1 GURU NANAK. 243
2 near Kaptrthalé. Sultanptr lies on the old Grand Trunk Road between
3 Lahore and Dehli, provided with minars and serais at short distances, and
4 was a place of importance in Ndnak’s time. Ndnak was sent to Jay Ram
5 to find employment under the nawdéb. The nawdb put the almshouse
6 (Modi Khana) under the young man’s charge, and it is said that Nanak
7 distributed charity to the poor with such a liberal hand that in a short time
8 the funds and provisions of the establishment were completely exhausted.
9 Ndnak was charged with defalcations by the nawab’s servants, but when
10 the nawdb inspected the Modi Khana, and examined the accounts and the
11 articles, he found everything in its proper place, and the reports made to
12 him merely trumped up. He, therefore, conferred new honours on Nanak ;
13 but, some days after, the young man was again similarly charged, and, on
14 enquiry, the accusation being again proved groundless, he left the service
15 of the uawdb, notwithstanding his ardent entreaties that he would remain
16 in his employ. ;
17 Naénak became a public preacher at an early age. His sister
18 Nénki, after repeated admonitions, persuaded him to live in his house,
19 and, while he was in the service of Nawab Doulat Khan, and in the thirty-
20 second year of his age, a son was born to him who was named Sri Chand.
21 After four years anda half, Nanak was blessed with another son, who was
22 named Lakhmi Das.
23 Lakhmi Dds was a babe when Ndnak abandoned all his worldly con-
24 nections, and, putting on the garb of a faqir, started ona tour. His com-
25 panions in his travels were Mardand, the family mirdsi, or musician, a skil-
26 ful performer on the rubdéb or harp; Lahnd, who afterwards became his
27 , successor; Bdlé,* a Sindhi Jat, and Ram Das, surnamed Budhd, or the
28 ancient.* :
29 Whatever verses Ndnak composed in praise of the Divine Being, and the
30 sayings which he uttered to his votaries by way of admonition, were played
31 by Mardané on his rwbdéb, a stringed musical instrument like a guitar.
32 He travelled over the whole of India; visited Persia, Kdbul and other
33 parts of Asia, and, it is said, even Mecca, A story is related by both
34 Hindus and Mahomedans in connection with Ndnak’s visit to Mecca. It
35 is said that, while at Mecca, Ndnak was found sleeping with his feet to the
36 Kaabd, before which the Mahcmedans prostrate themselves when perform -
37 ing their devotions. The Kazi, Rukn-ud-din, who observed this, angrily re-
38 marked: “Infidel, how dare you dishonour God’s house by turning your
39 feet towards it!” “Turn them, if you can,” replied Ndnak, “in a direction
40 where the house of God is not.”
41 Ndnak was sometimes seen in the garb of a Mahomedan dervesh.
42 Meeting a party of Mahomedan faqirs at Multan, he told them that he
43 was but as the stream of the Ganges, which had entered the ocean of holi-
44 ness, referring, presumably, to the sanctity in which Multdén is held by the
45 Mahomedans, in consequence of the presence in it of numerous mausole-
46 ums of saints and devotees and of its being the resort of holy men.
47 _ Having devoted some years to travel, Ndnak came to Emnabad in
48 Gujrdénwala, and there lived with one Lali, a carpenter. Mardand, the rubdbt,
49 went home to visit his family. The chief of alwandi, Rai Buldr, who had
50 already been impressed with Ndnak’s talents, hearing of his recent travels,
51 became anxious to see him, and sent him a message to that effect through
52 re * Dr. Trumpp believes that Bal4 was nota companion of Nanak in his travels, becanse
53 is name does not occurin the old Janam-sakhi helieved to belong to Arjan’s time. I do
54 not consider this a sufficient reason for holding that the later accounts which associate Bila’s
55 name with the travels of Nanak, are untrustworthy, particularly since all authors, European
56 His employment
57 under Nawab Doulat
58 Khan Lodi,
59 Becomes a public
60 teacher,
61 Nanak’s two sons,
62 Sri Chand and Lakhmi
63 Das,
64 His compantong,
65 Mardana Lahné, Bala
66 *
67 and Budhé,
68 His travels,
69 Nanak at Mecca,
70 At Multan.
71 His return home.
72 Or native, gence Abate ARS TAPPER RSA Apex from his yout mqghariElibrary@ gmail.com