It is a sweet, loving, cool and pleasant weather. A little drizzle for the past two days is just over. That has made it nice and enjoyable. It is early morning golden time. Dew drops, like pearls are spread on the flowers, branches and leaves. A gentle but embracing cool breeze is softly blowing. The blue sky embedded with stars is sparkling. The greenery, on earth embedded with flowers, is in exuberance.
At this time a sweet tune, in Asa Rag, can be heard from a stone platform. Is it music or somebody has opened the doors of heaven towards the earth? It is so enthralling that the ears are being attracted towards the tune with full attention. It doesn't appear that somebody is singing a divine song. It seems somebody is floating the tunes on the ocean of air. It is such subtleness and softness that the listener starts sailing in the sea of sensation. In this loving sweet voice, sometimes another voice sings a verse.
This divine tune is so enchanting that it engrosses you in the love of the Lord.
Except this divine music there is no other music in the world, that the moment you listen, will elevate your mind and make you rise above the earth, where you forget all bodily entanglements and like a tranquil sea get tranquility and ecstasy, and you get absorbed in the love of the Lord.
The attraction of this loving divine music pulls you towards the stone platform unknowingly.
Nature has sculptured a stone platform on which is sitting a figure that is showering grace all round. There is radiance but not like the sun. It is brighter
but not pinching or uncomfortably hot. It is like a thunderous flash but without a cracking sound. It is too white but it doesn't make the eyes blink. It is milky like the moon and it is intoxicating and melodious.
One cannot say whether this radiance is coming from the body of the figure or is spreading around, but it has a pull that one is attracted and cannot stay back without falling at his feet.
Next to this figure that is attracting, one god of music is sitting with a wonderful six-wired heavenly instrument and playing it.
It is so loving, giving ecstasy and peace of mind that it appears as if one is getting a sensation in the mind and body cells and is lost in the music. The forehead bows down and then forgets to lift itself. The mind goes into such humility that it gets absorbed in the person to whom it bows, like a crystal lying near a rose becomes pink.
The effect of this glimpse, this loving glimpse, this godly glimpse is that the eyes become full of honey, then full of nectar, then there is so much nectar that even the eyelids become full of nectar, then with half closed nectar filled eyes, one pulls the pupils upwards in a reverse impulse. In this way, the nectar filled lotus eyes deviate and with deviation stop looking outwardly.
These half closed eyes that were looking outwardly, now see the inner center of beauty and get focused on it so much that they see all ecstasy and unknowingly get immersed in the infinite sea of nectar and get lost in it.
The nectar that goes into the deep inner self, does not let you know about time, and does not let you know where you were sitting and where you are now. It does not let you know what has happened. When you get immersed in the infinite sea of nectar, then you rise above time and space.
Now from the east the sunrays started coming and touching the earth. How loving are these sunrays? How loving the golden ball looks from where they are coming? By seeing once, the entire body feels delighted. If you see at it for a few moments, then you feel you have had a bath in the ocean of radiance and the body becomes light. Now, when the sunrays came, the divine music stopped.
For a long time both the saintly figures sat there in meditation. Then, the magnificent figure opened his sweet lips and said, O Lord, O Lord, in such wondrousness that one would forget the whole world and go into ecstasy. Again he said, O Lord, O Lord, and the whole world appeared to be in sweet wondrousness.
After a few moments, he said: Bhai Mardana, you stay separate from me for a few days.
The words were full of love but for the listening ears they were sharper than the point of a dagger. Tears started flowing from Mardana's eyes like torrents and in tears he said: O godly soul, from the beginning only, I was a low caste singer. I had no qualities in me. Always, you loved me and looked after me. You kept me along. Even then, I was doing mistakes but you were forgiving. I slipped from the stairs of faith again and again but you provided me support. I cried with hunger but you always satiated my hunger. You saw our suffering and came from the heavens as a savior. You are always joining the separated with the Lord. You please keep this humble servant at your feet and do not separate. If I had some qualities, then I may say something but I don't have any in me. O savior of the downtrodden, don't give me the pang of 'separation from your feet'.
True Guru: O Mardana, the biggest suffering in the world is separation. Separation is the mother of all sufferings. If the world is not separated from the Lord, then, it is a heaven. I know the pang of separation will give you suffering and even I do not wish to be separated from you who sing the divine songs for me but O Mardana, what to do? Work has to be done.
