Guru Ram Das: Difference between revisions
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|Guruship = [[30 August]] [[1574]], When his age was 40 years | |Guruship = [[30 August]] [[1574]], When his age was 40 years | ||
|Died = [[1 September]] [[1581]] | |Died = [[1 September]] [[1581]] | ||
|Other Info = [[Laava]], 688 [[Shabad]]s/hymns | |Other Info = [[Laava]], 688 [[Shabad]]s/hymns, founded the city of Amritsar | ||
}} | }} | ||
'''Guru Ram Das Ji''' ([[24 September]] [[1534]] - [[1 September]] [[1581]]) was the fourth of [[the Ten Gurus of Sikhism]] and became Guru on [[30 August]] [[1574]] following in the footsteps of [[Guru Amar Das]] ji. The Guru original name was Bhai Jetha. | '''Guru Ram Das Ji''' ([[24 September]] [[1534]] - [[1 September]] [[1581]]) was the fourth of [[the Ten Gurus of Sikhism]] and became Guru on [[30 August]] [[1574]] following in the footsteps of [[Guru Amar Das]] ji. The Guru original name was Bhai Jetha. | ||
Revision as of 21:53, 5 June 2007
| Guru Ram Das (1534 to 1581) | |
 | |
| Full Name : | Bhai Jetha |
| Personal Details | |
| Birth : | 24 September 1534, Chuna Mandi, Lahore, Punjab |
| Guruship : | 30 August 1574, When his age was 40 years |
| Joti Jot : | 1 September 1581 |
| Family | |
| Parents : | Haridas & Mata Anup Devi |
| Brother/Sisters : | -N.A- |
| Spouse : | Bibi Bhani |
| Children : | Sons - Baba Prithi Chand ji, Baba Mahan Dev Ji, Guru Arjan Dev |
| Other Details | |
| Bani in GGS: | {{{Bani in GGS}}} |
| Other Info: | Laava, 688 Shabads/hymns, founded the city of Amritsar |
Guru Ram Das Ji (24 September 1534 - 1 September 1581) was the fourth of the Ten Gurus of Sikhism and became Guru on 30 August 1574 following in the footsteps of Guru Amar Das ji. The Guru original name was Bhai Jetha.
Before Guru Ji died, he nominated Guru Arjan Dev ji, who was his youngest son as the next Guru of the Sikhs.
- Birth Place: Chuna Mandi, Lahore, Punjab (Present day Pakistan)
- Father: Haridas Ji
- Mother: Mata Daya ji (also known as Anoop Davi)
- Wife: Mata Bhani Ji
- Daughters: None
- Sons: Baba Prithi Chand ji, Baba Mahan Dev Ji, Guru Arjan Dev Ji
- Became Guru at age 40 years and had life span of 47 years.
- Gurbani: The Guru contributed a total of 688 Shabads/hymns to the Sri Guru Granth Sahib.
The fourth Sikh Guru contributed the following to the people of the world:
- Author of Laava, the hymns of the Marriage Rites
- Designed the Golden Temple
- Planned & created the township of Ramdaspur (later Amritsar)
- Organisation Structure of Sikh Society
Hymn by Guru Ram Das – SGGS Page 305
“One who calls himself a Sikh of the True Guru shall get up early morning and meditate on the Lord’s Name. Make effort regularly to cleanse, bathe & dip in the ambrosial pool. Upon Guru’s instructions, chant Har, Har singing which, all misdeeds, sins and pains shall go away.”
Detailed Account
Guru Ram Das ji was born at Chuna Mandi Bazaar, Lahore at the site of present shrine on 24th September 1534 and spent first seven years of his life here. Soon after birth, he was given the name Jetha, meaning the first born.
Jetha's simple and God-fearing parents, Hari Das and Anup Devi of Lahore were delighted at this precious gift from Waheguru. As he was growing up and in his teens, he could always be found in the company of religious men. Jetha became a handsome young man. One day Jetha came across a party of Sikhs who were on their way to Goindwal to pay homage to Guru Amar Das ji. Jetha decided to join them and also travel to Goindwal. Upon their arrival and meeting, Guru Amar Das ji at once noticed the young Jetha with his pleasant manner and sense of devotion. While his fellow travelers returned to Lahore, Jetha decided to stay and become a disciple of Guru Amar Das ji. His hard work, and devotion eventually won him the hand of Guru Amar Das's younger daughter, Bibi Bhani. They went on to have three sons, Prithi Chand, Mahadev and Arjan Dev.
Jetha became a trusted disciple of Guru Amar Das ji. He undertook many sewas and also successfully represented Guru Amar Das ji before the Mughal royal court to defend the charges by jealous Hindus that Sikhism maligned both the Hindu and Muslim religions. "Birth and caste are of no avail before God. It is deeds which make or 'unmake' a man. To exploit ignorant people with superstitions and to call it religion is a sacrilege against God and man. To worship the infinite, formless and absolute God in the form of a totem, an image or an insignificant or time-bound object of nature, or to wash one's sins not through compassion and self-surrender, but through ablutions; to insist upon special diets, languages and dresses, and fads about what to eat and what not, and to condemn the mass of human beings, including women, to the status of sub-humans and to deny them the reading of the scriptures and even work of every kind is to tear apart man from man. This is not religion, not is it religion to deny the world through which alone man can find his spiritual possibilities." The Emperor Akbar was greatly impressed by the tenants of Sikhism as explained by Bhai Jetha and dismissed all of the charges.
