The New Year Honours lists 2015 recognised the achievements of a wide range of extraordinary people across the UK.

The annual New Year’s honour’s list of the UK government included 5 Singhs for their hard work and dedication in the United Kingdom. The list includes The new knights, dames, MBEs and OBEs in the UK and overseas, plus military and police honours.

Proving that age isn’t a barrier to outstanding accomplishments, a British Empire Medal (BEM) is recommended for 103-year-old runner Fauja Singh. He is a keen charity supporter and champion for Age UK, and is widely recognised as the oldest marathon runner in the world.

Fauja Singh, 103, holds the world record for the marathon in his age group – along with five British records – and completed his last competitive 26-mile race in Hong Kong only last year.

The British Sikh runner, who returned to serious running at the age of 89, receives the British Empire Medal in recognition of his athletic achievements.

Source- Daily Sikh Updates

Please contact the following number to get a copy of Jap ji Sahib Gutka for Blind people & associations.

Special thanks to blind shelter, Veers from Delhi who made this happen and our inspiration Bhai Gurmej Singh (Sabka Hazuri Ragi Shri Darbar Sahib Amritsar)

Contact Details- +919964351918

What do we gain from having an optimistic attitude? How does this relate to Sikhi?

Optimistic attitude may be a first step for attaining a state of Chardikala. Chardikala is a notch above optimism.

Let us review the psychological literature on optimism, and see if this can give us more insight into how Chardikala is a notch above optimism.

How does attention relate to how we find a situation in front of us? According to a psychological model, the model (Gross, J. J.), potentially upsetting or delightful situations are only actually upsetting or delightful if attention is directed to relevant aspects of the situation. In this sense, attention is the gateway for emotion, but it’s important to note that it’s a bidirectional relationship, where emotion in turn shapes attention. For example if we have a potential threat in front of us, attention will facilitate the processing of information related to the threat, and this potentiates a negative emotional response. Life1 (110K)This negative emotional response, in turn, increases attentional focus toward the potential threat, leading to further enhancements in information processing, and hence to increased negative emotional responding.

This made me ask this question to myself – so maybe by focusing on the positive aspects of a situation, moving our attention to the positive aspects, we will see all the situations in either a delightful or neutral way? Let us take an example. If I break my leg during an accident, and people around me stop to help me, will the situation become more neutral or even positive if I focus my attention on the kind and helpful people around me rather than thinking about the pain in my leg? If we relate this to the model mentioned above, this attention focus of mine, will give a more neutral and emotional response, and this will again increase the attentional focus toward the kind and helping people, which will increase my thankful responding. So according to the modal model, if we focus on the positive aspects of a situation, this indeed will be profitable for us, in that it will give rise to more neutral or positive emotions.

The important thing for the Sikh to remember is that while he is entitled to the good things of life, he should recognize that these are the gifts of God and he should, therefore, praise and thank God for them. He should always make himself worthy of these and if need be, he should learn to curtail his wants and help the needy. It is inevitable that while he desires and holds on to worldly things for his own sake, he will be less able to serve others disinterestedly; he must of necessity learn not to be attached to such things and not to regard anything as being wholly and completely his own.

Human beings are unaware of the divine spark in themselves; they are far less conscious of the purpose of their existence. According to Guru Nanak, the purpose of human life is to enable the being to appreciate the face of his relationship with the Eternal Spirit and to facilitate his becoming reunited with Him. When man begins to remember God with love in his heart, his evaluation of worldly pleasures and attachments is inevitably altered. By modeling his life on the perfection of God, and believing in the will of God, he hereby wins God’s grace

An attitude of non-attachment, and a complete trust in the goodness of God and His Fatherly concern with our welfare, will naturally lead to contentment. This does not mean that we are entirely unconcerned about what happens to us or that we are necessarily satisfied with things as they are. God’s will is that mankind should always diligently fight adversity and consistently strive to make better than it is, not only for himself, but for everybody. Contentment is the acceptance of good grace, of those conditions which are beyond our powers to change, and a recognition that until God gives us the means to change them, He does want us to worry too much about them. This attitude of mind is amply borne out in the life of Guru Gobind Singh, who always fought hard, but never grieved over his losses.

