Mardana felt guilty about eating the follower's scarce provisions, but Guru Nanak reassured him
Let’s have a look at one of the many anecdotes aka Sakhis of Guru Nanak Dev Ji’s worldwide travels.
Guru Nanak Dev Ji, the first Guru in Sikhism, was travelling with his companion Mardana. One day, they came across a very poor but devoted follower who lived in a small mud hut. The follower, overjoyed to host such honoured guests, invited them to stay the night.
Despite having very little food, the follower prepared a meal for his visitors. Mardana felt guilty about eating the follower's scarce provisions, but Guru Nanak reassured him, saying they should accept what God provides.
After the meal, Guru Nanak surprised everyone by asking Mardana to break the clay plates they had eaten from. Though confused, Mardana trusted Guru Nanak's wisdom. The follower, showing complete faith, agreed to let his few possessions be broken. He said, “I’m your humble slave, whatever you wish, you should do”.
This story introduces key themes in Sikh teachings: humility, generosity, faith, and living according to God's will. It also showcases Guru Nanak's unconventional methods of imparting spiritual lessons.
The next morning, Guru Sahib woke up and told the Gursikh it was time to move on. The Gursikh couldn't stand the idea of his Guru leaving so soon. He asked if he could walk with them for a while longer. Guru Ji agreed, and the Gursikh planned to follow them for a short distance.
Before they left, Guru Ji thought deeply and then asked Bhai Mardhana Ji to tear down the Gursikh's small mud hut. This confused Bhai Mardhana Ji. He wondered why they should destroy the little that this humble man owned. The Gursikh, however, begged Bhai Mardhana Ji to follow Guru Ji's orders. “Please, do as my Guru says – whatever hukam he gives you, just adhere to it. Nothing here is mine, it is all Guru Ji’s”, he said. Hearing this, Bhai Mardhana Ji ,though reluctantly destroyed the hut.
Then Guru Ji, Bhai Mardhana Ji, and the Gursikh set off together. As darkness fell, Guru Ji told the Gursikh it was time for him to return home to what remained of his hut. This was Guru Ji's hukam, or command. Before they parted, Guru Ji blessed the Gursikh for his seva, or selfless service, during their stay.
The Gursikh came back to where his house once stood and saw what he considered the blessing of Sri Guru Nanak Dev Ji.
A small wall, about two feet high, was still standing. The Gursikh believed Bhai Mardhana ji hadn't finished the job of demolishing his home. So, he started to knock down this last bit of wall himself.
As he worked, he noticed something strange. The ground under the wall seemed to be getting softer. Soon, he saw a small crack in the dirt. To his amazement, he discovered a gold mine hidden beneath the ruins of his old mud house.
This humble man had been living above great wealth his whole life without knowing it. What he thought was destruction turned out to be a blessing in disguise from Guru Ji. Instead of taking everything away, Guru Ji had actually given him more than he could have ever dreamed of owning.
Lessons: The words of wisdom from the Sakhi
- Have faith in Guru Sahib’s hukam and Gurbani.
- We don’t always understand why things happen in the moment..but in hindset it makes sense why things happen the way they did!
- We are all living on gold mines without actually knowing it…beauty of Guru Sahib’s Grace!
- If we adhered to every one of our Guru Ji’s hukams without complaining about the ‘suffering’ in our lives then we too would discover the gold mine within.
- Humbleness, Seva, and pyaar can lead us to the most amazing riches in the world..our Guru Ji’s blessings…
Before ending this soulful reading, let’s look at the selflessness we need to have when preaching the name of the higher Lord.
“Visar nahee datar apana naam deho
Gun gava din raat nanak chao eho”
Forget me not O Giver, give me your name
Singing your virtues day and night is Nanak’s desire
*Based on an article published in chardikalablog.wordpress by Gurkapyara on 5th February 2016