Image from Wikimedia Commons – Technical Harman.

This post is taken from the book Heroes, Saints and Yogis: Tales of Self Discovery and the Path of Sikh Dharma, compiled by Shakti Parwha Kaur Khalsa and Guruka Singh Khalsa.

The Second Guru Nanak (1504-1552)

Angad was 25 years old when he became the Second Guru. He went into seclusion to meditate; however, after six months, he was convinced to return to active leadership. As a leader, he set an ideal example, living and serving as Guru Nanak had done.

Guru Angad was very fond of children, organized games for them and even gave out prizes. He took special interest in their education, which undoubtedly led him to work on the Gurmukhi script which made Guru Nanak’s teachings easily available so even children could read them.

Gurmukhi: One of Guru Angad’s Most Important Contributions

Before Guru Angad simplified Gurmukhi (“from the mouth of the Guru”), only the Brahmins, the priestly class, could read. They were paid by the illiterate to read and perform ceremonies for them. Guru Angad gathered Guru Nanak’s hymns, which were in various scripts or had been memorized by some of his disciples, and rewrote them plus his own compositions in Gurmukhi, a simple phonetic script. 

Gurmukhi was so easy to read that everyone could learn it. This codified script elevated the lower classes and was a means to directly experience the divine. Gurmukhi is and endures today as the “language” in which the entire Siri Guru Granth Sahib is written.

Would you like to learn Gurmukhi?  Check out the “Joy of Gurmukhi” self-study course.

Here’s an introduction to the course:

In the book Heroes, Saints and Yogis: Tales of Self Discovery and the Path of Sikh Dharma, compiled by Shakti Parwha Kaur Khalsa and Guruka Singh Khalsa:

What does it mean to live as a Sikh? How is this lifestyle relevant today? In this reader friendly collection of personal stories you will find “People Like You and Me” candidly sharing their experiences of self-discovery along the path of Sikh Dharma. This one-of-a-kind book includes fascinating tales of the unique lives of the ten men of higher consciousness who forged a path of everyday learning and personal excellence.

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