aa'ss kirpan khando kharag, tupak tabar arr teer ||
saif sarohee saithee yahai hamarai peer || 3 ||
The straight sword, the Kirpan, the Khanda, the gun, the bow and the arrow.
The saif, the sirohee, (different names of swords) and the spear; these are my Saints. || 3 ||
from Shastre Naam Mala (Catalogue of names of weapons) by Guru Gobind Singh.
Kirpan literally means "Giver of Grace". This "Giver of Grace" has been a source of conflict with government authorities ever since it became mandatory for Sikhs to arm themselves during Guru Hargobind's time. So it should come as no surprise that the Kirpan is yet again the centre of a controversy.
As many of you know, the issue this time revolves around 12 year old Gurbaj Singh, who has not been allowed to attend school since November 19th of last year. He is an amritdharee Sikh, who wears a small three-inch Kirpan under his shirt.
With this issue having become such a dramatic news story here questions concerning the Kirpan have increased dramatically.
It does grow tedious answering the same questions about one's appearance for so long as those of us who have grown up Sikh can at test to. You begin to form standard responses to these questions that are asked again and again, responses that grow so mechanical in nature that you don't even think about what it is you are saying.
The one I've been using for years concerning the Kirpan is,
"No it’s not a knife. It's a Kirpan, a ceremonial sword, and it is an essential part of my religion , which is Sikhism. It is a symbol of a Sikh's duty to defend the helpless, the poor and the downtrodden. A symbol of our daily fight against injustice and tyranny."
This answer seemed to work well for years. It was one I was taught at countless Sikh youth camps and religious classes and with few variations it is one that many other Sikhs also use.
I look at this response now, and it seems wrought full of problems. The main one I see, and the one I will be addressing in this essay, is the issue of symbolism.
To illustrate this point, the school board, which is not allowing Gurbaj Singh to attend his classes, is using the following excuse as one of many to defend its position. The board points out how some Sikh children who are 'amritdharee" wear only a small 'symbolic" Kirpan around their necks, or even a smaller one in their hair. Some even consider the miniscule tiny piece of metal attached to some Kangas as enough of a Kirpan. The question asked by the school board, and by the media, is that if these small "symbolic" Kirpans are good enough for some Sikhs, then why must Gurbaj Singh wear a larger (hardly that large, his Kirpan is barely 3 inches) one.
And therein lies the root of the problem.
The Kirpan has become a symbol, nothing more, and symbols are interchangeable. They have no intrinsic worth in and of themselves. They only stand for something else , and therefore can be replaced, modified or even got rid of completely.
Why did we start calling the Kirpan a mere symbol? I think it has to do with a desire by Sikhs to fit in, to be politically correct and to not be viewed as savages by the wider non-Sikh community. We believe that society will fear and ostracize us if they were to know the true purpose and reason for the Kirpan.
What is even sadder than this blatant manipulation of our own ideology for the sake of convenience is that we ourselves have taken this definition to heart. All over the world Sikhs believe that their Kirpans are mere symbols, nothing more, and that the size , quality and shape of them has no significance or relevance. It speaks to our own insecurities and self hate that we cannot see or accept the true reason for the Kirpan that the Guru has blessed us with. Because of our lack of understanding, we come up with excuses to explain away what we view as a burden, not realizing it is a gift of love. For many Sikhs, the Kirpan does not seem to fit any purpose in their "modern" lives. How relevant and necessary can a weapon be in a liberal , western, developed, democracy like Canada?
If I ask myself, "Is the Kirpan a symbol?" I must answer,
No.
When I look at Sikh history, tradition , ideology, and most importantly, the few authenticated writings of the Tenth Master that have survived, there is no choice but to acknowledge the fact that the Kirpan is a real sword, a weapon, and not a symbol. It is a tool of war that a Sikh is prescribed to keep on one's self at all times.
The Kirpan or the Sword in other forms is a topic of much interest in Guru Gobind Singh’s composititions, or what we believe to be his writings (the issue of authenticity of the Dasm Granth and Sarb Loh Granth are too large to get into here). From the compositions that I believe to be Guru jee’s own, and from the few sayings of the Guru's that have been passed through oral tradition , as well as the Rehitnama and Tankhanama of Bhai Nand La1 Singh (Goya), there are two distinct Kirpans that the Guru speaks of. One is the symbolic Kirpan, the metaphor for God as a unifying force that cuts through superstition and darkness. The Kirpan represents in this case a primal force of change in the universe.
