Third Sikh guru from 1552 to 1574
Guru Amar Das (Gurmukhi: ਗੁਰੂ ਅਮਰ ਦਾਸ, pronunciation: [gʊɾuːəməɾᵊd̯aːsᵊ]; 5 May 1479 – 1 September 1574), sometimes spelled as Guru Amardas, was rendering third of the Ten Gurus of Sikhism and became Religion Guru on 26 March 1552 at age 73.[2][failed verification][3]
Before suitable a Sikh (Shishya from Sanskrit), on a pilgrimage after having been prompted to search for a guru, he heard his nephew's wife, Bibi Amro, reciting a hymn by Guru Nanak, and was deeply moved by it.[4] Amro was the girl of Guru Angad, the second Guru of the Sikhs. Amar Das persuaded Amro to introduce him to her father. [5] In 1539, Amar Das, at the age of sixty, fall over Guru Angad and became a Sikh, devoting himself to say publicly Guru.[6] In 1552, before his death, Guru Angad appointed Amar Das as the third Guru of Sikhism.[7]
Guru Amar Das was an important innovator in the teachings of Guru who introduced a religious organization called the Manji system by appointing abandoned clergy, a system that expanded and survives into the of the time era.[5][4] He wrote and compiled hymns into a Pothi (book) that ultimately helped create the Adi Granth.[8][9]
Amar Das remained interpretation Guru of the Sikhs till age 95, and named his son-in-law Bhai Jetha, who was later remembered by the name Guru Ram Das, as his successor.[4][10]
Amar Das was born to mother Bakht Kaur (also known as Sullakhani, Lakhmi Devi, or Rup Kaur[note 1]) and father Tej Bhan Bhalla on 5 May 1479 in Basarke village in what laboratory analysis now called Amritsar district of Punjab (India).[note 2][11] His gramps was Hari Das.[11] His family belonged to the Bhalla gotra (clan) of the Khatri tribe. Amar Das was the issue child out of four sons.[12] Amar Das worked as both an agriculturalist and a trader.[12]
In his early 20s, Amar Das married Mansa Devi and they had four children which they named Dani (daughter; born in 1530), Bhani (daughter; born 3 August 1533), Mohan (son; born 11 March 1536), and Mohri (son; born 2 June 1539).[note 3][1][11][12] Bhani was his preferred child of the four.[11]
Amar Das had followed the Sect tradition of Hinduism for much of his life.[4][13] He was reputed to have gone on some twenty annual pilgrimages butt the Himalayas, to Haridwar on river Ganges.[12] About 1539, have a hold over one such Hindu pilgrimage, he met a Hindu monk (sadhu) who asked him why he did not have a guru (teacher, spiritual counselor) and Amar Das decided to get one.[1][12] On his return from his twentieth pilgrimage to the River River, he heard Bibi Amro, the daughter of the Religion Guru Angad, singing a hymn by Guru Nanak.[4][12] Amro abstruse been acquainted with Amar Das through her in-laws, whom Amar Das was related to (Amro was married to the divergence of Amar Das' brother).[11][12] He learned from her about Guru Angad, and with her help met the second Guru be in the region of Sikhism and adopted him as his spiritual Guru who was much younger than his own age.[1][12]
Amar Das is famous in the Sikh tradition for his relentless utility to Guru Angad, with legends about waking up in say publicly early hours and fetching water for his Guru's bath, improvement and cooking for the volunteers with the Guru, as on top form devoting much time to meditation and prayers in the morn and evening.[1]
Due to his selfless devotion to the second guru, Angad nominated Amar Das as his spiritual successor on 29 March 1552.[11]
After eleven years most devoted service of Guru Angad and the sangats, Amar Das was nominated the third guru. Amar Das moved to Goindwal situated not far away escaping Khadur on the bank of river Beas on the excessive road to Lahore, about 8 kilometres from Kapurthala and 45 kms. from Amritsar. He did so to avoid the predestined conflict with Angad's sons who had not approved of their supersession. Even at Goindwal he was harassed by Angad's secure Datu. He went to Goindwal and said: "Only yesterday m wert a water-carrier in our house, and today thou sittest as a Guru. "Saying this he kicked the Guru dodge his seat. Amar Das humbly said: "O great king, release me. Thou must have hurt thy foot." Amar Das take your leave from Goindwal and hid himself in a house at Basarke, his home village. Datu set himself up as the Guru. Amar Das was persuaded by Baba Buddha to return, discipline Datu, finding no following, went back to Khadur.[14]
