laavan goindval ☬ prithi 969930 jetha hargobind ggs balvand bhalh nalh kalshar gayand pashaura salh bhika jalap mandair dhanna bhikhan 3601 fenech trilochan circumambulation namdev ganjshakar harmandir dasvand maneyo charhdi
ram das the fourth guru formed the khalsa
Guru Ram Das - Wikipedia Guru Ram Das For other uses , see Ram Dass ( disambiguation ) . <Th_colspan="2"> Guru Ram Das <Td_colspan="2"> Opaque watercolour on paper c 1800 Government Museum , Chandigarh Religion Sikhism Known for founder of Amritsar city Other names The Fourth Guru <Th_colspan="2"> Personal Bhai Jetha 24 September 1534 ( 1534 - 09 - 24 ) Chuna Mandi , Lahore , Punjab , Mughal Empire ( Present day Pakistan ) September 1 , 1581 ( 1581 - 10 ) ( aged 46 ) Goindval , Mughal Empire ( Present day India ) Spouse Bibi Bhani Children Baba Prithi Chand , Baba Mahan Dev , and Guru Arjan Parents Hari Das and Mata Daya Kaur <Th_colspan="2"> Religious career Predecessor Guru Amar Das Successor Guru Arjan Part of a series on Sikhism Sikh gurus ( show ) Guru Nanak Guru Angad Guru Amar Das Guru Ram Das Guru Arjan Guru Hargobind Guru Har Rai Guru Har Krishan Guru Tegh Bahadur Guru Gobind Singh Guru Granth Sahib Guru Panth Select revered saints ( show ) Bhagat Kabir Bhagat Ravidas Bhagat Farid Bhagat Ramanand Bhagat Beni Bhagat Namdev Bhagat Sadhana Bhagat Bhikhan Bhagat Parmanand Bhagat Sain Bhagat Dhanna Bhagat Pipa Bhagat Surdas Bhagat Jaidev Bhagat Trilochan Bhatt Kalshar Bhatt Balh Bhatt Bhalh Bhatt Bhika Bhatt Gayand Bhatt Harbans Bhatt Jalap Bhatt Kirat Bhatt Mathura Bhatt Nalh Bhatt Salh Baba Sundar Satta Doom Balvand Rai Philosophy ( show ) Naam Japo Kirat Karō Vand Chakkō Charhdi Kalā Guru Maneyo Granth Five Thieves Five Virtues Practices ( show ) Sikh Rehat Maryada Prohibitions Ardās Kirtan Amrit Velā Dasvand Amrit Sanchar The Five Ks Langar Simran Nitnem Scripture ( show ) Guru Granth Sahib Dasam Granth Sarbloh Granth Five Banis Takhts ( show ) Akal Takht Keshgarh Sahib Damdama Sahib Patna Sahib Hazur Sahib General topics ( show ) History Ik Onkar Gurdwara Harmandir Sahib Khalsa Panj Pyare Khanda Literature Music Names Places Nanakshahi calendar Sikhs Waheguru Bhagat Dastar ( Turban ) Criticism Jathedar of Akal Takht Sikhism portal Guru Ram Das ( ( ɡʊru ɾɑm dɑs ) ; 1534 -- 1581 ) was the fourth of the ten Gurus of Sikhism . He was born on 24 September 1534 in a poor Hindu family based in Lahore , part of what is now Pakistan . His birth name was Jetha , he was orphaned at age 7 , and thereafter grew up with his maternal grandmother in a village . At age 12 , Bhai Jetha and his grandmother moved to Goindval , where they met Guru Amar Das . The boy thereafter accepted Guru Amar Das as his mentor and served him . The daughter of Guru Amar Das got married to Bhai Jetha , and he thus became part of Guru Amar Das Ji 's family . As with the first two Gurus of Sikhism , Guru Amar Das instead of choosing his own sons , chose Bhai Jetha as his successor and renamed him as Ram Das or `` servant or slave of god `` . Ram Das became the Guru of Sikhism in 1574 and served as the Sikh leader until his death in 1581 . He faced hostilities from the sons of Amar Das , shifted his official base to lands identified by Amar Das as Guru - ka - Chak . This newly founded town was eponymous Ramdaspur , later to evolve and get renamed as Amritsar -- the holiest city of Sikhism . He is