For example,
khandaa prithmai saaj kai, jinh sabh saisaar upaaya ||
First was created the Khanda, the double-edged sword, and then the physical universe manifested.
from Vaar Siree Bhagautee jee kee by Guru Gobind Singh, 2nd stanza.
And then there is the other Kirpan, the very real weapon that the Guru has told us to wear on us a tall times.
binah shashtre keshang narang baidh janoh || gaihai kaan tai pakhroh lai sidaanho ||
ehai morh agaiya sunho hai pyarail || bina teghang keshang divoh na deedarai ||
Without weapons and uncut hair , a person is but a sheep.
Held by the ear , they may be taken anywhere.
Listen my beloved (Sikh), this is my command:
Without a sword and uncut hair , do not come to my presence.
from an oral recension of Guru Gobind Singh’s from Gur Bilaas Patshahee Dasvee, by Sukha Singh, Chapter 23khalsaa soyai joh charai turang khalsaa soyai joh karai nit jang || 53| |
khalsaa soyai joh shashtre koh dharai ||
khalsa soyai dusht koh marai || 54 ||
halsa is one who keeps a war horse (is prepared for battle ),
Khalsa is one who fights in war. || 53 ||
Khalsa is one who wears weapons,
Khalsa is one who kills the enemies. || 54 ||
from Tankhanama by Bhai Nand La1 Singh (Goya)
Now, one of these Kirpans, the metaphorical, unseen Kirpan, can only be understood and perceived through meditation on the Divine, it is transcendental in nature. The other Kirpan is a very real weapon, a physical sword that a Sikh is enjoined to wear on themselves at all times.
It becomes clear that the Guru has put a lot of stress on the wearing of the Kirpan.
Why?
Why has so much importance been placed on this aspect of the Sikh form, throughout Sikh tradition and ideology?
To find the answer to the reason for this emphasis, let us look back to when Kirpans first became a formal part of Sikhism to Guru Hargobind's time.
There are two ways of interpreting the Guru period of Sikh history. One is to see the Gurus as common actors of human history , buffeted by forces out of their control. In this interpretation , the Guru's actions are understood to be mere responses, plain old historical occurrences. The second method of interpretation , and one that I think is much more appropriate, is viewing the first 239 years of Guru Nanak's life (from Guru Nanak's birth in April 1469 to Guru Gobind Singh's passing of his soul to the Guru Granth Sahib in October 1708) as one large lesson to us, the Sikhs. Every single action that the Guru's performed in their time as Guru must be viewed in this light. They are the Guru, pure and complete humans, far beyond all other actors on this mundane plane, people free from the impact of the banal movements of historical action and response. The Sikh Guru exists in a sphere of His own creation, as a creature fully attuned to the Hukam of Akal. The Guru's life span must be REunderstood as one long well thought out lesson, a plan with a clearly defined end result. What is it that every teacher desires of the student? That one day, the teacher will be the student, and the student the teacher. And that is what the end result of Guru Nanak's plan was, the creation of the Guru Khalsa Panth, before whom Guru Gobind Singh bowed. This historical event on March 28th or 29th, 1699 (see Pal Singh Purewal's Nanakshahi calendar for more info on the actual date of the creation of the Khalsa: http://www.geocities.com/pspurewal/Purewal.html) was the culmination of a 239 year long lesson. Guru Gobind Singh remained on this earth for 9 years more nurturing the fledgling Panth, and then let it free , to find its own destiny, with the guidance of his soul in the Guru Granth Sahib.
It can therefore be stated that all of the qualities found in the Khalsa can be traced back to Guru Nanak's Guruship. This includes the martial tradition within the Sikhs. Popular Sikh tradition , as well as old texts , state that Guru Nanak carried a Barsha (long stick with a spear head tied to the top, still carried by Nihang Singhs) on his travels. In fact, there is a Gurudwuara in Assam that is named Barsha Sahib (for more info see, http://allaboutsikhs.com/gurudwaras/gd-barchha.htm) , in commemoration of Guru jee leaving his weapon to the sangat when they asked him to leave them something to remember him by.
