In Patna, a little distance away from Guru’s haveli there used to live an old woman in her hut. She had no son and made her living by spinning cotton on the wheel.
Gobindrai used to harass her by playing various pranks with her. Whenever she was not at her spinning wheel and would be busy in doing something else young Gobind would sneak in and throw away or hide her cotton basket or balls of spun thread. The old woman could not afford that loss. So, every time, Gobindrai played those tricks she had to go to Gujri to complain about the loss. She would make up for the loss of the old woman by giving her generous damages. It happened too often.
One day, an irritated Gujri got hold of her son and made her sit beside him. She asked, “Bala! Why do you harass that old woman? Can’t you take pity on her considering her age and poverty?”
Gobind said, “Of course I do, ma. I play all those tricks to help her out.”
“Indeed!” Gujri exclaimed. “How does your harassing help her? Let me hear it,” she demanded.
“See ma, I harass her to make you help her out. You compensate her with many times more amount than her losses are of worth. If I don’t play those pranks would you help her? You will not. The poor old woman needs help,’’ Gobindrai explained.
The explanation stunned Gujri. When her son went away to play she smiled proudly.
Migration from Patna
Guru Teg Bahadur stayed in Assam on his preaching mission for two years. He returned to Patna to find his son grown up into a five year old prankster. Bala was playing in the courtyard when he arrived. The father and the son needed no introduction. They instantly recognised each other. Guru Teg Bahadur picked up his son in his arms and kissed his forehead.
Guru did not stay in Patna for long.
He had to migrate to Punjab where the situation was very bad. Although situation was no good in rest of the land yet Punjab was getting the special attention of Moguls and was the target of Aurangzeb’s fanatical policies. The tyrannised people were very demoralised. Islamic conversion drive was hardest in that part.
And then, a lot of internal tussle was going on between different sections of Sikhs over the throne of Guruhood. Situation called for the presence of Guru Teg Bahadur to keep things under control. He went to Punjab and took charge of the situation and was soon in command. When he was well set up he called for his family to join him in 1672 at Anandpur Sahib which had become the centre of the Sikh movement.
Patna was plunged in grief when it became known that Guru family was shifting permanently to western part of the land. Guru had become a very popular figure in Patna and his son Gobind had come to be seen as a miracle boy by the citizens. There presence in Patna was a great morale booster for the common folk.
To bid a tearful farewell to young Guru Gobind a large crowd accompanied the family to the outer limits of the city. Both the communities made up the crowd. It also included Gobind’s play mates, Pundit Shivdutt, Zamindar couple and other faithfuls plus admirers. Every eye was moist and many were sobbing. The general mood was mournful.
At the request of the people Guru Gobind’s play items, shoes, cradle and clothes etc. were left behind in the gurudwara as his mementoes. Those items are still there as most treasured and revered things of the gurudwara. A signed copy of the Sikh holy book ‘Guru Granth Sahib’ is also there which was sent by Guru Gobind Singh later when he sat on the Guru throne.
Guru family’s caravan camped at Danapur on its way. There lived a woman who had once cooked khichri in a clay pot for Guru Teg Bahadur and had fed him. Guru Gobind also visited the hut of that old woman and requested to be fed khichri like she had done to his father. The old woman delightedly obliged. As a homage to that old lady today there stands a gurudwara called ‘Handi Sahib’. ‘Handi’ in the local language means ‘clay cooking pot’.
The caravan progressed through Banaras, Ayodhya, Lucknow and reached Lakhnaur situated near Ambala. The entire party stayed camped at that place for six months. The place infact was the parental home of Gujri. Hence the family was lovingly cared for. The members of the parental family of Gujri wanted to pamper and indulge Gobind to their heart’s content. Bheekham Shah also came to pay his respects. Another Muslim sage Arifdeen also arrived to pay obeisance.
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