The Ādi Granth, or the Holy Scriptures of the Sikhs (1877) · 19

[Then Kalu said: "Take twenty Eupees and go and bring four or five things! Bring salt and turmeric and some other things, that I shall point out to thee; and if thou wilt make this time a good trafiic, then I will give thee again many Eupees." Kanak answered: " Well, father, thou wilt see thyself, what a good traffic I shall make." Kalu gave him the twenty Eupees and (sent) one servant with him.' They set out; when they had gone twelve Kos, he saw that an assembly of Sadhs was sitting there, and how was it? Except a strip of cloth between the legs, they had no kind of clothes on. Among them was a Mahant; him Xanak asked: " Sir, are you not in possession of clothes or are clothes not pleasant to your body? " The Mahant said: "How, brother, why dost thou ask? what object hast thou?" Then Bala, the Jat, who was as servant with him, said: " Hear, Nanak, thou hast come for the purpose of traffic, go and take up that traffic, that Kalu has told thee." Nanak said: "Hear, brother Bala, my father has said, that I should make good traffic. ShaU. I make a good traffic or a bad one, teU me thy advice." Bala answered: "Kalu has sent thee for good traffic." Then Nanak said: " Bala, this is good traffic and that is bad traffic." Bala replied: " Sir, know thou (thyself), thou art the son, he is the father." Then Xanak asked these Sadhs: " Why have you not given me an answer?" The Mahant said: "0 boy, we are XirbanTs,' to us abstinence from clothes is necessary." Xanak said r "Ton will also not be eating?" The Mahant replied: "0 lad, when the Lord sends, then we are eating, otherwise we remain silent; for this reason we are dwelling in the jungle; having become Sanyasis we no longer dwell in a vUlago, in a village there is hope (of getting something)." Then Xanak said: " Hear, 0 Mahant, what is thy name?" The Mahant mentioned his name: "(my) garb (is that of a) Xirbani, (my) name: the dust of the saints." Xanak became very happy and said: " Hear, brother Bala, I cannot give up this traffic." Bala said: "Hear, Xanak, Kalu will be angry with me, see thou to it!" Xaiuik replied: "This is a good traffic, there is no loss in it, but on the contrary an increase." Bala said: " Tou must know it." Then Xanak took the twenty Eupees from Bala and put them before the Mahant. The Mahant said: "How, 0 lad? these are of no use to us, and they are given thee by thy father for the sake of traffic; what dost thou mean by giving them to Faqirs?" Nanak replied: "Hear, 0 Mahant! my father had said to me: 'If thou come having made good traffic, then it is good.' This is good traffic, every other traffic is bad."

' The lithographed Lahore edition adds Iiere: Ai^d 7i\'^ yiiil >HTvJ7: the servant with (him) was Bala, whereas the MS. (No. 2885), which otherwise agrees verbatim with the Lahore edition, does not mention the name here, but further on.

° Csdy 1cN|> an order of Faqirs, who pretend to be freed from every want and to be emancipated whilst as yet in the body.

The Mahant said: "Hear, 0 lad, what is thy name? who art thou?" Nunak replied: "Hear,

0 Mahant, my name is Nanak Nirankarl (the Formless one), I am the son of Xalu, a Khatil of the Vedi tribe." Then said that Mahant: " Hear, 0 lad, what is this? Nirankilrl and the son of a KhatrT? " Nanak replied: "In the Dvapara yuga we had performed devotion to the Formless one, the devotion was complete, but desire entered usj therefore our birth took place in a low house. Then our birth took place in the house of an oilman; on account of that desire we were again born in the house of a Khatrt. At that time also we were incorporeal and now also we are incorporeal.'" Then the Mahant said: "0 lad Nanak, ask thou something!" Nanak replied: " What shall I ask? the One Formless one I desire, I desire nothing else." Then the Mahant said again: "0 lad, thou thyself art the Formless one, what shall we give to thee? But do (one) work, take these Rupees and bind them in thy bundle and bring provisions for these, that the Atits (Faqirs) may eat, money is of no use to us." Then Nanak took Bala with him and went to the town, he took provisions and fuel and raw pots and brought them and put them before the Mahant. Then the Mahant said: " Nanak Nirankari, thou art indeed the Formless one. The Atits had passed seven days in fasting; now go thou!" Then Nanak bowed his head, rose and went. After (that) an Atlt asked the Mahant: "Sir, why didst thou send him away, he had done service to thee." The Mahant replied: "Hear, 0 Atlt, he was himself the Formless one, he had come to inquire after us, we had to take from him our provisions, but service we had not to exact from him; his splendour could not be borne by us, therefore we gave him leave."

