Guru Harkrishan was the son of Guru Har Rai, grandson of Baba Gurditta and great-grandson of Guru Hargobind. He was born to (Mata) Sulakkhani and was the youngest of the two brothers (the other being Ram Rai) and one sister (Rup Kaur). He was born on 20th of July 1652;1 Another popular date is 1656 but primary sources confirm 1652; it seems that these writers had done this in order to exaggerate his greatness at such a young age.
Guru Harkrishan spent all his life (except last two weeks) at Keeratpur. He got his education from Diwan Dargah Mall, Binna Uppal (father of Bhai Pheru) and Aru Ram Dutt (father of Bhai Kirpa Ram/Singh Dutt); besides academic and Gurmat studies, he learnt the art of horse riding and use of arms too.
Ram Rai’s Conspiracy:
Guru Harkrishan Sahib was just nine years and two and a half months’ old when he was appointed as the eighth Guru; Guru Har Rai had rejected his eldest son Ram Rai because the latter had joined Aurangzeb’s world; when Ram Rai got news of his father’s passing away, he rushed to Keeratpur. Guru Harkrishan had already taken charge of the Sikh mission; Ram Rai tried to get in his name declared as the eighth Guru, but none of his relatives or the Sikh courtiers of the Guru Darbar helped him; his only supporters were Gurdas, Gurbakhsh and Tara (the three sons of Bhai Bahilo) who were his personal attendants and had come with him from Delhi; as a result, he returned to Delhi empty-handed; there, he tried to use the offices of Aurangzeb but he could not have a meeting with the Mughal emperor for a very long time due to latter’s engagements in administration and military expeditions. It took him about two years to have a personal meeting with Aurangzeb; when Aurangzeb heard about Ram Rai’s problem, he decided to help him (Ram Rai); he asked his prime minister to summon Guru Harkrishan to Delhi. Paras Ram, Diwan of Raja Jai Sinh Mirza was sent to Keeratpur Sahib to deliver the letter from emperor asking the Guru to come to the emperor’s court in Lal Qila, Delhi; Paras Ram reached Keeratpur Sahib on the 28th of February 1664 and delivered Aurangzeb’s letter.
Guru Harkrishan left Keeratpur for Delhi on 1st of March 1664; he was escorted by his grandmother Mata Bassi, mother Mata Sulakkhani, Diwan Dargah Mall, Bhai Mani Ram (later Singh) and several others.
His first stopover was Kotla Nihang Khan; from here he went to Banur, Rajpura and Ambala, and spent his second night at Panjokhara. Most of the residents of this village had been associated with Sikhism since the time of Guru Nanak; Guru Amar Das and Guru Hargobind (in November 1619 on his way from Gwalior Fort prison) too had been to this village; the local Sikhs had established a dharamsala in this village, where the Sikhs travelling on the G. T. Road used to make a stopover in this dharamsala. Here, the Guru got the news that several Sikhs, who had gone to Keeratpur to see him, and had been informed there about his departure for Delhi; and they were following him to pay their obeisance. Finally, they were able to see the Guru at Panjokhra; their visit turned into a big congregation.
At Panjokhra lived a Brahmin whose income was merely from priestly jobs; since the spread of Sikhism, this family had lost a very large number of ‘clients’; hence reduced income because the Sikhs rejected idol-worship and ritualism; hence they did not need Brahmins/priests; due to loss of business, these Brahmins were very hostile to the Sikhs and their Gurus; and when Lal Chand, the main priest of Panjokhra, came to know that the Guru
1 Guru Kian Sakhian, sakhi no. 5, pp.43-44.
of the Sikhs was on a visit to Panjokhra, he thought of ridiculing Him (the Guru). He went to the Sikh dharamsala where they used to hold congregation. When he reached there, Guru Harkrishan was sitting along with several Sikhs; some Hindus too were sitting there to listen to the Guru; Lal Chand was surprised to see that the Guru was barely a ‘young boy’ of 12 years; he thought he could ridicule the Guru very easily. Lal Chand had been boasting that he had studied a very large number of books including four Vedas, six Shastras, eighteen Purans and twenty-seven Smritis etc; as none of the residents of Panjokhra had any knowledge of Sanskrit, his claims could not be challenged.
