1 Elke OF GURU KRAME DAS, tHe FOURTH GURU
2 Guru Ram Das’s parentage and birth, his early life, his meeting with Guru Amar Das, his marriage with Guru Amar Das’s daughter Bibi Bhani, and many other incidents in his life, have already been related in the Life of Guru Amar Das. The manner in which the Emperor Akbar bestowed several villages on Bibi Bhani, Guru Amar Das’s daughter, after they had been refused by her father, has also been narrated. She assigned them during her father’s lifetime to her husband. How the construction of the tank in Amritsar was entrusted to Jetha, and how he was appointed Guru Amar Das’s successor under the name of Guru Ram Das, have also been related. It needs hardly be said that Guru Ram Das adopted the principles and tenets of Guru Amar Das.
3 The minstrel Satta dedicated to Guru Ram Das on his installation the seventh pauri of the composi- tion, which is known in the Granth Sahib as the joint production of Balwand and Satta, previously called the Coronation Ode. Hail! hail Guru Ram Das! God who created thee hath decorated thee. Complete are the miracles which the Creator Himself performed. The Sikhs and their congregation bowed to thee since God was with thee. Thou art immovable, unfathomable, unequalled ; thou hast no end or bounds. Thou didst save those who worshipped thee with love ; Thou didst expel with ignominy! their former avarice, greed, lust, wrath, and worldly love with their train.
4 Hail to thy place! true are those who abide in thy pre- Bece. Thou art Nanak, thou art Lahina, thou art Amar Das ; so I deem thee. When I saw the Guru my spirits were sustained. One day the Sikhs represented to the Guru: ‘The Purans describe the advantages of pilgrimages, and thou sayest that the repetition of the Name is the most efficacious form of worship. Be pleased to satisfy our minds on this subject. The Guru replied: “They who go on pilgrimages commit every species of enormity. Whatever good acts they per- form are merely for ostentation. They give alms to those who flatter them to their faces or speak well of them to others. How shall persons like that be saved ?’ The Guru then quoted the following hymn of Guru Nanak :—
5 Shall I go to bathe at a place of pilgrimage ? God’s name is my place of pilgrimage. My places of pilgrimage are the Word, contemplation, and the divine knowledge within me. The divine knowledge given by the Guru is the true place of pilgrimage where the ten auspicious times for bathing and the Dasahra? are always present. I ever beg for God’s true name; grant it me, O God, Sustainer of the earth. * The Dasahra festival is held on the tenth day of the light half of the month of Jeth, May-June, in commemoration of the birth of the Ganges. The word is derived from dash, ten, and hara, to take away ; that is, the removal of ten great sins. The ten parads Or auspicious times for bathing are the eighth and the fourteenth of the lunar month, the day when no moon appears, the day when the moon is full, the first day of the solar month, the day of the new moon when it falls on a Sunday and the moon is in the mansion of Shrawan or Aquila, the vernal and autumnal equinoxes, eclipses of the sun and moon. Sardar Kahn Singh’s Gurumat Prabhakar.
6 LIFE OF GURU RAM DAS The world is ill, the Name is its medicine ; without the True One the filth of sin attacheth to it. The Guru’s word is pure and ever diffuseth light ; ever bathe in such a true place of pilgrimage. Filth attacheth not to the true ; what filth have they to wash off ? Twine for thyself a garland of virtues, and then what shalt thou have to grieve for ? He who chasteneth himself by meditation shall be saved ; he shall save others and never again return to a womb. The supreme mediator is himself the philosopher’s stone ; the true are pleasing to the True One. They feel happiness and true joy night and day; their sorrow and their sins depart.
7 The true Guru hath shown God to him who hath obtained the true Name; no impurity attacheth to him in whose hear isthe Tric-One, Association with the congregation of the saints is the perfect ablution. Sweet is the voice of the singer who singeth of God. Praising the True One and obeying the true Guru are in my opinion equal to alms-deeds, and works of mercy. He who loveth the society of the Beloved shall easily bathe in the society of those who are the truest of the true } as his Tribeni. Worship the one true God who ever giveth and whose gifts ever increase. Salvation is obtained by associating with saints; God associateth with the company of the saints him on whom He looketh with favour.”
8 Every one giveth accounts of God ; how great shall I say Heis? I by myseif am a blockhead, low, and ignorant, but I understand Him from the Guru’s description. True is the teaching of the Guru whose words are nectar : my heart is satisfied therewith. Man marcheth off to a place of pilgrimage and returneth laden with sin, while, if he had remained under the Guru’s instruction, he would have found the True One. There should be no end to speaking of God; He is the storekeeper of devotion and everywhere diffused. Nanak maketh a true representation—it is he who cleanseth his heart who is pure.} To this the Guru added the following hymn of his own :—
9 The pandits read the Shastars and the Simritis, The Jogis cry ‘ Gorakh, Gorakh ’, But IT who am ignorant repeat God’s name. [ know not, O Lord, what my condition shall be. Worship God, O my soul, so shalt thou sail over the terrible ocean. The Sanyasis apply ashes to decorate their bodies, The Brahmacharis altogether avoid women ; But my hopes O God, ignorant though I am, are in Thee. The Khatri performeth deeds and obtaineth the rank of a hero: The Sudars and the Vaisyas work for others. God’s name hath saved me who am ignorant. The whole creation is Thine, Thou pervadest every place. Nanak, God giveth greatness to the holy. I being blind have set up God as my prop
10 The Guru continued: ‘Even if one go on a pilgrimage, the Name ought to be praised. Indeed, it 1s by praising the Name all advantages, whether temporal or spiritual, are obtained ; and it was for the magnification of the Name places of pilgrimages were established on spots frequented by great Rikhis and Munis who had spent their days in that form of devotion. On the other hand, making pilgrimages involveth great sufferings and ruffleth LIFE OF GURU RAM DAS the temper, whereas the pilgrimage of the Name requireth no exertion and causeth no exasperation. What is even the Tribeni—a place so holy in the estimation of the Hindus ? The Tribeni of the Sikhs is to repeat God’s name, sing His praises, and know Him present in every heart. Without intelligence and discrimination men go astray at pilgrimages. What pilgrimages did Kabir and Rav Das make? Yet they obtained salvation and are reverenced by the world. They each abode in a hut at the pil- grimage of the Name. The restraint of their desires they made the four walls of their lowly dwellings. Love and devotion were their roofs, and divine knowledge and meditation the beams on which they rested. They kept the love of God in their hearts to preserve them from the rain of -bad com- pany, the cold of superstition, and the heat of avarice.
