Sri Guru Nanak Dev ji, who is determined to destroy pain, whose feet wash the sins away; I meditate on his feet and write his history.
Sri Bala Sandhur Vaach..
The Mine of Joy went to the home of his sister, hearing her request. Guru ji met his sister with love. Bebe ji laid out a bed for him to sit on with respect. She was really happy to see Guru ji. Sri Guru Nanak Dev ji spoke sweet words: "my sister, your wish, tell me. I am always under your command. Your heart is really pure. Think and tell me." Bebe ji said: "listen brother, oh form of Parmeshwar: you created the universe with the Maya. Maya took your power of consciousness to create the world. You took on a human form to save the people of Kaliyuga. You travel as you please. Please always give me your Darshan. I have no other desire, other than this. If you need or want anything, please let me know without any doubt. May my heart be the head of Shiva, may your glory be the Ganga and live in my heart." Guru ji heard this and said: "listen sister, whenever you think of me, even if I am far away or near; busy or not; I will quickly come to you." Bebe ji heard this and was overjoyed. She called the cook and told him to make many types of foods.
Bhai Mardana ji was sent to call for me. Listen Sri Guru Angad Dev ji: I was with Bhaiya Jai Ram ji when I got the message. I then came to Bebe ji's home. The Master of the Bedis was sitting with Bebe ji. We all sat down to eat in the kitchen. Bebe Nanaki ji set the food with her hands. The food was delicious. We all ate as much as we wanted to. We got up and went into the home. Bebe ji said: "Mardana, go and look for a Rabab. Take the money from me. Get a beautiful one. Don't worry about the price. Don't bargain." Bhai Mardana ji got up and went to find a pretty instrument. I folded my hands and said: "oh Flag of the Bedis, if it be your command, may I go to my home? It has been many days I have been here. I want to see the news of my home." Guru ji said to me: "why are you sad Bala? You want to leave me and go home." I said: "I am not sad, oh Destroyer of Hypocrisy. I look for your blessings." Guru ji said: "ask for something. There is nothing I can't give you." I said: "Sri Guru Nanak ji, give me this boon: I don't ever want to forget Hari. I want another boon: I don't ever want to leave you. Just as slanderers leave Amrit and run after their desires, like deer run after mirages, I don't want to be deceived by such people and run away. I want my mind to be still. I want to stay with you in a good way. I don't ever want to be in doubt, seeing your tasks. The harsh words of slanderers, they leave the Sarovar of Amrit. I wish to run towards your lotus feet. I want my mind to be a bee, hovering over your feet." Guru ji was happy hearing this. He saw my determination. He said: "just as the Sumer Mountain is still, your mind will be like this. The Bemukh (night), the doubts (moon), the pain (stars), the sun of love will illuminate in the sky of your heart. Your heart will be like a Sarovar. The praise of Hari will be the lotus flowers. Those flowers will never wilt. The love will grow like the fragrance of the flower. The slanderers are like salt in the ocean. They will always dissolve. Your heart will always remain above the water. The dogs bark, day and night. The slanderers are like this. The carefree elephant doesn't worry when dogs bark. You will be like the carefree elephant. You can go to your home." I got permission to go home. I bowed to his feet. I said: "hearing your words, my heart is in bliss." I went to Talwandi and went home with peace.
