Glimpses of Guru Gobind Singh Ji
Guru Gobind Singh Ji the tenth Guru of the Sikhs was born Gobind Rai at Patna on 2nd Jan 1666. As he grew up his aimiable manners made him the beloved of all. The old talked of his wisdom and his refined behavior, while the boys of his age found him a great playmate and an inspiring leader. He played games of skill and courage and would organise mock battles.
In some quarters Mata Gujri ji - Guru Ji's mother - is portrayed as a rather weak minded person who scolded him for organising mock battles. It is also said of her that when her younger grandchildren Sahibzada (prince) Zorawar Singh Ji and Sahibzada Fateh Singh Ji were executed by the Governor of Sirhand by bricking them up alive, that the shock caused her heart failure. This is far from the truth. Mata Gujri ji was a very strong willed person and instrumental in the development of the young Guru.
Once, when Guru Ji with his friends were caught shooting their wooden arrows at the water pots carried by the village ladies upon their heads they complained to Mata Ji. They also discarded their clay pots and started using water pots made of iron to deter the children from taking pot shots at them. It was Mata Gujri Ji who took Guru Sahib aside and handed him arrows tipped with steel, "Get all the practice you can" she said " one day this training will be needed to dispatch tyrants and wicked people.". When Mata Ji and her young Sahibzadai grandchildren were captured by the moghal forces they were taken to a tower and locked up. The Sahibzaday were put on trail, which lasted for three days. Each evening the little ones (aged 9 and 7) would be reunited with their grandmother, they would spend the whole night huddled together in the freezing tower to keep warm. Mata Ji would instruct the Sahibzadai on how to conduct themselves in court the next day. She would tell them to keep the words of their father in the hearts and to remember the great sacrifice of their grandfather Guru Tegh Bahadur Ji and never to be persuaded by the temptations and threats that Wazir Khan would lay before them. On the final day when Mata Ji said her farewells to the Sahibzaday as they were led off to be executed she kissed and hugged them " stand tall my little ones, for you have done your father and your faith proud" she said. Mata Ji was later treacherously pushed out of the tower. These are hardly the acts of a frail old person.
Legend has it that every arrow of Guru Gobind Singh ji was mounted with half an ounce of gold. Its object was to alleviate the suffering of his quarry. Should the person aimed at be wounded then the gold could be used for medicine. Should the wound prove fatal then the gold could be used as an aid to the family of the deceased. Two specimen of these arrows are preserved and are on display at Sri Akal Takhat Sahib, Amritsar.
The misunderstanding of Durga Puja
After the battle of Bhangani in 1686 where Guru Ji defeated the forces of the hill rajas under the command of Raja Bhim Chand , Guru ji returned to Anandpur Sahib. Here, martial preparations began in earnest - recruitment and training of Sikh solders, building of forts, collection of arms and materials. Some greedy brahmins thought of blackmailing the Guru by suggesting that he should go for worship of the goddess Gurga in order to invoke her blessings for future battles. After hearing them patiently, Guru Ji told them that he relied for his protection on Akal Purkh, the Great Time spirit and Primeval Energy which he also called 'Maha Kal', 'Pritham Bhagauti' and 'Kalka-Chandika' in his writings. But if they could produce that Primeval Energy in any other visible form, then he would consider their request and provide them with the necessary materials and also pay them the money, for which they were actually making the proposal. Their leader, Kashav Das, promised that he would reveal the goddess by reciting the 'Chandi mantra' one lakh times, but the Guru would have to put up one lakh ahuti(offerings) and observe complete celibacy. Guru Ji replied that after the birth of his fourth son he had already taken a vow of celibacy and that he would arrange to provide him with what ever materials he needed.
It is recorded that Pandit Kashev Das experimented with the sacrificial fire for many months on top of the Naina Devi hill. Guru Ji would occasionally climb the hill to watch what was going on. The rest of the time he would spend on the banks of the river Sutlej, writing compositions that can now be found in the Dasam Granth. One day Guru Ji went to see the Pandit and asked him why the goddess had not appeared. Kashav replied that the time was fast approaching but that what was needed was a celebatarian of high caste to be offered as a sacrifice. Guru Ji was amused by this request and promptly told the Pandit that since he had also observed celibacy during this period there would be no better person then him for the sacrifice. Sensing danger he had unwittingly invited, he made his escape in the early hours of the morning. Guru Ji anticipated the result of Kashev Das' experiment, he thought it futile to be associated with it any longer and dumped the remaining material into the fire and hastened down the hill with a glistening sword in hand and resplendent glory on his face. When in the early hours of the morning the people saw the flames going up in the sky they thought that the goddess had appeared. Guru Ji associated himself with the ceremony only for the sake of exposing the brahminical faith is such ceremonies and confirming the conviction of the Sikhs to worship the one Timeless Lord .
Thou, O All Steel Sword are the symbol of Brahma, Vishnu and Bhawani. Thou represent Ambika, who wears beads of human skulls and is the destroyer of evil spirits. Thou are the destroyer of the wicked and are the merciful benefactor of the suffering humanity.
