GURU RAM DAS

(Dhan so des jahan tun wasiya, mere sajjan meett murarai jeeo)

BY Kulwant Singh

Guru Ram Das, the fourth Guru of the Sikhs, who in addition to getting the usual reverence by the Sikhs, is more reverentially remembered for some unique episodes during the history of the Sikh Gurus. Amritsar, the tank of Nectar, was first constructed by Guru Ram Das, who had perhaps foreseen the miraculous healing power of this sarover (The Holy tank). Later Guru Arjun Dev, the fifth Guru of the Sikhs, built Hari mandir within the sarover and established an eternal site for the Holy pilgrimage of the Sikhs.The Sikhs consider it as the abode of God from where the celestial music, the Holy Keertan, so dear to God and his devotees, is sung day and night, radiating Holy waves of blessings and peace all over the world. The bathing in this sarover cures the sins from the soul of the man and the very thought of 'Amritsar' gives solace to the suffering humanity as it is keeping the Sikhs connected to its Spiritual source. As, for an old legend of the sacred power of the sarover by Guru Ram Das.--- A leper who happened to take bath in the pool of this Holy water was completely cured and later this man along with his wife helped ardently in building shrines around the tank, and led a sacred and pure life thereafter. It is perhaps for this reason that Guru Arjun Dev later wrote a hymn pertaing to the miraculous power of this sarover.

"RamDas sarover nahte uttere sab paap kamate".

"Bathing in the pool of Ram Das,

Washes off all sins committed".

Guru Ram Das was a portrait of humility. Once Baba Sri Chand, the eldest son of Guru Nanak visited Amritsar and happened to see guru Ram Das. Seeing long flowing beard of Guru Ram Das, Sri Chand asked him jocularly why he grew it. Guru Ram Das replied: "Yes, I have grown a long beard that I may wipe thy feet with it", and he actually proceeded to do so. Seeing this Sri Chand held back the Guru and said: "O great Guru, thou art in my father's place. It is thy deserving capability like this, that hath made thee a Guru. I possess no such capability, and therefore I was superseded. Thou art great and the Sikhs who come to thee for shelter shall be saved."

People came to Guru Ram Das from far and wide. A number of habitations grew around this tank to meet the requirements of the people. The Guru, who was an apostle of love and humility, preached with great eloquence and beauty of diction, pure devotion to God and composed enormous number of hymns which is in the Guru Granth Sahib. He also taught the people to think of the meaning of the hymns as they sang in order to take full flavor of their sweetness as the bees draw nectar from flowers.

Guru Ram Das composed a "Wedding Hymn", known as the "Lanva' which now constitute the major part of the Sikh marriage ceremony. The four verses of 'Lanva', have a double significance. They provide the couple with an advice not to be swayed away by the material attachments. They remind them to place the union and tie of the two souls within the deeper context of union with God. According to Sikhism, marriage is not a social contract between to persons but it aims at the fusion of two souls into One.

"Dhan pir ehu na akhiye, baihan ekathey hoi

Ek jot doe murti, dhan pir kahiye soi."

God realization is at the center of all the teachings of Guru Granth Sahib even when it is citing worldly examples.

As in the rest of Guru Granth Sahib, the hymns of Guru Ram Das, thrills the soul and tries to sanctify the past sins, if read or sung with devotion. His lyrics flow like a stream of love whose refreshing melody yarns for the beloved. There are 679 hymns of Guru Ram Das incorporated in Guru Granth Sahib. In a particular hymn on page 305, he prescribes a daily routine for a true Sikh who must awake early in the morning, take bath in the Holy sarover of 'Amritsar' and thus maintaining the importance of 'amritwela'.

His hymns are sometimes so soul stirring that one can be amazed to observe his devotion to his Guru-Father, which is given in the following paragraphs.

