Sakha Sirhind

[Akal Warrior]

baba banda singh ji bahadur erases all his wrongdoing by giving shaheedi by guru's kirpa.

Ghatak, can you please explain what you mean by that? Who has declared this? How do we know that what you are saying is actually the case? I'm not saying anything for or against Banda Singh Bahadur...just trying to understand the logic behind this statement.

[ghatak]

Ghatak, can you please explain what you mean by that? Who has declared this? How do we know that what you are saying is actually the case? I'm not saying anything for or against Banda Singh Bahadur...just trying to understand the logic behind this statement.

i heard this in suraj parkash katha that when baba banda singh ji bahadur attained shaheedi. Baba Deep Singh Ji announced that Baba banda singh bahadur has washed his sins by submitting blood.

[genie]

Ghatak, can you please explain what you mean by that? Who has declared this? How do we know that what you are saying is actually the case? I'm not saying anything for or against Banda Singh Bahadur...just trying to understand the logic behind this statement.

Guru Gobind Singh Ji Maharaj promised anyone who fought for the Sikh deen/religion would attain mukthi/salvation should they become shaheed. Therefore by banda refusing to convert to Islam and taking the torturous death path for his past sins in his love and fight for Sikhi he must have attained mukthi. But only Waheguru knows who is saved and who isn't we can only go by what Guru sahib has promised and said.

[Into the Light]

My personal opinon is that just as Sikhs today have been involved in doing the character assasination of Sant Jarnail Singh, in the same way some Sikhs have done character assisination of Baba Banda Singh Bahahdur. Even the Jathedar of Budha Dal - Santa Singh was invovled in the character assisnation of Sant Jee - so why can't 200 years earlier Rant Singh Bhangu added abit masala from himself to do the character assasination of Baba Banda Singh Bahadur? Is it not possible?

I can only image how Sikhs would have felt when they heard that a Sadhu whom Guru Gobind Singh had just met and within a day given Amrit was all of a sudden the jathedar of the panth? Is it not possible that this could have ticked off some Sikhs that could result in resentment?

No one is perfect, only Vaheguroo & Guroo Jee - so all can have some flaws but i can only look at Baba Banda Singh Bahadur's complishments to to see what he was like. For me the first thing that comes to mind is how amazing must have he been to take on the task of getting justice only days after meeting Guroo Jee...could we? He was unknown to ALL the Sikhs in Punjab but still was able to convince Sikhs in jungles all over punjab, who were in small bands and organised them in the jungles to start a mutiny which lead to Fateh within 20 months. I can't convince my family to do even the smallest things, but he brought all the panth together in some harsh times to acheive vicotry not only at Sirhind...but ultimately Khalsa Raaj - i mean that is just amazing!!!!! Yes, there was the handwritten letter from Guroo Jee but he still must have had the qualities & kamaii of a true leader!!!

When Khalsa Raaj was established did he create currency with his name on it? No...the currency was in the name of Guru Nanak Dev Jee & Guru Gobind Singh Jee. This doesn't seem like the actions of a power hungry, ego maniac that wanted to become the Guru of the Sikhs as is being presented by some Sikhs today!

Yes Baba Banda Singh Bahadur openly admitted that at Sirihind some Sikhs took it too far and did many wrong things - But being the jatherdaar of the mutiny & being so amazing, he took full responsibilty - like a true leader and its this which ultimately resulted in his world famous Shaheedi. Parnaam Shaheeda(n) Noo!!!!

I will only base my opinions on the accomplishments of Baba Banda Singh Bahadur and his accomplishments are endless. What greater way to live ones life than to accept the hukam of Guroo Jee and get justice, establish Khalsa Raaj & then to leave this world as a Shaheed!!!

Many 'scholar's' of today slander Sant Jee and in 200yrs time it will be the words of these 'scholars' that Sikhs in 200yrs time will probably belieive that Sant Jee was bad. Even many 'Sikhs' do character assaination of Sant Jee and many do it of Baba Banda Singh Bahadur...but its Sant Jarnail Singh's & Baba Banda Singh Bahadur's accomplishments that speak louder than a few words written on pages by scholars, be it now or 200 years ago!

[Guest KopSingh]

can some please tell me WHAT BAD/EGOTISTICAL THINGS Banda Bahadur did? coz i keep hearing he turned into a bit of a wrong'un. any please, coz i cant b asked 2 research on the net and read LONG LONG literature 2day.

any examples wud b appreciated.

cheers

[genie]

I think banda like any human being had his faults and short comings but his legacy and his contribution to the Sikh cause is invaluable. The way he was able to achieve so much where once he was a mere forest dwelling hindu hermit after his conversion to Sikhism he became a tiger and commanded thousands of men on horseback willing to engage the murderers of sahibzada's and other Mughul authorities in various battles. And had he had the ego as that claimed about him he wouldn't have struck coins in the glory of Baba Guru Nanak Dev Ji he would have put his own image and name on them.

He is definitely in my list of top 5 hero's of all time.

The criticisms or rumors people had of him are as follows:

• Gur Bilas Patshahi 10, by Koer SIngh Kalal, in 1751, had written that he turned egoistic so he was not helped by Khalsa and let dead in fortress.
  

• Mahima Parkash, by Sarup Chand Bhalla, mentioned this fact that he went against Guru Gobind Singh's wishes and argued with the Khalsa. The Khalsa left him in the fort as a result.
  

• Shahid Bilas Bhai Mani Singh States that people started believing Baba Banda Bahadur, as the 11th Guru of the Sikhs and Bhai Mani SIngh resolved this issue that he was not guru.
  

