Guru Gobind Singh Ji

The Guru embodied righteousness, valiance, liberation, empowerment, integrity, equality and justice. They protected human dignity and honour. He created the ‘Khalsa’ – initiated Sikhs who strive to live out their dharam – a righteous life of truth, compassion, contentment, humility, love, sacrifice and forgiveness.

Compliance with God's Command and Assignment

From Guru Gobind Singh Ji’s writings we learn, that prior to this incarnation, he was in deep meditation in the presence of God. He was commanded to come and establish dharam on this planet – which is a dharamsal. He was hesitant about leaving, and humbly requested God to support him throughout this mission. God reassured him that he would be going to Earth as the son of God and with God’s full support to achieve the assignment of creating the Khalsa – a group of people who are righteous; and to propagate dharam. He was to defend and empower society.

In 1666, the year Guru Gobind Singh Ji was born, the Emperor of India was Aurangzeb – he had imprisoned his own father, Shah Jahan, killed his brothers and taken the throne of India. Under the guise of deen (faith) he was ordering his subjects to convert to Islam or be killed. This foreign domination and religious exploitation had to be stopped. It was not acceptable for the religion of the rulers to be forcefully imposed on their new subjects.

ਇਹ ਬਿਧਿ ਕਰਤ ਤਪਸਿਆ ਭਯੋ ॥ ਦ੍ਵੈ ਤੇ ਏਕ ਰੂਪ ਹ੍ਵੈ ਗਯੋ ॥ …
ਤਿਨ ਪ੍ਰਭ ਜਬ ਆਇਸੁ ਮੁਹਿ ਦੀਆ ॥ ਤਬ ਹਮ ਜਨਮ ਕਲੂ ਮਹਿ ਲੀਆ ॥੪॥

“By meditating throughout 40 ages, I became at one with God.
God then distinguished me from within the Oneness…
He commanded me to go to Earth …

ਚਿਤ ਨ ਭਯੋ ਹਮਰੋ ਆਵਨ ਕਹਿ ॥ ਚੁਭੀ ਰਹੀ ਸ੍ਰੁਤਿ ਪ੍ਰਭੁ ਚਰਨਨ ਮਹਿ ॥…

I had no desire to come to this world
as I was totally absorbed in devotion to the Lord …

ਮੈ ਅਪਨਾ ਸੁਤ ਤੋਹਿ ਨਿਵਾਜਾ ॥ ਪੰਥੁ ਪ੍ਰਚੁਰ ਕਰਬੇ ਕਹ ਸਾਜਾ ॥…

God sent me as His son,
to establish the path of dharam (righteousness).

ਜਾਹਿ ਤਹਾ ਤੈ ਧਰਮੁ ਚਲਾਇ ॥ ਕਬੁਧਿ ਕਰਨ ਤੇ ਲੋਕ ਹਟਾਇ ॥

I was sent to spread Dharam
and to stop people carrying out foolish behaviour.

ਠਾਢ ਭਯੋ ਮੈ ਜੋਰਿ ਕਰ ਬਚਨ ਕਹਾ ਸਿਰ ਨਯਾਇ ॥
ਪੰਥ ਚਲੈ ਤਬ ਜਗਤ ਮੈ ਜਬ ਤੁਮ ਕਰਹੁ ਸਹਾਇ ॥੩੦॥

I stood up in utter humility in front of God Almighty, with folded
hands, I bowed my head and spoke: I can only create the Panth
(Khalsa Community) with your help and grace…

ਹਮ ਇਹ ਕਾਜ ਜਗਤ ਮੋ ਆਏ ॥ ਧਰਮ ਹੇਤ ਗੁਰਦੇਵਿ ਪਠਾਏ ॥

God sent me to establish Dharam.”

A Star is Born

The Guru was born in 1666 and was given the name Gobind Rai at birth. There are many stories associated with the Guru’s birth and early life. One of these is about a Muslim saint called Pir Bhikan Shah.

During his daily prayers, Pir Bhikan Shah bowed in the direction of Patna, not Mecca. His followers were surprised by this behaviour and asked why he bowed in a different direction. The Pir responded that he had felt the presence of a great soul, coming into the world, in the city of Patna. He set off to meet the new child with his followers.

