Sri Guru ji’s feet are like the Garud. They cut the snake-like bonds of the world. The ones who go to their shelter, they are freed from the bonds of the world and receive Mukti.
Sri Bala Sandhur Vaach..
Listen Guru Angad Dev ji, oh Giver of Mukti, listen to the beautiful katha of Guru ji. Raja Devloot called his servants and had 7 Rakshishes sent to the jungle. He had them fetch sweet fruits from the gardens. Other foods like flour and lentils were called for. Everything was placed in front of Guru ji. The Raja folded his hands and said: “please cook your food and eat, Sant ji. Make what you wish and eat it. Fulfill our wish to eat the food.” Sri Guru ji said: “if you follow my wisdom, then I will accept your offerings and eat the food. I won’t eat your food if you don’t accept this. You kill other life forms.” Devloot said: “Sri Prabhoo ji, I will obey your command. I will live by your guidelines. What wisdom you give, I will do as you say.” Guru ji saw the Raja as humble. Guru ji spoke to destroy the bad wisdom: “first let go of eating flesh. You kill other life forms for your life. Do the Simran and be in joy forever. The Naam will assist you in both worlds. A long time ago, among your kind, was a Bhagat named Prahlad ji. He did the Simran of the Naam. He was protected in both worlds. His Katha continues to be said today. His father was Haranakash, who gave him pain. Prahlad ji still did not give up the Name of the Prabhoo. He did the Bhagti of Prabhoo with determination and focus. You should do the same. Look at another one of your kind; Bibheekhan ji’s Katha is said till today as well. His brother was Raavan. Ram Chandar ji killed Raavan and Bibheekhan was praised. Bibheekhan was Ram Chander ji’s Bhagat. He was given the kingdom of Lanka and made immortal. Look at those great beings. You should do the same and become faithful. For some sins, you became Rakshishes. If you continue to sin, now, you will go to Hell and be in extreme pain. Nobody will be able to help you then. Let go of your Tamsik ways and do the Bhagti of Kartaar, which gives peace.” Devloot discarded his ego and said: “I am in your command. I won’t waiver. Doing your Darshan, my wish to do sins was destroyed. Hearing your wisdom, I wish to do Simran. Your feet are where my love resides now. I am fortunate today.”
Listen Guru Angad Dev ji, Guru ji said to me: “get the food ready.” I prepared the food. The form of Kartaar ate the food. The Raja of the Rakshishes sat down with his minister. He was drenched in love. Guru ji ate half of his food and gave the rest to Devloot and the minister. They both obeyed and ate the food of Guru ji. As soon as they ate the food, the doors of their 5 Koshes opened. The door of doubt, that was closed for a long time, burst open. They became deserving of Mukti. The minister and the Raja stayed with Guru ji for a few days. The tradition of Sikhi was started there. The Rakshishes were all made to do Simran of the Naam. They stopped eating flesh and the killing of other life forms. They started to sit in Satsangat, the garden of joy. When Guru ji got ready to leave, the Flag of the Bedis said: “Sudhar Sain, the great king, Devloot, go to his shelter and follow his rule. Don’t be violent. Do the Simran of the Guru. The pain will be destroyed.” Devloot said: “the soil on your feet is greater than me. I do not have power to eat a piece of grass anymore. Listen to me Sri Guru ji, I will obey your command with my head. Sudhar Sain is now my master.”
The Rakshishes all got together when Guru ji was leaving. They all bowed to Guru ji’s feet. They all said: “Dhan Sri Guru Nanak Dev Sahib ji.” They did Guru ji’s Simran. Guru ji, the Mine of Virtues, left that place.
