Guru Granth selections: Life of Guru Nanak and the Japji (The Sikh Religion vol. I)

The astrologer after calculating draweth out a horoscope ; He readeth it to himself and others, but knoweth not the reality. Deem the Guru's word the highest of all ; Utter no other discourse ; it were all in vain. Thou bathest, and washest, and worshippest stones, But without being imbued with God thou art the filthiest of the filthy. Abandon pride, and thou shalt meet God the real wealth. Repeat God's name, and thou shalt succeed in obtaining emancipation. Thou readest not thine epic poems nor reflectest on the Veds: Drowned thyself, how canst thou save thine ancestors ? Few understand that God is in every heart. When man meeteth the true Guru, he obtaineth under standing. By making calculations such as thine doubt and sorrow enter the mind ; But, when the Guru's protection is sought, happiness result eth. Having sinned we come to him for protection. 1 People and jog are subdivided according to the three qualities. According to man's acts in a former state the Guru causeth him to meet God. God cannot be obtained unless man enter the Guru's protection ; Otherwise he is led astray in superstition and suffereth transmigration. He who hath not God in his heart and whose conduct is not according to the Word,

Shall be bound at Death's gate and punished for his sins. Men call themselves Teachers, Pandits, and Missars ; l But they who are tinctured with mammon shall not reach God's mansion. He who by the Guru's favour hath the support of the Name, Is unequalled amongst millions. One man appeareth evil and another good ; but they are both contained in the True One : The learned man understandeth this by the aid of the true Guru. A few holy men who know the one God, Have ended their transmigration, and become absorbed in Him. They in whose hearts is the one God, Possess all excellences and meditate on the truth. They who act as pleaseth the Guru Are true, O Nanak, and shall be absorbed in the True One. The following was addressed to a rich sinner who visited the Guru :— O silly man, as thou earnest so shall thou depart ; as thou wert born so shalt thou die ; As thy enjoyment so shall be thy suffering ; through forgetfulness of the Name thou shalt fall into the terrible ocean. Thou art proud on beholding thy beauty and wealth. Thou hast extended thy love to gold and woman ; why hast thou forgotten the Name and gone astray ?

1 A title applied to Brahmans by Hindus. SIKH, i A a Not having practised continence, truth, self -restraint, or virtue, thou shalt suffer in the skeleton of a ghost. Alms-gifts, ablutions, and austerities are of no avail ; without association with the saints, thou hast been born in vain. Through the covetousness that attacheth to thee thou hast forgotten the Name ; thy life hath been wasted in transmigration. Death will hasten to seize thee by the hair and punish thee ; and, when he eateth thee, thou shalt have no con sciousness for repentance. Day and night thou revilest others and art jealous of them ; the Name is not in thy heart, and thou hast not universal benevolence. Without the Guru's instruction thou shalt not obtain salvation or honour ; without God's name thou shalt go to hell. Thou practisest disguise for a brief period like a conjurer, while thou art steeped in worldly love and sin. Seeing the extension of thy wealth here and there, thou hast become intoxicated with worldly love. Thou commit test sin on a large scale, and without remembering the Word hast fallen into error. Thou hast suffered great pain from the disease of pride ; but it shall depart when thou receivest the Guru's in struction.

The infidel seeing happiness and wealth coming to him becometh proud in his heart. He who owneth this body and wealth will take them back ; he who feeleth anxiety regarding them shall have sorrow. At the last moment nothing shall depart with thee ; whatever is seen is the result of God's kindness. God is the primal and infinite Being ; by treasuring His name in the heart man shall be saved. Thou weepest for the dead ; who heareth thy weeping ? He whom thou weepest for might have fallen to the dragon in the sea of terror. The infidel beholding his family, wealth, houses, and mansions falleth into needless entanglements. Man cometh when God sendeth him, and he goeth away when God calleth him. God continueth to do what is proper ; the Pardoner pardoneth. 0 brethren, search for the society of those who have tasted God's elixir. When man taketh the Guru's protection, then wealth, supernatural power, wisdom, divine knowledge, and the boon of emancipation are obtained. The pious consider woe and weal as the same, and are free from joy or sorrow. Nanak, he who chasteneth himself under the Guru's instruction obtaineth God, and God absorbeth him in Himself.

Men who are generally impure cannot obtain emancipation until their hearts are thoroughly purified :— As borax melteth gold, So lust and wrath melt the body. The gold is drawn over the touchstone, and must, until thoroughly pure, endure the fire. When it assumeth a high colour 2 the Assayer is satisfied. The world is a beast, and pride is its butcher.3 As thou actest with thine own hand, so shall be thy recompense. He who made the world knoweth its worth. What else is to be said ? Talking availeth not. The following is a satire on the professedly religious men of the time :— They who call themselves virtuous, commit sin and pretend that they are doing good. 1 This is a composition of Guru Nanak made in the south of India in praise of God. 1 The body must be purified as gold is by melting. God the Assayer is satisfied with it when it assumes a bright colour. 3 Pride is killing the world. Gurus go to private houses to impart instruction. A woman loveth man for the money he earneth for her ; Otherwise he may come or go as he pleaseth. Nobody obeyeth the Shastars or the Veds ;

