According to the most of the Historians, Sri Guru Amar Das ji met Sri Guru Angad ji around 1541-1542 AD when he was above his sixties as he was born in 1479 AD; consequently he embraced Sikhi abandoning his religion, the Hinduism. After hitting seventy, in 1552, he became the third Sikh-Guru. Those who are born in Sikhi must realize how actually the Sikhi evolves the mind to the peak of spirituality. His stay of over a decade with Guru Angad ji helped him to evolve successfully into a seer, who advocated the concept of One Creator’s worship for the rest of his life leaving behind his 60 years devoted to Hinduism. This is all about the Sikhi and its right influence that changes the Sikhs’ every goal of life at large. In the following words, we are going to see how he advocates the unmatched love for the Creator by discrediting all other entities highly revered in Hinduism. How could he do it? Even now in this age of science, some people born in the Sikhi have started going back to “other-entity worshiping” forgetting that the Sikhi believes only in One All Pervading Creator. How a Sikh can look at an idol, or an image to gain something? How a Sikh can forget the all-pervading Creator and seek success by praying at a human’s feet? A Sikh’s every concocted idea of various theologies is the all-pervading Creator. When the Sikh’s Guru believes only in Him, how his Sikh can look at any other door? Sri Guru Amar Das ji’s following shabda at 232-233, SGGS, will help us to understand how the Guru’s mind worked and changed by focusing on Sri Guru Angad ji’s discourses:
ਗਉੜੀ ਮਹਲਾ ੩ ॥
ਮਨ ਹੀ ਮਨੁ ਸਵਾਰਿਆ ਭੈ ਸਹਜਿ ਸੁਭਾਇ ॥
ਸਬਦਿ ਮਨੁ ਰੰਗਿਆ ਲਿਵ ਲਾਇ ॥
ਨਿਜ ਘਰਿ ਵਸਿਆ ਪ੍ਰਭ ਕੀ ਰਜਾਇ ॥੧॥
Ga-oṛī mėhlā 3.
Man hī man savāri-ā bẖai sahj subẖā-e.
Sabaḏ man rangi-ā liv lā-e.
Nij gẖar vasi-ā parabẖ kī rajā-e. ||1||
Raag Gaurhi, the bani of Third Nanak.
In essence: A person who counsels his mind by getting drenched in the Guru’s Shabda becomes reformed naturally and meditates on Har. Such a person remains stilled as per Har’s “will”.
Here the Guru points out that the Guru’s follower sticks to the Guru’s guided-path and counsels his/her mind by remaining focused on the Creator; thus his/her mind gets stilled within with the grace and will of the Creator.
ਸਤਿਗੁਰੁ ਸੇਵਿਐ ਜਾਇ ਅਭਿਮਾਨੁ ॥ ਗੋਵਿਦੁ ਪਾਈਐ ਗੁਣੀ ਨਿਧਾਨੁ ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥
Saṯgur sevi-ai jā-e abẖimān. Goviḏ pā-ī-ai guṇī niḏẖān. ||1|| Rahā-o.
By serving the Satiguru, one’s self-conceit goes away and one obtains the Master, a treasure of virtues. Pause.
The most important element in evolving in the Sikhi is to obey the Guru and to get rid of one’s own thoughts embraced under outer influences; literally, this is a real service of the Guru. If one lives as per the advice of the Guru, realizing the Virtuous and all protecting Creator becomes one’s destiny. Debating over words or metaphors used in the Gurbani takes the Sikhs nowhere; however, pondering over the basics of the Guru’s message elevates one toward the spiritual goal defined in the Gurbani. The Guru says that the Creator of all is the same; He is beyond birth and death. He is active in His creation but always remains beyond fear and animosity. He is present all over, as His existence is infinite and eternal; He is self-illumined. Worshiping Him by falling in love with Him is the way to go, but to love Him, becoming virtuous is mandatory. Obviously, this is what Sri Guru Amar Das ji did after meeting Sri Guru Angad Ji.
