The killer of Sinners, the one who takes care of the world; your arms are strong; you separate the heads from the bodies of the sinners, Victory be to you oh Chandi, the radiant one.
Sri Bala Sandhur Vaach..
Listen to the history, Sri Guru Angad Dev ji. The Home of Joy, Guru Nanak Dev ji, walked slowly. We arrived at the Mela of Sri Ganga ji in Haridwar. It was the Kumbh Mela. There was a great crowd there. East, west and north; many people came from all around. They all came to bathe, regarding it as a special day. The people could not be counted. The Master set up his Dhera there. The Omniscient One saw the great crowd and noticed that their hearts were impure. Nobody made their hearts clean or tried to make them still from their desires. The night passed and the morning came. Everyone went to bathe at the Ganga in a good place. Many Lakhs were there. They did not have Prema Bhagti in their hearts. They offered water to the Sun. Their minds were not still, even for a second. Their minds were wandering. Guru ji came among these people and bathed in the Ganga. Guru ji faced west and filled his fist with water. He began to throw the water towards the west for a long time. He stood in the middle of the Ganga as he did this. People saw this and were surprised. They said to each other: “who is this? Is he a Hindu or a Turk? We can’t tell what his tradition is.” They all thought like this in their hearts. They came to Guru ji and said: “are you a Hindu or a Turk? Tell us the truth. Don’t hide it. If you are a Turk, then why did you come to the Ganga? You came to take a bath with the Hindus. If you are a Hindu then why did you face the west to give the water? What were you thinking? Who are you giving water to towards the west? Why are you doing this unorthodox thing?” The Compassionate One spoke: “why are you giving water towards the east? Who are you giving it to and who is receiving it? First tell me this.” The people spoke: “we are giving it to our Pittars (ancestors). They take the water and are satiated the whole day. We receive joy in this way.” Sri Guru ji said: “how far are your Pittars, whom you give water to? You say they receive the water and are satiated.” The wise ones spoke: “they are many thousands of Jozens away. We don’t really know.” Sri Guru ji heard this and started to throw more water towards the west. He filled both of his fists with water and threw it towards the west. The people were surprised and asked: “you didn’t tell us about what you are doing. Are you Hindu or Turk? What caste are you? To whom are you giving the water to, to satiate?” Guru ji, the Flag of the Bedis, heard this and said: “when I came to the Ganga to bathe, I had planted seeds in my field but I didn’t water them. There is no one at home. I am watering my fields from here. I don’t want my fields to dry out. I want to hydrate them so I am sending water to my fields. My fields are on hills. The rain water comes down and my fields dry out.” The people listening to Guru ji thought he was crazy and said: “you are wasting your time. The water can’t reach your fields from here. Your fields are far away. You are here. How would the water reach your fields? Your fields won’t become green. You are unwise.” Guru ji spoke: “you have forgotten the Sri Parmeshwar. Your minds wander without Prema Bhagti. You are in doubt. My field is nearby. You say the water does not reach there. Your Pittars are way further away. How will your water reach them and satiate them? You call me unwise. How do you justify that? I think you are unwise.” After saying this, the Master of the Universe went quiet. Guru ji sat near the shore of the Ganga. Many people were bathing there. They sat at the shores after and sat in meditation.