Mardana: O king of love, Your Holiness, I will not utter a word in whatever you do, I will just see, but please do not separate me. O true Guru, O savior, I am yours. I am really yours. I am full of mistakes but I am yours. O beloved Guru, whatever I am, I am yours. I am yours. I am yours. I am yours.
True Guru: O friend, I do not want to be separated from you but the work is such that your heart won't tolerate. This is the Lord's will. Considering the will of the Lord, it is best to accept it with love.
Then, when you are in my mind, then, what is the separation?
Mardana: My master, I obey and say yes, but O godly soul, how will I endure your separation?
True Guru: O Mardana, where there is forgetfulness in separation, that is a deadly separation. But where remembrance is there, then, it is a living separation and one meets again. This separation with remembrance is called longing. Those who do not have a longing, they are dead towards the Lord.
Those who are in longing for the Lord, they get a sensation of the Lord. O friend, when you are in remembrance of the Lord, then, it is 'all happiness', 'all delight'. Whatever time we do not meet, remain in remembrance of the Lord. The savior is always with you and will be.
Mardana: O true Guru, it is years since we left home and sister misses you very much. Yesterday, you had said that sister is remembering and we have to go to Sultanpur. It is your honorable nature and you had said to her: 'I shall reach and meet when you will remember me'. Now you are getting busy in some other work. You are benevolent and loving.
True Guru: O Mardana, you have reminded me rightly, but what to do? Here people are in suffering. It is extreme evil. The Lord's children are suffering.
O Mardana, last night I heard lot of crying and wailing. Then, I got up and saw, there was no one nearby. When I closed my eyes, again I heard the sobbing. O Mardana, it happened thrice. Their tears have fallen on my chest.
My heart is paining to listen to the crying of the Lord's children. That is why, we have to stay here and allay their suffering. After allaying the suffering, we shall go and meet sister.
Mardana: O merciful Guru, here, one cannot see anybody living. Who is crying?
True Guru: Mardana, see the Lord's creation. There is lot of suffering. Some Lord-loving people are being made to suffer. How can the Lord tolerate the suffering of people who are immersed in His love? You don't feet dejected. Be strong, we are not separating as such. This is a temporary separation and we will meet shortly.
Mardana: O fountain of love and spring of goodness, true Guru, you tell, when and where this servant of yours should wait for meeting you?
True Guru: Mardana, you are not separated from the Lord. The Lord's hand is on your head. You may go where your feet take you and when your mind says, you come here or anywhere else where your feet bring you. Don't go by your ego. Then, the Lord will guide you.
Mardana: O.K. Lord is great. Lord is great.
Mardana said, Lord is great, then, bowed and fell at the Guru's feet and went away in the forest.
[Slavery]
When Mardana went away, then, it became cloudy. The aura that was visible around Guru Nanak's face went inside his body. His face became handsome, like the handsomeness that charms the world. His age appeared young. He looked like a simple, young, handsome boy whose body is robust and can do good work. The countenance that was in the morning is hidden. In this appearance, he kept sitting for sometime. Some drizzle started.
Meanwhile, one Pathan of Ruhel Khand came riding on a horse. From a distance he gazed and saw somebody sitting alone on the platform.
On seeing the figure, he felt a little awe and a tremble in his body. Then, he brought his horse near but in fear. When he saw the robust figure, then, he thought: He might be carrying arms.
Then, he said: Who are you?
But the miraculous savior kept quiet.
Then, he thought: He is a traveler and a robust young man who has lost his way. If I take him, he will be a good slave.
O Lord! How mean are the minds of the people of this world? ,
With evil doing, they become so mean, that they do not recognize even your loving ones. How mean is the mind that thinks of taking the savior as a slave? Does such a mind not deserve to be reduced to ash?
But O Lord, you have given freedom of thought to man. You don't take back the things that you have given.
With this freedom of thought, a man may become a saint or a sinner.
The mind trembles, the heart sinks, the thinking gets mad and wants to get away from the brain that we listen to such things about our loving savior.
But how great, that delicate heart was, who underwent slavery and grinding of grinding wheel? Who else can bestow so much love on us?
See, the Pathan has got down from his horse, held the wrist of the god of love and said: You are my slave. Follow me. Beware. Don't try to run away.
