[ p. 280 ]
A pious lady continually prayed that the Guru might eat bread cooked by her hands. One day she gained four paise by spinning, and bought wheaten flour and pulse for the money. She baked two cakes and took them to a spot by which the Guru used to pass daily. There she began to rack her brains how to procure access to him. Could she succeed in this, he would certainly take compassion on her old age and eat from her hands. The Guru, having by his supernatural power become aware of her desire, mounted his horse, and on his way to the chase, went joyfully to the spot where she was waiting.
At the moment when she was reduced almost to a state of despair the Guru arrived, and asked her for some of the bread she had prepared. He said it would be very late when he returned from the chase, and he desired food to fortify himself until then. The Guru partook of the bread on horseback, without washing his hands, and said he had enjoyed it as if it were the most dainty food. The woman paid the Guru compliments for his humility in visiting her and accepting her hospitality. The Guru in return gave her spiritual instruction, and cut off the shackles of her transmigration.
The Sikhs were astonished that the Guru had taken food from a strange woman, and eaten it on horseback too without washing his hands. They asked him why he had done so. He gave no answer, but continued his hunting excursion. Next day they prepared sweet cakes with great attention to cleanliness, and took them to the forest with the Guru, so as to obviate any necessity he might be under to take food that might possibly be unclean from the hands of a person who might be of low caste. In due time the Sikhs offered the Guru the cakes they had prepared. The Guru said, ‘ O Sikhs, I ate food from that woman’s hands because she was holy. This [ p. 281 ] food which you have prepared with attention to ancient ceremonial is not pleasing to me. It is written in the Granth Sahib :—
He whose deeds are pure is called a holy man,[1]
from which it appears that salvation depends on good acts and not on the food which is eaten.’
The Sikhs replied, ‘O true king, yesterday thou atest two cakes on horseback from the hands of an old woman whom thou knewest not. There was no consecrated space and the food was in every way impure. To-day we have with great labour prepared and baked cakes for thee ; no impurity attacheth to them, and yet thou rejectest them. Be kind enough to explain the reason. We made a representation to thee yesterday on the subject but received no reply.’
The Guru gave the following explanation—‘ The woman with great devotion and faith prepared food for me out of what she had earned from the sweat of her brow. On this account the food was very pure, and I partook of it. The Guru hungereth for love and not for dainty food. In the matter of love for God no rule is recognized.
‘Ye remember how Guru Nanak avoiding the society of the great and the wealthy, went to the house of Lalo who was a carpenter, abode with him, and lived on his coarse fare. It may therefore be easily understood that attention to culinary rules and exclusiveness in eating are of no avail without real devotion. It is not what man eateth that pleaseth God. It is man’s devotion that is acceptable to Him.’
On hearing this discourse the Sikhs’ doubts vanished. They replied, ‘O true king, grant that the love of God may arise in our hearts. Although we have in ourselves no merits, yet thou who hast vouchsafed us thy protection, art responsible for our safe keeping. By thy favour our boats shall reach the haven of the blest.’
[ p. 282 ]
During this colloquy the Guru and his party penetrated a deep forest. The Guru, seeing a black buck issue from the thickets, chased him on horseback at full speed and prevented his escape. The animal was caught and taken to the Guru’s zoological gardens. Men who had come long distances to see the Guru were pleased with his tenderness to animals, particularly to deer, which the kings of old used to sacrifice at their feasts.
