Sri Guru Nanak Dev ji is the ocean of joy and peace. I bow to him with my hands folded. His compassion saves the biggest sinners and grants them Mukti in the end. I have the support of Sri Guru Nanak Dev ji's compassion. I don't have great wisdom, nor the skill to write. My wisdom is small. I am not deserving of a Kodi (small monetary denomination) but I ask for a diamond. As Guru Nanak Dev ji gives me wisdom and makes me talk, I write his Katha which gives peace and joy. I don't have the power to write, not even one stanza. This Granth is being written by his blessing.
Sri Bala Sandhur Vaach..
Sri Bala ji says: "listen Guru Angad Dev ji, the Katha of the Satguru, which is full of peace. For many days, the Bedi Great stayed in his home. He didn't go out for walks nor do any other tasks. Sometimes Pitha Kalu ji would trust Guru ji and be happy. Sometimes Maya would cause doubts in his heart. He would think to himself: "he is a house of skill when it comes to speaking. He doesn't know any way to earn money though. People hear his words and praise him. They don't know about the damage and loss of money he does."
The cold season came. Listen what happened in that season. The lotus flowers disappeared from the ponds, like glory disappears by the company of bad people. People stayed close to burning fires, like officers hovering around their king. The sun was not hot anymore. It's like a king had become lazy. Men and women shivered from the cold. The deer in the jungle were bothered by the cold. It was like a thief bothering the subjects because the king was too weak. People slept with comforters at night to save themselves from the cold; like people making their troubles go away by the dust from the Guru's feet. The sun felt nice. It was as though wise saints giving hope to people. The wind and water were cold. The poor were getting anxious. As the people would be without the Satguru, the saints are engulfed by the vices.
Guru ji, the master of the universe; the provider of peace to saints, would stay laying down in the cold season. He didn't meet or speak with anyone. The treasure of virtues remained in solitude. Two months passed like this and then Guru ji began to walk around. If he wanted to eat something, he would tell his mother. When Mata ji noticed that he was requesting certain foods, she thought that he was now free from the illness she thought he had. She gave donations to Brahmins in joy. She got new clothes made for her son. She kept looking at her son's face and saw herself as fortunate.
Guru ji began to meet with his relatives and friends. He began to sit with them and speak to them. He sat with his father as well. Pitha Kalu ji was happy with this. He was happy that he was meeting and accepting the social life. Guru ji roamed the streets of Nankana. He met with people and enjoyed himself. Guru ji was about 14 or 15 years old then. He was very handsome. Everyone was attracted to him. When he spoke, it was like flowers showering from his mouth. People would go still, hearing him. His eyes were like lotus petals. His pupils were like black stars. His eyebrows were like Kamadeva's bow; or like the curvature in the moon. He walked slowly. His compassionate sight destroyed pains. He moved with his own will. He didn't do any work. He was here to save the world. He spent some time like this.
One day, Baba Kalu ji was sitting in his home. He called his son, Guru Nanak Dev ji, to him. He had him sit near him. He was going to tell him to earn money again. He wanted to teach him how to earn money. He loved him but wanted him to earn as well. He was worried about him, as he was growing up. He said to him: "son Nanak, you are our only son. There is no one else to take care of the home. You have let go of the worldly ways. You are like a Vairagi Sadhoo who doesn't work. A Ghristi can't do that. You don't work all day long. Take care of the work while I am alive. I would be happy then. I will be without worry from you. When you were born, I was relieved that you will be my support. I thought that you would glorify my name. I want you to earn money. This will give me praises from others. Everyone will know that you are good at working. Just as people see the moon and praise its moonlight, if Rahu comes and eclipses it; that's how you have become. You have ruined my reputation. You don't have the wisdom to do any business or farming. We are Kshatriyas. We work for a living. We don't beg. I am tired of telling you this. You have not earned anything." Guru ji listened to his father like a Rishi sitting in Samadhi. Pitha ji spoke to Guru ji with anger. He spoke harsh words for a about an hour and a half. He then went quiet. Another hour passed. Pitha ji calmed down. Guru ji then spoke valuable words. He opened the lock of joy for Pitha ji: "Pitha ji, forgive my past deeds. I won't ruin anything anymore. I will do as you wish. I will do it with love, as you say. Tell me what I need to do." Pitha ji heard the sweet and humble words and felt good. He thought that Guru ji was now under his command. He said: "I am your father. I get mad at you for your own good. I first sent you to the fields. You tending the cows but ruined our crops. I wanted to have you establish a new village. You would have ruled. The villagers would have worked. That wish remained only in my mind. Just as a handicap wanting to climb a mountain, that is how I felt. What is done, is done. Take 20 Rajitpuns and go to another place. Find a good deal and buy some things to do business with. Use your intelligence to see the best business. If you do a good deal now, I will give you more money. You can establish your trade like this. You can keep your profit. I won't ask for it back. I will give you more. Do a business like this. You can get rich. Make your money grow. People will call you a “good son.” Take Bala, your friend, with you. Take him to do a good business."
Bhai Bala ji continued: "oh destroyer of pain, Guru Angad Dev ji, a servant was sent to my home. I went with the servant to Guru Nanak Dev ji's home. I went where Baba Mehta Kalu ji and the giver of Mukti was sitting. They had me sit down with respect. Pitha ji patted my back with love. He thought of me as his own son. Pitha ji said: "listen Bala, you are wise. Go with Nanak ji and find a good deal. Find a profitable deal. Go and help him. You keep the money that I give." He gave me 20 Rajitpuns after counting them. I got ready to go with the giver of Mukti. He was the dispeller of pain. I never stayed away from him. I put a nice cloth on my shoulder. Pitha Kalu ji took the both of us to the end of the village to see us off. He kissed Guru ji's face and gave him instructions to be careful. As we left, Pitha ji kept looking at us. Guru Nanak Dev ji walked slowly and carefree. He spoke to me about Bhagti, Vairagya and Gyan. He gave me a lot of wisdom.
