Guru Amar Das Ji

 

IV

Guru Amar Das Ji

Guru Amar Das Ji was born to parents- Bakht Kaur( also known as Sulakhani, Lakhmi Devi or Rup Kaur) and Tej Bhan Bhalla on May 5, 1479 A.D at Basarke village of Amritsar district. His grandfather’s name was Hari Das and his family belonged to Bhalla Gotra of Khatri clan and Guru Amar Das ji was the eldest son of his family. At the age of 20 years he married Mansa Devi and had four children- daughters Dani and Bhani sons Mohan and Mohri. Bhani was his favourite child. To earn his livelihood Guru Amar Das ji took up the profession of agriculturist and trader. He followed Vaishanavism for much of his life. He undertook nearly twenty annual pilgrimages to Haridwara. On one such pilgrimage a Hindu monk met him and asked why he did not have a Guru till then. Acting on his advice Guru Amar Das ji decided to have somebody as his Guru. While returning from Haridwar he heard Bibi Amro- daughter of Guru Angad Dev ji who was related to him as well as she was his nephew’s wife- singing the hymns of Guru Nanak Dev ji. He learnt about Guru Angad Dev ji from her and made him as his Spiritual Guru though he was much younger to him. He served Guru Angad Dev ji relentlessly by waking up early in the morning, fetching water for bath of his Guru and cleaning and cooking for the volunteers with Guru. He succeeded Guru Angad Dev ji as the third Guru of Sikhism at the ripe age of 73 years after 11 years of devoted service of his Guru. He gave leadership to the Sikhs till the age of 95 years when before his death he appointed his son-in-law Bhai Jetha or Guru Ram Das ji as the fourth Guru of Sikhism. After becoming Guru, Guru Amar Das ji moved to Goindwal to avoid conflict with the sons of Guru Angad Dev ji who did not like their father’s decision to appoint Guru Amar Das ji as his successor. Even at Goindwal he was harassed by Guru Angad’s on Datu and kicked Guru Amar Das ji knocking him from his seat saying “ Only yesterday thou wert a water carrier in our house and thou sittest as a Guru”. To it Guru Amar Das ji replied humbly “ O’ Great King, pardon me thou must have hurt thy feet”. Guru Amar Das ji hid himself in a house at Basarke, his home village and Datu set himself as Guru in Goindwal. It was Baba Buddha who persuaded Guru Amar Das ji to return to Goindwal when Datu went back to Khadur when he found that he had no followers. He emphasised his followers to wake up early in the dawn, do their ablutions and then meditate in silent seclusion. He believed that a good devotee should be truthful, keep his mind in control, eat only when hungry, seek the company of pious men, worship the Lord, make an honest living, serve holy men, covet another’s wealth and never slander others. He was also a social reformer and banned Sati system in Sikhism and discouraged veiling of women’s faces, promoted inter-caste marriages, remarriage of widows and adopting monogamy as ideal gender relationship. He also started the tradition of appointing Manjis ( zones of religious administration with a chief known as Sangatiya who could be a man or even a woman. He also introduced Dasvandh- tradition of donating ten percent of income to noble causes- and augmented the tradition of langar. Another organization set up by him, analogous to Manji was Piri in which appointed officials spread faith specially among women. He also constructed a well of 84 steps known as Baoli Sahib at Mughal Emperor. Mughal emperor met Guru Amar Das ji but only after Akbar agreed to take langar like any common man with everybody. He persuaded Akbar to repeal tax on Hindus pilgrims visiting Haridwar. He composed a hymn Anand Lavana and made it a part of the ritual of Sikh marriage called Anand Karaj that means blissful event. He is believed to have selected the site of Harmandir Sahib at Amritsar whose construction was started by Guru Ram Das ji, completed and inaugurated by Guru Arjan Dev ji and gilded in gold by Maharaja Ranjit Singh. He has composed verses intended to be sung in Sri Raga,Majh, Gauri, Asa, Gujri, Bihagra, Vadhans, Sorath, Dhanasari, Suhi, Bilawal, Ramkali, Maru, Bhairon, Basanth, Sarang, Malhar and Prabhati.

Sri Raga

Serve you the True Guru lovingly, and with single-minded Devotion:

And you know that the True Guru is the holiest of the holy who fulfils all the desires of your mind.

(From him) one gathers the Blessing, the Fruit, as the heart longs.

Seek then the Lord’s Name; Meditate on it, and, through the Name, you enter the Realm of Bliss.

Raga Majh

By the Lord’s Grace is the True Guru Met:

And then alone one applies one’s mind to the Lord’s service and (Reflects on) the Word.

And so one stills one’s Ego and gathers Eternal Peace,

and sheds one’s love of Maya.