Listen to what happened after I left: the Flag of the Bedis was really happy with his sister. He went back to the jungle. He was alone, where no one else came. He was the Giver of Mukti, the Lotus-faced one, always blooming. His words were like the sun. The doubts are destroyed of his servants like stars. He destroyed them all. Bhai Mardana ji went to Sultanpur to find a Rabab. Wherever he would hear of a Doom, he would ask them for a Rabab. The other Marashees didn't respect Baba Mardana ji. They spoke harshly to him: "you are the Doom of the “Kurahia” (one who is on the wrong path)." He would hear this and get angry. He wandered and got tired of listening to the slanderers. He was upset hearing the harsh words. There was nothing he could do. He was alone. Wandering the whole city, Baba Mardana ji was anxious. Where Guru Nanak Dev ji sat, Bhai Mardana ji came there and sat down next to him. Guru ji looked at Bhai Mardana ji. He saw his upset face and said: "you came without a Rabab. Tell me what happened." Bhai Mardana ji was upset and said: "why do you ask me? You are omniscient and know everything." Guru ji spoke again: "tell me without a doubt." Bhai Mardana ji said: "what can I say? I can't repeat what the people of my caste said." Guru ji said: "tell me as it happened." Baba Mardana ji spoke with fear: "many people spoke harshly. They called me a “Doom of the Kurahia.” Nobody gave me a Rabab. They are unwise and have fallen in doubt. The fools slander you. I wish to get a good Rabab that was tuned and well-used but I couldn't find one." Guru Nanak Dev ji heard this and said: "the corrupt speak nonsense for no reason. They will lose their lives and be embarrassed in the court of afterlife. The Jumms will punish them. You should do the work without thinking of honour. Go back to the city and get a beautiful Rabab without doubts. Go to the homes of the Dooms." Baba Mardana ji said: "Prabhoo ji, the Dooms of this city are unwise. They didn't listen to me. They didn't let me sit down or respect me. Nobody brought a Rabab for me. Where else should I go to find a Rabab? Oh master, tell me. You know of all 3 Loks. You are omniscient and know every heart." Guru ji said: "don't go to the city then. I will tell you another place. Where the Desh of Jungle is, go there and get your Rabab. Two rivers flow there. Between the two rivers is a village. A Rababi named Firanda lives there. Go there and ask for him. Go and look for him. You will find him there. Ask him for a Rabab. If he doesn’t give you the Rabab, tell him that: Nanak sent you. When he hears my name, he will agree to giving you the Rabab." Baba Mardana ji said: "listen Prabhoo ji, if I have the money, I will give it and bring the Rabab. I won't have to come back over and over again if I have the money." Guru ji said: "go to my sister and get the money. Take what you need and go right now. Don't delay."
Baba Mardana ji quickly went to Bebe Nanaki ji's home. He said to her: "I searched the whole city and couldn't find a Rabab. Prabhoo ji is sending me to another place. I have come to get money for the Rabab." He took 7 Rajitpuns and went on his way. He reached Jungle Desh in 3 days. He looked for Bhai Firanda. He looked for two days in the village. Nobody told him about Bhai Firanda. He then got tired and anxious. He was upset and was ready to go back home. He sat under a try, outside of the village. He was worried. A man walked by and said to him: "who are you looking for? What is your name? Tell me everything. I can see that you are upset and anxious. Your face is showing that you are upset. Tell me what your wish is. Where is your home?" Baba Mardana ji heard the sweet words of the man and was happy. He said to the man: "I am from the Rai Bhooa Talwandi. My name is Mardana. A Rababi named Firanda lives here. I am looking for him. Nanak Bedi has sent me here to get a Rabab. I looked for the person but got tired. I couldn't find him. I am anxious now for this reason." The person said: "Firanda is my name! You have been sent to me. Take this Rabab to where the Gracious One is sitting. He has come to save the unwise from this world. He took on a Human form. He is the Parmeshwar." He gave Baba Mardana ji the Rabab. It was beautiful. Baba Mardana ji was happy and surprised at the same time. He thought: "where did he take this Rabab out from? His ways are unique. How did he know I needed the Rabab? Where did he pull it out from?" Seeing the amazing and beautiful Rabab, Baba Mardana ji was really happy. He said: "tell me how much this Rabab is. I have never seen a Rabab like this before. Take how much it is worth." Bhai Firanda ji said: "you won't be able to pay for this Rabab. I wouldn't take money from you for it. This is for the Sri Avatar who gives Mukti." Bhai Mardana ji was surprised to hear this. He asked: "how are you giving me this Rabab without taking money for it? I don't know you. You don't know me. Tell me your whole story. I am in doubt. Clear my doubt. Your personality is great. Your clothes and form are great. Your words are sweet. I don't understand who you are." Bhai Firanda ji said: "this Rabab cannot be found in the Realm of Mritmandal (where death exists). This Rabab and myself are not from this world. This Rabab is only to be played in front of Sri Guru Nanak Dev ji and no one else. Play it for him. Let's go to where Guru ji is. I will come with you to see him. I wish to do the Darshan of his Lotus Feet. I have this desire to see him."