The image of the Lord, Guru Nanak, has no change in his countenance. With a blossoming forehead he gets up and follows.
The perpetrator of evil is going ahead and the godly soul is following him in the same tranquility as he was sitting in.
Who is going? The loving Guru Nanak. He is going to be sold as a slave. See the miracles of the miraculous.
The ocean of piousness is following the well of sin for the sake of the sinners.
He is going to the house of sick people, as a doctor, in the garb of a sick person.
The Pathan took the Guru to his house. His wife wondered and asked: He is a handsome young man. From where did you get him?
Pathan: Yes, this slave will give good money. Today, I got a good prey.
Wife: O Khan, don't sell him. Keep him in the house. See, he is so handsome. His mother will die in separation. His sister will faint in wailing.
His wife will die in wailing. What will happen to the house whose diamond is lost? They will die. When I see his face, I feel we should make him reach his loving ones.
Pathan: Be quiet, O stupid. You are spoiling my business. I will get Arab horses in lieu of this slave. Since when have you become a coward and merciful?
Wife: O.K. But don't sell. See, how soft his hands are? In slavery he will be in suffering. You keep him at home and make him your son.
Pathan: O stupid, quiet. He must be sold and horses bought.
Next day, the beloved went to the market to be sold.
He tastes the tyranny of the tyrants on earth. He has come to tlus earth to remove that.
He wants to taste as to how they have made this colorful world into a garden of poison.
It is man who has made this beautiful garden, a poisonous forest.
In the market, there was a rush of buyers. Everybody looked this side. The bid became high. The bid finally went up to two Arab horses. The Pathan took two Arab horses and went home.
The godly soul, happy in the Lord's will, the god of love, the image of the Lord, Guru Nanak has today, sold himself as a slave to please his beloved Lord.
Hold your breath! Guru Nanak is sold.
Oh! Friends. To allay the suffering of the people, Guru Nanak has sold himself.
Who can love this earth so much?
Who is the one, who as a free person, goes into prison to free the prisoners. The true Guru, whose one body cell cannot be balanced on a weighing scale even with the entire world, that true Guru is sold, for the love of the people, for two horses.
Ill
[Freedom]
Now, the miraculous true Guru reached his new destination. It was a large encirclement with a boundary wall. Inside, were flowers planted at some places and houses at some places. One house was very beautiful, that was, where the owner lived. When everybody came to know of the newly arrived slave and everybody talked about his innocence and handsomeness, then, the mistress of the house called him and saw that he was very handsome.
So, the couple decided that he should go to fetch water in the morning. After that, he need not do any work.
It is strange, what was the need for a bath, so early in the morning, for such hard-hearted people? But the reason was different.
At that time, many people who were controlling the seats of saints had become tyrants. On the one hand, their followers came to bow their head and offer them money. Secondly, money was collected forcibly from the nearer villages. Thirdly, they had a network of men who would loot travelers and bring money. One could see these types of people at many places.
This was the reason that this hypocrite owner had to get up early in the morning and have a bath so that the show of being a saint is kept up.
For this, the pandits were taking money and spreading the praise, that this saint is big and possesses supernatural powers and can fulfill anybody's desires. This applied to both Hindu and Muslim saints.
For this person, who was supposed to possess supernatural powers, a servant was required. So, the shackle for this service was tied to the Guru.
The Lord's nature is in the command of the Lord. How could nature tolerate that a godly soul who has come from the Lord, Guru Nanak should carry water on his head.
The command that created nature and created everything, how could anybody give orders to Guru Nanak, who had come from where the command comes? That command became impulsive and ordered the water in the town to dry up. When the Guru went to the well early in the morning, then, the water dried up.
The Guru came back and said: There is no water in the well.
When they went to another well, even there, the water had dried up. They tried well after well but there was no water.
By daybreak it was a horror tale in the town. People did have some water in their homes but the gloom of 'further no water' had made everybody lose heart. Everybody was anxious and worried. Everybody was in a state of shock but the Guru was happy and in blossom as usual.
Some sensible people noticed this and went and said to the owner: See, everybody's face is yellow with anxiety but this slave of yours is quite happy and in blossom. There appears to be some secret behind the water becoming dried up and his blossoming countenance. We should try to study carefully.