ਮਨੁ ਬੈਰਾਗੀ ਜਾ ਸਬਦਿ ਭਉ ਖਾਇ ॥ ਮੇਰਾ ਪ੍ਰਭੁ ਨਿਰਮਲਾ ਸਭ ਤੈ ਰਹਿਆ ਸਮਾਇ ॥
ਗੁਰ ਕਿਰਪਾ ਤੇ ਮਿਲੈ ਮਿਲਾਇ ॥੨॥
Man bairāgī jā sabaḏ bẖa-o kẖā-e.
Merā parabẖ nirmalā sabẖ ṯai rahi-ā samā-e.
Gur kirpā ṯe milai milā-e. ||2||
In essence: The mind remains detached to the earthly things by eradicating its fear through the Guru’s shabda. My immaculate Akalpurakh permeates all. With the Guru’s blessings, He is obtained. He is obtained as He unites the seeker with Him.
Here, we see that the Guru’s guidance becomes for the followers a glowing light to show them the spiritual path, because through it, detachment sets in them and all kinds of fears start disappearing from their minds.
ਹਰਿ ਦਾਸਨ ਕੋ ਦਾਸੁ ਸੁਖੁ ਪਾਏ ॥ ਮੇਰਾ ਹਰਿ ਪ੍ਰਭੁ ਇਨ ਬਿਧਿ ਪਾਇਆ ਜਾਏ ॥
ਹਰਿ ਕਿਰਪਾ ਤੇ ਰਾਮ ਗੁਣ ਗਾਏ ॥੩॥
Har ḏāsan ko ḏās sukẖ pā-e. Merā har parabẖ in biḏẖ pā-i-ā jā-e.
Har kirpā ṯe rām guṇ gā-e. ||3||
By becoming a servant of Har’s servants, peace is obtained. My Har is obtained in this way (becoming servants of His devotees). With Har’s grace, one sings His praises.
Humility is a significant part of a virtuous person; with it, the virtue-killers like ego, anger and attachment disappear. The Guru suggests that remaining in the company of those who are into His praise sincerely helps in bringing peace within. As the seeker treads on this path, the Creator’s blessings help too. So two important factors that become helpful in realizing the Creator are: Humility and praising His virtues. In the following, the Guru points out all those inclinations that drag the seeker away from the Creator:
ਧ੍ਰਿਗੁ ਬਹੁ ਜੀਵਣੁ ਜਿਤੁ ਹਰਿ ਨਾਮਿ ਨ ਲਗੈ ਪਿਆਰੁ ॥
ਧ੍ਰਿਗੁ ਸੇਜ ਸੁਖਾਲੀ ਕਾਮਣਿ ਮੋਹ ਗੁਬਾਰੁ ॥
ਤਿਨ ਸਫਲੁ ਜਨਮੁ ਜਿਨ ਨਾਮੁ ਅਧਾਰੁ ॥੪॥
Ḏẖarig baho jīvaṇ jiṯ har nām na lagai pi-ār.
Ḏẖarig sej sukẖālī kāmaṇ moh gubār.
Ŧin safal janam jin nām aḏẖār. ||4||
That prolonged life that lacks the love for Ekankar’s name is accursed. Accursed is the comfortable couch used with the blind love for a lady. The lives of those who deem Ekankar’s name as their support are successful.
Living a long life lacking His true love is useless, because one’s involvement in Maya becomes a barrier to fall in love with the Creator. Luxuries and physical pleasures diverge the mind of the seeker away from loving Him.
ਧ੍ਰਿਗੁ ਧ੍ਰਿਗੁ ਗ੍ਰਿਹੁ ਕੁਟੰਬੁ ਜਿਤੁ ਹਰਿ ਪ੍ਰੀਤਿ ਨ ਹੋਇ ॥
ਸੋਈ ਹਮਾਰਾ ਮੀਤੁ ਜੋ ਹਰਿ ਗੁਣ ਗਾਵੈ ਸੋਇ ॥
ਹਰਿ ਨਾਮ ਬਿਨਾ ਮੈ ਅਵਰੁ ਨ ਕੋਇ ॥੫॥
Ḏẖarig ḏẖarig garihu kutamb jiṯ har parīṯ na ho-e.
