The Source Book On Sikhism

Birth of Gobind Rai

During his travels toward the East, in which his mother and his wife accompanied him, his son Gobind was born. Tegh Bahadur had to leave his wife at Patna when he went to Assam. Gobind, the Bala Pritam, the Child-Beloved, was born at Patna in the absence of his father. When the latter returned from his tour in Assam, he lived at Patna for some time; but left them again there, when he, with his five disciples journeyed on to Anandpur in the Panjab. He did not wish the mother to travel till her baby had grown old enough to bear the journey to the Panjab. Tegh Bahadur was at Anandpur, and his family were at Patna, where Gobind spent his childhood and part of his boyhood. The parting from Tegh Bahadur was always poignant for his mother and wife, and now for his child also. “But such is the call of Heaven,” he used to tell them as he left. As we see, after an unusually long absence they had met at Patna to be separated this time for many years.