INSIDE THE GURU'S GATE - Anpere

appeared before Guru Tegh Bahadur when he camped at Monghyr. In one hukamnama
the Guru thanks a Sikh named Bhai Kalyan Das for presenting offerings from
the congregation at Varanasi and several letters are addressed to him along with
other disciples. 98 As we shall see below Kalyan Das is a main character of the modern
account on the history of Nichibagh Gurdwara.
Sikh historiography relates that Guru Tegh Bahadur left Patna in 1671 and the
year after summoned his family to Punjab. On the journey back his six-year old son
and future successor, Guru Gobind Singh, halted at Varanasi where hundreds of
devotees sought his blessing. 99 According to the local lore Guru Gobind Singh
handed over his sandals to the congregration to keep his visit forever in memory.
The city of Varanasi is reputed for the visit of Bhai Gurdas, the devout scribe of
the Sikh Gurus, and Guru Gobind Singh’s establishment of the Nirmala order. The
local historiography asserts that Bhai Gurdas stayed in Varanasi for more than two
years in the beginning of the seventeenth century, making propaganda of the Gurus’
teaching and converting hundreds of Hindus to Sikhism. Among his followers was
the Maharaja of Varanasi, who granted him residence at Visheshwar Ganj in the
Northern part of the city. 100
According to a nineteenth century source Guru Gobind Singh invited a Brahman
from Varanasi to come and teach his Sikhs Sanskrit. The Brahmin declined the
invitations, saying that only Brahmins were entitled to learn Sanskrit or the Vedas
and most of the Sikhs did not belong to this caste. In response the Guru said that
Sikhs would become more erudite than Brahmins who in the future would learn from
the Sikhs. 101 The tradition tells that Guru Gobind Singh ordered five of his disciples to
to another letter a similar offering of 166 rupees had been presented to the Guru from the Sikh in
Varanasi (Fauja Singh 1996: 71, 76 ‒ 79).
98
Fauja Singh 1996: 51.
99
For a modern interpretation of this event, see Johar 1975.
100
Varanasi Dian Kuch Itihasik Yadan, p. 13 ‒ 14. As the more detailed historiography at Shri
Chetan Math relates, Bhai Gurdas escaped Punjab and sought shelter in Varanasi after Guru
Hargobind had tested his loyalty and faith. Guru Hargobind had sent Bhai Gurdas from Amritsar
to Kabul to purchase a horse, but when he was to pay the horse-seller he found that the Guru
had given him potsherds instead of coins. For a while Bhai Gurdas’ faith was shaken by the trial
and he ran off to Varanasi. After Bhai Gurdas had stayed in city for more than two years the
Maharaja received a letter from Guru Hargobind, who had been aware of Bhai Gurdas’ residence.
In the letter Guru Hargobind alleged that a thief was residing in Varanasi and requested
the Maharaja to handcuff and return the bandit to the Guru’s custody. At first the Maharaja was
shocked by the news, but when Bhai Gurdas explained about the event in Kabul, he decided to
accompany the scribe to the Guru’s court in Amritsar. Wearing handcuffs Bhai Gurdas fell down
at the feet of Guru Hargobind in forgiveness. The Guru hugged Bhai Gurdas and uttered the oftquoted
words: “The one who will read your hymns will also have the right to read Guru Granth
Sahib” (Ik Aumkar Satguru Prasad, Shri Chetan Math, Varanasi). For an abbreviated English
version of this story, consult Jodh Singh: 1998: 3 ‒ 5.
101
The reference is included in Ratan Singh Bhangu’s work Guru Panth Prakash completed in
1841 (see Bhai Vir Singh 1982, Dhillon 2004).
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Published on www.anpere.net in May 2008