Sat Guru Baba Nanak For The Millions - B. P. L. Bedi

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Sat Guru Baba Nanak
The Millions
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For
BY
B. P. L. Bedi
M.A. (Pb) B.A. Hons (Oxon)
Alexander Von Humboldt Research Scholar (Berlin)
Director, Institute for Inquiry into the Unknown
Director, World Centre for Conscience
PUBLICATION-INDIA
108, SURYA KIRAN, Ka-turba Gandhi Road
Ce ese
NEW DELHI-1 (INDIA)

On the Book
SAT GURU BABA NANAK
For the Millions
This work has been specially prepared as a 500th
Anniversary Commemoration Volume.
As such the book contains the life story, the narative of
Travels and the quintessence of the Teachings of the great
Humanist Master, Sat Guru Baba Nanak.
There are many new aspects to be found in the pages of -
this very originally written book. The author with his
mystic vision has furnished the explanations to many
mysteries and miracles associated with the life of the Great
founder of the Sikh faith.
We are projecting this volume for the new generation
of the Sikhs, and for the spreading the knowledge of the
True way of life, in all lands.
On the Author
Sixteenth generation descendant of Sat Guru Baba
\
Nanak, the author led the life of a Revolutionary freedom

fighter for the liberation of his motherland. After Inde-
pendence, he- withdrew from Political life and now leads
- mystic life of the occult, and directs his Centre for Esoteru
Studies, The Institute for Inquiry into the Unknown at-
New: Delhi.
His publications, large in number, include a volume on
Sat Guru Baba Nanak, entitled “The Prophet of the Full
Moon” and Mystic India in three volumes, which is a
research Report on the Nature of Nature & the Anatomy of
the Inner Man.
THUS FLOWED LIGHT
Of Love and of Light

I. In Terms of Understanding.
Il. The Mystery of Language.
The Age of Chaos
What Else to Learn !
Challange to Tradition.
The Cobra knew the Truth.
Essence of Earning.
Naming the Name less.
On the Errand of Earning.
To the Pastures New. —
To the Maidens of Mara
New Light on Jap Ji Sahib.
In the Abode of Oneness.
Summons for the Heretic.
For Prayers at the Mosque.
Bhai Mardana’s Mandolin.
MilK versus Blood.
The True Way.
Trapped by the Dacoit
From Eternity to Eternity.
Founding of God’s Ville.
Through the City of Lahore. ...
Essence of Fasting.
“Thus is All to Know, ! Dear Sheikh”. .
6
24 Lighting the Lamp Without Oil. 90

25 In the Home of Sin, 93
26 This Jiva is Like a Fish. ix 97
27 “Remind Each Other, of Him” 100
28 Sat Guru’s Twin Companions. ... 103
29 In the Muslim Middle—East. ... 105
30 To the Seat of the Caliphs. 107
31 To the Cradle of the Sufis. 108
32 As Babar’s Prisoner. a 111
33 At the Spring of Wali Kandhari. 116
34 Listen, O Yogi ! 120
35 To the Flying Carpet Miracle Man. 124
36 The Dialogue of Light. 129
37 Through Lama land to Mansrowar. 138
38 Following the Pilgrim’s Trail. ... 141
1. At Holy Paryag
2. To Varanasi of Lord Shiva
3. Blessed is the House holder, O, Sanyasis !
4, To Gaya, the City of Redemption
5, Then, to Puri of the Lord Jagannath
39 Among Black Magicians and Man Eaters. 148

1. Queens of Compassion
- 2, Man Eater becomes a Sikh
40 Bhai Mardana and the Soap Nut. 153

41 Words of Light in Sangal Deep. 155
42 The Illusion of Maya Itself. 161
43 Congregational Dialogues. 165
44 Testament for the Sikhs. 170
45 Under the Same Dome. 172
46 From the Occult Eye View. 174
I
OF LOVE AND OF LIGHT
The twin shaktis of love and light which Sat Guru Baba
Nanak incarnated in his own physical self constitute the
dynamics behind the teachings of the founder master of
the Sikh faith.
Who ever wishes to understand how to live love and live
light, for such a seeker, there never has been a greater
teacher than Guru Baba Nanak, with his uniquely ini-
mitable simplicity of expression and total mastery of the
similie and the parable. No less effective in his armoury,
was the use of irony and even ridicule for the purpose of
making his sublime teachings more pointed and therefore
more readily understandable.
To the simple peasant he taught the lesson of humility
by pointing towards the heavily weighted branch of
the mango tree and saying ‘Look,dear one, how the branch
with the most fruit on it is bowing the lowest’.
To the merchant, he spoke in the language which he
could grasp best. The Sat Guru drew the grain seller’s
attention to the pair of scales, showing him how the
weightier side hung lower.
To the Pandit and the fanatic he proved jhroaa ridi-
cule that giving water to the dead by throwing it to-
wards the sun, as an offering, was a8 fruitless as his own
act of throwing water from the sacred Har-Ki-Pauri at ..
8 Sat Guru Baba Nanak
Hardwar to irrigate the fields in his home village, far far

away in the Panjab.
To the mystics and the spiritual teachers he conveyed
his message in the gold-tinged dialect of the parable of the
Rose Petal. Once the great Guru arrived at a spot which
was a retreat of mystic Sufis. On knowing of Baba Nanak’s
arrival, the Head of the Sufis sent him a cup, brimful with
milk. When the bearer of the cup put it in front of the Sat
Guru, he looked at it, smiled and took a rose petal and
floated it on the milk. The cup was taken back with the
message in roses.
The Head of the Sufis had sent the cup full of milk with
the meaning that, “O, Wanderer of the woods ! This place
is Overflowing with spiritual masters and you have no
place here’? Sat Guru Baba Nanak in floating the rose
petal had conveyed the idea that like the rose petal, floating
on the milk, there was plenty of room, right there, for the
master of master’s.
The Head Sufi understood the vibration and strength
which lay in the finesse of the Master and hurried with his
disciples to pay homage to the great Guru.
Sat Guru Baba Nanak spread his message of Love and
of Light during his lifelong travels, through the length
and breadth of India and in many:other lands. During
the course of his three, Udasee, the triple tours, he spoke
to the people where ever he went. It is a matter of recor-
ded history and accepted tradition as where ever Sat
Guru Nanak either held a dialogue or sung his message,
as{Bhai Mardana played on the Rubab, all those teachings,
‘dialogues, discourses and Shabads are recorded.
| Now, the question of questions which faces the analy-
, :tic and inquisitive, inquirer is, as to what language did the
Of Love and of Light 9
great Sat Guru Baba Nanak use for so universal a

communication ?
‘Leaving out of reckoning, the foreign lands where Sat
Guru Baba Nanak travelled, if we only Jook at the map
of the Himalayan sub-continent, asa single unit, ranging
from Tibet to Ceylon and from the Persian Gulf to the bor-
ders of Burma, we face the fact that- the Sat Guru had to
converse with people having over two hundred languages
-and dialects, including the languages of the Bhils, Adivasis,
Gonds and scores of other tribal dialects which were spoken
over the sub Himalayan mainland.
Now, the most challenging of all questions is, where
was the interpreter ? In the heart of dense jungles and on
far flung mountain tops and the back bays of the coastal
areas where could there be an interpreter for the Panjabi
speaking Sat Guru—whose every word, spoken to all those
people, with varied dialects forms a part of records of the
Sikh faith and of the Holy Granth Sahib, the sacred scri-
pture of the Sikhs.
The mystery of this perfection of communication can
only be solved by recognising the strangest of happenings,
that every time Sat Guru Baba Nanak spoke, outside the
Hindi cum Panjabi language area, every time it wasa
miracle performed.
And what was the miracle? It was the fact of the
great Sat Guru speaking or singing in his own language,
Panjabi, and the audience hearing, what ever the great Sat
Guru Baba uttered, in their own native language. For
example, if the Sat Guru was inthe midst of Telegu
speaking people, he would sing or speak in Panjabi and the
listeners would hear his voice, as if he was speaking in
Telegu itself.
The Great Sat Guru Baba performed this miracle ever

and always so undetected, that for five centuries long this
question did not enter the minds of either the devout or
even the doubters. For the first time, by the Grace of
the Great Sat Guru this mystery of mysteries is being
unravelled.
The explanation of this form of language transformation
lies in the vibrational vitality of the Occult force, which
functioned through the Divine will of the great Sat Guru,
transcending all barriers of linguistic containment.
It was the dynamics or light operating for the purpose
of dispelling the darkness of ignorance. And it was, the
dynamics of love, which took the Holy feet of Sat Guru
Baba Nanak to all areas of deficiency, in the matter of
decaying values and chaotic conditions of life.
Of Love and of Light, Sat Guru Baba Nanak was the in-
carnation and it is of his life, in the richness of its astound-
ing variety, that we shall talk of in the pages that follow.
2
THE AGE OF CHAOS
Sillhouetted against the sombre grey curtain of the

times, when fifteenth century India looked like a rubble
from which clouds of the smoke of suffering were shoot-
ing up sky high, we see the Divine figure of the great
Sat Guru who came to earth for lifting the weight of
sorrows from the minds and hearts of the people of
Hindustan.
India, at that time was presenting the gory spectacle of
kingdoms and states that were driven with the whip of
fratricidal aggrandisement. The Lodhi kings were held
to ransom by the contending Rajputs and the Marhattas,
and the people knew of peace only as a fairy fable and
the morals of human being had touched the nether point
of devaluation. Despair, dislocation and destruction had
blinded people to the veracity and even the legitimacy of
ethical valves.
Thus gloom of the thickest texture enveloped the
heart and soul of the inhabitants, from the Hindukush
tops down to the sea shore at Land’s End.
It was this environment that furnished the cradle to the
baby that was born to Matta Tripat, the son of Mehta
Kalu Rai. The year was 1469 of the Christian era. It
was a full moon night in the month of November and the
day was held auspicious ever since the Vedic Dharma came
into being, as it happened to be Kartik Purnima.
3
WHAT ELSE TO LEARN !
The life of the baby, whom the fond parents named

Nanak, after his elder and much-loved sister Bibi Nanaki,
began when he was sent to school at the age of nine.
The village of young Nanak’s birth, situated in the
fertile Panjab countryside was known as Bhoeki Talwandi,
now known as the haloed township of Nankana Sahib, in
West Pakistan. The village had a modest school with only
one teacher who was a Brahmin by birth. To him teaching
was a pure act of mechanics for the drilling of the three Rs,
into the heads of his young learners.
Following the pattern of tutoring he asked young
Nanak to write the Alphabet, beginning with the letter A.
Time went by, andthe pupil just sat looking blankly
on the wooden board in front of him. Looking at the idle
boy, the teacher snapped a reprimand and said, “What
are you doing, just with that vacant look for yours ?”
The pupil in Nanak was far away in the inner depths of
contemplation. Thus awakened from the depth of
thought he said, ‘I was thinking not of the A you
taught me but of “Soi”. “‘What is this “Soi” that you
are babbling about ?’? thundered the teacher. ‘It is
the sound of the Creative’”’ quietly replied Nanak, the way
ward pupil.
“How can you talk about Creation and its inner things,
when you are totally an ignorant child”, said the learned
What else to Learns ! 13
. Teacher. ‘‘Because there can be no beginning without

the eternal sound of creativity having been learnt’. On
hearing this, something in the teacher got awakened,
and in a flash he realised the extra-ordinary calibre of his
new pupil.
He felt as if the blinkers of ignorance had vanished
from his inner eye. Thus. he himself became the pupil of
the world teacher-to-be.
Recognition of the Divinity of his pupil made him
take young Nanak to the home of his parents, who were
taken aback by the sudden appearance of their son accom-
panied by his teacher. On arrival the father apologised
to the teacher for any misconduct of his son, which may
have made the teacher angry’and urged him to bring the
child back to his home. But the teacher, quite undisturbed
and rather reverently said,
‘“‘Mehta Ji, your son needs no teaching. He knows all
that is truly to be known. He is beyond my teaching”.
And much to the dismay of the wondering father, the
teacher added. ‘“‘You are truly blessed in the Birth of
an Avatar, an incarnation of God Almighty as a son to
you”.
These words were interpreted by Mehta Kalu, as the
height of sarcasm, depicting the unworthiness of his son
asa pupil. But the teacher impressed with emphasis, the
seriousness of his observation and _ the. genuineness of
his expression, and departed. Thus was the curtain rung
down on the education of young Nanak, having
taught the teacher himself, on his very first day at the
school.
4
CHALLENGE TO TRADITION
Born in a home, where the ancient customs of the

Kshatriyas were meticulously timed and worshipfully
observed, the family decided to hold with due eclat the
ceremony which marks the age of puberty. But the
sacred thread and its investiture provoked the rebel in the
young heart of Nanak.
_ - Faced with the sacrificial fire and the zealous chanting
of the, vedic mantras by the venerated high priest of the
family, Pandit Hardayal, the young Guru began to question
the meaning and the purpose of the thread thus sanctified
with Dharmic ceremonies.
It created a stir among the devout gathering, whose
‘ multi-centuried traditional conditioning of the mind had
‘always taken the essentiality of the thread as sacred and
an, integral part of Hindu custom. But the Sat Guru,
though young, spoke of. the superfiuity of a mere thread,
that was so breakable and haunted by the force of destru-
ction. He spoke of the futility of a cotton thread as the
gaurdian of Virtue. ‘The impermanance of the perishable
could not” he said “conceivably be the torch bearer for
the.eternal’. Thus denigrating, the Guru in young Nanak
burst into the song of compassion and thus he sang—
“Wear not the thread
Spun from cotton,
Wear the thread eternal.
Let compassion
Challenge to Tradition 15
The essence of love Divine,

Aad universal,
Be the Cotton.
Out of the cotton
Of compassion
Let contentment
Weave the thread.
Then, with the knots
Of continence,
So tied,
Make the texture
Of Truth.
Wear such a thread
And live in truth
And be blessed”’.
Hearing this song, the gathering was moved to the

inner depths of the heart.
And-in the hush of silence that followed, the young

Nanak, left his seat near the fire and walked away over-
whelmed with ecstasy.
For the parents it was a shock unbearable, and a revolt

unforgiveable. Little did they know that the future held
bigger shocks in its lap, at the hands of the great Sat Guru,
for men of the world, whether they were the grabbing
feudal lords, or crowned heads with the naked sword of
the Invader in hand. However, for the bitterly disap-
pointed parents, their young son was a do-nothing and
good-for-nothing youth.
5
THE COBRA KNEW THE TRUTH
Lounging round the house, in a pensive mood was too

irksome for Mehta Kalu, to put up with, whenever he
chose to casta glance towards his son, whom he had
listed among the idlers of the village. It hurt his pride.
He had longed from the babyhood of Nanak, for him
to grow into an opulent man, surrounded by crowds of
admirers and hosts of supplicants. His image of his son’s
future, so dearly nursed in his heart lay smashed before
his very eyes.
Finally one day, he suggested to his son that he had
better join the cowherds of the village and take the family
herds to the pastures. Much to, his father’s surprise this
proposal found happy and warm acceptance with the son,
from whom he was anticipating either a cool response or
even a sullen refusal.
And what surprised Mehta Kalu still more was the
young son’s remark that ‘‘I would feel really exalted in
looking after-the dumb and the mute they, poor things,
cannot even ask for what they need.” Here in lay the
seeds of compassion which in years to come were to
blossom and make the halo of the Divine-born teacher of
men and the dispenser of solace to the suffering and the
distressed among fellow men. . Days sped by and the
young Sat Guru tended the cattle with love. One day
when the cattle were grazing he passed into as ecstatic
The Cobra Knew the Truth 17
trance and for hours he was lost in contemplating on Him,

the One and the Only One.
The cattle thus left free, strayed into the lush green
field of a farmer and had their fill. Perchance, the owner
of the depoiled field arrived and shook the apparently
asleep and negligent boy. Hot words accompanied his
flashes of anger. To all that, the young Sat Guru, quietly
answered, “Dear one, the yield from the field this time
will be more abundant than ever before. The happiness
of the cattle will bring the blessings of prosperity to you,
without a doubt.” These word sounded to the ears of
the infuriated farmer more of a stone hearted practical
joke, stamped. with the impudence of a country lout. He
left the boy there and ran to the court of Rai Bular who
was the local chieftain, for ready redress.
Rai Bular gave him a patient hearing and ordered the
Watch and Ward officers to make an on the spot inquiry
and bring along the offender to the court. On arrival at
the spot of damage, the Inquiry officer could not locate
any field that had been devastated and he started to abuse
the complainant for a charge which was malicous. The
young Sat Guru secured pardon for him and the officer
returned only to report that “‘all was well.”
Inthe meanwhile the complainant also arrived at the
court and solemnly said, “‘O, Sire, I did not tell a lie, but
sure enough, this youngster has done a miracle.”
Rai Bular, the Nawab, himself, was a man of God and
believed the farmer’s word. And in his heart of hearts
grew the belief that young Nanak was also a man of God,
Again, not many days had passed that the young
Guru, while out in the pasture lay down for aspell of
rest. And while, he lay on the bare gound he passed into
a trance, contemplating over the wondrous qualities and

shakties of the Almighty God. While, he lay thus in the
open, the sun swung noon high and the face of the Sat
Guru was getting scorched with the heat of the summer
sun.
What the human eye could not recognise, it was the
Cobra, who instinctively guards the precious, that sensed
the Divine in the young Sat Guru. It crawled near the
head of young Nanak and spread the umbrella of its
hood, thus protecting the head and the face, on which it
had seen the halo of light celestial.
Just at that time, the Nawab Rai Bular happened to
be on his way back from an inspection tour and his eye
fell on the miracle of this wondrous sight.
That day was a history-making day, because from
then onwards the Nawab himself began to impress on
the Sat Guru’s father the promise, which he felt, the young
boy held for the glory of man, as a man of God.
6
ESSENCE OF EARNING
Despite what the Nawab kept telling the Guru's

father, Mehta Kalu was for too incensed to accept any-
thing which went counter to his own sizing up of his son.
And, more so, after hearing the story of how he was un-
mindful of the cattle. Now, they had only strayed into a
field, but easily they could have strayed into the thick-
ness of the jungle and got lost, argued Mehta Ji.
Thus, the good father decided to permit his son no
more to tend the cattle.
Once again, the problem of what the son should be
made to do gainfully presented itself, to the anxiety
ridden mind of the father, who was now feeling the
weight of advancing years.
One day, in all gravity of purpose, Mehta Kalu talked
to his son about taking to farming on a piece of land
which belonged to the family, ancestrally. And as a
word of sound advice the father added ‘“‘Dear son, you
may be dreaming of the riches of the other world and
spurning to earn. But forget not, that those who do not
accumulate wealth in this world, remain poor and needy
here and they go, as paupers, empty handed to the other
world. Therefore take to farming now and become pros-
perous. No longer will this state of stupor help you,
and more so whenIam gone.” The Sat Guru patiently
listened to fatherly advice with respect and then began
very quietly to say “Revered father, but, I am already

doing farming diligently and devotedly. And, please
believe me what I am doing is real farming.”
Impatiently the father interjected “What farming, are
you doing? And any way, then where are your earn-
ings ?’’ To this young Nanak replied :
“My body is the farm

And inner light
The ploughing farmer.
The waters of modesty
Irrigate the field
Making it fit for sowing
The seeds of the Name Divine.
Thus done, and sowing the seed
I level the ups and downs
Of the clods and the creaks
With the leveller of contentment.
And I thrash the field of the self
With the pounder of humility.
It is in this field,
Dear father,
That the blossoms of love sprout.
Seated in the certitude of truth
I watch the crop grow
And daily earn my wages
In the coins of ecstasy,
The essence of Happiness
And the fountain source
Essence of Earning 21
Of the prosperity
Of the soul”
To the father, set on worldly gains, the words of the
errant son sounded only like the ravings of some one
wholly off his head. He only interpreted it as the
excuses of a shirker from hard labour, which the nature of
farming demanded. Thus, thinking he came forward
with another suggestion “‘All right”, he said. “If not
farming than why not the easy way of a merchant's life.
May I open a shop for you, would you like that better ?”
This was answered by the young Guru, with another
parable when he said :
“The frailty of the physique
The body brittle,
Is the shop.
Inside this shop.
I make contemplation
The container,
In that container
I stock the grain of
Name Divine
The truest of the true commodities.
Thus Truth, dear father
Is the wealth, I earn
From the shop
Of the self.
Not to be out done, by what the father thought was
just evading the issue, he thought of suggesting that the
young boy, so fond of out door life, and so sympathatic
to the animal kind, should deal in horses,
This idea of the father was met by the Guru with

the reply which ran thus,
Only he who breeds
The horses of truth
Is the true dealer.
Virtue is the rich reward
For his labour of love.
Thus he accumulates
The wherewithal for the way
Which every one, born
Has ultimately. to tread
To the other world,
Where in finality
The true dealer
Shall reside eternally,
Lodged in the abode
Of bliss.”
Irritated, yet undismayed by these homilies of his son,

the father, finally proposed the idea of him wanting his
son to join Government service, which with his influence
with the local ruler he could secure for the boy.
To this the Sat Guru only replied :
“The only Master I serve
Is Him, and none else
With earthly desires
Manacled and bound.
With the grace of His name,
1 live in the glory
Of Surrender
Essence of Earning 23
To the Great Master,

Whose one look
Of favour
Confers Bliss, unimaginable,
As the salary for serving Him.
Uttering these words of light the Sat Guru passed into
an ecstatic state of self-forgetful trance.
7
NAMING THE NAME LESS
Coming out of the trance, the Sat Guru retired to his

own room and went into silence. Meal time came and he
would not eat. For, his hunger had been satiated with
the inner glow of ecstasy and in silence he was being bathed
with overflowing waves of joy.
Guru Nanak’s dear and revered mother, Matta Tripat
felt the pangs of motherly love. She came to his room
and tried to induce him to eat. And she discovered that
her much loved son was not refusing in anger, but that he
was drunk with the ecsacy of Oneness.
So, she asked for light on what he really meant by the
invokation of the name, that he constantly was repeating.
Feeling the loving earestness of his mother’s inquiry the Sat
Guru opened his eyes and spoke thus,
“To remember the Maker
Is to be alive
And to forget Him
Is death.
It is the invokation
Of his Name that feeds
The hunger. For, it is Him
Who consumes, like fire,
All the worldly sufferings,
To which human beings
Naming the Name less 25
Are subjected.
The name of the Great Almighty
Is un-namab:e,
O, Mother
Know Him only, as Truth.
His greatness is Unknowable
By the pigmy minds of men.
His greatness can only be seen
With the eye of the soul.
Thus seen —
His bounty is infinite
And ever flowing
All that the mind can conceive.
O, Mother
Is the fact that He alone
Is the creater,
Of all that happens
And exists”’.
Now the mother asked him, asto why it is so that
only the great and the erudite Pandits can know Him?
The answer to this was typical of the Sat Guru’s great
— teachings. He said,
“There is none
Who is high born
And as such qualified
To know Him.
we
There is no one low

Be And none high in human kind.
It is only praising Him
That makes the high,
=
6 Sat Guru Bata Nanak
And forgetting Him

