I [Love of the Lord]
Guru Nanak blessed Bhagirath. Similarly, many other people were blessed at Sultanpur. 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 programme was as under:
He would get 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, 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 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.
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.
Mardana used to play the rebeck and sing the divine hymns. His singing of the hymns was splendid. The Guru was always immersed in the Lord's love.
If the Guru had to do the work of one saint, then it was sufficient for him to do the worldly chores and look after the holy congregation that had come up at Sultanpur. There was no need for him to think of or do anything further, because he had already shown to the people, that there was no need to renounce the family and the world and go to the forests. While living in the family, and doing the worldly chores, one can become pious, thinking good of everyone and Lord loving, and be a good human being, a saint.
But, seeing the suffering of the world, he always thought to allay the suffering of the people and prayed to the Lord for the same.
'Love of the Lord' is words, a sentence and a verbal expression for us. We have heard the name 'O Lord'. We have also come to know that if we love the Lord, we will meet the Lord. Sometimes, we do prayers also.
But we cannot understand the 'Love of the Lord' that Guru Nanak had. However best, we may try, we cannot have the sensation of love that the Guru had for the Lord. He could meet the Lord as we see the sun.
Like, the mom loves her child, the child loves the mom, the greedy love money, the wife loves the husband, the magnet pulls iron, not like this, much more than this he loved the beloved Lord.
The intellectuals try to prove the existence of the Lord by discussions. The lovers of nature try to perceive the Lord in nature. The meditative try to feel Him in meditation. The devoted sing his praises, so that the gracious Lord may bless.
But for Guru Nanak, the Lord was omnipresent. For him, it wasn't that the Lord is there unseen and one has to reach Him by endeavor. It wasn't just a belief that Lord is there. For him, the Lord was an all pervading living glimpse. He was immersed in the love of the Lord. He was one with the Lord. His real attachment was with the Lord. Whatever else he did was with a detached mind. He could do everything nicely with a detached mind.
Anything done by a mind with divine insight will be much better than done by anybody else with his best efforts.
Like, we are attached to the seen world and detached from the unseen. We may be seekers of the Lord, but even then, we do not get attracted to the Lord as we are attracted by the seen people and seen objects.
Similarly, he could see the Lord as we see the world, but was detached from the seen world and its enchanting effect.
He did live in this world, walked in this world, dealt with this world and wished to allay the suffering of the world, but his mind was not attached to
this world. His mind was always engrossed in the Lord's love. This was a unique phenomenon.
His immersion in the love of Lord is an example that is unique in the world.
His engrossment in the Lord's love is depicted in the divine scripture and thus leaves no doubt. He lived with the Lord and the Lord lived with him. He was one with the Lord. Although now he was working but his mind was attached to only the Lord. His engrossment in the 'Love of the Lord' was the same as ever. His detachment from the world was that nothing that was worldly could entangle his mind.
But now, he thought of allaying the suffering of the people and putting them on the true path of 'recitation of the Lord's name with love.
Quite a few people had already been dyed in the Lord's love, but now he wished to show the true path to the world so that the world may benefit from it.
In this prayer, he used to sit in meditation in the forest for nights together.
II [The Guru meets the Lord]
There is a small stream near Sultanpur called Bein. Quite often, the Guru used to go to the stream for a bath and after bath he would sit down on the bank of the stream with eyes closed and recite the Lord's name with love.
One day, early morning, he went to the Bein stream. At the bank of the stream he took off his clothes and gave them to his disciple who had accompanied him, and entered the stream for a bath.
For a few minutes, the disciple saw him having a bath and a swim, but after that he could not see him. The man kept on sitting on the bank, waiting for him to come out, till sunrise, but to no avail.
News reached the Guru's house and everybody went to the stream. Even the governor himself went to the stream riding a horse. Swimmers were called and search was made in the stream for about four to five kilometers but to no avail. At last, everybody thought that probably he got drowned and carried away by the stream. Everybody went back home in sadness.
