By: Bhakta Siromani A Raiendrahababu
The fifth (6 ascend Guru Nanak’s Gadi Guru Arjun Dev was born in the year 1563, He held the pontificate “for more than a quarter Century, 26 years to be precise. Guru Arjun was the youngest son of Gur Ram Dasji, the fourth Guru. His eldest son, Prithi Chand was disloyal and arrogant, The father excommunicated him and directed the Sikhs not to associate with him. The second son, Madhav was always immersed in dhyan, and meditation becoming a recluse. or the three, the third and youngest, Arjun Dev was both pious and practical, and qualified in all respects, and was, therefore, installed in the office of the Guru at Amritsar in 1581 A.D. Guru Amar Das had prophesied: This grandson of mine, Arjun, shall be the boat to take mankind across the: turbulent ocean of this world’.
Construction of Golden Temple
Guru Ram Das had the pool of Amritsar dug up and laid the foundation of the holy city. What his father, Guru Ram Das left in complete, the young Guru Arjun brought to completion, both the construction of the pool and the city. In addition, he constructed the Harmandir, or Temple or God better known as the Darbar Sahib. The expression, Golden Temple, or its Hindi equivalent, Swarna Mandir, is a misnomer, remain is cent or later times. His followers implored the Guru that the holy temple should be raised higher than all the neighborhood buildings. Guru Arjun replied in the negative, what is humble shall be exalted. He also gave a moral interpretation :’The more a tree is laden with fruit, the more its branches bend, in an effort to come down to cart, You must descend 10 steps by whatever path or way you approach the temple. Therefore, do not insist on sky scrapping in the construction. Let the Harmandir stand as it is, as God willed it.”
The first brick in the foundation ceremony was laid by Guru Arjun in 1689. The mason, or bricklayer is said to have accidentally dis placed the brick from one place to another, Guru Arjun prophesied that the foundation is truly laid and the Harmandir shall endure whatever the ravages of time. What he prophesied came true, in 1763 A.D. the Afghan invader Ahmed Shah Abdali destroyed the temple and defiled the tank. Two years later, the Sikhs recovered the ruins, relied the foundations and rebuilt the temple with greater pomp and splendor.
Guru Arjun played a prominent and important role in spreading the gospel of Guru Nanak, strengthening and spreading the faith, Guru Arjun discarded the robes of a mendicant. He wore kingly garments. He maintained a numerous retinue of fine horses and elephants and organized martial sport. He disciplined the Sikhs into 3 community. He had both the judicial and civil administration in local government. People were asked to pay a tax of one tenth of their income as professional tax. Collectors, or masons, were appointed to collect the revenue, He deputed his disciples for the purpose of trade and to spread the gospel of Sikh faith in foreign countries as far off as Afghanistan, Turkestan, etc. He extended Sikhism to Kabul, Kandhar and Sind.
In the architectural design or the Harimandir, Guru Arjun made an important departure or deviation from the traditional temple design. According to Silpa Sastra, the Hindu temples are normally closed on three sides and open only to the cast, or the rising sun. The great Sikh temple was so built as to open on all sides of the Compass. This meant that the Sikh worship is universal, open to all, and was not concerned with Sun worship, or Surya Upasana.
Compilation of the Adi Granth
Guru Arjun undertook the first and foremost compilation of the holy hymns of the preceding Gurus and the medieval Saints in the Adi Granth or the Granth Sahib. He collected all the hymns or his predecessors and compiled them in one volume. The sacred book became an anthology and a guide and solace to Sikhs for all times to come. He incorporated his own compositions in the Adi Granth, also including select writings or other religious reformers and Bhaktas of Indian subcontinent. The first reputed Sikh poet Bhai Gurdas became the blessed scribe for the Granth Sahib, at the dictation of the Gurus. The Adi Granth was, then given a prominent and focal place in the middle or the holy shrine of Amritsar and its hymns were sung and recited each day to the congregation,
It so happened that Prithi Chand, the eldest brother of Guru Arjun continued to resent the Guru succession to the Gadi and his own Super session. He was always looking for an excuse to avenge himself. He tried in almost all possible ways, by hook or crook, to remove or overthrow the Guru, He resorted to various stratagems to achieve his evil purpose, burall his attempts failed. Nevertheless, the Guru was invariably generous and even exempted Prithi Chand from certain taxes. He also gave liberally to Mahadev, the second brother, privileges of tax free quarters in the city of Amritsar. Guru Arjun himself did not have any land, solely depending on the Almighty and the voluntary of firings made by the faithful followers.
