The Hindu : Miscellaneous / Religion : Embodiment of sacrifice

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Jun 16, 2004

Miscellaneous

Miscellaneous - Religion

Embodiment of sacrifice

CHENNAI, JUNE 16 . Today is the 398th anniversary of the martyrdom of Guru Arjan, the fifth Guru of the Sikhs. He was born in Goindwal near Amritsar in 1563 AD. When the time came for his father Guru Ram Das to retire, Arjan was proclaimed the next Guru as predicted by his maternal grandfather, Guru Amar Das. But his path was full of pitfalls, because his elder brother Prithi Chand turned violently hostile. Guru Arjan's first task was to complete the building of the temple now called the Golden Temple in Amritsar. Guru Arjan also had a tank dug 11 miles south of Amritsar called Taran Taran meaning "pool of salvation".

As the vile Prithi Chand had begun to compile an anthology of "sacred writings" in which he was inserting compositions of his own, he abandoned his other pursuits in order to make an authentic compilation of the writings of his predecessors. He also included the contributions, both Muslim and Hindus of all castes including the "untouchables" and made the Granth, which reflected the faith of Guru Nanak in its entirety.

The Granth became the most powerful factor in spreading the teachings of the Gurus among the masses. The Mughal Emperor Akbar was impressed by the Guru's work but his death brought a sudden reversal in the policy of the state towards the Sikhs. Emperor Jehangir disapproved of the growing popularity of Guru Arjan. The Guru was taken to Lahore and tortured for five long days. It is said that the last glimpse his devotees had of the Guru was in 1606 A.D. when he walked into River Ravi. Guru Arjan was an unusually gifted and prolific writer. His lines were resplendent with bejewelled phrases and his hymns full of haunting melody. His most popular composition was the Sukhmani. In the 25 years of Arjan's ministry, the seed sown by Guru Nanak blossomed into its fullness. The death of Guru Arjan was a turning point in the history of the Punjab. He was the embodiment of many things that Guru Nanak had preached and stood for.

Mahindar Singh,

New Delhi

New Delhi

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