11.2 By dwelling in such huts men need not wander on pilgrimages, and may easily obtain deliverance from transmigration.’
12 Sri Chand, the elder son of Baba Nanak, wore long hair, wandered a naked hermit, and established the sect of the Udasis. He would not go to meet either Guru Angad or Guru Amar Das, but, now that a long time had elapsed since his father’s death, and he had partially forgotten his imaginary griev- ances, he thought he would visit Guru Ram Das. When he arrived in the suburbs of Goindwal, the Guru went and took him, as the son of Guru Nanak, an offering of sweets and five hundred rupees in money. Sri Chand on beholding Guru Ram Das, thought him the very image of Guru Nanak. In the course of conversation Sri Chand remarked to him that he had grown a long beard. The Guru replied, “ Yes, I have grown a long beard that I may wipe thy feet therewith’; whereupon the Guru proceeded to suit the action to the word. Sri Chand felt abashed, drew back his feet from the Guru, and said, “O great king, thou art senior, thou art in my
13 SIKH. II S father’s place. It is magic like this which hath made thee a Guru. I possess no such power, and therefore was I superseded. I cannot express thy greatness. The Sikhs who come to behold thee shall be saved.’ One day the Guru, while meditating on Guru Amar Das, remembered that he had received from him a parting injunction to preach the true Name everywhere, and make a supreme place of pilgrimage at Amritsar. He asked his brothers-in-law, Mohan and Mohri, to accompany him thither for the pur- pose, but they refused. He went himself and spent several months there excavating the tank ordered by Guru Amar Das. In process of time a deputa- tion of Sikhs came to him from Lahore inviting him to extend his journey to their ancient city. They said, ‘Since thy parents died, thou hast not visited thy birth-place. Return home, meet thy relations, preach to the Sikhs, and bless thy city. Wherever thou treadest, thou savest numberless sinners.’
14 The Guru accordingly proceeded to Lahore. As he approached that city, his relations and Sikhs came forth to meet him. He remained there for some time, turned his parents’ house into a temple, and built a well near it for the devotional ablutions of his followers. During his sojourn in his natal city he made many converts. It is said that his person and his words possessed such attractive power, that all who came under his influence felt constrained to embrace his religion. In due time he returned to Goindwal.
15 A company of Jogis with their superior went to make trial of the Guru. They said: ‘ Great king, thy Sikhs practise not Jog with its eight limbs or accessories, and without doing so the mind is never at peace. Until the mind is at peace, God 1s not LIFE OF GURU RAM DAS obtained ; until God is obtained salvation is im- possible ; and until salvation is obtained the soul shall wander through the eighty-four lakhs of exist- ences. QO Guru, how can thy Sikhs obtain salva- tion? What advantage do they gain by serving thee The Guru replied: ‘As the teats on a goat’s neck yield no milk, so Jog without piety yieldeth no advantage. My Sikhs are family men, and may obtain salvation in that condition of life. It would be impossible for them to practise Jog. The best means of practising Jog is the repetition of the Name. The Name is implanted in the hearts of my Sikhs, and they repeat it day and night. All persons in whose hearts there are love and devotion, shall undoubtedly obtain deliverance from trans- migration. Wealth or supernatural power may strive to lead them astray, but will not succeed. Profit or loss, joy or sorrow, praise or blame never cause them to waver. At every breath they repeat the Name of Sri Wahguru, the immortal God. They never incline to mammon or worldly advantages, since they know that all such things are perishable and delusive like a mirage.
16.2 He who hath not divine
17 knowledge, is like a man in a lonely forest in the heat of the year, who searcheth for water but findeth only a sandy waste. The sun above him burneth his head, the sand beneath him his feet, and he findeth no respite from his sufferings. He who on the contrary hath divine knowledge, knoweth that it is not water, but a sea of sand that is before him, that everything is false and that God alone is true. Without love and devotion to God all other means of obtaining salvation are unprofitable. O Jogis, it is very difficult even for yourselves to practise Jog in this age, and you can never obtain perfection by it. Even if you obtain supernatural power, it is very difficult to fix your attention on God, for the mind wandereth in every direction, and is not at
18 S rest even for a moment. But, supposing it were possible to practise Jog, thoughts of wealth and supernatural power would ultimately lead men astray. Their desire is to obtain money, beautiful women, fame, greatness, and honour. In such aspirations man forgetteth God. They who know Him are never led astray. However potent their temptations may be, they conquer them, and there- fore enjoy the sweets of divine knowledge and medi- tation. A man may wear a Jogi’s garb, but without devotion in his heart God never entereth it. It must be one of our main objects to extricate our- selves from the mire of the world.’ The Guru com- pleted his instructions to the Jogis by repeating to them the following hymn :—
19 O Jogi, when thou touchest the strings only with thy hands, thy lute is played in vain. Under the Guru’s instruction utter God’s praises, O Jogi, and dye thy soul with the dye of God’s love. O Jogi, teach thine intellect divine instruction. The one God existeth in every age, I bow before Him. Thou singest in many measures and arguest in many ways, but thy heart is only playing a game. Thou desirest to work thy well and water the ground after the oxen have gone to pasture. Perform the duty of sowing God’s name in the soil of thy body ; God will then germinate and there shall be a verdant field. Yoke a constant mind for a bullock and by means of it irrigate thy love of God with the Guru’s instruction.
