Guru Angad Dev ji would speak the words and teachings of Guru Nanak Dev ji everyday. The Sikhs would recite and listen to Gurbani; in doing so, they would cross the world ocean. Guru Angad Dev ji would wake up at 2:30 am everyday. He would complete his bodily obligations and do his daattan (cleaning of teeth with meshwak) and then bathe with cold water. He would then sit in Bhagti and turn inwards, towards his mind, the blissful light of Akaal Purakh. He would go into nirvakalap Samadhi (where the conscience and Akaal Purakh are one). When the sun would rise, Guru ji’s lotus eyes would open. On whom his first sight would fall upon, their illness and pain would be gone. It would be an immediate response. If a person would be ill, they would come and sit in front of Guru Sahib, to catch his first sights. Lepers and other long-termly ill people would come. When Guru ji would look at those people, their pain would be gone. The knowledge of this was spread far and wide. As a result, many ill people would come and stand, waiting at Guru ji’s door. Guru Angad Dev ji would relieve them of their sickness and pain. The Sikhs would be cured and go home singing the glories of the Guru.
The Rababis would do Kirtan in Raags after Guru ji would open his eyes. Guru ji would sit in Sangat and listen to Kirtan with great love. He would be seated on his throne and Sikhs would come and visit him, and listen to Kirtan. The history of Guru Nanak Dev ji would constantly be spoken in Sangat. Guru Angad Dev ji would say the history of Guru Nanak Dev ji himself, with great enthusiasm. All of the miracles that Guru Nanak Dev ji had done, Bhai Balla ji would say them in Sangat. Other than Gurbani or the history of Guru Nanak Dev ji, no other worldly chatter or news would be talked about in the court of the Guru. There was no wish for anyone to talk about the world. Kirtan, Simran and Guru Nanak Dev ji’s history is all what everyone would want to talk about.
When Langar would be ready, the Langri would come into Sangat and inform everyone. “Guru ji, the Langar is ready,” would say, the Langri. Guru ji would perform the closings of the Sangat and head to the Langar along with the Sangat and the Langri. Baba Bhudda ji, Bhai Bhagirath ji and other Sikhs would all sit in the Pangat (lines of people sitting in the food hall) with all the other castes on the same, equal ground. Prince, King or Pauper would all sit on the ground. The dishes were made of heated clay. Leaves (usually Banana leaves) were also used as dishes to eat Langar. The people who wished to eat in a chaunka (eating in a traditional way, that was sectioned off for higher castes) would not come to Guru Sahib ji. Guru ji would sit with everyone and eat. The higher castes would not come for this purpose: that the lower castes would be sitting beside them while they ate. Guru ji would give everyone the same food. Kheer would be made by Mata Kheevi ji (wife of Guru Angad Dev ji). After Guru ji would eat, he would wash his hands. He would then call all of the children in the village to him. Guru ji was above happiness and sorrow. Guru ji would play with the children. The kids would be glad to play with Guru ji. Guru ji would play kabaddi and other high intensity games with them. He would also teach them to read and write the Gurmukhi lipi letters. They would all play till about 2 pm in the afternoon. After 2 pm, Guru ji would call the wrestlers to him, to wrestle. Many strong wrestlers would come and bow to Guru Sahib and then exercise and have wrestling matches. Guru ji would watch the matches and eagerly get them to compete. Guru ji wanted to make sure everyone was in good health. The news of this progressive nature of Guru ji: to empower the people’s knowledge and strength, spread far and wide. Many people heard of this and came to visit Guru ji. This would happen till evening and then Guru ji would come to the court and sit in Sangat. Just as Shivji would sit with the Munis and saints, that’s how it would look like when Guru ji would come sit in Sangat with the Sikhs. Kirtan would be sung in Raags and Simran would happen. The Sikhs would sit around Guru ji. The Rababis would sing Gurbani in various Raags. The Sikhs would listen and in doing so, the vices or their minds would die. Their jealously, greed, anger and desire would die. When it would be dark, the Divan would end and Guru Angad Dev ji would go into his room and immerse himself into the light of Akaal Purakh. He would sit in meditation. He would sit in Samadhi for 3 hours. At around 10 pm he would open his eyes and lay down on his bed to go to sleep. He would make the Sikhs recite Satnam. He would not let anyone talk about worldly affairs or money. The talk of worldly affairs, would not be done by the Sikhs, fearing him. Guru ji would stay in one state: no attachment, no enmity, no friend nor foe, no happiness nor sorrow; always in the same state of mind. He was always in bliss and serenity. Listening to the history of Guru Nanak Dev ji would make him really happy.