• Sir John Malcolm, in Sketch of Sikhs (1812), an English christian supremacist historian mentioned about Banda Bahadur that:
  ...he was a heretic; who intoxicated with victory, endeavoured to change the religious institutions and laws of Guru Gobind Singh. He changed salutations to fateh dharam fateh durshun. Banda made many confirm to his orders
  

• Bhai Kahn Singh Nabha mentioned in Mahankosh that:ਗੁਰੂ ਕੇ ਸਿੰਘ ਤਾਂ ਪਹਿਲੇ ਹੀ ਬੰਦੇ ਤੋਂ ਜੁਦਾ ਹੋਣਾ ਚਾਹੁੰਦੇ ਸਨ, ਕਿਓਂਕਿ ਓਹ ਸਿੰਘਾਂ ਦੇ ਦਰਬਾਰ ਵਿ ਤੇ ਗੁਰੂ ਅਸਥਾਨਾ ਵਿਚ ਗਦੇਲਾ ਵਿਚ ਕੇ ਬੈਠ ਕਰ ਚੋਰ ਸਫਾ ਕਰਾਉਂਦਾ ਤੇ ਦਰਸ਼ਨੀ ਫ਼ਤਹਿ ਬੁਲਾਉਂਦਾ ਸੀ |
  

[genie]

Banda is known and much celebrated in Bengal, thanks to a famous poem by the poet-philosopher, Rabindranath Tagore, titled Bandi Bir (The Valiant Prisoner). The poem outlines the heroic Sikh rebellion and resistance of Mughal atrocities. Here are portions of the first and last parts of this phenomenal poem (in Bengali, written phonetically here):

Pancha nadir tirey

Beni pakaiya shirey

Dekhite dekhite Gurur mantre

Jagiya uthhechhe Sikh

Nirmam, nirbhik.

Hajar konthe Gurujir Joy

Dhoniya tulechhey dik

Nutan jagiya Sikh

Nutan ushaar Surjer paane

Chahilo nirnimikh.

.......

Sabha holo nistabdha

Banda'r deho chhinrilo ghaatak

Shanraashi koriya dagdha

Sthir hoye Bir morilo

Na kori ekti katar shabda.

Darshak-jan mudilo nayan

Sabha holo nistabdha.

Here is an approximate translation:

The Mughals and Sikhs together kicked up

the dust of Delhi thoroughfares;

Who will offer his life first?

There was a rush to settle this;

In the morning hundreds of heroes

offered heads to the executioner,

calling "Glory be to Guruji";

The Kazi put into Banda's lap one of his sons;

Said... must kill him with own hands;

Without hesitation, saying nothing,

slowly Banda pulled the child on his breast;

Then slowly drawing the knife from the belt, looking at the boy's face,whispered

"Glory be to Guruji", in the boy's ears.

The young face beamed;

The court room shook as the boy sang,

"Glory be to Guruji;"

Banda then threw the left arm around his neck

and with the right plunged the knife into the boy's breast;

The boy dropped on the ground,

smiling, saying "Glory be to Guruji".

The court was dead silent.

The executioner tore apart Banda's body

with a pair of red-hot tongs;

Standing still the hero died,

not uttering a sound of agony;

The audience closed their eyes;

The court was dead silent.

(Note this is a poem written hunderd years later and not actual account of what happened the actual account is far more graphic)

[genie]

Manas ki jaal sabhai ekai pehchaanbo is the Guru Gobind Singh's message. which emphatically states "men may call themselves Hindus, Muslims, Emams and Shaffies, but I see them all belonging to one race—mankind." Guru Gobind Singh had given Banda specific orders to punish those who had persecuted good saints like Pir Budhu Shah. He had not mentioned any revenge on those who had executed his own young boys at Sirhind. He had expected Bahadur Shah to fulfil his promise to punish those who had committed atrocitics on good men, but had parted company from the Emperor completely disappointed. Banda Singh was then taught to bring to reality the Guru's own dream.

- http://www.sikh-hist...iors/banda.html

[Guest KopSingh]

Manas ki jaal sabhai ekai pehchaanbo is the Guru Gobind Singh's message. which emphatically states "men may call themselves Hindus, Muslims, Emams and Shaffies, but I see them all belonging to one race—mankind." Guru Gobind Singh had given Banda specific orders to punish those who had persecuted good saints like Pir Budhu Shah. He had not mentioned any revenge on those who had executed his own young boys at Sirhind. He had expected Bahadur Shah to fulfil his promise to punish those who had committed atrocitics on good men, but had parted company from the Emperor completely disappointed. Banda Singh was then taught to bring to reality the Guru's own dream.

- http://www.sikh-hist...iors/banda.html

on that site u have provided, it didnt even state banda took amrit and convrt 2 sikhi, plus it didnt even state the fact that banda failed 2 make guru gobind singh fall on his backside by fliipin the manja. also it says guru gobind singh ordered goats 2 b killed, i thort guru gobind singh forbade eating of meat, according to certain mods on here. is that site dodgy u reckon?

[singher23]

Banda Singh Bahadur probably did overstep his bounds. Before he was executed though he said,

"When the tyrants oppress their subjects to the limit, then God sends men like me on this earth to mete out punishment to them. But being human, we sometimes overstep the laws of justice, and for that we are made to pay whilst we are still here. God is not being unjust to me in any way."

So he recognized what he did wrong, accepted his punishment, and all was forgiven