The Ādi Granth, or the Holy Scriptures of the Sikhs (1877) · 6

0 Nanak, besides the One there is none other!

Then the elephant died. The King said again: "Make it alive!" The Baba answered: "Your majesty, the iron being heated in the fire becomes red, but it does not remain a moment on the hand, and (red-hot) coals remain but for a short time. So the Faqirs become red in God and take upon themselves a complete devotion to God, but their devotion gives way (again)." The King understood this and was much pleased. He said then: "Agree to something!" The Baba answered ■with the Slok:

Nanak is hungry after God, for other things he does not care.

Our search is for the sight (of God), for other things we do not search at all.

The King understood this, rose and went. The Baba continued wandering about.

First (NTinak) passed his retired life in the east. There in his retirement Mardana, the rebeck- player, was with him. At that time he practised wind-eating. The attire of the Baba was one mango-coloured raiment, and one white raiment; on his feet he had one pair of shoes and one pair of slippers. Over his neck a shirt,^ on his head a Kalandar's hat, a necklace of bones, on his forehead a Tilak (mark) of saffron.

Then he mot on the road Shekh Bajld * Sayyid, who was going along being mounted on a palkl (a kind of sedan-chair); with his wooden-frame (on which he was riding) were six bearers. He alighted under a tree and they (the bearers) commenced to pull and to fan him. Then Mardana

' The MS. writes the name 'n;jH TS3[, instead of Ibrahim Beg. Ibrahim Lodi was King of Dilli from 1317—1526, and fell in battle against Babar.

^ The original is: fg^' tf^fs ^ '^^, rather a curious expression.

' The tfS^ (^iK) is a kind of woollen shirt without sleeves, worn by Faqirs.

said: "Is God one?" The Baba replied: "0 Mardana, God is one." Then said ilardana: "0 King, whose creation are those and whose creation is he, who has come mouDtod on a palkT? Those are running on their feet and with naked bodies have brought him on their shoulders, and this one, who is seated, they fan." Nanak answered with the Slok:

The ascetics, who in a former birth have borne the sting of cold, Were then worn out; now, 0 Nanak, they adorn their body.

The Baba went on saying: "0 ilardana, from austerity comes dominion and from dominion hell. Whoever is born from the womb of a mother, he comes naked (into the world). (There is) pleasure and pain (in this world) and last the account, when he departs." Then Mardana fell down at his feet.

Departing thence they came to Benares. Having arrived there they sat down in a square.' At that time there was at Benares a Pandit, called (Jatur-das, who had come to make his ablutions. He saluted him {i.e. Nanak) and having seen his (Faqir's) garb he sat down and said: "0 devotee, thou hast no SaUgram! ■ thou hast no necklace of Tulsl (holy basil)! thou hast no rosary! thou hast no mark (on the forehead) of white clay! and thou callest thyself a devotee! What devotion hast thou taken up?" The Baba said: "Mardana, play the rebeck!" Mardana played the rebeck and the Eag Basant was made. The Baba uttered the Sabd, Mahala I. [there follows one verse]. ^ The Pandit rejoined: " This truly is collecting barren soil, 0 devotee, but what is that thing, by moans of which the world is gained and the Lord is obtained (also)? " The Baba uttered then the second Paurl [there follows one verse]. The Pandit asked again: " The earth indeed is dug up, but without watering it how shall it become green? and how shall the gardener consider it his own?" Then the Baba uttered the third Pauri. Then the Pandit Catur-das said: "Sir, thou art a perfect devotee of the Lord, my understanding, being overcome by the senses, is dull like a white heron." Then the Baba uttered the fourth Pauri. The Pandit went on saying: " Sir, thou art a worshipper of the Lord, but make also this city holy! Say something in its praise! " Then Guru Nanak asked: "What is its excellency?" The Pandit answered: "Sir, its excellency is science, by reading which prosperity is accruing, and where thou sittest down, there the world will respect thee; by taking this advice thou wilt become great." Then the Baba uttered a Sabd in the Eag Basant, Mahala I. [there follow four verses and one Eahau].' The Pandit Catur-das said again: "We, who are instructing the world, and we, who are reading (ourselves), is the name of the Lord also necessary to us?" Then Guru Niinak asked: "Sir, what are you reading and what are you teaching the world, yonr disciples?" The Pandit answered: Sir, the words of the Supreme Brahm I make the world read with the first wooden slate." * Then the Baba said in the Eag Eamkali, Dakar, Mahala I. [there follows one verse and one Eahau]. After that the fifty- four Pauris (following were uttered) and the Oiikar made (thus). Then the Pandit came and fell down at his feet and became a relier on the name; he began to mutter: "0 Guru, Guru!"*

The Baba departed thence and came to Nanak-mata.'' That Banya-tree had become dry since

' ^^c7T is a square court (in a temple, monastery, etc.) or an open square of the town, where markets are held.

