tempered in the furance. Thus Kara is a chakra which in ancient religi­ ous lore is accepted as the symbol of dharma. The words Dharma chakra and Chakravati raja, the monarch who discharges his duties of government efficiently and diligently, signify chakra. The kara keeps a Sikh reminded of his double duty, to strive for attainment of spiritual aspirations and to be a useful and law-abiding citizen. Kirpan (sword) The kirpan (sword) and kara (bangle) can be taken together. The steel bangle imparts the same orderly control over the sword as the kanga does over the keshas. % The kirpan is symbolic of three main featu­ res—cutting the avidya to separate the transient individual self from the immortal universal self; preference for open combat as against secret attack for which straight pointed blade is employed ; and declaration of sovereignty over oneself which non- acceptance of restriction on wearing of arms implies. The sword is also a symbol of freedom from oppression and servility. Its obvious meaning was 150 for self-defence and individual freedom and self- respect embodied in the right to bear arms. The deeper spiritual meaning of the Kir pan is that it is symbolic of l! triumph of transcendental know­ ledge over ignorance and darkness. The sword, in the mind, cuts at the roots of ignorance, evil and worldly attachment and destroys them utterly. Guru Gobind Singh himself worshipped the sword. He said ; "Eternal God, Thou art our shield, The dagger, knife, the sword we wield, To us Protector that is given, The Timeless, deathless, Lord of heaven; To us all—steel's unvanquished might, To us all—time's resistless flight But chiefly Thou, Protector of biave, All steel, wilt, Thine own servants save." Aha I list at He has justified the use of sword for the piotec- tion of dhanna when all other methods of peaceful negotiations fail for seeking justice. He said : Cu Kar az hama hilate dar guzast halal ast burdan ba samsir dast. This means thai when all avenues have been explo­ red, all means tried, it is rightful to draw the sword out of (he scabbard and wield it with your hand. Kachcha (underwear) By adopting the small und rwear, it was intended to ymboli: the spiritual and m tital breakaway 151 from traditional dress and thought. The mind was to be freed from the bonds of superstition and the Sikhs were thus to be released from immature and effeminate submissiveness. They were destined to become mature, solid, brave and courageous soldi­ ers. They were to be self-controlled, chaste and chivalrous. In short, kachcha is an agent of restraint like the Kanga and the Kara.. It is a symbol signifying manly reserve in commitment to the procreative world as against renouncing it. Thus, the primary meaning of the five symbols, the significance of which has been explained above lies in the ritual combination of two different forces. The long hair and the sword express the first aspect. They a^e assertive of forceful human potentialities. The comb, the bangle and the under­ wear express the second aspect, that is, of moral constraint and discrimination. The aspect of asser­ tion and the constraint jointly produce what is called a spirit of affirmation which is a major characteristic of the Sikhs.

• y Six

Salient Features of a Sikh Shrine

The Sikh shrine is called a gurdwara or the house of the Guru where the Guru himself resides. According to Sikhism, a Sikh can perform his prayer to God any time and anywhere he likes. A gurdwara is built for congregation. Even a few people living at a particular place anywhere in the world can construct a gurdwara for performing religious ceremonies. The building of the gurdwara may be big or small, even as simple as a temporary shack, depending on the resources of the devotees. Every true Sikh is expected to get up early in the morning and, after taking bath, he should recite Japji of Guru Nanak, Jap Sahib and the ten Sawayyas of Guru Gobind Singh in the morning, and Rehiras containing nine hymns from Sri Guru Granth Sahib, a Chaupai of Guru Gobind Singh and 6 stanzas from the Anand, the first five and the last one, in the evening. At night, before a 153 I Sikh goes to bed he should recite Sohila. A Sikh is required to attend gurdwara as a part of his daily routine. Regular congregations, atten­ ded by thousands of devotees are held in the gurdwara. As the Guru is manifested in sangat, a Sikh is ordained to join the worship in a congregation, performed in the gurdwara. Daily Sri Guru Granth Sahib is opened with great respect and closed in the evening after the evening prayers are over. Great respect is shown while opening, reading or closing the holy book. It is kept in clean and beautiful cloth and is always opened under a can . A whisk is also kept at hand for being waved over it. When the holy book is c rried f n one place > another, all stand up in rev ence and bow their heads before it. Sri Guru Granth Sahib is to be adored by all. The exposition of the holy Word is allowed in the gurdwara alone. Sometimes, by way of illu­ stration, referenc s from Sikh history are quoted. References to other religions can also be made but the spiritual atmosphere must be preserved. Strict guidelines are given to speakers enjoining upon them to give due respect to others and not to make ny uncharitable refe; nces to them. The great respect shown to Sri Guru Granth Sahib in the gurdwara giv ; some people the impre m that Sikhs wo -hip their holy book, 154 This is absolutely incorrect. Sikhs are enjoined to worship nothing but the Name of the Lord. They may give respect to any one worthy of praise and possessing good qualities, but worship is due to God alone. Foreigners especially, misunderstand the Sikhs in this respect. This is because their own way of saluting their holy book—The Bible—is different, they kiss it. It is not idolatry as long as the book is not given the place of God. In Sikhism, the greatest respect is paid to the Word. The sovereignty of the Word or Shabad is supreme. Its supremacy was acknowledged even by the Gurus who bowed before it in reverence. The Shabad is the basis of inner life, the inner trea­ sure of wisdom and knowledge. The Shabad is synonymous with the eternal wisdom of the Guru and his great personality. The Word is the Guru. In the Guru the light of the Divine Word shines. The Sikh must know the importance of the Shabad. When the initiated mind dives deeper and deeper into the Word, all mental impurities depart, the wisdom of the Guru dawns, on the soul ; man attains peace and poise, the divine light blazes in his soul. The unseen and the unfathomable is grasped. In the gurdwaras, it is considered superstitious to ring bells, burn incense, and light ghee lamps and wave them before the holy book in the form oiarti. The pressing of walls of the gurdwava is 155 not permitted. Nobody should bow his head before huge platforms. The devotees should not conse­ crate water by placing it before the holy book. No images should be introduced in worship. No other book, however sacred and revered, is to be installed in a gurdwara in the form in which Sri Guru Granth Sahib is placed. No cere­ mony other than the Sikh ceremonies is to be performed in the gurdwara. Before the holy book is removed from one place to another, a brief prayer is offered. All the people present must stand with folded hands and when the holy book is opened for the first time in the early hours of the morning, a passage from the book is read out ; it is called Vak. The gurdwara can be visited by any person, without distinction of religion, caste or creed. There is no restriction on anyone's entrance to the gurdwara. However, he is expected to put off his shoes, wash his feet and cover his head. A visitor after bowing his head before the holy book, perform parkarma ; circumambulation of the plat­ form on which Sri Guru Granth Sahib is installed. One has to remain on the left of the holy book while performing parkarma. No intoxicants are allowed inside the gurdwara. The first thing a devotee does on entering the gurdwara is to bow before the Granth Sahib and then, standing up with folded hands and head 156 down, he salutes the congregation with the cry of Wahi-Guruji ka Khalsa, Wahi-Guruji Ki Fateh. In the gurdwara, devotees sit on the durris spread on the floor irrespective of their status, high or low. No distinction is made between man and man or between Sikh and non-Sikh. No extra­ ordinary respect is given to any individual by providing him a special seat, a cushion or a carpet. Women are not expected to be veiled while sitting in the gurdwara. On each gurdwara is unfurled a flag, yellow or dark blue in colour, surmounted with a double- edged sword. This flag is an indication, even from a distance, of the location of a gurdwara. When all the devotees are seated in the gur­ dwara, a kirtan is performed in which ragis sing hymns composed by the Gurus, Bhai Gurdas and Bhai Nand Lai. The devotees listen to the kirhin with rapt attention, some closing their eyes which indicates their concentration on the theme of the kirtan, Occasionally, sounds of Sat nam Sri wahi- guru come from the sangat. There prevails in the gurdwara an atmosphere of complete peace and tranquillity. Devotees often repeat Dhan Baba Nanak, which means "Guru Nanak is great." After the kirtan is over, Anand Sahib is read out. When the congregation assembles, the holy book must be kept open, but covered with a beautiful scarf with someone sitting before it. 157 After this, the prayer is offered and a passage from Sri Guru Granth Sahib is read out. This is read as a whole ; after that Karah prashad is distri­ buted. In order to remove untouchability, discourage caste system and maintain social equality, Guru Nanak started the practice of distri­ buting karah prasad among the devotees who gathered to hear his sermons. The practice is continued in all the gurdwaras. Karah prashad is a sort of pudding, prepared with atta, sugar, ghee and water in the prescribed manner. When distri­ buted in a gurdwara it is taken by all without any distinction of caste or creed. It is first stirred with a kirpan and then a portion of it is distributed among the five beloved ones, who are known to heve taken baptismal vows. Some quantity is also placed under the Granth Sahib The rest is distri- bu^d among the devotees. Prayer is regularly offered in all the gurdwaras, even in houses, many a time. No ceremony is complete without offering prayer. Even at the opening ceremony of a new business premises or at the time of occupying a new house, prayer is offered. It is also offered while proceeding on a journey, or before under­ taking a routine job. No priest is required for offering the prayer. Anybody, man or woman, young or old, can lead a prayer. The Sikh prayer is not the composition of any 158 one person, nor was it composed on a single occa­ sion. The entire Sikh community has been working on it for a number of years. The custom of offering prayers dates back to the birth of Sikhism. But by the time of Guru Hargobind, the sixth Master, it became a practice to offer prayer at congre­ gations. By this time, many places of worship had come up and Sri Guru Granth Sahib was installed there. New additions were made to the prayer from time to time. By the time of Guru Gobind Singh, it had taken a definite shape. The prayer at present consists of six lines of verse composed by Guru Gobind Singh, in which God and the first nine Gurus are invoked. Lines 7 to 25 in ryhthmic prose, composed by many Sikhs during a long period of time, speak of happenings in their history which had left everlasting impres­ sion on their minds. The Sikhs even today have a right to add or mould this portion of the prayer. Any difficulties or hardships of the community can be referred to in the prayer. The main body of the composition of the prayer, except for addition or deletion of few words here and there, depends entirely upon the person offering the prayer. However, in no case, the first seven and the last two lines can be altered or omitted. In other lines changes can be made. The Sikh, while offering prayer is always made to realise that he is a part and parcel of the corpo- 159 rate body called the Khalsa Panth whose past was glorious and whose present history is replete with sacrifices. The Sikh prayer begins with an invocation of God, and then different souls are invoked in order of precedence. The highest ideal of godliness was realised by the founder of the faith, Guru Nanak, and his nine successors. This is why they are mentioned next. Then, the five beloved ones, the Guru's sons, who were martyred at the altar of dharma. After that comes reference to other great men and women who bore arms and practised charity and suffered for the cause of the Panth. Inspite of hardships and sufferings their faith remained undaunted. After bringing before their vision the mighty and heroic deeds of their predecessors, the Sikhs think of their present conditions, their sacred shrines, their associations, their choirs moving rightly round the Golden Temple, their flags and their mansions which remind the community of their glorious heritage and invoke blessings on them. After this comes the proper prayer. One can freely express oneself in it. The prayer comes down from the days of conflict with the Muslim rulers in which the Sikhs suffered martyrdom and many hardships. All these are recounted in the prayer but there is no trace of bitterness or revenge. The 160 enemy is not even cu d ; on the other hand, wel­ fare of hun D bein< is desired. When the prayer is offered, all present stand up with folded hands. It is said by a priest or any other person. The Prayer : Ode to the Deity by the Tenth King 1. Having first remembered God the Almighty, think of Guru Nanak ; 2. Then of Angad Guru and Amar Das and Ram Das ; may they help us ! 3. Remember Arjan, Hargobind and the holy Hari Rai, 4. Let us think of the holy Hari Krishan whose sight dispels all sorrow. 5. Let us remember Tegh Bahadur, and the nine treasures shall come hastening to our homes. 6. May they all assist us everywhere ! 7. May the Tenth King, the holy Guru Gobind Singh the protector of the faith, assist us everywhere ! 8. Turn your thoughts, O Khalsa ; to the teach­ ings of Sri Guru Granth Sahib and call on God ! 9. The five Beloved Ones, the Master's four sons, the forty Saved Ones, and other righteous, steadfast and long-suffering souls, think of their deeds and call on God ! (Wonderful Lord!) 10. Those men and women who, keeping the Name in their hearts, shared their earnings with 161 others ; who plied the sword and practised charity; who saw others' faults but overlooked them : think of their deeds and call on God ! (Wonderful Lord I) 11. Those who for their religion allowed them­ selves to be cut up limb by limb, had their scalps scraped off, were broken on the wheel, were sawn or flayed alive : think of their sweet resignation and call on God ! (Wonderful Lord!) 12. Those who, to purge the temples of long­ standing evils, suffered themselves to be ruthlessly beaten or imprisoned, to be shot, cut up or burnt alive with kerosene oil, but did not make any resistance or utter even a sigh of complaint : think of their patient faith and call on God ! (Wonderful Lord !) 13. Think of all the different shrines, five thro­ nes of religious authority and other places hallowed by the touch of the Guru's feet and call on God ! (Wonderful Lord!) 14. Now the whole Khalsa offers his prayer. 15. Let the whole Khalsa bring to his mind the Name of the wonderful Lord. 16. And as he thinks of Him, may he feel com­ pletely blessed. 17. May God's protection ande grace extend to all the bodies of the Khalsa wherever they are. 18. May the Lord's glory be fulfilled, and His

