Guru`s Marriage
To pull Guru Nanak into worldly affairs, his parents arranged to get him married. His wife, Sulakhni, was the daughter of Bhai Mula, a resident of Batala in Gurdaspur district. She gave birth to two sons, Sri Chand and Lakhmi Das. But his family was unable to bring the Guru out of his seclusion. It was then that the Guru`s sister stepped in to help.
Guru Nanak in Sultanpur
Nanki had meanwhile been married to Jai Ram, who was serving as Dewan to the governor, Nawab Daulat Khan Lodhi of Sultanpur. It is said that both Jai Ram and Rai Bular were of the opinion that Nanak was a saint ill-treated by his father; and thus Jai Ram promised to find a job for him in Sultanpur. Guru`s sister was deeply devoted to her younger brother. On their annual visit to Talwandi, when she noticed her father`s impatience at her brother`s indifference towards worldly activities, she decided to take him to Sultanpur. Her father gave his consent.
Jai Ram got the Guru the post of a store-keeper of Nawab`s state granary where the grain was collected as a part of land revenue and later sold. The Guru carried out the duties of the store-keeper very efficiently. The minstrel Mardana subsequently joined the Guru and other friends too followed. Guru Nanak introduced them to the Khan, who provided them suitable jobs in his administration. Every night there was Sabad-Kirtan (singing divine hymns).
One day he was weighing provisions and was counting each weighing as `one, two, three.........ten, eleven, twelve, thirteen`. When he reached the number thirteen (13)- `Tera` (in Punjabi language Tera means number 13, and Tera also means `thine`, that is `I am Thine, O Lord`), he went into ecstasy. He went on weighing by saying,"Tera, tera, tera,......." The customers did not know how to carry the bountiful gifts of this store-keeper. They could not understand the bounties of the Lord.
Ultimately the situation reached its climax when a charge was levied against the Guru that he was recklessly giving away the grain. The Nawab ordered an inquiry, which was conducted very carefully. The Guru`s detractors were surprised when the stores were found full and the accounts showed a balance in favor of the Guru. After that the Guru sent in his resignation to the employer to embark on his divine mission.
Guru`s Disappearance
The Janamsakhis narrate that one morning, Guru Nanak went to bathe in the neighboring river called Baeen. While bathing he disappeared in water and remained as such for three days. During that period he had a vision of God`s presence where he was entrusted by the Almighty with the task of preaching the Divine Name (NAM) to the world. The Almighty gave him a goblet brimming with nectar of `NAM` which Master Nanak drank and then Almighty commanded:
"Thou art welcome, O Nanak, that hath absorbed thyself in Nam.
Do go hence and do the work for which thou wast born.
People of Kalyug have adopted horrible practices and are extremely degraded in mind.
They worship a variety of gods, have forsaken the Name and are immersed in sin.
Go thou, spread Love and Devotion to the Name, and lighten the burden of the earth.
Go thou, and glorify the name of God and destroy hypocrisy."
Then a voice was heard, "O Nanak, to him upon whom My look of kindness resteth, be thou merciful, as I too shall be merciful. My name is God, the Primal Brahm, and thou art the Divine Guru (Mei aad Parmeshar aur tu Gur Parmeshar)."
Guru Nanak’s reappearance
It is said that after three days when he reappeared, some people saw hallow around his head. Some people say that Guru Nanak`s Guruship started with his reappearance from the water.
The Guru remained silent for a day after the reappearance and then he made this announcement, "There is no Hindu and no Musalman." This meant that there was no difference between men. Only deeds distinguish people.
This declaration made Nawab Daulat Khan and his Qazi very mad. The Nawab asked the the Guru to join them during Namaz (Muslim prayer) if he felt there was no difference between Muslims and Hindus. The Guru agreed to join prayers in the mosque that were led by the Qazi. When Namaz was offered, the Qazi and the Nawab both stood, kneeled and bowed in their prayer but the Guru remained standing. After the Namaz was over, the Qazi said,"Why did you not take part in the prayer?" The Guru replied,"I did take part in the prayer but both of you did not." Then he explained, "While the Qazi performed the service, he remembered that there was a well in his courtyard, and his mind was filled with apprehension lest his newly-born filly should fall in the well. The Qazi`s mind was, therefore, not present in the prayer. Also while the Nawab was pretending to pray, his mind was set on purchasing horses in Kabul."
Both admitted the truth of Guru`s statements and the Nawab cried aloud to the Qazi,"Thou seest not Khuda (God) speaking to us through Nanak?"
Guru Nanak never asked a Muslim or a Hindu to become his disciple to get a place in heaven after death. He told the Muslim to become a true Muslim and to a Hindu to become a true Hindu in order to get salvation.
