The Life of Guru Nanak

II

It was in the Indian month of Baisakh¹ – April / May – that a first son was born to Mata Tripta and Mehta Kalu – the latter, an accountant of the village of Talwandi. The boy was named Nanak after His sister, Nanaki. He at once became His father’s pride; a son who would fulfil his cherished hopes and attain greatness in the world. Then astonishing reports came about the infant and Mehta Kalu’s heart was all the more gladdened. The mid-wife spoke of voices that seemed to sing from within a heavenly music announcing the child’s birth, and then, not with tears did He enter the world but with a composed smile and the laughter of a wise man. When the family astrologer, Hardial, appeared, yet greater omens manifested. Hardial saw the child wrapped in a great halo of Light and prostrated himself at what he saw. He had no need of consulting his books to foretell the child’s destiny: He would become a king among kings – the bearer of the Divine Treasure.

As He became a little older, Nanak continued to show unusual signs. From His first years, He was gripped by an Inner Power: the mystery of life and death had taken possession of His heart and left Him without rest. To the consternation of His parents, He spent many a sleepless night in silent prayer to uncover life’s hidden meaning.

One stormy summer night as He sat in prayer, His mother entreated Him to take some rest.

My child, it is dark and late. Other boys your age are comfortably resting. You should also come in now to sleep.

Her words were interrupted by the call of the cuckoo bird² and Nanak replied:

Mother, my rival is awake. How then can I sleep?

Like one drawn by some mysterious force, He rarely sought the companionship of His peers or passed His time in idle amusements. Rather He was wont to spend the hours enwrapped in the depths of meditation or sitting quietly, reposed in the silence of nature. His innate love of solitude was put aside for little save the company of the Holy. And whatever His parents gave Him, He would give to the poor or to wandering yogis and sadhus.

At an early age, He had won the hearts of nearly all by His strong religious inclinations; but to His own family, He became a cause of grave discomfort. When he saw his son taking no interest in worldly affairs, Mehta Kalu lost faith in the auspicious signs of His birth. Time and again, he would try to break Nanak of His unworldly habits, but even in His youth, Nanak’s saintly determination was unshakable.

At the age of five, Nanak was sent to school. He exhibited a remarkable precocity and seemed to know the ancient languages and texts as though they were already a part of Him. Yet His behaviour aroused curiosity from His teacher; Nanak would often sit quietly, as though withdrawn from the outside commotions, and when His attention returned to outer consciousness, a radiant joy shone from His face. Or at other times, amid the commotions of His playmates, the child Saint would stand apart; silently and with a deep sense of compassion, His eyes brimmed with tears as He reflected on the sufferings which men unknowingly brought upon themselves. And yet with His profound sense of independence and detachment, Nanak as a child – and throughout His life – was free from the severe, almost inhumane, qualities of one of rigid dogma or asceticism: He was cheerful and overflowed with Love and respect for life.

During His studies, His class was given the alphabet to learn. All others quickly jotted down the letters, but Nanak, without looking up, continued writing diligently. Wondering what Nanak was doing, the teacher walked over to inspect His work. It is said the amazement filled the teacher’s eyes and he could not help but bow his head before his own pupil: for to each letter, Nanak had written a hymn expounding upon the Mystery of God. When He looked up at His teacher, Nanak advised him that True Knowledge is in having the Love of God and without His Love, cartloads of books would be of no avail. So impressed was the tutor, that he took Nanak to Mehta Kalu and told him that it was not for another to guide Him Who had come for the guidance of humanity.

A year later, Nanak was taken to the village mosque to learn Arabic. Again within an astonishingly short time, He mastered all the lessons the priest could give him, and again His teacher beheld this child wonder in awe:

By Thy Grace oh Lord, has this boy mastered in days what takes others years!

Nanak thus learned to speak to the Muslims of their religion in their own language and to the Hindus in theirs – just as He spoke to the simple man in the common man’s words or to the learned, giving references from a great variety of religious texts – and all listened to the young boy with deep attention. To the Hindus, He was a child Saint, and to Muslims, a messenger of God.

In spite of the saintly reputation his son had gained, Mehta Kalu wished to see Him wise only in a worldly way and to expose Him to the responsibilities of the world. Accordingly Nanak was given a herd of cattle to tend. During these days, many strange incidents came to light. As the young Saint’s mind was not with this chore, He would let the cattle roam as they pleased while He studied the scriptures or passed the hours in meditation.

One day as He was absorbed in prayer, the shade from the tree passed behind Him and the sun’s light struck His face. Seeing this and drawn by the power that radiated from Him, a cobra drew near and raised its hood to provide Him shade. The time passed and the serpent remained within the peaceful aura. Only when a passerby feared for Nanak’s safety and galloped to His side did the cobra slip away.

Another time, as Nanak sat in meditation, His cattle wandered into a nearby field and destroyed its crop. When the farmer saw this and Nanak’s negligence, He dragged Nanak to Mehta Kalu and demanded financial compensation. Along with the village proprietor, the farmer’s field was inspected to ascertain the loss. When they arrived at the scene, all were amazed to find it more plentiful than it had been before.

As word of these and other similar occurrences spread throughout the village, even the wise could not help but look upon the young Nanak with a feeling of awe and reverence. Yet this feeling never came from within Nanak’s own household.