That makes the low, among men.
Caste or Birth does not
Make men high or low.”
So saying, the great Sat Guru went into the Trance of
Praise. It was inthis trance that Sat Guru Baba Nanak
named the Nameless. The Name for him that flowed from
the tongue Divine was ‘Wahi Guru’. The inner meaning of
the name which Sat Guru Baba Nanak gave for the Almi-
ghy is a composite of ‘Wahi’ and ‘Guru’.
The word Guru in esoteric vocabulary connotes the
“Soul of Light” in totality. The word Guru in itself is a
composite of ‘GU’ and ‘RU’.
The Egyptian Masters of the Occult, for multi-centu-
ries before Christ had termed the sun as ‘RA’. They had
heard with the ear of the soul the sound of light, the
fountain source of which is the sun.
Sat Guru Baba Nanak had heard the same sound
esoterically, himself, and thus gave the real content to the
traditional usage of the vedic term Guru, which
had come to be used very commonly and even insensitively,
as an appellation of respect for any and every one. But
the word ‘GURU?’ in its inner essence could only be app-
lied to a teacher who illumines the minds with celestial
light, dispelling the ignorance of not knowing, and not for
any teacher of religious lore or philosophy.
To this truly conceived Name of the Creator, as the
‘Guru’ was added the word ‘Wah’ by Satguru Baba Nanak,
for, in his illumined mind the association was essential.
Because, he realised the Name ‘Guru’ for the Nameless
with all His attributes could never be uttered without
praise, and wonder accompanying, it. ‘Wah’ is the only
’
Naming the Name less a7
word that the tongue can utter whena mystic sees with
the eye of the soul the confounding and wonder inspiring
grandeur of the Almighty Creator, of all that exists.
Thus, Wahi Guru is that sacred “Sat mantra” that the
great Sat Guru Baba Nanak gave to the world and the
God adoring among human kind, which is known as
“Guru mantra’ in the vocabulary of the Sikh Faith.
It is the invokation of “Wahigru” as the Name of the
Nameless, so taught the great Sat Guru Baba, which
opens the portals of the inner heart to receive the infinite
waves of Joy, which in Vedic parlance we know as Anand.
The recitattion of the word ‘‘Wahigurw’ is enjoined on
all devotees and seekers of Light Divine, as Guru mantra.
The hidden beauty of the sacred Guru mantra lies in the
vibrational balance of the two words ‘“‘Wahi’ and Guru”.
Vibrationally both these words are of exactly equal Wave
length. The word “Wahi” is invoked with the ingoing
breath and the word Guru automatically follows with the
out-going breath.
And the still more wondrous fact about the holy Guru
mantra is that while invoking the composite word “Wahi
Guru’’, the tongue need not come:into action at all. And
soundlessly, the sacred Name goes on like a cycle of reci-
tation, effortlessly, and unendingly. It is thus, that the Holy
“Name ‘Wahiguru’ becomes a part of the breath of life
itself, integrally and Soulfully.
Through the Occult experience one knows that when
invoking the sacred Name every cell of the human body
receives the vitality of light, which energises the entirety of
the physical self, and envelopes the human being with the
celestial breezes of well being and inner Bliss.
Thus young Nanak, who was yet below the age of
seventeen had earned for himself the only name worthy of
8
ON THE ERRAND OF EARNING
With all the manifestations of Light, sprouting from

the illumined heart of the young son, the father still could
not see the grandeur of his Godliness.
Reticence in contemplation, and recluse like predilic-
tion for seclusion, was interpreted as signs of sickness and
the chanting of the Name Divine and His praise were
taken as the raving of a mind on its way to derangement.
Thus the renowned physician, Hari Das was called in,
to heal the sick son. Hari Das came and began to feel the
pulse. The young Guru asked him to look within and
observe his own pulse of the inner self. This remark
baffled the great medico. And the Sat Guru added ‘What
I am suffering from is the pain of Separation from Him
and suffering from such a pain is the real sign of human
well Being and sound health. ‘“‘Therefore,” said the Guru
“Suffering in itself is the disease, and the cure, both in
one”. ‘What is that form of suffering and what does it
feel like’ asked the physician. Tothis the Sat Guru
replied “The pain of separation clothes you with bliss
Divine and the waves of Joy transform the dross of the
self, like an alchemist, into the golden purity of inner
Light”. Spell bound, the physician heard the Sat Guru’s
words. Deep in the inner recesses of his being had _ reac-
hed the rays of light that flowed from the Sat Guru’s words
glow of illumination within.
On the Errand of Earning 29
“Your son is the messenger of God. Shed all worry

about his health” Hari Das told the anxious parents and
left for his own home.
Now that the Doctor had assured the father of his son’s
good health, he argued to himself that the son should be
gainfully employed. Towards this the father struck upon
still another idea for earning.
Mehta Kalu, softly suggested to his son that he should
engage himself in profit making, through buying from the
market in the near by town, the stuff that was the chea-
pest and selling it to the needy villagers at the highest price.
The Guru unprotestingly agreed, and departed with his
childhood friend Bala, who subsequently was to be the
life long companion of the Guru in his vast travels. Thus
the errand of earning began with twenty rupees as the
capital, so-happily given by the hope inspired father.
On the way to the market, the Guru and his companion
came by a group of Sadhus who said to the Guru that they
were penniless and were famished with hunger. How else
could he invest the money better, thought the young
Guru. And what else could bring more, as the profit of
merit, in the eyes of the great Maker and the master of
all, than feeding the penniless, devastated with the pangs
of hunger.
With footsteps spurred with the urge to mitigate the
suffering of the starving, the Guru hurried to the market,
bought the best of food and came back to feast the
Sadhus.
So done, he returned home, and when his father
asked him what he had bought and sold and how much
of profit had he culled, the Guru joyously said, “I bought
the goods of good deeds and have richly earned the pro-
fit of bliss-conferring merit. Thus I transacted the “Sacha

Sauda”, and traded in Truth.”
His companion, Bala afraid of Mehta Kalu’s wrath,
hastened to narrate the entire happening.
The Guru had passed into the Trance of love and
‘the father fuming with rage, only moaned the loss
of his money and with a heavy heart left his ‘wayward’
son alone. _
9
TO THE PASTURES NEW
The Sat Guru’s elder sister Bibi Nanaki was married
to Dewan Jai Ram, who was a minister at the court of
Daulat Khan Lodhi, the Governor of Sultanpur, in the
Doab area of the Panjab.
Bibi Nanaki came to visit her parents and sympathising
with her father’s distress and out of love for the dear
brother, she proposed taking the Guru with her and
getting him a job with the Governor, through her husband’s
influence.
The family accepted the idea as good and aftera while
the journey to Sultanpur was fixed. On the eve of the
Guru’s departure, Rai Bular, the Governor, held a send
off party and when the guests departed, Rai Bular took
the Guru into the privacy of his own room and tearfully
begged of him to bless him with advice for his own welfare
and success, as a ruler.
The Sat Guru’s simple words are memorable as the
essence of sound statecraft. ‘Serve [truly all for whom
you hold responsibility for governing. Help all those
who are inneed. Itis thus that you serve best the Lord
of ALL. Extend love and care to those in sorrow and
suffering. And remember Dear Nawab, [always to deal
Justice with Mercy. Andone who lives up to these laws
as a ruler, shall always receive strength from the Grace of
the Almighty.”
Thus saying the Guru took leave of the Governor and
next day he was onhis way to Sultanpur Lodhi, which
today, is no more than a township in the Kapurthala

District of the Punjab, but in the 15th century, when the
Lodhi Kings held sway over the throne of Delhi,
Sultanpur was the provincial capital and a big cultural centre.
The Moghul Emperor Aurangzeb and his mystic
brother Dara Shikoh, both in their young days lived at
Sultanpur for schooling with the great scholars who
resided there. In addition to this, Sultanpur, of those -
days formed the traffic square in the north for the
travellers, and traders between Central Asia and Hindus-
than.
This has been so, far centuries gone by. When ever the
archaeologists dig up the mounds round Sultanpur Lodhi,
big surprises await them, of finding the remains of
a big civilisation, no less ancient than Mohenjo Daro.
Guru Nanak was seventeen years old when he came to
Sultanpur Lodhi. Soon after his arrival, Dewan Jai Ram
his brother-in-law secured the post of a storekeeper for
him.
The diligence and regularity with which the young man
performed his official duties took even the Guru’s own
sister by surprise, and she was happy beyond words, as
she felt that the word which she had given to her parents
had been fully justified.
She was so satisfied with the depth of her brother’s
interest in his work and devotion to duty that soon after,
within a year she arranged his marriage, in a well-to-do
family of Batala in the Gurdaspur district, situated near
the Himalayan foot hills in the Punjab.
Once married, the young Guru took to the life ofa
house holder with the zest of an ideal husband. Loving,
understanding and shouldering all responsibilities like a
To the Pastures New 33
true man, he lived in his own house with his beloved wife,
Matta Sulakhani. During the following years came two
sons.
The elder one was Baba Sri Chand who was destined to
become the founder master of the Udasee sect, whose mem-
bers own amystic way of life as homeless recluses. Their
tenor of life is reminiscent of the “‘wandering Dervaishes”
of the middle East. Baba Sri Chand lived upto the age of
149, revered by the kings and the common folk alike. The
_ second son, was Baba Lakhmi Chand who led the life of
a house holder and thus carried on the sacred line of the
Guru’s blood descendants, the revered Bedis.
Thus, for a period of three years Guru Nanak lived the
devoted life of a responsible house holder and a self
earning member of society. Viewed in the perspective
of his life’s mission and in the light of his teachings to the
worldly, it was, in its essence, a demonstration to the
people and to his parents and family, that it was not
disability or want of qualities needed to make life, asa
householder, a success, nor was it an escapist attitude to
the gravity of life and its stern problems that he was taking
to the way of God, but that it impelled by was the inner
realisation of the grandeur of his missionas Almighty
God’s messenger of new values. This was the compulsive
dynamics behind his very own way of life, which he was
going to adopt as a wandering teacher of humankind.
For three long years, the great Guru continued his life
as a happy man of family and worked as an official of the
Lodhi Sultanate.
When he was touching his twentieth year, a horror-
some famine broke out and the Lodhi Governor of Sultanpur
ordered the selling of grain from the barns of the state.
The Guru was the Keeper of the Barns as well, and it
became his duty to supervise the sale of food grains to

those who came in distress.
The sale went on and every on who came was given as
much as he needed. And there were no accounts kept.
It so used to happen that while counting the number
of measures that any one was being given; when the count
came to thirteen, the word for which in the Panjabi langu-
age is ‘Tera’, the Guru would go into the Trance of service.
For, the word ‘Tera’ means, thirteen as well as ‘yours’.
And the sense of the word ‘yours’ would speak of “‘be-
longing to Him in service” and the Sat Guru would get
entranced.
So, who was there to keep accounts when for hours
in joyous ecstacy of giving in His name, the keeper of
the barns was far far away from counting. The tongue of
the informers began to wag and the tale was carried to the
Nawab that the barns. were depleted and no account for
money receipts was kept. And since the youngster of the
barn officer was the court minister’s brother-in-law none
dare bring the embezzler to book !
So hearing, Sultan Khan Lodi ordered an immediate
stock taking check up.
The Guru remained quiet and unconcerned. When
the checking party arrived, he just got up and without
a word to any one, walked away from the scene.
When the barns were unlocked, to the breath taking
surprise of all, all the rooms were full to the top. And
when they opened the cash boxes, they too were found
full of money. But having thus walked away, Guru Nanak
hed walked away from the worldly life itself.
His words, in which he announced his resolve to
Dewan Jai Ram his brother-in-law, have the ring of
To the Pastures New 35
of the assertion in finality. that one phase of his life had

been rounded off. ‘“‘I go from the householder’s way of life
because my first mission has been achieved”, said Sat
Guru Baba Nanak. ‘Having lived a householders life, now
I depart to teach the world of house holder’s as to how
they can live as true human beings. And how they can,
while leading normal domestic life know God and be
godly in daily life as fathers, mothers, sons and daughters.
10
TO THE MAIDENS OF MARA
Having walked away from domestic life Sat Guru Baba

Nanak stood at the gateway to the future. The scene
was laid on the haloed banks of Bayen, a stream that
phalanxes Sultanpure Lodhi. There he arrived and
passed into the Trance of Wonder.
In that trance, appeared all the Furies of the age
of suffering, the vitalities which inflict terror and strike
fear in the hearts of men. But when all the natural
calamities appearing in their horrorsome ferocity, could not
cut a dent on the Sat Guru’s composure in contemplation,
they all sneaked away, into nothingness. Thus vanished
the Furies of the Kaliyug, defeated in their mission of
terrorising the master.
In their place, arrived all the temptations, the ‘‘Maidens
of Mara’, All the inducements of Beauty, Wealth,
Power, all enjoyments of the earthly, appeared before
the Great Sat Guru as objects of enticement but only to get
a rejection cross put on themselves.
When nothing availed, last of all appeared in his
Trance the dazzling crown of Emperorship of the
entire globe, as the price for taking a step back and going
back to life worldy.
The Great Guru dispelled the delusions, with shafts of
golden words when he spoke voicelessly and said,
To the Maidens of Mara 37
“Of what consequence

Be the overlordship of the earth,
With armed might,
Sitting on a bejewelled throne ?
O, maidens of MARA
Wend your way
To beguile the ignorant,
Who do not have Him
Dwelling in the heart.”’
And finally came the Powers of the miraculous offer-
ing themselves to be at his command, to be the tallest
among human beings, as long as he lived.
To this generosity of the powers of miracle—working
the Sat Guru spoke’ with the voice of the Master that he
was,
“Vanish, all of you
And seek your playfield
In the hearts of the foolish
Who do not have
The Maker Almighty
In their hearts.”
Thus with words aglow with light, the darkness of
MARA was dispelled by the master of the Art Divine.
Thus having crossed all the barriers, which the negative
powers operating in creation, build in the path of the
positive powers of the creative, in order to thwart the
purpose of the dedicated among men and make them defect
from the path that idealism points to them, Sat Guru Baba
Nanak passed into the Trance of Praise.
For three nights and three days he remained in the
ecstasy of the Trance Divine.
II
NEW LIGHT ON JAP JI SAHIB
After three days of communion with the ever Highest

Lord, the Sat Guru came out of the Trance. As he opened
his eyes, he beheld the grandeur of His creation with whom
he had spent the long days of Ecstasy. Out of the great
heart, flowed the stream of Praise, the course of which
runs :—
; JAP
“RK ;
Onkar
Satnam
Kartapurkha
Nirbhau
Nirvair
Akal moorat
Ajooni
Seh bhang
— Gur Prasad
JAP
Aad sach,
Jugaad: sach
Hae bhi sach
Nanak,
Hosi bhi sach.’’
This sacred utterance of Sat Guru BabatNanak stands
as the Holy Mool Mantra--the foundational hymn, of Praise
Divine. .
Let us guage the height and depth of this Praise of the
Almighty God and feel the vibrational vitality embodied
New Light on Jap Ji Sahib 39
in every syllable of it. The hymn of Praise, in reality starts
with the word Jap and not straight with Ek. Taking
the Holy text of the sacred Mool Mantra we translate it
word by word and concept by concept.
JAP—Starting with the word of command to the inner
self, Jap means an imperative for praising the Almighty.
Thus Jap stands for “‘Praise’’.
Ek—And Praise whom ? Praise the Ek—the One.
Onkar—After thus defining the Almighty God as the
One, the Inner eye of Sat Guru’s soul beheld the attributes
of The One, and the very starting point of creation appears
before his eye Divine. And with the tongue of worshipful
wonder, the Sat Guru uttered the word Onkar which means
that He—the One, is the fountain from which emerges
the ‘Sound Creative’.
It is this sound creative which is known in Vedic lore
as ‘Aum’ which is, truly, to be pronounced more as
‘Aung’. If the word ‘Aum’ is uttered nasally, then it would
really sound as the Sat Guru used itin the attribute
Onkar.
Satnam—Then follows the conception of what the
sound creative announces as the Name of its sources and
that name is Sat. This word, Sat, in this context means
that He-The One, is the “Essence of Reality” and thus the
totality of Truth.
Karta Purkha—From the conception of Him, as the
‘totality of truth’ flows, from the Divine consciousness of
the Sat Guru the next wave of Praise and “the Sat”’ is seen
as Karta Purkha” That is, from the totality of truth flows
the attribute of the Almighty Godas the Karta Purkha,
the creator of the Totality, of not only creation but the
Totality of all that constitutes Existence and also all that
which extends beyond the borders of existence,—the

entirety of the domains of Non-Existence. The “entirety
perceiving inner eye of Sat Guru Baba Nanak viewed the
Karta Purkha on the throne of His realm, which includes
existence in its twin dimensions of Infinity and Enternity;
and non-existence, asthe land ofthe dormance of all
vitalities of the creative, before they become active and
perform the command Divine “Kun”, meaning “Create”,
and they enter the arena of creative activity.
Nirbhau—Thus the Great Sat Guru had reached the
total height of the Ecstatic state and his entire inner cons-
ciousness had become total light, a light more dazzingly
resplendant then a million suns. From that height celestial,
the Sat Guru’s consciousness projected the searchlight of
praise for discovering other attributes of the Karta Purkha
and then followed the word Nir bhau.
When light is put through a prism, it splits and its
colour spectrum of seven colours appears. Thus when the
totality of Truth—the Real, is split into its components as
attributes, the spectrum of the component qualities appears.
Thus when the Great Sat Guru looked at the spectrum
of Truth, the first quality in the spectrum appeared as
Nirbhau.
The word Nirbhau, strangely enough has been wholly
misunderstood and wholly mis-interpreted, ever since any
interpretation or transliteration was ever attempted. All
scholars have translated the word Nirbhau, as ‘Without
fear”. They have confused the classic Sanskrit word
‘Nirbhaw’ with the common place word Nirbhae which
means “‘without fear”.
The word ‘Nirbhau’, in the context in which the all
knowing Sat Guru Baba Nanak used it, means “without a
New Light on Jap ji Sahib 41
beginning and without an ending’? and it conforms to its

true classical Sanskrit connotation. Thus the word ‘Nirbhau’
should be understood and interpreted as the attribute of
the Karta Purkha who is “‘Nirbhau’’, that is, the One with
the “Beginningless Beginning and an Endless Ending”’.
This interpretation of the attribute “Nirbhau” is fully
confirmed esoterically as well. Looking at “fear’’ as one
of the attributes of darkness, and thereforea quality
common to the frail and the chicken hearted among men
has only one colour, when seen with the eye of Occult
perception, and that colour is coal black and thus the
embodiment of deepest darkness. And what is the defini-
tion of darkness ? Only one, Absence of light.
Now, the entire inner meaning stands revealed. It is
light that dispels darkness and therefore its stands to com-
mon sense that darkness cannot penetrate into light. And
Sat Guru Baba Nanak at the time of his ecstasy of Praise
Divine, when he uttered the holy Mool Mantra was the
unalloyed. embodiment of “Total Light”. Therefore even
the conception of fear, with darkness as its colour could
not enter the area of light nor even touch the fringe of his
totally illumined consciousness, which was eloquent in
defining the attributes of the Karta Purkha.
Nirvair—The same sin of misunderstanding and thus of
misinterpretation has been committed against the attribute
“Nirvair” by translating it to mean ‘‘without Hate”
Esoterically we know, that the colour of the vitality of
Hate, seen through the Occult Vision is blackest of the
black and thus the very conception of Hate could not go
near the wholly illumined consciousness of the Great
Sat Guru, which was the area of total Light.
Examined in the context of logic, the attribute ‘Nirvair’
is a compulsive follow up of the attribute ‘Nirbhau’.
in|
42 | Sat Guru Baba Nanak
Looking at the One, Karta Purkha who is “without a

Beginning and without an Ending’’ the Sat Guru’s eye of
Praise viewed his grandeur as the One who has no opposite
number. Every thing in creation has an opposite and the
“Pair of opposites” is not only the law of logic, but as well,
the foundational force in the magnetic field, of creation,
and of every object that has been created. Therefore be-
ing “without an opposite” and being indepedent of the law
of the “pair of opposites” was an attribute which belonged
only to “Him—the One and the Only One, without an
opposite”’.
Thus the word Nirvair connotes not “without hate”
but truly means “without an opposite” and thus means
unrivalled. It is the same conception asin the parlance
of monotheism is connoted by the term ‘‘La shreek”’.
Akal Moorat — Next in the spectrum of the attri-
butes of the Almightly God follows, Akal moorat, which
defines the “endless.ending” of the Karta purkha as the
“embodiment of eternity.”
Ajooni —And The One who is of “endless ending”
and the embodiment of Eternity, is Ajooni which means
free of the cycle of birth and death, which is the ordained
destiny of all created beings. Thus, Him is seen as “The
One, free from the cycle of being “and non being”.
~ Sehbhang—Thus the One, with all the grandeur of
such attributes could be created by none, except by Himself
and thus the word ‘“‘Sehbhang” puts the capstone on the
edifice of the attributes of the Almighty.
And the vibration of the word ‘‘Schbhang’’ with its
resonance of the “Totality of Soundless Sound”’ brings the
Ecstasy of Praise Divine to the very height of the trance
in which the great and glorious Sat Guru uttered the sacred
Moo! Mantra.
Sat Gur Prasad— From that point onwards. the
Sat Guru passed into the Trance’ of Wonder. And the
question of questions flashed across his consciousness was,
‘How can a human being ever, ever, know Him, the One,
Beyond Knowing.”
And with the ‘Voice of Light’ came the answer from his
own wholly enlightened self, “Guru Prasad” which
means that like the Guru giving the Prasad, the benedi-
ction of knowledge to the chela, the seeker at his feet, so
does the Almighty God through his Own Grace, confer
the boon of making Himself known to the seeker at His
door.
With the word Gur Prasad uttered, the great Sat Guru
passed from the Trance of Wonder into the Ecstasy of Rea-
lisition.
Jap—And once again comes the command “Jap”. It
is the command for all to Praise the Lord in the light of
His attribute which follow. It is from the Sat Guru’s
Ecstasy of Realisation that the rest of the holy Mool
Mantra, flows. The essence of what follows constitutes
the core of Realisation which descends through revelation
as Gur Prasad, to the seeker. And that realisation, the
Sat Guru ‘stated, was knowing Him as ‘‘Aad Sach”. But
before Aad sach, one again, the Sat Guru uttered the com-
mand Jap. This command was meant for all who seek the
Real. Its inner meaning is that the Great Sat Guru knew
that it is not within the capacities of all to Praise the Lord
in Full, since they cannot feel the celestial vibration of the
spectrum of attributes in all its fine shades of the emotio-
nal shifts. But he knew that to praise Him as the Real
was possible for all. Thus the word Jap in this context
is directed to all, who indeed can worship Him through a
concept.
Aad Sach — Now the word Aad in Aad sach has to
be understood with a thorough stress laid on the sense that
“Aad “‘means’’ Before the Birth of Time, and not just the
“Beginning of time’, as commonly understood.
Jugaad Sach — After “Aad sach’ follows “Jugaad
sach’’. Itis here inthe word Jugaad that the sense of
Time enters the picture of Time Dimension and the word
Jugaad means “since the Birth of Time” and the beginning
of the ‘“‘Jugas’’.
Hae Bhi Sach —And then the Sat Guru looked round
and with all the emphasis at his command asserted with his
voice Divine. “Hae Bhi Sach’. The heart of the
emphasis lies in the assertive word of affirmation ‘‘Bhi’.
That word “Bhi” was the Sat Guru’s expression of Chal-
Jenge to the darkness that prevailed all around the world,
a darkness born of the Age of the Furies, with the dark
forces of Kaly Juga rampant in ‘playing havoc with the
minds and hearts of men.
So, as the Messenger of light and the Guardian of the
Good, the Sat Guru asserted with authority Divine that ins-
pite of Kaly Juga, Him even now remains the Real and thus
came “Hae Bhi sach”. ;
Nanak Hosi Bhi Sach — The Prophet of the age
to come, asthe Great Sat Guru was, he spoke with voice
Divine of the future too. Certitude surpassed itself, in the
glory of the prophetic utterance, Nanak Hosi bhi sach:
‘Nanak, says, “O, future; no matter what you hold in
the mystery of the unknown ages to follow, for created
boings, but Him shall, for ever and ever, be the Truth. Thus
the text of the sacred Mool Mantra, translated in

the light of the new interpretation, with the much
needed correctives to old interpretations, reads :—
Ek : The one
Onkar : The parent of Sound creative.
Sat Nam : Truth is Your Name
Karta Purkha : Creator of existence and
Lord of Non existence.
Nirbhau : Of beginningless Beginning and of
Endless Ending
Nirvair : Without an opposite.
Akal Moorat : The embodiment of Immortality.
' Ajooni : Free from the cycle of birth and death.
Sehbhang : Self manifested.
Gur Prasad : Self revealed, By. grace of Himself.
Jap Praise the One
Aad sach : From beginningless beginning, truth is
| Your Name.
| Jugaad sach =; From the beginning of time, truth is
} Your Name.
‘Hae bhisach : Even today, truth is Your Name.
Nanak : Nanak Says,
Hosi bhi sach : Even to the Endless End of time, truth
shall be Your Name.
Japji Sahib— Astothe inner meaning of Jap ji
Sahib, it has to be clearly understood that it is “Praise
Divine” and not a “‘prayer” as most translators call it, by
giving it the name “The Sikh prayer”.
A prayer however selfless has always the content of
asking init. Assuch the sacred Japji Sahib is not a
“Sikh prayer” but purest of pure ‘‘ustaat’’, Praise of the

Almighty God in the light of His attributes.
Another point which arisesout of the name, Jap ji
Sahib” also needs to be clarified. With the word Jap the
appellations ji and sahib are not just honorific for the of
purpose uttering the word “Jap” with due respect. But it
is much more than that.
“Jap Ji Sahib” is an integrally composite command. It
is the command of the light within to the consciousness of
the heart.
In this context Jap means Praise, Ji means the Heart
and Sahib means the Lord, and thus Jap Ji Sahib, in the
inner sense, truly means ‘Praise, the Lord, O, my Heart’!
12
IN THE ABODE OF ONENESS
Having thus given to the world, the First Article of

