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LIFE    AND   TEACHINGS 

OF 

GURU   NANAK 

BY 

THAKUR  SINGH,  S.  O. 

P.  W..D. 

(I 

IRRIQATION    BR  ^ 
IL  P.  OF  AGRA  AND  OUDH. 

19O6. 


>&&&&&&&&&  &&&&  &fitefefe  i 

AMRITSAR 

Printed  at  the  Wazir-i-Hind  Press,  by 
Bhai  Wazir  Singh  Manager. 


PREFACE 

In  Gurmuhhi  Bhashd,  there  exist  numerous  such 
books,  which  treat  of  Guru  Nanak's  life  and  teachings  ; 
but  in  English  there  are  no  books  of  this  kind.  If  there 
are  any;  they  kave  been  written  by  those,  who  had  no 
knowledge  of  the  Gurmukhi  literature,  which  contains 
all  the  books,  written  by  Nanak  and  his  successors. 
Besides,  the  authors,  have  endeavoured,  in  season  and 
out  of  season,  to  find  faults  with  the  founders  of  the 
Klialsa  religion  and  keep  the  advantages,  derived  by 
the  people  from  this  true  religion,  hidden  from  the 
readers.  On  these  accounts,  such  books  instead  of 
doing  any  good,  are  productive  of  deplorable  effects 
upon  the  minds  of  those,  who  are  desirous  of  knowing 
the  Khalsa  religiou  in  order  to  embrace  it, 

I  went  through  all  the  Gurmukhi  Janamsdkhies 
of  Nanak  and  noted  important  facts,  which  were 
written  in  English,  so  as  to  meet  the  required  ends. 
Had  tb  w  facts  been  JitPrnliy  translated,  tHfe  usefulness 
jof  this  book,  which  has  Wim  written  iu  a  foreign 
jtonguo,  would  have  been  lost.  So,  I  wrote  them  in 
si  ich  a  style  and  placed  them  in  such  an  order  as  to 
make  the  book  as  interesting  as  possible.  If  the  public 
will  also  appreciate  this  book,  my  labours  will  not  go 
in  vain. 

In  conclusion,  I  would  gladly  receive  any  sugges 
tions  that  would  tend  to  make  the  book  more  practically 
useful,  from  any,  who  are  interested  in  the  cause  of  the 
Khalsa  religion. 

THE  AUTHOR. 


CONTEN'I  S, 

», 

CHAPTER  I. — Condition  of  the  country  when  Guru 
Nanak's  incarnation  took  place. 

QHAPT,hiR  II. — Guru  Narak's  incarnation — his  child 
hood. 

CHAPTER  HI.— Guru  Nao  ik*s  yoi  th. 

CHAPTER  IV. — 0-uru  Nat  ^k  leaves  home  for  foreign 
travels  aid  delivers  a  lecture  in  a 
small  village. 

CHAPTER  V. — Guru  Nan  ik's  vi^it  to  Emanabad — his 
interview  wifli  Baber — his  lecture  to 
the  distressed  people  of  that  town  -his 
prophesy  3as  to  the  future  fate  of  his 
followers 

CHAPTER  VI — Description  of  Hardwar.  Guru  Nanak's 
visit  to  tliat  place — cause  of  the  poverty 
of  India-  -his  lecture  to  the  pilgrims. 

CHAPT8RV1L — Guru  Nanak's  visit  to  the  Temple  of 
Jaganna  Ii  Puri—his  debate  with  the 
priests  o:  that  Temple. 

CHAPTER  VIII. — Guru  N.-.nak's  visit  to  the  Temple  of 
Kali  Devi  in  Calcutta — his  tour  in  Siam, 
Burma  and  other  adjoining  countries. 
IX.— How  ihe  tomV  worship  was  originated 
in  India — Guru  Nanak's  visit  to  Shaikh 
Farid's  tomb  in  Pakpatan— his  interest 
ing  lecture  to  the  people  assembled 
on  that  Fair. 

CHAPTER  X, — Description  of  the  place  of  the  Moham- 
madan  worship  in  Mecca.  Guru  Nanak's 
visit  to  that  mosque — his  debate  with 
0  the  Kazies  and  Mullahs  "  of  that 
uiosqye. 

CHAPTER  XI. — -Guru  Nanak's  final  communion  with  the 
Supeieme  Soul. 

CHAPTER  XII.— Conclusion. 


LIFE  ASD  TEACHINGS 
OF 

GURU     NANAK, 

LIST    OF    ERRATTA. 


Chapter. 

Page 

Line 

Erratum. 

Correct  word. 

II 

8 

24 

did  their  best  to 

did   their   best   to 

make  the 

make  the   day   as 

memorable  as  their 

means  could  permit, 

'     -  j 

but 

IV 

17  ;  9 

leave 

Leaves 

IV 

1.7  i  21 

leave 

leaves 

\        v 

29  '     o 

lives 

lips 

V 
V 

32  i     i 
33  i     t> 

and  ±he  and  Uie 
an  extra 

and  the 
no  extra 

VI 

38  !  16 

The  fact 

The  fact  is 

VI 

50  I  21 

her  ^oose 

the  goose 

VIII       68  '    ^ 

visit  the  temple. 

visit  to  the  temple. 

Vlil 

74 

14 

oys 

toys. 

VIJI 

77      lo 

power  oi  tspeeoii 

no  power  of  speech 

IX 

81 

8 

may 

nay 

X 

85       9 

flew 

flow 

X 

88  1  10 

followers 

flowers 

X 

8* 

29 

teh 

the 

XI 

92 

10 

old 

all 

XI 

93        1 

bes 

best 

XI 

93       8 

village 

religion 

XII 

100      3  ! 

its  aiitcigv) 

ins  antago 

LIFE    AND    TEACHING 


OF 


GURU    NANAK 


CHAPTER    I. 

Condition  of  the  Country  when  Guru  Nanak's  incarnation 

took  place. 

HPB1ERLANE,  the  robber-King  of  Turtistan,  had 
•*•  left  India  nearly  half  a  century  before  the  time 
we  are  about  to  describe  ;  but  the  people  had  not  yet 
revived  from  the  ruin,  he  h^d  brought  on  them  by  his 
indiscriminate  slaughter  and  plunder.  Kings  of  the 
Lodhi  dynasty  were  nominal  occupants  of  the  throne  of 
this  great  empire  ;  but,  in  reality,  the  country  was  por 
tioned  out  into  territories— the  possession  of  many 
chieftains  and  princes— each  with  supreme  and  irres 
ponsible  rule  in  his  own  dominions,  having  the  most  lax 
and  inefficient  governments,  and  at  enmity  with  and 
jealous  of  all  his  neighbours.  Those  despotic  rulers, 
who  can  appropriately  be  called  robbers,  considered  it 
their  chief  duty  to  rob  the  peasantry  of  all,  they  possess 
ed  ;  but  they  had  no  will  or  leisure  to  think  of  their 
prosperity. 


[    2    ] 

There  being  no  public  or  rail  roads,  travellers 
journeyed  on  foot  or  on  horse-back  through  thick  forests 
and  jungles,  where  they  used  to  be  murdered  and 
exposed  to  the  sun,  to  feast  the  vultures  and  kites  on 
their  dead  bodies. 

The  rulers  had  made  no  arrangements  for  educa 
ting  the  subject  people  ;  but,  instead  of  supplying  the 
latter  with  schools  and  colleges  for  imparting  education 
to  the  young  children,  they  had  mercilessly  burnt  the 
literary  books  which  the  Hindus  had  inherited  from 
their  fore-fathers. 

Monotheism,  which  is  the  product  of  sound  educa 
tion  had  become  altogether  instinct;  and  idolatry  had 
usurped  the  noble  seat  in  the  human  heart,  which  is 
destined  to  God  alone.  Every  city,  every  town,  every 
village  or  even  a  house  in  India  had  its  local  godsr  to 
whom  it  looked  for  its  protection.  Large  and  splendid 
buildings  were  built  in  honor  of  these  gods  and.  they 
were  worshipped  with  great  pomp  and  showr.  By  and 
by,  number  of  these  gods  had  increased  FO  much  as  3 
crores  ;  but  the  Hindus  still  finding  these  myriads  of 
gods  insufficient,  enlisted  the  large  trees  and  tombs  in 
the  already  long  list  of  their  deities.  In  short,  idols 
had  become  so  numerous,  that  it  was  said  to  be  easier 
to  find  a  god  than  a  man  in  the  city. 

Ignorance  had  laid  such  a  firm  grasp  on  the  minds 
of  the  people  and  idolatory  weakened  their  conscience 
to  such  an  exttnt,  that  they  could  think  of  nothing  but 


[    3    ] 

debauchery  and  adultery.  These  both  vices  had 
reached  to  such  an  extreme,  that  the  young  women 
used  to  be  forcibly  caught  with  impunity  in  the  open 
markets. 

Fortunately,  the  embers  of  the  pile    of  the   famous 
Padmani,  who  had  burnt  herself  to  preserve  her  chasti 
ty  from  the  voluptuous  Allaudin  Khiljee,    were   not  yet 
utt^4y  extinguished.     They  found    a  good  place  in  the 
thts  of  her  own  sex  and  kindled  such  a  fire  of  enthus- 
n       01  in  the  minds  of  the  females,    that  they  would  have 
ingly  followed  her  noble  example,    had  they    found 
an  opportunity  to  display  their   daring   courage.     But 
what  the  poor  virgin  could  do  when  she  was  so  suddenly 
dragged  away  by  her  ravishers    that  she    could  have 
no  time  to  prepare  even  a  pile  for  her  burning ! 

AVoe  to  those  parents,  who  had  marriageable 
daughters  in  such  a  time  !  Deploraple  and  shocking  is 
it  to  contemplate  the  misery  and  sorrow  of  the  poor 
parent,  whose  grown-up  daughter  was  carried  away 
before  his  very  eyes  !  liod  alone  knows  what  would  be 
the  punishment  of  those  wicked  men,  who  had  brought 
euch  an  unheard-of  misery  and  ineffable  sorrow  upon 

the  peace-loving  nations  of  this  land. 

j 

These  heart-rending  events    continued  to   happen 
so  long  that  they  hardened  the  heart    of    the  naturally 
mild  Hindu  to  such  a  degree  that  he    thought    it  expe 
dient  to  murder  the  female  child  before  she  was  allowed 
o  take  even    a    single    breath    in   the   world.     Thus, 


!C   4   ] 

thousands  of  girls  were  put  to  death  and  interred  into 
the  ground  by  their  own  parents.  For  in  those  wild 
days,  when  lawlessness  and  high-handedness  were  pre 
valent  in  the  country — when  sword  was  the  only  arbiter 
in  settling  mutual  disputes— it  was  dangerous  for  a  man 
to  possess  wealth  as  well  as  his  opposite  sex  ;  while  the 
former  could  be  secreted  in  ths  ground,  but  there  was 
no  help  for  the  latter.  ^ 

In  such  wild  days,    a    pregnant    woman     "become9 
burdensome  to  her  husband  and  if  she   has    ch^c|  ^,'th. 
her,  she  is  much  more  burdeiifccme    to  him.     l^v,P  rp  1 
child  is  expected  to  become   helpmate    to   his   parents 
but  the  more  the  female  child  grows,  the  more   anxiou 
and  careful  her  parents  have  to  grow  about  her. 

A  woman,  in  those  days,  delivers    a   female   child 
She  weeps  and  cries,  that  she  can  not    do  away    with  i 
Her  faniily-msuib  3T5  run  in  haste  to    her    and    exclai 
"  Have  you  forgotten    the    fate    of   Rama's    grown-1 
daughter  who  was  siezed  by  the  governor  of   this    to 
and  put    into  his  herein  ?      When  her  parents  could 
nothing  to  save  her  from    the  accursed  fate,    they  m 
suicide.     Do   you    not    remember    those    marriagea 
girls,  who  were  carried  away  by  those    ferocious  mo 
taineers    whose   mere    touch    is    a   pollution."      T 
words  remind  her  of  the  detestable    scenes,    which 
happened,  not  long  ago,  before  her    very  eyes   and 
place  all  the  noble  ideas,  she  had  cherished  for  a    wh 
for  her    helpless    female   baby.        She,    then,    pref j1 
smothering  the  child  to  entrusting  her  in   the  hands! 


C    5    ] 

ruffians.  Thus,  in  those  vil  e  days,  infanticide,  which 
is  an  atrocious  crime  and  the  vilest  sin,  took  rise  in  the 
country,  where  killing  even  a  bird  has  been  considered 
a  great  crime. 

But  the  pious  parent,  who  could  not  persuade 
himself  to  perpetrate  infanticide,  began  to  marry  his 
daughters  as  soon  as  they  were  born.  This  apparently 
mild  course  was  so  generally  adopted  by  the  parents, 
that  it  became  a  custom  among  the  people  and  came  to 
our  time. 

Early  marriage  although  it  seemed  quite  harmless 
in  those  days  sapped  the  foundation  of  our  vitality  and 
deprived  us  both  of  mental  and  physical  powers.  \Yell- 
wishers  of  the  country  vainly  hope  to  produce  warriors 
and  intellectual  men,  when  the  stamina  of  our  striplings 
is  exhausted  in  immaturity  before  the  development  of 
their  organs. 

Let  us  now  consider  the  fate  of  the  hapless 
widow,  whose  protector  was  snatched  away  by  the  cruel 
hand  of  Death.  How  could  she  hope'  to  protect  her 
chastity  against  the  merciless  ravishers,  when  her 
sisters  who  had  husbands  for  their  protection  were  in 
constant  danger  ?  On  these  accounts,  the  poor  widow 
thought  it  more  advisable  to  burn  herself  on  the  same 
pile  with  her  deceased  husband  than  to  expose  her 
shame  to  the  strangers.  Thus,  in  4 hose  days,  seed  of 
Sattism  was  sown  in  this  golden  land,  which  once 
boasted  of  its  great  men  and  philosophers. 


[    6    ] 

Thus,  we  inherited  three  evil  customs  :  infanticide, 
early  marriage  and  Sattism  from  our  ancestors ;  for 
which  they  can  not  be  blame-worthy ;  for  they  were 
obliged  to  adopt  them  in  order  to  preserve  their  honor. 

Infanticide  and  Sattism  were  stopped  by  the  strong 
hand  of  law;  but  early  marriage  is  incessantly  making 
its  victims  all  around.  For  this,  AVG  should  never 
blame  the  benevolent  British  Government ;  but  the 
blame  can  strongly  be  put  upon  the  social  reformers, 
who  deliever  lengthy  speeches  on  the  pulpit ;  but 
hesitate  to  set  an  example  for  their  weak  countrymen. 

Lastly,  we  do  justice  to  the  Brahmin  priests,  for 
the  services,  rendered  by  (hem  in  those  vile  days.  The 
reverend  priests  cared  nothing  but  to  enrich  themselves 
at  the  expense  of  the  ignorant  men,  who  had  solemnly 
put  their  faith  upon  them.  They  composed  Shabtras, 
containing  frightful  and  incredulous  stories  to  cheat 
the  listeners.  They  represented  the  true  philosophers, 
like  Sri  Krishna  and  Kam  Chanderji  in  such  defama 
tory  forms,  that  every  one  loathed  to  see  them.  They 
so  much  disgraced  the  late  great  hero,  Llanurndn,  that 
he  would  have  used  their  bones  and  bodies  in  the  con 
struction  of  another  Saithander,*  had  he  been  living  at 
that  time. 

In  those  evil  days,  good  men  offered   up   their  fer 
vent  prayers  to  the  Almighty  for  peace  and  order  :    but 

*     The  bridge  constructed  by  Ham  Chamler  Ji  with,  tlic  help  ui  Jlamuiuui. 


[    7    ] 

the  robbers  and  ruffians  earnestly  longed    for  the  con 
tinuation  of  the  same  disorder. 

v>~ 

PionjB  Hindus,  Geeta  *  in  their  hands,  read  the 
words  of  Sri  Krishna  again  and  again  and  anxiously 
waited  the  time,  when  Sri  Krishna's  true  words,  that 
"  God  descends  from  heaven  upon  this  world  from  time 
to  time  to  restore  true  religion  and  destroy  irreligion,1* 
would  be  fulfilled. 


*     Religious  book  of  the  Hindus,  composed  by  Sri  Krishna, 


CHAPTER  II 

Guru  Nanak's  incarnation — Ills  childhood. 
1469  A.  D. 

TTTTHEN  irreligion  and  demoralisation  were  so  pre 
valent  in  India,  as  described  in  the  preceding 
chapter,  there  lived  a  man  by  caste  Khatri  at  a  village, 
named  Talwundi,  which  is  situated  on  the  bank  cf  the 
river  Ravi.  He  was  called  Kalu  and  he  held  a  respecta 
ble  office  of  Patwari,  which  he  always  executed  with 
justice  and  impartiality.  His  outer  appearances  were 
also  equal  to  his  virtues  and  his  wife  was  in  no  way 
inferior  to  him. 

They  lived  happily  and  contentedly  ;  but  now  and 
then  their  happiness  wa^  marred  by  the  remember- 
ance  of  this  fact  that  their  marriage  was  not  blessed  for 
years  by  the  birth  of  a  male  child.  They  prayed  long 
and  long  ;  at  last,  after  many  anxious  days  and  nights, 
she  became  pregnant  and  brought  forth  a  male  child, 
who  was  named  Nanak.  By  long  investigations  it  was 
found  out  that  this  auspicious  event  took  place  on  the 
15th.  Katak*  Sudi,t  1526  Bikaram  era. 

Truth  is  that  though  the  parents  on  this  auspicious 
event  fed  the  poor  and  distributed  alms  among  the 
deserving  beggars  ;  and  did  their  best  to  make  the 

*  8th  month  in  the  Hindu  Calendar. 

f  The  Light  part  of  everv  mouth  is  called  Sqdi  and  dark  part  is  railed  Badi, 


[    9-] 

they  had  kept  no  record  relative  to  their  son's  birth  ; 
for  they  could  not  forsee  that  their  son  would  be  so 
renowned  throughout  the  world  that  his  character  and 
conduct  would  be  a  subject  of  long  discussion  among 
the  educated  men.  0,  God,  mysterions  are  Thy  ways, 
—so  mysterions  indeed  they  are  that  even  the  parents, 
who  brought  up  the  child,  were  kept  quite  ignorant  of 
their  son's  everlasting  future  fame.  Not  a  single 
thought  was  allowed  to  flash  in  their  minds  that  their 
son  would  be  so  great  as  to  lead  the  nations  of  the 
world  to  the  right  path. 

No  one  at  that  time,  could  believe  that  the  son  of  a 

poor  tradesman,    whose  name  was  unknown  beyond  his 
village,  would  be  the  founder  of  the  great  Khalsa* 


tn.l? 

VigioD,  whose  followers  would  once  take  an  honorable 
seat  among  the  independent  nations  of  the  world;  and 
if  ever  deprived  of  that  absolute  power,  they  would  at 
least  be  the  "  shield  and  swoid  "  of  their  rulers. 

Who  can  disbelieve  the  omnipotent  power  of  God  ? 
I  He,  beyond  all  doubts,  can  raise  a  mountain  out  of  a 
I  mole-hill. 

But  let  us  now  take   the   thread   of  our   narrative. 
|  Days   passed   gladly  away.      Nanak   grew   old    enough 
to  receive  education.     As  there  were  no  schools  in  those 
; days,  only  the  mercantile    classes  taught   their  sons   so 
amch  as  to  enable  them  to  read  and  write  their  accounts; 

*    Pure. 


parents  of  Nanak  gave  him  the  same  kind  of  education, 
which  he  soon  mastered. 

The  parents  were  much  pleased  to  see  their  son 
sagacious  and  intelligent  above  his  age  :  but  this  fact 
displeased  them  much  more  that  he  was  little  inclined 
towards  the  worldly  affairs.  He  was  seen  either  dis 
cussing  with  the  priests  on  religious  matters,  or  helping 
the  poor  with  what  he  possessed. 

One  day,  Kalu  handed   Nanak  Ey.  40,   with   direc 
tion  to  purchase  grains    at    a    rate,    cheap    enough   to 
ensure  profit.     Nanak  received  the    sum    and    left   his 
house  in  order  to  comply  with    his    paternal   orders   as 
soon  as  he  could  possibly  do.      He  had    not    gone   far, 
when  his  eyes  fell    upon    several    wretched  men,    \i 
were  sitting  together  in  a    garden    in    a    very   pensi 
state.     They  had  tasted  no  food   for  a    couple    of   da; 
and  had  not  a    single  cloth   upon   their  bodies/    The* A 
nakedness  and  barefootedness   moved  Nanak  to    such  a 
compassion,  that  he  purchased  clothes  and  eatables  with 
what  he  had  with  him    and    distributed  those  articles 
among  them.       He,    thus,    relieved    them  from   their 
misery    and    returned   home    empty-handed,  but   well 
satisfied  with  the  noble  work,  he  had  done. 

Such  acts  of  charity  and  other  miraculous  works 
perfoimed  by  Nanak  in  his  childhood,  fully  prove,  that 
he  was^endowed~with  all  those  qualities,  which  make 
the  founder  of  a  religion  successful  in  his  design. 


r 


CHAPTER    III 

Guru  Nanak's  Youth. 


soon  passed  away;  Nanak  grew  old  enough  to 
•*•  earn  his  livelihood.  Kalu  explained  him  all  the  rise 
and  falls  of  the  world  and  ups  and  downs  of  the  time. 
He  did  his  best  to  impress  on  Nanak's  mind  the  inevi 
table  necessity  of  linking  to  some  profession  in  this 
world.  He  pointed  out  Nanak  the  commercial  business, 
which  the  former  considered  a  very  lucrative  one,  to 
start  without  any  further  delay.  But  Nanak  finding 
this  profession  prejudicial  to  the  noble  object  in  his 
ip:iid,  showed  no  inclination  to  it.  When  Kalu's  efforts 
to  induce  Nanak  to  the  worldly  affairs  were  all  frus 
trated  ;  he  sent  Nanak  to  his  son-in-law,  named  Jai  Ram 
who  was  at  that  time  in  the  service  of  the  Nawab  of 

Kapurthala. 

