Baba Ram Rai Ji was Burnt Alive

Baba Ram Rai, it is said on September 3rd, 1686 expressed his desire to Punjab Kaur and other of his close disciples to sit in prolonged meditation for at least three days in hope of attaining some spiritual stages for which he had been long aspiring.

He asked Punjab Kaur to bolt the door of his room from outside and not permit anyone to disturb his meditation, until three days had elapsed or she heard him knock on the door from within. Meanwhile the mischievous Gurbakhsh, whose evil genius was responsible for Baba Ram Rai's estrangement from his father and his confrontation with his brother Guru Tegh Bahadur whom he loved so dearly at heart, now saw his golden chance to rid himself of Baba Ram Rai and capture the wealth and power of the ashram for himself.

He is described by Sewa Singh in his Shahid Bilas as the most ignoble dunce, a stupid rascal, a corpulent and haughty rogue, and a bull-headed egoist: rnaha agyani, abhimani, tumaltang deha, mughad, kukarmi, hankari.

Early the next day, 4th September, Gurbakhsh accused Punjab Kaur of having killed Ram Rai, hiding his body in his locked room while she conspired against the Baba's darbar with the help of Baba Ram Rai's nephew the young Guru Gobind Singh.

Knowing that in the state of Nirvikalpa Samadhi (Enstasis) Baba Ram Rai was absolutely unconscious of his body, Gurbakhsh created such a public commotion against Punjab Kaur that, with an organized crowd of men, he rushed to the room where he knew Baba Ram Rai was sitting frozen in deep meditation. He broke open the lock and claiming that Ram Rai's body was a lifeless corpse he declared him dead and hurriedly organized his funeral pyre. They quickly placed Ram Rai on the piles of dry wood to which Gurbakhsh set fire.

Punjab Kaur had sent a messenger to Guru Gobind Singh Ji for help, but by the time the Guru and his fully armed troops arrived and surrounded the Ashram Baba Ram Rai's body had been consumed by fire.

Punjab Kaur was asked to point out all who had indulged in criminal activities. All of the criminals who had been instrumental in burning Baba Ram Rai Ji alive while he was in Samadhi, were rounded up and with their misdeeds thoroughly investigated they were severely punished according to his crime.

In the skirmish that took place with Gurbakhsh's men about fifty to sixty masands were killed. But the willy masand Gurbakhsh escaped.