One day, Gorakh Nath, the leader of the Sidhs, had the pleasant thought of visiting the successor of Guru Nanak Dev ji. The Sidhs wanted to visit the one who was placed onto the throne of the Guruship by Guru Nanak Dev ji. Gorakh Nath along with the 84 Sidhs came to Khadoor Sahib to visit Guru Angad Dev ji. They wanted to see how the new Guru’s personality was. The elder Sidhs would discuss: “Guru Nanak Dev ji was very powerful and was the complete form of Akaal Purakh. Guru ji achieved victory everywhere he went. No peer or mir (high status/royal person) could stand his power. They all bowed to his feet. Makkah and Medina bowed to him.” Having these discussions, the Sidhs came to Khadoor Sahib. They had the power of appearing at places at their will. Gorakh, Bharthri and Charpat along with Gopi Chand, Esher Nath, Praan Nath, Mangal Nath, all came to test the new Guru. They wanted to see if Guru Angad Dev ji was the same as Guru Nanak Dev ji. As soon as they saw Guru ji, their doubts were all gone. Guru Angad Dev ji was sitting on his throne when Gorakh Nath and the Sidhs appeared. All the Sidhs came in front of Guru ji and said “Aadesh, Aadesh” (greeting of the Sidhs). The Guru knew what was in the hearts of the Sidhs. Guru ji had the Sidhs seated with great respect. Gorakh Nath and the Sidhs were very happy to see Guru ji. They began to speak: “Guru ji, in this Kaliyuga Ashtanga Yoga is necessary. Without Yoga, the soul is not purified. The Saints of Satyuga till now, all have done yoga in order to achieve the knowledge of the Braham. You are the Avatar in Kaliyuga and seated on the throne of Guru Nanak Dev ji, you should follow the path that other saintly beings have followed. There is no yoga practised in your teachings. Without yoga, how else will the Sikhs be saved? Without yoga, Siddhi is not achieved nor is mukti achieved. Without yoga, one cannot have the knowledge of the self (Bigyaan). Gyanis, Saints and great beings of the past, all have practised yoga and reached salvation.” When Guru Angad Dev ji heard Gorakh Nath, Guru ji spoke: “Nath ji, your way is good but there is no time for yoga in Kaliyuga. This was good for the previous yugas. The way of Guru Nanak Dev ji is Bhagti Yog, not the kasht yoga (strict yoga). Bhagti yog is with love: to still the mind and sing the glories of Akaal Purakh. You say that kasht yoga gives one Siddhis (powers), the Bhagat yogas have siddhis standing at their door. To know the self, kasht yoga is not needed, Bhagti yoga will give you everything. It will give you peace. Your yoga is dependent on the name of Akaal Purakh as well. You recite the Name of Akaal Purakh in your yoga practices. There is no yoga without the Name. The true Name: Satnam, is what we recite with love and are in love with. We connect to the Name and become one with it. That is all that is required for yoga. You do yoga to control your body and perform even stricter yoga to control your mind; then, your mind is still. Your students, and you, then connect with the Siddhis (powers) and think there is nothing past these powers. You then do practices to increase your age and get caught into this trap to stay in your body. This is nothing but showing off of your powers to have people worship you and grow your following. This feeds your ego. You get stuck into the unaatam (the unconscious world) and do not pursue the Brahmaatam (the collective conscious) any longer. Your conscious does not reach the Parmaatam (Akaal Purakh). You stay indulged in the yoga and do not reach the bliss of the aatma (soul). Sri Guru Nanak Dev ji has told us about yoga, I will tell you what he said about the true yoga:
Sri Mukhvaak (holy words of the True Guru) Soohi Mahalla 1, Ghar 7 (Raag Soohi Nanak I, sung in the 7th house)
Akaal Purakh Vahiguru is one, Sat (infinite existence), Chetan (conscious), Anand (bliss), Saroop (form), the one that creates, sustains and destroys, and prevalent in conscious, subconscious and unconscious, is only attained by the grace of the Satguru.
