Sacred Martyrdom of Guru Arjan Dev Ji
Having accomplished the primary mission of His holy life, that is compilation of Sri Guru Granth Sahib and its momentous installation in Sri Harimandir, Sahib, Sri Guru Arjan Sahib then set a pace for a unique Cosmic Sacrifice.
From the house of Guru Nanak, Nanak the Fifth was Himself the first to enter into the arena of this Cosmic Sacrifice. He sat in a blissful meditation and ecstatic equipoise on the hot iron plate while burning sand was poured on His holy head in an unending stream. With no feeling of ill-will, with no word of rancor and condemnation and with a soul-stirring glow of the Sweet Will of the Lord, writ large on His holy face, He blissfully underwent all brutal tortures, agony and suffering of mankind.
Necessity of a supreme sacrifice, a supreme balidaan of a prophet arises with a view to neutralise the devastating power, the mighty Shakti of evil forces of that age. That is how Sri Guru Teg Bahadur Sahib had expressed this idea when five hundred Pandits from Kashmir under Pandit Kirpa Ram had approached Him for protection. Sri Guru Gobind Singh Sahib, then only a delicate child, had mooted the idea of supreme balidaan by Sri Guru Teg Bahadur Sahib himself.
Having presented an ocean of Nectar, the Nectar of Immortality to the bound souls on a platter (Sri Guru Granth Sahib), He now passes on another unique Nectar, the Nectar of the Bliss of Martyrdom to the Children of Nanak. It was an inspiring beginning only, an examplary commencement, a signal for life eternal. Sri Guru Teg Bahadur Sahib alongwith His most beloved sikhs, Bhai Mati Das, Bhai Sati Das and Bhai Dyala, then offered themselves unto the Lord in this supreme Cosmic Sacrifice. Sri Guru Gobind Singh Sahib offered everything nearest and dearest including His beloved sons and countless sikhs before installing and coronating Sri Guru Granth Sahib as the Eternal Guru.
The golden era of the advent of Sri Guru Granth Sahib, the living Guru Nanak, in terms of eternity, had actually started with the epoch making labour of love in compilation of Sri Guru Granth Sahib and its ceremonial installation in Sri Harimandir Sahib in the very life of Sri Guru Arjan Sahib.
He taught us how to love death. He taught us how to nurse a yearning passion for martyrdom. He taught the wonderful path of divine intoxication in the process of intense human agony, suffering and death. He set the finest example of how to attain the supreme bliss and ecstasy in the process of most brutal and horrible death in perfect tune with the sweet Will of God.
“Guru Arjan never uttered a sigh or a groan and never showed any sign of ill-will towards those who inflicted injuries and sufferings on him”.
Macauliffe
Martyrdom is a blessed privilege of the chosen few. The Lord asked his most beloved son Lord Christ to go up the Cross. The Lord asked his most beloved sons Guru Arjan and Guru Teg Bahadur to embrace martyrdom. Guru Teg Bahadur chose and blessed his most beloved disciples Bhai Mati Das to be sawed alive in two halves, Bhai Sati Das to be burnt alive and Bhai Dyala to be boiled alive. Sri Guru Gobind Singh Sahib chose and blessed His most beloved sikhs and sons to embrace holy death.
“Only a blessed person who has tasted the Nectar of self Realisation and has also tasted the Bliss of Martyrdom, is in a position to authenticate that Bliss of Martyrdom is far superior to the Bliss of Self -Realisation.”
Baba Narinder Singh Ji
Lives of Lord Rama, Mother Sita, Laxmana and others, of Lord Budha and Mahavira, of Lord Christ, of Prophet Mohammed and his grandsons Hassan and Hussain are all long and touching tales of intense suffering and sacrifice.
No one has yet attained God Realisation on a bed of roses.
Guru Arjan is the Supreme Divine Donor. He incarnated out of love for us. He burnt Himself on the burning hot plate out of love for the burning world. He gave Himself away unto us. It was not an half hearted donation. He gave Himself away and wholly to us.
Let us not be half hearted in our acknowledgement and devotion to our Beloved Sat Guru.
Guru Arjan was burning in fire for the sake of the burning world. Guru Nanak, the Fifth sat on fire because the world was on fire.