PARKASH DIWAS SRI GURU HAR KRISHAN SAHIB JI 8TH GURU OF THE SIKHS
Sri Guru Har Krishan Sahib Ji - 8th Guru of the Sikhs
Sri Guru Har Krishan Sahib Ji, who was the second and the youngest son of Sri Guru Har Rai Ji and Mata Krishan Kaur Ji, was born of in 1656 at Kiratpur Sahib.
They were appointed Guru Sahib at the tender age of five years and five months old.
Their elder brother Baba Ram Rai Ji began conspiring against the child Guru at the Imperial Court at Delhi, and finally succeeded in getting Them summoned there.
Like Their father, Sri Guru Har Krishan Sahib Ji was averse to meeting Emperor Aurangzeb. At Delhi, though They were ordered many times to see the Emperor, Guru Ji persistently refused to do so. Raja Jai Singh had previously heard the Guru's praises and was, therefore, pleased at the prospect of making Their acquaintance and of listening to Their instruction. He sent his emissary to Kiratpur Sahib to request the Guru Ji to come to Delhi. Guru Ji refused the invitation, for They had been forbidden by Their father not to see the Emperor.
Raja Jai Singh sent back this communication, "Raja Jai Singh humbly requests Guru Ji to come to Delhi so that he and the Guru's Sikhs may behold him. Guru Ji may act as They please regarding an interview with the Emperor."
It was made clear by the emissary of Jai Singh that They (Guru Ji) would not be compelled to go to the Emperor. When Guru Ji reached Delhi, They were received by Raja Jai Singh who came bare footed to meet Guru Ji. He requested Guru Ji to stay at his palace.
That palace is now known as Gurdwara Bangla Sahib in New Delhi.
Thousands of people of Delhi came to have 'Darshan' of Guru Ji. The sick were healed and those in distress were comforted at the very sight of the Holy Master.
The Emperor sent presents at the arrival of Guru Ji and expressed a wish to see Them but the invitation was refused.
On the instruction of Emperor Aurangzeb, Raja Jai Singh agreed to test Guru Ji whether he possessed any superhuman power. His head queen dressed like a maid servant and sat among other maid servants and queens. Guru Ji was requested to identify the head queen (Rani) which They immediately did. Upon this Raja Jai Singh and his queens acknowledged Guru Ji's spiritual power. Cholera and small-pox were raging fiercely in Delhi at that time. Guru Ji ordered to spare all the offerings to reduce the suffering of the poor. The food, medicine and clothes distributed among the poor and the sick.
Guru Ji won many followers in this way. Shortly after the occurrence of Cholera, Guru Ji was seized with high fever which was followed by small-pox. His mother at his bedside, saw that They were thinking of his coming death. "O Son, why art thou turning thy thoughts away from this earth so soon?" she asked. "Be not anxious, mother, for me," said Guru Ji, "My safety is in His will. I am safe wherever GOD may take me. Mother, be not anxious; youth or age matters not. The Master is the Reaper of His crop; it is His pleasure and sometime He reaps it while green and sometimes when golden ripe? Know, mother; what our GOD does is best. Guru Ji took onto themselves all the suffering of small-pox so that the people could be saved.
The family-jealousy was blazing then at its full, and many blood-relations of Guru Ji were setting themselves up as the next "Master". Sri Guru Har Krishan Sahib Ji, though very ill, say, "Baba Bakale" (Baba Nanak Ji is at Bakala). The Boy-master felt his spiritual responsibility for the people, and named the place whence Sri Guru Nanak Dev Ji's 9th Master would come to his disciples once again.
Sri Guru Har Krishan Sahib Ji then breathed Their last in 1664. Their body was cremated on the bank of river Jamuna where now stands the Gurdwara Bala Sahib.
A Gursikh.