Jai Ram wanted to inform the parents at Taiwan di but sister Nanki stopped him and said: My brother is a Lord's child. No stream or river can drown him or carry him away. This is some miracle and a bigger miracle than before. Wait and see what good comes out.
Everybody thought He has drowned and there is no hope left. Everybody said: Surely, he has drowned. But sister Nanki was the only one who did not believe so. Nobody could make her believe that the Guru has drowned.
Mardana, in love of his master was going and singing divine hymns at the bank of the stream. Other disciples recited the Lord's name and read the scriptures.
It is difficult to describe what happened in the next three days because where he went is above space and time. Three days, he spent in the unseen world, where eveiything is in divine light.
We can only say 'The Lord is there', and 'All life', 'All love', 'All ecstasy' is there. His form is that 'He is there'. We cannot describe Him in our words. We cannot listen in our ears. We cannot understand Him in our mind. Everything there is divine. But the Lord is there and whatever happens there is above space and time. He is 'All in all' and whatever he does is 'All in all'. He is the Supreme Lord and whatever He does is His Will.
Three days passed like that, but there was no news as to 'where he had gone' while having a bath. Everybody was really astonished because the Guru knew swimming well and he could even save other people from drowning if need be. Even the stream was not that deep. Then, where could he go?
The Guru was neither drowned, nor he deliberately went into hiding.
HE WENT TO MEET THE LORD.
How? Nobody knows how and nobody can tell how, because the Lord is not in human form like us. It is something that is not of the human body, but something else very subtle. His going to the Lord is described in the old biography.
It is written: Some bright, handsome, dazzling angels came from the heavens as the Lord's messengers and took him to the Lord. There he bowed to the Lord with respect and love and touched His feet and then stood respectfully with folded hands.
The Lord was gracious. The Lord ordered his messengers to give to Nanak the bowl of nectar.
The Lord said: This nectar is a bowl full of my name. You drink.
Guru Nanak took it. Drank it. The Lord was gracious.
The Lord said: Nanak, I am with you. I have blessed you and blessed are those who recite your name.
You go and recite my name and tell the people to recite uy name.
Remain detached from the world. Remain in the name. Be a giver.
Give name, service to humanity and charity to the people.
I have given you my name. You distribute it.
Guru Nanak thanked the Lord and stood up.
The Lord said: O Nanak, say, how big is my name?
Guru Nanak replied: If my age be thousands and thousands of years and I do not see the sun setting and the setting of the moon, and I do not sleep even in a dream, howsoever much I recite your name, its value will still be un-countable.
The Lord again said: I have blessed you with my command. You praise my command.
Guru Nanak replied:
You are the One Lord. Your name is 'The Truth'.
You are the Creator.
You are the Supreme Soul.
You are without enmity.
You are above time.
Your Name is your form.
You are above births and deaths.
You are the light of the world.
Your Name has to be recited.
You were the true Lord in the beginning.
You were the true Lord through the ages.
You are the true Lord now.
You will be the true Lord always.
When Guru Nanak uttered these words, then again the Lord said, and it was an order:
0 Nanak, You bless him,
to whomsoever I am gracious.
1 shall bless him also. My name is Lord Almighty Your name is Guru Almighty.
Guru Nanak fell at the Lord's feet and the Lord blessed him with a robe of honor.
Then, the Lord ordained His messengers to take him back to the same bank of the stream. Then, the Guru appeared there on the third day.
Guru Nanak has himself narrated his going to the Lord's palace. He has said that he was honored. He says: I was a humbler singer. I was good for nothing. My Master called me to His 'True Abode'. I was blessed with a robe of honor. The Lord offered me to drink His Name, which was as sweet as nectar. After drinking which, one gets eternal happiness. One gets out of the cycle of births and deaths and one lives with the Lord always.
The Name and the divine hymns that I have got from Him now I am distributing to the people. Those who are reciting the Name and singing the hymns that I have given to them, are on the true path towards the Lord. They have got inner happiness.
I am telling: Lord is Supreme. I am immersed in the love of the Lord.
