Satguru ji’s other sons, Baba Mahadev ji and Sri Arjan Dev ji came to Guru ji and bowed to him. They bowed to Sanghari Mal ji as well. Baba Sanghari Mal ji blessed the both of them. Guru ji said to Baba Mahadev ji: “go and attend the wedding of your brother (cousin). Go with your Thayaji to Lahore. Attend the wedding and meet your Sodhi relatives as well.” Mahadev ji was a carefree saintly person. He said to his father: “what are relatives? I don’t not know any relatives. Where should I go? I don’t know anyone there. I didn’t know them before nor do I wish to establish a relationship with them in the future. What is the point of the relatives? They only care for themselves. Without money, they don’t even come close to anyone. When a person has money, they become your relatives. I do not wish to go. I don’t wish to travel either.” Baba Mahadev ji went quiet then. Guru Ramdas ji, the gracious one, had understood the elder two sons’ intentions, that they do not obey him. Guru ji thought to himself: “they think they are smarter and did not obey me.” Guru Ramdas ji then looked towards Sri Arjan Dev ji. Sri Arjan Dev ji was a calm and pleasant person. He did not ever look into his father’s eyes. He always kept his eyes lowered in front of his father, out of respect. He never spoke out of turn in front of his father. He was standing with his hands folded. Guru Ramdas ji said to him: “my son, Arjan. Be obedient. Go with your Thayaji and attend your cousin brother’s wedding. Go and be happy, meeting everyone. Your relatives will meet you. Sit with them and celebrate the occasion. See how the wedding happens. Stay with your Thayaji for 1 month and help out with the wedding. After the wedding, go to our Dharamsala and do the Seva of the traditions there. Make the Sangat do Simran of Satnam. When I call for you, I will write you a letter with love, then you are to come back. Till then, you are not to come back home. Stay there in Lahore and preach Sikhi. Connect the Sangat to Parameshver.” Listening to his Father-Guru, Sri Arjan Dev ji folded his hands and said: “this is a very easy thing. You are sending me to a happy occasion. This is a fun celebration. If you were to send me to a place where my life would be in danger, I would have gone there without any doubt in my heart. I would not delay going to a place where my life would be in danger. Your command is supreme for me.” In this way Sri Arjan Dev ji listened to his father and got ready to go with his Thayaji.
Sri Arjan Dev ji went to see his mother for her permission to leave. He told her that he was commanded to go to Lahore with Thaya Sanghari Mal ji. Mata Bhaani ji hugged and kissed her youngest son on the forehead. She said to him: “listen son, always obey your father. Do whatever he says. Otherwise, the Gurta Ghuddi will leave our house. Only doing Seva is revered. Only the servant becomes the Guru. Your brother Prithi Chand is egotistical. I have tried to tell him but he never listens to your father. Mahadev is a carefree person. He doesn’t understand profit or loss. I only trust you, though. I know that you will become the next Guru. Oh son, from Guru Nanak Dev ji’s time, only the servant has received the Guru’s throne. Both Guru Angad Dev ji and my father have only given the Guru’s throne to the servant. Their sons never became the Guru. You must do the Seva with great effort just as your father and grandfather did. Do Seva just the way they did of the Guru. The Guru does not have attachment. The Guru is only pleased with the servant, not the son. This is what I worry about everyday: that another servant would take the Gurta Ghaddi. But seeing you, I have faith. My son, I bless you that you may always live by your father’s command.” In this way, with tears in her eyes, she said: “go son.” Sri Arjan Dev ji took his mother’s teachings and bowed to her with great respect. He took his mother’s leave.
Sri Arjan Dev ji went to his father and bowed. He bowed to his elder brothers as well. He got on top of his chariot and travelled to Lahore. He entered Lahore and arrived in his Thaya ji’s home. There was a great celebration. He met his relatives with respect. Everyone was happy to see him and he was happy to see them.
It was soon the day of the wedding and Sri Arjan Dev ji went with the Bharaat to the wedding. It was a joyous time for him. He helped his Thayaji plan and prepare for the wedding. He stayed there during the whole time. After the wedding was done, Sri Arjan Dev ji went to the Dharamsala in Lahore. The Sikh Sangat would come there, day and night. They were happy to meet the son of the Guru. Sri Arjan Dev ji had some renovations done to the Dharamsala. After some time passed, Sri Arjan Dev ji was waiting for his father’s letter. His mind was connected to the love for the Guru’s feet. He did Simran of the Guru all day and night. He sang Keertan of the Guru with the Sangat. He spent his time like this. The love in his heart grew by the day. Without seeing the Guru, he was getting anxious. Many months passed like this, as Sri Arjan Dev ji waited in the Guru’s love. “Father Guru Ramdas ji, when will he call for me?” Guru Ramdas ji wanted to test his son. He didn’t send a letter on purpose. Prithi Chand would stay close to his father all the time and thought he was great in his mind. He would think to himself: “I am the eldest son. I will be the Guru. I will do as I please when I am Guru. Many people come to see my father. I am praised in the house.” He would hide some of the money and think of new strategies everyday. He was egotistical in every way. He would only listen to some of his father’s commands. The commands he didn’t want to obey, he would respond to his father with anger and say: “I don’t want to do this.” He would independently do as he pleased. Many people would bow to him as well. He had many of the Masands in his command. He would have them bring the money to him from their areas. Prithi Chand appointed many people as Masands, without getting permission from his father. They would collect money from the Sangat and bring it to him. Sometimes the Masands would keep the money for themselves. Guru Ramdas ji was very calm. He knew that Prithi Chand was a shady character. Guru ji would never say anything to him. He didn’t find him eligible for the Guru’s throne. He would think to himself: “Prithi Chand doesn’t understand what the Guru is. The Gurta Ghaddi goes to the humble person, just as water always settles at lower elevations. Prithi Chand’s ego is like a high hill.” Guru ji was disappointed with Prithi Chand. Prithi Chand didn’t understand Guru ji’s glory, even by staying close to him. Just like a person living close to a Teerath would think that the Teerath is great because of them. Prithi Chand was arrogant and egotistical. He thought Guru ji was great because of him. He wouldn’t let humility come near him. Mahadev was carefree and remained quiet all the time. Sometimes he would come to Guru Sahib. Otherwise, he would be off to another place on his own.
Satguru Ramdas ji was great. He was testing his sons to see who would be the next Guru. Sri Arjan Dev ji was living in Lahore at the Dharamsala. There were no letters exchanged from either side. Sri Arjan Dev ji’s heart was filled with love, growing by the day. His love was overflowing, like the water in the ocean during a storm. He did Simran of his Father-Guru with every breath. He would say: “when will I see you again and be happy?” He would sing Gurbani in Raags and his heart would long for his father. Tears would flow from his eyes, singing Gurbani. He would be anxious and get goosebumps. The pain of separation made him pale and weak. He said: “the Satguru master has forgotten me. The omniscient one does not remember me. I can’t go back with my effort as it was your command. I cannot disobey. You said: “don’t come till I call you.” Sri Arjan ji kept on thinking about this. He felt like a bird trapped in a cage, stuck by the Guru’s command. He took deep sighs and said: “I have been separated from everyone.” He would sing out loud in high pitches but his father would not call him. He would sing the Guru’s praises in the Sangat, while shedding tears. He stayed in Lahore in this way. He did Simran of the leader of the Sodhis. The separation had made him anxious. He would only be at peace when he would meet the Guru.
Guru Ramdas ji would visit the Sangat in Goindwal and live with the Sangat. Sometimes he would go to Amritsar and clean the minds of the Sikhs by giving them wisdom.