inquire the cause of her grief. They returned with the information that a young man had just died of tertian ague, and his mother was bewailing his loss. On hearing this the compassionate Guru prayed to the Deathless Being to console her. He told his Sikhs to repeat the first pauri of the Japji, and, while doing so, to put water into the mouth of the deceased. The Sikhs, instead of performing the ceremony themselves, brought the body to the Guru. He put water into the corpse's mouth, and touched the head with his foot, when lo! the youth was re-animated.
Once while a rich man was giving a religious feast a child was born in his house. The Brahmans in consequence declared the place impure, and refused food. The giver of the feast went to the third Guru to complain. The latter thereupon ordered his Sikhs to partake of the viands prepared, and they did so. The Brahmans subsequently went to the Guru to represent that his disciples had eaten impure bread. The following was the Guru's remonstrance :—
The love of mammon is mental impurity,
By which men are led astray in doubt and suffer transmigration.
The impurity of the perverse never departeth
Until they become saturated with the Word and with
God's name.
Whatever taketh the form of worldly love is all impurity:
On this account man dieth and is born again and again.
There is impurity in fire, in wind, and in water;
There is impurity in whatever is eaten;
There is impurity in religious ceremonies and in worship.
Only the heart which is dyed with the Name is pure.
By serving the True Guru impurity departeth:
Then man dieth not, nor is he born, nor doth Death
destroy him.
Let any one carefully examine the Shastars and Simritis,
and he shall find
