Guru Tegh Bahadur Shaheedi Purab 2023
Guru Tegh Bahadur Shaheedi Diwas Commemorates the Martyrdom Day of the 9th Sikh Guru Sri Guru Teg Bahadur Ji or the day of Ascension (Joti Jot Gurpurab). In the Year 2023 the Day to be remembered on December 17th.
| Gurpurab | Guru Tegh Bahadur Shaheedi Diwas (Martyrdom Day) |
|---|---|
| CE Date | December 17th, 2023 |
| Nanakshahi Date | 2 Poh 555 |
| Day | Sunday |
Martyrdom History
After seeing off Kashmir’s Pandits. Guru Tegh Bahadur entrusted the responsibility of leading the Sikhs to Guru Gobind Rai on 8th July 1675 A.D. On 11th July, he took five Sikhs-Chief Minister Bhai Mati Dass, Domestic Affairs Minister Bhai Dayala, Public Affairs Minister Bhai Sati Dass, the interpreter of Sikh Traditions Bhai Gurditta, and Bhai Udha with him and proceeded to Delhi.
Aurangzeb was busy in Hassan Abdal in quelling the mutiny of the Pathans since 26th June 1674 A.D. The Guru’s message was conveyed to him there. He issued orders for the arrest of the Guru. The Guru was arrested along with the five Sikhs at Agra, brought to Delhi, and imprisoned in a solitary house. The second order of Aurangzeb was received “The Guru to be forced to embrace Islam and if he does not agree. he should be murdered after torture. His body must be cut in pieces and be hung on all sides of the city.”
After the receipt of the second order, his officials asked the Guru to embrace Islam. The Guru refused. They started torturing and murdering’ the Sikhs arrested with him. They thought that the Guru would embrace Islam out of fear when the Sikhs were tortured to death before his eyes. By the order of the qazis, Bhai Mati Dass was tied between two planks and sawn like wood in two pieces.
On the second day, Bhai Dayala was made to sit in a pot of boiling water. On the third day, Bhai Sati Dass was wrapped in cotton and set on fire. The Sikhs were martyred by torture before the Guru. The Guru saw, ‘The murderers did not feel a sense of shame after the martyrdom of three Sikhs. Even the martyrdom of Bhai Udha and Bhai Gurditta will not change their hearts. The conscience of these tyrants is dead. He thought it right to send the two Sikhs alive from the jail so that they may go out and narrate the true accounts of the incidents to motivate the people to rise and fight the tyranny of this government.”
With the help of the jail warden Khwaja Abdul, the Sikhs broke the wall of the prison and escaped in the darkness of the night. The officials were frightened at the jailbreak by the Sikhs. They thought that the Guru too might escape. They shut up the Guru in a steel cage in which he could neither stand upright nor sit down. Sharp steel spikes were fixed inside the cage on all sides. The officials had forgotten that the Guru had come to those murderers himself to defend the freedom of all faiths. How could he escape from the prison in the darkness of night?
Three Sikhs were martyred in front of Guru Tegh Bahadur but he remained firm in Sikhism belief. According to the order of Aurangzeb, the Qazi tempted him with the offer of a big estate. The Guru said. “I have no desire for worldly material. My path is the dearest to me.” After the refusal of the Guru, the Qazi asked him to show a miracle. The Guru refused to say, “I do not want to be a rival of God by showing a miracle.” Getting a negative reply the qazi said, ‘Then be prepared to die.” The Guru said, “I agree to this.”
The Qazi pronounced an order for the murder of the Guru. He got it announced with the beat of a drum throughout the city so that the people might see the Guru’s killing and embrace Islam under the fear complex. The Guru was taken out of the steel cage on the evening of 11th November 1675 A.D. After he had taken a bath, the Guru was seated on a newly erected platform. Thousands of people came to see the martyrdom.
The Qazi asked the Guru to embrace Islam. The Guru refused. On the order of the qazi, the royal executioner Sayyad Jallal-u-din severed Guru’s head with his sword. Immediately after the martyrdom, there was a hurricane. There was confusion and shrieking on all sides. All the onlookers started running to their homes. The guards hid in the police station. Following his plan, Bhai Jaita Was standing near the platform in the garb of a sweeper. In a quick move, he put the Guru’s head in a basket and covered it with a cloth. Bhai Nanu and Bhai Adda joined him later. All of them proceeded towards Anandpur with their head. Halting at five places on the way, they reached Kiratpur.
Taking Sikhs along with them from Kiratpur they went to Guru Gobind Rai at Anandpur where the head was cremated. Bhai Lakhi Shah, a contractor, after delivering supplies in the Red Fort moved his carts towards Chandni Chowk to collect the body. Due to the movement of the carts, the dust increased and the soldiers on guard turned their faces away. Bhai Gurditta was accompanying the carts, He placed the Guru’s body in the cart and hid it.
Reaching the house of Bhai Lakhl Shah at Rakab Ganj, they prepared the pyre of the whole house and cremated the body. After the head and body of Guru Tegh Bahadur had been taken away despite strict security, Aurangzeb realized that one religion (Islam) can not be enforced into India with the help of the sword. He gave up the idea of a single religion (Islam) in India.
