Question: – What was the ‘Panch Khalsa Divaan’?
Answer : – The ‘Panch Khalsa Divaan’ was a group of some people, which was founded in SAMVAT 1962 (1905 AD). The head office of PKD (Panch Khalsa Divaan) was in ‘Bhasaurh’, near Dhoori (in Punjab), so they are called ‘Bhasaurhiya’. (Now in ‘Panthak’ circles, everyone, who opposes Sri Raagmaala or Sri Dasam Granth, is called ‘Bhasaurhiya’, whether he belongs to PKD or not). Baabu Teja Singh lived in Bhasaurh. He was one of its founders. Actually, Teja Singh Bhasaurh was the main person in that group.
The PKD tried to publish a ‘Beerh’ of Sri Guru Granth Sahib, without Bhagat Baani and Sri Raagmala. They called it ‘Hazoori Beerh’. Though, they could not be successful to do so, but they published Sri Guru Granth Sahib without ‘Raagmaala’ and sent its copies to different islands. All this was done secretly. Actually, they wanted to show that the copies of Sri Guru Granth Sahib without Raagmaala were available everywhere. By doing this, they succeeded to create doubt about Sri Raagmaala.
When someone noticed that the copies of Guru Granth Sahib are published without Sri Raagmaala, then the Sikhs protested against it. In 1918 AD, Maharaja Patiala issued an order.
After the public agitation and the order of the Patiala government (Bhasaurh was in Patiala state), they stopped to publish Guru Granth Sahib without Raagmala. Actually, no printing press was ready to do so. The PKD , then, published the Gurbani in five volumes and named them as ‘Gurmukhi course’. They did not publish these Baanis in these volumes: –
Raagmala and Bhatt Swayye.
They included two more shabds in ‘Keertan Sohila’. These shabds were, “Mundaavani Mahla 5 Thaal vich tin vastu” and “Tera Keeta Jaato naahee”.
They added some baani from Sri Dasam granth Sahib in these volumes. These baanis were: – ‘Jaap’, ‘Shabd Hazaare’ (without ‘Mitar Piyaare Noo’), ’10 Sawayye’, Akaal ustat, Giyaan Prabodh, 33 Sawayye, Chaupai ‘Hamri karo haath dai rachha’. All other Baani of Guru Gobind Singh was rejected by them.
When the Sikhs did not accept even these volumes, PKD published another volume and named it as ‘Special Gurmukhi Course’. Now they added these Baanis in it: – ‘Bhatt Baani’, ‘Bachitra Naatak’, ‘Chaubees Avtaar’, ‘Khalsa Mahma’ and ‘Zafarnaama’.
On 15 July, 1928, a meeting of Sikh organizations and personalities was held on Sri Akaal Takht Sahib. On August 6, 1928, Baabu Teja Singh Bhasaurh was excommunicated by Sri Akaal Takht Sahib.
Kahan Singh Nabha was working behind the curtains. He published a letter to mislead the people.
The PKD believed that while preparing ‘Amrit’, ‘Pataase’ should not be used to make it sweet. So, The PKD used not to put ‘Pataase’ in ‘Amrit’.
They read these ‘Baanis’ during ‘Amrit Sanchaar’: – Jap Ji Sahib, Jaap Sahib, 10 Swayye, Rahraas Sahib and Keertan Sohila.
They believed that there are five ‘bajar ku-rahats’: – 1. Eating ‘kuththa’, 2. Cutting hair, 3. Adultery, 4. drinking wine etc, and 5 having the company of the people, who commit the four ‘bajar ku-rahats’ mentioned above.