The Qazi sitteth to administer justice ; He turneth over his beads and invoketh God, But he taketh bribes and doeth injustice. If any one call him to account, he will read and cite texts. The Muhammadan creed nlleth the ears and hearts of the Hindus. They carry tales to the judge and plunder the populace : j They make squares for cooking so as to appear pure. See what the Hindus are like. Jogis with long hair and ashes on their bodies keep wives. ] Children scream before and behind them. They miss the right road and obtain not union with God. Why do they put ashes on their heads ? Nanak, this is the state of this degenerate age, That men only speak of themselves and think themselves the best. The following is also a satire on Brahmans, Muhammadan priests, and Jogis:— A Brahman goeth to the house of a Hindu, Readeth texts, and putteth the sacrificial thread on a boy's neck. If the boy commit sin after putting on the thread, He shall not be accepted for all his ablutions and washings. The Musalman may praise himself, But without a guru or a priest he shall not be accepted.

Even when the road is pointed out, few travel by it. Without good works heaven is not obtained. Men seek the way in a Jogi's monastery ; And on that account put rings in their ears and become his disciples. With earrings on they wander about the world, While the Creator they pretend to search for is everywhere. All souls are travellers : When the death-warrant cometh for them there must be no delay. He who knoweth God in this world, shall recognize Him in the next. All others, whether Hindus or Musalmans, are chatterers. All men's accounts shall be taken in God's court ; And no one shall be saved without good works. He who repeateth the name of the Truest of the true, Shall not, O Nanak, be examined hereafter. Only the good shall be saved when the final reckoning is called for :— Nanak saith, O man, hear true instructionGod seated in judgement will produce His book and call on thee for thine account. The stiff-necked who owe anything shall be summoned ; And the angel Azrail placed over them. They shall see no way of escape ; they shall be entangled in the narrow streets. Falsehood is at an end, O Nanak, and truth shall at last

The following was addressed to a proud Muhammadan governor :— At thy waist is a handsome sword, thou art mounted on a handsome steed : Be not proud, saith Nanak, lest thou fall on thy head. Only good men can remain in the society of the saints :— Between the lake and the swan there is affinity from the beginning ; so it pleased the Lord. In the lake there are diamonds and pearls which form the swan's food. Cranes and ravens, however cunning they may be, cannot remain in lake Mansarowar.1 They cannot subsist there ; their food is different. 1 It is said that Lake Mansarowar in the Himalayas contains pearls, which are food for swans, but not for cranes and ravens. By the practice of truth, truth is obtained ; O false ones, false is your pride. Nanak, they for whom it was so ordered from the beginning meet the True Guru. My Lord is effulgent, if any one reflect on it. Nanak, serve Him who giveth ever and ever ; Nanak serve Him by whose service sorrow departeth, Sins are erased, merits take their place, and peace abideth in the heart. A hypocritical Sanyasi called Brahmpuri was mentioned to the Guru as a very worthy man. The Guru, knowing his real condition, composed the following : —

The perverse having through avarice abandoned their own homes, ruin themselves by casting covetous eyes on the houses of others. They have ruined their state as householders ; they have not met the True Guru, and through their stupidity are involved in a whirlpool. Of wandering in foreign countries and reading texts they grow weary, and their covetousness increaseth. Of weak intellect, they know not the Word ; they fill their bellies like cattle. 0 Sir, the way of the Sanyasi should be this : — He should under the Guru's instruction only think of the one God, love His name, and be satisfied with it. But the hypocrite mixeth ochre, dyeth his dress with it, and weareth the garb of a beggar ; He teareth his clothes to make a patched coat, and putteth money into his wallet ; Blind that he is and bereft of shame, he beggeth from house to house and preacheth to the world ; Led astray by superstition he knoweth not the Word and loseth the game. The fire which is within him is not extinguished without the Guru, yet he heateth himself with external fires 1 also. 1 The penance of five fires is frequently spoken of and resorted to

There is no worship without serving the Gam ; how man of himself recognize God ? He who slandereth others shall abide in hell, and be separated from the Supreme Spirit. He who wandereth to the sixty-eight places of pilgrimage is ruined thereby ; how can he wash away the filth of his sins ? He sifteth dust, applieth it to his body, and looketh for the way of mammon. He knoweth not the one God who is with him whether he be at home or abroad ; if any one tell him the truth, he groweth angry. While reading texts his mouth uttereth falsehoods ; that is all the wisdom a man without a guru possesseth. How can man obtain happiness without repeating the Name ? How shall he be honoured without the Name ? Some shave their heads, some twist long hair round them or wear a top-knot ; others through pride remain silent ; But without the love of divine knowledge their minds waver and hasten in every direction. Maddened by worldly love they reject nectar and drink deadly poison. They obey not God's order ; their evil deeds shall not be effaced, and they shall enter the bodies of beasts.