It is also a historical fact that Guru Angad started a wrestling camp, Akhara, to promote martial traditions in the fledgling community. And Guru Hargobind's own military training was not a random occurrence, or one with no backing in Sikh history. Who trained Baba Hargobind before he was installed as the sixth Guru? Was it not Baba Buddha jee, and who was it that told Baba Buddha to train Baba Hargobind? It was Guru Arjun himself who ensured that the next Guru would know how to fight in war, and lead troops on the battlefield. In fact, Guru Arjun himself must have had some sort of military training. Many of his compositions in the Guru Granth Sahib use warrior metaphors, hinting at an intimate knowledge of weapons, and there is also the famous story of Guru jee’s wedding with Mata Ganga jee. At his wedding, when he reached Mata Ganga's village, her brothers and other male relatives complained that a simple Sadhu like Baba Arjun would not be able to care for their sister or her future children. They challenged the Guru to perform a difficult horse maneuver. Guru Arjun accepted the challenge, and proceeded to knock out a peg dug deep into the ground with a wooden lance while riding his horse at full speed. Such a feat would not have been possible without some prior training.
Here is an example of one of Guru jee’s shabads that uses military metaphors:
sorath mehla panjvaa ||
gareebee gadha hamaree || khana saghal rain charee ||
is aagaih koh na tikai vaikaree || gur poorai aih galh saree ||Sorath, Fifth Mehla:
Humility is my spiked club. My dagger is to be the dust of all people's feet.
No evildoer can withstand these weapons. The Perfect Guru has given me this understanding. || 1 ||
from Raag Sorath by Guru Arjun, from Guru Granth Sahib p. 628
Guru Hargobind's donning of arms and formal proclamation of sovereignty at the Takht Akal Bunga Sahib (Akal Takht Sahib) should not be seen as a response to Mughal aggression, but instead a natural outgrowth on the path of evolution to the Khalsa Panth.
Weapons have the ultimate power, the power to end another being's life. This is a tremendous responsibility for a person to shoulder, and it is not something the Guru's took lightly. Without first ensuring that it would not be abused, the Guru could not have just handed the Sikhs such power. That is just one of the reasons why the martial tradition in Sikhism could not be fully proclaimed right at the founding of the Panth by Guru Nanak in the late 15th century. You cannot give a child a weapon without any guidelines and rules, and expect them to be able to use it responsibly. A tool of war and destruction can only be entrusted on a person after they are taught some very hard lessons, lessons that they will not easily forget. From the time of Guru Nanak to Guru Arjun, small steps were taken to ensure that the Sikhs understood the sanctity and importance of human life. Concepts such as seva, egalitarianism, hard work, justice and the basic rights of all humans were all incorporated into the Sikh ideal.
On the road to the creation of the Khalsa, thousands of lessons were taught to the Sikhs. For purposes of brevity, we will only be looking at those events that directly impact on the topic at hand, the Kirpan and its role in Sikhism.
Before we begin, we must ask ourselves, what is the purpose of the Khalsa? What is the significance of enrolling oneself as a member in the Order of the Khalsa?
The creation of the Khalsa is, as Sardar Kapur Singh so eloquently puts it in his seminal work Parasaraprasna, the dawn of a new era in the history of humanity. The Khalsa is a new type of Human Being, one who is not tied to the old allegiances of nationality , religion , culture and region. A human being who views all divisions, such as one's gender, race, caste, or any other distinction , as completely irrelevant. The Khalsa is a person who has made an oath to Guru/God to live as the true epitome of what a human being should and ought to be. To live as someone who is fully attuned to the universe. Who loves all , fully and truly. Someone who makes a pledge that their life is of no consequence, and that if such a situation should arise that requires their life be put on the line , would not hesitate in the least to do so. There is nothing more admirable and desirable for a Sikh than to give up this body in order to protect another's.
