Introduction To The Book 'Guru Tegh Bahadar Ji - Sikh Gurus, Bhagats and Akal Takht' By Harbans Singh Doabia

This book contains all the Divine Hymns of Guru Tegh Bahadar in Gurmukhi, Hindi and Roman scripts, with translation in simple English of each verse, the summary of the Divine Teachings, as well as, the short Life Story of the Great Guru. This has been published on the unique occasion of the Tricentenary of the Martyrdom of the Great Gum. Most of our countrymen and people of the world do not know Gurmukhi and Punjabi language. The idea is that all our brethren, who know Hindi and English, may also be able to understand the universal teachings of love, preached by the Guru.

Human wisdom is wholly limited and one cannot understand fully the true values of the most precious gems, contained in the Gurbani. Still I have tried my best to explain the meanings and to discuss certain matters, wholly based on Gurbani.

The Saloks of Guru Tegh Bahadar, given at the end of Sri Guru Granth Sahib, have been included in this book, and a summary of their teachings has also been given. Every time, at the ceremony of the Bhog of the Path of Sri Guru Granth Sahib, i.e. at the dose of the reading of the whole Scripture, the Saloks are read in congregation. Many Non-Sikhs do join at such functions at the invitation of their Sikh friends. It is hoped that they will fully appreciate the significance and teachings of these Saloks, by going through the relevant parts of the book.

These saloks and hymns were written by the Guru before he started on his tours of the East. There is lot of misunderstanding and confusion, created by some of the learned writers, regarding the actual time when these were written. Some of them say that some Saloks were written by the Gum from the prison at Delhi. It is submitted that this view is wholly untenable, and my submissions regarding this may kindly be noted.

According to Mr. M.A. Macauliffe, Guru Tegh Bahadar, while in prison at Delhi, received a letter from his wife and son, through a messenger from Anandpur and it was then that the Guru wrote some of the Saloks, containing his instructions for his wife and his son. He refers to the first, fiftieth, fifty-first, fifty-third, fifty-fourth and fifty-fifth Saloks.

He then says that most of his other Saloks and Hymns were composed during his captivity and were sent along with the above Saloks, through a messenger (see pages 384 and 385 of his book). Similar views are expressed by some other authors.

With great respect to these authors, I beg to differ and submit that all the Saloks and Hymns were written by the Guru, before he started for his first tour of the East from Anandpur.

The grounds for my submission are briefly stated below.

1.   Guru Hargobind had already made a prophecy (which is detailed by Mr. M.A. Macauliffe) when he went to see his newly born son (Guru) Tegh Bahadar, soon after his birth in these words, 'The boy should have a son who would develop a third religion distinct from those of Hindus and Musalmans and who would also destroy the reign of tyranny in Hindustan." (see page 331, Silk Religion Vol. IV).

      Not to say of Guru Tegh Bahadar, even any Sikh could never doubt the truth of above prophecy. In view of this prophecy, what other trial of fitness of the Child Gobind to sit on the Divine throne was   needed ?

ii .After narrating the talk that took place between Guru Tegh Bahadar and the Child Guru, regarding the choice of a person, who should sacrifice his life to save the down trodden Hindus, Mr Macauliffe says on page 372 of the same book, ''When Guru heard this from his child's lip, he divined everything that was to follow." The Guru thus did proclaim that the Child Guru Gobind would be his successor.

From The Frontcover Of The Book 'Guru Tegh Bahadar Ji - Sikh Gurus, Bhagats and Akal Takht' By Harbans Singh Doabia

Sardar Harbans Singh Doabia was born in 1907 at Ambala Cantt. His father Sardar Kundan Singh was in Military Engineering Service who On his ret4"ement had settled at Jalandhar Cantt. Sardar Harbans Singh Doabia studied in Randhir College, at Kapurthala and graduated from Forman Christian College, Lahore. After completing his studies in the discipline of Law from Law College Lahore, he started practice in 1930 at Jalandhar. He shifted to Lahore in 1939. Justice Khan Bahadur Din Mohammad of Lahore High Court happened to develop a liking for him and he got him appointed as a part-time Lecturer in Law College, Lahore. At the time of partition of the country, he was on holiday in Mandi (H.P) and had no occasion to go back to Lahore. He moved to Shimla which had become the seat of High Court.

In 1955 he shifted to Chandigarh. He was appointed as Additional Advocate General in 1959, a post created for the first time in India for him. He resigned in 1964 and left active practice. He settled at his summer residence at Saproon in Shimla Hills. He devoted to writing on religion. He translated and transliterated the Banis which are part of Nit-Nem, Sukhmani Sahib, Asa Di Var etc. All these books have been very popular abroad and those who have not studied Punjabi make use of these books. He left for his heavenly abode in 1999. His wife, Satwant Kaur was equally devoted to the cause of religion. It was their wish that the royalty income from the books as also other sources should be used for the religious and charitable purposes. The present Edition has the financial support of their contribution.