The human form is the supreme gift which is bestowed on man by God’s grace, and it is through His grace that man derives the capacity to remember God; through grace, too, man comes to know of his divine origin and makes the effort to merge finally into that Divine source. It is a unique phenomenon of His Creation that God granted to man the supreme experience of knowing His presence.

Does it make any difference how we appraise every situation? Fridja (1988) came with the Law of Apparent Reality: “Emotions are elicited by events appraised as real, and their intensity corresponds to the degree to which this is the case”. Even situations that are artificial (like a film or a play), can arouse emotions as long as the individual sees them as meaningful. Individual differences in interpretations of situations powerfully shape emotional responses. The optimists see good news in neutral or ambiguous situations.

So does it have any impact to have positive and optimistic interpretations of any situation that arise? Research frequently shows that it does! For example it’s found that optimists and their partners show more relationship-satisfaction, and when they were discussing a conflict, they looked at each other as engaging more constructively during the conflict, which again turned to that both partners felt that the conflict was better solved one week later.

One emotion regulation technique that is found useful if done in an optimistic way, is to reappraisal whatever situation one confronts. Individual who reinterpret situations with an optimistic attitude, reinterpret what they find stressful in the situation, and make more active efforts to repair bad moods. These people both experience and express behaviorally more positive emotions and less negative emotion than those who reappraise less frequently. The optimistic people also show fewer depressive symptoms and greater self-esteem, life satisfaction and every other type of well-being the researchers measured.

Who doesn’t want to have greater degrees of positive emotions and less of the negative ones? Who doesn’t want to have good self-esteem and greater life satisfaction? I would guess most people want that. Research clearly shows that reinterpreting situations in an optimistic way probably is a key! It gives us a concrete thing to do. We have to think more positively in every situation, we have to focus our attention on the positive aspects of every situation and we should know how to reinterpret any given situation in a more optimistic way. Of course we will face negative situations, but there must be some positive in all of it? If focusing on the positive in the situation, can divert our attention from the pain in the leg to the helpful and kind people, and thus reduce our pain, is it not worth it?

All these findings tell us about the positive impact about having a positive, optimistic focus in life. Now let us think about – the concept of chardikala, which probably is a notch above optimism. What immense positive impact could this state have upon us? We all probably have a long way to go to the height of chardikala, but maybe the first step is to be more aware of our attitudes and thinking about life? Maybe the next step after being aware, is changing our thoughts and attitudes to become more optimistic, and get inspired of these individuals we have in history who show us what chardikala is? I have no final answer to these questions, this are only thoughts.

Life is as much happiness, dedication, enthusiasm, love and warmth as anxiety, depression and unhappiness!

Source : kaurageous44.blogspot.in

“The decision to include Sikhism was clearly the right thing to do. The Sikh American community has been contributing to the rich diversity that makes New York and this nation great for generations. We are incredibly grateful to the Sikh Coalition for tirelessly working with us over the past year to make sure we got it right.”

-Patricia Polan, Associate in Instructional Services for Social Studies in the NYSED Office of Curriculum and Instruction

A press release by the Sikh Coalition says [i]n another landmark education decision, the New York State Education Department has moved to include Sikhism in the Social Studies Framework for public school students. This Framework serves as the guide for local curriculum development. On the heels of the Texas textbook adoption, this marks the second monumental education victory for the Sikh community in weeks. Sikhism has never been included in the New York curriculum before.

More than 2.5 million students in New York will now learn about Sikhs in both 6th and 9th-grade classes. In 6th grade, students will accurately learn about Sikhism’s origins, major tenets, practices and sacred writings. In 9th grade, students will learn about the development of Sikhism in South Asia in the post-classical era. This teaching of Sikhism changes the educational landscape for students in New York City – the city with the largest public school system in America – and throughout the state.

