ÿþ<HTML><HEAD><TITLE>MAKKHA&#7750 SH&#256H</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="MAKKHAF,SHH"> <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">&#65279MAKKHA&#7750 SH&#256H, son of N&#257ik D&#257se Sh&#257h, was a wealthy trader of the Lub&#257&#7751&#257 clan. He hailed from the village of &#7788&#257&#7751&#7693&#257, in present day Muzaffar&#257b&#257d district of Jamm&#363 and Kashm&#299r. He was a devout Sikh and had received Gur&#363 Har R&#257i in his home during the latter's visit to Kashm&#299r in 1660. Once a vessel carrying his wares went aground, and he vowed that if he reached the nearest port safely he would make to the Gur&#363 an offering of 500 gold <i>mohars</i>. His boat came through the crisis, and he travelled to Bak&#257l&#257 where, as Gur&#363 Har Krishan had just before his death pronounced, his successor would appear. As he arrived there on the day of D&#299v&#257l&#299 festival, 9 October 1664, he was baffled to discover twenty-two different claimants to the holy office having established their seats. He visited them all by turns, greeting each with an offering of two gold <i>mohars</i>. He learnt from a young boy that there lived in town a holy man mostly absorbed within himself. Makkha&#7751 Sh&#257h made straight for the house pointed out to him and saw Gur&#363 Te<u>gh</u> Bah&#257dur sitting in a secluded room rapt in reflection. He bowed and placed before him the customary two gold <i>mohars</i>. Gur&#363 Te<u>gh</u> Bah&#257dur gave him his blessing and said that his offering was considerably short of the promised five hundred. Makkha&#7751 Sh&#257h's heart leapt for joy to hear these words and he forthwith made good the difference. He was so delighted, says Bh&#257&#299 Santokh Si&#7749gh, <i>Sr&#299 Gur Prat&#257p S&#363raj Granth</i>, "that the bands of his cloak sundered. His face blossomed like the flower opening up at the sight of the sun. This was like a beggar striking upon a treasure." He ran upstairs and began shouting from the rooftop, "<i>Gur&#363 l&#257dho re, Gur&#363 l&#257dho re</i> (I have found the Gur&#363, I have found the Gur&#363)."</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Makkh&#257&#7751 Sh&#257h's announcement dispirited the pretenders, but Dh&#299r Mall, a nephew of the Gur&#363, fortified in his claim by the possession of the &#256di Granth, or original recension of the holy book, was still envious. His <i>masand</i> Sh&#299h&#257&#7749, ransacked Gur&#363 Te<u>gh</u> Bah&#257dur's house, but the Gur&#363 did not complain. Makkha&#7751 Sh&#257h retaliated by plundering Dh&#299r Mall, but the Gur&#363 had everything returned to him, including the Granth S&#257hib when he learnt what Makkh&#257&#7751 Sh&#257h had done. He restored to Dh&#299r Mall goods pillaged by his men from his own house. As says Bh&#257&#299 Santokh Si&#7749gh, <i>Sr&#299 Gur Prat&#257p S&#363raj Granth</i>, Gur&#363 Te<u>gh</u> Bah&#257dur counselled Makkha&#7751 Sh&#257h and other Sikhs : "Forgiveness is the austerity most meritorious; forgiveness is the best of charities. Forgiveness is equivalent to all the pilgrimages and ablutions. In forgiveness lies liberation. No other virtue parallels forgiveness. Forgiveness thou must learn."</p> <p class="C1">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; One day Makkh&#257&#7751 Sh&#257h expressed his wish to visit Amritsar to perform ablutions in the holy pool, and felt thrilled when the Gur&#363 offered to travel with him. As they reached Amritsar on Maghar P&#363ranm&#257sh&#299 1721 Bk/22 November 1664, the custodians of the Harimandar barred their entry. He asked for permission to enter by force, but the Gur&#363 forbade him to do so. Makkha&#7751 Sh&#257h remained in Gur&#363 Te<u>gh</u> Bah&#257dur's train as he travelled through the Punjab and arrived with him at K&#299ratpur where he took leave of him.</p> </font> <p class="BIB"> BIBLIOGRAPHY<p class="C1"><ol class="C1"><li class="C1"> Bhall&#257, Sar&#363p D&#257s, <i>Mahim&#257 Prak&#257sh</i>. Patiala, 1977<BR> <li class="C1"> Padam, Pi&#257r&#257 Si&#7749gh, and G&#299&#257n&#299 Garj&#257 Si&#7749gh, eds., <i>Gur&#363 k&#299&#257&#7749 S&#257kh&#299&#257&#7749</i>. Patiala, 1986<BR> <li class="C1"> Gi&#257n Si&#7749gh, Gi&#257n&#299, <i>Sr&#299 Gur&#363 Panth Prak&#257sh</i>. Patiala, 1970<BR> <li class="C1"> Trilochan Si&#7749gh, <i>Guru Tegh Bahadur : Prophet and Martyr</i>. Delhi, 1967<BR> <li class="C1"> Harbans Singh, <i>Guru Tegh Bahadur</i>. Delhi, 1989.<BR> </ol><p class="CONT">A. C. Banerjee<br></p><BR> </font><img src="counter.aspx" width="1px" height="1px" alt=""></HTML></BODY>