Amru Nithawan.....Guru Amar Das Ji

Guru Amar Das

Sometime in the mid 16^th century in Punjab near Goindwal, at a distance of 52 kms from Amritsar,…there was a small sleepy village Khadur and Guru Angad Dev Ji….. the second Guru  lived there and spread the message of God from here for years .

An elderly man named Amar Das served him in the Langar. He spent most of his time in remembering God and doing service for the Guru and his the people.. He used to get up at midnight and go to the river Beas, about three miles away….. After having his bath there, he would bring water for the Guru's early morning bath.

For twelve years he never failed this duty.

Amar Das was 62 years old….. Amar Das had crossed six decades of his life as a Hindu.

What happened that changed him to such an extent the he became immersed in the tenets of Sikhism?

Bibi Amro.

Bibi Amro was the daughter of Guru Angad Dev Ji. She received her early education directly from her parents, they taught her, along with her brothers and sister, to read and write in Gurmukhi script…..The script which he had revised and simplified. She also learnt many sacred hymns from her father as she had been gifted by nature with a sweet voice. In short, she was a talented girl.

When she came of age, she was married to Bhai Jasoo  son of Bhai Manak Chand, a well-known religious minded person of village Basarke, about eight miles from Amritsar.

Bibi Amro with father and Amar Das ji

Bibi Amoro’s parents encouraged her to continue singing sacred hymns and to preach Sikhism.

 As was the custom of the day, at the right age, she was sent to live with her husband's family in Basarke. Her father, Guru Angad though encouraged her to continue doing Kirtan and simran and to preach Sikhism to all that she came in contact with.

Her father-in-law, Manak chand had a brother called Bhai Amar Das who often visited his brother's house which was just next door. So Amar Das was her husband's uncle.

Once when he was visiting his brother's home, Amar Das heard Bibi Amro singing Japji. He was quite taken by her sweet melodious voice and touched by the deep meaning within the words.

He was so overwhelmed by the sacred Japji that He instantly rushed to the Holy Feet of Guru Nanak the Second, Sri Guru Angad Sahib.

This happened in 1540.

                  

It is narrated that this is how she first introduced Amar Das to the teachings of Sikhism. As his interest grew it was she who sent him to her father to learn more about these teachings. Amar Das was so deeply influenced by Guru Angad Dev ji that he became a devout Sikh, so much that Guru Angad Dev ji announced him as his successor.

Thus for Guru Amar Das ji, the third Guru ..it got to be his destiny of becoming a Guru through Bibi Amro.

But before this  for years, the aged Amar Das served His Beloved Satguru with unparalleled selfless devotion, adoration, and worship and wrapped himself in his bliss and divinity.

  

This was his unique and selfless Guru-Sewa, Guru-Bhavna, Guru-Prem, and Guru-Puja .

Once, it was a dark and rainy night. It was cold outside during January, 1552. As usual, Amar Das went to bring water for the Guru to bathe. He filled the brass pitcher with water from the river and started on his way back. Due to heavy rain, the path was filled with knee deep water. While groping through the dark, his foot stumbled against a peg of Karir tree (Capparis aphylla).

He fell into the pit of a weaver’s loom. Amar Das held fast on to the pitcher. On hearing the crashing sound, the weaver and his wife woke up to see who it was.

The weaver asked his wife, “who has fallen at our door.”

Weaver’s wife grumbled and said to her husband sarcastically, “who else could he be, but the Amru Nithawan ( homeless Amru) who neither sleeps nor rests”.

Duru Angad Dev ji

When this news reached Guru Angad dev ji ( 2nd Guru Nanak ) he said " Amardass ji is not homeless "infact Sri Guru Angad Sahib then said Amar Das Ji: 

Purkha Ji (Guru Amar Das), ….You are the Shelter of the Shelterless. 

Purkha Ji,…………………You are the Help of the Helpless. 

Purkha Ji,………………..You are the Support of the Supportless. 

Purkha Ji,…………………You are the Abode of the Abodeless. 

Purkha Ji,………………..You are the Honour of the Honourless. 

Purkha Ji,………………………You are the Anchor of the Anchorless. 

Purkha Ji,………………..You are the Supreme Hope of the Hopeless. 

Purkha Ji,…………………………You are the Home of the Homeless. 

Purkha Ji,………………….You are the Refuge of those without any Refuge,

Purkha Ji,……………………..Strength of those without any Strength. 

Purkha Ji,………………………….You are the Conferer of all the Nine Treasures. 

Purkha Ji,……………………….You are the Bestower of Bread to the World. 

Guru Angad  Succesion

Months sliped by ..,,,then one day Guru Angad Dev Ji called his two sons, Datu and Dasu, in the Diwan ……Sikh religious meeting. He also called Amar Das. Then he said, "O my followers, I have found Amar Das to be a man of God and a hard worker. He is noble, gentle, kind, humble and intelligent. I, therefore, make him the next Guru of the Sikhs." 