Lal Chand thought that the Guru would not have any knowledge of these books, so he went to him and requested him to answer his questions; he read out a hymn from Geeta and asked the Guru to explain it. When the Guru smiled at his question, he said, ‘Guruji a Krishna wrote Geeta but you are Hari plus Krishna, which is more than ordinary Krishna, hence you can explain that verse even better than the writer’. The Guru knew what the intention of the Pandit; so he smiled again and said, ‘Pandit Ji this small question can be answered by every Sikh in this assembly.’ Lal Chand thought that the Guru was trying to avoid the question, he said, ‘Guruji can any one of these answer it?’ When the Guru answered in positive, Lal Chand pointed at Chhajju Ram, a Sikh, who belonged to Jheevar family, and looked like an illiterate person, and said ‘can this person also explain this hymn?’ Guru Sahib said ‘yes’ and asked Chhajju Ram to satisfy Lal Chand.
When Chhajju Ram explained the hymn, Lal Chand was amazed; he had never heard such a fine explanation even from his teachers/mentors; his Brahmanic pride was broken and he realized that he had made a mistake; he immediately apologised; the Guru told him that knowledge was not monopoly of the Brahmins; the Sikh faith supports education for everyone; every Sikh is a saint, soldier and enlightened one; several Sikhs are well versed in Sanskrit, Persian and other languages and have studied a large number of books. All the Sikhs, including Brahmins, Tarkhans, Khatris, Rajputs, Jatts and other menials are encouraged to study books of knowledge; Chhajju Ram, though born in a Jhiwar family, had a love for learning and so were many other Sikhs. After this the Guru initiated Lal Chand and gave him duty to teach the Sikhs of that area. (Later, Lal Chand himself studies Gurbani from Bhai Chhajju Ram; and also taught Sanskrit language and its literature to the Sikhs of that area).
It is noteworthy that some Brahmin writers have distorted this incident by saying that Chhajju Ram was an illiterate and rustic, hence had no knowledge at all; the Guru touched his head with his (Guru’s) stick (magic wand) and with this he began making discourse. Here too, the Brahmin wrier had added magic and supernatural element instead of accepting that non-Brahmins Sikhs had been studying books.
Guru Harkrishan at Delhi
Having travelled through Panjokhra, Kurukshetra, Panipat etc, Guru Harkrishan reached Delhi on the 20th of March 1664 and stayed in the bungalow of Raja Jai Sinh Mirza. At that time Jai Sinh was the Governor of Deccan and had been living there; his son Kanwar Ram Sinh welcomed the Guru and arranged for his comfortable stay in the bungalow. Jai Sinh’s wife Rani Pushpawati had heard stories of the personality of the Guru but, still, she wanted to test him; she took off her royal dress and asked one of her maid servants to wear that, and she herself wore a servant’s dress; she thought the Guru will take the maid servant as the Rani. But when she (the queen) appeared before the Guru, the latter immediately recognised the queen and addresses her as Rani; the Rani felt sorry for trying to test the Guru.
Meeting with (Guru) Tegh Bahadur Sahib
When Guru Harkrishan reached Delhi, Tegh Bahadur (later Guru) too was on his way back from his missionary tour of Bihar, Bengal and Assam etc; he reached Delhi on the 21st
of March and stayed in the dharamsala of Bhai Kalyana in Dilwali Mohalla; here, he came to know about the arrival of Guru Harkrishan. The next day, on the 22nd of March, he went to the Bungalow of Raja Jai Sinh Mirza in Jaisinhpura (estate of Raja Jai Sinh Mirza), now Bangla Sahib Gurdwara; Guru Harkrishan was pleased to meet his grandfather’s brother after a span of eight years; both discussed the affairs of the Sikh Panth, especially the purpose of the visit of the Guru to Delhi, in detail. Tegh Bahadur told the Guru that Aurangzeb wanted to help Ram Rai and install him as Guru of the Sikhs; we should never allow him to interfere in the Sikh mission. Tegh Bahadur spent two days with Guru Harkrishan in the bungalow of the Raja and held deliberations with him and the prominent Sikhs who had escorted the Guru.2
On the 24th of March, Tegh Bahadur left Delhi for Madar Des (Punjab). Before he could leave Guru Harkrishan asked him to be prepared for taking command of the Sikh Panth in case of any extra-ordinary happening to him. In fact, the Guru had realized that his end was near. Tegh Bahadur first kept quiet, then said “every phenomenon is God’s sweet will” and left Delhi. (Guru) Tegh Bahadur knew what the Guru meant.
