Shaheedi Purab Of Fifth Guru, Sri Guru Arjan Dev Ji- 16Th June 2010

[KOOKAR]

In Commemoration of 400^th Anniversary of the Supreme Self Sacrifice of Guru Arjan Dev Ji.

S

</P>Langar - Guru Ji continued and expanded the service of Langar not only at Goindwaal but also at all the other new centres of Sikhism.

Townships and trade. Guru Ji set up various townships, namely Taran Taran Sahib in 1590, Kartarpur Sahib in 1594 and Hargobindpur in 1595. This was after the birth of their only son Hargobind, who later became the sixth Guru of the Sikhs. Guru Arjan Dev Ji encouraged new businesses and bankers to set up in Amritsar where within a few years it is recorded that over 50 trades had set up home here to make it a major trade centre.

Hospitals

Guru Ji set up hospitals and clinics throughout the flourishing Sikh centres providing free healthcare for the poor. In Taran Taaran, Guru Ji cured lepers and very soon hundreds of sick people started coming to bathe in the waters of the new sarowar there.

Sarowars.

Guru Ji also constructed Sarowars (water tanks) and Baolis (wells) rejuvenating towns such as Amritsar, Santokhsar and a particularly large one at Taran Taran Sahib. One of the wells was also built in the town of Lahore and is known as the Baoli Sahib in Dabbi Bazar, where at the time, a drought was causing much hardship to the people living there. This was later filled in by Shah Jehan and a mosque built over it. Maharajah Ranjit Singh Ji restored the Baoli in 1820. Another sarowar was built at Chhehrtetta Sahib which also now in Pakistan.

One of the Tanks Guru Arjan Dev Ji completed was the Ramdas Sarover in 1586. Later it was here that Guru Ji designed and built Sri Harmandir Sahib in 1589. This holy gurdwara was covered with gold leaf by Maharaja Ranjit Singh Ji in the period 1803 - 1830. Its foundation stone was laid by Mian Mir, a Muslim Saint who was a close companion of Guru Ji. Within Amritsar town, Guru Ji also made BibekSar, RamSar and KaolSar sarowars. At Wadali (where their son Hargobind Ji was born), Guru Ji also dug a well and named it Gang Sar in honour of wife Mata Ganga Ji.

Daswand

Guru Arjan Dev Ji started the Daswand system of giving one tenth of an individuals earnings towards the upkeep of Gurdwaras and other good causes. This system is still respected by Sikhs all over the world today and accounts for a lot of charitable work around the globe.

Writing and Compilation of Gurbani

South of Sri Harmandir Sahib, at a quiet and secluded place Guru Ji selected a small area next to pool which was later dug to make a permanent sarover, known as Ramsar. Here with scribe Bhai Gurdas Ji, over a period of three years, Guru Ji collected all the Gurbani of the Gurus and together with writings of Hindu and Muslim Bhagats, compiled the Aadh Granth, the first scripture.

It was also at this tranquil place that Guru Ji composed the Sukhmani Sahib, ‘The Psalm of Peace’. In total Guru Arjan Dev Ji composed 2218 Chands in 30 Ragas and further wrote Bawan Akhari, Bara-Maha and six Vars. Guru Ji’s own Gurbani compositions are voluminous and poetical beauty of the highest order.

On the 30^th of August 1604 Guru Arjan Dev Ji placed the scripture in the new Harmandir Sahib and installed Baba Buddha Ji as the first Granthi.

Keertan

<FONT"]Guru Ji arranged the Gurbani into a formal musical structure along the lines of Raag, melody and rhythm. Guru Ji was a master musician, did keertan at Goindwal and Harmandir Sahib and even made his own Siranda which is still to be seen at Amritsar. Guru Ji promoted musicians to come and sing Gurbani at Harmandir Sahib. </FONT>

Martyrdom

There were many factors that led up to the martyrdom of Guru Arjan Dev Ji. In brief these were as follows;

Jealousy of Prithi Chand

From the very outset, Guru Arjan Dev Ji’s eldest brother Prithi Chand was intensly jealous and wanted the Guruship for himself and then for his son Mehrban. He tried many things to oust Guru Arjan Dev Ji including attempts on the life of the Guru and his son (Guru) Hargobind. He poisoned the minds of Sulhi Khan, Sulbi Khan, Chandu Shah and even the new Emperor Jehangir who all tried to remove Guru Arjan Dev Ji in their own ways.

Bitterness of Chandu Shah

Chandu was Minister to the Emperor and wielded power in Lahore. He was an ally of Prithi Chand especially after the offer of his daughters hand in marriage to Hargobind Ji was declined by Guru Arjan Dev Ji. He was the driving force behind the Emperors eventual order for Guru Ji’s execution and actually carried out the torture leading to the martyrdom.

Opposition of Fanatical Muslims

Saikh Ahmad of Sirhind was a leader of the revivalist movement of Islam in India, was a vehement opposer of the Gurus and growing Sikh community. He was instrumental in forming Jehangirs extremist Islamic Nation views and wanted Hindus and Sikhs to be converted en masse to Islam. He especially objected to Guru Jis’ successes with Akbar in socio political affairs to reduce the unjust taxes on non muslim peasants.

