The Story of Guru Nanak

Recounted by a Sikh preacher
Sikh facility on Ganga riverfront, Haridwar

There is a picture in the shrine of a scene with Guru Nanak standing on the steps of a ghat near the Ganges River. He’s pouring water away from the direction that many of the Hindus are pouring water. The Hindu system is to bathe in the river and then pour the water toward the sun, but Nanak is pouring it in a different direction, toward the Punjab. One of Nanak’s followers is playing a musical instrument as a worship method, and another one of his follower’s has something in his hand that is used for worship.

[The story-teller begins his tale with the following chant:] “Say, ‘Victory to Guru Nanak Dev Maharaj.’ Victory to the memory of his name.”

It is written, Guru Nanak Dev Ji’s journey to Haridwar. In the year 1519. And below this, a verse is written. The meaning of this verses is this: “When your mother and your father were alive, you did not give them tea to drink, or water. After they died, they went up, and then you fed them khir and other rich foods. You are lavishing gifts in their name. So Guru Nanak said, ‘don’t do it this way.’ You did all kinds of things to and for your parents when they were alive, and you even swore at them. But after they died, what did you do?”

Now Hindu people, you understand, after bathing, they give an oblation of water. The meaning of this is they give this water to the dead, and to the gods and goddesses. But Guru Nanak said, “you don’t do anything for the living.” But when the living die, you display this charade. With Nanak here [pointing to the picture] is Bala Ji, and this one is Mardana Ji. All the time, these two servers were with Guru Nanak. The one with the musical instrument’s job was to chant the name of Sathnam Ji and the praises of the guru; also, to sing kirthan.

Now when these three arrived in Haridwar, what did they see? They saw lots of people with long tufts of hair on their heads, offering oblations of river water to surya narayan. He said, “these people’s confusion and error needs to be removed.” Then he took water, and turning his back to the sun, he began to pour water toward the west, the place where the sun would set. Now the Brahmin establishment of that place said, “Look, look, look! Hey, baba, what are you doing? In that direction, there is only the Mecca-Medina of the Muslims. We Hindus don’t have any place in that direction.” Guru Nanak replied, “To whom are you pouring out your oblations of water?” They replied, “To our ancestors. And you, baba, to whom are you giving water?”

Now, in the Punjab, there is Kartharpur, beyond Jullunder. Guru Nanak began to say, “My fields are in Kartharpur, and those fields are drying up. I am giving water to my fields.” They said, “But baba, how will the water reach there?” Guru Nanak replied, “Is surya narayan standing here right next to us? If your water can reach him across an immeasurable distance, don’t you think my water can travel just over 400 miles?” They said, “No, baba ji, it can’t happen that way. We’ll check it out.” So Guru Nanak and the Brahmins got on a vehicle and traveled to Kartharpur. When they got there, the Brahmins asked people, “where are the fields of baba Guru Nanak?” And they began to say, “It’s those fields, over there.” They saw dry fields all around them, all were dry. But when they went to Guru Nanak’s fields, water was coming out of the ground.

All the gentlemen, the Brahmins, immediately put cloths around the guru’s neck, grass in their own mouths, and right there they paid him homage. And they began to say, “Baba, we have been proven wrong.” Then they came back to Haridwar together, and the Brahmins said, “Baba, we had forgotten.” And Guru Nanak replied, “Listen, beloved ones. Serve the living. There is no god anywhere else. He is here, roaming around in everyone. As many people as there are here, in all of them, God is here, roaming around.” So, he sat down here [in this temple], and began to give knowledge to everyone. He said, “Do good works, serve God, do what is good for the benefit of others. If anything can be produced, then sow it. Just as seed is sown in a field, so sow your good works in order to reap.”