The Kapari with a bowl in his hand and excessive greed in his heart Abandoneth his own wife, and filled with lust coveteth his neighbour's. While preaching he knoweth not God's word, and attacheth himself to a prostitute. With poison in his heart he pretendeth that he hath no doubts, but Death will disgrace him. He who serveth the True Guru and removeth pride from his heart, is a true Sanyasi ; He desireth not clothes or food, but taketh what is freely offered him ; by Hindu devotees during the sultriest time of an Indian summer. They light fires around them in the four directions ; the sun over them is the fifth. He chattereth not ; he amasseth the wealth of patience ; and his passions he subdueth with God's name. Blessings on that man, who whether householder, Sanyasi, or Jogi, fixeth his attention on God's feet. He who in the midst of desires is without desires, and who loveth the one God is a Sanyasi. He who drinketh God's essence and preserveth a religious attitude in his own home shall obtain peace. The mind of the pious man who knoweth God wavereth not, but restraineth its wanderings.

He who under the Guru's instruction searcheth the house of the body, shall obtain the boon of the Name. Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiv are most exalted when they are imbued with the contemplation of the Name. Thy light, O Lord, is in the sources of production, in com positions, in the firmament, in the lower regions, and in all creatures. By repeating hymns containing God's true name and clasping it to the heart, all happiness and final deliverance shall be obtained. No one can be saved without the Name ; Nanak, that is the true way to swim across. The following was delivered in a fit of extreme religious fervour to Mihan and Sihan :— Woman, however many friends she may make, wandereth like an itinerant minstrel in transmigration. She who is separated from God obtaineth no access to Him ; how shall she be patient ? My soul is imbued with the love of the Beloved. I am a sacrifice ; I would cut myself in pieces for Thee ; look at me even for an instant with a glance of favour. Separated as I am from my Beloved in my father's house, how shall I meet him in my father-in-law's ?

I wear demerits round my neck ; I am ruined without the Beloved ; I am pining to death. If in my father's house I remember the Beloved, I shall find a dwelling in His. The wife who hath found her Beloved, the Lord of excel lences, sleepeth in peace. She maketh a silken coverlet and mattress for her couch, and arrayeth herself in a costly robe. The wife whom her husband abandoneth passeth the night in grief. Whatever dainties she tasteth and whatever dresses she weareth, Her youth passeth in vain without her Beloved ; she pineth away through separation from Him. Hear the song of the True One under the Guru's instruction. True is the throne of the True One ; she on whom He looketh with favour loveth Him. The possessor of divine knowledge applieth the salve of truth to her eyes, and then beholdeth Him who seeth all things. He who under the Guru's instruction dispelleth his pride and arrogance, shall understand and know God. They who please Thee, O God, are like Thee ; how many unhappy wives there are like me : Nanak, their Spouse parteth not from those who are imbued with the love of the True One.

God is the only true friend and relation :— Nor sisters, nor brothers, nor mothers-in-law remain with one : But, O companions, the true relationship with the Beloved, when found through the Guru, shall never be sundered. I am a sacrifice to my Guru, I am ever a sacrifice unto him. I have grown weary of wandering so far without a guru ; now the Guru hath united me with my Beloved. Paternal and maternal aunts, grandmothers, and wives of husbands' younger and elder brothers Come and go ; they tarry not but depart like relays of passengers. Maternal uncles and their wives, brothers, fathers, and mothers abide not. Assembled in great crowds at the river they depart with their baggage like travellers. 0 my companions, my Husband is dyed with the true colour. The true Husband never forsaketh ; He enjoyeth one with delight. All seasons are good for those who love the True One. The woman who knoweth her husband enjoyeth happi ness day1 and night. The ferryman calleth out at the ferry, ' Come on, make haste ; you delay.' 1 have seen at the other side those whom the Guru put into the boat. Some have loaded their baggage, some have set out with it, and others are weighed down by their loads.

They who have made true traffic are with the true God. I am not good, nor do I find any one bad. Nanak, he who effaceth his pride is as the True One. MARU SOLHE God has no incarnations : — God's secret is not found in the Veds or the books of the Musalmans ; He hath not father or mother or son or brother. There is no friend like God, who is to be obtained through the Guru by those who lead a holy life :— I have no friend like God Who gave me soul and body, and infused into me under standing. He cherisheth and watcheth over all creatures ; He is wise and knoweth the secrets of hearts. The Guru is like a lake ; we are his beloved swans : In the water are many jewels and rubies. God's praises are pearls, gems, and diamonds ; singing them maketh soul and body happy. 1 Deh in the original, pronounced exactly like its English equivalent. God is inaccessible, unfathomable, altogether distinct from His creation. The great Sustainer of the earth hath no end. God saveth man through the true Guru's instruction ; He blendeth with Himself those who are absorbed in His love.

How can there be emancipation without the true Guru ? He loveth the primal God who was before all time, Who mercifully granteth emancipation in His court, and pardoneth the sins which man committeth. The true Guru is the giver and procurer of emancipation. He prescribeth nectareous essence and cureth all diseases. He whose avarice is extinguished and whose mind is cool, shall owe no tax to Death the tax-gatherer. The body greatly loveth the soul ; The latter is a male Jogi, the former a beautiful woman. He enjoyeth her in dalliance day and night, but goeth away without taking leave. God having created the world arrangeth it ; He speaketh in the wind, water, and fire. The mind of him who associateth with evil passions wavereth ; he suffereth the consequences of his acts. They who forget the Name shall have to endure pain and misery. How can they tarry when they receive the order to depart ? They shall plunge into the pit of hell and suffer like fishes out of water. The apostate shall undergo the pain of transmigration in eighty-four lakhs of species. Man shall suffer according to his acts. There is no salvation without the true Guru ; man shall be seized and bound according to his acts.