• 

On  his  arrival  there ,  Nanak  was  presented  to  the 
Nawab,  who  offered  him  the  post  of  a  store-keeper  in 
his  State.  This  post  was  accepted  by  Nanak,  partly 
because  he  found  it  suitable  to  his  charitable  disposition 
and  partly  because  he  desired  not  to  displease  his  elders 
by  his  continual  refusals  to  their  requests. 

Nanak  was  now  put  in  the  charge  of  a  store,  which 
consisted  of  all  kind  of  provisions  for  the  Nawab'? 
Kitchen.  Having  a  large  store  at  his  disposal,  Nanak 
extended  his  charity  to  its  full  length.  He  provided 


[    12    ] 

the  hungry  with  eatables  and  the  ragged  with  clothes. 
He  removed  the  wants  of  the  paupers  and  the  distresses 
of  the  afflicted.  He  spent  all  his  spare  time  and  money 
to  make  the  fatherless  and  motherless  happy  and  pros 
perous.  His  charity  went  so  far  as  to  those  poor 
widows,  who  could  not  go  outdoors.  In  a  word,  the 
rich  and  the  poor  were  equally  profited  by  him  ;  the 
former  by  his  precept  only  and  the  latter  by  both  his 
charity  and  precept. 

His  fame  went  all  around  and  he  was  called  the 
protector  and  the  teacher  of  the  rich  and  the  poor. 
Day  and  night,  he  gave  the  people  lessons  on  religion 
and  morals  and  taught  them  to  love  one  another.  Strife 
and  ^ hatred  were  forgotten;  peace  and  ,tranquiU> 
reigned  the  minds  of  the  people  all  around.  I 


This  state  of  things  lasted  so  long  that  ]it  so  o 
ed  the  goddess  jealousy  that  she  sent  her  votaries  to 
overthrow  the  castle  of  fame,  built  by  Nanak,  without 
paying  any  regard  to  this  fact  that  it  was  built  not  on  a 
sandy  soil,  but  on  a  solid  ground. 

How  bloody  this  goddess  is  !  Thousands  of  men  of 
all  ranks  and  climes  are  daily  sacrificed  ou  her  shrine  J 
but  her  thirst  for  blood  is  not  yet  quenched.  So  pierc 
ing  her  eyes  are  that  even  the  noble-minded  men,  who 
have  no  selfish  motives,  but  labour  day  and  night  to 
ameliorate  the  wretched  condition  of  their  fellow- 
creature  can  not  escape  her  ravages.  So  indiscriminate 
her  destruction  is,  that  she  makes  all  "grades  of  men  her 


[    13    ] 

victims,  without  any  distinction  of  their  caste, 
colour  and  clime.  We  are  much  tired  of  her  presence, 
will  she  ever  bid  adieu  to  the  human  world  ? 

This  vile  goddess,  finding  all  other  efforts  in  vain, 
incited  some  of  Nanak's  fellow  subordinates  to  com 
plain  against  him  to  the  Nawab  who,  as  soon  as  he 
heard  the  complaint,  took  immediate  steps  to  examine 
the  accounts  of  the  store  in  Nanak's  charge. 

The  Nawab  checked  the  materials  and  found  them 
more  than  the  balance  in  the  papers,  which  were  so 
neatly  and  correctly  detailed  that  the  Nawab  found  an 
entire  satisfaction  in  Nanak's  work  to  the  utter  dis 
appointment  of  Nanak's  opponents. 

Nanak,  while  he  was  in  the  service  of  the  Nawab, 
was  married  to  a  young  girl  of  the  same  age  and  race. 
Although,  his  wife  was  not  endowed  with  such  noble 
ideas  as  her  husband  was  ;  she,  nevertheless,  possessed 
a  heart,  noble  enough  to  learn  good  precepts. 

Nanak  taught  her  religion  and  morals  and  made 
her  a  model  to  her  sex. 

Nauak,  now,  had  three  duties  to  perform  simulta 
neously.  He  served  the  Nawab  to  his  entire  satisfac 
tion  and  helped  the  rich  and  poor  in  their  distresses. 
But  he  spent  a  great  deal  of  his  time  in  bringing 
happiness  on  his  family,  so  that  his  wife  had  no  cause 
to  complain  against  him. 


Time  thus  glided  away  soon.  At  last,  their  happy 
marriage  was  blessed  by  the  birth  of  two  sons.  The 
elder  was  called  Siri  Chand,  and  the  younger  Lakhmi 
Chand. 

On  the  birth  of  his  sons,  he  denounced  many  evil 
customs,  which  the  Hindus  observed  un  those  occasions. 
He  neither  went  to  worship  the  temples  nor  to  make 
offerings  to  the  tombs.  He,  in  short,  celeberated  his 
son's  birthdays  without  any  show  and  ceremony.  Thus 
numerous  men,  influenced  by  his  example,  gave  up  evil 
customs  and  superstition,  which  were  prevalent  for  a 
long  time  among  them. 

On  the  other  hand,  Nanak  practically  refuted  the 
ideas,  which  were  held  by  the  Hindus  for  countless 
ages.  They  believed  that  it  was  impossible  for  a  -man 
to  obtain  "  Mukti,"  *  while  engaged  in  family  life* 
They,  on  this  account,  used  to  leave  their  homes  and 
families,  shave  their  head  «^id  beard  and  retreat  to 
jungles  and  forests,  where  they  sat  for  years  before  the 
blazes  of  a  burning  fire  and  stood  for  mouths  together 
in  the  cold  winter-days  in  order  to  get  spiritual  life.  But 
Nanak  practically  showed  that  all  these  proceedings  on 
their  part  were  useless  and  proved  by  his  life  the 
possibility  of  gaining  world  and  heaven  at  the  same 
time. 


ai 


cr/Salyation. 


CHAPTER  IV 

Guru  Nanak  leaves  home  for  foreign  travels  and 
delievers  lecture  m  a  small  village. 

SONS  of  Nanak  grew  old  enough  to   look    after  their 
business  and  provide  themselves  with  their  neces 
sities.  Nanak,  now,  had  no  cares  to  take  for  the  support 
of  his   family,    as   its   burden   was   willingly  taken  by 
his  dutiful  sons  on  their  own  heads. 

He,  then,  utilized  this  spare  time  in  preaching 
the  words  of  God  to  the  people  all  around,  who  had 
already  enriched  themselves  by  his  lessons.  He  at  last, 
had  no  more  task  to  do  there;  he,  therefore,  made  up  his 
mind  to  visit  the  places  far  from  his  home. 

He  informed  of  his  intentions  to  his  desciples  and 
made  preparations  to  start — not  such  preparations  as 
the  merchant  and  soldier  do,  when  the  former  goes  to 
buy  merchandises  and  the  tetter  leaves  home  to  wage 
war  against  a  foreign  enemy.  He  set  out  with  what  he 
had  on  his  body.  He  provided  himself  neither  with 
gold  and  silver  nor  with  brass.  He  took  neither  two 
coats  and  trousers,  nor  staves,  He  with  his  firm  resolu 
tion  and  true  spirit,  entered  the  field  of  God,  as  he  was 
fully  convinced  of  this  fact,  that  "  workman  is  worthy 
of  his  meat." 

He  distributed  whatever  his  adherents  Bala  and 
Mardana,  who  accompanied  him  in  bis  long  journeys, 


[    16    ] 

had  brought  with  them,  among  the  poor  and  needy. 
He,  moreover,  rebuked  them  on  their  faithlessness  and 
told  them  to  see  the  crops  of  fields  and  the  flowers  of 
gardens,  that  they  toiled  not,  nor  did  they  ever  plough ? 
but  the  Heavenly  Father  clothed  them  so  richly,  that 
even  the  richest  man  in  the  world  could  not  equal  them, 

Nanak,  thus,  continued  his  journeys  and  at  the 
same  time  he  gave  lessons  on  religion  and  morals  to  his 
adherents  as  well  as  to  those,  who  met  him  on  the  way. 
He  went  on  and  on.  At  last,  the  Sun,  who  had  seen 
Nariak's  disinterested  labours  to  profit  the  people  by  his 
example  and  precepts,  hid  his  face  for  shame;  for  he 
(the  sun)  could  no  longer  bear  to  heat  the  brain  of  that 
noble  person,  who  used  to  give  his  lessons  freoly  to 
everyone  without  any  distinction  of  caste,  colour  and 
rank — who  had  given  up  all  the  luxuries  aad  comforts 
of  home  and  taken  upon  him  the  troubles  of  long  and 
wearisome  journeys,  in  order  to  better  the  wretched 
condition  of  his  countrymen— and  who,  moreover  had 
plunged  himself  into  a  vast  sea  of  miseries  to  bring  his 
fellow-creatures,  who  were  hopelessly  struggling  for 
life  in  it,  on  the  safe  bank. 

Oh  !  it  is  very  painful  to  leave  one's  home  and 
family,  chiefly  that  family,  which  is  blessed  by  children, 
the  best  fruits  of  family  life.  How  far  tired  a  man 
returns  home  in  the  evening  after  his  day's  tiresome 
works,  all  his  weariness  flies  away  as  soon  as  the  sweet 
voice  of  his  baby  rings  in  his  ears.  All  the  woes  and 


[    17--] 

of  h  distressed-  father  *ti  sapper,    aa!  the   mi»t?<f 
suii,  wl^h  the  ^hinirJg  face  of   bis^ 
chiM  db'mes  in  -his  sight  - 

And  hume  itself   is    so    sweet   and    charming  —  its 
i  fe^  air  so  Boffc  anek  ;  balrriyy  fliat 
of  his   dieigbbibtirsi  and  :  undergoes1'  ! 
the  pangs  of  starvation  and  miked  miss?  ^ 


at  the  bare  idea  of  leaying  it  even  for,  the    better   land. 

n*itfg   id^j^'jr,.jjj    '-ii'^-i^  •    •  »/  1    ;:  ••     •  Ni'-'/ist'.o/n  34U.nl    -. 
a  marr  leave  it;  he  leave  rf  tenipprariiy  for  wealtn  and 


, 

e-torpass  his  fremaining^1n^;  {titffl^  Init 
VIllhR   :'!l- 


b  rt  BI  bpbi  ^ 

Si  W'liett  natlare  haH  irnplaated  such  an  intense  JoVe 

hlimaai  liesacfc 


tte-ii'dnfluences  iiven  ia  the  direst 
mit^,  it:is,  theiiy  ^beyoiid  tSe^  scope  of  the  hnma^^^ 
knowledge  to  describe  the  energy  lund  zeal  of  tliat  man, 
who  leave  them  both,  not  to  enrich  himself  l>iit  to 
amWterrite  the  pitfable;  cOnxiitidn  'of  'his'  fellow  crea!  ures. 
If  sMranian^na  be  balle^ltio  teacher  of  the  human- 


kiiY(J,Jit!lrnb  mistake,  but"  it  :s  a  yer.iclty.  It  ;  he  rnay 
be3flcnoihinalte(l  the  Saviour  of  tlie  world,  it  is  no  ox- 
a^ratmnj3utitisarealily. 

lJ£^: 


s  no\y  take    th(3.  thread    of    our  narrative 
ML       Nainak  i  nvith/--  liis  .idoscrples,    Balu    and 


[    18    ] 

| 

Mavdana  halted  under  a  tree,  standing  by  the  way. 
He  was  so  tired  of  that  day's  journey  that  he  slept 
soundly  upon  the  bare  ground  without  any  couch  or 
straw  under  him. 

Night,  thus,  soon  passed  away.  He  awoke  early  in 
the  morning ;  took  ablutions  as  he  usually  did,  and 
offered  up  his  prayers  to  God. 

In  the  meanwhile  soft  rays  of  the  morning  sun 
shone  on  the  muddy  walls  of  a  village,  situated  at  an 
arrow's  shot  from  the  place,  where  he  had  taken  his 
lodgings  for  the  night.  As  soon  as  the  village  came  in 
his  sight  ;  he  immediately  directed  his  steps  to  it  with 
out  even  waiting  for  his  breakfast.  When  he  was  told 
by  his  d  isciples  to  partakes  of  it,  he  refused  it  saying 
"  My  food  is  to  do  the  will  of  Him,  who  sent  me."  He 
entered  the  village  and  approached  the  villagers  as  if 
they  were  his  friends  and  relations.  As  the  villagers 
were  already  assembled  in  a  place  for  some  private 
purpose  ;  he,  therefore,  found  a  good  opportunity  to 
address  them  as  follows  : 

'  There  exists  Our,  who  is  the  creator  and  master 
of  all  the  animate  and  inanimate  objects.  He  possesses 
such  an  unlimited  pmvcr  as  to  destroy  and  make  the 
world  again  in  a  twinkling  of  an  eye.  He  is  present 
everywhere  ;  but  His  omnipresence  can  be  peiceired  by 
him  alono,  who  loves  Him  and  His  creatures  more  than 
his  own  life  He  is  all-knowing,  all-seeing  and  so 
infinitely  wise  that  man,  the  wisest  of  all  the  creatures, 


[    19    ] 

is  quite  unable  to  describe  even  one  of  His  qualities, 
and  utterly  in  darkness  to  comprehend  even  one  of  His 
insolvable  mysteries.  He,  the  Heavenly  providence, 
provides  all  the  creatures  with  what  they  want  and 
requires  nothing  in  return  from  them.  But  it  is  the 
bounden  duty  of  every  one  to  love  his  creator  and  pay 
reverence  to  Him  for  the  purification  and  elevation  of 
his  own  soul. 

On  the  other  hand,  no  one  can  gratify  the  appetites 
of  his  soul  without  loving  Him,  who  created  the  earth 
and  heavens:  for  the  soul  feels  such  strong  appetites  that 
they  make  it  unable  to  perform  its  functions,  if  remain 
unsatified  for  a  long  time. 

Human  body  feels  hunger  and  thirst  ai;d  requires 
food  and  drink  for  their  satisfaction  ;  but  the  human 
soul  hungers  and  thirsts  after  the  Creator  and  feels  an 
intense  desire  to  communicate  with  the  Supreme  and  All- 
pervading  One  who  is  Altogether  distinct  from  the 
creatures.  He  has  made,  as  the  lotus  flower  remains 
distinct  from  the  pool  on  which  it  rests. 

But,  man  is  a  shallow-minded  creature  ;  he  labours 
day  and  night  to  nourish  his  body,  which  to-day  is  and 
tomorrow  to  be  burnt  to  ashes ;  but  he  takes  no 
thought  to  feed  the  eternal  and  indestructible  soul, 
which  transmigrates  again  and  again  until  it  attains  its 
perfection. 


If  a  man  ever  tiies  to  appease ,tho   cravings*  iiqfdhis 
ioul,  he  uses  not  the  .means,  .which  nature  lias 
for  its   satisfaction  ;    but  he-  resorts  to 
"'(methods,  which,  instead  of  doing  any  good,  prod u<aei«|he 
most  deplorable  effects. 

/-i  n         i  1-1  i  i  i  ('^, 

Generally,  he  sets  his  heartland  soul'on  the  worldly 

:'!  1     -,  !          1  '      :    '  1       ;         ^          1  ^    ;      "'I'    -         '        '  '         •  ^1    iT"^ 

wealth  and    honour   and    erii ploys   his    energies   m  .yie 
worship  of  stone  and  statues.     But,  Alas  !   they  give    no 

gratification  to  his  soul. 

*•> 

'   He,  then,  uhdx^k^tlci  Visit  lite  ;  places    of    )• 
mage  at  the -exorhilant  (  xpenec  fof  hi^  time,  a:n<-1;  iii 
:!t)iit  ;retu'nfs|ihonieiwifhout,  nnylchaii^d  i:n  his  soul;  r^rfl 

tent* 

lie,  at  last,    forsakes  his  homo  and   family,    chavos 

his  head  and  beard   : and  retreajtsitp/rj tingle   a^c|;; forests, 

to  passiliis  days  among  dhe .  wolves ;  ancl  cle-er  ;  [ 

>iBitsibe'iforo  I.Le.. bla/rs  of  "strong  fire,    in    the   b< 

.cold  .water  during  the  inclement  w.eather  of   the  .}\:i- 
seasaui  :  'but  he  finds  all  his  efforts  in  vain.  .fl* 

TT  1  '  I       •  T  'tU^fh 

He,  thus,  goes  on  ana   on   in   his   useless • 'efforts, 
until  death  feels  compassion  to  end  him  in   his    despair. 

Alas  !  it  is  the  fate  of  luap,  .\yho£Jis  the  nobles^  w.^rk 

,of  the  creator — ;who  has  ransacked  the  Dearth  and  oceans 

sand  tamed  the  wild  beasts  ancl  birds— -who  is'pTouncfof 

'being    the   revealer   of     the     mysteries   of 

inventbr  arid  possessor  of  alhthe  knowledge:and  ^v;is^* 

that  he  Ijses   his   life    under   the 


to  meXte^lw&bS^^ 

engaged  in  the    ordinary   business    of   life  .without   re- 


••<•  10!  ^xtufbLi  moil  Jatasb  ol  boairaoiq  ^ 

Beside?,  it  is  a  severe  blot  on  his  intellect   that   he 


f.l'>i«iv;  fn  //(.)!  ;;  )o 
\Vhnt   are    the    coiTu|)tion 
remains  now  to  be  explained. 

They  are  manifold,  but  <  vil  speaking,  nuchastity 
ang(  r,  covcluousnees,  sc-lfishncF  s  and  Avrnt  of  faith  in 
God,  are  most  prominent  among  them.  These  corrupt 
the  heart  and  soul  ;  s  much  as  the  health  cf  body  is 
endangered  by  the  consumption  of  noxious  food  and 
drink.  If  a  man  gives  up  all  these  corruptions,  liis 
henrt  becomes  as  clear  as  a  mirror;  he  finds  full 
satisfaction  to  his  soul's  nppetitps  and  enjoys  all  the 
spiritual  plea  su  res"  ifr'^h45fe^-%wir~liome  —  those  pleasures 
for  the  attainment  of  which  he  penetrates  the  icy 
mon  tains  and  thick  jungles  at  the  risk  of  his  life  ! 

I  have,  thus,  pointed  you  out  the  easiest  and  direct 
rout  to  the  Dr.ine  abode  ;  he  who  treads  on  it,  reacheg 
his  destination  without  any  obstacle  in  his  way.  I, 
therefore,  in  conclusion.  ;^k  you  to  make  a  solemn 


C    22    J 

promise  to  give  up  til  the   ovil  habits  and   to   worship 
the  only  God,  the  creator  of  the  whole  universe." 

These  words  produced  such  a  good  effect  on  the 
minds  of  the  listeners,  that  they  put  belief  upon  God 
and  willingly  promised  to  desist  from  idolatry  for  ever. 

Nanak,  having,  thus,  effected  the  conversion  of  a 
large  group  of  idolators  to  monotheism  left  the  village 
and  set  out  on  his  journey.  He  went  on  and  on  without 
any  incident,  worthy  of  relating  here,  until  he  reached 
in  the  neighb  urhood  of  a  town,  which  forms  the  subject 
of  the  ensuing  chapter. 


CHAPTER  V 


Guru  Nanak'*  inait  to  Emncibad,  his  interview  with 
JBabar,  his  lecture  to  the  distressed  people  of  that  tewn,  his 
prophesy  «j  to  the  future  fate  ;>f  his  followers. 


"VTANAK,  having  left  the  village,  described  in  the 
*  preceding  chapter,  continued  his  marches  for  a  few 
weeks  without  making  any  halt.  His  desciples  Bala  and 
Mardana  showed  signs  of  fatigue  and  persisted  on  him 
to  take  rest  at  least  for  a  couple  of  days. 

One  evening,  when  they  were  on  their  way,  they 
asked  him  to  stop  in  a  garden  earlier  than  they  usually 
cjicl  Nanak  looked  all  arround  and  saw  a  group  of  treei 
at  no  great  distance.  He  pointed  it  out  to  his  disciples, 
as  it  seemed  to  be  a  good  place  for  taking  refreshments 
and  lodgings  for  the  night.  Accordingly,  he  with  hi§ 
disciples,  directed  his  steps  to  it.  He  had  not  proceeded 
far  towards  the  group  when  a  large  town,  enveloped  in 
thick  trees,  became  visible. 

Spires  of  the  temples  and  plastered  walls  of  the 
lofty  buildings,  began  to  shine  in  the  sun.  Though  they 
shone  dimly  in  the  faint  rays  of  the  setting  sun; 
they,  neverthless,  did  not  fail  to  convince  him  of  the 
splendour  and  importance  of  the  place. 


