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'''Guru Nanak's fourth Udasi''' (1519 to 1521)
[[Image:Guru Nanak 3rd Udasi.jpg|thumb|250px|Guru Nanak Dev Ji accompanied by Mardana Ji in Northern India|right]]
<hr>


The fourth Udasi was undertaken towards the west. Guru Nanak reached Pakpatan (Ajodhan) where he met with Sheikh Brahm who was the eleventh in succession to Baba Farid, whose [[Bani]] is also included in [[Guru Granth Sahib]]. The Guru had a wide range of discussion with Sheikh Brahm. The Guru stated,
{{main|The Udasis of Guru Nanak}}


:"Thou art the tablet, O Lord, Thou art the pen, and Thou art
[[Guru Nanak]] moved by the plight of the people of world wanted to tell them about the "real message of God". The peoples of the world were confused by the conflicting message given by priests, pundits, qazis, mullahs, etc. He was determined to bring his message to the masses; so in 1499, he decided to set out on his sacred mission to spread the holy message of peace and compassion to all of mankind.  
:also the writing,
:Speak of the one God; O Nanak, why should there be
:second." (Var Malar ki Mohalla 1, 28-2, p-1291)


The Sheikh asked the Guru to explain, "You say ,'There is only one God, why should there be a second?', and the Sheikh asked:
It is believed that [[Guru Nanak]] is the the second most travelled person in the world; most of his journeys were made on foot with his companion [[Bhai Mardana]]. He travelled in all four directions - North, East, West and South. The founder [[Sikh Guru]] is believed to have travelled more than 28,000 Kms in five major tours of the world during the period from 1500 to 1524.


:There is one Lord and two ways;
[[Guru Nanak]] saw the world suffering out of hatred, fanaticism, falsehood and hypocrisy. The world had sunk in wickedness and sin. So he decided that he had to travel and educate and press home the message of Almighty Lord. So he set out in 1500 on his mission for the regeneration of humanity on this earth. He carried the torch of truth, heavenly love, peace and joy for mankind. For 1 year he spread his message of peace, compassion, righteousness and truth to the people in and around his home.
:Which shall I adopt, and which reject?"


Guru ji replied:
==Guru Nanak's fourth Udasi''' (1519 to 1521)==


:"There is one Lord and one way;
The fourth Udasi was undertaken towards the west.
:Adopt one and reject the other."
{{tocright}}


<hr>
'''Places visited:'''
<hr>
Traditionall in a Var (like the Asa di Var) there has to be two beings mentioned to carry on a dialogue; so the Sheikh asked the Guru to let him hear a strain in praise of the One God. "My idea is", said the Sheikh, "that adoration cannot be performed without two beings, that is, God and the Rasul (Prophet). Let me see whom thou use as man's intercessor." Upon this the Guru asked Mardana to play the Rabab and he uttered the first Slok and Pauri of the Asa di Var:


:"I am a sacrifice, Nanak, to my Guru a hundred times a day,
1) Multan, Lakhpat, Karachi<br>
:Who without any delay made demigods out of man.
2) Addan, Jeddah, Al Mecca, Medina<br>
:Nanak, they who, very clever in their own estimation, think
3) Baghdad, Basrah, Karbala<br>
:not of the Guru,
4) Bushehar, khorramShahr<br>
:Shall be left like spurious sesames in a reaped field-
5) Tehran, Ashghabat, urgench, bukhara, Samarkand<br>
:They shall be left in the field, saith Nanak, without an owner.
6) Kandhar, Kabul, Hassan Abdal, Jalalabad<br>
:The wretches may even bear fruit and flower, but shall
7) Inscriptions in Turkey, Azerbaizan, Africa & Rome(Possibility)
:contain ashes within their bodies.


Pauri:
Starting in Punjab Guru Nanak  visited Sheikh Braham who was the eleventh successor to the Muslim holy sage  Baba Sheikh Farid at Pakpattan across the Sutlej from Lahore. From Sheikh Braham Guru Sahib acquired inspirational holy scriptural compositions of Sheikh Farid whose spiritual message was compatible with his own. He  also stopped at Vadodara, Junagarh & Lakhpat. (Lakhpat is about 20 Km from Korini village where there is a big Sarovar in memory of the visit by Guru Nanak Dev ji).


