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42-514: Guru Amar Das Ji says on Ang 788 of the Sri Guru Granth Sahib of the meaning of marriage to a Sikh couple: "They are not said to be husband and wife who merely sit together. Rather they alone are called husband and wife, who have one soul in two bodies." The four laava give the Sikh couple spiritual guidance for their life ahead. The Guru tells of the four spiritual stages of married life and how

84-479: 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. Amro was the daughter of Guru Angad , the second and then current Guru of the Sikhs. Amar Das persuaded Amro to introduce him to her father and in 1539, Amar Das, at the age of sixty, met the current Guru (Guru Angad) and became

126-517: A Sikh baby, as well as during a Sikh funeral. It is 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. Guru Amar Das's entire Anand Sahib composition is a linguistic mix of Panjabi and Hindi languages, reflecting Guru Amar Das' upbringing and background. The hymn celebrates the freedom from suffering and anxiety,

168-529: A Sikh, devoting himself to the Guru. In 1552, before his death, guru Angad appointed Amar Das as the third Guru of Sikhism . Guru Amar Das was an important innovator in the teachings of Guru who introduced a religious organization called the Manji system by appointing trained clergy, a system that expanded and survives into the contemporary era. He wrote and compiled hymns into a Pothi (book) that ultimately helped create

210-499: A daughter, named Dani, was born in 1530. The couple would have three further children: a second daughter Bhani (born in 1535), a son Mohan (born in 1536), and a second son Mohri (born in 1539). She may have influenced her husband's egalitarian views in regards to gender, especially whilst the couple was at Goindwal. A number of reforms aimed at uplifting women and girls are linked to her presence. She convinced her husband to appoint female religious missionaries to spread Sikhism and

252-610: A later year of 1509 as the birth year for the guru are: Joseph Davey Cunningham's History of the Sikhs and Kesar Singh Chibber's Bansavalinama . Kavi Santokh Singh in the Suraj Prakash gives an even earlier year of birth of 1469, coinciding with Guru Nanak's . Guru Amardas is a 1979 documentary film , directed by Prem Prakash and produced by the Government of India 's Films Division , covering his life and teachings. Mansa Devi (Sikhism) Mansa Devi (died 1569)

294-530: A possible successor for the guruship at some point. Shortly before his death , it is recorded in Ramkali Sadu (composed by his great-grandson, Baba Sundar ), that he called upon all of his familial relatives to acknowledge the new Guru, Ram Das, and personally placed the sandal paste on Bhai Jetha's forehead to anoint him as his successor. He died in 1574, in Goindwal Sahib, and like other Sikh Gurus he

336-458: A water-carrier in our house, and today thou sittest as a Guru. "Saying this he kicked the Guru off his seat. Amar Das humbly said: "O great king, pardon me. Thou must have hurt thy foot." Amar Das retired 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, and Datu, finding no following, went back to Khadur . Guru Amar Das taught with his own life

378-412: Is a traditional custom of women obscuring their face and bodies when in the company of men and secluding themselves from the company of men. Guru Amar Das was vehemently against this custom and is said to have once reprimanded the visiting raja (king) of Haripur and his wives when the latter observed the custom around him. One of the queens of the raja refused to part ways with veiling herself, in which

420-480: Is famous in the Sikh tradition for his relentless service to Guru Angad, with legends about waking up in the early hours and fetching water for his Guru's bath, cleaning and cooking for the volunteers with the Guru, as well devoting much time to meditation and prayers in the morning and evening. Due to his selfless devotion to the second guru, Angad nominated Amar Das as his spiritual successor on 29 March 1552. After eleven years most devoted service of Guru Angad and

462-574: Is the reading and then the singing of each laav in turn. When the Laav is sung, the couple, joined by a piece of cloth, circle the Guru Granth Sahib . This has relevance to the occasion and should not be considered a ritual without meaning. When the couple circle the Guru Granth Sahib each time they are making a commitment to God with the Guru as their spiritual witness and support. And as one circles

