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The
Baisakhi – When the Movement reached the Apex* –
Bhai Ardaman Singh Bagrian
Baisakhi for us the Sikhs, is an auspicious day. It is our
great day. It was the day of culmination and perfection.
After two hundred years of calculated, persistent and planned
efforts, sacrifices and hard work, the Satguru’s mission
came to be fulfilled, and the ideals set by the Satguru
reached perfection on this day. It is the Birthday of the
Khalsa. No definite and pin-pointed information regarding
the creation of any other nation or its achieving the exalted
status, is known the world over. None could be determined
for any of them. It is a special honour of the Khalsa that
not only its birthday but even the period of its creation
can be pin-pointed. On this day, the Guruship was passed
on and entrusted to the Khalsa under the supreme instructions
and guidance of the Gurbani.
The Khalsa was not created out of vengeance with a view
to take revenge. It was not created impulsively in a hurry,
nor was it created as a ‘time-server’, a strategic
step, or as a reaction to any barbarous rebuff on the martyrdom
of the ninth Nanak, Guru Tegh Bahadur. The martyrdoms of
the fifth Nanak Guru Arjun Dev, and that of the ninth Satguru,
were significant and important stages in the process of
its development. They were like rockets fired to clear and
straighten the course and to propel and shoot the movement
vigorously towards the goal, like a bullet. The Khalsa was
created at the pleasure of Akalpurkh (nekb
g[oy eh wT[i) and as ordained by Him. It was created
Then was the completely potent Khalsa created spontaneously.1
after full thought, thorough deliberation, and meticulous
planning in perfect, whole, and masculine image. It was
created by the Satguru, as Lepel Griffin has said, like
Jupiter taking out Minerva from his thighs. It was like
goddess Durga producing Chandi from her forehead.
Two hundred years earlier, Sri Guru Nanak Dev, had made
the call and set the ideals. The ideals were set in the
first Shalok of Guru Nanak’s Asa-ki-Var.
I am a sacrifice to my Guru a myriad times a day,
Who turned men into gods and without delay.2
The ideal was to turn men into gods. It was to create a
nation of God-conscious men out to do service to humanity
and be ever ready to offer sacrifice for a just and righteous
cause, and to uphold godly virtues and exact justice where
it was denied. In the words of the tenth Nanak, Guru Gobind
Singh, it was:
To uphold and advance righteousness, and to emancipate the
good,
‘The saint within us’.
To extirpate evil and evil doers, root and branch.3
During the span of human life, those of us, who have earned
the blessings of the Satguru and chosen to tread the way
of life he has chalked out for his Sikhs, are duty bound
to keep these ideals always in view and strive to achieve
them.
The movement calculatively and meticulously worked, progressed
and developed towards this goal. We find that during the
time of the fourth Nanak, Guru Ram Das, the Sikhs had reached
the stage and the movement touched the point when the Satguru
wished for and said:
O God, grant the dust of the feet of the Sikhs of the Guru
So that we sinners may also be saved.4
Like emerald set with pearls, the fourth Satguru has depicted
the daily life routine and time table of a Sikh of the Guru
in Raag Gaurhi of our holy scripture and defines a Sikh
as follows:
He who is called a Sikh of the Satguru,
Should rise early and meditate on Lord’s name.
He should get up early, take bath and have a dip in the
pool of nectar.
Through the Guru’s teachings he should dwell upon
the Lord’s name,
So that all his sins are washed off.
And when the sun rises, let him sing the Guru’s word
And reflect on God’s Name; whether sitting or standing.
He who remembers my God with every breath and morsel that
he eats
To whom my Lord becomes kind,
The Guru imparts his instructions to that Sikh.
Nanak craves for the dust of that Sikh of the Guru
Who always remember the Lord and helps others remember Him.5
(Guru Granth Sahib, p. 305-306)
During the fifth Nanak, Guru Arjun Dev’s period, when
the spiritual reawakening and regeneration of ‘man’
and resurrection of human values, restoration of consciousness
of the self; mental, moral and social uplift was complete,
the virtues of self-help, self respect and self confidence
and surrender-cum-submission had been swept out, the Satguru
announced:
I have built up the abode of truth and righteousness,
And gathered in it the Guru’s Sikhs after great search.
The merciful Lord hath now given the command
That no one will henceforth domineer over and give pain
to another.
