waheguru ji ka khalsa
                         waheguru ji ki fateh..

                                 THE FIVE LOVED ONES                      

By the supreme sacrifice of Guru Tegh Bahadur Ji at Delhi,the fame of the institution of Guru Nanak Ji spread to nook and corner of the country.The rich and the poor from far and near started coming to Anandpur to see and offer respects to Guru Gobind Rai. The Guru dispensed will the middle men called Masands to collect the offering and tithe from the Sikhs for Gurus institution.
With the end of middlemen,Sikhs themselves brought their offering to Anandpur. This resulted in increase of love for the institution and the devotees began to get pleasure beholding their Guru face to face. The muslim petty land lords and robbers began to harass the Sikhs devotees on their way to Anandpur with their offering.To escape the robberies and harassment on the way the Sikhs devotees armed themselves. They used the arms for self defence. The skirmishes were the signs of awakening of the lowly and down trodden classes.The Sikhs kept arms and had skills to use them but did not carry them all the time.
The Guru, finding the suitable time, decided to arm the Sikhs. He sent invitations to the Sikhs to assemble at Anandpur on Baisakhi Day, the 30th March 1699. An estimated eighty thousand Sikhs were present at Sri Kesgarh in the morning congregation. The Guru joined the congregation after recitation of Asa Di War was over. He had a shining sword in his hand. Showing the sword to the congregation, he said in a thunderous voice, 'I need a head. Is there a Sikh who is ready to present his head to his Guru.''
Seeing this phenomenon of a sword in the Guru's hand and the demand of head by the Guru, the congregation was terrified with disbelief and silence fell alla round. After the third call, Bhai Daya Ram, a kshatri by caste from Lahore, Punjab rose and requested, 'O, true lord, this body and soul belong to you and I offer it to you. Use it as your desire. I ask forgiveness for not offering myself on the first call.''
Holding him by arm, the Guru took him inside the tent. Dread and fear gripped. Congregation heard a sound from inside the tent as if the Guru had severed the head  of Bhai Daya Ram from the body.
The Guru again came to the congregation and asked for an another head. This time Bhai Dharam Dass, a farmer of Delhi offered his head. In this way, three other Sikhs- Bhai Himmat Rai, waterman of jagan Nath Puri, Orissa Bhai Mohkam Chand, Tailor of Dwarka, Gujrat and Bhai Sahib Chand, barber of Bider, Andhra Pradesh presented their heads to Guru.
After the five Sikhs had offered their heads to Guru, the Guru brought them out and presented  them before the congregation. They were the Panj Pyaras(the five loved ones) who had offered their heads to the Guru. They were dressed in the similar attire as to the one worn by the Gurus.They were the fully arrayed Singhs. The Gurus called for an iron bowl  and in that he put water of river sutlej and sugar  candy. Then the Guru and Guru began stirring the water in the five loved ones sat round that iron bowl.taking a doubled edged sword, the Guru  began stirring the water in the bowl and reciting the five banis (scared hymns).The five hymns recite were japu ji, jap sahib,swaiyas,chaupai and anand sahib.
After the completion of recitation of the five sacred hymns, the Guru said, ''This is the Amrit( nectar) which has been prepared. Khalsa ( the pure ) will be created with this nectar. Khalsa will be the army of Waheguru (god). Khalsa will destroy tyranny''.
The Nectar thus prepared was administred to the five loved ones. It was also sprinkled in their eyes and hair. By partaking of the nectar by the five loved ones, Khalsa was created. The Guru requested the Khalsa that he be administered by the bounty of the nectar and be made Khalsa. Having partaken the Amrit Guru Gobind Rai became Guru Gobind Singh.
The Guru bestowed the gift of the nectar on the Sikhs and made them Singhs (lions) and gave women the title of Kaur which means princess. He abolished the four castes and differences created by the Brahmins. He put women on equal footing to men in all respect. The differences between high caste and low caste people were abolished among the Singhs. All the Singhs became brothers. The dirt of ego was washed from the minds of Singhs and they were made Khalsa- the pure one.
The Guru made compulsory for the Singhs to wear five kakars: Kes( hair), Kangha(comb), Kara(iron bracelet), Kirpan (sword) and Kachhera(long breeches).
He also forbid them from the company of other women(adultery), to eat meat of animals killed slowly in Islamic ways, use of intoxicants(to smoke) and to cut hair and asked them to recite the five sacred hymns daily. He made Khalsa the saintly soldier.
It is worth nothing, that the five loved ones who offered their heads to the Guru were all from different states and only one of them was from Punjab. All five were from different places, different professions and spoke different languages. From this, one can imagine how far the roots of Sikhism were spread. The Guru's devotees were not only in Punjab and Delhi but were all over India. The whole of India was sick of the tyranny being committed and was ready to sacrifice everything, including their lives.

          THE RED CROSS

Bhai Kanahiya Ji was a resident of village Sodhara, district Gujranwala. He came to Anandpur Sahib for the first time to have an audience with Guru Tegh Bahadur Ji. He was delighted by the audience. To feel that bliss all the time he stayed on in the Guru's institution. He was entrusted the service of fetching water for the community kitchen.
Before the start of the battle of Bhagnani,Guru Gobind Rai bestowed upon him the duty of serving water to the needy in the battlefield. On the 15th April 1687, the hill states, rajas, weaning away four hundred Pathans, attacked the Sikhs. In the battlefield whosoever was thirsty came to Bhai Kanahiya. He served them water.Hindus, Muslims ,Sikhs and Pathans were given a drink of water by him. Thus refreshed, they again took to fighting.
When the Sikhs saw Bhai Kanahiya Ji serving water to the enemy, they were annoyed The Sikhs thought ''If Bhai Kanahiya does not serve water to the enemy they would surely die of thirst''. The Sikhs went to the Guru and complained about it. After narrating the whole story they beseeched that Bhai Kanahiya be preventing from serving the water to the enemy.
The Guru called Bhai Kanahiya and asked him,''Brother, is it true that you are serving water to the enemy soldiers that are thirsty and wounded by the Sikhs, thus refreshing them to fight again and again?''
Bhai Kanahiya replied, O, True Lord. I do not see any enemy. I behold you everywhere.Whom should I serve water and to whom should I not? I serve water to all those who are in need and comes to me. You, yourself have bestowed the service of giving water to those in need.

