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 Guru
Har Rai passed away on October 6, 1661.
Guru Har Krishan consoled the disciples.
He asked them not to give way to despair
but abide by the Will of the Almighty.
All should sing God's praises and not
weep or lament. As days went by, the
disciples began pouring in from far
and near. They were delighted to have
a sight of the Guru. He sat on the throne,
a small figure, young in years, but
mature in wisdom. Says Bhai Santokh
Singh, "The early morning sun looks
small in size, but its light is everywhere.
So was Guru Har Krishan's fame, without
limit." Those who came to see him
were instructed in true knowledge. They
had their heart's desires fulfilled
and their sins erased. The Sikhs recognized
him as the picture of Guru Nanak. They
saw on Guru Har Krishan's handsome face
the same light as must have been on
Guru Nanak's. Guru Har Krishan had a
rare ability in explaining passages
from the Holy Granth. He delighted the
hearts of his disciples by his commentaries.
He reminded them to cherish the One
God alone, and asked them to discard
passions and learn the virtues of patience,
charity and love. Thus Guru Har Krishan
carried on the teaching of the Gurus
and preserved intact the legacy he had
inherited from them.
The Baisakhi day (March 29) of 1662
brought to Kiratpur vast numbers of
followers. The festival lasted three
days. The sangats were looked after
by the Guru' s grandmother, Mata Bassi,
and mother, Mata Sulakkhni. In the sangat
of Sialkot district was Pair Mall of
Pasrur, along with his family. His son,
Khem Karan, was a promising youth. Mata
Bassi betrothed her granddaughter, Bibi
Rup Kaur, to him. Nuptials were held
on December 3, 1662. According to the
Guru kian Sakhian, the presents offered
by Mata Bassi included a pothi of stories
from Guru Har Rai' s mouth and a dagger
belonging to Guru Hargobind.
Emperor Aurangzib was not pleased to
hear about the growing fame of Guru
Har Krishan. He sent for him to Delhi
as he had sent for his father, Guru
Har Rai. Guru Har Rai had not gone himself,
but had sent his elder son, Ram Rai,
to the emperor' s court. Now when a
servant of Raja Jai Singh of Amber arrived
with the emperor' s message, Guru Har
Krishan took counsel with his leading
Sikhs. They said to him with clasped
hands, "We are thy servants, Lord.
With thy knowledge of all the three
worlds, thou knowest best." Guru
Har Krishan called the messenger and
told him that he would accompany him
to Delhi. Guru Har Krishan traveled
through Ropar, Banur and Ambala. Along
the way, he instructed the disciples
who came to call on him.
When Guru was near Panjokhara, a Sikh
spoke with humility, "Sangats are
coming from Peshawar, Kabul and Kashmir.
Stay here a day so that they may have
the chance of seeing you, Master."
The Guru agreed. In that village lived
a pandit, Lal Chand by name, who was
proud of his caste as well as of his
learning. He came to see the Guru and
spoke with derision: "It is said
that you sit on the gaddi of Guru Nanak.
But what do you know of the old religious
books?" Chhajju Ram, the illiterate,
dark-skinned village water-carrier,
happened to pass by at that moment.
Guru Har Krishan asked Dargah Mall to
call him. As Chhajju Ram came, the Guru
enquired if he would explain to the
pandit the gist of the Bhagavadgita.
The illiterate villager astonished everyone
by his cogent commentary on the sacred
book. Lal Chand's pride was overcome.
Humbly he fell at the Guru's feet. Both
he and Chhajju Ram became the Guru's
disciples and travelled with him up
to Kurukshetra. The former entered the
fold of the Khalsa in Guru Gobind Singh's
time, and took the name of Lal Singh.
Lal Singh met with a hero's death fighting
in the battle of Chamkaur on December
7, 1705.
In Delhi, Guru Har Krishan put up in
Raja Jai Singh's bungalow which is now
the site of Gurdwara Bangla Sahib. The
house was a spacious one "designed
to suit all the seasons of the year."
The Sikhs of Delhi started coming in
groups to see the Guru. They came chanting
the holy songs and brought offerings
with them. According to the Guru kian
Sakhian, Guru Har Krishan visited the
emperor's court on Chet Sudi Naumi,
1721 Bk/March 25, 1664. As says the
Mahima Prakash, the emperor had planned
a trial. He had two large trays laid
out for the Guru. One of these displayed
ornaments, clothes and toys. The other
had in it a holy man's cloak and cowl.
Both were presented to Guru Har Krishan.
He rejected the tray containing ornaments
and clothes, and accepted the one containing
the cloak. The emperor was convinced
of his holiness. He thought he would
invite him again and see him perform
a miracle. Guru Har Krishan guessed
what the emperor had in his mind. He
told himself that he would not see his
face again. He believed that no one
should attempt a mirage and try to disturb
the law of God. Guru Har Krishan knew
how his father had punished Ram Rai,
his elder brother, for showing feats
in Aurangzib's court.
The Rani had devised her own test.
she asked her husband, Jai Singh, to
bring the Guru to the ladies dwelling-house.
The Guru accepted the invitation. At
the entrance to the inner apartments
of the palace, he was received by the
Raja's servants with due honour. As
he stepped inside, the ladies, in their
costly jewels and clothes, bowed in
reverencers He walked past them acknowledging
their greetings. As he came near one
dressed modestly in a maid's coarse
homespun, he stopped and said, You are
the Rani. Why should you have dressed
yourself in a maid's suit?" The
Rani bent her head in homage.
