physician, what art thou doing?' The physician said that he was diagnosing his disease. Upon this Nanak laughed, and then uttered the following verses :—
The physician is sent for to prescribe a remedy; he taketh my hand and feeleth my pulse.
The ignorant physician knoweth not that it is in my mind the pain is.[1]
Physician, go home; take not my curse with thee.
I am imbued with my Lord; to whom givest thou medicine?
When there is pain, the physician standeth ready with a store of medicine:
The body is weeping, the soul crieth out, 'Physician, give none of thy medicine.'
Physician, go home, few know my malady.
The Creator who gave me this pain, will remove it.
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 which Death's powerful myrmidons may inflict.
I feel pain that my body shall perish by disease.
O ignorant physician, give me no medicine.
Such medicine as thou hast, my friend, removeth not
The pain I feel or the continued suffering of my body.
I forgot God and devoted myself to pleasure;
Then this bodily illness befell me.
The wicked heart is punished.
Ignorant physician, give me no medicine.
As sandal is useful when it exhaleth perfume,
As man is useful as long as he hath breath in his body,
So when the breath departeth, the body crumbleth away and becometh useless:
- ↑ Malār ki Wār.