So-ī hamārā mīṯ jo har guṇ gāvai so-e.
Har nām binā mai avar na ko-e. ||5||
Accursed is the life of householder, who is not in love with Har. Only that person is my friend, who sings Har’s praises. I don’t recognize anyone but Har’s name.
Above statement comes out of the mouth of the Creator’s true lover; keep it in your mind that living a life of a householder is not criticized here; instead involving in the family in such a way that the Creator is forgotten is discouraged; indeed, such life is accursed. Thus being a householder but living in His love is encouraged through these verses, because nothing is more important than Him in this world. Now in the following, the Guru tells about his story of obtaining the ultimate freedom also known as liberation:
ਸਤਿਗੁਰ ਤੇ ਹਮ ਗਤਿ ਪਤਿ ਪਾਈ ॥ ਹਰਿ ਨਾਮੁ ਧਿਆਇਆ ਦੂਖੁ ਸਗਲ ਮਿਟਾਈ ॥
ਸਦਾ ਅਨੰਦੁ ਹਰਿ ਨਾਮਿ ਲਿਵ ਲਾਈ ॥੬॥
Saṯgur ṯe ham gaṯ paṯ pā-ī. Har nām ḏẖi-ā-i-ā ḏūkẖ sagal mitā-ī.
Saḏā anand har nām liv lā-ī. ||6||
I have obtained liberation and glory from the Satiguru. I have meditated on Har’s name and gotten rid of my all pains. I always remain in bliss by meditating on Him.
It was the true Guru, who helped Sri Guru Amar Das; otherwise, his life of over 60 years was being wasted. How he did it? After meeting the Guru, he became able to overcome all his illusions about pleasing the Creator, or other revered entity; consequently, he started remaining focused only on the Creator. Through a name, he not only felt related to Him, but also felt being a part of Him; thus His name brought the Guru closer to the Creator. By concentrating on His name in love, he attained happiness. Now he tells what actually occurred after adopting the Guru:
ਗੁਰਿ ਮਿਲਿਐ ਹਮ ਕਉ ਸਰੀਰ ਸੁਧਿ ਭਈ ॥
ਹਉਮੈ ਤ੍ਰਿਸਨਾ ਸਭ ਅਗਨਿ ਬੁਝਈ ॥
ਬਿਨਸੇ ਕ੍ਰੋਧ ਖਿਮਾ ਗਹਿ ਲਈ ॥੭॥
Gur mili-ai ham ka-o sarīr suḏẖ bẖa-ī.
Ha-umai ṯarisnā sabẖ agan bujẖ-ī.
Binse kroḏẖ kẖimā gėh la-ī. ||7||
As the Guru has met me, I have learned how to keep my body away from vices. I have gotten rid of my conceit and fire of desires. My anger is gone and I have obtained tolerance.
We rarely get away from our bodily pleasures, but body is not given to us for pleasures only as per the Gurbani; it has a spiritual purpose as well; therefore, keeping it away from the vices is very important and that is what the Guru demands from his followers. As Sri Guru Amar Das ji heard about it from his Guru, he started working on his mind to take the body away from its awareness that seeks pleasures; consequently, his desires, conceit and longing for pleasures stopped bothering him; his virtue of forgiveness took over his anger and his humility procured virtues.
ਹਰਿ ਆਪੇ ਕ੍ਰਿਪਾ ਕਰੇ ਨਾਮੁ ਦੇਵੈ ॥ ਗੁਰਮੁਖਿ ਰਤਨੁ ਕੋ ਵਿਰਲਾ ਲੇਵੈ ॥
ਨਾਨਕੁ ਗੁਣ ਗਾਵੈ ਹਰਿ ਅਲਖ ਅਭੇਵੈ ॥੮॥੮॥
Har āpe kirpā kare nām ḏevai. Gurmukẖ raṯan ko virlā levai.
Nānak guṇ gāvai har alakẖ abẖevai. ||8||8||
Akalpurakh with His grace gives His name. A rare Guru’s follower obtains His name jewel. Nanak sings the praises of Akalpurakh, who is invisible and inscrutable.