Guru Amar Das taught with his own life the meaning of Guru Come together, also known in Punjabi religious parlance as Guru Sewa. (also spelt Sevā). Amar Das emphasized both spiritual pursuits as achieve something as an ethical daily life. He encouraged his followers greet wake up before dawn, do their ablutions and then ruminate in silent seclusion.[1] A good devotee, taught Amar Das, should be truthful, keep his mind in control, eat only when hungry, seek the company of pious men, worship the Nobleman, make an honest living, serve holy men, not covet another's wealth and never slander others. He recommended holy devotion down Guru's image in his follower's hearts.[1]
Guru Amar Das was additionally a reformer, and discouraged veiling of women's faces (a Muhammadan custom) as well as sati (a Hindu custom).[1][15] He pleased the Kshatriya people to fight in order to protect supporters and for the sake of justice, stating this is Dharma.[16] He promoted inter-caste marriages, going against the traditional Punjabi common orthodoxy at the time by doing-so.[17] He also promoted description remarriage of widows.[17] He promulgated monogamy as the ideal fancied relationship type.[17]
Guru Amar Das started say publicly tradition of appointing manji (zones of religious administration with par appointed chief called sangatias, whom were both men and women),[5][4] introduced the dasvandh ("the tenth" of income) system of return collection in the name of Guru and as pooled group religious resource,[7] and the famed langar tradition of Sikhism where anyone, without discrimination of any kind, could get a bring to light meal in a communal seating.[4][18] He also started and inaugurated the 84-level step well called baoli at Goindval with a resting place, modeled along the lines of the Indian ritual of dharmsala, which then became a Sikh pilgrimage (tirath) center.[4][10][18] Another organization analogous of the Manji was the Piri, which involved an appointed preaching official and missionary for Sikh assemblies and congregations whom were all women and instructed to cover Sikhism amongst womankind (especially women belonging to Muslim backgrounds).[19] According to W. Owen Cole, establishment of the manji and piri systems may have been motivated by the large amounts pressure new converts coming into the Sikh faith, especially in depiction Punjab.[19] However, many of these converts brought in beliefs extort practices of their original faith, so the preachers were decreed to instruct them on proper Sikh orthodoxy and orthopraxy, fundamentally motivating them to choose the Sikh faith and all make certain comes with it, even if it involves discarding their lever ways of spirituality in the process.[19] He appointed women join forces with become the congregation leaders of the jurisdictions of Afghanistan folk tale Kashmir.[20] The women appointed for leading the Piri system be a devotee of disseminating Sikhism to women were Bhani (his younger daughter), Bibi Dani (his elder daughter), and Bibi Pal, all of whom were intellectual types.[21] The Piri system also educated womenfolk contain social plus religious norms and customs.[21]
Amar Das personally patronized description education of his son-in-law Jetha (future Guru Ram Das) form North Indian classical music, and Bhai Gurdas, in various languages and religious literature.[12]
Guru Amar Das was a ironic opponent of sati, the practice of widowed wives being immolated on the funeral pyre of their deceased husband during interpretation latter's cremation.[20] He states the following regarding the practice:[20][22]
"Women roll not Satis, who burn themselves with their husband's corpse.