:God Himself created the world, and formed Himself into Name,
From Lakhpat Guru crossed to Pakpattan/Somiani port in Sindh  where he caught a boat loaded with pilgrims headed West to the Red Sea and Jeddah; from there he traveled SouthEast by foot to Mecca, also spelled Makkah, then he started his trip home traveling East to Medina (lit. the city) the place in which the Prophet of Islam is buried. From here he traveled through what is now Kuwait to  Basra and then North to Baghdad. He then traveled through Iran crossing to  Kabul in Afganistan and back through Peshawar to the Punjab.  
:He created Nature by His power; seated He beheld Hiswork with delight.
:O Creator, Thou art the Giver; being pleased Thou bestowest and practisest kindness.
:Thou knowest all things; Thou givest and takest life with a word.
:Seated Thou beholdest Thy work with delight." (Asa Mohalla 1, p-462-63)


The Sheikh then wanted a knife, "Give me such a knife that those who are killed with it, shall be acceptable to God. With the ordinary knife the lower animals are killed. If a man's throat be cut with this knife, it becomes carrion."
*[[Guru Nanak in Pakpattan]]
 
*[[Guru Nanak in Saudi Arabia]]
The Guru replied in affirmative:
*[[Guru Nanak in Turkey]]
 
*[[Guru Nanak in Greece]]
:"Truth is the knife, truth is pure steel;
*[[Guru Nanak in Baghdad]]
:Its fashion is altogether incomparable.
:Put it on the hone of the Word,
:And fit it into the scabbard of merit;
:If any one be bled with that, O Sheikh,
:The blood of avarice will be seen to issue forth.
:If man be slaughtered with it, he shall go to meet God,
:O Nanak, and be absorbed in the sight of Him." (Ramkali ki Var, Mohalla 1, 19.2, p-956)
 
On hearing this the Sheikh raised his head in amazement and said, "Well done. O Nanak, there is no difference between God and thee. Kindly bless me so that I too may be on good terms with Him." The Guru replied, "Sheikh Brahm, God will cause thy ship to arrive safe." The Sheikh requested the Guru to give him the firm promise of this. The Guru complied and blessed him with salvation.
 
According to the Puratan Janamsakhi, the first nine pauries (stanzas) of the Asa di Var, were uttered by the Guru during the discussion with Sheikh Brahm and the other fifteen pauries of Asa di Var were uttered for Duni Chand Dhuper of Lahore. The Guru then proceeded to Multan, Uch, Sakhar and reached Lakhpat, where a Gurdwara now stands marking the memory of the Guru's visit. Then he reached Kuriani where a tank is called after Guru Nanak. He visited Miani, about fifty miles west of the city of Karachi and visited the temples of Hindus and the Muslims in the area. Near Hinglaj, there is a Dharmsala preserving the memory of the Guru's visit to this place. From there he boarded a ship for Arabia.
 
==Guru Nanak At Mecca==
He disguised himself in the blue dress of a Muslim pilgrim, took a faqir's staff in his hand and a collection of his hymns called 'Pothi' under his arm. He also carried with him like a Muslim devotee, a cup for his ablutions and a rug whereon to pray. Like a pilgrim he went inside the great mosque where the pilgrims were engaged in their devotions. When he lay down to sleep at night, he purposely took care to turn his feet towards the Kaaba. A priest, Jiwan kicked him and said, "Who is this infidel sleeping with his feet towards the House of God?" The Guru replied, "Turn my feet in the direction in which God is not." Upon this Jiwan seized the Guru's feet and dragged them in the opposite direction. Whereupon, it is said, the Kaaba (temple) turned around, and followed the revolution of the Guru's body. Some say that when the Guru asked the priest to turn his feet in the direction where God was not, the priest came to realization that God was everywhere. But those who witnessed this miracle were astonished and saluted the Guru as a supernatural being.
 
Then the Qazis and the Mullas crowded round the Guru and asked whether he was a Muslim or a Hindu? The Guru replied that he was neither of the two. Then they asked, "Who is the superior of the two, the Hindu or the Muslim?" The Guru replied, "Without good deeds, both will repent. The superiority lies in deeds and not in mere creeds." The chief priest was a seeker of the Truth and he asked for Guru's blessings. The Guru preached the doctrine of Nam. He then gave instructions to the priest in the art of true living, to practice to live in His presence day and night and to glorify the Lord and thereby to rub out the dirt of sins from the tablet of the mind.
 
