Bhai Gangoo Naoo, Bhai Sehgala, Bhai Rama, Bhai Dharma and Bhai Udho ji all come to the feet of Guru Arjan Dev ji. They stayed with Guru ji and became his Sikhs. One day they said to Guru ji: “There are Vedas, Munis and Avatars. Thousands of scholars. All say that Brahm is without an end. They tried to find the end but they couldn’t. It is said that Brahm is Sat, Chit and Anand. It is also said that Guru Nanak Dev ji was the Avatar of that Brahm. He was the Avatar of Akaal Purakh, the form of Brahm. Since he was Brahm, wouldn’t he know his own ending? He must have known of his own boundary.” Guru Arjan Dev ji heard their words and said to them: “if there was a beginning to Akaal Purakh, only then there would have been an end. If there was a beginning or end to Akaal Purakh, Guru Nanak Dev ji would have stated it. Just as the Vedas are the breaths of Narayan; Brahm has been discussed in the Vedas. Madhusudan is the form of Brahm. It was from the Nirgun (formless) that the Sargun was born. Nirgun has no end and therefore neither does the Sargun; who is Guru Nanak Dev ji. The Vedas describe Akaal Purakh as without end. If there was an end, it would have been spoken or written about. Don’t doubt this. See the Brahm residing in all of creation. It is like space being everywhere. Love other Sikhs and chant the name Vahiguru. Don’t hate anyone as Brahm is in everyone. You will be saved in this way. You will break the cycle of birth and death.” The five heard Guru ji’s words and started to do Simran from that day onwards. They served Guru ji, the Bhagwant. They received the highest status when they died.
Bhai Phirna, Bhai Soodar, Bhai Bholoo, Bhai Jatoo and Bhai Bhatoo; all were from the Brahmin caste of Tiwari. They came to Guru Arjan Dev ji. They bowed to Guru ji and came to his sanctuary. They said to Guru ji: “Guru ji, you are the saviour of the weak and poor; we went to the Ganga to bathe. We met our Brahmin people there who started a discussion: “there are many Avatars, Devatas, Siddhas and other Sadhoos who have had thousands of Avatars. They can’t be counted. Parmeshwar had countless Avatars. All of the Avatars had a Guru. Sri Guru Nanak Dev ji was a big Avatar who started a new Panth. Who was his Guru? Who gave him his wisdom? All of the Avatars had a Guru.” When they said this to us, we said to them: “we don’t know who was Guru Nanak Dev ji’s Guru. We will ask Guru Arjan Dev ji, who made Sikhi grow. We will tell you after asking him.” Guru Arjan Dev ji responded: “Sri Guru Nanak Dev ji’s Guru was the Ikankaar, Akaal Purakh. Devatas, humans and others cannot understand Akaal Purakh. That was his Guru. If you consider the body, though, then the Guru of Guru Nanak Dev ji in body form was Guru Angad Dev ji. He bowed to Guru Angad Dev ji by placing a coconut and 5 Paisas in front of him. He is his body-Guru.” The Brahmins heard this and were in doubt. They said: “a Guru gives wisdom. What wisdom did he give to Guru Nanak Dev ji? “Gu” means darkness and “Ru” means illumination = one who eliminates darkness. Sri Guru Nanak Dev ji was the light that came from his own will. He was the light since birth who gave wisdom in his younger years. He broke many people’s egos as he was born with powers. If someone asks us “who was Guru ji’s Guru before he bowed to Guru Angad Dev ji, what should we say?” Guru Arjan Dev ji said: “I will tell you about Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva. The One Oankaar that created Maya and then used Maya to create the world by saying “I am One, I wish to be many,” three Devatas were born from Maya. Vishnu (Satogun), Brahma (Rajogun) and Shiva (Tamogun). Who was the Guru of these three?” The Tiwaris said: “Brahma and Shiva made Vishnu their Guru. Then Vishnu thought about who should be his Guru. Vishnu made Shiva his Guru. Shivji meditates upon Vishnu and Vishnu meditates upon Shiva. This caused Satogun and Tamogun to mix. The colour of Satogun is white and the colour of Tamogun is black. But because they meditate upon each other, Vishnu is black and Shiva is white. All three are mixed with each other because of this. They have their Guru’s colour in them.” Guru ji heard this and said: “when Vishnu made Shivji his Guru, Shivji became the form of Gyaan and so did Vishnu. Did they receive Gyaan before or after that?” The Tiwaris said: “Prabhoo Bhagavan is already the treasure of Gyaan. To start the Guru-Sikh tradition of the world, they started the tradition of taking on a Guru.” Guru ji said: “it is the same thing. Sri Guru Nanak Dev ji is the Guru of Gurus. He is made out of his own will and self-illuminating. When he came into a body, he took on Guru Angad Dev ji as his Guru. He lit his light inside of him. Don’t be in doubt. Have faith in Guru Nanak Dev ji. He is complete. Live the Dharma of Sikhi. You will be in joy in both worlds and win your vices.” The Tiwaris heard Guru ji’s words and their doubts were gone. The Brahmins did Seva in Guru ji’s feet. They become Gyanis and reached Mukti.