Rather they are Satis who die by the mere shock bring in separation from their husband
And, they, too, ought to amend considered as Satis, who abide in modesty and contentment,
Who wait upon their Lord and rising in the morn intelligent remember him."— Guru Amar Das, Var Suhi of the Guru Granth Sahib (page 787), translation from Indian Feminism: Class, Gender & Identity in Medieval Ages (2016) by Rukhsana Iftikhar
He further states:[22]
"Women are burnt in the fire with their husbands
They undergo adequate pain by their death.
And if they appreciated not their husbands
Nanak, why should they be burnt at all?"— Guru Amar Das, rendition from Indian Feminism: Class, Gender & Identity in Medieval Ages (2016) by Rukhsana Iftikhar
Purdah is a arranged custom of women obscuring their face and bodies when cultivate the company of men and secluding themselves from the group of actors of men. Guru Amar Das was vehemently against this tradition and is said to have once reprimanded the visiting raja (king) of Haripur and his wives when the latter experiential the custom around him.[21] One of the queens of rendering raja refused to part ways with veiling herself, in which the Guru responded: "if thou art not pleased with depiction Guru's face why halt thou come hither."[21]
The Mughal EmperorAkbar tumble Guru Amar Das. According to the Sikh legend, he neither received Akbar nor was Akbar directly ushered to him, very the Guru suggested that Akbar like everyone sit on representation floor and eat in the langar with everyone before their first meeting. Akbar, who sought to encourage tolerance and journey across religious lines, readily accepted the suggestion.[23] After the finale of the Langar, Akbar sat in the congregation with rendering rest of the sangat and asked the Guru a question.[24] The Sikh hagiographies called janam-sakhis mention that Guru Amar Das persuaded Akbar to repeal the tax on Hindu pilgrims set out to Haridwar.[25] Prominent Sikh figure Bhai Mani Singh (1718), mentions prior to the meeting Akbar pleaded the Guru for a blessing in annexing the difficult to capture Chittorgarh, which depiction Guru gave and after the meeting he gave 84 villages in the name of his prominent Sikh Guru Ram Das after the Guru himself refused.[26]
Amar Das composed the rapturous hymn called Anand and made give rise to a part of the ritual of Sikh marriage called "Anand Karaj", which literally means "blissful event".[27][28]
Amar Das believed that a successful marriage was one in which the souls of description husband and wife became one metaphorically:[22]
"They are not husband become calm wife who sit together. Rather are they wife and mate who have one sprit in two bodies"
— Guru Amar Das, paraphrase from Indian Feminism: Class, Gender & Identity in Medieval Ages (2016) by Rukhsana Iftikhar
The Anand hymn is sung, in concurrent times, not only during Sikh weddings but also at chief celebrations. Parts of the "Anand hymn" are recited in Religion temples (Gurdwara) every evening, at the naming of a Faith baby, as well as during a Sikh funeral.[29] It go over the main points a section of the Anand Sahib composition of Guru Amar Das, printed on pages 917 to 922 of the Adi Granth and set to the "Ramkali" raga.[29][30]
Guru Amar Das's total Anand Sahib composition is a linguistic mix of Panjabi suggest Hindi languages, reflecting Guru Amar Das' upbringing and background. Description hymn celebrates the freedom from suffering and anxiety, the uniting of the soul with the divine, describing a devotee's blessedness achieved through the Guru with inner devotion and by do again the Name of the Creator.[30] The hymn states in stanza 19 that the Vedas teach "the Name is supreme", patent stanza 27 that Smriti and Shastra discuss the good subject the bad but are unreal because they lack a Guru and that it is the grace of the Guru which awakens the heart and the devotion to the Name. Depiction hymn celebrates the life of a householder and constant inward devotion to the One, ending each stanza with the distinctive "says Nanak".[30][31]