[    24    ] 

Luxuriant   crops,  standing  all   arround   produced  a 
full  impression  onlus  " 


Large  gardens,  wlch  item*  fun  taftdance,   fully 

showed  the  taste  and  fashion  of  _its  inhabitants. 


i 

looked  over  the^f^-  ^afe^^Ac^ 

doubly  sure,  but  the  same  ^trj^lggjspectacle  came  in  his 

sight.     He  surveyed  it  much  more  carefully  and    scruti- 

niz!rf|l#l:ht4»^^  $!%44 

in  W  *$afag;J 


the  vegetable  plots, 

^jfi11  ,^fw  Haifa    /TO  ?rj^v/    yeil-i 

vlLiwitJi  veiil.ixfiib.teiliae  apbiiiji  £  ni  qo^e  oi^uui    dvn 

It  Appeared  as  it    the   pultivafc&s  Jiaying  f  toreseeii 
«»wi  j  Wr  uHOtii  £  viiid  ijji^  \Mu<mau&  ttxooriLafi&A    J>i 

at  their-  crops,  woiua  remain.  fruitless  had  allowed  fneir 


at  their-  crops,  woiua  remain.  frui 
IfelqraaiO    suj  ol  Ji/o  11  DelflfOKi  »     ,  .eoaaiD  i£<mi  on 
oDiestic/aiTJinals  tof  bunque^  ftpon  the  ricli  ana    greeia 
WhTiVtnl^nm  aauw  tot  9oy$ufLpo^  js  au  ot  D9ffl%a  ji*?£ 
contonts.of  their  1mel(l».  or    som^.aire   calamity  .obliged 
"wrjBnv  i*J3    ^vi^arrnotp/.     .Jd^ui  bill  lol^raaisjw  Bna 
thaniito  ^ave  their  oeasts  from  BtarVatiqii.  wiih  ^hrrt  they  ,. 
u^TO^SOT<TJaiS  bjCOdlT  JLOJ  ti<idt8  BiaraiodliD   keaiqjd8lA 
had-iiijtended  for  their  own  lives.     , 

ItJ   TOqarevfla    fi2v/^.»j  D^ifij  ^  j!'>-.iv/  43JJO'i;j  t^U  BMfiWoiiw 

,;^;  f  J«iv,  Onr/P6ytl  rfe'301J  ifoilfl 

He,  then  raised   his    ej^es    from    the    nelds    to    the 


audiloTfiliast  flisvom  ;-Jutibo 
aufl^hc^.'to  l^fetiu-i> 
and  squirrels  in  theieqdipii6^1o\?P$MUfetOQ^ini 


[    25    ] 

He  was,  yet  absorbed  in  these  meditations,  he 
beheld  a  large  army,  which  consisted  of  legions  of  'men/ 
if  their  cruelty  and  high-handedness  ever  entitled  them 
to  assume  this  title,  so  noble  and  high.  For  the  bruta 
lity,  which  was  depicted  on  their  faces,  showed  that 
they  were  no  more  than  savages,  and  their  detestable 
appearances,  filthy  clothes  and  loose  trousers,  fully 
proved  that  the  Satan,  in  the  various  forms  of  human 
beings,  had  come  to  bring  devastation  on  the  peace 
loving  people  of  this  happy  land, 

They  however  without  any  exception,  were  so 
engaged  in  their  respective  works,  that  they  did  not 
see  that  a  man  with  heart  as  transparant  as  a  mirror 
stood  before  them. 

Those,  who  were  unscrupulous  among  them,  were 
cooking  their  supper  in  earthen  vessels  as  black  as  their 
hearts  themselves,  but  a  great  part  of  the  multitude 
washed  their  hands  and  feet  to  prepare  themselves  for 
the  evening  prayer.  • 

In  the  meantime  a  loud  cry  "  God  is  great  "  made 
them  stand  up  in  a  line  as  an  infantry  stands  before  its 
drill-master  in  a  parade.  Ouly  this  difference  was  dis 
cernible  that  the  Drill-master  stands  with  his  face 
towards  those,  whom  he  wants  to  drill :  but  here  a  man 
in  his  substitute  stood  with  his  back  towards  them. 

In  this  wise  they  got  up  and  sat  down  as  well  as 
they  offered  up  their  prayers  to  God.  It  seemed  as  if , 


[    26    ] 

they,  by  their  prayers,  were  reminding  Him,  the  heavenly 
Father,  of  the  depopulation,  they  had  brought  upon 
the  peaceful  country  and  of  the  blood,  they  had  shed  of 
their  fellow-creatures,  without  any  fault  and  crime,  in 
order  to  satisfy  their  unquenchable  thirst  for  blood  and 
wealth. 

But  to  the  unprejudiced  mind  of  Nanak(  this  pro 
cess  of  getting  up  and  sitting  down  along  with  prayer 
seemed  to  have  some  wisdom  in  it.  For  lie  pointed  out 
the  moral  of  his  observations  to  his  desciples  that  it 
was  the  intelligence  of  Mohamad,  the  founder  of 
Mohamadaii  religion  that  he  tried  to  kill  two  birds  with 
one  stone;  so  that  the  evening  prayer  as  well  as  evening- 
exercise  were  effected  in  the  same  process  and  at  the 
same  time.  They,  thus,  continued  praying  for  nearly 
half  an  hour ;  at  last,  they  retired  to  their  respective 
beds. 

Bala  and  Mardana,  who  were  already  much  tired, 
requested  Nanak  to  stop  in  tile  garden,  close  by.  He, 
accordingly,  directed  his  steps  to  it. 

Garden  was  soon  reached.  He,  with  his  desciples, 
halted  under  a  tree,  suitable  for  the  nightly  repose. 
The  desciples,  as  soon  as  they  had  had  their  supper,  went 
to  their  beds  and  fell  fast  asleep,  as  they  were  mere 
companions  in  his  journey  and  not  in  his  philanthropic 
works  :  but  Nanak  did  not  close  his  eyes  even  for  an 
instant ;  as  his  mind  was  too  active  with  thousands  of 
reflections  to  yield  to  the  influences  of  slumber.  How 


[    27    ] 

sleep  could  visit  his*eyes,  when  moans  and  cries  of 
distressed  townsmen  were  clearly  audible  to  hiin^in  the 
dead  of  night. 

Night,  thus,  passed  away.  He  rose  at  an  early  hour 
in  the  morning  and  having  performed  his  ablutions  and 
prayers  as  usual,  he  set  out  from  his  halting  place. 

By  making  enquiries  as  to  the  whereabouts  of  the 
town-gate,  it  was  known  that  its  engress  and  outgresa 
were  closed  in  order  that  the  townsmen  might  not  be 
able  to  make  communication  and  receive  provision  from 
without. 

This  fact  would  have  dispirited  a  worldly  man;  but 
Nanak  walked  all  around  and  by  some  means  he  effected 
his  entrance  into  the  beseiged  town. 

As  soon  as  he  reached  the  market  of  the  town,  he 
found  that  the  shops  were  all  closed  and  there  was  not  a 
human  being  to  point  him  oiafc  the  causes  of  this  general 
catastrophe.  It  seemed  as  if  the  shopkeepers  had  gone 
to  some  far-off  land  for  some  mercantile  purpose  or  they 
were  at  strike  to  close  the  market  for  the  redress  of  their 
grievances. 

In  the  meanwhile  hues  and  cries  of  the  townsmen 
became  audible  to  him.  He,  then,  entered  the  streets 
and  found  them  smeared  with  blood,  as  if  they  were 
painted  with  red  colour. 

Many  of  the  wounded  were  weltering  in  the   blood, 


[    28    ] 

which  oozed  copiously  from  their  wounds  and  the 
bodies  of  those,  who  had  lately  expired,  served  a  good 
feast  to  the  village  dogs  and  kites.  Widows  and 
widowers  had  forgotten  the  loss  of  their  husbands  and 
wives  respectively  and  children  and  parents  dropped 
not  a  single  tear  on  their  bereavements.  In  fact,  in 
that  direst  calamity  everyone  was  absorbed  in  preserv 
ing  his  own  precious  life. 

For  life  is  so  dear  that  man  sacrifices  all  in  his 
power  to  save  it  even  for  a  single  moment ;  and  BO 
charming  is  it  that  even  an  aged  man,  worn  out  by  long 
ages,  deprived  of  the  power  of  vision  and  hearing, 
unable  to  shuffle  and  crawl,  feels  an  intense  desire  to 
breath  even  a  breath  more  in  the  atmosphere  of  this 
world. 

Man  calls  his  wife  his  better  half;  regards  his 
children  as  the  dearest  things  in  the  world  ;  bu<fc  when 
danger  ^arrives,  he  forsakes  them  all.  In  safety  he 
makes  solemn  promises  to  sacrifice  his  precious  life  for 
them,  but  even  on  the  appearance  of  an  imminent 
danger  he  abandons  them  for  the  security  of  his  own 
life. 

It  is  life  dearer  than  riches  themselves,  for  the 
attainment  of  which,  man  leaves  his  home  and  family  f 
loses  his  independence  and  freedom  and  serves  such 
hard-hearted  men,  who  do  not  feel  pity  upon  their 
servants  even  so  much  as  they  show  upon  their  dogs 
and  cats — such  treatment  he  bears  for  preserving  that 
life,  which  sooner  or  later  is  no  more ! 


Nature  itself  has  implanted  such  intense  love  for 
life  in  the  human  heart  that  the  famished  parents,  in 
terrible  famines,  have  devoured  their  own  children  to 
save  themselves  from  the  pangs  of  starvation— those 
happy  children,  whom  he  had  reared  with  great  deal  of 
care  and  pain — those  children  on  whose  lives  and  brows 
he  had  imprinted  numerous  kisses  of  paternal  love  even 
on  the  preceding  day. 

Ah  !  This  love  of  life  sometimes  degrades  a  man 
to  the  level  of  the  wild  beasts  and  birds,  nay,  even 
lower  than  that  ? 

There  was  such  a  struggle  for  life  in  Emnabad  as 
it  was  above  described.  Loud  cries  for  help  came  from 
all  quarters ;  but  who  could  help  them  in  that  general 
distress. 

Nanak,  who  was  not  a  man  but  an  incarnation  of 
God,  was  not,  however,  a  little  discouraged  and  dis- 
prited  by  those  scences — horrible  though  they  were, 
indeed,  in  their  nature,  nay,  he  set  his  heart  and  soul 
to  help  those  who  required  his  assistance. 

A  human  being  would  have  returned  from  that 
place  crestfallen  and  clishearted ;  but  Nanak  took 
immediate  measures  which  were  in  his  power  to  relieve 
them  from  those  unheard-of -pains  and  miseries. 

Everyone  would  have  left  the  people  alone  in  those 
troubles,  but  he,  like  a  good  shepherd,  shared  his 
sheep  in  their  distress. 


C  30  3 

He  dressed  the  wounds  of  some  and  warmed  the 
bruises  of  others.  He  soothed  the  distressed  widows 
who  were  shedding  tears  of  affliction  owing  to  the  non- 
existence  of  a  protector  ;  and  helped  the  orphans,  who 
had  no  guardians  to  look  after  them. 

He  brought  the  wounded,  who  were  lying  in  the 
streets,  disabled  by  severe  cuts,  back  to  their  houses 
and  sat  for  hours  by  their  couches,  applying  available 
balms  on  their  wounds.  He  cooked  for  those  families 
who  were  severely  injured  and  tore  up  his  own  clothes 
to  clothe  those,  who  lay  outdoors  stark-naked.  In  short 
he  spared  no  pains  in  performing  those  charitable 
works.  To  tell  the  truth,  he  did  much  more  than  those 
who  pretend  to  equal  him,  would  have  done,  had  they 
been  placed  under  such  circumstances. 

General  impressment  was  going  on  in  the  town. 
The  mountaineers,  who  formed  the  beseiging  army, 
seized  the  townsmen  for  their  works.  Some  were 
employed  by  them  in  scrajSng  grass  for  their  horses 
others  in  rubbing  their  steeds.  A  few  brought  water 
for  them  in  such  dirty  vessels,  which  the  townsmen  in 
safety  could  not  even  touch  for  fear  that  their  bodies 
and  souls  would  be  polluted  by  coming  in  contact  with 
them.  In  short  the  townsmen  did  such  irksome  works 
for  them  that  even  the  description  of  them  is  unbearable. 

In  thii  general  impressment,  Nanak  was  also 
seized  by  a  man  of  ferocious  and  dusky  complexions. 
Nanak  made  no  resistence  ;  but  followed  him  willingly ; 


[   31    ] 

as  he  himself  watched  an  opportunity  to  speak  person, 
ally  with  Babar,  the  leader  of  that  army.  As  soon  as  he 
was  presented  before  Babar,  the  latter  recognised  the 
former  to  be  a  man  of  honor  and  respect.  He  received 
Nanak  with  great  kindness  and  courtesy  and  made  him 
sit  on  an  honourable  seat  next  his  own. 

In  that  hour  Babar  was  engaged  in  his  cups.     He 
presented  Nanak  a  cup  full  of  wine.       Nanak  refused  it 
laying  "  Excuse  me  please,  as    the  intoxication   of   the 
wine,  you  drink  lasts  no  more  ;    but    the    wine    I  have 
:lrimk  keeps  me  perpetually  intoxicated." 

These  words  were  spoken  with  such  a  sincerety  of 
heart,  that  Babar  was  struck  to  hear  them.  He  was 
\illy  convinced  of  what  he  had  conceived  in  his  mind 
,hat  he  who  was  sitting  by  him,  was  not  a  man,  but  an 
uigel  from  heaven. 

Babar  asked  Nanak  the  motives  which  induced  the 
'atter  to  come  in  that  general  •  distress.  Nanak  replied 
hat  he  came  in  this  world  to  serve  the  humankind  in 
general  and  to  bring  the  people  to  the  right  path.  He 
-deled  that  he  was  sent  from  above  to  settle  the  dispute 
)etween  Hindus  and  Mohamadans,  who  being  the  sons 
•f  the  Same  Father,  were  engaged  in  useless  quarrels. 

These  words  so  pleased  Babar,  that  he  asked 
Nlanak  what  he  wanted.  Nanak  replied  that  he  wanted 
.othmg  but  that  the  seige  might  be  raised  from  this  town. 

Siege  was    immediately   raised,      Townsmen    had 
from  the  persecution  of  the  mountaineers. 


[    32    ] 

Nanak  stopped  there  a  few  days  more,  and  the 
and  the  day  preceding  his  departure  he  collected  the 
townsmen  and  spoke  to  them  as  follows. 

"  I  am  much  grieved  at  the  irreparable  loss,  you 
have  suffered  and  offer  my  condolence  to  all  of  you  in 
your  breavements.  You  think  that  all  these  miseries 
and  troubles  come  upon  you  without  any  cause  and 
without  any  fault  of  yours.  You  think  that  God  takes 
no  care  of  your  bodies  and  that  He  has  left  you  alone  in 
these  calamities  I  warn  you  that  it  is  not  the  case. 
God  loves  you  so  warmly  as  He  loves  all  other  nations. 
He  helps  you  as  willingly  as  He  helps  all  others.  But 
you  yourselves  are  so  self-willed  and  wayward  as  to  defy 
the  unalterable  laws  of  Nature.  Think  for  a  while  in 
your  minds,  if  you  eat  stones  and  earth,  instead  of  food, 
which  nature  has  provided  for  the  nourishment  of  the 
humanbody,  will  your  bodies  retain  their  strength? 

Your  bodies  will  have   wastage    and    perish   within   a 
short  time. 

O1 

'  When  such  is  the  state  of  the  body,  how  can  you 
expect  that  your  souls  will  retain  their  normal  strength 
without  the   consumption    of    their   proper  food.     You 
have  taken  no  care  to  feed  your  souls  ;   on  this  account 
your  souls  have  become  so  weak   as  not  to  be  able  to 
perform  their  proper  functions.      It  is  because  you  are 
so  timid  that  you    can  not    defy  the    foreigners.     It 
because  you    are    powerless    to    face    even    the  rud< 
nations.     Heroism  and  bravery,   which  spring  from 
sound  soul,  are  no  more  with  you.      You  are  reduced  to| 
such  a  strait  that  you  are  unable  to  protect  even  your_ 
llTM. 


[    33    ] 

If  you  want  to  be  a  strong  nation  ;  if  you  wish  to 
take  an  honourable  seat  among  the  independent  nations 
of  the  world  ;  if  you  desire  to  bring  back  the  lost  glory 
pf  your  forefathers,  give  your  souls  their  proper  nourish 
ment,  which  is  nothing  else  but  the  love  of  Him,  who 
created  the  world  and  heavens — which  is  an  extraordi 
nary  thing  but  to  worship  Him,  who  has  made  you  as 
well  as  all  the  other  nations/' 

"  You  mourn  day  and  night  for  your  losses  ;  you 
envy  other  nations  their  bodily  as  well  as  their  intellec 
tual  strength  ;  but  you  take  no  measure  to  equal  them. 
You  fulsely  blame  God  that  He  has  made  you  so  weak, 
but  you  pay  no  attention  to  strengthen  your  own 
brotherhood.  On  the  other  hand,  you  hate  your  brethren 
and  call  them  mean  and  sordid  and  thus  by  your  folly 
you  weaken  yourselves  by  separating  them  from  your 
Society." 

"  Will  you,  under  such  circumstances,  form  a  strong 
nation  and  secure  an  enviable  position  among  other 
nations?  Never,  never." 

'*  This  day  I  prophesy  before  you  that  lime  is  not 
distant,  when  these  men  of  low-castes,  whom  you  have 
boycotted  from  your  society  ;  and  in  whose  ears  you 
put  lead  so  as  not  to  enable  them  to  hear  the  hymns 
of  your  Sanskrit  Shastras  and  songs  of  the  Vedas,  will 
have  a  Veda  written  in  their  own  popular  tongue,  and 
in  characters,  very  easy  to  learn.  These  men,  whom 
you  have  thrown  away  from  your  community  as  a 


[    34    ] 

rubbish  on  the  dung-hill,  will  have  purification  so  aa 
to  surpass  you  in  bodily  as  well  as  in  spiritual  strength. 
They  will  have  such  a  martial  strength-  and  courage  as 
to  bring  all  of  you  under  their  rule.  They,  filled  with 
true  spirit,  will  march  to  the  abode  of  these  moun 
taineers,  who  have,  thus,  mercilessly  persecuted  you 
and  will  drive  them  out  of  their  mountain-fastnesses  as 
a  punishment  for  the  ruin  they  brought  upon  you. 
They,  thus,  for  years,  will  maintain  their  honor  ^and 
indepence  and  protect  you  against  all  foreign  encroach 
ments.  In  a  word,  they  will  achieve  that  enviable  posi 
tion,  which  every  nation  aspires  to  at  tain. " 

"  But,  alas  !  this  high  position  wiir  make  them 
conceited  and  forgetful  of  their  Creator.  Selfishness 
and  vanity  will  begin  to  overrule  them.  Riches  will 
make  them  inclined  to  feel  hatred  towards  their  pooj 
brethren  and  stick  to  their  former  caste-systern  and 
superstitutions. 

"  In  their  palmiest  days,  they  will  build  their 
temples,  not  with  a  view  to  worship '^God,  but  to  out 
shine  their  neighbours  by  their  splendour  'and  wealth. 
These  temples  will  be  put  in  the  charge  of  the  hypo 
crites  and  vagabands,  who  will  have  no  avocation  but  to 
beg  charity  from  door  to  door  and  to  sleep  like 
buffaloes  for  the  whole  day  long." 

"  They  will  form  a  priesthood,  more  cunning  and 
crafty  than  the  Brahmans  and  will  make  fictions  more 
frightful  and  incredulous  than  the  Hindu  Puranas." 


[    35    ] 

"  All  these  circumstances  would  be  a  stumbling 
block  to  them  and  they  would  fall  headlong  from  the 
high  position  to  the  place,  they  had  occupied  for  long 
and  long  ages  " 

"  Though  their  conceit  and  pride  will  tend  to  such 
a  fall  as  not  to  leave  them  any  apparent  hope  to  ascend 
again  to  that  climax  ;  but  the  martial  courage,  infused 
in  their  souls  by  me  and  my  successors,  will  remain  for 
ever  and  ever  with  them.  They  will  astonish  the  world 
even  in  their  fall,  by  their  bravery  and  heroism  and 
will  be  of  great  service  to  their  foreign  rulers,  in  their 
direst  calamities." 

"  It  is  not  all,  there  is  some  thing  more  in  store 
for  them." 

"  If,  in  their  misfortune,  they  are  so  wise  as  to 
feel  contrition  for  their  past  misdeeds;  if  they  give  up 
conceit  and  superstition  ;  if  they  iir  prove  their  brother 
hood  by  removing  the  bander  of  caste-system  from 
them  ;  and,  above  all,  if  they  faithfully  and  loyally 
serve  their  worldly  masters,  they  shall  regain  their 
lost  position.  For  their  foreign  rulers,  more  enlight 
ened  than  then;,  will  give  them  sound  education,  teach 
them  political  and  military  tactics  and  make  them  wise 
enough  to  face  the  waves  of  conceit  and  vanity,  which 
had  so  hopelessly  drowned  them.  Thus,  under  their 
benevolent  rulers  they  will  be  able  to  make  up  their 
deficiencies  and  when  those  foreign  rulers,  weary  of 
the  burden  of  rule  in  India,  will  retire  from  the  country 


[    £6    ] 

—  as  time  and  change  went  for  all — my  followers  shall 
succeed  them,  not  as  a  hostile  enemy  but  as  a  son 
succeeds  his  father." 

"  I  have  prophesied  the  rise  and  fall  of  my  follow 
ers — I  have  sketched  the  destiny  of  my  disciples — I 
have  described  the  wonders,  which  they  will  work  in 
their  future  days.  Now  it  remains  for  me  to  point  you 
out  that  I  ask  nothing  from  them,  who  become  my 
followeis.  Neither,  I  tell  them  to  go  far  off  as  pilgrims 
nor,  do  1  point  them  out  to  leave  their  houses  and 
families,  but  I  teach  them  to  perform  the  duties, 
entrusted  to  them,  with  honesty  and  serve  their  worldly 
masters  with  fear,  trembling  and  singleness  of  their 
hearts.  I  impress  on  their  minds  that  they  should 
love  God  and  worship  Him,  who  created  them." 

"  These  are  the  simple  conditions,  on  which  I  make 
the  men  of  all  castes  my  disciples.  I,  in  conolusion, 
ask  you  to  make  a  solemn  promise  to  fulfil  them." 

Townsmen  listened  these  words  with  great  atten 
tion.  They,  at  last  promised  to  throw  their  idols  in 
their  ponds  and  not  to  worship  titter  in  the  future. 
They  solemnly  put  faith  upon  God  and  became  his 
disciples. 

Nanak's  object  being  fulfilled,  he  left  the  town  aud 
resumed  his  journey. 


CHAPTER  VI. 

(Guru  Nanak's  visit  to  Hardwar) 

1.  Description    of  UarSicar,    the  place   oj  Hindus 

pilgrimage. 

2.  Guru  Nanctk'&  visit  to  that  place. 

3.  Causes  of  the  poverty  of  India. 

4.  Guru  Nanalcs  lecture  to  the  pilgrims. 


TT  ARDWAR  is  not  a  large  and  splendid  city;  but  it  is 
an  important  place  of  pilgrimage.  It  is  situated  on 
the  right  bank  of  the  Ganges  and  is  the  first  city,  which 
meets  this  mighty  river  as  soon  as  she  emerges  from 
the  dark  recesses  to  the  Himalaya  Mountains. 

