Lives of the Gurus ยท 2nd Guru
Guru Angad Dev Ji (1504โ1552): From Bhai Lehna to the Second Guru โ Gurmukhi, Langar, Mall Akhara and Khadur Sahib
Guru Angad Dev Ji held Guruship for only thirteen years, yet he turned the message of Guru Nanak Dev Ji into an organised community with its own script, kitchen, wrestling grounds and centre at Khadur Sahib. His succession also set the lasting Sikh rule that Guruship goes to the most devoted disciple, not automatically to a son. This guide explains his life and contribution in detail.
Life at a glance
| Detail | Fact |
|---|---|
| Original name | Bhai Lehna |
| Born | 1504, Matte di Sarai (Sarai Naga), present-day Sri Muktsar Sahib district |
| Father / mother | Pheru Mal, a trader / Mata Ramo (also called Daya Kaur) |
| Wife | Mata Khivi |
| Children | Sons Dasu and Datu; daughters Bibi Amro and Bibi Anokhi |
| Guru | 1539โ1552 |
| Centre | Khadur Sahib (Tarn Taran district) |
| Passed away | 1552, Khadur Sahib |
| Successor | Guru Amar Das Ji |
Early life
Bhai Lehna was born into a Khatri trading family. Political unrest forced the family to move, and they settled at Khadur, near the Beas. As a young man, Lehna was a devoted worshipper of the goddess Durga and led groups of pilgrims every year to the shrine of Jwalamukhi in the hills.
One day at Khadur he heard Bhai Jodha, a Sikh, reciting the Japji Sahib. Moved by the words, he decided to meet their author. On his next pilgrimage he stopped at Kartarpur to see Guru Nanak Dev Ji โ and never completed the journey.
Years of service at Kartarpur
Lehna stayed with the Guru and worked in the fields and the kitchen. The Janamsakhis record several tests in which he alone obeyed the Guru without hesitation:
- carrying a bundle of wet grass on his head, staining his fine clothes with mud;
- going into a muddy pit at night to recover a bowl;
- obeying strange-seeming instructions that the Guru's sons and other followers questioned.
The lesson drawn from these stories is that complete humility and obedience earned him the Guru's trust. In 1539, Guru Nanak Dev Ji placed five copper coins and a coconut before him and bowed โ the ceremony of passing the Guruship โ and renamed him Angad, meaning "part of my own body".
Guruship at Khadur Sahib
To avoid friction with Guru Nanak Dev Ji's sons, Guru Angad Dev Ji moved back to Khadur Sahib. From here he guided the growing community for thirteen years. His main contributions were:
1. Gurmukhi script
Punjabi was written in several scripts, including the merchants' lande or mahajani script, which was hard to read consistently. Guru Angad Dev Ji refined and standardised the Gurmukhi script โ literally "from the mouth of the Guru" โ so that hymns could be written down accurately and ordinary people could learn to read. He is said to have taught children the letters himself. Gurmukhi has 35 basic letters (paintis akhar) and remains the official script of Punjabi in Indian Punjab.
2. Collecting the bani
He gathered the hymns of Guru Nanak Dev Ji and is associated by tradition with the writing of an early account of Guru Nanak Dev Ji's life. This began the process that led, two generations later, to the Adi Granth.
3. Langar under Mata Khivi
Mata Khivi ran the community kitchen with great care, and visitors remembered the rich kheer (rice pudding) she served. Her role is honoured in the Guru Granth Sahib, in a var by Satta and Balwand, which mentions her generous langar. She is the only woman named in the scripture.
4. Mall akhara
He encouraged young Sikhs to keep fit through wrestling and exercise at a mall akhara. Gurdwara Mall Akhara Sahib at Khadur Sahib marks the site. This attention to physical strength anticipated the martial tradition of later Gurus.
5. Meeting with Humayun
Tradition records that the Mughal emperor Humayun, fleeing after his defeat by Sher Shah Suri in 1540, came to Khadur. Finding the Guru absorbed in kirtan, he grew impatient and reached for his sword; the Guru reminded him that he should have used his sword against his enemy, not against a man of God. The story is told to show the Guru's fearlessness before rulers.
His bani
Guru Angad Dev Ji's compositions in the Guru Granth Sahib are 63 shaloks (short verses), placed within the vars of other Gurus. He did not compose full shabads in the ragas. His verses stress humility, service and the danger of ego (haumai).
