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Bhai Gurdas ji is much
honoured for his Sikhi way of life and
literary work. He was a leading figure
in Sikhism who enjoyed the partronage
of Guru Arjan under whose supervision
he inscribed the first copy of Sikh
Scripture, the Guru Granth Sahib, which
is still extant. He was born in a Bhalla
Khatri family, his father's name was
Ishar Das and mother's name was Jivani
at Goindval in 1608 Bk/AD 1551. That
makes him, Nephew of third Guru Guru
Amardas ji.
Bhai Ishar Das, one of Guru Amar Das's
cousins had settled in Goindval soon
after the town was founded in 1603 Bk/AD
1546. Bhai Gurdas, who was the only
child of his parents, lost his mother
when he was barely three and his father
when he was 12. He spent his early years
at Goindval and Sultanpur Lodhi. At
the former place, he had the opportunity
of listening to many men of knowledge
and spiritual attainment who kept visiting
the town which fell on the Delhi-Lahore
road and was then the religious centre
of the Sikhs. He later proceeded to
Varanasi where he studied Sanskrit and
Hindu scriptures. He was initiated into
Sikhism then extensively visiting Agra,
Lucknow Varanasi, Burhanpur, Rajasthan,Jammu
and Chamba hills, preaching Guru Nanak's
word. After the passing away of Guru
Ram Das, in 1581, he returned to the
Punjab, visited Goindval and thence
proceeded to Amritsar to pay his obeisance
to Guru Arjan, Guru Ram Das's successor.
He made Amritsar his home and through
his devotion and love of learning carved
for himself a pre-eminent position among
the Guru's disciples. When the Guru
decided to compile the Holy Granth containing
the hymns of the Gurus and of some of
the saints and sufis, he chose Bhai
Gurdas to be his principal helper. They
worked together on the volume which
was completed in 1604. The entire text
was inscribed by Bhai Gurdas. The copy
written in his hand is preserved to
this day in the family of the Guru's
descendants at Kartarpur, in Jalandhar
district of the Punjab.
Bhai Gurdas also contributed the labour
of his hands to the excavation of the
sacred pool at Amritsar (1577). He was
chosen to recite the Gurus' hymns to
Emperor Akbar when he visited Kartarpur
in 1596-97 on his way back from a military
campaign. As the tradition goes, the
Emperor had been incited by Prithi Chand
and his supporters against Guru Arjan
saying that the hymns he was planning
to compile into a volume had an anti-Muslim
tone. As Bhai Gurdas read out verses
selected at random, the Emperor was
deeply impressed with their spiritual
content When Guru Hargobind, Nanak Vl,
decided to construct in front of the
Harimandar, Akal Takht, Throne of the
Timeless Lord, he entrusted the task
to the two most revered Sikhs of the
time, Bhai Gurdas and Bhai Buddha the
latter blessed by Guru Nanak himself
Bhai Gurdas was assigned to looking
after the premises. Guru Hargobind also
appointed him to teach his young son
(Guru) Tegh Bahadur ancient classics
even as Bhai Buddha supervised his training
in Manly arts of archery and horsemanship.
Bhai Gurdas led a batch of Sikhs to
Gwalior where Guru Hargobind had been
detained under the orders of the Mughal
emperor Jahangir. He was present at
the weddings of the Guru's sons Baba
Gurditta (April 1621) and Baba Suraj
Mall (23April 1629). He offered ardas
at the death in 1621 of Mata Ganga,
Wife of Guru Arjan, and recited Scripture
and offered ardas at the time of Baba
Buddha's death on 17 November 1631.
Bhai Gurdas was the bulwark of Sikhi
still for many years. He was the expounder
and exemplar of the Sikh way of life.
He was a man of wide learning especially
in ancient texts and philosophy, and
devoted his exceptional talents to preaching
the Sikh faith. He composed verse which
is valued for its racy style and for
its vivid exposition of the teaching
of the Gurus. His poetry, now available
in two volumes, in Punjabi Vara Bhai
Gurdas and in Braj Kabitt Savaiyye and
is sung along with gurbani, the Gurus'
word, at holy congregations. Guru Arjan
put his seal of approval on it by designating
it as the "key" to the Holy
Scripture. Bhai Gurdas, who never married,
died at Goindval on Bhadon suds 5,1693
13k/25 August 1636.
Copyright © Harbans Singh "The
encyclopedia of Sikhism. Vol III."
Jaggi, Ratan Siligh, Bhai Gurdas Jivan
Te RachnaPatiala, 1974
Sardul Singh, Bhai Gurdas. Patiala,
1961
Nripinder Singh, The Sikh moral tradition,
Delhi 1990.
Darshan Singh. Bhai Gurdas Sikhi de
pahile viakhiakar, Patiala, 1986.
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