ÿþ<HTML><HEAD><TITLE>HAR KRISHAN GUR&#362 (1656-1664)</TITLE> <style type="text/css"> .BODY { background-color: #EAF1F7; background-image: url('images/gtbh.jpg'); background-repeat: no-repeat; background-attachment: fixed; background-position: center; color: #0066CC;} .C1{text-align: justify;color: #0066CC;FONT-size: SMALL;FONT-family: Tahoma;} .BIB{text-align: center;color: #000099;FONT-size: SMALL;FONT-family: Tahoma;} .CONT{text-align: right;color: #FF0000;FONT-size: SMALL;FONT-family: Tahoma;} </style><META NAME="keywords" CONTENT="HAR,KRISHAN,GURj,Person,Person"> <META http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8"></HEAD> <BODY class="BODY" oncontextmenu="return false" ondragstart="return false" onselectstart="return false"> <FONT ALIGN="JUSTIFY" FACE="Tahoma"> <p class="C1">&#65279HAR KRISHAN, GUR&#362 (1656-1664), the eighth Gur&#363 or prophet-teacher of the Sikh faith, was the younger son of Gur&#363 Har R&#257i (1630-61) and M&#257t&#257 Sulakkha&#7751&#299. He was born on 7 July 1656 at K&#299ratpur, in the &#346iv&#257lik hills, in present-day Ropa&#7771 district of the Punjab. As his time came, Gur&#363 Har R&#257i chose Har Krishan, then barely five years old, his successor and gave him his own seat, asking the Sikhs to look upon him as his very image. Gur&#363 Har Krishan assumed the spiritual office upon the death of his father on 6 October 1661. He sat on the throne -- a small figure very young in years. To quote Bh&#257&#299 Santokh Si&#7749gh, <i>Sr&#299 Gur Prat&#257p S&#363raj Granth</i>, "The early morning sun looks small in size, but its light is everywhere. So was young Gur&#363 Har Krishan's fame without limit." Those who came to see him were instructed in true knowledge. Gur&#363 Har Krishan had a rare ability in explaining passages from the Holy Granth, and he delighted the hearts of his disciples by his commentaries.</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; R&#257m R&#257i, his elder brother, who had been passed over in favour of his younger brother, complained to the Mu<u>gh</u>al Emperor, Aura&#7749gz&#299b, and sought redress for the injustice done to him by his father. The Emperor summoned the young Gur&#363 to Delhi through R&#257j&#257 Jai Si&#7749gh of &#256mber. Accompanied by his grandmother, M&#257t&#257 Bass&#299, and his mother, M&#257t&#257 Sulakkha&#7751&#299, Gur&#363 Har Krishan left for Delhi. He travelled through Ropa&#7771, Ban&#363&#7771, R&#257jpur&#257 and Amb&#257l&#257. Along the way, he instructed the disciples who came to call on him. As he neared Pañjokhr&#257, a village 10 km north-east of Amb&#257l&#257, a Sikh spoke with humility, "Sa&#7749gats are coming from Pesh&#257war, K&#257bul and Kashm&#299r. Stay here a day so that they may have the chance of seeing you, Master." The Gur&#363 made a halt in the village of Pañjokhra.</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; In that village lived a learned Pa&#7751&#7693it, L&#257l Chand by name, who came to see the Gur&#363 and spoke with derision: "It is said that you sit on the <i>gadd&#299</i> of Gur&#363 N&#257nak. But what do you know of the old religious texts?" Chhajj&#363 R&#257m, the illiterate, dark-skinned village water supplier, happened to pass by at that moment. Gur&#363 Har Krishan asked Darg&#257h Mall to call him. As Chhajj&#363 R&#257m came, the Gur&#363 enquired if he would explain to the Pa&#7751&#7693it the gist of the <i>Bhagavad-g&#299t&#257</i>. The illiterate villager, says Bh&#257&#299 Santokh Si&#7749gh, <i>Sr&#299 Gur Prat&#257p S&#363raj Granth</i>, astonished everyone by his lucid commentary on the sacred book. L&#257l Chand's pride was overcome. Both he and Chhajj&#363 R&#257m became the Gur&#363's disciples and travelled with him up to Kurukshetra. The former entered the fold of the <u>Kh</u>&#257ls&#257 in Gur&#363 Gobind Si&#7749gh's time, and took the name of L&#257l Si&#7749gh. L&#257l Si&#7749gh met with a hero's death fighting in the battle of Chamkaur which took place on 7 December 1705.