Even the owner noticed that since he came, he is in the same blossom. Having been caught for the first time, he is not the least worried. The fear of
slavery has not made any difference to him and the drying up of water that has worried every one has had no effect on him. There is surely something in it. In the evening, again he was ordered to go and fetch water but the command to water was to dry up, then, how could it appear? The command that runs the entire world has ordered the water to dry up. How can the water appear?
When the Guru came back in darkness, the proud owner looked at him. It was darkness all over but there was a glow around the Guru. Then, what he saw was that the bucket is a little above the head, as if he is not carrying.
Now, he lost his pride, some fear entered his body. His body trembled. He saw blackness in his eyes.
Meanwhile, the Guru came near. From his sweet and loving throat a tuneful voice came: Water is nowhere in any well or fountain.
The owner could not reply. He trembled again and felt giddy. Some strong power made him bow down. In a moment he fell at the Guru's feet and said: O master of some secret power, forgive me and bless me. I am stupid and I cannot understand what miracle is this. You are some prophet and I have disregarded you and this is the fruit of that.
The true Guru pulled his feet back and said: Everybody is under your orders. Why don't you order your god to send water?
Owner: Under my orders are greedy people like I am. I have no god who will obey my order.
True Guru: When you cannot produce water, then, how have you created an illusion to tell the world that everything is in your hands? How is your mind in peace and comfort?
Owner: The devil has created some veil.
True Guru: Who has seen the devil coming from outside? Devil is in one's own mind. Blaming others for your own faults cannot reduce the distress of your mind.
Owner: Is there no devil?
True Guru: What you were not, you showed yourself as that. This is a devilish act.
Saying this, the Guru sat on a stone and the owner sat with bended knees in front and said: If I did devilish acts, then, was the prompter not a devil? Were they not prompted by a devil?
True Guru: Your own greed, your evil thoughts, your anger, your pride, these were all your prompters. Who was it who came from outside and sat on your head and went in your body to run your mind? And if you still think that
the devil is there outside, even then, it is shocking that you became a conduit for his devilish acts.
Owner: As you have said, it is like this but
• True Guru: But what? If you had kept up the principles, if you had kept up your duty, then, even if you had been a little less wealthy, still, you would have got strength in your mind. You have a soul in you. That would not have been buried down under the weight of your evil deeds. You have been the enemy of yourself.
Owner: Now, what should I do?
True Guru (in the same tone): You imprisoned the innocent people and sold them like animals. You caught the tongue-tied innocent people and beat them up as if they were heaps of reed fiber. You misguided the Lord-seekers and made them your servants. You made them join you in your evil deeds. You captivated those who were devoted to the Lord. Why should not the evil deeds bring you to book?
Take it that the arrows you shot are coming back traveling distances to strike you only. The distances are not straight. They are in a circle. The arrows of suffering that you shot are moving round and coming back to strike at the person who shot them.
Owner: Is there no remedy for me? I am a sinner and in suffering. The entire town is suffering on my account. Can I be forgiven? You give me whatever punishment you deem fit.
True Guru: Your entire town has become hard hearted with you. Your followers should have been pious, kind, and comfort giving. Those who obey your orders, you have made them robbers. Your evil deeds are too much and too hard.
The benevolent Guru's sharp and piercing vision and his commanding, unmoved, awe-inspiring voice were opening the windows of his soul and making a dent there. A fear was gripping his mind and he was trembling.
He could visualize the people to whom he had given suffering and himself standing in front of them like a sinner with no reply.
What miracle the Guru did that his entire thinking reversed? His sham empire fell?
The news spread in the house and nearby that the owner is sitting bowed down in front of the newly arrived slave. Whoever listened was coming and sitting down where the Guru and the owner were sitting. They heard the Guru's words and trembled and were astonished.
Owner: O savior, please forgive me.
True Guru: O man, you have burnt a fire below and on its top you are sleeping. Now, you open your prison and make free the innocent persons and free all the slaves that you have brought in the town. Stop your evil deeds from now onwards. Whatever wealth you have accumulated, return it to the owners or distribute it to the needy and poor and announce that there will be no slavery and tyranny in this state.
On listening to this strong-worded order, everybody bowed down. Everybody heaved a sigh of repentance and said: O.K.
Immediately, torches were brought. See, the godly soul is going down the prison cells. Who had himself become a slave, is now making free all the slaves. Who had himself become a slave is blessing the slaves and giving them freedom.
