Guru
Amardas Sahib
Guru Amardas Sahib, the Third Nanak was
born at village Basarke Gillan in Amritsar district on Vaisakh Sudi
14th, (8th Jeth), Samvat 1536 (5th May 1479). (Some chronicles mention
the month of April 1479). His father Tej Bhan Bhalla and mother Bakht
Kaur (also reffered as Sulakhani and Lakhmi Devi) were orhtodox Hindus
and used to pay annual visits to the Ganges river at Haridwar. Guru
Amardas Sahib was married to Mata Mansa Devi ji and had four childern:
two daughters; Bibi Dani ji and Bibi Bhani ji (she was married to Guru
Ramdass Sahib), and two sons; Mohan ji and Mohri ji.
Once Guru Amardas Sahib heard some hyms of Guru Nanak Sahib from Bibi
Amro Ji, the daughter of Guru Angad Sahib. He became too much
impressed and immediately went to see Guru Angad Sahib at Khadur
Sahib. Under the impact of the teachings of Guru Angad Sahib, Guru
Amardas Sahib adopted him as his spiritual guide (Guru). Then he
started living at Khadur Sahib. He used to rise early in the morning,
bring water from the Bias River for Guru's bath and fetch wood from
the Jungle for 'Guru ka Langar'.
Guru Angad Sahib appointed Guru Amardas Sahib as third Nanak in March
1552 at the age of 73. This was a result of his services and devotion
to Guru Angad Sahib and his teachings. He established his headquarters
at newly built town Goindwal. There he propagated the Sikh faith in a
very planned manner. He divided the Sikh Sangat area into 22 preaching
centres. (Manjis), each under the charge of a devout Sikh. He himself
visited and sent Sikh missionaries to different parts of India to
spread Sikhism.
He strengthened the tradition of 'Guru ka Langer' and made it
compulsory for the visitor to the Guru saying that 'Pehle Pangat Phir
Sangat'. Once the emperor Akbar came to see Guru Sahib and he had to
eat the coarse rice in the Langar before he could have an interview
with Guru Sahib. He was too much impressed from this system and
expressed his desire to grant some royal property for 'Guru ka
Langar', but Guru Sahib declined it with respect. Guru Amardas Sahib
persuaded Akbar to waive off toll-tax (pilgrim's tax) for non-Muslims
while crossing Yamuna and Ganga, Akbar did so. Guru Amardas Sahib
maintained cordial relations with emperor Akbar.
He preached against Sati and advocated widow-remarriage. He asked the
women to discard 'Purdah' (veil). He introduced new birth, marriage
and death ceremonies. Thus he created a fence around the infant like
Sikhism and there upon met stiff resistance from the Orthodox Hindus
and Muslim fundamentalists. He fixed three Gurpurbs for Sikh
celebrations: Dewali, Vaisakhi and Maghi. Visiting of Hindu pilgrimage
centres and paying tributes to the Muslim places were prohibited.
Guru Amardas Sahib constructed Baoli at Goindwal Sahib having
eighty-four steps and made it a Sikh pilgrimage centre for the first
time in the history of Sikhism. He reproduced more copies of the hymns
of Guru Nanak Sahib and Guru Angad Sahib. He also composed 869
(according to some chronicles these were 709) verses (stanzas)
including Anand Sahib, and Guru Arjan Sahib made all the Shabads part
of Guru Granth Sahib.
Guru Amardas Sahib did not consider anyone of his sons fit for
Guruship and chose instead his son-in law (Guru) Ramdas Sahib to
succeed him. Certainly it was practically a right step not as
emotional, because Bibi Bhani ji and Guru Ramdas Sahib had true sprit
of service and their keen understanding of the Sikh principles
deserved this. This practice shows that Guruship could be transferred
to any body fit for the Sikh cause and not to the particular person
who belonged to the same family or of other. Guru Amardas Sahib at the
ripe age of 95 passed away for heaven on Bhadon Sudi 14th, (1st Assu)
Samvat 1631, (September 1, 1574) at Goindwal Sahib near District
Amritsar, after giving responsibility of Guruship to the Fourth Nanak,
Guru Ramdas Sahib.