Bhai Dhalla, Bhai Bagheerath ji, Bhai Japoo ji, and Bhai Nivla ji came to the feet of Guru Arjan Dev ji. They folded their hands and bowed to them. They said to Guru ji: “please remove our doubts. Sri Guru Nanak Dev ji is the complete Avatar of Akaal Purakh ji. He was the Bhagat form of Kartar. What is his highest form of Upasana (Bhagti)? Is it Nirgun or Sargun that he sung of? What was he devoted to? Where was his faith? What did he tell his Sikhs?” Guru Arjan Dev ji heard this and gave them the good wisdom: “this is a fruitless doubt. Nirgun and Sargun would be two if there was a difference.
Sri Mukhvaak. Salok..
The formless (Nirgun) Lord; the one with form (Sargun); The Nirankaar; is in the primordial trance, the Sunn, and is himself the one (as both)..
Nanak says: through his own creation, he again, sees/knows/meditates on himself..1..
(SGGS 290)
Parbraham had a wish to develop a form and make many of himself. He then started the laws and traditions of nature. All of life was born then. Akaal Purakh comes as an Avatar and destroys the sinners in his creation. The saints are saved and are in joy. After the traditions are established, the saints are protected, Akaal Purakh has no more wishes and goes back into the formless form. Just as a king wishes to wear nice clothes and weapons; comes and sits in his court (Sargun form); after the wish is no longer there, the court is adjourned and the clothes and weapons are removed. The King then sleeps on his bed and nobody is allowed to see him (Nirgun form). If someone is in pain, the person comes to the palace of the king and says the king’s name out loud. They sing the king’s glories. The king listens to the person needing help, whether sleeping or in his court. Sri Guru Nanak Dev ji has started this path of doing Simran. Akaal Purakh comes to the rescue, hearing his name. The troubles are all taken away. The ones who do Simran of Satnam, they achieve Mukti. There is something bigger than the Upasana of Nirgun and Sargun. Do the Simran of Satnam day and night. Just as Ram Chander ji was omnipotent, he could have made everyone cross the ocean to go to Lanka. He could have dried the ocean with his words. He thought about how long we was going to be on Earth: “a few people will be saved, meeting me. If they do Simran of the Name, others will be saved too.” He threw rocks into the ocean after writing the name of Ram on them. The rocks floated because Parmeshwar’s name was on the rocks. It was the name of the Nirgun form. Nirgun is in all life. There is nothing other than the Sat, Chit and Anand. Parmeshwar is everywhere. Those people who do not do Simran of the Nirgun form, they go to Hell. Whoever does Simran of Satnam with love, their minds, wisdom and consciousness become pure. They achieve Mukti. They receive Aatam Gyan and break the bond of reincarnation. For this reason, the Name is greater than the Nirgun Parmeshwar. The Name is greater. Do Simran of it all the time.” When the Sikhs heard this, they said: “Hanuman flew over the ocean to go to Lanka. He crossed it with one jump. The rest of the Army took the support of the Name, on top of the rocks. Hanuman crossed the ocean with his own strength which made Ram Chander ji happy.” Guru ji said: “no, Hanuman did not use his own power. He did Simran of Ram. He took Ram Chander ji ‘s ring to Seeta ji. It had the name of Ram on the ring which helped him jump the ocean. It was the glory of the Name which did not cause any troubles for him. One can cross the ocean with the name of Ram (the one who resides in all). Brahmgyaanis cross this world in this way but there are only a few like these. The bridge of the Name is how one can cross this world. The ill and weak can use this bridge. They will all succeed. The strong will succeed. Slowly, the world can be crossed, easily. Bliss will come to them spontaneously. The person will no longer wish to experience the pleasures of the world. They will become Brahmgyaanis. They will conquer their desires. Do the Simran of Akaal Purakh. It is the easiest thing to do. The sinners, good, fool or wise, they will all cross if they do Bhagti. Do the Simran of Satnam and come to the sanctuary of the Sangat.” The Sikhs heard this and stayed with Guru ji. They were in bliss. They listened to Katha and Kirtan with a focused mind. They would do Simran of Hari in solitude. They did the Seva of Guru Arjan Dev ji and achieved Mukti when they died. The Seva of the Satguru is the root of joy and bliss. Only the fortunate ones can come across it.