Guru Arjun Dev Ji was the fifth Guru of the Sikhs. He preached harmony among all religions. He preached to uphold human ideals. Shri Guru Arjun Dev Ji was a great soul. Seeing the qualities like religious and human values, pure nature, kindness, dedication in him, his father Shri Guru Ramdas Ji decorated Shri Guru Arjun Dev Ji on the Guru Gaddi as the fifth Sikh Guru in 1581.
Biography:
Guru Arjun Dev ji was born on 15 April 1563 in Amritsar. His father’s name was Shri Guru Ramdas ji and mother’s name was Bobby Bhani ji.
‘Bohitha of Dohitha Bani’
Guru Arjan Dev Ji was nurtured and raised in his maternal home, Goindewal. You became an adult. One day when you were playing as a child with your maternal grandfather Shri Guru Amardas Ji, you stood up holding the bed of your grandfather. When Bibi Bhaani Ji started pushing him back, then Guru Amardas Ji said to his daughter, Bibi, he wants to take the throne right now. But he will get the throne when the time comes, from his father Guru Ramdas Ji. Thereafter Guru Amardas Ji held Guru Arjan Dev with both his hands and lifted him up with love and seeing his heavy body promised that this heavy Guru will appear in the world. He will prepare a ship of Bani. By boarding which many lovers will be saved.
In this way your blessing word is famous as ‘Dohita Bani ka Bohitha.’
Hearing these words from father Guru Amardas Ji, Bibi Bhaani Ji picked up the child Arjun Ji and bowed her head at the feet of her father, then happily sat with the child in her lap.
Marriage:
When Guru Arjun Dev Ji turned 16, he got married to Ganga Ji, daughter of Shri Krishna Chand Ji, in 1579 AD (23 Ashadh Samvat). The place where their marriage took place still has a beautiful Gurudwara. Due to water shortage in this village, a well dug by Guru Arjun Dev Ji is still available.
Attainment of Guru Gaddi: Guru Ramdas ji had sent his son Guru Arjun Dev ji to Lahore. From there Guru Arjun Dev ji had written 3 letters to his father, in which he had expressed his desire to meet his father. Guru Ramdas ji was very happy to receive these letters. He wrote every letter to Guru Ramdas ji. In this way Guru Arjan Dev Ji was considered worthy of the throne.
He also consulted his brother Gurdas and Budha ji for this. Guru Ramdas ji took 5 paise and a coconut to Guru Arjun Dev ji in front of the Sikh congregation and after doing three parikramas bowed down to the throne of Guru Nanak ji. In this way Guru Arjun Dev ji got the Guru Gaddi. He had vowed to do good to the entire Sikh community as well as humanity.
Baba Prithi Chand’s protest on the 13th day of Guru Ramdas ji’s death
When all the relatives gathered and started tying the turban on Arjun Dev Ji, Prithi Chand Ji said that it is my right to tie the turban, I am a big boy. At that time Baba Budha Ji and the relatives wanted to tie the turban on Shri Arjun Dev Ji as per the orders of Guru Ramdas Ji.
But Guru Arjun Dev Ji, in order to avoid getting into a fight, grabbed his turban and gave it to Prithi Chand Ji and said, “You are my elder brother, you tie the turban. I am a servant.” But all the devotees bowed their heads to Guru Arjun Dev Ji considering him their Guru. Prithi Chand Ji considered this as an insult and got up in anger and went to Amritsar.
Prithi Chand meets Sulhi Khan. In those days, Emperor Jahangir’s Umrao Sulhi Khan was going from Delhi to Lahore. Prithi Chand met him. He said, “I am sitting on Guru Nanak Dev Ji’s throne. You are the king of the country, we should maintain harmony among ourselves.” From here, the blueprint for the end of Guru Arjun Dev Ji started getting prepared.
If destiny cannot be eradicated then what is the benefit of Guru Darshan: One
Once a king came to Amritsar to see Guruji. There a disciple was reciting ‘The writing cannot be erased, Sakhi, what the Creator has written’ If the writing cannot be erased, then what is the use of visiting Guruji. When the meeting was over, the king asked Guruji what this meant. Guruji said, you will come to know this yourself in two-three days.
The king returned to his tent. When he slept at night, he saw that he had died and was born in a Chandal’s house. There he got married, had children and died. Suddenly he woke up. He was very surprised and worried.
The next day he went hunting and went very far. When he sat down to rest under a tree, some people surrounded him and said that this is our father. He died two days ago. We buried him in the grave and after coming out from there he is sitting here wearing beautiful clothes. Now he does not go home.
