Guru Amar Das was the 3rd Guru. He had two daughters and two sons. One of his daughters was named Bibi Bhani, a very devoted girl. She was married to Bhai Jetha who later became Guru Ram Das. She served her father Guru Amar Das in every way possible. She combed his hair, feed him, prepare him for bed, watch over him as he meditated and look after his every need.
One night he had finished his food, gave his last instructions to students and went to meditate. He settled down on the wooden meditation he liked and began slipping into his meditation. His eyes closed, his breathing became long and deep. Hplatform e gently chanted the names of God.
Bibi Bhani used to like being near his divine meditation. Then she noticed something that alarmed her. The leg of the platform he was sitting on was breaking! She was horrified and thought, “If he leans to that side, as he often does, the leg of the platform will break!” She wondered what she could do about it, “I can’t let him fall, I won’t let his meditation be disturbed!”
She gently and quietly reached her hand out and put it under the broken leg of the platform. The jagged, broken wood poked her hand with deep splinters. After some time the wood went deeper and cut her hand which started to bleed. The pain was intense but she kept her hand there without making a sound. She painfully held her hand, and held it and held it but she thought, ““It is my blessing to serve him,”. As his meditation god deeper and deeper she thought, “I hope my divine father does not get disturbed in his meditation.”
Finally Guru Amar Das came out of his meditation. He opened his eyes slowly, he saw his daughter. He noticed she didn’t look comfortable and asked her, “Hey Bhani, what’s going on?” The pain caused tears to fall from her eyes, she said, “Nothing Pita ji.” When the Guru saw what had happened he immediately stood up and quickly removed her hand. He sat with her and pulled the splinters out.
He lovingly looked at her and said, “My dear daughter, you didn’t need to do that...” She said, “Pita ji, you are the Guru! I can’t allow the Guru to fall.” He said, “My daughter, you are a LION! A lion! Ask me anything, I will grant any request.” She said, “Pita ji, I have everything. I’m the daughter of the Guru, I have three beautiful sons, my husband is a great devotee of yours. What more do I need?”
But the Guru insisted that he would grant her something and she answered, “The only thing that I could ask of you is that the line of the Guru stays in our family, with the Sodhis.” Her husband who became Guru Ram Das who was from the Sodhi lineage. Guru ji granted this wish, “I bless you with what you ask.” And he added, “However, the creative flow of the Guruship has been changed. There will be consequences, it could lead to some problems and suffering. But the Sodhis have the strength to carry the responsibility of the throne of Guru Nanak.”
Later Bibi Bhani’s husband Bhai Jetha became Guru Ram Das, the 4th Guru. Guru Ram Das’s son became the next Guru and every Guru after him was a direct descendant of Guru Ram Das and bibi Bhani.
Such is the power of devotion and such is the blessing of the Guru.