When Nanak had gone above one Kos, he began to ask Bala: " Brother Bala, what has been done by us?" Bhai Bala said: "Hear, 0 Nanak, by me none {i.e. Eupees) have been eaten (= spent), thou didst demand them and I gave them to thee." Then Nanak said: "Bala, we did not make the mistake." Bala repUed: "If I made the mistake, thou must know, if

1 did not make the mistake, then thou must know. As thou wast inexperienced, so was I in- experienced; Kalu knows (this) or thou must know it." Having come there {i.e. home) I^anak did not enter his house and Bala went to his own house. Kalu was informed, that Bala, the servant (of Nanak), had entered his house and that Nanak had not come. Kalu became alarmed and went to the house of Bala and called him out. Ba^a came out of the house and Kalu asked: "Bala, where is Nanak and where are the Rupees?" Bala said: "Mahata Kalu, in going along Nanak has given the twenty Rupees away to feed Faqlrs." Kalu said again: " I, who had sent thee with him, what for did I send thee with him? that you should feed Faqtrs? " " Mahata Kalu, thou hadst said to Nanak: ' make a good traffic! ' He said: ' Hear, Bala, we must make a good traffic;' by him the good traffic' has been made, thou mayst cry or not." Then Kalu said: " Show me to a certainty where he is! " Bala took Kalu and came with him to the pond. Having come there Kalu seized Nanak and began to ask: "Where are those twenty Rupees?" Nanak did not say anything. Kalu became angry and gave Nanak two slaps on his left cheek and on his right cheek he gave him (two) with his right hand.^ Nanak shed tears, but said nothing, the water ran down his cheeks. One man went to Rao Bular and said: "Kalu, the Patvarl, has given his son a severe beating. Nanaki, the daughter of Kalu, has fallen for the

The MS. No. 2885 has the words: lu the Dvapara yuga we had performed devotion to the Formless one, the devotion had become complete; then also we were incorporeal and now also we are incorporeal. About the different births nothing is said. The Lahore edition has (intentionally) left out this whole passage.

^ The IMS. No. 2885 gives this passage more clearly: S^T^ apTT tfrfS ^fS A I AW ^ ^fS 7*0% T^ \^^ % y^ 3R5 5 »K^ ^7f2 3r*TT% tf^ T^ $ Tpift JR5 3 > i-e- Kalu having become angry struck Nanak two slaps with the right hand on the left cheek and two slaps with the left hand on the right cheek. (The verb (*(T3j 's dropped.) In the Lahore edition this whole passage, which all Janam-Sakhis have, is intentionally left out, it only says that Kalu became very angry.