It  is  surrounded  on  the  north  by  a  range  of  hills, 
•which  are  either  covered  by  luxuriant  herbs,  or  paved 
all  over  by  stones,  as  thougl^  nature  itself  by  its  fore 
knowledge  had  paved  them  for  the  convenience  of 
pilgrims. 

Palm  trees,  standing  here  and  there  on  the  banks 
of  the  Ganges,  like  wooden  pillars  ;  and  fertile  v  alleys, 
which  are  spread  out  like  a  sheet  of  green  paper  on 
either  side  of  the  river,  much  more  increase  the  plea 
santness  and  healthiness  of  that  place. 

Plantations  of  sugar-canes,    fields    of     wheat  and 
barley,  waving   like   ripples   and   billows    in    the   soft 


t    38    ] 

winds,  creepings  of  cucumbers  and  melons,  which 
grow  in  abundance  on  the  sandy  grounds  along  the 
Ganges,  still  more  enhance  the  beauty  of  the  scene. 

Transparent  water  of  the  Ganges,  running  calmly 
close  by  the  city,  pucca  ghats  and  lofty  buildings, 
which  are  built  by  the  Rajas  and  Maharajas  for  their 
own  accommodation  as  well  as  for  the  convenience  of 
pilgrims,  make  the  place  worthy  to  inspect  and  worthy 
to  live. 

People  from  all  parts  of  India  reach  Hard  war  for 
bathing  as  well  as  for  throwing  nails  and  boneashes  of 
their  relations  and  friends,  who  have  lately  died.  The 
latter  is  one  of  the  most  important  duties,  which  the 
Hindus  consider  themselves  under  an  obligation  to 
perform  for  their  kinsmen  after  their  death  ;  and  to  the 
former  process  they  resort  for  their  own  sake.  The  fact 
that  the  Hindus  believe  that  the  Ganges-water  has  an 
efficiency  to  ward  off  the  sins  of  a  human  being — how 
far  detestable  and  horriblef'his  past  misdeeds  may  be — 
as  well  as  to  enable  him  to  withstand  evil  in  future  days. 
Sacredness  of  the  Ganges-water  is  so  much  impressed 
on  their  minds  that  every  pilgrim  brings  it  in  flasks  to 
his  home  for  the  purifications  of  his  family-members, 
whom  circumstances  could  not  allow  to  leave  their 
homes  for  performing  the  sacred  ablution. 

Every  Hindu  family  keeps  at  least  some  stock  of 
the  Gauges-water  ia  order  to  use  it  in  religious  rites. 
It  is  put  in  the  mouth. of  the  dying  men,  when  all  hopes 


C    5»    ] 

for  his  life  are  gone,  in  order  to  know  if  he  actually 
ceased  to  live.  In  short,  Hindus  use  this  water  in  all 
the  ceremonies,  whether  the  ceremony  may  be  in  the 
celebration  of  a  son's  birth  or  in  the  honor  and  memory 
of  a  deceased  aged  parent. 

To  tell  the  truth,  the  Ganges  serves  the  Hindu 
community  so  far  that  a  few  drops  of  her  water  can 
purify  any  of  its  members,  who  have  willingly  or 
negligently  polluted  themselves  by  eating  some  eatables 
from  the  hands  of  a  Christian  or  Mohamadan  or  by 
coming  in  contact  with  the  men  of  low-castes. 

Under  such  circumstances  it  is  no  exaggeration  to 
say  that  but  for  her  kind  intervention,  numerous 
Hindus;  charged  with  the  violation  of  social  laws, 
would  have  been  separated  from  their  friends  to  increase 
the  bulk  of  the  followers  of  other  religions. 

Whether  these  beliefs  are  imaginary  or  true,  we 
are  not  in  a  position  to  discuaw  them  here  ;  but  it  is 
true  that  the  Ganges-water  retains  its  purity  and  trans- 
parancy  for  years,  and  like  any  other  water  it  is  never 
contaminated  by  the  lapse  of  time. 

Although  the  Ganges  from  her  rise  to  mouth  is 
looked  by  the  Hindus  with  the  highest  reverence,  yet 
the  water,  taken  from  that  river  at  Hardwar  is  consider 
ed  a  best  antidote  against  the  above-mentioned  evils. 
It  is  because  people  from  all  parts  of  India  flock  in  the 
fields  and  pastures  of  Hardawar,  which  has  acquired  a 
world  wide  renown. 


[    40    ] 

Nanak,  hearing  that  a  general  assemblage  of  the 
people  was  to  be  held  at  Hardawar,  reached  there  at 
an  opportune  time. 

It  was  the  morning  of  a  certain  day  in  summer 
season,  when  he  stood  on  the  top  of  the  steps,  which 
are  called  "  har  Id  pauri "  or  steps  leading  to  God's 
abode.  Though  the  sky  was  dusky,  as  the  mist,  which 
generally  overhangs  the  mountains,  had  not  yet  dis 
appeared,  yet  everything  could  be  easily  seen  and 
distinguished. 

Numerous  pilgrims  had  already  assembled  on  the 
spot,  but  groups  after  groups  were  still  coming  from 
every  nook  and  corner  of  the  city.  Costumes  of  various 
kinds,  chiefly  the  head-cloths  of  pilgrims  showed  that 
the  men  from  all  provinces  of  India  had  collected  in 
that  great  rendezvous  for  some  special  object  and 
purpose,  "  Punjabees  "  who  formed  the  greatest  part 
of  the  multitude  were  distinguishable  by  their  large 
turbans  and  muscular  bodies  ;  and  round  pagries  and 
dhoties  could  not  fail  to  prove  that  the  wearers  were 
no  other  than  "Marwaries  and  Dakhnies." 

This  survey  was  not  yet  over,  that  the  piercing 
moans  and  cries  of  a  distressed  human-being  became 
audible  to  Nanak,  who  immediately  set  out  to  enquire 
into  the  cause  of  the  catastrophe. 

He  had  not  gone  far,  when  he  beheld  a  boy  of 
six  years,  weeping  and  crying  before  a  Brahman  priest, 


[    41    ] 

who  was  standing  there  motionless,  with  a  voluminous 
book  in  his  hands.  The  boy,  his  hands  folded  on  his 
breast,  besought  the  priest  again  and  again  to  let  him 
drop  his  deceased  father's  nails  and  boneashes,  which 
the  boy  had  brought  with  him;  but  he  was  not  allowed 
to  do  so  without  paying  at  least  rupees  five  to  the  priest. 

The  boy,  then,  opened  his  purse  and  showed  that 
he  had  Hs.  3  all  in  all  with  him.  He  told  that  out  of 
that  sum,  Us.  2  would  scarcely  be  sufficient  for  defray 
ing  his  expenses  back  to  his  home,  and  the  balance  Re. 
1  he  promised  to  pay  the  priest  for  accomplishing  his 
object. 

But  the  priest  opened  his  book  and  read  out  that 
that  boy's  father  had  paid  the  Us.  25  on  the  death  of 
that  boy's  grandfather,  who  had  a]so  bestowed  on  him 
a  good  round  sum  on  many  occasions;  and  the  priest, 
therefore,  would  not  accept  Es.  2  from  the  son  and 
grandson  of  such  wealthy  men.  The  boy  replied  that  his 
forefathers  were  undoubtedly  rich;  but  his  father's 
accidental  and  untimely  death,  which  occurred  by  the 
bite  of  a  venomous  snake,  ruined  him  altogether.  The 
boy,  his  eyes  filled  with  tears,  added  that  he  had  started 
no  profession  to  support  the  large  family,  whose  bur 
den  had  suddenly  fallen  upon  his  head;  and  that  he 
had  with  difficulty  managed  to  reach  Hardwar  for  dis 
charging  this  last  duty  for  his  deceased  father,  who 
had  brought  him  up  with  great  care.  The  boy,  by 
remembering  his  father's  death  as  well  as  by  the  ill- 
treatment,  offend  to  him  by  the  priest,  shed  a  shower  of 


[    42    ] 

tears  so  copiously  as  to  melt  a  stony-hearted  man;  but 
the  exorable  priest  was  uot  a  little  moved  to  feel  com 
passion,  on  that  boy's  wretched  condition. 

All  the  by-standers  told  the  boy  to  throw  those 
nails  &c.,  somewhere  else  in  the  Ganges,  but  the  b<>y 
b«ing  afraid  that  his  neighbours  wouLI  outcaste  him  on 
receiving  intimation  of  this  fact  from  the  priest, 
refused  to  comply  with  these  instructions. 

Nanak  as  well  as  other  by-stauders  interceded  for 
the  boy,  but  all  in  vain.  At  last  bargain  was  struck, 
It  was  settled  that  the  boy  should  pay  Rs.  2-8  to  the 
priest  and  the  remaining  As.  8  in  the  opinion  of  the 
priest,  would  be  sufficient  to  keep  the  boy  alive  for 
few  days 

The  boy,  having  executed  that  condition  consigned 
the  nails  &c.  of  his  deceased  father  to  the  Ganges  and 
set  out  from  Hardwar.  It  is  not  known  whetheV  the 
boy  did  ever  reach  his  home  begging  charity  from 
door  to  door,  or  he  died  of  starvation  on  his  way  back 
to  home,  but  it  is  certain  that  the  priest  lost  the  money 
he  had  extorted  from  that  hapless  boy,  in  a  gambling 
which  was  going  on  close  by. 

Oh  !  it  is  painful  to  describe  the  horrible  crimes 
which  our  reverend  priests  perpeterate  under  the  guise  of 
religion.  Our  priests  are  made  of  such  fibres  that  they 
shudder  at  the  bare  idea  of  an  animal-slaughter,  but 
they  feel  no  scruple  on  their  conscience  in  bleeding  the 
hearts  of  their  fellow-creatures.  They  are  proud  of 


[    43    ] 

their  creation  from  the  mouth  'of  Brahma,  and  hate  the 
rest  of  the  human-kind  for  their  birth  from  the  organs, 
lower  than  the  mouth.  They  care  not  at  all,  if  their 
fellow-creatures  die  of  starvation,  but  the  cow  and  pea 
cock  must  not  be  allowed  to  starve.  They  are  ready  to 
sacrifice  their  lives  for  the  protection  of  the  monkeys; 
but  the  men  of  low-castes  have  no  right  to  expect  good 
treatment  from  their  hands.  Our  learned  priests  feel 
no  shame  in  bowing  down  their  head  on  the  feet  of 
beasts;  but  the  mere  touch  of  their  fellow-creatures, 
who  deal  in  leather  and  shoes,  defiles  them  all.  They 
are  ready  to  spend  their  whole  fortune  in  erecting 
houses  for  the  refuge  of  beasts;  but  they  refuse  to  subs, 
cribe  even  a  single  farthing  in  the  asylums  for  orphans 
and  widows,  whose  sufferings  they  atribute  to  their  past 
misdeeds.  In  a  word,  the  works  of  these  living  gods 
are  so  unscrutable  that  we,  the  shallow-minded  mortals 
are  quite  unable  to  fathom  them. 

0,  ye,  our  countrymen,  who  blame  the  Government 
for  the  poverty  of  India,  and  accuse  the  British  Raj  for 
famine  &  scarcity,  how  can  you  think  that  the  Govern 
ment,  who  suppressed  thuggee  and  dacoity — who  estab 
lished  peace  and  tranquility  in  the  count  ly—  and  who 
gave  education  and  freedom  to  the  people,  has  impover 
ished  us.  Such  an  enlightened  Government  cannot  be 
expected  to  be  ignorant  of  this  fact  that  a  Government 
cannot  stand  when  its  subject-people  die  of  starvations- 
Dare  not,  therefore,  say  a  word  against  the  British 
people — so  benevolent  so  generous  and  estimable — 


E    44    } 

when  numerous  outlets    covered    under    the-    cloak    of 
religion,  exhaust  the  wealth  of  this  country. 

If  you  are  true  well-wishers  and  real  philanthro- 
phists;  go  to  Hard  war  and  Krukshetra;  penetrate  into 
the  streets  of  Mathra  and  Kashi  ji — the  so  called  places 
of  pilgrimage,  but  in  reality  the  dens  of  vice  and  profli 
gacy;  and  see  what  the  men  in  charge  of  those  sacred 
places  are  doing  there. 

Our  indolent  priests  lie  in  wait  for  pilgrims  and 
run  to  them  as  soon  as  they  come  in  their  sight. 
When  the  victims  are  secured,  they  stripe  them  of  all 
they  posses,  which  they  effect  by  deceit  and  by  entreaty 
and  after  all  by  extortion  as  they  are  safe  under  the 
shield  of  religion. 

If  you  have  will  and  leisure  to  watch  over  the 
actions  of  these  reverend  priests  for  a  day  only,  you 
will  find  that  the  money,  so  deceitfully  taken,  is  spent 
either  in  adultery  and  debauchery  or  in  gambling  and 
playing  at  cards.  The  hard-earned  money  which 
could  save  the  starving  population  from  imminent 
death  and  the  naked  from  the  inclemency  of  cold  weather, 
is  being  lost  in  luxury  and  dissipations.  There  is  not 
a  man  among  them  who  has  and  who  is  not  still  indul 
ging  in  the  company  of  prostitutes. 

How  the  society  can  be  prosperous,  when  hundreds 
of  its  members  are  as  indolent  that  they  earn  not  a 
single  pie  by  honest  labour,  but  squander  away,  what- 


t   ,45   1 

ever  they  can  snatch  from  the   hands   of   the   working 
-classes  who  owing  to  want  of  sound    education    are    so 
ignorant  as  not  to  be  able  to  make   distinction   between 
hypocrisy  and  religion. 

This  is  one  of  the  most  important  causes  of  the 
poverty,  penury  and  destitution,  which  have  rendered 
the  lives  of  millions  intolerable  in  the  country.  Our 
reformers  deliver  lengthy  speeches  on  these. evils,  but 
they  do  nothing — absolutely  nothing— to  establish  a 
remedy  against  them,  They  point  out  causes  which 
have  to  do  nothing  with  these  evils ;  but  dare  not  say  a 
word  against  the  priest  craft.  For  the  jury  of  our 
priests  pronounces  no  other  verdict  on  such  an  offence 
than  excommunication  from  society,  and  gives  no 
allowance  for  preferring  even  an  appeal  against  this 
final  decision.  Who  will  bear  such  a  disgrace  and 
dishonour  ?  Who  will  suffer  such  a  sever  punishment.  ? 

But  let  us  now  take  the  thread  of  our  narrative. 

Nanak,  Laving  settled  the  dispute  between  the 
orphan  boy  and  priest  began  to  survey  the  multitude> 
which  had  gathered  all  around,  some  of  the  pilgrims, 
who  had  performed  their  ablutions  earlier  than  other, 
were  busy  in  washing  their  idols  with  the  Ganges-water 
and  in  rubbing  pieces  of  sandal-wood  on  stones  for 
ornamenting  the  images  and  their  own  foreheads  with 
its  colour.  Those,  who  had  finished  this  process  even 
were  seated  on  the  banks  of  the  river  like  seagul,  which 
watches  the  sea  for  hours  to  swallow  a  fish,  whicji 


t    «    1 

unfortunately  raises  its  head  above  the  surface  of  water. 
A  cloth,  with  a  few  pice  on  it,  was  spread  before  each 
of  them.  ;  apparently  they  were  engaged  in  telling  their 
beads,  but  with  eyes  half  closed  they  anxiously  looked 
for  the  man,  who  out  of  that  multitude  would  be  so 
fool  as  to  be  deceived  by  their  outer  appearance  to 
bestow  some  charity  upon  them. 

Those,  who  had  lately  arrived,  were  in  the  act  of  pul 
ling  off  their  clothes  for  performing  the  sacred  ablution, 
while  many  of  the  pilgrims  having  finished  bathing  in 
the  river,  were  offering  the  sacred  water  to  the  sun. 

Nanak  thought  it  proper  to  point  out  this  last 
group,  the  largest  of  all,  the  fallaciousness  of  their 
proceedings,  but  they  were  so  absorbed  in  throwing 
water  towards  the  sun,  that  even  the  continual  beatings 
of  drums  for  hours  could  not  turn  their  attentions  to 
him.  On  the  other  hand,  Nanak  always  preached  his 
religion  without  hurting  tKe  feelings  and  breaking  the 
hearts  of  the  listeners,  he,  therefore,  did  not  think  it 
advisable  to  address  an  extempore  speech  to  them. 

He  pulled  off  his  clothes,  bathed  in  the  Ganges  and 
began  to  throw  up  water  like  the  pilgrims  but  in  a 
direction  contrary  to  theirs,  that  is,  they  were  in  the 
act  of  throwing  water  with  their  faces  towards  the  sun, 
but  Nanak  stood  turning  his  back  toward  it. 

This  process  on  the  part  of  Nanak,  roused  the 
laughter  of  the  pilgrims  so  that  they  gave  up  their  own 


[    47    ] 

pursuit  and  legan  to  call  him  fool  and  idiot."  At 
length  an  elderly  n.an  asked  Nanak  what  the  latter  was 
doing. 

!'I  have"  replied  Xanak  while  he  continued 
throwing  water  with  his  hands  "  sown  wheat  and  barley 
in  the  fields  of  a  village,  named  Kartarpur,  which  is 
more  than  two  hundred  miles  far  from  here.  As  there 
is  no  one  to  take  care  for  them  in  my  absence,  I  water 
my  fields  to  keep  the  crops  green." 

"It  is"    returned  the   elderly    man,    "your   folly 
to  think  that  the  water  you  sprinkle  here    will   be    able 
to  irrigate  your  fields  at  two  hundred    miles'    distance." 

"If,"      responded     Nanak,      standing    up     fbmly 
before  them,  "it  is  my  folly  to  send  water  to    my    fields 
at  two  hundred  miles'  distance,  how  can  you   hope    that 
the  water,  you  offer  here  to   the    sun,    will   reach    it   at 
thousand  and  thousand  miles'  distance." 

These  words  so  touched  the  hearts  of  the  pilgrims 
that  they  put  faith  on  him  and  solemnly  promised  not 
to  worship  the  sun  and  idols  again. 

Nanak's  fame  spread  all  around.  Pilgrims  of  all 
castes  and  climes  came  to  him  to  receive  religious 
instructions.  Nanak  also  laboured  hard  in  preaching 
and  converting  the  pilgrims  to  Sikh  religion. 

Time,  thus,  soon,  passed  away.  At  length  pilgrims 
began  to  make  preparations  to  leave  Hardwar  for  their 


[    48    ] 

homes*.  Oil  fciie  day,  preceding  their  departure,  they 
all  went  to  Nanak  to  show  respects  to  him.  When  they 
wore  all  assembled,  Nauak  found  a  good  opportunity 

to  deliever  the  following  speech  to  them. 

< 

"  You,  gentlemen,  have  come  here  from  all  the 
parts  of  India;  some  from  the  Punjab,  some  from  the 
Bengal,  some  from  Dakhan  and  some  from  the  villages 
at  no  great  distance.  You,  likewise,  after  a  couple  of 
day's  sojourn  here,  intend  to  leave  this  place  to 
morrow  morning  for  your  respective  homes,  where  you 
will  be  engaged  in  your  works;  some  in  ploughing, 
some  iii  shop-keeping  and  some  in  other  professions. '' 

"  Yearly,  similar  assemblies  meet  together  in  these 
plains  and  are  scattered  in  all  diiections;  but  no  one  cares 
to  estimate  the  sufferings,  which  the  people  have  to  end 
ure  in  these  journeys  and  the  losses,  which  they  suffer  in 
these  undertakings.  Money  which  is  so  uselessly  spent 
would  have  done  a  substantial  good  to  the  country,  had 
it  been  used  in  the  relief  of  the  poor  and  needy." 

"  Who  is  responsible  for  all  these  human  sufferings 
and  pecuniary  losses  ?  None  but  the  priests,  who  being 
the  leader  of  the  community,  do  not  point  out  the  people 
evils  of  these  fruitless  journeys,  nay,  they  even  induce 
them  to  repeat  such  visits  as  often  as  possible.  ' 

"  Woe  to  the  nation,  which  is  unable  to  make  the 
best  use  of  its  hard-earned  money  !  Woe  to  the 
people,  whose  leaders  are  so  selfish!  r> 


[•'49    ] 

"  A  good  many  of  this  audience  are  cultivators  as 
well  as  landholders.  First  of  all,  I  turn  my  attention  to 
you  ;  partly  because  you  are  to  be  the  backbone  of  the 
religion,  which  I  preach  and  partly  because  you  are  BO 
devoid  of  religion  and  education  that  you  cannot 
understand  even  your  own  importance.  I  warn  you  that 
you  should  not  be  disheartened  by  the  excessive  labour, 
which  your  profession  presents  to  you  :  for  yours  is  the 
foremost,  the  noblest  and  independent  profession." 

"  You  are  in  your  duty,  who  out  of  it  who  may.. 
You  toil  day  and  night  to  provide  food  for  yourselves 
and  for  the  world  at  large.  Though  'yqu .  have  sub- 
burnt,  weather-tanned  and  be-soiled  faces  and  possess 
no  more  than  ruJe  intelligence  but  you  arenSle  'Veii^f^ 
able  of  all :  in  fact  you  are  the  men, ;.  wh,p ./Ji^ft ..  manlike 
and  work  for  the  altogether  indespensable  ;,  •"'  for  daily 
bread.'  In  fine,  you  must  bear  in  mind  that  your  work 
is  a  kind  of  worship  if  »you  do  it  honestly  and 
thoroughly." 

"  Some  of  you,  whom  I  am  addressing  to-day  are 
shopkeepers  and  money  lenders.  This  profession  is  not 
less  important  than  the  one  I  have  above  described. 
If  it  is  synonymous  with  a  desire  to  serve  the  country 
and  to  help  the  poor  and  needy,  it  is  the  most  honour 
able  of  all.  If  it  signifies  no  more  than  a  desire  to 
fleece  the  customers  and  to  enrich  himself  at  the 
expense  of  others,  it  is  the  most  despicable.  Assuming 
that  you  have  started  this  profession  with  the  fullest 
intention  of  rendering  services  to  the  public,  the 


[    50    ] 

temptation  which  you  should  avoid,  is  that  of  letting 
words  be  your  masters  instead  of  being  master  of  your 
words.  For  in  commercial  business  it  is  essential  that 
those  with  whom  you  deal,  may  have  full  confidence 
in  your  words." 

