Eighth Guru-Guru Harkrishan Ji (1656-1664)
 |
| Introduction Guru Nanak Dev Guru Angad Dev Guru Amar Das Guru Ram Das Guru Arjan Dev Guru Hargobind Guru Har Rai Guru Tegh Bahadur Guru Gobind Singh |
Guru Harkrishan was the second son of Guru Har Rai and his wife Krishan ji. He was born on the ninth day of the dark half of the month of Sawan in Sambat 1713, corresponding to July 7,1656. Guru Har Rai's elder son, Ram Rai had alienated himself by befriending the Guru's enemies at Delhi and was therefore not considered to assume Guruship. As Guru Har Rai did not wish to take any risk and leave the succession undecided he appointed Guru Harkrishan as the Guru at the tender age of five years and three months on October 6,1661.
Ram Rai , on getting the news was wild with anger. He declared himself as the Guru at Delhi. At the same time he complained to Aurangzeb about he being deprived of his legitimate right to succeed his father. Wanting to derive maximum advantage from the situation Aurangzeb not only sympathized with Ram Rai but also fanned his grievance further.
Guru Har Rai before his passing away had instructed his young son Guru Harkrishan never to see Aurangzeb. When Ram Rai learned about the injunction, he implored the Emperor to summon Gur Harkrishan to Delhi. The King was only too pleased for he wanted the two brothers to fight and destroy each other. Ram Rai thought that if his younger brother met the King he would be going against his father's wishes and thus incur the displeasure of his devotees, and if he refused to go to Delhi, the King would certainly take stern action against him under both conditions he alone stood to gain.
Raja Jai Singh of Amber (Jaipur), a senior court official, was asked to get the Guru to Delhi. It so happened that he was a devotee of the Sikh Guru and he sent a messenger to Kiratpur inviting the Guru to meet his devotees at Delhi and assuring the Guru that while at Delhi he need not see Aurangzeb. Considering the predicament of one of the ardent devotee of the Guru's household, Guru Harkrishan's mother and other Sikhs in Kritpur agreed to the Guru going to Delhi.
Where ever the Guru travelled lot of his followers collected in large number at every stage. At Panjokhara near Ambala s Brahmin made fun of the Guru saying that how could a mere child be a Guru and he even objected to the Guru's name; by saying that the author of Gita was called Krishan and that the 'child' styled himself as Harkrishen. He challenged the Guru to interpret the Gita for him. Among the people assembled was one water carrier called Chhajju. He had noticed the arrogance and the rude behaviour of the Brahmin. Hardly had the Brahmin stopped talking when Chhajju offered to discuss the subject on behalf of the Guru. In the discussion that followed, Chhajju gave such a splendid display of his learning of the Vedas and Shastras that the Brahmin stood in astonished silence. The pundit was convinced that the Guru had infused his supernatural power into the water carrier or else he (water carrier) could not have such knowledge.
The Guru and his party reached Delhi and Raja Jai Singh went forth with bare feet to receive the Guru. It is said that in order to test the Guru's insight Raja Jai Singh's wife dressed herself as a maid servant and came to pay her homage to the Guru. To her joy, Guru Harkrishan at once spotted her and everyone present was convinced of the genuineness of the young Guru. The Mughal Emperor sent him presents and expressed his desire to meet the Guru. Guru Harkrishan refused to meet the King and instead asked him to discuss the matter with his elder brother who was already in the Mughal court.
When the people came to know that Guru Harkrishan was visiting Delhi, large crowds thronged to see the Guru and seek his blessings. At that time smallpox was raging in Delhi. With such large number of devotees visiting him he could not escape contacting the fatal disease, and he was taken seriously ill. He desired to be moved to a house on the banks of river Jamuna where he breathed his last on Saturday, the fourteenth day of the light half of the month of Chet, Sambat 1721 corresponding to March 30, 1964. The Guru was cremated at a place called Tilokhari on the banks of Jamuna in South Delhi.
Guru Harkrishan was hardly eight years old when he left this world in 1664. Even at that early age he remembered a great many hymns of his predecessors and quoted them with amazing appropriateness. After he became the Guru, he naturally had the divine light of Guru Nanak kindled in him. Whatever decisions he made had the stamp of maturity about them. Tender and docile, Guru Harkrishen received respect and devotion from high and low. Before he passed away he indicated to his mother and all those present that his successor was in Baba Bakala, thereby referring to Guru Tegh Bahadur, who had settled there.
A Gurdwara called Bangla Sahib came to be built subsequently at the place of Guru Harkrishen's residence in Delhi. Guru Gobind Singh described him thus:
"Sri Harkrishen ji dhiayee
Jis dhithe sab dukh jaye."
( Meditate on the name of Guru Harkrishen, realising whom, all your troubles
will go away.)
Contributed by Lt. Col. S.S. Sahota