Many started to do their Sandhya. They sprinkled sandalwood essences. Some sat quietly, holding a Mala in their hands. Sri Guru ji knew what everyone was thinking in their hearts. He knew who was really doing Simran. Guru ji spoke for all to hear: “look at all these Hindus who are going to Hell. The Jumms will come and beat them.” The people who were sitting said: “we are chanting the name of Hari. Why would we go to Hell? You already did a backwards tradition and now you speak nonsense again, being fearless.” To put these people on the right track, the Flag of the Bedis spoke: “if you are focused on the Naam, why would you go to Hell? You are showing a façade holding the Mala because your minds are not still. You are showing off to people, day and night. You are sitting and showing a façade. (Guru ji pointed to one person) You over there! You are holding a Mala but your mind is in Multan. (Pointing to another) You over there! You are in Kabul. Tell me the truth. (Pointing to another one) Hey you, you are in Indraprastha. You are thinking of profit and loss, being here.” Guru ji told everyone where their minds were. Sri Guru ji revealed everyone’s thoughts to them. Everyone heard the words of Guru ji and were shocked. They figured out that it was Parmeshwar who had come to give Mukti. They folded their hands and became humble. They bowed to Guru ji’s Lotus feet. They said: “we made a mistake. Please forgive our mistakes. We didn’t know your glory. We now know that you are the Giver of Mukti.” Everyone let their Malas go. The ones that were doing the Pooja of the Thakurs also stopped. They all came to Guru ji and bowed to him with their hands folded. They said: “please make us your Sikhs. Give us your Charan Pahul and destroy our sins. Show us forgotten people the righteous path. You are the Great Being, the Giver of Mukti. You are our Guru from now on.” In this way, everyone bowed to Guru ji.
Sri Guru ji said: “listen all, how can I make you my Sikhs? Your minds are impure. Make someone else your Guru. You thought I was crazy.” The people said: “we won’t leave you now. You are trying to leave us.” They people grabbed Guru ji’s feet. Guru ji then spoke sweet words to give them Santokh. They all sat down. The people prepared food. Everyone said to Guru ji: “please be compassionate and eat our food. Please make our lives a success.” Guru ji said: “I won’t eat with you. I won’t go with you.” They all said: “for the sake of Sri Kartaar, please get up and eat food.” Guru ji then agreed to go.
Where the kitchen was made, Guru ji came there. The people’s faith grew. The Kshatriyas and Brahmins took their clothes off (tied a Dhoti and only left the Janyow on) and sat in the Chownka. They washed their feet and marked the area. They had Guru ji sit there as well. When Guru ji sat, he said: “you made the Chownka bad. Why are you marking it? The Chownka of the inside is spoiled.” The Brahmins heard this and said: “we have prepared the food with purity. The Chownka was made with cow dung to purify it. We didn’t let anyone come close. We washed the wood along with the food. We did it all in front of you. How did the kitchen become spoiled? What did you see? We did it with purity and proper hygiene.” Sri Guru Nanak Dev ji spoke: “till you didn’t come, the Chownka was pure. When you came, you spoiled it. You have the low castes with you. They came and spoiled the Chownka.” The Brahmins said: “Sri Guru ji, we didn’t see anyone from the low castes here. Where are they? This was made with purity. Eat the food please. If you don’t want to eat then please tell us. Which low caste people do you see? Without telling us, we won’t believe you. We don’t understand your wisdom.” Guru ji heard this and said a Salok:
Sri Mukhvaak
Salok M:1..
Bad wisdom is the Miraashi woman; cruelty is the butcher-woman; slander of others in one's heart is the Choori (cleaning-woman), and anger is the Chandaal.
What good is the Kaari (ceremonial lines drawn around the kitchen), when these four are sitting with you?
(SGGS 91)
These 4 low caste ones have come into the Chownka by which it is now spoiled. These were all in your hearts. Make your mind the judge. Think about what I am saying.” The Brahmins said: “how can our Chownka become pure then? Tell us.” Guru ji, the Ocean of Compassion, saw their love and said:
Salok M:1
Make Truth and abstinence from desires your self-discipline, and make good deeds the lines you draw; make the Simran of the Name your bath.
