In Ithyaasic (historic) tradition, a common narrative circulates unchallenged regarding Sri Guru Amardas Ji, suggesting that he was originally a Vaishnav before becoming a disciple of Sri Guru Angad Dev Ji, and that he had originally been ignorant of the existence of Guru Angad Dev Ji. The story goes that one day, Guru Amardas Ji heard his daughter-in-law Bibi Amro Ji – who was also the daughter of Guru Angad Dev Ji – singing Gurbani, and it was this that led him to enquire about the author of the hymns, eventually leading him to discover Satguru Ji.
This origin story, however, is highly contentious when examined through the lens of a broader framework of Gurmat theology, logical reasoning, and scriptural evidence. This article aims to refute the claim that Sri Guru Amardas Ji was a guru-less Vaishnav trapped in a state of spiritual ignorance, by exploring the spiritual reality of the Gurus as per Gurbani, the inconsistencies in the narrative, and the consistent theological framework of Gurmat.
The Divine Reality of the Gurus: The Concept of Guru Joti
Gurmat teaches that the ten Gurus are direct manifestations of the Guru-Joti (“light” form), the Sargun form of Akal Purakh. Originating with Guru Nanak Dev Ji, this light continued through the 10 Jammay (ten manifestations), all of whom were extensions of this singular Guru-Joti.
This unity is articulated in Gurbani:
ਨਾਨਕੁ ਤੂ ਲਹਣਾ ਤੂਹੈ ਗੁਰੁ ਅਮਰੁ ਤੂ ਵੀਚਾਰਿਆ ॥
You are Nanak, You are Angad, and You are Amar Das; so do I recognize You.
Sri Guru Gobind Singh Ji also writes:
ਸ੍ਰੀ ਨਾਨਕ ਅੰਗਦਿ ਕਰਿ ਮਾਨਾ ॥ ਅਮਰਦਾਸ ਅੰਗਦ ਪਹਿਚਾਨਾ ॥
Sri Nanak was recognized in Angad, and Angad in Amar Das.ਅਮਰਦਾਸ ਰਾਮਦਾਸ ਕਹਾਯੋ ॥ ਸਾਧਨਿ ਲਖਾ ਮੂੜ੍ਹ ਨਹਿ ਪਾਯੋ ॥੯॥
Amar Das was called Ram Das, only the saints know it and the fools do not.9.ਭਿੰਨ ਭਿੰਨ ਸਭਹੂੰ ਕਰ ਜਾਨਾ ॥ ਏਕ ਰੂਪ ਕਿਨਹੂੰ ਪਹਿਚਾਨਾ ॥
The people on the whole considered them as separate ones, but there are few who recognize them as one and the same.ਜਿਨ ਜਾਨਾ ਤਿਨ ਹੀ ਸਿਧ ਪਾਈ ॥ ਬਿਨ ਸਮਝੇ ਸਿਧ ਹਾਥਿ ਨ ਆਈ ॥੧੦॥
Those who recognize them as One, are successful spiritually. Without this recognition, there is no spiritual prowess.10.
The common belief is that Sri Guru Amardas Ji transformed into this singular Guru-Joti only after being given the throne of Guruship. However, this idea strongly contradicts the consistent Gurmat principal – present in both Gurbani and Bhai Gurdas Ji’s Vaaran – that these Jammay manifested from the one original Guru-Joti. Suggesting that Guru Amardas Ji became the Guru-Joti reverses this explicit truth. It suggests that the process was backwards; that the soul of Guru Amardas Ji transformed into the Guru-Joti, rather than Akal Purakh’s Guru-Joti producing the manifestation of Sri Guru Amardas Ji from itself. This reversal – suggesting that Sri Guru Amardas Ji transformed into Guru-Joti later – would necessitate that Guru Amardas Ji only became Satguru during Kaljug.
