Vol. II — Life of Guru Amar Das, the Third Guru, Chapter VII
There was a Bairagi named Mai Das, a most devout worshipper of the god Krishan. Strictly adhering to all Vaishnav ceremonials, he would only eat what he had cooked with his own hands. His chief desire was to behold the yellow-robed, peacock- crowned god in bodily form. In the hope of obtain ing assistance for the purpose from the Guru, of whose fame he had heard, he went to Goindwal. On arriving there, however, he was informed he could not see the Guru until he had eaten food from his kitchen. He decided that as a strict Vaishnav he could never partake of such food, and he accordingly took his departure. On his way home he said to himself, ' I have been lucky in deciding to see the Guru, but unlucky in departing without seeing him. I will by way of consolation go to Dwaraka to see Krishan.' He accordingly made the long journey to Dwaraka, and took up his abode in an adjacent forest. On the night of his arrival he was holding the fast of the eleventh of the lunar month, during which he was allowed to eat fruit, but it was not obtainable for it was then the winter season. Cold winds were blowing, rain was falling in torrents, light ning was flashing, and the night was appallingly dark. He called upon all his gods, ' O Wasdev, O Krishan, O Girdhari, I have no shelter but in you.' At last in his dire extremity he accidentally found a hollow tree in which he took shelter for the night.
On the morrow at daybreak he searched the whole
forest, but could find nothing to eat. Closing his eyes and meditating on God he prayed for relief. A supreme Jogi, seeing his devotion, brought a plate full of dal and rice, and laying it before him de parted. Mai Das on opening his eyes was astonished to see prepared food in such a place. He reflected, 1 This food having been cooked in water is impure. If I eat it, I shall become an outcaste, and if I do not, I shall die. Well, if die I must, let me die by all means, but I will not abandon my principles.'
The supreme Jogi knowing his unshaken faith placed before him unobserved a plate of sweets, which, as having been cooked in clarified butter, even a devout Hindu could receive from the hands of another without defilement. Mai Das then began to consider : ' Into this solitude no man may bring sweets, nor have I seen anybody coming or going. Impure food was first brought me, and when I refused it, I received pure food. It was certainly God who came to me, but through my misfortune I did not see him.' Mai Das searched in every direction, and again began to call on his god, ' 6 Krishan, O Girdhari, O Murari, pardon my sins.
0 compassionate one, O Gobind, grant me a sight of thee.' Full of devotion he wandered weeping and shouting through the forest. It is said that he then heard a voice : ' Thou hast not taken food from Amar Das's kitchen, and hast not beheld him ; there fore shalt thou not obtain perfection. If thou desire to do so, then first behold Amar Das.'
On hearing this Mai Das returned to Goindwal. Invoking his favourite god, he partook of food from the Guru's kitchen, and was then allowed the privi lege of sitting in the Guru's court and beholding him who had been so long the special object of his thoughts and aspirations. The Guru addressed him,
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might ever behold him. The Guru replied, ' Abide with me for eight days, keep the company of my saints, and I will then point out to thee thy spiritual guide.'
Meanwhile the Sikhs continued with great energy and devotion to excavate the Bawali. After digging very deep they found large stones which hindered their progress. The Sikhs prayed the Guru to remove the obstacle. He counselled patience, and said that all should be well in due time.
When water obstinately refused to enter the Bawali, the Guru inquired if there were any of his Sikhs sufficiently courageous to drive a peg into its base with the object of removing the obstruction. At the same time the Guru warned his hearers that the operation involved great peril. The man who performed it must be able to stem the current which would issue from the aperture formed by the peg; otherwise he would be drowned. All the Sikhs re mained silent, and no one ventured to undertake such a perilous task. At last Manak Chand of Vairowal, a young man with a sprouting beard, who was married to a niece of the Guru, declared himself at the Guru's service.