162 dispensation prevail. 19. May victory attend our Charity and our Arms. 20. May God's sword help us, 21. May the Khalsa always triumph. 22. May the Sikh choirs, banners, mansions abide for ever and ever. 23. May the kingdom of justice come. 24. May the Sikhs be united in love. 25. May the hearts of the Sikhs be humble, but their wisdom exalted—their wisdom in the keeping of the Lord. O Khalsa, say the lord is wonderful ! (Wonderful Lord /) 26. O true King ! O loved Father ! in these ambrosial hours of the morning we have sung Thy sweet hymns, heard Try life-giving Word, and have discoursed on Thy manifold blessings. May these things find a loving place in our hearts and serve to draw our souls towards Thee. 27. Save us, O Father, from lust, wrath, greed, undue attachment and pride and keep us always attached to Thy feet. G the gift of Thy Name, the gift of faith, the gift of confidence in Thee, and the gift of reading and understanding Thy holy Word. 29. O kind Father, loving Father, through Thy mercy we have spent the night in peace and happi­ ness ; may Thy grace extend to our labours of the 163 day too, so that we may, according to Thy will, do what is right. 30. Give us light, give us understanding, so that we may know what pleaseth Thee. 31. We offer this prayer in Thy presence, O wonderful Lord ! 32. Forgive us our sins. Help us in keeping ourselves pure. 33. Bring us into the fellowship of only those men of love in whose company we may remember Thy Name. 34. Through Nanak may Thy Name forever be on the inerease. 35. And may all men prosper by Thy grace. The Khaha belongs to the wonderful Lord, who is always victorious.

164 Seven

The Five Takhts

There are five important Sikh shrines, which have been declared as the Takhts. Earlier these were four, Akal Takht, Amritsar, Keshgarh Sahib, Anandpur, Patna Sahib, and Sachkhand Sri Hazur Sahib. Later on one more, Damdama Sahib, Talwandi Sabo was added, making them five. These are the seats of authority of the Sikhs, where they assemble and take decisions for the welfare of the community. Thousands of devotees gather there on various occasions to pay homage to their great Gurus. As Akal Takht, Amritsar is situated in the precincts of the Golden Temple, it is necessary to describle first the history of the Golden Temple. GoJden Temple, Amritsar Guru Arajn, the fifth Master, was a man of vision and ideas. He succeeded Guru Ram Das in 15S1. He resided mostly at Ainritsar and made it the 165 headquarters of his mission. He continued the work of the excavation of the holy tank at Amrit- sar started by Guru Ram Das. He wanted the work to be completed in the shortest possible time but huge amounts of money were required to pay to the workers and run Guru-Ka-Langar. Baba Buddha requested the Guru to arrange funds immediately and he sent masands to all parts of the country for collecting contributions. The excavation of the holy pool was begun by Guru Ram Das in 1573. Then, the work had to be abandoned for some time. It was resumed three years later in 1577. The small village founded by Guru Ram Das had by this time grown into a township and came to be known as Chak Ramdas or Ramdaspur. The pool was enlarged and converted into a regular tank by Guru Arjan Dev. He named the town Amritsar. The excavation of the tank was completed in 1589. Guru Arjan built the Golden Temple in the centre of the pool. The Guru reques­ ted the great contemporary mystic and pious Muslim savant. Hazrat Sain Main Mir, to lay the foundation-stone of the temple in January 1589. He was a great devotee of the Guru. With the lay­ ing of the foundation-stone the construction work started briskly. The temple's building was completed in 1601 and Sri Guru Granth Sahib was installed there in 166 1604. Baba Buddha was appointed the first Granthi, priest of the holy scriptures. In 1606, Guru Arjan was martyred. This caused great resentment among the Sikhs. The next Guru, Hargobind, organized an army and resorted to arms. Though a child of only eight years, he laid the foundation of Akal Takht. At assemblies there orders from the Guru were proclaimed, They were known as Hukamnamas. Seated on the Akal Takht, the Guru told Bhai Buddha that henceforth he would wear two swords, one of miri and the other ofpiri, those of the temporal and the spiritual power respectively. Here he preached the Name of God to the vast gatherings which came for his darshan. Occasionally, he would go on hunting expeditions. During his absence, Bhai Buddha organised the singing of hymns in Hari Mandir. When Guru Hargobind proceeded to Delhi in 1612, he said : "The Hari Mandir is specially devoted to God's service wherefore it should ever be res­ pected. It should never be defiled with any impurity of the human body. No gambling, wine drinking, unbecoming behaviour with women or slander should be allowed therein. No one should steal, utter falsehood, smoke tobacco or contrive litigation in its precincts." Guru Hari Rai and Guru Hari Krishan remained most of the time at Kiratpur. When Guru Tegh Bahadur visited Amritsar to bathe in 167 • the holy tank, he was not allowed to eater the percincts of Darbar Sahib by the ministrants of the temple. The doors of Hari Mandir were barred to him. He bowed his head from outside and rested at the spot where a stone platform was later built. After the martyrdom of Guru Tegh Bahadur, the entire course of Sikh history changed. Guru Gobind S:ngh had to resort to arms to fight against tyranny and injustice. He spent most of his time ai Anandpur and did not have any occasion to visit Amritsar. The temple, hovvever, had had a chequered history and it changed hands a number of times. The Sikhs weie turned out of tb ir temple and the temple itself was destroyed and desecrated time and again by the Mughal ru] rs and Afghan invaders. It was recovered by the Sikh at a high cost and tremendous sacrifice. It was a great saga of bravery, heroism and valour to protect the temple from the tyrants' onslaughts. In 1738, a very important event took place at Amritsar—Bhai Mani Singh was martyred. He was a pious man and was responsible for the care of the temple. He once applied to the Hakim ol Amritsar for holding the Diwali fair. Pen ission was granted by Zakariya Khan, to whom the matter was referred, on the specifi condition that Bhai M ni Singh would pay five thousand rupees to the State. Bhai Mani Singh announced the ccle- 168 bration and Sikhs started coming from all ova in large numbers. Zakariya Khan sent a company of troops on the pretext of maintaining lav/ and order. This created panic among the people and the fair could not be held. So Bhai Mani Singh did not pay the amount due from him. At this, the authorities were enraged. Bhai Sahib was arrested and removed to Lahore where he was asked either to pay the promised amount or to embrace Islam. Mani Singh refused to pay the money and his body was cut. into pieces bit by bit. This created great resentment among the Sikhs. Two stalwarts, Mehtab Singh and Sukha Singh, could not tolerate the desecration of the Golden Temple by Muslim officers who were holding mujras in the shrine. They came from Bikaner in the grab of peasants with bags full of coins and appeared before Massa Ranghar, the officer-in- charge. Their swords fell on Massa Ranghar who was put to death. Later these warriors were killed mercilessly. The temple was locked and sentries wei posted at the entrance with strict orders not to allow anybody inside. The Sikhs, however, did not lose heart. Nadir Shah invaded India in 1739. Sardar Jassa Singh Kalal, a prominant Sikh leader of the time, took advantage of the confusion and anarchy which followed the attack and openly declared Dal Khalsa (the Sikh Commonwealth) as the new ruler 169 or the laud. Then Ahmed Shah Abdali's invasion in 1747 brought about a new era of persecution of the Sikhs. He was determined to wipe out the Sikhs and destroy the Golden Temple. He occu­ pied and desecrated the temple in 1757. On hearing of the desecration, some Sikhs at once started to avenge the insults under the command of Baba Dip Singh. A bloody encounter took place about 11 km from Amritsar. But the Sikhs made head­ way. When they were about 7 km from Amritsar, Baba Dip Singh was mortally wounded. As he was about to die, a colleague reminded him of his vow to reach the holy precincts. On this, he gripped and supported his almost severed head with his left hand and with the right he went on mowing clown enemies, and at last he reached the Golden Temple. His pledge fulfilled, he let drop his head. Near that spot stands a shrine later erected in the memory of his great deed and is called gurdwara Shaheed Bunga Baba Dip Singh. Abdali was not the man to let a challenge go unanswered. He invaded India again in 1762 and inflicted a deadly blow on the Sikhs in the battle of Kup Rahira near Ludhhma. This is known as Ghalughara or the great holocaust. On his way back to Kabul he invaded Amritsar. The Golden Temple was blown up with gunpowder and the holy pool was desecrated. Countless Sikhs laid down their lives in the defence of their shrine. 170 After Ahmad Shah Abdali's final departure from India in 1767, the Sikhs re-conquered Punjab and occupied the Golden Temple which was reconstructed. The holy pool was cleared of the debris. Ever since the temple has remained in the possession of the Sikhs. In 1802 Maharaja Ranjit Singh attached the city to his empire. He then entered the holy temple, bowed his head before the Had Mandir and performed his ablu­ tions in the holy tank. During Maharaja Ranjit Singh's reign (1780- 1839), the temple was managed by a Council of Sikhs of which the Maharaja himself was the head. The Council functioned till the end of Punjab as a sovereign state. During the British regime, the Golden Temple passed under the control of one man, the Sarabrah (manager), who was the nominee of the Deputy Commissioner of Amritsar. These managers mismanaged the affairs of the temple. Immoral acts were practised within the precincts of the temple. Great resentment prevailed among the Sikhs. The resentment grew and a Sikh Gurdwara Reform movement was launched. The campaign was directed mainly against the control of Sikh shrines by the mahants and the British rulers. The Sikhs had to make great sacrifices for the cause so dear to them. The struggle finally resulted in the passing of the Sikh Gurdwara Act which vi ttd the control and management of the 171 Golden Temple and other historic shrines in the Shiromani Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee (SGPC). On a platform under jewel-studded canopy on the ground floor in the Golden Temple is placed Sri Guru Granth Sahib. It is carried in a golden palanquin in the form of a procession from the Akal Takht to the Golden Temple in the early hours of the morning, and is carried back to the Akal Takht in a similar procession at night. The procession is very colourful on account of the singing of hymns, blowing of trumpets, beating of the big drum and showering of flowers. Divine singing of music goes on day and night with a short break. When the Sikhs asserted their supremacy, the holy pool and the temple were not only restored to their original splendour but the place also grew in beauty. Maharaja Ranjit Singh beautified the temple with gold-work, marble moasic and fresco- paintings. The lower-half of the temple was deco­ rated with white marble, in-laid with precious and semiprecious stones. The irpperhalf was covered with gold-plated copper from where the temple derived its name. Mahai ja Ranjit Singh, who was a great lover of art and beauty, adorned the temple with mural paintings and cut-clay work and enriched it with valuable mal rial. Inspired by holy zeal, he 172 addressed all his attention and energy towards that one great end and was eniinantly successful in his aim matching the greatness of his person. The temple is 40.5 square ft and is erected on a platform about 65 square ft. It is a two-storeyed composition over which rises a low-fluted dome in gild metal and has kiosks with fluted metal and cupolas at each corner. There are four doors, one on each side, signifying that people from all direc­ tions, irrespective of religion, nationality;profession or creed, are welcome. A fine archway called the Darshni Deorhi stands at the shoreend of the causeway. The door-frame of the arch is about 3 metres high, 2.5 metres wide and more than 15 cm thick. The doors are covered with silver sheets and panels and the back of the doors are decorated with artistic ivory in-lay work. About 19 metres (now enlarged) wide prome­ nade called the Parkarma (path of perigrination) runs around the pool. Every cm of the Parkrama is decorated with different varieties of marble. A beautiful causeway is the only way leading to the main shrine. It is a lovely approach bordered by perforated marble balustrades making screening on both sides and coloured lamps with elegant gilt lanterns fixed on marble pillars erected at close intervals. The walls of the ground floor of the temple are 'faced' with marble slabs in-laid with arabesque of 173 conventional flower sprays ; invaluable stones of various colours and shades—green, grey, red, pink, blue, black, yellow, white etc. Some stones have stripes and some others are double coloured. In­ laid work is so exquisite that at some places more than a hundred pieces of stones have been set only within a space of 9 to 11 sq. cm. There is a small Shish Mahal on the upper storey which originally was a pavilion used by the Gurus. It was beautified by Maharaja Ranjit Singh with mirror and glass pieces set in clay, and was painted in diverse colours, including golden. This place is now used for Akhand Path. Hymns are inscribed on its walls and arches in letters of gold with red, blue and green ground. On the third storey stands the gorgeous golden dome. Dozens of similar domes and kiosks deco­ rate it. The interior of the temple is richly decorated with floral designs, painted in tempera or embosseJ in metal. There is a skilful harmony of brass and gilded coppe*r, cut-clay work with mirror pieces in different shapes and stones set in. In the Golden Temple all the characteristics of the Sikh style are fully represented. Located in the heart of the city, the Golden Temple is a source of eternal bliss and spiritual light to innumerable devotees and visitors who come here at all hours. They come all round the 174 year not only from al! parts of the country, but from abroad too. Here is a thing of exquisite beauty which also give the spiritual bliss. A visit to the Golden Temple is in fact a lifetime' experience which all true devotees treasure in their memory and they like to go back to it time and again. Akal Takht Akal Takht is the throne of Sikh religious authority Many decisions of great importance concerning religious and social life of the Sikh community have been taken here. Guru Hargobind constructed Akal Takht in 1609. Some called it Akal Bunga ; the house of the Lord. The Takht was used for a special purpose which considerably changed the Sikh character and organisation. The Guru himself sat here and held a court of justice. Many Sikhs used to gather here for the redress of their grievan­ ces and offerings were made to the Guru. At the place where Akal Takht is situated was a mound. The Guru used to play here as a child and it was here again that he was ceremoniously installed as the Guru in 1606. At Akal Takht, the Guru narrated to the people the heroic deeds of historical personalities and prepared them for taking part in the ensuing stuggle. The Guru "rained instructions like a cloud in Savan, and the Sikhs flourished under it like thirsty rice-fields." Minstrel Abdulla sang martial songs

