his pilgrimage. The headmen of the villages granted by the Emperor went with offerings to the Guru, but he sent them and their offerings to Jetha, the husband of the proprietress. The management of the villages was entrusted to Bhai Budha, who went and lived in a forest in the midst of them.1
Every one was pleased on hearing of the healing virtues and fame of the Bawali, except a second Tapa who had settled in Goindwal. His heart was bitter as the colocynth, but his words as sweet as the mango. The Guru gave a great feast on the tenth day of the month following the completion of the Bawali. The Tapa, though invited, refused to attend. He said to the Guru's messenger, ' I want nothing from the Guru, nor will I give him anything. I will go to dine with the provincial governor instead. He too hath invited me, and from him I shall receive presents of gold coins.' The Tapa on going to the governor began to calumniate the Guru. ' Behold, O Diwan, Amar Das, though a Khatri, eateth the fruit of offerings as if he were a Brahman. He putteth men of the four castes all in a line, maketh them eat together, and thus destroyeth their religion. I have therefore refused to dine with him, and have come to thee as a candidate for thy favour/
The Tapa was disappointed. He received only a bad dinner and one rupee from the governor. On returning home he heard that the Guru was not only giving an elaborate banquet to his guests, but bestowing five rupees, and in some cases sixteen on every religious man who attended. On hearing this the Tapa was filled with regret and said, if he had known it, he would have dined with him instead of with the governor. He could thus have kept in the good graces of the Guru, and received a good dinner and at least five rupees from him. He went to the Guru's house, and said publicly that he had no quarrel with him, and did not desire any.
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The Guru's door happened at the time to be closed as the feast was in progress. The Tapa called from outside, but received no answer. He then went home and brought his son, whom he caused to leap over the wall of the Guru's courtyard and enter his dining-room. The Tapa's son succeeded in getting from the Guru a share of the banquet and five rupees. Notwithstanding this the Tapa boasted that he did not desire a present or a share of the feast served out promiscuously from the Guru's kitchen. He had only sent his son on the Guru's repeated pressing invitations. The Tapa, however, got the worst of the transaction, for his son injured his leg in crossing the wall, and the Tapa's own insolent speeches regarding the Guru were reported to the headmen of the city. After consultation among themselves they thought they would visit him, and see how he passed his time. They entered his apartment with out having given previous intimation, and caught him in adultery with the landlord's wife. They arrested him and took him to the landlord, to whose turn it now came to defend his honour. Such offences were then visited with exemplary severity. The Tapa was put to death with torture, On this incident Jetha composed the following :—
He is not a Tapa whose heart is greedy and who ever wander eth begging for mammon.
When he was first called, he would not accept the proffered money ; afterwards repenting he brought his son and seated him in the midst of the assembly.
The village elders all began to laugh, saying that the wave of greed had overcome the Tapa.
He will not approach the place where he seeth little wealth; where he seeth much there he forfeit eth his faith.
My brother, he is not a penitent ; he is a crane ; the saints .seated in council have decided this.
While employed in praising the rest the Tapa slandereth the true Guru ; for this sin God hath cursed him.
H 2
ioo THE SIKH RELIGION
Behold the result the Tapa obtained for slandering the true Guru — all his labours have been in vain.
When he sitteth outside among the village elders he is called a penitent ; when he sitteth at home he is committing sin ; God hath disclosed his secret sin to the elders.
Dharmraj said to his myrmidons, ' Take and place the Tapa where the greatest murderers are.
Nanak telleth what took place in God's court. He under- standeth whom God hath regenerated.1
The third Guru supplemented this hymn with his own injunctions: ' He is a Tapa or penitent who practiseth penance, who renounceth slander, false hood, envy, and jealousy, who is the same in woe as in weal. When a deceitful and ill-conducted man pretendeth to be a Tapa, his counterfeit gilding is soon discovered. Wherefore it is better to re nounce evil deeds, falsehood, and deception/
The Guru again added the following : —
He whose heart is false acteth falsely ; He goeth about for money, yet he calleth himself a peni tent ;
Led astray by superstition he frequenteth all places of pilgrimage.
How shall a penitent obtain the supreme reward ?
By the favour of the Guru a few are sincere :
Nanak, such penitents shall obtain salvation at home.
The true penitent :—
He is a penitent who performeth the penance Of remembering the Word on meeting the true Guru. The service of the true Guru is the acceptable penance : Nanak, such a penitent shall obtain honour in God's court.
LIFE OF GURU AMAR DAS 101