One day as the Guru was hunting he saw a wounded snake crawling with difficulty. It was tortured by worms which it tried to shake off by wriggling and shaking its body. The Guru not only put the animal out of its pain, but granted it salvation. The author of the Suraj Parkash states that its spirit in the form of a bright light was seen to issue from its body and soar to heaven. The Sikhs asked the Guru what lightit was. The Guru replied, ‘ This serpent was in somewhat the same state as the python seen by my grandfather in Malwa. This serpent had been a pandit in a previous age, who used to falsely vaunt the power of the Veds. He asserted that he himself was God, but his conduct in no wise justified such a boast. He used also to make injurious reflections on the Guru’s hymns, saying, ‘ What is a hymn in the vulgar dialect ?’ He did not know that Guru Nanak’s compositions were superior to the Veds. The pandit’s soul passed into this serpent, and the worms have been causing him to suffer for the deceit he practised on men. There were, however, some good acts to his credit from previous births, and on this account he hath met Guru Nanak’s followers and obtained salvation. As Guru Arjan hath said :—
By association with the saints man hath no travail ;
There is no necessity to toil in their company :
On beholding and meeting them man becometh happy.[2]
[ p. 283 ]
‘Carefully remember that, however much you read Vedantic literature, it will be a source of misery unless you love God. Guru Arjan hath also said :—
Though one be very beautiful, of high birth, clever, a divine in words and wealthy ;
Yet shall he be deemed as dead, O Nanak, if he have no love for God.[3]
‘Wherefore, O my Sikhs, believe in the words of Guru Nanak, worship God, and boast not of your Vedantism. He who, possessing no divine knowledge, calleth himself a guru shall have no happiness, but on the contrary terrible suffering. The disciples of a false guru shall lose their human birth in this world. A guru who possesseth no holiness shall with his disciples endure terrible suffering. Wherefore, O my Sikhs, listen unto me, never consume any portion of offerings. They will not assist you in distress, but, on the contrary, lead you into the power of Death, whose punishment shall wring from you loud lamentations. Perform honest labour, serve the saints, and I shall everywhere be your succourer. As Guru Nanak hath said :—
They who eat the fruit of their labour and bestow something,
O Nanak, recognize the right way.[4]
A deficiency in your weights or want of equality in your scales must be avoided abide firm in your faith.’
‘The Sikhs then asked the Guru to give them further instruction in the Sikh religion. He replied, ‘ You must read the Granth Sahib, and not worship any inanimate object. When a Sikh dieth, sacred food should be prepared and distributed after reading the Sohila. There should be no mourning, but hymns of the Gurus should be sung, and the Granth Sahib should be intoned. No gods or [ p. 284 ] goddesses should be deemed succourers of man. Reliance must be placed on the immortal God alone.’
A devout Sikh called Bhai Gonda abode with the Guru. He was a saint in thought, word, and deed. The Guru was very much pleased with his sincere devotion and said, ‘ O Bhai Gonda, go thou to Kabul, instruct the Sikhs there in the worship of the true Name, and preach the Sikh faith. Feed holy men and pilgrims with the offerings thou receivest, and send what remaineth for the maintenance of my kitchen. These are thy duties, and I am confident that thou wilt discharge them.’
Although Kabul was a foreign country and there was danger from Muhammadan bigotry in residing there, yet Gonda cheerfully accepted the task imposed on him. On arriving there he built a Sikh temple and carried out all the Guru’s instructions. In other respects the following lines of Guru Arjan, which he was accustomed to repeat, served him as a guide :—
Meditate in thy heart on the Guru’s image ;
Regale thy mind with the Guru’s word and spell.
Put the Guru’s feet into thy heart,
And ever bow to the Guru the Supreme Being.[5]
One day while Gonda was repeating the Japji, he fancied he was clinging to the Guru’s feet. He was in such a state of abstraction that he became quite unconscious. He grew as absorbed in the sight of the Guru as a drop of rain in the ocean. The Guru by his occult power knew what was passing in Gonda’s mind, and sat firmly on his throne keeping his feet together. When dinner was announced, as usual at mid-day, he made no response. When the announcement was repeated about an hour afterwards, he still remained silent. A third time after a longer interval dinner was announced, and the cook asked permission to serve it up, but even [ p. 285 ] then the Guru spoke not. When several Sikhs were on the point of making a representation to him, he broke silence and said, ‘ Brother Sikhs, Bhai Gonda is in Kabul. He is in thought, word, and deed, a saint of the Guru. He to-day hath clasped my feet. How can I withdraw them from him? And how can I go to take my dinner until he hath let them go? I am therefore waiting until the conclusion of his meditation and obeisance. Bhai Gonda did not awake from his trance before twilight, and it was only then the Guru felt free to take his repast.