In the above verses, the Guru passes on to us another aspect of the Sikhi: the importance of the Creator’s grace in context of getting attached to Him through His name. Personally, the Guru gives here a hint how he met the Guru through hearing the verses of Sri Guru Nanak’s bani from his brother’s daughter-in-law, Bibi Amro, a daughter of Sri Guru Angad Ji. Obviously, the Creator creates chances for all to get on a spiritual journey; some persons take them seriously but some ignore them. In the Guru’s case, he grabbed the chance seriously. That is why he also states that a few seekers attain and develop love for the Creator. Akalpurakh’s name is His identity with which His infinite virtues are attached; it is expressed in the Gurbani that no “name” given to Him can actually express His existence in entirety; obviously all names given to Him are deficient; nonetheless, His name introduces us to His unique phenomenon.
Now look how he rejects his past beliefs with Sikhi-reasons; it is on 422, SGGS:
ਆਸਾ ਮਹਲਾ ੩ ਅਸਟਪਦੀਆ ਘਰੁ ੨
Āsā mėhlā 3 asatpaḏī-ā gẖar 2
Raag Asa, the bani of Third Nanak, Ashtpadea, house second.
ੴ ਸਤਿਗੁਰ ਪ੍ਰਸਾਦਿ ॥
Ik-oaʼnkār saṯgur parsāḏ.
There is only one all pervading Akalpurakh, who is known with the blessings of the Satiguru.
ਸਾਸਤੁ ਬੇਦੁ ਸਿੰਮ੍ਰਿਤਿ ਸਰੁ ਤੇਰਾ ਸੁਰਸਰੀ ਚਰਣ ਸਮਾਣੀ ॥
ਸਾਖਾ ਤੀਨਿ ਮੂਲੁ ਮਤਿ ਰਾਵੈ ਤੂੰ ਤਾਂ ਸਰਬ ਵਿਡਾਣੀ ॥੧॥
Sāsaṯ beḏ simriṯ sar ṯerā sursarī cẖaraṇ samāṇī.
Sākẖā ṯīn mūl maṯ rāvai ṯūʼn ṯāʼn sarab vidāṇī. ||1||
In essence: Oh Akalpurakh! Absorbing in you in utter humility is my bathing in the Ganges and the ocean of the Shastras, the Vedas, and the Simiritis. You are the source of the three modes of Maya and my intellect enjoys your wondrous creation.
In the above verses, the Guru clearly states that for the Guru’s followers, there is no need of religious scriptures mentioned above and rituals like bathing in Ganges (means pilgrimaging); they only need to get absorbed in Akalpurakh.
ਤਾ ਕੇ ਚਰਣ ਜਪੈ ਜਨੁ ਨਾਨਕੁ ਬੋਲੇ ਅੰਮ੍ਰਿਤ ਬਾਣੀ ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥
Ŧā ke cẖaraṇ japai jan Nānak bole amriṯ baṇī. ||1|| Rahā-o.
(Whose love is better than everything in this world? The answer is given) Nanak meditates on Akalpurakh in utter humility and utters the ambrosial bani in His praise. Pause.
Page 422-423
ਤੇਤੀਸ ਕਰੋੜੀ ਦਾਸ ਤੁਮ੍ਹ੍ਹਹਾਰੇ ਰਿਧਿ ਸਿਧਿ ਪ੍ਰਾਣ ਅਧਾਰੀ ॥
ਤਾ ਕੇ ਰੂਪ ਨ ਜਾਹੀ ਲਖਣੇ ਕਿਆ ਕਰਿ ਆਖਿ ਵੀਚਾਰੀ ॥੨॥
Ŧeṯīs karoṛī ḏās ṯumĥāre riḏẖ siḏẖ parāṇ aḏẖārī.
Ŧā ke rūp na jāhī lakẖ-ṇe ki-ā kar ākẖ vīcẖārī. ||2||
(As per the saying) Oh Ekankar! Thirty-three crores (One Crore equals to ten millions) of devtas are your servants; you are the support of supernatural powers and life. It is not possible to express your numerous forms. What can I say in this regard?