20 Jogis, Jangams and all creation, O Lord, are Thine ; they walk by the wisdom Thou givest. O Lord of slave Nanak, searcher of hearts, turn my soul unto Thee.! On account of the general impression produced by the Guru’s teaching, people of every class and religion flocked to see and hear him, and there was Piet OF GURU KAM DAS a great accession of converts. Several persons, as usual in such cases, became envious of his fame and success, and foremost among them was a third Tapa or penitent He said: ‘This is really the terrible Kal age. I a penitent bear cold and heat, yet people heed me not, while they reverence this married man asa guru.’ Thus the Tapa spluttered, and foamed, and impotently raged. One day he repaired to the Guru’s court and thus addressed him: ‘O Guru, thy Sikhs are very proud; they accept not the Veds or Shastars; they make no pilgrimages ; nor do they fast, perform the usual religious duties of Hindus, or practise austerities of any sort. They only reverence thee and recognize thy compositions. Their adoration is confined to the utterance of Wahguru. These misguided people are losing the advantages of their human birth. Pray tell me, sir, however can they go to heaven ?’
21 The Guru replied: “O Tapa, my Sikhs desire not heaven. Heaven they deem not fit reward for their merits. They never engage in worship which 1s merely intended for the admiration of the public. Their minds are absorbed in God’s love. That is their heaven and their salvation. Thou knowest not the glory of the saints. Thou hast forsaken the real thing, attached thyself to false ceremonies, and for- feited thy salvation. Thy mind is filled with pride. Through pride and boasting men completely lose their way in this world. Without faith no devotion, penance, or worship availeth. They who possess no faith are drowned in lust, wrath, worldly love, covetousness, pride, and whatever else there is of evil. It is not so with my Sikhs. Their confidence and trust are reposed in the one immortal God. At every breath they repeat His name, and thus easily merit salvation. They need not penances or pilgrimages. They are in themselves pure and holy
22 places.’ The Guru composed the following on the occasion :— The Ganges, the Jamna, the Godavari, and the Saraswati make efforts to obtain the dust of the saints’ feet. They say * The filth of sin which falleth into us from those who are full of it, is washed away by the dust of the Saints feet.” Bathe in the Name as in the sixty-eight places of pil- grimage. When the dust of the saints’ feet riseth and falleth into the eyes, it removeth all the filth of evil inclinations. Bhagirath ! by penance brought down the Ganges, and Shiv established Kedarnath? and Banaras ; Krishan herded cows in Bindraban ; but it was by pro- ducing saints of God that all these places became famous.
23 All the places of pilgrimage which the gods established long for the dust of the saints’ feet, and say— ‘When we meet a saint of God and a holy man of the Guru, we will apply the dust of his feet to our foreheads.’ O my Lord, all Thy creation longeth for the dust of the saints’ feet. Nanak, God granteth the dust of the saints’ feet to him on whose forehead it hath been written, and saveth him.’ It is said the Tapa was convinced on hearing this hymn, and embraced the Sikh religion. The Guru occupied most of his time in composing hymns breathing great devotional fervour and in receiving and addressing his Sikhs. Piles of wealth were offered him, but his thoughts turned not in that direction.
24 Among the Sikhs at Goindwal was a simple man called Handal, a native of Jandiala in the present the god Shiv, who is there represented as a shapeless mass of rock. oerialar. LIFE OF GURU RAM DAS district of Amritsar, who was ever on the alert to perform submissive service for the Guru. Handal continually repeated God’s name, conversed with no one, and remained absorbed in devotion. He was unaffected by joy or sorrow, and every one loved him on account of his child-like nature ; but he himself bore neither love nor hate to any one, and was known as a saint. One day the Guru went to visit his kitchen. There he saw willing Sikhs at work. Handal, who was kneading flour at the time, was delighted to see him, and prepared to prostrate himself before him. As the wet flour was adhering to his hands, he put them behind his back, so that they might not be seen, and then threw himself at the Guru’s feet. The Guru was eratified on seeing his true and humble devotion— “O Handal, thy love is pleasing to my soul; thou hast prostrated thyself in a new manner. Thy service is complete. What thou desirest, that will I give thee. The Guru blessed him, gave him a robe of honour, granted him deliverance, and thus addressed him: ‘ Return to thy native town, repeat the Name, initiate Sikhs, and keep them on the Guru’s way. Have confidence in none but the Creator and the true Guru.’ Handal went home,
25 and lived in Jandiala, where a shrine has been erected in his honour. His followers do not per- form the Hindu obsequies, nor take the bones of the dead to the Ganges. The vessels and clothes offered by the Hindus to the dead, to wear on their journey, are by the Handalis applied to their own wants instead of being distributed to the inferior priests who minister at Hindu funeral rites. Strange to say, it was the descendants of this pious man who introduced falsehood into the lives of the Gurus, and destroyed the first authentic accounts of their lives.
26 About that time Gur Das, author of ‘Wars’ and ‘Kabits’, went to visit the Guru. He pro- strated himself before him and said, ‘ My lord, thou art the honour of the unhonoured, the life of the holy, the protector of the poor. I have come to seek thy protection. Make me a disciple of thine.’ The Guru was ever pleased to accede to such a request, and, having heard of Gur Das’s good report as a Sikh, directed him to go to Agra and preach the Sikh religion there. Bhai Gur Das be- came a famous and successful preacher. He sent several of the Agra Sikhs to the Guru, who taught them the advantages of human birth and the neces- sity of working out ultimate salvation therein. The Guru at that time composed the following for the instruction of his Sikhs in the practice of their religion :—
27 Let him who calleth himself a Sikh of the true Guru, rise early and meditate on God ; Let him exert himself in the early morning, bathe in the tank of nectar, Repeat God’s name under the Guru’s instruction, and all his sins and trangressions shall be erased. Let him at sunrise sing the Guru’s hymns, and whether sitting or standing meditate on God’s name. The disciple who at every breath meditateth on God, will please the Guru’s heart. The Guru communicateth instruction to that disciple of his to whom my Lord is merciful. The slave Nanak prayeth for the dust of the feet of that Guru’s disciple who himself repeateth God’s name and causeth others to do so.
