![]() | ![]() | ![]() |
Summary of Question: | Which Guru created Visakhi and why? |
Category: | The Sikh Gurus |
Date Posted: | Tuesday, 4/13/1999 4:11 PM MDT |
************
REPLY
***********
Sat Nam. I think you probably are not a Sikh, or you wouldn't refer to the Panj Piare (five Beloved Ones) as "5 guys"-- and you'd know that none of the Gurus originated Baisakhi (sometimes spelled Vaisakhi). Baisakhi as a celebration of spring, rebirth and rejuvenation existed long before Guru Gobind Singh, the Tenth Sikh Guru, invited all his disciples to meet with him in Anandpur Sahib on that Baisakhi celebration in 1699. At that time, with -- reports tell us_ about 85,000 people present, he tested the faith of his followers by telling them, "I need a head!" Although many people ran away, and most others were confused by this strange request, One by one, five of his devoted disciples came forward to pledge their lives and their heads(!) to him. He took the first one, Bhai Daya into the tent and came out with his sword dripping with blood. Even then, when he sent out the call for another head, another devotee came forward. and so on, until five in all had disappeared, and then he went inside the tent and brought them all out, dressed in special Bana (distinctive clothing) and the Khalsa was born. If you want to know more about that Baisakhi, go to the Anandpur Sahib section of the Sikhnet website. there are much better descriptions of this historic occasions than I have given, but the important thing is that Guru Gobind Singh not only baptised the five later, but he himself asked for the same baptism, the Amrit, and declared that "the Guru is the chela and the chela is the Guru" -- affirming the equality of all Sikhs. He decreed that they were Khalsa, the Pure Ones, and his Sikhs would use the name "Singh" for the men and "Kaur" for the women. Finally, before his death, Guru Gobind Singh brought a higher level of consciousness to his Sikhs, when he turned over the Guruship to the Siri Guru Granth Sahib, ensuring that no Sikh would ever worship a person , but would bow only to the Shabd Guru. Those "5 Guys" represented the highest virtues of man: the first of which was Kindness!
Blessings, SP
*************************************
REPLY ...Continuation of the above...
*************************************
The 5 Payare on that Baisakhi day who became the first of the Khalsa, were:
Daya Ram Ji of Labore
Dharam Das Ji of Hastnapur
Mohkam Chand Ji of Dwarka
Sahib Chand Ji of Bidar
Himmat Ji of Jaganath Puri.
And they became: Daya Singh Ji, Dharam Singh Ji, Mohkam Singh Ji, Sahib Singh Ji, and Himmat Singh Ji.
And THEN they gave the Blessing of Amrit of Khanda Baata to Guru Gobind Rai Ji, who became Guru Gobind Singh Ji. WAHO WAHO GOBIND SINGH, AAPEY GUR CHELA.
Jasjit