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504-463: The Adi Granth . Amar Das remained the leader of the Sikhs till age 95, and named his son-in-law Bhai Jetha, later remembered by the name Guru Ram Das , as his successor. Amar Das was born to mother Bakht Kaur (also known as Sullakhani, Lakhmi Devi, or Rup Kaur ) and father Tej Bhan Bhalla on 5 May 1479 in Basarke village in what is now called Amritsar district of Punjab (India). His grandfather

546-410: The dasvandh ("the tenth" of income) system of revenue collection in the name of Guru and as pooled community religious resource, and the famed langar tradition of Sikhism where anyone, without discrimination of any kind, could get a free meal in a communal seating. He also started and inaugurated the 84-level step well called baoli at Goindval with a resting place, modeled along the lines of

588-541: The Ganges River, he heard Bibi Amro, the daughter of the Sikh Guru Angad, singing a hymn by Guru Nanak . Amro had been acquainted with Amar Das through her in-laws, whom Amar Das was related to (Amro was married to the son of Amar Das' brother). He learned from her about Guru Angad, and with her help met the second Guru of Sikhism and adopted him as his spiritual Guru who was much younger than his own age. Amar Das

630-470: The Guru responded: "if thou art not pleased with the Guru's face why halt thou come hither." The Mughal Emperor Akbar met Guru Amar Das. According to the Sikh legend, he neither received Akbar nor was Akbar directly ushered to him, rather the Guru suggested that Akbar like everyone sit on the floor and eat in the langar with everyone before their first meeting. Akbar, who sought to encourage tolerance and acceptance across religious lines, readily accepted

672-532: The Guru says that the partners mind become peaceful and they will have found the Lord: Guru Amar Das Ji Guru Amar Das ( Gurmukhi : ਗੁਰੂ ਅਮਰ ਦਾਸ, pronunciation: [gʊɾuː əməɾᵊ d̯aːsᵊ] ; 5 May 1479 – 1 September 1574), sometimes spelled as Guru Amardas , was the third of the Ten Gurus of Sikhism and became Sikh Guru on 26 March 1552 at age 73. Before becoming

714-570: The Indian tradition of dharmsala , which then became a Sikh pilgrimage ( tirath ) center. 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 spread Sikhism amongst womankind (especially women belonging to Muslim backgrounds). According to W. Owen Cole, establishment of

756-580: The Sri Guru Granth Sahib you are reminded that the Guru should be the center of your life, from which springs your spiritual leadership and understanding that you require for your soul's long journey across this ' world ocean  [ ru ] '. The Sri Guru Granth Sahib is the spiritual center and the Sadh Sangat is your worldly (temporal) witness and support. The four nuptial rounds were written by Guru Ram Das for his own wedding. They explain

798-522: The company of pious men, worship the Lord, make an honest living, serve holy men, not covet another's wealth and never slander others. He recommended holy devotion with Guru's image in his follower's hearts. Guru Amar Das was also a reformer, and discouraged veiling of women's faces (a Muslim custom) as well as sati (a Hindu custom). He encouraged the Kshatriya people to fight in order to protect people and for

840-531: The couple as a team have to first begin by following the path of righteousness and sinless-ness. Secondly to only have fear of the Lord and remove the ego from within the souls; then to remember and sing the Lord's name with the holy congregation. Finally, the couple will find divine peace; come to accept the Will of the Lord and find unending happiness in the Lord. The main part of the Anand Karaj (Sikh Marriage Ceremony)

882-534: The dates of Vaisakhi and Diwali as biannual affairs where Sikhs could gather together and meet directly with their guru. Amar Das is also remembered as the innovator who began the collection of hymns now known as Goindwal Pothi or Mohan Pothi , the precursor to what became the Adi Granth – the first edition of Sikh scripture – under the fifth Sikh Master, which finally emerged as the Guru Granth Sahib under