Guru Ram Das had three sons. Prithi Chand, Maha dev and Arjun dev. Arjun dev was the youngest. From his early years he devoted himself to self-realization and grew to be a man of great scholarship and talents. While yet in his teens, he seemed to have developed extraordinary spiritual talents which was being noticed by his Guru-Father.

One day Guru Ram Das, one by one, asked his two elder sons to proceed to Lahore to attend a marriage there. But they gave one excuse or the other to escape going to Lahore. But Arjun, the youngest boy gladly obeyed, but he was instructed by his father to stay on in Lahore, even after the marriage is over, till he should be recalled back. With this Arjun Dev proceeded to Lahore. The marriage was over and the waiting period commenced and then went on silently, without any sign of a call from Amritsar.

The pangs of separation for a long time were unbearable for Arjun Dev, but he had to carry out the instructions of his Guru-Father. He wrote three epistles from Lahore to his father Guru Ram Das, two of which were intercepted by his jealous elder brother, Prithia, and were not handed over to the Guru. The third epistle however got through. Arjun Dev was at once recalled back and the whole truth of Prithia's deed came to light. But in disguise this was an acid test of Arjun Dev by the All-knowing Guru Ram Das.

The three epistles which Arjun Dev wrote from Lahore, and the fourth one which he composed on meeting the Guru-Father, together make a master piece song of separation (Vairag vriti) and then union ( Anand vriti).

The first epistle expressed his longing for a glimpse of his Guru-Father and his mind was experiencing an unrest like a 'chatrik'; who painfully wails for want of a drop of water from the rainy clouds of the monsoon season, since he has a slit in his neck and unable to drink water from the ponds.

"Mera man(u) lochai Gur(u) darshan tanee

Bilap kare chatrik ki nianee

Trikha na utrai saant na aawai

Bin darshan sant piyare jeeo.

Haon gholi jeeo ghole ghumai

Gur darshan sant piyre jeeo."

After sending this epistle, he waited for quite sometime in the hope that his Guru-Father would recall him and his thirst will be quenched by his holy darshan. But there was no response from the Guru. Seeing his unbearable state of mind, Arjun Dev wrote a second epistle. In the text of this epistle he emphasized that this wait period has gone beyond limits and eulogized by saying that he longs to see the glorious face of the Guru and his beautiful dwelling land (Amritsar), in the hope that he may be recalled back. He addressed his father as ---mere sajjan meett murarai jeeo and his dwelling land as---dhan so des jahan tun wasiya.

"Tera mukh suhawa jeeo, sahaj dhun bani,

Chir hoa dekhai sarang paani.

Dhan so des jahan tun wasiya

Mere sajjan meett murarai jeeo.

Haon gholi haon ghole ghumai

Gur(u) sajjan meett murarai jeeo."

Another long period passed, but like a lamenting bird, caged due destiny, the pangs became all the more unbearable, and Arjun Dev wrote his third epistle.

"Ik ghari na milte tan kaljug hota

Hun kad miliye priye tudh Bhagwanta

Mohe raeyan na whiyawai neend na aawaye

Bin dekhai Gur(u) darbarai jeeo.

Haon gholi jeeo ghole ghumai

Tis sachai Gur(u) darbarai jeeo."

This time the epistle was through in the hands of the Guru and Arjun Dev was recalled back. Guru Ram Das asked his son (the would-be-Guru) Arjun Dev, to complete the remaining part of the hymn which he did to the satisfaction of Guru Ram Das.

"Bhag hoa Gur(u) sant milaya

Prabh Abinasi ghar mai paaya

Sev kari pal chassa na wichadan

Jan Nanak das tumare jeeo.

Haon gholi jeeo ghole ghumai

Jan Nanak das tumare jeeo."

Guru Ram Das understood that his light had already passed on to the future Guru, Arjun Dev, who is the right choice of his successor, and the time has proved his farsightedness , since Guru Arjun Dev carried out the work of Guru Nanak Dev so successfully. He has written 2218 hymns, and has the credit of compiling Guru Granth Sahib.