Mr. Singh

O Lord, I am your child

2009-12-30T00:17:00.004Z

Beautiful shabad by bhagat Kabeer, recited on this occasion by bhai Parminder Singh:

Salute the Martyrs

2009-12-29T22:53:00.006Z

During the past week in the Sikh calendar we have observed the dates of the martyrdoms of the 4 sahibzaade. Below is a humble attempt to pay homage to all the shaheeds of the sikh faith:

The king of martyrs Guru Arjan Dev Ji sat on a hot iron plate.

but he remained in bliss whilst reciting naam. He embraced martyrdom as one embraces a soul mate.

Bhai Dyal Das was boiled in a cauldron, Bhai Sati Das was hacked to pieces, Bhai Mati Das was sawn in two.

But look at these Gur Sikhs, even when embracing martyrdom they never turned their back on their Guru.

The seed of sikhi was further watered with the blood of Guru Tegh Bahadur.

he sacrificed himself for another faith, and today is known world wide as "hind di chaddar".

The sahibzaadey's were martyred in Sirhind and Chamkaur.

they didnt hesitate to lay down their lives, all four.

Banda singh bahadur made the whole of punjab quake.

He tore down Sirhind brick by brick, lets make no mistake.

he was eventually captured with hundereds of sikhs and taken to delhi to meet a gruesome fate.

All were executed but not for a moment from their faith did they deviate.

Baaj Singh was a brave sikh, stories of his bravery spread far and wide. We should be inspired by this brother.

When the enemy unchained him, he broke upon them like a hungry lion, even the emperor furukhsiyaar ran for cover.

Ahmed Shah abdali attacked Shir Harmandir Sahib, someone had to take a stand.

Baba Deep Singh Ji repelled the invaders, fighting with his head in the palm of his hand.

Bhai Mani singh was another true sikh of the guru.

he was chopped limb by limb but remained true to his guru through and through.

zakriya khan was boasting that he had wiped all Sikhs out.

bhota singh and garja singh proved they were alive and kicking without a shadow of a doubt.

massa ranghar desecrated shri harmandir sahib ji, "i'll teach these sikhs a lesson" he said.

bhai mehtab singh and bhai sukha singh stepped up and chopped off the tyrants head.

The sikhs went through more than one holocaust.

but never once was their faith in the creator lost.

Lets never forget the brave sikh women who were tortured by Mir Mannu and his men in the lahore Jail.

Their children were butchered before their eyes, and yet they remained imbued in naam and did not wail.

So what was their inspiration, what was their source?

i'll tell you, AMRIT, NAAM, and BAANI of course.

Bhai Surjit Singh

2009-12-06T18:58:00.002Z

The sangat of Bradford is undoubtedly very fortunate that we have in our midst for the next few weeks such a great gursikh such as Bhai Surjit Singh ji. Bhai sahib is an excellent parcharik, all those that have had the chance to have sangat with him will vouch for this.

Bhai Sahib has been doing seva at Guru Nanak Dev Ji Gurdwara in Bradford for the past fortnight.

In his katha this week, bhai sahib described how one should come to the gurdwara, and how one should behave whilst in the gurdwara. You may think these are simple things and easy for everyone to know, however you'll be equally surprised how few of us know what to do.

Bhai Sahib explained that when one comes to the Gurdwara, they must in their heart and mind envisage that they are indeed going to have darshan of Guru Nanak Dev Ji. If we set outside with this frame of mind then we shall indeed get what we ask for. On the way to the Gurdwara we must not partake in any form of nindya or gossip or bad mouthing anyone, instead we should greet anyone we meet with the Fateh granted by our Guru Sahib.

Once we enter the Darbar Sahib we must bow infront of Guru Maharaj, as if we are indeed placing our head at the feet of Guru Nanak Dev ji, almost as if we are offering our head to Guru Ji. Then when we rise then we should face the sangat and again greet (not aloud though) them with the Fateh.

We should then go and sit away from anyone we know, so that we do not start yapping away, as our whole objective of coming to the gurdwara is to meditate on naam, listen to gurbani, and have darshan of Guru Ji. If our objective was to just meet our friends and family, then this can be done away from the gurdwara sahib. In the darbar we should only recite the name of waheguru, and sing the praises of waheguru.

We clearly do not realise or indeed appreciate how fortunate we are that we are born in punjabi "sikh" house holds, which enables us access to have darshan of Guru Ji without any obstacles. We have a great advantage over billions of people who have not even heard of Guru Nanak. How many life forms have we taken to get to this position, and yet the majority of us are wasting this opportunity.

In the past people have waited not days, weeks or year but actual ages (yugs) to have darshan of Guru Ji. This point is illustarted in the sakhi below:

This relates to the sacred pool (sarovar) of santok Sar in Amritsar. When work (Kaar Sewa) was going on for this sacred pool during the time of Sri Guru Arjan Dev Ji, a box was found at the site of the sarovar. When the box was opened, they found a sadhu inside. He had pulled his life's breath to the tenth door (dasam dwaar) by way of yoga. This sadhu was in samadhi.Baba Budha Ji informed Sri Guru Arjan Dev Ji, who suggested massaging the Sadhu's forehead with almond oil. Upon doing so, the yogi became concious and opened his eyes.

The first question the yogi asked was, "What age (jug) is this? Is it Satjug, Tretajug, Duapur, or kaljug?"The second question was, "who is sitting on the spiritual throne of Sri Guru Nanak Sahib Ji?"Baba Buddha Ji informed he yogi that the age was kaljug and Sri Guru Nanak Sahib Ji's throne was now occupied by Sri Guru Arjan Dev Ji.The yogi bowed before Sri Arjun Dev Ji and said he was sitting in the box since Satjug. He had aske his guru for Brahm Gyan and wanted to meet Waheguru.But his guru said that he could only give him material benefits, wealth, sons, etc. but not the Divine Sight (darshan) of Waheguru. The yogis guru said, "I cannot give you immortal life." The yogi replied he did not want any material benefit. His guru then told him that he would tell the yogi the way (jugat) to get salvation. His guru told the yogi to sit in samadhi till kaljug. Then the fifth Guru on Sri Guru Nanak Sahib Ji's spiritual throne would give him salvation. So, the yogi sat from Satjug to kaljug in samadhi. Sri Guru Arjan Dev Ji gave the yogi Brahm Gyan and the yogi obtained immortality, for which he had long desired. His light blended with the Universal LightWaheguru.

As can be seen the yogi was prepared to await literal ages to have darshan of the Guru, thats how much he longed for darshan. We have a distinct advantage and yet we are turning our backs on this gift.

More cool Paintings

2009-11-19T19:58:00.004Z

I've mentioned before about kanwar Singh Dhillon from Canada and his paintings on http://www.artofpunjab.com/. Just recently found another cool artist (Bhagat Singh) on http://www.sikhiart.com/.

Check out some samples below and dont forget to visit the site:

Bhai Taru Singh Shaheed animated movie

2009-11-19T19:01:00.005Z

Vismaad have followed up Sahibzaadey, the Rise of the Khalsa, and Sundri, by releasing their next installment on Sikh History - titled "Bhai Taru Singh". The story depicts the story of perhaps one of the greatest martyrs of the Sikh religion. Bhai Sahib led the life of a simple gursikh, but never did he falter even under immense duress from the then authorities.

i cant stress enough how important it is for us all to support those that have worked hard to bring this movie to life. Financially it is not viable for these movies to be made, if we do not donate or then buy cheap copies of the DVD. It is for such causes that we should use our Dasvand.

The Next Showing up North will be at Guru Nanak Gurdwara Wakefield Road Bradford on Sunday 13th December at 12:00pm.

Please show your support and attend the event.

Poem

2009-06-25T18:27:00.006Z

Below is a poem in tribute to Guru Gobind Singh Ji.

O Guru Gobind Singh Ji
How can we ever repay you

At the tender age of nine
you saw your father return to the lord divine

when i read about the events of Vasakhi 1699
many questions arise in this manmukh mind of mine

you asked the sangat for a head
there was an eerie silence as if they were all dead

That day five sikhs answered your call
they went on to become an inspiration for us all

You blessed us with amrit and the surnames Kaur and Singh
but look at us now, we more concerned about looking bling

you had planted the seeds which would cut loose the shackles of slavery
Sikhs would not only be known for saintliness but also for their bravery

you sacrificed your sons, all four
but did not mourn, for you were the spiritual father of thousands more

when your earthly journey was almost complete
you placed us all at shri Guru Granth Sahib Ji's feet

O Guru Gobind Singh Ji
How can we ever repay you.

Acapella Jatha

2009-06-25T16:50:00.010Z

Acapella Jatha attended the local Gurdwara, and in their unique style of kirtan kept the sangat mesmerised for the duration. It was so refreshing to see the sangat sit quietly and listen to kirtan.

They were even asked to do an encore of one of the shabads. Amazing stuff.

Apologies for the not so great quality of the recording, we are still testing the recording equipment.

Below is the recording of the kirtan program

One of the Shabads by Bhagat Ravidas which was recited by the Jatha in the recording above is as below:

DnwsrI Bgq rivdws jI kI

dhhanaasaree bhagath ravidhaas jee kee

Dhanaasaree, Devotee Ravi Daas Jee:

<> siqgur pRswid ]

ik oa(n)kaar sathigur prasaadh

One Universal Creator God. By The Grace Of The True Guru:

hm sir dInu dieAwlu n qum sir Ab pqIAwru ikAw kIjY ]

ham sar dheen dhaeiaal n thum sar ab patheeaar kiaa keejai

There is none as forlorn as I am, and none as Compassionate as You; what need is there to test us now?

bcnI qor mor mnu mwnY jn kau pUrnu dIjY ]1]

bachanee thor mor man maanai jan ko pooran dheejai 1

May my mind surrender to Your Word; please, bless Your humble servant with this perfection. 1

hau bil bil jwau rmeIAw kwrny ]

ho bal bal jaao rameeaa kaaranae

I am a sacrifice, a sacrifice to the Lord.

kwrn kvn Abol ] rhwau ]

kaaran kavan abol rehaao

O Lord, why are You silent? Pause

bhuq jnm ibCury Qy mwDau iehu jnmu qum@wry lyKy ]

bahuth janam bishhurae thhae maadhho eihu janam thumhaarae laekhae

For so many incarnations, I have been separated from You, Lord; I dedicate this life to You.

kih rivdws Aws lig jIvau icr BieE drsnu dyKy ]2]1]

kehi ravidhaas aas lag jeevo chir bhaeiou dharasan dhaekhae 21

Says Ravi Daas: placing my hopes in You, I live; it is so long since I have gazed upon the Blessed Vision of Your Darshan. 21

25 Years On...Still no Justice!!!!!!!!!!

2009-06-24T21:03:00.003Z

On June 7th thousands of Sikhs from all over the UK gathered at Hyde Park and then marched towards Trafalgar Square. This is an annual event, but seeing as this was the 25th year there was an extra turn out for the event this year (which is ridiculous really, there should be a similar turn out every year).

It was great to see so many Sikhs getting together to remember the tragic events of 1984. We need more unity on all matters within our community. We as a community may feel that after 1984 we have weathered the tide and the worst is over, we may even think of burying the past. Lets not kid ourselves, theres still an anti Sikh agenda out there. Look at the events in the recent past - we've had the Dera Sacha Sauda fake Baba, the blog site about Sikh Girls, the arson attacks on UK Gurdwaras, and more recently the Austrian incident (which i will discuss later). These issues are still in our midst, and will continue to arise. We as a community need to face these challenges collectively, by putting our petty differences aside.

Back to the 1984 rally, theres been alot of conversations regarding what is achieved by this event and that we are still in the same place as we were 25 years ago in terms of getting justice. Theres even by comments by the Indian Premier to forget those events.

My thoughts and those of friends are that yes this protest march may not be ideal, and we may not be achieving anything in terms of justice etc, but in the absence of any other suggestions then its something that probably will need to continue until the youth step up and think of new ideas. I'd like to point out to the detractors, that look at the sangat that turns up, so many of them were not even born until after 1984, and yet they turn up to this event because they feel passionate about the subject. It was in all honesty great to see the youth participating in this event. The one thing i object to is burning of flags and effigies, which i believe is nonsense and achieves nothing what so ever. It was good to see the youth approaching the non sikhs in and around the area to explain what the march was about etc.. however i think we could do with some professional leaflets explaining the reason for the march.

In terms of forgetting those events. Then i'm afraid that is not an option. The sacrifices made by the thousands of Sikhs during the period of unrest in the Punjab, the desecration of our holiest sites should never be forgotten. We need to raise more awareness within the youth about the events. How can we forget when theres still thousands of innocent sikhs, who have spent their whole youth in prisons and are still languishing in there without any charges. Are these things we should forget, as we are comfy in the West?

My one concern is that those Shaheeds that stepped up to the challenge, and stood against the tyranny as the Sikhs of the Guru would, they laid down their lives, but what of their families? We have forgotten them, we need to do more for them. Many of these Shaheeds were the only earners in their households, they had family responsibilities like us all,they must have had doubts in their minds about what would happen to their loved ones afterwards. Yet they placed their full faith in Guru Ji and literally placed their heads on their palms and embraced martyrdom. But it is our collective responsibility to look after their families, and ensure they face no difficulties. If we do not, then its possible that the future Singhs and Singhnian will think twice before taking such steps.

As for the Khalistan issue, well i think if the issues of the Sikhs had been addressed by the Government, then this demand for Khalistan would never have arisen. Infact i'm sure if the Government made some positive attempts to punish those responsible it would also quell the calls for Khalistan a little, as the Sikhs would feel like part of India. All they want is to be recognised and treated equally.

Finally, if we all become Khalsa first then there aint no Maa da Laal who can stop Khalistan forming.

ART OF PUNJAB - more brilliant paintings

2009-06-24T20:45:00.003Z

Kanwar Singh Dhillon presents his latest offering, to commemorate the 25 years since the attack on Harmandir Sahib and Akaal Takht Sahib at Amritsar. The latest painting is dedicated to the 6th Nanak Guru Hargobind Sahib Ji, aswell as those shaheeds that layed down their lives in the 1984 attacks.

There are many more paintings at Kanwars website. Please check out the Art Of Punjab website for more details.

Vismaad presents "Sundri"

2008-04-05T12:46:00.007Z

From the creators of "Sahibzaadey" and "The Rise Of The Khalsa", comes Vismaads next offering based upon Bhai Vir Singh Ji's novel - "Sundri". Bhai Vir Singh Ji's novels were aimed at recreating the heoric period in Sikh History (18th Century). This particular movie depicts the story of a brave woman named Sundri.

This movie salutes the contribution made by our Sikh Sisters, Mothers, and Daughters of yesterday.

Guru Nanak Dev Ji wrote the following about women:

	BMif jMmIAY BMif inMmIAY BMif mMgxu vIAwhu ]
	bha(n)dd ja(n)meeai bha(n)dd ni(n)meeai bha(n)dd ma(n)gan veeaahu \|\|
	From woman, man is born; within woman, man is conceived; to woman he is engaged and married.
	BMfhu hovY dosqI BMfhu clY rwhu ]
	bha(n)ddahu hovai dhosathee bha(n)ddahu chalai raahu \|\|
	Woman becomes his friend; through woman, the future generations come.

	BMfu muAw BMfu BwlIAY BMif hovY bMDwnu ]
	bha(n)dd muaa bha(n)dd bhaaleeai bha(n)dd hovai ba(n)dhhaan \|\|
	When his woman dies, he seeks another woman; to woman he is bound.

	so ikau mMdw AwKIAY ijqu jMmih rwjwn ]
	so kio ma(n)dhaa aakheeai jith ja(n)mehi raajaan \|\|
	So why call her bad? From her, kings are born.
	BMfhu hI BMfu aUpjY BMfY bwJu n koie ]
	bha(n)ddahu hee bha(n)dd oopajai bha(n)ddai baajh n koe \|\|
	From woman, woman is born; without woman, there would be no one at all.

	nwnk BMfY bwhrw eyko scw soie ]
	naanak bha(n)ddai baaharaa eaeko sachaa soe \|\|
	O Nanak, only the True Lord is without a woman.

	ijqu muiK sdw swlwhIAY Bwgw rqI cwir ]
	jith mukh sadhaa saalaaheeai bhaagaa rathee chaar \|\|
	That mouth which praises the Lord continually is blessed and beautiful.

	nwnk qy muK aUjly iqqu scY drbwir ]2]
	naanak thae mukh oojalae thith sachai dharabaar \|\|2\|\|
	O Nanak, those faces shall be radiant in the Court of the True Lord. \|\|2\|\|

Hopefully todays generation of young Sikhs can be inspired by this movie, and become the True GurSikhs of tomorrow..

The movie will be in selected theatres (mainly US and Canada) around May time. Check the MOVIE website for further info.

Vismaad have been doing a great job of promoting the Sikh faith, and engaging the youth by bringing products which appeal to them. They deserve all our suppoort with this product.

The responsibilities of students

2008-03-30T17:40:00.003Z

Whilst at school, college or University, we will often come across a subject that we cannot grasp/understand. So to resolve this predicament we could quite simply do nothing and wait for a miracle, or we could actually find out ourselves by doing a bit of research (by books, speaking to friends etc..). We will go that extra mile to understand the subject/topic, if we feel we will benefit financially later on in life by learnig about it.

Yet in comparison, when we do not understand Guru Ji, many of us (me included) make no effort whatsoever to try and learn off our own backs what the message contains. We'll make 101 excuses, such as "i don't have the time", "i don't understand, i need it translated" etc.. we make these excuses because we have no relationship with our Guru, we view Guru Ji as a book. As Sikhs (students) we need to build a relationship with our Guru (Teacher), so that our ultimate goal of being one with God, can be achieved. Once we realise what our whole purpose of life is, then perhaps we will awaken to greatness of our Guru Ji. Then we will listen to the message contained within Guru Shabad, and realise that everything else is nothing but an illusion.....

Lets all laugh at looserpool.... sorry Liverpool

2008-02-18T22:21:00.007Z

You've got to laugh at the scousers......poor thomo in the studio.