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924-658: The devotion to the Name. The hymn celebrates the life of a householder and constant inner devotion to the One, ending each stanza with the characteristic "says Nanak". Guru Amar Das is also credited in the Sikh tradition to have encouraged building of temples and places where Sikhs could gather together on festivals such as Maghi , Diwali and Vaisakhi . He required his disciples to gather together for prayers and communal celebrations in autumn for Diwali and in spring for Vaisakhi, both post harvest ancient festivals of India. Guru Amar Das

966-400: The difficult to capture Chittorgarh , which the 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. Amar Das composed the rapturous hymn called Anand and made it a part of the ritual of Sikh marriage called " Anand Karaj ", which literally means "blissful event". Amar Das believed that a successful marriage

1008-547: The education of his son-in-law Jetha (future Guru Ram Das) in North Indian classical music , and Bhai Gurdas, in various languages and religious literature. Guru Amar Das was a strong opponent of sati , the practice of widowed wives being immolated on the funeral pyre of their deceased husband during the latter's cremation. He states the following regarding the practice: "Women are not Satis, who burn themselves with their husband's corpse. Rather they are Satis who die by

1050-511: The journey of the souls toward the Almighty. In them he tells us of the duties that a person undertaking a life of marriage should perform. In the first round, the Guru asks the partners to: In the second round, the Guru asks the partners to advance further towards meeting the True Guru - God: In the third round, the Guru says that the partners mind is filled with "Divine Love": In the final round,

1092-517: The manji and piri systems may have been motivated by the large amounts of new converts coming into the Sikh faith, especially in the Punjab. However, many of these converts brought in beliefs and practices of their original faith, so the preachers were appointed to instruct them on proper Sikh orthodoxy and orthopraxy, essentially motivating them to choose the Sikh faith and all that comes with it, even if it involves discarding their old ways of spirituality in

1134-454: The meaning of Guru Service, also known in Punjabi religious parlance as Guru Sewa . (also spelt Sevā ) . Amar Das emphasized both spiritual pursuits as well as an ethical daily life. He encouraged his followers to wake up before dawn, do their ablutions and then meditate in silent seclusion. A good devotee, taught Amar Das, should be truthful, keep his mind in control, eat only when hungry, seek

1176-425: The mere shock of separation from their husband And, they, too, ought to be considered as Satis, who abide in modesty and contentment, Who wait upon their Lord and rising in the morn ever remember him." He further states: "Women are burnt in the fire with their husbands They undergo sufficient pain by their death. And if they appreciated not their husbands Nanak, why should they be burnt at all?" Purdah

1218-487: The process. He appointed women to become the congregation leaders of the jurisdictions of Afghanistan and Kashmir . The women appointed for leading the Piri system of disseminating Sikhism to women were Bhani (his younger daughter), Bibi Dani (his elder daughter), and Bibi Pal, all of whom were intellectual types. The Piri system also educated womenfolk in social plus religious norms and customs. Amar Das personally patronized

1260-460: The sake of justice, stating this is Dharma . He promoted inter-caste marriages , going against the traditional Punjabi social orthodoxy at the time by doing-so. He also promoted the remarriage of widows. He promulgated monogamy as the ideal romantic relationship type. Guru Amar Das started the tradition of appointing manji (zones of religious administration with an appointed chief called sangatias, whom were both men and women), introduced

1302-442: The sangats, Amar Das was nominated the third guru. Amar Das moved to Goindwal situated not far away from Khadur on the bank of river Beas on the high road to Lahore, about 8 kilometres from Kapurthala and 45 kms. from Amritsar. He did so to avoid the pending conflict with Angad's sons who had not approved of their supersession. Even at Goindwal he was harassed by Angad's son Datu. He went to Goindwal and said: "Only yesterday thou wert