Faith, in his own inimitable way, the Sat Guru left he bank
of the Bayeen and walked over to a near by grave yard.
This distressed the family beyond bearing and Dewan
Jai Ram sent for a muslim priest for help. He was con-
vinced that either the Guru has gone completely off his
head or he is surely possessed of a ghost.
The Mullah arrived in the grave yard and the Sat Guru
hailed him with a happy smile. And before the Mullah
spoke, he heard the mad man he had come to cure
singing the Song of Surrender, which ran thus :
“Strange is world of men
So foolish are their ways,
He in whose heart
Dwells love Divine
Men of the world
Call him possessed of Ghosts”.
And then the next stanza followed
‘‘He who has submitted
To the well Divine
Surrendering the self,
The men of the world
Call him mad.
Thus hearing the Mullah said ina surprise struck voice,
‘Dear man, you talk likea learned Pandit and yet you
act like an idiot’. To this the Sat Guru replied “‘A person
who is God intoxicated and feels himself less than a speck
of dust, who dare call him a fool, except the ignorant ?”
Then the Mullah turned round to ask, why had he abondo-
ned his home and was sitting in the grave yard, of all
places.
“To serve mankind” said the Sat Guru and he added
All are one, there is no Hindu and no Muslim. All are His
and ultimately all have to come, to the graveyard, which
is the Abode of Oneness. But the only difference is that
men of the world come tothe grave-yard weeping and
wailing and carried onthe shoulders of other men and I
come happily, walking on my own feet”.
Thus non-plussed, the Mullah told Dewan Jai Ram that
the Guru was perfectly sane, but adamant on his self cho-
sen path of serving mankind.
Thus dismayed with the failure of the muslim Divine
the Guru’s sister, Bibi Nanaki, came herself to pursuade her
brother, with the strength of her Jove. With voice filled with
the pangs of anguish, she asked the Sat Guru as to why is he
leaving the family, who needs him so much and w ho love
him so dearly. ‘‘Ever dear sister ; the whole of mankind is
my family, and they need me, more, In serving them I
shall be serving the family, no less,
Thus ended the family’s effort to reclaim the cne who
was lost to God and belonged to all His creatures.
13
SUMMONS FOR THE HERETIC
“There is no Hindu and no Muslim” says the fakir,
named Nanak, who is sitting in the graveyard and spreading
heresy”. Thus complained the Mullah, to, the Nawab.
Not distrusting the priest’s word. the Nawab ordered
his Kotwal to go and fetch the fakir to his presence. The
Police chief arrived at the graveyard and asked the Guru to
accompany him to the court as the Nawab had sent for
him “Sent for me” ? “Why” ? “‘And any way, why should
Igo? NowlIserve Him only and no more the Nawab”
said the Sat Guru. The Kotwal was a God fearing man and
he immediately understood the stern voice which the men
of God have when moved with Holy wrath. And he
entirely changed his manner, ‘Maharaj’ ; said the
Kotwal, “The Nawab has begged of you to come. For, he
wishes to seek light”. ‘*Then’’ said the Sat Guru “certainly
I shall go, where ever there is a seeker of light Divine. I
shall happily go, no matter how far. Because in so doing,
I serve him’’.
Thus the Sat Guru arrived at the Court of the Lodhi
Nawab. The Nawab himself was a pious man and he well
remembered the mircle of how the barns had been found
full and the cash boxes brimful of money, even though
the entire grain had been given away to the needy.
When the Sat Guru arrived, he was seated by the
Nawab, reverentialy by his own side. This, of course, the
Mullah much disliked.
After a while, the Nawab politely broached the subject

and said.
“1 wish to seek light, as Iam puzzled at your saying
that there isno Hindu and no Muslim. Yes, about the
Hindus, you know better, but how do you say that there
is no Muslim. Here, the Mullah, our revered priest, and
then myself, we all believe in the Holy Qoran and the Holy
Prophet, are we not Muslims ?
“Dear and much respected Nawab-:Sahib,’ said the
Sat Guru “to be a true muslim is a very difficult job”’.
“Why ? What are you saying” hurriedly and angrily
interjected the Mullah. The Sat Guru in reply to the Mullah
sang thus,
“Only firmness of faith
Makes a true Muslim,
His acts must conform
To the Holy prophets commands.
Clean of Heart
Cleansed of Greed
And rid of pride
Fearless in life
And ever ready to face death
Resigned to will Divine,
Freed from dross of the self
Compassionate to fellow beings,
One, with qualities these
Alone can be Muslim true”.
Thus non-plussed the Mullah changed the tenor and the
topic. And asked the Sat Guru “Well, then tell us what
is your creed ?”,
Summons For The Heretic. 51
“T am neither a Hindu, nor a Muslim, I belong only

to His creed. To me all religions are only His”, said the
Sat Guru.
“If that be true” said the Mullah challengingly, thin-
king that thus he will catch this fakir’s bluff. “The
prayer timeis nearing, if you have no religion will you
come to the mosque for Namaz with us ?”
“Only he’, said the Sat Guru “can rightly and rightfully
be called religious, who reveres and lives in the light of
commands Divine brought to earth by all the Prophets. To
me all religions are His, so happily I shall come for the
prayers at the mosque, with you all dear ones”,
14
FOR PRAYERS AT THE MOSQUE
Consternation gripped the capital city of Sultanpur,
when the news spread, as fire spreads through the drought
parched forest, that Nanak, the brother-in-law of the court
minister Dewan Jai Ram was going with the Nawab and
his party to the mosque. And it was presumed that he was
going to get converted to Islam.
Crowds of people, the Hindus in sorrow and anger and
the Muslims with jubilation in there hearts, hurried to the
mosque. Milling crowds hovered round the mosque wait-
ing for the news, as soon as the Nawab’s party comes out.
Tenseness of the dramatic situation prevaded the air.
All got in the formal array for prayers and by there side
stood the Sat Guru. The Nawab and the Mullah bowed
low and then arose erect and then again, down for prayers,
but the Sat Guru just stood erect and still.
While saying the prayers, both the Nawab and the
Mullah observed the conduct of the Fakir and fumed at his
tricking them that way. The prayer over, the Muliah looked
daggers at the Sat Guru and asked in fury. “How dare you
mock this way, at our holy prayers ? You heretic’’ !
Quietly the Sat Guru asked, in answering the Mullah,
What are your prayers ? Does kneeling down and then
standing up only make prayers’’.
In red wrath, the Mullah ‘thundered “You mean to
say, that I was not reciting the holy text of the Namaz ?”
“No” said the Sat Guru, softly “you, Mullah Sahib,
For Prayers At The Mosque 53
were far away even from the mosque. You were all the
time thinking of your mare in the backyard of your house
and thinking whether today she will deliver a male foal or
a female one’’. Then the Sat Guru stopped.
And before the Mullah could say anything, the Nawab
asked. ‘But what about me ; why did you not join me”,
Why ?
‘“Nawab Sahib you also were far away. You were in
Kandhar, you were bothering about, as to what your
agents for buyiug horses in Afghanistan will do iwith your
money.”
Dumb founded, by the Sat Guru’s knowing the hidden
things of his heart, the Nawab, io honesty confessed that
what the Sat Guru had said was really true. The Mullah,
shamefacedly also accepted what the Sat Guru had told
about himself.
Amazement gripped the minds and hearts of all, in the
mosque and outside the mosque. Before leaving, the Sat
Guru uttered in song.
‘“‘Make love your mosque,
O muslim,
Make faith the prayer mat
Live on earnings honest,
In the light of the Holy Qoran
Let modesty be the circumscion,
And truth the light
On the path of life,
Let good deeds
Be your religion
And His name your rosary,
Living thus, only
You live
As muslim true,
O, muslim !
After finishing the song, the Sat Guru spoke to the

people around and said.
“Remember, my dear ones! only he whose acts con-
form to the words of his prayer is true to his religion,
no matter to which faith or creed be belongs. That is
why there is no Hindu and no Muslim. And all belong
to His religion’. Thus ended the visit to the mosque.
This was the last of the great manifestations of the Di-
vinity of the Sat Guru at Sultanpur Lodhi.
Then onward, began his life of Travel and Teaching,
which are known as the three “Udasees”, the Triple rounds
of Travels, in India and out of India.
15
BHAI MARDANA’S MANDOLIN |
Saying good bye to home and the wordly life, the Sat
Guru crossed over the haloed banks of Bayeen where he
had given to the world, the immortal song of Praise Divine,
the sacred Jap Ji Sahib.
After a journey of few miles he asked Bhai Mardana,
who was a bard by birth to play on the Mandolin.
“But’’ said Mardana with a voice ringing with surprise
“T have no Mandolin’.
““Well’’ said the Sat Guru” Go towards the north and
you will meet some one who will give you a Rubab”.
“But” again said Mardana, I do not know anybody in
the North’ :
‘Never mind, Mardana” said the Sat Guru “If you only
do what I am telling you to do, your just going will mean
getting”. Obeying the Sat Guru, the faithful Bhai Mardana
began to walk with rather diffident feet in the direction of
the North.
He had gone onlyja short distance when he saw, coming
through the thickets, a very old man, his back bent with
the weight of age. But his long white beard looked like
tbe halo round a saint’s face and the face of the old man
was just the picture of masculine handsomeness.
“What are you here for? asked the old man” looking
at Mardana, with his lost to the world look.
“J am looking for one who is waiting for me “replied
Mardana.
“And what for”? asked the octegenarion.

“For giving me a Rubab”.
“The old man gave a smile of recognition and very
lovingly said “Ah, So Nanak Nirankari has sent you.”
Surprised beyond words, ‘Mardani joyfully ssid “Yes,
that is so’
Ou hearing this the old man’s tongue fumbled with devo-
tion, whea he said “Pray give my humblest respects to
Nanak Nirankari, and then say, O Mardana, that this
ancient servant, of ages gone by and of many births before
the present, Parenda by name, has handed over what was
left with him as a trust, so, so long, centuries back’’,
So saying, from no where appeared an old but lovely
Rubib which the old devoted soul handed over to Bhai
Mardana. And before Mardana could thank him for the
gift, the old man just vanished into thin air.
All confounded at this strangest of the strange happen-
nings, Bhai Mardana wended his way back to the august
presence of the Sat Guru. On seeing Mardana with the
Rubab, the Sat Guru asked him to play it.
“But, Ido not know how to play the Rubab” said
Mardana.
“Put your fingures on the strings of the Rubab and
keep them moving, you have nothing else to do.” comman-
ded the Divine master in Sat Guru. Bhai Mardana did
accordingly and celestial music began to stream forth from
the Rubab.
This phenomenon may appear so incredible to those
who are unaware of the nature of esoteric vitalities
and how they function. But today, after the “Descent of
the Supramental’’, a term which the great Sri Aurobindo
used for the Psychic force and its becoming functional in
Bhai Mardana’s Mandolin 57
the world, this happening is most readily and prefectly

understandable.
After all what else is the phenomenon of ‘‘Automatic
writing”, and what else is the nature of Abstract Art in the
context of the new world, and the new forces of nature
which are manifesting themselves more and more. It is
the Psychic force, as a Vitality of the Invisible, which
furnishes the dynamics and moves the pen in “automatic
writing or properly named, “Psychic Writing’. It is
again the psychic force which gives movement and the
content to the brush of the painter who is Psychic. And
both these phenomena are taking place every where, all the
time, as authentic happenings. The Great Guru had confer-
red the capacity of Psychic playing” on Bhai Mardana
through his Grace Divine
16
MILK VERSUS BLOOD
The next halt of the Sat Guru was at Saidabad, now
known as Amenabad. The Sat Guru stayed with the
humblest of the humble, a carpenter named Bhai Lalu,
who on receiving the Sat Guru spread the carpet of his very
heart. He welcomed the old friend of by gone birth with
love and reverance.
Malik Bhago, the Governor of Amenabad province,
which was under the rapacious rule of the Afghan auto-
crats, was holding a regal feast the same evening as the
Sat Guru arrived there. All the priests Sadhus and the
poor of the locality were being fed by the Governor. On
knowing that a man of God had arrived, the Governor
sent a messenger to invite him. This invitation the
Sat Guru, refused saying that he would prefer the hos-
pitality of his poor host.
This reply was interpreted by the Governor, Malik
Bhago, as a polite way of saying that the sadhu was not
willing to eat in an “out of the caste” home.
The messenger was sent again with the large hearted
assurance that if there was a caste objection, than surely
seperate arrangement would be made for the revered
sadhu.
To this generous offer, the Sat Guru replied “I have
no caste prejudice, nor do I need a specially sanctified
place for eating my food, like the Brahmins, For me every
Milk Versus Blood 59
bit of the earth and every one created by Him is pure

and sacred. But at the Malik’s home I shall not eat’.
Receiving such an out-spoken reply Malik Bhago
was infuriated and came in a temper to Bhai Lalu’s
house.
Arriving there, he looked angrily at the Sat Guru and
said. “What prevents you from eating my food ?”
“If you truly wish to know, then please send for the
food from your house” said the Sat Guru.
Rather surprised at so cryptic a request, the Malik
hastened the food to he brought. When the traysful of
the choicest of food arrived, the Sat Guru asked his humble
host, Bhai Lalu, to bring his own food also. So, he too
brought his bare two loaves of dry bread.
Now, the Sat Guru picked up a loaf from the trayful of
the Milk’s food in one hand, and with the other took a loaf
from Bhai Lalu’s offering. Thus holding a loaf of bread
in each hand, the great Sat Guru squeezed both the loaves.
Lo and behold, to the wonderment of all, from Bhai Lalu’s
loaf flowed out a stream of milk and from Ma'ik Bhago’s
loaf trickled blood.
Softly spoke the Sat Guru “‘Now you know, why I could
not eat your food. It has the blood of the poor in it.
And please know that it is the sweat of honest labour, of
the humble which produces milk”.
The news spread round the town, and like moths
flying to light the people arrived. And the Sat"Guru sang
his message to them.
“What rightfully belongs
To another
ae
Shun it,
As Hindus shun cow’s meat
And the Muslims :
Shun the meat of a pig.
Know, ye men |!
Of all religions and faiths
The fruit of injustice
Is suffering and sorrows,
Only good deeds
And true living
Paves the way to a happy life.
3 17
THE TRUE WAY
Bhai Mardana, in the course of a journey through a
jungle, said,
“Maharaj, ‘why is it that you shun the cities and the
towns? [ say so because, I am just half dead with
hunger and that yonder town, you are just skirting round,
and not going there ?”
The Sat Guru just smiled and replied,
‘“‘Mardana, the cities are the Seats of sin. There, the air
is smoky with the vices which attack men and make them
cut each other’s throats”. And then added very under-
standingly “Yes, as to your hunger, I give youa slip of
paper. Show this to the people in the town, and the one
who understands the meaning will be the one to feed
you”.
On the paper a question was written, “What is real and

what is false ?” Right through the town, walked Mardana,
showing the slip to many. But Jooking at the question
they looked at Mardana and gave the most cutting sneer
of ridicule. Bhai Mardana was feeling, by now famished,
to the point of gripping pains of hunger in his empty
stomach.
At last he showed the paper to. 2 Baker in a tiny
shop in the side street. He looked at the question and
with earnest thought wrote down the answer,
‘Life is unreal and death is the reality.” So writing

he offered food to Mardana. And after he had been fed
to the point of a happy look, the baker begged his guest
to take him to the person who had written the question.
“It is Nanak Nirankari, the Guru, who wrote them, and
I shall indeed be happy to take you along” ,said Mardana
very cheerfully.
Arriving in the thick of the jungle, the Baker saw the
Sat Guru and he felt uplifted by the Presence itself.
“Show me the true way, O Master of Mastet’s” begged
the Baker,
“Seeking is the path, my dear one” said the Sat Guru
“and the Almighty God confers light, When there is the
earnestness of seeking as a beggar at His door”.
The vibration of these words of light uttered by the
Sat Guru sent the seeking Baker into a state of ecstasy.
When after some time, the Baker came out of the ecstasy
of realisation, he begged the Sat Guru to allow him to be
in his company for a few days.
While staying with the Sat Guru, after a few days the
Baker said “O, Guru maharaj, you have awakened in me,
the desire only to serve God and be a seeker. I have no
heart left to be in the world any more. All I wish to do
now, is to renounce the world and be a Fakir’.
“Good man’’, said the Sat Guru, know the True way,
and live accordingly’.
“What is the True way, maharaj’’ ? asked the Baker, in
all humility.
‘The True way”, replied the Great Sat Guru” is to be
in the world and yet be out of it’.
The True Way 63
“How is that possible, Maharaj”, asked the seeking

Baker.
“Live fully the life of a householder, escape not from
any responsibility. All that comes to you in the course of
the performance of all your duty , as sorrow and suffering,
deem it as ordained by the Great Maker of all”.
“Then, why sir, do so many renounce the world” in-
quired the rather puzzled Baker.
“Good man” said the Sat Guru “most of those who
leave the world in search of Him are only escapists. Facing
the stern demands of a good and honest life and the toil of
shouldering responsibilities to their family and to follow-
men, gives them a fright which is too horrorsome for
them’’, “And, good and dear man”; added the great
Sat Guru, speaking with the voice of cold judgement”. I
do not call such forsakers of the world, seekers, I call
them shirkers’’.
“The True way, O earnest seeker” said the great
Satguru’’ lies in living in the world, and battling day by day,
against the forces of the dark. It is such a battle,
knowingly and unceasingly, fought against evil and its
temptations, which purifies the mind and you rise slowly
and surely with the strength of the Light Within”.
“Polish the mirror of the heart, with good deeds, and
with the silken cloth of striving, in the course of facing
your responsibilities’. ‘‘Thus’’ said the Sat Guru ‘“‘you live
like a True seeker and thus do you become truly a human
being and living, my ever dear one, in that manner is the
True way”,
At this point, the Sat Guru floated into Praise Divine and
he sang the Holy Mool Mantra of the Sacred “Jap Ji
Sahib’’.
Then, coming out of his ecstasy, the Sat Guru asked the
disciple in the Baker, to recite the sacred Mool Mantra
with him. As the Sat Guru recited it himself, the Baker
following him, recited it, word by word. And then, the Sat
Guru explained to him the. purpose of his learning the
holy Praise Divine.
“The vibrations of this Praise of Him, have the vitality of
arousing the best in the human being and of investing a man
with the strength to attribute every thing to Him and
always to act in His name, in every thing that he does while
living in the world. Thus living in the world aad attribu-
ting all acts to the Command Divine, one begins to live in
the world and yet out of it”.
The Baker, illumined with the knowledge of the True
way came back, to his home to live the True way, through
serving man and God both, as an enlightened householder.
i q ) 4 ] 8
TRAPPED BY THE DACOIT

Wanderings of the Sat Guru went on day after day and
year after year. The direction was determined by the
impulsion of light. Which ever way the Sat Guru sensed,
with his vision Divine, lay the areas of darkness and of the
deficiency of values human, through the forces of evil
worsting the good, in that direction the holy feet of the
Sat Guru found their path to tread.
Once, the evening was approaching, and the Sat Guru and
his twin life long companions on the journey of light, Bhai
Bala and Bhai Mardana, all were most welcomingly invited
by a godly looking man, with a saffron yellow mark on his
forehead, which gave him the appearance of a devout and
orthodox Hindu and he wore a green muslim rosary round
his neck.
“Stay, noble sirs, in my humble home and bless me
with your holy presence’ said the man whose name was
Sajjan, meaning “‘A true friend’? but who was in reality a
heartlessly murderous dacoit by profession.
“Gladly, dear one, we shall be your guests, even though
we do not ordinarily like to stay under any one’s roof.
We prefer the blue canopy of the Heavens and stay always
in the forest glades” said the Sat Guru, so warmly accepting
the invitation of the Dacoit. While the Sat Guru was
speaking, he had seen with his inner eye, who, in truth, the
host was,and he had the twinkle of amusement in his
light-lit eyes.
Sajjan was happy on his success, in so clevely beguiling

the simpletons, who were now trapped in his den of
murder, never to see the sun rise on the morrow.
After every one settled down, the Sat Guru asked
Mardana to*play the Rubab and the stream of celestial
music flowed out of the Mandolin. The blood thirsty Sajjan
was squatting devotionally, pretending to be a pious
jistener. After a while the Sat Guru began to sing :
“The shine and lustre
Of bronze
Turn black, with even a single rub
Of the Hand,
And so black that not a hundred
Washings can bring the lustre back.
As to friends, only they are
True and named Sajjans,
Who in the hour of need
Remain true.
In the courtyard of the house
A sacred peepal tree
A resting place for the
Weary of journey
Adjacent to the house.
it is all gold to look at,
But base alloy all within.
The Saffron paste on the forehead
And a rosary entwined
Round the throat
Whom can this counterfeit
Appearance deceive,
O, True friend ; O Sajjan !
Trapped by the Dacoit 67
Of what avail shall be

The ornamental homes
With furnishing and decor
So beautiful and so costly ?
Clad in white, like Herons
Sitting placidly on the turbid Jake
They wait for the catch
At places where the weary
Go to find rest,
And at Holy shrines where
The harrassed of the world
The sorrow ridden go
In search of peace
And where the devout of heart
Go as seekers, worshipfully.
Such men are violaters
Of faith
And despoilers of humankind.
They are not Sajjans,
Such men are like
The Seemal tree
Whose colourful blossoms
By the charm of beauty
Draw the hungry birds.
But the lovely looking Seemal tree
Bears no fruit,
It only has blossoms.
So, O Sajjan, the bird
Cheated of food, needed
To fill his empty stomach
Flies away disappointed,
68 Sat Guru. Baba Nanak
Beyond reckoning.
So, are the human beings.
Like the seemal tree ify
Who are devoid of virtue.
Such among humankind
O, Sajjan iat &
Collect only loads
Of Sin
Ignorant of the long and dreary
Road of life 3
And of death.
As the journey ends,
Blinded by the weight
Of sins perpetrated,
Steep is the path, they climb
O sajjan ! )
Indulging in craft and cunning
Only hardens
The path ahead, O Sajjan !
Says Nanak, Remember !
The Almighty
Maker of all beings,
The Creator of heaven and hell
And liberate yourself
Of the dungeon
Of blind self pursuit.”
As the Sat Guru sang, his words pierced through the
darkness enveloping the dacoit’s consciousness, like shafts
of light and illumined him all inside.
As the Sat Guru stopped singing, with tears of remorse,
and repentance streaming down his chastened face, Sajjan,
fell at the Sat Guru’s holy feet and in a voice trembling with
Trapped by the Dacoit 69
self pity confessed his sins and begged the Sat Guru’s Grace ~
of Forgiveness, ending up with the supplication ‘“O Rede-
emer of the cursed among men! O Teacher of Truth
Divine ! save me with the Grace of your Teaching and
faithfully I shall, ever obey your sacred command as long
as I live”.
“The Maker of all, the Almighty Creator is all merci-
ful” said the Sat Guru. ‘‘Be a beggar for forgiveness at
His august door. And my dear one! O, Sajjan, repen-
tance is the begging bowl for receiving the alms of forgi-
veness Divine’.
“True Repentance” the Sat Guru explained “means
repenting for bad actions and not just praying to be for-
given.”
Therefore, as the first step towards real repentance, the
Sat Guru instructed Sajjan, to go on the journey of tracing
all those whom he had despoiled of goods or of life or
limbs, and making good their losses. And in the case of
those whom he had murdered he should go to their near
and dear ones and fall at their feet, seeking forgiveness.
Darkness of sinful deeds thus lifted, Sajjan devoutly
and sincerely, with tears of joyous acceptance, readily
should promised to perform the pilgrimage of Repentance.
After the change of his inner heart, the Sat Guru
taught him the Holy Mool Maatra, of the sacred Praise
Divine, the Jap Ji Sahib. “By reciting this’, said the
Sat Guru, “ever you shall remain in the presence of the
Almighty and thus get exalted into the sensing of inner
bless”.
Sajjan, faithfully obeyed the Sat Guru’s command, and
started as a pilgrim for seeking forgiveness, and where ever
_
he went, he was received with rebuke, maltreatment and

even beatings, but Sajjan bore it humbly. He faced all that,
with the sacred Moo] Mantra, ever on his tongue.
As atoken of his fidelity and worshipful reverance for
the Sat Guru, Sajjan built a Temple of worship and for resi
a Dharamsala. It was the ever first architectural mono-
ment built, by any one who had been reclaimed from the
tentacles of an unworthy life and had out of recognition
of the Sat Guru’s grace, as the saviour, had become a Sikh,
Institutionally, it was the ever-first Sikh Gurdwara where
the recitation of the sacred text of the Jap Ji Sahib got
started.
This Gurdwara, became the magnet for myriads, who
came to seek light and inner peace and to the joumey
weary travellers it provided the haven of rest.
And thus Sajjan, began to live upto the ‘true meaning
of his name and ever continued to travel on the path of
light as the Great Sat Guru’s true Sikh.
19
FROM ETERNITY TO ETERNITY
For years long, the journey for spreading light took
the Sat Guru to the farthest village and the remotest of
mountain heights.
At last one day, the Sat Guru suddenly announced “I
must immediately return to the village of my birth. My
friend wants me’’.
Rai Bular, the Governor, who had befriended Sat Guru
Baba Nanak, when he was just a young man and the des-
pair of his worldly affluence-loving father, that very friend
was on the point of passing away to the other world. And
so, said the Sat Guru he must reach in time to be by his
side to take him across the river of styx which forms the
frontier between this world and the Great Beyond.
On arriving at Talwandi Bhoeki, the. Sat Guru went
straight to the residence of the ailing Rai Bular. On see-
ing the Sat Guru, Rai Bular, over whelmed by the Sat
Guru’s Divine Presence, just said,
“O holy one, my body doesnot permitme to bow
before you. It isso weak now. But my heart is wholly
at your feet’.
The Sat Guru with his bliss bestowing: smile
said “Ever dear friend, it is the message of your heart that
reached me, so have I come”. So saying the Great Sat Guru
put his hand Divine on Rai Bular’s head and inner
peace descended on him. In the ecstasy of that peace,
-
‘ES Sat Guru Baba Nanak
Rai Bular closed his eyes and passed into the realms of
ever green Bliss,
The mission of the visit ending, the Sat Guru visited with
all the love and devotion of a true son, his revered father
and motherand again before nightfall begged leave of
them.
Just as they started the journey into the unknown, once
again, Bhai Mardana, with the intimacy of a companion
said to the Sat Guru “Strange are you. Maharaj, coming
all that Jong long distance for a dying friend and yet when
he died, you did not shed even a single tear over his dead
body”!
“Listen, good man” replied the Sat Guru “those who
know that death is only a gateway to a new birth, how can
they mourn the act of dying” and he luminously added”,
Dear man, know that there isno such thing as death.
Nothing ever dies. It is only transformation which
governs life’’.
Pointing towards the top of the tree under which they
were sitting the Sat Guru said, “Look Mardana, how the
leaves of the tree are floating down and the tree, in the
spring zgain, will get new leaves. Like this very tree is the
tree of life, and its leaves go through the cycle of birth and
transformation, which means from the so called death on
to a new birth.”
‘Thus, dear man, runs the leela of the gods and thus
is played the Drama of creation and transformation, from
eternity, never endingly.
All what the Sat Guru taught of the nature of life and
death is fully borne out by all that science has been able
to unravel asthe mystery of Being. At the base of every
From Eternity to Eternity 73
thing in existence, lies the ever vital stream of energy.

