Dhan Dhan Guru Gobind Singh Ji

[Guest G.Kaur]

For this I came into the world: God sent me to spread Faith

[Azaad]

DHAN DHAN SAHIB-E-KAMAAL GURU GOBIND SINGH JI MAHARAJ

[Azaad]

The Young Martyrs

Chamkor had a small fortress, which Guru Gobind Singh ji occupied. He had then with him about forty disciples, and his two elder sons Ajit Singh and Jujhar Singh - the former being seventeen years old, and the later fourteen. But soon the Imperial army, which was in hot pursuit, besieged this fortress also, and there was no way out but to fight and die one by one. The disciples held the fortress a long time, baffling the calculations of the enemy, as the Master kept up an incessant shower of his gold-tipped arrows. The disciples one by one would sally out, waving their swords in the midst of the enemy, and die. Ajit Singh entreated his father to let also go and die, as his brothers were dying before his eyes.

"O Father!

I feel an intense desire for this death,

And the feeling rises supreme in my breast

That I must go and fight and share

This last honor with my brothers."

The father lovingly embraced the boy, decorated him with sword and shield, dressed him fully as a soldier, and kissed him.

"Go, my child! Akal Pursha so wills."

Ajit Singh rode a horse into the thick of the battle, and waving his sword and crying, "Sat Sri Akal, Sat Sri Akal," departed for the true Kartarpur of Guru Nanak.

Guru Gobind Singh ji saw him go, closed his eyes in prayer, and accompanied the soul of Ajit Singh for a little distance beyond death's door, until the boy was among the celestials.

As the father opened his eyes, he saw the little one, Jujhar Singh, standing before him with folded hands with the same entreaty on his lips.

"Father, I, too, wish to go where my brother has gone."

"You are too young to fight," said the father.

"What is age, Father? Have I not drunk the mother's milk?

And have not tasted the sacred Amrit?

Bless me, Father, and let me go."

Gobind Singh took the little one in his lap, washed his face dressed him in a beautiful velvet suit embroidered with gold and silver, put a small belt round his little waist, and gave him a miniature sword. He wound a turban on his head, decorated it with a little crest, and kissed him.

"My child," said he "we do not belong to this earth. Our ancestors

live with the Akal Pursha. You are now going; go and wait for me there."

The child had gone but a little distance when he returned and said he was feeling thirsty.

Gobind Singh again said: "Go, my child! There is no water for you on this earth. See yonder, there is the cup of Nectar for you where your brother lies."

This child then rode the way his brother had gone.

[Azaad]

Once the State Governor (subedar) came to see Satguru Sri Guru Gobind Singh Ji Maharaj with the question "O Guru, when you are pleased with a Sikh, what do you give him?"

"When I am pleased with a Sikh, I send to his house one who is dear to me" replied Maharaj. "Guru ji, if you are very pleased with a Sikh, then what do you give him"

"When I am more pleased with a Sikh, I send to his house, two of my dear ones."

"And if, Guruji, you are still more pleased, what would you give him?"

"In that case I would send three of my dear ones to his house."

The subedar continued to repeat his question, until Guru Ji had raised the number of dear ones to ten.

"When you send ten dear ones to a Sikh, what does the Sikh gain out of it?”

"The more the dear ones that visit a Sikh, the more is the praise and discussion of the Lord. In the company of saints, spiritual discussion automatically takes place. Whatever the Sikh hears will stay in his mind, and ultimately liberate him from the cycle of birth and death. At the same time his livelihood will flourish, and his family will also follow his example in serving the saintly persons, to become pure like him. Such are the benefits of a saint's visit."

Retrieved from "http://www.sikhiwiki.org/index.php/Guru_Gobind_Singh_Ji_and_the_power_of_Sangat"

[Azaad]

"If we consider the work which (Guru) Gobind (Singh) accomplished, both in reforming his religion and instituting a new code of law for his followers, his personal bravery under all circumstances; his persevering endurance amidst difficulties, which would have disheartened others and overwhelmed them in inextricable distress, and lastly his final victory over his powerful enemies by the very men who had previously forsaken him, we need not be surprised that the Sikhs venerate his memory. He was undoubtedly a great man." (W, L. McGregor)

[Azaad]

Benti to Sangat, please share sakhiya, poems etc about Dasam Pita Sahib Sri Guru Gobind Singh Ji Maharaj in commemoration of their upcoming Gurpurab..

