Sahibe Kamal – 11

In dedication to Guru Gobind Singh ji

Having declared the inauguration of Khalsa Panth Guru ji started performing the ceremony to initiate or baptize these Five Beloved ones to immortalize them as a symbol and nucleus of the new order of the Almighty. He took an iron bowl with clean water and Mata jitoji poured some sugar crystals in to it while Guru ji was stirring it with his Khanda the two edged sword. Sweetness of the dharma (righteousness) was now mixed with the iron (all encompassing power of the Almighty) to fight for justice and just cause and nectar called ‘Amrit’ was prepared. The Guru now gave each one of his five beloved ones five palmful of this Amrit to drink. Sitting in a heroic posture with left knee up and the right knee on the ground the five chosen ones received their Amrit and each time he poured the Amrit on their palms he hailed the Almighty and the Khalsa with a new slogan: “Wahe Guru ji ka Khalsa, Wahe Guru ji ki Fateh”( hail the Khalsa who belongs to the Lord and hail the Lord whom belongs the victory). The Sikhs repeated this slogan each time. After getting this new life giving elixir Guruji sprinkled the nectar on their hair thus consecrating it to the Eternal Lord. They were then asked to drink the remaining Amrit from the same bowl to bring the token of  brotherhood alive. With this new birth in the order of Khalsa their previous birth and their standing in the community was now cancelled. With this their family ties, their occupations and their standing in the society, their belonging to a particular caste and creed, religion, earlier beliefs and rituals all stand cancelled. Their worship now was only the Akal Purakh the Timeless being. Their father was Guru Gobind Singh and their birth place Anandpur Sahib. Their rebirth into the order of Khalsa marked their complete break from the past.

The five Sikhs the “Panj Piyaras” belonged earlier to different castes, three of them from so called low castes  now belonged to the self-abnegating, martial and spiritual order of the Khalsa of Guru Gobind Singh ji and thus became the nucleus of the new order. They were given the surname of ‘Singh’ meaning lion instead of their original surname that denoted their caste. They were to wear the five emblems like Kesha - inviolate hair and beard and Kangha to keep them in order unlike jogis who kept them matted to renounce the world, Kara – an iron bracelet the symbol and reminder that they will never believe in any superstitions and never have blind faith, kachch – short breeches worn by the soldiers of that time and Kirpan- a sword that will be used only for justice when all other means fail. With these five emblems a power of the Almighty was transferred to fight injustice, oppression to have faith in One Immortal being and considering the humanity as equal, irrespective of caste and creed.