also remembered in the Sikh tradition for expanding the manji organization for clerical appointments and donation collections to theologically and economically support the Sikh movement . He appointed his own son as his successor , and unlike the first four Gurus who were not related through descent , the fifth through tenth Sikh Gurus were the direct descendants of Ram Das . Contents 1 Biography 1.1 Death and succession 2 Influence 2.1 Amritsar 2.2 Scripture hymns 2.3 Wedding hymn 2.4 Masand system 3 References 4 External links Biography ( edit ) The Gurdwara Janam Asthan Guru Ram Das in Lahore , Pakistan , commemorates the birthplace of the Guru . Guru Ram Das was born in a Sodhi Khatri family in Chuna Mandi , Lahore ( now part of Pakistan ) . His father was Hari Das and mother Daya Kaurboth of whom died when he was aged seven . He was brought up by his grandmother . He married Bibi Bhani , the younger daughter of Amar Das . They had three sons : Prithi Chand , Mahadev and Guru Arjan . Death and succession ( edit ) Guru Ram Das died on 1 September 1581 , in Goindval town of Punjab . Of his three sons , Ram Das chose Arjan , the youngest , to succeed him as the fifth Sikh Guru . The choice of successor , as throughout most of the history of Sikh Guru successions , led to disputes and internal divisions among the Sikhs . The elder son of Ram Das named Prithi Chand is remembered in the Sikh tradition as vehemently opposing Arjan , creating a faction Sikh community which the Sikhs following Arjan called as Minas ( literally , `` scoundrels '' ) , and is alleged to have attempted to assassinate young Hargobind . However , alternate competing texts written by the Prithi Chand led Sikh faction offer a different story , contradict this explanation on Hargobind 's life , and present the elder son of Ram Das as devoted to his younger brother Arjan . The competing texts do acknowledge disagreement and describe Prithi Chand as having become the Sahib Guru after the martyrdom of Guru Arjan Dev and disputing the succession of Guru Hargobind , the grandson of Ram Das . Influence ( edit ) Amritsar ( edit ) Ram Das is credited with founding the holy city of Amritsar in the Sikh tradition . Two versions of stories exist regarding the land where Ram Das settled . In one based on a Gazetteer record , the land was purchased with Sikh donations , for 700 rupees from the owners of the village of Tung . According to the Sikh historical records , the site was chosen by Guru Amar Das and called Guru Da Chakk , after he had asked Ram Das to find land to start a new town with a man made pool as its central point . After his coronation in 1574 , and the hostile opposition he faced from the sons of Amar Das , Ram Das founded the town named after him as `` Ramdaspur '' . He started by completing the pool , and building his new official Guru centre and home next to it . He invited merchants and artisans from other parts of India to settle into the new town with him . The town expanded during the time of Arjan financed by donations and constructed by voluntary work . The town grew to become the city of Amritsar , and the pool area grew into a temple complex after his son built the gurdwara Harmandir Sahib , and installed the scripture of Sikhism inside the new temple in 1604 . The construction activity between 1574 and 1604 is described in Mahima Prakash Vartak , a semi-historical Sikh hagiography text likely composed in 1741 , and the earliest known document dealing with the lives of all the ten Gurus . Scripture hymns ( edit ) Ram Das composed 638 hymns , or about ten percent of hymns in the Guru Granth Sahib . He was a celebrated poet , and composed his work in 30 ancient ragas of Indian classical music . These cover a range of topics : One who calls himself to be a disciple of the Guru should rise before dawn and meditate on the Lord 's Name . During the early hours , he should rise and bathe , cleansing his soul in a tank of nectar ( water ) , while he repeats the Name the Guru has spoken to him . By this procedure he truly washes away the sins of his soul . -- GGS 305 ( partial ) The Name of God fills my heart with joy . My great fortune is to meditate on God 's name . The miracle of God 's name is attained through the perfect Guru , but only a rare soul walks in the light of the Guru 's wisdom . -- GGS 94 ( partial ) O man ! The poison of pride is killing you , blinding you to God . Your body , the colour of gold , has been scarred and discoloured by selfishness . Illusions of gradeur turn black , but the ego - maniac is attached to them . -- GGS 776 ( partial ) -- Guru Granth Sahib , Translated by G.S. Mansukhani Guru 's Bani is also part of Nanakshahi calendar and Kirtan Sohila , the daily prayers of Sikhs . His compositions continue to be sung daily in Harimandir Sahib ( Golden temple ) of Sikhism . Wedding hymn ( edit ) The laavan verses of Ram Das are recited with clockwise circumambulation in a Sikh wedding . Ram Das , along with Amar Das , are credited with various parts of the Anand and Laavan composition in Suhi mode . It is a part of the ritual of four clockwise circumambulation of the Sikh scripture by the bride and groom to solemnize the marriage in Sikh tradition . This was intermittently used , and its use lapsed in late 18th century . However , sometime in 19th or 20th century by conflicting accounts , the composition of Ram Das came back in use along with Anand Karaj ceremony , replacing the Hindu ritual of circumambulation around the fire . The composition of Ram Das emerged to be one of the basis of British colonial era Anand Marriage Act of 1909 . The wedding hymn was composed by Ram Das for his own daughter 's wedding . The first stanza of the Laavan hymn by Ram Das refers to the duties of the householder 's life to accept the Guru 's word as guide , remember the Divine Name . The second verse and circle reminds the singular One is encountered everywhere and in the depths of the self . The third speaks of the Divine Love . The fourth reminds that the union of the two is the union of the individual with the Infinite . Masand system ( edit ) While Guru Amar Das introduced the manji system of religious organization , Ram Das extended it with adding the masand institution . The masand were Sikh community leaders who lived far from the Guru , but acted to lead the distant congregations , their mutual interactions and collect revenue for Sikh activities and temple building . This institutional organization famously helped grow Sikhism in the decades that followed , but became infamous in the era of later Gurus , for its corruption and its misuse in financing rival Sikh movements in times of succession disputes . References ( edit ) ^ Jump up to : William Owen Cole ; Piara Singh Sambhi ( 1995 ) . The Sikhs : Their Religious Beliefs and Practices . Sussex Academic Press . pp. 22 -- 24 . ISBN 978 - 1 - 898723 - 13 - 4 . ^ Jump up to : G.S. Mansukhani . `` Ram Das , Guru ( 1534 - 1581 ) '' . Encyclopaedia of Sikhism . Punjab University Patiala . Retrieved 19 January 2017 . ^ Jump up to : Arvind - Pal Singh Mandair ( 2013 ) . Sikhism : A Guide for the Perplexed . Bloomsbury Publishing . pp. 38 -- 40 . ISBN 978 - 1 - 4411 - 5366 - 1 . Jump up ^ Shakti Pawha Kaur Khalsa ( 1998 ) . Kundalini Yoga : The Flow of Eternal Power . Penguin . p. 76 . ISBN 978 - 0 - 399 - 52420 - 2 . Jump up ^ Arvind - pal Singh Mandair ( 2013 ) . Religion and the Specter of the West : Sikhism , India , Postcoloniality , and the Politics of Translation . Columbia University Press . pp. 251 -- 252 . ISBN 978 - 0 - 231 - 51980 - 9 . ^ Jump up to : W.H. McLeod ( 1990 ) . Textual Sources for the Study of Sikhism . University of Chicago Press . pp. 28 -- 29 . ISBN 978 - 0 - 226 - 56085 - 4 . ^ Jump up to : Christopher Shackle ; Arvind Mandair ( 2013 ) . Teachings of the Sikh Gurus : Selections from the Sikh Scriptures . Routledge . pp. xv -- xvi . ISBN 978 - 1 - 136 - 45101 - 0 . Jump up ^ W.H. McLeod ( 2009 ) . The A to Z of Sikhism . Scarecrow Press . p. 86 . ISBN 978 - 0 - 8108 - 6344 - 6 . Jump up ^ J.S. Grewal ( 2004 ) . The Khalsa : Sikh and Non-Sikh Perspectives . Manohar . p. 207 . ISBN 978 - 81 - 7304 - 580 - 6 . Guru Ram Das died in Goindval on 1 September 1581 to be succeeded by his youngest son . Jump up ^ Louis E. Fenech ; W.H. McLeod ( 2014 ) . Historical Dictionary of Sikhism . Rowman & Littlefield Publishers . p. 39 . ISBN 978 - 1 - 4422 - 3601 - 1 . Jump up ^ W.H. McLeod ( 2009 ) . The A to Z of Sikhism . Scarecrow Press . p. 20 . ISBN 978 - 0 - 8108 - 6344 - 6 . Jump up ^ Pashaura Singh ; Louis E. Fenech ( 2014 ) . The Oxford Handbook of Sikh Studies . Oxford University Press . pp. 171 -- 172 . ISBN 978 - 0 - 19 - 969930 - 8 . Jump up ^ Louis E. Fenech ; W.H. McLeod ( 2014 ) . Historical Dictionary of Sikhism . Rowman & Littlefield Publishers . p. 67 . ISBN 978 - 1 - 4422 - 3601 - 1 . Jump up ^ Pardeep Singh Arshi ( 1989 ) . The Golden Temple : history , art , and architecture . Harman . pp. 5 -- 7 . ISBN 978 - 81 - 85151 - 25 - 0 . Jump up ^ Louis E. Fenech ; W.H. McLeod ( 2014 ) . Historical Dictionary of Sikhism . Rowman & Littlefield Publishers . p. 33 . ISBN 978 - 1 - 4422 - 3601 - 1 . Jump up ^ W.H. McLeod ( 1990 ) . Textual Sources for the Study of Sikhism . University of Chicago Press . pp. 28 -- 29 . ISBN 978 - 0 - 226 - 56085 - 4 . ^ Jump up to : Pashaura Singh ; Louis E. Fenech ( March 2014 ) . The Oxford Handbook of Sikh Studies . Oxford University Press . pp. 399 -- 400 . ISBN 978 - 0 - 19 - 969930 - 8 . ^ Jump up to : Louis E. Fenech ; W.H. McLeod ( 2014 ) . Historical Dictionary of Sikhism . Rowman & Littlefield Publishers . pp. 33 -- 34 . ISBN 978 - 1 - 4422 - 3601 - 1 . Jump up ^ Nikky - Guninder Kaur Singh ( 2011 ) . Sikhism : An Introduction . I.B. Tauris . p. 26 . ISBN 978 - 1 - 84885 - 321 - 8 . ^ Jump up to : Pashaura Singh ; Louis E. Fenech ( 2014 ) . The Oxford Handbook of Sikh Studies . Oxford University Press . pp. 44 -- . ISBN 978 - 0 - 19 - 969930 - 8 . Jump up ^ Madanjit Kaur ( 2007 ) . Guru Gobind Singh : Historical and Ideological Perspective . Unistar . pp. 251 -- 252 . ISBN 