Sometimes we travelled on water and sometimes on land. Guru ji walked in the same way on water as he did on land. We soon reached a thick jungle. The jungle was filled with flowers and fruits. It was a really big jungle. Guru ji arrived there and saw groups of Banmaanas (ape-like humans). They had long hairs and stayed naked. They were black and scary looking. Their mentality was like animals. When Bhai Mardana ji saw them, he got scared and said: “what problems are these walking around in the jungle? I am scared seeing them.” Guru ji, the moon-faced One, spoke: “they are Banmaanases. Why are you scared?” When the Banmaanases saw us, they got scared and ran away. Only one stayed. I spoke to that one: “who are you and what is your story?” The Banmaanas yelled out like an animal. I didn’t understand anything. I then asked Guru ji: “why does he not speak in words? They look like us. They look like humans but ran away, seeing us.” Sri Guru ji said: “that is how they speak. They don’t speak like humans. They are unwise like animals. Some are aware of themselves but most are not.” The one that stood, he went away to get sweet fruits for us. He was afraid of us. He left the fruits for us at a distance. He gave us a signal, indicating to us that the fruits he brought are for us and then ran away as well. He went to his people. Prabhoo ji picked up the fruits and said: “Mardana, eat this.” Bhai Mardana ji obeyed and ate the sweet fruit. When he was satiated, Guru ji blessed them and went on ahead.
We continued our travels. Sometimes walking on the ocean and sometimes walking through islands. After a few days of walking, Bhai Mardana ji got hungry and became anxious. We came across a dense jungle with many fruit trees. The leaves and fruits were beautiful. Guru ji went inside the dense tree lines. The trees were big. There was not a single bird though. There were no vultures, lions, panthers, deer, boar, rabbits or elephants. There was no other life form there. There was nothing all around. The Head of the Bedis found a nice shade and sat down. After an hour, Bhai Mardana ji said: “I am hungry and anxious. Please give me permission to eat these fruits. It’s been many days since I ate anything. I didn’t get food anywhere. This jungle has many fruits. The fruits look sweet and filled with juice.” Sri Guru Nanak Dev ji heard this and said: “stay here. This jungle is not good. Look how there’s nothing around. It’s empty. There is no animal nor bird. There is no human found here. Stay patient and sit near me.” Guru ji went quiet after. Bhai Mardana ji became angry and spoke harshly: “where food comes to my hand, you stop me from going near it. It seems like you hate me and want to kill me. How can I live in this world without eating? Oh Khuddah, where are you going to kill me? I will die without a shroud. I won’t get a grave either. I will stay laying here, dead on the ground. I was a Doom and I made a good living. I used to ask from my masters. I used to sit in my home in peace. I would meet my family and was happy. He (Guru ji) himself is ruined from his home and now has ruined me too. There are fruits on the trees near me. I can be satiated eating them. He doesn’t let me eat them. He thinks my hunger is like his. I can’t tolerate this deep hunger. He is always laughing at me. He doesn’t know how hungry I am. He doesn’t let me eat fruits.” In this way, he spoke harsh words in anger. Bhai Mardana ji went to the jungle and began to eat the sweet fruits without permission. He got angry and went far into the deep jungle.
As Bhai Mardana ji went into the jungle, there was a scary Daynt there. The Daynt had eaten many elephants and deer. The Daynt ate every animal within the 200 Kos. Its body was like a huge mountain. Its arms were many Kos long. It had horns in its head like khajoors (dates). Its nostrils were like deep caves. He was licking his lips as he was hungry. He saw Bhai Mardana ji and grabbed him like an insect. He threw him in his mouth. Bhai Mardana ji got scared and couldn't speak. He thought of Sri Guru Nanak Dev ji in his mind: "oh Complete Satguru, protect me! Just like you saved the elephant, save me too! I am a fool, oh Prabhoo. I spoke harshly because of attachment. Remember your promise and save me from this Daynt. Don't keep my harsh words in your heart. Forgive me and save me, oh Deenabandoo (friend of the weak). Protect my honour; you brought me with you. You are the master of the 3 Loks." Guru ji was omniscient. He knew what had happened. Guru ji protected him from the Daynts teeth. Bhai Mardana ji was swallowed as a whole. He landed in the Daynt's belly. He was saved from the teeth, like swallowing a grain in whole. He passed through the mouth.