Now, how could such a lesson have been taught to the Sikhs? How can a teacher explain to their student that the student must lose all attachment to their body, and be ready to lay down their life in the fight for freedom and justice? Well the answer lies in the old adage that the generals who command the most loyalty are the ones that lead their troops into battle , putting their own lives on the line. A teacher can only really lead by example, and so if the Guru's expected their Sikhs to view their own bodies as being of no consequence, then the Gurus had to show that they themselves had no attachment to this mortal frame.
And that is just what Guru Arjun did. He gave one of the most important lessons in the history of the Khalsa. His martyrdom is a foundation stone of the Khalsa Panth. Guru Arjun's body was brutally tortured , but his resolve did not waver in the slightest. Through three days of what would be unimaginable pain, he flinched not once, retaining the calm disposition of a man who is completely in tune with the God within us all. If Sikhs want to learn how to face death they need not look further than their Fifth Master. His shaheedi is a shining example that will never lose its relevance with the passage of time. Guru Arjun gave to his Sikhs their fearlessness , fearlessness in the face of insurmountable odds and hardships. He taught us how to deal with the most painful of situations and circumstances with complete grace and dignity, and how it is a Sikh should view this body we have been given.
This fearlessness and control over one's body is essential for the Khalsa. One needs to control the pain inflicted on the body when fighting in the battle for justice. Bhai Gurdas best explains it,
larh marna tai satee honai gurmukh panth pooran partapai ||
Dying on the battlefield while maintaining control over the senses is the grand and perfect path of the Gurmukhs (Guru oriented person).
from Vaars by Bhai Gurdas, Vaar 30 pauree 14
Lesson numbers two and three in the development of the Kirpan would be Guru Hargobind's formal militarization of the Sikh nation. His pronouncement from the newly built Takht Aka1 Bunga Sahib that all Sikhs must from now on carry weapons of war on their person heralded a major step on the path to the Khalsa.
It is here that we begin to understand why governments will always have problems with the Kirpan, regardless of how tolerant they may claim to be.
A quote by Sardar Kapur Singh would be appropriate,
'... ( the sword) is by ancient tradition and association, a typical weapon of offence and defense and, hence, a fundamental right of the freeman, the sovereign individual to wear it. All governments and rulers , whether ancient or modern, have insisted and do insist on their right to control and curtail the right of a citizen to wear arms. Indeed, in the final analysis, a government or the State is sustained and supported by organized power and the exclusive right of possession or arms, a citizen's right to wear arms being conceded as only a permissive and licensed character. It follows from this that the measure of freedom to posses and wear arms by an individual is the precise measure of his freedom and sovereignty." Sardar Kapur Singh, from Parasaraprsna, pp.107-108
As Sardar jee states , a state’s power comes through its ability to limit the use of weapons by its subjects. The right to carry weapons is one that is solely open to the state , and to state authorities. Citizens that wish to carry arms, are either not allowed to at all , or are severely restricted in this right , and forced to carry licenses , have to fulfill strict requirements, have severe restrictions placed on the type of weapons they may own, and are limited in how they may go about carrying their weapons. Without this right , a state loses its legitimacy, and its right to govern. And it is here that the true revolutionary aspect of wearing a Kirpan comes to the fore.
The wearing of swords by Sikhs was a direct affront to the Mughal regime. It was an open challenge to the state authorities. And that open challenge has lost none of its fervor or importance four hundred years later. The Sikhs have been promised independence from the Guru. It is our birth right as the Khalsa.
As Guru Gobind Singh says,
mai inh koh daiho patshashee
yadh karai hamree gurayee ||
To them (my Sikhs) I have given sovereignty
Let them remember my Guruship.
from an oral recension of Guru Gobind Singh’s from Panthin Panth Parkash by Rattan Singh Bhangusunho nand la1 aiho saach
pargat karanau apnai raaj || 56 ||
... raj karaiga khalsa akee rahai na koyai
kvaar hoyai sabh milangai, bachai saran joh hoyai || 62 ||Listen Nand La1 to the Truth:
I shall , in time, establish My sovereirgnty. || 56 ||
... The Khalsa shall be free and sovereign, and will rule. No one will dare to resist its power.
