Men of God 1960 Edition
English

ABOUT

T. V. Kapali Sastry provides an overview of Sri Krishna Chaitanya, Guru Nanak and Guru Govind Singh

Men of God


GURU NANAK




A MIRACLE AT COURT

At Hardwar the Brahmins, impressed by his hymns and his true greatness, pressed the Guru in vain to return to his allegiance to the Hindu religion. At Panipat he had a long discussion with a Sheikh, a priest of a shrine. who in the end shook hands with the Guru, kissed his feet and said to those around: "He bears witness to God. To behold him is sufficient."

The Guru was not a miracle-monger, an itinerant showman. On arriving at Delhi, he heard that an elephant of the ruler Ibrahim Lodi had died. He said to the keepers: "No, it is not dead, go and rub the forehead of the animal with your hands and say ’Wah Guru.’ (i.e., hail to the Guru).” They did accordingly; the animal rose up. The Emperor was astonished and asked the Guru if he could do the miracle again if the animal died. Nanak replied: "God is the sole destroyer or re-animator. Prayers are for Fakirs."

The animal then actually died. When the Emperor commanded the Guru to restore it to life, he said: “Red hot iron cannot be held for a moment in the hand. Fakirs become red in the heat of God’s love and cannot be constrained." Though thus rebuffed, the Emperor was pleased.

The Guru then set out towards the east, visited the temple of Gorakh, met the Siddhas who were pleased with his inspired utterances and hymns. At Benares, the Chief Pandit, Chatur Das had a long discussion with the Guru and at its close, fell at his feet, became a Sikh and possessor of God’s name. At Kamarup (Assam), Nur-Shah, the queen, tempted him, but was at last taught true wisdom and means of salvation. On leaving Kamarup, he is said to have met Kalipurusha (the personification of the iron age) and to have been tempted by him. To Mardana he explained who Kali was. “When true men speak the truth and suffer for it; when penitents fail to do penance in their homes; when he who repeateth God’s name meeteth obloquy — these are the signs of Kaliyug."

He then made a coastal voyage on the Bay of Bengal, to Puri and returned to the Punjab, visiting on the way the shrine of Sheikh Farid, a great Muslim saint. Sheikh Brahm, (Ibrahim) its pious chief had long discussions with the Guru.









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