This is coming from a personal viewpoint. My own personal views on the Taksal. You may agree or may not agree. I may be wrong. I have no links to the official Taksal. My views are not 100% in line with the modern day Taksal. I have just studied under one of the students of the various branches of the Damdami Taksal, learning santhia and some knowledge, which I believe to go back to Guru Gobind Singh Jee.
It is claimed by Taksali Singhs that their lineage goes back to Guru Gobind Singh Jee. Even Mahapurkhs like Sant Jarnail Singh, Sant Kartar Singh state that this is Guru Gobind Singh Jee’s Taksal. I see nothing wrong with this statement. The Taksal definitely has its traces to the teachings Guru Gobind Singh Jee gave in 1706 at Damdama Sahib. However, saying the teachings from then have been preserved 100% and EVERYTHING is the same, does not make sense. It is quite obvious that everything cannot be the same. The modern day Taksal, is so much different maryada wise, (i.e. importance of sarbloh, bibek etc.) even from the times of Sant Gurbachan Singh Jee, who was the Jathedar 50-60 years ago. Having said that, the Taksal has legitimate claim to say their style of santhia and arths (meanings of Gurbani) go back to the teachings imparted by Guru Gobind Singh Jee to the Sangat at Damdama Sahib.
The Tradition of Gurmat knowledge was started at Sri Damdama Sahib by Sri Guru Gobind Singh Jee. This has been mentioned in Older Granths, such as Sooraj Parkash and Naveen Panth Parkash. To continue the Gurmat Teachings a Gurmat Centre was set up by Baba Deep Singh at Damdama Sahib. The Meaning of the word Taksal in Mahaan Kosh:
ਟਕਸਾਲ - takasāla
ਟੰਕਕਸ਼ਾਲਾ. ਸੰਗ੍ਯਾ- ਟਕੇ ਬਣਾਉਣ ਦਾ ਘਰ. ਉਹ ਮਕਾਨ ਜਿੱਥੇ ਰੁਪਯਾ ਆਦਿ ਸਿੱਕੇ ਬਣਾਏ ਜਾਣ,. Mint.
੨. ਭਾਵ- ਸਤਸੰਗ। "ਘੜੀਐ ਸਬਦੁ ਸਚੀ ਟਕਸਾਲ." (ਜਪੁ )
੩. ਉੱਤਮ ਸਿਖ੍ਯਾ ਦੇਣ ਵਾਲੀ ਪਾਠਸ਼ਾਲਾ.
ਟਕਸਾਲੀ - takasālī
ਟਕਸਾਲ ਨਾਲ ਹੈ ਜਿਸ ਦਾ ਸੰਬੰਧ।
੨. ਉੱਤਮ ਅਸਥਾਨ ਰਹਿਕੇ ਜਿਸਨੇ ਵਿਦ੍ਯਾ ਅਤੇ ਰਹਿਣੀ ਸਿੱਖੀ ਹੈ.
Bhai Kahn Singh, under the Dasam Granth writes about the Taksal’s existence in the 18 century.
ਸੰਮਤ ੧੭੯੪ ਵਿੱਚ ਭਾਈ ਮਨੀਸਿੰਘ ਜੀ, ਸਿੱਖੀ ਦਾ ਸੱਚਾ ਨਮੂਨਾ ਦੱਸਕੇ ਲਹੌਰ ਵਿੱਚ ਸ਼ਹੀਦ ਹੋਏ. ਇਨ੍ਹਾਂ ਦੇ ਦੇਹਾਂਤ ਪੁਰ ਪੰਥ ਨੇ ਦਸਮਗ੍ਰੰਥ ਨੂੰ ਦਮਦਮੇ ਸਾਹਿਬ, ਜੋ ਉਸ ਸਮੇਂ ਵਿਦ੍ਯਾ ਦੀ ਟਕਸਾਲ (ਸਿੱਖਾਂ ਦੀ ਕਾਸ਼ੀ ਕਰਕੇ ਪ੍ਰਸਿੱਧ) ਸੀ ਵਿਚਾਰ ਲਈ ਭੇਜ ਦਿੱਤਾ.
Now the question is that if this Taksal was doing parchar then, is it still around today? My personal belief is that there is no single Taksal, or single group that is THE Taksal of Baba Deep Singh. There are many groups and jathe that have links to the original Taksal at Damdama Sahib. We cannot say that there has been one Taksal since the time of Baba Deep Singh, there have been many small Taksals that have grown. Just like when a tree grows, it has one large trunk, but from that trunk many larger branches grow, from those branches even more branches grow, and from them even more, and then twigs grow, and then leaves.
An example is:
So all these singhs went around doing parchar and setting up various centres of Vidhia, where santhia, katha is taught. Various lineages have started from it. And the arths of Gurbani have been passed down seena-baseena, orally throughout history. One famous lineage is the Bhindrawale Jatha. Sant Sundar Singh Jee had gained knowledge from Baba Bishan Singh Jee and had come back to his birth village of Bhindree. However the Jathedar of Baba Bishan Singh Jee’s branch of the Taksal, was not Sant Sunder Singh, it was another Gurmukh Pyara. Sant Sundar Singh came home and started teaching. From them, many students learned, one of them being Sant Gurbachan Singh Jee. Who would later pass on the seva to Sant Kartar Singh Jee, and then later on to Sant Jarnail Singh Jee, who would make the Taksal famous. This branch of the Taksal, undoubtedly the most famous branch, then became to be known as the Damdami Taksal. Every branch of the Taksal that has developed since the time of Baba Deep Singh has the right to call themselves the Damdami Taksal, as their knowledge base originates from the original Taksal of Baba Deep Singh that was based at Damdama Sahib. However, this one being the most famous, they gained the most fame as being the Damdami Taksal.
ਸਤਿਗੁਰਬਚਨਕਮਾਵਣੇਸਚਾਏਹੁਵੀਚਾਰੁ॥