Meeting with Aurangzeb:
The same day, Guru Harkrishan received an invitation from Aurangzeb to visit him the following day; the next day, the Guru was taken to Lal Qila in a palanquin from the residence of Raja Jai Sinh Mirza; he was escorted by Kanwar Ram Sinh Mirza, Diwan Dargah Mall, Bhai Mani Ram (Singh), Gurbakhsh Rai (a confident of Ram Rai) and others. As per an entry of a Bhatt Vahi:
“Guru Harkrishan Ji mahal (Guru) eighth, son of Guru Har Rai Ji…year 1721 (Bikrami), 21st of Chetra month, descending (moon) day ninth, Thursday, when day had arisen one and a quarter pahir (i.e. about 7 AM), came in a palanquin to the court of the Delhi emperor. He was accompanied by Diwan Dargah Mall son of Dwarka Das, Kanwar Ram Sinh son of Jai Sinh Amberi, Gurbakhsh, son of Bagha Chhimba, Mani Ram son of Mai Das Jalhana and other Sikh faqirs.”3
[non-italic are mine, for clarification – author].
The Guru was welcomed by the emperor and seated on a decorated embroidered stool (moorha), an honour which was not given to any visitor except the senior Muslim holy men; first Aurangzeb formally greeted the Guru and then immediately asked: ‘Why did your father appoint you, instead of his elder brother, the successor to the Sikh mission?’; Guru Harkrishan replied: ‘Guru-ship is not a hereditary office or property which should have been granted to the eldest son; Guru Har Rai granted it to the one whom he thought suitable.’ Aurangzeb again said: ‘Being Guru you must be having some miraculous power; I want to see some of your miracles’; at this, the Guru replied: ‘Miracle is another name of calamity. Its exhibition brings wrath of God; hence it should never be practised; in Sikhism, only God is a miracle; man’s miracle is meditating upon His name.’ Aurangzeb did not have a counter question to the Guru’s answer; in the meanwhile some new guests entered the court and under this excuse he said, ‘All right, we shall have another meeting and discuss it.’
Guru Harkrishan attacked by smallpox
After leaving the Lal Qila, the Guru again sat in the palanquin and went to Jaisinhpura (now Bangla Sahib Gurdwara); on his way several people came to pay obeisance to him. Delhi, at that time was under the attack of smallpox epidemic; a large number of people had been affected by it, some of which had made obeisance to the Guru; While blessing these people the Guru was inflicted with the germs of smallpox; as soon as he reached the bungalow, he had high fever which did not subside even after four days. Raja Ram Sinh
2 Guru Kian Sakhian, sakhi no. 17, p. 63.
3 Bhatt Vahi Talaunda, Pargana Jind, Khata Jalhanay Puaron Ka.
Mirza sent expert physicians but they could not help the Guru; the effect of smallpox went on worsening. On the 30th of March, the Guru called all the Sikhs to his audience and told that he had got call from God; the Baba at Bakala will be the next Guru of the Sikhs.’
Guru Harkrishan’s body was cremated in the Bhogal area, on the bank of Yamuna River. After this a reading of (Guru) Granth Sahib was performed at the bungalow of the Raja; the recitation and exegesis of the baani was done by Bhai Mani Ram (Singh), Dargah Mall, Kalyan Das Munshi and Gurdas (son of Bahilo). After a few days, the Sikhs thanked the Rani and the Kanwar and left for Keeratpur Sahib.
The story of Gurdwara Bangla Sahib’s water
About fifty years ago (in the second half of the twentieth century), a story was concocted by the Hindu priests occupying Bangla Sahib Gurdwara that the water of the well in this Gurdwara has miraculous powers; this was also preached that Guru Harkrishan had been serving water to the people from this well which caused him catch germs of smallpox. The truth is that this well was inside the bungalow of Raja Jai Sinh; hence this was not a public well, nor the common folk had access to this well. Further, the bungalow of the Raja was not open to public and the entry of even the officials was strictly restricted. So the story of the sick people or the beggars coming to this well is totally untrue. There is no doubt that Guru Harkrishan, and all the Gurus, believed in the service of the people but the story of Guru serving the patients of smallpox at that time is mischievous concoction. It is true that there was epidemic of smallpox in those days in that area and the Guru returned from Lal Qila to the bungalow of the Raja via Dariba Kalan, Darya Ganj (the area of Shahjahanabad) etc which was worst affected with the disease and the Guru caught germs during this period.
