Sikh...

When Nadir Shah couldn’t gain victory over Sikhs, he became frustrated and asked Subedaar of Lahore, “Tell me, who are these Sikhs ?” 


Subedar answered, “This is a group of hermits who believe in bathing twice in the sacred lake of their Guru and then become invisible. 


Where they disappear, no one can make it out.” Nadir Shah became curious, he asked again, “Where do they live ?” And the answer was, “Their homes are saddles of their horses”. 


This aroused more curiously in Nadir Shah, he asked again, “What do they eat ?” They eat grams as if they are fried almonds.” 


All the answer bewildered Nadir Shah and after contemplating for some time he said, “Beware of these people, they are courageous people and the day is not so far when they will conquer the whole country”

What is meant by "GHAR" in "Guru Granth Sahib Ji" ?

GHAR 1===== Daadraa Taal (There is 1 Taalee* and the Beat has 6 Maatraas**

GHAR 2 ===== Roopak Taal (There are 2 Taalees and the Beat has 7 Maatraas)

GHAR 3 ===== Teen Taal (There 3 Taalees and the Beat has 16 Maatraas)

GHAR 4 ===== Chaar Taal (There are 4 Taalees and the Beat has 12 Maatraas)

GHAR 5 ===== Panj Taal Swaaree (There are 5 Taalees and the Beat has 15 Maatraas)

GHAR 6 ===== Khatt Taal (There are 6 Taalees and the Beat has 18 Maatraas)

GHAR 7 ===== Matt (Ashat) Taal (There are 7 Taalees and the Beat has 21 Maatraas)

GHAR 8 ===== Asht Mangal Taal (There are 8 Taalees and the Beat has 22 Maatraas)

GHAR 9 ===== Mohinee Taal (There are 9 Taalees and the Beat has 23 Maatraas)

GHAR 10 ===== Braham Taal (There are 10 Taalees and the Beat has 28 Maatraas)

GHAR 11 ===== Rudra Taal (There are 11 Taalees and the Beat has 32 Maatraas)

GHAR 12 ===== Vishnu Taal (There are 12 Taalees and the Beat has 36 Maatraas)

GHAR 13 ===== Muchkund Taal (There are 13 Taalees and the Beat has 34 Maatraas)

GHAR 14 ===== Mahashanee Taal (There are 14 Taalees and the Beat has 42 Maatraas)

GHAR 15 ===== Mishr Baran Taal (There are 15 Taalees and the Beat has 47 Maatraas)

GHAR 16 ===== Kul Taal (There are 16 Taalees and the Beat has 42 Maatraas)

GHAR 17 ===== Characharee Taal (There are 17 Taalees and the Beat has 40 Maatraas)

Others View....

What people outside Sikhism think and said about Sikhism..and GURU GRANTH SAHIB

Worldwide praise for 

Sri Guru Granth Sahib

Sri Guru Granth Sahib (ਗੁਰੂ ਗ੍ਰੰਥ ਸਾਹਿਬ), is final Guru of the Sikhs.

Sri Guru Granth Sahib provides unique and unequalled guidance and advice to the whole of the human race. It is the torch that will lead humanity out of Kaljug, (the dark era) to a life in peace, tranquillity and spiritual enlightenment for all the nations of the World.

for the Guru has been part of Sikh history since the time of the first Guru. But this time in this thread, we are discussing worldwide praise of our final Guru by modern Scholars and those who are non-sikhs.

Sir Winston Churchill

Sir Winston Churchill was very well conversant with the bravery of the Sikhs, who had fought for Britain in the World Wars. Churchill while speaking in the British Parliament said: 

".....It is a matter of regret that due to the obsession of the present times people are distorting the superior religious and social values, but those who wish to preserve them with respect, we should appreciate them as well as help them. Sikhs do need our help for such a cause and we should give it happily. Those who know the Sikh history, know England's relationship with the Sikhs and are aware of the achievements of the Sikhs, they should persistently support the idea of relaxation to Sikhs to ride a motorbike with their turbans on, because it is their religious privilege." 

