The Life Of Guru Gobind Singh Jee

[Akaali]

The life of Guru Gobind Singh Ji can be divided into the following main periods:

1. At Patna Sahib 1666 – 1673

It is said that for the first six or seven years Guru Sahib ji remained in Patna while his father Guru Tegh Bahadur Sahib Ji returned from the east and journeyed homewards towards Punjab in early 1668. Early schooling of young Gobind Rai was done at Patna. Guru Sahib Ji’s compositions are mainly written in the literary language of this area. He studied not only the Bihari language but also Sanskrit, Persian and Arabic. Before Guru Sahib Ji left Patna, he was a noted as a great marksman whose arrows never missed their target. Many elderly and saintly people saw in him a great spiritual force and a would-be leader of humanity.

A local Raja of Patna Sahib had a favorite queen called Rani Meni. She was childless. She would look out with longing from her palace balcony at the children playing below. One day the All knowing Guru entered the palace and went straight up to the queen and sat in the Rani's lap. "Mata Ji i am hungry" he told the queen. With eyes filled with tears she brought some malai (milk pudding) and fed the Guru.

"I wish I had a son like you" said the Rani. "Then I am your son" said Guru Sahib Ji, and he would come to visit the Rani who would feed him malai.

Painting by Rajinder Singh, Sheepscar Gurdwara, Leeds

2. At Anandpur Sahib 1673 – 1682

At the call of his father, the young Gobind Rai left Patna for Anandpur in 1672 with members of his family. Further schooling arrangements were made in Persian, Arabic, Braj and Punjabi as well as archery and swordsmanship. Gobind Rai became the tenth Guru of the Sikhs on November 11, 1675 when his father Guru Tegh Bahadur Sahib Ji sacrificed his life for the sake of dharam and for the right of all men to practice their faith. Within a couple of years Guru Sahib Ji had raised a contingent of brave and selfless Sikhs. Such activity in the House of Guru Nanak raised great fears in the minds of the hill-chieftains who became antagonistic towards Guru Sahib Ji, resulting in several skirmishes.

3. At Paonta Sahib 1682 – 1686

At the invitation of the Raja of Nauhan, Guru Sahib Ji built a fort at Poanta on the banks of the river Yamuna. The four years at Poanta were very fruitful, Guru Sahib Ji engaged himself in literary pursuits and most of his compositions were composed here. Fifty two poets - Alam, Amrit Rai, Sainapat, Hans Ram, Kuvresh, Tehkan, Mangal and Lakhan to name but a few - were resident at Poanta Sahib and poetical symposiums were held and Guru Ji would distribute awards. Sahibzada Ajit Singh Ji was born to Mata Sundari Ji and the famous battle of Bhangani was also fought here.

4. At Anandpur Sahib again 1686 – 1704

Anandpur was strategically a most important base for Guru Sahib Ji and the hill Rajas became more and more jealous. On Vaisakhi 1699 Guru Sahib Ji created the Khalsa. The panj piaray (five beloved ones) presented themselves for sacrifice. They were administered with the amrit of the double edged sword and named the pure or Khalsa. During this period three sons were born to Mata Jito Ji, Sahibzada Jujhar singh Ji, Sahibzada Zorawar Singh Ji and Sahibzada Fateh Singh Ji. The hill Rajas fed lies about Guru sahib Ji to the Muhgal Emperor and sought his help. The bigoted Emperor willingly agreed and the city of Anandpur was besieged, one side by the Imperial forces and the other side by the hill-chieftains. The Khalsa fought the enemy with full fury. Heavily outnumbered the sight of the suffering Khalsa and the solemn promises of the enemy for safe passage moved Guru Sahib Ji to vacate Anandpur Sahib in the winter of 1704. Guru sahib ji was attacked on the banks of the river Sarsa. In the ensuing confusion Guru Sahib Ji was separated from his family and two younger sons. Guru Sahib Ji mother and younger sons sought shelter with an old servant, but the treacherous Brahmin Gangu betrayed them to the officials of the Governor of Sirhand. The children were put on trial and bricked up alive and their grandmother also killed. Guru Sahib Ji proceeded to Chamkaur with a handful of brave Sikhs. The enemy followed and lay siege to the dilapidated fortress. The Sikhs went out in small bands and fought bravely with the enemy. Guru Sahib Ji saw his two elder sons achieve martyrdom in the field of battle. When only five Sikhs were left they requested that the Guru leave under cover of darkness, Guru Ji obeyed ‘The Five’.

5. At Damdama Sahib 1704 – 1705

Passing through the wilds of Machiwara jungle Guru Ji reached Ferozpur where he reorganised and the last battle at Mukatsar was fought. Guru sahib Ji ultimately reached Sabo-ki-talwandi which is now known as Damdama Sahib. Guru Sahib Ji stayed here for about ten months and re-wrote the whole of Adh Guru Granth Sahib Ji from memory. Guru Ji added the hymns of his father giving the scripture its final form.

6. At Nanded Sahib 1707 – 1708.

Aurangzeb died in 1706, a war of succession ensued between Tara Azam and Bahadur Shah. Bahadur Shah had asked for Guru Sahib Ji’s help which was forthcoming. It was the arrow of Guru Gobind Singh Ji that despatched Tara Azam and thus handing the throne to Bahadur Shah.

After the battle Guru Sahib Ji was presented with a robe of honour. For sometime the Guru Ji accompanied the emperor to the Deccan region at his request. Finding the emperor weak in apprehending the culprits of the deaths of his younger sons and his mother Guru Sahib Ji broke away and camped near Nanded where Madho Das was converted to Sikhism and given the name of Gurbaksh Singh, although he became popularly known as Bandha Singh. Bandha Singh was sent by Guru Ji back to the Punjab with the objective to ending the unjust and tyrannical Moghal rule. Guru Sahib Ji ascended to the heavens on October 7th 1708.

[lowest of the low singhni]

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