==Guru At Medina==
 
In due time the Guru proceeded to Medina (lit. The City) the holy city of the Muslims where their Prophet Mohammad lived for many years and breathed his last. He reached at nightfall and stopped outside the town. It happened to be a place where lepers were segregated and no provision was made for their comfort or treatment. History states that the Guru healed them all and as a result, the people came in crowds to have holy glimpse of the Guru. After that he journeyed to Baghdad through Basra.
 
==Guru At Baghdad==
 
There lived a very famous Muslim saint, Pir Abdul Kadar who died in Baghdad in 1166 A.D. He was also known as Dastgir and his successors were called Dastgirs too. The Muslim high priests did not like unethical and immoral musical verses. Instead of condemning the demoralizing poetry, they outrightly rejected the music ('Rag') itself. So according to Muslim Shariat (code of law), music was forbidden. The whole of Sikh scripture is in verse and in various different forms of Rags and Raginis. In the morning the Guru shouted the call for prayer, on which the whole population became rapt in silent astonishment. May be he did it differently than the Muslims. Then Mardana played the [[Rabab]] and the Guru started the Shabad Kirtan (musical recitation of Gurbani). Whosoever heard was in ecstasy. The news spread in the city. The high priest Pir Dastgir, another holy man, Bahlol and others came to see the Guru.
 
According to the Mohammadans there are seven skies above the earth and seven nethers including earth itself. The Guru began to recite the Japji. When he repeated the twenty-second pauri (stanza) of Japji, the Pir got wonder-stuck hearing something contrary to the authority of the holy Quran, that there were hundreds of thousands of nethers and upper regions, and that at last men grew weary of searching for them. The Pir then called upon the Guru to give a manifestation of what he said. Upon this it is said, the Guru laid his hand on the priest's son and showed him upper and lower regions described in Japji- pauri 22. To prove whether the boy actually saw those regions, he brought Parshad (sacred food) from one of those regions and gave it to his father. Both the Pir and Bahlol bowed before the Guru and asked for his blessings.
 
Bahlol became Guru's follower. It is said that he spent sixty years at the foot of the slab, where the sacred feet of the Guru had rested during their discussion. Later on a shrine was built there in the memory of the Guru. The English translation of the inscription on the slab inside the shrine is:
:"In memory of the Guru, that is the Divine Master, Baba Nanak, Faqir Aulia, this building has been raised with the help of seven saints, and the chronogram reads. The blessed disciple has produced a spring of Grace year 917" (Muslim year).
 
Swami Anand Acharya of Sweden mentions in his book ''Snow Bird'', published by Macmillan & Sons, London, that during his visit to Baghdad, he found another inscription on the slab, dated 917 Hijri. The inscription reads:
 
:"Here spoke the Hindi Guru Nanak to Faqir Bahlol, and for these sixty years since the Guru left Iraq, the soul of Bahlol has rested on the Master's word like a bee poised on a dawn-lit honey rose."


==Return From Baghdad==
==Return From Baghdad==
Line 86: Line 39:
From Kabul the Guru proceeded to Jalalabad, Sultanpur and passed through the Khyber Pass to reach Peshawar. There are Gurdwaras at Jalalabad and Sultanpur to mark his visit. There are springs of water associated with his visit. The Guru paid a visit to the Gorakh Hatri and had discourse with Yogis. He also went to Hassan Abdal, now known as Panja Sahib, and sat at the foot of the hill.
From Kabul the Guru proceeded to Jalalabad, Sultanpur and passed through the Khyber Pass to reach Peshawar. There are Gurdwaras at Jalalabad and Sultanpur to mark his visit. There are springs of water associated with his visit. The Guru paid a visit to the Gorakh Hatri and had discourse with Yogis. He also went to Hassan Abdal, now known as Panja Sahib, and sat at the foot of the hill.