Secondly, to call water of any particular well/river/place as ‘amrit’ (i.e. sacred) too is wrong. In Sikhism, there is no concept of any scared waters; Gurus have clearly rejected the concept of sacred waters; only Gurbani is amrit and living according to Gurbani is ‘drinking amrit‘.4 Branding some water as sacred is against Guru’s teachings; it is in fact a Brahmanic concept and the Brahmanic writers have used it to distort Sikh philosophy of amrit as well as the Sikh.
Guru Harkrishan lived in this world only for 11 years and eight months (according to some writes this period was only 7-8 years); out of this his period as Guru was only two years, five months and twenty-four days (according to Gregorian calendar). During this short span, Guru Harkrishan headed a Panth whose followers had spread from Ghazni to Peshawar, Kashmir to Assam, Puri (Jagan Nath) to Sri Lanka and Kanyakumari to Sind. According to Zulfiqar Maubad Ardastani, the writer of Dabistan-i-Mazahib, during the time of the Guru, there was perhaps no city or town in the whole of the sub-continent where there were no followers of Sikh faith. The Sikh Panth had, for the past more than one and a half century, become a big global brotherhood. Thousands of Sikhs used to visit Keeratpur to listen to the discourse of the Guru and seek his blessings. The Guru had to manage such a ‘world’ of the Sikh brotherhood; it included spiritual, organisational, financial and social role which the Guru did marvellously; for this purpose, he had got training from his father.
Guru Harkrishan was fond of study of Gurbani since his childhood; he was of the view that each and every Sikh must get maximum possible education; he believed that education was not the monopoly of the Brahmins; the Khatris, Tarkhans, Chamars i.e. everyone had the right to education (Bhai Chhajju Ram of Panjokhra was an example of this). He got prepared copies of Gurbani and the Sikh literature and sent it to different areas.
Guru Harkrishan was a polite, humble, sober and intelligent person; he was never angry. He carried every activity in a sober manner and was never hasty in nature; he could never get
4 Some people use this term for Khanday Di Pahul (the Sikh initiation ceremony) also (and now this term is much in use).
instigated, provoked or irritated. From his meeting with Aurangzeb it seems that he was much more intellectual and wise than his age. His decision to appoint Guru Tegh Bahadur as his successor too was a very far sighted decision. He had such a steady mind that he never reacted aggressively; in spite of the aggressive actions of Ram Rai and others he was sober, steady and at ease. He was a very bold person; he dealt every person at par, even if it was the emperor of a big empire; when he had a meeting with Aurangzeb, he did not behave as a junior person and spoke boldly to a man who had a vast empire, a big army and great might. When Ram Rai appeared with his yes-men to Keeratpur, the Guru did not fear or even bother for his attitude of disputing as well as aggression.
Guru Harkrishan was fully clear about the principles of Gurmat; when Aurangzeb asked him to show some miracle, he told him that Sikhism rejects showing miracles as it is in a way obstructing God’s will.
He was full of love for humanity. On the 25th of March 1664, when he was returning from Lal Qila to Raja’s bungalow, several beggars and other poor people approached his palanquin to make obeisance to him; he did not hate talking or touching for blessing) the dirty-clad and sick persons; he blessed them all and expressed his love and sympathies for them (though he himself contracted the germs of smallpox from these patients).
One can easily assess that he had all the qualities which were expected in a Guru; hence, the choice of Guru Har Rai was perfect and genuine. Aurangzeb, Pandit Lal Chand, Rani Pushpavati all realized that he was really a true Guru. On the other hand, Guru Harkrishan’s elder brother Ram Rai was a dishonest, clever, greedy, selfish, conspirator; and he well also versed in art of flattery, compromise with principles for his petty personal interests; he (Ram Rai) was not different from Sri Chand, Lakhmi Dasu, Datu, Mohan, Pirthi Chand and Dhir Mall.
Guru Harkrishan was like lily flower which has a short life but the beauty it gives lives forever in the mind of the beholder; a Guru, though with a short life, is like an ever-shining star in the history.
Truth of some of the stories about the Guru:
Like all other Gurus, several (concocted) stories about the life of Guru Harkrishan too, are popular among simple people. These had been created by those writers who wanted to establish the Guru as a tantric or a magician showing miracles etc. Some of these stories were created by some ardent followers of Sikhism too; they, perhaps, wanted to prove that the Guru, though younger in age, was a great being; and, this might have compelled them to create miraculous and hagiographic stories. Some of these concoctions are as follows:
* It has been usually preached by some people that Guru Harkrishan Sahib did not visit Aurangzeb’s court. To assert his point, they claimed that Guru Har Rai had given him instruction that he should never appear in the court of and never have a meeting/dialogue with any emperor; this is not true. Guru Sahib went to Lal Qila on the 26th of March 1664, and, both had agreed that they will have another meeting; this meeting could not take place because of the attack of smallpox on (and subsequent death of) the Guru; and this has been clearly stated in the Bhatt Vahis.