Very narrow is the way like the edge of a sword. Man's account shall be taken, and he shall be pressed like sesame. There no mother, father, wife, or son will befriend thee ,• without love for God there is no emancipation. However numerous one's friends and companions may be in the world, There are no real friends but the Guru and God. Salvation dependeth upon serving the Guru, and night and day singing God's praises. Abandon falsehood, pursue truth, And thou shalt obtain the fruit thy heart desireth. Few are they who traffic in true merchandise ; they who do so obtain profit. Depart with the merchandise of God's name, And thou shalt easily obtain a sight of God's court. A perfect man under the Guru's instruction searcheth for God, and thus beholdeth Him who looketh on all alike. God is infinite, but under the Guru's instruction is found by a few Who teach their hearts the Guru's word. Accept the true Guru's word as true ; thus shalt thou be absorbed in God. Narad and Saraswati are Thy servants, O Lord. The greatest of the great in the three worlds are Thy servants. In all things is Thy might ; Thou bestowest on all ; everything is Thy creation.

Some worship at Thy gate, and thus dispel their sufferings. They who are emancipated by the true Guru, receive a robe of honour in Thy court. The true Guru breaketh the entanglements of pride, ant hindereth the mind from wandering. Meet the true Guru, look for the way To reach God, and thus have no account against thee. Efface pride and serve the Guru, O Nanak, and thou shalt be dyed with God's love. Miscellaneous instruction of the Guru : — The Creator is the true Lord Who carefully support eth the globe of the earth. The Creator beholdeth the work of His hands ; true and independent, He created the different species of animals. Two travellers l have struck out two roads. There is no emancipation without the perfect Guru ; it is profitable to repeat the true Name. The perverse man readeth, but knoweth not the way : Led astray by error he knoweth not the Name. The false evidence the evil man giveth for a bribe becometh like a halter round his neck. Brahmans read the Simritis, the Shastars, and the Purans: They engage in disputations, but know not the Real Thing : Without the true Guru they find not the Real Thing.

They who are purified by the True One walk in the true way. Everybody praiseth God and speaketh of Him as he hath heard. God is wise and assayeth the true. They on whom God looketh with favour are holy and praise His word. How many speak of God according to what they have heard ! They speak of Him according to what they have heard, but know not His limit. He to whom the Unseen hath manifested Himself knoweth the story of the Ineffable. When one is born gratulations resound ; The ignorant sing songs of rejoicing ; But he who is born shall assuredly die, and undergo the destiny allotted him. It is my God who effecteth union and separation of the soul and body. He who created the world assigned His creatures woe or weal ; But the holy who wear the armour of mildness are un affected by them. Good are they who deal in the truth ; By the Guru's wisdom they obtain the true merchandise. He who possesseth the wealth of the true merchandise, is enraptured with the true Word. 1 The founders of the Hindu and Muhammadan religions. Loss accrueth from false dealings.

The pious carry on their dealings according to God's will. Their capital remaineth intact, their stock-in-trade safe, and they escape from Death's noose. Every one speak eth of God according to his own pleasure. The perverse who are attached to mammon, know not how to speak of God. The understanding and utterance of the blind man are blind ; he shall suffer the pain of transmigration. In pain he is born, in pain he dieth. His pain cannot be removed except by seeking the Guru's protection. In pain he is created, in pain he perisheth. What hath he brought with him ? what shall he take away ? True are the acts of those who are subject to the Guru ; They shall not suffer transmigration or feel the edge of Death's sword. He who abandoneth the branches of the tree of the world,1 and only knoweth God the essential root of all things, enjoy eth true delight in his heart. Death shall not punish godly people, Nor shall they experience the pain of the difficult road. They worship God's name in their hearts and mention no other. They who repeat not God's praises shall be punished at last; While they who please Thee, O God, shall abide according to Thy will :

They shall go with a robe of honour to Thy court and be happy by the True King's order. Many describe Thine attributes, O Lord ; what availeth my speaking ? The greatest of the great find not Thy limit. Nanak, may I obtain the truth ! preserve mine honour, O Lord ; Thou art the Monarch of monarchs ! 1 Worldly entanglements. The following is said to be instruction given to Taru and Bharu during the Baisakhi fair at Kartarpur :— Put away from you lust, wrath, and slander ; Abandon avarice, and covetousness, and you shall be free from care. He who breaketh the chain of superstition shall be free, and feel divine pleasure in his heart. The happy and incomparable perfect Guru showeth man Day and night the light within him, and he beholdeth it Like a bright flash of lightning at night. Meet the true Guru, and God Himself Who placed the lamps of the moon and sun in the firma ment of heaven will save you. Continue to love God, and you shall behold the Unseen One pervading all three worlds. He who obtaineth the ambrosial essence loseth his avarice and his fear. He who effaceth himself obtaineth the fearless position.