Datu and Dasu were very upset to be rejected like this and they left the place grumbling.

After Guru Angad's Dev Ji ‘s death, Guru Amar Das left Khadur and moved away to Goindwal, which is on the bank of the river Beas. He moved to Goindwal from Khadur to avoid conflict with Guru Angad's son's., elder of whom named Datu had declared himself as a Guru.

Guru Amar Das performing last rites  

Guru Amar Das ji were on Gurugadi from 1552 to 1574,

Janam asthan Basarke

Guru Amar Das is the third Guru of the Sikhs. He was born at Basarke in Amritsar on May 5, 1479. He was married to Bibi Ramo Ji. He had two sons Mohan and Mohri, and two daughters, Bibi Daani and Bibi Bhaani.

Guru AmarDas ji was born as Bhalla Khatri at village Basarke about 13 kms south-west of Amritsar. His father was Tej Bhan Bhalla,, a local minor trader. They were all staunch sanatanists, and vegetarians.He often went to Haridwar and Jwalamuki on pilgrimages and strictly observed all religious rites and ceremonies.

Guru Amar Das is known for his humility and selfless service. He preached the good values of Simran, Sewa and Humility to realize self and Akal Purakh.

                           

Gurgaddi was bestowed upon him at the age of 73 at Khadur Sahib on March 29, 1552. He spent most of his life at Goindwal.

Khadur Sahib

    

    

Till today the seat of Sikh religion during the time of the second, Guru Angad Dev Ji turned the small village of Khadur into Khadur Sahib. A majestic Gurudwara Khadi Sahib or Khadur Sahib has been constructed here in remembrance of Guru Amar Das. 

The place where the beautiful Gurudwara stands today once had a khadi or loom of a cloth weaver

Guru Amar Das Ji took  many significant steps. He established new centres for conveying to the people the message of Guru Nanak. Guru Amardas ji,

• Condemned Hindus for Sati,
•  Allowed widow remarriage and
• Against Caste systems
•  He started Guru Ka Langar.
• Guru Amar Das established missionary system to spread Sikhism
• He constructed wells and water reservoirs.
• He compiled Bani of his successors in the shape of Mohan Pothis.
• He encouraged the Sikhs to get together in the shape of Sangat. He developed the spirit of Sewa (selfless service) among the Sikhs irrespective of caste, color and creed.
• Guru Amar Das established 22 Manjis to strengthen the economy and religious preaching of the Sikh faith.

Emperor Akbar came to meet Guru Amar Das ……Emperor Akbar was asked first to take Langar. Then The Guru  impressed upon the Emperor to abolish Jazia (Discriminatory Tax) imposed on non-Muslims. He was a great reformer.

Guru Amar Das Ji selected Bhai Jetha …..Guru Ram Das, his son-in-law to be the fourth Guru of the Sikhs. ….Thus succession to Gurgaddi

 The Guru left for eternal abode on September 1, 1574 at Goindwal Sahib.

Gurudwara Goindwal

Bani of Guru Amar Das in Sri Guru Granth Sahib is clear and in simple words. Bani of Anand Sahib (Hymn of Bliss) is spiritual masterpiece of Guru Amar Das.

Guru Amar Das composed 907 hymns in 17 Ragas. He composed Anand Sahib in Rag Ramkali. His Bani describes the eternal bliss.

ਸਲੋਕ ਮਃ ੩ ॥ (1281)

Shalok, Third Mehl:

ਬਾਬੀਹਾ ਿਜਸ ਨੋ ਤੂ ਪੂਕਾਰਦਾ ਿਤਸ ਨੋ ਲੋਚੈ ਸਭੁ ਕੋਇ ॥ (1281)

O rainbird, the One unto whom you call - everyone longs for that Lord.

ਅਪਣੀ ਿਕਰਪਾ ਕਿਰ ਕੈ ਵਸਸੀ ਵਣੁ ਿਤਰ੍ਣੁ ਹਿਰਆ ਹੋਇ ॥ (1281)

When He grants His Grace, it rains, and the forests and fields blossom forth in their greenery.

ਗੁਰ ਪਰਸਾਦੀ ਪਾਈਐ ਿਵਰਲਾ ਬੂਝੈ ਕੋਇ ॥ (1281)

By Guru's Grace, He is found; only a rare few understand this.

ਬਹਿਦਆ ਉਠਿਦਆ ਿਨਤ ਿਧਆਈਐ ਸਦਾ ਸਦਾ ਸੁਖੁ ਹੋਇ ॥ (1281)

Sitting down and standing up, meditate continually on Him, and be at peace forever and

ever.

ਨਾਨਕ ਅੰਿਮਰ੍ਤੁ ਸਦ ਹੀ ਵਰਸਦਾ ਗੁਰਮੁਿਖ ਦੇਵੈ ਹਿਰ ਸੋਇ ॥੧॥ (1281)

O Nanak, the Ambrosial Nectar rains down forever; the Lord gives it to the Gurmukh. ||1||