[Azaad]

The formation of the military order Khalsa alerted the Rajas of the Sivalik Hills. They united to evict the Guru from the region, but their expeditions during 1700-04 proved futile.

Balia Chand and Alim Chand, two hill chiefs, made a surprise attack on the Guru, while he was on a hunting expedition.[20] In the ensuing combat, Alim Chand managed to escape, while Balia Chand was killed by Guru's aide Ude Singh.

After several failed attempts to check the rising power of the Guru, the hill chiefs petitioned the Mughal rulers to help them subdue the Guru. In response, the Mughal viceroy of Delhi sent his generals Din Beg and Painda Khan, each with an army of five thousand men.[21] The Mughal forces were joined by the armies of the hill chiefs. However, they failed to defeat the Guru's forces, and Painda Khan was killed in the First Battle of Anandpur (1701).

Alarmed at the Guru's rising influence, the Rajas of several hill states assembled at Bilaspur to discuss the situation. The son of Bhim Chand, Raja Ajmer Chand of Kahlur, suggested forming an alliance to curb the Guru's rising power. Accordingly, the Rajas formed an alliance, and marched towards Anandpur. They sent a letter to the Guru, asking him to pay the arrears of rent for Anandpur (which lied in Ajmer Chand's territory), and leave the place. The Guru insisted that the land was bought by his father, and is therefore, his own property. A battle, dated from 1701 to 1704, followed. The hill Rajas were joined by a large number of Gujjars, under the command of Jagatullah. Duni Chand led five hundred men from Majha region to assist the Guru. Reinforcements from other areas also arrived to help the Guru. The conflict, known as the Second Battle of Anandpur, resulted in retreat of the hill Rajas.[22]

Later, the hill Rajas negotiated a peace agreement with the Guru, asking him to leave Anandpur temporarily. Accordingly, the Guru left for Nirmoh village.[23] Seeing that Nirmoh was not fortified, Raja Ajmer Chand and the Raja of Kangra launched an attack on the Guru's camp. However, they were not able to defeat the Guru. Meanwhile, Raja Ajmer Chand had sent his envoys to the Mughal viceroys in Sirhind and Delhi, seeking their help against the Guru. The army of Sirhind viceroy Wazir Khan arrived to assist the hill Rajas. The assault by Wazir Khan's army forced the Guru to retreat to Basoli, whose Raja was on good terms with the Guru.

After staying for a few days at Basoli, the Guru marched back to Anandpur, and the hill Rajas decided to make peace with the him. However, after two years of peace, the hostilities between the Rajas and the Guru reappeared due to Guru's rising power, and clashes between the Rajas' men and the Sikhs. Raja Ajmer Chand allied with the Rajas of Hindur, Chamba and Fatehpur, and attacked Anandpur in 1703-04. They failed to oust the Guru in the Third Battle of Anandpur, and retreated.

After repeated pleas for assistance from the hill Rajas, the Mughal emperor sent a large army under Saiyad Khan's command, to check the Guru's power. Saiyad Khan was a brother-in-law of Pir Budhu Shah, and defected to the Guru's side, after the Pir spoke highly of him. Ramzan Khan then took the command of the imperial army, and allied with the hill Rajas to attack Anandpur in March 1704. It was the crop-cutting time of the year, and the majority of the Guru's followers had dispersed to their homes. Although the Guru was assisted by two of his Muslim admirers, Maimun Khan and Saiyad Beg, his men were outnumbered and he decided to vacate Anandpur.[3] The Mughal army plundered the city, and then proceeded to Sirhind. On their way back, they were caught in a surprise attack by the Guru's forces, who recovered the booty captured from Anandpur. The Guru then returned to Anandpur.