Churchill, further added: 

"...British people are highly indebted and obliged to Sikhs for a long time. I know that within this century we needed their help twice and they did help us very well. As a result of their timely help, we are today able to live with honour, dignity, and independence. In the war, they fought and died for us, wearing the turbans. At that time we were not adamant that they should wear safety helmets because we knew that they are not going to wear them anyways and we would be deprived of their help. At that time due to our miserable and poor situation, we did not force it on them to wear safety helmets, why should we force it now? Rather, we should now respect their traditions and by granting this legitimate concession, win their applaud."

Pearl S. Buck, a Nobel laureate

."I have studied the scriptures of the great religions, but I do not find elsewhere the same power of appeal to the heart and mind as I find here in these volumes. They are compact in spite of their length and are a revelation of the concept of God to the recognition and indeed the insistence upon the practical needs of the human body. There is something strangely modern about these scriptures and this puzzled me until I learned that they are in fact comparatively modern, compiled as late as the 16th century when explorers were beginning to discover the globe upon which we all live is a single entity divided only by arbitrary lines of our making. Perhaps this sense of unity is the source of power I find in these volumes. They speak to a person of any religion or of none. They speak for the human heart and the searching mind".

Arnold Toynbee, a historian

."Mankind’s religious future may be obscure; yet one thing can be foreseen. The living higher religions are going to influence each other more than ever before, in the days of increasing communications between all parts of the world and branches of human race. In this coming religious debate, the Sikh religion and its scriptures, the Guru Granth, will have something special of value to say to the rest of the world."

Lord Mountbatten 

(India’s Last British Viceroy)

."Guru Nanak was a great poet, philosopher and saint. His teachings are of universal application and his message of love, service and sacrifices will continue to inspire coming generations".

Former US President George W. Bush

"Our Nation has always benefited from a strong tradition of faith, and religious diversity has been an important part of this heritage. The Guru Granth Sahib has provided strength, wisdom, and guidance to hundreds of thousands of Sikhs in America and millions more around the world.

I applaud the Sikh community for your compassion and dedication to your faith. By sharing its message of peace, equality, and the importance of family, you help change lives, one heart and one soul at a time. Bush added, Laura (Bush’s wife) joins me in sending our best wishes"

Max Arthur Macauliffe, an Irish author

"The Sikh religion differs as regards the authenticity of its dogmas from most other theological systems. Many of the great teachers the world has known, have not left a line of their own composition and we only know what they taught through tradition or second-hand information. If Pythagoras wrote of his tenets, his writings have not descended to us. 

We know the teachings of Socrates only through the writings of Plato and Xenophon. Buddha has left no written memorial of his teaching. Kungfu-tze, known to Europeans as Confucius, left no documents in which he detailed the principles of his moral and social system. The founder of Christianity did not reduce his doctrines to writing and for them we are obliged to trust to the gospels according to Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. The Arabian Prophet did not himself reduce to writing the chapters of the Quran. They were written or compiled by his adherents and followers. But the compositions of Sikh Gurus are preserved and we know at first hand what they taught."

Former Indian Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee

while releasing the  Sri Guru Granth Sahib in Sindhi-Devnagari script
 "Guru Granth Sahib includes holy messages of many saints, preachers
 and devotees. It carries an ideal example of the inter-faith."
"The entire Granth Sahib is being compiled in 31 rag-raginis, and
 through the music and prayer to God, one can bring succour to
 humankind."

Late S. Radhakrishnan, Past President of India

"Guru Arjan says (pothi parmesar kä thän) that the book (scriptures) is the abode of God. We find in Adi Granth a wide range of mystical emotions, intimate expressions of the personal realization of God and rapturous hymns of divine love.
A remarkable feature of the Adi Granth is that it contains the writings of the religious teachers of Hinduism, Islam, etc. The Sikh Gurus who compiled the Adi Granth had this noble quality of appreciation of whatever was valuable in other religious traditions. The barrier of seas and mountains will give way before the call of eternal truth which is set forth with a freshness of feeling and fervor of devotion in the Guru Granth."

Late Dr. B.R. Ambedkar, indian nationalist

Dr. B.R. Ambedkar, the chief architect of Indian Constitution
"Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji is a spiritual guide for me and I strongly feel that whatever is good for me, is also beneficial for my brothers all over the world. Guru Granth Sahib represents a casteless society. A society where there is no racial discrimination or difference of opinions."
This was the reason that under the influence of ‘Gurmat Prachar Conference’ held in 1935, Ambedkar wanted to convert himself into a pure Sikh.