"  Next  thing,  you  should  observe,  is  that  the  profit, 
you  take  on  your  merchandises,  must  be  as  low  as 
possible.  Never  mind,  if  others  make  their  principals 
twice  and  thrice  ;  but  remember  that  you,  in  the  ]  ong 
run,  will  be  winner  in  the  race  of  commerce." 

"  If  you  lend  money  to  a  peasant,  do  not  take  such 
heavy  interest  as  to  ruin  him  ;  but  deal  with  him  so 
mildly  that  he  by  your  help  and  you  by  his  aid  may  be 
able  to  provide  yourselves  against  the  wants,  which 
present  themselves  to  both  of  you." 

"  If  any  debtor  fails  to  pay  instalments,  be  carefull 
not  to  take  hasty  steps  so  as  to  deprive  him  of  all  his 
movable  and  immovable  properties.  In  doing  so  apart 
altogether  from  the  loss,  your  debtor  thus  sustains,  you 
yourselves  are  the  greatest  losers.  You  will  have 
to  experience  the  fate  of  that  man,  who  had  killed  her 
goose,  which  .laid  him  a  golden  egg  every  day,  in  order, 
to  possess  an  inexhaustible  treasure  in  one  instant 
but  he  had  gained  nothing  in  that  essay  but  dis 
appointment  and  sorrow." 

"  If  you  recover  only  the  principal  without  any 
interest  from  one  of  your  helpless  debtors,  you  will 
lose  nothing,  but  gain  the  blessings  of  heaven. 


C    51    ] 

Remember  that  God  does  not  only  help  him  who  helps 
himself ;  but  He  much  more  helps  him  who  helps  others 
in  their  tribulations. " 

"  Let  me  now  address  to  all  of  you  together  who 
have  assembled  here  to  hear  my  words.  You  must 
learn  to  be  self-reliant  as  well  as  thorough  workers. 
Remember  that  all  great  men  of  this  country  have  been 
thorough  workers.  It  was  the  characteristic  of  Ram 
Chanderji's  works  that  the  task  he  undertook,  whatever 
its  nature,  was  executed  by  him  to  the  best  of  his 
ability.  When  he  left  home  and  took  up  his  abode 
in  jungles  and  forests,  he  did  not  even  dream  his 
splendid  palaces  and  homely  comforts.  He  remained 
for  full  14  years  in  the  wilderness,  where  wild  beasts 
were  his  associates — where  bare  ground  or  occasionally 
some  straw  on  it,  formed  his  beddings  for  the  night — 
where  wild  fruits  and  roots  of  trees  served  as  his 
repast ;  in  order  that  the  promise,  which  his  father 
had  made  with  his  step-mother,  might  be  satisfactorily 
fulfilled.  But  when  he  took  the  burden  of  his  Kingdom 
upon  his  head,  he  ruled  the  people  so  wisely  and  so 
justly  that  his  subjects  had  no  cause  to  complain 
against  him.  So  was  the  case  with  Sri  Krishana  and 
Arjuna  that  they  used  to  go  on  and  on  with  their  works 

untill  they  had  executed  them  to  their  entire  satisfac 
tion.  '* 

"  If  you  likewise  want  to  be  successful  in  your 
professions,  go  and  do  likewise.  Have  heart  in  your 
works,  be  sincere,  honest  and  devoted  to  your  duties, 
you  will  not  fail  of  honor  in  your  time  and  country." 


[    52    ] 

"  But  to  you,  who  have  to  work  hard  for  your  living, 
I  give  one  more  advice.  You  must  not  only  do  what 
has  been  said  above,  but  you  must  also  be  contented. 
By  this  I  do  not  mean  that  you  are  to  make  no  efforts 
to  r'se  in  the  world  and  that  you  are  not  to  employ 
your  energies  and  abilities  in  honest  effort  to  lift 
yourselves  up  in  a  higher  position,  but  I  mean  that 
you  are  to  do  your  best  to  accomplish  the  work,  en 
trusted  to  you  without  any  care  for  the  result,  which 
must  be  left  in  the  hands  of  God.  You  are  only 
workers  in  the  great  garden  of  the  Creator,  who  gives 
reward  to  every  one  in  the  way  Ha  thinks  proper. 
If  the  result  is  not  in  your  favour;  if  the  rewards  are 
unsatisfactory  to  you;  you  ought  not  to  weep  and.  cry 
hut.  you  should  go  oa  with  your  duties  steadily  and  con 
tentedly  :  for  He  knows  what  is  better,  to  you  than  that, 
von  can  know  for  yourselves." 

S?'vO.  10  T  i        - 

"It  is  not  all,  I.  have  a  few  more  words  of  advice 
to  give  you.  They,  however,  are  to  elevate  your  souls, 
to  educate  your  minds  and  to  purify  your  hearts.  For 
what  has  been  said  above  is  more  useful  for  the  body 
than  for  the  soul,  which  ennobles  the  heart  and  mind. 
You  must  remember  that  soul  is  eternal  and  imperish 
able,  while  body  is  only  a  temporary  thing.  The  latter 
is  to'  the  former  as  the  clothes,  which  we  put  on,  are  to 
our  body!" 

"  As  it  is  necessary  for  a  man  to  put  on  clothes 
though  they  alone  can  not  make  him  noble  and  great, 
so  it  is  essential  for  the  soul  to  assume  the  garment  of 


[    53    ] 

the  body,  in  order  to  attain  its  perfection.  Many  men 
are  of  opinion  that  body  has  to  do  nothing  with  the 
soul,  but  I  arn  convinced  that  unclean  body,  is  so  much 
productive  of  ill-effects  on  the  soul  as  the  filthy  clothes 
cause  the  derangement  of  the  health  of  the  body  itself. 
For  this  reason,  every  one  should  keep  his  clothes  as 
well  as  his  body  neat  and  clean  not  only  to  keep  the 
health  of  his  body  but  also  to  aid  the  soul  in  it?  noble 
designs.  ' 

"  When  the  clothes  are  so  worn  out  that  they  can 
not  shelter  the  wearer  from  the  changes  of  the  weather, 
they  are  changed  for  the  new  ones,  in  order  that  he 
may  be  able  to  retain  his  health  to  work  for  his  liveli 
hood  to  the  time  of  his  death.  The  soul,  likewise, 
throws  away  the  bod}T,  when  the  latter  grows  old  and 
unserviceable  and  changes  it  for  the  new  ones.  Thus 
it  goes  on  and  011  until  it  becomes  as  perfect  as  the 
Supreme  Soul.  Then  this  human  soul,  being  pure  and 
free  from  sins,  soars  to  the  divine  abode,  as  the  water 
evaporated  by  the  heat  of  the  sun,  rises  up  in  the  air,  to 
enjoy  the  heavenly  blessings.  ' 

"  This  is  the  fate  of  the  soul  of  those  men,  who 
are  true  and  virtuous;  but  the  soul  of  him  who  is  ab 
sorbed  in  the  vicious  and  worldly  action^,  transmigra 
tes  again  and  again  for  countless  ages.  Troubles  and 
sorrows,  which  human  beings  have  to  suffer  in  this 
world,  are  well  known  to  all  of  you.  It  is,  therefore, 
necessary  that  every  one  must  do  his  best  to  avoid  this 
transmigration  as  soon  as  possible,  ' 


[    54    ] 

"  I,  who  have  travelled  all  around  like  a  physician 
making  cures  of  those  persons,  infected  with  the  disease 
of  sin  and  evils — I,  who  am  endowed  with  the  power 
of  fathoming  the  secrets  of  the  human  hearts — know 
full  well  that  you  have  also  left  your  homes  and  journey" 
ed  here  only  to  search  the  means,  which  may  enable 
you  to  avoid  this  transmigration.  But  you  act  like 
children;  you  labour  to  pluck  grapes  from  thorns  and 
delicious  fruits  from  thistles.  You  endeavour  to  reap  a 
rich  crop  from  the  barren  ground  and  good  harvest 
from  uncultivated  fields.  You  think  that  you  will  have 
salvation  from  your  past  sins  by  bathing  in  the  Ganges 
and  that  you  will  be-  able  to  give  satisfaction  to  the 
souls  of  your  deceased  parents  by  consigning  their 
remnants  to  her  waters." 

"  But  for  only  two  things  I  highly  praise  you,  first 
because  you  honour  your  parents  so  much  that  you  do  not 
allow  even  their  boneashes'  to  be  trampled  under  the 
feet  of  men  and  beasts;  and  secondly,  because  you  are 
so  much  anxious  to  be  got  rid  of  your  sins  that  you  have 
suffered  endless  troubles  to  reach  here  for  this  purpose 
alone.  But  you  wage  a  fruitless  war  against  the  sin; 
you  make  useless  endeavours  to  be  free  from  its  effects. 
You  try  to  wash  away  your  sins  with  the  water  of 
this  river  as  the  black  spot  on  your  clothes  is  removed 
by  coming  in  contact  with  water.  You  should  know 
that  sin  is  not  a  black  spot  on  the  human  heart;  but  it 
is  such  a  stain  of  hellish-dye  that  all  the  human  arts 
and  skills  are  unable  to  obliterate  it  in  the  least,  " 


[    55    ] 

"  If  tne  Ganges  is  endowedwith  a  power  to  ward 
off  the  sins  of  creatures  on  earth,  the  fishes  and  crocodi 
les,  which  remain  day  and  night  in  her  waters  would  be 
the  sole  inheritors  of  the  heavenly  pleasures;  and 
people,  who  reside  her  banks,  would  have  no  punish 
ment  for  their  mis-deeds.  But  it  is  not  so.  Laws  of 
the  nature  are  the  same  to  all.  When  the  sun  shines, 
it  shines  equally  on  every  thing.  When  fire  burns,  it 
burns  every  thing  without  any  exception.  If  there  is 
any  retribution  for  the  human  mis-deeds  and  any 
rewards  for  their  good  deeds;  they  must  be  alike  to  all 
without  any  distinction  of  caste,  colour  and  clime." 

"  Do  not  misunderstand  me.  I  do  not  mean  that 
you  ought  not  to  take  baths  in  the  rivers;  nor,  do  I 
paean  that  you  are  not  to  go  out  of  your  homes  to  make 
journeys  abroad.  But  I  mean  that  your  objects  in 
doing  them  must  be  quite  different  from  those,  which 
you  now  have.  Do  the  former  as  often  as  you  can;  for 
bathing  in  the  river  is  great  restorative  of  good  health. 
Make  journeys  as  long  as  possible;  but  it  must  be 
borne  in  mind  that  the  object  of  travelling  abroad  is  to 
learn  the  arts,  and  manufactures  as  well  as  enterprise  and 
pluck  of  other  nations.  If  you  accomplish  these  objects 
in  your  journeys;  your  journeys  will  be  beneficial  to 
your  countrymen  as  well  as  they  will  enable  you  to 
tide  over  the  difficulties  of  the  world. " 

"  But  you  have  no  object  for  your  journeys  but  to 
wash  away  your  sins  with  the  Ganges-water,  which  is 
an  act  of  utter  impossibility.  This  false  belief  has  not 


C    56    ] 

only  made  your  undertakings  useless,  but  bas,  likewise, 
deprived  you  of  s^lf-reliance,  wbicb  mak"s  tbe 
nations  great  and  noble.  Besides,  you  have  becomo 
much  more  vicious,  because  many  of  you  care  not  at  all 
to  guard  their  daily  actions;  as  they  believe  that  a 
single  visit  to  Hardwar  would  be  sufficient  to  cleanse 
their  bodies  as  well  as  their  souls  from  the  sins  of  their 
past  mis-deeds.  Robbers  and  ruffians  have  increased 
in  the  country  s)  much  so  that  the  rich  and  poor  are 
in  constant  danger  for  their  prop  arty  and  lives.  They 
think  that  a  small  portion  of  their  plunder  enables 
them  t)  reach  H \rdvvar,  where  sin?  are  iorgivea  for  no 
great  expense — -vvhera  they  arj  surs  to  attain  the  higher 
social  position  than  honest  workers,  who  have  no 
surplus  money  to  compete  in  charity  with  them,  it  is 
because  there  is  so  much  infanticide  and  parricide  in  the 
country  that  the  people  have  no  dread  of  divine  punish 
ment.  A  part  of  the  wealth,  which  the  murderer  gets 
by  murdering* his  wealthy  parents,  and  even  a  quarter 
of  the  money,  which  would  have  been  spent  on  the 
marriage  of  the  murdered  daughter,  had  she  been 
allowed  to  remain  alive,  is  considered  quite  enough  to 
win  the  heavenly  blessings  by  the  intercession  of  the 
Ganges-river,  which  is  regarded  as  an  agent  on  the 
earth  to  sell  the  merits  of  heaven.  Suffice  is  to  say  that 
indescribable  miseries  and  ruins,  which  are  visible  all 
around  iu  the  country,  are  the  fruits  of  those  false 
beliefs  and  superstitions,  which  have  made  a  strong 
hold  on  the  minds  of  its  inhabitants.  If  the  people 
become  wise  enough  to  give  up  these  irrational  and 


C    57    ] 

ignorant  beliefs  in.    such    supernatural    agencies,   they 
will  be  happy  and  form  a  great  nation  in  the  world. " 

"  And  let  me  now  finish  this  speech  with  these 
concluding  words. " 

"  If  you  are  seekers  after  truth  and  aspire  to  have 
salvation  from  your  sins,  earnestly  implore  the  Creator, 
Who  is  One  and  Alone.  Pray  to  Him,  who  is  all-filling 
and  all-powerful  for  the  forgiveness  of  your  sins.  He 
alone  has  power  to  pardon  the  sins  of  the  human  beings, 
no  one  else  either  on  the  earth  or  on  the  heavens  is  able 
to  encroach  upon  His  authority.  Go  now  to  your 
homes  and  comply  with  these  instructions,  you  wouli 
be  prosperous  in  this  world  as  well  as  in  the  woild  to 
come  ' 

These  words  produced  such  a  good  effect  on  the 
minds  of  the  pilgrims  that  they  put  faith  upon  God  and 
became  Guru  Nanak's  disciples.  They  promised  not 
to  worship  the  rivers  and  ponds  as  well  as  stones  and 
statues.  They,  at  length,  retired  to  their  respective 
camps  and  fell  fast  asleep. 

Morning  came,  pilgrims  set  out  from  Hardwar  for 
their  homes.  Nanak,  likewise,  resumed  his  journey  to 
inspect  other  places  of  the  same  importance, 


1 


^CHAPTER  VII. 

Guru  Nanak's  visit  to  Ja/annath  purl  and  his  debate 
rvith  the  priests  of  thai  temple. 


T>URI,  oue  of  the  largest  cities  in  Bengal,  is  situated 
on  the  shore  of  the  Bay  of  Bengal.  It  is 
commonly  called  Puri-Jagannath  on  account  of  a 
temple,  which  is  built  there  in  honour  of  Jagannath, 
(a  god  of  the  Hindus). 

The  temple  is  very  large  and  splendid  and  it  con 
tains  innumerable  wealth.  It  is  the  most  important 
place  of  pilgrimage  and  holds  the  highest  position  of 
all  the  sacred  places  of  the  Hindus.  For  in  this  temple 
Jagannath,  the  master  of  the  world  is  worshipped; 
while  in  other  temples  thero  are  gods  and  goddesses 
who  are  inferior  to  him. 

In  Hindu  theology,  this  temple  has  the  same 
absolute  power  as  in  politics  high  court  has  authority  to 
set  aside  the  decision,  made  in  lower  courts.  As  the 
litigants,  who  are  not  satisfied  with  the  decision  of 
lower  courts,  and  the  same  time  are  rich  enough  to 
squander  money  on  litigation,  prefer  their  appeals  to 
high  courts,  so  the  wealthy  Hindus,  who  have  wandered 
on  all  the  places  of  pilgrimage  without  any  satisfaction 
to  their  spiritual  desires,  go  in  the  end  to  visit  the 
temple  in^Puri-Jagannath. 


[    59    ] 

There  the  Hindus  offer  pindas  to  their  deceased 
parents,  give  as  much  alms  as  they  can  to  the  priests 
in  charge  of  that  temple.  If  the  parents  of  a  Hindu 
die  of  violent  death;  as  by  a  snake-bite  or  being 
drowned  in  the  water,  he  is  certain  to  purchase  the 
pardon  of  sins  for  the  departed  souls  by  making  some 
offerings  there  under  the  guidence  of  the  priests  of 
that  temple.  If  a  wealthy  Hindu  has  no  male  off 
spring  in  his  family,  he  spends  a  part  of  his  patrimony 
to  gain  the  blessings  of  the  priests  for  the  fulfilment  of 
his  object.  If  a  wealthy  Hindu  family  suffers  from 
malignant  diseases;  and  the  cause  of  the  malady  is 
attributed  by  sorcerers  to  the  wrath  of  the  unclean 
spirits,  then  a  visit  to  Jagannath  is  considered  a  best 
effective  remedy  against  them.  There  the  head  of  the 
distressed  family  performs  some  religious  rites  to  gain 
the  pleasures  of  the  departed  souls,  and  makes  fervent; 
prayers  before  the  image  of  Jagannath  for  its  kind 
intercession  in  this  matter.  If  a  man  once  in  proper 
season  performs  Sarddhds  for  the  dead  at  Jagannath, 
he  is  exempted  from  performing  them  annually  at 
home. 

Although  the  religion  of  a  Hindu  is  polluted  if  he 
eats  any  food,  touched  by  men  of  low-caste;  but  in 
Jagannath  every  Hindu  pilgrim  whether  his  caste  may 
be  high  or  low,  has  to  eat  rice,  cooked  in  that  temple 
without  any  distinction  of  this  kind.  If  he  eats  any 
kucha  food  out  of  chokd,  he  is  ex-communicated;  but 
every  pilgrim  brings  kuchd  food  from  Jagannath  in 
order  to  distribute  it  among  his  relations  and  friends. 


[    60    ] 

This  shows  that  there  is  no  place  but  Jagannath,  where 
Hindu  is  not  punished  for  breaking  the  chokd  system, 
which  is  the  fundamental  principle  of  the  Hindu 
religion. 

It  is  the  only  place,  which  is  considered  to  be  the 
possessor  of  an  absolut  power  for  warding  off  the  sins 
of  the  human  beings  even  after  their  death.  It  is 
because  Hindus  from  all  parts  of  India,  go  to  this 
"  metropolis  "  of  their  religion  for  the  good  of  their 
own  souls  and  the  souls  of  their  deceased  parents. 
The  fact  is  that  they  believe  that  the  priests  of  this 
metropolis  are  authorised  to  communicate  directly 
with  the  authorities  in  charge  of  heavenly  paradise, 
while  those  in.  charge  of  other  places  of  pilgrimage 
which  are  subordinate  to  Jagannath,  are  unable  to  do 
anything  without  the  recommendation  of  their  superiors. 
For  these  reasons  wealthy  Hindus  deposit  as  much  as 
they  can  in  the  treasury,  attached  to  the  temple  of  the 
Jagannath,  as  they  believe,,  their  deceased  parents  as 
well  as  they  themselves  after  their  death  would  be  able 
to  draw  the  sum,  deposited  there,  from  the  treasury  in 
heaven.  It  is,  therefore,  a  place,  which  the  Hindu; 
revere  with  the  highest  respect  and  where  the  noble 
and  the  rich  of  the  Hindu  community  gather  from  all 
around. 

This  is  the  temple  of  Jagannath,  to  which  Nanak 
directed  his  steps  from  Hardwar.  He,  on  his  way, 
visited  Bindraban  and  Kashiji  and  profited  the  rich 
and  poor  of  the  cities,  towns  and  villages,  which  came 


[    61    ] 

» 

in  the  way  by  his  example  and  precept.  Passing 
through  dreary  jungles  and  forests  and  crossing  the 
rivers  and  streams  he,  at  last,  reached  his  destina 
tion. 

It  was  the  evening  of  a  certain  day  in  the  winter 
season,  when  Nanak  with  Bala  and  Murdana  fouud 
himself  in  the  temple  of  Jagannath.  He  took  lodging 
in  a  corner  of  the  temple  and  began  to  survey  the 
place  all  around.  The  temple  was  so  magnificient  that 
it  resembled  a  palace.  There  being  a  spacious  hall 
in  the  centre,  in  which  image  of  Jagannath  in  the  form 
of  a  human  being  stood.  The  image  was  carved  of  a 
huge  stone  in  such  a  way  that  it  seemed  quite  frightful. 
The  head  of  the  image  was  large  and  heavy  and  mouth 
so  wide  open;  hands  so  hanging  down  and  the  whole 
figure  from  head  to  feet  so  dreadful  and  shocking  that 
it  appeared  as  though  it  would  immediately  handle  up 
and  swallow  a  human  being  the  moment  he  comes  in 
its  reach.  ^ 

This  ghastly  appearance  was  much  more  aggrava 
ted  by  the  vermilion,  which  was  rubbed  all  ever  it. 

Everyone,  who  enters  the  temple  prostrates  himself 
before  that  image,  which  bears  the  name  of  Jagannath 
He,  then,  makes  a  round  all  around  it,  offers  some 
flowers  and  gold  or  silver,  and  rings  the  bell,  which 
overhangs  the  image,  and  which  is  so  heavy  that  it  can 
with  difficulty  be  moved  by  one  man. 


[    62    ] 

But  Nanak  neither  bowed  down  to  the  image  ;  nor 
offered  anything  to  it,  nor  rang  the  bell.  He,  on  the 
other  hand,  continued  looking  scrutinizingly  all  around. 

This  extraordinary  conduct  on  the  part  of  Nanak 
astonished  the  priests  of  the  temple ;  but  they  spoke 
nothing  to  him,  as  they  attributed  it  to  his  ignorance 
of  rules,  prevalent  in  that  temple. 