[K. SINGH DEEP]

ਹਰਿ ਸਚੇ ਤਖਤ ਰਚਾਇਆ ਸਤਿ ਸੰਗਤਿ ਮੇਲਾ ।

hari sachay takhat rachaaiaa sati sangati maylaa|

ਨਾਨਕ ਨਿਰਭਉ ਨਿਰੰਕਾਰ ਵਿਚਿ ਸਿਧਾਂ ਖੇਲਾ ।

naanak nirabhau nirankaar vichi sidhaan khaylaa|

ਗੁਰੁ ਸਿਮਰਿ ਮਨਾਈ ਕਾਲਕਾ ਖੰਡੇ ਕੀ ਵੇਲਾ ।

guru simari manaaee kaalakaa khanday kee vaylaa|

ਪੀਓ ਪਾਹੁਲ ਖੰਡਧਾਰ ਹੋਇ ਜਨਮ ਸੁਹੇਲਾ ।

peeao paahul khandadhaar hoi janam suhaylaa|

ਸੰਗਤਿ ਕੀਨੀ ਖਾਲਸਾ ਮਨਮੁਖੀ ਦੁਹੇਲਾ ।

sangati keenee khaalasaa manamukhee duhaylaa|

ਵਾਹ ਵਾਹ ਗੋਬਿੰਦ ਸਿੰਘ ਆਪੇ ਗੁਰੁ ਚੇਲਾ ॥੧॥

vaah vaah gobind singh aapay guru chaylaa ॥1॥

[Azaad]

GURU GOBIND SINGH could be safely termed as an epitome of the ancient wisdom inherent in our culture, which laid stress of selfless service, renunciation and higher values of life. The process of revitalising the society, which started with Guru Nanak in the Punjab during dark days of the Mughal rule, passed through near consummation in Guru Tegh Bahadur, which through the Divine Will was carried ahead with renewed vigour by the tenth master.Guru Gobind Singh With a little variation he re-enacted the drama of the Katha Upanishad. Rishi Vajasrava sent his son to Yama to get lessons in truth; Gobind sent his father to the lord of death, then his sons and, finally, he himself offered to die to defend Dharma. Rarely do we find such a miracle performed anywhere in the world in the chronicle of time. Unsurpassed in courage and confidence, he was a Prometheus of rare dignity.

Guru Gobind Singh, besides being a saint-soldier, was a writer of epic dimensions. The ancient past with all its pristine polity, preserved through the millennia, ran in his blood. Retiring into the seclusion of Naina Devi hills, he mediated and pondered over the way to integrate loose semi-tribal values of his people with the high moral, spiritual and conceptual values enshrined in our heritage. A great poet and thinker as he was, he summoned to his pen the heroic exploits of Rama, Krishna and Durga; for by his acute perception he had realised that the awareness of situation which confronted them could be created in mythical terms.

He created a new metaphor - the metaphor of the sword, a symbol of shakti and God Himself. This mythical thinking had a role in maintaining the internal cohesion. He infused among his people a lifestyle and thinking as he declared in Bachittar Naatak to promote Dharma, to redeem the saints and to uproot the evil from the land. The stories, which had become conventionally blase and repetitively lifeless, became in his hands meaningful in the furtherance of the cause.

Bachittar Naatak or Wonder Drama, a poetic autobiography of the Guru sets the tone and tenor of his whole range of writing. Tracing his lineage and that of Guru Nanak from the Suryabansi Ram, Luv and Kush, he mythologically and mystically affirms the uninterrupted continuity of tradition and unbreakable link with the past which runs into propagated compassion and charity, self-controlled upanishadic humility as the cardinal virtues of a religious man. He talks about the avatars and their missions, the concept of moksha, the metaphysics. Associating himself with the avatars, saints and rishis of the land, he established his credentials as a great hero of the masses. For where Dharma is, there is God and where God is, there is victory, says Rishi Vyas. As a crusader of Dharma, he presented his manifesto:

Hun eh kaaj jagat me aayai/Dharam het Gurudev pathayai

Jahan jahan tum Dharma bithaaro/Dusht dokyan pakar pachharo

Yaahi kaaj hum janamam/Samajh leh sadhu sabh manmam

Dharm chalaavan sant ubaaran/Dushat sabban ko mul upaaran

Freely translated it means that the sole purpose of his life in the world was to establish the reign of Dharma and to protect the virtuous men from Adharma.

In the great classic tradition, the Guru resurrected from the past the literary treasure that had an abiding value for the nation in its hour of need.