Barack Obama - President of United States(2009 - )

Barack Obama extended his greetings to the Sikh community in America on the tercentenary celebrations of consecration of the Guru Granth Sahib in oct,2008 when he was Democratic presidential nominee

"Throughout the world, Sikh communities are celebrating the tercentenary of the Guruship of Sri Guru Granth Sahib.

Sri Guru Granth Sahib is considered the universal spiritual leader and guiding light for the Sikh community. In 1708, Guru Gobind Singh officially ordained Guru Granth Sahib as the final and perpetual Guru of Sikhs. This worldwide celebration will commemorate the 300 years of consecration of Guru Granth Sahib and the anniversary of the accession of Guru Gobind Singh.
I would like to extend my congratulations to the American Gurudwara Parbandhak Committee and thank them for their ongoing efforts to promote cultural diversity and awareness on behalf of the Sikh community."

Swami Ram Tirath, 

Hindu & Vedanta Theologian

Swami Ram Tirath, being the most notable teachers of hinduism, is also author of books like Supreme Scriptures, Sri Guru Granth Sahib and Paramount Religion, Khalsa Panth.

"Just as the Guru Granth Sahib abated the social injustice, perpetuated against low castes through religious creeds, same way it raised voice in favor of basic rights of the womankind. Here the husband is not said to be the God and the woman the slave or purchased sheep or goat, but (she) has been accepted an equal partner in all (socio-familial) matters. Lopsided dicta of Hindu simirties that vilified women and compelled them to live like captives, was implicitly contravened through Gurus’ Words. Guru Nanak Dev Ji saying that when the whole mankind takes birth from the woman and there is need for woman to perpetuate the life cycle asked, then why the woman is vilified?


In the Adi Granth there is no credo regarding barbaric worship neither any importance for ritual feast (to holy quakes) or sacrifices. Similarly no regard is accorded to Vaishnava or goddess worship because in the puranas it is said that they both (Hindu Goddess and Vishnu, one of Hindu god trinity) relish barbarous intakes i.e. meat, alcohol, marijuana, hemp, tobacco, hashish, cannabis etc.
In the end I want to mention Guru Granth Sahib’s supremacy from the standpoint that this preeminent Granth does not profess any demigod or goddess to be the real God just as the (Hindu) puranas have done. Each purana’s author has made a God out of his conceptual demigod."

Sri Guru Granth Sahib at 

NASA library

When Kalpana Chawla's father had an opportunity to visit the NASA centre at San Jose, America (in September 2004), he was shown a volume of an English translation of Sri Guru Granth Sahib jee kept at the NASA library. Her father was told that when scientists get tired of searching and searching the universe, when they seek inspiration and need to uplift their souls, they turn to read the translations of Guru Nanak's poetry and divine-songs which magnificently describe the awe and wonder of the Universe. The scientists at NASA admit that apart from being a spiritual enlightener the living guru of sikhs SRI GURU GRANTH SAHIB is full of scientific wealth too. They further supported their advocation after they tested all others holy books but nobody could withstand the scientific tests apart from Sri Guru Granth Sahib. As for example Bible aclaimed that earth is flat but NASA found earth to be round; Guru Granth Sahib already said it.

Another discovery which made NASA spell bound was that way back when discovring about whether sun is moving or earth. And they reached a conclusion that sun is stationary and all others planets are revolving around it. But Guru Nanak Dev ji 500 years back in Asa ji di Var said: "Bhey Wich pavan vahe as waho...Bhey wich chand,Bhey wich suraj." (Meaning : in the fear of god all the things are moving from air, water to moon to sun). Now in recent discovry NASA also accepted that sun is also moving leading to eclipses.

Dalai Lama

Dalai Lama Revered Tibetans Buddhist monk Dalai Lama, a Nobel prize winner, while paying his tribute to Guru Nanak Dev Ji said “Among the astral world of great religious and spiritual pioneers, Guru Nanak Dev Ji one of the most luminous stars on account of his unparalleled doctrine of life”.