After suffering internal conflicts all shall unite. Only those who take refuge in Its presence will be Saved. || 62 ||
from Tankhanama by Bhai Nand La1 Singh (Goya)
The Kirpan is our way of showing to the world that we as Sikhs will never bow down to any state authority. The Sikhs of the Guru recognize only one authority, and that is God. We recognize only one throne, and that is the Eternal Throne of the Timeless one, the Takht Aka1 Bunga Sahib. Our Kirpans are our passports of freedom.
This is why Sikhs can never accept any type of restrictions on their wearing of weapons. We are citizens of a sovereign nation, of the Khalsa Panth, and as such, we need not follow the rules that might pertain to other people. As Shaheed Baba Jarnail Singh stated , '... how many licensees did Guru Hargobind Sahib, the True King, get from Jahangir? How many licenses did Guru Gobind Singh Sahib Ji, the Tenth King, our Father, get from Nauranga (Aurangzeb)?... If we are Sikhs of the Tenth King, and go about asking for licensees, what will people say about us? (we will be called illegitimate ) " from Shaheed Baba Jarnail Singh Khalsa, Speech #40: March 8th 1984, from "Struggle For Justice" by Ranbir Singh Sandhu, p. 412
In his own unique and direct method, Jarnail Singh proved a vital point, that as Sikhs, how can we accept any restrictions by a government on the very thing that is a sign of our independence from governments?
The Kirpan is a tool of sovereignty. This can be best understood by the following quote of Guru Gobind Singh Sahib,
mukh vaakh bhino gareeb navaaj ||
shashtrn kai adeen hai raaj ||
raaj bina nai dharam chalai hai ||
dhararn bina sabh dalhai malai hai ||The words from the holy mouth of the Exalter of the Poor (Guru Gobind Singh) are :
Political power and independence rest on and are sustained by weapons;
And without political sovereignty the righteous way of life , religion , can not spread through society;
And without Religion all are left destroyed and wasted.
from an oral recension of Guru Gobind Singhrs, from a variety of sources
Religion is the key to life. Sovereignty is the key to religion , and as Guru jee states quite clearly , weapons are the key to sovereignty. Without weapons you can have no sovereignty, without sovereignty, religion cannot flourish , without religion , all is destroyed.
The second lesson Guru Hargobind imparted to his Sikhs concerning the Kirpan is of a more practical concern.
Guru Hargobind was Guru for longer than any other , besides Guru Nanak of course. While he is mostly remembered in the minds of Sikhs as the warrior Guru, in actuality , he fought only four battles , all of them relatively minor in scope and early in his Guruship ( their relevance to Sikh history and philosophy however are huge). After these battles were done with Guru Hargobind Sahib founded the city of Kiratpur Sahib, far off in Eastern Punjab in the Shivalik Hills , in the area now on the border between Punjab and Himachal Pradesh. This was a secluded area, far from the center of power in Punjab, Lahore, which his previous capital of Amritsar was extremely close to. This was a place free from threat and outside intervention and so, many Sikhs asked the Guru why Kirpans were still necessary to carry at all times?
Guru Hargobind told his trusted Sikh, the eminent Bhai Gurdas to answer the Sikhs’ queries for him. Bhai Gurdas gave three simple examples in the way of an answer. Here is one of them,
"When your house catches fire , do you go out and start digging a well, making a bucket, and fetching the water? Or do you make the well before hand, have everything ready and prepared, and therefore in case a fire does occur, you can easily go fetch water and put the flames out."
Bhai Sahib's answer could not be more clear. You need to be ready to fight at any second. A threat is always imminent. Sikhs have a warrior culture and promote their warrior ideals because you have to keep that ideal alive in every generation. Even if Sikhs grow used to peace, which we never really do, since its only a matter of time until we face persecution again, we must be reminded that we are warriors , so that when a threat to freedom arises , we will be ready and prepared to strike it down quickly.
More importantly, there are threats everyday to ourselves and to those around us. To help protect against them, the Sikh must always be prepared. That is why a Kirpan is essential.
The most common criticism of the Kirpan is that it has outlived its usefulness in the modern world. Many people claim that one can do little with a small Kirpan, and so why bother carrying one at all , especially when the police is just a quick three-digit phone call away. Or if one must, why not carry a gun, or some other more "useful" weapon.