978 - 81 - 89899 - 55 - 4 . External links ( edit ) Sikhism portal Punjab portal India portal Sikhs.org Sikh-History.com Preceded by Guru Amar Das Sikh Guru 1 September 1574 -- 1 September 1581 Succeeded by Guru Arjan <Th_colspan="2"> Writers of Guru Granth Sahib <Td_colspan="2"> Kabir Ravidas Namdev Bhagat Beni Bhagat Bhikhan Bhagat Dhanna Jayadeva Bhagat Parmanand Bhagat Pipa Ramananda Bhagat Sadhana Bhagat Sain Sur Bhagat Trilochan Guru Nanak Guru Angad Guru Amar Das Ramkali Sadu Fariduddin Ganjshakar Guru Ram Das Guru Arjan Satta Doom Balvand Rai Bhatt Kalshar Bhatt Balh Bhatt Bhalh Bhatt Bhika Bhatt Gayand Bhatt Harbans Bhatt Jalap Bhatt Kirat Bhatt Mathura Bhatt Nalh Bhatt Salh Guru Tegh Bahadur <Th_colspan="2"> ☬ Sikh topics ☬ Gurus Guru Nanak Guru Angad Guru Amar Das Guru Ram Das Guru Arjan Guru Hargobind Guru Har Rai Guru Har Krishan Guru Tegh Bahadur Guru Gobind Singh Guru Granth Sahib ( Sikh holy book ) Philosophy Beliefs and principles Guru Maneyo Granth Sikh Rehat Maryada Prohibitions Cannabis and Sikhism Diet in Sikhism Practices Khalsa Ardās Kirtan Langar Naam Karan Anand Karaj Amrit Sanchar Amrit Velā Antam Sanskar Three Pillars Kirat Karo Naam Japo Vand Chhako Sikh practices The Five Ks Simran Sewa Charhdi Kala Dasvand Jhatka Scripture Guru Granth Sahib Dasam Granth Gurbani Mul Mantar Japji Sahib Chaupai Jaap Sahib Rehras Sukhmani Sahib Tav - Prasad Savaiye By country Australia Afghanistan Belgium Canada Vancouver Fiji France Germany India Indonesia Iraq Italy Malaysia Nepal Netherlands New Zealand Pakistan Singapore Switzerland Thailand United Arab Emirates United Kingdom United States Other topics History Gurmukhi script Ik Onkar Waheguru Khanda Gurdwara ( Harmandir Sahib ) Panj Pyare Literature Music Names Places Politics Nanakshahi calendar Ramananda Fariduddin Ganjshakar Kabir History of the Punjab Sardar Dastar Islam Jainism Hinduism Sikh Empire Mela Maghi Maghi Vaisakhi Hola Mohalla Sikhs Women in Sikhism Sikhism and sexual orientation Idolatry in Sikhism Criticism Punjab Punjabis Punjabi language ( Gurmukhī ) Takht Akal Takht Damdama Sahib Kesgarh Sahib Hazur Sahib Patna Sahib <Td_colspan="2"> ☬ Sikhism portal ☬ WorldCat Identities GND : 119083019 ISNI : 0000 0000 2303 6074 LCCN : n81033037 VIAF : 42640192 Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Guru_Ram_Das&oldid=865176160 '' Categories : Sikh gurus 1581 deaths 1534 births Punjabi people Indian city founders Punjabi city founders Hidden categories : Use dmy dates from January 2017 Use Indian English from January 2017 All Wikipedia articles written in Indian English Pages using infobox religious biography with unsupported parameters Articles having same image on Wikidata and Wikipedia All articles with unsourced statements Articles with unsourced statements from January 2017 Wikipedia articles with GND identifiers Wikipedia articles with ISNI identifiers Wikipedia articles with LCCN identifiers Wikipedia articles with VIAF identifiers Talk Contents About Wikipedia Wikisource Azərbaycanca বাংলা Català Deutsch Español فارسی Français हिन्दी Bahasa Indonesia Italiano मैथिली മലയാളം मराठी Nederlands नेपाल भाषा Norsk nynorsk ਪੰਜਾਬੀ پنجابی Polski Português Русский संस्कृतम् Simple English Svenska தமிழ் తెలుగు اردو 19 more Edit links This page was last edited on 22 October 2018 , at 08 : 00 ( UTC ) . 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