Shri Guru Granth Sahib Ji : Message of the 4 Gursikhs (Part-4)

70. Message of the 4 Gursikhs (Part-4)

Baba Sundar ji

Baba Sundar ji was the Great grandson of Sri Guru Arjun Dev ji and grand son of Mohri Ji and son of Baba Anand ji. He was born in the year 1560 A.D. at Goindwal Sahib. He was a contemporary of Sri Guru Arjun Dev ji and had a scholarly mind. His intelligence is clearly portrayed in the gurbani Ramkali Sudd which was written by him. In this Bani, Baba Sundar ji recorded the holy messages of Sri Guru Amar Das Ji which guru ji conveyed to the disciples and members of his family at the last stages of his life. For the guidance of the Sikh world, he recorded and handed over these messages to Sri Guru Arjun Dev ji. This Holy bani of Ramkali Sudd is considered to be equivalent to the Guru’s Will executed for the guidance and advise of the Sikh world on what to do and what not to do in the last stages of one’s life. In this Bani, Baba Sundar ji has mentioned the eternal truth of death which the Great Guru Amar Das ji affirmed to his disciples and members of his family. As stated on page 923 :

O my children, siblings and family, look carefully in your minds, and see. The pre-ordained death warrant cannot be avoided; the Guru is going to be with the Lord God.

All of you, my sons, brothers, family members and Sikhs, please realize that invitation from God is imminent for all. So God has sent for me also and I am returning to him.”

So as Guru Amar Das ji indicated about his time of death, he also gave instructions to his family and Sikhs not to cry after his death. Whoever disobeyed this order, would never be favored by him. As stated on page 923 :

The True Guru, in His Own Sweet Will, sat up and summoned His family. Let no one weep for me after I am gone. That would not please me at all.

Guru ji further said,” O Friends! A sincere friend is he who is pleased when his friend is given respect, He who cries when his friend is given respect is not a friend. You should think this over very seriously. The Almighty God is bestowing honor and respect on me in his court, so you should not to cry. Rather you should be happy. As stated on page 923

When a friend receives a robe of honor, then his friends are pleased with his honor. Consider this and see, O my children and siblings; the Lord has given the True Guru the robe of supreme honor.

After giving all these instructions to his family, relatives and Sikhs, Sri Guru Amar Das ji in his own life time blessed the title of Guruship to Sri Ram Das ji. The Great Guru ordered all of his Sikhs, disciples, family and relatives to bow and touch feet of Sri Guru Ram Das ji . As stated on page 923 :

The True Guru Himself sat up, and appointed the successor to the Throne of Raja Yoga, the Yoga of Meditation and Success. All the Sikhs, relatives, children and siblings have fallen at the Feet of Guru Ram Das.

Sri Guru Amar Das ji addressed every body who was present there and said,” After my death, you are not to perform false and baseless traditional rituals which were prevalent at the time. These rituals amongst others was to decorate funerals, to do have a discourse from Garud Puran (hindu sacred writings), lighting lamps, Offer rice balls and sweets on leaves into water, to perform austerities and rites from pundits for the salvation of the soul, pick up the remains of the dead body and throw them in the river Ganga at Hardwar etc. On the contrary, you must praise the glory of one Almighty God. The teachings of the noble awakened Gursikshs are to be heard and put to practice. Besides this, you are not to waste your time in baseless rituals and rites (Karam Kaand). As stated on page 923 :

Finally, the True Guru said, "When I am gone, sing Kirtan in Praise of the Lord, in Nirvaanaa." Call in the long-haired scholarly Saints of the Lord, to read the sermon of the Lord, Har, Har. Read the sermon of the Lord, and listen to the Lord's Name; the Guru is pleased with love for the Lord. Do not bother with offering rice-balls on leaves, lighting lamps, and other rituals like floating the body out on the Ganges; instead, let my remains be given up to the Lord's Pool.