Guru ji spoke to me: "Bala, stay here. The Daynt grabbed Mardana and swallowed him. I need to save him. Come there in a half an hour." Guru ji spoke to me and left. He went to the Rakshish to save his servant. He was the complete Guru. Guru ji stood in front of the Daynt. The Daynt thought: "I see another." He put Guru ji in his mouth as well. Guru ji came to the Daynt's belly and met Bhai Mardana ji. It was like a cave. Guru ji gave hope to Bhai Mardana ji: "be patient." Guru ji made his body big. The Daynt's body was about 2 kos. Guru ji made himself the same size. When the Daynt's body was about to burst, he made his body 1 Jozen big (4 kos). Guru ji made himself bigger as well. When the Rakshish felt pain, he grew to 2 Jozen. Guru ji kept growing to match him. The Daynt felt pain again and went to 9 Jozen. Prabhoo ji grew to the same size. Guru ji became as heavy and big as the Sumer Mountain. The Daynt became helpless and powerless. The Devatas stood in the sky to watch. They were yelling in disbelief. The Devatas thought that Guru ji had been eaten. They did not know Prabhoo ji's greatness either. The Daynt became anxious and lost the hope for his life. His eyes became red and burst. He fell backwards. It was like the Bindhyachal Parvat falling. He fell to the ground. The trees were squished. They became dust. His breath stopped. His Pranas left his body. The Devatas shouted Jaikaras and showered flowers onto Guru ji.
Guru ji took Bhai Mardana ji and came out of the body like Krishan came out of Panag along with the cow herders. The Daynt’s soul became a Devata. He had 4 arms and golden earrings. He wore yellow clothes. He was dark and beautiful. He bowed to Guru Nanak Dev ji and praised him: "oh Avatar of Kartaar, you came to Kaliyuga to make everyone do Simran of the Naam. You came to bless the sinners like me. You came to this world. You came to destroy the hypocrisy and show the righteous path. You will come in 10 Avatars. You will destroy the sinners and save the Hindu Dharma. You came as a Human to live in the world. The one who has faith in you, you will give them Mukti."
We were shocked to see what had happened. Guru ji knew what we were thinking. Guru ji said to the Daynt: "who are you? Tell us everything." The soul spoke: "my saviour Guru ji, when Raja Janak ji, the Mukat, was here, I was his cook and student. One day, Janak ji called saints to his home for food. I was commanded to make the food. I got hungry while cooking. I ate some food, without telling anyone. Raja ji found out that I ate before feeding the saints. He said: "you polluted the food by eating it first." The food was thrown into the river. I was considered a sinner. I made a big mistake. He cursed me: "you will be a huge Rakshish." I became humble and scared. I asked: "when will I be saved?" The raja said: "in Kaliyuga, Hari will come in the form of Guru Nanak Dev ji. He will make people do Simran of the Naam and save them. When you meet him, the curse will break." Now that I met you, the curse has been broken. The Rakshish body is gone." He said this and bowed. He went to Vaikunth then. Bhai Mardana ji heard this and bowed. He said: "you are the Master of the Universe. I did not know your greatness. You saved me from the big Rakshish. He was so big. He crushed many trees to dust. He was 9 Jozen. He was saved. Tell me how? He was a sinner. He killed many. Now he is saved." Guru ji spoke: "in his last birth, he served many saints. He did it for a long time. He now got the highest status. He is Mukat. His pain is gone. Doing the Seva of saints is never without fruit. Meeting saints and spending time with them, they are in peace in both worlds. The ones who do Simran, day and night, they kill their minds and receive Mukti. The glory of the Naam in Kaliyuga is as such. It is to sing the glory of Sri Prabhoo. The bonds of the world that give pain, there is no other solution for them other than serving the saints." Giving wisdom to us both, Guru ji set forth. Santokh Singh thinks of the Guru's feet and does their Simran.