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When Nanak had attained the age of nine years, his father determined to have him invested with the janeu, or sacrific…
Make mercy thy cotton, contentment thy thread, continence its knot, truth its twist. That would make a janeu for the …
The priest explained that the custom of wearing a janeu had descended from the Vedic ritual, and that no Hindu could …
Though men commit countless thefts, countless adulteries, utter countless falsehoods and countless words of abuse; Th…
The Brahman priest, on hearing this, became angry, and asked the Guru if everybody else was a fool, and he alone, who…
By adoring and praising the Name honour and a true thread are obtained. In this way a sacred thread shall be put on, …
The Guru then wound up his instruction on the subject as follows :—
There is no string for the sexual organs, there is no string for women; There is no string for the impure acts which …
We have seen in the Introduction to this work that Sultanpur was then the capital of the Jalandhar Doab. At that time…
Nanak's marriage must have taken place soon after his sister's. It is related in the Janamsakhi which bears the name …
Nanak appears to have been further trusted in the capacity of a herdsman. While one day herding his buffaloes, he lay…
Nanak still persisted in doing no useful work, and his mother reproached him with his idleness. She counselled him to…
He who dieth in obstinacy shall not be accepted. Even though man wear a religious garb and apply much ashes to his bo…
After this Nanak lay down, remained in one position for four days, and declined all physical exertion.
Nanak appears to have become unfitted for all secular occupation. His idleness became notorious, and a serious source…
Make thy body the field, good works the seed, irrigate with God's name; Make thy heart the cultivator; God will germi…
His father and Rai Bular represented that that was not the way to become a husbandman, whose business ought to be man…
Become a husbandman, make good works thy soil, and the word of God thy seed; ever irrigate with the water of truth. F…
On the same occasion the Guru uttered the following :—
Make thy mind the ploughman, good acts the cultivation, modesty the irrigating water, and thy body the field to till,…
Then Nanak informed his father that he had sown his own field, and that its harvest was now ready. He had such confid…
On hearing this, his father told him to keep a shop, for a shop was as profitable as tillage. Nanak replied :—
Make the knowledge that life is frail thy shop, the true Name thy stock-in-trade; Make meditation and contemplation t…
Then again Kalu said, 'If thou desire not to be a shopkeeper, take horses and deal in them. Thy heart is sad; but do …
Make thy hearing of the sacred books thy merchandise, truth the horses thou takest to sell; Tie up virtues as thy tra…
Kalu in despair replied, 'Thou art lost to us; go and take government service. Jai Ram, Daulat Khan's revenue officer…
Make attention thy service, faith in the Name thine occupation; Make the restraint of evil thine effort, so shall men…
Nanak then informed his father that God had granted him the object of his prayers. The gains of commerce, of governme…
As men have heard, O Lord, so all call Thee great; But hath any one ever seen how great Thou art? Thy worth cannot be…
His father was not satisfied, but further remonstrated with Nanak. He enjoined him to abandon his whims and act like …
If I repeat the Name, I live; if I forget it, I die; It is difficult to repeat the true Name. If a man hunger after t…
Then his mother arose and told the household of Nanak's state. Upon this the whole family and relations grew sad, and…
His uncle Lalu among others exerted himself to console the young prophet. He represented to Nanak that all his relati…
All men are bound by entanglements; how can these be called good qualities? Nay, O Lalu, listen to the following qual…
Guru Nanak then became silent, lay down, and ate and drank nothing. The whole family represented to Kalu that somethi…
The physician is sent for to prescribe a remedy; he taketh my hand and feeleth my pulse. The ignorant physician knowe…
The physician asked Nanak what he himself thought his illness was. Nanak replied :—
I first feel the pain of separation from God, then a pang of hunger for contemplation on Him. I also fear the pain wh…
The following was on the same subject :—
Pain is arsenic, the name of God is the antidote. O ignorant man, take such medicines As shall cure thee of thy sins.…
Then the physician drew back, stood still, and said that Nanak was not ill. His relations and friends ought to feel n…
There is very little known regarding Nanak's married life excepting that he begot two sons, Sri Chand and Lakhmi Das.…
All the modern Janamsakhis make Nanak's marriage long subsequent to this, and after his departure to Sultanpur. They …