The Guru was very pleased to hear the answer of Bhai Kanahiya. Giving him balm and bandages, the Guru said to him,''Bhai Kanahiya, from now onwards, besides serving water, you should also bandage the wounded. Take some other sikhs with you and raise the team. You will be the leader of this band.''
Bhai Kanahiya did as directed. He set up a band of the sikhs. He himself became the head of the band. This was the beginning of the first'Red Cross Service'. Afterwards, the bands looking after the needy and wounded began identifying themselves as 'Sewa Panthi.'

                                                SACRIFICE OF BUDHU SHAH

Pir Budhu Shah was a Muslim saint who lived at Sidhaura in Himanchal  Pradesh. While Guru Gobind Rai at Paonta, the Pir was touring hilly areas. The Pir came to know that Guru Gobind Rai, the tenth embodiment in the line of Guru Nanak, was staying at Paonta. He went to see the Guru, in a planquin, as it was the fashion amongst kings and empreors of those times to move with royal pomp and show, in planquins, with attendents and serveants.
The audience with the Guru gave him the peace of mind which the study of religious books, prayers and meditation had not given. The difference of 'That is yours and this is mine' had disappeared from his mind. The Pir could see everything belongs to one God, when he left for Sidhaura.
After the first meeting it became routine for Pir budhu shah to visit the Guru. He no more needed a planquin to visit the Guru. He came to realise that the Guru's fight was not for any kingdom but against the tyranny which was being perpetrated against the poor people. Religion was being used as an excuse to commit tyranny. He got five hundred Pathans who had been dismissed from Aurangzeb's army for being Shi'ah Muslim, enrolled with the Guru.
Before starting the 'War of Bhangani', the hill states rajas tempted and enticed four hundred of these five hundred pathans, to join them. When pir budhu shah came to know this disloyalty  of the pathans, he came to the Guru's aid with his seven hundred followers, four sons and two brothers. Fierce battle was fought at Bhagnani. two of his sons attained martydom in the battle. The army of the hill rajas suffered heavy casualties in the war and their forces were routed.
After the war was over, the Pir came to take leave from the Guru to go back to Sidhaura. The Guru asked the Pir, ''You have rendered great help to me in this war. You may ask if you have any special wish. Your wish will be fulfilled from the 'House of Nanak'. At the time, the Guru was combing his hair. The Pir said to the Guru,''If you are so pleased with my services, be kind enough to grant me this comb with your hair entangled in it''.
The Guru gave the comb with the hair to Pir Budhu Shah. Later on Maharaja bharpur singh of Nabha state obtained that comb and hair from the descendents of the Pir after paying the sum asked by them .
When Aurangzeb came to know that the pir had helped the Guru in the ''War of Bhagnani'', he sent Usman Khan with a force to Sidhaura. Usman Khan arrested the Pir for helping the Guru he was martyred by burying alive.

                                                SACRIFICE OF BUDHU SHAH

Pir Budhu Shah was a Muslim saint who lived at Sidhaura in Himanchal  Pradesh. While Guru Gobind Rai at Paonta, the Pir was touring hilly areas. The Pir came to know that Guru Gobind Rai, the tenth embodiment in the line of Guru Nanak, was staying at Paonta. He went to see the Guru, in a planquin, as it was the fashion amongst kings and empreors of those times to move with royal pomp and show, in planquins, with attendents and serveants.
The audience with the Guru gave him the peace of mind which the study of religious books, prayers and meditation had not given. The difference of 'That is yours and this is mine' had disappeared from his mind. The Pir could see everything belongs to one God, when he left for Sidhaura.
After the first meeting it became routine for Pir budhu shah to visit the Guru. He no more needed a planquin to visit the Guru. He came to realise that the Guru's fight was not for any kingdom but against the tyranny which was being perpetrated against the poor people. Religion was being used as an excuse to commit tyranny. He got five hundred Pathans who had been dismissed from Aurangzeb's army for being Shi'ah Muslim, enrolled with the Guru.
Before starting the 'War of Bhangani', the hill states rajas tempted and enticed four hundred of these five hundred pathans, to join them. When pir budhu shah came to know this disloyalty  of the pathans, he came to the Guru's aid with his seven hundred followers, four sons and two brothers. Fierce battle was fought at Bhagnani. two of his sons attained martydom in the battle. The army of the hill rajas suffered heavy casualties in the war and their forces were routed.
After the war was over, the Pir came to take leave from the Guru to go back to Sidhaura. The Guru asked the Pir, ''You have rendered great help to me in this war. You may ask if you have any special wish. Your wish will be fulfilled from the 'House of Nanak'. At the time, the Guru was combing his hair. The Pir said to the Guru,''If you are so pleased with my services, be kind enough to grant me this comb with your hair entangled in it''.
The Guru gave the comb with the hair to Pir Budhu Shah. Later on Maharaja bharpur singh of Nabha state obtained that comb and hair from the descendents of the Pir after paying the sum asked by them .
When Aurangzeb came to know that the pir had helped the Guru in the ''War of Bhagnani'', he sent Usman Khan with a force to Sidhaura. Usman Khan arrested the Pir for helping the Guru he was martyred by burying alive.