Sri Guru Har Gobind Ji
Guru Har Gobind was born to Guru Arjan Dev in 1595 at Wadali, a village near Amritsar. While in prison, before his execution at Lahore, Guru Arjun had sent a message to his son, Guru Hargobind, then aged only eleven, that he should henceforth maintain an army. After the Martyrdom of his father (Guru Arjan) the Guruship was given to Guru Hargobind Singh Ji by Bhai Buddha ji. He wore two swords which were emblems of Spiritual and Temporal authority- Piri and Miri- the combination of ‘Bhakti and Shakti.’ And the sword was for the double purpose of protecting the poor and destroying the enemy. The Master ordered all his men to wear swords, to keep horses, and to make arms. The Guru issued an order to the Masands that he would be pleased with those who brought offerings of arms and horses instead of money. When the command went forth, the disciples were already prepared and they began bringing offerings of arms - arrows and swords and shields and bows to the Guru.
Guru Hargobind sponsored the cause of the downtrodden Hindus and provided leadership to the oppressed people of Punjab. In this struggle, guru ji had fought six battles with the Mughals in the plains of the Punjab. People joined his forces because they felt that no body else the power to stand against the forces of Emperor. In one such battle guru ji defeated 7,000 Mughal soldiers. His reputation as a military leader spread and ambassadors of the hill Rajas waited upon him.
He laid down the foundation of Akal Takhat in 1606 A.D. just in front of Harimandir Sahib which was completed in 1609 A.D. He built Akal Takhat in front of Harimandir Sahib with a purpose that a Sikh at Akal Takhat should not forget his spiritual height and his social obligations. The Guru wanted his Sikhs to be ‘Saint-Soldiers’, extremely cultured, of high moral value and with spiritual height who were always ready to measure swords with demonic forces.
-- When the News of Guru ji army reached the Emperor Jahangir Guru Har Gobind Ji was summoned by the Emperor to Delhi and it was again chandu who able to inflame the Emperor. After careful consideration Guru ji decided to go to Delhi and assigned the secular duties of the Harimandir Sahib to Bhai Buddha and spiritual duties to Bhai Gurdas. He started living in Delhi as the Emperor’s guest and whenever Jahangir went out into camp, there was a separate tent and camping ground for the Guru Ji. When the time came for the Emperor to visit Agra ,he invited the Guru to accompany him. When they both arrived in Agra, the Guru was received with great rejoicing by the people. Seeing increasing friendship between the Emperor and the Guru, Chandu thought that the Guru want to take revenge from him and he would me safe only if he could able to broke this friendship.
During these days, the Emperor fell ill and he invited his astrologers to tell him the cause that brought illness on him. The astrologers were bribed by Chandu, who was always seeking to detach the Emperor from Guru Har Gobind. The astrologers said the same thing that chandu told them to tell the Emperor, that a holy man of God should go to the Fort of Gwalior and pray for his recovery from there. Chandu then advised the Emperor that Guru Har Gobind Ji was the holiest of men and should be sent to Gwalior. Jahangir requested Guruji to go but he saw the plot of his enemies and he left for Gwalior immediately. While Har Gobind was at Gwalior, great was the distress of his Sikhs in Delhi and at Amritsar, who suspected foul play at the part of Chandu. In fact, Chandu did write to Hari Das, the commander of Gwalior fort, urging him to poison the Guru or kill him in any way - and promising a large reward. Hari Das was by that time devoted to the Master, so he laid all these letters before him, who smiled and said nothing. The Guru met many other Rajas who were prisoners in this Fort, and made them happy. When Jahangir at length recovered, he thought of Har Gobind again. Undoubtedly, Nur Jahan, who evinced a disciple - like devotion to the Master, had something to do with his recall from Gwalior. However, the Guru would not go unless the Emperor agreed to set all the fifty two Princes in the fort at liberty. The Emperor at last gave way; and, on the personal security of the Guru, all the fifty-two Princes were released. The Guru was hailed at Gwalior as Bandi Chhor - the great deliverer who cuts fetters off the prisoners’ feet and sets them free. There remains, in the historic fort at Gwalior, a shrine of the Bandi Chhor Pir, worshipped by Hindus and Muslims alike.