He who acteth according to the pure Word shall attain a lofty degree, the loftiest of the lofty. The Name of the Unseen and Inapprehensible is un equalled ; The juice of the beloved Name is exceeding sweet. God's praises be given to Nanak, and in every age repeat ye His name whose end is not known. The heart which hath obtained the diamond of the Name Shall obtain patience by repeating and reverencing it. Put the Destroyer of fear into thy stubborn heart, and thou shalt not be born again. Man is saved by love of devotion and the Guru's word. I crave the boon of the praise of God's name. If God be pleased, He will cause us to meet the true Guru and save the whole world. Death's myrmidons and Death himself worship the feet of those Who repeat God's name under the Guru's teaching and directions. Man's state and condition become exalted by exalted com pany, and he crosseth over the terrible ocean of the world. This world which is a terrible ocean, is crossed over by the Guru's instruction •And by dispelling the heart's doubts. Let man take the five arrows,1 put them on the bow of his brain and kill Death.

How shall the apostate obtain knowledge of the Word ? Without a knowledge of the Word man undergoeth transmigration. Nanak, salvation dependeth upon the instruction of the Guru whom God by perfect good fortune hath caused us to meet. The Fearless One, the true Guru is our protector. The great God is obtained by devotion. For him who obtaineth the Bright One under the Guru's instruction, the unbeaten strain of joy resoundeth. The Fearless One is He on whose forehead no destiny is recorded. He is in visible, but we behold Him through His omnipotence. He transcendeth the world •, He is unborn and selfexistent, O Nanak, and is obtained by the Guru's in struction. Only the True Guru knoweth the state of man's heart. He is fearless who recognizeth the Guru's instructions, Beholdeth God within him, knoweth that He pervadeth creation, and alloweth not his mind to wander elsewhere. He in whose heart God dwelleth is fearless, And day and night delighted with the bright Name. Nanak, God's praises are obtained from the society of the saints, and man is thus easily blended with Him. He who knoweth that God is with him whether at home or abroad, Who remaineth attached to the world and bringeth home his wandering mind,

Shall obtain, O Nanak, the ambrosial essence of the True One who dwelleth in the three worlds, and who was before all things. 1 The five virtues. MARU KI WAR I Man shall certainly be responsible for his acts :— Creation was by God's order ; in His court the truth is accepted. The Lord will call for man's account ; 0 man, stray not on beholding the world. Nanak, God will keep an account of the love and affection of him Who watcheth over his heart, and is a pure-minded darwesh. The condition of really holy men :— For those who dwell apart and live on the bread of alms God is everywhere : The diamonds of their hearts are pierced with God's diamond, O Nanak, and their necks are gorgeous with jewels. True devotion and repetition of the Name secure salvation :— Recognize God's primal love,1 and worship the great God. Shall Death then, O Nanak, strike thee on the head ? Nay ; the Name shall cause thee to meet God. Many sects appeal to the Veds, but it is heartfelt devotion which secures salvation :— The drum of the Veds loudly resoundeth for many a faction.

Remember God's name, Nanak ; there is none but Him. Where man is proud there art Thou not ; where Thou art, there no pride is. 0 men of divine knowledge, understand this riddle — the story of the Ineffable One is in the heart, But without the Guru the Real Thing cannot be found : it is concealed though it dwelleth in every heart. 1 Explained to be the love of God which disposes Him to protect the child in the womb. God is known by meeting the true Guru and implanting his instruction in the heart. When pride departeth, doubt, fear, and the pain of trans migration depart. By the wisdom of the Guru the Unseen is seen, Man's intellect becometh exalted, and he is saved. Nanak, repeat the spell of God in whom the three worlds are contained. To engage in ritualistic practices is of no avail :— To give a feast, make a burnt offering, offer alms, perform penance and worship, and endure bodily pain for ever are all of no avail. Without God's name salvation is not obtained ; the holy man obtaineth it by the Name. Without God's name it is useless to be born in the world.

To eat poison, to speak for the sake of poison (mammon) without the Name is to die an unprofitable death and wander in transmigration. To read books, discuss grammar, and pray three times a day are all of no avail. Without the Guru's instruction, O mortal, where is salvation ? without God's name man is entangled and dieth. Even though man take up the beggar's staff and pot, and adopt the hair-tuft, the sacrificial thread, and the dhoti of the Hindus, go to places of pilgrimage, and wander far and wide, Yet shall he not find comfort without God's name ; he who repeateth it shall be saved. Even though man weave his hair into a crown, apply ashes to his body, doff his clothes, and wander naked, Yet shall he be not satisfied without God's name ; it is under the stress of prenatal acts man assumeth a devotional garb. Thou, O God, art in all creatures that are in the water, the dry land, the nether regions, and the firmament. By the favour of the Guru preserve Thy servant ; Nanak stirring God's elixir hath drunk it. The following was written with buoyant feeling after the departure of a cold winter in the north of India :—

