The Hindu : Miscellaneous / Religion : Guru Tegh Bahadur's sacrifice

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Nov 27, 2004

Miscellaneous

Miscellaneous - Religion

Guru Tegh Bahadur's sacrifice

CHENNAI, NOV. 27. "One untouched by avarice, attachment, egotism and pursuit of evil passions, And one risen above joy and sorrow — know such a one to be God's own image." Thus sang a great savant. Many find it easier to appreciate such profound thoughts from an abstract point of view than put them into practice. For the human psyche automatically tends to worry over `me, myself.' The ethos of self-sacrifice for the common good of mankind is however enshrined in our collective spiritual legacy.

Speaking on the occasion of the martyrdom day of Tegh Bahadur, the ninth Guru (on November 24), Sri I.S. Sethi said the saint sacrificed his life for upholding the principle of freedom of conscience. He lived at a time when even personal laws were oppressive and the right to worship as per one's choice was denied, culminating in an atmosphere of fear and severe backlash. When an anguished Guru Tegh Bahadur sought a way to help the suffering multitude, his son Guru Gobind Singh, as a nine-year-old, spoke words of encouragement, which energised him to pursue the path of wisdom. He preached the message of Guru Nanak, expounding the philosophy without any change. When confronted, he voluntarily surrendered at Anandpur Sahib, preferring the torture of the flesh to sacrificing the ideals of virtue. Transported to Delhi in a 4x4 cage the savant faced a further test to his righteousness when three of his followers were tortured in his presence. Yet he remained steadfast and was publicly executed at Sis Ganj in Delhi.

Kabir in one of his verses says, "The true hero is one who in defence of the helpless may be hacked limb to limb, but flees not the field," and there can be no greater testimonial to the savant's unflinching courage which earned him the praise as "one who covered dharma and protected it" from marauders. For like the founder, Guru Tegh Bahadur too was firm in his conviction that spiritual progress is a combination of individual effort and collective harmony among people from all strata of society. His vision was all-pervasive as he guided seekers on the right path. In one of his hymns he exhorts devotees, "Listen man, grasp firmly this truth: the whole universe is a dream shattering in an instant; man labours to build a wall of sand, crumbling soon after; as is this wall, so are the pleasures of the world in which thou art entangled. Wake up before it is too late, turn to devotion to the Lord."

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Miscellaneous

News Update

Stories in this Section

The Hindu Crossword 8150

Solution to puzzle 8149

Guru Tegh Bahadur's sacrifice

dated November 27, 1954: Marriage Bill

dated November 27, 1954: Nehru on atomic power

dated November 27, 1954: Separate State for Nagas

Weather