Sarbloh Granth - Jap ji Sahib

Guru Piare Khalsa Sadh Sangat jio,

We are very happy to share the Manglacharan from Sri Sarbloh Granth Sahib with you. Essentially before the narration of the battles begins this is the invocation to Sri Akal Purakh. Many puratan Singhs saw this to be the equivalent of the Jap ji Sahib of Adi Guru Granth Sahib ji Maharaj, and the Jap Sahib of Sri Dasam Granth Sahib. According to Giani Sher Singh Nihang the Jap ji of Sarbloh Prakash is from verse 1- 331. According to Swami Harnam Das the Manglacharan finishes at 338. The Jap ji of each Granth is known in the tradition as the sutra literally like suture to sew. Hence the thread of the whole Granth Sahib or essence is contained in this first part of the scripture. This part of the scripture is also laconic and intended to be memorised.

The path here is not from the satik of Baba Harnam Das ji, but from the Buddha Dal printed Sri Sarbloh Granth Sahib. Also one line has been edited in accordance with the 1698 sarup of Sri Sarbloh Granth Sahib, and the Sarup at Mai Bhago’s bunga, Sachkhand Hazur Sahib Nanded.

www.sarblohgranth.com

The Brahmins view of Guru Granth Sahib

One day the Sikhs came to Guru Gobind Singh and did a plea, 'Oh Merciful Treasure, the Brahmins are saying that the bani of Sri Guru Granth Sahib is for low castes. The Guru gave the order from Adi Guru Granth Sahib that '

ouaa thae ootham gano cha(n)ddaalaa ||

Even an untouchable pariah is superior to him,

naanak jih man basehi gupaalaa ||16||

O Nanak, if the Lord of the World abides in his mind. ||16||

'Oh my Sikhs in this age of Kalyug the Brahmins are even more impure than the untouchables, they use tobacco and alcohol, and there their minds do not function properly, the shave their heads, and they leave their own Dharam and follow the ways of the Turks, they might look like Hindus, but they do not follow the ways of the Hindus. Oh my beloved Sikhs the Brahmins are liars and hypocritical, the Khalsa is the Nehkalank Avtar, who never turns his back on the order of the Parmesvar. The Brahmins and Kshatriyas have turned their back on Parmesvar, who has ordered that man should keep his natural form intact, and not to shave the head and face. To donate offerings to a shaven one who takes the above drugs is not Dharam. If you need to associate with these people make them pure by giving them amrit. Keep faith in the Guru, what you give the Guru, you will recieve double, believe this to be true. If you give offerings to people who are not in Dharam and have bad habits your offering is wasted, and you may incur further rebirth to find sustenance. 'The Sikhs then asked the Guru they light a lantern for their spirit, should we do this. The Guru replied ' at night time light a lantern next to Guru Granth Sahib ji', or whether people need to find their place on a dark track, do the good deed of ligthing a lantern. This is a virtuous deed and you will get some profit from it. To shave your head at some-ones death leads to rebirth. That Sikh who keep my traditional ways, know him to be an embodiment of myself. ' That Sikh who keep the discipline is mine, he is my master I am his slave'. What should we do if a Sikh dies on his bed, asked the Sikhs? The Guru replied 'read Japji five times and do the cremation, and this will help them to reach emancipation'.

Tansukh Court poet of the Tenth Master speaks

A Court Poet of the Tenth Guru, called Tansukh writes in his translation of Hitupdesh that: In Kalyug has manifested Guru Gobind Singh, there is none like thou. Both wealth and miraculous powers stand before thee, day and night that ask for your command. You have the power to grant liberation or bondage, you alone are the primal cause. Says Tansukh beholding your darshan (presence), all the pains of body and mind are removed.12. Jo gajh key jaikara gajavay Sri Guru Gobind Singh mann nu pavey Sat Sri Akal Gurbar Akal!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The Gajgah of Guru Gobind Singh ji

Dear friends, the Gajgah you are seeing is the frontal head piece made from Steel, worn by Guru Gobind Singh ji during battle. It represents the Shakti of Akal Purakh (God). It is preserved and revered at Sachkhand Hazur Sahib. It was photographed by Dr Mohinder Singh, please see his book http://www.jsks.co.in/takht_sri_hazur_sahib.htm

The dragon of death

Panch Shastra Tahi Jaan Nihangan. Jun Aayo Ik Kaal Bhajangan. Wearing five shastra they are known as Nihangs. When they come [to battle] they are like the dragons of death. Kuir Singh, Gurbilas Patshahi 10.

