Guru ji’s feet are like the lion. I have run to them and seek their protection. The Jumm is like the vulture, completely powerless in front of the lion.
Sri Bala Sandhur Vaach..
Listen to the Kath Sri Guru Angad Dev ji. This Katha fulfills all of the wishes. After giving hope to Raja Sudhar Sain, the Deep and Wise Satguru set forth on his travels. He travelled on the ocean like he travelled on land. The water didn’t touch his feet. He spoke as he walked. He loved to joke around with us. He made us laugh. We soon arrived to an island in the sea. Guru ji entered the island. About 6 km in, there was a beautiful city with strong walls. The Giver of Mukti sat just outside the city. He didn’t go into the city. We spent 3 days in the jungle. Bhai Mardana ji then said: “please give me permission to go into the city. I will see the city and come back, quickly.” Guru ji laughed and said: “Mardana is hungry.” Bhai Mardana ji said: “well, you don’t get hungry nor do you get thirsty. I get hungry. How can we be together? I stay with you, being stubborn. Let me go and find food.” Sri Guru ji said: “be content. Sri Kartar will satiate your hunger. Don’t make an effort and disturb your mind. Whatever is in your destiny, you will get it here.” Bhai Mardana ji said: “what is the name of this city?” Sri Guru ji said: “this city is called “Brahmpura.” The Raja of the city is a Brahmin. He rules the whole island.” Guru ji and Bhai Mardana ji were speaking. As they spoke, many fawns passed by. The fawns saw Guru ji and lifted their ears. They got scared and ran off. There were boars behind them. It was like Raho chasing the moon. The boars were black. Behind the boars were hunting dogs, running fast. Behind the dogs were hunters, holding nets. They had different types of hawks and other hunting birds. They had hunted many smaller birds. There were men on horses and behind them was the Raja. The Raja was radiant. Where the Light of the Bedis was sitting, the Raja came there and stood there. The Raja said to Bhai Mardana ji: “who are you, sitting in the jungle all alone?” Bhai Mardana ji was upset. He was hungry. He got angry when the Raja asked him. He said: “do you not have eyes? We are humans!” The name of the Raja was Madhurbain. He said: “are you Sadhoos?” Bhai Mardana ji spoke out of anger: “what do you see with your eyes? Of course we are Sadhoos.” Bhai Mardana ji looked with sharp eyes as he turned his head. He didn’t say anything again. Bhai Mardana ji was not happy. He sat with his head lowered. Listen Guru Angad Dev ji, Sri Guru Nanak Dev ji wasn’t saying anything. Bhai Mardana ji was angry out of hunger. I thought and then spoke: “we are from a land far away. We don’t know anybody here. We dress like saints and are looking around. We look for good and bad places.” Madhurbain thought to himself: “I have heard news from the other island about a Tappa named Guru Nanak Dev ji coming. He made Jhanda the Satguru. Sudhar Sain was given a boon for a bigger kingdom.” Madhurbain asked to confirm: “what is your name and where are you from? Where are you going? Whose dress do you wear?” I said: “my name is Bala. This is Sri Guru Nanak Dev ji, the Benevolent. This is Mardana. We are from Madhur Desh. We serve the Lotus feet of Sri Guru ji. We wish to be Mukat.” Madhurbain got happy to hear Guru ji’s name. He was sure that it was him. He got off his horse and folded his hands. He became humble and bowed to the Master of the Universe. He made a request full of love: “oh Mine of Virtues, come to my city. There are many beautiful houses there. Please set foot there and make the city pure. I will make food for you. Many fruits will be brought. Take the colourful clothes from me. Wear them and bless me. It is your wish what you want to do. I can bring everything here for you. Whatever you command, I will do.” Guru ji heard the king and then spoke:
Bilawal Mahala 1..
The Naam is the biggest treasure which gives everything..
Hunger and nakedness have been destroyed, the Naam made us its own..1..
Never leave the Naam. It is always with us..
Nobody is asked for the accounting, my beloved friend..1..Rahao..
the great food I have eaten by the grace of saints..
I drank the cold water of truth, it made my heart calm..2..
My clothes; that is to recognize the Brahm, with my body..
84 Lakh species, there is only One which is without end..3..
Nanak says, listen King, this whole universe is false..
Whatever you see will cease to exist; only the Ekankara will remain..4..