The above mentioned teachings of Guru Amar Das ji were accepted by his disciples happily. After that, he performed the ceremony of bestowing Guruship to Guru Sri Ram Das ji and ordered everybody present there to bow to Sri Guru Ram Das ji. First of all Baba Mohri ji, son of Guru Amar Das ji obeying the order of his father bowed to Sri Guru Ram Das ji. After him the entire congregation turn by turn respectfully bowed at the holy feet of Sri Guru Ram Das ji because on the evening of bestowing Guruship, Sri Guru Amar Das ji had stated that the Divine Light had now entered in to Sri Guru Ram Das ji and from now on Sri Guru Ram Das ji is the only heir to the throne of Sri Guru Nanak Dev ji. AS stated on page 924 :

And as the True Guru, the Primal Lord spoke, and the Gursikhs obeyed His Will. His son Mohri turned sunmukh, and become obedient to Him; he bowed, and touched Ram Das' feet. Then, everyone bowed and touched the feet of Ram Das, into whom the Guru infused His essence. And any that did not bow then because of envy - later, the True Guru brought them around to bow in humility. It pleased the Guru, the Lord, to bestow glorious greatness upon Him; such was the pre-ordained destiny of the Lord's Will. Says Sundar, listen, O Saints: all the world fell at His feet.

The great teachings stated in Ramkali Sudd delivered by Sri Amar Das ji at the last stage of his life to his family and disciples are enshrined in Sri Guru Granth Sahib ji and all this credit is due to Baba Sundar ji. These teachings will continue giving guidance and working as a light house for the coming generations to remain away from and avoid false and baseless rituals for ever. Baba Sundar ji breathed his last breath after reaching the age of 43 years old and merged with God Almighty. As stated on page 633 :

O Nanak, he merges with the Lord of the Universe, like water with water.

As regards to Baba Sundar Ji, the following lines of Gurbani aptly describe his life journey on page 687 :

My Yatra, my life pilgrimage, has become fruitful, fruitful, fruitful. My comings and goings have ended, since I met the Holy Saint.