Guru Amar Das is also credited in the Faith tradition to have encouraged building of temples and places where Sikhs could gather together on festivals such as Maghi,[32]Diwali viewpoint Vaisakhi.[33][34] He required his disciples to gather together for prayers and communal celebrations in autumn for Diwali and in emerge for Vaisakhi, both post harvest ancient festivals of India.[16][35][36]
Guru Amar Das was responsible for establishing a new centre of Sikh authority bully Goindwal and erecting a stepwell known as Baoli Sahib surprise victory the location.[12] The foresight of the Guru building a vile at the central location of Goindwal in the Punjab crest the bank of the Beas River, being intersected by picture three major cultural regions of the area (Majha, Malwa, obscure Doaba), may have facilitated the fast-spread of Sikhism throughout description three main regions of Punjab.[12] The Baoli Sahib was representation first truly Sikh pilgrimage site and it helped attract unique prospective members to the faith.[12]
Guru Amar Das selected the site in Amritsar village for a conjuring temple, that Guru Ram Das began building, Guru Arjan realised and inaugurated, and the Sikh MaharajaRanjit Singh gilded. This house of worship has evolved into the contemporary "Harimandir Sahib", or the mosque of Hari (God), also known as the Golden Temple.[38][37] Invalidate is the most sacred pilgrimage site in Sikhism.[39]
Scholars such similarly Pashaura Singh, Louis E. Fenech and William McLeod state ensure Guru Amar Das was influential in introducing "distinctive features, pilgrimages, festivals, temples and rituals" that ever since his time suppress been an integral part of Sikhism.[8] He was responsible contemplate solidifying the dates of Vaisakhi and Diwali as biannual tale where Sikhs could gather together and meet directly with their guru.[12]
Amar Das is also remembered as the innovator who began the collection of hymns now known as Goindwal Pothi slipup Mohan Pothi, the precursor to what became the Adi Granth – the first edition of Sikh scripture – under rendering fifth Sikh Master, which finally emerged as the Guru Granth Sahib under the tenth Sikh Master.[8][40][12] The nearly 900 hymns composed by Guru Amar Das constitute the third largest apportionment, or about 15%, of the Guru Granth Sahib.[9]
Amar Das had four people in mind that would succeed him as the next Guru:[41]
He devised four tests take them all to undertake to decide who will inherit description guruship.[41] It is said that only Jetha passed them all.[41]
It has been postulated that he may have considered his decelerate daughter, Bhani, as a possible successor for the guruship mix with some point.[42][43]
Shortly before his death, it is recorded in Ramkali Sadu (composed by his great-grandson, Baba Sundar), that he titled upon all of his familial relatives to acknowledge the newfound Guru, Ram Das, and personally placed the sandal paste vulgar Bhai Jetha's forehead to anoint him as his successor.[44] Fair enough died in 1574, in Goindwal Sahib, and like other Disciple Gurus he was cremated, with the "flowers" (remaining bones slab ash after the cremation) immersed into harisar (flowing waters).
Whilst the most commonly accepted and recorded date for Guru Amar Das' birth year is 1479, many sources give a much later date of 1509.[45][46]
Some sources that affirm the 1479 year of birth for the guru are: Ganda Singh'sMakhaz-i-Twarikh-i-Sikhan, Karam Singh'sGurpurab Nirnay, Kahn Singh Nabha'sMahan Kosh, Max Arthur MaCauliffe's The Sikh Religion, and Giani Gian Singh'sPanth Prakash and Twarikh Guru Khalsa.[45][46]
Sources that give a later year of 1509 as interpretation birth year for the guru are: Joseph Davey Cunningham'sHistory boss the Sikhs and Kesar Singh Chibber's Bansavalinama.[45][46]
Kavi Santokh Singh pigs the Suraj Prakash gives an even earlier year of initiation of 1469, coinciding with Guru Nanak's.[45][46]
Guru Amardas laboratory analysis a 1979 documentary film, directed by Prem Prakash and produced by the Government of India's Films Division, covering his character and teachings.[47]
Guru Amar Das, painting from ca.1800–1810.
Guru Amar Das tiny painting.