Essays

In Sikhism, the word 'Guru' has a very specific definition. It means the descent of divine guidance to mankind provided through ten Enlighten   masters. The honour of being called a Sikh Guru is applied only to the ten gurus who founded the religion starting with Guru Nanak in 1469 and ending with Guru Gobind Singh in 1708. The divine spirit was passed from one Guru to the next, in the words of Guru Nanak, as "The light of ii lamp which lights another does not abate. Similarly spiritual lenders mid Ins disciple become equal." After the ten Gurus, the word (him is referred to the Sikh Holy Scriptures the Guru Granth Sahib.

Guru Nanak Sahib, the founder of Sikhism was born in 1469 on full moon day of the month karthik at Rai-Bhoi-di Talwandi in the present district of Shukhupura (Pakistan), now Nanakana Sahib. Born to Mehta kalian das and Mata Tripta, Nanak, had an elder sister, Nanki, who always cherished her younger brother. At a young age of seven, Nanak learnt Hindi and surprised his teachers with the sublimity of his extra- nnlnniiy knowledge about divine things. At the age of thirteen, he It-Mined Persian and Sanskrit and at the age of 16. Married to mata Sulakhni ji, Nanak had two sons, Sri Chand and Lakhmi Das.

However, it was not until August 1507, that Guru Nanak Sahib  heard  god 's call lo dedicate himself to the service of humanity after bathing  in vain, a small river Near Sultanpur Lodhi. He was 38 then. The very first sentence uttered by him then was, "There is no Hindu, no musalman”. Soon, he undertook long travels to preach his unique and divine doctrine (Sikhism). After visiting different places in Punjab, he proceeded on four long tours called Udasis covering different religious places in India and abroad. In the process, he awakened the people to realize the truth about God and introduced Sikhism. He established "Manjis", a network of preaching centres and appointed able and committed followers as its head. Thus, the seeds of Sikhism were sown all over India and abroad.

Guru Nanak Sahib rejected the path of renunciation, the authority of the Vedas and the Hindu caste system. He emphasised on leading of householder's life (Grista), unattached to gross materialism. He preached new idea of God as Supreme, Universal, All-powerful and truthful. God is Formless (Nirankar), the Sole, the Creator, the self- existent, the Incomprehensible and the Ever-lasting and the creator of all things (Karta Purakh). God is infinite, All knowing,’ True, All-giver, Nirvair, and Omnipotent. He is Satnam, the Eternal and Absolute Truth.

As a born poet. Guru Nanak Sahib wrote 947 hyms which were later included in Guru Granth Sahib. Besides being a perfect musician, he was also a reformer and a revolutionary, who made thugs and robbers saints.

In the later part of his life, Guru Nanak Sahib settled down at Kartarpur city (now in Pakistan), founded by him in 1522 and spent the rest of his life there. There was daily Kirtan and the institution of Langar (free kitchen) was introduced. In 1539, he installed. Bhai Lehna ji (Guru Angad Sahib) as the Second Nanak, and after a few days passed into Sachkhand on 22nd September, 1539.

Bhai Lahnaji, later on Guru Angad Sahib was installed as the Second Nanak in September 1539 by Guru Nanak Sahib himself. Guru Nanak Sahib had tested him in various ways and found him to be an embodiment of obedience and service in him, and gave him a new name Angad. Guru Angad Sahib carried forward the thought of Guru Nanak Sahib both in letter and spirit. He introduced a new alphabet known as Gunnukhi Script, modifying the old panjabi Script’s characters. He took great interest in the education of  the children and opened many schools for their instruction. He also started the tradition of Mall Akhara, where physical as well as spiritual exercises were held. He wrote the first biography of Guru Nanak Sahib; not also wrote 63 stanzas, which were included in Guru granth sahib popularized and expanded the institution of 'guru ka langar’ started by Guru Nanak Sahib earlier. He strengthened the base of Sikhism by establishing hundreds of new Sangats (Sikh religious Institutions). It was during his period that Sikhism established its own separate religious identity. Before breathing his last. Guru Angad Sahib nominated Amar Das Sahib as his successor.