He realised that the history and mythology could be exploited in the language within the comprehension of the common people in order to resuscitate the decadent Hindu society. He adopted the Braj language, the lingua franca of India, to express what he thought was the need of the time. He sets forth his aim in clear tone:

Dasam Katha Bhagaut ki/Bhakha kari banayai

Avar wasna nahin kishh/Dharm yudh ka chayai

He was a veritable sentinel of Dharma, who restored to us our ethics, our values and our dignity through his Chaubis Avatar, which includes, besides others chronologically, the stories of Rama and Krishan. His heroes time and again cross the hurdles by performing great deeds and are able to defeat the evil forces and finally build the citadels of undying Dharma. The Chandi Charitra and Chandi di Vaar, based upon Markandaya Puran depict the fight between the gods and the demons and the final victory of the gods with help of the goddess Durga, the symbol of divine shakti, metaphorically represented by Khanda, with which he initiated his disciples to great deeds and had them, as Vivekananda described to his companions once, "filled with such wonderful heroism" that it prompted them to great deeds. While narrating the story of the Guru, the companions tell us, Swamiji’s eyes dilating with enthusiasm seemed to be emitting fire, and his listeners, dumb-stricken and looking at his face, kept watching the wonderful sight. "He was a great worshipper of Shakti," said Vivekananda, "Yes, in Indian history, such an example is indeed very rare." While engaged in writing the exploits of Durga, it appears that the Guru was himself fighting on the side of the gods, at the same time no less belittling the power of the rakshashas.

In addition to the inspiring verse, the master wrote Jaap Sahib in 199 Chhandas, Sudha Swayya, Chaupayees and Akaal Ustat. In the classical measures, he described the attributes and the glory of the Almighty through the visionary concept of the warrior - saint, who enjoys the sublime and the great and who promises the validity of truth with an unconcern of the liberated soul enjoying the world as a play - jagat tamaasa. Zafarnaama or the Epistle of Victory, is a letter in Persian verse, supposed to have been addressed to Aurangzeb telling him that he was compelled to take recourse to the sword when all other means passed beyond the realm of diplomacy.

It is simply surprising that the Guru, like the Roman king Marcus Aurelius, utilised each leisure moment that he could spare from the martial and organisational routine, devoted to such literary ventures that transcended his personal tribulations. There is ample evidence now available that about fifty two poets and thirty scribes had assembled around him and were constantly engaged in literary pursuits. The principal Upanishads, Bhagvad Puran, Vedantic texts and many Sanskrit literary texts were translated into Bhasha by these devoted bards. Tahkan Chopra translated the Mahabharata of which Jaimni Parva portion is still available, though much of this literature was lost because of the intermittent migration during the battles with the Mughal forces.

Guru Gobind Singh lived with mission and wrote with a mission. He sought the blessings of the Omnipotent Lord to fight for the virtuous cause and die for Dharma in concluding the first part of Chandi Charitra with the moving strain:

Deh Shiva bar mohe ehai

Subh Karman te kabhun na tarun

(Grant me, O Lord, this boon, may I never falter in doing noble deeds.)

Not all the poets in that great assemblage were amritdharis. The legend says that Bhai Nand Lal Goya was a Sikh, not an amritdhari. There is also a legend that he had convened a meeting of the hill chieftains at Riwalsar, situated about twenty kilometres west of Mandi, to chalk out a comprehensive programme to form a united force to fight against the anti-Dharma forces and at the same time recreate inspiring literature on the foundations of the classics of the yore.

Here was a unique titanic, preserver- protector of ancient values and promoter of revolutionary ideals, who created the institution of Khalsa - the pure- to suit the dynamics of change. In the right classical tradition, the Guru felt the muffled steps of the everlasting past in his blood, ‘the stories of our fathers in the pages of our destiny’, as Rabindranath Tagore put it. He sacrificed his all, so that our countrymen may live, so that Dharma may survive.

[xPreetx]

Chali Muktay:

Maha Singh

Darbara Singh

Mahla Singh

Veer Singh

Munsha Singh

Gura Singh

Sher Singh

Sant Singh

Surja Singh

Phoola Singh

Bishan Singh

Hari Singh

Deep Singh

Reeda Singh

Jeevan Singh

Bhag Singh

Jassa Singh

Reeda Singh

Mani Singh

Raam Singh

Mansha Singh

Bulaka Singh

Parsa Singh

Ajaib Singh

Narayan Singh

Parma Singh

Bachittar Singh

Champa Singh

Gurbakhsh Singh

Kahan Singh

Makhan Singh

Sadhu Singh

Moola Singh

Kapoor Singh

Garoo Singh

Choord Singh

Bhag Singh

Taroo Singh

Babeka Singh

Mastana Singh

Dhan Guru Dhan Guru Piaray!!!!!!!!!!

Thanks for the great thread veerji!