Khalsa epitomises valour, freedom & dignity
By Satish K. Kapoor

THE creation of the Khalsa by Guru Gobind Singh marks the crystallisation as well as the extension of the message of Guru Nanak Dev and the subsequent Sikh Gurus. It was a historic event with mutagenic implications. While tenaciously holding to the spiritual tradition of his predecessors, Guru Gobind Singh introduced a new element into it — the element of vigour.

The Khalsa coalesced serenity and strength, purity and power, shastra (scripture) and shastra (weapon), the power of wisdom (janana shakti) and the power of action (kriya shakti) so that the primordial cosmic energy in each human being could assume a dynamic form to withstand injustice and oppression.

Henceforth, mukti (salvation) from political or social oppression was to precede mukti from the cycle of birth and death. Love for God was to be accompanied by love for mankind. The divine spirit was to be perceived in man and vice-versa. To the list of human weaknesses such as kama (lust), krodha (anger), lobha (greed), moha (attachment) and ahamkar (vanity) was added another, the feeling of timidity. The truly religious man was one who could shed every drop of his blood to safeguard the interests of the weak, the helpless, and the downtrodden and who never surrenders or submits in the battlefield of life. True pilgrimage was the pilgrimage to death for the fulfilment of a noble cause. The spiritual introvert who withdrew from the scene of turmoil to chant the holy syllables was unworthy of respect.

The Khalsa was to be a vehicle for liberating the mind of the community from fears and complexes, its body from the clutches of repressive rulers and its soul from the bondage of the clergy. The intermediaries of religion were rendered obsolete; the institution of masands, who had betrayed the path of righteousness, was abolished. Apostolic succession came to an end and the Holy word reflecting through Granth Sahib was metamorphosed into a living Guru for all time to come.

The profound impulse for the establishment of the Khalsa did not come only from the historical milieu but from the divine urge to uphold dharma and to re-establish virtue. Centuries of foreign rule had demoralised the Hindu community and rendered it spineless. Torn by the division of castes and endangered by the onslaught of Islam, it needed rejuvenation. Hindu dharma was in danger of being gobbled up by the proselytising zeal of rulers like Aurangzeb who viewed India as Dar-Al-Harb (the domain of infidels) and endeavoured to convert it into Dar-Al-Islam (the domain of the faithful). His anti-Hindu measures like the reimposition of (Jiziya) and pilgrim tax (earlier abolished by Akbar), restrictions on the celebrations of festivals like Diwali, Dasehra and Holi, demolition of thousands of temples, including Vishwanath temple of Banaras, the Keshav Rai temple of Mathura and the temple of Somnath, imposition of higher customs duty on goods handled by Hindu merchants, rendering the Hindus ineligible for the posts of revenue collector of the Khalsa land, changing the name of Mathura to Islamabad and forcible conversions to Islam, instilled a sense of fear and consternation among members of the community.

Timidity led to passivity, passivity to helplessness and helplessness to the need of a redeemer. This became possible by the divine mission of Guru Gobind Singh through the institution of the Khalsa.

The dramatic act of Guru Gobind Singh at Anandpur Sahib on the Baisakhi day of 1699 (March 30) in asking for the heads of five Sikhs one after another, was a crucial test of the sense of obedience and devotion of his disciples. The bhakti concept of prapatti was brought into vogue in a martial way. Prapatti involves the total submission of a disciple to the divine spirit or its embodiment, the Guru, and is tantamount to his death in the mental, material and psychic terms. This makes the resurrection possible.

Guru Gobind Singh was aware that if each could merge his individual self into the greater self of the community, it could lead to the formation of a Brihatkutumba or a large family strong enough to withstand pressure.

The five Sikhs who had offered themselves for sacrifice came from different castes and regions: Daya Ram was a Sobti Khatri of Lahore, Dharma Das, a Jat from Hastinapur, Muhkam Chand, a washerman from Dwarka, Himmat, a water-carrier from Jagannath Puri and Sahib Chand, a barber from Bidar (Karnataka). After going through a simulated ordeal, they were designated as Panj Piare or the five beloved ones, and initiated into the order of the Khalsa through the baptism of the sword (khande di pahul). The prevalent mode of initiation by charnamrit (partaking of water in which the feet of Guru had been bathed) was abandoned as it betokened bhakti not shakti, besides, it left a hiatus between the guru and his disciple. The Khalsa, on the other hand, was invested with the power of the Guru after Gobind Singh himself received baptism at the hands of Panj Piare who had metamorphosed as from Sikhs into Singhs or lions. The Guru merged in the Khalsa and the Khalsa in the Guru, "wherever there are five Sikhs assembled, know that I am there", observed Guru Gobind Singh. "The Khalsa is my other self; in him I live and have my being."

The baptismal ceremony was free from exculpatory rites, magical formulae, caste distinctions and archaic sacraments. Rituals were observed to de-ritualise religion and relate it to the stark reality of the time which required bravery and strength to face a tyrannical regime. Such was the level of enthusiasm that over 20,000 persons joined the rank of the Khalsa that day. In times to come, the Khalsa became the vanguard of freedom and human dignity.

Interestingly, the numeral five figured prominently in the initiatory rites as evidenced by the selection of Panj Piare mixing of five sweetening agents, namely treacle, white sugar, red sugar, candid sugar and honey in water and consecrating it by chanting five banis — Japuji, Jap, Chaupai, Swaiyya and Anand, administering five palmsful of baptismal water, and making it obligatory for every Sikh to wear the Five K’s — Kesha (long hair), Kangha (comb), Kara (steel bracelet), Kachh (short drawers) and Kirpan (sword).

The baptised Sikhs were not to relinquish the world, do penance or penitence, perform sacrifices or worship idols. They were not to hide in cloistered surroundings like Benedictine monks or move about like mendicant friars but lead a householder’s life and fulfil social and political obligations according to the exigencies of circumstances. They were not to trim hair, commit adultery, partake halal meat or use tobacco. Each was to make four solemn promises: that he would have no pride of profession or position (Kritanash vow) or of high birth (Kulnash vow), that he would reject orthodox beliefs (Dharm-anash vow) and redundant customs (Karmanash vow) and follow the path laid down by the Guru. But the Khalsa was not to apotheosise anyone, not even Guru Gobind Singh. "Any one who calls me God; in the fire of hell shall surely fall", wrote the Tenth Sikh Master.

The Khalsa was to wield arms to protect dharma from the concussive assaults of the Mughal regime under Aurangzeb. "I shall make sparrows fight hawks, then alone may I be called Guru Gobind Singh". Historical events proved the veracity of the Guru’s words. The Zafarnama or "Epistle of Victory" which he addressed to Aurangzeb during the darkest hour of his life bespeaks of his indomitable courage and supreme will.

The new salutation "Waheguru Ji Ka Khalsa, Waheguru Ji Ki Fateh" ("Khalsa belongs to God; the victory, is therefore, God’s own") became a potent mantra for the community. When chanted by the group it created a force field of energy which cast a spell on the timid and the effeminate, who showed instant readiness for service and sacrifice. The unity thus achieved was rich in spiritual potential. At social level it dissolved the distinctions based on caste, creed and status. At political level, it sounded the bugle of sovereignty of the Sikh congregation.

The creation of the Khalsa led to the dawn of a new faith. It’s task was to protect and safeguard the same community from which it had sprung. The Khalsa was to epitomise purity as the pure alone can be fearless; the fearless alone can be brave and the brave alone have the courage to die for a cause.