175 and inspired the Sikhs with stories of heroic d xls of great persons and dispelled their fears. Akal Takht is a massive building on a marble- paved platform. The ground floor was ready in 1774 and four storeys were added later by Maha­ raja Ranjit Singh. The main floor is artistically decorated. Where Guru Hargobind used to sit are now kept some of the weapons of the Gurus. In the shrine is also preserved some old and artistic jewellery donated by the Sikh rulers of the Punjab. Akal Takht was pulled down several times by Muslim raiders. There is great significance in Akal Takht being constructed a few paces away from Hari Mandir. Akal Takht symbolised Sikh politics while Hari Mandir signified religion. Each of the two is visible from the other end so that people sitting in Hari Mandir would remember their involvement in poli­ tics and vice versa. Religion and politics were thus blended into one by Guru Hargobind. They were considered limbs of the same body. The Guru said that as long as he was in Hari Mandir he should be treated as a saint and in the Akal Takht he should be looked upon as a temporal king. With this in mind, the Sikhs felt independent of the Mu­ ghal rulers at Delhi. They believed that they had established their own kingdom of which Sacha Padshah or the true king was Guru Hargobind. In the Akal Takht are preserved some of the 176 weapons of Guru Gobind Singh. Although Guru Gobind Singh never visited Amritsar, the sacred weapons of the Guru are shown daily to the sangat after the evening prayers—Rehras. The relics bro­ ught from England in 1966 are also displayed here on a beautifully decorated mount. At the back of the mount is a splendid portrait of Guru Gobind Singh The weapons procured from Lady Edil Brown Lin­ dsay, a descendent of Lord Dalhousie, are : a spear measuring 9 ft. 1 inch in length ; a spear measuring 5 ft. 4 inches in length ; a sword—1 ft 10| inches long ; an axe measuring 2 ft 1\ inches in length ; ring on which Japji is written, on both sides, and a shield—1 ft 4| inches in diameter. The other relics arc : a sword, two arrows with golden points and two daggers of the elder sons of the Guru. The Guru's arrows never missed their mark. His arrows had golden points so that the wounded could use the sale proceeds of the gold for treatment, if injured: or if dead, their relatives could sell it to help them perform the last rites of the deceased. These sacred relics are revered by the Sikhs. A saropa, robe of honour conferred at Akal Takht, is distinction of a high order. It is given for extraordinary service rendered to the commu­ nity. Takht Sri Hari Mandir Sahib, Patna Patna is situated at a distance of about 500 km. 177 from Calcutta on the main line of Eastern Railway, connecting Calcutta with Varansi and Delhi. It is also on 'he air route between Delhi and Calcutta and is connected with Kathmandu by air. The city has been recently renamed Patna Sahib, keeping in view its sanctity. During one of his missionary tours, Guru Tegh Bahadur stayed at Patna. Guru Nanak had earlier visited this place. Guru Tegh Bahadur was accom- I panied by his mother Nanaki and wife Gujari. In early 1666, when Guru Tegh Bahadur arrived in Allahabad, an event of great importance took place. It thrilled the Guru's household and the members of his darbar. It was here that the spirit and lierht of Guru Gobind Singh had descended and manifested itself by the will of God in his mother's womb. Mata Gujari had conceived this great son of God, Gobind. Thereafter, leaving his family at Patna, Guru Tech Bahadur proceeded towards Bengal and Assam. Guru Gobind Singh was born on Paus Sudi 7 Samwat 1723, corresponding to December 22, 1666. There stands at the sacred place where the Guru was born, a magnificent shrine. It is callen Takht Sri Hari Mandir Sahib. It is situated in one of the old quarters of Patna, earlier called Kucha Farrukh Khan, now known as Hari Mandir gali. It is regarded as one of the Takhts, the seat of Sikh authority. 178 The site where the present Hari Mandir stands was originally called the Haveli of Salis Rai Johri, who was a great devotee of Guru Nanak. He was so much influenced by the teachings of Guru Nanak that he converted a palatial house into a dharmsala. When Guru Tegh Bahadur stayed at Patna, a magnificent house was built above the dharamsala of Salis Rai and the Guru's family was shifted to newly built building. The earliest reference to this dharamsala is found in a letter written from Mon- ghyr by Guru Tegh Bahadur to his followers at Patna wherein the Guru had instructed his devotees to keep his family in a spacious building till the building of Hari Mandir was completed. Mullah Ahmad Bukhari, the author of Mirat-ul Ahwal Ja- han Nama, who stayed at Patna for some time at the close of 18th century, has made a reference to Hari Mandir. He says : "Over the birth place of Guru Gobind, the Sikhs have raised a public edifi­ ce, made it a place of power and strength, and call it Hari Mandir. It is also known as sangat and is held in great esteem and veneration. They have made it a place of pilgrimage." Thus, it seems that the first magnificent building of Hari Mandir was constructed some time in the 18th century. The original building of Hari Mandir has under­ gone many changes. In the beginning of the 19th centurv, a devastating fire broke out and the old edifice was considerably damaged. Maharaja Rau- 179 jit Singh started the work of reconstructing Hari Mandir in 1839 but did not survive to see the new structure. In 1934, when entire Bihar was rocked by an earthquake some portion of Hari Mandir fell down. Construction of the present building was taken up on November 19, 1954 and was completed in about three years. Liberal contributions were made by devotees from all parts of the world. There is a spacious congregation hall ; adjoining it is the sacred spot where Guru Gobind Singh was born and is preserved inside the room made of marble. Near the main entrance of the shrine is a marble-lined well. Guru Gobind Singh used to play near the well during his childhood. To Hari Mandir is attached Gnrii-ka-langar, free kitchen, where everyone irrespective of caste, creed, religion or status, is served food. A free homoeopathic dispensary is also run by the management for the poor and the needy. Two schools—a Higher Secondary School for boys and a High School for girls—are being run by the management committee. A college, Sri Guru Gobind Singh Degree College, is also run by the committee. Some relics are also preserved in Hari Mandir which are revered by the devotees visiting the shrine. They are : Sri Guru Granth Sahib, called Bare-Sahib, signed by Guru Gobind Singh; Chhabi 180 Sahib, the only painting of Guru Gobind Singh : Pangura Sahib, a small cradle with 4 stands and covered with golden plates in which Guru Gobind Singh used to sleep during his childhood ; Saif, sword of Guru Gobind Singh ; four iron arrows, an earthen round goli ; a small iron chakri ; one small iron khanda ; a small iron Baghnabh khanjir a wooden comb ; two iron chakkars ; a pair of ivory sandals of Guru Gobind Singh ; and a pair of sandalwood sandals of Guru Tegh Bahadur. Also preserved in the shrine is a book containing Hukumnamas of Guru Tegh Bahadur and Guru Gobind Singh. Takht Sri Kesh Garh Sahib, Anandpur Sahib When Guru Tegh Bahadur was residing at Kirat- pur, he thought of building a new township for himself and his devotees which would form the nucleus of a religious centre. The Guru imagined it to be a city with a difference—place for the people coming from outside, a big hall for the religious congregations and a beautiful place for the Guru's residence. The Guru though! the place should be near Kiratpur in the foothills with excellent surroundings. He, therefore, purchased a piece of land in village Makhowal, just 8 km from Kiratpur. The land was purchased from the Raja of Kahlur for five hundred rupees. Soon a new township came into existence; it was named Nanaki Chak. Wl n Guru Gobind 181 Singh came from Patna, the town was further extended. The town was later named Anandpur the abode of bliss. When the work to build this township started, construction of three buildings was taken up—the Guru's residence, a place for worship and a rest house. It was necessary to do so as the missionary work had to be continued unhampered. Many people came from all parts of the country and were provided accommodation. Traders were given facilities for starting their business. Free land was provided to them. Peasants were told to till barren land so that the local requirements of grain and vegetables were met. They were asked to give a portion of their produce for Guru-ka-langar, the free kitchen. In a matter of days, the town was full of life. Now, Anandpur Sahib is one of the most sacred places of the Sikhs. It is closely linked with their religious traditions and history. It lies on the lower spurs of the Himalayas surrounded by picturesque natural scenery, with river Sutlej forming a shining blue border on the south-west, hardly 6 km away. The town gained further importance with the construction of Nangal and Bhakra projects near­ by—just 20 km to the north. These projects have brought Anandpur Sahib on the rail and road map of India, (t is situated at a distance of about 80 182 km from Chandigarh—the city of dreams. It is also said that sage Vasishtha had meditated here and Maharishi Valmiki composed the Ramayana at this place. Guru Gobind Singh came into this world with a special mission. He was sent by the Lord to perform certain duties for the emancipation of mankind. The Guru thus decided to evolve a new order with the sole object of making people realise the necessity of sacrificing their lives for the cause of dharma, righteousness. People should fight against the tyranny of the rulers, he said. Gurdwara Keshgarh Sahib has been built at the place where the historic ceremony of the creation of Khalsa had taken place. The present magnifi­ cent building was constructed in the forties of the present century. It is a few metres away from the main road and one has to reach the gurdwara by walking the cobbled path and climb a little to reach the hillock on which the shrine stands. After climbing up a few steps, a deorhi has to be crossed After that there is a huge open marbled qua­ drangle at the end of which steps lead up to the main shrine. In the central portion of the hall are displayed weapons of Guru Gobind Singh. On one side is placed Sri Guru Granth Sahib on a decora­ ted seat. Around the room is the parkrama. The floor above is again a ball, about 315 square mc-