28 The Guru again reminded his disciples of the order of Guru Amar Das to make a nectareous tank—the LIFE OF GURU RAM DAS sacred Sikh tank in Amritsar—as a second place of Sikh pilgrimage, and exhorted them to assist in completing the work he had begun. The Guru and his party proceeded to a thick forest filled with luxuriant Indian trees. He rested beneath the shade of the shisham tree near which he had previously laid out the tank and done some excavation. The Kardar, or magistrate and revenue collector, of Patti, a town in the Lahore district, had five daughters, but was not favoured with a son. All the daughters are described as beautiful, virtuous, and obedient. Four of them were married, and happened at the time to be visiting their parents, but the youngest had not yet been even betrothed. One day the whole five went to bathe and enjoy the fresh air in their father’s country garden. As they were returning home, they met a company of saints engaged in divine worship. One of the saints burst forth into God’s praises. The four married ladies went home, while the unmarried one remained to hear the holy man as he sang the eighth slok of the Asa ki War.
29 The saint thus concluded his discourse: ‘God is the Cherisher and Lord of all. He is the Cause of causes. He setteth everything in motion, and hold- eth everything in His own power. It is the one God who destroyeth and preserveth, who produceth and cherisheth.” When the young lady heard this and similar instruction, divine love sprang up within her. She then and there divested herself of her jewels and superfluous costly raiment, and distributed them among the saints. Having thus gratified her spiritual promptings she went home, and there con- tinued to be absorbed in God’s love. She lost no time in communicating to her sisters the instruction and spiritual satisfaction she had received.
30 When her mother heard that her youngest daughter had suddenly undertaken the réle of preacher, she became very angry, and informed her husband. The father, in order to make trial of his daughters, sum- moned them all to his presence, and asked who gave them to eat and drink, and who cherished and pro- tected them. The four married daughters bowing to their father said, that it was their parents who had provided them with food and cherished and protected them. The jewels and ornaments and everything they possessed had been the gifts of their parents. The father, seeing that his youngest daughter was silent, inquired the cause. She then found utterance: ‘The one God alone is the Cherisher of creation. Parents are only a pretext.’ Her father was very angry on hearing this reply, and again addressed her: “Who hath given thee clothes and jewels?’ She replied: ‘Father dear, all are God’s gifts. It is the Creator who bestoweth everything. He giveth to thee and to me, and protecteth us all.’ The father replied, “I shall see if God will protect thee:
31 After some time a leprous cripple came to the town. His flesh, where not melting away, was eaten by worms, and his whole body emitted a foul odour. To such a man did the angry father marry his pious daughter without her consent and without a dowry. He stripped her even of the jewels and dresses she had retained after her offerings to the saints. It was impossible for her to be pleased with her hus- band, yet she bore her evil fate with fortitude, and said: ‘O God, although I can have no happiness in this world with my husband, yet Thou art my true Lord and Creator. Thou cherisheth the eighty-four lakhs of existences, and wilt also cherish me.’ Saying this she set herself to wait on her leprous spouse, as if he were her god. She begged from door to door, thus maintained him and herself, and wore out her days of sorrow.
32 One day her husband addressed her: ‘My be- loved, my beautiful, other people shun me in disgust, and will not even touch me, but thou waitest on LIFE OF GURU RAM DAS me with extreme self-devotion. I have now one more request to make thee. By granting it God will vouchsafe thee thy reward.’ She replied, * My body and soul are thine, and as thou orderest so shall I do.’ Then her husband said: ‘I was born a cripple, and I afterwards contracted leprosy. I am weak, poor, and miserable. Far from being able to serve others, I cannot maintain myself. Attached to me thou hast undergone great hardship and misery. I have now suffered for my evil acts in former states of existence, but I have done nothing good even in this life. Now do me this last favour by taking me to a place of pilgrimage, that I may endeavour to earn salvation hereafter.’
33 She procured a basket, put her husband into it, and tenderly bore him on her head to Hardwar, Tribeni, and other places of Hindu pilgrimage in the hope of curing him of his malady. Wandering and wandering, she by the divine guidance of piety and virtue arrived footsore and weary at the very spot which the third Guru had indicated and the fourth Guru had marked out as the site of his tank of nectar, and there laid down her burden. She and her husband were soon seized with an imperious desire for food, and bethought them how it was to be obtained. After much discussion, during which the wife expressed her reluctance to leave her hus- band, it was decided that he should remain under a ber tree in the cool and grateful proximity of the water, while she departed to the nearest village to beg their daily meal. The leper, left alone, saw two crows fighting. One had a piece of bread in its mouth, which the other tried to snatch. While they were struggling, the bread fell into the pool. Both birds swooped down upon it. On emerging from the tank’s tiny wavelets they became swans of singular whiteness, and flew to Mansarowar, a lake in Tibbat (Thibet) supposed by the Indians to be the natal place of those beautiful birds. The leper saw
34 that the water possessed marvellous healing and cleansing properties, and at once determined to test its efficacy on himself. He left his basket and crawled into the water. The leprosy at once dis- appeared from the whole of his body except one finger by which he had held on to a branch of the ber tree on the margin. Not only had the leprosy disappeared, but he who had hitherto been a cripple was restored to health and the splendour of manly beauty, and he calmly awaited the return of his darling and faithful spouse from her mendicant excursion. On arriving, her consternation knew no bounds. In the perfect proportions of the man who stood before her, she could not discover her husband, the recent crippled and maimed leper, and she shrank from his embrace with all the indignation of out- raged virtue. In vain did he essay to explain to her the cause of his metamorphosis. She inter- rupted his narrative with tears and imprecations. Her belief was, that the stranger before her had killed her husband, and now presented himself as an unholy lover in her helplessness and bereave- ment. The quarrel waxed hot between husband and wife. She refused to accept his statements, and he felt mortified at the incredulity of his hitherto peerless spouse. emonstrance and argument had no effect on her, and feminine obstinacy temporarily triumphed.