In  the  meanwhile  preparations  for  the  evening 
prayer  commenced.  People  began  to  crowd  in  the 
temple  :  some  with  garlands  made  of  the  loveliest  and 
choicest  flowers ;  some  with  eatables — some  with 
delicious  fruits — and  some  with  gold  and  silver  for 
making  offerings  to  the  image  of  the  Jagannath.  In  a 
word  everyone  had  brought  with  him  offerings  to  offer 
them  to  the  god  of  the  temple  nay  that  of  the  whole  of 
India. 

Incenses  were  burnt  before  the  image,  perfumes 
were  rubbed  all  over  it.  "Uhe  head-priest  w;th  a  large 
plate  cf  gold,  in  which  innumerable  burning  lamps 
were  placed,  stood  before  the  Jagannath,  and  other 
priests,  standing  behind  him,  began  to  chant  hymns  in 
praise  of  the  said  deity.  Pilgrims  as  well  as  other 
citizens,  who  were  in  the  temple  stood  up  in  a  solemn 
mood  and  began  to  ofter  fervent  prayers  to  the 
Jagannath,  that  their  desires  might  be  fulfilled. 

Numerous  bells  began  to  ring  forth  their  solemn 
peal  and  trumpets  to  sound  the  different  songs.  Horns 
were  sounded  and  drums  were  so  beaten  that  they 


[    63    ]' 

made  so  much  noise  in  the  temple  that  it  became  quite 
intolerable  to  the  drum  of  the  human  ear.  This 
noise  was  much  more  increased  by  the  village  dogs, 
which  began  to  bark  so  wildly  and  so  madly  that  it 
appeared  as  if  they  wept  over  the  folly  of  the  human 
beings,  who,  being  the  noblest  of  all  the  creatures  on 
earth,  endeavoured  to  please  the  inanimate  objects  by 
musics  and  other  commodities,  which  are  destined  to 
the  human  species  alone  ! 

The  priests  went  round  and  round  the  image  of 
Jagannath  for  nearly  half  an  hour  and  stopped  in  front 
of  the  image.  There  the  head-prie  st  placed  the  plate 
cf  gold  on  the  ground  and  prostrated  himself  before  the 
deity.  This  example  was  followed  by  the  other  priests 
•  as  well  as  by^those  who  were  standing  all  around  in 
the  temple.  Garlands  and  flowers  were  thrown  on  the 
image,  and  gold  and  silver  weie  presented  to  it.  In 
shoit  every  one  offered,  whatever  he  had  brought  with 
him,  to  the  Jagannath  and  retired  to  his  dwelling 
place. 

Trumpets  and  drums  ceased  to  echoe  in  the 
temple.  Horns  and  other  organs  no  more  vibrated  in 
the  ear.  Thus  the  evening  worship  of  the  Jagannath 
was  over. 

Nanak,  unlike  other  pilgrims,  had  remained  sitting 
all  the  while  this  evening  worship  of  the  Jagannath 
continued.  This  circumstance  enraged  the  head- 
priest,  who  came  to  Nanak  as  soon  as  he  brought  the 
peremony  to  an  end. 


C    64    ] 

'  Are  you/'  enquired  the  priest  of  Nanak  in  an 
angry  tone  "  an  athiest  that  you  have  not  joined  us  in  the 
worship  of  the  Jagannath.  This  conduct  of  yours,  who 
appears  to  be  a  Hindu  pilgrim,  is  quite  unaccountable. 

"I  would  have  gladly  joined  you  in  the  worship  n 
replied  Nanak  as  mildly  and  meekly  as  possible,  "  but 
I  have  not  known  whom  you  have  offered  these 
prayers.' ' 

"  These  prayers  "  responded  the  priest  in  a  persua 
sive  voice,  "  were  made  to  the  Jagannath  who  has  an 
absolute  power  upon  all  things  on  the  earth  and  heaven 
— who  can  give  the  blind  sight  and  make  the  lame  to 
walk — who  wards  off  the  sins  of  his  worshippers  and 
fulfils  all  their  earthly  desires— in  whose  honour  these 
extensive  buildings  have  been  raised — and  whose 
statue  stands  before  your  very  "  eyes.  This  Jagan- 
nath's  fame,"  continued  the  priest,  has  reached  so 
far  and  wide  that  countless  men  and  women  of  all 
castes  and  ranks  daily  visit  this  temple,  which  is  his 
chief  abode,  and  go  back  to  their  home  with  their 
desires  satisfactorily  fulfilled.  It  is  a  wonder  that  you 
neither,  knelt  down  before  his  image,  nor  even  got 
up  to  worship  him.  It  is  still  more  wonder  that  you 
being  a  Hindu  are  ignorant  of  the  name  of  the 
Jagannath,  who  is  superior  to  all  the  gods  and  godesses 
of  the  world." 

"  You  were  not  worshipping  "  retuned  Nanak  in 
mild  tone,  "  the  Jaggannath,  who  is  the  master  of  the 


C    65    ] 

world   and  heavens,  but  a   statue,   which   can   neither 
move  nor  speak   nor  smell ;   or  I  would  have   been  very 
glad   to  take   a  foremost  part  in  the   worship.     For  the 
true  Jagannath,  who  has  created  the  earth  and  heavens  as 
well  as  men  and  beasts,— who  is  omnipotent,  omnipresent, 
and  free  from  death  and  birth,  cannot  be  circumscribed  at 
all.     He  lives  in  no  temple,  built  by  the  human    hands 
and  resides  in  no  statue,  sculptured  by  the  human  arts 
and  skills.     He   demands  nothing   from  his   creatures, 
whom   he  has   made  and    supplied   with    every   thing. 
Flowers  and   garlands,  musics  and  songs,    give  Him  no 
pleasure,    lengthy   prayers,  full    of  repititions,    cannot 
win  his  favour.     He    is    so   lengthwise   and   crosswise 
that  man,  with  all  the  human  knowledge  and  skills,   ia 
powerless  to  make  His   image,   nay   he  is  quite   unable 
even   to    concieve   His  form.     He   has   no  ears  but  He 
hears  the   complaints  of    all  the   creatures  ;  He   has  no 
eyes,    but  he  sees    everything   and   every  event,    which 
occurs  throughout  the  whole*\iniverse.     He  has  no  foot  ; 
but  ho  can  go  throughout  the  earth  arid    heavens  in  the 
twinkling  of  an  eye,  He  has  no  office  and  no  record  ;  but 
He  remembers  the  misdeeds   and  good  dc-jcls  of  each  of 
His  creatures.     He  is  all-filling,    all    powerful    and    so 
infinitely  wi-e    that  he  governs   the    earth  and  heaveus 
without  the   aid  of  any    body  else.     His    names  are  so 
many   that    a    voluminous    book    caunot    contain  them 
His    qualities   are   so    countless — so  manifold   and   so 
numerous  that  all  the  religious  books  of   the   w>rLl  are 
insufficient  to  describe  even  one  of  them.'' 


[    66    3 

11  Such  being  the  case,  it  is  a  folly  to  say  that  the 
statue,  which  has  no  life — no  reason — no  instinct  is  the 
representative  of  the  Supreme  being,  who  is  the  master 
of  the  world  and  heavens. " 

"Hear,  hear,  I  have  some  thing  more  to  say.  This 
temple  cannot  be  the  abode  of  the  Great  Master,  these 
worthless  things  cannot  adorn  Him.  These  flowers  and 
scents  can  not  perfume  His  house,  which  is  the  whole 
universe  over  which  blue  sky  with  stars,  hanging  like 
diamonds,  serves  as  a  canopy  and  the  sun  and  moon, 
the  ever  burning  lamps  pour  out  constant  light  in 
which  all  the  flowers  and  vegetables,  which  grow  on 
the  earth,  give  forth  fragrance  and  perfume.  These 
horns  and  trumpets  can  not  please  Him,  for  the  nature 
itself  utters  such  m  1  jdious  sounds  that  these  artificial 
musics  and  songs  can  not  equal  them.  These  poor 
lamps  can  not  give  light  to  Him,  who  himself  is  the 
true  light,  from  which  all  t4he  lights,  which  shine  the 
darkest  recesses  of  the  world,  emanate.  Without 
that  light  everything  is  dark  and  gloomy  and  nature 
apart  from  it,  is  nothing  but  a  shadow,  a  delusion  and 
a  mirage." 

uMy  heart,"  continued  Nanak,  "burns  for  the  love 
of  that  true  light.  !  feel  hunger  and  thirst  after  Him. 
0,  Lord,  give  me  power  to  remember  thy  holy  name 
so  that  there  may  be  QO  f^ar  of  death  and  birth  and  no 
transmigration  to  my  soul." 


[    67    ] 

"If,  you,  reverend  priest,  thus  worship  Him  with 
the  singleness  of  your  heart,  and  without  any  show  and 
ceremony  ;  you  are  sure  to  have  heavenly  pleasure  and 
ever  lasting  happiness  ;  or  you  will  have  to  weep  and 
pine  when  the  time  of  your  death  conies  near." 

The  head  priest  as  well  as  other  people,  who 
attracted  by  the  discourse,  had  gathered  there,  were 
struck  to  hear  Nanak's  words,  replete  with  profound 
knowledge  and  wisdom.  They  promised  to  worship 
the  Great  Master  and  give  up  woiship  of  idols  and 
images.  Nanak's  object,  being  fulfilled,  he  left  the 
place  and  resumed  his  journey. 


CHAPTER  VIII. 


Guiu  Nana/c's  visit  the  temple  of  Kali  Devi  in  Calcutta; 
his  tour  in  Siam,   Burma  and  other  adjoining  Countries. 


7  T  is  the  season,  when  the  poor  man,  shivering  from 
head  to  feet  seeks  the  protection  of  fire  ;  and  the 
rich  man  clothed  in  warm  clothes  dare  not  leave  his 
richly  equipped  rooms,  furnished  with  every  thing, 
needed  for  the  time.  The  former  has  to  work  hard  in 
order  to  satisfy  the  cravings  of  hunger,  which  the 
weather  of  that  season  sharpens  ;  but  the  latter  has 
good  opportunity  to  enjoy  all  the  earthly  pleasures  at 
his  disposal. 

A  naked  i::an  sitting  before  the  blazing  fire  counts 
the  stars,  twinkling  bright  in  the  dark  sky,  and 
complains  of  the  lengthiness  of  the  night  ;  but  a 
wealthy  man  sleeping  on  the  warm  and  douny  bed 
dings  dreams  that  the  night  has  passed  in  the  twinkl- 
iug  of  an  eye. 

A  poor  cultivator,  in  the  dreary  night  of  that 
season  watches  over  the  field  of  sugur-canes  and 
wheat ;  while  those  who  are  paid  out  of  his  poor  pocket 
to  keep  watch  over  his  property,  sleep  soundly  in  their 
houses.  He  wreepp  and  cries  that  he  has  nothing  to 
provide  himself  and  his  family  with  the  clothes  fit  for 


[    69    ] 

that  season  ;  but  those  who  snatch  a  great  part  of  his 
hard  earned  money  are  absorbed  in  making  arrange 
ments  for  increasing  the  comports  of  their  bed 
chambers. 

In  that  season  new  trappings  are  prepared  for  a 
rich  man's  stables  and  new  cushions  for  his  domestic 
cats  and  dogs ;  but  a  poor  man  passes  those  painful 

nights  and  days  by  the  flames  of  fire  and  the  heat  of  the 
sun. 

This  particular  time,  which  is   cursed  by   the  poor 

and  blessed  by  the  rich,  is  no  other  than  the  winter 
season. 

It   was  this   season,   when    Nanak    set    out  from 

Jagannath,  which  forms  the  subject  of  the  preceding 
chapter. 

Winter  rains  had  also  set  in.  Sky  was  covered 
with  clouds.  Cold  winds  of  ttie  north  blew  unceasingly 
to  make  the  weather  much  more  severe,  but  Nanak  did 
not  discontinue  his  journey. 

Showers  of  hails  which  generally  fall  with  the 
winter  rains,  had  done  great  havoc  on  the  crops  all 
around ;  and  increased  the  inclemency  of  the  weather 
so  much  as  to  be  unbearable  to  the  human  frame;  but 
Nanak  went  on  preaching  his  true  doctrines  from 
village  to  village, 

The  ploughman  had  left  his  fields  to  the  heaven's 
care  and  took  shelter  in  his  cottage  to  warm  bjs 


[     70    ] 

benumbed  limbs  by  the  fire  of  its  hearth  ;  and  the 
herdsman  drove  his  cattle,  trembling  from  cold,  back 
to  their  lair,  where  he  burnt  some  hay  to  heat  himself 
as  well  as  the  dumb  creatures,  dependent  upon  him 
alone.  The  peddler  no  longer  went  to  sell  his  goods  to 
a  village,  nor,  the  shop  keeper  opened  his  shop,  as  he 
was  certain  that  no  purchaser  would  visit  his  shop  in 
that  frosty  weather. 

A  traveller,  finding  his  clothes  altogether  wet, 
stopped  in  a  neighbouring  village  to  procure  new  ones, 
and  the  merchant  took  lodgings  in  an  inn  to  refresh 
himself  as  well  as  his  beasts  of  burdens,  birds  sought 
their  nests  and  the  wild  beasts  entered  into  their  dens, 
but  their  was  one,  named  Nanak,  who  pursued  his 
journey  in  such  troubulous  days  in  a  country,  where  he 
had  no  relations  and  no  friends,  in  order  to  bring  the  ' 
people  to  the  right  path. 

He  reached  Calcutta  andc  visited  the  temple  of  Kali 
Devi,  the  black  goddess,  who  had  blackened  the  hearts 
of  his  worshippers  for  long  and  long  ages. 

He  pointed   out  the   people  that  their  worship  was  " 
fruitless  and  made  them  converts  to  his  religion. 

He,  afterwards,  passed  over  the  sea  and  travelled 
through  all  the  cities  in  Siam  and  Burma.  In  short 
there  was  no  important  place  or  temple  all  around 
which  he  did  not  personally  visit  and  where  he  did  not 
preach  the  words  of  Him,  who  had  sent  him  in  this 
world  for  this  purpose  alone. 


[    71    ] 

Years  had  thus  passed  away  since  his  departure  from 
the  place  of  his  birth  but  lie  was  not  a  little  inclined  to 
return  to  it.  To  him,  who  had  come  in  this  world  to 
teach  monotheism,  to  the  world  at  large,  every  place 
was  his  native  land  and  every  one  was  his  friend. 

But  his  descipl^s  requested  him  again  and  again 
to  go  back  to  their  homos,  as  they  felt  an  intense  desire 
to  see  their  relations  and  friends.  Nanak,  on  this 
account,  directed  his  steps  towards  Talwandi  and 
reached  there  after  the  lapse  of  a  couple  of  months. 

Nanak  went  directly  to  his  paternal  house,  his 
desciples  proceeded  to  their  respective  homes.  He 
paid  compliments  to  all  his  elders  and  equals,  who,  in 
return,  embraced  him  tenderly  and  affectionately. 

He  met  his  sons,  whom  he  advised  to  put  all  their 
cares  upon  Him,  who  is  the  Father  of  the  whole 
universe.  He  saw  his  sister  and  brother-in-law  and 
paid  due  reverence  to  them! 

He  met  all  his  friends  and  desciples  and  pointed 
them  out  many  practical  hints  on  religious  and  worldly 
matters. 

Months,  thus,  passed  away,  he  at  length  made  up 
his  mind  to  mal\e  another  tour  throughout  the  world. 
He  sent  for  I  Jala  and  Mardaua  and  disclosed  his  inten 
tion  to  them.  They  consented  to  follow  him,  where  he 
would  lead  them.  Accordingly  Nanak  with  his 
desciples,  quitted  his  native  town  to  make  a  journey 
longer  than  that  he  had  done  before. 


CHAPTER  IX, 

How  the  tomb  worship  has  originated  in  India. 

Guru  Nanak's  visit  to  Shaikh  Farid's  tomb,    ii'here  he 

addressed  a  lengthy  speech  to  the  people  assembled 

on  that  fair. 


T1TINTER  seasoa  has  passed  away,  and  the  summer 
»  *  had  not  yet  commence:!.  Whon  there  is  neither  cold 
nor  heat.  In  this  seasoa  trees  shed  their  old  leaves 
and  new  shoots  begin  to  sprout  from  naked  braches. 
Tamarind  trees  are  laden  with  fruits  and  mango 
gardens  are  in  full  blossoms.  In  short,  in  that  Seasoa 
everything  seems  new  and  every  scene  appears  pleasant 
and  bright. 

In  those    days  sky   chaoses   from    hour    to   hour. 
Now  it  is  clear  and  the    sun  shiaes  vary  bright.     After 
an  hour  thick  clouds    completely    envelope    the  sky  as 
well  as  the  sun.     It  thunders  and  flashes  ;  drops  of  rain 
begin  to  fall.     After  another  hour  a  strong   gale  blows 
from  the  south.     Many  a  large  tree  is  thrown    down  by 
it,  and  the  clouds,  which  had  covered   the  sky    fly  away 
in  an  instant  before  it.     Again  the  sky  becomes  as  clear 
as  it  was  before. 


[    73     ] 

Babi  crop  has  been  harvested  and  the  peasant  has 
nothing  to  do  but  to  lie  indolently  in  Irs  house.  He  as 
well  as  his  children  suffer  from  fever  and  dysentry 
owing  to  the  consumption  of  new  wheat  and  oats. 
Peasant's  wife,  who  has  no  thought  for  the  future,  find 
ing  her  granary  filled  up  to  the  brim,  remembers  the 
vows,  she  had  made  to  the  Bhawani  goddess  and 
monkey  gods,  in  the  winter  season,  when  her  children 
were  suffering  from  the  Catarrh  of  the  nose  and  month. 

She,  then,  prepares  many  kinds  of  sweet-meats  and 
other  eatables  as  she  has  plenty  of  new  wheat  and 
sugar  in  her  house,  and  leads  her  family  either  to  the 
tomb  of  a  Mohamadan  martyr,  who  was  slain  while 
engaged  in  killing  infidels,  or  to  some  old  hollow  tree 
in  the  jungle. 

Selfish  men,  who  lie  in  wait  all  around  like  vul 
tures,  precede  her  to  the  place  with  trumpets  and 
drums  The  tomb  is  at  last  reached  and  offerings  are 
made  to  it.  * 

She,  then,  bestows  n  great  part  of  her  eatables 
upon  those  who  had  enhance  1  her  pomp  and  show  and 
divides  the  rest  among  her  family  members. 

The  day  is  thus  passed  there  and  she  returns  home 
in  the  evening.  To  her  joy  she  at  ni<»ht  finds  her 
children  better  than  before .  For  the  open  air  of  tho 
fields  as  well  as  the  change  of  climate  and  place  has 
done  a  great  deal  towards  tho  recovery  of  their  health. 


[    74    ] 

Next  morning  she  awakes  earlier  than  she  used  to 
do  before,  and  knocks  at  the  door  of  her  neighbours. 
Before  they  are  opened  she  exclaims,  "  Lo  !  my  child 
ren  are  all  well  by  the  favour  of  Shah's  tomb,  which  is 
near  the  old  well  and  large  peeple  tree  !  Yesterday  we 
went  to  worship  that  tomb,  to-day  we  are  so  well  as 
we  were  never  before." 
,1}  •:••'• 

This   story  spreads    throughout    the   village,   her 

example  is  promptly  followed  by  other  women. 

Next  season  we  see  a  large  .gathering  on  that  spot. 
An  ornamental  cloth  is  spread  over  the  tomb  and   flags 
with  bunches  of  flowers  and  garlands,    wave    over    it. 
Peddlers  from  villages  all  around  go  there  to   sell   their 
oys  and  puppets  and  musicians  resort  to  that  place  for 
amusing  the  spectators.     Those  who    have   no   vows  t0 
perform,  go  to  see  their  friends    and  acquaintances   andv" 
to  buy  their  necessaries.     Thus  a  large  fair  begins  to  y 
be  held  annually  on  Shah's  tomb. 

He,  who  had  died  childless  and  penniless,  is  con 
sidered  to  be  the  giver  of  children  and  wealth  to  those 
who  worship  his  tomb.,  He,  who  had  never  in  his 
life  shown  mercy  upon  human  beings  is  earnestly 
implored  for  mercy  even  when  ho  had  no  existence. 
Recoverii  g  the  palieLts,  suffering  fiom  fever  and 
dysentry  ?'s  thought  to  be  a  child's  play  for  the  tomb 
and  ron.oving  cholera  and  plague  frcrn  infected 
villages  is  an  easy  task  for  it.  It  is  strange  that 
women  whose  menstruation  is  stopped  by  any  other 


[    75    ] 

cause  than  pregnancy,  say  that  they  have  instantaneous 
relief  by  making  some    offerings  to  it.       It  is  still  more  ?, 
strange  that  robbers,  who  rob  the    people    of  all   their.  , 
furniture  ;  and  who  would  have  plundered  the  "  Shah  "v 
himself,  had  he  been  living  at  present — offer  a'share  ofr> 
their  booty  to  the  tomb,   which   contains   nothing  but 
his  remains. 

''.'.  •-'  •    -tl;  '     •'••'-.     :      '    ;'L*tf 

These  "  Shahs  "  have  extended   tlieir   influence   to 
such  an  extent  that  even  the  dancing  girls  and  prosti 
tutes,  can  not  dare  to  have  their  names  cut  off  from  the  ' 
category  of  their  worshippers.     They   dance   and   sing 
at  least  for  a  night  before   their  tombs    and   present  a  ; 
part  of  their  ill-gotten  money  to  them.. 

There  is  not  only  one  Shah,  but  every  city,    every  ' 
-  town  and  every  village  in  India,  has   at    least    one  or  ' 
^  more  u  Shahs."     These  "  Shahs  "   are   such   an   extra- 
j  ordinary  beings  that  they  in    their  lives,  persecute   the 
people  by  their    indescrimiiiate     slaughter    and  after 
their  death  they  demand  sacrifices  from  them. 