In this way, the Guru is telling us about his going to the Lord's palace, but he is not proud that 'I have been to the Lord's palace that is so high, and now I have become great'. He says, 'I was a humble singer and I was good for nothing'. This means, he hadn't the slightest ego in him.
Then he says: My master called me to His 'True abode'. By master, he means the Lord. And 'True abode' is where the Lord resides, that is the Lord's palace.
Then he says: I was blessed with a robe of honor. This robe of honor is the singing of His hymns and praises.
Our fifth guru, Guru Arjan Dev has said: Guru Nanak is the Lord's image.
The poet Bhat said: The Lord Himself came to this earth.
Bhai Gurdas said: Guru Nanak is the Lord who has created the world.
We should not think that the Lord was born. The Lord is above the cycle of births and deaths. But it is somewhat like: When a piece of gold is put in fire, it becomes fire. It is gold also and fire also. Guru Nanak himself gave a similar example to emperor Ibrahim Lodhi, when he met him at Delhi.
So, Guru Almighty means: Guru, who has to join the separated with the Lord. Guru Nanak himself is immersed in the Lord's love and thus His image.
Poet Santokh Singh writes: At Sultanpur, many people were blessed by the Guru and got happiness. They left their evil habits and became pious. They gave up their mistaken beliefs and came on the true path.
By his blessings, many men became saints and were now at his service. They were now guiding other people.
If the Guru had to do the work of one saint, then it was sufficient for him
to do the worldly chores and look after the holy congregation that had come up at Sultanpur.
Sufficient means: There was no need for him to think of or do anything further. He had already shown to the people that 'There was no need to renounce the family and the world or go to the forests'. While living in the family, and doing the worldly chores, one can become pious, thinking good of everyone and Lord loving, and be a good human being, a saint.
But he wished to travel all over India and to foreign countries, to show to everyone the easy and true path to reach the Lord.
So, many times he thought: This 'True path towards the Lord' should be widely known all over the world, so that the world may benefit from it. This is the purpose for which I have come and the Lord has sent me to this world.
In general, the people of this world, in their greed, in their selfishness are burning themselves in desires and burning others also. They should be taught to do goodness to others, so that this fire may go.
But doing goodness to others can be learnt only when people get to loving the Lord, who is inside the body. So, now he thought of allaying the suffering of the people and putting them on the 'True path towards the Lord'. He was waiting for a command from the Lord. Now, he got the command from the Lord.
A doctor goes to the prison and a religious preacher also goes to the prison. Both of them do not go to the prison for any evil deeds. They go for doing some goodness. The doctor goes to treat the sick, and the preacher goes to give them moral advice.
All the people come to this world as per the deeds done.
But Guru Nanak came to this world, not as per the deeds done. He came as a religious preacher to raise the moral standard of the people, for the good of the people. So, Guru Nanak was a prophet sent by the Lord.
Now, the Lord summoned him. The Lord gave him more strength.
Till now, the Lord's order to him was to preach while living in the family, but now the Lord ordered: You go to all big and small towns and other countries and put people on the true path. Give true Name to the people and spend your entire time for the people.
So now, when he returned after three days and reached home, he distributed all the household articles to the needy and poor.
When people came to know that the Guru is alive and has returned after
three days, then, the people gathered to meet him.
Even the governor, Daulat Khan Lodhi, on listening, came to see him, because everybody had lost hope that the Guru was alive.
Everybody was astonished as to how he has come out of the stream after three days. The Guru's face emitted a strong dazzle.
Daulat Khan Lodhi asked: O Nanak, what happy"ned to you? But the Guru did not reply.
People said: See, how much shine is there on his face. He doesn't talk. His lips are shut. He is distributing all his household articles. Maybe he has got a shock in the stream.
When the Guru did not speak, then Daulat Khan Lodhi went back in despair.
Now, the Guru distributed everything to the poor and needy. With the simple clothes that he was wearing, he went and sat in the open, on the outskirts of the town. Mardana also went and sat where he was sitting.
