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BE 6: Fourth Guru – Guru Ram Das – The Builder of Harmony

In the busy lanes of Chuna Mandi Bazaar in Lahore, where the Ravi River’s waters whispered secrets to the city’s stone heart—now in Pakistan—a humble spark of harmony ignited on September 24, 1534, under the full moon of Asun in the Hindu calendar year Samvat 1591. This was Bhai Jetha, destined to shine as Guru Ram Das Ji, born to a simple Hindu family of the Sodhi Khatri clan, where Sanatan Dharma’s daily rhythms pulsed through prayers and honest work. His father, Hari Das Sodhi, was a hardworking shopkeeper who sold goods fairly, living by the Vedic idea of kirat—earning through truth. His mother, Mata Anup Devi—also known as Mata Daya Kaur—filled their small home with love and devotion, her quiet faith like a soft light guiding the family. Jetha had no brothers or sisters mentioned in records. Sadly, both parents died when he was just 7 years old, leaving him an orphan. He went to live with his grandmother in Basarke village near Amritsar, where he sold boiled grams and snacks from a basket to make a living, his small hands working hard while his heart searched for deeper peace in Hari’s name.

Life was tough but full of lessons. At age 12, Jetha moved to Goindwal to serve Guru Amar Das, the third Guru, doing simple sewa like fetching water and cleaning. He stayed there for many years, his devotion growing like a strong tree. In 1553 or 1554, when he was about 19, Jetha married Bibi Bhani, the younger daughter of Guru Amar Das and Mata Mansa Devi. Bibi Bhani had one elder sister, Bibi Dani, and two brothers, Mohan and Mohri (all children of Guru Amar Das). This marriage made Jetha the son-in-law of Guru Amar Das. Together, Jetha and Bibi Bhani had three sons: Prithi Chand (the eldest, born in 1558, who later handled family business), Mahadev (the middle son, born in 1560, who liked a quiet spiritual life), and Arjan (the youngest, born in 1563, who became Guru Arjan Dev, the fifth Guru). The family lived simply in Goindwal, with Jetha continuing his sewa, helping build wells and serve langar.

On September 1, 1574, at age 40, Guru Amar Das tested his sons-in-law and followers. Jetha’s brother-in-law Mohri (married to Bibi Dani) and others were checked for true humility, but Jetha’s pure service stood out. Guru Amar Das named him the fourth Guru, calling him Ram Das, meaning “servant of Hari.” At that moment, he became Sri Guru Ram Das Ji, guiding the Sikh community with wisdom and building new centers of faith.

Guru Ram Das’s life was like a gentle river bringing people together. He started the city of Ramdaspur in 1577 on land bought earlier, which later became Amritsar—the pool of nectar. With help from followers, he dug the Amrit Sarovar tank, a big holy pool where people from all backgrounds could bathe and feel Hari’s peace. He invited 52 kinds of workers—like potters, carpenters, and traders—to settle there, making a busy market town bigger than many others. He sent trusted helpers called masands to far places like Bengal and Kabul to spread teachings and collect offerings. His journeys took him to villages, strengthening sangats. He created the Anand Karaj wedding ceremony with four rounds around the Guru Granth Sahib, teaching couples to live as one soul in Hari’s love. His 638 hymns in the Guru Granth Sahib, set to 30 ragas, sing of joy and equality.

Here’s a beautiful teaching from Guru Ram Das, like a sip of sweet nectar:

Gurmukhi: ਹਰਿ ਕਾ ਨਾਮੁ ਅੰਮ੍ਰਿਤੁ ਪੀਵੈ ॥ ਨਾਨਕ ਨਾਮੁ ਮਿਲੈ ਤਾਂ ਜੀਵੈ ॥
Devanagari: हरि का नामु अमृतु पीवै ॥ नानक नामु मिलै तां जीवै ॥
English: Drink the nectar of Hari’s name; Nanak says, only then one lives.

Ah, what a crystal stream it summons, bubbling from hidden earth to quench the wanderer’s deepest thirst—this doha unveils the Name as ambrosia, a golden draught that stirs the veins with vitality’s fire, where mere breath yields to living light. Hari’s whisper on the tongue becomes the soul’s true pulse, dissolving death’s dry dust into a dance of dawn, each chant a bloom in eternity’s garden, awakening us to the Divine’s endless, life-giving embrace, where survival blooms into sacred song.

And in his call to the dawn’s discipline, another shabad rises like morning’s first ray:

Gurmukhi: ਪੜਿ ਪੜਿ ਪੰਡਿਤੁ ਭੁਲਿਆ ਅੰਧੇ ਨਾ ਵੇਖੈ ਪਾਇ ॥
Devanagari: पढ़ि पढ़ि पंडितु भुलिया अंधे ना वेखै पाई ॥
English: The pandit, lost in endless reading, blind, sees not the path.

Picture a moth fluttering toward a distant flame, wings singed by illusion’s glow—such is the pandit’s plight, ensnared in letters’ labyrinth, yet this verse is the gentle hand that turns him toward Hari’s true dawn, where scrolls fall like autumn leaves, revealing the path as a sunlit meadow, each step a revelation of the Divine’s boundless, guiding light, freeing the soul to fly unburdened into eternity’s embrace.

But harmony faced dark challenges under Emperor Akbar’s rule. Mughal officers and local landlords, greedy for power, raided villages around Amritsar, burning Hindu and Sikh homes to grab land, forcing jizya taxes that crushed the poor. Some cruel men, following strict Islamic rules, killed cows in front of temples to hurt feelings, dragged women away for harm, and tried to force conversions with threats. Guru Ram Das protected his people like a father, teaching them to stay strong in faith, sharing langar to feed the hungry, and using calm words to heal wounds. Mullahs got angry and sent complaints to the emperor, calling the Guru a troublemaker, but Akbar respected him and gave tax-free land for the city. Spies watched, but the Guru’s kindness turned hate away.

Guru Ram Das’s gifts were like building a strong home for faith. He laid the foundation for Harmandir Sahib—the Golden Temple—in 1588, designing it with four doors for all people, low steps to show humility. He built more pools like Santokhsar. On September 1, 1581, at age 47, he joined Hari in Amritsar, naming his youngest son Arjan as the fifth Guru after seeing his true heart. Holy spots remember him: Harmandir Sahib in Amritsar, his greatest work; Gurdwara Ramsar where he wrote hymns; Gurdwara Chheharta with its well; and his birthplace in Lahore. These places are full of peace, waters still singing his prayers.

Guru Ram Das’s life echoed Hindu bhakti saints, calling Hari the true builder of souls against outer storms. In his harmony, Sikhism grew deeper in Hindu roots, a city of light where unity’s walls stand tall, its gates a promise: love’s pool will wash away division’s dust.

Read all Articles on Gandhi as a British Agent here.

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