7. Guru Angad Dev ji and Tapaa

There lived a Sadhu (monk), Tapa in Khadur. He was worshipped as a Guru by the Khahira Jats only. Tapa had jealousy against the Guru and contended reverence shown to Guru by his followers. He maintained that he should be worshipped instead of the Guru since Guru was a family man and not an ascetic. One year there were no monsoons and as a result there was a drought in the land. People were distressed and went to Tapa for his help to procure rain. Tapa told them that he was a monk, yet no one worshipped him and instead everybody worshipped the family man (Guru), and so he asked them to go to the Guru and ask him to procure rain for them. They went to the Guru who replied,"Be satisfied with God's Will." They came back to Tapa who told them,"If you expel the Guru from the town, I will bring rain within twenty-four hours." Ultimately the Guru left the town and went seven villages away from Khadur where Tapa had no influence. When Baba Amar Das arrived in Khadur next morning, he found the Guru's house empty. On inquiry the people narrated the whole story to Babaji. In the meantime Tapa failed to bring any rain. Upon this Baba Amar Das asked the people if a lamp could be substituted for the sun. He asked them to punish Tapa ifthey wanted rain. It so happened that as Tapa was being punished, the rain came in torrents. After that the people went to the Guru to ask for forgiveness for their acts. When Guru Angad heard of Tapa's punishment, he felt much grieved and addressed to Amar as,"You have not obtained the fruits of my companionship, which are peace, forbearance and forgiveness." On hearing this Babaji fell at the feet of the Guru and humbly sought his pardon. He confessed that he got Tapa punished because he could not take Guru's insult and promised to obey the Guru's instructions in future. One night in March 1552, it rained all night, cold winds blew and lightning flashed. Baba Amar Das brought a pitcher of water from river Beas for his Master. While he was coming to the Guru's house, he struck against a wooden peg which a weaver had driven into the ground, and he fell into the loompit. It was a weavers' colony and when they heard the thud of his fall, one of the weavers' wife said,"Who could it be at this early hour ? It must be that homeless Amru who sleeps not, who knows no rest and who tires not. He is ever bringing water from the river and firewood from the forest; and what a Guru to serve!" The Master felt the twitch and was deeply moved. He embraced Baba Amar Das who was seventy-three years old then and said,"My Amar Das, he will be the home of the homeless, the honor of the unhonored, the strength of the strengthless, the support of the supportless, the emancipator of the captive." After that Guru Angad installed Baba Amar Das in his seat, put five paise and a coco-nut before him, and asked Bhai Buddha to put saffron tilak of Guruship on his forehead. He was then declared as Guru Amar Das :

Jot uha jugat sai seh kaya pher paltiai."

'Divine Light is the same Way and Mode are the same

The Master has only changed the body.

(Ramkali ki Var- Rai Balwand, Page-966)

Guru Angad directed him to live in Goindwal and left for his heavenly abode on March 29, 1552. Submission to Guru's order and worship of God, was the guiding principle in selection of the Guruship. Inspite of the opposition of his sons and relations, Guru Angad conferred the Guruship on Baba Amar Das who was proved to be the fittest and the most worthy for the Divine throne of Guru Nanak.