The Sikh Religion/Volume 2/Angad/Life/Chapter VI
Chapter VI
Mention has already been made of the Tapa who lived at Khadur. He was worshipped as a guru by the Khahira Jats. He was constant in his external devotions, and knew how to practise spells and incantations, but he cherished a most unholy jealousy of the Guru, and did all in his power to hinder the Guru's followers from making him the object of a reverence which, the Tapa contended, should never be shown to a family man. He maintained that it was he himself, who was both continent and a penitent, whom all men should worship.
It happened that one year there was a great drought in the land. The months of Har, Sawan, and even half of Bhadon—from the middle of June to the end of August—had passed, and the usual rains of the season had not appeared. Food stuffs became scarce and dear, and the people were greatly distressed. Cattle too suffered severely, and died in large numbers, for all the tanks were dry and no water came from heaven. The people went in a body to the Tapa and represented their condition. He said it was a small calamity in comparison with another which had befallen their town. ‘I am a monk,’ he said, ‘yet no one worshippeth me, but all worship the family man. Go now and tell the Guru to procure you rain.’ The cultivators replied: ‘The Guru telleth no one to worship him. He careth naught for king or emperor, he thinketh not of eating or drinking. Every offering made him is sent into his kitchen, whence the poor, the indigent, the traveller, and the stranger are fed. We have no power to compel the Guru.’
The Tapa replied, If you expel him from the city I will send you rain in less than twenty-four hours. If, on the other hand, you allow him to remain, let him cause rain to fall. On hearing this the ignorant Jats lost their heads, went to the Guru, and requested him to send rain. The Guru said, ‘Rest satisfied with God's will. God hath no partner in His designs, and no one can influence Him.’ The Jats then delivered to the Guru the Tapa's message. The Guru replied that if they thought they could thus gain their object, he would willingly leave their town. Bhai Budha was very angry with the Jats, but the Guru restrained him and said, ‘Our religion teacheth pardon for offences.’ Saying this the Guru turned his back on the town, proceeded some distance, and sat under a tree. The cultivators who lived in that neighbourhood were warned not to receive him. In this way he had to leave seven villages in succession, until at last he found refuge in a forest near Razad Khan's hillock, south of Khadur, where he was visited by neighbours who bore no allegiance to the haughty and hypocritical Tapa.
When Amar Das arrived in Khadur next morning, he found the Guru's house empty. On inquiring of the villagers, he learned all the circumstances connected with his master's exile. Amar Das told them they were fools, asked them if they had taken leave of their senses, and if a lamp could ever be substituted for the sun; that is, how could they have kept the Tapa and expelled the Guru? Upon this occasion Amar Das composed the two following sloks :—
By meeting the true Guru worldly hunger departeth, but
it departeth not by merely putting on a sectarial garb.
Through the pain of hunger the Tapa wandereth from
house to house; in the next world he shall obtain twofold
punishment.
His appetite is not satisfied, and he never eateth in comfort
what he obtaineth.
He ever beggeth with persistency and annoyeth the giver.
Leading the life of a householder, by which somebody
may gain, is better than putting on such a sectarial dress.
They who are imbued with the Word acquire understanding;
others are led astray by doubt.
They act as they were destined; it is of no use to address
them.
Nanak, they who please God are fortunate; they are
honoured and acceptable.
The fire of avarice is not extinguished by wearing a
sectarial dress; anxiety still continueth in the mind.
As striking a serpent's lair killeth not the serpent, so
a man without the Guru performeth useless acts.
Serve the generous true Guru, and let the Word abide
in your hearts;
So shall your bodies be refreshed, your minds become
happy, and the fire of avarice be extinguished.
You shall feel the height of bliss when you have banished
pride from within you.
The holy man, the real hermit, is he who continueth to
fix his attention on the True One.
He who is contented and satisfied with God's name, shall
feel not a particle of anxiety.
Nanak, without the Name man will not be delivered ;
he shall perish in his pride.[1]
The people all flocked around the Tapa, and said, ‘On account of thee have we fallen out with the Guru. When he was here, we always had enough even of dainties to eat from his kitchen. We have now expelled him, and yet no rain falleth.’ The Tapa replied, ‘Have patience; rain shall fall immediately.’ He then made every form of incantation, but without success. Amar Das explained to the people that, excepting God, nobody had power to send rain, and they had been most unwise in accepting the statements of a hypocrite against a man who had never harmed any human being. If the Tapa could cause rain to fall, why should he beg from house to house ? On this the people were satisfied of the Tapa's hypocrisy, and greatly repented of their treatment of the Guru. They then inflicted suitable punishment on the Tapa, so that other evil men might not be tempted to follow his example. After that they went in a body to solicit the Guru's forgiveness for their acts.