Mian Mir brought home to the Emperor the innocence of Guru Arjan and how under his cruel orders, the great divine Master had been tortured to death. The Emperor, however, washed his hands clean of this sin and held Chandu entirely responsible for this crime, who was then arrested by the Emperor’s order and taken to Lahore to be executed there. He was paraded through the streets of Lahore, people threw filth on him, and cursed him. A grain-parcher struck him on the head with an iron ladle and Chandu died. When the Emperor heard Chandu’s death, he remarked that he richly deserved this fate. The Guru however, prayed that as Chandu had suffered torment for his sins in this life, God would pardon him hereafter. The Kazi of Muzang had a beautiful daughter, Kaulan who was a disciple of Mian Mir. From her childhood she had occupied her mind praising God’s Name and remembering Him in the company of the saints. Through the holy company of Mian Mir, she had heard praised of Guru Har Gobind and she praised the Master, and sang of his beauty and his saving love. Finally, she was condemned to death. But her inner gaze was fixed on her Master, and she knew he would come. Guru Har Gobind made a daring response to seek her at night, took her from a window of the Kazi’s house, with his own hands, and carried her off to Amritsar.
Kaulan began her life at Amritsar under the protection of the Guru. She was given separate building to reside. Quite a bit of time passed in this manner until one day she took all her jewels and placed them before the Guru and said, O friend of the poor, please apply the price of these jewels to some religious object by which my name may be remembered in the world for sometime. The Guru got a tank a tank excavated in her name with that money in 1621. The tank is still famous as Kaulsar in the city of Amritsar. Guru Har Gobind also constructed another tank called Babeksar commemorating the deliverance of his spiritual address on that spot to his followers.
Jahangir died in Kashmir, and Shah Jahan became Emperor of India. Engaged in warfare with the Emperor of India Guru Har Gobind was never at a loss, never in haste, never afraid of results. The date of the wedding of his daughter, Bibi Viro, coincided with first battle of Amritsar between the Guru and the Emperor. While the rest of the Guru’s family escaped in time, his daughter Viro inadvertently remained on the upper floor of the house, which by nightfall was besieged by the Emperor’s troops. Bibi Viro stayed alone undaunted in the house, and kept silent. When she saw a rescue party of the Sikhs coming, she refused to accompany them till they showed her father’s rosary. She was then safely conveyed to the place where the rest of the family had taken refuge. While this turmoil was on, the Guru ordered that the wedding of his daughter should be duly celebrated that very night in a village at a distance of about seven miles from Amritsar, which was accordingly done, amid great rejoicings. Guru’s message to his daughter is full of the tenderest feeling of a father towards his daughter. Thus he was, almost simultaneously, celebrating his daughter’s marriage and busied with the grim business of fighting a hard battle and running to the rescue of his wounded disciples.
Still yonder at Kartarpur, on the river Beas, where she had been removed for safety, Kaulan lay ill. Her burning soul of love could not stay on earth in separation from her Master. Separated from him, she fell dangerously ill. Har Gobind found time to pay her a visit and, as he sat by the bedside of his heroic disciple, she passed away. Singing in the soft music of her closing eyes, the prayer of thankfulness, she fell asleep in the very arms of God. There was yet another great soul waiting for him at his village, Ramsar, near Amritsar : Bhai Buddha who was preparing to leave this earth. Guru Har Gobind hastened to his side. Bhai Budha’s whole soul leapt with joy on beholding the Master before beginning his last journey. The Guru said, Bhai Buddha, thou hast seen the last five Gurus and lived with them, and thy realization is great. Please give me some instructions. The Bhai replied, Thou art the sun and I am only a fire-fly. Thou hast, out of thy infinite mercy, come to see me and to help me swim across the Sea of Illusion. Touch me, touch me with thy hands, and bless me. Sustain me, and let me pass Death’s door without suffering.
Guru Har Gobind fought and won four battles. Since his purpose had always been defensive, he did not acquire even an inch of territory as a result of these victories. The Master was looked upon by the Sikhs not only a divine messenger but as an accomplished swordsman, a hero and thorough master of the war. Har Rai, his grandson, always wore a heavy gown and once as he was passing through Har Gobind’s garden, the forlds of his flowing gown struck a flower, which fell down, torn from its branch. The Master saw this and said to Har Rai, “My son! always go about with due care, lest you disturb the slumber of union of some blessed ones, and tear them away from God as thou hast torn this flower from its branch. Har Rai thenceforward, all his life, gathered the folds of his gown in his hand whenever he went. Har Gobind found in Har Rai the spirit of Nanak; this time in a more subtle and mystic form, and it was at Kiratpur that the Master gave his throne to him and left for his heavenly abode. The Master, before giving up his body, said, Mourn not; rejoice in that I am returning to my Home. He who obeys my word is ever dear to me and in the Guru’s word is his beatitude. Fill yourselves, O disciples ! with the song of His Name, and live immersed in its ever-increasing inebriation divine.