In the above verses, he advocates the love for the Creator over Devtas and Devis
ਤੀਨਿ ਗੁਣਾ ਤੇਰੇ ਜੁਗ ਹੀ ਅੰਤਰਿ ਚਾਰੇ ਤੇਰੀਆ ਖਾਣੀ ॥
ਕਰਮੁ ਹੋਵੈ ਤਾ ਪਰਮ ਪਦੁ ਪਾਈਐ ਕਥੇ ਅਕਥ ਕਹਾਣੀ ॥੩
Ŧīn guṇā ṯere jug hī anṯar cẖāre ṯerī-ā kẖāṇī.
Karam hovai ṯā param paḏ pā-ī-ai kathe akath kahāṇī. ||3||
Oh Akalpurakh! All the three modes of Maya and the four sources of production are your creation. If you bestow your grace, the mortal obtains a sublime status and expresses your inexpressible story (all about you).
Obviously His grace is necessary to be with Him while alive.
ਤੂੰ ਕਰਤਾ ਕੀਆ ਸਭੁ ਤੇਰਾ ਕਿਆ ਕੋ ਕਰੇ ਪਰਾਣੀ ॥
ਜਾ ਕਉ ਨਦਰਿ ਕਰਹਿ ਤੂੰ ਅਪਣੀ ਸਾਈ ਸਚਿ ਸਮਾਣੀ ॥੪॥
Ŧūʼn karṯā kī-ā sabẖ ṯerā ki-ā ko kare parāṇī.
Jā ka-o naḏar karahi ṯūʼn apṇī sā-ī sacẖ samāṇī. ||4||
Oh Ekankar! What can a mortal do? You are the Creator. You have created everything. That person to whom you grace merges in you.
ਨਾਮੁ ਤੇਰਾ ਸਭੁ ਕੋਈ ਲੇਤੁ ਹੈ ਜੇਤੀ ਆਵਣ ਜਾਣੀ ॥
ਜਾ ਤੁਧੁ ਭਾਵੈ ਤਾ ਗੁਰਮੁਖਿ ਬੂਝੈ ਹੋਰ ਮਨਮੁਖਿ ਫਿਰੈ ਇਆਣੀ ॥੫॥
Nām ṯerā sabẖ ko-ī leṯ hai jeṯī āvaṇ jāṇī.
Jā ṯuḏẖ bẖāvai ṯā gurmukẖ būjẖai hor manmukẖ firai i-āṇī. ||5||
The mortals, subject to coming and going, utter your name. If it pleases you, some people understand you through the Guru; otherwise, other mind-slaves wander in ignorance.
So as He bestows His grace, He attaches the mortals to a true Guru, who has realized Him and who can enable others to realize Him.
ਚਾਰੇ ਵੇਦ ਬ੍ਰਹਮੇ ਕਉ ਦੀਏ ਪੜਿ ਪੜਿ ਕਰੇ ਵੀਚਾਰੀ ॥
ਤਾ ਕਾ ਹੁਕਮੁ ਨ ਬੂਝੈ ਬਪੁੜਾ ਨਰਕਿ ਸੁਰਗਿ ਅਵਤਾਰੀ ॥੬॥
Cẖāre veḏ barahme ka-o ḏī-e paṛ paṛ kare vīcẖārī.
Ŧā kā hukam na būjẖai bapuṛā narak surag avṯārī. ||6||
You gave the four Vedas to Brahma and he kept reflecting on them; that poor Brahma couldn’t understand how to live in your ordinance; that is why he remained coming into hell and Heaven.
These verses clearly state that the Guru doesn’t give importance to any said stories in the Hindu faith; he stresses on understanding and obeying the ordinance of the Creator and living by remembering His name in His love.