==Guru Nanak And Vali Kandhari==
*[[Guru Nanak at Hassan Abdal]]
On the top of a small hill, not far from Kandahar, there lived a Muslim Faqir called Vali Kandhari who was well-known in the area for possessing miraculous powers. Mardana needed water which could only be obtained from Vali. who had damed the spring at the top of the hill , controling its release to the villagers below. Mardana very thirs had asked his froends mermission to go to  Vali and ask for water. He told him that Guru Nanak had arrived and he advised him to see the Guru, who was a great saint of God. Vali who claimed holiness exclusively for himself, became offended on hearing the Guru's praises. He refused to give water saying that if the Guru were such a holy man, he could provide water to Mardana. When this reply was communicated to the Guru, he sent Mardana back to the Vali with a message that he (Guru) was a poor creature of God, and laid no claims to be a saint. The Vali paid no heed to this protestation and still refused to provide water.
*[[Guru Nanak at Eminabad]]
 
Upon this the Guru picked up one stone and a stream of water immediately issued forth. In fact this water came out from the Vali's tank which soon dried up. This naturally increased Vali's rage and it is said that through his miraculous powers he hurled a boulder down the hill directly at Guru Nanak. The Guru, on seeing the boulder almost upon him, held up his right hand, and as the massive stone touched the hand of the Divine Master it came to a dead stop. With the divine touch, the stone  softened like wax leaving the shape the Master's palm pressed deeply into it. Vali Kandhari was very much astonished and at last fell at the feet of the Guru and begged for forgiveness. The Guru expressed, "O friend, those who live so high, should not be hard at heart like a stone." Vali was blessed by the Master.
 
The imprint of the Guru's hand (Punja) is still visible on the stone and the pool of crystal clear water still flows from around the stone where it came to a stop. Today there stands a Gurdwara at the site which is known as [[Gurudwara Panja Sahib]]. Though the Partitian stranded the Gurdwara in west Pakistan it is still an important place of Pilgimage for  Sikhs from around the world. Many of the pilgrims make the trip up the hillside to the Site of Vali Kandhari's Dera where a monument has been built in his memory. His interaction with Guru Nanak seems to have turned the once hated and feared Holyman into one who died admired and beloved.
 
==Guru At Saidpur==
 
[[Guru Nanak at Eminabad]]


==External Links==
==External Links==
Line 106: Line 51:
{{Guru Nanak Udasia}}
{{Guru Nanak Udasia}}


[[Category:Scriptures_and_Literature]]
{{Sakhis of Guru Nanak}}
[[Category:Guru Nanak Sakhis]]
 
[[Category:Scriptures_and_Literature]]

Latest revision as of 17:12, 20 May 2009

Guru Nanak Dev Ji accompanied by Mardana Ji in Northern India
Main article: The Udasis of Guru Nanak

Guru Nanak moved by the plight of the people of world wanted to tell them about the "real message of God". The peoples of the world were confused by the conflicting message given by priests, pundits, qazis, mullahs, etc. He was determined to bring his message to the masses; so in 1499, he decided to set out on his sacred mission to spread the holy message of peace and compassion to all of mankind.

It is believed that Guru Nanak is the the second most travelled person in the world; most of his journeys were made on foot with his companion Bhai Mardana. He travelled in all four directions - North, East, West and South. The founder Sikh Guru is believed to have travelled more than 28,000 Kms in five major tours of the world during the period from 1500 to 1524.

Guru Nanak saw the world suffering out of hatred, fanaticism, falsehood and hypocrisy. The world had sunk in wickedness and sin. So he decided that he had to travel and educate and press home the message of Almighty Lord. So he set out in 1500 on his mission for the regeneration of humanity on this earth. He carried the torch of truth, heavenly love, peace and joy for mankind. For 1 year he spread his message of peace, compassion, righteousness and truth to the people in and around his home.

Guru Nanak's fourth Udasi (1519 to 1521)

The fourth Udasi was undertaken towards the west.

