Guru Tegh Bahadur ji - Embodiment of Sacrifice, Bravery and Valor

 

Guru Tegh Bahadur ji, the ninth Guru of Sikhism, born on 18 April 1621, in Amritsar, Punjab, stands as a testament to unwavering sacrifice, selflessness, bravery, valour, compassion and self offering for a cause greater than one’s self. It was a sheer presence of the divine nature and spiritual disposition in him that made Guru ji to endure unspeakable tyranny with unbelievable calm and composure. Steeped in the ancient and time tested “Guru-Shishya” tradition and following the footsteps of the 8th Guru Shri Har Krishan ji , he became the 9th Guru on 16th April 1664. It was due to his mastery and absolute hold over the sword wielding skill and martial art forms that he was given the rightful name of Tegh Bahadur. He was named Tayaga Mal by his parents, Guru Har Gobind ji and Mata Nanki. He earned the name of Tegh Bahadur later on after he exhibited exemplary valour in the battle of Kartarpur against the mughal trayants in the sword wielding skill , archery and horsemanship. In addition to his being a fearless and formidable warrior , he was also a reputed devotional poet , master mind, thinker and a spiritualist to the core , who carried forward the light of righteousness and sense of inspiration for the oppressed people. His extensive travels facilitated the setting up of the religious teaching centres, drinking water facilities and community kitchens in different places. He was instrumental in the establishment of the town of Chak-Nanki in Punjab, now famously known as the city of Anandpur Sahib. His 116 poetic hymns which include Sholkas and devotional couplets provide an illustration of the themes varying from objectivity, spiritual elements to the nature of mind and body. They form a part of the holy Shri Guru Granth Sahib. They were penned down when he was kept in the forced confinement in the mughal prisons. His supreme sacrifice is regarded as a decisive happening that made his illustrious son, the 10th Sikh Guru, Shri Gobind Singh ji to establish the Khalsa in the year 1699. It was a disciplined body of the saint soldiers, engaged in safeguarding the spiritual purity , freedom of religious belief, to fight against religious fanaticism, intolerance and tyranny. In November 1675, Guru ji along with his close companions namely Bhai Mati Das, Bhai Dayala Das and Bhai Sati Das were brought to Chandni Chowk Delhi. They were threatened to change their religion and convert to Islam or else face the dire consequences. Steedfast in their determination and firmly anchored in their religious belief, the brave of these braves were brutally tortured and savagely killed for their refusal to renounce their chosen faith. It happened before the very presence of the Guru Ji and it steeled his resolve to fight religious oppression at all costs. Later on, 24rth November, 1675 the Guru Ji was publicly beheaded in Chandni Chowk area of Delhi on the orders of mughal emperor Aurangzeb. The place, where he offered the highest self-sacrifice now houses the hallowed Gurudhwara Sis Ganj Sahib. The second Gurudhwara , Rakab Ganj Sahib , also in Delhi is built at the spot where one of the Guri ji’s disciple burned his house to cremate his body. Additionally the holy Gurudhwara Shri Sis Ganj Sahib in Anandpur Sahib, Punjab marks the place, where the severed head of the Guru ji was cremated after it was bought there by Bhai Jeevan Singh. His martyrdom not only hardened the resolve to fight against religious intolerance and persecution but also galvanized the Sikh panth in cohesiveness. It was a watershed moment in the struggle against religious oppression. Guru Tegh Bahadur and Kashmir connect: Guru ji, for the minuscule Kashmiri Pandit community, represents a scintillating example of the highest self sacrifice, fearlessness and religious firmness having no parallel in recent human history. He is also known as “Hind-Di-Chadar”. Kashmiri Pandits venerate and treasure him as “Dharam-Di-Chadar” of the pandit community for being their protector from forced conversion and religious oppression . He is also remembered as personification of divinity in the mortal form for his momentous role in saving an ancientcivilizational culture and faith of Kashmir. Pleading for help: In the year 1675, a delegation of Kashmiri Pandits led by Pandit Kripa Ram Dutt and Pandit Trilok Nath Raina, came all the way from Kashmir to Anandpur Sahib to seek help from Guru Tegh Bahadur to save them from the religious torment and forced conversion by the then mughal governor of Kashmir , Iftikhar Khan. The Guru ji responded that it can be halted only by the offering of a sacrifice by a spiritually endowed eminent person. It prompted a remark from his son , Shri Gobind Rai (Later Shri Guru Gobind Singh ji) that there was none greater than himself. Guru ji took this remark as a divine signal. As a counter response, the Pandit delegation was asked to tell the Mughal emperor Aurangzeb that they would follow suit, if he could succeed in converting Guru ji. This open defiance let to his arrest , unspeakable torture and martyrdom in Delhi in November 1675. Honoured place of Guru Ji: Guru Tegh Bahadur enjoys enormous reverence in the social memory of the Kashmiri Pandit community. This social knowledge and historical information is preserved down the generations. It is to the extent that Guru ji’s photograph finds an honored place in their pooja rooms. It is a reflection of the collective gratitude and indebtedness, it also finds manifestation during the Shivratri festival pooja where in some specific families install Guru ji’s photograph in the pooja room along with their festival utensils symbolizing different deities. Additionally in the collective remembrance , seminars and special programs are mounted on Guru ji from time to time. Also, the Tarpan, the ritual of offering water in the memory of Guru Tegh Bahadhur in the early morning is a daily custom in the many families of the community. An expression of gratitude to his supreme sacrifice, it has continued uninterrupted over centuries and generations till this date. In brief Guru Tegh Bahadur ji’s entire life and resistance continues to serve as a powerful inspiration within our social matrix to cope up with adversity and new challenges.

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