Seeing himself in trouble, the king prayed to Guru Arjun Dev Ji, “Maharaj! Save me from this trouble.” Guru Ji came there with his servants.
Guruji said, this is not your father. You should dig the grave and see. When the grave was dug, the body of the dead father was found lying in it as it was, then everyone was convinced. This is not our father, his face resembles our father. We made a mistake by seeing him.
In this way, when the king got salvation, the Guru ji said, King. The benefit of coming to the Guru’s refuge is that after death, you had to suffer the life of a Chandal, but you have suffered it in your dreams. The writing of Kartaar was not erased and because of coming to the Satsang, you suffered it in your dreams. In this way, both the things were correct. This saying If the writing cannot be erased, then what is the use of visiting Guruji. When the meeting was over, the king asked Guruji what this meant. Guruji said, you will come to know this yourself in two-three days.
The king returned to his tent. When he slept at night, he saw that he had died and was born in a Chandal’s house. There he got married, had children and died. Suddenly he woke up. He was very surprised and worried.
The next day he went hunting and went very far. When he sat down to rest under a tree, some people surrounded him and said that this is our father. He died two days ago. We buried him in the grave and after coming out from there he is sitting here wearing beautiful clothes. Now he does not go home.
Seeing himself in trouble, the king prayed to Guru Arjun Dev Ji, “Maharaj! Save me from this trouble.” Guru Ji came there with his servants.
Guruji said, this is not your father. You should dig the grave and see. When the grave was dug, the body of the dead father was found lying in it as it was, then everyone was convinced. This is not our father, his face resembles our father. We made a mistake by seeing him.
In this way, when the king got salvation, the Guru ji said, King. The benefit of coming to the Guru’s refuge is that after death, you had to suffer the life of a Chandal, but you have suffered it in your dreams. The writing of Kartaar was not erased and because of coming to the Satsang, you suffered it in your dreams. In this way, both the things were correct. This saying Hearing this, the king bowed his head at the Guru’s feet and started serving him as a true servant of the Guru’s house.
Faith is the root of devotion Bhai Bahilo was a resident of Barnala. Once he got ready to have darshan of Guru Ji and started thinking in his mind, I believe in Pir, if Pir’s power stops me from going to Guru Ji then I will understand that Pir is powerful. But if I reach Guru Ji without any hindrance then I will be Guru Ji’s forever. Thinking this, Bahilo left his house and came to Amritsar to meet Guru Ji without any hindrance.
At that time Guru Arjun Dev Ji was getting the stairs of the lake constructed. Bahilo bowed his head at the feet of Guru Arjun Dev Ji and prayed that he should be employed in his service. I have come to your refuge. Guru Arjun Dev Ji said, all works are accomplished only with faith. Faith is the root of devotion. That is why faith should be kept first.
On hearing this, Bahilo started working at Guruji’s brick kiln. When he came to know that rotten manure like Bisht etc. is beneficial for baking bricks, he collected Bisht etc. from all over the city and piled it up near the kiln. When a lot of bricks were baked with this, Guruji was pleased with Bhai Bahilo’s selfless service and said, ‘Bhai Bahilo is first of all.’ With these happy words of Guruji, Bhai Bahilo’s mind became as pure and sacred as pure gold and with the colour of the name Gaya, he attained Brahma Gyan.
The love of Sanman and Musan Sanman and Musan father and son used to work as labourers in Lahore city. One day they also saw the company of He requested Guruji to have food with his followers. But when he realized that he did not have money to feed his followers, he tore open the roof of a money lender’s house at night and made a hole in it. His son Musan climbed down into this hole and handed over ghee, sugar, etc. to his father.
When Musan started coming up after holding all the things, suddenly the family members woke up. They held Musan’s legs from below. Then Musan said, father, you cut off my head and take it away. If you do not do this, then people will recognize me and say that the Guru’s disciples are thieves. It will not be good to tarnish the name of the Guru.
Accepting this advice, Samman beheaded his son Musan and brought his head home. When the moneylender saw the headless body, he thought that this murder would be blamed on him. He ran to Samman and said, I will give you a lot of money. Get a dead body from my house and throw it in a place where no one can see it. Samman quickly brought the body of his son Musan from the moneylender’s house and placed it near his head in the back room of his house and put a cloth over it.
Thereafter, he went back at the same time and took money from the moneylender as per his requirement and with that money he called a cook and got langar prepared for Guru Ji and the congregation. Guru Ji arrived with the congregation. Food was served to everyone, then Guru Ji asked Samman where is Musan, why did he not join in serving the congregation? When Samman did not give any answer, seeing him silent, Guru Arjun Dev Ji called Musan to come and serve the congregation. On hearing Guru Ji’s voice, Musan appeared and bowed his head at Guru Ji’s feet and put his hands on his forehead. He folded and stood up.
