Guru Arjan Dev Ji, the fifth Guru of the Sikhs

#MARTYRDOM_DAY #GURU_ARJAN_DEV_JI

Guru Arjan Dev Ji, the fifth Guru of the Sikhs, was the embodiment of Godly devotion, Selfless Service and Universal Love. He was the treasure of celestial knowledge and spiritual excellence. He substantially contributed towards the welfare of the society. He stood steadfastly for the principles he believed in, sacrificed his own life, and attained a unique and unparalleled martyrdom in the history of mankind.

On 16 June 1606, the Mughal Emperor Jahangir ordered that Guru Arjan Dev Ji, the fifth Sikh Guru be tortured and sentenced to death after the Guru had refused to stop preaching his message of God as started by Guru Nanak Dev Ji.

The Guru was made to sit on a burning hot sheet while boiling hot sand was poured over his body. After enduring five days of unrelenting torture, Guru Arjan Dev Ji was taken for a bath in the river. As thousands watched he entered the river, never to be seen again.

Accordingly, on the 16 of June of every year since 1606, the Sikhs commemorate the martyrdom of Guru Arjan Dev Ji, the fifth Guru and the first Sikh Martyr.

Before the arrest, torture, and martyrdom of Guru Arjan Dev, the Sikhs had nothing to do with weapons or violence, as all the Sikh Gurus had taught the message of compassion, love, dedication, hard work, worship of one God, and the commitment to peace and harmony for all the peoples of the world.

A summary of the main highlights of Guru Ji's life:

🔴Compiled and collated the Hymns of the previous Sikh Gurus as the foundation of the Guru Granth Sahib.
🔴Additionally Guru Ji contributed a total of 2218 hymns to the Sri Guru Granth Sahib.
🔴Authored the Sukhmani Sahib Bani – Prayer for Peace Installed for the first time the holy Sikh Book, which at that time was called the Adi Granth, a major achievement.
🔴Build the Golden Temple Developed Amritsar as a Centre of Excellence.
🔴Enhanced the Structure of Sikh Society by introducing the Masund system.
🔴Guru Arjan Dev was the first Sikh Guru to be martyred.
🔴Guru Ji is revered as Shaheedan-De-Sartaaj, or the Crown of Martyrs.