So, in the light of modern science, where is the fact of
death? What is lifeless in the entirety Of creation ?. Not
an iota. Even when “‘Dust unto dust returneth’ what
constitutes the base of that inanimate looking speck of
dust?. Nothing else but redolent energy in its final
form. And the speck of dust is as alive as a human being.
And no less is £the stone alive. Thus what the Great
Sat Guru taught of the-act of transformation stands as the
final truth, of the nature of existence and the never ceasing
and the unending cycle of birth and so called death, Thus
runs the course of life from Eternity to Eternity, as taught
by the Great Sat Guru.
20
FOUNDING OF GOD’S VILLE
Finally the Satguru felt within, that time had come to

Stop his travels, which had already fully covered the
entire North of India.
In the heart of the Punjab flows the river Ravi. It was
on the bank of this haloed river that the Satguru chose a
site for settling down, back to family life. This was his
grandest manner of illustrating that even he himself who
was the messenger of light is not above what he taught to
the other householders as the best form of living.
The Sat Guru settled onaspot and started holding
congregations of the devout. But the land on which he
settled was the property of a rich Banker, Seth Karoria by
name. On learning that a Sadhu had occupied a part of his
lands, the Seth was red with rage. He ordered his horse
to be brought, so that he could go to eject the in-
truder at once.
Hardly had he gone out of the compound of his house
when his horse stumbled and he fell. Too ignorant to
understand the inner reason for the fall, again he mounted
the horse and hardly had he gone a short distance when he
lost his eyesight. Except the darkness of the vision, there
‘was nothing that he could see.
“Tt is strange that I can see and yet not see and all
that I see is just darkness !”” said the Banker.
Founding of God’s Ville 75
In his company was a man who had heard of the great

Sat Guru. And now that the millionaire lord was in a rea-
sonably chastened mood to be talked to, the man told him
of the Divinity of the great Sat Guru.
Humbled by two experiences the millonaire walked
barefooted, all the way to the spot on his lands where
the Sat Guru was staying. On arriving he washed the great
Sat Guru’s feet with the tears of repentance. And witha
voice full of. devotion said ‘“‘O great Teacher, like these
tears of repentance shed at your holy feet, I place the
whole of this land at your feet too. Bless me, O, true master
with the Grace of accepting it.’’ “All land belongs to God,
O good and dear man” replied the Sat Guru. “And for
God’s own work you are dedicating this land, so it shall
be named Kartarpur. The abode of God”.
Thus “God’s Ville” started to be built with people from
all corners coming -for getting the blessings of the
commands divine from the Sat Guru, and each one doing
his humble bit, a beautiful Gurdwara, as the Seat for
Praise Divine and for the Sat Guru to hold the instructional
congregations came to exist. And around it were built the
family quarters for the Sat Guru and guest houses for the
seekers of light and: for those who came to beg for
happiness in their dark lives.
Around this nucleus, grew the prosperous aiilage of

Kartarpur, After the villag> became areal beehive of
activity the Sat Guru called over his own family and Mata
Sulakhani ji with her two sons also arrived. —
Thus with wife and children all there, the family

reunion was complete. And now with his two
“w Sat Guru Baba Nanak
sons Baba Srichand and Baba Lakhmi Chand, the Sat Guru
true to the role of a householder started a farm for raising
foodstuffs to feed his family. And the Sat Guru started to
plough the land with his own hands.
Astounded at this happening the devout around him
said, ‘‘What is the point of ploughing the land yourself, O
Master of Masters?” Quietly, the Sat Guru told them
“Dear ones, only the labour of one’s sweat produces
honest sustenance. Therefore the only honest way to live
asa householder is to produce the food with one’s own
hands’’.
Whatever grew on the farm, the family lived on that
and the surplus went to feed the visitors in the free
kitchens which ran night and day.
All the time people from all parts of the North where
the Sat Guru had travelled dispelling darkness from the
minds and as well from the lives of the people with his
message of light, came in huge numbers. Once a party of
men came from the Sindh area, as pilgrims to the
Sat Guru’s. sacred abode at Kartarpur. On the way
by the bank of the river they inquired from the ploughman -
who was tilling his field, ‘Tell us, Brother, where
lives the great Master?” ‘“Gladly’ said the farmer, and
accompanied them to the Gurdwara. Reaching there, he
asked them to sit there,in the Sangat Hall. And he said
“you wait here and I will inform Guru Maharaj to give you
his Darshan.” After a while, the great Sat Gurw arrived.
And the astonishment of the Pilgrims was boundless when
they saw that the great Sat Guru was none else but the
farmer at the plough who had so readily and humbly ac
companied them as their guide.
Founding of God’s Ville 77
To them the Sat Guru thus taught by example, that true

bigness lies in humility and the grandeur of life as a house
holder lies in honest toil. And one is only exalted in the
Sublime Presence of the Almighty, when one shoulders
fully the responsibilities which life and its demands bring
to men of God, And men of God live in worldly environs
participating in the joys and sorrows of those around
and about. Thus living they attain perfection and qualify to
be blessed with liberation from the bondag: of suffering,
and attain true bliss, while living. While at Sri Kartarpur,
the Sat Guru had made it a practice to spend part of his time
on the other bank of the river Ravi. There was a lovely
mango grove and in that the Great Sat Guru used to
hold the Congregation, and soon after there too was cons-
tructed a Gurdwara. And around the Gurdwara, there
also a village started to grow. That village got the name
of Dera Baba Nanak.
The idea of the great Sat Guru in having two seats for
the Congregations on both the Banks of the river, parti-
cularly when the distance between the two Seats was
no more than the width of the River Ravi, somehow was
never inquired into by any seeker nor did the great Sat-
Guru ever throw any light on this fact, himself.
But history revealed the strangest of facts, through
the dynamics of happenings. When in 1947, with freedom
coming to the Sub Himalayan Sub-continent, Pakistan
and Hindusthan came into being as two independent
Sovreiga states the boundary line dividing the two ran
exactly between the Sat Guru’s twin seats, Shri Kartarpur
on the one side going to Pakistan and Dera Baba Nanak
on this side coming to India.
—_—
The great Sat Guru’s vision of the future, thus, had im-
pelled him to belong to both, notwithstanding the fact of
Partition.
Indivisibly the Great Sat Guru lived for the Hindus and
the Muslims, both and indivisibly he belongs to both India
and Pakistan, inspite of the Partition separating the
two.
21
THROUGH THE CITY OF LAHORE
Poisonous oppression is in the air, suffocating the
spirit of those who live in this cityof Sin’. So said the
Sat Guru when he was passing through Lahore, on beginn-
ing the second round of his udasees, the journeys of light.
And thus runs the Song of Lahore.
On the throne
Sits ugly Sin
Greed is the minister for Finance
Falsehood commands the Army Royal
Twin Judges of lust and greed judge the good and
the bad
The People enveloped in the darkness of ignorance:
Enmeshed in the net
Of oppression
Are helpless.
Shackled in the chains of wants
And wanting to fulfil them
They rob each other.
The Priests, forgetful of their real duties
Wear masks of worship
Dance false attendance on the gods.
The drums of Prayers
Which they beat
Are now the Drums of war and strife
With mantras of tricksterdom
They delude the rich
And the poor alike,

And amass wealth
Deceivers and dissipators
One and all.
* * %
Even those
Who are doing good deeds
Do it with the desire of rich rewards
In the coins of Salvation.
So desiring a return
Commercially from acts good
They forfeit merit
And get robbed of the fruits of doing good.
Es % *
And those intent on

Serving God
And bent on living the True way,
As seekers and Servants of God
Are enveloped in ignorance.
Such among men
Choose to leave the world of men. And run away
from the field of Life.
* “ n
How can the runaways

Be heroes !
How can the grace of
The Almighty God
Bless the renegades from life
And from the world of humankind.
Everyone pretends
To be perfect
In his way of life
Through the City of Lahore. 8f
And understanding of the ways of

The Great Maker
The Almighty Bestower
of the bliss of Light
And Peace within.
Yet test them on the touchstone of Truth
And one and all
Will be found, doubtlessly
Counterfeit.
Thus the Sat Guru sang himself out of the city of the
low, among humankind, that was Lahore in the ending
decades of the fifteenth century.
22
ESSENCE OF FASTING
Passing through a village, ata little distance from
Lahore the Satguru stood outside a temple. Inside, the
gongs were ringing and the conches were being blown.
The perfume from the Havan fires was pervading the air
floating with the smoke that rose from sandal wood
burning, every time, brighter when cupfuls of pure ghee
were poured into the fire,
The Sat Guru stood and stood watching the crowds of
people, walking in and out of the temple.
One among the crowd, inquisitively walked up to the
Sat Guru and asked “Why are you staying outside ? Go in
and worship the Goddess” The Sat Guru replied with his
characteristic smile of composure, ‘Good man, do you
ever worship the God, within yourself?” and then burst
into the song of true worship.
~
“O, men ofhearts

Worshipful,
Praise, the Name
Of Him.
Call Him Rama
Call Him Krishna
But worship Him
Who lives within
And thus worship
Truely,
* * ¥
Essence of Fasting. 83
With Him all pervading

And living within
How can I, worship
O, Nanak
These whom people
Worship as gods
of the Temples
When, I see
And feel the One ; within
And when I know
None else but The one
And the only One”.
Then the Sat Guru stopped, only to ask his pious
questioner. ‘Good man ! do you come for worship every
day in this temple ? “No” answered the man “I have come
- today. Don’t you know that to day is the fast day of
sacred Ekadshi’’. ‘“‘And by the way, are you not yourself
fasting to day’’ ? he added in the tone of surprise.
The Sat Guru replied in the song which runs :
‘““Men get delusion bound
And lose sight
Of the Real
Not a visit to the temple
Nor laying of bouquets of flowers
At the feet of a deity
Make a man
Truly religious.
Nor fasting earns
The merit of Bliss.
% ie %
The True fast is that

When you feed the hunger
Of those in dire need.

Inspired by compassion
And impelled by the recognition
Of Oneness
Of all created beings
* # *
True is the fast
When men can abstain
From what self-pursuit
Demands.
True is the fast
When men feed
The Inner self, with love
For all, His Beings
* ; * *
Fasting truely
Men of good will
And of virtuous intent
Do not just abstain
From food and drink
But Truely renounce
The fruits of good actions
And thus perform the deed
Good and True
Desire for merit abjured
* * *
Thus truely fasting

Men who are good and Godly
Become fit for praying
Praising the Almighty Lord,
And hearing the music celestial of His Name
Emanating and resounding
Essence of Fasting 8&5
Through the entirety of the Innerself

And through every pore of the body physical.
cs m ae
Thus fasting and thus praying

O, good and dear man
Does man worship Him
Who resides in the temple of the Heart.
For such men of fasting and worshipful prayer
Where is the curtain
Which death has the power
To ring down
It is men of this making
O, good and dear man
Who live immortally
Bathed in the light of Bliss Eternal !
23
“THIS IS ALL TO KNOW, DEAR SHEIKH”
Then the Sat Guru travelled to Pak Pattan, a townlet
sanctified as the old seat of the great Hazrat Sheikh-ul-
Alam Baba Fareed Gunj Shakar.
There lived, at that time, a holy man, by the name of
Sheikh Behram and the two metand communed with
one another, as one man of God with another.
On arrival for meeting the Sat Guru, the Sheikh greeted
him with the Muslim greeting “Assalaam Alaikam” meaning
“Peace be unto you” and the Sat Guru reciprocated with
the words’” I greet the One and the Indescribable within
you” Astonished with this assertion of His Oneness by a
Sadhu looking person, the Sheikh expressed his frank
surprise at the monotheism of a non-Muslim.
“There is only one God and therefore there is only one
way, that is what you mean”, said Sheikh Behram “and
that indeed sounds mysterious, when both the Hindus and
the Muslims assert that their ways are poles apart and
wholly different’’.
“They who think in terms of separateness, my dear
Sheikh, do not know God” and the Sat Guru added“‘Those
who know Him, see in Him as the One and the only One
and they proclaim His oneness and His oneness with
everything in Creation and even beyond it’’
On hearing this, Sheikh Behram, the God—adoring man
was moved toinnermost depths of his heart and said
“Indeed, amlI blessed, at the very sight of you, and he
“This is all to Know Dear Sheikh” a7
continued “Bring me nearer to the light of the Almighty

and Iam happily willing to discard even the last shred
of cloth on my body for the sake of it’’
The Sat Guru smiled and said ‘‘Ever—revered Sheikh
discarding clothes, performing penances, undergoing the
rigours of renunciation and taking to the denial of
life as an ascetic are not essential. A pure heart, filled with
intense devotion is the mosque which the Almighty
Creator of all, makes His home Himself.”
The Sat Guru continued and said “Outer forms of
worship are futile trappings for the seeker of His sight. It
is the inner grace of yearning which acts as the magnet and
draws forcefully the Almighty to appear before the seeker’s
eye. Removing garments is not necessary what is really
needed is removing the impurities of the heart.”
- ©Dolish the mirror of the heart with the wax of devotion
and see, O Sheikh, the face of the great Beloved in that
mirror’.
.And to be ready to meet the Lord, adorn yourself as a
maiden with the ornament, of compassion and the virtue of
sweet speech. Soft and sweet words act as the balm for the
castaways of fate and they flow from the light within the
human soul. Sweetness of speech, the virtue of overlook-
ing the faults of others, ridding oneself of the vain glory of
self-pride are the qualities of those who are the worthy
travellers on the highway to Him.”
By now Sheikh Bahram was swinging into the ecstasy
of knowing and said ‘‘O Teacher True, may I ask yet ano-
ther question ?”’
‘Happily, dear Sheikh, vou may ask as many questions
as you like, but what is the use of any question at all ?”
And continuing the Sat Guru. added “For the devotee and
_88 Sat Guru Baba Nanak
the seeker, there is no other thought, but that of the One,

and the Only One. Just as beauty of a woman attracts a
man and the light in the heart of the flame draws the
moth, as food draws the hungry, wealth the greedy ones,
so is the devotee drawn to God Almighty in devotion, and
in silence without a word. That is the point, dear Sheikh,
where words and vocabularly lose all their meaning. So
my dear Sheikh, the Silence of Devotion and not questions
for knowing more and more hold the key to open the
gateway to the Presence of the Great Beloved” ‘‘Words of
light indeed, O Teacher True,” said Sheikh Behram “But,
the problem of problems remains for the true seekers as to
how to evoke the intensity of devotion,”
To this the great Satguru replied in the words of
Hazrat Baba Fareed Gunj Shakar, the Saint of Pak Pattan
Sharif, now in Pakistan and sang a piece of his composi-
tion.
“They alone are truly devoted in whose hearts
Dwells nothing but the love of God, the Creator.
And those who profess
Devotion and let
Any other thought enter the realm of the heart
Are unworthy of Him,
And only a weary burden
On the breast of mother Earth.
*
They alone are worthy of His light

Whose heart is filled
With love
And it flows like a stream
Towards all others,
* * &
They alone are worthy, as His

Who stand as beggars at His door
“This is all to Know Dear Sheikh” 89
With love for Him

And All is His
In their hearts.
* * %
They alone are worthy of Him

Among all his creation
Who are humble within
And stand erect
As a human beings true
Blessed is the mother who gave them birth
And Blessed is the earth
Whose rich and ripe fruit
Such men are.
* % *
That Him is Timeless

And Him is unknowable
And the All bestowing One
Is Him.
And Him, too
Is the*All forgiving
As fountain head of mercy and compassion,
Those who know this
Truth of Truths
O Fareed, receive from Him
The Alms of devotion,
And the feet of such receivers
I kiss and kiss and kiss. For those feet are the
Refuge for the sufferers
And the seekers, both.”
After finishing the song of the great Saint Hazrat Baba
Fareed, the Sat Guru went into an ecstacy and so did the
thus blessed and enlightened Sheikh Behram.
24
LIGHTING THE LAMP WITHOUT OIL
Mian mitha Ka Kotla was the seat of a muslim Pir
near Pasrur in the Sialkot District of the Punjab,
When the Sat Guru arrived there and settled himself in
an orchard, Mian Mitha came to see him but more with
the idea of testing the goodness of the intruding Fakir than
the desire for happy communion.
After the both had exchanged greetings Mian mitha
shot the question. “O, Sadhu, tell me, the way to light
the lamp without oil’.
The Sat Guru guietly spoke with the softness of his
manner and replied,
Make a wick of the Self by twisting it with the fear of
the Almighty Lord and make discrimination. between the
Real and the Unreal, the oil for the lamp. Now, O Pir,
light this lamp with the fire of devotion. Burn the lamp,
thus, and behold in the light of such a lamp, the face of the
Lord Himself.
Dumb founded by this reply, Mian Mitha felt that he
was inthe august Presence ofa great teacher. And then
he asked “‘How can one go to the presence of the great
Maker, with a happy face on the day of Judgement ?
“By serving His creation” replied the Sat Guru.
Again astounded by the unusual nature of the direct
and simple reply with emphasis more on the serving of His
Lighting the Lamp Without Oil 91
creation and not saying Be a slave to Him, now Main Mitha

realised the Divinity of the Sat Guru and said in all humili-
ty “O, Teacher of teachers bless me with instruction on
the essence of Right conduct”.
The Sat Guru sang thus in answering his question,
Self Pride, O Pir
Tarnishes the soul
And Anger is the mother of Disorderly conduct.
Lust is the daughter of Satan
And Self satisfaction sabotages faith
Slander befogs the mind
And none is more unclean
Than a man without faith
In the great God
And His Beings created.
Greed leads to thieving of the share of others
Adultery is impurity in itself.
Power unbridled breeds oppression.
Justice is the fountain from which flows
Righteousness.
Honesty makes the countenance
Shine with inner light.
And it is dishonesty that shadows
The face with darkness of looks.
It behoves the warriors
To wield the sword
For the twin purposes
Of securing Justice for the wronged,
And for protecting the weak.
For kings nothing else
But Justice is enjoined,
Purity belongs to those, as a treasure, who are com-
passionate.
1 02 Sat Guru Baba Nanak
And those who are humble

Bow low with the load of knowledge
And those who do not
Covet what belongs, by right
To others, are exalted.
It is Praise Divine that washes
The mind of its impurities
And contentment marks out
A fakir true.
Faith is the Truest of all friends
And faithlesseess is the other name for an Infidel.
Following the Teacher true
Opens the gateway to the true Path:
The seekers are ever and always
Blessed
And those not destined
To be blessed
Keep away from the Path of seeking.
He alone is wise
© Nanak !
Who lives upto these truths.
And not confining the knowledge of these truths
Divine
To his own self
Makes them known
To all, and every where.
25
IN THE HOME OF SIN
A fakir who called himself “Sada. Suhagan” the

‘Bride Eternal’ had closed his house on a festival day, to
the visitors. And there were people, who were his disciples,
hovering around, when the Sat Guru arrived. He ex-
pressed the wish to see the fakir, but he was stopped by the
people at the house gate, saying that his holiness was
in communion and could not be seen by anybody, however
important.
The Sat Guru smiled cryptically and said assertivly,
*T must lift the curtain on him and with whom he
is communing.” ? Hearing this, the crowd rather suspi-
ciously asked “And with whom is he communing what
have you to say ?”
In response to such a question, the Sat Guru spoke with
the voice of a command and said ‘‘Go yourselves and
see how and with whom your Pir is communing’”’. The
accent of authority in the divine voice of the Sat Guru
was so compulsive, that the whole host of people surged
forward and pushed their way through the gatekeepers and
the gate.
On entering the Pir’s room, their eyes saw the most
sinful of spectacles. The Pir was in bed with some women,
who had been admitted by the backdoor of the house as
the most favoured ones among his myraids of disciples.
Infuriated to the point of blind rage the crowd
beat up the Pir and broke all articles of worship. In a
moment, the room was spluttered with the broken bangles
of the women and the umpteen beads of the Pir’s rosaries.
“True were the words of the saint who has been our
saviour”. shouted some among the crowd.
This registered with the "Pir, and as the crowd of the
disgusted began to melt away from his house, the Pir
made cautious but urgent inquiry about the identity and
the where abouts of the saint.
Soon he came to know that the Sat Guru had camped
in anearby mango grove. And the Pir hastened to seek
his forgiveness and offer at his feet the tears of penit-
ence.
“Sit down said the great Satguru to the sinner, when
he arrived and looking at him with his eyes filled with
Compassion Divine added “I unveiled you for no other
purpose but to put you on the True way” “How can I
know the True way’ O, master of the Hearts of men ?”
“Deceive no one” replied the Sat Guru softly. “Purify
the heart. And the True way lies right in frontof you.
The very first step on the true path is not to see Him in any
single form but to see Him in every thing created by Him
and in all that exists’’.
And added the Sat Guru, “You can deceive the anwiiy
men of the world, but not Him, who is All-Seeing,
finally, it is those who follow the True way, whom the
world reveres and bows to”.
The Pir moved deep within, begg:d the Sat Guru to grace
his humble home and in begging the Sat Guru faithfully
and fervently promised to abjure deception and follow
roe ad Guru’s command for treading on the righteous
path.
" Thus, the Sat Guru arrived at his house and spoke
thus :
“O, foolish Pir
Shed the twin sins of self pusuit
And Lust
In the Home of Sin 95
And then tread on the path

of True seeking
Let the fear of Him
Be the antimony
For your eyes of the heart.
O Sada Suhagan ! the Bride eternal embellish yourself
With the adornment of Love
And thus seek
The favour of Him
The Lord Eternal.
And thus become the Bride True’.
For winining His Love
Abide by His will Divine
Consecrate your body and the mind
To the serving of those
Whom the Lord has created
Thus alone the Bride True
Can capture the heart of the Lord.
She adores
Through love, O Pir, Love,
is gotten”.
“How O master of the masters am I to understand
ths True meaning of love?” asked the Pir, anxious to
drink like nectar, everything that the great and sublime
Sat Guru uttered. ‘‘Love, my dear one’’. said the Sat Guru
“is not that can be described in words. It can only be
experienced inwardly. In practice, it is an attitude of total
Surrender to Him. And Surrender, in practice is the act of
totally dedicating the self to His command. Thus alone we
Love God Almighty.”’ ‘So surrendered” added the
great Sat Guru “‘you find God in the Temple of your heart,
and in all that the lord All Compassionate has created and
thus we Love all that exists and thus we serve with the
Love, of Oneness, all those who are created by Him”.
96 Sat Gure Baba Nanak
The crowd that had gathered around th Sat Guru sat

spellbound enchanted with the light which radiated from
what the Sat Guru had spoken.
So saying, the Satguru asked Bhai mardana to play the
Rubab and himself Sang thus :
“The body is the abode of delusion
Desire rules the minds and hearts of men
How can the Lord Eternal
Be happy, with the worldly
Who live thus.
Can the Bride in garments of false Love
Even keep the Love
Of the Husband ?
% * ¥
Don the garments dyed