And, all will abide in peace; such being the rule of the
merciful Lord.6
...........................
I am the combatant of the God’s own legion, (Akalpurkh’s
Fauj)
On meeting the Guru, the plume of my sarband flutters high
up.
The spectators hath assembled in the arena to witness my
deeds of valour;
The Creator Himself witnesseth – [the struggle]7
The pinnacle of glory was reached on the burning Jeth Shudi
4th (May 30th 1606) when at Lahore the fifth Satguru offered
Shahadat (martyrdom, death by Yasa).
But if surrendering life as Ahuti (nj{sh) was not successful,
it was not to mean surrendering of values and principles
helplessly. So long as life breathes, effort and struggle
must continue. When other means have failed, it is ethically
and morally justified and even incumbent on a Sikh to resort
to the use of force.
After the martyrdom of his father, the sixth Nanak, Guru
Hargobind, at the time of his accession, asked for the sword.
Not one, but he wore two swords. One representing spirituality
(Piri) and the other worldly duties to resist aggression,
tyranny and injustice (Miri). It was and is meant to sweep
aside obstacles that obstruct the performance and progress
of one’s duties (Dharma). It is meant to uphold good
and punish the bad, a bane to human society. Like the surgeon’s
knife, it is meant to remove infected parts and amputate
gangrened organs of the society. It is the symbol of will
and power and determination of a Sikh to live a Sikh life.
These two swords of ‘Miri’ and ‘Piri’,
in their sophisticated final form, merged into one double-edged
sword called Khanda, in the hands of the tenth Satguru.
This Khanda became the creator of the new liberated order,
the Khalsa and the destroyer of the evil and wrong.
The movement reached its apex in 1699 A.D. when the tenth
Nanak, Guru Gobind Singh, brought Guru Nanak’s mission
to completion and represented gods in the form of the Khalsa.
The first Satguru had made the call:
If thou art zealous of playing the game of love,
Then enter my lane with thy head on thy palm
And, once thou settest thy foot on this Path.
Then find not a way of escape and lay down thy head.8
– Guru Granth Sahib, p 1412
Before enrolling a Sikh in the God’s own legion, he
demanded his head, which his followers so spiritedly offered
to him in his tenth form.
On this day, five ‘beloved ones’ (Pyaras) who
literally came with their heads on the palms of their hands,
to submit before the blood thirsty sword of the Master,
were administered Amrit of Khanda by the Guru and then the
Guru himself received Amrit from these five ‘beloved
ones’. Thus the Guru became the Sikh and the Sikh
the Guru.
Praise be to (Guru) Gobind Singh, who is himself the Guru
and the disciple.9
Such a development was unknown and unparalleled in history
before. Leaders previously had functioned as shepherds tending
their disciples as sheep and cows alone. There was thus
no room left for any personality cult after the Satguru,
amongst the Sikhs. The foundation of the system of joint
leadership and joint responsibility in democratic set-up
was laid. When we get inclined towards authoritarian dictatorship,
we get off the track and head towards our downfall and crash.
The head of a Sikh, having been offered and accepted, became
that of the Guru. It is in trust with him. It is therefore,
incumbent on a Sikh to carry the head high and not to bow
it before a mortal or anyone who took birth and died. It
shall only bow, and supplicate before the lshat Gurdev and
God.
The Sikh way of salutation also changed after this development.
Previously when a Sikh saw a Sikh, they used to touch each
other’s feet.
Whenever a Sikh of the Guru is seen, repair to his feet
in all humility.10
– Guru Granth Sahib, p.763
After being entrusted with the Guruship and his enrolment
in the Akalpurkh’s Fauj, his status soared high and
a Sikh began to greet a Sikh saying -
The Khalsa is of God-Guru; So is victory of God-Guru.11
History tells us that these “gods” created by
the Satguru, were not like those legendary gods who could
not withstand the onslaught of the demons and protect themselves,
but fled crying and bewailing to goddess Durga to seek her
refuge. The gods created in the shape of the Khalsa, not
only were able to defend their own hearths, homes and families,
kith and kins, but also came to the help of the helpless
millions who were groaning in their imbecility under the
iron heels of the tyrranous and barbarous foreign invaders.
They rescued over 25 thousand Hindu women and girls who
were being carried as war booty to Afghanistan by Ahmad
Shah Abdali and escorted them safely back to their respective
homes. These gods were eventually able to ride triumphantly
into Delhi in 1790.
