I am very happy to be here today with you, and feel grateful for the love and affection with which I have been called to have your Darshan, because in the Darshan of the Khalsa we have the Divine and Sublime Darshan of the Satguru himself. For this my thanks are specially due to my very dear and old friend the wing Commander.
We have assembled here today to celebrate the Baisakhi. Baisakhi, for us the Sikhs, is an auspicious day. It is our great day. It was the day of Culmination and Perfection. The Satguru's mission, after two hundred years of calculated, persistent, and planned effort, sacrifices and hard work, came to be fulfilled, and the ideal set by the Satguru reached perfection on this day. It is the Birthday of the Khalsa. No data, so far, has ever been known of the creation of a Nation. It could not be determined. It is a special peculiarity of the Khalsa that not only its birthday but even the period of its creation can be pin-pointed. On this day the Guruship was passed on and entrusted to the Khalsa under the Supreme Instruction and Guidance of the Gurbani.
The Khalsa was not created out of vengeance to take revenge. It was not created impulsively in a hurry. Nor was it created as a 'time-server', a strategic step, or as a reaction to any barbarous rebuff or the martyrdom of the 9th Nanak, Guru Teg Bahadur. The martyrdoms of the 5th Nanak Guru Arjan Dev, and that of the 9th Satguru, were significant and important stages in the process of development. They were like rockets fired to clear the straighten the course, and to propel and shoot the movement towards the goal like bullet. The Khalsa was created at the pleasure of Akalpurkh and as ordained by Him. It was created.after full thought, thorough deliberation, and meticulous planning in Perfect, Whole, and Masculine Image. It was created by the Satguru, as Lepel Griffin has said, like Jupiter taking out Minerva from his thighs. It was like Durge producing Chandi from her forehead.
Two hundred years before, Shri Guru Nanak Dev, had made the call and set the Ideal. The Ideal was set in the first Shalok of Guru Nanak's Asa-di-Var. I am a sacrifice to my Guru a myriad times a day, who turned men into Gods, and without delay.
The Ideal was to turn meant into Gods. it was to create a nation of God conscious men out to do service to humanity and be ever ready to offer sacrifice for and Approved cause and to uphold Godly virtues and exact justice where it was denied. In the words of the 10th Nanak, Guru Gobind Singh, it was:
To uphold and advance righteousness, and to emancipate the good, 'the saint within us'.
To extirpate evil and evil doers root and branch. During this span of human life those branch who have earned the Blessings of the Satguru and chosen to tread the Way of Life he has chalked out for his Sikhs are duty bound to keep this ideal always in view and strive to achieve the goal.
The Movement calculatively and meticulously worked, progressed, and developed towards this goal. We find that during the time of the 4th Nanak, Guru Ram Dass, the Sikhs had reached the stage and the Movement touched the point when the Satguru wished for and said:
O God, grant the dust of the feet of the Sikhs of the Guru so that we sinners may also be saved.
Like emerald set with pearls, the 4th Satguru has depicted the daily life routine and time table of a Sikh of the Guru in Chapter Rag Gauri of our Scripture and defines a Sikh as follows:
He who is called a Sikh of the Satguru, should rise early and remember the Lord's name.
He should get up early and take bath and have a dip in the Pool of Nector
Through the Guru's Teaching he should dwell upon the Lord that his sins are washed off.
And when the Sun rises, let him sing the Guru's word and reflect on God's Name while sitting and standing.
He who remembers my God with every breath and morsel, that Sikh becomes the Beloved of the Guru.
To whom my Lord becomes kind, the Guru gives Instructions to that Sikh.
Nanak craves the Dust of that Sikh of the Guru who always remembers himself and makes others remember the Name.
During the 5th Nanak, Guru Arjan Dev's period, when the spiritual reawakening and regeneration of 'man' and resurrection of human values and restoration of consciousness of the self, and mental, moral, and social uplift was complete, and the virtues of self-help, self-respect and self-confidence had reborn, and slave mentality of helplessness and surrender-cum-submission had been swept out, the Satguru announced:
I have built up the Abode of Truth
And gathered in it the Guru's Sikhs after great search
The merciful Lord hatch now given the Command.