35.2 With ceaseless objurgations and moni- tions of divine vengeance she hastened from the
36 presence of the man she believed guilty of such great enormity, to mourn her darling leper in some remote and forlorn solitude. Some villagers who had accidentally seen the occurrence, bore witness to the fact that it was really the same man she had brought in her basket. The lady still remained sceptical. On this they told her that Guru Ram Das, a famous saint of God, was sitting under a tree not far distant, and if she went Piri OF GURU KARP DAS to him he would resolve her doubts. Accordingly she and her husband appeared before him. The wife after compliments said: “I am a virtuous woman. I left my leprous husband here and he hath disappeared. This man whom I know not, claimeth to be he, but I believe he is some deceitful person who hath a design on my virtue. I deem not that this pool possesseth such extraordinary efficacy as he allegeth.’ The Guru smiled and said: ‘Thou sayest this pool hath no such efficacy. It is in fact supreme among all places of pilgrimages. If thou even yet believe not, see this man is affected with leprosy in one finger. Let him dip it into the water, and thou shalt see the result. And whoever batheth in this tank shall obtain balm for his wounded spirit!’ The late leprous cripple put his finger into the water and it was immediately healed.
37.2 Thus was his wife doubly convinced that it was in reality her husband who had accosted her, and that the pool possessed miraculous virtues. The ber tree still
38 on the spot is that under which she left her crippled husband. The place is called the Dukhbhanjan, or destroyer of sorrow. After the conjugal reconciliation through the kind offices of the Guru, the faithful couple embraced his religion, and the quondam leper and cripple assisted him in enlarging the tank, building to it flights of descending steps, and rearing on its margin imposing edifices for divine praise and prayer, worthy of the miraculous discovery of the water and its still more miraculous virtue. His Sikhs were rejoiced on seeing the Guru’s participation in this miracle, and the magistrate of Patti was astonished on hearing of it. He recognized the Guru as a real saint of God, made him offerings, and prostrated himself before him. The magistrate was delighted on again beholding his daughter and seeing her husband restored to ordinary human shape and vigour. Having no son he adopted his
39 completely healed son-in-law. The Guru on that occasion composed the following :— God is very dear to the hearts of those who have met the society of the saints and whose souls are fascinated by the Word. Repeat God’s name, meditate on God; it is He who conferreth gifts on all. O my brethren, God fascinateth my soul. I sing God’s praises ; His servant is honoured by meeting the Guru and the society of saints. The service of God under the Guru’s instruction is an ocean of happiness; through it wealth, prosperity, and supernatural power fall at man’s feet. They whose support is God’s name utter it and are adorned thereby. They who feel angry on hearing the Name are devoid of good fortune and possess a bad and worthless understanding.
40 Thou mayest throw ambrosia to crows and ravens, but they will only satiate themselves with filth and ordure. The true Guru, the true speaker is a lake of nectar} by bathing wherein crows become swans. Nanak, blessed, and great, and very fortunate are they whose hearts’ filth is washed away by God’s name under the Guru’s instruction? The magistrate, on hearing this, became ashamed of his previous perversity. He made over all his property to his son-in-law, went to serve the Guru, and put himself under his instruction and spiritual protection.® The Guru, telling his Sikhs that Santokhsar, the first tank he had undertaken, should be finished by his successor, set about completing his Amritsar, or
41 % In the Stray Parkash, Ras Il, Chapter 37 et seq., all this is represented to have occurred in the time of Guru Arjan. It is not likely that Guru Rim Das would have neglected to carry out the work which he himself had begun under the order of his beloved father-in-law, the third Guru. Even the author of the S#raj Parkash himself throws a doubt on his own narrative. Ras II,. LIFE OF GURU RAM DAS tank of nectar, as a place of pilgrimage for his followers. He induced all his Sikhs to join in the work, under Bhai Budha’s superintendence, and en- gaged labourers to assist them. He said that the tank of nectar should be God’s home, and whoever bathed 1n it should obtain all spiritual and temporal advantages. During the progress of the work the hut in which the Guru first sheltered himself was enlarged for his residence. It is now known as the Guru’s Mahal, or palace.
42 Although the Guru's Sikhs, followers, and admirers of every class came to assist in the excavation of the tank, yet money was necessary to pay further labourers and maintain the Guru’s kitchen. Ac- cordingly Bhai Budha and the foremost Sikhs one day waited on the Guru and represented that further funds were necessary for the completion of the work. The Guru, after reflection, decided to send his agents to different countries to spread the Sikh religion and also collect the offerings of the faithful. Such agents were called masands. In the time of the Aighan kings, nobles were styled Masnad-i-ali. Hence the word masnad was employed as an ordinary appellation of courtiers. From its frequent use it was changed in the mouths of Sikhs into masand. The Guru was called Sacha Padshah, or the true king, so his agents were styled masands.* For some time after their appointment they sent large sums to the Guru, but they afterwards became a generally dishonest body of men, not contributing to the Guru’s treasury, and grasping power as opportunity offered.
43 An aged couple went to the Guru and prayed him to grant them the favour of a son. He replied that a son was not recorded in their destiny. They said they knew that, but they had come to him to reverse the decree of fate. The Guru then informed them that four sons were to be born to himself, but he would give them one of them and content him- self with three. After this Bhagtu! was born to the aged couple. Some Jogis who had previously visited the Guru thought they would return to him to ascertain whether the extension of his fame had filled his heart with pride. They were delighted at finding him possess the same humility, the same suavity, and the same toleration of indignities as before. They then begged him to give them instruction. Full of self-abasement the Guru uttered the following :—
44 The heart coveteth gold and women, and sweet to it is worldly love. Man turneth his mind to palaces, mansions, horses, and other pleasures. O my Lord God, how shall I be saved who think not on Thee ? O my God, such base acts have been mine. Thou, O God, who possessest excellences and art com- passionate, mercifully pardon all my sins. No beauty is mine, no high birth, and no manners. What dare I without merits say in Thy presence since I have not uttered Thy name ? We sinners shall be saved with the Guru. This is the true Guru’s favour. God gave all men souls, bodies, mouths, noses, and water to use ; He gave them corn to eat, clothes to wear, and pleasures to enjoy.
