Author Topic: The Ten Gurus (Read 1259 times)

Deep nimana · « **on:** November 13, 2009, 12:28:18 PM »

The Ten Gurus

Sikhism was established and developed by ten Gurus during the period 1469 to
1708. Sikhs regard the ten Gurus not as divine, but as enlightened teachers
through whom God revealed his will. Each Guru appointed his successor. Guru
Nanak Dev was the first Guru and Guru Gobind Singh the final Guru in human
form. Guru Gobind Singh designated the Sri Guru Granth Sahib the ultimate and
final Sikh Guru.

The ten Gurus are:

1. Guru Nanak Dev (1469-1539). The founder of Sikhism (see above).

2. Guru Angad Dev (1504-52). Developed Gurmukhi, the script used for the Punjab
language and composed 62 hymns that were later included in the Guru Granth
Sahib.

3. Guru Amar Das (1479-1574). Became Guru at the age of 73. Organized three
annual gatherings for Sikhs, set up the first pilgrimage site at Goindval Sahib
and introduced Sikh rituals for birth and death. His most famous hymn, Anand
Sahib, is part of Sikh daily ritual.

4. Guru Ram Das (1534-1581). Founded Amritsar, the holy city of Sikhism. His
followers dug the pool that became the holy lake surrounding the Golden Temple.
Composed the Lavan marriage hymn, still used in Sikh marriages.

5. Guru Arjan Dev (1563-1606). Collected the hymns of previous Gurus and added
2616 of his own to form the Guru Granth Sahib, the holy book of Sikhism. He
also built the Golden Temple.

6. Guru Hargobind (1595-1644). The son of Guru Arjan. Proclaimed that the Guru
is a military leader as well as spiritual leader, leading to conflict with the
Mughal emperor Shah Jahan.

7. Guru Har Rai (1630-1661). Grandson of Guru Hargobind.

8. Guru Har Krishan (1656-1664). Younger son of Guru Har Rai. Became guru at the
age of 5 and died of smallpox at the age of 8. He is the only Guru depicted in
art without a beard.

9. Guru Tegh Bahadur (1621-75). Great-uncle of Guru Har Krishan. Was barred from
Amritsar by Sikh rivals, so founded the Sikh center of Anandpur. Was beheaded
in Delhi by Muslims for helping Brahmins avoid forcible conversion to Islam.

10. Guru Gobind Singh (1666-1708). Son of Guru Tegh Bahadur. Second only to Guru
Nanak in importance, he is often shown prominently next to Nanak in Sikh art.
Resisted oppression by Muhgal and Hindu authorities, exemplifying the Sikh
ideal of the heroic saint-soldier. Founded the Khalsa and Sikh baptism,
composed many poems, and nominated the Sikh sacred text as the final and
enduring Guru.

Author Topic: The Ten Gurus (Read 1259 times)

Deep nimana

The Ten Gurus

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