o Guru Angad Dev ji
In 1538, Guru Nanak chose Lehna, his disciple, as a successor to the
Guruship rather than one of his sons. Bhai Lehna ji was named Guru Angad and became the successor of Guru Nanak. Bhai Lehna ji was born in
the village of
Harike in Ferozepur district in Punjab, on March 31, 1504. He was the son of a small trader
named Pheru. His mother's name was
Mata Ramo (also known as Mata
Sabhirai, Mansa Devi, Daya Kaur).
Baba Narayan Das Trehan was his
grand father, whose ancestral house was at Matte-di-Sarai near Mukatsar. Under the influence of his mother,
Bhai Lehna began to worship Durga (A Hindu Goddess). He used to lead a
group of Hindu worshippers to Jawalamukhi Temple every year. He
married Mata Khivi in January 1520 and had two sons, (Dasu and Datu),
and two daughters (Amro and
Anokhi). The whole Pheru family had
to leave their ancestral village
because of the ransacking by the Mughal and Baloch military who had come with Emperor Babur. After this the family settled at the village of
Khadur Sahib by the River Beas, near Tarn Taran Sahib, a small town about 25 km. from Amritsar city. One day, Bhai Lehna heard the
recitation of a hymn of Guru Nanak from Bhai Jodha (a Sikh of Guru
Nanak Sahib) who was in Khadur
Sahib. He was thrilled and decided to
proceed to Kartarpur to have an audience (darshan) with Guru Nanak. So while on the annual pilgrimage to
Jwalamukhi Temple, Bhai Lehna left
his journey to visit Kartarpur and see
Baba Nanak. His very first meeting
with Guru Nanak completely
transformed him. He renounced the worship of the Hindu Goddess,
dedicated himself to the service of
Guru Nanak and so became his
disciple, (his Sikh), and began to live
in Kartarpur. His devotion and service (Sewa) to Guru Nanak and his holy mission was
so great that he was instated as the
Second Nanak on September 7, 1539
by Guru Nanak. Earlier Guru Nanak
tested him in various ways and found
an embodiment of obedience and service in him. He spent six or seven
years in the service of Guru Nanak at
Kartarpur. After the death of Guru Nanak on
September 22, 1539, Guru Angad left
Kartarpur for the village of Khadur
Sahib (near Goindwal Sahib). He
carried forward the principles of Guru
Nanak both in letter and spirit. Yogis and Saints of different sects visited
him and held detailed discussions
about Sikhism with him. Guru Angad introduced a new
alphabet known as Gurmukhi Script, modifying the old Punjabi script's
characters. Soon, this script became
very popular and started to be used
by the people in general. He took
great interest in the education of
children by opening many schools for their instruction and thus increased
the number of literate people. For the
youth he started the tradition of Mall
Akhara, where physical as well as
spiritual exercises were held. He
collected the facts about Guru Nanak's life from Bhai Bala and wrote the first biography of Guru Nanak. He
also wrote 63 Saloks (stanzas), which are included in the Guru Granth Sahib. He popularised and expanded the
institution of Guru ka Langar that had been started by Guru Nanak. Guru Angad travelled widely and
visited all important religious places
and centres established by Guru
Nanak for the preaching of Sikhism.
He also established hundreds of new
Centres of Sikhism (Sikh religious Institutions) and thus strengthened
the base of Sikhism. The period of his
Guruship was the most crucial one.
The Sikh community had moved from
having a founder to a succession of
Gurus and the infrastructure of Sikh society was strengthened and
crystallized – from being an infant,
Sikhism had moved to being a young
child and ready to face the dangers
that were around. During this phase,
Sikhism established its own separate spiritual path. Guru Angad, following the example
set by Guru Nanak, nominated Sri
Amar Das as his successor (the Third
Nanak) before his death. He
presented all the holy scripts,
including those he received from Guru Nanak, to Guru Amar Das. He
breathed his last breath on March 29,
1552 at the age of forty-eight. It is
said that he started to build a new
town, at Goindwal near Khadur Sahib
and Guru Amar Das Sahib was appointed to supervise its
construction. It is also said that Humayun, when defeated by Sher Shah Suri, came to obtain the blessings of Guru Angad in regaining
the throne of Delhi.