See, those who were in prison for many years are getting freedom. Whoever comes out, looks at the bestowal of freedom with mind full of thanks and falls at his feet and is blessed: 'Remember the Lord'.
See, a very handsome man comes out. Looks at the bestowal of freedom. Not just looks. He gets startled and utters 'O great Guru Nanak'. Then, he falls at the Guru's feet and clamps them and doesn't leave.
The moment he uttered the name Nanak it caused a thunder. Everybody said: This splendor is of the prophet Guru Nanak.
When they came to know that he is Guru Nanak, then again they trembled and said: Oh! We have disregarded a prophet.
Initially they thought he is some saint but now it became known that he is Guru Nanak because in the entire country it was known that Guru Nanak, a prophet, is born in India.
Now, the Guru went to the city. He got the slaves freed from every house. The miracle that he played, he rooted out slavery tooth and nail. By midnight he got everybody freed and then came and rested at the owner's house.
Now the command of the Lord brought water in the wells and the people of the town became happy.
Now the owner, who was known as Mir, had a real bath and repented in prayers. At daybreak again, the Guru gave a discourse and blessed people with the Lord's name. Everybody got a sensation of the Lord's name in his body. Those who were sinners yesterday were reformed and started treading on the path of love of the Lord.
One day, the Guru asked Mir to lift a heavy stone. When he lifted the stone, a big treasure was hidden there.
The Guru said: See, the wealth that you run after is lying hidden. All the wealth is under the Lord's command. So, you love the Lord. Whatever money comes by His command, spend. Don't be a tyrant to collect money. Be at the service of the people.
A gurdwara was constructed and people assembled there and started singing of divine songs with music.
Arrangement for stay of travelers was also made there.
In this way, the Guru dismantled a 'fort of suffering' and after converting a 'cantonment of tyranny' into a 'temple of humility, kindness, piousness, selfless service, and love' departed from there.
[Meeting]
Now, the true Guru came back to the same place from where the Pathan had taken him as a slave. The same Pathan again passed from there and recognized him. He though-.: It appears, he has come away from where I had sold him. Let me again catch him and sell him at another distant place and earn two horses again.
This Pathan had made it his business to catch the simple travelers and sell them as slaves and make money. The Guru had now cleaned one city and finished the custom of slavery in total. He had also reformed the robbers. But this Pathan was still roaming about in this nefarious business.
So, today he again came here and sat down. The Pathan again took him to his house. His wife looked at him and recognized him.
At this time, the Guru's face was shining with radiance. She felt as if she has looked at the sun. She trembled and in a state of shock said: Oh! God, Oh! God.
The Pathan asked her: What has happened to you?
The wife said: See, whom have you caught and brought?
You see, is he a man? He is some celestial being in human form. You have caught him. You have lit a fire of hell for yourself. It is better if you ask him pardon.
The Pathan said: Are you gone mad?
The wife said: At least you look at his face. You ponder. The person who comes there again, is he not afraid of being caught and sold by you? Can he be an ordinary man?
This thing made a dent in his mind.
The Pathan looked at the Guru's face and saw bright rays of light circling round the guru's body and his face showering radiance as if from a shining diamond.
With this shower of radiance his mounds of sins got burnt.
The Pathan screamed, helplessly he fell at the Guru's feet and said: O light of the heavens, forgive me.
The true Guru said in a firm tone: O Pathan, you have given a blow of the axe to your own feet As many persons as you have caught and sold, the same number of shackles are around your soul and you are now imprisoned in the shackles and you cannot be freed unless and until you remember the Lord, the rest of your life. This is the only one remedy for you. Say, do you accept it?
Pathan: O light of the heavens, forgive me. Bless me. I shall do whatever you will say. I am a sinner and full of vices. You redeem my sins.
Then, the Guru blessed him with the Lord's name and he started treading on the true path of 'Love of the Lord'.
The eradicator of suffering, himself getting into suffering and smashing the suffering but with a strong mind and heart again came and sat at the same place. The work, the service to the Lord that he did by foregoing his freedom and allaying the suffering of innocent people, the Guru had finished.
The wailing that he had heard at midnight, he had converted into happiness.
One Bhai Hara who was immersed in the Lord's love was in prison. Since his super consciousness was attuned to the Lord, the Lord felt his suffering.
