by: Dr.Harbans Singh Sraon
“For the purpose was I born
Bear in mind ye holy men.
To propagate the religion,
To protect the saints
To annihilate all the tyrants.”
Thus described Guru Gobind singh, his mission of life, which was in accordance with the eternal wisdom and vision of first nine Gurus. It is appropriate to review that ideology, pertaining to devotion, sacrifice and courage.
“If you like the game of His love, come to my way with your head on your hand.
If you desire to tread that path, hesitate not to offer your head as sacrifice,” Guru Nanak “Abandon all egoism and die for Him, whom thou lovest Cursed is living, having turned back on Him” Gum Angad “Unique are the ways of His disciples They abandon lust, greed, pride, no desire for the self.
They walk on the razor-edge that is their path.” Gum Anardas “For the glimpse of the Lord, 1am prepared to offer every bit of myself.” Gum Randas.
“Accept death first, abandon hope of living, In humility, like dust of all Then, come to mc” Guru Arjan Dev.
Guru Arjan Dev gave his life to uphold human dignity, truth and justice. He was the first martyr of Sikh nation. Guru Hargobind organized army and fought four battles against tyrant rulers. He combined royal authority with spiritual authority. (established concept of Min and Pin) He established Akal Takhat. Guru Har Raihad cavalry of 2000 horses bat did not encounter the oppressor. Gun Tegh Bahadur made the supreme sacrifice for the freedom of religion at Delhi which is a milestone in Indian history. Gun Gobind Singh prayed for blessing from the Lord:
“Grant me this boon O” Lord from Thy Greatness May I never refrain from righteous actions May I fight without fear, all foes in the battle With courage, claiming the victory May Thy glory be ingrained in my mind And my highest ambition be singing Thy praises When this mortal life reaches its limits May I die fighting in the battlefield, with limitless courage”.
An extraordinary event took place at Anandpur in 1699. This was the creation of Khalsa by Gur Gobind Singh. Miss Pearl S.Buck, Nobel laureate, described the impact of this occasion as follows; “The creation of Khalsa was the greatest work of Gum Gobind Singh. He created a type of superman, a universal man of God. The Guru regarded himself as the servant of the Khalsa,” to serve them pleases me the most, no other service is so dear to my soul.’ The Khalsa was a spearhead of resistance against tyranny.”
Historical perspective:
Birth of Guru Gobind Singh at Pama 1666 A.D.
Moved to Anandpur 1672 Marty random of Guru Tegh Bahadur 1675.
The creation of Khalsa 1699 Martyrdom of Guro Gobind Singh’s sons 1704.
Guruship to Guru Granth Sahib and last days 1708.
Bhai Nand Lal, a devoted Sikh and farsi poet descnbed Gum Gobind Sigh as a rare combination of exceptional qualities: Affecnonate, adventurous, celestial, Ascetic, Crusader, confident, capable commander, courteous, conscientious, fearless, frank friend, forgiving, profound prophet, powerful patnot, prudent, philosopher, poet, pleasant, strong saviour, soldier, saint and spiritual sovereign.
Guru Gobind Singh described the relationship with his Khalsa as follows:
“The Khalsa is my own image
I shall always manifest myself in the Khalsa
The Khalsa is my body and soul The Khalsa is the life of my life The Khalsa is my perfect leader The Khalsa is my bravest fiend.”
Guru Gobind Singh defined a code of conduct (rehat) for the Khalsa brotherhood to develop character, conduct and physical distinction.
Physical appearance:
Khalsa shall wear 5 Ks as distinction and reminder of commitment to Sikh code of conduct: Kesh (unshom hair). A Sikh eats hair as gift of God. Keeping long hair is accepting God’s will. It is sign of distinction and conviction to uphold truth, justice and freedom.
Kara (steel arias) A kara is a round object without a beginning and without an end, symbolic of oneness of God. Kam literally means link, symbolizing a strong link with the Guru and the brotherhood of Khalsa.
Kaccha (drawer) the unendear symbolic of self-control and high moral character, Kangha, the comb. Symbol of tidiness to keep hair clean and tidy. As comb removes tangles and clean the hair, similarly a Sikh is reminded to get rid of any impurities of thought by repeating His Name, in his mind.
Kirpan, the sword. This is emblem of dignity, power and self-respect. The Guru mandated Kirpan for self-defense, and for the protection of weak and oppressed. Along with these symbols, Khalsa ought to meditate on His name as a saintly deed on a daily basis. Khalsa need to take bath every day for cleanliness and puny.
Moral code of conduct:
Gum Gobind Singh asked his Khalsa to accept five vows: Vow not to remove hair, Vow not to real halal meat; Vow not to smoke and not to drink alcohol; Vow not to worship idols, tombs or graves; Vow not to indulge in adultery.