All hail to the great month1 in which spring ever beginneth. Ever and ever remember the Sustainer of the earth, and thy heart shall rejoice. 0 silly man, forget thy pride, Subdue thy pride and meditate on God in thy heart ; adopt the most excellent virtues. Good acts are the tree, God's name its branches, religion its flowers, divine knowledge its fruit, Attainment of God its leaves, and the dispelling of mental pride its dense shade. They who behold God's power with their eyes, hear it with their ears, and repeat the true Name with their tongues, Obtain the full wealth of honour and tranquilly meditate on God. The great season hath come, be careful and do good works. Nanak, the pious who continue absorbed in God shall be perennial and never wither. The following is a refutation of the general Indian ideas on the subject of impurity :— There is no impurity in songs,2 there is no impurity in knowledge ; 3 There is no impurity in the moon's or sun's different phases ; 1 Basant, the Indian spring, is generally considered to begin between the i2th and i4th of March. 2 As supposed by the Musalmans. 3 The Brahmans assert that the Veds should not be communu

to women and Sudars. During the period of Brahmanical ascemleru y in India the Sudais were forbidden under pain of death to^read the Veds— they might only repeat God's name* Among the Sudars are included all women. There is no impurity in corn, there is no impurity in ablution ; 1 There is no impurity in rain which falleth everywhere ; There is no impurity in earth, there is no impurity in water ; There is no impurity contained in air. There are no virtues, Nanak, in the man who is without a guru. It is he who turneth away from God whose mouth is impure. The Guru mentions things which confer purity on men of different classes :— Nanak, the following handfuls 2 of water are pure if any one know how to fill them — Divine knowledge for the Pandit, continence for the Jogi Contentment for the Brahman, alms out of what he hath himself earned for the family man,3 Justice for the king, meditation on the True One for the learned. Although water when drunk will quench thirst, the heart cannot be washed with it. Water is the generator of the world, and shall finally destroy everything.

The futility of idolatry : — Thou in thy house keepest an idol with its attendant gods :* Thou washest it and worshippest it ; Thou offerest it kungu, sandal, and flowers ; Thou fallest at its feet and propitiatest it to the utmost Yet it is by continually begging of men thou clothest and ^upportest thyself. 1 As supposed by the Jains, who avoid water. 2 Chuli, as much water as can be taken in one hand. Water is taken in handfuls by Hindus and drunk as grace before and some times after meals accompanied by sacred texts. Hindus also use water in the same way when taking solemn oaths. 3 As contradistinguished from the almsgiving of thieves out o! their plunder. 4 Such as Lakhshmi, Garur, Ganesh, &c. For such foolish acts shalt thou receive the punishment of the foolish. The idol giveth thee not when hungry, nor presenvth thee from death. It is like a foolish quarrel among the blind. God has no partner, wherefore supplication should be made to Him direct :— If Thou have any partner, 0 God, I will speak of Thee in his presence. But Thou hast no partner, therefore will I praise Thee to Thy face. Thy name giveth sight to the blind.

One of the Guru's reflections on this degenerate age :— In the Kal age men have faces like dogs, and eat carrion. They bark as they utter falsehood, and have no regard for honesty. They who have no honour while alive, shall have an evil reputation after death. What is destined taketh place, Nanak ; what the Creator doeth cometh to pass. They who deceive men by selling them charms and amulets shall not find salvation :- Accursed the lives of those who write God's name to sell it. They whose crop is spoiled require no place for a har\ v-theap. They who are devoid of truth and modesty will recvivr no assistance hereafter. The ways of wisdom :— Call not by the name of wisdom the wisdom which is spent in wrangling. By wisdom the Lord is worshipped ; by wisdom honour is obtained. It is by wisdom what is read is understood, it is by wisdom alms are properly bestowed. Nanak saith, these are the ways of wisdom, all i«lsr are ways of wickedness. The virtues and practices which are most potent to secure deliverance :— They who make truth their fasting, contentment their place of pilgrimage, divine knowledge and meditation their ablutions,

Mercy their idol, and forgiveness their rosary, are fore most in God's favour. Nanak, few there are who make the right way their loin cloths, meditation on God their cooking squares, Good deeds their frontal marks, and God's love their food. Better to live by honest labour than by beg ging :— Men without divine knowledge sing hymns. The hungry Mulla maketh a home of his mosque.1 One man who earneth nothing slitteth his ears ; 2 Another becometh a beggar and loseth his caste. Touch not at all the feet of those Who call themselves gurus and pirs, and go begging. They who eat the fruit of their labour and bestow some thing, 0 Nanak, recognize the right way. Some moral commandments : — Cease to covet another's wife and another's goods ; shun the deadly sins of pride, Evil inclinations, slander, and lust and wrath the execu tioners. The inaccessible and illimitable God dwelleth in man's heart. He shall obtain nectar in his own heart, whose conduct is according to the Guru's precious instruction ; And who considereth woe and weal and the blame and praise of the world as the same. 1 He spends all his time in his mosque, so as to receive the more alms. 2 The Jogi.