(Sri Nanak Parkash Granth)
The Raja heard this with humility. He folded his hands and said: “please give me wisdom. See me as deserving of Mukti.” The Raja bowed over and over again. He made many requests with his heart. The Lotus-faced saw the Raja as deserving of Mukti. He wanted to give him wisdom: “see the world as an illusion. It is a myth. Do the Simran of Satnam, all the time. Karmas, Dharma, Tapp and many types of Nems; these are all fruitless without the One Naam. Listen to the example: just as everything is fruitless without Naam, similarly it is like not writing the 1 on a piece of paper. You may love to write zeros. Nothing will be achieved with writing zeros. Everything is useless, getting the paper and getting the ink. The wise person came and wrote 1. After that, writing zeros are not fruitless. Once you write 1, each zero makes it grow by 10. The Naam is like the 1. The Tapps, Poojas, fasts, Japps, and other Karmas, these are like the zeros. The person will get rewards, ten times as much. That person will receive Mukti and not go to the Jumms. For this reason, the Naam is the supreme. Let go of everything and do the Simran. Listen Madhurbain, the Munn is like an animal which wanders for green grass. It lets go of its own place to find green grass. The Munn does the same thing. The fields of pleasures and vices, that is where the Munn runs to. The Guru’s Shabad is like the chain for the animal. Whoever used this chain, their Munn did not run away. They followed the Guru’s way. They went to Hari’s court, easily.” When the Raja heard this, he went into Samadhi. Prema Bhagti sprouted in his heart. His mind became attracted to the Sadhsangat. He said to Sri Guru ji: “please come to my city where there are many beautiful homes.”
Guru ji came into the city. A beautiful bed was laid out for Guru ji. Many beautiful sheets were laid out. Guru ji sat on the bed. The Raja had Guru ji stay there. He knew Guru ji was omnipotent. Guru ji started the tradition of Satsangat and destroyed the bad wisdom of his people. Prema Bhagti was spread in all of the hearts of the people. The whole Island did Simran of the Naam. Madhurbain let his ego go. He did the Seva of Satguru ji’s feet with love. He broke his bonds of attachment towards the world. Aatam Gyaan illuminated in his heart. He was blessed. He had a Dharmsala made. Langar was started there. Everyone came and ate Langer without fear.
After a few days, Sri Guru Nanak Dev ji said to the Raja: “stay under the command of Sudhar Sain. Go and give him some gifts and follow his rule.” Madhurbain said: “I will do as you say. I will obey your command. Who would disobey you? We will all go.” Guru ji said: “I need to go now. I wish to see other lands as well.” The Raja wanted to keep Guru ji and said: “Sri Prabhoo ji, see me as your servant. Recognize your Dharma, as you are the lover of your servants. Give us your Darshan for some more days. Bless us and stay here.” Guru ji agreed and stayed for a few more days. He then set forth and continued his travels.
Guru ji travelled on the ocean. Bhai Mardana ji and I travelled behind him. Satguru ji laughed and joked with us. We walked for 3 days and then reached a new place. It was a big island. It had many mountains. The place was called Devgandhaar where big Rakshishes lived. Guru ji saw a nice place near a mountain and sat down there. After about an hour and a half, Bhai Mardana ji spoke: “there are a lot of mountains on this island. Is there a village here or not? It seems scary everywhere I look. It just seems like a bunch of ruins and jungles.” Guru ji laughed and said: “your wish to always see cities. Wherever we go, you always ask about the city’s name. You never stay quiet.” Bhai Mardana ji said: “Sri Prabhoo ji, I am hungry. I haven’t eaten anything. It’s making me anxious. I haven’t eaten for 3 days. I asked you today. Please be afraid of the Lord. If I ask, you say that I always ask about the cities. I only get food in limited places. I am still travelling with you, being stubborn. You are making fun of me and taunting me now. How will I get along with you? I am anxious because of hunger. You keep laughing at me.” Sri Guru Angad Dev ji, listen oh Compassionate One; I laughed and said: “Guru ji, Mardana is speaking the truth. It's his birth right to keep speaking. Hunger makes him anxious. Why wouldn’t he ask about cities. How can he be patient?” Guru ji said: “listen Mardana, this city has people like Koda living here. The one that threw you in a hot cauldron, like that. Sri Kartaar saved you there. If you want to go, then go ahead. Sri Prabhoo ji will protect you.” Bhai Mardana ji said: “this city can burn. I will never go to see this city. My pranas were saved before. These people will catch me and eat me.” The complete Guru laughed and said: “you should go to this city. Without going, my task won’t be complete here. Go today.” Bhai Mardana ji said: “Prabhoo, listen to me. Looks like you are angry at me and that’s why you want me to go to the Rakshishes. They will eat me. I won’t survive then. You want me to go to the city. I don’t want to go. If you want me to die, then just kill me.” In this way, they all laughed and joked around. The Giver of Peace to saints, he spoke to us.