Sheikh Mohammed Mohsin Fäni

Sheikh Mohammed Mohsin Fäni (Circa 1615-1670) author of book Dabistan-é-Muzahib (Anthology of Religions) circa 1645The Bäni i.e. poems of Nanak are, as if they were redolent (fragrance) of devotion and wisdom

Daulat Rae

Daulat Rae author of(Sahib-é-kamal Guru Gobind Singh)

The seedling that Guru Nanak planted, the sapling that Guru Arjun Dev and Guru Hargobind nourished with their blood and bones; Guru Teg Bahadur watered with his blood and Guru Gobind Singh nurtured with the overflowing canals of blood of his four juvenile sons [two martyred in battle against Mogul and Hindu hordes and two immured (wall built around them) and beheaded by barbaric Muslim ruler of Sirhind], five cherished Sikhs and thousands of devoted Sikh martyrs; into a robust tree that bore fruit. That fruit symbolizes socio-religious harmony, piety monotheism and patriotism.

GOD's Love..

"A man just got married and was returning home with his wife. They were crossing a lake in a boat when suddenly a great storm arose. 


The man was a warrior, but the woman became very much afraid because it seemed almost hopeless -- THE BOAT WAS SMALL AND THE STORM WAS REALLY HUGE, AND ANY MOMENT THEY WERE GOING TO BE DROWNED. But the man sat silently, calm and quiet, as if nothing was happening. 

The woman was trembling and she said, "Are you not afraid? This may be our last moment of life! IT DOESN'T SEEM THAT WE WILL BE ABLE TO REACH THE OTHER SHORE. Only some miracle can save us, otherwise death is certain. Are you not afraid? Are you mad or something? Are you a stone or something?" 

THE MAN LAUGHED AND TOOK THE SWORD OUT OF ITS SHEATH. The woman was even more puzzled -- what he is doing? Then he brought the naked sword close to the woman's neck -- so close that just a small gap was there, it was almost touching her neck.

He said, "ARE YOU AFRAID?"

She started to giggle and laugh and said, "WHY SHOULD I BE AFRAID? If the sword is in your hands, why should I be afraid? I know you love me."

He put the sword back and said, "This is my answer. I know God loves me, and the sword is in His hands, and the storm is in His hands -- so WHATSOEVER IS GOING TO HAPPEN IS GOING TO BE GOOD. If we survive, good; if we don't survive, good -- because EVERYTHING IS IN HIS HANDS, AND HE CANNOT DO ANYTHING WRONG."
This is the trust one needs to imbibe. SUCH TREMENDOUS TRUST IS CAPABLE OF TRANSFORMING YOUR WHOLE LIFE! 
And ONLY such tremendous trust is capable of transforming your life -- less than that won't do."
 ~ Osho


Gurbani Says...


ਭਗਤ ਜਨਾ ਕੀ ਹਰਿ ਜੀਉ ਰਾਖੈ ਜੁਗਿ ਜੁਗਿ ਰਖਦਾ ਆਇਆ ਰਾਮ ॥
भगत जना की हरि जीउ राखै जुगि जुगि रखदा आइआ राम ॥
Bẖagaṯ janā kī har jī▫o rākẖai jug jug rakẖ▫ḏā ā▫i▫ā rām.
The Dear Lord protects His humble devotees; throughout the ages, He has protected them.


ਸੋ ਭਗਤੁ ਜੋ ਗੁਰਮੁਖਿ ਹੋਵੈ ਹਉਮੈ ਸਬਦਿ ਜਲਾਇਆ ਰਾਮ ॥
सो भगतु जो गुरमुखि होवै हउमै सबदि जलाइआ राम ॥
So bẖagaṯ jo gurmukẖ hovai ha▫umai sabaḏ jalā▫i▫ā rām.
Those devotees who become Gurmukh burn away their ego, through the Word of the Shabad.

Gurbani Kirtan...

The process used to sing Guru Granth Sahib ji verses is known as Kirtan. The poetry of Sri Guru Granth Sahib is worthy of the highest consideration. Gurbani texts present the teachings of the Gurus and a large number of it was composed simultaneously with the music. 

Music forms the basis of the rhythms and is also the basis on which much of the Gurbani is classified in Sri Guru Granth Sahib.

