Pauri XVII
Caparisoned horses fleet as the wind and women adorned
with every aid to beauty[1]—
Men fix their hearts on them, dwell in mansions, pavilions
and palaces, and make display;
They enjoy pleasures to their hearts' content; but they
know not God and therefore fail.
They live by their authority, and, beholding their women s
chambers, forget death;
But old age shall come and youth fail them.
A rich man gave a feast to which Guru Nanak and several Brahmans were invited. During the feast a child was born in the house, whereupon the Brahmans refused food and departed, deeming the house impure. Guru Nanak remonstrated with the following:—
Slok XVIII
If the idea of impurity be admitted, there is impurity
in everything.
There are worms in cow-dung[2] and in wood;
There is no grain of corn without life.
In the first place, there is life in water by which everything
is made green.
How shall we avoid impurity? It falleth on our
kitchens.
Saith Nanak, impurity is not thus washed away: it is
washed away by divine knowledge.[3]
Guru Nanak
Impurity of the heart is greed, impurity of the tongue is
falsehood;
Impurity of the eyes is gazing on another's wealth, his wife,
and her beauty;
Impurity of the ears is listening to slander.
- ↑ Har rangi. Literally—with every colour.
- ↑ In India cow-dung, besides being used for religious purposes, is ordinarily used as fuel by poor people.
- ↑ In the current Janamsākhis it is stated that this slok was composed on the proposed purification of the Guru's house after the birth of his son, Sri Chand.