•    '    "*    -i-'fJ  I4'H*      -     -•    ...  ':    \      -I'S 

It  is  the  spring  season,  when  villagers  visit  their  »• 
tombs  for  performing  their  vows  to  them,  or^.  they  fear? 
that  they  would  be  attacked  by  diverse  diseases^  ' 
Hence  in  those  days  we  hear  the  beating  of  drums, 
to-day  in  this  village  and  to-morrow  in  the  other. 
• . .  , , . .  i 

Nanak  left  his  Dative  town    sa    soon,    because   he 
had  heard  that  a  large  fair  was  tQ,  be  hejd   on   Faried  - 
Shah's  tomb,  which  is  situated  in   Pakpatan  in    MoDt--' 
goinery  district  of  the  Punjab  Province. 


[    76-   ]{ 

He  made  long  and  long  journeys  and  reached  his 
destination  at  an  exact  time.  He  took  no  notice  of 
anything  else  ;  he  went  straightway  to  Faried's  tomb, 
which  he  found  well  decorated  with  flowers,  ornamental 
cloths  and  flags. 

On  the  left  side  of  the  tomb,  wheat  and  sugar 
were  heaped,  and  on  the  other  side  earthen  vessels, 
filled  with  ghee  and  milk  were  placed.  In  front  of  the 
tomb,  silver,  gold,  cloths  and  coins  were  lying  and 
behind  it  clothes  and  eatables  were  kept.  Many  a  man 
and  woman  with  children,  some  suffering  from  small 
pox,  others  from  measales  were  standing  in  a  solemn 
mood  before  it.  Everyone  had  with  him  either  some 
coin  or  a  bundle  of  grain  for  offering  them  to  the  said .».  , 
tomb. 


In  the  meanwhile  a  ferocious  man  of  swarthy 
countenance,  who  was  in  charge  of  that  tomb,  muttered 
a  few  inarticulate  words  and  knelt  down  before  the 
tomb.  His  example  was  followed  by  all  others,  who 
were  standing  there  with  hand  folded  on  their  breasts. 
They,  then,  added  what  they  had  with  them  to  the 
already  offered-up  materials,  lying  all  around  the  tomb. 
They,  thus,  having  finished  their  worship,  vacated  the 
place,  which  was  filled  up  by  another  group.  This 
group,  likewise,  underwent  the  same  process  and 
quitted  the  place.  The  process  continued  for  the 
whole  day  long. 


• 


'[    77    ] 

Nanak,  finding  a  good  opportunity  to  preach  the 
true  religion,  stood  upon  a  high  place  near  the  tomb 
and  began  to  address  the  following  speech  to  the 
people,  who  were  assembled  there  for  worshipping  the 
tomb  on  their  turn. 

"  How  far  will  you,  gentlemen,  continue  worshipp 
ing  such  absurdities  ?  How  long  will  you  have  belief 
in  such  preternatural  agencies  ?  You  have  much  suffer 
ed  owing  to  these  superstitions  and  false  beliefs  ;  you 
should  now  be  wise  enough  to  give  up  all  these 
fruitless  worships.'* 

"  How  can  you  think  that  this  tomb,  which  has  no 
voice,  no  sound  power  of  speech  will  be  able  to  give 
you  health  and  wealth  ?  How  can  you  suppose  that 
this  masonry,  which  is  a  solid  mass  of  lime  and  bricks, 
'  will  remove  the  sufferings  of  your  children?  How  can 
you  hope  that  this  tomb,  which  itself  is  powerless  and 
lifeless,  will  help  you  in  your  undertakings  ;  and  how 
can  it  aid  you  in  your  business  when  it  is  itself  unable 
to  remove  even  the  filth,  which  may  be  thrown  on  it.1' 

You  sing  song  and  beat  drums  before  this 
inanimate  object  ;  you  offer  eatables  to  these  lifeless 
things,  which  can  neither  move,  nor  speak  nor  smell. 
You  make  endeavours  to  please  these  immovable  bricks, 
which  have  no  animation,  reason  or  even  an  instinct. 
Suffice  it  to  say  that  all  your  hopes  are  in  vain,  and  all 
joui  ende-avours  are  useless." 


[    78    ] 

"Are  you  not  ashamed  of  prostrating  yourselves 
before  this  brickwork,  which  was  constructed  by 
human  hands  with  materials,  supplied  with  the  human 
labour  and  skill  ?  Dogs  and  cats  make  urine  on  your 
sacred  tomb  ;  crows  and  kites  throw  their  excrements  on 
it  ;  but  you,  who  are  proud  of  being  human  beings, 
prostrate  yourselves  before  it  and  call  it  your  god,  your 
creator  and  benefector.  Birds  and  beasts  laugh  at  you; 
but  you  are  persistent  in  this  fruitless  worship.  You 
thus  by  your  folly  and  ignorance  have  degarded  your 
selves  lower  than  the  dumb  creatures.  It  would  hav& 
been  better,  were  you  not  endowed  with  reason  and 
and  the  power  of  speech  !  " 

"Do  not  understond  that  I  mean  to  underrate 
Faried  and  his  work  :  for  he,  who  dishonours  a  devotee, 
dishonours  Him  who  sent  him.  But  his  works  have  to 
do  nothing  with  bis  tomb  which  has  been  built  as  a 
memorial  and  not  a  representative  to  him.  The  tomb 
has  been  built  to  remind  the  future  generation  of  him; 
but  you  have  made  it  a  place  of  worship,  nay,  even 
an  object  of  worship  and  adoration,  which  are  due  to 
God  alone." 

If  you  wish  to  honor  Faried,  read  bis  writings  and 
compositions,  but  by  worshiping  his  tomb  instead  of 
gaining  any  thing,  you  would  be  the  greatest  losers: 
for  tomb  worship  blunts  the  conscience,  weakens  the 
mind,  and,  makes  the  worshippers  forgetful  of  Him, 
whom  every  body  is  bound  to  pay  divine  reverence." .  _ 


[    79    ] 

"Do  not  think  that  I  blame  you  alone  for  all  these 
useless  worships  prevalent  among  you.  I  know  that  it 
is  not  the  fault  of  yours  ;  but  it  is  the  fault  of  the 
Brahmins,  who  teach  you  incredulous  stories  and 
absurd  fables,  which  have  to  do  nothing  with  the  true 
religion— who  have  excluded  you  from  studying  and 
hearing  the  religious  books,  which  they  have  monoplised 
to  themselves  alone — and  who  moreover  have  totally 
deprived  you  of  the  art  of  reading  and  writing,  which 
is  one  of  those  peculiarities,  enjoyed  by  the  human 
species  alone.' ' 

"  They  composed  "Shastras"  in  which  no  mention  of 
God  is  made,  but  which  treat  of  the  worship  of  idols 
and  images.  They  divided  the  humankind  into  four 

^classes.     They  assigned  the  highest  place  to  themselves; 

I  -'Kshatriyas"  who  sacrifice  their  lives  for  the  country 
were  given  next  position.  Those  who  are  engaged  in 

/commercial  business  were  allowed  to  hold  the  third  one. 
But  the  working  classes  wfyich  supply  the  world  with 
materials  necessary  for  the  maintenance  of  human  lives 
were  numbered  in  the  lowest  class  of  Shudras" 

"  The  Brahmins,  moreovert  preach  you,  that  if  you 
respect  them,  worship  them  and  bestow  a  part  of  your 
wealth  upon  them  ;  you  after  your  death  would  be  able 
to  take  your  birth  in  a  class  higher  than  the  present 
one  Thus  by  and  by  you  would  be  born  as  Brahmins, 
who  alone,  in  their  opinion,  have  the  prerogative  of 
worshiping  the  Almighty,  reading  the  "^Lastras"  and 
attaining  the  Mukt>  in  the  end/' 


But  I  point  you  out  that  it  is  their  selfishness, 
conceit  and  vanity.  God  has  no  respect  of  persons. 
He  loves  the  Brahmins  and  Shudras  alike  for  both 
were  created  by  Him  alone.  His  doors  are  open  to 
every  one,  who  knock  at  them.  He  gives  every  thing 
to  all  who  ask  Him.  He,  the  heavenly  providence 
confers  his  blessings  upon  the  whole  humankind  with 
out  any  distinction  of  caste,  colour  and  clime.  Brahmins 
as  well  as  Shudras  have  the  same  rights  to  worship  Him 
and  the  same  privilege  of  reading  the  Shastras:  for,  in 
fact,  knowledge  and  religion  are  not  the  monopoly  of 
professions,  not  the  privilege  of  wealth  and  not  the 
prerogative  of  rank;  but  these  both  gifts  belong  to 
hardworking  men  as  well  as  to  any  other  class  of  men." 

"  But  there  is  one  obstacle,  which  lies  in  your  path. 
All  the  Shastras  are  in  Sanskrit,  which  is  a  dead 
language  and  which  is  so  hard  and  complicated  that 
year  and  years*  hard  and  continual  study  enables  a  man 
to  read  the  easiest  book  i a  that  tongue." 

But  you,  who  have  to  earn  your  livelihood  by  the 
perspiration  of  your  brows,  can  not  spend  so  many 
years  of  your  busy  life  in  pursuit  of  the  Sanskrit 
literature.  You,  who  live  from  hand  to  mouth  are 
unable  to  provide  your  sons  with  means,  necessaiy  for 
the  prosecution  of  their  stndy  in  that  language.  You, 
•  who  employ  your  sons  very  early  in  your  profession, 
;  can  nob  send  them  to  Mathra  and  Benares,  where 
Pundits  \veli- versed  in  that  tongue  can  be  found — those 
Pundits  even  refuse  to  teach  Sanskrit  to  any  one  but 
t}ie  Brahrnins." 


C    81    ] 

"  Under  such  circumstances  it  is  not  possible  that 
you  would  ever  be  able  to  read  the  Sanskrit  books  and 
to  know  the  wisdom  and  truth  in  them.  Your  attempt 
would  be  of  no  avail  and  }ou  would  gain  nothing  but 
disappointment  and  sorrow." 

"  Think  not  that  I  am  only  to  point  you  out  your 
deficiencies  and  obstacles  and  thereby  increasing  your 
grief  and  sorrows,  may  I  have  come  here  to  preach  you 
this  gospel  and  to  give  you  this  glad  tidings  that  I  am 
Bent  in  this  world  in  order  to  remove  the  obstacles, 
which  lie  in  your  path  to  the  spiritual  life." 

"You  have,    now,   no  need   to   send   your  sons  to 
Mathra  and    Benares    in  order  to  learn    Sanskrit   from 
exorable   priests,   who   endeavour    to  keep   tbeir  know 
ledge   under  seal;    but   there   is   a    literature,    called 
;Gurniukhi  Bhahsa,  whose  characters,  you  asfrwell  as  your 
pchildren  can  learn  within  a   couple  of  days.     You  have 
no  need  to  learn  by  rote  any  grammer  as  the   literature 
is  your  own  tongue." 

"0,  the  peasant's  girl,  0,  the  merchant's  wife  rejoice 
and  be  exceedingly  glad  that  the  hour  is  near  to  come 
when  you,  sitting  on  the  sofas  will  teach  your  sons  and 
daughters  the  beautiful  hymns,  composed  by  mo  and 
my  successors  in  your  own  tongue  and  written  in  the 
Gurmukhi  letters." 

"Peasants,   sitting  in  their  barns  and  ploughing 
their  fields,  will  read  the   Gurmukhi  pampl^ete ;  ~and 


[    82    ] 

herdsmen,  while  watching  over  their  cattle,  will 
pore  over  its  treatises  without  the  aid  of  any  dictionary 
and  comment." 

"Soldiers,  with  satchels,  filled  with  Gunnukhi 
pustaks,  in  their  arms,  will  fight  the  severest  battles 
on  the  inaccessible  mountains  of  Afghanistan  and  in  the 
trackless  deserts  of  Africa ;  travellers  will  write  their 
notes  to  their  borne-friend  and  aquaintances  in  Gur- 
mukhi  letters." 

"Merchants  will  use  it  in  their  diaries  and  account 
books  ;  and  judicial  courts  will  issue  summons  and  keep 
record  in  its  characters." 

"Numerous  Garanths  on  religion  and  philosophy 
will  be  written  in  its  alphabet,  so  that  there  will  be  no 
lack  of  Upnishdas  and  Shastras.  The  best  Ramayans 
and  the  best  Vedas,  containing  hymns,  sung  by  the 
Riahies  of  the  present  age  will  be  published  in  this 
literature  and  read  in  the  pathshala*  and  on  the  house 
tops." 

"This  is  the  mission  I  am  born  to  perform.  This 
is  the  heavy  task  I  am  to  do  in  this  world.  My  sole 
object  is  to  stop  evil  customs  and  superstitions  and  to 
introduce  monotheism  which  ennobles  the  soul,  purifies 
the  mind  and  makes  the  human  heart  an  inexhaustible 
treasure  of  an  everlasting  joy  and  perennial  source  of 
happiness.*' 


C    83    ] 

This  speech  was  delievered  with  such  a  fluency  and 
sincerity  of  heart  that  it  so  touched  the  hearts  of  the 
listeners  that  they  repented  of  their  sins  and  accepted 
the  Khalsa  religion.  He,  then,  left  Pakpatan  and  set 
out  for  other  places,  where  he  heard  that  the  fairs  of 
the  similar  kind  ware  to  be  held.  He  preached  on 
those  fairs  and  made  the  people  converts  to  his  religion. 
He,  thus,  travelled  in  Bengal,  Madras,  Rajputana  and 
Dakhan  so  that  he  left  no  important  place  which  he  did 
not  personally  inspect  and  where  he  did  not  preach  his 
mission.  Having  finished  his  tour  in  India  he  set  out 
to  preach  in  foreign  countries. 


CHAPTER  X. 


Guru  Nanak's  visit  to  Mecca  arid  his  debate  with  the 
Katies  and  Mullas  of  that  place. 


EGCA  the  largest  city  in  Arabia,  is  known 
throughout  the  world,  as  it  is  the  political  capital 
of  the  Arabs  as  well  as  the  religious  capital  of  all  the 
Muhamniadans  in  the  world. 

Mecca  has  a  building,   which  is  supposed  to  have 
been  built  by  the  orders  of  God,   hence  the   building  ia 
the  "House  of  God." 


This  "&0  called  "House  of  God"  is  considered  such 
a  sacred  place  by  the  Muhamniadans  that  every 
Muhammadan  thinks  it  his  chief  duty  to  visit  the  house 
at  least  once  in  his  life. 

Muhammadan  theology  rshows  that  the  Muham 
madan,  who  only  sees  the  house  from  outside  is 
empowered  to  resist  the  fire  of  hell.  He  who  enters  the 
sacred  building  obtains  forgiveness  for  all  his  past 
misdeeds.  He  who  is  so  fortunate  as  to  sleep  for  a 
night  in  that"  house  can  not  be  enticed  to  evil  by  the 
Shaitan  and  morever  has  no  punishment  for  his  past 
sins.  If  a  man  once  reads  Namaz  in  that  house,  the 
reward  would  be  one  lac  times  more  than  that  of  read 
ing,  it  outside  its  walls.  Fire  of  hell  will  have  no  effect 


t    85    ] 

on  him  and  he  will  be  allowed  to  enjoy  the  beautitudes 
of  heaven.  Hundreds  of  the  loveliest  girls  and  hand- 
somest  boys  will  serve  him  in  the  paradise,  and  the 
sweetest  wines  and  the  best  perfumes  will  be  given  to 
him  there  for  his  use.  If  a  man  fasts  for  a  day  only  in 
the  month  of  Ramzan  there,  he  on  the  day  of  judgement 
will  have  to  give  no  account  of  his  evil  actions.  Besides 
,he  will  bo  allowed  to  enter  paradise,  where  brilliant 
rills  of  milk  and  *harbat  flew  in  abundance,  and  the 
sweetest  fruits  and  the  choicest  flowers  are  scattered 
plentifully  all  around.  If  a  man  fasts  there  for  the 
whole  month  of  Ramzan,  he  as  well  as  his  forefathers 
and  SODS  are  allowed  to  enjoy  the  pleasures  of  the 
heavenly  paradise  for  an  unlimited  time.  In  short,  this 
house  of  the  Muhammadan  worship  in  Mecca  ie  consi 
dered  to  have  the  power  of  warding  off  the  vilest  sins  of 
its  visitors  and  ensuring  them  of  eternal  happiness  in 
the  other  world. 

Religious  books  of  the  Muharomadans  go  so  far  to 
praise  the  mosque  in  Mecca  that  God  thus  spoke  to 
Adam.  "I  am  that  God,  who  laid  the  foundation  stone 
of  the  sacred  building  in  Mecca.  I  will  give  the  glory 

t  of  having  it  finished  to  Abrahim.  I  always  reside  in 
that  house,  hence  the  inhabitants  of  Mecca  are  my 

'  neighbours.  Whoever  seeks  me  and  desires  to  see  me 
will  find  me  in  the  precincts  of  this  house.  I  will  daily 
send  70  thousand  angels  to  make  a  round  all  around 
this  building  and  will  never  withdraw  them  from  it. 
Every  year  80  thousand  Hajies  will  corne  to  see  my 


C    86    ] 

house,  and  if  ever  deficiency  takes  place,-  the  number 
will  be  made  up  by  adding  angles  to  them.'1 

Allured  by  these  promises,  Muhammadans  from  all 
parts  of  the  world  reach  Mecca  and  spend  a  great  part 
of  their  lives  there.  Many  of  them  after  a  few  month's 
so  journ  there  return  to  their  homes  ;  but  those  who  are 
so  old  as  to  serve  their  families  no  longer,  stay  there 
until  death  overtakes  them.  For  they  believe  that  if  a 
Haji  dies  in  that  building  his  rewards  are  quite 
unsurpassable." 

"When  Nanak  had  visited  all  the  important  places 
in  India  as  well  as  the  temples  of  Hindus,  Jains  and 
Budhists  ;  he  resolved  to  see  this  place  of  the  Moharri- 
madan  pilgrimage.  Disguising  himself  as  a  Moham- 
madan  Darveish  he  sailed  from  the  coast  of  Hindustan. 
Journeying  by  sea  and  by  land  he  at  last  reached  his 
destination/1 

The  sun  had  already  r,et,  he  therefore  went  direct 
to  the  above-mentioned  mosque.  He  took  his  lodginge 
in  its  yard  and  lay  down  to  slrep  with  his  feet  towards 
the  above-mentioned  house. 

Some  of  the  Hajies,  who  were  sleeping  all  arounc 
the  building  saw  Nanak  lying  in  a  position  contrary  to 
their  religious  belief.  They  informed  the  Kazie  o: 
this  extraordinary  proceedings. 

Kazie  was  much  enraged  to  hear  that  a  man  waa 
lying  in  the  very  yard  of  the  mosque  in  a  position 


t    87     ] 

insulting  the  sacred  place.  He  immediately  followed 
the  informants  and  was  much  more  enraged  on 
finding  the  information  true  to  a  word. 

41  Who  is  this  infidel ;"  vociferated  the  Kazie,  "that 
is  lying  with  his  feet  towards  the  "house  of  God." 

"I  know1'  replied  Nanak  "that  God  exists  every 
where  and  in  every  direction.  Let  me  know,  please 
where  there  is  no  God,  so  that  I  may  turn  my  feet  to 
that  side." 

These  words  so  touched  the  heart  of  the  Kazie 
that  he  gave  no  reply  but  run  to  his  friends  and 
co-religionists  and  iufoimed  them  of  the  noble  thoughts 
of  Nanak,  whom  the  Kazie  had  taken  for  an  infidel.'1 

The  Kazie  told  them  that  Nauak  was    undoubtedly 

I  a   devotee,    but   he  was  ignoraut  of  the  religion  of  their 

prophet.     The  Kazie  therefore   insisted   his  friends  to 

come  to  Nanak  to  explain  th^ir  religion  to  him  so   that 

he  might  be  persuaded  to  embrace  Muhammadanism. 

Accordingly,  Kazies,  Mulas  and  Hajies  assembled 
together  and  came  to  Nanak.  They  sate  by  him  fora 
while  in  silence ;  one  of  them,  at  last,  spoke  as  follows. 

"These  learned  men,  who  have  learnt  the  holy 
Quran  by  heart,  these  pious  men,  who  have  fasted  for 
months  in  these  sacred  buildings  and  I,  who  have  the 
honour  of  being  in  charge  of  this  house  of  God,  have 
come  here  to  teach  you  the  religion  of  our  prophet, 


(88    ] 

which  is  fully  described  in  the  holy  Koran,  which  God 
himself  spoke  through  our  prophet,  Muhammad.  This 
religion,  the  only  religion  from  God,  points  us  out  that 
how  far  learned  and  wise  a  man  may  be— how  far 
virtuous  he  may  lead  his  life — how  strictly  he  may  be 
believer  in  one  God,  he  after  his  death  can  not  be 
allowed  to  enjoy  the  pleasures  of  the  heavenly  paradise, 
where  numerous  girls  of  moon-like  faces  and  countless 
boys  of  shining  countenances,  are  ready  to  serve  the 
followers  of  our  prophet — where  followers  as  well  as 
herbages  give  forth  sweet  fragrance,  and  beautiful  birds 
Bing  pleasing  songs  to  amuse  its  tenants — and  where  in 
numerable  streams  of  milk  and  wine,  glide  smoothly  for 
luxury  and  enjoyment  of  the  believers"  in  Koran,  until 
he  becomes  Musalman  and  reads  the  Kalma,  which  sig 
nifies  that  "there  is  .one  God  and  Muhammad  is  his 
prophet. "  Besides,  on  the  day  of  judgement  Muhamad 
will  sit  by  Go  1  and  intercede  for  his  followers.  Tiiose, 
who  are  unbelievers  in  the  prophet  and  the  Koran,  will 
be  sent  to  hell,  where  flames  01  burning  fire  scorch  their 
bodies  and  venomous  snakes  coil  round  them  as  soon  aa 
they  are  ushered  in  that  dreadful  place.0 

"The  holy  Koran,"  continued  the  Kazie,  "authorises 
us,  the  followers  of  the  prophet,  to  kill  the  infidels  ruin 
their  temples  and  houses  and  invest  their  wealth  in  our 
business.  We,  therefore,  request  that  you  who  are  wise 
and  prudent,  will  read  the  Raima  and  accept  this 
religion,  which  gives  so  much  power  in  this  world  and 
•o  much  Ixury  and  power  in  teh  world  to  come." 