O Nanak, those are high in the afterlife who do not walk in the ways of sin nor inspire others to sin. ||1||
(SGGS 91)
“If such a pure Chownka is established, it will never spoil. Take this wisdom and engrain it in your hearts. The impurity of your hearts will be washed away.” Hearing the words of Sri Guru Nanak Dev ji, the people checked their hearts and saw all of their faults. They wanted to improve themselves. They turned their minds from the vices and connected them to Guru ji’s feet with faith. They said to Guru ji: “please make us your Sikhs. We come to your shelter. Please protect our honour. As you wish, you can give us wisdom and save us. We don’t know of any other place by which we can be saved. You are the form of Parmeshwar. We will chant your Name from now on.” Guru ji saw the humility in the people and said: “whatever money you have with you, give it all away in the name of Parmeshwar. Then you can be my Sikhs and be in bliss.” Some of the people obeyed Guru ji at that time and donated all of their money. The Master blessed those people with the wisdom of Satnam. They were drenched in the colour of the Naam. Their minds were peaceful upon receiving the blessings. Those people were given Mukti during their end time. While they were alive, they were focused in the Naam. In this way, Guru ji made the people his Sikhs.
When night came, Sri Ganga ji took on a human form and came to do the Darshan of Sri Guru Nanak Dev ji. She held a golden plate in her hands. The plate was filled with diamonds and pearls. She offered the gift to Guru Nanak Dev ji and bowed to his feet. She then said: “in the time of Kaliyuga, the sins have grown. I can’t tolerate the sins anymore. The sinners come to bathe in my waters. I wash their sins and keep them. This gives me pain. Please do something that I am always in peace. You are benevolent and came to earth to save everyone. You took on a human body in the clan of the Bedis.” Guru ji heard the words of Ganga and spoke with compassion: “the ones who are beloved to the Parmeshwar, think of their feet, day and night. When you remember them, they will come and place their feet in your waters. As soon as they do that, the sins inside of you will be destroyed. As the month of Kathak comes, the sky becomes pure. You will be pure like that when the saints come to you. I’ll tell you the qualities of the saints. As the silver is mistaken for seashells by others, the saints see the world as a seashell, not as the attractive silver it is mistaken for. They are the same in sorrow and joy. Their hearts are soft and they are always generous. Desires and vices are destroyed from their hearts. They are in pain when they see others in pain. They are happy seeing others happy. They are coloured in the Simran of Hari. They are far from hatred, attachment and ego. When the feet of such saints touch your waters, the sins inside of you won’t take long to be washed away.” Sri Ganga ji heard this and touched the feet of Guru ji with her hands. As soon as she touched Guru ji’s feet, she became pure, like clothes being cleaned by soap. She spoke in joy: “please accept my gift. You are the Master of the humble.” Sri Guru ji said to her: “this wealth is of no use to me. Take this and give it to the poor.” Sri Ganga ji said: “please be compassionate and come to eat the Bhojan that I hold.” After saying that, she left.
Morning came. Sri Ganga ji held a great feast in her human form. Many types of foods were made. She had called all of the Devatas. They all came where the water was pure. Naarad ji came with Sri Brahma ji. Gauri and Shamboo Shiv came. Chander, Surya, Sanak and his 3 brothers came. Varun, Kuber, Sameer and Ganesh came. Inder and the other Devatas came. They all came at Ganga ji’s invitation. The Rikhis, Munis, Jattis and Sanyasis came. Tappis, Digambars and others came. The Devatas disguised as humans came. Sri Guru Nanak Dev ji came as well. Everyone met Sri Guru Nanak Dev ji and bowed to his Lotus feet. They knew the glory of Parmeshwar Sri Guru Nanak Dev ji. The Seva of the Bhoj was done by the Devatas. The preparation of the food was done by the Devatas. Sri Guru Nanak Dev ji took water in his hands and did the Seva of washing the people’s feet. He showed everyone humility. Guru ji washed the feet of the saints and Sadhoos that came to eat. In this way, everyone ate the food. Everyone was happy to see Sri Guru ji. Everyone bowed to the feet of Sri Guru ji and went home.
Sri Ganga ji then bowed and immersed back into her waters like an ice doll meting by the heat of the sun. The people that had attended, they said to each other: “who held this huge Bhoj?” Everyone was surprised as nobody knew who hosted the great feist. Guru ji stayed at the shores of Ganga for many days. He showed the people the way of Bhagti and had them practice it. He then travelled off from Haridwar. Saying his name made the pain run away.