Guru Harkrishan, the eighth Sikh guru, was only five years of age when he was chosen as the next successor of the Sikh faith. He was young but full of divine wisdom. He was humble and so soft at heart that his recitation of bani could melt a needle. The tenderness of Guru Harkrishan was regarded as the main attribute of a Guru who came to be known as the “dispeller of sorrow and pain” and as a “Bala Guru”.
The young age of the guru, sometimes raised certain doubts in the minds of the non-believers. Once a pandit named Lal Chand, who was very proud of his knowledge of Vedas and Shastras, approached the Guru and said. “you sit on the gaddi of Guru Nanak. But what do you know of the old religious texts? You have named yourself (Harkrishan) even greater than Krishna!”
The Guru could see the pride and ego of the pandit, considered as the main obstacle in the path of realisation. Ahankar leads to separation from the Almighty and results into sorrow. In order to liberate the pandit from false ego, the Guru called Chhajju Ram, an illiterate water carrier. The Guru glanced at Chhajju Ram and filled him with the divine knowledge who astonished everyone with his recitation of the shlokas. Lal Chand fell at the Guru’s feet and became his disciple. Hence it is said that “The early morning sun looks small in size, but its light is everywhere.” So was young Guru Harkrishan’s fame.
When the “Bala Guru” met the Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb, he was presented with two large trays. One tray was full of clothes, ornaments and toys. The other tray had only a holy man’s cloak and cowl. The Guru rejected the first tray and accepted the one with the holy clothes. It was a way to show that divine wisdom and knowledge is above age and religion.
When Guru Harkrishan visited Delhi, there was an epidemic of cholera and smallpox. The young Guru started tending to the sick and cured many people. But eventually the disease took hold of him.
The Guru’s mother asked, “Son, you occupy the gaddi of Guru Nanak. Your very sight removes the ailments of others. Why do you lie sick now?” He 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 Guru Nanak taught. Whatever one does is His order. One must walk in the light of His command”.
Guru Harkrishan showed the true path of liberation to the Sikhs with his own life and conduct. Removal of pride, humility, seva, naam-simran and to abide by His hukam are the core principles of the Sikh religion.
Gurdwara Bangla Sahib is dedicated to Guru Harkrishan where he had provided a healing touch and cured the persons suffering from so many ailments. The holy water i.e amrit is believed to have miraculous healing powers. Every Sikh, in the daily ardas remembers the “Bala Pir” with the words, “Sri Harkrishan dhayaiye jis dithe sab dukh jaye (Remember Sri Harkrishan whose sight annuls all sorrow)”.
Kulbir Kaur teaches sociology at Shyama Prasad Mukherji College, Delhi University