When Guru Angad heard of the Tapa's punishment, he felt much grieved and thus addressed Amar Das: ‘Thou hast not obtained the fruits of companionship with me, which are peace, forbearance, and forgiveness. Thou canst not endure things difficult to be endured. What thou didst, thou didst to please the rabble.’ On hearing this, Amar Das threw himself at the Guru's feet and humbly besought his pardon. He promised that he would for the future rigidly abide by such instructions as the Guru was pleased to communicate. The Guru replied: ‘Thou shouldst have endurance like the earth, steadfastness in woe and weal like a mountain; thou shouldst bear pardon in thy heart, and do good to every one irrespective of his acts. Thou shouldst deem gold and dross as the same, and practise humility, for the humble shall ever be exalted. Behold how valuable even minute diamonds are. The pearl is small, but consider its price. Reflect on the tiny fruit of the bohr-tree,[2] and to what a prodigious size it groweth, filling a forest far and wide.’
The Guru on his return to Khadur passed by a village called Bhairo, where lived a friend of his called Khiwan. Hearing of the Guru's coming, he went forth to meet him, and invited him to visit his house and bless it. The Guru accepted his hospitality, and made him supremely happy. Amar Das promised that the true Guru would grant Khiwan a son, and that that son should be a saint. On hearing this everybody was astonished that Amar Das during the Guru's lifetime should have adopted the role of prophet and bestower of offspring. Amar Das on reflection felt that he had again transgressed the Guru's injunctions, and expressed his contrition therefor. The Guru consoled him: ‘My light is in thee. For the future, whatever thou sayest, say with deliberation.’
There was great rejoicing in Khadur on the Guru's return. It was everywhere believed that the Tapa's punishment was a supernatural event to attest the Guru's divine mission. Henceforth no rival of Guru Angad set foot in Khadur.
The Guru, on now observing Amar Das's devotion, great merits, and innate nobility of character, said to his Sikhs: ‘Amar Das will save innumerable persons. Blest be the eyes which behold the saint of the True Guru, blest the hands which serve him, blest the feet which tread the way to the society of the holy, blest the ears which hear God's praises, and blest the tongue which refraineth from calumny, slander, and falsehood. Ever speak the truth, and sing the hymns of the Guru.’
The Guru's sons Dasu and Datu remained with him, but he was better pleased with Amar Das's service. It was the Guru's custom to distribute robes of honour half-yearly to his Sikhs. When Amar Das received his, he used to wear it as a turban or cushion on his head, and never remove it; and when he received another he used to tie it on the top of the last presented him. In this way he carried twelve turbans on his head by the time he was appointed Guru. On seeing him carry such a weight people said he was in his dotage, but in reality his faith and devotion daily increased. He felt no desire for wealth or supernatural power. His thoughts were ever absorbed in God, the Guru's service, and the distribution of alms to the indigent.
Once a rich Sikh presented a costly dress to the Guru. A drop of blood fell on it from a sore on the Guru's foot, and the Guru told Amar Das to take it to be washed. When the washerman examined it he said he feared the stain could not be removed. The cloth was of very fine material, and he asked not to be blamed if it were injured in the washing. Amar Das, on hearing this, sucked the blood from the dress, an extreme act of humility and devotion. The stain disappeared, and he took the dress thoroughly clean to his master, saying, As the stain hath vanished from this dress, so by thy favour hath impurity from my mind.’
Guru Angad's sore foot occasionally gave him great pain. One night, as matter was issuing from it, he complained to Amar Das that he could not sleep for the pain. Amar Das promptly applied his mouth to the sore and sucked it. The Guru obtained immediate relief and thus secured a good night's rest. He then told Amar Das to ask a favour. Amar Das replied, ‘Why suffer from this sore? The favour I ask is that thou heal it by thy supernatural power.’ The Guru replied by the twelfth slok of Asa ki War, and added :— ‘In pain God is remembered and the mind remaineth humbled. At night man awaketh in God's service and is estranged from the world.’