</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; According to <i>Gur&#363 k&#299&#257&#7749 S&#257kh&#299&#257&#7749</i>, Gur&#363 Har Krishan visited the Emperor's court on Chet <i>sud&#299</i> Naum&#299 1721 Bk/25 March 1664. The Emperor had planned a trial. He had two large trays laid out for the Gur&#363. One of these displayed ornaments, clothes and toys. The other had in it a holy man's cloak and cowl. Both were presented to Gur&#363 Har Krishan. He rejected the tray containing ornaments and clothes and accepted the one containing the cloak. The Emperor was convinced of his eminence and thought he would invite him again and see him perform a miracle. Gur&#363 Har Krishan guessed what the Emperor had in his mind. He told himself that he would not see his face again. He believed that no one should attempt a miracle and try to disturb the law of God. Gur&#363 Har Krishan knew how his father had punished R&#257m R&#257i, his elder brother, for misreading a scriptural verse and for showing feats in Emperor Aura&#7749gz&#299b's court.</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Smallpox was then raging in Delhi as an epidemic. Gur&#363 Har Krishan came out to tend the sick. Soon he was himself afflicted with the disease which ravaged his tender body. The Sikhs were overcome by grief. The Gur&#363's mother M&#257t&#257 Sulakkha&#7751&#299, became very sad. She said, in the words of Bh&#257&#299 Santokh Si&#7749gh, <i>Sr&#299 Gur Prat&#257p S&#363raj Granth</i>, "Son, you occupy the <i>gadd&#299</i> of Gur&#363 N&#257nak. You are the dispeller of the world's sorrow and suffering. Your very sight removes the ailments of others. Why do you lie sick now?" Gur&#363 Har Krishan replied, "He who has taken this mortal frame must go through sickness and disease. Both happiness and suffering are part of life. What is ordained must happen. This is what Gur&#363 N&#257nak taught. Whatever one does is His order. One must walk in the light of His command."</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Gur&#363 Har Krishan had himself taken out of R&#257j&#257 Jai Si&#7749gh's bungalow to a camp put up on the bank of the River Yamun&#257. The Sikhs were in despair and wondered who would take the <i>gadd&#299</i> after him. Gur&#363 Har Krishan, to quote Bh&#257&#299 Santokh Si&#7749gh again, instructed them in this manner: "Gur&#363 N&#257nak's throne is eternal. It is everlasting and will command increasing honour. The Granth is the Lord of all. He who wants to see me, let him with faith and love see the Granth. So will he shed all his sins. He who would wish to speak with the Gur&#363, let him read the Granth with devotion. He who practises its teachings will obtain all the four <i>pad&#257rthas</i>. He who has faith gains all. He who is without faith acquires but little. None in this world lives forever. The body is mortal. In the Granth abides the Gur&#363's spirit. Daily bow your head to it. So will you conquer your passions and attain liberation."</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Gur&#363 Har Krishan was in a critical state. Yet he did not fail to carry out his important responsibility before he left the mortal world. In his last moments, he was able to nominate his successor. He asked for the ceremonial marks of succession to be fetched. But all he could say was: "B&#257b&#257 Bak&#257le." He meant that the next Gur&#363 would be found in the town of Bak&#257l&#257. Gur&#363 Har Krishan passed away on 30 March 1664. According to <i>Gur&#363 k&#299&#257&#7749 S&#257kh&#299&#257&#7749</i>, M&#257t&#257 Bass&#299, the grandmother, asked Bh&#257&#299 Gurd&#257s of the family of Bh&#257&#299 Bahilo, to start a reading of the Holy Granth in his memory.</p> </font> <p class="BIB"> BIBLIOGRAPHY<p class="C1"><ol class="C1"><li class="C1"> Santokh Si&#7749gh, Bh&#257&#299, <i>Sr&#299 Gur Prat&#257p S&#363raj Granth</i>. Amritsar, 1927-33<BR> <li class="C1"> Padam, Pi&#257r&#257 Si&#7749gh, and Gi&#257n&#299 Garj&#257 Si&#7749gh, eds., <i>Gur&#363 k&#299&#257n S&#257kh&#299&#257n</i>. Patiala, 1986<BR> <li class="C1"> Satib&#299r Si&#7749gh, <i>Ash&#7789am Balb&#299r&#257</i>. Jalandhar, 1982<BR> <li class="C1"> Macauliffe, Max Arthur, <i>The Sikh Religion</i>. Oxford, 1909<BR> <li class="C1"> Gupta, Hari Ram, <i>History of Sikh Gurus</i>. Delhi, 1973<BR> </ol><p class="CONT">Balwant Si&#7749gh Anand<br></p><BR> </font> <img src="counter.aspx" width="1px" height="1px" alt=""> </HTML></BODY>