Happy Gurpurab - Birth Of Guru Har Rai Ji

2008-01-31T19:01:00.000Z

Dhan Guru Har Rai Ji

The 31st January marks the birth date of the 7th Guru, Guru Har Rai Ji. Guru Har Rai was a simple man of God who lived a highly simple life and valued simplicity and devotion amongst the followers of his creed. Lets take a glance into some of the incidents during Guru Ji's life:

Baba Har Rai and the trampled rose

Many thanks to Sikh Sangat for this Sakhi....

Satguru Sri Guru Har Gobind Sahib Ji Maharaj, maintained an excellent garden with rare medicinal herbs planted in it. He also had a rare passion for collecting birds and animals that could be tamed and trained. Baba Har Rai Sahib Ji was having his morning stroll in the garden one day, he was reciting Waheguru with each breath he took. Guru Har Gobind Sahib Ji was also walking in the garden and was coming from the opposite direction to the one Baba Har Rai Sahib Ji was walking on. Seeing a beautiful flower on the ground, Guru Sahib, bent down and picked it up.

He then asked, 'Who plucked this lovely rose and left it to be tampled on the ground?"

"It was my fault dear grandfather" said Baba Har Rai Sahib Ji.
"My robes got entangled in the plant, and while loosening it, the flower fell on the ground. I should have picked up the flower, I am really sorry grandfather."

"Today", said Satguru Ji, "your robes have caused injury to this tender and beautiful plant out of carelessness, and left it to be trampled under people's feet; someday your paraphernalia, if not kept under restraint and control, may cause injury to innocent people, and in your heedlesness leave them to their fate. Yours Oh dear Grandson are not the robes of coercive authority which can afford to disregard the feelings of others, particulary those who suffer and live silently. Yours are the robes of a dervish, a holy saint, which must shed love, light, compassion, not only on human beings, but even on animals and plants. The more tender and weak a creature of Akaal Purakh, the more love, sympathy and compassion he deserves."

Baba Har Rai Sahib Ji fell at the feet of his beloved Guru and grandfather and sought his forgiveness.

Mehma Prakash: Sarup Singh Bhalla pg 533

Baba Har Rai Sahib Ji promised his grandfather, that he would in the future never show the slightest heedlessness in his responsibilites towards man, animals and plants. Restraint and self control boundless compassion and charity, were reflected in all his actions and dealings with others throught Baba Har Rai Sahib Jis life.

From that day on he would hold the long gown over his right arm. When he became Guru Har Rai jee the Sikhs said you don’t look good holding your gown, let it go as you are the Guru now.

Guru Har Rai jee said, “O Guru Nanak’s Sikhs, all of my life I’ve held it like this because it was my Guru’s Command. If I disobey my Guru by letting go of it, I’ll no longer be a Sikh. Do you want me to spend the rest of my life in hell!”

Understanding Scriptures

Once his Sikhs approached Guru Har Rai and asked if it was any use reciting the hymns without understanding the text. The Guru was aware that though the Sikh scriptures were in the language of the people, a large number of the Sikhs recited the hymns without understanding their meaning fully. But there was no oubting their devotion to the holy word. It so happened that they were then apssing through the outskirts of a village. The Guru showed his Sikhs pieces of a broken pot that was used for storing butter. And now lying in the sun the little butter that had stuck to the potsherds had started to melt. Guru Ji said: "It's good if one reads the scriptures with understanding It is like holding butter, but if that is not possible, it's not without virtue reading scripturewith devotion; some of it will certainly stick and when the warmth of understanding is applied to it at any time, it will surely do good".

The Simple Meal

One day, while passing through a village, Guru Ji knocked at a door. It was the house of a poor widow. The moment the door opened, the womanwas beside herself with joy. She rushed into the house and brought for Guru Ji the food she had prepared. Guru Ji partook of her humble meal seated on horseback, not even washing his hands, which he always did before he took his meals.

The next day the Guru's followers had taken with them plenty of food in case the Guru needed to eat during the chase. But the Guru did not eat anything whilst they were in the jungle. Returning home, when his Sikhs asked the Guru about his eating at a poor widow's house uninvited, Guru Ji told them that rather thenbeing uninvited he was awaited in the poor hut most anxiously. All those days the old lady would prepare her simple meal and start praying for a glimpse of the Guru. She was too old to make a journey to the Guru's place. Day after day she continued to prepare a meal for her Guru and wait for him. She never lost faith. She knew her Guru would never let her down. At last her prayers were answered. The next time they happened to pass through the village the Sikhs had the truth of what their Guru Ji had told them verified. The poor old woman told them how she laboured hard and with her earnings prepared simple fare and longed to entertain the Guru and how he had heard her prayers and come to her place to bless her.

Clinging to the Guru's Feet

Bhai Gonda, a devoted Sikh, was asked by Guru Ji to proceed to Kabul for the spiritual needs of the Guru's Sikhs residing in that far-off place. It was not without risk, making the arduous journey and living amongst aliens, but Bhai Gonda left for Kabul the moment he heard Guru Ji's orders. Once, while saying his prayers in Kabul, Gonda clung to the Guru's feet in his imagination. He held the Guru's feet in deep devotion all the while he was reciting his prayers. It so happened that the Guruat that particular hour was sitting on his throne. The Sikhs marked that the Guru had been sitting in a particular posture with both his feet resting on each other for quite some time. It was time for his meal and, even then, he was sitting in that peculiar posture. The meal was announced once, twice, thrice, but he neither moved from his seat not uttered a word. At last, after about an hour, he got up and expressed his regret at having kept his Sikhswaiting. "It was Bhai Gonda in Kabul, he had both my feet and would not leave them. It is only after he completed his prayers that he released them and i could move away" Guru Ji told his Sikhs. The Sikhs were amazed to hear it. The next time Bhai Gonda came to pay his homage to the Guru, the Sikhs had the incident verified and found that every word was true.

Guru Har rai and baba Ram Rai:

Emperor Aurangzeb summoned Guru Har Rai jee to Delhi. Guru Har Rai jee refused to go near that tyrant, but he called together the respected Sikhs and said one of you will go to answer his questions. The Sikh that goes to Delhi will have Guru Nanak himself on his tongue to answer the Aurangzeb’s questions. Baba Ram Rai, the Guru’s oldest son, volunteered.

Guru Har Rai jee said, “Son, it requires the greatest responsibility in order to represent Guru Nanak Dev jee.”
It is said that a tigress’s milk can only be put into a silver bowl. If it is put into a gold bowl the milk will go sour.

Baba Ram Rai jee said, “I’ll go.”

He left the town of Kiratpur sitting in a pallaquin being carried on the shoulders of 4 Sikhs. Baba Ram Rai got out and told the 4 Sikhs carrying it to step back. Ram Rai wanted to test if he really had Guru Nanak jee’s power on his tongue.

Today people change history to suit themselves because they lack faith that our Guru has infinite powers.

Baba Ram Rai said, “Get up and go to Delhi.”

The Pallaquin raised itself of the ground and flew to Delhi. It’s not for nothing that we say “Waheguru Nam Jehaj ha…The Name Waheguru is the Ship that feries us across.”

When Aurangzeb saw the flying Pallaquin he absolutely loved it. As all emperors, he loved to be entertained, especially with miracles. He asked Baba Ram Rai to show him more miracles. Baba Ram Rai went to a wall and sat on it. He said, “Go!” It ran like a horse around Delhi. Baba Ram Rai showed hundreds of miracles.

Aurangzeb asked Baba Ram Rai, ‘I have heard that your Guru Nanak Dev jee turned the Kabha, or sacred stone, around at Mecca, how can it be?’

Baba Ram Rai saw a mosque nearby and pointed his finger towards it. He lifted the mosque, turned it in the air while pointing at it and put it down by lowering his arm. He said that’s how easy it was for Guru Nanak jee to turn Mecca.

Now Aurangzeb wanted to ask questions about God’s Word - Gurbanee.

Guru jee has taught us that the one who doesn’t give the greatest respect to Gurbanee is not a Sikh at all. Nowadays we leave Gutkas, or prayer books, lying around.

Once, a Sikh was holding a Gutka reciting the prayers when Guru Hargobind Sahib jee came walking nearby, he had water in his eyes.

The Sikh asked, “Guru jee, why are your eyes watering?”

Guru Hargobind jee said, “O foolish one, you haven’t covered the Gutka with cloth and the dirt that’s falling on it, I feel in my eyes!”

This is how much our Gurus respected Gurbanee.

Baba Ram Rai jee had taken some Gutkas with him, there were to be treated respectfully so had been left on the best chair. Aurangzeb came and sat on the chair pushing the Gutkas aside.

Baba Ram Rai said, “Aurangzeb, what’s all this! God’s Word has to be respected.”

Aurangzeb said, “Accept my apologies someone must have accidentally put them here.”

Then Aurangzeb asked Baba Ram Rai, “I’ve heard that in Asa-Dee-Var it is written. “Mit-ee Musalman ke pareh pay kuma-i. O Baba Ram Rai you have Guru Nanak Dev jee’s power on your tongue, so tell me what the meaning is. To me it sounds like it says even a Muslim buried in the earth screams.”

Baba Ram Rai said, “O No Great King, instead of Musal-man it should say Beh-man, meaning the unbelievers scream when buried in the earth, not Muslims.”

Nowadays, some people want to remove a whole page, a whole limb of our Guru Granth Sahib jee - Baba Ram Rai just changed one word and look at the punishment that was given to him. When he returned to the town of Kiratpur, he sent 2 Sikhs ahead of him to tell his Guru-Father he had returned. Guru Har Rai jee loved his son Baba Ram Rai, but because he changed even one word of Gurbanee he was rejected.

Guru Har Rai jee said to the 2 Sikhs, “Ram Rai changed a word of Gurbanee and now he wants my holy vision or Darshan, tell him - no way! Tell him he can’t bow to my feet.”

Guru jee said this to his own son! The Sikhs told Ram Rai that he wouldn’t be accepted at the Guru’s feet. Ram Rai asked the Sikhs to find out where he would be accepted if not at the Guru’s feet. The Sikhs returned and asked Guru Har Rai jee where Ram Rai would be accepted, Guru jee replied, “Tell him to walk in the direction he is facing - he’s not welcome here.”

The Guru that could not hurt a flower without feeling remorse, was hurt by what his Son had done. By changing a line in Gurbani, Baba Ram Rai was never to see his father again. That is how much love our Guru's had for Gurbani, we all need to aspire to be able to value Gurbani as much as our Gurus did.

Accepting God's Will (bhaana)

2008-01-23T18:58:00.000Z

Last week i was at my friends house doing avsoas (paying condolences for a death in his family).
It's very difficult to know how to handle such situations, i just didn't know what to say to make my friend feel any better.

whilst we were sitting there, an old wise man walked in, he was amritdhari, and naturally the conversation went on to accepting the will of God (bhaana manno) etc. The man went onto explain, that it very easy to say "bhaana manno", but very difficult to accept this. It's particularly easy for you to say it to someone else when they go through such a phase, but when it happens to you, then its a different story.

He went onto explain that Sikhs in the past questioned Shri Guru Arjan Dev Sahib Ji whether there existed such a person who accepted everything (good or bad) as the will of God, and would remain unaffected by these events. Shri Guru Arjan Dev Sahib Ji advised his Sikhs that there is such a person, his name is Bhai Bhikari. Guru Ji gave his Sikhs the address of Bhai Bhikhari, and told them to pay him a visit and see with their own eyes, how this Sikh accepts Gods will.

Unfortunately, as people were coming in and out of the room, the baba ji was unable to continue his Sakhi. It did leave me intrigued nevertheless, and so i did some digging up and found the Sakhi below:

Now we will take an illustration to make the point more explicit. In the time of Guru Arjan, the fifth in line of succession to Guru Nanak, we have an account of a model sikh, Bhai Bhikari by name. A disciple once asked the Guru to introduce him to a Gurbhakta or a devoted disciple. The Guru directed him with a letter to Bhai Bhikari and asked him to stay with the Bhai Sahib for a few days. Bhikari received his brother-in-faith very warmly and entertained him to the best of his means. The day he arrived, his host was calmly sewing a piece of cloth which looked like a coffin-covering. The disciple, after spending a few days happily in his company, proposed to go back, but Bhikari requested him to stay on for some time more and to attend his son's wedding which was due shortly. At the loving insistence of the host, he agreed to do so. The wedding day came. There were festivities in the house but Bhikari was as serene as ever. The disciple like all the rest accompanied the wedding procession, witnessed the merry nuptials, and escorted the bride's procession back to Bhikari's house. The following day, as ill-luck would have it, Bhikari's only son, the newly-wedded youth, took ill suddenly and died. Bhikari quietly took out the cloth that he had prepared on purpose a few days earlier, wrapped the dead body of his son in it, took it to the cremation ground, and performed the last rites with his usual equanimity. Bhikari's steadfast attitude of composure all through this varying panorama of life, struck the disciple dumb with astonishment, for in Bhikari there was no trace of joy and sorrow, but perfect resignation to the Will of the Lord, which he knew right from the beginning; and he had acted accordingly, without exhibiting any personal feelings or emotions in the least.

I think everyone will agree that it is very difficult for us manmukhs to reach this level of Sikhi, whereby one does not emote elation or sorrow. Above Guru Ji used Bhai Bhikhari as a perfect example of a Gursikh obeying the will of God, but years later Guru Ji himself would do the same whilst being tortured by the authorities of the time.

Bhai Bhikarhi and Guru Ji were not the only Sikhs to show this rare quality. Years later many Sikhs followed in Guru Ji's steps, Bhai Mati Das, Bhai Sati Das, Bhai Dhayala,Shri Guru Tegh Bahadur Sahib Ji, the Sahibzadey, Banda Singh Bahadur, Bhai Mani Singh, Bhai Taru Singh, the sikh women imprisoned by mir mannu, and the list goes on.... All these Sikhs expressed no ill feelings whilst they were being tortured, and they happily recited naam whilst enduring the torture.

In stark contrast, if anything bad happens to us we start to curse the Lord - "why did this happen to me" etc.. and the major reason for that is that we are too attached to everything around us, be it family or possessions. Again the solution is to attach ourselves to naam, but that's easier said than done for the majority of us.....

Baba Deep Singh Ji Shaheed - Birthday

2008-01-19T12:05:00.000Z

mrxu n mMdw lokw AwKIAY jy mir jwxY AYsw koie ]

maran n ma(n)dhaa lokaa aakheeai jae mar jaanai aisaa koe ||

Death would not be called bad, O people, if one knew how to truly die.

Baba Deep Singh Ji is one of the greatest examples of how a Saint Soldier should lead their lives. He epitomised every aspect of being a Saint Soldier, and today due to his actions and conduct he is rightly remembered as one of the most honoured martyrs in Sikh history. As a young kid i was recall seeing pictures adourning the walls in Gurdwaras in the UK of this great GurSikh who fought the enemy even with a severed head. Those images amazed me as a youngster, and i'm sure the youth of today still look upto heroes such as Baba Deep Singh Ji.

As the 20th January marks the Birthday of this great Sikh, i'd like to share some stories relating to the life of Baba Ji.

Birth and Early life of Baba Ji:

Baba Ji was born in Paahuwind, Amritsar, in the house of Bhai Bhagtu Ji and Mata jeeodee Ji. The date was Jan 20th 1682. It is said that his parents were blessed with a child after 12 years. In this time a Sikh saint had foretold them that they would have a very special child in their family, and they should name him Deep (One who gives light).

As Baba Ji was the only child he was showered with affection and devotion by his parents.

Baba Ji along with his parents went to visit Shri Guru Gobind Singh Sahib Ji at Anadpur in 1694, when Baba Ji was 12 years old. They stayed for many days, and joined in with the sangat doing seva. They then approached Guru Ji to take his blessings and return home. Guru Ji requested to Baba Ji to stay at Anandpur with him, Baba Ji and his parents agreed for Baba Ji to stay. Baba Ji then spent his time in the service of Guru Ji.

Baba Ji was a keen and entusiastic student, he learnt Gurmukhi and Santhiyaa of Gurbaani from the revered Bhai Mani Singh Ji. In addition to Gurmukhi, Baba Ji also learnt several other languages. Aswell as the scholary aspect of Sikhi, Baba Ji was also trained in the martial arena, by Guru Ji himself. In this way Baba Ji became a very boloved Sikh of Guru Ji, and would even accompany Guru Ji on hunting expeditions. Baba Ji took amrit at the age of 18 from Guru Ji himself during the Vaisakhi of 1700.

Soon afterwards Guru Ji instructed Baba ji to return to his village. Very little has been written about what Baba Ji did during this time, some historians say that he got married.

About a year later a messenger arrived, and advised Baba Ji that Guru Ji had vacated the fort at Anandpur, and that his family had seperated during this time.

Baba Ji was disheartened by this news and immediatley set out to look for his beloved Guru Ji. Baba Ji finally met up with Guru Ji at Damdama Sahib in Talwandi, where Guru Ji narrated the bloody and horrific events of Chamkaur, and Sirhind (where the 4 Sahibzadey were martyred).

The Recitation Of Guru Granth Sahib Ji:

Whilst at Damdama Sahib, Guru Ji asked his followers (including Baba Deep Singh Ji) to visit Dhir Mal (the eldest son of Baba Gurditta Ji) at Kartarpur, and to obtain the copy of the Shri Guru Granth Sahib Ji. Dhir Mal was hostile towards the Guru's house, as he was jealous that he was never appointed Guru. Dhir Mal suggested to Guru's followers that if their Guru was so great why couldn't he recite by heart the whole Granth Ji himself.

When Guru Ji heard Dhir Mal's response, he decided to recite the whole Guru Granth Sahib Ji at Damdama Sahib Ji. He recited whilst Bhai Mani Singh Ji, and Baba Deep Singh Ji amongst others completed the copies. The initial copy took just over 9 months to complete.

