Panj Pyare


Panj Pyare, is the collective name given to five Sikh men −
Bhai Daya Singh, Bhai Dharam Singh, Bhai Himmat Singh, Bhai Mohkam Singh, Bhai Sahib Singh − by Guru Gobind Singh during the historic and monumental divan at Anandpur Sahib on March 30, 1699..
They formed the nucleus of the Khalsa: the first five persons to receive Khanda di Pahul initiation and rites of the two-edged sword.
In Sikh theology, as in the Indian classical tradition generally, panj, the number five in Punjabi, has a special significance. Guru Nanak in Japji Sahib refers to five khands, i.e. stages or steps in spiritual development, and calls a spiritually awakened person a panch. The ancient Indian socio-political institution panchayat meant a council of five elders. Something like an inner council of five existed even in the time of earlier Gurus. Five Sikhs accompanied Guru Arjan on his last journey to Lahore, each given 100 armed Sikhs to command by his successor, Guru Hargobind. Guru Tegh Bahadur set out on his journey to Delhi to court execution attended by five Sikhs.
Until the Vaisakhi of AD 1699, the Sikh initiation ceremony was known as Charan Pahul.

The calling of 5 volunteers

Guru Gobind Singh, abolished the institution of masands and replaced charan pahul with Khanda di Pahul. He summoned a special assembly at Keshgarh Fort in Anandpur on Baisakhi day of 1756 Bk/30 March 1699. After the morning devotions and kirtan, Guru Gobind Singh suddenly stood up with sword in hand. By written reference from Bhai Santokh Singh, Sri Gur Pratap Suraj Granth, the Guru spoke: “The entire sangat is very dear to me, but is there a devoted Sikh who will give his head to me here and now? A need has arisen at this moment which calls for a head.” A hush fell over the assembly. Daya Ram, a shopkeeper of Lahore, arose and offered himself. He followed behind the Guru to a nearby tent. Guru Gobind Singh emerged alone from the tent with his sword dripping blood and asked for another head. This time Dharam Singh from Hastinapur, presented himself to the Guru following the footsteps of Daya Ram. Guru Gobind Singh repeated the call three times. Three more courageous Sikhs individually answered the Guru's call:
Mohkam Chand, a calico printer/tailor from town Dwarka, Gujarat. Himmat Rai, a water-bearer from town Puri, Orissa. Sahib Chand, a barber from town Bidar in Karnataka, each stood up one after another and advanced to offer their heads. These five men were the first Sikhs of the Khalsa as understood in modern parlance and verified written history.

Guru Sahib emerges

Guru Gobind Singh emerged from the tent “hand in hand with the five”, writes Kuir Singh, Gurbilas Patshahi 10. The disciples wore saffron-coloured raiment topped over with neatly tied turbans of the same colour. Guru Gobind Singh, similarly dressed, introduced his chosen Sikhs to the audience as Panj Pyare, the five devoted spirits beloved of the Guru. He then proceeded to perform the ceremony. Filling an iron bowl with clean water, he kept churning it with a khanda, double-edged sword, while reciting the sacred verses. Guru Gobind Singh's wife Mata Sahib Kaur ji brought sugar crystals which were put into the vessel at the Guru's bidding. Sweetness was thus mingled with the alchemy of iron. Amrit, the Nectar of Immortality, was now ready and Guru Gobind Singh gave each of the five Sikhs a palmsful of it to drink. At the end, all five of them drank the remaining elixir from the same steel bowl, binding themselves in new fraternal spiritual ties. Their rebirth into this brotherhood meant the cancellation of their previous family ties, status, caste, occupations which had hitherto determined their place in society, their beliefs and creeds and of the rituals they had so far observed.
The five Sikhs formed the nucleus of the self-abnegating, martial and casteless fellowship of the Khalsa which Guru Gobind Singh had brought into being that day. They were given the surname of Singh, meaning lion, and were ever to wear the five emblems of the Khalsa: kesh or unshorn hair and beard; kangha, a comb in the kesh to keep it tidy as opposed to the ascetics/yogis/recluses who kept it matted in token of their having renounced the world; kara, an iron bracelet; kaccha, short breeches worn by soldiers; and kirpan, a sword. They were enjoined to succour the helpless and fight the oppressor, to have faith in One God and to consider all human beings equal, irrespective of caste and creed.