Seeing the father-son duo’s actions with utmost devotion, Guruji addressed Samman and said- O Samman, if the love you have shown could be repaid with money, then Lankan King Ravan was not a pauper. He had offered his love to his beloved Shiva by cutting his head 10 times. Love demands body and mind, it does not demand money. After giving this promise, Guru Arjun Dev Ji praised both the father and son and made them happy.
One day Guru Arjan Dev Ji asked Baba Mohan Ji to take books from him
He thought about keeping the words of all the Guru Sahibs separate from the words of selfish people. He thought that the two books containing the words of the four Guru Sahibs, which are with Mohan Ji in Goindwal, should be brought first. Then, wherever the compositions of the Guru Sahibs are found, they should be collected and a book should be prepared. Reading and listening to which will bring welfare to all living beings.
Guru ji first sent Bhai Gurdas and then Baba Budha ji to Goindwal, but Baba Mohan ji did not give the books to anyone. After this Guru Arjun Dev ji himself went to get the books and started chanting the Shabad sitting in the street with great love. Hearing his sweet voice, devotion and love filled voice, Baba Mohan ji gave the books to him.
Taking the books, Guru ji placed them in a palanquin. The disciples lifted the palanquin on their shoulders. Guru Arjun Dev ji himself started walking barefoot behind the palanquin. In this way, Guru Arjun Dev ji reached Amritsar via Khadur Sahib. Sitting with Bhai Gurdas ji, Guru Arjun Dev ji first read the words of these books, then read the verses of the disciples. Whatever written or oral speech he had, he considered and rectified it.
In this way, Guruji arranged all the collected vani and got them written in the form of ragas, mahals etc. He stamped the name ‘Nanak’ at the end of each word-vani.
To identify the Vani of different Gurus, he indicated Mahala 1 (first) with the Vani of Guru Nanak Dev Ji, Mahala 2 (second) with the Vani of Guru Angad Dev Ji, Mahala 3 (third) with the Vani of Guru Amar Das Ji, Mahala 4 (fourth) with the Vani of Guru Ram Das Ji and Mahala 5 (fifth) with his own Vani.
Renunciation of lying and preaching:
One day Bhai Puria went to Guruji’s. He came to have darshan. He bowed his head to Guruji and prayed that Maharaj! I am the head of my village, I have to lie a lot, how do I stop this? Guru Arjun Dev ji said- You should get a Dharamshala constructed in your town. Have congregation twice a day and narrate all the lies that you have told everyday to the congregation in the evening. When Bhai Puriya did this for a few days as per the teachings of Guruji, he started feeling very ashamed. By doing this, eventually his habit of lying completely vanished and he got used to speaking the truth.
The proposal of returning Chandu Lal’s daughter was accepted by Emperor Jahangir.
Diwan Chandulal asked the priests to find a boy for his daughter. The priests, seeing the great influence of the Guru’s house and finding Sahibzada Sri Hargobind Sahib a suitable and handsome groom, asked Guruji to give Chandu’s daughter in marriage to Sahibzada. When Chandulal was told this in Delhi, he said very arrogantly, “Purohitji, you have laid the bricks in the drain of the courtyard…. Now go and take the shagun and give it to me.”
When the disciples in Delhi heard that Chandu had called himself a high chaubara and Guruji like a drain, they sent a disciple to Guruji before the arrival of the priest and requested him not to accept the proposal of this arrogant man’s daughter. He has called the Guru’s house a drain and himself a drain. Thereafter, when Chandulal’s priest brought the shagun, Guruji refused to accept the proposal and said that we will not touch the head of that arrogant man. He has insulted the Guru’s house by calling it a drain. The priest took back the shagun and went to Chandu and told him everything. From then on, Chandu started looking for a way to take revenge from Guruji.
Khusro meeting Guru ji with his son Amir Khusro
Angered by this, Jahangir issued orders across the country that no one should have any relations with Khusro, nor should anyone give him any kind of help.
Khusro rushed from Delhi to Tarn Taran. He came to know that the Guru of Guru Nanak Ji’s throne was staying there, so Khusro set out to meet Guru Ji. He met Guru Arjun Dev Ji and told him everything and asked for his blessings for his rescue.
When Jahangir came to know that Guru Arjun Dev Ji had blessed his rebellious son Khusro, he called Guru Arjun Dev Ji to Lahore to get an answer for this disobedience.