Seeing these developments, Kesho, the Brahmin priest, noticed
that offerings, gifts, and all the money, that the priests
extorted or received, were being stopped by the Sikhs and
the Guru Darbar and diverted towards the needs and causes
of their own and of the Panth. He flared up, and filled
with rage, went to Satguru and gave out his mind. He even
spoke disrespectfully about the whole matter and the Sikhs
as coming from low castes. Satguru Ji, in his usual sweetness
replied which is recorded in the following four historic
Chhands of the tenth Satguru :
Whatever God had written in thy destiny thou hast received;
O Brahmin, banish thy regrets.
It is not my fault. It escaped my memory altogether. Do
not be angry.
I shall send good clothes and bedding today. Be absolutely
assured of this.
All Khatris are created by the Brahmins. But on my Sikhs
here you better have kindness and (leave them alone.)12
Then
the Sikhs, the Khalsa, is lauded in the next two Chhands.
My victories in battle have been through their favour, through
their favour I make gifts.
By their favour, all my troubles have been removed, their
kindness replenishes my house;
By their favour, I have acquired knowledge; their kindness
has destroyed all my enemies.
By their kindness, I am exalted; otherwise there are million
poor like me.
Service them pleaseth me; service of any other is not dear
to me.
Bestowing gifts on them alone is proper; to others is not
profitable.
Bestowing gifts on them alone bears fruit and praise, here
and fruitful herafter; to bestow on others is altogether
useless.
All the wealth in my house my soul and body is for, them.
Hearing all this, the Missar (Brahmin):
With agony and anger in his heart, the Missar burnt
like dry grass.
Realising the loss of his income and in anxiety for his
future provision, the Missar began to cry.13
In the second line of the above Chhands, the words “it
escaped my memory altogether” are very significant.
They depict that the Brahmin priest was not at all in any
picture or consideration at the Guru’s court and would
have no place amongst the Sikhs. Kesho Gopal (Kesho - uncut
long haired, Gopal - sustainer of the universe) had taken
place of Kesho Pandit.
All the four Varns are merged into one individual Sikh.
When he reads the holy scriptures, recites Gurbani, leads
in prayers, delivers a sermon, preaches in Sangat, performs
religious rites and social ceremonies, he is a Brahmin.
When he wields the sword, fight battles, jumps to the help
of the helpless and defends his family and country, he is
a Kashatrya. When he tills the land and does a craftsman’s
job, he is a Vaish. And when he cleanses the dirty utensils
of the Zangar, dusts off the shoes of the Sangat, sweeps
the house and the Gurdwara compound, takes the farm-yard
manure on his head to the field and does other service wherever
needed, that very Sikh is a Shudra also.
All the four castes were merged into a single caste.14
But unfortunately we are again dividing ourselves and setting
a Sikh against a Sikh which we can ill afford. We have to
live a useful life, an active life, a purposeful and fruitful
life.
The world has made wonderful progress and admirable achievements
in science and technology. We have even landed on the Moon.
But inspite of all this, the world today lacks stability
and tranquility of mind. If the world needs anything at
this time, it is the teachings and message of the Satguru.
If we can spread the Guru’s word, far and wide and
into every nook and corner, we would have done some service.
When the Satguru entrusted Guruship to the Khalsa, he also
granted the image and identity and entrusted the banner
to be kept aloft. It is our Dharma (Duty) to protect and
preserve these even with our lives. For, the instructions
are:
So long the Khalsa retains distinct identity. I will bestow
full glory on them,
But the moment they adopt Brahmanical ways. I will not trust
them.15
It is painful to note that some of our younger brothers
and even sisters are out with blades, knives and scissors
in their hands to tarnish and disfigure their own image
in defiance of the above instructions. The future of the
Panth rests with our younger generation. Sooner than later
they will be called upon to shoulder the responsibility.
They should better rise higher and prepare themselves in
time for this purpose and earn the Satguru’s pleasure
and blessings. Beware! Let us not miss the bus.
Waheguru ji ka Khalsa Waheguru ji ki Fateh.
~~~
References
1. sp ;fji/ ofuU õkb;k ;kps
wodkBk.
