Sikh Art by Kanwar Singh – https://artofpunjab.com/en-us

The below text is an excerpt taken from the book Heroes, Saints and Yogis: Tales of Self Discovery and the Path of Sikh Dharma, compiled by Shakti Parwha Kaur Khalsa and Guruka Singh Khalsa.

In the time of Emperor Aurangzeb’s reign (1618 – 1707), the state turned openly hostile against non-Muslims.

Emperor Aurangzeb summoned Guru Har Rai to Delhi under false charges. He let it be known that if the Guru would perform a miracle for him, he would accept him as a man of God. If not, he would punish him as a commoner according to law.

Wisely, not trusting the Emperor’s motives, Guru Har Rai decided not to go to Delhi. His son Baba Ram Rai insisted they should not offend Aurangzeb and volunteered to go to court to represent the Guru.

Guru Har Rai agreed, but warned Ram Rai not to indulge in miracle-making. Guru Hargobind had particularly forbidden it, and he did not approve of it either. Furthermore, he must not allow the sanctity of the Guru Granth Sahib to be compromised at any cost.

Once Ram Rai was at court, he worked miracles one after another to humor the king. When Aurangzeb expressed his objection to one of Guru Nanak’s verses in the Guru Granth Sahib that mentioned Muslims, Ram Rai said the word “Muslim” was a mistake, and he changed it to please the Emperor.

When Guru Har Rai was told what had happened, he excluded Ram Rai from the Sikh Panth and refused ever to see him again, though his son begged for forgiveness.

Thus Guru Har Rai established the strict policy of never altering the original words in the Guru Granth Sahib.

Because of Ram Rai’s disobedience and distortion of the sacred words of the Guru Granth Sahib, Guru Har Rai chose his younger son, five-year-old Har Krishan, as his successor. Shortly before his untimely death at the age of 30, Guru Har Rai had the little boy installed as the Eighth Guru.

In the book Heroes, Saints and Yogis: Tales of Self Discovery and the Path of Sikh Dharma, compiled by Shakti Parwha Kaur Khalsa and Guruka Singh Khalsa:

What does it mean to live as a Sikh? How is this lifestyle relevant today? In this reader friendly collection of personal stories you will find “People Like You and Me” candidly sharing their experiences of self-discovery along the path of Sikh Dharma. This one-of-a-kind book includes fascinating tales of the unique lives of the ten men of higher consciousness who forged a path of everyday learning and personal excellence.

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