An excellent old post.
Bibi Sharan Kaur JeeBibi Sharan Kaur jee had a dream in the middle of the night. Her Guroo, SatGuroo Gobind Singh Jee had come to her with instructions. She was to go immediately to Chamkaur Sahib to do Antam Sanskaar of all the Gurmukhs that had died in the battlefield earlier in the day.
Telling her Bujangis of her mission, she left in the middle of the night towards Chamkaur Sahib. The battlefield was heavily guarded by Mughal forces; they knew that the Gurusikhs would always come to do Sanskaar of their Shaheeds. Despite this heavy security, Bibi Sharan Kaur slipped through the Mughal forces.
She began to collect the bodies of the brave Shaheeds one by one. She could differentiate the Sikh soldiers from the hundreds of Mughal dead by the splendour of Sikh Bana and Dumalla-Dastaars. She created a funeral pyre close by. There were thirty-two Sikh bodies in total, including those of Sahibzadas Ajit Singh jee and Jujhar Singh jee.
As she was collecting the bodies, she felt a tinge of disappointment. This was not because of the Sikhs or Sahibzadas that had become Shaheed. She was happy for them because she knew that they had given their life for the Sri Guroo Sahib jee. But she knew that her husband, Bhai Preetam Singh jee, was also with the Guroo at the time. However, her misery soon became joy as she found his body … her own Jeevan-Saathi had given his life for the cause of the Sikhi.
Once all 32 bodies had been collected, Bibi Sharan Kaur jee lit the funeral pyre and started Sohila Sahib. The Mughal forces, seeing the fire, were amazed as to how a Sikh could slip through. Embarrassed because of their own failures, they threatened the dignity of the lady to take revenge. Bibi Sharan Kaur was now completely encircled by the Mughal forces. Bibi Jee said that they would never be able to do this to a daughter of Sri Guru Gobind Singh Jee. She would rather join the Shaheeds in the funeral pyre. The Mughals taunted her, saying that she could make as many claims as she wanted, because she would not have the guts to do so. They then moved towards her.
Bibi Jee showed the bravery of a Sikh woman, and without fear, she walked into the funeral pyre. For her, dignity of Khalsa was more important than her life. She showed no attachment to her two small children. Like her husband, she laid her life for her Guru as well.
Dhan Guru Ke Pyareh
ਵਾਹਿਗੁਰੂਜੀਕਾਖ਼ਾਲਸਾ
ਵਾਹਿਗੁਰੂਜੀਕੀਫ਼ਤਹਿ
ਸਤਿਗੁਰਬਚਨਕਮਾਵਣੇਸਚਾਏਹੁਵੀਚਾਰੁ॥