The summer crops have already been harvested, cut, threshed, crushed and stocked & stored in bins. The sun god was raining fire-hot rays. The water was getting scarce. Suddenly, the easterly winds came and after blowing dust for a couple of days, black clouds could be seen.
It started drizzling, then, a flash of lightning and the clouds thundered and there was torrential rain. It was water all around. It became cool. After sometime the rain stopped. A nice cool breeze began to blow and gave freshness to the eyes and delight to the heart.
At this time, under an old dense tree a bed is laid, on which is spread, an embroidered bed sheet. On it, is sitting the Governor of Talwandi, Rai Bular Ji.
One orderly who was standing close by saw and said: Your Excellency, it seems Mr. Jai Ram Ji is coming.
Rai Bular Ji: How nice! Bring a chair.
The orderly brought a beautiful chair. In the meantime, Jai Ram Ji arrived and after exchanging warm greetings, sat down.
Now the Rai (gently) said: Mr. Jai Ram Ji, I have bothered you but it is for this godly Nanak. Nanak is not getting good treatment at home. I consider him as an image of the Lord but our Mehta Kalu Ji has malice towards him as to why is he not worldly-wise? You tell, you are closely related to him and recently you have spent a lot of harvesting time here only, what do you think about him?
Jai Ram Ji: Respected Rai, We Khatris are now, money-loving only. Our eyes do not see inwardly. But with your grace, I have seen him as godly. If somebody sees him with a detached mind, then, one can see him as an image
of the Lord. My father-in-law has got him married in his young age. He is worldly-wise only. But Nanak is godly. I have got full faith that Nanak is immersed in the love of the Lord.
Rai Bular Ji: God bless you. Now, that you have faith, then, we should do something that the Lord's beloved is not treated badly.
Jai Ram Ji: Whatever you suggest.
Rai Bular Ji: From my side, I have tried my best. I have tried to make Kalu Mehta understand better and I am happy to make up any loss that Nanak incurs. But the every-day discord in the house cannot go like this. I cannot tolerate that the Lord's beloved be put to agony in my state. After a careful thought it has occurred to me that he should go away from his house. If he wants to earn, he may, if he doesn't want to, then, let him be happy. There is enough money for him.
Jai Ram Ji: What you have said is true. If you desire, I should take him to Sultanpur, then I am happy to do that from my heart. You give your good wishes.
Rai Bular Ji: Yes, Jai Ram Ji. I shall be happy that Nanak remains away from the discord in the house. It is good that you take him because you have realized his greatness. I have heard that daughter Nanki Ji has recognized her brother as an image of the Lord since his birth.
(Moving his head and putting his hands together) In fact, nobody recognizes a godly soul and he himself lives as simple. The handsome Nanak knows himself but the parents do not understand. The worldly desires are such and it is really difficult to recognize a true saint. These Bedis think Nanak as mad but I have recognized him as a prophet. You have also recognized him as a real saint.
Jai Ram Ji (interrupting): Your Excellency, I have recognized him as a true image of the Lord.
Rai Bular Ji: Well, It is good. The Lord has opened the eyes of three persons from the near and dear ones, but do you know what the other persons think about him? Here is a singer of low caste. His mom used to call him 'destined to die'. You know women have mistaken beliefs. She thought, if she goes on calling him 'destined to die', then the messengers of death will not touch him. He sings divine songs in the company of Nanak. Nanak has named him Mardana Ji, meaning a brave man. It's a delightful experience to listen to these divine songs. Then, his memory is so sharp that he remembers by heart within moments, whatever Nanak sings. He loves Nanak so much that he is always
around him. Nanak hardly stays at his home, but when he is at home, he goes and sits in the forest in the early morning hours. At that time, Mardana Ji sings such nice divine songs that all the plants, trees and the forest echo with the Lord's name. I do not know whether it is new or old, but they say it is Asa raag. I have heard from Nanak only, but the melody is heart piercing. Then, in the day Nanak sits in the fields or the forest. Many people, some Muslims, some Hindus, go and bow to him and after listening to his discourse start reciting the Lord's name. I have heard many sadhus come and pay respect to him and get happiness of mind. The priest, tutor, Muslim priest, the doctor, whoever knows him, bow down to him. So, in my state, is born a prophet, but in his house, is a daily discord. They are always after him that he should be worldly-wise and all the time they try to coax him. In this way, he becomes sad sometimes. Now, that we have recognized him as a prophet, we should see that he is happy to do whatever he wishes. This cannot happen here. So, you better take him to Sultanpur. There is plenty of money for him here, but the discord is there.
Jai Ram Ji: Your Excellency, I have understood your wish. I shall be fortunate if he stays with me and his sister shall also be delighted, but this may take sometime. In our Khatris, they feel insulted taking money without earning. So, now I will try to make my father-in-law agree that I will arrange a job for Nanak. I am sure, then, he will send Nanak. Now, I will first go and request Daulat Khan Lodhi if he can give him a job. If there is a hope, then, I will call him.