After California, the Tri-State area boasts the largest concentration of Sikhs in the country. In 2013, the Sikh Coalition learned that the New York Social Studies Framework was under revision. The Sikh Coalition immediately reached out to the State Education Department to determine how Sikhism could be included in this Framework. Upon request, the Sikh Coalition provided content on Sikhism, detailed information on where other states had included the study of Sikhism, as well as a myriad of reference materials. After consulting with both the Sikh Coalition and Sikhism experts, the study of Sikhism was included in the New York State K-12 Social Studies Framework, which was adopted by the Board of Regents.

Including Sikhism in the New York Social Studies Framework doesn’t just impact students. “Educating the state’s youth on Sikhs and Sikh practices is a fundamental step to building strong, positive relationships between Sikhs and the broader community,” said the Sikh Coalition’s Education Director, Manbeena Kaur. “Now Sikh parents throughout New York will no longer have to carry the burden alone when it comes to educating their children’s classmates on Sikhism.”

The press release further says that the Sikh Coalition continue to lead the way in education reform, building lasting partnerships with six of the largest textbook publishers in America. After Sikh religion was included in the Social Studies Framework in New York, the Sikh Coalition immediately reached out to those national publishers to ensure that they also include accurate content about Sikhism in the textbooks they distribute to New York schools.

~ Source: sikhsiyasat.net

Punjabi is not his mother tongue but he is its true son. He is a man on a mission. Pandit Rao Dharennavar, an assistant professor in Sociology at PG Government College in Chandigarh, Punjab, has made a name for himself. The 39-year-old took it upon himself to learn a new language just so he could translate works by eight saints and social reformers of Karnataka from Kannada to Punjabi.

Panditrao, who is from Karnataka, has written eight books in Punjabi and translated Japji Sahib and Sukhmani Sahib into Kannada. He has also translated holy book Zafarnama (the letter by the tenth Sikh Guru, Guru Gobind Singh, to Mughal emperor Aurangzeb in 1705. Prof. Dharennavar said his father was the reason he decided to translate these works.

“I brooded over what he said and then decided to fulfil my father’s dream. That is when I decided to master Punjabi. It took about two years. By 2008, I gained command over the language, which, I believe, is one of the sweetest languages in the world,” he said. . Prof. Pandit Rao has criticized Punjabi University for disgracing heritage of Punjab. Pandit Rao also says it’s shocking that the Capital of Punjab, Chandigarh does not have a Punjabi school but all English medium schools. He was surprised how such a rich language is being made poor by its own speakers.

He stands up firm for this cause and affirms “I will teach Pavittar Punjab, holy Gurumukhi to Doctors, Engineers, Scientists, lawyers and all sections of society, so that all will come and surrender in front of Sri Guru Granth Saheb ji one day.” Panditrao is out on a mission to create awareness about the holy origin of Punjabi. He believes in either creating a literature that instills moral values and positives messages among people or adopt the path of underdevelopment.

~ Source: Tapasleen Kaur
~ New Delhi, 31st Dec ’14

Once there were two friends, one was a Gurmukh and the other was a Manmukh. Their friendship was deep but Gurmukh believed in God while Manmukh did not. Gurmukh would wake up early in the morning, take a bath and recite the holy hymns while Manmukh would still be in bed sound asleep.

Once they were traveling through a forest. As they were passing through the forest, Manmukh found a bag of coal. He was very happy because he could sell it and make some money. As they further walked while talking about how lucky Manmukh was to find the bag of coal, Gurmukh screamed with pain. It appeared that a splinter went in Gurmukh’s foot. While Gurmukh was in pain, Manmukh started laughing. Gurmukh was surprised and asked him why was he laughing? Manmukh said, “You have been worshipping God everyday and what you got as a result is a splinter in your foot. I have never worshipped God and I still got a bag full of coal.”

An old wise man happened to be passing by when he heard Manmukh’s comments. The old man had a big ironic smile on his face. Manmukh was astonished when he saw the old man smile. Manmukh asked the old man about the reason for his smile. The old man replied, “You are naïve. You do not worship God. You were destined to find a bag of diamonds today if you have been worshiping God. And Gurmukh, you were destined to die at the moment you got the splinter in your foot. Because you have been worshiping God, the pain of death simply turned into a splinter.”

