Special on Martyrdom Day of 9th Guru Sri Teg Bahadur Ji
Tarun Chugh
If ever we see tolerance, softness, gentleness, generosity and fearlessness personified into one great soul that is the revered name of 9th Guru Sri Guru Tegh Bahadur Ji. And today when India readies itself to become a world leader (Vishwaguru), the inspiration from the life of Guru Teg Bahadur is most vital. The revered Guru is truly “Hind Ki Chaadar” and following the path shown by him, we can visualise the great vision and keeping humanity as central to our living.
The whole mankind today is indebted to the sacrifice of Sri Guru Tegh BahadurJi, who was a great warrior, spiritual personality and lover of the motherland. He was called “Hind Ki Chaadar” because of sacrificing everything for the protection of religion, motherland and the rights of the people.
Today there is an urgent need to dedicate the society and the nation to the great ideals of Sri Guru Tegh BahadurJi, who teaches us about love for humanity without any discrimination. The teachings of Guru Tegh Bahadur Ji to live a fearless independent life are our guiding light. Guru ji and his family were subjected to severe torture by the Mughal emperor Aurangzeb but did not surrender but bore all with a divine calmness.
His transformation from Tyagmal to Tegh Bahadur is an amazing story of supreme religious firmness, morality and bravery in human history. Guru ji sacrificed his life, but did not leave the path of truth and righteousness. Such was his divine power that he was in deep meditation when his disciples were being brutally killed in front of him. Sri Guru Tegh Bahadur Ji had said that religion is a duty and a way of leading an ideal life.
Guru ji’s sacrifice teaches man the lesson of dutifulness, independence and commitment towards the country. Today’s young generation needs to take inspiration from the life, character and sacrifice of Sri Guru Tegh BahadurJi to imbibe human and moral values in life, so that India becomes a world guru again. Guru Tegh Bahadur Ji refused to bow down to tyranny and injustice. Despite all the difficulties, he chose the path of ideals and principles.
A delegation of Kashmiri Pandits came to meet him at the place ‘Chak Nanaki’, which is today famous as the holy city of ‘Sri Anandpur Sahib’. After listening patiently to the Kashmiri Pandits, he asked them to convey to Aurangzeb or his men that they could change their religion only if their guru would do so. After this Sri Guru TeghBahadur Ji was taken prisoner along with his three devotees – Bhai Sati Das, Bhai Mati Das and Bhai Dayala. When they refused to accept Islam, all three were killed in front of their teacher.
This shocked Sri Guru Tegh Bahadur Ji and he embraced martyrdom in the year 1675. He himself was meditating when he was beheaded.
Today, Gurdwara Sheesh Ganj Sahib in Delhi’s Chandni Chowk symbolizes a saga of sacrifice, which has no match in human history. Their sacrifices not only saved an ancient Indian civilization and culture from extinction based on the principle of “VasudhaivaKutumbakam” but also served as a building block for a strong and inclusive nation.
The establishment of the foundation of Sikhism was not a common thing in human history, rather it became the shield of Hinduism. It is a great tradition and heritage today. The ninth Sikh Guru not only gave strength to the people to protect their religion, but also took the greatness of Sikhism to the pinnacle.
Guru Tegh Bahadur Ji knew that his devotees had paid the price for religion without any remorse. He faced hardships by rejecting all temptations, but he did not shed a single drop of tear. The life of Sri Guru Tegh Bahadur Ji is a true martyrdom for religion and humanity. Sri Guru Tegh Bahadur Ji did not give up in front of Aurangzeb’s cruelty. In answer to every question, he said- “I am a Sikh and will remain a Sikh”. In the present times, we need to take lessons from the teachings and sacrifice of Sri Guru Tegh Bahadur Ji.
His sacrifice, belief in truth, non-violence, and a benevolent attitude towards all is inspirational. He fought against superstition, caste based discrimination and untouchability so that every human being can lead an ideal life of his choice. A true religion teaches us to serve the society and people in the best possible way. Guru Tegh Bahadur Ji kept fighting for the betterment of the weak and downtrodden. We all should always remember the great teachings, messages and sayings of Sri Guru TeghBahadurJi.
We should lead a stable and balanced life in happiness and sorrow. His teachings teach us to follow the path of purposeful living, equality, harmony and following moral values as well as maintaining purity in social life.
The great words of Guru Tegh Bahadur Ji are a source of energy and wisdom for humanity. He fought against the autocratic and bigoted ruler in the most peaceful and humane manner. His teachings will continue to inspire generations to come. His life teaches us to face every situation without getting distracted and live with complete calmness and determination.
Guruji’s 400th birth anniversary was specially celebrated on 21 April 2022. Prime Minister Narendra Modi also participated in the 400th Prakash Purb celebrations of Sikh Guru Tegh Bahadur at the Red Fort and released a commemorative coin and postage stamp on the occasion. This two-day event was organized by the Government of India in collaboration with Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee.
Ragis and children from different parts of the country presented ‘ShabadKirtan’ during programme, which the Prime Minister listened to with rapt attention. Recalling the sacrifice of Guru Tegh Bahadur Sahib, the Prime Minister in his address had said that at that time India saw a great hope in the form of Guru Tegh Bahadur Sahib to save its identity. In front of the terroristic thinking of that time, Guru Tegh Bahadur Ji stood like a rock by becoming ‘Hind Ki Chaadar’.
The sacrifice of Guru Tegh Bahadur Ji inspired many generations of Indians to live and die for the honour and dignity of their culture. Big powers have disappeared, big storms have calmed down but India is still standing immortal, moving forward. This is a humble tribute to Guru Teg Bahadurji on his Martyrdom Day.
(The author is the National General Secretary of BJP)
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