The Ādi Granth, or the Holy Scriptures of the Sikhs (1877) · 18

[Now follow four Pauris with a lengthy paraphrase ^ from Sirl Eag, Sabd 6, Mahala I.]

The Pandit became astonished and paid reverence (to Nanak) as to a perfect man.* " What comes into thy mind, that do! "

Then Nanak came home and sat down, ho did no work. When he sat down, he remained seated. He associated with Faqirs. His father Kalu became tislonished, that Nanak went on in this manner.

(4). Ndtialc grazes his fatlier's buffaloes and spoils a corn-field, which is miraculously restored.

When Nanak had become nine years old, the (brahmanical) cord was placed (on him). He learnt also to read some Turkish.' He did not disclose the thoughts of his mind to any one.

His father Kalu then said: "0 son Nanak, take the buifaloes which are in my house and pasture them! " Nanak took the buffaloes and went out (to the pasture- ground); having grazed them he brought them back at night to the house. The following day he went out again. Having left the buffaloes, he fell asleep at the border of a field sown with wheat. The buffaloes went and fell upon the wheat and browsed it and the wheat was spoiled. The owner of the wheat came and said: "Brother, why hast thou laid waste my field? give answer for this devastation!" Nanak answered: "Nothing of what is thine has been wasted, 0 brother! What is it, if some buffalo has pilfered from it? God will put a blessing on this (field)." But that man did not desist, he began to quarrel with Nanak. Then Nanak and the Bhatti proprietor came to Eae Bular,

' This story is also contained iu the Sikha de raj dl vithia (Liulibana, 1868), p. 201, but latlier altered. The extracts from the Janam-Sakhi, which this book coutains, are taken from more modern sources, and the explanations added are of little or no vi»lue whatever.

^ The Hindus in the Panjab write on small wooden slates painted black, with a colour made of white eartli. When the slate is written over, the letters are washed olF with water. The boys, whilst imitating the letters, pronounce them aloud, which causes a considerable din.

^ Whenever the Granth is fjiioted in the later times, a translation, or rather a paraphrase, is always added to it, which proves sufBciently, that at that time the Sikhs no longer understood the idiom of the Granth. These paraphrases are usually very indillereut and frequently misinterpret the original text completely, or simply pass over wliat was nnintelligible to them.

* The Lahore lithographed copy has here significantly: 3 VHT^TS vT, thou art the Supreme Lord.

' Under ^ Joji, Turkish, very likely Persian is to be understood, the ofiicial language of those days. Tliis is also corroborated by the fact, that some Persian verses of Nanak are found in tlie Granth, though his knowledge of Persian must have been very deficient. To this very likely alludes the notice in the Siyar- ul-muta'aT(;;\;irtn (Briggs' translation, vol. i. p. 110), that some Sayyid Ilusain, who had no children of his own, charged himself witli his education and introduced him to the knowledge of the most esteemed writings of the Islam. In the Lahore lithographed copy this is (mi dimlit intentionally) left out.

the headman of Talvandi, by tribe a Bhatti. Then the headman said: " Call Kalii! " Aside people had said that Nanak was mad and that he should send for Kah'i. They brought Kalu. Then Eae Bular said to Kalu, tliat he was not warning this his son, who was laying waste the fields of others. "Well, though considering liim mad, thou hast let him alone. Go now and make amends for the devastation done to others! If not, thou wilt have to answer before the Turkish authorities." Kalu said: " Sir, what shall I do? this one is verily mad." Then the Eae said: "I have forgiven this trespass to thee, Kalu, but go and make amends for the damage." Nanak spoke then: "Sir, nothing of the property of this one has been damaged, he speaks a falsehood." The owner of the field rejoined: " Sir, my whole field has been laid waste; I have been plundered. Grant me justice, if not, I go to the Turks." Nanak answered; "Sir, not one blade has been spoiled and cut off! Send thou thy own men, they shall see and report." Then Eae Bular sent his own footmen. When those footmen having gone see, what do they see? not one blade of the field was spoiled. The footmen come and report: " Sir, nothing at all is wasted." Then Eae Bular called the owner of the field a liar. Nanak and Kalii both went home.'

(5). A black serpent expands its hood over Ndnali when resting under a tree.

