“Gharib Dã Muh – Guru Ki Golak”

• Poor man’s mouth is the Guru’s coffer.

Guru HarGobind ji once visited Kashmir. There lived his faithful follower Sewa Das who was always longing to serve the Guru. Sewa Das lived in the town of Srinagar ( capital of Kashmir) where the Guru planned to go. On the way, however, another faithful follower, Kattu Shah, met the Guru and requested him to stay with him in his cottage for some days. The Guru promised to stay with Kattu Shah on his way back. He advised Kattu Shah to sing God’s praises and serve the needy. Kattu Shah was very faithful and did as Guru had adviced.

One day a group of pilgrims, on their way to see the Guru, broke their journey at Kattu’s cottage. Kattu served them water and did lot of Sewa. He did all that he could for the Sangat. Kattu himself was very hungry and noticed a honeypot which the pilgrims were carrying for the Guru and requested them to show him the honey. When the pilgrims showed it to him he asked if he could have a little on his finger to taste, but the pilgrims refused, saying, “We cannot offer you any honey because it is meant for the Guru only and we cannot offer your
leavings to the Guru.”

Next day the pilgrims reached the Guru’s camp and placed the offering before him. The Guru looked at the honeypot but declined to accept, saying, “I have asked for the same on the way but you refused.” This shocked the Sikhs who begged for pardon and requested Guru ji to please enlighten them with the knowledge of when did they declined to hand over the honey to Guru ji whereupon he said, “Listen my friends, the idea of the offerings is that those
who can spare should help others in need. The offerings you bring to me are for the common good. God wants us to help and share with the needy. With the help of your offerings, Guru Arjan (5th Guru) started a home for lepers at Tarn Taran (Punjab ). Wherever you find a needy person, place your offerings there and understand that in this way they will reach the Guru. The offerings that do not reach the needy are useless.

Take this honeypot away, this has become unfit for Human consumption as a result of refusing to help the needy in whom is the spirit of the Guru. Go to my kitchen, prepare fresh honey and take it to Kattu Shah at once.”
All the Sikhs bowed before the Guru and understood the right way of making offerings.

gurasikhaa a(n)dhar sathigur varathai chun kadtae ladhhovaarae ||
=> The True Guru prevails among His GurSikhs; they pick out and expel the wanderers. (Guru Raam Daas Ji, Raag Gauree, 312).

s o gu r oo so s ikh h ai bhaaee ji s j oth ee j oth m i laa e ||1|| ( Raag Sorath, 602).
=> He alone is the Guru, and he alone is a Sikh, O Siblings of Destiny, whose light merges in the
Light. ||1||

Guru Nanak Dev ji, knowing that his time to depart from earth was approaching, appointed Angad Dev ji(formely bhai Lehna ji) his successor. On September 2, 1539 (2 Asu, 1596 Asu vadi 5) Guru Nanak placed five Paise before Bhai Lehna and bowed to him in token of his succession to the Guruship. He placed the umbrella of Spiritual Sovereignty over Bhai Lehna’s head.

“Jot uha jugat sai seih kaya feir paltiai.”
(Ramkali ki Var- Rai Balwand, p-966)

‘Divine Light is the same
The Way and Mode are the same
The Master has merely changed the body.’
(Translation of the above)

When Guruship was passed on to Guru Angad, sangat/people realized that Guru Nanak was soon to depart bodily from the world (As a Divine Light and Spirit, the Guru is always present). The Sikhs, the Hindus and the Muslims came from all over to have holy glimpse of Guru Nanak.

Guru’s Muslim devotees wanted to bury Guruji after his death. whereas the Hindu followers desired to cremate Gurujis body. When Guruji was asked for his decision, he replied, “Let the Hindus place flowers on my right and the Muslims on my left.
Those whose flowers are found fresh in the morning, may have the disposal rights of my body.”
The Guru drew a sheet over him. When the sheet was removed next morning, there was nothing, but the flowers on both sides were afresh. The light blended with Light and the spirit went back and merged with the Master Spirit.

The Hindus and the Muslims removed their respective flowers and cut the sheet into two. The
former cremated the sheet and the latter buried it.

‘Baba Nanak Shah Faquir; Hindu Da Guru, Musalman Da Peer’