Guru Har Krishan Ji — The Eighth Guru

Early Life

Wisdom Beyond His Years

Born on 7 July 1656 in Kiratpur Sahib, Guru Har Krishan Ji was the youngest son of Guru Har Rai Ji and Mata Krishan Kaur Ji. He became the Guru at the tender age of 5, making him the youngest of all Sikh Gurus.

Despite his young age, his spiritual wisdom and divine presence astounded scholars and devotees alike. His elder brother Ram Rai, who had been disinherited, continued to contest the succession with the backing of Emperor Aurangzeb.

Teachings & Contributions

Divine Light Knows No Age

Demonstrated that spiritual wisdom transcends age — at just 5 years old, he confounded scholars and holy men who came to test him
Selflessly served the people of Delhi during a devastating smallpox and cholera epidemic, going from house to house to tend to the sick regardless of their religion
Healed countless people during the epidemic through his compassion, while drawing water from a well that locals believed had healing properties (now the site of Gurdwara Bangla Sahib in New Delhi)
His life exemplified the Sikh teaching that the divine light is the same in all the Gurus — age is irrelevant when the spirit carries Waheguru’s grace
Even as a child, he held court and made decisions that showed extraordinary maturity and divine insight

Key Events

Moments That Shaped a Faith

Testing by Scholars

When Emperor Aurangzeb, at Ram Rai’s urging, summoned the young Guru to Delhi, scholars were sent to test his knowledge. In one famous incident, the young Guru asked a humble, illiterate water-carrier named Chhajju to sit on a special seat and expound on the meaning of a complex verse of the Gita. Through the Guru’s grace, the unlettered man gave a discourse that left the scholars speechless — proving that God’s wisdom is not limited to the learned.

The Delhi Epidemic (1664)

When smallpox and cholera swept through Delhi, the eight-year-old Guru went out among the suffering masses, providing comfort, water, and healing. He moved through the streets of Delhi regardless of caste or creed, personally tending to the sick. This selfless service during the epidemic remains one of the most touching episodes in Sikh history.

Final Words: “Baba Bakale”

Guru Har Krishan Ji himself contracted smallpox while serving the sick. On his deathbed, when asked who the next Guru would be, he uttered “Baba Bakale” — indicating that the next Guru would be found in the town of Bakala. He passed away on 30 March 1664, at just 8 years old.

Legacy

Upon Whose Sight All Suffering Vanishes

Gurdwara Bangla Sahib in New Delhi, one of the most prominent Sikh Gurdwaras in the world, stands at the site where Guru Har Krishan Ji stayed during the epidemic. The Sarovar (holy pool) at Bangla Sahib is fed by the well whose water the young Guru blessed.

Sikhs revere him daily in the Ardaas prayer with the words: “Remember Guru Har Krishan Ji, upon whose sight all suffering vanishes.”

A Notable Verse

Words of the Eighth Guru

Guru Har Krishan dhiaiye, jis dithe sabh dukh jaye.

(Meditate on Guru Har Krishan, upon whose sight all suffering departs.)

— from the Sikh Ardaas, recited daily