After being appointed as third Nanak in 1552, Guru Amardas Sahib established his headquarters at newly built town Goindwal. There he divided the Sikh Sangat area into 22 preaching centres, each under the charge of a devout Sikh. He himself visited and sent Sikh missionaries in of different parts of India to spread Sikhism. He strengthened the tradition of 'Guru ka Langer' and made it compulsory for the visitor in tin-  to the guru saying that 'Pehle Pangat Phir Sangat'. He composed more than 700 verses and preached against Sati and advocated widow- remarriage. He asked the women to discard 'Purdah' (veil). He introduced new birth, marriage and death ceremonies. He fixed three gurupurbs for Sikh celebrations: Diwali, Vaisakhi and Maghi. Guru amardas Sahib chose his son-in law Guru Ramdas Sahib to succeed him.

Guru ramdas Sahib (Jethaji), after becoming the Fourth Nanak in 1574, laid the foundation stone of Amritsar. Later on, the new city provided a common place of worship to the Sikhs and paved the way for the future guidelines for the Sikhism as a different religion. Guru ramdas Sahib introduced Masand system in place of Manji system, with It played a great role in the consolidation of Sikhism. He composed four lawans and advised the Sikhs to recite them in order to solemnize the marriages of their children. He thus introduced a new matrimonial a distinct marriage code for the Sikhs. He wrote 638 hymns, which me a part of Guru Granth Sahib. He nominated his youngest son Guru Arjan Sahib as Fifth Nanak and retired to Goindwal Sahib, where in away in 1581.

Guru Arjan Sahib was hardly eighteen, when he was installed as fifth Nanak. He was married to Mata Ganga ji and had a son (Guru) Guru arjan Sahib. Guru Arjan Sahib completed the work on two sacred   (Samwars) at Santokhsar and Amritsar and founded the town of Tarn Taran Sahib. He also laid the foundation stone of the town kartarpur near Jalandhar and Hargobindpur on the river Beas. He compiled Guru Granth Sahib, contributed about 2000 verses for it, and installed it at Sri Harmandir Sahib and made Baba Budha Ji as the first granthi. The tradition of Daswandh and Masand system was also institutionalized. On personal orders of execution by Mughal emperor Jahangir, Guru Arjan Sahib embraced martyrdom in 1606. His martyrdom radically changed the entire character of Sikhism.  

Guru Hargobind Sahib succeeded Guru Arjan Sahib in 1606, at the age eleven years. As a Guru, he wore two swords, one of spiritual and the other of Military Power - Miri. Under his leadership,  the Sikh became "Saint-Soldier." He advised  the sikhs to take part in the military training and martial arts. The Guru himself learnt the use of different weapons, besides riding, wrestling and hunting and   kept seven hundred cavaliers and sixty artillerymen. In due course, the guru erected a wall around Amritsar and constructed a small fort named.

'Lohgarh' on its outskirts. In 1609, he revealed Sri Akal Takht Sahib, just in front of Sri Harmandir Sahib (Golden Temple), which became the seat of preaching and praying. Falsely alarmed about the military preparations by the Guru Sahib and Sikhs, Emperor Jahangir ordered to imprison the Guru in the Gwalior Fort. He was released after three years. Shortly after his release, the Guru modified the concept of Charanamrit and undertook Dharam Parchar tours to speed Sikhism. He started from Amritsar and covered thousand miles in India. However, Guru Sahib did not abandon the mission of militarizing the Sikhs and prepared them for the armed resistance as an imperative measure of defense. He converted the peaceful sect into a warlike community, ready to defend their interests with the swords. Before his death Guru Sahib nominated his grandson Har Rai Sahib, the second son of Baba Gurditta Ji, as his successor.

Har Rai Ji, at the tender age of 14, succeeded as Seventh Nanak. Though the Guru was a man of peace, he never disbanded the armed Sikh warriors maintained by his grandfather. He never indulged in any direct political and armed controversy with the contemporary Mughal Empire. The Guru Sahib established an Aurvedic herbal medicine hospital and a research centre at Kiratpur Sahib. There, he maintained a zoo also. He also tried to improve the old corrupt Masand system and  appoinlcd pious and committed personalities as the heads of ManJis. He established a strict property for the Sikhs against any alteration of original verse in Guru Granth Sahib and the basic conventions set up by Guru Nanak Sahib. He installed his younger son Har Krishan as the Eighth Nanak.