Places visited:

1) Multan, Lakhpat, Karachi
2) Addan, Jeddah, Al Mecca, Medina
3) Baghdad, Basrah, Karbala
4) Bushehar, khorramShahr
5) Tehran, Ashghabat, urgench, bukhara, Samarkand
6) Kandhar, Kabul, Hassan Abdal, Jalalabad
7) Inscriptions in Turkey, Azerbaizan, Africa & Rome(Possibility)

Starting in Punjab Guru Nanak visited Sheikh Braham who was the eleventh successor to the Muslim holy sage Baba Sheikh Farid at Pakpattan across the Sutlej from Lahore. From Sheikh Braham Guru Sahib acquired inspirational holy scriptural compositions of Sheikh Farid whose spiritual message was compatible with his own. He also stopped at Vadodara, Junagarh & Lakhpat. (Lakhpat is about 20 Km from Korini village where there is a big Sarovar in memory of the visit by Guru Nanak Dev ji).

From Lakhpat Guru crossed to Pakpattan/Somiani port in Sindh where he caught a boat loaded with pilgrims headed West to the Red Sea and Jeddah; from there he traveled SouthEast by foot to Mecca, also spelled Makkah, then he started his trip home traveling East to Medina (lit. the city) the place in which the Prophet of Islam is buried. From here he traveled through what is now Kuwait to Basra and then North to Baghdad. He then traveled through Iran crossing to Kabul in Afganistan and back through Peshawar to the Punjab.

Return From Baghdad

From Baghdad the Guru passed through Iran, Turkstan and Afghanistan and then reached Kabul. Some writers believe that the Guru took the popular route from Baghdad towards Tehran, Kandhar and reached Kabul. On his way he passed through Mehds. Bhai Mani Singh's Janamsakhi makes a reference of his visit to this place. Since the visit of Guru Nanak to Kabul, the Sikh contacts had been carefully maintained. Sikh preachers were stationed there to disseminate the teachings of the Guru. At one time Bhai Gurdas also served as one of the Sikh missionaries at Kabul.

From Kabul the Guru proceeded to Jalalabad, Sultanpur and passed through the Khyber Pass to reach Peshawar. There are Gurdwaras at Jalalabad and Sultanpur to mark his visit. There are springs of water associated with his visit. The Guru paid a visit to the Gorakh Hatri and had discourse with Yogis. He also went to Hassan Abdal, now known as Panja Sahib, and sat at the foot of the hill.

External Links


Travels of Guru Nanak

First Udasi · Second Udasi · Third Udasi · Fourth Udasi · Fifth Udasi

Sakhis of Guru Nanak
Bhai Lalo's honesty Darshan The Guru always blesses all Durga worshipper from Khadur Sahib
Dukh Sukh Duni Chand Establishment of Kartarpur Nanak in Sikkim,Ladakh & Tibet
First Udasi Second Udasi Third Udasi The Udasis of Guru Nanak
Fourth Udasi Fifth Udasi Guru Ji's Sickness Guru Nanak and the Vaishno ascetic
Guru Nanak Grazing Buffaloes Guru Nanak and Duni Chand Guru Nanak and Moola Sacha Souda
Guru Nanak and the Sacred Thread Guru Nanak and two students Guru Nanak at Hassan Abdal Sajan the Robber
Guru Nanak at School Guru Nanak at Shikarpur Guru Nanak in Baghdad The Birth of the Guru
Guru Nanak in Mecca Guru Nanak in Nepal Mian Mitha The Two Villages
Guru Nanak in Tibet Guru Nanak in Tibet Quotes Guru Nanak's history Guru Nanak & The Doctor
Iron Clad Soldiers One God for the rich and... Janam Sakhis There is no Hindu and no Musalman
Janamsakhis Kauda the cannibal Mardana and the ants Three Days in the River
Mardana and the stone Mardana gives away clothes and food Watering the Crops Village of Children
Guru Nanak and the Brahman Guru Nanak and the Pandit Guru Nanak and the Millionaire Guru Nanak and Sheikh Brahm
Guru Nanak & the dried up river Bhai Bhoomiya Bhai Mardana Ji And Charity Bhai Sayt And Guru Nanak Dev
Daulat Khan Sakhis of Guru Nanak Stories of Guru Nanak Sakhis
Baba Wali Kandhari Durga worshipper from Khadur Sahib Guru Nanak In Syria Guru Nanak in Turkey
Hamza Gaus Heals the Physician How many Sikhs did Guru Nanak have? Raja Shivnabh And Guru Nanak Dev
Sheikh Brahm Mata Sulakhni