But the Guru did not speak for one full day and night. Everybody from the house came but he did not speak to anyone and they went back.
His face emitted a shine like a dazzle and his eyes spelled charm.
Ill [Exorcist]
The Guru's wife Bibi Sulakhni was delighted to see the Guru alive. But when she saw that he was distributing all the household items to the needy and poor, and he doesn't speak to anyone, and has gone to stay in the open on the outskirts of the town, then she felt much dejected.
She asked her sister-in-law: Please look for some remedy. Maybe he got some shock in the stream. Even the neighbors asked the sister to call an exorcist. Maybe some evil spirit has influenced him.
But sister Nanki said: This is some miracle. My brother is a godly soul. Whatever he does has goodness in it.
But the neighbors did not agree. They took one exorcist to treat the Guru.
When the exorcist went where the Guru was sitting, then the Guru spoke: Somebody says, I am mad, somebody says, I am influenced by evil spirit, somebody says, I am pitiable.
Then, the exorcist said: He is a true saint. No evil spirit could influence him. Then, he went away.
IV [Mosque]
Next day, the Guru spoke. What did he speak?
He said: There is no Hindu and no Mohammedan.
What he meant was that both Hindus and Muslims tell lies, weigh short, deceive others, and are not afraid to do evil deeds. So, both are Hindu and Muslim in name only. Nobody is a real Hindu or a real Mohammedan.
This frank speech of the Guru reached every ear. The Hindu priests were subdued due to the atrocities of the Pathan rulers. So they kept quiet.
But the Muslim priest got furious. He said: Telling, that there is no Mohammedan, is a direct insult to our religion.
The Muslim priest and the Muslim judge went and made a complaint to the governor: Guru Nanak says, 'There is no Mohammedan', this is a direct insult to our religion.
The governor said: Nanak is a saint. Maybe he is a prophet. It might be better if you just ignore what he has said.
But on the insistence of the Muslim priest, the governor sent for the Guru. The Guru, however, did not come.
Then, the governor sent another message saying: For the sake of the Lord, please come. Then, the Guru came.
The governor welcomed him with respect and asked him to sit down. Then the Muslim priest had a discussion with the Guru.
The governor said: O priest, Nanak is telling the truth.
The Muslim priest then deviated from his accusations and said: Sir, it is time for the evening prayer and we are getting late. Let us go to the mosque for prayers.
Then, on a hint from the priest, the governor said: If you consider Hindus and Muslims as equal, then come with us to the mosque for prayers.
So, everybody went to the mosque and they took the Guru along. There, everybody stood up and said the prayer. The priest stood in the front, to pray and make others pray. But the Guru stood there, saw everything and kept smiling.
When the prayer finished, the Muslim priest said: O Nanak, why did you not recite the prayer with us? Instead, you were smiling and making fun of us.
Then, the Guru smiled and said: O priest, tell the truth, whether you were saying prayers or you were thinking that the mare has given birth to a baby mare and all the time you were afraid that the baby mare may not fall in the well in the verandah.
Then, the priest said: O Nanak, you could have said prayers with the governor. The Guru replied: The governor was all the time in Kabul, buying horses. The governor admitted that it was true. The Muslim priest also admitted that what the Guru had said was true.
The governor said: Nanak is speaking the truth. There is no need to ask him any questions.
All the people, the judge and many other respectable people who had come to the mosque for prayers were astonished as to how the Guru could read the minds of the Muslim priest and the governor truly.
The governor had much respect and love for him.
One day the governor said to the Guru: These riches and governance is all yours. You stay here. We shall be at your service.
The Guru said: O King, now I cannot stay. You live in happiness. These riches are yours. I have to go in the service of the Lord. I have to obey His command.
Now, everybody praised the Guru and said: Nanak is dyed in the love of the Lord. He is the image of the Lord. Then, he went and sat in the forest on the outskirts of the town. Mardana also went and sat there.
Today was the first day that he opened his mouth after the recent meeting with the Lord.
