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Bhai Tara – Sikh of Guru Nanak

Bhai Tara was a great but little-known Sikh of Guru Nanak Dev jee. He lived in a small town called Shahdara which is close to Lahore. He was one of the first Sikhs of Guru Nanak Dev jee. In the sangat of Bhai Laalo of Aimnabaad (Saidpur) and Guru Nanak Dev jee, he had become a pooran Sikh. He was a Sikh of high spiritual state. He led a selfless life and became an accomplished Sikh.

When Babur attacked India, he plundered towns and looted everyone in sight. When Lahore fell to Babur, he ordered that the city be looted and burnt. Detailed accounts of his atrocities are written in Babur-baani of Guru Nanak Dev jee.

People fled Lahore and when Bhai Tara found out about the burning of Lahore, he decided to extinguish the fire at Lahore. He was full of enthusiasm as he had found a chance of doing sewa. He came running to his mother and asked her if he could do sewa. His mother told him that since his father was not alive, he was the only support for her and his sister. She asked him who would take care of his mother and his unmarried sister. Bhai Tara replied by saying that Guru Nanak alone is the support for all. He would provide support if he died in Lahore. His mother reluctantly told him that if his sister let him go, then he can go to Lahore to extinguish fire.

Bhai Tara jee came running to his sister and told her everything. She asked him why he had to take up the impossible task of extinguishing fire in Lahore. Bhai Tara jee told his sister that he was the Sikh of such Guru i.e. Guru Nanak Dev jee, who has come to this world with the sole aim of extinguishing the fire burning in the hearts of the world. The fire of lust, anger, attachment, greediness and ego was burning the whole humankind. The least that he (Bhai Tara jee) could do is try to extinguish the physical fire in Lahore. She had heard about the greatness of Guru Nanak Dev jee from her brother. She was in a good state of mind at that time and after thinking about Guru Nanak Dev jee, she gave her brother permission to do sewa of extinguishing fire in Lahore.

Bhai Tara jee arrived at Lahore amidst a total chaos. The whole city was burning and there were corpses lying all over the place. He saw so much fire and for a moment thought how he was going to extinguish it. Then he heard the soldiers announce that anyone who tried to extinguish fire would be thrown in fire and burned alive. Bhai Tara jee, who had a divine glow on his face, ignored the order of the soldiers and filled his bucket with water and threw it on the fire. He rescued several people trapped in a house.

The soldiers saw Bhai Tara jee do this but sensing the divine glow on his face, could not do anything to physically harm him. They asked him to stop throwing water on the fire as it was the order of Babur the great conqueror. Bhai Tara jee ignoring them threw another bucket in the fire and started rescuing more people who were trapped in another house. At this the soldiers arrested him as they could not gather courage to throw him in fire. They decided to take him to Babur.

Babur was half drunk at that time and was also intoxicated in the intoxication of victory. He was in a very great egoistic state of mind. When told that this man was arrested for trying to extinguishing fire, he looked at Bhai Tara jee and angrily asked him if he had no fear of Babur. Bhai Tara jee defiantly replied that he only feared the almighty Vaheguru and had no fear for anyone else. He further told Babur that he is going to extinguish fire at any cost. His Guru is here to extinguish the fire burning in the people’s hearts and the least he can do is extinguish the physical fire burning in Lahore.

Babur got very angry hearing Bhai Tara jee’s reply. He ordered the soldiers to throw him in the fire at the same place where he tried to extinguish fire. Bhai Tara jee closed his eyes and focussed his concentration on the lotus feet of Guru Nanak Dev jee. The lotus feet of Guru Nanak are not the physical feet but the real jyot-vigaasi charan of Guru Nanak Dev jee that Bhai Tara jee had established in his heart. He concentrated on the Naam and thus invoked the abundant force of Vaheguru. That Vaheguru, who is the rescuer of his bhagats, could not bear the sight of his bhagat being burnt alive. Vaheguru who has always kept the honour of his bhagats, kept the honour of Bhai Tara jee too.

Just as the soldier were taking Bhai Tara jee to burn him, the skies filled with clouds and within minutes, heavy rainfall started. Everything got wet and the fire all over Lahore was extinguished. The soldiers were now thinking what to do with Bhai Tara jee, that just then another soldier came from Babur and asked them to bring Bhai Tara jee back to Babur. Babur had just seen the wonder of Vaheguru and wanted to ensure that his soldiers don’t execute his order of killing Bhai Tara jee.

Babur asked Bhai Tara jee if he was a Sikh of Guru Nanak Dev jee. Babur had met Guru Nanak Dev jee in Aimnabaad and since then held Guru Nanak in very high regard. Bhai Tara jee responded positively and at this Babur sought his forgiveness for harassing him. He regretted that he did not realize at first that Bhai Tara jee was a Sikh of Guru Nanak Dev jee.

Bhai Tara jee was released and he came back home after saving Lahore from burning. Guru Nanak is great and so are his Sikhs.

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