The two of them set off to where the Compassionate One was. It took them 3 days to come back. The feet of Guru ji were the givers of Mukti. Bhai Mardana ji and Bhai Firanda ji bowed to Guru ji's feet. Bhai Mardana ji returned after 9 days. He placed the Rabab in front of Guru ji. The Lotus-bodied One said: "You took a long time to come back. What happened?" Bhai Mardana ji said: "Prabhoo ji, I don't understand your secrets. What can I say? You are the Khuddah who has come to Earth. Your ways are unique. They are amazing. I went to the village you told me to go to but I wandered in vain. I wandered for 2 days to find Firanda. When I was ready to return, this saint met me and came back with me. He gave me this beautiful Rabab. It took me 3 days to get there. I spent 3 days wandering there and then it took 3 days to come back. This is why it took so long." Bhai Firanda ji folded his hands and said: "listen oh Cloud of Bliss, this beautiful Rabab, I had to give it to you. Oh Compassionate One, please accept it. I wished to see you, so I came. I am overjoyed seeing you. You are the Omniscient One. You already know who I am and where I am from." He said this and left. To see him off, Bhai Mardana ji was going to go with Bhai Firanda ji, but when he turned, Bhai Firanda ji disappeared. He couldn't figure out where he went. He was amazed and shocked. He thought to himself: "are my eyes deceiving me? He was here just a second ago. He deceived me and disappeared. I can't figure out what happened all of a sudden."
Bhai Mardana ji came back. Guru ji said: "did you see him off?" Bhai Mardana ji said: "he just disappeared! I am shocked! I don’t understand!" He then sat down and asked: "oh master, who was this person? His personality was beautiful. He was not like any other person. He was handsome and radiant. He took out the Rabab out of nowhere and gifted it to you. The Rabab is beautiful. Tell me, oh Master of the Weak, what was this? How did he disappear? He was full of powers! I am amazed!" Sri Guru ji heard this and said: "he is a Saint Gandarv (singer from Sach Khand) who loves to sing the praises of Hari. He is drenched in Hari's Love, day and night. He played this Rabab. He wanted to give it to me for a long time. He came to give me this. He gave it to me so you should play it now. Don't delay." (In another source it is said that Guru Sahib said: “you, Mardana, are also a Gandarv from Sach Khand but I have made you forget this as I needed you with me.”) Baba Mardana ji obeyed and picked up the Rabab. He tuned the Rabab. Guru ji said: "this will tune itself. Don’t delay. Play it." Baba Mardana ji quickly began to play the Rabab. The Surs (notes) aligned themselves in a perfectly tuned pitch. This was not surprising. Guru ji created the Devatas and Daynts. The Rabab tuned itself with Guru ji's words. A sound came out of the Rabab as Baba Mardana ji played out: "Tuhi Nirankara! Nirankar Kartara!" The strings of the Rabab praised Guru Nanak Dev ji, while making their plea. Hearing this sound, the animals and the birds of the jungle were mesmerized in love. Their minds were still. They were hypnotized by the sound. Sweet Dew seeped out of the trees, as an expression of their love after hearing the praise of Nirankar. Everyone and everything lost their senses. Guru Nanak Dev ji heard the sound and went into Samadhi. His eyes closed. He was above his body. His breath instilled in the Dasam Duar. Guru ji was in the deep Samadhi. Two days passed in the Padamasana. Guru ji was in Samadhi like Shiva sitting in meditation in the Lotus position.