183 tres, and on the top floor are domes of different sizes. Anandpur is a small silent sleepy town, but on the occasion of Hoi a Mohalla, the town gains im­ portance and recaptures its old glory and splend- our.In the month of March the fair is celebrated on a very large scale. Thousands of devotees come from all parts of the country to pay their homage to the great Guru. In the gurdwara are preserved some sacred arms connected with the Sikh history. They are revered by the people as a living memory of the great Guru. The most important of these is the steel khanda - —a double-edged broad sword which was used by Guru Gobind Singh when he prepared amrit, or the baptismal water, at the time of the inaugra- tion of the Khalsa in 1699. The fresh waters of the Sutlej mixed with sugar crystals in an iron vessel, were stirred with this khanda to prepare amrit which gave new life and spirit to the nation. The second is a katar, or a short sword. Guru Gobind Singh wore this weapon on his person and used it on many an occasion for fighting hand to hand in battle or in sport to kill tigers and leopards. Karpa Bachha is a broad spear with a blade fashioned in the style of the palm of the human hand. History records two occasions when it was 184 i used, First, it was used by the youthful Guru Gobind Singh on the occasion of his wedding at a place about 20 km to the north of Anandpur Sahib, known as Guru-ke Lahore. The Guru chose this beautiful spot, rich in natural hill scenery, for the celebration since he did not like to travel all the way to Lahore,the provincial capital of the Mughals. It was reported to him that there was scarcity of fresh drinking water for the people who had as­ sembled to attend the Guru's wedding. The Guru, who was in the prime of youth, came riding and pierced a rock thrice with this spear. Three streams of water gushed forth. They have been flowing ever since with their sweet and sparkling waters, adding to the picturesque charm of the siege of Anandpur Sahib. Nagni Barchha is another spear. Its blade is cast in the form of a snake. In the battle of Anand­ pur it was used by Bhai Bachittar Singh, a reputed Sikh warrior. To break open the gates of the Guru's fort, the enemy brought a mighty drunken elephant. Seven plates of steel, one upon the other, covered the forehead of the animal, which was followed by a large number of soldiers. Bhai Bachittar Singh was commissioned by the Guru to fight the eleph­ ant.The great warrior went forth armed with Nagni Barchha and a sharp steel sword. Riding his horse and standing in the stirrups, he pierced with the spear the seven steel plates and wounded the elc- 185 pliant in the forehead. With lightning alacrity he attacked again and cut the elephant's trunk with a blow of his sword. The wounded beast ran back in fury trampling under foot those who were fol­ lowing it. The Nagni Barchha keeps fresh the me­ mory of this brave deed of Bachittar Singh. Guru Gobind Singh's musket is another precious relic preserved at Anandpur Sahib. The Saif is a double-edged broad sword of Arab origin. It is nearly 1300 years old and was used by the Caliphs of Islam in at least five battles. It bears Arabic inscriptions and was Aurangzeb's pro­ perty once upon a time. The sword was presented to Guru Gobind Singh by Emperor Bahadur Shah, the eldest son and successor of Aurangzeb. Takht Shri Damdama Sahib, Talwandi Sabo Guru Gobind Singh fought last battle at Mu- ketsar in 1705. After staying there for some time he proceeded farther and visited several villages, spreading love and distributing Namdan, emanci paling people's hearts from fear and hatred and instilling patriotic fervour among them. He roa­ med about in Lakhi jungle. The devotees flocked to him in thousands and were fascinated by his spi­ ritual gift. The Master shed light in the dark coun­ tryside of Malwa. Many poeis and bards, who had left Anandpur when the town was besieged, again gathered round the Guru here. The poets sang ins­ piring songs full of love from their aching hearts, 186 and showered praises on the Guru- It was a great reunion. The patethic themes went deep into the people's hearts. In due course of time, the Guru reached Sabo-ki- Talwandi now known as Damdama Sahib. It is so called because it was here that the Guru had hal­ ted after tiresome battles which he had fought for the sake of saving dharma. Complete peace prevai led and the Guru had an occasion to shower bliss on large number of people. At Sabo-ki-Talwandi, once again Namdan gatherings were held and were attended by thousands of Sikhs from far and near. It was humming with activity. It became a scat of learning—Kashi for the Sikhs. Several thousand people were baptised here. The Guru threw water at the bushes and declared that Sikhs would spring up from each and every shrub. The Guru stayed at Sabo-ki-Talwandi for about a year and a half. The entire period passed in peace. He made here several thousand disciples. The Gum's towering personality was the main attraction for the people. Wherever he went, thou­ sands flocked to him. The Guru, forgetting his past miseries and sufferings, began to lead a life of gaiety and splendour. As at Anandpur, he held his court regularly and gave sermons. New recruits joined the ranks of the Khaha and the position of the Guru became much stronger than before. It is 187 aid that the Guru made about 12,000 disciples here. At Talwandi, the Guru's wives Sundari and Sahib Kain\ who had been separated from him while crossing the Sarsa stream after the siege of Anandpur and had been escorted to Delhi by Bhai Mani Singh, now joined him. Sundari asked the Guru most humbly and respectfully as to where his four beloved sons were. With tears in her eyes, she asked him about the whereabouts of their dear ones. It was a heart rending scene. No eye was dry. The Guru sat calm and motionless and his face shone as before. The Guru then closed his eyes for a while and went into deep meditation. He told his wife that her f ur sons were not dead ; they were living and playing in the lap of their eternal father. He consoled and comforted Sundari by saying that she should not lament for the four who had gone. They had courted martyrdom for the sake of saving dharma, righteousness. She should not grieve as in the place of four that had gone there were thousands in her lap and saying so, the Guru pointed to the Sikhs surrounding him. It was at Damdatna thaf the Guru dictated from his memory the whole of Sri Guru Granth Sahib to Bhai Mani Singh. This was a great feat. The Guru a message to Dhirmals, the custodians of the original Sri Guru Granth Sahib, to s nd him the 188 sacred Granth so that the hymns of Guru Tegh Bahadur could be added to it, but they refused to oblige the Guru. Anew volume consisting of the hymns of Guru Tegh Bahadur and his own sloka was dictated. If is known as Damdama Sahib ki Bir. I Thus the Guru gave a second birth to Adi Granth consisting of 1430 pages. It was a unique thing. The Guru had dictated word by word of the origi­ nal text. Damdama Sahib is situated at a distance of about 27 km from Bhatinda in the south-west direction. It is connected by road. It is about 12 km from Rama Mandi railway station. There is also a road from Rama Mandi to Damdama Sahib. There are several historical gurdwaras at Damdama Sahib. It has since been declared the fifth Takht of the Sikhs. The sacred place where Guru Gobind Singh used to hold his darbar is called Takht Damdama Sahib. Takht Sri Sachkhand Sahib, Hazur Sahib

