over his shoes till he returned. Sur Das with great pleasure took up the saint's shoes and said, Up to the present my wishes have only been expressed, but now they are fulfilled.' The high priest in collusion with the saint several times sent a man to call Sur Das while holding the shoes. He refused to come until he had completed the menial service he had undertaken. The high priest and the saint were both highly pleased with Sur Das's devotion.
Sur Das passed the remainder of his life in forest tracts in the worship and contemplation of God in the society of holy men. His shrine is near Banaras.
The following hymn of Sur Das in the Sarang measure on the happiness of communion with God is found in the Granth Sahib.
The people of God dwell with God.
They dedicate unto Him their bodies and souls; all they possess they dedicate unto Him. While voicing His name they become intoxicated[1] with divine pleasure.
On beholding Him men become free from sin, and obtain all things.
After gazing on His beautiful face, there needs nothing else.
He who forsaketh God and desireth any one else, is like a leech on a leprous body.
Sur Das, God hath taken my soul into His keeping and granted me deliverance[2] in exchange.
In the Granth Sahib of Bhai Banno, the following hymn of Sur Das in the same measure is also found. The ordinary Granth Sahib only contains the first line. The hymn was originally copied into the Granth Sahib of Kartarpur, but a pen was subsequently drawn through it and sulphate of arsenic rubbed over it for more complete erasure.