So while His fervent search for that knowledge which all scriptures spoke of incensed His father; Nanak was yet urged to perform the Hindu ceremony for His confirmation – Upanayana. Here the children were said to be made twice born; they were given a sacrificial thread to wear around them and a sacred mantra – chant – which spoke of beholding the light of the sun within. But how could He Who was to be the manifestation of that sun’s Light be part of an empty ritual?

So as the Brahmin went to place the thread around the boy’s neck, Nanak refused to allow him.

What is the use of a mere piece of cotton thread that will tear even in this life and helps no one in the beyond? And where is the good that you say it confers when men who deem themselves ‘twice-born’ by this string, commit the foulest deeds?

The assembly was aroused to indignation by such behaviour at a holy gathering. But unmoved by their feelings, Nanak composed the following hymn:

With mercy as thy cotton make the thread of contentment upon it, tie the knot of continence and give it the twist of Truth. Such a thread as this, oh Pandit, may thou put around my neck. This thread will not break, get stained, be burnt or lost. Blessed is the man, oh Nanak, who wears this sacred thread.

Guru Nanak, Rag Asa Di Var M1

These words soothed the Brahmin’s anger, perhaps even opened his eyes to something more profound: how his religion had degenerated to empty rituals and how even its leaders were truly threadless ones.

Despite Nanak’s having won the respect of so many of the learned, His father still believed Him to be indolent – perhaps even mad. He was forever bent on breaking his son of His unworldly ways and continued to goad Him towards conformity. Each time he failed, Mehta Kalu became all the more outraged but all the more intent. Thinking Nanak incapable of the farming duties, the father had yet another scheme.

He gave Nanak a sum of money and requested Him to invest it wisely. He felt that surely once Nanak began handling money in His own hands, He would realise its importance. Obediently and with all good intentions of pleasing His father, the child set out with the money to a neighbouring town. On the way, He met a group of renunciates who were emaciated and possessed only a sincere desire to find God. Knowing of no better investment than the feeding of the Holy, Nanak gave away the money.

When word of this reached Mehta Kalu, his rage knew no limits. He scolded Nanak for His mindlessness, for His inability to make any considerations for His future. To His father’s anger, Nanak replied calmly,

Father, you are growing old but have made no plans to meet your death.

But His words fell on deaf ears and He was beaten till coloured with bruises.

Oh Lord, tell me who is my father an who my mother and from whence I have come. I who am but a poor fish in Thy vast sea. How can I know Thee and reach to Thy shore? But pulled from Thy water, I writhe in separation. In my agony, I call upon Thee for help.

Guru Nanak, Gauri & Sri Rag M1

Nanak would now spend days together absorbed in meditation. He would neither eat nor speak with anyone. Each day worried His parents more until finally they sent for a doctor. However Nanak politely dismissed him:

My sickness is not of my body but of separation from God which makes me pine and waste away. And it is from the eye of death that I see constantly over my head. God Himself has given me this disease and He alone will cure me of it.

Thus Mehta Kalu began to see that no one could help his son: neither could the doctor cure Him nor the wise change Him. But he felt certain that if only Nanak would get properly involved in worldly affairs, it would pass that not only his son be all the better for it, but Mehta Kalu himself would thus be relieved of the shame which the boy’s strange behaviour caused him.

To Mehta Kalu’s encouragement, Nanaki offered to make suitable arrangements for her brother. Her husband got Him a job as a keeper in a small grain store, and Nanaki further arranged for His marriage. His family was at last well-pleased for Nanak had proven Himself a competent store keeper. Though He still enjoyed His Spiritual Practices and the company of the Holy, yet He managed the store responsibly and with a rare honesty. Further His straightforward and friendly nature drew Him ample respect. As a family man, He had become the father of son Sri Chand, and was the expectant father of another. But amidst the worldly affairs, His heart was attached to God.

Then one day while Nanak was busy at His work, a faqir entered the shop, straightway walked up to Nanak and declared:

We have not come into the world for this.

He then promptly walked out of the store. The fire that had burned in Nanak’s heart was again set ablaze. Later in that same day, He was weighing off grain for a customer, counting the pounds as He loaded it on the scale. When He reached the number tera – which in Punjabi means thirteen but also Thine – He went into a state of Divine Intoxication over and again repeating the words Tera, Tera – I am Thine oh Lord; I am Thine – and continued heaping more and more wheat onto the customer’s load. When word of this reached the store owner, He rushed to reprimand Nanak and to ascertain his loss, but God has mysterious ways and cares for those who put their cares in Him. It then turned out that rather than having squandered any of the store’s money, a large sum was due to Him. The store keeper apologised and asked Nanak to stay on with His work; but He replied that it was now time for Him to attend to His True Business: the realisation of God.

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Explanations: 1) Among Sikh scholars, there is some controversy as to the actual time of Guru Nanak’s birth. Some say He was born in Kartik – October / November – while others say Baisakh – April / May. An entire book was written on the subject and most thorough studies indicate that He was born in Baisakh; despite the fact that His birthday is now celebrated in November. However, Hari Ram Gupta shows evidence that the time of His Spiritual Awakening – His True Birthday – was probably around the fall months – Kartik. See Hari Ram Gupta, ‘History of Sikh Gurus,’ pp. 34–36. 2) The repeated cry of the Indian cuckoo, ‘Pee-ah, Pee-ah’ sounds like the Hindi word for Beloved. Here Nanak calls the cuckoo His rival because it is passing the night without sleep calling for its beloved.