In the deepest colour of
True Devotion
O, Bride Eternal, O Sdaa Suhagan
The colour of Devotion dyed.
Garments will never,
Never fades
And thus will always
Atract the lord
* % *
The devoted ones are ever
And always favoured by Him
The lord of Love and Compassion.
It is the dust under the feet of such devoted ones,
O, Nanak that the true
Seeker seeks
My own self be a sacrifice
To those who praise
Him
For, itis on them that He
Bestows His Grace
And accepts them
As His own”.
26
THIS JIVA IS LIKE A FISH
Once again, after journeying for years long the Sat Guru
wended his way back to Sri Kartarpur and the family
hearth.
Like moths flying to the light, the seekers and the
devotees began arriving from long and short distances.
Sri Kartarpur became the minaret of light and drew crowds
uncountable. Once, when the Satguru was enlightening the
congregation, a “Sikh devotee asked “Sat Guru Maharaj
you command us to Serve and remember the Lord, How
shall we do it ?”
“It is only through the intensity of devotion” replied
the Sat Guru that we receive the strength to praise Him.
It is that strength for Praise which like the light of the
Sun makes the heart, snowbound with lust and
greed, become soft, like the thawing of the snows,
That softness of the heart is known as Compassion and it is
Compassion, my dear one, with its light, that dispels the
darkness of Deslro which envelopes the self and men go
astray.”’ And the great Sat Guru added ‘It is by the grace
of the Guru, the Teacher of Truth, that the consciousness
gots Jinked with the Divine, and the self with all the dross
around It geta purifled andthe Inner self shines with
light,
“Then” asked another Sikh in the congregation “Sat
Guru Mahara), are we to understand thacit ta the Ugh
Divine within which really dlapela the dreary darknosa
on the path of life?" The Sat Guru, replylng sang Una:
On the lord the True One
26
THIS JIVA IS LIKE A FISH
Once again, after journeying for years long the Sat Guru
wended his way back to Sri Kartarpur and the family
hearth.
Like moths flying to the light, the seekers and the
devotees began arriving from long and short distances.
Sri Kartarpur became the minaret of light and drew crowds
uncountable. Once, when the Satguru was enl'ghtening the
congregation, a “Sikh devotee asked “Sat Guru Maharaj
you command us to Serve and remember the Lord, How
shall we do it ?”
“It is only through the intensity of devotion” replied
the Sat Guru that we receive the strength to praise Him.
It is that strength for Praise which like the light of the
Sun makes the heart, snowbound with lust and
greed, become soft, like the thawing of the snows.
That softness of the heart is known as Compassion and it is
Compassion, my dear one, with its light, that dispels the
darkness of Desire which envelopes the self and men go
astray.”’ And the great Sat Guru added “‘It is by the grace
of the Guru, the Teacher of Truth, that the consciousness
gets linked with the Divine, and the self with all the dross
around it gets purified andthe inner self shines with
light.
“Then” asked another Sikh in the congregation ‘‘Sat
Guru Maharaj, are we to understand that it is the I'ght
Divine within which really dispels the dreary darkness
on the path of life ?”? The Sat Guru, replying sang thus :
On the lord—the True One
Sat Guru Baba Nanak
When the mind dwells

Ceaselessly,
It gets illumined
And darkness vanishes.
Thus depart
The poisons that plague
The self.
By the grace of the Guru

The Teacher True
The seekers attain salvation
While living with wife and children
As householders
* * *
The devotee who surrenders

His own will
To the Will Divine
Such a one
O, good man,
Indeed becomes exalted.”
“How can one Surrender truely’’? asked yet another one
from the Sat Guru. The answer followed:
“‘The seeker true
* Surrenders to Him
Through the Guru.
Establish in your heart
The image of how the Guru lives
And never will you err
Into the path of self will.
Thus the devout serves
The Guru
By emulating his example.
And thus the devout
This Jiva is Like a Fish 99
Treads the Golden Path

Of true Surrender
And attains the bliss of dwelling
In the Eternal realms of light Divine.
After the congregational gathering was over, the Sat Guru
strolled towards the bank of the river and saw the fisher-
men casting their nets for the catch. The Sat Guru turned
towards all those who had, in a body, accompanied him
‘and spoke thus,
Thus are men lured with the bait and caught
In the net of the self.
Like the fish
Indeed, is the self.
Urged by the self
Blinded by the darkness of Desire
Men walk into the net of annihilation
The mind of man
O, Nanak !
Unaware of the dangers ahead
Becomes its own fisherman
It is through obeying the self
That men suffer the sting; of sorrow.
The Lord saves them who are surrendered
To His Will.
And live in the image of the Guru,
The Teacher True.
27
“REMIND EACH OTHFR, OF HIM”
In one of the congregations at Sri Kartarpura sikh
inquired of the Satguru ‘Maharaj, How should your sikhs
greet each other ?”,
To this rather thoughtful but very unusual question the
great Sat Guru replied “By saying to each other, Sat Kartar’’.
And so saying the Sat Guru, explained the inner meaning
of this new form of greeting between the Sikh,.
“Dear ones, the word sikh does not mean only a disci-
ple or one who receives instruction. It truly means a
True seeker- And a Sikh is the seeker of Him, who is the
Truth. And therefore itis the only greeting which the
Seeker True, a sikh should use. For, Sat Kartar means
“True is the Creator”.
And when the Sikhs will greet each other thus it will be
a constant reminder of Him, travelling from the heart of
the one to the other, inthe sweetness of the voice of
devotion.
Thus greeting each other, the sikhs will feel one with each
other, as the seekers of Him, and feel all the time that it is
to Him that they all belong. Thus they will also feel one
with every objeet in creation, as every created being belongs
to Him.”
“Sat Kartar’ asa form of greeting has a still deeper
meaning in the sense of the accoustics of the vibration these
two words, pronounced together devotionally, create.
Examined esoterically, the sound waves emanating from
the word ‘Sat’ havea wave length which produces a
feeling of totality which is all embracing and excludes the
“Remind Each Other, of Him” 101
negative vitalities of separateness or of division. The wave

length of the word Sat transforms itself into the Arithma-
tical figure I and the figure one is entirely indivisible. As a
number it stands as the visual and calculative symbol for
the esoteric vitality of non-Division and thus connotes one-
ness.
The figure I stands for the wholeness Indivisible, in the
same sense as the figure Zero, written arithmatically like a
circle, stands esoterically as the visual symbol of totality.
And the word “Kartar’ cannotes the Creator, Strangely
enough, both ‘Kartar’ and ‘Creator’ are the same words.
Only the word creator has a tittle more inflexion in the
vowels e and a. Again esoterically, the accoustics of the
word Kartar evoke the Inner sense of perception, which
enables the seeker to form an inner image of the vitality
creative and thus creates the link of feeling one, with the
Lord creative.
Thus viewed the greeting for the Sikhs enjoined by Sat
Guru Baba Nanak has the total vitality of creating the link
between the seeker and the Lord of all that exists, with All
that exists.
The current greeting, Sat Sri Akal among the Sikhs was
the gift to the Panth Khalsa from the great Guru Gobind
Singh Maharaj.
Faced with the needs of his bleak times, he created the
Khalsa, which does not mean only the “‘Pure,, as currently
understood. But in its inner esoterlc connotation it means
the“One body, indivisible’’ embodying the dynamics of total
positivity, and thus the term Khalsa in its full and True
sense means “The One, Entity Indivisible, as the positive
pole of the magnetic field of Being, which admits of no ne-
gativity to enter within it-self.”
Itisin this inner and deeper sense that the word

“Pure” becomes applicable when transliterating the word
Khalsa.
It was the Divine consciousness of the great Guru
Gobind Singh Maharaj that had perceived the name
Khalsa for the band of the warriors for Freedom and Justice
whom he had created. Thus, for this Band of the Warriors
True. he gave a new form of greeting,, “Sat Sri Akal’.
“True, is the Lord Immortal.”
In this greeting the emphasis is laid on the word Akal.
And it is with the same emphasis that this greeting Sat Sri
Akal is uttered both in Peace and war, The Great Guru
Maharaj had sensed through his vision Divine, that the need
for the Holy warriors. as basically human beings, was to he
wholly enveloped in the protective vibration of Deathless-
ness which vitally and totally dispels the darkness of the
fear of death.
Thus the Sikhs, conditioned to belong to Him by the
Divine teachings of SatGuru Baba Nanak, as the created
_ beings of the Lord Creator, in the new context of the new
times, with the need for laying down lives joyfully, were
given the new greeting Sat Sri Akal which aroused the
inner perception of looking at the Lord Creator as the Lord
Immortal. And thus those who truly belonged to Him
indivisibly, as the cmbodiments of Purity Primal, the Khalsa
were also deathless eternally.
28
SAT GURU’S TWIN COMPANIONS
After a few years of stay at Sri Kartarpur, the Sat Guru
once again started his Travels. And this time he chose
to go to the Muslim lands in the Middle East.
He thought of going first, as the starting point for the
Islamic world, to the Holy Mecca.
Wearing the Pilgraim’ srote of a Haji, the Sat Guru
started with both his companions Bhai Bala who was
a Hindu and Bhai Mardana a muslim.
Now it was Bhai mardana who played the Rubab,
and was always asking questions and ever so often com-
plaining of the trials of hunger and was sent by the
Sat Guru on errands of his own, where Bhai Mardan
could regale and refuel his famished self. Thus he finds a
frequent mention in the narrative of the Sat Guru’s travels
and Teachings. And again, it was the privilege of Bhai
Mardana to play the role of a normaliser in the sense that
even in the midst of the most sublime moments of inner
contemplation, Bhai Mardana would introduce the essential
and basic human element by grumblirg about hunger
or telling the Sat Guru that though the Divine in the Great
Master kept him above the pangs of hunger and the
trials of , fatigue he a simple bard was only human. That
was said. always in so humourous a way, that it gave a
touch of the comic to the entire gravity of the atmosphere
of thought that surrounded the Sat Guru with the Aura
of azure light but strange to say, the other companion
Bhai Bala, through his reticence born of devotion to the
Sat Guru, finds lesser mention in the annals of the Sat
Guru’s life and travels.
Yet it was Bhai Bala who became the voice of
memory and reproduced every word and every syllable

and every song that came from the Divine tongue of
Sat Guru Baba Nanak during so many decades Of his
travels as the Teacher of Truth. And it is Bhai Bala who
dictated the entire Text word by word reproduced from
memory, when recording was made.
It sounds no less than a miracle in itself.
And this miracle indeed was an esoteric pheno-
menon that Bhai Bala served asa human Tape Recorder.
Bhai Bala was blessed by the great Sat Guru with Linguo-
genic memory on which every word and every event got
imprinted, to perfection.
It is the imprint on the irner memory of ahuman being
which is known in esoteric vocabulary as the Akashic
Record. “s
Thus, like the rest of the details of the Sat Guru’s Teachings
and events of travels we know with the finality of veracity
the account of the great Sat Guru’s travels through the
entire Muslim world. As to Bhai Mardana, again
strangely enough, he was never directed by the Sat Guru,
before starting his songs Divine to start playing any parti-
culir Raga for tuning in to the music of his esctasy.
Bhai Mardana, right from the day he got the Rubab
had only to put his fingers on the strings of the Rubab
and the music used to float out of the Rubab in tune
with what the Sat Guru was going to sing.
It was a purecase of the esoteric vitality coming
through the vibrational anatomy of Bhai Mardana and
moving his fingers to play on the Rubab.
Thus were both the blessed companions of the Sat Guru
esoterically conditioned for functioning by the great Sat
Guru who in his Divine self was the greatest master of the
Occult as an Avatar and an incarnation of God.
29
IN THE MUSLIM MIDDLE—EAST
On the way to the Holy Mecca, the Sat Guru joined uo
with agroup of Muslim fakirs, and a few days pessed,
happily travelling together.
Then, one day, a fakir asked the Sat Guru “What is
your rejigion ?”
To that the reply was “I belong to the religion of all
those who own Him as the One and the only One” But
the fakir was not content with the reply. And he
pointedly wanted to know if the Sat Guru wasa Muslim.
This the Sat Guru would neither affirm nor deny. Being
non-committal annoyed the fakir and his companions. The
Sat Guru knew of their resentful attitude and soon after
night fall he left their company.
With the dreariness of the Arabian Desert as proverbial
and the scorching heat in the day well known, the fakirs
‘chuckled with delight at what fate the infidel will meet for
his foolhardy adventure of travelling alonein the gaping
loneliness of the Desert. However, as they went on their
way and the sun swung noon high, they were feclirg
scorched and dizzy with the heat as they had never experi-
enced before. Then suddenly the thought flashed across the
mind of one of the fakirs that the cloud which was always
above them like an umbrella, was not there on that day.
So they twiged the truth. “It was that fakir for whom the
umbrella of shade was being spread” said one. “And
truely he was a man who owned God, as His”. Yet another
surprise awaited them many days later on arrival, when
they discovered that the fakir had arrived at the destina-
tion long ago.
Arriving at the Sacred Kaaba, the Great Sat Guru, one

night, after a short stay went to sleep in the open, under
the light blue canopy of the Arabian sky.
While he was deep in sleep, the pilgrims observed that
the man who was asleep had stretched his feet towards
their sacred-most Kaaba.
Promptly, they ran in acrowd to the Keeper of the
Sacred Kaaba acd bitterly complained of the act of sacrilege
committed by the pilgrim. Maulana Rukn-ud-din on hearing
this, himself, hastened to the spot. And there he saw the
Sat Guru asleep just as the complainants had described.
Angry beyond words, he roughly shook the sleeping
pilgrim in fury and shouted “You stupid fool, get up
and rub your nose in repentence on this very spot, where
you have violated the sanctity of the sacred most, the
House of God’’.
The great Sat Guru, quiet and undisturbed at the fury
and the insult turned round and said “If the House of
God is in that direction, then revered Sir, just throw my
feet in the direction, where God is not !”
Incensed at this rather nonchalant, reply, the Maulana
just pushed the Sat Guru’s feet in another direction. And
what did he see. The Sacred Most he saw, also was again
in the same direction. Three times the bewildered Maulana
Rukn-ud-din, moved the feet in different directions and in
all the directions he saw the sacred most the House of God.
Having seen this happen, the inner eye of understanding
opened in Maulana Rukn-ud-din’s conscious self. In a split
second he realised the true meaning of what the glorious
Teacher of Truth Divine, the Sat Guru had said ‘Turn my
feet in the direction where God is not.”
And thus Rukn-ud-din was blessed with the realisation
of the omnipresence of the Almighty not only in all direc-
tions but in every spéck that forms a part of His creation.
30
TO THE SEAT OF CALIPHS
After this miracle, the Sat Guru immediatly left for
Holy Medina for pilgrimage and from there proceeded to
the great city of Baghdad, which in those times was the
capital. of the entire Muslim world and the Khalifas of
Islam used to live there. Both mystics and merchants were
equally drawn by the magnet that was Baghdad in the 16th
century
Merchants came for worldly gain and the mystics
came, not for the glamour of the Caliph’s court but as
humblest of the humble pilgrims to pay their homage
to the old and haloed seat of the greatest of the saints of
thé then known world, Hazrat Ghausul Azam who had
given the messge of love and of light many centuries back.
In Baghdad of the 16th century lived a great saint, by
the name of Hazrat Khwaja Behlol.
On arrival there, the Sat Guru camped about 14 miles
outside the city and went to see the great saint asa
gesture of fraternity.
Between the two big ones of the spirit there were no
arguments and no discussions. Just there was the per-
fection of communion, in total and monolithic silence.
The great Sat Guru stayed with the great saint for about
a fortnight and then proceeded towards Iran.
After the, great Sat Guru Baba Nanak’s departure, as
a mark of love and recognition of his stature, as a spiritual
master, Hazrat Khwaja Behlol got a copper plaque made

and the inscription on it reads “Here stayed Rab-i-
Majid Hazrat Baba Nanak” And he got it fixed on
the wall near which the great Sat Guru had stayed in the
open, under the Baghdad skies.
What is most significant in the inscription on the
plaque is the astounding fact of a Muslim saint, of the
nighty stature of Hazrat Khwaja Behlol using the appella-
tion of the words ‘“‘Rab-i-Majid’’ for the Sat Guru. Rab-i-
Majid means “Incarnation of the Almighty Himself’’.
From those who know the esoteric hierarchy of the
Prophets and the Saints and their celestial grading,
as functionaries of the Almighty in governing the entirety
of creation, this mighty stature of the great Sat Guru was
not hidden.
And the grandeur. of Hazrat Khwaja Behlol’s spirit
manifested itself in recognising, at first look, who the visitor
was, in reality. And still more» glorious was Hazrat
Khwaja Behlol’s act, in announcing the truth, with all
the authority, that his sanctity and stature as a Master
mystic carried for the Muslim world of his own times.
31
TO THE CRADLE OF THE SUFIS
From Baghdad, the Sat Guru travelled to Iran, the

ancient land of Ahurmazda, where Zoroaster taught the
Religion of Light
And where the great mystic Poets like Hafiz Shirazi,
Omar Khayyam, Maulana Jalaluddiy Rumi and others had
set the stage for the birth of Sufism and the great and
resplendant line of the Mystic masters lived light, and
lifted, time and again, the shadows of the dark that engulf-
ed the spirit of man century after century,
Very near Teheran, the Sat Guru came across an abode
of the Sufis who as noble Dervaishes welcomed the Sat
Guru.
So warm was the welcome that they all desired the
seating of the great Sat Guru next to the Mystic Master of
their sect.
When the conversation began, not_just words but pure
flashes of light emerged, such was the quality of commu-
nion.
“Where fromdo you come, and where are you
heading for ?” inquired the Master of the Sufis. :
“From every where I come and every where! return”
replied the Sat Guru.
“‘Have you any news of the Beloved, that you can give” ?
“Does not the heart talk of Him all the time with the
rhythm of its beat ? And do we not get the news of
the Beloved with every in going and outgoing breath ?”

said the Sat Guru.
“Then why inthe world of men prevails so much ig-
norance of Him ?’’ asked the Sufi Master.
“Ts light not existing in darkness itself ?”’
Talking in the language of mystic allegory the Sufi
master asked
“Why does the Sun set ?”’
‘The Sun never sets”, replied the Sat Guru. “It is the
cycle of existence which transfroms the day into night and
then again the night into day.
It is the law of Opposites that governs creation”
“Where is light to be discovered and where does it
emanate from ?” asked the Sufi Master, searchingly.
“The birth cradle of light lies in the heart of dark-
ness.” said the Sat Guru “And that is why the existence of
night is primary to the birth of the day”
Finally the Sufi mystic shot the most, bewildering of
all questions
“What differentiates Light from Darkness ?”
“There is no difference between light and darkness.
Both are the same inentirety’ And the great Sat Guru
added.
“Light envelopes darkness and darkness envelopes light”
And then the Sat Guru with illumined words wound up
the entire allegory by saying,
“Losing the self is to become light.
To assert the.self is to become total darkness.
It is self-assertion that transforms the light
Into darkness.
It is the light of love that envelopes darkness
And transforms it back to light”
? 32
AS BABAR’S PRISONER
From Iran the Sat Guru travelled back home, relieving
the afflicted, of sorrow and disease and spreading the light
of the Lord creator.
After reaching home, the Sat Guru went from place to
place as impelled by his vision Divine. One evening he was
staying at Amenabad, the Pathan stronghold, when
suddenly next morning the Mughal hordes led by Babar,
arrived on their way to Delhi, for dethroning Ibrahim
Lodhi and founding the Mughal dynasty.
As was the practice of the times, the invading Mughal
army began massacring and looting indiscriminately.
The Sat Guru and his twin companions Bhai Bala and
Bhai Mardana, who were staying in the open, on the out
skirts of the town were also taken prisoners, The fun of
getting captivated was lost on Mardana, and with his usual
ill at ease attitude to strenuous situations, he whispered to
the Sat Guru, ‘Maharaj, you are mighty and my heart tells
me nobody can touch even a hair of you. But I feel, that
this will be the end of me, for sure’’.
The Sat Guru, enjoying the comedy of the circumstance,
joked and said.“‘Do you not have your name as Mar Da Na
meaning ‘‘undying’”’ ! And then added in the voice of as-
surance “Trust Him, O Mardana” ‘But Maharaj’ replied
Mardana” “what about the unbearable weight of the
load which they are going to make us all carry, including
yourself Maharaj !’’
“Who are we Mardana, to carry any weight? The

weight belongs to Him, O Bhai, and He will Himself
carry it” said the Great Sat Guru, Hardly had the dialo-
gue just finished when the Moghul soldiers ordered the
carrying of heavy loads on their heads. All the three
lifted their loads and startéd walking, as ordered, to the
Prisoners’ camp, They walked on for a while and then,
with their eyes struck with wonder the Mughal guards,
surrounding the prisoners and guarding the booty which the
prisoners were made to carry, noticed an awe striking
phenomenon, It was the Sat Guru and his companious
walking on, and the loads on their heads travelling a few
feet above the heads of all the three, hung in mid air.
Astonishment knew no bounds and the report of this
happening travelled from man to man and officer to officer
till it reached Babar. Totally disbelieving the report as the
illusion of deranged minds Babar wanted to verify the
fact for himself.
By that time, the prisoners had reached the camp, an
improvised prison and had been ordered to grind corn for
the food for the army.
When Babar reached the Sat Guru’s place he stood spell
bound at what he himself saw. He saw with his own eyes
that the Sat Guru was in contemplation and the mill was
grinding the corn by moving itself round and round,
dutifully.
Reverently, Babar stood gazing at the Sat Guru. And
waited for him to come out of the Trance. Finally, after
afew minutes the Sat Guru opened his eyes and Babar
with folded hands sought his fogiveness.
In reply to Babar’s request for forgiveness so earnestly
made, the Sat Guru sang as follows,
As Baber’s Prisoner 113
‘Tyrranously,
O, Babar you governed over Khorasan
And now you come
To strike terror
and shed blood
In Hindushtan,
Has the creator sent you for slaughter and rapine ?
Have the shrieks of the dying
And the sobs of womea raped
moved your heart a bit ?
* * *
Not in the eye of the Lord Supreme

The Creator, no blame
Is attached, O Mughal king
If the strong fight against the strong
For justice and redress
But if a Tiger among men
Slaughters the innocent or the weak
Awaits such a man
The wrath of Almighty God.
* *
Look, how a Jewel of a land

Lies despoiled and forlorn
Neglected by him
Who occupies the Throne of Hindusthan,
Who among men and women of this unhappy land
Will mourn his passing.
Beyond the portals o life !
e
O, God Almighty
Praise be to You
Giver of Power and Bestower
Of Regalia and the crown
On those who have the power to unite,
For prosperous effort.
And, In Your glory Divine You take power away

From the hands of those who breed strife and want
Among Your men, Your beings created.
Such is Your glory
O Lord Supreme !
* ue *
O Babar ! he who is rich

And to the content of his heart
Spends and even squanders
In the eye of the Lord Supreme
Such a man’s conduct is none better
Than that of a rat who eats away the corn of the
needy.
& * *
He alone, gains the smile from the Lord Supreme

O Babar ! who with His Name, as the breath of life
While still alive
Learns to die, In His Name.
Thus hearing the song celestial in the Sat Guru’s voice,
vibrant with holy wrath, Babar was touched to the core of
his heart, and begged the Sat Guru to grace his tent with
his august Presence.
‘How can I leave the company of my fellow prisoners ?
said the Sat Guru. On the spot Babar, the captor of thou-
sands of men and women, ordered the release of all the
prisoners without delay.
Thus the Sat Guru accompained the Mughal king to his
royal tent and there Babar beseeched the Sat Guru “O
Knower of the secrets of God, O great Teacher of men,
instruct me as to how canI become worthy of gaining
entrance to Paradise, without renouncing the world and
remaining a king.” The Sat Guru sang,
As Babar’s Prisoner 115
“Asa _ king be just, O Babar !

