Bhai Gurdas Ji: The Heritage of Sikhism

The walking encyclopedia, he was not a guru, but his devotion and love for Sikhism made gurus respect him. In addition to his close ties to the four descendants of Sikhism, it is his work to develop the literature of the Sikhs that speaks for him today.

The Great Preserver of Sikhism caught in his act; Image Source: Public Domain

Following a very authentic and pure guru-shishya relationship, Sikhism as a religion was constituted by Guru Nanak Dev Ji in the 16th century. With time, nine of his successors took the responsibility to gradually bring reforms through religious and cultural innovation in his ideology.

During the same period, Bhai Gurdas Ji was the only child born to Bhai Ishardas and Mata Jivani, who lived in Basarke village in Punjab. As a child, he grew up in close association with the gurus and grasped all the knowledge under the canopy of their knowledge tree. He attended many Sangat or Sikh assemblies in local colonies since his parents were Sikh too.

However, the year he turned twelve was a turning point in his life. His parents died early, leaving the boy devastated and unattended at a very young age. Having no one to care for him, he was orphaned to life.

At this point, Guru Amardas Ji entered his life, inspiring him to embrace the spiritual and religious life. In addition to being the third Guru of Sikhism, he was also Gurdas' first cousin, who accompanied him to Goindval, where he spent most of his young life. The Guru offered him the chance to learn many languages under his tutelage, and he was enthralled as he met and listened to scholars and sages that visited his place.

His curious nature compelled him to constantly seek out knowledge and promote it everywhere he went. A scholar and poet of his time, he even studied Hindi and Sanskrit scripture from Varanasi. With his sweet and melodious voice devoted to the teaching of gurus, he enjoyed singing hymns in all the congregations he was a member of.

Although, his first love was the service he rendered to Sikhism and the teachings of his guru; his devotion to Sikhism was so strong that he never married.

His love of the Gurus' teachings grew greater over time, and he began learning Gurmukhi. While he never missed any divine service, his memory was full of hymns, prayers, and chants that he had learned from the Gurus.

Known for his vast knowledge of ancient texts and philosophy, he dedicated the rest of his life to preaching the Sikh faith. Known for the style of his verses and for its vivid explanation of the teachings of the Gurus, he authored a verse that is much valued in Sikh literature. He has even written a brief account of the evolution of Sikhism and the life of Guru Nanak Dev Ji.

Gurdas was employed to oversee the development of Amritsar by Guru Ram Das as soon as the township started construction. Among his contributions was the excavation of the Sarovar at Darbar Sahib.

He was such a humble being that he was prompted by Guru Arjan to write the Adi Granth, but he was averse to including his own compositions-which were of the highest calibre- merely because he never sought recognition. His mission was to spread awareness of the principles of the guru and to enlighten people on the reality of social responsibility and the true way of life.

In many ways, Bhai Gurdas Ji's relationship with Guru Arjan, the fifth Guru of Sikhism, had the same purity and the same durability as Krishna-Arjun in the Mahabharata. Having a profound guru-shishya relationship created by their mutual respect, Guru Arjan Ji highly respected him as his maternal uncle. They often discussed the deep teachings of Sikhism together.

The Akal Takht is one of the five takhts that Sikhs consider when dealing with societal issues. Built by Shri Guru Hargobind, the sixth guru, it holds the position of Jathedaras who is the spokesperson of Sikh. Bhai Gurudas Ji was the first to be elevated as Jathedar of Akal Takht.

Bhai Gurdas Ji along with Guru Arjan completed the Adi Granth after 19 years of dedication and devotion. Additionally, he supervised the editing of four more, highly acclaimed scriptures that would add to Sikh literature, along with other work jointly known as the Vaaran Bhai Gurdas.

Even though he wasn't one of the gurus, he was still a very important figure in conserving and reforming Sikhism. A spiritual person all his life, he only lived for these teachings. Even gurus admired his profound faith and devotion to Sikhism. Upon his death, Shri Guru Hargobind Ji himself presided over the ceremonial services and honoured him for the life he lived.