The Lotus feet of the Satguru are the home of peace. Understand this. In the mind, in which the feet of the Satguru reside, the mind becomes still. They are blessed.
Sri Bala Sandhur Vaach..
Oh Home of Virtues, Sri Guru Angad Dev ji, listen to the Katha: Guru Nanak Dev ji travelled on from that place. We then arrived in Lahore. The Light of the Bedis sat near the city. There was a Baniya (merchant) named Dhunni Chand that lived there. He had heard about the glories of Guru Nanak Dev ji. Dhunni Chand was hosting the Sharaads for his ancestors. His father’s death anniversary was that same day and he had held a Sharaad in his honour. He heard of Guru Nanak Dev ji’s arrival and so he came forward to receive him. He bowed to Guru ji’s feet and spoke humbly: “see my love for you as you are the Complete Purakh. Come to my home and make it pure.” Seeing his deep love, the Compassionate One got up and walked with Dhunni Chand to his home.
The home of Dhunni Chand was beautiful. It was cleaned and Guru ji was seated. Dhunni Chand had food made for the Sharaads and invited the Brahmins for the feist. When he went close to Guru ji, the Light of the Bedis said: “for what reason have you held this great feast? You called a lot of people to eat. There is a great crowd in your home. Tell me about this.” Dhunni Chand folded his hands and said: “listen Prabhoo ji, oh Giver of Mukti: today is the day of my father’s death anniversary. I have held this Bhojan in his honour. I have invited all of the Brahmins of the city.” Guru Nanak Dev ji asked: “did this food reach your father?” Dhunni Chand said: “I don’t know if my father received this food or if he is hungry still. This is something you would know. I am a lowly being.” Guru ji said: “your father is hungry and in pain. He has been hungry for 3 days. He still sits hungry. This food did not reach him.” Hearing such words, Dhunni Chand became humble and asked: “where is he sitting, hungry? Tell me how he is and in which body is he in?” Guru ji said: “your father is a panther right now. He is about 5 Kos from here. He sits in bushes, hungry. He is crying. Take this food to your father now. Don’t get scared seeing your father. When your father sees you, he will change into a human.” Dhunni Chand was surprised to hear this.
Dhunni Chand filled a bowl of Kheer and went where Guru ji told him to go. He saw the place and saw a panther in the bushes. He bowed to his father’s reincarnated body from afar. When the panther saw Dhunni Chand, he quickly changed into a human body. Dhunni Chand placed the bowl in front of his father and said: “you were a Dharmatma (follower of the Dharma) in every way. Your mind was into doing good deeds, day and night. How did you become a panther? Tell me everything. You let go of the panther’s body and took on a human body. How did you do that?” The father of Dhunni Chand spoke: “listen son, I will tell you what happened to me. When I was going to die, a man was cooking a fish with masalas. I heard him sauteing the spices. I had the wish to eat fish at that time. I didn’t get the fish and I died. I died with that desire in my heart and therefore I was born according to my desire. The Complete Purakh has now come to your home. You did his holy Darshan and I did your Darshan; so, I was able to take on a human form. My good deeds have come to fruition and so I have received the highest status.” After saying that, the father of Dhunni Chand went to Heaven. Dhunni Chand heard all this and was surprised. He came back to his home.
Where Sri Guru Nanak Dev ji was sitting, Dhunni Chand bowed to Guru ji and praised him. He was filled with faith and devotion and said: “your Ishwar form is illuminating. You are omnipotent and the ocean of joy. You are the Lover of the Bhagats and the Compassionate Master. You are the friend of the humble. You are omniscient. Please tell me how I can do your Seva. You are beloved to the saints.” Guru ji was going to bless Dhunni Chand with wisdom: “take this pin that I have and protect it. I will take this pin from you in the afterlife. This is my Seva that I have given to you. I have no other wish from you.” Dhunni Chand heard this and took the pin. He went to his wife and said: “keep this pin. Make sure it is not lost. The Guru will take it from me in the afterlife. He said that he won’t take it anywhere else from us. Keep this in a safe place. I will give it to him when we go on ahead.” The wife heard this and said: “how will you take this with you into the afterlife? This body that is with you now, this doesn’t even go with you into the afterlife.” Dhunni Chand thought about his wife’s words and brought the pin back to Guru ji.