When Baba Nanak was nine years of age, he had gone out (one day) to gi'aze the buffaloes. They were the days of (the month of) Vaisakh (April-May), at the time of noon he came and rested under a tree and made also his buffaloes stand (there). As soon as he had taken to rest, a black snake came and sat at his head expanding its hood (over him). They were the days of measuring (the fields under cultivation). Eae Bular having measured wheat was going home; when he looked on, a boy had fallen asleep (there) and a black snake sat at bis head, expanding its hood (over him). Eae Bular stopped; when he looks on, what does he see? that the shade of the other trees is gone and that the shade of that tree, under which the boy was sleeping, had remained there. He reflected in his mind: if that boy really lives, then he is some prophet, and if he has drunk the breath of the snake, he is dead. Afterwards some people came there. Eae Bular said to them: "Look, who this boy is, who lies there?" When they looked on, what did they see? that it was Nanak, the son of Kalu, the Patvarl,' who was lying there. They said to Eae Bular: "0 Eae, the son of Kalu, thy Patvarl, is lying there." Eae Buliir said: "Look, that ye raise him up." They raised the sleeper and Nanak stood up and sat down. When he looked about, he saw, that Eae Bular stood at his head. Nanak joining his hands saluted him. The Eae dismounted from his horse, embraced Nanak and kissed his head, and showed him much politeness. Eae Bular said: "Look, friends, a wonderful thing has been seen (already) and to-day also see! This one is not empty, on him is some mercy of God." The people were astonished (saying): "0 brother, Eae Bular has become very kind to this boy." Having gone home he called Kalu and said to him: "0 Kalfi, the son of thy house Nanak do not consider as thy son, he is a devotee of the Supreme Lord. Do not say to this (thy) son: ' Be cursed, die! ' he is a great person, my town is a sacrifice to him.^ Kalu, thou also hast been exalted, in whose house thy son Nanak has been born." Kalu said: "The thing of God God knows," and went home.

' This whole story is left out in the Lahore lithographed copy, as it was felt that this duplicity did not redound to the honour of Nanak. It is also missing in a MS. copy of the India Office Library, No. 2885, Avliicli is ii(':iily identical wiih the Laliorc lithographed edition of the Janam-S.ikliT.

" "MdtSld^i \iuu\ stewai-d; Iiis business is to keep the land-accounts of the village.

^ The words: Do not say to this thy son — to the end of the sentence, are left out in the Lahore lithographed copy (likewise in the MS. No. 2885) as being too disrespectful. The answer of Kidu also is given ditfercutly;

Kanah refmes to do any tcorh; the attempt to cure him from his supposed madness fails.

But Nanak kept company ■with Faqirs, he spoke with nobody else. His whole family was grieved and distressed thereby, they said: "Nanak has become mad." Then his mother came to Kaiiak and said: "It will not do for thee to sit with Faqirs, give up these perpetual foolish words! The people laugh at us, that the son of Kalu has become an idler." When his mother had said these words to Ifanak, he did not mind them at all, he lay down again, he did not speak with any one, as he lay down, so he remained for four or five days. His mother came again and said to him: " 0 son, how does it behove thee to lie down? rise, eat and drink something! Look after the fields! all thy family is grieved. And, 0 son, if anything do not please thee, then don't do it, we say nothing to you; why art thou so thoughtful?" Then information was given to Kalu; Kalu said: " 0 son, what were we telling thee? it is good to do work. If the sons of Khatris have money, do they no work? 0 son, it is good to do (some) work! Our field out there stands ripe, if thou wouldst go and stand in it, it would not be wasted. Then every one will say: ' Well done, well done, the son of Kalu has become a good son! ' 0 son, the field is with (its) owners! " Nanak answered: "By us a private field has been ploughed, of that we are taking care. The plough has been carried (over it), the proper time for sowing the ground has come; the eight watches we were standing there. 0 father, we take care of our own field,' how shall we have knowledge of another's field?" Kalu became astonished and said: "Look, people, what this ojie is saying!" Then said Kalij: "When hast thou ploughed a private field? Give up (these) silly words, and if it be thy pleasure, I will give thee at the next harvest a private ploughed field, I wiU see, how thou wilt make it ripen! " Then Ifanak said: " 0 father, the field has now been ploughed by us and it has grown up well, it looks quite well." Then Kalu said again: "0 son, we have seen no cultivated field of thine at all, how shall I know, what thou art saying?" Nanak answered; " 0 father, that field has been cultivated by us, thou thyself wilt hear." Then Nanak uttered a Sabd in the Eag Sorathi (Sabd 2, 1, ilah. I.). [Kalu said again: "0 IXanak, sit thou in the shop, our field is the shop." Then the second Paurl was said. Then Kalu said again: " 0 son, if thou wilt not sit in the shop, take thou horses and tralfic with them! Thy spirit is melancholy. Do (some) business and see also foreign countries! we shall say, that he is gone for (some) business and that he will come now." Then the third Pauri was said. Then Kalu said again: " 0 Is jinak, thou art gone from us, but go and do some service, perhaps thy spirit will come to rest therein, we have given up thy gaining (anything). 0 son, if thou wilt become an UdasI, then all people will say to us, that the son of Kalu has become a Faqir and the people will reproach us." Then the fourth Paurl was said, j - Then KTxnak said: " 0 father, our field is sown, thou hast heard how. 0 father, our field has sprung up well, we have so much confidence in this field, that the whole government tax will fall ofi', sons, daughters and the whole family will eat to their satiety and will be happy; the debt of the Lord will be removed, and the poor, brothers and relatives, all will be profited by it. The Lord, whose husbandry I have carried on, gives me much assistance; for that day I rejoice much,' Whatever I ask, that he gives mo. 0 father, I have found out a great Lord, traflio and shop, all has been entrusted (by him to me)." Then Kalu

The neg^ation which A. has, is left out horp, very likely purposely.

