Inderjeet S. Bhatia”Prince”
Guru Ramdas Ji,the 4th Guru of Sikhism, is known for his deep spirituality, selfless service and devotion to the principles of Sikhism.Guru Ramdas ji’s influence on Sikh culture and spirituality remains significant. The life and works of Guru Ramdas ji reflect the core values of Sikhism, including service with humility, devotion and the pursuit of spiritual knowledge. Guru Ramdas Ji stressed on the importance of devotion (Bhakti) and meditation (simran) as essential practices for spiritual growth. Guru ji encouraged his followers to develop a deep connection with God through these spiritual disciplines for a deeper sense of spirituality.
EARLY LIFE
-He was born on 24th September, 1534 at Chuna Mandi,Lahore,now in Pakistan. His father’s name was Haridas, whereas Daya Kaur ji was his mother. Guru ji was named as Jetha Ji, meaning the eldest .Guru had his brother and sister. Jetha ji, from his childhood, was deeply spiritual, humble and inclined toward serving holy men and the needy.Guru ji’s both parents died one after the other and he grew up as an orphan under the care of his grandmother. Guru ji, at the young age of 12 years, moved to village Goidwal Sahib in Punjab along with his grandmother. Here, Guru ji came in contact with Guru Amar Das ji, the 3rd Guru ji of Sikhism. Bhai Jetha ji’s spiritual side led him to become a true disciple of Guru Amar Das ji to whom he served with great devotion and humility. Guru Amardas ji was deeply impressed by the selfless service being rendered by Bhai Jetha ji. It so happened that the Mughal Emperor Akbar’s ears were poisoned and he ordered the framing of charges against Guru Amar Das ji for propagating against the teachings of Hindu and Muslim religions. The Emperor summoned Guru Amar Das ji to explain his teachings and to clear their meanings. Guru Amar Das ji sent Bhai Jetha ji to the Emperor’s court where he eloquently defended Guru Amar Das ji’s teachings and told the Emperor about respect that Sikhism hold for the people of other beliefs. Guru ji told the Emperor that there was no high or low caste in Sikhism. That no holy place was much holier than other. That every individual had access to the Almighty, the God, Allah, or Waheguru ji. That the God, being the supreme power in this universe, was present everywhere. Bhai Jetha ji advised the Emperor Akbar to endow charitable undertakings of all kinds. The Emperor was convinced and the charges against Guru Amar Das ji were dismissed. The Emperor honoured Bhai Jetha ji by presenting a robe of honour to him.
Guru Amar Das ji was deeply impressed and asked Bhai Jetha ji to marry his daughter, Bibi Bhani ji, to which Bhai Jetha ji agreed. The said marriage was solemnized in 1553.Guru Amar Das ji’s admiration for Bhai Jetha ji continued to grow and finally Guru Amar Das ji declared Bhai Jetha ji as his successor, the 4th Sikh Guru, after renaming Bhai Jetha ji as Guru Ramdas Ji, the servant of lord RAM, the almighty.
The Guruship was conferred upon Bhai Jetha ji on 30th August, 1574.The elevation of Guru Ramdas ji to the position of 4th Sikh Guru was a significant moment in Sikh history and marked the continuation of the spiritual heritage of the Gurus.
Guru Ramdas ji’s life showed a balance between spiritual devotion and family responsibilities As told earlier, Guru ji was married to Bibi Bhani ji ,the daughter of Guru Amar Das ji ,and together they had three sons namely Prithi Chand, Mahadev and Guru Arjan Dev ji,who succeeded Guru Ramdas Ji as the 5th Guru of Sikhism.
TEACHINGS & ACHIEVEMENTS
1) GURU RAMDAS JI WAS STRICTLY OPPOSED TO THE CASTE SYSTEM.
Guru ji advocated equality in every community. Guru ji emphasized the openness of Sikhism to people of every caste and creed. In the words of Guru Ramdas ji, “Birth and caste are of no avail before God. It is one’s deeds that make or mar a man. exploiting the innocent people in the name of superstitions is a sacrilege against God and the man
2) FOUNDATION OF RAMDASPUR AND GURU RAMDAS SAROVAR:
GURU RAMDAS JI purchased land from the the owners of village Tung at cost of Rupees 700 collected as donations made by the Sikh Sangat and established a new township there. This town was named as Ramdaspur in Guru ji’s honour, which with the passage of time , came to be known as Amritsar, meaning “pool of nectar “. It was due to reason that Guru ji, after inviting people from different trades and professions made them to settle there, thus making Ramdaspur a thriving spiritual and commercial center. He started the excavation of a Sarovar (Holy pool) around 1577 CE. The Sarovar was dug with the active participation of Sikhs and devotees as an act of ” Sewa”. The water of this Sarovar came to be known as, AMRIT,hence the town’s name Amritsar . Later,Guru Arjan Dev ji, the son of Guru Ramdas ji and also Guru Ji’s successor, the 5th Guru of Sikhism, completed the work of Sarovar and in the middle of this Sarovar, built the HARMANDIR SAHIB, also called as the Golden Temple, the supreme spiritual centre of Sikhism.
3.) SPIRITUAL CONTRIBUTIONS:
Guru Ramdas Ji was a poet – saint whose hymns( ” Shabad Gurbaani”) are included in the holy ,Sri Guru Granth Sahib ji. (Nearly 688 hymns)
Guru ji’s “baani” emphasize:
• Devotion to God,the Almighty (Waheguru ji)
• Humility and selfless service
• Condemning caste distinctions and ritualistic
• Importance of “Sangat and “langar”(holy congregation and community kitchen)
4) COMPOSITION OF “LAAVAN”
Guru Ramdas Ji composed the “Laavan”(The marriage hymns) in four stanzas. These are recited during the Sikh marriage ceremony (Anand Karaj).These verses symbolize the spiritual journey of the soul toward God. Guru RamdasJi guided the Sikh Sangat for seven years (1574-1581). Guru ji, through his life ,emphasized humility, equality and service as the path to God.Guru ji’s vision of a,community on service, equality and devotion continues to guide Sikhs even today.
Guru ji left for his heavenly abode on 1st , September 1581 at Goindwal .Guru ji had nominated his younger son, Arjan Dev ji as his successor. Guru Arjan Dev ji, thus, became the 5th Sikh Guru who carried forward his father’s vision by completing the Golden Temple in Amritsar.
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