When afterwards the Sikhs had an opportunity of interrogating Gonda they found the Guru’s words verified and his acts explained by Gonda’s reflections and movements during the state of trance. The Sikhs then were thoroughly convinced of the Guru’s greatness, and said that they themselves were poor ignorant people. As Guru Arjan has said :—
The glory of the saints is special to the saints : My brethren, there is no difference between God and His saints.[6]
And again :—
Know that God and the Guru are one.[7]
The Sikhs said, ‘ The advantages of Guru Nanak’s religion are indescribable, and whoever leaveth it and strayeth to other sects, is greatly unfortunate, for he thereby loseth his priceless human birth.’ Once as Sikhs came great distances to the Baisakhi fair and made offerings according to their means, men and women circumambulated the Guru like bumblebees hovering rounda lotus-flower. The Guru inquired if there were any of his Sikhs who, having established a kitchen according to his means, shared his food with others. He received a reply that two or three Sikhs had come, who had established kitchens in several villages and distributed their food among [ p. 286 ] the Guru’s followers. The Guru ordered them to be called, and asked them on what principle they had established kitchens, and whether they entertained all Sikhs on the same terms as their relations. One Sikh replied— When a Sikh is kind enough to visit me at the time of distribution of food, I first satisfy him and then myself.’ A second said, ‘I cook and distribute food with my own hands.’ A third said, “TI wash the feet of Sikhs and drink the water therefrom, for it is written in the Sukhmani :—
Wash the feet of the holy men and drink the water therefrom.’
A fourth Sikh replied, ‘ Whatever thine orders are, O true king, they shall be obeyed. I wipe Sikhs’ shoes, and place them before them as they are departing.’
The Guru interposed. ‘It is superfluous to say any more. I desire to know if ye feed a Sikh who presenteth himself after the time fixed for distribution of food.’ The Sikhs requested the Guru to explain his meaning more fully. He said, ‘O Sikhs, when food is distributed and there is none left, what do ye do if a hungry Sikh afterwards present himself ?’ The Sikhs replied, ‘We do not serve food after the appointed time, and on that account no doubt some Sikhs go away disappointed.’ The Guru rejoined, “Ye ought to keep additional food ready, feed your guest, and not send him away disappointed. In the course I recommend there is great merit. I shall be well pleased with those who adopt it, and they shall enjoy happiness here and hereafter. Moreover, it is written in the Granth Sahib :—
The true Guru is delighted when his disciple taketh food.[8]
‘He who through laziness and pride dismisseth a Sikh disappointed, shall gain no advantage from his past or present acts. Farid hath said :—
[ p. 287 ]
All men’s hearts are jewels ; to distress them is not at all good :
If thou desire the Beloved, distress no one’s heart.
‘There is also a Persian expression attributed to God even by the Muhammadans :—
I can allow you to destroy a temple or a mosque,
But to break another’s heart is an act that cannot be sanctioned.
‘The temple and the mosque may be repaired or renewed, but not the broken heart.’ The Sikhs said, ‘Only he on whom the Guru looketh with favour obtaineth such wisdom. We possess little wisdom, and have erred. It is by thy favour all our troubles are removed. Thy words are like the juice of nectar, mines of knowledge, arrows to destroy worldly love and hate, or guides to salvation.’
Two hill Rajas went with a strong force to the Guru under pretence of paying him a complimentary visit, but in reality to obtain tribute from him, and remove him from their country. On arriving in the neighbourhood of Kiratpur they encamped near a tank. The Guru on hearing of their arrival promptly sent ther supplies of every description.
The Rajas presented themselves the next morning at the Guru’s levée, but while doing obeisance to him retained guile in their hearts. The Guru, by his occult power, knew their designs, and represented to them that fagirs were never called upon to pay tribute. If they desired anything from him he would give them divine instruction, which would be more advantageous than any sublunary wealth.
The Rajas on hearing this found their business with the Guru at anend. They both stood up, then prostrated themselves before him, and begged to be put on the right way, for they had seriously erred. They confessed that they had come with evil intentions, but they would never again harbour thoughts [ p. 288 ] to the Guru’s detriment. The Guru replied, ‘ Show not your pride to the Guru. Go and rule your kingdoms, oppress not your subjects. If ye do, the Creator will show you His anger, and consign you to hell. Adhere to your own wives, drink not wine, sleep not on the top stories of your palaces out of reach of your subjects. Let it not be that, while they are complaining below, ye are enjoying yourselves above. The subjects are the root, the Rajas the branches of the trees. Whatsoever king oppresseth his subjects applieth the axe to his kingdom. Construct tanks, wells, bridges, and schools, and extend religion through your kingdoms.’ The Rajas much edified by this discourse, took leave of the Guru and returned to their states.