Men of God

THE LAST DAYS

Nanak’s last days were spent at Kartarpur and when in 1538, at the age of 70, the Guru knew his end was approaching, he appointed Angad as his successor. When this information spread, Sikhs, Hindus and Moselms came to bid farewell. There were some Sikhs who had seceded from the Guru. Angad begged of him to pardon them. “I have forgiven them all for thy sake”, said the Guru.

To his sons who had also rebelled, he said: “My sons, God giveth to his creatures. You shall have food and clothing in abundance, and if you repeat God’s name, you shall be saved at last."

When he heard of the dissension between his Hindu and Moslem followers regarding the disposal of his body after death, he decided: “Let the Hindus place flowers on my right, and the Moslems on my left. They, whose flowers are found fresh in the morning may dispose of the body.” When the solemn moment came, the last sloka of the Japji was sung. The Guru drew a sheet over him, uttered ’Wah Guru’, made obeisance to God and blended his light with Guru Angad’s. Next morning when the sheet was removed, it is said that nothing was to be seen-a supreme miracle! The flowers on both the sides were in full bloom.

The Sikhs erected a shrine and the Moslems a tomb on the Ravi; but both were later washed away.

After the Guru passed away, his successor, Guru Angad collected his compositions and reduced them to writing in Gurumukhi characters which he invented, and they are called the Adigranth occupying the first ward (Mohalla) of the "Granth Sahib," the sacred book of the Sikhs.