On arrival in Patna, he requested an audience with the child. Internally he was questioning which faith the child would favour. He thought about creating a ‘test’ to help understand the child’s allegiance. He collected two pots, one filled with milk and the other with water. He believed that if the child selected the milk he would favour the Hindus. If he selected water he would favour the Muslims. To his amazement and happiness, the young child placed his hands on both pots signifying that he would practise equality and respect both faiths equally.

ਹਮ ਇਹ ਕਾਜ ਜਗਤ ਮੋ ਆਏ ॥ ਧਰਮ ਹੇਤ ਗੁਰਦੇਵਿ ਪਠਾਏ ॥

“God sent me to establish dharam (Righteousness)”
– Guru Gobind Singh Ji

The Making of a Saint-Soldier

Gobind Rai grew up in Patna. The city where thousands of years earlier, an emperor named Ashoka had thrown all his weaponary away during his conversion to Buddhism, resulting in a pacifist society that was vulnerable to invaders.

During his childhood in Patna, Gobind Rai was aware of this history. He would preach the importance of defence, and often asked, “if people attack you – what will you do?” As a child he created a slingshot and would often use it to shoot at the water clay pots local women would carry. On many occassions, the Guru broke these pots, and the ladies would complain to his mother, Mata Gurji Ji.

Mata Ji provided steel pots for them to carry water, after which, Gobind Rai began playing with a bow and arrows with metallic heads. His aim was impeccable, and again, whilst practicing, he would shoot at the pots the ladies would carry. One day, he shot an arrow and pierced a hole in the steel pot, and the woman who owned it came crying to the Guru’s mother, asking what she should do.

Mata Gurji Ji then called for young Gobind Rai. When she asked him why he would do such a thing, he replied that he was trying to save the woman. Confused by what he meant, his mother asked for a proper explanation. Young Gobind Rai went on to explain that there was a snake in the pot the woman was carrying, and he was trying to protect her from it. When they looked in the pot, they found the dead snake that had been killed by the arrow and the lady thanked Gobind Rai.

ਤੂੰ ਮੇਰਾ ਰਾਖਾ ਸਭਨੀ ਥਾਈ ਤਾ ਭਉ ਕੇਹਾ ਕਾੜਾ ਜੀਉ ॥

“You are my Protector everywhere; why should I feel any fear or anxiety?”
– Guru Arjan Dev Ji

Exercising Compassion

The Sikh Gurus clearly critiqued religious hypocrisy or pakhand. At the same time, they pro-actively valued all faiths and saw them co-existing, not in competition, but as part of the world’s shared spiritual heritage. As such, they taught that each faith deserved nurture and protection.

Following the relative tolerance of early Mughal emperors, Aurangzeb sharpened oppressive policies towards non-Muslims. Whether politically or religiously motivated, these policies included the destruction of prominent Hindu shrines and imposition of the jizya tax on non-Muslims.

By then, Guru Tegh Bahadur Ji had become a prominent peace-builder within Mughal India. When a delegation of Hindu priests from Kashmir approached him for help, it was his young son (then Gobind Rai) who remarked that there was no leader more capable than his father to take a stand before the emperor. Guru Tegh Bahadur Ji set off, to raise with the emperor the issue of religious oppression, not just for Sikhs but for all the subjects in the Mughal empire.

Travelling with his close companions, including Bhai Mati Das Ji, Bhai Sati Das Ji and Bhai Dayala Ji, Guru Ji visited places close to the imperial capital of Delhi. Internally he was prepared to face the emperor at any time. The Guru and his companions were then arrested and placed in captivity.

ਮਾਨਸ ਕੀ ਜਾਤਿ ਸਬੈ ਏਕੈ ਪਹਚਾਨਬੋ॥

“ … Recognise the whole of humanity as one family.”
– Guru Gobind Singh Ji

Defender of Faith

In captivity, Guru Tegh Bahadur Ji was placed in an iron cage, subjected to starvation and to witnessing the torturous deaths of his three close and beloved disciples. Bhai Mati Das Ji was tied between two pillars and his body split in two as he was sawn alive. Bhai Dayala Ji was boiled alive in a cauldron of boiling water and Bhat Sati Das Ji was wrapped in cotton wool and set on fire.