Choosing a successor
Among those who came to Khadur was Amar Das, an elderly Vaishnav pilgrim. He had heard Bibi Amro, the Guru's daughter (married into Amar Das's family), singing a hymn of Guru Nanak Dev Ji and was drawn to the Guru. For twelve years he brought water from the Beas every day for the Guru's bath, in all weather. Recognising this devotion, Guru Angad Dev Ji chose him as successor in 1552, passing over his own sons, Dasu and Datu. Datu later resented this decision.
Places linked with Guru Angad Dev Ji
| Place | Gurdwara / significance |
|---|---|
| Sarai Naga (Muktsar) | Gurdwara Janam Asthan, birthplace |
| Khadur Sahib (Tarn Taran) | Gurdwara Darbar Sahib, Gurdwara Mall Akhara Sahib, Gurdwara Tap Asthan |
| Kartarpur (Pakistan) | Years of service under Guru Nanak Dev Ji |
Khadur Sahib has been developed as a heritage town with gardens and environmental projects, often cited as an example of community-led rural development.
Exam traps
- Bhai Lehna is the original name of Guru Angad Dev Ji โ not of Guru Amar Das Ji (who was born Amar Das) or Guru Ram Das Ji (Bhai Jetha).
- Guru Angad Dev Ji's contribution in the scripture is 63 shaloks, not shabads.
- He standardised Gurmukhi; he did not invent all its letters from nothing.
Key points to remember
- Born 1504 at Matte di Sarai; original name Lehna; once a devotee of Durga.
- Heard Japji Sahib from Bhai Jodha; went to Kartarpur.
- Guru 1539โ1552 at Khadur Sahib.
- Gurmukhi script, Mata Khivi's langar, mall akhara.
- 63 shaloks in the Guru Granth Sahib.
- Chose Guru Amar Das Ji over his sons Dasu and Datu.
Practice questions
Q1. What was the original name of Guru Angad Dev Ji?
- (a) Bhai Jetha
- (b) Bhai Lehna
- (c) Bhai Jodha
- (d) Bhai Buddha
Show answer
Answer: (b) Bhai Lehna โ He was born Lehna and renamed Angad by Guru Nanak Dev Ji.
Q2. Guru Angad Dev Ji was born at:
- (a) Khadur Sahib
- (b) Matte di Sarai (Sarai Naga)
- (c) Basarke
- (d) Goindwal
Show answer
Answer: (b) Matte di Sarai (Sarai Naga) โ He was born at Matte di Sarai in present-day Sri Muktsar Sahib district.
Q3. Guru Angad Dev Ji's contribution to the Guru Granth Sahib consists of:
- (a) 63 shaloks
- (b) 974 shabads
- (c) Sukhmani Sahib
- (d) Anand Sahib
Show answer
Answer: (a) 63 shaloks โ His compositions are 63 shaloks.
Q4. Who sang the Japji Sahib that first drew Bhai Lehna to Guru Nanak Dev Ji?
- (a) Bhai Mardana
- (b) Bhai Jodha
- (c) Bhai Gurdas
- (d) Baba Buddha
Show answer
Answer: (b) Bhai Jodha โ Bhai Jodha's recitation at Khadur inspired him.
Q5. Gurdwara Mall Akhara Sahib is located at:
- (a) Goindwal Sahib
- (b) Kartarpur
- (c) Khadur Sahib
- (d) Amritsar
Show answer
Answer: (c) Khadur Sahib โ It marks the wrestling ground set up by Guru Angad Dev Ji at Khadur Sahib.
Q6. The only woman named in the Guru Granth Sahib is:
- (a) Bibi Bhani
- (b) Mata Khivi
- (c) Bebe Nanaki
- (d) Mata Gujri
Show answer
Answer: (b) Mata Khivi โ Mata Khivi is mentioned for her generous langar.
Frequently asked questions
Why did Guru Angad Dev Ji move to Khadur Sahib?
To avoid friction with Guru Nanak Dev Ji's sons at Kartarpur and to build a new centre for the community.
What does "Angad" mean?
"A limb of my own body" โ the name given by Guru Nanak Dev Ji to show that Lehna was one with him.
Who were Guru Angad Dev Ji's sons?
Dasu and Datu.
Official sources
- Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC)
- Punjab Digital Library
- Encyclopaedia Britannica โ Sikhism: Guru Angad
Rules, dates and figures can change. Always check the latest official notification or government release before relying on a detail.