Based upon teachings of Guru Granth Sahib, the Guru inculcated certain qualities in the Khalsa, such as: Complete faith in One God, sainthood, fearlessness, truth, justice, self-sacrifice, benevolence, love and brotherhood of Khalsa for the wellbeing of entire humanity. Once the Khalsa accepted the brotherhood, some deliverance was implemented, such as:
‘Janam Nash’ No caste or creed, everyone has same status in society.
“Sharam Nash” All hereditary restrictions on profession were banned. Any kind of work is allowed as long as it is moral ‘Kirat,” honest earnings, became part of religion.
“Karam Nash’ Past deeds are pardoned and stressed on present deeds.
“Bharam Nash’ Got and of all Superstitions. Worship One God. It was a transformatory action to invigorate the Khalsa. After establishing set of miles for character, conduct and physical attributes, the Guru said:
“Sikh ‘rehat’, code of conduct is dear to me than a mere Sikh by name.” thal is an example of importance of discipline in Sikh way of life. It was because of discipline, the Khalsa became a strong force to liberate India from the centuries of shackles of slavery and made an impact on historians all over the world.
J.D. Cunningham wrote about Gum Gobind Singh,” the last aposle of the Sikhs did not live to see his and accomplished but he effectively focused the dominant energies of a vanquished people and filled them with lofty although fitful longing for a social freedom and national ascendency. The proper adjuncts of that purity of worship which had been preached by Guru Nanak.” As already stated, Guru Gobind Singh brought all the teachings of all the Gurus 1nto practice with courage and conviction. Precedents set by Guru Gobind Singh are unparalleled in human history. Let us look closely some exemplary qualities of the Guru:
Leadership: Guru Gobind Singh kept in sight the aspiration of his Khalsa and fully acknowledged their contributions.
“All battles I have won with loving grace of these people their undying love and faith.
Has been my sole protection what am I without their loving support.” In return, the Guru made a series of sacrifices, of self and family so that his Khalsa will flourish. He gave everything to Khalsa as a true leader and set example for future leaders to follow this path for generations to come.
Character: Guru Gobind Singh did not deviate an inch from his principles, whatever the odds or consequences. The Guru was not a ruler but he ruled the hearts of masses through sheer force of his moral character.
Courage: In spite of limited resources and manpower, he challenged the oppressive Mughal empire, and deceitful Hindu kings that they vanished in his presence. He said, “Such one of my men shall fight 125 thousand (of the enemy). Then alone shall, I be entitled to be called Gun Gobind Singh.” He inculcated sense of fearlessness among his Khalsa to face every adversity, head on and have final victory.
Freedom: Guru Gobind Singh had faith in total freedom to religious worship, action, speech and way of life. He showed his Khalsa the value of freedom and ways to Revit “No people can have freedom (self-rule) as a gift from another it is to be seized through their own strength.” He wrote a letter of victory to emperor Aurengzeb:
“When there is no other course Open to man, it is only righteous to UN sheath the sword.”
He put the importance of freedom equivalent to life.
Democracy: Guru Gobind Singh was the forerunner of modern democracy where decisions were made by general consensus and majority rule. He created Khalsa commonwealth based on democratic principle and protection of the minorities, so that everyone live with dignity and honor. At certain time in his life, he accepted the ‘order’ al the Khalsa and Sangat with pleasure.
Unity of Mankind: Guru Gobind Sigh abolished caste system uniting a fragmented community.
Manas jaat sabhe eke pahichanbo’ the Guru advocated. All humanity belongs to only one race, that is, Ne human race.
He gave equal status to women folk in Sangat and in daily life. They are to share responsibility equally with men.
Love: Guru Gobind Singh described love as direct path to God. To love God is to love His creation. “I speak verily, hear ye all God is realized only through love.”
Pearls of wisdom and courage of Guru Gobind Singh: “Those who surrender to others lose honor, too, in addition to lives.” “To live and die for the nation is the supreme form of the religion. “It is not life that matters. It is the courage you bring to IL.” “Sweep away the filth of unidity and cowardice from the deep recesses of your mind with the broom of divine wisdom.” “He who flies away from death in the face of danger to his nation, finds death awaiting him in another garb.” “Don’t be sinful but also don’t fear sinners because the dread of sinners is in itself a sin.” ~A king must apply the same laws to himself as he does to others.” “God was not to be found in the texts, but in humility and sincerity.” “Unity is strength and success, in disunity, chaos and decay.”
A Humble Appeal: I hope and pray that this last quote of the Guru, on unity is well understood and acted upon by the Khalsa Panth today. It is absolutely necessary for the glory and survival of Sikh.
One sure panacea for unity is to live by the fundamental principles of Sikhs as prescribed by our great Gurus in Guru Granth Sahib. Adherence to basic tenets will create & common bond and bring us Closer. Let us help, trust and respect each other, role and practical religion. Let us practice it and share it with the rest of the humanity.
Article extracted from this publication >> January 8, 1993
