Page:The Sikh Religion, its gurus, sacred writings and authors Vol 1.djvu/319

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ASA KI WAR
223

Guru Nanak

Nanak, the Formless One is without fear ; all the Rams were dust.
How many stories there are of Krishan ! how many Veds and religious compositions ![1]
How many beggars dance, and fall, and again beat time !
Actors enter the market-place and draw forth their appliances ;[2]
Kings and queens sing and utter nonsense ;[3]
They wear earrings worth hundreds of thousands, and necklaces worth hundreds of thousands.[4]
The body on which they are worn, O Nanak, shall become ashes.
Divine knowledge is not sought in mere words ; to speak concerning it were as hard as iron ;
By God's grace man obtaineth it ; skill and orders are useless therefor.

Pauri IV

If the Kind One look with kindness, then is the true Guru obtained.
The soul hath wandered through many births, and now the true Guru hath communicated the Word.
There is no benefactor so great as the true Guru ; hear this, all ye people.
By meeting the true Guru who hath removed pride from his heart, and who preacheth the Truest of the true,
The True One is obtained.

Slok V

Let all the gharis be your milkmaids, and the pahars your Krishans and Gopals[5] :
Let wind, water, and fire be your jewels ; and the moon and sun your avatars ;

  1. Also translated — How many expound the Veds !
  2. Also translated — draw a crowd around them. This hymn purports to give a brief description of the miracle-plays of Rām and Krishan.
  3. Literally — speak of the upper and lower regions.
  4. Lākh takiān. Takā is really a double pice, or about a halfpenny of English money, but in the plural it means money in general.
  5. Gopāls are herdsmen among whom Krishan used to sport.