sake of Nanak at the feet of Kalu (s lying): '0 father, forgive him this fault for tny sake!'" NanakI had released Nanak, when a man of Eae Bular came (and said): " Go, Kalii, the Rfve is calling thee, and bring also Nanak with thee!" Kalu said: "Sir, what shall I bring? this my son has quite upset me, what shall I do?" That servant of Rae Bular said: "Go, brother, go there! " That servant brought both to Rae Bular. The Rae was sitting in anger; when lie saw Nanak, he wept. The Rae rose and embraced Nanak, he took him and kissed his head. When he looked at his face, what did he see? that the water was running down his cheeks! Then the Rae said: "Hear, Kalu, I had told thee, don't call Nanak bad, and (yet) thou hast beaten him to-day. My word has made no impression on thee, thou hast bad no love to God nor affection to thy son, that there is only one son in thy house; Kfdu, thou art a great fiend! Kalu, Nanak is not (hold) worthy in thy house. What shall I do, as this one has no knowlege of himself?" Kalu replied: "Sir, I had given him twenty Rupees; there is no traffic and no Rupees (more), what shall I do? You are quarrelling with me. I liad sent (also) a servant wdth Nanak; that one began to say, that ho has fed Faqirs." Rae Bular asked the servant Bala: "Where has Nanak thrown away the twenty Rupees?" Brda told before the Rae the whole thing that had happened. Then the Rae said: "Till now I never called thee bad, but now I call thee so, because thou, uproarious, unhappy man, hast beaten so much Nanak for the sake of twenty Rupees. Go, Umeda, bring from within from the Ran! twenty Rupees and put them into the hand of the uproarious Kalu! What shall I do, as he (Nanak) will not eat in my house, otherwise I would keep him in my own house, he is not to be kept in thy house; to-day or to-morrow we were entrusting him to somebody." Mean- while IJmeda brought the Rupees from the RaiiT Khokhar and put them before Rae Bular. The Rae taking them into bis hand began to give them to Kfdu, but Kalu would not take them and said: "Sir, the Rupees are thine and I also am thine and Nanak also is thine. I am not at all grieving about the Rupees, I am grieving about his conduct." The Rae replied: "He is acting well, Kalu, take the Rupees! As long as the steps of Nanak are here, so long we will serve him." Then said Umeda, the Vazir of the Rae: "Kalu, take the Rupees! it is not good to disobey the word of the Rae. Rae Bular must bo obeyed, otherwise he will take it amiss." Then Kalu took the twenty Rupees. Kalu having taken the Rupees became astonished. The people of Talvandi, the KhatrTs and the Brahraans and the Jat families, they all began to be angry (and said): "Art thou a Khatri? Thy birth is rather like that of Candal, that thou hast thus beaten thy son. And thou hast taken twenty Rupees from the Rae!" Then the next morning Kalu went again to the Rae and fell down at his feet and said: "I have no place whatever, don't beat me; take back again these twenty Rupees! " The Rae replied: "These twenty Rupees we have not given to thee, I had to give them to Nanak, to him they are given, how should they be again taken from thee?" Kalu answered: "Sir, whore were Rupees with Nanak, that they were borrowed by thee from him? " The Rae replied: "Kalu, thou dost not know it; as much wealth and property there is in this world, the Lord of all that is Nanak, what he gave, that we were eating and drinking."]

Jairdni's betrothal with Nunahi and subsequent marriage.

[When Nanak was eighteen years of age, they were the days of Get and Vaisakh, the Palta Jairara had come for the sake of measuring (the corn-fields), (for) he was an Ami). Before (him) the daughter of Kalu, Nanaki, was drawing water from a well; the sight of Jairara, the Palta, fell on her, she was very beautiful. Jairam seeing her fell in love with her and said to the Rae: "0 Rae, whose is this girl?" The Rae replied: "0 brother, this girl

belongs to Kalu, the Patvari." Jairam asked further: " 0 Eae, Kalfi the PatvarT, what sort of people are they?" Eae Bular said: "0 brother, they are Khatris, of the Vedi clan." Jairam said: "0 Eae, if her betrothal has not been made somewhere else, bring about my betrothal with her." The Eae replied: "0 brother, if between them and you intermarriages take place, I will speak about it, but if not, how can I speak about it? " With Jairam was a Brahman cook, but very intelligent. Ilim Jairam asked: "Sir, between us and the Vedls do betrothals take place or not?" Nidha, the Brahman, replied: "0 brother, they are taking place." The Eae called then Kalu and asked: " Kalu, do betrotlials take place between him and you or not?" Kalu answered: "They are taking place." The Eae said further: "Kalu, thy daughter has become big, betroth her with Jairam!" Kalu replied: "0 Eae, those who have a daughter, do not speak themselves, those speak, with whom something is wrong. I am thy servant, whatever is in my power I shall be ready to do." The Eae said: " She is our daughter, don't trouble yourself about it! " Jairam called again on the Eae: "0 Eae, what news about the betrothal?" The Eae answered: "The asking in marriage of others' daughters is not a law, but a matter of submission and entreaty. Call thou him and speak with him, what will have to be said on our part, that we shall also say. Jairam replied: "How shall I speak? you are Eajas, you understand it." The Eae said: "Do not speak thyself, let it be told by the Brahman." Jairam replied: " Well, Sir, the Brahman may go." Jaiiam called the Brahman and said: "Sir, go to Kalu, the Vedi's house, for the sake of betrothal." The Brahman answered: "0 Eae, let us both, you and I, be together and speak to Kalu! " On Saturday, when one watch and a half of the day was yet remaining, the Brahman said to Kalu: " Look, Mahata Kalu, thou art a good Khatri and Jairam also is a great man; it is a good union, consent to a betrothal!" Kalu replied: "Art thou speaking,

0 Brahman, or is Jairam speaking?" The Brahman replied: "0 Mahata, how should Jairam speak? he has sent me." Then said the Eae: "Kalu, the Brahman speaks truth, how should Jairam speak? What the Brahman says, that he says." Then said Kalu: "Well, 0 Eae, thy word is on my head; what you do, that is acceptable to my seven generations! "