The emperor threatened execution if the Guru refused to show a miracle or convert to Islam. Guru Tegh Bahadur Ji remained steadfast, showing no vengeance or pain at the atrocities he was forced to witness. Instead, he reiterated that any policy to oppress or forcibly convert non-Muslims was unethical and irreligious. For this, he was publicly beheaded on November 11, 1675.

Oral accounts tell of the remorse of the executioners, who were forgiven by the Guru before the beheading took place. It is said that Guru Tegh Bahadur Ji had specially instructed a disciple, Bhai Jetha Ji, to sit near the front of the crowd. Miraculously, the blade did not actually touch the Guru. As Guru Ji’s head fell, it landed in Bhai Jetha Ji’s lap. Risking his life, he lovingly transported it on horseback to the Guru’s family in Anandpur.

In the chaos and turmoil that followed, another disciple, Bhai Lakhi Shah Ji, placed the Guru’s body into a cart. Transporting it to his own residence, he set his house on fire, as a funeral pyre, and was able to scatter Guru Ji’s ashes with loving reverence.

Through this supreme sacrifice, the ninth Guru lived up to his name, Tegh Bahadur. Not only did he show supreme courage to wield the sword in his youth — he bravely faced the sword, at his very last breath. For giving his head to defend countless others, he also lived up to his childhood name of Tyag Mal.

As shown in this painting, Guru Gobind Singh Ji, in his own words, described his father’s supreme sacrifice as a historic and spiritual victory. It crushed the oppressive policies of Aurangzeb, the ruling head of the Mughal Empire in Delhi.

The tenth Guru also stated that, while the whole world mourned and lamented, the heavens rejoiced at the ninth Guru’s unparalleled act, that changed the course of history for so many.

ਤੇਗ ਬਹਾਦੁਰ ਸੀ ਕ੍ਰਿਆ ਕਰੀ ਨ ਕਿਨਹੂੰ ਆਨਿ॥…
ਧਰਮ ਹੇਤ ਸਾਕਾ ਜਿਨਿ ਕੀਆ॥ ਸੀਸੁ ਦੀਆ ਪਰੁ ਸਿਰਰੁ ਨ ਦੀਆ॥

“Guru Tegh Bahadur is the saviour of the
Hindus, there is no greater sacrifice …
For faith, Guru Tegh Bahadur gave his head, but
not his integrity.”
– Guru Gobind Singh Ji

Sacredness of Marriage

Guru Gobind Singh Ji was told by his father the ninth Guru, “You promise to enhance love with your own wife, and never, not even by mistake, dream of another woman.“ (Dasam Granth, ang 1555).

The ninth Guru had arranged Guru Gobind Singh Ji’s marriage to Mata Jito Ji, in 1673, when Guru Gobind Singh Ji was seven years old. Due to the ninth Guru’s subsequent martyrdom, the marriage was postponed until Guru Gobind Singh Ji was 11, and took place at Guru Ka Lahore – a location that substituted for the bride’s family home, as the Guru could not travel to Lahore due to the political situation at that time. Mata Jito Ji did not join the family home until the Guru was 18, as was common practice at the time. She went on to give birth to two sons, Baba Ajit Singh Ji (1688) and Baba Jujar Singh Ji (1690). As they began to grow up, Mata Ji wanted to know what would become of her sons. One day, after asking the Guru many times, the Guru showed her the future. In shock over the events that would come to pass, she passed away on the spot.

In the years that followed, the Guru married Mata Sundri Ji, who became a key component of the Sikh community, leading the Sikhs after the Guru returned to his heavenly abode. She gave birth to the Guru’s younger sons, Baba Zorawar Singh Ji (1696) and Baba Fateh Singh Ji (1698).

The Guru was clear in his teachings about the sanctity of marriage and the importance of loyalty. He taught Sikhs about the concept of jat – honouring marital vows and yet being celibate in mind, body and soul. He also gifted Sikhs with a kashera, signifying the importance of chastity and faithfulness to one’s partner and to God. Marriage in the Sikh faith is a sacred union between one man and one woman, allowing Sikhs to experience the love and devotion they wish to have within their relationship with God.