Raga Gauri

That place alone is True where the mind becomes Pure;

And, becoming True, abides in Truth.

The True Word is known through the four ages;

The True One is of Himself True.

Raga Asa

The True Lord is Profound and Deep.

Serving Him, my body is bathed in Peace.

Through His Word is one, Ferried Across, the natural way.

And to His feet I take ever and forever more

Raga Gujri

Accursed is the life which yields not Love of the Lord.

Accursed is the work that yokes us to another and we forsake our God.

O my Mind, dwell you on the True Guru. Contemplating whom one loves God and forsakes all else.

And the conscious mind clings to the Lord, and one not age,and mounts to the State of Deliverance.

Raga Bihagra

Fear nor Doubt can hurt one, if one’s Lord, the True Guru, Protects One.

For, He the Saviour has been the Protector (of His Devotees) since time immemorial.

Meeting with the Loved Lord,one Attains Bliss, reflecting on the True Word,

If one serves the the Bliss- Giving God, He, of Himself, then tests one and approves.

Raga Vadhans

If the mind is Soiled, all is Soiled: by bathing the body, the mind is not cleansed.

This world is led astray by Doubt, and rare is the one who knows the Truth.

O my mind, Contemplate the One Name of God:

This is the Treasure with which the True Guru has blessed you.

Raga Sorath

When one becomes the Slave of Lord’s Slaves, he attains the Lord and sheds his Ego.

The Lord’s Devotees are Engaged to the Lord of the Bliss,

and so they ever sing the Praises of their Lord.

Imbued with the Word, they remain forever alike, and are Merged in their Lord.

Raga Dhanasari

Inexhaustible is the Treasure (of Lord’s Name) ; it increases as it is expended.

It is through the Perfect Guru that I have Seen this Treasure.

I am ever a Sacrifice unto the True Guru.

It is by Guru’s Grace that I have enshrined my God in the Mind.

Raga Suhi

The Lord is Subtle and Unfathomable; so , how is one to Attain Him?

It is through Guru’s Word that our Doubt is dispelled,

and the Self-dependent being enters our Minds.

Those turned God-wards Dwell ever upon the Lord’s Name.

I am a sacrifice unto those who Contemplate ever the Good of the Lord in the Mind.

Raga Bilawal

Himself the Primal Lord Creates the Creation,

And His creatures are then involved and infatuated with Maya.

And are lured by Illusion, being in love with the Other,

and come and go, and are wasted away, the unfortunate ones.

Meeting with the True Guru, one comes to Realise,

and the illusion breaks, and one Merges in the (Lord’s ) Truth.

Raga Ramkali

In the Satyuga, everyone spoke the Truth,

And, by the Guru’s Grace, in each heart was love of God.

Dharma had all the four legs to stand upon,

But only if one reflects on this, one comes to know.

Raga Maru

He, whom God Illumines with His Love, all-too instantly, through the True Word,

he alone knows the pain (of separation) and he alone knows its cure.

The Lord,of Himself, unites us with Himself: Yea, He of Himself informs us with His Love.

And he alone knows the essence of Love on whom is the Grace of God.

Raga Bhairon

The Egocentric is afflicted by the malady of Duality and burns in the intensity of Desire.

Yea, he comes and goes but finds not Peace, and wastes away his human birth in vain.

O’ my Love, Make us Wise by Your Grace,

for the world cannot get rid of afflictions of Ego save through the Word.

Raga Basanta

If you are sky-clad and roam about naked, or keep matted hair and practice Yoga,

and your breath is held within the Tenth Door: if your mind is not Stainless and Pure,

You wander from birth to birth and your comings and goings do not cease.

Raga Sarang

O mind, all Glory is through Lord’s Name:

So know not any but your God, and be Emancipated through the Name.

Through the Word, be thou attuned to your God, the Dispeller of all Fears

and the Destroyer of Death. And your Blissful Lord will be Revealed to you,

by the Guru’s Grace, you will merge with Him instantly.

Raga Malhar

Rare is the one who Realises God, through the Guru, by God’s Grace.

Yea, except Guru, there is no other Giver: and he alone Forgives and Blesses.

Meeting with the Guru, one is cool-comforted and one utters Lord’s Praise for ever.

O my Mind, Dwell on the Nectar-Name of God.

Yea, it is when one Meets with the True Guru, the Purusha, that one receives merges

eternally in the Lord’s Name.

Raga Prabhati

O Master, Bless us, the meritless ones with your Forgiveness,

and Unite us with Thyself, of Thyself. O’ God You are Infinite, pray, make Yourself manifest through the Guru’s Word,O Lord I am a sacrifice unto You:

Yea, I surrender my body and mind to You and seek to remain ever in Your Refuge.