Guru Amar Das Ji’s Love & Devotion for Guru Angad Dev Ji

One of the Guru Angad Dev Sahib Ji’s wealthy disciple named Gobind decided to build a new township on the river Beas to honour the Guru. Guru Angad Dev Sahib Ji sent Amar Das to supervise the construction of this new township which came to be known as Goindwal. When it was completed Guru Angad Dev Sahib Ji instructed Amar Das and his family to move there. Amar Das complied. Every morning he would get up early in the morning and carry water from the river to the Guru and remain in his company the entire day before returning to Goindwal in the evenings. Each year Guru Angad Dev Sahib Ji would present a turban as a symbol of honour to his devoted followers. Such was the devotion of Amar Das that he would wear one on top of the other, refusing to discard the Guru’s gift. People ridiculed Amar Das for his blind faith, but he was never concerned.

Once a village women once ridiculed Amar Das for his faithful devotion as being that “homeless old man who carries water every day for his Guru daily.” When Guru Angad Dev Sahib Ji heard this he embraced Amar Das and told his congregation; “Amar Das is not homeless, he is the shelter of the unsheltered. He is the strength of the weak and the emancipation of the slave!” Finding that Amar Das was his most worthy disciple and feeling that his end was near Guru Angad Dev Sahib Ji announced that Amar Das would be his successor. Guru Angad Dev Sahib Ji’s two sons were unhappy with their fathers decision but the Guru told them that the honour would go to Amar Das because he was the most worthy and humble. Guru Angad Dev Sahib Ji bowed before Guru Amar Das placing five copper coins and a coconut before him signifying as Guru Nanak had done before him. Guru Angad Dev Sahib Ji then had Baba Buddha anoint the forehead of Guru Amar Das with a saffron mark.

Shortly thereafter Guru Angad Dev Sahib Ji left this world on March 28, 1552.

~ Source: Connect2Sikhi