Balwant Singh Rajoana

Babe ki Fauj versus Babbar ki Fauj

Balwant Singh Rajoana, in a statement issued from Central Jail, Patiala, on Wednesday made a scathing attack on Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal.“Those Sikh youths who sacrificed their lives and happily attained martyrdom for the pride and prestige of (Sikh) community were labelled as misled youths and terrorists. And those national leaders who bowed before the murderers and cruel were given Fakhr-E-Quam awards,” Rajoana said, addressing the Khalsa Panth in his statement after justifying “picking of weapons” by the Sikh youth (during militancy in Punjab) following “demolition of Akal Takht by tanks and cannons from Delhi”.

Prof. Puran Singh Spirit of a Sikh - An Akali and Dasam Granth Sahib

The other day, an Akali of the old type who came of the Hindus of Bihar, showed how the Sikh tradition could inspire life and change the outlook of man. He wore a chakra (sharpedged disc) on his head, a Kirpan and a quiver on his waist and held a battle-axe in his hand. He walked as if the whole earth was his. He had the proud gait of a veritable conqueror. One could see that this one man had the presence of a thousand. There was the Guru’ steel in his veins and a thunder in his voice. If one of us read the song of the Tenth Guru without that iron in his accents, he would tell us:
“This chant is not for the weak and the timid. It is the Bowman’s Bow; everyone cannot string it up and shoot arrows about. In the Guru’s Words, there is a holy war, the axes strike, and the swords clash, the arrows fly, destroying the ghosts of darkness.”
These words of his give a new glimpse of the fire of life that tingled in his blood, a new tradition that occupied his mind. He was quite different from those around him, the weak, superstitious, fear-consumed people who in their ritual observance had never known the spirit of heroism. A philosopher told me, it so appears that the Sikh religion, in a generation or so, works right upto the bone of man.

The virtue of planting a tree

Matsya Purana says: “One who sinks a well lives in heaven for as many years as there are drops of water in it. But to dig ten such wells equals in merit the digging of one pond; digging of ten such ponds was equal to making a lake; making of ten lakes was as meritorious as begetting a virtuous son but be getting ten such virtuous sons had the same sanctity as that of planting a single tree.”19

Shastravidia - Dhai Phat - Sikh Guerrilla warfare tactics

Rattan Singh whose account is based on contemporary oral evidence, was told by a former veteran that one basic tactic of the Sikhs was: “Hit the enemy hard enough to kill, run, turn back and hit him again; run again, hit and run till you exasperate the enemy, and then, melt away.” Their entire theory of war is summed up in the word Dhai Phat or two and a half injuries. They considered approach, and all that goes into the making of it when element of surprise is to be secured, as one secret of success. This they called one Phat or injury and regarded it 40 per cent of their battle activity. The half Phat was the sudden swift shock action which put the enemy off his balance. Then they suddenly withdrew before the enemy could strike back and disappeared to where he could not chase them. They considered speedy and orderly withdrawal to be the second secret of success or the other complete Phat.

By Arjan Das Malik.

Why did Tenth Guru make the Khalsa according to Sahib Bhai Rattan Singh Bhangu

Rattan Singh Bhangu explains to the English enquirer Murray why the Guru decided to transform the Panth in this manner.
Murray then asked me to explain in detail why the Guru had created a [new] Panth. ‘The Muslims ruled an immense empire,’ he said, ‘and their writ ran through its twenty-two provinces. It included islands in the oceans, and extended through the mountains of the south and the east. Everyone was under their control. How could this community of Singhs continue to grow? How could the subjects [of such an empire] raise a rebellion and where was its army? How could the rulers remain unaware of the activities of the Sikhs? Surely they would regard the Guru and his followers with the greatest of hostility? Had they become friendly towards them? Why did they not recognise the Sikhs as a third panth [distinct from both Hindus and Muslims]? Did they have no counselors wise enough to recognise their significance? Had the panth not claimed sovereignty? How could it possibly remain concealed from the authorities?’
Fellow Sikhs, I answered him as follows. ‘From its very birth the [new] Panth was unconcealed. From the very beginning its members were as sharp as thorns. When was the Sikh Panth ever concealed? The Sikhs could never hide themselves! It was a Panth created to fight, its members bearing arms from birth. Its Sikhs are given the baptism of the sword, and the gurhati which they receive is likewise administered with the sword. In their turbans they carry steel quoits and daggers. How can they who sport lions’ claws ever remain concealed? The Supreme Guru created the Panth in order that it should fight! Sovereignty cannot be won without struggle.

Translated by W. H. Mcleod.