The misconception that he dispelled from the minds of the Muslim priest and the king was that both of them prayed to the Lord but their minds were not attentive to the presence of the Lord.
To recite a text from the Holy Quran, or say prayers, or read the scripture, or recite the Lord's name, or meditate, or concentrate, or sit in devotion, or worship, or sing the hymns, or sing the praises, these all are endeavors of love with attention to the presence of the Lord. But in practice what we see is, that outwardly, it does appear that we are praying, but actually our mind is wandering elsewhere. They are like a body without life in it.
So, when he started his work on the Lord's command, then, the first thing he preached was: Pray to the Lord with attention to His presence.
There are many who do not read the scripture. But many who do read say that they do not relish.
Now, if you read and understand what the Guru has said, then, this problem will go. What the Guru said to the Muslim priest and the governor, he meant it for the whole world. He is telling us today when we are reading this story.
We feel happy that the Guru exposed the fault of the Muslim priest and
the governor. We also feel that the Guru is great that with his intuitive power he could read the minds of the Muslim priest and the governor. But the third thing, we ignore and forget that what the Guru has said is also for us today. We are just like the Muslim priest and the governor. The beloved Guru is telling us to read the scripture and recite the Name regularly and remain attentive to the presence of the Lord. If you read the scripture and recite the Name and your mind is wandering elsewhere, then, the fault is yours. When you read the scripture and recite the Name then feel the presence of the Lord that the Lord is listening to your recitation.
We should realize that if our tongue is reciting the Name and our mind is wandering elsewhere, then how the Lord will be happy? When we are not attentive to His presence, how will our mind be turned towards Him? The mind will turn towards those things where it is wandering and get their influence. While reciting the Name, if it remains attentive to the presence of the Lord, then it will get the good influences from the Lord, coolness, peace of mind, soul awakening, elevation of mind. But if it wanders elsewhere, then, it will get the influences from where it is wandering. If while reading the scripture, the mind is wandering in worldly desires like the Muslim priest, then, it will get a scattering influence.
So, Guru Nanak is telling us today: O my beloved, you read the scripture and recite the Lord's name. The mind wanders, that is its habit. Turn it towards the meaning of the scripture and attention of the presence of the Lord. Pray at the Lord's feet. Feel His presence. Meet the holy people. They will tell you how their mind has turned and now feels the presence of the Lord.
Be sure of the following:
1. The Lord is there. He is here, there, everywhere. He is inside our body and outside in nature.
2. Although, I cannot see Him because my eyes can see outwardly only and my inner vision has not awakened as yet.
3. To awaken the inner vision, the path is 'reading the scripture and recitation of Name'.
4. I should read the scripture, listen to divine songs and recite the Lord's name with love.
5. While reading the scripture or reciting the Name, I should always feel the presence of the Lord.
Even if, there are million worlds, the Lord is 'One'. I should feel the presence of the Lord of the million worlds.
He is listening to my prayer. I should feel His presence with all my love and full attention. If my mind wanders, I should turn it towards the Lord.
I should pray to Guru Nanak: As you blessed the Lord's name to the Muslim priest and the governor, bless me the Lord's name. I should remain in recitation of the Lord's name. You are always living. In human form or heavenly soul, you are always with us. You are a living heavenly soul.
As you blessed people then, you bless me now. Bless me that I read the scripture and recite the Lord's name incessantly. You are benevolent and gracious. You are my master and father. I am your servant son. Bless me the incessant recitation of the Lord's name.
If the mind still wanders, then, go to a holy saint or an ideal man and take his guidance and ask him to pray for you that your mind turns towards the Lord.
Make an earnest endeavor to turn your mind towards the Lord. Tell your mind: O mind, I have come to pray to the King of the million worlds. Now, leave all wanderings, attachments, fears, anxieties and desires. They are traps for you. Fall at His feet in His refuge.
O mind, remain in remembrance of the Lord's name, so that you are able to swim across this worldly ocean of fire.
In this way, steadily, remain in remembrance. See the Lord here, there, everywhere. He is listening to my prayer and He will give me the fruits.