~ Source: http://www.realsikhism.com/

To honour the memory of the young martyrs, a Gurdwara was constructed on the site of the old Memorial and named Fatehgarh Sahib.

The historical wall where the younger sons of Guru Gobind Singh were bricked has been preserved in this Gurudwara. The sanctuary containing the historic wall in known as Gurudwara Bhora Sahib. Gurudwara Burj Mata Gujri and Gurudwara Shahid Ganj are also located in the main complex of Gurudwara Fatehgarh Sahib. It was at the site of Gurudwara Burj Mata Gujri that the two younger sons, Fateh Singh and Zorawar Singh of Guru Gobind Singh and his mother were kept in confinement by Wazir Khan, the fort was known as `THANDA BURJ’

Gurudwara Burj Mata Gujri and Gurudwara Shahid Ganj are also located in the main complex of Gurudwara Fatehgarh Sahib. It was at the site of Gurudwara Burj Mata Gujri that the two younger sons, Fateh Singh and Zorawar Singh of Guru Gobind Singh and his mother were kept in confinement by Wazir Khan, the fort was known as `THANDA BURJ’.

~ Source : fatehgarhsahib.nic.in

Bhubaneswar-based Sadhna Patri, who has strong inclination towards Sikh culture and the Gurbani since her childhood, has translated the Guru Granth Sahib in Oriya. Sadhna feels translations of the Guru Granth Sahib in various languages is a must, as confining the scripture to Punjabi will restrict its understanding among various communities of India and the world.

For the translation project, Sadhna even gave away the post of principal at a Gangtok-based school and returned to Bhubaneshwar, where collaborated with her family friend Sakir Singh for proofreading and editing of the scripture.

“The Guru Granth Sahib comprises Gurbani written by Bhagat Kabir and Bhagat Naam Dev, then how my religion can be a barrier in loving the Gurbani, Even though I belong to a Hindu Oriya family, it doesn’t restrict me from loving other religions.The founder of the Sikhism Guru Nanak Dev (the first Sikh guru) always emphasised on humanity and preached love for all,” she said.

Recently, She was in the Holy City to meet Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Gurbachan Singh and Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) members to show her three-year-long translation work and to seek their suggestions.

“Translating the Guru Granth Sahib in Oriya is a huge responsibility and it is important to get it right, while staying ethically correct. I believe in following the right protocol so that no one can raise a finger at my work later. Therefore, a final nod from the Akal Takht is very important,” Sadhna told Hindustan Times here on Saturday.

She was in Class 3 when turbaned Sikh men and Sikh women attracted her, every time she got a glance of a Sikh man or a woman her curiosity compelled her to know about them, their history and culture.

Sadhna has always been inclined towards the Gurbani, which she calls “sweet” and “soulful”.

“I started reading about the Sikh culture and the Gurbani at an early age; however, a sudden transformation occurred in 2008 when I wrote Suraj Prakash in Oriya, which includes life saga of all ten Sikh gurus and Sikh history. The work has been received well by people in Odhisa,” she recounted.

“This further encouraged me to tell the Oriya people about the teachings of this beautiful and pragmatic religion, for which Oriya translation of the granth was a must. I started in 2011,” she added.

“Once the Guru Granth Sahib is translated in Oriya, native Oriya speakers in parts of West Bengal, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh and Andhra Pradesh will be able to learn and understand it,” she concluded.

~ Source – HT

Sri Guru Gobind Singh Saheb ji Parakash Utsav was celebrated in a unique by teaching Zafar Nama to different sections of society in three different places on the same day. Jyoti Gurudwara Saheb, Sri Fatehgarh Saheb witnessed South Indian reciting Zafar Nama infornt of the Gurudwara where thousands of Sangat listened with surprise and happiness.

Panditrao Dharennavar who has translated Zafar Nama into Kannada, taught Zafar Nama to Doctors of PGI, Chandigarh. In fact, Panditrao has been teaching Punjabi to these PGI Doctors every day but on the occasion of Birth Anniversary of Sri Guru Gobind Singh ji, Panditrao selected Zafar Nama to be taught.