^ ^rrf^^nT. an ammonite-stone, found in the river 37^^ and worshipped as sacred to Vi.shnu. It is usually written Ifrf^'^'T •

' See R<=ig Basant, Sabd 0, Mah. I. * See RSg Basant, Sabd 11, Mab. I.

° The sense is: with the first wooden slate, I write for them, I make them read, etc.

* Compare with this relation the story in the Sikha de raj dj vithia, p. 289, where it is nearly literally contained, only those words and phrases being left out, which were unintelligible to the later reviser.

' According to what follows, this appears to have been the name of a Banya-tree.

many years. A small smoking fire was kindled there (by Nanak) and it became green again. The Jogis sa'w this, came and sat down there. Then the Jogis asked: " 0 young man, whose disciple art thou? from whom hast thou got thy initiation? " The Guru Babfi replied with the Sabd in the Eag Suhi, Mahala I. [there follow four verses].' The Jogis then said: "0 young man, become a Jogi and take the garb of (our) denomination 1 " The Baba answered with a Sabd, Eag Suhl, Mahala I. [there follow four verses].- Then the Jogis paid him reverence, (saying): "This is a great man, by whose sitting (under it) the Banya-tree, the Faqirs' cooking-place, has be- come green! "

The Guru Baba started thence. They came to some goods-stores of grain-merchants and sat down at the door of the chief (of them). In his house a son had been bom and the people were coming to congratulate him. Some one came and applied red lac-dj-e,' another gave a hundred thousand blessings. Mardana being seated looked at the spectacle. When the day had declined, he rose and went; in the house no notice was taken of him. Mardana, who had become excessively hungry, said: "0 King, this one has taken no notice whatever of us; in his house a son has been born to-day, he has now risen and gone with his own pomp. But if thou wilt order mo, I will go into his house, he is giving a present to the begging people on the occasion of the birth of a son, I may also bring away something." The Baba laughed and said: " 0 Mardana, in this one's house no son has been born, into his house a debtor has come. Be silent, this night I shall remain, to-morrow I shall rise and go. But if it bo thy mind, then go (to the house), but do not pronounce a blessing, stand there silently!" Mardana answered: "Well, Sir, I will go and see." He went and stood there silently; nobody took any notice of him. He rose and came back. Then the Buba said: "Mardana, play the rebeck!" Mardana played the rebeck, the Bag Sirl Eag was sung, and the Guru Baba uttered the Sabd, Mahala I. [there follow four verses].* When it became moi'uing, that baby died. Then weeping and beating their breasts they came out (from the house). Mardana said: "Sir, what has happened to this man? Yesterday they were applying red lac-dye and laughing and sporting! " To this the Baba answered with this Slok:

From which mouths congratulations and Lakhs of blessings are given:

Those mouths are again beaten in grief, mind and body sufler agony.

Some have died, some are buried, some are floated away in the river.

The congratulation is gone, but thou, 0 Nanak, praise the True one!

Then the Baba and Mardana departed thence. On the road they fell in with an enclosed field of pulse. The watchman (of the field) began to parch half-ripe pulse-stalks (for them). It came into the mind of Mardana: "If the Baba would go, I would take two or three stalks." The Baba smiled and sat down. The watchman brought the parched pulse-stalks and put them down (before Kanak) and Nanak gave them to Mardana. Then it came into the mind of that boy: "I should fetch something from the house to put into the mouth of the Faqirs." He rose and went. The Baba asked (him, why he went). He said: " I will fetch something from the house to put into thy mouth." Then Nanak made this Slok: —

Thy mattrass and coverlet is a bed of straw;

Nanak is much satiated with thy virtues, 0 Sultan! He got then a kingdom for offering as alms a handful of pulse.