Meanwhile, Prithia’s jealousy grew apace and he hoped that as Guru Arjun had yet no son of his own, his son Meherban would secure the succession to Gurudom. But soon enough, Mata Ganga, the Guru’s consort gave birth to a divine child. He was named Har Gobind. The glad tidings of birth of as onto Guru Arjun filled Prithia with anger, He made many at tempts to poison the child Har Gobind, Once he deputed a nursing maid, with poison smeared on her breast, to suckle the child Har Gobind. But before she could give the child her breast to suckle, she fell back in a faint. She recovered a little later and confessed her guilt Stating that, on instigation of Prithia, she had tried to poison the baby. The second time he tempted snake charmer with a large re ward lo Kill Har Gobind by snake bite, This attempt also failed. It was at Prithia’s instigation that Sutahi Khan,a Mussal man officer of the province of Lahore, rode Out to plunder Amritsar on the pretext of levying tribute from the city, He diced in an “accidental” fire. But Prithia won’t quit, He went to Akbar with false charges against Guru Arjun. The great Emperor did not listen to Prithia’s complaints. He dismissed the petition as malicious, Akbar himself respected the Guru and presented him with robes of honor, He gave a gold Mohur to honor the holy Adi Granth. He was so highly pleased with the wisdom and simplicity of the Guru, that he offered to help in construction of the Harmandir, He called himself the Guru slave and asked for instructions from him so that he may tread the new path. The Mughal king was so impressed and pleased with the Guru’s hospitality, erudition and learning, that he remit ted the revenue of Punjab for that whole year as an humble offering to the Guru. Guru Arjun Dev organized his followers into an awakened political community. He converted a large number of people to the Sikh faith. Healsoconverted the hill Rajas of Kulu, Chamba, Mandi, Haripur and Suket and disseminated the Sikh faith in the Kashmir valley, Intrigue by Chanda Shah Chandu Shah was the Dewan and finance minister of the Subedar of Lahore, Guru Arjun declined the offer of a marriage of his son, Har Gobind to Sada Kaur, the daughter of Chandu Shah. Chandu, rolling in wealth, passed some adverse remarks vilifying the Guru Gadi, implying that he was giving the hand of his daughter to one who was lower in status to himself. The Sikhs passed on the news of the slighting remarks made by Chandu Shah, with the request that the betrothal should be re fused. The proposal naturally fell through. But Chandu was implacable.
As fate would have it, Akbar passed away, His successor to the throne was Jahangir, Shortly, Jahangir’s son Khusrau rebelled. But beaten in the field, he fled towards Afghanistan. By chance, he had to pass through the Guru’s territory in Taran Taran and received rupees five thousand to defray his expenses in the course of his journey to Kabul,
Now, Chandu, Prithia and his son Meharban joined hands to rekindle the flames of hostility and carried tales to Emperor Jahangir. They told the Emperor that the Guru not only helped the rebel prince Khusrau but blessed him and prophesied that he would one day occupy the Mughal throne,
The king called on the Guru and said to him, “You look on the rich and the poor alike, It is nor proper for you to advance money to the rebel Khusrau.”
Guru Arjun replied, “1 do not make distinction between rich and poor, Hindu or Muslim, friend or foe; I have nothing but love to dispense. In my vision all are friends. That is the reason why I helped your son in his onward ~ journey. In doing so, I did not intend to help an enemy of the king.”