In 1538, Guru Nanak chose Lehna, his disciple, as a successor to the
Guruship rather than one of his sons. Bhai Lehna ji was named Guru Angad and became the successor of Guru Nanak. Bhai Lehna ji was born in
the village of
Harike in Ferozepur district in Punjab, on March 31, 1504. He was the son of a small trader
named Pheru. His mother's name was
Mata Ramo (also known as Mata
Sabhirai, Mansa Devi, Daya Kaur).
Baba Narayan Das Trehan was his
grand father, whose ancestral house was at Matte-di-Sarai near Mukatsar. Under the influence of his mother,
Bhai Lehna began to worship Durga (A Hindu Goddess). He used to lead a
group of Hindu worshippers to Jawalamukhi Temple every year. He
married Mata Khivi in January 1520 and had two sons, (Dasu and Datu),
and two daughters (Amro and
Anokhi). The whole Pheru family had
to leave their ancestral village
because of the ransacking by the Mughal and Baloch military who had come with Emperor Babur. After this the family settled at the village of
Khadur Sahib by the River Beas, near Tarn Taran Sahib, a small town about 25 km. from Amritsar city. One day, Bhai Lehna heard the
recitation of a hymn of Guru Nanak from Bhai Jodha (a Sikh of Guru
Nanak Sahib) who was in Khadur
Sahib. He was thrilled and decided to
proceed to Kartarpur to have an audience (darshan) with Guru Nanak. So while on the annual pilgrimage to
Jwalamukhi Temple, Bhai Lehna left
his journey to visit Kartarpur and see
Baba Nanak. His very first meeting
with Guru Nanak completely
transformed him. He renounced the worship of the Hindu Goddess,
dedicated himself to the service of
Guru Nanak and so became his
disciple, (his Sikh), and began to live
in Kartarpur. His devotion and service (Sewa) to Guru Nanak and his holy mission was
so great that he was instated as the
Second Nanak on September 7, 1539
by Guru Nanak. Earlier Guru Nanak
tested him in various ways and found
an embodiment of obedience and service in him. He spent six or seven
years in the service of Guru Nanak at
Kartarpur. After the death of Guru Nanak on
September 22, 1539, Guru Angad left
Kartarpur for the village of Khadur
Sahib (near Goindwal Sahib). He
carried forward the principles of Guru
Nanak both in letter and spirit. Yogis and Saints of different sects visited
him and held detailed discussions
about Sikhism with him. Guru Angad introduced a new
alphabet known as Gurmukhi Script, modifying the old Punjabi script's
characters. Soon, this script became
very popular and started to be used
by the people in general. He took
great interest in the education of
children by opening many schools for their instruction and thus increased
the number of literate people. For the
youth he started the tradition of Mall
Akhara, where physical as well as
spiritual exercises were held. He
collected the facts about Guru Nanak's life from Bhai Bala and wrote the first biography of Guru Nanak. He
also wrote 63 Saloks (stanzas), which are included in the Guru Granth Sahib. He popularised and expanded the
institution of Guru ka Langar that had been started by Guru Nanak. Guru Angad travelled widely and
visited all important religious places
and centres established by Guru
Nanak for the preaching of Sikhism.
He also established hundreds of new
Centres of Sikhism (Sikh religious Institutions) and thus strengthened
the base of Sikhism. The period of his
Guruship was the most crucial one.
The Sikh community had moved from
having a founder to a succession of
Gurus and the infrastructure of Sikh society was strengthened and
crystallized – from being an infant,
Sikhism had moved to being a young
child and ready to face the dangers
that were around. During this phase,
Sikhism established its own separate spiritual path. Guru Angad, following the example
set by Guru Nanak, nominated Sri
Amar Das as his successor (the Third
Nanak) before his death. He
presented all the holy scripts,
including those he received from Guru Nanak, to Guru Amar Das. He
breathed his last breath on March 29,
1552 at the age of forty-eight. It is
said that he started to build a new
town, at Goindwal near Khadur Sahib
and Guru Amar Das Sahib was appointed to supervise its
construction. It is also said that Humayun, when defeated by Sher Shah Suri, came to obtain the blessings of Guru Angad in regaining
the throne of Delhi.
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