That no one will henceforth domineer over and give pain to another.
and, all will abide in peace; such being the rule of the merciful Lord.
I am the combatant of the God's own Legion,
On meeting the Guru, the Plume of my Sarband flutters high up.
The spectators hatch assembled in the arena to witness my deeds of valour; the Creator himself witnesseth - [the struggle]
The pinnacle was reached on the burning "Jeth Shudi" 4th (May 30th 1606) when at Lahore the 5th Satguru offered Shahadat (martyrdom, death by Yasa).
But in case surrendering life as Ahuti was not successful, it was not to mean surrendering of values and principles helplessly. so long as life breathes, effort and struggle must continue. when other means have failed, it is ethically and morally justified and even incumbent on a Sikh to resort to force.
After the martyrdom of his father, therefore, the 6th Nanak Guru Hargobind, at the time of his accession, asked for the Sword. Not one, but he wore two Swords; One representing spirituality (PIRI) and the other worldly duty to resist aggression, tyranny, and injustice (MIRI). It was and is meant to sweep aside obstacles that obstruct the performance one's duty (Dharma). It is meant to uphold good and punish the bad and bane to human society. Like the surgeon's lancet it is meant to uphold Good and punish the bad and bane to human society. It is the symbol of will and power and determination of a Sikh to live a Sikh life. These two Swords of 'MIRI' and 'PIRI', in their sophisticated final form, merged into one double-edged sword called Khanda, in the hands of the 10th Satguru. This Khanda became the creator of the new librated order, the Khalsa, and the destroyer of the evil and wrong.
The movement reached its apex in 1699 A.D. when the 10th Nanak mission to completion and presented Gods in the form of the Khalsa.
The first Satguru had made the call:
If thou art zealous of playing the game of love,
Then enter upon my Path with thy head on thy palm.
Yes, once thou settest thy foot on this Path,
Then find not a way out, and lay down thy head.
Before enrolling a Sikh in the Akalpurkh's Fauj (God's own Legion), he demanded to head, which his followers so spiritedly offered to him in his 10th Form.
On this day five Beloved ones (Pyaras) who literally came with their heads on the palms of their hands, to submit before the blood dripping sword of the Master, were first administered Amrit of Khanda by the Guru and then the Guru himself received Amrit from the five Beloved ones. Thus the Guru became the Sikh and the Sikh Guru.
Hail, wonderful Gobind Singh ;
Yourself the Guru and yourself the disciple. (Bhai Gurdas II)
Such a development was unknown and unparalleled in History before. Leaders previously had functioned as shepherds to look after their disciples as sheep and cows alone. there was thus no room left for any Personality Cult, after the Satguru, amongst the Sikhs. The foundation of the system of joint Leadership and Joint Responsibility in Democratic set-up was laid. When we get inclined towards Authoritarian Dictatorship, we get off the track and head towards our downfall and crash.
The head of a Sikh, having been offered and accepted, became that of the Guru. It is in trust with him. It is therefore, incumbent on a Sikh to carry the Head high and not to bow it before a mortal or any one who took birth and died. It shall only bow and bend before the Ishat Gurdev and God.
The Sikh way of salutation also changed after this development. Previously when a Sikh saw a Sikh, they used to touch one another's feet.
Whenever a Sikh of the Guru is seen, repair to his feet in all humility.
After being entrusted with the Guruship and his enrollment in the Akalpurkh's Fauj, his status soared high, and a Sikh began to greet a Sikh saying
WaheGuru ji ka Khalsa (The Khalsa is of God-Guru)
WaheGuru ji ki Fateh (So is victory of God-Guru)
History tells us that these "Gods" created by the Satguru, were not like those legendary Gods who could not withstand the onslaught of the Demons and could not protect themselves, but fled crying and bewailing to goddess durga to seek her help and protection. The gods created in the shape of the Khalsa, to only were able to defend their own hearths, homes, and families, and kith and kin, but came to the help of the helpless millions who were groaning in their imbecility under the iron heels of the tyrannous and barbarous foreign invaders. They rescued 25 to 30 thousand Hindu women and girls who were being carried as war booty to Afghanistan by Ahmad Shah Abdali and escorted them safely were eventually able to ride triumphantly into Delhi in 1790.
