Bhai Gurdas

As we cannot think of Rama without Hanuman, of Krishna without Arjan, of Buddha without Ananda, of Jesus Christ without St. Paul so we cannot separate Guru Arjan from Bhai Gurdas. One was the spring, the other was the stream to carry spring waters. Bhai Gurdas. remained in close association with third, fourth, fifth and sixth Gurus from 1579 to 1637 for 58 years. Bhai Gurdas is one of the most eminent personalities in the history of Sikh religion. He was a brilliant scholar and poet and rendered im­perishable service to Sikhism. He was so much devoted to his cause-that he never married. His humility was so great that though he-wrote the Adi Granth at the dictation of Guru Arjan, and included therein sayings of many Hindu and Muslim saints, and was the Guru's maternal uncle, yet he declined to include in it his own compositions-which were of a high order, for the simple reason that he did not like to raise himself to the position of bhaktas. Guru Amar Das's father was Tej Bhan. Tej Bhan's brother was Chandra Bhan. His son was Ishwar Das. Bhai Gurdas was his son. His mother was Jiwani. Thus Gurdas was a nephew of Guru Amar Das.
He was born in 1551 AD, twelve years after Guru Nanak's death. He was thus the first cousin of Bibi Bhani, daughter of Guru Amar Das, wife of Guru Ram Das and mother of Guru Arjan. His parents belonged to village Basarke, but they migrated to Goindwal, the head­quarters of Guru Amar Das. It was here that Gurdas took birth. His parents had embraced Sikh religion. As a child Gurdas attended sangats or congregations. He possessed a sweet and melodious voice,-and enthusiastically participated in singing hymns. He developed great love and affection for the Gurus' teachings. He picked up Gurmukhi and learnt by heart Gurbani or the Gurus' hymns, prayers, and chants. He seldom missed any divine service. In 1567 Guru Amar Das got a baoli or a well with stairs dug up at Goindwal. On the Baisakhi day a great fair was held there which was attended by all the Sikhs. Gurdas as a lad of sixteen served in this festival and entertained the congregations with his songs and recitations. Guru Amar Das had established twenty-two manjis or dioceses each under a sangatia. The most important and distant diocese at Agra, then capital of the Mughal Empire in India, was assigned to him. At this time Akbar was the Emperor. Hindi and Sanskrit were flourishing. Goswami Tulsidas had just composed his immortal Ramayana called Ramcharitmanas. The most celebrated musician Tansen was living at Akbar's court. Gurdas made the most of his opportunity. He learnt Brajbhasha, Sanskrit and many ragas or musical metres after the style of Tansen and composed poetry.
When Guru Ram Das started construction of Amritsar, he recalled Gurdas and employed him to look after the development of the new township by inviting people from the neighbourhood to settle there. On the nomination of Arjan, Guru Ram Das's eldest son, Prithi Mal, became hostile to his father and brother. His hostility reduced Guru Ram Das to great financia1 stringency so much so that the Guru's wife, Bibi Bhani, lived on gram flour. This touched Gurdas's heart and he brought back Bhai Budha from the jungle of Basarke to Amrit­sar to give consolation to the Guru's family.
In 1596 AD, Guru Arjan decided to compile the Holy Granth. He deputed Gurdas to many Sikhs to collect Gurbani. Then he was sent to Mohan, son of Guru Amar Das, at Goindwal to bring the collection of Guru's hymns from him. Guru Arjan addressed Bhai Gurdas as 'Mamaji' or maternal uncle. There being no better scholar than Gurdas among the Sikhs, the Guru entrusted to him the duty of writing the Granth at his dictation. Guru Arjan selected a beautiful site two kilometres to the east of the holy tank in the grove of Beri (Zizyphus Jajuba) trees on the bank of a pond now called Ramsar. There he put up a small tent. The Guru sat on a cot inside and Bhai Gurdas outside. The dictation continued from sunrise for 4 to 5 hours daily. Gurdas simplified the Gurmukhi style at the bidding of Guru Arjan,1 and he wrote the Granth in the modified script. When the sayings of bhaktas had been included in the Granth, the Guru asked Bhai Gurdas to insert his own Vars and Kabits also. Bhaiji declined saying that he had not attained that degree of perfection in devotion to God. The Granth was completed in 1604 AD. In 1605 Emperor Akbar on a visit to Lahore stayed at Batala. Prithi Mal with the help of local Mughal officials complained to the Emperor against Guru Arjan saying that he had abused Hinduism and Islam therein. The Emperor called for the Granth. It was sent under custody of Bhai Budha and Bhai Gurdas. Akbar asked Bhai Gurdas to read at a certain place. At the first place it said: Khak nur karand alam duniyai [God reduces worldly pedagogues to dust] The Emperor pointed to a hymn on another page. It stated: Allah agam Khudai bande [God is eternal and men are his creation] Akbar now asked his clerk, Munshi Sarb Dayal, who knew Gurmukhi, to read the Granth from another place. It said: Koi bole Ram Ram koi Khuda [Some call Him Ram, others Khuda.] The Emperor was pleased. He made an offering of 51 gold mohars to the Granth, and awarded robes of honour to its two bearers with another khilat for the Guru. Guru Hargobind became Guru in 1606 AD. The tilak of succession was applied by Bhai Budha who adorned the Guru with two swords of Miri and Pin. The Holy Granth was recited by Bhai Gurdas. When the Guru was imprisoned in the fort of Gwalior, Mata Ganga, the Guru's mother, sent Bhai Gurdas there to bring news about Hargobind. Afterwards he was sent by the Guru to Afghanistan to purchase horses. On the death of Bhai Budha, the office of the head priest of Han Mandar was bestowed upon him. By natural temperament and training Bhai Gurdas was a man of peace. He did not much appreciate Guru Hargobind's militarist acti­vities. He perhaps believed in co-operation with the Mughal Emperors. in a Var he represented people's views about the Guru's activities. He says that they did not approve of his wanderings, wars with Emperors and not devoting full attention to his religious duties. As the Guru was most popular with his Sikhs who were ready to lay down their lives for him voluntarily, Bhai Gurdas concluded his account thus: "I say the truth which cannot possibly be concealed ; the true Sikhs, like the humble bees, are enamoured of his lotus-feet." "He supporteth a burden intolerable to others and asserteth not himself." Bhai Gurdas composed thirtynine Vars and 556 Kabits. In Vars I and XI he gives a short account of Guru Nanak. In Kabit no.345 he tells us that Guru Nanak obtained divine light about his mission in life on Kartik full moon day: Kartik masi rut sarad puranmashi ath jam sath ghari aj ten ban hai. [It is the month of Kartik, weather is cool, full moon day of eight jams (24 hours), sixty gharis (24 hours) (is over); it is your turn today (to obtain divine knowledge). About mixing people of all castes and creeds in sangats and pangats on the basis of social equality Bhai Gurdas has given a fine example. A green betel leaf with a coating of white lime and brown katha, when chewed produces a bright red colour giving fragrance to breath and beauty to lips. Similarly the Guru's teachings dissolved all caste differ­ences and produced a homogeneous society of the Sikhs. Bhai Gurdas further says: Do good even to bad people like the tree that gives fruit even to those who throw stones at it. Gurdas praises such persons as sacri­fice for others and who are happy by serving others. Bhai Gurdas, who never married, died on Bhadon suds 5,1693 13k/25 August 1636 in Goindwal at the age of 86. He mentions Mardana, Daulat Khan Lodi and others, but there is no reference to Bhai Bala. The house of Bhai Gurdas containing a well and his smadhi were situated behind the residence of Guru Hargobind at Amritsar.