Eventually Bhai Jetha was ordained as Guru Amar Das's successor and named Guru Ram Das ji (meaning servant of God). These events have previously been described.
When the aged ascetic son of Guru Nanak Dev ji, Baba Sri Chand came to visit Guru Ram Das ji he asked him why he kept such a long beard? Guru Ram Das ji replied; "To wipe the dust off the feet of holy men like yourself" and then proceeded to perform this supreme act of humility. Sri Chand held his hand and embraced Guru Ram Das ji saying; "It's enough. This is the kind of character by which you have deprived me of my ancestral heritage. Now, what more is left with me that I could offer you for your piety and goodness of heart?"
Guru Ram Das ji now eagerly continued the building of the city of Ramdaspur (the abode of Ram Das) by digging of the second sacred pool as he had been instructed by Guru Amar Das ji. Pilgrims came in large numbers to hear the Guru and to help in the excavation work of the tank. The holy tank would be called Amritsar meaning pool of nectar. Today the city which is the holiest center of Sikhism has come to be know as Amritsar. Guru Ram Das ji urged his Sikhs that one could fulfill one's life not merely by quiet meditation but in actively participating in the joys and sorrows of others. This is how one could also rid oneself of the prime malady - Ego, and end their spiritual loneliness.
One of the new entries into the Sikh fold at this time was Bhai Gurdas Bhalla, the son of the younger brother of Guru Amar Das ji. Bhai Gurdas ji was a superb poet and scholar of comparative religion who would later go on become the scribe of the first edition of the Guru Granth Sahib ji. Guru Amar Das ji was impressed with Bhai Gurdas's existing knowledge of Hindi and Sanskrit and the Hindu scriptures. Following the tradition of sending out Masands across the country Guru Amar Das ji deputed Bhai Gurdas to Agra to spread the gospel of Sikhism.
The standard Sikh marriage ceremony known as the Anand Karaj is centered around the Lawan, a four stanza hymn composed by Guru Ram Das ji. The marriage couple circumscribe the Guru Granth Sahib ji as each stanza is read. The first round is the Divine consent for commencing the householders life through marriage. The second round states that the union of the couple has been brought about by God. In the third round the couple is described as the most fortunate as they have sung the praises of the Lord in the company of saints. In the fourth round the feeling of the couple that they have obtained their hearts desire and are being congratulated is described.
Guru Ram Das's first cousin Sahari Mal came to invite the Guru to visit Lahore in connection with the marriage of his son. The Guru being much too busy with his work promised to send one of his sons instead. Guru Ram Das ji asked his eldest son Prithi Chand to attend on his behalf, but he refused. Prithi Chand feared that his father was perhaps trying to eliminate him in order to install his youngest brother Arjan as the next Guru. Arjan was a great favorite of his father. Mahadev the Guru's middle son was a recluse and excused himself on the ground that he was not interested in the affairs of the world. The Guru therefore asked his youngest son Arjan Dev to attend, which he agreed to do with such grace and humility, that Guru Ram Das ji was very pleased.
Arjan Dev now proceeded to Lahore, where his father asked him to remain until called for and to take charge of the needs and education of the Sikhs in Lahore, his ancestral home. After two years of feeling intensely homesick, Arjan Dev composed a poem of love and devotion and sent it to Guru Ram Das ji. This poem along with another one a few month's later were intercepted by the Guru's jealous son Prithi Chand who made sure his father never received them. Finally Arjan wrote a third poem and numbered it with a 3 and gave strict instructions to the messenger to only hand it over to the Guru personally.
"My mind longs for the Blessed Vision of the Guru's Darshan. It cries out like the thirsty song-bird. My thirst is not quenched, and I can find no peace, without the Blessed Vision of the Beloved Saint. ||1|| I am a sacrifice, my soul is a sacrifice, to the Blessed Vision of the Beloved Saint Guru. " (Raag Maajh, Pannaa 96, SGGS ji)
Upon finally receiving this poem, Guru Ram Das ji sensed what must have happened to the earlier two messages so he confronted his eldest son Prithi Chand. At first, Prithi Chand denied everything, but seeing the insistence of the Guru and the consequences of refusal to obey him, he finally confessed his treachery and produced the other two letters. When Guru Ram Das ji read them, he was moved to tears by the humility and sincerity of his son Arjan's compositions.
Guru Ram Das ji immediately sent for Baba Buddha to journey to Lahore and to bring back his son Arjan Dev with full honour. The Guru then declared him his successor. Prithi Chand would not accept his fathers wishes and continued to misbehave and abuse Guru Arjan Dev ji. Guru Ram Das ji had to publicly condemn his son Prithi Chand for his actions. Shortly thereafter Guru Ram Das ji left his physical form and on September 1 1581.
The above article is by sikhlionz. Sikhlionz is the sewadar of www.SikhSangat.com and it's websites.
External Links
| Preceded by: Guru Amar Das (5 April 1479 - 1 September 1574) |
Guru Ram Das | Followed by: Guru Arjan Dev (15 April 1563 - 30 May 1606) |
| These are the Ten Gurus of Sikhism |
|
Guru Nanak | Guru Angad Dev | Guru Amar Das | Guru Ram Das | Guru Arjan | Guru Hargobind | Guru Har Rai | Guru Har Krishan | Guru Teg Bahadur | Guru Gobind Singh |