Guru Ji’s Help to Prince Khushro

Emperor Akbar had granted donations to the Sikh causes and even placed 51 gold coins before the Aadh Granth Sahib out of respect. Upon his death, his son Salim took the throne by force, adopted the name of Jehangir and pledged to make India a Muslim state. His half brother, Prince Khushro who was more popular with the people, fled for his life towards Afghanistan. On the way, the 13 year old prince stopped to pay respect to Guru Arjan Dev Ji who in turn blessed him.

Jehangir was already increasingly uneasy with Guru Ji’s growing influence amongst the people – even Muslims had started to become followers. He was a fanatical Sunni muslim as opposed to the tolerant ways of his father, Akbar. The never ending queues at Harmandir Sahib for people wishing to show respect to the new Aadh Granth Sahib Ji was just adding to the poison in his thoughts. As Jehangir wrote in his own diary, the feeble excuse that Guru Ji had shown hospitality to the fleeing Khushro, was enough to finally make him decide to end the Sikhs by executing their Guru.

Emperor Jahangir writes in his autobiography June 1606:

"In Goindwal, which is on the river Biyah (Beas), there was a Hindu named Arjan, in the garments of sainthood and sanctity so much so, that he had captured many of the simple- hearted of the Hindus and even the ignorant and foolish followers of Islam, by his ways and manners, and they had loudly sounded the drum of his holiness. They called him Guru and from all sides stupid people crowded to worship and manifest complete faith in him. For three or four generations (Guru Nanak to Guru Ram Das Ji) they kept this shop (Sikhism) warm. Many times it occurred to me to put a stop to this vain affair or to bring him into the assembly of the people of Islam.

At last, when Khusro passed along this road, this insignificant fellow proposed to wait upon him. Khusro happened to halt at the place where he was, and he came out and did homage to him. He behaved to Khusro in certain special ways, and made on his forehead a finger-mark of saffron which the Indians call Qashqa and is considered propitious. When this came to my ears and I fully knew his heresies, I ordered that he should be brought into my presence and having handed over his houses, dwelling places, and children to Murtaza Khan (Sheikh Farid Bukhari) and having confiscated his property I ordered that he should be put to death with tortures."

Guru Ji was arrested, taken to Lahore and handed over to Chandu for torture and execution. Four choices were placed before Guru Ji;

1. Change Gurbani in Aadh Granth Sahib Ji in favour of Islam and praise of prophet Muhammed.
2. Accept Islam and be converted, thereby all Sikh followers would also become Muslim.
3. Pay a heavy (200,000Rs) fine to buy way out of death and torture.
4. Painful death by torture.

Guru Ji refused to alter Gurbani or conversion to Islam. Even though Sikhs in Lahore got the money together, Guru Ji refused to pay the illegimate ‘fine’saying that the money from devotees should only be used for sewa charitable purposes, not to line the pockets of Chandu or Jehangir. Fines were only imposed on criminals who had broken laws so to pay the fine would be acceptance that Guru Ji was a criminal. The only option left to Guru Ji was accepting death, no matter what the tortures.

Thus, Chandu set about with unmatched cruelty making Guru Ji stand outside in the hot summer sun with feet in boiling sand for the first day. The body roasted and blistered by the hot sand being poured over the head.

Over five days, Chandu tried everything he could including making Guru Ji sit on a hot plate, sit in boiling water as well as flogging and beating. By chance two Catholic priests were in Lahore at the time and mentioned the severity of cruelty of the torture being meted out to Guru Ji in their letters back to the Vatican.

Sain Mian Mir came rushing to Lahore and offered to pay the fines and even ‘raze Lahore to the ground brick by

<FONT"]brick’ to stop Guru Ji’s torture. But even in this case, with an eye to the future and the possible consequences of such actions, Guru Ji urged peaceful acceptance of events saying, “ Tera keea meetha lagey....” With tears in his eyes, Mian Mir bowed before Guru Ji. [/font]</FONT>

After 5 days, Chandu decided to sew Guru Ji’s burnt blistered body into the dead carcass of a cow with the head showing and parade it through the town as ultimate humility. On that morning, 30^th May 1606, Guru Ji asked to be taken to the River Ravi for last ishnaan. Devotees, gently carried Guru Ji to the water. As Guru Ji did ishnaan, a transformation occurred. With every pauri of Japji Sahib being recited, Guru Ji glowed ever more radiant and grew in strength as the blisters disappeared. By the end of the Japji, a heavenly light descended and Guru Ji merged with it, leaving no physical trace behind. All were left in awe as they could still hear the final lines of the Japji Sahib Salok, yet Guru Ji was nowhere to be seen.

Like Guru Nanak Dev Ji and later Guru Gobind Singh Ji no physical body was left behind when Guru Ji decided to depart from this Earth.

The Gurdwara Dehra Sahib was built at this place. In Sukhmani Sahib Guru Arjan Dev Ji Wrote:

Prabh ki agia atam hitavai. Jivan mukat sou kahavai.

Taisa harakh taisa us sog. Sada anand tah nahi biog.

The one who obeys the will of God, with pleasure in their heart, is called Jivan Mukhat. Joy & grief are alike for them, they are happy because they are never seperated from God.

Dhan Sri Guru Arjan Dev Ji !

[Guest G.Kaur]

ਤਾਤੀ ਵਾਉ ਨ ਲਗਈ ਪਾਰਬ੍ਰਹਮ ਸਰਣਾਈ ॥ Dhan Dhan Guru Arjun Dev Jee Maharaj