The second thing that he preached is as follows:
One person was an idol worshipper. He spent almost his entire life in idol worship. He had heard that a prophet is staying at Sultanpur whose name is Nanak. The Muslim priest and the governor have fallen at his feet. The Hindu saints and sadhus and the Muslim saints have fallen at his feet and say that he is great.
On listening to all that, the worshipper of idols got a longing to meet the Guru. He had spent his entire life in idol worship but could not find true happiness. Now, he heard the greatness of the Guru and became eager to have his glimpse. On hearing that a prophet is born in these bad times, he came to have his glimpse. When, he saw the Guru sitting in the forest, he felt a pull and fell at his feet.
The Guru said: You worshipped the idol in earnestness. But who could reply? You have to worship the living Lord who will reply.
The idol worshipper got peace of mind by meeting the Guru, his heart became soft also, but the effect of the long time worship still remained in his mind.
It is said, that in the night when he slept, he saw in a dream that the idol goddess that he worshipped was standing outside the door of the Guru with a broom in hand. The dream had a lightning effect on his mind. The next morning, he got into the 'recitation of the Lord's name with love'. His tongue started reciting the Name and his mind got elevated. The Lord's name went into his mind, heart and body cells and his soul awakened. He got ecstasy.
Now, when we read the second thing that he preached, we feel happy that the goddess stood with a broom at the door of the Guru and that idol worship is bad, but we forget the real thing that this story, today, is for us. The Guru has preached us:
1. Not to worship anything or anybody except the Lord. This means, remember the Lord and recite His name with love.
2. Our love for worldly desires is like worshipping the idols. Living in this world, we have not to be trapped in the worldly desires and passions. We have to keep our mind detached from these.
3. The third thing that he preached is: 'Do goodness to others'.
When the Guru left the job of Stores Manager, then, the governor settled his accounts and sent him the money that was due to him. At that time, many poor and needy persons had come to meet him. The Guru looked towards them intently.
Then, somebody from the gathering said: O true Guru, you have a family, your sons and wife. You have left the house. Give this money to them.
The benevolent Guru said: The Lord's flame is in everybody. All are his sons, and immediately whatever money had come he gave it away.
Now, we feel happy that our Guru Nanak is great. He has not the slightest of greed. He is great, who calls the needy as sons, and saw the Lord in everybody. How he loves everybody?
But we forget that this third thing is also, today, for us. The Guru is telling us to remain in the remembrance of the Lord. Remain in the presence of the Lord. Don't go into forgetfulness of Name at any time in twenty-four hours, and when
you see a needy person, then, see the Lord in him also. The Lord is 'all-pervading'. Help the needy in his need according to your budget, but the mind should remain in high thinking that the Lord whose name I am reciting is inside me and outside also, and what I am doing is out of my love for Him.
I cannot allay the suffering of the people, nor am I a philanthropist. I am only in the love of the 'One Lord'. The Lord is inside me and I see the Lord outside in humanity. I have to love Him. This is, 'Do good to others'.
Those who followed what he preached became disciples of the Guru. We are Guru-disciples. Let us see, whether we are following what the Guru preached and have we imbibed the good qualities that are given in the Holy Scripture. If we have imbibed, then, we are Guru-disciples and fortunate Gurudisciples. But if we have not imbibed, then it is imperative that we should now imbibe those good qualities in us.
Talking is not Guru discipleship. Imbibing the good qualities and acting as per those is Guru-discipleship.
The Guru has said: Without imbibing good qualities, one cannot be in devotional meditation. We must imbibe good qualities in us.
Now, everybody is going towards materialism. The world is head and tail running after it. The mind is running after material gains and love of material gains and it is increasing day by day.
The Lord who is giving, we are forgetting, and we are in love with the gains.
The Guru rids us from these faults.
The Guru made us live in the world of the soul, the world of sensation. He awakened our sublime mind.
All the stories of that time are written and we read those.
Now, we have to act on what he preached, otherwise we cannot expect that the Guru will be happy with us and bless us.