45 He who gave them is not remembered by man ; the brute thinketh that he hath made them all himself ; Whereas it is Thou, O Searcher of hearts, who hast made all things and pervadest them. * This man Bhagtu is ancestor of the Kaithal family and also of the Rais of Arnauli in the Ambala district. LIFE OF GURU RAM DAS What can we poor creatures do? This is all Thy play, Lora: Humble Nanak purchased in the market is a slave of the slaves of God.! On the text that no one can be relied on except God the Guru uttered the following :— Some rely ? on their friends, their sons, and their brothers ; Some rely on their marriage relations, and their sons-in- aw ;
46 Some for a special object rely on their king and their headman, But I rely on God who is everywhere contained. My reliance is on God ; God is my prop. I have no party or faction except God ; I sing His mani- fold and unnumbered praises. What man relieth on is perishable ; He who relieth on what is false shall repent of it. The man who doeth base things shall not be lasting. My reliance is on God than whom none is more powerful. All other reliance is an illusion of Maya. The pagans burn for mammon. They suffer transmigration and lose their game. I rely on God who adjusteth everything in this world and the next. Lust, wrath, avarice, worldly love, and pride have in- creased ;
47 And, on account of the quarrels resulting from these deadly sins, there are many factions in this age. God causeth him to whom He is merciful to meet the society of the saints. My partisan is God who hath destroyed all other partisans. They who feel false worldly love, sit down and form factions. They guess the faults of others and increase their own conceit. As they sow so shall they eat. > Gauni -® Dhara is literally a party or faction. SIKH. It Nanak’s reliance is on the faith of God which conquereth the whole world.! The Guru then turning to his Sikhs counselled them to consult God in all undertakings, and He would render them assistance.
48 Whatever work you desire to do tell it to God, And He will accomplish it; the true Guru beareth true witness to this. By the company and munificence of the saints you shall taste nectar. Destroyer of fear, Kind One, preserve the honour of Thy slave. Nanak, sing God’s praises, and thou shalt find Him though unseen ¢éo the world Put aside lust, wrath, falsehood, and slander ; renounce mammon, and cease to be proud. Renounce lust for woman, renounce worldly love, then shalt thou obtain the Bright One in this dark world. Renounce ideas of honour or dishonour and love of sons and wives; renounce greed and desire, and fix thine at- tention on God.
49 Nanak, he in whose heart the True One dwelleth, shall by means of the true Word be absorbed in God’s name.® One TJiratha went to the Guru to be instructed how he could free himself from his sins and obtain mental peace. The Guru replied: “Ever speak the truth, than which there is nothing more meritorious. The true Guru will ever assist him who speaketh the truth. God is truth, and he who speaketh truth shall be absorbed in Him.’ Three Sikhs, Bishan Das, Manak Chand, and Puru went to visit the Guru, and begged him to give them instruction for their own salvation and that of their families. The Guru bade them serve Sikhs and induce their relations to do likewise. Bishan
50 LIFE OF GURU RAM DAS Das, Manak Chand, and Puru were further directed to consider their families as God’s gift, and repeat with them the Creator’s name. The Guru instructed Maiya, Japa, Kanaiya, and Tulsa to love the Guru’s hymns beyond their own affairs. ‘Whenever you read the Guru’s hymns, keep your attention on their meaning, and never allow your minds to wander. As a sick horse is curbed to receive medicine, so must the mind be restrained for the purpose of receiving the Guru’s hymns and their advantages. Withdraw your minds from evil, and reflect on what the Guru said and what is due to yourselves.’ seven Sikhs, named Dharam Das, Dugar Das, Dipa, Jetha, Sansari, Bula, and Tirath, asked the Guru to tell them how they could be saved. He replied as follows: ‘In the first place, abandon mental pride, adopt humility, slander not, eschew vice, serve out of your own resources the Sikhs who visit you. Cheerfully give them food and clothing. Grant their requests and refuse them not. When a Sikh hath an important work in hand, join him and pray for him ; and if you see that it cannot be accomplished without money, collect subscriptions for him from every quarter, and at the same time contribute yourselves. Bring a Sikh work to completion, and you shall obtain the essence of happiness.
51.2 When- ever there is a congregation of the holy, cause the word of God to be adequately preached and sung.
52 Go devoutly thither in the evening and the morning, and imbue your minds with love. To the best of your ability rear to God a beautiful temple, and appoint thereto a priest who is competent to ex- pound His word. Let the wayfarer ever be fed, whether by one Sikh or by many together. Re- member the Name, and you shall obtain indescribable spiritual advantage therefrom. Serve the holy, than which there is no greater work of charity. By attending to these instructions you shall obtain T happiness in this world and dwell near your Guru in the next.’ While the tank was being excavated, dwellings arose in the vicinity for the accommodation of the Guru’s Sikhs, visitors, and workmen ; and in time a beautiful city was constructed, which was at first called Ramdaspur,' or the city of Ram Das, and finally Amritsar, as it is now known.
53 Sahari Mal, the Guru’s first cousin, came from Lahore specially to invite him to grace his son’s marriage with his presence. The Guru represented all the difficulties there would be were he to leave Amritsar. Sikhs were daily coming to see him and receive instruction, and it would be improper for him to neglect his duty as Guru. In the second place, wherever he went he was accompanied by a large crowd of followers ; and it would not be right to impose the burden of feasting them all on the parents of the bride. In lieu of himself the Guru consented to send one of his sons. He addressed Prithi Chand, generally known as Prithia, but he made excuses. He said that he had never before been separated from his father, and he did not wish to leave him now. He represented how important it was that he should remain at home to take charge of the offerings, and to ensure that they were not misappropriated. It was also necessary for him to attend the Guru’s kitchen, and take care that strangers received due attention. The Guru replied that his own business was never interrupted, and some other Sikh would willingly undertake Prithia’s duties. Prithia finally urged that he dreaded the turmoil of weddings, and should feel unhappy if he went. Prithia had two motives of his own for refusing. He was in charge of the offerings, and was able to furtively set aside much wealth for him-
54 LIFE OF GURU RAM DAS self. If he went to Lahore this illicit gain would falltosome oneelse. The time, too, was approaching for the selection of a Guru in succession to his father, and he apprehended supersession during his absence. The Guru then addressed his second son, Mahadev, who was a religious enthusiast and heeded not sub- lunary affairs. He replied that he had no relations or connexions in the world, and, that being the case, why should he entangle himself in any such enter- prise ? The Guru then addressed himself to his youngest son, Arjan, who when not in attendance on his father was constantly engaged in devotion, who was possessed of all saintly qualities, and regarded no wealth or worldly advantages. The Guru asked him to go with his relation to Lahore, and after the wedding remain at the temple there to give religious instruction to the Sikhs. Arjan replied that he only desired his father’s pleasure. It was but a wedding and an occasion of rejoicing; but even were it a mission which involved danger of life, he would go all the same and gladly obey his father’s orders. The Guru was well pleased, and again directed him to tarry some time in Lahore, and not return until he had received a written invitation.
