Guru Amar Das - Twelve Years of Water Seva

Dadi: "Guddu, how long could you do the same job every single day without missing even one day?"

Guddu: "Hmm... maybe a week? A month?"

Dadi: "What if I told you about a man who did the same service every single day for twelve years?"

Guddu: "Twelve years! That's longer than I've been alive!"

Dadi: "His name was Amar Das, and he was already sixty-two years old when he started. By the time he finished, he was seventy-four!"

Guddu: "What service did he do?"

Dadi: "He carried water for his Guru's bath. Every single day."

Guddu: "That doesn't sound so hard."

Dadi: "Let me tell you what it actually involved. He would wake up before dawn, in complete darkness. He would walk to the river Beas, fill a heavy pot of water, and carry it on his head all the way to Khadur where Guru Angad lived."

Guddu: "How far was that?"

Dadi: "Several miles! And he did this in summer heat, in winter cold, in rain and storms. He never missed a single day."

Guddu: "Wow! Why did he do it?"

Dadi: "Because he loved his Guru with all his heart. He had been searching for a true spiritual master his whole life. When he finally found Guru Angad, he was so grateful that he wanted to serve."

Guddu: "Did he only carry water?"

Dadi: "No, beta. After delivering the bath water, he would attend the morning prayers. Then he worked in the langar kitchen - scrubbing pots, collecting firewood, cooking. In the evenings, he would massage the Guru's tired feet. And every night, he would walk back home, often walking backwards so he never turned his back on his Guru's house."

Guddu: "Walking backwards? That's amazing devotion!"

Dadi: "One winter night, there was a terrible storm. It was January - bitterly cold. Amar Das was carrying his pot of water in the darkness. The wind was howling. And suddenly... he stumbled into a hole and fell."

Guddu: "Oh no! Did he spill the water?"

Dadi: "He got hurt, but he held onto that pot. Even injured, he got up and continued to Guru Angad's house. He was late, but the water was safe."

Guddu: "Such dedication!"

Dadi: "A weaver woman heard the noise in the middle of the night. She asked her husband, "Who could be out in this storm?" The husband said, "Who else? That homeless Amru.""

Guddu: "They called him homeless?"

Dadi: "They were mocking him - an old man carrying water like a servant. But Amar Das heard them. And you know what he said? "I am not homeless. I have found the home of the true Guru.""

Guddu: "That's such a wise answer."

Dadi: "Guru Angad saw all of this. He had been watching Amar Das for twelve years - never missing a day, never complaining, serving with pure love. And he knew that this humble water-carrier had the heart of a true Guru."

Guddu: "What happened then?"

Dadi: "Guru Angad blessed Amar Das and chose him to become the Third Guru of the Sikhs. The man who had carried water became the leader of an entire spiritual community!"

Guddu: "The servant became the master!"

Dadi: "That's the beauty of seva, beta. True service is not about being less than others. It's about love. It's about dedication. It's about proving, day after day, that you care more about others than about yourself."

Guddu: "Twelve years is such a long time to carry water."

Dadi: "And that's exactly what made Guru Amar Das special. Anyone can serve for a day. Anyone can serve when it's easy. But to serve for twelve years, in storms and heat, in darkness and cold, without ever expecting a reward - that's what made him worthy of being a Guru."

Guddu: "Dadi, this story makes me want to help more."

Dadi: "*smiles* Start small, beta. Help your mother with one task. Do it tomorrow too. And the day after. If you can serve with love for even one year, you'll understand what Guru Amar Das felt."

Guddu: "I'll try, Dadi. I'll start by carrying my own plate to the kitchen every day!"

Dadi: "*laughs and hugs him* That's a perfect beginning, my little one. Every great journey starts with small steps."