[    89    ]  . 

Nanak  heard  the  discourse  of  the  Kazie!attentively 
when  he  had  no  more  to  say,  Nanak  replied  bim  as 
follows. 

"Let  me  first  of  all  poiat  you  out  that  you  your 
selves  are  not  true  Musalmans.  The  word  Musalman 
can  be  applied  to  him,  who  has  strong  faith  ia  God  alone. 
But  tiie  Kalma,  which  makes  you  Musalmans,  shows 
that  you  are  believer  not  only  in  God  alono  but  likewise 
in  a  man,  called  Mohamad ;  as  if  the  latter  is  partaker 
in  God's  works  or  God  is  powerless  to  do  any  thing 
without  his  aid." 

"  If  Mohamad  preached  the  word  of  God  among 
you  ;  this  fact  can  not  entitle  him  to  add  his  name  in  a 
Raima  along  with  Him:  for  a  herald  who  proclaims  the 
order  of  an  emperor  in  a  city  or  even  in  a  country,  has 
no  right  to  include  his  name  in  the  emperor's  seal  or  to 
add  his  resemblance  to  the  effigy  of  the  emperor  on  the 


coin." 


"Besides,  the  religion  which  makes  its  adherents 
furious  and  pitiless  and  destroys  tiie  peace  and  tran 
quillity  of  the  world  and  brings  slaughter  and  blood 
shed  among  the  people  can  not  b )  the  religion  from 
all-merciful  God  ;  while  the  object^  of  a  true  religion 
are  to  establish  psace  in  the  count iy  aa  well  as  on  the 
minds  of  the  people  and  to  make  it^  followers  so  kind, 
and  merciful  as  the  Father  in  heaven  is.  By  the 
nature  of  the  dogmas,  which  your  religion  teaches  to 
the  people,  you  yourselves  can  judge  in  what  light  the 
religion  of  your  prophet  stand?." 


(    90    ) 

"  Followers  of  the  jrophet  with  a  sword  in  one 
hand  and  Koran  in  the  other  force  the  people  to  accept 
Koran  or  its  alternative.  How  can  you  therefore  think 
that  the  religion,  which  allows  so  much  atrocities  to  be 
perpetrated  on  the  human  being,  is  a  true  religion, 
which  spreads  in  the  world  neither  by  sword  nor  by 
force  but  by  the  spirit  of  God." 

"  You.  persecute  other  nations,  chiefly  the  Hindus, 
destroy  their  temples  and  houses  and  rob  them  of  their 
wealth  under  the  plea  that  God  has  permitted  you  in 
the  Koran  to  kill  the  infidels  and  idolaters.  You  go  to 
take  out  mote  from  the  eyes  of  others  while  there  is  a 
beam  in  your  own  eye.  You  try  to  teach  Monotheism 
to  the  world  ;  while  you  yourselves  are  worse  than  idol- 
worshippers.  " 

"If  the  Hindus  and  ether  rations,  whom  you  call 
infidels  worship  stones  and  statues,  you  worship  this 
building.  If  they  limit  the  Almighty  in  an  image,  you 
circumscribe  Him  in  that  hofise.  If  they  take  ablutions 
in  the  Ganges  for  the  purification  of  their  souls,  you 
bathe  in  the  well  of  Zamzam  for  the  same  purpose.  If 
they  make  offerings  to  their  gods,  you  make  sacrifices 
before  this  house  as  on  atonement  for  your  sins.  You 
moreover,  have  belief  in  such  incredulous  fables,  and 
fictions  that  even  those  whom  you  call  heathens  discredit 
them." 

"You  have  ccme  to  convert  me  .tp  the  religion  of 
your  prophet  by  giving  me  the  allurements  of .  the 
earthly  powers  and  the  pleasures  of  the  imaginary 


C    91    ] 

paradise.  Malediction  ta- that  religion,  which  insti 
gates  its  followers  to  ^p&rsecuto -and  plunder  their 
fellow  creatures'!  Malediction  Ho  that  paradise,  which 
is  filled  with  girls  and  boys  "as  well  as  with  flowers, 
fruits  'and  wine  for  the  ^ti  joy  merit  of  those  who  are  the 
adherents  of  that  religion  !" 

"It  is  a  pity  if  the  blind  goes  to  lead  the  blind  .but 
it  is  still  more  pity  ' when r the  blitid  trtes  to  'leafl^him 

who  has  eyes  to  fcad  thb  world  I " 

• 

"  Let  me,  now,  in  conclusion,  point  you  out  that* if 
you  aspire  to  be  free  from  you  sins,  worship  Him  who 
has  not  only  created  this  house  but  the  world,  heavens, 
sun  and  stars.  If  you  want  to  be  a  pious  man,  do  not 
waste  time  in  cramming  the  Koran  but  try  to  subdue 
your  passions:  such  as  fury,  anger,  avarice  and  adultry. 
If  you  wish  to  be  a  true  Musalman,  remember  Him 
alone,  who  is  omnipotent  and  ommiscent.  If  you 
desire  to  obtain  the  eterna\  pleasures  love  your  fellow- 
creatures  more  than  your  own  lives  so  that  you  may  be 
as  perfect  as  the  Father  in  heaven  is." 

Kazies,  Mulas  and  Hajes  were  so  struck  to  hear 
these  words  that  they  gav^  no  reply  and  went  away, 
praising  him  whom  they  had  come  to  convert  to  their 
religion.  Naaak  also  left  Mecca  and  resumed  his 
journey. 


CHAPTER  XI. 


:     Guru  Nanak's  final   Communion   with  the  Suprtme 
Soul     1538  A.  D.  October  4. 

NANAK,  having  set  out  from  Mecca  as  described  in 
the  preceding  chapter  reached  Madiena,  where  he 
pointed  out  the  Arabs,  who  were  engaged  in  worshipping 
the  tomb  of  Mohamad  that  they  would  gain  nothing 
from  this  fruitless  worship. 

He,  thus,  made  them  converts  to  his  religion  and 
left  this  place  also.  Having  inspected  old  the  impor 
tant  places  in  Arabia,  he  at  last  directed  his  step  back 
to  his  native  land 

Travelling  through  Turkey,  Persia,  Afghanistan 
and  Kashmir  he  at  last  »jame  back  in  the  Punjab. 
There  he  continued  preaching  his  mission  so  far  that 
thousands  of  men  both  Hindus  and  Mohamadans 
accepted  the  Khalsa  religion. 

In  the  meanwhile  a  promising  young  man,  named 
Lahna,  Khatri  by  caste  became  Guru  Nanak's  disciple, 
He  serve- 1  Nanak  so  heartily  and  obeyed  him  so 
sincerely  that  Lahna  became  a  chief  favourite  to  him. 
Nanak  tried  him  on  many  occassions  but  Lahna  came 
out  successful  in  the  trial.  Nauak,  finding  Lahna  best 
ot  all  bia  devoted  adherents,  began  to  give  him  religious 


[    93    ] 

instruction  &o  as  to  make  him  the  )>^B  spiritual 
teacher  of  mankind.  Lahna  was  also  :..  sagacious 
and  intelligent  that  he  soon  learned  the  niceties  rof 
religion  so  much  as  to  be  able  to  teach  others  by  his 
words  and  writings, 

Nanak,  now,  took  quarters  at  Kartarpur  and 
taught  the  people,  who  came  there  ;  while  Lahna  used 
to  go  all  around  for  preaching  the  true  village. 

Lahna  performed  this  duty  so  well  that  Nanak 
was  so  much  pleased  with  him  that  he  surnamed 
Lahna  Guru  Angad  and  Dominated  him  his  successor. 
Thus  Guru  Angad  by  his  conduct  and  behaviour  had 
fully  proved  that  he  was  capable  of  carrying  out  Guru 
itanak's  mission  after  the  departure  of  the  latter  from 
this  world. 

Guru  Nanak,  a  few  days  before  he  left  this  world 
rent  for  his  disciples  and  Aborted  them  to  be  obedient 
to  Guru  Angad  in  religious  as  well  as  in  worldly 
tnatters ;  as  he  told  them  that  his  soul  would  ever 
abide  with  his  successor. 

Nanak,  likewise,  directed  them  to  dispose  of  his 
v^body  without  any  show  and  ceremony,  and  strictly 
prohibited  them  from  performing  the  religious  rites 
which  are  usually  observed  by  the  Hindus  on  the 
death  of  their  elders.  Nanak,  moreover,  explained  to 
'them  that  the  salvation  of  a  man  depended  not  on  the 
ceremonies  which  are  observed  after  his  death  but  upon 


t.  94    ] 

the  actions,  he  did  in  his  life-time.     In  short  it  was  tl 
tenth  of  Asuj  Vadi    1596   Bikaram   era   when    Nam 
while  engaged  in  giving  exhortations  to  his  diciples 
their  future  welfare,  departed  from  this  world. 

News  of  this  sad  event  spread  like  a  lightening 
around.  His  disciples,  both  Hindus  and  Mohama< 
assembled  there  from  various  parts:  some,  who 
near,  had  already  come  there  to  receive  instructi 
from  his  lips  ;  but  those,  who  lived  far  off,  arrived 
late,  only  to  shed  tears  of  affliction  on  his  remains. 

As   Nanak   was    honoured   both  by    Hindus 
Mohamadans ;    the   former   claimed   that    Nanak 
their  Guru  ;  so  they  would  burn  his  remains   accord 
to  the  custom,  prevalent  among  them,  the  latter    dec 
ed  that   they  would   bury  them  in   pursuance   to   tb 
religious  laws.     They  began  to  debate  amoog    them 
this   point ;  at  last  they  reached  the  place   where 
remains   were   placed.     On  t  raising  the  funeral 
to  their  astonishment  they  found  that  the   remains 
altogether   disappeared   except   the    cloth,    which  « 
covered  them.     They,    then,    divided  the   cloth   infr 
parts  ;  one  part  was  burnt  by  the  Hindus  and  the 
part    was    interred    by  the  Mohamadans.     Thus   (W  j 
Nanak's  soul  as  well  as  his  body  disappeared   fronjtj  . 
eyes  of  his  desciples. 

Bat  his  fame  did  not  go  with  them.     On   the 
band,  it  grew   more  and  more    with  the   lapse  of 
Before  his  death  his  name    was  not  so   much 


[    95    ] 

;it  is  now  a  days.  It  is  true  he  travelled*  far  off  in 
feign  countries ;  but  in  his  life-time  his  name  was 
lown  to  his  disciples  only. 

He   like   a   sower     went    throughout    the    world, 

^ '.ving  the  seed  of  .his  religion  ;  but   no   one   cared  at 

;-       time   that  the  seed   would  grow   up  a   large   tree. 

)  one  thought   that    this   tiny    thing  in  the   hands  of 

tn,  who  had  assumed   neither   the  title   of   a   sawami 

ir .  of  a  rishi   nor  of    a  prophet,    would   do   so   much 

mders  in  this   world.     The  seed   seemed   for  a  short 

bile  rotten  in  the   ground,   it  at  last   germinated   and 

poted  into  a  plant. 

j 

J    Jealous  men  could  not  bear  to    see  it  in  a  flourish- 
3  state.     They  looked  all  around  and  found  the  plant 
^wing   fast   every   moment.     They   thea    sharpened 
>?  axes  and  began  to  cut  its  branches. 

?  But  they  were  wonder-struck  to  see  that  the  more 
branqh.es  were  cut,  the  stronger  its  roots  grew  ;  for, 
p  sap,  which  came  out  by  cutting  the  branches 
,wed  down  to  nourish  the  roots,  so  that  the  plant, 
parently  seemed  in  a  ruined  state,  but  its  roots  had 
/ne  deep  into  the  ground. 

ij1  , 

Hindus  and  Mohamadans  joined  together  to  pluck - 

jit  the  plant  but  all  in  vain.  Mohamadan  Emperors 
eiod  Hindu  Rajas  despatched  their  armies  to  root  it  out, 
>evut  their  efforts  were  all  frustrated.  At  last  the  tree, 
eolanted  by  Nanak,  ingraft*  d  by  his  successors  and 


[    96    ] 

nourished  in  the  blood  of  martyra  grew  so    much    s 
that  its  branches  reached  Burma  and  China  as  well   a 

Europe  and  Africa. 

U 

Hindus  and    Mohamadans,   who   were  its  antago-. 
nists  began  to   crowd   under  its   refreshing     branches^ 
Rich  and  poor,  high  and  low  ran  to  enjoy   its   cool    an£ 
inviting  shades.     To  speak  plainly,    this  tree    which  It 
the   religion,   founded  by  him,  so  much   attracted    th< 
minds  of  tho    people   tint  it   became   a  state     religie 
within  a  very  limited  time,   and  the   hymns,    compost 
by  him   werj  so  much  liked  by  every  one  that  they   we 
translated  in  other  tongues.    Thus  Guru  Nauak's    nam 
on    whose  remains  not  a  monument  was   raised,     nor>  , 
ceremony  performed,  became  so  much  renowned    tt 
it  would  never  be  effaced  from  the  minds  of  the  huma  , 
beings,  "as  he  had  lost  his  life,  so  he  saved  it  for  evei 
andever." 

In  fact   his  soul   separated   from  his  body,    bnt   ^ 
has  not  "died"  in   true  sen33~  of  the    word.     Empero 
and   Kings   who   subdued   the  nations,    and   ruled  the 
countries,    have   died;    bu>  he  is  still   living  and    wil 
remain  alive  for  ever  and  ever.  >i 


Alexander,  who  had  marched  throughout  the 
for  the  fulfilment   of  his    ambition    with  large    armiet 
heavy    canons  and  innumerable  stores  is  no  longer  re 
membered  ;   but  Nanak's  name,   who  went  from  village 
to  village  with  no  escort,  —  no  provisions  —  no  treasures,! 
is  everehiDiDg  on  the  minds  of  the  nations  of  the  world! 


[    97    ] 

Go  in  a  city  or  in  a  town  or  even  in  a  village,  its 
:  a  habitants  will  point  you  out  a  "pipal"  tree  or  a  mango 
garden,  where  Nanak  had  taken  lodgings  only  for  a 
\ight  ;  but  the  sites  of  Alexander's  camp  are  not  well 
known  even  to  those  who  are  well-versed  in  the  history 
>f  the  world. 

i9  Where  are  Mahamud  and  Timur,  who  had 
imassed  innumerable  wealth  by  cutting  the  throats  of 
-heir  fellow  creatures  ?  Who  knows  them  ?  Who 
/r  ^members  them,  who  were  once  terror  of  humankind? 
^hey  are  limited  in  the  pages  of  the  history  ;  but 
lanak's  name  has  been  written  in  indelible  letters  on 
minds  of  the  people  of  the  world. 


Go  in  a  village,  which  has  a  few  habitations,   you 
that  there  still  exist  in  India  such  men  that  do  not 
who  their   present    rulers   are    and    where  their 
Dative  land  is   even  in  this   time  when   civilization  has 
made  so  much  progress  in  the   country  —  when  schools 
have  been    established  lfrom    village  to    village    to 
.enlighten    the     people  —  when    post   offices  and  tele 
graphs  work   constantly  to  bring   intelligence  from  far 
off  lands  ;  but  they  will  describe  Guru  Nanak'  s  life,  his 
A  wanderings  and  his  teachings. 

Who  taught  them  this  lesson  ?    Who  told  them  to 

J  remember  it  by  heart  ?    Who  induced  them  to  bequeath 

it  to  their  successors?    Who    did    such    miraculous 

works   which    are  above  the  human  powers.    It    is 


[    98    ] 

nothing  but  God's  will  to  keep  Nanak'g  name  aliv 
agee  and  ages. 

Go  wherever  you  please,   you  will  find  that  pec 
remember   Nanak    more   dearly    than    they    do  tj 
kinsmen  and  parents.     Pious    men  daily    repeat  | 
name  countless  times  in  order  to  please  Him,  who 
sent  him  to  do  so  much  noble  works  in  this  world. 

Under  such  circumstances  it  is  no  exaggeratioi 
say  that  Nanak  still  lives  and  aids  his  followers  in  til 
noble  design. 


CHAPTER  XII 


CONCLUSION. 


[E  preceding  chapters  have  fully  shown  the  reader 
low  Nanak  was  born — how  he  was  brought  up  and 
lie  travelled  throughout  the  world  and  made  the 
e  converts  to  his  religion.  He  has,  likewise,  been 
iow  Nanak  departed  from  this  world  and  how  his 
on  spread  all  around  against  all  obstacles. 

To  tell  the  truth,  all  these  things  were  done  by 
k  as  they  were  done  by  the  founders  of  other 
ons.  But  there  is  one  superiority,  he  holds  over 
s  competitors  in  the  vast  field  of  religion. 

founder  of  every .  religion  is  honoured  by  his 
rers  only;  but  Nanak  is  universally  loved  and 
d  by  the  men  of  all  religions  and  castes. 

Whether  you  go  in  a  church  or  in  a  mosque  or  in 
nple,  you  will  hear  the  people  bestowing  the 
at  eulogies  on  the  amiable  conduct  of  Nanak. 
Dnaries  say  that  Nanak  is  one  of  their  saints, 
madans  declare  that  he  is  their  prophet  and 
is  claim  that  Nanak  is  one  of  their  rishis.  In 
eveiy  relegious  society  speaks  in  praise  of 
and  uses  the  passages,  composed  by  him  in 
n  of  its  own  dogmas. 


t  100  ] 

These  facts  fully  prove  that  Nanak   was   endowed 
with  such  exceptional  qualities  as  to   win  the   hearts  ol 
its  antagonists.     On  this   account  in   those   wild    daya 
when  the  sword   of  the   Mohamadan  bigotry  flashed  of 
the  heads  of  the  Hindus — when  no   one   could   utter 
syllable  against  the  religion   of  the  crescent,   he   cou 
point  out     the   Mohamadans    defects,    existing  in 
religion  of  their  prophet.     He  delivered  lectures  on 
sacred  places  and  mosques  ;    but  no  one   spoke  a   wo 
against  him.     On  the  contrary,    every   one   became 
attention  to  listen  to  him. 

The  fact  is  that  Nanak's  foremost  policy  was 
preach  his  religion  in  such  a  way  as   not  to   break 
hearts  of  his  auditors.     He  used  to  introduce  his  spe< 
with  such  an  ingenuity  that  the  listeners  at  first  thou 
him  a  simple  and   ignorant  man,    but  at  "the   end 
arrived    at  such  a   clear    conclusion    that    they    v 
astonished  to  find  him  a  treasure  of  profound  knowlej 
and  wisdom. 

On  this  wise  he  made  the  bigoted  Arabs  in  M 
know  that  God  existed  not  only  in  the  west  but  ii 
directions  and  everywhere.  He,  likewise,  showed 
pilgrims  at  Hardawar  that  they  would  not  be  atj 
send  up  their  water  to  the  sun. 

Had  there  been  anyother  preacher  but  Nanak 
former  would  have  beaten  him  out  of  their  ej 
building ;  and  the  latter  would  have  drowned  l\ 
their  sacred  river.  But  Nanak  expounded  the  obji 


1 


[    101    ] 

fetjis  view  so  wisely  arid  so  cleverly  that  the  listeners 
0  lad  no  alternative  but  to  assent  to  his  proposals. 

For  these  reasons  we  can  say  that  it  was  Nanak 
one,  who  knew  the  method  of  preaching  religious 
irinciples  without  creating  a  disturbance  among  the 
eople.  Christ  and  Mohamadan,  although  they 
ttracted  numerous  proselytes,  were  altogether  deficient 
,o  him  in  this  respect.  Christ  by  his  bold  preaching 
lad  caused  so  much  discontentment  among  the  Jews, 
that  they  caught  him,  bound  him  a  ad  hanged  him  on 
the  gibbet.  So  was  the  case  with  Mohamad  that  he 
likewise,  owing  to  a  rising  against  him  among  the 
Arabs  had  fled  to  Madiena  and  remained  in  constant 
danger  for  his  life. 

Such  a  harsh  treatment  was  offered  by  the  people 
to  both  Christ  and  Mohamad  in  their  own  native  lands; 
but  Nanak  preached  his  religion  in  foreign  countries — 
to  foreign  nations ;  but  no  quarrel  ever  took  place 
among  thoso,  whom  he  addressed  his  lectures.  Christ 
and  Muhammad  confessed  that  they  had  come  to  bring 
slaughter  among  the  people,  but  Nanak's  chief  object 
was  to  keep  the  peace  of  the  people  undisturbed.  For 
in  Nanak's  opinion  it  is  impossible  for  the  people  to 
understand  the  niceties  of  a  true  religion,  until  their 
minds  are  free  from  the  agitation  which  the  disturbed 
state  of  the  country  brings  upon  them. 

It   is   no    doubt   that  Nanak    acted    like   a  good 
physician.     He  reached  his   patients    in  the  form  of  a 


[    102    ] 

friend,  consoled  them  in  their  distress,  applied  annodyne 
on  their  bruises  and  made  wonderful  cures.  Founders 
of  other  religions  drove  all  the  cattle  with  the  same 
rod,  but  he  treated  every  one  according  to  his  habits 
and  circumstances. 

It  is  because  we  assign  the  highest  seat  for  Nanak 
in  the  religious  hall,  as  it  was  he  alone  who  knew  how 
to  establish  peace  in  the  country  as  well  as  on  the 
minds  of  the  people.  It  is  because  we,  in  conclusion, 
suggest  the  people  to  follow  Nanak  and  walk  as  he  had 
walked,  so  as  to  enable  them  to  enjoy  peace  and 
prosperity  in  this  world  and  an  eternal  happiness  in  the 
world  to  come. 


THE   INDi 


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2017      L±fe  and  teachings  of 

.9  Guru  Nanak 
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