Panditrao also taught “Zafar Nama” to players of Volleyball in Shivalik Public School, Chandigarh, where 4th National Junior National tournament is going on. He selected Zafaranama to be taught in this auspicious occasion because the message of Sri Guru Gobind Singh ji in Zafar Nama, is universal and applicable to all the sections of society. Panditrao also carried the banner everywhere which read why there is no Government Punjabi Medium School in Chandigarh?

We Appreciate his never ending love for Sikhism & his efforts in spreading the Divine Message of Guru Sahib!

~ Tapasleen Kaur
~ New Delhi, 30th Dec ’14

The tenth and the last Guru or Prophet-teacher of the Sikh faith, was born Gobind Rai Sodhi at Patna, in Bihar. His father, Guru Tegh Bahadur, the Ninth Guru, was then travelling across Bengal and Assam. Returning to Patna in 1670, he directed his family to return to the Punjab. On the site of the house at Patna in which Gobind Rai was born and where he spent his early childhood now stands a sacred shrine, Takht Sri Harimandar Sahib, one of the five most honoured seats of religious authority (takht, lit. throne) for the Sikhs. Gobind Rai was escorted to Anandpur (then known as Chakk Nanaki)on the foothills of the Sivaliks where he reached in March 1672 and where his early education included reading and writing of Punjabi, Braj, Sanskrit and Persian. He was barely nine years of age when a sudden turn came in his life as well as in the life of tile community he was destined to lead. Early in 1675, a group Kashmiri Brahmans, drivels to desperation by the religious fanaticism of the Mughals General, Iftikar Khan, visited Anandpur to seek Guru Tegh Bahadur’s intercession. As the Guru sat reflecting what to do, young Gobind Rai, arriving there in company with his playmates, asked Why he looked so preoccupied. The father, as records Kuir Singh in his Gurbilas Patshahi 10, replied, “Grave are the burdens the earth bears. She will be redeemed only if a truly worthy person comes forward to lay down his head. Distress will then be expunged and happiness ushered in.” “None could be worthier than yourself to make such a sacrifice,” remarked Gobind Rai in his innocent manner. Guru Tegh Bahadur soon aftenwards proceeded to the imperial capital, Delhi, and courted death on 11 November 1675.

Guru Gobind Singh was formally installed Guru on the Baisakhi day of 1733 Bk/29 March 1676. In the midst of his engagement with the concerns of the community, he gave attention to the mastery of physical skills and literary accomplishment. He had grown into a comely youth spare, lithe of limb and energetic. He had a natural genius for poetic composition and his early years were assiduously given to this pursuit. The Var Sri Bhagauti Ji Ki, popularly called Chandi di Var. written in 1684, was his first composition and his only major work in the Punjabi language. The poem depicted the legendary contest between the gods and the demons as described in the Markandeya Purana . The choice of a warlike theme for this and a number of his later compositions such as the two Chandi Charitras, mostly in Braj, was made to infuse martial spirit among his followers to prepare them to stand up against injustice and tyranny.

Much of Guru Gobind Singh’s creative literary work was done at Paonta he had founded on the banks of the River Yamuna and to which site he had temporarily shifted in April 1685. Poetry as such was, however, not his aim. For him it was a means of revealing the divine principle and concretizing a personal vision of the Supreme Being that had been vouchsafed to him. His Japu and the composition known as Akal Ustati are in this tenor. 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 fulfilment of God’sjustice. 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-defence, as a last resort. For Guru Gobind Singh said in a Persian couplet in his Zafarnamah:

When all other means have failed,
It is but lawful to take to the sword.