Yoga is not attained by physical practice; nor by donning clothes of yogis, nor by carrying the stick of yogas, nor by rubbing ash on the body. Yoga is not achieved by wearing earrings or shaving your head. Yoga is not achieved by playing the singhi (instrument) of yogis. Only by staying unindulged by the maya of the world, while living in the dark world, can one attain to the true ways of yoga. Yoga is not achieved by speech. By seeing the universe as one, high and low, good and bad seen as the same, that is the true yogi. Yoga is not in the cemetery, sitting in mediation, travelling to holy sites, bathing in holy rivers. Only by staying unindulged by the maya of the world, while living in the dark world, can one attain to the true ways of yoga. By meeting the True Guru, the doubts are broken; the wandering mind is then still. Then, one is able to tolerate the difficult rivers of the world. The mind is still in the ultimate sound of the Brahm. Only by staying unindulged by the maya of the world, while living in the dark world, can one attain to the true ways of yoga. Says Nanak, the person is alive but the ego is dead, this is how yoga is achieved. The singhi is played without friction by itself, inside your soul and one achieves the state of fearlessness. Only by staying unindulged by the maya of the world, while living in the world, can one attain to the true ways of yoga. (SGGS 730)
Listen Nath ji, this is our yoga. This is how Parmatma is reached and the person comes out of the cycle of birth and death. This is how saints achieve their goal. The saints follow Sahij yoga. Come out of this doubt that your yoga is supreme and the only way to reach salvation.
Sri Mukhvaak Salok Mahalla 2 (holy words of the true Guru, Salok, Nanak II)
The Guru gives wisdom of Brahmgyaan: sing the glories of Akaal Purakh. The Brahm exists everywhere in the universe from the smallest to the greatest. How can we give wisdom to the person; whose Guru is Gur Nanak Dev ji. (SGGS 150)”
The Sidhs were very happy to hear Guru Angad Dev ji. They said: “Guru Angad Dev ji, you and Guru Nanak Dev ji are the same. Both are great. Guru Nanak Dev ji saw you as the eligible one and made you sit on his throne. You are the true heir. The Sikhs will be saved by you.” The Sidhs bowed to Guru ji and left. The Sidhs talked amongst themselves: “the Guru is great. Akaal Purakh came as Guru Nanak Dev ji and saved many people in Kaliyuga. Guru Angad Dev ji is the right person who gave us the best answers.”