Guru Harkrishan Sahib was declared as Eighth Nanak Guru at the tender age of five. At Emperor Aurangzeb's orders, he proceeded to Delhi. On the way he fraternized with the common masses. He attended the sufferers of epidemic of cholera and smallpox, irrespective of cast and creed. The local Muslim population was much impressed with the purely humanitarian deeds of the Guru Sahib and nicknamed him Bala Pir (child prophet). Even Aurangzeb did not try to disturb Guru Harkrishan Sahib sensing the tone of the situation. However, while serving the suffering people from the epidemic day and night. Guru Sahib himself was seized with high fever. When his condition became Serious, he named 'Baba Bakala' or Guru Teg Bahadur as his successor.

Guru Tegh Bahadur (Tyag Mal) was the fifth and the youngest son of Guru Hargobind Sahib. The Sikhs began to call him Teg Bahadur after the battle of Kartarpur. In June 1665 Guru Tegh Bahadur Sahib

Founded a new town Chak-Nanki, which was renamed as Sri Anandpur sahib. After a brief stay at new founded town. Guru Tegh Bahadur Sahib set nut for a long journey towards the east in order to strengthen the Sikh nation by setting up new preaching centers and renewing the old ones. When the Guru heard about black deeds of Aurangzeb, he started his journey towards Delhi after installing his son (Guru) Gobind Sahib as the tenth Nanak in July 1675. However, he was arrested near village Malikpur raghran near. Soon, the authorities executed him. The  Martyrdom of Guru Sahib exposed the fundamental theistic nature of the. Contemporary state, highlighted tyranny and injustice. It made the people of India hate Aurangzeb and his government as never before and turned. The Sikh Nation into militant people. It proposed the way for the final Stage in creation of the Khalsa, which played the most important and significant role in the history of India.

Guru gobind Singh, the tenth and the last Guru or Prophet-teacher Of the - Sikh faith, was born Gobind Rai Sodhi. In the midst of his engagement with the concerns of the community, he gave attention to the mastery of physical skills and literary accomplishment. The Var Sri bhatgauti Ji Ki, popularly called Chandi di Var, written in 1684, was his fist composition. The choice of a warlike theme in a number of his impositions was made to infuse martial spirit among his followers to prepare them to stand up against injustice and tyranny. Through his poetry he preached love and equality and a strictly ethical and moral code of conduct. He preached the worship of the One Supreme Being, deprecating idolatry and superstitious beliefs and observances. The glorification of the sword itself which he eulogized as Bhaguati was to secure fulfillment of God's justice. The sword was never meant as a symbol of aggression, and it was never to be used for self- aggrandizement.  It was the emblem of manliness and self-respect and was to be used only in self-defense, as a last resort.

The Guru established direct relationship with his Sikhs and addressed them as his Khalsa, Persian term used for crown-lands as distinguished from feudal chiefs. The institution of the Khalsa was given concrete form on 30 March 1699 when Sikhs had gathered at Anandpur in large numbers for the annual festival of Baisakhi. He initiated panj piare, the first five devoted spirits beloved of the Guru. These five, formed the nucleus of the self-abnegating, martial and casteless fellowship of the khalsa. All of them surnamed Singh, meaning lion, were  required to  wear in future  the five symbols of the Khalsa, all beginning  with the  letter k- the kesh or long hair and beard, Kangha , a comb in the kesh to keep it tidy, Kara, a steel bracelet, Kachch, short breeches, and  kirpan, a sword. They were enjoined to succour the helpless and fight the oppressor, to have faith in one God and to consider all human beings equal, irrespective of caste and creed. Guru Gobind Singh then himself received initiatory rites from five disciples, now invested with authority as Khalsa, and had his name changed from Gobind Rai to Gobind Singh.  "Hail," as the poet subsequently sang, "Gobind Singh who is himself Master as well as disciple."

The Guru, before passing away at Nanded in October 1708, placed before Sri Granth Sahib five pice and a coconut and commanded to the sangat to own Sri Granthji in his place. Guru Gobind Singh thus passed on the succession with due ceremony to the Holy Book, the Guru Granth Sahib, ending the line of personal Gurus. The Word as contained in the Guru Granth Sahib was henceforth, and for all time to come to be the Guru for the Sikhs.