During his stay at Paonta, Guru Gobind Singh availed himself of his spare time to practise different forms of manly exercises, such as riding, swimming and archery. His increasing influence among the people and the martial exercises of his men excited the jealousy of the neighbouring Rajpat hill rulers who led by Raja Fateh Chand of Garhval collected a host to attack him. But they were worsted in an action at Bhangam, about 10 km northeast of Paonta, on 18 Assu 1745 sk/18 September 1688. Soon there after Guru Gobind Singh left Paonta and returned to Gurdwara Anandpur Sahib Anandpur which he fortified in view of the continuing hostility of the Rajput chiefs as well as of the repressive policy of the imperial government at Delhi. The Guru and his Sikhs were involved in a battle with a Mughal commander, Alif Khan, at Nadaun on the left bank of the Beas, about 30 km southeast of Kangra, on 22 Chet 1747 Bk/20 March 1691. Describing the battle in stirring verse in Bachitra Natak, he said that Alif Khan fled in utter disarray “without being able to give any attention to his camp.” Among several other skirmishes that occurred was the Husaim battle (20 Februaly 1696) fought against Husain K an, an imperial general, which resulted in a decisive victory for the Sikhs. Following the appointment in 1694 of the liberal Prince Muazzam (later Emperor Bahadur Shah) as viceroy of northwestern region including Punjab, there was however a brief respite from pressure from the ruling authority.

In 1698, Guru Gobind Singh issued directions to Sikh sangats or communities in different parts not to acknowledge masands, the local ministers, against whom he had heard complaints. Sikhs, he instructed, should come to Anandpur straight without any intermediaries and bring their offerings personally. The Guru thus 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. Gurb Gobind Singh appeared before the assembly dramatically on that day with a naked sword in hand and, to quote Kuir Singh, Gurbilas Patshahz 10, spoke: “Is there present a true Sikh who would offer his head to the Guru as a sacrifice?” The words numbed the audience who looked on in awed silence. The Gurb repeated the call. At the third call Daya Ram, a Sobti Khatri of Lahore, arose and humbly walked behind the Guru to a tent near by. The Gurb returned with his sword dripping blood, and asked for another head. At this Dharam Das, a Jat from Hastinapur, came forward and was taken inside the enclosure. Guru Gobind Singh made three more calls. Muhkam Chand, a washerman from Dvarka, Himmat, a water-carrier from Jagannath puri, and Sahib Chand, a barber from Bidar (Karnataka) responded one after another and advanced to offer their heads. All the five were led back from the tent dressed alike in saffron-coloured raiment topped over with neatly tied turbans similarly dyed, with swords dangling by their sides. Guru Gobind Singh then introduced khande da pahul, i.e. initiation by sweetened water churned with a double-edged broad sword (khanda). Those five Sikhs were the first to be initiated. Guru Gobind Singh called them Panj Piare, the five devoted spirits beloved of the Guru. These five, three of them from the so-called low-castes, a Ksatriya and a Jatt, formed the nucleus of the self-abnegating, martial and casteless fellowship of the Khalsa. Waah Waah Guru Gobind Singh Aape Gur ChelaAll 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 kes or long hair and beard, kangha, a comb in the kes to keep it tidy as against the recluses who kept it matted in token of their having renounced the world, 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.” Further injunctions were laid down for the Sikhs. They must never cut or trim their hair and beards, nor smoke tobacco. A Sikh must not have sexual relationship outside the marital bond, nor eat the flesh of an animal killed slowly in the Muslim way (or in any sacrificial ceremony). Darbar of Guru Gobind Singh ji Sacha Padishah

These developments alarmed the casteridden Rajput chiefs of the Sivalik hills. They rallied under the leadership of the Raja of Bilaspur, in whose territory lay Anandpur, to forcibly evict Guru Gobind Singh from his hilly citadel. Their repeated expeditions during 1700-04 however proved abortive . They at last petitioned Emperor Aurangzeb for help. In concert with contingents sent under imperial orders by the governor of Lahore and those of the faujdar of Sirhind, they marched upon Anandpur and laid a siege to the fort in Jeth 1762 sk/May 1705. Over the months, the Guru and his Sikhs firmly withstood their successive assaults despite dire scarcity of food resulting from the prolonged blockade. While the besieged were reduced to desperate straits, the besiegers too were chagrined at the tenacity with which the Sikhs held out. At this stagy the besiegers offered, on solemn oaths of Quran, safe exit to the Sikhs if they quit Anandpur. At last, the town was evacuated during the night of Poh suds 1, 1762 sk/5-6 December 1705. But soon, as the Guru and his Sikhs came out, the hill monarchs and their Mughal allies set upon them in full fury. In the ensuing confusion many Sikhs were killed and all of the Guru’s baggage, including most of the precious manuscripts, was lost. The Guru himself was able to make his way to Chamkaur, 40 km southwest of Anandpur, with barely 40 Sikhs and his two elder sons. There the imperial army, following closely on his heels, caught up with him. His two sons, Ajit Singh (b. 1687) and Jujhar Singh (b. 1691) and all but five of the Sikhs fell in the action that took place on 7 December 1705. The five surviving Sikhs bade the Guru to save himself in order to reconsolidate the Khalsa. Guru Gobind Singh with three of his Sikhs escaped into the wilderness of the Malva, two of his Muslim devotees, Gani Khan and Nabi Khan, helping him at great personal risk.