The betrothal of Jairam and Hanaki took place. In the coming (month of) Manghar the work was done.' Jairam took the "Doli (with his wife) to his house (at Sultanpur). Afterwards Kalu began to send Nauak,' but Nanak did not go. Kalu said: " Go and bring thy sister." Then the Kae called Nanak, comforted him and said: " Go for this time and bring thy sister, after we shall entrust you (to them) there." Nanak went and as it was some journey, he took Bala, the Sandhu, with him, as ho had an affection for Bala. Having gone there he began to ask leave for his sister. Then Jairam said: "!Nanak, remain thou also here, I am not sending (thee and NanakT)." Nanaki said then to Jairam: "Send me this time, that the father Kalu and the mother, both may be pleased and Nanak also may be pleased, he will say: ' I have not come back empty.' Then don't send me again! I stand in awe of Nanak. When a dream comes to me, whatever comes forth out of his mouth (in the dream), that is taking place; for this reason I tell you this." Jairam said: "Well, go, when wilt thou come again?" Nanaki said: "When thou wilt come to do the government work, then take me with thee,

1 am not coming by myself." Nanak took NanakT with him and they went home and joined

' The words of the original are: JHT^'7 *lWf3 cTTtT 0*KT; they allude briefly to tlie wedding which took place hi Manghar. But the Lahore edition is not content with this brief allusion; it gives a description of the marriage procession, and fliat much money and sweetmeats were distributed. That this is quite a recent addition is proved by the MS. 2885, which contains nothijig of this kind, but agrees here quite with our text.

" i.e. to Sultanpur, to look after his sister.

(their people). When ^the season of Vaisiikh came again, the measuring (of the corn-fields) commenced. Jairam came to TalvandT, and having measured there he was on the point of bringing back his wife. Rao Buliir heard of it, he showed Jairam much attention and entreaty; Jairam was much pleased with the Rae, he said also to the liae: " 0 Kae, I am very much pleased with you, may boldly some service be ordered to me! " The Eae said: " 0 brother, thy fother- in-law is very foul-ton gued and KTinak thy brother-in-law is a perfect Sudh. We were saying this, that you should keep him with you." Jairam replied: "0 Rae, what is better than this? He shall go with me." Then the Eae said: " 0 brother, it will not do, that he go with you, after two months we will send him; you must bring about his betrothal there somewhere" {i.e. with somebody). Jairam replied: " Well, llae, what Earn will do, that is good." Jairam took his wife and went home.]

Naiiak gives away his drinking ressel and ring to an AtU. Arrangements for his departure

[When ifanak had become twenty years of age, one day an Atit (Faqir) came and sat outside of the town. There also Nanak went with pleasure and sat down. In Nanak's hand was a drinking vessel (Lota) and on one hand a ring of gold. The Atlt said: " Who art thou? what is thy name?" Xanak replied: " ITy name is Iv^anak MrankarT, I am a Vedl KhatrT." Then the Atlt said again: " Whose are we? " jSTinak replied: " You are the Xirankar's." Then the Atit said: " Tou are a Nirankarl ' and I am a Xirankari, between thee and me what difference is there?" Nanak replied: " Xone whatever." Then the Atlt said: ''Give me this drinking vessel and ring! " Nanak took off the ring from his hand and put (it and) the drinking vessel before the Atit. Then the Atit said: "They have come to hand, let them remain with me." Kanak said; "0 God, when the spittle is thi'own out of the mouth, it is not again taken up." The Atit replied: "0 Kanak, thou art really the Nirankarl (Formless one) and we are the copy." Nanak went then to his own house and the Atlt took the drinking vessel and the ring and went off. Kalu asked Nanak: "Where is the drinking vessel and the ring?" Nanak remained sUent and did not speak. Kalu having become angry said: " Go, leave my house! I do not hold thee back! " Eae Bular heard this and called Kalu: " 0 Xalu, what has happened again?" "Sir, I am (your) dust: the ring and the drinking vessel he has thrown away some- where; it is not known what he has done." The Eae then said to Kalu: "Let him be sent to Jairam; here thou art annoyed and he also is grieved; whatever happens there, that happens." The Rae wrote a letter to Nanak! and Jairam and wrote a good deal: " We have entrusted Nanak to thee; whatever will be done on thy part, that should be done without delay." Jairam also wrote a letter: "Nanak, come and join us." When Nanak had read this letter, he said: "I will join Jairam." The people of the house said; "If Nanak go, it is good."]