55.2 While there, whatever offerings Arjan should receive were to be consigned to his kitchen to feed the poor and the stranger, so that none should be sent away hungry.
56 Before his departure his mother went to call him in the early morning, and asked him to repeat God's name. This was preparatory to giving him the maternal advice and uttering for him the prayer which he subsequently versified in the following hymn :— Ever repeat the name of that God who hath no end or limit ; By remembering Him all sin is removed and ancestors are saved. O my son, this is thy mother’s blessing. May God never forget thee for a moment, and do thou ever repeat the name of the Lord of the world ! May the true Guru be merciful to thee and mayest thou love the saints ! May God’s preservation of thine honour be thy raiment, and singing His praises thy daily food !
57 Ever quaff the nectar of God’s name ; mayest thou live long and may the remembrance of God afford thee endless delight ! May joy and pleasure be thine; may thy desires be fulfilled and mayest thou never feel anxiety ! Let thy heart become the bumble-bee, and God’s feet the lotus for thee. Nanak, attach thyself to them with the delight the chatrik findeth in raindrops.
58 One day, in conversation with his Sikhs in Lahore, Arjan expressed the regret he felt at his long separa- tion from his father. They accordingly suggested that he should write to him for his recall. Arjan was pleased with the suggestion and said, ‘ Although the Guru appeareth to have forgotten us, we have never forgotten him.’ Upon this he addressed the fol- lowing to his father :— My soul longeth for a sight of the Guru ; It crieth hke the chatrik for raindrops. My thirst is not quenched, and I have no rest without a sight of the dear saint. I am a sacrifice, I am a sacrifice to a sight of the Guru, the dear saint.: He sent this quatrain by a Sikh to the Guru. When the Sikh reached Amritsar the Guru was
59 LIFE OF GURU RAM DAS taking his afternoon repose. Prithia recognized the messenger as the servant who had accompanied Arjan to Lahore. He called him, and asked if he had brought a letter. He replied that he had, and unsuspectingly delivered it. Prithia on reading it became filled with jealousy. He knew he could not have written the verses himself, and he feared that, if the Guru saw them, he might appoint Arjan as his successor. He therefore concealed the letter and sent a verbal reply in his father’s name, telling Arjan to remain in Lahore and not return until he was sent for. Arjan on receiving this message knew it had been sent by Prithia and not by his father the Guru, and on questioning the messenger, dis- covered what had occurred. He then wrote a second quatrain and dispatched it with strict orders to deliver it only to the Guru. It was as follows :—
60 Thy face is beautiful, the sound of thy words giveth composure. It is long since I have seen my lord. Blest is the land where thou dwellest, O my saint, friend, and lord. I am a sacrifice, I am a sacrifice to the holy Guru, my friend and lord. Prithia was lying in wait for the messenger and forcibly took possession of Arjan’s second letter. On reading it he became more incensed than before. In his father’s name he sent a second message, ‘Remain at Lahore for some time yet and come not without orders. I will myself shortly go to fetch thee.’ Prithia instructed the servant to take the message quickly, or the Guru would be angry with him. What Prithia really feared was that if the servant delayed in Amritsar, the Guru might come to know the deceit that was being practised. The servant on reaching Lahore told Arjan how Prithia had taken possession of the letter. On this Arjan
61 wrote and despatched a third quatrain to his father :-— When I was separated from thee for a ghari, it seemed an age. When shall I now meet thee, O my beloved lord ? I cannot pass the night, and sleep cometh not without beholding the Guru’s court. I am a sacrifice, I am a sacrifice to that court of the true Guru. On this letter Arjan took the precaution of writing No., so that his father might know that two other letters had previously been dispatched. Arjan on this occasion gave urgent instruction to the mes- senger that the letter should only be handed to the Guru himself. Prithia, as before, was waiting to intercept the third letter. The messenger was also on his guard, and, on seeing Prithia, hid himself. Prithia could not be for ever on the watch. When he went to his private house for reflection, the messenger took the opportunity to approach the Guru and give him his son Arjan’s letter. The Guru on seeing it noticed that it bore the number, but only this one letter had reached him. The messenger told him what had previously occurred, whereat the Guru was much incensed. Prithia, who did not wish to remain long absent, arrived by the time the messenger had finished his narrative. The Guru asked Prithia what had become of the first two letters. He replied that he did not remember where they had been put. He would search and bring them.