Rai Bular Ji: O child Jai Ram Ji, you have said very intelligently. If need be, tell Lodhi that I have recommended. Jai Ram Ji: O.K.
In this way, after exchanging respectful greetings, Jai Ram Ji came home.
The loss to Kalu Mehta in the best bargain that Nanak did was fresh in his memory. Jai Ram Ji tried to persuade his father-in-law.
Mehta Kalu Ji was already in despair that Nanak is mad and roams about without work, keeps company of low caste singers and sadhus, or listens to the hymns, or looks towards the sky, or sits in the forests, or enjoys seeing the sun, moon and other natural phenomena, does not do any work in the house, doesn't bother about his family, doesn't earn anything, doesn't help the dad. In case, he goes out and does some work there, then, it might be good. So Mehta Kalu Ji agreed that he could go.
So, Jai Ram Ji went and requested the governor at Sultanpur. The job of Stores Manager for the grocery store was vacant and the governor asked Jai Ram Ji to call Nanak for an interview.
He said: If he likes Nanak, then, he would give him this job.
Jai Ram Ji came home and wrote a letter to father-in-law at Talwandi, saying that Nanak may come here. On reading the letter, the benevolent Guru Ji took leave from everyone and departed for Sultanpur. The parents thanked their stars in the hope that he will start earning there.
In those days, a new thing had happened that Guru Nanak Dev Ji gave away his gold ring from his finger and a jug to a needy recluse sadhu and the parents had malice towards him on this account. So they readily agreed to send him away.
Rai Bular Ji felt relieved that the godly soul has gone to a place where he will feel free and his elevated mind will be away from the daily discord in their house. But the holy congregation was sad to be separated from him.
His wife cried. He tried to console her that since 'I am not doing anything for the family, then, how does it matter whether I stay here or go'? But she said: When you are here, I feel the king of the world here. The rest of the world is of no use to me.
Guru Ji blessed her and said: Don't worry. You will always be the queen of the world. But still she wished to go along.
Then, Guru Ji said: Just now, I will go alone. When I start earning, I shall send for you. Then, she kept quiet.
In this way, the godly soul, immersed in the love of the Lord and being considered in the wrong by the un-elevated minds of the world, departed from the house.
When Guru Ji was about to leave Talwandi, then, Rai Bular Ji gave a farewell feast where all Nanak's relatives and friends came and there was divine singing.
Then, Rai Bular Ji said : O godly soul, you order me what can I do for you?
The true Guru Ji smiled and said: I tell you one thing. When your own strength fails, then, with folded hands fall at the Lord's feet.
II [Grocery store]
Guru Ji started from Talwandi and reached Sultanpur. He went to his loving sister's house. She was delighted to meet her brother. Brother-in-law Jai Ram Ji welcomed him with love and respect.
After a couple of days, Jai Ram Ji took Guru Ji to the governor. The governor had a long discussion with him. He was satisfied and he judged Guru Ji as honest. He immediately appointed him as the Stores Manager of the government grocery store. The governor gave him a letter of appointment and he fixed for him a salary and perks.
So, he sat on the Manager's seat. He kept good quality articles. When he would issue groceries, he would weigh them properly. He never tried to short weigh. He spoke nicely to everyone. Whatever the sacred and pure hands do is always good. Thus the government servants and other people were happy. People praised to the governor that the new manager is very honest. He keeps everybody happy and does not let any loss happen to the government store. So, the governor also started liking him very much.
Now, see Guru Nanak Dev Ji's goodness. Despite getting busy in earning and working, neither he forgot the Supreme Lord, nor he forgot to bless people with his holy discourses nor he forgot to give charity to the needy.
His daily program was as follows: He got up early in the morning. There was a stream on the outskirts of the town. He would go to the stream in the early morning, have his bath, wipe his body, dress up, spread a sheet and sit on the bank of the stream immersed in the love of the Lord till sunrise. At sunrise, he would come home, have some food, change clothes and go for work.
In the evening, when he came home, he would sit in meditation. Sometimes, he gave a discourse to the devotees who would get together everyday.
In the day, while on his seat, he would do work but whenever he got a little free time he would recite the Lord's name.
Sometimes, he prayed to the Lord in his mind. Sometimes, he sang praises of the Lord in his mind. Sometimes, he would say: 'Everything is yours'. Sometimes he would say thanks to the Lord. Sometimes, he would sing some hymns. Like this both the things, his work and remembrance of the Lord went together.
Guru Ji's wife Bibi Sulakhni Ji was here now. She used to cook food. When Guru Ji came home, some more people also used to come with him. Everybody was served food.
Now, mom and dad also came from Talwandi to meet him and went back. But first of all, Mardana Ji, who sang the divine songs came. Many other people who were in love with Guru Ji at Talwandi also came and settled at Sultanpur.
In this way, a holy congregation was formed at Sultanpur. Many saints and sadhus came. Guru Ji blessed them with the Lord's name. People from far and near started coming. The benevolent Guru Ji blessed the Lord's name to everyone.
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