Guru Tegh Bahadur Shaheedi Diwas Gurpurab Images
Guru Tegh Bahadur Martyrdom Quotes
Guru Gobind Ji has described the martyrdom of Guru Tegh Bahadur in his own words as follows :
ਠੀਕਰ ਫੋਰ ਦਿਲੀਸ ਸਿਰ, ਪ੍ਰਭੁ ਪੁਰ ਕੀਓ ਪਯਾਨ
ਤੇਗ ਬਹਾਦਰ ਸੀ ਕਿਰਿਆ ਕਰੀ ਨ ਕਿਨਹੂੰ ਆਨ
ਤੇਗ ਬਹਾਦਰ ਕੇ ਚਲਤ ਭਯੋ ਜਗਤ ਮੈ ਸੋਗ
ਹੈ ਹੈ ਹੈ ਸਭ ਜਗ ਭਯੋ ਜੈ ਜੈ ਜੈ ਸੁਰਲੋਕ।
Theekar Phor Dilees Sir, Prabh Pur Keeo Pyaan
Tegh Bahadur Si Kiriya, Kari Na Kinhu Aan
Tegh Bahadar Ke Chalat, Bhayo Jagat Mai Sog
Hai Hai Hai Sabh Jag Bhayo, Jai Jai Jai Surlok
ਧਰਮ ਹੇਤ ਸਾਕਾ ਪ੍ਰਭ ਤਾਕਾ
ਕੀਨੋ ਬਡਾ ਕਲੂ ਮਹਿ ਸਾਕਾ
ਸਾਧਨ ਹੇਤ ਇਤੀ ਜਿਨ ਕਰੀ
ਸੀਸੁ ਦੀਆ ਪਰ ਸੀ ਨਾ ਉਚਰੀ
ਧਰਮ ਹੇਤ ਸਾਕਾ ਜਿਨ ਕੀਆ
ਸੀਸੁ ਦੀਆ ਪਰ ਸਿਰਰੁ ਨਾ ਦੀਆ।
Dharm Het Saka Prabh Ta Ka
Keeno Badda Kalu Mahi Saka
Sadhan Het Ini Jin Kari
Sees Diya Par See Na Uchri
Dharam Het Saka Jin Kiya
Sees Diya Par Sirar Na Dia
ਐਸੇ ਗਰੀਬ ਨਿਵਾਜ਼ ਸਤਿਗੁਰੂ ਜਿਨ੍ਹਾਂ ਨੇ ਮਾਨਵਤਾ ਅਤੇ ਸਿੱਖੀ ਸਿਧਾਂਤਾਂ ਦੀ ਰੱਖਿਆ ਕਰਦੇ ਆਪਣੇ ਭੌਤਿਕ ਸਰੀਰ ਦੀ ਕੁਰਬਾਨੀ ਦਿੱਤੀ, ਤਿਨ੍ਹਾਂ ਦੇ ਸ਼ਹੀਦੀ ਗੁਰਪੁਰਬ ਮੌਕੇ ਗੁਰੂ ਪਾਤਿਸ਼ਾਹ ਦੇ ਚਰਣਾਂ ਪੁਰ ਕੋਟਿਨ ਕੋਟਿ ਨਮਸਕਾਰ।
ਵਾਹਿਗੁਰੂ ਜੀ ਕਾ ਖਾਲਸਾ, ਵਾਹਿਗੁਰੂ ਜੀ ਕੀ ਫ਼ਤਹਿ।
Poems
Babu Feroz Deen Sharaf in his Poem “ਕੁਰਬਾਨੀ” wrote:
ਓੜਕ ਬੈਠ ਗਏ ਤੇਗ਼ ਦੀ ਛਾਂ ਹੇਠਾਂ,
ਸੀਖਾਂ ਤਿਖੀਆਂ ਵਿੱਚ ਖਲੋਣ ਵਾਲੇ ।
ਦਿੱਤਾ ਸੀਸ ਤੇ ਨਾਲੇ ਅਸੀਸ ਦਿੱਤੀ,
ਧੰਨ ਧੰਨ ਕੁਰਬਾਨ ਇਹ ਹੋਣ ਵਾਲੇ ।
ਹਾਏ ! ਲੋਥ ਪਵਿੱਤ੍ਰ ਹੈ ਪਈ ਕੱਲੀ,
ਸਿਦਕੀ ਲੈ ਚੱਲੇ ਗੱਡੇ ਢੋਣ ਵਾਲੇ ।
ਬੈਠੇ ਗੁਰੂ ਗੋਬਿੰਦ ਸਿੰਘ ਦੂਰ ਪਿਆਰੇ,
ਸਿੱਖੀ ਸਿਦਕ ਦੇ ਹਾਰ ਪਰੋਣ ਵਾਲੇ ।
ਐਸੇ ਜ਼ੁਲਮ ਦੀ ਵੇਖਕੇ ‘ਸ਼ਰਫ਼’ ਝਾਕੀ,
ਮੇਰਾ ਖ਼ੂਨ ਸਰੀਰ ਦਾ ਸੁੱਕ ਗਿਆ ।
ਡਰ ਕੇ ਤਾਰਿਆਂ ਨੇ ਅੱਖਾਂ ਮੀਟ ਲਈਆਂ,
ਚੰਨ ਬੱਦਲੀ ਦੇ ਹੇਠ ਲੁੱਕ ਗਿਆ ।
Poet Keso Bhatt writes
ਚਿਤ ਚਰਨ ਕਮਲ ਕਾ ਆਸਰਾ
ਚਿਤ ਚਰਨ ਕਮਲ ਸੰਗ ਜੋੜੀਐ।।
ਮਨ ਲੋਚੇ ਬੁਰਿਆਈਆਂ ਗੁਰ ਸ਼ਬਦੀ ਇਹ ਮਨ ਹੋੜੀਐ।।
ਬਾਂਹੀ ਜਿਨਾਂ ਦੀ ਪਕੜੀਏ ਸਿਰ ਦੀਜੈ ਬਾਂਹਿ ਨਾ ਛੋੜੀਐ।।
ਤੇਗ ਬਹਾਦਰ ਬੋਲਿਆ ਪਰ ਪਈਐ ਧਰਮ ਨਾ ਛੋੜੀਐ।।
– ਕੇਸੋ ਭੱਟ
