One day, Guru Angad Dev ji went to Goindwal to meet Guru Amardas ji and had many great conversations with him. He was coming back to Khadoor and walking casually back, when he met a person by the name of Sheeha Uppal. Sheeha Uppal saw Guru ji and bowed to his feet with faith and devotion. Sheeha had 100 goats with him. Guru ji noticed the goats and said: “Sheeha, why do you have all these goats with you? Why do you have so many?” Sheeha responded to Guru ji, folding his hands: “oh Bhagwant Satguru ji, my son is having his Mundan ceremony and I am celebrating it with great joy. (The Mundan ceremony was a ceremony marked as a rite of passage in which the child becomes the student of a Guru. Most commonly, it was the family purohit that would become the child’s Guru. Khatris and Brahmins are known as Dwij Jaatis – Dwi = second, j = birth, Jaatis = castes. Being initiated by a Guru was considered a second birth. This ceremony would entail the “shaving of the ego,” and symbolized by shaving of the head and in some cases, begging for a period of time). My whole family has gathered to mark the occasion. This tradition was carried out by our elders and I am following their way. We serve meat on this particular occasion. This ritual was done by our elders: serving meat and rice to the whole family and celebrating in many ways.” Guru ji heard Sheeha’s words and smiled. Sheeha already had faith in the Guru but he wasn’t fully devoted yet. Guru ji wanted to bring him on to the path of Sikhi. Guru ji said to Sheeha: “you want to kill so many animals and take the sin upon your head. You may think you are fulfilling a tradition right now and may feel happy, but doing this will place you in Hell and give you immense pain. The jumms (the messengers of Death) will punish you. Your son or your relatives won’t come to rescue you. For whose pleasure you are preforming this tradition? They will not be able to assist you in Hell. They will enjoy the food but you will have to suffer for it. When Dharam Rai (the keeper of Dharam and Karma) audits your karma, you will be in pain. Nothing will be hidden.” Sheeha heard Guru ji’s words and got scared. He responded to Guru ji: “Guru ji, I will do as you say. Guru ji, what should I do so that I don’t have to kill these goats for the ritual and fulfill the ceremony? I don’t wish to sin, even unknowingly. I certainly do not want to go to Hell. I was afraid of killing these goats. You are all-powerful. Please protect me. There is no one I can find who is greater than you. I would like to come under your guidance and protection, and sing your glories everyday. Please tell me how my ancestors will be happy and the goats are not killed either. I am your servant now, please advise me.” Guru ji heard his pleas and then advised him: “come to our home and perform the Mundan ceremony there. Discard the doubts of your heart. Your ancestors will not be in any trouble. Do the Simran of Satnam by which your pain will go away. You think your ancestors will give you pain but they will instead protect you and won’t spoil any of your plans. Let all of these goats go free. You will not go to Hell or be in pain.” He heard Guru ji’s words with devotion in his heart. He folded his hands and pictured the feet of the Guru in his mind. He freed the goats and went home.
When he came home, he took all of the items he had prepared for the ceremony and brought his whole family and relatives to the Guru’s home. The Mundan ceremony happened at the Guru’s home according to his family’s traditions (according to other sources, there is an alternative account: The son was given the wisdom of shaving his ego and initiated into the fold of Sikhi by given the Charan Pahul. Also, the Khanda Pahul ceremony had not taken place yet so the cutting of the Kesh was not considered a Kurahit at this time). Langar of Dhaal and rice was served and all of the relatives ate peacefully, as much as they desired. The Sikh Sangat ate as well. No bad omen was seen and no curse fell upon Sheeha. The radiance of Satguru ji was great. The Satguru protected Sheeha in every way. Guru ji gave them the wisdom of Sikhi and Sheeha engraved the way of Sikhi into his heart. Sheeha Uppal became the Sikh of the Guru from that day onwards and served the Guru’s feet with love and devotion. He had full faith in the Guru and rejected all other ideologies. The ones who reject all other paths and follow the Guru’s way, the rarest gift on earth, they are blessed like Sheeha Uppal and receive the gift of Sikhi. (Note: The Jhatka Maryada of the Guru Khalsa is performed for the purpose of invoking the warrior spirit. Hunting and performing jhatka are for the purpose of perfecting weaponry skills and giving rise to the warrior spirit from within. This will be discussed later on in other chapters).
Guru Angad Dev ji made many trips to Goindwal. He would go for the bliss of his Sikhs. Sometimes he would go to his home and sometimes he would sit with Guru Amardas ji at the shores of the Beas. He spent some time like this and preached the way of Sikhi. Winter passed and Basant (spring) came. The flowers began to spring from the ground. The month of Chet (March) came and everyone was happy as it wasn’t too hot or too cold. The weather was pleasant and most enjoyable. Many colourful flowers were now blooming and nature was at its most beautiful point in the year. The Chicher plant was a plant in which the flowers bloom first and then the leaves fall. The Chicher plant was in full bloom. The flowers looked like flaming lights. Roses were blooming in the gardens. People would see the roses and rejoice with energy. Many other beautiful flowers were blooming. The forest was putting on a show for everyone. Flowers were blooming, vegetation was lush, animals and birds were singing. It was the best season. This was all in the command of the Satguru, the Basant was among the people. Guru ji would walk to Goindwal and admire the plants and greenery on the way there. Satguru ji was impressed with the season and then decided that it was time for him to leave his body. He told the Sangat about his decision: “I wish to leave my body now.” The Sikhs heard this and were shocked. They talked amongst themselves: “Satguru ji will leave his body and immerse into Vahiguru.” People heard this news and became sad. Both rich and poor, all members of the four castes were shocked and said: “he is telling us about his departing before it has happened. He is truly miraculous.” When people heard, they came right away saying: “let’s see the Satguru before he leaves. He will leave soon.” Many people came and sang the glories of the Guru. Sri Amardas ji heard the news and got anxious. He wasn’t able to visit Guru ji without his command. One hour seemed like a whole Kalapa (the time of 1,000 Mahayugas = 4.32 billion years = 1 day for Brahma). He would think of the Guru all the time. Guru Angad Dev ji sensed what Guru Amardas ji was going through, so he sent a Sikh to call Sri Amardas ji to Khadoor. The Sikh respectfully told Sri Amardas ji that he has been called upon to come to Khadoor by Guru ji. Guru Amardas ji left right away and was shedding tears as he travelled.
Sri Amardas ji met Guru Angad Dev ji and grabbed his feet. He shed tears on to his feet. His tears sprung like a spring from the mountains. Understanding the Sikh’s emotion, Guru ji spoke: “oh Purkha, you are now fully aware of your Aatma. The Brahmgyaan is full awakened in you. I can now go to Sach Khand. Joy and sorrow are one in your heart. You and I are one. This is how the Gyani lives in the world, just as a jug full of water lives in the ocean. When the jug breaks, the water inside the jug just immerses with the water in the ocean. This is how a Brahmgyaani leaves the body and immerses into Parmatma. There is nowhere for me to come or go, I will just be one with the Parmatma.” Guru Angad Dev ji then told the Sikhs to bring jugs of water and give Sri Amardas ji a bath. He told them to gather the Sangat. He told the Sikhs to call both of his sons and to ready his cremation pyre. He said he did not have too much time as his end time was close by. He called for 5 Paisas, a coconut, a flower garland, saffron, sesame seeds and sandalwood. He also asked for kusha (type of grass) to be spread in the yard.