Bhai Nand Lal has said: The Lord feels the suffering of the persons who are in His love.
When the Lord feels the suffering then, why should it not attract the command to eradicate the suffering.
That is why the beloved true Guru specially directed the people that 'you must be at service to my disciples'.
A true disciple is one who is immersed in the love of the Lord. He is a bead in the garland of the Lord. If the bead is pulled, then the garland is pulled.
So, the true Guru got freedom for Bhai Hara who was immersed in the love of the Lord.
He also transformed the perpetrators and after finishing that, he came back and sat at the place. His face became radiant as before.
Mardana, wherever he was, felt a pull. His inner mind guided him the way. Some unseen power showed the way to his feet. He walked unknowingly where he was going but reached the same place. When he saw from a distance, then he ran and clamped the Guru's feet. He cried in happiness. He sweated and in extreme happiness he became almost unconscious. The true Guru rubbed his hands on Mardana's back with love, made him sit close to him and asked his welfare.
Mardana: I am stupid from the beginning. I am a beggar at your door, what should I tell? Whatever you wished happened. I was oblivious. I was in longing day and night. Sometimes, in a vision I had a glimpse of sister and sometimes I saw sister sitting in the doorway and saying brother, brother. In this way days passed. Today, I felt a pull and you called me and prompted me to come here. O godly soul, you only know your miracles. You bless me that I should remain happy in your wish. I should not forget you. Even if I make a mistake because I am stupid, but I should always love you. If you are gracious, then bless me that I should love you always. Give this charity to this beggar at your door.
Saying this, Mardana's eyes had tears and he said: O Benevolent savior, many times I fight with you thinking you as a man. Do not see my shortcomings. If you hadn't come in human form or you hadn't made me your companion, then how could I know what is love? If you had remained in a high circle of people then, me singer, how could I love? The sphere where you live is so much distant to the sphere where my deeds make me live. I would never have known about it. When you yourself came to earth and woke me up, made me your companion, then only I felt the love. In that love I forget how high are you? I treat you as equal.
Sometimes, I lose faith in you. But you are great. You always forgive and bless. O great Guru Nanak, who can live with the low, Guru Nanak, O Guru Nanak, you bless the low and make them high. O loving, loving, loving, I adore you. I adore you. I adore. If you are benevolent then don't give me such long separation again. I have a pull for you in my body cells. When I am separated from you then the pull becomes too strong. I cannot stand that much strong pull.
Say to me, 'you are mine. You are my servant. I will not separate you again'. O friend of the downtrodden, O friend of the simple-minded, O gracious who blesses the down trodden and makes them high. Say once, 'O singer, I will not separate you from me again'.
These words of love were like a sharp pointed arrow. How could the godly heart not feel such love? The godly eyes closed and had tears of love in his eyes. He was sitting quiet but love rays were going out from his body all round. The ocean of mercy and the sea of love embraced Mardana who was crying and wanting him to say 'you are my servant'.
He rubbed his hand with love on Mardana's head and said: Mardana, you are great. You are great. You ask whatever else you desire.
Now, see the love of the beloveds and their sacrifice. How wondrous they are?
Mardana wished the Guru to say once, 'You are my servant'.
When the Guru said: Ask for something, then he forgot what he wanted for himself. With the touch of the magical loving hands he lost himself. Then for whom should he ask for anything? See, the sacrifice of love. He said: If you are benevolent, then sister is longing and craving to meet you. As I was restless in your separation, similarly, pious sister, enlightened sister is restless to meet you. O better than the best, O higher than the highest, if you are gracious, then bless her with your glimpse.
This sacrifice 'to forget one's self and ask for another person's happiness', this sacrifice that when some happiness is coming then to close one's own lap and put the lap of your holy companion in place, was love of a very high order. Guru Nanak appreciated this sacrifice and love of Mardana and said: Mardana you are now immersed in the love of the Lord. Lord is great. Lord is great. Mardana really got immersed in the love of the Lord and was in meditation and in ecstasy and rapture. When he got up he heard the words 'Lord is great', 'Lord is great'. 'Whatever the Lord does will be good'.
It was midnight. The stars are sparkling in the sky as if a holy congregation is assembled and looking and praying that O Guru, in the form of moon come and bring your sweet and loving light, that we drink the Name nectar in your sweet and loving light.
