Jan-March 2006 - Institute of Sikh Studies

12ABSTRACTS OF SIKH STUDIES : JAN-MARCH 2006 / 537-38 NSheart of anyone who wants to see what Guru Nanak did forwomankind.The third Guru (Guru Amar Das) forbade Satee in these words:“They are not satees who burn themselves with their dead husbands. Ratherare they satees, Nanak, who die with mere shock of separation from theirhusbands.And they too are to be considered a satees, who abide in modesty andcontentment;Who wait upon their Lord and rising in the morn ever remember Him.”Again:“Women are burnt in the fire with their husbands:If they appreciate their husbands, they undergo sufficient pain by theirdeath;And if they appreciate not their husbands, Nanak, why should they beburnt at all ?– Suhi-ki-Var.Guru Amar Das 1 held women equal with men. Perhaps heremembered what he owed to a woman, Bibi Amro, who had broughthim to his Saviour. This is his ideal of married life :“They are not husband and wife who only have a physical contact;Rather are they wife and husband who have one spirit in twobodies.”This ideal was amply realized in the time of next Guru. There isa beautiful story, in Sikh history, of the conscientious and bravedaughter of the magistrate of Patti (District Amritsar). She did herduty by her leper husband even under most trying circumstances. Shecarried him about in a basket on her head for many years till he wascured by the grace of God. Bhai Gurdas, 2 a Sikh missionary of thetime, says: “From temporal as well as spiritual point of view, womanis man’s other half and assists him to salvation. She assuredly bringshappiness to the virtuous.” Guru Amar Das was also against thecustom of purda, as may be seen from his exhortation to the Rani ofHaripur who had come to the sangat (religious assembly) with a veilon.The effect of all this was that the men with whom it had beenusual in troublous times to leave their females to the mercy of theinvader, now came forward as defenders of the honour of their homes.