Guru Arjan Dev

Guru Arjan Dev

Guru Arjan Dev Ji (Punjabi: ਸ੍ਰੀ ਗੁਰੂ ਅਰਜੁਨ ਦੇਵ ਜੀ ; 15 April 1563– 30 May 1606 was the Fifth of the Ten Sikh Gurus. He was born in Goindval, Punjab, India, the youngest son of Guru Ram Das Sahib Ji and Bibi Bhani Ji, the daughter of Guru Amar Das Sahib Ji. He became Guru Ji of the Sikhs on 1 September 1581 after the death of His Father Guru Ram Das Sahib Ji. Guru Arjan Dev Ji died in Lahore, Punjab, (now in Pakistan). Before His death, He passed the light of Guruship to His Son Guru Har Gobind Sahib Ji as the next Guru Ji of the Sikhs.

Guru Arjan Dev Ji lived as the Guru Ji of Sikhism for a quarter of a century and accomplished much during his service to humanity. Guru Arjan completed the construction of Amritsar and founded other cities such as Taran Taran and Kartarpur. He constructed a Baoli at Lahore. The most important work of Guru Arjan Dev Ji was the compilation of Adi Granth. He collected all the work of the first four Gurus and dictated it in the form of verses in 1604. It is, perhaps, the only script which still exists in the form first published (a hand-written manuscript) by the Guru. The integrity of the original writings within the Adi Granth is especially noted.

Guru Arjan organised the Masand system, a group of representatives who taught and spread the teachings of the Gurus and also received the Dasvand, partial offering of a Sikh's income (in money, goods or service) that Sikhs paid to support the building of Gurdwara Sahib, the Guru ka Langars (shared communal kitchens) originally intended to share with sense of love, respect and equality, still an important element today in any Gurdwara. The Langars were open to any visitors and were designed from the start to stress the idea of equality and a casteless society. The land that Amritsar is built upon is believed to be a jagir (estates gifted to individuals under the Mughal system which included one or more villages and often a portion of the crops produced on the land) given as a gift by the Emperor Akbar, who was impressed by the practice, after sharing a meal in the Guru's communal kitchen, seated on the floor among commoners.

Read more about Guru Arjan Dev:  Life, Martyrdom

Famous quotes containing the word guru:

    One does not become a guru by accident.
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