We should read the stories but we should not get away, in the thinking, that these happened with other people and we have enjoyed the reading. We should consider these stories, as if happened with us, and the faults mentioned were in us. Then, we should try to improve ourselves. Then, the guru will be happy with us. Then, we are Guru-disciples, living Guru-disciples. Otherwise, it is all sham and show off.
The Guru was against empty rituals and hypocrisy. When he saw these in Hindus and Muslims and spoke loudly against them, then if he sees these in his disciples, he will speak against these more loudly.
The first words that he spoke: 'No one is a Hindu and no one a Muslim'. This loud speaking was to clarify that empty ritual, show off, hypocrisy, superstitions, is not religion. It is not the true religious path. It is not spiritualism.
We disciples should listen to his loud speaking, 'No one is a Hindu and no one a Muslim' with more attention and open ears today, and see, in the light of these words, what endeavor we have to make to improve ourselves.
This is our love for the Guru, feeling his presence in us, feel him talking to us, acting on what he preached and becoming Guru-disciples.
V [Departure from Sultanpur]
On listening that Mehta Kalu's son has left the family house, the father-in-law Mool Chand accompanied by Pandit Shyam came to Sultanpur. Both of them tried to persuade the Guru to stay in the family house. Dad Mehta Kalu and Mom Mrs. Tripta also felt very upset.
Then, the Guru said: I have been ordained by the Lord to put the people of the world on the true path towards the Lord. I have been ordained to join the separated with the Lord. So, I have to obey His command.
Mom and dad went back home in sadness.
One can also imagine the sadness of Bibi Sulakhni, the Guru's wife when she heard that the Guru is planning long tours for long periods. With two small children to look after, she had to bear the separation from the husband.
The Guru said to her: The Lord will look after you.
One person who was not in grief was sister Nanki. She perceived the greatness of the Guru and realized that the Guru was going for the sake of humanity to allay the suffering of the world and that he had been sent by the Lord for this work.
Sister Nanki's love for the Guru was from her elevated mind. She was always in gratitude and her mind was attuned to the Lord's Will.
The Guru understood her love and said to her: Your love is godly and very high. In its response, whenever you are in too much longing, you pray to the Lord, the King of the Kings. Then, I shall come and meet you.
The relatives had sentimental love and that did not impress the Guru much. But the sister's godly love impressed him so much that it became an opportunity for everyone that the Guru will come and meet us. Everybody was assured that he is not going forever but will come back off and on and meet us.
Since, the day, the Guru accompanied the governor to the mosque, the governor's mind got attracted to the Guru. But he was afraid of his own Muslim priests. But within a few days, all the people of the town including the Hindu sadhus and Muslim saints bowed to the Guru and fell at his feet.
The governor's longing for the Guru increased so much that when the Guru was to depart, he came and fell at his feet. The Guru blessed •him with the Lord's name and he got ecstasy.
Bhai Gurdas writes: The Guru first went to the Lord's palace. There, he was bestowed the honor of 'Guru Almighty' and ordained by the Lord to put the people of the world on the true path towards the Lord. The Lord blessed him with His name nectar and His strength as also humility.
Now here, he saw everybody in jealousy, envy, enmity, thinking evil of others and everybody burning in ego.
He realized that people are suffering because there is no true preacher to guide them towards the Lord. Then only, he thought of travels. He neither became a recluse, nor a sadhu. He left the house only for travels.
For allaying the suffering of the people it was necessary for him to go to places and countries to put the people on the true path towards the Lord.
So, he decided to leave his house, his relatives, his congregation, for putting the people on the true path of 'Recitation of the Lord's name with love' and 'Do goodness to all'.
He asked Mardana to accompany him so that he could sing the divine hymns.
All the people came to see him off.
It is written: The sadhus came and kissed his feet. The Guru blessed the sadhus. The Guru was gracious. The governor also came. Everybody whether a Hindu or Mohammedan stood with folded hands. The Guru blessed everyone.
Then, the Guru accompanied by Mardana departed.
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