The Ādi Granth, or the Holy Scriptures of the Sikhs (1877) · 3

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order of God. By the good services of his brother-in-la-sv, Nanak also was appointed to the com- missariat, and he conducted himself to general satisfaction. His wife and two children he left behind at Talvandl, his domestic life being by no means happy, owing, it appears, to his own fault, as nothing is reported prejudicial to his wife. At Sultanpur he was joined by a certain Mardana, by profession a begging musician of the Musalman persuasion. After his daily work he spent his nights with Mardana in praising God, Mardana playing the rebeck, whilst he himself improvised verses to the tunes.

One morning he went to the canal to bathe. Whilst bathing, angels seized him and carried him to the divine presence. Here he received the prophetic initiation, a cup of nectar being presented to him with the injunction to proclaim the name of Hari on earth. After this he was brought back again to the canal, whence he returned home. He was received with amazement: for his servant, to whom he had handed over his clothes when entering the water, had run home on iS'anak's disappearance, and spread the news that he was drowned. On hearing this intelligence, even the Kluin himself is said to have ridden to the spot and to have given orders to the fishermen to search with their nets for the corpse of Nanak, but they had been unable to find it.

After this accident, which somehow seems to be based on a historical fact, Nanak divided all he had among the poor, left his house, and turned Faqir, Mardana accompanying him. The Khan endeavoured to retain a faithful servant, but Xanak stood firm in his resolution.

The later compilations have given to this story quite a difi'erent turn. According to them Nanak goes to Sultanpur by the advice of Eae Bulrir, who can bear no longer Kalu's disrespectful treatment of his wonderful son. At Sultanpur he is appointed to the commissariat. But he gives alms so abundantly, that Jairiim considers it advisable to report it to Kalu, who, in consequence of this news, comes to Sultanpur, and sharply enjoins on his son a more parsimonious conduct. At Nanak's request his accounts are examined by Jairam, but a considerable surplus appears in his favour. In order to accustom Nanak to economy, his marriage is planned by Jairam at Kalu's request, and this is described in full detail. But notwithstanding his married state Nanak continues his former habits of giving la^■ish alms, which leads to domestic quarrels and the interference of his parents-in-law. This is very graphically described, the later compilers here apparently feeling very sure of the ground under their feet.

To the story of the bath in the canal, which could not quite be set aside, a different turn is given. Nanak's initiation into the Guruship is not mentioned (though this is the very turning- point of the whole story), as according to these later compilations JVanak has entered the world. as Atatar, as the Formless one himself. It is therefore related, that one of the Govind-faqirs advised him to bathe in the river daily, in order to cure himself of a liver-complaint. One day Nanak, whilst taking a baih, was lost in the river. On this the rumour was spread that Nanak had been guilty of embezzlement. When he reappeared after three days (it is not even hinted where he was during those three days), the Khan ordered an inquiry to be made into his accounts, but it turned out that 760 Rupees were due to him, which Nanak would not accept, but taking his discharge retired into the wilderness, leaving his wife and children behind. As it appears, Nanak stayed at first in the vicinity of Sultanpur. His first saying, which made some noise amongst the people, was: "There is no Hindu, and no Musalman," but this brought upon him again the charge of madness. At the instigation of the Kazi the Navab Daulat Khan summoned him to his presence in order to interrogate him about this new doctrine. It was just the time of noonday-prayer and the Khun invited Nanak to accompany him to the mosque. The Kazi said prayers, but Nanak, instead of listening devoutly, began to laugh. Prayers being over the Kazi complained of the irreverent conduct of Nanak. Being called to account by tlie Khan he replied, that he laughed, because the prayers of the Kazi were nugatory. Being asked ior

a nearer explanation he continued, that the Kazi had left a foal in his courtyard, in which there ■was an open well; and that ■whilst saying prayers his thoughts were always ■wandering back to the foal, lest it should fall into the ■well. On this the KazT fell down at Nanak's feet and con- fessed that it ■was true. Nanak rose at once in the estimation of all, and the Khan dismissed him graciously. He no^w commenced wandering about the country, accompanied by Mardana, the musician.

Up to this point both relations agree, at least in substance, though the later compilations, out of love for the miraculous, strive hard to exaggerate everything into the supernatural. But ■with the commencement of the ■(vauderings of Nanak nearly all points in common cease and the old and the later tradition diverge in such a manner that they cannot be reconciled. This proves sufficiently, either that very little was known about them or that very little could be said about them, as the old Janam-sakhl testifies. The later tradition, which pretends to have a knowledge of all the details of the life of Nanak, ■was therefore compelled to put forth as voucher for its sundry tales and stories Bhai Bala, who is said to have been the constant companion of N'lnak from his youth up, whereas our old Janum-sakhl does not even once mention Bhai Bala, though at every new wandering of Nanak it gives the names of his companions. If Bhai Bala had been the constant companion of Ivanak and a sort of mentor to him, as he appears now in the current Janam-sakhis, it would be quite incomprehensible, why never a single allusion should have been made to him in the old tradition.

We will now briefly sum up here, what the old Janam-sakhl has to say about the further life of Nanak.

His first wandering is said to have been to the ctist. There he came to a certain Shekh Sajan, who had built a temple for Hindus and a mosque for Muhammadans. He received all who came to him, ■with ostensible friendliness, but murdered them, whilst sleeping, and plundered their goods. Nannk got quickly at the bottom of his rascality and convinced him of his sinful life, which brought him to repentance.

At Dill! he is said to have vivified a dead elephant. But when the then emperor, who had heard of this miracle, called on Fanak to kill the elephant and to vivify it in his presence, he prudently declined.