At this time, the Guru heaved a long and cool sigh and said: Love is life. Without love is lifelessness.
O Mardana listen. Then Mardana became attentive.
It appeared the breeze was in a longing. It was moving. Then waiting, as if it wants to listen to the sound of footsteps following it. Then again moving.
Mardana tried to listen but except this feeling of longing he could not listen anything else. He looked towards the sky and saw the stars waiting and longing for the moon.
Then, the Guru asked him softly: Mardana have you listened?
Mardana said: I can only see a feeling of waiting and longing.
Guru: Listen to the voice of the pious soul whom you have recommended.
Mardana became attentive but he could not hear any voice.
Then, the Guru touched Mardana's head and said: Time and space are no barriers for the soul. Listen.
When Mardana became attentive then he got a sensation in his mind. Then, he listened to a sweet and loving music and he recognized it as sister Nanki's voice. She was sitting on a marble stone in front of a clean water tank. She had tears in her eyes and tears were falling and dropping into the water tank. She had a longing in her body cells.
Mardana listened to the song that meant: 'O Brother, it is so long that you have not returned. I am in extreme longing and craving. Now, you come without delay and give your glimpse to your yearning sister'.
Mardana had tears in his eyes.
Mardana had met the Guru after a long separation. He met him with so much love and the Guru reciprocated so much love that he was able to peep through space.
Time is no veil and distance is no distance for those who are immersed in the love of the Lord. They live, so to say, in another sphere specially when Guru Nanak, the image of the Lord is bestowing his grace.
Mardana has not realized that he is now living in a sphere where time and space are no barriers. He is thinking that night has passed, the morning birds are chirping and the sun is emitting light.
That stone platform is not there. It is the bank of the stream Bein on the outskirts of Sultanpur. It is the Lord's loving, Guru Nanak's loving, Sister of piousness, sister Nanki's town.
What miracle the miraculous Guru has done. Mardana said, O great Guru Nanak and got up.
Then, the true Guru said: O Mardana, you went in so much deep love that you forgot Asa-di-var, the early morning divine song.
Mardana: Your Holiness, How do I know your miracles? You only know your miracles. How could I know that we can reach sister Nanki's place today? Your reaching here at this time will please her immensely.
The Guru smiled and then came to the house of 'Lord's loveimmersed' sister Nanki. They had not yet reached the door that their maid ran inside and gave the message.
Sister Nanki, who had realized the Guru as an image of the Lord, like a humble disciple, ran fast and fell at the Guru's feet in the verandah only, but the godly soul rested her head on his hands and said: You are my elder sister. O Lord, O Lord.
Sister's eyes are shedding tears of love like torrents. She has even forgotten to make him sit. Her head is on brother Guru's hand and her tears are falling. The Guru is showering his immense blessings and that is making her soul more and more immersed in the Lord's love.
Like this only, they went inside and sat down. Sister also sat down close.
The Guru noticed the pure fragrance of the Lord's name 'that she was immersed in' prevailing the house. All round was an aroma of Name. The Guru was extremely delighted and in benevolence, he said: O Lord loving sister, your remembrance and love has borne fruit. You are now living in the Lord's palace. O sister, I have to do the Lord's work. You remain in remembrance. Remembrance is the highest gift. Remembrance is the form of love. This form i.e. remembrance merges into love. Love is Himself the Lord.
Meanwhile, brother-in-law Jai Ram Das came. With extreme love he fell at the Guru's feet. Then, the Guru lifted his head and embraced him and said: Lord is with you. Lord will bless you. Lord will be with you always.
Within moments the news spread. The Guru-disciples who were near came and assembled.
Sister Nanki wanted to celebrate his arrival but the Guru preferred the non-stop singing of divine songs.
The Guru wished to depart but seeing the love of the congregation he stayed for the night.
It became a good assembly of holy congregation at sister Nanki's house.
The non-stop singing of divine songs was such that for the whole night it went on. Mardana rebek playing, the Guru's divine songs and the singing by the congregation, was so enthralling that whoever attended got immersed in the love of the Lord.
It appeared they stayed at sister Nanki's house for one day and one night.
Now Mardana opened his eyes and saw that they are sitting on the same stone platform, a cool breeze is softly blowing and a whitish light has emerged.
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