After the departure of Guru Gobind Singh Ji in 1708, Mata Sundri Ji wrote many edicts and took on the responsibility of leading the Sikhs in the turbulent times that followed.

Battle of Bhangani

Raja Bhim Chand – ruler of Kahlur (Bilaspur), requested specific items as wedding gifts from the Guru for his son’s upcoming wedding. The Guru explained that these rare items were lovingly donated to the Guru’s court and were for the congregation, hence it was improper for the Guru to give these as gifts to others. The benevolent Guru prepared an immense wedding gift of 125,000 rupees escorted by 500 guards – Raja Bhim Chand was still displeased and connived with other rulers to wage a war against the Guru in Paonta.

Upon hearing the combined armies were marching towards him, the Guru and his forces made their way towards the invading armies to avoid bloodshed of iinnocent civilians in the town. They met on the banks of the Yamuna river at Bhangani to fight against Raja Bhim Chand, Fateh Shah, Hari Chand and other regional kings. The Guru’s army was made up of Sikhs, Uddasis, and 500 Pathans who later deserted the Guru and joined enemy ranks.

Upon the desertion of the Pathans, the Uddasis lost faith and also left the Guru. The Guru informed Pir Budhu Shah of the desertion, who then arrived with his four sons, brother, and 700 followers to support the Guru in this first battle near Paonta. During the fierce battle, to prevent further bloodshed of innocent soldiers, the benevolent Guru offered Raja Hari Chand a simple one on one duel. Hari Chand accepted the offer and fired three arrows towards the Guru. The first two missed, and the third grazed the Guru. The Guru then fired a single arrow which killed Hari Chand and ended the battle. The Guru addressed his soldiers reminding them, that they were attacked without provocation and were brave to stand up against injustice.

ਸੰਤ ਉਬਾਰਿ ਦੁਸਟ ਸਭ ਘਾਏ॥

“God always protects the saints and destroys the enemies.”
– Guru Gobind Singh Ji

Vaisakhi - Creation of the Khalsa Order

Years after the loving cremation of Guru Tegh Bahadur Ji’s head in 1675, Anandpur was site to an immense gathering of Sikhs, summoned by Guru Gobind Rai Ji on the 30th March 1699. It was Vaisakhi, the spring harvest celebration – a time of culmination and renewal, and of stock tacking to prepare for the year ahead.

On that day, twenty-thousand Sikhs from far and wide gathered. To everybody’s shock and bewilderment, the tenth Guru asked who out of them was willing to give their head. Amidst the trepidation, five Sikhs, one by one, answered the Guru’s call. They became the first historic Panj Pyare or ‘Beloved Five’ – the first to be initiated into the Khalsa collective of committed disciples. Their names were: Bhai Daya Ram Ji, Bhai Dharam Das Ji, Bhai Himmat Rai Ji, Bhai Mohkam Chand Ji, and Bhai Sahib Chand Ji.

The word Khalsa suggested ‘purity’, or integrity of character, and also ‘sovereignty’ – a state of direct allegiance to the Guru, not confined to the rule of other powers, or the ego.

One eyewitness account tells of the resurrection of all five who had passed the Guru’s dramatic test. Their first names reflected five interlinked qualities: daya (compassion), dharam (responsibility), himmat (courage), mohkam (steadfastness), and sahib (leadership).

After initiating them, the Guru honoured each disciple with the royal name Singh. Like Kaur, given to initiated women, it spurred ordinary people to rise to the majesty within them, to govern life with wisdom, dignity and loving responsibility.

They were gifted dastars and the five kakars (spiritual limbs of an initiated Sikh). The Guru then proceeded to initiate the five by administering blessed water known as amrit. During the ceremony they would pledge their allegiance to the One Creator.

After giving amrit to the Beloved Five, Guru Gobind Rai Ji bowed before them, asking them to bless him with amrit. Recalling their own test of sacrifice, they asked what the Guru would give, for the precious gift of amrit. The Guru replied that he would sacrifice his familial attachments and bonds.