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				70. Message of the 4 Gursikhs (Part-4) Baba Sundar ji Baba Sundar ji was the Great grandson of Sri Guru Arjun Dev ji and grand son of Mohri Ji and son of Baba Anand ji. He was born in the year 1560 A.D. at Goindwal Sahib. He was a contemporary of Sri Guru Arjun Dev ji and had a scholarly mind. His intelligence is clearly portrayed in the gurbani Ramkali Sudd which was written by him. In this Bani, Baba Sundar ji recorded the holy messages of Sri Guru Amar Das Ji which guru ji conveyed to the disciples and members of his family at the last stages of his life. For the guidance of the Sikh world, he recorded and handed over these messages to Sri Guru Arjun Dev ji. This Holy bani of Ramkali Sudd is considered to be equivalent to the Guru’s Will executed for the guidance and advise of the Sikh world on what to do and what not to do in the last stages of one’s life. In this Bani, Baba Sundar ji has mentioned the eternal truth of death which the Great Guru Amar Das ji affirmed to his disciples and members of his family. As stated on page 923 : O my children, siblings and family, look carefully in your minds, and see. The pre-ordained death warrant cannot be avoided; the Guru is going to be with the Lord God. All of you, my sons, brothers, family members and Sikhs, please realize that invitation from God is imminent for all. So God has sent for me also and I am returning to him.” So as Guru Amar Das ji indicated about his time of death, he also gave instructions to his family and Sikhs not to cry after his death. Whoever disobeyed this order, would never be favored by him. As stated on page 923 : The True Guru, in His Own Sweet Will, sat up and summoned His family. Let no one weep for me after I am gone. That would not please me at all. Guru ji further said,” O Friends! A sincere friend is he who is pleased when his friend is given respect, He who cries when his friend is given respect is not a friend. You should think this over very seriously. The Almighty God is bestowing honor and respect on me in his court, so you should not to cry. Rather you should be happy. As stated on page 923 When a friend receives a robe of honor, then his friends are pleased with his honor. Consider this and see, O my children and siblings; the Lord has given the True Guru the robe of supreme honor. After giving all these instructions to his family, relatives and Sikhs, Sri Guru Amar Das ji in his own life time blessed the title of Guruship to Sri Ram Das ji. The Great Guru ordered all of his Sikhs, disciples, family and relatives to bow and touch feet of Sri Guru Ram Das ji . As stated on page 923 : The True Guru Himself sat up, and appointed the successor to the Throne of Raja Yoga, the Yoga of Meditation and Success. All the Sikhs, relatives, children and siblings have fallen at the Feet of Guru Ram Das. Sri Guru Amar Das ji addressed every body who was present there and said,” After my death, you are not to perform false and baseless traditional rituals which were prevalent at the time. These rituals amongst others was to decorate funerals, to do have a discourse from Garud Puran (hindu sacred writings), lighting lamps, Offer rice balls and sweets on leaves into water, to perform austerities and rites from pundits for the salvation of the soul, pick up the remains of the dead body and throw them in the river Ganga at Hardwar etc. On the contrary, you must praise the glory of one Almighty God. The teachings of the noble awakened Gursikshs are to be heard and put to practice. Besides this, you are not to waste your time in baseless rituals and rites (Karam Kaand). As stated on page 923 : Finally, the True Guru said, "When I am gone, sing Kirtan in Praise of the Lord, in Nirvaanaa." Call in the long-haired scholarly Saints of the Lord, to read the sermon of the Lord, Har, Har. Read the sermon of the Lord, and listen to the Lord's Name; the Guru is pleased with love for the Lord. Do not bother with offering rice-balls on leaves, lighting lamps, and other rituals like floating the body out on the Ganges; instead, let my remains be given up to the Lord's Pool. The above mentioned teachings of Guru Amar Das ji were accepted by his disciples happily. After that, he performed the ceremony of bestowing Guruship to Guru Sri Ram Das ji and ordered everybody present there to bow to Sri Guru Ram Das ji. First of all Baba Mohri ji, son of Guru Amar Das ji obeying the order of his father bowed to Sri Guru Ram Das ji. After him the entire congregation turn by turn respectfully bowed at the holy feet of Sri Guru Ram Das ji because on the evening of bestowing Guruship, Sri Guru Amar Das ji had stated that the Divine Light had now entered in to Sri Guru Ram Das ji and from now on Sri Guru Ram Das ji is the only heir to the throne of Sri Guru Nanak Dev ji. AS stated on page 924 : And as the True Guru, the Primal Lord spoke, and the Gursikhs obeyed His Will. His son Mohri turned sunmukh, and become obedient to Him; he bowed, and touched Ram Das' feet. Then, everyone bowed and touched the feet of Ram Das, into whom the Guru infused His essence. And any that did not bow then because of envy - later, the True Guru brought them around to bow in humility. It pleased the Guru, the Lord, to bestow glorious greatness upon Him; such was the pre-ordained destiny of the Lord's Will. Says Sundar, listen, O Saints: all the world fell at His feet. The great teachings stated in Ramkali Sudd delivered by Sri Amar Das ji at the last stage of his life to his family and disciples are enshrined in Sri Guru Granth Sahib ji and all this credit is due to Baba Sundar ji. These teachings will continue giving guidance and working as a light house for the coming generations to remain away from and avoid false and baseless rituals for ever. Baba Sundar ji breathed his last breath after reaching the age of 43 years old and merged with God Almighty. As stated on page 633 : O Nanak, he merges with the Lord of the Universe, like water with water. As regards to Baba Sundar Ji, the following lines of Gurbani aptly describe his life journey on page 687 : My Yatra, my life pilgrimage, has become fruitful, fruitful, fruitful. My comings and goings have ended, since I met the Holy Saint.

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