On the way, we passed many villages. We continued slowly. As we travelled, there was a jungle we reached. It was really peaceful in the jungle. Guru ji looked towards it. There was a beautiful Ashram in the jungle, where Sadhoos were doing Tapasya. They were doing many types of Yog Asanas. Some had their arms raised in the air and some were hanging upside down from the trees. Some were standing on one leg. They had denounced the pleasures of the world and wished to receive the ultimate bliss of Akaal Purakh. Some were sitting in the Sidh-asana and some were sitting in the Padam-asana. Some only survived on water. Some only survived on air. They had white ash rubbed on their body. They had dreadlocks. Some were totally naked and some had bark wrapped around their body. Some were sitting near the fire and some were sitting in the water, up to their necks, and doing Tapasya. Some were doing Simran of Bhagavan. Some were only standing and doing Tapasya. Some did not speak for many years and were determined not to speak. Some controlled their senses. They did not wish for the pleasures of heaven. Some sat and did the Katha of Hari. Some listened. They recited with love and listened carefully. Among them was one Mahant. He was the idol of Tapasya. He wore a sheet of bark around his body. He was sitting on deerskin. His dreadlocks were huge, like a crown of a king. He sat and did the Simran of Parmeshwar. Guru ji stood at the entrance and said to me: "I have found a great deal! I don't wish to leave it. If someone finds a diamond on the path, the wise person does not leave it to buy a crystal. If someone finds Amrit, they should drink it, considering themselves fortunate. Pitha ji commanded us to find the best deal. There is no other deal better than this. We can look around but nothing will be better than this. Give them the 20 Rajitpuns. They can buy food and clothes with it." I heard this and said, fearing Mehta Kalu ji: "your father gave this money to buy like a Baaniya (merchant/businessman). He wanted you to earn money. You know your father. He is strict. You are wise. Think about this. Don't blame me for anything. You and your father can figure this out. I am your servant. I don't want to get into the middle of this conflict. You can do as you please. I will follow you. When you played with other children, I never left your side. Whatever you command, I will do with joy. You are omniscient. Do as you please." I said this and gave Guru ji the pouch filled with money.
We walked towards the Ashram. We bowed to the Mahant and sat down beside him. It was like Ram Chander ji sitting with August Muni. The Prabhoo, Guru Nanak Dev ji, spoke sweet words: "you stay naked all the time. Do you not have clothes or do you not wish to wear them? It is winter. The cold bothers the body. Rain and heat must bother you. Do you eat food or do you stay hungry? Just as you stay naked, do you choose not to eat? You are very radiant. Your body is very radiant. You have rubbed ash all over your body and made it dirty. You shine like a saint. You are wise, that I can see. Please answer my questions." The Rishikesh Mahant, who walked on the path of Mukti, spoke: "if one takes on the form of a Sadhoo, they should wear clothes of abstinence. Let me tell you about the food, if we beg, that is against our tradition. Only contentment looks good on the Singhasan. That is our throne. We are kings of ourselves. We are in bliss. Karma is our servant. It serves us in many ways. Tapasya is our army. We fight and defeat the army of Attachment, the king. His army is jealousy, anger, desire, pride, and greed. The canopy of Truth hangs over our heads. The enemy sees this and gets scared. We have received the unending joy. We don't think about food or desires." Guru ji heard this and was very happy. He folded his hands and said: "I wish to know your name. You are great who has kept their Dharma. You only desire the Ikankaar. You reject Parvirti (the way of Ghristis) and take on Nirvirti (the way of saints). You are wise. You move like a saint. You grow the vine of peace." The saint said: "oh wise child. You seem to be the treasure of virtue. I can see the radiance of Nirankaar inside of you. You are young and without ego. You desire the Satsangat of wise saints. My name is "Santrain." My Guru ji gave me the Siropa of Poverty. He named me. Poverty gives glory." Guru Nanak Dev ji was happy to hear the saint's name. It was like an artist hearing a beautiful poem. He said to me: "I can't let this deal go." He put the pouch of money in front of the saint and said: "take this money and give your disciples food. I understood your tradition. You are a true saint. You don't beg for food; therefore, you are a king. The one who gives you without asking, you only accept that and eat from that. Sri Kartaar has sent this. Take this money and eat food with joy." The Mahant said: "you are young and not independent. You are born in a high-class family. You are under the watch of your father. You set off to look for some tasks. You will go back home empty-handed." Guru ji said: "listen Sant ji, it is my father's command to find the best deal. I am following his command. He told me to find work which gives the most profit. What is better than this?" The Mahant heard this and said: "if you are determined to give us food, take the money to some village and bring the grains and foods. We don't go to the market. We will cook the food ourselves." Guru ji heard this and the both of us then went to the nearby village called Chuharkana (now known as Farookabad). We bought flour for 5 Rajitpuns. We bought fine rice as much as flour, also 5 Rajitpuns. We bought ghee for 3 Rajitpuns; Sugar for 3 Rajitpuns; Milk for 3 Rajitpuns and we paid the cart-puller 1 Rajitpun. We had the food loaded and taken to the Ashram. We placed the stuff in front of the Saint. We then said: "give us permission to cook the food. The Sadhoos can then eat." The wise Mahant said to the master of the universe: "the saints will eat by themselves. You can go back home now." Guru ji and I got up and went back towards our village. Kavi Santokh Singh ji bows to the feet of Guru ji by folding his hands and placing his head on the ground.