Nevertheless, the Emperor ordered against the Guru, levied a fine of rupees two lakhs and ordered that the Guru remove from the Granth Sahib all hymns which affected and offended Hindus and Mussalmans.
Guru Arjun Devji replied; “Oh king! I am a saint. Whatever I possess has come to me through voluntary offerings. This property belongs to the people. It is exclusively meant for the sick and the needy, the poor and the Sadhus. I shall not give even a courie, or a pice, under any circumstances nor can I change, or delete, any portion revealed in the Adi Granth. ladore one immortal God, the absolute and supreme soul. God is the Emperor of Emperors, the Sutradhar. Whatever He revealed in intuition, or Apara Kosha, to the Gurus has been written in the Granth Sahib. These hymns are not in any way disrespectful to any Hindu pantheon or to Mohammedan Prophet. My chief aim is only to disseminate the Truth and denounce falsehood. “Satyam Kada Dharam Cahara: i.e. speak the truth at all costs. “Truth will triumph in the end. I am really blessed if I have to sacrifice my life at the altar of God. I have no objection to give up this body in pursuance of this aim”.
The disciples of Guru Arjun in the city of Lahore heard of this harsh imposition of the Mughal king and declared their intent to pay the same by raising voluntary contributions, Guru Arjun, However, forbade them on moral ground.
Under King’s command, the Guru was handed over to Chandu Shah for trial Chandu took the law in his own hands. He threatened the Guru with masterful torture in default of the payment of the penalty. The Guru replied that one cannot escape death What is des lined must come to pass. This was the cosmic law or Bhana.
The Guru was treated with the utmost cruelty; He was subjected to searing heat on his body. For two days, the agents of the king poured burning sand on the Gurn’s body, scaled him on the red hot cauldrons and plunged him in boiling water, The Guru remained impervious to body consciousness.
The Guru finally declared “The egg of superstition has burst The mind is liberated The Guru has cut asunder the bonded feet and freed the Captive M~ transmigration is drawing near The load Or my Karmais removed lam freed there from Crossing the sea I have reached the shore The Guru has showered his blessings and has done me this favor Truth is my place, truth is my seat and truth | have made my special concern, Truth is my capital asset (Mula Dhana). Truth is my stock in trade that Guru Nanak has put into this house *
Mian Mir, the great Sun saint warmed Chandu Shah of the tyranny he was inflicting on a Man of God To this Chandu said that he was answerable only to the Emperor. Mian Mir offered to destroy Lahore and Delhi by his occult powers. The Guru said “toleration is the first and foremost duty of a saint. Violence, cruelly and dis honor are anti-God. Pain and pleasure, sorrow ant happiness are interlinked and predestined for the capital body. The soul, Jivatma, is separate from it, Steel cannot cut it, fire cannot burn it and water cannot dissolve it, My maxim is Oh Lord! If you be pleased to grunt happiness, I will repeat thy Name; So also in distress I must invoke Thee,”
The Guru asked permission that he be in ken to the River Ravi fora bath in the cool stream and dis appeared mysteriously while re citing Japji, Before departing, he told the Sikhs near him: Appoint Har Gobind as my successor, Bid him not to mourn for the loss. Let him sit on the Gadi fully armed and equipped and maintain a strong army in self-defense,
Thus the glorious Guru Arjun passed away in 1606 A.D. He had finished the construction of Amritsar lake, and the Harmandir and last but not least the compilation of the Adi Granth, He set the supreme example for his disciples of loyalty, faith ad courage as a true martyr. He reigned as Guru for over 24 years from 1581 to 1606 A.D. Sikhism passed on from a sect of devotees to a brave, chivalrous organization as saint soldiers.
(Courtesy ‘ Sikh Review)
Article extracted from this publication >> June 4, 1993