Such a dramatic gesture, from a Guru to his disciples, was an act of profound humility that underlined the importance of initiation, even for a Guru. It also conveyed that, in order to carry Sikhs forward in time, leadership would have to rest on the ideals and institution of the Khalsa, the nucleus of the Guru Panth, or community on the Guru’s path.

The amrit sanchar then proceeded as before. Five times the amrit was sprinkled on the Guru’s hair and into his eyes. Five palmfuls were given, to be sipped from his cupped hands. Each time, the Khalsa greeting was uttered, attributing the Khalsa’s existence and victories to Waheguru or God, the Wondrous Enlightener. This giving of amrit signalled a renewal in one’s way of thinking, seeing and speaking.

Losing his parents and children to Mughal aggression, the tenth Guru would praise the wider Khalsa as his still surviving family. Taking amrit, Guru Gobind Rai Ji was honoured with the Khalsa name, becoming known as Guru Gobind Singh Ji.

Bhai Gurdas Singh Ji praises the Guru: “Wonderful! Wonderful Gobind Singh! Who himself is a Guru and himself a follower”.

Oral histories suggest that the Guru’s four sons (known as the Sahibzade) were initiated into the Khalsa order on the same day. The youngest Sahibzada, Baba Fateh Singh Ji, would have been less than a year old when he was initiated.

ਸੁਰਿ ਨਰ ਮੁਨਿ ਜਨ ਅੰਮ੍ਰਿਤੁ ਖੋਜਦੇ ਸੁ ਅੰਮ੍ਰਿਤੁ ਗੁਰ ਤੇ ਪਾਇਆ॥

“Even the angelic beings and sages search for Amrit, the holy water”
– Guru Amar Das Ji

Battle of Taragarh

Bhai Kanhaiya Ji was a trusted and longstanding member of the Guru’s congregation since the ninth Guru. He looked after Guru Gobind Singh Ji’s children and during the battles he would provide water to the soldiers on the battlefield. He was a saintly man who provided water to wounded soldiers with compassion, and did not discriminate when giving aid.

On many occasions the Sikhs tried to stop him from providing water to the enemy – but he still persisted. One day, some Sikh soldiers complained to the Guru that they were fighting the enemy and Bhai Kanhaiya was giving them water and enabling them to get back on the battlefield and resume fighting.

The Guru called for Bhai Kanhaiya, and asked him to explain his actions. He humbly explained that when he saw the soldiers, he saw the light of God in them all. He could not differentiate; there was a need and he had to serve. The Guru was very pleased at this response and provided Bhai Kanhaiya Ji with bandages and ointment. The Guru instructed him to continue providing water and now also provide aid to all the needy soldiers.

ਨਾ ਕੋ ਬੈਰੀ ਨਹੀ ਬਿਗਾਨਾ ਸਗਲ ਸੰਗਿ ਹਮ ਕਉ ਬਨਿ ਆਈ ॥੧॥

“No one is my enemy, no one is a stranger.”
– Guru Arjan Dev Ji

Battle of Chamkaur Sahib

Having left Anandpur, the Guru and his soldiers took refuge in an old fortress. Upon finding out the location of the Guru, the Mughals, regional kings, and officers of Lahore and Sirhind all surrounded the fortress with a million soldiers. The enemy unsuccessfully attempted to send waves of soldiers, and then tried to concentrate the attack on the main gate.

The Guru and his 40 soldiers strategically defended from within the fortress and the surrounding area. They did not instigate conflict, but only targeted ammunition on those who came forward to attack. When the Guru’s forces were halved, his eldest son, Baba Ajit Singh, requested the Guru to enter the battle. The Sikhs tried to deter the Guru from allowing his young children from entering the battle, but, the Guru gave his blessing and Baba Ajit Singh and five soldiers entered the battle.

Next, the Guru’s fifteen year old son, Baba Jujhar Singh, then requested to enter the battlefield and fight like his brother. The Guru gave his blessing. Baba Jujhar Singh along with five other soldiers entered the battlefield. They sacrificed themselves to repel the enemy forces and defend the fortress. At the behest of the remaining Sikhs, the Guru was accompanied out of the fortress by three Sikhs, whilst the remainder proclaimed his departure to the enemy, and continued fighting valiantly until their last breaths.

