BY DR. BALWANT SINGH

From all the important historical facts in Sikh religion the Vasakhi of March 30, 1699, is the most significant and memorable event. The Khalsa Panth was created by Guru Gobind Singh under the divine order of God to establish the righteousness in true sense, to protect the holy and weak, to punish the evil doers, and to become sovereign.

Guru Gobind Singh called big meeting of Sikhs at Anandpur Sahib (The City of Bliss) on the Vasakhi Day, March 30, 1699. Guru wanted to test the courage of the Sikhs with sword the goddess of steel, the giver of freedom, defender of faith, honor and life. At his repeated call for the sacrifice of heads, Bhai Daya Ram a Khatri of Lahore, Bhai Dharam Das a Jat of Delhi, Bhai Mohkam Chand a washer man of Dwarka, Bhai Sahib Chand a barber of Bidder, and Bhai Himmat Rai, water carrier of Jagannath, came forward fearlessly and offered their heads.

After this, Amrit (the nector of immortality) was prepared by Guru Gobind Singh in a bow! full of water stirred with double edged steel sword. The divine verses (Japji of Guru Nanak, Jaap, Swaiyas and Kabio Bach Benti Chaupi of Guru Gobind Singh and Anand of Guru Amar Das) in praise of Lord, were chanted. The name and spirit of all powerful, omnipotent, monotheistic lord was instilled in the water tuming into Amrit. Sugar crystals were also dissolved over this bowl, which gave Bhagti (devotion) power to protect the Saint and meak and to resist against tyranny. With this ceremony, there were normal bindings on the disciple to surrender to his Guru in mind, speech and action. Guru Gobind Singh blessed these five Sikhs, made them drink the Amn and called them Punj Piaras (the five beloved ones) and every one was addressed as Singh (lion). Then the master himself knelt before the Punj Piaras in the same manner and asked them to administer the Amrit to him, for he too wished to gain the Khalsa Panth. Like the names of his beloved five, his name, too was made to end in “Singh” or lion. It was changed from Gobind Rai to Gobind Singh. Thus Khalsa became Guru and the Guru became Khalsa. Both became one forever by this ceremony of Amrit. The synthesis of Bhagti (devotion) and Shakti (power) by Guru Gobind Singh was a great miracle in transforming Sikhs to Singhs. According to Ahmod Shah Batalia, Guru Gobind Singh said to his follower, “I wish you to embrace one creed and follow one path, obliterating all differences of religion. Let the four Hindu castes who had different rules laid for them in the Shastras, abandon them altogether and adopting the way of cooperation mix freely with one another. Let no one feel himself superior to any other. Do not follow the old scriptures. Let none pay heed to the Ganges and other places of pilgrimage which are considered in the Hindu religion or adore the Hindu deities, but all should believe in one supreme Lord. Let persons of four castes receive my baptism, eat out of the same vessel and feel no disgust or contempt for one another.

In order to give the Sikhs a distinct form and appearance, Guru Gobind Singh prescribed a special uniform for them. He made it incumbent upon them all to wear forever the five K’s (Kakars) or five symbols namely uncut hair, a comb, a steel bracelet, a short drawer, and a sword. Thus a most powerful and fearless community of Sikhs was founded by Guru Gobind Singh and it was a natural sequence and culmination of all that had gone before in the development of Sikh religion. On Vasakhi Day in 1699, Guru Gobind Singh demonstrated the Guru Nanak’s teachings in a practical way of life by affirming the universal brotherhood of Khalsa. Let us all pledge ourselves to become members of the Khalsa nation, work together for our homeland Khalistan and have our Gurus’ blessings.

Article extracted from this publication >>  April 24, 1987