While the Guru at Panjokhara[1] was meditating on God, a Sikh came and told him of a proud Brahman who was in the neighbourhood. The Brahman had asked the Guru’s name, and learned that it was Sri Har Krishan. Hearing this the Brahman became very angry and said, “The poet of the Bhagavat Gita, whom none can equal, called God merely Krishan, and the Guru calleth himself Sri Har Krishan, as if he thought himself superior to Krishan. If he be such a Guru, let him come and translate the Gita with me.’ The -Guru replied to his informant, ‘The eyes of understanding are very good, but the cataract of pride so blindeth them that they cannot see God’s way. The proud think all persons beneath them.’
The Sikh, however, prevailed on the Guru to allow the Brahman to come to him. When the Brahman came he did not salute the Guru, but unceremoniously sat down in his presence. He then said, ‘ Thou who callest thyself Sri Har Krishan, must be greater than the god Krishan. Translate the Gita for a little while with me.’ The Guru replied, “The Brahmans of the present day are not deeply read. They are great talkers and arguers, and are deteriorating every day; and in the future they will have even less religion than they have now. What the Brahmans know is not real knowledge, and they are strangers to God. I have not read the Gita, and were I to translate it with thee, thou wouldst say I was some rich man’s son who had had a private tutor, whereas I should translate by my spiritual power. Go and bring some ignorant rustic to discuss [ p. 322 ] with thee, and when thou hast vanquished him, I will speak to thee.’ The Brahman went and brought an ignorant water-carrier called Chhajju from the nearest village. The Guru looked him full in the face and said, ‘ Thou hast become a great divinity scholar. Now discuss the meaning of the Shastars with this Brahman.’ The Brahman and the watercarrier accordingly began to discuss, and the watercarrier gave such learned replies, that the Brahman stood in astonished silence. The questions and replies related to Hindu theology.
The pandit became convinced that the Guru had infused his supernatural power into the watercarrier. He accordingly begged the Guru’s pardon for the unceremonious manner in which he had approached him. The Brahman added, ‘ Thou art really the holy god Krishan. Make me thy disciple.’ The Guru did so and discoursed to him on humility.
Raja Jai Singh went forth with bare feet to meet the Guru. The Emperor sent large presents on the Guru’s arrival and expressed a wish to see him. In reply to the Emperor’s message the Guru said, ‘ My elder brother is with the Emperor, and is ready to do whatever he desireth. I cannot meet the Emperor. My father with his dying words told me that my elder brother would transact all political affairs with His Majesty, and I had better not meddle with them. My mission is to preach the true Name. There is no one who can be so affectionate as a brother, and there is no one who at the same time can be a greater enemy. Witness the treatment of his brothers by the Emperor himself. Ram Rai beareth me great enmity, and were the Emperor on receiving me to show me any favour, Ram Rai would become still more hostile, and grave dissensions in families had better be avoided. For this and other reasons my father forbade me to meet the Emperor.’
When this speech was reported to the Emperor, [ p. 323 ] he was astonished that a child of seven years of age could have uttered it. He said the Guru must be some person possessing supernatural power, and nothing could be gained by annoying him. Such good thoughts however merely flashed across Aurangzeb’s mind fora moment. They were but the lightning shining through black clouds on a dark night, which quickly vanishes and leaves the landscape in greater darkness than before. Aurangzeb bided his time, for he knew the Guru must grant him the desired interview.
Crowds of Sikhs thronged to see the Guru and recelve spiritual consolation from him. There was then a plague raging in Dihli, and those afflicted with it, who sought the Guru’s mediation, were all healed. Ram Rai finding the Sikhs falling away from himself, and flocking round the Guru, became greatly incensed and said to himself, ‘ The evil I intended for him has turned out to his advantage. I must now contrive some other expedient that he may not be able to oppose my designs.’
The following day the Emperor’s son was announced. The prince said that his father desired to see the Guru. The Guru replied that he had already given his reason for not seeing the Emperor, and he repeated what he had said before, namely, “Ram Rai who is at court will transact with the Emperor any political or administrative business that may be necessary. If the Emperor desire any religious instruction, I will dictate it to thee and thou mayest write it in Persian characters. When he understandeth and acteth according to it, the blessing of Guru Nanak shall light on him, and he shall be happy.’
The Prince was astonished at this reply and said the.Guru might write down his instruction for the Emperor. The Guru then dictated the following hymn of Guru Nanak for the Emperor’s edification :—
[ p. 324 ]
If the True God dwell not in the heart,
What is eating, what clothing,
What fruit, what clarified butter and sweet molasses, what fine flour and what meat ?
What clothes, what a pleasant couch for billing and cooing,
What an army, what mace-bearers and servants, and what palaces to dwell in ?
Nanak, except the true Name all things are perishable.[2]
The prince took this hymn to his father who was much impressed with it, and his eyes for a moment opened to the truth, but the desire of converting the Guru to Islam and prolonging the enmity between the two brothers again blinded him.
The Emperor once said in the course of private conversation to Raja Jai Singh, ‘Thou and others highly praise the Guru and say he possesseth miraculous power. Hast thou ever put him to the test? If thou have not done so, then do so now, and if thou find he possesseth any superhuman power, then let me know.’ Raja Jai Singh replied, ‘ It is difficult to put such persons to the test. Dealing with them is highly dangerous for they may utter curses instead of blessings, but I will, however, as thy Majesty ordereth, contrive some means of proving him.’ Jai Singh then went home and in consultation with his head queen contrived a plan to test the Guru. She was to dress herself as a slave, and sit with slaves behind the other queens when the Guru visited Jai Singh’s palace. If the Guru recognized her, then it might be considered a proof that he really was what his followers deemed him to be.
The Guru by his supernatural power knew the plot laid for him, and became very sad at being expected to show to the world what saints and holy men conceal, namely, miraculous power; so when Jai Singh went to conduct him to his palace, he at [ p. 325 ] first refused to receive him. On pressure, however, the Guru admitted Jai Singh to his presence. Jai Singh told him in a very respectful manner that his queens desired to see him. When the Guru complied with Jai Singh’s invitation, he found a large female assemblage ready to receive him. The Guru touched the front queen with a wand and said, ‘Thou art not the head queen.’ In the same way he touched the other ladies of the zanana and rejected them all. At last he touched the head queen whom, notwithstanding her disguise, he recognized at the back of the assembly and said, ‘ Thou art the head queen.’ She was very pleased at being recognized in her menial attire. The Guru then said in reference to the trial made of him by Raja Jai Singh: ‘Guru Nanak will ever confer happiness on those who have unswerving faith. He will ever abide with them and assist them, and God will love them both in this world and the next. He whose mind is perplexed with doubts is not a true believer. He who through pride deemeth himself very exalted must like a lofty peak on the surface of the earth ultimately have a fall. Devotion, which is like rain, resteth not on lofty places. There the field of God’s love germinateth not, and the harvest of salvation is not gathered.’ Upon this Raja Jai Singh and his queens admitted the Guru’s sanctity.