Yet both Gurbani and Bhai Gurdas Ji’s Vaaran make it clear that the 10 Jammay were the Satguru Guru-Joti before the Jugs even began. In regard to Guru Amardas Ji, Bhai Gurdas Ji has written:
ਆਦਿ ਪੁਰਖੁ ਆਦੇਸੁ ਕਰਿ ਆਦਿ ਜੁਗਾਦਿ ਸਬਦ ਵਰਤਾਇਆ।
Having worshipped the primal Lord, Guru Amardas made the Word (Naam) pervade during all the Jugs, and even before the Jugs began.
This idea, that Guru Amardas Ji was in the Satguru Guru-Joti state even before taking on human form in Kaljug is consistent with Gurbani’s explicit framing of other Guru Sahiban as Satguru Guru-Joti from Aad (beginning of time) and Jugaad (before the start of time). The following Pauri from Bhattan de Sveiye affirms the primal divinity and Satguru-status of Sri Guru Amardas Ji’s successor, Sri Guru Ram Das Ji:
ਤੂ ਸਤਿਗੁਰੁ ਚਹੁ ਜੁਗੀ ਆਪਿ ਆਪੇ ਪਰਮੇਸਰੁ ॥
You are the True Guru, throughout the four Jugs; You Yourself are the Supreme Lord.ਸੁਰਿ ਨਰ ਸਾਧਿਕ ਸਿਧ ਸਿਖ ਸੇਵੰਤ ਧੁਰਹ ਧੁਰੁ ॥
The angelic beings, seekers, Siddhs and Sikhs have served You, since the very beginning of time.ਆਦਿ ਜੁਗਾਦਿ ਅਨਾਦਿ ਕਲਾ ਧਾਰੀ ਤ੍ਰਿਹੁ ਲੋਅਹ ॥
You are the Primal Lord God, from the very beginning, and throughout the ages; Your Power supports the three worlds.ਅਗਮ ਨਿਗਮ ਉਧਰਣ ਜਰਾ ਜੰਮਿਹਿ ਆਰੋਅਹ ॥
You are Inaccessible; You are the Saving Grace. You have conquered old age and death.ਗੁਰ ਅਮਰਦਾਸਿ ਥਿਰੁ ਥਪਿਅਉ ਪਰਗਾਮੀ ਤਾਰਣ ਤਰਣ ॥
Guru Amar Das has placed you on the throne; You are the Emancipator, to carry all across to the other side.ਅਘ ਅੰਤਕ ਬਦੈ ਨ ਸਲੵ ਕਵਿ ਗੁਰ ਰਾਮਦਾਸ ਤੇਰੀ ਸਰਣ ॥੨॥੬੦॥
So speaks SALL the poet: O Guru Ram Das, You are the Destroyer of sins; I seek Your Sanctuary. ||2||60||
It is quite clear here that Sri Guru Ram Das Ji, the successor of Sri Guru Amardas Ji, is explicitly being described as the Guru-Joti Satguru from the beginning of the ages. This means that Sri Guru Ramdas Ji did not come into the world ignorant; He was already the Jot form of Akal Purakh, the fourth form of the Guru-Joti of Sri Guru Nanak Dev Ji.
This is also said of the birth of Sri Guru Arjan Dev Ji:
ਗੁਰੁ ਅਰਜੁਨੁ ਘਰਿ ਗੁਰ ਰਾਮਦਾਸ ਅਪਰੰਪਰੁ ਬੀਣਾ ॥੩॥
In the House of Guru Ram Das, Guru Arjan has appeared as the Embodiment of the Infinite Lord. ||3||
The above Tuk makes it explicitly clear that Sri Guru Arjan Dev Ji was the direct manifestation of Akal Purakh upon birth; not that he transformed into this manifestation later on after being conferred the Guruship. If this is true of Sri Guru Nanak Dev Ji, Sri Guru Ramdas Ji, and Sri Guru Arjan Dev Ji, why should we assume that Sri Guru Amardas Ji did not come into the world as the already perfect and supreme manifestation of the Akali Jot?