ਚਿੜੀਓ ਸੇ ਮੈ ਬਾਝ ਲੜਾਓਂ॥ ਤਬੈ ਗੋਬਿੰਦ ਸਿੰਘ ਨਾਮ ਕਹਾਓਂ॥

“When I make one fight against 125,000, then I am Gobind Singh.”

Battle of Muktsar

Struggling with the constant battles with a pursing Mughal army, forty Sikhs who were initially part of Guru Gobind Singh Ji’s following, abandoned him during a difficult campaign. Before leaving they wrote letters stating ‘You are not my Guru and I am not your Sikh’.

Returning home, they were moved by the devotion and wisdom of their wives and a profound change of heart led them to seek forgiveness. They decided to return to the Guru to redeem their mistake, led by one of the wives – Mai Bhago Ji.

By the time they returned, the Guru was engaged in the Battle of Muktsar (also known as the Battle of Khidrana) against a large Mughal force. The forty Sikhs, few in number, joined the fray with fervent desire to fight alongside their Guru.

Though outnumbered, the forty Sikhs fought with great courage and determination, laying down their lives for their beliefs and their Guru.

Guru Gobind Singh Ji, witnessing their sacrifice, blessed them with the title Chali Mukte (the fourty liberated ones), signifying their liberation from the cycle of birth and death. In honour of their request, he also tore up each of their letters, forgiving them and accepting them as his own.

The battlefield was renamed Sri Muktsar Sahib, meaning the Pool of Liberation, in their memory. Their story is celebrated in Sikh lore as a powerful example of loyalty, faith, redemption, and ultimate sacrifice.

Their names were:

Rai Singh
Maha Singh
Seetal Singh
Sundar Singh
Boorh Singh
Bhag Singh
Dilbagh Singh
Nidan Singh
Sultan Singh
Gharbara Singh
Darbara Singh
Ganda Singh
Keso Singh
Jado Singh
Keerat Singh
Kripal Singh
Nihal Singh
Kushal Singh
Suhel Singh
Sant Singh

Majaa Singh
Sumer Singh
Sadhu Singh
Gulab Singh
Harsa Singh
Sangat Singh
Hari Singh
Dhana Singh
Lachman Singh
Kalaa Singh
Bhanga Singh
Dayal Singh
Sarja Singh
Garja Singh
Joga Singh
Shobha Singh
Karan Singh
Dharam Singh
Chamba Singh
Bhola Singh
Mai Bhag Kaur

Bricking alive the Guru’s children

After separation from the Guru at the river Sirsa, Mata Gujri Ji and the two younger sons of the Guru were travelling when Gangu the Brahmin appeared.

He offered to help and guide the family towards the Guru; Mata Gujri Ji accepted. However, he was soon enticed by the local reward placed on capturing the family of the Guru, and betrayed them by reporting their location to the authorities. They were taken to Sirhind and imprisoned in the ‘cold tower’ in the freezing month of December.

The younger sons of the Guru were called to have an audience with the Nawab of Sirhind – Wazir Khan. They refused to bow and were given the false news that their father was captured and killed at Chamkaur Sahib. Wazir Khan then tried to entice them to convert with luxuries.

The children grew up having learnt about the sacrifices their ancestors had made. Their great great-grandfather’s martyrdom – who didn’t cower in fear of the Mughal Emperor Jahangir; and their grandfather’s supreme sacrifice for the right of the Hindus to practice their faith freely.

Aware of these sacrifices they responded “we would give our heads but not our faith.” They were then threatened with death but the children were resolute. Wazir Khan subjected the children to torture for days. He ordered them to be bricked alive, and later beheaded. It is still considered one of the most barbaric acts in history.

ਜਾ ਤੂ ਮੇਰੈ ਵਲਿ ਹੈ ਤਾ ਕਿਆ ਮੁਹਛੰਦਾ॥

“God, if you are with me, I have no worries.”
– Guru Arjan Dev Ji

Damdama Sahib

The fifth Guru gathered the writings of the earlier Gurus and enlightened individuals to compile the ‘first’ Sikh scripture between 1601-1604. This scripture was known as the ‘Aad Granth’.

