The Sikh Religion/Volume 2/Angad/Life/Chapter II
Chapter II
The Guru now began to enter on a systematic trial of the devotion of his Sikhs. One winter's night, as heavy rain was falling, a part of the wall of his house fell. The Guru said it must be repaired at once. His sons said it was now midnight and very cold, but they would send for masons and labourers in the morning, who would do the necessary repairs. The Guru replied that there was no need of masons and labourers. The Guru's work must be performed by his Sikhs. Everybody was silent except Lahina, who at once stood up and began to repair the wall. The Guru's sons and other Sikhs went off to sleep. When Lahina had to some extent restored the wall, the Guru said, ‘That is crooked, throw it down, and build it up again.’ Lahina did so, but the Guru again professed not to be satisfied. The foundation must be moved back, which meant that the wall must be thrown down again, and built up for the third time. Lahina obeyed his master's order, but the master again expressed his dissatisfaction, and asked to have the wall again destroyed and again rebuilt. Upon this the Guru's sons told Lahina that he was a fool to obey unreasonable orders. Lahina, putting himself into a respectful posture, replied that a servant should make his hands useful by doing his master's work. The Guru then said to his family: ‘You know not this man's worth. He used every year to visit the shrine of Durga. Now, having met the Guru, he hath remained to serve the true God.’ The Guru and his disciple grew daily more pleased with each other. In proportion as the Guru instructed him, divine knowledge entered his heart. The Guru's sons grew jealous of the devoted servant and disciple, and took no pains to conceal their dislike. Probably in order to still the enmity which daily increased, the Guru suggested that Lahina should return for a time to Khadur. The Guru said: ‘Thy father, mother, and relations are much distressed at thine absence from them. Wherefore return to Khadur, tarry there for some time, and cause God's name to be repeated. I myself lived there once in the house of Satbharai. My bed is still there. Thou shalt behold me in Khadur as if thou wert near me.’
Lahina, who was the essence of obedience, at once proceeded to Khadur. On his arrival it became known that he had spent three years with Guru Nanak, and had made great progress in virtue and spirituality. Accordingly, everybody went to pay him homage. Among others Takht Mal, the head man of the city, went to touch his feet. Lahina said to him, ‘This must not be, since thou art in every way of higher rank than myself; but Takht Mal knew of the power Lahina possessed to render him spiritually perfect, and would not abate a jot in his devotion to him. He pressed Lahina to give him religious instruction by which he might be saved. Lahina accordingly repeated to him the following hymn of Guru Nanak :—
God will regenerate those in whose hearts there is love;
He will make them happy with gifts, and cause them to
forget their sorrows.
There is no doubt that He will assuredly save them.
The Guru cometh to meet those for whom such destiny
hath been recorded,
And will give them for their instruction God's ambrosial
Name.
They will walk as it pleaseth the true Guru, and never
wander a-begging.[1]
Why should he, for whom God's court is at hand, bow to
any one else?
The porter at God's gate will ask him no questions
whatever.
Man shall be saved by the words of those on whom God
looketh with favour.
There is no one to advise Him who sendeth and recalleth man.
God knoweth how to do all things; He destroyeth,
constructeth, and createth.
Nanak, the Name is the reward of him to whom the
Gracious One showeth favour.[2]
On hearing this the doors of Takht Mal's understanding opened, and divine knowledge shone on him. All the Sikhs, believing Lahina to be even as Guru Nanak, went to do him homage. Bread was daily made and distributed to visitors, and the devotion of the people daily increased.
The Guru, knowing Lahina's devotion, went to visit him in Khadur. Lahina and his wife fell at the Guru's feet, and placed everything they had at his disposal. The Guru taught Lahina contempt for the world, discrimination, and divine knowledge. Having thus made him spiritually wise with excellent instruction, the Guru returned to Kartarpur, leaving Lahina in Khadur. While reciting the prayers taught him by the Guru, the time passed speedily for Lahina. Hopes, desires, and worldly love all vanished, while his spiritual love and devotion were all centred on God. As gold is tried by the touchstone, so did Guru Nanak try Lahina, and find him pure and altogether fit for the exalted office of Guru.
Henceforth Lahina never went into the town. He remained absorbed in spiritual thought and love of the Word. The only time he left his house was when he went to the border of a tank outside Khadur, where he used to lie down in incessant and unwavering meditation on God.
Guru Nanak, knowing Lahina's devotion, was not very long in paying him another visit, and thus addressed him: ‘Thou hast performed excessive devotions. I cannot endure that thou shouldst suffer any longer. Between thee and me there is now no difference. None of my Sikhs hath such faith and confidence in me as thou, and therefore I love thee most of all. Thou art verily Angad a part of my body. I congratulate thee.’ Saying this the Guru embraced him, and took him to Kartarpur.