Wisdom, knowledge, and understanding are obtained from God's name ; the love of God is obtained by association with the saints. Day and night profit is obtained from God's name given by the beneficent Guru. He on whom the Creator looketh with favour obtaineth instruction from the Guru's words. The body is the palace, the temple, and the house of God ; into it He putteth His eternal light. Nanak, the pious are invited to God's palace ; He will blend them with Himself. The Guru by familiar Indian examples expresses his love for God :— The chakwi will not sleep at night in the absence of her mate. When the sun riseth she gazeth on her beloved, and boweth, and toucheth his feet. 0 my Beloved, dear to me is Thy love, which shall be my companion. 1 cannot live for a moment in this world without Him ; so much do I thirst for Him. The lotus on the lake on beholding the sunbeams of heaven naturally rejoiceth : O my Beloved, such is the longing I feel in my heart that my light may be blended with Thine. The chatrik without water crieth ' Prio, prio!' and screameth aloud.

There is terrible thunder, it raineth on every side, but without its special raindrops the chatrik's thirst departeth not. The fish which is born and liveth in water, obtaineth weal and woe according to its previous acts. It cannot live for an instant without water ; its death or life dependeth on it. Woman is separated from her Beloved who liveth abroad : she sendeth Him a message through the true Guru. All cry out ' Prio, prio ! ', but they can only obtain their Beloved if it please the Guru. The Beloved is with us ; He ever associateth with the true ; He blendeth with Himself those on whom He looketh with favour. God is the life within all lives ; He pervadeth every heart. Through the Guru's favour He is manifest at home, and men become easily absorbed in Him. Arrange thine own affairs, O man ; the Lord of the earth is the Giver of happiness. When by the Guru's favour man findeth God in his heart, then, 0 Nanak, his burning is extinguished. Prayers ought not to be offered for worldly advan tages :— They who offer prayers shall die, and so shall they who are prayed for.

Nanak, it is not known where they shall be placed by God's order. The punishments that await the impenitent wicked : — Some have chains on their necks and are being led off to prison ; But by recognizing Him who is the truest of the true, they shall be freed from their bonds. He who obtaineth favourable destiny knoweth the True One. Man's fate is decided by God's order ; when man goeth before Him he shall know this. Recognize the Word which will cause thee to cross the terrible ocean. Thieves, adulterers, and gamblers shall be pressed like sesame ; Slanderers and backbiters shall be carried away by the flood. The pious who are absorbed in the True One shall be known in God's court. Worldly advantages distract men's minds from devotion :— Empire, wealth, beauty, nobility, and youth .in ii\< robbers ; These robbers have robbed the world without respect 1m any one. They who fall at the Guru's feet, however, rob them.1 The Guru's humility, the transitory character of human life, and the efficacy of the Name :— The world is very transient like a flash of lightning ; Yet, foolish heart of mine, thou thinkest not of the grave.

I am low and wretched; Thou, O God, art an ocean of generosity. Grant me only one thing — Thy name ; the poisonous things of the world please me not. By the skill of God even a fragile vessel holdeth water.2 Thou art omnipotent ; I have come into the world by Thy power. Nanak, the dog of Thy court, is growing madder every day for Thy love. The world is fire, God's name is what cooleth it. The bliss of divine composition :— Blest the paper, blest the pen, blest the ink-bottle, blest the ink, Blest the writer, Nanak, who writeth the True Name. He who batheth in the immortal water of divine know ledge taketh with him the sixty-eight places of pilgrima^-. A satire on Hindu sects and ritualists :- Jogis go to ruin in twelve sects, Sanyasis in tm. The Jogis, the Kaprias, and the plucked-headed Sara without the Word have halters round their necks. 1 That is, deprive them of the power of robbing. 2 A frail mortal may be possessed of divine knowledge. They who are tinctured by the Word are perfect Bairagis, Who beg to obtain alms in the wallet of their hearts that their love may be fixed on God alone.

The Brahmans read the epic poems before devotional acts, and cause others to perform them ; But without knowing God they know nothing ; the perverse are separated from God and miserable. They who obtain the Guru's instruction are pure, and shall be honoured at the true court. Night and day they love the jewel of the Name, and are blended with the True One in every age. All religious acts, purifications, austerities, devotion, penance, and pilgrimages abide in the Word. Nanak, if the true Guru be found, he will unite man with God, when sorrow and sin and death shall be no more. The feats of the Jogis and the tenets of the six religious systems of the Hindus are ineffectual to secure salvation :— The niwali feat,1 the suspension of breath in the dorsal chamber ; 2 the turning the brain into a still, making expiration and inspiration like the Jogis, and suspending the breath are of no avail. Without the true Guru man knoweth nothing ; he is led astray in error, sinketh, and dieth. The fool is defiled, and the more he washeth, the more is he defiled ; the filth of his heart shall never depart.