193 his blessings. After a couple of days a devotee of the Guru presented him a beautiful bow and the Guru tried to bend it. The wound got unstitched and the Guru again started bleeding rather pro­ fusely. Bahadur Shah then sent two envoys to inquire about the Guru's health and they reported that the Guru was progressing well. On October 6, 1708, the Guru heard the final call of the Lord. The time had come for him to leave his earthly abode and go to his eternal home. He spent the day as usual, meditating and praying to the Lord. His wordly sojourn was going to end. The Guru wore a clean and attractive dress. He performed the ardas and got himself ready as if going to the battlefield. He slung a bow on his shoulder and took a musket in his right hand. Then he rode the horse and bade good-bye to the Sikhs and went into a closed tent. He had already ordered his devotees to.prepare a bier for him. Only one of the devotees was allowed to enter the tent. The Sikhs stood outside in sorrow. Inside the tent. when one quarter of the night still re­ mained the Guru went into trance and gracefully laid himself on the bier. Later, five payaras were allowed inside the tent. The Guru's earthly re­ mains were turned into ashes. His physical body was all gone but his spirit still pervades the world. The day was October 7, 1708. When the Emperor heard the news of the de- 194' parture of the Guru to his heavenly abode, he gave a Matmi Khilat, Robe of Reverence, to the Guru. When some of his officials counselled him to con­ fiscate the Guru's property, the Emperor replied that it was the property of the darvesh to which he had no right or claim. It may also be stated that when the Guru felt that his end was approaching, he made this known to the Sikhs. As was natural, there was sorrow and gloom all over. The Sikhs did not know who would be their spiritual Guru after him. They had benefited from the spiritual guidance of the ten Gurus for many years, but now after Guru Gobind Singh, who would pilot their ship of destiny? To seek guidance, the Sikhs went to the Guru and said that when he was alive, they not only en­ joyed the benefit of his presence but also got ins­ piration from him to fight against tyranny and injustice. Who would guide them in future ? they enquired. The Guru replied that the-- will of God was supreme. He who was born must face death one day. Night followed day and the time passed on. Immortal God alone did not perish ; all other living beings, however great and exalted, must depart one day from the world. Everybody had to leave this perishable world. The world was destined to become a prey to death when the material frame wolud perish. The Creator alone was Immortal. Vishnu, Brahma, Shiva and others also persished when their time came. Therefore, 195 they should not care for their fragile bodies. Light of the Lord would always shine. They should abide by His will cheerfully and should not mourn at all. Human beings who were proud and committed evil deeds day and night would always remain unhappy. They would fall into the pit of hell. The Guru was born to lead them to salvation and deliverance and he bestowed the true Name of God on them. Those who obeyed the instructions of the Guru would be saved from the perils of the world. When the Guru saw human beings suffering and yearning for truth and happiness, he blessed them, besto­ wed Nam on them and helped them to get out of their sufferings. The Sikhs who loved the Guru, were loved by him immensely. The Khalsa should always remember the True Name of God. The Guru had shown them the way to be sovereign and independent. Those who had died for the sake of dharma in the battlefield would attain salvation. Those who remembered the true Name of God would make their lives sublime and when they de­ part from this world they would enter the home of eternal bliss and happiness. The Sikhs heaved a sigh of relief but still they enquired as to who would be their future Guru. The Guru placed five pice and a coconut before holy Granth Sahib, bowed before it and said : "The Eternal Father willed and I raised the Panth,

196 All my Sikhs are hereby ordained to accept the Granth as their preceptor. Have faith in the holy Granth as your Master and consider it the visible manifestation of the Gurus He who hath a pure heart will seek guidance from its holy words." Then the Guru told his Sikhs not to grieve at his departure. It was true that they would not see his body in physical form. But he would be ever present among his Khalsa. Whenever they needed his guidance and counsel, they should assemble be­ fore the holy Granth in all sincerity and decide their future line of action in the light of the tea­ chings of the Masters embodied in the holy Granth. When Sikhs remembered him with pure heart and mind, he would be in their midst. They should not love the physical body which was perishable but should love and cherish the noble ideals of the Gurus. The depating words of the Guru soothed the Sikhs and they bowed before the Will of God. The Guru ordained the Sikhs to worship and seek new light from the holy Granth which would guide and resuce humanity from miseries, sorrows and suffer­ ings. In future Sri Guru Granth Sahib would be their Guru. At the site where the Guru breathed his last was built a gurdwara between 1832 and 1837, under 197 instructions from Maharaja Ranjit Singh. It is called Sachkhand Sri Hazur Abchal Nagar Sahib. It is a two-storyed building whose architecture and design resembles that of the Golden Temple, Amritsar. Its interior is artistically ornamented in the style of Had Mandir, Amritsar. The walls of the inner room, called Angitha Sahib, have been covered with golden plates, On the first floor, reci­ tation of Sri Guru Granth Sahib goes on day and night. The dome on top is cement-polished and on the pinnacle is the kalas made of gold-plated copper. Some of the sacred relics of Guru Gobind Singh are also preserved here. They are : a golden dagger, which was taken out from the cremation pyre ; a match-lock gun, an archer with 35 arrows, two bows, a steel shield studded with precious stones, a sword studded with precious stones, a peshkabz with golden handle, an iron fork, a purse containing a comb and hair, a trishul shaped weapon, two feet long, iron chakra, a sword, big, long and wide called tega, gurj and five golden swords. The Sikh Way of Life

At the time of Guru Nanak, Indian society was divided into several castes and sects which were like water-tight compartments. Birth deter­ mined the status of an indivitual; his deeds or merits did not count for anything. The concept of equality was inconceivable ; for the same rea­ son, the spirit of oneness was almost non-existent. In Sikhism, there is no place for divisions based on caste. No Sikh is expected to consider himself superior to anybody else, for no man is born high or low. All are equal. A Sikh should be humble and modest and should have a desire to serve mankind. Guru Nanak does not divide men on the basis of their creeds. For him men are of two kinds ; Gurmukhs and Manmukhs. The former look to God and practise truth and work for the welfare of the entire mankind. The latter follow deceit, falsehood and selfishness. Whatever a man may call himself he has to tread the same path if he 199 wants to attain liberation from pain and misery and from mundane life. Everybody has to follow the same code of conduct. Thus complete equality among all men is a fundamental of Sikhism. Guru Nanak said that the laws of nature were the same for all. All castes and creeds were treated' equally in the next world. In the house of the Lord nobody was superior or inferior in any way. Guru Nanak said, "What merit is of caste He who tastes poison will surely die." —Var Majh Guru Amardas said : "All say there are four castes But God creates one and all The same clay makes up the whole world; Vessels are made of the same clay by the potter The five elements make up the body, And nobody can say who has less or more." —Rag Bahiro Guru Gobind Singh declared caste a hindrance in the brotherhood of the Khalsa created by him. He said. "True service is the service of the people; I am not for serving people of high castes." —Akal Vstat 200 Women, who gives birth to great men, saints and soldiers, is the most significant part of soci­ ety. She is revered in Sikhism. Thus in Sikhism women are not only treated as equals of men but are given a higher place in society. Before the advent of Guru Nanak, Indian women were treated like low castes. They had no status or rights in society. As a girl, parents protected her, as an adult the husband held her in his clutches and as a widow, she lived under the supervision of her sons. Women were described as snares. Guru Nanak raised a strong voice against this way of thinking in society and cond­ emned those men who oppressed women. He said: "Why call her low, who gives birth to great men A woman is born of a woman, no one was born but from the womb of woman God alone is independent of woman." Widow remarriage was not allowed even among high caste Hindus and they were persuaded to burn themselves alive at the pyre of their hus­ bands. Guru Amar Das strongly condemned the practice and not only advocated remarriage of widows but also exhorted his followers to prevent women from performing sati. Infanticide was also prevalent. Female babies were killed at birth. Guru Gobind Singh for- 201 bade this evil practice and asked his followers to shun the company of those who indulged in it. The Sikh Gurus upheld the right of all men to equality, and stood up against untouchability. People of all castes, both high and low, were asked to assemble and partake food from the common kitchen. All men were taught to lead a life of virtue and truth, regardless of the cir­ cumstances of birth or pedigree. An individual must be alert mentally and spiritually in an ideal society and should be physically fit. In the ideal Sikh society, a Sikh shall be a true Sikh in all respects and should possess certain qualities. Guru Ram Das said : "He who calls himself the disciple of the Guru; the true Guru Shall rise in the early hours of the morning And meditate on Nam. Shall take bath to cleanse his mind in the 'nectar pool9 And shall labour during the day He shall hear the words of the Guru And repeat the Name For then will his sins be forgiven and His sorrow and suffering cease. With (he advance of the day, he shall sing the hymns of the Guru and keep God in his mind in all that he does He who repeats the Name with every breath 202 And with every morsel that he eats He is the true Sikh, him the Guru loves. He to whom the Lord is gracious Listens to the teachings of the Guru and he becomes his disciple. Nanak, your humble servant begs for the dust of the feet of the Sikhs Who worship and lead others to the path of worship." —Var Gauri The birth of the Khalsa was a natural conse­ quence and culmination of all that had happened before in the development of Sikhism. Guru Nanak taught brotherly love for all the human beings. He made it clear that man and universe were indivisibly one. He guided his disciples to their own realisation and experience of absolute truth and helped them free themselves from the cycle of birth and death. This could be achieved without renunciation or practising asceticism. He stressed that an individual could continue to act a part in the great divine play even while remaining in the stream of life ; in fact, this was the ideal state to be in. Guru Gobind Singh demonstrated these teach­ ings of Guru Nanak by graciously applying them in his own life. In order to give a realistic meaning to his doctrine, he initiated the ceremony of amrit to ensure a high standard of moral and spiritual behaviour, he laid down certain 203 rules for the guidance of Sikhs. He said : "He who repeats day and night the Name of God, Has full faith and confidence in Him ; Bestows not a thought on anyone but only one God Whose enduring light cannot be extinguished; Has no faith in fasting and worshipping cemeteries and monasteries, Recognises only one God and makes no fetish of pilgrimages, alms, charities and austerities, He is recognised as true member of the Khalsa In whose heart the light of the Perfect One shines." —Sa wayy as I The Guru enjoined upon the Sikhs some gen­ eral duties which are defined in Rahitnamas and Sikh Rahit Maryada. These may be called the code of conduct for the Sikhs. The origin and validity of some of the Rahitnamas is claimed on the basis of their having been dictated by Guru Gobind Singh himself. Bhai Kahan Singh has described three of them, namely, Tankhanama and Prashan-uttar of Bhai Nand Lai and Rahitnama of Bhai Desa Singh based on their dialogues with the tenth Guru. Chaupa Singh's Rahitnama is also ascribed to Guru Gobind Singh. There is another Rahitnama also. It was com- 204 piled by Prehlad Singh. Of all these, a conversa­ tion of Guru Gobind Singh with Bhai Nand Lai is of atmost importance. It gives a gist of the duties a true Sikh should perform. '•O friend, hear me, this is the way of life for a disciple of the Guru. Rise in the early hours of the morning, take bath, recite Japti and Jap Sahib, and meditate on the Name of the God in the evening, join the sangat and hear the recitation of Rehras the praises of God, and the edifying sermons. Those who follow such a routine, always endure. Nand Lai, listen carefully to what I say. In these categories I subsist : the category of the Attributes, the category of the Word of the Gu ru That which the Guru teaches, men should hear and preach. Men should hear the word of the Guru with love in their hearts and faith in their minds. This, the Form of the Guru, the men should behold, day in and day out. Men should serve each other, without pride and selfishness. Those who serve humanity, their service do I acknowledge as the service to My person. Listen, O Nand Lai, thus humanity shall be freed and attain everlasting bliss." The code defines a Sikh as one who believes 205 in the word of the Gurus, baptism prescribed by the tenth Guru and the Adi Granth and does not believe in any other religious tradition. A Sikh should MVQ according to the teachings of the Gurus and should have belief in one God. He should not believe in the existence of gods and goddesses and should regard only the ten Masters and their teachings as the path to salva­ tion. He should have no faith in castes nor should he practise them. He should not believe in untouchability and miracles and should reject all superstitions and accept the unity of God as the Supreme Reality. The Khalsa should seek the blessings of the Supreme Lord in all the deeds he performs. The supplication, which requires him to pray for the welfare of all, is meant to remind him that he should desist from deeds inconsistent with this prayer. The daily prayer of the Khalsa is meant to reinforce his will and put a healthy moral effect on his activities and conduct. The code says that the Sikhs should not take intoxicants nor should they commit female in­ fanticide and should refrain from social contact with those who commit such immoral acts. Mono­ gamy is advocated. Widow remarriage is allowed. Adultery should not be practised. Extramarital relations are forbidden. Men are ordained to respect women and regard daughters of other