Shun injustice as men shun Plague.
Follow the dictates of Conscience which gives
The signal of Truth,
Tamper Justice with Compassion
And forgive readily,
As readily as you wish
To be forgiven for your own acts of wrong doing,
By the Lord Supreme.
Remember O Babar !
God Almighty is Just,
And His Justice demands
Not coveting what belongs
To some one else, by right.
And O king ! never act
When the five fires of the sensual are aflame.
Always pause to think of Him, The Lord Supreme.
Act always for the betterment of All,
Whom God Almighty
Has made you
The ruler of.
And lastly, O Babar !
Never act cruelly
To any man, woman or child.
For, they are all His.
And those who are cruel
To any creature in creation
Which is His
Are themselves slaughtered
With the same sword of cruelty,
Live thus, O king !
And the gates of Heaven
Will await for you
Themselves, to open wide.
33
AT THE SPRING OF WALI KANDHARI
Taking the next journey from Sri Kartarpur westward,
the Sat Guru reached a hillock near Hassan Abdal in
West Punjab, now in Pakistan. By the time they were
settling down at a spot where the soil was parched and
stony, the ever demanding Bhai Mardana told the Sat Guru
“Maharaj 1 am on my last breath”. The Sat Guru,
smiled and said “I know my dear one, you are very
thirsty. Do not worry, just climb that hillock and you
will find a lovely spring there. G» there, dear one and
have your fill of cool water’, Bhai Mardana hastened
and while climbing got almost dizzy with thirst. But he was
happy at the sight of flowing water, just a few steps
away. No Sooner than he came near the spring, he heard a
Fakir growling at him.
“Who are you to enter this holy spot’’, asked the fakir
angrily,
“T have come to slake my thirst. Sir, I am fainting for
the want of water” said Mardana “But who are you ?”
asked the Fakir “I am Sir, the servant of Nanak Nirankari,
a man of God.” said Mardana humbly. “Go away from
the spring, the very way you came and tell your great
man of God to strike his own spring and give youa
drink of its water’.
Helplessly, poor Bhai Mardana, trudged his heavy
feet back, down the hill where the Sat Guru sat and
narrated dolefully the tale of his woe.
At the Spring of Wali Kandhari 117
Very gently the Sat Guru, told Mardana, “Please,

Mardana, go in all humbleness and beg the Fakir, once
again”. This Mardana obeyed and arrived at the spring
again, only to receive a bigger and more heartless
refusal.
And then he walked back to the Sat Guru.
The great Sat Guru again smiled and said.
““O, Mardana, my dear one,
Utter the sacred words
Sat Nam
And dig where you are sitting.
Yes, just and there !’’
Mardana dug a few inches deep. Almost a small dent
was put on the stone encrusted soil. And water gushed out
like a monsoon torrent !
And the Fakir, by name Wali Kandhari, who was sitting
on the hill top and watching, to his consternation found
that his own spring was drying up.
Much angered at this affront to his sanctity, and the
impudence of the fakir down below, he pushed a big
boulder of stone down the hill.
Seeing the stone rolling down like an avalanche, Bhai
Mardana raised hue and cry, begging the Sat Guru torun
and save himself. But the great Sat Guru sat, happy and
un-concerned.
Within a few moments, the stone boulder rolled down to
where the Sat Guru sat and when the stone came within an
arm’s length the greatset of the great ones Sat Guru Baba
Nanak put his hand up. The stone stood, stuck to the spot
and the imprint Divine of the Sat Guru’s uplifted hand
got stamped on the stone. It was this holy and _ historic
spot that later got named as Panjah Sahib.
Now Wali Kandhari in all humility came to pay his

homage to the Sat Guru as the acknowledged Master of
miracle working powers.
Having expressed repentance, Wali Kandhari begged
of the Satguru the boon of being taught the way of getting
powers Divine for himself.
With eyes filled with compassion and the voice resonant »
with the sweetness of speech, the Sat Guru said,
“Wali Sahib, all powers flow from Him, who is the
fountain source, the All powerful.
Those who seek His refuge, on them are these powers
bestowed. |
And those upon whom the grace of Him descends they
only tread the True way.”
‘And what is the True way ?”? O Master Teacher of
Truth !
“To follow the path of Surrender to His will Divine”
replied the Sat Guru. “You mean” asked Wali Kandhari
immolating one self in the fire of submission as the holy
Prophet Mohammad enjoined on the faithful.”
“Ves” said the Sat Guru. That is the essence of
Surrender, Waliji”
‘Then’? said Wali Kandhari it is the same turth as
sung by Hazrat Qutb-uddin Bakhtiar Kaki, when he
said.
“For those who are slaughtered
By the sword of Surrender
To His will,
Every split moment
A new life
Descends from the fountain source, Invisible”
At the Spring of Wali Kandhari 119
“The great saint” said Sat the Guru “knew the secre¢
of dying while alive. And that is the Way True”
The story of Hazrat Qutb-ud-din Bakhtiar Kaki who
was the Guru of Hazrat Baba Fareed Gunj Shakar of
Pak Pattan is full of poignance, in the context of the
verse which Wali Kandhari recited to the Sat Guru. The
story goes that the Holi Hazrat was listening to a
famous Qawwal and was getting deeply moved inside.
As the musician sang this verse which in the original
Persian runs,
“Kushtgan-i-Khanjar-i-Tasleem Ra
Har Zaman az Ghaib Jani-i-Digar Ast’.
The Hazrat went into the Trance of Surrender. And the
musicians, following the tradition of going on repeatedly
singing the same verse, over which a Holy man passes
into ecstasy, went on singing again and again the same
verse.
And the Holy Hazrat went on with the ecstasy deepening,
for full three nights and three days, and the state ecstatic
continued in all its fervence of Forget fullness.
. And it was in that ecstatic state, deep in the Trance of
Surrender that Hazrat Khwaja Qutb-ud-din Bakhtiar Kaki
passed away to the realms of Bliss eternal, and is known
as Shaheed-i-Ishq, The martyr of love.
34
LISTEN, O YOGI !
From Hassan Abdal, the Sat Guru travelled to Gorakh

Hatri, near Peshawar, where Sidh Yogis, the highest ones
lived. Yogi Machhandar Nath was the head of them all
and they belonged to the sect founded by Guru Gorakh
Nath, the Great Master of Hatha Yoga.
The reputation of the great Sat Guru had reached by
that ‘ime to every seat of the recluses and the yogis.
His age had crossed the mark of 60. He was already
fifty seven when he blessed Babar with the instruction
in the True way.
The yogis gathered around him on his arrival at Gorakh
Hatri and their Guru Yogi Machhandar Nath said to the
Sat Guru,
“Come into our Temple of Yoga O, Nanak, and we will
teach you the way to get knowledge and Powers. Of what
avail is to go round and teach when you are without
knowledge and real Powers that Hath yoga releases through
austerity and renunciation’’.
This invitation to get instruction in the art of getting
true knowledge and Powers amused ihe Sat Guru, and in
reply he said :
“How can I enter the temple
Till you show me, O, yogi of yogis
The door to the inner door
Beyond which dwells Him’’.
“What door and the Inner door are you talking
about ?”’ inquired Yogi Machhandar Nath. in rather a
puzzled voice.
“Listen O yogi !
Sorrow is the real door
And out side guarding it
Listen, O Yogi ! 121
Stands the sentinel of passion,

The two parts of the gate of Sorrow are
Hope and Longings
Inside the gate lies the pool
With tossing waves of Maya,
The world of vain Desire.
He who goes past that gate
And swims across the tumultuous waters
Finds Him, O Yogi !
Him and Him alone
Is the temple True
It is this temple which one enters
And gets bestowed
The alms of knowledge True
Aud Powers limitless
For, Him, the Giver Great
Is beyond reckoning, limitless’’,
“But how’’ asked Machhandar Nath, the Master yogi,
does one go past the door and how does one swim
across the pool, that you are talking of? It is we, the Sidh
yogis who alone know the secret. And since you are
truely a good man, I shall gladly teach you all the ways
of acquiring full knowledge and high Powers.
“The only Teacher Great I know of is Him’’ said the
Sat Guru. And to the seat of the Formless Him, I belong”.
“As to the knowing of the Secrets of Yoga’’ continued
the Sat Guru
“I know of only one secret.
“Stand only at His door
Making faith the begging bowl.
When He, the compassinate one
Gives the alms
122 Sat Guru Baba Nowak
The consciousness of the humble reciever

Merges with consciousness Divine
Thus open the gateways all
To knowledge True and Powers limitions
O, Yogi !”
“How do knowledge and powers come, just through
begging without Hatha Yoga ?” asked the yogi master,
rather snappily. And the Sat Guru replied thus,
‘At His door Divine I stand
And blow the conch
of Devotion
His answer comes
Through waves and waves
of Soundless Sound
The Sound of Grace Infinite
A Sound, All pervading
All Creating All bestowing”’.
“But how can this be done” asked yogi Machhandar
Nath” ‘“‘till one renounces the world and becomes a
yogi by leaving the world and giving up the life of a house
holder ?”
In every heart there lives the spark Divine O, Yogi !
And light flows unto light. Thus human Consciousness
gets blended with supra consciousness Divine, when that
happens only then you become a true yogi’. “But”
said the Master yogi “however true if may be, what you
say, all the same it can not be done while living in the
world as a house holder, how can it ?” To this the, Sat
Guru replied :
**A House holder who learns
From the Guru
The way to praise the All powerful
Him, the Creator of All
That exists,
And serving all created beings
ee
oa
E 122. Sat Guru Baba Nanak
The consciousness of the humble reciever

- Merges with consciousness Divine
Thus open the gateways all
To knowledge True and Powers limitions
O, Yogi !”
“How do knowledge and powers come, just through
begging without Hatha Yoga ?’’ asked the yogi master,
rather snappily. And the Sat Guru replied thus,
“At His door Divine I stand
And blow the conch
of Devotion
His answer comes
Through waves and waves
of Soundless Sound
The Sound of Grace Infinite
A Sound, All pervading
All Creating All bestowing”’.
“But how can this be done” asked yogi Machhandar
Nath” “‘till one renounces the world and becomes a
yogi by leaving the world and giving up the life of a house
holder ?”
In every heart there lives the spark Divine O, Yogi !
And light flows unto light. Thus human Consciousness
gets blended with supra consciousness Divine, when that
happens only then you become a true yogi’. “But”
said the Master yogi “however true if may be, what you
say, all the same it can not be done while living in the —
world as a house holder, how can it ?” To this the Sat
Guru replied :
‘A House holder who learns
From the Guru
The way to praise the All powerful .
Him, the Creator of All -
That exists,
And serving all created beings
Listen, O Yogi ! 123
With love, makes his creed,

Such a house holder is indeed,
Blessed, with Grace Divine
Favoured thus, with the Grace of Him
Such a house holder
While living in the world
Becomes like the lotus
Whom the rippling weaves of the water of Desire,
of self pursuit,
And Temptation cannot make wet.
As salt and butter do not blend
In oneness
So the householder True
Remains untouched by MARA
And the sorroundings : Sorkdly put not a shadow on
On the light within,
Bestowed through His Grace
Nay—even more O, Yogi
Such a house holder
Living in the world
Performing all his duties
With All his heart
So blessed with Grace Divine gets beyond
The power of the Angel of Death.
Death is powerless
Against such a householder True
O, Yogi !
For, he is liberated
From Hope and Desire both
And Hope and Desire
Are the twin wings of the angel of Death.
So, does the house holder live
In the Light of Grace
Ever blessed, Deathlessly.
After this instruction to the Yogi master, the great
Sat Guru entered the fairy valley of Kashmir, on his way
to the Himalayan heights.
35
TO THE FLYING CARPET
MIRACLE MAN
The Sat Guru arrived in the lake city of Srinagar, and
dwelled on the snow reflecting bank of the Dal. News of
the great Sat Guru’s arrival spread all round the city and
crowds began to surround him.
Their lived in Srinagar, a Pandit named Brahm Das,
who was a gfeat adept in Tantarism and had developed
powers, one of which was that he could make the Carpet
on which he sat, fly, at his command and take him likea
helicopter, where ever he wished to go.
Hearing of the Sat Guru, he decided to go and dazzle
him with the bigness of his wondrous powers.
So he flew on his carpet and happily landed in the front
of the congregation, thinking that that was his rightful
place. On tuking his seat, he questioningly asked the man
sitting behind him, ‘“‘Where is the Guru, are you all waiting
for him ?”
“No” said the surprised man, ‘‘The Sat Guru is sitting
right in front of you.”
“Where ?” asked Brahm Das.
“Am I blind or age you telling a lie ?”
“There” ! he said “‘Can’t you see him ?”’
And other people in the Congregation also spoke out

and said
“Pandit Ji, why can’t you see him? there he is
To the Flying Carpet Miracle Man 125
sitting, there! Right in front, facing you!’ The Pandit

lost his temper and commanded the carpet to helicopter
him back.
But much to his anger and amazement the Carpet
would just not obey him and did not fly.
Thus feeling humiliated and hurt the magic man heavey
hearted and still more heavey footed walked many miles
back to his house .
In the morning, some people, who had seen all this
Drama being enacted, arrived to inquire if it was all well
with their revered Pandit.
Much confused, Pandit Brahm Das asked the friendly
visitors if they could tell, as to how and why itso
happend ! ;
One friend of his, who was rather intimate with him said,
“Please recognise the superiority of the Divine Master and
go on foot, in al] humility and then see if you still can’t
see him”.
This sound and well meant advice registered with Brahm
Das. And without a moment of delay he started on his
visit of humble repentence towards where the Sit Guru was
staying.
On arrival, not only was he able to see the Great
Master but was surprised that the Sat Guru received him
most cordially. ‘Come my dear one,” said the Sat Guru
with his smile of love.
“Please, Guru Maharaj’’ said the Pandit “Tell me first
why could | not see you yesterday ?”
“How could you see me when thick darkness prevailed ?”
said the Sat Guru.
“But it was broad daylight’’ said the Pandit.

The Sat Guru smiled at his so'missing the point. And
said.
‘“‘My dear one ! could there be any darkness darker than
Pride ?”? and added ‘Only because you could fly on the
carpet you felt vain and thought of yourself as a superman.
What ifa man can fly magically, how does it make him
an aniota better than the flies and the mosquitos who too
can fly ?”
“T humbly seek your forgiveness,’ said Brahm Das.
“T have acquired learning of the Texts and have developed
Powers, but O Teacher True ! no peace within me, have I
found. Teach meI humbly beseech you, how to find peace
within.”
“Dear Brahm Das” said the Sat Guru you have only
worshipped gods and godesses and not the Almighty God,
the One and the only One—the Lord Supreme, the Master
of them all. Worship Him and Him alone and peace will
descend within, by the Grace of His Compassion.”
“But, Great Teacher of the True way’’ said Brahm Das,
the question of questions is how to worship Him, truly and
best ?”
Bhai Mardana played onthe Rubab and the great
Sat Guru sang the Song of Peace Within, thus.
“He who keeps his eyes off
From another man’s wife
Grabs not what belongs
To some one else
Abjures miserly pursuit of wealth
Resists evil and dark desires
Does not thirst for sensual fulfillment,
To the Flying Carpet Miracle Man 127
Controls his Temper

Slanders not others
Abstains from back biting
Lust and warth
Sons and daughters of the Dark
These all,
Such a man, O Brahm Das
Will find within himself
His light, the light
Of the Unknowable
© e *
He, again, who cherishes

The Guru’s word, and in his heart
Keeps it secure
Like precious jewels in a casket
And with every breath
In going and out going
Praises Him, the Great Giver
To such a man
Descends Peace. And pain
And pleasure disturb him not
% Xs *
This body, know this,

Is the temple, of Him
The Lord of Peace Eternal.
The heart of man
Is the abode of His Light.
Let the word of the Guru,
Says Nanak |!
Enter the heart
And bring about the Union
By welding the link of Light
All pervading
And the Light within
He who lives bathed
In such a light
Gets the boon Divine,
Of Peace, within
And lives in peace here
And in the here-after
“Now I know, the entire Truth, at your sacred feet, O
Teacher Divine” said Brahm Das. “Seeking Peace within
and not without, ridding oneself of evil and the dark.”
Seeking acceptance at His door through devotion,
unalloyed and fervent and contemplating ever and always
onthe Guru’s sacred word, thus one qualifies for the
alms of Peace within, from His Treasury of Grace un-
fathomable.”
36
THE DIALOGUE OF LIGHT
In Tibet the Sat Guru Visited a big monastery. The
Head Lama was very high in his evolvement and recognis-
ing the truth of Satguru’s greatness extended him the
warmest welcome,
Then began The Dialogue of Light.
The Great Lama, asked the Sat Guru “So many creeds
are prevalent in India, it makes for us difficult to know who
istin the right. What do you say about the creation and
the Creator ?
The Sat Guru replied
“From the Soundless Sound
Of the Absolute
+ Emanates the Force creative
It is this, the Force creative
from whose womb
Take birth, the Air, Water, Fire
Light and the Soul.
Him, the Absolute
Mantains all that gets created.
It is Him who created the Trinity
Of the Job doers His creation
Lord Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva.
Then took birth Time
And the Ages four.
Only such a man is Perfect
As a human being, True

Whe realises that the Absolute
Is All Pervading.
It is the company of such Wise
among men
That destroys the delusion of the self.
The Head Lama, spell bound listend to the enunciation
of the Absolute by the Sat Guru and then said “Let me
have more light on the creation by the Absolute.”
The Sat Guru replied,
¥ x *
The Absolute created

The Earth and the Heaven both
And unsupported they exist
Maintained by the Absolute
The Three Worlds.
From the, ‘Meta’, Compassion
Of the Absolute emanated.
And in the fullness of Time got absorbed
In the source, the Absolute, again.
The Absolute gave birth
To differentiation in Creation
The Absolute is the Parent of the Species,
Of all that exists, from the Stone
Up to the Human Being,
The four genres of Speech
From which flowed all languges,
They are all, the emanations
from the Absolute
And ultimately get merged
In the Absolute.
The Dialogue of Light 131
It is from the Absolute

tf * a
That flow out the Seven

Regions of the celestial
And the Spheres Fourteen
Which form the Totality
of the Universe of Universes
From the Absolute, also flows
The cycle of night and of day
The Opposite Pairs of all
That is created
The Opposites and the Alternates
The Cycle and the Spiral of the Vitalities of Being
And Non Being
Pain and with it, the negative of Pain
Knowing All this as the Acts of the Absolute
The seeker becomes Enlightened
And enlightenment
Is the essence of Peace within
™ 1% *
The Absolute is the source from where flowed

Heat and Light
The Sun and the Moon and the my riads of stars
And the Gloxies uncountable
The light of the Absolute illumines al] these worlds
Without a Limit and beyondjdescription,
Is the Absolute
The Force celestial
Behind contemplation,
For knowing,
The Absolute flows from the Absolute,
The Source of all knowing,
And the seven seas of knowledge,
All flow from the Absolute itself. 2
" tf]
The mind human

With the Name, as the word, given by the Guru,
In the Grace of Love
Gets purified in the Pool of Truth
The human being
Thus illumined, living the True Way
Gets free of the cycle
Of birth and Deth of Rebirth again
“So” said the Head Lama, ‘What Lord Buddha said
about the Wheel of Life to which each one is tied and that
the release from the bondage of Birth and Death and Re-
birth again can be obtained only through folowing the Eight
Fold Path was the Truth and still remains the Truth”
“True’”’ said the Sat Guru.
“Then what is God and His heirarchy of Job doers at
His command and the manner of their function through
the Laws Creative ?” asked the Head Lama.
To this, in words of Light, the Great Sat Guru replied,
“The Absolute, first manifests Itself
As God, as the Lord Supreme of Existence
And Non-existence both
Then God, incarnates Himself
In His Avatars
Then come the Gods and the Godesses
After them the Prophets and the Saints
Then the Apsaras, the musicians celsetial
And the Angels, as the clemental
Job Doers of the Divine
* * *
As to the Laws Creative

It is Him, who creates
The vital basic Forces Three
Tamasic, Rajasic and Sattavic

It is these forces Vital that produce
Dormance, awakening
And the force Divine.
From these three flows
Inertia, Energy and the Spirit Pure.
The Spirit Pure incarnated
In the form human,
Thus born, man is governed
By the elements five
These elements acting and interacting
Sow the seeds of Action good and bad
Thus is created Karma,
The iron law of Reap as you Sow.
And this Idrh Law governs
The cycleof Birth Death and Rebirth.
When By the Grace of the Guru,
The Teacher True,
The Name is learnt,
Consciousness getting purified
The link is created,
With conciousness. Divine
This is the ‘Turia stage,
When man attains this
He truely becomes Human
And is blessed with Freedom
Thus freed, he finds Liberation
From the cycle of Birth and Death:
And Rebirth again.
For, no longer,
Issucha man under the domination of the basic
Vital forces three |
Thus, freed from the Vital forces
The Spirit Pure ascends,

And gets merged in Him, as the finality.
For days, the Great Sat Guru remained in the Trance
of Contemption. And when he emerged from his Samadhi,
the Head Lama again asked him,
“O Great Guru ! How can wereach the Absolute,
which as you say lies beyond God ? The Sat Guru replied
The Absolute itself in within you,
It is the Absolute from where
The light emanated.
And that light illumines
Every human heart.
It is by the Grace of the Guru Divine
That reaiisation dawns
That the Absolute is the Totality
The orign and the End rolled into;one
It is this the Point Sod,
From where emerges light
And descending down to man
Resides in every human heart.
Thus it comes to happen
That it is Allin One
And the One in All.
* % *
This secret gets revealed