Another interesting point in the assertion of these people is that they agree that having received the letter from Aurangzeb, the Guru had gone to Delhi but he refused to see the emperor; this is strange and funny. If the Guru had decided not to see the emperor then why did he respond to the letter; he could have conveyed to the messenger that he won’t meet the emperor. He did not have to go to Delhi just to say, ‘I will not have a meeting with the emperor.”
Further, this too is wrong that no Guru went to see or had a meeting with any emperor. According to a popular belief a meeting between Guru Nanak and Babar was held (though
this is not true, they did not have any meeting any time or in any situation); Hamayun and Guru Angad had a meeting at Khadur in 1540; Akbar visited Guru Amar Das Sahib and Guru Arjan Sahib at Goindwal. One can say that Gurus did not go to the court of Hamayun or Akbar and rather these two had, themselves, gone to see the Gurus; but, there is no denying fact that Guru Nanak had worked under Nawab Daulat Khan Lodhi, a Governor of the Punjab; Guru Arjan appeared in the court of Jahangir in May 1606, in response to his summons (when the emperor ordered his execution); Guru Hargobind appeared in the court of Jahangir (when the emperor sentenced the Guru to 12 years’ imprisonment). Further, Guru Hargobind had at least two more meetings with the emperor (at Goindwal on the 27th of January 1619 and at Kalanaur on the 8th of February 1619). Even Guru Har Rai had responded to the summons from Aurangzeb and had sent his son Ram Rai to see him (emperor). Guru Gobind Singh was invited by Aurangzeb for a meeting (though Aurangzeb died before the meeting could take place); and, Guru Gobind Singh went to the court of Bahadur Shah at Agra. So, this proves that the Gurus had been meeting the emperors, and, it is wrong that Guru Har Rai had forbidden Guru Harkrishan from meeting the emperor; moreover, a meeting with the emperor does not decrease the personality of Guru Harkrishan Sahib.
* According to another story, when the Guru’s palanquin was being carried, a patient of leprosy lied down in the middle of the road and began supplicating, ‘please remove my leprosy’. According to the creater of this story, the Guru gave him his handkerchief and asked him to massage his body with this (handkerchief); and, after some time the patient was cured of leprosy. This story was concocted to show that the Guru did practice miracles or he had a magic handkerchief.
* The Brahmanic writes have tried to present the incident of Panjokhra too as a miracle. Such writers have tried to prove that Chhajju Ram was not an intelligent person but when the Guru touched him with his stick (magic wand) he began explaining the Geeta (book); this too is adding miracle element in Sikhism.
* Similarly, some writers have shown the Guru as distributing medicines to the smallpox patients in Delhi. There was an epidemic in Delhi, no doubt; but wherefrom the Guru got the medicines? Did he send someone to Keeratpur Sahib to fetch medicines (did he go by train or helicopter)? Was there a big factory at Keeratpur for producing medicine for smallpox? Was there special stock for this medicine at Keeratpur that it could serve hundreds (if not thousands) of patients; the answer o these questions is ‘no’. In fact, the Guru contracted smallpox from the epidemic and was confined to bed immediately. On one hand these writers show the Guru using miracles to help others but he himself could not save his life; these are all strange stories concocted by the Brahmanic writers..
* Another aspect of the story of water of the well of Bangla Sahib Gurdwara is to wean the Sikhs away from the concept and practice of Sikhism and to push them to pale Brahmanism by asking them to drink ‘amrit’ from this well. In Sikhism, sarovars, baolis, wells, rivers etc have no spiritual importance; the Brahmanic writers wanted the Sikhs first to resort to sacredness of these waters (sarovars etc) and then towards sixty-eight Hindu rivers and finally to Hindu shrines. There are several such stories in which miracles, occult power, magic, curse, blessing, incantation and other mantras have been added just to distort Sikhism.
* One writer has even said that Aurangzeb had presented some poisonous drink to the Guru which took his life. This writer does not mention the story of smallpox5.
–Dr. Harjinder Singh Dilgeer
5 An article by Ajit Singh Bagha.