206 men as their own and others' wives as their sisters and mothers. A Sikh should earn his livelihood through right and honest means. He should help the poor and needy and regard such help and assis­ tance as an act of service to the Guru. Stealing and gambling is prohibited. The Code specifically prohibits removal of hair, eating of meat prepared by the process of a gradual and painful slaughter of the animal and use of tobacco. The code also lays down that in the case of a violation of these impera­ tives the defaulter may himself appear before sangat to seek their award and be re-baptised. The injunctions can be summarised thus : — At initiation a Sikh should take no other baptismal water but the amrit, stirred with a double-edged sword. He shall than be called a Singh. — Wherever there are five Sikhs the Khalsa faith shall be deemed to have been com­ pletely represented. A Sikh desirous of seeing the Guru will find him in the sangat (an assembly of Sikhs). — All Sikhs will believe in the immortal God and wear the five Kakkas. — There shall be no caste distinction between one Sikh and the other. Every Sikh shall be Krit-nash (disregarder of all prejudices 207 and distinctions based on professions or trades) and Kul-iwsh (disregarder of rituals or ceremonies), for man is to be judged by his actions alone. — A Sikh shall honour and revere Guru Nanak and his successors and follow their teachings as embodied in Sri Guru Granth Sahib. He will occassionally visit Amritsar and have a dip in the sacred tank. — A Sikh shall prize and cherish arms and shall delight in war when all peaceful means to set things right, fail. Whoso­ ever kills his foe in the battle, or, even as himself subdued, does riot lose heart, shall be exalted both in this and the next world. — Whatever wealth a Sikh brings home should be the result of his honest earning; out of this he should dedicate one-tenth to the cause dear to the Guru. He should regard the mouth of the poor as the receptacle of the Guru, believing that whatever is put there reaches the Guru. — A Sikh is distinct from both Hindus and Muslims. He is not to believe in Hindu temples or their idols, their sacred places, their gods and goddesses, their modes of worship, their mantras or their fasts. Nor 208 should he have any faith in fasti ng or the graves of the Muslim saints. A Sikh should regard the wife, sister or daughter of another person as his own daughter, sister and mother. He should not indulge in gambling or stealing and should avoid taking tobacco and intoxi­ cants. The Sikhs can freely inter-marry but must not have any social or matrimonial relations with smokers, with persons who kill their daugthers, with the descendants or followers of Prithi Chand, Dhir Mai and Ram Rai—masands who had gone astray from the principles of Guru Nanak. The salutation among the Sikhs Shall be wahiguru ji ka khalsa, sri wahiguru ji ki fateh (Lord's is the Khalsa, Lord's is the Victory). Smoking, cutting of hair, eating the flesh of animals killed in the Semitic Muslim manner and sexual intercourse with any but one's wedded wife are the cardinal breaches of the Sikh faith. Anyone guilty of any of these must show repentence, pay a fine, promise not to offend any more and be re-baptized; otherwise he or she stands excommunicated from the Khalsa. 209 Attributes of the Khalsa Though born of and brother to the Hindus, the Khalsa is a distinct community, entirely dif­ ferent from the former in outward form, concep­ tion of God and Gurus, language and script of the scriptures, religious rites, mode of worship, social customs and in its attitude towards caste and creed. The Khalsa symbolises the oneness of God, all humanity and the abolition of caste barriers. The Khalsa is a peaceful and progressive bro­ therhood dedicated to the service of humanity. The Khalsa is a new order of society in which the lowest is equal to the highest, in race as in creed, in political rights as in religious hopes. The Khalsa is an organisation of the Sikhs for the preservation and development of godly principles of conduct initiated, practised and pro­ pagated by the Great Gurus. The Khalsa is a community gifted with a rare combination of child-like magnanimity in daily life, lamb-like humility in peace and lion­ like bravery in war. The Khalsa's is a life of invincible optimism, of serene smiles at one's own sorrows and of action to alleviate the sufferings of others. The Khalsa represents a victorious challenge to any mighty political power counting on "might ; right." 210 The Khaha is a kingdom from where lust greed, idolatry, superstition, pride.and pessimism are banished and what reigns supreme are faith in one God, repetition of His Name, simplicity of habits, humility of temper, truthfulness of disposition, earning through honest labour and sharing it with the needy, resignation to His Will, prayer for the good of humanity at large and sympathy for the afflicted. The Khalsa is an institution with a cosmopo­ litan outlook based on love for all, malice to­ wards none, and standing for peace, progress and prosperity of all without distinction. The Khalsa is an unparalleled and magnificent structure of society, the elements of which were cemented together by ten Master-Masons for over a period of two centuries with the spirit of love for all, service to society and sacrifice for the right cause. The Khalsa is a programme of life concerned with conduct rather than creed and covering all aspects of human life—social, economic, political, moral, religious and spiritual. The /Hialsa is a religious sect which banishes from its fold the traditional enemies of social, moral and religious life of India, such as asceti­ cism, world negation, attitude towards life, idola­ try, varnashram—social order based on caste system, and the priestly class.

211 The Khalsa is a nation of devotees, warriors and martyrs, the examples of whose privations and sufferings for their faith stand unrivalled in human history. The Khalsa is a fragrant flower of which the seed was sown by Guru Nanak and nourished by his successors with their very spirit and blood. The Khalsa is the ideal of humanity, the mar­ vellous creation, the greatest contribution and the crowning glory of Great Guru Gobind Singh. Thus, natural in form, modern in mind, prog­ ressive in views, optimistic in outlook, believer in the oneness of God and of all humanity, embodi­ ment of service and sacrifice, imbued with religious humility and martial spirit and with traditions of unparalled glory, the Khalsa occupies a proud position in the comity of nations. "He is the Khalsa who speaks evil to none who gives in charity who subdues his passions who does not yield to superstitions who is awake day and night who delights in the sayings of the Gurus, and does not fear at all Does not offend anybody Otherwise the Lord will himself be offended He is the Khalsa who ptotects the poor 212 who combats evil who remembers God who achieves greatness." Rites and Ceremonies Although rituals as such are not performed by the Sikhs, certain rites and simple ceremonies are usually performed by them on certain occasions. Birth ceremony When a child is born in a Sikh family, it is an occasion for great rejoicing. Some relation or friend of the family recites the invocation to the Almighty which is given as Preamble to Japji. He then takes a drop of honey or water mixed with sugar on tip of (he kirpan and touches with it the tongue of the child. A prayer is also gene­ rally offered and karaii prashad is distributed in the gurdwara. When the mother is fit after confinement and is able to take bath she goes to the gurdwara along with her relatives. No particular time is fixed for taking the bath. In the gurdwara hymns from Sri Guru Granth Sahib arc sung and the Almighty is thanked for bestowing the child. Naming Ceremony When the child grows a little, his naming cere­ mony takes place. It can be held either after per­ forming Akhand Path, Saptahik Path or even after simple Prakash of Sri Guru Granth Sahib. A passage is read out from the holy book and begin- 213 ning with the first letter oil the first word. The sangat is asked to suggest a name for the child. Several names are suggested and the one ultimately approved by the sangat is announced by the Bhai Sahib sitting in front of Sri Guru Granth Sahib. To a boy's name the word 'Singh' and to a girl's name the word 'Kaur' is added. After reciting six stanzas from the Anand Sahib, the prayer is offered. Then karah prashad is cansecrated with a kirpan and distributed among all those present. Marriage Ceremony. Sikh boys and girls are married on reaching maturity. Marriage is performed acccording to Anand rites. This form of marriage has been ob­ served since the earliest days of Sikhism. However, it was legalised by the passage of the Anand Marriage Act in 1909. A formal betrothal ceremony is not essential. However, the betrothal if it takes place, is very simple. The relations of the boy go to the house of the girl where they are welcomed and entertai­ ned. Then a kirpan and sweets are given to them for the boy. The prayer is offered and God's and Guru's blessings are sought. On the occasion of marriage, the bridegroom goes to the house of the bride with his friends and relatives. The parties sing hymns and wel­ come each other after prayers. This is called Milni. Early next morning, the two parties as- 214 scmble in the presence of Sri Guru Gninth Sahib and after Asa-di-Var, the bride and bridegroom are seated in front of the holy book. The bride sits on the left side of the bridegroom. Then the Granthi (priest) or any other person asks the couple and their parents to stand up and invoke God's blessing. Then he tells them about the new phase of life they are going to enter and then- respective duties and responsibilities. Marriage is a com­ panionship for spiritual advancement and not for physical enjoyment. Thereafter, the scarf of the bridegroom is placed in the hands of the bride by her father and both are asked to stand. Then the four lavans are read out one by one from Sri Guru Granth Sahib. With c ch lavan both the bride­ groom and the bride take a round of Sri Guru Granth Sahib. The bride follows the bridegroom. The first lavan emphasises discipline and the second the growth of love and euthusias i. The third lays stress on restraint and the fourth and last mentions the harmony of perfect bliss derived from marriage. ''They are not wife and husband who only sit together, rather are they husband and wife who have one spirit in two bodies. ?? Var Sulii 3 Before lavans are performed a hymn is sung 6WT attach myself to thee, leaving all my relations who are false, 215 I come to cling to Thee 99 Var Ramkali At the end of each lavan, the couple bow down and take their seats. Thereafter, the Anand is read and the prayer is offered. After distribution of karah prashad the ceremony is over. Then lunch, or whatever the case may be, is offered to the marriage party. Death Ceremony When a person is on death bed, his relations and friends read Sukhmani, the Psalm of peace, to console him. Complete silence prevails. The dying person is not removed from the charpai, nor any other ceremony is performed. No earthen lamp is lit. Only the Name of God is repeated. When a person dies, no lamentations are allo­ wed. Instead, everybody is supposed to bow before the Will of God. Wahiguru, Wahiguru is repeated again and again. All the dead bodies, even of infants, are crema­ ted. Before cremation, the dead body is washed and clothed, complete with all the Sikh symbols, before it is taken out on a bier to the nearest cremation ground. The funeral procession recites hymns from Sri Guru Granth Sahib. In big cities, now- a-days, dead bodies are carried in vans, especially made for the purpose. At the cremation ground the body is placed on the pyre and the eldest son of the dead person lights the fire. If the eldest son 216 is not there, the pyre can be lit by a near relative. When the fire is fully ablaze, Sohila is read. Peo­ ple then leave the place and come to the house of the dead person where they are generally thanked by the bereaved family. On the fourth day, the relations of the dead go to the cremation ground and collect the charred bones of the dead. These are generally taken to Kiratpur and immersed in the river. On the 7th. 11th or 13th day, as convenient to the members of the bereaved family, Bhog of Sri Akhand Path or Saptahik Path is performed when friends and relations of the bereaved family gather and pray to God to give the departed soul a place near His feet. After the usual prayers, karah pra- shacl is distributed and the assembly disperses It is forbidden to erect monuments over the remains of the dead. However, some school or hospital or ashram can be constructed in the me­ mory of the deceased. After all the formal ceremonies, life goes on as usual. Everybody bows before the Will of God and usually Guru's hymn is repeated : " Thy will is sweet; My Lord, Thy Grace alone I beseech. 5 J Ethics All human being are subject to certain ethical standards in life. Man's excellence is not to be found self-assertion and striving for the indivi- 217 dual good bat in otloring oneself for well-being of the whole world. He should keep himself away from kam (concupiscence), krodh (wrath), lobh (greed), moh (attachment) and ahankar (pride). Vices have been condemned outright in Sikhism : "The lusty man not only satisfies his lust with a number of women But he breaks into others' homes He sins and feels sorry and withers away by sorrow" Guru Arjan—Dhansasri The Guru further said : "O kam, you send men to hell And make them wander through myriad wombs You cheat all minds Sway all the three worlds Vanquish one in meditation Your pleasures are illusory You make one unsteady and weak And punish the high and low alike" Sokas Sahskriti Krodh (wrath) is another emotion which is con- demened in Sikhism : "O Karodh (wrath), O father of strife, You know no compassion, You have powerful sway over vicious men who dance to your tunes as does the monkey And then have to face punishment at the hands of couriers of death 218 in whose company human being turn mt de\ Guru Arjan—Slokas SahsR Wrath as a passion is charged with psycholc gical power. It may lead to perversity in an indi­ vidual, for this emotion draws its strength from the evils existing in human beings. It pervades one and all. Lobh (greed) is the desire to possess what belongs to others : "O lobh (greed), you have swayed even the best men by your waves And men's minds waver and run in all direc­ tions to gather more and more You are a respector of neither friendship, nor any ideal, nor mother, nor father You make one do what one must not Eat what is eaten not And build what cannot be built" Guru Arjan—Slokas Sahaskriti And A greedy person never rests in peace and goes about in all directions Guru Nanak—Chaupadas A greedy person is not trustworthy. He is not loyal to anything except wealth and attain more and more wealth, he can deceive everybody. Moh (attachment) m< ms a sense of being che- 219 ated of delusion and an attachment for the mu- dane. "The whole world is engulfed by mudane values and attachment to it." Guru Nanak—Prabhati And Moh creates the family; "Rid yourself of moh as it leads to nothing but sin O brave one, shed your moh and doubt" Guru Nanak—Panchapads Ahankar (pride) is the greatest evil from which man suffers. It is also called houmai in Sikhism. Pride arises from man's possession of beauty, wealth or power. Man also takes pride in his acts of charity. It is condemned by the Gurus : "O pride, the cause of our coming and going in the world, O soul of sin, you estrange friends, confirm enmities, And makes men spread out the net of illusion. And tires men by keeping ever on the round, making them experience now pleasure, now pain. Men walk through wilderness of doubt You afflict men with incurable maladies." Guru Arjan—Si ok as Sahskriti Thus every individual must subdue his senses. Guru Nanak said : "Avarice is the dog, falsehood the sweeper 220 Cheating the eating of a carcass; Slander the dirt that my tongue tastes, And anger is the fire that burns man like a chandal. I indulge in self-esteem only. O Lord, these are my acts ! O friend, speak only that which brings you honour" —Sri Rag "O foolish mind, by sour tongue you destroy yourself." Ideal of service To serve fellow beings is the ideal of a true Sikh. Service enhances the sense of fellow feeling and creates love for all. It also purifies the heart. "Serve others and repeat the word. Practise contemplation and self-control to kill ego." Guru N&nak—Prabhati "Dedicate yourself to world's service And you will get a place in the court of the Lord" —Sri Rag Service can be of different types—serving the poor and needy, giving in charity, helping a person in distress or saving someone in danger. The Gurus ordained the Sikhs to help the needy, contribute to the free kitchen so that the poor 221 arc fed, cook and serve f< >d and clean utensils in the Guni'ka-langar, dust the shoes (and sonic- times polish (hem too) of the sangat and give to the fund maintained Tor the welfare of the community. This spirit of service creates love and affection among fellow beings and tells them to live in humility. It makes man forget his social status, so that he no more thinks in terms of high or low, rich or poor. "O Lord, I will be blest if I bring water for, wave fan over and grind corn for Thy devotee ; I will cast my empire and mansions into the fire And will cling to the feet of the servant of Thy saint And care no more for rich people." Guru Arjan—Bilawal Thus social service is a part and parcel of Sikhism and is a practical way of life for a Sikh. A real Sikh is one who, besides doing other duties, meditates on the Name of God and performs social service for the welfare of humanity. A true Sikh should not remain in the com­ pany of wicked persons. Evil produces moral corruption and brings degradation in society. Evil persons corrupt good men. Guru Nanak said :