This music follow a definite metrical system called Raags. A raag in Indian classical music means a pattern of melodic notes. This form is not only used to preserve the originality of the composition, as the poetry written in this form is difficult to imitate, but more so to provide the divine experience through the medium of music and the sounds of God’s creation. 

The total number of ragas used in Sri Guru Granth Sahib is 31.

The GURUS themselves invented some of these. Under each Raag, the hymns are arranged in different meters as Chaupadas and Ashtapadas; long poems include Chhands, Vars, and Bhagat verses. You can find a collection of Shabds sung in each of these 31 raags here.

974 hymns are written by the first Guru, Guru Nanak Ji,

62 by the second Guru, Guru Angad Ji

907 by the third, Guru Amar Das Ji

679 by the fourth, Guru Ram Das Ji

2218 by the fifth, Guru Arjan Dev 

Ji

115 by the ninth Guru, Guru Tegh Bahadur Ji

541 hymns are by Bhagat Kabir 

Ji

381 hymns are by others Bhagats Bhatts and Poets .

Bhai Manjh...भाई मंझ...ਭਾਈ ਮੰਝ...

In the time of Guru Arjan Dev ji, there was a powerful, wealthy Rajput by the name of Teeratha. Teeratha was a follower of the Muslim sect of Sakhee Sarvar. As the local leader of the sect, he had hundreds of followers who all respected him. Teeratha would regularly lead the members of this sect on a pilgrimage to the main Sakhee Sarvar shrine, now in Pakistan.


Meeting the Guru

Once when passing through Amritsar, Teeratha decided to visit Guru Arjan Dev ji. He had heard that there was a great Guru who had a large following and this Guru was spiritually enlightened. He was curious to know who this Guru was and what he would say. He decided to stop off and see the Darbar of Guru Arjan. When he saw the Darbar, he saw that people of many different backgrounds, and castes were all sitting together and living in harmony. He also heard the keertan in the darbaar, and the keertan left a permanent mark on him. He heard of the great gift of Naam and the thirst to have this gift rose within him. He was the leader of hundreds of Sakhee Sarvar followers but he could no longer follow that path. He realised that Sikhi is the path he must follow.


He came to Guru Arjan Dev jee and introduced himself. Guru jee saw how rich and powerful Teeratha was and when Teeratha begged for Naam and to be initiated into the Sikh faith, Guru ji replied, "Being a Sikh is no easy thing. The path is finer than a hair and sharper than the khanda. The primary principle of Sikhee is humility." Teeratha again repeated his request. Guru Arjan Dev jee then said, "Why do you want to be a Sikh? You are a rich and powerful man with hundreds of followers. 


You can continue on the easy path of Sakhee Sarvar, because the Sikh path is very hard. If you become a Sikh, you will lose your followers and all their respect and you will lose your wealth as well. You may even have to pay for this decision with your life. What use is there in becoming a Sikh for you?" But Teeratha was insistent he begged that nothing mattered. If he lost everything it would not matter, he needed naam. With tears in his eyes he begged for naam. Guru Arjan Dev jee accepted his request and initiated him into Sikhee and gave him Naam.

Teeratha decided to not return home and took leave of his followers. He decided to stay with the Guru for some time. The Sikhs knew that Teeratha was from the Manjh clan and began to call him Bhai Manjh. Bhai Manjh did seva in the darbaar and one day Guru Arjan Dev jee called him and asked him to return to his village and preach Sikhee to his old followers.


Return to the Village and Disaster

Bhai Manjh returned to his village and began the work of preaching Sikhee to the followers of Sakhee Sarvar. In his home, there was a shrine to Sakhee Sarvar which was revered by all the local followers. Bhai Manjh reached home and immediately had it demolished. Many of his old followers who had considered him a Guru heard Bhai Manjh's message that Guru Arjan was the true Satguru and the source of all happiness. They too decided to become Sikhs and began to recite baaNee. Bhai Manjh and the new devotees of the Guru decided to build a Dharamshaala (Sikh place of gathering) in the village where they could daily meet and do sangat.