When you know yourself
In Truth and in its fullness.
With this realisation dawning
Through recognising.
The light within oneself,
One begins to see
Light, the same light,
In Beings other and io. All.
The Dialogue of Light 135,
At this crucial point, the Head Lama again asked the

great Sat Guru, will you throw more Light on what ‘you
say about seeing the same Light in all. ‘Gladly” said the
Sat Guru.
“Exalted, indeed is the man who sees the same in All
that lies withio himself.
It is this recognition, which is the base for humane
behaviour. It is from this realisation that flows respect
for others. Itjis this respect for the sameness of light
in others as in oneself, which furnishes the True base for
the birth of Ethics and Social morality.
The way to live this realisation, in the daily life of a
man, who seeks liberation from the bondage of Karma
is to give the name ‘‘Myself”’ to everything in Creation and
All that exists around him and touches his daily life.
Living that way is the essence of the True Way” “But’’
said the HeadyLama, would giving every one the name
‘Myself’? not make men lay more emphasis on the Self.
Instead of striving to annihilate the Self?” At this stage,
the great Sat Guru smiled and said,
“Blessed are they who exalt the Self by seeing the same
Self in the others. It is this recognition of the same Self in
the others as in one’s own Self, that generates sympathy,
evokes mercy and brings compassion into operation”
Illustrating this ““Sameness of the Self in others” the great
Sat Guru added.
“The moment one recognises this sameness and names
every thing ‘‘Myself’’, cruelty and violence would disappear
from the world of men. Even if a stone is lying on the
way, one would not Kick it or push it away but with love
pick it up and gently put it, away from the path,
would not Similarly one wantonly nor even playfully pluck

a leaf from the tree, if not required strictly for use. Again,
the Head Lama interjected another point for clarity. “Why
do you emphasise “stricty for use’? Would you think
that killing anything even for use and thus taking life is
permissible, if you call every thing “‘Myself” ?
The Sat Guru asked the Head Lama, Is there anything
like ‘“‘Non-life” as a part of Creation ? No, everything has
life, even a speck of dust is redolent with life.”
And therefore, taking life does not mean Death, in any
form. Deathis only the other and common name for
Tranformation. Nothing ever dies and nothing is ‘kill-able’.
That is why utilising for sustenance, whatever object in
crration is necessary, does not come under the definition of
sin. After all it is the pattern of creation, that nothing is
created without purpose and in serving that purpose that
object finds its fulfillment as a part of the pattern of Nature
For instance, wheat grows and weeatit. In getting eaten
for sustenance the purpose of wheat asa part of creation
is served best. And whocan say that a wheat grain has
no life, even after it comes off the plant. In serving the
purpose for which any object is created It finds its ful-
fillment. But there is no greater sin than wanton destruc-
tion and non purposeful waste.
It is while having the evil urge or the temptation of
Non-purpose-ful destruction that even plucking a leaf from
the twig of a tree becomes sin in His eye. It is this thought-
lessness and purposeless way of handling men and objects
in creation which is totally prevented when one gives every
object in creation and every one around oneself, the name
“Myself”.
“Your words, O Guru, are shafts of light indeed,’’ said

the Head Lama.
‘Now a little while ago’, added the Head Lama you
mentioned the Spirit pure finally merging back in Him.
How can the Finite becomes a part of the Infinite ?”’
“Quality unto Quality” said the Sat Guru. “What is the
essence of the Infinite ? Pure light. Thus “Light unto Light”
That is how the Finite merges with the Infinite”.
“As to human beings” added the Sat Guru. “‘it is the
same as the tree and its fruit are one in quality. Those
who have a bite of the friut of the Tree Imortal become
one with the Supreme Essence, the Lord of Creation.
It is thus that one who recognises the self as light in
all its purity and sees the same light in every other being
and names all objects in creation as ‘Myself’ becomes one
with the Supreme Self the God Almightly. And thus the
Finite merges with the Infinite.”’
37
THROUGH LAMA LAND TO
MANSROWAR
After saying a loving good bye to the Head Lama the
Sat Guru travelled in other parts of Tibet and met many
other high Lamas, of the rank of Rimpoche. A Rimpoche
in the Tibetan hierachy of the Lamas isthe one who is
believed to be his own reincarnate from his previous birth.
In the new birth they are searched for, and identified in
the same manner as they identify a reincarnated Dalai
Lama.
Where ever the Great and Glorious one went, he was
hailed as the Teacher True by the Rimpoches of the
biggest monasteries in Tibet.
The capstone to the account of the great Sat Guru’s visit
to Tibet stands as the lasting monument to his glory
Divine. Till today, the great Sat Guru is the only one
among the great Saints, Prophets and Avtars of India,
whose image and whose picture, painted in gorgeous Tibetan
symbology of colour and form are given the place of
honour in the sacred most places of worship in the monas-
teries of Tibet. And the Tibetan name for the great Sat
Guru, by which the people and Lamas of Tibet revere him
is “Guru Rimpoche.” From Tibet, the great Sat Guru
travelled to Kailash Parbhat coming in contact with the
highest among the Sidh Yogis who have Powers of even
prolonging their life span.
Via Kailash Parbhat, the Sat Guru travelled to the
Sacred Lake of the Gods, Mansrowar. Just at the time
Through Lama Land to Mansrowar es
of his visit a great gathering of the Seers and the Saints

and the Sidh Yogis residing as recluses in the farthest
recesses of the snowy Himalayan heights was being held.
The Sat Guru addressed the congregation and Sang the
Text of the Sacred Jap Ji Sahib.
Hail, Hail Nanak !
With these ecstatic words of acceptance, all reverently
bowed to the Great Sat Guru. After leaving Mansrowar,
the Sat Guru went to a place in the upper Himalayas
where lived a band of Pranayama performing Yogis and
not recognising the Divine stature of their visitor, the
Yogi master impressed on him the utter need of practicis-
ing Pranayama, for achieving perfection, and attain total
Bliss, while alive, and not in the here-after.
The Sat Guru taught them the Divine way of Sahaj,
Yoga, expounding the phenomenon of inner growth through
the inner change of Consciousness. The way to attain per-
fection and total Bliss, the great Sat Guru taught
them lay through living the True way and through re-
Cognising the Light within getting linked with Light Divine
and then living in tota] freedom and attaining total enlight
enment throvgh total surrend to the Will Divine. The
great Sat Guru having thus opened the gates of knowledge
to the Sidh Yogis wended his way back to the plains and
to his abode sacred at Sri Kartarpur.
Here, it is deemed fit to point out a common error of
understanding among most of those who do not know the
Path of Sahaj Yoga, as taught by Sat Guru Baba Nanak
Maharaj. The tact of the maiter is, that the vast myriads
of the Sat Guru’s diciples, came to be known as the Sikhs:
And the select among the Sikhs who began to follow. the
path. of Sahaj Yoga came to be known, as a group;
' the Sahaj Dhari Sikhs.
Centuries later, when the glorious and the great Guru

Gobind Singh Maharaj converted the Sikhs into Singhs
and adorned them with the five sacred symbols on initation
into the Panth Khalsa, the word Sahaj Dhari came slowly
to be misunderstood as applicable to those who did not
take to the wearing of the keshas and the other symbols.
And slowly every non-keshadhari Sikh who professed to be
a follower of the teachings of the Sat Guru came to be
known as-a Sehaj Dhari Sikh. It is a total misunderstan-
ding of the term Sahaj Dhari.
When rightly understood, in the context of the inner
meaning of the term Sahaj Dhari it becomes crystal clear
that the Sahaj Dhari’s are not an Opposite Pole to the
Singhs. But are the followers of the path which the great
Sat Guru Baba Nanak taught are Sahaj Yoga. We have
deemed it compulsive to point out this error of connotation
because through non-understanding the term Sahaj Dhari,
has in current usage been vulgarly transliterated as the “‘go
slow Sikhs’ confusing the word Sahaj which means Self
Evolving with the common Panjabi parlance Sehaj which
means slowly.
Needless again, to stress the fact that the Sahaj Dhari
Sikhs are as distinct in their way of life in devoutly practis-
ing Sahaj Yoga as the Namdhari Sikks who live by the way
of the Nam—the word sacred. But the Sahaj Dharis never
got institutionally organised.
And, it is equally essential to realise for the sake of
correct understanding that the term Sahaj Dhari must not
and cannot be loosely used for all Non-Kesha Dhari Sikhs
either.
Only those are to be known as the Sahaj Dhari Sikhs
who devoutly practice the disciplines of Sahaj Yoga asa
way of life, taught by Sat Guru Baba Nanak.
38
FOLLOWING THE PILGRIMS’ TRAIL
It was during his visit to Allahabad, Holy Paryag of
old times, situated near the confluence of twin holy rivers
The Ganga and the Jamuna that The Sat Guru showed,
how truly full of humour he was and how much of the
normal qualities, so essential to happy human existence,
he embodied in his Divine Self.
It was the Eclipse Fair at Paryag when the Sat Guru

arrived. Crowds and crowds of pilgrims were flowing
into the river confluence like the third stream, for bathing
and thus getting the merit of the pilgrimage.
On one side, a Pandit was sitting with his full para-
phernalia for drawing the pilgrims.
With thick sandal paste on the idols in front of him,
the Pandit sat in the pose of the samadhi, with his eyes
closed. Since he was seated quite near where the Sat
Guru and his companions were sitting, the Sat Guru was
amused to observe that as soonasany pilgrim put
money as an offering, in front of the decorated idol,
the Pandit would emerge from his samadhi, grab the
money, shove it in his pouch and then go back to the
samadhi pose again.
The Sat Guru very good humouredly asked from the
Pandit “‘Why do you close your eyes’? And what do you
see like that ?,’ “‘Oh”’, said the pretentions. Pandit “I see
the three Worlds and all the fourteen Regions” And

having said that, lapsed into his All seeing Samadhi.
As soon as the eyes of the Pandit were closed, the great
Sat Guru excercising his very human quality of humour,
beckoned to Mardana with a gesture of the hand. And
Bhai mardana, taking the cue from the playful twinkle in
the Sat Guru’s eyes, obeyed the signal and smartly removed
the table with the idols lying front of the Pandit.
When for quite an unusually long time no coin tinkled
in the offerings tray, the Pandit opened his eyes. And
imagine, his surprise when he found that there was no
table in front of him. Worried, he turned towards the
Sat Guru and haslity asked.
“Who has taken away my table” ?
The Sat Guru replied jokingly.
“Jt has gone, out and above, the three Worlds and the
fourteen Regions”
‘“‘Dear man, dont worry, your table is safe”
“But” added the Sat Guru with his touch of the Master
of masters, “Good man is your Soul equally safe ?
And then the Sat Guru taught him, the way of Right
living.
To Varanasi of Lord Shiva
Arriving next in Varanasi, the Sat Guru saw the devo-
tees of the great Lord Shiva tinkling bells and swinging
Rosaries In every temple, big and small, on the highways
and the byelanes of the Holy city, reputed, legendwise to
be the abode of Lord Shiva when he once descended to
earth, the Sat Guru heard conches blown in front of the
Following the Pilgrims Trail 143
idols, in the midst of the noise and din made by the

thumping feet of the crowds milling round the idols.
So itis in Varanasi that the Great Sat Guru addresed
the Head Priest of the biggest temple and sang thus,
A God carved out of stone
You worship, O Pandit
And make display of the Rosary
And the Sandal beads
Are you not watering
Wastefully, a barren Soil
Wasting life in empty
Worship, formally and soul lessly ?
How does fattening the body
Physically help
When the inside is crashing
Through the strains of Inner discontent.
* * Ss
Fill the Boat of the conscious self

O, Pandit
With the cargo of
His Name sacred
And thus the Ocean of life, you cross
And reach the shores of Bliss
Eternal
* % *
As to the mind
Put the Yoke of submission to Him,
Round its, neck and make it work
The Persian wheel of the senses
And thus draw Nectar from the Inner well
And irrigate the soil of the Self, thus.
The intensity of Passion

And the fire of anger 5
Let these be your digging tools, for rooting out, ~
The wanton weeds of sense desires.
Thus cleaned and cleared, the field well dug
And irrigated amply
Shall yield the Harvest best.
Thus, the Art of husbandry Spiritual
Learn and live that way
O, Pandit.
Honest striving and labour earnest
Are rewarded best.
And worldly dearth plagues no more.
By grace Divine
Even the Heron hypocrite gets changed
Into a Swan, so full of virtue.
Thus the Prayer of work and worship transforms
The counter-feit in the self
In to the resplendance of light within
Thus earns, eternal Bliss the humble devotee
O Nanak !
Through grace Divine”
Blessed is the House holder O, Sanyasis
While the great Sat Guru sat, after enlightening the
Pandit, a group of Sanyasis arrived and as soon as they had
settled down they picked up an argument, quite a heated
one, with the Sat Guru about the unquestionable superi-
ority of a Sanays is, life over the Householders, however
devoted to the True Way, as taught by the Sat Guru, he
may be.
In answering the Sanyasis the Sat Guru sang thus,
By sheer force of dark ignorance,
The sanyasis quit home, running away,
Following the Pilgrims’ Trail 145
From their duties own.

And then hover at the doors of others.
Coveting their goods
And even wives, having deserted
Their own, swirled by the
Whirl pool of wanton desire.
And whipped by passions
They can ill control
They read the Holy Texts for knowledge,
Of which they understand, so little
How are they any better than animals, who eat
And fill the stomach bloated full, un-understanding !
bd Ed *
O Sanyasin, only he is a sanyasi True

Who having conquered
The self, following the Guru’s word
Defies desires
And for daily need looks to Him,
And to Him, only.
Thus prepared, abjures Vain speech
And with cortentment as his riches
Lives the True Way,
With darkness of the mind dispelled
Through invokation of the Name sacred.
* * *
And, blessed indeed, is the house holder

Who to the Feet of the Lord devoted
By the storms of sense desires undisturbed,
As a renouncer True and sterling,
Remains in the thought of Him absorbed
aby thus the Nectar, drinks from the wells of the
oul.
And with the self, so enlightened,
One Pointed in mind

Serene and stable within, guided by the Guru,
Devoutly and untirnigly
Pursues the search for Truth,
Such a one gets the wealth of the Name bestowed.
Blessed is such a one,
The House holder.
To Gaya, the City of Redemption
From Varanasi the Sat Guru went to Gaya, the big
place for the pilgrims who seek salvation for their dear de-
parted ones, and where the Pandits extract mostly marciles-
sly from the pockets of the woe beg one. There, one of the
ceremonies involves lighting little oil lamps made of corn
dough. “Deevas” and float them on the river. The pur-
pose they are said to serve is to light the dark path of the
departed into and where the Land of Liberation.
When the Sat Guru saw this happening he spoke, in
his own Divine way to a congregation, thus
“Of what avail are the rice balls on a leafy plate ?
How can the departed dear ones feed,
On such an offering ?
And of what avail
Are the lighted lamps of dough
When the darkness on the way
To the Great Beyond
Is not of lightlessness,
But of actions ill performed, while living !
How can the Darkness of Karma, thus self ereated
By men themselves,
Be dispelled, by these lamps of dough.”’
Following the Pilgrims’ Trail 147
Thus teaching, the Sat Guru illumind the minds of

those who were fortunate to be in the gathering. And then
the Sat Guru discoursed on the True Way and taught them
the way of how to light the lamp of the self within.
Then, to Puri of the Lord Jagannath
Having reached Puri, the Great Sat Guru was standing
outside the worship room where the statues of the Lord are
kept, with all ceremony and splendour. The Priest noticed
the Sat Guru standing and standing, but not coming in
for, worship, so the Priest went to him and asked, ‘“‘Why
dont you come in and worship the Lord ?”
To this the Sat Guru replied, “But where is the
Lord ?” Much annoyed at such an impudent question the
Friest said “Are you blind ? Can you not see Him there,
the Lord Himself, through the door, where every one
is worshipping Him ?”
“Oh”, said the Sat Guru very softly “You mean
that wooden statue !”” And then added.
“No, dear one, the Lord Supreme has no use for a
wooden statue as his residence. Knowthis! dear one,
not a statue made of wood but the heart of a human
being is the true residence of Him. And those who truely
worship Him keep the heart clean, as clean as the Temple
in which you worship”.
39
AMONG BLACK MAGICIANS AND
MAN EATERS
After a short stay at Jagannath Puri, the Sat Guru
started towards Kamroop, situated virtually in the heart of
present day Assam. On the Borders of Bengal and the
areas spreading North Eastward.Black Magic, in those
times, was practised almost every where.
Reaching Kamroop the Sat Guru arrived at the
famous temple of Kamakshi Devi, a temple in which
the Queen of Kamroop and her companions, all females.
usual to perform the Tantric rites for the propitiation of
the goddess.
Soon after settling down, Bhai Mardana presented the
usualed problem of “Death by starvation.” And the Sat
Guru, again, as always, told him to go to the town
nearby.
So Bhai Mardana hopefully trod his way to the town,

which happened to be the capital of the Sorrceress
Queen. As Mardana neared the outskirts of the habitation
he was accosted by three women.
“Why have you come here”? asked one. In his
broad Panjabi accent of western Punjab, Bhai Mardana
told them the purpose.
On hearing him, the second one said “Ah! he bleats
like a lamb. And the third one chuckled and said,
“Yes, then I will make him one”,
Among Black Magicians and Man Eaters 149
So saying, she took out a thread from her pocket;

blew some mantra on it and then she thew it round
Bhai Mardana’s neck. And instantaneously he became
a lamb and seeing this, the first women said “Now stand
on all fours and bleat’®. And Bhai Mardana, now a
lamb, bleated standing like a lamb.
This fun, the great Guru Maharaj saw happening with his
Eye Divine and hastened to the spot of his dear Bhai
Mardana’s dibomfiture. As the Sat Guru arrived, one
woman said, “Ah! I will make this one a dog” Hearing
this the great Sat Guru just said. ‘Then you shall
become one yourself”. Within a split moment she be-
came One and began to bark. Now the Sat Guru asked
Bhai Bala to take the thread off from Mardana’s
neck.
As Bhai Bala stepped forward another women tried
to throw a thread round his neck but her uplifted arm
remained stuck just where it had gone up.
Consternation shook the women sorceress. And one
of them ran wildly and breathlessly to the Queen.
As the Queen arrived, she tried her fabulously notori-
ous Black Powers. But to no avails nor could she release
her own sisters, all of them having got struck like statues
where ever they were and said nor could the Queen succe-
ed in her attempts on the Great Sat Guru. Thus humbled
the Queen with tears rolling down her flushed face, fell at
the Sat Guru’s feet Divine and said, “O Greatest of the
Great, give me back my sisters, I beseech you, as a
woman”’.
The Sat Guru with the Light of Mercy glowing in his
eyes, just said, “The Almighty is the Forgiver True. Take
150 Sat Guru Bala Nanak
your sisters but never again indulge in this evil practice”

‘“‘We never knew, O, Great Maharaj, that this was an evil
practice, we were just following the customary ways
of our tribe”.
“I know that”, said the great Sat Guru and that is the
very reason that I have come here”.
“Turn your hearts to God Almighty and do no harm
to any one For, all are his creatures”’.
Queens of Compassion
Thus saying the great Sat Guru spoke to the Queen
and her sisters and the women folk of their tribe.
“It is man, that in most cases, who goes astray. He
does so when he is faced with misery at home. You, as
women can Heaven out of Hell with the strength of your
devotion. And devotion flows from the fountain source of
compassion”.
‘“‘Be the queens of compassion” said the great Sat
Guru. ‘‘By your own dedication and selflessness you
can teach the true meaning of love to your husbands,
sons and daughters. A woman, my dear ones, is born a
goddess in her own right. Therefore it ill. becomes her
to bow her head before evil. Fulfill/ your God-given ~
duty of sowing the seeds of virtue and the True way in
the hearts of your sons and daughters. By the example
of your own way of life teach them that good deeds and
their doing comes through the fact of their being born
as human beings. Courage and Truth are the two seeds out
of which grows the Tree of happy life’.
Thus instructing the women and the Queen the Sat
Guru travelled ahead.
Among Black Magicians and Man Eaters 151
Man Eater becomes a Sikh —
The Sat Guru was travelling for long miles through the
thick forests of Assam tribal land. And one day, after
a Particularly fatiguing march the Sat Guru said
Mardana, “‘Dear one, this is the area where they eat men.
So be careful’’. ‘“Maharaj’” said Mardana, feeling faint both
with hunger and with tired feet. “You are above hunger
and thirst, but I am a poor mortal I am already dead
with hunger.
Sat Guru Maharaj gave his usual indulgent smile and
said “‘All right then go in this direction and you will get
food’’, pointing towards the heart of the jungle.
Hardly had Bhai Mardana gone a furlong, when he
was pounced upon by the man eating tribesman by name
Kkauda. He captured Bhai Mardana and tiedhim to
a tree, near which a cauldron of oil was set to boil. The
cauldron was big enough to roast a whole man. Frightened
beyond his sanses at this entirely new and horror striking
experience he was struck dumb. By the time the oil became
bubbling hot the great Sat Guru arrived. Seeing two
more men coming in the jung'e the monster Kauda
was too delighted to stay where he was. So he wanted to
rush and capture his new victims. But he could not move.
Kauda got stuck like a stone pillar
As commanded, by the Sat Guru Bhai Bala released his
twin companion. Then the great Sat Guru looked towards
Kauda and commanded, “Come! dear man’ and Kauda,
then could move and he came straight to the Sat Guru’s
feet and so doing, with fervence, begged Forgiveness.
“It is for Him to forgive.’ The way to seek
“Forgiveness is to lead a life of virtue’.
“And, O, Kauda! for leading the life of virtue first

know this.
Attachment, Greed Anger and wanting to do harm, these
are the four streams which flow with {only fire as their
content. It is these four fires which burn up the human in
the man.
Beware of them. Shun them and you will become a
traveller on the path of virtuous life.
From today onwards harm no one Serve all those who
are in need. And so doing turn your mind to God, the
Lord of All, with thoughts filled with love, with all your
heart, as lovers think of each other. And it is Him, the
Lord of all, who will bestow on you the strength to live
a virtuous life”.
Moved in every filre of his heart and mind, Kauda
lived ever after as the Sat Guru’s devoted and dedicated
Sikh.
40
BHAI MARDANA AND THE SOAP NUT
Once again, while traversing the jungles of Assam

Bhai Mardana moningly presented the chronic and the
comic predicatment of “Death with hunger” to the Sat
Guru.
The Sat Guru pointed his finger to a soap nut tree
and said “Go, Dear pest and -have a fill of that
fruit”.
Bhai Mardana looked towards the tree and knew that
it was the tree of the bitter fruit. But then he knew that
his Maharaj could never be wrong.
Just as Bhai Mardana was leaving, the Sat Guru said,
“Have your fill of the fruit but do not bring any back
with you’’.}
Mardana climbed and bit a soap nut, it indeed was as

sweet as honey. So he had his bellyful of the soap
nuts. While coming back, the thought of “tomorrow”
came to his mind and he brought back a pocketful.
Next day, again he felt hungry. This time there was
no distress. He readily brought out one and merrily
started munching it. It was the bitterest ever! Mardana
vomitted so violently that he lost his voice too. Now came
the Sat Guru’s turn to have real fun out of Mardana’s
“storing for tomorrow”. The Sat Guru laughed and
laughed, and said,
“Mardana today’s bitterness was the fruit of greed!

And yesterday’s sweetness was the fruit of need! And
still laughing the Sat Guru added, “Look Mardana, you
really were greedy. you did not offer a single nut
even to your inseparable companion, Bhai Bala?” In
self defence, since his voice was gone, Mardana could
only enact a pantomime and made effortfull gestures con-
veying.
“T have no voice left”.
“Never mind” said the Great Sat Guru smiling, just
utter “Sat Nam” As he tried to say ‘Sat Nam’ Bhai
Mardana’s voice was back again, as sweet and vibrant as
ever.
te 41
WORDS OF LIGHT IN SANGAL DEEP
-
The next phase of Sat Guru Baba Nanak’s travels took
him to the South of India. On the way to Kanya Kumari,
‘the Lands End, the Sat Guru visited the great tempies of
Kanchic Rameshwaram and at every place he gave his
message Divine.
One day, he was standing on the sear coast at
Rameshwaram and he suddenly said my friend is waiting
for me.
The friend who was calling for the great Sat Guru
was Raja Shiv Nabh of Sangaldeep, an island kingdom
off the Shore of Rameshwaram.
Raja Shiv Nabh had heard of the Sat Guru and his
glory as the Teacher of Truth, from a friendly Trader
named Bhagirath. The Raja begged of Bhagirath to tell
him how could he meet the great Master. ‘‘Think of him
with intense Love and the Great Guru will come himself”.
Said Bhagirath.
Devoutly and with desperate impatience, Raja Shiv
Nabh prayed for the visit from the Sat Guru. And one
day the intensity of earnestness flowed out and the
vibration of Shiv Nabh’s devoted longings for the Sat
Guru reached and was received.
So the friend was to be visited. Arriving in Sangal Deep
the Sat Guru announced the news and the Raja received
him with reverence. But all the time, while showing all
the reverence to the Sat Guru, there was the thought in
Raja Shiv Nabh’s mind that he must test the fact whether
his holy guest was genuinely the Great Guru or some
impostor posing to be the Great Guru. There also came
another thought in his mind that he must also test if the
Holy visitor was truely as great a Guru as Bhagirath had
discribed him to be.
With these twin thoughts in his mind Raja Shiv Nabh -
sent for a group of the most dazzingly alluring among his
court dancing women and sent them to play music and ‘
dance for beguiling the holy guest Erotic to the extreme and
Passion struck beyond bearing arrived the troupe of the
Temptresses.
As they arrived, and before they could start the com-
mand performance, the Great Sat Guru entered the Trance
of Love Divine, Bhai Mardana placed his fingers on the
Rubab strings and the music celestial flowed like the
stream of light.
And the Sat Guru in his ecstasy sang :
“As the Lotus loves the water
as its blood of sustenance
O, my heart, thus love
The Lord Eternal.
Waves of water beat against the Lotus violently
Yet ever increasing remains
The Love of the Lotus for the water.
O, my mind !
Without the love of Him
How can the treasure gates open
Behind which lie locked
The jewels of Devotion
To be bestowed by the Great Lord
On the seeker.
* * tS
Words of Light in Sangal Deep 157
As the Fish loves water
Love, O my heart, the Lord
The maker of All ti
That exists.
Like the Fish, O my heart !
Dive deeper and deeper
And thus like the Fish
O my heart, receive from the Lord of Bliss
The alms of happiness
For, Him alone, is the Bestower
As the Fish dies in a moment without water
So, O my heart live
With the name of the Lord Eternal
As your olny sustenance.
Of your longings for Him
He knows how to give
The Lord All knowing
The Lord All Bestowing.
* * *
As tlhe Chatrak pines for the Rain.