The following account has been taken from "16 days with Baba Maan Singh Ji":

A few months later, when Guru Gobind Singh jee finished dictating God’s Word to Bhai Mani Singh jee, he said lets have a continuous reading, or Akhand Paat. Guru jee said reading God’s Word in an Akhand Paat would purify the surroundings and everyone will once more be able to hear God’s Word. The Sikhs said they would listen with attention. 5 readers, or Granthis, were required, the ones that were chosen were of the highest spiritual state, they were knowers-of-God or Brahm-Gianees. Their names were: Bhai Mani Singh jee, Baba Deep Singh jee, Bhai Dharam Singh jee, Bhai Maan Singh jee and Bhai Kaan Singh jee. In addition to the 5 readers, 5 Khalsa were required to organise themselves so that there would always be someone in the prescence of Guru Granth Sahib jee in case of emergencies, or for security or any other duties. 5 more Khalsa were to ensure that the sacred pudding, or Karah Prashad, would be prepared and availble to the congregation at all times. Finally, 5 more Khalsa were responsible for cleaning the holy congregations’s hands and feet before they entered the royal court were the reading was taking place. Nowadays, we don’t even have 20 people at the ending ceremony, or the bhog! Nowadays, people say there is no need to keep a light burning alongside the Akhand paat, people say its against the Guru’s wisdom to keep a coconut and water alongside the Akhand Paat. But Khalsa jee, Guru Gobind Singh jee himself bowed to Guru Granth Sahib jee with a coconut and 5 pence! Khalsa jee, don’t believe what men with worldy wisodm say, only believe what Guru Granth Sahib jee says.

Guru Gobind Singh jee sat cross-legged in deep meditation for the whole of the continuous reading. Now you wont believe what happened next because our mentality is to criticise our Guru, but on the third day when the ending ceremony, or bhog, was about to begin there was an incredible amount of spiritual power in the royal court. The verses called Saloks of the ninth Guru were being read and Sikhs like Baba Deep Singh jee, Bhai Maan Singh jee and Bhai Kaan Singh jee who were sitting alongside Guru Gobind Singh jee began rising into the air as they meditated. Their spirits were leaving for God’s Realm of Truth, or Sach Khand. When Baba Deep Singh jee on the left of Guru Gobind Singh jee and Bhai Dharam Singh jee on the left began rising, Bhai Dharam Singh jee said “I don’t know what’s happening.” Baba Deep Singh jee replied, “God’s Word is taking us to God’s Realm of Truth, Sach Khand.” Guru Gobind Singh jee heard their voices and opening his eyes he grabbed their hands and pulled them back down. Guru jee said, “You are going to Sach Khand already, but you have great things to do in this world before you go.”

Baba Ji continued to make additional copies of Shri Guru Granth Sahib Ji, and also made one in Persian (which i am led to believe is in Baghdad). Guru Ji left Damdama Sahib for Nanded, and left Baba Ji in charge of Damdama Sahib Taksal. Baba Ji continued to serve the Panth with his Scholary work, and continued to produce Gutke for the congregation. Aswell as the spiritual aspect of Sikhi, Baba Ji ensured that the martial tradition of Sikhi were also taught at this Taksal.

Baba Ji had devoted his life to the Panth, and when the time came for him to answer the call of the Panth, he would be one of the foremost warriors in every battle. The same occurred in 1709 when along with Baba Banda Singh Bahadur, the Khalsa forces punished the tyrants of Sirhind and Sadhaura.

In 1733, Baba Ji was appointed the leader of one of the Jathas of Dal Khalsa by Nawab Kapoor Singh Ji. Later, in 1748,when the Dal Khalsa was reorganised into 12 misls, he was entrusted with the leadership of Shaheedan di Misl.

Battle Lines Drawn:

Ahmed Shah Abdali was returning to kabul after his 4th invasion of India in 1757. he was taking with him precious booty, and many men and women as slaves. Baba Deep Singh Ji and his Jatha came to know of this, and they devised a plan to free their fellow country men. Baba Ji and his men were able to rescue the prisoners and also retrieve the booty. The Singhs of Guru Gobind Singh Ji had acheieved what the Rajputs and Marathas had failed to do so. Even Abdali was shocked at the daring Sikhs. Because of the dare devil tactics of Baba Ji and his Jatha, and their noble acts of saving the honour of indian women, the captive women and children began to sing:

"Moreen Baba Kachh Walea Chhai Naheen Taan Ran gai Basre noon gai"

'O' brave Sikh wearing Kaccha, liberate the enslaved Women, otherwise they would be taken to Basra.

Abdali was livid at this act of the Sikhs, he was seething, and gave strcit orders to his son (Taimur) to finish off these infidels. Taimur followed his fathers orders to the hilt, and began demolishing the Gurudware of the Sikhs, as he knew the power of these Sikhs was in their Guru, which resided in the Gurudware. Taimur and his men filled the sarovars with debris and alcohol, and commited several acts of beadbi. Baba Ji came to hear of these acts inparticular the destruction of Shri Harmandir Sahib Ji, he announced to his Jatha and the Sangat that they would indeed celebrate Diwali at Amritsar this year.

Baba Ji offered his prayers in the form of ardas and made the vow that may his head fall at Shri Harmandi Sahib Ji.

isr jwey qW jwey myrw is~KI is~dk nw jwey

Sir Jaae ta jaae, mera sikhi sidhak na jaae

If my head is severed, then so be it, but may i never loose my Sikh way of life.

We must remember at this point that Baba Ji was at the age of 75, and yet he had the strength and vigour of a youg man. He set off towards Amritsar with a large number of sikhs, by the time they reached Taran Taaran, the number of Sikhs had reached 5,000. At this point Baba Ji, felt it was appropriate to draw a line and ask his men to only cross it if they are willing to sacrifice their lives, as there was no turning back from this point. Baba Ji recited the following shabad from Shri Guru Granth Sahib Ji:

jau qau pRym Kylx kw cwau ] isru Dir qlI glI myrI Awau ]
iequ mwrig pYru DrIjY ]isru dIjY kwix n kIjY ]20]

If you desire to play this game of love with Me,then step onto My
Path with your head in hand.When you place your feet on this Path,
give Me your head, and do not pay any attention to public opinion. ||20||

The Singhs were almost fighting eachother to cross the line, such was their devotion.
Upon hearing the news of the Singhs approaching, the governor of Lahore sent an army of 20,000 to face them. The two armies clashed near Gohalwarh on the 11th nov 1757. The singhs pushed the enemy force back, and reached the village of Chabba. At this point Attal Khan (Some historians mention Jamal Khan) entered the battle field, and engaged Baba Deep Singh. Both of them inflicted blows simultaneously and severed the others head. Baba Ji was initially grounded by the blow, however when a follower reminded him of his promise to offer his head at Darbar Sahib, Baba Ji somehow with Satguru's Kirpa was able to continue wielding his sword in one hand whilst holding his head in the other. The enemy soldiers started to run away after seeing this sight.

Baba Ji was then able to reach the parkarma of Harmandir Sahib and attain Martyrdom.

And thus one of the greatest heroes of Sikh History fulfilled his oath and also wrote his name in the annals of history. Many people find it hard to believe how a man can fight without a head, these people under estimate the power of amrit, and naam, but also the kirpa of Waheguru. Our mission or purpose in life is to become one with Waheguru, once this is achieved, then that enlightened soul can achieve anything. Some may say that there is no difference between such an enlightened GurSikh, the SatGuru, and God.

Dhan Baba Deep Singh Ji Shaheed

We Salute our Martyrs.

Sikh Course

2008-01-16T18:32:00.000Z

In addition to the Sikh Camp, there will also be a "Sikh Course" being held in Bradford in February. The course will cater for adults, and will be held over one day. The aim is for people to gain a better understanding of Sikhism - which is a religion which is relatively unknown to many people. I've attended an earlier course, and was really impressed with what was covered in the course. The course does not go over the basics as in Gurus, history etc.. But concentrates on Gurbani, and what being a sikh is really about. For me it was an eye opener, as the majority of the material was new to me. Changed my prespective on life and Sikhi totally. I would suggest all those interested and able to attend, to do so....

For more details click here

Bradford Sikhi Camp Feb 2008

2008-01-13T20:08:00.000Z

The next Bradford Sikhi Camp will be taking place on Feb 9th and 10th at Guru Nank Dev Ji Gurdwara, Wakefield Road, Bradford.

It's just not cricket...anymore

2008-01-07T21:22:00.000Z

Whoever said cricket was a gentleman's game, would have been left scratching their head over the shenanigans this weekend down under. For the first time in the series India applied some pressure on the Aussies, and may have caused an upset if the standard of umpiring had been to the level it is expected at an international test match. But instead of talking about what a great match it was, we find ourselves embroiled in one of the biggest controversies since perhaps the ball tampering uproar.

I have some sympathy with India in that the umpiring was poor and most of the important and match changing decisions went against them. Then there was some unsportsmanship behaviour by the Aussies (claiming a catch when it appeared to be a grounded catch, yet the umpire taking the word of Ricky Ponting as gospel).

Then the major incident involving Harbhajan and Symonds, in which it is alleged that Singh called Symonds a 'Monkey' as a racial insult. If Harbhajan used the word as an insult in a racial way, then fair enough he should be banned for longer than 3 matches, undoubtedly, as there is no room in the game for such behaviour. However, there does not seem to be any real evidence to support this. Neither of the umpires heard it, Tendulkar said he didn't hear it, Gilchrist said he didn't, so we have Clarke and Hayden supporting Symonds saying they heard it. I don't feel that as a match referee you can really make a decision when you only have the words of players from either side to go by.

Having said all that, all the injustices the Indians have faced, does not mean they can cancel the tour in my eyes. They have the right to appeal, and go through the proper channels, but cancelling the tour is not the solution. They need to take the higher moral ground. Do their talking on the pitch, that's where cricket is played funnily enough. Sledging has been a part of game since way back, but its when you over step the limits of sledging. The Aussies are no strangers to the art of sledging, in fact we could argue that they are the masters.

Back to the cricket, as I've mentioned before on this blog, India need to bring back in Shewag, as the openers are not seeing off the new ball. Yuvraj, having been accommodated at the expense of an opener, is not really pulling up any trees. Either him or Jaffer should be dropped from the next match.

Art Of Punjab

2008-01-05T21:59:00.000Z

Born in Amritsar India, Kanwar Singh Dhillon has been engaged in the process of art making for as long as he can remember. He is influenced by a host of past masters such as Sobha Singh, Caravaggio and J.W Waterhouse.

Growing up in Toronto Canada, Kanwar explored several paths that would allow him to work as a professional artist including animation and book illustration. However, it wasn’t until he started to take an interest in the history of the Sikhs that his art took a definitive turn for the better.
With his painting style Kanwar Singh Dhillon aspires to combine the grace and beauty of Sobha Singh’s portraits with the documentary style of Sikh history painters such as Devender Singh. Punjab’s history is rich with the exploits of heroes and sages from the time of Alexander to Maharaja Ranjit Singh. The spread of the Sikh faith and the rise of the Khalsa have featured heavily in his recent works.

Please support the artist and visit his website to take a look at his impressive work.

The Importance of Amrit and Rehat

2008-01-05T21:20:00.001Z

During the time of Guru Gobind Singh Ji, just like today, many short sighted people like myself, questioned wether it was neccesary to take amrit. They felt as long as they did seva, they would be saved or liberated.

I'll share some examples of these people, and how they changed their views on amrit with Guru Ji's grace.

No life without Amrit

A Sikh said to Guru Gobind Singh jee, “What’s the point of rehat, or code of conduct, forget about receiving amrit all I need to do is the Guru’s service, or seva, don’t I?”

Guru Gobind Singh jee told him the time would come and he would understand why amrit was important. Soon afterwards, the man’s young son died. Guru Gobind Singh jee came. The Sikh stood up and said, “Guru jee, my son has left.”

Guru Gobind Singh jee asked him to take the sheet off the body and said to the father, “I thought you said he was dead, but look at him his hands, feet, eyes and teeth are still intact. Yet you say he is dead.”

The Sikh said, “What’s the point of the body when there is no breath?”

Guru Gobind Singh jee said, “Now you have your answer. You asked me what’s the point of the body without any breath. In the same way without rehat, or the code of conduct that you follow after receiving amrit, my Sikh has no life at all, infact he’s as good as dead.”

The Sikh said, “Guru jee, now I understand that Amrit is as important to the Guru as breaths are to the body.”

The Brahm-gianee:

Mata Gujree jee humbly pressed her palms together and asked Guru Gobind Singh jee, “Son is there anyway I could be blessed with the sight of a Brahm-gianee, a Knower-of God!”

Guru jee replied, “Mata jee get up at amrit-vela, get ready, meditate on Guru Nanak jee, prepare prashad and do Ardas. A Brahm-gianee will come to you, you will not have to go anywhere.”

At that time Brahm-gianee Baba Ram Kaur jee was engrossed in God’s Name and instantly knew that he had to meet Mata Gujree jee. He got on his horse and came to Mata jee’s house.

With pressed palms she said, “I am greatly blessed, greatly blessed to have the holy sight of you Brahm-gianee jee.” She respected him greatly. Baba Ram Kaur jee went to have the sacred vision of Guru Gobind Singh jee the next day.

Guru Gobind Singh jee greeted him and said, “Baba Ram Kaur jee, receive Khanda-batta-da-amrit (amrit prepared in an iron bowl and stirred by the symbol of God’s power the mighty double edged sword) and belong to the Guru.”

Baba jee was taken aback, he said, “Guru jee, I’ve been blessed with the knowledge of God (Brahm Gian) yet am I still without a Guru? Surely, I don’t need to receive amrit?

Guru jee began to say, “Baba jee, you haven’t received amrit yet, you aren’t living according to the code of conduct of the Guru’s house. When you receive amrit and live by the code of conduct of the Guru’s house then you have become the Guru’s.”

Baba jee said, “Guru jee, I read God’s Word (Gurbanee) everyday, in Sukmanee Sahib it says that the Brahm-giani is God himself, so what’s the need for me to receive?”

Guru jee spent great efforts to make him understand. Some time passed, winter came a great festival was about to begin. The officials of Anandpur were clearing the place of stray and wild dogs. They were feeding the dogs poison.

Baba Ram Kaur jee came out and was taken curious about what the officials were doing. He said to them, “Brother, you keep feeding the stray dogs poison, but you leave the ones with collars alone. Why make the distinction? They’re all wandering the streets.”

The officials said, “O Baba jee, the dogs with collars belong to someone. The ones without collars don’t belong to anyone. We can kill countless stray dogs and no one will object. But, if we kill even one dog with a collar, it’s master will go to the Government court and complain against us. We will be called up and punished. That is the difference, dogs without collars belong to no one, dogs with collars belong to someone.”

Baba Ram Kaur jee finally understood what Guru jee was saying about belonging to the Guru. He thought “Ram Kaur, don’t get mislead that just because you have got Brahm-Gian, the knowledge-of-God, that you are safe. You still don’t belong to the Guru.”

There are two types of Sikhs: ones that belong to the Guru; and ones that don’t. The ones that receive amrit and live out the Rehat, or code of conduct, belong to the Guru, the ones that don’t will suffer the same fate as the collar-less dogs. At the last breath, Guru Gobind Singh jee will take his Sikhs by the arm, the ones without a Guru will be left to suffer like the collar-less dogs.

“Kabeer kutheh ram ko, motee mera nao…Kabeer says I am a dog of God, and Motee is my name.”

Baba Ram Kaur jee couldn’t sleep that night, because he realised he didn’t belong to the Guru. In the morning he went to have the sacred sight, or darshan, of Guru Gobind Singh jee. Joining his hands together he greeted Guru jee and was asked, “Baba jee, I haven’t seen you for some time, what made you remember me today?”

Baba Jee -“Guru jee, bless me with the gift of amrit.”

Guru Jee -“Baba Ram Kaur jee, you are a Brahm-gianee, the same as God, what need is there for you to receive amrit?”

Baba Jee -“Yesterday I saw the dog catchers poison the dogs without collars and spare the dogs with collars. I thought both are dogs, but some were spared some were killed. The dog catcher told me that if a dog with a collar is killed then the master will come and make a report against them. O Guru jee that greatly affected my mind, just because I’m a Brahm-gianee it doesn’t mean I don’t need a Guru. I realised the ones who’ve received amrit will be protected by you in the true court. Bless me with amrit Guru jee.”

Guru Gobind Singh jee told Bhai Daya Singh jee to prepare for the amrit ceremony.

Baba Ram Kaur jee was from the same lineage as Baba Budda jee, he received amrit and became Baba Ram Kaur Singh jee.

Guru Gobind Singh Ji and why take amrit:

Sikhs said to Guru Gobind Singh jee, “What’s the need to receive amrit? We are always performing your service and everyone can see we that we are Sikhs.”

Guru jee said “Wait for your answer.”

A Sikh came and donated a gold jewel for Guru jee’s waist band. Guru jee said, “Call the jeweller, I want to know if it is real gold."

All the Sikhs said, “Guru jee no-one would dare donate fools gold to the Guru, its plain to see that it is gold.”

Guru jee said, “I need to know for sure that it is pure gold.”

The Jeweller came and looked at it and said it looks like gold.

Guru jee repeated, “I need to know for sure that it is 100% gold.”

The jeweller went to get his touchstone, by touching the gold on it there was a positive reaction. The jeweller certified the jewel as being 100% gold.

Guru jee said, “O Sikhs, you asked me what’s the point of receiving amrit when its already obvious that you are all Sikhs. Receive amrit and prove that you are 100% Sikhs. Amrit is my touchstone.”

Make Shri Guru Granth Sahib Ji your Guru

2008-01-05T21:11:00.000Z

A dairy farmer’s daughter sold milk every morning. People queued for hours paid their money and got their milk. If anyone jumped into the queue she refused to serve them and told them go to the back of the queue. One day a Saint was waiting in the queue. He’d been waiting for 3 hours. Meanwhile a young man came and went right to the front of the queue.

Before, she could tell him to go to the back he told her “Keep your mouth shut. It’s not good to talk too much. Now give me some milk.”

She said, “Maharaj that’s no problem,” and poured the milk into his container. He didn’t even pay her and went on his way.

When the saint got to the front of the queue she said, “O holy man get your milk.”

He said, “O daughter I don’t want any milk, I want you to answer my questions. Don’t you have a rule that everyone queues?”

She said, “Yes.”

He said, “When that young man came he didn’t queue, he talked to you roughly, he didn’t pay you any money and he still took the milk. While I’ve been queuing here for 3 hours. Why is that?”

She said, “O holy man, he was my friend! Friends don’t have to obey rules, friends don’t have to queue, friends don’t have to pay, friends help each other out of friendship!”

The saint said, “O daughter, what a lesson I’ve learnt from you. All my life I’ve been passing the rosary beads through my fingers chanting God’s Name, but never, never have I made God my friend. If I had I’d be suffering no hardship.”

We haven’t made Guru Granth Sahib jee into our Guru. Yet, year after year Guru jee tells us don’t drink alcohol, but we say we will drink. Guru jee tells us don’t cut your hair, but we cut it. Guru jee says get up at amrit vela, but we say we won’t. Then we still expect Guru to help us.

(story taken from 16 days with Baba Maan Singh Jee)

HAPPY GURPURAB AND NEW YEAR

2008-01-04T19:59:00.000Z

"The one, incomprehensible in spirit, uniquely brave, And of limitless courage, was made manifest."
(Bhai Gurdas Singh)

This weekend the Sikh Community around the world will celebrate the birthday of the 10th Guru (Guru Gobind Singh Ji). Guru Ji - Sarbans Dani was born in 1666 at Patna Sahib in the Indian state of Bihar. Congratulations to all the Sikhs on this glorious occassion.

One could write volumes and volumes of books upon Guru Gobind Singh Ji, and still not be able to do justice to this great personality. I’m going to attempt and share some interesting Sakhis, which some of you may have heard or read before. If there are any historical errors in any of the accounts, please accept my humble apologies.

The Pir bows in the opposite direction

(Saakhi courtesy of Sikhiwiki and gurmatinfo)

Pir Bhikhan Shah was a great muslim saint of the 17th century, who had a large following. On the day of Guru Ji's birth, the Pir made a bowing gesture towards the East (Patna Sahib). His followers were astounded by this gesture and questioned why he had bowed to anything or anyone other than the Kaaba. Pir Bhikhan Shah explained to his followers that the Lord himself had revealed himself through a child in the City of Patna, and that the Pir was bowing to that divine light. The Pir had an urge to go and meet this child. He travelled all the way to Patna to meet this infant. At first Mata Gujri and Guru Ji's maternal Uncle were slightly reluctant to let the Pir meet the child. However the Pir's persistance eventually paid off, and his wish was fulfilled. Bhikhan Shah wanted to see if the child would favour the Hindus or the Muslims. He placed two pots (one representing Hindus and the other representing Muslims). The 3 month old Guru Ji, placed his hands on both pots, and therefore satisfying the Pirs concerns. The Pir was able to walk away knowing fully well that this new seer would not differentiate between Hindu or Muslim. Years later, the Pir also went to see Guru Ji (when he had grown into a young man) at Anandpur.
Another similar instance of a Saint recognising the divine light within a young Gobind Rai is as follows:
Once a Muslim saint, Araf Din of Lakhnaur (Ambala) passed through Patna with a band of his followers. Seeing young Gobind Rai playing with his friends, he stamped out of his carriage and bowed at his feet. His followers couldn't bear to see this, and one of them angrily said "Sir, you are a staunch Muslim and yet you bowed to this Hindu child. Have you become a Kafir (infidel)?" Araf Din smiled and said "I bow only to divine light. It will take a long time for you to see that light." To everybody's surprise he kissed Gobind Rai's hands and they parted smiling, without a word.

The Importance of Gurbani

(Sakhi taken from Divine Mystic Reflections on Gurmat, courtesy of Sikhnation)

Many people used to bring a lot of gifts of various kinds to Guru Ji. One day, a yogi came and presented Guru Ji with the wings of a bird. The Sikhs questioned Guru Ji, remarking that it was a strange gift. Guru Ji took the wings and attached them to an arrow and shot the winged arrow into the sky. He then asked his Sikhs to go out and search for the arrow and bring it back to him.

They searched far and wide but could find no trace of the arrow. they came and reported that, despite an exhaustive search, they could not find the arrow anywhere. Apparently, the arrow had vanished.

Guru Ji then replied that the wings which he had attached to the arrow were from a bird which was not from this earth but from another realm in the sky. The arrow had gone back to where the bird had come from.

Now Guru Ji explained clearly to his Sikhs that, just as the arrow had been transported to another realm by being attached the wings of the sky-bird, in the same manner any one who is attached to Gurbani will be ferried to the land from which the Bani originated.

Dur kI bwxI AweI ]
dhhur kee baanee aaee ||
The Bani of His Word emanated from the Primal Lord.

iqin sglI icMq imtweI ]
thin sagalee chi(n)th mittaaee ||
It eradicates all anxiety.

(Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji 628)

The Liberator

(Sakhi taken from sikh sangat)

One day after the morning congregation was over a man brought a large bear into the darbar of Dhan Dhan Satguru Sri Guru Gobind Singh Ji Maharaj. The man wanted to give a performance with his bear before Guru Sahib and the sangat and as a consequence asked for permission. On being permitted to do so he began to wrestle with his bear. After a while he used his stick to make the bear do all sorts of tricks.

At the time a Sikh called Bhai Kirtia Ji was doing chaur seva over Dhan Dhan Satguru Sri Guru Gobind Singh Ji Maharaj. As the bear did it’s tricks Bhai Kirtia Ji would begin to laugh out loudly. Towards the end of the performance Guru Sahib turned to Bhai Kirtia and asked him, “Bhai Kirtia do you not recognise the bear?” Bhai Kirtia looked confused and said, “Guru Ji it is a bear I have never seen” Guru Sahib smiled and said, “Bhai Kirita it is your father Bhai Gurdas”.

Upon hearing this Bhai Kirita was really surprised and upset. He folded his hands together and humbly said to Guru Sahib, “O Guru of the world, my father always did seva in your holy darbar. He would get up early in the morning and recite his prayers. He also served the ninth King, Dhan Dhan Satguru Sri Guru Tegh Bahahdur Ji Maharaj. Having done such dedicated seva how can this be the reward given to him? If this is his fate what fate awaits someone like me? Please be kind and tell me why my father ended up in this unfortunate position after serving the house of Dhan Guru Nanak Dev Ji Maharaj with such love and devotion.”

Guru Ji said, “It is correct that your father had served Dhan Dhan Satguru Sri Guru Tegh Bahadhur Ji Maharaj devotedly. But on one occasion, while he was distributing karah prasad, a passing Gursikh came into darbar sahib to bow before the king of kings, with a cartload of goods on the move. After paying his respects to Dhan Dhan Satguru Sri Guru Tegh Bahadhur Ji Maharaj and the sangat the Gursikh begged for some prasad but your father refused to give him any. Instead, he reprimanded that Gursikh for making the request again and again and for advancing towards him like a bear. That Gursikh picked up a small piece of prasad which had fallen on the floor and uttered, ‘Waheguru’, and went away asking Akaal Purakh why some Sikhs of Dhan Guru Nanak Dev Ji Maharaj had forgotten the true spirit of Sikhi. According to this Gursikh those fake Sikhs were the real bears. A few days after this incident your father died and on account of the words uttered by that Gursikh was born again as the bear who sits in front of us today.”

On hearing these words of Dhan Dhan Satguru Sri Guru Gobind Singh Ji Maharaj the entire congregation felt pity for Bhai Gurdas Ji and collectively they begged Guru Ji to somehow redeem Bhai Gurdas Ji from that sort of life. Guru Sahib smiled at his Sikhs and turned towards the owner of the bear and asked him what price he was willing to sell the bear? The owner of the bear agreed to part with the animal for 200 rupees. Guru Sahib took 200 rupees from his own pocket and paid the owner of the bear.

After this the bear sat at the feet of Dhan Dhan Satguru Sri Guru Gobind Singh Ji Maharaj. Guru Sahib then got some karah prasad prepared which was distributed to all the sangat. Guru Sahib fed the bear a bit of prasad. A few seconds after Guru Ji had done this the bear went to sleep for the last time and Bhai Gurdas Ji’s soul was liberated by that King of this world and the next.

nwrwien nrpiq nmskwrY ]
naaraaein narapath namasakaarai ||
The one who bows in humble reverence to the Primal Lord, the Lord of all beings

AYsy gur kau bil bil jweIAY Awip mukqu moih qwrY ]1] rhwau ]
aisae gur ko bal bal jaaeeai aap mukath mohi thaarai ||1|| rehaao ||
- I am a sacrifice, a sacrifice to such a Guru; He Himself is liberated, and He carries me across as well. ||1||Pause||

The importance of Amrit:

On seeing Guru Gobind Singh jee, two Sikhs Lukhnira and Shamira fell at his feet saying, “We’re blessed with your presence in our town, Guru jee.” Shamira stayed with Guru jee, performing service, or seva, meditating on God’s Name and eventually was blessed enough to receive amrit.

Shamira kept coming everyday to do seva, “Satguru kee seva safal ha, je ko karay chit

laa-i...serving the True Guru is successful only if one serves with their full mind
behind it.” Guru Gobind Singh jee was pleased and said, “Ask for anything Shamira.”
Shamira replied, “O Cherisher of the Poor, Gareeb Nivaaj, save me from the cycle of
birth and death.” Guru Gobind Singh jee said, “No, ask for something else.”
Shamira said, “I only want to be saved from the pain of being born and dying again
and again.”

Shamira repeated his original request, “Guru jee, I only want to be saved from the

cycle of birth and death.” Guru Gobind Singh jee said, “No Shamira, I’ll give you
spiritual powers instead.” But Shamira sang, “Ridh Sidh sabh moh ha…Spiritual
Powers are all just another attachment.” Guru jee said, “Shamira, I’ll give you the
heavens of Shiva, Brahma and Vishnu.” But Shamira replied, “No Guru jee, all these
things are just God’s game. I have read your words in Bentee Chaupee:
‘Kal Pae Brahma bap dhara. Kal paee Shivjoo avtara.
Kal pae kar bisan prakasa. Sakal kal ka kia tamasa’
Brahma, the God of creation, was himself created by Waheguru’s order.
Shiva, the god of death, was also created by Waheguru
Vishnu, the god who sustains the creation, was illuminated by God’s order.
Infact this whole game of life is played by Waheguru.”
Guru Gobind Singh jee said once again, “Ask for something else?” Shamira said, “I
dont want to ask any more because I don’t get it.” Guru jee said, “Well in that case
Shamira, today you’ll get what you want, but only on one condition, you’ll have to do
exactly what I say. Shamira do you agree to receive amrit, if your receive amrit many
of your generations will be saved too?”
Shamira became Shamira Singh jee after he received amrit.

Shamira Singh had a doubt in his mind about what Guru jee had said about all his desires being fulfilled by receiving. Guru Gobind Singh jee knew what he was thinking. That night Shamira Singh had a dream. He saw himself die and become a dog, then a lizard, then a lion and he continued being born into different animals until sunrise. The next day he fell at Guru jee’s feet. Guru Gobind Singh jee saw that he had a yellow and shocked face. He said, “Guru jee, I received amrit because you said I’d be free from the cycle of birth and death. But in my dream I was born thousands of times. So why did this happen?” Guru Gobind Singh jee said, “Shamira those lives you saw, were the ones that you were going to go through after this one. But by receiving amrit your life is has become successful. Shamira Singh if you never saw the dream then your doubt would never have been dispelled!”

Guru Tere Joga

(sakhi courtesy of arshiwaves)

On a homage trip to the Darbar of Guru Gobind Singh, Joga Singh, visiting with his parents, caught the eye of Guru Ji while serving in the langar (communal kitchen) compound. Guru Ji observed Joga Singh on several occasions and was impressed with the dedication with which Joga Singh, at a young tender age, served jal, daal and phulka during the langar and afterwards attended to the washing of utensils and general cleaning up.

One day Guru Ji approached Joga Singh and asked him his name to which the latter replied “Ji Joga” (Joga literally translated means ‘able’ ‘of service’ or ‘dedicated to’).Guru Ji smiled and, in his unique sense of dramatic humour, asked ‘bai Kehde Joga' (to whom are you dedicated or to whom have you pledged loyalty?). To this he promptly replied ‘Ji Guru Joga’ (meaning dedicated to the service of the Guru). Guru Ji’s reply was equally spontaneous “lai phir, jay tooⁿ Guru joga taⁿ ajj toⁿ Guru bhee terey joga" (if you have dedicated yourself to me, then I too dedicate myself to you). Guru Ji was so touched by the innocence and resolve in which Joga replied that he embraced him and requested his parents to pledge Joga Singh to the service of the Guru Ghar. “Kei tusin Jogay noon sade paas nahin shad sakdey”? asked Guru Ji. The parents gladly agreed. Thus began one of the most unique relationship of Guru and his young disciple which has become an inspiration for many a young aspiring Gursikh.

Joga Singh grew up in the Guru’s service and endeared himself further to the Guru and his prominent Sikhs. In time he came to be regarded as one of the most loyal and staunch followers of the House of Nanak.

When he became of marriageable age Joga Singh’s parents arranged for a suitable life partner for him and wrote to the Guru seeking his permission to send Joga Singh back home for Anand Karaj (the marriage Ceremony of Bliss). A letter, to this effect, was also sent to Joga Singh who approached the Guru for his permission and blessings for the marriage.

Guru Ji smiled and said “Joga Singh over the years we have become very attached to you. Your contribution to the Guru Ghar is exemplary and we are very fond of you. It is not easy for us to part with you but you may go on one condition”.

“Maharaj what condition? Please just give your command”’ replied Joga Singh.

“Joga Singh you are not only very near and dear to me but you also have many of the Guru ghar’s responsibilities on your shoulders. Therefore, if and when you receive a message from me you must return immediately without wasting a second. You must drop whatever you are doing and head straight for Anandpur Sahib”.

“Satbachan Ji Maharaj” replied Joga Singh.

In due course all the preliminaries having being concluded the big day arrived for Joga Singh. The story goes that when Joga Singh was about to start the fourth and final laav (circumambulation) a Singh sahib from the congregation got up announcing the Guru’s greetings and informing Joga Singh that Guru Ji has recalled him to his service. On hearing Joga Singh got up immediately without concluding the four laavs despite the pleas of his and the bride’s parents. He immediately left for Anandpur Sahib, Guru’s abode. The laavs had to be completed by using his palla (ceremonial scarf, being symbolic of the spiritual bondage of two souls) and photograph as per the Sikh scriptures.

He set out on his long journey lost in thoughts and self-adulation. Ego soon took the better of him. He mused “what a great and dedicated Sikh I am. I am sure no other Sikh would have walked away from his marriage ceremony, so near completion. No one could have shown such sacrifice and loyalty to the Guru”. An English saying goes ‘pride comes before the fall’. Joga Singh soon reached the town of Hoshiarpur. It was late afternoon when his route took him through the busy town centre. The sound of sweet notes of lilting music fell upon his ears. A melodious female voice sent a sweet sensation through Joga Singh and he stopped under the window from which the voice came. He enquired from a passer by and learnt this was a lady of the night practicing for her late evening session of music and entertainment (mehfil).

Joga Singh was so captivated by the music and the sensual voice that he plucked up enough courage to climb up the stairs for a live rendering of the song. He adjusted the style of his turban and altered mode of his clothing to avoid being recognized as a Sikh. On reaching the doorstep of the damsel, he was confronted by a doorman. Joga Singh expressed his wish. The guard said it was too early and that the mehfil (musical sitting) would not start until late evening. Joga Singh pleaded “look I have long journey ahead of me, all I want is to meet the lady and listen to the song after which I will be on my way”. The doorman remained steadfast. Joga Singh left rather disheartened and disappointed but he had made up his mind to return later. He walked around the town, aimlessly, to kill time. Well after the sunset he returned to the dancer cum singer’s place, again to be met by the same doorman. But again the doorman refused entry, saying the lady was entertaining a special guest and his instructions were to let in no one. Displeasure showed on Joga Singh’s face but he had to leave.

However, Joga Singh had resolved, he would not leave Hoshiarpur without attending the lady’s court.

He waited, killing his time somehow and returned a few hours later. This time he was met by a different doorman, dressed up in a traditional doorman’s clothes but looking rather distinguished and even more austere than the previous doorman. In different clothes he might even be a Sikh. He was again refused entry and told the lady was entertaining a special guest. Joga Singh left but still did not realise that as Guru’s Sikh he ought not to even entertain the thought of listening to such music let alone the desire of attending her court. The impact of kaam is such that even the ultra pious and devoted yogis could not escape its infliction and Joga Singh was no exception. The continual refusal only fired Joga Singh’s desire and strengthened his resolve. He would not go without attending the lady’s court, he resolved. He wanted to soak up the sweet melodies of the night which his heart so pined for.

Joga had forgotten who he was; forgotten his mission. His faith had wavered. He was besotted by the lady of the night. It was well after midnight when he returned and was met by the same distinguished looking doorman. This time he was rather angered by Joga’s presence and reminded him who he was. How could a Sikh of Guru Gobind Singh visit a place of ill-repute? He asked.

He said “you should be ashamed of yourself. Despite your clumsy adjustment of clothing I can make out you are devoted Sikh of Guru Gobind Singh. I have been trying to place since your last visit and I think I might even have seen you at Guru Ji’s Darbar. Your face looks familiar. This is the time when Guru’s Sikhs are preparing to recite their early morning prayers. You have lost your way my son. You better get going or I’ll teach a lesson you will never forget”.

This jolted Joga Singh’s soul. He suddenly woke up and realised how he had stumbled form the righteous path; how his ego had taken the better of him and that he was still far from conquering the five thieves. He had let himself down. He had let his Guru down. Without Guru’s Grace his soul would burn with worldly desires. Joga Singh wasted no further time and made his way to Anandpur Sahib and once again his soul pined for the touch of the lotus feet of Guru Gobind Singh Ji.

Joga Singh travelled through the night (or what was left of it). When he reached Anandpur Sahib Guru Ji was holding his daily darbar. His disciples sat at his lotus feet intently listening to Guru’s Bani, immersed in a spiritual trance. Joga Singh stood outside, hesitant, debating what might be the right time to enter and beg Guru’s forgiveness. He was apprehensive that the Guru, the master of three worlds, all knowing (janijaan), probably knew of his previous night’s exploits. Joga Singh was twitching nervously and sweating profusely. He finally caught the Guru’s eye. “Joga Singh why are you standing outside, we are longing to meet you, come in. You are one of my prominent Sikhs; you should not dither to seek my audience” beckoned Guru Sahib.

Head down, palms joined Joga entered and threw himself at the lotus feet of the Guru. The conversation which ensued went along the following lines:

Guru Ji : "Joga Singh it appears you have been going through some emotional turmoil. Your haggard looks, the strain in your eyes cannot be entirely through traveling. Something is bothering you."

Bhai Joga: " True Satguru, I have been traveling all night and am also a bit disturbed but Maharaj it appears you too did not sleep very well last night."

Guru Ji: "You are right Joga Singh I had to travel all night to rescue a beloved Sikh of mine."

Joga Singh’s heart sank. ”Is the Guru by any chance referring to me?” He asked himself. “I think Guru Ji knows”. He said to himself.

Bhai Joga: "Maharaj, which Sikh did you rescue?"

Guru Ji: "The one who had lost his way and was circling a kotha (a house of ill repute). One whose heart was craving for sensual music and base desires; one who was heading for a pitfall leading to the world of sin and disgrace. I had to transform myself into a shield and stand between his spirituality and the abyss of sin."

This settled it for Joga Singh. So it was Guru Ji himself who stood guard outside the lady’s house, he reminded himself. What have I done? He admonished himself. What have I put my Guru through? He started crying uncontrollably with his head on Guru’s lotus feet.

Bhai Joga: "O Satguru (True Guru) what kind of a Sikh am I? I have disgraced you, my faith. My ego got the better of me. Hey Sache Patshah (True Emperor) have mercy upon my soul, keep my mind focused on your lotus feet. Bless me that I never again stray from the True Path again."

The merciful Guru raised Joga Singh from the floor and embraced him.

Guru Ji: "Joga Singh you are one of my most dedicated Sikhs and you are still close to my heart. How could I let you fall into the abyss of sin and disgrace? You pledged your loyalty to me and it was my duty to safeguard your spiritual interests."

Guru Gobind Singh Ji and Pareh Hatt:

At the time of Guru Gobind Singh jee, there was a Sikh in a distant village whose name was Pareh-hut, or Get-Away. How did he get this strange name? Once he came to see Guru Gobind Singh jee in Anandpur. He wanted

the great gift of Naam, or God’s sacred Name. He pushed through the crowd and bowed, but Guru Gobind Singh jee was more concerned with getting through the crowd and shouted “Pareh-hut…Get-Away!” He was so simple that he became happy with Guru jee’s words and took it be the great gift of Naam that he was searching for. He knew Guru jees instructions were to meditate on Naam day and night, so that’s what he did. He would get up at amrit vela in the early morning and chant ‘Pareh-hut, Pareh-hut’ for a few hours. People began calling him ‘Pareh-hut.’

Sikhs asked Guru Gobind Singh jee to show them a Sikh who obeyed the Guru. Guru Gobind Singh jee said go and find Pareh-hut. The Sikhs went to his village and asked at his door, “Bibi jee, is this Pareh-hut’s house?” She said it was and called Pareh-hut to return from farming the fields. They requested him to go with them to Punjab into Guru Gobind Singh jee’s prescence. He agreed, after travelling all day, they rested together that night and at amrit vela he got ready and started chanting ‘Pareh-hut, pareh-hut.’ The Sikhs thought what kind of meditation is this? They chanted ‘Waheguru, Waheguru’ as normal. Reaching AnandPur, the Sikhs complained to Guru Gobind Singh jee, “He doesn’t read his daily Nitnaym prayers, he doesn’t chant the Gur Mantr of ‘Waheguru Waheguru’, he doesn’t repeat the Mool mantr, in fact Guru jee, he doesn’t obey you at all yet you say he does obey you. How can this be?”

Guru Gobind Singh jee asked Pareh-hut whether the complaints were true. He

humbly replied, “O Satguru Patshah, True Guru King, once I came to you to get the greatest gift of Naam, but there was a great crowd and as I bowed you told me to ‘Get-Away - Pareh-hut,’ I was so happy that you had blessed me with the sacred Naam and by your grace I have meditated upon it and become a knower-of-God, a brahm-gianee.” Guru Gobind Singh jee asked him how he’d reached this highest spiritual state? Pareh-hut answered, “When a woman came into my mind, I would say to my mind you belong to Guru Gobind Singh jee and I would shout ‘Get-Away - Pareh-hut!’ at the lustful thought. Whenever the thought of anger came I would shout ‘Get-Away - Pareh-hut!’ at the angry thought and tell my mind that it belongs to Guru Gobind Singh jee. So Guru jee, by your grace I’ve been blessed.” Guru Gobind Singh jee said, “O Great Sikh you understand this path, you obeyed the Guru while these other Sikhs just read the prayers again and again but don’t apply it to their lives.”

Guru Gobind Singh Ji and Bhai Dalla:

When Guru Gobind Singh jee had reached Bitinda he was met by Dalla. Dalla always had 500 men armed with weapons, he was always ready for war. He bowed to Guru jee and offered him a rifle. He said, “Kalgee-a-vala, guru jee adorned with the royal plume, I have heard that your whole family has been martyred by Aurangzeb. If you had called me to those battles, things would have been different.” Guru jee said, “Your 500 men that you are so proud of are just goats. Your words are empty. In my life I’ve had many hard times.”

The 40 martyrs of Chamkaur had meditated on God’s Name so much that each one of them had become the form of Guru Gobind Singh jee himself. Guru Gobind Singh jee said, “Dalla, I’ve had many hard times, my 40 Martyrs were starved for 6 months, now you are proud of your 500 goats!! Let me test your gun, send one of your men so I can test my aim on him!”

None of Dalla’s men came forward, but a Sikh father and son came rushing out, racing each other to become the target. The father said, “My body is old let me be the target son.” The son answered, “Father, all your life you’ve performed the service for the Guru, now let me perform this service.” Guru jee said, “I have Sikhs that fought against hundreds of thousands of Moguls!” Guru jee took the gun and aimed it high above the father and son. Dalla was amazed by the Guru’s Sikhs bravery. He fell at Guru jee’s feet and said give me a seat in Sach Khand. Guru jee said, “O Dalla, if you’d asked for a kingdom I could give it to you, if you asked for India I could give it to you, if you performed seva then I could give you Shiva, Brahma and Vishnu’s heavens, but Dalla I can’t

give you even a space as small as the eye of a needle in Sach Khand, God’s Realm of Truth. “Dalla jee asked, “But why?” Guru jee said, “Because you haven’t received Khanda-batta-da-amrit, you don’t belong to the Guru.” Dalla fell at Guru jee’s feet and said “Bless me with amrit, Guru jee.”

Guru Gobind Singh jee continued, “Receive amrit!” Dalla replied, “Bless me

Maharaj.” After receiving amrit and the 5Ks, he was renamed Bhai Dalla Singh jee. He went home, ate but he just couldn’t sleep because of the heat. He moved his Kirpan left and right. He thought, “Why did I go to the Guru? I wasted a gun and these 5Ks are annoying me too much.” On the following day, Dalla said to Guru jee, “The Kirpan and Kachera (short sword and shorts) were annoying me so I took them off, but now give me a place in Sach Khand.” Guru jee said, “Dalla Singh jee, don’t give up so easily, slowly slowly these 5Ks will start looking good to you. Remain disciplined as instructed in the Code of Conduct, the Rehat Maryada, and even previous generations will be saved.”

That night he couldn’t sleep. He thought, I could take the Kirpan and Kachera off again, so he did. On the next day, Guru jee asked him, “How was your night?” Dalla replied, “It was very hot and uncomfortable, so I took off the Kirpan and Kachera.” Guru jee said, “Don’t get disheartened, carry on making the effort.” That night he was incredibly hot. He had a dream, in it he saw Guru Gobind Singh jee taking him to Sach Khand. Along the way he saw the heavens belonging to Brahma, Shiva and Vishnu, he also saw the countless heavens of Ram Chandr, Mohammed and Jesus, he thought, “WOW! Look how much peace and happiness there is here, leave me here.” But, Guru jee said, “Bhai Dalla Singh jee the place you are going is where none of these prophets reached. Dalla thought, “What have I done to become worthy of going beyond these heavens?” Guru jee said, “You’ve received Khanda-batta-daamrit,

you’ve become immortal.” When he saw Sach Khand’s door opening, he saw

light brighter than thousands of Suns. He never took his 5Ks off again.

In Bitinda state there happened to be a severe drought, all of the crops had died. A few days later Guru jee said to Dalla Singh jee, “Close your eyes,” when he re-opened them he saw mango’s and orange’s growing in the trees. Again Guru jee said, “close your eyes,” when he re-opened them he saw crops of wheat and maize. The third time he opened his eyes, he saw rivers where there had been deserts. Guru jee said, “Dalla Singh you didn’t obey my instructions, 3 times I told you to keep your 5Ks on but you took them off. Dalla Singh, if you had obeyed me the first time, then today you would had your dream fulfilled. But now future generations will learn from your mistakes and realise the importance of obeying the True Guru’s instructions.”

Sri Gur Panth Parkash - Rattan Singh Bhangoo

2007-12-29T17:24:00.000Z

I have recently purchased a copy of Sri Gur Panth Parkash by Rattan Singh Bhangoo and translated by Kulwant Singh. It is only a volume 1 which has been translated, i assume the rest is still in the process. I was lead to believe by several reviews that this was indeed a master piece, as it had been written by the grandson of the Sikh hero - Mehtab Singh (who along with Sukha Singh killed Massa Rangarh for his act of desecrating Shri Harmandir Sahib).

I've not read the book fully yet, but i have become slightly weary of the information contained in this book, as it does not correlate with any other sources that i have read before on Sikh history (i know this doesn't mean that it is automatically incorrect).

Below i'm going to try and highlight some of the concerns i have with this book:

Episode 1 Pages 43 -47
This episode details Guru Nanak Dev Ji's visit to Mecca and Medina. Now as far as i'm aware from all the accounts i've read previously, and from what is taught in Gurudwara's, Guru Nanak Dev Ji was laying with feet towards Mecca, and we all know the rest of this Sakhi. This book however has a different take on this account.

"After that Baba Nanak laid down at the back of Kaaba, where the entrance from the backside was locked and closed. It was locked and kept closed deliberatley so that, whenever a great prophet approached, it would open automatically. There happened such a miracle with the grace of Baba Nanak, that the gate opened automatically without a key. When this miracle came to the notice of the Shrine In-charge, he understood that a great prophet had arrived."

The book then goes onto explain how the people in charge went out looking for the person who was responsible for this miracle...

"When they carried out a search, they spotted out Baba Nanak. He was dressed in the manner of a hindu. Since he was lying with his fet outstretched (towards the Kaaba), they

dragged his body to change the direction of his feet. Instantly, the shrine door facing Baba
Nanaks feet opened,when they dragged him out, the remaining gates closed. This
incited and infuriated them further, and they pulled Baba Nanak out of the shrine's
premises. There upon, all the gates of the shrine got shut, despite all the force they applied to open the gates. Incidentally, there were some people from the Punjab among the Haj pilgrims, who, recognising Guru Nanak, revealed his true identity. They declared he was Guru Nanak a Saint, who was a prophet of both the Hindus and the Muslims. Who showered his benevolence equally on both the Muslims and Hindus. Who considered both as equal patners"

The book then explains how the people in charge felt that they lost all their prestige and status as all the gates had been locked. They decided to talk to the prophet and ask him to open the doors so that all the pilgrims may complete their Hajj. They appealed to him with folded hands to open the doors. Guru Nanak Dev Ji called Mardana, and gave him some instructions, after which Mardana opened the doors.

Now reading this chapter really amazed me, as i've never heard this event being told in this fashion before. Why is it that all Gurudwara's teach a completley different version? As i've mentioned before it maybe that this is the authentic one and the rest are watered down.

Episode 12 Pages 67 -69

This episode deals with the execution of Guru Tegh Bahadur Ji. The scene is set when Aurangzeb asks Guru Ji to perform a miracle if he truely was a saint. Guru Ji refused.

"At this refusal, Aurangzeb feeling extremely infuriated, accused Guru Tegh Bahadur of making his escape through polemics. He warned the Guru to either get converted to islam, or he must be prepared to face death through execution. He (Aurangzeb) would have his body sewn in a cover of raw leather, and then he would put up his sealed body in the sun to dry up. As the raw leather containing his body would dry and tighten, he would have to bear the torture of a squeezed leather grip. Accusing him of wearing the mantle of a prophet, and exploiting the masses, how could he now escape to embrace Islam after that? Were the Muslims not as similar human beings as the Hindus, why did the Hindus have such a contempt for the Muslims"

The narration then moves onto the execution.

"Then Guru Ji addressed Aurangzeb in this vein, that he would now have a glimpse of his spiritual powers. He (Guru Ji) would bring about such a miracle, that he (Aurangzeb) would never be able to get hold of his(Guru Ji's) head. Whichever sword he may choose to severe his head with, but will it not be a miracle if it failed to cut through his throat. So he might arrange for the sharpest sword for executing him, because an ordinary sword used for daily executions might not work. After addressing these words, Guru Tegh Bahadur sat on the executioners slab after ablutions. Guru Tegh Bahadur made the executioners sword just touch his head, But it was just a ploy to hoodwink the authorities. Thus Guru Ji made the supreme sacrifice without compromising his dignity, and protected both his religion as well as its practices. Not only he saved his body from being sewn in raw leather, but also laid the blame of execution squarely on the Muslims."

Now I'm not sure if I'm interpreting this correctly, and i apologise if I'm incorrect, but the account seems to portray Guru Ji wanting a quick death, and tricking the Mughals into giving him that so that he does not have to endure the slow tortures. We must remember that 3 of the Guru's companions (Bhai Dayala, Bhai Mati Das, and Bhai Sati Das) were tortured by being boiled, sawn in half, and wrapped in cotton and then set on fire respectively. So why would the Guru's of these Sikhs, want an easy death. Obviously people like me would be running away or if given the choice we'd take the easier death. However in the case of the Guru, i don't accept he would have done this. He'd have known about the torture endured by his own Grand Father (Guru Arjan Dev Ji). Sikhs believe that the body is only the temporary home (vessel) of the soul, so the truly enlightened ones feel no pain, as they accept everything as the will of the almighty, and on the contrary would find this torture as bliss.

Episode 15 Pages 83 -89

This episodes deals with the birth of Khalsa.

The book does not mention anything about beheading the 5 Pyaarey. However it does mention that the Guru told them that "they should eat mutton only after slaughtering the animal with one stroke and desist from eating the meat of dead animals"

Again i find this rather bizzare that no mention of the beheading was made. The meat issue is one that many people will distort for their own benefit, and try to justify what they they believe by distorting facts. Personally i don't think the Guru's allowed the consumption of meat, but i'm sure many others will disagree with me on this one.

I'm still reading the book and will add more to this post (If anyones interested)....

Australia vs India - Debacle down under

2007-12-29T12:48:00.000Z

Unfortunately I've been watching the cricket well after midnight over the last few days. The good news is that i didn't watch it all. I recall watching up to until lunch on the first day and seeing Australia race to over 100 without loss, and thinking 'same old India' always flatter to deceive. India were soundly thrashed, and with the exception of the post lunch and tea periods, they never troubled the Aussies juggernaut.

Not going to make any excuses, as not many teams can withstand the Aussies in their own backyard, and they played really well. However the Indian board does need to think over a few things:

Why would you only play one practice match (which was almost completely washed out anyway) ahead of an important series away in Australia. Surely you would want your players to acclimatise to the conditions etc. Maybe the fixture calendar needs to be looked at to ensure players can prepare for such tours.
A lot has been mentioned about having Dravid opening. He clearly looked uncomfortable during both innings. And fans world wide do not want to see one of the greats of the game scratch around for over 100 balls to score a paltry 16 runs. However Dravid has opened before with great success, so whats changed? Even when he came in at 3, more often then not in recent history (due to a lack of a good opening pair) Dravid has probably faced the new ball anyway, so i don't see why such a big deal has been made, it's more a psychological thing than a technique issue in my opinion. I think its very evident that the tactic of accommodating Yuvraj by pushing Dravid up to open backfired, and that too very badly. Both Jaffer and Dravid played with no urgency, and were quite content with just defending every ball, rather than looking to push the Aussies back. The two are very similar, in that neither really has an attacking instinct, and therefore its hard to gain any initiative with these two paddling along and scoring barely a run each over. I'm afraid it puts the middle order under immense pressure if your openers spend hours at the crease without the scoreboard ticking over. The selectors are going to have to shuffle the order or dare i say bring in Shewag. Shewag is the type of aggressive batsman who can wrestle the initiative away from the Aussies IF he is in form. Obviously someone will have to sit out if Shewag does return. Do they drop Jaffer who has recently scored a big double hundred? Do they drop Yuvraj, who played brilliantly against Pakistan in the third test, but failed miserably in this test? Or is it Dravid that faces the chop, he's been out of sorts for some time now? The Indian selectors will have to make a tough decision if the do not want to see this team destroyed by the Aussies.
I also don't think that the 4 bowlers chosen in this match are good enough to bowl out the Aussies twice. They only managed to get 7 wickets in the second innings because Australia were pushing on to set a huge target and declare.

I was watching star news the other day, and as usual the media back in India gets very excited with the exploits of the national team. The news coverage was full of "how India can win this series" etc.. They really need to get some form of a reality check. On the flip side they will really lay in hard in to the Indian team now that they have lost, and rightly so. But i don't see the point in the media building up the team and then knocking them down. They should applaud them for their victories, but not go over the top, which is what they do.

Shabad included in Halla Bol soundtrack

2007-12-27T22:49:00.001Z

Rajkumar Santoshi's forthcoming bollywood movie titled "Halla Bol" will include a shabad. The shabad is as follows:

This Shabad is by Guru Nanak Dev Ji in Raag Sorath on Pannaa 597

qU pRB dwqw dwin miq pUrw hm Qwry ByKwrI jIau ]

thoo prabh dhaathaa dhaan math pooraa ham thhaarae bhaekhaaree jeeo ||

You, God, are the Giver of gifts, the Lord of perfect understanding; I am a mere beggar at Your Door.

mY ikAw mwgau ikCu iQru n rhweI hir dIjY nwmu ipAwrI jIau ]1]

mai kiaa maago kishh thhir n rehaaee har dheejai naam piaaree jeeo ||1||

What should I beg for? Nothing remains permanent; O Lord, please, bless me with Your Beloved Name. ||1||

Git Git riv rihAw bnvwrI ]

ghatt ghatt rav rehiaa banavaaree ||

In each and every heart, the Lord, the Lord of the forest, is permeating and pervading.

jil Qil mhIAil gupqo vrqY gur sbdI dyiK inhwrI jIau ] rhwau ]

jal thhal meheeal gupatho varathai gur sabadhee dhaekh nihaaree jeeo || rehaao ||

In the water, on the land, and in the sky, He is pervading but hidden; through the Word of the Guru's Shabad, He is revealed. ||Pause||

mrq pieAwl Akwsu idKwieE guir siqguir ikrpw DwrI jIau ]

marath paeiaal akaas dhikhaaeiou gur sathigur kirapaa dhhaaree jeeo ||

In this world, in the nether regions of the underworld, and in the Akaashic Ethers, the Guru, the True Guru, has shown me the Lord; He has showered me with His Mercy.

so bRhmu AjonI hY BI honI Gt BIqir dyKu murwrI jIau ]2]

so breham ajonee hai bhee honee ghatt bheethar dhaekh muraaree jeeo ||2||

He is the unborn Lord God; He is, and shall ever be. Deep within your heart, behold Him, the Destroyer of ego. ||2||

jnm mrn kau iehu jgu bpuVo iein dUjY Bgiq ivswrI jIau ]

janam maran ko eihu jag bapurro ein dhoojai bhagath visaaree jeeo ||

This wretched world is caught in birth and death; in the love of duality, it has forgotten devotional worship of the Lord.

siqguru imlY q gurmiq pweIAY swkq bwjI hwrI jIau ]3]

sathigur milai th guramath paaeeai saakath baajee haaree jeeo ||3||

Meeting the True Guru, the Guru's Teachings are obtained; the faithless cynic loses the game of life. ||3||

siqgur bMDn qoiV inrwry bhuiV n grB mJwrI jIau ]

sathigur ba(n)dhhan thorr niraarae bahurr n garabh majhaaree jeeo ||

Breaking my bonds, the True Guru has set me free, and I shall not be cast into the womb of reincarnation again.

nwnk igAwn rqnu prgwisAw hir min visAw inrMkwrI jIau ]4]8]

naanak giaan rathan paragaasiaa har man vasiaa nira(n)kaaree jeeo ||4||8||

O Nanak, the jewel of spiritual wisdom shines forth, and the Lord, the Formless Lord, dwells within my mind. ||4||8||

Sukhwinder Singh is the music director and the vocalist for the soundtrack for the movie. I'm not too sure if the movie will have a "Sikhi" related theme, as the main protagonist played by Ajay Devgan is a Muslim character.

I suppose any exposure of Gurbani to the masses is a good thing..

I've added the audio for this shabad below......

The Heroes Of Chamkaur - 40 Sikhs vs the Imperial Army

2007-12-22T17:23:00.001Z

Living in Western Society we are always hearing about heroic acts of western heroes. One such act, regarded by many historians as the greatest of all last stands is the battle of Thermopylae, where 300 Greek Spartans took on the might of Xerses and his Persian army. Truly this was a great heroic battle, and we should remember the sacrifice of those 300 Spartans. However, we as Sikhs should try and also educate the world on the heroic deeds of our ancestors and forefathers. As these deeds were no less amazing and astounding than those displayed by the Spartans. It is our great mis fortune that not many westerners have come across any detailed accounts of Sikh bravery.

With my limited knowledge i'm going to try and re tell, what in my eyes was the greatest last stand of all - CHAMKAUR.....

bwbwxIAw khwxIAw puq spuq kryin ]

baabaaneeaa kehaaneeaa puth saputh karaen ||

The stories of one's ancestors make the children good children.

Setting the scene

On an earlier post i've mentioned about the Guru and his followers evacuating the fort at Anandpur, and how the enemy had forgotten all their oaths and promises, and started to pursue the Sikhs as they tried to cross the Sirsa river. My earlier post followed Mata Gujri and the younger Sahibzaadey to Gangu's village kheri. This Sakhi will follow what happened to the 40 Sikhs including Guru Gobind Singh Ji.

Chamkaur Sahib

On 20 December 1704 Guru Sahib and the 40 Singhs camped in an open space in Ropar. Bhai Budhi Chand who owned a Haveli (open house) in the town of Chamkaur visited Guru Sahib and offered his home and family at the feet of the Guru. Guru Sahib had once visited the mud-house of Bhai Budhi Chand when returning from Kurekshetr. Guru Sahib and the 40 Singhs moved into house of Bhai Budhi Chand situated on a hill, which now became the mud-fort of Guru Sahib.

Declaration Of War

At the commencement of Amritvela (early hours of the day before sunrise) Guru Sahib woke up Bhai Sangat Singh. "Wake up Sangat Singh, its time for Asa di Var. Let's do Kirtan" Guru said. What an amazing warrior Guru was! An army of 10 Lacks are pursuing Guru Sahib and planning to attack the place where they are staying, and Guru Sahib is still blissfully continuing his routine Rehat of Nitnem and Aas di Var Kirtan with all Singhs joining in. Nawab Wazir Khan, announced outside the fort of Chamkaur, "Gobind Singh! If you and your Sikhs come out now, you will be spared!" Guru Sahib replied to this with rain of arrows. There was silence now in the cold morning. Clouds filled the sky followed by thunder and lightening. Guru and the Singhs became ready for the battle.

There was a chill in the air and morning had not yet come. A Mughal messenger came to see Guru Sahib to negotiate with the Sikhs. However, Guru Sahib told the messenger to go away or face death. Inside the four walls of the mud-house Guru Sahib declared war.

The Battle Begins

The two Sahibzadas - Baba Ajit Singh and Baba Jujhar Singh - and three other archers took up positions, along with Guru Gobind Singh Ji in the upper portion of the house. Eight persons each were deputed to guard each of the four sides. Two expert swordsmen -Bhai Madan Singh and Bhai Kotha Singh - stood to guard the only entrance to the haveli.
The arrows from upper storey of the haveli kept many a soldier at bay. Those who came forward to storm the garhi, met piercing arrows. They either perished or preferred to pull back, or faced hand-to-hand fights with Singhs guarding the four sides. Faujdar Nahar Khan was one of those who fell to the arrows of Guru Gobind Singh himself. The onslaught continued relentlessly as the enemy continually attacked all sides of the gahri.

The battle lasted all day. When the ammunition and arrows in the garhi almost ran out, the Singhs came out in batches of five, with swords and spears in their hands, to face the enemy that far outnumbered them. Their determination and fighting skill helped them kill many of the enemy, but odds were so heavy against them that they all fell in the field, one by one. They were followed by the next batch of five, charged with emotions of fighting a treacherous enemy. Determined to fight with all their vigor, they too were to lay their lives the same way.

Ajit Singh Ji and Jhujhar Singh Ji attain martyrdom

"Pita ji (dear father), permit me to go and fight on the battleground and grace me with the opportunity to make my life fruitful and worthy in service of the panth."

Guru Gobind Singh hugged his beloved son and gave him a Shastr (weapon). Little beard or moustache had yet not grown on Baba Ajit Singh 's face, showing how young he was. Every father wants to see their child get married, but this was the time of fighting the enemy and defending the path of righteousness. Death was waiting and today Baba Ajit Singh would be marrying death.

The sun was about to rise. Guru saw that Nawab Wazir Khan wanted to take hold of the fort of Chamkaur in one attempt. The Nawab surrounded the fort with his armies. At this time the Singhs did a benti (request) to Guru Sahib that since there was no means of escaping the siege, he should escape with the Sahibzade. However Guru Sahib told them that there is no difference between the Singhs and the Sahibzade. "You are all mine! We will be victorious and we will all be free."

Baba Ajit Singh boldly and valiantly came out of fort, accompanied with 5 other Singhs, which included one of the original Panj Piarey, Bhai Mohkam Singh. Guru watched the battle scene from the top of the fort. There was silence on all four sides. As they came into the battleground they roared Jaikarey, which sounded everywhere like the roar of a lion. Today the 5 Singhs felt proud that under the leadership of Baba Ajit Singh , they had been blessed with an opportunity to fight on the side of the truth and the correct path of Guru Nanak. Baba Ajit Singh with the five Sikhs advanced swiftly on to the battlefield displaying weaponry skills, great courage and bravery. The enemy was immediately repulsed back and many of the treacherous and deceitful soldiers in the Mughal and Hill forces were slaughtered. Such was the fury of the Sikh contingent and the dedicated, continuous and precise support from the mud-fort that this small Sikh party of 6 brave bahadurs of the Khalsa force eliminated hundreds of brave enemy soldiers.

The enemy in one section was completely paralysed and disabled by the enormous strength and sudden impact of the Khalsa unit. With protection fire from the fort, which kept the surrounding army units in check and blocked their involvement in the battle on the ground. After killing many hundreds of the enemy, the group began to take casualties. Slowly the impact of the unit began to diminished and after almost an hour, the enemy began surrounding the Sahibzada from all four sides. Baba Ajit Singh called out, "Come nearer if you have courage." The soldiers ran away frightened. Slowly, they began coming back in a larger group as not a single one of them had the courage to individually fight Baba Ajit Singh ji.

The Singhs' weaponry skill on the battlefield reminded the Mughal soldiers of Allah, and they feared for their lives. While fighting, Baba Ajit Singh's kirpan (sword) broke. He then began to fight with a Neja (spear). However, while killing one Mughal chief, it became stuck in his chest. Even then, Baba Ajit Singh remained in bliss and peace. While fighting, however, one by one the 5 Singhs were overcome and lost their life and became Shaheed (martyrs) of the Guru. One Mughal chief injured Baba 's horse.

As a result, Baba ji fought from the ground with his talwar (sword). With each blow of the sword, he split the enemy into two. When he struck the enemy twice with his sword, they got cut up into four pieces. Now as the army surrounded the sahibzada, Guru watched with keen interest to see how bravely his son would live his last few minutes of life. When Baba attained Shaheedi, Guru Sahib roared a Jaikara of "Sat Siri Akal" full of emotions and courage - a salutation to the Almighty for the blessing of such a brave son.

Having seen the valour displayed by his older brother, Baba Jhujhar Singh Ji (15 years old) also had a desire to follow in his brothers footsteps. He Approached Guru Ji "Permit me, dear father, to go where my brother has gone. Don't say that I am too young. I am your son. I am a Singh, a Lion, of yours. I shall prove worthy of you. I shall die fighting, with my face towards the enemy, with the Naam on my lips and the Guru in my heart."

Guru Gobind Singh embraced him and said, "Go my son and wed the life-giving bride, Death. May the Almighty be with you always"

Guru Sahib gave blessings to Baba Jujhar Singh just like a father gives blessings to the bride on the day of her marriage. Guru added, "I asked my father to give his life for "dharam" (righteousness and justice). Today, what I told my father, I now tell you son." Bhai Himmat Singh and Bhai Sahib Singh (two of the original Panj Piarey) along with 3 other Singhs accompanied Sahibzada Baba Jujhar Singh . The Mughals were shocked at what they saw. It looked as if Ajit Singh had come back.

kbIrw mrqw mrqw jgu muAw mir iB n jwnY koie ]

kabeeraa marathaa marathaa jag muaa mar bh n jaanai koe ||

Kabeer, the world is dying - dying to death, but no one knows how to
truly die.

AYsI mrnI jo mrY bhuir n mrnw hoie ]1]

aisee maranee jo marai bahur n maranaa hoe ||1||

Whoever dies, let him die such a death, that he does not have to die
again. ||1||

Dead bodies lay everywhere. Baba Jujhar Singh chose to attack another section of the enemy. He had observed the enemy and chose to attack the section who were showing more aggression against the Sikhs in the mud-fort then the rest of the enemy. Initially, the enemy did not have any courage to formulate an attack against this second unit after the fury of the force displayed by Ajit Singh's unit.

To them this appeared like a repeat of the same disaster that had befallen them an hour or so ago. They had not even had time to recover from the previous shock and now they had a second wave of the same enormously vibrant energy. This time the enemy was driven even further back; many just took flight as they thought that the Sikh numbers must have increased and so many of the enemy disserted the battlefield. This new force of six Khalsas soldiers killed many hundreds of the enemy; many simply ran away.

The enemy were stunned by the heavy force and thrust of this second attack and had little choice but to retreat back. The Khalsa unit created a huge void in the enemy territory and a small circle of about 35 metres within the enemy ground was under the control of the Sikhs. No one had the courage to enter into this circle of control. Anyone who entered this area of command was immediately challenged and quickly extinguished. The Khalsa unit, with their backs to the centre of this circular area attacked the enemy courageously and with vigour at the perimeter of the controlled region.

The Guru watched this development with pride and gratefulness to the Almighty and he knew that the Sikhs had learned the lessons of warfare well and would soon join the many hundreds of Sikh martyrs who had attained the highest honour of Dharam. The Almighty had indeed blessed the Sahibzade and the Sikhs with true bravery and deepest understanding of the Guru's message.

Slowly, due to the huge number of the enemy, they eventually assembled around Baba Jujhar Singh. He was now surrounded and had a Neja (spear) in his hand. Wherever the Neja hit, the enemy was destroyed. He also used a Khanda (double-sword), with which he killed the enemy as a farmer mows down his crop. Guru saw that Jujhar Singh was being surrounded and the opportunity to kill the Mughal soldiers was decreasing.

So Guru Sahib fired volleys of arrows in the area around the Sahibzada giving 'protection fire' to the Sikh soldiers. Baba Jujhar Singh eventually was able to break the ring of the Mughal army soldiers surrounding him. However, due to the huge number of enemy soldiers, Baba eventually attained Shaheedi but died a hero's death in the fight against tyranny and falsehood.

sUrw so pihcwnIAY ju lrY dIn ky hyq ]

sooraa so pehichaaneeai jo larai dheen kae haeth ||

He alone is known as a spiritual hero, who fights in defense of religion.

purjw purjw kit mrY kbhU n CwfY Kyqu ]2]2]

purajaa purajaa katt marai kabehoo n shhaaddai khaeth ||2||2||

He may be cut apart, piece by piece, but he never leaves the field of battle. ||2||2||

The Guru thanked the Almighty, that his children attained martyrdom before his own eyes. They gave their lives so that other children could live in peace and freedom from oppression by the state.

Each Sikh went into battle with such ferocity, like a hungry lion scattering its prey that it unnerved the enemy, but the hordes overwhelmed them and they fought to the last breath. Such heroics have seldom been seen before or since. This situation brought true the prophecy of one of Guru Sahib Ji’s compositions :

svw lwK sy eyk lVwaUN ]

qbY goibMd isMG nwm khwaUN ]

"Call me Gobind Singh, only, when each of my Sikh will fight with more than one and a quarter lakh of enemy."

Vacating the Fort

By the nightfall, only six persons - Guru Gobind Singh Ji, two of the " Beloved Five" (Bhai Daya Singh and Bhai Dharam Singh), Bhai Sant Singh, Bhai Man Singh and Sangat Singh remained alive in the garhi. The Singhs decided that Guru Gobind Singh must leave the haveli, so that he could rally his followers again. If he perished, loss to the community would be irreparable. Guru Ji wanted to face the enemy but the five Sikhs in the form of Panj Piyaray said that Guru Ji must do as they say, to which Guru Sahib Ji relented. It was proposed that Guru Sahib Ji should change his attire with Sangat Singh, who somewhat resembled him in stature. By his being visible, the others might get enough time to reach a somewhat safe distance. Reluctantly, the Guru agreed, to the propsal, which the Singhs presented as the matta of five, which was binding. . Bhai Sant Singh decided to stay back to guard the entrance, and thus gain some additional time, when the enemy barges in.

In the middle of the night Guru Gobind Singh and three remaining Sikhs - Bhai Daya Singh, Bhai Mohkam Singh and Bhai Man Singh - left the haveli, with a plan to go in different directions but meet in a garden outside Machhivara. Even at this critical moment Guru Ji was fearless and full of valor, clapping loudly three times and shouting “here goes the Guru of the Sikhs, face me now if you have the courage” and set off into the enemy hordes. Fighting their way through the enemy ranks Guru Ji made it out and headed towards Machiwara.

DMn auh DrqI DMn auh bwpU, DMn vfBwgI mweI [

dhan oh dharti, dhan oh bapu, dhan vadhbhaghi maaei.

"Blessed is that land, blessed is that father, blessed is the great mother.

FMg ijaux dw ijsdw pu`qr, d`s igAw sdIAw sweIN [

dhangh jeeon da jisda puttar, das giya sadiya saee(n).

Whose son has shown the way to live, for centuries to come."

This whole incident is referred to in the historical document called Zafarnama, penned by Guru Gobind Singh himself. Below are some excerpts from this document reffering to the battle of Chamkaur:

How could forty famished persons fight in the battlefield, on whom ten lakh soldiers made a sudden attack.19.
Your army breaking the oath and in great haste plunged in the battlefield with arrows and guns.20.
For this reason, I had to intervene and had to come fully armed.21.
When all other methods fail, it is proper to hold the sword in hand.22.
I have no faith in your oaths on the Quran, otherwise I had nothing to do with this battle.23.
I do not know that your officers are deceitful, otherwise I would not have followed this path.24.
It is not appropriated to imprison and kill those, who put faith on the oaths of Quran.25.

The soldiers of your army, clad in black uniforms, rushed like flies on my men.26.
Whosoever from them came near the wall of the fort, with one arrow he was drenched in his own blood.27.
None dared to come there near the wall; none faced then the arrows and destruction.28.
When I saw Nahar Khan in the battlefield, he was greeted with one of my arrows.29.
All those boasters who came near the wall, they were dispatched in no time.30.
Another Afghan, with a bow and arrow came in the battlefield like a flood.31.
He shot arrows heroically, sometimes in senses and sometimes in madness.32.
He made several attacks and was drenched with last.33.
Khwaja Mardud hid himself behind the wall; he did not enter the field like a brave warrior.34.
If I had seen his face once, one of my arrows would have dispatched him to the abode of death.35.
Many warriors wounded with arrows and bullets died in the battle on both the sides.36.
The darts were showered so violently, that the field became red like popyflowers.37.
The heads and limbs of the dead were scattered in the field like the balls and sticks in the game of Polo.38.
When the arrows hissed and bows tinkled, there was a great hue and cry in the world.39.
There the spears and lances provided a dreadful sound and the warriors lost heir senses.40.
How could bravery ultimately withstand in the field, when only forty were surrounded by innumerable warriors?41.
When the lamp of the world veiled itself, the moon shone in brightness during the night.42.
He, who puts faith on the oaths of the Quran, the Ture Lord gives him the guidance.43.
There was neither any harm nor injury; my Lord, the vanquisher of the enemies, brought me to safety.44

12 Days of Christmas

2007-12-22T10:47:00.000Z

Check out this hilarious desi version of the 12 days of Christmas.

Maere Saahib - O My Lord and Master

2007-12-21T22:11:00.000Z

Been listening to the soundtrack of the Punjabi Movie "Nanak Naam Jahaz", and came across this gem (Gurbani is full of Gems) - Maere Saahib, sung by Asha Bhonsle. Take a listen... and then read the shabad (courtesy: Sikhi To The Max).

sUhI mhlw 5 ]
soohee mehalaa 5 ||
Soohee, Fifth Mehla:

quDu iciq Awey mhw Anµdw ijsu ivsrih so mir jwey ]
thudhh chith aaeae mehaa ana(n)dhaa jis visarehi so mar jaaeae ||
When You come to mind, I am totally in bliss. One who forgets You might just as well be dead.

dieAwlu hovih ijsu aUpir krqy so quDu sdw iDAwey ]1]
dhaeiaal hovehi jis oopar karathae so thudhh sadhaa dhhiaaeae ||1||
That being, whom You bless with Your Mercy, O Creator Lord, constantly meditates on You. ||1||

myry swihb qUM mY mwxu inmwxI ]
maerae saahib thoo(n) mai maan nimaanee ||
O my Lord and Master, You are the honor of the dishonored such as me.

Ardwis krI pRB Apny AwgY suix suix jIvw qyrI bwxI ]1] rhwau ]
aradhaas karee prabh apanae aagai sun sun jeevaa thaeree baanee ||1|| rehaao ||
I offer my prayer to You, God; listening, listening to the Word of Your Bani, I live. ||1||Pause||

crx DUiV qyry jn kI hovw qyry drsn kau bil jweI ]
charan dhhoorr thaerae jan kee hovaa thaerae dharasan ko bal jaaee ||
May I become the dust of the feet of Your humble servants. I am a sacrifice to the Blessed Vision of Your Darshan.

AMimRq bcn irdY auir DwrI qau ikrpw qy sMgu pweI ]2]
a(n)mrith bachan ridhai our dhhaaree tho kirapaa thae sa(n)g paaee ||2||
I enshrine Your Ambrosial Word within my heart. By Your Grace, I have found the Company of the Holy. ||2||

AMqr kI giq quDu pih swrI quDu jyvfu Avru n koeI ]
a(n)thar kee gath thudhh pehi saaree thudhh jaevadd avar n koee ||
I place the state of my inner being before You; there is no other as great as You.

ijs no lwie lYih so lwgY Bgqu quhwrw soeI ]3]
jis no laae laihi so laagai bhagath thuhaaraa soee ||3||
He alone is attached, whom You attach; he alone is Your devotee. ||3||

duie kr joiV mwgau ieku dwnw swihib quTY pwvw ]
dhue kar jorr maago eik dhaanaa saahib thut(h)ai paavaa ||
With my palms pressed together, I beg for this one gift; O my Lord and Master, if it pleases You, I shall obtain it.

swis swis nwnku AwrwDy AwT phr gux gwvw ]4]9]56]
saas saas naanak aaraadhhae aat(h) pehar gun gaavaa ||4||9||56||
With each and every breath, Nanak adores You; twenty-four hours a day, I sing Your Glorious Praises. ||4||9||56||

Sahibzadey

2007-12-19T19:47:00.002Z

Sahibzadey - The young Martyrs

As the festive period approaches, the Sikh people will be commemorating the martyrdom of Baba Fateh Singh Ji and Baba Zorawar Singh Ji on the 26^th Dec. Many historians have given them the title of the world’s youngest martyrs. December 26^th 1705 is seen as one the darkest days in Sikh history, when two young innocent children were mercilessly bricked alive by the mughal regime of Sirhind. Their supreme sacrifice should never be forgotten, and all Sikhs should draw inspiration from the valour and courage displayed by the young souls....

Vichora - The Separation

The Mughals and the hill chiefs had promised to let Guru Gobind Singh Ji and his followers leave the fort of Anandpur unharmed. However they were very quick to revoke their promises. They began to mount an attack on the evacuating party. The Sikhs heavily outnumbered and tired after being held up in the fort for months, scattered in any direction they could find in the dark. In front of them lie the river Sirsa which was in spate, behind them was the blood thirsty enemy. Untold sacrifices were made on that fateful night of Dec 5^th, as many Sikhs lost their lives either holding up the enemy to ensure a safe passage for the rest of the Sikhs, or by drowning in the Sirsa. Countless valuables, literature, and priceless pieces of handwritten work were lost forever.

Gangu's Treachery

The family of the Guru were also separated at this point, and were destined never to meet again. Whilst Guru Ji and the older Sahibzadey made their way to Chamkaur, Mata Gujri and the younger Sahibzadey were escorted by the family cook Gangu to his village kheri. Historians differ on what made Gangu commit perhaps the biggest act of treachery in Sikh History. I feel the most plausible would perhaps be his greed for wealth, he had noticed that Mata Gujri had some valuables in her bag. Gangu stole the valuables, and then also informed the local mughal officers about the fugitives in hope for a reward.

Arrested and sent to Sirhind

The local officials arrested Mata Gujri and her Grandsons, and they spent a night in the jail at Morinda. The Following morning the three were escorted to Sirhind, and placed in the thanda Burj (Cold Tower) to spend the harsh cold winters night. Mata Gujri spent the night telling her grandsons the great tradition of martyrdom within their family, and for them to remain steadfast no matter what obstacles they face.

A Bold Response in Court

The following morning the Fateh Singh and Zorawar Singh were presented to the Governor of Sirhind – Wazir Khan. The court room was astounded as the two sahibzadey roared “Waheguru Ji Ka Khalsa, Waheguru Ji Ki Fateh”, this in itself was seen as contempt of the court. Wazir Khan tried to persuade the sahibzadey to accept Islam, by initially telling them that their Father and brothers had already been murdered by the imperial forces. The Sahibzadey would not believe any word of Wazir Khan, he then tried to bribe them by offering them worldly goods. Yet again the Sahibzadey remained steadfast in their faith, and rejected all offers. They smiled at the Governor and replied “Sikhism is dearer to us than our lives. Nothing in this illusionary world can induce us to shed our religion. We are kids of lion Guru Gobind Singh who is determined to infuse courage into the people of all religions to rise against the cruel and tyrant rulers to gain freedom. Our grandfather, Sri Guru Tegh Bahadur laid down his life to defend the right of religious freedom for the sake of oppressed community being decimated by tyrant Aurangzeb. Our great great grHinduandfather, Sri Guru Arjun Dev Ji submitted gladly to the will of God while facing a tortured death under the orders of Emperor Jahangir, to infuse courage and endurance in his disciples rather than convert as Muslim. We will never bring bad name to the predecessor martyrs of our faith even if we have to face death.” Everyone in the courtroom was left shell shocked by the bravery shown by the young souls. A prominent courtier Sucha Nand called for strict and firm punishment, as he felt that if they were left free they would eventually revolt against the Governor. Initially Wazir Khan still preferred to convert the two, so that he would go down in history as the individual who converted the two children of the Sikh Guru, and the fact that this would show that they preferred Islam to Sikhi. The Court was adjourned for the day rather hastily, and the Sahibzadey were given more time to think over the decision.

A Grandmothers words of encouragement

They returned to the tower to their Grandmother, and retold the events of the court room. Mata Gujri was proud of the conduct of her Grandsons, and they had indeed kept the family tradition alive. She warned that the inducements and threats would increase, but they must not lose faith, and they should take inspiration from the likes of Bhai Mati Das, Bhai Sati Das, and Bhai Dayala.

As Mata Gujri had anticipated over the course of the next two days the inducements and threats intensified. She prayed to God that the Sahibzadey remained firm in their beliefs, and would not flinch at any cost.

The Punishment

Wazir Khan, unable to make any impression upon the Sahibzadey, finally asked the Qazi to suggest a punishment. The Qazi suggested them to bricked alive. At the this point Sher Mohammed Khan (Who’s brother had been killed by Guru Ji on the battle field) spoke up against the Nawab, and disagreed with the punishment. He felt the punishment went against the principles of Islam, and walked out of the court, whilst cursing the Governor for this grave mistake.

And so it was decided, that the Sahibzadey would be bricked alive. Whilst the brick wall was being constructed the Qazi and Wazir Khan were still trying to persuade the two to accept Islam, however the Sahibzadey were busy reciting Gurbani. Once the wall reached a specific height it is said that the Sahibzadey were beheaded. Mata Gujri upon hearing the fate of her grandchildren passed away in the tower (although some historians have stated that she was thrown from the tower by soldiers).

And on that fateful day the young Sahibzadey gave their lives, so that the forthcoming generations were able to flourish. And how do we as the benefiters of their valour repay our debt to them? Are we even worthy of calling ourselves the brothers and sisters of the Sahibzadey? Would we be able to display anywhere near the same courage? Can we at least try to tread on the path of Sikhi, for which these young souls sacrificed themselves? These are questions that we must delve deep inside to find the answers to...

It would not be appropriate to forget the compassion shown by Sher Mohammed Khan (who was an adversary of the Guru, as his brother was slain by the Guru in the battle of Chamkaur). He spoke out against the death sentence imposed upon the Sahibzadey. If the Sikhs never forgot the evil deeds of Wazir Khan or the courtier Sucha Nand, they also never forgot the compassion shown by the Nawab of Malerkotla. During the period when Banda Bahadur and his troops razed Sirhind to the ground, they completley left Malerkotla untouched due to this act of the Nawab. It has also been mentioned that during partition, the muslims of Malerkotla especially were protected by Sikhs.

Another Character that deserves a special mention is Deewan Todar Mal. Todar Mal, a rich Sikh, heard of the imprisonment of the Guru's Sahibzadey and Mata Gujri, he hastened to the Sultan with the intention of paying a ransom for their release. But, by the time he arrived at Sirhind, the Sahibzadey's has already been martyred and Mata Gujri had also left the earthly abode. Todar Mal went to Wazir Khan's court to obtain permission for cremating the dead bodies of the martyrs and their grandmother. The Sultan told Todar Mal that he would agree to his request if he paid for the land with spreading as many gold mohurs (coins) as would cover the piece of land required for cremation. Todar Mal accepted Wazir Khan's terms and made the payment.

Another character was Bhai Moti Mehra, who was another follower of Guru Ji. When he found out that Mata Gujri and the Sahibzadey were left in the cold tower, he went to visit them. He took some warm milk for the Family, he sneaked past the guards and climbed up the tower by ladder. Bhai Moti Mehra was later caught, and he along with his family were sentenced to death by crushing.

I apologize for any mistakes that may have been made whilst compiling the above Sakhi. Bhul Chuk Maf.

Finally i'd like to share this dharmik song, which tries to capture the emotions of this particular episode. Balwinder Singh Safri sings "Pothey Mata Gujri De":

Amu

2007-12-15T20:06:00.000Z

Her trip back home turned into the journey of a lifetime... Amu is the story of Kaju, a twenty-one-year-old Indian American woman who returns to India to visit her family. The film takes a dark turn as Kaju stumbles against secrets and lies from her past. A horrifying genocide that took place twenty years ago turns out to hold the key to her mysterious origins.

How were Kaju's family involved in the killings? What happened and why? Who were the culprits? Who benefited? Will Kaju have the courage to pursue the truth no matter the cost? Will it destroy her relationship with her mother? Will it affect her burgeoning romance? Will it change everything she knows about herself and about India?

Amu. When the past lives in the present...

I watched the DVD recently, and i thought it was a very sincere attempt to highlight the events of the genocide. The movie perhaps did not go into as much details as one would have liked, but still gives the viewer a taster of what happened in 1984. One of the issues highlighted was the fact that nobody likes to talk about 1984, wether they are Sikh or not. They all seem to want to forget the events and move on. If one can learn from the mistakes, then fair enough moving on may be some peoples choice, however if history repeats itself (i.e. Gujrat) then surely something is seriously wrong.

Overall, Konkona Sen gives a good performance, as one would expect from a talented actress. Some of the rest of the cast are perhaps not upto scratch. I think what really stands out is the fact that this movie was made by a non Sikh, which may give it more credibilty (for not being biased as some people may say). Perhaps what lets it down slightly was that it did not go into too much details about the riots. But i suppose one could argue that the story was about Amu trying to find out about her past, rather than delving on the riots. Nevertheless, its definatley worth watching, you can order the dvd from here

Guru Gobind Singh Ji and Madho Das

2007-12-09T20:37:00.000Z

We've all most likely heard the story of Guru Gobind Singh Ji meeting Madho Das (later to be known as Banda Singh Bahadur) at Nanded. We have probably heard the sakhi where Guru Ji enters Madho Das's hut whilst he is away, and Guru Ji and his followers cook some food. Madho Das returns and is furious, and tries to use his powers to overthrow Guru Ji from his couch. When this did not work the following dialogue ensues (some people may have heard a slightly different version)

Guru Gobind Singh: "He whom you know full well."

Madho Das: "What do I know?"

Guru Gobind Singh: "Think it over and you will understand."

Madho Das: "I have seen you many a time in my dreams. Are you Guru Gobind Singh?"

Guru Gobind Singh: "Yes. I have come to receive the blessings of a Holy man like you."

Madho Das: "My Lord, I would sacrifice myself a hundred thousand times for you. How grateful I am that you have sanctified my hut with your lotus-feet. Lord, my pride is gone, my power has vanished. I know not what to say. Kindly accept me as your Banda (slave)."

Now whilst reading through a book by Sant Niranjan Singh (divine mystic reflections on Gurmat), i came upon a sakhi which tells this event as follows:

Guru Ji asks Madho where his master/guru is. Madho Das replies that his guru (Sadho Das) is in sachkhand. Guru Ji then instructed Madho Das to pick a fruit from a nearby tree and cut it open. There is an insect in the fruit, and Guru Ji gave it the power to speak, and asks it who it is. The insect replied that it was Sadho Das. At this point Madho Das bowed before the true Guru, and became his follower.

Extracting audio from Youtube Videos

2007-10-25T16:27:00.000Z

Have you ever wanted to just extract the audio from a video on Youtube? I stumbled across the solution the other day, the solution is vixy. The instructions are simple to follow, and it beats the old two step method of first downloading the video and then extracting the audio. Enjoy....

Bhai Surjit Singh

2007-09-25T19:22:00.000Z

Last week the Sikh Sangat of Bradford were blessed by the presence of a chardi kala gursikh in Bhai Surjit Singh (from India). Sikhi stresses the importance of keeping company with Gursikhs/saintly people, and in my opinion Bhai Surjit Singh was that. He joined the Sangat for Amrit Vela, and then in the evening he carried out veechar. It was really enlightening to hear his discourses. Hopefully the Sangat sat up and took note of what was being said. Bhai Surjit Singh is very knowledgable and is very passionate about Sikhi, and yet still so humble, which is great to see. Bhai Surjit Singh is a regular guest speaker at the annual Khalsa Camp, so there will be other opportunities to see him again.

Bhai Surjit Singhs speeches ranged from 'How should a GurSikh come to the Gurudwara', to discussing the current state of Sikhi both in the western world and back in India. He strongly urged every Sikh to become a prachaarak (preacher), and for everyone to take naam. Bhai Sahib made one statement which will probably stick with me forever:

"If Guru Gobind Singh Ji had to take amrit to become Gobind Singh from Gobind Rai, then how can we just call ourselves Singh or Kaur without amrit? How will we answer the Guru when he asks where we got the name Singh from?"

As one can imagine at this point most us in the sangat bowed our heads in shame.

He also warned of following the naqli sants who drive around in chauffered cars (on the money donated by sangat) etc.. And instead make a direct relationship with Waheguru through Bani.

It often dawns upon me when i listen to such gursikhs, how unfortunate some of us are who still don't have the courage or conviction to take naam. What is holding us back i wonder? is it simply ego, or fear?

Fantasy Football League

2007-08-09T21:31:00.000Z

Yes folks its that time of the year again. Theres a FREE Fantasy football league. Simply follow the link create your team, and then join the mini league i've created by using the code: 824046-136879

Let the games begin......

Whatever work you wish to accomplish-tell it to the Lord.

2007-07-01T21:26:00.000Z

Its been some time since my last post. Theres been a lot going on at the Gurudwara in Bradford. A library, and a Sikh Camp for the kids over the past few weeks. I'll post a few pics when i get a chance of the above events, both were huge successes with the kirpa of Waheguru.

Came across the following Kirtan clip by Acapella Jatha on YouTube, and can't stop listening to the soothing words.

The Shabad is as follows:

pourree ||
keethaa lorreeai ka(n)m s har pehi aakheeai ||
Whatever work you wish to accomplish-tell it to the Lord.

kaaraj dhaee savaar sathigur sach saakheeai ||
He will resolve your affairs; the True Guru gives His Guarantee of Truth.

sa(n)thaa sa(n)g nidhhaan a(n)mrith chaakheeai ||
In the Society of the Saints, you shall taste the treasure of the Ambrosial Nectar.

bhai bha(n)jan miharavaan dhaas kee raakheeai ||
The Lord is the Merciful Destroyer of fear; He preserves and protects His slaves.

naanak har gun gaae alakh prabh laakheeai ||20||
O Nanak, sing the Glorious Praises of the Lord, and see the Unseen Lord God. ||20||

Translation courtesy of Sikhi To The Max.

And heres the video, enjoy:

Never Forget 1984 Rally - Hyde Park to Trafalgar Square 2007

2007-06-07T21:52:00.000Z

I attended the ‘Never Forget 84’ demo/rally for the very first time this week – I know it’s shameful that I’ve left it 23 years before attending. I wouldn’t quite say that I was wearing blinkers, or ignorant for that matter for the past 23 years, but I do feel that the true extent of the plight of my brothers and sisters in Panjab was never really explained to me in great detail. I was quite content in thinking that the worst of the trouble was over and we could all get on with our lives. Having visited back home a few times, I felt no one really mentions Khalistan, and therefore nobody wants it anymore. What I failed to realise is that people are too scared to mention the word, and those that do often end up disappearing without trace.

As this was my first time at the rally, I think it’s appropriate for me to share this experience. Firstly I’m not a great believer in the march itself. I think if we are doing this to raise the awareness in non Sikhs, then this is the wrong idea. People end up getting stuck in traffic jams, and see all these Sikhs with anti India slogans, posters, etc, they immediately loose any sympathy they have for us. Whereas if a few folk were to approach all the drivers stuck in the jam with literature, and some food to appease them for the delay etc, maybe we would gain some of their support. Secondly I also do not like the idea of burning or hanging effigies, to me this seems a cowardly way of venting your anger, and it also a ‘ritual’ used back on the subcontinent, something we could do without importing to these shores.

Those were my negatives about the day. The positives far out weigh these though. The inspirational speeches by young Sikhs moved everyone in the crowd. There was Paramjit Singh’s daughter, who told us about her father’s plight in a jail in Panjab, charged with carrying explosives, even though there’s no real proof. The UK government refuses to get involved with the judicial process of another country, which is a real shame, as a British citizen I’d certainly expect the UK government to help. A young Sikh lad from Leicester shared his experience of becoming a Gursikh; this guy was really impressive, at such a young age too. Some other speakers also brought up some really interesting points that I was not aware of – like the fact that a Sikh can’t buy land in some neighbouring states, and yet a non Sikh can buy as much land as they like in Panjab – how bizarre you may say, but it’s true. The water situation in Panjab is ridiculous; our water is being distributed to other parts. It wouldn’t be so bad if this water was spare, but the fact that our streams are empty and our water keeps getting diverted elsewhere, really must be annoying. No wonder so many farmers are committing suicide in Panjab. He Sikhs wanted a holy city status for Amritsar, so that we could have a perimeter of a certain distance within which alcohol and drugs would have been prohibited. Instead Amritsar probably has the highest alcohol intake in Panjab.

Some of the speakers were asking for help from the UK government. But I doubt that will ever happen. The two nations are very close, and with India’s economy booming, a cheap workforce to compete against China, the UK will want to keep India on its side. Some may argue that the UK has never helped in cases such as Rwanda, or even more recently Zimbabwe, and so why should they help the Sikhs.

Some of the images displayed on the big screen were horrific. I’ve seen many images before on the net, but one that will stay with me for along time from this rally will be a picture of a mutilated torso of a Sikh being eaten by a dog – really shocking. Pictures of a Sikh woman being chased by 4 men, as she tries to save her honour, again images that will remain etched in the mind for a long time.

The thing that really annoys me is that some of the real culprits (General Brar, KPS Gill, Jagdish Tyler, Sajjan Kumar) are still walking around almost with impunity. The corrupt judicial process in India has failed to give the Sikhs any justice. Shri Guru Gobind Singh Ji said “when all other means fail, it is only right to pick up the sword”. If the courts fail to punish these people, should the Sikhs sit back and let them get away with it…

On a lighter note, I thought the guy from America was quite funny. He mentioned that he was a close friend of George Bush. I don’t think he realised that Bush is not exactly Mr. popular on these shores. He also managed to plug his new book which is releasing soon. I’m sure he’s a really good chap, but I just found some of speech full of “I did this, and I did that…”

I would definitely go again, even if it is only to the presentation in the square and miss the march. I recommend that everyone should go at least once. I hear that the numbers have been dwindling over the past few years. It’s a shame really that people seem to be forgetting this episode and don’t want to remember the events. In think that the reason we do this is to highlight the human rights abuses, and also ensure that it never happens again..to anyone.

The DSS controversy

2007-05-19T17:38:00.000Z

Its been a few days since the DSS (Dera Sacha Sauda) controversy occurred back home in Panjab/Haryana. The controversy started when the leader of this sect appeared in an advert dressed as Guru Gobind Singh Ji, and appeared to be preparing amrit in a similar fashion as Guru Ji did.

Alot of people are misunderstanding the situation of being Sikhs fighting amongst themselves. This sect is NOT an offshoot of Sikhism by a long shot. It takes inspiration from all the core religions, and has followers from all walks of life, but mainly the dalit community.

The leader of this sect Baba Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh, is a controversial figure himself, who faces rape and murder charges.

Some analysts argue that this is a political move, as the DSS urged everyone to support congress, where as the Sikhs tend to support the Akali Dal.

The current situation is that the Sikh Clergy have demanded an apology - which has not been forthcoming. Thousands of protesters have turned to the streets armed on both sides of the dispute. So far there has been one death in this latest episode.

Throughout history many pakhandi's have pretended to be Guru's ( Just look at how many pakhandis flocked to Baba Bakala once Guru HarKrishan Ji had signalled that the next Guru would be found there). Even jealous siblings formed seperate sects once they were unworthy of being Gurus. More recently the Nirankaris under Lachmann Singh again tied to malign/dilute the Sikh faith. The Nirankari leader (who had been supported by the congress party) tried to mock the Guru and the Panj Pyare, by saying he would create 'Sat Sitaarey' (Seven Stars). That particular conflict led to bloodshed. I have an awfull feeling that the current situation is very similar to the Nirankari episode, and one cannot help but draw some parallels between the two.

The pacifists are beating the old "sikh Extremists" drum, other words recently being touted are over reaction, no freedom of speech etc..

My own feeling is that what this baba has done is totally out of order. He should apologise, but i doubt that will happen. There will be bloodshed once again in Panjab. I believe that the initial protests were peaceful, but later turned violent once the opposition turned up armed.

I personally don't believe in the peaceful protest, it doesn't achieve anything - as it needs both sides to be on the same level (understanding the issues). This guy has basically mocked the Guru, and the pacifists want Sikhs to sit back and let the mocking continue. If you let it go this once, then be assured next time the mocking will increase in level. When will it stop and at what point do you say enough is enough?

Its ok to say that this guy has a freedom speech, but at what cost, and with freedom of speech there should be some form of responsibility. Freedom of Speech doesn't mean that someone can go and imitate the prophets of a faith.

Guru Ji himself said "When all other means have been exhausted it is righteous to pick up the sword". I'm not suggesting that all the Sikhs should go around killing everyone in the DSS sect, but its leader needs to think about the consequences of his ridiculous act.

Panj Review

2007-05-01T21:27:00.000Z

As promised on one of my earlier posts, here’s my review of “Panj”, the 5^th offering by Immortal Productions. I’ve had the CD for about a week now, and It is stunning. It contain tracks by the regular shaheedi crew (IP, Jagowale, Tigerstyle, XS-BASS,Shveta), and also some new blood to this genre (G.N.E, Crative Boy, Kanwar, Des-c, and Balwinder Matewaria). It’s a 12 track album, and it is different from the previous releases in that there is a lot of English content in this one.

Track 1 – Intro. As with all Shaheedi releases the intro is just advising that this album is to pay homage to the shaheeds, and please refrain from playing in clubs etc.

Track 2 – Singh Soormeh. XS-BASS and Kulwinder Singh Johal (of Tru Skool and the specialist fame) collaborate on the opening track. It’s a very hard hitting track about the brave Sikhs who gave their lives for the Guru, and the freedom fight there after, without the slightest fear of death. Excellent track to open with. You can hear the full track HERE.

Track 3 – Son of a Sardar. Tigerstyle introduce the vocals of Kanwar on this Hip Hop flavoured track. Most of the content is in English, so the youngsters will definitely relate to this. Again the track pays homage to the great Sikh martyrs like Shri Guru Arjun Dev Ji, and Guru Tegh Bahadur Ji. I say kudos to Tigerstyle with their experimenting on this track. One of my favourites on the album. You can hear the full track HERE.

Track 4 – Raaj Khalse Da . Surinder Singh & Narinder Singh join forces with Jagowale to bring this acoustic track. It really is a great track, the acoustics complement the vocals of the ever impressive Jagowale. The track is about how victory will always be the Khalsa’s, whoever they take the battlefield against. Mindblowing track.

Track 5 – State of the Union. America’s G.N.E featuring AK sentaali (AK47) bring this rap type track. The track urges the Sikh nation to rise and unify, to create a new chapter in world history. How long are we gonna sit back idly and talk about the injustices we have been handed out, and actually do something about it…. The message is hard hitting, and stirs the soul. You can hear the full track HERE.

Track 6 – Satnaam Waheguru – Tigerstyle once again with Shveta (who appeared on the excellent “mukhon Satnaam Bolda” on the Shaheedi 400 album), bring a blockbuster. This is a really mellow track, which urges the listener to discover the light of God which dwells in us all. I was really impressed by the male vocals on this track too, but there is no mention of the male singer on the credits. Nevertheless a great track, and i cn see it being on repeat on my CD for some time.

Track 7 – interlude by Immortal Productions and Crative Boy. A Short rap track which recalls the bravery shown by Baba Deep Singh Ji, and how we should all be proud of our heritage.

Track 8 – Sardari. Immortal Productions featuring Bhai Balkar Singh Chola Sahib. This is yet another hard hitting track about all those Singhs that are cutting their hair (Kesh Qatil). How we are trying to be fashionable, by removing Guru Ji’s nishani or stamp. Sikhs were made to stand out from the crowd by their appearance, and yet the youth are neglecting their unique identity. The Guru Ji made us unique so we could not hide, instead we would rise and outshine the regular people of society. Excellent lyrics.

Track 9 – Forget What Divides us. Manpreet Singh and Raxstar. The track tackles the caste system, even though Guru Ji abolished the caste system. We are still stuck in stigma’s such as the Caste system, ignoring the basic tennents of our faith – “Recognise all mankind as one”. I think some of the older generation need to take note of this track, as I feel the younger generation are now understanding that caste has no place in Sikhi.

Another great track.

Track 10 – Baba Deep Singh Shaheed. Immortal Productions featuring Jagowale. This song retells the account of Baba Deep Singh Ji’s shaheedi in typical Jagowale’s style.Another wake up call for the Sikhs…

Track 11 – Nishaney Kaumaan De. Tigerstyle feat Des-C. Des-C makes his debut on the Shaheedi series with this track. This particular track is about the importance of the Nishaan Sahib, it is more than simply a flag which shows where the nearest Gurudwara is.

Track 12 – Wake up Call – Money Spinner feat Balwinder Matewaria. This track pays homage to those shaheed who defended Shri Harmandir Sahib from the attacks by the Indian Army against enormous odds. They fulfilled the 10^th Masters pledge that ‘One Sikh will battle 125,000 men’.

Overall thoughts: Wow, this is simply stunning. They’ve taken the Shaheedi series to a new level, with the added dimensions of rap and hip hop which were not really present before. Buy it now from HERE.

Trouble at Vaisakhi Mela

2007-04-24T18:08:00.000Z

What should have been a great day for families and an opportunity for Sikhs to celebrate the birth of Khalsa, was spoilt by a stabbing in Handsworth park - Birmingham. Read HERE for full story.

There are all sorts of rumours flying about, concerning what happened and why. To be honest i'm not interested in adding further fuel to this. It's a shame that this attack took place, that too on the day Sikhs were celebrating the birth of Khalsa. It's about time Sikhs put politics aside and showed some unity. There is no dispute that cannot be resolved through dialogue, particularly as both parties are Sikh.

The incident has led to several arrests over the last couple of days. There is speculation that the mela maybe cancelled going forward, even mela's at Wolves and Coventry are under doubt as we stand. It would be a shame if due to the actions of a few, thousands will not be able to celebrate going forward.

The Handsworth Mela is notorious for attracting trouble, mainly between Sikh and Pakistani "boys". Like other melas there is plenty of anti-sikh behaviour by the Sikh youth (drinking and smoking). Maybe this incident will awaken them, and get them to sort themselves out.

The previous week there was a incident at the Smethwick mela when some Pakistani boys attacked women,old men and kids with hockey sticks, after a few of them had been involved in a scuffle with some Sikh boys earlier in the day. Again the mela is open to anyone, but surely these boys turn up every year to cause trouble, and this needs to be stopped. I'm not saying that the sikh lads involved are clear of any blame, but the fact is the Pakistani youth shouldn't really be causing trouble at such an event. Melas themselves are usually an excuse for the youth to mingle with the opposite sex, which is one of the reasons i find them a waste of time, money and resources. We need to be educating the youth on Sikhi, not encouraging the activities that go on in mela's.

Made in Punjab

2007-04-20T14:34:00.000Z

Made In Punjab was started in 2007 by two friends Bhavnesh Chamdal & Manmit Jandu. These two creative minds were fed up with the poor quality of clothing available at the Vaisakhi Mela in Handsworth, Birmingham.

Bhavnesh & Manmit made it their mission to create a range of clothing that emphasised the rich background of Sikhism, and at the same time create design pieces that people would want to wear ALL the time... not just in celebration of Vaisakhi and other religous festivals.

Made In Punjab will be officially launching at the Vaisakhi Mela in Handsworth, Birmingham on Sunday 22nd April 2007. There will soon be an online store and gallery at www.madeinpunjab.biz. There are also plans to tour various mela's and festivals throughout the year.

I'm all for ideas such as this one, and respect to the guys behind this project. We should get behind them and support them.

My only concern would be the youth of today who would buy these items with "khanda's" on them and then wear them whilst drinking or smoking. Hopefully that won't happen...

All the best for this project guys.

Bradford's Vaisakhi Nagar Kirtan 2007

2007-04-15T16:10:00.000Z

Bradford's Sikh community organised it's annual Vaisakhi Nagar Kirtan on Saturday 14th April. The Nagar Kirtan visited each of the city's 6 Gurudwarey, and it lasted for approximatley 6 hours.
The Weather was brilliant, and the turnout was decent (i reckon 3-4,000 - not bad for Bradford hey).

I'm posting a few pics, enjoy...

Below are the Panj Pyaarey at Guru Nanak Gurudwara Wakfield Road:

Flying Singh during mock Gatka Fight:

Kirtan Jatha from India:

Random pics of the sangat at the Nagar Kirtan:

Shabad from Shaheed Udham Singh Movie Soundtrack

2007-04-08T13:26:00.004Z

This is a beautiful shabad, which features on the "shaheed Udham Singh" soundtrack. Vocals are provided by Jagjit Singh, and music by U.K's Sukhshinder Shinda.

Dharmic Releases for Vasakhi

2007-04-07T18:53:00.000Z

This Vasakhi sees the release of three Dharmic CD's produced by some of the biggest names in the Bhangra music industry.

Lets get the ball rolling with the latest installment from Immortal Productions - Panj. Featuring the likes of Tigerstyle, XS-Bass, Des-c, Shveta and many more, this will be every bit as good as the previous releases by Immortal Productions. For more information and to listen to samples click here, i'm really feeling the "Satnam" sample. As usual the CD will be released on vasakhi day and can be purchased on line from BOSS, aswell as at Nagar Kirtans in the UK.

The next release is now available, and is brought to you by RDB and Three records. This includes artists such as RDB, Sahara, Manak-e, NS Chauhan, Sangra Vibes, and many more. For more details click here

The last release is called "Khalsa Revolution vol 2". I'll be honest and i have not heard of this previously. Samples are available here for you guys to check out.

So it should be a fairly busy period in terms of Dharmic releases, and i will try and get some reviews up for folks to read.

Jis Ke Sir oopar tu swami

2007-04-01T13:01:00.002Z

This shabad was recited at the Gurudwara today, at the time i remember thinking about the version sung by the late Mohammed Rafi ji. I've found an mp3 version of Rafi Sahib and would like to share it with you guys, as i think its awesome.

Manmukh v Gurmukh

2007-03-31T19:44:00.000Z

A Manmukh only remembers God in difficult times

A Gurmukh meditates on the Lord at all times.

A Manmukh will question God and his existence in difficult times

A Gurmukh finds everything (good or bad) the Lord does as sweet.

A Manmukh thinks of himself and his family.

A Gurmukh asks for Sarbat da bhalla.

A Manmukh pursues material goods

A Gurmukh’s only wish is to be blessed with darshan.

A Manmukh is being controlled by his mind and cannot control the five thieves.

A Gurmukh, has tamed the wild horse that is the mind.

A Manmukh discriminates against people based upon colour, caste , creed, etc..

A Gurmukh sees God in everyone, and all mankind as one.

A manmukh gets temporarily high from man made intoxicants

A Gurmukh is permanently intoxicated by Naam.

Thermopylae Vs Saragarhi

2007-03-30T20:48:00.000Z

I've just watched Hollywood's adaptation of the battle of Thermopylae - "300". If you go to watch it for just the battle scenes then you will not be disappointed. The battle scenes are awesome, and mind blowing. If you can drown out the Scottish accents that the Spartans have somehow managed to pick up, then its a bonus.

I'm a little disappointed in the portrayal of the Persian empire, who are shown to be something out of a freak show gone terribly wrong. There's no doubt the the Spartans fought against great odds to hold up the inevitable Persian invasion, but this movie does exaggerate some details of the battle (in typical Hollywood style). I even caught some interview of cast and crew on tv the other day, and they were saying how the Spartans saved western civilisation and democracy etc., which again is over the top. They made the Persian empire out to be some backward, mystical, black magic practicing, savages. King Xerxes is made out to be an absolute freak show himself. The Greeks are shown defeating and outmaneuvering the Persian army, even though the Persians bring beasts that never existed to the fight.

Now compare this act of bravery to that of those 21 Sikhs from the 36th Sikh Regiment in Saragarhi. Unesco has described the Battle of Saragarhi as one of eight stories of collective bravery. Over the past few days i have been trawling the net to find some information on the battle from a source which is not Indian or Sikh. Unfortunately i have not been able to do so as yet. It does seem that this act has been forgotten by the colonial masters, even though at the time of the battle apparently there was a standing ovation in the house of commons for these soldiers.

It would be great if this battle could be re enacted on the big screen, produced by a big production house, so that the whole world could also get a chance to see the bravery of those 21 men who chose to die fighting rather than surrender.