Dhunni Chand said to Guru ji: “this pin won’t go with me to the afterlife. I won’t be able to do this Seva for you.” The Master of the World thought that it was a good time to give him wisdom. Guru ji said: “the 7 Lakh Rajitpuns that you have collected, how will you take this with you to the afterlife? You have collected money with sins. You lied and cheated to gather the wealth. It won’t help you in the afterlife. In collecting the money, you wasted your whole life. Your wealth will stay here but your body will die. The sins you did will make you suffer. What will your money do for you? What benefit did it give you? If you were to donate it, then you would earn good karma.” Dhunni Chand heard this and said: “how can this money go with me? Please be compassionate and tell me. See me as your humble servant and give me wisdom.” Guru ji said: “listen with your focus: the person has 3 friends: wealth, family and karma. Just as friends and relatives love you, listen to how they stay with you. Till you have Pranas in the body, your money is your friend. When you die, other relatives take your money. The fraud and sins you do for the money, the money does not go with you. Your family is yours till your body is not cremated. They break the grass and come home after your pyre burns. They can’t be with you for support after you die. You spend your life loving them but they cry a false cry. The third friend is Karma. This is the friend that stays with you. They go with you. Whatever good and bad karma you did, they go with you. They give you the results. They don’t ever leave you. Think about all this. The money you have collected, do good deeds with it. It will help you in your afterlife. Donate the money to a good place. Do the Simran of Satnam with focus. Meet the Satsangat. Let go of your bad deeds.” Hearing Guru ji’s words, Dhunni Chand accepted the wisdom.
The money Dhunni Chand had gathered, he spent it on the Seva of saints. He had many feists to feed the saints. He made the saints happy with his Seva. He had many clothes sewed which he gave to the Sadhoo saints. He spent his time in the Satsangat. He did the Simran of Vahiguru Satnam all the time. He renounced the useless tasks of the home. He was blessed very quickly. He listened to the wisdom of Guru ji. Guru ji then took leave from Dhunni Chand in a great way.
Guru ji sensed that Bebe Nanaki ji was remembering him. He said to Bhai Mardana ji: “my sister is remembering me. Let’s go to Sultanpur and see how she is doing. Let’s make Bebe ji happy.” (He went to his sister after 12 years) In an instant he came to Sultanpur. When he entered his sister’s home, Bebe Nanaki ji got up with joy. She ran and bowed to Guru ji’s feet. Tears shed from her eyes. Guru ji hugged her head and said: “you are older than me. You are not to bow to me.” Guru ji sat on a bed. Bhaiya Jai Ram ji came. He was happy to have Guru ji’s Darshan. They both bowed to each other and sat down with love. They asked how each other were. Bhaiya Jai Ram ji said: “you have come after many years.” Bebe Nanaki ji began to cry and said: “it seems as though you have forgotten us from your heart. We are only happy with your Darshan.” Bhaiya Jai Ram ji folded his hands and said: “please be compassionate and stay home. Stay here and do the Simran of Gobind. Give us bliss.” Baba Sri Chand ji came inside the home. He bowed to his father with joy. He was a teenager at that time. He sat next to everyone. Guru ji said: “to see the other lands, it is my duty. I can’t stay home. When you think of me, I will come to you in the blink of an eye. I won’t delay.” He gave them hope and stayed the night.
In the morning, he met everyone and continued his travels. Guru ji wanted to meet his mother and father. The Destroyer of Pain arrived in Talwandi. About 2 Kos away from Talwandi, where the thick shades were, Guru ji saw a beautiful place and sat there. There was a well there which was built by my father, Sri Chander Bhaan ji (It is now known as the “Bhai Bala da Khoo”). Guru ji sat near the well. After about an hour of sitting there, Bhai Mardana ji folded his hands and said: “tell me what is your command. Shall I go see my family? I don’t know if they are dead or alive. I have come home after many years. We haven’t come back since we left.” Guru ji heard this and laughed. He said with joy: “if your people die, what will complete for others? Don’t worry till I am here. Don’t be afraid of the Jumms. They will not come near your family. If you wish to see them, go and meet your family. If you go to my father, Pitha Kalu ji, don’t tell them that I am here. Meet your family and come back here. Don’t get attached to them and decide to stay home.” Bhai Mardana ji heard this and said: “what shall I take when I go home? I spent a long time away from home. How can I go home empty-handed?” Guru ji picked up two fistful of rocks and said: “take these rocks and tie them to your shirt. Don’t have any doubts. Open it when you get home. They will become what you wish for.” Bhai Mardana ji took the rocks and tied them to his shirt. He walked towards his home.
Bhai Mardana ji met his family. He met his sons, Bhai Razada ji and Bhai Shazada ji. When Bhai Mardana ji opened his shirt, he saw two lumps of gold. The whole family was happy to see this. Their poverty was destroyed for generations to come. The people of the city heard of this. They all said: “the companion of Sri Nanak ji, Mardana, has arrived! He travelled for many years and came to his home.” Hearing the news, both high and low caste came to see him. His home became crowded with the people of the neighbourhood. They all came to meet Bhai Mardana ji and asked how he was. People talked: “Mardana was with Sri Nanak ji. He has become calm as well now, just like Guru Nanak Dev ji is. He has become a saint now. He is pure-hearted. He speaks sweetly with everyone. He respects everyone in a great way.” Bhai Mardana ji spent just under an hour at home. He met his family and became happy. The other people that came to see him, he met them all with love.