222 evil persons And by talking evil one destroys the purpose of life." To keep up moral standards and to ensure spiritual development one must remain in the company of holy men. Holy men impart knowl­ edge and teach purity, kindle love in the heart and exhort man to remember God, "By keeping the company of holy men and meditating on His Name, even fallen people are lifted," said Guru Nanak. In his humility, Guru Nanak sought the dust of the feet of holy men. "The company of saints removes all sins, it secures comfort for man in both the worlds," said Guru Arjan. Truthfulness A Sikh must always remain truthful. "Truth is the remedy for all ailments and washes away all sins," said Guru Nanak. It is the ultimate Reality and includes justice, impartiality, sincerity, hon­ esty and righteousness. Contentment A Sikh must remain contented in whatever circumstances he is placed. He must always bow before the Will of God. He should have no private ambition and miseries of life should be deemed as destined : in adversity, one's friends and virtues are put to test. "Misery is a medi­ cine, happiness a disease. In prosperity, one 223 should not forget God who created him. A man not contented by his fate only multiplies his sorrows and miseries. He should never compare himself with the more fortunate ones. His mind should remain contented and this itself brings him joy and happiness. Peace can be attained only by sabar (contentment). A true Sikh should have patience and should bear all adversities smilingly, come what may. He should never be disappointed, even in the face of heavy ordeals. In the words of Guru Amar Das, "There is no greater penance than patience, no greater happiness than contentment, no greater virtue than mercy and no stronger weapon than forgiveness." A devotee should realise that all human beings belong to one family. They must love each other and have affection for all. "God abides in every heart, It is your duty to treat one and all with respect." Guru Gobind Singh "A Sikh repeats daily in his prayer sarbat ka bhala, welfare of all human beings, irrespective of his caste, colour, creed or sex. He should have faith in universal brotherhood; at the same time, he should have courage and boldness. Guru Gobind Singh combined shakti and bliakii. With­ out bravery, a man remains at the mercy of the 224 tyrant and surrenders to injustice. He has to fight against the evils and for this he should be bold and fearless. Guru Gobind Singh said : "O, Great God, grant me this boon only, That from the noble deeds I may turn not. I may fear not him whom I face in fight certain be my victory. And this be the teaching to my mind My desire be to sing His praises, When the period of my life draws to an end I may fight my foes valiantly And die a heroic death." —Epilogue to Chandi Chariter In short, a Sikh's way of life is Nam Japana, * Kirt Kami and Wand Chakhna. All true Sikhs should meditate on the Name of God who is the Supreme Creator and Destroyer. "All those who hear the Shabad. are always contented They get knowledge and reward, of taking bath at sixty eight holy places Those who remember God, are honoured O Nanak, a devotee is forever joyous And his agony and sin are destroyed." Guru Nanak—Japji A devotee should not only remember God, he should also have faith in Him. "Those who believe, Their mind is awakened to greater 225 consciousness, To inner knowledge of all spheres. They are not attached to anyone Death does not create fear in their minds. Such is the word immaculate, If one believes from the core of one's heart. Guru Nanak—Japji A Sikh should earn his livelihood by honest means. In order to lay the basis for equitable distribution of material resources and earnings in society, productive hard labour is the pre­ requisite for each constituent member of the Khalsa. "Each for all and all for each" is of significance if each member of the order puts in and contributes his best physical endeavour in the common social pool. Man must earn by the sweat of his brow. Once Guru Gobind Singh was sitting in sangat (congregation). His devotees from far and near had gathered. All of a sud­ den, the Guru asked for water. A number of Sikhs ran to fetch a glass of water. A rich per­ son was the first to present him a tumbler full of water. While so doing, he said "O my Lord, it is for the first time that I am giving water to anybody. I belong to such an opulent family that never before have I done this with my own hands." On hearing this, the Guru threw away the tumbler of water and admonished the young man : "You are sinful. Your hands are polluted, 226 You have not rendered useful service to anyone or utilised this precious gift of God for any productive work. I won't accept water from your hands." This incident opened the eyes of all the devotees. The Guru exhorted his follow­ ers to engage themselves in some kind of pro­ ductive labour which should be of service to society. The basic creative attribute of the Lord in Sikh faith explains the general creative genius and approach of an average Sikh in all temporal aspects of the community's existence. Bhai Gur- das said : "Cursed are one's hands and feet without service and in the absence thereof all other religious deeds of persons are of no use." Guru Nanak laid great mphasis on this aspect. He said : • "In order to merit recognition in the next world, It is imperative to render service in this world." All Sikhs should share their earnings with others. They should at least spend one-tenth (daswandh) of their earnings in charity for a noble cause. "Whatever a Sikh earns through * honest means, he should deposit in cash or kind in the common pool and from that common 227 pool gladly accept his sustenance including food and clothing. Every Sikh should contribute something for running Guru ka langar. He should take food in the langar and then say : "O Guru, provisions are thine, only devoted service thereof falls to our part. We have taken meals from Thy cauldron. Keep thy Khalsa's deg (the com­ mon cauldron) and tegh (sword for righteous cause) always on the upgrade. We must medi­ tate on Thy Name and engender in our heart full faith of Thy pious feet in thanks-giving." Lastly, Guru Nanak exhorted his disciples not to renounce the world. He condemned re­ nunciation and running away from the realities of life. There is no need to go to forests or mountains. One should live in the world, medi­ tate on His Name and control one's senses. Even by continuing to live in the family, one can remain a good person. Nine I