All religious acts are vain except the repetition of the Name ; they are like conjuror's tricks which deceive the spectators. The six religious duties are contained in the name of the Bright One. 1 This consists in passing a tape through the body to cleanse the stomach and intestines — a feat of the Jogis. 2 The Jogis assert that they can draw breath from the lower vertebral column to the brain, and suspend it when they please in its passage. We shall further on find that the passage is called the serpent's way. When the breath finally reaches the brain, it is said to distil nectar which produces a state of exaltation. Thou art, O God, an ocean of merits ; in inr arc demerit ^. The pursuit of worldly things is a foolish and sinful at i. The blockhead thinketh too highly of himself, and cannot understand his duty. The perverse desire fascinating wealth, and their speech is evil. According to the Hindus foul is the ablution of the Chandal, and vain are his religious ceremonies and decorations. False is the wisdom of the perverse ; their acts produce strife. In the impure man is pride ; he obtaineth not the flavour of the Lord.

Insipid the pleasure of doing other than the repetition of God's name. When Guru Nanak visited Ceylon he gave the following advice to its queen, who was proud of her beauty and her state :— Hear, young woman with the gazelle eyes, hear my serious and weighty words. First examine thy goods and make thy traffic. Dismiss l the evil and welcome the good. Consider, O young woman, what proclamation to give by which thou mayest find friends. Give thy soul and body to thy friends, and thou shalt thus enjoy the utmost hilarity. Love not that which is transitory ; Nanak, I am a sacrifice to those who understand this. In spiritual matters consult the holy :- If thou art to cross the water, consult those who have the skill to cross : They are very wise and will keep clear of the whirlpool. The dangers of the world :- There are continual showers, squalls, and tonvnts hundreds of thousands of waves succeed one another. 1 Dohidichai. Literally— make a proclamation to depart. Address the True Guru, and there shall be no fear that thy bark will founder. Another of the Guru's reflections on the sinfulness of his age :—

Nanak, to what hath the world come ? No companion or friend remaineth. Love hath ceased among brethren and kinsmen ; Faith is lost on account of mammon. The following was composed by Guru Nanak on seeing women mourning :— They are saying ' Hai hai ! ' and ' Oh Oh ! ' ; They beat their cheeks and pluck out the hairs of their heads ; They utter God's name l without meaning it : if they were absorbed in it, Then would Nanak be a sacrifice unto them. The Guru went to visit a man of reputed sanctity, but on finding him a hypocrite composed the following :— The raven washeth and rubbeth itself in a small pool in the desert ; Its mind and body are full of demerits and its beak of filth. The swan of the lake, not knowing that the raven was an evil bird, associated with him. Such is affection for the infidel ; O man of divine know ledge, understand the allusion. Congratulate the congregation of the saints, and act like a holy man. Pure is the ablution, O Nanak, when the Guru is deemed the river of pilgrimage. The really holy are few :—

The saints are few, not many ; deceit and wrangling prevail in the world.2 1 Oh hai. He is. 2 Also translated — They who act as become faqlrs are few in the world. The following has reference to the concremation of widows :— Nanak, the widow followeth her husband and dieth : >\\<- hath no power to live. But she who dieth struck by the news of her husband's death is acceptable. When the Allwise hath struck her with the arrow of love, it cannot be extracted. She whom God hath struck with it is struck, and being struck is acceptable. The body is frail and cannot be saved without God's grace :— Who can wash a vessel which is fragile in its construction ? The body is a compound of five elements ; it hath a false gilding. If it please God, the vessel shall be acceptable ; The supreme light shall shine and God's praises resound in it. Pride without merit :- Nanak, those men are the real donkeys who are proud without merit. A definition of a Brahman :- He is a Brahman who knoweth God, Who performeth works of devotion, penance, and self restraint ;

And who observeth the religion of mildness and ] Such a Brahman shall burst his bonds, obtain salvation, And be worthy of worship. A definition of a Khatri :- He is a Khatri who is brave in good deeds And who employeth his body in charity.1 The Khatri who inspecteth his ground before 5 gifts, 1 That is, who sacrifices himself for others. Shall be acceptable in God's court. The Khatri who practiseth greed, covetousness, and falsehood, Shall suffer for his misdeeds. The Guru required complete self-sacrifice from his disciples : — If thou desire to play at love with me, Come my way with thy head in the palm of thy hand. Put thy feet on this road ; Give thy head and regard not human opinion. The Guru, faith, truth, and the capital of God's name are necessary for salvation : — Without the Guru there is no divine knowledge, without faith no meditation ; Without truth there is no credit, and without capital no balance. If Ram had been God he would not have lost his queen Sita, and he would himself have healed his half-brother Lachhman instead of calling on Hanuman to do so : —

Ram Chandar mourned in his soul for Sita and Lachhman : He remembered Hanuman,1 and he came to meet him. The misguided demon Raw an did not know it was not Ram but God who did this. Nanak, God is independent : Ram could not erase his destiny. A purse-proud person addressed improper language to the Guru. When the Guru's disciples took this amiss, the Guru uttered the following : — Impute not blame to the Rai ; 2 his intellect is forsaking him in his old age. 1 See the story of Hanuman going for a plant to heal Lachhman, in Dowson's Dictionary of Hindu Mythology. 2 This word means a nobleman. The blind man talketh much and falleth into the pit. Whatever the Perfect One hath done is perfect ; there is no deficiency or excess in it. Nanak, the pious who know this, shall be absorbed in the Perfect One. PLEASE DO NOT REMOVE CARDS OR SLIPS FROM THIS POCKET