Nanak arrives at Sultdtipur and enters the Commissariat.

On the third of the light half of the month Manghar, in Sambat 1.510,- Nanak went to Jairam; he came on the fifth day from Talvandi to Sultanpur. On the seventh of the light half of Manghar, he met with NanakT, his sister. NanakT on seeing Nanak fell down at his feet. Nilnak said: "0 sister, thou art older (than I), I on the contrary will fall at thy feet, or shouldst

' Here Nirankarl lias the sense: oj" the Formless one.

' Tlie Lahore edition has Suuibat 1544, against all MS. authority.

thou fell at my feet?'" Nanaki replied: "0 brother, thou art speaking the truth, but though thou mayst be a man, thou appearest to me as ray Supreme Lord." Jairam was not at home. The Bebe ^ put down a stool (for Nanak) and began to ask: " 0 brother, art thou very happy? " Nanak replied: " 0 Eebe, I am always happy." He was (still) sitting when.Jairam afterwards came home. When he looked about, Nanak was sitting in front. When I>^anak saw that his brother-in-law Jairam had come, he rose and ran to fall down at his feet. Jairam was a very intelligent man; he seized the hands of Nanak and did not allow him to apply them to his feet, he hirascK put his hand on the feet of Kanak. Then Guru Nanak said: "0 brother-in-law, why is this inverted custom made by thee?" Jairam replied: "0 Nanak, you know, that we were brothers-in-law, and (now) I consider thee as the Supreme Lord. It has been my good luck, that you have come to me; you have given me your sight, and I have been exalted thereby. Don't you do anything, sit down and live with ease! " Guru Nanak replied: " 0 brother-in- law, if there would be some business (for me), it would be a good thing." Jairam said: "Well, brother, as this (thought) has arisen in your mind, it is good. Have you read some Turkish?" Guru Nanak replied: "We have read some Hindi." Jairam said: "Brother Nanak, will you take the Commissariat?" Guru Nanak replied; "O brother-in-law, whose is the Commissariat?" Jairam said: "It belongs to the Navab Daulat Khan Lodi, it is a great commissariat; if it be possible, then take it!" Guru Nanak replied; "Well, brother-in-law, the Formless one will bring it to an issue!" The Bebe NanakI said again; "Thou art the form of the Supreme Lord, as the morsel is, so eat it in sitting down, do thou not fall into these troubles! thou dost not come up to these troubles, thou art a Faqlr." Guru Nanak replied: "If one eats his bread in doing (some) work, it becomes pure, and the Turks are saying: ' What is eaten lawfully, that is good.'" Then Bebe Nanaki said: "Well, brother, as thou art thinking and liking, so it is right." Then Bebe Nanaki said further to Jail am: "Sir, are you acquainted with his cir- cumstances or not?" Jairam replied: "0 servant of the Supremo Lord, I am acquainted." Then Bebe Nanaki continued to say: "Where shall his betrothal be made? if he conceive an affection for the married state, then business will be done by him." Jairam replied: "I will see about it. If he will give himself to business, then some Khatii also will give the hand to a betrothal; do not be hasty! Keep the Lord in thy mind!" Bebe Nanaki replied: "Sir, I am not cleverer than thou, but I had to tell you this." On the fourteenth of the light half of the (month of) Manghar the Commissariat was given (to Nanak) by Jairam. Say, 0 brother: vah Guru-jl!

Nanak in the Commissariat; visited ly his father. Sis accounts are examined hj Jairam and

[One thousand Rupees in cash were given (to him by Jairam).^ Bala,' the Sandhu, said: "0 Guru (Angad), I also was with him. I said: '0 brother Nanak, thou hast taken one thousand Eupees and the Commissariat, give me leave to go.' Then Guru Nanak said: ' 0

' This story is also to be found in the PanjabI Grammar (edited by the American Missionaries, Ludihana) p. 97 sfjq., hut tlie text is not given correctly; they print e.g. UT'g ^TUT instead of Vlff^ />|vJ |, as if Ufg and Uff^ were the same, whereas the latter is tlie Locative and written so in the MSS.

"5^ the same as,_j-rr?^, bVn, a lady, used also in addressing a sister, out of respect or endearment; generally ^fx is added to ^^, to cnhanre the respect.