This man's history is connected with the miracu lous power of the first Guru. When Guru Nanak visited Thatha, Hari Chand who was childless took him an offering of milk in the hope of obtaining the object of his desires. The Guru being pleased, said, ' A gem (manak) shall be strung on thy necklace.' Within a year a son was born to him who was called Manak Chand, in remembrance of the word used by the Guru and the fulfilment of the prophecy.
Manak Chand, invoking God's name, extracted the peg, whereupon there immediately issued a rush ing stream which overflowed the Bawali. Manak, though on his guard, was upturned, and though striking out vigorously sank to the bottom. Next morning his old widowed mother and his young wife
came and sat on the margin of the Hawaii weeping piteously. The aged mother was crying out, * Ah ! Manak my son, who will protect me now ? Thou oughtest to have taken me with thee.' The Guru inquired who was weeping. The Sikhs brought the old lady to him, and she bowed at his feet. The Guru said, ' Manak is not drowned, he will save many a one yet. Have patience, and he will come to thee/ The Guru went and stood by the Bawali. He called out, ' Manak, behold thy mother is weeping for thee, come and meet her/ Manak's body at once rose to the surface. The Guru meditated on God, and touched the young man's body with his foot, upon which he walked forth from the water in the full possession of life and vigour. The Guru then ad dressed him : ' Thou art my living — jiwar — son. Thy sons shall be called sons of Jiwar. Now become Mai Das's spiritual guide, go home, and wealth and supernatural power shall come at thy bidding.' Thus, by the favour of the Guru, Jiwar and his descendants have been reverenced by succeeding generations.
By this time Mai Das's stay of eight days was at an end. The Guru told him that Manak Chand should become his spiritual guide. The Guru having ordered him to go and preach to all people thus con tinued : ' Thou too shalt make converts and become a famous saint ; save men by giving them God's name, read the Guru's hymns, and all blessings shall attend thee.' Mai Das, having received spiritual and temporal favours from Manak Chand, returned to his village. He afterwards paid the Guru a yearly visit, obtained mental peace, found salvation for himself, and became empowered to grant it to others.
The Bawali when finished yielded sweet drinking water, and the Sikhs greatly rejoiced at the comple tion of their labours. It was provided with eighty- four steps. The Guru decreed that whoever should attentively and reverently repeat the Japji on every step, should escape from wandering in the wombs
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of the eighty-four lakhs of living creatures. Sadha- ran, a Sikh carpenter, devoutly made woodwork for seven steps of the Bawali and clamped it with iron.
It was now the time for the Emperor Akbar to make his periodical visit to Lahore. Having crossed the Bias he made a detour to Goindwal, and accom panied by a large escort of Mughal and Pathan soldiers made a state visit to the Guru, of whose sanctity he had heard such favourable accounts, and presented him with costly offerings of every descrip tion. The Emperor, out of respect for the Guru, walked on the bare ground as he approached his residence. He learned, however, that he could not have an interview with the Guru until he had par taken of his food. The Emperor inquired of what the food consisted, and was informed that it was coarse unseasoned rice. He asked for some and par took of it as if it were ambrosia. Having seen the large number of people fed from the Guru's kitchen he requested him to accept his service and his offer ings. He added, ' I will make thee a grant of what ever land thou desirest, and I am ready to perform any other office that may be pleasing to thee.' The Guru replied, ' I have obtained lands and rent-free tenures from my Creator. He who cherisheth all existences giveth also unto me. My Sikhs devoutly give me wherewithal to supply my kitchen. What ever cometh daily is spent daily, and for the morrow my trust is in God.' The Emperor pressed on him the acceptance of several villages, but the Guru was firm in his refusal. The Emperor then said, ' I see thou desirest nothing. From thy treasury and thy kitchen countless beings receive bounties, and I entertain similar hopes. The villages which thou refusest I will grant to thy daughter Bibi Bhani.' The Emperor upon this signed a grant of the villages in her name. The Guru gave the Emperor a dress of honour, and dismissed him, highly pleased with