While the construction of the Dharamshala was still going on, some Sakhee Sarvar leaders came to the village and saw that so many followers had become Sikhs. They spoke to Bhai Manjh and asked him to renounce Sikhee or face a terrible price. They said that he was powerful and a high official in the Sakhee Sarvar sect and he would lose all this if he did not come to his senses. Bhai Manjh sent them away and was insistent that he would remain a Sikh. The Sakhee Sarvar leaders left the village but heaped countless curses on Bhai Manjh and vowed that he would regret his decision.


Within a few days of this event, one night, all of Bhai Manjh's cattle died. It was unexplainable how all cattle could die in one night. In the following nights, cattle began to die in neighbouring houses as well. The villagers began to believe that perhaps the curse of Sakhee Sarvar was responsible and by becoming Sikhs and destroying the shrine, they had made a serious mistake. More and more cattle began to die each night and the villagers decided to break off from Bhai Manjh. They declared that they had nothing to do with Bhai Manjh and his new religion. They removed him from his position as village head. Bhai Manjh now began to lose his wealth as well and soon poverty entered his home.

Poverty

Before, poor and needy people used to come to Bhai Manjh to request for help and money. People would still come now but he himself was living in abject poverty. Bhai Manjh had absolutely no extra wealth to give to anybody. BhaiManjh was in a desperate situation and he decided to visit the new village head. Bhai Manjh offered his home to be rented out for some money so he could feed his family. The village head agreed to the proposal but added the condition that Bhai Manjh's wife would become his housemaid. His wife would be paid for her labour as well.


Bhai Manjh returned home absolutely shattered. He was once the most powerful man in the village and today he was being forced to make his wife a maid. When Bhai Manjh's wife asked him what the village head had said. Bhai Manjh haltingly explained the offer he was given. Bhai Manjh's wife listned and then said that in such hard times she too was willing to make sacrifices and if they had to lower their dignity by doing a job such as that of maid, then so be it. They had to marry off their young daughter and needed money to raise their family. Bhai Manjh's wife agreed to go work for the village head.

Bhai Manjh fell asleep that night in deep sadness. The next morning his wife would leave to begin her new job. He thought of Guru Arjan and wondered why the Guru would put his Sikh through such pain. How could the Guru allow him to see such days? Then understanding dawned: this must be the Guru's test. The Guru had said that he would have to sacrifice his all for Naam. Bhai Manjh was determined not to fail this test. He felt shame that he had ever questioned the will of the Guru.


Serving the Guru

The next morning Bhai Manjh's wife gathered her clothes and left for the village head's home. Bhai Manjh decided to also leave the village. He left for Amritsar with his daughter and decided to spend his time doing seva. Bhai Manjhbegan to take the seva of bringing wood for the langar, cleaning the dishes, serving the visiting sangat and any other seva he could find. The Guru too heard of Bhai Manjh's sevaa. He called Bhai Manjh to come see him.

Bhai Manjh and his daughter appeared before the Guru and bowed. They stood before Satguru Arjan and waited for him to speak. Guru Arjan asked, "Bhai Manjh, where do you eat?" Bhai Manjh replied, "Satguru, I eat from your langar…"
Guru Arjan jee then said, "well then, what you do is nothing but wage-labour isn't it?"
The sangat was stunned. They knew Bhai Manjh had sacrificed his entire wealth and prestige to become a Sikh and now did more seva than anyone else in the Darbaar. How could Guru jee have humiliated him like this in front of everyone? After all, the Langar was open to everyone, why would Guru jee say such a thing?

Bhai Manjh was once a powerful and proud aristocrat with hundreds of followers. He now hung his head and then said, "Satguru, you are wise. Please give me the wisdom to understand and accept your Hukam." Guru jee did not reply. Bhai Manjh then bowed and took his leave with his daughter.


Bhai Manjh now decided to no longer eat in the langar. He decided to collect two bundles of wood from now on and he would give one to the langar and sell the other to earn his living and use it to purchase his food. BhaiManjh's daughter asked her father why the Guru was so merciless to him. Bhai Manjh immediately replied, "No no! The Guru is merciful. He is testing our faith. We can not fail."
The Final Test

Bhai Manjh would rise early and begin to collect wood for seva and also to sell. After giving the first bundle and selling the second, the two would return to the Darbaar and do seva all day. He would put all his extra money into the Golak. Guru jee once came to Bhai Manjh and asked why he still stayed despite being so poor and having lost everything. Guru jee said he should go home. Bhai Manjh replied, "Mahaaraaj, please never speak of having to leave your feet. Sachay Patshah, worldly wealth is a dream and so it comes and goes. Nothing is lost. I have lost my worldly wealth and found your true treasure of Naam. No thief will take this treasure from me and no King will seize it. " Guru jee gave his blessings to Bhai Manjh and moved on.

