AdminGuru Gobind Singh ji was born as “Gobind Rai” and was the tenth and last of the ten human form Gurus of Sikhism. He became our Guru on November 24, 1675 at the age of nine, following in the footsteps of his father Guru Teg Bahadur ji. In1675, Aurangzeb who had ordered the forced conversion […]
Guru Gobind Singh ji was born as “Gobind Rai” and was the tenth and last of the ten human form Gurus of Sikhism. He became our Guru on November 24, 1675 at the age of nine, following in the footsteps of his father Guru Teg Bahadur ji.
In1675, Aurangzeb who had ordered the forced conversion of all Hindus and thought that if the respected Kashmiri brahmins under the leadership of Pandit Kirpa Ram accepted Islam, others in the country would be easily converted. They had been given six months to decide or suffer the consequences. Time was running out. The Brahmans mad in desperation by the religious fanaticism visited Anandpur to seek Guru Tegh Bahadur’s advice.
As the Guru sat reflecting what to do, young Gobind Rai, arriving there in the 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 you to make such a sacrifice,” remarked Gobind Rai in his innocent manner.
Guru Tegh Bahadur advised the brahmins to return to their village and tell the authorities that they would accept Islam if Guru Tegh Bahadur could first be persuaded to do so.
Soon afterwards the Guru with a few followers proceeded to the imperial capital, Delhi. After watching the tortured deaths of three of his followers, he as well, refused to convert and was beheaded on November 11, 1675.
The 13-year-old Gobind Rai, ordained as the next Guru before his father departed Anandpur, was formally installed as Guru Gobind Singh on the Baisakhi day of 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 Charitra, mostly in Braj, was made to infuse martial spirit among his followers to prepare them to stand up against injustice and tyranny.
For the first 20 years or so of his life, Guru Gobind Singh lived peacefully at Anandpur practicing arms and exercises to complete his training as a soldier. He also studied Persian and Sanskrit and engaged 52 poets to translate the Hindu epics. Stories of ancient heroes were translated into Punjabi in order to create the martial spirit among the Sikhs. The Guru also wrote several compositions including Jaap Sahib, Akal Ustat and Sawayas during this period. He also established a Gurdwara at Paonta Sahib on the banks of the river Jamuna.
~ Source: Sikhiwiki.org