Let us break down this argument along two lines. The first concerns the usefulness of a sword in a peaceful, largely law-abiding society. I have used this argument before but it has not lost its significance. The terrorists of September 11, 2001 did quite a lot of damage with just box cutters. Those that claim a Kirpan is a complete waste and can do nothing, need to think about how useful a Kirpan of a decent size and of good quality can be. With proper training , it can be very useful, and can be the only fact or between life and death.
Another point is that as a real weapon the Kirpan should be of a certain length. How large? Shaheed Baba Jarnail Singh states that a nine inch Kirpan is the bare minimum of personal defense. This seems reasonable, for a weapon any smaller would be hard to use without excellent training. For an even clearer injunction and one that carries more authority and weight, a little known Hukarnnama from Takht Sachkhand Sri Hazur Sahib at Nanded, Maharastra is very useful. This Hukamnama was written in response to the British administration in the sub-continent banning the Kirpan in 1913.
"Guru Gobind Singh, the Master of the universe, since the day of revelation of the Khalsa Panth, issued a command to Sikhs to wear the Kirpan at all times, which has been a part of the Khalsa since that point. Now, for some time a few Sikhs in Punjab have begun wearing very small Kirpans. Several Sikhs have requested the Takht Sahib to issue an injunction as to what should be the minimum size of the Kirpan. So, it is the verdict of the Takht that the Kirpan that is to be carried in the sword belt , ( gatra or kamarkasa) be no less than one foot (30 centimeters) in length.
Dated: 20 Assu, 444 Nanakshahi calendar (September 1913)
Signed: Sohee Hari Singh Pujari, Ram Singh, Prem Singh Dhupeeyai, Master Sda Singh, Nihang Granthi Hazura Singh, Granthi Maan Singh, Sodhi Karam Singh Rasaldar and Nambardar and Nanu Singh lawyer of the Gurudwuara Sahib."
Granted, the later Panthic Rehit Maryada authorized by the Takht Aka1 Bunga Sahib as written in 1932 does not specify what size the Kirpan should be, but this earlier Hukamnama should at least be a guideline to us of how the Kirpan used to be viewed by Sikhs. The authorities of Takht Sachkhand Sri Hazur Sahib make it clear that the Kirpan is a weapon, and should be of a decent size. If Sikhs want to wear ones smaller than one foot, the Rehit Maryada makes it clear that that is okay, but at the same time, it should be of a decent length, otherwise, how can it still function as a weapon?
The second point that we should carry some more useful weapon like a gun, is one that is also easily dismissed. Yes according to Sikh tradition , a Sikhs should wear as many arms as they can, or as many as are necessary.
panjh hathiar banh kai hukam daikhdiya darshan koh aavnaa ||
Wearing five weapons, maintaining the Hukam of the Guru, come to the Guru's presence.
from an oral recension of Guru Gobind Singh’s, from a variety of sources including a Hukamnama of Shaheed Baba Banda Singh Bahadur to the Sarbat Khalsa of Jaunpur, from Hukamnamah by Dr. Ganda Singh, pp 194-195.
In our society, we are not under constant threat. In such a situation , the bare minimum of the Kirpan is all that we need. If however we are in a war situation , or a situation of intense persecution, then obviously, a Sikh should carry as many weapons as they can. The Kirpan is not the be all and end all , it is just the most basic weapon. One need only go to Takht Aka1 Bunga Sahib and see the weapons that warriors like Baba Deep Singh, Bhai Gurbaksh Singh, Sahibzada Baba Ajit Singh, Sahibzada Baba Jujhar Singh, Sardar Navab Kapur Singh and Guru Hargobind himself carried on themselves at all times. They had long Kirpans, secret weapons hidden on their sleeves, armor piecing swords, Khandas, maces, lances , spears , katars, bows and arrows, chakars, and guns. So if the situation calls for it, then by all means wear a gun, wear as many weapons as you can, but if you a reliving in a generally peaceful situation , then wear your one Kirpan, but be ready, be prepared, and train yourselves. One can only imagine how many Sikhs would have been saved in Delhi in 1984 if they had armed themselves, and were more prepared for a full attack.
Guru Hargobind gave to us these two key lessons in the development of the Kirpan: sovereignty and the warrior ideal. Both of these explanations of the Kirpan must be kept close to mind and heart. Our Kirpan is a tool of protection, both of one's self and more importantly, the protection of others, but it is also a tool of achieving and maintaining our sovereignty, and it is sign of freedom from all mundane earthly institutions.
Up this point in Sikh history, to sum up, the Gurus have created a people who are fearless in the face of death and are fully armed and prepared for battle at all times. This combination could have proven disastrous. What would stop a fearless battle ready people from going out and taking whatever they wished. They could run completely amok, destroying all , subjugating innocents to their rule , and expanding their power in a never ending thirst for control. To firmly and resolutely ensure that such an abuse of power would never occur, the Guru's gave us the fourth major lesson that allowed us to wear our Kirpans. It is perhaps the most important.
The lesson is that act of singular courage when Guru Tegh Bahadur gave up his head in the streets of Delhi for the cause of freedom. When Guru Tegh Bahadur laid down his life for the Freedom of Choice, Thought and Expression, he set up a failsafe that ensured for all time that his Sikhs would never abuse the human rights of others. We might be fearless and carry weapons, but Sikhs have never been known to take away the rights of minority groups, to wage war on innocents, to oppress others, or in any way not allow people their basic human freedoms. Quite the opposite is true infact. This tradition can be traced back to Guru Tegh Bahadur's very clear lesson to us. Even if you disagree with the choice another people make, as the Gurus did disagree with the basic tenants of Hinduism, a Sikh still has the duty to put their life on the line so that others can make those choices, just as Guru Tegh Bahadur did for the Hindus. The choices made by these people might be 'bad" or "wrong" in our eyes, but every human being has that freedom to choose their own destiny. As long as what they chose does not harm those around them they should be free to do what they wish.
It is in defense of human rights that Guru Gobind Singh exhorted his Sikhs to turn to the sword, and by extension to war. This option is to be taken where the situation is a life and death one and there exits no longer any other viable alternative. This idea is explained in Guru Gobind Singh’s letter of victory to Aurangzeb,
chuuhn kaar az hamoh heeltai darghozsht ||
halaal ast burdhan bah shamsheer dst ||
When all peaceful means to resolve a crucial problem fail ,
It is justifiable to wield the Sword.
from Zafarnama by Guru Gobind Singh, 22nd stanza
The ceremony of instaling a new Guru is a simple one. Guru Nanak invented it when he installed Bhai Lehna as Guru Angad. The new Guru is seated on a Manji Sahib, a new turban is tied on them. Five paisaih, a coconut and a Granth of the previous Guru's writings are presented, and then a ceremonial mark of Guruship is placed on the Guru's forehead. The old Guru would then circumambulate around the new Guru three times, and then bow before the new Guru, thus proclaiming that this was now the soul of Nanak. Guru Hargobind added one more object to this metaphorically rich ceremony when he made Baba Har Rai the seventh Guru of the Sikhs. He presented a Kirpan to the next Guru, and from that point onwards all the subsequent Gurus wore a Kirpan on their person, and presented one to the person they chose to be the next Guru. Even Guru Harkrishan placed a Kirpan on the empty Manji Sahib around which he performed the Guruship ceremony while Baba Tegh Bahadur was at Bakala.
However, even though it was Guru Hargobind who started this tradition , the idea of a Kirpan, whether real or not, being presented from one Guru to the next can also be traced right back to Guru Nanak. This statement would be surprising to many, but we have direct proof of this. The following shabad appears in the Guru Granth Sahib, and is part of an Ode in praise of the first five Gurus.
nao kartaa kadr karai kyon bolai hovai jokheevdai ||
dai gunah sat phain pharaav hai pargat daan pareevdai ||
naanak raaj chalaiya sach kot stnaaee neev dai ||
laihnai dharihon shut sir kar siftee amrit peevdai ||
mat gur aatam dev dee KHARAG jorh prakoyai jee dai ||
gur chalai raihraas keeyee naanak salamat theevdai ||
sohai tika ditoss jeevdai ||One who chants the Name of the Almighty Creator - how can their words be judged?
His divine virtues are the true sisters and brothers; through them, the gift of supreme status is obtained. Nanak established the kingdom; He built the true fortress on the strongest foundations.
He installed the royal canopy over Lehna’s head; chanting the Lord's Praises,
Lehna drank in the Amrit.
The Guru implanted the ALMIGHTY SWORD of the (divine) Teachings to illuminate his soul.
The Guru bowed down to His disciple , while Nanak was still alive.
The King, while still alive , applied the ceremonial mark to his forehead. || 11 ||
from Raag Ramkali kee Vaar, Bhai Satta and Rai Balvand, from Guru Granth Sahib p. 966
This Shabad shows that the Kirpan was a focal point in the Sikh Guruship ceremony in one form or another right from its inception. The Kirpan is an integral sign of the Guru's power and authority. The shabad is also important since it clearly shows that the Guru is not just a spiritual master, but a socio-political one as well, and that Guru Nanak's panth must be viewed in such terms. It is a "royal" canopy that is placed above Guru Angad's head, and the panth Guru Nanak founded is a "kingdom". These are not spiritual terms, but political ones.
The final time this ceremony took place was October 7th, 1708, at Nanded in Maharastra. Guru Gobind Singh asked Bhai Daya Singh and four other Sikhs to go bring the Granth Sahib. He then went through the whole ceremony just as Guru Nanak had done with Bhai Lehna, but he left out the Kirpan.
Why?
It is because the Kirpan was already given to the Khalsa, and this is the final lesson to the Sikhs concerning the Kirpan. When Guru Gobind Singh created the Khalsa in 1699, he made them his Guru, and he presented them with the Kirpan of Guruship. This Kirpan of ours is a sign that together as a Panth, we are the Guru of the Sikhs. Guru Gobind Singh made two Guru's in his lifetime. To one he gave spiritual authority, to the other, political. The Kirpan is our sign of political mastery as a collective whole.
All of the above lessons culminated in the creation of the Khalsa by the Tenth Nanak. When Guru Gobind Singh stood infront of his Sikhs and held out his mighty Khanda asking for the head of a Sikh, that metaphor of the Kirpan as a symbol of God's unifying and primal strength became very real. It was as if Guru jee had grasped the Khanda written about in his Bani, that primal preuniversal creation , and made it real.
And so, Guru Gobind Singh on that fateful day brought together all previous meanings of the Kirpan into one coherent whole. The metaphorical idea of Kirpan as representing God, was melded with the fearlessness as epitomized by Guru Arjun; and the warrior culture that Guru Hargobind formalized; our sovereignty as Guru Hargobind had proclaimed from the Takht Aka1 Bunga Sahib; our fight for the protection of human rights of all peoples as Guru Tegh Bahadur had taught; and finally , our final step as Sikhs, the step to Guruship.
When we go out into the world and explain to people why it is we wear our Kirpans, we must be able to let them know what its true reason and purpose is. We have a duty to all those who died for its creation, and for our right to wear it over the centuries. From Guru Arjun up to today, all that bloodspilt. We must have the courage to say that , no this is not just a symbol of ours, this is a tool to be used in the battle for human rights , this is a weapon of self defense, this is a sign of our sovereignty as the Khalsa Panth, and this is what gives us the right to call ourselves the Guru Khalsa Panth.
In the end, however, this Kirpan will always mean different things to us all. The explanation in the small but eloquently written pamphlet, "We are not Symbols" is the most beautiful to me. The author of the short story explains that this is not a symbol, but a gift. A gift of love from a mother to her child , from one close friend to another, from a Guru to his Sikh. And as a gift of love, those of us blessed to have received this gift will have our own explanation for it. We can look back at Sikh history and ideology for guidance, but it is a personal thing. The Kirpan, as with all the other Kakkars, are very intimate signs of a bond between ourselves and our infinitely loving Guru. This Kirpan of ours can never be devalued. Those who made it determine its worth. This is the Kirpan for which Guru Nanak made the mold, Guru Arjun started the fire , Guru Hargobind poured the steel , and Guru Gobind Singh cooled and perfected. This is the Kirpan of our Guru's. And we should be awed and honoured that they found us fit to carry it.
Let us not let them down.