The Second Master Guru Angad (1504 - 1552)
son of a prosperous Hindu trader, Bhai Pheru, Guru Angad was an ardent
devotee of the Hindu goddess Durga. Lehna, as he was known before becoming
Guru was born on March 31, 1504 in the village of Matte-di-Sari but
eventually his family moved to Khadur. He was married to Khivi and had
two sons, Datu and Dasu, and one daughter Amro. Lehna would annually
lead groups of pilgrims to visit the temple of Durga at Jwalamukhi for
preying and dancing. Here the flames emitted by the volcano are worshipped
by devout Hindus. One day Lehna heard a Sikh named Bhai Jodha reciting
the Japji, the early morning prayer composed by Guru Nanak. Finding
out about Guru Nanak from Bhai Joda, Lehna decided to visit the Guru
and pay his respects. Upon meeting Guru Nanak at the age of 27, Lehna
became a devout disciple of Guru Nanak and renounced his former practices.
Guru Nanak instructed
Lehna to return to Khadur to instruct people in the ways of Sikhism.
Here Lehna spent his time in prayer and serving the people. He distributed
food to the poor daily. Longing to be with Guru Nanak he eventually
returned to Karthapur where he became totally devoted to the service
of Guru Nanak. After undergoing countless tests, Guru Nanak eventually
appointed Guru Angad as his successor on July 14, 1539 as described
previously. Upon the death of Guru Nanak, Guru Angad returned to Khadur
where he went into seclusion and meditation for six months. Eventually
a delegation of Sikhs led by Baba Buddha convinced the Guru that they
needed him. Guru Angad longed for Guru Nanak, when he said to Baba Buddha;
"He whom you love,
die for him. Accursed is the life without the beloved. The head should
be sliced that does not bow before the Master. O Nanak! the body should
be burnt that suffers not the agony of separation." (Sri Rag) "He who
has been blessed by Guru Nanak is lost in the praises of the Lord. What
could one teach those, Who have Divine Nanak as their Guru?" (Majh)
Guru Angad was
the embodiment of humility as Guru Nanak had been before him. The renowned
yogi Daya Nath visited Guru Angad to try to convert him. Daya Nath believed
that mental purity could only be obtained through renunciation of the
world, observance of rituals, introspection, and yoga. Guru Angad engaged
him in discussion saying that only through living a simple truthful
life as Guru Nanak had lived can God be realized, by remaining pure
amidst impurity. The yogi was eventually won over by the purity and
innocence of Guru Angad and asked the Guru if there was anything that
he could do for him. The humble Guru Angad replied that he only seeked
the learned yogis blessings.
Guru Angad followed
the daily routine that Guru Nanak had. He would wake up early at dawn
to recite Guru Nanak's Japji (morning prayer) as well as sing Asa di
var with his congregation, work during the daytime and then have evening
prayers. Guru Angad also maintained langar where people of all religions
and casts could gather for a free meal. Guru Angad also took a keen
interest in physical fitness, and encouraged his devotees to be involved
in sports after their morning prayers.
After the Mughal
emperor Babur's death he was succeeded by his son Humayun. He was soon
defeated by Sher Shah and on his retreat out of India he stopped at
Khadur to seek the Guru's blessings. When Humayan arrived, Guru Angad
and the congregation were absorbed in singing religious hymns. After
a while Humayan became impatient and angry at being ignored and put
his hand on the hilt of his sword to attack the Guru. Guru Angad was
unmoved by this and said "When you should have used the sword you did
not, rather you ran away from the battlefield like a coward. Here you
show off, threatening to attack unarmed devotees engaged in prayer."
Humayan was humbled by this and asked the Guru's forgiveness and blessings.
Guru Angad blessed him, and as history was to have it he eventually
regained his throne.
Guru Angad was
very fond of children and took a great interest in their education.
He advocated that they should be taught to read and write in their mother
tongue, Punjabi. Although the origins of the Gurmukhi script are unclear,
it is clear that Guru Angad popularized the use of this simplified script
among the Sikhs starting around 1541. Being the successor of Guru Nanak
he also got the first authorized biography of Guru Nanak written in
1544, as well as having a number of copies of Guru Nanak's hymns written
out in the new Gurmukhi script. Guru Angad further expanded the number
of Sikh religious centers.