2. pfbjkoh r[o nkgD/ fdT[jkVh ;dtko
.
fifB wkD; s/ d/ts/ ehJ/ eos Bk bkrh tko
3a Xow ubktB ;zs T[pkoB, d[;N ;GB e'
w{b T[gkoB .
4a r[of;yK eh jfo X{fV d/fj jw gkgh
Gh rfs gKfj .
5a r[o ;fsr[o ek i' f;y[ nykJ/ ;[ Gbe/
T[fm jfo Bkw[ fXnkt? ..
T[dw[ eo/ Bbe/ goGksh fJ;BkB[ eo/ nzfwqs
;fo Bkt? .
T[gd/f; r[o{ jfo jfo ig[ ikp? ;fG febfty gkg d'y bfj ikt?
..
fcfo uV? fdt;[ r[opkDh rkt? pjfdnk T[mfdnk jfo Bkw[ fXnkt?
..
i' ;kf; frokf; fXnkJ/ w/ok jfo jfo ;' r[of;y[ r[o{ wfB Gkt?
..
fi; B' dfJnkb[ j't? w/ok ;[nkwh fs;[ r[of;y r[o{ T[gd/;[
;[Dkt? ..
iB BkBe[ X{fV wzr? fs;[ r[of;y eh i' nkfg ig? ntoj Bkw[
igkt? ..
6a w? pXh ;u[ Xow;kb j? .. r[of;yk
bjdk Gkfb e? ..
j[fD j[ew[ j'nk fwjotkD dk .. g? e'fJ B fe;? oEkDdk ..
;G ;[ykbh t[mhnk fJj[ j'nk jb/wh oki ihT[ ..13..
7a jT[ r';kJh dk gfjbtkBVk ..
w? r[o fwfb T[u d[wkbVk ..
;G j'Jh fSzM fJemhnk d:[ p?mk t/y? nkfg ihT[ ..17..
8a iT[ sT[ gq/w y/bD dk ukT[ .. f;o[
Xfo sbh rbh w/oh nkT[ .
fJs[ wkofr g?o[ Xohi? .. f;o dhi? ekfD B ehi? ..20..
9a tkj tkj r'fpzd f;zx nkg/ r[o u/bk
..
10a i' dh;? r[f;yVk fs;[ fBft fBft
bkrT[ gkfJ ihT[ ..
11a Waheguru ji ka Khalsa; Waheguru ji ki Fateh.
12a i' eS[ b/y fbfy:' fpXBk ;'Jh gkJh:s,
fwôo i{ ô'e fBtko’ ..
w/o' eS{ ngokX BjhA, r:' :kd s/ G{b, B e'g[ fusko’
..
pkr' fBjkbh gm? d?j'A nki[ Gb/ s[w e', fB;u? ihn Xko’
..
SZsqh ;G? feqs fpgqB e/, fJBj{z g? eNkS feqgk e? fBjko’
..1..
13a i[ZX fis/ fJB jh e/ gq;kfd, fJBjh
e/ gq;kfd ;[dkB eo/ ..
nx nT[x No/ fJB jh e/ gq;kfd, fJB jh eh feqgk c[B Xko Go/
..
fJB jh e/ gq;kfd ;[fpfdnk bJh, fJB jh eh fdqgk ;G ôZsq
wo/ ..
fJB jh eh feqgk e/ ;i/ jw j?A, BjhA w';' rohp eq'o go/ ..2..
;/t eoh fJB jh eh Gkts, nT[o eh ;/t ;[jks B ihe’ ..
dkB d:' fJB jh e' Gb', no[ nkB e' dkB B bkrs Bhe’
..
nkr? cb? fJB jh e' d:', ir w? i; nT[o d:' ;G che' ..
w' rqfj w? wB s/ sB s/ f;o bT[ XB j? ;G jh fJB jh e' ..3..
uNgNkfJ fus w? io:' fsqD i:'A e[qZXs ..
uNgNkfJ fus w? io:' fsqD i:'a e[qZXs ..
y'i o'fi e/ j/s br, d:' fwôo i{ o'fJ ..4..
14a ukfo toB fJe toB[ eokfJnk ..
15a ip br ykb;k oj/ fBnkok sp br s/i
dhU w? ;kok ..
ip fJj rj?A fpgqB eh ohfs .. w? B eo'A fJB eh gqshfs ..
¤
©Copyright Institute of Sikh Studies,
2007, All rights reserved.