62.2 The Guru thrice asked him if he did not know where
63 the letters were, and thrice he swore by the Guru’s holy feet that he had no knowledge of them. Upon this the Guru, reading his secret thoughts, told him that the letters were concealed in his coat pocket at home. The Guru sent a servant to Prithia’s house with a request to his wife to send Prithia’s coat which LIFE OF GURU RAM DAS was hanging on a peg on the wall. The servant brought the coat, and in its pocket were found the two missing letters ! Bhai Budha then by order of the Guru proclaimed Prithia’s villainy to the whole assembly. Prithia was thoroughly ashamed, and found no retreat in subterfuge and no pardon in apology. The Guru said: ‘ Prithia’s deception hath been laid bare before the Sikhs. A trial hath been made as to whether he 1s noble or base, obedient or disobedient to the Guru.’ The Guru then at once dispatched Bhai Budha to Lahore with a carriage to bring Arjan home with all possible speed. After Arjan’s arrival and obeisance to his father, the Guru remarked to him that he had previously sent three quatrains, and suggested him to write a fourth that the hymn might be complete. On this he extemporized the following :—
64 It is my good fortune to have met the holy Guru, And I have found the Immortal God in my own home. May I serve thee and never again be separated from thee for an instant! Nanak is thy slave. I am a sacrifice, and my soul is a sacrifice unto thee : Nanak is thy slave.! On hearing this the Guru was highly pleased and embraced his son. He then addressed him the following brief but pregnant words: ‘Guru Amar Das declared that the Guruship was the reward of merit. As only he who is lowly and humble-minded may lay claim to it, I grant it to thee.’ Saying this the Guru sent for five paise and a coco-nut, placed them before Arjan, and descending from his throne seated him on it in presence of the whole assembly. Bhai Budha affixed the tilak or mark of spiritual sovereignty to Arjan’s forehead, and he was publicly proclaimed Guru amid universal mani- festations of delight. Guru Ram Das said, ‘ Guru
65 Arjan hath become the world’s Guru, and, as one lamp is lighted from another, so the Guru’s spirit hath passed into him, and will dispel the darkness of the world.’ When Guru Arjan went to embrace his mother, he said: ‘All my anxieties have been removed. Having earned the true name of God, I have come home.’ He then composed the following :— The wealth of God’s name hath become my devotion, the wealth of God’s name my penance, the wealth of God’s name my food. May I not forget for a moment Him whom I have obtained in the company of the saints ! O mother, thy son hath come home to thee with profit. I possess God’s wealth walking, God’s wealth sitting, God’s wealth waking and sleeping.
66 God’s wealth is mine ablutions, God’s wealth my divine knowledge ; I fix mine attention on God. God’s wealth is my raft, God’s wealth my boat ; it is God’s wealth which shall take me across. God’s wealth hath caused me to forget my worldly anxiety; God’s wealth hath removed my doubts of salvation. From God’s wealth I have obtained the nine treasures ; I have come into the possession of God as wealth. I may eat and spend this wealth without exhausting it ; it will abide with me in this world and the next. God loaded a treasure, and gave it to Guru Nanak; my mind is imbued with God’s love. Prithia, whose anger knew no bounds, addressed offensive language to his father, and then informed Bhai Budha that his father had acted improperly. The Guruship was his own right, yet it had been given to his youngest brother. He vowed that he would remove Guru Arjan, seat himself on the Guru’s throne, and the Emperor himself would admit the Justice of his claim. The Guru addressed Prithia the following by way of remonstrance :—
67 ) Gajari. Why, O my son, quarrel with thy father ? It is a sin to quarrel with him who begot thee and reared thee. The wealth of which thou art proud belongeth to no one. In a moment shalt thou abandon the pleasures of sin, and then shalt thou repent. Repeat His name who is thy dear Lord, thy Master, and thy God. The slave Nanak giveth thee instruction ; if thou hearken unto it, thy regrets shall depart. Notwithstanding this remonstrance Prithia con- tinued to use offensive language to the author of his existence. ‘Fine mercy thou hast shown me! Thou hast conferred the Guruship on thy youngest son and told me falsehoods. Thou hast told me to repeat God’s name. Practise what thou preachest, and let Arjan, who hath been honoured by thee, also heed thine instructions.’ Guru Ram Das then uttered the following :—
68 They render God hearty worship on whose forehead such destiny was recorded in the beginning. How can one be jealous of those whom my God the Creator assisteth ? Meditate on God, O my soul, meditate on God ; He is the Remover of the troubles of every birth. God in the beginning bestowed on his saints the am- brosial storehouse of saintship. The fool who trieth to rival them, shall have his face blackened both in this world and the next. They are saints, they are worshippers to whom God’s name is dear. God is obtained by their service ; ashes shall be thrown on the slanderer’s head. He in whose house this occurreth knoweth what 1s proper ; ask Guru Nanak the world’s Guru, and reflect on it.
69 In the case of the four Gurus none hath ever obtained the Guruship by revilings ; it is by God’s service the Guruship is obtained. When Prithia still continued to insult his father, the latter ordered him out of his sight, and said, ‘Thou art a Mina*; my Sikhs will not obey thee, and will never associate with thee.’ Bibi Bhani then painfully called to mind the words of Guru Amar Das, namely, “Thou hast dammed the clear flowing stream of the Guruship and consequently great trouble and annoyance shall result.’ While this unpleasant scene was being enacted, night came on, and Guru Arjan, his mother, Bhai Budha, and all the Sikhs went to pay their respects to Guru Ram Das. Guru Ram Das announced that he could not always abide with them, that his end was approaching, and that he would go to die in Goindwal. At his departure so many Sikhs gathered round him that it was difficult for them to obtain a sight of him. He addressed them some parting words of instruction of priceless value, and taking Arjan with him set out for Goindwal.
70 On arriving at Goindwal, Guru Ram Das bathed in the Bawali, and had interviews with his two brothers-in-law, Mohan and Mohri. The next day he prepared a great feast, at which every one ate his fill. The following morning before day the Guru again bathed, and, having repeated the preamble of the Japji and the Asa ki War, began to meditate on Guru Amar Das. When day dawned and his devotions were at an end, he entrusted his Sikhs to Guru Arjan, directed him to complete the tanks at Amritsar, and repeated for him the main tenets of Sikhism by which he charged him ever to abide. Bibi Bhani, knowing that these injunctions were the signals of her husband’s death, begged him to
71 » Soh. LIFE OF GURU RAM DAS take her with him on his final journey. He bade her abide in the world for some days, and then she should meet him. Guru Ram Das’s soul was borne to the celestial regions on the third day of the light half of the month of Bhadon, Sambat 1638 (A.D. 1581). The bard Mathura composed the following on his death :— Guru Ram Das who was pleasing to God, went to God’s city ; God gave him a throne and seated him on it. The demigods on receiving thee, O Ram Das, were pleased, and sang victory to thee. During thy life the sins of the demons! trembled within them and they fled.’ The sins of those who received Guru Ram Das’s instruction were cut away.
72 He gave the umbrella and sovereignty of the earth to Guru Arjan?
Tap any verse to select it, then compare selected passages or ask Deep Thought. Public-domain 1909 English translation