In 1705, Guru Gobind Singh Ji and the remainder of his family were reunited in Talwandi Sabo in Punjab – this place was later renamed to Damdama Sahib – meaning place of rest. During his stay, he wanted to add the teachings of his father to the Sikh scripture compiled by the fifth Guru. However, when he requested the scripture from the devotees, they denied this request, and taunted the Guru by saying, “if you are really the Guru, you do not need the scripture from us. You can write it yourself.”

Seeing no alternative, the Guru then sat in deep meditation and recited the whole scripture off by heart, including the additional teachings, as Bhai Mani Singh Ji scribed. It took Guru Gobind Singh Ji five months to complete this process.

ਜਿਉ ਬੁਲਾਵਹੁ ਤਿਉ ਨਾਨਕ ਦਾਸ ਬੋਲੈ॥

“The Guru spoke as God inspired him to speak.”
– Guru Arjan Dev Ji

Banda Singh Bahadur

Banda Singh Bahadur was a very talented individual. He was intelligent, strong, and well versed in martial arts. He loved hunting from a young age. One day whilst on a hunt, he spotted a deer from afar and fired an arrow – killing the deer. When he went towards the deer he saw that it was a female deer and that the deer was pregnant. He cut open the deer and two fawns fell down, writhing on the floor and dying shortly after. This caused him so much distress that he decided to renounce the world at the age of 16, and joined a hermitage. He underwent training from three Yogis before becoming an accomplished Yogi himself with occult powers – which he would often misuse.

When Guru Gobind Singh Ji met him in Nanded, the Guru’s presence humbled Banda Singh, who was transformed – he learnt how to live a Sikh way of life. The Guru blessed him with his own weapons, a war drum, and a battle standard, along with a squadron of 25 Sikhs to stop the injustices in Punjab. Banda Singh Bahadur eventually overcame the Mughal authorities in Sirhind and established the first Sikh rule between 1710-1715. He was a fair and just ruler, who encouraged his Hindu and Muslim subjects to practice their own faiths freely. Justice, righteousness and the welfare of people were the principles of his rule.

His martyrdom occured after he was captured and brutally executed by the Mughals in Delhi along with hundreds of Sikhs. This was a state punishment for his leadership of a major uprising following the tenth Guru’s passing, that challenged Mughal power and established a short-term Sikh-led state to safeguard the common people.

Factfile:
Birth name: Lachhman Dev (later renamed: Madho Das)
Born in: 27 Oct 1670
Birthplace: Rajouri, Jammu and Kashmir.
Father: Ramdev

Enthroning Guru Granth Sahib Ji

The light of Guru Nanak was carried through all of the Sikh Gurus and Guru Gobind Singh Ji was the tenth and final Sikh Guru in human form.

In 1708, he handed the eternal Guruship (Gurta gadhi) to the Sikh scripture which encapsulated the teachings of all the Sikh Gurus.

This scripture was enthroned by the Guru just days before his departure from this world. The Guru lifted the scripture, placed it on his throne, and bowed down in reverence to the Divine Word. He told the Sikhs, “from today, this scripture is the embodiment of the Gurus and the Divine Word. All Sikhs must adhere to the teachings and address the scripture as Guru Granth Sahib Ji, the eternal Guru of the Sikhs.”

The scripture transcends the physical realm, and unlike a human is everlasting and unchangeable. Sikhs revere this sacred word as Divine Truth for all time. A short while after making this declaration, Guru Gobind Singh Ji departed for the heavenly abode (known as ‘Parlok Gamman’). The Gurudwara Takhat Sri Hazur Abchalnagar Sahib in Nanded, Maharashtra marks both of these events in Sikh history.

ਸਭ ਸਿਖਨ ਕੋ ਹੁਕਮ ਹੈ ਗੁਰੂ ਮਾਨਿੳ ਗ੍ਰੰਥ॥

“Every Sikh is commanded to accept the scripture – Guru Granth Sahib Ji, as their Guru”
– Guru Gobind Singh Ji