Guru Gobind Singh ji in Battle

Guru Gobind Singh’s two younger sons, Zorawar Singh (b. 1696) and Fateh Singh (b.1699), and his mother, Mata Gujari, were after the evacuation of Anandpur betrayed by their old servant and escort, Gangu, to the faujdar of Sirhind, who had the young children executed on 13 December 1705. Their grandmother died the same day. Befriended by another Muslim admirer, Ral Kalha of Raikot, Guru Gobind Singh reached Dina in the heart of the Malva. There he enlisted a few hundred warriors of the Brar clan, and also composed his famous letter, Zafarnamah or the Epistle of Victory, in Persian verse, addressed to Emperor Aurangzeb. The letter was a severe indictment of the Emperor and his commanders who had perjured their oath and treacherously attacked him once he was outside the safety of his fortification at Anandpur. It emphatically reiterated the sovereignty of morality in the affairs of State as much as in the conduct of human beings and held the means as important as the end. Two of the Sikhs, Daya Singh and Dharam Singh, were despatched with the Zafarnamah to Ahmadnagar in the South to deliver it to Aurangzeb, then in camp in that town.

From Dina, Guru Gobind Singh continued his westward march until, finding the host close upon his heels, he took position astride the water pool of Khidrana to make a last-ditch stand. The fighting on 29 December 1705 was hard and desperate. In spite of their overwhelming numbers, the Mughal troops failed to capture the Guru and had to retire in defeat. The most valorous part in this battle was played by a group of 40 Sikhs who had deserted the Guru at Anandpur during the long siege, but who, chided by their womenfolk at home, had come back under the leadership of a brave and devoted woman, Mai Bhago, to redeem themselves. They had fallen fighting desperately to check the enemy’s advance towards the Guru’s position. The Guru blessed the 40 dead as 40 mukte, i.e. the 40 Saved Ones. The site is now marked by a sacred shrine and tank and the town which has grown around them is called Muktsar, the Pool of liberations.

After spending some time in the Lakkhi Jungle country, Guru Gobind Singh arrived at Talvandi Sabo, now called Damdama Sahib, on 20 January 1706. During his stay there of over nine months, a number of Sikhs rejoined him. He prepared a fresh recension of Sikh Scripture, the Guru Granth Sahib, with the celebrated scholar, Bhai Mani Singh, as his amanuensis. From the number of scholars who had rallied round Guru Gobind Singh and from the literary activity initiated, the place came to be known as the Guru’s Kashi or seat of learning like Varanasi.

The epistle Zafarnamah sent by Guru Gobind Singh from Dina seems to have touched the heart of Emperor Aurungzeb. He forthwith invited him for a meeting. According to Ahkam-i-Alamgiri, the Emperor had a letter written to the deputy governor of Lahore, Munim Khan, to conciliate the Guru and make the required arrangements for his journey to the Deccan. Guru Gobind Singh had, however, already left for the South on 30 October 1706. He was in the neighbourhood of Baghor, in Rajasthan, when the news arrived of the death of the Emperor at Ahmadnagar on 20 February 1707. The Guru there upon decided to return to the Punjab, via Shahjahanabad (Delhi) . That was the time when the sons of the deceased Emperor were preparing to contest succession. Guru Gobind Singh despatched for the help of the eldest claimant, the liberal Prince Muazzam, a token contingent of Sikhs which took part in the battle of Jajau (8 June 1707), decisively won by the Prince who ascended the throne with the title of Bahadur Shah. The new Emperor invited Guru Gobind Singh for a meeting which took place at Agra on 23 July 1707.

