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The Philosophical
Perspective on Sikh View of Martyrdom
Nitbhai Singh’s present compendium lists some exalted martyrs of truth. He writes (p. 159): "Martyrdoms of Socrates, Christ, Mansur-ul-Hallaj, Sikh Gurus, four sons of Gobind Singh et al, are the resplendent illustration of ‘martyrdom’. Only a realised person of fortified will can martyr himself for the cause of righteousness." The author also shows how the supreme courage of Guru Teg Bahadur "for the freedom of conscience of Kashmiri Pundits 85 was the outcome of his fortified will power". The reviewer wishes to put here that it was not only reflected in the cry of agony of his grandson, Baba Jorawar Singh (11), when he saw Baba Fateh Singh (7) being put in the masonry, also in the laconic response to Fatehs’ doubt about his tears. He assured him, "Never for losing my life, dear ... but they speak of my tragic fate, that younger to me you are being martyred for Dharma, now, that I passively, witness." It is one lamp lighting the other. I seek to modify the reported roll of honour of martyrs. To me Gobind Rai (8) from the day he persuaded his father Guru Tegh Bahadur, through out his Bichitra Natak till he drops his mortal coils in 1708 is the very paradigm martyr of faith. See his baptising Panj Pyaras as the founders of Khalsa in 1699, and then seeking to be himself baptised by them. He makes the subalterns (sparrows) be daring to battle with tyrant-hawks. Through thick and thin years he struggles for righteousness, always. Thus, his entire life was an extended martyrdom. He is the sthithi prajna sant sipahi. He is the embodied life of Nirbhau and Nirvair, and ideal Khalsa. His dauntless treatise on liberty is encored in his Jaffarnama sent to tyrant Aurangzeb in 1705. It is a great testament. I know that the scholar in Nirbhai Singh may not agree with my suggestions. However, I am convinced that all issues relating to divinity and transcendence of our home are pre-empted in this martyr’s life absorbed wholly in Ek Onkar. The following words mention some significant multi-tiered analyses that the scholarly treatise offers as semiotics, hermeneutics or axiology of martyrs in historically great religious. Nirbhai Singh’s philosophical critique of martyrdom takes Guru Nanak Dev ji’s well-known plea ‘Joto tan prem ale chau, dher tali sis gali meri aus’. It is ingrained in Ishq Hakiki, that those who do fana of their earthly self are reborn. This is well propounded by Sufis like Mansur-al-Hallaj and Sarmad. Nirbhai Singh quotes Mansur (p.122), "I am the creative Truth" (anal-huqq), he adds, "for achieving ideally created self (natura naturans), the Sufi embraces the path of fana through true love (ishq hqiqi) 85 the moth immolates itself into the fire to absorb itself with fire." Likewise, Sarmad when he was eyeball to eyeball with his executioner holding naked sword said with serene quiet, "come, come in whatever form. Your appearances, I have known long. Now I see you in real form"(p.87). It is a philosophical premise that one dissolves egoism in the infinitude of the Divine. As first exposited by the Chandogya Upnishad that we finite beings are like grains of salt, aspiring to find the depth of the ocean! We never return to tell it. Nirbhai Singh wades through an astonishing number of scholarly perspectives on different facets of martyrdom. Very welcome.
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THE book, comprising 17
chapters, explores various aspects of martyrdom. It is not a narrative
of martyrdoms in the Sikh epiphany of Sikh Gurus from Guru Nanak Dev to
the times of the 10th Guru Gobind Singh, his father Guru Teg
Bahadur, his four sons, his great followers like Baba Deep Singh, Bhai
Mani Singh or Banda Singh Bahadur, the story is immersed in religious
and philosophical concepts.