The five different castes

The episode of sis-bhet, i.e. offering of the heads was recorded by Bhai Kuir Singh in his Gurbilas Patshahi 10 followed by Bhai Sukkha Singh, Bhai Santokh Singh, and others. Earlier chronicles such as the Sri Gur Sobha, and the Bansavalinama do not narrate it in such detail. Ratan Singh Bhangu, Prachin Panth Prakash, simply says that "five Sikhs were selected, one each from the five castes, that they had received instruction at the hands of Guru Gobind Singh, was a devoted disciple and had been in residence at Anandpur long enough to have been affected by its ambience of faith and sacrifice. As they volunteered individually it was a coincidence that they belonged to different castes and to different parts of India.
Khanda di Pahul, introduced by Guru Gobind Singh on 30 March 1699, became the established form of initiation for Sikhs for all time to come; so also the institution of the Panj Pyare. In fact, Guru Gobind Singh had himself been initiated by the Panj Pyare as he had initiated them. Since then this has been the custom. Panj Pyare, any five initiated Sikhs reputed to be strictly following the rahit, or Sikh discipline, are chosen to administer to the novitiates amrit, i.e. Khanda di Pahul. Panj Pyare are similarly chosen to perform other important ceremonies such as laying the cornerstone of a gurdwara building or inaugurating kar-seva, i.e. cleansing by voluntary labour of a sacred tank, or leading a religious procession, and to decide issues confronting a local sangat or community as a whole.
At crucial moments of history, Panj Pyare have collectively acted as supreme authority, representing the Guru-Panth. During the battle of Chamkaur, it was the last five surviving Sikhs who, constituting themselves into the Council of Five, Panj Pyare, commanded Guru Gobind to leave the fortress and save himself to reassemble the Sikhs. Guru Gobind Singh had abolished the masand system and before he died, he also ended the line of living gurus. In the institution of Panj Pyare, he had created the nucleus of a casteless and democratic continuing society.

Story of Vasakhi

Gobind Rai was 33 years old when he had Divine inspiration to actuate his designs and make an undying legacy. Every year at the time of Baisakhi, thousands of devotees would come to Anandpur to pay their obeisance and seek the Guru's blessings. In early 1699, months before Baisakhi Day, Gobind Rai sent special edicts to congregants far and wide that that year the Baisakhi was going to be a unique affair. He asked them not to cut any of their hair—to come with unshorn hair under their turbans and chunis, and for the men to come with full beards.
On Baisakhi Day, March 30, 1699, hundreds of thousands of people gathered around his divine temporal seat at Anandpur Sahib. The Guru addressed the congregants with a most stirring oration on his divine mission of restoring their faith and preserving the Sikh religion. After his inspirational discourse, he flashed his unsheathed sword and said that every great deed was preceded by equally great sacrifice: He demanded one head for oblation. "I need a head", he declared. After some trepidation one person offered himself. The Guru took him inside a tent. A little later he reappeared with his sword dripping with blood, and asked for another head. One by one, four more earnest devotees offered their heads. Every time the Guru took a person inside the tent, he came out with a bloodied sword in his hand.
Thinking their Guru to have gone berserk, the congregants started to disperse. Then the Guru emerged with all five men dressed in orange suits with a blue bib.. He baptized the five in a new and unique ceremony called pahul, what Sikhs today know as the baptism ceremony called Amrit. Then the Guru asked those five baptized Sikhs to baptize him as well. This is how he became known as Guru Chela both teacher and student. He then proclaimed that the Panj Pyare—the Five Beloved Ones—would be the embodiment of the Guru himself: "Where there are Panj Pyare, there am I. When the Five meet, they are the holiest of the holy."
He said whenever and wherever five baptized Sikhs come together, the Guru would be present. All those who receive Amrit from five baptized Sikhs will be infused with the spirit of courage and strength to sacrifice. Thus with these principles he established Panth Khalsa, the Order of the Pure Ones.

Unique Identity

At the same time the Guru gave his new Khalsa a unique, indisputable, and distinct identity. The Guru gave the gift of bana, the distinctive Sikh clothing and headwear. He also offered five emblems of purity and courage. These symbols, worn by all baptized Sikhs of both sexes, are popularly known today as Five Ks: Kesh, unshorn hair this a gift from god. Kangha, the wooden comb it keeps the tangles out of Sikhs hair which shows that god keeps the tangles out of your life. Kara, the iron bracelet which has no beginning or end which shows that god has no beginning or end. Kirpan, the sword you only use it to defend others weaker than you. You don't hurt anyone. and Kashera, the underwear worn by Sikhs in battle so they can move freely. By being identifiable, no Sikh could never hide behind cowardice again.
Political tyranny was not the only circumstance that was lowering people's morale. Discriminatory class distinctions were responsible for the people's sense of degradation. The Guru wanted to eliminate the anomalies caused by the caste system. The constitution of the Panj Pyare was the living example of his dream: both the high and low castes were amalgamated into one. Among the original Panj Pyare, there was one Khatri, shopkeeper; one jatav, farmer one Chhimba, calico printer/tailor; one jheemar, one kumhar, water-carrier; and one Nai, a barber. Further the five were from distant regions - lahore, Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat and Karnataka odisha.. He gave the surname of Singh to every Sikh and also took the name for himself. From Gobind Rai he became Guru Gobind Singh. He also pronounced that all Sikh women embody royalty, and gave them the surname Kaur. With the distinct Khalsa identity and consciousness of purity Guru Gobind Singh gave all Sikhs the opportunity to live lives of courage, sacrifice, and equality.
The birth of the Khalsa is celebrated by Sikhs every Baisakhi Day on April 13. Baisakhi 1999 marks the 300th anniversary of Guru Gobind Singh's gift of Panth Khalsa to all Sikhs everywhere.