Guru Arjan Dev

Guru Arjan Dev was a poet of great merit, musicologist with deep understanding of ragas, meticulous editor with an eye for perfection and a philosopher and mystic. The fourth chapter deals with the poetic output of the Guru and the world-view that emerges from it. This details the major compositions of the Guru, especially the more important longer ones wherein we have tried to appreciate their poetic grandeur and highlight their metaphysical importance.  No doubt, all the original doctrines and concepts of the Sikh faith were articulated by the founder of the faith, but this in no way belittles the contribution of the following Gurus who contributed a lot in providing an exposition and explanation of these concepts and doctrines. The contribution of Guru Arjan in this regard is immense. A very significant issue in the history of religions has always been the manner in which a spiritual preceptor articulates a new religious vision and is in turn shaped over the years by pre-existing mythic ideals, which are embedded in the prevailing religious culture. The present booklet is also an attempt to study emergence of the Sikh faith in an otherwise oppressed and etherized Indian society and discuss the circumstances in which Guru Arjan appeared on the scene, analyse the challenges he had to face during his lifetime, highlight his contribution in the transformation of society, and the suffering he had to undergo and the ultimate sacrifice he had to make. In the process, the book refers briefly to the contemporary historical milieu, the flaws the Guru found in the prevailing socio-religious situation, his vision at rectifying or removing these flaws so as to transform this world into Sach Khandor the realm of truth, and the price he had to pay for this.