Happy Gurpurab
Guru Gobind Singh Ji
The
tenth and the last Guru or Prophe t teacher of the S i k h faith, was born Gobind Rai Sodhi on Poh 7, 1723 sk/22 December 1666 at Patna, in Bihar. His father, Guru Tegh Bahadur, the Ninth Guru, was then travelling across Bengal and Assam. Returning to Patna in 1670, he directed his family to return to the Punjab. On the site of the house at Patna in which Gobind Rai was born and where he spent his early childhood now stands a sacred shrine, Takht Sri Harimandar Sahib, one of the five most honoured seats of religious authority (takht) for the Sikhs. Gobind Rai was escorted to Anandpur (then known as Chakk Nanaki)on the foothills of the Sivaliks where he reached in March 1672 and where his early education included reading and writing of Punjabi, Braj, Sanskrit and Persian. He was barely nine years of age when a sudden turn came in his life as well as in the life of tile community he was destined to lead. Early in 1675, a group Kashmiri Brahmans, drivels to desperation by the religious fanaticism of the Mughals General, Iftikar Khan, visited Anandpur to
seek Guru Tegh Bahadur’s intercession. As the Guru sat reflecting what to do, young Gobind Rai, arriving there in company with his playmates, asked Why he looked so preoccupied. The father, as records Kuir Singh in his Gurbilas Patshahi 10, replied, “Grave are the burdens the earth bears. She will be redeemed only if a truly worthy person comes forward to lay down his head. Distress will then be expunged and happiness ushered in.” “None could be worthier than yourself to make such a sacrifice,” remarked Gobind Rai in his innocent manner. Guru Tegh Bahadur soon aftenwards proceeded to the imperial capital, Delhi, and courted death on 11 November 1675. Guru Gobind Singh was formally installed Guru on the Baisakhi day of 1733 Bk/29 March 1676. In the midst of his engagement with the concerns of the community, he gave attention to the mastery of physical skills and literary accomplishment. He had grown into a comely youth spare, lithe of limb and energetic. He had a natural genius for poetic composition and his early years were assiduously given to this pursuit. The Var Sri Bhagauti Ji Ki, popularly called Chandi di Var. written in 1684, was his first composition and his only major work in the Punjabi language. The poem depicted the legendary contest between the gods
and the demons as described in the Markandeya Purana. The choice of a warlike theme for this and a number of his later compositions such as the two Chandi Charitras, mostly in Braj, was made to infuse martial spirit among his followers
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hile the teachings of warrior, saint and poet Guru Gobind Singh were rich in their detail and focus, he also laid out 52 simple ‘Hukams’(instructions) that every Sikh should follow. From these, we picked out the ten most relevant for our day to day, office/ college going, partying on the weekend lives. 1. When you might get a LOT of money by conning somebody Dharam dee kirat karnee: Make a living doing honest work 2. When your girl just won’t listen Istree da mooh nahee phitkaarna: Do not subject your wife to cursing or verbal abuse. 3. When you feel lazy in the first year of your professional life Kum karan vich daridar nahee karnaa: Work hard and don’t be lazy. This is a work ethic that will stay with you for the rest of your
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rification sword itself which January 04,of the 2019
to prepare them to stand up against injustice and tyranny. Much of Guru Gobind Singh’s creative literary work was done at Paonta he had founded on the banks of the River Yamuna and to which site he had temporarily shifted in April 1685. He preached the worship of the One Supreme Being, deprecating idolatry and superstitious beliefs and observances. The glo-
he eulogized as Bhaguati was to secure fulfilment of God’sjustice. The sword was never meant as a symbol of aggression, and it was never to be used for self-aggrandizement. It was the emblem of manliness and self-respect and was to be used only in self-defence, as a last resort. -sikh-history.com
10 Teachings of Guru Gobind Singh for Many Tricky Life Situations life. 4. When you feel like showing off everything you owe to make people jealous Dhan, javaanee, tae kul jaat da abhiman naee karnaa: Do not be proud of riches, youthfulness or lineage. 5. When things aren’t working out, and the first thing you want to do is get into a fight Dushman naal saam, daam, bhaed, aadiak, upaa vartnae ate uprant udh karna: When dealing with enemies, practice diplomacy, employ a variety of tactics, and exhaust all techniques before engaging in warfare.
6. When you want to bitch about someone during your sutta break Kisae di ninda, chugali, atae eirkha nahi karni: Do not engage in slander, gossip or spite anyone
7. When you see a helpless foreigner about to get ripped off heavily on the cab fare because they don’t know the local rates Pardaesi, lorvaan, dukhi, apung manukh di yataahshkat sewa karni: Do as much sewa as you can for the needy and the troubled 8. When you’re feeling lazy about helping out someone after promising you would Bachan karkae paalnaa: Fulfill all promises that are made 9. When you’re feeling lazy about working out Shaster vidyaa atae ghorhae di savaari da abhiaas karna: this literally translates to “Practice the knowledge of weaponry and horse riding”, Let’s get our exercise where we can afford it! 10. When you’re trying to quit, or feeling confused about taking that first drag Jagat-jootth tambaaku bikhiaa da tiaag karna: In simple words, don’t smoke. No, smoking is not cool. -indiatimes.com
INDO-AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, JANUARY 04, 2019 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM