Guru Gobind Singh's Service to Humanity

Jan 5, 2004, 12.00am IST

Inder Raj Ahluwalia.

Guru Gobind Singh was no ordinary mortal . The signs were there right from his birth. In 1666, on the Guru’s birth, a pious Muslim fakir, Sayyad Bhikhan Shah, declared: “God has sent a new light on this earth”.

He then decided to test the newborn ‘prince’. Producing two jars of sweets obtained from a Hindu and a Muslim vendor, Bhikhan Shah tried to learn the child’s preference from the jar he touched. The baby, however, clutched both jars and smiled, whereupon the fakir acknowledged him to be a master of both communities.

Seeking a new order based on the ideal of sacrifice for the cause of ‘dharma’ and the rejection of slavery, the Guru created the Khalsa, meaning the pure, on Baisakhi day in 1699. His followers were a spiritual and social entity rather than a politically dynamic force. The Khalsa were ordained to believe in one God, shun rituals and superstitions, inculcate respect for women, and consider everyone equal.

These tenets are of crucial importance even today. Equality for all citizens is one of India’s primary social objectives. And respect for women is something most of us badly need to cultivate and practise, in a society that has seen women burnt for the sake of material benefits. The Guru’s teachings, therefore, are of special significance in today’s world.

The symbols associated with the faith have a deep relevance. Like an- cient sages or Kshatriyas (warriors), the Khalsa grew their hair as a pledge of dedication. While this injunction — not to cut hair — was to give them an identity, the other symbols had deeper meaning.

A steel bracelet to denote the universality of God, a comb to keep the hair clean as cleanliness is next to Godliness, underwear to denote chastity and a steel dagger for self-defence.

Administering amrit or nectar to his five disciples and to himself, the Guru had declared: “The Khalsa shall not only be warlike but shall also sweeten the lives of those he is chosen to serve”.

Calling the Khalsa the ‘pure’ and his very own, he formalised entity to the concept of the ‘warrior saint’. However, Guru Gobind Singh advocated the use of force only if it were absolutely essential and that too, for a good cause.

The Guru’s message was that physical prowess was as sacred as spiritual sensitivity and both had a significant role in our lives. He asked his followers to revere their weapons, and excel in horse-riding, marksmanship, and swordsmanship. They were to act as a bridge between the Hindus and the Muslims, and serve the poor without distinction of caste, creed, or colour. Service to humanity was the key.

Guru Gobind Singh had ordained that Deg, the community kitchen, would be as important as Teg, the sword.

The Guru’s inspired leadership prompted the Sikh soldiers to exemplary bra- very, earning for them the distinguished title Sava Lakh — each being able to fight a lakh and a quarter enemies.

But perhaps his greatest message was that one should ignore cosmetic images and look at each and every person as a human being. Each being deserved to be treated well and with kindness. Each had a right to lead a peaceful and dignified existence. Despite his turbulent life, the Guru patronised the arts. At Paonta Sahib he wrote much of the Dasam Granth, verse that resound with devotion and chivalry.

Considering his achievements and impact on society, it is hard to imagine that Guru Gobind Singh lived for barely 40-odd years. He served the Sikh community but was also a saviour of other communities. His quest for dharma was ceaseless. His new order’s mission was to ‘do right’.