The fact is, this presumption holds no logical bearing against the backdrop of Gurbani. All of the Sikh Gurus came into the world as Guru-Joti Satguru. They held that status since the beginning of time; however, the official Guruship status in this world had to be transferred from Guru to Guru, as per Gurbani:
ਗੁਰਿ ਨਾਨਕਿ ਅੰਗਦੁ ਵਰੵਉ ਗੁਰਿ ਅੰਗਦਿ ਅਮਰ ਨਿਧਾਨੁ ॥
Guru Nanak blessed Guru Angad, and Guru Angad blessed Guru Amar Daas with the treasure.ਗੁਰਿ ਰਾਮਦਾਸ ਅਰਜੁਨੁ ਵਰੵਉ ਪਾਰਸੁ ਪਰਸੁ ਪ੍ਰਮਾਣੁ ॥੪॥
Guru Raam Daas blessed Guru Arjun, who touched the Philosopher’s Stone, and was certified. ||4||
That is not to say that any of the Gurus were spiritually ignorant or imperfect in any sense before officially being conferred the worldly Guruship status.
This reveals another philosophical inconsistency of this story, related to the infallible nature of the Satguru.
What is the difference between the Manukhi Jeev (mortal being) and Satguru? It is that we have a past of sin, while Satguru does not. Humans are entangled in the cycle of reincarnation, burdened by past actions and mistakes (karam). In contrast, the Satguru has no past karam of mistakes. Gurbani clarifies this:
ਭੁਲਣ ਅੰਦਰਿ ਸਭੁ ਕੋ ਅਭੁਲੁ ਗੁਰੂ ਕਰਤਾਰੁ ॥
Everyone makes mistakes; only Guru-God are infallible.
This Tuk establishes that the Satguru is free from error, unlike the Manukhi Jeev. Sri Guru Amardas Ji, as Satguru, could not have had a past of error. In other words, Sri Guru Amardas Ji could not have worshipped anyone deity besides Akal Purakh (being a Vaishnav directly implies worship of Vishnu), nor could he have been ignorant of the existence of Sri Guru Angad Dev Ji.
Logical Inconsistencies in the Origin Story
Putting divinity aside, the narrative claims that Guru Amardas Ji only discovered Guru Angad Dev Ji’s identity by chance, long after his nephew married Guru Angad Dev Ji’s daughter. Even from a worldly perspective, this is logically implausible. In Punjabi culture, marriage alliances involve deep familial scrutiny, making it highly unlikely that Guru Amardas Ji would have been unaware of Guru Angad Dev Ji’s identity until a random encounter.
Furthermore, Gurbani and Vaaran never mention this supposed Sakhi. Bhai Gurdas Ji’s Vaaran are the authoritative sources for Sikh theology and history, yet never mention Guru Amardas Ji as a Vishnu worshipper or having a past outside of Gurmat. This absence is significant, as these texts meticulously document the Gurus’ divine mission and lineage.
Conclusion
The origin story of Sri Guru Amardas Ji as a Vishnu worshipper is unsound. Theologically, it contradicts the Guru Joti concept, which holds that the Gurus manifested from the singular Guru-Joti before the start of time, and that all of the Gurus were born perfect and enlightened. Logically, the narrative fails due to the improbability of Guru Amardas Ji being unaware of Guru Angad Dev Ji, given their familial ties. Scripturally, no evidence exists in Gurbani or Vaaran, while passages instead affirm his primal divinity and status as the Satguru.
Guru Amardas Ji was a divine manifestation of the Guru Joti, the eternal light of Akal Purakh since the beginning of time, not a reincarnating Jeev-Atma (soul) with a Karmic past of spiritual ignorance. The Sakhi (narrated story) that we are all familiar with diminishes Sri Guru Amardas Ji’s true divinity and status. By grounding our understanding in Gurmat rather than prioritizing narrative, we honor the Gurus’ true legacy and avoid heinous blasphemy.
Written By: Musäfr