Guru Angad Dev ji sits amongst his Sikhs and spends time with them. This is how Guru ji spends his days. His glories spread far and wide. The Emperor of Delhi was Humayun, the son of Babar. Humayun was sick as a child and Babar had prayed to take on his illness and thus Humayun was saved. There were 2 Pathaan brothers who had a conflict with Humayun. The Pathaans were first Humayun’s employees but then rebelled. They were great warriors and great politicians. One was Sulaym Shah and the other was Sher Shah Soori. They had become egotistical and decided to gather the Pathaans from Prayaag and took over the fort of Allahabad. They prepared to fight a battle with Delhi. When Humayun found out, he mobilized his army to attack Sher Shah. He thought his army was big and that the Pathaans could easily be won. He thought it would be a quick battle. He reached Allahabad and the battle started. The instruments of war sounded and the two brothers came into the battlefield themselves. They tied their death robes onto their heads and had no plan to leave the battlefield until they won or they died. It was a fierce battle. They killed many Mughals and washed their swords with the blood of the Mughals. The battle was a wide one, spanning many miles. As the battle raged on, the land of Prayaag became red. The Emperor’s army retreated. This was a shock to the Emperor. The Pathaans were too strong. The Pathaans kept advancing, the Mughals ran away. Humayun had to come back to Delhi but Sher Shah reached Delhi. Humayun left Delhi and ran away to Punjab. The Pathaans took over Delhi and conquered the throne and sent news around the land: the Pathaans are the rulers now. The army of the Mughals disassembled. Humayun asked his advisors: “my father was blessed by Guru Nanak Dev ji for seven generations of rule. Is there an heir to his throne? I would like to meet him and tell him that my father was blessed by Guru Nanak Dev ji for 7 generations of rule. This is no longer true. I need to ask the person who is on Guru Nanak Dev ji’s throne why this happened. Find out where he lives.” The vizier then responded: “right now, Guru Angad Dev ji is the heir to the Guruship and on Guru Nanak Dev ji’s throne. He is a great being; he knows the deep knowledge. He is the master of the world. We need to go to him with our desire. You have thought of a great thing. We will need to ask the person from whom this blessing was received.”
Humayun then came to Khadoor Sahib. He went to where Guru Angad Dev ji was. Guru ji was wrestling with the kids. He was above happiness and sorrow. Humayun came and bowed to Guru ji and stood in front of him. Guru ji did not look towards Humayun and was paying attention to the kids. Guru ji was the knower of all of the hearts. After about 40 minutes, the Emperor was enraged with anger. He thought to himself: “the Guru has not even looked towards me. He does not consider that I am the Emperor. I have been standing for almost 40 minutes and he did not care that I am the Emperor. So what if my kingdom has been taken away, I am still an emperor. Looks like the Guru has not respected me because I no longer have the kingdom. I should kill him.” Humayun grabbed the hilt of his sword and prepared to kill the Guru with one stroke. As he tried to pull his sword out, the sword was stuck. His hand was also stuck to the hilt of the sword. He tried to separate his hand from his sword with all his might, but was unsuccessful. His hand was useless. He thought to himself: “I have done something very wrong.” He got scared and realized he had done a great sin. Guru ji then looked towards the Emperor and said: “you could not take your sword out for Sher Shah and fight him. You came to strike saints instead. You ran away like a coward from the battlefield and wish to show your courage to me?” Humayun then fell to the Guru’s feet and said: “please forgive me Guru ji. I am a fool and a sinner. Guru Nanak ji was one with Khuddah. He blessed my father for 7 generations of rule and I have lost the kingdom. I wanted to know how it only lasted till the second generation. You are the same light as Guru Nanak Dev ji. I would like to know what happened.” Guru Angad Dev ji listened to Humayun’s words and said: “Humayun, you made some wrong decisions, for that reason you were insulted on the battlefield and lost your kingdom. If you had not tried to pick up your sword on me, you would have been given back your kingdom right away. You would have been blessed right away. Right now, go to Kabul and come back after 12 years, then I will give you back your kingdom. You will be wasting your time trying to get your kingdom back if you stay here.” Humayun bowed and then went to Kabul. He then gathered an army of Mughals there and then attacked Delhi after 12 years. He took the kingdom from Sher Shah Soori’s children and killed all the Khans of Delhi. The Satguru gave the kingdom back to Humayun in this way. Humayun ruled for 6 months and then died. His son Akbar, then became the Emperor for 50 years. The Satguru is above attachment and hatred. He completes everyone’s wishes who comes to the Guru with faith and devotion.