One day early in the morning when Bhai Manjh was going to the langar to give wood, such a dust storm arose that he could see nothing. Bhai Manjh stumbled and fell into a well. Day broke and Bhai Manjh still had not returned and everyone understood he must be in trouble. The Sikhs began to search for him and heard him call out from the well. One Sikh ran to Guru Arjan to tell him what had happened and Guru jee immediately dashed bare foot to the well. They threw a rope into the well and asked Bhai Manjh to pull himself out. 


Bhia Manjh jee called from the depth of the well, "Please, first pull the wood out for the langar! If they become wet, they will be of no use and not burn. If I am wet, nothing will happen." Bhai jee tied the wood bundle to the rope and had it pulled out. Only then did Bhai Manjhpull himself out.

When Bhai Manjh climbed out of the well, Guru Arjan was standing before him. Bhai Manjh fell at Guru jee's feet. Guru Arjan asked, "Bhai Manjh! What have you gained by following me? You have lost your wealth, your status, and even your wife. You have lost everything!"
Bhai Manjh held Guru jee's feet even tighter and with tears in his eyes replied, "No Satguru! I have not lost anything. I have only gained. Please don't push me away, this is my only request of you…"

Guru Arjan Dev jee then said, "Bhai Manjh, your sevaa has borne fruit. Ask for anything you want."

Bhai Manjh replied, "Guru jee, bless me that I may never want anything. May I always be content"

Guru jee replied, "It will happen as you request. But still, request something Bhai Manjh…"

Bhai Manjh then said, "If you are happy with me, then have this mercy. It is Kaljug. Please do not scold and test so harshly. May your Sikhs not have to bear such hardships."
Guru Maharaj again said, "This too will happen, but still request something Bhai Manjh." Bhai Manjh finally replied, "May my consciousness remain at your feet and may I never forget the meditation of your Naam. If you wish to bless me, then bless me with gift of limitless faith."


Guru Arjan heard these words and then said, "Manjh is the beloved of the Guru and the Guru is beloved ofManjh. Manjh is the ferry of the Guru who will ferry across the world ocean."

Guru Arjan sent Bhai Manjh home and told him all had been returned. Bhai Manjh did not understand how this would be possible, but had complete faith in the Guru. 


" Manj Pyara Guru ko, Guru Manj Pyara ||
  Manj Guru Bohitha Jug Langanhara"|


ਮੰਞ ਪਿਆਰਾ ਗੁਰੂ ਨੂੰ ਗੁਰ ਮੰਞ ਪਿਆਰਾ | 
ਮੰਞ ਗੁਰੂ ਕਾ ਬੋਹਥਾ ਜਗੁ ਲੰਘਣਹਾਰਾ 

Everything Restored

Bhai Manjh's wife had been working in the house of the village head and she made such an impression on him that he decided to make her his sister. He requested that she take the responsibility of raising his only son. He also gave back Bhai Manjh's home where she could raise the boy. Bhai Manjh returned home and was informed of all that had happened and was stunned.
Bhai Manjh never left the support of the Guru. Even at the darkest time he had faith it was all a test and if he stayed firm in his faith, nothing would happen to him. Bhai Manjh was appointed the entire Doaba area to preach Sikhee and he opened a Dharamshaalaa in his home. The langar that Bhai jee opened was famous all around. Many people became Sikhs because of his parchaar. When Guru Arjan Dev jee came to visit the Doaba area in 1596, he made a point of specially visiting Bhai Manjh and praised him for his parchaar.

Bhai Manjh jee is the embodiment of faith and perseverance. Nothing in life could turn him away from the Guru and in the end, the Guru kept and protected his Sikh.

GURUDWARA BHAI MANJ DA KHOOH