Jahangir’s order:
Guru Arjun Dev Ji went to Jahangir’s court, So he said, you have kept my rebellious son with you and given him food and blessings. For this reason you are fined two lakh rupees. If you do not pay the fine, you will have to suffer a royal punishment.
In Chandu’s captivity:
On seeing Guruji silent, Chandu takes his revenge He got the opportunity to take the bribe. He said, Your Majesty! I am taking him to my house and will explain on your behalf that he should pay the fine and never keep any thief or dacoit with him in future. Saying this, Chandu took Guru Ji with him and imprisoned him in his palace. Getting the time, Chandu told Guru Arjun Dev Ji that if you still accept my daughter’s hand in marriage for your son Hargobind and write the praise of Mohammad Saheb in your book, then I will get the fine waived from the king and there will be no further inquiry.
Guru Arjun Dev Ji said, “Dewan sahab! We are bound by the decision taken by our disciples regarding the relationship. Our disciples do not accept your relationship. Secondly, you have asked us to write the praise of Mohammad sahab, this too is not in our control, we cannot write anything else for someone’s happiness. We can write only that which we get from Kartaar for preaching to all living beings.” Hearing this answer, Chandu got up in anger and while leaving, ordered his soldiers not to let him meet anyone nor give him anything to eat or drink.
Reason for the martyrdom of Guru Arjun Dev Ji: Three people were mainly responsible for the martyrdom of Guru Arjun Dev Ji – Guruji’s elder brother Prithi Chand, Chandu and Akbar’s son Jahangir.
When Guru Arjun Dev Ji asked Chandu to trouble him When Chandu refused to accept both the demands, he was made to sit in a hot cauldron of boiling water. When other disciples came to know about this, a fight broke out between the Mughals and the disciples. The disciples who came forward to save him were killed by Jahangir’s soldiers. Guru Arjun Dev Ji asked his companions to remain calm and considered it to be God’s order. Chandu was repeatedly asking them to accept his demands, which Guruji refused. Chandu also had hot sand poured on Guru Arjun Dev Ji.
Guruji kept speaking the words (Tera Bhaana Meetha Lage, Hari Naam Padarth Nanak Mange) calmly. All his supporters were crying for help, but despite their efforts, they could not save Guru Arjun Dev Ji. Blisters appeared all over Guruji’s body. On the third day, Chandu again asked Guruji to accept his conditions, which he again refused. This time he made Guruji sit on a hot iron pan. People were crying out in pain. When Guruji remained steadfast even after bearing such severe pain, Chandu advised his men to sew him in the raw leather of a dead cow in the morning to destroy his religion. As the leather dries, his body will suffer more and his Hindu religion will also be destroyed.
When Chandu’s daughter-in-law heard this advice, she became very sad. Seeing that it was midnight, she came to Guruji in the prison and prayed at his feet, “Maharaj! My father-in-law has ordered you to be stitched in raw cow leather in the morning. I am very sad to hear about your physical pain. I have no control over it. You are the knower of every heart. Destroy your religion in whatever way you can.”Save it from happening. Guru Arjun Dev ji said, son, don’t worry, go to your home and rest, we are not in any trouble.
Guru Arjan Dev Ji gives up his body:
When the day dawned, Chandu then came to Guruji and asked him to agree to his demand. But when Guruji did not agree to his demand, he said, today you will be sewn in the skin of a dead cow. Hearing his words, Guruji said, first we want to take a bath in the river Ravi, then you can do whatever you want. Hearing this from Guruji, Chandu was very happy that when his body rotten with blisters will touch the cold water of Ravi, he will feel even more sad. It is better that he is allowed to take a bath. After thinking this, Chandu told his soldiers to go and make him take a bath in Ravi today.
Guru Arjun Dev Ji sat on the banks of the Ravi river and started reciting (Japuji Sahib). He told Shri Hari Govind and other companions that no one should mourn after my death. Obey the orders of the Lord. Flow my body into the water and do not cremate it.
Death of Guru Arjan Dev Ji :
After this he entered the river Ravi Guru Arjun Dev Ji left his body on 30 May 1616 (Jyeshtha Sudi Chauth Samvat 1553 Vikrami). The whole city mourned the passing away of Guru Arjun Dev Ji. Gurdwara Dhera Sahib is situated near Lahore Shahi Qila at the place where Guruji left his body.
Courtesy:-
1. Indian Saint Tradition Baldev Vanshi, 2. History of Hindi Literature Dr. Nagendra 3. Essence of Saint Sudha Viyogi Hari 4. Samadhi Geeta – Samarthguru Siddharth Auliya. 5 Guru Arjundev Wikipedia.