There lived a very
devout Vaishanavite Hindu named Amar Das. He had regularly made pilgrimages
to the Ganges river for ritual baths for over 20 years. While returning
from his twelfth such pilgrimage he was asked by a monk "Who is your
Guru?" Amar Das felt frustrated as he could not answer this question
having searched his whole life, but still not achieving the peace of
mind that he longed for. One day he heard Bibi Amro the daughter of
Guru Angad, who was recently married to his nephew singing the hymns
of Guru Nanak. Amar Das started to listen to them every day until he
was enchanted by them. Bibi Amro told Amar Das about the mission of
Guru Nanak and promised to introduce him to her father Guru Angad.
When the time finally
came and they met, Guru Angad got up from his seat on his arrival to
embrace Amar Das as he was his relative and also much older than the
Guru. Amar Das instead fell to the Guru's feet out of respect and humility,
forgetting his age and family status. On this day of their meeting,
Guru Angad was eating meat and being a Vaishnav Hindu, Amar Das felt
uncomfortable. Guru Angad told Amar Das that the meats one should avoid
are envy, greed, ego, slander and usurpation of others rights. He told
Amar Das that there is life in everything, whatever is eaten while remembering
God is like nectar itself. Amar Das thus became a devoted disciple of
One of the Guru
Angad's wealthy disciple named Gobind decided to build a new township
on the river Beas to honour the Guru. Guru Angad sent Amar Das to supervise
the construction of this new township which came to be known as Goindwal.
When it was completed Guru Angad instructed Amar Das and his family
to move there. Amar Das complied. Every morning he would get up early
in the morning and carry water from the river to the Guru and remain
in his company the entire day before returning to Goindwal in the evenings.
Each year Guru Angad would present a turban as a symbol of honour to
his devoted followers. Such was the devotion of Amar Das that he would
wear one on top of the other, refusing to discard the Guru's gift. People
ridiculed Amar Das for his blind faith, but he was never concerned.
As Guru Angad's
popularity continued to spread among the people, this caused much jealousy
among the Hindu high castes because Guru Angad was gaining popularity
with his preaching about a castless society. They conspired to turn
the people away from the Guru. During a drought year a Hindu recluse
told the villagers "You go to Guru Angad day and night for spiritual
guidance, why can't he get rain for your dying crops?" The recluse forecasted
that there would only be rain when Guru Angad left the village. When
confronted by the desperate farmers Guru Angad replied, "Nature cannot
bend to your will merely by human sacrifice to the gods, or by injuring
someone's heart. But if your rain god is satisfied by my leaving this
village, I shall do so without a moment's hesitation." Leaving the village
Guru Angad was refused shelter in neighboring villages and finally settled
in a forest south of Khadur. When the rains did not come as promised
the villagers grew angry at the Hindu recluse and wanted to kill him.
Amar Das was disappointed with the way that the villagers had treated
Guru Angad. He suggested that instead of killing the recluse the farmers
tie the recluse to a plow and drag him through their fields. The rains
finally came. The villagers now emplored the Guru to return to the village.
When Guru Angad heard to the punishment the Hindu recluse had received
he told Amar Das; "You should have shown endurance, in the face of adversity,
like the earth, steadfastness like a mountain and compassion like a
river. For the wise and the holy, it is unforgivable if they practice
not humility and remain not even-minded in weal or woe." Amar Das asked
for and received forgiveness.
Guru Angad did
not believe in performing miracles unnecessarily. When Amar Das blessed
a devotee of the Guru's with a son, Guru Angad warned him, "Do not go
about disbursing your blessings and curses without due deliberation.
God is merciful to all men of prayer and good intentions, and one need
not exhibit one's spiritual prowess by such showmanship."
A village women
once ridiculed Amar Das for his faithful devotion as being that "homeless
old man who carries water every day for his Guru daily." When Guru Angad
heard this he embraced Amar Das and told his congregation; "Amar Das
is not homeless, he is the shelter of the unsheltered. He is the strength
of the weak and the emancipation of the slave!" Finding that Amar Das
was his most worthy disciple and feeling that his end was near Guru
Angad announced that Amar Das would be his successor. Guru Angad's two
sons were unhappy with their fathers decision but the Guru told them
that the honour would go to Amar Das because he was the most worthy
and humble. Guru Angad bowed before Guru Amar Das placing five copper
coins and a coconut before him signifying as Guru Nanak had done before
him. Guru Angad then had Baba Buddha anoint the forehead of Guru Amar
Das with a saffron mark. Shortly thereafter Guru Angad left this world
on March 28, 1552.