Seeing these developments, Kesho, the Brahmin priest, noticed that offerings, gifts, and all the money, that these priests extorted and received, were being stopped by the Sikhs and the Guru Darbar, and diverted towards the needs and causes of their own and of the Panth, he flared up and full anger went to the Satguru and game his mind out. He even spoke disrespectfully about the whole matter and the Sikhs as coming from low castes. The Satguru in his usual sweetness replied which is recorded in the following four historic CHHANDS of the 10th Satguru ; -
Whatever God had written in thy destiny thou hast received ; O Brahmin, Banish thy regrets.
It is not my fault. It escaped my memory altogether.
Do not be angry.
I shall send good clothes and bedding today.
Be thoroughly assured of this.
All khatris are created by the Brahmins. But on my Sikhs here you better have kindness and (leave them alone).
Then the Sikhs, the Khalsa, is lauded in the next two Chhands.
My victories in battle have been through their favour, through their favour I have made gifts ;
Through their favour all my troubles have been removed,
through their kindness again my house is replenished ;
Through their favour I have acquired knowledge ;
through their kindness all my enemies have been destroyed;
Through their kindness I am exalted ; otherwise there are millions of poor people like me.
To serve them plea Seth me ; service of any other is not dear to me.
to bestow gifts on them alone is proper;
to make gifts to others is not profitable
To bestow gifts on them alone will bear fruit
hereafter and bring praise in this world ;
All the wealth in my house with my soul and body is for, them
hearing all this, the Missar (Brahmin); -
With agony and anger the Missar in his heart burnt like dry grass.
Realizing the loss of his income and in anxiety for his future provision, the Missar began to weep and cry.
In the second line of the above Chhands, the words "it escaped my memory altogether: are very significant. They depict that the Brahimin Priest was not at all in any picture or consideration at the Guru's Court and would have no place amongst the Sikhs. Kesho Gopal (Kesho=uncut long haired, Gopal=sustainer of the universe) had taken place of Kesho Pandit.
All the four Varuns are blended into one individual Sikh. When he reads the Scriptures, recites Gurbani, leads in prayers, delivers a sermon, preaches in Sangat, performs religious rites and social ceremonies, he is a Brahmin. When he wields the sword, fights battles, jumps to the help of the helpless, and defends his family and country, he is a Kashatrya. When he tills the land and does a craftsman's job, he is a Vaish. And when he cleanses the dirty utensils of the Langar, dusts off the shoes of the Sangat, sweeps the house and the Gurdwara compound, takes the farm-yard manure on his head to the field, and does other service wherever needed, that very Sikh is a Shudra also.
But unfortunately we are again dividing up and setting a Sikh against a Sikh which we can never afford.
We have to live a useful life, an active life, a purposeful and fruitful life. About a goody goody, quiet, aloof, harmless and effortless life without being of any good to another or fighting for an Approved Cause or taking part in a Dharam Yudh, the 10th Master has made a very crisp remark in his Bachittar Natak :-
One had never fought a battle, and never earned praise by helping another.
Whom even neighbors have not known then who pointed him out to the Angel of Death?
The world has made wonderful advancement and admirable achievements in science and technology. We have even landed on the Moon. But inspite of all this, the world today lacks equilibrium and tranquility of mind. If the world stands in need of anything at this time, it i s the Teaching and Message of the Satguru. If we can spread the Guru''s word, far and wide and into every nook and corner, we will have done some service.
when the satguru entrusted to the khalsa the Guruship, he also granted the image and identity and entrusted the banner to be kept aloft. It is our Dharma (duty) to protect and preserve these even with our lives. For the instructions are :-
So long as the Khalsa retains independent identity.
I will bestow on them full glory,
But the moment they adopt Brahmanical ways.
I Will not trust them.
It is painful to notice that some of our younger brothers and even sister are out with blades, knives, and scissors in their hands to tarnish and disfigure their own image in defiance of the above Instructions. The future of the Panth rests with our younger generation. Sooner than later they will be called upon to shoulder the responsibility. They should better rise higher and prepare themselves in time for this purpose and earn the Satguru's-pleasure and blessings:
Beware: Let us not miss the buss:
WaheGuruji Ka Khalsa
WaheGuruji Ki Fateh