Tlie words in lirackcts arc an addition. It is easily perceived, that tlipy do not agree with the contoxt, but rather interrupt it. All the additions made by the second compiler will thus be pointed out by brackets.

The text is here so much shortened, that the words are no longer intelligible, whereas they are quite plain in the first compilation.

became astonished and said: " We have not at all seen (or) heard of thy Lord." The Baba said: "By whom my Lord has been seen, by them he is praised." The Guru Baba uttered one Sabd in the Eag Asa (Caupada 1, Mah. I.). Then Kalu said again: "Give up these things, walk after the manner of the people, it is nothing to live without a business." Then Nanak remained silent, Kalu rose and went home and took to his work; he said; "This work is beyond our strength, but may not the field outside be damaged!" Then all the family of the Vedls began to grieve, they said: "It is a great pity, that the son of Kalu has become mad." Nanak remained silent; three months he lay down and ate and drank nothing. The whole family of the Vedls became dispirited and all began to say to Kalu: " How dost thou sit down (quietly), whose son remains lying down? Call thou some physician and get medicine for him! The people will say, that Kalu, on account of the money, does not get his son cured. (This is) much money, if (thy) son become well." Then Kalu stood up and went and brought a physician. The physician came and began to seize the arm of the Baba. The Baba drew away his arm, lifted up his log, stood up and sat down. He began to say: "0 physician, what art thou doing?" The physician said: "I am looking after the disease, that may be in thy spirit." The Baba laughed and made the Sabd [there follow four verses]. On the subject of the physician he made also another Sabd, in the Eag Malar [there follow two verses]. Say, 0 brother: vah Gurujl! '

(7). Nanak sows a field mid neglects it thoroughly. His father expostulates with him.

[When the Baba had become twelve years of age, then Kalu said, after he had reflected in his mind: " Nanak has read, but he should (now) be put into some business." Then Kalu said to Nanak: "Son, apply thyself to some business!" Nanak answered: ""Well, father, if you tell me anything, I will do it." Kalu said: "Son, in such and such a place sow thou a field!" " Well, father, I am sowing." Kalu gave to Nanak one maund and a quarter of seed, Nanak took it, went and cast it. The field sprang up, but who protects it? Any one's cattle, any one's ass, any one's filly, any one's horse eat it away, Nanak removes none (of them). Kalu went and saw that his flejd had sprung up well. Becoming angry (that the field had been wasted) he began to reproach him {i.e. Nanak), and said: "A fine son has in thee been born in my house to cause destruction!" and going away he began to say to the Pandit Hari Dayal: "A fine umbrella is turned about in my house; such are thy Vedas and Puranas! my field, that had sprung up, is wasted by him! " The Pandit Hari Dayal said: " Thou hast no in- formation whatever, thou art luckless! thou hast no profit whatever from Nanak, other people will be profited by Nanak and how many will be liberated (by him)! having heard the words of Nanak they will do them. Nanak will become famous among Hindus and Musalmans. The people having heard and read the Vedas (and) the book (=.the Kur'an) wiU do (them). The four Vedas, the eighteen Puranas, the six Shastras and the Bhagavad-(Glta) and as many Gitas as there are, all will suddenly come out of the mouth of Nanak without having read (them) (as) from the invisible (world). Hear, Kalu, be not alarmed about him! It is weighty to say of him, what cannot be said of a corporeal being, that Nanak appears to me even as the Formless one (the Supreme Being). Between him and the Formless one there is no difterence whatever." Then Kalu remained silent.

When Nanak was fifteen years of age, Kalu said to him: "What sort of a man art thou,

' Here the second compiler breaks off suddenly without carrying the story to tlie end, which is also rather abruptly finished in the first compilation. It is very significant that this whole Sakhi is left out in the Lahore edition, as it was considered rather derogatory to Nanak.

who wast bom in my house? In the time of old age my name is drowned by thee. I have no more any hope. First K^anaki was born and then thou. I had hoped that my name would remain after me, and thou hast been born such a man! Whilst I live my name is drowned by thee." Nanak remained silent. Then Kalu said again: "I am gradually worn out and die and thou givest me no answer! "

"When Xanak had become seventeen years of age, Kalu said to Ifanak: " Son, I have become anxious about thee, think of something!" K"anak answered: "Well, father, pardon me now! Whatever thou wilt teU me concerning the field, that I will do."]

Ndnali is sent on a trading trip and spends his money on Faqlrs. Ho is beaten hy his