Mughal Emperor Humayun Meets Guru Angad dev Sahib Ji
After the Mughal emperor Babur's death he was succeeded by his son Humayun. He was soon defeated by Sher Shah and on his retreat out of India he stopped at Khadur to seek the Guru's blessings. When Humayun arrived, Guru Angad Dev Sahib Ji and the congregation were absorbed in singing religious hymns. After a while Humayun became impatient and angry at being ignored and put his hand on the hilt of his sword to attack the Guru. Guru Angad Dev Sahib Ji was unmoved by this and said "When you should have used the sword you did not, rather you ran away from the battlefield like a coward. Here you show off, threatening to attack unarmed devotees engaged in prayer." Humayun was humbled by this and asked the Guru's forgiveness and blessings. Guru Angad Dev Sahib Ji blessed him, and as history was to have it he eventually regained his throne.
Guru Angad Dev Sahib Ji and Punjabi
Guru Angad Dev Sahib Ji was very fond of children and took a great interest in their education. He advocated that they should be taught to read and write in their mother tongue, Punjabi. Although the origins of the Gurmukhi script are unclear, it is clear that Guru Angad Dev Sahib Ji popularized the use of this simplified script among the Sikhs starting around 1541. Being the successor of Guru Nanak he also got the first authorized biography of Guru Nanak written in 1544, as well as having a number of copies of Guru Nanak's hymns written out in the new Gurmukhi script. Guru Angad Dev Sahib Ji further expanded the number of Sikh religious centers.
Guru Angad Dev Sahib and Relative
There lived a very devout Vaishanavite Hindu named Amar Das. He had regularly made pilgrimages to the Ganges river for ritual baths for over 20 years. While returning from his twelfth such pilgrimage he was asked by a monk "Who is your Guru?" Amar Das felt frustrated as he could not answer this question having searched his whole life, but still not achieving the peace of mind that he longed for. One day he heard Bibi Amro the daughter of Guru Angad Dev Sahib Ji, who was recently married to his nephew singing the hymns of Guru Nanak. Amar Das started to listen to them every day until he was enchanted by them. Bibi Amro told Amar Das about the mission of Guru Nanak and promised to introduce him to her father Guru Angad Dev Sahib Ji.
When the time finally came and they met, Guru Angad Dev Sahib Ji got up from his seat on his arrival to embrace Amar Das as he was his relative and also much older than the Guru. Amar Das instead fell to the Guru's feet out of respect and humility, forgetting his age and family status. On this day of their meeting, Guru Angad Dev Sahib Ji was eating meat and being a Vaishnav Hindu, Amar Das felt uncomfortable. Guru Angad Dev Sahib Ji told Amar Das that the meats one should avoid are envy, greed, ego, slander and usurpation of others rights. He told Amar Das that there is life in everything, whatever is eaten while remembering God is like nectar itself. Amar Das thus became a devoted disciple of Guru Angad Dev Sahib Ji.
Love for Guru Angad Dev Sahib 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.
For The Wise and Holy
As Guru Angad Dev Sahib Ji's popularity continued to spread among the people, this caused much jealousy among the Hindu high castes because Guru Angad Dev Sahib Ji was gaining popularity with his preaching about a casteless society. They conspired to turn the people away from the Guru. During a drought year a Hindu recluse told the villagers "You go to Guru Angad Dev Sahib Ji day and night for spiritual guidance, why can't he get rain for your dying crops?"
The recluse forecasted that there would only be rain when Guru Angad Dev Sahib Ji left the village.
When confronted by the desperate farmers Guru Angad Dev Sahib Ji replied, "Nature cannot bend to your will merely by human sacrifice to the gods, or by injuring someone's heart. But if your rain god is satisfied by my leaving this village, I shall do so without a moment's hesitation."
After Leaving the village Guru Angad Dev Sahib Ji was refused for shelter in neighboring villages and finally settled in a forest south of Khadur. When the rains did not come as promised the villagers grew angry at the Hindu recluse and wanted to kill him. Amar Das was disappointed with the way that the villagers had treated Guru Angad Dev Sahib Ji. He suggested that instead of killing the recluse the farmers tie the recluse to a plow and drag him through their fields. The rain finally came.
The villagers now implored the Guru to return to the village. When Guru Angad Dev Sahib Ji heard to the punishment the Hindu recluse had received he told Amar Das; "You should have shown endurance, in the face of adversity, like the earth, steadfastness like a mountain and compassion like a river. For the wise and the holy, it is unforgivable if they practice not humility and remain not even-minded in weal or woe." Amar Das asked for and received forgiveness.
Blessings
Guru Angad Dev Sahib Ji did not believe in performing miracles unnecessarily. When Amar Das blessed a devotee of the Guru's with a son, Guru Angad Dev Sahib Ji warned him, "Do not go about disbursing your blessings and curses without due deliberation. God is merciful to all men of prayer and good intentions, and one need not exhibit one's spiritual prowess by such showmanship."
Homeless old Man
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.
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