Also Thags, with whom he fell in on his way, he brought to repentance by his firm and intrepid conduct.

Other adventures, which he is narrated to have experienced, are so childish and nonsensical, that it is not worth while mentioning them.

At the capture of Sayyidpur he is reported to have been taken prisoner by the troops of Bexbar, ' but by a miracle he attracted the attention of Babar, who released him with the other prisoners. As Babar conquered the Panjab in 1524, a personal meeting of Nanak with Babar is not impossible, but it is not very probable. For Nanak speaks in the Granth several times of the great calamities which at that time befell various cities of the Panjab; Babar also is mentioned by him, but no allusion whatever is made to his having come into personal contact with Babar.

The meetings and verbal contests with other Faqirs and Shekhs, which are described at full length, are in themselves very probable, but in other respects of no importance, except that they give some hints to the mental development of Nanak. After some lengthened wanderings Nanak retraced his steps to his home at Talvandl.

His unquiet spirit gave him no rest at home and he soon commenced his second wandering, which was directed to the south. The incidents of this period also are of little consequence. That on this excursion he should have come to Ceylon (Singhala dvipa), as is reported, is in the highest degree unlikely. The whole story is so mixed up with the miraculous, tliat it bears the stamp of fable on its front. It is based on altogether erroneous suppositions, the king and

the inhabitants of Ceylon being represented as common Hindus, the Sikh author being quite unaware of the fact that the popular religious belief there was Buddhism. That Nanak founded there a "Sangat" (congregation), the order of whose divine service even is detailed, contradicts all history, and is an invention of later _times, when Sikhism had commenced to spread to the south. From this tour Nanak is said to have returned to TalvaudI and to have spent some time nt home.

His third wandering he directed to the north, where he is reported to have visited Kashmir, which is not improbable.

On this tour he is said to have eaten the poisonous fruits and blossoms of the Akk-tree in a dried state. Nothing remarkable is mentioned on this tour, except that he had a long con- versation with a Kashmiri Pandit, which ended in the Pandit's becoming a disciple of Nanak. His visit to mount Sumeni, where he is reported to have had a long discussion with Mahadev and the chief Jogis, belongs of course to the realm of fiction.

His fourth wandering he is said to have directed to the icest, going on a pilgrimage to Melikah. On arriving at Mekkah, he laid himself down, and by chance stretched his feet towards the Ka'bah. The KazI Euknu-ddm, on observing this, reproaclied Nanak with irreverence towards the house of God. Nanak replied: " Put my feet in that direction, where the house of God is not." The KazI turned the feet of Nanak, but wherever he turned them, thither the Ka'bah also turned. On account of this miracle the Kazi kissed the feet of Nanak and had a long conversation with him, in which he was, of course, out-argued by Nanak. This hajj of Nanak is a favourite theme with the Sikhs and a whole book has been written about it called *l^ ^ ^ITfZ The Conversation of Mekkah, which is eagerly read by them. Owing to their credulity and utter want of geographical and historical knowledge, no doubt of the reality of this hajj seems to have occurred to them, though it is as clear as daylight, that the whole story is an invention from beginning to end.

His fifth wandering Nanak is said to have made to Gorakh-hatarl, a place not yet discovered by geographers. Of this expedition nothing is reported except a conversation with the eighty-four Siddhs,' who belong likewise to the realm of phantasy.

Nanak closed his life at Kartiirpur in the Jalandhar Duab, in the bosom of his family, with whom he seems to have become reconciled towards the close of his earthly career, though all the Janam-sakhis observe a deep silence on this point and only mention the bare fact. When he felt his death approaching, he nominated, to the great disappointment of his two sons, his devoted servant and disciple Lahana (or Angad) his successor in the Guruship. He died in the Samvat year 1595, on the tenth of the light half of the month of Asu (a.d. 1538, about the 10th of October).^

This is the sum of aU that can be gathered from this oldest source as to the life of Nanak. It is a biography containing very little to attract our interest and, mutatis tnutandis, applicable to nearly every Hindu Faqir. If more could have been said of Nanak, we might be sure, that his devoted disciples, who revered in him the saviour of the world, would not have passed it over in silence. The writers of the later Janam-sakhis, to whom this picture of Nanak appeared too scanty and mean, did their best to embellish it with all sorts of wonderful tales and stories, but in comparison with this older tradition they cannot be held in any account.

' Siddha, i.e. a perfect Jogi, of wliom generally eighty-four arc enumerated, but their names are nowhere stated; they are pojjularly considered as a kind of demi-gods.

^ Tliis is the date given by the old Janam-sakbi; the later compilations give the year Ij'i'i; see the translation.

We append here a literal translation of tbe old Janam-sakhi marked A. Of the current Janam- sakhTs, which differ from each other merely in minor points, we give only those parts, which are of interest for the sake of comparison. This later compilation is marked B.'

The holy true Guru came to save the world; in the Kali-yug Baba Nanak was honi, the supreme

In Samhat, 1526, Baba Nanak was born in the month of Vaisakh;- in a moonlight night at an early hour, while yet about a watch of the night was remaining, he was born. Unbeaten sounds were produced at the gate of the Lord. The thirty-three crores of gods paid homage (to the child Nanak). The sixty-four Joginis, the fifty-two heroes, the six ascetics, the eighty-four Siddhs, the nine Xaths, paid homage,' "because a great devotee has come to save the world; to him homage should be paid! "

At that time Kalii, a Khatrl by caste, a Vedl (by clan), was living at Talvandi, a village of Rae Bhoe, the Bhattl; there (Nanak) was born.

"When he became big, he began to play with the boys,^ but the views of the boys and his were different. In his spirit he was occupied with the Lord.