Concept of God and Guru in Sikhism

Guru Nanak thought of God as the Supreme Being who was universal, all powerful and truth­ ful. He believed that Truth was greater than all the sacrifices one could make and pilgrimages to holy places and considered the love of God better than all the religious rites and ceremonies one performed. The other Gurus only preached Guru Nanak's teachings and made his thinking the basis of all their utterances. Guru Nanak's basic thought on God can be summed up in just two words, Unity and Frat­ ernity. His concept to Unity is given in the preamble of Japji : "There is but one God His Name is true He is the Creator, Devoid of fear and enmity. He is omnipresent, 229 He is immortal, unborn. Nor does He die to be born again. He was true in the beginning, The true one was when time began to run its course. He was the truth, He is true now, And truth shall ever prevail." . Guru Nanak's concept of God is in fact neither purely theism nor pantheism. In Sikhism God means that He is one, the Creator and the Destroyer and He creates everything out of His self. Just as Darwin gave us the doctrine of the evolution of species, so did Nanak proclaimed, "not the creation of Nature by the All power­ ful out of nothing, but the infinite division of His own essence into a plurality of forms." Thus, it can be said that though God creates His self yet it is different from God. When this is destroyed the phenomenon as a separate existe- nee ceases, but God still exists. "The Gurus have combined the Aryan idea of immanence with the Semitic idea of transcendence without taking away anything from the unity and the personal character of God." Guru Nanak's God is formless ; still He can be seen clearly. According to Cunningham, "He is all love and pervades here and there in the four quarters and the four corners in the form 230 of love. Instead of circumscribed divinity, the anthropomorphous God of Ramananda and Kabir, he loftily invokes the Lord as the one, the sole, the timeless being ; the Creator, the self-existent, the incomprehensible, and the ever­ lasting." Thus, "for Nanak there was no such thing as a God for the Hindus, a God for the Moham­ medans and a God or gods for the outer heathens; for him there was but one God, not in the like­ ness of man, like Rama; not a creature of attri­ butes and passions like the Allah of Muhammad; but one sole, indivisible, self existent, incom­ prehensible, timeless, all pervading—to be named but otherwise indescribable and altogether lovely. Such was Nanak's idea of the Creator and Sus- tainer of the phenomenal world, and it was a conception which at once abrogated all petty distinctions of creed, and sect, and dogma, and ceremony." In Sikhism, God is described as nirgun or abso­ lute, and sagun or personal. According to Prof. Teja Singh, "Before there was any creation God lived absolutely in Himself, but when he thought of making Himself manifest in creation He be­ came related. In the former case, when God was Himself self-created, there was none else; He took counsel and advice with Himself; what He did came to pass. Then there was no heaven, 231 or hell, or the three-regioned world. There Was only the Formless One Himself : creation was not there (Gujri-ki-Var of Guru Amar Das). There was no sin, no virtue, no Veda or any other religious book, no caste, no sex (Guru Nanak's Maru Sohle, 15 and Guru Arjan's Sukhmani, 21). When God became sagan or manifest, He became what is called the Name, and, in order to realise Himself, He made Nature wherein He has His seat and is diffused every­ where and in all directions in the form of love. (Guru Gobind Singh's Jap, 80). In Sikhism, God is not an abstract idea or just a moral force, but a personal Being capable of being loved and honoured and yet diffused all over the creation. He is the common father of all, fashioning worlds and supporting them from inside, but He does not take birth. He has no incarnations. He Himself stands for the creative agencies, like the maya, the word and Brahma; He himself is Truth, Beauty and the eternal yearning of the heart after goodness. In brief, we can say that God is the Creator of all things—Karta Purkh : "He is self-created and self-existent" He is not subject to death or birth; He is autonomous. He does not consult any­ one. He acts independently. He is the source and goal of all. There can be no spark without fire, no soul without fire, no soul without the Universal soul. He is possi­ ble without creation, though creation is not possible without Him. God is the source of all good. He is all-pervading. All is God. There is nothing but God. God is infinite. He can only know Himself. Nobody can describe His greatness : "There is no limit of His virtues : Nor any limit to speak of them. There is no limit to what He doeth; Nor any limit to what He giveth. There is no limit to what He seeth; Nor any limit to what He heareth. No limit is known to what is innermost in his mind. No limit is known to what of form He hath created" Japji—-24 God is All-knowing. He sees and understands all. He is everywhere, within and without: "O crooked heart ! Thy Master is seeing act of Thine, Whatever thou doest, He is beholding And nothing is concealed from Him." —Rag Sorath He knows all the evil deeds of man, but does not withhold bread or money from the sinner in His spate of anger. He is omniscient who knows 233 everything in advance and, fathoms the innermost secrets and still maintains an impartial and detached attitude. God is True. He is and ever shall be. He alone will outlive Time and Eternity. He is real and everlasting. God is All-giver. God bestows His gifts on whom He pleases. Even punishment or misery which comes from Him is blessed. God is All- adorable. All His creations worship Him. God is just. He does not take sides. In His eyes, all are equal. He treats everybody alike. He does justice to all. He knows the Truth. He does not discriminate—He is Nirvair. God is Love. He is present here and every­ where in the form of Love. None can realise Him without love. Those alone who love Him shall find Him : "The gods, the demons the mountains, the inhabitants of the nether world and the most renowned Sidhs all undergo various penances. The Vedas, the Puranas and the Quran are tired of singing His attributes. He cannot be comprehended. He knows the hearts of the inhabitants of this world, of the heavens, of the nether regions, of the four Quarters and of the four corners. His glory is enveloping the whole earth. Why. O, mind, dost thou tell me of any other." —Guru Gobind Singh, 33 Sawayyas 9 God is omnipotent. He is all powerful. He has the power to dissolve the universe. He is not subject to the law of Karma. Several names have been given to God but actually He is Satnam, the eternal and absolute truth. In the scriptures, God is called by the names of incarnations, Avtars. The Gurus used all these names for the one Supreme Being—Bhagwan, Brahma, Gobind, Gopal, Hari, Krishna, Mukand, Madho, Murari, Narayan, Parmeshwar Dev, Vasu- dev. Similarly, the Muslim names of Allah, Haq, Karim, Khuda-Pak, Rab and Rahim stand for the Supreme Being, The Sikh Gurus, however, did not believe in the incarnations of God in any human fo r m. There are two types of God's Names—the Att­ ributive Name which describes the power of God and the true Name which emanates from the Guru's personal experience and vision of the Di­ vine Being. The Name is contemplated and repeated in the inner consciouseness of deep medi­ tation. The Guru In Sikhism, the personality of the Guru is along operative in the career of the disciple, comman­ ding his whole being and shaping his life. With­ out the Guru there would be no cohesion, no 235 direction in the moral forces of society, and in spite of vast knowledge there would be darkness all round. There Would be no link to connect men with men and then with God. Without the Guru everybody would exist for himself in moral degeneration. It is the Guru who removes the barriers of caste and position set up by men among themselves and gathering them all into himself unites them with God. In the process are laid the foundations of the purified who as an organi­ sed force strive for the good of the whole human race. Prof. Teja Singh says : "The Guru is sinless. In order, however, to be really effective in saving man he must not be above man's capacity to imi­ tate, as he would be if he were a supernatural being. His humanity must be real and not feigned. He should have a nature subject to the same laws as operative in the ordinary human nature, and should have attained his perfection through the the same grace as is available to all men and through perfect obedience to God's will. The Sikh Gurus had fought sin and had overcome it. Some of them had lived for a long time in error, until grace touched them and they were perfect • through a constant discipline of knowledge, love and experience in the association of their Gurus. When they had been completely attuned to the will divine and were sanctified as Gurus, there re- 236 mained no defect in them and they became perfect and holy. Thereafter sins did come to tempt them, but they never gave way and were always able to overcome them. It is only thus that they became perfect examplers of men and transformed those who came under their influence to veritable angelic beings." The Guru impersonally resting in God and His wisdom was a perfect channel for the expression of the Divine Will for the understanding of human intellect and through him God poured forth into the world, Divine word, mixed with sweet love and light. The spirit of God resides in all the human beings. But in the Guru the Divine Spirit finds its expression. In others it is not visible on account of their egoism. Egoism is always due to maya which keeps human beings ignorant of the light within their heart. It (maya) leads one from one sin to another. The Guru must be perfect in all respects. If the ideal Guru is imperfect, the society and the individuals who constitute it will not be able to develop their personality. Their development will remain imperfect. The Sikh Gurus were perfect. Guru Nanak declares unequivocally that without the Guru there can be no salvation. In the hymns of Guru Nanak as a whole it has been specifically made clear 237 that the Guru is the communicator between God and man and the medium through which the Word and the Grace of God are made available to all men. Without the Word none can be saved and it is only the Guru who communicates the Word of God. "The Guru is the boat of salva­ tion; a ladder to reach one's home, a key to open the lock, a unifier of man and God" and so on. For man shall not be emancipated without the Guru's instructions, even though man performed hundreds of thousands of ceremonies, all would still be in darkness without the Guru. The Guru is thus indispensable, yet he is not an end in himself but only a means, though the sole means, for the attainment of salvation. Guru Amar Das said : Whoever turneth away from the true Guru, shall not obtain salvation without him; Nor shall he obtain salvation elsewhere— go inquire of persons of discrimination— He shall wander in many births, and not ob­ tain deliverance without the true Guru; But he shall at last obtain deliverance by att­ aching himself to the feet of the true Guru who will communicate to him the Word. Sayeth Nanak, thoroughly reflect on this— there can be no deliverance without the true Guru." —Anand 238 Jo remove the filth of centuries, the soul needs the help and assistance of the Guru. The Guru is an intermediary between God and Crea­ tion. It is so ordained by God. The Guru IS created by the Lord Almighty. He is the bridge between God and man. The Guru forms the staircase to lift man to God. The Guru is the ship that carries man across the ocean of life. The Guru is the light of the world, his teachings banish the darkness of the soul. He sheds light all the time. The Guru's sun must rise in man's soul, other­ wise he remains spiritually blind. Nobody can realise truth without the Master. God enshrines Himself in the Guru and has manifested Himself through the Guru. Guru Nanak said : "If thou wanderest throughout the world in search of relief The fire of maya is not extinguished. The inner dirt is not washed out That life is cursed and the manner it lives is condemned. Thou can't worship God Without the Guru's Word. O man ! quench the fire of desire with the help of the Guru. Ana nil tny mind 1 with the Word and rend I asunder 239 The veil of ego that hides the truth from thee." —Sri Rag Guru Ram Das said : "The Guru is like philosopher's stone And men are like the iron ore; O God, grant that one meets such a person That the iron in us may be turned into gold The Guru gives us the Divine light. The human life then becomes beautiful and godly." —Thukhari In Sikhism, transformation comes not only through a close association with the Guru but through belief in Sikhism, for the Sikh incor­ porates the Guru. He fills himself with the Guru and feels linked up with an inexhaustible source of power. According to Guru Gobind Singh, "the Khalsa is my other self; in him I live and have my being." A great love exists between the Guru and the Sikh. But the homage paid to the Guru was made impersonal, by creating mystic unity between the Sikh and the Guru on the one hand and the Guru and the Word on the other, "The Guru is a Sikh and the Sikh who practises the Guru's word is at one with the Guru." V

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I he Book

Sikh ism, winch emerged in the north-west: comer ot India in the mid 15th century, has enriched the lives of millions the world ovei In the course of four centuries the pristine purity of the teachings of the- Gurus cut across traditional mores, Caste and creed.

Describing the many facets of founding and giowth of this new religion, this liandbook is a bird's-eye -**:ew of the lives \i its vene rated Gurus, tenets and institutions, concepts and values, customs and ceremo­ nies 01 the people and personalities, etc.

From this book, written by S. S. Johar-an eminent scholar whose books are notable contribution to the literature on Sikhs, a reader will gain an insight into the spiritual depths of this vibrant religi

Rs. 8.75

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