Raj Karega Khalsa...

[Ideal Singh]

Bhagat Ravidas in Guru Granth Sahib named this Khalsa Raj as ‘Begumpura Shahr’: Begumpura Sahr ko nao ... (page 345)

"Be-gum-pura is the name of the city where there is no pain or worry. There is no fear of tax of goods there. Neither awe, nor error, nor dread, nor deficiency of moral values is there. I have now found an excellent abode. My brethren, there is ever lasting safety there. There prevails the sovereignty of God. The wealthy and the content dwell there. As they please so they do, all neutral actions. All are enriched with divine values (sixteen celestials' arts). Says Ravidas, the emancipated shoe-maker (Chamar), he who is my fellow citizen there, is a friend of mine here."

Fifth Nanak, Guru Arjan Dev, summarised the Khalsa Raj as ‘Halemi Raj’ in Guru Granth Sahib (page 74) that the divinity empowered by the GodFather is that no one chases and annoys another there. All abide in peace and this has become a benign regime (Halemi Raj), the kingdom of the Khalsa)- a perfectly balanced society.

The universe is eternal. And, things continue to change their forms so that they come back after a cycle to have the shape and the position from where they have started. It is cosmic drama, which goes on repeating itself. The universe with Sun and stars is eternal and continue changing periodically after a cycle of Time or Great Year or Cosmic Year. Nothing is new nor is anything born, it is only reborn (reshaped) after a cycle.

As matter is ephemeral (transitory), it is ever changing. Life is uncreated and eternal. Only life reproduces life. God does not create any living forms. He only guides human beings when they forget their real identity and lose morals and thus brings about order of Righteousness, happy and peace, which is 'Khalsa Raj.'

Sri Guru Granth Sahib is a perpetual, vibrating Guru (Guide) for the whole humanity and a model for truthful living:

'Falsehood will perish, O Nanak

And truth shall prevail, ultimately'

"The Guru Granth Sahib is remarkable for several reasons. Of all the known religious scriptures, this book is the most highly venerated. It means more to Sikhs than to even the Quran means to Muslims the Bible to Christians and the Torah to Jews. The Guru Granth is the Sikhs' perpetual Guru (spiritual guide). In this coming religious debate, the Sikh religion and its scripture, Guru Granth Sahib, will have something of special value to say to rest of the world," also says Arnold Toynbee.

Therefore, Guru Granth Sahib is the model upon which the Sikh polity could be developed. This polity based on Sri Guru Granth Sahib (Halemi Raj) would be a laboratory in this region for practising Sikh theocratic democracy and a centre of light to other world nations , who are in search of a new model for reorganising their polities that may provide their people a source of tolerance, coexistence and peace.

[Niranjana]

Gur Fateh!!!

Thanks for this, great article

For your information, I provide below some details relating to the Dohras concerning this topic. As always, I welcome all feedback in this regard and request for any foolish comments made by me to be forgiven.

Gur Bar Akaaal!!!

Note referred to:

Raj karega Khalsa aki rahe na koi

Khuar hoi sab milainge bache sharan jo hoi

This dohra is the 35th stanza in the current version of Bhai Nand lal?s Tankhahnama. Intriguingly the 34th is a Chaupai which goes thus

Jhoolan neje hasti saje

duar duar par naubat baje

swa lakh jab dhukhe paleeta

tab khalsa udai asat lau jeeta

The Dohra is followed by a sentence with which the current Tankhahnama ends which is

Bachan hai Guru ji ka ki jo koi Sikh beta hoi ar mona hoi jave tiski jar sukkie aur jo mona Sikh ho jave tiski jar haree.

Many regard this 'disjointed' portion unbefitting of Bhai Nand Lal Ji's persona when compared to his skillfull and beautiful Persian Ghazals (which require a very sophisticated sense of metre and rhyme, unlike the foregoing)...I am not skilled in these languages to comment, so welcome any members of the Forum who can help in this regard to do so...

As per the other common Dohra

Agya bhai akal ki...

.......guru manio granth.

I understand is first found Prahilad Rai's Rahitnama which is dated as 1695

AD in Abchal Nagar in the presence of Guruji, however this runs counter to references indicating that Guruji was in Abchal Nagar around 1709 and not in 1695.

The general notion of this Dohra is expounded in a number of places in Prahilad Rai's Rahitnama:

24th stanza:-

Guru Khalsa manio pragat Guru ki deh

joi Sikh miliau chahe khoj ino mai leh

n.b. Guru = Khalsa (as opposed to Guru Granth)

30th stanza:-

Akal purkh ke bachan siun pragat chalaio panth

Sabh Sikhan ko bachan hai Guru manio Granth.

38th Stanza 38:-

Sati Akal sri Waheguru param beej ih mant

Sabh sikhan ko bachan hai guru manio Granth.

The present version of Agya bhayee Akal ki version I understand to be written by Giani Gian Singh (Panth Parkash) during the late nineteenth century.

Personally, I feel there to be no doubt Guru Granth Sahib is, was and always has been the Guru for the Sikhs given internal evidence in the Granths themselves and also as mentioned by Kavi Sainapat (who most Scholars regard to be a reliable source) however I do feel the contorted dohras were written subsequently during a period when prehaps Sikh rule did appear to be possible.