The king of the Rakshishes came out with his hunting party. He came out with the intention to hunt. He had his whole army of Rakshishes with him. He had 1.7 million Rakshishes with him. They were all very tall and wide. They were ugly and dark. It was like a black storm coming. Their teeth looked like white birds flying. Their nostrils and ear holes were deep like wells. Their eyes were red like blood. Their hairs were like metal wires. They wore malas of bones around their necks. The mountain near Sri Guru ji, a little away from there was a hill. Bhai Mardana ji got on top of the hill and saw the Rakshishes. He was afraid to death. He went pale and began to tremble. He couldn’t say anything. He thought to himself: “we are dead. We can’t be saved now. He signaled to Guru ji with his hands: “do something! The Rakshishes will eat us. I am going to die. I’m sure of that.” As the Rakshishes came closer, Bhai Mardana ji got even more scared. He couldn’t run anywhere. He couldn’t get up. We weren’t looking. Bhai Mardana ji wanted to see where to run. Guru ji saw that Bhai Mardana ji wanted to run. The Destroyer of Fear spoke: “Mardana, be patient and say the Name of Sri Prabhoo ji. Be fearless and watch the drama.” Guru ji went quiet after. The Raja of the Rakshishes saw us and was happy. He said to his army, who wished to be violent: “it has been a long time since we saw a good hunt. We haven’t had human in a long time. There are 3 humans near the mountain. Go and catch them. Make sure they don’t run away.” The Rakshishes heard this. 3 of them came to where the Light of the Bedis was sitting. When they came close to Guru ji, the foolish unwise Rakshishes became blind. They couldn’t find their way. They tripped around. Prabhoo ji saw them and laughed. When they went back, they were able to see a little.
The 3 Rakshishes went back and told their king: “when we came close to the humans, we couldn’t see anymore. We were shock to notice this.” The King of the Rakshishes got angry and said: “what happened to your eyes?” 3 others were sent in their place. They quickly ran towards us and also went blind. When they backed off, they could see again. They said to the king: “listen, we couldn’t see when we went close to them. We could see when we backed off. This is surprising. We don’t know what happened.” The Raja was surprised. In anger, he sent 3 others. The next 3 had the same experience. He did this 7 times in total. The Raja was surprised. He said to his minister: “what is this surprising thing? I don’t understand this. I sent them 7 times but they all had the same experience.” The minister said: “listen to me: one of them is powerful. If it be your command, I can go and test them.” The minister got permission and came. He made his mind pure. He didn’t have deception in his mind. He said in his mind: “Sant ji, I will do your Seva. I wish to see you. I have faith in my heart.” He folded his hands and came. He came to the Master of the Universe. The minister had love in his heart and saw that it was Parmeshwar himself. He bowed and sat down. He spoke with respect: “what is your name and where are you from? It seems as though Sri Kartaar has come as a human. Where are you going?” The Master of the World said: “my name is Nanak Nirankari. I travel by my own wish. I am a Tyagi.” The minister bowed and went back to his king with love.
The minister said to the Raja: “the Kartaar has come to your land. Go to his sanctuary. You will be saved. Destroy the doubts of your mind. Don’t see yourself as the king. Go and meet him with love. Raja Devloot heard this and said: “humans are my food. I won’t go to his sanctuary. I can’t listen to you. I will see how he looks.” Devloot walked ahead. The other Rakshishes came ahead. It looked like a black mountain walking. When the Raja and the others came close, they all went blind. Only the minister could see. The others were tripping around. They bumped into things. The minister then said: “Raja, how are you? You aren’t walking straight. Listen to what I said.” The Raja got scared. He was embarrassed and said: “oh minister, I will do as you say. He is a complete saint. If he gives me his Darshan, I will go to his feet and seek his sanctuary. I will do his Seva with devotion. I will do Simran of his name.” the Raja became humble. The minister saw the Raja’s pure soul. The minister folded his hands and said to Guru ji: “you are the complete being. You are indestructible. You cut the bonds of Jumms and give Mukti. You are the saint that gives peace. The Raja has faith now. Bless the Raja now and give him your Darshan.” Guru ji heard the pure-hearted minister and spoke: “oh Bhoopat, open your eyes. Look at me. I am sitting next to you.” When Devloot heard Guru ji’s voice, he could see again. When he saw the Lotus-body of Guru ji, he bowed to Guru ji’s feet with love. He saw Guru ji as omnipotent. He sat down and said: “I made a mistake. I disrespected you. Please forgive me. Come to my city and stay there. The Rakshishes are all your servants.” They became humble and brought Guru ji to the city. There was a beautiful home in the middle. Guru ji stayed there. The Rakshishes served Guru ji and bowed to him over and over again.