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1344-463: The suggestion. After the conclusion of the Langar, Akbar sat in the congregation with the rest of the sangat and asked the Guru a question. The Sikh hagiographies called janam-sakhis mention that Guru Amar Das persuaded Akbar to repeal the tax on Hindu pilgrims going to Haridwar. Prominent Sikh figure Bhai Mani Singh (1718), mentions prior to the meeting Akbar pleaded the Guru for a blessing in annexing

1386-514: The temple of Hari (God), also known as the Golden Temple . It is the most sacred pilgrimage site in Sikhism. Scholars such as Pashaura Singh , Louis E. Fenech and William McLeod state that Guru Amar Das was influential in introducing "distinctive features, pilgrimages, festivals, temples and rituals" that ever since his time have been an integral part of Sikhism. He was responsible for solidifying

1428-447: The tenth Sikh Master. The nearly 900 hymns composed by Guru Amar Das constitute the third largest part, or about 15%, of the Guru Granth Sahib . Amar Das had four people in mind that would succeed him as the next Guru: He devised four tests for them all to undertake to decide who will inherit the guruship. It is said that only Jetha passed them all. It has been postulated that he may have considered his own daughter, Bhani, as

1470-538: The three main regions of Punjab. The Baoli Sahib was the first truly Sikh pilgrimage site and it helped attract new prospective members to the faith. Guru Amar Das selected the site in Amritsar village for a special temple, that Guru Ram Das began building, Guru Arjan completed and inaugurated, and the Sikh Maharaja Ranjit Singh gilded. This temple has evolved into the contemporary "Harimandir Sahib", or

1512-551: The union of the soul with the divine, describing a devotee's bliss achieved through the Guru with inner devotion and by repeating the Name of the Creator. The hymn states in stanza 19 that the Vedas teach "the Name is supreme", in stanza 27 that Smriti and Shastra discuss the good and the bad but are unreal because they lack a Guru and that it is the grace of the Guru which awakens the heart and

1554-531: Was Hari Das. His family belonged to the Bhalla gotra (clan) of the Khatri tribe. Amar Das was the eldest child out of four sons. Amar Das worked as both an agriculturalist and a trader. 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). Bhani

1596-587: Was cremated, with the "flowers" (remaining bones and 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. Some sources that affirm the 1479 year of birth for the guru are: Ganda Singh's Makhaz-i-Twarikh-i-Sikhan , Karam Singh's Gurpurab Nirnay , Kahn Singh Nabha's Mahan Kosh , Max Arthur MaCauliffe 's The Sikh Religion , and Giani Gian Singh's Panth Prakash and Twarikh Guru Khalsa . Sources that give

1638-579: Was his favourite child of the four. Amar Das had followed the Vaishnavism tradition of Hinduism for much of his life. He was reputed to have gone on some twenty annual pilgrimages into the Himalayas , to Haridwar on river Ganges . About 1539, on 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. On his return from his twentieth pilgrimage to

1680-407: Was one in which the souls of the husband and wife became one metaphorically: "They are not husband and wife who sit together. Rather are they wife and husband who have one sprit in two bodies" The Anand hymn is sung, in contemporary times, not only during Sikh weddings but also at major celebrations. Parts of the "Anand hymn" are recited in Sikh temples ( Gurdwara ) every evening, at the naming of

1722-480: Was responsible for establishing a new centre of Sikh authority at Goindwal and erecting a stepwell known as Baoli Sahib at the location. The foresight of the Guru building a headquarters at the central location of Goindwal in the Punjab on the bank of the Beas River, being intersected by the three major cultural regions of the area ( Majha , Malwa , and Doaba ), may have facilitated the fast-spread of Sikhism throughout

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1764-500: Was the wife of the third Sikh guru , Guru Amar Das . Amongst Sikh sources, there are three different names ascribed to her. Mansa Devi was born in Sankhatra (located in present-day Sialkot district ) as the daughter of a local Bahil Khatri man named Dev Chand. She was wedded to Amar Das on 8 January 1503, whilst other sources give the year of marriage as 1502. For a while, the couple did not birth any children but eventually

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