Emperor Bahadur Shah had at this time to move against the Kachhvaha Rajputs of Amber (Jaipur) and then to the Deccan where his youngest brother, Kam Baksh, had raised the standard of revolt. The Guru accompanied him and, as says Tarzkh-i-Bahadur Shahi, he addressed assemblies of people on the way preaching the word of Guru Nanak. The two camps crossed the River Tapti between 11 and 14 June 1708 and the Ban-Ganga on 14 August, arriving at Nanded, on the Godavari, towards the end of August. While Bahadur Shah proceeded further South, Guru Gobind Singh decided to stay awhile at Nanded. Here he met a Bairagi recluse, Madho Das, whom he converted a Sikh administering to him the vows of the Khalsa, renaming him Gurbakhsh Singh (popular name Banda Singh ). Guru Gobind Siligh gave Banda Singh five arrows from his own quiver and an escort, including five of his chosen Sikhs, and directed him to go to the Punjab and carry on the campaign against the tyranny of the provincial overlords.

Nawab Wazir Khan of Sirhind had felt concerned at the Emperor’s conciliatory treatment of Guru Gobind Singh. Their marching together to the South made him jealous, and he charged two of his trusted men with murdering the Guru before his increasing friendship with the Emperor resulted in any harm to him. These two pathans Jamshed Khan and Wasil Beg are the names given in the Guru Kian Sakhian pursued the Guru secretly and overtook him at Nanded, where, according to Sri Gur Sobha by Senapati, Gurdwara Hemkund Sahib, Meditation place of Guru Gobind Singh ji a contemporary writer, one of them stabbed the Guru in the left side below the heart as he lay one evening in his chamber resting after the Rahrasi prayer. Before he could deal another blow, Guru Gobind Singh struck him down with his sabre, while his fleeing companion fell under the swords of Sikhs who had rushed in on hearing the noise. As the news reached Bahadur Shah’s camp, he sent expert surgeons, including an Englishman, Cole by name, to attend on the Guru. The wound was stitched and appeared to have healed quickly but, as the Guru one day applied strength to pull a stiff bow, it broke out again and bled profusely. This weakened the Guru beyond cure and he passed away on Kattak sudi 5, 1765 Bk/7 October 1708. Before the end came, Guru Gobind Singh had asked for the Sacred Volume to be brought forth. To quote Bhatt Vahi Talauda Parganah Jind: “Guru Gobind Singh, the Tenth Master, son of Guru Teg Bahadur, grandson of Guru Hargobind, great-grandson of Guru Arjan, of the family of Guru Ram Das Surajbansi, Gosal clan, Sodhi Khatri, resident of Anandpur, parganah Kahlur, now at Nanded, in the Godavari country in the Deccan, asked Bhai Daya Singh, on Wednesday, 7 October 1708, to fetch Sri Granth Sahib. In obedience to his orders, Daya Singh brought Sri Granth Sahib. The Guru placed before it five pice and a coconut and bowed his head before it. He said to the sangat, “It is my commandment: Own Sri Granthji in my place. He who so acknowledges it will obtain his reward. The Guru will rescue him. Know this as the truth”.

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 Guru’s spirit,” he said, “will henceforth be in the Granth and the Khalsa. Where the Granth is with any five Sikhs representing the Khalsa, there will the Guru be.” The Word enshrined in the Holy Book was always revered by the Gurus as well as by their disciples as of Divine origin. The Guru was the revealer of the Word. One day the Word was to take the place of the Guru. The inevitable came to pass when Guru Gobind Singh declared the Guru Granth Sahib as his successor. It was only through the Word that the Guruship could be made everlasting. The Word as contained in the Guru Granth Sahib was henceforth, and for all time to come to be the Guru for the Sikhs.

~ Source: sikh-history.com