While at Kartarpur Guru Nanak found time to attend to agriculture. He sowed several fields of corn which gave him an unfailing supply for his kitchen, from which he fed all comers, Musalmans as well as Hindus. Once, when there was an unusual crowd of visitors, continuous rain fell for three days, and it became impossible to light a fire or cook, so that there was nothing to eat for his guests. The Guru went out into the fields, taking with him his sons Sri Chand and Lakhmi Das. He explained to them his difficulty, and how improper it would be that his guests should want for anything as long as they sought shelter with him. His sons replied, ‘How can we satisfy such a crowd in this heavy rain? Whence can we obtain sufficient bread?’ The Guru said, ‘Climb this kikar tree, shake it, and it shall rain fruit and sweets to satisfy our visitors.’ Sri Chand replied, ‘Nothing can fall from kikar but thorns or bitter fruit.’ The Guru then addressed his other son: ‘Climb this tree and shake it.’ Lakhmi Das replied, ‘Hath such a thing ever been done before? Have sweets and pastry ever fallen from trees?’ The Guru then told Angad to do what his sons had refused. Angad with great alacrity climbed the tree, shook it, when down fell heaps of every conceivable form of Indian sweetmeats. When the Guru's guests had partaken thereof and satisfied their hunger, they began to sing praises of the Guru and his faithful disciple. Angad promptly explained that such power was not in himself. It was divine knowledge not sweetmeats which dropped from the tree. It was all the miraculous effect of the Guru's words. The Guru on hearing this said, ‘My words are profitable, but only they who obey them shall obtain the fruit thereof.’ It was then for the first time the Guru's sons and many of his Sikhs realized the value of obedience.
The Guru had by now well tested Lahina's devotion, but at the same time deemed it proper to make further trial, principally with the object of humbling the pride of his sons, and convincing them and his disciples that Lahina alone was worthy to succeed him. On one occasion near midnight, when the sacred songs had ceased, and all except the Guru had retired, he called his sons, told them that his clothes were soiled, and asked them to take them at once and wash them. They replied that all the wells had stopped,[3] that it was dark, and that, even if by any means they succeeded in washing the clothes, they could not dry them at that hour. When it was day they would procure a washerman who would perform the required service. The Guru said it would be well if they went themselves at once and washed them. They replied, that, if he could not wait till morning, he had better put on other clothes. Upon this the Guru addressed himself to Angad. Angad at once took up the clothes, where upon day dawned, and he found the wells on the outskirts of the city in motion. He rapidly washed and dried his master's clothes. On returning with them in an incredibly short space of time, everybody was astonished, and the Guru again expressed himself delighted with his service.
One day, as the Guru was washing his hair, the cup he used slipped from his hand and fell into a deep sink. The Guru told his sons to bring it to him quickly. They replied that the sink was very deep and full of dirty water, but that they would get somebody to dive for it. Upon this the Guru told Angad to restore him his cup. As soon as Angad put in his hand, it is said, the cup rose to the surface of the water, and he had no difficulty in taking it out and presenting it to his master. The Guru then said to his wife, ‘Sri Chand and Lakhmi Das are thy sons; Lahina, who obeys me, is my son.’ The Guru's wife duly admonished her sons, giving them hope at the same time that, if they obeyed their father's orders, one of them might be found fit to succeed him. The mother's words were addressed to deaf ears for the sons in no wise showed filial affection or obedience. The last trial of Guru Angad was on the subject of eating the corpse mentioned in the Life of Guru Nanak.
One day, as the Sikhs were assembled, the Guru seated Angad on his throne, put five pice and a coco-nut in front of him, and said to Bhai Budha, ‘This is my successor; put a tilak on his forehead in token of his appointment to the Guruship.’ Bhai Budha did so. The Guru then ordered his people to obey and serve Angad, who was in his image. Whoever did so should obtain the reward thereof. Guru Nanak's sons were highly displeased at being superseded. He told them that Angad alone had proved himself most worthy of the Guruship. It was a position which depended on self-sacrifice, Angad had exhibited that virtue in the highest degree, and consequently had the best claim to the position to which he had been elevated. Guru Nanak directed Angad after his appointment to the Guruship to return to Khadur. He obeyed, though he wished to remain in attendance on his master even to his latest breath. Bhai Gur Das thus describes the succession of Guru Angad :—
Angad got the same tilak, the same umbrella over his head,
and was seated on the same true throne as Guru Nanak.
The seal in Guru Nanak's hand entered Guru Angad's,
and proclaimed his sovereignty.
He left Kartarpur, and went and lit the Guru's lamp in
Khadur.
What was sown in the beginning hath germinated in this
world; to offer another opinion were false cleverness.
Lahina obtained the gift from Nanak, and it must descend
to the house of Amar Das.[4]
A short time after the appointment of Guru Angad, Guru Nanak departed this life in the manner already related.