Sri Guru Arjan Dev Ji
Guru Arjan was born in Goindwal, a small town in Amritsar district, in 1563. He was the youngest son of Guru Ram Das and Bibi Bhani.
As a child, one day he found his way to the bed of Guru Amar Das who was then resting. His mother ran to fetch the child before he could disturb the Guru, but he had already awakened the Guru, who revealed, Let him come to me my grandson shall be a ship to take mankind across the ocean of the world.
Guru Arjan was married to Ganga, daughter of Krishan Chand. After his father, Guru Arjan Dev Ji started the work of completing the tanks and extending the city. Bhai Buddha Ji was appointed to supervise the work of construction.
Building of Harimandir Sahib also know as Golden Temple and Darbar Sahib
Mian Mir, a famous Muslim saint, was a devotee of the Guru. Guru ji asked Mian Mir to lay the foundation stone of Harimandir Sahib. Thus, Mian Mir laid the brick in January, 1589. The head mason moved the brick to place it in order. Whereupon the Guru prophesied that since the brick was moved by the mason, the foundation of the temple would be laid again in the coming times. His words were subsequently fulfilled as Ahmad Shah Abdali destroyed the temple and desecrated the tank in 1763. However, two years later, the great army of the Khalsa recovered possession of the temple, re-laid its foundation and reconstructed it. Hindu temples were closed on three sides and their entrances were generally towards east while Muslim mosques had entrances towards the west. Harimandir, the holy temple had entrance on all four sides. This denotes that God was in all the directions and secondly four doors in the four directions meant that the four castes would have equal access to the temple. The Adi Granth, Sikh holy Scripture, was placed in the center of the temple. City of Ramdaspur was, in course of time, called Amritsar. Because of Guru’s residence and the central place of worship, Amritsar became the center of the Sikh activities. He divided the Sikh spiritual kingdom into twenty-two Manjis.
Taran Taran Temple
Guru Arjan Dev built another great temple some twelve miles away from Amritsar and called it Taran Taaran. The soil and climate of this place also are so blessed that it has a healing effect on bodily sufferers. Taran Taaran is a name which means the temple ‘Where people swim across the Sea of Ignorance to save many drowning soul.
Birh of their son Guru Hargbind Singh
Once Mata Ganga expressed a wish to Guru Arjan Dev Ji that her son should hasten to her from heaven, and guru ji said that it is Bhai Buddha ji who will call your child from Heaven and She should go and ask Bhai Buddha ji to pray for the birth of a son to her. She took offerings and with a number of female disciples, seated in a bullock cart she went to meet Bhai Buddha ji. As they approached the abode of Bhai Buddha, the creaking of cart wheels and the unusual bustle, caused a flutter in Bhai Buddha’s cloister. Bhai Buddha inquired somewhat angrily, who was flying in such haste thither? He was still ruffled when the aspirant mother placed her offerings before him. He said, O mother ! I am only a grass cutter of the Master’s house. How can there be anything so compelling in my word? She returned home and gave details of what happened there to Guru Arjan Dev ji. Guru ji replied that The saint has foreseen our flight from Amritsar, and it must come to pass. O Good lady ! you ought not to have gone to see God’s holy man in that way. Do as I tell you. Prepare a simple meal with your own hands, singing the song of Nanak. First mill the flour in your hand-mill, knead it with honeyed milk of Nam, and then take this sacred song-bread to the disciple. Take no dainty dishes with this bread; just a little salt and a few onions in the fashion of the Punjab farmers. This will be the homely meal he loves.She did so. Bhai Buddha, who had received the Divine Gift of Nam from Nanak, was now an old man, with a silver-white flowing beard and all-white locks; but his face still glow with the Divine. When the woman appeared with that simple repast for him, the old man began lisping like a child whose feelings are fresh from Heaven, as he began to eat. O Mother ! he said, Your son will be the Master of Masters. He will be the King of his people. He will break the power of the Mughals as I break these onions under my fist. He will be the temporal king of his people. The people will gather round his throne. He will wear two swords, the sword of Heaven to save his disciples from the arms of death, and the sword of Earth to save his people from the Mughal oppression. Mother ! thy son will appear as the sun comes on the dark worlds.
On 1604 A.D., Adi Granth was installed in the Harimandir and Bhai Buddha Ji was appointed as the first Granthi (priest).
Martyrdom of Guru Arjan Dev Ji
After the death of Emperor Akbar, Jahangir became Emperor of India. Once Prince Khusro
came flying to guru ji to help for his life from Jahangir and his ministers. Guru ji was moved at his pitiable condition and gave him five thousand rupees, which would take him safely to Kabul. This private act of kindness was interpreted by the Guru’s enemies, headed by Prithi Chand, as a serious political crime against the them Emperor of India. They informed Chandu, the Hindu Minister of Jahangir and he told the emperor Jahangir that
the Guru, with the help of Khusro, intended to overthrow him. and Chandu succeeded in inflaming the Emperor. Guru Arjan Dev was summoned, and appeared before Jahangir at Lahore. The interviews continued for some days and Chandu was ceaselessly active, so that at last the Emperor was forced to ask the Master why he helped Khusro against him? He replied, Khusro was in distress; he appealed for help and the Guru helped him. It was a man helping a another man in trouble. The Emperor ordered a fine of two lacks to be paid by Guru Arjan, but the Guru firmly said, The money which I have is not mine. It is collected by the people, for the service of the people, and I have no private money out of which to pay you this fine.
The composition of Adi Granth also formed the subject of charge framed against him. Jahangir, asked the Guru to alter the hymns, but the guru said, the true King has inspired these hymns, and they are informed with the Spirit of God. I cannot alter the sacred word. The sacred book contains nothing but the song-chants of the Glory of the Highest; at Whose high door wait a million prophets, from Whom all cometh out, and to Whom all return. The Emperor handed over the Guru to Chandu, on the latter’s promise to recover the fine from Guru ji.Guru Arjan Dev was kept prisoner in Chandu’s own house; where, he was made to suffer unthinkable tortures from day to day. Burning sands were poured on his bare body, he was compelled to sit on hot iron sheets. In this agony Guru used to utter.
Tera Kiya Meetha lage, naam padarath Nanak mange (whatever you ordain appears sweet. I supplicate for the gift of name)
When Mian Mir heard the tale of sorrow, he came to see the Guru and was moved on seeing the condition of the Master, and wished to move the Emperor for his release. But the Master calmed his mind and asked him to look up. As Mian Mir looked up, he saw the whole Heaven gathered around his head and the Angels forming a canopy over him with their wings. Guru Ji had accepted tortures for his people, who must be made strong to stand for justice, to suffer and to die for truth they love. At last Chandu made up his mind to kill Guru Arjan by suffocating him in a fresh cow-hide, in which he was to sewn up, when he asked to have his bath in the river Ravi. He was led out in prisoner’s clothes to the river. The Sikhs saw the guru who looked at them, still forbidding all action. Such is the will of my God; accept it. The Guru never returned to the prison, the body was given to the river Ravi. He left the earth, singing Japuji Sahib and all this was happened in 1606.