So, rest lessly longing
For Him, O my heart
Love the Lord of Bliss eternal
With the lakes
Ever over flowing
And the lands
Lush green,
The Chatrak’s thirst
Never quenches, without the rain drop
From the sky
Thus through deeds good and true
Grows the Love
For the Lord Eternal,
Which never gets quenched
Without the Grace,
Like the rain drops from the sky descending
On the seeker
A beggar at His Door Divine.
a G *
As Water love milk
O heart ! thus Love the Lord,
of All created beings.
Like the water, which burns
First, and protects the milk
From burning
So the carnest seeker
Must burn protecting,
With love selfless
All beings created.
For, O Lord Creator
Your Love limitless
Bounteous protects,
Himself the seeker,
Through limiting all
That gets separated
Thus is the seeker blessed
Exalted by His Love limitless.
* *
As the Chakvi Loves

The moon
So love O, my heart
The Lord of Oneness.
All night long
Woed by separation pangs.
As the chakvi cries
For the mate
So wail, O, heart.
For the Lord of Love eternal.
Only they whom he blesses
And thus exalts
Taste the joy of Love in Oneness
Words of Light in Sangal Deep 159
With breathe withheld, and passion frozen, the

Tempteésses stood, like icicles ina glacier cave, when the
Greatest of the great, the Sst Guru emerged from his
ecstacy and the song of Love True ended:
Back to the palace of the Raja, and the ravishing
Temptresses threw - off their bejewelled or ornaments and
took away their glittering garments and dresses like the
simple homely women appeared before Raja Shiv
Nabh who with bated breath was awaiting the news from
his Messangers of Eros. :
He just could not believe his eyes and heard the entire
story with tears of love and repentance flowing.
Thus moved, the Raja came to lay his head at the
. . haloed feet of the great Sat Guru for long days and
longer nights, the Dialogue of Illumination went on with
the Raja and the Rani who too was as earnest a seeker
as herhusband. It was then that the great Sat Guru
expounded the inner esoteric truths about Raja Yoga.
The great Sat Guru was the great Master too of the
occults in his age. For, who elsecould be bigger than
an Avater the incaraation of ‘‘Light Divine in Totality”
that is God Almighty Himself.
Tt is there in Sangal deep that the great Sat Guru gave
to the world of the Seekers the Divine gift of the holy
text known as Ratan Mal Ramkali “A Yogi must
meditate in seclusion if he is aiming to practice Raj Yoga”
said Sat Guru Baba Nanak Maharaj “for subduing
me five Senses moderation only is necessary not rigorous
enial.
And the Yogi starts by meditating on the nature and
the content of Truth.
With this as the starting point, the Yogi goes on to
the practising of meditative disciplines, till he can unite the
the two streams of consciousness, one of which flows from
the life force and the other from the light within. It is
thus that the Yogi awakens inner consciousness and

“The Third Eye” the Eye of Inner vision, begins to
function.
It is thus, that with inner vision beginning to function
the inner conscionsness of the Yogi gets linked in oneness
with Divine consciousness’. ‘‘Thus” said the great Sat
Guru “the Yogi achieves oneness with the One, through
practising Raja Yoga”.
“OQ, Master of the great masters” said the Raja after
hearing the exposition of Raja Yoga “It sounds all so,
impossibly difficult, O, Teacher True’! teach us the straight
and simple way”.
‘i The great Sat Guru smiled most benevolently and sang
thus:
Make the self, a container
Let the milk of compassion
Be its content, 1 age
With aspirations True Lover
Leaven the milk.
Then, this curd, O Shiv Nabh !
Churn with the churner
Of Discrimination
Making the Sacred Name
The ‘string —-
For the Churner True.
- Thus living churning and
churning and churning
Again and again, collect the Butter
Thus the Seeker becomes one
With the only One
The lord of Love
and The fountain of Compassion,
Thus united in oneness
With the One
The seeker blessed
Gets Bliss eternal,
“This O, Raja, is the Path of Yoga, straight and
simple”.
42
THE ILLUSION OF MAYA ITSELF
Taking leave of his, now enlightened, Royal devotees,
the Sat Guru travelled down to Kanya Kumari, the extreme
southern end of the Indian sub continent, and spreading the
message of his sprit Divine, arrived back in the matriarchal
area where the present Travancore is located. The ruler
of the area was the Rani, as enjoined by the custom of
sucession from mother to daughter.
The Rani was a good and considerate ruler and offered
hospitality to the great Sat Guru. which he accepted
saying “you know the Art of giving and thus the art
of living’ and added ‘“‘He who shares, what he has, with
the others who need it equally or even more is timely
blessed”
“Talking of giving or keeping” said the Rani “Maharaj,
is it not all an illusion, “Maya ?”
‘Ah! dear daughter” replied the great Sat Guru,
“With so much of awakening within, even you are still
trapped in the cob webs of considering anything as Maya.
Where is Maya ?” “Every thing in creation and
even beyond creation” suid the Sat Guru “is totally and
unquestionally Real, what is unreal and where is it, Dear
Rani ?”
And then the Great Sat Guru revealed the highest of
Truth, all which ever been expounded in the entire history
of man’s, journey in search of Truth.
Only an Avatar of the Divine stature of the glorious
Sat Guru Baba Nanak Maharaj could state the inner most
Truth, exploding the illusion of Maya itself. His esoteric

stature in the hierarchy of the Job doers Divine was that of
the Administator of the Universe of universess as the Incar-
nation of the Almighty God Himself Enlightening the Rani
the great Sat Guru Maharaj sang the song of the Real.
In the Absolute, not Real ?” O Rani
“orIs Him not Real?” asked the great Sat Guru
Maharaj’ and, thus as king ascended into the Trance
of ‘Him, The Real” and then burst forth in song,
with the flashes of Light Divine
The Absolute is Real.
Thus the Point, the Beginning
Is Real
From that Point Real, flowed
Him
And Him is Real,
From the Him, the Real, flowed All,
All the Regions are His
Who is Himself Real,
So are His Heaven Real
So is His, the Almighty God’s creatiod,
As all His, Real
His thoughts, and His acts
Are Real
His acts and his decisions
Are Real,
His behests are Real
His commands are Real
His Grace is Real
And the symbols of his Grace
Are Real.
Real is His Might
And Real are His Powers Divine
The Illusion of Maya Itself 163 «
And All, that those Powers Real

anifest is Real.
All that manifests as Real
Is seen as Real
Thus millions upon millions of His creatures
Declare Him as Real.
So are His Praises by millions upon millions Real
So are His Powers, as praised,
By millions upon millions Real
Says Nanak, only those
Blessed by the Real know the Reality of the Real.
And only those are x
Blessed with knowing
The Reality of the Real
Who contemplate on
The Real.
Then the Great Sat Guru Maharaj coming out of the
Ecstasy of the Trance of the Real explained in the smallest
number of words the Highest Truth ofall Times and ex-
plained the inner meaning of knowing the Real. “All those
Dear Rani ji” ‘“‘said the Great Sat Guru “who contemplate
on the Nature of the Real come, by His Grace, to realise
that every object in His creation is Real. And itis this
Realisation of the Reality of all that is seen or even unseen
which brings the boon of liberation from the cycle of Birth
and Death and Rebirth again and again.”
“And All those” added the Great Sat Guru Maharaj
who meditate on the ‘Maya’ and therefore on the unreal
remain bound in the chains of the cycle of Birth, Death and
Rebirth, again and again, unceasingly.
For, they who mediate on the ever changing remain

caught in the net of the ever changing, which means the
unending eycle of Birth, Death and Rebirth.”
Thus lifting the dark cloud of non. understanding from
he inner consciousness of the Rani, the Great Sat Guru
Maharaj luminously exploded the ages old conception of
‘Maya’ of every thing as unreal, a conception which multi-
multi centuries long, vlighted the basic urges of the human
beings to be themselves, as the executors Will Divine and
Juyously live the reality of every thing. Having thus
travelled as the Messenger of the Real, all round, the South
7)
the Great Sat Guru decided to return to his Abode sacred
at Sri Kartarpur Sahib.
On the way back the Great Sat Guru went to
Brinda Ban, the birth place of Lord Krishna and then to -
Delhi While at Delhi the Great Sat Guru camped on the
high bank of the River Jamuna. On that spot today stands
a beautifully built Gurdwara known as Gurdwara Majnoon
Tila. It is situated very near the Delhi university campus,
perched on the high bank of the River commanding a
glorious view of the meadering course of the River.
During his sojourn at Delhi, the Great Sat Gurn went
to stay for some days at the Holy Shrine of Hazrat Khwaja
Nizam-ud-din Aulia, Mehboob-i-Ilahi, The Beloved of
God Almighty.
43
CONGREGATIONAL DIALOGUES
After travelling round the world of men of varied

hues, beliefs and of varied textures as their creeds, the
great Sat Guru finally settled down at Shri Kartarpur.
People from all denominations and directions, were drawn
to the magnet of light, the great Sat Guru’s congregation,
which now had come a regular feature in the daily life of
sacredotal Sri Kartarpur.
Once, when the sacred congregation had just begun
a devotee got up and begged permission to leave.
The Sat Guru asked for the reason for such a hurried
departure. And with folded hands the devoted said.
‘Sat Guru Maharaj ; for long it has been a law with
me to have your Holy sight, Darshan every day of my
life without fail. So I had to come today resolve bound.
But Maharaj today I left a sick friend "behind and
he has no one else to look after him’’.
The Sat Guru got into holy wrath and reprimanded
him saying.
“In coming to have the sight of me, you, Dear brother
served yourself. And not the oné whom god Almighty
had consigned to your care. Thus you have let down my
teaching’.
And then added addressing the congaegation. “Sce,
Dear ones, how the self unwarily grips the minds of men
who have good intentions. This is how the self deceive

by appearing under the cover of a good act. There is
no greater way of serving God than serving those in need,”
said the Sat Guru while giving the men permission to
leave.
Another day Bhai Manilal asked the Sat Guru.
“How can one serve Him, when no direct service can
be rendered to God ?”
“To love and serve His created beings is the way to
serve Him, Dear one, there is no better way”’.
“Tell us, Sat Guru Maharaj, How to be free ?”’ asked
one.
“To be rid of evil thoughts is to be rid of evil
deeds.
To. be rid of evil thoughts, pour into your mind the
thoughts of doing good and goods deeds will follow.
When goods deeds are done ever and always the mind
becomes the land on which the image of goodness gets
reflected.
Thus doing goodness lives the True way and to live
the True way is to be free one.
Another devotee in the congregation asked, “Is knowing
Truth, not the way to the True way ?
“Indeed, dear one, but knowing alone is not enough”
said the great Sat Guru, “‘Truth, the Absolute, is higher
than God, but True living is even higher than the
Absolute itself.
Therefore, living truly is really to know Truth.”
Anothcr day, a Sikh asked the Sat Guru. “The
heart does not throb with Love and the mind refuses to
become calm how can I achieve this ?
Congregational Dialogues 167
' “Brother” said the Sat Guru “‘cultivate the triple qualities.
contentment, Truthfulness and Forgiveness. And then
see how warmly the heart throbs with Love and the mind
wanders no more.
Calmness is the fruit that grows on the tree of one
pointedness.”
Another, one on hearing this asked the Sat Guru,
‘‘Maharaj teach us the way how to become one pointed”.
The Sat Guru replied.
“Fill your mind with the thought of what you want
to achieve. That is the essence of devotion and the
inner meaning of one pointedness’’.
To this the grat Sat Guru added “Brother” look at
what happensin daily life in nature itself, all around us
all. The lust in the fish, the hissing sound in the snakes
the sense of simell in the bee, the passion for light in the
moth, the elephants love for the tender touch, all these
become the causes of their perishing.
Now brother, all these have only one sense in them
which brings them destruction, what of the human beings
who have as many as five senses to lead them astry, And
all them act as noonses round. man’s neck to draw him
away from the path he chooses to follow. Therefore
Dear ones, to become one pointed is to fix one’s eye on
the object one wants to achieve.
One who forgets even himself entirely in his intensity
to achieve the object he sets his heart on, unfailingly he
achieves that object. That is what becoming one pointed
means. It is such a man whom the God Almighty
blesses with the joy of achievement’’.
In another congregation a disciple asked the Sat Guru.

“How is it that the illusion of Maya, that is of dark
thoughts of self pursuit I cannot dispel? Show your
humble devotee the way Maharaj”.
“Only look at your own Shadow, Dear one, you can
go miles and miles and your shadow will always remain in
front of you, when you are walking with the sun at your
back.
But dear one, for one moment turn your own face
towards the sun and then see where is the shadowy, it
vanishes.
So, it is with the mind of men, so long as their face re-
mains turned away from God Almighty they remain
haunted by the ever present pursuit of the self and thus
remain entangled in the snare of the Shadows of Maya,
wrongful desires. But the moment your face turns to-
wards God Almighty self pursuit melts away and
altogether vanishes and the darkness, the shadows Maya,
wrongful desires, pursue you no longer’. 3
A devotee, asked ‘‘why is it that “Sat Nam’’ is always
uttered before any congregational hymn is sung ?”
“Dear one’ replied the Sat Guru “Some start with the
name of Goddess Durga and some by the name of Lord
Shiva. But the Sikhs worship only the God Almighty,
the One and only One. His name is the ever highest.
Therefore we all seek the protection of His name only
Sat Nam, therefore, always precedes what ever we do or
wish to do”.
Another one in the congregation asked “Sat Guru’,
The Hindus and the Muslims follow the laws enjoined
upon them by their prophets. What laws,O Maharaj are
we to follow ?
Congregational Dialogues 169
“The law of Truth” was the great Sat Guru’s answer.

“Follow the law of Truth. There is no law higher than
that, nor any other way of life superior to living truely,
serving all those in need, with Love’.
One day, a Yogi who had come to attend the congre-
gation asked.
“O Great Teacher, how is that inspite of my
practising Pranayama, my mind finds no peace ?
“My dear friend ! By Hatha Yoga you fry to draw
upon the energies of the Sun and the Moon into your
physical system. Dear one, Draw the energy from the
Sun within, and the mind will become as tranqiul as the
light from the Moon’’.
It was in the very last. congregation that the great
_ §at Guru answered the questions about what he the
Divine Teacher and the Great Guru of them all enjoined
on his own Sikhs.
44
TESTAMENT FOR THE SIKHS
Thus spoke Sat. Guru Maharaj “He who is truthful,
Contented, aud compassionate towards all, he is the Sikh
Who is freeof all covetousness and hate. He who harms
‘none, holds control over his passions, is rid of the
extravagance of desire, he who thus controlled discrimi-
‘nates between right and wrong, before he does any act is a
Sikh. |
And he who Surrenders to the Lord Supreme and has
‘learnt to Jive by His will, such a person, so harmonised
_ within, is a Sikh’.
Further the Great Sat Guru Maharaj added,
“Most people profess to love others but in practice
they only love their own selves. There are a few who love
those who love them, but a true devotee, a Sikh must love
all, even those who hate him.
““Most people work for gain only, afew work out
of duty, and only the rare ones works without desire
for personal gain. But a true devotee, a Sikh must serve
friends and enemies alike, knowing that it is onty thus
that he can best serve God Almighty. Every one lives
for the self and only some share what they themselves
gain with others. Only rare ones among men find happi-
ness in sharing with others, a true devotee, a Sikh, must
live dedicatedly entirely, for others.
Testament for the Sikhs 171
Most people want their own name to be exalted. A

_ few want their friends to be exalted. Only rare ones among
men want neither name nor fame. But a true devotee, a
Sikh, must exalt only the name of God, the One and the
One, without any sense of the self.
The Prophet of light, that the. great Sat Guru was,
with these injunctions of light he produced. the true
devotees, his own Sikhs who shine with the lustre of
cut diamonds as human beings, as_worthly sons and
daughters of humankind.
After the great Sat Guru Baba Nanak Maharaj finished
his last Testament .for his beloved Sikhs he began with-
drawing within his Divine self.
45
UNDER THE SAME DOME
The devoted ones around the Sat Guru sensing that the
great and the glorious Master of them all had decided to
ascend began to weep bitterly and unconsolably.
At this, the light incarnate Sat Guru Maharaj came
back from his Trance of Ascension and sang the song of
love, the last verse of which throbbing with the pignant
mellownes of true love reads.
“Says Nanak, men weep truely indeed”.
O, Father of us all when they weep through love”.
Having sung this the sublims most Sat Guru himself
drew a white sheet, over himself. The great Sat Guru was
69 and the year was 1538.
The great Sat Guru had lived oneness with the One and
the only One and oneness with All, His, created beings
so perfactly and dynamically that both the Hindus and
the Muslims, who all alike attended his congregations as
devotees and seekers both wanted to do the last rites of
the Sat Guru Maharaj’s earthly remains in conformity with
the customs of their own religions.
But where were the last remains of what was the
purest puritly of light incarnated on earth, in the human
form.
There only was found the sacred white sheet. This the
Hindus and the Muslims shared alike and a Samadhi
and a Grave came to co-exist under the same dome at Sri
Kartarpur.
Under the Same Dome 173
Some decades later, a mighty flood in the River Ravi
showed signs of endangering the Gurdwara at Sri Kartar-
pur and by the wish of Baba Sri Chand Maharaj the
Udassee elder son of the great Sat Guru, the sacred re-
‘mains under the Samadhi were brought to Dera Baba
Nanak on the opposite and the safer bank of the River
Ravi.
Thus him, the great Sat Guru, who life long belonged
to the Hindus and the Muslims alike, still continues to
belong both to Pakistan and to India with his sacred
Grave in Sri Kartarpur on the Pakistan bank of the River
Ravi and his holy Samadhi in Dera Baba Nanak on the
Indian bank on the same River.
It was in the 19th century, when Maharaja Ranjit
Singh had founded the Punjabi Sovreign State that under
the inspiration of the great Master of the Occult, Baba
Sahib Singh Bedi Maharaj the Raj Guru of Maharaja
Ranjit Singh and his Panjabi State that a golden dome was
put on the Sacred Samadhi Gurdwara of Dera BabaNanak.
General Attar Singh Bedi surpervised and guided the
construction of this Gurudwara. Haloed with the sacred
remains of the great Sat Guru, Dera Baba Nanak . situated
about 35 miles from Amritsar has been the magnet for
multi millions as a place of pilgrinage where besides the
Sikhs come the humanists from all lands and of all creeds
who revere Sat Guru Baba Nanak as the great Humanist
Master. Again, it is at Dera Baba Nanak that the sacred
cloak “Chola Sahib” which the great Sat Guru brought
back from the Holy Mecca and used it on his own haloed
self is revently lodged in the Gurdwara Sri Chola Sahib.
Every year on the 5th of March a vastly attended festival
is held when the sacred cloak is annually exhibited for its
Darshan.
46
FROM THE OCCULT EYE VIEW
Esoterically viewd, Sat Guru Baba Nanak was the ~
embodiment of Total Light. It is this Light celestial that he
spread in words and through actions, When one goes into
the spectrum of light celestial five colours appear with that
light splitling for becoming functional on the planet earth.
Each one of these five colours represents a vitality of the
celestial. The fine colours of the split up of hight celestial,
thus represent the five esoteric vitalities which became
functional with the earthly extistence of Sat Guru Baba
Nanak. Looking at the spectrum of these Vitalies the
inner eye sees these Vitalities, as the Vitality of Devotion,
the Vitality of Humility, the Vitality of Service, the Vitality
of Evolvement and above all the mother of all Vitalities,
the Vitality of Compassion.
It is these Quintipulet of Vitalities which functioned as
the composite Dynamics out of wich flowed the stream
celestial of the Great Sat Guru Baba Nanak teachings. It is
this esoteric appraisal of the Dynamics of light which the
great Sat Guru incarnated which explains the most astound-
ing pheromenon that in the state estatic, if one attempts to
have the human form of the great Sat Guru in front of
one’s eyes it is just not possible to bear the dazzle of light
with the normal human eye.
All and the utmost. that the eye can see is the halo of
light around the sacred feet of the great Sat Guru. .
Above the area of the feet, upto the ankles only, and no
more, can the human vision stand it, so lustrous is the Blue
From the Occult Eye View 175
light celestial, which one sees through the Vitality of the

Occult. :
From this phenomenon seen through the blessings of
the Occult, flows the possiblity of a correct appraisal of the
Divine stature of Sat Guru Baba Nanak and the height of
the Teachings he gave to the world of men.
og
Most of his Teachings are based on pure revelation

which had once again become necessary, because of the
changed context of the human situation in the process of
evolving from the jungle stage to the stage of orgnised social
existence.
The New Revelation’ which flowed through the Holy
Voice of the Sat Guru, was not meant just for the contem-
porary needs of humankind but for the entire phase of
human evolution, till perfection is attained and man _ totally
enlightened reaches, through evolving, the stage of becoming
a human being in perfection.
Thus viewed, the Teachings of the Great and the Glo-
rious Sat Guru far transcend any and every philosophical
system, which has yet been expounded.
In fact, it would be an utter error of appoarch to attempt
any comparison of the Teachings of the Great Sat Guru
which flowed from pure Revetation with any systems of
schools of Philosophy, The magnitude of the Teachings of
the Great Sat Guru cannot be confined by any boundaries of
containment nor can they he delimited within the dimension
of any defined frontier as a school of Philosophic Thought.
Totally Humanist in application to the world of men and
wholly revelationay in relation to the Nature of Nature and
its creative process and their functioning, from, eternity
176 | Sat Guru Baba Nanak
to eternity, the sacred Teaching ofthe great Sat Guru

contain their unlimited and unlimitable magnitude in
the context of the theory of Space and Time continum,
the totality of ethical dynamics which human kind would
ever need upto the finale of Perfection, as a species in
creation.

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=/4 Ts

Sat Guru Baba Nanak

NEW DELHI-1 (INDIA)

Nanak, the author led the life of a Revolutionary freedom

Of Love and of Light

24 Lighting the Lamp Without Oil. 90

39 Among Black Magicians and Man Eaters. 148

40 Bhai Mardana and the Soap Nut. 153

Hardwar to irrigate the fields in his home village, far far

great Sat Guru Baba Nanak use for so universal a

The Great Sat Guru Baba performed this miracle ever

Sillhouetted against the sombre grey curtain of the

The life of the baby, whom the fond parents named

. Teacher. ‘‘Because there can be no beginning without

Born in a home, where the ancient customs of the

The essence of love Divine,

Hearing this song, the gathering was moved to the

And-in the hush of silence that followed, the young

For the parents it was a shock unbearable, and a revolt

Lounging round the house, in a pensive mood was too

trance and for hours he was lost in contemplating on Him,

a trance, contemplating over the wondrous qualities and

Despite what the Nawab kept telling the Guru's

very quietly to say “Revered father, but, I am already

“My body is the farm

This idea of the father was met by the Guru with

Irritated, yet undismayed by these homilies of his son,

To the Great Master,

Coming out of the trance, the Sat Guru retired to his

There is no one low

6 Sat Guru Bata Nanak

And forgetting Him

With all the manifestations of Light, sprouting from

“Your son is the messenger of God. Shed all worry

fit of bliss-conferring merit. Thus I transacted the “Sacha

today, is no more than a township in the Kapurthala

became his duty to supervise the sale of food grains to

of the assertion in finality. that one phase of his life had

Having walked away from domestic life Sat Guru Baba

“Of what consequence

After three days of communion with the ever Highest

which extends beyond the borders of existence,—the

beginning and without an ending’? and it conforms to its

Looking at the One, Karta Purkha who is “without a

the text of the sacred Mool Mantra, translated in

“Sikh prayer” but purest of pure ‘‘ustaat’’, Praise of the

Having thus given to the world, the First Article of

After a while, the Nawab politely broached the subject

“T am neither a Hindu, nor a Muslim, I belong only

After finishing the song, the Sat Guru spoke to the

“And what for”? asked the octegenarion.

the world, this happening is most readily and prefectly

bit of the earth and every one created by Him is pure

60 Sat Guru Baba Nanak

On the paper a question was written, “What is real and

‘Life is unreal and death is the reality.” So writing

“How is that possible, Maharaj”, asked the seeking

TRAPPED BY THE DACOIT

Sajjan was happy on his success, in so clevely beguiling