Punya Tithi or Shahidi Diwas of Shri Guru Tegh Bahadur Sahib (1621 – 1675) - the ninth Sikh Guru and the son of Shri Guru Hargobind Sahib - is being observed on December 19 this year. He is revered as the epitome of bravery and devotion among the followers of Sikhism.
He was an extremely calm and peace loving Guru who had preferred prolonged spells of seclusion, reflection and contemplation by reading scriptures during his ten-year term as an esteemed Sikh Guru from 1665 to 1675.
Shri Guru Tegh Bahadur Sahib stood up for the rights of Kashmiri Pandits and asked the Mughal emperor to revoke the oppressive jizya tax. But, the ruler got the Guru publicly killed for defying the emperor.
In Delhi, Gurudwara Shish Ganj Sahib and Gurdwara Rakab Ganj Sahib mark the places of the Guru's execution and cremation of his body respectively.
Here are some of the haiku that convey the essence of Guru's spiritual messages.
Earn wealth of God's Name
Cleanse your mind of avarice -
Divine knowledge dawns
~*~
Vanquish your ego
Fill heart with Ik Onkar chant
Be liberated
~*~
Lay life for promise
To save life of the oppressed -
Relinquish not faith
~*~
Sacrifice yourself
World is illusionary
Live deep and not long
Comments