ਜੁਗਹ ਜੁਗਹ ਕੇ ਰਾਜੇ ਕੀਏ ਗਾਵਹਿ ਕਰਿ ਅਵਤਾਰੀ ॥
ਤਿਨ ਭੀ ਅੰਤੁ ਨ ਪਾਇਆ ਤਾ ਕਾ ਕਿਆ ਕਰਿ ਆਖਿ ਵੀਚਾਰੀ ॥੭॥
Jugah jugah ke rāje kī-e gāvahi kar avṯārī.
Ŧin bẖī anṯ na pā-i-ā ṯā kā ki-ā kar ākẖ vīcẖārī. ||7||
Akalpurakh created kings in different ages, but the people started praising them as Akalpurakh’s incarnations. They even didn’t find Akalpurakh’s limits; how can I express His so many virtues?
Again the Guru advises the followers to ignore those established “Avtaaras”, because they were just created as kings of their times and they even failed to understand Akalpurakh’s infinity.
ਤੂੰ ਸਚਾ ਤੇਰਾ ਕੀਆ ਸਭੁ ਸਾਚਾ ਦੇਹਿ ਤ ਸਾਚੁ ਵਖਾਣੀ ॥
ਜਾ ਕਉ ਸਚੁ ਬੁਝਾਵਹਿ ਅਪਣਾ ਸਹਜੇ ਨਾਮਿ ਸਮਾਣੀ ॥੮॥੧॥੨੩॥
Ŧūʼn sacẖā ṯerā kī-ā sabẖ sācẖā ḏėh ṯa sācẖ vakẖāṇī.
Jā ka-o sacẖ bujẖāvėh apṇā sėhje nām samāṇī. ||8||1||23||
True are you and your creation (Please also see on 463, SGGS). If you bless me, I can utter your name. A person to whom you cause to understand you gets absorbed in your name in poise.
On 490, SGGS, he advises his followers to clear the fog of believing in multiple entities and worshipping them, because, as per his own experience, he finds that believing in other than the all-pervading Creator is worthless:
.
ਗੂਜਰੀ ਮਹਲਾ ੩ ॥
ਹਰਿ ਕੀ ਤੁਮ ਸੇਵਾ ਕਰਹੁ ਦੂਜੀ ਸੇਵਾ ਕਰਹੁ ਨ ਕੋਇ ਜੀ ॥
ਹਰਿ ਕੀ ਸੇਵਾ ਤੇ ਮਨਹੁ ਚਿੰਦਿਆ ਫਲੁ ਪਾਈਐ ਦੂਜੀ ਸੇਵਾ ਜਨਮੁ ਬਿਰਥਾ ਜਾਇ ਜੀ ॥੧॥
Gūjrī mėhlā 3.
Har kī ṯum sevā karahu ḏūjī sevā karahu na ko-e jī.
Har kī sevā ṯe manhu cẖinḏi-ā fal pā-ī-ai ḏūjī sevā janam birthā jā-e jī. ||1||
Raag Gujri, the bani of Third Nanak.
In essence: Serve only Har and do not perform any other’s service; by serving Har, one’s wishes are fulfilled, but by serving other than Har, one’s life is wasted.
The Guru’s advice is passed on to the Sikhs in very simple way; serving and loving the Creator is what the Sikhi is all about. The Guru clearly tells them that everything for Him is Akalpurakh, because through the Guru, he has made “praising and loving Akalpurakh” his way of life. That should be a way of life of every Sikh.
How a person lives in His love, or how another person lives forgetting Him is a display of the Creator’s ordinance in force. It is hard to explain (Japji); therefore, life will be deemed as better if it is lived in His love. For sure, in His love, peace settles within, because of which, bonds of Maya are loosened. Right here in this world, one lives liberated by realizing the Creator and abandoning one’s duality enveloped in attachment. The Guru has made it clear what we need to do as his Sikhs as he did. We are supposed to respect all the religions and their followers, but never ever we should feel related to them in any way. Sri Guru Amar Das ji is our inspiration; he was not a born Guru like Sri Guru Nanak; instead, he progressed slowly and succeeded through his utter sincerity and attained liberation. His success encourages us to tread on the Guru path while we live as householders but by remaining detached in His love.
Wishes!
Gurdeep Singh