Suddenly one day Guru Har Krishan was
taken ill with a fever. The fever turned
out to be the beginning of an attack
of smallpox. The Guru's tender body
was ravaged by the disease. The Guru's
mother, Mata Sulakkhani, became very
sad. she said, "Son, you occupy
the gaddi of Guru Nanak. You are the
dispeller of the world' s sorrows and
sufferings . Your very sight removes
the ailments of others . Why do you
lie sick now?" Guru Har Krishan
replied, "He who has taken this
mortal frame must go through sickness
and disease. Both happiness and suffering
are part of life. What is ordained must
happen. This is what Guru Nanak taught.
Whatever He does is His order. One must
walk in the light of His command."
Guru Har Krishan had himself taken
out of Raja Jai Singh's house to a camp
put up on the bank of the Jamuna. The
Sikhs wondered why the Guru suffered
thus. why this darkness surrounding
the sun itself? They were in despair
and wondered who would take the gaddi
after him. Guru Har Krishan, as says
the Sri Gur Pratap Suraj Granth, instructed
them in this manner: "Gurgaddi,
Guru Nanak's throne, is eternal. It
is everlasting and will command increasing
honour. The Granth is the Lord of all.
He who wants to see me, let him with
faith and love see the Granth. So will
he shed all his sins. He who would wish
to speak with the Guru, let him read
the Granth with devotion. He who practises
its teachings will obtain all the four
padarathas, or cherished objects of
human life. He who has faith gains all.
He who is without faith acquires but
little. None in this world liveth forever.
The body is mortal. In the Granth abides
the Guru' s spirit. Daily bow your head
to it. So will you conquer your passions
and attain liberation."
Tears filled the Sikhs' eyes as they
listened to what sounded like the last
words of the Guru. Then mother Sulakkhani
came forward. With tears in her eyes,
she spoke, "How shall I live without
thee, son? I was blessed when I came
into this family married to the late
Guru. I was blessed when you were born.
Now I am cast into a bottomless ocean
of sorrow. Who would be my rescuer?
How does a fish live separated from
water?" "The body is perishable,"
said Guru Har Krishan. "As you
learn to have faith in God's Will, you
will attain to realms sorrowless. Eternal
peace will be yours."
Mother Sulakkhani's heart was awakened
to the truth and she felt herself released
from her worldly chains. Guru Har Krishan
was in a critical state. Yet he did
not fail to carry out his important
responsibility before he left the mortal
world. In his last moments, he was able
to nominate his successor. He asked
for the ceremonial marks of succession
to be fetched. But all he could say
was "Baba Bakale." He meant
that the next Guru would be found in
the town of Bakala. The reference was
unmistakably to Tegh Bahadur.
Guru Har Krishan passed away on March
30, 1664. According to the Guru kian
Sakhian, Mata Bassi, the grandmother,
asked Gurdas, of the family of Bhai
Bahilo, to start a reading of the Holy
Granth in his memory. Dargah Mall and
Munshi Kalyan Das were sent to Punjab
with the mournful news. They first went
to Kiratpur to inform Guru Har Krishan's
sister, Bibi Rup Kaur. The next day,
they set out for Bakala to inform Guru
Tegh Bahadur. While in Delhi, he had
met Guru Har Krishan and now he received
the news of his passing away. He consoled
the Sikhs and taught them to abide by
God's Will.
Diwan Dargah Mall and Munshi Kalyan
Das stayed at Bakala for three days
before returning to Delhi . According
to an entry in the Bhatt Vahi Talauda
Parganah Jind, the ashes were taken
from Delhi to Kiratpur where they were
mixed with the waters of the Sutlej.
The original entry is as follows:
Sangatbeta Blnne Uppal ka hasiAmbMari,
parganah MiyenkaMaur,Nanu Ram beta Baghe
Chhipe ka basi mohalla Dilwali, Dilli,
Jaggu beta Padme ka hasi Duburji, pnrganah
Sodhara, DarEya beta Mule ka hasiA Wiper
Shamali, parganah Multan, Guru Har Krishan
ji ki hhasam Dilli se le ke Kiratpur
aye, parganah Kahlur, samvat satran
sai ikkis, Bhadon vadi ikadsi ko. Bathuti
Satludhar nadimain parvai. Guru ji ki
karahi hanti.
It is translated as Sangat, son of
Binna Uppal, of Amb Mari, parganah Miyenka
Maur, Nanu Ram, son of Bagha, calico-printer,
of Mohalla Dilwali, Delhi, Jaggu, son
of Padma, of Duburji, parganah
Sodhara, and Dariya, son of Mula, of
Alipur Shamali, parganah Multan, carried
the ashes of Guru Har Krishan from Delhi
and arrived at Kiratpur, parganah Kahlur,
on the 11 th of the dark half of the
month of Bhadon of 1721 Bk/ August 7,
1664. The ashes were immersed in the
River Sutlej. Karahprasad was distributed.
Copyright © Harbans Singh "The
encyclopedia of Sikhism. "
Macauliffe, Max Arthur, A History of
the Sikhs, vol I, Princeton, 1963
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